The midterm exams had been handed back, and Class C now faced the after-school hours.
The air had felt heavy when the tests were returned, yet a moderate tension had filled the room.
But now it was different.
Class C's leader, Kakeru Ryūen, perched on the edge of the teacher's desk, gazing down at his classmates.
When their eyes met his appraising, narrowed stare, they truly became frogs frozen before a snake—puppets that could do nothing but tremble.
Any satisfaction from finishing the exams had vanished, replaced by goosebumps rising on their skin under the pressure radiating from their king.
They strained their ears to catch every word he might say, while desperately willing time to pass.
"Well, some of you probably already picked up on it from that conversation with the idiot... but a traitor has shown up in this class."
A traitor in the class.
The room stirred at how he dove straight into the point without any lead-in.
"Hey, settle down."
The students lined up protectively around Ryūen reacted to the unrest. He silenced them with a single word.
Daichi Ishizaki, Albert Yamada, Kyōgo Komiya, Reo Kondō—all combat types.
If anyone stepped out of line, they could respond instantly.
The only one who could break through this formation—one that wouldn't hesitate at violent punishment—was none other than "that idiot."
But that student was no longer here. So no one could rebel.
"During the cruise ship special test, even if Suzune is sharp, holding back that reckless idiot while rallying every class was stretching it.
The plan was simple yet flawlessly executed, and the speed in pulling it off was impressive. Calling that overall strength would shut down any complaint, but seeing the naivety he showed at the sports festival makes you suspect someone else was pulling strings."
It sounded like a long soliloquy, yet also like a speech meant to be heard.
"On top of that, the sports festival strategy completely threw Suzune under the bus. You could even say it was set up for me to crush her.
Unless you're some pervert who gets off on being destroyed, no one would do that—and a soft person like him wouldn't easily sacrifice anyone."
Soft person. Ryūen acknowledged Suzune's ability while judging her that way.
"Kuku, figures there's someone scheming in the shadows, huh? And a real vicious one at that!"
Ryūen's distinctive laugh symbolized terror in this room.
He would carry out any selfish impulse. Even if surveillance cameras caught everything, he'd escape with little more than a stern warning.
In that silence, a boy with round glasses and a mushroom-cut hairstyle, Satoru Kaneda, spoke up.
"I see. So that hidden someone is the puppetmaster in Class D—the one who planted a traitor in Class C?"
"Exactly."
"But Ryūen, if I may ask, do you have proof?
Horikita is exceptionally clever; she draws attention on par with Arisu Sakayanagi from Class A. I can't imagine anyone else operating behind the scenes in Class D."
"Fair question. If we were dealing with Sakayanagi, I wouldn't need to question the fundamentals like this.
But here's the proof. I recorded it when I tried to set Suzune up after the sports festival."
Ryūen pulled out his phone and played an audio file.
It was a recording of a recording, so slightly muffled, but it clearly captured Horikita playing Class C's discussion.
Proof over words. Even the skeptics grasped the seriousness.
A traitor was among them. It could be the person sitting right beside them.
Paranoia spread through the group.
"Now you get why I called everyone here, right? And now we're going to deal with that traitor."
"...Everyone?"
As Ryūen spoke, one boy muttered under his breath.
"What's up, Tokitō? Got something to say?"
Ryūen never let potential rebels slip away.
He fired the question back at the student called Tokitō. Without orders, Albert and Ishizaki stepped forward, ready.
Yet Tokitō answered without backing down.
"It's not everyone. What about Kamukura? Why did you let only him leave?
He's the guy who tanked Class C's points hard in the cruise ship test. He's the most likely traitor here."
"Kuku, another fair question. You really think he's that suspicious?"
Ryūen stayed relaxed; Tokitō shot back roughly.
"Obviously. Word is he went through with that test for some ridiculous reason—like wanting to experience the unknown.
The guy's brain is broken. Prime traitor candidate. Why not keep him in check? Why let him run loose?"
"Kuku, true—my so-called right-hand man is an unknown-obsessed freak, and I'll admit he's... human enough to serve under me.
But the benefits of keeping him outweigh the risks by far. That's why I allow him some leash. You know the reason, even if you hate admitting it."
Tokitō clicked his tongue, reluctant to accept why Izuru Kamukura was granted such freedom.
The reason was simple. Utterly simple.
"Undeniable talent. That's what buys him his freedom. Even those who never dealt with him directly felt it during sports festival training."
Kamukura had overseen the entire class at the sports festival.
Elite-level coaching. Flexible methods tailored to each person. And the outcome: every student in Class C showed visible gains in athletic performance.
