Table of Contents
Character Gallery
Table of Contents Page
Title Page
Copyrights and Credits
Chapter 1: Horikita Manabu’s Soliloquy
Chapter 2: A New Special Exam: Mixed Training Camp
Chapter 3: Human Nature Put to the Test
Chapter 4: A Premonition of Defeat
Chapter 5: The First Half of the Girls’ Battle: Ichinose Honami
Chapter 6: Ubiquitous Things
Chapter 7: What Is Lost, What Isn’t
Chapter 8: The Second Half of the Girls’ Battle: Horikita Suzune
Chapter 9: Blind Spot
Postscript
Newsletter
Chapter 1:
Horikita Manabu’s Soliloquy
THERE ARE THINGS people would be surprised to discover—for
example, that I didn’t choose to attend this school to satisfy any burning
ambitions. I’d always tried to excel, but in an aimless sort of way. I didn’t
know what I truly wanted out of life. I didn’t aspire to be a politician, a
doctor, a researcher, or anything else.
For better or worse, I liked to avoid drama. I spent my days working,
indifferent and detached, merely focused upon completing the tasks assigned
to me.
Setting an “example.”
Being a “role model.”
I believed that this was the right thing to do. However, Nagumo Miyabi
continues to take direct action against me, trying to clear me from his path.
Perhaps ‘a bulldozer’ is the description that fits him best.
As a matter of fact, I’d given up on taking action against him by the
time graduation neared. I’d also never actually tried to make a friend whom I
could truly trust from the bottom of my heart. Such things were still foreign
to me.
At the end of those three years, though, it finally hit me. I realized my
mistake—and the regret that it had left me with.
And, I realized, that this was just the beginning.
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Chapter 2:
A New Special Exam:
Mixed Training Camp
ON A THURSDAY MORNING, shortly after the start of the third semester,
several buses traveled in a row down the highway. The buses carried not only
first-year students, but second- and third-year as well—the entire school
jointly embarking on one big road trip.
The bus that carried us—the first-year Class C students—entered a
tunnel. My ears were assaulted by the pressure change.
This was the second time I’d ridden a bus since enrolling at this school.
No one had explained where we were headed or what we were doing. All we
knew was that we had to wear jerseys, and it was strongly recommended we
pack several spare jerseys and changes of underwear before we left. This
didn’t sound like a vacation, though.
Since the bus ride was about three hours or so, everyone had brought
along fun items considered acceptable by the school. Cell phones were a
given, but people had also brought books, playing cards, and snacks and
juice. Some had even brought along game consoles.
Our seats were designated, with our names written on them, and I was
seated next to Ike Kanji. I’d intended to get along with him when I enrolled
here, but our relationship was still at the “just fellow classmates” stage, and
opportunities to hang out with him had decreased dramatically. Instead of
talking to me, his literal seatmate, he knelt on his seat, turned around, and had
a loud conversation with Sudou and Yamauchi, who were seated further
away.
I occasionally heard the girls tell them off for being annoying, but they
didn’t pay much mind. It was uproarious in here, anyway, so it was no
wonder that they weren’t holding back. I felt a bit lonely, but there was
nothing I could do about it.
On the bright side…the recent round of exams had let me grow closer
to students like Akito and Keisei.
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The atmosphere on the bus was pleasant, but I could tell this wouldn’t
be a mere field trip. If we’d done this in the middle of winter vacation, I
might have held out hope of it being just a fun outing, but the third semester
was already underway. It would probably be for us to anticipate an exam like
the one we’d had on the deserted island, just so we could prepare ourselves
mentally. It wasn’t as though Ike and the others hadn’t matured at all since
then. Probably.
Chabashira observed the students doing as they pleased with a look of
deep interest. She stood close to the driver, rather near my seat, as she stared
at us. Since I didn’t want our gazes to meet, I decided to stare out the
window. This was a long tunnel. It’d been two or three minutes since we
entered.
Just as I thought that, it began to get brighter. We’d made it through.
Chabashira, who had been waiting for us to emerge from the tunnel,
started to move. At the same time, the pain in my ears increased.
“Sorry to interrupt your enthusiasm, but be quiet,” she said, addressing
the students through a hand-held microphone. “I thought you might like to
know where this bus is headed, and also what you’ll be doing once we
arrive.”
“Well, yeah, ’course we’re curious. We’re not going to another
deserted island, are we?” asked Ike.
Chabashira answered quickly. “I see that special exam is still seared
into your collective memory. Allow me to give you some peace of mind; we
don’t hold special exams on that grand a scale very often. Nor are we so cruel
as to put you through something like that when it’s no longer summer.
However, as you can already guess, there is a new special exam ahead.
Compared to the island, though, you’ll be in significantly better living
conditions.”
So she said—but I didn’t trust her. The island aside, every special
exam we’d faced so far had been insanely difficult from an average student’s
perspective. Hanging over our heads was the ultimate penalty of failing one
of these special exams: expulsion.
“Now, the special exam that you Class D students will—”
Chabashira paused. My classmates smiled with a touch of pride as,
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immediately after, she bowed her head in apology.
“I’m sorry. You are Class C now. Allow me to give you newly
promoted students an overview of the special exam.”
Having been formally promoted to Class C in the third semester, our
class seemed to be trying its best to calmly face the upcoming exam.
Receiving an explanation of how that special exam worked on the bus meant
we could prepare countermeasures, or at least try to. We couldn’t just get up
and walk around while the bus was in motion, but the bus was small enough
that everyone could hear you if you spoke, and we could always use our
phones to correspond privately with specific people.
Ike and the other noisemakers shut up, listening to what Chabashira
had to say. Proof that they had matured, if only a little.
“We are taking you to a school camp in the mountains. We will arrive
in just under an hour. The less time I have to spend explaining, the more time
you’ll have to strategize,” said Chabashira.
An hour until the exam started, huh? In other words, if it took twenty
minutes to explain the rules, we’d have forty minutes left over to plan.
“Don’t students normally attend school camps and stuff in the
summer?” asked Ike, who used to be a boy scout. He knew quite a bit about
the mountain range we could currently see from our seats as we traveled
down the highway. It was covered in white snow, even now.
“Please be quiet and listen. Remember, this is the only time you have,”
Chabashira rebuked, but she sounded gentle, rather than angry. Ike scratched
his head sheepishly and apologized. A brief moment of laughter ensued.
School camp. I’d never heard of it, so I looked it up on my phone.
“Typically held in the summer months on days when the weather is
nice. Commonly held in locations where greenery is abundant, such as the
mountains. Group activities are conducted with the express purpose of
promoting the development of healthy bodies. Can also refer to an
educational facility.”
Just as Ike had said, it sounded like these school camps were usually
held in the summer. Clearly, however, they could also take place any time of
year.
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“Normally, opportunities to connect with senior students are few and
far between, especially for those not involved in club activities. At this school
camp, you’ll participate in inter-class group activities for eight days and
seven nights, making this a step beyond the Sports Festival. The name we’ve
given this special exam is the ‘Mixed Camp.’ Since I’m sure a verbal
explanation won’t satisfy you, I’ll be distributing printed materials now,”
Chabashira continued.
She handed a stack of printouts to the students sitting in the front row,
who each took one and then passed the rest back. The syllabus consisted of
about twenty pages. Since she hadn’t specifically told us not to look, I began
to flip through it.
There were clear photographs of what I assumed to be the camp,
including the dormitories, public baths, cafeteria, and so on. It was actually
kind of exciting to look at these; I felt like I was paging through a travel
guide. The all-important words special exam, however, curbed our
enthusiasm.
Still, this was twenty pages of documentation on top of a verbal
explanation. We’d only received a brief verbal explanation for the Paper
Shuffle, which meant this exam was probably shaping up to be pretty
annoying.
