I noticed something unusual when the clock struck 6:00 AM.
Over the past few days, it had become routine to check the GPS search function every morning and evening. One reason was to track rival groups competing for arrival order—
"They're making their move."
The other was to monitor the first-years' movements.
I noticed that three key first-year players—Utsunomiya, Tsubaki, and Yagami—were clustered together. Utsunomiya and Yagami being in the same group wasn't surprising, but Tsubaki's presence there was suspicious. On top of that, none of the other major group members were visible.
Recalling what Takahashi had told me the other day, I became certain: Today, the first-years would make their move to expel Ayanokōji.
Tsubaki seemed to be leading the operation, so they were undoubtedly planning something against him.
"Now then… what should I do?"
I'd spoken briefly with Ayanokōji recently, and it seemed he had some kind of secret agreement with Arisu regarding the first-years. He probably wouldn't fall into a simple trap.
Still, even on a vast uninhabited island, if the enemy was willing to use GPS searches to their limit, even Ayanokōji would struggle to avoid direct confrontation indefinitely.
That left me with one optimal course of action—
"…Not my preferred choice, but it's an option."
I analyzed Ayanokōji's position and the first-years lurking around him.
After assessing everything, I settled on what I believed to be the best possible response.
.....
"Unbelievable..."
Horikita, dismayed by her own blunder, tilted her bowl and sipped her miso soup with a sigh.
The time was 6:30 in the morning, and I, Ryūen, and Horikita—an unlikely trio under normal circumstances—were eating breakfast together.
Ryūen smirked as he stared at Horikita.
"Kuku, who would've thought? The rigid Suzune oversleeping."
"...Everyone makes mistakes sometimes."
Horikita, clearly uninterested in taking Ryūen's words seriously, responded coldly, though visibly irritated.
That's right. Horikita had, against all expectations, overslept.
Yesterday, the three of us had set up tents nearby, which meant we had no choice but to run into each other in the morning. That was the plan, at least—but even thirty minutes before the designated area was announced, Horikita still hadn't emerged from her tent.
The reason we were eating breakfast together now was that Horikita had been busy packing up her tent, so I offered to share a meal.
Though she clearly disliked the idea of eating with Ryūen, she reluctantly agreed, treating it as a one-time exception.
Just how much is Ryūen hated…?
"Don't be so sour, Suzune. Let's enjoy some conversation, yeah?"
"I'm sorry, but I prefer to eat in silence. If you understand, then kindly refrain from speaking to me."
"Oi oi, you sure you should be saying that to me? I'm the one providing the food here."
"Hikigaya-kun was the one who made this breakfast. I intend to compensate him for the ingredients later, so while I'm grateful to him, I have no reason to thank you."
...These two were beyond hostile.
Couldn't they at least try to get along a little better?
For reference, today's menu was miso soup, salted grilled horse mackerel, and portable rations.
The miso soup and mackerel were rewards from yesterday's task. With rice, it would've been perfect, but the rations had to suffice.
"This miso soup... It's delicious."
Horikita, eating with refined manners, offered her thoughts.
"Yeah? Glad you like it."
Thanks to Hiyori, I hadn't been cooking much lately, but it seemed my usual self-cooking habits had paid off.
"I can't quite put it into words, but it's really good. Do you usually cook, Hikigaya-kun?"
"Nothing fancy, but I do cook for myself. Miso soup is one of my specialties."
"What a girly guy. You some kinda housewife?"
Ryūen threw out a taunt, but... coming from a guy who was meticulously picking apart his grilled mackerel, that didn't land. And you probably cook too, don't you?
"...These days, even men cook for themselves."
Perhaps annoyed by his comment, Horikita narrowed her eyes slightly.
"What's this, Suzune? You're really sticking up for Hikigaya, huh?"
"I'm not 'sticking up' for anyone. I'm just stating an objective fact."
Hearing that, Ryūen grinned ominously.
...He's definitely plotting something.
"Kukuku, really now? It's always the ones like you who end up marrying guys like me in the future, y'know?"
Horikita let out an exasperated sigh and declared matter-of-factly:
"Don't be ridiculous. If it came down to marrying you, I'd rather marry Hikigaya-kun. He's far more preferable."
"..."
...Wait, was that really okay to say?
