Chapter 27 - Grandmaster
After the commotion about the points died down, we were allowed to board the ship and stashed the luggage we had taken with us back in our rooms. My fellow occupants had already gone off to do their own thing, which led me to enjoy some alone time with no one bothering me.
Hirata was out, roaming the ship with Karuizawa and a few other girls, while Kouenji mentioned that he would be working on his tan. Yukimura left the room after he grabbed some study materials, but I didn't know where he went afterwards.
During our stay on the island, my phone had been bombarded with so many messages that I could only marvel at her consistency in writing me at least ten times every day. Most of the texts were random, telling me what she had done during and after school hours and what else had happened.
Others were a little more interesting.
[12:20:26 PM] Were you bored or something?
[12:20:49 PM][Fuka ] Finally! What kind of torturous exam was this that you had to leave your favorite senpai alone for an entire week? If I find out that you weren't busy and ignored me, then we are going to have a serious chat once you are back at school. You are aware of that, right?
[12:21:23 PM] We had to leave our phone on the ship, but I left you a present, didn't I?
[12:21:52 PM][Fuka ] It was almost as good as the necklace you got me on my birthday. He didn't stop cursing and brooding the whole day. I died laughing. Even Manabu seemed amused, which means a lot. He's even worse than his sister, with his stern and serious expression all the time.
[12:22:12 PM] Manabu, huh?
[12:22:32 PM][Fuka ] Heeeh? You jealous? There's no need, darling.
[12:22:51 PM] Not at all.
[12:23:21 PM][Fuka ] That reminds me, Nagumo is still here. His reputation has suffered even further setbacks after your attack, as more students began to doubt him and his abilities after his near expulsion and then dropping back to Class B. He had lost them 400 points and was so distracted during the ongoing exam that my class achieved a win. We are not that far apart in points, but his demotion should have hurt him and his influence a lot.
[12:23:29 PM][Fuka ] What happened on your end?
[12:23:49 PM] Unofficially, we are Class C now, but the school said that the rankings will only be updated once we are back at school. So for the moment, we're still Class D defects or something like that.
[12:24:19 PM][Fuka ] I guess congratulations are in order then.
[12:24:27 PM] It wasn't much trouble, but I got to go now.
[12:24:35 PM][Fuka ] Wait! Hey! Don't leave me!
The phone kept vibrating a few times as I switched to a different chat.
[12:21:27 PM][Chiaki] You said that you want to visit the doctor to look at your leg, right? Could you ask them for an emergency contraceptive pill? If they ask, just tell them that we were caught up in the heat of the moment and that we should have been more responsible before such an important decision.
[12:24:49 PM] Sure, I'll take care of it.
I threw my locked phone onto the bed and stood up.
The tracksuit was still covered in sweat from the waiting period on the irradiated beach, but since we were back on the cruiser now, we were allowed to wear whatever we chose. I ambled over into the bathroom and took off my clothes before taking a cold, refreshing shower.
Icy water ran along my frame as I scrubbed it clean from any sweat and dirt that had amassed over the past few days. My heart began to beat faster to balance the sudden decrease in body temperature, as the invigorating liquid pelted along my person.
Wasn't it too easy to gain points?
Even though I doubted that anyone else could have pulled this off, it was too simple to advance in this school if one was capable to a certain degree. I understood why Fuka grew bored with the competition, since we could reach Class A with another exam that awarded such a generous amount of class points.
People like Kouenji, Fuka and I were outliers in this school.
Others might have depended on the employment guarantee that Class A granted, but neither of us would have difficulties in our careers after the graduation. Kouenji was the heir to his family's conglomerate, and Fuka could go anywhere she wished with her abilities.
And I might not have a future beyond these walls.
A deep, moist breath escaped my lips.
It's time...
I turned the knob until the water stopped, dried myself off with the nearby towel and left the bathroom after opening the window. The fresh sea breeze surged through the room as I put on my underwear and slipped into the trousers Chiaki had picked for me.
There had been quite an extensive selection of white shorts, but I had to try around seven or eight until she said that I could purchase a pair. Apparently, it was very important that they had the right fit. All of them had been my size, but some of them were baggy, which looked sloppy while others were too tight, which Chiaki considered bad as well, despite her inability to stop looking at me when I wore them.
Before meeting her, I wouldn't have considered such things.
The shirt I threw on was dyed in a light grey, which matched the white shorts better than I had anticipated. Afterwards, I put on a light blue jacket to finish the outfit. My girlfriend said that layering different pieces of clothing was important and would enhance my appearance. Accessories would further emphasize the look, but I wasn't the type to wear a necklace or bracelets, similar to most guys in our year.
She was the fashion conscious person in our relationship, so I trusted her.
I grabbed my phone and read Chiaki's last message before switching to the anonymous account I had contacted Ichinose with before the midterms. Knowing that her betrayal put an immense strain on her well-being was enough for now, because I couldn't risk her retirement from the position as Class B's leader.
Let's play Ichinose Honami, just you and me.
My classmates swarmed around me like a group of carnivorous predators as soon as we had been allowed to return to the ship. I convinced them that I was tired and wanted to crash in my room, as I didn't know how to answer some of their questions at the moment since Kouenji-kun hadn't briefed me about anything.
