"People— the harder they work, the more they realize that they have their limits. The more they scheme, the more they get thrown into disarray by unforeseen factors."
"Humans really do have their limits, don't they, Ryuen? I was right."
"What are you trying to say, Nagami?"
Ryuen had no idea why Nagami had gone out of his way to say something so cryptic.
"You really have no patience. Your thought process is as straightforward as a kid trying to sneak a piece of candy."
With that, Nagami lit up his phone screen. Ryuen's eyes widened as he seemed to see something that terrified him.
"Your supposedly perfect plans were full of holes every time. It only took a little vigilance to catch you out, Joker Ryuen."
"This is the end. Checkmate!"
"Ugh, ever since the Uninhabited Island Exam, the gap between us and Class A has just kept growing! We're 165 points behind!"
Early in the morning, Ichinose trudged along dejectedly after the results of the Paper Shuffle Special Exam were announced.
"There's nothing we can do about it. Class A started the year with so many points. And they had the advantage in this exam, so it's only natural that Class B lost."
"Speaking of which, Class D started with zero points and was in hell, but they managed to turn things around right away under Kagami's lead. Kagami really is amazing."
"I'm so jealous. I wish Class B had someone like Kagami."
Ichinose puffed out her cheeks and grumbled.
"Me? Would you believe me if I said I didn't do anything? You sound just like Hoshinomiya-sensei."
"Hmph. If Kagami underestimates me just because he's smart, he'll be in for a nasty surprise."
Ichinose retorted with a serious expression.
"Whatever. It makes no difference to me whether I'm in Class A or not. What matters is enjoying the fun the Special Exams bring."
"Could it be that Kagami's secretly a philosopher?!"
"Demo, getting into Class A is still important to me. There's a wish I have to fulfill, and I need to make it happen through Class A."
"Oh? What has Honami so determined?"
Ichinose's words piqued Nagami's interest.
"That's a girl's secret. It'd be rude to keep asking."
"What a decisive refusal. I'm your best friend, and you still won't tell me. I'm so hurt."
"Best friend?" Ichinose thought it over for a moment.
"I'm happy to be considered your best friend, Kagami. And you're my best friend, too."
"Is Kushida your best friend as well? I heard from someone in Class B that they saw her crying in your arms on the sports field."
Ichinose giggled, then abruptly changed the subject.
"She's been harassed by some persistent admirer lately, and she's under a lot of stress. I was just comforting her as a friend."
"That doesn't sound like an ordinary admirer. Is he a stalker? I didn't know the school had someone like that! Why not contact the security office?"
"It's not that extreme. What's that saying? 'Women are made of water.' When they find a shoulder they can lean on, they can't help but let their feelings out."
If anyone ever asked what the highest form of lying was, it was telling the truth to deceive someone.
"Wow, is Kagami some kind of flirt who treats every girl the same?"
(Nani? Honami, don't just go making up new words.)
"Hey! Ichinose!"
In the distance, a friend from Class B waved to Ichinose.
"Your friend's here. I'll be going."
Nagami quickly headed toward the school building.
Meanwhile...
"Hey, have you heard? Karuizawa was bullied in middle school."
"Seriously? Karuizawa, the gal? You'd never guess."
"Does that mean she's actually an easy target?"
"Really? To be honest, Karuizawa's really cute."
Quiet bits of gossip reached them from all around.
"Tch, those bastards in Class C are starting trouble again."
Sudo shoved the door open.
"They're already gossiping in the hallway first thing in the morning. It's so annoying."
"Sudo, you're not going to get into a fight again, are you?"
"No. I'll just ignore them. There's no way I'm falling into the same trap twice. Those guys are the worst—they're always trying to extort people, like disgusting caterpillars."
"Besides..."
Sudo finished speaking and looked toward Horikita Suzune's seat, wearing the expression of a man who'd been thoroughly tamed.
"You're getting more and more loyal."
Ayanokoji remarked as he looked at the message glowing on his phone, his expression still impassive.
(Having a red-haired gorilla fall for you—sometimes I really admire people's tolerance.)
"Good grief!"
With Class C's Class Points getting closer and closer, were they panicking and scrambling for anything they could try? Or did they have some other purpose? It didn't matter either way.
Thinking about what he had to do next, Nagami couldn't help humming.
"Oh, Kikyo, you're finally here. Good morning. Did you get done what I asked you to do?"
"You really know how to boss people around, Kagami. I feel like you've been treating me as a tool to get the job done—and then throwing me away once you're finished."
"Come on. You're my best friend."
"Yoshi, then that's that."
Nagami stretched. With only a few minutes before class, he made the most of the time and glanced at the novel in his hand, Jane Eyre.
"Karuizawa, don't worry about the rumors going around. Class C started them."
Sato tried to comfort her friend.
"It's fine, it's fine. I don't care at all."
"With Karuizawa's queenly aura, how could she be someone who got bullied? It'd be surprising if she wasn't the one bullying others."
Karuizawa's clique spoke up in her defense.
Karuizawa clenched her phone. Before turning off the screen, she sent a message to the mysterious recipient X.
Ever since the trio of bullies led by Manabe had discovered her secret, she found herself staring absently at her message history with X from time to time.
It seemed that X gave her confidence and a sense of security. X had promised her, too.
But the rumors were spreading, and they were starting to affect her daily life.
It had all started when Karuizawa received an anonymous message. It said that if she didn't want her secret revealed to the whole school, she had to follow the instructions.
The fact that the rumors hadn't mentioned the scars on her body was itself a warning.
All she could do now was put on a brave face and pretend nothing had happened. She had a feeling that if she refused to follow the instructions, her biggest secret would eventually be exposed. Remembering the terrible things she'd suffered in middle school, she began to tremble despite herself.
"A woman from a poor background somehow wins the inexplicable favor of a rich, handsome man? There's no psychological buildup at all. They meet a few times and he falls in love with her. So Europe was publishing women's romance novels this early?"
"That makes me see the classics in a whole new light."
"If this happened in real life, wouldn't he just use her and then toss her aside like a burden? Don't overestimate some people's morality."
Before you continue