The results of the uninhabited island exam had undoubtedly caused a massive shock among the students, but none more so than the students of Class A.
"What the hell is going on, Katsuragi?!"
It was only natural that Class A's students surrounded Katsuragi, demanding answers. Even his staunch supporters weren't holding back their accusations.
They were leading the charge.
After all, the biggest losers from this debacle were Katsuragi's faction. Even Hikigaya, standing in the crowd, was tempted to sarcastically shout, "Katsuragi's brilliant strategy to save the world!" ...But he wisely decided against it—no need to dig his own grave here.
Katsuragi, on the other hand, stood there frozen, seemingly unable to comprehend the situation.
In stark contrast, Class B was overwhelmed with joy.
"Woohoo! This is amazing!"
"We're the champions!"
The entire beach echoed with the jubilant cries of Class B. Not only had they secured first place in the exam, but they had also scored so far ahead of the second-place Class D that it was nearly a landslide victory.
Combined, the other three classes hadn't even scored half as much.
It was a complete domination.
But the real surprise came just moments later.
"With the announcement of the exam results complete, we will now reveal the changes in class points," the loudspeaker crackled to life once more as Mashima-sensei's voice filled the air.
"Class A: 1,024 points. Class B: 1,083 points. Class C: 538 points. Class D: 206 points. As Class B's score has now surpassed that of Class A, Class B will now be promoted to Class A, and Class A will be demoted to Class B. Please take note."
"Wh-what?!"
This announcement was too much for the former Class A students to process. Many stood there in disbelief, while others rushed forward, demanding answers from Mashima-sensei.
Having been at the top and looking down at the other classes, they couldn't comprehend their sudden fall from grace.
But the reality is harsh.
No matter how much the former Class A students pleaded, Mashima-sensei remained stoic and unresponsive. After all, the truth was easy to verify, and there was no need to entertain further questions.
What a pitiful sight.
Watching the commotion unfold, Hikigaya couldn't help but shake his head in exasperation.
Honestly, they were only behind by fifty-nine points. Was there a need to react to this dramatically? If they were so upset, they could always make up the points in the next exam.
However, even if they managed to climb back up, having experienced this failure firsthand, they would likely hesitate to claim themselves as "elites" again. Maybe, just maybe, this crushing defeat might humble them a bit.
...Or not.
Hikigaya knew better. Even though he wanted to wrap things up with some grand lesson about learning from failure, he couldn't convince himself of it—let alone the students of the former Class A.
They were probably as bitter as Zhou Yu, after being outwitted by Zhuge Liang. These guys were most likely seething with anger, feeling as if they'd been tricked.
[T/N: This is a genuine Chinese reference, if you want you can search it up!]
Well, no point in avoiding the truth now.
Hikigaya had never cared much about this whole class competition in the first place. And honestly, he hadn't expected Class B to score so many points either.
The real issue now was...
—Ichinose-san? Can you stop sneaking glances at me?
Even surrounded by her classmates, Ichinose kept stealing quick looks in his direction, which was starting to make Hikigaya incredibly self-conscious. And then there was Matsushita, who had her peculiar way of staring, adding to the mounting pressure.
In comparison, the hostile glares from the former Class A students were easier to handle. At least their gazes didn't make Hikigaya uncomfortable.
Seriously, why was everyone looking over here?
...Wait, could they all be admiring my greatest creation?
Yes, that must be it!
Unable to think of any better explanation, Hikigaya retreated once more into his delusions to cope with the awkwardness.
Sigh, sometimes I am pathetic.
Fortunately, the students of Class D were equally pathetic. Even though they'd only managed to scrape together a little over a hundred points, most of them were already satisfied.
It didn't hurt that both Class A and Class C had performed dismally. In Class C's case, they had at least enjoyed the process, but Class A? After hiding out in their cave for a week, they had only earned a measly twenty points.
With such a tragedy as the backdrop, and considering the unpopularity of the former Class A, the second-place Class D had no reason to complain. Many of them were reveling in schadenfreude.
There's nothing more satisfying than seeing someone high and mighty come crashing down.
As the exam came to an end, students began to disperse. The cruise ship would depart in two hours, and during that time, students were free to either play on the beach or return to the ship to rest.
Naturally, Hikigaya chose to head back with the others. All he wanted right now was an incredibly sweet cup of coffee to soothe his weary soul.
It wasn't that his body was particularly tired—it was the mental strain that had worn him out.
Especially last night… ugh. Just thinking about it made his face heat up.
No, that situation had been far too much for him to handle.
"Hey, everyone! How was your week on the uninhabited island?"
Just then, a casual voice interrupted Hikigaya's thoughts.
Standing on the deck, holding a drink in one hand, was none other than Koenji, smiling smugly as he greeted Class D's return.
Honestly, the sight of him was enough to make anyone want to punch him.
"Koenji, you jerk! We lost thirty points because of you! Do you even understand that?!"
"Calm down, Ike-boy. I was bedridden the entire time due to illness. It was unavoidable, you see?"
He was lying. His complexion was healthier than anyone else's.
As the boys collectively berated Koenji, Hikigaya was reminded of something.
He still hadn't paid Koenji and Matsushita their share.
With that in mind, Hikigaya quietly slipped away from the commotion, returning to his cabin to retrieve his phone, which he hadn't touched in days.
Strange how he hadn't cared much for it before, but now that it had been out of reach, he found himself missing it.
With a sigh, Hikigaya transferred two hundred thousand points to Matsushita.
Hikigaya found himself unexpectedly playing the role of a detective, with his keen eyes on the lookout for anything suspicious. The task was simple enough: gather evidence of Yahiko's rule violations. He had enlisted the help of a couple of reliable allies—Matsushita, who was helping him with the task, and another student standing guard near the girls' tent.
Despite his usual aversion to teamwork, Hikigaya found working with Matsushita surprisingly easy. She was sharp, quick to understand what needed to be done without requiring too much explanation, and most importantly, she didn't cause trouble when it mattered.
With the task nearly complete, Hikigaya's mind drifted to the next issue on his agenda—rewarding Kouenji. However, a small problem presented itself: Hikigaya realized he didn't have Kouenji's phone number. It was a minor inconvenience, but one that Hikigaya preferred to keep under wraps. Asking someone like Hirata or Kushida for Kouenji's number would only draw unnecessary attention.
He decided to let it go for now. "I'll deal with it when the opportunity arises," he thought.
With that out of the way, Hikigaya's thoughts turned to more immediate, mundane pleasures—junk food. He could already taste the burgers and fries he planned to grab. They were, after all, a boy's best friend.
As he walked towards the restaurant, lost in thoughts of greasy indulgence, Hikigaya rounded a corner and stumbled upon an unexpected scene. Hashimoto was standing there, his back turned, engaged in a phone conversation.