A Deal with the Devil

"Karuizawa, do you still want to spend next month living on less than ten thousand points, eating vegetable sets from the cafeteria, unable to buy the cosmetics you like, and even having to borrow money from others?"

Although Chiba Yu's words were casual and exceptionally flat, for some reason, Karuizawa felt that Chiba Yu was not his usual self. She could clearly sense an unfamiliar aura radiating from him—composed and calm—yet, she didn't know why, she disliked this feeling.

"...What are you trying to say?"

Chiba Yu let go of Karuizawa's hand, his eyes flickering with a hint of imperceptible mockery. "I hope you won't spread word of what happened tonight. When you wake up tomorrow morning, just act as you would if your underwear had actually been stolen."

Karuizawa couldn't help but frown, asking in confusion, "Why? Since you know what she's planning now, why not just expose her?"

"That's not something you need to know. I just have one thing I need to confirm; just tell me if you'll help or not." Chiba Yu's tone was filled with indifference, as if it would make no difference to him if Karuizawa refused.

After a long silence, Karuizawa slowly raised her head. The moonlight shone on her face, making her look resolute.

"Fine, I agree. But before that, I need to confirm one thing with you."

Chiba Yu looked at her with some surprise, then the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. "Go ahead."

"Can you really guarantee that as long as I do as you say, you can lead us to win this exam?"

Chiba Yu shrugged, his tone returning to his usual lazy, slacker-like demeanor. "Hard to say. After all, people at this age are full of hidden talents; I can't guarantee anything. At the end of the day, I'm just an ordinary person, maybe with a bit more cleverness than the average guy."

"There you go again. If you don't want to say it, just don't." Karuizawa pouted, crossing her arms and looking away.

"I've never lied to you. The current me is the most authentic version of myself; it's just that you've never believed it."

Chiba Yu waved his hand and began walking toward the tents. "Alright, since we're done talking, I'm going back to sleep."

"Wait!"

"Tsk~ what is it now?"

"You... you should accompany me to the bathroom..."

"...How old are you that you still need someone to go to the bathroom with you?"

"None of your business! If it weren't for you, I would have finished and gone back to sleep already. You need to take responsibility!"

"That's a logical fallacy. I have every reason to refuse and go back to sleep." Despite saying that, Chiba Yu proactively turned back. "Fine, hurry up and finish so we can go back to sleep. Heaven knows how sleepy I am right now."

The fifth day of the special exam.

Early that morning, Chiba Yu, who had been lying in his tent, was woken up by shouts from outside.

He felt a wave of regret. If he had known, he wouldn't have gone out last night. Now he hadn't slept much, and he would likely have to face an interrogation later. It really wasn't worth the trouble; he shouldn't have been so hard on himself.

Groups of girls surrounded the boys' tents. Seeing that the situation was wrong, Hirata immediately woke everyone up and went outside to assess the situation.

Leading the girls were Shinohara and Inogashira, who stood opposite them with serious expressions.

After they told Hirata about Karuizawa's undergarments being stolen, the boys in the class immediately erupted in surprise and shock, followed by deep indignation.

After all, they had been sleeping soundly last night, and to be accused of being panty thieves the moment they woke up—who wouldn't be angry?

Seeing the arguments in the class becoming increasingly heated, with a trend toward division, Hirata hurriedly stepped in to mediate.

"Wait a moment, everyone, please calm down."

Since there was no evidence to suspect the boys, they had to propose searching the boys' luggage first, and they humanely allowed the boys to search their own bags to prevent any privacy leaks.

Initially, if the events of last night hadn't occurred, that pair of underwear would likely have appeared in his own backpack, only to be discovered during the upcoming search. This would have ruined his reputation while simultaneously causing mass panic among the girls.

The other outcome was that Hirata would cover it up, trusting him while hoping he would find the culprit.

Although the second probability was higher, Chiba Yu didn't want to gamble.

As for how Karuizawa convinced everyone that her underwear was missing without needing other girls to verify it, one could only say that her influence over the girls in the class was too strong. Coupled with her crying, which didn't look like acting at all, it was easy to evoke sympathy.

"Did you hear any noise last night?"

Ayanokoji stood behind Chiba Yu. Seeing that both of them were bored in line, Ayanokoji casually started a conversation.

"No, I probably slept pretty well last night. I didn't hear anything."

Incidentally, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Chiba Yu did not share the same tent; otherwise, with Ayanokoji's keen perception and observation skills, he would have woken up the moment Chiba Yu stirred.

"Do you think it was really one of the boys in our class?" Seeing that Chiba Yu didn't want to talk about it, Ayanokoji changed the subject and asked casually.

Chiba Yu shook his head. "I don't know. I just woke up and ran into this. But I don't think so. No matter how desperate the guys in our class are, there's no need to do something that damages the class like this."

"Chiba is right! I think someone is definitely trying to frame us to destroy our class unity. I bet it's that person from Class C!"

Ike jumped in at this moment. It was clear that being suspected as a panty thief had made him very angry. Sudo, who had just finished being searched, also walked over. "Once we finish checking and find that no one stole it, we're going to go catch that guy from Class C!"

Perhaps due to being mocked by Ibuki last night, Sudo was also full of rage.

Soon, it was the turn of the last two in line, Chiba Yu and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. After their luggage was checked and it was confirmed that no indescribable clothing was present, Hirata finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Great, it seems it wasn't done by the boys in our class." Hirata showed a rare smile since waking up, then informed the girls of the result.

Facing Hirata's answer, Shinohara asked suspiciously, "Really?"

"Yes, all the luggage has been checked. It turns out none of us boys are the culprits. Anyway, let's pack up our things first; we can discuss this later."

With Hirata's intervention, the boys were given a brief moment of respite.

But Chiba Yu knew that things would not end so simply, just as he had anticipated...