Classroom of the Elite: The 100 Elites Who Really, Really Love Him

by legalinmybooks

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka has been cursed (blessed) by The God of Love who accidentally linked Ayanokouji and 100 different girls/women. They are to become soulmates bounded by love and fate. If their relationship with Ayanokouji fails, the girls are fated to die in an accident. It's a matter of life or death. Will Ayanokouji survive ANHS with 100 potential soulmates waiting for him? Wil

23. Chapter 22: Ending the Cycle of Violence

"Wow! The school is really crazy!" exclaimed Azuma, putting down her phone.

"Another special exam, huh?" replied Ayanokouji, curious on what the school had in mind.

"What's your time, Ayanokouji-kun?"

"18:00 in Room 204. What about you?"

"18:30 in Room 212."

"It seems that everyone has a different time and room."

"Yeah. I wonder what the school is thinking. I was so done with special exams and now there's another one. What a terrible start to a summer vacation!"

Ayanokouji's phone buzzed and he picked it up and found a message from Horikita.

Horikita: Did you get a message from the school just now?

Ayanokouji: Yeah. I did. My designated meeting time is 18:00. What about yours?

Horikita: Mine says 20:40. That seems like a pretty big difference.

Ayanokouji: Hang on. I'm getting a few messages from Kushida and a few others. They all have different times and rooms.

Horikita: There are several things that I'm still curious about. We'll just have to show up to the meeting spot. Because your time is earlier, I look forward to hearing your report.

Ayanokouji: Understood.

After Ayanokouji sent that short reply, Horikita stopped responding and he placed his phone back into his pocket.

"Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Azuma, puzzled by his lack of response.

"I was just chatting with Horikita. Apparently, everyone has different times for their meetings." replied Ayanokouji.

"Hmm... Well, you have a bit of time before you go."

"Yeah. Let's finish up breakfast before we go on our little date."

Azuma blushed and nodded as the duo enjoyed the remainder of their breakfast together.

*Timeskip (few hours later)*

Ayanokouji walked to the second deck, just as the message had instructed. He noticed several students from different classes on the same floor and entering other rooms. Ayanokouji stopped in front of his room and wondered if he should wait or knock on the door. After a brief moment, he knocked on the door and a reply came immediately.

"Enter." said a voice. Ayanokouji stepped into the room and found Mashima-sensei sitting at a table. Two of Ayanokouji's classmates were sitting at the table and nodded at Ayanokouji.

"So, one of the remaining two spots belongs to Ayanokouji-dono, I see! Most agreeable!" said Sotomura.

"This is rather odd, isn't it? Ayanokouji?" said Yukimura.

"What are you doing? Hurry and take a seat." said Mashima-sensei. Ayanokouji silently took a seat next to Sotomura and there was one vacant seat beside him. Ayanokouji assumed that everyone was put into groups of one teacher and four students. Ayanokouji was secretly glad that it wasn't Hoshinomiya-sensei.

"We are still waiting on one more. Please sit quietly." said Mashima-sensei. Ayanokouji noticed that there were some papers on the desk. After a few minutes of silence, Mashima-sensei glanced at the clock and suddenly, someone knocked at the door. Mashima-sensei told that
person to enter, and the door slowly opened.

"Pardon the intrusion!" said Karuizawa. She frowned and looked over at Sotomura and Yukimura, but she nodded at Ayanokouji. Karuizawa is more comfortable around Ayanokouji since he's hung out with her and her group of friends a few times.

"Huh? What's going on? Why are Yukimura-kun and Sotomura-kun?" asked Karuizawa.

"I believe you were told punctuality was key, and yet you're late. Hurry and take your seat." said Mashima-sensei.

"Okay."

Karuizawa's response indicated that she wasn't thrilled to be here and didn't much care what the teacher thought. She sat down next to Ayanokouji and made sure that he was in the way blocking Yukimura and Sotomura from her.

"Sotomura, Yukimura, Ayanokouji, and Karuizawa, from Class D. Without further ado, I will now explain the special test. In this special test, all the first-year students will be divided into
twelve groups based on the signs of the Zodiac. Everyone will participate within their respective group. The purpose of this examination is to test your thinking." said Mashima-sensei.

"What do you mean by 'test our thinking'?" asked Karuizawa.

"This will be my only warning: I will not be answering any questions."

After Mashima-sensei's warning, Karuizawa seemed to feel the gravity of the situation. Although she looked blatantly unhappy, she shut her mouth and listened.

"Society needs three fundamental qualities in order to progress: action, thinking, and teamwork. Those with the necessary qualities will become wonderful adults. The previous exam on the uninhabited island focused heavily on testing your teamwork. However, we shall now test your thinking in four ways: your ability to thoroughly process information, which is an essential component of this test. Your ability to analyze your current situation and clarify the task at hand. The ability to solve the problem after you've clarified the process and identified the task. The ability to utilize your imagination, and the ability to create new values. Those are the qualities
you'll need it." said Mashima-sensei, giving an explanation on the new exam, but he hasn't explained the exam details.

"As I've said, in this test we have divided you all into twelve groups. Are there any questions thus far?" said Mashima-sensei.

"I don't get what any of this means. Can you explain it in a way that's easier to understand? I mean, okay, I understand that we're being divided into twelve groups, but why am I together with these guys? What about Hirata-kun? Or the other girls? And I still don't get what we're doing. Tell e on, please?" said Karuizawa.

"First of all, everyone is equally separated and it's random. Sometimes you don't have the choice to choose your own group and people that you have to work with. That's how society works."

"Tch..."

"You four gathered here will be in the same group. At this very moment, students in other rooms are receiving the same explanation you are."

"If that's true, then wouldn't it be way faster and easier if you just gathered all of our classmates together in one place and explained? Also, what's the reason for putting me with these two? Why? These guys gross me out. Why am I on a team together with boys? Honestly, I hate it...though being with Hirata-kun would be fine. At least Ayanokouji-kun is okay unlike these two."

Karuizawa continued blabbing and glanced over at Yukimura and Sotomura with a disgusted look until Yukimura finally seemed to lose patience.

"How about you shut up and try listening? The test is probably going to start soon. If they dock our points because you keep blabbing, are you gonna take responsibility? Even back on the deserted island, you dragged us all down. Can you try not to cause any more problems?" snapped Yukimura.

"Huh? When and how exactly did I cause problems? You're pissing me off." growled Karuizawa, glaring at him.

"Calm down, you two. Yukimura, your concerns are groundless. The test hasn't yet begun, so you won't be affected. Besides, your attitude has no bearing on this test." said Mashima-sensei.

"See? Now you get it, right?" said Karuizawa, looking smugly at Yukimura. Yukimura glared in
frustration.

"Karuizawa, if you don't change your attitude toward the teachers, it might leave a mark on your permanent record. That wouldn't be good, right?" said Ayanokouji, speaking up.

"Hmph."

Yukimura snorted derisively, mocking Karuizawa without saying a word. Mashima-sensei seemed to develop a headache while watching a fight that would be more appropriate between elementary school students. He lightly tapped his finger to his forehead.

"Listen. Your group assignments are a done deal. You cannot change them. To gain a good result on the test, you must get along." said Mashima-sensei.

"Ugh. Well, at any rate, I'll just report it to Hirata-kun later." grumbled Karuizawa, letting out a frustrated sigh, then averted her eyes again.

"Now that you all are done arguing. I will continue with my explanation. The groups don't consist of members from just one class; they are made up of about three to five individuals collected from each class. If we didn't explain things in advance, we would run the risk of confusion." said Mashima-sensei.

"W-wait a minute. What do you mean? I still don't get it at all. We're going to be grouped with students from other classes? Isn't that crazy, though? Aren't the other classes supposed to be the enemy?" said Karuizawa, stunned.

"That's right, Sensei. We've been competing against the other classes up until now. Now we're supposed to ignore all of that and just suddenly team up with them?" protested Yukimura.

"You've been competing until now? Your school lives have only just begun. You shouldn't run around like a chicken with its head cut off this early, Yukimura." said Mashima-sensei. Yukimura fell into silence before Mashima-sensei continued.

"Right now, you shouldn't spend your energy on trying to understand this test. Rather, focus on how to think. Your group assignment is 'Rabbit'. Here is a list of the members. You will be required to return this list when you leave the room. If you feel it's necessary, I would recommend trying to memorize it now." said Mashima-sensei. He passed over a postcard-sized piece of paper. On it were listed fourteen names of people in the group.

CLASS A: Takemoto Shigeru, Machida Kouji, Morishige Takurou
CLASS B: Ichinose Honami, Hamaguchi Tetsuya, Beppu Ryouta
CLASS C: Ibuki Mio, Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, Yamashita Saki
CLASS D: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Karuizawa Kei, Sotomura Hideo, Yukimura Teruhiko

Ayanokouji knew some of the students on the list and most of them are the girls of the group. He wondered how Ibuki would react from being placed in the same group as him after the whole elevator situation.

"Don't worry. I will answer any questions you have. I believe you will be able to understand everything afterward." said Mashima-sensei. "The point of this test is to ignore the prior fraught relationships between Classes A through D. If you do, you'll have a shortcut."

"Ignore the fraught relationships? What do you mean?" asked Karuizawa.

"Karuizawa, please. I'm begging you, shut up and listen. I can't concentrate when you prattle on." begged Yukimura, completely exasperated.

"From this point on, you are no longer acting as members of Class D, but rather as members of the Rabbit group. Whether you pass or fail this test depends on each group." said Mashima-sensei. "There are four possible outcomes that can be achieved in this special test. No exceptions. We have also prepared handouts with the grade items so that you may better understand them. However, you are prohibited from taking these handouts, taking photographs of them, or anything or the sort. You should verify the contents here and now."

There were some sheets of paper that were placed in front of the students and everyone picked it up and looked at the contents which contained the rules of the special exam.

AN EXPLANATION OF THE SUMMER GROUP SPECIAL EXAMINATION

-This assignment centers on a "VIP" assigned to each group. By providing answers to the school via a defined method, you will earn one of four outcomes.

-At 8:00 a.m. on the first day of the test, each student will simultaneously receive a message informing you that we have chosen someone to be the "VIP" in your group.

-The test begins tomorrow and ends at 9:00 p.m. on the fourth day. (You are completely free to do as you wish for the first day.) Each group should gather twice during the day at a predetermined time in a predetermined room to talk for one hour, so that they may discuss matters with only their group.

-The contents of each group's discussion shall be left to the discretion of the group itself.

-After the test has concluded, the school will only accept answers during the period between 9:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on that final night. During that time, each group must submit their answer regarding who they think the "VIP" is. Each individual may only submit an answer once, but only the first answer received from any member of a group will decide the test result for
that group.

-Answers must be sent only to an email address that we shall provide to each group, and only by using your mobile devices.

-The twelve VIPs cannot submit answers.

-You may only submit an answer for the group to which you are assigned.

-Test results will be sent to all students via email at 11:00 p.m. on the final day.

Ayanokouji went over to the next page and found a list of fundamental rules written on the paper with more detailed descriptions of the rules and a list of prohibited items were also on the sheet, among other things. He noticed that the terms were stricter than the rules for the test on the uninhabited island, with many more precautions. The thing that caught his eyes are the outcomes of the exam.

OUTCOME #1: If the answer submitted by the group after 9:30 p.m. on the final day is correct, then everyone in the group will receive private points, including those of the VIP's classmates who belong to the group.

OUTCOME #2: If a group fails to submit an answer between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. on the final day, or if someone from the group other than the VIP and their classmates submits an incorrect answer, then the VIP will be awarded 500,000 private points.

"This exam has one critical element. Understand it, and this test will not pose a problem. The key element is the existence of the VIP. There is only one VIP in the group. In this test, you're after the name of the VIP. It's that simple. For example, Yukimura, let's say that you were chosen as VIP. The correct answer for the Rabbit group would be 'Yukimura.' That answer would be shared with all members of your group. Then, after the test concludes at 9:00 p.m. at the end of the third day, the school would accept answer submissions only between 9:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. During that time, each member of your group should enter the name 'Yukimura' in a message
and email it to the school. Your group would pass, and we would confirm that you've met Outcome #1, and thus every member of your group would be awarded 500,000 points. In addition, as a reward for leading their group to achieving Outcome #1, the VIP would receive double that amount— 1,000,000 points." said Mashima-sensei, explaining the first outcome when he noticed that Karuizawa's eyes lit up when she saw the huge amount of points.

"O-one million?! Whoa." muttered Karuizawa.

"Wait, everyone receives 500,000 points? And if you're the VIP, you get double?" said Yukimura, stroking his chin.

"Now then, as for Outcome #2... In the event that the VIP's identity is not discovered before the end of the examination, and no one in your group found out the identity of the VIP or some even attempted to lie about the identity, then only the VIP will be awarded points, just as it says. He or she will receive 500,000 points." said Mashima-sensei.

"Jeez, everyone's gonna be jealous of the VIP! Not being picked for it would be unfair! No matter what happens, that person still gets points! And if we get Outcome #1, it's a million points!" said Karuizawa, happily.

"Sensei, what about Outcomes #3 and #4? We don't understand the conditions for those yet." said Yukimura.

"Did you understand the explanation for the first two? If you do not, then we cannot continue." said Mashima-sensei.

"Of course, we understand. Please continue."

"Regarding the remaining outcomes, they are written on the reverse side of the handout. However, please wait a bit before turning the paper over."

Everyone instinctively reached over to flip the paper, but stopped once they heard Mashima-sensei's warning.

"Ah, wait a minute. I'm not following you at all." said Karuizawa.

"Very well, I will explain in simpler terms. Have you played the game Werewolf?" said Mashima-sensei.

"Werewolf? Oh, that game's been popular for a while, right? Yeah, yeah, I've played it. It's pretty interesting."

Ayanokouji was puzzled by it and didn't know what Mashima-sensei and Karuizawa was talking about. Karuizawa noticed Ayanokouji's puzzled expression and had a surprise look on her face.

