The return... I'll try to drop the next chapter before February...
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"And that marks the end of the test for your group..." Kyoro said shaking his head. "Yeah..." Sakura replied. Kyoro read over the email about the Cow Group's test ending, and looked over the exact words.

'The test has now ended for the Cow Group. Those in the Cow Group are no longer required to participate any further. Please be careful not to disturb the other students.'

'The same as the Monkey Group. Brief. Devoid of Context. Insanely obvious about not wanting to reveal the outcome.' Kyoro thought before scowling. "Have I done something wrong?" Sakura asked with unease in her eyes. "N-No! No. I think it just means someone figured out the VIP." Kyoro answered. "Were you the VIP?" Kyoro asked glancing at Sakura.

"No, I'm not the VIP. But I'm not sure about Sudō-kun or, um, the others." Sakura responded. "Heh. Neither am I. I've got no clue who our VIP is." Kyoro said with a wry smile. "Thank you, Keikēko-kun. I'm happy you told me that." Sakura said with a smile.

"How are things with Class A-holes? Heard rumors they weren't participating." Kyoro asked leaning against the rails. "Yeah, it's just like what the others have been saying. None of them have talked at all." Sakura said with a hand on her chin. 'Katsuragi and his silent treatment. He can't be that mad I won... They all know I was the one behind the Island, right?' Kyoro thought rubbing his brow.

"If there's anything else, let me know, okay? Remember. You can talk to me anytime." Kyoro said crossing his arms with a smirk. "Thank you, Keikēko-kun. See you later." Sakura said waving her hands cutely, before scurrying off. Kyoro smiled before running his hand through his hair.

'Time to put a reckless plan in a reckless motion...' Kyoro thought before closing his eyes, a small glow leaking from under his eyes lids. 'First. Gotta hit up Hirata, and get him to call Karuizawa. I need to postpone these events, so I'll probably need him to call her an hour earlier.' Kyoro thought pacing around. 'Hirata is definitely on his guard after last night. Karuizawa may have said she was breaking up with him, but she's in too tight a bind to throw him out now.' Kyoro thought before getting a message, stopping his pacing.

'I've promised to meet Karuizawa-san at 4:00 pm. I'll send you Manabe-san's info.' The message read.

'Right on the money, Hirata. I can always count on you.' Kyoro thought giving a small fist pump. 'Welp. Time to break a girl's spirit. I'm don't want to be this ruthless, but this is last minute desperation. Hirata would fucking kill me if he found out what happens next...' Kyoro thought shaking his head before receiving another message from Hirata.

'I have to tell you, I don't want to make Karuizawa-san sad.' Was Hirata's last message, but feeling bad, Kyoro ignored it. Kyoro switched from Hirata's contact, and sent a short message to Manabe. 'Hey, you got a minute?' With almost immediate time lapse, Manabe responded. 'Who is this?' She asked.

'Is anyone with you right now?' - K

'I'm alone, but who are you?' - M

'Don't show this to anyone. It's for the best.' - K

'Look, who are you?' - M

'The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I hate the same person you do. Which in a sense, makes us allies.' - K

...

'Do you have the wrong number?' - M

'No, Manabe-san. This is about Karuizawa-san. I'm wishing to speak to you about the matter.' - K

'I don't know what you're talking about. Please stop sending me messages.' - M

'I'm a classmate of hers. She's gotten in our way for long enough, and I'm looking to take revenge. As I stated before, we could be allies. We both want the same thing. That's why I want your help.' - K

'I don't know what you're talking about. I'm going to ignore you.' - M

'Listen. With the way you backed Karuizawa-san into a corner, she won't be leaving Hirata-kun's or Machida-kun's side anytime soon. Leaving you with no opening to get the answers you need, nor the revenge you want. She surrounded by a blockade, and I have a way to get in.' - K

...

'What should I do? Are you saying there's a way?' - M

'There's always a way...' - K

•

Kyoro left. He couldn't bare to witness what would happen next and left the scene. Karuizawa was called down to the lower deck and couldn't get any signal, complaining about it as she looked around.

Kyoro was standing on the side of the ship's mid deck, trying to clear his mind of the events occurring below him.

Manabe and her gang were currently bullying Karuizawa, and he was the one who set it up. He usually wouldn't feel any remorse about it, since it was his own plan. But he didn't actually want to go through with it. He couldn't bare to think about how she was feeling at the moment. He waited for around ten minutes to gain the courage to go back down.

He looked at the stairwell leading to the lowest deck and balled his fists. Worrying for her safety all of a sudden, Kyoro shook his head and ran down the stairs in a panic.

'What the hell have I done... I didn't need to do this! There might've been another way!' He thought shoving the door open. He turned the corner and saw the empty space with Karuizawa beaten and battered on the floor, a few bruises visible on her face. Kyoro tripped on the last step but caught himself and ran towards her. He stopped in front of her and panted, catching her attention.

"Wh-Why are..." She stuttered in shock. "Hey, hey... calm down. It's okay." He said crouching down, not hiding his shock at her injuries. 'I didn't think she'd take it this far. Damnit...' Kyoro said clicking his tongue. Karuizawa panicked at Kyoro seeing her in that state and sat up, wiping her eyes as her tears kept rolling. Kyoro patiently waited for her to stop crying and began losing track of time.

"Have you calmed down a bit?" Kyoro asked as softly as he could. "A little..." Karuizawa answered. She continued to wipe the last of her tears with her sleeve. "Where's Hirata-kun?" She asked looking up at me. "You two were supposed to meet, I suppose. I guess a teacher called him away... I was with him when he mentioned you, and noticed the time, so, here I am." Kyoro lied with a bitter smile. "What happened?" Kyoro asked. "Manabe and her friends... I absolutely will not let them get away with that." Karuizawa exclaimed in anger.

