"Give the money first."
Hikigaya placed his phone face down on the table.
He could trust Ichinose, Horikita Suzune, and even Katsuragi.
He wouldn't even ask for a contract.
But.
A delinquent like Ryuuen.
From the other party's acting style, he clearly had no credibility to speak of.
Sakayanagi likewise had left a bad impression on him.
Although it was only a partial understanding, someone who could harm class interests without hesitation just to drive Katsuragi from power was clearly not a fellow worth trusting.
"Take it."
With the additional transfer of 42,000 on his phone.
Hikigaya turned his phone screen toward Ryuuen. Seeing that the short-haired girl with glasses from Class A next to him was peeking, he raised his hand to block her.
"Tsk."
The other party clicked her tongue overtly and stopped paying attention.
The phone screen showed that he had indeed not been chosen as the Target.
Seeing Hikigaya display the school's text message so easily, Ryuuen frowned, and instead didn't quite believe it.
"Show me all the text messages from your Class B."
"You'll have to ask Kanzaki and the others for that."
Hikigaya retracted his phone with satisfaction.
The only person he could represent was himself. For someone as suspicious as this, no matter what he said, the other party wouldn't believe it.
"Stop joking."
Kanzaki's eyes were sharp: "Hikigaya, if you're satisfied, just stay quiet and don't say unnecessary things."
Although he believed Hikigaya wouldn't betray them.
However.
No matter the reason.
To outsiders, it would probably only feel like Class B was not a monolithic block, which would only cause trouble.
"Yes, yes."
Hikigaya propped his head on his arms and observed the others.
That sentence was probably not entirely directed at him; it also implied a refusal to Ryuuen.
Ryuuen also heard the refusal in Kanzaki's words. After thinking for a moment, he sat directly on the table, turned his head toward the others, and said mockingly:
"What about the others?"
"Instead of letting the Target hide and get five hundred thousand personal points, why don't you all follow this Hikigaya's example and show me your phones? How about it?"
"At least I'll give you a decent price."
"Starting now, the first person to show me their phone gets one hundred thousand personal points, the second gets eighty thousand, the third sixty thousand, and so on!"
When faced with high monetary incentives.
How would the non-Targets think?
Would they firmly believe they could find the Target and get five hundred thousand, or would they play it safe and take the money from Ryuuen? While letting Class C gain fifty class points for nothing.
If the class discipline wasn't strong.
Most ordinary people would probably choose the more stable income.
After all, the only ones who would suffer a loss would be the Target's class.
"Then why did I only get forty thousand?"
Hikigaya said, a bit unconvinced.
I was the first one to show you.
"Because you're the stupidest."
Ryuuen was not polite at all.
Although he still couldn't believe that Hikigaya wasn't the Target—perhaps this was even part of Class B's plan.
But this guy's self-confident and unusually excited expression.
It was irritating to look at.
In two days, he had asked for fifty thousand personal points from him without providing any actual gain. He, Ryuuen, wasn't generous to that extent either.
However.
Hearing Ryuuen's words, the Dragon Group fell into a patch of silence.
Clearly, Class A's organizational skills were very high, and Class D had no interest. But it was uncertain whether someone would contact Ryuuen privately after the discussion ended.
"It seems Class A has decided to be complete turtles."
Ryuuen propped himself up and left the table, walking in front of the Class D group, mocking them:
"Then what about Class D? Suzune, if you're willing to take out your phone, I'll specially give you one hundred and fifty thousand—no problem."
"Still so impolite."
Horikita Suzune's eyes were sharp: "Ryuuen, I advise you to go back to elementary school and buy a social etiquette manual."
"Then you don't need to worry about that. One hundred and fifty thousand is not a small number; aren't you even a little tempted, Suzune?"
"Ridiculous."
Horikita Suzune said disdainfully: "Showing you the phone would also help you narrow down the range. Do you think Class D would do something that benefits Class C?"