"Wait! You haven't played it, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Karuizawa.

"No. Was it that popular? I didn't play it in my school." replied Ayanokouji.

"I will explain briefly to everyone, so we're all on the same page." said Mashima-sensei. He launched into a brief explanation that covered the premise of the game and the goals of the game. After a few minutes of explanation, he finished and continued on with the exam explanation.

"Although I said that there is only one VIP in the group, if the VIP is exposed right away, then Outcomes #3 and #4 will appear." said Mashima-sensei. "You may flip over the paper now and see the last outcomes."

OUTCOME #3: This outcome is triggered when someone other than the VIP gives the correct answer to the school without waiting until 9:30 p.m. on the final day of the exam. That student's class will gain fifty class points, and the person who submitted the correct answer will earn 500,000 private points. Also, the VIP's class will lose fifty class points as a penalty. At that point, the group's testing period will come to an end. However, if one of the VIP's classmates is the person who submits the correct answer, this answer will not be counted and the test will continue.

OUTCOME #4: This outcome is triggered when someone other than the VIP gives an incorrect answer without waiting until 9:30 p.m. on the final day of the exam. That student's class will lose fifty class points. The VIP will earn 500,000 private points, and the VIP's class will earn fifty class points. The testing period will end for the group that submitted the incorrect answer. However, if one of the VIP's classmates is the person who submits the incorrect answer, this answer will not be counted and the test will continue.

Ayanokouji could see the various strategies that each person or class will take to maximize the rewards or get an opportunity to hurt the other classes. He could see the risks and rewards of each outcome and knew whichever class wins will cause a ripple effect on the class standings.

"The school will take anonymity into account during this test. At the end, only the outcomes for each group and the increase or decrease in points for each class will be announced. In other words, we will not announce the names of the VIPs or those who submitted answers. Also, if you wish, you may have a temporary ID assigned to you, to which you can transfer points. It is also possible to divide points up and receive them that way. If you yourself remain quiet, there should be no fear of discovery after the test. Of course, if it's not necessary for you to hide your identity, you may receive your points openly. That is perfectly fine." said Mashima-sensei. "Outcomes #3 and #4 are very different from the first two. That's why they are listed on the reverse side of the sheet. With that, the explanation is complete."

'This test was about thinking. The school said this required cognitive abilities, which seemed true. This test carried dangers far different from those we'd faced on the island. There were twelve groups, with twelve outcomes. Each outcome is different depending on the people in each group.' thought Ayanokouji.

"There should also be a list of prohibited actions on the sheet. Make sure to examine it thoroughly." said Mashima-sensei, gesturing to the last paper. There were some obvious things such as stealing another person's cell phone, using threats to confirm information related to the VIP, using someone else's cell phone without their permission to submit answers; and so on. There were harsh punishments with the most notable one: expulsion. There was a rule that stated discussion among students from other classes was forbidden until after the examination ended. If you broke that rule, you'd be expelled. It seemed the school wanted everything to stay within your own class or in the discussion room with your own group, limiting the flow of information.

"Tomorrow, you will go to your designated room at 1:00 p.m. and again at 8:00 p.m. Your group's name will be displayed on a nameplate outside. Be sure to introduce yourselves when you meet the other members for the first time. After you've entered, leaving the room during the examination is not permitted. Please use the restroom ahead of time. In the event that you feel ill or can't endure it any longer, please contact your homeroom teacher immediately and make a request." said Mashima-sensei.

"Wait, we can't leave the room? How long do we need to stay there?" protested Karuizawa.

"The explanation is written on the sheet. The discussion period is for one hour. Aside from self-introduction upon your initial meeting, you are free to use that time however you like. Once the hour has passed, you are free to remain in the room or to leave."

"Agh. Well, this sounds kinda annoying, but I guess I do understand somewhat. Ugh. I just wish we had a test that was more fun."

"The school is committed to fairness, so we will be strict and impartial. After the VIP has been selected, we will not accept any changes, not even if the VIP wants to be changed. In addition, copying, deleting, transferring, or modifying emails sent from the school is prohibited. Understand these points clearly."

"..."

"You're all dismissed. Leave all the papers behind." said Mashima-sensei. Everybody put the papers down and left the room. As they left the room, Yukimura spoke up.

"I hate to say this, but if we have to be in the same group, we need to put up a unified front. A lot of things will depend on who the VIP is, but for now, the four of us should discuss things." said Yukimura. Karuizawa showed no concern and ignored the trio as she walked down the hallway with her cell phone.

"H-hey, Karuizawa. Are you listening?!" said Yukimura. It was too late and Karuizawa walked further down the hall and disappeared.

"This has turned into quite a bothersome ordeal. Being partnered with a bitch like that." said Yukimura, not looking pleased.

"To be honest, I really hate it. No matter what I do, she'll only drag us down." said Sotomura.

"That is certainly true, hmm? She's an unforgivable bitch. She's a bitch among bitches, wouldn't you say?"

Yukimura exhaled loudly out of his nose and patted his belly as he was relieving his anger.

"Maybe in the morning there'll be a notification that one of us was chosen as the VIP. If one of us is chosen, it'd be smart not to spread it around carelessly. We don't know who might be listening. Let's get to a secure location before sharing info." said Yukimura. He looked thankful that at least Ayanokouji and Sotomura stayed behind with him to discuss the exam.

"Let's exchange contact information to share and meet up in a secure location." suggested Ayanokouji. Everyone agreed and exchanged contact information. Sotomura created a group chat and everything was set.

"What about Karuizawa?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Tch... She doesn't want anything to do with us, so I say that we leave her." scowled Yukimura.

"That's true! We got this and we got the main protagonist on our side." said Sotomura, giving Ayanokouji a side eye.

"What does that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing. Just a secret between me and Ayanokouji-dono."

"Whatever. Just message once you get the message from the school tomorrow." said Yukimura, sighing and rubbing his forehead. Sotomura saluted before Yukimura said his farewells and went off down the hallway. Based on the direction Yukimura is going, Ayanokouji assumes that he's going to the infirmary and he assumes maybe he's getting some aspirins to deal with his headache after dealing with Karuizawa. Nevertheless, Sotomura and Ayanokouji walked down the hallway together.

"Karuizawa is quite the problem, isn't she?" said Sotomura.

"I suppose." said Ayanokouji.

"Quite cold and bitchy at times."

"I agree."

"But! Ayanokouji-dono, you're the only one that could conquer Karuizawa. It will not be easy fight, but you're the main protagonist after all!"

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say that it's insight from another man of culture to another."

"Okay?"

"Now I must bid you farewell. I must attend to some personal matters to myself."

Ayanokouji waved goodbye as Sotomura quickly jogged down the hallway and rounded the corner and disappeared. He had the feeling that he was immersing himself with another episode of anime again.

*Timeskip (few hours later)*

It was around evening time and Ayanokouji was waiting near a buffet by one of its tables. After a few minutes, Horikita arrived with a glass of juice and Ayanokouji was eating some desserts along with a glass of apple cider.

"Ayanokouji-kun..." said Horikita, sitting down next to him.

"Hello, Horikita. I'm assuming that you want to have a chat about this special exam." replied Ayanokouji.

"Correct. I've just received a briefing from Sakagami-sensei."

"Who's in your group? How many people do you have?"

"The list is honestly surprising. It's biased to the point where I can't imagine it's a coincidence."

Horikita handed over a slip of paper, looking a little depressed. It looked like she had written this down on her own notepad, and had memorized all the names.

Group: Dragon

CLASS A: Katsuragi Kouhei, Nishikawa Ryouko, Matoba Shinji, Yano Koharu

CLASS B: Andou Sayo, Kanzaki Ryuuji, Tsube Hitomi

CLASS C: Oda Takumi, Suzuki Hidetoshi, Sonoda Masashi, Ryuuen Kakeru

CLASS D: Kushida Kikyou, Hirata Yousuke, Horikita Suzune

Ayanokouji noticed that some of the people chosen in the Dragon group had excellent students and representatives of each class. He wondered why Ichinose wasn't chosen to be in the Dragon group and ended up in Ayanokouji's group instead.

"I see. This really seems like an inevitable grouping." muttered Ayanokouji. "But something feels unnatural."

"You mean Ichinose-san being in your group, don't you? I suppose only the Class B students know if she's really excellent or not. A leader's qualities and level of excellence aren't necessarily directly proportional." said Horikita.

"The only thing left is to wait until tomorrow until the school sends the email to everyone."

"I suppose that's true, but the rewards and risks are very tempting. High risk, high reward."

"This may be our chance to gain some class points."

"It will be a productive summer... I must come up with some strategies, but..."

"Ryuuen?"

"Exactly. He makes me angry for no reason. Probably because of his personality and..."

"Heads up. He's coming our way."

Horikita turned towards the direction that Ayanokouji was looking at and when she saw Ryuuen approaching, she had a frustrated and disgusted look on her face. He noticed that Ibuki was with him and she averted her eyes from Ayanokouji. It seemed that she was not pleased to meetAyanokouji again.

"Nice weather, eh Suzune? You having breakfast with this playboy?" said Ryuuen.

"I've warned you not to call me by my first name, Ryuuen-kun. Also, considering you were a turncoat who only pretended to be our friend, it's odd you'd show your face, Ibuki-san." said Horikita. Ibuki remained silent and didn't even look at Horikita. Ryuuen just laughed and took a seat at the table, sitting across from Ayanokouji and Horikita while Ibuki remained standing.

"Before we get to the main part, I want to ask you something. How did you wrangle those results on the island test?" said Ryuuen.

"I have nothing to tell you." replied Horikita with a calm tone. Even though she didn't show any weakness, Ryuuen wasn't convinced.

"I suppose you wouldn't give anything away, but that doesn't matter. According to my information, there's no way that your farcical bumbling on the island should've led to victory." said Ryuuen.

"I'm not so stupid that I'd let someone like her see through me. Things were simply more difficult because of my fever."

"I'm remembering the test on the island. The result. The process that led to it. There are only certain types of people who would've been able to conceptualize and execute a plan like that. A girl like you is far too serious- minded to have come up with it."

"Think whatever you like. Though I wonder...how did you figure out my strategy? You only saw the results of the test. How do you know the way in which points were gained and lost? Those details are supposed to be unknown."

"Who knows? Maybe I just got lucky."

"Well, why don't you explain it to me? If you're correct, I'll give you an answer. If you can answer, that is."

Ryuuen chuckled and had an amused look on his face. It was clear that he had some suspicions, but didn't want to say it

"At the end of the test, I wrote down your name as leader, but that was wrong. There's just one reason why that was wrong: Your class leader changed right before the test ended. The only explanation." said Ryuuen.

"Do you think that was hard to deduce? Any idiot could have figured that out if they thought about it for a minute." replied Horikita.

"Ah. However, Katsuragi probably thinks you planned the whole thing. But was that really the case? In my opinion, you becoming the leader and then retiring were both unexpected. Besides, I had my own strategy in place. I had Ibuki infiltrate your class to find out the leader's identity. You did nothing to counter that strategy at first."

"Is it possible that I'd simply taken the proper precautions? Preparing for the unknown is absolutely basic logic. The moment Ibuki-san met Class D, I took all possibilities into account. You were so confident, but your argument ended up being flimsy. You've said nothing surprising."

"The key question is who replaced you as leader. Personally, I think the second leader was pulling your strings from behind the scenes during the entire test."

Horikita maintained her calm demeanor but she was secretly panicking and started to see Ryuuen more and more of a threat. His deductions and reasoning seemed to be better than the average person and he could tell that Horikita was lying. Ayanokouji notices that Ryuuen is observing quietly and trying to gauge his reactions.

"Ridiculous. As if that's the case." said Horikita, snorting.

"Kukuku! Let's let your story stick, Suzune. I'll admit it. The results of the test shocked me." said Ryuuen. It looked like Ryuuen knew that he's not getting anything out of Horikita and laughed it off.

"Well, that's too bad. I love surprise attacks, foul play, and subterfuge. That level of strategy was totally unexpected, but your victory will soon come to an end. Whether it's you, Suzune, or someone pulling the strings behind the scenes, you're stupid. You've already made your best move. Class D is one or two steps behind the other classes in points. The challenge will
only heat up from here. You already played your trump card during the survival test, when the game was just getting started. You couldn't see what was in front of or behind you. I don't think you'll find this round as easy as last time. Tell that to whoever helped you ace the test." said Ryuuen, giving out one last threat.

"My goodness, that was rather thoughtful." said Horikita.

"What can I say? I'm quite merciful."

"It sounds like you really want to believe that we have a secret weapon in our class."

"Someone in Class D other than you is quite clever. There's no mistake about that. Someone that likes to hide."

"Well, isn't that a good thing? I don't particularly care. Besides, if you just arbitrarily jump to conclusions, why bother badgering me to confirm them?"

"A conversation reveals many subtle things. I'm glad I could talk with you, Suzune. It's a game to me. I'll discover who among you is making moves behind the scenes and take them out for good. Everyone, including your clingy friend here, is a target."

"Let me ask you something. I know it hurts that I saw through you, but why are you so fixated on me? Aren't you concerned about anyone else? Like Ichinose-san, or Katsuragi-kun? shouldn't the people in the classes above C be your concern? You should be able to at least answer that, I think."

"I already know their abilities, to some extent. Neither Katsuragi nor Ichinose is my enemy. If I wanted to crush them, I could do it any time."

"So what about Sakayanagi-san?"

"I'm saving her for the final course. It'd be a waste to eat her now. This school year is gonna be interesting! Kukuku!"

Ryuuen's eyes drifted off to the side and he turned in that direction. There was Katsuragi by himself and Ryuuen called out to him.

"Oi! Johnny, c'mon here!" called Ryuuen. Katsuragi looked around in confusion and noticed that Ryuuen was looking at him and gesturing to him to come to him. Katsuragi hesitated before approaching the table.

"What do you want, Ryuuen?" asked Katsuragi, getting straight to the point.

"Horikita." said Katsuragi, turning his attention to Horikita.

