『』『』『』『』『』
After Kumagawa left the café, Hashimoto remained in his seat.
He watched the door for a few extra seconds, just to be sure. Only when he was certain Kumagawa was out of sight did he reach into his pocket and take out his phone again.
Just as he was about to make a call, an announcement made by the school echoed through the speakers set up around the cruise ship.
[The Horse group's exam is now over. Students in the Horse group no longer need to participate in the exam. Please be mindful of your actions and avoid disturbing the others.]
The sudden announcement made him pause.
"Horse group?"
Hashimoto considered the meaning behind the announcement but decided to ignore it for now. He tapped the screen and placed a video call.
After a few rings, the call connected, and Sakayanagi's calm expression appeared.
"Is he gone?" she asked without any pleasantries.
"Princess, do you really hate the idea of talking with Kumagawa that much?" Hashimoto said, half teasing, half serious.
Sakayanagi let out a short breath.
"That's rather rude of you, Hashimoto-kun. I would never let personal feelings interfere with something as important as a cooperation," she replied smoothly.
That's completely different from what I've seen though...
No matter how much she tried to hide it behind her usual grace, her dislike for talking with Kumagawa was clear. She might play the role of a composed, model student, but in this case, the discomfort she felt was stronger than her ability to conceal it.
Hashimoto leaned back in his seat, as he looked at the screen.
"Well, I guess even the perfect princess has someone she just can't stand, huh?"
Sakayanagi paused for a moment before letting out a soft laugh.
"Fufu, come now, Hashimoto-kun. You make it sound like I'm some kind of saint. Even someone like me is capable of feeling unpleasant emotions, you know."
In the end, she didn't completely deny it.
"Still, you agreed to the cooperation." Hashimoto pointed out.
"I did," she confirmed without hesitation. "Though his methods are detestable."
"Detestable? You mean the way he carries himself?"
If that was the case, it wouldn't be too surprising. Kumagawa was, by all accounts, a difficult get along with.
But Sakayanagi shook her head.
"No, not that. I meant the deal itself. It seems you still don't get how unpleasant that guy really is. If you read between the lines, it was an incredibly off-putting way of doing things."
That only added to Hashimoto's confusion.
"Um..."
Sakayanagi stared at him through the screen before letting out a quiet sigh.
"Well, I can't exactly blame you. The way he does those detestable things is subtle. Which, in a way, makes it even more detestable."
"Ahahaha..."
How many times had she said the word detestable just to describe how Kumagawa operated? It was rare to see her this fixated on something—or someone. The way she kept repeating it made it clear that Kumagawa's way of doing things struck a nerve in her.
"Well, I'm not smart enough to catch all that like you do. Mind breaking it down for me, Princess?"
He added a little chuckle, like he was half-joking—but the flattery was obvious. It wasn't uncommon for Hashimoto to play that angle when dealing with her. He knew Sakayanagi enjoyed being the one who saw what others missed.
"Fufu, honestly, Hashimoto-kun, you really are shameless when it comes to flattery."
"Ahahaha..."
"It's simple. What I find detestable is how he cornered me into accepting the deal while making it seem like a fair exchange. He was basically threatening me, you know?"
"'Threatening you?'"
Hashimoto tilted his head slightly, clearly not following.
"Do you know why he suddenly offered a deal to us, now?"
Hashimoto shook his head.
"No idea. Isn't it just one of his whims?"
Kumagawa was infamous for acting on impulse. There were several reports of him skipping class just because he wanted to read manga in peace. More often than not, people would see him getting scolded by his classmate, Horikita Suzune.
"Well, I can see why you'd think that, but he was actually quite meticulous in his explanation, even if the way he explained things was all over the place."
That much, at least, was true.
"The troubling part was the fact that he was the VIP, and the timing he made a deal with us."
"The timing?"
Sakayanagi nodded.
"That's right. Just like he explained earlier, the VIP pattern was based on the Gojūon-jun arrangement using students' names. Based on that logic, it's impossible to identify any VIP unless we have several confirmed names to compare. At the very least, you need five names to be sure of the pattern."
"Five?"
"Yes, five. Even if you know the method, proving it is a different matter altogether. I could come up with a few possibilities for the pattern—if we had the VIP identities. But tell me, Hashimoto-kun... do we actually know who all the Class A VIPs are?"
