『』『』『』『』『』
Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr!
The sound of the phone vibrating notification echoed through the room, but Kumagawa compeletly ignored it. He was leisurely flipping through the pages of his physical copy of Weekly Shōnen Jump, completely engrossed. Because of the island exam, he had missed a lot of things he was supposed to do in his life—like keeping up with his favorite manga.
"Kumagawa, don't you need to answer your phone? It's been ringing for the last five minutes."
His roommate—whoever he was—sounded mildly annoyed.
Kumagawa finally tore his gaze away from the manga and looked at him, tilting his head in genuine confusion.
『...Who are you again? 』
The guy sighed, clearly exasperated. "I've told you my name five times already. You seriously don't remember?"
『My brain capacity is limited. It's already filled with important things—like my manga, my fetishes, and my desire to win. So obviously, unimportant things like names get pushed out first. 』
The other boy stared at him like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"It's Akito Miyake. Seriously, I even sit in front of you. How do you not remember my name?"
Kumagawa shrugged once again, and returend his attention to his manga.
Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr!
The phone kept vibrating.
"...Aren't you going to pick that up?" Akito asked, shooting a glance at the still-ringing phone.
『Hmmm...Well, if I ignore it long enough, maybe the problem will go away. Most things do. 』
"...That's not how phones work."
『Oh? Then how do they work? Enlighten me, Miyake-kun.』
Akito groaned. "Just answer the call already."
Kumagawa sighed dramatically, closing his Shōnen Jump with a loud thump. He stretched his arms like he was about to do something painfully exhausting, then finally grabbed his phone and answered.
『Hello? This is Kumagawa Misogi. If it's something that can be resolved with money, then just say so. I have plenty of money to spare. 』
He went straight into it, no introductions, no greetings—just an absurdly confident offer. His train of logic was simple:
If someone was calling him, it meant they needed something from him. If they needed something from him, then it was probably important. If it was important, then it was either a favor, information, or trouble. And if it was trouble... well, money could solve most problems, right?
So rather than waste time figuring out what the other person wanted, it was more efficient to just cut to the chase.
『So? How much do you need? 』
There was a brief pause on the other end before an exasperated voice cut through.
— "Kumagawa-kun... How can you be so annoying the second you open your mouth?"
『Oh, Kushida-chan. You're early today. 』
By this point, Kumagawa had already left his room, leisurely strolling through the lobby. He figured it was better to talk somewhere else—just in case that Aki-whatever-his-name-was decided to eavesdrop on their conversation.
— "Early for what exactly?"
『Early to be mad at me, obviously. Usually, you hold it in for at least a few sentences before you start hurling insults. 』
— "Don't act like this is normal, and don't act like you're used to it." She sighed in irritation, but he could tell she was holding back from outright yelling at him.
『So, Kushida-chan. Did you have any other words for me? Aside from the verbal abuse, of course. 』
Well, there were a lot of things, but they all basically followed the pattern of "What the hell is wrong with you?" Outside of that, then it would just be, you know, the usual."
Kushida spoke coolly, but no matter how composed she tried to sound, the irritation in her voice was impossible to hide.
『Was this what "Cool Japan" was supposed to be about? 』
— "...What?"
『Nothing. Just wondering if that icy tone of yours is meant to be stylish or if you're actually that mad. 』
Kushida let out a slow breath, clearly trying to keep her composure.
— "Listen, Kumagawa-kun, we still haven't finished talking. And you haven't forgotten about our agreement and your promise... right?
She was, of course, talking about the deal they had made. In fact, she probably thought it was the only reason she tolerated him more than necessary.
It had to be.
『Of course. First of all, I never forget my promises. In fact, I don't think I've ever betrayed anyone in my entire life. It would be out of character for me to do something so consistent, since by nature, I'm a whimsical and contrarian person to begin with. 』
"....."
What the hell was he talking about?
That sentence was so riddled with contradictions that it barely made any sense. It didn't even have a shred of coherence in it. But trying to make sense of Kumagawa's words was a lost cause from the start. If she even attempted it, she'd probably end up giving herself a headache.
— "...I'm in the usual place. Get here fast, and don't be late," she ordered.
『Okay. In fact, I'm already behind you.』
"Hiiieek—!?"
