I came, I saw, I lost! (Classroom of the Elite Fanfiction)

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"Ku ku ku. What a burdensome friend you turn out to be."

Ryuuen smirked, clearly amused by Kumagawa's actions.

Even though he loathed the guy, he couldn't deny it—Kumagawa was a special kind of nuisance. He's the type of person who simply did whatever he wanted, without a shred of concern for consequences.

『What's with that look, Ryuuen-chan? I'm sorry, but I prefer my relationships a little more toxic.』

Ryuuen clicked his tongue.

"Tch. Like hell you'd even be able to have a relationship. I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I don't like pests buzzing around my business."

『Aren't you the one who invited us, though? Did you already develop dementia at such an early age? But I guess I can't blame you. After all, I'm not some primitive, knuckle-dragging ape who solves every problem by barking orders and punching people in the face. Must be tough, huh? Trying to evolve past the caveman stage.』

Ryuuen's eye twitched slightly. "Watch your mouth."

The atmosphere grew heavier. Ishizaki and the other Class C students stiffened, sensing the change in Ryuuen's mood.

Without waiting for a response, Kumagawa casually strolled over to a nearby beach chair under the shade of a tree and dragged it back, setting it up right beside Ryuuen. He plopped down onto it like he owned the place, stretching his arms behind his head.

『Is this how you usually treat your guests? I was expecting at least a cold drink. But, well, what can I expect from a bunch of chest-thumping, rock-smashing, banana-peeling brutes?』

A heavy silence followed. Ishizaki's fists clenched, but he hesitated, waiting for Ryuuen's order.

Ryuuen, however, merely watched Kumagawa in silence for a few seconds before lazily gesturing at Ishizaki.

"Oi. Get us a cold drink."

Ishizaki blinked. "Huh? Uh, Ryuuen-san, why—"

Thunk.

A can of soda bounced off Ishizaki's head before rolling onto the sand.

"Did I stutter?"

Ishizaki rubbed his head with a groan and hurried off to grab the drinks. A few seconds later, he returned with two cans of cold soda in his hands.

Ryuuen cracked open his own can and took a sip before turning back to Kumagawa.

"Alright, enough playing around. What's your game?"

Kumagawa tilted his head, looking genuinely puzzled

『Game? What game? I'm just a regular student enjoying a fun little school trip. Though you can't exactly call this a trip, right? What kind of school let's their student fend of themselves in the wild? They should just burn in hell for all their transgerssion. 』

Ryuuen ignored him, his gaze locked onto Kumagawa.

"Let's cut the bullshit. You're not normal. I can tell. And I don't trust people I can't read."

『Fine, let me ask you a question first, ryuen chan. 』

"What is it?" Ryuuen narrowed his eyes.

『What do you think of this school? 』

"Hah? What kind of question is that?" Ryuuen leaned back slightly, eyeing him with curiosity.

『A simple one. 』

"Unfortunately for you, I don't answer questions from people who talk like they already know the answer." Ryuuen smirked. "And I especially don't waste my time entertaining clowns."

『... 』

His gaze turns toward Class C's base.

The scene before him was as far from "survival" as one could get. Students lounged under parasols, sipping on cold drinks. Some were playing volleyball near the shore, while others were riding jet skis across the waves. The scent of grilled meat drifted through the air as a group barbecued, laughing without a care in the world.

It was obvious at a glance—they had spent more than a hundred points to live like kings on this deserted island.

『How many points did you use? 』

"And why should I tell you?" Ryuuen continued drinking his soda, his gaze sharp as he observed Kumagawa.

『Did you use around 100 points? Or 200 points? Or maybe all of it?』

Ryuuen scoffed. "What, you trying to act smart? I don't care about this test at all. Do you think I would waste my time on some stupid exam for a measly 100 or 200 points and sacrice my vacation? It makes me laugh."

『I'm just speaking based on what I see so far, not with any sort of specific data. It's just that, if you think about it, this test is like a marathon, not a sprint. If you burn all your energy at the start, you'll have nothing left when you actually need it. It's kind of like trying to swim across an ocean without knowing how deep it is. 』

Ryuuen furrowed his brows slightly, trying to make sense of the analogy. Before he could respond, Kumagawa suddenly slapped his shoulder.

『Ryuuen-chan! Ryuuen-chan! Look at that, aren't her boobs kinda large? By the way, do you have any unused aprons or jeans lying around? If you grant me my one wish, I'll tell you who our class leader is.』

Ryuuen was momentarily thrown off by Kumagawa's sudden shift in topic. There was a brief silence as he tried to process what he had just heard.

