Chapter 174 - Classroom of the Elite: Checkmate 31.5

"What clicked?"

I tilted my head, unable to see her discovery.

"The pattern with which the VIPs were designated." She sat up straight and peered into my eyes. "Most of us figured that we needed to discuss things in our group to find a hint towards the VIP, but the school never said that this was a necessity. The teacher mentioned it right at the beginning of our meeting: society needs three fundamental qualities in order to progress: action, thinking and teamwork." She raised her fingers one by one. "He also added that teamwork was tested on the exam before this one, which meant that it wasn't required for our current test."

Her reasoning so far was sound.

Most students decided that the meetings were an important part in figuring out the VIPs' identities. Some others, including myself, assumed that there may be another possibility to solve the exam without the group discussions.

The teacher's words had conveyed as much, which should have provided everyone who listened and understood these tips with the same starting conditions. So far, nothing new or groundbreaking had turned up in her explanation, as she wanted to establish that we were both on the same page.

"Mashima-sensei also said that they would test our thinking in four ways. The first was 'thoroughly processing information'. This happened as soon as we realized that teamwork wasn't at all needed. Number two was 'analyzing information and clarifying the task at hand'. The 'task' was never to engage in discussion to reveal the VIP in the group. It was to find them in every way imaginable that didn't include violence, theft, usage of force, threats or other illegal acts. With this, only two ways of thinking remained: 'solving the problem after clarifying and identifying the task' and 'utilizing our imagination and the ability to create new values'. This last point was the key to solve the exam."

Even with this, there were some confusing statements.

"What about the other parts of the explanation? Mashima-sensei mentioned that working together with the other classes would be a shortcut. Doesn't this mean that there might still be something important in our groupings?"

"Well, working together was a shortcut in the sense that we wouldn't need to solve the exam. If we all ignored our previous disputes and trusted each other, then everyone would win together. Nobody would have solved the exam in the proper way the school intended, which is why he had labeled this as a 'shortcut'."

This was indeed true.

If we could look past our differences, then all students could gain an incredible number of private points. We might not close the gap to our competitors, but the school let us decide in which way we wanted to tackle this assignment.

It was almost impossible that each group would decide to aim for outcome number one, since we didn't know each other well enough to put our faith in strangers that might be hostile to us. This mistrust was further emphasized by the ongoing competition, since we could gain a lead for our class if we betrayed the group.

Using this as a second test was quite twisted.

"Then how did you solve the exam?"

"Thanks to Sakura-san! She said that she got sorted in the same group with Sudou-kun and Hasebe-san. Sorting is a form of utilizing our imagination, right? For example, why was the Rabbit group the first to get their introduction?"

"To hint at this 'sorting'?"

"Exactly, which is why I ordered the groups like they were supposed to be ordered in a 'zodiac' themed exam. This is reflected by the current state of the table. Mii-chan helped me with this, since she is quite knowledgeable."

"Okay, I understand so far. Does this mean that we just need to order the students as well? Is it really that simple?!" I glanced over to the notebook and began to arrange our three groupings of Rabbit, Dragon and Horse. "But there is still no pattern if we order them according to the fifty sounds."

The 'Gojūon' — or fifty sounds — was a traditional system which ordered 'kana' characters by their component phonemes. This could be considered as an 'alphabetical order' in most western countries which didn't use our symbols.

"That is where your words after our introduction came into play. Before we left the room, you wondered why they had shown us the Chinese reading in parentheses and used their zodiac system instead of ours, right?"

One of the zodiac signs was called 'Boar' in Japanese, and not 'Pig'. This was the only difference I knew about, which was why I had been confused that the school provided us with the Chinese reading. An institution as mysterious as this one wouldn't add a Chinese text if it wasn't important for the assignment in one or more ways.

I nodded, whereupon Kushida-san proceeded.

"After I sorted the names, I was stuck again. That's when I remembered your question, which appeared to be another hint that supported me to close in on the solution. We shouldn't only look at our language if we wanted to solve this exam, which was implied through the usage of the Chinese translation in our explanation. Once again, they tested our imagination and processing capabilities. And now, for the new values, we..."

My eyes widened in realization.

"... order them. But not like we Japanese would, right?"

If someone formulated the definition of our task like this, then it was far too simple to determine what we might have to do. This exam tested our thinking, just as Mashima-sensei stated. In simpler terms, there was no need to have any special knowledge we might or might not possess, depending on our upbringing and level of education.

The usage of names differed in western continents.

Everyone of our schoolmates would have known this, since we had learned about the differences between eastern and western culture as early as middle school. Contrary to our surname followed by given name structure, they placed their given name in front of their last name, which could be considered as a 'new value' for a Japanese person.

We were shown the Chinese spelling of the zodiac animals to prompt us to think outside of our usual comfort zone. Our assignment wasn't to think like a Japanese person might, but to take everything that was being said and provided to us into consideration, which would be expected from us if we ever visited other countries in the future.

Even Sudou, who had the worst English scores in our class, could order our names according to their alphabet. He would need some time and would scream in frustration because he couldn't read the letters, but he could get it done if he was forced to, which emphasized that even people with the lowest academic ability could work out the solution to this exam.

"So we order them conforming to the western alphabet, thus using our imagination and creating literal new values, right? According to the rules of the assignment, we also need to be mindful about the order of first and last names to create the list we are looking for. We all knew this, thus it only required our ability to 'process information thoroughly'."

"Exactly! And then the table looks like this..."

She opened up a second table she had prepared with our names in romaji. Afterwards, she colored the first name in the first group, the second name in the second ground and so forth until she finished her demonstration on the last zodiac animal. This final arrangement wasn't difficult to see, as our VIP's were close by and began to paint a clear picture.

Figure_4

"And that's the solution I arrived on, thanks to Sakura-san, Mii-chan and you. Since Satou-san's, Karuizawa-san's and my name line up with this pattern, it should be correct. Another indication is the number of boys and girls who had been chosen as the VIP in each group. We have six from each gender and three people per class, which makes the selection itself equal for everyone, just like you assumed."

"Kushida-san... that... You're a genius!"

My arms wrapped around her in delight.

With this explanation, we could reach the top.

As long as Class A didn't realize that such a pattern existed, we would occupy their spot after summer vacation. The solution was simple in hindsight, but most of us would have stopped after ordering the names in Japanese and not seeing a pattern before branching out to more difficult sequences.

I wouldn't have veered to the western way to write our names, and even if I did, I might not have remembered that their naming scheme differed from ours without someone who reminded me of this. Ryuuen, Ichinose-san and the others might run into a similar problem during their attempts to find the correct method.

We should end the groups as soon as possible, to mitigate risks.

If another class managed to crack the order as well, then our loss would be beyond miserable. Katsuragi-kun might not be a competitor, since he seemed to have trouble with his own classmates, which would explain his lack of information, but the other leaders should know about all of their VIPs.

"Thank you, but it was a team effort!"

Kushida-san's radiant smile was dazzling as she hugged me back.

"But we still have to decide who gets the private points in each group. There is also the matter of whether they get to keep them, or if they are to share their earnings with the rest of our classmates. I doubt that anyone would figure this out today, so we should talk again at around ten to decide on a final plan of action. This would allow us enough time to sort our thoughts and to think everything through until the end."

"Are you certain that it's a good idea to delay?" I peeked at the list and realized once again how simple the solution was if one understood the presented hints. "If we take them all out now, we wouldn't be running any risk that another class finishes the exam first. Waiting, even for just one or two hours, might be too dangerous."

"Mh, I understand your worries, but the chance is quite low if you think about it. Rather than running into trouble because of another class, we might have to struggle due to our own classmates. What would happen if we chose someone to send the name, and they kept the points to themselves? We couldn't do anything about it. We either would have to live with that knowledge, or tell the other students that we were deceived by one of our own. I don't want either of this to happen to my important friends." She grasped onto my hand with quivering eyes. "Everyone should get along. I can make sure of that by talking to them. Once I determine who wouldn't mind sharing the points, we can ask them to end the exam."