"..."
Hashimoto couldn't answer.
Because of the faction split within Class A, this particular exam had been more complicated than usual. He only knew one VIP from their class—Morishita Ai, while the other two remained a mystery, most likely Katsuragi's people.
Given the tension between the two factions, neither side had any reason to cooperate. Naturally, the Katsuragi faction wouldn't share information freely, and their preferred strategy involved keeping silent during discussions, rendering the whole "VIP reveal" pointless.
Sakayanagi continued.
"Kumagawa-kun probably figured that out from the start, he must've realized the internal situation Class A is in. That's why he didn't hesitate to reveal the VIP selection method to us. Because even if we knew how it worked, the window of time to verify its accuracy was far too limited."
They didn't even have the full list of VIPs in Class A. Even if they attempted to confirm the method by investigating other groups, it wasn't that simple. Three days had already passed, and not a single meaningful discussion had taken place during that time. Forget other groups—even within their own, useful information had been scarce.
Sakayanagi continued.
"And because he's the VIP, whether we accept the deal or not, is not really a problem for him. As long as he is the VIP, he will still receive points in the end."
She was referring to the outcomes of the exam.
Outcome One meant that if all members answered correctly and worked as a group, they would each receive 500,000 private points, while the VIP would get 1,000,000 private points as a reward.
For Outcome Two, if the VIP successfully concealed their identity, only the VIP would receive the 500,000 private points, while the rest of the group would get nothing.
"Isn't that not a problem if we betray the group and aim for Outcome Three?" Hashimoto asked.
"Hashimoto-kun... It's because of the timing that I can't reject the deal. If I reject it, there's no knowing what Kumagawa will do with the information. That's why I said I was cornered."
"..."
So basically, Kumagawa gave her potentially valuable information, but did it at a point where verifying it was almost impossible.
Kumagawa revealed the method to determine the VIPs based on Gojūon-jun. But because Sakayanagi doesn't have the full list of VIPs from her class, and the exam is already past the halfway point, there's not enough time or info to verify if his method is real or not.
If she accepts the deal, she gets a chance at Outcome One and might earn points. And if she rejects the deal, she risks Kumagawa using that same information against her, since she doesn't know how much of it is real or fake—or what he plans to do with it.
That's why she says she was "cornered." Kumagawa put her in a situation where agreeing to the deal seemed safer than refusing it, even if she hated the way he went about it.
"I see what you mean now. That is kind of detestable." Hashimoto admitted.
"Although it's undeniably detestable, at the same time, it fits him perfectly. As expected of someone named Kumagawa Misogi, his unpleasantness truly knows no bounds."
Hashimoto couldn't quite tell if that was meant to be praise or insult. There was no hint of shrinking back from Sakayanagi's words—in fact, she even seemed amused. She had a triumphant expression on her face.
"So, what will you do now, Hashimoto-kun?"
"..."
He stayed silent.
He had a feeling she'd ask that eventually, but that didn't mean he had an answer ready. But right now, it seemed to him that Sakayanagi. wasn't really just asking a yes or no question.
That's why, after some hesitation, he answered like this.
"It depends on how much is at stake... I suppose?"
"Fufufu. And that means?"
She sure seemed to be enjoying herself.
"Well... I mean, first and foremost, I'm a Class A student, So of course I want the class to win. That hasn't changed. I'm not saying I like Katsuragi or anything, but if working with him makes it more likely for Class A to succeed, then I think that's something we should consider."
Sakayanagi tilted her head slightly. Judging by her expression, she was clearly amused by Hashimoto's roundabout explanation.
"So in short... you want to cooperate with Katsuragi-kun to make Class A win?"
"More or less? Ahaha..."
She boiled it all down into the simplest, cleanest version of what he was trying to say.
That was very like her.
In the end, Hashimoto wanted Class A to stay in the lead. That much was clear. But at the same time, he didn't want to fall behind the winning side—which, to him, was still Sakayanagi. No matter how competent Katsuragi was as a person, his conservative way of thinking didn't hold a candle to Sakayanagi's leadership in Hashimoto's eyes.
