I came, I saw, I lost! (Classroom of the Elite Fanfiction)

『』『』『』『』『』

It was the third day.

Nothing much happened—except the atmosphere was downright miserable.

The reason? Food. Or rather, the lack of it.

At this point, Class D's diet consisted almost entirely of berries. Tiny, sour, unsatisfying berries. There was no real sustenance, no proper meals, just handfuls of these barely edible things. It was the kind of situation where even a single grain of rice would've felt like a luxury.

Horikita, usually composed, was strangely lethargic. When it was time to eat, she sat quietly, barely touching the meager offering before retreating back to her tent without a word. Even Hirata, the reliable leader type, looked drained. He still did his best to keep morale up, but the lack of food was clearly taking a toll on him.

The only one who seemed completely unaffected was Kumagawa.

『What's wrong, everyone? You're all looking a little blue! Ah, no, wait. Blue is still too strong of a color. You guys are looking gray! Faded, washed out, lifeless! 』

He cheerfully tossed a berry into his mouth, chewing with exaggerated satisfaction.

『Mmm~! Deliiicious! I could eat these forever! 』

His enthusiasm did not help. If anything, it made the atmosphere even worse.

Because of Kouenji's retirement, Class D had lost 30 points.

In the beginning, Hirata had managed to convince everyone to use points to buy food. Even if they spent 100 or more points for the entire week, they'd still have at least 200 points left by the end.

It was a reasonable trade-off—survival was important, after all.

The second day, the class had used even more points to buy toilets, tents for the boys, and other essentials to make the week more manageable. It was a necessary expense, but with the unexpected loss of points, a new problem arose.

Now, everyone was hesitating.

If they kept spending at the same rate, they might end up with less than 150 points—or worse, even lower—by the end of the week.

Hirata sat down next to Ayanokouji, letting out a small sigh.

"This isn't good," he muttered.

Ayanokouji, who had been silently observing the gloomy atmosphere of the camp, glanced at him.

"You mean the food situation?"

"Yeah. Everyone's hungry, but they're afraid to use more points. If this keeps up, people are going to start getting irritated. Tensions will rise, and teamwork will break down." Hirata nodded.

It was a fair concern. Hunger made people irrational. The longer they went without proper food, the harder it would be to function, both mentally and physically.

"I thought about trying to convince everyone to use just a few more points for food," Hirata continued, "but after losing points to Kouenji's retirement, people are on edge. They might not listen to me this time."

Ayanokouji considered his words for a moment before making a suggestion.

"I'll go find food."

Hirata blinked. "Huh?"

"If points are the issue, then we just need to get food without spending any, that's the simplest solution." Ayanokouji said matter-of-factly.

Hirata immediately offered his help, but Ayanokouji shook his head.

"You're needed here. The class is already tense, and if you disappear, it'll only make things worse. Besides, I want to scout the island more while I'm at it."

"...Alright. If you think you can do it, that would really help the class."

Ayanokouji stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants. "I'll see what I can find."

And with that, he left the camp in search of food.

The island had to have more food sources than just berries and fish. While fish were an option, not everyone was capable of catching them. Berries were even worse—nutritionally lacking and potentially poisonous if they weren't careful.

There had to be something else.

Nuts, edible plants, maybe even small animals. If there were monkeys on this island, then there was a chance other wildlife existed too. If he could locate a source of food that wasn't dependent on their limited resources, it would be a huge advantage.

Ayanokouji walked through the path he had taken on the first day of scouting, the same one that had eventually led him to Class A's cave.

It took about twenty minutes to get here. If he remembered correctly, this was also the place where Kouenji had disappeared after leaping through the trees like some kind of jungle animal.

The forest was dense, making it unreliable to rely solely on sight. If one sense failed, then the next best option was to use other senses.

Even someone like Kumagawa understood that simple concept.

Ayanokouji sharpened his focus, engaging all five of his senses as he checked the area thoroughly, careful not to overlook even the slightest detail.

He ventured deeper until he noticed a variety of green leaves sprouting from the bushes. Yellow spots peeked through in patches. It was an unnatural sight in the middle of a dense forest, which immediately made him suspicious.

Curious, he moved in to check.

What he saw was definitely a find.

A cornfield.

He didn't know much about farming, but he knew enough.