As soon as I unlocked the door, I dove into my bed, face first.
A sharp sigh escaped my lips as I wriggled around and cuddled my pillow.
Despite all the dread I felt, I had to message Fumei sooner rather than later. I would have to tell him about my failure during the exam, before he managed to figure something out on his own. He was the student council president, so it wouldn't be weird if he could just buy some information about the exam.
I messaged Kiyotaka since he was on his way to the doctors anyway.
We should be fine according to my current cycle, but the pill was another layer of emergency protection, just in case. Both of us would be in trouble if I got pregnant, since sexual intercourse was forbidden according to the school rules. Despite this looming danger, it was safe to talk to the physicians as they still had to abide to the doctor-patient confidentiality.
After this was taken care of, I informed Horikita-senpai about what had happened.
[12:21:24 PM][Fumei] Congratulations on reaching Class C then. What complications are we talking about?
[12:23:44 PM] I may have had to promise someone five million private points...
I shut my eyes and buried my head into the soft cushion.
There were no means to word such a failure in a way that wouldn't make me look like a total moron. Being open and honest was the best way to deal with this current situation, since he could only help me if he knew all the facts. I only hoped that he wouldn't abandon me now, otherwise my deal with Kouenji-kun would be in danger.
[12:23:52 PM][Fumei] You did what?!
[12:24:01 PM] ┬┴┬┴┤(･_├┬┴┬┴
[12:24:32 PM][Fumei] Okay... whom? And why was such an expenditure necessary?
My phone vibrated a few seconds after Horikita-senpai's message, informing me that Kiyotaka had replied. I switched to his chat and texted him a quick, 'Thanks. See you later ', before I returned to the conversation I really didn't want to be having due to my guilty conscience.
I explained him everything, from the exam, to its structure and rules as well as what had transpired over the past seven days, without leaving out a single detail. If he realized why this investment was required, then he might supply me with the points I needed.
Even if it was just a loan, I wouldn't care.
My stomach ache grew worse during the time my wall of text increased in size. He must have had better things to do than read this retelling of the past week, but he had to know everything in order to decide whether he would support me. If he thought that I didn't take this serious and pushed the work onto Kouenji-kun, he might deny my plea.
[12:35:41 PM][Fumei] I knew that Kouenji Rokusuke was an odd one, but this exceeded all my expectations. Rather than helping you win for the class, he is trying to amass the twenty million points to reach Class A on his own, in case you fail. I predicted this behavior due to his inherent nature, but I didn't think that he would go out of his way to work for his points since he had already established contracts with some third-years.
He formed agreements with upperclassmen?
Could he be purchasing points from them?
If I could prove this somehow...
But none of them would talk to a nobody from the first year. They only dealt with Kouenji-kun because everyone knew who he was and that he had enough money to fulfill his end of the bargain. If I asked them to reveal him to the faculty staff in order to get Fumei's points back, they would only laugh and shoo me away.
[12:36:21 PM][Fumei] Points don't grow on trees; there are only so many in circulation. Since one point is worth one yen, it means that there had to be a cash injection in the beginning, which boosted the economy inside the school. You should have realized where I am going with this, right? Did you at least form a contract with him to protect yourself?
[12:36:49 PM] Yes, of course.
I never thought about this before, but Fumei was right.
There shouldn't be an unlimited amount of points available to the school or the students, since the wares the stores sold had to be purchased from outside. They couldn't just 'print' more money if they didn't have enough funding. The government might have been quite generous with their backing, but they wouldn't throw cash into an insatiable pit that couldn't sustain itself or wasn't worth the investment.
[12:37:03 PM][Fumei] Send me the contract then. As soon as I confirm the amount and your security I will forward you the points. Keep in mind, however, that this will be the last time that I will spend such an amount to fix your mess.
A deep sigh left my lips as I took a picture of the contract. Afterwards, I made sure that everything was readable and forwarded him the file. Horikita-senpai was silent for a few moments as he read through the agreement we had reached before I received the five million points in a single transaction.
[12:39:09 PM] Thank you... This won't happen again, I promise.
[12:39:21 PM][Fumei] If it does, you are on your own. Don't forget to use an anonymous account to complete the deal with your classmate. It will be harder to prove that you sent the points if he tries do so something shady with the information after the fact.
"Phew."
My head slumped to the side as I stared at the insane number of points that were displayed on my screen. Even though I didn't know what Kouenji-kun could do with the transaction details, I decided to listen to Fumei's advice, since he had attended this school for much longer than I had.
With a heavy heart, I messaged him to meet up.
The sooner all of this was done, the better.
My friends told me to leave for the cabins and lie down for a bit as soon as we could board the ship. Even though I didn't want to, they left me no choice. Kanzaki-kun also thought that I might have ingested a small amount of poisonous berries and told me that I should visit the doctors if I was getting worse.
A kind-looking staff member in his thirties stopped me as I boarded the cruiser. He handed me both my phone and the necklace Ayanokouji-kun had gifted me for my birthday. My gaze seemed to have betrayed my yearning as the man regarded me with a gentle, yet somewhat pained complexion.
