Kiyotaka Ayanokoji Was Thinking

B Class's Yoshikage Kira stood by the railing a short distance away, with Kikyo Kushida of the Dragon Group beside him. The two stood shoulder to shoulder, speaking in low voices with grave expressions, as if discussing something important. A flicker of understanding crossed Ayanokoji's eyes. It seemed Kushida had already met up with Kira. They were most likely discussing the Dragon Group's exam strategy and matters concerning the VIPs.

Since Kushida already had an appointment—and had found Kira, of all people—there was no need for Ayanokoji to interrupt them. He gave a slight nod, then turned and headed down the corridor toward the dormitories, intending to go back and continue sorting through the clues and finalizing his plan to protect the VIPs. But when he reached the first-floor corridor and passed a bar, the conversation inside made him stop.

The bar was dimly lit and had a relaxed atmosphere. A few figures sat in a booth in the corner, chatting freely in easygoing tones, as if old classmates were catching up. Ayanokoji listened carefully and realized that the speakers were the homeroom teachers of Classes A, B, and D. He didn't go in. Instead, he quietly stood by the entrance and listened, hoping to pick up some useful information.

"Come to think of it, this VIP exam has certainly been interesting. It's put the students from every class through the wringer." A steady voice spoke up. It sounded like the homeroom teacher of Class A.

Another voice promptly replied, sounding thoughtful. "That's true, though it's a good thing, too. It gives us a better chance to test the students' logical thinking and ability to work as a team. By the way, I put that boy Kira in the Dragon Group this time. I just thought he was too composed and lacked a bit of drive, so I wanted to see if being among the top students in the Dragon Group might bring out his potential and help him break through his limits."

A flicker of interest crossed Ayanokoji's eyes. That voice belonged to the homeroom teacher of Class B. Kira had been placed in the Dragon Group at the Class B teacher's deliberate arrangement, with the aim of spurring him to action. That was somewhat unexpected.

The Class B teacher spoke again, this time with some curiosity. "Speaking of which, wasn't Ayanokoji-kun from Class D made leader during the last Uninhabited Island exam? I was rather surprised. He usually seems quiet and keeps to himself. I didn't expect him to be capable of making decisions like that, leading Class D's students through the exam without losing their footing and earning quite a few points."

At the sound of his name, Ayanokoji's expression didn't change, but a ripple stirred within him. He hadn't expected the Class B teacher to have noticed his performance during the Uninhabited Island exam, let alone bring it up specifically. It seemed he hadn't managed to keep himself completely under wraps after all. He had already drawn the attention of teachers outside Class D.

The conversation in the bar continued, mostly touching on trivial everyday matters, with no further useful information. After listening for a while, Ayanokoji turned away from the entrance and headed toward the dormitories. The Class B teacher's words kept echoing in his mind. Kira had been deliberately assigned to the Dragon Group, and his own performance had caught a teacher's attention. Both could affect the exam ahead. He needed to prepare in advance to handle whatever unexpected situations arose.

The next morning, pale sunlight streamed through the cruise ship's portholes, softening the corners of the dorm room. The sea breeze carried a fresh, salty scent through the half-open window, dispelling the stuffiness of the night. Ayanokoji had just finished organizing his ledger of clues on the desk when someone knocked on the dorm room door. The sharp, forceful raps left no doubt who it was.

He got up and opened the door. As expected, Suzune Horikita stood outside, her face frosty. Her long hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, and her uniform collar was perfectly straight. Only her furrowed brows and sharp gaze gave away the anger in her heart. She strode straight into the room, her eyes sweeping over the two empty beds. Koenji was already nowhere to be seen, probably off wandering again, while Hirata and Yukimura had gone to the common study area early to sort through the clues. Ayanokoji was alone in the room.

"Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, what exactly were you doing last night?" Horikita didn't bother with a greeting. Her opening words were full of reproach, her voice as cold as ice. "The whole year is talking about Koenji Rokusuke locking in the Monkey Group's VIP on his own and ending the exam early. Everyone's discussing Class D."

She stepped closer, fixing her gaze on Ayanokoji, her anger nearly spilling over. "You share a dorm room with him. Why didn't you stop him when he did something so reckless last night? If he guessed wrong, our class would lose fifty Class Points. How could you and Hirata just let him cause trouble for our upcoming exams?"

Horikita's accusations came one after another, laden with disappointment and anger. In her view, if Ayanokoji had intervened, he could at least have delayed Koenji, even if he couldn't stop him outright. He shouldn't have let things go so far that an entire group's exam ended prematurely. If Koenji had guessed the VIP wrong, the situation would have been utterly unacceptable.

Ayanokoji remained calm. He stepped aside to let Horikita sit in a chair, then leaned against the desk and asked in an even voice, "Why should I have stopped him?"

Horikita froze. She frowned harder, as if she hadn't heard him correctly. "What did you say? You're asking me why? His actions harmed Class D's interests and disrupted the exam. As a member of Class D, shouldn't you have stopped something so ridiculous from happening?"

"Would it have done any good?" Ayanokoji raised an eyebrow slightly. "Hirata already did his best to persuade Koenji last night. He patiently explained class honor and Class Points, but Koenji didn't care in the slightest and did whatever he pleased. Do you think he would have listened if I tried to stop him?"

He paused, then continued. "You know Koenji's personality better than I do. He's always done whatever he likes, bound by neither rules nor social obligations. Once he makes up his mind, no one can change it. Even if I'd tried to stop him by force, it would only have caused a bigger conflict. He might even have done something more extreme. Then we'd be facing even more trouble than we are now."

"Besides," Ayanokoji continued, his tone still flat but now carrying an unquestionable certainty, "who says Koenji definitely guessed the wrong VIP? Yukimura was criticizing him for causing the loss of thirty Class Points when he quit the Uninhabited Island exam. It's possible Koenji really did discover the Monkey Group's VIP and simply submitted the answer because he was fed up with Yukimura. If he got it right, the fifty Class Points we gained would be more than enough to shut up everyone talking behind his back."

Ayanokoji felt he had pieced together the most likely timeline. His judgment wouldn't be wrong when he was thinking rationally.

Horikita parted her lips as if to argue, but then realized Ayanokoji wasn't entirely wrong. She had to admit that no one could stop Koenji from doing whatever he pleased. Hirata's earnest attempt at persuasion had been completely ineffective, and Ayanokoji had never even been close to Koenji. Besides, Koenji might really have the ability to do what Ayanokoji suggested. At this point, all she could do was hope he was right.

Still, her dissatisfaction was hard to shake. Horikita bit her lip, her tone softening slightly, though it remained cold. "Even if it wouldn't have worked, you should have at least tried."

Ayanokoji didn't argue. He simply nodded. "I'll try next time. But there's no point dwelling on this now. We should focus on the exams ahead. Protecting Kikyo Kushida and Minami is the most important thing right now."

Seeing that Ayanokoji seemed sincere, Horikita's anger finally subsided somewhat. She was about to discuss the details of their plan to protect the VIPs with him when Ayanokoji suddenly changed the subject and invited her to have breakfast at the cruise ship's buffet.