Sakayanagi finished narrating her interaction with Ichinose.
I'd just finished eating and drank what remained of my 200ml bottle of tea.
"To win the heart of Ichinose-san, one of the most popular girls in the school, you are a sinful person."
It may seem like a frivolous statement, but it couldn't be taken as being even one millimetre in a positive direction.
"That's harsh, Sakayanagi."
"Fufufu, it's in my nature after all."
As if to get ahead, she was trying to protect Ichinose whilst also making preparations so that she could use her.
"If I do something to hurt Ichinose here, she'll put her trust in you."
"If I can gain her trust, I'll have a much easier time getting around in the future."
Sakayanagi had a side to her that was my ally, but naturally, she also had a side that was my enemy at the same time. They were two sides of the same coin, and she was making good use of it.
"But why are you telling me all this?"
"What I just told you was about Ichinose-san, but that's not important right now. In this school, the number of people who know about you is gradually increasing, Ayanokōji-kun. And they hold a very strong interest in you."
It was true that if my relationship with Ichinose hadn't been so close during the uninhabited island exam, she wouldn't have come running to me, causing trouble for her friends.
"And to go along with that, you've been getting a lot of strange looks from the third-year students, right?"
I see. I'm sure she chased after me because she wanted to chat, but this was the main topic she was after. It meant Sakayanagi was able to realise I was being watched by the third-year students from just that short period of time. As expected from her.
So the earlier conversation was just a preparatory step to bring up this topic.
"Are you in trouble with the third-years?"
"Well, trouble would be one way to put it. I seem to have made an enemy of a nasty opponent.
"A nasty opponent…the Student Council President?"
Nagumo was the only one who came to mind when considering a potential strong opponent among the upperclassmen.
"I had a dispute with the Student Council President on the final day of the uninhabited island exam. It seems he missed out on first place because of it, so now they're looking at me like I'm the enemy."
"So he was tripped up by trying to stage a dramatic late victory."
"You were aware of that much?"
"I think the majority of people in the uninhabited island exam hold the opinion that Kōenji-kun was an unmatched lone warrior. But I knew from early on that the Student Council President was deliberately holding back on scoring points. If they made the difference too big, it would be blatantly obvious that the entire third year was trying to make a particular group win. I saw the stream of cards in his possession, and therefore also saw his strategy."
Although I thought I was already fully aware of Sakayangi's ability, she still exceeded my expectations. It was proof that she had a perfect grasp of everything that went on during the uninhabited island exam.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"No, I'm fine. Nagumo can't make any fancy moves lightly either. Besides, you were already a great help during the uninhabited island exam, Sakayanagi. I can't rely on you even more than I already have."
"You really don't have to mind it. I was glad that you relied on me, and I also took full advantage of your proposition."
"Took full advantage? Meaning?"
Sakayanagi giggled and stared out to the ocean with narrowed eyes.
"As we neared the end of the uninhabited island exam, we knew it would be difficult to take first or second place. The pace at which Kōenji-kun and the Student Council President were gaining points exceeded the maximum score that our group would be able to obtain."
Well, those two groups were fighting on a whole other level.
"I was aiming for third place, but one of my rivals in the final stages was Ryūen-kun's group. He was only in a small group of two with Katsuragi-kun, but he showed exceptional tenacity. So I asked him for his help and decided to let him and Hōsen-kun clash."
"I see. So that's what you meant."
"Whatever form it took, if Ryūen-kun were to stray from the main focus of the exam, his scoring would slow down. As it turned out, he was forced to retire, which was the best possible outcome for us."
So she was able to help me while crushing her rival, Ryūen, at the same time.
However, there were still some parts that I didn't understand, even after hearing all this. Ryūen had been working hard for two weeks to get on the podium, but he readily cooperated with Sakayanagi. It wasn't hard to imagine that he wouldn't come out unscathed if he were to confront Hōsen.
The only thing that was clear was that some kind of promise was made. If he had to give up the possibility of third place, it would have to be more than just a small transaction.
"Considerable compensation…For example, he didn't make you pay a massive sum of private points did he?"
If Sakayanagi made good use of the 'Bonus' cards belonging to her classmates, she should've brought in a good bit of income. It wouldn't be a surprise if she'd made an offer to Ryūen, who was trying to collect a huge amount of private points.
"I haven't paid a single point, and I don't plan to in the future either."
"So you're saying it's not money."
In this school, the exchange of private points was the standard method used for transactions.
"It sounds like a riddle, but I can't tell even you the details right now, Ayanokōji-kun. This is an agreement made between him and myself. Until he tells me to fulfil my end of the deal in the near future, that is."
"That wish will end up strangling him soon enough," added Sakayanagi.
With that in mind, it was no wonder she didn't pay him back with money such as private points.
"Anyway, please be careful, Ayanokōji-kun. You've solved one problem, but the White Room students are still around, and now you've also got to deal with the third-years."
"It's a long list of problems, but I'll be careful."
I heard a ringtone come from Sakayanagi's person. Sakayanagi gave me a light warning and answered the incoming call.
"──Is that so? I'll be right there."
Without speaking for even five seconds, Sakayanagi ended the phone call and let go of the railing.
"I have an appointment with someone after this, so I'll take my leave now."
"Okay. I'll see you later."
"It was a pleasure speaking with you. Then, see you."
After watching Sakayanagi slowly depart, I decided to look out to the ocean for a little while longer.