AFTER WINTER vacation, school life took a fresh start.
The greetings with classmates who I hadn't seen for about two weeks until the new year were a bit awkward, but other than that, the days passed uneventfully.
When would the next special exam be conducted?
While everyone in the class would have that in the back of their minds, Horikita, who had received hints from senpais, was more concerned.
Chabashira-sensei, the homeroom teacher who symbolized the start of a new school day, appeared.
Her expression was always stern, heading to the podium with a serious face without a hint of levity.
However, even though everything was as usual, some of the students naturally sensed that something was different.
Observing everything from the back of the room, I reached the same conclusion.
Thursday, when half of the week had already passed, it seemed finally time for the prelude to begin.
"Good morning. Today I want to talk about our first special exam of this third term."
Just as teachers had been observing their classes for two years, students had also been observing the teachers as well.
"Not many of you are surprised. You've gotten good at understanding the timing, I see."
If so, the announcement would be quick. Chabashira-sensei straightened herself and looked over at the students.
"I'd like to get right into the explanation. This special exam has slightly complicated rules."
Chabashira-sensei turned on the monitor and started the software.
"This special exam will only be conducted among second-year students."
Initially, it was revealed that it wasn't going to involve other years like the first and third years.
"This is going to be a different ruleset from the special exam where we compete side by side for first place or decide the winner in a one-to-one match with a specific class. I'll explain it with the help of diagrams to make it easier to understand. Let's take a look at the monitor."
Data created by the school was quickly loaded and a file was opened.
[Survival and Elimination Special Exam]
The first line of text that appeared was believed to be the name of the next special exam.
Despite being a mere exam name, there was a slight tension among the students.
"Survival and elimination? That sounds very dangerous..."
The usual candid words from Ike. However, that was an understandable impression.
When you saw the word 'elimination,' there was something that was inevitably associated with it.
While students didn't explicitly say it, everyone associated it with
'expulsion.'
Chabashira-sensei, without commenting on the name of the special exam, began explaining the test content.
"In this special exam, there are diversified tasks based on categories prepared by the school. Each class will choose a category, select a difficulty, and issue a task to the target class in a specific order."
A diagram of a square figure was given as an example.
①Class A→②Class B
↑ ↓
④Class D←③Class C
"While the arrangement of these classes is just an example, with us being clockwise from Class A, they will have us solve the task they chose and gave to Class B; meaning Class A is the attacking side in this case. On the other hand, Class B is the defending side. Class B scores points by solving the task, i.e., the attack that came from Class A. Then, once this offensive and defensive action is done, Class B will be on the offensive side and will issue tasks to Class C. We will repeat this attack and defense while moving around the classes, and the offensive and defensive war between Class D and Class A at the end of the rotation—this will be considered one turn."
From this initial explanation, it was clear that points for your own class didn't increase when attacking, but rather, points would increase depending on how many of the tasks you could do correctly when defending.
"After 10 turns, the first half will be over. The second half will invert the arrows counterclockwise, and another 10 turns will be held. We are going to repeat the offensive and defensive battles for a total of 20 turns."
Another figure was courteously displayed for the counterclockwise rotation.
①Class A←④Class B
↓ ↑
②Class D→③Class C
It was still unsure how the class arrangement would be decided, but the fact that there wouldn't be any offensive and defensive actions against the class located diagonally couldn't be overlooked.
It would be an additional mental burden to wage a defensive and offensive war against a class that posed the greatest threat to one's classmates.
"Next, I will detail the tasks for the offensive side. The categories provided by the school, as I mentioned at the beginning, cover a wide range. From fundamental academic skills such as literature, economics, English, arithmetic, kanji, and history, to subjects which are not related to academics, such as subculture, and entertainment."
"Do students need stuff like entertainment...? I'm not good at that..."
Sudō expressed his aversion openly towards the unfamiliar term mentioned.
"Indeed, some areas might not be primarily related to a student's responsibilities. But those who are ignorant of the world are often eliminated when they step into society. In other words, even if you can't study, those who can follow the conversation are often treasured. This means that this time, your general knowledge as a human being will be tested."
With that explanation, some understood while others were still confused.
The air was tense.
Sensing this, Chabashira-sensei added to her explanation.
"It seems there are some who find it hard to understand, so let me simplify it. Basically, it has aspects similar to a quiz. The attacking class will present a quiz, and the defending class will solve it. It's as simple as that."
This description was extremely clear, and many students began to show their understanding simultaneously.
At the same time, there were also those who wore baffled expressions.
Competing with a quiz—indeed, if you just proceed with that image alone, it wouldn't be unreasonable.
However, not all successful people are only excellent in academics. Regardless of their final academic level, many possess something noteworthy besides that.
In that sense, it couldn't definitively be said that knowledge in areas like entertainment was completely unnecessary.
If you were to enter into the entertainment industry, there would be a significant difference between knowing nothing and having an abundant amount of knowledge.
Non-academic knowledge would also be tested when facilitating smooth communication with superiors and subordinates. If you could fully utilize your skills, it would be a plus in many cases, without a doubt.
Offense
Select the category and difficulty. Nominate a student and attack.
Attack limit
The same student may be nominated consecutively. It is also possible to repeatedly choose the same category.
