"Hmm?"
Ryuuen stood up and walked toward Hikigaya. He studied the guy in front of him, eyes narrowing as he placed a hand on the table.
"For someone as underhanded as you, it's not surprising that you'd come up with such a method. But why would you help Class D? Could it be that you're captivated by that chime?"
His words carried a teasing tone.
"If Ichinose finds out, I wonder if she'll forgive you?"
Hikigaya frowned slightly, glancing at Horikita Suzune.
There was nothing to fear.
After all, he had already confessed everything to Ichinose. Every move he made had her consent.
The only issue was whether the other classes had figured out that Class B and Class D were working together. If that information reached Ryuuen, it could cause problems. It was best to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"Who would even like a self-righteous woman like that?" Hikigaya rolled his eyes. "I'm just selling my intelligence. Besides, when Class D rises, shouldn't Class C be the most concerned?"
"I see."
Ryuuen tapped his fingertips on the table, smirking. "So, you mean it doesn't matter even if Ichinose knows what you did? Or rather, she already knows?"
Before Hikigaya could answer, Ryuuen nodded as if he had figured it out himself.
"Yeah, I suppose a goody-two-shoes like Ichinose wouldn't mind. She might even approve of it."
He stepped closer, his smile deepening.
"So, don't you usually charge for your services? Are you interested in working for me?"
"Sure."
Hikigaya nodded without hesitation. "As long as it doesn't interfere with Class B's interests and the price is right, you can come to me anytime."
Of course, he was lying.
His willingness to help Horikita Suzune was based on two reasons.
First, Ichinose had already decided on an alliance between Class B and Class D. Any exchange of favors with Horikita fell under that arrangement.
Second, while he was always looking to save points, he had to operate within the rules set by his leader. He would never betray Class B or leak any crucial information.
As for Ryuuen, dealing with him was just a temporary measure. When the time came, he'd find an excuse to refuse any requests.
If Ichinose ever decided to work with Ryuuen, Hikigaya would simply make sure to profit from it.
It didn't matter who the opponent was—Horikita, Katsuragi, or even Ryuuen himself.
He was just a minor player, someone who used his wits to gain small advantages. But he had a bottom line. Cross it, and he'd be discarded like an expendable employee.
"Hmm."
Seeing Hikigaya's straightforwardness, Ryuuen lost interest. He furrowed his brows, lost in thought.
After a long silence, he walked to Horikita Suzune's table, sat down, and chuckled.
"I didn't expect this."
"Why?" Horikita asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you disappointed?"
"Yeah, really disappointed."
Ryuuen leaned back in his chair, raising his right hand like a king surveying his kingdom.
"I thought none of you—Ichinose, Katsuragi, Hikigaya—could match me. Beating you should be easy."
His lips curled.
"I was actually hoping there'd be someone in Class D who shared my way of thinking. Someone who could be a real opponent."
Hikigaya glanced at Ryuuen, unimpressed.
He wasn't bothered by the arrogance—after all, Ryuuen was always like this.
But still… was this guy a battle junkie?
He actually wanted someone to challenge him?
It reminded Hikigaya of those middle school delinquents who looked forward to getting punched.
Honestly, Ryuuen wasn't that much better than Horikita, who had the same irritating overconfidence.
"Hah."
Horikita sneered. "With your stellar performance in the uninhabited island exam, coming in last place was definitely no accident."
Ryuuen wasn't fazed. He chuckled.
"No need to mock me. You'll see soon enough what the difference in strength really is. But there's something else that's been bothering me."
He tapped his fingers against the table.
"Class A's score was 140. That means two classes correctly guessed their leader. If we rule out Ichinose, since she wouldn't go for that, then it's down to me… and Class D."
Hikigaya listened carefully.
It was an easy conclusion to reach.
Class D's camp had obviously stocked up on tents and toilets. Their high score—over 200—meant they had successfully guessed two leaders.
"But here's the problem," Ryuuen continued, smirking. "According to Ibuki, you spent most of your time at the camp instead of scouting. How did you manage to figure out the leaders of two classes so quickly?"
Horikita remained unfazed.
"Oh? And here I thought you believed women couldn't outplay you."
"Hah, you got me."
Ryuuen grinned. "I never expected you to figure it out. I'll admit, I was surprised. And Katsuragi isn't the type to let his defenses slip so easily."
He leaned forward, his eyes glinting.
"That means there must be someone else behind you."
Without warning, he raised his phone and snapped a picture of Horikita.
"What the hell?" she scowled.
"Relax. Consider it a fair trade—I'll give you some advice."
Ryuuen pocketed his phone and smirked.
"This is a game, Suzune. Go back and tell your little mastermind… I'll find them soon enough."
With that, he turned and left.
Hikigaya remained seated, watching Ryuuen go.
It was a reasonable assumption.
Horikita, with her prideful nature, wouldn't normally take risks unless she was sure. And Hirata, the model student, likely wouldn't guess unless he had strong evidence.
Even Kushida, despite her manipulative side, wouldn't gamble her reputation on uncertain information.
That meant someone else was calling the shots in Class D.
Hikigaya's gaze drifted to Ayanokouji.
There was something off about that guy.
He didn't stand out much, but… if there was a hidden mastermind, Ayanokouji seemed the most suspicious.
"It's time for you to leave," Horikita said, clearly dismissing him.
"Yeah, yeah."
Hikigaya stood up and left.
Honestly, it didn't concern him too much.
The gap between Class D and Class B was still massive. Ichinose was only cooperating with Class D for now.
He simply forwarded his suspicions about Ryuuen and Ayanokouji to Ichinose.
Within minutes, she replied:
Ichinose Honami: I see. Ayanokouji and I are both in the Rabbit Group, so I'll keep an eye on him. But no matter who's behind Horikita, Class B is still the strongest!
Hikigaya sighed.
Yeah. He saw this coming.
Everyone—Ichinose, Horikita, Ryuuen—was convinced they were the strongest.
Even people he hadn't met, like Sakayanagi and Katsuragi, probably thought the same way.
It must be a required trait to be a leader.
Hikigaya, on the other hand, had no such ambitions.
Leading a class to victory? Yeah, no thanks.
He'd rather just keep his head down, do his part, and not be a burden.
That was his limit.
Still…
Ichinose wasn't wrong.
Even if Ayanokouji was hiding his true abilities, he was still just a student.
And Honami Ichinose had something that set her apart from the others—her charisma.
Hikigaya couldn't see what made Ryuuen, Katsuragi, or Horikita superior to her. If anything, they were far inferior.
For most students, it was better to follow someone like Ichinose than a tyrant like Ryuuen.
Yeah. Being in Class B wasn't so bad.
He just had to survive until the end.
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