I came, I saw, I lost! (Classroom of the Elite Fanfiction)

『』『』『』『』『』

"Hey, boys. Can you all gather around?"

On the morning of the fifth day, the girls called out to the boys. Their voices carried through the camp, rough and impatient—more like a demand than a request.

Most of the boys stirred awake, grumbling at the sudden disturbance. Their complaints, however, didn't change the fact that they had to get up. Ayanokouji glanced to his side, where Kumagawa was still soundly asleep. It was almost impressive how deeply he slept through all the noise.

One by one, the boys crawled out of the tents. Hirata tried shaking Kumagawa awake, but the latter remained completely unresponsive.

With no other choice, Ayanokouji grabbed him by the collar like a piece of luggage and dragged him outside. If he had to be woken up, there was no way he was letting Kumagawa continue sleeping in peace.

"What the hell? God, I'm so goddamn tired..." Sudou grumbled as he emerged from the tent, clearly not in the mood.

Hirata looked over at the gathered girls, immediately sensing the tension. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry, Hirata-kun. This doesn't involve you, but...we've gathered everyone to confirm something."

Shinohara gave everyone except Hirata a look of complete contempt.

"Well, this morning... Karuizawa-san's underwear went missing. Do you know what that means?"

"U-underwear?" Even Hirata, usually calm and collected, appeared visibly shaken. Speaking of Karuizawa, she was missing, along with some of her friends.

"She's crying inside the tent right now, Kushida-san and the others are trying to comfort her, but..."

Her gaze drifted back toward the boys.

"Huh? Huh? What? Why are you glaring at us over her underwear being missing?"

"Isn't that obvious? Someone went through her bag in the middle of the night and stole them. Our luggage was outside the tent, so if someone wanted to steal something, they easily could have!"

The boys, still in a state of drowsiness, all exchanged looks.

"No, no, no, no! Huh?! Huh?!" Ike, in a complete panic, looked back and forth between the boys and girls. One of the boys who'd been observing all this grumbled calmly.

"Anyway. This is a huge problem, don't you agree? It's impossible for us to camp alongside a bunch of underwear thieves," said Shinohara, her arms crossed. She looked as though she was going to lose her temper.

And just like that, the early morning of the fifth day erupted into full-blown chaos.

The girls immediately started accusing the boys of stealing. Of course, the boys rejected the claim outright. It was only natural for them to get defensive—being accused of something the moment they woke up wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

But that only made the girls even more suspicious. Their stance didn't waver. They had already made up their minds—the culprit was among the boys.

"Huh? Don't give us that crap. We don't need to do that. Hirata, tell them no." Ike said, irritated.

"For now, we'll try gathering the guys together and talking it out. Can you please give us a little time?" Hirata asked.

"If you say so, Hirata-kun. I understand. I'll try talking to Karuizawa-san. But if the culprit can't be found, we have some ideas."

With that, everyone scattered. Hirata quickly gathered all the boys in front of the tent.

During all the commotion, Kumagawa remained soundly asleep. Ayanokouji glanced at him, wondering if he had somehow died in his sleep. Just in case, he checked his breathing. Unfortunately, he was still alive.

Without saying anything, Ayanokouji grabbed him by the collar again and dragged him along.

The boys were clearly dissatisfied with the way they were being treated, which was understandable. From the looks of it, they were about to form a workers' union on the fifth day.

"I don't doubt you guys, but we won't solve the problem like this," Hirata reasoned. "As wrong as the girls might be, getting hot-headed won't help."

"It might be better to just accept the baggage inspection with dignity and prove your innocence."

With that, he unzipped his own bag.

"As miserable as this might be, I think you guys will have to do it. Are you okay with that?"

"B-but..."

"Of course. I'll open my luggage first," Hirata said.

There wasn't a single person here who suspected Hirata. After all, stealing his own girlfriend's underwear would make no sense. But someone had to set an example, so he took the lead.

One by one, the boys followed suit, unzipping their bags.

Ayanokouji did the same.

