3 Chapter 2 Two Teachers and a Special Exam of Destiny
INTRODUCTION
The next morning I was appointed as the manager of a maid cafe.
Seeing the stiff expression on the face of Chabashira sensei as she entered the classroom,
many of the students immediately noticed something strange.
However, this time, unlike usual, the word "special exam" probably didn't come to mind first. I
think the main reason for this was that I thought the next exam was the sports festival. And after
that, there will be a cultural festival.
"Before the sports festival in October, you will have to take a new special exam."
The students seemed a little upset. Last year at this time, they were already working on the
sports festival and there were no other special exams, but this year was different.
"Just when we've gotten through the tough desert island exam, the next special exam is already
here…"
This is also becoming a regular occurrence, but I can hear Ike's frustration coming out as he
opened his mouth before anyone else.
For Ike, who overcame the test on a deserted island and became lovers with Shinohara, it must
have been a difficult time ahead.
No matter how much you get to know each other and grow closer, depending on the special
exam, sudden expulsion could happen.
There is no doubt that students with low overall performance by OAA are especially at risk.
"Heck, that's what I want. Let's get through the special exam safely before we go all out at the
Sports festival."
Sudo, who has absolute confidence in his athleticism, fists said excitedly.
"We shouldn't be getting carried away."
"... Oh."
Instantly, Horikita's advice made Sudo shut up.
What a good master-servant relationship is developing, or rather, a friendship.
"If I admit it honestly, there are few cases of special exams being held at this time of year. In
fact, there are no special exams for freshmen or seniors."
"Does that mean we second-year students are the only ones who have to take a special exam
before the sports festival?"
Sato, who was leaning her back against the chair, asks as she leans forward.
Chabashira sensei nodded without any denial.
"It's because you second-year students are so good that the school is giving you the recognition
you deserve."
"What? Isn't... a special exam because they're evaluating us? Isn't that crazy?"
"Indeed, special exams come with risks that you should be wary of. Some students may lose
class points, private points, or even be expelled. However, on the other hand, I can say that it
has given me many opportunities to have a more fulfilling school life. The more special exams
you take, the more chances you have to get promoted to Class A, which I consider the most
important."
It is true that if you want to earn large class points, it is extremely difficult to earn them in your
normal daily life. If anything, it's more about how to keep your class points during periods when
special exams are not being held. Whether it is a desert island exam or something else, only
when a special exam is held will you have a chance to move up to a higher class.
"Happiness and unhappiness are two sides of the same coin. The risk is the benefit, isn't it?"
Horikita calmly takes the position, close to Chabashira sensei.
"That's what I'm talking about."
"There's nothing to be afraid of. We're definitely closing in on Class A now. We have a chance to
break out of the three-way tie for B class and below, and we're already there."
The more opportunities you have once, the better. That is the common understanding of all of
us as we work our way up.
"That's true, And complaining isn't going to get rid of the special exams."
Horikita's words made Sato and the rest of her classmates look convinced.
Even though it is still a work in progress, Horikita's growth to become a pillar of support seems
to be having a definite positive effect on her classmates. Inwardly, I think Chabashira sensei is
also happy, but she doesn't show it on her face. She's never been one to show her sweet side,
but this time I feel like she is showing it more than ever.
"You'll be taking what we call the 'unanimous special exam'."
The monitor lights up and the explanation begins with the video that is becoming a tradition.
"This special exam is very simple, hence I will be taking questions from you if you are curious
about anything at any time. The special exam will be held tomorrow, and as you can probably
guess from the name, it will consist of a series of multiple-choice polls that you will have to
repeat in class until you reach a unanimous decision."
"Tomorrow?... That's very sudden."
There was no time to prepare. Of course, there is no advantage or disadvantage because it is
an equal competition, but the class, which had almost settled down, started to buzz again.
"As I said before, this special exam is simple, there's no need to spend a lot of time discussing it
beforehand, and the school doesn't see any problem in holding it tomorrow."
Repeat the vote in class until it is unanimous.
Listening to that alone, I certainly don't see the complexity of the content.
"So you're not fighting another class this time, are you?"
Most importantly, Yosuke demanded an immediate answer on that point.
"Yes. This is a special exam that is completed only within this class, so you will not be
competing with rival classes. On the day of the exam, the school will give you five 'tasks' to
complete. The content of the tasks is the same for all classes, so there is no differentiation."
If the content of the task is different, the difficulty level will change for each class, so it is natural.
"I'm going to give you an example to help you understand."
Example: You lose 5 class points, but all your classmates gain 10,000 private points.
You can choose to oppose it or accept this.
The task was displayed on the monitor. The content was simple and easy to understand as
shown.
"Hmm? What is this? Let's see. You lose 5 class points, but you get 10,000 private points
instead. This is a challenge? Is this a gain? Is it a loss?"
Shinohara said aloud, folding her fingers and trying to calculate the loss in her head.
It was no wonder that many unexpected questions came to mind.
Even though it was an example, I was expecting it to be more of a choice that I had to worry
about.
You get 100 private points for each class point.
So the value of 5 class points is 500 private points.
If you think about it in an instant, the latter private point is by far the more.
However, the class points themselves will continue to have value.
In a month, five class points is only 500 private points, but over the course of a year, even just
five class points can be worth 6,000 private points.
Considering the remaining time until graduation, there are only 18 opportunities left to receive
private points, from October of sophomore year to March of junior year. In other words, the
value of a class point can be thought of as 9000 private points.
You can either get 10,000 Private Points immediately or you can carve your way to graduation
and get a total of 9,000 Private Points. The former is slightly more profitable in terms of private
points alone.
But it's not that simple.
If I had lost five class points here and lost A class by that margin, I would have made the worst
possible choice, and I would look back on the past that way.
Of course, the odds of five points being the difference between winning and losing would not be
that high. If this is the case, it may well be better to get 10,000 private points.
Whichever point of view you take, there are ultimately advantages and disadvantages.
"In response to this challenge, thirty-nine people, completely anonymous, will choose from the
options presented to them and vote. So let's give it a try. I'm sure there are many students who
have questions, but I'd like them to try it out without any discussion time first. Vote yes or no on
your tablets."
When Chabashira sensei started operating the tablet, the screens of the students in the class,
including me, switched.
The tablet showed the content of the assignment, and we could push for or against it. It was the
most unusual special exam ever. I'll give it some serious thought first.
Private points that have no direct effect on class points. It is simply an advantage that if you vote
yes, all your classmates will get 10,000 points. However, if you vote yes, you lose only 5 class
points, but still 5 points.
In this case, we need to think about how we think in terms of human nature.
It's not a question of whether it's better to gain 10,000 private points or not lose 5 class points,
but the other way around. It's about which choice will save you from regret.
I decided to press "yes" to see what the result would be.
I decided that it was not a good idea to be unanimous the first time.
Soon after, the voting was complete, and Chabashira sensei looked up from the tablet in her
hand.
"Okay, now that everyone has voted, I'd like to display the results as soon as possible."
With that said, the results are displayed on the monitor.
● Results of the first round of voting: 3 in favor, 36 opposed.
I knew that there would be more opposition, but by a larger margin than I imagined.
"Oh, you know what? You'll get more with 10,000 private points than you would with 5 class
points, right? Did I do the math wrong? Why is it so much the other way around?"
Ike, who seems to have voted yes, asks curiously, looking around at his classmates.
"Surely speaking only of the size of private points, it is better to get 10,000 points.However,
class points are essential to achieve A class. If the difference is only a thousand points, then why
bother reducing those precious class points?"