But this option would require time.

If we had met half an hour ago when she sent me her initial message, she might have had enough leeway to talk to most of our classmates before the second discussion took place. Taking my sweet time with Kiyotaka was a rational decision — okay, fine, maybe it wasn't 'rational' — but I didn't regret my choice either.

"Do you really think our classmates would trouble us?"

"We all know that Kouenji-kun wouldn't share his earnings with anyone, but this is only the case because he never tried to hide the fact that he is not interested in our class, or us as his classmates. I'm not saying that our companions might have any malicious intent, but in the end, it is currency we are talking about. We need to have a clear path to follow for everyone involved, or some students might decide that it was more beneficial to pocket a few points for themselves."

She stopped for a moment and lowered her head.

"It would be even worse if they come to regret this later, when everyone already distrusted them. I don't want anyone to be left out, which is why I'd like the chance to talk to them and make sure that the whole class gets a piece of the cake, without exceptions. We also need to consider our friends in the Horse, Rabbit and Dragon groups."

Kushida-san's concerns were valid.

I hadn't thought about the problems that could ensue in our class, since we were split up for this exam. Back on the island, it was easy to keep track of their movements, since everyone talked among each other. Here, I failed to realize that the students in those three groups might be left empty-handed, depending on their outcome.

What if the other groups didn't want to share?

If she could reduce the risks, it was worth the wait.

An internal feud like this would be a big initial disadvantage once we moved up to Class A. It was much safer to let Kushida-san handle the organization in the next few hours, compared to ending the exam now, which might lead to a civil war between certain students that might not agree with our proposals.

"Alright. Can I leave this to you then, Kushida-san?"

"Of course! I won't disappoint you, Matsushita-san!"

The charming chirps of crickets rang through the room.

Or that would have been the case if we weren't on sea.

What sounded like the inescapable birth of a terrible tongue twister turned out to be our second meeting on this fascinating first day of the exam, which began much worse than the previous one, since Ichinose couldn't have us introduce ourselves twice to the same group of people.

In a few hours, no less.

The six students belonging to Class A and C had determined that I lied and wasn't the designated VIP, or that's how it looked after they stopped stealing suspicious glances at my person once every few seconds, to check whether I was behaving in a weird or erratic way that might reveal my status.

Class B was much calmer in comparison.

Aside from Karuizawa and I, they were the only ones who were assured of our allotted student. If the rest of our faithful group mates thought about commencing a treacherous betrayal by messaging the school, they would have to take a blind guess and risk creating a rift of one hundred class points, which no rational person would do.

Ichinose was much more cheerful than before.

This sudden change in behavior suggested that she told her companions the truth about the last day of the island exam and her deal with Kouenji. My lovely, naïve idiot must have been devastated, eaten up by her own guilt, while her classmates chose to forgive her since they would have agreed to save me if she had asked them.

Not even my queen, who was nigh untouchable in the school's social sphere, knew these people as well as I did, which made it beyond easy to simulate how each of her classmates would have reacted to the news. Kanzaki, for example, would have been displeased if he hadn't already expected that she had paid someone to protect me.

She and her comrades must have suspected that I wanted to repay them for the debt I owed her. This lead to the assumption that I had informed her of our VIP without thinking about the potential consequences that might await me. They were hesitant to end the Rabbit group's exam, because they didn't know how Chiaki would react to my disloyalty.

Kikyou had also executed her mission to perfection.

Not only had she persuaded Chiaki to wait, which gave her full control over the end of the exam, she had also gotten back to me on the matter concerning Karuizawa. Apparently, she had heard about a similar incident from some second- and third-years during that time, but neither could name the people involved, which had complicated her initial investigation.

She speculated that one of the parties might talk to her if the circumstances changed for the worse, which was why she had made no moves to figure out the participants on each side. This, coupled with the fact that their little scene had attracted the attention of multiple upperclassmen, had assured her that this wasn't something I would be interested in.

Her reasoning was sound, and I was pleased with her work.

A lesser tool might have notified me about this without knowing the specifics, which would have wasted both of our times, as the whole affair might not have been important enough to warrant my interest. Kikyou, a high-class piece, knew that I would ask about this incident if it became relevant, whereupon she could begin to gather intelligence.

Unfortunately, we weren't at school.

The list of numbers and contacts I had received wouldn't do me any good, since I wasn't able to reach anyone in Tokyo. Otherwise, I could have used Fuka to approach one or two of the eyewitnesses to make them spill the beans of what they had seen. These statements could have been relayed to Manabe, who could act upon them on her own discretion.

Now I had to jump through some annoying hoops.

Risking one of my pieces being exposed was out of the question. Sotomura might just be a pawn, but he was one of the most valuable foot soldiers I had at my disposal. Endangering Kikyou was akin to committing premature suicide. Her information network was far too valuable to throw away in order to domesticate my first bishop.

Six pairs of narrowed eyes scrutinized my every move like a kettle of starving hawks as I took out my phone and typed a few quick messages. I slid the device back into my pocket without reacting to them and stretched my tired arms.

Ichinose forced an awkward smile as she glanced along my neck and noticed the bite marks Chiaki had left there during the latter part of our date. Himeno and Beppu scratched their cheeks and acted rather uncomfortable while Azuma peered at me in silent wonder, as she was quite innocent and childlike regarding such affairs.

The Professor seemed to be in a full-fledged trance and leaned against the back of his chair, facing the ceiling with his eyes shut. His muscles moved from time to time, which suggested that he took part in a battle of epic proportions, using the imagination he must have honed by playing a countless number of games. My hypotheses were affirmed by the micro movements of his hands and feet, as well as the strained expressions his face transitioned into.

Karuizawa was occupied with her phone.

Her chair stood much closer to Machida than before, almost as if she was trying to comfort herself using his reassuring presence now that her boyfriend wasn't around to protect her. The tension between her and Manabe was obvious, even outside the meeting room, which was why my concerned message to him just now shouldn't have come as a surprise.

Hirata sure was kind and reliable, huh?

Even if he was being used.

In a certain sense, I might even do him a favor.

He wasn't needed anymore once my cold grasp around Karuizawa's fragile, fractured heart took its sinister course, because I would take great care of my adorable dark bishop. With me backing her up, she had to fear no one.

All she needed to hand over to me in return was absolute, unconditional loyalty. If she broke this trust — this inevitable accord between a master and his faithful servant — then I would show her true horrors, ones she didn't dare imagine.

Kikyou's anguish would pale in comparison.

A sharp sigh escaped Ichinose's pursed lips.

She might have wanted to aim for outcome number one and tried to come up with a solution to help everyone, but she understood that a discussion between the attending students would lead us nowhere. Class B could end our group's exam whenever they wished, while the other classes were stuck at an impasse.

They didn't believe me, but it was impossible to figure out whether I had told the truth without all of us revealing the messages we had received. If one of them tried to solve this issue in such a manner, then none of Class B's or D's students would comply, which meant that the others could narrow the VIP down to the seven of us at most.

Thus, I kept talking with my friends.

Sotomura and Azuma joined the conversation as well, but it was still a rather boring hour. Nothing of substance had been said or done as we were just killing time for the sake of it. The Class C girls also threw in a sentence or two whenever Ichinose tried to include them into our trivial exchange to make them feel at ease, despite their apparent disinterest.

Machida and the others sat on their respective chairs, arms crossed and eyes shut. Kamuro sneaked a few more or less discreet glances at me throughout the whole duration, while Kito gazed over pretty much everybody in the group. Their conduct was enough evidence to determine that she had much more information than her partner, which confirmed Kikyou's report about Sakayanagi's right hand.

The cruiser's loudspeaker soon came to life and declared the discussion period to be over. Class A's three reconnaissance branch members stood up at the same time and left the room in silence. They scrambled out of the cabin even faster than Karuizawa and the annoyed Class C students, who followed them outside a moment later.

My bishop took the incoming call and walked off.

"Yes, Kushida-san?"

