(Speranza Day 7; Takeyama, Keisuke POV):
There was only one day left on the cruise ship, and I still hadn't experienced even half of the amenities that are available for students to use on this luxurious ride. And to complement that, all of them except the high-end restaurants and Pools were free of charge.
Well, I wasn't expecting anything but free of charge. If the school seriously decides to rake in our Private Points after throwing us into a Deserted Island for a week, and then springing an episode of Brain Games on us, I doubt many of them would like it.
I had not visited the swimming pool yet, now that I think about it.
Kushida had booked the entire pool for Class D so we could enjoy together, as a class. The private pool was one of the few amenities on-board that required you to shell out Private Points from your own pockets, considering how crowded it would be otherwise. So actually managing to book it for a good one hour would definitely not be taken lightly by the Class. Our pool time was scheduled for 1:00pm today afternoon, and I decided to join in as well. There would be no point in missing it out. Furthermore, the more people that come from Class D, the more we can actually divide the cost among ourselves. I did the average calculations in my head, and I came to a conclusion that it would not cost more than 2,000 Private Points per head.
But before I could immerse myself for the first time and actually enjoy myself on this cruise, there were certain things that I had to keep in mind. Or more like, had to solve. And one of them was Kikyo Kushida.
I had not contacted her even once after the ordeal of getting the Midterm Papers from the upperclassman almost a month and a half back. She had not initiated any contact with the unknown number either, possibly scared that her entire split personality proof currently was in my hands. But I was thinking of revealing myself to her.
Why? Because it would be beneficial for both me and her. I could have a better grasp on her movements, and she would have to listen to me, irrespective of whether I show myself or not. A face behind a mask irks an individual more than a face that is seen. My number one goal here was not to use Kushida.
It was to make Kushida trust me, and then use her.
Trust is a very subjective term. To one person, meeting a person maybe twice or thrice in their entire life was enough to get them to trust that person. To another, trust can take ages to form. Some people, like Ryuuen, completely disregard the concept of trust, and they trust only oneself. Unfortunately, an attitude like that would never help you reach Class A.
I needed Kushida-san to trust me. I would delete the recording in front of her when she does. I don't need to blackmail anyone to help me. I wanted them to do it because they are willing to help me. Once I have Kushida's trust, I can control many people indirectly. Her influence in the entire grade is not unknown, and both males and females would never think twice about whether to trust Kushida or not.
The time was 9:20am, and it was almost time. As if reading my thoughts, the door to the northern deck opened, and a young man with brown hair walked onto the deck, and took his place by my side.
"Good morning, Ayanokoji-kun," I started.
"... good morning," he said monotonously. I still have to grasp this man's character. He's too hard to read.
"It seems your Snake Group passed this Exam quite easily," he said. "I thought you would have gone for bolder tactics."
"We both know that is not true," I replied. "You know me, Ayanokoji. I'm not the type to run after Class Points when I see them. I weigh my options and take the decision that will help me in the long run."
"What if we lose out on a chance to reach Class A by a margin of 50 Points or lesser?" he asked. Was he trying to test me?
"I don't think that would be my fault," I said. "The school year has just started. There are still 2 years left in this school. There will be more than enough Special Exams to gain Class Points. In fact, the current rankings are nothing more than eyewash; it can change easily. I would not be surprised if we get a completely unexpected chart by the end of the First Year itself."
"But I'm still surprised you chose Private Points over Class Points," he interjected. "You were the VIP; you had complete control over the situation in the Group. You could have led the result to either Outcome 2 or 4. The 50 Class Points that we might have achieved would have eventually payed out into Private Points."
"I'm more inclined towards a high risk, high reward situation," I stated. "You tell me — 1,000,000 Private Points at once, or 500,000 Private Points and a long waiting time for the rest of the cash to show up? I would choose the former. If you think that the second option is better, then I believe we think on different wavelengths."
"Of course. It would be unnatural to think of the same thing, after all," he said. "It destroys the entire purpose of diversity. We think differently, so we achieve things in different ways. Nothing wrong with that."