Still, with the current situation being what it was—Sakayanagi not even participating in the exam, keeping Class A ahead was the best way to maintain the status quo. That's why he didn't mind going along with Katsuragi's strategy for now.
"So, does that mean... you're betraying me, Hashimoto-kun?"
"Come on, Princess, do you really think I'd do that?" Hashimoto let out a strained laugh, scratching the side of his cheek.
"Fufufu, I see. Then, let's leave it at that for today."
Sakayanagi let out a soft laugh and didn't push the matter any further.
"Well then, goodbye, Hashimoto-kun."
With that, the call ended.
Hashimoto stared at the now silent screen, scratching his head as he let out a small sigh. As usual, she was really hard to deal with.
『』『』『』『』『』
It was finally the last day of the exam, and the sixth and final round of discussions had just concluded.
Sitting in a café on the third floor of the upper deck, Hashimoto found himself conflicted about how to approach the situation.
Lately, he had been investing his time trying to gather useful information—but it turned out to be pointless. With how the exam had progressed, and with such a narrow window of opportunity left, finding any concrete clues about the VIPs was proving to be extremely difficult.
Even if he knew the method, convincing the others was the hard part. With the class split into two factions, it was almost impossible to get the other side to trust him—especially since he had no solid proof to back up the method.
Hashimoto stared at the piece of paper on the table in front of him. It laid out the current standings in plain numbers:
Class A : 824 CP
Class B : 733 CP
Class C : 463 CP
Class D : 198 CP
Class B only needed 92 more points to surpass Class A. On the other hand, if Class A lost more than 100 points, they'd fall into Class B.
No matter how he looked at it, the situation was bad.
It's not that he had a problem with being demoted to Class B. They still had two more years to turn things around. There would be more special exams in the future, and as long as Sakayanagi was leading Class A, it wasn't exactly a huge loss.
If he looked at it from a long-term perspective, the rankings could always change again. A temporary setback now didn't mean much if they could recover later. In fact, it might even take some pressure off.
"More importantly, he's late."
Hashimoto checked the time on his phone.
7:15 PM
So far, only two groups had been eliminated from the exam due to betrayal—the Monkey group and the Horse group. That meant ten groups were still in play. Judging by that alone, it seemed like the VIPs in the remaining groups were doing a solid job keeping their identities hidden.
After waiting for nearly 25 minutes, Hashimoto finally saw the person he'd been waiting for arrive. Given his usually disciplined and straightforward personality, being this late was unusual.
Was he busy with something...?
"Sorry to keep you waiting. So, why did you call me out here?" Katsuragi approached with his usual calm demeanor and greeted him.
"Well, I just figured it was time we had a proper talk, Katsuragi."
Katsuragi gave a short nod and sat down without much hesitation.
"I assume this isn't just idle chatter."
It seemed he already had an idea. Given that they came from different factions, Hashimoto calling him out like this wasn't likely to be for anything casual. They weren't close enough for that.
Still, they regarded each other as classmates, at the very least.
Hashimoto didn't waste time with small talk and got straight to the point.
"Of course not. It's about the exam. Or more accurately, the VIPs," he said.
"VIPs?"
Hashimoto paused for a moment before continuing.
He began recalling the discussion that took place the day before, involving Kumagawa, Sakayanagi, and himself at the café. He explained it to Katsuragi in a straightforward manner, both to make it easier for Katsuragi to understand—and to keep himself from getting lost in the details.
Since Kumagawa had used his phone to speak directly with Sakayanagi, Hashimoto hadn't been able to record anything. That meant everything he was about to say depended solely on memory.
And with how all over the place Kumagawa's explanations had been, that wasn't exactly ideal.
Still, he remembers the important points well enough. It just required more effort than usual to sort it all out to make it easier to understand.
Katsuragi quietly listened to his explanation.
After hashimoto finished with his explanation, Katsuragi look at him briefly before speaking.
"Did he say how he got the information?"
"Well, he did say that he figured it out on his own, so..." Hashimoto replied, scratching his cheek as he looked away for a second. His tone didn't sound too confident.
"And you believe him?"
"....."
Silence hung between them for a moment.
Given Kumagawa's nature as a liar, it was hard to take anything he said at face value. So, Hashimoto's lack of an immediate answer was not an optimal response.
It was a worrying response.
