A dull thud echoed through the classroom as Ryūen Kakeru slammed his hand onto the teacher's desk.The chatter of Class C died instantly.
"Listen up," Ryūen said, his voice laced with venom. "There's a traitor among us."
Murmurs rippled through the students. Some looked shocked, others uneasy, but none dared to speak. Ibuki Mio, standing near the back, crossed her arms silently.
Ryūen leaned forward, eyes glinting.
"And while we're on the subject — there's also someone in Class D. A ghost. A puppeteer. They call him… X."
The word hung in the air like a curse.
"This 'X' has been pulling D-Class's strings since the beginning," he continued. "He made fools of us during the sports festival, manipulating Horikita like a puppet. I thought it was just luck. But no — that was intentional."
Kaneda, one of the more composed members of Class C, frowned. "So you think this 'X' is behind everything D-Class has done so far?"
"I don't think," Ryūen said, grinning. "I know."
He began pacing slowly in front of the chalkboard.
"X turned Sudō into a fighter. He manipulated the sports teams, controlled Horikita, and humiliated me in front of the school. Whoever he is… he's dangerous."
He turned sharply, pointing at the group near the back.
"And thanks to a certain little incident on the cruise, I've narrowed down who the traitor in this class might be."
A tremor ran through the room.
"Either Manabe or one of her little friends," he said.
Manabe's face went pale. "W-What?! I didn't—!"
"Shut it," Ryūen snapped. "You'll speak when I ask."
He gestured to the door. "Everyone else — out. I'll handle the rest."
The class hesitated, but the threat in his tone was enough. Chairs scraped back, footsteps hurried toward the hallway. Soon, only Ryūen, Ibuki, Kaneda, Ishizaki, and a few others remained — along with Manabe and her friends.
Ryūen leaned against the desk, folding his arms.
"Alright, Manabe. Tell me what really happened with Karuizawa on the cruise."
Her voice trembled. "We… we just played around a little. It wasn't serious."
"Define 'played around.'"
She swallowed hard. "We teased her, pushed her a little. That's all."
Ryūen smirked. "And who saw you?"
"Uh… Ayanokōji and Yukimura. From D-Class."
At the mention of that name, Ryūen's eyes narrowed.
"Ayanokōji, huh."
Kaneda crossed his arms. "If those two saw it, then one of them could be X. But… I doubt it's Ayanokōji. He doesn't strike me as someone capable of leading a class from the shadows."
Ryūen chuckled softly. "No? You'd be surprised how often the quiet ones hold the knife."
He tilted his head. "Still, Yukimura's a safer bet. He's logical, ambitious — the type who'd play the long game."
Kaneda nodded. "Then we test them both."
"Good," Ryūen said. "We'll smoke them out. And when we find X… we'll crush him."
His grin turned feral.
"No one outsmarts Ryūen Kakeru twice."
The next morning, Class D gathered for another meeting — this time led by Hirata and Horikita.I sat near the front beside Airi Sakura and Yukimura, while Ayanokōji leaned casually against the wall, listening.
Horikita adjusted her glasses and began.
"Everyone, listen carefully. To maximize our score and manipulate the pairings, we'll use a tiered scoring system."
She drew three columns on the whiteboard.
Top 10 → Above 80 points.Middle 20 → Between 60 and 80 or 1 point.Bottom 10 → Zero.
Murmurs of disbelief filled the air.
Ike frowned. "Wait, you want some of us to get zero?!"
Horikita's expression was firm. "Yes. This isn't about individual grades. It's about control. We can't afford random pairings."
Hirata smiled gently to calm everyone down. "We're making sure that the strongest and weakest balance out. That's the only way all of us survive."
I raised a hand. "So the dumbest intentionally fail, right? That way, they get paired with the smartest. It's risky, but the logic checks out."
Horikita nodded. "Exactly."
As she continued explaining the distribution plan, I caught Ayanokōji's faint smirk. He wasn't surprised — just quietly pleased.
She's learning, he thought. Motivated enough to lead. That's good.
For him, it wasn't about passing or failing — it was about balance. Manipulation. The art of control without anyone realizing it.
The following day, Sae Chabashira entered the room with her usual commanding stride, holding a sealed envelope.
"Before I hand out the exam instructions, I have a little announcement."
Her gaze swept across the class. "A-Class and B-Class have decided to target each other."
Gasps spread immediately.
Ayanokōji blinked once, then smiled faintly to himself.
That must be Sakayanagi's doing. Katsuragi would've gone for the easier target — us.
Chabashira continued, "That means only two classes remain: C and D. Which means, yes — you're attacking each other."
A heavy silence followed.Even Horikita clenched her fists beneath her desk.
"Good luck," Chabashira said dryly, dropping the envelope onto the podium. "You'll need it."
As she left, tension filled the air like static.The war had officially begun.
