Chapter 79 – Preferential Treatment Students

Bonus chapter

***

Time passed bit by bit, and as night fell, Yukio, after having dinner, along with Ryuuen and Shiina, arrived punctually on the second floor of the cruise, ready for the briefing on the test.

This time, there weren't as many people as there were at 5 p.m., and Horikita, who hadn't shown up earlier, now stood coldly in the hallway, waiting for the previous group to come out.

Seeing Yukio seemed to darken Horikita's already sour expression even more.

However, Hirata and Kushida, the most popular male and female students of Class D, greeted Yukio warmly.

Especially Kushida, who showed no sign of holding a grudge from being pranked three nights before, still smiling sweetly.

Her voice, as sweet and clear as honey, called out to Yukio, leaving one to wonder what truly went on in the mind of such a dual-faced person.

This greeting made Shiina somewhat concerned, as she quietly grabbed Yukio's sleeve and curiously asked, "Yukio-kun, are you friends with someone from Class D?"

"Not really," Yukio casually replied, satisfying Shiina, while Kushida clenched her teeth in frustration!

Again! Since the day her true nature was captured by Yukio at the school lake, Kushida often thought about having a chat with him alone.

But every time Yukio went to the library, he ended up being surrounded by Shiina, leaving Kushida no chance to approach him. Now, seeing Shiina getting in the way again, Kushida was itching with irritation.

Soon, Katsuragi and Ichinose arrived with their class members. Ichinose seemed to have anticipated this: "As expected, we're grouped together since we all have the 8:40 p.m. slot."

"Ichinose-san!" Kushida was the first to approach, warmly shaking hands with Ichinose, displaying a close friendship.

"Kushida-san, we're in the same group this time. Let's do out best!" Ichinose, too, shared a good relationship with Kushida, addressing each other affectionately.

But their closeness didn't last long as the conference room door opened and the students from the 8:20 p.m. batch came out. It was now time for Yukio's group to enter.

Yukio nodded briefly at Ishizaki, who was coming out, and then led his group into a conference room. The room wasn't large, just a round table that could seat about sixteen people.

The decor was very minimalistic, practically bare except for the large round table, corresponding chairs, an air conditioner, and a surveillance camera on the wall. Nothing else was present.

The Class D instructor, Chabashira, was sitting on one side of the round table, seemingly a bit thirsty. She asked them to sit down before taking a sip of mineral water.

The action of lifting the glass to drink, the slender neck, and the slight movements all exuded the unique charm of a career woman in the office. Her delicate face, willowy eyebrows, and beautiful eyes should have carried an enchanting allure.

Yet, due to her sharp gaze and cold aura, she appeared distant and unapproachable. The top button of her white shirt undone, paired with a small blazer, a professional black skirt, black stockings, and high heels, highlighted her slender waist and the curvaceous figure accentuated by her professional attire, drawing people's attention.

Sitting opposite, one could faintly catch the subtle fragrance of Le Jardin de Monsieur perfume, a scent that suited mature women like Chabashira well.

"The special exam briefing will now begin. The theme of this exam is 'Thought'." Chabashira went straight to the point, with no intention of small talk.

It wasn't clear if this was because Class D had been tricked by Yukio during the midterm and uninhabited island tests, or if she was always this efficient.

Chabashira had no prepared notes, likely memorizing the material due to her job requirements or having repeated it so many times today that it was second nature: "The school will divide the first-year students into twelve groups based on the Chinese zodiac."

"Each group will consist of three to five students from each class, with a minimum of twelve and a maximum of fifteen students. Your group is the Dragon group."

Yukio and the others listened quietly. So far, this information matched exactly what Suzuki and Oda had shared at 5 p.m., with no differences.

If there was any difference, it was perhaps that their group seemed to have more capable individuals, as it appeared that the leaders from each class were in the Dragon group.

What came next was the key point. Chabashira handed out a list of all the members in their group: "The special exam officially starts tomorrow and lasts for four days. On the first two days and the last day, at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m., you are required to meet in a designated conference room for a discussion lasting one hour."

"If a student is late or leaves early during the designated times, they will face point deductions and disciplinary actions. After an hour of discussion, you may leave."

"There will be a completely free day in the middle, allowing for flexibility. You are not required to go to the conference room."

"Finally, the content of your discussions in the conference room will determine who gets preferential treatment."

Afterward, Chabashira explained in detail what 'preferential treatment' meant, which was also completely consistent with the information Yukio and his group had received.

Each group would have a hidden 'preferential treatment' student. The school would notify via text message at 8 a.m. tomorrow who is and isn't the preferential treatment student. Violent attempts to take others' phones to check, intentionally deceiving others to peek, or stealing and sending answers using someone else's phone are strictly prohibited, with expulsion as the penalty for violators.

The twelve groups are tasked with identifying the preferential treatment student within their discussions.

Based on each group's discussions, four possible outcomes can emerge:

Outcome 1: On the final day of the special test, after the last meeting at 9 p.m., if all members collectively send a text to the school correctly identifying the preferential treatment student, the preferential treatment student (if there is one in the group) alone earns one million private points, while the rest receive five hundred thousand private points each.

Outcome 2: If no one guesses correctly after the last meeting, the preferential treatment student alone earns five hundred thousand private points.

Outcome 3: If a non-preferential treatment student answer correctly before the last evening at 9 p.m., that correct guesser earns five hundred thousand points, their class gains fifty class points, the preferential treatment student's class loses fifty class points, and the special test for that group ends early.

Outcome 4: If a non-preferential treatment student answer incorrectly before the last evening at 9 p.m., their class loses fifty class points, the preferential treatment student alone earns five hundred thousand private points, and their class gains fifty class points, ending the special test for that group early.

Additionally, there's a rule that the preferential treatment student and members of their class in the same group cannot answer early. Even if they do, the test won't end early, and the school will ignore their answers.

"That's about it." Chabashira took a breath, glanced at her white porcelain lady's watch, and found there was still plenty of time left. The three students hadn't asked anything, leaving her with some spare time: "Any questions?"

In fact, Yukio and the others were already aware of these details. This special test was essentially similar to a game of Werewolf, with the main difference being that in Werewolf, the clergy and villagers seek the wolves, whereas in this test, the three classes are looking for the wolf, with the preferential treatment student's class providing cover.

Before coming, they had already discussed among themselves that this was a highly rewarding special test, potentially significant enough to upend Class A.

As for strategies, each group could differ; they could lead others to answer incorrectly, costing them fifty class points, or actively seek out the preferential treatment student from other classes to increase their own points. There were many viable approaches.

They had no doubts about the rules of this special test; however, after Chabashira spoke, Yukio posed the most puzzling question: "Our question is simple. Why did the school choose such an inefficient method to explain the special test rules to us?"

***

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