The conversation lulled a bit, and the 2 of us stared out into the ocean.
"Why did you call me here?" he finally asked.
"Nothing grand. I wanted to know what you did in the Rabbit Group to achieve Outcome 4."
"I did not do anything. I just swapped phones with Yukimura, Sotomura and Karuizawa, and we managed to fool the rest of the Group. Everyone had at first promised to not turn traitor, but looks like someone from Class A did turn into one after all."
"Karuizawa-san was the VIP, right? So you were able to convince her to help you in your plan?" I asked.
"She helped only under the notion that she would get a lot of Private Points out of it. Everyone thinks that Horikita was the one who came up with the plan after all, so they did not mind listening to me. Was it wrong?"
"No, nothing like that. It just seemed a bit off to me that someone with a headstrong attitude like Karuizawa-san would willingly listen to you just by taking Horikita's name. I did not know Horikita had already begun to accumulate such authority over the class, more so with the girls."
"But it looks like it is working," Ayanokoji responded. "After the Deserted Island Test, everyone seems to trust Horikita. It's inevitable."
"I see."
"....."
"....."
"....."
"....."
"Are you sure you didn't convince Karuizawa-san some other way?"
"I don't see where this question is coming from."
"I'm still a bit skeptical of the fact that she willingly listened to you just because you mentioned Horikita. Not even a bit of resistance?" I pressed further.
"I did not say that. There was resistance, but she ultimately understood that this was for the Class. She agreed afterwards," Ayanokoji replied.
I decided to not push the topic any further. However, certain suspicions continued to brew within me. I would have to quell myself later.
"Speaking of which, who was the traitor in the Rabbit Group?" I asked.
"Takuro Morishige, Class A."
"A Class A student? Perhaps from the Sakayanagi Faction?"
"That is the same conclusion I have drawn as well, yes. I can confirm it via Ichinose, though," Ayanokoji replied.
"There would not be any other reason. Class A in the Rabbit Group was purely following Class A's defensive strategy, the one that Katsuragi had set up. A violation of that would mean that the traitor does not support Katsuragi's decision, and his way of doing things. I believe this is the sole reason there was a traitor in the group. That leads me to another question. Did anyone from the other classes not think about making a phone call to confirm the ownership of the phone that the VIP possessed? An exchange in phones could be easily identified that way."
"I already had that planned out," Ayanokoji replied nonchalantly. "We exchanged our phones and I used Private Points from Chabashira-sensei to unlock my SIM, and exchange it with Karuizawa's phone. According to the Group, I was the traitor, even after Ichinose made a phone call on my phone."
"So you're telling me that you posed as the VIP, and exchanged phones with Yukimura, but he did not know that you had exchanged numbers as well?"
"You're a fast learner."
"It wasn't that hard to figure out. But that would mean that in the Rabbit Group, only you and Karuizawa-san knew about the fact that the numbers were exchanged as well? Barring Ichinose, who probably figured it out after the exam."
"Essentially. It was a simple plan-in-a-plan. Nothing else."
"You see how important Private Points are now, right? I'm assuming that unlocking the SIM on 2 phones would not have been cheap, considering that Chabashira-sensei was your dealer. I almost pity you."
"You make it sound like a drug deal."
"I didn't know you had a sense of humor, Ayanokoji," I chuckled.
"I didn't intend to make it funny," said Ayanokoji. "You seem to be well versed in the language that drug dealers use. From experience, perhaps?"
"You got me there."
"Wait, seriously?"
"Learn to take a joke, man."
"....."
"....."
"....."
"....."
"What do you think of Class A?" Ayanokoji suddenly asked me.
"They seem to all have very high individual abilities, but they absolutely lack cohesion. They won't get far with this sort of attitude. If I remember correctly, Class A has lost 200 Class Points in this Zodiac Exam, and that is probably the final blow that will push Katsuragi off the Class A throne."
"That reminds me, Class C performed exceptionally well in this exam," brooded Ayanokoji. "I got a detailed list of the results that each group got in the Exam from Hirata." Saying so, Ayanokoji took out his phone, and messaged me a picture. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I took a good look at it.