PAGE 11
"Don't compare me to the idiot over there. It'll be no laughing matter if we're overtaken by Class C."
Hmm.
The "idiot" probably wasn't referring to him, right?
This terrible woman.
This is simply more than I can take.
Hikigaya gave the other party a fierce glare, but it was blocked by Horikita Suzune's cold gaze.
No. This woman is too terrifying.
"Well."
Hirata stood up to mediate: "Ryuuen-kun, I'm afraid no one will agree to that. Why don't we use a more constructive method?"
"That's right, Ryuuen-kun."
Kushida Kikyo also smiled sweetly: "I hope you don't underestimate us just because we're from Class D. We won't do anything that harms the class."
Speaking of which.
He had already brushed off this woman so many times in a row.
Reasonably speaking.
It wouldn't be surprising if the other party felt annoyed or embarrassed.
However.
Hikigaya didn't see the slightest bit of displeasure in her eyes.
On the contrary, every time their gazes met, Kushida Kikyo's face would turn red, and she wouldn't dare meet his eyes.
As a "green tea" girl.
This person's temper was really good, and her inner self was truly strong.
This was the first time Hikigaya had encountered someone like this—a piece of "dog-skin plaster" that he couldn't shake off no matter what.
Next.
Ryuuen continued to press.
But as Kushida Kikyo said, no one here was going to be scared by him.
An hour passed quickly, and the first discussion ended.
Hikigaya stood up and left the room.
"Hikigaya."
Just then, Okakura Asako patted his shoulder and said: "Kanzaki asked me to come and ask what you meant by your actions just now."
"Eh? No special meaning."
Hikigaya looked at the pretty ponytailed girl in front of him and said with some surprise:
"I just thought that even if I showed my phone to Ryuuen, he wouldn't believe it easily, so I might as well take the opportunity to earn some personal points. But if Kanzaki has questions, why didn't he ask himself?"
"Who knows."
Okakura Asako tilted her head and thought for a while: "Maybe he has his own ideas. Anyway, things are generally fine if they're left to Kanzaki."
"Indeed."
Hikigaya nodded.
Being the second-in-command of the class, Kanzaki probably did have some ideas.
"Then I'll head out first."
"Eh? Hikigaya, why don't you come and eat something with us? We can also discuss things regarding the exam."
"I have something to do next, so no thanks."
The other party's invitation was likely just out of politeness. If he blindly agreed and the other party expressed concern about his coming, it would be a bit awkward.
Hikigaya refused out of habit, and Okakura Asako indeed said nothing more.
Top floor coffee shop.
Returning to his exclusive territory, Hikigaya looked at Ichinose's contact information on his phone with slight hesitation.
Right now, Ichinose and the others were likely discussing the exam with Class B or gathering for a party. It felt a bit intrusive to interrupt.
However, as a corporate slave at heart, "Reporting, Contacting, and Consulting" (Hou-Ren-So) was a necessity. During the uninhabited island exam, it didn't matter as much, as it was unclear if his actions had any impact.
But for the VIP exam, his every move would affect Class B. Success would be fine, but if he failed, he couldn't bear that responsibility. It was better to let Ichinose decide. As long as he did his "Hou-Ren-So" properly, he could shift the responsibility to his superior. Isn't the job of a person-in-charge to take responsibility, after all?
After hesitating for a moment:
[Hachiman Hikigaya: I have some things to report. Do you have time now?]
[Honami Ichinose: We're all classmates, Hikigaya-kun, no need to be so formal. Is it something that can't be said over the phone?]
Ichinose's reply was as swift as ever. If she were like his middle school classmates and waited until the next morning to reply, that would have been a headache.
[Hachiman Hikigaya: Well, it's not impossible, it's just a bit important. I feel it would be better to talk in person.]
[Honami Ichinose: Understood. Where are you now, Hikigaya-kun? I'll be there right away.]
