Chapter 140: Class C Attacks Class A? Hachiman: Ryuen, I Advise You to Stop Guessing!
Even though the announcement for the fifth group discussion had not yet begun, a notification arrived that another group's exam had ended early.
Pig Group. Ended Early.
Katsuragi Kohei's brow furrowed instantly, a wave of undisguised solemnity flashing across his steady face. His gaze subconsciously swept toward Sakayanagi before quickly retracting, as if confirming something—or perhaps trying to hide something.
Because right now, his mind was a bit dazed.
Hashimoto Masayoshi, also of Class A, reacted faster. He lowered his head and took a sip from his water cup—a tactical drink. He appeared calm enough, but it was meaningless.
Because Class A obviously knew who the "VIP" of the Pig Group was. It was Ryoko Nishikawa.
The students of Class A had stayed up all night to derive the rule, and since it was a class-wide effort, everyone had been informed of the list of VIPs within their own class. Therefore, the VIP of the Pig Group that Ryuen was currently attacking was indeed one of theirs.
Combined with the fact that Class C had also derived a rule, and seeing Ryuen's triumphant expression, a premonition of disaster welled up in Katsuragi's heart.
'Could Class C have actually guessed right? Are they going to take 100 class points from us?'
Sakayanagi, however, remained exceptionally composed, even maintaining that elegant smile. She knew very well that the rule Class C had derived was different from the one she had found. Thus, in her eyes, Class C was simply handing points over to Class A.
As for Ryuen, he had been focusing intently on the expressions of the three Class A students since the announcement. After confirming Katsuragi and Hashimoto's "insurance," the smugness at the corner of Ryuen's mouth deepened. He intentionally shook his leg resting on the table, making the chair let out a slight creak as if making a proclamation.
"Yo, Katsuragi," Ryuen drawled, his tone dripping with mockery. "Why did your face suddenly turn so ugly? It couldn't be that the VIP of the Pig Group just happens to be from your Class A, could it?"
Katsuragi didn't answer, but his silence was an answer in itself.
Ryuen sneered, leaning forward with his hands on the table, staring straight at Sakayanagi.
"Sakayanagi, weren't you just inviting me to guess your Class A's VIPs? Why aren't you speaking now? Where did all that confidence go?"
"Didn't you want Class A to be attacked? Now I've granted your wish; you should be happy!" Ryuen mocked.
"......" Sakayanagi.
When Sakayanagi raised her eyes to look at Ryuen, there was something unreadable in her gaze. It seemed to contain a hint of... pity.
That look annoyed Ryuen. The last person to look at him like that was Koenji. Now this Sakayanagi brat was going to put on those superior airs too?
"Ryuen-kun," Sakayanagi spoke unhurriedly. "Are you showing off?"
"Showing off?" Ryuen shook his leg, his mockery intensifying. "I just docked 100 points from Class A."
He paused, pointing toward the window—though there was a wall in the way, everyone knew what he was pointing at. Not far from here was the discussion room for the Pig Group.
"The announcement for the Pig Group has already sounded. You Class A people must be quite anxious right now, aren't you?" Ryuen said. "They must be itching to send you messages in a panic."
Sakayanagi didn't pick up the thread, but the phone she had placed on the table did indeed vibrate once. Katsuragi also tucked his phone back into his pocket. Clearly, Class A students had just sent them messages.
However, Sakayanagi didn't look at her phone, nor did she continue replying to Ryuen. Instead, she looked over at Hachiman. Hachiman felt her attention immediately.
"Hikigaya-kun," Sakayanagi spoke softly, a faint trace of a smile in her voice. "Who do you think the VIP of the Pig Group is?"
Hachiman had been struggling to suppress the urge to laugh, but hearing this, he was slightly taken aback. He met Sakayanagi's gaze. As a "human observer," he noticed her eyes resting on his face as if waiting for an answer—or perhaps confirming something.
He realized instantly: Sakayanagi was testing him.
Yesterday, she clearly couldn't derive the rule but had to pretend she had. Now, he was in a position where he clearly knew there was no rule, yet had to act like he'd derived it long ago to fool her.
How the tables have turned.
It was true; Classes A and C fully believed there was a pattern to the VIPs, and Class B had supposedly mastered this "rule" long ago. Now that Ryuen was attacking Class A, Sakayanagi naturally assumed Hachiman knew the VIP list for the Pig Group.
So, what did her question mean?
Firstly... how could he possibly know who the VIP was? At most, he could deduce that the VIP was indeed a Class A student and was one of the three Class A members in that group. But in Sakayanagi's eyes, he should have mastered the rule and understood the situation of the Pig Group.
...It was very interesting that Sakayanagi was asking him now.
This meant... Sakayanagi actually felt Ryuen's answer was inaccurate... meaning she thought Ryuen's derived rule was wrong?
That made sense. Because the VIP of the Rat Group—which Class C had also ended early—was not Minami Kozue, whom Ryuen had pointed out.
