Day 3 of the Special Exam for the VIP. During the one-day interval that was wedged into the exam, Hirata and I acted as Tsugumi instructed.
"Even so, Tsugumi really is amazing, isn't he?"
"I was surprised too. I thought it was a good way to mitigate the biggest risk, but I didn't think we'd team up again with Ryūen, who we had a tough time with before."
We called in one student each from the Tiger and Snake groups and had them nominate a student from our designated list. They were quite confused but still followed the instructions without complaint, which speaks to the trust they have in Tsugumi and Hirata. Now that they've been dismissed, it's just Hirata and me in the room.
"You had a fight with Horikita-san, right? Is that why you were acting on your own behind the scenes?"
"That fight was a lie. It was a bluff to let Ryūen drop his guard."
There was no need to hide it any longer, so I told him the truth. I knew Hirata wouldn't go spreading it around.
"!" ...I see. Those two really are amazing. I've been relying on them so much since the last exam."
"Those two are secretive. I think you, Hirata, are a huge help, standing between them and the rest of the class."
"Oh... thank you, Ayanokōji-kun."
Hirata gave a wry smile, but what I said wasn't meant to be a consolation. I don't know if he's aware of it, but Tsugumi is a person who doesn't trust others much. To minimize the risk of a plan falling apart, he handles things on his own without telling everyone, even if it earns him some resentment. Contrary to his impression and personality, he's the type who silences people with results, much like Ryūen.
"When did you hear about this, Ayanokōji-kun?"
"On the second day... or to be precise, after the third round of the exam. Remember when Ryūen tried to negotiate with Ichinose and Horikita to find the pattern for the VIP? It was right after that."
"He really trusts you, doesn't he? I'm a little jealous."
Even though the deal went well, Hirata didn't seem to be in the best spirits.
"Are you worried about Karuizawa?"
"You can see right through me. Was that advice from those two as well?"
"Yeah, something like that. Did she contact you?"
"Yeah. She said, 'I'm okay now. Don't worry, I won't use violence anymore,' and even showed me some concern."
That probably means she's regained her composure... Honestly, he's a frightening guy to have on our side. I wonder how he manages to win people over like that. When he messaged me around 4 a.m. saying, "I messed up again," I was completely dumbfounded. Apparently, he couldn't leave Karuizawa alone after hearing about her past. How many times are you going to do that, man... I'd rather not have more rivals and have Horikita get all prickly.
"Even so, it's amazing that you cooperated with that plan. I know it's weird coming from me, but I thought you'd be against that kind of thing."
"...He agreed to our conditions, so there's nothing to be upset about, only to be grateful."
That's right. Karuizawa fighting with Hirata and then Tsugumi comforting her was a staged sequence of events. Hirata's one condition was this: 'If it's confirmed that Karuizawa is trying to solve her troubles with violence.' At that point, I had Hirata say something to deliberately push her away.
"Well, you don't have to worry about Karuizawa. After all, Tsugumi is handling her. I don't know anyone else who's that good at interpersonal relationships."
"Haha, you're right. I'll do my best with what I can do. How should I explain this to the rest of the class?"
"Tell them that Tsugumi came up with this plan. I want them to think that Tsugumi is the only threat in Class D."
It probably won't take long for them to realize that the fight between Tsugumi and Horikita was an act, but there's no harm in trying.
"Got it. What are you going to do now, Ayanokōji-kun?"
"Nothing in particular. There's nothing more for me to do."
...For me to do, that is.
---------
"What do you want, Ryūen-kun? It's not like you to call me out."
About an hour after the email arrived announcing that five groups had finished their exams simultaneously, Ichinose went to a conference room after being called there by Ryūen. The room had been used for discussions yesterday and the day before, but it was free today since there was no exam. The door was thick and prevented eavesdropping, making it perfect for a secret pact.
"Kukuku... just sit down, Ichinose. All the players aren't here yet."
Ichinose reluctantly obeyed Ryūen's cheerful words. Soon after, the door to the room opened again.
