Chapter 3: Survival and Elimination Special Exam

Chapter 3: Survival and Elimination Special Exam

Chapter 3:

Survival and Elimination Special Exam

W ITH WINTER VACATION behind us, our school lives were off to a new start. There was some degree of bewilderment among my classmates as they exchanged greetings with those they hadn’t seen for close to two weeks, since before the new year. But other than that, things were the same as usual.

Meanwhile, one question lingered in the back of everyone’s minds: When was the next special exam going to be held? Horikita, who had been given hints by our upperclassmen, probably felt that question weighing especially heavy on her mind.

Our homeroom instructor, Chabashira-sensei, showed up, her appearance signaling the start of a new day at school. Her expression was stern as usual, and she made her way to the podium with a serious profile that left no room for messing around. It was interesting, however, that some of the students seemed to naturally and intuitively sense that something was different, even though everything appeared the same as usual.

Observing everything from the back of the classroom, I had also arrived at the same conclusion. It was Thursday, well past the middle of the week, and it seemed as though we were finally starting the preliminaries.

“Good morning. Today, I’m going to talk to you about the first special exam of the third semester,” announced Chabashira-sensei.

Just as the homeroom instructors had been watching my fellow students over these past two years, the students had been watching the teachers closely too.

“Few of you seem surprised. I suppose that means you’ve gotten a sense of the timing of these things now, hm?” observed Chabashira-sensei. “That’ll make this go quickly,” she added, adjusting her posture once more before looking out over the students.

“I’d like to jump straight into the explanation. The rules for this special exam are a little complex,” said Chabashira-sensei as she turned on the monitor and booted up the software. “First of all, it will be conducted only for the second-year grade level.”

This wasn’t going to involve students from the other grade levels, the first-years and third-years.

“The rules for this special exam are different from the special exams you’ve had in the past, like the ones where you’ve all competed against each other to get first place or exams where you’ve gone up against a specific class in a one-on-one competition. I will explain it to you with easy-to-understand diagrams. Take a look at the monitor,” said Chabashira-sensei.

The data was quickly loaded and the file was opened.

“Survival and Elimination Special Exam”

The first words to appear on the screen looked to be the name of the next special exam. Simply the name made the students slightly nervous.

“Survival and elimination? Oh man, this kinda sounds like something real, real dangerous…” said Ike.

He was stating the obvious, as usual. But I couldn’t blame him. When you saw the word elimination, you would make an association with danger whether you wanted to or not. None of the students said it out loud, but they all associated the word elimination with “expulsion.” Chabashira-sensei didn’t elaborate on the name of the special exam and instead launched into an explanation of what it would entail.

“The school has prepared a wide variety of category-specific tasks. Each class will select a category, a difficulty level, and then assign that task to the target class in a specific, predetermined order,” explained Chabashira-sensei.

To illustrate, Chabashira-sensei brought up a quadrilateral diagram on the monitor as an example.

1: Class A → 2: Class B

↑ ↓

3: Class D ← 3: Class C

“This class lineup you see here is just an example, but, going clockwise, first, Class A gives Class B the task of their choice to solve. Class A is on the offensive side in this scenario. Class B, on the other hand, is on the defensive side. If Class B manages to fend off Class A’s attack, meaning that they solve the task given to them and get it correct, Class B will have scored points. Once that attack and defense is over, next, Class B will be on the attacking side, issuing a task to Class C. Attacking and defending is repeated in this same manner, shifting from one class to the next, until we reach the end of the rotation, with Class D attacking and Class A defending—the process up until this point is one turn,” explained Chabashira-sensei.

What I understood from this initial explanation was that your class’s score wouldn’t increase when you were on the attacking side, but rather, your score increased based on how many tasks you solved correctly when you were on the defending side.

“After a total of ten turns, the first half of the battle is over. The second half comprises another ten turns, with the arrows switched, going in counterclockwise order. You will spend a total of twenty turns between both halves of the battle alternating between attacking and defending,” said Chabashira-sensei.

The counterclockwise diagram was also thoughtfully displayed on the screen.

1: Class A ← 2: Class B

↓ ↑

3: Class D → 3: Class C

How the placement of our classes would be determined remained to be seen, but it was important. There wouldn’t be any pattern of attacking or defending between classes placed diagonally across from each other. It would add an extra mental burden if you were to fight offensive and defensive battles in succession against the class that posed the biggest threat against your classmates.

“Next,” Chabashira-sensei continued, “I will explain the tasks, your method of attack, in greater detail. As I mentioned at the start, the school has prepared tasks across a wide variety of categories. They range from topics based on academic ability, such as literature, economics, English, calculations, kanji, history, and so on, to nonacademic genres such as subcultures and performing arts.”

“Wait, do students even need stuff like performin’ arts…? That ain’t exactly my strong suit…” After hearing the name of something he was clearly unfamiliar with, Sudou expressed his disdain.

“It is certainly true that there are some subjects that are not a student’s main area of concern, yes. However, people who are ignorant of the world when they enter working society are weeded out. To put it another way, there are also occasional instances where having allies with a variety of talents is useful, even if they aren’t capable in their studies. Your well-roundedness as a person is what will be tested,” said Chabashira-sensei.

