Chapter 4: The Difficulty of Saving

Chapter 4: The Difficulty of Saving

Chapter 4:

The Difficulty of Saving

W HEN I WOKE the next morning, I decided to check my phone. Sure enough, the Ayanokouji Group had been chatting away at great length while I was asleep. I suppose the supplementary special exam had only just been announced yesterday, so it wasn’t surprising that the conversation revolved around that.

“They’re really letting their anxiety drive them up the wall, huh?” I said to myself.

It was plain to see from the chat that Airi in particular was worried. It would be extremely troublesome if someone from our group did become the rest of the class’s target. While I was uncertain about how much it would involve me, it would be difficult to deal with.

Though I was planning on laying groundwork focused on Hirata and Kei, there were no guarantees. Even if you practically threatened someone, or made a deal with them, people could still change who they were giving their criticism votes to at the very last minute. There was no ironclad method of avoiding expulsion if criticism votes were concentrated on you. Everyone would be at a certain degree of risk.

As I scrolled through the messages in the chat, I noticed that Keisei had made a rather interesting suggestion. I started reading from the beginning of his message.

Keisei: “How about we have one person from the group go to school early for the next three days, starting tomorrow, to gather info?”

Akito: “Since our group’s pretty small, that’s probably a good idea. I’m on board with Keisei’s suggestion.”

Haruka: “Yeah, that’s probs a good plan. I am pretty curious about what people are talking about.”

Airi: “I agree.”

Haruka: “ Well, I’m heading out early tomorrow anyway, so lemme handle it.”

Everyone had come to a unanimous decision. They’d mentioned my name in the chat, but then decided to go ahead and get my approval after the fact, since I’d been too slow to read the messages in time.

“I see,” I said to myself.

While I couldn’t imagine information would fall into our laps that easily, it was better than doing nothing. It was a pretty easy strategy to pull off, and it might give us results. Given the fact that these messages were from yesterday, Haruka was probably already in the classroom around now. Judging from what was said in the conversation, I assumed the other members of the group were going to head to school early on other days, so it’d probably be fine even if I did nothing.

The vote was coming up in three days. That meant we should have a solid idea of who to focus our criticism votes on by today at the latest. In the meantime, though, it would be a lucky break for the Ayanokouji Group if we could secure some information in the mornings.

While I waited for Kei to report back on the girls’ movements, I decided I would try and get some information about the guys from either Hirata, or Horikita, who was using Sudou. It was important to know as much as I could at this early stage.

4.1

T HAT SAID —you really did get used to things with time. Before I even realized it, I’d spent an entire year in this dorm.

“It doesn’t feel like time is passing the way it used to,” I said to myself.

How you perceive the passage of time depends on whether or not you’re having fun. When I’d first encountered that concept, long ago, I honestly didn’t understand it at all. Before I started high school, the passage of time felt rigid. Not a single second was out of place.

But now, things felt different. Obviously, the days were still passing at the same speed that they had been in years past. And yet, the thought that I’d be graduating in just two years made me feel like time really had gone by in a flash. It was odd.

“Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun!”

I heard Ichinose call out to me from behind. Perhaps she tended to head out of the dorm around the same time as me in the mornings.

I turned and responded to her. “Oh, hey. Morning, Ichinose.”

But for some reason, Ichinose stiffened up a little bit in that instant.

“Hm?”

She didn’t get any closer. She just stood there, completely still, her hand still up in the air after waving to me.

“What’s up?” I asked.

When I said that, Ichinose finally started to approach, as if she had just been released from a spell—though her movements were still somewhat stiff.

“Oh well, uh, it sure is cold today, huh?” she said.

“Yeah,” I replied. Whenever we spoke, you could see our breath form white clouds in the air.

“Do you have plans to walk to school with anyone?” asked Ichinose.

“Nope, not at all. I usually walk by myself in the mornings.”

“Oh, in that case… Do you mind if I come with you?”

There probably wasn’t a single person out there, guy or girl, who would turn Ichinose down if she asked them that question. I nodded, accepting her offer.

“………”

“………”

Whenever it was just the two of us, Ichinose was usually be the one to strike up conversation. But now, we were both totally silent. Ichinose was walking slightly behind me, and the only sounds we could hear were our footsteps.

I decided to try talking about the exam. “This upcoming exam’s gotta be pretty tough for your class, huh, Ichinose?” I asked.

Compared to the other classes, Class B was overwhelmingly unified, with solid teamwork and a strong sense of camaraderie. It had to be extremely distressing for them to have to choose one of their own to remove.

“Ah… Well, yeah. You’re right about that. I think this is probably the most difficult exam we’ve had so far,” said Ichinose.

“Yeah,” I replied.

Ichinose’s downcast expression made that point abundantly clear. Only she, the person that the rest of her class rallied around, was absolutely, positively safe. Her situation wasn’t quite like Hirata or Kushida’s, either. She was probably the only student guaranteed to pass this exam.

That was precisely why it was difficult for her to decide who to cut from the class. It might be best if she stayed on the sidelines for this one, not getting involved in discussing either praise or criticism votes. If was possible she intended that to be her strategy, but…

“Even if this is a really tricky exam, I have to do something, don’t I?” she said.

“You’re probably right.”

“…Yeah. I think I have to do something,” said Ichinose, now walking beside me.

I saw a faint smile on her profile.

“Wait, you’re not…thinking of dropping out yourself, are you, Ichinose?” I asked.

“Huh? Oh, no way. I would never say something like that, y’know?”

Though she denied it, I could see in her eyes that she was a little upset. She looked like she was prepared to make that choice if it came to it.

“Just for the record, I’m sure that your classmates wouldn’t use their criticism votes on you so easily,” I told her.

“I didn’t say I was going to drop out, but if that’s what you think Ayanokouji-kun…you might have a point.”

“It’s written all over your face. You’re an open book.”

“R-Really?” replied Ichinose, flustered and trying to confirm if what I said was true.

Was that a natural response? Or was it intentional? It seemed more the former.

“ Sigh … Well, please just keep this between us, okay?” she asked.

“Are you willing to sacrifice yourself to save someone else?”

“Well, not exactly. I think it’s more like…I have to fight and face the risks myself.”

Fight and face the risks herself, huh? In other words, she had no intention of taking the easy way out and staying on the sidelines.

“I don’t get it. Is this like you offering some kind of tribute to the student who’s going to get expelled?” I asked.

Even though a parting tribute from Ichinose was a lot better than one from anyone else, it still probably wasn’t any student’s ideal outcome. I couldn’t exactly imagine someone just leaving the school with a smile on their face.

“I can’t really talk any further right now. This is something that I don’t want other people to hear, and besides, you’re a student of Class C, Ayanokouji-kun. No matter what kind of exam it is, there are some times where we can’t really collaborate, y’know?” said Ichinose.

“Yeah, that’s certainly true.”

At best, all we could really do was discuss praise votes with one another. A praise vote from Ichinose would give you a slight advantage in the test. That being said, Ichinose wasn’t the kind of student who really needed praise votes herself, in the first place. I doubted she’d sell her vote for points or anything, either.

And so, I wasn’t going to make any suggestions. Even if I did buy her vote, it wouldn’t really be anything more than a good luck charm.

