Chapter 91: There's a Ghost on the Island!
Gazing at the endless seaside, there was hardly any vibrancy to be seen, only boundless blue and white, as if enveloping the entire island.
If one could immerse themselves in this world, there would likely be no unease. This was a test exclusive to Tokyo Advanced Nurturing School, but it was also just a special kind of revelry.
Hikigaya Hachiman pressed forward in his chosen direction, traversing the depths of the forest. The cheers of boys and girls echoed through the sky, as if this place were a paradise on earth.
At a glance, this scene felt out of place with the so-called exam. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Hikigaya Hachiman would have struggled to believe it was real. Horikita Suzune, standing beside him, covered her mouth, clearly finding the sight before them utterly unbelievable.
Countless speedboats roared from the shore in celebration, girls clinging tightly to boys' waists, their joyful smiles impossible to hide.
And that wasn't all, whether it was beach volleyball or hot air balloons, it was as if anything imaginable was here.
[Yukinoshita Yukino, clearly incredulous, stared wide-mouthed at the video, saying, "While other classes are diligently taking the exam, this class is completely different. They're just enjoying themselves. It's unbelievable."]
[Yukinoshita Yukino's mind couldn't process it. She had assumed everyone would be working hard on the exam.]
[Isshiki Iroha was also puzzled, though perhaps she had anticipated some classes wouldn't take the exam seriously and had mentally prepared herself. But this level of abandonment was so sudden, they hadn't even made the slightest effort before deciding to squander their points.]
[Isshiki: "I mean, these entertainment facilities, did they exchange points for them? That's just…"]
[Yuihama Yui nodded, her shock was no less than the other two girls.]
[Yuihama Yui: "It looks like Class D will definitely surpass Class C this time. After all, Class C has completely given up."]
[Everyone nodded, as if acknowledging this fact. Only Hikigaya Hachiman, who had been observing everything closely, was silently doubting Ryuen Kakeru's true intentions.]
It was hard to imagine that Ryuen would let Class C fall so easily with such a strategy. If that was the case, it would also explain why Ibuki Mio and Kaneda Satoru were so resistant to him.
This was Horikita Suzune's thought as well. Seeing this scene, she strongly felt Ryuen's irresponsibility toward his class, behavior utterly unfit for a class leader.
Horikita Suzune said, "What on earth is Class C trying to do?"
Hikigaya Hachiman didn't respond. Instead, he tugged at Horikita Suzune's sleeve and said, "Some questions you'll never figure out unless you ask."
Horikita Suzune shot him a look, then said resentfully, "So you're trying to trick me into asking Ryuen what he's up to?!"
"We're classmates, after all. Helping me is helping yourself, and helping Class D. How could that be called a trick?"
Hikigaya Hachiman's retort left Horikita Suzune speechless. Honestly, she felt like she was being used as a tool. For such words to come from Hikigaya Hachiman's mouth, it was almost shameless.
However, Horikita Suzune didn't reject his suggestion. She was genuinely curious about what Ryuen had been up to during this time.
No sooner said than done, a boy with an unfamiliar face approached them. Since they had been standing there for so long, it wasn't surprising they'd been noticed.
"Um, Ryuen wants you to come over."
Hikigaya Hachiman thought, 'Perfect, this is Horikita Suzune's chance!'
In his mind, he cheered for the girl, but he didn't notice that Horikita Suzune had grabbed his collar tightly and dragged him roughly to Ryuen Kakeru's presence.
Ryuen Kakeru didn't turn around, his hands behind his head, basking in the sunlight with apparent enjoyment.
"Flirting at our camp? You might get struck by lightning."
Whether it was teasing or mockery, Ryuen Kakeru said something completely out of character for him.
That alone would've been fine, but what was worse was that Horikita Suzune's face turned bright red upon hearing it, rendering her completely incapable of arguing. Their plan to confront Ryuen Kakeru was a total failure.
Seeing Horikita Suzune frozen in place, Hikigaya Hachiman knew it was up to him to figure out what Ryuen Kakeru was scheming.
