Just Like You

Chabashira Sae was also somewhat tempted. She had actually known about the relationship between Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Horikita Suzune for a long time. This conversation was just to confirm whether Horikita Suzune's plan was devised by Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. Since Horikita Suzune was so confident and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka showed no signs of stopping her, it meant that Ayanokoji had also tacitly approved the safety of this operation.

So, on the morning of the fourth day, Horikita Suzune used 20 Special Exam Points to exchange for a digital camera.

Next, it's time to search for evidence.

The atmosphere in Class A was not good. After being forced to sign a contract with Class D on the second night, Katsuragi Kohei completely lost his qualification to unify Class A. Although not all the blame can be placed on Katsuragi Kohei alone, since you, Katsuragi Kohei, previously acted as if you Leader of Class A, now that Class A's strategy has gone wrong, you should honestly take the blame.

The contract with Class D drastically reduced Class A's previously abundant Special Exam Points by 200 points, leaving them with only about 50 points. Class A is now in dire straits. Although they can rely on Class C's resources to survive until the end of the exam, even if Class C informs the Leader of Classes B and C according to the contract, Class A will only receive about 150 Special Exam Points in the end. Moreover, Class A is burdened with a monthly debt of one million Private Points.

"Don't be discouraged, we've captured many strongholds, which can provide Class A with a lot of points."

Seemingly sensing the oppressive atmosphere in the class, Katsuragi Kohei stood up to boost morale. However, Kamuro Masumi, standing to the side, did indeed purse her lips upon hearing this. After all, the information about the Leader Class A had been leaked, and all these base points would ultimately be wasted.

However, the other students in Class A were unaware of this, and their morale was somewhat boosted. One failure in an exam was nothing, especially since the exam wasn't over yet, and it wasn't necessarily clear whether Class A had lost. Perhaps the situation in other classes was even worse than that of Class A.

The students in Class A, trying to reassure themselves, had somewhat regained their spirits. Katsuragi Kohei also breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Totsuka Yahiko, asking:

Have you found any clues recently?

Just as Kitagawa Ryo had anticipated, Class A also realized the rule of Leader: if only one person from Class C was active on the Uninhabited Island, then that person would undoubtedly be the Leader of Class C. However, after witnessing Kitagawa Ryo's abilities, Katsuragi and the others didn't really believe that Kitagawa Ryo was the only one on the island. If that were the case, he wouldn't dare to act so openly. In fact, yesterday, some students from Class A even saw him chatting and laughing with Ichinose Honami from Class B.

So, apart from Class B who genuinely believed that Class C was allied with them, Katsuragi and his confidant Totsuka Yahiko from Class A, and Horikita Suzune and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka from Class D all began to secretly search for the other members of Class C who might be left on the island. Their purpose was the same: to salvage their reputation within their class and to strike a blow against Class C.

After one of their encounters, Katsuragi Kohei and Horikita Suzune exchanged ideas and decided to act together.

"Last night we discovered traces of Kitagawa Ryo sneaking away from Class B's camp, but none of us were there at the time, so we don't know where he went."

Totsuka Yahiko began:

"To be honest, so far, it's just the four of us— Horikita, Ayanokoji, and myself—searching. We're really short-handed, and communication is difficult. Should we try asking other people in the class for help?"

Upon hearing this, Katsuragi Kohei shook his head:

"No, this operation was originally planned to salvage the situation and was conducted in secret. Besides, a large-scale operation would only alert the enemy. There are still two days until the end of the exam, which should be enough time for us to find them."

"But even if we find the second person from Class C who stayed here, we still can't be sure who the Leader is, him or Kitagawa Ryo?"

"We don't need to worry about that. Horikita from Class D has specially exchanged for digital cameras. As long as the other party takes out a card to occupy the stronghold, we can immediately take a picture."

Katsuragi Kohei calmly replied that after Class A's crushing defeat, the number of students who had supported him had decreased significantly, and now he could only trust Totsuka Yahiko.

