Monkey Group Exam Ends

The text message was short and to the point, yet it exploded in their minds like a thunderclap. Hirata's face instantly turned pale. He jerked his head up and looked toward the doorway, his voice full of disbelief. "He... he actually went and did it! He locked in the Monkey Group's VIP on his own and ended the group's exam early!"

Yukimura was just as stunned, but his shock quickly gave way to anger. "That guy! He's completely unreasonable! We're still carefully discussing our strategy, and he acts on his own without any regard for the class's situation or the efforts of the other group members!" He had never imagined Koenji would be so self-indulgent. Just because he found the exam boring, he had unilaterally ended a group's exam. This would undoubtedly have a huge negative impact on Class D, and might even get the school to deduct points from them.

Just then, Hirata's terminal began chiming repeatedly as message after message popped up. The other Class D students in the Monkey Group had no idea what had happened. Hirata quickly scrolled through the screen, tapping out replies as he went. He apologized over and over, explaining that Koenji had acted on his own and that the rest of Class D had nothing to do with it. "I'm sorry, everyone. I sincerely apologize. This was Koenji's personal decision, made without our consent. I'm sorry for the trouble." "Please don't be angry. We'll talk to Koenji as soon as possible to make sure this doesn't happen again. In the meantime, please keep working seriously on the exam, and don't let this affect your scores."

As he replied, Hirata privately considered the situation. Koenji's unilateral action had not only disrupted the Monkey Group's exam, but would surely also anger the other classes. It might even make Class D a target for everyone.

He looked up at Ayanokoji, his voice carrying a hint of desperation. "Ayanokoji, what do you think we should do now? Koenji's actions have already stirred up everyone's anger, and they could cause problems for the class. We have to find a way to fix this as soon as possible."

Ayanokoji put down his terminal and spoke calmly. "There's nothing to fix. You and I both know what Koenji's like. Once he's made up his mind, no one can change it. Besides, the school's notice didn't explicitly say this was against the rules. It only said the answer was valid and complied with the rules, so they probably won't deduct Class Points. Maybe he really did find the Monkey Group's VIP. As for the other group members' anger, all we can do is try to calm them down and wait to see how things turn out."

He paused, then continued. "The most important thing now isn't to dwell on Koenji's actions, but to carry out our plan as soon as possible and protect the VIPs connected to Class D. That's the core of the exam, and the key to holding on to our Class Points and improving our ranking."

Hirata seemed a little more at ease. He nodded, took a deep breath, and pushed down his guilt and helplessness. His voice grew resolute again. "You're right, Ayanokoji. Protecting the VIPs is what matters most. Actually, before I came back, two of them contacted me privately."

At the mention of "VIPs," Yukimura immediately calmed down too. He fixed his eyes on Hirata and asked urgently, "Hirata, is that true? A VIP contacted you? Who are they? Which groups are they in?" The VIPs' identities were crucial to Class D. As long as they could protect them from being correctly identified by the other classes, they would earn the corresponding Class Points. This was also the key to getting Class D out of its predicament.

Hirata nodded, his expression serious. "That's right. It's true. They're Kikyo Kushida from the Dragon Group and Minami from the Horse Group. Kushida is in the Dragon Group, which is full of the elites from every class. Protecting her identity will be difficult. If we make even one mistake, another class might guess correctly. Then we won't just miss out on points—we'll have points deducted, which is the last thing we want."

"Although the Horse Group, where Minami is, isn't as strong overall as the Dragon Group, we still need to make protecting him a priority." Hirata's expression grew more solemn. "So our next goal is clear: do everything we can to keep these two VIPs' identities safe from every class. We need to divide up the work and keep a close eye on the Dragon and Horse Groups. If we notice anyone from another class getting suspicious of Kushida or Minami, we need to act quickly and throw them off."

Yukimura nodded seriously. He was still unhappy with Koenji's actions, but when it came to the class's interests, he chose to set aside his personal feelings and focus all his energy on protecting the VIPs.

Ayanokoji gave a slight nod as well. "I'll keep an eye on the classes in the Dragon Group."

The three of them discussed protecting the VIPs in detail and drew up an initial plan. Before they knew it, night had grown deeper. Hirata finally finished replying to all the messages. He looked tired, but his expression remained determined. "All right, let's do what we discussed. No matter what difficulties we face, we'll work together to protect the VIPs and earn more points for Class D, so we can get out of this predicament."

Yukimura nodded, returned to his desk, and picked up his notebook to continue sorting through the clues, his expression still focused. Ayanokoji leaned against the desk and closed his eyes. He appeared to be resting, but in reality he was reviewing all the clues in his mind and considering how to respond next. The dormitory fell quiet once more, with only the scratch of pen against paper and the faint sound of waves outside the window. The struggle over the VIPs had only just begun, and Koenji's unilateral action had undoubtedly added even more uncertainty to the game.

Meanwhile, Koenji strolled along the cruise ship's corridor, a lazy smile on his face, utterly unconcerned by the commotion and accusations behind him. He raised a hand to admire his muscles, still humming a tuneless little melody. It was as if what he had just ended wasn't an exam that affected the class's fate, but a trivial game. To him, the exam had been far too easy and didn't deserve much of his time. He had ended it early simply to escape the boredom and find something more interesting to do.

He reached the entrance to the deck and pushed open the cabin door. The sea breeze rushed toward him, carrying a faint salty dampness and dispelling some of his lethargy. The ocean at night was still and deep, with countless stars glittering across the dark sky, their light reflecting on the water in a shimmering, beautiful display. Couples huddled together all across the deck, whispering sweet nothings with happy smiles on their faces, creating a warm and romantic scene.

Koenji glanced at the couples strolling arm in arm, disdain flickering in his eyes. He let out a quiet scoff. "Utterly boring." He had planned to admire the stars over the sea and relieve his boredom, but the romantic atmosphere covering the deck only irritated him.

At a corridor corner not far away, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji stood silently, his gaze fixed on Koenji as a barely perceptible hint of thought crossed his eyes. He had originally planned to come to the deck for some fresh air and to sort out his thoughts, but he hadn't expected to see Koenji there. Just as he was about to approach and find out what Koenji was doing, his eyes inadvertently swept across the other side of the deck, and he stopped in his tracks.