Kushida nearly jumped out of her skin, spinning around so fast she almost lost her balance. And there he was. Standing right behind her with that ever-present smile of his.
"...You freak! How long have you been standing there!?" she snapped, clutching her chest as if she'd just seen a ghost.
They were at the back of the ship—meaning unless Kumagawa had approached from the front, she should have seen him coming. Unless, of course, he had been here from the start, which was somewhat creepy in itself.
『Normally, this would've been a fanservice scene where; after screaming, you'd cling to me with your boobs pressing against my chest. But unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case. How disappointing. 』
"...Gross."
Kumagawa really had no shame saying disgusting, borderline criminal things to a girl.
『Hey, hey. Don't make it sound like I'm some kind of pervert. I was just stating a simple fact. If this were a manga, it'd be the classic accidental pervert trope. But since reality doesn't follow such convenient scripts, I was merely pointing out the discrepancy. In other words, I was being a critic, not a creep. 』
"....?"
Kumagawa seemed oddly conclusive in his words, like he genuinely believed what he was saying made perfect sense.
She already knew he had a few screws loose when it came to logic and common sense, but this was a different kind of broken. The more she spends time with him, the more becoming more and more incomprehensible he is.
"...Ehem. Kumagawa-kun..."
Kushida instinctively adjusted her tone, speaking more politely than usual. She didn't know why—it just felt appropriate in this moment.
『Oh? That was a surprisingly formal way to address me. Are you finally realizing that I deserve a little more respect? 』
"...No. I think it's just that your thought process is so insane that my body is reacting on its own."
『A natural reflex, huh? That's disappointing. I was hoping you'd at least try to straighten me out with a proper tsukkomi for once. But I guess you just keep letting me down. 』
Kushida let out a long sigh.
This person was becoming more and more incomprehensible.
"...Anyway, let's get to the point.
『Of course, that's why I'm here right? 』
Decided to ignor his annoying remark, Kushida conntinued.
"...What if rumors start spreading about us?"
『Rumors, huh...? 』
Kumagawa tilted his head slightly, pretending to think.
『Are you really that worried about Ryūen spreading them? 』
"Of course."
It was Ryūen, after all. Even if he didn't start the rumors himself, the probability of someone else picking up on their interactions and twisting them into something troublesome was still high.
If there was even a 10% chance of something happening, it was still happening for sure. And if it was Ryūen, then regardless of the actual probability, it was as good as guaranteed.
『I don't really understand or care about your difficulties. But, Kushida-chan, I think you're worrying about the wrong thing right now. In fact, what are you going to do now? At this rate, instead of just a rumor, your social life will probably get murdered. 』
"Hah?"
Kushida was momentarily confused by the sudden question, but it wasn't as if Kumagawa had brought it up without reason.
He understood that Kushida had a tendency to be narrow-minded at times, too caught up in the immediate problem to see the bigger picture, a flaw rooted in her very personality.
『You know, your little meeting with Ryūen yesterday. 』
Her body stiffened for a brief moment, but she quickly forced herself to act normal.
"...I don't know what you're talking about."
『Useless, useless, totally useless. 』 Kumagawa waved his finger at her in an exaggeratedly annoying manner.
『Did you really think you could feign ignorance in front of me? I can smell a liar from exactly 25.6 miles away. 』
"...That's so oddly specific."
『That's because I have real data to back it up. Should I describe what you were wearing? Where you met? The exact time down to the second? Would that convince you? 』
"Grrr..."
Kushida ground her teeth in frustration. Kumagawa was insufferable, but what made it worse was how blunt and precise he could be. There was no way to argue back when he laid things out like that.
She could still stubbornly and persistently deny it, feigning ignorance as much as she wanted, but if what he was saying was true, then she'd only make herself look like an idiot.
That was something she couldn't afford.
『Oh? That's quite the look on your face, Kushida-chan. I take it you don't like what I'm saying?』
Her irritation flared.
"So? What are you planning to do with that information?" She admitted.
She shot him a sharp glare, her usual fake sweetness completely gone.
"You always—always—somehow end up with my weaknesses in your hands. Why is it always me? Why do you always act like you know everything? What are you even scheming this time? Are you planning to blackmail me? Threaten me? Or are you just getting some sick enjoyment out of watching me squirm!?"
