The day after the special test ended, the luxury cruise ship had returned to its usual rhythm. The constant vibration of the engines below the deck felt strangely peaceful, like the calm after a storm.
Kiyotaka sat in a corner of the ship's café, quietly watching the slow swirl of his coffee. The scent of roasted beans filled the air, blending with the faint chatter of students. It was hard to believe that just yesterday, the entire ship had been a battlefield of lies, tension, and manipulation.
The sound of light footsteps approached — Karuizawa Kei arrived, looking more confident than before. Her hair was neatly brushed, her uniform crisp, and the fragile, trembling girl from that dark lower deck had vanished.
"Yo," she greeted, taking the seat across from him. "You're early."
"I could say the same to you," Kiyotaka replied evenly. "You seem calm."
She smirked faintly. "You said you'd protect me, right? I figured I might as well start acting like it."
Before Kiyotaka could respond, Hirata and Horikita arrived together, the air between them crisp and professional. Hirata gave a small wave, always the polite one. Suzune, however, was already frowning — mostly because of the red-haired boy tagging along behind her.
"Why is Sudō here?" she muttered, irritation creeping into her tone.
"Horikita invited me," Sudō said proudly. "I'm part of Class D too, you know. I wanna hear the results!"
"I didn't invite you. You followed me," she replied coldly.
"Same thing," he grinned.
Karuizawa giggled quietly, hiding her mouth behind her drink. The table dynamic was already a little chaotic, but Kiyotaka didn't mind. Chaos often revealed truth faster than calm discussion.
They discussed the four emails that had been sent simultaneously the previous night — the sudden, unexpected announcement from the school that ended the test early for several groups.
"The groups that ended exactly at the same time," Horikita began, glancing at her tablet, "were Rat, Horse, Rooster, and Pig."
Kiyotaka nodded. "The simultaneity suggests a coordinated move. Same class."
"Minami from Horse group was exposed," Hirata added. "He was the VIP."
"Yamauchi, on the other hand," Karuizawa said, "hesitated for too long. The time limit passed before he sent anything."
"Figures," Horikita sighed. "He never takes anything seriously."
Karuizawa twirled her straw. "None of the girls in our class sent any mail, though. So whoever sent those four... it's probably from another class."
"Same class," Kiyotaka repeated quietly. "And only one class had both the coordination and nerve to pull that off."
As the conclusion hung in the air, a familiar, lazy voice cut through the noise behind them.
"Well, well... discussing results already, huh?"
The group turned to see Ryūen Kakeru standing there, his usual confident grin spreading across his face. His presence alone was enough to change the atmosphere — calm into tension, comfort into unease.
He slid into the empty seat beside Karuizawa as if he owned the place. "Don't mind me. I just wanted to join the fun."
"Ryūen," Horikita said sharply. "You're not invited."
"Aw, don't be like that." He leaned back. "You might actually learn something from me."
Sudō clenched his fists. "Watch your mouth, bastard—"
"Sudō, don't," Horikita said instantly, holding up a hand. "He's trying to provoke you."
"Smart girl," Ryūen smirked. "Anyway, I heard you're all trying to figure out the patterns behind those emails. Want a hint?"
No one spoke, but his grin only widened.
"I already know who the VIP in the Dragon group was," he said casually.
Horikita arched an eyebrow. "Impossible. The test's over, and no one from that group turned traitor. You couldn't have figured it out."
Ryūen's eyes gleamed. "You think so? The VIP was Kushida."
The table went silent. Hirata blinked. "Kushida-san? Are you sure?"
Ryūen chuckled, drumming his fingers on the table. "Knew it since day two."
Horikita's voice tightened. "You're lying. If you knew, you would've turned traitor."
"Would I?" He leaned forward, lowering his tone to a near whisper. "Or maybe I didn't need to. Some games are more fun when you let others think they're winning."
The smirk on his face was sharp enough to cut glass. Horikita's composure cracked slightly — she hated nothing more than being underestimated.
"You're overconfident," she snapped. "You're implying you could read everyone's actions perfectly."
"I didn't need to read everyone," Ryūen said with a small laugh. "Just one person — you."
Horikita froze.
Kiyotaka, sitting beside her, quietly observed. Ryūen's words weren't random — they were deliberate needles aimed at her pride.
Before Horikita could respond, the ship's intercom chimed softly, signaling the arrival of the final results email. Phones across the café lit up simultaneously.