While some of the students understood things from how Chabashira-sensei had just explained it, others did not fully understand. Sensing this vibe in the classroom, Chabashira-sensei switched gears and tried again.

“Some of you seem to have trouble understanding, so I’ll try to put it in simpler terms. In short, you could say that this special exam is similar to a quiz. The attacking class issues the quiz, while the defending class solves it. That’s how this works.”

That explanation was so incredibly easy to understand that the majority of the students began to indicate that they understood. However, at the same time, more than a few students looked perplexed.

It seemed safe to think of this exam as a battle of pop quizzes. Successful people and capable people didn’t necessarily excel only in academics. No matter where their academic records stood at the end of their schooling, many of them would likely have proficiency in an area outside of that. With that in mind, you certainly couldn’t declare that knowledge in areas such as performing arts was unnecessary.

Hypothetically, if one were to pursue a career related to the performing arts, there would be an enormous difference between starting out with absolutely no knowledge at all and having a wealth of knowledge, both in respect to getting your start and your subsequent path. Also, when trying to communicate smoothly with bosses or subordinates, knowledge outside of academia would be tested. If you could demonstrate your knowledge, it would be a plus.

ATTACKING SIDE

Choose a category and difficulty level. Attack by nominating the students who will be given the task.

ATTACK RESTRICTIONS

There is no limit to the number of times a student can be nominated consecutively. Similarly, the same category can also be selected multiple times consecutively. Within three minutes upon starting, the attacking class must nominate five people in the defending class and inform the instructor in charge of their choices.

*Note: If the attacking class does not finish selecting the five students in time, the remaining number of people to be nominated will be determined at random.

LIST OF POSSIBLE CATEGORIES

Literature, History, Science, Social Studies, Sports, Performing Arts, Music, Economics, Trivia, English, Calculation, News, Kanji, Everyday Life, Gastronomy, Subcultures

DIFFICULTY

Three levels of difficulty, ranging from 1–3 (the higher the number, the higher the difficulty)

NUMBER OF TARGETS

Five people

The school had only said that there would be a wide variety of topics, but the selection of categories alone included sixteen choices.

“The attacking class will first select a category from this list, and then—” began Chabashira-sensei.

“Wait, difficulty level? Isn’t it obvious that the attacker’d just pick the hard stuff for their opponent?” blurted Ike, interrupting Chabashira-sensei.

The words had probably spilled out of his mouth unintentionally while Chabashira-sensei was in the middle of explaining. Realizing what he’d done, Ike covered his mouth in a panic, but it was already too late. Amid the awkward atmosphere hanging in the air, Ike looked up at Chabashira-sensei fearfully. Although the mental image of Chabashira-sensei responding harshly to being interrupted in the middle of her explanations remained firmly planted in our minds, she simply let out a sigh.

“Refrain from making unnecessary comments, Ike,” she warned.

“Y-yes, ma’am, I’m sorry!”

Chabashira-sensei resumed her explanation. “The attacking class selects a category and then a difficulty level, and the average level of difficulty for the first level is considered the basic level of difficulty. It is possible to select the second or third level of difficulty, which are tougher, but that requires spending the points that you have earned. That means that for every point you spend from the pool you have saved, you can increase the difficulty by one level.”

Little by little, the rules of the special exam were becoming more complicated. It sounded like the attacking side didn’t simply choose a category.

“The attacking class nominates five students from the defending class and assigns them a task. You may nominate the same students as many times in a row as you wish, or you can change which ones you nominate. Similarly, the same category can also be selected consecutively.”

There were no restrictions on the nomination of students or selection or categories, and the attackers were free to target a number of unspecified students or target specific students endlessly, then, judging from the explanation.

“So let’s say, for instance, you’re not good at a particular category, and the opposing class is aware of this fact. Then, well…”

It wasn’t difficult to quickly catch onto what Chabashira-sensei was getting at. If the attackers focused their attacks in an area that the defenders weren’t proficient in, then it wasn’t unlikely that the defending class would get the questions wrong.

“I understand that you are feeling anxious, but this isn’t a special exam where you just have to conquer your weakest subjects beforehand. In this special exam, individual knowledge is also important, yes, but another important aspect is how well a class understands its allies. This exam is designed in such a way that the leader doesn’t just have to passively let a student be targeted for tasks repeatedly. They can protect a situation at times, and even attack if the situation calls for it,” added Chabashira-sensei.

DEFENDING SIDE

Five people can be protected per task via nomination by the leader. If there is a protected student among the five students nominated by the attacking side, then that student will be treated as though they’ve solved the task correctly. Within three minutes, upon the completion of the attacking side’s action, the defending class nominates five people from their own class and informs the instructor in charge of their choices.

*Note: If the defending class does not finish selecting the five students in time, the remaining number of people to be nominated will be determined at random.

TASK EXCLUSIONS

Each student is free to choose up to a maximum of three from the sixteen total categories to exclude in advance. The attacking side will not be able to choose tasks in the excluded categories.