Kushida's frustration boiled over.
"You're always like this, Kumagawa-kun! Always showing up at the worst times, saying the worst things, and somehow knowing things you shouldn't know! Do you think it's fun, messing with people? Do you enjoy holding things over my head like this!?"
Her voice trembled with a mix of anger and unease.
"If you're going to use that information against me, then just do it already! If you're planning to screw me over, stop dragging it out! Just tell me what the hell you're trying to do!"
Her breathing was uneven. She wasn't sure if it was from anger or something else. Maybe fear. Maybe frustration.
Ever since that day, Kushida had always felt a lingering fear toward him. The unease of knowing that Kumagawa held her secret never left her mind. Even if she convinced herself that nothing would go wrong, but, for some reason, everything always went wrong with him.
It was frustrating.
Horikita and Ayanokōji knowing her secret was already bad enough. But with Kumagawa also knowing and holding onto that recording....
It was the worst.
At first, she had been terrified of what he might do with it.
Kumagawa was neither rational nor predictable. He didn't act based on logic, nor did he have any clear goal. He did things purely on a whim. And like a chaotic force of nature, he could ruin her at any moment, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
That's why she had decided to approach him.
She tried to play along, to convince herself that Kumagawa wouldn't actually spread her secret. And for a brief moment, she had felt relief—because he hadn't even thought about doing it.
Even though he was the worst, even though she hated him, she could still... act a little more like herself around him.
Without a mask.
Without pretense.
Because he was too abnormal to care.
But it seemed that letting her guard down had been a mistake.
And now, standing here, hearing him throw her meeting with Ryūen right in her face, she felt that old fear creeping back.
『... 』
"Why the hell are you just standing there quietly!?" she snapped.
He was always running his mouth, always saying the most infuriating things without a care in the world. But now, when she was already worked up, he suddenly decided to shut up?
It pissed her off.
"Say something already! What, did you finally run out of your usual nonsense? Are you waiting for me to break down and beg? Do you want me to admit that I'm scared? That I don't know what you're going to do? That I have no way of stopping you if you decide to ruin me!?"
『Ahaha, Kushida-chan, no need to get so worked up. I know girls tend to get flustered around me, but if you wanted to play the "damsel in distress" card to charm me, you could've at least tried a little harder. That said, don't worry. I may be a terrible person, but I'm not so low that I'd take advantage of a girl's weakness. 』
Kumagawa spoke in such a laid-back tone that Kushida was momentarily taken aback. But more than that, it irritated her. His relaxed demeanor made her earlier outburst feel like nothing more than a childish tantrum.
The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt.
"...."
『Well, you know, seeing you like this isn't so bad. It's kind of cute in its own way. 』
Kushida shot him a sharp glare, her cheeks twitching in irritation.
"Seriously, can you wipe that stupid grin off your face? Do you have any idea how annoying you are? I'm here stressing over what you might do, and you're acting like this is all some kind of joke. The worst part is, I don't even know if you're doing it on purpose or if you're just naturally this infuriating. You always do this and then act like it's not a big deal. And the more I get worked up, the more ridiculous I feel. You're exhausting to deal with, Kumagawa-kun."
Despite her sharp words, there was no sign that he felt even a shred of the malice behind them. It was as if it passed right through him, like he was playing dumb, or maybe he just didn't care to begin with.
『In any case, it seems like you're in a pretty precarious situation. 』
"...What do you mean?"
At this point, she didn't see the point in pretending. If she feigned ignorance and stubbornly denied it, she'd only look like a fool. And somehow, that would feel even more humiliating.
Because at this point, Kumagawa clearly already knew the truth.
『You're the VIP, aren't you? 』
"..."
Kushida felt like she had swallowed a fly. Her fingers instinctively twitched, but she kept her expression as neutral as possible.
"Why are you so sure that I'm the VIP? Maybe it's just one of your delusions?"
『Ahaha, that was unnecessary, but to answer your question... It's because I'm the VIP. 』
Kumagawa smiled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. He casually tilted his phone toward her, showing her the message sent by the school.
There was no mistaking it.
