COTE: Hikigaya's Classroom of the Supreme Being

Kushida's words had unsettled both Katsuragi and Hashimoto. But, despite the tension, neither of them acted impulsively. They simply maintained their composure, listening attentively to what came next.

"Heh, Kikyo… You are a frightening woman. I didn't expect even Hikigaya to be kept in the dark about this."

On the other side of the conversation, Ryuen seemed equally shocked by the revelation. The smile on his face was forced and thin.

"So, what do you think? I wasn't lying, was I?" Kushida asked with a sweet smile.

Ryuen stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head.

"Alright, let's cut the pretense. What do you want from me?"

"It's simple. You get the class points from attacking B-Class, and I get the personal points. How about it?"

Ryuen let out a cold laugh. "So that's your game. I was wondering why you didn't inform your class. You've been after the personal points all along. What's wrong? Are you that desperate for cash?"

Kushida's expression soured. "Isn't that obvious? Our D-Class has had zero income since the school year started. The only money we've had was from the two thousand we got early on, and even that's being siphoned off to pay you every month. I can't even afford to go shopping anymore."

"Well, that's unfortunate," Ryuen said, smirking mockingly. He showed no sign of remorse, only thinly veiled amusement. "But Kikyo, aren't you afraid I'll spill the beans? Once the others find out what you've been up to, it'll be the end of your cushy position in the class."

"Come on, Ryuen-kun," Kushida replied with a smirk of her own. "Why do you think I came to you for help in the first place?"

Ryuen raised an eyebrow. "And why's that?"

"Because of your oh-so-'good' reputation around the school, of course."

"Tch, you're an unlovable woman, you know that?"

Ryuen turned to leave, clearly done with the conversation.

"So we have a deal, right?" Kushida called after him.

"Relax. Have I ever gone back on my word?" he replied without looking back.

With that, the two of them parted ways. Ryuen cautiously scanned the area as he walked off, but Hashimoto had chosen an excellent hiding spot, ensuring they wouldn't be noticed.

"Well, Katsuragi, did you hear all of that?" Hashimoto asked, excitement barely contained in his voice.

"Yeah, every word," Katsuragi replied, closing his eyes as he processed the conversation between Ryuen and Kushida. On the surface, nothing seemed amiss, but he couldn't shake the feeling that everything had been a little too convenient. Was he overthinking it?

"Looks like we're finally in the clear," Hashimoto said, his tone buzzing with energy. "Ishizaki from the Snake Group, Shiina from the Sheep Group, and Nishino from the Dog Group—I'm pretty sure those are the three we need to talk to, right?"

Katsuragi nodded.

"Good, then tomorrow we'll inform them. Don't worry, I'll back up the story if anyone questions it," Hashimoto added confidently.

"Thanks. I'm counting on you," Katsuragi said.

He knew that his influence within the class wasn't what it used to be, but Hashimoto, being Sakayanagi's second-in-command, had the necessary clout. However, there were still a few things Katsuragi wanted to clarify for his peace of mind.

"By the way, what Kushida said about paying Ryuen every month—do you know what that's about?"

"That's probably from that fight between C-Class and D-Class back in May," Hashimoto replied. "I'm not too sure about the specifics, but it's clear D-Class got the short end of the stick in that deal."

"So, Kushida wasn't lying," Katsuragi said quietly.

Hashimoto scoffed. "You're overthinking it. A woman like Kushida would do anything for money. It's not like it's a surprise."

To Hashimoto, this was just part of the game, nothing extraordinary.

"And besides, what choice do we have now?" he said with a shrug. "If C-Class strikes first, that's a three-hundred-point lead we'll never make up. And getting back to A-Class would be even harder."

"You're right… Then it's settled. Half an hour after tomorrow's exam ends, we'll gather everyone from those groups and hold a meeting. Especially the three VIPs in our class. They need to be there."

"Got it. Leave it to me."

Hashimoto, being sharp, understood exactly what Katsuragi was aiming for. The class was divided, each group acting on its own. Without a unified strategy, their chances were slim. But if they could announce the VIPs in front of everyone, the other students would be more inclined to believe what they said.

"By the way, did you inform the class about unlocking the SIM cards like I asked you to?" Katsuragi asked.

"Huh?" Hashimoto blinked in confusion. "Didn't you ask me to track Kushida's movements? I didn't think I needed to tell the whole class about that."

"Not that. I meant the SIM card issue."

"Oh! Right! That," Hashimoto replied, finally catching on. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I was busy… uh… gathering intel. But don't worry, I'll send out the message first thing tomorrow morning."