Official Results:
Outcome #1 (The group answered correctly): DragonOutcome #2 (The VIP was not identified): Tiger, Snake, Sheep, DogOutcome #3 (The traitor answered correctly): Rat, Horse, Monkey, Rooster, Pig, CowOutcome #4 (The traitor answered incorrectly): Rabbit
Class Points and Private Points:
Class A: -200 CL; +2,000,000 PR
Class B: -50 CL; +2,000,000 PR
Class C: +200 CL; +5,500,000 PR
Class D: +100 CL; +3,000,000 PR
Everyone's eyes moved down the screen slowly.
"Class C… came out on top," Hirata muttered. "As expected."
Ryūen's laugh echoed softly. "Heh. Not bad, right?"
He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone and placing it on the table. The screen displayed a list of names — VIPs from Class A across three separate groups.
"I didn't waste my time going after small fries," he said. "Once I figured out the test's core, I focused only on Class A."
Horikita's jaw tightened. "You…!"
Ryūen smirked, leaning back with lazy satisfaction. "I'll give you credit, Horikita. You played your cards well. But next time…" His eyes darkened. "…you're my target."
For a moment, no one spoke. The café's gentle background noise felt distant — swallowed by the quiet pressure Ryūen exuded. Then, casually, he stood and began to leave.
Kiyotaka's voice stopped him. "Class C wouldn't have won alone," he said.
Ryūen turned his head slightly, a grin tugging at his lips. "Oh?"
"Kōenji betrayed his group," Kiyotaka continued. "That shifted a few outcomes and earned Class D stray points. If he hadn't, Class C's dominance would've been total."
"Ha!" Ryūen laughed, running a hand through his hair. "So your class benefited from chaos. Typical D-class luck."
He started walking away, waving over his shoulder. "Anyway, good talk. Enjoy the little victory. Next semester, you'll see how it feels to be crushed."
His footsteps faded into the hum of the ship.
The group sat in silence for a moment.
Hirata finally sighed. "I don't understand how he managed to pull off the Dragon group's victory. If Kushida was the VIP, how did he use that to his advantage?"
Kiyotaka stirred his coffee. "He probably told everyone directly. If he could earn their trust early, saying it out loud would make him look confident and believable. Once that happens, no one would risk exposing him."
Horikita frowned. "But that's reckless."
"Reckless, yes," Kiyotaka replied. "But effective."
He leaned back slightly, his tone calm yet distant. "If Ryūen can do that once, he can do it again. That's what worries me."
"There's no guarantee," Horikita countered, her expression firm. "And besides, we still won our test. That's what matters now."
"True," Kiyotaka said with a small nod. "Maybe I'm overthinking."
But as he stared out the window at the endless stretch of ocean, a subtle chill brushed through his chest. A faint, almost imperceptible smile crossed his lips.
This might be the beginning of something darker… and more interesting.
For the first time in a long while, he felt something close to excitement — an emotion he hadn't allowed himself to feel in years.
Meanwhile, in another part of the ship, Soshi Miyamoto leaned against a railing overlooking the open sea. The air was cool, and the glow of the sunset cast orange light across his face.
Ibuki Mio stood beside him, clearly annoyed."Why did you buy me ice cream all of a sudden?" she asked, squinting suspiciously.
"Because you looked like you needed it," I said casually, holding my own cone. "Also, it's the best way to start a conversation."
She crossed her arms. "You're so weird."
I grinned. "Thanks. I take that as a compliment."
They stood in silence for a moment, watching the waves break against the ship's hull. Then, I tilted my head toward her. "So, what did you think about Ryūen's stunt?"
Ibuki gave a sharp laugh. "He's insane. But that's nothing new. Still, Class C winning like that… he probably thinks he's untouchable now."
"Maybe," I said, licking my ice cream. "But even untouchable people can fall."
"Big words," she said, narrowing her eyes. "You planning something?"
I smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
Ibuki rolled her eyes. "You're so full of yourself."
I chuckled. "You say that every time."
Without warning, she reached out and pinched my waist hard.
"OW—! Hey!" he yelped, nearly dropping his cone.
"That's for teasing me," she said with a satisfied smirk.
Before I could recover, she grabbed my wrist. "C'mon. You owe me a walk."
"What? Wait—where are we going—?"
"Somewhere quiet," she said, dragging me along. "Before you say something stupid again."
I couldn't help but laugh as she pulled him away, the sound of their footsteps fading down the deck. The evening wind swept around them, carrying a mix of salt and laughter — a fleeting moment of normalcy amid the hidden war that was still far from over.
Result
Class A:1124-->924
Class B: 803-->753
Class C: 492-->692
Class D: 337-->437