Life is often more dramatic than any movie.
For Ibuki, a movie enthusiast, this line wasn't just a cliché—it was a reality she'd come to experience firsthand.
She had already braced herself for failure, assuming the mission was a lost cause. After all, the exam was nearing its end, and she still hadn't identified the leader of the group. But on the last day, everything took a sudden, unexpected turn.
First, Ayanokouji accidentally dropped a keycard, inadvertently revealing Horikita as the leader. Then, that fool Yamauchi, in his typical idiocy, played a prank that left Horikita covered in mud. Forced to wash up in the river, Horikita had to change into her swimsuit, leaving her clothes unattended in the tent.
The sequence of events was almost too coincidental.
Ibuki couldn't resist the opportunity. She had to act.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly. She successfully stole the keycard, confident that no one had seen her. And instead of fleeing right away, Ibuki calmly took a hot shower.
The key to success in situations like this was to stay composed, especially since Class D was unlikely to suspect her.
The incident with the stolen underwear had already shown that the girls were more suspicious of their male classmates than an outsider like Ibuki. Even more ridiculous was the subsequent retaliation from the boys.
The Class D lacked basic trust and had no reliable leadership. They were nothing to worry about.
The most significant advantage was that Horikita was the leader. That alone meant there was no need for concern.
Over the past week, Ibuki had observed Horikita closely and had a good grasp of her personality. Horikita trusted no one, and her pride was inexplicably high. Even if she noticed the keycard was missing, she'd likely keep it to herself and launch a secret investigation rather than inform her classmates.
The only person she seemed to talk to was that Ayanokouji guy, but he was incompetent, friendless, and distrusted by the class—hardly a threat.
But what on earth were these people arguing about now?
Ibuki was still in the shower when the Class D students began their noisy quarrel, and they were still at it when she finished.
Something about Ayanokouji instructing Yamauchi to bully Horikita… Seriously, they were all acting like children. Ibuki shook her head in dismay, thinking these people were beyond saving.
If there was anyone in Class D worth being cautious of, it was probably that guy.
As she thought about it, Ibuki glanced around but couldn't spot Hikigaya anywhere.
Where could he be…? Off fishing again?
Thanks to a certain big mouth, the entire camp knew Hikigaya hadn't caught a single fish in three days, and even Ibuki, who avoided socializing, had heard about it.
Ha, typical. Some people just never learn.
Ibuki smirked to herself, resolving to mock him mercilessly the next time they crossed paths.
Serves him right for always bringing up that love letter incident!
"Fire! There's a fire!"
A panicked voice suddenly cut through her thoughts.
Ibuki froze her gaze following the direction of the shout. A dark plume of smoke was rising slowly in the distance, near the temporary toilets.
She joined the crowd heading over to check it out and found something burning behind the toilets.
This was arson. There was no other possible source of ignition in the area, and it wasn't like there were any flammable materials piled up nearby.
…What the hell?
Ibuki frowned, perplexed as to who could be behind this.
Then, as she pondered the situation, an uneasy feeling crept over her.
If this continued, Class D students would inevitably start investigating the fire, and sooner or later, suspicion might fall on her. Ibuki hadn't started the fire, but the keycard was still… Of course!
It suddenly dawned on her that this might be Horikita's doing, a trap to lure her out.
Hmph, so that woman does have some brains after all.
Ibuki didn't hesitate. She decided to bolt.
The ground was damp, so if she tried to escape now and was spotted, they could easily follow her footprints. The safest plan would have been to wait until everyone was asleep in the middle of the night and then slip away quietly. By morning, it would be too late for them to catch up.
But there was no time for that now. She had to take a gamble.
While everyone was distracted by the fire, Ibuki seized the moment, grabbed her backpack, and ran.
Luckily, no one seemed to notice her.
Ibuki sprinted through the woods, finally stopping at a tree marked with a handkerchief. She crouched down and began digging with her hands until she unearthed a plastic bag containing a flashlight and a walkie-talkie.
"…Huh?"
For some reason, Ibuki felt like these items weren't exactly as she had left them, as if someone had tampered with them.
Maybe it was just the rain?
She dismissed the thought, knowing now wasn't the time to dwell on it. Bigger problems were looming.
She could sense someone was following her.
Luckily, it seemed like only one person—likely Horikita. That proud woman would never seek help, preferring to pursue her alone.
"Heh, what an idiot."
Ibuki let out a cold laugh, packing the items back into her bag and standing up, waiting for her pursuer to arrive.
She had made up her mind to deal with Horikita here and now, preventing anyone from discovering Ryuen's involvement.
After a short wait, Horikita appeared, panting heavily.
"What are you trying to do?" Ibuki asked, breaking the silence.
Horikita glared at her. "Do I need to spell it out for you?"
