"Horikita-senpai?"
Yukimura Teruhiko's eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh, Horikita-senpai, you're here too?"
Nagumo turned, his gaze landing on Horikita.
"I heard you were bonding with the first-years."
Horikita said flatly.
"Yeah, I said I'd connect with them."
"You didn't tell me."
"Didn't Nagumo say he'd informed the third-years?"
Yukimura asked, confused.
"There's more than just Horikita in the third year, you know."
Horikita didn't respond further but walked over, picked up the cards, and examined them closely. Within moments, he pulled out the joker, showing it to everyone.
"There's a fold mark on the back. You can't see it unless you look closely."
"What?"
Everyone was surprised.
"Probably just a coincidence..."
Yukimura said.
"This deck should've been newly opened. It's impossible for it to have such a crease."
Horikita lowered his head, looking at Nagumo.
"Nagumo, is this how you bond with the first-years? Betting on things like breakfast duty or cleaning chores..."
*'Horikita-senpai really knows Nagumo well.'*
Saiki Kusuo thought.
"Nagumo, you planned to use this to win against the first-years, making their burden heavier..."
Before Horikita could finish, Hashimoto Masayoshi raised his hand:
"Uh... Horikita-senpai, we won."
"...Huh?"
Horikita's eyebrows twitched as he turned to Hashimoto, his confusion evident for the first time.
He'd guessed Nagumo's intentions and methods...
But he hadn't expected Nagumo to lose.
*Nagumo cheated and still lost? How? Luck plays a part, but cheating should've boosted his odds... So why did he lose? Did he throw the game? No, that's not his style. Was it Saiki? But Saiki didn't even get out of bed... Strange...*
Horikita's mind raced.
"That's the truth. I lost to the first-years. So your accusation of cheating doesn't hold."
Nagumo concealed his anger, his tone unchanged.
"As agreed, the two breakfast duties originally assigned to the first-years will now be handled by us second-years. It's getting late. Lights out soon. Good night, everyone."
Nagumo and Kiriyama left the first-years' room.
"Sorry, Nagumo..."
Kiriyama apologized, though he opposed Nagumo internally, his final mistake had burdened the second-years.
He couldn't reveal his true feelings now.
"If I'd understood your hint..."
"It's not your fault. My misjudgment led to our loss."
Nagumo replied, his gaze avoiding Kiriyama.
"There's a troublesome guy among the first-years... Takatou, though he annoys me, I can't deny his talent. If I can recruit him into the student council... If not, after Horikita graduates, my entertainment will depend on him..."
Meanwhile, Saiki Kusuo overheard Nagumo and Kiriyama's conversation.
*'Unknowingly making Takatou the scapegoat...'*
Saiki thought, turning to Kōenji Rokusuke, who lay casually on his bed.
*'But... it probably won't matter.'*
"It's late. First-years, rest well. Don't overexert yourselves."
Horikita said before leaving.
Just before he left, he glanced at Saiki Kusuo.
Saiki understood his meaning.
...
1:00 AM.
The day's training had exhausted the students, and they quickly fell asleep.
But Saiki Kusuo remained awake, his gaze fixed on the door.
A faint light flickered through the gap between the door and the frame—Morse code, signaled by a flashlight.
The forest school's corridors were dark at night, so each room had flashlights. Someone must've brought one out.
Saiki sighed, knowing the code's meaning.
The signaler was Horikita Manabu.
Before entering the building, Horikita had secretly arranged this with Saiki.
*'Why do we have to use Morse code...? But then again, even without it, I could've sensed someone approaching with my telepathy.'*
Saiki thought to himself.
*'I'll just head out. It's late, but going to the bathroom shouldn't be an issue, right?'*
As Saiki prepared to get out of bed, he heard a thought from directly below him.
[A flickering light outside the door... Is it Morse code?]
Ayanokōji had also noticed the unusual activity outside.
*'Oops, forgot you weren't asleep.'*
Saiki narrowed his eyes slightly. With his telepathic abilities, he could easily tell who was asleep and who wasn't.
To avoid any potential trouble, he used his power to force Ayanokōji into a deep sleep. Then, he climbed down from the top bunk, left the room, and headed to the bathroom.
"Do you know why I called you out at this hour?"
"Because you're curious about what Nagumo did, right?"
Saiki replied.
