Before long, someone knocked on Uesugi Hara's door.
He opened it. As expected, Sakayanagi Arisu and Kamuro Masumi were standing outside.
"Uesugi, we meet again," Sakayanagi said with a smile.
"Come in." Uesugi Hara stepped aside.
"I wonder if this scene feels familiar, Princess?" Uesugi Hara said, handing them two glasses of water.
"I didn't come here to discuss that." A faint blush spread across Sakayanagi's face, as if she'd remembered the embarrassment from a few days ago.
"It was just a passing thought." Uesugi Hara shrugged. "What did you come to discuss today, Classmate Sakayanagi?"
"I want to know whether you've figured out the pattern behind this exam." Sakayanagi looked him straight in the eye.
"I have," Uesugi Hara replied without hesitation.
"You really don't... Hm? You have?" Sakayanagi clearly hadn't expected such a direct answer.
"Mm. I have," Uesugi Hara confirmed.
On the one hand, it would be difficult for him to make a move alone without cooperating with another class. But who could guarantee that the other class wouldn't betray him? On the other hand, this would save him from Sakayanagi pestering him. And who said this meant he couldn't help Ayanokoji?
The stark contrast between Uesugi Hara's earlier and current reactions left Sakayanagi Arisu a little dazed. "Tell me what the pattern is first."
"The Zodiac Sequence. It's the order of the VIP's name within the group, arranged according to the Japanese syllabary." Uesugi Hara explained it simply and clearly.
A flicker of surprise passed through Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes before she fell into thought. She quickly tested the theory in her mind and soon realized it fit the known distribution of VIPs.
"I see," Sakayanagi murmured. "So this is the school's so-called 'strict adjustment'? Using the zodiac and the Japanese syllabary to determine the VIP's position.