“Still, I have to say, the school really is terrible, isn’t it? I mean, forcing someone to get expelled? Even if you manage to get praise votes from kids in other classes, someone’s going to have to get kicked out in the end,” said Ichinose.

None of us were exactly welcoming this exam with open arms. Someone was going to be forced out just as our first year came to an end.

“Are you going to be okay, Ayanokouji-kun?” asked Ichinose.

“Well, I’m not so sure about that… I mean, I’m not really that essential of a student in my class,” I replied.

“Well, if you’re all right with me helping, I might able to do something,” said Ichinose.

“Meaning what?”

“Well, since I have a praise vote to use for someone from another class, I could use it on you, Ayanokouji-kun.”

She’d brought up the topic of praise votes—which I had decided not to mention, earlier—of her own accord.

“It’s just one vote, so it might not be worth very much, but…” she added.

“I’m really grateful for the offer, but I have to decline. I think your vote would be wasted on someone like me,” I told her.

“That’s not true. If anything, it’s probably the most appropriate use of a vote in this exam. You’re supposed to use a vote to praise someone from another class. So, yes, I think you’re definitely the one who deserves it, Ayanokouji-kun, since you’re the one who saved me,” said Ichinose.

What she’d just said was difficult for me to respond to. “All right. Well then, if the time comes, I might ask you for help,” I told her.

“Okay. I’ll keep that in mind,” she replied with a smile.

“God morning, Honami,” someone called out to Ichinose from behind us.

“Good morning to you, Asahina-senpai,” said Ichinose.

“You look as bright as ever today. Wait a minute, aren’t you two from separate classes? You must get along quite well, hm?” said Asahina.

“Uh, well, yes. He’s a good friend…” said Ichinose, somewhat bashfully, with a smile on her face.

“Oh? A friend, hm?”

Ichinose could have answered in a more normal manner… it would probably have been less misleading.

“Well, anyway, I’d like to borrow Ayanokouji-kun for a little bit. Is that okay?” asked Asahina, approaching the two of us as if hoping that Ichinose would keep going so that she could talk to me alone.

“Okay. Well then, Ayanokouji-kun, I’ll be heading off,” said Ichinose. Showing no signs of displeasure, she bowed and did just as Asahina had asked.

“Sorry, Honami. See you later.”

“Oh no, no problem. See you later!”

I didn’t sense anything odd from their short conversation. If anything, it seemed like the two of them had a solid upperclassman and underclassman relationship.

“She’s a good girl, isn’t she? Cute. Bright. Even the second-years have nothing bad to say about Honami,” said Asahina.

“Yeah. I think Ichinose’s really popular with both the first-year guys and girls, too.”

“Maybe you’re the one who’s won her heart though,” said Asahina. It seemed Ichinose’s somewhat odd behavior moments ago hadn’t been lost on her.

“Nah, there’s no way.”

Putting aside the matter of Ichinose, who was in my grade level, I wanted to keep my conversation with Asahina as brief as possible. If I was seen with someone under Nagumo’s control, then people would probably get the wrong idea. If she had something she wanted to talk to me about, I’d prefer she get right to it.

“If you have some business with me, I’d like to hear it,” I told her.

“Wow, you’re all business, huh? Well, whatevs. You and Honami were chatting away so happily, so I just wanted to run something by you real quick,” said Asahina.

She’d been smiling cheerfully this whole time. But now, the smile disappeared from her face.

“I heard about the test you freshman are about to take. Someone’s gonna be forced out of school, right?” she asked.

“Yeah, seems that way.” It seemed the test had already become a topic of conversation among the second-years.

“You know how Honami’s the kind of person who puts friends first, right? Or like, how her personality won’t let her simply accept someone from Class B being expelled?” asked Asahina.

“Yeah, you’re right about that. People aren’t talking about it, but I think they’re concerned about what’s gonna happen with Class B.” I chose my words to be bland and nondescript, while still conveying my thoughts clearly.

“Then, how do you think Honami is gonna tackle this exam?” asked Asahina, looking at me with prying eyes.

It seemed she was testing me, perhaps trying to get something out of me, rather than simply asking out of curiosity. Would giving her an absurd, roundabout answer be counterproductive, then?

“Assuming that she’s operating with the goal of preventing anyone from getting expelled, then… Well, Class B has saved up a considerable number of private points. So she just has to gather the rest of the points she needs to save the person about to be expelled. Something like that, right?” I asked.

“Ding ding ding. Well, I guess that’s really the only possible answer, huh?”

If you began with the assumption that she wasn’t going to let anyone get expelled, then I supposed anyone would arrive at this conclusion. But this wasn’t something just anyone could pull off. Coming up with twenty million points was extremely difficult.

“And it looks like she went to Miyabi to ask him for help. When she did, do you know how he responded?” asked Asahina.

“I’m guessing he agreed to help almost immediately?” I replied.

“…Correct.”

Based on what had happened so far, it didn’t seem like things could have gone any other way.

“Let me just get this out of the way. There’s no way he’d just lend her private points that easily, is there?” I asked.

No matter how many private points Class B already had, the amount they were lacking must be significant. They had to be millions of points short.

“ Totally not. I mean, if it were tens of thousands of points, then that would be a different story. In that case, there’d be room for consideration. But no one can just give away millions of points,” said Asahina, without hesitation. “The third-year students and us second-years have gotta be prepared for the special exams ahead. And since we never know ’til the very last minute whether or not private points will come into play, it’s not like we can afford to hand them over to freshmen.”

All true. That was precisely why Chabashira talked about it the way she did. You might manage to get a few paltry points out of the upperclassmen, but it was almost certainly impossible to get them to hand over tens or hundreds of thousands of points. Sure, you could offer to pay them back with interest, but that was hardly attractive to a third-year who was about to graduate. Even if you got a second-year student to lend you some points, it still seemed impossible to secure such a large sum.

“I guess that if there’s anyone out there who could handle something like this, it would probably be Student Council President Nagumo,” I reasoned.

“He has saved up quite a bit.”

“So what happened, then?”

Based on what I’d heard so far, I could already imagine what she was about to say. Even so, the fact that Ichinose had seemed anxious indicated Nagumo’s help came with strings attached.

“Come on, don’t be in such a rush. I’m just in the same class as the guy, is all, so I’ve got my doubts about him thoughtlessly handing out such a huge sum to a junior. I mean, Honami is super cute, right? There’s absolutely no way she’s going to get expelled in this exam. You think so too, right?” said Asahina.

“Yeah, for sure. This is probably a strategy she came up with to stop someone other than herself from getting expelled.”

“Yeah, that’s why I really don’t want her to borrow points from Miyabi. Sure, that’s partly ’cause I’m thinking of my own class, but also… Well, more than anything else, it’s because I feel sorry for Honami,” said Asahina.

“Is there a harsh condition attached to the deal? Like, is the interest rate very high or something?” I asked.

“His condition for lending Honami the money is… He wants her to enter into a relationship with him,” said Asahina.

“I see.”

This was pretty typical Nagumo. Asking her to date him in exchange for lending her points, huh? Normally, that would be a dealbreaker. You’d expect someone to reject such a condition at once immediately. But Nagumo had to know there was a possibility that Ichinose would accept if for the sake of protecting her class.

“Is it really okay? For you to be telling me all this, I mean,” I asked.