You could dislike the guy himself, but you had to acknowledge his talent.
"...Still, that doesn't prove he's not the traitor."
"Kukuku, fair. But the odds of him being the traitor are near zero. Because there's someone far more suspicious.
...Though, at worst, he might have simply overlooked the real one, given how he acts."
"Overlooked? What the hell do you mean by that!?"
"Quiet. We're confirming it now. Happy?"
Ryūen glared at the loud Tokitō.
Tokitō knew Ryūen showed no mercy, cameras or not.
That had been the last check. Any more words would bring pain on himself—he saw it clearly.
"Hey, Ibuki—any suspicious moves from that idiot before the sports festival?"
Suddenly addressed, Mio Ibuki startled slightly but searched her memory.
"...There might have been. Around five days before it started, I think."
"Five days before. That matches the day I laid out the strategy, right?"
"...Probably... no, definitely. After the discussion ended, he was staring at someone.
But when I checked, no one was there. That's all."
"No, that's plenty. Whoever bolted from the classroom right after that day is almost certainly the traitor.
They recorded and ran. That narrows the suspects a lot.
Also, Ibuki—from now on, report even small changes in him to me before any test. He drops his guard around you more. Understood?"
Ibuki nodded, her face mixing reluctance with faint pleasure.
Ryūen confirmed it, then scanned his classmates' expressions again, clearly enjoying himself.
"First and final warning. Whoever betrayed—step forward now. Do it, and in my great mercy, I'll let it slide."
Straight, unflinching demand. Naturally, silence.
"Well, anyone who'd betray my class has some spine, at least."
Some looked away, feigning innocence. Others darted suspicious glances. Some tried to erase their presence entirely.
Ryūen watched every twitch with relentless focus.
Then he flashed a torn, predatory grin. He stepped down from the desk and leaned close to a girl seated near the front.
"Yabu, you're looking awfully pale."
"Eek!?"
Nanami Yabu, a girl from Class C.
Her quiet demeanor suggested someone who avoided conflict.
Confronted by Ryūen dangling violence, she could only tear up and shake.
"You're the one. You did the recording."
Ryūen declared it as established fact.
"...N-no! I didn't! My seat was just close, so... so I was told to!"
Her strained, raspy voice drew a pleased smile from Ryūen.
Her words gave him ample reason to smile.
Obviously—about the traitor, and the likely accomplice now revealed.
"I see. Then why didn't you report it to me? Whoever ordered you—were they someone you couldn't refuse more than me?"
"...Th-that..."
"Kuku, whatever. So who gave the order?"
Yabu could no longer meet his eyes.
Ryūen looked down at her bowed head—she avoided his gaze like something repulsive—then shifted focus.
Another girl wore clear fear.
As if he'd known all along, he picked his next mark.
Ryūen clacked his shoes deliberately as he approached her and stopped.
"Ah... ah..."
"What's wrong? Breathing pretty hard there, Manabe."
Shiho Manabe trembled in body and voice, unable to form proper words in the terror.
The food chain was stark. Manabe was simply prey now.
Resistance would only tighten the noose around her own neck.
She had no choice but to submit.
"S-sorry... I... I was ordered too..."
"Calm down. I'll forgive you. More importantly—who ordered it?"
"Th-that's..."
Manabe glanced fearfully around.
Her classmates still struggled to process that these unexpected girls were involved.
Manabe ranked high in Class C's female hierarchy.
Her looks weren't strikingly beautiful, but her carefully styled waves, manicured nails, tended skin and hands—she invested maximum effort in appearance.
Add assertive speech and the judgment to know when to retreat.
Just a normal high school girl mindful of her social position.
Yet even she had been caught by Ryūen.
"If saying it here would put some restriction on you? Can't be helped, then."
With that, Ryūen returned to the front.
He addressed the whole class again.
"The traitor is identified. But the Class D bastard who planted one in Class C... let's call them X for now.
I'll hunt X down in due time. So starting right now, Class C's target switches to Class D. We'll smash them so hard they never recover."
He delivered the key points quickly, issued a threat against speaking of this, then dismissed everyone.
Students with clubs or plans hurried out, almost jogging.
"Manabe, Yabu—and Yamashita too, huh? You're all going to tell me everything now. No refusal allowed, of course. You know what happens if you lie, right?"
Ryūen called out to Saki Yamashita, the third girl close to the other two.
She reacted with the same fear.
Clearly, she knew something as well.
...
After dismissing the rest of the class, only the three suspects remained in the room along with Ryūen, Ishizaki, Ibuki, Kaneda, and Albert.