"Class C had correct traitor assessments in 4 Groups," Ayanokoji explained. "The Rat, Horse, Rooster and Pig. All traitors were from Class C in these groups. From what I saw in the members of these groups, none of them are great; all mediocre students who would probably find it hard to blend in well in these exams."
"Are you perhaps implying that Class C had found out some sort of trick to determine who is the VIP in each Group?"
Ayanokoji nodded, and I looked through the picture once again. He was indeed telling the truth. Class C had correct traitor assessments in 4 groups. There were only 2 groups where Outcome 4 was the result: the Rabbit Group (Ayanokoji's Group) and the Cow Group. In the Cow Group, the traitor was from Class C, which led to a penalty of 50 CP's for Class C.
However, that is pretty much negated by the fact that in 4 other Groups, Class C had managed to secure 50 Points each, for a total of 200 CP's. Coupled with the penalty, Class C ended this exam on a high, with a bonus of 150 Class Points.
But what struck me as odd was that if Class C really had figured out a way to know the VIP's beforehand, why did Ryuuen not turn traitor and end the exam for the Dragon Group? I was sure that only Ryuuen could have come up with this strategy, if Class C really had a way to know the VIP's. Why did it not happen in my Group either? Ishizaki is a close lackey of Ryuuen, it felt unnatural that he did not know about this.
This situation would also explain Kouenji Rokusuke's decision to turn traitor. He had probably figured the method out before anyone else, and ended the Monkey Exam then and there, because he certainly thought it was a waste of his precious time.
"Did you figure it out?" asked Ayanokoji, who was intently staring at me.
"I think I did," I said slowly, choosing my words carefully. "You think that the VIP was decided based on alphabetical order?"
"I've come to the same conclusion."
"That does make a little sense. Kei Karuizawa, Keisuke Takeyama, Kikyo Kushida..... all the names start with a K. It does seem a bit odd, though it could be coincidence."
"Maybe that is why Ryuuen did not try it in his group," suggested Ayanokoji. "He was not sure of this strategy, and whether it would actually work. If it turned out to be wrong, he would become the laughing stock of the Dragon Group. So to gain Class Points, Ryuuen experimented with 4 of the remaining Groups, and asked them to turn traitor after arranging the names in alphabetical order."
"Just to confirm his theory, eh?"
"Yes. I do not know about how Kouenji figured it out, but I think he was thinking along the same lines, and he correctly assessed the VIP's identity that way."
"The class would really benefit by a ton if Kouenji would just stop being a prick," I said in an annoyed voice.
"But that is his defect, right?" said Ayanokoji. "The reason he's in Class D. His narcissistic behavior is his defect."
"What do you think is your defect, Ayanokoji?"
"My defect?"
"Yes. I want to know why someone like you was placed in Class D."
"I could throw the same question back at you," Ayanokoji replied.
"Of course you can. But if I had to take a guess, I think you and I have the same defect. The reason both of us are in Class D is the same."
"I don't understand."
"We hold back, Ayanokoji. We hold back our true abilities. That is our defect. We do not use our talents to benefit society. The school deems that as a defect, even though I personally think that it is an individual's choice to decide how they want to use their abilities."
".... you may be right."
"I heard from an upperclassman that there was another student besides me who got an interesting score in the entrance exam. I'm pretty sure it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the person was you, Ayanokoji."
"I've come too far to deny your statement. But I would like to know this upperclassman's name. It seems someone else other than Chabashira-sensei is now interested in the two of us."
"Vice President Nagumo Miyabi. He came off as a very sketchy character to me. I wouldn't mix with him if I were you. Manabu Horikita was there as well, but that man has come to gain my respect. Did you know about my scores as well?"
"I did. Chabashira-sensei had called me to her office on 1st May, when the S-System was disclosed to the Class. She made me hide inside a kitchen cupboard and listen to Horikita's rants about how she should be placed in a higher Class."
"You're telling me Horikita knows about your scores as well?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.
"She does. She knows my scores as well as yours."
