Chapter 11: Hiyori Seems to Have Seen a Cruel Ending
"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka," Kanzaki uttered that name.
Hachiman didn't speak, but his silence was an answer in itself.
Kanzaki lowered his head, appearing to hesitate for a moment, before saying, "My father's company once provided financial support to the White Room."
Hachiman's eyebrows twitched slightly.
Kanzaki's gaze fell toward the window, as if recalling something from a long time ago.
"It was at a party," he said. "A White Room party. Since my father's company provided funding, I had the privilege of attending that gathering as the son of a VIP."
Hachiman listened quietly.
"At the party, a few children were arguing. Four of them surrounded one, demanding an apology. I happened to be there and realized after watching for a bit—the child being surrounded was lying. He was the one in the wrong. So I didn't step in; I just stood by and watched."
He paused.
"Then, Ayanokouji appeared."
Hachiman's finger tapped lightly against the edge of the table.
"He didn't blame the lying child," Kanzaki's voice was soft, like a memory of a fading image. "He only said one thing—'Because we are comrades.' And then the dispute settled. The three attackers suppressed their anger, and the child who was surrounded lowered his head. Just like that, he defused an explosive conflict with total nonchalance."
Kanzaki withdrew his gaze and looked at his own hands resting on the table.
"That was the first time I saw Ayanokouji. And it was also the first time I saw him."
Hachiman's brow furrowed slightly. "Him?"
Kanzaki nodded.
"Ayanokouji's father," he said. "The founder of the White Room, Ayanokouji Atsuomi. He had been watching the dispute from the side the whole time. After things settled, he walked up to me, placed his hand on my head, and said something."
Hachiman waited for him to continue.
Kanzaki closed his eyes, recalling the sentence that had been etched into his mind for years.
"'When you lack the power to help others, running away or ignoring them is acceptable,'" he recited softly. "'But to possess power and choose not to use it—that is the mark of a true fool.'
I was small then and didn't quite understand the meaning," he said. "But as I grew up, I slowly began to understand."
He paused.
"The 'power' that man spoke of wasn't just physical strength or intellect. It's courage, accountability, and the determination to stand up for others. When you don't have those, running away or ignoring the situation is indeed okay. But if you clearly have them and choose not to act out of fear or laziness—that is a true fool."
Hachiman looked at him, suddenly remembering something. In the original work, Kanzaki Ryuji was Ichinose's most reliable second-in-command in Class B—calm, steady, never impulsive, and never backing down. He would stand up at critical moments, share Ichinose's burdens, and shoulder responsibility when the class needed it.
So, it wasn't innate.
He had been awakened by a single sentence.
"So that's why you helped Ichinose later," Hachiman said. "That's why you maintain order in the class."
Kanzaki was slightly taken aback, then nodded gently.
"Perhaps," he said. "That sentence has indeed influenced me for a long time."
Hachiman remained silent.
In Kanzaki's eyes, Ayanokouji Atsuomi—Ayanokouji's father and the "Big Boss" of the original series—seemed like an elder or a teacher providing guidance.
However, Hachiman didn't believe Ayanokouji Atsuomi was that kind-hearted. In the original story, he had driven a butler who served him for over a decade to his death and forced the butler's son to commit suicide. How could such a person provide guidance to Kanzaki as an "educator"?
It was most likely because the White Room was in its early stages and hadn't achieved major results yet, so he needed to cater slightly to the emotions of his donor's heir. If he could secure more funding, even better.
Kanzaki had no way of knowing that this same Ayanokouji Atsuomi had also said things like:
"Matsuo's life was merely a warning. Return to the White Room, otherwise, this school will become your grave."
"I am your father, Ayanokouji Atsuomi. You must obey my orders without resistance."
"Only stupid people fail to use the abilities they possess."
Kanzaki turned his head to look at Hachiman, his lips twitching slightly. Perhaps it was because they were talking about Ayanokouji.
"What will become of this exam?" There was an indescribable sense of anticipation in Kanzaki Ryuji's tone. "I shouldn't be curious, but—I'm looking forward to it a bit."
Hachiman looked at him and nodded gently.
"A genius like Ayanokouji," Kanzaki said, "can he really be defeated?"
"..."
Hachiman leaned back against his chair, his face remarkably calm.
"Let's find out," he said.
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Meanwhile, in the Class C classroom.
When Shiina Hiyori pushed open the back door and walked in, the classroom was much noisier than when she had left. A few boys were huddled in the back row, looking at something on a phone and laughing hysterically. A few girls in the front row were discussing where they went during the holidays; their voices weren't loud, but the chattering was non-stop.
One could say Class C was a bit rowdy.
However, Hiyori was already used to the atmosphere of the students in her class. She didn't intentionally reach out to anyone, and no one went out of their way to disturb her.