Nominate five students of the target defensive class to the staff in charge within three minutes of starting.
※If unable to make nominations within the time limit, the remaining number of students will be selected randomly.
List of possible categories for questions
Literature, History, Science, Society, Sports, Entertainment, Music,
Economics, General Knowledge, English, Arithmetic, News, Kanji, Lifestyle, Gourmet Food, Subculture
Difficulty level
Three levels, from one to three. (The higher the number, the greater the difficulty)
Target number
Five people
Indeed, as the school had mentioned, the special exam covered a wide variety of topics.
There were 16 choices for just the category.
"The attacking class will first select a category from among these—"
"Won't everyone just pick the highest difficulty level for their opponents?"
During Chabashira-sensei's explanation, this seemed to have unintentionally slipped out of Ike's mouth.
After muttering that, he hurriedly covered his mouth, but it was already too late.
In the awkward silence that followed, he timidly looked up at Chabashirasensei.
While there was a strong negative impression around interrupting someone mid-explanation, Chabashira-sensei, albeit sighing, didn't seem too harsh on him.
"Be careful with your careless remarks, Ike."
"Y-yes, I'm sorry!"
"The attacking class will select the difficulty level after choosing the category. The basic, first level is of average difficulty. The second and third levels with higher difficulties can also be chosen, but to do so, you need to spend the points that you have acquired. For every point you spend, you can increase the difficulty level by one."
The special exam rules began to be broken down little by little.
Apparently, the attacking side was not just about choosing a category.
"The attacking side will nominate five people from the defending class and assign them tasks. You can keep selecting the same student, or you can change who you select. The same applies to categories."
There seemed to be no restrictions at all on the nomination of students and the category selection. Whether to aim at an unspecified majority or to continuously target a specific student—it was all at the discretion of the attacking side.
"But what if the opponent's class is aware of the categories we're weak in..."It wasn't unreasonable to immediately come to that conclusion.
If we're constantly attacked in areas we aren't good at, the probability of getting all the questions wrong wouldn't be low.
"I understand feeling uneasy, but this isn't a special exam that specifically requires you to overcome your weak subjects ahead of time. In this special exam, individual knowledge is important, but it also becomes crucial how well the class understands each other. It isn't just about taking on the given tasks indifferently, but there's a system where, at times, a leader can protect students and decide when to attack based on the situation."
Defense
By the leader's nomination, up to five individuals can be protected for each task. If a student, who was nominated to be protected, is within the five individuals nominated by the attacking side, they will be treated as if they answered correctly.
Within three minutes after the attacking side has finished their task, the leader shall nominate five individuals from their class and declare it to the staff in charge.
※ If unable to make nominations within the time limit, the remaining number of students will be chosen randomly.
Excluding Categories
Each student can choose to exclude up to three of the sixteen categories beforehand.
The attacking side can't choose the excluded categories.
Elimination
If a student answers incorrectly three times in total, they will be eliminated and cannot be targeted for nomination.
Moreover, for every person eliminated, one point will be deducted.※ Even if the score is zero, negative points will accumulate.
Scoring
If an answer is correct (or protected successfully), one point is given for each person.
Incorrect answers will not deduct points.
"At this point, some of you might be confused, but because you can exclude five people every time you defend, if someone is being specifically targeted, you can prioritize protecting that person. Of course, if the attackers think you will protect, they will change their target each time. You guys will have to make various strategies beyond just getting the answers right."
As Chabashira-sensei said in advance, it could be called a slightly complicated special exam.
However, when untangled, there were surprisingly simple aspects to it, and it consisted of repeating the same process.
"Also, during this special exam, both the attacking and defending sides are allowed to discuss and consider necessary matters among themselves. However, all final decisions will be made by the leader elected by the class. It is a position that holds a lot of responsibility."
It was entirely up to the leader if they chose to represent the views of their classmates or not.
Such a role could not be left to someone indecisive or someone who could lose their sense of judgment.
"Also… if a class with any eliminated students sinks to the bottom of the four classes, one of those eliminated students will be expelled."
"Wow… E-expulsion, seriously… I thought it was possible, but…!"Somewhere, a small scream rose among the students.
"And the reward for this special exam is as follows:"
Rewards
1st place: 100 Class points
2nd place: -50 Class points
3rd place: -50 Class points
4th place: -100 Class points
※If there are multiple classes with the highest score, an extension will be held to determine the outcome.
※If all four classes finish the test with the same score, everyone's class points will be deducted by 100.
"What the heck is this!? Other than first place, all the class point rewards are negative!?"
It was only natural that voices of surprise and dismay rose from the students.
Only one class could be the actual winner among the four. However, if one deeply analyzed the rules, they would be able to predict why only one class could be the victor.
As noted in the reward description, if all four classes conspired and colluded prior to the special exam, they could potentially finish the exam with equal scores.
This rule was in place to prevent such scenarios.
Given that all ranks below the first are in the negative, it becomes practically impossible for classes to collaborate across boundaries. Even if they joined forces, only one class could win.
Of course, it wouldn't be impossible if they used unconventional methods, such as the contract Ryūen and Katsuragi made during the deserted island exam last year in summer, in which they forfeited class points in exchange for Private Points. However, collaboration was unlikely unless it could ensure a secure first place.
