Though his mind toyed with numerous scenarios, Hikigaya had no intention of putting any of them into action.
After all, it was summer vacation—why bother with such exhausting tasks? More importantly, he had no desire to fight for his class's benefit. It was clear that the sudden announcement of another uninhabited island test didn't even elicit many complaints this time around. The students seemed to have grown accustomed to the school's unreasonable demands.
Hikigaya mused, Is this what you'd call being conditioned?
As Hikigaya's thoughts wandered, Mashima-sensei continued, "The school has considered the issue of anonymity. Therefore, after the test, only the results of each group will be announced. The identities of the selected participants or respondents will remain confidential. You don't need to worry about that. Moreover, if you prefer, we can temporarily issue transfer IDs for point transfers or even arrange installment withdrawals. Of course, if you want to claim your points openly, that's also an option."
I see, Hikigaya thought. The amount of points involved this time was indeed substantial.
For most students, 500,000 personal points was a fortune.
Since the points were earned through the test, their distribution could inevitably stir disputes within the class. The selected students might even choose to keep their identities hidden or deceive their classmates to secure the points for themselves.
However, this concern seemed unnecessary to Hikigaya. Even if he somehow obtained the maximum amount of one million points, it wouldn't make him feel particularly wealthy. Besides, with fourteen people in his group, it was unlikely the opportunity would fall to him anyway.
Wait, fourteen people? A thought suddenly struck Hikigaya. There were 160 first-year students, and excluding Sakayanagi, all of them had participated in this special test. This meant that the 159 participants were divided into twelve groups, each consisting of thirteen to fourteen members.
But then, why hadn't Sakayanagi participated in this exam?
As these questions raced through his mind, Mashima-sensei concluded, "The third and fourth results differ from the other two, so they are listed on the back. That concludes the explanation for this test."
The students present exchanged confused glances, still trying to process the information.
Especially Sudou, who clearly hadn't understood a word.
"Uh, Hikigaya, what exactly are we supposed to do?"
"…Nothing."
To be honest, Hikigaya had far more pressing questions for Mashima-sensei than dealing with an exam that didn't particularly concern him. Unfortunately, there were too many people around for him to ask just yet. He'd have to wait until they left the room.
"This test is something," Matsushita suddenly remarked. "If we find the selected students, we could earn fifty class points in one go. In the best-case scenario, our class might even leap to Class A."
It was true, though unlikely.
There were twelve selected students, and each class would likely receive three participants to ensure fairness. If their class could achieve the third result in the other nine groups and the fourth result in their own three groups, they could gain a total of six hundred points.
Currently, Class D trailed Class A by 818 points. However, points would also be deducted during this test.
If they could manage to make Class A incorrectly guess two of Class D's selected students, and their own three were correctly identified, Class A would lose 250 points. That would bring Class D much closer to an astounding comeback.
Though the possibility was slim, it wasn't entirely impossible. After all, much depended on strategy and effort.
Perhaps that's why this test's rules were so intricate, far more stringent than the previous uninhabited island exam.
"Please make sure to carefully review the prohibited actions listed in the materials," Mashima-sensei added, glancing pointedly at Hikigaya.
Seriously? Hikigaya inwardly sighed, feeling once again misunderstood by his teachers. Even back on the uninhabited island, Chabashira-sensei had treated him the same way, never giving him the benefit of the doubt.
No wonder they say prejudice is like a mountain—difficult to overcome. All he'd done was negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement with Class B and Class C, yet they still viewed him as a troublemaker.
Moreover, the prohibited actions were all underhanded tactics—stealing someone's phone, using threats or intimidation to confirm the identity of the selected students, or sending answers using someone else's phone without permission.
These methods were beneath him, not to mention that getting caught would result in immediate expulsion.
"Hey, Hikigaya-kun," Matsushita called out, pointing to one of the rules in the materials. "Does this mean achieving the first result is practically impossible?"
The rule she pointed to read: After the exam, students must immediately disperse and are prohibited from communicating with students from other classes for a certain period.
This was another severe infraction that would lead to expulsion if violated.
"Huh? Why would that result in expulsion? That's way too harsh," Sudou grumbled, and even Sakura seemed to be struggling to understand.
At first glance, it did seem extreme, especially compared to actions like stealing phones.
However, Hikigaya realized that Matsushita was sharper than the other two.