But her gaze immediately landed on Ryuen.
Ryuen Kakeru was sitting by the window with his legs propped up on the desk, twirling a pen in his hand. His expression was the same as usual—arrogant, with a hint of impatience, as if he were dissatisfied with everything around him. But Hiyori noticed his gaze kept drifting toward the door.
Seeing her enter, Ryuen put down the pen and leaned forward slightly.
"How was it?" Ryuen asked quickly.
Clearly, Hiyori waiting specifically for Hachiman wasn't a sudden whim of hers; it was at Ryuen's request.
"I met him," Hiyori said. "We spoke for a bit."
Ryuen looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
Hiyori recounted Hachiman's words verbatim—the Red-White face-off wouldn't be lost, he would handle it, and the Red Team would win.
"..."
After listening, the corners of Ryuen's mouth slowly curled up.
"Shiina, well done," he said, his tone carrying obvious satisfaction.
Hiyori looked at him without speaking.
Ryuen leaned back and propped his legs up again. His fingers tapped twice on the edge of the desk, and his eyes held a light she had seen many times before—the look he had when he was calculating something.
"With the Red-White face-off points guaranteed," Ryuen said, "I can make some other moves."
Hiyori sat quietly nearby, not joining the conversation.
She looked at Ryuen's face, full of confidence, but a sudden, unidentifiable wave of complex emotion surged in her heart.
She had experienced this feeling many times.
Before the deserted island exam, she thought Class C held Hikigaya's inner thoughts and believed it was a trump card gifted by heaven. In the end, those thoughts were bait, and Class C was led by the nose for the entire exam. Before the VIP exam, she thought she had deduced the pattern of the VIPs and believed Class C had finally found a chance to strike back. In the end, that pattern was fake, and Class C was nearly docked into negative points because of her deduction.
Every time, just when she felt "this time it's solid," she discovered she had already stepped into a trap.
And now, that feeling was back.
The Red Team won't lose. The 200-point guarantee from the Red-White face-off. Class C could safely do other things.
It sounded great. Almost too good to be true.
"Ryuen-kun," she spoke softly.
Ryuen turned his head to look at her. "What is it?"
Hiyori was silent for a second, then shook her head.
"It's nothing," she said. "I just feel—this exam is likely another of Hikigaya-kun's overt plots."
Ryuen's brow furrowed slightly. "An overt plot?"
"Yes." Hiyori nodded. "If the Red Team wins, every class in the Red Team across the whole school year gets 200 points. Hikigaya-kun says the Red Team will win, so our Class C gets 200 points for free. It sounds like a good thing. But—"
She paused.
"But, precisely because it is a good thing, we will feel safe doing 'other things.' And those 'other things' are likely exactly what Hikigaya-kun wants us to do."
Ryuen stared at her for two seconds, his frown deepening.
"You mean he's using us?"
Hiyori didn't answer immediately. She thought for a moment, then sighed softly.
"It's not exactly 'using' us," she said. "It's more like—he knows how we will act, so he paved the road in advance. We think we're choosing our own path, but he already drew the direction long ago."
Ryuen fell silent for a few seconds.
His fingers stopped tapping on the desk.
The noisy sounds in the classroom continued, but in this corner by the window, the air seemed frozen, so quiet that one could hear the rustle of the wind blowing through the leaves outside.
After a long while, Ryuen finally spoke.
"So what?" His voice was lower than before, but there was no hesitation in his tone. "Even if it's an overt plot, we have to swallow it. Because Class C needs to climb up."
It wasn't just Sakagami-sensei; anyone could feel Ryuen's determination.
Hiyori then nodded gently.
"Yes. We need to climb up," she said.
But she couldn't help thinking about one thing.
Even though they knew it was an overt plot, even though they knew it was another of Hikigaya-kun's setups, Class C still had no choice but to follow that path. Not because they were stupid, but because they had no other choice.
Class C needed those 200 points.
Class C needed the chance to climb up.
So even if it was a trap, they had to jump.
Hiyori returned to her seat and took out her math textbook for the afternoon class, but she didn't open it.
She couldn't help but look up at the sky, bleached white by the sunlight.
What will become of this exam?
She asked the question silently in her heart, then sighed softly.
No one answered her.
However, she could sense that when she was talking to Hikigaya-kun just now, even though he didn't speak and there were no "inner voices," the way he looked at her... was calm, but more so, it was filled with pity.
Hiyori was often alone and liked to observe others, so she could sense Hikigaya-kun's state.
But this revealed a very cruel piece of information: in his eyes, no matter how hard Class C worked, it was futile. Initially, she thought it was because Hikigaya-kun knew their strength and was suppressing them.
But today, there was something deeper.
That is... was it even possible for Class C to graduate as Class A?
Thinking of this, Hiyori's scalp momentarily went numb.
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