"Kitagawa Ryo hasn't taken over any strongholds these past few days. Although I personally think that mysterious person is the real Leader Class C, it's also possible that Kitagawa Ryo gave up the income from taking over strongholds and focused on hiding himself."

"Let's wait a little longer, if we really can't find it..."

Although Katsuragi Kohei really wanted to say "Let's fill Kitagawa Ryo's place," his cautious nature made him change his mind:

"Class A should just stop guessing Leader of Class C is."

The Uninhabited Island Special Exam was on its sixth day, the second to last day before the exam ended.

As always, Horikita Suzune searched for decisive evidence under the cover of night. The hidden members of Class C had not yet revealed any trace. In fact, even Horikita Suzune herself was not sure whether anyone from Class C was hiding on the island. Kitagawa Ryo was being scouted by them in shifts all day long. Since the fourth day, he had not made any outrageous moves. He just chatted with Ichinose Honami at Class B's camp and occasionally helped out. He had not gone anywhere else in private.

If Class C is indeed hiding on the Uninhabited Island, then the other side will not receive any assistance from Kitagawa Ryo during these three days.

Is it really possible for someone to survive alone here for three days or even longer without being discovered?

Horikita Suzune walked into the dense forest. The sky above was gloomy, as if a heavy rain was about to fall. Although Horikita Suzune hadn't had time to bring rain gear or anything like that today, she still walked into the forest without fear.

We must rectify this mistake. We must rectify this mistake.

The same words kept repeating in Horikita Suzune's mind.

I want to prove myself, that I'm not just at the level of Class D.

Remembering Kitagawa Ryo's face again, Horikita Suzune gritted her teeth and continued forward.

Perhaps it is in this kind of weather that the other party will lower their guard and reveal a weakness.

Horikita Suzune, who acted with this unconventional thinking, finally reaped the rewards this time.

In front of Horikita Suzune, in front of a very well-hidden stronghold, a person wearing a large black raincoat was standing there.

That was originally a base belonging to Class A, but it seems that Class A was planning to give up this round of eight-hour check-in and occupation due to the bad weather. Perhaps the other side noticed this and decided to take over the spot.

Horikita Suzune's heart began to race. She slowly stopped breathing, took out the digital camera from her pocket, and quietly shortened the distance between herself and this person.

No problem, I can do it smoothly. I can do it smoothly, I can do it smoothly, I can do it smoothly.

Horikita Suzune herself was well aware that she was not calm, and just then, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky, with the threat of a heavy downpour looming.

If she got wet, she might get sick, but Horikita Suzune didn't care anymore as she slowly approached the person from behind.

He took out his key card, Horikita Suzune instinctively snapped several photos, but in such harsh conditions, she only managed to capture a corner of the key card.

The person didn't give Horikita Suzune another chance to take a picture of the key card. The small electronic screen lit up, and from Horikita Suzune's perspective, she could only see the words "Successful Occupation." She quickly took a picture of the scene.

The fact that capturing a base requires the Leader to verify their identity via fingerprint means that this person is indeed the hidden Leader of Class C.

To avoid being discovered, Horikita Suzune quickly left the scene after taking the photos, not caring that she was wading through puddles. She ran all the way to the vicinity of Class A's camp, used her flashlight to send out the pre-arranged signal, and hurriedly checked the photos in a deserted corner.

There were about seven or eight photos of the key card, but they were all very blurry. It took Horikita Suzune a while to find a relatively clear photo. A corner of the front of the key card was visible, with a big "K" on it.

At that moment, Katsuragi Kohei also received the signal and rushed over. He quickly walked up to Horikita Suzune and said:

"Ayanokoji just discovered that Ryuen Kakeru from Class C is still on the island, but he seemed to have something to do, and only said one sentence before leaving."

"Ryuen Kakeru... no."

Horikita Suzune murmured the name to herself; the keycard would be engraved with the Leader's name in Roman letters.

"Kitagawa Ryo... Kitakawa ryo."

Katsuragi Kohei looked at Horikita Suzune, who was muttering their names:

"You took a picture of the key card?"

"We got it."