ELIMINATION

If a student answers incorrectly a total of three times, he or she will be eliminated and be ineligible for further nomination. For each student who is eliminated, one Negative Point will be added to the class’s score.

*Note: Negative Points will continue to accumulate even if the total number of points earned is zero.

SCORE

One point is awarded per correct answer (or successful protection) per person for a task. There is no reduction in points for incorrect answers.

“At this point, I’m sure some of you may be confused,” said Chabashira-sensei. “Remember that, since you can nominate five students and remove them from the list of possible targets every time you’re on the defense, if a student appears targeted for concentrated attack, you can prioritize that person as someone to be protected. Of course, if the attacking side determines that someone would be kept safe by the protection rule, they also can change their targets every turn. Aside from worrying about getting tasks correct, you should focus on strategy.”

As she had mentioned beforehand, you could say that this was a somewhat complicated special exam. However, when you unraveled the thread, you would see it was surprisingly simple in some respects, and you were basically just doing the same thing repeatedly.

“Also, students will always be allowed to discuss and debate necessary matters during the special exam, whether they are on the attacking or defending sides, but all final decisions will be made by a single leader elected by the class. It’s a position that comes with an extreme amount of responsibility,” said Chabashira-sensei.

It was all up to the leader if their actions would reflect the opinions of their classmates. You could absolutely not entrust such a position to someone who lacked decisiveness or someone whose judgment would falter.

“Additionally…in the event there is a class with students who have made three mistakes and were eliminated from the exam, and that class then sinks to the bottom of the scoreboard out of the four classes, then one of the eliminated students from that class will be expelled.”

“Whoa… I-I can’t seriously believe we could get expelled! Well, sure, I mean, I knew it was possible and all, but still…!” wailed one student.

Small shrieks arose from students in the room.

“Now, let’s take a look at the rewards for this special exam,” said Chabashira-sensei.

REWARDS

1st Place: +100 Class Points

2nd Place: –50 Class Points

3rd Place: –50 Class Points

4th Place: –100 Class Points

*Note: If more than one class has the highest score, the special exam will go into overtime until a single winner is decided.

*Note: If all four classes have the same number of points at the end of the special exam, all four classes will be penalized 100 Class Points.

“WHAT?! What the hell is this?! Everyone except for first place loses Class Points?!” exclaimed one student.

It was no wonder why students would raise their voices, sounding agitated and tinged with surprise. Out of the four classes, there was only going to be one real winner. However, once you delved into the rules in depth, you could guess the reason why. As indicated by the notes under the rewards section, if the four classes colluded and worked out a secret arrangement before the special exam, all four classes could finish the exam with equal scores. To combat that, there were measures to avoid collusion. As long as second place and below got points deducted, it became almost impossible to cooperate with each other across class boundaries. Even if classes cooperated, only one class could win.

Of course, it wasn’t like it was actually impossible for classes to cooperate. If they went with an unusual approach, it was totally possible. For example, the time when Ryuuen entered into a contract with Katsuragi in the special exam held on the uninhabited island during the summer of our first year, wherein he received Private Points in exchange for giving up on Class Points. However, cooperation wouldn’t be possible unless there was a strategy in place to ensure that first place would be taken.

Since the rules made it easy for a class to get a high score if they worked together with someone, the restrictions to prevent this from happening were strict. This was also a valuable opportunity to get a specific student expelled if their class fell to the bottom of the rankings. This was a step further than even the special exams that we’d had thus far, and the students would likely not do anything to throw away such a one-in-a-million opportunity unless it came with a heavy price.

If there were any sort of cooperative relationship, it would be one based on a mutual “no eliminations” premise. That was a way to ensure equality and security no matter the class. However, Horikita and Ichinose aside, it was unlikely that Ryuuen or Sakayanagi would accept such a proposal. Moreover, due to the system of attacking and defending, each class had to compete against two classes. It was unlikely it would be as simple as sticking to a policy of no eliminations.

“In the event there are multiple eliminations in the lowest-ranked class, that class leader will nominate one person from among the eliminated students,” explained Chabashira-sensei. “Of course, the nominated student has no right to protest the decision. In the event multiple classes are tied for last place, it is possible that there could be expulsions from multiple classes.”

That meant if the lowest-ranked class had eliminations in their class, one or more expulsions would definitely happen. The only exceptions that could be made to this would be either the usual route, paying twenty million points, or if the eliminated student selected for expulsion had a Protect Point. It was possible to avoid expulsion where there were no eliminations in even the lowest-ranked class, but in a frontal attack, that was close to impossible.

“Sensei, may I speak?” asked Horikita.

Horikita, sitting in front of Chabashira-sensei, raised her hand for permission to ask a question.

“Sure. What is it?”

“What happens if the leader is eliminated during the special exam? Also, will those who have been eliminated be asked to take some kind of special action, such as leaving the room?” asked Horikita.

“I’ll start with your second question first, as that is easy to answer. If a student is eliminated, they will simply be ineligible for nomination by the attacking side thereafter. Aside from that, nothing changes; that student would remain in the same place as the other students. He or she would also be free to join discussions and the like,” explained Chabashira-sensei.