"…!"
"Hey, hurry up and sit."
Ichinose's eyes widened in surprise when she saw who it was.
"Good morning, Ichinose-san. Sorry for the suddenness."
The person who entered the room was Saitō Tsugumi. Although Ichinose was shocked to see him there, she understood that this wasn't a mistake by observing Ryūen's reaction. This quick shift in understanding showed Ichinose's excellence. Saitō sat down across from Ichinose, next to Ryūen.
"Hey, hey, you've gone pale, Ichinose. Is it really that shocking that this parasite betrayed you?"
Ryūen provoked her, but Saitō didn't intervene. Having had his fill of this exchange, Ryūen asked Ichinose and the others:
"---Make a deal with me, Ichinose. Otherwise, your exam results will be a disaster."
"...What do you mean, Ryūen-kun? I thought you had a deal with Saitō-kun."
Ichinose wasn't an idiot. She was often misunderstood as being opportunistic, but her quick wit and sharp mind were on par with the man sitting across from her with an audacious smile.
"That's right. I made a deal with Saitō to reveal our respective VIPs to each other and bring our results to 3."
Contrary to Ichinose's guess, Ryūen revealed the details of the deal without hesitation.
"...I see. So, you're saying that you eliminated the possibility of each other's class points going into the negative?"
"You're quick on the uptake. To put it simply, I have two conditions. One is for you to tell me all of Class B's VIPs. The other is for you to give Class D 400,000 and Class C 200,000 private points every month until graduation. If you meet those conditions, I'll tell you the pattern of the VIPs. You can then use it to find the VIP in Class A and nullify the points."
After a few seconds of silence, Ichinose asked with a serious expression:
"How will you tell me the VIP pattern?"
"I'll tell you the VIPs from Class D and Class C. Of course, if you want proof, I'll give you that too. Then, you guys can use the information from the nine groups to find the pattern yourselves."
It was a brief explanation, but it didn't take Ichinose long to understand.
"...I see. So, we can prevent our class points from going into the negative in exchange for paying an equivalent value in private points, right?"
"That's right, Ichinose-san."
When Saitō confirmed she was correct, Ichinose seemed to accept his words but then spoke with a determined look in her eyes.
"But what's in it for me? Even if I find the VIP in Class A with your information, if you find out later, it would just be a waste of money."
"Hah, you don't get it, Ichinose. The moment you don't make a deal with me, you're cornered. With information on even half of the VIPs, I could find the pattern and crush all of you by the end of today."
"So you're saying you haven't grasped the pattern yet, right?"
A tense atmosphere filled the space between Ryūen and Ichinose. That's right. If Ryūen had already uncovered the VIP pattern, he wouldn't need to propose this kind of deal. As she cornered the silent Ryūen, Ichinose continued her deduction.
"But something's off. With six groups' worth of VIP information, you should be able to grasp one or two patterns. It's just a guess, but...
---What if the five groups that finished the exam today all got a result of 4?"
---Contract Agreement---
Saitō Tsugumi (hereafter "A") and Ryūen (hereafter "B") hereby enter into the following agreement.
1. A and B will each cause the Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, and Horse groups to end with a result of 4.
2.If the condition in clause 1 is met, and the Monkey group's exam result is 3, A will transfer 200,000 private points to B every month until graduation.
3. If Honami Ichinose accepts the conditions in the separate document, A and B will set a time through discussion. At that exact time, A will correctly identify the VIP of one Class B group, and B will correctly identify the VIPs of two. If the final exam results are not "Monkey group result 3, Class D 100 cpt, Class C 50 cpt" or "Monkey group result 4, Class D 50 cpt, Class C 100 cpt," the class of the student who violated the agreement will transfer 600,000 ppt to the other party every month until graduation.
4. When the contract in clause 3 is being executed, if even one of the remaining groups' exams finishes before the time specified by A and B, the contract in clause 3 becomes null and void.
============
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