“I already told you, didn’t I? It’s for my own class’s sake. If Miyabi lends all those points to a first-year, the rest of us might suffer for it. And Honami will really suffer too, in exchange for protecting her friends. That doesn’t sound good to me at all,” said Asahina.

“You might be right about that. But why come to me? I’m in Class C. We’re competing with Ichinose.”

“I don’t know. I just figured you’d be able to do something about this.”

“You’re giving me too much credit. There’s no way I could afford to make up for Class B’s lack of points.”

It would be a different story if I could personally raise enough points to help, rather than having her rely on Nagumo. But that was out of the question.

“Yeah, I guess. You guys are rivals, after all,” she answered.

Helping out a rival class would be incredibly foolish when we were supposed to be grateful our rivals were being impacted at all, even if it was just the loss of one student. Besides, a plan that involved gathering millions of points would require everyone in Class C to come together. It was absolutely impossible.

“I can’t do anything,” I told her.

“Don’t worry about it. I won’t hold a grudge or anything, even if you can’t. I suppose it was just wishful thinking on my part. But despite all that, I think you’ll take your chances still,” said Asahina, lightly slapping me on the back. “Anyhow, that’s all I was gonna say. The rest is up to you.”

Having said that, she headed toward the school, showing no sign of stopping and turning around. Based on her words and mannerisms, I didn’t get the sense she was lying.

“Making a deal with Nagumo, huh?”

It didn’t seem like Ichinose…but it was the kind of strategy Ichinose would come up with. If she really did this, she might be able to prevent any casualties in her class. A class that was united and had a huge sum saved up was precisely the kind of class for whom such a strategy was a viable option.

But based on what Asahina had said it, it sounded like entering into a relationship with Nagumo would be a hard pill for Ichinose swallow. If the relationship thing didn’t worry her, then the smart thing to do would have been to just go ahead and get the private points from Nagumo before he changed his mind. I supposed it was difficult to make such a snap judgment when it came to being in a relationship with someone of the opposite sex, though.

If I’d been in a position to help out, I would have gladly done so. But the issue was money. Class B was probably short by four or five million points. That was well beyond the scope of what I could help with. It would be more economical for her to just let one of her friends go. But how would Ichinose weigh her options when she put the condition of dating Nagumo on the scales…?

“Considering her personality…” I muttered to myself.

It wasn’t difficult to imagine what was going to happen.

4.2

T HIS EXAM was difficult to discuss in class. There was a bad feeling hanging in the air in the classroom, and it felt like everyone was on pins and needles.

“Morning, Kiyopon.”

“Morning.”

Haruka and I exchanged greetings as I got to my seat. The students who were already in class seemed listless. Clearly, having to decide who to use their criticism votes on was getting in the way of maintaining normal relationships, and it would probably continue to be like this until the special exam ended. In fact, it would probably continue to be like this even after the exam ended.

“Sure feels like there’s a dark cloud over our heads, huh?” Haruka texted me privately.

“Anything unusual happen?” I replied.

“Nothing yet. But everyone’s really on their guard, dontcha think?”

You had no idea who might be listening in when you were in the classroom. I doubted anyone would be so careless as to say the names of the people they were voting for out loud.

“Here’s hoping we get results tomorrow.”

“Yeah.”

After that brief conversation with Haruka, I put my phone away. We were going to remain inconspicuous and just wait for the storm to pass by. That is, if our classmates would allow us to be that naïve.

4.3

W HEN LUNCHTIME came around, I decided to head on over to the library. I didn’t mind spending time with the Ayanokouji Group, but it was important to get some alone time, too. Besides, there were other students in the library who liked books as much as me.

And lo and behold—one such student, Shiina Hiyori, was in the library yet again today.

I randomly pulled a book from the shelf, sat down, and started reading it to see if I wanted to check it out and take it back to my dorm with me. Shortly afterward, someone called over to me.

“Hello, Ayanokouji-kun.”

Since lunch had just started, and there were only a few people in the library, it seemed she’d noticed me almost immediately. She was holding a book in a similar genre to the one I was looking at.

“I see you’re quite the bookworm, as always,” I replied.

“This really is such a wonderful place.”

After asking for my permission, Hiyori sat down beside me. The two of us quietly read our books. Naturally, students who loved the library had no need of excessive conversation. The act of reading a book could be called a form of conversation, anyway.

Roughly thirty minutes went by. We continued to read without saying a word until the lunch break ended.

“I suppose it’s time to head back,” I said aloud.

“Yes, I suppose so,” replied Hiyori.

Once we looked up to check the time, though, we decided to delay leaving the library.

“Oh, Hiyori, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

“What is it?” She looked up at me with a puzzled look on her face, unsure of what I was going to ask her.

“I want to know what’s going on with Ryuuen,” I told her.

“What’s going on with Ryuuen-kun…? To be completely honest, things aren’t looking good.”

“So he is the top candidate for expulsion, then?”

“Yes. Nearly everyone in class has agreed to use their criticism votes on Ryuuen-kun.”

“Has Ryuuen himself accepted that decision?”

“I think he must have. To tell you the truth, Ryuuen-kun has been coming to the library after class quite often of late. I’ve gotten to talk to him a bit as a result, so I think I have a fairly good idea of what’s going on.”

So, the book he’d been reading in the café was from the library. It made sense that he’d made contact with Hiyori. Coming here had been the right decision.

“So, what do you think about all this, Hiyori?” I asked.

“Well, it’s sad, but we can’t change the fact that someone will be expelled in this exam. I’m willing to accept the reality that someone, myself included, might be leaving our class. But I do think that if Class D intends to aim for the top, we might need Ryuuen-kun…” said Hiyori.

I was sure she had conflicting feelings about Ryuuen, but that meant she recognized his abilities. Thinking back, it didn’t seem like Ryuuen had treated Hiyori too badly, either.

“Sorry for asking you about this. I mean, about how things are going in Class D—” I said, stopping myself suddenly. “No, actually, I probably don’t want Ryuuen to get expelled either.”

There had been no need for me to come here myself today. But I wanted to know what was going on with Ryuuen, so I did just that.

“I think the more friends you have around, the better,” said Hiyori.

“…I suppose you’re right,” I replied. This felt a little strange. Ryuuen and I were just supposed to be enemies.

“Um…”

“What is it?”

“I, um, well, I suppose it might not be my place to say this, but…” said Hiyori hesitantly. Even so, she continued speaking. “Please don’t drop out of school, okay, Ayanokouji-kun…? I really don’t want to lose any other dear friends.”

“I’ll be careful.”

I returned to my classroom, feeling grateful for Hiyori’s concern.

4.4

T HE BAD FEELING still lingered in the air after classes had ended. Whether she sensed it or not, my neighbor, Horikita, quietly started collecting her things to head back to the dorms, as usual.

It would be hard to get through this exam alone. It would be normal to want to have as many allies as possible. But Horikita showed no signs of doing so. Viewed in the most optimistic light possible, the only praise vote she was guaranteed was from Sudou. But then…

I remembered her confronting Ryuuen the other day. Taking into account what she wanted and what she seemed to be lacking helped me see what kind of strategy she had in mind. Apparently, she was trying to get through this exam using a different method than everyone else. It wasn’t going to be an easy road, but if she could make it work, the results would be ideal.