Assured that Kikyou had managed to reach her during the short available window, I stood up and said my farewells to the Professor, Azuma and my friends from Class B, before I strolled out of the room, back to my own lodgings. I grabbed my phone and made a few arrangements, which would establish the groundwork for future interactions.

[09:01:12 PM] I know it's already past nine because of the exam's discussion period, but I'm ordering a late meal, drinks and a few snacks from the room service since we've run out. Do you want something as well?

[09:01:43 PM][Hirata] No, but thank you for asking, Ayanokouji-kun. Karuizawa-san and I are meeting up in a few minutes, so I hope that I can smooth things over between her, Manabe-san and Morofuji-san before things escalate further. I'm very grateful for your message as well. You are a great friend.

So far so good...

Another message arrived a few moments later.

[09:02:02 PM][Kikyou] They are meeting at the Blue Ocean.

[09:02:14 PM] Perfect. Proceed according to plan.

[09:02:21 PM][Kikyou] Consider it done.

[09:02:35 PM] Sorry for putting you through so much trouble.

[09:02:46 PM][Kikyou] I won't complain if you compensate me.

[09:02:47 PM] Promise.

[09:02:59 PM][Kikyou] Good, I really need a long break after this shitshow. Ryuuen is fucking disgusting because he won't stop staring at my damn tits. Urgh, I just want to claw his fucking eyes out with my bare hands. I still can't believe that I have to be the damn VIP in this screwed up group. Why couldn't it have been someone from another class?!

Her current anger level seemed to have reached a boiling point because of Ryuuen's rather insolent, albeit expected, behavior. Similar to Horikita before, he wanted to upset my queen to see how she would act under pressure. This presented me with an opportunity to check one of the things I was curious about in our new relationship.

Would she change to please me?

[09:03:04 PM] You are not at all cute when you are cursing, you know?

[09:03:08 PM][Kikyou] Sorry...

[09:03:12 PM] I'm joking... come on.

My plan had backfired since she stopped replying afterwards.

The very first sight that greeted my golden orbs upon opening the door to our cabin were Kouenji's bare cheeks, which entered and vanished from my suspended view whenever he pushed himself up or down.

Some individuals might be elated due to such a surprising sight, but for me, it was just another regrettable meeting after I had already seen his dangling manhood when he strolled out of the bathroom the last time.

Why couldn't Yukimura or Hirata run into him?

This situation was even more pitiful when one recognized that I had seen him naked just as often as my own girlfriend, which was rather weird to think about. Aside from her, I had also seen Kikyou naked twice, but I hadn't been too interested in her during that time. My run in with Suzune was a total — but welcome — accident, even though I still couldn't confirm whether she had nothing to shave 'down there', as her own words in April had indicated.

And then there was the overnight stay with Sae...

Well, I should fix these blunders for my next girlfriend.

"You sure are diligent."

"Of course. I'm busy pursuing physical beauty."

Kouenji's deafening laugh echoed through the room while he repeated his handstand push-ups, as if they didn't put any strain on his muscles at all. He wasn't leaning against — or had positioned himself near — a wall like most would, and changed the number of fingers he pushed himself up with after every execution until he reached the lowest single digit.

Didn't he mention being a perfect existence?

Why would he need to chase physical beauty?

Despite my curiosity, I preferred not to ask, as I dreaded the potential answer he might come up with. There was no reason for him to train if he didn't want to, as he possessed riches and other advantages that normal people would kill for. His life might look 'perfect' from an outsider's perspective, but no one knew about the troubles that might plague him.

He was indeed quite intriguing.

"That aside, I'm curious, Ayanokouji-boy."

"About what?"

I sat down on the bed and examined his workout routine.

The exercises he repeated were nothing to scoff at, which was to be expected of someone with such a developed physique. No one could attain such a muscular, well-defined constitution without putting in a life's worth of effort for a prolonged amount of time. Kouenji might be a lot of things, but he wasn't lazy or undeserving of his family's legacy.

"When are you going to finish this embarrassment of an exam?"

"Mh, I don't know what you are talking about."

"Ayanokouji-boy, I don't like being taken for a fool. We are both aware that you are more than qualified for such a trivial task. I'm also not one to stoop so low as to plant a recording device in here. You should have known this, my friend."

Kouenji was a rather unique soul.

Even when he dealt with Ichinose and Chiaki during the island exam, he had never lied to them. His words and sentences had been chosen and crafted with great care, as he would deceive and mislead with structure and wording rather than fabricating an untruth that might hurt his reputation when found out.

Someone like him wouldn't plant a listening device.

"Do you know who the VIP in your group is?"

"Naturally."

He didn't break a sweat as he changed up his routine.

"The others?"

"None of my concern. I will give you until 12:59PM tomorrow before I'll end my group's exam, as I can't be bothered to listen to them for another second. They are irritating and far from perfect. It's unbecoming."

"Tell me your VIP's name, then?"

My classmate revealed a sly grin and stared at me.

A faint sigh escaped my lips as I shook my head.

He kept shifting his weight by bending, stretching or twisting his legs into different positions, whereupon certain muscles would be more or less strained, depending on his current exercise. The interior of the cabin remained silent for a moment as nothing but his calm breath and the gusts of wind caused by his movements drifted through the area.

We peered at each other and opened our mouths.

""Yamashita Saki.""

"Is everyone ready? Let's have a nice dinner!"

I launched myself off Karuizawa's bed and addressed her roommates and some of my friends who had met up with me, with a cheerful voice. All of us were glad that the discussion periods for today were over, as we preferred the free time on the ship over the annoying school-related matters that the teachers had squeezed into our schedule.

God, I hate them for this.

"Yeah, let's go!"

"Agreed, I'm starving."

"Those group discussions are too taxing."

"Let's not worry about that anymore and enjoy our evening."

An artificial, genuine sounding laugh escaped my lips.

Kiyotaka mentioned that he ate breakfast with Horikita at our destination before, which pissed me off more than I'd like to admit, but the food ought to be nice, so I had that going for me, at least. Even though I abhorred her and the thought of them having fun together, I was glad that he trusted me with this information.

Knowing this wasn't important, nor did it aid any of his usual plans for the class, but he still told me about his day without hiding the truth. This was just another affirmation that he confided in me more and more, which made me happy.

Usually, I would have been ecstatic for a different reason.

The thought of identifying private details like this, being aware of more dark secrets than anyone else, especially about someone as mysterious as him, was exhilarating. Betrayal, however, had never crossed my mind, despite my previous, rather successful, track record in destroying multiple lives and important relationships that my victims had fostered.

'I wouldn't be able to protect myself with mere party tricks', had been the first reason for my obedience. This negative connotation changed to loyalty as I began to cherish the time I could spend alone with him. Kissing Kiyotaka felt good and sleeping on his muscular chest was more comfortable than my own bed.

His warmth was my haven.

There was a time I had been afraid.

Not because of his actions, but before, whenever I had the feeling that my unstable house of cards might crumble again, in case another small mistake slipped through my fingers. This sentiment, which had followed me through the first month in high school, had changed as I reevaluated my position and the relationships I had formed with other students.

My conclusion was that I didn't need to be afraid anymore.

So what if someone revealed my deceitful persona?

Kiyotaka would take care of me.

And I would do anything for him in return.

If Ryuuen or Kouenji were to reveal my true thoughts to the outside world, he would make it all go away with a simple snap of his finger. A psychiatrist might have called me a brainwashed lunatic by now, but those were my honest feelings on this matter. My very own devil would fix everything that went wrong, whereupon I would accept the unconditional love and sincere apologies from everyone involved. They'd feel horrible and cheer for me even more after this short nightmare had concluded and was forgotten by the concerned parties.

Ahh, what fucking pieces of shit they were.

We strolled into the cafe as our group of seven sat down.

Trivial conversations began and traveled through the area for some of the other guests to hear. A few students from Class A greeted me with enthusiastic smiles that revealed their adoration for me, as I caught sight of Karuizawa and Hirata. They waved back at us and left the establishment as I peered over to the mechanical clock on the wall.

09:13 PM, around one hour until pandemonium.

