The morning sun rose through thin clouds, painting the surface of the ocean with threads of gold. On the upper deck, laughter drifted between groups of students — the tension that had lingered over the past few days was almost gone. The final day of the Special Test had come, and for most, it was just another day before they could relax again.
But for Kiyotaka Ayanokōji, it was the culmination of careful preparation.
Inside one of the lounges converted into a temporary meeting room, Ichinose Honami once again proposed the same thing she had done every day: "How about one more round of cards before we start?"
Her tone was cheerful, light — but it was a deliberate act. Kiyotaka could tell that behind that smile, she was still analyzing, observing, testing everyone's reactions down to the smallest flicker of movement.
Across the table, Karuizawa Kei laughed with the others, her voice steady and untroubled.So she's acting normal again, Kiyotaka noted. The photo he had sent anonymously to Manabe had done its job — there had been no more confrontations, no more shadows in the hallways. For now, Karuizawa was safe.
Yukimura leaned toward him and whispered, "Are we really just going to let this test end like this? Ichinose doesn't even seem like she's trying to win."
Kiyotaka gave a noncommittal shrug. "Maybe she already knows that trying too hard will expose her."
Ichinose looked up from the deck of cards, her usual warmth now edged with calm authority. "If you want to win, Yukimura-kun," she said gently, "you shouldn't rely on me. Rely on yourself. That's what this exam is really about."
Yukimura fell silent. Her words stung, but Kiyotaka could see they were also meant as advice.
Later that afternoon, Kiyotaka met Suzune Horikita near the ship's library.She stood with her arms crossed, her gaze sharp and confident. "Everything's going according to plan," she said. "When this is over, Class D will finally prove itself capable of outsmarting Class A and C."
Kiyotaka nodded. "It should go well. Hirata's already on board — his cooperation will stabilize the class. There's one more person I want to introduce to you when the exam ends. She'll be useful to us moving forward."
"Who?" Suzune asked, her expression stiffening.
"You'll see," he said, walking past her. She frowned but didn't argue. She knew Kiyotaka's methods — quiet, opaque, and always two steps ahead.
Kiyotaka arrived at the Rabbit group's meeting room half an hour early. The corridor was silent, the air faintly humming from the ship's engines. When he opened the door, he saw Ichinose already there — sitting cross-legged on the floor, asleep.
Her phone lay beside her hand.
For a moment, Kiyotaka considered it — the temptation to peek, to confirm details about her massive point balance. But then, he stepped back. No… there's no need. Some mysteries should stay buried — for now.
Ichinose stirred, blinking awake. "Ah, good morning, Ayanokōji-kun," she murmured, stretching lightly.
"You came early," he noted.
She smiled. "Habit, I guess. The sooner it starts, the sooner it ends."
They sat side by side, the stillness of the room settling around them. After a few moments, Ichinose spoke softly. "Do you think you'll ever reach Class A, Ayanokōji-kun?"
He looked straight ahead. "That's the plan."
She chuckled. "You make it sound easy. But with twenty million points needed to switch classes, it's impossible for most of us."
"I saw your phone before," he said suddenly, glancing sideways. "You had a lot of points."
Ichinose blinked in surprise, then gave a small laugh. "You don't have to apologize. But I can't tell you about that. Not yet."
"I wasn't planning to ask," he said quietly. "And I won't tell anyone."
She nodded, her eyes thoughtful. "You're strange, Ayanokōji-kun. Not dishonest… but not exactly honest either."
Before he could answer, the rest of the group began to arrive.
Hamaguchi clapped his hands to get attention. "Alright, since it's the final day, why don't we try for the first outcome? Let's just show our phones and confirm who the VIP is."
He held up his phone — the official school mail displayed clearly. Some members hesitated, but one by one, most followed suit.Even Kiyotaka, calm as ever, showed his screen. The message looked identical.
But that wasn't his phone.
