The Masterpiece – Fool Edition

Hikigaya didn't intentionally mean to mock Ryuuen—it was just that this guy's actions were downright absurd.

Most people committed misdeeds in secret, afraid of getting caught. But Ryuuen? He practically announced his wrongdoing in front of an entire class of forty students—and even got recorded by a mole.

He was nothing short of a clown.

Speaking of the mole, it was obvious that Ayanokoji was behind this.

That would also explain his abnormal behavior during the sports festival.

The logic behind it was actually quite simple. Ayanokoji had seen through Ryuuen's suspicious nature, and since he was already a prime suspect, he simply made himself more conspicuous, ensuring that Ryuuen couldn't figure out the truth.

After all, with Ryuuen's simplistic way of thinking, he must have assumed that X had always operated from the shadows and would never show up so easily. That meant Ayanokoji was likely nothing more than a smokescreen.

Little did he know, Ayanokoji had already anticipated his thought process.

Even so… something about all this still felt off.

"Hikigaya-kun, why are you spacing out?"

Horikita's voice suddenly snapped him back to reality.

"Are you thinking about that recording?"

"Yeah, a few things are bothering me."

Hikigaya didn't deny it and simply nodded.

"Yeah, I'm a little curious too." Kushida furrowed her brows. "Who was the one who sent the recording to Ryuuen? Could it be Ayanokoji? He's the only one who's always hanging around Horikita, and during the competition, he suddenly ran ridiculously fast… It feels like he's hiding a lot of secrets."

Kushida could be an airhead at times, but this time, her intuition was spot on—she had hit the truth dead center.

"...You're right. The only person I can think of is Ayanokoji-kun. I just don't know how he pulled it off."

Horikita hesitated for a few seconds before confirming Kushida's suspicion outright.

That was basically exposing Ayanokoji's identity.

Kushida immediately let out a dramatic gasp. "Whoa, whoa! Hachiman, did you hear that? Horikita just sold out her own teammate without hesitation! She outright revealed X's identity!"

"W-Wait! Kushida-san?!"

"How ruthless! Ayanokoji came to save her, and she just turned around and threw him under the bus."

"Could you stop spouting nonsense?!" Horikita sounded flustered. "I never asked Ayanokoji-kun for help, and I didn't even tell him about this whole situation… Wait."

She suddenly stopped mid-sentence, her expression freezing.

Kushida tilted her head in confusion, but then she noticed Horikita slowly turning her gaze toward Hikigaya.

"Um… Hikigaya-kun, do you think… Ayanokoji-kun knew about my conversation with Ryuuen?"

"…Horikita." Hikigaya sighed. "All I can say is, there's no need to overthink things. For now, just enjoy your victory."

Though he didn't say it outright, Horikita's expression told him everything he needed to know.

There was no doubt—she had already realized that Ayanokoji didn't send that recording to Ryuuen just to help her.

If his only goal was to thwart Ryuuen's scheme, all he had to do was send a warning in advance. There was no need to go about it in such a flashy way, exposing his mole in the process.

And that was exactly what felt off to Hikigaya.

It was as if Ayanokoji was deliberately luring Ryuuen in—perhaps that was exactly his plan.

If he truly wanted to remain hidden, he would never have revealed the mole's existence in the first place.

The mole was likely Manabe—a girl with little to no special abilities.

Given Ryuuen's iron grip over his class, finding out that Manabe was the traitor wouldn't be difficult. And once he did, uncovering X's true identity would just be a matter of time. Ayanokoji understood this.

In other words… was he planning to take Ryuuen down head-on?

Hmm… that wouldn't be a bad thing.

Depending on how things played out, Ryuuen's downfall might just be the perfect opportunity to bury this so-called "masterpiece" for good.

"Hikigaya-kun… Yeah, you're right."

Horikita let out a small smile, bent down, and picked up the contract that held so much meaning for her.

"Thanks to the help of you two, I was able to make up for my mistakes... Thank you."

"Ugh, why are you suddenly saying such disgusting things?" Kushida looked at her with a face full of disdain.

"...Anyway, Kushida-san," Horikita took a deep breath, as if suppressing the urge to argue. "I would never betray my companions, so you can rest assured about that. Besides... I don't think you or Hikigaya-kun would tell Ryuuen-kun about this."

"Tch, who would bother telling that idiot?"

After this incident, it felt like Kushida's attitude toward Ryuuen had worsened considerably—she was just a step away from outright mocking him to his face.

But honestly, it was understandable. He had only himself to blame for pulling such a ridiculous stunt.

Forget the girls from other classes; even his classmates would probably laugh at him in secret once they found out.

