The Stage is Set

"Thanks a lot, Matsushita. I couldn't have done it without you."

Hikigaya retraced his steps and swiftly rejoined Matsushita after securing the evidence. His heart was still pounding in his chest, and beads of sweat dotted his forehead. He couldn't help but think about how close he came to being caught—there would have been no escaping the consequences if he had.

"Hikigaya-kun, what exactly did Ibuki do in there?" Matsushita asked, her curiosity piqued. Though she had some suspicions, she wanted to hear it straight from him.

As he carefully tucked the camera away, Hikigaya replied, "She stole Horikita's keycard."

"She stole it...? But why?" Matsushita's voice trailed off as she realized the oddity of the situation. As a spy, all Ibuki needed to do was confirm the name on the keycard. There was no need to steal it and risk raising suspicion.

"Could it be that Ryuuen doesn't trust her?" Matsushita mused, based on the limited information she had. After all, Ryuuen was known as the tyrant of Class C, someone who didn't easily trust others.

"That keycard is meant for Katsuragi," Hikigaya answered curtly, confident that Matsushita would grasp the implications.

As they spoke, Ibuki emerged from the girls' tent, acting as if nothing had happened, and nonchalantly rejoined the line for the showers. Her composure was impressive as ever.

"Anyway, thanks for your help. I'll make sure to add a bonus when we're back," Hikigaya said.

"No, that's not necessary," Matsushita responded, knowing the camp wasn't the place for a lengthy conversation. After exchanging a few more words, they parted ways.

With the evidence needed to force Class C to withdraw in his possession, Hikigaya's only challenge now was finding Ryuuen to negotiate. The simplest method would be to use Ibuki to locate Ryuuen. However, there was one obstacle—Ayanokouji.

Hikigaya speculated that the reason Ibuki hadn't taken a photo of the keycard and instead stole it was likely because Ayanokouji had damaged her camera, forcing her to take the risk.

Ayanokouji's motive was likely to confirm Ryuuen's involvement through Ibuki. This meant that if Hikigaya followed Ibuki, Ayanokouji might notice.

He needed a different approach. Fortunately, Ibuki wasn't the only one who could lead him to Ryuuen.

Originally, Hikigaya had planned to wait until the next morning, expecting rain, but the constant changes to his plans led him back to his initial idea. He had no choice now; it was time to visit Class A.

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun, I brought the medicine," Hirata said as he approached, holding out a box of cold medicine.

"...Thanks," Hikigaya replied, feeling a bit guilty as he realized Hirata still believed he was sick. With a sigh, he opened the box and took a pill. There was no turning back now—he had to keep up the act.

As he prepared to leave, he noticed Horikita, now cleaned up from her earlier mud bath, passing by in her swimsuit.

"Hey, catch," he called out.

"Huh?" Horikita instinctively caught the medicine he tossed her.

"What's this?" she asked, puzzled.

"I'm not feeling well, so I had Hirata get this for me," Hikigaya explained. "I won't need the whole box, so you should take some, just in case."

"Wh-what…" Horikita stood there, stunned, not quite understanding what had just happened. But Hikigaya didn't care about her reaction. He nodded to Hirata and walked away, leaving Hirata to convince the stubborn Horikita to take the medicine.

After all, he had already spent the points—there was no way she wouldn't use it.

With Hirata now occupied, the camp was thrown into chaos again. Ayanokouji, who had disappeared earlier, was immediately surrounded by Sudou and the others when he returned, looking completely bewildered.

Even now, Yamauchi was still berating Ayanokouji.

—Who would've thought things would turn out like this?

Hikigaya shook his head, slightly disappointed. He had hoped to let Sakayanagi and Ayanokouji tear each other apart, but it seemed Yamauchi had gotten the first bite. Life was full of surprises.

Seizing the moment when everyone was distracted, Hikigaya quietly slipped out of the camp and made his way to the cave where Class A was stationed. He hadn't officially visited before, but after days of observing, he knew exactly where it was, so there was no fear of getting lost.

About half an hour later, Hikigaya arrived near the cave. From his vantage point, he could see two portable toilets and a shower tent near the entrance, with a guard standing nearby. A large screen covered the cave entrance, blocking any view inside. The screen was made of several plastic bags stitched together, evidence that Class A was also conserving resources.

Hikigaya didn't approach the entrance. Instead, he hid in a nearby bush, carefully watching for any movement.

By now, a light rain had started to fall. Thankfully, it was summer, and a little rain wasn't a problem. Besides, Hikigaya had already taken cold medicine—he wouldn't be wasting it on a mere chill.

…No, who wants to catch a cold?!

After what felt like an eternity, just as Hikigaya began to grow drowsy, the screen at the cave entrance was lifted. A bald figure, Katsuragi Kouhei, stepped out, wearing a raincoat made from plastic bags. He glanced around cautiously, ensuring no one was watching before heading into the forest alone.

This time, Yahiko wasn't tailing him. If Hikigaya's guess was correct, Katsuragi was on his way to meet Ryuuen.

—Finally, I've got you.

Hikigaya suppressed his excitement and began to follow Katsuragi from a safe distance. Katsuragi was highly vigilant, constantly scanning his surroundings, but it was pointless. Even the Student Council President would struggle to detect Hikigaya's presence, let alone Katsuragi.

Ayanokouji might be the only one capable of such a feat, but with the rain, even his senses would likely be dulled.

Still, Hikigaya wasn't one to gamble. Sticking to Katsuragi was the safest option.

After a while, Katsuragi stopped and pulled out a handheld radio from his pocket. It seemed this was how he communicated with Ryuuen. Hikigaya continued to trail him as they walked through the forest for another half hour, when suddenly, a beam of light flashed ahead, like a signal in Morse code.

In response, another light blinked in the same pattern. Katsuragi, unfazed, walked toward the light, with Hikigaya stealthily following. Sure enough, Ryuuen appeared before them, looking as menacing as ever, with a disheveled Ibuki at his side.

…Heh, this is perfect.

Hikigaya couldn't help but smile. Everything was going according to plan. The players had taken their positions on the stage.