Regardless of what Ichinose Honami was thinking, Kaoru Mitoma politely bid farewell and then continued on his way toward a certain direction in the forest.
Kushida Kikyo had been beating around the bush for a while, but he wasn't blind.
She was practically itching to grab him by the collar and shout in his face.
He knew he had to play along.
Following the forest path, he crossed through bushes and fallen trees. It seemed the school had deliberately maintained the area, or perhaps frequent activities here had prevented it from becoming as harsh as a typical wilderness.
Gradually, Kaoru Mitoma began to hear the sound of waves.
He paused, scanning his surroundings, and then pulled out a blank sheet of paper from the user guide he carried with him. Without hesitation, the Marauder Map projected onto the paper.
Centered around him, the map displayed the surroundings within a one-kilometer radius.
He could see a group of people gathered by the river, while a slow-moving figure was approaching his location.
Although the mini-map was useful, at times like this, he wished he had a hawk.
Kaoru Mitoma waited patiently until the figure of a girl finally appeared before him.
"You're wearing a watch?"
Kushida Kikyo, who had been slightly out of breath, suddenly froze.
Why was he concerned about her watch instead of her tardiness?
"Yes, is there a problem?"
"Not a big one" Kaoru Mitoma shifted his gaze from her wrist.
The homeroom teachers of each class were equipped with computers and could monitor the students' movements through the GPS on their watches.
"You really are infuriating. Didn't we agree you'd take me along?" Kushida Kikyo grew angrier the more she thought about it.
"Why do I have to just listen while you have all the fun without a care?"
"Don't say things that could be easily misunderstood. It makes me suspect you might be a lesbian" Kaoru Mitoma lazily sat on a nearby rock.
"Speaking of which, you do seem to have a bit of a lesbian vibe."
"Don't talk nonsense! My sexual orientation is perfectly normal!" Kushida Kikyo was annoyed.
Although she had no plans to date anyone at the moment, she was firmly convinced she was straight.
"If that's the case, why are you so concerned about Horikita-san?"
Kushida snorted coldly.
He had asked this question before, and she certainly wasn't going to tell him.
"Fine, keep it to yourself. Back to the point, what do you want from me?" Kaoru Mitoma tried to gauge the girl thoughts, vaguely sensing what she might be thinking.
However, when it came to this, Kushida Kikyo couldn't help but feel a bit smug.
"Ahem… What I'm about to say is serious, so listen carefully. I won't repeat myself." She put on a stern face, unusually serious.
"I can tell you who the leader of Class D is, but in return, you have to agree to one of my conditions."
"No." Kaoru Mitoma rejected her proposal without hesitation.
Kushida Kikyo stared at him in disbelief, then gritted her teeth.
"You don't even want the points handed to you on a silver platter? Or do you just not trust me?"
"Because you're not my only option" Kaoru Mitoma replied with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Kushida was taken aback, her brows furrowing.
What other options could he possibly have?
Surely none could be better than her, the insider.
Wait, she suddenly thought of Ibuki Mio.
"Are you working with Class C?"
If Ibuki Mio was a spy, she might actually be able to uncover the leader identity.
"Weren't you just saying you wanted to help Ibuki? Now you're suspecting her of being a spy?"
"That's a separate matter. Anything that involves you, I'm biased against."
"Ibuki is a backup. I have a better plan."
"What could possibly be better than me?" Kushida couldn't hold back. "I'm right here in front of you. Just agree to my condition and your class will gain fifty points!"
As she spoke, she put on an annoyed expression again.
"You're not thinking I'm going to ask you to delete that video and promise never to mention that incident to anyone, are you?"
In response to her question, Kaoru Mitoma countered "Isn't that the case?"
"Of course not! Since you wouldn't agree anyway, I'm asking for something else!" Kushida stubbornly insisted.
"Let's hear it. Maybe I'll agree right away." Kaoru Mitoma leaned in, ready to listen.
"Though I don't know how far you and Horikita have gotten, I want in too. You have to help me deal with Horikita, no matter what I do." Kushida blurted out her demand in one breath.
Kaoru Mitoma said softly "Are you sure you're not a lesbian?"
"You're the lesbian!" Kushida snapped, flustered. "Fine, you can handle all the intimate stuff. I'll just take photos and document it!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed Kaoru Mitoma staring straight at her, his eyes gleaming with an unusual light.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Kushida Kikyo regretted her outburst.
In a moment of anger, she had inadvertently revealed her true intentions.
"Tsk, I didn't expect you to be someone who knows how to threaten others" Kaoru Mitoma remarked, seeing through her thoughts.
He didn't believe Horikita Suzune would simply yield to her so easily.
"I learned it from you!" Kushida Kikyo retorted. "Now that we've come this far, are you satisfied? Can you give me an answer?"
"I can, but are you really sure you can secure the leader position?" Kaoru Mitoma seemed uneasy and pressed her for confirmation once more.
Kushida Kikyo replied coldly "Should I just steal her key card?"
"Can you really do that?" Kaoru Mitoma asked, surprised and hopeful.
Kushida Kikyo was momentarily at a loss for words and muttered.
"No, I can't. She even sleeps with her key card."
"It seems she's a very cautious person. What's her name?"
"Horikita Suzune."
In an instant, Kaoru Mitoma fell silent.
Seeing this, Kushida Kikyo said with a hint of pride.
"I was the one who recommended her as the leader back then. If she found out her identity had been guessed, she'd probably fall into self-doubt. Then, if you strike her hard, it's sure to leave a deep impression on her."
I didn't expect you to be a master manipulator.
"Thinking about it, it's indeed a good idea. But what if someone finds out? Wouldn't that be bad for you?" Kaoru Mitoma said. "Did no one notice you coming out alone?"
Kushida Kikyo gave him a disdainful look. "I'm not an idiot. Of course, I handled it properly. I told Mei and the others that I accidentally left something outside, so I have about half an hour to chat with you."
This excuse was convincing enough for most people, but for some, it was as obvious as trying to hide a silver ingot in plain sight.
"What's the situation with your Class D now?" Kaoru Mitoma asked directly.
"I remember I occupied the island stronghold. You didn't wait until the ownership updated at night to start setting up camp, did you?"
Suddenly, Kushida Kikyo widened her eyes and said irritably.
"How dare you bring that up! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have been busy setting up tents until past ten at night!"
For a few tents, a temporary toilet, and a shower room, they spent an hour or two struggling to assemble everything!
During that time, they were constantly bitten by mosquitoes and Kushida Kikyo was so angry she wished she could kicked Kaoru Mitoma to death.
"We're competitors after all. It's only natural to cause you some trouble. I couldn't just leave the stronghold unchecked, could I?" Kaoru Mitoma replied with a clear conscience.
This damn guy.
Kushida Kikyo gritted her teeth but couldn't do anything about him.
After calming down a bit, she suddenly realized something strange.
"Wait… what did you just say?" Kushida Kikyo looked at him in disbelief. "Are you saying you're the leader?!"
According to the exam rules, only the leader could check in at the stronghold.
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