Here is a theoretical explanation of why Horikita, who seems to have voted against it, voted for
it.
"In the unlikely event that a difference of five class points separates the winner from the loser, I
won't be able to stop regretting it."
As I thought, many students are naturally worried about the "just in case" risk.
It would also be important to remember that another three classes would be taking on the same
challenge. If the three classes choose class points and make them unanimous in their
opposition, then only this class will be one step backward.
Of course, it would be a different story if I could make use of the 10,000 private points I gained.
"I know you all have your own opinions, but let's hear them out. The vote was overwhelmingly
against, with 36 votes, but it was not unanimous, so this would have to be redone. There will be
a fixed ten-minute interval before the next vote. During this time, we are allowed to talk freely,
sometimes leaving our seats and exchanging opinions as we do now, but for now we will skip
this. Let the voting begin again."
The purpose of this test is to make it unanimous.
If the vote is not unanimous, it will be invalidated and a 10-minute interval will be enforced.
Even if the opinions are quickly agreed upon, that's a lot of time lost.
It is safe to assume that due to the way this special exam is structured, there will probably be a
time limit set.
If the disagreement continues, there is a possibility that the time is up...
So, the second vote, the action to be taken is to vote no, not to think too hard.
If we pitch it the other way, we can bring it to unanimity.
That's why I decided to vote for "yes" even in the second vote.
I thought this would give my classmates a better understanding of this special exam.
Results of the second round of voting: 2 in favor, 37 opposed.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa."
"Sorry, that's me, Sudo-kun. I tried to avoid being unanimous. It seems that there were others
who had the same idea as me, but..."
He didn't look at me, but I think he might have been referring to me.
"Here are the results of the second round of voting. We're almost deadlocked on opposition, but
there are still two more votes in favor. In this case, there will be another interval and voting will
resume in 10 minutes. The test is to get a unanimous vote of 39 in favor or 39 against. Of
course, whatever is selected in this choice will actually be passed. In this case, if the vote is 39
in favor, you will all receive 10,000 private points, but you will lose 5 class points. On the other
hand, if there are 39 votes against, the issue will be null and will have no effect whatsoever."
This means that the challenge will end without anyone gaining or losing any points.
"It's not unanimous, but to save time we'll move on to the next example."
Example - (Text Shown on Screen)
● Give 1,000,000 private points to one person in the class.
● (If the vote is unanimous in favor, identify and vote on the student who will receive the
point.)
● For and Against
"I know you're probably thinking of the example, but in the exam, private conversations before
the first vote are forbidden. That means we need to genuinely face the assignment first and then
vote."
So it is before the second vote that we can read the assignment and discuss what we thought
about it.
Results of the first round of voting: 39 in favor, 0 opposed.
Even if only one out of 39 people gets private points, there is almost no reason to choose the
latter. Even if you are disappointed that you don't get it, it will be difficult to achieve unanimity in
opposition.
"The first step is to get a unanimous vote of approval and disapproval, as in the first example. If
the vote is against, the issue is closed, but if the vote is unanimous in favor, the issue is not
closed but moved one step further. After an interval, You can discuss who you would like to
recommend. The tablet will display the names of all the classmates except you."
The tablet's screen was forcibly switched, and sure enough, names other than my own were
lined up. However, the order is not even in alphabetical order, but rather in an irregular sequence
that includes both boys and girls.
"To ensure anonymity, the student's name will be switched each time they vote, as are the
choices for and against, which are also randomly switched. This is to prevent people from
snooping on the students next to them and guessing which one they voted for based on the
position of their fingers."
Chabashira sensei continues to explain the rules further, telling us that we will never be able to
see what others are voting.
"Once the discussion is underway, each of you can vote at your leisure, simply by tapping on
the student you wish to nominate. During the interval, you can repeatedly change the student
you want to nominate. At the end of the 10 minutes, the student with the majority of votes in this
class will be recognized as the specific student. Let's say Ike was chosen by a large number of
nominations."
"Oh, me? Yeah."
"Ike will temporarily lose his right to vote, and the other 38 will cast their votes."
A student with a majority is naturally close to unanimous. I guess that's how recommendations
work.
A new vote on the issue is taken one step further, and we vote.
Example : Give 1 million private points to Kanji Ike.
● For and Against
Results of the second round of voting: 0 in favor, 38 opposed.
"What? Why didn't anyone vote for me?"
"No, I'm not gonna give you a million private points."
Sudo spoke for everyone in the class when he said what they were probably thinking.
"If the vote is unanimous in favor of not giving the points to Ike, it is passed that 'no points will be
awarded to Ike,' but that only removes Ike from the list of challenges, leaving the whereabouts of
the one million points up in the air. However, this only means that Ike is removed from the list
and the whereabouts of the one million points are up in the air. So, the remaining 38 students
are selected again and the assignment is continued. However, if no one could be unanimously
selected by the time the time is up, the test would fail. In addition, the one million points will not
be given to anyone, so be careful."
"What! Does this mean that my chances of getting one are now zero?"
"That's what I'm talking about, although I wouldn't have been crossed off the list if there had
been even one yes vote left. You can also ask for candidates. If you can get votes during the
interval, you will be accepted as a specific student on a first-come, first-served basis. However,
only one candidate per assignment will be accepted."
"So what happens if we don't get a majority of the votes for a particular student in ten minutes,
or if there are no candidates? I'm sure you can think of a few cases like that."
"In that case, you will be randomly selected from within your class to cast your vote."
They don't wait for time or an assignment, they seem to be forced to start voting on someone.
"If we have to choose between individuals, we might as well waste our time."
That's right. It's like having more options for the number of people in your class.
However, I don't think it would be easy to decide on a randomly selected student.
"Let's keep our heads up, people. This special exam may turn out to be harder than we
thought..."
It is not always the case that the problems will be solved if we discuss them. There is a good
chance that you will be forced to make a choice that you will never be able to compromise on.
No, otherwise it wouldn't make sense as a special exam.
"I'll give you one more example at the end. This time, we'll have you work through it in a
real-world setting."
Example: A decision has been made to build an additional facility in a Keyaki mall. Which of the
following would you prefer?
● ( The facility with the most votes will be adopted based on the results of the four classes'
voting)
1) Restaurants
2) Grocery stores
3) Entertainment places
4) Medical facilities
Unlike the previous examples, the method will be changed to choose from four options instead
of for and against. I thought it would just be a yes or no vote, but apparently that's not the case.
It seems that the choices made here will actually be carried out, but if this were not an example,
would it really mean that the facility will be built?
"When an issue is approved, it is actually approved. However, there is a special way to do this
for assignments that affect the whole. When an assignment is presented in this way, the
unanimous choice is simply the one chosen by the class. If this class is unanimous in choosing
a restaurant, but the other three classes are unanimous in choosing an entertainment facility,
then the entertainment facility that received three votes is added to the list and the decision is
made."
Perhaps they all understood what Chabashira sensei meant. There are two types of challenges :
those that are immediately actionable and those that are presented only as a class vote. Either
way, it seems that careful discussion will be required to lead to unanimity.
Since private conversations are not allowed before the first vote, I choose my options intuitively.
● Results of the first round of voting
● Restaurants 20 votes
● Grocery stores 4 votes
● Entertainment facilities 15 votes
● Medical facilities 0 votes
"Since the vote was not unanimous, we will have a ten-minute interval."
Here comes the first interval time.