Ryūen wore a triumphant, scheming smirk, while I had no idea how to react and averted my gaze.
"?......!!......!!!?"
A sudden silence fell over us. Horikita, at first completely unaware of what had just happened, seemed to replay her own words in her head—
"Th-that's not— I didn't mean—!"
Her hands froze mid-meal, her face burning red as she trembled, her eyes darting between me and Ryūen.
She was clearly in complete disarray.
"Bwahaha!! Damn, Suzune, if you're gonna marry Hikigaya, guess there's no room for me, huh? Oh well. Hey, invite me to the wedding, yeah? I'll turn today's story into a speech for ya!"
"Grrrrrrrrrr—!!"
Horikita glared daggers at him, but Ryūen just laughed loudly, completely unfazed.
...In a battle of wits, maybe, but when it came to everyday bickering, neither Horikita nor I stood a chance against Ryūen.
.....
Among the students, a particularly large-framed man charged through the forest with fierce momentum.
His target was singular—to take down Ayanokōji Kiyotaka of Class 2-D.
The Ayanokōji encirclement plan, devised by Tsubaki Sakurako.
A man who had no interest in such schemes from the start—Hōsen Kazunao—had instead used Tsubaki to create an unobstructed opportunity to corner Ayanokōji.
Hōsen pulled out his tablet and performed a final GPS search, confirming Ayanokōji's location just 300 meters ahead.
Almost there.
The prospect of a no-holds-barred brawl had Hōsen already savoring the thrill.
Fueled by a burning competitive spirit, his eyes locked onto Ayanokōji in the distance.
"Found ya, Ayanokōji-senpai!"
Hearing Hōsen's unrestrained shout, Ayanokōji turned.
"Hōsen."
Calmly meeting his gaze, Ayanokōji stopped walking.
"I've been waitin' for this moment, y'know!"
"I expected you to come at me sooner. You're more patient than I thought."
"Woulda killed the mood if someone interrupted our fight, yeah?"
Hōsen's lips curled into an involuntary grin.
Faced with such a man, Ayanokōji's expression remained unreadable.
"Haven't been this pumped in a while! C'mon, don't give me that blank face—you're lookin' forward to this too, right!?"
To Hōsen, a fistfight was nothing more than the ultimate game.
"Stabbin' a knife into your own hand to threaten someone—no way a guy who does that is normal! Right!? Ain't that right!?"
During the exam in May, Hōsen had sensed something off about Ayanokōji. That was precisely why he held such high expectations for him.
Clenching his fists tightly, Hōsen roared.
In less than ten seconds, he had no doubt their all-out brawl would begin.
But—
"Made it in time."
"Huh?"
In what was supposed to be a one-on-one showdown, a lone figure now stood in the way.
"...Sakayanagi's orders?"
"Yeah. Made a little deal with Arisu. I'll handle this. Get going."
The man had been lying in wait as if he'd anticipated Hōsen's arrival.
After a brief exchange of glances, Ayanokōji vanished deeper into the forest.
Hōsen wanted to chase after him immediately, but the man before him couldn't be ignored.
"Didn't see this comin'. Never thought you'd show up. ————Hikigaya."
"Sorry, but you're stopping here. Hōsen."
Blocking Hōsen's path, Hachiman stepped forward to face him head-on.
"Don't get it. Why're you helpin' Ayanokōji? What I do ain't got shit to do with you."
Hōsen couldn't comprehend Hachiman's reason for interfering.
"You just don't know the connection. But it does involve me."
Locking eyes, Hachiman slowly closed the distance.
"Our leader's obsessed with points. And since I want points too, I act when necessary."
"Leader…? That bastard Ryūen? So you're his lackey after all?"
"Unfortunately, I don't recall ever becoming Ryūen's subordinate. Like I said—I act when necessary."
To Hachiman and Ryūen, their alliance was nothing more than a means to an end.
"Hah! Hikigaya-senpai, I actually had high hopes for you too. But seriously—you really think you can stop me?"
Though he'd lost his prime target, Hōsen's fighting spirit only grew fiercer as he turned his focus to Hachiman.
"Who knows? But I can't let you pass."
At point-blank range, Hōsen's eerie grin clashed with Hachiman's cold, lifeless gaze.