The next morning, the pairing list was posted.
Pairing Results
Horikita × Sudō
Hirata × Yamauchi
Koenji × Okitani
Yukimura × Inogashira
Ijuin × Sotomura
Matsushita × Hondo
Onodera × Sakura
Ayanokōji × Satō
Ike × Kushida
Miyake × Hasebe
The room buzzed with whispers as students looked over the list.
I scanned for my own name and grinned when I saw my assigned team members.Our support group — Teruhiko Yukimura, Haruka Hasebe, Akito Miyake, Mei Yu Wang, Kyosuke Okitani, Wataru Ijuin, Airi Sakura, and An Maezono — would train together under Yukimura's leadership.
I turned to him. "Yukimura, open a study group for us. Like before. I'll handle tutoring and logistics; Ayanokōji can observe."
He nodded. "Fine by me. We'll meet at the Pallet Café."
That afternoon, we gathered around a long table at the Pallet Café, the smell of coffee and cinnamon drifting through the air.
Airi Sakura sat beside me, nervously flipping through her notes, while Hasebe sipped her drink and watched Yukimura adjust his glasses.
He looked directly at Ayanokōji. "Be honest with me. Are you hiding your true academic ability?"
The question dropped like a stone in a pond.
Ayanokōji blinked slowly. "What makes you think that?"
"Horikita said you've helped her several times," Yukimura replied. "Yet your scores are average. It doesn't add up."
Ayanokōji's voice was calm. "Maybe Horikita exaggerated."
I laughed lightly. "No harm if I sharing information with my subordinate. Right, Ayanokōji?"
He shot me a faint look — somewhere between amusement and suspicion.
Then I turned to Yukimura, my tone soft but firm.
"Don't meddle too deeply in what we don't understand. Focus on the exam. That's our priority."
Yukimura frowned but said nothing more. He understood — there were things better left unspoken.
The study session continued quietly. Hasebe asked questions about English grammar, Sakura practiced math problems, and Ayanokōji sat silently, occasionally correcting someone's mistake with eerie precision.
As the group took a break, an odd commotion broke out near the counter. Ishizaki from Class C was arguing with the clerk.
"What do you mean you don't have the special cake today?! I ordered it!"
The clerk apologized, bowing repeatedly. "I'm sorry, sir. The supplier didn't deliver it this morning."
Ayanokōji watched him for a moment, expression unreadable.
Special cake… October 19th, he thought. That means tomorrow's… my birthday.
He said nothing, but his eyes drifted toward the window, lost in thought. Birthdays meant little to him. They were just reminders of years gone by in a place without warmth — the White Room.
When we resumed, I noticed Ayanokōji glance toward the far corner of the café. His gaze sharpened slightly.
Someone was watching him.
It wasn't Ishizaki this time — it was someone else. A quiet figure, pretending to browse the dessert shelf.
I followed his gaze and sighed softly. "Airi, come here. Don't just stand there staring — the study group's waiting."
Sakura startled, blushing bright red. "S-sorry, Miyamoto-kun!"
She hurried over, clutching her notebook. I smiled faintly. "You don't have to be nervous. We're all in this together."
Her shy smile returned, small but genuine.
Meanwhile, Yukimura leaned back, closing his notes. "My mother called again," he muttered. "Always complaining, always comparing me to others. Maybe that's why I'm trying so hard — to prove something."
I nodded slowly. "Then use that drive to help the others. That's what makes a difference here."
He looked at me for a long moment before giving a small, respectful nod.
For all his pride, Yukimura had a good heart — one buried beneath layers of insecurity.
After an hour, the group disbanded. Outside, the evening air had turned crisp.
I stayed behind with Ayanokōji and Horikita, who had arrived late.
He briefed her quietly. "We need to test which types of questions are allowed. Difficulty, pattern, and structure. Once we know the limits, we can control the exam outcome."
Horikita frowned. "But what about Kushida? She's a risk. If she leaks anything—"
"—then everything collapses," Ayanokōji finished. "Exactly."
She crossed her arms. "The only way to prevent that is to confront her directly."
Ayanokōji nodded slightly. "Then do it."
Horikita hesitated. "Are you sure that's wise?"
"It's necessary," he said simply.
As she walked away, the café lights reflected faintly in the glass, casting his shadow across the floor — quiet, calculating, alone.
That night, back in his dorm, Ayanokōji sat on his bed, scrolling through his phone.His inbox showed one new message — an anonymous email.
The sender ID read: "Ryuuen_K."
The subject line: "To: X."
He opened it. The text was simple.
I know who you are.We'll talk soon.— Ryūen.
Ayanokōji's expression didn't change, but his eyes darkened.
He locked the phone, laying it face down beside him.
So it begins, he thought.
The hunter thinks he's found the prey. Let's see how long he survives in my labyrinth.