Undercurrents and a New Chessboard

The cruise ship cut through the waves and sailed steadily toward the harbor.

The smoke of the special exam had long since cleared, but the celebration of victory continued to ferment among the Class D students.

"Five hundred thousand points! We're rich!"

Ike Kanji's face was flushed with excitement, and he nearly jumped onto the table.

"When we get back, I'm definitely buying that newest game console! Then I'll ask a few girls from Class C out to have some fun!"

Yamauchi Haruki chuckled foolishly beside him, already fantasizing about a life surrounded by beautiful women.

"This is all thanks to Natsume! He's practically a god!"

"That's right! And Ayanokoji was pretty useful too!"

The noisy lounge was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

They were immersed in the joy of victory and dreams of a luxurious future. No one noticed that the center of power in the class had already undergone a drastic transformation.

Even fewer noticed what cold eyes the man they worshipped as a "god" was using to plan each of their "uses."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's room was silent.

He had not joined the celebration.

A steaming cup of tea sat on the table, untouched.

His fingers tapped unconsciously against the tabletop as he replayed every detail of the exam in his mind, again and again.

From the initial group assignments, to the orders at critical moments, to the final psychological manipulation of Ryuen Kakeru.

Every step Natsume Yu took had been so precise that it was chilling.

That was not mere prediction.

It was a scheme born of insight into human nature—a terrifying script that treated everyone as chess pieces, calculating even how each piece would move next and what emotions that move would produce.

Himself...

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's gaze darkened.

What role had he played in this script?

A perfectly coordinated ally?

Or... a relatively useful chess piece?

Once that thought arose, he could no longer suppress it.

For the first time, he deeply doubted his relationship with Natsume Yu.

This so-called "cooperation" had, from the very beginning, been built upon an absolute imbalance of information.

Perhaps he was merely the part of Natsume's vast plan responsible for carrying things out.

Nothing more.

"Your memory is your greatest weapon."

Natsume Yu lounged against the sofa with his legs crossed, looking relaxed.

In front of him, Kushida Kikyo sat stiffly upright, her hands tightly placed on her knees like an elementary school student waiting to be scolded by her teacher.

"But right now, that weapon is still too crude."

Natsume Yu's gaze fell upon her. His expression was calm, yet it made Kushida feel an invisible pressure.

"I need you to turn it into a net. An invisible net that covers the entire grade."

Kushida Kikyo's pupils contracted slightly.

"You mean..."

"Not just our enemies." Natsume Yu cut her off, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"I want information on every person in Class D. Each person's personality flaws, social relationships, what they care about most, what they fear most, even secrets they have never told anyone."

He paused, a cold curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"I want you to become my eyes and ears, infiltrating every corner."

"What I want is not victory, but absolute control."

Those words made Kushida Kikyo's heart skip a beat.

She finally understood that this man's ambition was far greater than she had imagined.

What he wanted was to turn all of Class D into his private property.

And she was the first link in the chain he was forging.

"I understand, Lord Natsume."

She lowered her head, concealing the complicated emotions in her eyes.

After returning to her room, Kushida Kikyo opened her laptop.

Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately began working.

Her vast database of memories began operating at high speed.

One name after another, one face after another, flashed through her mind.

Hirata Yosuke: a sunny leader, but overly concerned with class unity. That was both a strength and a weakness that could be exploited.

Karuizawa Kei: the core of the gyaru group, extremely vain, yet deeply lacking any sense of security. She seemed to be hiding an unbearable past.

Sudo Ken: simple-minded and hot-tempered, easily incited, but loyal to his friends. A useful double-edged sword.

Her fingers flew over the keyboard. On the screen, an outrageously detailed report was rapidly taking shape.

She displayed astonishing efficiency, as though she were using it to numb the humiliation and fear in her heart.

On the deck, the sea breeze blew.

Natsume Yu stood by the railing, gazing into the distance, when a timid figure approached him.

"Um... Natsume."

It was Sakura Airi.

