At nine in the evening, the Preferential Treatment Exam finally concluded. The next thirty minutes would be the last opportunity to send betrayal messages. Katsuragi leaned against the wall in his room, quietly waiting for his classmates to gather.
Although the broadcast instructed students to return to their respective rooms, it was merely to prevent interactions between different classes. Katsuragi had preemptively requested permission from his homeroom teacher to use a large room on the fourth floor as a temporary meeting space, and his request was granted.
What would happen next...?
"Katsuragi! Come here, quick!"
Someone called his name, breaking his thoughts. Opening his eyes, he saw Machida and Takemoto dragging Morishige—one of Sakayanagi's faction members—into a heated argument.
If he remembered correctly, all three of them were from the Rabbit Group. Had a conflict arisen?
"What's going on?" Katsuragi asked, his voice calm.
"It's Morishige!" Machida blurted out, stepping forward. "He's trying to secretly send a betrayal message! We warned him it might be a trap, but he won't listen!"
"I haven't even sent it yet!" Morishige hurriedly defended himself.
But Takemoto was quick to expose the truth.
"I saw it, though! You already typed out the name 'Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.'"
"I told you, I didn't send it!" Morishige snapped, growing impatient. "And why should I listen to you anyway? I'm not part of your Katsuragi faction! Besides, what right does Katsuragi have to boss us around now?"
The commotion drew the attention of others nearby. A few of Katsuragi's loyalists shot glares at Morishige, but most simply watched, eager for the spectacle to unfold.
Despite the situation, Katsuragi showed neither anger nor frustration. His expression remained calm as he said, "That's all in the past. I intended to make this announcement after the summer break, but now is as good a time as any. I've decided to step down from vying for the leadership position."
"…What?"
His words sent shockwaves through the group.
"K-Katsuragi-san, are you serious?" Yahiko stammered, his face filled with disbelief.
Ignoring him, Katsuragi turned to Morishige, who was equally stunned by the revelation.
"Now you understand," Katsuragi said evenly. "I'm not asking you as a leader of an opposing faction. I'm simply asking as a classmate to share what's going on with the Rabbit Group. Nothing more."
"Uh… okay…" Morishige, now faced with Katsuragi's lowered stance, found himself at a loss for words.
It wasn't that Morishige was unreasonable—he just tended to adopt a confrontational tone due to the internal strife within their class. But now that Katsuragi had voluntarily relinquished his position, there was no reason for further hostility.
"Morishige, can you explain why you believe Ayanokoji is the preferential candidate?" Katsuragi asked calmly.
"…At the time, several students from Class D swapped phones, and then Ichinose exposed them on the spot," Morishige hesitated but ultimately answered.
"That alone isn't enough to be sure," Katsuragi replied, shaking his head. "You should have heard from Hashimoto about the SIM card unlocking tactic. If you're not certain, I advise you not to make rash decisions."
Morishige had indeed intended to send the betrayal message immediately after the group discussion ended. However, remembering the SIM card issue, he hesitated.
At that moment, everyone in the room received a text message.
Katsuragi glanced at his phone and shook his head slightly.
"The Rabbit Group's exam has ended. There's no need to worry anymore."
"…Yeah, I guess it's better this way."
Morishige sighed, relieved of the burden. Although he may have missed an opportunity for merit, at least the pressure was off his shoulders.
But then, three more message alerts rang out in quick succession.
Katsuragi and Hashimoto both stiffened and the others, after checking their phones, were equally astonished.
"What's going on? Three groups ended at the same time!"
"Why were the messages sent all at once?"
"Could it be that an entire class has orchestrated a betrayal?"
The room erupted into chaotic murmurs, as everyone struggled to comprehend the unfolding situation.
"Everyone, please listen to me." Katsuragi's voice cut through the noise, silencing the room. "Before anything else, I need to confirm something. The privileged students from our class are Yamamura from the Rat group, Kamuro from the Tiger group, and Satonaka from the Pig group, correct?"
"...Huh?!"
Hearing the names, which matched those in the message, the smarter students immediately pieced together what had happened.
As the three students nodded in confirmation, the realization hit everyone like a wave, plunging the room into a suffocating silence.
"So... does this mean our class will lose 150 points?"
Someone muttered the question, and though softly spoken, it rang clear in everyone's ears, further amplifying the collective despair.
No wonder. Ever since they'd been knocked from the top spot as Class A, their primary goal had been to climb back up during this exam. But now, not only had they failed to close the gap, but they were also facing a massive penalty. For the former Class A students, this was a bitter pill to swallow.
The sense of superiority they had held since the beginning of the school year was now thoroughly shattered.
Katsuragi observed the faces of his classmates, each displaying a mix of shock and disappointment, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If morale didn't improve soon, their class was in for a rough ride.
"In fact," Katsuragi continued, "Hashimoto and I made a discovery that I think you all should know about."
He glanced toward Hashimoto, who immediately understood and recounted the events he'd witnessed late last night.
The room remained silent for a few seconds after his account before an uproar broke out.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's strike back at Class C!"
"Yeah! We can recover the points we lost!"
"I can't believe Kushida would do something like that… but hey, as long as she's cute, who cares?"
