"About time someone decided to show up."
There was no need for me to look as I already knew who that voice belonged to.
After I woke up, my stomach was grumbling like an earthquake. That's why I went to the cafeteria to get something for my hungry soul. However, to my surprise, Horikita was waiting there for me. With a cute cup of coffee, and 'not-so-cute' murderous glare, she was sitting on the table right next to the entrance.
"Good afternoon." I dryly greeted.
"The nerve of you to make me wait for five hours." She scolded me.
She was waiting for me here for FIVE hours?! I call nonsense on that statement!
"Sorry. As an apology, let me buy you a parfait." I replied
"I'll have to decline. I'm not fond of sweet things."
"I see."
"Also, the food here is free. So stop pretending like you are paying for this." Few veins popped on her forehead as a result.
"Tch."
"Getting back into the topic at hand..." Horikita took a sip from her coffee. "I'd like you to tell me how we ended up getting that many points."
"In the middle of the cafeteria, for everyone to overhear?" I raised my eyebrows.
"I initially kept that in mind when I called you."
"Let's just get this over with." I rubbed my forehead. "Firstly, finish your coffee."
"The coffee can wait." Horikita put down her cup and stood up.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night.." I sighed.
What a waste of coffee... I was tempted to finish it for her, but that'd be way too creepy, even for me.
We exited the cafeteria together and was headed toward the back of the ship. As the ship was now in motion, everyone instinctively gathered around at the front deck to enjoy the view of what was in front of them. That's why there were barely any people in the back.
Not to mention my recurring sea sickness. I somehow managed to reach the deck while trying my hardest not to tremble and collapse in dizziness. I immediately leaned my body on top of a railing to support myself. After regaining my composure, I straightened my posture and stood up.
"Explain... What do these test results mean? And how did you do it?"
"It's too presumptuous to say that I was the only one who did it." I replied while focusing on the last part. "We were all part of this plan, weren't we?"
"I refuse to imagine it." she shot back. "The scenario is full of grey areas that I can't understand no matter how much I think about them. I have a mountain of questions."
"Very well. I'll answer everything. You know the rules. Whatever transpires in this deck stays in this deck." I asked her with a stoic face.
"I'm perfectly fine with this arrangement. Just tell me what I want to know." She replied.
Horikita was trustable, not because I had her wrapped around my fingers, but she was also aware that if these types of info got leaked, if would mean serious damage to me, and thus her dreams of reaching class A. She would sew her lips if need be.
"What would you like to ask?"
"Everything. From beginning to end, what was your 'actual' plan?"
I finally began explaining everything from the very beginning.
"Even before the exam began, the school had given us hints regarding the exam. There was an announcement half an hour before the ship was grounded nearby, advising us to look out for 'significant scenery. The ship had circled the island nearly at three times the speed of a normal cruise. You probably didn't notice that because you were holed up in your room due to your sickness."
Horikita fell silent, letting me resume in my own pace.
"Katsuragi also noticed that, which explains why he ordered his class to gather near the edge of the ship. He was scouting for said significant scenery, later dubbed 'Spots'. I noticed a specific spot and I wanted it under our name, no matter what."
That's why I deliberately orchestrated an argument between me and a few class A students. My classmates noticed this and came to my aid. As a consequence, they also ended up noticing what I wanted them to notice.
"So that's why Ike-kun and the others were rushing."
"The cave was the most important. Not because of it's use as a shelter, but because of the location itself."
"Location? Not as a spot?"
"There were two other spots nearby. Plus the river that was right behind which I didn't see from the cruise." I answered.
There were many things that were beyond my expectations. Reading it in word and seeing them for real are two different things. On top of that, there was an element of uncertainty. Which made things much more challenging for me.
"But that's just the spot we captured. What about the points?"
"Firstly, we had managed to save one-hundred and eighty special exam points by the end of this exam. And sixty-five points for securing multiple spots during the course of this exam. Two-hundred-and-forty-five in total."
"I assume the rest of the points are for correctly guessing the leaders."
"Given that the one's I mentioned are absolute and distinguishable, I'd say we're correct to assume that."
"So that has to mean your answers were absolutely correct. But I'm still curious how you were able to guess their leaders correctly?"
"Let's just say, it was all thanks to process elimination and a hint of pure luck."
"Huh?"
"On the third day of the exam, I went to gather food with Ayanokouji. But by sheer luck, we ended up stumbling across class A's base. After spying on them for a while, at some point we witnessed Katsuragi pulling the leader's card out of his pocket–"
"Wait, but didn't you tell me the leader was someone else?" Horikita inquired.