Hōsen struck first. Without breaking eye contact, he threw a punch, banking on his superior physique to overpower Hachiman.
"Didn't plan on dragging this out."
Hachiman shifted just one hand, catching the fist squarely in his palm.
"Tch. Now I get it. Hikigaya-senpai—you're mockin' me, aren't ya?"
Hōsen's attack had been a mere probe—something he could easily follow up on if he wanted. That was why he reached his conclusion.
"Mocking you? Save the jokes for your face. I'm just an average student. You've got the build and the experience. I'm not underestimating you."
"That's exactly what I mean, senpai! No one's ever looked down on me this hard in my life! Come at me like you wanna die!"
Yanking his captured arm back violently, Hōsen tried to drag Hachiman off-balance and smash his forehead into him.
"Hah!?"
Instead, Hachiman pulled back with even greater force—sending Hōsen stumbling forward.
"...The hell was that?"
"Don't get it?"
"The fuck did you just do?"
Regaining his footing effortlessly, Hōsen glared at Hachiman.
He hadn't been hurt—just thrown off balance.
For the first time, Hōsen couldn't comprehend what had happened. He'd never been overpowered like that before.
"Simple. My strength surpassed yours. That's all."
Hachiman stated it plainly, but Hōsen was quietly stunned.
The difference in physique was obvious. By all appearances, Hōsen's raw strength should've been overwhelming. He had countless advantages—and no reason to lose.
Yet despite the undeniable fact that he'd been overpowered, Hōsen laughed.
"————Fine by me."
A quiet mutter—but only once.
"Fine by me, fine by me, fine by me! This is perfect, Hikigaya-senpai! No more games! From here on out—it's a real fight!"
What Hōsen wanted most was an all-out brawl. Winning, losing, differences in strength—none of it mattered as long as he could throw his fists.
"...I see."
Seeing Hōsen like that, Hachiman lowered his gaze as if realizing something.
...
Hōsen kicked off the ground, closing the distance with a speed belying his massive frame. Keeping his left hand low, he swung a right hook with full force.
I blocked it with my forearm—a blow that would've inflicted serious damage if left unchecked. But he wasn't done. With his free left hand, he seized my other arm.
"Gotcha."
He tightened his grip and wrenched my arm upward, likely planning to follow up with a devastating kick. But before he could, I drove my foot into his ribs.
"Hah! Now we're talkin'!"
He disengaged briefly, never breaking eye contact, then feinted a front kick—only to plant his foot and fire a straight right instead.
"..."
I caught the full-force punch in one hand.
"Tch! Let go, damn it!!"
I gradually increased the pressure, crushing his fist in my grip.
"Ghh—O-OOOOOHHHHHH!!?"
Hōsen thrashed, trying to break free, but the mounting pain forced him to his knees. His reaction was understandable—his fist was being slowly crushed.
Grabbing his hair, I yanked him forward and slammed my knee into his forehead.
"——!!"
The moment I released his fist, Hōsen collapsed limply. Yet even after such a display of overwhelming strength, his hand remained clenched tight.
"Hah… Hahaha… First time… gettin' knocked on my ass like this…"
"You're still conscious after that? Tougher than I thought."
His vision was probably swimming—I'd hit him hard enough to cause severe concussion.
"Don't… think this is over, senpai… You're on my list now. Next time I see you… I'll kill you."
"...So this is all you amount to."
"Huh?"
He glared up at me, teeth bared.
"Nothing unexpected. Hōsen, you're exactly as I predicted—utterly unremarkable."
"The hell's that supposed to mean!?"
"From start to finish, you were fixated on nothing but a brawl. Even knowing the gap in strength, you still came at me."
Hōsen had tunnel vision—his entire strategy began and ended with brute force.
"At this level, you're nowhere near Ryūen."
"The fuck did you just say…!?"
"Even if Ryūen had been here instead of me, you'd still be the one on the ground."
Fueled by my words, Hōsen forced his trembling body upright.
"The gap between you and him is that vast. Just from observing this past year, Ryūen is in a league you can't even compare to."
"Bullshit!! Don't get cocky just 'cause you won once! Mark my words—I'll crush both you and Ryūen!!"
"All bark. Even if you could land a hit on me, getting expelled in the process would still mean you lost."
"Shut the hell——!"