So basically, they’d be up for possible expulsion, but otherwise faced no real consequences.

“Regarding your question about the leader being eliminated, actually, in this exam, the leaders will not be participating in the tasks in the first place. It’s impossible for the attacking side to nominate the leader, so there is no fear of elimination,” added Chabashira-sensei.

“Which means the leader only gives commands and doesn’t fight…” remarked Horikita.

“Correct. Those elected to be leader are effectively exempt from the risk of expulsion. Whether that is considered a benefit or not is a matter of perspective.”

The leaders would fight by commanding their class and did not risk expulsion. Instead, if their class came in last place, they were tasked with nominating an eliminated student from their own class to be expelled. The responsibility for losing was great. They must expel a fellow classmate; such was their role. Though it was the only position that provided security, few students would likely be willing to volunteer for the job so easily because they’d have a crucial role in whether the class achieved victory, and the responsibility of having to dispose of a friend in the event of defeat.

Even if there were students who could be casually ruthless like Ryuuen or Sakayanagi, the other students would probably be hesitant to take the job. The role of pushing the button to remove the floorboard of the gallows under a death row inmate was just that difficult.

“Also, an important point of note, cell phone use will be permitted during the special exam except for when you are doing a task on the defensive side,” explained Chabashira-sensei.

“Huh? It’s…okay?” asked one student.

“If anything, you could say that your cell phones are indispensable gadgets in this particular special exam. Information about the other classes will be disclosed once the test begins. This means that you will need to sort through information in real time to determine who has excluded which categories, and to find the best solutions.”

If you added any three classes together, you had more than a hundred students. Even if you just took the two target classes, that would be about eighty students. The whole class would need to come together to gather information even to specify the category. Additionally, there were other advantages to being able to use our phones. For example, students who normally weren’t particularly good at engaging in conversation would find it difficult to talk when they noticed something. Such students would keep their observations to themselves because they’d think it was too trivial to speak up about, only to realize later that in fact it was something that should have been asked. For shy students, it would be easy for them to send a message about an issue they’ve noticed just to a specific friend via an app and look to that friend for a decision.

“You can also use your phones when you’re defending, of course. You are even free to cram for a task until the very last minute or to contact and negotiate with students from an opposing class. You can do whatever you want. If you notice a trend in the tasks during the course of the exam, you may even be able to come up with countermeasures,” said Chabashira-sensei.

Conditions were added to this exam that would have been unthinkable before now. If cell phones could be used, the range of attack and defense would be greatly expanded. It looked likely that how quickly information could be shared and how efficiently it could be used were also part of the evaluation.

“The special exam will be held on Friday of next week. First of all, be sure to make time sometime before the end of class on Monday early next week to discuss the situation thoroughly, decide upon a leader, and notify me. In the unlikely event that you are unable to choose a leader, one will be selected at random, as I’m sure you’re already aware.”

Most likely this was the end of the explanation for the special exam because Chabashira-sensei then let out a heavy sigh.

“I’m sure you already understand this, but this will be a difficult battle. What I can tell you is…” she began.

After looking at the students, Chabashira-sensei finished her statement.

“Do everything within your power to avoid coming in last place. That’s all.”

This was a special exam in which losing meant risking the loss of a fellow classmate, so avoiding coming in last place was an absolute necessity. We had been told that the special exams in the third semester had the potential to be grueling, and this exam was exactly that. It was entirely conceivable that talented students could be expelled, even if they were academically or physically gifted, depending on the strategies that other classes used.

At any rate, I was impressed by the fact that this time around, the school didn’t use a system where we scored points by attacking. It was well thought out. Because it was up to the defending team’s judgment that led to points being scored, it was more important to think about one’s own class and face it head-on. This was an exam where classes would score points through the leader discussing things with their peers. How well you knew your class and how well you knew your opponents would determine whether you win or lose.

3.1

C HABASHIRA-SENSEI LEFT the classroom, and we had a brief time before our morning classes began. On days like today, where we weren’t heading into classes in different rooms, everyone usually spent their time chatting about various things. However, today, the students spontaneously gathered around Horikita, as though there weren’t a moment to waste. First, Yousuke took the vanguard position, to calm his agitated classmates.

“We don’t have much time, so for now, let’s just stick to looking back at the special exam contents,” said Yousuke, reining in the conversation.

Of course, after close to two years’ experience, very few students would be disinclined to listen to Yousuke. Yousuke, taking the students around him falling silent once again to mean that they agreed, nodded, and continued speaking.

“The point of concern for this special exam is the fact that there will almost definitely be at least one expulsion from the lowest-ranked class. It’s difficult to imagine a situation where a class will come in last place without any eliminations. On top of that, while the odds of this happening are low, there might be multiple expulsions from multiple classes if multiple classes tie for last place,” said Yousuke.

There would be twenty turns’ worth of attacking. Since there were five students per attack phase, that meant there’d be a total of one hundred attacks. No matter how good the leaders were, it seemed inevitable that there would be a few eliminations.