Ishizaki and Albert stood blocking the exits so none of the girls could slip away.
Ibuki and Kaneda positioned themselves on either side of Ryūen, who was still perched on the teacher's desk, keeping watch over the interrogation.
"Do you know the name of the person who gave you your orders?"
Manabe shook her head frantically.
"Then why did you betray Class C?"
"Th-that's…"
"No point hiding it now. Or are you still planning to resist?"
His tone was casual, but the pressure behind it made the three girls tremble again.
There was no escaping this situation. The only way out was to tell the truth.
"Do… do you know Kei Karuizawa from Class D?"
"I know the name and the face. Hirata's girlfriend, right?"
"She acts all tough now, but… apparently she was bullied pretty badly in the past…"
"Oh? Go on."
"Rika was treated horribly by Karuizawa, so we… we wanted to get revenge…"
Despite her fear, Manabe began to explain what they had done.
The root of it all was Karuizawa's cruel treatment of Rika Morofuji, a girl in Class C.
That was the justification Manabe's group had used when they decided to retaliate against Karuizawa—only to end up with their own weakness seized.
The weakness was that their act of violent revenge had been filmed.
They had been blackmailed with that footage.
If the truth came out, Manabe and the others would face suspension or worse.
On top of that, it would damage Class C, earning them Ryūen's wrath.
To avoid punishment from both the school and Ryūen, they had committed betrayal—and now they confessed everything without holding back.
"I see, you really played a stupid little game."
"Then the result just proves they're idiots," Ibuki muttered. "Morons."
"Don't be too hard on them, Ibuki," Ryūen replied. "Humans get weak when they're cornered."
He had already decided to forgive the three girls, so he saw no need to keep pressing them.
Ibuki was quietly surprised by that.
He was being lenient.
The Ryūen from earlier in the year—the one right after enrollment—would have used violence to teach failure's consequences.
But he didn't now.
It wasn't quite mercy, but it still felt like he had risen above mere tyranny into something more refined.
"The important part starts here," Ryūen continued. "When you carried out the violence, did anyone see you?"
"…Yes. After the cruise ship test ended, we tried to get revenge on Karuizawa twice.
The first time, we were seen by Hirata-kun, Satō-san, Matsushita-san, and Ayanokōji-kun from Class D."
Four names surfaced.
Ryūen guessed the sequence of events and smirked.
"But the second time, thanks to some nameless accomplice tipping you off, the revenge went smoothly."
"…Later, photos from that time were sent to us."
"And those photos?"
"Of course we deleted them! If we hadn't, we—"
Manabe desperately insisted there was no evidence left.
"Got it, that wraps up the situation."
"So we can assume X is one of those four names that came up," Kaneda said, speaking for the first time after quietly observing.
"Actually," Ishizaki cut in, "isn't Hirata the most suspicious by far? Karuizawa's his girlfriend, right?
It makes perfect sense that he'd blackmail them for hurting her."
"I'm not so sure," Kaneda replied. "Personally, I find Ayanokōji more suspicious.
He's often with Horikita. And his athletic ability was exposed at the sports festival. He might still be hiding a lot more."
"Ayanokōji?" Ibuki said. "He just seems like a nice, harmless guy to me. I've run into him a few times, and he doesn't give off the vibe of someone who could scheme in the shadows."
Ishizaki, Kaneda, and Ibuki each offered their opinions in turn.
Ryūen's expression turned slightly more serious as he thought, then stepped down from the desk.
"Quiet, all of you. Those four are highly likely candidates for X, that's all. It's certain one of them took the photos, but don't jump to connecting that straight to X.
In my view, X is extremely sharp. They completely saw through my strategy at the sports festival and prepared countermeasures in advance. I'll assume their predictive ability is on par with Kamukura's."
His subordinates' eyes widened involuntarily.
On par with Kamukura.
Even as a hypothesis, that was the highest possible evaluation coming from Ryūen when speaking of an enemy.
That was how troublesome this opponent was. The realization spread through the room.
"On top of that, the careless way they used Suzune—practically welcoming me to hurt her—shows they see everyone around them as nothing more than pieces on a board.
The four names that just came up could very well be X's pawns, too. Kuku. This level of cunning… it's fair to say X thinks similarly to me or Sakayanagi."
Certainly, the chances were high that one of the four was X.
But it was also possible that whoever took the photos had consulted X and then acted.
Either way, X had hidden themselves perfectly.
Class D's top male in the social hierarchy: Hirata.
The one with high athletic ability revealed at the sports festival and often seen with Horikita: Ayanokōji.
