Chapter 135: It's All Part of the Plan (Bonus Chapter)
Early the next morning.
Inside the first-floor restaurant of the cruise ship, the air was thick with the charred aroma of toasted bread, the grease of frying bacon, and the rich depth of brewed coffee—all mingling into an atmosphere of indulgence that awakened the appetite.
Class A's leader, Katsuragi, sat gathered with his hanger-on and several other Class A students, enjoying today's breakfast.
The crisp clinking of cutlery, the low hum of conversation, the distant clatter of trays being returned—all of it wove together into a picture of lazy, bustling morning life.
"Katsuragi!"
A shout, thick with fury, rang out and instantly drowned out all the other clamor in the restaurant.
Ryuen Kakeru, flanked by a few of his underlings, both hands shoved in his pockets, swept his gaze across the restaurant with brazen arrogance. He seemed not to find his target, and reluctantly withdrew his gaze.
Then, cutting straight through the crowd, he came directly before Katsuragi.
"Where the hell is that bastard Hashimoto?!"
Katsuragi's brow slowly furrowed. The fork in his hand paused mid-air.
Though he sometimes wasn't entirely comfortable with Hashimoto Masayoshi's way of doing things, Hashimoto was still a member of Class A and had contributed to the class. Wasn't Ryuen's blatant provocation a little too dismissive of him as Class A's leader?
He casually picked up the napkin before him and wiped his mouth, then spoke with measured composure.
"First of all, where Hashimoto-kun goes is his own freedom. I have no knowledge of his whereabouts. Furthermore, such blatant—"
Halfway through his sentence, Katsuragi caught sight of Ryuen's dark circles, his bloodshot eyes, his haggard appearance, and visibly froze. His words came to an abrupt halt.
"Did you... not sleep well last night?"
Vein after vein bulged across Ryuen's forehead. His face was dark as he ground out each word through clenched teeth. "What do you think?!"
He, Ryuen Kakeru, boss of Class C's delinquents, the man destined to rule this school—had spent an entire night racking his brain and still couldn't figure it out.
Why the hell had Hashimoto Masayoshi done this?!
Going through all that trouble, running in circles—for what?
If it had been a genuine betrayal, he could have accepted that. It would have played right into his hands. He could have used it as leverage to threaten Hashimoto into doing his bidding.
If it had been a fake betrayal—a trap meant to lure Class C into deducing the wrong pattern—he could have accepted that too. He could still have gleaned Class A's current movements from the scattered clues.
But that damned bastard!
Halfway through the plan, he'd simply gone silent. Then what had been the point of all his previous actions? Just to deliver Class A's intel to him?
Was such a thing even possible? One glance told you that bastard was an opportunist through and through.
And yet that was exactly what he'd done.
This stifling, infuriating feeling—it was like playing basketball. Right when you were getting into the groove, the bastard who'd brought the ball would stick out his hand and say, "I'm done playing. Give me back my ball!"
Give it back? I'll beat you to death right here!
"Pfft—haha!"
Katsuragi's number-one mouthpiece, Totsuka Yahiko, was the first to jump out and deliver his mockery.
"Ryuen, haven't seen you in two days. Did someone punch you in the face?"
Ignoring Totsuka's in-your-face taunt entirely—he, the most notorious figure in the entire school, had, after a full semester of tempering, developed an unshakably strong mentality. A trifling matter like this wasn't enough to weigh on Ryuen Kakeru's mind—as if!
The corner of Ryuen's eye twitched several times. It took every ounce of his strength to tear his gaze away from Totsuka's punchable face and refocus on Katsuragi.
Damn it. Today, he was going to get to the bottom of that bastard's scheme, no matter what!
Casually pulling out a nearby chair and sitting down, Ryuen sneered.
"That stunt Hashimoto pulled—judging by your reaction last night, you were probably left in the dark too. Leaking intel of that level, combined with Hashimoto's usual words and behavior... are you really that at ease with him?"
At these words, the expressions of the several Class A students nearby all shifted. Then, as if realizing something, they abruptly tightened their faces.
They could probably guess who the mastermind behind this was. Aside from that one stunt-loving individual, there was no one else.
Katsuragi shot Ryuen a silent glance and let out a quiet sigh. His fist clenched. He spoke in a deep voice.
"No. This was something I sent Hashimoto to do. I simply didn't anticipate that you would be so cunning as to see through my scheme. I had no choice but to pull him back first."
The moment the words left his mouth, Katsuragi felt an extra weight settle on his shoulders. Yet another black pot had been placed squarely on his head. In the end, he was the one shouldering it all.
Ryuen: "..."
I acknowledged you as a worthy opponent. Why does Your Excellency take me for a fool? Did that stunned, bewildered tone of yours last night sound like someone who knew what Hashimoto was up to?
No wonder that bastard had pulled out so cleanly and decisively. So he'd had the confidence to convince Katsuragi to trust him.
What a devious snake. Hashimoto Masayoshi!
"Katsuragi, tell me. Exactly what method did that bastard use to make you believe him?" Ryuen could faintly sense something wasn't right.
"You needn't concern yourself with that. It's part of my Class A's plan for this special exam." Katsuragi replied, his expression still perfectly unchanged.
"Hashimoto leaking your Class A's exam strategy—that was also part of your plan?" Ryuen sneered.
"Yes. That was also part of the plan." Katsuragi nodded in agreement.
"Why?"
"You don't need to know that. In any case, it's all part of the plan. I was the one who sent him to carry it out." Katsuragi once again played the Unassailable card.
"..."
Ryuen was nearly laughing from sheer rage. This kind of headless, tailless maneuver—one glance told you it wasn't Katsuragi's handiwork. You're treating me like an idiot?
"Katsuragi, even if you won't say it, what Hashimoto did is absolutely connected to this special exam. Tonight the exam ends. At that point, it'll expose itself on its own."
"..."
Looking at Ryuen's expression of utter conviction before him, Katsuragi opened and closed his mouth.
What would you say if... could there be a possibility... that he just wanted to mess with you, purely for the hell of it?
"Um... Ryuen. My class's affairs needn't trouble you. Since the special exam ends tonight, you'd best focus your attention on that instead."
Setting down his cutlery, Katsuragi offered this kind advice.
"Your class's progress isn't much better than anyone else's. Why not bring out that same momentum your Class A had on the deserted island?"
Ryuen let out a cold huff, stood up, shoved both hands back into his pockets, and strode off with his underlings toward the exit.
"Tell Hashimoto—this isn't over! I'll make him regret the consequences of toying with me!"
"Ryuen. I am the leader of Class A. If you have any issues, you can come to me."
"Bang—!"
The restaurant door slammed shut heavily behind him. The coffee on the table rippled faintly, spreading concentric rings across the surface.
At another table, Fuyuji, who had been silently eating his drama, slurped a mouthful of his drink. This scene felt somewhat familiar.
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75 [Power Stones] = Bonus Chapter!