COTE: Self-Preservation

Y2V4: The Events of Day 5 and 6

"Would you like to succeed?"

Ryuuen's blank expression slowly began to grow amused, "Succeed, huh? Sure, I'd like that."

I nodded, "You realise that class A will realise it eventually, correct?"

"I've got no idea what you mean," he chuckled.

I sighed, he's really going to make me spell it out, huh?

However, interestingly, the fact that he's goading me to explain his schemes on the island in front of Ichinose means that she must know.

Is she willingly helping out, or is she being forced to stand by and watch as Ryuuen acts? Knowing who Ryuuen was in the first year, it'd be the latter.

But I'm not so sure right now. If he partnered with Horikita, he wouldn't have to force anyone, and he'd get a similar result, theoretically.

Is there a reason he partnered with Ichinose specifically?

So I told him what I thought he intended on doing, albeit a brief summary.

Throughout this entire exam, I wondered what goal Ryuuen had. If there's one thing he's consistent in, it's a clear objective that he aims to achieve. Whether it be to win, to incapacitate, to break, he always has one.

I originally believed he aimed to attack Ichinose in some way but with there being even fewer members of Ichinose's class in the bottom 25 than Ryuuen's, that option seemed a little less likely. I can't write it off just yet, though.

Ryuuen chuckled, "Looks like you're all caught up, huh? How long did it take ya?"

"I took note of it yesterday after the second designated area, and throughout the rest of the day, I began to take note of what was happening."

Ichinose's expression didn't change much, merely looking at Ryuuen with a skeptical glance.

"Yeah, you're pretty much right," he began, pointing to Ichinose casually, "She knows, too, so I don't know what you're going to get out of it."

I looked over to Ichinose, who looked back at me with nervous eyes.

"Uhm... Ayanokouji, it'll be fine," she stammered, aiming to defend herself.

If Ichinose says that, there's probably something Ryuuen did to make her trust him.

But I can't let that stop me.

"I understand, Ichinose, but I do need something. Ryuuen, do you want to help me with stopping some first-years?"

His eyes widened, his lips creeping upward as his eyes sharpened on me like a hawk, "Willingly? Nah, not really."

I see.

To Ichinose, the things I'm going to say are probably odd, but she'll accept it soon.

"What if I try to stop your plan against class A?"

The magenta-haired man's smile waned, looking at me with rough eyes, "You're serious?"

"Do you have any way of confirming otherwise?"

Class A would notice what he was planning on doing eventually, but by that point, it might be too late. Even so much as informing them of what Ryuuen was doing would impede him greatly.

The tension was palpable, but it was broken by a bitter sigh from Ryuuen.

"Fine. Goddamn prick."

Wonderful.

Ichinose looked at me with uneasy eyes, "What do you exactly need, Ayanokouji?"

Ryuuen began to speak before I could answer, "Before that, you're pretty stupid, you know," he said, pointing to Nanase.