Katsuragi sighed. "Make sure you don't forget."

He couldn't help but feel uneasy about leaving such a critical task to Hashimoto. If it weren't for the fact that others would brush off his concerns, he wouldn't have relied on Hashimoto at all. But for now, he had no choice.

Despite the lingering anxiety in his heart, Katsuragi knew one thing was certain: B-Class had no other option. This was their only shot, and they couldn't afford to let it slip by.

Victory or defeat—it all hinged on what they did next.

The VIP Exam had reached its final day. The fifth round of group discussions had ended that afternoon, but still, no progress had been made. The VIP in the Rooster Group remained undiscovered.

Now, they had entered the sixth and final round of discussions.

Hikigaya sat at his usual seat, passing the time by reading a novel he'd brought along. Occasionally, he'd exchange a few words with Matsushita, but otherwise, the minutes dragged by.

In just ten more minutes, the special exam would finally be over.

No one seemed particularly invested in the discussion anymore. It was as if most of the students had resigned themselves to waiting out the clock, assuming that when the time came, the VIP would simply win. That seemed to be the general consensus among the groups.

Anyone who thought like that, though, was a fool.

"Ahhh—finally, some relief," Sudou yawned loudly beside him. He had spent most of the exam asleep.

"Man, I'm so jealous," Sudou groaned. "The VIP is about to win all on their own. Damn it! Why couldn't I be the one chosen? Fifty thousand points would've been sweet."

"Uh…" Hikigaya wisely chose not to comment.

Just then, the ship's intercom crackled to life. The school administration's voice echoed through the halls, instructing all groups to disband and return to their rooms within five minutes.

One by one, the students filed out of the room. Hikigaya lagged behind, ready to leave, when someone called out to him.

"Excuse me, could I bother you for a moment?"

The voice belonged to Yuji Nomura from C-Class. Hikigaya hadn't exchanged a single word with the guy during the entire exam, so this was unexpected.

Still, there was no harm in hearing him out.

"…Sure."

Hikigaya nodded toward Matsushita, signaling her to go on ahead without him, then turned to face Nomura.

"What's this about?"

"It's just a small message," Nomura whispered, lowering his voice. "Ryuen-san asked me to tell you that no one from C-Class will betray him. The VIP in the Rooster Group will be Number One."

"…That's all?"

"That's all."

Without waiting for a response, Nomura turned and left, leaving Hikigaya alone in the empty room, feeling utterly baffled.

Were these guys just bored or what?

Still, Hikigaya understood the meaning behind Ryuen's message: 'Even if the VIP is revealed to the class, I can control things well enough to ensure no one betrays me.'

It seemed absurd at first, but thinking about it more carefully, it became clear just how tight Ryuen's grip on his class was.

If Katsuragi or Kanzaki had tried revealing the VIP before the end, there was no doubt some of their group members would have turned on them.

Even Ichinose wasn't immune. Her classmates might defy her will, especially when betrayal could bring the class some benefits. It was precisely because Ichinose was such a good person that her classmates might act on their own accord.

But Ryuen didn't play by those rules. He didn't care about reason or loyalty—if you didn't obey, you got beaten. Simple as that.

In a twisted way, this kind of dictatorship had its perks.

---

"Ah, good evening, Hikigaya-kun."

"Uh..." Hikigaya looked up to see Ichinose and Ayanokoji standing before him.

"Good evening." He returned their greeting with a nod. "Still discussing things at this hour? Be mindful of the time."

"Yeah, I will," Ichinose replied with a bright smile.

Something about her seemed unusually cheerful. Did she stumble upon some good news?

Unable to resist, Hikigaya asked, "Ichinose, you seem pretty happy. Did you figure out who the VIP is?"

"Eh-heh-heh, well, it's a bit embarrassing to admit, but I think I might have."

Ichinose scratched her head sheepishly and gave a quick glance at Ayanokoji.

"Yeah, our class's phone-swapping tactic was seen through," Ayanokoji explained calmly. "I have to admit, Ichinose even managed to outwit Horikita's plan. We didn't stand a chance."

"…I see."

Outwardly, Hikigaya remained composed, but internally, he couldn't help feeling slightly exasperated.

Seriously? This phone-swapping scheme was considered a strategy? It might fool someone naive, sure, but anyone with sense would see through it. If this really was Horikita's idea... no, that couldn't be. She probably didn't even have time to worry about other groups, not with everything going on with the Dragon Group.

At that moment, Ichinose suddenly smiled, a knowing glint in her eyes.