Due to the school's strict system, students couldn't tamper with official messages. Which meant that the message Kumagawa was showing her was real.
『And for the record, I haven't told anyone yet—except you, of course. 』
"....Why?"
『Because you're in a rather precarious situation, of course. 』
Kushida felt a twitch of irritation. They were going in circles at this point.
『Ahaha, no need to make that face, Kushida-chan. You're acting pretty high and mighty, even though I'm just trying to help you. A little gratitude wouldn't hurt, you know? At this rate, you're going to break my nonexistent heart. 』
Even though she had asked him a straightforward question, he still managed to twist his answer into something roundabout and meaningless.
It was so... infuriatingly Kumagawa.
『Well to answer your question about how I know that you're definelty the VIP, It's because I'm the VIP. 』
Even though Kushida hadn't confirmed nor denied his accusation, Kumagawa spoke as if he was absolutely certain.
"...What do you mean by that?" Kushida frowned.
『You see, back in my previous previous previous middle school, just before I transferred to Suisou Academy, there was this girl I really loved—Anshin'in-san. And she really, really, really loved toying with my life. 』
Loved?
Kushida blinked. She didn't think Kumagawa was capable of feeling something like that. It was even weirder that he could casually talk about love in the first place.
And who was this Anshin'in person? He was dropping names left and right without a single explanation.
『And she really loved playing these little games to torture me. One time, she created a game just for me and send me on a quest to find the "Hero's Sword!" somewhere on the school grounds. 』
"'Hero's Sword!' ?"
『Yup. 』
"Are we talking about some kind of RPG game...?"
Her mind immediately went to fantasy games. Heroes, demon kings, legendary swords. It all sounded like something straight out of an RPG game.
『Kushida-chan, when you say "RPG game," you're just repeating the word "game" that's already in the acronym. 』
Kushida shot him a glare.
Was now really the time for nitpicking?
She decided it wasn't worth the effort and just kept quiet, letting him continue.
『Have you ever heard a phrase "Wàng wén shēng yì" by any chance? 』
"'Wàng wén shēng yì'? "
She repeated the unfamiliar phrase, her brows furrowing. What was that? She had never even heard of it in her life. And more importantly, it wasn't even Japanese.
Seeing her confused look, Kumagawa let out a heavy sigh.
『I thought you were a rather studious person, but if you havent even heard a common pharse such as this, then you have been repetedly a disspointment to me. 』He looked at her like she was some kind of failure.
"....."
Kushida's eyebrow twitched.
What was this guy even talking about?
In the first place, how was she supposed to know some random Chinese phrase? Was he seriously looking down on her for not knowing something that had nothing to do with her?
She wasn't an idiot—she knew plenty of sayings and proverbs, but she doubted even the average Japanese person would know whatever nonsense he was spouting.
More than anything, the casual way he insulted her intelligence made her want to strangle him.
『Well, I don't blame you. Even I didn't know this phrase myself until a couple of hours ago. 』
Kushida exhaled slowly, trying to control her emotions.
『In any case, because of that phrase—what was it? Wàng wén shēng... whatever it was—it basically means "misinterpreting words by their surface." 』
Typical Kumagawa. He forgot the phrase he had just brought up seconds ago, but when phrased like that, she understood the meaning.
"You mean 'taking things at face value,' right?"
That made way more sense. The phrase described a common mistake—when people heard or read something and took it literally without considering deeper meanings or intent. It was a straightforward concept. if he had just said it like that from the start, it would've made a lot more sense. But instead, he just had to overcomplicate things, throwing in a foreign idiom for no reason at all.
『Eh! Kushida-chan! Are you actually smart!? 』
Kumagawa gasped, feigning exaggerated shock like he had just witnessed a miracle.
Kushida rolled her eyes. Even though his antics irritated her, she simply clapped her hands together, signaling him to focus back on the topic. Bit by bit, she was learning how to navigate through Kumagawa's incomprehensible back-and-forth way of speaking.
『Like I said, this means you should always take things at face value, right? But I don't like people telling me what to do. I hate it when people tell me what to do. So, I did exactly the opposite and refused to take things at face value. 』
Wasn't that... just taking the sentence at face value?