"Are you actually brain-dead?" he finally asked.

『That's not very nice, Ryuuen-chan. I'm offering you a deal here. If you grant me my one wish, I'll tell you who our class leader is. Sounds fair, right? 』

It wasn't about whether it was fair or not. It didn't even make sense to begin with. For a second, Ryuuen felt like he was losing brain cells just by engaging in this conversation.

"...You're messing with me," Ryuuen finally said, leaning forward. "You act like an idiot, but you wouldn't just give up valuable information over something that dumb. So what's your angle?"

It was a reasonable assumption based on the principle of risk and reward. If Kumagawa was truly offering up the identity of Class D's leader, then there had to be a catch. There was no way he'd do something like that without some kind of ulterior motive.

But Kumagawa simply waved a hand.

『No, really. I'll tell you who our designated leader is. 』

Ryuuen didn't believe that for a second.

"You think I'd fall for that? If I actually took you seriously, I'd be the biggest idiot in this school." Ryuuen let out a short laugh.

Kumagawa merely smiled. Then, as if remembering something, he glanced at his wristwatch.

『Ah, it's about that time. The designated spots should be refreshing soon. Guess I should head back. 』

He stood up, dusting the sand off his shorts, before giving Ryuuen a lazy wave.

『Well then, let's talk again soon, Ryuuen-chan. Don't forget to call me if you need anything.』

Ryuuen watched him leave, his gaze darkening slightly.

"...Ishizaki."

Ishizaki straightened up. "Y-yes?"

"Bring me the manual."

"Eh? Why? You think he's up to something?"

Ryuuen didn't answer immediately. He simply took another sip of his drink before setting the can down beside him.

Something about that exchange didn't sit right with him.

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Kumagawa's style of getting out of situations by pretending to have something important to do was a must, with or without any meaningful conversation.

After all, it was just a way to make himself look cool.

With the sun still up and the timer for the designated spot refresh ending in about two hours, there was still enough time to visit another camp.

The closest one to Class C should be Class B's camp. Class A's was near the cliff on the other side of the island, making it the closest to Class D instead.

Kumagawa strolled deeper into the forest, stepping past the massive roots of a broken tree. The tree looked as though the school had intentionally destroyed it, likely to serve as a landmark. If that were the case, then there should be a designated spot nearby.

As he reached his destination, a voice called out to him.

"Kumagawa?"

Ayanokouji stood with Horikita, speaking with Ichinose.

『Yo. 』 Kumagawa raised a hand lazily in greeting.

Horikita immediately shot him a sharp glare, staying silent, probably to prevent Class B from extracting any useful information out of him.

Kumagawa, of course, had no such concerns.

Ichinose greeted him with her usual friendly smile. "Oh, Kumagawa-kun! What a surprise. Are you just wandering around?"

『Something like that. 』

As Kumagawa took in the surroundings, he compared Class B's camp to Class D's. Their class had made practical use of their designated spot, with thick trees surrounding a well. Since they didn't have enough space to pitch multiple tents, they'd utilized hammocks instead, making efficient use of their limited area. Despite starting with similar conditions, Class B had made completely different choices from Class D.

Meanwhile, Horikita continued to glare at him, her intense stare practically burning a hole through his skull. Yet, she kept her mouth shut. If she suddenly lashed out at him without cause, it would only make them look suspicious.

Ayanokouji, on the other hand, subtly took a step away from Horikita, distancing himself. The fact that Kumagawa could just casually talk while blatantly ignoring her silent but deadly glare was almost impressive in itself.

『Compared to Class C, this place actually looks livable. Though, I guess there's no free-flowing soda or grilled steak, so it's still missing something. 』

Ichinose giggled. "Ayanokouji-kun and Horikita-san already told me about Class C. Sounds like they're living it up."

『Oh? Well then, what were you guys talking about before I got here? 』

This time, Horikita answered.

"We're discussing the continuation of our mutual cooperation."

『Huh? Cooperation? Since when did we have that with Class B?』

Kumagawa blinked in confusion. Nobody could really blame him, after all, nobody had bothered to tell him in the first place.

Their cooperation with Class B had started during the false sexual assault incident. Since Class B had assisted Class D in gathering evidence against Class C's setup, a working relationship had naturally formed between the two classes. Of course, none of that really mattered in the end since Kumagawa had overturned the whole thing himself.

"It happened during your incident with Class C. Ichinose and her class helped gather evidence to clear your name."