Ayanokouji crouched down and touched the soil. It was a different color from the surrounding forest ground, evidence that the corn had been cultivated artificially. The placement was also strange—surrounded by thick bushes and weeds on all sides, making it nearly impossible to notice unless someone came across it by chance.

Hirata would probably be happy about this.

『Oh? Did you find it?』

A sudden voice made Ayanokouji stiffen.

He turned around quickly.

Kumagawa was perched on a tree branch above, looking down at him with his usual carefree smile.

Ayanokouji exhaled slowly. This was probably the tenth time he had been startled by Kumagawa's sudden appearance.

It was disturbing how he couldn't sense his presence at all.

"...How long have you been watching?" he asked.

『From the moment you left? 』

"..."

That meant he had been following him from the very beginning, and Ayanokouji hadn't noticed at all.

"...Why are you here?"

『Because it looked fun? And well, I had a feeling you'd find something interesting. 』

That wasn't an answer, but it also wasn't worth pressing.

Ayanokouji turned back to the cornfield. Now that he had found food, the next issue was how to transport it without making it obvious that Class D had stumbled upon a hidden supply.

If another class discovered this, they would undoubtedly try to claim it for themselves.

That thought occupied his mind, but before he could formulate a plan—

"Wow. Look, Katsuragi-san! There's an incredible amount of food here!"

Ayanokouji turned his head slightly.

Two figures stood at the edge of the field.

Yahiko from Class A.

His reaction was expected. If any class found a hidden food supply like this, excitement would be the natural response. Because of that excitement, however, Yahiko had only just now realized they weren't alone.

"Hey, you're the spy from yesterday!" Yahiko shouted, his voice rising with hostility as he pointed at Ayanokouji.

Beside him, Katsuragi remained calm. Instead of reacting emotionally, he simply observed them with a composed gaze fitting of a Class A student.

After a moment, he spoke.

"My name's Katsuragi, from Class A. He's Yahiko. Since this is the third time we've met, a self-introduction should be fine, yes?"

"I'm Ayanokouji, from Class D."

『Yahoo, Katsuragi-chan.』

Kumagawa waved from his spot in the tree, still lounging on the branch without any intention of coming down.

Even Katsuragi and Yahiko, who had been there the whole time, seemed slightly startled.

'It's not just me, then.'

Ayanokouji had been wondering if something was wrong with his senses, but it seemed they were working just fine. The issue wasn't with him—it was with Kumagawa.

Yahiko, already irritated, clicked his tongue. "And what the hell are you smiling about, Kumagawa!?"

"Calm down." Katsuragi raised a hand.

"...Tch."

With a scowl, Yahiko backed down, but his glare remained fixed on Kumagawa.

Ayanokouji silently observed them. The situation had suddenly become a bit more complicated.

Katsuragi surveyed the cornfield with a careful eye before turning his attention back to Ayanokouji.

"This is quite the find, I assume you were searching for food as well?"

"Something like that." Ayanokouji gave a noncommittal nod.

『He's got a real knack for stumbling onto good things. Isn't that right, Ayanokouji-kun?』

Ayanokouji decided it was wiser not to answer that and ignored Kumagawa's remarks.

Now that Class A had already discovered this place, monopolizing it wasn't going to be easy.

After exchanging a brief greeting, Katsuragi glanced at the large amount of corn.

"You found this. Don't worry, we have no intention of snatching it away from you. But if someone else finds this spot, they'll likely take it away."

'Oh?'

That was an unexpected response coming from Katsuragi. Ayanokouji had assumed Class A would claim ownership immediately, but this was a more diplomatic approach. Even so, there was no guarantee others wouldn't discover this place eventually. One idea was to hide the crops, but that wouldn't eliminate the risk entirely.

Yahiko also looked surprised by Katsuragi's words.

"Katsuragi-san, what are you saying?" he asked, confused.

Katsuragi ignored him and instead made an unexpected offer.

"If you'd like, we can help you carry the corn back."

"We appreciate the offer, but our class told us to be careful. They'll get mad if they find out we relied on Class A for help. I'm sorry, but we have to decline." Ayanokouji shook his head.

It was a lie, but Katsuragi had no reason to push the matter further. He simply nodded in understanding.

With that settled, Ayanokouji grabbed as much corn as he could carry and decided to head back to camp.

As he passed by Kumagawa, he noticed the boy had no intention of leaving.

"...Are you coming?" he asked.