"I know it sounds like a mess, but here's the thing: even if we don't use the method directly, we can still work with the information. Kumagawa's the VIP in the Snake group. He's already confirmed it."
"...So what's your point?"
"I want to make sure we don't lose this exam, that's all." Hashimoto replied.
Katsuragi narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You and Sakayanagi made a deal with him, didn't you? About ensuring Outcome One."
"Yeah. That's the idea."
"But just knowing the supposed method isn't enough. If we can't confirm it, it's as good as useless. That kind of gamble isn't easy to justify."
Hashimoto nodded.
"I know. That's why I'm talking to you."
Katsuragi remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"You don't trust me. That's fair. With how divided the class is right now, I wouldn't either. The Katsuragi faction and the Sakayanagi faction are practically on separate paths. Even if we're in the same class, we don't share information, and we don't work together. So there's no reason for you to tell me who the VIPs are in our class... Still, I want to know. The identities of our class's VIPs."
The truth was, Hashimoto didn't have a clue about Class A's VIPs. The only name he had was Morishita Ai ho'd kept herself out of both major factions. She was neutral and frankly, a rather peculiar, one-of-a-kind student.
But now, Hashimoto needed to know the identities of the remaining VIPs in his class. The window to confirm Kumagawa's method was narrowing fast, and time wasn't on his side. That's why he had no choice but to ask Katsuragi. He suspected the remaining two VIPs were likely within Katsuragi's faction.
Unfortunately, Katsuragi had been unusually tight-lipped about the matter. Which made sense. His entire strategy hinged on maintaining the current status quo. So long as he kept silent, Class A could avoid getting dragged into the fray and have the points distributed evenly among classes.
"I also want to know if you're willing to cooperate and hit the other classes together." Hashimoto brought the topic up casually.
"Aren't you Sakayanagi's friend? Are you planning on betraying her by working with me?"
Hashimoto let out a short laugh.
"What? Don't be ridiculous. Sure, I'm part of her group, but I'm a Class A student before anything else. And honestly, I'd like to keep it that way."
Upon hearing his response, Katsuragi's expression turned thoughtful, as if he were sorting through his thoughts, and a few seconds passed in silence.
Then, in a calm voice, he said, "Kōji Machida. Rooster group. Kenta Yoshida. Pig group. Those are the other VIPs in our class."
Hashimoto blinked. He hadn't expected Katsuragi to just say it like that. He was prepared for some resistance, but now that he thought about it, there wasn't any real reason to keep the VIP a secret from him.
The reason Katsuragi had kept quiet about the VIPs was probably to avoid unnecessary variables to his strategy. The less information that got out, the fewer variables there were to account for. As long as nobody said a word, nothing would change, and as long as nothing changed, his strategy would work. His thinking likely followed that simple logic.
"As for attacking other classes..." Katsuragi added, his tone growing more serious, "that depends entirely on how reliable the information is. I don't trust Kumagawa. If I had to choose, I'd rather place my trust in Sakayanagi's words over his. I can't risk Class A's position based on some vague claims from someone like him."
"...I see."
He figured as much. A flat-out rejection from Katsuragi when it came to something risky wasn't exactly surprising. His conservative mindset didn't allow for bold moves like this unless all the cards were on the table. but this time, Hashimoto could understand the sentiment.
But what did catch him slightly off guard was how deeply Katsuragi distrusted Kumagawa.
Perhaps it was due to their previous dispute. The incident where Kumagawa had completely misled him and played him like a fool. Since then, there hadn't been much reason for Katsuragi to believe anything Kumagawa said.
Well, not that Hashimoto could blame him.
But it's definitely a problem.
When it came to stubbornness, Katsuragi was probably one of the more rock headed students of Class A.
Convincing him to take action would require clear proof, or at least something close to it. Hashimoto could try dealing with the other groups on his own, but if he made a mistake, it would no doubt reflect badly on Sakayanagi.
And in this case, the risk was greater than usual.
As Sakayanagi had said, Kumagawa's method was extremely distasteful.
"Hashimoto, although I don't really trust you as someone from a different faction, I trust you enough as a classmate, and a member of Class A." Katsuragi said.
He slowly stood up from his seat.