I seized his collar, lined up the shot, and drove a straight punch through his jaw—knocking him out cold. His body hit the ground without a sound.
"That's enough. It's over."
I called out toward the bushes to the south.
"...Unbelievable. Hikigaya. To overwhelm him like this… I can't even process it."
Emerging from the foliage was Tokitō—a classmate I'd summoned beforehand.
Hōsen had likely checked the area with GPS, but he'd missed Tokitō. The reason was simple: the broken watch on Tokitō's wrist. He'd followed my instructions perfectly.
"So I just gotta retire with this guy like we agreed, right?"
"Yeah. Tell them you got into a fight if anyone asks."
I'd brought Tokitō here to clean up. Leaving Hōsen unattended risked him going after Ayanokōji again, and if I disappeared after beating him down, that'd raise questions too.
Tokitō would handle the fallout in my place—with his full consent, of course.
With no reason to stay, I turned to leave.
"Hold up, Hikigaya."
Tokitō's voice alone stopped me.
"What?"
"Give me a minute. There's something I wanna say."
His expression was dead serious. I could ignore him, but I chose to pause.
Seeing this, Tokitō continued.
"You already know this, but I hate Ryūen. His methods, his mindset—everything about him pisses me off."
That much was common knowledge. Tokitō had opposed Ryūen's leadership from day one.
"But until now… I never had a way to drag him down. Not until you showed up."
He pointed at me.
"At first, I thought you were just another disposable pawn. But after the last exam… and now seeing you take down a monster like this? I've made up my mind."
His gaze hardened with resolve.
"I'm making you the class leader, Hikigaya."
Before I could respond, he pressed on.
"If you take the role, I'll back you 100%. As your subordinate, whatever. With you as leader, Ryūen doesn't stand a chance. You've got way more trust and respect than he does."
This wasn't some impulsive declaration—he'd clearly thought it through. Rough around the edges, but the potential was there.
"Me as class leader? You serious?"
"Dead serious. There's no better candidate."
I took a moment to consider.
"I'll think about it."
"! You mean it?"
"Yeah. But Tokitō, you'd need to change your approach first."
"My approach? What's that supposed to—"
If he couldn't accept this condition, leadership was off the table.
"For what it's worth, I do respect you. Holding onto your defiance against Ryūen for a full year takes serious willpower."
Most would've been absorbed by the group, falling in line with Ryūen's rule.
"Let me ask you this—if I did become leader, what would you do about Ryūen? You think he'd just step aside?"
"Who cares? Expel his ass if we have to."
"And that's your problem, Tokitō."
"Hah? What's wrong with expelling Ryūen?"
"He would resist, no doubt. But in terms of pure ability, he's top-tier in our class. Kicking him out would weaken us."
"That's…"
And there it was—the flaw in Tokitō's thinking.
If he truly cared about the class, discarding an asset like Ryūen would be idiotic.
"If you can't accept my terms, I'm not interested in leading."
I wondered—what kind of change would this conversation bring to the class?
"Think hard about what I said."
With those final words, I turned my back and walked away.
This time, no voice called out to stop me.
...
Final Day – The Last Designated Area
After stepping into the final designated area, Ayanokōji headed toward I2.
But an unexpected figure stopped him in his tracks—Student Council President Nagumo Miyabi. Whether by coincidence or design, the two now stood opposed.
"Shouldn't you focus on the final exam instead of bothering with me? The point gap between your group, Kōenji's, and Ryūen's is razor-thin. If you don't return, you won't even secure the placement rewards."
Ayanokōji's argument was perfectly logical, yet Nagumo's smirk never wavered.
"Relax. On this final day, I've got Kōenji completely locked down."
"Does that mean Ryūen and Hikigaya's group aren't under control?"
"My strategies don't work as well on them. But don't worry—I've still been interfering enough to keep things manageable."
"As expected of the Student Council President. An ordinary student wouldn't stand a chance against you."
Nagumo laughed, as if something about Ayanokōji's response amused him.
"You don't really mean that, do you? You don't think I'm impressive at all."
"That's not—"
Nagumo raised a hand, cutting off Ayanokōji's denial.
"You'd just deny it anyway. I can predict that much by now. You and Hikigaya always hide your true abilities. Honestly, I think I finally understand what former President Horikata meant about you two."