Muffled sounds reverberated through the empty corridor.

The exhaustion that had built up due to today's events might have tired out my feet, but my steps were much swifter and more energetic than they had been this morning. I felt lighter and rather comfortable in my own skin, which was a feeling I could appreciate now that all the relevant secrets that weighed on my shoulders were out of my system.

Kanzaki-kun and my companions might have forgiven me without repercussions after this — in my eyes — unforgivable breach of trust, but I couldn't look past the one million private points I had stolen. We saved up for two months to reach such a high sum, even though all forty of us had pooled a generous portion of our points together.

Our class was indeed the best in the entire school.

If there was only one more person...

I ambled along the silent passageway as I picked up on unfamiliar, yet beautiful sounds that roamed through my ear canal. My light steps came to a sudden halt while I tried to discern where this fascinating, almost breathtaking melody originated from. The notes were gentle and subdued, yet still audible as I followed these harmonies to my destination.

Before long, I stood in front of a double door.

The delicate, muted sounds became more distinct as I studied the entryway to the music hall that hadn't shut due to the carpeted floor, which hindered the automatic closing mechanism from doing its primary job. Someone with a key, like a teacher or one of the ship's many staff members, must have sneaked inside to play a round on the piano.

What a wonderful theme...

My knowledge about music in a technical sense was close to nonexistent, but I loved listening to my favorite tunes, just like the next person. The genre and finer details depended on my mood and state of mind, but this specific piece stirred me in two opposing directions, as it sounded as comforting just as much as it was heartbreaking.

It reminded me of easier, bygone times.

Back then, my sister and I had chosen to take a quick break on one of our grocery shopping trips, as she complained about her feet, which were scraped after she had overworked herself during the sports festival in her school. She was beyond sleepy that day and just slumped into the fresh grass by the river before peering at the light-blue sky.

"Honami-nee-chan, look! A panda!"

A loud, excited exclamation had left her lips as she pointed at one of the many white clouds that had indeed looked like my favorite animal. With this single statement, she had trapped me in an almost endless cycle of spotting cute pets in the sky, which had prolonged our short expedition to the store for almost two and a half hours.

After all this time, I still remembered the following hour-long lecture we had to listen to once we arrived at home. Our mom hadn't been mad at us, rather she was worried sick because she dreaded that something might have happened.

Remembering these scenes was agonizing, yet delightful.

I reached out to the door and nudged it open.

No squeaking sounds or other loud and uncomfortable noises that might distract or interrupt the pianist and their beautiful play followed my movements, as I tried my best to enter the venue with a great deal of care as not to disturb them. I pushed my head forward, through the small crack I had created, as my eyes shot open in amazement.

There he sat.

His eyes were closed while his finger danced over the keys.

My heart skipped a beat.

Or two — maybe three.

I didn't know; I didn't care.

At this moment, I just wanted to listen.

This mesmerizing, spine-tingling play continued during the time my quiet steps led me into the concert hall, almost as if I had been hypnotized, captured by his brilliant act. I reached for the door and closed it as quietly as possible before all my focus turned back to him and the stage he illuminated with his staggering presence.

The wonderful, heart-wrenching melody that fluttered through the air like a pair of wings caused my dry mouth to widen. My whole body remained suspended, paralyzed behind the last row of the audience seats as I watched this inexplicable, overwhelming and spectacular performance play out in front of my eyes.

Unbeknownst to me, my hands had moved over my heart.

I might not have been aware of which piano pieces were famous or considered pleasing to the ears, or whether a pianist was good or bad according to his play, but I knew one thing for certain: this went beyond perfection.

Every single tap carried so much emotion that I almost teared up.

Another door near the stage swung open as the piece increased in tempo and intensity. Still astonished by this whole situation, my body moved on its own and dove behind the chairs next to me in order to stay hidden from this new arrival.

Was this a natural reaction?

The school didn't explicitly state that we weren't supposed to be in this concert hall, but the door had always been locked, which was why everyone had figured that this room was off-limits to us students.

A strong vibration spread through my pockets as Ayanokouji-kun began to hit the first high notes. Another tremor coursed through my whole frame with each and every following tone that his nimble fingers produced.

This had been the first time I had received messages in such a quick succession, which meant that something important must have happened. I shielded my phone to hide the screen's bright display and pressed the power button, whereupon my two shivering orbs widened once again.

These notifications were as unbelievable as the current situation.

[ANHS] The test has now ended for the Rat group. Those in the Rat group are no longer required to take part any further. Please do not disturb the other students.

[ANHS] The test has now ended for the Ox group. Those in the Ox group are no longer required to take part any further. Please do not disturb the other students.

[ANHS] The test has now ended for the Tiger group. Those in the Tiger group are no longer required to take part any further. Please do not disturb the other students.

[ANHS] The test has now ended for the Snake group. Those in the Snake group are no longer required to take part any further. Please do not disturb the other students.

[ANHS] The test has now ended for the Goat group. Those in the Goat group are no longer required to take part any further. Please do not disturb the other students.

[ANHS] The test has now ended for the Monkey group. Those in the Monkey group are no longer required to take part any further. Please do not disturb the other students.

[ANHS] The test has now ended for the Rooster group. Those in the Rooster group are no longer required to take part any further. Please do not disturb the other students.

[ANHS] The test has now ended for the Dog group. Those in the Dog group are no longer required to take part any further. Please do not disturb the other students.

[ANHS] The test has now ended for the Pig group. Those in the Pig group are no longer required to take part any further. Please do not disturb the other students.

His marvelous play halted for a second before the piece continued in a slow and harmonious manner as soon as the ninth message had reached my phone. The impeccable timing in which his play and the messages overlapped was impossible to achieve, both by accident and on purpose, since no one could manipulate another person's moves to such a degree.

Was it really so unreasonable, though?

The messages had trickled in as he reached the climactic part in his performance, mere seconds before the section slowed down again. All high notes stuck out and had been accompanied by a notification until all but three groups finished the exam. At least one of these groups housed Class D's Karuizawa Kei, who Ayanokouji-kun had confirmed to be the VIP.

They won again...

Worried that someone else might walk in through the door I had used to slip inside, I crawled away, along the row of seats that were arranged in a semi-circular fashion. I had this dreadful, distressing feeling that I shouldn't have been here, but I couldn't leave now that a third party had entered the room through the second entrance.

Even though I was concerned, I couldn't help but enjoy every passing second of Ayanokouji-kun's serene performance. If he found me, he would understand that all of this was just an accident after I explained everything to him.

So why didn't I just stand back up?

His play went on as the gentle melody picked up the pace during the exciting parts, before it slowed down again for the comfort to kick back in. A similar pattern recurred until the last note faded — dissolved into the surroundings.

Applause echoed through the hall-like room.

The steps that followed originated from a woman, a strict, business-oriented teacher, to be exact. Other passengers, aside from Chabashira-sensei, like the students or the staff, wouldn't wear high heels that would create such a unique sound.

"Impressive, Ayanokouji. I could never reach such an exquisite standard of play, even if I had a whole lifetime to learn a single song. You should feel honored. I rarely praise my students, much less with such a high-level compliment."

"Thank you for opening the door for me."

I propped myself up and peeked through the crack between the seats to observe what the two were doing. Ayanokouji-kun sat in front of the piano and caressed the instrument with his hands, which were covered in thin black gloves. He looked down at the spot in front of the stage where Chabashira-sensei stood with his usual laid-back expression.

Was it easier to play with them?

Or did they serve another purpose?

"The messages during the performance. They were your doing, I presume?"

"Haven't you checked yet? Reading them should answer your question."

What were they talking about?

His doing?

She insinuated that Ayanokouji-kun was the reason for these messages, but this was impossible. He sat here, right in front of both of us, and had played a song during that time. It was absurd to believe that he had somehow ended the exam.

But why wasn't he denying it?

"To be honest, I was unable to break free from your captivating performance. Besides, it is rather rude to check one's cell phone while listening to such a delightful piece. 'Nuvole Bianche' by Ludovico Einaudi, right?"