I supposed the strategy I was envisioning might be the same as Horikita’s. If that was the case, I’d let her be the one responsible for it. I looked at my classmates, imagining how Horikita might see them.

“It’s unusual that you haven’t come to me for advice yet. Do you have a good handle on this exam?” I asked Horikita. Though it had only been a single day, I wanted to see if there was any change in her.

“Even if I did come to you for advice, you wouldn’t give me a straight answer,” she replied.

“You’re certainly right about that.” It seemed she was beginning to understand that about me.

“Besides…this isn’t exactly the kind of exam where you can simply go to your classmates and ask for help,” said Horikita.

“A lot of the other students are sticking to the idea of forming groups and gathering praise votes,” I replied.

“If people want to do that, they’re welcome to do so,” said Horikita. She finished gathering her belongings and rose from her seat.

“In that case, what are you planning on doing?” I asked.

“What I can,” she replied, leaving the classroom after uttering just those few words.

I couldn’t help but feel just a bit curious, so I followed after her.

“What?” snapped Horikita, evidently displeased. She scowled at me.

“I’m interested to see what it is you’re going to do,” I told her.

“You usually don’t get involved with me. Why are you trying to now?”

Why? Put simply, it was because I had high hopes for the strategy Horikita was trying to pull off. If she could make it happen, then I wanted to support her as much as possible. But I wasn’t going to tell her that right here and now.

“You haven’t joined any groups yet, right? If you find yourself in a pinch, I can help,” I told her.

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about. So you are concerned about my situation, hm? Are you saying that if I asked you to help, you’d let me join your group?” asked Horikita.

“It wouldn’t be a bother for us to take in more people.”

“While I appreciate the offer, I have to decline. You aren’t the person I’m looking for right now.”

I suppose that meant she’d already made up her mind. It seemed like her resources were still scarce, though, leaving her in a position where she was being driven by her anxiety. I’m sure I wasn’t the right “fit” for what she needed.

“You really are…” said Horikita, glaring at me even harsher than before.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Anyway, just leave me alone,” she snapped.

I nodded and stopped in my tracks. Even if I tried pursuing, I’d probably just make her even angrier. After watching Horikita walk off, I stared out the hallway window.

“I guess I’ll just head on back,” I muttered to myself.

“…Hey, do you have a minute, Ayanokouji-kun?”

Hirata walked up to me, apparently having been just passing by. I wondered if he was following me. Judging by the timing of his arrival, he might have been waiting for Horikita and me to part ways.

“If you’re okay with it, would you mind coming with me for a little while after class today? I wanted to talk to you,” said Hirata.

It was unusual for Hirata to approach me this way. I had no particular reason to turn him down, so I accepted his offer with a nod. When I did so, he let out a sigh of relief. After spending the entire day in such a strained, tense environment, Hirata seemed like he was the most physically exhausted person in our class. Of course, I could tell this had something to do with the exam.

“Okay then, how about we meet at 4:30 at the… yeah, at the south entrance of Keyaki Mall?” he asked.

“Sure.”

And that was all we said about that. It seemed this was something Hirata didn’t want to talk about in the hallway, where students were constantly passing through on their way back to the dorms or their respective clubs.

I’d been planning on meeting up with Keisei and the others after class, so I let them know I’d be late. Hirata seemed to be busy chatting with his friends when class ended, so I decided to head over to Keyaki Mall ahead of him.

4.5

A FTER LEAVING THE CLASSROOM , I headed down to the school entrance. On my way there, I bumped into Sakayanagi Arisu from first-year Class A. Beside her was Kamuro.

“Ayanokouji…”

Kamuro stiffened, clearly on alert. However, Sakayanagi didn’t react at all. Her movements were relaxed and calm. The contrast between the two was quite amusing to me.

“My, my, this is quite a coincidence, Ayanokouji-kun.”

“Looks that way. What do you want with Class C?” I asked.

It seemed to me like Sakayanagi and Kamuro were making their way over to Class C. But rather than answer me directly, Sakayanagi just chuckled and dodged the question. “Where are you headed now, hm?” she asked instead.

“I’m planning to meet a friend at Keyaki Mall in half an hour.”

“I see. My, you are enjoying your life as a student here to the fullest, aren’t you? If it isn’t too much of a bother, would you mind giving me a few minutes of your time?” asked Sakayanagi.

She took out her phone and checked the time. Had she come here to meet me? No, that was unlikely.

It was still only 4:10 right now. Even if it took several minutes to reach Keyaki Mall, I still had about 10 minutes or more to spare.

“Is it okay if we stand and talk?” I asked.

“Yes. However, I would think we might draw attention if we talk here. Would you mind relocating somewhere nearby?”

“No worries.”

I also wanted to avoid attracting attention as much as possible. If I were with a classmate, this wouldn’t be an issue, but Sakayanagi was the sort of person who drew the eye whether or not she wanted to. She was well aware of this herself, which was why we moved to a less populated place. I matched her slow pace, taking our time as we made our way through the school building.

“At any rate… Ayanokouji-kun, Masumi-san, don’t you think that this supplementary exam is absolutely outrageous? Forcing someone out of school just because there haven’t been any dropouts as of yet? It’s strange to think that the school administrators would come up with such an exam, when you think about it rationally,” said Sakayanagi.

“Yeah. Mashima-sensei’s normally so calm and composed, but even he seems pretty shaken up,” said Kamuro.

So it wasn’t just Chabashira. The other teachers weren’t thrilled about this supplementary exam, either.

“There is a reason for that,” said Sakayanagi.

“What, you know something about it?” asked Kamuro.

“Well, this is a personal matter that I am ashamed to speak of, but my father was suspended from his position the other day,” said Sakayanagi.

“Wait, suspended…? If I remember right, he’s the director, right? Your father?” asked Kamuro, pressing her for more information. She must have known who Sakayanagi’s father was.

“I was unable to ascertain the details, but I heard a number of unsavory things had come up regarding my father. The father I know is not the sort of person who would sully his hands with such things. Of course, I cannot rule out the possibility that I, his daughter, was simply unaware of such things… But, well, it’s possible someone might be scheming to bring my father down,” said Sakayanagi.

The words seemed meant for Kamuro’s ears. But in reality, they were probably directed at me. If Sakayanagi’s father really was innocent, then it wouldn’t be strange if that man was involved. The impression I’d gotten of Sakayanagi’s father might not have been inaccurate after all.

“That being said, it that has absolutely nothing to do with students like us. It’s nothing more than idle chatter.” It sounded like Sakayanagi didn’t see her father’s suspension from office as something worth exploring further.

“But does that have anything to do with this exam?” asked Kamuro.

“Can’t you see this…hastily prepared exam being meant to get a certain someone expelled?” said Sakayanagi.

“Someone…?”

Kamuro glanced over at me for a moment, then immediately looked back to Sakayanagi.

“I’ve been trying not to worry about this so far, but why do you have your eye on Ayanokouji?” she asked as she walked beside Sakayanagi.

“Oh? So, so you haven’t been worried about it until now?”

“…Yeah. There’s no way I’d have been thinking about that.”

Kamuro denied whatever Sakayanagi was trying to imply, but the look on Sakayanagi’s face suggested that she already knew everything. However, rather than keep pressing, she simply answered Kamuro’s question.