By those rules, it was easy to obtain high scores if classes collaborated, but the school's restrictions to prevent this from happening were more powerful than expected.
This was also a rare opportunity to expel a specific student by making their class lose.
It was hardly plausible that they would give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity without something significant in return.
The only viable cooperative relationship could be an agreement not to eliminate each other.
This method was fair to all classes and could also purchase safety.
However, setting aside Horikita and Ichinose, the possibility of such a proposal getting through to Ryūen or Sakayanagi was low.
Furthermore, due to the attack and defense mechanisms, they inevitably need to fight against two classes, and adhering to a no-elimination policy wouldn't be easy.
"In the event that there are multiple eliminations in the lowest-ranked class, the class leader will nominate one from among the eliminated. Of course, the nominated student cannot refuse. If there are classes tied for the lowest rank, there is a possibility that there will be expulsions from multiple classes."
This meant that if any of the students in the lowest-ranked class were eliminated, there would definitely be at least one expulsion. The only exceptions would be if 20 million points were paid or when a student holding Protection Points was eliminated and selected.
It would be possible to avoid that if the lowest-ranked class kept the number of eliminated students to zero, but that was nearly impossible under normal circumstances.
"Excuse me, may I ask a question?"
Horikita, who was sitting in front of Chabashira-sensei, raised her hand to ask for permission to speak.
"Yes, what is it?"
"What happens if the leader is eliminated midway through the special exam? Also, will those who are eliminated be required to do something like leaving the room?"
"To answer the easier question first, even if you are eliminated, you just won't be nominated by the attacker afterward. You'll continue to wait in the same place as the other students and are free to participate in the conversation."
In other words, they would be put on the eliminated list, but there wouldn't be any other restrictions.
"As for a leader getting eliminated, the leader does not participate in any tasks to begin with. This means that they cannot be nominated by the attacker and therefore have no fear of being eliminated."
"The leader only directs and doesn't fight..."
"Correct. Those who are chosen as leaders are effectively exempted from the risk of expulsion. Whether they consider this a perk or not is up to the individuals."The class leader, who would lead the fight, won't bear the risk of expulsion.
However, if the class were to lose, the leader must nominate an eliminated student to be expelled.
The responsibility of being a leader is already a heavy burden if they lose, and yet they have to undertake the task of expelling a comrade without being able to take responsibility themselves.
Although it was a position that assured safety, hardly any student would eagerly want to undertake the responsibility of determining victory or defeat and having to select comrades to abandon if they lose.
While someone like Ryūen or Sakayanagi might easily undertake such merciless tasks, most other students would likely refuse. The role of pushing the button to eject the floorboard of a condemned prisoner was extremely harsh.
"Also, it's important to note that during this special exam, the use of mobile phones will be permitted at all times, except when the defensive side is solving a problem."
"Eh, it's allowed...?"
"Rather, it might be said that phones are indispensable for this special exam. The other classes' details will be disclosed after the exam starts, so you will have to organize the information in real-time and find the optimal solutions to determine who is excluding which category."
More than 100 students were spread across the three classes. There were about 80 even with just two target classes.
It would be almost impossible to specify the categories without the class mustering all its resources to gather information.
There were other advantages to being able to use phones.
Usually, students who weren't good at speaking up found it difficult to raise questions about minor realizations. Frequently, they'd just swallow their small doubts and later find out that they were the key questions they should have asked.
Through an app, they could easily send messages about their realized doubts, just to their specific friends, and ask for their judgment.
"Of course, you can also use it for the defensive side. It's up to you whether you cram knowledge into your head for the exam until the last minute or if you contact and negotiate with the opposing classes. Feel free to do as you wish. If the patterns of the questions during the exam become apparent, it should be possible to allocate some countermeasures."
This added conditions we had never considered until now.
If phones could be used, the scope for offense and defense would significantly widen.
How quickly and efficiently we could share information seemed to be a point of the test.
"The special exam will be conducted next Friday. First of all, by the end of school next Monday, find time, decide the leader through mutual discussion, and let me know. If you can't choose a leader, as you can probably guess, we will randomly select one."
With that, Chabashira-sensei exhaled a heavy sigh, seemingly ending her explanation of the special exam.
"I understand everything, but it's going to be a tough fight. All I can say is—
."
She stared at the students, and then answered, "Do your best not to place last. That's it."
In the special exam where failure would put losing your friends at risk, avoiding last place was absolutely necessary.
There was a possibility that the third-term special exam would be brutal, and that turned out to be precisely the case.
Even if a student was academically or physically skilled, another class could apply a strategy that exploits the gaps in their knowledge and get them expelled.
Nonetheless, I was impressed that this time, the mechanism wasn't structured on gaining points from attacking.
As the defense's judgment was connected to the score, it became more important to face and consider your own class. It was a test to earn points through discussions with the leader and classmates.
How well one knew the class and the enemy would affect the outcome of the battle.
1
After Chabashira-sensei left the classroom, there was a little time before the morning lecture began.
Since we didn't need to move between classes today, everyone would've usually passed the time with casual chatter, but today, it seemed that even that was a waste of time, and the students naturally gathered around Horikita.