Ayanokouji-kun, I'm so sorry!

I didn't mean to be rude!

My head bowed by reflex as I atoned in my mind.

"It's not a difficult or complex piece, but I enjoy its simplicity quite a lot. 'White Clouds' might remind an individual of freedom, don't you think?" He cracked a faint, melancholic smile. "How does it feel? To be Class C's homeroom teacher?"

A heartfelt, genuine laugh followed his question.

Chabashira-sensei had a captivating smile, which none of us students had ever seen before. I and many others hadn't known that she could produce such a wholesome, delighted expression, since she was rather strict and professional during school hours. Contrary to our instructor, she didn't get as close to her class, nor did she want them to succeed.

Or that's how it seemed from my perspective...

His question was confusing, since they would be Class A or B after this examination, but the two of them seemed so close and comfortable around each other that I had no time to wonder about his words. I felt out of place since they acted like good friends that humored each other with secret inside jokes that no one but them could make sense of.

"It's great, but I'm still in a predicament because of you."

Why would she be in trouble because of him?

"A small timeout from your eventual spot as Class A's homeroom teacher isn't too much of a price to pay for Class D's sudden and unexpected rise to glory, don't you agree? It's only natural that the faculty would think of foul play gone wrong, but since I'm on your side, you have nothing to worry about."

What did he mean by that..?

"Such a situation never occurred before, but I assume that Class D might receive a temporary homeroom teacher, depending on how long they plan to investigate me for. Your abilities are just a little too unbelievable, so I can't fault them for suspecting me. Say, how much time did you need to figure out the pattern?"

Wait, what pattern?!

"Who knows?"

That's such an Ayanokouji-kun answer...

"That's such an Ayanokouji-esque reply. If you don't want to share any specifics, then that's fine with me, but tell me what you have planned with Class D's VIPs, at least. I assume you have taken measures to stop Class A from overtaking us?"

"This information is none of your concern, is it? I dragged you to the top, just like I promised. As long as you keep your end of our agreement, I will continue to make sure that we'll never leave this comfortable position until we graduate."

No... this can't be right...

It's all untrue... he couldn't have...

Matsushita-san won the island exam, didn't she?

And what's with this manner of speaking?

This is different...

He is different...

His voice and mannerism, the gestures...

All of it — everything is wrong.

That person isn't the Ayanokouji-kun I know.

"Of course, I wouldn't go back on my word."

"Then could you do something for me right now?"

Ayanokouji-kun glanced at her with genuine curiosity in his eyes while his instructor leaned against the seat with a taciturn expression. They stared at each other, almost as if an unseen telepathic conversation took place between them.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Can you sing for me if I play a song?"

What?!

"What?!"

"You might not believe me, but I'm serious. I was fascinated by your voice the moment I heard it during our first homeroom lesson and I always hypothesized how your singing would sound. The one I want you to perform doesn't have too many lyrics, so I would appreciate a positive answer to my inquiry."

Chabashira-sensei seemed quite surprised, but she should have arrived at the same conclusion I reached. Ayanokouji-kun wanted to hear this song from her mouth and no one else's. He must have asked her to open this concert hall for a reason and followed a clear path after she had entered. Their current conversation was inevitable, even though it sounded absurd.

And I wasn't supposed to hear any of this...

Did Ayanokouji take care of both exams?

No, we knew for certain that Matsushita —

Or did we..?

The person in front of the grand piano was a stranger.

He looked like Ayanokouji-kun, but felt like a bizarre, twisted version of him whenever he moved or opened his mouth. If everything they talked about was true, then he used Matsushita-san and me to further his goals. This meant that she never feigned her surprise when we visited them to conclude our deal, but he made us think that she did. We had never talked with her about anything that could endanger us, because we trusted Ayanokouji-kun as if he was one of our own.

Neither he nor Chabashira-sensei had a reason to lie.

Kanzaki-kun and I had made a terrible mistake.

Did he use us..?

Use me?

It couldn't be real — none of it.

There had to be another explanation.

"What do you want me to sing?"

A smile surfaced on his face as she walked up the stage.

Class D's homeroom teacher glanced at Ayanokouji-kun's phone as a pained grin streaked across her delicate face. His swift fingers began to move and flew over the keys, whereupon multiple sorrowful notes left the piano. Chabashira-sensei wasn't using his device to look at the lyrics, which indicated that she either knew the song from before or had memorized each word with a quick peek.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now I am found

Was blind, but now I see

′Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears, relieved

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils and snares,

We have already come

'Twas grace has brought us safe thus far

And grace will lead us home

The last verse was followed up with a mournful, almost tragic piano solo that must have reflected Ayanokouji-kun's complicated frame of mind. Each keystroke, filled with emotion, brought the familiar melody to life. I recognized the piece from somewhere, but I couldn't remember the name or where I had heard it before. The chorus and theme suggested an ecclesiastical background, like a hymn that would be played at church in different western countries.

Eventually, the venue fell silent again.

"Do you believe in God, Sae?"

"I don't and never will."

"Mh, I believe in myself and the message this gospel conveys. I want to hold on to the faint notion that forgiveness and redemption are possible, regardless of the sins a person has committed. My soul may not be cleansed by the mercy of a nonexistent almighty god, but I want to think that everyone can earn a second chance in life."

"Is that why you wanted me to sing?"

"Who knows?" He shrugged and observed her annoyed complexion, which grew more frustrated whenever he didn't respond. "Maybe I just wanted to hear your lovely singing voice, which was pleasing to the ears, just as expected."

Chabashira-sensei smacked his head...

... before a loud slap reverberated through the hall.

My eyes widened in incredulity as this unbelievable scene repeated in form of an endless loop. I had to cover my mouth to stop myself from gasping in astonishment as the charming smile that had surfaced on Chabashira-sensei's face turned colder than ice in the split second after his flat palm smacked her butt.

"Are you serious? Again?"

AGAIN?!

"I think we're even. For now..."

The person I had recognized as Ayanokouji Kiyotaka crumbled with every action this boy took. None of the words that left his mouth reminded me of the adorable guy I had fallen in love with, but it had to be him. He was, without a doubt, the student my classmates and I had built such a strong bond with that we decided to support him in any way we could.

Chabashira-sensei leaned against the piano with folded arms.

"You won't beat someone up again, right?"

What was she talking about now?

"Whatever could you mean, Sae?"

How is he just calling a teacher by her first name?

"Come on, we both know that you assaulted the guy that molested Sakura. I heard that he looked half-dead when the security guards got to him. Chipped teeth, broken bones and a screwdriver right next to his femoral artery. The doctor's preliminary examination identified rather interesting black traces of silk in his mouth." She stared deep into his golden orbs. "Almost as if the attacker had worn gloves."

"Coincidences can be freaky, huh?"

He glanced at his veiled hands and turned back to the piano.

Once again, he didn't reply and just shrugged Chabashira-sensei's question off without batting an eye. I didn't want to believe what she said, but it was indisputable that he must have brutalized that store clerk to such a terrifying degree. There were so many things about him I didn't know, and all of them sent cold shivers down my spine.

But he did this to protect his classmate, right?

That should count for something...

Was this the reason he sought salvation?

My fractured, disillusioned mind kept coming up with noble, elaborate excuses for his current behavior, neither of which I could tell myself for long. I couldn't condone or explain his attitude while I kept ruminating about the sincerity of his words in each of our previous conversations.

How much of it was real?

Had he lied to me the entire time?

Used me because of my trusting nature?

"Well, I figured as much. You might not have faith in anyone but yourself, but I don't mean you any harm. I have a small gathering to attend to now, so please excuse my premature farewell. Let me know once you are done, so I can close up."

The door shut and Ayanokouji-kun played another song.

Similar to the first one, I didn't know its name or who had written the piece, but I felt wistful as the sounds entered and left my ears. It was saddening, yet powerful and calming. My thoughts, stirred by everything I had learned just now, couldn't help but revolve around him as his performance gave off an aura of mystery and unshakeable composure.

Time passed, and his fingers slowed down.