"It's difficult, isn't it? Having an unrequited love."
"Eh? What..?"
Two quivering orbs reflected in the man's glasses.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. It's just that I know how these feeling can gnaw at you and wanted to offer my consolation. According to your expression, I presume that he is already spoken for."
I put up my hands and shook them in denial.
"Please don't feel bad. I was just surprised. Your assumption is correct, though. These feelings are quite new for me, so it's really hard at the moment, but my friends stand firm by my side whenever I need them."
A bright smile spread over his face, similar to the one that adorned my own as I received the necklace after this horrid week. That man, despite not knowing me, realized that I was in pain, that I was struggling with these unresolved emotions that kept piling up, gathering into a muddy black lump that stuck in my throat and refused to move.
"They sound like good people, so please cherish them."
I walked off after this punch in the gut, almost shedding another tear as I clutched onto the wave pendant and pushed it against my chest. He couldn't have known how much these words had hurt after what I had done to my companions.
It felt like a giant piece of flesh was clawed out of my bare skin every single time I looked into their eyes — as if my heart was squashed into a thousand pieces, when they inquired about my health and worried about my well-being.
It didn't take long until I reached my room.
My body fell forward in exhaustion as I plunged into the cuddly toy I had brought along. I cradled the stuffed animal as a replacement for the person I really wanted to embrace as my tearing and tired eyes shut. Covering the soft toy, hiding my feelings from him and the others... I didn't want to deal with all of this any longer.
Would he think badly of me for what I had done?
The phone in my pocket pulsated twice.
I wouldn't have paid this any mind because of my current condition, but I was surprised and intrigued by the pattern. One of the vibrations informed me that I had received a message, while the one thereafter alerted me that a transaction had taken place. In simple terms, someone had rewarded me with points.
My fingers tapped over the screen, unlocking the device.
[12:32:35 PM][Anonymous] I appreciate what you did for Kiyotaka.
[Anonymous] has sent you 1.000.000 private points.
A dejected laugh fled my lips as I studied the token beneath the message.
Once again, I ran into Matsushita-san's trap and did exactly what she wanted. Chihiro-chan's poisoning wasn't an accident like we assumed, but a calculated move to get me to investigate how she got sick. During this examination, I would have figured out that Ayanokouji-kun must have been the target.
All according to her plan.
But why was she helping me now?
Was this a threat?
Another scheme?
She knew exactly how I would act on every intersection that came up during the exam and used this knowledge to her advantage. Even her deal with Kouenji-kun might have been just for show in order to confuse me and the rest of Class B. These one million points confirmed that he had misguided me about his reason for contacting me on the sixth day, as Matsushita-san would have had enough points to purchase Ayanokouji-kun's safety herself.
They cornered me, but for what?
Just to see how far I would go?
My head sank deeper into the stuffed animal as I took a deep breath.
His imaginary scent surged through my nostrils, just like before we departed the ship seven days ago. It was still impossible, even more so now, after a week had passed, but I could have sworn that his odor lingered in every fiber this adorable panda was made of.
I just wanted to hold him again...
Was this too much to ask?
My phone rang for the first time after about a week.
Had I missed this sound?
The conversations following it?
I thought about this for a moment as the ringtone danced through the room.
If I took everything into consideration, then I hadn't really longed for these phone calls. They had been quite boring, in fact, but the caller wasn't to blame for these unfortunate circumstances.
"How have you been, Masumi-san?"
The white knight I had just placed on f7 took the black one, checkmating the king in the process, thus solving my daily chess puzzle. Today's problem had been derived from a match between Garry Kasparov and Vassily Ivanchuk from the USSR Championship in 1988, a brilliant game indeed.
"Class A got stomped a little harder than expected."
Oh, my...
I grabbed my cane and walked over to the cupboard where I had placed another, still packaged chess set that I had purchased at the beginning of this year, hoping that someone could entertain me. My step felt much lighter and quicker than before as I strolled towards my bedside table with renewed zeal.
The bed's soft embrace was relaxing, yet unfamiliar, as my heart began to thump just a little faster. I unpacked the board and ripped the polythene bag with the pieces apart, like a child looking forward to its first present. So far, the year had been disappointing, discouraging even, but this seemed to have changed now.
For Masumi, to tell me something this exciting...
There was only one person who could have increased my current elation further.
My heightened mood dropped as I thought back to the day my love of chess blossomed. A single boy, a mere child, kept playing four games simultaneously and checkmated these so-called grandmasters one after the other. Each of his moves was designed, laced with intricate thoughts before he performed them, similar to the ones of his opponents. This fake genius stirred something inside and established this deep affection between me and him.
The aspiration to achieve victory.
"Please tell me what happened. I'm all ears."
"Well, first Ryuuen tricked Katsuragi into a monthly payment from all Class A students. I don't know how much they have agreed on, but I'll find out soon enough. Aside from this, Hashimoto and I also made a contract with him for a onetime payment, just like you asked."
I began to set up the board with both the black and white pieces.
Had the infant dragon managed to outsmart everyone?
