Recently, Hikigaya couldn't shake the feeling that he was encountering Ryuuen far too often. Was it just a coincidence, or was this guy having someone tail him?
Given the sensitivity of Hikigaya's awareness to others' gazes, it wasn't entirely out of the question.
On a crowded ship like this, though, it was nearly impossible to discern whether someone was watching him or not. Besides, considering everything he had been up to lately, it wasn't unreasonable to feel like he was being watched.
"Ryuuen-kun, didn't I warn you not to call me by my name without permission? And can you stop sticking to me like glue? Seeing your face first thing in the morning is enough to make me sick to my stomach."
Horikita's tone was sharper than usual, likely because of the recent involvement of Kushida. Or was that just his imagination? It wasn't just Hikigaya, though—she seemed to be on edge as if Ryuuen had been bothering her too. Probably trying to uncover the identity of that mysterious mastermind he was obsessed with.
Ryuuen's fixation on "X" was impressive, but Hikigaya couldn't decide if it was a good or bad thing. What would Ryuuen's reaction be if he suddenly revealed that Ayanokoji was "X"?
No, he'd never believe it. That was just the way Ryuuen was. Even if Hikigaya presented irrefutable evidence, Ryuuen's suspicious nature would only deepen his doubts. Paranoia wasn't necessarily a flaw, but once someone figured out how to exploit it, countering him would be all too easy.
"And you, Ibuki-san," Horikita continued, her words cutting deep, "It's rather clever of you to stick with Ryuuen-kun after being exposed for your underhanded deeds. Smart move."
"Ugh…" Ibuki looked defiant, but she didn't bother to argue.
Staying close to Ryuuen meant that others wouldn't dare mess with her. For someone as strong-willed as Ibuki, accepting that must have been tough. But the psychological harassment she endured was just as unbearable as any physical confrontation.
Spies, after all, rarely meet good ends, even in school settings.
Speaking of which, Hikigaya had seen the list earlier. He hadn't expected Ibuki to be in the Rabbit Group, meaning she was paired with Ayanokoji. Hikigaya wasn't particularly invested in the exam, but he was curious to see what Ayanokoji would do.
Unfortunately, the other three students from Class D in the Rabbit Group had no connection to him, making it difficult to gather information. Besides, snooping on someone from your class was risky—it could easily tip Ayanokoji off. But if it was someone from another class, any exposure could be explained as simple class rivalry, not an interest in Ayanokoji specifically.
Still, Ibuki's competence was questionable. She'd been thoroughly outplayed by Ayanokoji on the deserted island… Well, that could wait until later.
Ryuuen, noticing Ibuki's dissatisfied expression, grinned as if he found the situation amusing. As long as his pawns remained obedient, nothing else seemed to matter to him. What a scumbag.
"The text message should have come in by now," Ryuuen said, glancing sideways at Horikita. "So, what's the result? Suzune, did you become a preferred student?"
"How boring. As if I'd tell you."
"Tch, you're such a petty woman."
Ryuuen sighed theatrically, then shifted his gaze to Hikigaya.
"Hey, Dead Eyes, what about you? Did you become a preferred student?"
"Yep." Hikigaya nodded.
"Ugh…" This time, it was Ryuuen who fell silent, and the others followed suit, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Heh, seems like you enjoy playing games," Ryuuen finally said, his face breaking into a challenging smile.
"Well then, how about you prove it to me? Show me your phone."
"Sure." Without hesitation, Hikigaya pulled out his phone and held it out to Ryuuen.
Once again, Ryuuen was struck silent. He stared hard at Hikigaya as if trying to decipher something from his expression. But there was nothing to find.
In the end, Ryuuen didn't take the phone. Instead, he sneered, "Dead Eyes, you think I'm stupid? You'd just report me to the school for trying to steal your phone. I didn't expect you to resort to such a low trick—how disappointing."
"No trick," Hikigaya replied innocently. "I've said it many times, I'm not interested in this class rivalry. You wanted to know, so I told you."
"Hmph, whatever."
[T/N: This is such a neat trick! Hikigaya is playing the most obvious psychological tactic.]
Ryuuen snorted, clearly feeling that continuing the conversation would only harm his pride. He quickly shifted the topic.
"Let's go back to what we discussed yesterday, Dead Eyes. Ever wonder why you're not in the Dragon Group?"
Before Hikigaya could answer, Ryuuen continued, a sly smile spreading across his face, "The Dragon Group is the elite group for this special exam. Without you, it's just not as fun."
"Yeah, and Ichinose-san isn't in it either…"
To Hikigaya's surprise, Horikita chimed in, evidently curious as well.
"Leadership skills don't always correlate with overall ability. Only Class A truly knows what Ichinose-san is capable of, but this whole situation still feels unnatural."
Setting aside raw ability, Hikigaya had made significant contributions to his class, like discovering Class B's leader during the deserted island exam. That alone placed him above most of the students. Based on last night's events, it was likely that Ryuuen had figured this out before the briefing, but Horikita had only just realized it.
Besides her frustration, Horikita had an inkling that this might be the key to the entire exam. If she could figure it out before anyone else, she might just lead her class to victory. But seriously, these two were so arrogant. They didn't seem to have any sense of superiority about being placed in the Dragon Group—just a sense of entitlement. And that made it even more irritating!
