Chapter 104: Ryuen, You're Trying to Hide Now? Your Identity as C-Class Leader was Exposed Long Ago!
Time quickly moved to the second day.
Ryuen's patience was wearing thin. Just as the sky was beginning to turn gray and the morning mist on the island had yet to dissipate—leaving the vegetation damp and chilly—he came storming over from another base, drenched in dew.
The tranquility of the camp was shattered by the rising noise.
"Hikigaya, Hikigaya!"
In a daze, Hachiman heard someone calling his name. It was a girl's voice.
When Hachiman rubbed his sleepy eyes and lifted the tent flap, he found Ibuki waiting outside. The morning mist had dampened the stray hairs on her forehead. Seeing him emerge, she said, "Ryuen wants you to come over now and take him to the hidden spot."
Hachiman gave an affirmative grunt, tugged at his wrinkled tracksuit, and felt quite calm. He had anticipated Ryuen's haste to confirm the hidden spot; after all, that 50-point bonus was meant to be sold to Class A for a value of 2 million points.
However, Class C naturally wanted those 50 points for themselves first. The Class A homeroom teacher had mentioned that occupying it just once grants the full 50 points. Therefore, Ryuen naturally had to arrange for Class C to "clock in" early.
He would occupy it to get the reward, and then sell the rights to Katsuragi. This would bypass any concerns about Katsuragi sending people to tail them. After all, that hidden spot was right near the White Tower occupied by Class A, so Katsuragi could easily have positioned guards there.
As Hachiman walked out of the camp, Ryuen was already waiting at the path with five Class C boys. Each held a trekking pole and carried a simple backpack—clearly well-prepared.
"Let's go, don't dawdle." Ryuen's tone was still far from gentle, but compared to the glares of the past, he had restrained most of his hostility. His gaze swept over Hachiman with lingering wariness but also a newfound acknowledgment of Hachiman's strength.
After all, anyone who could set such a massive trap to ensnare both Classes A and C deserved serious treatment. More importantly, even though the exam wasn't over, Class B had, in a sense, already won!
Hachiman didn't care about Ryuen's expression. His eyes flickered toward Ryuen's shoes for a moment before he took the lead toward the White Tower. He kept a steady pace, just fast enough for those behind him to keep up.
No one spoke; only the sound of footsteps crunching through the morning mist broke the silence. When they reached the steep slope hidden by weeds behind the White Tower again, Ryuen stared at the simple steel rope ladder hanging on the rock wall, his eyes darkening.
The ladder wasn't excessively steep, but the gaps between the wooden planks were large, and the steel rope swayed slightly in the wind. It was indeed dangerous.
Ibuki, having been there once, moved to take the lead, but Ryuen raised a hand to stop her. He grabbed the steel rope himself and kicked off, descending with crisp, decisive movements and zero hesitation.
The five Class C boys followed him down. They were all reasonably agile and stood firmly at the bottom within a minute. This time, Hachiman did not follow them down.
He remained at the top, with Ibuki staying behind to watch him.
Hachiman leaned against a nearby tree trunk, feeling somewhat speechless watching Ryuen's desperate need to micromanage everything.
On one hand, Ryuen was still trying desperately to protect his identity as leader, terrified of leaving even the slightest clue. Little did he know that his identity as Class C's leader was already known by at least three people.
Consequently, all of Class C's efforts to guard the leader's identity and occupy the hidden spot for the 50-point bonus would eventually be wiped out.
However, letting Class C achieve a high score didn't fit Hachiman's expectations either. This was like a landmine planted in advance; it just needed to sit there quietly for five more days until the exam results were revealed.
About 20 minutes passed before Ryuen and the five boys climbed back up the ladder.
"It really is quite an incredible hidden spot," Ryuen remarked.
Anyone who had visited the island keeper's hut would understand why the school awarded +50 points for this spot. It was because it revealed the truth of the school.
An artificial island.
"Did you know the location of this hidden spot all along?" Ryuen followed up quickly with a query.
"Guessed it," Hachiman replied casually.
Ryuen raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him, but didn't press further. As dangerous allies, keeping secrets was standard practice. He paused and added, "I've already contacted Class A. We meet at 10 AM. Then, for 2 million points, I'll sell them the usage rights."
"Giving points to your opponent? How generous of you," Hachiman said teasingly.
