Hachiman’s Classroom of Strength’s Supremacy

Chapter 129: Reciprocity!

The girls gained a deeper understanding of perverts.

For example, stealing panties and wearing them, or even putting them on their heads.

“We can’t rule out that possibility,” Hachiman shrugged and continued, “but I think it’s more likely that the culprit threw the panties away after using them. Keeping them around carries too much risk—if they’re discovered, it’s over.”

Hearing Hachiman’s words, the girls became even more hesitant.

Because what he said made a lot of sense.

Even Shinohara Satsuki, who had just suggested conducting body searches, was suddenly at a loss for words.

Because indeed—

If someone had the nerve to do something like this in secret, then they must be aware that it’s a crime.

Keeping evidence of the crime would be too stupid.

The likelihood of disposing of the panties immediately after use was much higher.

“So even if we wanted to search now, we wouldn’t find anything,” Hachiman said, shaking his head regretfully. “Although this island isn’t that big, hiding a pair of panties wouldn’t be difficult at all. Just tossing them into some bushes or burying them in a hole would make them nearly impossible to find. And even if someone did find them, there’s no way to determine who did it.”

“So if the culprit is from our class, then searching won’t help.”

“And if we do find something, there’s only one possibility,” Hachiman stated.

“What possibility?”

At some point, Ibuki had arrived at the edge of the tent.

She had shared a tent with Karuizawa the previous night.

“It’s a setup.”

“For example, it could be an outsider framing us to cause division within our class,” Hachiman explained.

“Then,” Shinohara said, “are you saying the culprit is Ibuki?”

“…” Ibuki.

Right now, Ibuki was undeniably an outsider within Class C.

So was Hachiman suggesting that she was the suspect?

Since she was already here at the tent and could have been seen arriving, Ibuki spoke up directly.

“Indeed, right now, I am the most suspicious person—because I am from another class.”

“What are you thinking?”

But Hachiman quickly responded.

“Based on this reasoning, it’s possible. But personally, I don’t think so,” Hachiman said. “Because you have no reason to do something like this. You’ve completely broken ties with Ryuen. If this was his doing, then sure—I can imagine him resorting to something this despicable. But you? I don’t think so.”

“…”

Ibuki realized she couldn’t argue against Hachiman’s reasoning.

“Besides, your injuries and the fact that Ryuen specifically arranged for people to mock you before he withdrew—everyone saw that happen.”

“If you were still working for Ryuen after all that, wouldn’t that be terrifying?” Hachiman asked.

“I see…”

The other girls exchanged glances and nodded. Because if that were the case, Ibuki would be terrifying.

“…The terrifying Ibuki.”

A moment ago, Ibuki had been worried about being exposed, but suddenly, she felt relieved.

Because her suspicion had been cleared.

Not through evidence—just because everyone believed she wasn’t that kind of person.

That made Ibuki feel a little uncomfortable.

After all, ever since she arrived in this class, not only had she been accepted, but even Kushida had given her food.

They had been kind to her.

This class was full of naive fools.

They were no match for Ryuen at all.

Ibuki sighed lightly in her heart.

But Hachiman had already moved past her and continued his analysis.

“Right now, our class controls a large number of strongholds. According to estimates, there are only about 25-26 strongholds in total, so this puts a lot of pressure on the other classes.”

“So.”

“Class A is also a possibility,” Hachiman said. “Class A must be anxious; otherwise, Ryuen wouldn’t have been able to sell them supplies using his initial points.”

“You have to understand—accepting another class’s initial points comes with risks.”

“Sure, it helps them conserve their own points.”

“But before the exam ends, those points might be used up in the leader-guessing phase.”

“If, by the end of the exam, Class A’s initial points are reduced, but they still have to pay D-Class a monthly fee, they’ll suffer major losses.”

“So there’s no way Class A would sit back and let our class have it easy.”

“Sending someone to cause division in our class is entirely possible. After all, we don’t have people standing guard at night, so the chance of a Class A student sneaking in is quite high.”

This analysis made everyone furrow their brows.

