Chapter 124: No, She's Not a Saint!
There were many "saints" in Hachiman's class. Although both Karuizawa and Sato raised concerns about Ibuki staying behind as a potential risk, when Ibuki actually chose to leave, they instead felt that they had been too harsh.
So now, as it happened, Ibuki Mio stayed behind.
And since the good-hearted Hirata had spoken up, no one could really object.
"Pass me the salt."
"Okay."
After putting down the fish, Sudo, along with a few boys, went back to the river to fetch water.
The fire was already going, and large stones had been used to create a makeshift stove.
On top of it was a large pot for steaming and cooking.
Kushida was the first to step up, volunteering to cook dinner for everyone.
The students of Class C gathered around, busy with preparations.
It could even be said that they were having a good time.
In fact, it felt pretty cheerful.
The school had provided bread and some barbecue materials as exchange items, so they wouldn't go hungry. But for them, picking fresh food felt even more like real camping.
Thus, there was a distinct camping atmosphere in Class C.
However, Ibuki Mio sat on a large rock on the outskirts, hugging her knees and silently observing everything.
Although she was allowed to stay, it was only natural that she was isolated by the others.
After all, she was from Class D.
"You're Ibuki, right?"
A shadow fell over the evening sunlight, making Ibuki Mio raise her head to look.
But that one glance made her alert.
Just as Horikita had recognized her instantly, she also recognized Horikita.
Ryuen had specifically instructed her to watch out for Hachiman from Class C and Horikita Suzune. Horikita was well-known in their class because during the incident where Sudo was framed, the footage of Daichi Ishizaki and the others beating Sudo had been recorded by Horikita, and she had intentionally waited for the trial to present all the evidence, causing Class Ryuen to suffer a major setback. As a result, they were directly demoted from Class C to D.
So, Horikita Suzune was someone to keep an eye on.
Since Horikita was also a girl, the probability of her coming into contact with this "spy" was high.
According to Ryuen's account, Horikita and Hachiman were considered threats in the current plan.
"Is something wrong?"
Ibuki Mio looked at Horikita briefly before quickly lowering her head, her voice cold.
"Are the injuries on your body from Ryuen?"
Horikita took a step back, using the evening light to clearly see the red and swollen marks on Ibuki's face.
It was obvious that whoever hit her had done so with great force.
It seemed like they had deliberately left marks that wouldn't heal quickly, hoping to gain sympathy and trust.
"It was Albert."
Upon hearing Horikita's question, a trace of excitement appeared in Ibuki Mio's eyes, and her body trembled slightly.
"Albert, that mixed-race guy?"
Horikita had witnessed the scene on the deck where Ryuen's lackeys had grabbed Ibuki.
Horikita frowned slightly and asked, "You knew each other before?"
"We were classmates in middle school. But he's become Ryuen's dog now."
Ibuki pulled her knees tightly together, hugging her legs as if she were a little cold.
"I see."
Horikita nodded in understanding.
No wonder.
Since they had known each other in middle school, Ibuki must have found it hard to believe that Albert had become someone like Ryuen's lapdog.
And perhaps she also felt uncomfortable because Albert had completely disregarded their past friendship and attacked her.
But Horikita didn't believe any of it.
She had already confirmed that Ibuki was the spy sent to infiltrate.
The claim that Albert had hurt her was unreliable.
After all, Albert was one of Ryuen's lackeys, carrying out Ryuen's orders.
Therefore, it was far more likely that it was Ryuen who had hurt her.
So, Ibuki was talking nonsense.
But Hachiman had told her earlier to learn how to control her emotions and not let her thoughts show on her face.
"Wash your hands."
Sighing, Horikita took out a water bottle and handed it to Ibuki.
"Huh?"
Ibuki Mio looked up at Horikita in surprise, her lips slightly parted, as if she didn't understand.
"Your hands are covered in dirt. They're quite filthy."
Horikita said calmly, "We'll be having dinner soon. You don't want to eat something dirty and end up with a stomachache, right?"
"…"
Ibuki Mio was a bit incredulous, her tone complicated as she spoke, "Why are you being so nice to me?"
"Why do you ask?"
Horikita paused for a moment and then softly replied, "Just consider it as an act of kindness."
"But I'm your enemy."
Ibuki Mio's voice raised slightly, her emotions showing.