“It’s because I’ve known him for a long time. Is that not a convincing enough reason?” said Sakayanagi.

Though Kamuro sounded concerned, Sakayanagi’s tone was casual and nonchalant. Considering the fact that she hadn’t revealed much of anything to Kamuro before, it was a fairly revealing answer. I could also see it as her trying to gauge my reaction. If I were to thoughtlessly start panicking and interrupt Sakayanagi’s conversation, it would be the same as showing weakness.

To be honest, I didn’t really care, though.

“So you’re saying that you just happened to reunite at this school? Sounds like the chances of that happening are pretty slim, though.”

“Yes. The chances really are quite slim. Don’t you agree, Ayanokouji-kun?”

“Yeah, probably.”

While we hadn’t actually ever met before starting here, the way Sakayanagi phrased it was technically true. It was just that our relationship was one-sided. She knew about the old me.

“So, what, you’re supposed to be really tough? Sorry, but you really don’t look it, at all.”

Kamuro cut right to the chase, just as Sakayanagi had done. In that sense, these two might really be similar.

“My, you’ve really become rather direct, haven’t you? I don’t think you’ve ever posed a question to me so frankly before,” said Sakayanagi.

It seemed Kamuro had gotten some ideas, thanks to the many times she and I had made direct contact with one another. Perhaps that had caused something like an uncontrollable curiosity to well up within Sakayanagi, too.

“Anyone would think the same. You’ve never been fixated on anyone like this ever before,” said Kamuro.

“I thought you were an indifferent person who didn’t care to meddle in other people’s affairs. That was why I didn’t hesitate to ask you to keep an eye on Ayanokouji-kun, but… Well, I suppose you really are quite troublesome, aren’t you?” said Sakayanagi.

She sounded exasperated, but also pleased. I’d thought she wanted to gauge my reactions, but it was possible that she was saying these mean-spirited things because it was Kamuro’s reactions that amused her.

As we talked, we’d arrived at our destination.

“No one will bother us if we talk here, I believe,” said Sakayanagi. It certainly was quiet here. We were in the special building after class, so it made sense. “Now then, Masumi-san. I am terribly sorry, but please head on back to the dormitory.”

“…Oh, okay.”

Apparently, she’d brought Kamuro along simply to have someone to talk to along the way, ultimately deciding to send her back without revealing much more about me. Kamuro must have understood that, because she headed back down the stairs without putting up a fight.

“Was that okay to do?” I asked.

“Yes. It would inconvenience you if I carelessly revealed something about you, wouldn’t it?”

“Nah, not really.”

Showing any sign of weakness would just give her an opening. I wasn’t going to deliberately give Sakayanagi any unnecessary information.

“I suppose you’ve identified me as your enemy, in a manner of speaking. I have decided to accept that,” said Sakayanagi. What my reasons might have been for doing so, of course, meant nothing to her.

“So, what do you want to talk to me about so badly that you’d send Kamuro back?” I asked, urging her to cut to the chase. We’d wasted a lot of time getting here, and I didn’t have long before my meeting with Hirata.

“It’s about the promise we made, Ayanokouji-kun.”

“Yeah. I agreed to face off against you in the next special exam, which means this coming one.”

“Yes, that’s exactly it. However…if you’re all right with it, Ayanokouji-kun, I would like to save our confrontation for another time. This exam is not a competition with the other classes, but rather, designed to screen and eliminate one of our allies. The only way we can influence the other classes is via praise votes, leaving no way to attack them. So… would you mind if we were to postpone our contest until next time?”

In other words, she was saying that this special exam didn’t count, since it wasn’t a situation where we could compete with one another.

“Are you willing to accept?” asked Sakayanagi.

“Whatever you decide is fine,” I replied, agreeing to her request without any resistance.

Since I had so easily accepted her offer, Sakayanagi politely thanked me for it.

“Thank you very much. I’d been thinking about what I might do if you said something like, ‘An exam is an exam.’ Now I can concentrate on Class A’s internal affairs without worry. However…”

“However?”

“Well, because we have this truce, I’ve decided to tell you a little something as a show of faith. I will not do anything to impede you in this test, Ayanokouji-kun. Of course, that means I will not be giving you a criticism vote,” said Sakayanagi, promising me that she would hold herself back. “Also, in the unlikely event that I somehow become involved in Class C’s affairs in a way that negatively impacts your results, Ayanokouji-kun… Well, if that happens, I’m willing to pay a price. You may even go so far as to refuse to compete with me in the next test.”

“If people focus their criticism votes on me in this test, there won’t be a next time, though,” I replied. I’d just get expelled. End of story. Hooray.

“You are certainly right about that. At any rate, please, be at ease. That is all that I wished to say,” said Sakayanagi.

She was being almost excessively polite, but I supposed she considered this necessary to gain my trust.

“You might end up being sloppily betrayed by one of your own minions before your battle with me even begins,” I told her.

“Heh heh heh . Oh my, you must be joking.”

Most of the students in Class A belonged to Sakayanagi’s faction. So she was confident they weren’t going to try to get rid of their leader, huh?

“I decided who would be expelled the moment that this exam was announced,” said Sakayanagi.

“You decided who to remove immediately, huh? Sounds like the right decision.” You could say that was a move she could make precisely because she had true, complete power over her class. “So, when do you plan to tell your classmates who it’ll be?”

“I already informed them quite some time ago. Had I waited until the very last minute to notify the class who would be removed, it would only make everyone quite anxious. Telling them right away makes things easier on them. Wouldn’t you agree?” said Sakayanagi.

Well, it was probably unbearable for the student who was going to be expelled. However, there were no signs at all that Class A had fallen into chaos.

“Do you happen to know who I’ve chosen?” asked Sakayanagi.

“Dunno. I haven’t the slightest clue, really,” I told her. In truth, I had a pretty clear idea.

“Katsuragi Kouhei-kun.”

“Is that a reasonable choice?”

“He’s the former leader of Class A, who stood in opposition to me in the past. There’s no need for two people at the top of an organization, after all,” said Sakayanagi.

Katsuragi was a calm and composed guy. He’d probably realized he was going to be sacrificed as soon as the details of the test were announced. So he’d accepted it without a fight, huh?

There were some students who continued to idolize Katsuragi, like Yahiko, but they were outnumbered.

“I know he opposed you pretty early on, but I thought he’d stepped aside,” I replied.

As far as skill went, Katsuragi was near the top, even among the students in Class A. I would have thought he’d be too valuable to discard, but it seemed that from Sakayanagi’s point of view, he was unnecessary.

“More than a few of my friends dislike him. They cannot agree with his conservative way of thinking. I think it would raise morale if he were to make an exit,” said Sakayanagi.

It seemed the trade-off of boosting morale at the cost of losing a powerful asset was her goal.

“Are you sure it’s okay for you to tell me this? About who your target is?”

“It’s not as though you’ll be making some dodgy dealings behind my back to protect him. Right, Ayanokouji-kun?” said Sakayanagi.

It wasn’t like I could do anything that was worth that kind of effort, anyway.

“What do you intend to do in Class C?” asked Sakayanagi.

“Dunno. I’m not getting involved. I just plan on letting my classmates decide.”

“So it’s merely a question of whether it’s an unlikable student or an unskilled one who will be removed?” She seemed to enjoy the thought. “As for Class D, the only person that comes to mind is Ryuuen-kun. There’s no need to even think about it.”