Horikita Suzune took a deep breath, filled with a long-lost sense of pride and confidence:

"Although we only captured the initial 'K,' it's enough for us to pinpoint Kitagawa Ryo; he's the Leader of Class C."

"Well then, thank you for your hard work."

Kitagawa Ryo looked at Karuizawa Kei in his arms, who was almost pressed tightly against his chest. Kitagawa Ryo had just used her right hand to complete the occupation of the base, and under the cover of the rain and raincoat, he successfully deceived Horikita Suzune was taking pictures from behind.

It's raining.

Karuizawa Kei reluctantly left Kitagawa Ryo's embrace, but she needed to return to Class D as soon as possible.

"Sorry, it looks like Hui will have to run back in the rain."

Kitagawa Ryo couldn't lend his raincoat to Karuizawa Kei, as it would risk being exposed if she saw it, so he had no choice but to apologize.

He reached out and returned the key card to Karuizawa Kei.

"When we get back, Liang has to give me an umbrella as compensation."

Before running into the rain, Karuizawa Kei didn't forget to splurge, and Kitagawa Ryo naturally nodded in agreement.

Amidst the swirling rain, Karuizawa Kei seemed completely unconcerned about being soaked; she simply gripped the key card in her hand, the front engraved with her name in Roman letters.

"Karuizawa Kei"

This operation was based on this inexplicable coincidence.

Kitagawa Ryo & Karuizawa Kei.

K&K.

Chapter Thirty-Four: As Expected of You

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka never placed his hopes on finding the Leader of Class C. When he discovered that at least one person from Class C was still hiding on the island, the plan to find the Leader of Class C could not succeed. Since Kitagawa Ryo was able to make such a plan, he must have also thought about how to prevent his own class Leader from being guessed.

In this Special Exam on the Uninhabited Island, the Leader's rules have a hidden mechanism.

When Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was explaining the rules regarding Leader to Horikita Suzune earlier, he thought she would realize it. However, Horikita Suzune didn't react at all and foolishly continued to search for the Leader of Class C. This made Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's evaluation of her drop another level.

The hidden mechanism that his class could never guess about the Leader is --

In the final moments before the exam ends, have the Leader withdraw from the exam, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. This way, regardless of the efforts or intelligence gathered by other classes, only 30 Special Exam Points are needed to protect your Leader, as other classes will not have time to investigate the next Leader.

Once you realize this, you'll understand that searching for the Leader of Class C is pointless. No matter what evidence you find, the Leader will naturally change if the other person withdraws before the exam ends. And if you try to guess who it is, Class C might not choose to change. Therefore, whether the Leader of Class C is Kitagawa Ryo or Ryuen Kakeru, neither Class D nor Class A can make a 100% accurate guess.

The most suitable method would actually be for Class A and Class D to guess Kitagawa Ryo and Ryuen Kakeru respectively, which would guarantee that one class would be correct. However, neither Class A nor Class D can accept the 50% chance of failure. Horikita Suzune might try to take the gamble, but given Katsuragi Kohei's personality, he will most likely choose to give up.

As he pondered these thoughts, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, searching for his target in the darkness.

Actually, there's an even easier and more effective way to resolve the issue of Class C.

Since Class C's plan is to incite internal strife and speculation among the three classes, in order to gain the trust of the other classes, they must have promised to pay a corresponding price if the provided list of Leader is incorrect. This price must be quite high, otherwise it would not be enough to convince the other classes.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stopped in his tracks, trying to catch the movements of others in the wind, gradually minimizing his own presence.

The night of the sixth day of the Special Exam was a dark, rainy night. Considering that the exam would end the next day, all three classes chose to save their points by eating only one meal. Due to the bad weather, most of them returned to their tents early. Those still active in the woods at this time...

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka concealed himself behind a tree, his golden pupils flickering for the first time as he locked onto that bright light in the darkness.

It must be admitted that Kitagawa Ryo of Class C executed a meticulously planned scheme, which may have been conceived even before arriving on the island. If successful, it would not only bring amazing benefits to Class C, but also change the situation of the entire grade.

However, even a meticulously planned scheme has a drawback.