『Ohhh, I see, I see. Well then, Ichinose-chan, thank you for your help! As a token of my gratitude, I'd like to give you a reward. How about hand bra— 』

Before he could finish, Ayanokouji swiftly clamped a hand over his mouth.

He had no idea what kind of nonsense was about to come out of that mouth, but whatever it was, it was bound to be a disaster for their class's cooperation.

Ichinose tilted her head, puzzled by their strange interaction, but Horikita quickly took control of the conversation again, smoothly steering it back on track.

"Well, can we continue our cooperative relationship? I thought it would be a good idea to ignore the rule about trying to find out the leader's identity. What do you think?"

"I see. I was thinking that we should talk about that, too. If we didn't have to be on guard with even one class, we'd really appreciate it. As long as you don't mind, Horikita-san, I'd like to accept the proposal."

"Of course I'm okay with that."

After reaffirming their mutual information exchange and resolving to maintain cooperation, Horikita sighed and glanced around.

Ayanokouji finally released his grip from Kumagawa's mouth.

As soon as he did, Kumagawa went completely still. His eyes, usually filled with mischief, fixated on Ichinose with an odd intensity.

"Kumagawa-kun?"

He didn't respond.

Ichinose's usual bright expression faltered slightly, sensing something off. Even Horikita and Ayanokouji weren't sure what to make of this shift in atmosphere.

"K-Kumagawa-kun, is there something wrong?"

『Are you okay with that? 』

He spoke in his usual carefree tone, but something was a little off. there was something that didn't quite match his usual attitude.

"What are you talking about?"

『... 』

Horikita frowned, uneasy with the sudden change in mood. They had just reaffirmed their cooperation, yet now Kumagawa was acting strangely.

"Kumagawa," she called out, as if to snap him out of it.

He ignored her.

Instead, his gaze shifted away from Ichinose, scanning the camp as if analyzing every detail.

『Do you really want this cooperation right now? 』

"H-Huh?"

His tone was serious—so serious that it caught Ichinose completely off guard.

"What do you mean?" she asked hesitantly.

Instead of answering right away, Kumagawa tilted his head slightly, watching her reaction carefully before finally speaking again.

『What happened with your relationship? 』

"My... relationship?" Ichinose frowned in confusion. "I don't really get what you're asking, but I don't have anything like that. I'm not dating anyone, and there's no one I'm interested in either."

『I see... 』

Ayanokouji, who had been silently observing, narrowed his eyes slightly. The conversation had taken a strange turn, even by Kumagawa's usual standards.

『Ayanokouji-kun, do you remember? 』

Ayanokouji, who had been following along without much reaction, was momentarily taken aback by the question.

"...No," he answered honestly.

It wasn't unusual for Kumagawa to change topics on a whim, but there was something different this time. Ayanokouji couldn't tell what he was after.

So, he decided to answer truthfully—not just because lying to Kumagawa was pointless, but also because he was curious about where this was leading.

『Shiranami Chihiro. 』

The moment Kumagawa spoke the name, Ayanokouji's memory clicked.

Right. That day.

"Chihiro-chan? What about her?" Ichinose tilted her head, clearly not understanding what Kumagawa was getting at.

Rather than answering, Kumagawa leaned in. Not just slightly—if personal space had a defined boundary, he had just crossed it entirely. The sudden closeness was enough for Ichinose to instinctively step back, startled.

"W-What?"

Kumagawa, as if satisfied with her reaction, casually took a step back, his gaze shifting between Horikita and Ichinose.

『First of all, tell me. Why do we need to cooperate right now?』

Ayanokouji listened quietly. Watching Kumagawa act like this was oddly fascinating—like seeing his pet hamster do a backflip. It wasn't every day you got to witness something like this.

"It's simple. Mutual benefit. By cooperating, we eliminate the risk of sabotaging each other and increase our chances of success." Horikita answered bluntly.

Ichinose nodded in agreement. "Yeah. By maintaining a cooperative relationship, we don't have to worry about gathering information on each other, and we can focus on securing a better position in the exam."

『I see, I see. Mutual benefit, huh?』

Kumagawa nodded a few times as if processing their reasoning. Then, without warning, he clapped his hands together once.

『Alright, that makes sense! Then let's stop cooperating.』

His words, spoken so easily, made both Ichinose and Horikita freeze. Even Ayanokouji, who had been watching with mild amusement, took a moment to process his word.

"...What are you saying?" Judging by Horikita's tone, she was clearly having none of it.

『I mean exactly what I said, Horikita-chan. We should stop cooperating. Right here, right now.』

"Why?" Ichinose asked, confused. "Did something happen?"