"Oh a greeting? How does it feel to be defeated by a defective class?" asked Horikita.
"I certainly haven't acknowledged anyone in Class D until now. However, considering the incredible results from the last test, it would be impossible for me not to pay attention to you. Wouldn't you agree? You laid the groundwork to win, and succeeded handsomely."

Ryuuen snorted and held in his laughter at what Katsuragi said and Katsuragi looked at him curiously before turning his attention to Horikita.

"How did you do it?" asked Katsuragi.

"Well, you're the genius of Class A. Surely, you would've figured it out already." replied Horikita.

"Was our first contact at the cave a part of your plan? Did you know about Class A's leader?"

"Who knows?"

"The points difference is slowly becoming smaller... How unfortunate."

"What do you want, Ryuuen?" asked Katsuragi, turning his attention back to Ryuuen, who called him over.

"Don't you think that it's gonna be an interesting time, Johnny? Me and you in a group together!" said Ryuuen, grinning in amusement. There was a wicked glint in his eyes like a snake preparing to ambush its prey. Katsuragi noticed it and had a calm, grim look on his face.

"Well, I originally thought that our group would be comprised solely of students with
a high level of academic ability. Now that you are there, I'm not so sure." said Katsuragi.

"Academic ability? How droll. That kind of thing is meaningless."

"That's a rather deplorable thing to say. Especially when academic success is the most important factor in determining our futures. You realize that Japan is often referred to as an academic society?"

"I don't care about that kind of bullshit!"

"I won't let you bring your awful attitude to this test."

"Hmm? Awful attitude? What in the world are you talking about? I can't possibly imagine. Can you perhaps tell me how I am, in fact, awful?"

"Well, it doesn't matter. Since we're in the same group now, we'll be able to talk at length."

Katsuragi left the group as he deemed it unnecessary and pointless to continue with this conversation. Ryuuen watched as he left before turning his attention back to the group.

"Johnny is jealous of you, Ayanokouji! Banging girls and chasing skirts! You know, I love chasing skirts, but you're on another level. First Suzune, Ichinose, Kushida, Manabe and her group. You're always sniffing around some chick, aren't you?" said Ryuuen, smirking.

Ayanokouji couldn't exactly deny what he was saying since it's pretty much true. He didn't want to tell Ryuuen that he pretty much established contact with about half of the girls in his class. Horikita had a surprised look on her face and stared at Ayanokouji suspiciously. On the other hand, Ibuki looked down and avoided looking at Ayanokouji.

"I bet you even had a hot and heavy time with Ibuki. Kukuku!" said Ryuuen, laughing. Ibuki's face became a little red as she recalled what happened between her and Ayanokouji.

'Yes, but no. I suppose you could call me being stuck in an elevator with Ibuki during a hot and heavy time, but if I say anything, Ryuuen is not going to let this one go.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Oh? What's that, Ibuki? Don't tell me that you've done with that bastard already." said Ryuuen, coyly. He noticed Ibuki's reaction and called her out on it. Ibuki's eyes widened and Horikita's suspicious stare grew more intense.

"N-No! What the fuck are you talking about?! With that guy?! W-Why did you think that?" snapped Ibuki. Her face became a little more red and she launched a kick at Ryuuen, who dodged it.

"Then, why the fuck are you acting like this? Looks suspicious if you ask me."

"I-It's... nothing! Okay!"

Ryuuen chuckled and watched in amusement at Ibuki's reactions and Horikita became even more suspicious while Ayanokouji remained silent, knowing that Ryuuen was messing around.

"Do as you wish, Ibuki, but you've become a little slut. I have an interesting proposal for Suzune." said Ryuuen, turning his attention to Horikita.

"A proposal? Although it's a stupid idea, I suppose I'll hear you out." replied Horikita.

"A proposal to crush Class A. I don't think that's such a bad plan." said Ryuuen.

"What do you mean?"

"I already know all of the identities of the VIPs from Class C. Three classes will share information about all the VIPs. That way, we'll bypass the school's rules."

Horikita fell into silence as she and Ayanokouji digested what Ryuuen said. It was a Ryuuen-like plan to do something unexpected, but a likely chance of Ryuuen backstabbing them.

"It sounds like a pretty bold idea, but I don't think it's realistic. How do we know for sure that you have all the Class C VIPs, Ryuuen-kun?" asked Horikita, casting doubt.

"It's natural that you wouldn't trust me. In that case, why don't we make a contract? We'll pledge to share the identities of our three VIPs and go after Class A. That way, the three classes will benefit, but Class A won't."

"A contract is meaningless, since we won't know who might betray whom. If Class C betrays us, it'll all be over, especially what happened during the last exam."

"For this strategy to work, you need to understand your own class perfectly. For Class D, which
lacks any spirit of teamwork, this is an impossible undertaking. Right? It's also impossible for Class A, since they're split into two factions. But I can make this strategy work, since I rule my class. And it's smart for Ichinose, since she's incredibly popular within her class. I originally pitched the idea of a three-class alliance, but it's also possible with just two classes. The chances of a perfect outcome might be lowered, but since it's me we're talking about, I can see it through. If we pull this off, Classes A and D will be stripped bare and left with nothing." said Ryuuen, pointing out that he was willing to leave both Class A and D in the dust.

"I doubt Class B would enter into an alliance with you. Ichinose-san has already formed an alliance with our class and Class C has a poor track record of being trustworthy." replied Horikita.

"Maybe. Do you want to find out?"
"There's no point continuing this discussion any further. I reject your proposal."

"As you wish. I'm looking forward to seeing whether or not you can get your class to come together."

Ryuuen chuckled and Ayanokouji had the feeling that it had a double meaning or if Ryuuen genuinely meant it. He got up from his seat and left without saying another word. Ibuki followed him, but gave Horikita glare before disappearing.

"Well, that was interesting." said Ayanokouji.

"What a stupid proposal. It's too risky to trust Ryuuen-kun on this exam." scowled Horikita.

"Do you think Ichinose would be interested in Ryuuen's proposal?"

"I don't believe so. Ichinose-san knows that Ryuuen-kun sent a spy into their camp and probably does not trust him because of that. He's like a snake and tenacious when he finds his prey, using everything in his power and disposal to bring it down."

"We must be wary of him. Compared to our class, Class B and C have a class leader which gives them an advantage over our class."

"Of course. Do you think this test will create trust between people of different classes? Will there be cooperation?"

"No one is looking to make too many enemies and bringing people together is difficult. I suppose the school wanted cooperation between classes to stimulate a society. You may not want to work with some people, but you have to. To complete a common goal."

"I will have to discuss the exam with Ichinose-san. Perhaps tomorrow."

"I can ask her for you when I see her tomorrow."

"I would appreciate it if you did that."

Ayanokouji nodded and the duo fell into silence as they enjoyed their quiet evening and tomorrow will be the start of the exam.

*Timeskip (next day, morning)*

Ayanokouji was with Yukimura and Sotomura as the trio made their way to their discussion room. Before they walked to the discussion room, they met in a private and secluded area where they confirmed whether or not they were the VIP. It turns out that none of them are VIPs. As the trio approached the door, there was a sign on the door that read Rabbit and they entered the room. Karuizawa seemed to be the only person in the room and she was fiddling with her phone. She gave the trio a quick glance before turning her attention back to her phone. The trio sat by the chairs close to her with Ayanokouji being the closest.

"Karuizawa, are you the VIP?" asked Yukimura, getting straight to the point. Karuizawa looked up from her phone.

"Nope." replied Karuizawa. She noticed that Yukimura was looking doubtful.

"Do you doubt me?" asked Karuizawa, with a slightly annoyed expression on her face.

"No." replied Yukimura, but it was clear that he was a little doubtful.

"You wanna check my email?"

"It's the best way for me to confirm it."

"No way that I'm letting you see my inbox! That's an invasion of privacy!"

"C'mon, Karuizawa! That's the best way to see if you're really the VIP or not!"

"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun! Tell him that it's not okay."

Karuizawa glanced over at Ayanokouji, asking him to take her side. Her eyes are silently pleading for his help.

"Wait a minute, Yukimura. Karuizawa is right about this. We're not allowed to look through her phone without permission." said Ayanokouji. Yukimura scowled and had a frustrated look on her face while Karuizawa had a triumphant look on her face.

"Yeah! I'll report this to the school if you want to keep trying to look at my phone." said Karuizawa.

"Tch... you better not be lying about this." said Yukimura.

"Why would I be lying about this?!"

"Judging from your behavior yesterday, you seemed to be the carefree person that doesn't take anything seriously."

"What the hell?! Just because of yesterday doesn't mean that I don't care about the class."

"That's enough, you two. Karuizawa, are you the VIP?" said Ayanokouji.

"No. I already told you." said Karuizawa.

"Then, that's that. Fighting amongst each other is probably the worst thing to do right now. We should focus on finding the VIP instead of being suspicious of and fighting each other."

Yukimura and Karuizawa both fell into silence after Ayanokouji's statement.

"I guess you're right about that." muttered Yukimura.

"Yeah... It's Yukimura-kun's fault anyways." said Karuizawa. Yukimura glared at her and before anything else could happen, the door opened and some people arrived. Ayanokouji saw Ichinose and the rest of the Class B group enter first with Manabe and her friends following closely behind.

Ichinose smiled and waved at Ayanokouji before taking a seat near the front of the table with her group sitting with her. Nanami and Yamashita both waved at Ayanokouji before sitting down close by Ayanokouji and his group. Manabe was glaring at Karuizawa. A few moments later, Class A and Ibuki entered the room. It seemed that everyone was present. Class A kept their distance from the rest of the group and Ibuki sat by herself.

"Now then. I'm Ichinose Honami from Class D and I think we should try and find the VIPs after all." said Ichinose, introducing herself and getting straight to the point.

"If we don't all participate, there's no way you'll find the VIP." said one of the Class A students. "We from Class A will not participate in your discussion."

"I don't think that's true, though. It's a problem of trust. That's why Today, I'd like us all to play cards together. Of course, I won't force anyone to participate. Only jump in if you want to."

Ichinose brought out a deck of cards, all while smiling. She began shuffling the cards and the Class A students looked at her incredulously.

"Ha ha ha ha! Building trust through playing cards? That's so stupid!" snorted one of the Class A students.

"You can say it's stupid, but if you give it a try you might like it. Besides, spending an hour in complete silence sounds awfully boring. Why not kill some time?" replied Ichinose. All the other Class B students agreed to participate. It seems that Ichinose is trying a slow approach and a building exercise to build trust or to psychologically evaluate everyone. He wondered what Ichinose will have in the next meeting.

"I shall play as well. I am currently at liberty." said Sotomura. Ayanokouji also raised his hands. Yukimura hesitated before raising his hands. He noticed that Yamashita and Nanami both raised their hands. In total, there were 8 people that agreed to Ichinose's proposal.

"Do as you wish. We're not participating at all." said one of the Class A students. It seemed that Class A had a defensive strategy and Ayanokouji assumed that it was under Katsuragi's orders.

"You're welcome to join us if you change your mind, Machida-kun." said Ichinose. "Five people, then. Well, I thought we could play Daifugō, but does anyone here not know the rules?"

It seemed no one had a problem with it and everyone got into a small circle and started playing. Ayanokouji was sitting between Yamashita and Nanami. The people not playing either chatted amongst themselves, or occasionally shot them an indifferent glance. Ichinose shuffled the deck and divided the cards evenly among the players. As the game went on, he noticed that Sotomura began to get more competitive and Ichinose seemed to be calm and silently observing everyone's behavior just like Ayanokouji.

As they were playing, Ayanokouji had small talk with Nanami and Yamashita, but he noticed their strained expressions and the side glances they were giving to Karuizawa, who was on her phone. He also noticed that Manabe was glaring at her and seemed to move her seats and get closer to her. After a bit of playing Daifugō, they decided to switch to Old Maid. The hour eventually passed.

"Heh, my my, that was quite enjoyable. Playing a traditional game on occasion is no bad thing." said Sotomura.

Class A immediately left the room without any hesitation and Ibuki followed closely behind. Nanami and Yamashita didn't leave the room with Manabe. Instead they were eyeing Karuizawa, who remained sitting and looking at her phone.

"Well, I suppose I'll be going now." said Ichinose.

"Where are you going?" asked Hamaguchi.

"I can't let Class A just get away from us like this."

"You're going to see Katsuragi-kun, then?"

"Yes. I'll be on my way. Hopefully, I can find them before they leave their discussion room."

"Do you need me to come with you?"

"No need, Hamaguchi-kun. I can handle this by myself."

"Okay. Good luck, Ichinose-san."

Ichinose and her group left the room together and Yukimura and Sotomura said their final goodbyes before leaving the room separately. It seems that Yukimura is in a bad mood from Class A's participation. Ayanokouji was going to leave the room when he heard Manabe and Karuizawa speaking up.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!" snapped Karuizawa, looking up from her phone and annoyed. Manabe had approached Karuizawa and was trying to slap the phone out of Karuizawa's hand, but she managed to pull it away.

"You know what you did. You did push Rika." snarled Manabe.

"What do you mean?! Who the hell is Rika?"

"The girl that you pushed at the buffet. Don't tell me that you already forgot about her!"

"You got the wrong person! I wasn't anywhere near the buffet."

"Liar! You were there with your posse a few days ago. Stop lying, bitch!"

"You're the bitch here. At least get your facts straight before you accuse someone."

Karuizawa offered no apologies and continued denying it. Nanami and Yamashita stood with Manabe and studied Karuizawa. Karuizawa, who noticed this, stood up and backed up a little after seeing the situation go against her favor.

"I'm going to call Rika here and you're gonna apologize. Then, we're cool after that." said Manabe, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone. Karuizawa slapped Manabe's phone out of her hand in response. Yamashita tried to catch the phone, but it bounced off her head and she made a cute yelp before clutching her head in pain. Manabe's phone clattered against the ground and Nanami picked it up and checked on Yamashita.

"Hey! What the fuck are you doing?!" snapped Manabe, glaring at Karuizawa.