Katsuragi was a careful man, but he must have overlooked some pretty major loopholes if his partner could stab him in the back with such ease. Ichinose and Class B wouldn't present any problems as they were too pacifistic in their nature. From what I had seen and heard from them so far, they would seek reconciliation before trying to harm their enemies.
Class D was a mixed bag.
On one hand, there was the expulsion in April, barely a week after school had begun. I had already given up on them as the news reached our class, since only morons would be this capable of sabotaging themselves to such a degree. Yet, they had warded off Ryuuen's attack with great success, which came as a big surprise.
Without outside help, they shouldn't have been able to survive this offensive, which was why I assumed that they had received guidance from someone. Class B wasn't part of this equation due to their gentle style and Katsuragi was a weak person who wouldn't push for expulsions, so he and his faction shouldn't have helped them either.
This left only the second- and third-years.
But would they have a reason to interfere with the lower classes?
"Fufufu. It had to be expected that someone like him would play both sides if the situation allowed it. A shame that you paid him, however. This investment seemed to have been for naught, according to your previous words."
"We learned about their deal too late since Katsuragi kept most of the information with his trusted followers while leaving us in the dark. Hashimoto and I decided that this expenditure would be fine, so it's on us."
"There is no reason for you to take the blame, Masumi-san. I gave you free rein since I was tied up due to my ailment. You did the best in your situation, I'm sure. What about Class B and D? How did they fare?"
"They joined hands..."
The tone and pitch of her voice changed.
She sounded hesitant and uncertain, which couldn't have been because of Ichinose and her merry band of gummibears, but the other class that came up in my previous sentence. They must have done something that exceeded all expectations.
"What happened?"
"They crushed us, so bad that it's not even funny anymore. Class A and C came in last place with zero points each. Class B finished second with a total amount of 315 points while Class D..."
She mentioned that it was bad, but this much was unbelievable.
Katsuragi's foolishness was even worse than anticipated. To be played with to such a degree was nothing short of embarrassing for an elite student in Class A. If I had known that he was this incompetent in advance, then I wouldn't have told them to sabotage him.
"Masumi-san?"
"Class D... they finished with 787 points."
The smile on my face widened.
Splendid.
Despite my doubts, there was someone to play with in this school.
I didn't care whether my opponent was a first-, second- or third-year as long as I could have an exciting competition. My dear friend Katsuragi was finished, even without my interference, which meant that I could take over my rightful place as leader and concentrate on Class D once they were back.
"Fufufufufu..."
"Are you feeling alright?"
"Yes, Masumi-san. Thank you for concerning yourself with my well-being."
"Well, I'm not really —"
"The only reason that Class B hadn't been annihilated was that they teamed up with Class D during the exam. Whoever called the shots knew that Ichinose-san wouldn't be a threat to them, which is why she and her entourage were singled out as partners. I want a list of every student in this class, as well as the name of the person who led them."
With the current results in mind, I had to achieve some wins to increase our lead. Ryuuen and his delinquents came in dead last with 220 points as they were overtaken by Class D's new, surprising total of 880. We still sat on the top spot with 1037 points, but Class B managed to close in on us with an overall number of 1024, because of Katsuragi's defeat.
From this current line-up, Class D was the most dangerous.
While I was occupied with the calculations and preparations for the future, Masumi called out to Hashimoto, who took a picture of some sort of class list they had received from the staff members. Seconds later, my phone vibrated against my ear, informing me of an incoming message.
I put the device on speaker and checked the file in question.
"Hashimoto just sent the list. The one leading the class is a girl named Matsushita Chiaki, but she had help from Kushida Kikyou and Hirata Yosuke. There's also her boyfriend who is physically quite gifted but seems to have weaknesses on the academic side. Aside from him, there is this one strange guy called Kouenji..."
Her voice faded into obscurity as I discovered a certain name on the list.
The weak, rhythmical pounding in my chest ceased as the cane slipped out of my hand and rolled a few centimeters over the carpet. I studied, observed and scrutinized that name to make sure that I wasn't hallucinating, but no matter how often I opened and closed my eyelids, it didn't vanish. My heart, this fragile muscle in my chest, began to roar like a thunderstorm as I fell back into my bed.
The memories of my childhood flooded my mind.
Back to a certain place — a certain boy.
"Fufufufufufufu."
"H-hime?"
Hashimoto's concerned voice rang through the speaker as my trembling fingers caressed over the letters that formed his name. I kept chuckling, exhilarated by the information I had just obtained. My chest began to tighten, muscles appeared to quiver, and a beam formed on my lips as my eyes zoned in on these two words.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
He was here. Somehow, he had made it to this school. For some unknown reason, he had been placed into Class D. My father must have known, but he hadn't told me that we — him and I — were first-year students and wandered through the same halls every day. I could see him again, after all those years, talk to him for the very first time.
And then I would annihilate the false genius, this so-called masterpiece.
"The boyfriend. May I know his name?"
"It's Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Hime."
"Hey Hashimoto, back off already."
"Fufufufufu..."
They didn't know that a monster slumbered in their midsts.