"Not bad, Ryuen. This is all your doing?"
Ryuen Kakeru seemed quite proud, spreading his arms as if sharing his accomplishments with the boy before him, then flashing a meaningful smile.
"You sure know how to enjoy life. I must say, those following your class are lucky."
Hearing this, Ryuen Kakeru burst into laughter, startling the others around him and sending chills down their spines.
"As you see, as you say, we're enjoying a summer vacation."
Hikigaya Hachiman turned, scanning the beach for any sign of Ibuki Mio.
But she had indeed vanished without a trace.
Horikita Suzune, finally snapping out of her daze, sighed and said, "A leader this incompetent leaves his followers with no options."
Ryuen Kakeru didn't get angry at her words. He simply waved to Albert, grabbed a drink, and downed it in one gulp.
"I'm talking to you. Did you hear me?!" Horikita Suzune snapped, unable to tolerate being ignored again and again. She glared at Ryuen Kakeru and said, "You know that girl Ibuki, right? I don't know what she did, but if she's someone you sent, tell her to get lost."
Ryuen Kakeru's expression twitched slightly, but he only glanced at Horikita Suzune before saying, "Class C doesn't need such rebellious people. Ibuki hasn't returned since she left yesterday. Of course, if she comes back, I wouldn't mind giving her another beating."
Thinking of the wounds on Ibuki Mio's body from yesterday and the incident on the deck, Horikita Suzune's anger flared even more.
She felt no pity for Ibuki Mio, but she found Ryuen Kakeru's tyrannical leadership utterly unacceptable.
Hikigaya Hachiman listened to their exchange, silently analyzing the situation.
Horikita Suzune said, "So, you're planning to give up on this exam? That's great. Class D can rise to Class C without breaking a sweat."
Ryuen Kakeru didn't take her words to heart, maintaining his calm demeanor and saying, "For a measly 100 or 200 points, toiling away like this? That's not my, Ryuen Kakeru, style."
Hikigaya Hachiman said, "Ibuki…"
Ryuen Kakeru replied, "What happens to Ibuki has nothing to do with me or Class C anymore."
Hikigaya Hachiman fell silent, while Ryuen Kakeru continued mockingly, "Class D has to endure hunger, heat, and mental emptiness. It's laughable. If that's what it takes to advance a class, maybe I don't belong in this school."
Horikita Suzune retorted, "You should've realized that long ago."
Ryuen Kakeru said, "So, after spending all 300 points, I'll take my class and leave this hellish place, back to the luxury cruise to enjoy ourselves. When you return to the ship, exhausted, I'll make sure to mock you the loudest."
Horikita Suzune had nothing left to say to this rogue. Crossing her arms, she turned to leave, saying angrily, "I must be a fool for coming here so cautiously."
Ryuen Kakeru, who had been lounging, finally sat up straight, rising from the beach chair and fixing Horikita Suzune with a predatory stare.
"Who's the fool here? Me? Or you?"
Horikita Suzune met his gaze without fear, her face never lacking that absolute confidence.
Uncharacteristically, Ryuen Kakeru didn't continue teasing her. Instead, he shifted his gaze to Hikigaya Hachiman.
The last time, the time before that, and the time before that, Ryuen Kakeru had failed under Hikigaya Hachiman's watch.
But this time, he didn't believe he would lose. Facing the weakest, he had composure and no shortage of arrogance.
"This is my way. If you don't like it, you're free to leave."
Horikita Suzune had no desire to continue talking to this scoundrel. She calmly grabbed Hikigaya Hachiman's sleeve and started to walk away.
But Hikigaya Hachiman stayed put, surprising her.
"Wait, I have one more thing to ask Ryuen."
Horikita Suzune nodded but didn't let go, still tightly gripping his sleeve.
"Ryuen, are you our enemy?"
Ryuen Kakeru froze for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!"
"Enemy? What's an enemy?! I'm not your enemy, Hikigaya. I'm everyone's enemy, the absolute tyrant, the one everyone should fear."
