Class A's Refusal Negotiation Strategy

Seeing the atmosphere grow increasingly tense, Arisu Sakayanagi let out a light chuckle and laid out the core strategy for Class A.

Within each zodiac group, the various classes are divided into four groups: A, B, C, and D. However, the group containing Class A issued a startling declaration: all members of their class would refuse to participate in any discussions until the exam concluded.

This VIP Exam is clearly a game that relies on dialogue and intelligence. Much like the logical debates in Werewolf, one must infer the identities of others based on the truths, lies, and expressions revealed by everyone. If someone chooses to remain silent, it will lead to a critical lack of information in the game. From the words of the Class A leader, it was clear that the entire class had adopted this "no-comment" strategy.

I see. Honami Ichinose and Yoshikage Kira saw through it at a glance; this must be Katsuragi's strategy. Since it is impossible to manage every group, they have adopted a unified tactic: to remain unmoved by all changes.

They will not participate in any discussion regardless of what the others do, nor will they take a single step forward regardless of the temptations offered. They will not be greedy for the correct answer, nor will they risk betraying their own, defending like a Xuanwu until the end to force a draw.

This game may seem intricate and full of schemes, but for Class A, which has no need to risk points to climb the ranks, simply watching the situation unfold is enough to ensure their own VIP is not discovered. Not losing any points is the most stable approach; in other words, the lower-ranked classes are always the ones facing the greatest difficulty in this struggle.

After the strategy was announced, Kakeru Ryuen was the first to mock: "This cowardly turtle strategy doesn't suit your style, Arisu Sakayanagi."

Arisu Sakayanagi shook her head. "This is Katsuragi-kun's plan, and the majority of Class A supports it. I'm afraid I can't help you. You won't be able to pry anything out of me."

The discussion immediately reached a stalemate. Once Class A took the lead in refusing to communicate, all of Class B's proposals and attempts to warm up the room were rendered ineffective. The willingness of Classes C and D to communicate also plummeted.

By the end of the entire discussion, Honami Ichinose, who had initiated the warm-up, naturally became the leader of the Dragon Group.

During this time, Kikyo Kushida cast expectant glances toward Yoshikage Kira multiple times. However, he selectively ignored them all, conveying a blunt message that she shouldn't count on him and that it had nothing to do with him.

And so, the first meeting, intended to last an hour, ended unpleasantly. What followed was considered free time.

The group walked out of Conference Room 404 one after another. A soft background melody drifted from the cruise ship's speakers. Looking through the corridor portholes, the azure sea shimmered with fine golden light. The sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, slipped in through the half-open windows, dispersing the lingering tension and stuffiness of the meeting room.

The students of Class A remained silent, dispersing in twos and threes along the cruise ship corridor without a single exchange, perfectly executing Katsuragi's defensive strategy. Kakeru Ryuen led the members of Class C toward the deck, grumbling and clearly extremely dissatisfied with the fruitless discussion. Honami Ichinose remained where she was, briefly exchanging a few words with two Class B members before heading toward the cabin lounge, preparing to contact Yoshikage Kira in secret to finalize the details of the subsequent discussion plans.

Yoshikage Kira did not linger, turning directly toward the cruise ship's observation deck. He had always been accustomed to solitude, especially at times like this when information was chaotic and the situation unclear; solitude allowed him to better organize his thoughts and deduce the potential moves in the coming game.

He wore the school's uniform, his back straight and his expression so calm that not a single ripple disturbed it, as if the unproductive and unpleasant discussion, along with the several subtle glances from Kikyo Kushida, had left no trace in his mind.

The observation deck was spacious and open. On one side, the azure sea stretched into the distance, while on the other, several white lounge chairs were arranged. A few students from other groups lingered here, whispering to each other, their expressions filled with anxiety and confusion regarding the exam. Yoshikage Kira sat in the quietest corner, took out his student terminal, and without opening any chat windows, simply stared silently at the exam rules on the screen. His fingertips tapped the screen unconsciously as he repeatedly reviewed the strategy of Class A, the threats from Ryuen, and the ill-timed glances from Kikyo Kushida.

"Kira-kun."

A soft, pleasant voice came from behind him, carrying a hint of hard-to-detect excitement and nervousness, breaking the tranquility of the deck. Yoshikage Kira did not turn around, only frowning slightly; he didn't need to think to know that the person who had arrived was Kikyo Kushida.

Kikyo Kushida walked up quickly with her signature gentle smile, though a trace of tension was hidden in the depths of her eyes. She sat on the bench next to Yoshikage Kira, deliberately maintaining a distance that was neither too close to seem overly intimate nor too far to seem distant. The sea breeze stirred her hair, making her features appear even softer. If it were any other boy, he might have softened his heart, but Yoshikage Kira's expression remained cold, his gaze fixed on the terminal screen without the slightest shift.

"Kira-kun, you're here catching the breeze too." Kikyo Kushida broke the silence first, her tone gentle as she attempted to bridge the distance between them. "The discussion just now was so stifling. When Class A suddenly announced they wouldn't participate, I got a little panicked, not knowing what to do next."

Yoshikage Kira finally raised his eyes, sweeping a cold glance at her. His tone was flat and devoid of any extra emotion: "It has nothing to do with me. Class A has their own considerations for their strategy; we just need to handle our own class arrangements."

His response was like a basin of cold water, instantly dousing Kikyo Kushida's heart. She had never received such a cold reply from a boy before, but she did not give up. She maintained her gentle smile, though the nervousness in her eyes deepened slightly, and she continued: "I know Kira-kun is very smart. During the discussion, you pointed out the core of the exam in an instant, so I wanted to ask for your advice. Do you have any thoughts on the direction of our investigation?"

This was ostensibly a discussion about the exam, but in reality, it was an excuse Kikyo Kushida had deliberately concocted. She simply wanted to use the pretext of discussing the exam to be alone with Yoshikage Kira and test him one more time—to see if this boy, who remained cold and distant as if he had no weaknesses, would reveal another side of himself for her, or if he would be willing to lower his guard and be honest with her. She longed to build a deeper bond with Kira, to become the person who could accept all her negative aspects while still treating her the same, and this VIP Exam on the cruise ship was her best opportunity.