Another visitor strode into the room and said nothing until the last tone ceased to resonate. I couldn't tell who it was, since I wasn't brave enough to peek through the cracks without knowing where they stood. Whoever just entered might be able to see me, depending on their position. Moving or glancing towards the stage was too dangerous.

"Wow... That sounded amazing."

Kushida-san?

"Thank you. Did everything work out as planned?"

"Yes, it was a logistical nightmare, but everything worked out as per your request. I can't even imagine the dumbfounded faces of Ryuuen and the other students when they realize that they lost the exam on the first day. Every time you act, I have to wonder if anyone at this school can hold a candle to you."

"No one can beat a god, Kikyou."

"You calling yourself 'God' now? Well, I can't disagree."

Her amused laugh echoed through the auditorium, which made it difficult to pinpoint whether she had taken his words as a fact or a bad joke. The stranger on the piano shook his head, unwilling to explain the meaning of this statement.

His remark sounded genuine, however.

He was assured that no one could trump him.

Or had I also misinterpreted his words?

"The matter with Sakura?"

Sakura-san again?

Could Kushida-san know about the store clerk?

"Her roommates shouldn't be too hard on her after Matsushita explains that I solved the puzzle with their help. I altered your explanation somewhat to include things that your girlfriend and Mii-chan said as well."

So that's how they dealt with the exam this time.

Ayanokouji-kun must have solved the test, just like Chabashira-sensei said, whereupon he informed Kushida-san of the solution. She visited Matsushita-san and masqueraded as the person who had found a pattern that revealed all VIPs.

Did he do the same on the island?

If those two had worked together, then it was plausible that he might have moved all of us according to a predetermined path. She was one of the most popular and trusted individuals in our grade — maybe even the whole school. None of her statements on the island had been out of character for her, but this was the strength he must have been counting on.

"Sorry for burdening you so much today."

"You said you'd make it up to me. That's more than enough."

Kushida-san's feet carried her up the stage, where she halted her movements. A cute laugh fled her lips as she pulled out a pair of similar black gloves from her blazer pocket and presented them to Ayanokouji-kun with a proud smirk.

She knew about his violent actions as well...

"I knew they'd come in handy someday."

"Never expected that you would buy a pair... that's adorable." She slid into the gloves and sat down on the same chair as him after he made some space to his right. "Kouenji figured out his VIP as well, as predicted, I guess.."

"Are you sure he won't be a problem?"

Her worries were genuine.

Did Kouenji-kun do something as well?

No...

Don't tell me...

Had Ayanokouji-kun mentioned my balance?

But... why would he do that?

Just to hurt me?

To see how far I would go for him?

Matsushita-san had never planned to poison anyone, and she also wasn't the reason for Chihiro-chan's sickness. Ayanokouji-kun had slipped her the wrong berries to force a retirement, because he knew that we would never let her stay, like Horikita-san did. Afterwards, he mimed a symptom to incriminate his girlfriend, who we already distrusted.

Why poison her?

Because of the leader position?

No, that's nonsense...

"He won't become one. I am more certain of that now than before. Kouenji needed two sessions to figure out the VIP, which confirmed his cold reading abilities. He had no baseline from most of these people, so he didn't know how they would behave in a relaxed environment. Once he knew the signs, he just needed to find someone who wasn't as comfortable, since the VIP would be worried about being found out."

Is that why he knew about my feelings?

They knew about each other, so it wouldn't be strange to assume that they might have worked together on the island. If they planned his accident and our meeting afterwards, then they stole points from both Matsushita-san and Class B.

Were they trying to amass twenty million?

But they were in Class A already...

"Could you narrow down who is helping Matsushita?"

What?

"Yes. It's Horikita Manabu. Suzune's brother in the third year."

"Wait. The student council president? Why would he help us?"

His classmate jumped up in surprise, unable to believe his words.

If I hadn't been hiding, I would have reacted with a similar amount of astonishment, as his words were nothing short of unimaginable. I might not know Horikita-senpai as well as Tachibana-senpai or Nagumo-senpai, but I was assured that he wouldn't interfere in the competition of a lower grade.

"Do you remember the day I showed you my point balance?"

"The twenty-six million? I was shocked, so it's hard to forget."

WHAT?!

"Not all of those points had been mine. I extorted the elder Horikita with a recording I had made when he beat up his sister. Ten million private points as payment and twenty million as a one time loan, which he would get back within twenty-four hours. It took him a moment to scrap the points together, but he managed to fulfill his end of the bargain. This must have been the trigger that prompted him to approach Chiaki and Ichinose. He helped the former with information and strategies to support the class under a pretense of wanting to help his sister or something similar, and placed the latter in the student council — in his immediate sphere of influence — even though he had declined her before. I suspect that he did both things to exert some authority over them, since he realized that they were important to me."

Wait, I'm important to him?

Stop, stop, stop!

That's not what I should think about right now.

This is too much information.

Horikita-senpai hit his sister?

Ayanokouji-kun blackmailed him?

Had I just been accepted as a bargaining chip?

I slumped towards the ground and stared at my quivering hands. Tears began to gather in the corners of my eyes, since nothing that happened transpired because of the things I did. Horikita-senpai didn't reconsider my application because of the potential he saw in me, but to have a hostage for his inevitable battle with Ayanokouji-kun.

Just why..?

Why would he hurt me so much?

Scenes from our past interactions spun around my mind like an old vinyl record as waves of emotions surged through my entire being like a disastrous tidal wave that devastated everything in its path. Pain, sadness, anxiety, heartache and agony — words that all meant the same thing, buried me in a cluster of toxic, pernicious thoughts that prompted even more tears and low, muffled cries as I bit into the sleeve of my blazer to keep my voice down.

This grief was excruciating, torturous, and heart-wrenching.

'I like you, Ichinose...'

His radiant statement from back then cut through the darkness and pushed it aside like the radiant moonlight during the darkest of nights. These words, at least, were truthful. I could be assured of that much. Ayanokouji-kun said it himself. Horikita-senpai used me, because I was important to him.

'How could I ever hate you?'

Yeah, I felt the same way...

Even after knowing all of this, I still —

My thoughts stopped, interrupted by their conversation.

"Are you sure that it's wise to make so many enemies? You messed with the student council president, one of the most powerful individuals at the school, and conducted some dubious deals with Kouenji. I know better than anyone else how capable you are — I do — yet I can't help but worry. What if something goes wrong?"

"Have you forgotten what I said on the beach?"

"How could I forget that?"

A sigh fled her lips before she leaned into him.

They were close friends, but this situation felt different. Their behavior around each other seemed too familiar, almost as if she was Ayanokouji-kun's girlfriend. I should be the last person to evaluate how close he was to other girls, however, since I wasn't much better than Kushida-san. Similar to her, I also enjoyed his warmth and wanted to be close to him.

Was she also in love?

"What are we going to do about our VIPs?"

"I'll gift them to Ichinose, but I still need some time in our group. She knows about Karuizawa, and if I tell her about Satou and you in a few days, she will figure that I felt guilty for what 'Chiaki' did and had me do today. None of her classmates would think that I'd lie to her, so it's safe to assume that she'll end the groups by then. The extra 150 points from our three groups would place them right behind us in the hierarchy."

Satou-san and Kushida-san are the other VIPs?

But why would he give them to us?

Class C would be a much better choice from a tactical perspective if he wanted to give them away, which made little sense. It wouldn't be a problem to keep quiet for the rest of the exam and aim for the best outcome for their class, which would involve none of the other classes figuring out their VIPs.

Kushida-san stood and put some distance between them.

Her complexion was rather depressed, almost as if she had received bad news. She clenched her trembling fists and stared at Ayanokouji-kun, who regarded her unexpected actions with his usual apathetic expression.

"You do like her, don't you? Ichinose, I mean. That's why you've been dragging them along all this time. Leaving them alone on the island might have been part of your plan, but you aren't using them as a shield for the other classes to pound on, like you proclaimed. There is another reason, isn't there? You don't want her to fail."

"That's not entirely true."

No... he was lying.

