Kiyotaka Ayanokoji Is Thinking

I saw Yoshikage Kira of Class B standing by the ship's railing not far away, with Kikyo Kushida of the Dragon Group standing right beside him. The two stood shoulder to shoulder, conversing in low voices with grave expressions, as if discussing something of great importance. A flash of realization crossed Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's eyes; it seemed Kikyo Kushida had already linked up with Yoshikage Kira. In all likelihood, they were deliberating on strategies for the Dragon Group's exam and matters concerning the VIP.

Since Kikyo Kushida already had an appointment—and with Yoshikage Kira, no less—Ayanokoji naturally saw no need to step forward and interrupt. He gave a slight nod, turned, and headed down the corridor, intending to return to his cabin to continue organizing his clues and finalizing the plan to protect the VIP. However, just as he reached the first-floor corridor and passed the entrance to a bar, the sound of conversation drifting from within made him stop in his tracks.

The bar was dimly lit with a languid atmosphere. A few figures sat in a corner booth, speaking freely in relaxed tones, sounding like old classmates chatting about daily life. Ayanokoji listened carefully and discovered that the speakers were none other than the homeroom teachers of Class A, Class B, and Class D. He did not rashly enter, but instead stood quietly by the entrance, tilting his head to listen, hoping to capture some useful intelligence.

"Come to think of it, this VIP exam is quite interesting; it's really put the students of every class through the wringer," a steady voice remarked, sounding like the homeroom teacher of Class A.

Another voice followed immediately, tinged with a sense of reflection: "Indeed, but that's for the best. It's a better test of the students' logical thinking and teamwork. By the way, I placed that boy Kira in the Dragon Group this time. I just felt he was too steady and lacked a bit of drive; I wanted to see if he could break through his own limitations by placing him in a group filled with such high-level talent."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of movement crossed Ayanokoji's eyes. This statement had come from the homeroom teacher of Class B. Yoshikage Kira being placed in the Dragon Group was a deliberate arrangement by his teacher, intended to spark his drive. This was somewhat beyond his expectations.

The Class B teacher's voice sounded again, this time with a hint of curiosity: "And come to think of it, during the last uninhabited island exam, Ayanokoji-kun from Class D seemed to become a leader? I was quite surprised. That boy usually seems taciturn and doesn't like to interact with others, yet he had such decision-making skills, leading the students of Class D to stabilize the situation and even secure quite a few points."

Hearing his own name, Ayanokoji's expression remained unchanged, but a ripple stirred in the depths of his heart. He hadn't expected his performance on the uninhabited island to have been observed by the Class B teacher, let alone specifically mentioned. It seemed he had failed to fully conceal himself, and he had already attracted the attention of teachers outside of Class D.

The conversation in the bar continued, mostly consisting of trivial small talk without further valuable intelligence. After listening for a moment, Ayanokoji turned away from the bar entrance and headed toward the dorms. The words of the Class B teacher echoed in his mind—Yoshikage Kira being intentionally placed in the Dragon Group, his own performance being noted by the teachers—these would all become variables in the upcoming exam, and he had to prepare in advance to deal with any unexpected situations.

The next morning, faint dawn light filtered through the cruise ship's porthole, softening the corner of the dorm. The sea breeze, carrying a fresh, briny scent, drifted in through the half-open window, dispelling the stuffiness of the night. Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had just finished organizing his ledger of clues when the dorm door was knocked on with a sharp, forceful rhythm. He didn't need to guess who it was.

He got up to open the door, and Suzune Horikita was indeed standing outside with a frosty expression. Her long hair was tied into a neat ponytail, and her uniform collar was perfectly arranged; only her furrowed brows and sharp gaze betrayed the anger in her heart. She walked straight into the room, her eyes sweeping over the two empty beds—Koenji was nowhere to be seen, likely wandering about again, while Hirata and Yukimura had left early for the public study area to organize clues. Only Ayanokoji remained.

"Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, what exactly were you doing last night?" Suzune Horikita skipped the pleasantries, her opening words heavy with accountability, her tone as cold as ice. "The news that Koenji Rokusuke unilaterally locked in the Monkey Group's VIP and ended the exam early has already spread throughout the entire grade. Everyone is talking about our Class D."

She took a step forward, her gaze locked onto Ayanokoji's eyes, the anger in her gaze nearly overflowing: "You share a room with him. Why didn't you stop him when he made such a reckless move last night? If he guessed wrong, it would cost our class 50 class points directly. How could you and Hirata just let him cause trouble for our upcoming exam!"

Horikita's accusations came like a barrage, filled with disappointment and fury. In her view, if Ayanokoji had just stepped in, even if he couldn't stop Koenji entirely, he could have at least delayed him, preventing the situation from escalating to the point of ending a group's exam. If Koenji had guessed the VIP wrong, the situation would be truly unacceptable.

Ayanokoji, however, remained indifferent. He stepped aside to let Horikita sit in the chair, then leaned against the desk, his tone calm and without a ripple: "Why should I have stopped him?"

This question stunned Horikita. She frowned even deeper, as if she hadn't heard him correctly: "What did you say? You're asking me why? His actions harmed the interests of Class D and disrupted the order of the exam. As a member of Class D, shouldn't you have stopped such an absurd thing from happening?"

"Would it have been useful to stop him?" Ayanokoji raised an eyebrow slightly. "Hirata tried his best to persuade Koenji last night, speaking earnestly about class honor and class points, but he didn't care at all and continued to do as he pleased. Do you really think he would have listened to me?"

He paused, then continued: "You know Koenji's personality better than I do. He has always done as he pleased, unbound by any rules or human sentiment. No one can change what he has decided. Even if I had forced him to stop, it would only have triggered a greater conflict and perhaps even caused him to do something more extreme. The trouble we would face then would only be greater than it is now."

"Besides," Ayanokoji's tone remained flat but carried an unquestionable certainty, "who says Koenji definitely guessed the VIP wrong? At the time, Yukimura was blaming him for the loss of 30 class points due to his withdrawal on the uninhabited island. Koenji's action might have been because he actually discovered the Monkey Group's VIP and submitted the answer directly, simply because he was annoyed with Yukimura. If he guessed correctly, the 50-point supplement would be enough to shut up anyone gossiping about him."

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji felt he had cleared up the most likely timeline; his judgment, in a rational state, would not be wrong.

Horikita opened her mouth to retort, but found that what Ayanokoji said was not without reason. She had to admit that Koenji's way of doing things could not be stopped by anyone; Hirata's persuasion had been sincere enough, yet it had no effect, let alone Ayanokoji, who had never had much interaction with him. Moreover, Koenji's ability might truly be as Ayanokoji suggested. At this point, she could only hope that was the case.

Yet the dissatisfaction in her heart was hard to dissipate. Horikita bit her lip, her tone softening slightly, though it remained cold: "Even if stopping him was useless, you should have tried."

Ayanokoji did not argue, merely nodding slightly: "I will try next time. But for now, dwelling on this is meaningless. We should focus our energy on the upcoming exam; protecting Kikyo Kushida and Minami is the most important thing at the moment."

Seeing that Ayanokoji's attitude was sincere enough, Horikita's anger finally subsided for the most part. She was just about to speak and discuss the specific details of protecting the VIP with Ayanokoji, when he suddenly changed the subject and invited her to go to the cruise ship's breakfast buffet together.