Hikigaya Hachiman frowned, staring intently at Ryuen Kakeru, trying to discern the truth in his eyes.
Ryuen Kakeru eventually turned away, avoiding the boy's gaze.
"Hikigaya, I hope you can defeat me."
"As you wish."
Without further exchange, the two left under Ryuen Kakeru's watchful eyes.
No more questions were needed. Hikigaya Hachiman had already seen the answer in Ryuen's eyes. He planned to burn through all the points without giving up on the exam, which could only mean one thing: Ryuen was aiming to exploit the leadership aspect to gain a massive amount of points. This was Class C's only chance to turn things around.
Ryuen Kakeru's plan was nearly flawless. From the staged conflict on the deck to sending Ibuki Mio and Kaneda Satoru to infiltrate Classes B and D, there were no issues. The only problem was that it was too deliberate, making it hard for Hikigaya Hachiman not to grow suspicious.
Perhaps Ryuen would spend all the points on the first day, or maybe Class C would leave the island entirely. Since running out of points and withdrawing wouldn't result in negative points, they could leave one person on the island to identify the leaders of the other classes and end the exam at the last moment for a complete victory. That's why Ryuen Kakeru confidently declared himself the enemy of all classes.
Hikigaya Hachiman had pieced together most of Class C's plan. The only things he couldn't figure out were why Class A was cooperating with Class C and how Class C planned to identify Class A's leader.
Those details didn't matter. For now, Hikigaya Hachiman had seen through it all, freeing him from yesterday's torment.
Leaving Ryuen Kakeru's camp, Hikigaya Hachiman walked up to Horikita Suzune and said directly, "If Ibuki can't complete her task, she can't return to Class C. Tonight, let's let her join our class."
Horikita Suzune's eyes showed complete confusion about the boy's motives, but she just stared, saying nothing.
"I'm the green card holder. I'm confident Ibuki won't find out. Letting her join our class is just a reasonable way to add labor, like Kaneda."
Hikigaya Hachiman didn't voice his true feelings, that he couldn't bear to see a girl survive alone in the wild for days.
This was out of kindness, a decision influenced by Kushida Kikyo's words yesterday.
Seeing Horikita Suzune still skeptical, Hikigaya Hachiman added, "Maybe we can even get more info about Class C from her. It's not a bad deal."
Hearing this reason, Horikita Suzune's heavy expression softened, and she nodded reluctantly, sighing as if in agreement.
"I'll bring her over tonight. I don't know what you're scheming, but I trust you. At least from past events, you've never betrayed Class D."
Hikigaya Hachiman's heart filled with gratitude. Though Horikita Suzune's words were odd, being trusted warmed his heart.
[Horikita Suzune: "It looks like Class C's plan has been seen through by this guy, Hikigaya."]
[Ike Kanji: "Hahahahaha, that idiot Ryuen probably still doesn't know he has been figured out. I can't wait to see his face when he's exposed. He's always trying to scheme against us, but he never expected to be the one outschemed. That's reality, and it's the same in the video."]
[Yamauchi Haruki: "Yeah, yeah, that guy deserves it. But good for us, we won this special exam, even if it was weird. First place, real first place! I hope we can get first this time too."]
[Hirata Yosuke's face was full of joy, perhaps because he saw that a major threat to Class D in the video had been uncovered by Hikigaya Hachiman. He said, "As long as we work together, there's nothing we can't do, right?"]
[Karuizawa Kei, hearing Hirata Yosuke, quickly added, "I think Hirata's right. If we all work together, we can get a good ranking. Plus, we have Hikigaya this time. We'll definitely get even more points."]
[Kushida Kikyo, as if understanding, chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, it's Hikigaya, after all. We've seen how capable he is. With him, Class D can definitely get better."]
[Class D's atmosphere was growing increasingly positive. No one believed Class D would decline under Hikigaya Hachiman's leadership, and this situation easily fostered a strange sense of confidence.]
[Though they hadn't realized it yet, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka could clearly sense that a video was just a video. If they maintained this arrogance, Class D would surely fall hard in the future, realizing in an irredeemable reality that the world without Hikigaya Hachiman was brutally harsh.]