"Yahiko Totsuka. Yes. I was about to get to that part." I sighed. "In nature, Katsuragi Kouhei is a cautious man. He would never do something as careless as to openly pull out the card for the world to see. He did it in order to misdirect the witness. So, by process elimination I had deduced that the leader was not him, but the person who was close to him. Yahiko Totsuka."
"How can you be so sure about that?" she asked with a questioning gaze.
"Let's just say, we watched them long enough to see them in action. They were surprisingly careless that time... In more than one way."
"So, you witnessed them registering a spot? What would've happened if Yahiko-kun was just a lure?"
"That's completely out of the question."
"Why? What's stopping them from registering a spot without being a leader?"
I'll tell you why.
"Did you notice the small circular cavity on the top left corner of our spot recognition device?"
"Huh? I... No, I haven't. Was there such a thing?"
"Then now you know. There was a specific rule that prevented them from practicing that method. 'Only a leader has the ability to register a spot.' At the beginning of the exam, I was just as skeptical as you are. However, after noticing 'that', I assumed there was some sort of facial recognition feature, or some kind of biometric mechanism installed on that device which prevented that from happening. It would only validate a registration if the holder was a valid leader. Otherwise, the class would receive a huge penalty for infringing a rule."
It was just a theory, I couldn't be too sure about it. But I assume class A had already tried that and failed. Which explains why they received a fifty point penalty for the misuse of a spot.
"You deduced all of that within the first day?" Horikita's eyes widened at that revelation.
"Not really. It was kind of like a gamble. Nothing was absolute. That's why in order to gain more control over the exam, I needed to become the leader myself. Hence why I called you and Hirata outside so I could use your persuasiveness to make it easier."
"I see." Horikita bit her lips and began to process all the information. "What about Ryuen-kun? What was your thought process when deducing him as one of the leaders?"
"Figuring out Ryuen was actually the easiest" I replied.
"What?" Horikita looked at me quizzically. "Was it really?"
"On the fourth day, when the news of Class D leaving the exam broke out, I went there to confirm it with my own eyes. I saw every single Class D student there, all except Ryuen."
"I see..."
"But that wasn't enough to mark him as the leader." I paused. "On the same day, I accompanied Ibuki to the shore for her drop out. She kept insisting me to leave before we reached the shore, almost desperate for me to leave her alone. It was fishy, so at first I complied and pretended to walk away. But when I confirmed that she wasn't paying attention to me anymore, I camouflaged and began tailing her. It was just as I had expected, she didn't immediately drop out. Guess where she ended up going?"
"To Ryuen-kun's location?" it was a no-brainer for her.
"If there was only one student remaining from an entire class, then who else would be the leader?" I answered with a question.
"But Ryuen-kun also mentioned that he wrote your name in the leader guessing form. What did you do to counter his move?" she asked while crossing her arms.
"That's true. He did say something along the line of putting down the name of our leader. But does that necessarily mean he specifically wrote my name?"
"What do you mean by that?" she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
I turned toward her and looked her in the eyes.
"Before all of this, I gave you a small box, remember?" I asked.
"Yes. But you ordered me not to open it no matter what."
"And, do you remember the time when we fell down the cliff?"
"W-what does that have to do with this?" Horikita stammered. Her cheeks were slightly redder than usual, most likely out of embarrassment for remembering such a memorable event. Maybe telling her that the whole 'falling on top of each other' ordeal was actually pre-planned wouldn't be the best idea.
"When we reached the bank after getting completely drenched, I had asked you to return the box to me."
"Hold up. What was inside the box anyway?" she asked me with an expectant gaze.
"I guess it'll be much easier if I showed it to you rather than explaining it in words."
I pulled the card out of my pocket. The moment she saw the contents of the card, she gasped in surprise.
"Levent-kun, this is–?"
"The card they saw back there. It was the one I'm holding right now."
It was another card with the name "Horikita Suzune" engraved on it. Same color, same features, same font, everything looked the same. But the only difference was that...
"This is a mere counterfeit. It doesn't have any special value. You don't get access to leader privileges with this card. For example, you can't use it to spend special points to buy products. And the spot recognition device wouldn't register if you used it." I explained calmly. But the latter party wasn't nearly as calm.
"W-why didn't you warn me beforehand?" Horikita yelled. "And why did you forbid me from opening that box?"
Honestly, I was expecting her to be more curious and disobey me to begin with. But I guess I'm glad that I was proven wrong.
"The best acting usually happens when the actor themself doesn't know that they're acting." I replied.
