At first, Hikigaya thought keeping Ayanokōji in Class D would only require bolstering the other classes. But after catching a glimpse of Ayanokōji's true nature, Hikigaya realized just how naïve that idea had been.
The real danger with Ayanokōji wasn't his abilities—it was his tendency to lie low and resort to any means necessary to achieve his goals.
If that's the case, Hikigaya reasoned, perhaps a different approach was needed. It might be challenging to expose Ayanokōji's ruthlessness, but making everyone aware of his exceptional abilities was still within reach.
By turning Ayanokōji into a well-known figure, where every move he made would be under scrutiny, it would inevitably limit his actions.
And as for the first shot in this plan... that would be Ryūen's task.
After all, Ryūen seemed quite dissatisfied with his recent defeat and was itching for revenge. However, it was important not to rush things. Triggering Ayanokōji's suspicion too soon could be disastrous.
"Take it slow," Hikigaya thought to himself.
"Hey, Hikigaya, do you have someone like that in your class?" Hashimoto asked, half-jokingly. "No wonder I thought our final scores didn't add up. Turns out Katsuragi made a mistake about Class D... You better watch your back next time."
Hikigaya responded irritably, "Don't listen to Ryūen. He's just sore about losing."
"Is Horikita okay?"
Ichinose was more concerned about her classmate's well-being than the details of the exam.
"She had a slight fever, and after getting into a fight with Ibuki, her condition worsened, so she had to withdraw."
Hikigaya offered an explanation that everyone could accept on the surface, though only he knew what they were thinking.
In reality, getting everyone to immediately believe that there was such a dangerous figure in their grade was impossible—unless they saw it with their own eyes. After all, they were just high school students. Who would ever suspect someone like Ayanokōji could be lurking among them?
Even Hikigaya initially thought Ayanokōji was just a bit off, without being able to pinpoint why. The rest of the class merely saw him as a quiet, unremarkable student—a testament to how well Ayanokōji concealed himself.
Nonetheless, a seed of doubt had been planted in the minds of the leadership across the classes.
Ryūen, likely to focus his efforts on Class D, had deliberately mentioned this to Ichinose, hoping to stir conflict between their classes.
Whether it would work or not, at least Ryūen was showing some strategic thinking—knowing that a boss must be defeated one at a time. Even if the first boss he challenged happened to be the strongest...
"Huh? Horikita and Ibuki fought? Oh... I see. It seems Ibuki is..."
Ichinose trailed off, lowering her head.
Despite knowing Kaneda was a spy, she still held onto the faint hope that Ibuki might be different. If she kept harboring such naïve thoughts, even if she made it to Class A for now, she'd likely fall back down soon enough.
As Hikigaya considered this, Ichinose suddenly looked up, a smile returning to her face.
"Well, it was an exam, after all. These things happen, but I won't be fooled again! I mean, I can't let that happen... right?"
Realizing she had almost let something slip, Ichinose quickly glossed over it. Yet her gaze inadvertently flicked towards Hikigaya, which made Kamuro beside her inexplicably annoyed.
"Hikigaya, have you decided yet? Can we order now?"
Kamuro's face remained as expressionless as ever, but Hikigaya got the sense that she was a bit displeased.
Was she just hungry?
"Oh, right. We still haven't ordered anything. My bad for all the questions." Ichinose laughed, trying to smooth things over. "You're Kamuro, right? This is the first time we've talked. Nice to meet you!"
"…Likewise."
Kamuro wasn't the type to lose her temper easily, but she wasn't fond of people like Ichinose. She had heard plenty of stories about Ichinose—the girl was known for her kindness. Yet all those compliments felt insincere to Kamuro.
Could a perfect person like Ichinose exist in this world?
---
Their first lunch after the exam ended in a slightly awkward atmosphere.
Although Ichinose and Hashimoto were socially adept, the remaining three were the quiet, reserved types who only spoke when spoken to, making it hard to keep the conversation going.
But at least the food was decent, a welcome change for students who had been living on nutrition packs for a week.
After lunch, they all went their separate ways.
Hikigaya had intended to head back to his room to rest, but feeling a bit too full, he decided to take a walk on the deck and enjoy the scenery instead.
He hadn't gone far when Ichinose, who should have already left, suddenly caught up with him.
"Sorry, Hikigaya-kun, I forgot something important earlier." Ichinose clasped her hands together in apology. "I wanted to talk to you about this from the start, but then Ryūen showed up and... Anyway, I wanted to return these points to you."
So that's what this was about.
To be honest, if Ichinose hadn't brought it up, Hikigaya would have forgotten about it.
"Did you get them?"
"...Yes, I did."
"Great!" Ichinose visibly relaxed, patting her chest in relief. "It was a huge amount, so I thought it best to return it to you in person. Now I can finally rest easy."
After deducting Matsushita's and Kōenji's rewards, Hikigaya's points had now reached three million. Next month, he'd receive another large sum, and this survival exam had more than doubled his monthly income.
"Is that all? Then I'll take my leave."
Ichinose seemed to have more to say, but Hikigaya had no desire to linger.
The main reason was that she was far too noticeable—wherever she went, she drew attention. In just this short time, three or four people had already glanced their way.
"Hikigaya-kun, there's one more thing."
Unfortunately, Ichinose wasn't done with him yet.
"Our class is having a celebration tonight. If you're free, would you like to join us?"
"...What?"
Hikigaya almost choked.
Why would they invite him to their class celebration?
"Hehe, it's not what you're thinking." Ichinose chuckled, seemingly reading his thoughts. "It's just a party where everyone gathers to celebrate. And we're not just inviting Class B students; we've also asked friends from other classes to join. You don't have to worry about anything."
"...You're not Class B anymore, are you?" Hikigaya replied evasively.
"Yeah... but if you came, Hikigaya-kun, everyone in my class would be thrilled!"
For once, Ichinose appeared a bit flustered.
Should he really go?
As Hikigaya debated with himself, a familiar voice suddenly called out from nearby.
"Hikigaya-kun, there you are! I've been looking for you everywhere."