"That's harassment. I have no idea what you're talking about. Look, I have plans later, so can you move out of the way? If you don't, I'll call the teacher." said Karuizawa.

"And what will you tell the teacher, exactly? It's not like we're being violent with you or anything. Besides, if you talk to the teacher, we'll tell you, too. We'll say you pushed Rika. You'll also get in trouble."

Neither side intended to back down. Karuizawa tried to escape, but Manabe grabbed her arm and pushed her up close to the wall.

"W-wait!" yelped Karuizawa.

"What? Why should we wait?" snarled Manabe.

"I just remembered something. I bumped into that girl before."

"You're a total liar. You remembered her from the very beginning, didn't you? Well, whatever. So, are you going to apologize to Rika properly?"

"No way. She was in the wrong. She's a complete airhead."

"You're seriously pissing us off. We might've forgiven you if you'd actually apologized to Rika. But now, we definitely won't forgive you."

"Whatever. You probably never planned on forgiving me."

After Karuizawa spat out those words, Nanami seemed to have lost her patience and looked mad.

"Look! Rika told us that it was you. So, stop trying to put this on Rika!" said Nanami, raising her voice. It was rare for Nanami to raise her voice, but it seemed that Karuizawa's attitude pushed her there.

"I know, right? She should understand exactly how Rika felt. Why don't we bully her for real?" said Manabe, with a wicked glint in her eyes. She struck Karuizawa's shoulder with a little extra force and Karuizawa stumbled backwards a little bit with a stunned expression.

"Whoa, Shiho! You're taking it too far!" said Nanami, with a horrified expression. Yamashita remained quiet, but she seemed to be pissed off at Karuizawa as well and seemed to be cheering on Manabe silently. Yamashita seemed to be the quiet type and supported Manabe silently, doing nothing and watching.

"What do you mean, Nanami? This is the best chance to knock Karuizawa down. Look at her, thinking that she can walk over anyone just because she's dating Hirata-kun. She's just a fucking bitch that uses guys." said Manabe.

"Yes, but... it will be pretty bad if we get caught or reported. I don't want us to get in trouble or expelled for being violent."

"Tch... only you don't get caught. We can always say that we're just messing around and it got out of hand."

Manabe shoved Karuizawa again and this time, Karuizawa had her back against the wall and Nanami was going to protest, but Ayanokouji could see a wicked glint in her eyes as well. He supposes that a bit of vengeance is understandable, especially what happened to Morofuji.

"Ahh...ahh..." panted Karuizawa, as if she were having a hard time breathing. She held her head in her hands as if she were in pain. When Manabe saw her suffering, she wasn't sympathetic and she looked more irritated. Nanami had a concerned look on her face while Yamashita's eyes seemed to be a mix of joyful glee and concern, but it didn't stop Manabe from berating her.

"Act as girly as you want, I'm still not going to forgive you." said Manabe. She reached out and grabbed Karuizawa's hair and forcefully yanked her head up.

"I've always hated your face, Karuizawa. Always looking down at people with that arrogant, bitchy face of yours." said Manabe. Karuizawa's face morphed to fear and panic.

"St-stop. Stop it." stammered Karuizawa.

"'St-stop it', she says. What happened to your big attitude?"

Karuizawa trembled, frightened. She was on the verge of tears, still unable to
move. Ayanokouji watched on in silence as he was thinking about the scene that is occuring in front of him.

'People show their true colors when they're in jeopardy. A little more pressure, and I'd know who Karuizawa Kei really was. I would've thought Karuizawa would take responsibility for her
actions, but instead, she refused. She refused despite knowing it would upset them. Why? Why is she so stubborn about this? The quickest way to end this is to apologize to Morofuji.' thought Ayanokouji.

As Ayanokouji was thinking, Manabe raised her hand to slap Karuizawa and Ayanokouji decided that he had seen enough and interfered. It would be a shame if he let this continue and knew that a slap mark on Karuizawa's face will draw too much attention to herself and Manabe and her friends. He couldn't let it happen. Ayanokouji cleared his throat and alerted everyone of his presence. Manabe froze and everyone turned towards Ayanokouji, who was silently watching them on the side.

"Hello there." said Ayanokouji.

Karuizawa's expression was happy and shocked at the same time. She looked like Ayanokouji is her savior while Manabe didn't look too pleased by Ayanokouji's sudden appearance.

"What do you want, Ayanokouji?" said Manabe.

"H-Help, Ayanokouji-kun! These girls started getting violent on me. They're seriously the worst, aren't they?" said Karuizawa. Her eyes are silently pleading for Ayanokouji to help her. Everyone looked over at Ayanokouji, silently waiting for his next move.

"Karuizawa... you know that this is all your fault, right? I was there with Morofuji and saw what happened." said Ayanokouji. Karuizawa's face deflated and it seemed that all of the hope she had was disappearing.

"But, Manabe. I already told you that it was a bad idea." said Ayanokouji.

"Yeah! And you also said that you won't stop me!" said Manabe, glaring at him.

"Of course, but I also don't want you to get into trouble with the school with your pursuit of vengeance, especially Nanami and Yamashita."

'Ahh! Ayanokouji-kun is so considerate and caring. I kinda of agree with him. I don't want Shiho to get into trouble for Rika's sake. Rika doesn't want Shiho to hurt herself for her sake.' thought Nanami. Nanami's heart began to race when Ayanokouji mentioned her name. She was happy that Ayanokouji was thinking about her and her well-being.

"This has nothing to do with you. You know that Karuizawa is at fault and she needs to pay." said Manabe. Karuizawa, who noticed that everyone was paying attention to Ayanokouji, quickly grabbed her phone.

"Just leave me alone. If you don't, I'll call someone." said Karuizawa.

"Who are you going to call? Hirata? Machida? I see you trying to get close to him during our meeting. I mean, I guess a slut like you has a hundred guys on speed dial, right?" said Manabe.

"We should leave. There's probably going to be a staff member coming in to check and clean the room." said Ayanokouji, making an attempt to end this. Nanami quickly agreed with him and didn't want to cause a scene.

"Tch... You better bow your head and apologize to Rika." snarled Manabe. She quickly stormed out of the room. Yamashita followed her quickly and Nanami gave Ayanokouji one last look before leaving.

"Are you okay?" asked Ayanokouji, looking over at Karuizawa, who seemed to be hyperventilating.

"What the hell took you so long?!" demanded Karuizawa.

"I was preoccupied with something."

"Whatever. Don't tell anyone about this. If you know what's good for you."

Karuizawa gave him a glare before leaving the door and the door slammed shut, leaving Ayanokouji by himself. He thought about Karuizawa and how the head-strong and leader of Class D girls had shown her vulnerable and weak side. Something that nobody in the class had seen before.

'Interesting.' thought Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji left the room a few more moments after he gave Karuizawa enough time to leave. The last thing he wanted is to run into her after this whole fiasco went down. As he walked down the empty hallway, he spotted Yamashita, waiting. It seemed that she was waiting for him.

"Ayanokouji-kun!" called out Yamashita, waving at him.

"Yamashita." said Ayanokouji, greeting her.

"You were really quiet. I didn't even notice that you were there."

"Yeah. Being quiet and silent is one of my specialties."

"You're like one of those protagonists that is always quiet, but hides his true strength and doesn't like the attention."

"Yeah... I'm not too sure about that one, but thanks for the compliment."

"What's on your mind?" asked Ayanokouji, making the first move. He noticed that Yamashita acted like her normal self, but judging from the strained look on her face, Yamashita had a lot on her mind.

"What is that obvious?" said Yamashita. She gave out a bitter laugh before dawning a serious expression.

"It's Karuizawa. That girl had way too many issues and the most important thing is that she hurt Rika." said Yamashita, with a sour expression on her face.

"Yeah. Do you want to hurt like Manabe?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Kind of. I don't want to beat the shit out of her, but I don't mind if she endures a little suffering. After all, Rika has suffered enough. She doesn't need this from her."

"Enough? Morofuji must've had a traumatic past, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, but it's not my place to tell you. I hope Rika will get over it."

"By the way, how is Morofuji?"

"She's... fine."

Yamashita hesitated to answer Ayanokouji's question and he had a feeling that Yamashita wasn't too sure herself. He hadn't seen Morofuji ever since the incident with Karuizawa and wondered how she's doing.

"That's good. I hope she's not beating herself up." said Ayanokouji. Yamashita nodded in agreement, but he could see a bit of doubt in her eyes and he assumed that the opposite was happening.

"If you want, I could talk to you." offered Ayanokouji.

"Thanks, Ayanokouji-kun. That would help, but I think you should give Rika some time to herself. She might be too scared to talk to you and me, Shiho, and Nanami have been pestering and talking to her ever since it happened." said Yamashita.

"Okay. The offer is still open if you need me."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Hey, Yamashita."

"I'm not the VIP."

"How did you know?"

"Just had a feeling. What about you?"

"Nope. Should you be telling me this? Wouldn't Ryuuen be mad at you?"

"He wouldn't find out and it's not a problem."

"How so?"

"Uhh... Don't worry about it."

Ayanokouji noticed that Yamashita's behavior was a little strange and had the feeling that she almost revealed something crucial. Yamashita had a nervous expression on her face and she cleared her throat, in an attempt to distract Ayanokouji.

"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." said Ayanokouji. Yamashita chuckled and scratched her head. The duo made their way down the hallway and exited the interior of the ship and into the deck.

"By the way Ayanokouji-kun, about you being a tester for our game. We're going to have to test it when we get back from the cruise. We have a deadline to meet." said Yamashita.

"Sure. How long until the deadline?" asked Ayanokouji.

"A few weeks until we get back to school. Around the middle of summer vacation?"

"I see. Just let me know when you need me."

"Thanks for helping us out."

"No problem. Are you going to tell me what type of game it is?"

"As I said before, it's gonna be a high school dating sim with a bunch of routes. There's gonna be 5 heroines and the gameplay is your typical dating sim, but we're adding rhythm gameplay to it."

"Rhythm? Like OSU?"

"Yeah, sort of. We're working on it and hopefully, it works out."

"Can't wait to try out what you and the others make."

"Speaking of which... I'm going to be late to our meeting with Suzuki and Nishimura!"

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No! No spoilers! Gotta run! See you around, Ayanokouji-kun!"

"Bye, Yamashita."

Ayanokouji waved as Yamashita jogged down the deck and headed towards the direction of the elevator. Ayanokouji pulled out his phone and messaged Ichinose, asking her if she's available for a meeting with Horikita before putting his phone back into his pocket. He walked down the deck and grabbed a fruit smoothie to enjoy and as he's watching the clear blue ocean and sipping his smoothie, his phone buzzed and he got a message from Ichinose.

Ichinose: Hi, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm fine with it. Where do you want to meet up?

Ayanokouji: I'm going to ask Horikita about that. Is Kanzaki coming as well?

Ichinose: Yes. Please let me know as soon as possible.

Ayanokouji: Understood.

Ayanokouji pulled out his phone and sent a message to Horikita, asking her about the meeting with Ichinose. Horikita responded almost immediately and gave him the meeting details before thanking him and the messages stopped. Ayanokouji sent the meeting details and arrangement to Ichinose, who replied a thumbs up, before going silent as well. Horikita planned for the meeting to be at a quiet cafe in about an hour. Ayanokouji decided to finish his drink before making his way to the cafe.

*Timeskip (about a hour later)*

Ayanokouji walked into the cafe and ran into Ichinose and Kanzaki, who was right in front of him. Ichinose smiled and greeted him warmly while Kanzaki gave him a nod. The trio made their way into the cafe and found Horiktia sitting at one of the tables with a cup of coffee already in her hands.

"Horikita-san." said Ichinose.

"Ichinose-san. Thank you for meeting me so abruptly ." said Horikita, putting the cup on the ground.

"It's fine, Horikita-san. I believe you want to talk about the exam."

"Correct. Katsuragi-kun has an interesting and valid strategy."

"It would seem so. It's completely safe and there's not much countermeasure to get the Class A students to talk." said Kanzaki.

"Oh, Ayanokouji-kun! You weren't here when I went to talk to Katsuragi, so I'll tell you briefly." said Ichinose. She went briefly over her conversation with Katsuragi and his defensive strategy. Ayanokouji already had suspicions of his plan and what Katsuragi was planning and the rewards he wanted, but Ichinose basically confirmed it for him.

"Katsuragi has no intentions in changing his fortress strategy?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Correct. I asked about it and he is not willing to change his mind." said Ichinose.

"Do you have a plan for this, Ichinose-san?" asked Horikita.

"There's not much we can do. The only thing we have to worry about is our own class and VIP."

"I suppose telling each other our own class's VIP is out of the question."

Ichinose chuckled at Horikita's observation before Horikita asked another follow-up question.

"Ichinose-san... did Ryuuen-kun ask you about an alliance during this exam?" asked Horikita. Kanzaki's face tightened and Ichinose grew serious and her laughter disappeared.

"Yes. He came to me when I was talking to Katsuragi-kun." said Ichinose.

"And?"

"I rejected it. Ryuuen-kun hurt some people including my classmates and I'm in an alliance with Class D already."

Horikita's face was relieved at Ichinose's response.

"There's one thing that we could depend on: the schism within Class A." said Ichinose.

"The Sakayanagi and Katsuragi faction? Do you really think Sakayanagi-san will side with us?" said Horikita.

"It may be a long shot, but we'll have to see. The Sakayanagi faction may be of assistance."

"If I remember correctly, Sakayanagi-san was absent during the island exam. Do you know which group she is in?"

"I believe she's placed in the Horse group. From what my classmates said, she seemed to be sitting back and waiting."

"Like Katsuragi-kun?"

"Sort of. Although some of the class A students with her are in the Katsuragi faction, they haven't said anything yet. Sakayanagi-san seems to be waiting."

"It will be too optimistic to hope for any assistance from Class A. It would be far more beneficial to look up their VIPs."