To calm the noisy classmates, Yōsuke took the lead.
"Since we have limited time, let's recap the main points of the special exam's contents for now."
To avoid them from becoming disorderly from idle chatter, he voiced that thought.
It was almost certain, given nearly two years of experience, that there were almost no students who wouldn't listen.
Noting the surrounding silence as agreement, Yōsuke nodded and continued,
"The areas of concern for this special exam are that it's difficult to imagine placing last without an expulsion. Inevitably, there will be an expulsion from the class in last place. And while the odds are low, if a tie for last place occurs, multiple classes might have expulsions."
The number of times a class receives an attack was 20 times. With 5 people each time, that was a total of 100.
No matter how much the leader exerted their skills, it seemed inevitable that a few people would be eliminated.
"Due to the nature of the exam, students who get the second question wrong will be cornered. If you try to protect a particular student from being expelled, of course, the other classes will target the other students. If you continue to insist on protecting, the number of students who get two questions wrong will keep increasing..."
That thought would turn into one of the pieces for negotiations.
The offensive needed to analyze the defending class and figure out who was weak in which subjects in order to attack effectively. They also needed to predict and evade the protection targets, so they wouldn't waste any points.
The defending side also had to predict the offensive's plans and deal with them accordingly.
"Be careful that the eliminations won't only consist of students with lower abilities. It's natural for other classes to want to force capable students to be eliminated, looking at the future. If the class misjudges who to protect, even competent students could be at risk."
In extreme terms, this was an exam where every student besides the leader had the potential to be expelled.
Even excellent students like Yōsuke and Kushida would buckle if they were continuously bombarded with questions; it wouldn't be impossible to make them drop out.
Of course, this would only apply if there were no other students to prioritize, and the chances of forfeiting the class competition would be high, so it might not be a wise strategy.
However, if this strategy was successful, the class would suffer damages beyond the loss of class points. Considering these factors, the reward for this special exam might be modest. Rather than placing the winner in a more advantageous position, this special exam emphasized putting the loser at a greater disadvantage.
"Just hearing this, naturally, you'd want to avoid elimination at all costs. However, what I really want to say is to avoid becoming overly anxious. While we are still unclear about the essence of the special exam, let's first start by unifying our overall awareness without causing a fuss."
Horikita conveyed the apparent fear from the special exam but also ensured that wasn't everything.
However, if left unattended, wild imaginations would naturally spread.
Therefore, Horikita decided to gather the class in the classroom during lunchtime today to discuss it.
It wasn't mandatory, but participation was encouraged as much as possible.
2
Students without lunch hurriedly rushed to the cafeteria or convenience store and then returned to the classroom.
About 10 minutes after the lunch break started, 37 classmates, excluding Kōenji, had gathered in the classroom.
Of course, they were there to discuss the approaching special exam.
The plan was to eat and discuss simultaneously to effectively spend time.
There were several important topics, but the first one was to properly understand the special exam and be able to confront it, as Horikita mentioned earlier.
The other was probably the selection of the leader. It was expected that few would object if Horikita, who has done most of the work as a de facto leader, were to run for the position, but she did not speak up herself since the discussion had just begun.
Although she wasn't the type to run away from important responsibilities, she probably wanted to listen to the other classmates' opinions first. There might also be others who wanted to nominate themselves.
However, even if Horikita didn't speak up herself, others would consider nominating her as the leader.
"Horikita-san, I have one question before we begin our official discussion. If we ask you to take on the role of the leader in this special exam, would you accept?"
Yōsuke took the initiative to ask a question that the class likely wanted to know. Instead of an unexpected student suddenly volunteering to become the leader, it would be safer to nominate Horikita, who was likely to produce reliable results, early on—for the sake of the class.
However, everyone's thoughts may not have aligned with Yōsuke's.
In the unanimous vote special exam, as the person responsible for changing the policy and causing confusion in the class, Horikita gave a strong negative impression.
But as expected, Yōsuke showed no signs of such feelings.
"If I'm nominated by many, I have no intention of refusing. But in this special exam, while the leader carries great responsibility, there's also a rule that excuses them from the risk of expulsion or leaving school. If there are other potential candidates, I would like to listen to their ideas."
On the other hand, Horikita didn't want to rush decisions. Because she understood the nature of the exam, she wanted to be careful in her judgment.
This time, the leader bore the responsibility of strategizing and nominating, as well as the privilege of avoiding expulsion.
They should assume that none of the 37 people present wished to be expelled.
Then, it was possible that someone might show more capability than Horikita and benefit from the privilege of not dropping out, enough to wield their leadership effectively. But in most cases, this wouldn't happen—it was an idealistic scenario.
In the end, the reality was that only those who wanted to secure their safety by becoming the leader would come forward. Even if someone volunteered for the role of leader for self-preservation, it was natural that the class wouldn't recognize that individual.
After all, responsibility, preparedness, and the confidence to win the class over were demanded of the leader.
"Is there anyone here who wants to be the leader? If so, please tell us."
Horikita, who had moved to a position on the podium where she could see the whole class, asked this question.
The classroom fell silent right after, and the students just looked at each other as time passed.
After waiting for about 30 seconds for a nominee to appear, Yōsuke nodded.