"But I still believe my strategy is the best for now. As long as nothing changes, and there are no traitors among our class's VIP group, the points should be distributed evenly among the classes.
"That's one way to look at it," Hashimoto replied, not agreeing, but not denying it either.
"I'll be going now. Keep me updated, if anything new comes up."
With that, Katsuragi gave a small nod and turned to leave. Hashimoto watched him quietly as he exited the café.
It seemed there was no use trying to convince Katsuragi to target other classes without something solid to show. He hadn't completely shut down the idea, but without clear proof, he wouldn't take the risk. That was just the kind of person he was.
Hashimoto leaned back in his chair and exhaled.
The problem was, there were only a few hours left. Even with three days of observation and discussion, they hadn't gathered anything conclusive. So how was he supposed to get proof now?
He sat there for a while, letting the time pass without much thought. About thirty minutes later, still with no new ideas, he paid for his drink and left the café.
Realistically, Katsuragi's plan should work. With only a couple hours remaining, it was unlikely any major shift would happen. The exam would end, and the points would be split evenly. That was probably the safest outcome.
But for some reason, Hashimoto had a bad feeling.
If Kumagawa was right, and there really was a pattern to the VIPs, then there's a chance that someone else might've figured it out too. If that happened, Class A would be in danger. After all, they were currently at the top.
And where there's someone at the top, there's always someone at the bottom looking to drag them down.
That's just how hierarchies worked. Especially in a school like this—one that encouraged conflict and competition.
"Hmm?"
While walking through the hallway, Hashimoto spotted somoene ahead, turning the corner toward the deck. The area was mostly empty now. With just a few hours left before the group VIP identification phase, most students had settled down somewhere else.
Seeing her here, now of all times, piqued his interest.
Without much hesitation, he decided to follow her.
Normally, this kind of thing would've been Kamuro's job. She was more suited for this kind of low-key surveillance. But with her not around, Hashimoto had no choice but to do it himself.
"...It really is Kamuro's job," he muttered under his breath.
While trailing behind her, Hashimoto took note of the area they were walking through. It was unusually quiet, far removed from where students usually passed through. If anyone wanted a place for a secret meeting, this would be ideal. A talk, a deal, or maybe even a date. After all, they were high schoolers at the peak of their youth, so it wasn't all that surprising.
But if it was her, he doubted it would be that simple.
Just in case, he pulled out his phone and sent a short message to a particular someone, telling them to come over discreetly.
When the girl he was following arrived on the deck, Hashimoto quickly searched for a hiding spot close enough to overhear the conversation without being seen. Luckily, he found a perfect spot on some corner, well out of sight.
He crouched down and leaned against the wall.
After a few minutes, he heard footsteps coming from behind. Judging by the solid, steady sound and the build of the person approaching, it wasn't hard to figure out who it was. Hashimoto let out a quiet sigh. He had asked him to be discreet, but maybe that was asking too much from someone with his size.
"Katsuragi, over here," Hashimoto hushed, motioning with his hand from his corner.
Seeing Hashimoto is hiding on the corner while pointing toward the deck, Katsuragi just nodded and cautiosly walk toward him. It was rather weird seeing a brute muscle guy like him trying to be discreet.
Katsuragi noticed Hashimoto crouched low, pointing toward the deck.
Without a word, he approached, his footsteps slower and more cautious now. It was strange seeing someone with his size and frame trying to be subtle, but he managed.
Katsuragi leaned forward and peeked carefully around the corner.
"Kushida?" he whispered, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Be careful. Don't let her hear," Hashimoto warned.
"Right."
Without asking any further questions, Katsuragi gave a small nod and continued watching quietly from behind the corner.
After a moment, Katsuragi pulled back and whispered. "How did you find Kushida here?"
"It's a pure coincidence," Hashimoto replied, keeping his voice low. "I didn't expect to find her here either. It just piqued my curiosity, so I decided to follow her."
"Piqued your curiosity?" Katsuragi looked skeptical, he repeated quietly, as if questioning the vague reasoning.
Hashimoto gave a small shrug, still watching the deck.
"Actually, I heard some rumors from the girls. Apparently, Kushida's been sneaking out at night. Some of the girls think she might have a boyfriend or something. But honestly, knowing Kushida, the most popular girl in school, I doubt she'd get into a relationship that easily."
