Three Invitations

Group A: Result 3, Class A lost 50 Class Points, Class C gained 50 Class Points;

Group B: Result 4, Class C lost 50 Class Points, Class B gained 50 Class Points;

Group C: Result 3, Class C lost 50 Class Points, Class D gained 50 Class Points;

Group D: Result 3, Class D lost 50 Class Points, Class C gained 50 Class Points;

Group B: Result 2, Class B received 500,000 Personal Points;

Group C: Result 4, Class D lost 50 Class Points, Class C gained 50 Class Points;

Group D: Result 3, Class D lost 50 Class Points, Class B gained 50 Class Points;

Group A: Result 2, Class A received 500,000 Personal Points;

Group B: Result 4, Class B lost 50 Class Points, Class D gained 50 Class Points;

Group C: Result 2, Class C received 500,000 Personal Points;

Group D: Result 3, Class D lost 50 Class Points, Class B gained 50 Class Points;

Group A: Result 2, Class A received 500,000 Personal Points;

As for Class Points alone:

Class A lost 50 Class Points.

Class B gained 100 Class Points.

Class C gained 50 Class Points.

Class D lost 100 Class Points.

"You really are something, Ayanokoji. To think you could still identify the Benefactor in Group C under those circumstances." Ryuuen was fairly satisfied as he looked over the exam results released by the school. To help Class B take first place in this exam, he had specifically told Ichinose the names of several Benefactors. At the same time, to keep Class A from suffering too badly in this exam, he had deliberately engineered several Result 2 outcomes.

Although Ayanokoji had ended the exam in Group D, he had still identified the Benefactor in Group C. Ryuuen naturally knew what had happened. There was a spy in Class C, but the spy's abilities were limited, and the information he gave Ayanokoji was not enough to turn the tide.

Having achieved his goal, Ryuuen did not dwell on Ayanokoji's little moves. While helping Class B, Ryuuen also had to deal with Class A. In order to elevate Class B to a level where it could challenge Class A, he had provided Ichinose with considerable assistance in both the Uninhabited Island Exam and the Benefactor Exam. Sooner or later, they would have to repay him for it.

Fortunately, Sakayanagi had not participated in this Benefactor Exam either. Otherwise, the outcome would have been hard to predict.

Dazai Osamu wrote in No Longer Human: "After only one night, my heart had become like that of a different person."

That line perfectly described Horikita's state of mind. The victory in the Uninhabited Island Exam felt like it had happened yesterday, yet today, she had lost everything.

This setback was not enough to knock Horikita down, but she needed some time to process it. Surely, she would learn a few lessons and gain some experience from it.

The two exams were finally over, and Ryuuen could finally relax. Just as he was wondering whether he should go have a drink, a message arrived on his phone.

What a coincidence. Hiyori had invited him to go read, Kikyo had asked to meet him without saying what it was about, and Ichinose had also messaged him, saying she wanted to treat him to coffee.

This was not a multiple-choice question.

"Let's meet at eight tomorrow morning at the place where we had coffee before." That was the message he sent Ichinose.

"Let's go to the library and read together at two tomorrow afternoon." That was for Hiyori.

"Come to my room at seven tomorrow night." That was for Kikyo.

In Class A, the Sakayanagi faction represented by Hashimoto could finally no longer sit still. "Katsuragi, shouldn't you give us an explanation?!"

Katsuragi walked up to Hashimoto. "What right does a traitor to the class have to accuse me!"

"Don't you dare slander me! It was clearly because you failed to lead the class properly that we lost both exams. You're simply unfit to be our leader, so hurry up and give your position to our Sakayanagi-sama." Hashimoto raised his voice, and his words resonated with the Sakayanagi faction. Tozuka wanted to step forward and argue, but Katsuragi stopped him.

He had not expected to have to use the contract Ryuuen had given him so quickly. Katsuragi took out the contract signed by Ryuuen and Kamuro.

Not a sound could be heard. A single sheet of paper had quelled an internal conflict, but it would eventually erupt. The longer it built up, the greater the damage when it finally exploded.

Class B

"This exam was all thanks to Ryuuen-sensei. But why was he helping us? He was clearly threatening me before." Ichinose could not understand Ryuuen's motives, but her gratitude toward him was entirely genuine.

"How did Ryuuen-sensei manage it? How could he handle both exams with such ease?" Ichinose murmured.

"...Ichinose." Kanzaki Ryuuji hesitated, but ultimately chose to speak and offer his opinion. "There may be a traitor in our class."

Kanzaki Ryuuji did not look Ichinose in the eyes, but he could hear her gentle voice.

"...I still want to believe in our classmates. They wouldn't do something like that. Something must have happened during these two exams that we don't know about." Ichinose shook her head, rejecting Kanzaki Ryuuji's judgment.

"But what if there really is a traitor in the class?" Kanzaki Ryuuji pressed.

"If that's really the case, then I'll work twice as hard on his behalf to make the class better. Then he'll still come back, won't he?"

Kanzaki Ryuuji looked at Ichinose. Her face bore such a radiant, beautiful smile that it soothed his previously unsettled heart.

"You're right."

Class C

Ishizaki had somehow gotten hold of several bottles of beer and was drinking merrily with Albert Yamada and the others. The girls were also celebrating their victories in the two exams. They planned to hold a pajama party on the ship for their final night. Hiyori and Ibuki had not wanted to join at first, but they could not withstand the other girls' enthusiastic invitations.

Class D

Silence, oppression, fear, anger.

Hirata had no idea how to soothe the class's strange atmosphere. Even Horikita Suzune, who was usually unaffected by the class mood, looked dejected. However, her gloom had nothing to do with the class atmosphere—Ryuuen had simply dealt her a blow.

Ayanokoji, meanwhile, was thinking about Ryuuen's behavioral patterns and way of thinking, reviewing the previous two exams in his head. From Hirata's perspective, everyone in the class had been crushed.

"No, I need to go eat something good. Once we're back at school, we'll only be able to eat the free set meals again." Ike fled the class.

Several boys who were close with him followed him out. The rest of the class felt even more miserable after hearing that. Once they returned to school, they would have to go back to living hard lives. Only Kouenji had earned an extra five hundred thousand Personal Points in the Benefactor Exam. Although many people in the class wanted to borrow money from him, no one actually dared to ask. Kouenji did not look like someone who would be easy to persuade.

That evening, the girls held a pajama party, and boys were forbidden from entering. Ryuuen could only go swimming in the pool with the boys. The pool felt somewhat monotonous without any girls, and Ryuuen watched the group of boys from his class conspiring over something.

Ryuuen did not need to guess what they were planning.

"Hiyori, some boys are going over to cause trouble on your side. Be careful."

After sending the message to Hiyori, Ryuuen lay back in a chair and waited for the boys to get beaten up by the girls.