I couldn’t argue with that. Class A, in particular, stood to gain nothing from helping Ryuuen. I was sure they wanted him to be expelled, even if it meant breaking the contract he had with Katsuragi.

“But I can’t quite picture what Class B will do. The question of who will be expelled from that close-knit class is the most exciting thing to come out of this exam. Or will Ichinose-san come up with some kind of interesting plan?”

“Sorry, but it’s about time for me to get going,” I told her.

She was free to indulge in all the delusional fantasies she wanted, but I’d prefer if she did it on her own time, alone.

“I see. I suppose we’ll end our conversation here for now. The next special exam begins next week, after all.”

She struck the ground with her cane with a crack . Sakayanagi directed her gaze at the security cameras in the hallway for a brief instant. The movement of her eyes was so subtle that I wouldn’t have noticed if I weren’t paying close attention. I was unable to determine if it was a random glance or an intentional one, though.

“Well then, let’s have our match during the final special exam of our first year of school, just as planned. It’s a promise.”

I gave her a slight nod and then left.

4.6

T HERE WEREN’T MANY STORES you could meet up at after class. Usually, people gathered at the café in Keyaki Mall. But today was different.

“Thanks for coming today.”

“No big deal. I wanted to talk to you too, Hirata.”

“I’m glad to hear that. How about we take a little walk first?”

We met up at the southern entrance, and Hirata started moving right away, as if trying to scope out our surroundings.

“Sorry, Ayanokouji-kun. Do you mind if we change our plans a little?” he asked.

“Change how?”

“Could we talk in my room instead? I think I’d feel more relaxed if we did that.”

“I don’t mind. That’s fine by me.”

“Thank you!”

Apparently, it seemed the mall wasn’t the best place for us to meet right now. I was guessing he didn’t want other people to hear what he was going to talk about.

As we walked back to the dorm, we made casual conversation. “Our first year is already almost over. How do you think your first year went, Ayanokouji-kun?” asked Hirata.

I looked up at the sky, letting out a sigh. “Between the uninhabited island and the camp school, I’d say it was a pretty turbulent.”

“Yeah. It was certainly tough. But I had fun. Thinking back to when I started here…I think I’ve managed to build some real trust among my classmates,” said Hirata.

“Yeah. I think so too.”

I wasn’t going to deny the truth of that. There were more than a few people in class who hated each other, of course, but I supposed there was some truth to the expression “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” While we were forced to cooperate with each other, we had gradually begun to form what you might call bonds.

“To be honest… Everything was fine before this exam came along,” said Hirata. There was a shadow over his smiling face.

“So that’s what you wanted to talk about, huh?”

“Yeah. Sorry, Ayanokouji-kun. I know that you really don’t want to talk about it.”

I’d never really taken an active role, irrespective of the nature of the exam—though Horikita, ignoring my personality, would forcefully demand I cooperate each time an exam came around. Interestingly enough, it was the exact opposite this time. Horikita wasn’t asking for my help, but Hirata was.

I supposed Horikita had grown as of late. Maybe she’d come to accept that I wasn’t going to cooperate, since the frequency of her requests had begun to decrease.

“I just can’t seem to come up with a way to tackle this exam. No matter how hard I think about it, no matter how many times I try to put a plan together, nothing works,” said Hirata.

“No matter how many times…?”

I looked closer, noticing dark circles under his eyes. I was guessing he’d spent so much time thinking about the exam last night that it had cost him sleep.

“That sounds hard,” I said. “In this exam, the more you think about your class, the more you suffer for it.”

“Huh…?” said Hirata.

“Oh, nothing. Don’t worry.”

If I carelessly let something slip, Hirata would just sink deeper into despair. The best plan for now was probably to leave things be.

“I-If there’s there some way to save our class, please tell me,” Hirata said.

Apparently, my reaction just now had given him the mistaken impression that I had some kind of idea to share with him.

“Do you think it’s actually impossible to save up twenty million private points?” I asked.

“I’ve tried running calculations, but I just can’t find any way to get to that number. I even talked about it with the seniors in my club. But they have their own special exams coming up,” replied Hirata.

“So they can’t spare any points to help out?”

“Yeah…”

Potential methods to save our class from suffering any casualties were very limited.

“Sorry, I just can’t think of anything else. If I do think of something, I’ll definitely let you know, Hirata,” I told him.

“I see… Okay, thank you,” Hirata said, trying his hardest to put on a smile.

That was the best answer I could give him at the moment. This special exam was both extremely difficult and extremely simple. If you shifted your viewpoint a little, the path ahead was clear. Of course, Hirata couldn’t see things that way.

Namely, he couldn’t see that this was a test designed only to discard an unnecessary student .

The moment we heard the rules of the exam, Kouenji and I understood the goal being outlined. Of course, there was no way of knowing who would be expelled. All you had to do was make sure it wasn’t you . However, Hirata wasn’t the kind of person who could think that way. He’d never be able to make up his mind about that question of who . It was like he was stuck in a maze, unable to see the exit.

“Ayanokouji-kun, do you think it’s okay even if someone gets expelled?” asked Hirata.

“It would be great if we make it through this without anyone getting expelled, of course. But I think that’s going to be difficult.”

“…Yeah, you’re right, of course. But there must be some way to—”

“Hirata, you haven’t been sleeping well at night precisely because you know that’s true, right?” I said, interrupting him.

“That’s…”

We both fell silent as we approached the dormitory entrance, partly because we could see several students chatting away in the lobby. However, the main problem lay elsewhere. Our eyes met those of a certain someone sitting on a sofa in the lobby.

“Well, well, look what we have here. If it isn’t Hirata Boy and Ayanokouji Boy. What a strange coincidence this is,” said Kouenji.

“Hey, Kouenji-kun. Are you waiting for someone?” asked Hirata.

It seemed he’d guessed as much based on the fact that Kouenji’s gaze fell on us as soon as we entered the building.

“If I did have plans to meet with someone, would you be concerned?” he asked, answering Hirata’s question with one of his own.

“I suppose I might think it’s unusual,” replied Hirata.

“I don’t dislike honest people. But unfortunately, no, I am not waiting for anyone.”

Although he had answered Hirata’s question, he didn’t say what he was doing here. Kouenji wasn’t the kind of person who’d usually hang around in a place like this.

“Let’s go,” said Hirata.

He walked over to the elevator and extended his hand to press the button. Just as he went to do so, Kouenji called out from behind us.

“You’d best do everything you can to muster your wits and get through this exam,” said Kouenji.

Hirata’s finger stopped just a hair’s breadth from the button.

“…You never change, do you, Kouenji-kun?” he said, sounding a little bit bothered by Kouenji’s attitude.

“This isn’t an exam worth changing for,” replied Kouenji.

“Is that so?”

It was rare to see Hirata to get worked up. He turned to look at Kouenji, but remained calm and collected, rather than glare at him.

“You say this isn’t the kind of exam worth changing for, but I have to wonder if you’re actually the one who most needs to change. I’m worried, Kouenji. I’ve been thinking that…our classmates might make an example of you. And if that happens… Well, that worries me,” said Hirata.