"I guess that's the correct answer. To be honest, I don't think the leader's exemption from elimination or expulsion is a great benefit. If there's no other student who can take on such an important responsibility for the class, I would really like to leave it to you, Horikita-san. What do you think?"
Since there were no other candidates for the leader's position, Yōsuke was trying to persuade Horikita to make a decision early on.
Although there was no rush, deciding the leader was an important matter.
A response was expected from Horikita, but her reaction was slightly delayed as she had been looking at her phone screen.
It seemed like she was paying attention to the conversation, as she finally responded after closing her screen.
"Yes, of course, I intend to. I showed a reserved attitude to hear other people's opinions, but I always intended to take on the role of the leader. If there are no objections..."
"Hold on a second!"
It's decided. The leader will be Horikita. Just as when such an atmosphere was beginning to form, Maezono raised her hand despite hesitating.
"I think there may be a little room for discussion..."
Yōsuke momentarily stiffened, but he quickly regained his composure, keeping a smile on his face.
Normally, he wouldn't show any weakness, but today was different.
This caution was likely due to the special exam possibly leading to someone's expulsion.
"Certainly, I think Horikita-san is reliable. It's greatly appreciated that she's willing to take on such a responsible role as a leader. However... we can't afford to lose this special exam, right? If we rank last and have an elimination, that person will be expelled from class. Therefore, shouldn't we appoint the person who would give us the highest chance of winning as the leader?"
If she had said that she wanted to be a leader to ensure safety, Yōsuke would likely have immediately dismissed it. Yet, this seemed to be a question of Horikita's ability as a leader.
"Surely, as you said, it would be best if the person who would give us the highest chance of winning becomes leader, but wouldn't Horikita-san make the appropriate decisions to win?"
Yōsuke believed that Horikita was the best fit for the role. So, without any hesitation, he responded.
"I don't doubt Horikita-san's abilities at all. But is she really the best option? I think there's some room for discussion. Can't we find someone who can make better decisions in the class?"
Without pointing to anyone in particular, Maezono appealed to her classmates, including Yōsuke.
Yōsuke managed to maintain his smile as he nodded several times, but he stumbled over his reply.
Maezono's question was reasonable but rather awkward. It had the potential to spoil the atmosphere.
During this, Ike, who didn't seem to be thinking deeply, reacted unexpectedly.
"So, Maezono, do you have someone better in mind? I don't get it.""Calm down. It's just my personal opinion, but can I mention it?"
Maezono, who agreed with Ike, seemed to have someone in mind.
Nobody had the right to stop her from speaking, so she continued.
"During the unanimous vote special exam, Horikita-san changed her opinion due to the flow of Kushida-san's expulsion, right? The person who should've taken responsibility at that time should've been a student who continued to vote against it. But I just have a feeling that she didn't stick to it where she should have. This time, the leader decides everything, right? And choosing who to expel from the eliminations is something we can't ignore. Ah, for the record, I don't mean to say that her decision was wrong. Although not all problems were resolved, the fact that Kushida-san is still in the class is a big plus."
She emphasized that she didn't dislike Kushida for no good reason and spoke carefully.
Naturally, even having her name mentioned probably annoyed Kushida.
She had more chances to take off her mask lately, but for now, she was still smiling.
But whether that smile was warm or not was another matter…
Above all, Maezono seemed to doubt whether Horikita was decisive and whether she deserved to be trusted.
"I'm just caught up on our leader's decisiveness. Putting aside who else might be the best fit for now, is Horikita-san really the best person to entrust with this exam?"
She proposed that they should reconsider whether it was a good idea to leave it to Horikita.
If asked whether Horikita's decision-making ability was perfect at present, the answer would be no.
I think it was a good question that should be welcomed. This was also important for Horikita. It was an opportunity to absorb the evaluations and thoughts of those around her.
However, it was surprising to see Maezono so eloquently throwing doubt on Horikita's ability.
"I see... that's a hard truth. Indeed, at that time, I hesitated. I refused to follow the wishes of the class majority and made a personal decision. There's no denying that it's a fact."
Hasebe, who had been maintaining a stern expression, showed a momentary clouding on her face but didn't go so far as to glare at Horikita. She would understand by now why Horikita had made such a tough decision at the time.
"I know that I have many immature aspects. I can't declare that I'm the best choice for the leader. Nevertheless, right now, no one else is stepping up to take the role."
"Even if no one has come forward, there may still be recommendations. If you ask other people, including myself, they may be able to give you more suitable candidates. Isn't it worth asking?"
"I see—a recommendation. Of course, there might be some in the class who think someone else would be better than me. But I have already asked the class once. If there was a student who wanted to be a leader, they would have raised their hand. Is it okay to leave the decision to someone who doesn't nominate themselves?"
"But—"
"Or should we ask Kōenji-kun, who is the only one who hasn't participated in this discussion? He has a sharp edge and can undoubtedly make decisions."
She said as if refuting Maezono's opinion.
Kōenji certainly possessed strong individuality that could answer any question.
Maezono seemed a little irritated for a second, but she was unable to come up with a counterargument and stuttered.