If even one link in the chain is destroyed, the entire plan will collapse completely, beyond repair.

Class C's plan was entirely based on Kitagawa Ryo knowing the Leader Classes Class A, B, and D. Although it is unclear how he specifically found out the Leader of Classes A and Class B, the leak of information about the Leader Class D was inevitable, because the Leader of Class D was Karuizawa Kei.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had long suspected that this girl was a spy secretly in contact with Class C.

Appointing someone like that as the class Leader is tantamount to handing over intelligence.

But--

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka followed closely behind the person in front of him. The person seemed to have noticed that someone was following him and quickened his pace in an attempt to get around him.

But in this dark, rainy night, amidst a dense forest, the cost of blindly accelerating was that he tripped and almost fell to the ground.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka seized the opportunity to close the distance. A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and amidst the rumbling thunder, he took a step forward. The fleeting flash of light illuminated his emotionless golden eyes.

He raised his right leg, swung it in an arc through the air, and swung it directly at the neck of the person in front of him. The force was just right—enough to make the person faint without any aftereffects.

But the figure in the raincoat did not fall into trouble as he expected; instead, he nimbly reached out and blocked the attack from behind.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka frowned; for the first time, he felt that things were slipping out of his control.

Beneath the dark raincoat, what was revealed was not the pair of panicked, azure eyes that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had assumed would appear, but rather a pair of equally indifferent and empty black eyes:

"Aren't you going to hide it anymore?"

"Ayanokoji?"

Along with the words, a whooshing sound filled the air as a heavy punch pierced the rain and slammed into Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's chest.

Kitagawa Ryo was well aware that his plan had a fatal flaw: the change of Leader.

Just as Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had anticipated, he became aware of this hidden rule, or rather, loophole, upon arriving on the island.

However, not everyone discovered this loophole. During the six days of reconnaissance on the Uninhabited Island, neither Class A nor Class B gave any indication that they intended to change Leader at the last minute, because their defensive strategy made them quite confident in the concealment of their Leader.

Moreover, even if both Class A and Class B realized this strategy after Kitagawa Ryo's design, Class A's current meager fifty Special Exam Points and Katsuragi Kohei's declining reputation did not support Class A changing its Leader. Class B, on the other hand, remained on the defensive, believing themselves to be impregnable, and did not realize that their Leader's information had been leaked.

Therefore, Class D is most likely to have problems, and the only ones who can see through this rule and take advantage of it are probably Koenji Rokusuke and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. Koenji Rokusuke withdrew at the beginning of the exam so that Kitagawa Ryo could focus more on Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

However, the biggest problem with Class D compared to Classes A and B is that Class D' s Leader, Karuizawa Kei, is actually a spy planted by Kitagawa Ryo. If Class D wants Karuizawa Kei to voluntarily abstain and replace the Leader, this information will definitely be leaked. Apart from losing thirty Special Exam Points for nothing, it will not serve the purpose of hiding the Leader.

Based on this analysis, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka only has one way to break the deadlock, and Kitagawa Ryo is quite certain that he will choose this approach.

In the final moments before the exam ended, Karuizawa Kei, the Leader of Class D, was "forced" to withdraw from the exam.

This is a strategy that only Ayanokoji Kiyotaka would adopt. Kitagawa Ryo, who had encountered the "White Room" in previous simulations, was very clear about its educational philosophy. Since Ayanokoji Kiyotaka is known as the only successful case among them, he should be the one who has perfected this educational philosophy.

Therefore, he will most likely take direct action against Karuizawa Kei, then disguise it as an accident to send her to a cruise ship, causing Karuizawa Kei to withdraw from the exam.

With Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's skills, it would be incredibly easy for him to make a move on a girl silently on a rainy night. If Karuizawa Kei were to withdraw from the exam, Class C's strategy would completely collapse.

If Class C fails to identify the Leader Class D before the exam ends, Class C will directly incur a huge debt to Class A and Class B. Class D, by concealing its Leader, will become the biggest winner of this exam, and all of Kitagawa Ryo's plans will benefit Class D.

But--