Chapter 199 – Workplace special exam begins

This weekend, all the students at Advanced Nurturing High School were extremely busy. Few went to Zelkova Mall; instead, they were either in the library looking up information or in their dorms searching online for various work-related matters and workplace tips.

They were making thorough preparations for the workplace special exam.

Early Monday morning, the routine was familiar, much like during the summer break: first gathering on the field and then queuing up to board the buses.

While the boys were still sleepy, the girls were all trying to stay energetic, their made-up faces looking radiant. No boys complained anymore, having gotten used to the girls waking up at 5 a.m. to put on makeup for special exams.

Despite their abundant energy, getting up too early resulted in many students falling asleep on the bus. Upon arriving at the destination, some were difficult to wake because the journey was so short.

In Yukio's class, Ishizaki was still blinking furiously to keep himself awake: "Why was it so quick this time?"

Yukio, well-rested, surveyed the parking lot. It only had buses from Advanced Nurturing High School and a nicely renovated large hotel nearby, indicating that the entire hotel had been booked: "Because we didn't leave Tokyo."

"I originally thought the three projects would be in different locations, but it seems we're all staying in one hotel. The school must be planning centralized management."

"Huh? Oh, okay." Ishizaki stifled a yawn, possibly not fully understanding, but nodded because Yukio said so.

"Alright." At this moment, Sakagami stood by the bus door with a large bag filled with electronic watches: "Come over one by one, get your watch, and then get off the bus."

"These devices are similar to those used for club competitions during the summer. They will monitor your behavior. Any disclosure of school information will result in immediate disqualification from the special exam and expulsion. Be careful."

"Of course, the school won't invade your privacy. It will only capture relevant information. Additionally, the watches can be left in designated spots in your hotel rooms, so you're allowed to take them off."

No one was particularly surprised. The school had always been strict about managing its information. None of the students planned to leak anything—there was no benefit, only the risk of expulsion.

After putting on the electronic watches, which displayed the time and their room numbers, some students asked out of curiosity.

Sakagami explained: "The hotel has been booked by the school. Given that this project lasts a month and a half, we've arranged for your accommodation and meals. First, go drop off your luggage, then return to the bus for transport to the project location."

"You heard that, right? You have only half an hour. Hurry up with the elevator and your luggage! Stay alert—you can't be yawning on your first day at work!"

Quickly, the students got off the bus, queued for the elevator, and found their rooms according to their electronic watches. Being a large hotel with at least several hundred rooms, there was surely enough for each student to have their own.

Yukio found his room and used the electronic watch as a key card to enter. It was a standard single room. After placing his luggage, the only notable item was a special metal plate.

It was probably a sensor, with detailed instructions on it. Each student's electronic watch had to be placed on it to stop functioning and ensure privacy.

After reading the instructions, Yukio returned to his class's bus. Once everyone was there, the bus set off again, but this time, it wasn't with all the other buses.

He could see that the other two buses were heading east and north, while his group went south, indicating the locations of the other two projects.

Heeding Sakagami's advice, the class members perked up, wanting to make a good first impression.

They soon arrived at what was called a "yukata workshop." The term "workshop" rather than "factory" was appropriate. In front of them was a row of interconnected wooden workshop buildings, with no steel machinery in sight.

Following the sequence, the process likely included silk reeling, washing and drying, drawing and design, weaving, dyeing, cutting, and finishing. Each step was completed in a different workshop until the final yukata was produced.

Surrounded by light industrial workshops, the rows of residential houses and shops could be seen only at a distance.

"Hello, hello," said a middle-aged man with a big belly, dressed in a suit and tie, as he courteously approached the students who were observing the workshop. "I am Takahashi, the head of this workshop. Welcome to Takahashi Yukata."

No wonder, thought Yukio, as he glanced at the name of the yukata workshop: Takahashi Yukata.

"Hello," said the homeroom teacher of third-year Class A, who was their connection. After a handshake, the teacher stepped aside, as if their only responsibility was to score the students and not interfere otherwise.

All the other homeroom teachers did the same, quietly stepping back and leaving only the students to await their job assignments.

Yukio clicked his tongue and shook his head, thinking that if not for the good reputation of Advanced Nurturing High School, he might suspect this was a scheme to trick students into working in a factory and exploit them for cheap labor.

"Hello, Takahashi-san," said Horikita Manabu, who didn't have such thoughts. As soon as the homeroom teachers stepped back, he stepped forward: "Please assign us suitable tasks."

"Before coming here, we had already researched the various processes involved in making yukatas. No matter which task it is, there are students in our class who have familiarized themselves with it and can start immediately after a brief orientation."

"In addition to that, we can handle operations, accounting, or business cooperation and management."

"Of course, Takahashi-san might not trust our capabilities. This may sound boastful, but I currently serve as the Student Council President of Advanced Nurturing High School."

"I am confident in my ability to handle accounting and business matters appropriately."

Takahashi was initially taken aback by Horikita Manabu's confidence. Seeing the student's poise and hearing about his position as Student Council President, Takahashi smiled broadly: "Good, good."

Advanced Nurturing High School was known as one of the most prestigious high schools in all of Japan. Holding the position of Student Council President there meant that, even as a high school student, his capabilities were undoubtedly trustworthy.

Meanwhile, seniors from third-year Classes B and C also stepped forward, positioning themselves behind Horikita Manabu. It seemed they were waiting for Horikita Manabu to finish speaking so they could immediately follow up with Takahashi-san to secure better arrangements for their own classes.

Didn't you see that the homeroom teachers had already started scoring? The workplace special exam had officially begun! They couldn't let Horikita Manabu steal the spotlight any longer. One slow step would lead to falling behind in every step. They needed to catch up!

As for Yukio, he remained calm, just observing. His classmates trusted him, so he didn't take any action.

They were mostly surprised, deep down, by how decisive the upperclassmen's actions could be.

After agreeing with Horikita Manabu, Takahashi was about to greet the two students who were lined up behind Horikita. However, before he could, Horikita Manabu interrupted him with another smile: "Also, Takahashi-san, we have already reviewed a lot of information before coming here. We have learned about traditional yukata manufacturing as well as modern yukata techniques."

"Since the focus of the project is on 'workshops' rather than factories, we have studied wooden workshops the most. Fire safety in such environments is of utmost importance."

"Additionally, in wooden environments, the steam and dyes used in the dyeing process can easily damage various aspects of the buildings. Could you take me to inspect these areas after assigning our tasks?"

"Haha, that's no problem, no problem at all." Normally, if a newcomer spoke like this, Takahashi would have already dismissed them, but the reputation of Advanced Nurturing High School carried a lot of weight. He immediately agreed to all of Student Council President Horikita's requests.

He ceded control of the conversation and decisions to Horikita, who then assigned a few experienced craftsmen to lead the third-year Class A students to familiarize themselves with the work. Takahashi personally took Horikita for a detailed inspection to prevent potential issues.

Of course, being an adult, Takahashi didn't neglect the others. He assigned a deputy to entertain the students from the other three classes. The deputy couldn't assign tasks, so he simply offered them tea.

In just one interaction, Horikita Manabu used his position as Student Council President to gain a temporary lead.

The two third-year students behind him seemed used to this, sighing and waiting for Takahashi to return and assign them lower-scoring tasks.

Yukio stood up and called to his class: "What are we waiting for? Let's go buy some coffee and see what's fun around here. We've finally gotten out of school; we might as well enjoy Tokyo while we can."

***

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