"You mean-?"
"The less you knew about the plan, the more the success rate increased. I needed you to be completely oblivious about my real plan so that you could act naturally. You didn't have to put up a fake front in front of the others because of that. Do you understand?"
"Hah..." She sighed in exasperation. "I can clearly understand that you don't trust me."
"That's beside the point." I replied monotonously.
"Next question, how did you even get your hands on this?"
"Let's just say I had to pay an unholy amount of private points to Chabashira-sensei for this." I slumped my head down and sighed.
On the first day of the exam, when everyone was rushing to capture the cave spot, I momentarily detached myself from the group to consult with our homeroom teacher. I asked her if it was possible to create a counterfeit card with no authority of a leader. It was a simple procedure, so she agreed. But it came with a burning price tag.
I was given the option to either sacrifice the whole two-hundred special points, or the alternative, two-hundred-thousand private points.
It really was painful to see all those points go to hell.
"But why did you do that? What was the point of buying such a card if you couldn't put it into practical use?"
Is she seriously asking me that?
"Think carefully, Horikita. Why would I buy a counterfeit card for no reason?"
Horikita crossed her arms while pinching her lips. She was in deep thought trying to decipher my reasoning behind such an absurd action.
"I see!" Suddenly her face lit up, as if she had a 'Eurika' moment. "Now I understand why Ryuen-kun was so confident back in the beach."
Thinking about a solution with your own brain is much more productive and efficient than having someone else explain it for you. It was better if she reached a conclusion by herself. Yet I was curious about what she had really understood from my vague explanation.
"What did you conclude?" I asked.
"Your plan... It was related to Ibuki-san and her staying in our camp, isn't it?" Impressive.
"And what if it is?" I replied vaguely.
"In that case, Ibuki-san and Kaneda-kun both ending up at different camps was not a coincidence. It was a pre-planned move by Ryuen-kun. He had actually sent Ibuki-san at our camp and Keneda-kun at Ichinose-san's camp in order to get intel on each class's leaders. Ryuen-kun also mentioned something about joining hands with Katsuragi-kun. Which means that he was sharing those names with class A for some reason."
"Spot on! We'll done, Horikita! As I said before, Katsuragi is a cautious man. He would never trust someone like Ryuen from his words alone. But for some reason he needed assistance from another class. Class B was not an option considering how close they are in competition. And they didn't reach out to us because of what had transpired on the very first day of the exam. He had no choice but to rely on Ryuen. But at the same time, he needed to be sure about the names he provided."
Which is why he most likely drafted a memorandum with a specific condition demanding for physical evidence of the leader's name in exchange for something of equal value. And what would be a better physical evidence than a picture of the card itself?
"So you're telling me that Ibuki-san took a picture of that card?"
"Precisely."
"Hm.. But I still don't understand how you managed to make her take a picture of 'that' card specifically?" Maybe Horikita was still trying to fill the gaps in her understanding.
"On the day we fell for each other on the riverbank, I had noticed something interesting. It was a windless midday, not a single leaf could be seen animating. Yet I saw some nearby bushes stimulating violently in contrast to the surrounding area. Something or someone must've been there in order to make stimulations like that. In other words, Ibuki was hiding in that place, spying on us. Which is why I immediately asked you to return the box in order to make her intrigued. And when I left you and reached the base camp, I actually found no one inside the cave. Seeing the opportunity, I, just like Katsuragi, visibly put the box inside my bag for her to see. You can already guess what came after that."
"That's why they put down my name thinking that I was the leader."
"I wrote the names of class A and class D leaders. As per the ceasefire agreement, I left class B alone. Pulverizing their relationship with us wouldn't be a good move for the long run. Besides, after noticing Kaneda in their camp, I had automatically concluded that their leader Chihiro Shiranami would get guessed anyway. Even without me doing anything."
"Fifty points are deduced when a leader gets guessed and all the bonus points gathered by the end of the exam gets nullified. Both class A and class D wrote down her name. This must've dealt a critical damage to them." Horikita concluded.
Class B has a misconception. They think their kindness would bring them luck and fondness from the others. Sorry to say, but in reality, being a good person doesn't get you loved. It gets you used. Just like how class D used their kindness. And thus, they're paying the price for being naive.
"I... don't know what to say. Even after telling me all of that, I still cannot comprehend how you made such a multi-layered plan like that. I'm genuinely astounded by your intelligence."
"I'm not intelligent. I just happened to pick up a few tricks by reading books."
