Hikigaya's question struck at the heart of the matter: Why had Sakayanagi skipped the last two special exams? Was it simply a coincidence, or was there something more intentional behind her absence?
The school doesn't organize exams on a whim. Even the seemingly straightforward "Preferential" exam had required careful planning. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been so many empty rooms on the second floor prepared in advance.
Normally, Sakayanagi would have participated in this trip, perhaps even sitting out the uninhabited island exam due to her health. But she was expected to take part in the "Preferential" exam as usual.
Thus, the idea that the school had purposely excluded her didn't hold water. After all, the "Preferential" exam wasn't something that would affect her health.
It seemed more likely that Sakayanagi, having caught wind of the uninhabited island challenge from the upperclassmen, decided to use this opportunity to crush Katsuragi's faction. By staying behind, she completely washed her hands of any potential failure.
If the only exam was the one on the uninhabited island, her excuse of weak health might have been plausible. Unfortunately for her, she hadn't anticipated that there would be another test onboard the ship.
This was the perfect chance for someone to 'exact justice.'
"Sakayanagi skipping the island exam? I can accept that. But what about the 'Preferential' exam?" Hikigaya said coolly. "If there's no penalty for skipping exams, I might want to drop out too. Maybe I should let the idiots in my class do the same, since there's apparently no punishment."
"Uh..." Mashima-sensei looked like he was on the verge of a headache.
If it were only about Sakayanagi's personal situation, it could be kept private. But when it involved the fairness of the exam, he couldn't avoid answering the question. And knowing his personality, Hikigaya was sure the teacher wouldn't dodge it.
"Hikigaya, I can only tell you this: The school will never favor any student. Sakayanagi requested not to participate herself."
"I see. Thanks."
For Hikigaya, this was enough. With a nod of acknowledgment, he bowed and left the room.
Besides, he had already recorded everything.
When he'd spoken with Sakayanagi in the library, he had recorded their conversation. Back then, she had mentioned she wouldn't take part in the special exams during the summer.
Still, since that information came from Sakayanagi herself, Hikigaya hadn't felt entirely secure. That's why he had turned to Mashima-sensei to back it up.
Recording everything was simply a precaution. Who knew? It might come in handy later.
It wasn't like he had any ill intentions, of course.
"Hikigaya-kun, what took you so long?"
As soon as he stepped out of the room, Matsushita was there waiting for him in the hallway. Surprisingly, Sudou and Sakura were also standing with her.
Huh? When did they all get so close?
"I just had to ask Mashima-sensei something... But enough about that. What are you guys doing here?" Hikigaya asked, trying to dodge the question.
"What do you mean 'doing here'?" Matsushita looked incredulous. "The exam is coming up soon. I thought the four of us should discuss our strategy."
Hikigaya shrugged. "Even if you say that, I don't know what there is to discuss. We should probably wait until the 'Preferential' notifications are out, right?"
"Yeah, I agree. I'll just follow your lead, Hikigaya," Sudou chimed in.
"Me... me too…" Sakura stammered.
"Huh?"
All Hikigaya had wanted was to slack off for a bit, but he hadn't expected both Sudou and Sakura to go along with his plan so readily, even willing to leave everything in his hands.
What a joke. He was the one who wanted to delegate things to someone else!
"Um, maybe we should at least have a quick…"
"No, Hikigaya-kun can handle everything," Matsushita interrupted with a mischievous grin.
She was getting bolder, it seemed.
With the second exam looming, it felt as though the four members of Class D had mutually decided to do the bare minimum. And with that, their little strategy meeting fizzled out before it even began.
Not that Hikigaya cared, but there was something off about it all.
The four of them went their separate ways, but Matsushita circled back, catching up to Hikigaya from behind.
"Hikigaya-kun, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Want to grab dinner together?"
"No, I had ramen earlier."
"Great, let's go."
"Uh…"
Miss Matsushita, it's rude to completely ignore what others say with a smile.