Likely, the VIP Sakayanagi derived according to her own "rule" wasn't Minami Kozue either, so she figured Ryuen was using a flawed rule.
After this lightning-fast train of thought, Hachiman finally understood why she asked about the Pig Group. However, currently, only Class C was guessing wildly, while Class A hadn't made a move. He had to keep acting to keep Sakayanagi steady.
Sigh. It seemed this exam was going to squeeze every bit of his meager acting talent dry.
Thinking this, Hachiman put on a completely blank expression.
"I don't know."
This "I don't know" could be considered his most honest reaction—he truly didn't know the specific individual. But this versatile phrase and expression were enough for Sakayanagi to fill in the blanks herself.
And this answer seemed to satisfy her requirements.
In Hachiman's view, Sakayanagi's eyebrows twitched slightly, and she didn't press further. Clearly, she had rationalized it into an answer she could accept. She simply gave a soft laugh.
To prevent Sakayanagi from overthinking, Hachiman chose to deflect the trouble. He looked at Ryuen, who was sitting with his legs crossed, and spoke with a tone of admonishment.
"Ryuen, I don't think you should have attacked directly."
Ryuen raised an eyebrow, the mockery on his face growing.
"Shouldn't have attacked?" he repeated the words as if he'd heard something hilarious. "Hikigaya, are you trying to teach me how to take an exam?"
Ryuen sneered, crossing his arms and leaning back, the chair creaking.
"Why is it that you guys get the benefits every time?" Ryuen's voice rose a few notches, a burning fire in his eyes. "In the deserted island exam, you harvested nearly 100 million. In this exam, your Class B pulls that spare phone stunt so the other classes can't do anything to you. Now that it's our Class C's turn to exert force, you're telling me not to attack?"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room before landing on Sakayanagi.
"Sakayanagi, Katsuragi, and Hikigaya—you Classes A and B have a large number of VIPs this time, don't you?" Ryuen's tone carried the determination of someone burning their bridges,
every word forced through his teeth. "Class C has very few VIPs, so we'll take the initiative. We'll guess your VIPs one by one and snatch the points from your hands!"
He suddenly stood up, hands pressing on the table, leaning forward as he stared intensely at Hachiman.
"This time, I'm going to take down both Classes A and B!"
The room fell silent for a few seconds. Hachiman looked at him without speaking. He simply shook his head slightly, like he was looking at a child who wouldn't listen to advice.
"Why are you shaking your head?" Ryuen stared at him. "Think I can't do it?"
Hachiman didn't answer. Sakayanagi, meanwhile, let out a laugh.
"And what are you laughing at, Sakayanagi?" Ryuen turned his gaze on her. "You think I can't do it either?"
Sakayanagi didn't answer either.
The atmosphere seemed to turn eerie. However, in the corner where Class D was situated, Hirata Yousuke turned slightly and lowered his voice to speak to Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
"Ayanokouji-kun." His voice was very low, ensuring only those few could hear. He leaned toward Ayanokouji, worry etched on his face. "This exam... can we still reach Result 1?"
Ayanokouji didn't answer immediately. His gaze fell on Ryuen. Those golden pupils reflected Ryuen's flamboyant figure without a single ripple of emotion.
Hirata waited for two seconds. Seeing no response, he added, "So many groups have ended early now. If Classes A, B, and C are all attacking each other, I'm afraid not many groups will be left. But even if only one group reaches Result 1, it's a bit of a bad situation for our class."
Hirata paused, his tone laced with concern. Clearly, that worry wasn't for himself, but for the entire class.
"Because if that happens, internal problems will definitely arise in Class D. The students from groups that ended early versus those who could reach Result 1—the amount of points they receive will be different. People will definitely be dissatisfied and demand a redistribution." Hirata's voice grew lower, sounding like he was talking to himself or seeking an opinion. His brow was furrowed, having foreseen the potential trouble.
"I'm worried... that the order in the class will fall apart then," he continued.
But Ayanokouji still didn't answer. He simply turned his head and fixed his gaze on Kushida Kikyo.
"Kushida," Ayanokouji suddenly asked, "is the VIP of the Sheep Group really Chiaki Matsushita?"
Kushida Kikyo was looking down at her phone; her fingers paused slightly at those words.
Because two groups had ended early in succession, the Class D group chat was very lively. Just as Hirata feared, students were starting to get restless because the points they'd receive would be different if most groups were kicked out.
But as Kushida looked up from her phone, her face already wore that standard fake smile.
It was naturally a fake smile. If she were facing an ordinary classmate, she might have mixed in a bit of a real smile, but there was no need for that with Ayanokouji. After all, Kushida remembered that Ayanokouji had tried to stalk and manipulate her before. Now he was VIPing Matsushita—what was he up to? One VIP failed, so he picked a new one?
"Ayanokouji-kun, I'm not sure about that either," Kushida said quickly, tilting her head slightly as if trying to recall. "After all, the list of Class D VIPs wasn't announced to the class, and no one reported it to me."
