Ichinose's response was clearly an attempt to avoid the question. If she didn't want to reveal the details, there wasn't much Horikita could do about it.
"Is it because of the favor you owe?"
Suddenly, Hikigaya's voice broke the silence. Ichinose was momentarily stunned before she lowered her head and nodded.
Hikigaya wasn't surprised. He had the same doubts as Horikita about Ichinose's decision, but then another possibility came to his mind.
The favor Ichinose owed from the previous surveillance incident!
"I'm sorry, Hikigaya-kun."
Ichinose smiled bitterly. She couldn't help but recall the time in the special building when Hikigaya lectured her—luck also comes with a price. And now, his words had come true.
Because of the Sudou incident, Ichinose got caught up in the surveillance case. Although Haruno helped her get out of it, she ended up owing a huge favor in return.
It was precisely because of this debt that Ichinose agreed to Haruno's "bold and crazy" plan. Of course, if the plan had harmed her class's interests, she would have refused, even if it meant ruining her own reputation.
Horikita also realized this and couldn't help but show an awkward expression. In the end, this all happened because of her. She hadn't expected the consequences to be so far-reaching. Now, the situation felt like a "boomerang" coming back at her.
After the meeting was dismissed, Hikigaya didn't return to his room immediately. Instead, he went to the deck to get some fresh air and reflect on what had just happened.
He finally understood why Haruno did nothing during the last uninhabited island exam—she had been waiting for the right moment. And now, she had finally bared her fangs. Unfortunately, Katsuragi had become her perfect sacrificial pawn.
On the surface, it looked like Haruno was after the massive 80 million points from the school. But Hikigaya believed that wasn't her real goal. What she truly wanted was to use this opportunity to build enough authority and influence within her class!
From Haruno's perspective, if she could use this exam to push Class B back into Class A, she would indeed earn a lot of praise. But that wasn't what she was aiming for—she was thinking on a much deeper level.
She wanted to use this opportunity to establish herself in the class as someone who could stand up to Katsuragi and Sakayanagi—or even surpass them. She aimed to unite all four classes, challenge the school's authority, and take advantage of the system to gain over 80 million private points.
By doing things that seemed "impossible," "excessive," or "bold" in everyone's eyes, she quickly built a strong personal image within the class. Her classmates started to admire her, and in a way, this also served to weaken Katsuragi and Sakayanagi's influence. She was replacing their authority with her own.
"A psychological attack, huh?"
Hikigaya couldn't help but admire Haruno's tactics and foresight. From the start of the school year, she had been patient, watching as Sakayanagi and Katsuragi fought like two clashing forces, waiting to reap the benefits. Meanwhile, she had been quietly gathering strength. During the uninhabited island exam, she observed from the shadows, and now, she had executed a masterful psychological strategy.
If Hikigaya's guess was right, Haruno wasn't just working with Ichinose—she also had an insider in Class D. And Hikigaya had a pretty good idea who that was.
Sometimes, success isn't just about luck. Haruno had been laying the groundwork for this situation for a long time, waiting for the perfect moment. And now, that moment had arrived.
"Looks like that little troublemaker Sakayanagi is going to have a headache over this."
Hikigaya suddenly thought of Sakayanagi. She was probably just as frustrated as Katsuragi right now. After all, their territory had just been infiltrated.
After that, Hikigaya decided to take a short walk before heading back to his room.
"I think there are a few vending machines nearby…"
Feeling a bit thirsty, Hikigaya went to buy a drink. But as he approached the vending machines, he noticed a few familiar figures inside a nearby bar.
While the bar on the cruise ship didn't strictly forbid students from entering, it was rare for any students to go there. Normally, only adults would be found inside.
Chabashira-sensei, Hoshinomiya-sensei, and Mashima-sensei were sitting together, having a few drinks and chatting.
Because they had their backs turned and a large plant nearby provided some cover, Hikigaya was able to move closer to the vending machine without being noticed. Unexpectedly, he could hear parts of their conversation.
"Who would've thought that all three of us would end up as teachers?"
Mashima-sensei sighed, his tone softer than usual. It was a stark contrast to his usual strict and cold demeanor.
Chabashira-sensei and Hoshinomiya-sensei also started joking and chiming in. From their conversation, it seemed that all three of them had attended this school as students and were even classmates.
This was surprising news to Hikigaya.
"By the way, Chie, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Chabashira-sensei suddenly asked, her tone sharp as she stared at Hoshinomiya-sensei.
"Huh? What do you mean, Sae? I don't get it."
Hoshinomiya-sensei laughed as she poured whiskey into her empty glass and took a big sip.
"Don't play dumb. According to school tradition, the class representatives should be placed in the top group."
"Oh… You mean Ichinose? Sure, based on her grades and abilities, she should be in the top group. But grades aren't everything. Once you step into the real world, how much do they really matter? If you ask me, Ichinose has a much bigger problem she needs to overcome."
Hoshinomiya-sensei said with a teasing smile.
"I hope you're being honest."
"Sae, you're so sneaky! You're questioning me, but don't you have any problems of your own?"
Suddenly, Hoshinomiya-sensei complained with a dissatisfied expression.
"What do you mean?"
"Heh, Sae, you think Ichinose should be in the top group? Then I have a question too—why isn't Hikigaya in the top group?"
Although Hoshinomiya-sensei's words sounded like a complaint, there was a strange chill in her tone.
Hikigaya had been about to leave, but when he unexpectedly heard his own name, he stopped in his tracks.
"Hikigaya?"
Chabashira-sensei was visibly surprised when she heard his name. There was a brief silence before she finally spoke.
"Just like how you judged Ichinose, I evaluated Hikigaya the same way. He also has something he needs to overcome."
"Hahaha!!"
For some reason, Hoshinomiya-sensei burst into laughter after hearing Chabashira-sensei's words. But hidden within her laughter was a hint of sarcasm and frustration.
"Hey, Tomonari, did you hear that? Sae is still playing dumb!"
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