"I see..."
Hashimoto's words held some weight in that regard. With his looks and charm, he was close to several girls outside of Class A. In fact, some of the girls in Sakayanagi's faction had joined because of him. So, if anyone was likely to catch wind of rumors, it'd definitely be Hashimoto.
"Who do you think she's waiting for?" Katsuragi asked.
"No idea," Hashimoto replied with a shrug.
Not long after, they spotted someone else approaching from the opposite direction.
When they saw who it was, both of them couldn't help but exchange a glance.
It was Ryuen.
The timing felt a little too perfect to be just a coincidence. Luckily, Hashimoto and Katsuragi were tucked away in a discreet spot, that even with Katsuragi's large frame, they didn't have to worry about being seen.
"Sorry to call you all of a sudden, Ryuen-kun."
"Hah? What's with the formal tone all of a sudden, Kikyo? You trying to seduce me or something? Should you really be meeting me like this? Wouldn't your little boyfriend get jealous?"
His tone was laced with mockery, as always. There wasn't a shred of sincerity in his words.
"Ahaha, cut it out already, I've never had a boyfriend, so I don't know what you're talking about. And don't call me Kikyo. We're not that close. This time, I called you out because I want to talk about something serious."
Hashimoto and Katsuragi, watching from the shadows, were both caught off guard. Neither of them had expected Kushida to be meeting with Ryuen in secret, much less holding what looked like a private deal.
"She's working with Ryuen?" Hashimoto muttered.
Katsuragi didn't respond, clearly just as surprised.
"I'll call you whatever I want to." Ryuen said, smirking. "Also. didn't "I told you I'd handle the rest, so what more do you want, Kikyou-chan?"
Deal?
Hashimoto's eyes narrowed. So they had already made some kind of arrangement?
"Ignoring his blatant attempt to provoke her, Kushida said, 'Well, I heard something interesting from Kumagawa-kun yesterday. It's about the VIP identities... and the method to figure them out.'"
Both Hashimoto and Katsuragi perked up immediately. It was exactly the kind of information Hashimoto had been looking for. Stumbling onto this scene was an unexpected stroke of luck. With this, he could finally verify whether Kumagawa's Gojūon method was real or not.
"What a load of crap," Ryuen scoffed. "You think I'm gonna believe anything that cockroach has to say?"
Wow.
Hashimoto couldn't help but be impressed by just how far Kumagawa's reputation had sunk. Even someone like Ryuen, a violence thug and the undisputed tyrant of Class C, dismissed Kumagawa outright without a second thought.
Was there even a single person who trusted that guy?
Then, almost like a switch had flipped, Kushida's expression softened. Her smile turned warm and sweet, the kind she used when she was with her friends. But in the context of this deal, it came off as nothing but malicious.
"It's not a lie, Ryuen-kun. If you want, I can name the Class C VIPs right now. Rat group, Kaneda Satoru. Goat group, Kinoshita Minori. And Pig group, Kōsetsu Yoshimoto. Those are Class C's three VIPs." She said with a playful voice.
For a moment, Ryuen stared at her blankly.
Then a snort slipped out of him—followed by a low chuckle that grew louder until it burst into a mocking laugh.
"You've gotta be kidding me," he said between laughs. "Don't tell me you actually believe that crap? That's really what that cockroach told you? You really are stupid, Kikyou. You got tricked by the worst liar in the whole damn school. What's next? Gonna tell me he figured out the meaning of life while he was at it?" He wiped at the corner of his eye, still grinning with disbelief.
"....."
Hashimoto and Katsuragi exchanged glances. There wasn't much that could rattle Ryuen, yet even now, he still refused to take Kumagawa seriously.
Still, neither of them was laughing.
At this point, neither of them knew who was lying.
But Kushida's expression didn't change in the slightest. Even when Ryuen had blatantly mocked her.
"Then how about this?" she continued, voice just as light. "Rat group, Nagisa Isoyama. Goat group, Nishino Takeko. And Pig group, Nomura Yūji. What do you think about those three? I wasn't lying, was I?"
"..."
Ryuen's previous expression of extreme enjoyment turned drastically into a more serious one. Kushida's words seemed to have struck a nerve, causing him to do a complete 180 from his earlier mocking and smug demeanor.