"What else?" Ryuen glanced at him sideways. "Class C is heavily in debt and needs points, not a measly 50 points. Besides, it's not certain if these 50 points can even be kept."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward Hachiman. His words carried a deeper meaning. Hachiman understood—Ryuen was belatedly realizing that bringing Hachiman here to "clock in" the spot essentially told Hachiman that the Class C leader was among this small group.
He suddenly... felt a bit insecure.
"No need to keep testing me. Hiyori from your class already asked me about the same concern," Hachiman said. "My reply was that I will not fill in the Class C leader information during this exam."
"Hiyori?" Ryuen felt a sense of relief, but he also picked up on something else in the phrasing.
"..."
Wait.
"I mean Shiina Hiyori," Hachiman corrected quickly.
Actually, because he usually leaked his inner thoughts, he had subconsciously used her first name, and it just slipped out now.
"Heh—" Ryuen let out a small laugh. As a competent leader, he had already been briefed by his students about the conversation between Hachiman and Shiina at the camp the previous night.
The plan to "buy" Hikigaya Hachiman had been proposed as a joke, but Hachiman had rejected it immediately. There wasn't much to say about that; if Hachiman didn't have his own ambitions, he wouldn't be leading a class as "trashy" as Class B. It was difficult to buy off students who were originally sorted into Classes A or B.
But now... Hikigaya seemed to be on good terms with Shiina.
And that relationship...
Ryuen's mind took a dark turn. If this relationship turned romantic, could he use Shiina to restrain Hikigaya?
But then he felt that winning that way would be undignified. Using a girl to bring profit to the class was a move Ryuen found pathetic.
Besides, Hikigaya Hachiman didn't look like someone easily fooled. Especially since he had Ichinose in his own Class B and was also cultivating the equally beautiful Horikita Suzune in Class D.
Hiyori had too many opponents. It felt like she couldn't win at all.
An hour later, Hachiman and the others returned to the camp.
The students there were waking up and starting breakfast. There were plenty of choices; one could eat plain bread and water, but there was also instant ramen and corn. Most chose the ramen.
First, it was simple. Second, when you're out traveling, you naturally crave something simple yet incredibly fragrant.
As soon as they entered the camp, the rich aroma of instant ramen hit them. Almost everyone was holding a steaming paper bowl, the sound of slurping rising from all sides.
Shiina Hiyori was standing at the edge of the camp, clearly just awake, with a stray lock of hair sticking out. When she saw Hachiman and the others returning, her eyes brightened. "How was it? Did it go smoothly?"
"Naturally, it's settled," Ryuen nodded, his tone softening slightly. "But I have to go meet Katsuragi in a bit."
"Okay." Hiyori nodded, appearing not to want to continue the topic.
Ryuen saw that Shiina wasn't interested in talking more, so he went to find a pack of ramen to brew for himself.
Hachiman walked straight to a rock in the corner of the camp and sat down. Walking for over two hours was tiring—it was a lie to say otherwise—but he wasn't completely collapsed either.
Hiyori walked over and handed him a bottle of water. "Drink some water. You've been running around for so long."
As she spoke, her gaze fell on Hachiman's hands resting on his knees. His knuckles were distinct, and there were light grass stains on the back of his hand from the journey. It looked cool to the touch.
When she handed over the water, her fingertips accidentally brushed against the back of his hand.
The sensation was more real than she had imagined. At the moment of contact, it felt like a tiny electric current passing through her fingertips—subtle but clear. Hiyori's heart skipped a beat, as if lightly bumped by something, and her breathing instinctively hitched.
Before Hachiman could react, Hiyori quickly withdrew her hand.
"..." Hachiman.
Uh.
He felt that mentioning whether she had just touched him might make the atmosphere awkward. So, Hachiman acted as if nothing had happened.
He unscrewed the cap and took a sip. The cool water slid down his throat, providing much-needed relief. But as Hiyori sat beside him, looking at the rising sun, she lost the brightness she had shown when welcoming them back. A flicker of worry appeared between her brows.
Clearly, her cheerful demeanor earlier had been an act.
Her heart was not at ease. She knew full well that although Ryuen had occupied the hidden spot and was planning to trade with Class A, Hachiman knew the Class C leader's identity. Even if Hachiman said he wouldn't attack Class C, she still felt uneasy.
At the very least, the most stable plan after a leader's identity is compromised is to change the leader.
However, the exam rules explicitly stated: "The leader cannot be changed without a valid reason." Even Class B, which only had the leader left on the island, couldn't even manage an early withdrawal.