"Why do you keep asking about this?" Hikigaya sighed, then, with a straight face, added, "Ryuuen, have you ever considered that maybe your premise is wrong?"
"What do you mean?" Ryuuen frowned.
"I'm saying, maybe you're not elites at all. Maybe that's just your misunderstanding."
"Ugh…"
"Ugh…"
"…Pfft."
Both Ryuuen and Horikita glared at Hikigaya, their eyes full of malice. The one who nearly burst out laughing was Ibuki, but she quickly suppressed it, returning to her usual stoic expression. Matsushita, on the other hand, couldn't hold back any longer and hid behind Hikigaya, covering her mouth to stifle her laughter.
But honestly, was it that funny? Hikigaya hadn't meant it as a joke—he was completely serious.
"Tch, you're still as annoying as ever."
Ryuuen clicked his tongue in irritation. He probably regretted coming to pick a fight so early in the morning.
"Don't get too cocky. Suzune and that mastermind aren't the only ones I'm aiming to take down—you're on my list too."
"Eh? Really?" Hikigaya replied, exasperated. "Can't you just focus on taking down Horikita and Mr. X? I don't want to get dragged into this."
"Heh, keep playing innocent."
For some reason, Ryuuen refused to believe him. It was frustrating.
"But don't worry, I'll save you for last. You're an even bigger prize than Sakayanagi. I'll deal with you when the time comes."
"Oh, that's a relief then."
Hikigaya patted his chest as if he were truly relieved, though he knew full well what Ryuuen was up to. Given the heavy burden hanging over Class C, Ryuuen wouldn't hesitate to strike at Hikigaya the moment he found an opening. This was all just a ploy to lull him into a false sense of security. Same old, self-assured Ryuuen.
"One last piece of advice." Just as Ryuuen turned to leave, he suddenly glanced back at Hikigaya, flashing a grin.
"There's someone dangerous in your group. Watch out, or you might get bitten."
"Huh? Who?"
"Heh, figure it out yourself."
With that, Ryuuen and Ibuki strode away, leaving Hikigaya to ponder the cryptic warning.
...What on earth is this guy up to?
Given his personality, he probably just wanted to chat, kill time, and maybe have some fun. But Hikigaya couldn't shake the feeling that Ryuuen wasn't exactly having a good time.
And who exactly was this troublesome person he mentioned?
Hikigaya thought back, trying to figure out if there was anyone noteworthy in the Rooster Group.
Of course, he only had access to surface-level information. There might be someone in the group hiding their true abilities, much like Ayanokoji. But thinking about it now wouldn't do any good. He'd have to deal with it when the time came.
"Hikigaya-kun, I've been wondering," Horikita suddenly crossed her arms, speaking up.
"You and Ryuuen-kun seem to know each other well. Are you two close?"
"...Do you need me to recommend an eye doctor?"
"No point in denying it, is there? It's clear he's paying a lot of attention to you."
While Hikigaya had never tried to hide anything in particular, if even Horikita had noticed, Ayanokoji, who was always quietly observing, must have had some thoughts about it as well.
…Ugh, how troublesome.
Hikigaya replied irritably, "By your logic, you and Ryuuen must be even closer. He calls you by your first name, after all."
"That's just his own decision," Horikita retorted immediately.
"Exactly. Same here."
"…Forget it."
Probably realizing that this conversation was pointless, Horikita sighed lightly and gave up.
She then lowered her voice and said, "Whether you intend to contribute to the class or not, I hope you'll at least share information about the preferred student... Just so you know, Ayanokoji-kun and I aren't the ones. I can guarantee that."
Huh? Was this her way of expressing trust?
Hikigaya was a bit surprised. The old Horikita would never have said something like this. It seemed that the experience on the deserted island had affected her in some way.
In that case… he should return that trust.
"I already told you—I'm the preferred student."
"...Can you show me the message?"
"Ah, that's not possible."
"Ugh…" Horikita, faced with Hikigaya's flat refusal, only glared at him before walking away without another word.
Looks like this girl still needs some training.
As he watched Horikita walk off, Hikigaya muttered to himself and then turned to Ayanokoji, deliberately asking, "Aren't you going after her?"
"No, this isn't a movie…"
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Matsushita quickly jumped in to ease the tension.
"Uh, you're Ayanokoji-kun, right? We don't get many chances to talk. Now that Horikita-san's left, would you like to join us for breakfast?"
"Huh... Can I join?"
"Wait, you want to?"
Ayanokoji seemed genuinely interested in joining, likely hoping to gather some intel on Hikigaya. But Matsushita, taken aback by his straightforward response, was at a loss for how to react.
She had only intended to make some polite conversation, offering him an out. She hadn't expected him to take it seriously.
Oh no… the situation was getting even more awkward.
Even though he wasn't directly involved, just watching it made Hikigaya feel like he was cringing inwardly, almost wanting to dig a hole with his feet big enough for a three-bedroom apartment, complete with a garden and swimming pool.
"...How about this?"
Unable to tolerate the atmosphere any longer, Hikigaya pointed to a nearby restaurant.
"I've heard the buffet over there is pretty good. Why don't we go there?"
"…Sure."
"Mm, okay! Let's do that."
And so, an unusual trio was formed.
For the first time, Hikigaya found the food on this ship utterly tasteless.
Being around such extraordinary people was never a good idea… Next time, he should keep his distance.