After confirming that everyone had received the handouts, Chabashira
resumed speaking.
“Feel free to keep reading, but I’m going to explain the Mixed Camp
now. These materials will be re-collected before you get off the bus, so please
make sure you clearly understand the rules. Questions will be accepted at the
end, so pay attention. Do you understand?” asked Chabashira, looking at Ike
as she spoke.
Ike nodded.
“The main goal of the Mixed Camp is to foster your mental
development. In order to accomplish this, we’re going to start with the
fundamentals of participation in civilized society—ensuring you can build
stable relationships with people you don’t know very well. Each and every
one of you will learn these skills.”
So that was why they were making us do group activities with senior
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students, huh?
As Chabashira had just said, students who were in clubs might have
already developed relationships with their juniors or seniors. Even so, those
interactions were mostly limited to the club activities themselves. As for
students who weren’t in any clubs, hardly any of us had interacted with
upperclassmen at all. You might think the school would want us to fraternize
voluntarily, without need for exams or club activities to serve as incentive. Of
course, it wasn’t that simple in reality.
So, how did they plan to get the upperclassmen involved in this?
Unless the need for direct contact was a high priority, most students would
probably keep their distance from one another, just like we had during the
Sports Festival. Well, we were headed into the mountains to a place
designated as a camp, so that might be easier said than done…
At any rate, if the rules for the special exam weren’t set in stone, it
should be easy to find loopholes. There was a marked difference in maturity,
both physically and mentally, between first- and second-year students. A year
is a significant period of time in the life of a teenager. I couldn’t say how
extreme the gulf would prove to be, but the reality of the situation was that
we wouldn’t be on a level playing field.
“Once we arrive at our destination, we will divide you by gender. Next,
we’ll hold a school-wide discussion with all grade levels and then further
divide you into six groups.”
“Divide men and women, then make six groups…” muttered Ike, as
though he were trying to memorize the information.
Chabashira continued, “The minimum and maximum numbers of
people in each group have already been decided. Take a good look at the
guidelines on page 5 of your handout.”
The students all looked at once.
Group numbers are calculated based on the total number of students,
then separated by grade and gender. For instance, if there are 60 or more
male students in the same grade level, the minimum number of participants in
a group is 8, and the upper limit 13. If the total is 70 or more, the limits are 9
and 14. If the total is 80 or more, the limits are 10 and 15. However, in the
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event the number of students is under 60, please refer to a separate table.
Let’s assume the ratio of boys to girls in a class didn’t vary between
grade levels. If there were 40 students in one class, with a boys to girls ratio
of 1:1—20 boys and 20 girls—then that meant, basically, that there were a
total of 80 boys across the four classes of a single grade level. That would
mean between 10 and 15 people per group, with a total of six groups overall.
But the fact that the syllabus referenced the total number of students first
meant that these numbers would change depending on how many people had
been expelled across all grade levels.
“You’re probably already aware of this, but sorting you into six groups
divided by gender means that students from different classes will be mixed
together. For the duration of the test, your group members will be your allies.
You’ll be in the same boat, as it were.”
“Isn’t it kinda ridiculous to ask us to be in groups with people from
other classes? I mean, they’re our enemies,” muttered Ike loud enough so that
Chabashira could hear him.
He’d probably been unable to contain himself any longer. But his own
words must have jogged something in his brain, because he brightened.
“Yeah, that’s it! We don’t really have to do that, do we? We can divide
Class C into two groups. That’ll take care of it, right? Ayanokouji?” he
asked, lowering his voice.
It was certainly true that Class C could form two groups of ten.
However, Ike’s idea just wouldn’t work.
“A good idea, but things aren’t that simple. The rules forbid forming a
group with students from just one class. As long as groups abide by the
approved headcount, you are free to team up with any class you wish. But
each group must have a combination of students from at least two classes.
More importantly, these groups aren’t selected through discussion. They must
be agreed upon unanimously,” said Chabashira.
What she’d just said was written plainly in the syllabus. “Every group
must consist of students from at least two or more classes.”
“So this means we have to make friends with the enemy?” Ike blurted
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out. It was less of a question and more of something that had just slipped out.
“Yes, exactly,” replied Chabashira, looking slightly exasperated. “Of
course, you could form a group that consists almost entirely of students from
your own class. If you can get just one student from another class, you’ll
meet the requirements.”
In other words, we could form a group of ten people—the lower limit
—and then have nine of those students be from Class C. I couldn’t imagine
that kind of group composition would be unanimously approved when we
held our school-wide discussions, though. Very few students would be
willing to join a group almost entirely composed of people from another
class.
However, I doubted a group like that would meet unanimous school-
wide approval. Very few students would likely be willing to join a group that
only had members from another class.
Also, was it better to have more people, or fewer? The same number?
If the difference in numbers could create an advantage or disadvantage, a
smaller group was a risk. But we couldn’t know which number would be
superior without learning the test’s conditions. Our luck would depend on the
nature of the exam.
“I’m sure you’re wondering if it’s better to have more people in a
group or fewer. Numbers will certainly be significant to this test, as you’ll see
if you turn to the section marked ‘Outcomes’,” said Chabashira wryly. “I will
explain it now.”
Apparently, it was easy to tell we’d all been thinking the same thing.
“Excuse me, but could you please continue explaining the rules first? I
want to learn about the outcomes, but before that, I’d like to know what we’ll
be doing as a group,” asked Hirata.
“I suppose you’re right. If I respond to every one of Ike’s concerns, we
won’t get anywhere.”
Ike scratched his head apologetically again.
“Each group will function like a temporary class. I say temporary, but
your time together will be significant. Group members will take classes
together, of course, but will also cook and clean, bathe and sleep together.
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You’ll be sharing a variety of life experiences.”
Both guys and girls let out agonized wails when they heard the words
‘bathe and sleep together.’
“I really don’t feel like I could live with people from the other classes
though,” grumbled Ike. I understood how he felt. Though we’d cooperated
with another class during the Sports Festival, that had been a brief and
temporary alliance. we hadn’t spent much time together. We hadn’t exactly
been together through thick and thin.
However, this exam was about to collapse those boundaries.
Depending on how things went, some groups might even wind up with a mix
of people from all four classes.
“As for outcomes, those are determined by a comprehensive test given
on the last day of camp. The contents of this rather significant test are
outlined on page 7 of your handouts. Give it a look.”
Everyone checked that section.
Ethics
Fortitude
Discipline
Initiative
These weren’t typical school subjects. This exam was going to be
something removed from the course of normal classes like English or
mathematics, which tested academic ability, huh? Unfortunately, I doubted
the tests we were about to face would have clear answers. The four concepts
outlined in the syllabus were abstract ones. I had yet to see any concrete
details of how the test would be conducted.
The schedule laid out in the syllabus only proved my point. After
waking up, we’d do morning assignments. Then we would gather at the dojo
and engage in zazen, meditative discipline exercises (such as cleaning),
followed by breakfast, then by various lessons in a classroom setting. After
lunch, students would work on afternoon assignments, and then practice more
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zazen. Then we would have dinner, bathe, and go to bed. Quite the departure
from our lifestyle up until now.
Incidentally, unlike our usual school routine, there would be additional
lessons on Saturday mornings. We’d only have Sunday off.
“More details about your schedule will be announced upon arrival at
camp. Right now, I cannot tell you what kind of exam you will face on the
final day,” added Chabashira.
So we’d need to stay on our toes and play things by ear during the
special exam. Maybe the final day would test us on things like zazen,
including fine details like posture and manners. Words like Speech and
Production jumped out at me as I scanned the syllabus. They didn’t feel like
good signs.