A ten-minute countdown began on the monitor behind the podium. This would continue until the
time ran out and the next voting time would come forcibly.
The students were free to leave their seats and formulate their opinions as they wished, whether
they spoke loudly or whispered to someone in particular. I observed my surroundings and
waited to see how things went. Ten minutes passed with no one giving any particular
instructions, just chatting as they pleased.
"Just before the end of the interval, you will return to your seats and prepare to vote. The
maximum time allowed for voting is 60 seconds. If everyone finishes voting promptly, we will
move on to announcing the results without waiting for the time limit."
Unlike the mandatory 10-minute interval, it seems that voting time can be shortened with some
ingenuity.
"Students who do not complete their votes within 60 seconds will be penalized for overtime.
Individuals will have 90 seconds throughout the exam, and any student who allows a total of 90
seconds to elapse before completing the five tasks will have their time reduced to zero and will
be expelled."
This is the school's way of tying you up in order to make sure you vote. If there is a student who
does not want to vote, he or she will be expelled from the school.
Even if you did, the delay action every time you voted, no student would bother to do that
because if you don't finish the vote in 58 or 59 seconds, you will lose precious time that you
have.
Here comes the results of the second voting
● Second round of voting results:
● Restaurants 23 votes
● Grocery stores 2 votes
● Entertainment facilities 14 votes
● Medical facilities 0 votes.
Since there was no talk of a consensus of opinion, the result was the same as the first time.
Unless it's a blatant issue, it's not easy to bring it to unanimity on the first vote.
And after unifying the opinions, it is not so difficult to get 39 votes for a particular option. But
that's only if they are all expected issues.
Depending on the content, there will be some things that will require considerable discussion.
"This is the end of the example, but you get the idea. In order to pass this special exam, you
must unanimously complete five assignments in five hours. If you are unable to complete all of
the tasks within the five hours, a very heavy penalty awaits you. The penalty is minus 300 class
points."
"Well, three hundred!"
So it's a special test that's an absolute requirement to clear.
"But if you can finish it in time, you get 50 class points."
The rewards and penalties may seem unbalanced, but they are reasonable in terms of the
difficulty of the exam.
"There's no need to panic, we don't have to fight with anyone this time, we just have to be
unified in our opinions. We can do the voting over and over again, with an interval, if time
permits."
"You should now have a general idea of what this special test is about. This is a summary of the
rules. Those of you who feel the need to save it can capture the screen yourself and leave it
behind."
Outline of the Special Examination
Rule Description
● All classmates vote on the choices provided in response to an assignment given by the
school.
● (There are a total of 5 tasks and a maximum of 4 choices.)
● Unless one of the choices is unanimous, the same issue will be repeated.
● If the time runs out in the middle of an assignment, it will not be approved at all,
regardless of the progress of the assignment.
● Unanimously cleared assignments are actually approved, regardless of the success or
failure of the special exam.
● If you complete all the tasks, you will get 50 class points.
● If you fail to complete all tasks within 5 hours, you will lose 300 class points.
Special Exam Working -
(1) You will be given an assignment and you will cast your first vote (within 60 seconds).
(2) If there is unanimous agreement, move on to the next task and go to (1). If not, go to (3).
(3) 10-minute interval (During this interval, students can move and discuss freely within the
classroom only)
(4) 60-second voting time (Cannot discuss, can only vote)
(Students who do not complete their voting within 60 seconds will receive a cumulative penalty.)
(If the accumulated penalty exceeds 90 seconds, the student will be expelled at that stage.)
(5) If the results are unanimous, proceed to the next task and go to (1).
If unanimous agreement is not reached, return to (3).
Repeat the process, and the special exam will be cleared when you have completed the five
questions. If you fail by any chance, you will be penalized. Losing 300 class points here could
mean losing your ticket to Class A. I don't think this is an exaggeration.
If three classes were to clear, that would open up a 350-point gap to all classes.
We can talk about it as many times as we want, but I think the point is that it's a completely
anonymous vote where you can't know who voted for whom.
You could vote yes, but claim to have voted no.
"We teachers don't even know what kind of assignments will be given. Some of you may be
optimistic, but I advise you to stay alert. In addition, it is strictly forbidden to make any
agreements with other students to bind them to vote for a particular option. In addition to that,
exchanging money to bind someone's choice is also out of the question. This will have the same
effect not only on your class but also on other classes."
Does that mean that forcing people to bind their choices is not acceptable?
Although it is permissible to unite to some extent and consolidate the votes, but the guarantee
cannot be backed up.
If there is a contract that says you can only vote for option 1, there is a risk that the test will not
be valid because there is only one person who has signed a contract to only vote for option 1.
That alone would allow for a vicious attack against other classes.
"The school will monitor the rules thoroughly. If it is found that a third party outside of the class
was involved, and that they are able to continue to make one-sided choices, all parties involved
may be expelled without mercy. Be prepared for this. I also promise that if anyone is
approached about any wrongdoing, they should immediately report it to the school and we will
do our best to resolve it."
If time runs out on the special exam, which is a prerequisite for clearing the exam, then the
school will definitely conduct an investigation.
Even if you bring up a made up story, you will probably take a strong penalty, so even Ryuen and the others will not show any clear movement.
Until the start of the special exam, it would be best to refrain from getting involved with students
from other classes.
"In addition, this special test will temporarily disable the effectiveness of Protection Points. —
Continuation —
"In addition, in this special exam, the protection points will be temporarily disabled. The reason
for this is that it will be impossible to have a fair special exam if there is only one student who is
protected. If a student with a Protection Point is expelled in any way, the Protection Point cannot
be used to reverse the expulsion. However, the expulsion can be avoided only if the individual
or the entire class pays 20 million Private Points."
This class does not have that many private points at the moment.
Which means that any student who is expelled will certainly be Expelled.
Does this mean that the protection points that can override expulsion once are sometimes
restricted?
If it was a special test against another class, the temporary invalidation of the protection points
could cause dissatisfaction. But in this case, it's only an in-class issue.
In that sense, it's not surprising that this special rule applies.
It was inevitable that there would be some grumbling, but Koenji didn't seem to mind.
"In addition, all communication devices such as cell phones will be collected during the special
test. This is because in this exam you are not allowed to talk to anyone outside of class. In the
unlikely event that you are found to be carrying a concealed device, we will no longer need to
discuss the details."
This also means that expulsion is involved, just like any other rule to follow.
PART 1
When the lunch break came, Yosuke quickly got out of his seat and headed for the podium.
"Before lunch. I think I'd like to hear what everyone has to say. What do you think?"
When he asked this question to all classmates, Kushida raised her hand to answer.
"You know, this special exam means that there will be conflicts over the different options, right?"
"Of course. There's no need to go through the trouble of a special exam if we can come to an
agreement without any trouble."
"Well, then, wouldn't it be better to have a clear leader in place in case we can't come to a
consensus on our options? I'm sure that if we follow the choices that the leader eventually
makes, we'll pass the special exam without any problems."
"That's right. I agree with your opinion, Kushida-san, but the responsibility of the leader
becomes more important."
The more options there are, the more criticism there will be from students who support the
option that was not chosen. It will take a leader who can organize well.
"If you don't mind, ・・・・・・, could it be Horikita-san?"
"Me?"
"Yes. You have been a leader many times in the past, and I thought that you could organize
everyone well so that there would be no unfairness. Of course, as Hirata-kun said, it's a big responsibility, and if Horikita-san says it's okay, it will be good ・・・・・・."
