Sae Chabashira and Chie Hoshinomiya.

Although he noticed they had a good relationship, running into them at night was somewhat unexpected for Kaoru Mitoma.

Especially since, judging from their conversation, they must have had quite a bit to drink at a bar.

Kaoru Mitoma glanced in their direction and saw Chie Hoshinomiya, eyes blurred with alcohol, clinging to Sae Chabashira's arm, muttering things like "so annoying" and "so sly."

Hiss—

The hand that was covering Kushida mouth suddenly felt a cool, as if she had licked it.

Kaoru Mitoma looked down and met her slightly moist gaze, probably a sign of protest.

"Don't speak, wait until they leave before making a sound."

Thinking she was uncomfortable, Kaoru Mitoma slowly released his hand, though a cool sensation lingered on his palm.

Kushida face was slightly red, but she remained silent.

She couldn't very well say she had intended to bite him, could she?

"Don't just talk about Mashima-kun, didn't you also throw Ichinose into the Snake group?"

"Because I was curious, Class A scored over five hundred points on the uninhabited island, suddenly becoming unreachable. It's only natural to want to know who did it!"

"So you still care about Class A, Chie."

"Hehehe, as if you don't care at all."

Not only could Chabashira Sae hear the hint of sarcasm in Hoshinomiya Chie's tone, but even Kaoru Mitoma, who was hiding in the corner, could sense it.

"Hehe, think whatever you want. I've already let it go" Chabashira Sae's voice was icy cold.

"Besides, according to the usual practice of previous years, Mitoma and Ichinose should have been assigned to the Dragon Group. You two are really doing as you please."

"Well, there's no helping it. Ichinose still has a lot to learn, and the quality of this year's students is exceptionally high. With Katsuragi-kun, Mitoma-kun, and Sakayanagi-san in Class A, surpassing them is quite difficult. I've given up!" Hoshinomiya Chie poked her cheek with a smile, as if the stronger Class A became, the happier she was.

Chabashira Sae swatted away her mischievous hand, feeling extremely irritated.

She had forced Ayanokouji Kiyotaka to take things seriously, but he still seemed to be slacking off.

Was this passive resistance?

Moreover, three groups had been concluded in one night.

Although it wasn't a historical record, it was enough to raise Chabashira Sae's vigilance.

Based on her experience, it was likely that someone was taking action.

However, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka still acted as if he didn't care, which was making her increasingly frustrated.

The only silver lining was that Hoshinomiya Chie was still unaware of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka existence.

But thinking about the Kaoru Mitoma mentioned by Hoshinomiya Chie, Chabashira Sae felt another wave of anxiety.

From the students' perspective, most of them couldn't see the full picture of the exam, but for teachers like Chabashira Sae and Hoshinomiya Chie, every move of the students was basically under their watchful eyes.

If only... if only such a student could appear in Class D, Chabashira Sae sometimes fantasized with a sense of frustration.

Clink—

Suddenly, a faint sound came from the corner, immediately catching Chabashira Sae's attention.

It sounded like the clinking of a chain?

Just as Chabashira Sae had guessed, Kaoru Mitoma had already removed Kushida collar.

"Did they find us?" Kushida Kikyou whispered.

"Move further in, and do it quietly" Kaoru Mitoma thought calmly.

The corner where they were hiding was near a piece of equipment on the deck, and beyond that was the railing and the sea.

Kushida Kikyo took two steps forward but suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?"

"My... my legs feel a bit weak."

The area ahead was narrow, with dim lighting and there wasn't much space to stand before the railing.

Naturally, a girl would feel instinctively scared.

So, Kaoru Mitoma took her hand.

"I'm behind you. No matter what happens, I'll hold onto you," Kaoru Mitoma's words sped up slightly as the sound behind them grew closer.

"They'll probably just take a quick look and won't linger here. We'll be out soon."

Kushida bit her lip lightly.

At this point, she was too embarrassed to mention that her knees were sore from crawling on the ground earlier.

However, his hand was indeed gripping hers tightly.

Thinking of this, her heartbeat quickened.

Kushida stiffly moved forward, circling to the back of the equipment, right next to the railing.

Kaoru Mitoma then squeezed in beside her and the two were almost pressed together, one in front of the other.

"Don't come closer if you're reeking of alcohol."

"Don't be so stingy, Sae-chan?"

"Get lost."

As they walked to a certain spot, Sae Chabashira inadvertently glanced towards the corner but saw no one there.

Strange, was she overthinking it?

As they walked further away, Kaoru Mitoma fell into deep thought.

From the conversation just now, he could discern a few things.

First, the teachers actually cared about Class A.

Second, it seemed that the teachers could manipulate this Exam, assigning members to different groups based on their own whims.

Considering the rules of the VIP Student, this special exam was more complicated than he had anticipated.

It seemed that the competition between classes also involved their respective homeroom teachers.

While Kaoru Mitoma was lost in thought, Kushida also felt a mix of emotions.

He had noticed someone passing by earlier than she did, immediately hiding with her and not deliberately embarrassing her in front of outsiders.

Although the crawling play was embarrassing and she didn't want to experience it a second time, he had specifically chosen the evening and a secluded place, seemingly taking Kushida's feelings into account.

She had been worried that he might make her lose composure in front of others, but now it seemed he had no such intention.

He hadn't let go of her hand yet and the collar around her neck had been removed.

Kushida could feel him behind her, his faint breath reaching her ears.

For some reason, Kushida's thoughts were in disarray.

"When... when did you notice Sae chan-sensei and Hoshinomiya-sensei?"

Kaoru Mitoma looked at her in confusion.

Were the students of Class D this close with their homeroom teacher?

"They appeared from behind you, so it's normal you didn't see them."

"O-oh, I see..." Kushida fell silent for a moment. "Do you want to play some more?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it.

Why had she brought up the idea herself?

"No, I'm satisfied already. Besides, it would be troublesome if someone else passed by," Kaoru Mitoma replied straightforwardly.

Since they weren't facing each other, he naturally couldn't see Kushida's expression, which was like the sea under the moonlight—calm on the surface but with turbulent undercurrents beneath.

"Y-yeah, you're right!" Kushida's voice betrayed no abnormality, but she already knew one thing.

This guy wasn't just a simple pervert after all.

I'm starting to dislike him a little less.

As soon as this thought crossed Kushida mind, her nerves, which had been tense all along, quietly relaxed, leaving only the beating of her heart in her chest.

However, Kaoru Mitoma suddenly raised her right hand and brought his face close to her armpit.

Huh?

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