*'Though I could've just used telepathy to find out.'*
"Yes, he visited your first-year dorm today. Did he do anything unusual?"
"Not that I noticed."
"He must've cheated but still lost. Was that your doing?"
"Just bad luck on his part. Even with cheating, luck plays a role in this game."
"True, but I don't believe in coincidences."
Manabu adjusted his glasses, paused briefly, and continued,
"This matter is settled for now. Did you notice any unusual actions from Nagumo?"
[Though Saiki and I are in the same group, he might've seen something I didn't from a different perspective.]
*'This doesn't concern me, but I did benefit from Manabu and promised to deal with Nagumo.'*
Thinking this, Saiki spoke up:
"Manabu, do you think Nagumo might break the agreement?"
"You mean, since he promised the competition wouldn't affect others, he'll keep his word?"
"Exactly."
Manabu nodded without hesitation. Having worked with Nagumo in the student council for nearly two years, he could vouch for him.
But this was all part of Nagumo's act.
"No, Nagumo won't keep his promise. These two years were just his disguise to make you believe he's trustworthy."
Saiki said.
"Why do you say that?"
Manabu furrowed his brow.
"Because... intuition..."
Saiki improvised an excuse.
"Intuition?"
"My instincts are usually right... I sense that you and Akane are close, Manabu. If things escalate, Nagumo might target her, maybe using the responsibility system as a scapegoat."
Saiki replied.
"Why are you so certain? Do you have proof?"
Manabu asked immediately.
"I... um..."
Saiki paused, then said,
"I've heard that not just second-years, but third-years are also under Nagumo's control. If so, he likely controls the group assignments too."
"Is that your reasoning?"
Manabu adjusted his glasses.
[I never told him about the third-years and Nagumo, but he figured it out. Impressive.]
*'Sorry, it's because of my telepathy.'*
Saiki thought, then said aloud:
"It's just a theory. No solid evidence."
Saiki had warned Manabu, doing his part.
"I don't think Nagumo would betray us, but your point is valid. All my plans assume he'll keep his promise. I'll take precautions just in case."
Manabu nodded at Saiki.
"Still not considering joining the student council? Even now, I can get you in."
"Not at all. I avoid complicated matters."
"Understood. Once this exam ends, contact me if you need anything."
After saying this, Manabu left the bathroom and returned to his room.
Saiki waited a while before heading back to his room.
Using telepathy, he confirmed everyone was asleep. Ayanokōji likely wouldn't dwell on the Morse code he'd seen earlier.
*'Whatever.'*
Saiki shook his head and used his powers to teleport back to his top bunk.
...
This was Saiki and the others' fourth day at the school.
During this time, the boys had apparently held some pointless competition in the bathhouse, which Saiki found meaningless. His X-ray vision had already revealed more than he wanted to know, and the competition could've affected him. To keep the story on track, he used his powers to erase that part of reality.
The morning session consisted of four hours of physical education. Students were to walk or run the 18-kilometer route of the upcoming road relay race and return before afternoon classes.
The exam was a relay, meaning each person would run 1-2 kilometers—not much, but everyone had to complete the full course. The route was through rugged mountain terrain, leaving many students exhausted.
"How long does this uphill stretch go on? The school's insane! This is too tiring. I haven't slept well these past few days, and my head feels empty."
Ishizaki panted. After passing a sign warning of wild boars, he added,
"And there are wild boars here?"
"How long will it take to get back...?"
"Average walking speed is 4 km/h, and the distance is 18 km. So, walking would take about 4.5 hours."
"Don't joke! That leaves no time for lunch!"
"Then we'll have to run. Ishizaki, running will get us back faster!"
The group members chatted, too exhausted to do more than walk. The second and third-year groups were long gone.
"Where's Kōenji?"
Just then, Yukimura noticed Kōenji, who'd been at the back, was missing.
"He seems to have chased after a wild boar."
Saiki replied.
He'd just heard Kōenji's thoughts.
[Wild animals here? Interesting. I'll chase it and see!]
Kōenji wasn't concerned about the long trek. He'd immediately focused on something he found interesting.
But another thought, louder than Kōenji's, was what truly alerted Saiki.
[Help! Help! Help! A golden, bipedal gorilla is chasing me! Help!]
The voice wasn't human—
it was the wild boar.