"... I agree. It's possible that other classes will prepare similar strategies, and it's a measure
that will be necessary when there is a difference of opinion. If you're not comfortable following
my instructions when the time comes, you can tell me now."
Not many students would run for leader or say anything negative when they heard that they
would be responsible. Kushida's proposal was easily approved, and it was agreed that Horikita
would be the leader of the group in case of emergency.
For a while after that, we exchanged a lot of opinions, but did not decide on any particular major
elements. It was getting somewhat late and it was time for lunch.
"Let's go to lunch. Yukimu and Miyachi are coming, right?"
The two agreed and stood up as Haruka turned around to confirm.
Members of the Ayanokoji group. A small group of five, including me.
Just as the five of us began to gather, a student came running up to us.
As soon as I looked at her, the student shouted.
"Kiyotaka. Let's go have lunch."
Without a pause, but with a nervous look in her eyes, she called out to me.
No one was paying attention to the fact that Kei was coming towards me, nor was anyone
intending to listen to the conversation. However, all thirty-six of them, except Koenji, looked at
us at once.
"Sorry guys, I think I'll eat with Kei today."
Before anyone else could figure out what was going on, I pulled my chair and stood up.
"... I want to go to a cafe. Okay?"
"Wait... What...? Wait, wait, wait. Why are you interrupting us all of a sudden? Karuizawa-san."
"It's not really a rule to not interrupt, is it? Did you hear Kiyotaka's refusal?"
"I heard you. What do you mean? But, you were coming with us? What, 'Kei'?"
A little later, Haruka begins to understand that we call each other by our first names.
No, she still might not have understood most of it.
"I'm sorry, but I'm his girlfriend and I'm his priority. You know?"
"What?"
"She ....? ....?"
Haruka and Airi muttered at the same time, though their reactions were completely different.
"That's why, I may not be able to attend our group meetings as often as I'd like."
"Come on, let's go," Kei said, tugging on my arm as we left the classroom.
The fact that her face was starting to turn bright red showed that she was feeling quite
embarrassed. I didn't expected her to confide like this either...
Haruka, Airi, and the rest of the students were too stunned to follow us.
PART 2
By Kei's bold action, our relationship, which few people knew about until now, became known to
the whole class. It will probably spread to the entire school year by the end of the day.
Well, I'm skeptical about how many students would be interested in the relationship between me
and Kei.
The pair of Ike and Shinohara, who became a couple during the summer vacation, didn't make
as much noise as I expected in terms of buzz. Rather, it was a combination that had been
expected.
Although some of the boys were defensive and honestly jealous of some of their friends, the fact
that they were blessed by so many made no difference, and they are slowly but surely
developing a relationship as lovers.
The frequency of seeing them together, going home together, going on dates together, etc., was
rapidly increasing.
And the scenes that were fresh at first will someday become commonplace.
I'm sure it's the same for me and Kei, but we'll probably be making more noise than the Ike and
Shinohara pair for a long time. I'm not sure how many of the students could have predicted our
relationship.
Anyway, the first day after school lunch arrives and the whole class knows about the
relationship.
As they've known since the afternoon class, one girl has been around since noon but she
never turned her eyes to me once since lunch.
"Hey, Kiyopon, you wanna come home with me?"
Haruka, a good friend and mentor of Airi, comes up to me and calls out.
I was expecting Kei to suggest that we go home together after school, but when I looked at her, I
saw that she was still surrounded by girls asking her questions.
"Are you sure?"
With Haruka, I was sure she would do something to help or watch over Airi.
Airi silently and quietly prepares to leave.
"I know, but there's nothing I can say to her now. Well? If there is a reason why Kiyopon can't go
home alone with me, that's a different story."
As she said this, Haruka's expression hardened for a moment.
"All right."
Now that our relationship has become more open, the opportunities to get together with the
Ayanokoji group will inevitably decrease.
Then the two of us grabbed our bags and headed for the rear exit to the front door.
On the way, Haruka walked along without saying a word.
I stole glimpses of her from time to time, and she looked angry, sad, or something like that.
As I put on my shoes and leave the school, she finally looks at me.
"It's no use asking in a roundabout way, so I'm going to ask you straight out, is it true that you
and Karuizawa-san started dating? I still can't believe it."
"As you saw, it's true."
When I told her that, Haruka's lips twitched and then she quickly nodded.
"... I'm sorry. But I was so shocked. It's not that I don't care who Kiyopon goes out with, it's just
that I didn't expect it to be Karuizawa-san, of all people. You don't think?"
Kei Karuizawa's reputation from the other side is not very high. Most of them probably have the
impression that she was a selfish woman who got together with the popular Yosuke too early
and dumped him for her own reasons.
"So this is what you were talking about in the pool before, getting a little mental shock. You
know, it's not a little shock at all, right? She was trying her best to hold it together in the
classroom, but she was crying all through lunch break."
"Is that so?"
"It's not "okay." ... And you guys started dating over spring break, for real?"
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. It's just that I have a lot going on. I had circumstances"
"Circumstances, huh? Well, there are a lot of rumors about Karuizawa-san, so I guess I can
understand that, but ・・・・・・"
She had been dating Yosuke for the time being since she entered the school, and she herself
had fabricated her past.
It is inevitable that they would have such a perception.
"This is real, isn't it? It's not like it's a joke or anything."
"It is."
"Ha... I see. That's right. I'm so confused too... No, no, I had it in my imagination that Kiyopon
was seeing someone, or that he was in love with someone who wasn't Airi. ・・・・・・ No, no, I
couldn't guess it would be Karuizawa-san."
She lamented as she held her head in her hands that all her predictions were wrong.
"I talked to Yukimu and Miyachi for a bit, and they felt the same way I did. I haven't heard
directly from them, but I think Airi's shock was more than ours."
I guess so. I can easily imagine that.
"I mean, what's the story? You didn't seem like you had a lot of connections at all."
It's no wonder.
"I was in the same group as Kei in last year's zodiac exam. From there, we gradually had more
and more opportunities to talk, and when Yosuke and Kei decided to split up, our relationship
started to take off."
In February of this year, the fact that their relationship had ended reached the ears of some
students.
"So you've known each other for a long time? You didn't seem to talk to her much."
"We were mostly communicating on our phones."
"I'm going to ask you a lot of questions, but which one of you confessed?"
As Airi's guardian and spokesperson, She wanted to know more about it.
"It's me."
"... So. If it was at least from Karuizawa, I thought I might still be right, but I didn't expect it to be
from Kiyopon. ------ I'm overwhelmed."
She slaps her forehead and raises her hands in surrender.
"It's time. There's so much information, I'm going to lose track of what's going on. I'm sorry, but
can I stop by the convenience store?"
Just as we were approaching the convenience store, Haruka suggested that.
"Yeah, I'll wait outside."
Apologizing lightly, Haruka rushed off into the convenience store.
In the meantime, I took out my phone, which had been shaking in my pocket several times.
[I'll meet you at the mall after this. I had a hard time telling the answers.]
There was a message left behind from Kei inviting me to join her.
[All right. I'll call you before we get there.]
I replied and put my phone back in my pocket after confirming that it had been read.
After a brief minute or so, Haruka came back with a croquette in her hand.
"This afternoon, Airi and I were talking so much that we couldn't eat any lunch."
"It's a nuisance."
"I'm not trying to be annoying or anything, but ・・・・"
"I'm not sure if this is the right time to ask you out, but there's actually something I'd like to ask
Haruka and, if possible, Airi to help me with. I need your cooperation."