Nagumo had long been aware of the two students his respected predecessor, Horikata Manabu, had taken an interest in. His pride came from having watched their movements closely ever since.
"I've always doubted whether you two were truly capable, but now it's clear. You and Hikigaya have earned the right to be crushed by me. Rejoice."
"I can't say I'm happy about that. Like I said earlier, you should ignore me and focus on the exam."
"If I wanted to, I could've racked up 400, even 500 points. But that would've caused some issues. Besides—where's the fun in that? It'd just make the exam boring."
As the leader of the strongest group, Nagumo had spent these two weeks dominating effortlessly.
If he went all out, he could uncover every group's exact score. Even now, with points obscured, he knew precisely how many penalties Kōenji's and Ryūen's groups were carrying.
In other words, he could engineer a dramatic, one-point victory if he wished.
"Honestly, Kōenji and Ryūen don't matter. The last thing I'll do at this school is devour you two."
A declaration of war—aimed at Hachiman and Ayanokōji in the cross-grade battles to come.
"Sorry, but I'm in a hurry. Let's continue this conversation another time."
Ayanokōji tried to defer the discussion, but Nagumo wasn't having it.
"You think I'll let you walk away that easily? I'm not leaving until you agree to fight me."
Nagumo followed as Ayanokōji began walking.
What awaited ahead was Ayanokōji's confrontation with Tsukishiro. He couldn't afford to bring Nagumo along, no matter what.
Ayanokōji stopped and glanced back.
"If you're so eager to fight me—"
Misinterpreting this as acceptance, Nagumo grinned—only for Ayanokōji to shove him squarely in the chest, sending him tumbling to the ground without resistance. His tablet and transceiver clattered beside him.
"Wha—?"
"President Nagumo, I do respect you. You possess abilities different from former President Horikata, and you've brilliantly claimed the summit of this school. It's no exaggeration to say you've completely dominated this exam."
Before Nagumo could regain his composure—or his anger—Ayanokōji continued.
"But there are lines you shouldn't cross. With me… and with Hikigaya."
"Ha… You kidding me, Ayanokōji? You think you can order me around?"
"It's because you're a senior worth respecting."
"The hell? Who the fuck do you think—"
Just then, the transceiver beside Nagumo crackled to life.
["It's done, Nagumo! We've blocked Kōenji's group from three straight tasks now. Ryūen's group is trickier, but we might overwhelm them with numbers. What's our next move?"]
The excited voice of a third-year echoed through the woods.
Nagumo ignored it entirely, his glare fixed on Ayanokōji.
["Hey, Nagumo! Without your orders, the upperclassmen won't move. Didn't you say we need to keep pressuring Kōenji and Ryūen until the exam ends?"]
"Aren't you going to respond?"
Even Ayanokōji could tell the conversation was critical, but Nagumo remained silent.
"Right now, Kōenji, Ryūen, and even Hikigaya don't matter to me."
Brushing off the dirt, Nagumo stepped forward.
"I'm going to fight you—and crush you completely. That's my final duty as Student Council President."
Hearing this, Ayanokōji realized something: this was Nagumo's pride as president speaking.
"I—!?"
Without hesitation, Ayanokōji drove his fist into Nagumo's solar plexus.
"Gh—!?"
Instantly robbed of breath, Nagumo collapsed, unconscious.
After a brief glance at his fallen senior, Ayanokōji turned and continued toward I2—to bring the exam to its conclusion.
........
(A/N: Uninhabited Island Exam Climax
The longest exam yet is finally nearing its end.
Who will come out on top? It's still anyone's game.
And there's plenty to look forward to after the exam, too. Let's recap:
- The promise with Hiyori
- Amasawa and Ryūen's deal concerning Hachiman
- Summer vacation plans with Arisu
- A "date" with senior student Ayano (from Hachiman's side)
- A request for Kiryūin-senpai
- Horikita's way of repaying her debt
- Tokitō's decision
That's a lot to unpack. And, uh… about 90% of it involves girls. Looking at it all at once really puts things into perspective.
Well, I'll just take it one step at a time. Probably fine. )
=================================
Want to support me?
You can join as member in my P4TR30N
p4treon.com/ShirooYuki ( Change 4 to a)
See ya!!