So far, nothing unusual had been found.

Then, Yamauchi pointed at Kumagawa, who was still dead asleep. "What about him? Shouldn't we wake him up?"

Ayanokouji didn't respond. Instead, he raised his hand and slapped Kumagawa across the face as hard as he could.

Kumagawa remained unresponsive.

"...."

Without a word, Ayanokouji knelt down and unzipped Kumagawa's bag himself. He rummaged through it, expecting to find the usual mess of junk.

"He's clean," Ayanokouji said.

The boys exchanged glances.

Of all the possible suspects, if anyone was likely to have done it, it would have been Kumagawa.

"Damn, I'm so pissed. Men are always being suspected of stuff. It's way too unreasonable. Let's prove our innocence," Ike declared, grabbing his bag.

But then—he froze.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing..."

Ike turned his back on the group, peeked inside his bag, then frantically shut it. His face went pale. His body stiffened. He looked like a man who had just realized he had stepped on a landmine.

Meanwhile, Hirata and half the boys were already outside, handing over their bags to the girls for inspection.

"What, you're the one that really stole them?" Yamauchi asked, half-joking.

"Th-that's crazy talk!"

Ike violently shook his head, clutching his bag like his life depended on it. A reaction so exaggerated that it had the opposite effect—it made him look ten times more suspicious.

Yamauchi, not one to let things slide, snatched Ike's bag and opened it.

Inside, balled up and shoved into a corner—white underwear. Definitely not a man's.

"Th-that's not mine! Someone put it in my bag or something, somehow!"

"Come on, don't give me that excuse..."

Yamauchi sighed, looking at Ike with pity.

Ike, now desperate, turned to Ayanokouji. His face was ghostly white, his hands trembling.

"Ayanokouji, you believe me, right?! That I didn't steal them?!"

"Well, if I think calmly, there's no solid evidence that proves you're the culprit."

Putting aside when and how the underwear was stolen, no thief with half a brain would hide the stolen goods in their own bag. The moment an uproar happened, a bag check was inevitable. If Ike was guilty, he should've been panicking the moment the luggage inspection was suggested.

"Ayanokouji...!" Ike pleaded.

"It's unlikely that Ike is the culprit. If he were, this would be far too stupid of him."

"Well, that sounds right, but... Wait, what? You mean someone planted the underwear in Kanji's bag?"

"Hey, hurry up!" someone called from outside the tent.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-what am I gonna do?! I'm in serious trouble!"

If the underwear was found in his bag, the girls would immediately brand him as the thief. There would be no discussion. No trial. Just immediate execution.

"We have no choice but to hide them. Now."

"Hide them?! Where?! There's nowhere to hide them!!"

Ike had a point. There was no time. If he suddenly ran off to the toilet or tried stuffing them somewhere, it would only make things worse. They had already been in here too long—suspicion was already creeping in.

"We have no other choice. You have to put it in your pocket."

That was the only viable solution. At least then, it wouldn't be immediately visible.

"I-I can't do it! I-I'm already panicking!!"

Still, hiding them was the only option left.

"I'll leave it to you, Ayanokouji!"

"Huh?"

Before he could react, Ike shoved the balled-up underwear into Ayanokouji's hands.

Ayanokouji froze.

"...Hey, hurry up!" shout one of the boys from outside the tent.

"I'm coming now!"

"I'm counting on you," Ike muttered, then bolted out of the tent like a criminal fleeing the scene. Yamauchi, not wanting any part in this madness, quickly apologized and escaped right after.

Ayanokouji then broke in cold sweat, his mind processing the absurdity of the situation. He had only intended to help a classmate, but somehow, his entire social life was now dangling over the edge of a cliff.

If he got caught with this, there would be no coming back.

He needed to get rid of it.

If given enough time, he was sure he could find a decent hiding spot, but time was a luxury he didn't have. Disaster was mere seconds away.

With no better option, Ayanokouji swiftly tucked the underwear into his back pocket before making his way out of the tent.