“Choosing your groups will be of the utmost importance. All six
groups must work together and get through the week-long school camp as a
unit. No matter the reason, you cannot withdraw from your group at any time,
nor can members be changed. If a student has to withdraw due to illness or
injury, then their group must simply deal with their absence and operate as
though that student is still part of the group.”
In other words, we’d get nowhere if there was discord within the
group, or if we antagonized each other. It was looking more and more like we
were going to have to juggle vying with other classes with balancing the
internal functioning of our own group.
Going by the schedule, lessons began tomorrow morning, which was
Friday. We’d be in session until Wednesday of next week. Next Thursday, all
grade levels would take the final exam.
“Once the first-year students have finished creating their groups, they
will rendezvous with the second- and third-year students, who will form their
own groups at the same time. In the end, we will have six final groups, each
consisting of a mix of approximately thirty to forty-five first-, second-, and
third-year students.”
It was already tough forming a group within the same grade level, but
now we were adding other grade levels on top of that. The bus got weirdly
quiet.
“To put it more simply,” Chabashira said, “think of groups formed of
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students in the same grade level as small groups. The groups formed from
students in all grade levels, on the other hand, will be large groups.”
Each of the six groups formed by students in the same grade level
would be a small group. Then those small groups would join with the second-
and third-years to ultimately form six large groups.
“Outcomes will be determined based on the average exam results of all
members of the six individual large groups. The strengths and weaknesses of
the other grade levels will heavily influence your results.”
What concerned me here was the difference in group membership
numbers. The large groups would consist of about forty people. Averaging
out our results should help reduce inequality, but depending on how the
smaller groups were formed, there might be significant differences in the
number of people in the large groups.
How we chose to form those large groups was now the most important
thing. If this were an academic exam, a large group with only exceptional
students in it would easily win. Conversely, students who were deemed
unexceptional would inevitably be excluded from the top groups, thus forced
to form a lower ranked group. However, this exam couldn’t be won by
simply gathering the academically gifted in one place.
“I think you’ve probably got the gist of things now. I’ll conclude with
the most important piece of information—that is to say, the results of this
special exam.”
Good question. What did we stand to lose?
“The members of large groups whose averaged scores take first
through third place will receive both private points and class points. Large
groups whose average scores place fourth or below should expect to have
points deducted,” explained Chabashira.
The details were, naturally, outlined in the syllabus.
Basic Rewards
1st Place: 10,000 private points. 3 class points.
2nd Place: 5000 private points. 1 class point.
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3rd Place: 3000 private points.
The aforementioned rewards will be distributed to each individual
student.
So if a small group of ten people included nine people from the same
class, that class would be awarded twenty-seven class points as a result of the
group taking first place. Of course, that was describing an ideal scenario, but
it would be best to aim to have as many students as possible from our class
take first place.
However, the more students from the same class there were in a group,
the more points that class would have deducted if the group ranked fourth or
below. And the larger the group, the trickier it would be to control everyone.
The negatives at stake outweighed the relatively few positives.
4th Place: –5000 private points.
5th Place: –10,000 private points. –3 class points.
6th Place: –20,000 private points. –5 class points.
The aforementioned penalties will be deducted from each individual
student.
Private points and class points couldn’t fall below zero, but the
deductions would remain as a cumulative deficit that would be applied
against any points awarded for future exams. It was something the school had
never done before. If the rewards seemed relatively small, compared to the
risks, it was because there was a trick to it.
Chabashira read the next section aloud.
“Depending on the number of classes represented in a small group,
rewards may be multiplied. They may also be multiplied based on the total
number of people in a small group. Please relax, though. These multipliers
only apply to rewards gained from placing first, second, or third. They do not
apply to the point deductions for fourth place and below.”
These potential reward multipliers went as follows.
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If a small group comprised students from two classes, they would
receive only the base rewards. However, a small group comprising students
from three classes would be rewarded with double the amount of class and
private points. A group comprising students from all four classes would be
rewarded with triple the amount of class and private points.
Finally, the multiplier changed depending on the number of people in a
small group. A group of ten people got the base reward. A group of fifteen
people got 1.5 times the reward. In the special event that a small group had
only nine people, their reward would be 0.9 times the default.
In other words, if a group comprising students from all four classes
obtained first place, they’d hit the 3× multiplier. If that same group also had
the maximum number of allowed members, i.e., fifteen, they’d earn an
additional 1.5× multiplier. Rounded to the nearest whole integer, this meant
each member of the group would be awarded 45,000 private points and
fourteen class points.
So far, this seemed like a standard special exam; tricky but interesting.
But what came next changed everything.
“Also…” Chabashira said. “There is a significant penalty for the large
group that comes in last place.”
“A penalty…? No way.”
“Yes. The penalty is expulsion.”
No surprises there.
“Granted, not every member of the large group that comes in last will
be expelled. If we did that, we’d be expelling nearly forty students at once.
Expulsion will only apply to the small group within that large group whose
average score falls below the threshold set by the school.”
So overall rankings were calculated based on the average score of each
large group, but when it came to expulsions, it was the average scores of the
small groups that were taken into account. That was troubling.
“If a small group fails to meet that standard, then that small group’s
representative will be expelled.”
“How do we pick the representatives?”
“You will discuss it with the members of your small group and appoint
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somebody. That is all.”
“The hell? Who’d willingly want to be the representative knowing they
might get expelled?”
I doubted there’d be many volunteers.
“There are significant benefits to being a group representative. The
representative and the representative’s classmates will receive double the
rewards.”
“Did you say double?” muttered Horikita, who had been silent until
now.
“That’s right. To secure the highest possible payout from this exam,
you would have to form a group comprising twelve Class C students and one
student from each of the remaining three classes. If you then appoint
someone from Class C as your representative and take first place…”
“Wh-what do we win?” asked Yamauchi, unable to perform the
calculations himself. He was practically hyperventilating.
“You’d get 1.08 million private points and 336 class points.”
“Th-three hundred thirty-six?!”
If that happened, it would overturn the class rankings entirely. Even
jumping all the way to A Class as a result of this exam wasn’t out of the
question, depending on how the other groups scored. The more risks we took,
the greater the rewards—and the odds of securing the highest achievable
reward weren’t too low, either.
“Once the small groups have been decided, you will have until
tomorrow morning to appoint your representative. In the event a group
cannot choose a representative, that group will immediately be disqualified,
and every single one of its members will be expelled. Of course, no group
would ever be so stupid as to make such a mistake.”
So the school wouldn’t be picking representatives—it was solely up to
us to decide who to appoint. A difficult decision, to be sure. If no one
volunteered, we might wind up having to draw straws or play rock-paper-
scissors…an inevitable conclusion in light of the fact we’d all be expelled
otherwise, but in an already fraught situation such as this, it would put a
strain on the group’s unity.
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“Finally, the representative who is expelled may choose one other
person from within their group to share their fate. We’re calling this one the
solidarity rule. Think of it as going down together.’”
“H-huh?! What’s with that?! That’s just crazy! So, if we appointed
some random dude as the representative, they could take down the leader of
another class?!”
I couldn’t imagine it would be that easy. Selecting a representative
would involve a certain degree of screening. We probably wouldn’t be
picking obvious sacrificial pawns to fill the role, and if we did, it would be
the group’s fault. It was unlikely we’d find someone willing to both sacrifice
themselves for the group’s sake and take down a student from an enemy class
in the process…unless, of course, we were talking about someone who’d
been trapped in Class D for years and was on the verge of dropping out
anyway.
But if there were students who were contemplating giving up in that
way, their peers were probably aware of the fact.
“Don’t worry,” Chabashira said. “The representative can’t just take any
student down with them. Only students whom the school deems contributory
to the group’s failure can be selected for expulsion in this way. Unless you
deliberately score poorly or boycott the test, you’ll be fine.”
