Perfectly Missing the Right Answer

Like Nishino, many students in the class were unwilling to have their privacy exposed.

Shiina was one of them. Normally, she didn't care much about such things—after all, she rarely used her phone.

But ever since the Preferential Exam, Shiina had added Hikigaya as a friend and had started trying out messaging apps.

While she still preferred face-to-face conversations, she found texting to be surprisingly enjoyable. It allowed her to chat late into the night without interruption.

...How annoying. Do we really have to show our phones to others?

Even though their conversations were nothing unusual—mostly book discussions—Shiina couldn't explain why the thought of someone else seeing her chat history with Hikigaya made her feel so strongly against it.

The so-called right to privacy—surely, everyone felt the same way... right?

In any case, she was unwilling.

Because of this, Shiina, who had originally planned to stay out of the matter, decided to lend a small hand for the sake of her own privacy.

Her eyes widened slightly as she casually glanced around the classroom. Her gaze lingered on Ibuki's face for a moment before she stood up.

"Ryuuen-kun, isn't this enough already?"

"Hiyori?"

Not only Ryuuen, but the others were also surprised by Shiina's intervention.

In their impression, this girl—who always carried a mysterious aura—was practically invisible, never one to involve herself in class affairs.

That said, everyone acknowledged her abilities.

When it came to exams, she and Kaneda were the only students the class could truly rely on.

"Heh, what's this? You don't want to hand over your phone either?"

Ryuuen's lips curled into an amused smile, as if finding the turn of events entertaining.

"I'm just worried that morning homeroom is about to end," Shiina shook her head slightly. "Besides, you already figured out who the traitor is, didn't you? There's no need to keep playing."

"Huh?!"

The class gasped in shock, while Ryuuen's grin widened.

"Heh... interesting. Fine, fine."

He turned away from Shiina and addressed the others.

"So, aside from Nishino and Shiina, is there anyone else who refuses to comply? If so, step forward like they did—but be prepared to face the consequences."

His vague wording only made everyone more anxious.

Despite that, four girls and two boys nervously raised their hands.

"There are actually this many?!" Ishizaki glared at them, his tone aggressive. "There must be a spy among you! Ryuuen-san, I think we should investigate these guys properly!"

"No need. They're clean," Ryuuen dismissed the idea with a single sentence, immediately silencing Ishizaki.

But his actions left the rest of the class completely baffled.

Wasn't this too careless?

"What the hell are you playing at?!" Ibuki finally lost her patience.

Ryuuen only smirked wickedly. "It's simple. I don't believe a traitor would be stupid enough to leave incriminating evidence on their phone. In other words, those refusing the check aren't spies. The ones most suspicious are those who think showing me their phone will prove their innocence."

Many struggled to grasp his reasoning immediately, but Ryuuen didn't bother explaining further. He simply swept his gaze across the room.

"Hiyori, you've figured it out, haven't you?"

"Yes."

Shiina nodded and swiftly sent a text.

"Heh, correct."

Ryuuen glanced at his phone and put it away.

"Now, I'll give one final chance."

He suddenly stepped down from the podium and slowly walked around the room, his gaze piercing through every student.

"Think carefully—should you fear that faceless 'X' traitor... or me? Which one is the real threat? Are you sure you've picked the right side? You all remember what happened after the opening ceremony, don't you? Those who dared to go against me—what became of them… Ishizaki, huh?"

"Y-Yeah…"

Ishizaki trembled slightly, and even Albert, who was usually expressionless, showed a similar reaction.

Both of them had once defied Ryuuen. In terms of fighting skills, Ishizaki had the upper hand, while Albert had superior physical strength.

Yet in the end, they were the ones who fell.

"You all should understand by now—if this traitor causes me to be expelled, I'll make sure to take them down first. I won't let them walk away unscathed."

If this were any other class, they might have dismissed it as an empty threat.

But for Class C, who had witnessed Ryuuen's methods firsthand, none dared to hold onto such illusions.