"Sorry, sorry. My bag got a little dirty, so I cleaned it off." With that excuse, Ike casually tossed his bag forward.

"Search it if you gotta. I'm innocent. Right, Yamauchi?"

"Y-yeah."

Ayanokouji shot Ike a glare. A very, very dangerous one.

Because of him, Ayanokouji now had contraband stuffed in his pocket like a criminal. Because of him, Ayanokouji was one moment away from social execution. Because of him, Ayanokouji was now experiencing the most intense stress of his school life.

The girls, one by one, thoroughly searched the boys' bags.

Nothing.

Relief spread among the guys, but Ayanokouji knew better.

"Alright," Shinohara spoke up, still unconvinced. "Then let's do a body search."

The atmosphere froze.

"...What?"

"We checked your bags, but that doesn't mean the culprit didn't just hide it somewhere else," she said. "If you have nothing to hide, then there shouldn't be a problem."

Of course, the boys immediately rejected the idea.

"That's ridiculous! You can't just demand a body search like that!"

"Yeah! What about our privacy?!"

The commotion grew.

Ayanokouji, standing in the middle of it all, started sweating.

He was now carrying the single most damning piece of evidence in this entire camp. If they searched him, there was no saving himself. But with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, Ayanokouji found himself in a situation he had never once prepared for:

The worst-case scenario.

"Wait... where's Kumagawa?" one of the girls suddenly asked.

That one question was all it took for suspicion to shift.

One by one, the girls started whispering among themselves.

"Now that you mention it, wasn't he still asleep during all of this?"

"He hasn't been checked yet, has he?"

"Kumagawa seems like the type who'd do something like this, doesn't he?"

Ayanokouji immediately seized the opportunity.

"I'll go get him," he offered, keeping his tone neutral.

Right now, his mind was working at full capacity. This was his best—no, his only chance to escape unscathed.

He quickly slipped back into the tent and made his way toward Kumagawa's still-sleeping body. As he looked down at him, Ayanokouji hesitated for just a second.

Was this really okay?

Framing someone else wasn't exactly an ethical solution... but then again, this was Kumagawa. If there was anyone whose reputation couldn't possibly get any worse, it was him.

One more crime wouldn't make a difference, right?

With that thought, Ayanokouji swiftly pulled the underwear from his back pocket and tucked it into Kumagawa's pocket.

He let out a quiet breath. Crisis averted.

Now, to finish the job.

Grabbing Kumagawa by the collar, Ayanokouji dragged him out of the tent like a sack of potatoes.

"Kumagawa, wake up," he said, shaking him lightly.

No response.

The girls, growing impatient, decided to take matters into their own hands. One of them, clearly annoyed, stepped forward and stomped down on Kumagawa's chest.

That finally did the trick.

『Co-cough... Uh, Huh? I'm being stepped on by a beautiful girl in a tracksuit? Was this supposed to be that kind of play? 』

The girls' faces twisted in immediate disgust.

"Gross. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Seriously, how can someone be this creepy first thing in the morning?"

Kumagawa slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes with a yawn. His gaze swept over the gathered crowd of irritated girls and tense boys.

『So? What's this about? A public execution? Or am I finally getting voted off the island?』

The girls crossed their arms, unamused. "Karuizawa's underwear was stolen last night. You were the only one who wasn't checked. So, let's see your bag."

『Huh? My bag? I guess that's fine. Not that I have anything to hide. 』

Kumagawa casually handed over his bag. The girls rummaged through it, their expressions shifting between skepticism and anticipation. But after a thorough search, they found nothing.

Some of them looked visibly disappointed, as if they had been hoping to find some damning evidence.

"Tch. So it's not in here..." one of them muttered.

That was only the first step. Now came the real test—body searching.

"Hirata-kun, can you do it?"

Since the girls couldn't exactly search the boys themselves, the task naturally fell to the class's most trusted figure.

"Okay. If it convinces the girls, fine. However, if I don't find anything, I want you to stop investigating the boys."