She was currently powerless and couldn't think of a way to break the deadlock. She could only worry in silence.
Hachiman was also thinking. But for now, he just needed to wait. In this island exam, he had already secured a massive amount of private points, and Class B had accumulated enough "venture capital." As the class representative, he had already completed his mission for this exam.
However, he stayed on the island to ensure that the four classes wouldn't gain too many points from the school. If the points the school intended to distribute during the island exam weren't spent, then the upcoming "VIP Exam" would likely see a richer supplement of resources to balance the gap between the four classes.
Of course, the question then would be whether the school would transmit the island results immediately or wait until the VIP exam was over to announce everything together. The impact of these two outcomes would be vastly different.
Once the island exam intel reached the school, Sakayanagi Arisu might make a move. During the previous written exam with old questions, Hachiman had only nudged things slightly, yet Sakayanagi had made provocative moves that never happened in the original story.
He finally understood why she was so aggressive.
The girl had been eavesdropping on his inner thoughts. She probably heard him badmouthing her in his mind and decided to protest through her actions.
He just didn't know which specific evaluation had annoyed her so much….
.
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The days passed slowly. From the third day, the weather on the island turned gloomy. The fourth and fifth days saw continuous heavy rain. Large raindrops hammered against the tents with a rhythmic pitter-patter, and the forest paths became muddy and impassable.
Due to the rain, the students' activities were severely restricted. They could only stay in their respective bases, huddling by the campfires and listening to the rain, hoping for clear skies on the sixth day. Life on the island wasn't entirely pleasant.
Finally, on the evening of the sixth day, the rain stopped. The dark clouds slowly dispersed, and the setting sun peeked through the gaps, casting a golden glow that dyed the entire island a warm orange-red.
Seeing the clear sky, the students in the camp couldn't help but cheer, finally releasing the tension of the last two days.
Hachiman took the opportunity to stretch and breathe in the fresh air. Today was the sixth day, meaning if he could hold on for just half a day more, he could end the exam and return to the cruise ship.
He now clearly understood the quote: "People helping each other, succeeding together, and being happy together is just an ideal. In reality, if someone is happy, someone else must be abandoned. For someone to look brilliant, someone else must be covered in mud."
However, as the leader, staying behind was something he had to do. Although he could have mobilized Class B students—and surely someone would have been willing to stay and suffer alone—another person wouldn't be able to handle Ayanokouji Kiyotaka or prepare for the VIP exam.
So, he had to stay personally.
"Look at how pent-up you all look." Half an hour later, Ryuen appeared at the camp again.
He still carried the moisture of the post-rain air, and his hair was slightly messy, likely from running. He walked straight to Hachiman, scanned him, and then looked at Ibuki. Ibuki nodded slightly, indicating that Hachiman had remained within her sight these past few days, never leaving the camp or contacting outsiders.
With that confirmation, the guarded look on Ryuen's face faded slightly. In his view, since this outsider hadn't made any suspicious moves, Class C's leader info was safe. The exam seemed secure.
To Ryuen, Class C had occupied 12 spots, gained the 50-point hidden spot bonus, and added another 50 points from the leader swap with Katsuragi. The score was quite respectable. As long as they survived the "guess the leader" phase tomorrow morning, they would achieve a reversal and return to the score Class C deserved!
Therefore, the winner this time was him!
Ryuen was about to leave again. But he stopped, turned back to Hachiman, and said meaningfully, "The exam ends tomorrow morning. During the leader-guessing phase, you should participate too. I have some intel for you, but I'll only tell you tomorrow morning."
With that, he turned and left, leaving Hachiman and Hiyori to glance at each other.
Hiyori quickly recalled that Hachiman already knew Ryuen was the Class C leader. His condition back then was that he wouldn't write Ryuen's name as long as Hiyori cooperated by participating in the guessing phase and writing down a specific name he designated.
She had thought then that he likely wanted Class C to attack Class A with him, implying he knew Class A's leader info. Now, Ryuen's behavior suggested that Ryuen also knew Class A's leader info and wanted to invite Hachiman to write it down together.
That would cause Class A to lose massive points.
The reason it wasn't Class D was that Class D's base points were already zero, and their leader's identity was known to everyone. In anyone's eyes, Class D was a useless class.
Hachiman remained silent.
