Bab 60: Chapter 60: Meeting With An Unusual Combination
The prelude to the increasingly heated special examination on the deserted island, which is heating up day by day. With just one week left, the group formations have reached a crucial stage, with over 90% of the entire student body already belonging to two-person groups. And then, a single email arrived.
The sender is Kiyotaka, and the content was an invitation to meet at a café. I could refuse, but I'd probably hear complaints from Kiyotaka later. That's not really my style, but I can imagine him saying something like, "Why didn't you come?" So, I'll get ready; it'll only take 15 minutes to get there. Finally, it seems even Ryuen is making a move.
On the way to Keyaki Mall, I run into Kanzaki, who seems to be returning from the convenience store with a plastic bag.
"You're going to Keyaki Mall at this hour?"
"Once the exams start, we won't have time to talk."
Since there's time, I engage in small talk with Kanzaki.
"It seems like even D class is progressing with their group formations, but are you still alone?"
"Unfortunately, I don't have many friends."
I said it jokingly, but Kanzaki's expression turned serious.
"Aren't you supposed to be like Horikita and Ayanokoji, serving as backup for D class? Exceptional talent can produce results in any group."
"At least, Kanzaki, that's your role, right?"
Similarly, in class C, Kanzaki hasn't teamed up with anyone.
"Horagasaki, Ichinose seem to have a lot of trust in you, but can we trust you?"
"Well, I don't really see C class as enemies or anything."
"That's quite an interpretation. Do you not even recognize C class as enemies?"
"Kanzaki, what are you trying to get at?"
That cool Kanzaki seemed different this time, as if he was in a hurry for something.
"...So, you mean, One's sharpness, or rather, we underestimated it. There was a sense from the beginning that you weren't just an ordinary person. The success of Class D isn't just thanks to Ayanokoji; it's also your achievement, isn't it?"
"I wonder about that."
"In that case, I dare to ask for your cooperation. Ichinose has strong trust in you. That's why I want you to tell her that her current approach won't work."
"And that'll change her?"
"Yes."
"Sorry, but whether to do that or not is up to Ichinose herself. It wouldn't make any difference even if I said something."
"Is it that you want to see us, your enemies, fall?"
"Why do you keep having such paranoid thoughts!"
I say while scratching my head roughly. Damn, Kanzaki is surprisingly persistent. But if Ichinose keeps falling like this...
"Well, fundamentally, our class should handle things on our own."
"...Yeah, it might have been a bit too reliant."
As if reflecting on his own actions, Kanzaki bows his head.
"I thought I had come up with an answer on my own. But if I can avoid acting on it, if there's an easier path, I tend to take it."
Perhaps feeling the pressure, Kanzaki answers and starts walking towards the dormitory. Kanzaki will likely stand as a formidable opponent in the next exam.
A little before the promised time, I arrived at the café inside Keyaki Mall. When I entered, to my surprise, three unexpected individuals had gathered. While I expected Kiyotaka, the other two are a mystery.
"Was it you that Ayanokoji called, Horagasaki?"
It's Kōhei Katsuragi from Class 2-A, and then—
"Hey, you just want to have a chat standing up? Sit down."
These two aren't particularly close, so what's going on?
"I felt that Ayanokoji had a different aura about him, but scoring 100 points on that test, and Horagasaki, getting all the flash mental arithmetic questions correct on the end-of-year exams in March... these two were hiding even sharper fangs than I imagined."
Katsuragi, whom I hadn't talked to much, interjects.
"Heh, I'm not impressed by old stories like that."
"Old? It's quite leisurely to talk like that when unexpected enemies have emerged. Are you getting carried away after defeating Ichinose and moving up to Class B?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I couldn't care less about that self-destructing Ichinose."
Ah, these two are still hostile towards each other. Thinking so, I glance towards Kiyotaka, who seems to share the same mindset.
"So, Ryuen, what did you call me here for?"
"Why the rush? Relax a bit."
"It's annoying just being seen with you. There's no way I can relax."
