Arisa Kurobane always believed in two things:
People are predictable.
Emotions are tools.
She sat perfectly still in her chair, eyes lowered, but her mind was moving at warp speed. The file in front of her was no longer just paper—it was a loaded weapon.
Her target?
Takumi Hoshino.
Age: 17.
Status: Golden boy. Class representative. Loved by teachers and students alike.
Marionette Code:"Chronic Fear of Failure.
Seeks perfection. Collapses under private pressure if convinced he is losing control."
Arisa's lips curved slightly. Perfect. She could already see the chessboard unfolding in her mind.
Across the room, Takumi Hoshino smiled politely at everyone as he closed his file, pretending he wasn't shaking inside.
What is this? Some kind of sick joke?
His stomach tightened. But he couldn't show weakness—not here. He straightened his tie, masked his breathing, and copied the confident posture of a leader.
If they think they can manipulate me, they're wrong.
But the file in front of him whispered a different truth.
His target? Arisa Kurobane.
Her Marionette Code:"Detached Observer Complex.
Has spent years watching life from the sidelines. Subtly fears becoming irrelevant. Secretly longs for meaningful connection but masks it with emotional coldness."
Takumi's heart pounded.
Then that's my way in. I'll make her need me.
Meanwhile, Yuto Sagawa leaned back in his chair, watching both of them.
He hadn't even read his file yet.
Why?
Because Yuto knew the first step in any mind game wasn't reading the target's weakness—it was reading the room.
Fifteen people. Fifteen agendas.
Most of them were already overthinking. That was good.
The more they panicked, the more mistakes they'd make.
Yuto Sagawa doesn't make mistakes, he reminded himself. I make other people make mistakes.
Finally, with a sigh of fake boredom, he opened his file.
His target: Aika Fujimoto—the quiet girl in the corner with her hoodie half-zipped and earbuds still dangling.
Marionette Code:"Validation Hunger.
Wants desperately to be recognized as special but hides it behind sarcasm and isolation. Will fall into the hands of anyone who makes her feel uniquely seen."
Yuto smiled to himself.
This isn't a game. It's a feeding ground.
Suddenly, the screen lit up again.
The Director's voice cut through the silence:
"Players, your first control cycle begins now. You have twenty-four hours to take action. Every move will be monitored."
A clock appeared on the screen.
23:59:59
The countdown had started.
Arisa rose from her chair, her shadow stretching across the polished glass floor.
As the others whispered to each other, she whispered only to herself:
"If the game is about strings, then I'll become the spider."
Her eyes flicked toward Takumi Hoshino, and for just a second, they made eye contact.
A flicker of understanding passed between them.
Two predators, pretending to be prey.
But in this room?
Everyone was a puppet.
And everyone thought they were the puppeteer.