"Yes. Although I wish for the first outcome, I wouldn't pass up a chance to weaken Class A and C. Are you fine with sharing information on those two classes?"

"Of course."

"I was thinking about something... it may sound stupid, but do you think the group has to do with anything about the VIPs?"

"What do you mean?"

"There are 12 groups and each group has a different number of students from each class. For example, my classmates have 4 students in a group: goat, pig, dog, and monkey. The rest of the groups with Class B had 3 students instead of 4."

"..."

Horikita frowned and pulled out a piece of paper that contained the names of her group. There were 3 students in Class B in her group and Ayanokouji knew that there were 3 Class B students in his group.

"You may be right, but we need to know how many students in each group and it's not certain that there's a connection between the number of students in a group and the VIP status." said Horikita.

"I can ask my classmates, but it'll take a bit before I can get every group." said Ichinose.

"Maybe it has to do with the zodiac animals?" suggested Ayanokouji. With that suggestion, everyone stopped and looked over at Ayanokouji. Ichinose tapped her chin thoughtfully and stared at Ayanokouji. It was an interesting look, but it wasn't in a romantic way.

"You may be right, Ayanokouji-kun. We need more information." said Ichinose.

"The zodiac animals, huh? The story is a race between animals and the rankings are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig." said Kanzaki.

"Perhaps this ranking has something to do with the VIP. We will need to know our class's VIP to see if there's a pattern." muttered Horikita.

"Looking for a pattern... it would be better if we shared our classes' VIPs together, but I understand that you're not willing to do so." said Ichinose.

"Of course. Maybe you're right about that, Ayanokouji-kun. I will need to discuss this with Kushida-san and Hirata-kun about this later." said Horikita. With more questions than answers, the meeting between Class B and D has ended.

*Timeskip (next day)*

Ayanokouji entered the room and found Manabe and her friends already in the room. They are sitting in the right side of the table and Nanami smiled and waved at Ayanokouji, gesturing for him to join. He hesitated and looked over at Yukimura and Sotomura, who noticed his arrival. Yukimura looked at quizzically and wondered about their relationship and how he knew them in the first place. On the other hand, Sotomura gave him a knowing nod and thumbs up. Ayanokouji begrudgingly made his way and sat down next to Nanami, who greeted him warmly.

"Hi, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Nanami. Everyone greeted him and even Manabe gave him a nod. Ayanokouji looked around and saw no one else besides them, Yukimura, and Sotomura.

"How's Morofuji doing?" asked Ayanokouji, getting straight to the point. The mood immediately darkened and Nanami had a pained look on her face while Manabe was scowling in comptent.

"It's doing... not bad." said Yamashita, answering first. Manabe slapped the table roughly which startled Yukimura and Sotomura, who looked over at the group.

"Are you kidding me, Saki?! You call crying in her own room and not going outside okay? Are you fucking nuts?" hissed Manabe.

"H-Hey... It's not that bad. At least she goes outside during the exam."

"That's because that asshole, Ryuuen, is forcing everyone to go and Rika is obviously scared!"

"Calm down, Shiho. I know that you're mad, but you need to calm down." said Nanami, gesturing to Sotomura and Yukimura, who were both looking at the group. It seemed that Manabe was making a bit of a scene and she glared at them before scowling even more.

"Okay, fine! I'm pissed off that bitch, Karuizawa, didn't get what's coming because of you." said Manabe, glaring at Ayanokouji.

"After seeing Rika again, crying alone in her room makes me more pissed off. She kept saying that it's all her fault, but it's not!" continued Manabe.

"We keep telling her that, but she keeps telling herself that over and over again." said Nanami, with a pained smile.

"Damn! Wait until I see that bitch again!"

"You may get the chance. Our meeting is about to start in 5 minutes."

"Then, we're waiting for that bitch. She sat here yesterday, so she's dead." said Manabe. That might explain why Manabe and her friends sat somewhere different. They heard the door being opened and Ichinose and her group entered the room. They sat in the same spot as yesterday and after a few more minutes, Karuizawa and the rest of the Class A students entered the room. Ayanokouji immediately noticed that Karuizawa seemed to be sticking with them and especially towards Machida. Karuizawa glanced over at Ayanokouji and his group before speaking to Machida.

"Hey, Machida-kun. Let's sit over there instead." said Karuizawa, pointing to the opposite side of the table which is away from Manabe.

"O-Okay." said Machida. The group went to the other side and sat at the far end of the table, away from Manabe. Manabe scowled and glared at Karuizawa before trying to get up to confront her, but Ayanokouji grabbed her arm and shook his head. Manabe glared at him and shook Ayanokouji's hands off her before sitting down, but it didn't stop the glares directed at Karuizawa, who tried her best to ignore it.

"Look at that bitch. Getting close with Machida. What a fucking slut!" snarled Manabe. Before anyone could say anything, Ichinose clapped her hands and the second meeting of the Rabbit group started.

"Hello again, everyone. I would like to discuss the exam and the outcomes. As I said yesterday, I would like to get outcome #1." said Ichinose. The rest of Class B students nodded their heads, agreeing with Ichinose.

"I told you already, Ichinose. Class A will not participate in the discussion." said Machida.

"I just want to talk. You may answer however you please, but I want everyone to step up to the plate in this test. In other words, I want you to participate."

"Will this test really be settled through discussion, though? Will you really discover the VIP through talking? Or are you going to bow your head and ask the VIP to help you?"

"Is there another way, then?"

"There is. There's a way to clear this test easily, and come out on top. Katsuragi-san already told you yesterday. You're just wasting my time here."

"I can't believe this. If anything, I'm starting to believe that the VIP is someone from Class A. Are you just sharing information with the VIP and taking measures to protect him or her?" muttered a Class B student.

"Calm down, Hamaguchi-kun. That's all speculation." said Ichinose. Hamaguchi nodded, but his opinion was valid.

"It doesn't matter what class the VIP is in. You can most definitely win if you don't talk. That's the safe way." said Machida. "There are only four possible outcomes. You all should know what
those are. Consider. Which outcome do you think we should absolutely avoid?"

He turned toward Karuizawa, as if choosing her to answer. Karuizawa paused for a brief moment before answering.

"Umm. The outcome where someone figures out the VIP's identity and then betrays the group?" said Karuizawa.

"Exactly. If a traitor emerges, that will be our downfall. Whether the traitor discovers the person or not, we lose. But what if we flip things around?" asked Machida. This time, he looked at Yukimura.

"There won't be any negatives, you mean?" replied Yukimura.

"Exactly. There are no consequences in the two remaining outcomes. Our class points won't rise or fall much. However, we'd gain a lot of private points. The only one who suffers in this scenario is the school. So there's no need to try finding the VIP. If we talk, we'll start suspecting someone of being the VIP, and then someone might make a mistake." said Machida, crossing his arms. He was making his case on why Class A didn't want to participate and it seemed to be working as some people were thinking about it.

"I do see what you're saying. But if we don't know which class the VIP belongs to, the point gap between classes could be widened further. What if the VIP's identity is extremely biased, and all VIPs are only chosen from one or two classes? That class would get millions of points. Although
our class points won't be affected, I'm sure everyone understands the importance of private points." said Hamaguchi.

'Private points are quite valuable. They could be used like pocket money, but also could purchase test grades and all sorts of things. Depending on the situation, they gave you the power to do almost anything. Finding the VIP could prove to be difficult. There are too many factors and based on the conversation that we had with Ichinose and Kanzaki, we are unsure about how the VIP's identities are disturbed. Of course, the idea of the zodiac animals is an idea and would need to be proved.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Do you really think the school would equally divide the VIPs into each class?" asked Machida.

"It's certainly true that the school has made a point of emphasizing its commitment to fairness." said Hamaguchi.

"So you understand it now. If we talk amongst ourselves, we create doubt, which will tear us apart. As a result, our relationship as a group will crumble. We certainly could discover the VIP, but that strategy could inspire a traitor who wants victory for him or herself. There's really no need for us to overthink things."

"I suppose so. It's not a bad thing if the school is the only loser. However, it's going to be unexpectedly difficult. It might even be more difficult than solving the test through discussion. If you don't doubt your partner, you won't betray him or her. All the first-year students would
have to adhere to that. Because the school guarantees the VIP's anonymity, you're asking for trust amongst your classmates. It'd be great if the VIP stepped forward and the points were shared equally with the class, but couldn't the VIP just monopolize all of those points?" said Ichinose.

"We in Class A have established complete trust amongst ourselves. We're not at all worried about that. Private issues ought to be solved by that private group."

Ayanokouji knew that wasn't true. He doubted that Sakayanagi would ever idly sit by and let Katsuragi do as he wished. Ichinose also had doubts about the unity of Class A, but kept it to herself.

"Isn't Class A's strategy fine, though? I cannot say that I can find any problems with it. Once the exam ends, the classes can talk amongst themselves and share the points." said Sotomura.

"I agree. Everyone sharing the same answer would be the most rewarding result, but if anyone lied or betrayed us, we'd be doomed. Finding the VIP just isn't realistic." said Yukimura.

"I see. So, do we agree it's as Machida-kun says? Each individual class can deal with the problem after the test has ended? I'd like everyone's opinions. Would that be all right? First, those who agree with the plan, please raise your hand." said Ichinose, directing her attention to the students of Class C and D. Yukimura and the Professor raised their hands. All the students from
Class C, looking somewhat troubled, raised their hands as well, though some took more time to think than others. Ibuki was the sole holdout, her arms crossed as they had been since the beginning of the test. She didn't move and didn't speak. Ayanokouji decided to raise his hands and looked over at Ibuki curiously.

"What about you, Ibuki-san? If it's all right, I'd like to hear your thoughts as well." said Ichinose.

"Whatever. I don't really have anything to add." said Ibuki.

"I see. Well, what about you, Karuizawa-san?" asked Ichinose.

"I... To be completely honest, I'm annoyed. Even though you say we'll get points, whether I get any points is a separate issue. But we may get points even if we do have a discussion... I don't want to waste time fighting over what we're doing. I just want this test to be over so we can have fun." said Karuizawa.

"What about you, Hamaguchi-kun?" asked Ichinose.

"We leave everything to you, Ichinose-san." said Hamaguchi. The other two students from Class B nodded in agreement which demonstrated their trust in Ichinose.

"It's decided. Please remember that Class A has already committed to its decision. No matter what, we will discuss anything. You may talk amongst yourselves about whatever you wish." said Machida.

"I wanted to avoid excluding anyone, but there's nothing we can do if that's your class policy. If you want to participate, just let me know." said Ichinose.

"Isn't it going to be impossible to find the VIP without their help?" asked Yukimura.

"Yes. If Rabbit's VIP is in Class A, trying to narrow down the list of suspects won't be easy. But in terms of sheer probability, there's a three in four chance that the VIP's in one of the other classes. Besides, even if we don't know who the VIP is, if we at least know where that person is, we'll have some options. Right?"

"It could be any one of us. What if it's someone from your class?"

"Who knows? If we work together, we'll come up with even better ideas later. The test's only just begun. I think it might be better to wait a bit and take our time before deciding whose plan
we'll move forward with it."

With that, everyone was fending for themselves and stayed with their usual group. Ichinose and Class B were talking to each other and seemed to be chatting about the exam. Sotomura pulled out a gaming console and began playing on it. Yukimura scowled and looked at Ichinose and Class A suspiciously. Meanwhile, Karuizawa and Machida seemed to be hitting off and chatting. Manabe spent some time eyeing Karuizawa and seemingly wanted to confront her, but there wasn't a chance since Karuizawa seemed to be with Class A, especially Machida. Ayanokouji noticed that her behavior seemed different and strangely as if she's using Machida as a shield against Manabe.

'Interesting. I will need to confirm my suspicions about this.' thought Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji pulled out his phone and messaged a certain someone, asking them if they could meet up in about an hour. Then, he slipped his phone back in his pocket and continued chatting to Nanami as she asked him something.

*Timeskip (a hour later)*

Ayanokouji left the room by himself and he noticed that Nanami, Yamashita, and Manabe went off to the elevator, presumably towards the girl's dorm floor since they were talking about Morofuji. He had a meeting with a certain someone to confirm his suspicions. He was meeting them on an outside deck and he waited for a few minutes before he arrived.

"Sorry for being late. I was a little busy with something." said Hirata, giving him an apologetic smile.

"It's alright. I was getting a good view of the ocean." replied Ayanokouji.

"You don't get tired of it?"

"It's something that you can never get tired of. Hirata, there's something I like to confirm with you."

"Go ahead. I'm all ears."

"It might be bad if I said out loud."

Ayanokouji leaned it and whispered something to Hirata's ears and as soon as Hirata heard what Ayanokouji said, his eyes widened in shock and surprise. He gave him a surprised look before leaning in and whispering.

"How did you know that?" whispered Hirata.

"Let's go somewhere private to discuss this." said Ayanokouji. Hirata nodded and they went to a more private and isolated spot of the deck before Hirata asked his question again.

"How did you know that? Did Karuizawa-san tell you?" asked Hirata.

"No. Your relationship with Karuizawa seems unnatural. I'm no love expert, but it feels more forced and Karuizawa seems to be using you. For better or worse, you're everyone's ally. " replied Ayanokouji.

"You're far more capable than everyone thinks."

"You think way too highly of me."

"Really? I'm good at reading other people. That's why I understand. How much do you know?"

"You and Karuizawa have been dating for almost four months, but your relationship with her hasn't progressed much. Of course, I considered the possibility that you were maintaining a pure and platonic kind of relationship, but even then, you've always kept yourself distant from her. You still call each other by your last names."

"You're exactly right. We weren't really dating. We were going out because we both felt that it was necessary. I suppose you consider that contradictory."

"The rumors started roughly three weeks after school began. From that point onward, Karuizawa's popularity soared by leaps and bounds. And she became the leader of the girls in Class D."

