Chapter 137: Complete Victory, Ichinose's Heart's Knot (Two-in-One 5k) (Patreon)

On the beach.

Ryuen's appearance caught everyone off guard.

The students of Class B were instantly thrown into anxiety and unease — after all, they'd only agreed to take in Miu Suzuhira on the condition that all of Class C had withdrawn from the exam.

Now Ryuen's sudden appearance had blindsided them completely, leaving them all flustered and unsure what to think.

Class D's reaction, meanwhile, was rather interesting, since Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had passed along the information in advance.

A handful of people — Yosuke Hirata, Suzune Horikita, Kikyo Kushida, and a few others — already knew Suzune Horikita had written down the name, so they weren't surprised.

But most of the others were genuinely shocked, having lived alongside Nanami Yabu, this supposed "mole," for so many days.

Haruki Yamauchi and Kanji Ike, who'd spent the most time with Nanami Yabu, immediately cried out.

"What? That girl didn't actually withdraw?"

"Damn it... doesn't that mean Yabu played us for fools?"

"I... I even brought her meals every single day."

Ike looked ready to cry, and Yamauchi wasn't holding up much better either.

It wasn't that they cared so much about class standings — it just felt like the sincerity they'd poured in had gone to waste.

Over in Class A, which Ryuen had just tried to provoke, the mood stayed calm — Naruse had already told everyone the truth about Ryuen's situation, making them the most composed of the four classes.

Some students even put on an air of "go ahead, entertain us."

"After all that trouble... he's finally decided to show his face."

"Surviving alone on a deserted island — that's no small feat."

"Ryuen's actually pretty impressive, honestly. I'd never have the guts to live alone in the forest."

"True enough."

As the class representative, Kohei Katsuragi glanced back at the boys chattering behind him and gestured for quiet.

"That's enough talk. Let's wait for the teachers to announce the scores."

"Right."

Once Ryuen rejoined the Class C line, all four homeroom teachers had gathered as well.

Tomonari Mashima stood at the front of the group; as Class A's supervising teacher, he held the highest authority for this Special Exam.

Beside him, Sae Chabashira wore her usual icy expression — no matter the occasion, she always looked like someone owed her money.

Class B's homeroom teacher, the lovely Chie Hoshinomiya, wore a gentle smile — as someone who mingled easily with her students, her presence always carried a softer air.

Off to the side, standing at the very edge, was Class C's homeroom teacher, Kazuma Sakagami. The middle-aged man pushed his glasses up his nose, his expression indifferent.

"It's about time, isn't it? We can announce the results soon, right, Mashima-sensei?" Chie Hoshinomiya asked with a smile.

"Two more minutes. Just a bit longer."

Mashima-sensei checked his watch; it was still a few minutes shy of ten.

After a moment more, he drew a deep breath, stepped forward several paces, and raised the megaphone to make his announcement.

"It is now ten o'clock exactly on August 7th. I will now announce the results of this Special Exam."

"You should all already know the rules. The scores from this exam will be added to your class evaluation points, which will be updated when the second semester begins on September 1st."

"Now then, I'll start by announcing the class that placed last."

At those words, Ryuen ran a hand through his greasy hair, the corner of his mouth curling up smugly.

He had reason to be confident — the document he'd submitted to Sakagami listed three names.

Class A: Kohei Katsuragi.

Class B: Chihiro Shiranami.

Class D: Kikyo Kushida.

Since Nanami Yabu had gone dark on the last day, he'd had to guess Class D's name on his own and settled on Kikyo Kushida — after all, Yosuke Hirata was too obvious a choice.

Class D was a gamble, sure, but he was confident about the other two.

But in the next instant, his expression froze.

Mashima-sensei's very first sentence left him stunned.

"Fourth place: first-year Class C, zero points."

Class C had scored zero.

The number slammed into Ryuen like a hammer, and every trace of his confidence and smugness evaporated instantly.

"What?"

Ryuen's face darkened at once, and the two girls behind him could barely keep their expressions together.

Being picked as moles had already been miserable enough, and they'd gritted their teeth through the whole ordeal — only for Class C to end up with zero points anyway. How were they supposed to swallow that?

"Anyone with questions about the scores can come see me afterward. For now, please keep quiet."

Mashima-sensei glanced over Class C and spoke in a stern tone, which only made Ryuen's expression darken further.

The other three classes, hearing this, broke into no small amount of mocking laughter.

"All that surviving on a deserted island, and he still comes in last."

"Class C really got the short end of it."

"And here I thought he had some trick up his sleeve..."

Hearing that Class C had scored zero, Class B breathed a sigh of relief.

It meant there was still hope — maybe their information hadn't leaked after all.

Mashima-sensei, naturally, paid no mind to the losers' confusion. He simply continued in that same flat tone.

"Third place: first-year Class B, ninety points."

At that number, the color drained from Honami Ichinose's face.

"What?"

"Only ninety points?"

She trembled slightly, then began chewing her lip as she worked through the numbers.