“If that’s the case…”

“Class A students are really shameless,” Karuizawa said.

Although she had been crying earlier because her panties had been stolen, after hearing Hachiman’s strategic analysis, she seemed to have calmed down a little.

Because this meant that her panties might not have been taken by some pervert.

Instead, it could have been a scheme from another class.

“So, based on this analysis, any possibility exists,” Hachiman concluded. “Shinohara, your plan to find the culprit through a search was unrealistic from the start. In fact, it could have played right into another class’s hands.”

“Think about it carefully—if the boys and girls really became hostile toward each other, what would happen to our class?”

“The upcoming special exams would be affected.”

“And that’s exactly what the other classes want to see,” Hachiman said.

“Ugh.”

Hearing this, Shinohara sighed. “I guess I was too reckless. You were right to stop me.”

And so—

Because of Hachiman’s analysis, they realized that searching for the panties might cause more harm than good, so the girls stopped insisting on it.

They also tacitly accepted Hachiman and Hirata’s earlier decision to sacrifice Yamauchi in order to maintain class stability.

Seeing that the girls had finally calmed down, Hachiman glanced at Karuizawa before getting up and leaving the girls’ tent.

Early in the morning, he had gone out with Koenji to secure strongholds, and then he came back to deal with this mess.

Hachiman decided to return to his tent and take a nap.

Because later, he still had to continue the act to fool Ibuki and go with Koenji and Sudou to capture more strongholds.

Even if it was just for show, it had to be done three times a day.

It wasn’t easy.

So, getting enough rest was important.

However, just as Hachiman returned to the tent, he used his small personal bag as a pillow since there was no actual pillow.

The bag contained his personal belongings.

But the moment he rested his head on it, he suddenly took the small bag from under his head and placed it in front of him.

He unzipped the bag, and in his sight was a pair of pink-striped underwear.

A girl’s underwear.

Hachiman’s mind replayed the analysis he had just presented in Karuizawa’s tent.

It could have been an attempt to frame someone by an outsider, or it could have been the act of a pervert from their own class.

So, whoever had the underwear was likely the pervert.

And now—

The underwear was in his possession!

Did that mean he was the pervert?

Or was he being framed?

Typically, when someone tries to frame another, they pick a person who seems likely to commit the act, making it easier for the accusation to stick.

And in Ibuki’s eyes—

Did she see him as this kind of pervert?

…

Hachiman’s drowsiness instantly vanished.

“So, what are you trying to do?” Kushida’s cute voice rang out.

Hachiman, Kushida, and Horikita had left the camp.

They were now heading to the area where Kushida had picked fruit yesterday.

Ibuki had been found by Yamauchi yesterday, and since Yamauchi had been with Kushida gathering fruit, Kushida knew where Ibuki had been picked up.

“I originally wanted to go back to the tent and sleep,” Hachiman said, “but I unexpectedly found this.”

He reached his left hand into his pocket and pulled out a pair of striped underwear.

Seeing what Hachiman was holding, both Horikita and Kushida’s expressions instantly changed.

“Are you the underwear thief?” Kushida asked.

“…Hachiman.”

Hachiman just wanted to give Kushida a big thumbs-down.

What kind of question was that?

Did she really think he was that kind of person?

“What do you think, Horikita?” Hachiman asked.

“Did Ibuki frame you?” Horikita Suzune asked.

Hmm.

As expected, Horikita was much more lovable than Kushida.

Kushida, you should really learn from Horikita.

Hachiman’s elaborate analysis in Karuizawa’s tent wasn’t just for show.

Since Karuizawa had a history of being bullied, having her underwear stolen might not only make her suspect a pervert but also cause her to worry about being targeted again.

Because why was it only her underwear that was stolen?

It wasn’t about victim-blaming, but Karuizawa’s past would make her overthink.

So, Hachiman had gone to comfort her.

But he also had to prevent others from thinking the same way. Given how many idiots were in their class, he needed to take action.

That meant they had to sacrifice another popular girl—so that her underwear would also be stolen.