Well, that was something, at least. However, I had my doubts about the
representatives for this exam. This was unlike any previous situation we’d
been in—particularly the fact that this time, the exam was the same for all
grade levels. The other classes were probably receiving the exact same
instructions right now.
In other words, many different strategies were currently in the process
of being formed. This wasn’t just a fight between the first-years. The second-
years were battling other second-years and third-years other third-years.
I sent off a text message to a certain individual, hoping to clear a few
things up. I wanted to know if the student council was somehow involved in
creating this special exam.
“One more important detail. If a student is expelled, that student’s class
will be penalized accordingly. The specifics of the penalty change depending
on the exam. In the case of this test, one hundred points will be deducted
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from the class. If the class has insufficient class points to pay off the penalty,
they will be in debt. Until that debt is paid off, their total will remain at zero.”
The benefits were enormous, but the negatives were just as vast. The
promise of doubling your points by being a group representative was
tantalizing, but it came with the risk of being expelled. No one would
willingly volunteer for such a role unless they were confident in the abilities
of their small group. Nor, however, would they want the spoils of the
representative’s victory to go to another class.
Then there was the solidarity rule, which was clearly designed to leave
you at an impasse.
“That concludes my explanation. I will now open the floor for
questions.”
Hirata immediately raised his hand.
“If someone were to be expelled…would there be any way to help that
person, like a lifeline?” he asked.
“If you’re expelled, you’re expelled. Nothin’ ya can do ’bout it,”
replied Sudou.
Hirata rejected that outright. “That can’t be true. You were almost
expelled once, Sudou-kun, but were saved thanks to Horikita-san’s quick
thinking. It would be strange if there was nothing we could do.”
Chabashira smiled.
“That’s correct. You can buy a Revocation of Expulsion using private
points as a last resort. Naturally, the price will be high. The Revocation of
Expulsion costs twenty million private points and an additional three hundred
class points. This lifeline will only prevent a student’s expulsion. It won’t
cancel out the penalties suffered by the class as a result of that expulsion. Of
course, if you don’t have the points to pay for the lifeline, then that option is
unavailable.”
An exorbitant price. It meant a minimum of four hundred class points
would be required to save a student on the brink of expulsion, which made it
a lifeline we were unlikely to extend. The whole class would have to pay a
great toll to save one person.
“Regarding the twenty million points you mentioned, can the entire
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class pitch in?” asked Hirata, who was clearly considering a future where we
might use the lifeline.
“Yes, everyone may pitch in. But this is completely irrelevant, since
you have only a few points available.”
With that, Chabashira was done reviewing the materials.
“There isn’t much time left before we reach our destination. You are
free to use the remaining time however you like. Right before we arrive, I
will re-collect the handout. Also, the use of phones will be forbidden for a
week. I will be collecting those shortly. Other than that, you are free to bring
daily necessities or playthings along with you, but not food. Perishables must
be consumed before we arrive, or you’ll have to throw them away before you
get off the bus. That’s all.”
Students who hadn’t reacted to the dangers of the special exam now let
out agonized wails at that last comment. We’d already gone through this on
the uninhabited island, but I supposed it was painful to have your phone
confiscated for a whole week.
“I have a question!” Ike raised his hand energetically. “You said that
guys and girls would be separate, but, like, exactly how spread out are we
gonna be?”
Chabashira wore a wry smile. “There are two buildings at the camp.
The boys will use the main building, and the girls will take the other. The
buildings are next to one another, but you’ll be living apart from each other
for a week. You will not be allowed to go outside during recess or after
school without permission either.”
“So we won’t be able to talk to each other?”
“No, boys and girls will take meals together in the cafeteria in the main
building for one hour a day. The school issues no directives to students
during that time period. You can do as you please then. Understand?”
“Yes!” Ike rejoiced, probably happy he’d be able to talk to girls.
I sat up slightly and glanced at Shinohara, who was sitting nearby.
While she looked slightly exasperated, her face brightened at Ike’s words.
Maybe their Christmas dinner had gone well.
“If there are no further questions, that’ll be all,” said Chabashira,
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probably anticipating a lot of silly questions coming her way.
“Sensei. May I borrow your microphone?” asked Hirata.
“Of course.” Chabashira handed it over and returned to her seat. Hirata
took her place at the front of the bus.
“Based on what sensei said, we’re running out of time. Still, I’d like to
try to hear everyone’s opinions. How can we get through this exam? What
kind of groups should we shoot for?”
“Wouldn’t it be best if we tried to get as many of our classmates in as
possible? Pick twelve toppers and then get one person from every other class.
That’d be perfect,” said Sudou.
“That would be ideal, but I doubt three students from other classes
would want to join that group. They’d naturally be on their guard.”
It would be obvious that such a group wanted to win badly. I couldn’t
imagine single students from each of the other classes being willing to join
them. Besides, if such a group ranked poorly, the damage to the class would
be considerable.
“Hey, if all the smart people get in one group, then the rest of us don’t
stand a chance,” said Yamauchi. Apparently, he still hadn’t figured out that
this wasn’t about academics. “I mean, we really wanna get some private
points ourselves.”
His complaints were understandable. This issue had come up during
the exam on the cruise ship too. The large group who ranked first would earn
private points, but the students in the bottom groups gained nothing. In fact,
they would lose a great deal. Given that, most people obviously wanted to bet
on the winning horse by joining a large group that was likely to win.
“If everyone here agrees, I’d like to propose an even distribution,”
Hirata said. “We don’t know which group will come out on top. If any of us
gain private points from this exam, we’ll distribute those points evenly across
the class. That should be fine, since point transfers are allowed.”
And if we got hit with a deduction, it wouldn’t be so bad, since
everyone would be sharing the load.
“Ah, I see. That’s okay.”
Of course, the more exceptional students would complain about this,
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but considering what was at stake, a consensus seemed likely.
“Heh.”
After hearing Hirata’s proposal, Chabashira chuckled, facing away
from him.
“I didn’t tell you this because you didn’t ask, but as a reward for your
promotion to Class C, I will give you one bit of helpful advice.”
Advice?
Hirata looked cautious, not ready to accept this reward at face value.
“When the rules don’t forbid it, you’re certainly free to transfer points.
Be it in the middle of an exam or in the course of your daily life—you can
transfer points as much as you please, as long as you don’t break any rules in
the process. However, private points are not pocket money. You’d do well to
remember that.”
“Are you saying we could, like, transfer to any class we wanted if we
accumulated like twenty million points? Or is this about the lifeline?”
“I’m saying there are many different ways of using private points.
Having as little as one point can help you in a time of need. Getting along and
supporting each other isn’t always going to be the correct answer, you
understand? For example, let’s say Ike made a mistake that would lead to him
being expelled unless a million private points were paid right away—and the
school disallowed transferring points in that instance. Ike would have to
produce the million points himself or be expelled. What then? If you divide
your points up equally, you might end up doing something you can’t take
back.”
Ike gulped loudly when he heard himself used as an example.
“You can’t count on other students to save you, because every single
one of them might find themselves in need the next moment. The only one
who can protect you is you, yourself,” said Chabashira. “People who work
hard are rewarded. That much is obvious. Once you enter the real world, it’s
exceedingly unlikely you’ll find people who’d gladly share their salary and
bonuses with friends.”
Perhaps we should be grateful for the advice…but this was just going
to make it harder to unite the class. I didn’t doubt everything she was saying
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was true; I couldn’t imagine any teacher at this school would stir up trouble
just because there was no precedent for something. Chabashira always played
by the rules.
That said, there was more to this conversation.
I was sure there had been prior instances of individuals saving up
private points. But conversely, I was equally sure there had been incidents
where students were saved because their classmates had accumulated a great
many points. How did I know this? Well, from personal experience. In the
past, Horikita and I worked out a solution to provide Sudou with points when
it seemed he was about to be expelled. That then set a precedent.
