An hour passed just like that when the rooftop door suddenly swung open. A blonde-haired girl appeared.
"Heh, you finally came, Karuizawa," Ryuuen said, closing the Jump magazine in his hands and slipping it into his jacket.
Ibuki and Ishizaki turned nervously toward Karuizawa.
"…What do you mean by the message you sent me this morning?"
"Do I need to spell it out? If you didn't understand, you wouldn't have come."
Ryuuen's message to Karuizawa was simple:
[I heard everything about your past from Manabe and the others. Come to the rooftop alone after school. Let's talk.]
She wasn't so foolish as to misunderstand. Just mentioning Manabe's name was enough for her to realize what this was about.
Even without explicitly stating the consequences, she could easily guess what would happen if she didn't show up.
As for whether she had sought help from someone else—it didn't matter.
Since she desperately wanted to keep her past from being exposed, in the end, her only choice was to seek out X.
And X himself wanted to remain hidden.
In other words, both of their actions were severely restricted.
"Ugh, I have no idea what this is all about. It's cold out here—I'd like to finish this quickly."
Karuizawa tried to play dumb, which Ryuuen found rather dull.
At this point, clinging to such a flimsy excuse only made her look like a clown… or was she just plain stupid?
"If you don't get it, then go ahead and leave. No one's stopping you."
Ryuuen gestured toward the door.
Karuizawa fell silent.
His confidence made her uneasy.
"…If you're willing to let me go, does that mean you won't spread any rumors?"
"Rumors?" Ryuuen chuckled. "What a shame. Everyone here already knows you used to be bullied, right? You changed your image after entering high school and even clung to Hirata at the start of the school year just to use him to solidify your status. Am I wrong?"
Karuizawa's eyes widened in shock.
Especially when he mentioned Hirata—her composure instantly wavered.
"N-No, that's not…"
"Don't underestimate me, pathetic little bug. I see right through you."
Ryuuen stared into Karuizawa's eyes, applying relentless verbal pressure.
But more importantly, he wanted her to start thinking about Hirata—it would be useful for the next part of their conversation.
"…Ryuuen, how do you even know all this?" Ibuki asked, looking astonished.
"This is experience. I've dealt with plenty of people like her before." Ryuuen's gaze toward Karuizawa was like that of a butcher eyeing a fish on the chopping board.
"Getting caught by Manabe and the others is your fault. If you couldn't back up your arrogance, you should've expected this. Blame your stupidity."
"…What do you want? Do you think threatening me will do you any good?"
"I know for a fact that X promised to protect you from your enemies and safeguard your position in the class. That's why you've been secretly helping him, haven't you?"
Ryuuen went straight to the point.
"So let's stop beating around the bush. Just tell me X's name, and I guarantee no one in my class will ever mention your past. No one will cause you trouble either."
"What? I don't know what you're talking about. If you try to threaten me, I'll report this to the school right away!" Karuizawa bluffed.
"Oh? What's wrong with you?" Ryuuen let out a mocking laugh. "Tell me, which part of my words is a threat? I'm just chatting with a classmate about some gossip—is that a crime? I was even thinking of posting this gossip on the forums so next year's students can see it too."
Karuizawa's face turned pale.
If he did that, her school life would be over.
Even though ANHS had strict anti-bullying measures, she wouldn't be able to escape the judgmental stares.
Still, she knew that if she gave in now, she would only be subjected to even worse treatment in the future.
"I-I don't know anything about X. You've got the wrong person."
"You're still pretending? I know that X helped you when Manabe and the others were harassing you, didn't he?"
Before Karuizawa could deny it, Ryuuen cut her off.
"Since you're not that bright, let me analyze the situation for you. During the VIP Exam, Manabe wanted to bully you to get revenge for Rika but couldn't find the chance. Even if she called you to an isolated spot, you wouldn't have gone alone. So why did you go all the way to the lowest deck of the ship? Why?"
"That… that's…"
Karuizawa recalled the situation.
She had been summoned there by a text message from Hirata.
Then, Manabe and the others just happened to show up…
"You don't think that was a coincidence, do you?" Ryuuen sneered, seeing through her thoughts. "That was the electrical room. Why would a regular student go there? Manabe and the others wouldn't have openly chased you across the ship. In other words, their arrival there was inevitable."
At that moment, Karuizawa's expression went blank with realization.
Ryuuen found her reaction amusing and smirked.