At this moment, his thoughts coincided with Hiyori's. The news Ryuen wanted to tell him was likely the identity of Class A's leader, indicating that Hashimoto Masayoshi had chosen to betray Class A just like in the original story. He just didn't know if this was Sakayanagi's instruction or Hashimoto's own idea.
Sometimes, having a subordinate who is too proactive, indecisive, or disloyal is truly terrible.
Unlike him. He had loyal "dogs."
Meanwhile, on the cruise ship far from the island, Karuizawa Kei was sitting in the restaurant when she let out a loud sneeze.
She rubbed her nose and looked up at Ichinose Honami opposite her with an embarrassed expression. "Sorry, I might have caught a bit of a cold."
Ichinose smiled and shook her head, pushing a glass of warm milk toward her. "Drink something warm. The air conditioning on the ship is a bit low; be careful not to catch a cold."
This was a rare meeting.
Ichinose Honami, the vice-president of Class B, and Karuizawa Kei, a core figure of Class D, were eating at the same table. Occasional passing students couldn't help but cast curious glances.
Karuizawa had used an excuse to invite Ichinose to dinner. She took a sip of the milk and said, "Ichinose-san, I heard you were in the student council in middle school? You were even the president?"
Ichinose was slightly stunned but nodded. "Yes, why do you ask?"
"I've secured a general affairs position in the student council. When we return to school, I'll have to start working there. I wanted to learn from your experience—what to look out for and what the daily work is like." Karuizawa spoke seriously, though a hint of nervousness flashed in her eyes.
The person in front of her was Hachiman's true right hand—someone he recognized and to whom he had entrusted the entirety of Class B.
Karuizawa instinctively felt Ichinose was very capable, perhaps even capable of hearing Hachiman's inner thoughts.
But she didn't show it at all. A master actress, indeed.
Ichinose gently stirred her coffee and looked at Karuizawa. She understood instantly. Class D was currently a hollow shell with few points and overall student strength far below the other classes. Despite having the risky Ayanokouji and a somewhat capable Horikita Suzune, it was illogical for Karuizawa Kei—an unremarkable Class D student—to suddenly join the student council as a general affairs staff.
There was only one answer: Karuizawa was likely a spy Hachiman had unearthed in Class D.
In that case, she was an ally.
Having figured this out, Ichinose didn't expose her. Instead, she began explaining seriously. "The work in the student council is complex. Our school's council has more authority and responsibility than those in the outside world. Even for general affairs, the tasks will be heavy."
She paused and continued, "However, President Horikita is a rational and tolerant person. He won't make you work immediately; he'll assign someone to guide you, so don't worry about that. However, I must remind you: your hard power must keep up. Your weakness is academic ability. Rather than focusing on council work, I think you should spend your time on your studies right now."
As she spoke, Ichinose took out a pen and paper, quickly listing a series of books and handing them to Karuizawa.
"You can look at these. Start reviewing from middle school basics to build a solid foundation. Although the school has many special exams—and even last month's written exam had options—I believe the school won't completely abandon testing academic ability. In Class D, you need to study even more. If you encounter problems, you can consult me. I'll make some time for you."
Karuizawa took the list. Looking at the dense names of books, she felt a mix of gratitude and admiration. She wasn't stupid; Ichinose had clearly seen through her goal but was still willing to help her sincerely. Not everyone had that kind of breadth of mind. She nodded and said seriously, "Thank you, Ichinose-san. I will study hard."
They chatted about studies for a while before Karuizawa changed the subject, seemingly casually. "Ichinose-san, will Class B really end this exam with 0 points alongside Class D?"
Ichinose put down her spoon, a look of composure crossing her eyes.
"From the results, Class B gained 28.4 million in class funds this time. That is more useful than any score. Scores can be lost quickly, but with these points, we can handle any upcoming expulsion exams. So, it doesn't really matter if this exam results in 0 points."
She paused, looking out the window toward the island. Since she was speaking to "Hikigaya-kun's little dog," she added some of her inner thoughts. "Besides, Hikigaya-kun is still on the island. Since he chose to stay, he must have a purpose. He won't let Class B take 0 points for nothing."
"..."
Is that so?
Hearing this, Karuizawa finally understood. However, she felt she knew the reason Hachiman stayed behind: not for points, but to suppress Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. That inconspicuous yet dangerous guy hiding in Class D.
Before the exam, Hachiman had even entrusted her to plant a recording pen because even Chabashira-sensei acknowledged Ayanokouji's strength.