『Nah, I wanna chat with them a little. You go on ahead.』

Ayanokouji gave a small nod, deciding he didn't want to know what would happen next. He would simply report to the others that he had found a cornfield—nothing more, nothing less.

With that, he turned and left, leaving Kumagawa alone with Katsuragi and Yahiko.

Kumagawa watched Ayanokouji disappear into the forest before lazily turning his gaze back to Katsuragi and Yahiko.

『So, Katsuragi-chan, how's life in the big leagues treating you? Must be nice, huh? 』

Katsuragi didn't react to the teasing tone. He remained composed, arms crossed, watching Kumagawa with wary eyes.

"...What do you want?"

『Oh, nothing much. Just making small talk. You know, Class A's supposed to be full of elites, right? But looking at your underlings... well, I gotta say, I expected a little more. 』

"Wha—!? You bastard!!"

Yahiko's face turned red with anger. He took a step forward, fists clenched, but Katsuragi raised a hand, stopping him.

"...Enough."

Yahiko gritted his teeth but obeyed, though his glare at Kumagawa remained intense.

『Huh? You're angry already? Just so you know, I'm against every and any kind of angry and negative behavior. 』

Katsuragi didn't reply immediately, as if analyzing Kumagawa's intentions.

"...Are you finished?"

『Well, since we're just getting started, it definitely wouldn't just end with a pleasant conversation. Unfortunately, that means the road ahead of us is going to be pretty long.』

"Then let's cut to the point. I don't have time for mindless provocations."

『Mindless? How dare you, Katsuragi-chan. You should know that I put a lot of thought into my words.』

Kumagawa placed a hand over his chest dramatically before suddenly shifting the topic.

『Speaking of mindless, how's your relationship with Sakayanagi-chan? Is she okay? I was worried that something might've happened to her.』

At the mention of Sakayanagi, Katsuragi's expression darkened slightly, but he didn't react otherwise.

"...She's fine. Due to her condition, she didn't participate in this special exam."

Katsuragi wasn't sure what Kumagawa was aiming for, but he wasn't going to be baited so easily. Sakayanagi's absence was, in many ways, an advantage for him. Without her constant interference, he had more freedom in managing Class A. He didn't mind it one bit, but he wasn't foolish enough to voice that out loud.

『Ohh, that's a relief. I was thinking maybe she tripped and fell somewhere. She's pretty fragile, after all. 』

"...You know Sakayanagi?"

『Of course. We're childhood friends since the age of two. 』

Katsuragi's brows furrowed slightly.

This was new information. If Kumagawa had a connection to Sakayanagi, it meant he could have some insight into her true nature, something Katsuragi himself had always been wary of. But before he could dig deeper—

『—Ahaha, just kidding. Did you actually believe that? What an idiot. 』

Katsuragi exhaled sharply through his nose. He had almost taken the bait.

Yahiko, on the other hand, was visibly irritated.

"Damn it! Quit messing around already!"

But Kumagawa ignored him, shifting gears once again.

『By the way, Katsuragi-chan, what do you think of Ryuuen-chan? 』

Katsuragi's gaze sharpened slightly.

"...Ryuuen?"

『Yeah, you know, the tyrant of Class C. The guy who walks around like he owns the place. The sewer rat. What's your take on him?』

"I don't concern myself with him. His methods are crude, but they seem to be effective. If anything, he's a nuisance, but not someone worth worrying over." Katsuragi folded his arms.

『I see, I see. So basically, you're saying he's nothing more than an annoying fly buzzing around Class A's picnic. 』 Kumagawa nodded as if he were deeply impressed.

"That's not what I said."

『It's what you meant, though. 』

Katsuragi sighed. He was beginning to see why people called Kumagawa a lunatic. The conversation had no structure, one moment it was about Sakayanagi, the next it was about Ryuuen. There was no clear direction, it was completely different from the discussions he was used to.

『Well, I personally think Ryuuen-chan is a moron. Oh, don't get me wrong, I respect the effort. He really tries his best to be a villain, you know? But at the end of the day, he's just a kid playing pretend.』

Katsuragi remained silent, unsure of whether it was worth arguing.

Then, Kumagawa suddenly grinned. 『Say, Katsuragi-chan. Do you wanna know who's the leader of Class C is? 』

That caught his attention.

"...Go on."

Kumagawa's smile widened.

