Katsuragi's strategy of inaction

"Takahashi, do you have a moment?"

"I do. What's up?"

Satonaka Satoshi walked up to him, looking hesitant, as though weighing his words.

After a moment, he asked, "Um, you seem to get along pretty well with Morishita?"

Ai Morishita. Takahashi Ren paused in surprise. He hadn't expected this to be why Satonaka Satoshi had gone out of his way to find him.

"I guess," he answered casually.

"Then do you know what she likes?"

With the question going that far, Takahashi Ren understood.

He had a rough idea of what Ai Morishita liked-strawberry pudding, strawberry ice cream, strawberry shaved ice. She seemed unable to resist anything with strawberries.

But those were details he had happened to notice in everyday life.

They weren't his to share, nor did he want to.

"Wouldn't it be better to ask her yourself?"

"I did."

Satonaka Satoshi gave a wry smile. "But she always looks impatient and brushes me off after a couple of words. You sit near each other and talk a lot, so I thought you might know something."

"Then I'm afraid I can't help." Takahashi Ren made to leave.

"Takahashi." A hint of scrutiny suddenly entered Satonaka Satoshi's gaze. "You don't like Morishita, do you?"

Takahashi Ren stopped in his tracks.

He did have a fondness for Ai Morishita. That sharp-tongued girl who loved playing pranks always gave him an inexplicable sense of closeness.

But did that mean he liked her? He hadn't thought about it in detail. He was never in a hurry to put a label on things like this.

Still, Satonaka Satoshi had clearly crossed a line with that question. They weren't close enough to discuss this.

"What if I said yes?"

"...It's nothing. Sorry to bother you."

Satonaka Satoshi's expression stiffened for a moment. He looked away, then hurriedly turned and left.

When Takahashi Ren returned to the dorm, Toba Shigeru and Ishida were already waiting in the room.

"Takahashi, what's your group looking like?" Ishida asked as soon as he entered.

"Not great. There isn't anyone I know particularly well."

"Pretty much the same for us. And we got grouped with girls from our class, too."

"What do you guys think of this exam?"

"Isn't this just another version of Werewolf?" Toba Shigeru thumped his chest, brimming with confidence. "They've walked right into my sights!"

"I'm no good at this kind of exam," Ishida said in distress.

"No worries. Just sit back and watch me work."

"Yeah, we're counting on you this time," Ishida said, for once not undercutting him.

The three chatted for a while longer, only falling silent and lying back down on their beds when drowsiness set in.

Everyone was waiting for eight the next morning, when the school would send the email determining who would be a "VIP."

At seven thirty the following morning, Takahashi Ren's phone suddenly vibrated.

It wasn't his alarm. It was a message in the class group chat.

Katsuragi: "Everyone, I have a few things to say about this exam."

A block of text immediately filled the screen.

"I'm sure everyone understands the rules by now. My strategy is inaction."

"No discussion, no probing, and no participation in any form of speculation. As long as the group discussions go nowhere, the VIP's identity won't be exposed. The likelihood of outcome two will rise considerably."

"It doesn't matter which class the VIP belongs to. The school will distribute the spots fairly among the classes. As long as we don't discuss anything, we absolutely won't lose."

Someone in the chat asked, "But won't that leave us too passive?"

Katsuragi's reply came quickly:

"The risks of outcomes three and four are too high. If someone guesses wrong, our class will lose fifty points for nothing. By comparison, doing nothing is actually the safest strategy."

"I don't believe this exam can be resolved through discussion. Will the VIP voluntarily admit their identity during the discussions? Or will they agree to cooperate if we humble ourselves and beg a little? So..."

"If you object, come see me today. We'll talk face-to-face," Katsuragi said in closing.

Takahashi Ren turned off the screen and gazed at the ceiling.

There was no fault to be found in the logic of Katsuragi's strategy.

Without action, there would be no mistakes; without discussion, there would be no betrayal. It was a watertight line of defense.

But that was all it was. The defense was impenetrable, yet it had sealed away their blade for attacking as well.

Twelve groups, twelve outcomes. If the other classes secured outcome three in just a few groups, Class A's lead would be whittled away bit by bit.

In the worst case, they might even be overtaken in one fell swoop.

Katsuragi couldn't possibly have overlooked this. Yet he had still chosen "inaction."

Takahashi Ren suddenly began to understand. After that crushing defeat on the Uninhabited Island, it was as though something had been drained out of Katsuragi. He didn't dare lose again.

The shell remained, but his drive had completely drained away. His cause was lost; it was only a matter of time.

Sakayanagi didn't even need to act herself. All she had to do was sit and wait for the other classes to crack that shell, and Katsuragi would fall on his own.

Had Sakayanagi calculated even this? Takahashi Ren wasn't sure.

But he couldn't help thinking, If she were in charge, she'd probably have a better option.

"Seriously, isn't Katsuragi being way too cowardly?" Toba Shigeru sprang up in bed, his face full of indignation.

"He is being a little too... cautious," Ishida said.

"What a tragedy, having all this talent and nowhere to use it." Toba Shigeru tilted his face upward and heaved a long sigh, looking every bit the tragic hero born in the wrong era.

"You could go talk to Katsuragi face-to-face," Ishida suggested.

"I'll pass." Toba Shigeru waved a hand and flopped back onto his pillow. "I didn't get to show my stuff this round. I'll just carry everyone next time."

"Sounds good." Takahashi Ren gave him a thumbs-up.

Eight o'clock sharp. All three phones chimed at the same time, without a second's difference.

Each of them opened his email. The same line appeared on all three screens: "Following a rigorous selection adjustment, you have not been selected as a VIP..."

"Looks like none of us got picked as a VIP." Toba Shigeru put down his phone, a hint of regret in his voice.

"Yeah." Ishida looked thoughtful. "With our class adopting a strategy of 'inaction,' being the VIP would actually be the most comfortable position."

"And the VIP's identity is confidential. Sure, after the exam, the VIP could reveal themselves and share the points with the whole class, but what if they want to keep everything for themselves?"

"No idea. Hard to say." Toba Shigeru shook his head and turned toward another bed. "Takahashi, you..."

Takahashi Ren had already quietly pulled his covers over himself, ready to go back to sleep.