Ultimately, sharing points evenly among ourselves could be seen as a
preventative measure to be deployed in unforeseen situations. Having
individual students hold onto a large number of points raised the risk of that
person embezzling those points or betraying the class.
Chabashira had just said something that disrupted her own class’s
chances at cohesion. I couldn’t reject the possibility that it was just school
policy, of course, but…
“Well, shall we put it to a majority vote? I’d like to at least hear what
everyone is thinking. Can the people who want to split the rewards please
raise your hands? It’s okay if you change your mind later,” said Hirata. He
lifted his hand at once.
Only a few hands went up. Most of my classmates looked worried.
Coming together as a class was important, sure, but when push came to
shove, you had to have a way to protect yourself. Most students probably had
only somewhere between ten thousand to a hundred thousand private points.
Given that, it was no wonder many wanted to keep those points as a safety
net.
Students who lacked confidence in their own abilities, on the other
hand, were more likely to want points to be shared across the class. There
were a few more such students than I’d expected, but in the end, less than
half the class raised their hands.
“Thank you.”
The majority was against point splitting. Hirata’s motion had failed.
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“Was my advice unnecessary, Hirata?” Chabashira asked.
“No, I’m thankful for it. It’s valuable information at this stage.”
My phone vibrated. Thinking the certain individual whom I’d
messaged might have replied, I took my phone out of my pocket—but it was
his little sister, Horikita, who’d texted me. Naturally, it was about the special
exam.
“Do you have any ideas?” she wrote. Jeez, always trying to make me
do things.
“None,” I replied. After thinking it over, I sent another message.
“Guys and girls are going to be separated in this exam. I can’t help with
anything. Do your best.”
My attempt to offer her some encouragement. I was sure Horikita had a
lot she wanted to say in return, but I didn’t want to listen. I closed the text
thread and checked on another of my group chats: that of the Ayanokouji
Group (named after myself, but not in a boastful way).
Keisei, Akito, and even Airi and Haruka all happily discussed the
exam. I read through their texts, closed the chat without adding any
comments, and resumed listening to Hirata.
“We don’t have enough time to come up with a strategy,” he was
saying. “If the boys and girls are going to be separated, sending advice to
each other will get tricky.”
“No way…” The girls looked understandably uneasy at the prospect of
being unable to turn to Hirata, who held the class together and had always
been a guy they could rely on.
“Since the boys won’t be able to lend a hand, I think the girls should
decide on a leader right now. Will you accept the role, Horikita-san?”
Hirata had probably been chewing over this since Chabashira began to
explain the exam. He’d singled out Horikita because she was the only one
capable of handling the role.
“Very well. If anyone’s having difficulties, feel free to approach me at
any time. I don’t mind,” replied Horikita. She showed no signs of
displeasure, but, even though she was gradually becoming more of a person
our classmates could depend on, she didn’t warrant anywhere near the level
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of trust that Hirata did. Of course, being Horikita, she was surely aware of
that.
“However, I’m sure quite a few of the other girls will find me lacking,”
she continued. “I don’t like to say this of myself, but I have a somewhat
abrasive personality.”
Yeah, that really wasn’t something anyone would want to admit.
“Which is why I’d like Kushida-san to assist me. What do you think?”
said Horikita, directing this to Kushida, who sat near the front of the bus.
“W-will I even be useful?” asked Kushida.
“Of course. Everyone in our class trusts you.”
“Um… Well, okay. If you’d like, I’ll help.”
“Thank you. In the event someone finds it difficult to speak directly
with me, you can do so via Kushida-san. I don’t mind. I will respond to any
issue, no matter how trivial.”
While Kushida’s trustworthiness was a matter of some concern, this
strategy was unquestionably the best we had right now. The exam rules made
it fairly difficult for guys and girls to meddle in each other’s affairs. Despite
being held in the same general facility, our classes and tests would take place
in separate locations. The guys would have no opportunity to participate in
any of the battles being fought on the girls’ side. With our phones being
confiscated to boot, our only opportunity for contact would be the one hour
we had for dinner.
That being said, it was vital we be able to gather as much information
as possible. I was going to need a gofer to funnel information to me from the
girls. Kushida worried me. This left Horikita or Kei as options, and the
former had a lot on her plate right now. I also had to consider the fact that she
tended to read too much into my intentions and take unnecessary actions.
More importantly, if she was going to be fielding consultation pleas
from the other girls, she probably wouldn’t have energy to spare for much
else. I supposed I’d have to use Kei after all, though I couldn’t force her to
survey the entire group by herself.
I sent the bare minimum of necessary information over to Kei’s phone.
She immediately replied with a blank message to confirm receipt. Given we’d
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just learned that the unique nature of this test would force the guys and girls
to do battle separately for a while, she must have assumed I’d be contacting
her.
Kei probably wanted some advice herself right now. Considering the
rules of this exam, particularly the ones about the representatives and their
ability to take someone down with them, it wasn’t outside the realm of
possibility that Kei might wind up as a sacrificial pawn. I couldn’t say she
was doing well at the moment, whether in terms of her test scores or her
behavior in class.
That was why I was going to teach her a few tricks to protect herself.
They weren’t things that every student could pull off, but they could keep
you safer, if only slightly so.
As for me, I couldn’t really care less about the special exam. I had no
intention of executing any winning strategies. All I wanted was to make it
through safely and without incident.
This didn’t mean I wouldn’t be making any moves at all—like what I’d
just done by giving Kei advice. In a worst-case scenario, this special exam
could lead to several students getting expelled from C Class. I couldn’t
protect the entire class by myself. I had to narrow down the list of people I
wanted to safeguard.
Besides myself, I wanted to protect Kei, who’d become a staunch ally,
and Hirata. Considering my involvement with the student council, I needed to
ensure that Horikita stuck around, too. Then there were my friends: Keisei,
Akito, Haruka, and Airi. They couldn’t be my top priority, but as their friend,
I certainly hoped they wouldn’t be expelled.
Finally, given this rare opportunity for grade levels to intermingle, I
should keep an eye on Nagumo’s movements. Any other minor skirmishes
that occurred around me were beneath my notice.
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2.1
THE BUS GOT OFF the highway and began to drive up the paved
mountain road. I wondered why our school outings always took place in
nature, like this location or the ocean.
At any rate, a new special exam was about to begin. Given they were
confiscating our phones, this was certainly going to be that annoying kind of
test where you had to gather information either on your own or by using your
connections. And, since more information would be leaked the more
carelessly you acted, prudence and discretion would be vital.
“I’m not cut out for this…” I muttered, letting my honest thoughts slip
forth.
No matter how many special exams we went through, I just couldn’t
get used to them. I’d so rarely had to cooperate with other people before.
“We will arrive shortly,” Chabashira said. “Once there, you will form
your groups. Then, as soon as room assignments have been completed, you
will have lunch, followed by free time in the afternoon.”
“That means… Yay! We don’t have to study!” Ike beamed at me.
True, but this wasn’t vacation. It was a school day. Even taking the
travel time into account, it was odd that they were letting us off the hook this
afternoon—it felt almost like a normal field trip, which couldn’t be right.
The bus pulled into the stop and slowed to a halt.
“When your name is called, hand over your phone and get off the bus.
Ayanokouji. Ike—”
Chabashira started with the boys, calling our names in syllabary order.
I turned my phone off and put it in a plastic box that sat next to our teacher.
As I disembarked from the bus, an unfamiliar teacher approached, instructing
us to wait a short distance away from the bus.
“Dude, it’s cold!” shouted Ike, hugging himself tightly. Probably
because we were in the mountains. It was certainly colder here than at school.
However, the sight before us made us forget the cold for a moment.