His logic was completely backward. He had taken the phrase literally—as if it was an order rather than an explanation of a concept—and then decided to defy that supposed order just for the sake of defying it. Which meant he fundamentally misunderstood the whole point.
It described the mistake of interpreting words too literally without considering deeper meaning. But instead of grasping that, Kumagawa had twisted it into an entirely different logic: "If you tell me to take things at face value, I'll do the opposite."
So in the end, he didn't understand the concept at all.
『As a result of that, I couldn't help but be reminded of that idiom, you see. So it made me want to not take anything at face value and search for any hidden meaning in the messages from the school. And guess what? I found out that you can actually figure out the VIP with a very specific method. 』
As backward his reasoning was, Kushida found herself intrigued despite herself.
"...A method?"
With a casual hum, Kumagawa pulled out his phone and tapped on the screen a few times. He then opened the sorting function on his phone.
『Man, these school-provided phones are surprisingly handy. I never would've noticed this if I didn't randomly start playing around with it. 』
Kushida narrowed her eyes, watching him carefully.
"...What exactly did you find?"
『Before we start, can you first read the message sends by the school for you? 』
"....."
If she read the message out loud, she would basically be confirming everything to him. But then again... why was she still hesitating? Kumagawa already knew she was the VIP. The fact that she was still overthinking this made her feel like an idiot.
With a sigh, she pulled out her phone and opened the message sent by the school.
"Umm... After careful consideration, you have been selected as the VIP. Please act with responsibility as a member of your group and prepare for the exam..."
『Now, read it again. Slowly. 』
Kushida shot him an annoyed look.
"Why?"
『It's a simple request, isn't it? Come on, humor me. 』
Begrudgingly, she followed his instructions.
After reading the message a second time, Kushida still didn't understand what his point was. The message simply stated that the school had selected the VIP after careful consideration—nothing more, nothing less. It also included a generic reminder to act responsibly.
Nothing seemed out of place.
Wait...
"After careful consideration?"
Now that she was focusing on the wording, something felt... off.
『As expected of Kushida-chan. You realized it fast enough. But still slow enough for me to be the first one to notice. 』
Kushida's eyebrow twitched at the backhanded compliment.
『Well, I suppose it makes sense, considering our class rankings. You're from Class D, and I'm from Class D.... Wait, that's the same class. Oh well. Point still stands. 』
Kushida sighed.
It was unpleasant being insulted by Kumagawa no matter the circumstances. But still, she had to admit—he had noticed something important.
"...I'll give you credit for that one. So, what's this 'very specific method' you were talking about earlier?"
『Ahaha, enough of that hollow praise. Try to listen carefully this time, since I'm not explaining it for the fifth time. 』
Fifth time, he said...
He hadn't even begun explaining the first one, yet he was already talking about the fifth. What happened to the first through fourth?
『Well, thanks to this very specific method, I managed to find the VIP. 』
Kumagawa tapped away at his phone, listing out the names of each group's members one by one. Then, he started sorting and rearranging them in a particular order—from the first name down to the last.
At first, Kushida didn't quite get what he was doing. But then she noticed something.
Each surname was circled. Hers included. His too.
And when she looked closer—when she really looked—she realized something so painfully obvious that even a child might've been able to figure it out if they had thought about it hard enough.
"This..."
『Yup. The VIP is determined by a logical rule: When the surnames of the group members are arranged in the kana phonetic chart, the VIP matches the same order as the animal they were assigned to in the Chinese zodiac. 』
Gojūon-jun.
Kushida's mind immediately jumped to the syllabary arrangement used in the Japanese language. The kana system followed a structured pattern—A, I, U, E, O—forming a neat and predictable sequence.
And if Kumagawa's claim was true, then the school had used that sequence as the basis for determining the VIPs. The surnames weren't randomly assigned to each group. They were placed in a way that aligned with the order of the zodiac animals.
The Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Goat, the Monkey, the Rooster, the Dog, and the Boar.
If a student's surname fit the placement of a specific zodiac sign in the kana sequence, then that student was the VIP.
But out of everything, what shocked her the most was the fact that Kumagawa of all people had managed to figure it out.
"...So how did you even come up with this method?" she asked, still trying to wrap her head around it.