Come to think of it, this was something he and Ayanokoji had in common.

Both of them always assumed their plans were flawless, never considering what they would do if they failed. Especially when the consequences could very well lead to their expulsion.

Wait... if that's the case...

Ryuuen is ruthless, willing to do whatever it takes, even resorting to violence when necessary. Ayanokoji behaves similarly, though his abilities are on another level. But at their core, they're fundamentally the same.

Their way of thinking is alike.

No wonder he's so obsessed with "X"...

Alright, from now on, I'll call Ryuuen the "Foolish Masterpiece."

"Hey, Hachiman, stop thinking about those guys," Kushida suddenly hooked her arm around his.

"Since it's a rare opportunity, why don't we celebrate?"

"Celebrate?"

"Of course! The sports festival."

"Hah..."

Hikigaya couldn't find a single reason worth celebrating. Class D had only placed third in their year. If they hadn't started at zero points, they would have lost fifty class points instead.

"I know a nice cafe," Horikita interjected calmly. "If you two are free, we could go check it out."

Kushida immediately shot her a glare. "Huh? And what does this have to do with you?"

"Weren't you the one who suggested a celebration?"

"Yeah, and no one invited you!"

If this were any other time, Kushida would've used a more tactful approach. Honestly, why not just go together? Hikigaya had no interest in going, but Kushida had a death grip on his arm, silently conveying that there was no escape.

...What a hassle.

"Hachiman! Why are you acting like this has nothing to do with you?!"

For some reason, Kushida suddenly redirected her annoyance toward him.

Why?!

"You still haven't explained what happened during the Borrowed Item Race!"

"...Explain what?"

If she hadn't brought it up, Hikigaya might have forgotten about it entirely.

Oh right, how was he supposed to deal with that situation?

Horikita fanned the flames from the side. "How about we visit an eyewear store after the celebration? That might help Hikigaya-kun remember."

"Oh, wow, thanks so much," Hikigaya gritted his teeth.

Truthfully, his mind had been occupied with the impending public humiliation. He hadn't even noticed what Kamuro had done at the time.

By the time he realized it, the glasses were already on his face...

[T/N: From where did she get glasses? Don't tell, she was carrying one to just put it on him?]

"Heh, Kamuro-san seemed quite experienced with that," Kushida said, her expression and tone abruptly reverting to her usual, friendly self, catching Hikigaya completely off guard.

To be honest, this was even scarier than when she dropped the act.

"Hachiman, tell me, why is she so skilled at that?"

"...How should I know?"

Seriously, it was just putting on glasses. Why was she making such a big deal out of it?

Hikigaya sighed internally. As much as he had to deal with these two, his real concern lay elsewhere.

Hopefully, a certain someone wouldn't remember the past... Please, just let this slide!

Ryuuen, having taken a critical blow, barely slept that night. The next morning, his bloodshot eyes and dark circles made his presence even more menacing as he initiated a purge during the morning assembly.

Instantly, the classroom was engulfed in an unnerving chill.

Ryuuen sat on the teacher's desk, looking down on his classmates. Beside him, Albert and Ishizaki stood like statues, their imposing figures further amplifying the oppressive atmosphere.

Under such pressure, nearly everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

This was exactly what Ryuuen wanted.

"I'll get straight to the point," he said. "There's a traitor in our class."

"Eh...?"

The students, still trying to piece together what was happening, were left dumbfounded by his words.

Seeing their reactions, Ryuuen smirked. "But thanks to that person, I was able to confirm something. There's someone in Class D who thinks like me. In that sense, I guess I should be grateful to the traitor."

"Someone like Ryuuen-san?" Ishizaki hesitated. "I don't think Class D has anyone like that... Could this be a trap set by Hikigaya?"

"Heh, I did briefly consider that possibility. But now, I see I was overthinking it."

Ryuuen's lips curled into a delighted grin.

"Regardless, I now understand our opponent's methods. As long as we flush out the traitor in our class, we can force that hidden player in Class D to reveal themselves."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Only Ibuki had the guts to challenge him in such a tense atmosphere.

"Starting something like this first thing in the morning, calling someone a traitor—it's ridiculous."

"Heh, Ibuki, people who failed shouldn't talk big."

"Tch..."

Ibuki flinched. She had disrupted Ryuuen's plan to defeat Horikita, only to end up losing herself.

But she didn't back down, glaring at him. "You failed too. You couldn't crush Horikita during the sports festival, and we even fell back to Class C because of it. Your failure was bigger than mine."

"Hmph. Like I said, it was because someone leaked my strategy."