Ayanokouji remained silent, standing just behind the crowd.

He had planned this flawlessly. The evidence was in Kumagawa's pocket. His own hands were clean. No matter what happened next, this was no longer his problem.

While the girls kept their eyes on Ike, Yamauchi, and Ayanokouji—probably still suspicious of their earlier reactions—the pat-down commenced.

Hirata started with Ike. Nothing. Then Yamauchi. Nothing. Then Ayanokouji. Nothing. Then the rest of the boys, nothing.

All that was left was Kumagawa.

"I'm sorry. It'll be over soon," Hirata said as he reached toward Kumagawa's back pocket.

The moment his hand slipped in, his fingers brushed against something soft. He instantly froze. There was no mistaking it. Ayanokouji, watching from behind, saw the exact moment realization hit Hirata.

It was over.

Or so he thought.

"Kumagawa-kun doesn't have them either."

The words left Hirata's mouth without hesitation.

The girls, still agitated, didn't seem to notice anything strange. If the overwhelmingly honest Hirata said something, Shinohara and the others had no choice but to believe him.

"...Fine," she said reluctantly. "If Hirata-kun say so."

With that, the investigation officially ended.

"It should be fine once I tidy up the luggage. We can discuss it more after,"

As the crowd dispersed, Hirata gave a subtle nod toward Kumagawa and gestured for him to follow.

Ayanokouji, recognizing what was happening, decided to step in as well—just to clear up any misunderstandings.

Once they were out of earshot from the others, Hirata let out a deep sigh, rubbing his temple as he turned toward Kumagawa.

"...I don't even want to ask, but I have to. Why was that in your pocket? Did you... take Karuizawa's underwear, Kumagawa-kun?"

『No. I didn't. 』

Before Hirata could respond, Ayanokouji stepped in. Since Hirata was clearly struggling to believe Kumagawa, it was better to clear things up before this spiraled out of control. Hirata looked momentarily lost in thought

"I see. So it definitely wasn't Kumagawa-kun. But I don't think Ike-kun or Yamauchi-kun did it, either. If they were the culprits, they probably wouldn't put the underwear in their own bags. They would have hidden it in another place."

Hirata's usual quick-wittedness had saved Kumagawa. Although he wasn't completely sure if Kumagawa was the real thief or not, Ayanokouji's explanation covered enough of the details that Hirata didn't need to press further.

"But we did find out one piece of bad news here. If the underwear came out of Ike-kun's bag, then there's a high chance that the culprit is someone in our class."

"Yeah..."

The girls' tent was just a few meters away, where Karuizawa and the others slept. Until this whole incident, their luggage had been piled up outside, unprotected, just like the boys'. If someone wanted to steal something, it would've been easy. Ayanokouji himself had rifled through Ibuki's bag on the second day without any trouble.

"When was it stolen?" Hirata asked.

"Judging by the timeframe, it was very likely that the crime was carried out around sunrise, after five o'clock in the morning," Ayanokouji answered.

Even if they had narrowed down the timeframe, the list of suspects was still too broad.

『The timeframe doesn't matter the only thing that matters is how and why it was stolen. 』

Ayanokouji and Hirata exchanged glances. They weren't expecting something resembling common sense to come out of Kumagawa's mouth. For now, they decided to stay silent and let him continue.

『Let's say the culprit really did steal it around sunrise. Do you think they would've been stupid enough to risk getting caught while people were starting to wake up? Wouldn't it have been safer to do it earlier, when everyone was asleep? 』

"That... makes sense."

『After all, the act of stealing and the act of planting evidence don't have to happen at the same time, do they? 』

It was Kumagawa's usual roundabout way of saying something obvious. But in this case, it wasn't wrong.

"Well, in any case, if that information becomes public knowledge, our class will suffer a huge blow. I want to avoid that. That's why I want to find a peaceful method of settling things with the culprit."

"So, in other words, you're going to hide the truth?" Ayanokouji reaffirmed.