None of them realized that the lone survivor of the so-called demonic fourth generation had concealed himself, camouflaged his presence as that of a mere sheep. But it didn't stop there. He had found a 'girlfriend', maybe even 'friends' and 'companions'.
This wasn't the Ayanokouji Kiyotaka I had seen back then.
He was changing.
Whether he evolved or regressed, remained to be seen.
"I hate being fucked over by the same person twice."
"Ryuuen-san, please behave properly."
"Tch, just let him be."
"Shiina-san sure is a nice person..."
"YES!"
My room, which should have been empty for my conversation with Shiina, turned into a kindergarten as she brought these morons with her. Albert was fine since he didn't talk anyway, but Ibuki and Ishizaki could be damn irritating with their aggressive behavior and stupid questions.
"Shiina."
"Yes, Ryuuen-san?"
The silver-haired girl tilted her head to the side before a puzzled smile spread over her face. She stared into my eyes in anticipation, wondering what I was about to say as the fresh scent of her barley tea drifted through the room.
Different to her classmates, she didn't show the slightest bit of fear as she regarded me as a normal human being, unfazed by the violence and disregard for people's well-being I had shown ever since the year began.
She didn't condone my behavior and never shied away to tell me her true thoughts. If she found my actions and practices cruel and disapproved of them, she would complain, even going as far as glaring at me with those violet puppy eyes.
"Good job back there."
"Thank you very much."
Her expression turned into a bright, almost dazzling beam of light as she clasped her hands. Shiina took her steaming hot tea and blew inside, creating small circular ripples that traveled towards the cup's edge in specific intervals.
I couldn't fault her for anything that happened while I was gone, since she had accomplished her goal, which had already proven useful. We might not have gained any points due to Class D's unexpected move at the end, but the war wasn't won until the last battle concluded.
We were merely warming up.
"What about me, huh?"
"Shut it, Mio. You screwed up."
"Fuck off! I didn't do shit, you bastard."
Albert reached for Shiina's teacup and raised it just in time before Ibuki's foot clashed with the tabletop. She stepped onto the stand and trampled towards me, huffing and puffing like a small, angry animal as Albert placed the cup back on the dinner table for his classmate to enjoy.
"Thank you, Albert-san."
"And stop calling me that!"
"YES!"
"What do you mean, Mio?"
"You fucking piece of shit!" She threw a powerful kick in my direction, which my giant bodyguard blocked with his non-dominant hand. Despite the force she had put into her attack, he didn't flinch. The cerulean-haired girl lowered her leg and threw another tantrum. "Damn it Albert! Why are you protecting that asshole, huh? He deserves a fucking beating!"
"Don't hurt the boss. He's the boss."
"Kukuku... listen to him, Mio."
She grumbled and sat back down with a 'tch' before her raging complexion subsided as Shiina began to pat her head. Albert sat back down while Ishizaki opened up a can of soda and stared at this situation in confusion.
"Honestly, I understand nothing. What are we even here for?"
As dumb as ever...
"Class D is the enemy we have to crush. I don't know what this Arisu chick can do, but she can't even walk without support, so she shouldn't be too troublesome. Worst case, I kick her cane and leave her to drown in a puddle, kukuku. As long as she and Katsuragi keep each other busy, their importance is less than secondary. Honami and her group of flower maidens won't ever be a threat as her class will implode eventually."
Everything built on friendship would crumble under pressure.
Shiina shook her head and placed the cup on the saucer.
"What Ryuuen-san was trying to say is that we have to be extra careful when we are dealing with Class D, while the other classes are of secondary and tertiary importance, respectively. Albert-san, please help Sakayanagi-san if he really wants to drown her in a puddle. I assume that this was one of his tasteless jokes, but I can't be sure with him."
"YES!"
Shiina had switched languages midway, which caught both Ishizaki and Ibuki off-guard. The latter must have managed to understand a few words, at least, while the former scratched his head and sat down in defeat, unable to figure out what was being said.
"Let's start our discussion with Matsushita-san, the class leader. She had presented herself to be quite competent on her own, but I don't know to which extent due to the help she may have received from outside sources. The only complications she ran into while managing her class were the rare occurrences when her boyfriend was in trouble."
Chiaki hadn't poisoned her sweetheart, proving that she had something else up her sleeve. The illogical behavior that Shiina observed throughout the exam confirmed that she had feelings for this boy, which was why I doubted that it was her scheme that had endangered him in order to check whether I was still on the island.
Kukuku, how adorable.
Emotions were so easy to exploit.
If I played with this Ayanokouji-something to gain her attention, she would bite. According to Shiina, she lost her cool multiple times when it involved him, which I could use to my advantage in the upcoming exams. Together, they formed quite a good team with her brains and his brawn, a shame that their enemy was someone who had both.
"Aside from his above average physical abilities, he seems to lack in overall intelligence, similar to the one with red hair you tried to set up in June. He was much calmer than the latter, but also more naïve, rivaling Ichinose-san and her class. This might have been a side-effect from their friendship, in case he is easy to influence."
"Yeah, that guy is a moron. He kept trying to persuade his girlfriend to keep me in their camp. I mean, I didn't do shit, but how can anyone outside of Class B be this stupid? God, that guy is so frustrating."