『』『』『』『』『』

On the fourth day, Class D reached a turning point.

The shouting and complaining died down, replaced by the sound of laughter. Along with the corn Ayanokouji found, Ike and the others had managed to catch some fish.

There was no more resistance to drinking river water, either. Thanks to the corn Ayanokouji had found, they were saving more points than expected. The mood had improved, and it finally felt like they were making it through this test.

So far, they'd spent a total of about 110 points, excluding setbacks like Kouenji's retirement. If things continued at this pace, they might actually finish the test with a decent number of points left.

Hirata, seeing the positive shift, looked relieved. Even Horikita, who had been strangely quiet since the beginning, seemed slightly less tense.

Meanwhile, Kumagawa had just woken up.

Lazing around on a tree branch, he casually ate berries like they were chips. Using a mix of bushes and whatever else he could find, he had somehow created a makeshift mattress. Crude as it was, it was enough for him to lounge comfortably.

Hirata approached, carrying a simple breakfast.

"You should eat something proper," he said, handing it over.

Kumagawa glanced at him, then took the food without complaint. Hirata was probably the only person who willingly spoke to him without ulterior motives.

『By the way, where's Ayanokouji-kun? 』

"Oh, he went to explore more of the island. He said he wanted to make a map." Hirata pointed in a certain direction.

Kumagawa stopped chewing.

『Isn't that...』

He trailed off, then quickly finished his food.

"Where are you going?" Hirata tilted his head.

Kumagawa didn't answer. He simply dusted off his hands, stretched, and hopped down from his perch.

Without hesitation, he walked into the forest, heading in the direction Hirata had pointed to.

From the ship, if you looked closely at the island, you could get a rough idea of its shape. Keeping that in mind, Kumagawa continued forward.

The ground beneath him showed signs of being trodden on by multiple people. He followed the faint path through the trees, weaving his way toward higher ground.

Then, he saw it—a tower.

『Hoo... So that's how it is.』

It was probably one of the designated spots for the special exam. A strategic location with a wide view of the surroundings.

Kumagawa climbed further, drawing closer to the tower. As he approached, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Ayanokouji was there.

And he was being groped by two male students.

Kumagawa approached them casually, hands in his pockets, as if he had just stumbled upon an everyday scene.

『Ayanokouji-kun. I didn't know you were this popular. I leave you alone for a bit, and you're already making new friends. 』

The two male students turned toward him. They looked irritated, clearly not expecting an interruption.

Ayanokouji, on the other hand, remained calm.

"Kumagawa."

『So, who's your new friend? 』

"Does this look like a friend to you?"

『I mean, you do look like you got molested. Seems like they really put you through the wringer. 』

"..."

Ayanokouji didn't know how to respond to that kind of wild remark. Even the two people who were, in fact, groping him were also stunned.

"...Hah?"

One of them, an older-looking guy gritted his teeth, releases his grip on Ayanokouji.

"What are you doing here? This place is being used by Class A."

He pointed at Kumagawa, almost as if trying to shoo him away.

『Class A? Never heard of such a class. But if you mean the class that got two of their students expelled, then I probably heard of it.』

Ayanokouji let out a quiet sigh. He genuinely wanted to learn how to be thoroughly annoying like Kumagawa, but he realized that it was impossible for him.

"The hell did you just say?!"

『Oh? Did I say something weird? My bad, my bad. I'm a little slow sometimes. 』

One of the two students clicked his tongue and pulled something from his pocket. With a casual flick, he tossed a ballpoint pen near Ayanokouji's feet while pocketing a small piece of paper.

Ayanokouji's hand-drawn map.

They had already swiped it.

They were pretty heated up just from Kumagawa's short provocation. Although it was brief, it was definitely not insignificant.

"There's one more thing I need to talk to you about. If you tell us the identity of your leader, we're prepared to offer a generous reward. 100,000 or 200,000 points." The older student's tone shifted, becoming smoother and more businesslike.

"You're asking me to sell out my class for money?"

"You're free to interpret my statements however you wish, but I've made the same offer to other people. This offer is first-come, first-serve. You're better off coming forward and telling me right away."

Because of Class D's situation, that offer was definitely enticing. Class A's strategy essentially had no risks. It was a simple method, one that could be implemented as long as you had an abundance of funds.

Of course, Ayanokouji would refuse. Although the possibility of it working was low, he couldn't dismiss the chance that some students might be dazzled by the money and sell out their friends.