"Your thinking is correct too. I agree with the opinion that we should search for someone stronger and faster in good decision-making. So after listening to what you just said, I am asking the whole class. In this special exam, students who are confident that they can lead and guide the class to victory, please raise your hand. If someone emerges who I think is more suitable than me, I would gladly give up the leadership role."
It was clear that she was referring to me, and some people turned their gaze in my direction, but of course, I didn't move. I have no intention of taking away the opportunity for Horikita to grow as a leader.
And Horikita understood more than anyone that I stubbornly didn't want to nominate myself.
That was why she merely suggested finding someone in the class with strong decision-making abilities.
You couldn't fight with just the strength you kept within yourself.
Indeed, unless you were so confident that you raised your hand, you couldn't be entrusted with this special exam.
"Certainly, as Horikita-san said, we can't make someone who doesn't nominate themselves a leader."
Maezono withdrew her opinion in the face of a valid argument, and the situation settled down.
While it may seem repetitive, Maezono's remarks weren't unnecessary or reprehensible. It was essential to prevent the bias that classmates should make Horikita the leader.
Once again, it was whether Horikita was the most suitable leader for this class or not. As long as we could arrive at that answer each time, there was no need to worry in that regard.
And when that question disappeared entirely, that was the moment when Horikita grew into a leader recognized by everyone in the class.
"It seems like we can move forward at last. Let's get back to discussing what this special exam is. We should also continue eating. Everyone stopped eating because of the tension."
Perhaps due to the tense atmosphere, many students hadn't made much progress with their lunch. At Yōsuke's words, some people hastened to eat again.
Then, Horikita and Yōsuke took the lead in explaining the overview and rules of the special exam.
While Horikita was speaking, Yōsuke continued eating, and while Yōsuke was speaking, Horikita did the same.
Including what they couldn't hear during Chabashira-sensei's explanation, by the time they moved into the second half of the lunch break, all students had deepened their understanding.
And when the flow of exchanging opinions began, Sudō spoke somewhat forcefully, as if he had been thinking about something all along.
"What're we going to do about the guy who isn't here, Kōenji? Do we have to protect him? That's what we promised, right?"
Kōenji achieved the feat of being the sole person who placed first in the deserted island exam under the pretext of an advanced payment until graduation. In return, he gained the right to complete freedom. This meant unconditional protection for Kōenji. Of course, this special exam also brought the risk of dropping out or expulsion to Kōenji.
This promise was made just before the deserted island exam, and many classmates heard about it. After the test, Horikita explained it, so it was a fact known to everyone.
"A timely topic. I just received a polite email that said, 'It goes without saying, but I'd be in trouble if you don't protect me from expulsion.'"
As she answered, she showed her classmates the actual text on her cell phone screen.
"That's the worst, right!? It means we'll be forced to have four protected slots!"
If the attackers were to realize that Kōenji is always protected, of course, they'd avoid targeting him. But even if they avoided him, there was no guarantee he wouldn't be attacked. If we were to keep our promise, we must keep protecting him.
"Don't jump to conclusions. We can't say for certain that we need to constantly protect him. We'll think of some countermeasures. I won't discuss it in detail now, but don't worry too much."
This part involved strategy, so we couldn't casually discuss it here.
If the discussion became heated, it would be time-consuming, and lunch break alone wouldn't be long enough. Considering the remaining time, Horikita only reviewed the necessary points and answered questions related to them.
Also, for the discussions related to strategy, Horikita indicated that they should be carefully conducted from the standpoint of information leakage.
While ideas were welcomed as they came to mind, they were not to be exchanged in public places, such as classrooms and corridors where people pass, or on cell phones, where records can easily be left.
3
School ended, and I headed to Keyaki Mall with Kei.
We hadn't originally planned to stop by today, but she had requested a detour.
However, Kei, who had invited me, was not smiling as usual. She wore a gloomy expression.
"You've been down. What happened?"
"Ah... well..."
She seemed to want to say something; after some brief hesitation, she turned her eyes to me.
"Hey, hey, Kiyotaka. What will happen to me in this exam…? If I continue to be targeted, I think it's absolutely impossible to keep answering correctly... Can you protect me?"
Unable to hide her anxious expression, Kei asked with fear.
"You're not the only one to lack confidence. Most of the students in the class are likely to be bearing similar anxieties, to a greater or lesser extent. Of course, Horikita, who is serving as the leader, fully understands this."
"It would be better if you're the leader... then I would definitely be protected..."
Although I deliberately avoided responding to that blind faith, at this point, it was a priority to dispel her anxieties.
"Horikita will protect her classmates. But even so, the chances of losing can't be reduced to zero. However, the deciding factor, in that case, is about who to let go. When there are several eliminations beside yourself, it won't be easy to specifically select you, who can lead the girls. Horikita also understands that you're my girlfriend. Even without my protection, you won't be an easy target for Horikita."
This wasn't a viewpoint I intentionally guided, but rather how Horikita would naturally interpret things.
If she wanted my cooperation in the future, Kei surely would not be the easy option to cut off.
However, if there are other eliminations besides Kei, her priority will have to be higher than the others with these conditions taken into account.
If it came down to a selection between Kei and Yōsuke, no matter how much she holds the title of my girlfriend, changing Horikita's judgment would be impossible unless I forcibly intervened.