'A similar phenomenon had occurred in Rabbit Group. By attaching herself to Machida, Karuizawa could assert herself more aggressively than normal, and her level of influence had increased. To Karuizawa, Hirata was basically a host, and she was his parasite. He'd been a tool to enhance her social , Karuizawa is pretty much safe and could be as aggressive as possible as long as her host can protect her and is suitable.' thought Ayanokouji.

"You played the part of Karuizawa's boyfriend so that her social standing would improve." said Ayanokouji. In response, Hirata simply smiled.

'After all, why would Hirata have accepted her request so easily? That was a tall order for him. Karuizawa's aggressive attitude was getting more and more out of hand every day. She was behaving more like a bully. Why would Hirata approve of this and not criticize her at all? Besides, did Karuizawa really just want to use Hirata and the others to get to the top? No... there's more to it. Why would Karuizawa want to be on the top? There's something else to it and I think it's linked to why Karuizawa is placed in Class D. I felt like I was starting to discover Karuizawa Kei's true self.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Is it to protect herself?" said Ayanokouji.

"So, you understand. Honestly, when I heard you say it, I got goosebumps." said Hirata.

"Karuizawa had her reasons for clinging to you and to others. Perhaps something about her past."

"You're really something else, Ayanokouji-kun. I'll be honest. You're a different person. Ayanokouji-kun. The Ayanokouji that I saw in the beginning and what I'm looking at are two different people. How did you come to this conclusion?"

"I noticed a few things and I'm normal."

Hirata looked doubtful of Ayanokouji's claim, but didn't push it any further.

"I suppose there's no point in hiding it from you since you've already said as much, but I agreed to act like Karuizawa-san's boyfriend so she could protect herself. That's what she wanted. She said she wanted me to save her. It might be a little difficult for you to imagine, but throughout her elementary and junior high years, she was viciously bullied." said Hirata.

"Is that really the truth?" asked Ayanokouji, thinking about what he saw from Karuizawa yesterday.

"Of course, I only met Karuizawa-san after she started school here. But I understood. People who are bullied give off a unique vibe. That's why I agreed to go out with her. That way, Karuizawa-san would free herself from her past by using her position as my girlfriend. I don't think that Karuizawa-san has been showing us her real personality. I think she's just desperately
trying to act tough."

'That was why she couldn't control her emotions very well. Many people who've been bullied tend to have very meek and timid personalities, like Sakura. On the other hand, people who were confident, aggressive, and selfish—those who acted like Karuizawa—were typically the
ones doing the bullying.' thought Ayanokouji

'So Karuizawa's personality was a façade. A front. That's why she needed people like Hirata and Machida. With them, she was able to get that assertive personality. By becoming the top dog, she'll be the one doing the bullying and will pretty much avoid it due to her social standing. It might also explain how she keeps getting away from it. Nobody will expect the popular Karuizawa to be the bullied girl.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Wait a minute. What was in it for you?" asked Ayanokouji, not understanding Hirata's motive.

"What was in it for me? Karuizawa-san wasn't being bullied. That's all I needed." replied Hirata.

"Are you sure about this? I feel like there's more to it and a deeper reason."

Hirata paused for a few moments before sighing. He rested his hands on the railing and stared at the blue ocean before speaking. He kept his eyes locked on the beautiful scenery in front of him.

"It's something that I don't like talking about, but... since you know so much, what's the worst that will happen. Until my second year of junior high I was, for lack of a better word, a
nobody. I didn't stand out at all." said Hirata.

"You, Hirata? I have a hard time imagining that." replied Ayanokouji.

"Well, I wouldn't say that I was completely invisible. I did have friends. I had this one friend ever since I was little, a guy named Sugimura-kun. We were in the same class together for six years, throughout elementary school. We were neighbors, too. We walked to and from school together
every day. When we started junior high, we were put into separate classes for the first time. At first, we kept going to school together just like we always had. Gradually, we walked together less and less. I started to only hang out with other guys from my new class. That story probably sounds normal enough, I suppose."

"That's normal especially when you guys are split up."

"Yes... But you see, while I had my new friends, Sugimura-kun was getting bullied. Sugimura-kun sent me SOSs over and over. He'd show up with cuts on his face, or with bruises. But I cared more about hanging out with my friends, and never took him seriously. Sugimura-kun was always headstrong, quick to get into fights. I didn't think too deeply about what was happening. But when we entered our second year, we reunited. By then, Sugimura-kun's spirit had shattered. His bright, cheerful personality was gone. That was only natural after being beaten down so much. He'd been punched and kicked so many times. They hounded him so much that he couldn't even go to the bathroom; he ended up having accidents during class."

"So you saw that, and..."

"Yeah. I didn't do anything. I couldn't. I was afraid I'd become their next target. I was afraid that my new, fun life would be destroyed. So I pretended not to see Sugimura-kun, my oldest friend. I came up with convenient excuses for myself. I thought someday the bullies would just stop. Maybe once Sugimura-kun stopped going to school, they'd leave him alone. Or maybe someone else would step in to help him."

"So, what happened to Sugimura?"

"That day's burned into my memory, even now. After morning soccer practice, I returned to the classroom. When I got near the room, I saw that Sugimura-kun was already there, his face swollen. I decided to wait a bit before going in. To be honest, I felt uncomfortable. We'd been friends who played together ever since we were little, but right then, it felt like we were complete strangers. I thought, 'If I get involved with him, I'll get bullied, too.' Perhaps Sugimura-kun saw how ugly my heart was. He didn't say a word, but it was almost like he was sending out a plea for help. That day, he jumped out of the classroom window."

"He jumped? Did he die?"

"He was declared brain dead. But even now, Sugimura-kun's parents believe he'll recover. They're waiting for him. That day was so surreal, I still wonder if it was a hallucination. I couldn't believe it. When Sugimura-kun jumped, I realized something. By selfishly focusing so much on my own desires, I helped drive a treasured friend to his death. I don't think Sugimura-kun can be saved, but I wanted to atone. I figure the only way for me to do that is to save others."

"I understand what you're feeling, but the world isn't that simple, right? At this very moment, there's someone being bullied somewhere. And they might try to take their own life, just like Sugimura-kun. You can't stop them."

"Of course I know that. I'm not a hero or anything. But I want to save the people close to me, at the very least. I must help them. That's my penance for the sin I committed."

"That's why you decided to help Karuizawa? To avoid another situation like that happening again?"

"Of course."

"So what are you going to do, then? I doubt that you would harm Manabe and you want to save both Karuizawa and Manabe, but that's not possible."

"I understand that. Karuizawa-san is really inconsistent in that I protect her, but in a more aggressive way."

"Ahh... and you don't want to do it. What did Karuizawa say?"

"She's a little upset and left. Ayanokouji-kun... I have my limits and can't do everything."

"You want to find a way to help Karuizawa and stop Manabe without any form of violence?"

"Yes..."

"Leave it to me. I have some ideas on how to deal with it."

"You do?! If you need anything, please let me know!"

"A matter of fact, I do have a favor to ask you, but there's one thing I want you to promise. I want you to promise to not say anything at all. I have nothing to do with this if anyone asks you."

"Of course. I'm a man of my word."

*Timeskip (15 minutes later)*

Ayanokouji said his goodbyes to Hirata, who looked a little more relieved after their conversation and he was curious on what Ayanokouji is cooking up. As Ayanokouji was walking down the deck, his phone buzzed and it was a call from Horikita. Ayanokouji answered the call and placed the phone up to his ear.

"Hello?" said Ayanokouji.

"Hello, Ayanokouji-kun. Are you busy right now?" said Horikita.

"No. What's up?"

"I've gathered information about the VIP, thanks to Hirata-kun's help. The VIPs are Kushida-san from the Dragon group and Minami-kun from the Horse group."

"Dragon and Horse group... If I remember correctly, the dragon is 5th and the horse is the 7th."

"Correct. At first glance, the person being chosen as the VIP seems to be random. There's no correlation between which group becomes the VIP."

"So... Class D has two VIPs?"

"I'm not sure, but according to Hirata-kun, these are the only two that we know. I'm not sure if there's anyone else."

"The power of Hirata, I guess. By the way, did Hirata tell you the people in each of the groups?"

"Yes... I'll send it to you later, but I'm genuinely baffled by this. I would need more information to see if there's a pattern. If only there's another VIP in our class."

"Yes. It's quite unfortunate. Did Katsuragi not participate in the discussion today?"

"Yes. Although Ryuuen-kun was provoking constantly the entire time. How about you?"

"His classmates did the same thing, not much talking."

"Maybe it's for the best. I suppose it's better not to lose any points from Outcome #3 and #4, but there's no gain for us if we take that route. Katsuragi-kun could have that options since he's already in Class A and he's not losing anything if he plays defensive."

"Hmmm..."

"What are you thinking, Ayanokouji-kun?"

"Nothing."

"I know that you're thinking about something. Is there something you want to tell me?"

"No... just possibilities, but there's no point in thinking about it. I'll talk to you soon when you send me the names of the people in the Dragon and Horse group."

"Fine... You better tell me what's in your mind."

"Yes ma'am."

"Can you also send me the names of the people in your group as well? It doesn't hurt to have a look."

"Yeah. By the way, none of the classmates in my group are VIP."

"I see. No matter, just send me the names."

"Please and thank you?"

"I'll be pleased if you send it to me..."

There was a brief pause on Horikita's end of the line before she responded softly.

"And... thank you, Ayanokouji-kun." said Horikita.

"Took you long enough." replied Ayanokouji.

"Ohh... be quiet."

The duo were engaged in small banter before they said their goodbyes and disconnected the call. He sent Horikita to all of the people in his group before putting his phone in his pocket. Before he could successfully put his phone away, his phone buzzed and Ayanokouji noticed that it was a message from Nanami.

Nanami: Sorry for bothering you, but I have a favor to ask you.

Ayanokouji: What is it?

Nanami: Wow! So quick! By any chance, are you busy?

Ayanokouji: No, I'm free. Is there a problem?

Nanami: It's Rika... I hate to ask you this, but can you talk to her? She's not listening to me, Shiho, and Saki. Maybe you can help. I don't know what to do, but maybe she'll talk to you.

Ayanokouji: I can try. Don't get your hopes up.

Nanami: Just trying means a lot to me and I'm sure Rika will appreciate it.

Nanami: Thanks for doing this. It means a lot to me.

Ayanokouji: No problem. That's what friends are for, right?

Nanami: Yeah! Rika is in her room. I'll meet you on the girls' floor.

Ayanokouji: See you in a bit.

Nanami: See ya, Ayanokouji-kun!

Ayanokouji slipped his phone back into his pocket and made his way towards the elevator. He was curious about the state of Morofuji since he hadn't seen her since the incident with Karuizawa. Based on what he heard from Yamashita, Nanami, and Manabe, it seems that Morofuji isn't doing too good. Ayanokouji entered the elevator and selected his destination before the elevator began moving. After a few moments, the elevator doors opened and Ayanokouji spotted Nanami waiting for him in the hallway.

"Ah! Ayanokouji-kun!" said Nanami, waving at him.

"Hello, Nanami." replied Ayanokouji, giving her a nod.

"Thanks again for doing this. I really appreciate it."

"It's not a problem. Where's Morofuji?"

"She's been cooped in her room ever since her discussion meeting in the morning. She hasn't come out yet."

"Shall we go?"

Nanami nodded and led Ayanokouji down the hallway and eventually they stopped in front of a door. Nanami gently knocked on the door.

"Rika. It's me, Nanami. Are you here?" asked Nanami. There was silence and it didn't seem like there's anyone in the room, but after a long silence, Morofuji's weak voice came from the other side of the door.

"Nanami? Are you still here? I told you that I'm not that hungry." said Morofuji.

"Rika... You gotta eat. You already skipped breakfast and I'm worried about you. Saki and Shiho too. Please." said Nanami.

"That's all I am. Someone troublesome. Why are you guys always helping me? Why?!"

"Because we're your friends! And friends always look out for each other. Listen, I don't want you to be so caught up with the whole thing with Karuizawa. It's not your fault."

"B-But... it is! It's always my fault!"

"Don't say that! It's not your fault!"

Ayanokouji noticed that Morofuji simply took the blame and was too hard on herself. It wasn't her fault, but she still took it personally and accepted the responsibility. It was similar to how Karuizawa rose to the top of the social standing and kept up her facade to protect herself from being bullied. In Morofuji's case, it was the opposite. She's actively putting herself down and seems to have given up and accepted the blame, allowing Karuizawa to have her way. He wondered about the reason behind it and he nudged Nanami, who was getting a little heated, and gestured to her that he'll take care of this. Nanami nodded and took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Rika... Is the door unlocked? I want to come in and talk to you." said Nanami.

"Yeah... It is." replied Morofuji. Nanami opened the door and gestured to Ayanokouji to enter and whispered good luck before Ayanokouji entered the room. The room was dark with the curtains covering the windows and there is one light source: a bedside table lamp. Morofuji was facing the wall and away from Ayanokouji as he entered the room.

"Listen Nanami... I don't want to waste your time. Please leave me alone." said Morofuji. She believed that she's talking to Nanami and didn't turn around.

"Morofuji, it's me." said Ayanokouji. Morofuji yelped and turned around quickly. Her face was one of horror and surprise as she didn't expect Ayanokouji to be the one inside of her room.

"E-Ehh?! Ayanokouji-kun?! What are you doing here?!"

"Nanami asked me to come and talk to you. I'm sorry that you have to go through this."

"Why?"

"I'm your friend. I wouldn't be a good one if I left you alone while you're at your worst."

Morofuji fell into silence and just stared at the ground.

"Morofuji, it's okay if you don't want to talk to me, but I just want to be there for you, someone you can talk to." said Ayanokouji.

"I-I can't do it. Please stop wasting your time trying to fix me. A person like me can't be fixed. Please forget about me." said Morofuji, softly. Her voice slowly fading and he could see the tears running down her face.

"You know I can't do that."

"I-I'm really that pathetic. Always am."