That was Hirata’s way of both showing concern and expressing a mild threat. His words conveyed a powerful desire for cooperation. He was probably hoping that Kouenji would match the feeling, if only a little.

“Such worries are needless. Besides, you are the class leader, are you not? Isn’t it your job to take care of such things?” Kouenji had absolutely no intention of changing his stance. He was going to sit back and do nothing until the very end.

“There are things I can’t do, you know. I might not be able to live up to your expectations,” said Hirata.

“Oh no, I don’t think that’s true.”

Despite Hirata’s lack of confidence, Kouenji just kept heaping more expectations on him. I couldn’t tell if he really meant what he was saying, though.

Kouenji stood up, walked on over, and then lightly patted Hirata on the shoulder.

“Even though I’m sure you’ll spend time tending your friends’ wounds, I trust you’ll handle disposing of the unwanted garbage,” said Kouenji.

The moment he said those words, Hirata firmly pressed the call elevator button.

“…Let’s go, Ayanokouji-kun.”

“Okay.”

Hirata’s tone, which had sounded amicable until that point, now contained slight hints of anger. Apparently, he couldn’t help but feel irritated by Kouenji implying some of our classmates were garbage. As soon as the elevator doors closed, he opened his mouth to speak.

“ Sigh … I’m sorry. I was acting a little out of character back there.”

“Don’t worry about it. Kouenji’s excuses are a problem.”

Hirata forced a smile, and slightly lowered his head.

“So, what he said got to you too, huh?” he said. “…I understand it’s not realistic to hope no one will ever get expelled. I gave up on that idea long ago, despite everything I’ve been saying out loud.”

The elevator arrived at Hirata’s floor and we got off.

“Please, come in.”

“Pardon the intrusion.”

This was the first time I’d been inside Hirata’s room. It was decorated in similar fashion to my own, which was to say that it was simple. There was a pleasant scent in the air, like some kind of air freshener. It was a bit glum, a bit bland, but neat and orderly, like Hirata himself.

“Please sit. Would you care for some coffee or something?”

“Sure, if it’s not a bother.”

“It’s not a bother at all. I asked you over, after all,” said Hirata.

I was usually the one who had guests over, so this was something of a new experience for me.

“So, picking up where we left off…” Hirata addressed me over his shoulder as he prepared the coffee. “I wonder if there’s really no way to save everyone in class?”

“I dunno. Maybe it’s just that I can’t think of anything.”

I gave him the same kind of answer I did earlier. Even though he knew the truth, Hirata was still looking for some path to salvation. I’d hoped my answer would make him feel better, but it seemed to have had the opposite effect.

“If you can’t come up with anything, I can’t imagine that anyone else will,” said Hirata.

“You’re giving me way too much credit.” When did Hirata develop such a high opinion of me?

“Ever since that matter with Karuizawa-san, I’ve considered you the most reliable person in our class,” said Hirata, as if he had just read my mind.

“I’m sorry to say this, but I’m really not.”

The coffee finished brewing and he handed me a cup.

“It’s the truth. Though you are quite humble, so I figured you wouldn’t admit that yourself,” said Hirata.

It would be a waste of time to argue. No matter how I tried to deny it, Hirata wouldn’t listen. It seemed smarter to just change the subject.

Hirata had guessed what I was thinking. “This test requires someone to be expelled. But that’s not something I can deal with, no matter how hard I try to understand. There’s no one in my class that I would be okay with losing,” he said.

“I understand your concern, but we have no other choice. We just have to wait for the answer to come next week.”

“An answer, huh? Ayanokouji-kun… Is there anyone in particular that you think should be expelled?” asked Hirata, looking at me intently.

While I could see kindness in his eyes, there was something else hidden there, too.

“Not really.”

My words could be interpreted as cowardly neutral, but they were honest. There were a few students whom I wanted to stay, but no one I would specifically name as a candidate for expulsion. Our classmates would talk to each other and choose someone for expulsion based on the results of those discussions. That was how it was going to be.

“No matter who ends up going, we just have to accept it,” I added.

“That’s a very pragmatic approach. You’re much more qualified to be the leader of the class than I am,” said Hirata.

He’d taken the initiative to lead the class so far, but the words now coming out of his mouth sounded timid and weak. He was stuck, unable to move forward.

“What should I do next? What’s the best way for me to tackle this exam?” he asked.

It wasn’t my place to give advice, but Hirata had often tried to help others. I wanted to do something to help him, but…

“Well, I don’t want you to just take my word for it, but I’ll tell you what I think,” I told him.

“Yes, please do.”

“Okay, let’s set aside idealistic thoughts about saving everyone for a moment. Hirata, you’ve been agonizing over the question ‘Who should we get rid of?’ for some time now. But you haven’t been able to come up with an answer.”

What I was saying was hard for him to swallow. Even so, Hirata seemed to agree with what I was saying, as he nodded in the end.

“In that case, why not try the opposite approach? Rather than ‘Who should get rid of?’ why not ask yourself ‘Who should we keep around?’” I continued.

“Who should we keep around…? Well everyone, of course—”

“Rank everyone in class by priority. Arrange everyone in class, yourself included, from top to bottom. Of course, there might be multiple students whom you’d give the same level of priority. Even so, you should try to arrange them into a ranking, anyway. You can base this on whether you personally like them, or on whether they’ve contributed to the class,” I added.

By creating such a ranking, you’d wind up with someone at the top and someone at the bottom.

“That’s… but…”

Yep, it was a simple solution. But Hirata wasn’t going to do it. His heart was set on saving everyone. The idea of trying to rank people was probably anathema to him.

“If I do rank people, though, what I come up with won’t be the same as what a classmate would,” said Hirata, still making excuses, still trying to flee. If things continued this way, he’d be heading into the special exam completely defenseless.

“That’s okay. I think you should start by coming to your own conclusions,” I replied.

This was probably the only advice I could give Hirata for now. What he would do with it was entirely up to him.

Grateful for the coffee he’d made me, I took a sip. It was a little more acidic than what I was used to. Perhaps he used a different brand than I did.

“I see. Okay. You might be right about that. Lately, I’ve just been filled with this desire to run away from everything,” said Hirata.

He’d heard me out and was doing his best to understand what I’d said. I doubted he could absorb it right away. It probably didn’t sit well with him, making him feel sick to his stomach. Still, he held it in, doing his best to swallow what I’d just said.

“ Sigh … Okay. Thank you for this,” he said, managing to squeeze out words of gratitude. It seemed our conversation had reached a stopping point for now.

“Hey, can I ask you a personal question? It might be a little insensitive,” I said, deciding to change topics from the exam by asking about something that had me curious.

“Hm? What is it?”

“Has anyone told you they have a crush on you since you and Karuizawa broke up?”

“Wow, that’s an unexpected question. I never imagined you’d ask me something like that, Ayanokouji-kun.”

There was a mix of surprise and bewilderment on Hirata’s face. I was interested in whether or not he had a romantic partner because of a conversation I’d had with Mii-chan, a classmate of ours. She’d come to me before the year-end exam, asking for advice because she had a crush on Hirata, and I was wondering if anything had happened between them.

“Well, I won’t say who, but…yes, there was someone,” said Hirata.

That meant girls had already started telling Hirata about their feelings for him. I wasn’t going to ask whether or not Mii-chan was the one who’d approached him, but wow, popular guys really were amazing. They didn’t even have to do anything for girls to fawn over them.