"Aren't you happy that he was nice to you, Mio?"
"Fuck you Ryuuen!"
She hadn't noticed that I sent her to Class B's camp in order to mess with her. I knew how Ibuki reacted to kindness and she would have become furious in between those goody two-shoes that wanted to be nice to everyone. She must have been even more frustrated once they joined up with Class D because of Hirata and Kikyou.
What I would have given to see this.
That reminds me...
"Who's next?"
"Hirata Yosuke and Kushida Kikyou, they —" Shiina stopped for a moment before realization dawned on her face. "Ryuuen-san. Are you making me repeat their names on purpose because you know that I'm bad at remembering them? You know better than I do who the important people in their class are."
The girl pouted and propped up her hands like a small teacher that scolded a student who had messed with her educational materials. Ibuki and Ishizaki glanced at each other, confused by her sudden accusation since none of them saw me in a good light due to my previous behavior.
"Kukuku, no idea what you are talking about."
My classmate heaved a sigh, shaking her head.
"Anyway, those two seem to excel at social interactions. We —"
"Boring. Next."
Another deep exhalation followed my words.
"Kouenji Rokusuke, he's a mystery. From what I could see, highly intelligent and physically more capable than anyone in our two classes. I don't want you to pick a fight with him because he might hurt you, Ryuuen-san."
"Hey now... You can't expect a guy to miss out on so much fun."
Upon returning to my room, I received an invitation to a play later this evening.
I agreed and asked if I should spruce myself up, but the lady didn't reply, which must have meant 'don't bother', or something along those lines. Our date was at six, so I had more than enough time left for my prior engagement.
My classmates relaxed on the deck, played in the game center, swam in the giant pool, ate grandiose meals or drank their well-deserved ice-cold drinks, as they enjoyed and experienced their dream vacation after this horrible week-long exam they had to endure.
Despite one or two hiccups, they had behaved well, like good pieces should.
Horikita invited me to dinner to show her gratitude for the time I had spent with her on the island while I was waiting for my guest. We agreed to meet up a little after her initial suggestion, since I would be occupied with the stage play for a bit.
Two gentle knocks reverberated through the cabin.
I stood up from the bed and walked over before opening the door for the girl in question. Kikyou regarded me with a bright smile and ambled into the room. My curious classmate bounced around, wondering whether we were safe here.
This was the first time she visited, since she felt weirded out by Kouenji.
She spun around and inspected me from top to bottom.
"Not gonna lie. That looks damn good on you. But this isn't something you would usually wear... you are boring, for the lack of a better word. Matsushita picked this outfit for you, didn't she? Do you guys have a date after this?"
"We are meeting up, but I only have to give her something."
"Mh... I see. Where are your roommates?"
"Yukimura is in the library, Hirata is out with Karuizawa and Kouenji is swimming in the pool. He was pretty dejected that the staff didn't allow him to swim in the ocean, apparently." I strolled over to the kitchen area and opened the fridge to see what refreshments we had. "Please sit or lie down, whatever you prefer. Would you like something to drink or eat?"
"No thanks, I'm fine. I had my fill at the bar."
The cute, defenseless beige-haired beauty shook her head and sat on my mattress, which she must have recognized because of the bag that protruded from beneath the bed. Kikyou should be thankful that I wasn't like Ike, who would have tried his best to get intimate with her in such a situation.
"So, what the fuck happened on that island?"
Her curiosity after such an insane amount of points was warranted. I had assumed that she would be interested, and I didn't mind telling her certain things that had transpired. Since she was working for me, she deserved some insights into the whole exam, which would not only assure her of my abilities, but also erase some doubts she may have harbored.
"Where do you want me to start?"
"The beginning, please."
"Okay... it all began before we boarded the ship, because I knew that some kind of special exam would take place. The school wouldn't simply gift us such a dream-like vacation without strings attached. That being said, I hadn't known about the contents of the test, which was why I grew suspicious as soon as I noticed that we were setting course towards the island I spotted on the horizon."
My hand operated the water faucet as I began my lengthy explanation.
The kettle soon filled up, whereupon I placed it on the nearby stove.
Since this would take a while, I had more than enough time to prepare and drink some tea. Kikyou might also change her mind since it was easier to digest all this information while sipping on such a delicious beverage.
"You knew that far ahead? Are you kidding me?"
"I wasn't the only one who presumed that something was off. When the announcement rang through the ship, it just confirmed their suspicions. Chiaki knew for certain that something was about to happen and the same should have been the case for Ichinose, Kanzaki, Kouenji, Ryuuen and Katsuragi, at the very least."
The girl supported her head and peered at me in surprise.
"So those six also knew that something was amiss? How?"
"I can only assume that they all had their doubts because of the way this school is structured. If you think about it for a second, it's close to impossible to take over another, higher-ranking class with only midterms and end of the year exams. There was bound to be some other way to earn large amounts of points, or at least level the playing field with multipliers or other boons. All seven of us assumed that something would happen, but no one could be sure what exactly."
Kikyou crawled over the bed and lay down on my pillow while I slipped the tea bags into the now boiling water. I turned around, whereupon she shot me a gentle, playful glare as she snuggled into my blanket.