"I'm still open to confessions. If the traitor comes clean now, I'll let it slide. No one will be allowed to hold a grudge against them—that's my promise. This is your last chance. Think it through."

Ryuuen was a ruthless dictator, but he always kept his word.

Everyone in Class C knew that if he said he wouldn't pursue the matter, he meant it.

Yet despite his generous offer, no one stepped forward.

This made Shiina suspect there was more to the situation. If they had merely been bribed with points, there was no reason to be this stubborn.

With that thought, she sent another text.

Moments later, a girl hesitantly stood up, her face pale as if she were about to cry.

"Huh? Manabe?"

The entire class was in shock.

Even Ryuuen was momentarily surprised, though he quickly masked it. He cast a sidelong glance at Shiina before shifting his sharp gaze back to Manabe.

"Heh… at least you're not completely stupid."

"S-Sorry… I… I—"

"Don't worry. Like I said, as long as you confess, I'll forgive you," Ryuuen chuckled. "Of course, that goes for your two friends as well. I always reward those who know when to surrender."

As he spoke, his gaze landed on Yabu Nanami and Yamashita Saki.

Now, Class C was even more shaken.

So there wasn't just one traitor—there were three?!

And judging by their reactions, Ryuuen had guessed it perfectly.

The classroom erupted in murmurs and whispers.

"Shut up and listen!"

Ryuuen's voice boomed across the room, instantly silencing them.

"This matter ends here. No one is to mention it again. If I hear a single word about it, you'd better be prepared for the consequences!"

True to his word, he made it clear that he wouldn't pursue the matter any further.

But of course, this wasn't over.

After school, Ryuuen ordered everyone except for himself, Ishizaki, Kaneda, Ibuki, and the three exposed traitors to leave the classroom.

Shiina, however, had no interest in sticking around.

Today was Hikigaya's first day back in class. Maybe she'd run into him at the library.

"Now then, let's begin," Ryuuen smirked. "First question—do you know the true identity of the person who gave you orders?"

Manabe and the others shook their heads.

"Alright. Next—why did you betray the class?"

"…We…"

"No point hiding it now," Ryuuen sneered. "You've already been exposed. Do you still think you have a choice? Or do you not want to be accepted back into the class?"

"D-Class's Karuizawa Kei… do you know her?"

Manabe hesitated but ultimately gave in.

"Yeah. Hirata's woman, right?"

"That girl… She acts tough now, but she used to be bullied…"

"So what?"

"Rika was tormented by her. We just wanted revenge…"

In the end, Manabe revealed everything.

During the summer break on the cruise ship, they had realized Karuizawa was once a bullying victim—and in retaliation, they had beaten her in the basement.

Their betrayal stemmed from being blackmailed over this incident.

If the truth were exposed, expulsion would be inevitable.

"…I see. So this was just another game," Ryuuen mused, stroking his chin.

Then, a thought suddenly struck him.

"You said you assaulted Karuizawa in the basement, right?"

"Y-Yes."

"Why did that guy suddenly go there for no reason?"

"I'm not sure... I only received a message from X."

"Hmph, just as I thought." Ryuuen suddenly let out a cold snort. "So, from beginning to end, this was all orchestrated by X. He first contacted you, claiming he also hated Karuizawa, then incited and assisted you in the bullying. Finally, he hid in the shadows and recorded everything... A bunch of idiots. Do you know why I'm scolding you?"

"B-Because we betrayed the class," Manabe answered in a small voice.

"You morons! You still don't get it? Are you stupid?"

Hearing this, Ibuki finally couldn't hold back anymore.

"If that X guy was the one who incited you to bully her, then wouldn't that make him an accomplice too? If this gets exposed, he'd be expelled as well! You have no reason to fear his threats!"

"Exactly. You're as stupid as those brainless women in NTR stories."

"Dumb bitch."

"Not cool."

Ishizaki and Albert also joined in the verbal attack.

