*'Huh? Suddenly asking this? How should I respond?'*
Saiki Kusuo thought to himself.
He usually didn't consider such questions, as what happened to others didn't really concern him—
*'I can't just say I'd do nothing, after all, Karuizawa has made me so many cakes, and her pastry skills are great now. It'd be a shame if she got expelled.'*
*'But I can't give a definite answer either.'*
*'I'll give a vague response.'*
After a moment's thought, Saiki replied,
"That situation shouldn't happen, right?"
*'Right, I'll tell Karuizawa the school wouldn't force students to drop out, and change the subject.'*
Saiki thought his answer was flawless.
But after hearing it, Karuizawa's face turned slightly red.
*'?'*
Saiki felt a bad premonition.
*[Does Kusuo mean he'll never let me face expulsion?]*
*[Though he usually seems cold... he feels oddly reliable...]*
*[Seriously, this answer is cheating!]*
*'???'*
Saiki froze. Karuizawa had completely misunderstood him.
He'd meant to say, *'The school wouldn't do that,'* but Karuizawa heard, *'I won't let that happen.'*
It sounded like a promise.
*'Totally misunderstood...'*
Saiki sighed, averting his gaze to avoid using his X-ray vision on Karuizawa.
"Umm... Kusuo, have you heard the rumors about Ichinose from Class C?"
Karuizawa bit her lip, seeming to change the subject.
"No, what's up?"
Saiki feigned ignorance.
The rumor had spread among the girls, but since the special exam separated boys and girls, it spread slower among the boys. Few knew about it.
"I heard Ichinose has an absurd number of personal points... I wonder how she got them. I guess she's like the class accountant, managing everyone's points."
Karuizawa's expression grew serious.
"Recently, rumors say she might use those points for her own gain. Anyone would have ideas seeing so many points. Though I don't know her well, she doesn't seem like that type..."
"True. Hopefully, this rumor won't cause more trouble."
Saiki replied, glancing across the cafeteria.
Nagumo Miyabi sat with the student council, looking serious.
But Saiki could hear his thoughts clearly.
*[The rumors about Ichinose are spreading—perfect!]*
*[She'll grow more desperate, sinking deeper into the mire.]*
*[When she's cornered, she'll come to me. Then I can rightfully make her my pet~]*
Nagumo's thoughts grated on Saiki.
He knew after this exam, a major event would hit the first-year students in the third term.
---
Meanwhile, in the White Room's secret base.
Ayanokōji Professor sat on the sofa, one hand propping his chin, tilting his head at the man bowing before him.
The man wore a suit, looking ordinary, but beneath it was a muscular physique.
"Sakayanagi is out of the picture. I've handled everything else."
Ayanokōji spoke authoritatively.
"You'll replace him as the school's chairman."
"Understood, Ayanokōji-san."
The man replied respectfully.
"Tell him, 'I won't play this childish game anymore. Come back immediately.' You won't disappoint me, Tsukishiro."
Ayanokōji narrowed his eyes, his aura intense.
"I'll complete the mission."
Tsukishiro nodded firmly.
"Not try—you must."
---
That night, Saiki returned to the dorm. After a brief discussion about the exam, everyone went to bed.
Kōenji Rokusuke lay on his bed, hands behind his head, looking carefree, unbothered by his surroundings.
Though Rokusuke *knew* some things about Saiki, he kept quiet.
But he never imagined his knowledge was another layer of illusion.
Even Rokusuke wouldn't link recent events to psychic powers.
*'I hear other groups had conflicts, but ours is peaceful.'*
Saiki thought, sensing two D-class students avoiding eye contact with him. It saved him trouble.
But something bothered Saiki. All day, he'd heard a voice, even after everyone slept.
Hashimoto Masayoshi.
He had a late-night meeting, waiting for others to sleep.
*[Their breathing's even—time to move.]*
Around 1 AM, Hashimoto silently left using the bed ladder, not even carrying a flashlight, clearly not wanting to be noticed.
No matter how stealthy Hashimoto was, Saiki—and Ayanokōji Kiyotaka—noticed the faint movement.
