The Full Confession and the Calm Before the Storm

Karuizawa desperately suppressed the tears threatening to fall, her nostrils flaring as she took a few shaky breaths. After a long moment, she finally lowered her head and said, "You... go ahead."

"Do you remember when we went to scout Class C together?"

"...What does that have to do with this?" After a pause, Karuizawa asked in a dull voice. Although she had stopped sobbing, she still couldn't get past the mental hurdle, so she decided to temporarily follow Chiba Yu's lead and listen to his explanation.

"There was a wireless walkie-talkie on the table next to the chair Ryuen was lying on. You might not have seen it because you were hiding behind me, but both I and others definitely noticed it. If you don't believe me, you can ask Ayanokoji tomorrow morning."

Karuizawa pursed her lips, waiting silently for him to continue.

"Do you really think a man like Ryuen—who would go as far as to sabotage Sudo just to understand the school's mechanics and gain an advantage—would just give up on this exam so easily?"

"According to the information we've gathered, aside from Class A, both Class B and Class D have taken in students expelled by Ryuen from Class C. Plus, there's the most important part of this exam: on the morning of the final day, each class can guess the leaders of the other classes. Is it possible that Ryuen isn't as foolish as he appears on the surface?"

Although she didn't know how what Chiba Yu was saying related to the current situation, Karuizawa couldn't help but frown.

"Following this line of reasoning, we can assume that Ryuen is likely hiding on this island right now, lying in wait for the final day. If that's the case, how do you think he would go about identifying the leaders of the other classes without exposing himself?"

"...A spy?" The moment she said the word, Karuizawa felt as if she had been plunged into an ice cellar; a chilling sensation crawled from the soles of her feet throughout her entire body.

The injuries Ibuki had when she first arrived at the class, and her awkward tone later on—if all of that had been an act, then...

Seeing that Karuizawa finally understood his point, Chiba Yu let out a silent sigh of relief.

"Since you've figured it out, how do you think those spies would ensure that the information they provide about the leaders is something Ryuen would trust, and how would they guarantee they aren't being deceived?"

"The answer is—they have to obtain the card that identifies the class leader. There is no other way."

In truth, there was another method, but Chiba Yu wasn't worried about that. After all, he had long been aware of certain things someone had done the day before he left.

"Tomorrow is the fifth day of the special exam. I suspect that spy is getting restless. To steal the card, they need to create a distraction. If they want to blow things out of proportion, how do you think that person would do it?"

Looking at the undergarment she held in her hand, Karuizawa trembled all over.

She couldn't believe it. They had been helping her, even wasting precious class points to provide her with food, yet now, for the sake of victory, she was capable of doing something like this!

As the horror of the situation sank in, a wave of indignation followed.

It looked like the crisis had been averted.

Chiba Yu wiped away a bead of sweat that wasn't actually there, feeling a sense of relief.

With the situation now explained, Karuizawa wiped her tears and stared at Chiba Yu with suspicion, muttering, "So, I was wrong to blame you?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Chiba Yu replied with a question of his own.

"Who... who knows if you just made all this up to cover your own tracks..." Even though she was mostly convinced, Karuizawa still stubbornly murmured.

"But~ didn't you say you weren't as smart as Horikita and the others, and that your test scores were just luck? How did you suddenly become so sharp, seeing through Ryuen's schemes?" Karuizawa looked at Chiba Yu teasingly, leaning in close with a mischievous smirk.

Chiba Yu: "..."

"...That's because being nearly framed forced my brain to work for the first time in ages, triggering a burst of intelligence far beyond my usual capacity... You understand, right?"

But under Karuizawa's playful gaze, his explanation seemed incredibly weak and unconvincing.

"Heh, do you think I'm a three-year-old? If you're going to lie, at least make it a better one."

Chiba Yu's internal reaction: I'm tired, just let it all end.

"...I finally understand why they chose to target you. With a personality like yours, if this really blows up tomorrow, the whole class will be in absolute chaos."

"Th-that's not my fault! Anyone would be angry if they went through something like this!" Karuizawa pouted in complaint.

"Hmph! I'm so mad! I'm going to go wake her up right now and confront her, let everyone in the class see her true colors!"

With that, Karuizawa marched toward the tents in a fury, but Chiba Yu grabbed her wrist.

"Wait a second."

!!!

Caught off guard by Chiba Yu's sudden move, Karuizawa didn't react in time. As she struggled to pull her wrist away, her cheeks began to flush red.

"Wh-what are you doing?! I knew you were up to no good! If you dare try anything here, I'm going to scream!"

"...Stop it, just listen to me first." Chiba Yu rubbed his temples in frustration, feeling utterly exhausted.

"Oh..."

Gradually, Karuizawa stopped struggling. Chiba Yu said nothing more, instead looking directly into her eyes with a cold, detached expression she had never seen before...