But was there really anyone who would accept such an ambiguous offer?

『200,000 points? 』

Ayanokouji turned toward Kumagawa.

He realized the flaw in his thinking.

Kumagawa was unpredictable. Unlike others, he didn't have an obvious sense of loyalty or pride. In fact, he was the most shameless person Ayanokouji had ever had the misfortune of knowing. If someone was actually capable of selling out Class D for such a price, it would be him.

Although he had only known him for a short three months, he already understood that Kumagawa was the type of person who would trade another person's life for a Weekly Shōnen Jump without a second thought.

『200,000 points, huh... That's quite a lot. I mean, that's enough to live easy for a while. Buy whatever you want, eat whatever you want... 』

Ayanokouji narrowed his eyes.

'He's genuinely considering it?'

He had no way of knowing if Kumagawa was serious or not. If he was, it would be a devastating blow to Class D.

"Oh? Looks like we finally found someone with a brain. Well? If you're interested, we can negotiate. There's no need to rush, but if someone else gives us the information first, the deal's off."

『Hmm... But, you see, I have one tiny, itsy-bitsy little problem with this deal. How do I know you'll actually pay? 』

"If necessary, we wouldn't mind writing a memorandum."

In other words, they intended to sign a contract now and transfer private points after the test.

Ayanokouji glanced at Kumagawa, who was now wearing an unnecessarily serious expression.

Kumagawa suddenly turned toward him.

『Ayanokouji-kun, what do you think? Would you sell me out for 200,000 points?』

"...I'd rather not."

『There you have it. What kind of human would I be if even someone with no morals hesitates?』

"..."

Ayanokouji's expression twitched.

'Did he just call me someone without morals?'

Ayanokouji was mildly irritated by that remark.

It was like being called lazy by someone who never got out of bed. If Ayanokouji had no morals, then Kumagawa was a black hole—an existence so detached from ethical constraints that the concept itself collapsed in on itself just by being near him.

"...Tch. Annoying bastard."

One of the students spat on the ground.

"Fine. Do whatever you want. But if you come back crying when you need points, don't expect us to be generous."

They turned away, clearly done with the conversation.

As the two students walked away, Ayanokouji glanced at Kumagawa.

Was he really considering selling out the leader for a mere 200,000 points?

Given his usual attitude, it was hard to tell whether he was joking or not. But if it was anyone else, Ayanokouji wouldn't have even entertained the thought. The problem was, Kumagawa was entirely unpredictable.

『Hmm... Well, it's not like I wouldn't do it. I mean, it's just a name, right? I could just say it and get free points. Sounds like a win-win to me. 』

Ayanokouji paused, trying to process what he just heard.

'...Wait. He's serious?'

That level of shamelessness was so ridiculous that it left him momentarily speechless.

『』『』『』『』『』

『Where are we going now? 』

"I want to check on Class C's base."

『Okay then, lead the way. 』

"....."

Ayanokouji frowned. Something felt off.

Kumagawa... listening to someone else's instructions? Following without any complaints or schemes? It was so out of character that Ayanokouji found himself instinctively wary.

"...Do you have some kind of ulterior motive?"

『Nope. 』

Ayanokouji narrowed his eyes. "Then why are you following me?"

『Because I want to. 』

Ayanokouji stared at him in silence, waiting for the real answer.

But Kumagawa simply smiled.

"...I don't believe you one bit."

Ayanokouji kept walking, but his pace slowed slightly, as if expecting some kind of trick.

Kumagawa, on the other hand, was unusually quiet. He wasn't skipping around or spouting nonsense—he was just walking beside Ayanokouji

It was unsettling.

Ayanokouji stole a glance at him again.

"...You're really not planning anything weird, are you?"

『Eh? I feel kind of hurt, Ayanokouji-kun. What kind of person do you take me for? 』

"Untrustworthy person.

『Huh. Can't argue with that.』

Ayanokouji sighed.

This was probably fine.

Probably.

It took about fifteen minutes to walk from the tower to the beach where Class C had set up their base. Yesterday, this place had been filled with raucous noise. Now, it was a ghost town.

The beach was completely deserted. Not a single Class C student in sight.

"...He really went all in, huh?"

Ayanokouji and Kumagawa turned at the sound of an approaching voice.