Kumagawa scratched the back of his head, looking like he was debating whether to say it or not. Eventually, he sighed and shrugged.

『Ichinose-chan, I know you're a good girl. Honest, kind, smart, hardworking, and probably the most naïve girl that I have encounterd lately. But is this what you want for your class? 』

"For my class?"

『Yes, for your class. Are you saying you want this cooperation? 』

Ichinose nodded, her usual warm expression unwavering. "Yes, I believe this cooperation will benefit both of us."

『Oh? You believe? Just like how you believed rejecting someone nicely was the right thing to do?』

Ichinose blinked, caught off guard. "What...?"

『You remember, don't you, Ichinose-chan? The perfect guideline? 』

Kumagawa's voice was light, teasing even, but the weight behind his words made it clear he wasn't just joking around, but from ayanokouji perspective, it was sound like a mock instead of a genuine advice.

『So, tell me, Ichinose-chan—what about your class? 』

Ichinose stiffened, but Kumagawa didn't stop.

『Cooperation sounds nice, doesn't it? It makes everyone happy. Or at least, that's what you think. But are you really making a decision for the sake of both classes? Or are you sacrificing your own class's comfort just to avoid conflict? 』

Horikita narrowed her eyes at him. "What exactly are you suggesting?"

『What exactly am I suggesting? Hmm... I wonder.』

Kumagawa tapped his chin, pretending to think, but it was obvious he already had his answer.

『Ichinose-chan, let me put it another way. You like peace, right? You want everyone to get along and happy right?』

Ichinose nodded. "Of course."

『And because of that, you don't want to cause unnecessary conflict, right? You'd rather avoid fights, even if it means making compromises.』

She hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding again.

『Then let me ask you this—are you sure your class feels the same way? 』

Ichinose frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

『Your class is different from Class D. You guys are nice. You help each other, support each other. But that doesn't mean everyone agrees with you.』

She opened her mouth to respond, but Kumagawa continued before she could.

『Didn't I tell you? You don't just make someone happy. You make each other happy. But you're doing it again. You don't just create cooperation that will hurt you in the long run, just to make some other class happy.』

His voice was light, almost playful, yet there was something about the way he spoke that made it hard to ignore.

『Playing at understanding. Playing at leadership. Playing at compromise. Playing at fairness. Playing at trust. Playing at unity. Playing at sacrifice. Playing at selflessness. Playing at peace. Playing at winning. Playing at loyalty. Playing at strength. Playing at strategy. Playing at resolve. Playing at courage. Playing at ambition. Playing at control. Playing at deception. Playing at dominance. Playing at survival. Playing at persistence. Playing at manipulation. Playing at authority. Playing at responsibility. Playing at foresight. Playing at influence. Playing at perception. Playing at cooperation. Playing at negotiation. Playing at perseverance. Playing at determination. Playing at risk. Playing at power. Playing at success. And playing at competition.』

『Tell me, Ichinose-chan.』

For the first time, his voice dropped slightly—lower, calmer, carrying a weight that was neither teasing nor mocking, and it was strangely genuine.

『How long do you plan to keep playing? 』

Ichinose was firm in her beliefs. She believed in cooperation. She believed in her class. But Kumagawa had planted doubt, however small it was. Whether she acknowledged it or not, it was there now.

But Kumagawa didn't press further. Without a single follow-up, he simply turned and walked away, leaving Ichinose to her thoughts.

Horikita, still caught in her own thoughts, only snapped back to reality once Kumagawa had completely disappeared from view. Realizing the conversation had ended too abruptly, she quickly turned to Ichinose.

"...We'll talk again later." She gave a brief farewell before hurrying off, following after Kumagawa.

"See you later." Ayanokouji, after a small pause, gave Ichinose a polite nod.

With that, he followed as well.

Fortunately, Kumagawa hadn't gone too far. He was heading back toward their camp at a relaxed pace.

Ayanokouji glanced at his wristwatch.

In about an hour, they would need to re-register their base spot. So that was it—Kumagawa wasn't just playing around. He had been paying attention to the exam requirements the whole time. Despite his chaotic behavior, he was still doing his job.

As soon as Horikita caught up, she grabbed his shoulder and forced him to turn toward her.

"What was that earlier?" she demanded, her sharp gaze locking onto him.

Kumagawa blinked, tilting his head. 『Huh? What was what?』

"Don't play dumb! What were you trying to accomplish with that conversation?"