That way, Karuizawa wouldn’t be the only victim.

Hachiman had been debating whether to ask Horikita or choose Kushida.

But, Kushida—

After what you just said, you left me no choice but to pick you.

“The underwear was Ibuki’s doing,” Hachiman said. “She shared a tent with Karuizawa, making it the easiest opportunity. And since Karuizawa takes showers in the morning, she would notice the missing underwear right away.”

“That would immediately cause a commotion,” Hachiman continued.

“I see,” Horikita Suzune nodded.

At that moment, she understood why Hachiman had brought them along to find whatever Ibuki had buried yesterday.

Yesterday, she had analyzed that Ibuki was a spy and had noted that Ibuki’s hands were dirty, suggesting she had buried something nearby.

And based on Hachiman’s analysis, what Ibuki buried was likely a communication device to contact Ryuen.

Then, Hachiman had asked her to find Ibuki’s tool for contacting Ryuen.

Yet today, he had come along himself.

Because he had been framed by Ibuki.

“…Horikita.”

She suddenly felt that Hachiman was a bit petty, but Ibuki’s actions were indeed infuriating.

Their class didn’t have many useful students, and Hachiman was a key player in their push for Class A.

If Ibuki managed to frame him, causing class division and ruining his reputation—

Then Class C would start to crumble.

So, Ibuki was definitely scheming.

The three of them continued onward.

“It should be around here,” Kushida said. “This is where Yamauchi found Ibuki yesterday.”

They arrived at a small forest, and Kushida pointed under a tree.

The surrounding trees all looked similar, yet Kushida quickly identified the spot, showing that she had a great sense of direction.

But it was also possible that she had been anxiously looking for a place to lean on, so she had taken a close look at the area.

Hachiman walked over to the spot Kushida had indicated.

Then, he glanced at the ground nearby.

Since it hadn’t rained yesterday or today, there was no way to hide any traces.

Soon enough, Hachiman noticed a patch of soil that looked slightly fresher.

It seemed to have been recently disturbed.

Hachiman squatted down and started digging.

After about two minutes of digging with his hands, he quickly touched something hard.

After clearing away the covering soil, he found a small cloth pouch.

Hachiman opened the pouch and took out what was inside.

“This is…”

Kushida and Horikita were both surprised.

Because what they saw was a camera—and a wireless radio transceiver.

There was only one transceiver.

Normally, to use it, at least two devices would be needed. Since Ibuki had only buried one here, it confirmed that she intended to communicate with someone else.

“This proves that Ibuki is indeed a spy,” Horikita Suzune said. “With the radio, she could contact others, and with the camera, she could take pictures of the leader cards.”

“Ibuki really came here to obtain our class’s leader information.”

“Even though Ryuen’s class abandoned the exam and returned to the cruise, they haven’t given up on guessing the leaders,” Horikita said.

“Yes,” Hachiman replied. “And I believe Ryuen is still on the island. He might even be the designated leader of Class D this time.”

“Ryuen is Class D’s leader?”

“To set up a spy like this, it’s impossible for Ryuen to just forfeit,” Hachiman said. “Moreover, he has probably joined forces with Class A. If the goal was simply to get our class’s leader information, Ibuki wouldn’t need a camera. She could just memorize the information and report back to Ryuen. The fact that she needed a camera means she had to keep proof—to gain someone’s trust.”

“Since Class B is our ally, and Ichinose and Kanzaki owe me a favor, we can rule out them working with Ryuen’s class.”

“That means Class A has struck a very thorough deal with Ryuen this time,” Hachiman concluded.

“What do you plan to do?” Suzune quickly turned to him.

Based on her experience, Hachiman was probably about to come up with a plan that no ordinary person would think of.

“Of course—use their own tactics against them,” Hachiman said.

“Ryuen and Class A have pushed us this far.”

“So, we have to send them a grand gift in return.”

“This time, Ryuen’s class will score zero points,” Hachiman said. “And as for Class A, didn’t they work so hard to protect their starting points?”

“Well, let’s make sure they don’t score more than 100 points in this exam.”