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“Whoa. What is this place? This seems a lot for a ‘school camp’…”
Enormous grounds spread out before us, with some extremely old-
fashioned school buildings visible in the distance. Our home for the next
week. They were huge, probably because they had to accommodate the
students of all three grade levels.
It felt similar to the test on the uninhabited island. As with that test, I
really didn’t have much experience living out in the wilds like this. People
like Ike, who had been a boy scout, were going to be useful here. So would
those like Sudou, with their physical strength.
The girls filed off the bus next. It seemed like Horikita wanted to come
talk to me, but unfortunately, we were already being queued up into separate
lines. The boys and girls each headed for our respective school buildings,
with the boys being directed to the larger one, referred to as the main
building. Once inside, I found my nostrils tickled by the nostalgic scent of the
wood-paneled interior.
“This really is a traditional wooden school building, isn’t it? It’s old,
but still beautiful. It must be exceptionally well maintained,” said Hirata.
Everyone else agreed.
Along the way, we saw what appeared to be a classroom. There was no
air conditioning, only a single stove placed in the center of the room. We’d
most likely be having classes from tomorrow in rooms like that.
Finally, we arrived at what seemed like a gymnasium. The guys from
Class A and Class B, who were already there, looked over our way. The
Class D students showed up right after us, so the second- and third-year
students were probably on their way in next.
We were ordered to form a line and await further instruction. Classes A
and B looked calm and didn’t chat amongst themselves. They’d probably
already finished strategizing on the bus, huh?
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2.2
BOYS FROM EVERY grade level assembled inside the gymnasium. The
bashful first-year students clumped together to wait in silence, and soon after,
a teacher from one of the senior classes took to the stage, microphone in
hand.
“I’m going to assume you all understand the contents of the exam after
the explanation you were given on the bus ride,” he addressed us. “Each
grade level will now hold internal discussions and form into six small groups.
The large groups will be formed at 8:00 p.m. today. That is all. As a
reminder, the school will play no part in the formation of these groups,
whether large or small. Nor will school officials act as mediators.”
Okay, then. I wondered what the other classes’ strategies were? They
should have some plans in place already, but…we’d see how it went.
Each grade level—first-, second-, and third-years—distanced
themselves from one another, and the discussions began. I was curious about
what the seniors were doing, but it was hard to make out any details from
here.
As I attempted to observe them, though, there was already movement
taking place within the first-year classes. I’d thought we’d try to feel each
other out a little longer, but Class A got straight to work, forming one large
group. A pretty attention-grabbing move, given the stalemate we were in.
There were twenty boys in first-year Class A. Fourteen of them formed
up into a single group, then made the following declaration to the people in
Class B and below.
“As you can see, we in Class A intend to form a single group in this
fashion. We have fourteen people at present and need one more person to
meet the requirements. We are looking for someone to join us.”
The person who said this was a Class A student named Matoba. I saw
Katsuragi among the fourteen boys in the group, but if Matoba was the
leader, did that mean Katsuragi wasn’t the representative either? At any rate,
this made it clear that Class A’s strategy was to form a group made up of as
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many of their own people as possible.
“Hey, hey! What the hell are you selfish punks doing? It ain’t fair if
you’re the only ones who go and do something like that,” said Sudou, glaring
angrily at Class A.
“Is it selfish? Our group would comprise students representing only
two classes. Even if we take first place, our modifier will be low. I don’t
think this is a greedy proposal at all.”
“W-well, sure. But it’s unfair that there’s fourteen of ya.”
“On the contrary, it’s very fair. Since the remaining three classes can
create three groups of fifteen people each, you can all make groups similar to
ours. Right?”
“Uh, I guess?” said Sudou, not quite understanding. He looked to
Hirata for help.
“That is correct, yes,” said Hirata.
“Then this discussion is pointless. By the way, we’ve agreed that the
six remaining boys from Class A will happily join whatever groups you
make, no matter their makeup,” said Matoba, smiling broadly. He turned to
Class B’s Kanzaki and Shibata as well.
“Um… Well, I guess this isn’t really a bad deal at all. What do you
think, Kanzaki?”
“Sorry, I need more time to answer that,” Kanzaki said.
“I can’t imagine that Class A students would go so far as to
deliberately drag the other classes down, but I suppose it’s best to be
cautious…”
Class A was pushing everyone to come to a decision right away, but
Kanzaki didn’t seem inclined to rush. In response to his stalling, Matoba
came back with a strongly worded statement. “You have five minutes. Please
make your decision by then.”
“A time limit? We’ve only just begun to discuss this. Class A gave us
an opinion, not an order—you don’t get to make an unilateral decision here.
A five-minute window is absurd.”
Despite Class A’s claim that going along with their proposal meant
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each class could make their own group of fourteen people, it would be a lie to
say that this was fair for all classes. If you thought about it, Class A was the
only class that could afford not to care about a low reward modifier. They
were currently ranked first and leading in points.
“I suppose it wouldn’t be fair of us to make this decision solely by
ourselves,” Matoba said. “But you misunderstand. We’re not saying we
won’t negotiate after the five minutes are up. We’re just offering special
terms for someone within that five minutes.”
“Special terms?”
Matoba continued to control the conversation, precisely because the
other classes had yet to solidify what they wanted. This was certainly close to
what you’d call a preemptive strike.
“Class A is going to form one group of fourteen people, meaning we
require one student from another class. Setting aside the merits of this
strategy, it’s certainly true that we’re selfishly pushing this idea on you. As
such, the single person whom we will welcome into our group will receive
special treatment,” he explained eloquently.
This had to be the strategy they’d come up with on the bus.
“The student who joins our group will bear no risk whatsoever.
Katsuragi-kun will act as the group’s representative, and in the unlikely event
that we place last, he will take full responsibility. No one will be dragged
down via the solidarity rule. Of course, this only applies so long as the
special entrant doesn’t intentionally lower our scores or hurt our friends. If
your exam scores are genuinely poor despite your best efforts, that’s fine.”
So these were the special terms, huh?
“Are you serious…?”
The proposal had its merits. Gathering skilled team members in one
place to create a group with a high point modifier might be necessary to
advance a class, but it was those skilled people—the people at the very heart
of the class—who bore the risks of such a strategy going sour. From the
perspective of an average student, who grappled with fears of expulsion,
Matoba’s proposed system of special treatment wasn’t a bad idea at all. It
would guarantee they made it safely through this special exam.
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Still, why wasn’t Katsuragi the one suggesting this? Was this the
fallout of him losing status within the class?
“We intend to take first place, meaning there is a strong possibility that
our special entrant will be rewarded with private points. Aren’t many of you
nervous about this special exam?” asked Matoba, looking around. His words
clearly resonated with the less secure students. “However, if you cannot
decide within the five-minute window, the special offer expires. In the
unlikely event that our class does receive a penalty, we will not hesitate to
drag that student down with us.”
“It’s an interesting proposal. But after the five minutes have passed, the
value of joining your group plummets significantly. No one wants to join a
team with such a high risk of taking them down with it,” said Kanzaki.
“Yeah, that’s right. Who’d be crazy enough to do that?” said a student
who’d been briefly charmed by the idea of the special terms.
“I don’t mind what you think. But these are our terms,” said Matoba,
taking a step back. His group moved with him, signaling the end of the
discussion.
“I think we’re better off ignoring them. Once five minutes have passed,
no one will want to join their group. They’ll be back,” said Kanzaki.
“Suppose so,” said Shibata.
Having said that, they moved calmly away. I didn’t see Kaneda and the
other newly demoted Class D students making any strange movements either.
Hirata, however, seemed to be the sole person who felt differently
about Class A’s proposal. He approached Keisei, Akito, and me, asking,
“What do you think?” in a low voice.
“About their strategy?” replied Keisei, taking the lead in the
conversation.