"You have to keep this a secret. If anyone finds out, I'll never forgive you." Karuizawa said glaring at me. I shook my head and gave her a nod. "You know, you could get back at Manabe and her friends? You're supposed to be a guy." Karuizawa scolded. "You want me to beat them up? And what do you mean supposed to be?" I asked with a smirk. "I've heard you fought that Class C guy. The American one." Karuizawa said with a sniff. "I may have clipped him in self-defense..." Kyoro answered.

"Either way... if you attack them, it will all be over. You should know from what happened with Sudō that this isn't a simple matter. This could escalate behind compression. Investigations, interviews, etcetera. Do you want that?" Kyoro asked with a frown. Karuizawa kept quiet for a bit, before speaking up.

"But they would... They'll continue to do awful things to me." She started. "I know... it sucks for things to return to normal. For things to go back to how they used to be... in the old days." Kyoro began. "Huh? What are you talking about?" Karuizawa asked. "You escaped by getting into this prestigious school, rose through the ranks of Class D, and are now a figurehead of the class. But, you're still hurting, as the same bullied girl from grade school all they way up to middle school." Kyoro said before taking a seat beside her. "Who are you talking about?!" Karuizawa shouted in confusion.

"You." Kyoro answered with a sigh. Kyoro wrapped his arm around her shoulder and Karuizawa began blushing. "H-Hey, what are you doing?!" She shouted again. "They tormented you. They hurt you, beat you, humiliated you. That's why you're like this. Miserable. Pathetic. Crying." Kyoro listed. "Wha—" "You were bullied from elementary to middle school. You wanted to act tough so you could stop being bullied. Right?" Kyoro asked. "D-Did you hear this... from Hirata-kun?" Karuizawa asked.

"...Yeah. Hirata is... everyone's ally, for better or worse. He'll help you, like he'll help everyone else. Even if he got you your position in Class D, he's not a good... host, if you get what I mean." Kyoro stated, earning a risen eyebrow from Karuizawa. "What are you... why are you even doing this, huh?" Karuizawa asked. "I just want you to know I understand. I... Let's just say we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Kyoro Keikēko, and I want to be your friend. My shoulder is there for you to lean on." Kyoro said with a small smile. Karuizawa stared at Kyoro in disbelief and her eyes teared up again.

"Tell me what happened. I want to know more." Kyoro said sternly, yet his voice was filled with care. Karuizawa wiped her eyes and she grabbed his hoodie in anguish. "After a while, I gave up trying to resist. That's right... I was everyone's victim. I became cold, robotic. I could cry, scream, or thrash around, but it didn't matter. It all meant nothing! I couldn't do anything! All I could do was take it..." She cried. She gripped Kyoro's hoodie tighter and cried into his chest. "Go on. I'm listening." Kyoro said rubbing her back. "They'd put tacks in my shoes or stuff my desk full of roadkill. When I went to the bathroom, I'd get splashed with dirty water. They wrote words like 'whore' on my uniform. They pulled my hair and punched and kicked me. Anything you can imagine, basically. I was bullied in every way. Countless times. What I've told you was just a fraction of what I've experienced. Those were the 'gentler' ways I've been bullied, too. It makes me want to laugh. So, why aren't you laughing? Why don't you laugh at the pitiful loser who's been bullied all her life?" Karuizawa asked with a glare.

"Why would I laugh? This isn't funny." Kyoro said with his own glare, making her flinch. "What else have you suffered?" Kyoro asked. "Huh?" "You said that was only a fraction. What else have you suffered?" Kyoro pressed. Karuizawa looked away, and down at her side, specifically her left side. "Stab wound?" Kyoro asked making her gasp. "H-How did you..." Karuizawa said before covering her mouth. "I won't press any further, but I'll take that as a yes. This is your... darkness. What caused you such despair..." Kyoro commented, looking away himself.

"You know. I killed my parents." Kyoro revealed. "Wh... What...?" Karuizawa asked in shock. "They tried to send me to some facility where I'd be forced into some kind of super human. I didn't want to go. I took matters into my own hands. Their lives were a small price for my natural born freedom." Kyoro said with a smile. "I was labeled a murderer, but what they did was counted as abduction somehow. I don't know... I was nine." Kyoro said with an awkward chuckle. He glanced over and saw Karuizawa was staring in confusion and horror. "Why are you... telling me this?" Karuizawa asked.

"Well, I know almost everything about you now, so it's only right... or at least that's what I thought." Kyoro said squinting his eyes. "Anyway, you never answered my question. Wanna be friends?" Kyoro asked. Karuizawa stared at him in even more confusion on his switch between topics, from murder to friendship. "I promise one thing. From now on, I'll protect you from bullying— from anything. I'll be more reliable than Hirata, and Machida." Kyoro exclaimed with determination.

"Wait. You mean that you can stop Manabe and her friends?" Karuizawa asked. "Yeah." Kyoro said before pulling up the video of them bullying her the first time in the stairwell. "Basically, I've got your back. If I send this picture to them, they won't get carried away anymore. If they go to far, I'll step in myself and stop them. However I see fit." Kyoro said with a smirk. "So. Wanna be friends?" Kyoro asked again.

Karuizawa stared at him reluctantly before nodding her head.

"Alright, friend. Down to business. You're..., right?" Kyoro whispered with a wink. Karuizawa caught on but tried to act puzzled, deep down knowing what he was talking about.

~•~

The final day of the Cruise Exam. Unlike the island, time passed quickly aboard the ship filled with luxury (False. This was much harder to write). After Kyoro's success on the island, Ryūen focused on his United frontal assault, and Katsuragi continued ahead with his iron fortress strategy, and Ichinose from Class B had not come with a countermeasure to these two's strategies.