But Hikigaya could sense that Matsushita had something on her mind. With a sigh, he gave in and followed her.
When they reached the dining hall and sat down, Matsushita wasted no time. After ordering, she immediately spoke up.
"Hikigaya-kun, are you not suspicious of anything? You can tell me. It's okay."
"What about you? Did you notice anything unusual?" Hikigaya shot back.
"Well... it's just strange, isn't it? Why split us up for briefings like that?"
To his surprise, Matsushita had hit the nail on the head. Her mind was sharper than he gave her credit for.
"Yeah, it's worth thinking about," Hikigaya nodded in agreement. "If they wanted efficiency, they could've just explained things to all the students at once and then announced the groups. Why do you think they didn't?"
Matsushita frowned, clearly mulling it over. "Maybe to avoid confusion…? But that sounds a bit weak."
"Then let's try thinking in reverse."
"In reverse?"
Twelve groups, each consisting of students from different classes. The school had gone out of its way to pull students of the same class aside for an isolated briefing. It certainly wasn't for friendly reasons.
Seeing that Matsushita hadn't responded, Hikigaya nudged her with a hint. "What was your first thought when you saw the three of us were in your group?"
"I was happy… Huh?"
Matsushita's face flushed as she realized what she'd said.
"W-Wait! That's not what I meant!"
"Calm down, please."
Hikigaya looked at her with exasperation as she fanned her face with her hand, trying to cool down.
"No, I just thought it was hot in here... Anyway, I was wondering why the four of us were grouped."
"Exactly. That's the whole point."
With the conversation finally back on track, Hikigaya didn't bother dragging things out any further.
"They want to limit your focus to your classmates."
"Limit my focus? Oh, you mean the list!" Matsushita quickly connected the dots. Her eyes lit up with understanding.
She did love solving puzzles, didn't she?
If the school had explained the exam rules to everyone first and then announced the groups, students would have questioned why they were grouped together and if there was any hidden pattern. But by isolating them and focusing their attention on their teammates first, the school had cleverly led them into thinking this was just another wolf game.
As a result, the students became preoccupied with hiding or identifying the 'Preferential,' losing sight of the real purpose of the exam.
Thinking had started well before the official exam began.
Hikigaya quietly marveled at the subtlety of it all. "So, from now on, you should try to gather the member lists of the other groups. It'll come in handy later."
"Got it! I'll send you the info as soon as I collect it," Matsushita replied eagerly.
"No, you don't have to... Never mind. Thanks."
He'd intended to turn down her offer, but on second thought, he decided it might be useful.
He couldn't afford to stay on the sidelines this time. At the very least, he needed to keep an eye on Ayanokoji's movements, so being prepared was essential.
"Hey, isn't that Hikigaya-kun and Matsushita-san?"
A familiar voice called out from behind them.
"Good evening, Kushida-san," Matsushita greeted her.
"...Hello," Hikigaya added.
"What a rare sight, you two together. Mind if I join you? I haven't had dinner yet either," Kushida said with her usual bright smile.
"Of course, go ahead," Matsushita agreed with a smile, though Hikigaya could sense the strain behind it.
She probably wasn't used to dealing with Kushida. After all, Matsushita's sharp instincts would have picked up on Kushida's two-faced nature long ago.
"Thanks! I'll try not to intrude."
Kushida slid into the seat next to Hikigaya, her casual proximity making Matsushita's brow twitch in irritation. Subtly, Matsushita shifted her chair closer as well.
What are these two doing?
Hikigaya could only watch in confusion, his thoughts still on Kushida's sudden approach.
Something about it seemed off. Normally, Kushida wouldn't be caught dead associating with him in public. And yet, here she was, approaching him deliberately—and without her usual group of friends.
What was she up to?
Before long, Kushida revealed her true intentions.
Before he could think further, Kushida asked, "Oh, Hikigaya-kun, what time is your group meeting tomorrow?"
Her wide, innocent eyes locked onto his, expectantly waiting for an answer.
"Mine's at 8:40. Are we in the same group?"