Osamu and Hirata led everyone to a spot on the island with a clean water source.
Soon, everyone started working together, dividing up the tasks.
Hirata assigned everyone something to do.
After they had set up camp, Osamu also apologized to Karuizawa.
Next came the matter of choosing someone to hold the green card.
Everyone chimed in:
"Let's pick Hirata."
"Hirata would be fine."
Hirata smiled and took their suggestions in stride.
Just then, Kushida stepped forward and told everyone with a warm smile:
"If we pick Hirata, won't the other classes guess who it is pretty easily?"
The class replied:
"That's true, that's true."
"Then who should we pick?"
Kushida walked lightly over to Yi Chen and gently took his arm.
Kushida said:
"I think Yi Chen would be a great choice."
Ken Sudō said:
"Hey, Yi Chen could do it. I think he'd be a good choice."
Osamu said:
"If it's Yi Chen, I'd be fine with that too."
Airi said:
"I think Yi Chen would be a good choice too."
Horikita said:
"I have no objections."
Everyone backed Yi Chen. He got along adequately with everyone in the class, and although he was very handsome,
he didn't talk much, so everyone had always assumed that was just how he was.
Whenever they tried to chat with him, if he wasn't interested, Yi Chen would simply listen without saying much.
Gradually, everyone came to think of Yi Chen as the studious type.
Not very interesting.
"If Yi Chen is the leader, the other classes probably won't guess."
Many of his classmates thought so.
Yi Chen merely looked at Kushida calmly.
No, I already saw that side of her last time. Why is she recommending me again?
If it's me, then? I remember this is completely wrong for the plot.
Because I can't force myself to drop out.
If they guess it's me, we won't be able to build much of a lead.
Am I supposed to wait until the last day, jump into the sea, and die? Then change the leader?
Why recommend me? Could it be Ryuen? Kushida!
Yi Chen thought of a possibility that seemed highly likely.
If Ryuen's class has someone who isn't part of his faction, like Tangben Yishan...
Then there'll be a dispute.
I remember that girl came over and secretly took a picture of our leader.
But what if I get involved? What if Tangben Yishan gets involved?
Ryuen! Kushida!
The scene from the previous night came to mind.
So that's why she's recommending me...
The more Yi Chen thought about it, the less right it seemed. He shook his head.
After thinking it over, he said calmly:
"Um, I don't want to be the leader. How about this? Hirata, just pick someone at random. Only you and that person need to know."
"What if none of the rest of us knew who it was?"
Everyone looked at him in disbelief, wondering why he would say something like that.
Horikita and Ayanokoji watched Yi Chen calmly.
At his words, an almost imperceptible trace of hostility flashed in Kushida's eyes.
Then her smile immediately returned.
Oda said:
"Yi Chen, what do you mean by that?"
"Why would you do that?"
"Shouldn't the whole class know who the leader is?"
"That way, everyone can help protect that person."
"Are you saying you think...?"
After speaking, Kushida quickly let go of Yi Chen and went over to the girls, looking at him with concern.
A few classmates stepped forward:
"Yi Chen, what do you mean by that?"
"Seriously, what are you getting at?"
"We're asking you to be the leader, and you're putting on an act?"
"We're all in the same class. Why would you say that?"
"We really misjudged you."
Many classmates were swayed by their emotions and began criticizing Yi Chen.
They were all annoyed with him.
Especially Karuizawa.
Karuizawa stepped forward:
"Yi Chen, are you trying to undermine the unity of our class?"
"I never thought someone who usually goes unnoticed"
"could be so dark inside."
Yi Chen looked coldly at Karuizawa and the others.
He felt sick to his stomach.
Hirata tried to step in and mediate.
Ken Sudō and a few others stood up for Yi Chen.
Yi Chen looked at them:
"I haven't done anything to anyone, and now I'm the one getting singled out?"
"Right. No matter where you go, there are always people like this."
Yi Chen pretended to be at ease as he said:
"Look, everyone, I didn't mean anything by it."
"Let me tell you a few stories."
"If you want to hide a person, wouldn't you hide them in a crowd?"
"If you want to hide a tree, wouldn't you put it in a forest?"