"Gah! I drew it again! Am I seriously this bad at Old Maid?" Ichinose asked. "Seems so. I've won every game." Kyoro answered with a smirk. This was the fifth day, and another day of playing cards. Everyone still refused to play against Kyoro besides Ichinose, and were disheartened to watch Kyoro still dominate the idolized beauty. After Kyoro, threatened Manabe with the video of their bullying, they were quiet during the last day, not unnoticed by Karuizawa.

Speaking of her, she was sitting on Kyoro's left with her arms crossed. On Kyoro's right was Yukimura, who was looking back and forth between Kyoro and Ichinose. "Is it really okay to just sit here like this?" He asked.

"I mean, you can always lose to me to." Kyoro taunted with a smug smirk. "Yeah, why don't you join in? It increases the probability of this guy losing. Now come on— let's have a rematch!" Ichinose said starting to shuffle the cards. "No thanks. This guy's a cheat. And are you sure this is okay? I mean, just doing this until the test ends. I thought you were the one leading the group here." Yukimura asked. "Isn't that an excuse too convenient, Yukimura-kun? If you seriously want to win this thing, don't you think you should rely on yourself, rather than someone else?" Ichinose asked. "Yeah. Good point." Yukimura replied with a shrug.

•

"Well, the test will be over after our next meeting. How do things look on your end, Kyoro-kun?" Suzune asked Kyoro. The two were back at the cafe during the night.

"There hasn't been any changes. This rate? The VIP will get away. You?" Kyoro replied. "I'll win." Suzune answered bluntly. "You sure you haven't made a mistake?" Kyoro asked squinting his eyes. "I'm not sure who might be listening to us right now, so I won't go into detail. I'll just ask that you believe in me. Everything will be fine." Suzune said with a small blush.

"Trust me when I say I do." Kyoro said looking at the sea with smile. Suzune gazed at his peaceful expression in confusion before shaking her head. "Did you want to consult with me?" She asked. "Nope. You have the right to make whatever moves you want. True advocate of freedom right here." Kyoro said pointing to his chest.

"So what did you want to talk about? I thought we both agreed to avoid unnecessary contact." Suzune said crossing her arms. "That's because of that picture... Which reminds me. You can't be scared of him forever, you know." Kyoro said bringing up Ryūen, who persistently chased after her. "Judging from how you phrased that, I'm guessing you can do something about it?" Suzune asked.

"I've kicked his ass once. I can do it again." Kyoro said glaring and balling his fist. "I didn't mean like that, you brute. You already dislocated your arm fighting him. Can you really count that as a win?" Suzune asked. "I dropkicked him, and probably broke his jaw. I see that as an absolute win." Kyoro said smugly, putting his hands in his hoodie pockets. "B-But getting back on topic, I've got Hirata on our side." Kyoro said proudly.

"I don't particularly want that." Suzune said flatly. "Wha-? Well, I guess that's fine. Besides, I'm not saying you have to get involved with Hirata. I'll handle him and maintain things. Just need you to keep up." Kyoro said with a smile. "I don't really like how freely you're operating in the shadows." Suzune replied. "...what, that's my job...?" Kyoro said with deadpan.

"Anyway, you don't have to speak, just show your face when we talk. You can at least follow along, right?" Kyoro asked in exhaustion. "Well, I suppose so." She answered with a sigh, sounding displeased. 'She'll come around, at least after seeing his leadership skills.' Kyoro thought with a shrug.

"By the way, wanna introduce you to someone else later. Hirata, too. Make sure to keep some time open before they announce the results." I informed. "Okay, I really don't like this. I don't want you to just go ahead and recruit people as you see fit." Suzune said with glare. "You never let me do my job. This is just compensation for being on the frontlines. So unappreciative... They're useful to us, so just bare with me." Kyoro said placing his head in his palm.

"I have a general idea of what you're thinking, but... Well, fine. At any rate, let's meet back here after the test is over." Suzune said with a sigh. Kyoro looked at his phone and saw there was half an hour until the last discussion. Suzune looked at Kyoro's eyes and saw he was tired, making her a little worried. Kyoro put his phone away as Suzune spoke up. "I wonder how many traitors will come forward in this test." Horikita commented.

"Eh. Who knows? Still shocked at how fast the test ended for the Cow Group. The likely outcome is that the VIPs get away and time runs out." Kyoro responded. "Yes, I think so, too." Suzune said averting her eyes, seemingly worried about something.

"What's wrong?" Kyoro asked. "Nothing. It's just, well... Something about this test doesn't make sense. But there shouldn't be any mistakes. I definitely shouldn't lose." Suzune said with determination. Kyoro smirked and stood up with a stretch.

"Heh. I believe in you. But if things backfire, just remember I'm clutch when it counts." Kyoro said walking away. Suzune stared at his back as he left before scoffing.

•

Kyoro decided to get to the Rabbit Group's discussion room early, and turned the corner to an interesting sight.

On the floor was Ichinose, passed out in a deep slumber. Kyoro glanced at the girl's thighs due to her vulnerability, but sighed. Due to her lying on her side, most of her was visibly, but fortunately not her undergarments.

'I could learn a lot of information if I peeked through her phone. Question is, do I risk it and out friendship, or chase a bag and get it another way...' Kyoro thought crouching down staring at her sleeping face. Apparently, Kyoro has light footsteps, because she continued to sleep as he approached.

'Fuck it... I'm chasing a bag. This girl's way too perfect to ruin the friendship!' Kyoro thought balling his fist with a tear. He groaned softly before sitting down beside her, and lightly lifting her head to rest on his lap. He placed his arms behind his head and followed her lead, resting his eyes as well.

'Wonder why she's here early anyway?' Kyoro thought before drifting to sleep as well.

About ten minutes later, a cute ringtone went off from Ichinose's phone, making Kyoro jolt up and rub his eyes. He looked down and saw Ichinose reach around for her phone with her eyes still closed and turned off the supposed alarm. She mumbled a bit as she sat up beside him, still drowsy. Kyoro's eyes twitched in nervousness, thinking she'd be disgusted by his presence, but she wasn't in the slightest.