Yukimura frowned. "I still think this is risky. We shouldn't all expose our information like this."
Ichinose gave a reassuring smile. "We're all friends here, aren't we?"
That word — friends — made Yukimura hesitate. After a long pause, he sighed and nodded. "Fine. But no one betrays anyone. Everyone shows their phone, even the Class A students."
They agreed. Yukimura slowly unlocked his phone, holding it up for everyone to see. The VIP confirmation mail flashed across the screen.
Everyone froze.
"So… it's you?" Ichinose asked gently.
Yukimura's voice shook slightly. "Looks like it."
For a moment, the group seemed to accept it — but Kiyotaka's expression didn't change. Perfect, he thought. Now it's just a matter of time.
Then, a sound broke the silence — Yukimura's phone began to ring.
Ichinose picked it up, glanced at the screen, and then handed it toward Kiyotaka. "It's for you."
He raised an eyebrow but took it. "Hello?"
Ichinose's lips curved upward. "Ayanokōji-kun," she said calmly, "you're the VIP, aren't you?"
The room went dead quiet.
She turned to the others. "The phone numbers can't be swapped between devices — the school system locks them. When I saw that Yukimura's call ID matched your number, I realized what you did. You switched phones."
Kiyotaka didn't move. His expression remained perfectly neutral.The group meeting timer on the wall beeped softly, signaling the end of their session. Ichinose stood and smoothed her skirt.
"Well then," she said pleasantly. "That confirms it. Thank you for the cooperation, everyone."
As the group dispersed, Yukimura stopped at the door, glaring back at Kiyotaka. "I shouldn't have followed your plan," he muttered bitterly. "Miyamoto told me yesterday to trust you — but it ended like this." His voice carried both anger and regret as he left the room.
When the last of them was gone, Ichinose lingered.
She leaned against the wall, looking at Kiyotaka with calm amusement. "You're quite the strategist. But tell me — who really came up with that plan? Horikita, wasn't it?"
Kiyotaka gave a small nod. "It was her idea."
"Then I suppose it was a success," she said lightly.
"No," he corrected. "You saw through it. That makes it a failure."
She shook her head, her eyes warm yet sharp. "Not exactly. I confirmed something with Hoshinomiya-sensei yesterday — the SIM locks can be removed with enough points. So you could have switched numbers after all. Which means…"
Her gaze softened. "…the real VIP wasn't you. It was Karuizawa, wasn't it?"
Kiyotaka didn't answer, but his silence was confirmation enough.
"I thought so," Ichinose continued. "You used your points to unlock the SIM, then switched Karuizawa's phone and number to yours. After that, you gave Yukimura her phone under the pretense that it was yours."
She crossed her arms. "That's… elaborate. Even for you."
He met her gaze evenly. "If the VIP hadn't been from Class D, I'd have done the same."
Ichinose smiled faintly. "And what if I told you I knew that too?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Then I'd say you were a dangerous opponent."
"Dangerous?" she echoed with a laugh. "Maybe just careful."
From her pocket, she produced her own phone and showed him a draft message — a betrayal report naming Karuizawa as the VIP. "I never sent it," she said softly. "I couldn't be sure."
"Why not?"
"Because it wouldn't have been fair," Ichinose replied. "And because I suspected one of Class A's members might betray Katsuragi's faction instead. Turns out I was right — Morishige sent the betrayal message first."
She gave him a satisfied smile. "So in the end, Class D wins. Congratulations."
Kiyotaka looked down, his expression unreadable. "Horikita will be pleased."
"She should be," Ichinose said. "Though I think the real credit goes to you."
He gave no reply.
Then both their phones vibrated at once.Four new messages appeared from the school system, one after another — alerts, results, instructions.
Ichinose glanced at her screen, and her eyes widened. "What…?"
Kiyotaka read his own messages silently. His expression didn't change, but in the reflection of the window, his eyes gleamed faintly — as though he'd expected this outcome all along.