Even though it's a holiday morning, it's not strange for Katsuragi to be wary of his surroundings.
"What are you aiming for in the next special exam?"
"What do you mean? Everyone should be aiming for the same thing."
"Whether you're going solo or not. According to the OAA, Kitō seems to be alone. And the fact that Ichinose and Shibata are the same as Sakayanagi also smells fishy."
"You're free to think what you want, but I'm not going to tell you anything."
"Hehehe, Katsuragi, you seem quite cramped. Around this time last year, I still had someone to play with. But now, you just like any other trash, with no presence at all. The fate of those who lose in factions, huh?"
"Even you lost to Ishizaki, right?"
Tit for tat. Ryuen is smiling throughout.
"So, you're not planning to climb back up from scratch, Katsuragi? That baggage Totsuka is gone now, right?"
Katsuragi suddenly slams his fist on the table. He had been calm until the name Yahiko, who admired him, was mentioned, but now his anger surfaces.
"If your aim is to make me angry, Ryuen, you've succeeded. Satisfied?"
"Haha, you still can't express those emotions? I'm a little relieved."
Ryuen claps artificially, then says to Katsuragi.
"Wouldn't it be interesting if we could get Sakayanagi expelled in the next exam?"
"...What?"
"If she's gone, the leader of Class A would naturally be absent. Then, you could reclaim the leadership position once again."
"That seems impossible. She has protection points."
"True, but the rewards from first to third place are enough points to keep Class A within reach, but the rules are a bit troublesome."
"And that's why you called me and Ayanokoji?"
"That's right."
Katsuragi wouldn't buy into Ryuen's strategy no matter what. It might have been a different story in the past when they were vying for dominance, but now it would only result in negatives.
"Anyway, Ichinose decided to team up with that girl. Do you think she was effectively persuaded or did she come up with that on her own, thinking she's incompetent?"
"I have no idea. And if Sakayanagi hears those words, she'll probably throw them right back at you. Nobody likes to work with someone like you, the troublemaker."
"Then it means everyone here is the same troublemaker."
None of the four have teamed up with anyone yet. Finally, Ryuen begins to speak.
"I thought it would be better to fight alone than to include the trash of Class B in my group, but if we can draw out strength from elsewhere, it's a different story."
"Are you asking me to cooperate?"
"Not just you, the two here who lack motivation too, right?"
"Why me..."
"...And me?"
"There's no reason to reach out to us for no apparent reason. Well, I don't understand why Horagasaki is here; Ayanokoji must have called him."
"I refuse. Even if the reward benefits Class A, I have no intention of teaming up with someone like you."
"That's a quick decision, but you should listen to the whole story."
"It's unnecessary. But why did you approach the two of us? I'd like to hear the reason."
"Oh, Ayanokoji is the guy who defeated me once and shut me up."
"Defeated you... Is that true?"
"Yeah, I got beaten badly. Thanks to him, I even considered dropping out."
"What about Horagasaki?"
"Oh, he hasn't been dealt with anything special, but Horagasaki abilities are incomprehensible, even higher than Kōenji."
"I still can't understand that."
"Hehehe, it's a serious discussion. You must feel uncomfortable in the current class, right?"
"So what? What are you trying to say?"
"Come to Class B, Katsuragi."
Katsuragi's thoughts stop at such a bold invitation.
"That's absurd. Why should I go to Class B?"
"I'll cover the missing money, of course."
"Even if you had it, why should I go to Class B?"
"If I pull Sakayanagi down soon, the class will be nothing but trash. In other words, Class A will be worthless. Don't you think?"
If Sakayanagi were to disappear, Class A would indeed be in trouble.
"How much do you have?"
"...About 1.8 million."
"What, you're hoarding quite a bit. Still, you're Class A material, huh?"
Of course, 20 million yen is far from reach. However, Ryuen produced a contract. It was an agreement made between Katsuragi and Ryuen during the unmanned island test a year ago, where 50,000 yen would be transferred from Class A to Ryuen's account every month.