"Even if you're an enemy, you're a respectable one. The reason you haven't left and returned to the ship is because you don't want to cause your class to lose points, right?"
Horikita turned her head away, and the fair skin of her face was tinged with a faint pink hue.
It was unclear whether it was from the embarrassment of complimenting someone or from the rush of lying.
It was as though Ibuki Mio was acting in front of her, trying to gain her trust.
She was doing the same.
"Are you all idiots?"
Ibuki Mio lowered her head again, her tone somewhat dejected. "You're all just a bunch of soft-hearted fools. This would never happen in Class D."
"That's why we're Class C, isn't it?"
Horikita said this as she opened the bottle cap.
Ibuki Mio didn't resist, probably because she disliked being dirty, so she cooperated and extended her hands, which were covered in mud.
Clear water flowed from the bottle's opening. Ibuki held her hands underneath to wash off the dirt, rubbing her hands together to clean off the mud.
"Um, Ibuki-san..."
The cute girl with golden hair, who had been waiting by the side, approached with an angelic smile on her face. "Dinner isn't ready yet, so why don't you have some fruit first?"
As she spoke, the girl handed Ibuki a variety of fruits wrapped in leaves, with a slightly embarrassed expression. "Since I didn't know what you liked, I just picked a bit of everything."
This was Kushida Kikyo, who, along with the others, had gone to pick fruit after Ibuki was brought back to their team.
"I..."
Ibuki Mio opened her mouth, seemingly in shock as she looked at Horikita and Kushida.
She never expected these two people from another class to be so kind to her.
However, she didn't say anything else, silently accepting the fruit from Kushida.
...
"We're back."
At the entrance of the cave, Hachiman, who had been observing the situation quietly, spoke up.
Horikita Suzune had moved away from where she was with Ibuki.
"Mm."
Horikita nodded lightly and sat down beside Hachiman, speaking softly. "Her hands were covered in dirt, probably because she was knocked to the ground by Ryuen. But when I got closer, I noticed there was also some dirt under the nails of all ten of her fingers."
"So, it's unlikely that she just fell and grabbed dirt from the ground during a fight. It's more likely that she's been digging in the dirt for quite a while."
Horikita Suzune explained that she had approached Ibuki to check her condition.
From this, it seemed like Horikita was making progress.
Hachiman then said, "If she was really digging, then she's probably hiding something. If I'm right, that might be how she's communicating with Ryuen."
"Doesn't she carry communication devices?" Horikita asked.
"This time, our class got a lot of strongholds, so Ryuen probably knows we'll be cautious about spies," Hachiman explained.
"After all, if over 300 points are lost, it would be bad for any class. That's why people like Karuizawa and Sato naturally rejected Ibuki's offer to join."
"Ryuen wouldn't allow Ibuki to carry anything like that," Hachiman said. "If she was searched, the plan would fail."
"Mm."
Horikita Suzune nodded.
After a moment of thought, she said, "This island's forest is vast. I don't think she would have easily found a place to hide something. So, to be safe, she would have marked the spot where she's hiding it. And the place where she's hiding it is probably not far from where Yamauchi found her."
Horikita quietly shared her analysis, but she still seemed somewhat uncertain, her mood uneasy.
She wanted Hachiman to confirm her guess.
"Since you've figured it out, go ahead and do it," Hachiman said, clapping his hands and standing up. "Like I said, you'll have to stand on your own eventually."
"But..."
Horikita Suzune suddenly spoke. "When I was interacting with Ibuki just now, I saw Kushida giving Ibuki a portion of every kind of fruit."
"Koenji has taken up many strongholds, and there aren't many fruit orchards, so the fruits Kushida and the others picked were just for a taste. But they gave a lot to Ibuki."
"Is that so?"
Hachiman had seen Kushida and the others dividing the fruit after they had picked it.
It seemed that the fruit was intended to be served after the meal. But it hadn't been distributed yet.
They had divided the fruit into 40 portions, but since there were limited quantities, everyone could only have one piece of each kind of fruit, and some types couldn't even be distributed to everyone.
But Kushida had directly given Ibuki a portion with all kinds of fruit.
Ibuki had received special treatment.
"Kushida seems to always be the pleasant one," Horikita Suzune remarked. "But this action of hers is even worse than what Karuizawa and the others would do."