"Hide it? That's a poor choice of words, but there's nothing I can do about it if people take it that way. Even if one of the guys turns out to be the culprit, I think it's better that the truth be concealed."

There was something strange about the way Hirata phrased it, but Ayanokouji didn't reject it.

"I understand. I'll report to you first. Is that good?"

"Thank you. What about you, Kumagawa-kun?"

『Don't worry about me. I can't even tell the truth properly. 』

Hirata took that ambiguous answer as a yes.

"Well then, I'll be getting back to work."

Ayanokouji watched Hirata leave, his shoulders visibly weighed down by the expectations of the class. He doesn't understand why Hirata was so desperate to resolve things peacefully.

『Man, that guy's really shouldering a lot. I almost feel bad for him If he keeps that up, he's gonna snap one of these days.』

"You handled that surprisingly well. I was expecting you to say something more... provocative."

『What, you mean like claiming I stole it for the thrill and blaming society for not understanding my twisted desires? Sorry, I'm a liar, not a fool. 』

"Didn't you say you hate liars?"

『... 』

'Right...'

Kumagawa didn't answer, simply tilting his head with a vague smile. Ayanokouji decided not to press the issue. There was no point in expecting consistency from someone who made a habit of contradicting himself.

Before their conversation could continue, a voice rang out from outside the tent.

"Could everyone please gather around?"

Ayanokouji and Kumagawa stepped outside to see Hirata standing at the center of a tense gathering. Karuizawa stood near him, trembling with anger, her eyes red and puffy.

"We can't trust the guys. It's absolutely impossible for us to stay in the same place as them!" she snapped.

"But there would be problems if the guys and girls lived apart, don't you think? The test is almost over. Because we're all friends, we need to believe in and cooperate with one another."

"You might be right. But we can't stand being in the same place as underwear thieves!" Karuizawa refused to back down.

Shinohara, stepping forward, grabbed a tree branch and started drawing a line in the dirt.

"We think the culprit is a boy, so we're drawing a dividing line between boys and girls. Boys are absolutely prohibited from entering our side."

And just like that, another full-blown conflict was happening.

The boys understood the situation—stealing a girl's underwear was obviously out of line. But with the girls being this stubborn, treating them all as suspects without any proof, it was only natural for resistance to build up on the boys' side.

"What do you think, Kumagawa?" Ayanokouji asked, expecting some offhand remark.

Silence.

"Kumagawa?"

He turned his head—but Kumagawa was gone.

"..."

Ayanokouji scanned the area, but there was no sign of him. In just a short amount of time, he had completely vanished from the scene.

He didn't want to think about what would happen if Kumagawa came back later.

『』『』『』『』『』

『And that's what happened. 』

Kumagawa finished his story.

He was now in Class B's camp.

Both Ichinose and Kanzaki were taken aback by the unexpected turn of events. They had assumed Class D would have its fair share of problems, but an underwear theft scandal? That was beyond what they expected.

Ichinose, always the optimist, looked concerned but still managed a small, understanding smile. Kanzaki, on the other hand, kept his arms crossed, his expression neutral but clearly wary.

『It's an awful class, right? What kind of idiot and lowlife would try to steal a girl's underwear? I mean, that's not even what they're for.』

There was something off about the way he phrased it. Ichinose and Kanzaki exchanged glances before Kanzaki took the initiative to ask.

"What do you mean by that?"

『Hmmm? Why would you steal a piece of clothing? The purpose of a girl's panties is to be worn, right? So why would you take something away from its purpose and just keep the fabric? It's like stealing a light bulb and never screwing it in. You're just left holding a useless piece of glass. Only and idiot would do that. 』

"...."

Ichinose blinked, processing his words, while Kanzaki's visibly stiffened, his face twitching as if he wanted to say something but had no idea where to begin.

"...That's, uh... a unique way to put it," Ichinose said carefully.

"...Anyway, why are you here, exactly? I doubt you came just to tell us about your class's mess." Kanzaki quickly changed the topic.