"It does make sense if you think about it. If I hadn't been so occupied with what a certain someone had done to me during the past few months, I might have even figured this out myself."
I didn't doubt that Kikyou would have realized what the school was up to if someone had given her a hint to jumpstart this thought process. She was smart enough, different from most of our classmates.
"While we were disembarking, I received a message from an anonymous number." I took my phone and browsed through the message history before strolling over and showing her the contents. "They were clear instructions about which path to take for all the spots I had detected when the ship circled the island. The sender even provided a sketched map for visualization that wasn't too far off from the real thing."
She read through the texts and nodded in realization.
"This was the person from the student council you told me about, right?"
"Yes. This was the exact route I had mapped out as well. The sender had to have been aware of my physical abilities, which I had previously hidden, or he wouldn't have messaged me. Aside from myself, there was no one else using their phone in Class D, and the other students had already disembarked. This meant that the sender must have been a teacher or a student from the second or third year."
"Wait, a teacher?"
Kikyou stared at me, unable to believe my words.
"I've confirmed back in May that teachers would help students to a certain degree because they had to gain if their class managed to establish itself on a top spot. Hoshinomiya affirmed this once again, when she stopped Ichinose from leaving the ship with the necklace I had gifted her."
"Why did she stop her?"
"Because Hoshinomiya realized that I lied to her and wanted to warn their precious yet gullible leader. She used the pendant as an excuse to talk to her and figured that I must have been the one who gave her the necklace since none of the students reacted in any capacity when she asked around for Ichinose's 'crush'. This hypothesis was verified multiple times on the island, as Yamada, Shiranami and a few others had been allowed to keep their accessories."
I reached for the wall cabinet and pulled it open to see whether we had some snacks lying around. The first edible products my two orbs caught sight of were nuts, which wouldn't go too well with the tea. I rummaged about until I found a pack of cookies that fit my requirements.
"That means you already ruled out that sadistic bitch of a teacher because she is working with you, right? Or at least, you are cooperating to a certain degree that is favorable to you both, which is how you narrowed the mystery person down to the student council. Have you found out who they are yet?"
"I have a pretty good idea since Chiaki managed to pay her debt to Kouenji, but first things first." Opening another cupboard, I pulled out a plate and prepared the cookies for us to enjoy. "During my first trip through the forest, I left the paper you had ripped out of the manual on the spot closest to Class B's position. Our other two opponents were considering the cave, since it was the most strategic option due to its location. Both of them reached the conclusion that Ichinose would, at most, occupy one or two spots, so they didn't mind leaving her the ones near the ship, which would be bothersome to keep up over seven days."
"Analyzing people you've barely met to such a degree is terrifying as fuck." A dry laugh escaped her pursed lips as I fetched two cups and closed the cabinet. "That note was for the deal you wanted us to make, right?"
"Correct. I had planted this seed just before the midterms, when I supplied Ichinose with the old test papers via anonymous message. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that Class D had access to the old solutions after the results were announced. For someone with connections, it was easy to determine whether any other class knew about them."
"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. I get that this built some sort of trust between her and the anonymous account, even if she hadn't realized that it was you. But how the fuck did you plan to such a degree? The midterms were months ago!"
"Back then, I wasn't sure how I would use this connection, but I knew that it would come in handy eventually. Ichinose had difficulties seeing the whole picture when it involved me due to her feelings, which was why I was confident that she would agree to the terms which weren't unfavorable towards them."
I ambled back to the kettle and pulled the tea bags out of the water before throwing them into the trash can. Once again, I glanced over to my guest, wondering whether she had reconsidered her previous choice.
Having changed her mind about the drink, she nodded.
"If she knew how fucked up you are beneath your facade, then she wouldn't want to spend any more time with you than necessary. Hell, even your damn girlfriend wouldn't be an exception to this rule."
Receiving such cruel words would have unsettled, maybe saddened, any normal person. But nothing had changed for me, because I was aware of how horrid I could be under specific circumstances. Kikyou had tasted a small sample of my darkness and lost herself in the abyss I called my home.
I wouldn't fault her for these thoughts.
"Is someone jealous?"
"Shut up!"
She averted her gaze and hid her face behind one of the pillows.
"After leaving the note, I occupied multiple spots until the estimated time to observe the cave arrived. As per my calculations, two Class A students showed up to take the cavern not long after I reached my position."
"So you narrowed their leader down to two people in a few minutes?"
Her mouth opened in disbelief.
"No."
She closed it again and exhaled in relief.
"Yahiko was their leader, since Katsuragi was holding onto the card when they returned from the cave. He must have hoped that someone was watching them and took the card from his classmate to confuse anyone who may have been observing." The pleasant aroma of green tea wafted through the cabin as I poured Kikyou and me a cup before I made my way over to the bed. "Katsuragi isn't stupid enough to make such an obvious blunder, which is why I ruled him out."
"You could have led with that. I looked like a total idiot!"
"Why? I enjoy teasing you."
"Tch."
The longer I looked at her, the more she reminded me of Ibuki.