"I'm afraid you do."
Ibuki's innocent expression made Horikita momentarily doubt herself, wondering if she'd made a mistake.
But don't be fooled—this girl was just putting on a show.
"Ever since the exam started, Class D has been plagued with misfortune," Horikita probed. "You must have noticed that some of our classmates are suspicious of you."
"Well, I'm from another class, so it's natural to be suspected."
"To put it simply, I believe you're the culprit."
"Oh? And do you have any proof?"
"Unfortunately, I don't have any evidence at the moment. I must admit, your methods are quite clever."
"Wow, that's harsh. Suspecting me without proof?"
Ibuki remained unfazed, despite Horikita's probing. But Horikita's next words struck a nerve.
"By the way, you must be pretty desperate to steal a guy's smelly socks," Horikita sneered. "Do you have some kind of fetish? Did you take a sniff while you were at it?"
"…Say that again and I'll punch you," Ibuki growled, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Oh, so you're finally angry?"
Horikita couldn't hide her satisfaction at finally getting a rise out of Ibuki.
"Let's cut to the chase. Hand over what you took from me."
"Hah, are you stupid?" Ibuki scoffed. "If I did steal the keycard, do you think I'd still be carrying it around? If anyone saw me with it, I'd be disqualified from the exam on the spot."
Before Horikita could respond, Ibuki suddenly smiled at her.
"You're probably thinking I've just confessed, right? Too bad, I don't see it that way."
"What do you mean…?"
"I mean I'm done talking to you."
In other words, Ibuki was resorting to playing dirty.
After all, without evidence, there was nothing Horikita could do unless she was willing to use force.
Horikita took a deep breath. "Ibuki, I'm going to search you by force if I have to. Are you okay with that?"
"Force?" Ibuki sneered. "Heh, you'd better clarify. Are you planning to fight me?"
"…This is your final warning. Return what you took."
Though Horikita wanted to avoid using physical force, especially since being caught in the act during the exam would be disastrous, she was clearly at her wit's end.
"Final warning, huh? Fine, do whatever you want."
Ibuki suddenly dropped her backpack to the ground and raised her hands in mock surrender.
But there was nothing in her demeanor that suggested she had given up. Instead, she looked at Horikita with a playful glint in her eyes.
Even though she knew it was a trap, Horikita couldn't afford to miss this opportunity. She stepped forward to check the backpack.
Just as her hand was about to reach the bag, Ibuki lashed out with a swift kick.
Horikita had anticipated the move and quickly stepped back, avoiding the blow.
"Oh? Not bad," Ibuki remarked, impressed.
"Using violence will get you disqualified…"
"Enough with the nonsense! Do you really think anyone will see us here? Besides, you want this as much as I do, don't you?"
Ibuki's lips curled into a cold smile as she swiftly closed the distance, grabbing Horikita by the shoulders in an attempt to slam her to the ground.
But Horikita was ready. She seized the front of Ibuki's shirt, her knuckles tightening as she launched a punch directly at her opponent.
"Tsk!"
Not wanting to take the blow head-on, Ibuki released her grip on Horikita and blocked the punch with her forearm, then retaliated with a sharp kick.
The two exchanged blows rapidly, each countering the other's moves with an intense flurry of attacks. Despite their efforts, neither managed to gain the upper hand.
"Hah—you're pretty agile," Ibuki remarked, taking advantage of a brief moment to catch her breath. "Have you been training?"
"Haah… Haah… You're not too bad yourself," Horikita replied, her breath coming in short, sharp bursts. Though she appeared more fatigued than Ibuki, her determination was evident—there was no way she would go down without a fight.
At least, that was what Ibuki thought. She couldn't afford to underestimate Horikita any longer.
"I remember you barely making it through the morning. Where did all this energy come from?" Ibuki asked, curiosity tinged with disbelief.
"Ah… I have someone to thank for that," Horikita answered, her tone edged with determination. Without warning, she pushed off with her foot, launching herself at Ibuki with renewed force. "And I won't rest until I take back what's mine!"
"Ha! If you think you can, go ahead and try!" Ibuki responded, rushing forward to meet Horikita halfway. She feigned a kick, but at the last moment, she pivoted, aiming a sharp elbow strike at Horikita's face.
Horikita barely managed to tilt her head, but not quickly enough—the strike grazed her cheek, leaving a stinging burn in its wake. Ignoring the pain, she swung her fist in retaliation.
This time, Ibuki didn't dodge. Horikita's punch landed squarely in Ibuki's midsection, eliciting a faint sound of discomfort as the wind was knocked out of her.
But Ibuki used the momentum to her advantage. She grabbed Horikita's arm and, with a sweeping motion, sent her crashing to the ground.