『Oh, I just thought I'd visit. My own class is at war right now, so I figured I'd defect to the enemy camp for a while. 』

"You make it sound like some kind of battlefield..." Ichinose sighed.

『Isn't it? I mean, when girls start drawing battle lines with sticks in the dirt, I think we've officially entered a war zone. 』

"So you're just running away?"

『I prefer to call it strategic retreat. Besides, it's not like I can contribute much over there. The underwear thief isn't me, so I don't really care how it ends. 』

"...And you have no idea who the real culprit is?"

『No clue. But if I had to guess... it's probably someone who likes making trouble more than they like underwear.』

That answer, as vague as it was, didn't exactly reassure them. But before either Ichinose or Kanzaki could press further, Kumagawa suddenly clapped his hands together.

『Anyway, enough about that. How about you show me around? Class B seems like a much nicer place to live than my old camp. Maybe I'll even transfer.』

"You can't just transfer mid-exam, you know..." Ichinose sighed, but her smile returned, amused despite herself.

Kanzaki, however, wasn't so easily entertained. "You're not planning to cause trouble here, are you?"

『Me? Trouble? No way. I'm just a simple, honest student looking for a place to belong.』

Neither of them looked convinced. But the did so anyway.

Class B's camp was, in many ways, the complete opposite of Class D's. Compared to the chaotic infighting and distrust among Kumagawa's classmates, Class B's camp had an air of friendship and stability.

However, as Kumagawa walked around, he noticed something peculiar. Ichinose subtly steered him away from certain areas, avoiding some conversations and keeping a careful rein on the topics they discussed.

『Hmmm, I see, I see. So even Class B has its secrets, huh? 』

"Now, now, every class has things they'd rather not share, right?" Ichinose smile brightfully.

『Of course. But its pretty werid since you always seem so open, Ichinose-chan. 』

She didn't respond right away. Instead, she continued leading him through the camp, until finally, she stopped near a shaded area where few people were around.

"...Speaking of that, last time, we talked about being a leader, didn't we?"

『Oh? Have you made up your mind, then? 』

Ichinose hesitated. "Not exactly... No matter how I think about it, an alliance really does seem like the best choice. But...Kumagawa-kun, what kind of leader do you expect me to be?"

Kumagawa looked at her for a moment before tilting his head slightly.

『Ichinose-chan, it seems you're under some kind of misconception. I never expected you to change your leadership, I merely asked what your priority is. 』

"My... priority?"

Ichinose blinked, a little taken aback by his words.

She wasn't sure what he meant. Wasn't a leader's priority always their class? Their success? Their unity? That was just common sense, wasn't it?

『Yeah. Your priority. 』

『I never expected you to be an ideal leader in the first place. That was simply impossible for you. To be both kind and decisive at the same time is too much for you right now. Unless you change your mentality, it's simply impossible. 』

『You're not the type to make cruel choices for the sake of winning. But you also know that just being kind won't help your class survive, right? That's why you're hesitating.』

"...But isn't that just normal? Shouldn't I think carefully before deciding something that affects my classmates?"

『Of course. But that's not the problem, Ichinose-chan. The problem is... you're afraid of taking responsibility for a choice that might hurt someone. 』

Ichinose's expression stiffened.

『See, that's why I asked what your priority is. Is it to protect your class from suffering? Or is it to avoid being the one who causes that suffering? Those are two different things.』

Ichinose fell silent.

『If you don't want to make difficult choices, then just say so. You can rely on someone else to handle the dirty work while you keep your hands clean. That's also a way to lead, you know?』

"That's..."

Ichinose exhaled softly, steadying herself.

"...I understand what you're saying, Kumagawa-kun. But I don't think it's that simple."

『Oh? How so? 』

"I don't think a leader is just someone who makes choices, cruel or not. I believe a real leader is someone who can guide people without making them feel like they've been abandoned. Even if I have to make difficult choices, I won't do it in a way that makes my classmates feel like I'm sacrificing them."

Ichinose's eyes were firm.