*[Hashimoto left his bed. Is he going to the bathroom? He hasn't done that at night this week. He must have plans.]*
Ayanokōji thought, preparing to follow quietly.
But as he moved, a wave of drowsiness hit, and even he quickly fell asleep.
Saiki's doing.
*'Hmm, I'm curious, but avoiding trouble is better.'*
After putting Ayanokōji to sleep, Saiki used telekinesis to float off his bed, planning to leave silently. Teleportation had a cooldown, so this was safer.
As he floated, Totsuka Yahiko, woken by a full bladder, opened his eyes, meeting Saiki's gaze.
*'Huh? Why's Totsuka awake now?!'*
Saiki gripped his memory-erasing rod, ready to use it, but heard Totsuka's thoughts.
*[What? I saw Saiki flying?! Wait, this must be a dream. I'm still asleep, right? I'm dreaming about Saiki? Seriously... But I really need to pee. Maybe if I try opening my eyes in the dream, I'll wake up...]*
Totsuka kept staring at Saiki.
*'He thinks it's a dream?'*
Saiki sighed, put Totsuka to sleep, then turned invisible, following Hashimoto.
Hashimoto didn't go to the bathroom. He went downstairs, slipped outside in slippers, and soon, another figure appeared.
"Hey, Ryūen."
"What do you want?"
Ryūen Kakeru looked confused.
"I have something to discuss. The cafeteria's too noticeable. Only at this hour could I call you out."
"On the last day?"
"Because it's the last day. Everyone's asleep now."
"...Makes sense."
*'Huh? It's Ryūen?'*
Saiki, hiding nearby, muttered.
Though they seemed unconnected, Saiki knew from the island incident that Ryūen and Hashimoto had teamed up, crippling the Katsuragi faction.
"I'm direct. Are you really done being class leader?"
"You doubt me. Sakayanagi already asked."
"I can't believe you lost to Ishizaki."
Hashimoto said slowly.
*[Ishizaki's tough, but in our group, they're surprisingly obedient. It's odd.]*
Hashimoto thought.
*'Hmm...'*
"Forget him. Yamada's a handful. Fighting him head-on would be tough."
Ryūen smiled, knowing Hashimoto wouldn't believe him.
"I see. Yamada's a threat, but you're not the type to fear such opponents. You'd plan a counterattack."
His doubt grew.
"I'm tired of managing rebels. As long as I can extract points from Class A, I'll stay safe. No reason to save them."
"So that's your truth."
"Accepted?"
"Not sure. Honestly, I'd prefer you stay as you are."
"To earn your allowance?"
"Right. Like you, I want a 'guaranteed Class A.'"
*[With 20 million points, I can buy a transfer to Class A.]*
*[I'm in Class A now, but who knows about the future? Class B's almost caught up.]*
"Class points for Class A aren't as important as personal points. If you can save up 20 million personal points, it's like securing a spot in Class A."
Saiki Kusuo could clearly hear Hashimoto's thoughts—this was his true intention.
He wasn't truly loyal to Sakayanagi Arisu.
If Katsuragi's abilities surpassed Sakayanagi's, he wouldn't hesitate to betray her.
"If you want a guaranteed win, you must be prepared to betray Sakayanagi, right?"
"If necessary."
Hashimoto smiled,
"Betraying Sakayanagi won't come cheap, Ryūen. Right now, no one's status is higher than hers. I'm already in a favorable position, you know?"
"I'll watch how smoothly your bat-like diplomacy progresses."
"I'm quite good at navigating situations; I'll make sure I come out on top. Still, it's nice to speak so directly. Your eyes seem lively."
Hashimoto yawned, adding this at the end.
"Speaking of which, Class B is the biggest threat."
"Why do you say that?"
"If you observe their students closely, you'll see they're a gathering of exceptional talent. If we're graduating with the current class setup, I'd want to crush them sooner rather than later."
Hashimoto's gaze sharpened.
"I'm surprised you're giving them praise. Is there someone in particular you're interested in?"
Ryūen Kakeru asked with a smile.
"Yes, like the one who truly defeated you—Class B's X. They're probably hiding within our group."
Hashimoto also smiled.