"Oh wow, this is seriously a surprise! I knew he wasn't normal, but I didn't realize to what extent."

Two people walked toward them. One of them was a familiar face.

"Did you come here to spy around too, Ayanokouji-kun? Kumagawa-kun?"

Kumagawa lazily lifted a hand in greeting.

『Hello, Ichinose-chan. And... who are you?』

He shifted his attention to the boy beside her. Though he had seen him occasionally, this was the first time they had met face to face.

"Ah, we still haven't introduced ourselves, right? My name is Kanzaki Ryuji, from Class B. Nice to meet you, Kumagawa."

The boy with violet-bluish hair introduced himself with a polite smile.

Kumagawa, however, tilted his head.

『Nice to meet me? How did you know my name?』

Ayanokouji gave him a sidelong glance. He was clearly joking around. There was no way Kumagawa didn't know his own reputation.

『Ahaha, I'm just kidding. Of course, I know how famous I am. 』

"You mean infamous." Ayanokouji quickly corrected.

『Hooo? What is this? Did Ayanokouji-kun learn how to joke now? What a smart boy you are.』

Ayanokouji narrowed his eyes slightly.

He wasn't sure what was more irritating—the fact that Kumagawa constantly ran his mouth, or the fact that he did it with such a straight face.

Still, as a mature high school student, Ayanokouji wasn't supposed to be baited by such shameless remarks.

...But he was definitely feeling something close to regret for not leaving Kumagawa at the tower.

Kanzaki observed their interaction with mild curiosity.

"You two seem pretty close," he remarked.

Ichinose quickly nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, yeah! You guys totally have that best friends vibe! Like, you know each other's quirks and just roll with it."

Ayanokouji immediately denied it, and at the exact same time, Kumagawa nodded.

"We're not close." 『We're not close at all. 』

"Eh?

Kanzaki blink in confusion. Even Ichinose tilted her head.

『I mean, I call a lot of people my friends, but Ayanokouji-kun? No way. He doesn't even have a shred of trust in me. Isn't that right? 』

Ayanokouji didn't deny it.

Kanzaki and Ichinose exchanged glances.

"...That sounds kind of sad," Ichinose muttered.

『Not at all! We have a wonderful relationship built on mutual distrust. Right, Ayanokouji-kun?』

Ayanokouji decided not to dignify that with a response.

Ichinose laughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject. She turned her attention toward the beach.

"Oh wow, there's no one around anymore. It's just like you said, Kanzaki-kun. Seems like their strategy was to retire."

She scratched her cheek, sighing in disappointment.

"We thought we could at least find out who Class C's leader was. Was it pointless, though? If they've all withdrawn, we won't be able to find any hints."

Ichinose nodded slightly. "Didn't Class C already use up all of their points? Even if we found out who their leader is, doesn't that mean they won't get a penalty?"

"They said that we wouldn't see any negative effects during the second semester, so our points shouldn't be able to go below zero."

Ichinose pursed her lips, looking bored. All they could see in the former campsite was a big empty space. The only thing left was the tent the school had provided.

『So Class C just abandoned the exam, huh? Man, I wish Class D did that too. It'd be great to laze around for a whole week. 』

Ayanokouji glanced at Kumagawa. "You've already been lazing around."

『That's true. But if the whole class gave up, I wouldn't even have to pretend to care. 』

"..."

『How unfortunate. My ideals will never be understood. 』

Ichinose and Kanzaki both looked sad as they gazed upon the uninhabited beach.

"So, trying to find out who their leader is will be incredibly difficult. It's just impossible. Impossible!" Ichinose threw her hands up in frustration.

Kumagawa watched her for a moment before speaking.

『So, Ichinose-chan. Did you figure it out already?』

The moment he said that, all three of them turned to look at him.

They understood what he was implying.

Ayanokouji was there when that moment happened, and Ichinose had probably told Kanzaki about it. From what Ayanokouji had observed, Kanzaki acted almost like her right-hand man.

Ichinose's expression became more serious.

"Kumagawa-kun... You mean back then, right?"

『Yep. Back then. Are you going to play with your classmates' comfort in exchange? Or do you still want to hold onto that naïve thinking that it will make everyone happy instead? You are the class leader, Ichinose-chan. So what choice did you make? 』

Ichinose exhaled softly, steadying herself. The grip on her sleeve tightened for just a moment.