Feeling slightly exasperated by their wide-eyed curiosity, he explained, "Let's say, hypothetically, that Sudou is—no, that I am the selected student. To achieve the first result, I would need to reveal my identity to everyone. But I wouldn't want to be betrayed, so the best approach would be to wait until after the exam to tell them."
The exam ended at 9 p.m. on the third day, and between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., the school would accept responses for the third and fourth results. From 9:30 to 10 p.m., only the first and second results could be chosen, meaning there was no option for betrayal.
"But because of this rule, I can't reveal my identity after 9:30, so I'd have to do it during the exam, which carries the risk of betrayal. That's why it's likely to end up as the second result."
"Oh… I still don't get it."
Hikigaya couldn't help but feel exasperated. Wasn't that explanation detailed enough?
He sighed, "In short, if any group achieves the first result, it's very likely that the selected student conspired with another class."
"Wha—really?!" Sudou was taken aback.
Even though he didn't fully understand, it sounded impressive.
But while the other students were trying to grasp Hikigaya's explanation, Mashima-sensei's thoughts had wandered. He finally understood why his student had performed so poorly on the uninhabited island.
In less than ten minutes, Hikigaya had grasped the essence of this test to such an extent…
Hikigaya Hachiman, Mashima-sensei thought. This student might be capable of holding his own against Sakayanagi.
It was rare for Mashima-sensei to lose focus during serious discussions, but this time, he couldn't help it.
Fortunately, he quickly regained his composure, clearing his throat before continuing, "You can discuss this further later. Starting tomorrow, you must go to the designated room at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. The room will have a sign with your group's name. During your first meeting, make sure to introduce yourselves. Once inside, you are generally not allowed to leave the room during the exam period, so please use the restroom beforehand. If you absolutely cannot hold it or feel unwell, contact your homeroom teacher immediately to request an exception."
"What should we do after the introductions?" Matsushita asked.
"You're free to use the remaining time as you wish, as long as you stay in the room for at least an hour. Whether you continue talking or leave the room afterward is up to you."
Mashima-sensei then added, "The selected students in each group will be carefully adjusted by the school to ensure fairness. Therefore, whether you're chosen or not, we will not accept any requests for changes. Additionally, copying, forwarding, or altering messages sent by the school is strictly prohibited. Please understand this clearly."
This point was also mentioned in the list of prohibited actions, specifically that students were not allowed to modify the text messages sent by the school, meaning there was no way to use that tactic to deceive others.
In other words, showing someone the message on your phone would be irrefutable proof of the truth.
But instead of focusing on this, Hikigaya was more interested in another statement Mashima-sensei made: The selected students in each group will be carefully adjusted.
This essentially confirmed that the groups for this exam were not randomly assigned.
Hikigaya thought, I haven't even started, and the teacher's already given away the answer…
"That concludes the explanation for this special test. If there are no further questions, you are dismissed."
With that, Mashima-sensei ordered the group to disband, and the students began to file out of the room.
Hikigaya intentionally lingered behind. Just as he was about to step out, he made a sudden move and stepped back into the room, closing the door slightly behind him.
"Mashima-sensei, I suddenly remembered something."
"…I'll decide whether to answer."
It wasn't surprising that Mashima-sensei was wary. He likely suspected that Hikigaya's "sudden remembrance" was a ruse.
And indeed, he was right.
"Sakayanagi didn't take part in this exam, did she?" Hikigaya asked, his tone laced with curiosity.
"That's right," Mashima-sensei confirmed with a slight nod. "She didn't participate in the trip, so she missed both exams."
"Did the school bar her from participating, or was it her own choice?" Hikigaya pressed on, his gaze steady.
"…That's a matter of personal privacy," Mashima-sensei replied, a hint of discomfort in his voice. He found the line of questioning increasingly peculiar, but Hikigaya wasn't letting up.
"This concerns the fairness of the exams," Hikigaya countered. "If it were just the uninhabited island exam, I could understand why the school might have excluded Sakayanagi from the trip. But given that there was also the preferential treatment exam, it seems odd that she wouldn't be allowed on the ship."
The exams had been announced abruptly by the school, catching everyone off guard. While it was well-known that Sakayanagi had her weaknesses, she wasn't so incapacitated that she couldn't participate in the trip. At the very least, she could have stayed on the ship.
Mashima began to grasp the implication of Hikigaya's questions. It seemed Hikigaya was using him as a means to target Sakayanagi.
Today's students certainly have their way of handling things.