Well, maybe it was just the way Hirata behaved all the time that made that happen? It wasn’t like he ever slacked off.

“Are you dating this person?”

“Oh, no way. I’m not planning on dating anyone right now,” said Hirata, quite flatly.

“Is there someone you like or something?” If he was holding out for his true love, then I could understand that.

“I think dating someone is just too much for me right now. I’m not qualified,” said Hirata.

“If you’re not qualified, Hirata, then dating would be just a pipe dream for someone like me.” Besides, you didn’t need “qualifications” when it came to romance.

“I’m just not good enough for something like that,” said Hirata.

The more capable someone was, the humbler they were. The more incompetent they were, the more arrogant.

In the end, the conversation ended without Hirata and me delving deeper into anything.

4.7

“S ORRY FOR CALLING you over at such a late hour, Ichinose.”

I’d invited her to my room around 11 o’clock at night. It would have been perfectly understandable if she’d declined my request out of caution, but Ichinose didn’t seem to resist the idea at all.

“Oh no, it’s perfectly fine. But I have to say, it’s pretty unusual for you to call me, Ayanokouji-kun.”

“Well, that’s because there’s something I really wanted to talk to you about, Ichinose. Oh, and please feel free to sit down on the bed for now, if you like. The floor’s probably pretty cold,” I told her.

She thanked me with a smile and then sat down on my bed.

“I kind of feel like my heart’s going to beat out of my chest…” Ichinose muttered to herself quietly.

“Huh?”

“Oh, uh, it’s nothing. Anyway, why didn’t we just talk this over on the phone?”

Why, huh? As I brought some water to a boil in the kettle, I grabbed some white cups.

“Well, there’s a lot I couldn’t really convey too well over the phone. For example, there’s something I wanted to confirm with you directly,” I told her.

“I see.”

“I won’t beat around the bush. What are you planning to do for this exam?” I asked.

“So, this is about our conversation this morning, huh? Well, I’ve been…considering how to come up with a way to get through this exam without anyone getting expelled,” said Ichinose.

“Have you come up with any solid ideas?” I asked, as I turned around.

Of course, that question was merely a kind formality. We both already knew quite well that the only option was to spend the twenty million points.

“Unfortunately, no, I still haven’t come up with anything… There isn’t much time left, so I’m kind of starting to panic,” said Ichinose.

Neither her words nor behavior gave the impression she was hiding anything. This was how she really felt. That said, I remembered being very impressed with Ichinose’s surprisingly good poker face back during the exam on the cruise ship.

“I was thinking that you might have gone to President Nagumo for help or something,” I told her.

“Help?”

What I’d just said might have made someone panic if they weren’t ready for it, but Ichinose seemed the same as always. What I was about to say next, however, was probably going to get past her poker face. After the water in the kettle came to a boil, I poured a cup of cocoa and handed it to Ichinose.

“Thank you,” she said.

“This supplementary exam is different from what we’ve had so far. We can’t make it through without someone being forced out of school. However, there is one sole path out of that: saving up twenty million points. No matter how many points Class B has saved up already, there’s no way you’ve accumulated twenty million. Which makes the cooperation of a third party absolutely essential,” I told her.

Ichinose’s gaze shifted down to her cocoa. She blew on it gently to cool it down.

“I see. Asahina-senpai already knew that, too. But I didn’t think she’d talked to you about it, Ayanokouji-kun.”

Since she’d guessed how I’d found out right away, she must have come to the conclusion that she couldn’t hide anything.

“In that case, I’m guessing you also heard about the condition he has in exchange for lending me the number of points we need?” asked Ichinose.

I gave her a gentle nod. Ichinose had a pained smile on her face.

“It really is stupid, isn’t it? In a lot of ways,” she said.

The idea of lending out points in exchange for entering into a relationship. The fact that she was seriously considering his condition. That was probably what she meant by a “lot of ways.”

“In case you were wondering, Nagumo-senpai forbade me from telling anyone about the deal. He said that if word got out, he’d just act like it never happened. But if Asahina-senpai is the one who told you, then I suppose it’s okay,” said Ichinose.

“I wouldn’t worry about that part,” I told her.

“But this doesn’t concern you, does it, Ayanokouji-kun…?”

“That’s true.” This was Class B’s problem. This was Ichinose’s decision. “How many points are you short?”

“A little over four million, give or take,” said Ichinose.

So by starting a relationship with Nagumo, she’d make up those four million points and no one would get expelled.

“That’s one hell of a deal,” I told her.

“Yeah. It’d be impossible for someone like me to both go out with Nagumo-senpai and borrow points from him. When you think about it, I suppose it’s natural that he’d ask for something in return,” said Ichinose.

As I listened to her speak, I started to understand what was going through her head. There was absolutely no way she’d let someone from Class B get expelled. To keep that from happening, she was prepared to sacrifice herself.

“It’s probably the only way I can save everyone in Class B,” she added.

“I see…”

No matter what I said to Ichinose right now, there was no way I could help her. Realistically speaking, private points were the only solution to her problem. And four million points wasn’t a sum I could come up with, even if I were in her position right now.

“Are you… worried about me, by any chance?” she asked.

“It might be a bit presumptuous, but yeah.”

“Oh no, not at all. Actually, it makes me really happy.” Despite saying that, there was still a dark cloud hanging over her. Ichinose slowly brought the cocoa to her mouth now that it had cooled down slightly. “But I really do think I might be in trouble… Honestly, if I hadn’t talked to you, Ayanokouji-kun, I might have been able to make a decision more readily. What do you think, Ayanokouji-kun?”

“About the deal?”

“Yeah. What does it look like I’m trying to do here, from your point of view?” she asked, her eyes meeting mine.

I answered her directly. “I think this is a tactic that only you could use to prevent anyone in your class from getting expelled, Ichinose. The option of saving up enough private points is available to you because you have a connection with President Nagumo thanks to being on the student council. This—the option of getting to twenty million points by accepting his condition—is a valid choice.”

“And you’re not going to hold me in contempt for it?” she asked.

“No, there’s no need for that. But to be honest, I can’t really determine if spending twenty million points to save a classmate is worth it.”

“…I see.” Ichinose took another slow sip of her cocoa, still looking me in the eyes. “Hey, Ayanokouji-kun.”

“Hm?”

“Ayanokouji-kun… Maybe you’re actually a really amazing person?”

Hearing her call me amazing left me a little bewildered. All I did was tell her what I’d heard from Asahina.

“What makes you think I’m an amazing person? Sorry, it’s just something I don’t see myself as at all.”

“If that’s true, it just makes you even more amazing. After all, Ayanokouji-kun, you…” Ichinose stopped in the middle of her sentence.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“Oh, nothing. It’s all right.”

It was almost as if even she didn’t even understand what she wanted to say. It was like her mouth was moving ahead of her thoughts.

“…What is this, I wonder…?” muttered Ichinose quietly, seeming to direct the question at herself.

Even though I’d been a bit forceful in arranging this meeting, I was glad I’d invited her over. I was once again cognizant of the fact that, no matter what, Ichinose would act in Class B’s best interests. She would probably agonize over this for a long time, then come to a decision.

A decision about whether or not to begin a relationship with Nagumo Miyabi.