"...What do you want me to say, Kumagawa-kun?"

『Huh? 』

"You're asking me if I figured it out. If I've made my choice. But what kind of answer are you looking for?"

『I'm just curious if you're still playing pretend, or if you've finally realized what it means to be a leader. 』 Kumagawa tilted his head, pretending to think.

Ichinose exhaled through her nose.

"And what do you think it means?"

Kumagawa waved his hand dismissively.

『Oh, you shouldn't ask me that. You really, really shouldn't. I'd be the worst and most extreme example of bad leadership. The last time I took the mantle of a leader, I shut down my old school in a month, and the next school I went to, I almost destroyed it. But thankfully, at that time, there was this perfect, protagonist-like woman who managed to stop me, so it's all good.』

'Perfect?'

Ayanokouji was interestied by what Kumagawa mean perfect woman, and briefly considered asking if that was true. Then he remembered who he was talking to and decided against it.

Kanzaki frowned slightly. "You're exaggerating, right?"

『Nope. Not one bit. If anything, I'm underselling it. 』

Kumagawa watched her for a moment before sighing dramatically.

『Well, if you don't have an answer, that's fine. It's not like this test is over yet. You've still got time, right? 』

Her fingers curled slightly.

Ichinose stared at him for a moment before finally relaxing. She let out a small laugh, shaking her head.

"You really are strange, Kumagawa-kun."

『I was just trying to help. But hey, don't think too hard about it. Sometimes, if you wait long enough, things just work themselves out. 』

Ichinose studied him for a moment. Then, with a small sigh, she shook her head.

"...I'll figure it out."

It wasn't a solid declaration, nor was it confidence.

But it was something.

Ayanokouji observed the conversation. Thankfully, Horikita wasn't here, since, by the looks of it, Ichinose seemed troubled by the issue. But the problem Kumagawa raised was, in fact, a solid one.

Even though an alliance might seem beneficial, it was possible that it only truly benefited Class D. So it was reasonable for Ichinose to doubt herself.

Still, the way Kumagawa brought it up was concerning. But for now, Ayanokouji decided not to involve himself too much—he wanted to avoid any unnecessary attention.

"I just happened to hear a little bit about this, but do Katsuragi and Sakayanagi in Class A have opposing groups?"

Ayanokouji shifted the topic, directing his question toward Ichinose.

"It's said they really don't get along. It seems like they've quarreled pretty intensely. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing. Horikita just gave me an order. She said if I had time, I should go and find out something. Besides, on the ship, I noticed that Katsuragi doesn't seem to have a high opinion of Sakayanagi."

『Eh? You don't know about that, Ayanokouji-kun?』

"Know what?" Ayanokouji narrowed his eyes.

『Well then, let me enlighten you, my poor lamb. 』

Ayanokouji tightened his grip. Kumagawa's expression right now was really annoying. And the way he said it—like he was talking to some clueless fool—only made it worse.

"Elaborate."

『No 'please'?'』

"...Please."

Ayanokouji's grip on his hand tightened to the point where veins were visible.

Ichinose laughed awkwardly, and Kanzaki just shook his head.

『Good. Now let me explain it in a way that even an idiot can understand.』

"..."

『Katsuragi and Sakayanagi are like oil and water. Those two are complete opposites. Even their bath schedules would probably be different.』

Ayanokouji ignored the last part.

"Complete opposites?"

『Liberal and conservative? Offense and defense? Persecute and protect? Those kinds of things. 』

Ichinose nodded. "Well... that's not wrong. Katsuragi-kun values order and fairness, while Sakayanagi-san is more... cunning, I guess? She's the type to use any means necessary."

『See? Told you. Even their taste in tea is probably different.』

"...That's irrelevant."

『Oh? So now you suddenly care about what's relevant?』

Ayanokouji exhaled slowly, ignoring the urge to respond.

"It's true that Class A is split, but they're still Class A. It's not like they're openly fighting each other. Sakayanagi has her own faction, but Katsuragi still has influence."

Kanzaki crossed his arms.

He then checked his wristwatch to confirm the time, and then suggested to Ichinose that they head back.

"It's about time for me to look for food. They'll be angry if I return empty-handed."

"Well, let's both be careful not to get hurt. Please don't do anything reckless."

With that, they parted ways.

『END』

『』『』『』『』『』

Oh, also, try to read the author's thoughts.