"You're not. You applied to an elite school and got accepted. You attend your classes every day even though you're deathly afraid of half of your class and your own homeroom teacher. A matter of fact, you're afraid of half of the students in the school. And one of your classmates is Ryuuen, one of the scariest people in the entire year. Yet you're still able to go to class every day and face him. I don't think that you're pathetic at all. Most people wouldn't be able to handle all of that if they are in your shoes."

Morofuji fell into silence as she digested Ayanokouji's words and he could tell that his words are having an effect on her. He tried to speak to Morofuji softly, but failed and used his usual monotone voice.

"Morofuji... What you went through is something you will never forget. Locking yourself away won't change that, but you can change. There are people who want to help you and help you face your past. I may not know anything about your past, but I will stand with you. The question is when will you face your own past." said Ayanokouji. That advice made Ayanokouji pause for a bit and he found it ironic that that advice could apply to him.

'How ironic. I wonder if I will ever get these people that I mentioned.' thought Ayanokouji.

"I-I don't think I can face it..." replied Morofuji, wiping her eyes. The tears are still coming down her face.

"Remember what I told you when I first met you: I will be there for you." said Ayanokouji.

There was another long pause before Morofuji took a shaky breath and Ayanokouji handed her a box of tissues which she thanked him and blew her nose and wiped the tears off her face.

"Y-You're really reliable, Ayanokouji-kun. Every time I seemed to be struggling and helpless... you're always there for me." said Morofuji.

"Glad to be of service. Are you feeling a little better now?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Yeah and Ayanokouji-kun..."

Morofuji looked up and looked directly at Ayanokouji before speaking. He could see her eyes that were welled with tears and filled with sadness and anguish a few minutes ago had become one of hope and thankfulness.

"I-I'm glad that Nanami introduced me to you. Thank you so much!" said Morofuji, saying her thanks in an unusually loud tone. It was the first time that Ayanokouji heard Morofuji speaking in a loud tone, but she said it with a firm voice.

"Me too. I'm glad that she introduced me to you." said Ayanokouji. He locked his eyes with Morofuji for a brief moment and felt a familiar electric shock. Morofuji's eyes widened and she stumbled backwards and fell onto her back on her bed. Then, she quickly got up and her face was all red, flustered.

"Are you okay, Morofuji?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Y-Yeah... It's fine. Just noticed something." said Morofuji.

"Something?"

"Y-You know, it's nothing!"

Morofuji's voice went up a few pitches as she waved her arms nervously in denial.

"Okay. I hope I've helped you. I'll give you some time to think about it." said Ayanokouji. He began making his way towards the exit of the room.

"A-Ayanokouji-kun!" called out Morofuji. Ayanokouji turned around and saw that Morofuji have gotten up and approached him, facing him directly. She was struggling to lock eyes with him, but she managed to do it with some difficulty and spoke.

"T-Thank you so much!" said Morofuji, bowing her head.

Ayanokouji paused for a moment before gently petting her head. Morofuji froze and her face started turning more and more red. It looked like someone was cooking her face and before anything more could happen, they heard someone clearing their throat behind them. It was Nanami and Manabe, who both had shocked expressions on their faces.

"Hello Nanami, Manabe." said Ayanokouji.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" demanded Manabe.

"My job. Nanami, I think my job is done. She's all yours."

"T-Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun." said Nanami, looking longingly at Ayanokouji before he walked past her. Manabe followed him out of the room and the duo headed towards the elevator.

"I'm assuming that you want to ask about what I was doing in Morofuji's room." said Ayanokouji.

"Obviously!" said Manabe.

"Nanami asked me to come and talk to Morofuji and to help her out."

"So how the fuck is petting her on the head helping her?"

"I thought it was a good idea and it looked like she needed some encouragement and help."

"Did you force yourself on her?!"

"No. I'm not that type of guy."

Ayanokouji and Manabe entered the elevator together and he selected the 1st floor to get on the top of the deck. Manabe seemed to be sticking to him and Ayanokouji became a little more wary of the elevators after what happened with Ibuki. He didn't want another repeat of it, but luckily nothing happened and they arrived on the 1st floor. Ayanokouji walked over to an isolated part of the deck and turned towards Manabe. Before he could say something, Manabe's phone rang and she picked it up. Her face became one of relief and she averted her eyes from Ayanokouji.

"Nanami just texted me and Rika said she wanted to go out and eat dinner with us. So... thank you for helping Rika out." said Manabe. It seems that Morofuji is finally breaking out of her shell and is finally leaving her room which is a massive improvement.

"No need to thank me. I did it because we're friends." replied Ayanokouji.

"Friends..."

Manabe muttered that word softly and glanced over at Ayanokouji with some doubt in her eyes.

"Manabe, if you don't mind me asking, are you still going to take revenge on Karuizawa?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Hell yeah! Just because Rika is feeling a little better doesn't mean I'll forgive that bitch." said Manabe.

"So you're not backing down, are you?"

"No. Final decision!"

"I see... May I ask why?"

"Why? Do I need another reason other than her being a fucking bitch and menace to everyone around her?"

"That may be true, but that's not the real reason. Of course, it's true because she hurt Morofuji, but you have another reason why you're so focused on Karuizawa."

"Tch... Doesn't matter. Forget about it."

"Forget about it? This is your moment to shine, Manabe."

"Screw that shit. Why the fuck do you insist that I have a hidden reason? It's simple. That girl is a bitch and I want to deck her because of it."

Manabe glared at Ayanokouji, who stared back at her as he silently observed her. He has been silently observing Manabe and Karuizawa, noticing signs of their behavior. Based on that, he deduced that Manabe had a bad past.

"People see you as someone temperamental and have a bit of an attitude-" said Ayanokouji.

"Fuck you." growled Manabe.

"But, you're also kind to your friends and people that you trust. Well... kinder than the people you hate or don't like. I don't see you as a person that is always rash and lashes out without a good reason."

"..."

"Does that sound about right?"

"..."

"Fine. Rika doesn't deserve any of this shit. She's a good girl, but she's got a shitty past that I won't get into." said Manabe, sighing.

"There's more to it. You see Morofuji like yourself. I mean your past self." said Ayanokouji. He made an educated guess and he noticed that Manabe is more defensive and protective towards Morofuji and it seemed like Manabe saw herself like Morofuji. Manabe grimaces and Ayanokouji knew that he had a nerve.

"What?! I don't need your fucking help. I'm strong enough to handle it on my own. I've been doing that for years."

"Maybe it's time for you to change your ways. I don't know if you've noticed, but you're changing. If you compared yourself from when you first met me and now, you've changed. You became less aggressive and acted more differently around me."

"That's besides the point! A piece of shit like me just got lucky with some people. I don't rely on luck to get through shitty situations like that."

"Why do you refer to yourself like that?"

Manabe flinched and averted her eyes as she gave more and more away of something that she's trying to hide.

"It seems you're refusing to give yourself a chance at redemption and the chance for you to be happy and yourself. You respond badly whenever anyone tries to help you and you've given up on finding help for yourself. Instead, you're more devoted to helping your friends. In the end, you may have friends, but you're alone. With no one to help you." said Ayanokouji.

"S-Shut the fuck up! I don't need any help!" snapped Manabe.

"You know that's not true. I don't doubt your strength, but even though you're physically strong, your mental fortitude seems to be lacking resolve. I'm not saying that you're weak, but the biggest threat of Manabe Shiho is herself."

"The fuck you're on about?!"

"I am afraid that you may lose yourself, you're good as done. I doubt that you'll be able to recover from there and more and more people will start to avoid you. I just wanted to make sure that you avoid taking that road."

"Jesus Christ! Are you saying that I'm a lost cause?"

"No, I just pointed out the obvious, but you haven't done anything that bad yet. I just wanted to point out the potential outcome of this situation."

"Listen, I'm not a good person. My shitty childhood was garbage and I have to fend off for myself. Being that shitty as a kid means you're gonna be a different and shitty person, right?"

Ayanokouji studied Manabe and noticed that Manabe is experiencing a form of determinism and believed that her past and past actions defined her and she was destined to be the villain. Ayanokouji knew that his past could come back to haunt him and he could very well become the villain as well based on his past and the soulmate's situation that he's involved in. He tried not to think about it too much, but Manabe was the complete opposite and was consumed by it. Devoid of any hope and redemption, Manabe Shiho has given up long ago and countied the path that she believed she was destined for.

"Manabe... your past and your past actions don't define you. They could play a role in your character, but ultimately, what's in the past is the past. There's no point in dwelling over it. Your actions you take now, in the present, are the ones that will define you. I don't know about your past, but if you feel trapped by it, you can always rely on others and don't have to face it alone." said Ayanokouji.

'We are not bound by our past actions and our future is not predetermined. Anything can be changed due to our ability to make choices and change our future. It reminds me of Laplace's demon. Manabe's past and her actions doesn't mean she can't change for the better. The future's not set in stone after all. If only I could believe that…' thought Ayanokouji.

"What the fuck?! I can see why Nanami asked you to help Rika. You're a fucking master on words." said Manabe, after a long silence.

"I'm not a master. Just very good at studying people and finding their flaws." said Ayanokouji.

"Bullshit! I can see why Rika is feeling better now."

"Anyways, we got sidetracked, but I think that you shouldn't go through with it with Karuizawa. I told you already... your past actions don't define you and I think you can change. You're better than this."

"Huh? Is that why you went through all of that crap on how I can change?"

"Well, I just gave you my opinion, but I won't stop you. Only you have the power to change yourself. You can end the cycle of violence and hatred that you've experienced in your past. You already experienced it and now you're going to be the one that's going to give it out. You don't have to do that anymore. You're better than this."

"Again? With that bullshit. It's not like I'm going to forgive that bitch."

"Yes, but think about it. I know that you're doing this for Morofuji, but what about yourself? If you want to change and end this cycle on violence, you'll be the one to decide whether or not to end it. Choose for yourself. Are you doing this for Morofuji's sake or your own sake?"

"..."

Manabe fell into silence as she digested Ayanokouji's words and she laughed roughly.

"Hahahaha! That shit doesn't happen in real life. Saki would say it's from an anime." said Manabe.

"Just think about it. If you want to talk to me, I'll all ears." said Ayanokouji.

"Whatever. Now shoo. I need some alone time."

Ayanokouji nodded and said his goodbyes before leaving Manabe, who was leaning on the railing and staring off into the horizon.

'Let's see what Manabe will do. Now... it's up to Hirata to set the stage.' thought Ayanokouji.

*Timeskip (few hours later)*

Ayanokouji is sitting on his bed and it's almost time for curfew. Ayanokouji, Hirata, Yukimura, and Koenji were all in their room and preparing to go to sleep. As Ayanokouji was looking at his phone, Yukimura cleared his throat and spoke out loud. Hirata told Yukimura about the two known VIPs in their class a few minutes prior.

"Ayanokouji. I was thinking about the exam and the VIPS. t's equally possible for the VIP to be from any of the four classes. So in Class D, there are two VIPs that we know about. There should be one more VIP keeping his or her identity secret." said Yukimura.

"Yeah. I think your logic follows. They certainly haven't talked to me about it, but they might've consulted someone else. After all, there's a high risk of being discovered if you talk." said Hirata. While the group talked, Koenji started humming and relaxing on his bed. Yukimura, who'd been patient up until that point, bolted out of his chair in frustration.

"Koenji, stop the happy-go-lucky act already! I'm not going to tell you to take things seriously, but you need to at least participate. We don't want you to screw everything up like you did back on the island." said Yukimura.

"Well, I couldn't exactly help it. I was in awful shape. I couldn't force myself to do the impossible." replied Koenji.

"You just faked being ill to get out of it!"

"My, this test will be nothing but troublesome, wouldn't you say?"

"Troublesome? You're not even thinking about this test at all!"

"Well, there isn't any point to continuing a test that isn't interesting, is there? Finding a liar is simple."

Kouenji laughed and grabbed his phone in hand, starting to fiddle around. Soon after, everyone's phone, including Koenji's, received a notification from the school.

"What did you just do, Koenji?!" shouted Yukimura. Ayanokouji looked at the email and everyone stared at Koenji.

The test has now ended for the Monkey group. Those in the Monkey group are no longer required to participate any further. Please do not disturb the other students.

"Monkey Group? Hey, that's your group, Koenji!" shouted Yukimura.

"Of course. And now, I finally have my freedom once again. Adieu." said Koenji, tossing his phone aside, getting up and slipping into the bathroom.

"Y-you've got to be kidding me! We're desperately trying to think of a way out of this, and that guy, he just..." stammered Yukimura.

"We still don't know anything yet. He probably had his own ideas." replied Hirata.

"You're being way too generous! That guy will screw anyone over, so long as he's able to enjoy himself and take it easy. This sucks!"

Koenji's sudden actions soon became known to the rest of the students. Hirata's phone started to beep continuously as new notifications poured in. Classmates were desperate to know what happened. Hirata frowned and began rapidly tapping his phone in response and Ayanokouji got a message from Horikita, asking about what happened to the Monkey group. Ayanokouji quickly explained what happened before Horikita thanked him before there was no follow-up response from Horikita. It seemed that Horikita had step away from her phone.

"Damn it. Thanks to Koenji, things have escalated." said Yukimura. Yukimura seemed like he was so irritated he wouldn't be able to sleep, but Ayanokouji plugged his phone to his outlet before getting under the covers of his bed.

"It's probably time for us to get some sleep. We'll need some rest for our exam." suggested Hirata. Yukimura begrudgingly agreed and Hirata turned off the lights and everyone climbed into their beds. The only sound was the humming of Koenji, who was in the bathroom, and Ayanokouji tried his best to ignore it as he closed his eyes.

*Timeskip (next day)*

It was another uneventful discussion period as Class A refused to participate in the discussion with Karuizawa joining them. Ayanokouji spent his time playing card games with Ichinose, the rest of Class B, Nanami, Yamashita, Manabe, and Sotomura. He was surprised that Ichinose wasn't doing anything and there's one more day until the exam officially ends. He wondered if Ichinose was going for a defensive strategy like Katsuragi, but he decided to continue observing.