"Oh, good to see you, Keikēko-kun," Ichinose started with a yawn. "Sorry, did my alarm startle you?" She asked correcting her position. "Not really. You sleep well?" Kyoro asked. "Haha, sorry about that. I just passed out. I slept like a log. You're here early, though. Don't we have twenty minutes until the discussion?" Ichinose asked.

"That's my question. When did you get here?" Kyoro asked. "About an hour ago, I think. I wanted some peace and quiet. Since my friends are going in and out of my room, it's kind of noisy. Besides, I wanted to gather my thoughts." She explained. "And the results?" Kyoro asked leaning on his hands. "Don't worry, I have some." She said before scooting closer. Kyoro averted his eyes and blushed, glancing back and forth between her and the nearest wall.

"There's still some time left until the discussion starts. Why don't we have a little chat? If it's not a bother, that is." Ichinose suggested. "I-It's not." Kyoro mumbled, making Ichinose giggle. "Okay. To tell you the truth, Keikēko-kun, I want to ask you something. I've asked all my classmates this question, including the boys. I've just been curious. Do you want to ascend to Class A, Keikēko-kun?" Ichinose asked. "Yeah. That's the only reason I've been this active. But in all honestly, it feels like I have to no matter what." Kyoro answered with a sigh.

"Because of the guarantee of college or a career?" Ichinose questioned. "One of the reasons, yes. But I don't think it's that easy..." Kyoro said with a frown. "I think so, too. But don't you think placing too much trust in the system could be dangerous? There's something about that 99.9% college and job placement they're not telling us. Something dangerous." Ichinose concurred. "Eh. I agree, but there isn't much I can do. Most people who get anywhere in life succeed because someone influential helps them. Or are you not interested in that?" Kyoro asked with a shrug.

"No, I'm not saying that. I want to graduate from Class A. I have a dream I want to make real." Ichinose revealed, a seriousness in her eyes Kyoro found intriguing. "The school system's all well and good, but if you can't graduate from Class A, it's a mark of failure. This school is all about ability, and if your abilities can't carry you here, it's unlikely you'll ever be labeled an elite. Students are ranked based on perceived superiority and inferiority. Right now, between the two of us, Keikēko-kun, only one can achieve their dream. Ah, but—" Ichinose ranted but looked over and saw Kyoro looking down and depressed.

"Ah, I'm sorry! Uh, um... Have you heard the rumor? A-About the other way to reach Class A...?" Ichinose asked nervously. "You mean that twenty million points thing? Yeah, I've heard of it." Kyoro answered going back to his blank, exhausted stare. "Y-Yeah, if we factor that in, it's possible for both of us to graduate from Class A." Ichinose said with an awkward smile. Kyoro stared at her disappointment and she just sighed. "Eh. There's no hope for me. I'm barely hanging on to my fifty thousand..." Kyoro said rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah. Class D's financial situation is especially awful. Even though Horikita's trying her hardest, the points from the island test have yet to be deposited. Actually, it's entirely possible we'll lose them in this test..." Kyoro said with an irritated glare at the floor. "Hey, Ichinose. Are you a thrifty person? Not that you seem like one, but the rumor you brought up..." Kyoro trailed off.

"Keikēko-kun." Ichinose said leaning over towards him. Kyoro flinched and leaned back, unable to look away from her mesmerizing eyes. "It seems like you saw it, awhile back." She exclaimed. "Y-Yeah... when you helped with the trial a while back..." Kyoro answered. "Don't feel guilty or anything. I'm not blaming you. I mean, it certainly is a lot of points, right?" Ichinose said with a laugh. 'Hmm... two million... OF COURSE THATS A LOT! IT WAS THE FIRST MONTH!' Kyoro thought as his left eye twitched in annoyance.

"But I can't really give you any details. Sorry." She added. "Don't apologize. I shouldn't, and won't pry." Kyoro said putting his hands up in defense. "Of course, if you did manage to obtain that information, Keikēko-kun, and even if you shared it with Horikita-san, you wouldn't go blabbing to everyone, would you? I mean, even though you saw my phone, if someone else decided to ask about it, you wouldn't tell, right?" Ichinose asked placing a hand on Kyoro's thigh. Kyoro's face turned red he stuttered out his response.

"N-N-Nope. Won't t-tell anyone else." Kyoro said with a shaky salute. Ichinose smiled and removed her hand, turning forward again. Kyoro wrapped his arm around his legs in embarrassment and Ichinose noticed.

"Have you found a way to win this thing?" Kyoro asked. "Hmm, I think so. At least, I think I've found a hint." Ichinose answered. "Then I leave it to you. Unfortunately, my fluke during the trial can only carry me so far." Kyoro said with a frown. After his words, members of the Rabbit group began pouring in, not even paying the two any mind, not even a greeting.

"Oh, what's this? You're already here, Keikēko-kun?" Yukimura asked. "All alone with Ichinose-dono? My word, How suspicious. A clandestine rendezvous, wouldn't you say?" The Professor asked. "Sh-Shut it." Kyoro spat under his breath, standing up quickly. "This is the end, huh? So, have you found any hints?" Hamaguchi asked. "In all honesty, no. Without the cooperation of Class A, there isn't much we could do." Kyoro lied.

'I have a small back-up plan. Since Kushida is the Dragon Group's VIP, I had her switch phones with Horikita, in case someone tried to pry through their phone, they'd guess wrong.' Kyoro thought with a hand on his chin.

"Good evening. Nice to see you all." Ichinose greeted warmly, standing up beside me. 'There's my que. Not literally.' Kyoro thought before holding a hand up, and butting in before she could continue. But as he spoke, someone else uttered the same words.