"That would mean that you were aware of my abilities even before you talked to me for the first time," I said in an irritated voice. So Chabashira-sensei had just blown off my cover like that? "I wonder why sensei chose to call only you and not me? After all, if it were about scores, then I don't see why I was left out of that meeting."
"I'm not sure either. But it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the only reason Horikita actually talked to you is because of these scores that she got to know that day," Ayanokoji replied.
"I'm not surprised; I was a bit alarmed as well when Horikita approached me for no reason. I was under the assumption that she didn't talk to anyone in class except you."
"She doesn't, to be honest. However, once sensei let slip to her that 'Takeyama and Ayanokoji are much smarter than you, they'll help you reach Class A', she suddenly developed a keen interest in you."
"Damn that woman. Here I am, trying to lead a normal, high-school life with friends, and sensei comes out of nowhere and exposes me to the one person I did not want this information to reach. I'm almost sure she did this purposely."
"I would assume that she has an ulterior motive; a reason as to why she is so hell-bent on reaching Class A."
"Maybe there's something in it for the teachers? You never know, maybe the Class A teachers have a higher pay or something."
"You think she's doing this for the salary?" Ayanokoji asked with a hint of exasperation in his voice.
"People sway when money is involved, Ayanokoji, just like how I was swayed in this exam at the information of 1,000,000 Private Points," I replied.
"You're unnecessarily antagonizing yourself; we're students. Students whose entire life right now depends on Private Points and Class Points. If we're doing something that will eventually help us secure a future, I don't see the harm in it."
The gentle, salty ocean breeze suddenly increased its speed, and it hit us on the face. The Sun was up in the sky, blazing down on our backs. I really would miss this weather once classes started again.
"Chabashira-sensei has a different reason altogether," Ayanokoji said. "Has she told you?"
"She has. From what I've heard, she was once in Class D, just like us. Back then, the battles between the classes were much closely fought. A mistake on her part led to the downfall of her class. I wouldn't say that I didn't feel bad, but I didn't see a reason as to why she would tell that," I said.
"Perhaps a grudge?" Ayanokoji guessed.
"I would say an incomplete desire. Chabashira-sensei wanted to reach Class A with all her heart, and she failed because of her own mistake. She's trying to fulfil her unachieved dream by forcing it onto the 2 of us," I said.
"I don't see how that's my problem."
"Our problem," I corrected him. "We're both in this together; might as well cooperate."
"I have no issues with that. Given that you'll be the one to take the credit, right?" Ayanokoji asked.
"Horikita will be the scapegoat, like always," I smirked. "But in case that is not possible, I will take the credit. Your involvement will not be highlighted at any point."
"I accept," said Ayanokoji.
"Another question, before I forget. There is no point in hiding your relation with Kei Karuizawa now. If we're working together, I must say that we should keep the trust to a maximum. Of course, I will not involve myself in your personal affairs, and you will keep out of mine," I added, as a last bit of precaution.
Ayanokoji stayed silent for a while. "How did you know about Karuizawa? Something gave it away?"
"No, nothing. I just guessed, and you confirmed it for me. A lucky break, if I may," I added.
"I wasn't expecting that. Then maybe you could tell me about Kikyo Kushida."
"Looks like we cannot hide anything from each other," I said, my lips turning upwards into a smile. "I'm not sure what I should do about her yet; she does not know of my presence. But I'll figure it out soon enough."
Ayanokoji nodded, and the 2 of us shook hands, sealing the deal to work together towards reaching Class A.
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A/N's:
This chapter took me quite a bit of brainstorming to write. I was so confused as to what to write about, but then once the ideas started, they did not stop. Writing a story is very weird ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Alright, thank you for reading! We're officially done with volume 4 here as well. I'm not sure if I should write volume 4.5, because it doesn't really have much development, and it's a bit irrelevant to the plot. I might finish it off in one chapter, I guess.
The next is the Sports Festival, which is honestly not very interesting. I'll try to add some spice into it, so I'll be thinking about some stuff; the next update will probably be a bit later than usual, but it's definitely gonna come soon!
Cheers. Please vote for Takeyama and Ayanogod!
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