『Hmm, well... I was just talking, you know? Having a nice little chat with Ichinose-chan.』

"Don't lie to me. You deliberately chose your words to shake her confidence. Are you trying to sabotage our cooperation with Class B?" Horikita's expression darkened.

Ayanokouji, listening from the side, could see Horikita's frustration. And, in a way, she was right. Kumagawa had done something unnecessary.

Horikita's reasoning was sound. Class B was a valuable ally in this exam. With their resources and teamwork, they could cover Class D's weaknesses. Disrupting that cooperation was illogical.

But Kumagawa didn't seem concerned about logic.

『Horikita-chan, how much do you want to rise to Class A? Since I'm bad with numbers, try to use a good analogy, please. 』

Horikita narrowed her eyes. She knew he wasn't asking just for fun. He wanted to drag the conversation into his own pace again.

Fine. If that's how he wanted to play it.

"...If killing you right here meant Class D could reach Class A, I'd do it without hesitation."

Ayanokouji was a little caugh off guard with her respons, but with the way she said it without any unnecessary exaggeration and in a simple, matter-of-fact statement, it clearly show her resolve. Altough it was a little bit too much.

『Ooh, scary, scary. So that's how badly you want it? Enough to get your hands dirty?』

"If that's what it takes."

『But what if, after crushing me, you realized you didn't need to? What if you could've gotten there without the blood on your hands? Would you regret it, Horikita-chan?』

"...I don't deal in 'what ifs.'"

『Then that's the difference between you and Ichinose-chan. She does deal in 'what ifs.'』

Horikita's expression tightened slightly.

『She'd rather avoid stepping on people altogether. That's what I was pointing out, Horikita-chan. She isn't trying to win—she's trying to make everyone happy. 』

"And what does that have to do with our cooperation?"

Horikita was clearly impatient with the roundabout way Kumagawa was trying to justify his actions. From her point of view, what he did was pointless.

『Think about it, Horikita-chan. If you truly want to reach Class A, you need to embrace competition, not avoid it. Without failure, there's no success. Without incompetence, there's no excellence. Without conflict, there's no progress.』

Horikita crossed her arms. "And what, exactly, does this philosophical nonsense have to do with Ichinose?"

『It's simple. She doesn't want competition—she wants coexistence. Though, if given enough reason, she will attack another class if she has to. But that's another story entirely.』

"...Even if that's the case, cutting them off right now isn't the best move either. We need allies."

『... 』

Kumagawa sighed. He clearly wasn't expecting that answer—especially coming from Horikita.

『Well, if you say so. 』

Horikita's eyes twitched in irritation. "That's it? You went on and on about how cooperation would hurt us, and now you're backing down just like that?"

『Of course! If Horikita-chan says we need allies, then who am I to argue? I'm just a humble leader following the will of his people.』

"Don't mess with me," she snapped. "Explain yourself properly."

Kumagawa tilted his head as if confused.

『Eh? Explain what? I'm just doing my job. Since our camp needs to be re-registered soon, I'll go handle that. Meanwhile, you two can head over to Class A. 』

Horikita's eyes narrowed. "I refuse."

『Ah, that's fine. I'm not asking you to go—I'm ordering you to go. 』

"I don't follow your orders." Horikita's expression darkened instantly.

Kumagawa sighed and turned to Ayanokouji instead.

『By the way, you guys were planning to visit Class A after Class B, right? 』

"Yeah, that was the plan." Ayanokouji gave a small nod.

Kumagawa turned back to Horikita with a smile.

『See? 』

Horikita clenched her fists.

『Anyway—bye-bye! 』

Before either of them could react, Kumagawa suddenly bent his knees and leaped straight up. In an instant, he vanished from their sight, leaving only the rustling of leaves behind.

Ayanokouji blinked. That was... unnecessarily dramatic.

Then, a chill ran down his spine.

He turned to Horikita.

Her face had morphed into something terrifying.

"@#%&... $#@!&%@...?! %$#@&^%$...!!! @!#?$%&*@!!"

Some pretty creative, and colorful words spewed out from Horikita's mouth.

It was the kind of verbal craftsmanship that deserved an award, if only there were a category for "Best Improvised Insult Barrage."

It wasn't just the words, either. The sheer passion behind them was impressive.

He had always seen Horikita as a cool, composed beauty—someone who carried herself with a dignified, untouchable aura. But right now?

Right now, she was going off.

If verbal murder was a crime, Horikita would be serving multiple life sentences.

Ayanokouji slowly exhaled.

He was beginning to think Kumagawa had done this on purpose.

『END』

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