"I have something I'd like to ask—" They started, but noticed the other's intent to speak up. "Go ahead." Kyoro said stepping back. "Thank you. For the past three days, I've been thinking of how we could achieve Outcome #1." Hamaguchi started. "There is a way for everyone here to achieve Outcome #1." He exclaimed, everyone's eyes glimmering with hope.

"Is that really true, Hamaguchi?" Machida asked. "Yes. I came up with this idea after listening to everyone here, including Ichinose-san and Machida-kun." Hamaguchi replied. Machida wanted to retort, but Kyoro sent him a swift glare, making him pause long enough for Hamaguchi to continue. "I'm going to show you all my phone. Of course, the school sent us all an email. I think you all understand what I'm getting at? Because we are prohibited from tampering with or misrepresenting the emails we've received in any way, there's no way to deceive one another. That's why the answer is simple. We show each other our emails, and then we find out who the VIP is. That's how we'll discover the truth." Hamaguchi explained.

"This is dumb. Why would—" "Then don't." Kyoro cut off Machida. "You're not obligated." Kyoro added with a scoff. "He's right. If the VIP thinks they'll be betrayed, they can opt not to show their phone. But if you're not the VIP, you're not at risk and don't have to worry about exposing you're identity. The test will be over soon, and if we don't make any move, we lose our chance of winning. This is just the best way too narrow down the suspects." Hamaguchi continued.

"I agree with Hamaguchi-kun. I'll show mine, too." Beppu from Class B said with a nod, showing his phone as well. "I think it's a surprisingly good strategy. I don't have any objections." Ichinose said with a smile. She took her phone out of her left skirt pocket, but before she could show her phone, Kyoro took her hand and stopped her.

"Since this is the last resort, it's only right with through all the chips in." Kyoro said with a smirk. He rubbed the back of his head and pulled out a phone. Yup. A phone. Not his. But it also wasn't the VIP's.

"Keikēko-kun... are you okay with this?" Ichinose asked. "Yeah. As I said. It's pretty much our last resort." Kyoro said with a shrug. "Wait, Keikēko. There's no way this kind of strategy is going to work." Yukimura said trying to stop him, but Kyoro showed the phone, 'revealing' that he wasn't the VIP.

"Yeah. Okay. So you're not the VIP. Keikēko-kun." Hamaguchi said. "Okay. I'll show mine, too." Ibuki Mio, surprisingly said, agreeing to the strategy. "Are you nuts? We don't get anything out of this!" Manabe shouted. "Anyone who isn't the VIP or who's not in the same class as a VIP gains nothing if things keep going like this. Class B understands that.  If we sit around, we won't catch up to the classes above us. That's why they're showing everyone their phones. I agree with their idea." Ibuki responded. "That's—" Manabe started but was cut off, "Or maybe you're the VIP." Ibuki said with a cold tone.

"N-No. I..." Manabe said looking away. "In that case, show everyone your phone." Ibuki ordered, practically threatening her classmates. Ibuki and her friends followed orders and showed their phones, revealing they weren't the VIP. Karuizawa followed after them and showed she wasn't the VIP as well. "Wait, not just Keikēko-kun, but Karuizawa, too? You're going along with this?" Yukimura asked, puzzled. "I'm doing this for my sake. I want those private points." Karuizawa replied. Eventually, through whatever means, be peer pressure or not, everyone but Yukimura and Class A had shown their phones.

"You've been awfully jumpy, Yukimura-kun. You're not the VIP, are you?" Ibuki asked, making Yukimura tense up. "Yukimura isn't the VIP. I heard so earlier." Kyoro commented, hoping Machida would take the bait. "You expect us to believe that? You could be lying." Manabe retorted, Kyoro giving her a cold glance. "It's too early to draw conclusions. Yukimura-kun has a point. I got a little caught up and missed my chance earlier, but I'll show you now." Ichinose said showing she also wasn't the VIP.

Everyone understood the meaning behind Yukimura's long silence, and Machida and the rest of Class A's students stared at him inquisitively.

"Fine. I'll show you. All I have to do is show you, right?" Yukimura muttered. Breaking under the pressure, pulled out his phone. "Before I do so, I want you to promise me one  thing. I don't anyone here to turn traitor. Especially you, Class A. I want you to take out your phones and put them in front of you. That goes for everybody." Yukimura said looking toward Machida. "What are you talking about?" Machida asked with a snort. "Exactly what I said. Nothing more, nothing less." Yukimura replied. "Well, fine. Whatever. If you want to see my phone, here." Machida scoffed. He and the rest of Class A walked over and showed their phones, proving they weren't the VIP. After that, Yukimura looked down and pulled out his phone, entering his password and opened the school's email.

"I'm sorry for lying to you, Keikēko-kun." Yukimura muttered, a different email than everyone else's on screen. "I'm the VIP." He revealed. The Professor and Karuizawa were the most shocked out of everyone in the room. "Wha— Y-Yukimura-dono, you're the VIP?!" The Professor stuttered. He was astonished and baffled, in hysterics if you will.

'That's actually my phone...' Kyoro thought with an internal smug smirk.

"If I had known things would turn out like this, I would've talked from the start..." Yukimura said in downcast. Karuizawa was genuinely shocked and even looked uneasy. Machida went out of his way to check Yukimura's private email and chat logs, and confirmed the truth. He looked doubtful, not wanting to believe it was him.

"There's no way it could be fake. After all, the school explained the rules, right? Copying and transferring the email is forbidden. As long as the email was sent from the school's email address, there's a 0% chance it's a fake." Ichinose pointed out, and she was correct. "So that means it's definitely Yukimura." Ibuki added, Manabe nodding. Now, no one could really deny he wasn't the VIP. He put in the password, the email is his. There's not more they can challenge.