『Remember that find the "Hero's Sword"! game that Anshin'in-san made me play back in middle school? I was suddenly reminded of that game from the abysmal depths of my heart and tried applying the same principle to search for a pattern in the VIP selection, and voilà. 』
Kushida was astounded.
...Wasn't that basically just pure speculation?
He was using such a leap-and-bound logic that it could hardly be called a deduction.
His deduction was as shallow as a puddle on a sunny day. Even if he managed to sneak in some logic, it would still be shallow because the foundation of his thought process was fundamentally weak.
And yet, if what he was saying was true, then wasn't the actual selection method absurdly simple?
The school made it sound like a careful and deliberate process, but in reality, it was just a straightforward pattern based on a linguistic sequence and a zodiac order. If someone had simply looked at it from that perspective, they could've figured it out immediately.
"Wàng wén shēng yì"— "misinterpreting words by their surface meaning."
At first, she thought Kumagawa was just throwing around random foreign phrases to sound smart, but now she understood what he meant.
That was why Kumagawa had brought up the idiom in the first place.
...Not because he actually understood it, of course. He just happened to stumble onto the right interpretation through his usual brand of nonsensical logic.
But to use such a brute-force method to arrive at the right conclusion, it was strangely fitting for Kumagawa.
It was like the classic chicken-or-egg paradox,
Was he reaching the answer because he was making a real deduction, or was the answer simply appearing because his nonsense happened to align with the truth? Did he actually solve the problem, or did the problem solve itself in a way that just so happened to match his thinking?
Either way, the result was the same. Kumagawa Misogi, through his shallow, ridiculous, and nonsensical reasoning, he had reached the truth....somehow.
『Well, that aside, Anshin'in-san was absolutely awful back then. If we're talking about bad personalities, she's easily the worst one I've ever met. 』
Kushida blinked, thrown off by the sudden shift in topic.
He was seriously calling someone else awful? Even though he was one of the most incomprehensible and twisted people she had ever met?
She had no idea who this Anshin'in person was, but for even Kumagawa to talk badly about her like that...
She must have been beyond human comprehension.
『Oh! And also, your deal with Ryuen gave me the necessary information to figure out who the VIP is. 』
Kushida's expression stiffened.
"...My deal with Ryuen?"
『Yup. You tried to sell the VIP's identity to him, right? 』
Kushida felt her fingers tense around her phone.
What's up with him?
Even though he was an idiot, how could he be so annoyingly perceptive? She had gotten so distracted by his roundabout way of explaining things and forgot that Kumagawa already knew about her deal with Ryuen.
She hadn't explicitly said what her arrangement was, yet his confident tone made it clear: "I know what you're up to, so don't bother lying."
It was annoying. Especially coming from someone like him.
But fine. If that's how he wanted to play it—
"Yeah. So what? What are you gonna do about it?" Kushida admitted, brazenly meeting his gaze.
『...? What are you talking about? Of course I'm going to help you? 』
"...Why?"
『Do you understand the situation you're in right now? 』
That was another thing she didn't understand.
Kushida knew she was treading dangerous waters with Ryuen. She also knew that keeping her position in class meant balancing between different personas and manipulating people as needed. But when Kumagawa asked that, it felt like he was implying something beyond just her deal with Ryuen.
"...What are you getting at?"
Kumagawa studied her for a moment before letting out a sigh.
『Man, for someone as smart as you, you sure have a narrow way of thinking. 』
Her patience snapped.
"Just get to the point already."
『You know the four possible outcomes of this exam, right? 』
Kushida nodded.
Of course she knew. Those were the first things she committed to memory before even bothering to remember the names of her group members.
『Then considering that you're the VIP of the Dragon Group, you must be aiming for outcome two. 』
Kushida frowned.
"...And why would I do that? You already know I told Ryuen my identity and got him to cooperate. If that's the case, why would I settle for outcome two? I could just go for outcome one"
Outcome two meant that only the VIP would receive the 500,000-point reward. That was only half of what outcome one would get her. She had already revealed her VIP status to Ryuen, so going by that logic, it made far more sense to aim for the highest reward.
There was no reason to settle for anything less.
『It's because Horikita is in your group. 』
That made her shut up.
『There are four possible outcomes in this exam. 』
Kumagawa held up four of his finger in front of Kushida. He then lower his pinky first.