Class B had only spent 110 points on supplies, leaving 190. If the final score was 90, that meant 100 points had been deducted — equivalent to two classes correctly guessing their leader's name.

Since their name had been guessed, they hadn't earned a single point from occupying outposts either — that was the only explanation that made sense.

"Two classes... guessed our leader?"

Beside her, Ryuji Kanzaki's brow furrowed too. Everyone had reached the same conclusion — ninety points could only mean this, since Class B hadn't guessed any other class's leader in the end.

Once she worked it out, a complicated look crossed Ichinose's face.

Her thoughts drifted instinctively to Naruse, but even if he'd broken their gentleman's agreement, he'd have only written her own name — there was no way he'd have thought of Shiranami.

It couldn't be him...

"Then it can only be Class D and Class C. So we really were infiltrated by a mole after all."

Ichinose glanced toward Miu Suzuhira in the Class C line — Suzuhira must have peeked at Shiranami's keycard at some point.

This round, Class C had gotten one over on them again.

Meanwhile, Mashima-sensei looked down at the document in his hand and continued announcing the results.

"Second place: first-year Class D, 125 points."

Most of Class D was fairly pleased with the result — more points meant a bit more breathing room in next month's payout.

Hearing the score, Suzune Horikita immediately started calculating.

She'd written Ryuen's name correctly, guessing Class C's leader, which should add 50 points.

Class D had spent 145 points on supplies, and Rokusuke Koenji's withdrawal had cost another 30, for a total expenditure of 175. That left a surplus of 125.

The math was simple: they'd guessed Class C's leader correctly, but that 50-point bonus wasn't reflected — meaning someone had guessed their own leader's identity in turn.

Who could it be?

Suzune rested a small hand on her chin, mulling over the result.

Could Class C have guessed her name, canceling it out?

As she thought it over, Mashima-sensei's gaze fell on the top line of the document, his expression growing more solemn.

"First place: first-year Class A, 412 points."

Four hundred twelve points.

The moment the number left his mouth, the whole beach erupted like a disturbed hive, everyone turning to stare.

"What does that mean?"

"Four hundred-plus points? Is Class A really that terrifying?"

"They even had barbecue at their camp, which means they must've spent a ton on supplies. How'd they still score that high?"

"Yeah, that's bizarre..."

"That's way too many points."

Beyond the shock and disbelief from Classes B, C, and D, even the Class A students outside the inner circle were left dumbfounded.

When they'd heard Class A's name called last, everyone had been certain of a sweeping victory — but no one had expected it to be quite this "sweeping."

Four hundred and twelve points!

If all of it were added to their class evaluation points, Class A's total would surpass 1,500 the moment September arrived.

Converted into the Private Points handed out to each student, that would mean 150,000 points apiece — an almost fantastical outcome.

Standing at the front of the Class A line, Naruse quickly ran through the numbers in his own head.

First, Class A had started 30 points down because of Sakayanagi's withdrawal, leaving them at 270.

At the start of the exam, they'd spent 80 points on beach supplies, leaving 190. Then they'd purchased 200 points' worth of Class C's supplies, but the 190 remained unchanged.

Next was the outpost occupation over the seven days — four outposts in total, netting roughly 80 points back and forth.

Finally, there was guessing the other classes' leaders: Chihiro Shiranami for Class B, Ryuen for Class C, Suzune Horikita for Class D — 150 points total.

Add it all up, and yes, it came out to roughly this score.

This wasn't merely a win — it was an outright annihilation.

The score was so staggering that Ryuen couldn't tear his eyes from Naruse's profile.

What the hell had this guy done?

Had he somehow guessed all three other classes' leaders in one go?

Damn it... he'd been played.

Irritated as he was, Ryuen wasn't the type to let his temper get the better of him. He pressed his hands hard against his face, forcing himself to calm down.

Then... he began putting his feelings back in order.

Zero points was disappointing, but he could live with it.

After all, from the very start, Class C's goal — and his own plan — had never been about raising class evaluation points, but about earning Private Points.

"Naruse, let's play again sometime," Ryuen said, offering a greeting all the same.

"Is that right."

Naruse smiled, his tone unbothered.

"I hope you'll bring something new to the table next time. I'm looking forward to beating you again."

"We'll see about that!"

Once the results were announced, students from all four classes lined up to return to the cruise ship.

Class A's line went first. The moment Naruse stepped onto the deck, the grateful students around him swarmed in.

"Naruse-san, you're seriously amazing!"

"Yeah, we gained over four hundred points this time — that's an insane number."

"Thanks to Naruse-san, we've got to celebrate properly later."

"Naruse-san, once we're back at school, can I treat you to dinner?"

"Me too, me too — if you don't have a favorite restaurant in mind, eating at my dorm works too!"

Naruse accepted the praise with a smile, his voice calm.

Even Kohei Katsuragi, ordinarily so steady and composed, looked visibly excited — he was viewing the result purely from the standpoint of the class rankings.

"Naruse-san, you truly did us a great service this time."

"With this exam over, our Class A's score can look down on the entire grade now."

The bald-headed man's voice grew a touch more serious.

