Ryuen sneered. The keys to this exam were conserving points and guessing the other classes’ leaders. If he had not interfered with the original storyline, he could already identify every other class’s leader.
But he could not be sure whether Kiyotaka Ayanokoji would follow the original course of events. On the ship, Ryuen had noticed that Suzune Horikita looked perfectly healthy, without the slightest sign of illness. That made it uncertain whether Ayanokoji would still use an illness to replace Class D’s leader later on.
Having arrived late, Class C could only secure a barely acceptable base. It was close to Class D’s camp, separated only by a river. Ryuen could see Class D putting up their tents, though he could not hear what they were saying.
Quite a few Class C students harbored grievances toward Ryuen, but only Mio Ibuki openly voiced them.
"Ryuen, this is all your fault! We lost the chance to find a decent base because you wasted time!"
Ryuen paid her no mind. With one hand pressing down on Ibuki’s small head, he addressed the class.
"Use 100 Special Points to buy whatever supplies you need and whatever you want for fun. Tomorrow night, we’ll withdraw from the exam and head back to the ship to rest."
Ryuen’s words struck like a bolt from the blue.
"Have you lost your mind? Withdraw from the exam? Do you know how many Class Points are at stake? If we get lucky, we could rise to Class A through this exam!"
Ibuki’s head was still trapped beneath Ryuen’s hand, but her mouth kept firing off accusations.
Ryuen gave her no time to react. He slapped her across the face.
Girls cared about their appearance, especially their faces. Ibuki might look like a tomboy, but she was still a girl, and her cheeks were soft. Ryuen was not cruel enough to disfigure her for the sake of his plan. The slap looked vicious and sounded loud, but it only left her cheek swollen. It would likely fade in two or three days.
Still, Ibuki looked pitiful enough that the Class C students who had been blaming Ryuen in their hearts no longer dared to speak.
"Anyone who won’t follow my orders can get the hell out. Right now."
After saying that, Ryuen kicked Ibuki to the ground. The kick was meant not only for Class C, but for Class D as well. Quite a few Class D students had noticed Ryuen’s brutality and sympathized with Ibuki, but there was nothing they could do.
Without saying a word, Ibuki left the camp.
The remaining Class C students were unsettled. Then Hiyori Shiina stepped forward. She clapped her hands, drawing everyone’s attention.
"Ryuen doesn’t want everyone to suffer on this island. He just said that we would keep 200 Special Points. I’m sure he intends to trade those points with the other classes for greater benefits. We may have a chance to rise to Class A through this exam, but everyone knows that we still fall short of Class A in terms of ability. Even if we got there by luck this time, we would soon fall back down.
"So why not relax during this exam? Since we chose Ryuen as our leader, the first thing we should do is trust him. All right, everyone. Come tell me what you need, and we’ll purchase supplies from the teachers."
Hiyori’s words quickly eased the tension. The students began to understand Ryuen’s intentions, at least somewhat, though they still could not entirely let go of their unease over him beating Ibuki.
Only Nanami Yabu, the green-haired girl with slightly chubby cheeks who had failed the previous exam, stared at Ryuen with sparkling eyes, practically worshipping him.
"I knew the boss wouldn’t just give up on the exam that easily," Daichi Ishizaki said, eagerly sucking up to him.
The people around him responded with a chorus of jeers, but the tense mood was finally swept away.
Ibuki had always been something of a loner in Class C, with few friends. In truth, that meant most of the class did not care much whether she stayed or left.
Ryuen looked toward Hiyori. A crowd of students surrounded her, listing their requests. With a small notebook and pen in hand, she listened and wrote them down, rejecting any excessive demands. There was always noise around her, yet from afar, Ryuen felt that Hiyori herself stood there in quiet stillness.
Ryuen naturally did not bother with a trivial task like pitching tents. It was not that he was unwilling to help; Ishizaki and several other students had already set the tents up and invited him inside to sit out of the sun.
At this point, every class was busy erecting tents and gathering supplies. It was not the right time for negotiations, so Ryuen casually lay down inside the tent.
"May I come in?"
Hiyori’s voice came from outside.
"Come in."
Ryuen sat up straight.
"This is the supply exchange list. Please look it over and see if anything needs changing."
Hiyori knelt beside Ryuen and handed him the list. A faint, sweet fragrance drifted toward him with it.
"You don’t need to ask me about something this minor. But didn’t I give you a budget of 100 points? Why did you only spend 80? Don’t tell me Ishizaki and the others can’t even spend that much."
Ryuen gave the list only a cursory glance before turning his gaze on Hiyori. His reflection was visible in her eyes.
"The supplies we need are already enough for us to enjoy ourselves for two days. Buying more would just be wasteful. Since you plan to sell the points anyway, the more we have left, the more benefits the class can gain."
Hiyori spoke softly, as though her decision were only natural.
Ryuen’s large hand settled on Hiyori’s hair. He said nothing, but the gesture itself was a reward.
Ryuen, who revered violence, had never been one to respect personal boundaries. Hiyori knew that. She was still embarrassed, but when his hand touched her hair, what she felt more than anything was delight.
She had been able to help Ryuen.
At first, Ryuen had merely wanted to stroke Hiyori’s hair. But they were inside an enclosed tent, and Hiyori’s shy posture as she knelt there made her look like an endearingly bashful newlywed. In an instant, it awakened his urge to tease her.
There was nothing wrong with following one’s desires. People spent their entire lives striving to satisfy them.
Ryuen’s hand slid from Hiyori’s hair to her neck, then from her neck to her cheek. Her face reddened, but she did not resist, as if she were leaving herself entirely at his mercy.
Ryuen slowly leaned closer to Hiyori. The distance between their noses shrank until they touched. He could feel her breath trembling in rhythm with her heartbeat.
Ryuen pressed his forehead against hers.
"You still have time to pull away."
Hiyori did not answer. She merely lifted her chin slightly.
Just as Ryuen was about to taste Hiyori’s soft lips, the tent flap was thrown open.
"Boss, when are we exchanging the supplies? I can’t wait anymore!"
The air froze.
So did Ryuen’s expression, while his fist clenched tight.
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