The girls often with Karuizawa: Satō and Matsushita.
In Ryūen's mind, all four were gray—none could be definitively labeled black.
Considering the sports festival, suddenly prominent figures like Kōenji or other standout athletes, even Class D's traitor Kushida—all gray.
And it wasn't impossible that someone like Sakayanagi lurked there: poor at sports but exceptionally intelligent.
Too many candidates. No information solid enough to pin anyone down.
That was why Ryūen judged that X had hidden themselves skillfully.
"But don't think you can escape me," he said with a grin, as if enjoying the game. "I'll definitely drag you out."
The situation was still only sorted out—so far.
He needed one more push to seize a clue leading to X.
Ryūen pulled out his phone and set his next move in motion.
He began taking steps to investigate Kei Karuizawa—the key figure in this incident—and everyone around her.
After slipping out of the classroom, I headed straight for the faculty office.
The hallway scenery never changed, and though I was already bored of it, I kept walking without pausing.
My thoughts drifted to the upcoming special exam.
Overall, this term's test could fairly be called high-difficulty.
Students were paired in a "sink or swim together" system: for each subject, the pair needed at least 60 points combined, and a total of at least 700 points across all subjects.
If one partner slipped up, both would be expelled. Pairing two weak students, or two who shared the same weak subject, could easily spell disaster.
Class C could hardly be praised for its academic strength.
There were capable students like Kaneda-kun and Shiina-san, but on the whole we fell short of Classes A and B.
Without countermeasures, this exam carried real danger.
That was why it made sense to start preparations now.
Ryūen-kun refused to hold study sessions, so the responsibility naturally fell to me.
On top of that, I had begun working to uncover the rule governing how pairs would be formed.
Since I had nothing better to do, I treated figuring out the pairing logic as a way to kill time.
And that was why I was now heading to the faculty office.
"We've arrived."
The faculty office.
The door looked identical to any classroom door, yet for some reason it felt heavier, more imposing.
Perhaps that was simply how students perceived the place—somewhere difficult to approach.
I knocked three times and opened it without hesitation.
The distinctive scent of stacks of paper mingled with rich coffee aroma, all overpowered by the pervasive smell of air freshener.
Deeper than a regular classroom, the space was filled with teachers diligently working.
"Ara? You wouldn't happen to be Kamukura-kun, would you?"
As I searched for Sakagami-sensei, a woman's voice called from behind.
A familiar voice. I turned to confirm.
As expected, it was Class B's homeroom teacher, Chie Hoshinomiya, approaching with several printouts in hand.
It seemed Class B's homeroom had just ended as well.
"Are you looking for Sakagami-sensei? He's not here yet~ He went to buy a drink a little while ago."
She quickly grasped the situation and summed it up for me.
Her tone and the way she kept her distance felt more like a fellow student than a teacher, yet her build and aura were unmistakably those of an adult woman. The lightly waved, semi-long hairstyle suited her perfectly.
"I see. Thank you for the information."
"No need to be so formal. Anyway, you'll have to wait until Sakagami-sensei gets back, right? Let's chat a little in the meantime."
"I don't mind, but is that all right? Those printouts look like some kind of report."
"Those need to be submitted today, so I can do them later. Besides, that's not something a student like you needs to worry about."
She smiled brightly as she closed the distance.
"Your hair really is long, isn't it? You don't cut it?"
"There's no need."
"Ehh With a face as nice as yours, you should try a cooler style. You'd be super popular"
As she spoke, Hoshinomiya-sensei poked my cheek with her index finger.
Skinship and zero sense of personal space—definitely more like a student's behavior.
Yet the eyes watching me weren't smiling.
She was enjoying the situation while carefully observing my reactions.
"I have no need to be popular."
"Does that mean you already have a girlfriend? The kind where you're so smitten with one girl that no one else's advances get through~?"
"I don't have a girlfriend. Nor am I smitten with anyone."
"I see~ I'd heard you're friendly with several girls, though.
…Oh! Speaking of which—how about Sakayanagi-san? There were rumors you spent summer break together. Is that true? Is she cute? What do you find charming about her? From your perspective, could Sakayanagi-san be girlfriend material?"
As if suddenly remembering, she fired off a machine-gun barrage of questions.
Her curiosity seemed to be overtaking her initial intent to probe.
"The rumor that we spent time together is true, but that's all.
Sakayanagi-san's appearance is refined. She has many appealing qualities, but if I had to pick one, it would be her eyes—her analytical ability. If I were to consider a girlfriend, she would be among the options, but I have no need for one."