“The unique nature of this exam will put students who have gotten two tasks wrong into a tight spot,” Yousuke continued. “If you protect those specific students from being eliminated, then obviously the other classes will target other students. If you keep protecting those students who are in trouble, then the number of students who end up in the same situation, with two tasks wrong, will start popping up one after another…”

That concept was precisely one of the things we’d be strategizing over. The attacking class would analyze the defending class, take aim by determining which category someone in the defending class isn’t good at, and take their shot. The attacking class would need to determine which targets were protected and avoid going for them to prevent giving the defending class points. The defending class needed to read the attacker’s thinking in much the same way.

“It’s not necessarily going to be the weaker students who get eliminated. It is the natural order of things that the other classes will, in consideration of the future, want to get the capable students eliminated and drive them to expulsion. If we as a class misjudge who we should be protecting, then even the capable students are at risk.”

This was an exam where, in the most extreme case, everyone except the leader faced the possibility of expulsion. It wasn’t even impossible for exceptional students like Yousuke or Kushida to be eliminated if they were continuously bombarded with tasks over and over. Of course, you couldn’t say that would be a wise strategy. It would have to be done when there were no other students who had priority for protection. The chances were high that the class doing something like that would be giving up on winning the exam. Even if such a strategy were to succeed, the damage it would inflict wouldn’t compare to the Class Points lost. Taking that into account, the reward for this particular exam might actually be rather modest. This was a special exam more about placing the losers at a disadvantage than putting the winner at a greater advantage.

“It’s only natural to want to avoid eliminations, at any cost. But, in this short time we have right now, I just want to say don’t be overly anxious. Let’s not make a fuss while we still haven’t seen the true nature of this special exam, and let’s start by unifying our overall awareness,” concluded Horikita, reminding her classmates that while they could see the obvious dangers on the surface of the special exam, that wasn’t all there was to it. Of course, if she left the issue alone forever, self-serving delusions would spread. Therefore, Horikita encouraged her classmates in the classroom to discuss things during our lunch break. Although it wasn’t mandatory, she had asked as many as possible to attend.

3.2

S TUDENTS WHO DIDN’T BRING lunch rushed to the food stands or the convenience store and quickly returned to the classroom. About ten minutes into the start of our lunch break, thirty-seven classmates, excluding Kouenji, had gathered. Their purpose was, of course, to discuss the upcoming special exam. The plan was to make the most of their time by discussing the exam while eating lunch. There were several important items, one of which, as Horikita had informed everyone earlier, was to properly understand this special exam so they would be fully prepared.

The second item would likely be the selection of a leader. If Horikita, who had actually functioned as leader many times up until this point, were to volunteer for the position, few would object. However, she had not said anything herself about it yet, perhaps because the discussion had only just begun. Although Horikita was not the type of person to run away from a big responsibility, she may have wanted to listen to the class first. There was no guarantee that other students wouldn’t volunteer for the position.

However, even though Horikita didn’t speak up and volunteer herself, someone came forward who was considering endorsing her as the leader.

“Horikita-san, before we delve into full-fledged discussion, I would like to ask you something. If we asked you to take the position of leader in this special exam, would you accept?” asked Yousuke.

Yousuke took the initiative and asked the question. He was probably acting in the interest of the class, wanting to back Horikita for the position early on, as she was likely to get a solid seventy or eighty points, rather than allowing for a situation where an unexpected student might suddenly come forward and take the leadership role.

However, in Yousuke’s heart of hearts, he might not have felt that way himself. That was because he also had a strong, lingering impression of Horikita as the person responsible for changing our class’s policy during the Unanimous Special Exam and causing chaos. I was impressed by how Yousuke didn’t let those feelings show at all.

“If the majority nominate me, I don’t intend to refuse. However, in this special exam, according to the rules, though the leader will be exempt from the risk of being eliminated or expelled, they bear a great deal of responsibility. If there are other candidates, I for one would like to hear what they have to say,” said Horikita.

Horikita, on the other hand, wasn’t rushing things because she understood the stakes. This time around, the leader had the responsibility of making strategies and appointments, but they also had the privilege of avoiding expulsion. Not a single one of the thirty-seven students present here wished to get expelled. There was no guarantee that the privilege of avoiding expulsion wouldn’t rouse someone to action, and cause someone with the same or greater level of ability as Horikita to volunteer to take the lead. However, not many would do that. An ideal situation.

The reality was that, ultimately, only those who wanted to buy security in exchange for becoming the leader would be the ones to come forward. However, if someone volunteered for the position only for the sake of self-preservation, their classmates would obviously reject them. The leader must be someone responsible and have the determination and confidence to lead the class to victory.

“If anyone here wishes to be the leader, I would like them to speak up,” said Horikita, after having moved over to the podium overlooking the class.

The classroom immediately fell silent, the students merely exchanging glances as time passed. After waiting about thirty seconds for a candidate to emerge, Yousuke nodded.

“I think that you’re right. Honestly, I don’t think that the part about the leader being exempt from elimination and expulsion is a tremendous benefit in itself. If there is no other student who can take on the important responsibilities of the class, I would definitely like to entrust the position to you, Horikita-san. What do you think?” asked Yousuke.