"Sorry, Yukimura-kun. This happened because I came up with this at the last minute." Kyoro apologized. "No, it's okay. It's probably for the best." Yukimura responded. Suddenly, Yukimura's phone rung, and he panicked and tried to snatch it from the table, but knocked it to the floor. Unfortunately landing face up, it revealed the caller ID as 'Ichinose'.

"What are you doing, Ichinose? There's no point in calling Yukimura's phone at a time like this." Machida said eyeing her suspiciously. Yukimura began to panic but Kyoro only stared blankly, not worried at all. "The school said that altering or copying the emails is forbidden, that's true. That's why the email we saw was the real thing. However, there's no rule saying that you can't trick people with the phone itself. Do you understand what I'm getting at?" Ichinose asked with a smile. Ichinose picked up the phone and handed it to Kyoro, who took the phone quietly.

"The person this phone belongs to, the real VIP... that's you, isn't it? Keikēko-kun? I called you just now, not Yukimura-kun." Ichinose asked. "Yeah." Kyoro said with a shrug. "But that's... but he had the password... and I check his private email history!" Machida said in shock. "That was all fake. He could've easily gotten the password before hand, and it's possible to replicate call history, email, apps, and so on, but that takes a bit of effort." Ichinose informed. Machida's face contorted to anger and glared at Yukimura and Kyoro.

'Expected that to backfire. Oh, well. Hope the others are having luck...' Kyoro thought with a blank stare at Machida. "We've been thinking about this for a while now, too. If the VIP was in your class, one option would be to swap phones, and mislead people into picking the wrong person as VIP." Ichinose said, saying she had the same idea. '...' Kyoro only glanced at her and she did the same to him. "But you see, there's a weak point to that strategy: a phone number. Even if you perfectly duplicate everything, you can't change the number. Hamaguchi and I tried swapping the SIM cards are locked to their designated phones. If you'd swapped them, I wouldn't have been able to call you. It doesn't matter who switches with whom, once I hear the phone ring, I can find the owner. If I couldn't do that, I wouldn't have proposed this idea in the first place." Ichinose explained. 'Seems they're two steps ahead...' Kyoro thought as he and Ichinose stared at each other.

"You did everything almost perfectly. But you didn't anticipate that our SIM cards are locked to specific devices, did you?" She gloated a bit. An announcement sounded through the speakers saying there was only five minutes left in the last discussion. "Damnit!" Yukimura shouted. "Too bad, Yukimura. It was a surprisingly good try, though." Machida said with a laugh, others laughing as well, furthering the mockery of Kyoro and Yukimura.

"Anyway, we've confirmed that Keikēko-kun is the VIP. Machida-kun, promise me that we'll aim for Outcome #1, and no one will betray anyone else." Ichinose pleaded. "Yes, of course. You can trust me. Let's go." Machida said to his classmates, taking their leave along side Class C, and then B, excluding Ichinose. The Professor and Karuizawa left as well, and Yukimura balled his fist. He glared at the phone Kyoro was holding but scoffed.

"I was wrong to go along with your plan. This sucks." He said before leaving. Now only Kyoro and Ichinose, and Kyoro was going to leave, but she grabbed his wrist.

"Now all we have to do is trust everyone." She started. "Something I'm not good at, but it's all I can do." Kyoro replied. "You're really calm, Keikēko-kun. Aren't you worried?" She pressed. "Nope. As you said. I can only believe. See you tomor—" "Hey, wait a sec." Ichinose said tugging his wrist, and stopping his parting. Her hand moved down to his finger and she held his hand, Kyoro glancing back with curiousness, not an ounce of embarrassment shown.

"Who came up with the idea of swapping phones?" She asked. "Me." Kyoro answered honestly. "I see. You're plan was a huge success." Ichinose said with a smile. "...I just got laughed at by Class A-holes. Definitely wasn't a success." Kyoro said coldly. "Ha, ha, ha. You didn't expect us to come up with the same plan, did you?" She asked. "Yeah... sorry for trying to deceive you. Are you angry?" Kyoro asked. "Not really. We went ahead with our own plan without telling you, so we're even." Ichinose replied. "Alright. I have to report back to Horikita." Kyoro said trying to leave again, but she squeezed his hand.

"W-Wait, wait a second. We still haven't gotten to the critical part yet." Ichinose said making Kyoro raise an eyebrow. "Come on. You're surprisingly bad at dealing with people, Keikēko-kun. It's true that the SIM cards are locked to their respective phones, But there is a way to release that lock. Isn't that right? I checked with Hoshinomiya-sensei to confirm. She said that with enough points, you can unlock the device right away." Ichinose informed. "After a falsehood comes to light, most people will take the answer that comes after it to be the truth. Yukimura-kun was determined not to be the VIP, even after he showed everyone how he unlocked your phone using the password. The moment that lie was revealed, the truth that you're the VIP came to surface. The SIM card was the deciding factor. No one would suspect anyone else as the VIP now. But that was a trap. I said the idea of swapping phones was an imperfect strategy, but that was a lie. That's because swapping phones is extremely effective. Of course, it must be a double-layered trap in order to work. In that case, the truth will remain in the darkness. There wouldn't be anyway for anyone to determine with 100% accuracy, the real VIP's identity." Ichinose explained thoroughly.

'She's seen through my plan, the plan behind the plan as well. She even realized I kept Yukimura in the dark. She knows I'm not the VIP.' Kyoro thought just keeping eye contact with her. 'First swap, me and Karuizawa. Then, Karuizawa's with Yukimura. All with replicated and altered history and emails. No normal person will guess the VIP is Karuizawa... unfortunately, she's not normal.' Kyoro continued, his head starting to hurt.

"If the VIP wasn't in Class D, what would you have done?" Ichinose asked. "The same as you. I would've tried to find out who the VIP was, borrowed that person's phone, and had another ready. Then, I'd step forward and claim to be the VIP myself." Kyoro said with a small glare. "So I've been found out, huh?" She said before pulling out two phones, one from each pocket. One belonged to a Class B VIP in another group, and the other was from someone who was most likely not a VIP.