Horikita Suzune and Hikigaya Hachiman walked back to camp as the sky gradually darkened. They had spent too much time traveling that day. Though they had scouted the bases of three different classes, the day had slipped away.
Horikita Suzune said, "That guy Ryuen is utterly worthless. I thought he was a formidable enemy before, but now he's just self-destructing."
Clearly, she hadn't grasped Ryuen Kakeru's intentions, her brows furrowed as she tried to avoid thinking about what had just happened.
In her view, Class D was already a poor class, but she hadn't expected Class C, under Ryuen Kakeru's leadership, to become like this.
"Not saving what should be saved, they won't last long like this."
"No, you're wrong, Horikita. Those guys don't plan to last a week."
"What are you saying?" Horikita Suzune asked, startled.
Hikigaya Hachiman explained as he walked, "After spending all their points, they'll leave the island. Since they won't go into debt, their points won't be deducted further."
Horikita Suzune hadn't considered this outcome. Her pupils dilated in shock, as if expressing her confusion.
"That way, they won't gain a single point."
"You're not wrong, but you should know that's just how Ryuen is."
Hikigaya Hachiman didn't reveal the full truth to Horikita Suzune. First, it needed verification; second, it might alert the enemy.
"What a lunatic."
Horikita Suzune cursed Ryuen Kakeru again, then stormed back to camp angrily.
Before night fully descended, Hikigaya Hachiman decided to do something for the class. Though he was the leader, if he didn't contribute, he would be disliked.
He was reclusive and unpopular, but not deliberately isolated, just unnoticed due to his low presence.
Soon, Horikita Suzune brought Ibuki Mio back to camp as agreed.
Since Kushida Kikyo had already informed the class, and Horikita Suzune had explained what happened in Class C, the others didn't harbor strong hostility toward Ibuki Mio. Instead, they found her brave and pitiable for rebelling against Ryuen Kakeru.
Honestly, Hikigaya Hachiman didn't care what happened to Ibuki Mio. Seeing Kushida Kikyo enthusiastically offer her fruit and Ibuki Mio's stubborn demeanor, he felt detached.
It had nothing to do with him. He had done what he could and wouldn't dwell on his conscience further.
Night fell quickly on the island. After the sun set, the world seemed to break free from its usual timeline, moving forward relentlessly.
Eventually, the moon rose slowly, and the sun vanished completely. The class gathered around the fire, sharing stories of their pasts and futures, while Hikigaya Hachiman played the role of an outsider, keeping it all in his heart.
Shortly after dinner, everyone retreated to their tents. Though occasional laughter came from nearby, it eventually faded.
Hikigaya Hachiman lay in bed, watching his sleeping classmates. Despite having nothing to think about, he couldn't sleep.
He was exhausted, utterly exhausted, yet completely sleepless.
It was a pathological state, but Hikigaya Hachiman couldn't change it.
The night sky grew increasingly dim, and Hikigaya Hachiman lay in his tent, unsure how much time had passed… how long…
Unable to endure the loneliness any longer, Hikigaya Hachiman stood up quietly while his classmates slept, careful not to make a sound, and stepped out of the tent.
The moonlight outside was still radiant, reminding Hikigaya Hachiman inexplicably of a chance encounter he once had with Yukinoshita Yukino under the moonlight. Thinking back now, the memory felt so vivid that he found himself completely immersed in the moonlight.
"Rustle…"
A sudden noise startled Hikigaya Hachiman. In the darkness of the night, who knew what creature might leap out from the bushes? Mustering his courage, he edged closer, only to see a humanoid figure drifting through the forest.
"A monster!"
Hikigaya Hachiman's mind instantly flashed to the monsters from the Ultraman shows he watched as a child. It was said that on remote islands like this, such spirits were plentiful…
His first instinct was to run back to the tent, cover himself with a blanket, and convince himself it was all fake. But his overwhelming curiosity drove him to keep moving forward, step by step.
(End of this chapter)