If no other students wished to be the leader, Yousuke was going to try to prompt a decision as soon as possible. I didn’t really think that such haste was necessary, but the decision of who would take the leadership role was an important one. Yousuke was waiting for the response he hoped to hear from Horikita, but reaction was slightly delayed, perhaps because she was looking at her cell phone screen. It seemed that she had been listening properly to what he said though, because after turning her screen off, she answered.

“Yes, I intend to take the position, of course. Even though I wanted to hear other peoples’ opinions and expressed reservations about the role myself, I had been planning to accept the leadership position from the beginning. So then, if there are no objections…”

“Hold on a minute.”

Just as the vibe in the room was leaning toward “Horikita is the obvious choice,” Maezono raised her hand to speak, albeit hesitantly.

“I, um, well, I actually think there is a little room for discussion on this,” said Maezono.

Yousuke’s face stiffened for a brief moment, but his smile didn’t fade. Normally, he wouldn’t have shown any opening like that, but today was different. That was coming from the wariness of a special exam that could result in an expulsion.

“I think that you’re dependable and stuff, Horikita-san, for sure. And it’s super appreciated that you’re willing to take on the responsibility of being leader, but…we absolutely, positively cannot lose this special exam, right? If we come in last place and someone gets eliminated during the exam, someone is going to get expelled. We should choose the leader who will give us the best chance of winning, right?”

Yousuke probably would have reacted immediately and denied it if her statement had been that Horikita wanted to take the position of leader to buy her safety. However, that wasn’t the case. Maezono had called into question Horikita’s ability to lead.

“Yes, you’re absolutely right, Maezono-san, having a leader who has a high probably of winning is the best thing. But I think that Horikita-san would do well enough to make winning decisions, don’t you?” Yousuke was convinced that Horikita was the most qualified person for the job, so he hadn’t hesitated with his retort.

“Not that I’m, like, doubting Horikita-san’s skills or anything. But it’s, like, is she really the best? That’s what I mean when I say there’s room for discussion, I guess. Maybe there’s someone else in class who can make the best decisions?” said Maezono.

Maezono appealed to her classmates, Yousuke included, though she was being pretty vague. Yousuke nodded several times in response, never letting his smile slip, but his words in response to her remained stuck in his throat. That was because Maezono’s question, while not so strange, was tricky. If it were handled badly, it could create an unpleasant atmosphere. Amid all of this, an unexpected reaction came from Ike, who didn’t seem like he had been thinking too deeply about the issue.

“What, so you got somebody in mind, Maezono? Because I have no idea,” said Ike.

“Yeah, but hold on a sec. Is it okay if I just, like, give my personal opinion about something?” said Maezono.

It sounded like Maezono did indeed have someone in mind after all, because she had affirmed what Ike had asked. Since no one had any right to stop her from speaking, Maezono continued.

“You remember how Horikita-san changed her opinion about expelling Kushida-san during the Unanimous Special exam, right? Back then, the student who should have taken responsibility for everything that happened was the one who kept consistently antagonizing the class. But it’s like… I feel like Horikita-san didn’t follow through where she should have. This time around, the leader decides everything, right? The fact that the leader even decides who gets expelled from the list of students who got eliminated is something we can’t ignore. Oh, and for the record, I’m not trying to say that Horikita-san’s decision back then was, like, a mistake or anything. It’s not like all our problems have been resolved, but Kushida-san staying here has been a big plus for our class in some ways,” said Maezono.

Maezono was careful to stress that she didn’t just hate Kushida for no reason. Of course, deep down, Kushida was probably irritated just to have her name brought up in this conversation. There were more and more opportunities for her to take off her mask in class, but for the time being, she maintained her smile. That said, whether that smile was a warm one or not was debatable… Anyway, what Maezono was trying to say was just that she felt Horikita might be indecisive in some ways. In other words, she was doubtful that Horikita was worthy of trust.

“It’s just the part about how the leader has deciding power that I’m hung up on. What I’m trying to say is, like, putting aside the question of who else is right for the job, is Horikita-san really the best person for us to entrust this exam to?” asked Maezono.

Once again, Maezono advocated that the class should think about whether letting Horikita handle things was a good idea. If you asked me whether Horikita’s decision-making skills and judgment were perfect, at this present time, I would say no. I thought that this was a good question, and one that should be welcomed. This conversation was especially important to Horikita. This could be an opportunity for her to absorb the perceptions of her peers as she matured. At any rate, I was surprised that Maezono was so eloquent in questioning Horikita’s abilities.

“I see… What you’ve said is all painfully true,” conceded Horikita, “I have to say that you’re certainly right that I was lost back then. I rejected the opinion of the majority of my classmates and changed the decision for personal reasons. That is an undeniable fact.”

I could tell from Hasebe’s side profile that her stern expression had clouded for a moment, but she didn’t do anything remotely resembling glaring at Horikita. She likely understood that Horikita had faced a difficult decision.

“I cannot assertively declare that I am the best possible candidate as leader. But at the moment, no one else has come forward to volunteer for the position,” added Horikita.