"Cooperation?"
"It's not public information yet, but we've decided on one of the acts for the festival."
"Oh, really?"
"To keep the information from leaking out, only me, Horikita, and the planners know the
information. We're going to have a maid cafe as part of the festival."
"Maid cafe? Something like that... I'm not that surprised, but a little surprised. I don't think
Horikita-san would approve of a maid cafe."
"In this case, I guess they allowed it because they thought they could compete purely as a maid
cafe without any prejudice."
"I see. And why did you make me listen to it?"
"In fact, the way I found out about this project, I had to take care of a lot of things."
When I said that, Haruka nodded in understanding.
"Even if the situation was like that, Horikita-san who entrusted it to Kiyopon is also a master."
"So I'm thinking of asking Haruka and Airi to be the waitresses."
Not being surprised, Haruka listens to it with an indescribable look on her face.
Well, I guess she could have guessed something from the way I was talking.
"If it hadn't been for the incident with Karuizawa-san, I might have agreed to it right now and
here, though I have my doubts. I don't like to dress up like a cosplayer in front of a lot of people,
but I don't think I could have said no if my important group of friends had asked me to. But it's
bad timing."
On the day she found out about her best friend's heartbreak, it would certainly be out of
character for me to ask for this.
"The only problem is that I can't blame Kiyopon. I've said similar things before, but you are free
to go out with whomever you want, and I don't understand why you can't tell me. Airi is free to fall
in love with Kiyopon, and she is also free to reject him. ....."
It's as if they are convinced literally, but their emotions don't accept it.
"I can't make any promises. But when things settle down a bit, I'll talk to Airi."
"Are you sure?"
"Sooner or later, she's going to have to accept the reality. Besides, I don't know how Kiyopon
feels about it, but if it's with Karuizawa-san, she might not have to give up. I mean, even if
Kiyopon is single-minded, there's always the possibility that he'll be rejected, right?"
"Well, I think there's a great possibility of being affable."
"When that time comes, it means Airi will get another chance. She's a gem that hasn't really
stood out yet. ・・・・・・ Kiyopon's feelings might change as well."
It's true that if Airi were to put on that kind of costume and give it her all, she would be as good
as those three. No, if you include her physical characteristics, she might even be able to beat
them.
Furthermore, although unrelated to the guests of honor, the school staff would be surprised to
see Airi.
If this happened, rumors would quickly circulate around the school and could reach the ears of
the guests.
"No, that's true, but I'm sure Airi will change her mind after this incident."
When the person you are in love with has a girlfriend, it is natural to look for the next love.
I thought I had said the obvious, but she gave me the angriest look of the day.
"Aren't you taking Airi's feelings too lightly? I've been watching her for a long time, so I know
exactly what you mean. Her feelings for Kiyopon aren't so light that she can change her mind
about who she like because of something like this."
It is strongly denied.
"I'm sure you'll have more dates with Karuizawa-san, but make sure you show up at our group
gatherings. I don't want us to drift apart because of this."
"Yeah. I understand. This group has become a part of my life here at school."
"Okay, I feel a little better. I'm going back."
She said this as she finished her croquette lightly.
She didn't say much, but it was clear that she was going to see Airi.
"See you tomorrow."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."
I watched her go back to the dormitory, and then I turned to go back to the Keyaki Mall.
Part 3
I walked with Kei back to the dormitory from the Keyaki mall, chatting with her.
Then, in the lobby of the dormitory, Horikita was sitting on the sofa, waiting for someone.
I pushed the elevator up on the first floor, and when Kei and I got on, Horikita got on as well.
"Ayanokoji-kun, may I have a word with you?"
The elevator stops at the fourth floor where my room is located.
"I'll see you later, Kiyotaka."
Kei is easily jealous, but her ability to grasp the situation is not low.
She knows that Horikita is not subject to these types of differences in the first place, and when
she hears about the special exam, she can make a decision before thinking that it would be
better not to disturb her.
"Yeah. I'll get back to you."
A year ago, I would have never believed that we would end up spending time together like this.
When I got off, Horikita came down with me.
I turned around to see Kei smiling and waving at me from the elevator as it began to close. The
elevator soon closed and went up.
"How long have you been seeing her?"
"Now, when did that happen?"
"Rumor has it that it's spring break, but I'm guessing the relationship really got going earlier."
She said these words to me with a hint of something in her eyes.
"I don't know."
Whether or not there is a rationale behind Horikita's words, I'm not interested in or willing to
touch on that point.
"That's not the point. You said you wanted to talk to me?"
"... ... Yes. I have something that I want you to hear about on special exams. Will you?"
"Yeah, no problem."
"Eh?"... Yes."
"What's with the reaction?"
"I was prepared for you to say no. Didn't you look unhappy the other day when you were put in
charge of the maid cafe?"
Apparently, she was surprised at how readily I accepted her consultation.
"It's here, please come into the room."
Standing in the hallway, you never know who might hear you.
Room 401, I opened my room and went inside.
"You're not asking me to help you, are you?"
"It's ... I don't know. In the meantime, if you'll just listen to me, I'll go further."
Perhaps thinking that she would be rejected if she explained it to me badly, Horikita startedtalking.
"I've been thinking about having a semi-compulsory exam before the exam if I want to make
sure I pass this special exam. But even if we were to prepare for it, it would be impossible to
reach a consensus unless we knew what the assignment was, wouldn't it?
"Depending on the situation, we'll inevitably have to use different options."
Even if there were only two choices, yes or no, it would be nothing but reckless to decide to vote
only yes or only no before the issue and vote delusionally.
"You've thought of everything, haven't you, Horikita? How to get through this special test?"
"I think the shortest way to pass the special exam is for someone to have the final say. No
matter how many options there are, no matter how the vote splits, you have to promise to follow
the pre-determined leader's judgment and will."
This is what Kushida suggested during the day.
A strategy that does not take into account whether or not an individual is dissatisfied with the
option.
Surely it would be easier if that arrangement could be reached.
"I hope that really brings it together."
"There will always be students who are not satisfied with some assignments. ..... ... If this had
been a dictatorship class like Ryuen's, it might have been quicker."
In terms of coercive power, unlike us who ask for it, Ryuuon will be able to exercise it without
mercy. But whether it will work in reality is another matter.
"'The fact that all voting is anonymous means that students who are dissatisfied with the rule of
Ryuen can vote against him. There is no guarantee that a mere order will clear them."
"Students who are unhappy with his methods may rebel against him. But there's nothing to be
gained by doing so. After all, if the vote is split and time runs out, the whole class takes the
damage, right? I'm sure they'll eventually come together if we just leave them alone."
"I know what you mean, but it's a contradiction in terms. No one wants to fail a special exam. So
the votes will always come together. If that basic premise holds, then there's no need for
strategy from the start, is there?"
"It's…"
"No student wants to run out of time to the disadvantage of the class, but don't think you can
complete the five assignments if left alone. It makes it less meaningful for the school to call it a
special exam."
"..... You're right."
"What you can do now is to prepare your mind to be flexible. For example, what would you do if
you were faced with an issue with 38 in favor and 1 against?"
"Of course I'll try to get the one against to vote yes."
"Right. So what if the one person who disagreed never gave in?"
"That ...."
"It's not always the 38 who agree that win. As we try to persuade the opposition, some of the 38
students who were in favor may change their opinions."
"Even if one person's idea is detrimental to the class at large?"
"It all depends on what it is."
