Hiyori Shiina: "Is there something I can help you with, Kushida-san?"
"Oh, no, it's nothing."
Kikyō Kushida gave a slightly awkward smile, sat down across from the girl, and waved her hand dismissively. "This afternoon, Ryūen-san made a threat to kill everyone in Class D. I know it's just a threat, but a lot of my classmates are worried about further retaliation, so..."
The girl's words trailed off, not quite making a coherent point.
Hiyori Shiina picked up the thread of her conversation, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware of that. Besides, Ryūen-san knows where to draw the line. I don't think he'd do anything too extreme."
"Is... is that so?" Kikyō Kushida couldn't stop the corner of her mouth from twitching.
Symon also retorted mentally, "Hiyori, do you even believe that when you say it?"
"Ara, I don't believe it either~" Hiyori Shiina replied with a light chuckle.
Of course, she knew how unreliable her own words sounded, but Kushida's question was casual anyway, so there was no need for her to give it too much thought.
With that in mind, Hiyori Shiina paused in thought before asking in a gentle voice, "By the way, Kushida-san, have you ever considered changing classes? Ryūen-san and I have been discussing it—we're looking for a student skilled in communication to join Class C, and you seem like a perfect fit, Kushida-san. Would you be willing to accept?"
Kikyō Kushida froze at her words, instinctively shrinking back a little. After a moment, she broke into a very cute grin. "Amo~ Making a joke like that so suddenly... even I would get flustered."
Noticing her reaction, Hiyori's eyes flickered for a moment, and she replied with a smile, "I see... I'm very sorry."
Kikyō Kushida waved her hands, a certain expression on her face. "It's alright. Everyone in Class D is very good to me. I have no intention of leaving."
This was the girl's lie. No one knew better than her what kind of dregs Class D was made of, but...
She was also well aware of her own depravity. No matter how well she disguised it, no matter how hard she tried to befriend the majority of people, her true nature remained unchanged. She was still that talentless person.
A person like her, just as Chabashira-sensei had said, probably only deserved to be in the mud pit that was Class D—so the girl thought.
Hiyori, of course, didn't believe a word of it. She sighed softly to herself, "This girl seems to have it tough, too. Having to deal with such unreasonable people every day... If it were me..."
"Hiss~!" Symon feigned a sharp intake of breath. "Don't say it. My head is already starting to hurt."
Horikita, Ayanokōji, Kōenji... Every one of them is a heavyweight. To be able to navigate such an environment like a fish in water, one could only say that Kushida's adaptability was terrifyingly strong. If it were him, he would have given up long ago.
While the two were conversing in their minds, Kushida, on the other side of the table, collected her thoughts. A cute smile appeared on her face as she asked with apparent innocence, "Hiyori-san, do you know where I can find Ryūen-san? I'd like to talk to him alone and try to get everyone to get along peacefully."
Hiyori Shiina tilted her head and said with a smile, "If you're looking for him, you should check the ship's bar or the KTV. If you can really do that, Kushida-san, that would be for the best."
Kikyō Kushida returned the smile and waved. "I understand. See you next time~!"
Watching the girl walk away, Hiyori Shiina's eyes flickered, and she thought softly to herself, "It seems that girl has some secrets she can't talk about..."
"I pretty much figured that out too. Here's the question—what kind of business would make her rather go to Ryūen than talk to you?"
Recalling the girl's instinctive recoil just moments ago, Hiyori Shiina tilted her head and answered, "It's probably just a simple lack of self-confidence. Or perhaps... an inferiority complex?"
"Hmm... that problem is easy to solve. I suggest forming a girls' band. It would be best if she played the drums."
"? " — Hiyori slowly formed a question mark in her mind.
At the same time, a waiter approached with a food cart and served the girl a delicacy meticulously prepared by the chef.
The pair's daily routine is omitted here.
...
Meanwhile—
In the ship's bar, Ryūen was sitting sideways at the counter, holding a stemmed glass. He tilted the rim slightly, clinking it against the glass Kanzaki was holding by the stem.
Clink~! A crisp sound of glasses meeting.
"Um, Ryūen-san, and Kanzaki-kun..." Ichinose watched Kanzaki clink glasses with Ryūen, unsure of how to reprimand them.
Seeing their practiced movements, she felt that any attempt would be futile.
Just then, Ryūen held the base of his glass up to the neon lights, watching the dark red liquid shimmer with an alluring glow. He asked in a playful tone, "So, are you two satisfied with the results?"
"It was exactly as we expected," Kanzaki replied, his expression calm. He casually set down his glass and asked nonchalantly, "It's just that Class A's score was abnormally high. Do you have any idea why?"
Ichinose remained silent, but her gaze towards Ryūen also held a hint of suspicion.
"Just as you suspected, I had a similar deal with Class A. However... instead of questioning me, shouldn't you be examining yourselves?"
Ryūen looked down to meet Ichinose's gaze and asked with a grin, "You spent one million points to get the exam rules from me and copied a map. How did you make use of them?"
Kanzaki interjected from the side, "We secured the vast majority of the resources and the most comfortable campsite."
Ryūen tilted his head, a strange grin spreading across his face. "But how did that help you score more points and get promoted to Class A?"
"Are you implying we should have focused on capturing spots and gathering information on the other classes' leaders?" Ichinose frowned in thought, then quickly identified a blind spot.
"Thinking about it that way, those surveillance cameras must have been your doing."
Ryūen sneered. "No, the camera in your class's area was indeed placed by that Ayanokōji. It took me quite a while to find it."
He was only telling half the story. As for the one outside the homeroom teacher's tent, he had no intention of mentioning it at all.
"Thinking about it that way, our choice of campsite was indeed too conservative."
Kanzaki stroked his chin, recalling the island map. "If we had occupied the cave, checked in at the four nearest spots early on, announced it to the other classes, and then used the 200 temporary points from the trade to secure food and living supplies, our final score should have been around 420 points."
"You're only figuring that out now?"
Ryūen looked at Kanzaki and said coldly, "You don't study the rules placed right in front of you, and you don't pursue the profits right before your eyes. In the end, do you even intend to reach Class A? Young master of Kanzaki Heavy Industries. Or perhaps..."
At this point, Ryūen glanced sideways at Ichinose and mocked, "Or are you just playing house with this woman?"
"My apologies. I have indeed been reflecting on this. From now on, I will be involved in Class B's planning. If there are future opportunities for cooperation," Kanzaki extended his hand to Ryūen, without considering Ichinose's thoughts.
Ryūen casually slapped it away, then turned to Ichinose and asked with a smirk, "Your second-in-command is planning to compete with you for power. Aren't you going to say anything?"
A brilliant smile appeared on Ichinose's face. "It's alright, if that's what Kanzaki-kun wishes."
Ryūen watched the two with a cold smile. "In that case, I'll be waiting to see what happens."
"Not bad. He managed to bluff his way through that."
...
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