This reply was slightly slower. She was probably explaining things to those around her. Hikigaya told her the address, and in less than ten minutes, Ichinose appeared before him.
"Yahoo, Hikigaya-kun~"
Ichinose greeted him and sat down opposite, curiously scanning the surroundings. "I haven't seen you on the cruise ship at all. Have you been here the whole time?"
"More or less."
Hikigaya looked at the coffee on the table and felt it would be a bit rude to drink alone. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Black tea then, please."
Once the drinks were ordered, Ichinose got straight to the point: "What did you want to talk to me about, Hikigaya-kun?"
"Yeah." Hikigaya nodded. "I roughly know who the Dragon Group's VIP is. I wanted to hear your thoughts."
If he guessed correctly, the class would gain 50 class points. If he guessed wrong, they would lose 50. Although he had a good idea of who it was, the decision to submit the answer to the school could only be made by Ichinose.
"Eh?" Ichinose was stunned for a moment, then stood up in a mild panic. "You figured it out? Eh? Wait a moment."
After a brief moment of shock, Ichinose sat back down, lowered her voice, and glanced around. "Aren't Ryuuen, Katsuragi, and Horikita in the Dragon Group? It shouldn't be that easy to see through. How did you figure it out, Hikigaya-kun?"
The subtext was: she doubted his ability. Was he being deceived by the smoke and mirrors of people like Ryuuen?
"Indeed. It could be their smokescreen. That's why I only have about 70% certainty."
Hikigaya nodded without arguing. Whether it was Horikita Suzune or Ryuuen, they were undoubtedly excellent. He was no match for them in a direct confrontation. However, regarding "human observation" alone, he was quite confident in his abilities.
"Ichinose, have you ever played Werewolf?"
Seeing Ichinose's confusion, Hikigaya crossed his arms and raised a finger with a hint of self-satisfaction. "To put it simply, it's a game of finding a group of people pretending to fit in among a crowd—finding the fake 'normies' and kicking them out of the social circle. In Werewolf, words are useless, and logic is secondary! What matters is which side they take and the 'confidence' in their voice. A fake normie cannot talk to a real normie on equal footing; they will likely be timid or even a bit sycophantic. Once you understand this, finding the VIP is an easy task."
His evidence, of course, was himself. Although he had no friends to play Werewolf with, he used to roleplay twelve characters by himself for fun. He quickly discovered that in front of a true expert, logic is the least reliable thing. Whether you argue it one way or the opposite, you can make it sound plausible.
Simply put, everyone has their own "truth." What matters is the voting pattern, the tone of voice, and the subtle mindset. If I am the VIP: my thought is how to survive, so my behavior will inevitably become distorted. If I am not the VIP: my thought is to find the VIP to gain points for the class, so my aggression will be at its peak.
Although experts try to hide it, and Ryuuen and the others are not bad actors, their speech still became distorted. Hachiman Hikigaya explained his reasoning smugly:
"Katsuragi aside—he probably doesn't even know who the Class A VIPs are. Ryuuen is hyper-aggressive. He even agreed to the 40,000 personal point trade, so he's likely not the VIP. The flaw lies with Horikita Suzune. When facing Ryuuen's attack, her first reaction was to shift the blame to Class A to distract everyone. She looks like a fake normie. Clearly, she likely knows who the VIP is. Her second speech was also evasive. The VIP is definitely in Class D. That leaves only Hirata and Kushida Kikyou. Both are highly social individuals, yet they showed no such performance, allowing Horikita to take the lead. They are clearly feeling guilty. Hirata's speech, like Horikita's, was about deflecting the topic, whereas Kushida's speech was more focused on herself. Therefore, there is a 70% chance the Dragon Group's VIP is her."
As soon as he finished, Hikigaya felt a twinge of regret.
This is why "2D fans" (otaku) are unpopular—they talk non-stop when it comes to their interests. Sure enough, Ichinose was staring at him with wide eyes, speechless