I wouldn't be surprised if there was a challenge prepared for me that I could never solve, or
something like that.
"It's kind of unsettling, isn't it?"
"What's that?"
"Because you listened to my consultation without hesitation. I don't think that your relationship
with Karuizawa has anything to do with it. But What do you think?"
"It's not really consultation. In some small corner of your mind, you must have begun to think of
such a development."
"Yes,... Then I'll tell you the main reason I approached you. I have a proposal for a special exam
tomorrow. I could ask someone else to do it, but I want someone who understands."
"Do you want us to always vote separately on the first option?"
"Can you please not preempt my thoughts?"
When I saw her getting frustrated, I distanced myself from Horikita.
"It was something I was going to do, in case no one else suggested it. I didn't think we had the
same idea."
"..., is that right?"
I could see Horikita's anger dissipate, apparently a little convinced by the appropriate excuse
now.
It's true that it was an idea that should have been done at least that much, so it would be similar.
It is better to avoid the risk of making unexpected choices as a result of bias caused by the
momentum of the situation.
"Coincidences can be a little scary, even if you're 99% sure you agree or disagree, or if you're
wondering between two options that both have advantages and disadvantages."
"Oh. If the vote is skewed and passed as a result of a random vote, it can't be undone. However,
the strategy of always using an interval at least once is not always a good thing. It's better to
keep that in mind. There is a risk that what would have been unanimous if it were a matter of
momentum may become inconclusive due to split votes when it is discussed. You have to take
that into account."
"Yes. You're right."
To argue is to plunge one's hand into the deepest darkness.
This can consume an enormous amount of time if it results in dragging out an 'unexpected
darkness'.
"Due to the rules of this special exam, there is no way to determine with certainty who voted for
whom, no matter how much we discuss it. Even if you get a word from everyone, it may not be
100% true."
"You mean they will lie to me?"
"In some cases, yes. Because right now the class isn't quite as unified as it should be."
Speaking of which, several people will probably pop into Horikita's mind.
"You mean the presence of Kushida-san and Koenji-kun."
"In the former case, she will lie without hesitation, and in the latter case, he may dare to vote for
a different classmate. That's about it."
"... Hey, why are you telling me all this stuff? It's still weird. It's not like you've ever given me a
warning like this before."
Of course, Horikita could sense the change in me.
"I judged that the current Horikita would be flexible enough to listen to and understand what I
was saying."
"Is that a compliment?"
"I suppose,"
"Yeah. ..... I'm feeling a little restless."
In front of me, I heard Horikita's phone vibrate briefly and once.
"I'm sorry. Give me a moment."
After interrupting the conversation, Horikita took out her cell phone, stared at the screen, and
started operating.
"Let me return the message. She may not be able to mark it as read if I wait for a long time."
Of course, I have no intention of stopping her, but who is 'she'?
I was a little concerned, but I decided to wait quietly as Horikita took about two minutes to
compose a long message. Eventually, she finished sending the message and put her phone
away in her pocket.
"Anyway, I got my message across. Good luck with the special exam tomorrow."
Not intending to stay long, Horikita quickly left the room.
PART 4
It's just before 6:00 pm in the evening. The sun will soon set and night will fall.
Today was supposed to be an ordinary day, although there was an explanation of the special
exam.
I felt like I had a very hard day with a lot of information.
It would be easier if we could just move on to the end of the day, but that's not going to happen.
This was because the hastily announced unanimous special exam would begin tomorrow.
"Hi."
I went back to my room and waited for Yosuke, who was the first to show up.
"Come on in."
Thinking about it, this is probably the first time I've invited Yosuke into my room like this.
"Yoo-hoo."
Not long after, Kei came to visit me in my room.
"It's kind of refreshing and unusual to get together like this, isn't it?"
"I think you might be right."
I haven't told the two of them why I asked them to get together. Yosuke may have guessed,
though.
"I thought I'd better prepare for that special exam tomorrow."
"Preparation? Isn't this just a test to get unanimity?"
"It certainly doesn't sound like a very difficult exam just from the outline, does it? And the special
exams that have been held so far have had much more difficult rules."
Yosuke, who showed a slight gesture of thinking, continued while explaining to Kei.
"But I think this special exam will be as difficult as the past ones. If you think about it as the rules
do, just making it unanimous would be a test that would give you more class points. Unifying the
will of the class itself is not that difficult."
"That's what I think, too."
"I mean, it's not easy, which means there's a good chance you'll be presented with a challenge
that will divide opinion."
Yosuke is right. Each student in the class has a different way of thinking, but if it's for the good of
the class, they're willing to be flexible to a certain extent and get their votes together.
If we were freshmen, it might be a different story, but we sophomores have already developed a
strong bond as friends.
Moreover, there is no penalty for failing to reach unanimous agreement once, and time can be
set aside repeatedly for discussion.
It's no wonder that such a well-covered test seems to be as loose as a blessing.
"But what kind of issues are difficult to reach unanimity on?"
"I'm not sure I'll ever get through it all, but yes there are."
What kind of assignment would annoy his classmates? It didn't seem to be something that
Yosuke could immediately think of.
I'm going to talk about one obvious issue.
''From now until graduation, you will only be able to eat either rice or bread. Make a choice."
"What's that option?"
"Rice and bread sounds a bit laughable, but it's a tough call."
"If I were you, I would definitely eat bread. I would never be able to live without bread until I
graduated."
"I'd probably go with rice. ・・・・・・ I only need bread once a week or so."
"I'm more of a rice person myself. And, well, even we three have our own opinions, right? It's not
so easy when the whole class takes a vote. If there were 30 Americans, could you follow them?"
"I can't do it. Because it's prohibited until graduation right? I will keep voting for my decision."
Some students will resist like Kei, because if they are not willing to be swayed by the majority,
students will suffer later on.
"For a more realistic comparison, all future special exams will be based on academic or physical
ability alone. Make the choice here. What would be the issue?"
Hearing this, Yosuke and Kei looked at each other.
"For an athletic student like Sudo, he would definitely choose physical ability, and for Keisei,
who is not very good at sports, he would need to bring his academic skills to a unanimous
decision at all costs."
Of course, Sudo, who is currently putting a lot of effort into his studies, can break the ice, but it
would be better for his own reputation if he is evaluated on his physical abilities, and if there is a
student who cannot study at all, he will not be able to compromise like Sudo.
"If the issue passes unanimously, it's enforceable, right? Does that mean we have to be
prepared to lose 300 class points in penalty if we choose not to?"
"I don't know, .... Hard choices will obviously be made, but losing 300 class points could mean
giving up your ticket to Class A. I think our first priority is to clear the exam."
"I'm starting to think this might be a difficult special exam. ・・・・・・・"
"Is that why you called us here?"
"Ah. The very next special exam requires a strong sense of unity among classmates. One or
two unanimous disagreements are fine, but if it goes on for a long time, there are bound to be
some disputes. When that happens, Yosuke and Kei, the two main figures in the class, will need
to get around and get the vote to go one way or the other."
"That's right. But then, shouldn't Horikita-san be included in this discussion? Horikita-san is the
leader of the class in this exam, you know."
Yosuke's point is a natural one. The best way to control the class is for Horikita to lead the two
of them, not me. However, at this stage, I can't pull out my support.
"This time, you will support Horikita from the shadows. What we do here will remain
confidential."
"Why? Well, as far as I'm concerned, I don't like following Horikita-san's orders."