But it seemed like Sakayanagi thought of selling it for 5 million yen to recruit Katsuragi. Katsuragi agreed to the deal.
By the way, what's up with you, Kiyotaka? You're putting water into coffee for some reason. When asked about it, you replied, 'I was curious about the taste.' Even Ryuen seems baffled.
It seems Kiyotaka wanted a card exchange, which turned into an equivalent exchange. Huh? Isn't my presence unnecessary? When I look at Kiyotaka, he avoids my gaze. It seems like I've been dragged into this.
.....
The end-of-term ceremony arrived uneventfully.
Already, we had to move on to our next goal. After leaving the school and heading to the harbor, boarding a large cruise ship bound for an unfamiliar deserted island. With no time to think, the special exam would commence the next morning.
We arrived at our class and waited for our homeroom teacher to appear.
Extra underwear, allowed up to a week's worth, was essential for hygiene. As I double-checked for any forgotten items, Akihito spoke up.
"Jin, do you really intend to go alone? If you fall ill, it's all over, you know?"
"I'll be fine, probably..."
Just then, Chabashira-Sensei arrived. She activated the monitor and tablet and began her final checks.
"This exam will be tougher than any before. I have one request: if possible, please come back here again without anyone missing."
Chabashira-Sensei simply wished for our safety. Ten minutes later, she would take attendance on the grounds, so some students took the opportunity to use the restroom. But Koenji stood up and approached one student.
"Would you like to join me, Horikita Girl?"
Everyone's attention was drawn to Koenji's unusual behavior.
"Oh, have you become more proactive?"
"Let's say that's half true."
"What's your aim? Tell me the other half, aside from cooperation."
"I know you want the class points given to the top three groups. So, here's my proposal: if I achieve good results in this survival test, I want a promise of complete freedom until graduation."
The classroom fell silent at Koenji's unbelievable statement.
"Complete freedom... You mean allowing you to do whatever you want as before?"
"Excellent. And, of course, you'll work to ensure no harm comes to anyone."
That meant in case of a class vote during the special exam, it would be to protect Koenji.
"That's not an easy condition to accept. Everyone in the class would think the same if they heard about it."
"It's like a pre-loan until graduation."
"It seems you've also begun to feel a sense of crisis. Sorry, but I do value your talents, Koenji-kun. If you perform decently in this exam and then observe, it won't be worth it."
"I see. So, is this a failed negotiation?"
"No, I'm willing to accept your proposal with certain conditions. But good results must be specified. If you can secure first place alone, it might be a good reason until graduation."
"Hehehe, I see. Indeed, if I can take first place alone, you might agree... All right, let's consider the negotiation successful with those conditions."
"No, that's not enough. I haven't finished stating our conditions."
"Meaning?"
"If you fail to secure first place, you promise to cooperate in the next special exam and achieve results."
"You're giving quite a strong order."
"If you agree to the conditions we've discussed, then I'll accept your proposal."
"Then the negotiation is settled, Horikita Girl. Don't forget the conditions we discussed."
"Are you really determined to take first place?"
"Of course, there's nothing I can't do."
Although Horikita made an outrageous demand, she seemed surprised by Kōenji's confidence.
"Now that the discussion is over, let's go."
Kōenji left the classroom, satisfied. High up, he needed some kind of backup to live a carefree school life. Continuing to live freely as before would inevitably lower his caste, but if Horikita, the leader of Class D, approved, it would be different.
"If by any chance he manages to get into the top, it would be great if we could surpass him."
With that said, Horikita looked at me and Kiyotaka.
"One of you needs to take first or second place, and Kōenji-kun takes third. That would be ideal. If we could achieve such a feat, we could quickly catch up."
With a simple calculation, Class 2-D would gain 400 to 500 points and rise to Class B.
Furthermore, Kōenji would leave behind results in the next special exam, right? Indeed, Kōenji was eerie, but it wouldn't be easy to secure first place. Who would disappear from this school? The long summer was about to begin.
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