“Yeah. Surprisingly enough, I don’t think it’s a bad deal. It is
absolutely essential that everyone in Class C makes it through. We’ve only
just been promoted, and I don’t want any of my classmates to be expelled. If
a student who’s nervous about this exam joins Class A’s group, they should
be able to rest easy,” said Hirata.
As a defensive strategy, Class A’s proposal had its merits.
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“Of course, it remains to be seen whether Class A will keep their
promise of special treatment. If they wind up taking last place, they might use
the solidarity rule to take someone down with them, after all,” he added.
Hirata’s anxieties were understandable. Verbal agreements were
binding in nature, but even if we confronted Class A about it in the wake of a
betrayal, they could trap us in endless arguments that went nowhere. If they
feigned ignorance, then things would get complicated. After all, their promise
hinged on no one intentionally sabotaging the group. If a student’s exam
scores were low, it would be difficult to prove whether or not it was
intentional.
Still, we couldn’t exactly get it in writing; there weren’t any pens or
paper at hand. The teachers had been ordered not to help, so asking them to
bear witness to a verbal promise would probably be useless too.
That being said, Matoba’s words had piqued the interest of all of the
first-year students. He stood to gain nothing by going back on his words. It
might be okay to trust Class A on this.
“…It might be possible to have them protect one person,” I stated,
joining Hirata and Keisei’s conversation.
“Yeah. If we make a move now, that just leaves the question of what B
and D decide…”
Accepting the offer would be seen as siding with Class A, who had
opted for a heavy-handed approach. Even though we only had a tiny window,
Hirata seemed to want to think this over until the last possible second.
Roughly three minutes had passed since Class A’s sudden proposal. We
didn’t know whether they were dutifully counting every second, but Matoba
and the others seemed to be leisurely standing by.
Maybe they were expecting someone to raise their hand. Or maybe
they were thinking up another strategy. We watched them carefully for the
remaining two minutes, waiting for them to make their move—though what
they would do, of course, depended on the leaders of classes B and below.
“Kanzaki-shi. I have a proposal. Would you care to hear it?” said
Kaneda.
Rather than whisper, he raised his voice boldly so that everyone could
hear, beckoning Hirata to join them too.
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“I’ve determined that this is an opportunity we should seize,” he said.
“Thanks to Class A forming up like this, even if their group does happen to
win in this exam, they only get a point modifier for representing two classes.
Moreover, if we accept their conditions, we can assign the remaining Class A
students as we see fit. We could configure the remaining groups to include
students from all four classes, meaning the higher those groups ranked, the
greater the likelihood of their members closing the gap between their class
and Class A. Correct?”
“That’s only if we can rank higher than them, though.”
I didn’t know what the exact scores were, but during the Paper Shuffle,
Class A had destroyed Class B. In a test of academic skill, this could end
badly.
“It’s certainly risky. However, this isn’t merely a question of
academics. What do you think? I say we try to overthrow Class A here and
now,” said Kaneda.
In other words, have B, C, and D cooperate to lay siege against Class A
here.
“Letting Class A have a group of fourteen of their people is a small
price to pay, compared to the point multiplier for representing all four classes
in a single group. With their offer of special treatment on top of that, it should
work out perfectly.”
“That’s right. I like Kaneda-kun’s strategy,” said Hirata. Kanzaki,
more cautious, continued to ruminate on the benefits of having people from
all four classes in a single group.
“But who’s going to join Class A’s main group?” he said. “I doubt any
Class B students want to team up with them. Myself included.”
Even if the special entrant would be protected from expulsion, he’d be
spending the week in a group made up only of Class A students. It was safe
to say it wouldn’t be the most comfortable time.
“Let’s ask students from Classes B and D. Would anyone like to step
forward?” said Hirata.
We looked at each other. But no one raised their hand.
“Then I’d like to ask Class C. Would anyone like to step forward?”
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asked Hirata, directing the question to our own class this time. But he got the
same reaction.
Some were likely considering the offer because of the special quota but
also anxious about having everyone’s eyes on them. Not to mention being
behind enemy lines for a week.
“This is just my opinion,” said Hirata, “but I think Class A will keep
their word.”
“How can you know that?”
“Because they’re Class A, I suppose. If they do force a lower-ranking
student into expulsion despite their promise, no one will ever trust them
enough to make a deal with them again. We’re only in the third semester of
our first year. To lose credibility now would be a significant setback.”
Hirata’s words made sense. If this were a final, decisive battle, Class A
might act without care for their reputation. But they still had over two years
to go. If they were seen to keep their word here, they could continue to use
similar methods in the exams to come. Hirata was saying they wouldn’t do
anything too reckless just yet.
“Not to praise an enemy, but this is Class A. Their grades are simply
better than ours. I doubt they’ll come last or drop below the average. Your
safety would be guaranteed.”
Ike and the others could understand that temptation well.
“Fortunately, there don’t appear to be any Class B or D candidates. I’d
like to choose someone from Class C to join A’s group. Even if they do win,
our class would benefit, and someone would avoid the chance of expulsion.
How does that sound?” said Hirata.
He specifically directed his gaze to Ike and Yamauchi, no doubt
wanting to protect students who were anxious about their abilities. He made
sure to confirm the truth of what he was saying with Matoba too.
“Even if the special entrant scores below the group’s average, do you
promise you won’t seek to punish them?” he asked Matoba.
“Of course. We ask nothing of that student. If they uphold the
conditions I outlined earlier, they have my word.”
“I suppose I’ll do it,” muttered Ike. Upon hearing that, Yamauchi said
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the same.
“I think I would like to volunteer myself as well,” added the Professor,
bringing us to three candidates.
“To keep things fair, how about we settle this with rock-paper-
scissors? The winner joins the group,” suggested Hirata. They did just that,
with Yamauchi emerging victorious, making him the person chosen to join
Class A’s main group. And thus, the first group was formed. They reported to
Mashima-sensei, leaving the six remaining Class A students behind.
“Now we can form the remaining groups however we wish. I suppose
we could do as Class A suggested and form three groups of fourteen people
from the same class. And, just like Class A, we could pledge not to invoke
the solidarity rule against the one person from another class. Personally,
however, I would prefer we do as I had suggested earlier and blend all four
classes together.”
“That’s right. Now that we’re goin’ with Class A’s plan, I think we
should blend ’em.”
“No objections here. What do you say, Class C?”
Kanzaki and Kaneda’s strategy was one designed to secure the highest
point multiplier.
“If we’re aiming to win, this is what we need to do. No argument from
me.”
“Wait a minute, Hirata. Is this really okay? Like, I don’t wanna join a
group with someone like Ishizaki in it,” interrupted Sudou.
It wasn’t just Sudou either. Keisei and other Class C students felt
similarly, and grumbled complaints could be heard from a number of Class B
and D students too. Having students from all four classes got you a high
multiplier, but it also courted conflict. If students who fought like cats and
dogs got stuck in the same group, it might even affect scores.
“I understand. I don’t think this is something we can decide
immediately. What works for Class A may not work for us.”
Given how satisfied the Class A students looked, they’d probably
agreed to split the rewards equally among all their classmates. They might
even have promised to give the six students excluded from their main group a
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greater share of the rewards to offset the greater risks they faced. They could
afford to do so precisely because they were Class A and in a relatively safe
position.
“Why don’t we form hypothetical groups for the time being? If anyone
objects, we can stop and start over.”
“Sounds good. Trying to feel things out wastes precious time and
won’t get us to a consensus, and Class A’s already moved onto the next
step.”
Arguing back and forth would get us nowhere. The other students must
have been leaving matters to their respective leaders, because there were
almost no dissenting opinions.
“No objections here,” said Kaneda, accepting the offer without any
resistance. We began to form groups smoothly and efficiently. Even though
no one had spoken up, though, many students still wore skeptical looks on
their faces.