"Oho! You've got quite the smooth tongue! Then what about Ichino—"
Smack!
A crisp sound echoed through the hallway.
The source: Hoshinomiya-sensei's head. The weapon: a clipboard. The incident: a single swing delivered from behind by the perpetrator.
"Don't pester students more than necessary, Chie."
The culprit, Class D's homeroom teacher Sae Chabashira, looked down coldly at Hoshinomiya, who was clutching her head and crouching.
"It's just a little fun, Sae-chan. Kamukura-kun wasn't answering like he minded.
Which means he consented. Sure, consent doesn't matter with minors, but this level of conversation is fine, right?"
"…Even so. There's no need to pry into a student's romantic preferences. Kamukura, you don't have to indulge her."
Chabashira-sensei raised the clipboard as if preparing another strike, and Hoshinomiya hurriedly darted behind me, placing both hands on my shoulders and using me as a shield.
"…So, you were waiting for Sakagami-sensei and got tangled up with this one. Correct?"
"Yes."
"I see. Then waiting here is just wasting time.
At this hour, Sakagami-sensei is supposed to be in a meeting. He'll be late returning."
The moment those words left her mouth, I shot a glare at Hoshinomiya hiding behind me.
She avoided my eyes. There had been no lie in her earlier statement—she had genuinely forgotten until this very second.
"Sorry, okay? Everyone makes mistakes."
"I'm not blaming you. I merely feel I wasted a bit of time."
"That's totally blaming me… Oh, wow, your hair smells nice. Good shampoo."
As she released my shoulders, she reached out and touched my hair.
Her complete lack of remorse was almost admirable in its boldness.
When Chabashira-sensei glared, she quickly shuffled to stand beside her colleague.
"If you have business, I can pass it along."
"That would be helpful."
Since he wasn't here, there was no choice. I told Chabashira-sensei my request.
"For this final exam, please tell me how many pairs will be expelled."
Both teachers showed faint surprise at my words, but quickly regained composure.
"Sakagami-sensei really is hard to read—sometimes lenient, sometimes strict."
"He's lenient when needed and strict when needed.
Kamukura, I can answer that in his place. That's fine, right? Rest assured, I won't lie."
I nodded. I could detect lies anyway, so it was no issue—and it saved effort.
I had assumed such questions should go to one's own homeroom teacher, but apparently other classes' teachers could answer exam-related inquiries as well.
"For this final exam, the number of expelled pairs will normally be one or two from Class D only."
"By the way, it's usually just from Class D and surprisingly few, right, Sae-chan?"
"…Whether that feels few or not isn't for me to say. It's for Kamukura."
Chabashira-sensei stated it plainly. There was no lie—it appeared to be fact.
Yet given the exam's difficulty, the projected expulsions were unexpectedly low.
In this exam, pairing was clearly the most critical factor.
Depending on combinations, expulsions could easily multiply.
Yet only one or two pairs from Class D.
This suggested the pairing rule was designed to minimize expulsions—or at least make them harder to occur.
From that, one plausible conclusion emerged: high-scoring students would be paired with low-scoring ones.
Considering that pairs were decided after a short quiz, using those quiz scores as a benchmark to match high and low performers carried reasonable credibility.
"Thank you for the information. I'll take my leave now."
"Ah, wait! Don't you have any other questions?"
Hoshinomiya-sensei tried to keep me longer, half-joking.
There was one thing that had mildly piqued my interest, so I paused mid-turn and faced the two women again.
"Then may I ask one question?"
Chabashira-sensei readjusted her grip on the clipboard. Hoshinomiya-sensei pretended to cower.
For teachers, they kept remarkably little distance—quite close and affectionate.
Before they could nod, I pressed forward with the question.
"That warped relationship between you two—which of your 'emotions' is the cause?"
The occasional malice Hoshinomiya-sensei had shown.
The way Chabashira-sensei overlooked it, yet her gaze dipped slightly downward.
Surface-level friendliness. At the very least, it was different from the kind of closeness many people at this school had shown me.
"What are you saying, Kamukura-kun~ There's no way Sae-chan and I have a warped relationship."
As she spoke, Hoshinomiya-sensei looped an arm around Chabashira-sensei's.
Her plastered-on smile radiated genuine delight.
But before my ultimate analytical ability, it was nothing more than a meaningless mask.
"I see. Then my analysis was mistaken. My apologies."
This time I truly turned my back on them.
Sharp, prickling stares stabbed into me. There was no need to guess whose they were.
I simply thought, as an outsider, that Classes B and D were unlucky.
***
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