Dragon Group Card Game and Qing Jinze's Anomaly

The fourth meeting of the Dragon Group took place as scheduled in the cruise ship's common seminar room. Sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting mottled shadows across the table, while a stifling silence permeated the air. During previous meetings, Honami Ichinose had always tried to take the lead, hoping to encourage the members to communicate honestly and identify the hidden VIP, but each attempt was cut short by the group's indifference and wariness, ultimately leading nowhere.

This time, Ichinose did not make a futile attempt to steer the conversation. She sighed softly, pulled a deck of cards from her bag, and placed them in the center of the table. As her fingertips brushed over the cards, her tone carried a touch of helplessness mixed with a deliberate lightness: "Since no one wants to discuss the VIP, there's no point in staying at a stalemate. Why don't we play some cards to pass the time?"

As she spoke, she spread the cards out, signaling that everyone could join in. The surrounding members exchanged glances; clearly, no one was in the mood to play—after all, this VIP exam concerned class points and rankings, and in the Dragon Group, no one could truly let their guard down to enjoy a trivial card game.

Kakeru Ryuen leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone present as he dismissively refused: "Forget it. I don't have time for such boring games." He remained indifferent to Ichinose's suggestion, radiating a steady, "stay away" aura. The violent boy, trapped in an atmosphere where he couldn't stir up trouble, was visibly restless.

Kikyo Kushida sat in the corner with a gentle smile on her face, yet she remained constantly vigilant. She shook her head lightly: "Thank you for the kind offer, Ichinose-san, but I'm not very good at cards, so I'll pass." As she spoke, she cast a sidelong glance at Yoshikage Kira. During the last meeting, Kikyo Kushida had not revealed that she was the VIP.

Recently, Kikyo Kushida felt she was facing a major problem. It seemed that Suzune Horikita had attended the same middle school as her. After making various inquiries and subtle probes, she had basically confirmed this fact.

Her smile remained unchanged, but she was currently debating whether to use her status as the VIP to trade for help from Yoshikage Kira and Class B. She couldn't let Suzune Horikita connect her to her past self and spread the word; if she could get her expelled, that would be for the best.

The others also politely declined, and the seminar room soon returned to its previous silence, with only the deck of cards in front of Ichinose looking out of place. Sitting in the corner, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had paid no attention to the card game from the start. His thoughts had long since drifted elsewhere, the intelligence he had gathered yesterday echoing in his mind while a trace of contemplation hid in the depths of his eyes.

According to feedback from the student in charge of gathering information for Class D, several girls from Class C in the Rabbit Group, led by Shiho Manabe, had been intentionally or unintentionally targeting Kei Karuizawa during recent group meetings, their words filled with provocation and hostility. Several times, conflicts had nearly erupted. What concerned Ayanokoji even more was that, when faced with the targeting from Shiho Manabe and the others, Kei Karuizawa had not followed standard logic by seeking help from the boys in Class D. Instead, she had spent long periods staying near Machida and the others from Class A, using their protection to avoid the harassment from the Class C girls.

Ayanokoji unconsciously rubbed the edge of the table with his fingertips, a faint, bitter smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he wondered to himself: Isn't she dating Hirata? Logically, if she encountered such trouble, he should be the first person she turns to, yet she chose to rely on students from Class A. This is truly abnormal.

He recalled the Class D student who had provided the information. The student hadn't been pressed for details; rather, the moment Ayanokoji asked about Kei Karuizawa's movements, the student immediately gave a detailed account of her behavior in recent meetings, finally adding with a look of hesitation: "Ayanokoji-kun, please talk to Hirata-kun about this. I really don't know how to bring it up to him; I'm afraid he'll misunderstand."

Ayanokoji naturally understood the student's dilemma—Hirata always valued class harmony and cared deeply for Kei Karuizawa. If he knew she was not only being targeted by girls from Class C but was also deliberately distancing herself from him to rely on students from other classes, he would likely feel dejected, which might even affect his focus on class affairs. This was a situation Ayanokoji did not want to see.

In fact, as early as the first semester, Ayanokoji had already discovered a specific trait in Kei Karuizawa: she possessed a strong ability to incite others and was skilled at cozying up to boys who appeared reliable and capable, getting them to fight her battles, then slowly bringing them into her fold to form her own small clique among the girls, carving out her own territory. This way of operating carried a touch of pathological shrewdness, yet also hid a fragility that was difficult to detect.

But why did she develop such a habit? Does it stem from an inherent sense of superiority, enjoying the self-satisfaction of being surrounded and protected? Or is it... a form of extreme exhibitionism and possessiveness, wanting to fill the void in her heart by controlling others? Ayanokoji pondered repeatedly, yet he never found an answer, only feeling that Kei Karuizawa was even more complex than he had imagined.

The silence in the seminar room continued. Ichinose looked at the untouched cards, put them away with a sigh of resignation, and a look of loneliness appeared on her face. This seemingly lively proposal for a card game had ultimately failed to break the barriers and wariness between them. As always, the Dragon Group's discussion remained stagnant, with no useful clues uncovered and no consensus reached.

When the meeting time officially ended, Ayanokoji did not linger. He stood up immediately and, while the others were still packing their things, quietly slipped out of the seminar room. He did not want to waste any more time on a meaningless stalemate. Right now, Kei Karuizawa's abnormal behavior and the targeting by the Class C girls made him feel that there must be hidden clues buried within, which might just become the key to breaking the deadlock of the exam.