Ryuuen, not Kaneda, had been Class D’s original leader. Everyone
here was aware of that. But Ryuuen wasn’t participating in the group
discussion at all. In fact, he was keeping his distance from everyone and
didn’t even look like he was paying attention. Now that the third semester
was underway, it was common knowledge that he’d vacated his position of
authority a while ago. Among the students who didn’t know the specific
details behind his fall, there were several who suspected that the whole thing
was a charade.
“I’d like to ask you something. Did Ryuuen tell you to do this?” asked
Shibata, voicing the question Hirata and even Kanzaki didn’t dare to.
Kaneda removed his glasses and blew dust off the lenses. “No. This
was my idea. His opinions are irrelevant. And even if he and I were
collaborating behind the scenes, I’m the one talking to you right now. Any
problem with that?”
His expression turned somewhat grim.
“I just wanted to make sure. Sorry if I offended you,” Shibata
apologized.
“You didn’t. Now let’s continue with our discussion. We don’t have
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the time for chit-chat.”
Designing these groups was a tricky task. Each group would have to
work as a team, while their individual members tried to avoid expulsion and
assist their class at the same time. It might sound easy, but it wasn’t. The
process of group formation involved securing capable players while trying
not to get stuck with any duds.
We needed to make sure the students who were likely to drag the rest
down wound up in someone else’s group. Hirata, Kanzaki, and Kaneda chose
to act as representatives for their respective groups, shelving the matter of the
remaining small groups for now.
Immediate volunteers from Class C flocked to Hirata. Having a
classmate as your group representative meant you were probably safe from
being dragged down with them via the solidarity rule, and you already knew
them well to boot. A good way to minimize interference from other classes.
People clustered in this fashion, with Class B showing similar trends. Their
group members were decided faster than I could have imagined.
Class D was the last to form up, and they did so slowly. I probably
wasn’t the only one keeping my eye on them. Prominent students like
Kanzaki and Shibata were observing them, of course, but so were many
others, all curious to know exactly how Ryuuen Kakeru fit into the Class D
puzzle right now.
No one trusted Class D at all. Understandable, given how many times
Ryuuen Kakeru had tried to entrap us.
“What are you going to do, Kiyotaka?” Keisei and Akito came over to
check in with me.
“What about you?” I asked, batting the question back at them while
donning a conflicted expression face.
“I’m thinking of sticking with Keisei. I mean, using my head really
isn’t my strong suit.”
“…A group composed mainly of C Class students is appealing. It’s
just, well, to be honest…I’m not really satisfied with Hirata’s way of doing
things.”
“Meaning?” asked Akito, not understanding what Keisei was getting
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at.
“Hirata focuses on protecting his comrades, rather than winning. That’s
not a bad thing, but it doesn’t advance us as a class. Also, Ike, Onizuka, and
Sotomura are hoping to join Hirata’s group. How they perform will depend
on the nature of the upcoming tests, of course. They might even score better
than me. But it’s far more likely that they won’t, given what this exam is
shaping up to be like.”
“Well, that’s true…”
“Class A isn’t an unruly mob. Even if Yamauchi drags them down, it’s
doubtful Hirata’s group could win against them. The only thing we
accomplish under his strategy is avoiding being taken out by the solidarity
rule. Given that, I think that I’d rather be the minority in another group. We
should aim for victory, using an elite few.”
“If this whole thing comes down to average scores, that’s a solid
approach, I suppose.”
There were eighty boys in the first year, twenty in each respective
class. If we divided them up, here’s how the four main groups would look:
GROUP A (14 A, 1 C) = 15 people
GROUP B (12 B, 1 A, 1 C, 1 D) = 15 people
GROUP C (12 C, 1 A, 1 B, 1 D) = 15 people
GROUP D (12 D, 1 A, 1 C, 1 B) = 15 people
That left twenty people (three from Class A, six from B, five from C,
six from D) who would probably have to form two groups. However, while
the majority of students were doing as their class leaders directed, some
didn’t seem inclined to cooperate. One such student was unmistakably Class
D’s Ryuuen Kakeru, who had avoided interacting with anyone, standing
around alone as if he had no interest in participating in this exam in the first
place.
Despite being alone, it didn’t look like he was wallowing in loneliness,
or anything. If anything, he looked like he was proudly waiting out his
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solitude. Either way, one of the remaining groups was going to have to take
him in.
There was only one student I could imagine doing such a thing in a
situation where even Ishizaki, Ryuuen’s classmate, wouldn’t talk to him.
“Ryuuen-kun. Would you care to join our team?”
Of course, it was Hirata.
I could understand why someone like Ryuuen, who’d halfway retired
from inter-class competition, would find a mandatory-collaboration exam like
this one annoying. That said, he probably wouldn’t imprudently defy the
school’s will either.
“Wait, Hirata! Taking Ryuuen? That isn’t funny!”
Everyone who’d joined Hirata’s group resisted. Who’d want to work
alongside the ultimate ticking time bomb? Ryuuen was the single most
unnecessary element of a strategy to climb to Class A. The students
understood this—but at the same time, they had doubts rising within them.
Doubts, that is, about the scenario where they graduated “from a class
other than A.”
Failing to graduate in Class A meant they would never benefit from
this school’s too-good-to-be-true guarantee of getting you into any institution
or career you wanted. What was even the point of graduating if you couldn’t
do it in Class A?
That question haunted everyone at this school. It was the same kind of
mingled unease you got when good news and bad news reached you at the
same time. Without Class A, you’d be labeled an underperformer.
Universities or workplaces might outright refuse to admit or hire those who
didn’t have what it took.
Of course, there were undoubtedly many who held graduates of the
Advanced Nurturing High School in high regard. Spending three long, hard
years in the pure meritocracy of a government-sponsored school had its own
value. Graduating from this school at all was still a substantial achievement,
as long as you didn’t get your hopes up too high.
As for the second-year students, Nagumo was already top dog of Class
A, far ahead of Class B and below. With a year left to go, other classes could
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still turn things around, but it was an uphill battle. The third-year students had
it tough, too. While their situation certainly wasn’t as one-sided as the
second-years, I had heard that Class A, where Horikita’s brother was placed,
had never once surrendered its lead and was still going strong.
At this point, there was almost no chance for the second- and third-
years in Class D to make any kind of comeback, barring some kind of
miracle… Maybe if this were one of those quiz shows where you could shoot
to first place simply by getting the crucial final question right. But I doubted
that would happen here.
Putting aside the first-year students who hadn’t yet grasped the bigger
picture, everyone was likely terrified of expulsion. I couldn’t imagine a
university or employer welcoming an expelled student with open arms.
The systems in place for this exam, like the solidarity rule, were
deterrents at best.
The systems in place in this exam, like the representative being able to
drag someone down with them, was at most a deterrent. It was a rule created
to ensure that students wouldn’t be getting forcefully expelled. However,
being vigilant was still important. There was still a possibility that there was a
student out there who didn’t mind getting expelled, and in the off chance that
a representative gets expelled, they probably wouldn’t hesitate to bring
someone else down with them.
This meant everyone would be wise to score higher than their
representative, even if only by one point, to escape the solidarity rule. Also, it
was important not to incur the representative’s wrath.
“Oh, ho, ain’t you a big shot, Hirata, takin’ me in. But it doesn’t look
like people are on board,” said Ryuuen.
That’s right. They wouldn’t agree, and the group wouldn’t form unless
Hirata managed to talk them into it.
“Hey, Keisei. Wouldn’t being part of an elite crew be pretty risky?”
muttered Akito, looking at the remaining members.
“Yeah, maybe more than I thought.”
Keisei let out an exasperated sigh. Aside from me, the remaining five
Class C students were Keisei, Akito, the Professor, Onizuka, and Kouenji.
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