『Hmmm, I see, I see. That's a nice thought, Ichinose-chan. A very optimistic, wonderful, and kind-hearted thought. But...』 Kumagawa chuckled lightly. 『You know what they say about idealistic people? They tend to break the hardest when reality doesn't go their way. 』

"...I won't break."

『Ohhh? Really? That's amazing, Ichinose-chan. If you're saying that so confidently, then maybe you're even more perfect than her. 』

"...Her?"

Kumagawa's smile widened slightly.

『Yeah. A certain perfect girl I once knew. If this world were a manga, then she is the protagonist. She was the embodiment of justice, strength, and everything good in the world. The kind of person who is perfect at everything she tries. Whatever she sets out to do, she is always the best at it. She could do anything and win at everything.』

Ichinose tilted her head slightly. "She sounds... incredible."

『That's why, Ichinose-chan, I don't think you should try to be perfect. If you try too hard to be everything for everyone, you might end up becoming nothing at all. 』

Ichinose's fingers curled slightly as she processed his words.

"...Then what should I do?"

『Just make a choice already. You can sit around thinking all you want, but at the end of the day, the world won't wait for you. You either act, or you get acted upon. That's all there is to it. 』

Ichinose remained quiet, lost in thought.

Kanzaki quietly observed the conversation from the side. he had been carefully watching Ichinose's reaction, gauging her response.

Top of Form

As Ichinose fell silent and still lost in her thoughts, Kanzaki took the opportunity to step forward.

"...Kumagawa. Can I talk to you for a second?"

『Hmm? What is it? 』

Kanzaki gestured for Kumagawa to follow him a little farther away from Ichinose. Once they were at a reasonable distance, Kanzaki exhaled and looked at Kumagawa.

"Thanks."

『Huh? Thanks for what?』

"For what you said to Ichinose."

『You'll have to be more specific, Kanzaki-kun. I say a lot of things, you know?』

Kanzaki sighed. "I don't know what your real intentions were, but Ichinose's way of thinking... It's different from mine. I've always believed that her kindness is both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness. She wants to lead, but she doesn't want to hurt anyone. She wants to make choices, but she doesn't want to sacrifice anything. That contradiction has always bothered me."

『Hmmm, I see, I see. So you're saying my words helped nudge her in the right direction? 』

"...I don't know. But if she starts thinking about leadership in a more realistic way, even just a little, then it's a step forward."

He was genuinely grateful if that were the case. Ichinose had a strong presence, and her optimism was one of Class B's greatest strengths. But sometimes, blind faith in people could be a weakness. If she started seeing leadership in a more practical light, it would only benefit their class in the long run.

Kumagawa, however, didn't seem particularly invested in the topic anymore. Instead, he clapped his hands together, as if suddenly remembering something.

『Ah, by the way, speaking of leadership, did you want to know who Class A's leader is? 』

Kanzaki immediately narrowed his eyes. "You know?"

『Of course. I'm a man of many talents. 』

"...How credible is this information?"

『Hmm, good question. About as credible as a fish claiming it can fly. But I mean, who's to say fish can't fly under the right circumstances?』

"....."

Kanzaki quietly stared at Kumagawa

『Alright, alright. You're no fun, Kanzaki-kun. Class A's leader is Yahiko. You know, Katsuragi-chan's little follower. 』

Of course, he wasn't going to take Kumagawa's words at face value.

『You don't believe me, do you? 』

"Of course."

There was no reason to trust Kumagawa's words so easily. This was a class competition, and if Kumagawa had information, that meant he had obtained it through some means. There was a chance he was lying outright or feeding them misinformation.

"But let's say what you're saying is true. Why would you tell us?"

That was the part Kanzaki couldn't figure out. Information was valuable. In a test like this, revealing something so important without expecting anything in return was unusual.

『I'm a pretty petty person, you know? I like to screw someone with a giant screw if they don't meet my demands. And Class A coincidentally met that requirement. 』

"Did you make some kind of deal with Class A?"

『What for? 』

"...But you said that Class A didn't meet your demand."