"Th-that's right. I'm Kiyotaka's girlfriend. Horikita-san won't choose me easily."
"Ah, plus, the guarantee of protection can cover only around five out of close to forty classmates each time. Taking that into account, it's not unusual for someone to be eliminated. If this proceeds for 20 turns, each class should be chock-full of quite a number of eliminations. If we assume that 10 people drop out, it is unlikely for you, the leader of the girls, to be chosen. Isn't that right?"
"...Exactly."
It wasn't an exception for Class A, full of honor students, to have many eliminations.
Not having a single elimination and managing the class would, rather, strangle the class.
To put it extremely, it would be okay even if half of the class is eliminated, as long as we can avoid being the bottom class.
In order to give her a little more peace of mind, this follow-up wouldn't go to waste.
Even just making her understand that her worth was by no means low reduced the burden on her.
The fact that she was my girlfriend provided a sense of security.
However, depending on the perspective, it could also be interpreted as a risk factor.
If there was someone who wanted to damage me, there was a good chance they would directly target Kei.
In any case, this special exam had aspects that made each student reconfirm their value.
Who was necessary and who was unnecessary for the class—it forced you to look at it both from the inside and the outside.
4
On my way back from Keyaki Mall, I found Morishita lying down on a bench.
"What the..."
Kei, who was sitting next to me, looked at Morishita with a puzzled (and slightly taken back) expression.
She was unable to understand how she ended up lying down on a bench with her eyes closed even though it wasn't particularly sunny.
Even though the snow had thawed, it was still mid-January—the middle of winter.
"Is she dead?"
Thinking about it, is it even slightly possible that this could be the end for Morishita…?
"No, she's not."
Kei, who was beside me, interjected and denied it.
"That's correct. I'm not dead."
Morishita, who sat up with a pouty face, looked at us with a somewhat sleepy face.
It seemed like she was about to fall asleep.
It was impressive that someone could get drowsy under this freezing sky.
"What are you doing in such a place?"
"Are you curious?"
"It would be a lie if I said I wasn't interested but―"
"Then, I'll explain. I was, believe it or not, waiting for you, Ayanokōji
Kiyotaka."
As Kei tried to inquire further just on a curious level, she cut her off and explained.
Although she spoke politely, the way she referred to me without honorifics slightly bothered me.
"Eh, do you know each other?"
Of course, Kei would be surprised as well.
"I wouldn't say we're acquaintances. We've only talked once."
"Hmm? You sure know many girls from other classes, don't you, Kiyotakakun?"
Kei looked up at me like a teacher, as if cross-examining a student, her arms folded and her gaze prying.
"I didn't talk to her first."
"It doesn't matter who talks first. The fact that the conversation took place is the problem."
She had a rather unreasonable opinion.
Of course, I knew she wasn't serious even when she said it sincerely.
"You said you were waiting for me, but if I hadn't spoken to you, what were you planning to do?"
I'd thought it'd be fine to ignore Morishita's presence here and had only spoken to her by chance.
"No need to worry. I was slightly opening my eyes, so I would have noticed if you passed by."
I couldn't understand why she was lying down if she wasn't sleeping.
I felt like I'd lose if I thought too deeply about Morishita's behavior.
"Why were you waiting for me?"
"What do you think?"
I didn't expect you to ask me back…
"I can't possibly guess."
"As it turns out, I've had a stroke of luck. It's about that girl over there, specifically."
"Eh, me?"
Kei pointed at herself in surprise, not thinking she was involved.
"Yes. I was curious about what kind of person you are."
"Curious? What do you mean?"
"I noticed something strange as I was investigating."
As Morishita slowly stood up, she directed her sleepy eyes towards Kei, gradually moving closer.
"What? What's this?"
Morishita had a unique aura, different from Hiyori.
It wasn't calmness or harmony, but rather simply bizarre.
Kei also seemed to have fully sensed Morishita's eccentricity quickly, so she was somewhat taken aback.
"Karuizawa Kei. You were initially dating Hirata Yōsuke, right?" Ah, indeed, both Kei and Yōsuke used each other's first names.
"So what?"
"Why did you date Hirata Yōsuke? No, why would Hirata Yōsuke date a woman like you in the first place?"
Like a detective cornering a criminal, Morishita started to walk around Kei. "Wait, wait, aren't you saying something rude?"
"I researched Hirata Yōsuke in my own way too. He's supposedly the most popular guy in school. He belongs to the soccer club, which factors into his popularity, he has excellent academic performance, he's blessed in looks, he respects gender equality, and he's kind, considerate, and intelligent."
There were a few things that caught my attention in the way it was phrased, but as an evaluation of Yōsuke, it was valid and accurate.
In short, on the surface, it was fair to call him an exceptional student. He had a tendency to get hurt easily and drive himself into a corner, but that wasn't something to be mentioned, so it was omitted.
"Do you think he would pick a casual woman like you?"
"...What do you mean by casual?"
"I don't know. It's the first time I've heard the term." I lied.
'Casual' means irresponsible and nonchalant. It carried the feeling of being nonspecific.
If I told Kei here, it would lead to the start of a dispute.
Morishita softly stroked Kei's puzzled cheek with her index finger.
"Don't touch me without permission."
