Classroom of the Elite: Standing Firm in Class A — Chapter 90

Chapter 90: Action

Tetsu remained seated in his spot, quietly observing the subtle shifts in the atmosphere.

Ryuji’s reaction, however, painted a starkly different picture. The Class B strategist frowned, his sharp gaze lingering on Satoru for a prolonged moment as he clearly turned over the implications in his mind. A lone student from Class C suddenly appearing at their camp, conveniently claiming to have been exiled by Ryuen… The sheer timing of this coincidence left a bitter, uneasy taste in his mouth.

As the afternoon wore on, lunchtime drew to a natural close.

Tetsu checked the time, deciding they had overstayed their welcome. Just as the surrounding Class B students began murmuring about how to arrange accommodations for the supposed exile, Tetsu slowly rose to his feet. He brushed a few stray specks of dust from his sweatpants and shifted his calm gaze toward Honami.

“It looks like you have a lot on your plate, so we won’t continue to intrude,” Tetsu said, his tone perfectly measured. “Thank you for the lunch.”

Masumi stood up beside him, offering a brief, polite nod to the surrounding students.

“Are you leaving already?” Honami asked, a hint of genuine reluctance in her voice. “Why not stay a little longer?”

“There are other matters that require my attention,” Tetsu declined smoothly. “We’ll visit again when the opportunity arises.”

Just as they turned to leave, Tetsu paused, as if a sudden thought had crossed his mind. He glanced back at Ryuji, lowering his voice to a pitch meant only for the strategist’s ears.

“Since there’s no way to drive him away without breaking your class’s moral code, at least try to find a way to hinder his actions. Don’t let Honami’s efforts go to waste.”

Ryuji gave a solemn nod, fully grasping the heavy implication beneath Tetsu’s words. Even if they couldn’t definitively prove Satoru was a spy, maintaining absolute vigilance was their only shield.

Tetsu and Masumi departed from the Class B camp, retracing their steps along the familiar dirt path. They passed by the massive, fallen giant tree that marked the boundary of the territory.

Masumi was the first to break the comfortable silence. “Ryuen really did send out a spy,” she murmured, her brow furrowing as she processed the encounter. She paused, a sudden realization dawning on her. “Then… is it possible that there might be a spy lurking in our Class A as well? Enough time has passed; logically, his pawns should have dispersed to all the various classes by now.”

Tetsu shook his head, his expression unbothered. “That won’t happen.”

“Why?” Masumi stopped in her tracks, pivoting to face him. “Since Ryuen wants to uncover the leaders of every class, how could he possibly ignore Class A? We are his primary competitors, after all.”

“Indeed, from a purely strategic standpoint, infiltrating Class A holds the highest intelligence value for him,” Tetsu explained, his pace steady as they walked. “But he won’t do that. Not because I trust his character…”

He trailed off, his dark eyes drifting toward the vibrant sunset bleeding across the distant ocean horizon.

“But because I know Kohei will spot the trap.”

“Kohei…” Masumi repeated, the name clicking into place.

“Because Ryuen previously approached him with that collaboration proposal,” Tetsu elaborated. “That offer was firmly rejected, and right now, Kohei is on high alert against any potential retaliation or scheming from Class C. In his current state of mind, if anyone attempts to approach our camp, he will conduct a ruthless, thorough investigation. Anyone with an unknown background will immediately trigger his suspicion.”

Masumi absorbed this, then narrowed her eyes. “…Then how exactly did you discover that Chihiro is their leader?”

“Why do you think that?” Tetsu asked, a faint, amused smile playing on his lips.

Masumi rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. “Stop pretending. Even though Ryuji tried his absolute best to cover it up, that momentary stiffness in his expression was glaringly obvious. Normal people, upon hearing such a wild speculation, would either brush it off or join the discussion with genuine curiosity. But his reaction was far too rigid. Which means you hit the nail on the head.”

Tetsu chuckled softly at her sharp analysis. “Since you’ve reasoned it out so clearly, why bother asking me?”