I was sure about that.

"Isn't it? Then why else do you want to stay in the Rabbit group? It's not because of Karuizawa, I know that for certain, because I supplied you with the information you needed. I might not have known you for very long, but I learned more about you than anyone else at this school. You are changing, and you have noticed this yourself, haven't you?"

"Do you really think so? Because I don't. I'm still the same horrible, defective human being that walked through the gates on the first day of school. Ichinose is interesting and I believe that I can learn a lot from her. She experiences emotions, friendship, and trust, unlike me, who feels nothing but apathy and a faint, numb sensation. If she were to see me like this, I would be nothing but a stranger. As long as I keep the Ayanokouji Kiyotaka she loves alive and well, she will continue to teach me her compassionate way of perceiving this cruel world. Ichinose could be the light that guides me out of the darkness I've been trapped in for all of my life. While I use people like chess pieces and move them around as I please, she thinks about everyone and tries to be fair, kind and merciful. One day I will tell her about me, because I need to confirm her reaction upon seeing the monster I have kept hidden. Only then can my learning process end."

She reached out to his cheek and caressed along his soft skin.

"I can help you with that as well..."

"You know that's not correct."

Kushida-san tiptoed forward and squeezed his head into her chest.

"Just what happened to you before all of this?"

His classmate voiced my exact thoughts.

Ayanokouji-kun — this true version of him — was different to the one I met every day. He was confident, cold and calculating to the core. His actions and words were cruel, but he recognized how much he hurt everyone around him.

This boy wasn't evil, but self-deprecating.

He despised himself for the way he thought and must have decided to stay so close to me because he wished that my generosity and kindness would rub off on him. That I might somehow be able to fix his frozen heart.

"Nothing really happened to me."

I shouldn't have been aware of this side of him, but it made me care even more. Ayanokouji-kun was aware of how ruthless his actions were, but he didn't feel guilty. There was no remorse — only the wish to change — to be forgiven, and to become a better person. All this new information might have scared me, but I wouldn't abandon him, no matter what.

Maybe he was just using me to learn, but I would do my best to teach him — demonstrate that people could be considerate and sympathetic. I wanted to show him that we could spend our time together without being enemies.

"If you ever want to open up to someone..."

"I know. Thank you Kikyou."

"Haaah!" She let go of Ayanokouji-kun and slapped her cheeks until they were red. "I always wanted to play because it looked pretty interesting in movies and shows, but I never had the chance to try."

Kushida-san displayed her usual cheery demeanor.

Similar to Matsushita-san and me, she cared about him a lot and seemed to be the only one of us who knew about the real Ayanokouji-kun, in an official capacity, at least. She was discouraged and didn't want to hear the answer to the first question that started this subject, but she pushed through to help him realize his own thoughts. He might have been conscious of everything, but voicing these concerns differed from keeping them hidden.

"Let me teach you something simple, then."

He took her fingers and placed them on the piano before they played another piece together. It was slow and much simpler than anything he had performed prior to this, but it was the proper tempo to teach someone the ropes. Kushida-san followed his lead and gave it her all, despite some rather obvious — and unpleasant — mistakes.

I'd be surprised if I had performed any better.

My phone kept vibrating like crazy as I received multiple messages from my classmates, asking where I was and what we were going to do about the exam. I assured them that I was alright, but got held up somewhere, as I couldn't tell them about anything that had transpired in this concert hall.

Once again, I lied.

But this time, it wasn't only to protect him.

Someone this calculating and ruthless was even more dangerous than Ryuuen-kun, who never hid his behavior. If he discerned that my classmates knew about him, I couldn't be sure whether they were still safe. Ayanokouji-kun had tortured a man, poisoned Chihiro-chan and might have done even worse things I didn't know about.

Endangering them was the last thing I wanted.

And the same went for him.

My classmates and the other students wouldn't understand his misery if word about his true self got out. He might be scorned and cast out by every single student due to the things he had done, which might push him over an edge he couldn't return from. I could never let this happen, because he needed to see the world through my eyes.

Despite his faults, my heart kept beating for him.

The pulsations that echoed through my veins might have gotten stronger from that moment onwards. Some might call it a woman's intuition, while others would call me foolish or blinded by love, but I saw through the lie he had uttered.

Ayanokouji-kun liked me, and didn't want this class to fail.

I will show him that I don't need his protection.

Ryuuen-kun, Katsuragi-kun or even Sakayanagi-san — I can manage them — even without his help. Kanzaki-kun, my classmates and I were more than skilled enough to handle Class B's defense and offense if we worked together as a team.

With my hand pressed on my heart, I uttered this vow.

A promise from me to him.

"I will never abandon you."

"That was fun, even though my playing sounded awful..." Kikyou's gentle giggle floated along the walls of the music hall as she hopped off the stage. "We've been here far too long. I hope that no one is worried about me."

"I'm glad you had fun. You deserve a break."

My queen plopped down on one of the audience seats in the first row and began applauding my previous performance with renewed vigor. Her adorable smile was blinding, almost painful to look at after everything I had done to her.

She could never return to the Kushida Kikyou from before the rooftop, which was a favorable outcome for me, but a disastrous one for her as a still evolving human being. Her trembling fingers would try to stick her shattered core together time and time again, but she could never escape the horrors she had been forced to endure during that day — would never outrun the devil that haunted her for the rest of this miserable life.

Yet, I didn't feel a thing.

No pity for her grim future, which would be filled with hardships and an unbearable amount of psychological pain. No regrets that I had destroyed this feeble girl's life at such a young, almost innocent age. And no love or affection, despite all the romantic and thoughtful actions I had performed to ease her worries.

I met so many kind and beautiful women...

Suzune, who had changed for the better following our first, rather unfortunate meeting in front of the gates. The initial steps in our friendship might have been quite difficult, but I was glad that we made progress during this first semester.

Ichinose, who had shown me how important friends could be to someone, was beyond fascinating and wished for everyone to be happy. In her naïve view, there was no reason to fight, as we could all graduate this school together.

Chiaki, who had gifted me her heart and her genuine, unforgettable love. It didn't matter how our story ended, because the beginning had already been written. The main part might have been drafted, but our conclusion remained unresolved.

Karuizawa and Satou could be counted as two of the first friends I had ever made. The former might not be the smartest while the latter wasn't the best looking, but both of them were important to me. We hadn't known each other before April, but they accepted me, even though I wasn't as popular or handsome as Hirata. Their warnings about Ike, Yamauchi and the other perverted guys had saved me from being sucked into their bad influence before it was too late.

Fuka, who was the first girl that accepted this vicious and disgusting part of me without being appalled, was inquisitive about the things she couldn't explain. Rather than fearing me, she wanted to know more about my mysterious past.

Sae, who fought with her own demons, was prepared to threaten a student — bend him to her will until she succeeded. She wanted to flee from her very own bird-cage — wished to leave behind the past that shackled her to the inescapable labyrinth she had found herself in. Both of us were just looking for a way out of our respective prison.

... yet none of these wonderful, generous souls had changed me or managed to mend this broken, inconceivable dark void that festered deep inside my blackened heart like a malignant tumor that clawed at the last smoldering ember.

I yearned for love — craved to feel emotions.

Both positive and negative.

But nothing could penetrate this towering, numbing black safeguard that devoured every single sentiment before I could experience just a fraction of anything that could hinder me from achieving my goals. The only objective that it stopped me from completing was the one I desired the most:

To tear this whole damn thing down.

"That reminds me... I wanted to ask you about something I didn't understand." The dazzling smile on her lips augmented her pyrope garnet orbs, which peered at me for approval. Only a monster could have refused a request that was posed in such a captivating manner. "This exam, or rather, the solution, was too simple. How can you be certain that you found the correct pattern and didn't just luck out in case the arrangements in our class overlapped by accident?"

Kikyou's question wasn't surprising, since she knew me rather well and must have realized that I would never have instructed her to end the exam if I hadn't been certain about the solution I had found, as she would be implicated in case it turned out to be wrong. It wasn't a stretch to consider that this interpretation might have been a ruse by the school, as they could have used a different sequence for each class.

