The in-class voting special exam was a strategic battle where each class faced the grim task of expelling a specific student. This wasn't just any student—it was a specific male student from Class 1C.
The motives and actions varied across classes, each with its unique perspective and approach.
Class A, under the iron grip of Sakayanagi, swiftly made their decision on the first day. Surprisingly, they targeted Yahiko instead of Katsuragi.
Why? Because Katsuragi, despite being the former leader, was too valuable an asset to lose.
Class B, in a desperate bid, struck a deal with Class D to secure 20 million points. Their efforts paid off; they managed to save everyone. No student from Class B faced expulsion.
In Class D, the students brokered a deal with Class B: praise votes in exchange for 4 million points, all to save Ryuen, their fallen leader. They recognized his significance, even in his diminished state. As a result, Manabe was expelled instead.
Class C, on the other hand, seemed destined to expel Yamauchi. But in a shocking twist, Sakura, an unrelated student, became the sacrificial lamb.
How did this happen? Allow me to explain.
From the outset, the notion of saving everyone was a pipe dream. Initially, I too believed there might be a way to manipulate the votes, ensuring an equal distribution of praise and criticism for the entire class. But every path I considered was already blocked.
The ambition to save everyone was thwarted at every turn. My theory was to manipulate the votes so each student received the same number of praise and criticism votes.
Yet, this was an impossible feat from the beginning.
Even if we manipulate the voting in such way, as the exam includes praise votes from other classes as well, its not under our complete control.
Moreover, some mischievous students like Kushida or Koenji might try to disrupt the voting process by targeting someone.
And let's face it, even in some absurdly lucky scenario where we achieved a perfect balance, the exam would be annulled, and we'd be back to square one.
Collecting 20 million private points? Yeah, right. Absolutely impossible.
So, a student was definitely going to be expelled. At the meeting, it was probably decided that the unlucky candidate would be yours truly. But, spoiler alert—I wasn't about to go down without a fight. So, I set my sights on finding someone else to take the fall.
Enter Sakura Airi.
Every other student at the bottom of the class—Sudo, Ike, even Sato—was showing some signs of growth. I had a hunch they'd be crucial later on. But Sakura? She hadn't developed at all since that friends' group formation with Ayanokouji, and had zero importance in any of the special exams so far. And let's be honest, this special exam was brutal for someone like her, always scared of her own shadow and constantly fearing expulsion due to her low self-esteem.
Call me cold-hearted, but she was the perfect candidate for expulsion in my eyes.
Now, how would I make sure she got the highest number of criticism votes?
Let's rewind to the day before.
***
During the launch break yesterday, I went to the staff room to search for any clue. Well, the excuse was me trying to clear some doubts in Japanese history from Chabashira.
"Yamauchi, it's unexpected of you to be reading history, or rather any subject,..... what's wrong?" Chabashira asked me while I was scanning the whole room.
"Sensei, in my opinion, nothing is strange or unexpected in this school. Also, there is an expulsion game going around and I am the closest one in my class to lose this game. So, I am just trying to enjoy new stuff and all before leaving."
"Hm? So, what is it?"
"It's about the Meiji Restoration. I don't really get why the Satsuma and Choshu domains were so important…" I asked her while trying to get closer look around the table behind her.
"Hm? But that's not a topic taught in your academic year."
Huh?
Well, I don't really remember much from high school years, but this topic was in the curriculum. So, maybe it is in second or third year.
"I read it in a book from library. Is it okay to ask?" I tried to act casual while I found something interesting, while looking around.
"Well, the Meiji restoration is a topic in your second year. The Satsuma and Choshu domains actively adopted Western military technology and strengthened their military power during the late Edo period. They also shared a common intent to overthrow the shogunate and cooperated to oppose it."
"Really, that's it? Why didn't the other domains cooperate?"
"Other domains also desired change but lacked the military power and influence of Satsuma and Choshu, so they had to rely on them. The leadership of Satsuma and Choshu helped establish the foundation of the new government....By the way, are you looking for someone?"
Perhaps, she caught onto me scanning around the room. Lying would just increase her suspicion, so let's gloss it over.
"Yeah, not exactly. Actually, I was wondering what was that machine for?" That's what caught my attention.
It was a scanner type machine used for recognizing optical marks like OMR sheets.
"...Are you curious?" Chabashira was clearly giving the impression of finding something interesting. I don't think she would directly involve herself with our class, though.
"Yes." I replied without any hesitation.
"That would be used for your voting process tomorrow."
As I thought. But....
"Sensei, is it alright to tell me about this?" I had the impression of her not being too casual about important info about exams.
"Don't worry about it. It's not like these things are being kept secret. Moreover, the voting calculation part would be done by other staff members. We won't have any influence above that. So, it's alright."
Nah. Would you look at that?
She is clearly giving me free info. That can't be carelessness.
"Thank you, sensei. I will excuse myself then."
I left the staff room, and started devising a plan.
Chabashira might be a problem if she gets any weird idea of me doing anything.
Well, it's not really time for thinking about that. Saving my ass is just about the right thing to do now.
Let's move to the next phase.