This isn't me being humble. I really don't consider myself to be significantly intelligent. If anything, I honestly think I'm on the average side of that scale. Basically, knowing all the main events and their structures automatically gives you the ability to stay calm and process information differently, compared to when everything is unpredictable.
"Besides, it was all possible thanks to everyone's hard work. And I don't mean it as a pity compliment. They really worked hard. They gathered food themselves, and lived on fruits and vegetables when they could've easily spent points for them. They drank river water, even though it was hard for them. They compromised their luxury, all for the sake of their class's growth. We managed to save about a hundred-and-eighty points thanks to them. As for the bonus points, the search parties involved were the ones to sniff out those spots. Your neighbor, Ayanokouji, even drew a detailed map containing the whereabouts of those spots. Here, take a look..." I handed her the map.
Horikita fell silent. She carefully examined the contents of everyone's hard work. Originally, they were labeled as defectives, the worst batch in the history of this school. Yet they protested, they struggled and finally, they put their one foot toward their growth. And that... is exactly what I want. From being the worst class in history, to be the best class ever.
"Do you have any more questions?" I pushed against the handrail and stood straight.
"Why? I... I don't understand." with downcast eyes, Horikita spoke.
"So, I have to explain everything from the beginning?" I sighed. Honestly, it'd be a pain. But if it makes the boat sail, then so be it.
"I'm asking you why you're giving me credits for something I haven't done?!" Horikita practically shouted with a glare. "The other's immediately surrounded me after the exam was finished. They thanked me, praised me, wanted to be friends with me. All because of what you did back there. What are your principles? What made you do that, Levent-kun?"
"Listen, Horikita."
I pushed against the handrail again and fixed my posture. After settling in, I looked her straight in the eyes. It was a form of reassurance, to make her think I was speaking in red truth.
"Credits, attention, fame, reputation etc... No matter how trivial and useless they may seem, in order to reach the higher echelons of society, they're crucial. I don't need any of them. They're worthless to me. It's because I'm someone who decides not to show his face." I gently replied with a calm voice. Horikita slowly nodded in response.
"But you need them, Horikita. That's why I gave all the credits to you in the first place."
"But-"
"Because you need friends, Horikita. You need comrades who you can easily rely on with your eyes closed. Our classmates need a leader, and that's you. You need to be their leader holding the torch so you can pave their way toward a better future. I'm only giving you the much needed push, as your dull and monochrome companion."
I cringed at my own words. So hard that I was at the brink of breaking my teeth. Honestly, sometimes I even amaze myself. I mean, how did I even say those embarrassing things while keeping a straight face?
"Companion." Horikita reiterated the word while wondering about something.
The ship honked loudly for some reason. As we were cutting through the pacific sea mid-summer, the south wind blew persistently with no name of stopping. It kept brushing against my body and my lengthy messy hair waved without rest.
"You're right." After a long pause, Horikita finally spoke. "Ever since I was little, I always believed that I could accomplish everything by myself. I would look down on everyone around me, harboring thoughts about how inferior they were compared to me. Compared to nii-san, who always bested me no matter what. How naïve I was."
Horikita looked down on herself in self-deprecation. Maybe I've finally hit the spot. Maybe she had finally grown out of that small body of a young Horikita. The last time, I forced her to see the truth. But this time, it was different. This time, she had reached the truth herself.
"But it ends now." Horikita perked her head with determined eyes. "It's exactly as you said. I need companions who would help me and I would help them. I need comrades whom I can trust."
"As long as you understand." I replied before pushing off the railing for the last time. "I'm feeling tired, so I'll head back to my room now."
"W-Wait! I'm not done talking."
"What?" I was baffled. "I just want to relax in my room, if possible."
"Before you go, I want to say something to you..."
As I was about to whine back at her, I had noticed that Horikita was a bit fidgety. She was clearly uncomfortable to say what she was about to say. That's why I closed my lips and waited for her to continue.
"At first, I had doubts about you when you... you did... that. But after getting to know you more closely, and seeing your actions first hand, there's no more doubt anymore. You are incredible, Levent-kun. That's why...Th-Thank you, Levent-kun. For being my companion... For being a good friend..."
...
...
...
...
...
"You're welcome, Horikita-san."
Saying such word, I left the deck, leaving Horikita alone.
╗🄾🅄🅃🅂🄸🄳🄴🅁 ╚
"Hah~" I let out an unintentional moan as I stretched my body. A few bones popped, an overwhelming sensation of relief took over my body. It must've been because of a whole week worth of fatigue. Maybe heading over to the spa wouldn't be a bad idea.
