The first group discussion for the Special Test in the Tiger Group ended in a rush.
This outcome was probably expected by many. As for Hasebe's question, Hikigaya could only answer with, "I'm not sure yet." He wasn't a mind reader, and he didn't really care much about this test in the first place.
As for the 500,000 private points reward for guessing the VIP, Hikigaya felt nothing about it now.
The previous survival test on the deserted island had exhausted him, and he had already taught that little troublemaker Sakayanagi a harsh lesson. So now, Hikigaya was feeling completely relaxed, just trying to participate as an ordinary student.
After saying goodbye to Hasebe, Hikigaya quickly received a message from Kushida.
Following the location in her message, he arrived at the fourth floor of the cruise ship, an area mostly used by staff. That meant there was no need to worry about other students showing up.
"You're really cautious."
Hikigaya waited for a while before Kushida finally appeared, coming down the stairs.
"Ike and Yamauchi are so annoying!"
The moment she saw him, Kushida immediately started venting. It turned out those two idiots were trying to confess their feelings to her during the cruise trip. They had been sticking to her like glue, refusing to leave her alone no matter what she did.
To escape from those two, Kushida had no choice but to meet Hikigaya in a place like this.
Once she finished ranting, she pulled out a few slips of paper from her pocket.
"There are still two or three more group lists left. I should be able to get them by tonight."
Hikigaya couldn't help but be impressed by Kushida's information-gathering skills. Her so-called "friends" played a huge role in this.
After glancing at the papers, he put them away. But his casual reaction seemed to irritate Kushida.
"Hey, I worked so hard to collect this info for you, and you're just going to take one quick look at it?"
Maybe because Ike and Yamauchi had been driving her crazy lately, Kushida was still in a bad mood even after venting.
"I already memorized it."
Hikigaya remained calm.
"No way, there were so many names—"
Kushida stopped mid-sentence and stared at him, unsure if he was lying.
"You really remembered all of it?" she asked, half-doubtful.
"Why would I lie?"
Hikigaya looked confused.
"Hah! As if you haven't lied to me before!"
"..."
As Kushida was about to leave, Hikigaya suddenly called out to her.
"Kushida, wait."
She turned back impatiently.
Hikigaya looked at her thoughtfully and asked, "I feel like something's off with you today."
"Huh? I already told you, it's those two idiots—"
Kushida looked annoyed.
"Aren't you even a little curious about what I'm planning? You haven't asked me about the test at all."
"Huh? What are you talking about? Who cares about your business? And the exam—everyone's in the same boat!"
Kushida explained, but the flicker of panic in her eyes and the unusual tone in her voice made Hikigaya sense that something was off.
"I remember you're in the [Dragon] group, Kushida. Hirata, Horikita, and you are in the same group, along with Katsuragi, Ryuen, and Kanzaki..."
Hikigaya listed all the members of Kushida's Dragon group—also known as the Dragon group—without missing a single name.
"Looking at it this way, your group really gathered all the leaders from the four classes. What a lively bunch!"
Kushida's face grew darker, but Hikigaya acted as if he didn't notice and continued.
"So, Kushida, do you have any thoughts on who the VIP in your group might be?"
"I don't know. I have something to do, so I'm leaving."
Her expression turned cold, and after saying that, she was ready to walk away.
"Could the VIP be you?"
Hikigaya suddenly threw out the question, making Kushida freeze in place. She turned back and saw the half-smiling, half-mocking expression on his face, and her heart tightened.
"I was just guessing randomly... Did I actually get it right?"
Hikigaya said with a look of 'surprise.'
Kushida glared at him for a moment before leaving. Watching her walk away, Hikigaya frowned slightly. If he had only been casually speculating before, now he was at least 50% sure. More importantly, he was certain that Kushida was up to something behind the scenes.
She was still too easy to read.
Soon, it was 8 PM, and the second round of discussions for the VIP exam began. Just like last time, Hikigaya's group made no progress at all.
With students from competing classes gathered together, and most of them unfamiliar with each other, the atmosphere was filled with caution. Everyone was on guard.
Even when Hikigaya tried to probe for information, the moment he spoke, the students from the other three classes would immediately become wary—especially those from Class C.
"Hey, Hikigaya."
Suddenly, Kamuro took a seat next to him. She didn't seem to care about the curious glances around them and directly asked,
"How much do you know about Yukinoshita?"
The moment the conversation shifted away from the exam, students like Ishizaki and Shiranami Chihiro, who had been paying attention, quickly lost interest.
However, the name 'Yukinoshita' clearly caught the attention of the other students in Class B. Hikigaya noticed their eyes shifting toward Kamuro—most of them focused on her rather than him.
"They're all neutral."
Kamuro, aware of her classmates' reactions, explained to Hikigaya.
Morishita Ai, Yamamura Miki, and Satoru Satonaka were all part of the neutral faction, which explained why they had such a strong reaction when Kamuro mentioned Haruno.
Three neutrals and Sakayanagi's faction?
"Your situation seems pretty complicated."
Kamuro shot him an annoyed look.
"Just answer my question already!"
"Know her? You guys are her classmates—you should know her better than I do."
"I'm asking you!"
Kamuro's voice was filled with impatience.
"A troublemaker."
Hikigaya answered without hesitation.
Kamuro frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. Whatever interests her, she does it."
Hikigaya let out a bitter laugh.
"In internet slang—she just wants fun. You can never predict what she'll do next."
As long as she enjoys it, she doesn't care if things turn into a complete mess.
Of course, that was only what Hikigaya saw on the surface.
But that should be enough of an answer for Kamuro.
Still, something about her question made Hikigaya feel that something was off.
Was Haruno planning to make a move in this exam?
A subtle undercurrent filled the air, making Hikigaya instantly more alert.
Others might not know, but he was all too familiar with Haruno's destructive power.
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