"Both Kei and Yosuke have the ability to read the atmosphere better than most students. But I
want you both to have the ability to respond more flexibly than you do now. If we can get a feel
for what Horikita is thinking and what she wants to do, then the class will become much stronger."
"Why don't you just do it, Kiyotaka? That would solve the problem."
"You can't always count on me to move. We have to be prepared for the unexpected."
"What's unexpected?"
"It's... well, it's not like I'm going to be expelled from school, but I suppose it could be a sudden
illness."
I can't always follow you forever. If you can't move to anticipate such a situation, you can't expect
your class to make a leap forward.
"Anyway, I understand. All we have to do is follow up on Horikita-san and make sure that the
special exam goes smoothly."
"Then we'll have some instructions and cues that only Kei and Yosuke will understand."
[Cue : a thing said or done that serves as a signal to an actor or other performer to enter or to
begin their speech or performance.]
Since the interval allows for free discussion and movement, there is no problem with the act of
talking itself. However, depending on the situation, it may be necessary to give instructions
without letting them know that you are trying to communicate. Even in situations where private
conversations are prohibited, it will be possible to exchange signs by coughing or lightly tapping
on the desk.
After the two of them had memorized the multiple patterns, I looked at Yosuke.
"One last piece of advice to Yosuke. It's not necessary if the five assignments are going to be
completed smoothly, but if there's still no clearing of the special exam when there's less than
two hours left, we might have to resort to forceful measures."
I decided to tell Yosuke to make his preparations now so that he would not go out of control at
that time.
PART 5
It was past 10:00 p.m and the hectic day before the special exam was coming to an end.
I was in bed, looking at my cell phone, when I received a call.
Although the phone number was not registered, the 11-digit number was familiar.
"Hello?"
"I'm sorry to bother you so late at night, but can I have a moment?"
"It's okay. It's been a while since I've seen you, Chancellor Sakayanagi."
Yes, the owner of this phone number is a person who serves on the board of directors of this
Advanced Nurturing High School.
"I know I've given you a lot of anxiety, but it's okay now."
"I'm glad to see you're well."
"It must have been tough for you, too. But I'm amazed that you've managed to stay in this
school without any incident in the midst of that very hostile battle."
"It just happened. If he had been serious, I wouldn't be here now."
I didn't need to mention his name to him to know that it was Tsukishiro, who was filling in for
Chancellor Sakayanagi.
"When it was all said and done, I had a few questions about his behavior, too. ..... But let's not
talk about that today. I'm going to be following up with you very closely from now on, and I
thought I'd let you know as soon as possible."
With that said, President Sakayanagi continues talking.
"You've heard that government officials and their families have been invited to this unusual
cultural festival, right? I couldn't stop him once he started working on it."
If you've notified the people involved, it's not surprising that it's difficult to retract it.
"It's nothing to apologize for, Chancellor. I'm sure the students are looking forward to it."
The content is a bit like a special exam, but it is within the range of what a student can do.
Whether it will end up being just a cultural festival for me is another story.
"It's actually something that hasn't been announced yet, but I'll let you in on it first."
"What is it?"
"Similar to the cultural festival, the sports festival in October is held as a preliminary step. First
of all, it was decided in a hurry to welcome some guests there."
"Guests at the sports festival?"
That's a thing I never thought I'd hear.
"If you trace the origin, the sports festival is something that the parents of the students come to
see. In that sense, the stance of welcoming guests is not unique."
"I see."
It is true that when we watch TV, we have footage of families with cameras at the ready and
families who come to prepare lunch boxes at events like sports festivals and athletic meets.
"I was worried about the security of suddenly letting guests loose at a festival because it's
unheard of."
I guess it's a test, a preparation for welcoming a large number of guests in earnest.
"The selection of people is entirely up to the higher-ups, and I am unable to deny the possibility
that your father may be involved. So in case you are in danger, I would like to have a couple of watchmen by your side."
"I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm just one of the students at this school. I don't want that kind
of special treatment."
"So what are you going to do when you run into the people that your 'father' will send?"
"I know it's a difficult question."
As a matter of course, there is no way we can get through this by using force. It would be easier
for us if they targeted us in a secluded place, but if they showed up as a school official with
friends and acquaintances around and instructed me to follow them, there was no way to refuse.
You're a fake and that guy's too, right? I can't ask them this.
"I think I've already figured out that you're that kind of person. However, if you were to be
expelled from this school in any way, I'm sure I would regret it. I'm trying to avoid the regret of not
doing what I could to prevent it."
"Even if we were to follow Chancellor Sakayanagi's instructions, it would be unnatural to have a
supervisor around."
"So I would like to ask you to be absent from the sports festival."
"Absent...?"
That was not what I had in mind.
"Of course I understand that there is unavoidable sick leave in the examination that can only be
conducted at sports festivals, cultural festivals and such occasions."
"Yes. Although the class will be at a disadvantage, there's no mandatory action such as
expulsion, right?"
Taking care of yourself is your own responsibility, but there are still some unavoidable problems.
If it was a smaller scale special exam, they could take emergency measures such as waiting
until all the students in each grade were present, but this was not possible for a sports festival
involving the entire school.
"You'll be on sick leave on the assumption that you've had a medical checkup and will be
confined to your dorm. Then I can place my trusted observers outside the dormitory."
If I was ordered to rest in the dormitory due to illness, my classmates would agree that I had no
choice.
Even if a surveillance person is wandering around the dormitory, the other students will only see
him as one of the guards.
"Certainly, that might help you escape from that man's grasp."
"Of course, there is another risk. Like you said, the kids in the classes you're enrolled in will be
at a disadvantage because they'll be taking on a missing student."
Even the fact that he said about taking sick leave shows the generous follow-up of Chancellor
Sakayanagi.
I am also grateful that they do not always favor me on their own, but rather want me to do it with
the least possible means.
I was grateful for the offer, but the moment I heard about this, I assumed I would have to
decline.
But at the same time, a new thought occurred to me.
"Could you give me a moment to consider this?"
"Of course, I can't force you to do anything, so I'll leave the final decision up to you. But —"
"I know, I know. I'm seriously considering the option of accepting sick leave."
"Yes. I'll get back to you at least a week before the festival. I have to prepare for it too."
It would take at least that long to arrange the human resources.
After the call, I thought about the possibility of a sports festival without me.
Of course, it is quite possible that there will be sick leave from other classes or grades on the
day of the exam. In fact, it's not easy to have all the students in the school for every exam.
"No, I think we should focus on the special exam in front of us first."
This special exam ——— This exam may be the most painful special exam I've ever taken.
All the exams I've taken so far have been ones that I can counteract in any way I can.
However, in this special exam, there is no such thing as a "surefire" strategy.
We need to believe in our classmates and work together as one.
Sports festival and cultural festival. There are new things to worry about that I didn't have last
year, but it all starts with getting through the special exam tomorrow.
PART 6
"Come in, Kushida-senpai."
A few hours ago. After finishing school, Kushida visited Takuya Yagami's room in the freshmandormitory.
The evening sun was faintly shining through the closed curtains.
Gazing at the steam from the freshly brewed tea on the table, Kushida did not reach out to
touch it.
"There's no medicine or anything in it, is there?"
"I don't care about that, can we just get on with it?"
Without trying to hide her frustration, Kushida pulled out her cell phone with a grim look on her
face.
"I beg your pardon. Then let me ask you without reservation."
After pressing the play button they hear the voice of Chabashira sensei explaining the outline of
the unanimous special exam announced to the second-year students, though it is only halfway
through the explanation. And after silently listening to everything in the class, including the
examples, Yagami returned the phone to Kushida.