"Looks like you finally get it. X secretly approached Manabe and lured you out, pretending to be someone who also hated you, whispering sweet nothings about 'cooperating.' Honestly, only an idiot would fall for such a trick… but I guess you're not much better."
"Ugh…"
"All this time, you never even suspected it? Was your brain just for decoration?"
Karuizawa had no words to refute him.
She had felt something was off before, but after Ayanokoji saved her, she had just…
"But I can't blame you. A slave like you, conditioned for obedience, wouldn't even dare to question her master in her mind."
"Shut up! That's not—"
"Then prove it," Ryuuen cut her off coldly. "If X deliberately set you up to be bullied and even recorded evidence of it, that's just another form of harassment. If you want revenge, the least you can do is bite back."
"I… I…"
"Or are you just a hopeless parasite? Are you still waiting for X to come save you?"
Ryuuen's words were cruel.
But they weren't entirely wrong.
Yes. If she had been tricked from the start, then revealing Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's name here would be the most logical course of action.
Because she knew the current Ayanokoji, Karuizawa could understand.
Everything Ryuuen said was undeniably true.
Ayanokoji was exactly that kind of person—someone who would use any means necessary to achieve his goals.
However...
"Well, Karuizawa, why don't you just say it?" Ryuuen suddenly changed his expression, his tone softening significantly. "I have no interest in your past. I just want to know who 'X' is. As long as you tell me, I'll let you go, and you can return to your previous life."
"No matter—"
"Hmm? You can speak slower."
"No matter what you ask, I won't answer anything."
"Ugh..." The smile on Ryuuen's face froze.
"Heh, looks like you failed." Ibuki, standing nearby, gloated. "It's not that she thinks you're lying—it's that even knowing she's been tricked, she still chose not to betray him."
"Yeah... for that, I suppose I should give her some credit."
"So? What do you plan to do next?"
"Nothing. Just shut up and wait."
Ryuuen gave Ibuki a cryptic response—not that it really answered her question.
Then, he stepped forward, closing in on Karuizawa, speaking slowly and deliberately. "Let me remind you of one thing: don't think that just staying silent means this is over. If I hadn't made a bet with a certain arrogant bastard, I'd really like to hear what kind of screams you'd make."
"Y-you… what are you trying to do?" Karuizawa shrank back in fear.
"Nothing much. I already said I made a bet with someone, so I'll let you off for now. But you'll have to stay here for a while. As long as you cooperate, I won't bother dealing with you."
"Huh? W-why? What's the reason?"
Not just Karuizawa—even Ibuki found Ryuuen's words strange.
"Hey, what are you playing at? What bet? And that arrogant bastard… don't tell me—"
"Heh, yeah. That guy." Ryuuen smirked coldly. "He said that as long as I got Karuizawa here, 'X' would show up alone right in front of us."
"That's impossible! 'X' isn't an idiot!" Ibuki immediately refused to believe it.
"Doesn't matter. Either way, I have nothing to lose, so don't worry about it."
Casually brushing off Ibuki, Ryuuen turned his gaze back to Karuizawa.
"Since you've got some guts, I'll tell you something interesting. As much as I'd love to humiliate that bastard, so far, no one has managed to do it. So whether it's you or your precious 'X'… maybe your every move and thought have already been seen through by him. And since he happens to despise 'X,' unless someone finds a way to restrain him, I doubt he'll let either of you have an easy time in the future."
With that, Ryuuen leaned against the fence, pulled a Jump magazine from his pocket, and started flipping through it.
"You should start praying for a miracle."
At the same time, at the Keyaki Mall.
After hanging out with his group, Ayanokoji parted ways with them but didn't return to the dorm. Instead, he headed back to the school.
That morning, Karuizawa had reported to him about Ryuuen.
Ryuuen had sent her a message, saying he wanted to talk about Manabe and the bullying incident, and that she would be called to the rooftop in the afternoon.
Ayanokoji wasn't surprised—he had received a message from Ryuuen himself.
That guy never cared whether Karuizawa would snitch on him or not. From the start, his plan was simply a trap to lure Ayanokoji in.
And as for why he was so confident, the reason wasn't hard to guess.
He was likely using Karuizawa's past as leverage.
As Ayanokoji stepped into the school building, he spotted Class C's Albert standing tall in the distance—probably stationed there under Ryuuen's orders to keep watch.
By now, about thirty minutes had passed since Karuizawa was brought to the rooftop.
If his guess was right, Ryuuen was probably using violence to break Karuizawa's mental defenses by forcing her to relive her past bullying experiences.
But judging by the current situation, it seemed she hadn't confessed right away.