"Hehe, Ayanokoji-kun, you're still not telling the whole truth, are you? You can be surprisingly devious."

"What do you mean?"

Though Ayanokoji remained as composed as ever, Ichinose wasn't fazed by his calm demeanor.

She pulled out her phone. "Earlier, during our discussion, I mentioned how the SIM card locks with the phone, right? But there's a way to unlock it, isn't there? I confirmed it with Hoshinomiya-sensei—if you pay the necessary points, the lock can be removed immediately."

For a brief second, Ayanokoji's expression faltered.

A rare sight indeed.

Hikigaya's interest piqued as he studied Ayanokoji's face, waiting for Ichinose to continue.

"While Ayanokoji-kun used the phone-swapping trick to make it look like Yukimura-kun was lying, the real VIP isn't him—or you for that matter. It's someone else in Class D."

She then showed the two boys her phone screen.

"Just a guess, but based on everything we've discussed today, I believe the true VIP is Karuizawa. You swapped phones using the SIM card unlocking method to throw us off."

Sure enough, Karuizawa Kei's name was displayed on the screen, part of a message meant to be sent to the school, exposing the traitor.

"Why do you think it's Karuizawa?"

Ayanokoji's voice sounded a touch strained—an act, surely?

At least that's what Hikigaya assumed. Or maybe he was just hearing things.

"For the same reason we suspected Yukimura-kun—her behavior was out of the ordinary. She usually doesn't pay much attention to you, but today, her gaze kept wandering toward you. Plus, her expression was unusually stiff. It was all very suspicious."

"If that's all you're basing this on, you shouldn't be certain yet," Ayanokoji protested, as if trying to salvage the situation.

"True, Karuizawa might not be the VIP. I'm still debating whether to send the message or not."

Ichinose sounded uncertain, but Hikigaya could tell her hesitation was about something else.

It seemed she was more conflicted about whether to act against Class D.

...Well, that's something she'd need to sort out in her own time. Changing someone's mindset wasn't easy—certainly not something a few words could accomplish.

"In any case, you still have time. Think it over carefully, Ichinose," Hikigaya said, his tone unintentionally carrying a hint of disappointment. "We should probably head back soon. It'd be a hassle if we violated any of the restrictions."

"Huh?"

Ichinose seemed momentarily stunned.

Then, she bit her lip, and after a brief pause, pressed a button on her phone.

A moment later, all three of their phones buzzed with a message.

[The Rabbit Group's exam has ended. Please await the results.]

"Sorry, Hikigaya-kun, Ayanokoji-kun."

Though Ichinose apologized, her expression seemed refreshed, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"In the end, I decided to betray you both for the sake of my class."

She added with a sheepish smile, "Honestly, I expected someone from Class B to act first, but they held out longer than I thought. So, I had to step in myself... Sorry if that sounds a bit arrogant."

"...Not at all." Ayanokoji shook his head slowly. "This exam wasn't about alliances between Class D and Class C anyway. You just played it better."

"Ahaha, being complimented like that is a little complicated."

Ichinose laughed awkwardly, but her eyes kept darting toward Hikigaya.

Wait… was she expecting me to praise her too?

Seriously! When did she get this shameless?

Hikigaya turned his head, pretending not to notice.

Still, this whole Rabbit Group situation had been quite the spectacle.

Ayanokoji deserved some credit for thinking of the SIM card trick, but only a little. After all, he wasn't the only one who could come up with such an idea.

Unfortunately, he made a critical error.

He shouldn't have used it as a weapon to mislead others into making mistakes. If he'd used it like Hikigaya would—as a shield to protect his group's VIP—it would've been much harder to see through.

In hindsight, this so-called "masterstroke"... wasn't all that impressive.

Maybe I've been misled by that brat Sakayanagi. If she hadn't hyped up Ayanokoji's abilities all the time, I wouldn't have been this on edge.

...Whatever. I'll figure it out later.

In any case, today confirmed something Hikigaya had long suspected.

If Ichinose could abandon her naive ideals, her capabilities were more than enough to surpass Class D—even with Ayanokoji's interference.

She'd surely shine even brighter in the future.

Just then, all three phones rang again, the same distinct tone from earlier, but this time, not just once—three times in rapid succession, echoing through the room.

"What… is going on?"

Ichinose hurriedly checked her phone, her face quickly turning to one of shock as she held up the screen for the other two to see.

Finally, it's starting.

Hikigaya knew exactly what was happening, though what unfolded next wasn't his concern.

All he had to do was sit back and await the final results.