"Kushida-senpai wants to crush Horikita Suzune and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. Isn't that what you
meant?"
Not needing to answer now, Kushida kept silent.
"I had been briefed by my seniors beforehand, but it was still a very simple special exam. From
the multiple choices, the voting is repeated and adjusted to be unanimous. There are five tasks
in total, and we have five hours to complete them.What did you think when you heard this?"
"... Easy, right?"
"Yes, it is. It is considered to be very easy for being called a special exam. However, only the
punishment for running out of time is severe. This must be because the school is making the
assumption that it is clear. A consideration that will inevitably bring us closer to unanimity as
time nears its end. Whether it's a choice you don't like or not, we all want to avoid heavy
penalties."
Yagami reaches for the tea that continues to steam in front of Kushida and picks up the cup.
"Well, here's the thing. I'm already in the middle of my second year. But while I've been wanting
to expel those two, I haven't been able to get the perfect opportunity to do so up until this point."
"As far as I'm concerned, you're partly to blame, but not right now."
There is nothing to be gained by lashing out at Yagami here, Kushida thought as she held her
ground.
"Did you tell Horikita about this?"
"Yeah, .... You know, the one where you're supposed to be the leader? Sort of. Well, I'm sure
she'd have done it on her own without me telling her."
"It's not good to leave things ambiguous. It's important for Kushida-senpai that Horikita-senpai
was entrusted with that role after getting a firm word from her."
"So what? You think you can get Horikita expelled on the next special exam?"
When Kushida asked him back, Yagami laughed and sipped from his cup.
"That's right. I had to listen to the recording just to make sure I didn't miss anything or
misinterpret anything, but now it's clear. Next special exam: ..... That's a good possibility."
"... How could you possibly know that? The only condition for expulsion is to let the
accumulated penalty time accumulate in the individual's voting time. Do you think Horikita would
make a mistake like that? Not just Horikita. No one makes that kind of mistake."
"Of course, it's unlikely that anyone would be stupid enough to get expelled for a cumulative
penalty. But from what I've read, there are other ways to get expelled."
"Huh?"
"Expel Horikita-senpai, or Ayanokouji-senpai, depending on the situation. There may be a
possibility that we can crush the one we want to crush. At that point, you shouldn't hesitate to
guide the conversation so that we can target both."
Yagami mentioned the task that was supposed to be given in this special exam, an example of
what he was talking about.
"——Are you sure about that?"
"Of course, I don't think it's the same word for word. But I think there is a good chance that
there will be assignments like the one I just mentioned."
Yagami hadn't been told about this special exam by Tsukishiro, but after listening to the
teacher's explanation, he had an idea of what kind of task he would be given.
"There is only one way for Kushida-senpai to take on a task like the one I just mentioned."
He then explains how she can corner Horikita and Ayanokoji on the subject.
"What do you think? Doesn't this make you look like you're about to be expelled? Of course,
you'll have the whole class crying, but that's a small thing to you, isn't it?"
"You think I can do that ・・・・・・?"
"I think Kushida has the ability to do that, am I wrong?"
"You've been buying a lot of stuff."
"I had to test my senior when I first met her to see if she was someone I could use."
"・・・・・・ What does that mean?"
"It's me. Don't you remember? Do you remember when I said that to you?"
"I was in a hurry at the time. So what?"
"So what? Normally, you would have questions. You and I are complete strangers who have
never even met each other. And yet, he was able to match the conversation immediately and
improvise his way through the situation. That's how I knew he was capable enough."
"But what if I'd said, "Who are you? I might have simply forgotten."
"I don't think so. As long as we don't know where we met, maybe we were enrolled in the same
junior high school. If that's the case, there's a possibility that i knows about your past. If I were to
say, 'I knew about that incident,' it would be a disaster."
To deny such a possibility, Kushida immediately went to talk to him.
"If they don't go to the same junior high school, they can go to a cram school, for example. Or if
you find out later that it was a junior who lived in your neighborhood, that greatly reduces the
risk of it being someone you know from the past. We could just laugh it off as a
misunderstanding. The first priority was to find out if they were from the same junior high school,
right? And if you bring up any topic related to the past, it will be easier to divert the
conversation."
After drinking about a quarter of the tea, he put the cup on the table.
"Who the hell are you? How do you know my past when we didn't even go to the same middle
school? ..."
"I know you're wary, but consider me a guest in a unique position. However, yes. My purpose is
to play with Ayanokoji-senpai."
"What do you mean? To play with him?"
"Yeah, well, I don't think he knows me at all. Right now, my plan is to try things without
Ayanokoji-senpai noticing."
"What if I get upset when we first meet, or I don't give you the answer you think I should?"
Kushida was curious about what Yagami had said at that moment.
"I thought that would be interesting. I'm sure Ayanokoji-senpai noticed the discomfort and cast a
suspicious eye at me. I probably would have been able to greet him earlier."
"・・・・・・ You mean you went to middle school with Ayanokoji by any chance?"
"Well, what do you think? It's a trivial matter for Kushida-senpai. Shall we turn our attention to
the special exam now?"
"I know. If I get the assignment you're after, ... I'll set it up then."
"I'll set it up. .... .... That's weak."
"...Weak? What do you mean, weak?"
Yagami stood up and brought himself closer and grabbed Kushida by the shoulders, who
reflexively tried to run away.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
She tried to escape from it, but the power of Yagami, who looked so slender, was much stronger
than she imagined and she couldn't move.
"Listen carefully. Kushida-senpai is in a tighter spot than she thinks. In addition to
Ayanokoji-senpai and Horikita-senpai surrounding you, people who seem to be a cause for
concern, such as me and Amasawa-san's existence, continue to threaten your daily safety and
life. ... Isn't that right?"
"It's ..... Yes, but it's ...."
Kushida glares at Yagami, who stares straight into her eyes, without fear.
"As a matter of course, it's not easy to kick out your fellow classmates in this school. It takes a
lot of effort to push them out of school in their personal lives. If there was an opportunity to expel
him through a special exam like this one, it would be an undeniable chance of a lifetime."
"I know that. But if you go too far, you'll put me in danger."
"So you need to be prepared for that. Expel or be expelled."
We are under intense pressure to fight one out of two.
"Of course, it's Kushida-senpai who will make the decision. If I were to say something like, "If
you don't want your past of class disruptions to be exposed, make sure to expel either Horikita
or Ayanokoji," that would be nothing more than blackmail that violates the rules of the exam."
"That's what I call a threat. ・・・・・"
"I'm sorry. I really don't mean to scare you. I just think it's true that Kushida-senpai is not
prepared enough. Eliminate them at any cost. If you don't do that much, you won't be able to
force them to leave school. Not for long."
Removing his hands from her shoulders, Yagami returned to his sitting position and sat down
again.
"Let me ask you again. Kushida senpai wants to expel those two students. Isn't that right?"
When Yagami looked her in the eye again, Kushida lashed out with a mixture of strong anger
and frustration.
That is something that does not need to be confirmed.
It's what Kushida have been wishing for every day for the past year and a half.
"..... Yes. I want to expel Horikita, Ayanokoji. I'm definitely going to get them expelled. ...!"
"I can feel it. I can finally confirm that Kushida's beliefs are genuine."
Kushida makes up her mind. In order to prevent the wound from spreading any further, she
must expel Horikita and Ayanokoji as soon as possible, and she must also expel Yagami in front
of her who is talking about whatever he wants.