"Karuizawa and the others would be worried that Ibuki might be a spy sent by Ryuen's class to gather information about their class's leader."
"But Kushida still gave special treatment to Ibuki, which is really bad," Horikita Suzune added.
"Oh?"
Hachiman responded, "Well, Kushida is indeed a saint. Remember what she said when she first entered the school? She wanted to be friends with everyone."
"Her social skills are really good, which is why she's able to interact with the third-year seniors," Hachiman explained.
"But," Horikita Suzune felt Kushida was too saintly. "Some students in our class haven't considered the risks of Ibuki infiltrating our class. They even believe Ibuki's claim about being assaulted because she doesn't get along with Ryuen."
"They completely don't understand how determined other classes are to win points. They don't realize how ruthless they can be."
In other words, Ryuen's class would go so far as to injure their own people to make it seem like a real injury, in order to infiltrate and gain trust for the special exam.
This was Ryuen's strategy and his serious approach to the exam.
Though it was despicable to resort to such actions, you could still feel the determination and willingness to go to any lengths for the exam.
However, when looking at how some of her classmates were behaving...
It was something even a dog would shake its head at.
Many people still hadn't fully grasped the seriousness of the special exam.
"A portion of the students in our class are beyond saving," Hachiman said. "But you've wronged Kushida."
"Although she wants to be friends with everyone, she's not a complete saint."
"?"
Horikita turned her gaze toward him.
Hachiman paused for a moment before adding, "Pay attention to what fruits Ibuki eats. If nothing happens to her, then the ones she's eaten should be safe for everyone."
The girls had successfully picked a large amount of fruit. Although many of them didn't recognize the fruits and weren't sure whether they were edible, there was enough quantity.
Horikita Suzune seemed to have her mind stuck for several seconds before finally reacting.
"?"
"Hikigaya, I underestimated you. You're truly heartless," Horikita said, looking at him with an astonished expression in her eyes.
Because…
What did he mean by the fruits Ibuki eats being safe to eat?
Wasn't that basically using Ibuki to test for poison?
Although she already knew Ibuki was a spy, she never thought she would go this far!
"That's a harsh thing to say."
Hachiman glanced at Horikita and said, "This is just a basic move, alright? Haven't you heard? Mercy towards the enemy is cruelty to yourself. Who's to blame for her walking right into our trap? Besides, if we don't use her to test the poison, should we use our own classmates? Sure, we started with zero points, but that doesn't mean we should let our classmates suffer."
"So, isn't using Ibuki to test the poison perfectly reasonable?" Hachiman said. "And if Ibuki gets poisoned, it would affect her class's score. We're in an opposing class, so isn't it reasonable for them to lose points?"
"Uh… I guess you have a point," Horikita said, helpless, after a moment of silence. "But I don't think there's a problem with the fruit. After all, hasn't it already been confirmed?"
"With the fruit orchards and the vegetable fields we saw, this island is an artificial one created by the school. There are many man-made traces left behind, so how could there be poisonous fruit here?"
"Well, you never know," Hachiman shook his head. "There might not be poisonous fruit, since the school doesn't want us to really get hurt. But some wild fruits that could give you diarrhea wouldn't be out of the question. After all, the main theme of this exam is survival in the wilderness, and identifying food is part of the plan."
"Also—"
Hachiman paused, then pulled out a bunch of green fruits.
"What's this?"
Horikita blinked in slight surprise.
"I don't know," Hachiman shook his head. "These were picked by Karuizawa and the others just now. I've never seen them before, but though I'm not entirely sure, I've been reading related books recently, and I can confirm that this is castor bean. Mm, you probably haven't heard of it, but it's the kind of fruit that, when eaten, causes diarrhea."
"As for the information about the leader, you don't have to worry about that; Koenji's side has guaranteed no problems."
"But we'll need to deal with Ibuki staying in our camp at the right time," Hachiman said.
"…"
Horikita opened her mouth, but fell into silence.
It was confirmed.
Given the school's twisted nature, they would really go so far as to do this!
After all, diarrhea wouldn't cause any serious harm, but it would definitely lead to point deductions. It was like encountering a snake — even if it wasn't venomous, being bitten might still lead to disqualification.
And compared to releasing a snake, this method seemed more suitable for driving Ibuki away.