"This is just my prediction, based on how today's discussion went..." Ichinose started before typing the rest of her sentence on her phone.

'The real VIP is Karuizawa Kei-san. Right?'

That was the betrayal message she was going to send to the school, however, before she could, they both received an email.

'The test has now ended for the Rabbit Group. Please wait for the results announcement.'

"Ahh, I guess someone turned traitor, huh? I wonder, was it Class A or Class C?" Ichinose pondered.

"Why do you think it was Karuizawa?" Kyoro asked, his voice more quiet and calm than Ichinose would like. "The same reason as Yukimura-kun. She's been behaving unusually. She normally doesn't seem to care much about you, Keikēko-kun, but she kept looking over at you, and her face softened. But there's still the possibility that she isn't the VIP, so I couldn't have sent that email." Ichinose answered. "If either Class A or Class C makes a mistake, that's a win for us. From the very beginning, I never intended to clear Outcome #1, or to turn traitor and get Outcome #3. The moment I knew the VIP wasn't in Class B, I knew I would let another Class betray us. I think the traitor was probably Class A's Morishige-kun. He's a member of Sakayanagi's faction. I doubt he'd just quietly go along with Katsuragi's plan. He probably figured that, if anything, it was better for him to betray the group and take the points. Don't you think?" Ichinose explained, before laughing and turning her back to Kyoro, finally letting go of his hand.

"You know, you're really amazing, Keikēko-kun. You know that? Our conversation just now just proves how cunning you really are, doesn't it?" Ichinose asked. "No. It was a complete failure. A crime is only a crime if you get caught. And I did. There was no success in my efforts." Kyoro said still glaring a bit.

"I can feel that little bit of annoyance in your tone, and in your eyes...it hurts a bit." Ichinose commented with a frown, but quickly smiled again, turning back towards Kyoro. "Well, I'll be leaving then. It would be bad if we broke the rules, wouldn't you say?" Ichinose asked, but the second she uttered those words, both of their phones made a unique sound, four times, swiftly.

"Wh-What does this mean...?" Ichinose asked, looking down at her phone, and then back up at Kyoro.

~•~

Kyoro sat in cafe, the clock almost reach 11:00. The seats of the cafe began to fill up, but Kyoro had secured four seats, awaiting their arrival. One girl arrived and tapped his shoulder.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Karuizawa Kei said meekly. "Sorry for calling you out so late." Kyoro replied. "No, it's okay." Karuizawa said before taking a seat across from Kyoro. Kyoro didn't have the stamina to keep a conversation at the time and only stared at the starry night sky, Karuizawa staring quietly at him, wanting to speak up. Kyoro felt her gaze and looked over. "Ah, um, I was just wondering if everything really went okay." She started. "There's likely nothing to worry about." Kyoro responded. "How can you say for sure?" Karuizawa asked.

"I'm guessing you're talking about that piece of paper you gave me. Right, Keikēko-kun?" Hirata asked approaching from behind Karuizawa, making her jump in shock. "Excellent work on this test, both of you. May I sit?" Hirata asked Karuizawa. "Sure." Karuizawa said shifting in her seat, clearly uncomfortable. She looked away, but of course couldn't refuse him. The clock hit 10:55, and in just five more minutes, an email would be sent to ever student.

"It's just about time. Is Horikita-san still not here? Shouldn't we contact her?" Hirata asked. "No." Kyoro answered bluntly. "Ah, looks like she's here." Hirata said in irony. Behind Kyoro, Suzune appeared, but with an, unwelcome and unexpected guest. Sudō Ken. "Ignore him. Think of him as a ghost that attached itself to my back." Suzune said taking a seat beside Kyoro. "Aw, come one. Don't say that, Horikita. I just thought you might be nervous during the test, so I was worried about you. That's why I came to check on you." Sudō said shamelessly lying.

"You're in the way. Get lost." Suzune spat. "H-Hey, don't say that. I gave everything I had—" "If you're going to be here. Shut up and take a seat. I'm not in the mood." Kyoro said with a glare. Sudō was going to complain but saw that Kyoro was dead serious. He grabbed a nearby chair and sat between Kyoro and Karuizawa.

"Anyway, about the chain of emails we received earlier." Suzune started. "Each notification, was an email that the test had ended for the Rat, Horse, Rooster, and Pig groups. Every last group was betrayed. "Minami-kun was the Horse Group VIP, right?" Suzune asked. "Yeah. Someone discovered his identity." Kyoro informed quietly. "Did one of us send an email for the other groups?" Suzune asked. "No one from the boys." Hirata answered. "None of the girls did." Karuizawa answered as well. "I see." Suzune said accepting their replies, as she didn't have the information herself.

"Still, I wonder why only a small group of people were given explanations for this exam, in the end?" Hirata muttered. "This exam was all about testing our thinking. It's not like every single question would have an answer." Suzune replied. "What I'm worried about is that those four emails came in at almost the same time. The school said we had a timeframe of thirty minutes at the end of the test to betray someone, but all the emails came within one or two seconds of each other." Suzune brought up.

"They're automated. Obviously. But due to the lack of time between emails, that means they were probably turned in by one class. And who other than to show off their bravado than Class C." Kyoro said before scooting to his left, and a little closer to Sudō. Behind him, Ryūen revealed himself.

"So. You're all here after all, huh?" He greeted. "Ryūen!" Sudō shouted, standing up as if to threaten him, but Ryūen wasn't phased. He grabbed a chair and sat in between the space between Kyoro and Suzune. Suzune glared at Kyoro, but he only looked at her with his more recent blank stare, not giving a care.