"Did you know that each zodiac animal has different relationships with the others? Some of them form so-called 'best matches', while others would only be qualified as 'good' or might even oppose each other, due to their characteristics."

My queen rested her slim index finger on her chin.

Multiple low, adorable hums escaped her charming lips as she thought about a myriad of conversations she must have had with her friends and followers throughout her life, wondering whether she had ever heard similar things.

"Do you mean like those romantic horoscopes?"

"Yeah, exactly. Have you heard about the four compatible groups?"

"I've heard about physical, emotional and intellectual compatibilities, but I assume that's not what you are hinting at, right? Aside from Mii-chan and maybe Shiranami, I don't know anyone who might be interested in this stuff. Even with them in mind, I'm not sure how serious they would take these things or if they would be helpful."

"The twelve Chinese zodiac signs can be categorized into four groups of three animal allies known as 'San He', which means 'three harmonies'. It is said that those three animals live together in a group, understand each other, and bring good luck to the rest. These three are the best possible matches, according to your horoscope. If you were born in the year of the Dragon, for example, your 'San He' would be Rat and Monkey. Do you follow so far?"

From hereon out, there were multiple ways to interpret the information I had given her. One option would be to think that each 'San He' would reveal the VIPs of one class, which we could already rule out as we knew the groups of our allotted students. Another possibility was the one Kikyou would think of due to the extensive understanding she possessed.

"Is that why the teacher told us to 'ignore the prior fraught relationships'? This statement wasn't meant for us students to work closely in our group, but a hint for the zodiac signs who would have their own relations, different to ours."

"Correct. As I've mentioned, there are four groupings. Dragon, Rat and Monkey is the first. Ox, Snake and Rooster is the second. Tiger, Horse and Dog is the third. And the fourth is Rabbit, Goat and Pig. Aside from these 'San He', you can widen each signs relationship into somewhat of a compatibility chart. A horoscope of sorts, just like you said. You'll understand it better if I show you what I mean, so come back up."

Kikyou jumped off the chair and strolled up the small stairs to the stage. I moved to the side to make some space for her, just like before, but she ignored the empty area to my right and forced her way between my legs. She stuck out her tongue and leaned back into my chest as I pulled out my phone.

I opened a picture, ready to draw on it.

Figure_Zodiac_Explanation_1

"This is a standard Chinese zodiac circle. If you mark the 'San He' with a number for each group, it looks like this."

Figure_Zodiac_Explanation_2

"Those are their close allies, or in a romantic sense, their best matches. Since the form of the chart is circular, you can see that each zodiac animal is opposite to another one, which could be seen as a poor match, or enemy. Meaning the poor match for Rat would be Horse, while Goat would be a bad match for Ox and so on."

Figure_Zodiac_Explanation_3

"Aside from each animal's closest allies and the worst possible matches, they also have a close friend, so to speak."

Figure_Zodiac_Explanation_4

"Damn, your lines are skewed."

"That's not what you are supposed to look at."

My fist bumped against her head, whereupon a delighted giggle illuminated the music hall with her colorful charm. She turned around, mouthed a mischievous, reticent, 'sorry', and kissed my neck to mask Chiaki's mark with her own.

Was she envious of her?

Kikyou was about to shift back to my phone's display as I grabbed onto her soft chin and put a passionate kiss on her delicious lips. She tasted like the sweets she had eaten in the Blue Ocean and I couldn't help but continue to devour her.

For a few more seconds, at least.

"With what we know so far, we have two best matches for each animal, a close friend and one enemy. If we turned this information into a cleanly arranged table format, we would get something like this."

I opened up the chart I had created and showed it to her.

Figure_Zodiac_Explanation_5

"All of our VIPs are part of different 'San He'. If we were to add this to our table, what could we infer?"

Figure_Zodiac_Explanation_6

"Um..." Kikyou played with her upper lip before a cute gasp slipped through the cracks. "Wait, could it be that the signs in the zodiac column cannot share a class with the ones from other columns? It also looks like the allies cannot be the same class twice, at least according to what we have so far. Since it never happened to us, it would be fair to assume, right?"

"Correct. Now, what can we do with this knowledge? The most simple approach to narrow down a potential solution to this exam would be to create a list of groups where the VIPs cannot be in the same class, leaving ours out of the equation since it would be redundant and therefore unnecessary to display."

Figure_Zodiac_Explanation_7

"Now, it's much easier to read. Let's use the pattern I noticed on this list and start with the first three to make things easier to grasp. If the arrangement I came up with is correct, then nothing will overlap."

Figure_Zodiac_Explanation_8

"We can determine that the VIP in the Monkey group cannot be from Class A or C, thus has to be a Class B student, together with Ox. If we check the solution you gave Chiaki, we can see that the Monkey group's VIP is indeed from Class B. Now, if we keep expanding this, we can confirm that the chart looks like it should."

Figure_Zodiac_explanation_9

"That's how I could verify that the explanation I had discovered was the appropriate one. If the pattern turned out to be incorrect, then the table wouldn't have ended up this way, which would have informed me of a faulty method. It's not a one-hundred percent certainty, of course, but the chance that the whole table would work out like this with a wrong solution that made sense from a pattern perspective was abysmal at best. For example, if we solved the exam with a wrong method that would still fit our three VIPs, we'd come up with something like this."

Figure_Zodiac_Explanation_10

"The pattern already fails on the second group, since the VIP from Snake and Ox cannot share a class. If we keep building upon this wrong solution, we can spot even more inconsistencies and overlaps in the groupings."

Figure_Zodiac_Explanation_11

"This proof of concept makes it improbable that the solution I detected is wrong, since there are only so many arrangements that would be consistent with our information and much less that would fulfill both conditions."

Kikyou glanced at me with wide, shaking eyes.

Her mouth, which had already been wide agape before, opened even further. My queen's moist tongue, which wriggled around her oral cavity, coupled with the awestruck expression on her charming face, reminded me of today's Chiaki. I pushed these offensive thoughts aside, cursed Ike and tried to wake Kikyou from her shock-induced paralysis.

"What?"

Did I perhaps do something wrong?

Was there a flaw in my reasoning?

Or why would she react this way?

"Just how smart are you? No one would figure something like this out! Are you a genius or something? You've told me to meet up with Sakura seconds after you saw the list I've sent you. This means that you must have realized that this was the solution in such a short amount of time. Who in the world are you to be capable of that?"

Oh, that's what this was about.

"Just a normal human. Nothing more, nothing less."

"I just can't believe you... This is... You are a..."

... a monster.

"... amazing."

She leaned into my chest and snatched my phone.

Her fingers swiped through the images and tables as she shook her head in sheer disbelief. The last state of the wrong table reflected in her mesmerizing crimson spheres as she broke out in a fit of contagious laughter. My queen's gentle hands grabbed onto my necktie and pulled me into a deep, affectionate kiss.

Swift tapping sounds followed her prior movements as she stood up and jumped off the stage with a rosy complexion. She stretched her arms and regarded me with one of the most breathtaking smiles she had offered me to date.

"I'll make my way back to our room before my friends worry. Everyone should still be awake after our stunt, so they'd notice if I'm gone for too long." Kikyou ambled towards the door and stopped short of opening it. "Hey... it might be a little late to think of this now, but wasn't it kind of dangerous to talk here?"

Didn't she think I'd consider something like this?

"The room is soundproof because of the instruments. No one can hear us from outside, not even if they leaned against the door and tried to listen. If someone had opened the double doors, both of us would have noticed. Don't you think I would pay attention to something like this before I invited Sae and you here?"

"You are right. Silly me. Goodnight Kiyotaka."

"Goodnight Kikyou."

I performed one concluding song — a final goodbye.

My concealed hands shut the lid before I caressed over this exquisite instrument one last time. It might have been silly or nonsensical to speak to an inanimate object, but I felt the need to leave a few parting words for the grand piano that had gifted me with such a wonderful opportunity to play again after such a long break.

"Thank you for having me."