During the discussion, he noticed that Manabe still kept up her hostility towards Karuizawa, but she couldn't do anything since Karuizawa basically glued herself to Machida. Ibuki sat in the corner of the room and didn't participate at all, looking like she didn't care about it. On the other hand, Yukimura was giving everyone suspicious looks and he looked like he's trying to figure out who's the VIP. Nanami and Yamashita were both happy and thankful for Ayanokouji's help and they were talking about the improvement that Morofuji is going through. According to them, she's mostly returned back to normal and could leave her room now with not much trouble. They also said that Morofuju seemed to be more open and expressive with her thoughts and feelings. Nanami gave him a warm smile and blushed a little bit when Ayanokouji looked at her.

As Ayanokouji was leaving the room with Manabe and company, he got a message from Hirata and he replied to him. After a few moments, Hirata hesitantly agreed and he thanked Hirata for his help before slipping his phone back into his pocket.

"Manabe... there's something I would like to talk to you about." said Ayanokouji. Everyone stopped and turned towards Ayanokouji.

"What do you want?" asked Manabe, raising her eyebrows suspiciously.

"It's very important and the choice will decide your future."

Ayanokouji said it in a vague way which could be misinterpreted in so many different ways, but he didn't want to say his true intentions in front of everyone.

"What the fuck?!" yelled Manabe. She had a shocked, but angry look on her face while Nanami had a horrified look on her face. Yamashita scratched her head and looked on with curiosity.

"It's best you come with me. We have a lot to discuss." said Ayanokouji, gesturing for her to follow. Manabe reluctantly followed him and Yamashita stopped Nanami from following and shook her head, leaning in and whispering something to Nanami. Nanami blushed and shook her head before watching helplessly as Ayanokouji and Manabe walked down the hallway and into the emergency stairwell.

"What do you want? Bringing a girl in a quiet place like this." said Manabe.

"It's something important and I think you're going to accept it." said Ayanokouji.

"Huh?! Spill it and it better not be what I think it is."

"Well... Manabe. I've come to fulfill your wish."

"..."

"Do you want a meeting with Karuizawa? A way to confront her one-on-one without anyone interfering."

"What?! You found a way?!"

"Yeah. I heard that Hirata is meeting her in one of the lower levels of the ship, but I could distract Hirata for a few minutes while you'll get your chance with Karuizawa."

"Really? I can't believe it. That bitch is probably gonna tell Hirata that I'm the problem. Are you sure you can distract Hirata?"

"Yeah. He's my roommate. I can give you probably 10 to 15 minutes."

"That's plenty of time."

"So... are you in?"

"Fuck yeah! When's this meeting?"

"In about an hour. Are you going to tell Morofuji, Nanami, and Yamashita?"

"No... they don't need to get their hands dirty. I'll be the one to do it."

Manabe's face began one of delight, but it was grim as she accepted the fate of being the executioner, the one that will get their hands dirty.

"Okay. I'll see what I can do to distract Hirata. Remember to make it quick and leave before Hirata gets there." said Ayanokouji.

"Yeah... yeah. I got this." said Manabe, cracking her knuckles.

"Thanks for the help, Ayanokouji." said Manabe, nodding her head. Then, she averted her eyes. "I guess you're not as bad as I thought."

"Thanks, I guess."

"Ahh! I gotta go and make my plans."

Manabe quickly headed towards the exit, but stopped and spoke to Ayanokouji without turning around.

"Also, you're an idiot!" said Manabe.

"Idiot? How so?" asked Ayanokouji, tilting his head curiously.

"You don't just invite a girl to an isolated place and tell her that you have something important to tell her that will change her future. They'll get the wrong idea. Are you fucking stupid?"

"Did you get the wrong idea?"

"Fuck off! I'm out of here! Dumbass!"

Manabe stormed out of the door which left Ayanokouji more confused than ever.

'Alright. Let's see what Manabe could do.' thought Ayanokouji.

*Timeskip (a hour later)*

"What the heck? I can't connect... There's no signal here. Why would Hirata-kun ask me to come here for a meeting?" said Karuizawa, checking her phone and sighed in annoyance as she slipped her phone back in her pocket. She tapped her feet impatiently and wondered what's taking Hirata so long.

"That's because he's not the one who wanted to meet you. I am." said Manabe, entering the hallway and slamming the door behind her. Manabe is blocking the exit and Karuizawa couldn't escape and her eyes immediately scanned the area, looking for anyone else and escape routes.

"It's just me. I'll be the one to take care of you."

"What are you talking about? I'm wasting my time here." grumbled Karuizawa, trying to walk past Manabe, but Manabe grabbed her and shoved her back.

"We're not done here. Didn't I say that I would take care of you?"

Manabe had a wicked smile on her face and she grabbed Karuizawa's ponytail and slammed her into the wall. Manabe was stronger than Karuizawa and Karuizawa sank down on the ground, looking up at Manabe with a horrified and terrified expression on her face.

"For a bitch with a big attitude, you don't seem that tough. When trouble comes back to bite you in the ass, you just hide behind other people and push your problem onto them. Where's your help now, huh?" said Manabe. She laughed and glared at Karuizawa, who is trying her best to curl into a ball. She was shaking and was beyond terrified.

"Can't stand up for yourself. Just hiding behind people and thinking that you didn't do anything wrong." said Manabe.

"I-I didn't do anything wrong... S-She got in my way." said Karuizawa, meekly.

"Oh! Sure! Forgive me for not understanding Karuizawa-sama. Fucking unreal. I always hated that about you. Did all of the other people that you bullied get your way?"

"..."

"I don't think so. Stop saying shit and think that you're in the right."

Manabe paused and stared at Karuizawa, who was trembling with a fearful and terrified expression.

"Wait... you think I'm fucking stupid. You're obviously scared shitless. It's so obvious that you were bullied in the past." said Manabe, noticing her behavior and connecting the thoughts. Karuizawa's face tightened when her secret was exposed.

"I should've known! The last time that we met, you were shitting yourself, but Ayanokouji saved your ass." said Manabe.

"..."

"I don't care about your past, but why the fuck did you bully Rika? Is it because Rika bullied you in the past?"

"..."

"Did she bully you at school?"

"..."

"I'll tell you the answer. You just wanted to be the one that bullied people. Your shitty excuse is probably 'I bullied them, but I only did it to protect myself, so it's okay!'... What a shitty excuse. You're honestly pathetic, being a person that bullied others and looked down on them after experiencing it first hand."

"C'mon. Answer me! Are you a shitty person or not?"

Manabe tightened her grip on Karuizawa's hair and she cried out in pain.

"Answer me!" demanded Manabe.

"I-I am! I'm sorry!" cried Karuizawa, with desperation in her voice.

"All the shit you do now has nothing to do with your past. You're being such a fucking bitch and use your stupid past as a dumbass excuse. Take some responsibility and know the consequences of your actions."

'Wait. What the fuck?! I'm sounding like that bastard, Ayanokouji. Jesus... Just spending time with him makes me think like him. Why am I thinking and talking like this right now?' thought Manabe.

"I'm not only doing this for Rika, but for myself. I'm sick of your shit and always wanted to punch your stupid, condescending face for so long. I will never forgive what you did to my friend and I don't feel sorry about what's gonna happen." said Manabe. She cracked her knuckles, released Karuizawa, who was dropped onto the floor, and Manabe raised her fist.

"S-Somebody! Please! H-Help!" cried out Karuizawa, who raised her arms in defense. Manabe chuckled and shoved Karuizawa against the wall, preventing her from escaping.

"That's right. Beg for help like a helpless animal. You don't have courage to do shit now when you don't have any backup. What happened to the leader of the Class D girls? I don't see her anywhere. You're just a weak little bitch that runs her mouth and hides behind other people." said Manabe, raising her fist. Right before Manabe could strike Karuizawa, she remembered what Ayanokouji said yesterday.

You can change, Manabe.

Manabe... your past and your past actions don't define you.

Your actions you take now, in the present, are the ones that will define you.

If you want to change and end this cycle on violence, you'll be the one to decide whether or not to end it.

Choose for yourself.

Are you doing this for Morofuji's sake or your own sake?"

Your past actions don't define you and I think you can change. You're better than this.

The words of Ayanokouji rang throughout Manabe's mind and Manabe, who is stubborn and hard-headed, hesitated for a moment. Karuizawa was shaking and it was to the point of hyperventilating, closed her eyes and resigned to her fate.

'Why am I thinking about what he's saying? Shit... Shit! What do I do?!' thought Manabe, as she was having an internal debate about it. She was curious about the change that she could make and her past. Manabe really wanted to deck Karuizawa, but after seeing her helpless on the ground, terrified and basically looking like she's about to bawl her eyes out. Manabe hesitated and stared at the sorry state of Karuizawa. Karuizawa didn't look like the head-strong and arrogant leader of the Class D girls. She looked like a helpless girl and it reminded Manabe of herself when she was younger.

'Fuck... I'm gonna regret my decision later. I guarantee it.' thought Manabe.

"I want to hit you. So fucking bad, but I won't. You're not worth it." said Manabe.

With that, Manabe turned around and shoved her hands in her skirt pocket and walked away from Karuizawa. Manabe exited the room and Karuizawa fell onto the ground. She didn't care how dirty and cold the ground was and instead was sobbing her eyes out.

"I-It's just like last time... Last time... Why?! W-Why?!" muttered Karuizawa.

Little did Manabe and Karuizawa know, Ayanokouji was there, hiding in the shadows and in the corner of the room where he witnessed the entire scene. After quietly waiting for about 10 minutes, Karuizawa shakily pulled herself off the ground and spent a few minutes taking deep breaths and composing herself before leaving the dark room. Ayanokouji was surprised at how easily and skilled Karuizawa is good at putting on a facade. After facing a traumatic experience, she managed to pull herself together and put on her usual behavior.

'All right. That went better than expected. I've solved Hirata's problem for him. If Manabe would've been violent on Karuizawa, I would've waited for a bit before calling Manabe away and dealing with Karuizawa separately. The best case scenario was having Manabe not getting violent with Karuizawa and ending this feud between the two. I'll have to wait and see what will happen to Karuizawa. The threat of her secret being exposed will surely strike fear in her heart. I wonder what she will do next. But, I've confirmed one thing about Karuizawa. She's the VIP.' thought Ayanokouji.

*Timeskip (2 hours later)*

Ayanokouji exited the elevator and arrived at the girls' dorm floor. He had exited after waiting for about 15 minutes after Karuizawa left to be sure that she didn't see him coming from the room. Then, he saw Manabe and her friends at a casual restaurant eating dinner and he quickly got some dinner before taking the elevator to the girls' dorm floor. He was waiting for a certain someone and after about 20 minutes, she arrived.

"Tch... You're here." said Manabe, looking at Ayanokouji. She hesitated for a brief moment before stepping out the elevator.

"Hello, Manabe. I presume that you've completed your mission." said Ayanokouji. The duo walked down the hallway and Ayanokouji assumed that they were heading towards Manabe's room.

"About that..."

Manabe hesitated for a bit and Ayanokouji let the silence do the speaking. After a bit, Manabe took a deep breath before speaking.

"I was thinking about what you said yesterday and you're... right. The past doesn't define me and I should change for the better. I'm gonna try to move on." said Manabe.

"Judging from what you said, you didn't hit Karuizawa?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Hell, no. She's not worth it."

"I'm glad that you're taking my advice to heart."

"Well some idiot had good advice and I'm not a dumbass to not use it."

Manabe averted her eyes from Ayanokouji and had a slight blush on her face. The duo arrived in front of a door and Manabe unlocked the door with her keys and turned towards Ayanokouji.

"Congratulations for your character development." said Ayanokouji, in a half-joking way. Manabe snorted and rolled her eyes.

"You're starting to sound like Saki now. You better not start to become like her. I can't deal with two of them at the same time." said Manabe.

"Become like Yamashita? Don't tell me that you're afraid that you're going to like me now? You're getting soft, Manabe."

"I'm still gonna punch you in the face if you annoy me, but I guess I'm more tolerable. And don't get the wrong idea, idiot. I don't want you to think that I'm starting to like you."

"It looks like you're warming up to me."

"Heh... maybe, but don't think I'm gonna end up like a sappy lovey girl."

"Yeah. I didn't think that's going to happen to you."

"Hey... is the offer that you gave me legit?"

"Offer?"

"Hypothetically speaking, if I wanted to talk to you, would you listen? It's hypothetical, so don't get the wrong idea and it's not like I wanted to talk to you or anything."

'Tsunderes…' thought Ayanokouji.

"Of course. If you're ready and willing to speak to me, then I'm fine with it." said Ayanokouji.

"Okay. T-Thanks, Ayanokouji." said Manabe. Manabe glanced over at Ayanokouji and the duo locked eyes for a brief moment and Ayanokouji felt the familiar electric shock again. Manabe's mouth dropped open as she averted her eyes, blushing.

Soulmates

1) Horikita Suzune

2) Kushida Kikyou

3) Mii-chan

4) Tachibana Akane

5) Azuma Sana

6) Shinohara Satsuki

7) Onodera Kayano

8) Mori Nene

9) Hoshinomiya Chie

10) Ichihashi Ruri

11) Andou Sayo

12) Shiranami Chihiro

13) Yabu Nanami

14) Sakura Airi

15) Inogashira Kokoro

16) Morofuji Rika

17) Manabe Shiho

Author's Note:

Hello, everyone! Sorry for taking a bit of a chapter. I was busy with my finals and had little time to finish, but I've finished with them. Pray for my success!

I had some fun with this chapter since I was ready to get the Morofuji and Manabe arc done and I was planning for this entire arc ever since they got introduced. For those that are wondering, I'm holding back on the development and arc with Kei for a bit. I have some ideas on what to do with her, so let me cook.

I took heavy inspiration from AbzuAzael and his Harem of the Side Characters. I liked how he handled the situation with Manabe and made her into a likable character.

I'll be updating COTE 100 girlfriends' reactions after this chapter. And I'll get some shut-eye and rest now.