She paused, then looked at Ayanokouji. "However, Ayanokouji-kun, even though we're classmates... I don't actually agree with some of your ideas."
She put it diplomatically, but the meaning was clear: she wouldn't provide him with any help. Not even intelligence.
Ayanokouji looked at her and said nothing. Kushida had already looked away; she was smart. In this situation, she only needed to turn toward Hirata.
Sure enough, seeing Kushida's look, Hirata understood immediately. He quickly looked at Ayanokouji and said seriously, "Ayanokouji-kun, I will do my best to restrict you from taking any actions that might worry everyone."
Ayanokouji was silent for a few seconds, then gave a slight nod.
This little interlude in Class D was quickly swallowed by the tense atmosphere of the Dragon Group.
Hachiman had specifically paid attention to Ayanokouji just now, as it was unusual for him to initiate a conversation with Kushida. But looking at it now, Ayanokouji still had his skills. He had seen something that Ryuen, Hiyori, and Sakayanagi had all missed.
And that was: Was the VIP of the Sheep Group—which had been ended early yesterday by Class A's Yahiko Totsuka—really Chiaki Matsushita? And if it wasn't her, then the rules Classes A and C derived based on that premise were definitely wrong.
It was normal for Ayanokouji to be suspicious because, to outsiders, everything pointed to Matsushita being the VIP, but there were other possibilities.
Because Hachiman had arranged for Matsushita to use the exact same plan Ayanokouji had come up with in the original story.
So, Ayanokouji was probably like Ryuen during the island exam—wondering how a plan he could have thought of had been copied.
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Meanwhile, Class C's attack had reached a fever pitch.
Although Hiyori wasn't in the best state—her long silver hair was a bit messy, there were faint dark circles under her eyes, and she radiated the exhaustion of an all-nighter—she had been keeping her head down and hadn't said a word until now. Even facing Ryuen's aggressive offensive, she didn't show much emotion.
However, Sakayanagi didn't seem prepared to beat around the bush anymore.
"Ryuen-kun," Sakayanagi spoke softly, her tone carrying a hint of something meaningful. "You just said you were going to take down both Classes A and B?"
Ryuen raised an eyebrow. "What, are you scared now?"
"Scared?" Sakayanagi shook her head slightly, her silver hair swaying. "I was just thinking, since you're so confident, aren't you afraid of guessing wrong?"
Ryuen sneered. "Sakayanagi, you really won't shed a tear until you see the coffin."
Ignoring his mockery, Sakayanagi continued, "You have, at most, four VIP names in your hand, right? The two from Class C, Takuro Morishige from the Monkey Group, and Chiaki Matsushita from the Sheep Group..."
She paused, her gaze landing on Ryuen's face, her purple-blue eyes holding a look of insight.
"A rule derived from four samples... do you really think it's reliable?"
At those words, Shiina Hiyori's body stiffened slightly. She snapped her head up to look at Sakayanagi. A flash of panic and the embarrassment of having her inner thoughts exposed crossed her clear eyes. Her lips parted slightly as if to say something, but nothing came out.
Because she knew very well that what Sakayanagi said was the truth.
She had only obtained four samples. And a rule derived from four samples was, in the end, only "possibly correct," not "certainly correct."
There was no fifth sample for them to verify.
Therefore, although the derived rule included all four samples, she didn't actually have full confidence.
And now, the announcements for the Rat and Pig Groups had sounded. If her rule was correct, it would add points to Class C. But if the rule was wrong... she would be the sinner of Class C.
Class C would directly lose 200 points.
Since Class C only had two VIPs to begin with, even if they did nothing and both VIPs were guessed, they would only lose 200 points. But now, because of her rule and Ryuen's initiative, perhaps the risks they were taking in this exam had exceeded her bottom line.
Thinking of this, Hiyori couldn't help but purse her lips. She subconsciously turned her head to look at Hachiman.
Hachiman happened to look over at the same time. Their gazes met in mid-air.
Hiyori bit her lip, her eyes filled with complex emotions—tension, unease, and a faint, hidden expectation. She hoped to see something in Hachiman's eyes, a hint, a tip, even just a tiny flicker. She also hoped to hear his inner voice; she had never wanted to hear it so urgently as she did now.
But Hachiman only gave her a glance before looking away. Hiyori lowered her eyes, a wave of inexplicable disappointment welling up in her heart. She hadn't been able to hear any thoughts.
Just then, Ryuen's voice rang out.
"Sakayanagi, you really won't shed a tear until you see the coffin." Ryuen sat back in his chair and pulled his phone from his pocket. His movements were grand, as if making an announcement. "Fine, then I'll let you see clearly."
He tapped the screen a few times, then turned the phone toward Class A. "Look at this."
Katsuragi's gaze fell on the screen, and he froze instantly. On the screen, there was only one line of text—
[Ryoko Nishikawa]
And that was exactly Class A's VIP in the Pig Group.
Seeing that name, Katsuragi's face turned deathly pale.
Because this meant Ryuen was correct.
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