『Outcome three is not possible because you are the VIP. Unless you're planning to betray the class, but that'd be pretty stupid. You'd lose class points, which means losing personal points too. I doubt you'd do something that reckless. 』
Next, he lowers his ring finger.
『Outcome four is also not possible since you already struck a deal with Ryuen. If you gave your VIP identity to him, then that means you must've ensured he wouldn't betray you on this. Which means this outcome is already off the table. 』
How the hell was he so spot-on?
Then, he lowered his middle finger.
『Outcome one is tempting, sure. But it's also out of the question for you. 』
Now, only his index finger remained.
『That only leaves outcome two. You, and you alone, reaping the reward of 500,000 points. 』
Kushida stayed silent.
『The reason you rejected outcome one, even though the reward was higher, is because Horikita is in your group. If the Dragon Group were to achieve outcome one, then every member, including Horikita, would receive 500,000 points.』
Kushida felt a chill run down her spine. His deductions were disturbingly on point.
It was exactly right. She would rather betray the class than let Horikita become the center of attention. She couldn't stand the thought of that girl being praised, of people looking at her with admiration. It was sickening.
She had no problem letting Ryuen in on the VIP's identity, but the idea of Horikita benefiting from it? That was unacceptable.
Kushida grit her teeth and forced a smile.
"How do you know all that?"
Kumagawa was an idiot. A complete moron who said whatever nonsense popped into his head. And yet, somehow, he had perfectly pieced together her thoughts like he had read them off a script.
How?
She ran through every possibility in her mind, trying to find an explanation. Did he overhear her conversation with Ryuen? No, she had made sure no one was around. Was he bluffing? No, his words were far too correct to be a bluff. Then—
Before she could come up with an answer, Kumagawa opened his mouth and said something completely absurd.
『It's because of your hatred, Kushida-chan. 』
"...What?"
『Your hatred for Horikita made it easy to predict what you'd do. 』
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting now?"
Kumagawa grinned.
『There's one thing you should know about me, Kushida-chan. I'm weak. The weakest person in the whole world. Nobody's weaker than me, and because of that, I know everything about human weakness. Body, spirit, mind, even their personality. I know every possible weakness a person can have, and that includes you. 』
"..."
『Your hatred for Horikita-chan often clouds your judgment. And from my point of view, that alone is already a 'weakness' in itself. 』
Hatred? Weakness?
What the hell was he talking about?
And why did he say all that like it was something to be proud of? How could he call himself weak so shamelessly? Shouldn't a man have at least some dignity?
Kushida forced herself to focus, pushing away her irritation.
"But that still doesn't answer my question. Why am I in a precarious situation?"
For all his deductions, Kumagawa still hadn't explained why she was at risk.
『Ah, that? It's because Ryuen going to leverage your status as traitor, and essentially making you his lapdog. In other words, he's going to betray you. 』
".... What!"
His voice was light, as if he were talking about the weather.
『Eh? Why are you so surprised? You should've expected this when you made a deal with Ryuen-chan. Did you really think he'd honor his deal with someone else? If that were the case, he'd be a horrible human being, right? Even I wouldn't stoop so low as to betray a beautiful girl's trust. 』
If there was one thing she hated more than anything, it was being looked down on. And yet, here he was, speaking as if she were some naive fool who didn't understand the risk of dealing with Ryuen.
"Don't talk like I'm some idiot. I already accounted for the risks. Ryuen needs me, and I have my own leverage. He wouldn't betray me so easily."
『Oh? And what exactly do you have on him? 』
"..."
『See? That's the problem, Kushida-chan. You think you're on equal footing with Ryuen, but you're not. 』
He tapped the side of his head playfully.
『Let's say Ryuen betrays you, what can you do? You can't expose him to the school, because that'd mean exposing yourself too. You can't turn to your class, because you're working against them. And you definitely can't fight him head-on, because, well...he'll destroy you. 』
Kushida remained silent.
『He'll most likely betray you and go for outcome one. Achieving that outcome means cooperating with the other classes, but since you didn't consult Horikita, everyone's going to assume you sold out the class to Ryuen. And once that happens, he'll use it against you. Maybe blackmail you, maybe make you his lapdog. Something like that. 』
He waved his hand vaguely.