"It seems you're holding back now, but initially, despite being a first-year in high school, you were rumored to be wearing heavy makeup."
"That's... That's just my choice."
"You're a casual woman, you have nothing unique, and you wear heavy makeup. I can't figure out why Hirata Yōsuke chose you."
"Well, um, maybe because I was cute?"
Without mentioning anything like asking Yōsuke for help as camouflage to hide her past of being bullied, she provided a convenient self-assessment.
"If you replace heavy makeup with a mask, it would be easier to understand; you're a timid and sensitive soul. But if so, being strong-willed and assertive, a leader among girls, seems contradictory."
There was no doubt she was a weirdo. But Morishita seemed to be a student with enough intelligence to gather information and recognize doubts.
"What's up with you…"
Exposed to such a transparent reasoning, Kei was disturbed.
If we continued to talk together, it probably wouldn't go in a good direction. "I don't think love makes sense. I began dating Kei because of our feelings.
Is there a problem with that?"
As I moved in protectively towards Kei, she seemed pleasantly surprised by my words and narrowed her eyes in joy.
"I see, that's true. I've never been in love, so I can't deny that reason doesn't apply."
If love was something that could be calculated, I wouldn't have spent so much time on it.
"I apologize for my earlier rude remarks, Karuizawa Kei."
Moving right in front of Kei, Morishita bowed deeply… too deeply, and remained that way.
"You don't have to apologize that much, I understand."
"Is that so? Then, since the apology is over, there's no problem, right?"
"Eh? Well… that's fine, but it doesn't sit well with me?"
I could understand that feeling all too well, but there was nothing that could be done.
"I don't want to intrude any further, so I think I should take my leave."
"You finally understand... You're a better girl than I thought?"
At this point, the safest move was to let Morishita go, but the opportunities to make contact with her weren't that numerous.
I decided to raise a question that had been bothering me.
"For a student in Sakayanagi's class, you're quite unique, aren't you? Don't you get told that by others?"
Kei, who was standing next to me, wore an expression as if she was going to hold me back, but I waited for an answer without concern."Certainly, I often hear that—that I'm unique."That made sense. She definitely seemed unique.
"But it's funny. I've always been aware that I'm a unique person, and I've always thought of myself as special. Even so, I don't really like being reminded constantly, 'You're so unique.'"
"My apologies for that. But the fact is, I hadn't recognized that a student like you was in Sakayanagi's class these past two years."
"I see. You were surprised that a person you thought had no distinct personality turned out to be unique."
"That's right."
"I don't make any moves unless I'm interested. In the flow of Sakayanagi Arisu and Katsuragi Kōhei leading the class as leaders, they have always protected the entirety of Class A, so there was no need for me to do anything. There was no need to show off my individuality. If I live quietly, I can graduate as is. I suppose it can't be helped if I appeared to lack a distinct personality."
Without concealing her situation, she spoke clearly about why she was perceived that way.
Morishita's explanation was reasonable.
Now, I was attracting attention to the point of being watched by students like Morishita.
Although I was supposed to be just another inconspicuous student, I stood out as much, if not more than, Horikita. Additionally, I was being warily watched.
Of course, this was solely because I had chosen to take action.
If I had been in Class A like Morishita when I enrolled, and if Sakayanagi and I hadn't known each other, the situation would be completely different.
Even without doing anything, simply following instructions would secure Class A's position.
Nothing could've been easier.
I would've spent my days as an ordinary student with no distinctive character, living quietly.
A path to graduation without suspicion or caution from anyone.
Morishita was merely drifting halfway along this quiet route.
"I'm glad I was able to meet the two of you today. Thank you for dealing with someone like me."
"Uh, you're welcome."
For some reason, Kei also began to speak politely to match Morishita.
"Most of the students who enroll in this school aspire to graduate from Class A. I am one of them, of course. Therefore, I felt a sense of crisis and thought I should speak with various students. After all, you have attracted quite a bit of attention lately."
Kei ruminated once again on her reason for reaching out in this setting.
"I may need to interact with both of you in the future. I would appreciate your kindness in that regard, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, Karuizawa Kei."
Morishita began to walk away after bowing her head deeply but stopped shortly afterward.
She then turned around.
"The two of you were about to head home, weren't you?"
"Well, yes, but…"
"I intended to return to the dorm as well. Would you like to join me for a chat along the way?"
"Huh, wait… We just finished talking, and you want to talk more? Can't you read the room…?"
"This is a great opportunity. Don't hesitate to ask me anything."
"We're not interested at all…!"
"Don't be like that. Shall we even exchange contact information? Ayanokōji
Kiyotaka included, of course."
"No, no, no, we're not exchanging anything! Right?"
"I don't mind exchanging contact information."
"Wait a minute!"
"It's better to have more friends."
"That's a wonderful thought. I completely agree."
"Ugh~ Kiyotaka, that side of you is kind of cute, I can't get mad at you!"
And so, we (reluctantly on Kei's part) decided to exchange contact information.
A chat app could be quite handy, and it didn't hurt to have each other's information.
One thing that caught my eye was that Morishita only had a few people registered on her chat app.
She really seemed to have been living a quiet life until now, not making any friends.
She was a bit strange in that respect.