“Even if no one else has come forward themselves, we can just nominate someone. If you ask other people, me included, about it, we might be able to come up with more suitable candidates. Isn’t it worth a try?” replied Maezono.

“I see. Nominating someone… I am sure there are students in this class who would prefer that it not be me in the role, but I did ask the class once before. If there was someone willing to be the leader, he or she should have raised their hand. Can we really leave the decision-making to someone who is not voluntarily coming forward?” countered Horikita.

“That’s—”

“Or should we ask Kouenji-kun, who is being very quiet? He has a sharp side to him, and I’m sure he is undoubtedly capable of making decisions,” added Horikita bluntly, as though she were trying to slice Maezono’s opinion in two.

Kouenji would certainly have strength enough to be able to respond to any question. Irritation flitted across Maezono’s face, but she couldn’t produce a counterargument, and the words wouldn’t come.

“Your thinking is correct, though. I agree with your opinion that we should look for someone with good, fast judgment. So, after hearing Maezono-san out, I would like to ask the class for a show of hands. If there are any students confident in their ability as leaders who can guide the class to victory in this exam, I would like for you to raise your hand. I will gladly hand over the position if someone comes along who I think is more qualified than I am,” said Horikita.

It was obvious that by “someone” she was referring to me, and some people in class were even looking in my direction. I didn’t budge an inch, of course. I had no intention whatsoever of depriving Horikita of the opportunity to experience this and for her chance at developing as a leader. Besides, Horikita herself, more than anyone else, knew from the very beginning that there was no way I would volunteer. That was why she had intentionally been vague in her wording, saying that she would hand it over to “someone” in class with decision-making abilities. You can’t fight with only your hidden strength. She wasn’t going to entrust this test to me unless I could raise my hand and say that I was the one for the job.

“You’re exactly right, Horikita-san. We can’t make someone the leader when they’re not coming forward to volunteer for the job,” said Maezono.

The room quieted down as Maezono withdrew her opinion in the face of Horikita’s sound argument. It will sound like I’m repeating myself, but Maezono’s statements were neither unnecessary nor reprehensible. It was particularly important to put a stop to the bias that our classmates were falling into, namely, that Horikita should be the undisputed leader. Was Horikita the best possible candidate as leader at this present time, or not? As long as the class could arrive at an answer while still asking themselves this question each time, then there was nothing to worry about. When those doubts completely disappeared, that would be when Horikita had grown into a leader recognized by everyone in class.

“It looks like we can finally move on. Now then, why don’t we start talking about what this special exam will be about? I think we should all start eating our lunch too. We’ve all been holding back from doing so,” said Yousuke.

No one had touched their lunch, probably because there was tension in the air, with many students feeling nervous. Some of them were given a sudden start by Yousuke’s words, and hurriedly started shoveling food into their mouths. Then Horikita and Yousuke once again took the lead in explaining the outline and rules of the special exam, each eating while the other spoke. By the time the second half of our lunch break rolled around, all the students had a deep understanding of the exam, including the parts they were unable to understand when Chabashira-sensei had given her explanation. As students began to exchange opinions, Sudou, perhaps having been thinking about something for a long time, spoke up rather forcefully.

“I know I’m talkin’ ’bout someone who ain’t here, but what are ya gonna do ’bout Kouenji? You gonna to protect him for sure? That was what you promised, right?” asked Sudou.

Kouenji, calling it advance payment until graduation, had achieved first place completely on his own in the Uninhabited Island Exam. In return, he was entitled to complete freedom. That meant that Kouenji would be protected unconditionally. In this special exam though, even Kouenji was in danger of being eliminated and expelled. They had made that promise just before the end of the Uninhabited Island Exam, but the fact that Horikita had made that promise was well-known among everyone. Horikita had already told our classmates in an effort to explain things.

“A timely topic. I had just received a rather courteous message from the person in question, and it reads, ‘Needless to say, you are going to make sure I am protected from expulsion, yes?’” said Horikita, turning the screen of her phone to show her classmates the actual text.

“Oh my god, this sucks! This means that we’ll be forced to work with only four protections!” wailed one student.

If the attacking side realized that Kouenji would always be protected, then naturally, they would avoid nominating him. However, even if the attacking side avoided nominating him, there was no guarantee that an attack wouldn’t come, so Horikita would have to continue protecting Kouenji over and over if she were to keep her promise.

“Don’t jump to conclusions. We can’t say for certain that it will be necessary to protect him constantly. I will think of some countermeasures. I won’t go into details now, but don’t ruminate on it,” said Horikita.

Since this was an area where strategy was involved, she couldn’t casually discuss things right here. If the discussion heated up, it would waste time and just a lunch period would not be nearly enough time to resolve a conflict. Horikita, in consideration of the time remaining, would only reconfirm the necessary points and take questions regarding those points. Horikita had also indicated that discussions about strategy should be conducted with caution from the standpoint of information leakage. While she solicited people for ideas and anything else that they thought of, she ruled that communication about this matter in the classroom, where there were many people around, or in the hallways, where people were passing by, or on devices like cell phones, which could easily leave a record, would not be permitted.