“So you admit it!” Masumi’s eyes lit up with a mix of triumph and curiosity. “Then how exactly did you deduce it? Don’t tell me it was just intuition or dumb luck.”

“I really just guessed,” Tetsu shrugged, his tone remaining effortlessly light. “There wasn’t any grand, complex reasoning process behind it.”

Masumi let out an exasperated sigh, clearly unsatisfied with the perfunctory answer. “You really are… you know everything, but you never explain a single thing clearly.” She waved her hand in a gesture of utter helplessness. “Forget it, I don’t expect you to tell me anyway. I’m already used to your habit of speaking in riddles.”

The two continued their trek along the winding path, the surrounding forest gradually settling into a serene quiet. The cool sea breeze rustled softly through the canopy, carrying the briny scent of the ocean and offering a refreshing reprieve from the island’s heat.

After walking for some distance, Masumi suddenly stopped and turned around. A daring, somewhat ambiguous smile curved her lips. She bit her lower lip, a provocative gleam flashing in her eyes as she looked up at him.

“Since it’s still early, and there’s nothing urgent waiting for us at the camp…” she murmured, her voice dropping to a softer, more intimate register. “Do you want to do that?”

The sudden, bold suggestion caught Tetsu slightly off guard. He turned his head, finding her gazing at him with heavy expectation and a flush of adrenaline.

Without missing a beat, Tetsu reached out and lightly flicked her forehead.

“Ow!” Masumi covered her brow, letting out a sharp cry of protest.

“You really dare to suggest that here?” Tetsu said, his tone laced with dry amusement. “We’re out in the wild. The hygiene conditions are abysmal, the dirt is everywhere, and the woods are crawling with bugs and bacteria. Do you want to catch a fever?”

Masumi rubbed her stinging forehead, sticking her tongue out in a slightly embarrassed pout. “Alright, alright, I get it. It really isn’t the best place…” She paused, her cheeks dusting with a faint pink before she quickly schooled her features back to their usual cool mask. “Then… let’s wait until we get back to school.”

“You…” Tetsu shook his head, a quiet chuckle escaping him.

The pair finally arrived back at the Class A camp. The sun was dipping lower, casting golden, mottled shadows through the gaps in the leaves and painting the cave entrance in warm hues.

As they stepped through the final cluster of bushes, they spotted Kohei standing near the cave’s mouth, speaking to a small group of students with a grave expression. Spotting Tetsu and Masumi, the stoic boy immediately broke off his conversation and approached them.

“You’ve returned just in time,” Kohei said, his voice tight. “Someone from Class C was here earlier.”

Tetsu halted, his calculating gaze sweeping across Kohei’s face. “Someone from Class C? Be specific.”

“About half an hour after you left, a boy we didn’t recognize appeared near the perimeter. He claimed to be a student from Class C,” Kohei reported. “He said he had been kicked out by Ryuen and had nowhere else to go, hoping we would take him in for the remainder of the exam. Naturally, I flatly rejected such an absurd request.”

Masumi nodded thoughtfully, glancing at Tetsu. “It seems Ryuen is really starting to deploy his pawns.”

“After the guy left, I had someone secretly tail him for a distance,” Kohei continued, a hint of pride in his thoroughness. “He headed straight in the direction of Class D. It looks like he wanted to try his luck with them instead.”

Tetsu nodded, a flicker of genuine satisfaction in his eyes. “Well done. In this environment, anyone whose background is unknown cannot be easily trusted.”

He paused, turning his gaze back toward the distant, darkening sea. “However, this also presents us with a prime opportunity.”

“What opportunity?” Kohei asked, furrowing his brow.

“Since the people from Class C have completely abandoned their starting point, the items they left behind on the beach should still be sitting there,” Tetsu said, a cunning edge returning to his voice. “Send a few people to the beach tomorrow morning to scout the area. Bring back anything that can be used.”

A faint, cold smile touched his lips. “Wastefulness is not a good habit.”