"Class B only has ninety points. Added to their prior total, they're still only in the four hundreds."

"And our combined total has already broken 1,500 — more than three times theirs."

"That's true enough. Things should be easier for us from here on," Naruse said. He was satisfied with the outcome too — his philosophy had always been the same: work hard now so you don't have to worry later.

With a threefold lead, they wouldn't need to worry about being caught up to in the second semester at the very least — and if things went well, maybe not for the rest of first year either.

While everyone chatted, a pink-haired girl from the Class B group boarding the deck behind them suddenly came running toward Naruse.

It was Honami Ichinose.

As she approached, the Class A students instinctively made way — it was obvious her target was Naruse.

"Naruse-san... I'll send you a message later. Please make sure to read it," she said, slightly breathless, forcing a smile.

Naruse gave a gentle smile, his expression calm.

The deserted island exam was well and truly over — now it was time to relax.

Once everyone had boarded, the massive seven-deck cruise ship slowly got underway, pulling out of the deserted island's harbor and heading toward open water.

With Class A's sweeping victory, the other students wanted to gather and rehash the past seven days, but Naruse had no interest.

Right now, all he wanted was to head back to his room, take a quick shower, and get some real sleep.

Over these seven days, moving through the forest each night hadn't drained him much physically, but it had worn on him mentally.

It wasn't just the timing needed to swipe cards at the outposts — soothing several girls one-on-one had taken its toll too.

"Better sleep first."

After showering, Naruse fell into a deep sleep.

He slept clear through to past five in the afternoon. When he finally woke and fumbled for his phone, a stack of messages was already waiting.

Kei Karuizawa: "Hikaru-kun, I know you're exhausted, so I won't bother you today. Can we meet tomorrow?"

Airi Sakura: "Hikaru-kun, when are you free tomorrow?"

Ai Morishita: "Naruse, don't forget what you promised me — tomorrow."

Miki Yamamura: "Good work today, Naruse-san. Rest well tonight — I'll find you once we're back at school."

Kikyo Kushida: "Not bad — four hundred and twelve points. Shouldn't you be thanking me for that?"

The girls' tones and moods varied wildly. Naruse smiled faintly and replied to each in turn, only then noticing the message from Honami Ichinose.

Honami Ichinose: "Naruse-san, could we meet at seven tonight at the Beach House on the dining deck? There's something I need to discuss with you."

It seemed the exam results had shaken her once again.

Naruse didn't mind — none of the others had anything urgent today, so meeting Ichinose wouldn't hurt.

"Sure, I'll be there on time."

After sending his reply, Naruse got up and washed his face.

Seven in the evening.

Naruse wore a clean white short-sleeve shirt paired with dark trousers, casual and crisp. He strolled leisurely across the ship's dining deck, stopping to grab a drink at a bubble tea stand along the way.

When he reached the agreed-upon restaurant, he pushed the door open and walked in.

Since the school had chartered the entire ship, students didn't need to pay for anything. The only catch was that each shop could only serve so many people at once, so a crowd meant waiting in line.

It wasn't quite seven yet. Arriving early, Naruse found a window seat with a view of the sea and sat down.

Outside, night hadn't fully fallen yet; the waves shimmered with the reflected glow of the setting sun.

A little while later, Honami Ichinose arrived.

She'd changed into a light-colored dress, her pink hair tied back, a faint smile on her face — part courtesy, part habit.

After all, she was the one who'd asked to meet him, and however tangled her feelings, she couldn't let it show — that would be rude.

Once she'd settled into her seat, Naruse spoke gently.

"You seem to be in such a hurry today, Ichinose. Is there something important you want to talk about?"

At his words, Ichinose gazed at his clean, understated features, then suddenly drew a deep, steadying breath.

"I have a rather selfish request. I was hoping you could clear something up for me."

"What kind of request?"

"I want to know what actually happened — during this Special Exam..."

"Ah, I see — you want me to help you go over it, Ichinose?" Naruse said with a smile, having grasped her meaning.

"The exam's over now anyway, so I'll tell you everything I know."

"Really?"

A flicker of shock crossed Ichinose's face.

"Sure. It doesn't matter what I say now — it won't change anything at this point."

Naruse thought for a moment, then went on.

"I can tell you everything I did, so you'll understand why things turned out this way."

"But there's one condition..."

"What condition?"

Ichinose looked visibly eager, her eyes burning as she stared at his face, as though she'd agree to any condition he named.

"I want you to tell me too, Ichinose — why do you keep pushing yourself so hard for the class?" Naruse said slowly, his voice soft.

Ichinose's inner knot wasn't actually complicated — Naruse, who knew the original story, understood exactly why. But to get her there, he first needed to open the door to her heart.

The opportunity was already showing itself, and Naruse had no intention of letting it slip.

If this could be resolved early, perhaps the later "rumor" incident wouldn't happen at all.

"I won't accept 'for the sake of the class' as your answer. I want to hear what's really going on inside you."

"All right."

Ichinose seemed to steel her resolve, then spoke firmly.

"I'll tell you, Naruse-san."

"Good."