Still smiling, Kushida brushed back a strand of her hair.
"You know, I don't trust Kumagawa either. Not even a little. Who in their right mind would trust that guy for even a second? You'd have to be broken in the head to believe a word from a natural-born liar like him. I doubt he's ever felt sincere in his life, let alone told the truth. You can't believe anything he says or does. I'd rather trust a thief to keep their word than him. Hell, I think even a compulsive liar is more trustworthy. So yeah—I don't believe a single thing that comes out of his mouth."
She folded her arms.
"So I looked into it myself and found another way to confirm it. I'm not dumb enough to take Kumagawa's theory at face value."
Ryuen stared at her for a long moment. Then he finally spoke, this time, there was no trace of mockery or sarcasm. His voice was serious and direct.
"Alright, let's cut to the deal then, Kikyo."
"I told you not to call me Kikyo," she said.
Ryuen, as always, ignored it.
"What do you want from me?"
That was it.
Hashimoto and Katsuragi exchanged another glance. That short exchange was enough to confirm it.
"Well, I don't think I'm obligated to explain that to you. As long as you keep your end of the deal, there shouldn't be a problem, right?" Kushida said, her smile still perfectly in place
"..."
Hearing that, Ryuen's eyes narrowed dangerously. Given that he already had a villainous face to begin with, the look made him seem even more like an actual villain. But of course, Kushida wasn't intimidated in the slightest.
"Is that a threat?"
"Like I said, I'm not obligated to explain... But if you really want to know, I don't mind telling you later."
"Tch. You're starting to sound just like Kumagawa, you know that?"
"...Hah!?"
Of all the insults Ryuen had thrown at her, that particular one actually offended her. It just went to show how truly unlikable Kumagawa was as a person, or maybe how irritating he could be.
Was he really that unbearable?
"You two really are a perfect match. Twisted personalities and all," Ryuen added with a smirk, casually shrugging.
Then, without waiting for a reply, he turned to leave, clearly done with the conversation.
"We're still good on the deal, right, Ryuen-kun?" Kushida called after him.
"Hmph... unlike that guy, I keep my word. Relax, will you?" he replied, not even bothering to look back.
With that, the two of them went their separate ways. Ryuen scanned the area cautiously before walking off, but Hashimoto's hiding spot was perfect—there was no way they'd be noticed. Kushida did the same a few minutes later, checking her surroundings carefully before leaving in the opposite direction.
Once both of them were out of sight, Hashimoto leaned out and took a final peek, just to be sure.
"...They're gone," he said quietly.
"Are we in the clear?" Katsuragi asked beside him.
"Yeah. We're good."
Hashimoto leaned back against the wall, a small grin forming on his face. He looked oddly satisfied, like someone who just stumbled on a jackpot without even trying.
"Man... I didn't expect to hit the jackpot just by following her out of curiosity. Did you hear all of that? Kushida working with Ryuen, and on top of that... VIP identities? This is some good info."
"Do you trust Kushida's words?"
"If we're being realistic, not really. But if I had to choose, I'd trust Kushida and Ryuen over Kumagawa when it comes to VIP info. From the way she spoke, it felt like she was trying to to make sure Ryuen would keep his end of the deal, which suggests there's at least some truth to what she said. And besides, it's not like we have many options left. Judging by that conversation, it also sounded like Ryuen might know the identities of VIPs from other classes through her." Hashimoto said.
"Hmmm..."
"Also, even if Kumagawa's method turns out to be nonsense, we still got the names of Class C's VIPs. It's not a bad deal either way. We just need to test it and see what's true and what's false."
With the method in hand, and the VIP identities in hand, the next he need to do was just to prove Kumagawa method. Even if it's false, he still got the VIP list.
"You're right..." Katsuragi nodded.
Hashimoto glanced at his phone. The screen showed 7:56 PM.
"Alright, let's gather everyone in about an hour. After that, we'll decide our next move."
"Got it, leave it to me."
Katsuragi didn't show much hesitation. Maybe it was because, at this point, he didn't have much of a choice. With Kushida and Ryuen possibly making their move, waiting around was too risky.
At this point, it was all or nothing.
『END』
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