『What's that got to do with anything? 』

"..."

Kanzaki felt like he was being led in circles

『In any case, I hate Class A. I hate elites. And I want to drag them down.』

He turned to look at Ichinose, who had been silent for a while now. Her arms were crossed, and her expression was thoughtful. It seemed she was genuinely pondering about her and Kumagawa's previous conversation.

"Hey, Ichinose."

She blinked and turned toward him.

Kanzaki quickly explained what Kumagawa had told him about Class A's leader. Ichinose listened carefully, nodding along, but her expression remained conflicted.

After a brief pause, she looked at Kumagawa.

"Are you telling the truth, Kumagawa-kun?"

『Are my words really that hard to trust? Should I show my leader card for you to believe me?』

"!!!"

That statement made both Kanzaki and Ichinose flinch.

Kumagawa had just basically admitted that he was Class D's leader for this exam. The leader was the key piece of a class's strategy—exposing that information could spell disaster. And yet, Kumagawa had revealed it without a second thought, as if it meant nothing at all. It was unsettling how easily he made such bold claims.

"You... really have your leader card?" Ichinose asked cautiously.

『Would you believe me if I said I didn't? 』

"...No."

『Would you believe me if I said I did? 』

"...Still no."

Without another word, Kumagawa casually reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. He held it up for them to see.

"..."

Both Ichinose and Kanzaki stiffened. The card was real.

Printed on it were the words "Kumagawa Misogi." There was no mistake—this was an official leader card, identical in design to the one Class B carried.

Ichinose swallowed. She had been expecting him to say something ridiculous, maybe dodge the question with more of his usual nonsense. Instead, he had done something far more extreme—he had handed them the biggest secret of Class D's strategy on a silver platter.

"...Are you betraying your class, Kumagawa-kun?" she asked, her voice unusually serious.

『What are you saying? It's clearly not my fault that you don't believe me. So, in order to gain your trust, I simply showed my card as a gesture of sincerity so that you could trust my word. So, it's not my fault. 』

"That logic is completely twisted."

『Eh? But it's the truth, isn't it? It's your fault for doubting me, so I had to prove myself. That's what honest people do, right? Or are you saying that trust should be built on baseless faith? That would be awfully naive of you, Ichinose-chan. 』

Ichinose let out a small sigh. "More importantly... do the rest of your classmates know you're showing us this?"

『Nope. But does that matter? I'm the leader, after all. That means I can make my own decisions. 』

Kumagawa casually slipped the card back into his pocket as if it were nothing more than a spare receipt.

『Well then, Ichinose-chan, Kanzaki-kun, it's been fun. But I think I've overstayed my welcome.』

Ichinose blinked. "You're leaving already?"

『Yep. I've got places to be. 』 Kumagawa gave her an easygoing smile. 『But don't forget, Ichinose-chan. I'm still waiting for your answer. 』

With that, he turned and walked off and leaving the Class B camp.

Ichinose and Kanzaki stood there, watching his retreating figure in silence.

"What... was that?"

"I have no idea."

『』『』『』『』『』

Kumagawa wandered deeper into the forest, his hands in his pockets as he hummed a meaningless tune. He intended to return to Class D's camp, but somewhere along the way—when he was already near it—he suddenly veered off the main path, casually circling around the camp instead.

『Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~ ♪ 』

With a particular destination in mind, he let his feet carry him toward that specific destination.

Even if he was the leader, he had no reason to stay with the others. It wasn't like they needed him, anyway. If anything, things probably ran smoother when he wasn't around.

He keep walking as he brushing aside some low-hanging branches while he scanned the area.

It was a quiet, out-of-the-way spot—not too far from Class D's camp, but just far enough that no one would casually wander in. Thick tree roots tangled across the ground, and patches of overgrown grass made the terrain uneven.

Then, as he walked for a couple of minutes, not too far from Class D's camp, he finally arrived at his destination.

『Now then.... 』

Kumagawa let out a ridiculous smile,

『How should I have a little fun with this...? 』

『END』

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