When I reached the front deck, I saw a familiar beige-headed figure standing near the entrance by her lonesome. It was a strange sight, considering how there would always be one or two people near her. I didn't need to approach her as she had already noticed me and began walking toward me.
"Good afternoon, Levent-kun." she greeted with her usual smile.
"Good afternoon, Kikyou." even though I didn't feel anything good about it. "Where's everyone?"
"They're in the deck, enjoying the view."
"Aren't you going to join them?" I asked while looking toward the deck.
"Un..." she nodded her head sideways, declining the proposition. "I feel like being by myself now."
"I see..." I was bothering her time alone. "I'm probably imposing on you. So I guess I'll leave you be."
"Wait!" as I was about to cross her, she tugged onto the hem of my shirt. I looked back and saw her making the same puppy-eyed expression she usually makes whenever she wants something.
"What is it now?" I sighed.
"You can stay here with me if you want." She murmured.
Good grief...
"Then just say that in the first place?"
"It's not like I can say it out loud. It's embarrassing!"
A few veins popped on my forehead.
"... Woman, you confuse me."
I felt a hard punch in my gut as soon as I said that. Ouchie...
"Hmph! Idiot!"
"Hey, I was just joking." I spattered while rubbing the spot where the punch landed.
"Making fun of a maiden like me. How mean!"
"What absolute nonsense are you spouting? You're not a maiden, rather I think you'd make a perfect serial killer." I yapped.
Obviously, that was a mistake.
"Heh~? Reallyyyy? Why don't we put that into test right now?"
Those terrifying words came out of her mouth while an earie smile was plastered to her face. Scary.
"I apologize, Kushida-san. Forgive this ignorant little boy."
"Hah~ There's no doubt about it. You have the book smarts and the street smarts. But you're surprisingly dumb in the aspect of emotional intelligence."
Oi.
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I'm not exceptionally intelligent. I just happened to be a bit cunning."
"Of course you are." Kikyou deadpanned with a monotone.
I shrugged my shoulders and looked down at the ocean. It was a rather sunny afternoon, not a single cloud in the sky. The ship was moving furiously toward it's next destination. I looked toward the impending plain of blue. Nothing but water for miles to come. There were some tropical fish surfacing on the water. A few dolphins were seen racing with the ship too.
'What a cheerful sight~' I thought. It would've been nice if I were a dolphin myself. Just chilling and swimming around, no worries. Or, maybe an umineko, flying around, eating fish, carelessly dropping bombs on some bald old man with an unsightly mustache. Such a nice feeling it must be.
"So, why did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Why did you always help her? Or yet, why are you always going this far for everyone when there's no need for you to do so?" she asked, almost sounding sad.
"Would it be enough if I said that I do it because I want to reach class A myself?"
"Levent-kun, I'm sure you already know this. A good liar is also good at spotting other lies. So, you can't satisfy me with a mediocre lie like that."
"You're more incredible than you let out, Kikyou."
"So... what is your answer?"
Hmm... Nice question indeed.
Why did I do it?
Honestly, I don't understand the reason myself. I'm definitely not arrogant enough to say that I did it because 'I want to help everyone behind the shadows', and not ambitious enough to say, 'it was the best thing to do'.
So, what was it again?
...
Was it because... it seems cool?
Was it entertainment, I suppose?
Maybe I just wanted to escape my boredom.
.
.
.
Is there even a point in thinking about all that?
For all I know, it was all pointless from the very beginning.
At the end of the day, I'm just a man stuck in a world of fantasy. Nothing is real, all of it, part of a script. As someone who's been around delusional people for almost half of his life, I know very well that there's a limit to all delusions. And searching for reality in a fiction? It has to be the biggest delusion.
When the red truth will strike, there'll be no denying of the reality that will be held before me.
And in this world, only I know what's real.
.
.
.
But...
It's just as I said. Is there even a point in thinking about that?
I guess it's time for me to grow up as well. Like a certain person once told me: "A person is happier when they're living in the present, looking forward to the future, instead of pondering over the past."
I know that I'm dead. I know that there's no going back. But even if there is no meaning, even if the canon is absolute... I don't dislike the small illusion I created here.
My memories will continue to live on. And if there's a tiny chance of this being a real thing, no matter how insignificant... I'll gladly take that chance.
Let's see if I can agree with her...
"Why did I do it, huh?" I turned toward Kikyou.
How long has it been since last time? Honestly, I don't remember. But the corner of my lips...
.
.
.
I could feel them arch upwards.
"Who knows?"
🄾🅄🅃🅂🄸🄳🄴🅁