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Chapter 189 - 189: A Golden Opportunity
After this incident, Hikigaya had earned a huge amount of private points. Anyone else would be thrilled beyond measure. Class A paid 1 million private points per month, and even though the deal lasted only 24 months, that was a total of 24 million private points—more than enough for a student to transfer classes.
In other words, even if Hikigaya decided to slack off from now on, it wouldn't matter. With these points, he could easily graduate as a Class A student.
But despite having such a massive amount of points, Hikigaya remained unexpectedly calm. There was no excitement, no rush of emotion—only an unexplainable exhaustion.
Besides... private points weren't even his real goal this time. They were just a bonus. He still had a bet to settle with that little troublemaker, Sakayanagi.
"Sakayanagi, don't worry. I'll make sure you 'win' completely."
Hikigaya glanced back in the direction of the Class A camp before turning and heading toward Class B's camp.
However, the rain, which had just stopped, started pouring again. It took him quite some time to reach Class B's camp, and by the time he got there, his jacket was soaked once more.
The students of Class B quickly noticed him, and Kanzaki, who had been informed, came over to bring Hikigaya into a tent. He handed him a dry towel and a cup of hot tea.
"Kanzaki, you're starting to feel more and more like Ichinose."
Hikigaya couldn't help but tease him.
Kanzaki's mouth twitched slightly. "No matter what, you've helped Class B quite a bit. But you've been running around the forest alone in this heavy rain. Are you sure you're okay?"
Hikigaya took a sip of tea and smiled without answering. Instead, he glanced around the tent.
"If you're looking for Ichinose, she's not here."
Kanzaki suddenly spoke up.
"Uh..."
Hikigaya awkwardly scratched his nose.
"This rain came out of nowhere. Ichinose was worried about the students who were outside, so the moment the rain stopped, she grabbed some rain gear and took a few people to search for them. But then the rain started pouring again."
Kanzaki explained, his face expressionless, but his concern was still obvious in his tone.
Just as Kanzaki said, the rain outside was getting heavier. The sound of it hitting the tent was sharp and clear, as if cutting them off from the outside world.
Heavy rain and a dense forest—a combination that could easily lead to trouble.
And Ichinose was the type of person who would throw herself into danger without hesitation to help others. That was exactly why Class B trusted her so much.
"Looks like this rain isn't stopping anytime soon. You should rest here for now."
After saying that, Kanzaki stood up, seeming like he had other matters to attend to.
"Kanzaki-kun, the rain is getting worse. I'm a little worried about Honami-chan. Should I go—"
A voice suddenly came from outside the tent, and Shiranami Chihiro hurried in. But halfway through her sentence, she froze at the sight of Hikigaya.
"You—you?! Why are you here?!"
Shiranami Chihiro's eyes widened in shock. Then, as if realizing something, she quickly turned to leave.
"Aren't you curious about Ichinose?"
Hikigaya's words made her stop in her tracks. Kanzaki also looked at him with confusion.
"In fact, it's actually a good thing that Ichinose isn't here right now."
Kanzaki now seemed to realize that Hikigaya wasn't just here by chance. He had come to Class B's camp with a purpose.
Shiranami Chihiro, on the other hand, tensed up and glared at him. "What do you mean? What are you planning to do to Honami-chan?!"
"Kanzaki, just a quick question—has Kaneda from Class C already left?"
Ignoring Shiranami Chihiro, Hikigaya turned to Kanzaki.
Kanzaki's expression darkened, becoming more serious than ever.
"Hikigaya... do you know something?"
"So, Kaneda has already left?"
Hikigaya could tell from Kanzaki's reaction, then turned his gaze to Shiranami Chihiro. For some reason, as soon as Hikigaya looked at him, Shiranami Chihiro instinctively stepped back. But the next second, Hikigaya's words made her face turn pale.
"Shiranami, you're the leader of Class B in this special exam, aren't you?"
The moment Hikigaya finished speaking, Kanzaki's expression changed drastically. Shiranami Chihiro looked as if she had seen a ghost, her eyes wide, her finger trembling as he pointed at Hikigaya.
"Y-You... how do you know that?!"
"Shiranami!"
Kanzaki tried to stop him, but it was too late. Shiranami Chihiro also realized his mistake right away and covered his mouth, but it was already done.
Ignoring Kanzaki's grim expression, Hikigaya continued, "Looks like you understand now, Kanzaki. The identity of your class leader has been exposed."
Shiranami turned to Kanzaki, confused, as if asking what was going on.
"Let me explain."
Hikigaya glanced at Shiranami Chihiro, who still looked dazed.
"You took in Kaneda from Class C, but he's actually a spy sent by Ryuen. The same thing happened to us in Class D. It was a setup—a way to find out who the class leaders were. So, do you get it now? Shiranami, your identity as a leader has already been exposed. Even an outsider like me knows."
"Huh?"
Shiranami Chihiro's face turned deathly pale. The exposure of the leader's identity didn't just mean Class B would lose the extra points they earned for holding the base for seven days. They would also lose 50 points. And since she was the one holding the key card, she couldn't avoid responsibility.
But what scared her the most wasn't taking responsibility. It was seeing Honami-chan and her classmates' disappointed faces. She didn't want to hear them forcing a smile and saying, "It's okay."
"Hikigaya, where did you get this information? Does anyone else know about this?"
Kanzaki quickly asked.
Hikigaya shook his head. "Kanzaki, now isn't the time to track down the source of the information or worry about how many people know. If even I, an outsider, know about your class's secret, does it even matter anymore?"
"Damn it!"
Kanzaki cursed. He knew Hikigaya was right. The problem now wasn't keeping the secret—it was figuring out how to deal with the aftermath.
"Actually, the exposure of your leader's identity might not be entirely bad for your class."
Hikigaya's words stunned both Kanzaki and Shiranami Chihiro. Then, Hikigaya's calm voice came again.
"Disaster and opportunity go hand in hand. This might just be Class B's best chance."
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