3.3

A FTER SCHOOL, Kei and I headed for Keyaki Mall. I hadn’t originally planned to stop there today, but she had asked me if we could. However, Kei, the one who had invited me out, didn’t have a smile on her face like usual. Rather, she looked dejected the whole time.

“You’ve been looking down for a while now. What’s the matter?” I asked.

“Oh… Yeah…” mumbled Kei.

It seemed like there was something on her mind, and after some slight hesitation, she looked over at me.

“H-hey, Kiyotaka? It’s, well, I’m wondering what’ll happen to me in this exam, and…I think that if I get targeted again and again, it’ll be impossible for me to keep answering the questions correctly, and… Will the class be able to protect me?” she asked, frightened, unable to hide her anxiety.

“You’re not the only student lacking in confidence, Kei. Almost every student in class must feel anxious to some degree. Horikita too, our leader, is well aware of this fact, of course,” I replied.

“I wish you were the leader, Kiyotaka… Then I would definitely be protected,” said Kei.

I deliberately avoided responding to her delusions. Right now, the priority was to dispel her worries.

“Horikita will protect her classmates. Even so, we can’t bring the possibility of losing down to zero. However, when the time comes when someone must be cut, she’ll have to make a decision about who. If there are several other students aside from you who have been eliminated, Kei, then Horikita wouldn’t pick you so easily, as you are someone who unites the girls. Besides, Horikita also knows that you are my girlfriend. Even if I can’t protect you, I’m sure it would be difficult for Horikita to choose you for expulsion,” I replied.

That was not a point of view that I was intentionally going to guide Horikita to, but rather a point of view that Horikita would come to all on her own. Namely, Horikita would believe that if she wanted my cooperation in the future, Kei would be someone that would be difficult to get rid of. However, that situation would require there to be other eliminations aside from Kei, and that Kei would be given higher priority after taking those conditions into account. If it came down to a choice between Kei and Yousuke, it would be impossible to change Horikita’s decision on the matter without intervention regardless of the fact that she was my girlfriend.

“Y-yeah, you’re right. I’m your girlfriend, Kiyotaka. Horikita-san wouldn’t choose me so easily,” said Kei.

“Yeah. Besides, Horikita can only protect five people each time out of a class of nearly forty. Taking that fact into account, it wouldn’t be unusual for there to be eliminations. After twenty turns, there should be a fair number of eliminations in every class. Supposing if ten students in our class were eliminated, it’s highly unlikely that Horikita would choose you, Kei, the leader of the girls, right?” I asked.

“…Right,” replied Kei.

If there were a lot of eliminations, there wouldn’t be exceptions, even for an honors class like Class A. If anything, conducting the exam in such a way to avoid having a single elimination would be stifling to a class—they’d strangle themselves. In extreme cases, even if half of the class got eliminated, you could still avoid coming in last place. That kind of reassurance wouldn’t be wasted in trying to give the students peace of mind. Just making them understand their value would lessen their emotional burden.

The fact that Kei was my girlfriend was a relief to her. However, depending on how you thought about it, it could also be interpreted as a dangerous factor. It was entirely conceivable that if someone wanted to inflict damage on me, they could get rid of Kei. At any rate, there were aspects of this special exam that would reaffirm the value of each individual student. Who was necessary for the class and who was unnecessary? That would make you look at it from all angles.

3.4

O N OUR WAY BACK from Keyaki Mall, I found Morishita lying on a bench.

“What the…?” muttered Kei, standing next to me, sounding puzzled (and looking quite taken aback) as she looked at Morishita.

I couldn’t comprehend the sequence of events that could’ve led her to lie face down on a bench and close her eyes when it wasn’t even warm and sunny. Even though the snow had melted, we were still smack in the middle of winter in mid-January.

“Is she dead?” I asked, letting the thought of that small possibility escape my lips.

“No way! She couldn’t be!” exclaimed Kei standing next to me, denying it emphatically.

“You are correct. I am not dead,” replied Morishita.

Morishita abruptly sat up and looked up at us with a slightly sleepy look on her face. Apparently, she was just about to fall asleep, but hadn’t yet. She must have felt incredibly drowsy to be able to sleep in such cold weather.

“What are you doing in a place like this?” asked Kei.

“Are you curious?” asked Morishita.

“I’d be lying if I said that I wasn—”

“Then I will tell you. I was waiting for Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, who seems to be hiding something,” said Morishita, interrupting her.

When Kei tried to respond to Morishita’s initial question about her level of interest, Morishita gave her the reason.

She was still speaking very politely, but the fact that she wasn’t using any honorifics in her address really did feel a little off-putting.

“Huh? You know each other?” exclaimed Kei.

Naturally, Kei was surprised as well.

“Well, I…wouldn’t even go as far as to say we’re acquaintances, really. We’ve only ever talked once,” I replied.

“Hmm? You know, you sure do seem to know a lot of other girls from other classes, Kiyotaka-kun.” She looked up at me with her arms crossed, speaking as though she were a teacher pressing a student for answers.