"Thank you for the invite, Keikēko-kun. I'm glad you picked our usual spot." Ryūen said making everyone look at Kyoro in shock. "Anyway, Suzune, you've got a rather large group with you. Have you grown more sociable?" Ryūen muttered, looking at everyone around her. "I disliked your persistent harassment. I was talking to them about it." Suzune said flatly. "I didn't think you actually had any friends." Ryūen teased. 'The only reason I invited him was a distraction. I needed him to see someone other than me around her. Take the heat off me.' Kyoro thought, still looking away from everyone.

"The results will be announced any minute now. Are you expecting any results?" Ryūen asked. "More or less. You look rather relaxed." Suzune replied. "Heh. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. Looks like the same crowd as the last time." Ryūen said with a smirk. Suzune gave Ryūen disgusted look, and Ryūen only scoffed. "Stop it, Suzune. You know if you get carried away now, you'll just be embarrassed later. I already know our group's VIP." Ryūen said shaking his head. "I'm quite glad to hear that. I look forward to the results." Suzune said confidently.

"There's no need to wait for the announcement. Want me to tell you who the Dragon Group VIP is?" Ryūen asked. "Yes." Kyoro said before Suzune could respond, making Ryūen chuckle.

"Kushida Kikyō." He stated, and was right on the money. Suzune and Hirata grew shocked and confused on how he knew, and Ryūen laughed some more. "I'm sorry, but I've known Kushida was the VIP since the second day of the test." Ryūen continued. "You're joking, right? If that's true, you would have turned traitor and sent an email. But the test didn't end like that that must mean you realized the fact after the exam had ended. There's no other way. Am I wrong?" Horikita asked. "I just felt so sorry for you. You were oh-so-incredibly confident in your victory that you looked down on others. You were so desperate to get your stories straight, assuming no one would get the answer right. That's why I went along with it until the end." Ryūen elaborated.

"How did you figure it out?" Hirata asked in curiosity and fear. "Unfortunately, the answer to that... Well, it involves you, Suzune." Ryūen answered. "Me?" Suzune asked in shock. "I figured because of your body. The movements of your eyes and mouth. Your breathing. Your behavior. Your tone. Everything about you told me you were lying." Ryūen said in a eerie tone. "Stop with the jokes!" Suzune shouted. "Jokes? If it's a joke, how do I know the truth?" Ryūen asked.

"That's... I'm sure you could've just heard it from someone else." Suzune stuttered. "I understand how you feel. You don't want to admit that you're the most incompetent person in the group. But don't beat yourself up, Suzune. You merely chose the wrong opponent. If not for this brute, Kyoro, you wouldn't have even won the island exam. Besides, this exam was supposed to be pure chaos. At any rate, Class A is in for an especially rude awakening. Relax." Ryūen said with a smirk. "What? What did you do...?" Suzune asked. "You'll understand soon enough." Ryūen replied.

The clock struck 11:00, and everyone received the school email. Everyone began to check, save Ryūen, and surprisingly Kyoro.

______________________________

Rat: Outcome #3.
The Traitor answered correctly.

Cow: Outcome #4.
The Traitor answered incorrectly.

Tiger: Outcome #2.
The VIP's identity was not discovered.

Rabbit: Outcome #4.
The Traitor answered incorrectly.

Dragon: Outcome #1.
The entire group answered correctly at the end of the test.

Snake: Outcome #2.
The VIP's identity was not discovered.

Horse: Outcome #3.
The Traitor answered correctly.

Sheep: Outcome #2.
The VIP's identity was not discovered.

Monkey: Outcome #3.
The Traitor answered correctly.

Rooster: Outcome #3.
The Traitor answered correctly.

Dog: Outcome #2.
The VIP's identity was not discovered.

Pig: Outcome #3.
The Traitor answered correctly.

_________________

Class A:
— 200 Class Points | + 2 Mil Personal Points.

Class B:
No change | + 2.5 Mil Personal Points

Class C:
+ 150 Class Points | + 5.5 Mil Personal Points

Class D:
+ 50 Class Points | + 3 Mil Personal Points

______________________________

Everyone looked shocked and stunned by the results.

"Class C... came out on top." Suzune muttered. "Isn't this great, Suzune? Thanks to your blunder, the Dragon Group managed to clear this test with Outcome #1. Because of that, all the classes should receive a boost in points." Ryūen said with a clap, a satisfied grin on his face. "If you beg for it, I'll tell you the answer. How about it?" Ryūen asked smugly.

"Who would—..." Suzune started to snap, but kept quiet. "Oh~, that look you have. It's pretty sexy." Ryūen commented. He placed his phone down on the table, and on screen was a list of the VIPs from Class A only, the Pig, Rooster, and Rat groups. "I made some adjustments and arrived at the root of the test. Then, I just focused on the Class A students." Ryūen said. He had officially cleared the test without targeting Class B or D. "I'm sorry to tell you, Suzune, but you're my next target. I'm going after you with everything I've got. I won't stop until I tear you to shreds, both in mind and body." Ryūen said darkly, Suzune unable to make a comeback. Kyoro thought everyone would be focused on Suzune from his words, but they were all looking at him. He kept quiet, and rolled his eyes.

"Congratulations. It seems we've underestimated you. Is that what you're looking for?" Kyoro asked sarcastically, glaring at everyone. Ryūen chuckled and pat Kyoro's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm looking forward to the next semester, Kyoro." Ryūen said standing up. "Have a nice night." Kyoro said as he parted. Everyone was quiet, and Kyoro didn't like it.

"You're in trouble, Horikita." Kyoro started. 'He didn't say we...' Suzune noticed. "You mean Ryūen-kun? It's true he did very well in this test, but there's no guarantee he'll be dangerous in the future. Your group won their test, after all. Didn't they?" Suzune asked. "I know. I did win." Kyoro said standing up.

"But this is a team effort..." Kyoro said walking away with a frown.