That was somewhat unexpected for Ayanokoji.
Though, in a good way.
Keeping a safe distance from the staircase Albert was watching, Ayanokoji steadied his breathing, staying alert while pulling out his phone to send a message.
Initially, for safety's sake, he had considered calling Chabashira-sensei as a witness.
But given that she had recently made contact with Hikigaya and even helped with his plan during the last exam… perhaps calling her would be the least secure option.
So, Ayanokoji decided to drop the idea.
Besides, there was someone else who could serve as a witness.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ayanokoji."
Before long, former student council president Horikita Manabu arrived as requested.
The reason Ayanokoji called him wasn't for assistance—he just needed him as a witness.
Ryuuen was someone who would use any means necessary, so if a dispute arose over "who struck first," things could get complicated.
But if someone had seen what happened on the rooftop, that alone would be enough.
Of course, this wasn't a favor given for free.
To get Horikita Manabu's attention, Ayanokoji demonstrated a fraction of his ability during the sports festival, successfully establishing contact with him.
Then, the two of them struck a deal.
Horikita Manabu's biggest concern was the future of the student council after he graduated—particularly the current president, Nagumo Miyabi, whose approach was completely different from his own.
Ayanokoji promised to "keep Nagumo in check" in exchange for Horikita Manabu's help.
"After I step onto the rooftop, wait a few minutes before positioning yourself near the staircase. You don't need to say anything to the students coming down or issue any punishments—just let them see you."
If the former student council president witnessed who went in and out of the rooftop, that alone would be enough to put pressure on Ryuuen's group. They wouldn't be able to lie their way out of it.
"Understood. But Ayanokoji, don't forget our agreement." Horikita Manabu said calmly.
"Of course. After all, if I break my promise, this whole incident might just 'disappear' from your memory, right?"
"As long as you understand. Now, get on with it."
With Horikita Manabu watching, Ayanokoji stepped toward the rooftop corridor.
As he ascended the stairs, Albert's gaze locked onto him immediately.
"Can I go up? I'm the one Ryuuen is waiting for."
Since the mixed-race student in front of him might not understand Japanese, Ayanokoji considered speaking in English. However, after hearing his words, Albert immediately took out his phone and dialed a number.
Most likely calling Ryuuen.
Seeing this, Ayanokoji waited quietly.
Soon enough, Albert stepped aside, signaling that he could pass.
But leaving Albert here might cause other complications, so Ayanokoji deliberately provoked him.
"I'll settle everything myself—no one else will interfere. But I hope you'll come too. Without your help, Ryuuen won't be my match."
"Uh…" His words seemed to work. After a brief moment of thought, Albert glanced downstairs, confirmed that no one else was around, and then followed Ayanokoji onto the rooftop, closing the door behind them.
Ayanokoji ignored Albert's movements and instead scanned the area, checking the surveillance cameras.
It seemed Ryuuen had simply used spray paint to disable them.
Aside from himself and Albert, Ishizaki and Ibuki were also present. Karuizawa was huddled in a corner.
So far, everything was going as expected.
The only odd thing—Karuizawa showed no visible signs of abuse.
Then what had they been doing up here all this time?
Unfortunately, there was no time to dwell on it.
Ayanokoji turned his attention to Ryuuen's group.
Of all people, the most shocked by his arrival was… Ibuki?
"Aya...nokoji?"
Ibuki was the first to react, but Ryuuen and Ishizaki's reactions were far more dramatic.
"Ryuuen-san, so Ayanokoji is X?!" Ishizaki exclaimed in shock.
"No way, that's impossible… Wait… is it impossible…?"
Ibuki was the first to deny it outright, but then she seemed to recall something, gradually falling into silence.
What was going on?
These unexpected reactions gave Ayanokoji an ominous feeling.
"Heh… Hehahaha… Hahahahahaha."
As for Ryuuen, for some reason, he suddenly started laughing like a madman.
"So that bastard was right after all… Ayanokoji, why couldn't you just obediently play the role of Suzune's little lapdog? If it weren't for your stone-faced overconfidence, I wouldn't have lost my bet."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Ayanokoji shook his head slowly. "But judging from your reaction, it seems you're convinced that I'm the one you've been looking for. That at least saves me the trouble of explaining."
"Heh, you sure are fearless… That bastard got it right again."
Ryuuen grinned, his expression wavering between anger and excitement—though it seemed to lean more toward the latter.
"Hey, Ayanokoji, tell me… are you a monster too?"