"Have you ever thought about something?"
"If even we don't know who our leader is,"
"then when we swipe our green cards, everyone can pretend they have one."
"Even if something goes wrong and someone sees us,"
"how do you think the other classes will figure out who our leader is?"
Some people in the class seemed to understand. The criticism grew quieter.
Kushida put on a vulnerable act:
"But wouldn't it be the same if we all knew and worked together to hide that person?"
A classmate said:
"Yeah, that's right."
At that, Yi Chen stopped pretending to be above it all:
"Then I'll be blunt."
"I don't trust Kushida."
Yi Chen looked calmly at Kushida.
Everyone followed his gaze and looked at her.
They had no idea what had happened between the two of them, and watched as if they were enjoying a show.
But Yi Chen had underestimated the power of the crowd. Kushida had her own group.
Kushida's eyes welled up with tears, and she spoke in a fragile voice:
"Yi Chen, what do you mean?"
"I haven't done anything to hurt you, have I?"
"Is it because I had dinner with Ryuen and the others yesterday?"
"But we really were just having dinner. Does Yi Chen have a crush on me?"
"Are you trying to stop me from making friends with people in other classes?"
"What about Ichinose, then?"
The members of Oda's group came forward one after another to criticize him.
Karuizawa also thought Yi Chen was in the wrong and joined in.
The few people who had spoken up for Yi Chen were powerless to help.
Ken Sudō was furious and wanted to hit someone.
A girl said:
"Look, Ken Sudō's about to hit someone again!"
"I've heard that birds of a feather flock together."
"Only people who are alike get along."
Ken Sudō walked over and grabbed the girl by the collar,
raising his fist to scare her.
"See? He really is going to hit me! Waaaah!"
The girl pretended to cry.
Kushida looked aggrieved too:
"Thank you all for standing up for me. We're all students."
"What's wrong with making friends while we're at school?"
Ken Sudō had already had a run-in with someone from Class D and knew there weren't many decent people there.
So he trusted Yi Chen without question.
Yamauchi and a few others had also received Yi Chen's help, so they stood firmly by him.
Yamauchi and Osamu hurried over to hold back Ken Sudō, who was on the verge of losing his temper.
After hearing that, Hirata also began to feel some resistance toward Yi Chen. Helpless, he tried to smooth things over.
Yi Chen spoke again, his voice calm:
"Kushida, you're quite something."
"Then let me ask everyone: we're all doing this for Class Points, right?"
"Let's look at the issue from the ground up."
"Wouldn't my approach give us an advantage in this exam?"
"I don't care if you suspect me. It doesn't matter."
"So what if I'm a suspicious person?"
"This suggestion could help our class earn more points."
Some classmates thought he had a point. They stopped criticizing him and moved back.
Kushida said:
"Then... if everyone in the class suspects one another, what good is it to give the green card to anyone?"
"We have no way of knowing who might betray the class."
"We're supposed to stick together. What are you trying to do by causing a dispute in the class?"
Yi Chen smiled disdainfully:
"Didn't I just say that Kushida might be the only one who can't be trusted?"
Oda said anxiously:
"But I'm not the only one who's spent time with Ryuen and the others."
Kushida glanced at the few people who had interacted with Ryuen.
One by one, they began to resent Kushida.
Seeing this, Oda gave up on her loud sobbing.
"What did I do wrong? I was only doing this for the class."
"I didn't even do anything. Ryuen invited me to dinner yesterday, and I've never been good at turning people down."
"What exactly is the problem with that?"
"Yi Chen, what gives you the right to make such presumptuous judgments?"
The tide of public opinion turned against Yi Chen again.
Yi Chen thought for a moment:
Oh, man. What am I even doing?
I've got the script in my hands, so of course I know. But they...
"Forget it."
Yi Chen spoke in defeat:
"I'm sorry, Kushida Kikyo. This was my fault."
"From the looks of it, I'm not suited to working with you anymore, either."
"So I won't take part in your interactions during this exam."
"Of course, I won't just withdraw and do something that costs the class points."
After saying that, Yi Chen left on his own.
Ken Sudō and the others went after Yi Chen to try to talk him around.
Before you continue