The three of them turned red with shame, lowering their heads, unable to argue back.

"Alright, alright. This is just human nature. Once backed into a corner, people lose the ability to think. Just shut up already."

Since Ryuuen had already decided to forgive Manabe and the others, he wasn't going to scold them any further.

But then, out of nowhere, he suddenly let out a chuckle.

"Heh… Now this is quite interesting. That guy… Dead eyes is even more terrifying than I imagined."

"Dead eyes? Do you mean Hikigaya? He's involved in this too?"

"Uh…" Even among those present, the smartest one, Kaneda, didn't quite understand what Ryuuen meant.

But Ibuki had a vague idea.

Don't get the wrong idea—it was only because she happened to be there at the time.

"Um... About Hikigaya." Manabe hesitantly raised her hand. "When we came out of the basement, we ran into him in the stairwell."

"Is that so? Well, this has nothing to do with him, so don't worry about it."

Even as he said this, Ryuuen's vigilance toward Hikigaya only deepened.

Now he fully understood how Hikigaya planned to take down X.

The method was simple—expose everything. Once the school intervened, both Manabe's group and X would undoubtedly be expelled.

Anonymity worked on ordinary students, but it wouldn't fool the school.

The truly terrifying part was that Hikigaya had pieced together the truth from mere fragments. Otherwise, he wouldn't have proposed that deal.

But Ryuuen wasn't about to let him succeed.

Since he had already decided to let this matter slide, he would never go back on his word.

"The next part is what really matters. When you first had a conflict with Karuizawa, was there anyone who saw what happened?"

As Ryuuen posed the question, Manabe and the others nodded slowly.

"At that time, the ones who saw it were… Yukimura from Class D and Ayanokoji."

"I see. And the photos?"

"We… we deleted them. If someone else saw them, we… so…" Manabe hesitated, her words faltering.

Ryuuen nodded, not pressing further.

"So, it comes down to Yukimura or Ayanokoji, right?"

Kaneda, who had been observing quietly, summed it up. He played the role of strategist in the class, having assisted Ryuuen's espionage plan back on the uninhabited island.

Unfortunately, that plan had been ruined by a certain someone.

"Ayanokoji…"

Hearing that name, Ibuki murmured to herself.

She suddenly recalled that he was the same guy someone had asked her to investigate.

"What's wrong? You know him?" Ryuuen glanced at her.

"...We've crossed paths a few times. I just can't see him as that kind of person."

To be safe, Ibuki kept her words vague. More than that, she wanted to trust her instincts.

"Yeah, I also think Ayanokoji doesn't stand out much," Ishizaki added. "Yukimura seems more suspicious. He's good at studying, too."

Kaneda countered, "But Ayanokoji has always been around Horikita. And before the sports festival, he deliberately hid his athletic ability. That alone makes him suspicious."

"I don't think either of them is involved. Ayanokoji's just an errand boy and Yukimura is just good at academics. Isn't the mastermind someone else entirely?" Ibuki voiced her thoughts.

As the group continued their discussion, Ryuuen's lips curled into a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes.

The next moment, he slammed his hand onto the podium.

"Shut up. Did I ask for your opinions?"

The room fell silent.

"The only facts we have so far are that Yukimura or Ayanokoji are linked to X. But don't be so quick to assume they're the masterminds. They could just be acting under someone's orders."

That was the real problem—X might be hiding much deeper than they imagined.

"But Ryuuen, shouldn't we pay extra attention to Ayanokoji?" Kaneda suggested, gathering his courage.

"Yeah."

This time, Ryuuen didn't deny it.

Ayanokoji's connection to Horikita Suzune was already enough to make him suspicious.

But at the same time, Ryuuen felt like that conclusion was almost too simple.

Was the guy sticking around Horikita the mastermind?

Something about it didn't sit right.

Just as Ryuuen was caught in his thoughts, the classroom door suddenly slid open from the outside.

"Oh? Are you guys having a party in here? Mind if I join?"