Both were difficult to deal with, but at their core, still two girls who want to be treated with kindness and respect regardless of their flaws. They had their own views on this world, and wouldn't back down while doing whatever they deemed necessary to reach their goals.
"Anyway, once they were gone, it was time to cause some confusion." She took one of the cups I had placed on my nightstand and blew inside. "The tower at the center of the island held a spot which was easy to occupy and even simpler to see from afar. Now that the students had enough time to spread over the island, I climbed the ladder to reveal myself. The witnesses would think that I took the spot just then, or got greedy and scaled the tower since it was the perfect vantage point to scout the island for the remaining machines."
"You really enjoy screwing with people's heads, don't you? First me, then Sakura, Ichinose and now this... I wouldn't be surprised if you were the reason she bawled her eyes out on the last day. God, you are so fucking awful."
Contrary to her harsh words, she enjoyed this situation more than she admitted, at least according to the smile that formed on her face. Ichinose's misfortune delighted her to such a degree that a genuine laugh slipped her sweet lips.
"I waited near the cave until you showed up and smeared myself with some dirt to emphasize the look of exhaustion. This, coupled with Chiaki's actions against Class C, solidified her as someone who could be relentless, which was important in her following negotiations with the boys and girls."
"You realized that problems would arise, since the girls would demand a comfortable stay. If we wanted to save up on points, the boys would have been made to suffer, which would have led to arguments. The fear and respect Matsushita's actions garnered stopped them from purchasing items behind her back. This, coupled with the deal you had prepared between Ichinose and us, would strengthen her position further, right?"
Kikyou took a small sip of fresh tea and placed the cup back where it belonged.
My thought process in this case wasn't difficult to deduce for an expert in human relations like her. She had a lot of friends in our class and treasured even more secrets, so she would know better than anyone how each person would respond in such a situation.
"Bingo."
"You really do nothing unnecessary, do you?"
"During that time, I told Chiaki about the message I had received. She only confirmed the bare minimum, but it was good thinking to keep me in the dark. Only the dead could be trusted to keep secrets, after all."
"Hold up. Why are you telling me all of this, then?"
She shrunk back and bumped against the wall behind her.
"You wanted to know, didn't you?"
I tilted my head as a faint smile emerged on my lips.
"Stop smiling like a creep. This isn't funny!"
She grabbed one of the pillows on my mattress and threw it towards the bottom end of the bed, where I sat. The soft cushion crashed into my face before it slid down and dropped into my lap.
Kikyou could be strangely adorable sometimes.
"The discussion with Ichinose went as expected. She offered us the earnest, kind-hearted deal I had specified because she believed in a positive exchange for everyone. Her feelings towards me became more prominent during this time, which influenced her thoughts and decisions going forward. Kanzaki agreed to this, since they wouldn't only gain a decent amount of points, but also deepen our relationship for future exams that might require trust and teamwork."
Kikyou grew discontent every time I spoke about Ichinose and her affections towards me. She was still angry at her for the whole 'she ranked higher than you' incident I had engineered to analyze how she operated, but I doubted that she would bury her grudge even if I told her that the positions I contrived were lies.
Ichinose's breasts were actually bigger, and she knew this.
"Even though Chiaki saw this as a beneficial arrangement, she was wired to get a better one. When she tried, Ichinose retaliated with a threat of her own, which gave her a false sense of security because of Chiaki's surprised reaction. Feeling remorseful for her performance, she gave us a small bump in points to ease her guilt."
I had expected that we would gain more points than specified in consideration to the actions Ichinose would take. She thought that we were helping each other while I exploited her own nature against them. None of our schoolmates realized that they were being manipulated while they acted according to my script.
"Fuck, what a naïve way of thinking. It's disgusting."
She stole the pillow she had thrown at me and hugged it.
"Chiaki was worried about my leader status being exposed, but I assured her that this was the mystery person's plan. This was a lie, of course, as he couldn't have known about the rules. She believed my claims despite these contradictions, which reassured me of my previous conclusion."
"And the poisoning never happened because of the deal with Kouenji, right?"
"Correct. The contents are an unnecessary detail, but the important part was that he remained on the island, since I needed a scapegoat for the grand finale. This plan was further built upon as I realized that I could cause some damage to the person behind Chiaki."
Kikyou rubbed the sides of her forehead with a pained expression.
"Wait, you used Kouenji? I thought this was impossible?"
A vague smile surfaced on my face.
"When Shinohara began to badmouth Horikita, it provided me an opportunity to single her out as the villain. This was a step I had taken in order to prepare for future developments, since her situation would proof useful someday."
"Like Ichinose, right? Okay, I understand."
She reached for one of the cookies and began to eat.
Crunching sounds echoed through the room as I mentioned my run-in with the Class C students on my first reoccupation and the fact that I made sure to mime the idiot during that time. Renewing the spot right in front of them would have caused even more confusion in their ranks.
Ryuuen had tried to mess with us once and received a huge blowback, which was why he would have realized that Chiaki must have had something up her sleeve. He was cunning enough to have seen the loophole in the rules and would have assumed this to be her plan until my surprise at the end.
"I left them alone, noticing that someone important had listened to our exchange."
"Who?"