At this thought, she frowned.
She felt she needed to do something, but what could her weak self do? She decided to wait for Hachiman's return and follow his orders. She was more comfortable acting on instructions than moving on her own.
After dinner, Karuizawa said goodbye to Ichinose and returned to her room. Opening the door, she saw Horikita Suzune reading at her desk, while Sakura Airi sat nearby, brush in hand, seemingly drawing something.
Seeing Karuizawa return, Horikita looked up with surprise.
"Why did you borrow so many books?" Horikita noticed Karuizawa carrying seven or eight textbooks and study guides—all middle school versions.
'Is she... starting to study spontaneously? This person is starting to save herself?'
Karuizawa replied while tidying her things, "The situation in Class D is better now. Everyone has a stable allowance and won't have to worry about points for the next two years. Naturally, we have to think about the future and can't just slack off.
If our academic ability is too low, we'll be easily eliminated in the next expulsion exam. So, I went to the library to get some books to catch up."
Horikita's eyes flickered with surprise and a hint of approval. She had always thought Karuizawa was just a girl with a tragic fate, but now she seemed quite sensible.
She wasn't wrong. Advanced Nurturing High School covers tuition and housing and provides allowances. Such treatment far exceeds any other school. Being able to stay here is a stroke of luck; it would be a shame to be expelled for poor grades.
"That's right." Horikita nodded and went back to her book, but she subconsciously added, "The exam ends tomorrow. I wonder what the final result will be."
She felt a bit emotional. She had intended to participate in the exam while sick, but Hachiman had persuaded her to get treated instead. Once cured, she had merely gone through the motions on the island before returning to the ship with the main group. It happened so fast it felt like she had "speed-run" it without even reacting.
"It will definitely be a good result!" Sakura Airi suddenly put down her brush and spoke up. "Hi-Hikigaya-kun is still on the island. He's so amazing; he must have a reason for staying. I hope he does well."
'Is that so? Sakura really trusts him.
But he's a Class B student and we're Class D! You're rooting for Class B? Aren't you a Class D student?'
However, Sakura's behavior wasn't strange in this room. After all, this was the "Horikita Alliance"—the cooperative alliance Hachiman had placed in Class D.
As for Horikita, she held the thought that if her brother needed the points she accumulated, she would give them to him. If not, she would gather 20 million points to transfer classes. Thus, Horikita wasn't a die-hard Class D loyalist either.
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At the same time, in another cabin on the ship, Ichinose Honami had just returned to her room. Sitting at her desk and watching the sky darken, she didn't feel the confidence she had shown Karuizawa. Her heart felt a bit low.
As the end of the exam neared, she couldn't help but wonder if Hachiman's choice to fight alone on the island meant her strength was insufficient—that he didn't need her to stay and face things with him.
She knew she had many shortcomings. Although she could unite the class and deal with other classes, she was far inferior to Hachiman in strategy and planning. If she were more capable, if Hachiman could fully trust her—no, rely on her—perhaps he wouldn't have chosen to stay behind alone.
'Is it really okay to enjoy this luxury on the ship?' She instinctively felt a sense of guilt.
"Ichinose?" Her roommate, Amikura Mako, saw her dazed at the desk looking downcast and walked over. "What's wrong? Do you have something on your mind?"
Ichinose snapped out of it and shook her head, forcing a smile.
"It's nothing, Mako-chan. I just realized the exam ends tomorrow and Hikigaya-kun will be back. I'm just feeling a bit emotional."
"Oh, I see." Amikura smiled and sat beside her. "The classmates have been saying they want to throw a welcome party for him when he gets back. After all, he was the only one who stayed on the island while we're here on vacation, eating and drinking well. It feels a bit wrong. He's the MVP of this exam; without him, Class B wouldn't have gotten so many points."
"A welcome party?" Ichinose was stunned for a moment, then her eyes lit up.
Yes, Hachiman had done so much for Class B, bearing all the pressure alone on that harsh island. He deserved a proper thank you.
While Amikura went to shower, Ichinose sat at her desk planning. A welcome party didn't seem like enough. Perhaps she could prepare a gift for him.
But what could she give? It had to express her feelings without being a burden. Since Hachiman already had someone he liked, an overly intimate gesture or gift would surely cause a misunderstanding.
She had to think carefully.
And so, time moved to the next day. The final day of the one-week island exam. 9:30 AM!
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