Horikita, however, refused to fall so easily. She clung to Ibuki, dragging her down into the mud with her. The fight devolved into a chaotic struggle, both of them locked in a desperate grapple.
"Damn it! Let go!" Ibuki growled, seizing a handful of mud and flinging it at Horikita's face.
Caught off guard, Horikita barely had time to lower her head and close her eyes. But some of the muck still splashed into her eyes, causing her to cry out in pain.
Ibuki seized the opportunity to shove Horikita away and quickly rolled to her feet. Without wasting a second, she aimed a vicious stomp at Horikita's legs, trying to incapacitate her.
Horikita, however, wasn't done yet. Despite the mud blinding her, she retaliated, forcing Ibuki to retreat.
"Ugh, this is getting annoying!" Ibuki muttered under her breath. If it weren't for the mission, she would've loved nothing more than to settle this once and for all. But she had no guarantee of victory, and failure wasn't an option. Reluctantly, she decided to withdraw.
While Horikita struggled to clear the mud from her eyes, Ibuki snatched up her backpack and bolted into the woods.
"Hey! Coward! Are you running away?" Horikita shouted after her, her voice echoing through the trees.
But Ibuki didn't respond. Her only focus was on escaping.
The sky was overcast, the dense clouds blocking out the sun. The forest was dim, and visibility was poor. Ibuki carefully picked her way over the driest parts of the ground, sprinting until she found a concealed spot. She hid there for nearly half an hour, waiting until she was sure Horikita hadn't followed her. Only then did she allow herself to relax.
Horikita was a formidable opponent; the outcome could have gone either way. It had been a long time since Ibuki had faced someone so tenacious.
After catching her breath, she retrieved a walkie-talkie from her bag and contacted Ryūen. About thirty minutes later, the beam of a flashlight appeared in the distance.
Following their prearranged signal, Ibuki switched on her flashlight and pointed it at the approaching light.
A familiar face, one that always managed to irritate her, emerged from the darkness.
"Yo, Ibuki. Looks like you had a rough time," Ryūen greeted her with a smirk.
"…Shut up," Ibuki grumbled, tossing a keycard from her pocket to Ryūen. "Here. This is what you wanted, right?"
"What are you talking about?" Ryūen inspected the card under the flashlight, confirming the name on it. "I wouldn't have had to come all the way out here if you hadn't messed up."
"It wasn't my fault the camera malfunctioned!" Ibuki snapped.
Originally, all she had to do was take a photo of the keycard's name and send it to someone in Class A. That way, Ryūen wouldn't have needed to appear, and Horikita wouldn't have noticed a thing. It would've saved them a lot of trouble and risk.
Ryūen ignored her complaints and turned to the side. "Hey, come over here and check it for yourself. This was your request, after all. And don't worry about being seen; no one else is out in this weather, so stop wasting everyone's time."
At Ryūen's command, a large, bald man stepped out of the shadows.
Ibuki only knew him as Katsuragi, the leader of Class A. He was known for his calm, collected demeanor and his emphasis on caution—completely opposite to Ryūen, the tyrant of Class C.
Yet, despite their differences, they had formed an alliance for this exam.
The thought made Ibuki uneasy, but she couldn't help but acknowledge Ryūen's prowess. He had somehow convinced Katsuragi to collaborate with him—how had he managed that?
Katsuragi took the keycard from Ryūen and inspected it closely. Even after confirming it was genuine, his expression remained stern and unyielding.
Overly cautious, isn't he? It's like a disease, Ibuki thought, silently criticizing him as she watched Ryūen continue his subtle manipulation.
"So, Katsuragi, not bad teaming up with me, huh? Come on, don't be so quiet—you can at least admit this deal was worth it, right?"
"…Yes, it was," Katsuragi replied, though his tone was reluctant. It was clear he still had doubts. After all, Ryūen wasn't exactly known for his trustworthiness.
But Katsuragi had no other choice. If he wanted to secure a major victory in this exam, he needed to outmaneuver the other faction within his class. The potential return of the student council members who had resigned after the election could shift the balance of power once more.
"The deal is done. I'll be heading back to my class now. I don't want to stay out here and increase the risk," Katsuragi said, handing the keycard back to Ryūen before disappearing into the darkness.
"Hah, what a naïve fool," Ryūen chuckled, a predatory smile spreading across his face as Katsuragi left.
It was just as Ibuki suspected—Ryūen never had any intention of truly cooperating with Katsuragi. This entire transaction was nothing more than a devil's bargain.
But even so, it was a deal made with Class C's devil.
Ibuki loathed Ryūen, but this exam had only reinforced what she already knew: if anyone could lead Class C to victory, it was him.
"Hey, you two finally done talking?" a voice interrupted her thoughts, entirely out of place in the tense atmosphere.