With both hands behind her back, her cheeks were so red they looked ready to drip blood. She kept her head lowered, not daring to look Natsume Yu in the eyes.

Natsume Yu turned around with a gentle smile on his face.

"Sakura, do you need something?"

"This... is for you."

Sakura Airi gathered all the courage she had in her life and handed him a bottle of water.

"Thank you... for reminding me during the exam."

She meant the words Natsume Yu had passed on through Ayanokoji, telling her to take care of herself.

"It was nothing."

Natsume Yu naturally accepted the water, twisted open the cap, and took a sip.

"You also helped the class immensely at a critical moment. You were very brave."

His soft encouragement made Sakura Airi lower her head even further, but her heart raced so fast it nearly leapt from her chest.

This powerful yet gentle man was completely irresistible to her.

The atmosphere in the Student Council President's office was somewhat stifling.

Horikita Suzune stood before the desk, looking at her older brother.

"Brother, what do you think about Class D's victory this time?"

She hoped for praise, even if it was only a word of acknowledgment.

However, Horikita Manabu merely lifted his eyelids and gave her an indifferent glance.

"A victory gained through cheap tricks is meaningless."

His words were cold, devoid of even a trace of warmth.

Horikita Suzune's face paled.

"But we defeated the alliance between Class A and Class C..."

"So what?" Horikita Manabu interrupted. "It was nothing more than a farce."

His gaze seemed to pass through Hor...ikita Suzune and look somewhere farther away.

"Still, that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka... he's somewhat interesting."

Those words completely shattered Horikita Suzune's expectations.

The one her brother had noticed was not Natsume Yu, who had planned everything, nor even herself as the leader, but that utterly unremarkable Ayanokoji?

Why?

Her brother's judgment had always been absolute truth in her heart.

But this time, for the first time, she doubted his judgment.

What kind of person was the mastermind who had completely shattered the Class A myth her brother had been so proud of?

The curiosity in her heart grew stronger and stronger.

The night deepened.

Natsume Yu stood on the balcony of his room, the sea breeze stirring his hair.

His phone screen was lit.

Two messages had just arrived.

One was from Sakura Airi: "Natsume, thank you so much for today! ( blushing_emoji)"

The other was from Kushida Kikyo: "The report has been preliminarily organized and can be submitted at any time."

The two messages, so different in style, represented two entirely different "tools."

Everything was proceeding methodically according to his script.

His gaze crossed the shimmering sea and settled on the distant lights of the city.

This exam victory was only the beginning.

The upcoming Sports Festival would be the truly interesting stage.

He would use Kushida's hatred of Horikita to personally shatter that proud ice queen bit by bit.

He would make her cast aside her pointless pride as well and become one of his many "collectibles."

At the thought of Horikita Suzune's unyielding eyes eventually taking on the same look as Kushida's, the corners of Natsume Yu's mouth rose uncontrollably.

Kushida Kikyo finally completed the last part of the report.

When she typed the four characters "Horikita Suzune," her fingertips trembled slightly.

She listed every one of Horikita Suzune's weaknesses in detail: arrogance, poor social skills, excessive dependence on her brother's approval, a lack of flexibility...

With every point she wrote down, the hatred in her heart surged once more.

But at the same time, a twisted pleasure rose from the depths of her heart.

She hated Natsume Yu's control, yet she was hopelessly dependent on the sense of power he gave her—the power to toy with other people's fates in the palm of her hand.

That feeling intoxicated her.

The whistle of the cruise ship docking sounded.

An announcement came over the speakers, informing them to prepare to disembark.

Natsume Yu stepped out of his room, ready to leave.

At the corner of the corridor, Kushida Kikyo stood quietly, blocking his path.

She said nothing.

Students passed by around them, chatting excitedly, yet the atmosphere between the two of them was eerily quiet.

Kushida Kikyo simply raised her hand in silence and held out a black USB drive before Natsume Yu.

Natsume Yu took the USB drive, and his fingertips accidentally brushed against her hand.

Ice-cold.

He looked at her and revealed a satisfied smile.

"Welcome to my world, Kikyo."