Dorm Room Conversation, the Boredom of the Strong

The dormitory area aboard the cruise ship had quieted down from the bustle of the day. Warm yellow wall lights softened the cramped space, while the sea breeze slipped through a half-open porthole, carrying a faint salty dampness that gently stirred the edge of the curtain.

When Yosuke Hirata walked in, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji was leaning against the desk, idly scrolling through his Student Terminal. Teruhiko Yukimura sat at the desk across from him, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he studied a notebook. He was sorting through scattered clues from the first round, brows slightly furrowed, his expression focused and serious. Koenji Rokusuke was the only one who seemed unconcerned. He lounged on his bed with his hands clasped behind his head, humming a tuneless melody. Every so often, he raised an arm to admire it in the sunlight, murmuring praise for his perfectly sculpted muscles.

Hirata quietly closed the door behind him. A trace of fatigue showed on his face, but his expression remained gentle. He sat at the small table in the middle of the room. His gaze passed over Koenji, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes, then shifted to Ayanokoji and Yukimura. "Since we're all here, we might as well use this chance to share what we've learned and discuss how to handle the next round. The first round ended in a rush, and the second will begin soon. We can't keep going our separate ways like this. We need to prepare in advance."

Yukimura immediately stopped what he was doing and looked up at Hirata, his eyes filled with agreement. "Exactly, Hirata. A lot of our plans have been thrown off, so we really do need to sort things out. I've put together some records of the movements of the Class D students in my group, along with clues from text messages. It's not complete yet, but it might be useful when we start investigating in the second round." As he spoke, he slid his notebook to the center of the table. Neat, delicate handwriting densely filled the pages with all kinds of details, revealing his meticulous nature. Yukimura had always cared deeply about the class's honor. After spending more time with his classmates, he had gradually shed his former aloofness and become more invested in the class. Hirata was quietly heartened by his earnestness.

Ayanokoji glanced at the notebook, then slowly looked away. "I don't have any particularly useful clues. But I think Class B might be open to working with us. Suzune Horikita has a plan, though we didn't have time to discuss it further."

Hirata nodded slightly, taking in what the two had said. Then he turned his attention to Koenji, who was still admiring himself. Drawing a deep breath, he tried to keep his tone gentle, with a hint of persuasion. "Koenji, there's something I'd like to talk to you about. The first round is over, and I hope you'll cooperate a little with the class in the second round. Please don't leave the group on your own and drop out like you did during the Uninhabited Island Exam."

At the mention of the Uninhabited Island Exam, the atmosphere in the dorm turned heavy. Everyone knew that Koenji had withdrawn from the exam after just the first day, claiming he was unwell. As a result, the school had deducted 30 Class Points from Class D, making the class's already precarious ranking even worse. The incident had put Hirata under enormous pressure and left Yukimura and the others resentful of Koenji, though they had held back for the sake of keeping the class together.

Hirata looked at Koenji and continued patiently. "I know you're very capable. Maybe you think this exam is easy, but we all need to protect the class's honor together. Those 30 Class Points are crucial to Class D. If someone leaves the group without permission or breaks the rules again, our class could fall even farther behind, and we might face other consequences. Even if you don't care about that, please think of your classmates. Don't let your personal whims affect the fate of the whole class."

Koenji finally stopped humming and slowly opened his eyes. He glanced at Hirata, his tone languid and dismissive. "The class's honor? I have no interest in caring about something so boring. I only withdrew from the last exam because the Uninhabited Island was so dull that it was a waste of my time. As for Class Points, let them deduct them. It makes no difference to me whether I have any or not." He said it so casually, as though the 30 crucial Class Points they had lost were nothing more than a trivial matter. His indifference instantly ignited the anger Yukimura had been holding in.

Yukimura sprang to his feet and planted both hands on the table. Fixing Koenji with a sharp glare, he snapped, "That's too much, Koenji Rokusuke! Do you think Class Points just appear out of nowhere? We all worked hard to earn them! You left without permission last time and cost us 30 points. We were already going above and beyond by not blaming you, and now you have the nerve to say something like that!"

"You don't contribute anything to the class, and that would be one thing, but all you do is admire yourself and praise your muscles, as if you're the only one who matters. We're seriously discussing how to handle the exam, and you're sitting there disrupting us, humming to yourself, acting like the rest of us don't exist—and like the class's fate doesn't matter!" Yukimura grew more agitated with every word, his pent-up resentment finally bursting out. "You're a blight on Class D! If it weren't for you, Class D wouldn't be in this position, and we wouldn't have lost all those points because of your selfishness!"

Hirata hurried over and gently pressed a hand to Yukimura's shoulder, urging him to calm down. "Yukimura, don't get worked up. Let's talk this through. We're here to discuss a plan, not to fight." He knew Yukimura's anger wasn't unfounded. Koenji's self-centered behavior had caused the class a lot of trouble. But arguing wouldn't help. It would only disrupt the peace in the dorm and get in the way of their plans.

Yukimura took a deep breath, forcing down his anger, but kept his eyes fixed on Koenji, his resentment undiminished. Ayanokoji remained seated nearby, watching everything with a calm expression. He neither tried to stop Yukimura nor criticized Koenji, as if the argument had nothing to do with him. He simply observed everyone's reactions, a trace of thought flickering in his eyes.

Koenji, however, seemed entirely unaffected by Yukimura's anger. He slowly got to his feet, stretched, and leisurely straightened his clothes. His tone remained as languid and dismissive as before. "A blight? Call me whatever you like. This exam is just a boring game to me. There's no point in continuing. It's just a matter of finding a few hidden liars. A simple puzzle like that isn't worth my time."

As soon as he finished speaking, Koenji picked up the Student Terminal from beside his bed and flicked his fingers across the screen several times, his movements swift and decisive. A moment later, he put the terminal away and headed for the dormitory door without hesitation. He walked with an easy swagger and didn't look back at the other three, as if the argument and Hirata's pleas had already passed from his mind.

Just as Koenji opened the dormitory door and was about to leave, everyone's Student Terminals chimed at once. A clearly worded, school-wide notification appeared automatically on their screens. Hirata, Yukimura, and Ayanokoji picked up their terminals almost simultaneously and read the message, their expressions instantly turning grave.

[School-wide synchronized notice: The VIP in the Monkey Group has been independently verified and identified by members of the group. The answer was submitted in accordance with the rules, and the Monkey Group's first round is officially over. All other groups should continue with the exam. Unauthorized rule violations are strictly prohibited; violators will have the corresponding Class Points deducted.]