『Personally, I don't need something like that. But if I were in his position, I'd probably do the same. Maybe even go a step further. Like, I dunno... make you wear nothing but an apron. Have you act out my every fetish whenever I want. 』
Kushida felt a wave of disgust.
"Die."
Still, she hadn't thought that far ahead.
If what Kumagawa said was true—if Ryuen really planned to betray her—then everything she had built up would come crashing down in an instant.
The persona she had so carefully crafted, the perfect, kind, and friendly Kushida Kikyo, would shatter beyond repair. If Ryuen exposed her as a traitor, her classmates would never trust her again
Her whole existence at this school depended on maintaining her image. Without it, she was nothing.
She clenched her fists.
"...You're just making baseless assumptions."
『Maybe. But I'd say the odds are pretty high. 』
"....."
If even someone as awful as Kumagawa said he'd definitely do it, then there was a good chance Ryuen would betray her. Normally, she wouldn't put any trust in Kumagawa's words. He was a liar, a fraud, and possibly the worst person she had ever met.
But maybe that was exactly why his assumptions carried weight.
The worst people understood the worst possibilities best.
"...Then what should I do?"
She hated asking him that. Hated admitting, even for a second, that she might need his help.
『Ahaha, you don't need to worry! Just leave everything to me, Kushida-chan. How long do you think I've lived? Tricking people is as easy as graduating from a Weekly Shounen Jump series. Both are simple. 』
Kumagawa stretched his arms and looked out toward the sea. The gentle waves reflected the sunlight, and the salty breeze brushed against his skin.
『The sea breeze is nice, huh? 』
"...Why?"
『Hmm? 』
She didn't understand.
"Why would you help me?"
Why would Kumagawa, of all people, want to help her? He wasn't the type to show kindness without reason. If anything, she would have expected him to toy with her, mock her, or throw her into an even worse situation just for fun.
There was no way he was doing this out of goodwill.
"Answer me!"
Kumagawa fell silent for a moment. Then, he smiled.
『Kushida-chan, who do you think is the most unfortunate and weakest person in the whole world? 』
Kushida furrowed her brows.
"What kind of question is that?"
『It's an easy one. The answer is me. 』
Kumagawa pointed at himself, still smiling.
『I'm the weakest, most unfortunate person in the entire world. There's no one weaker than me. 』
He said it so proudly, without a hint of shame.
『For the weak, it's not strange to desire victory. It's not strange for the weak to want to defeat the strong, and for the strong to fall before the weak. It's not strange for the weak to crave success beyond their means. It's not strange for the weak to lie, to cheat, to manipulate, just to get by. It's not strange for the weak to drag others down, just to feel less alone. It's not strange for the weak to pretend to be strong. It's not strange for the weak to resent those who stand above them. It's not strange for the weak to smile while secretly wishing for someone's downfall. It's not strange for the weak to dream of a world where they're the ones on top. It's not strange for the weak to betray before they are betrayed. It's not strange for the weak to keep fighting, even when they know they can't win. And above all—』
His smile deepened.
『It's not strange for the weak to destroy the strong. 』
Kushida felt a chill run down her spine.
『And you, Kushida-chan, are weak. 』
"...Shut up."
『That's why I'm helping you. Because at the end of the day, the weak can only rely on the weak. If they rely on the strong, the weak won't grow, and will never become strong. 』
That was an incredibly warped way of looking at things. He believed the weak could only rely on the weak because the strong had no reason to support them.
『The weak are weak because they're weak. The strong are strong because they're strong. No amount of logic can overturn that—it was decided since the dawn of time, history, and humanity itself. But that's all the more reason for the weak to crave victory above all else. 』
Kushida couldn't tell if his words were comforting or disturbing.
『So, to answer your question...』
Kumagawa turned around and met her gaze directly. That ever-present, infuriating smile still lingered on his face.
『It's because I'm the ally of the weak. 』
From one world to another. From one weakling to another.
『Oh, and also, you're cute, so it's a bonus for me. 』
Kumagawa Misogi would always be the shining beacon of hope for the weak.
『END』
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[Note: You should probably read the author's note if you're curious.]