***
After admitting my betrayal and leaving the class, I, immediately started working on the project.
But why did I confess?
That is simple. It would not cause any wild suspicions about me, if Sakura gets expelled. Everyone might believe that some students took pity on me.
While confusions would arise in some smart ass students, they would not find any proof of whatever I had done.
Moreover, Chabashira said so herself that, vote calculation process is being carried out by other staff, and teachers are not allowed to interfere.
This implies even Chabashira won't be able to find out anything, even if she found the results strange.
Also this was a message to Sakayanagi. Hope she understands it.
Well then, I am beating around the bush for a long time, but here is the plan.
I was destined to get the most criticism votes, as a matter of fact. And that can't be changed howsoever.
That's why, I focused on the result and calculation process itself.
From what I observed, the vote counting process goes like this. All the 160 ballot papers from all the four classes are scanned through that scanner, I saw at the office, and then the total vote gained by each student is calculated by the staff members. Teachers of respective classes are only handed down the results to maintain anonymity.
As the scanner seemed completely new, I theorized that the program built to count total votes must be new too, and hastily prepared. This fact itself bears too much weight. A program being new means, it must be full of bugs.
***
Time for a little flashback. I was working on the consumer's reviews database, while Shinomiya senpai was staring while standing beside me.
"Um, senpai? Is something wrong?"
"No, actually, I was wondering, are you done for today?"
"Yes, almost done."
"Then, would you be leaving after that?"
"Y-Yeah. I don't really have any work pending after this, so I would be leaving."
"Then,..... what about these negative reviews?" Pointing at some 1 star consumer ratings in my monitor screen.
"Senpai, apparently, there is some bug in our company's app. I would report it to the app management team."
"Bug? Why don't you fix it?"
"Eh? But it does not fall under my department."
"Are you complaining now? To me? Just fix it. And do it today. I can't tolerate any negative reviews about our company."
"B-But how would I? I don't even know how to do bug fixing."
"Then learn it. Going further, it would be useful to you."
"Huh?"
'T-This bitch!'
***
Yeah, and that's how I learnt how to do bug fixing.
Sorry senpai for calling you a bitch, but it's actually helpful now.
However, I am not going to fix the bug.
After leaving the school premises, I went towards the mall.
My plan was simple but risky.
I would perform SQL injection in the program used by the school to gain access to the instructor's login interface. Then at the time of voting calculation, I would use some scripts to change the final result.
And from where I would gain access?
Of course from the computer in the staff room itself.
That's why it is risky. My objective is to find login credentials of instructors and gain access into that vote counting program.
But how come I went to Keyaki Mall first? Well, to buy a pair of gloves, not to leave any fingerprints.
Was I successful?
Yes. But it was an unexpected help from one of the IT technician staff himself in the evening. I did some buttering on him, telling I aspired to enter the IT field in my future, and he showed his login page to me himself. That's a different story, I would talk about later.
And on the day of the exam, I went to the toilet right after the voting process ended.
When I checked the results after gaining access, it was not quite surprising.
I had 29 criticism votes, Sudo had 15 and then Ike had 14, followed by Koenji.
And above them, those votes were scattered around.
Sakura Airi had 0 criticism votes. Literally zero.
Well it was the final result, so there must be some cancellation of praise and criticism votes, which amounted to zero.
I just changed two things : mine to 19, and hers to 20, only modifying two digits. The personnel-in-charge should not recheck these things, because he is not really concerned with the result.
Afterwards, the results must have been handed down to the respective homeroom teachers.
But due to some errors in the system, final results of class 1C was a little delayed, which was probably due to my meddling.
Thus, due to my actions, an innocent one was sacrificed instead of me.
Are you perhaps, disheartened that your expectations were betrayed? Well, I am not much of a manipulator of people, myself. If I were one, I would have used such skills in my previous life.
Moreover, I did have other options of contacting acting director Tsukishiro for some negotiations about expelling Ayanokouji, but I decided otherwise.
Why? Because from what I saw myself, he really is a monster. I mean, looking at the crying face of Sakura, even made me feel bad and guilty about all this, despite me being an adult.
But, he? That boy was just staring at her with completely emotionless eyes, like a robot.
If possible, I don't want to involve myself with him.
My motto is completely clear. Survive here for the rest of my high school years without getting involved in any trouble.
As I was thinking along those lines, an unexpected call broke my line of thought. It was from Sakayanagi. I was going to the dorms and stopped to pick up the call.
"Hello, Sakayanagi?"
"Yes, Yamauchi-kun. I heard that you barely made it out of the exam?"
"HaHaHa. Yeah seems like it. Are you surprised? That even if you gave all your praise votes to Ayanokouji, how the hell did I survive?"
"I would be lying if I said I am not curious. But it seems like you are a totally different person now."
Bulls-eye.
"Yeah, you are right about that. I gained some enlightenment despite not having been to the Ganga. Well, do you have any business with me now? It would be a laughing matter if you offered me to go out with you now that everything you have done."
"Hm.... Why don't we do that?"
"What?"
"Yamauchi-kun, would you go on a date with me?"
"Huh?"
Another crazy bitch has appeared in my life, it seems.