Ryuuen's expression darkened, but he refused to admit fault.

"Who knows if that's even true?" Ibuki scoffed. "Maybe you just made that up to cover for your incompetence."

Seeing similar doubt on his classmates' faces, Ryuuen grinned.

"Alright then, I'll show you proof."

Ryuuen knew that if he didn't find a way to reassert his authority, things would spiral out of control. Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone and played a recording.

[Listen carefully. I'm about to tell you how we're going to frame and crush Horikita Suzune from Class D—]

A familiar voice echoed through the classroom, immediately stirring a wave of unrest. Even Ibuki's eyes widened in shock.

At first, when Ryuuen claimed there was a traitor in the class, most people were skeptical. But now, with this undeniable evidence, there was no room for doubt.

"Now do you believe me?" Ryuuen smirked. "It seems my influence—no, my domination—is still lacking. How unfortunate."

Though he spoke of regret, his face betrayed nothing but amusement.

"But this farce ends here."

To quell the growing commotion, he slammed his hand against the podium. The sharp sound cut through the noise, and the classroom fell silent.

"I won't waste my breath. The one who betrayed me—raise your hand."

A heavy silence followed. Naturally, no one moved.

Some averted their eyes, pretending they had nothing to do with it. Others glanced around, searching for someone to blame. The rest simply held their breath, trying to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible.

Watching their reactions, Ryuuen felt an almost sadistic pleasure welling up inside him.

"Well, of course. If it were that easy to confess, you wouldn't have betrayed me in the first place. But that's fine—I already know you're trying to lay low and avoid detection. Don't even think about revealing yourself now. No matter what, keep it hidden. Do you understand me?"

His cryptic statement only deepened the confusion in the room.

He continued, "Until now, I've deliberately kept things under wraps. Others might think I'm bluffing, but I've been holding back. That's the truth. To put it simply, I wasn't even trying."

As he spoke, he slammed the podium twice more, each impact resonating with authority.

Every strike made the more timid students flinch.

"But I suppose that was a mistake. If I had been more serious, a traitor never would've appeared. So, let's play a little game."

The abrupt shift in tone left everyone bewildered, which was precisely what Ryuuen wanted.

"Don't worry," he said in an easygoing voice. "This won't affect anyone except the traitor. The rest of you have nothing to fear."

He leaned forward slightly.

"Alright, first things first—everyone, take out your phones and place them on your desks. We'll be checking them one by one. And don't even think about claiming you didn't bring yours. If someone doesn't have their phone, they'll be the prime suspect."

Most students, afraid of being accused, quickly placed their phones on their desks.

But not everyone complied.

A girl stood up in protest. "Ryuuen-kun, what exactly do you plan to check?"

"Messages and chat logs. Everything, no matter who you were talking to."

"Wait a second! That's private information!"

The girl—Nishino—found the invasion of privacy more intolerable than the suspicion.

"Oh? You hate the idea of someone going through your phone?" Ryuuen asked, amused.

"Obviously! I don't care if it's you, I'm not letting anyone see my messages!"

Ryuuen wasn't surprised in the slightest. He simply listened to her complaints with detached interest.

During the VIP exam, he had forced his classmates to hand over their phones, but that was only to check messages sent by the school—it hadn't involved their personal conversations. This level of resistance was expected.

Especially for girls. Exposing a secret crush or hidden resentment could cause irreparable damage.

"She's right. Besides, this is pointless," Ibuki chimed in, crossing her arms. "You think the spy would be dumb enough to leave evidence in their chat logs? They would've deleted everything ages ago."

Even she and Hikigaya had—wait, no, that didn't count!

At the very least, Ibuki was confident she had never betrayed the class.

However, the moment she spoke, Ryuuen's carefree demeanor vanished. His eyes narrowed as he shot her a sharp glare.

"You sure do talk a lot, Ibuki. Don't interrupt my fun, or I might just deal with you instead."

"…Tch."

Ibuki clicked her tongue in irritation. But something felt off.

It wasn't the threat itself—Ryuuen never hesitated to get physical, regardless of whether his opponent was a girl. No, what was strange was how differently he treated Nishino, who had openly defied him.

To her knowledge, Ryuuen and Nishino weren't particularly close. In fact, he kept a certain distance from everyone in the class.

Except…

Hikigaya.

Wait. Speaking of Hikigaya…

Something clicked in Ibuki's mind.

Before all of this, he had repeatedly told her to keep an eye on Manabe and the others.

Could it be…?

Ibuki's gaze instinctively shifted toward Manabe.

That woman's expression was riddled with unease.

No way…

Was it really her?