Despite the excited chatter, no one rushed to send a message. Instead, they all turned to Katsuragi, waiting for his guidance.
"I've told you all before—I've withdrawn from any leadership disputes. I'm just relaying the information I've gathered as a regular student. What you do from here is up to you. Besides, I have no right to interfere with other groups. My only responsibility is to handle the Dragon group... Now, take your time and think it over."
With that, Katsuragi turned and exited the room.
Before he could return to his quarters, someone called out to him.
"Katsuragi, wait a moment!"
Turning around, he saw that it was Michinari Matou from the Dragon group.
Although Matou belonged to Sakayanagi's faction, he had worked closely with Katsuragi during this exam, with no visible conflicts between them.
"What is it?"
"I was just wondering... Is it okay to leave the decision up to everyone?"
Katsuragi fell silent for a moment before shaking his head. "You know the position I'm in."
"Yeah... I understand."
Matou knew better than to press further. Katsuragi had already done his utmost for the class.
"About the Dragon group... should we—?" Matou began, probing carefully.
This morning, Katsuragi had met with Ryuuen, Kanzaki, and Kushida. After a long discussion, the four classes agreed to cooperate and ensure the Dragon group achieved Result 1.
Kushida had even revealed her identity as a privileged student. They'd also agreed that if any class betrayed them, the others would retaliate during the next exam.
But Katsuragi remained uncertain, which is why he had sought out Matou, someone he felt he could trust, to discuss the matter.
"No. I'm sticking to my decision," Katsuragi replied firmly. "Until I'm 100% certain that Kushida is the privileged student, I won't take any risks. Of course, if you have another idea, feel free to act on it. I won't stop you."
Matou chuckled softly. "You've changed, Katsuragi. The old you would've flat-out refused."
"...I've just come to realize my limitations. I can't lead the class to victory with my decisions alone."
Katsuragi couldn't help but smile bitterly. He had always been a model student, but ever since enrolling in this school, he'd faced nothing but setbacks. His bid to join the student council was rejected, he suffered a crushing defeat on the uninhabited island, and now, they were on the verge of losing even more ground to the other classes.
"And I don't think betrayal is a smart move right now," Katsuragi continued, sighing softly. "During this exam, I've noticed the other classes seem to be targeting us, intentionally or not. When we were Class A, that kind of hostility made sense, but now that we've fallen, it shouldn't be happening. And yet, it is."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Sometimes I think... maybe falling from Class A isn't entirely a bad thing. We were too arrogant before, and now we're paying the price."
"I never thought I'd hear you say something like that."
Matou had always considered himself somewhat familiar with Katsuragi's rigid, elite mindset. To earn his respect, one had to prove themselves through academic achievement. Yet now, Katsuragi's words carried a weight of genuine introspection, not just polite pleasantries.
At that moment, both of their phones chimed, followed by two more chimes in quick succession.
It was the school, sending out three more exam notifications.
For caution's sake, Katsuragi pulled out his phone and glanced at the messages, confirming that the Snake, Sheep, and Dog groups had concluded their exams.
It seemed someone had finally made their move.
Sigh... So, they've decided to gamble after all?
At this point, all B-Class could do was pray.
---
At 10:50 PM, only ten minutes remained until the exam results would be announced.
Most students, too anxious to stay in their rooms, had gathered at the café on the deck.
Hikigaya wasn't one for crowds, but he didn't want to linger in his room either, so he headed down to his usual spot on the third basement floor.
By morning, the cruise ship would return to Tokyo Bay, and this long journey would finally come to an end.
He intended to enjoy his last cup of coffee on the ship, alone, in peace.
"Hikigaya-kun, I knew I'd find you here."
"Ugh..." So much for peace.
Hikigaya looked up to see Kushida sitting across from him without so much as a greeting. With a sigh of resignation, he asked, "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with your friends, waiting for the results?"
"Hehe, it's fine," Kushida smiled sweetly. "Besides... I wanted to share this moment with you. Is that so wrong?"
"Yes, it is. I prefer being alone."
"Honestly, that kind of answer is a major failure when talking to a girl, you know?"
"Oh? Good thing I'm not trying to pass."
Hikigaya couldn't care less about being 'successful' in that regard.
"So... do you think everything will go smoothly?" Kushida asked, her tone suddenly more hesitant.
"Don't worry about it. Just trust yourself," Hikigaya replied casually. "When people are pushed to their limits, their thinking becomes clouded, and they make rash decisions. Even Katsuragi, cautious as he is, will act—if not him, then definitely the others in B-Class. They won't be able to resist such an enticing bait."
The gap between A-Class and B-Class was still narrow. Even if Katsuragi held firm, B-Class as a whole wouldn't.
"But... this was my plan. Do you think it will work?"
Kushida, unusually lacking in confidence, was a rare sight.
"Relax," Hikigaya reassured her. "Think of all the guys who fall head over heels for you. You've got a natural talent for deception—some might even call it genius."
"…Genius?"
"Of course."
There were many kinds of geniuses. 'Deceiver' was merely a narrow term for someone with remarkable acting skills and a deep understanding of human nature. Without such insight, one couldn't effectively deceive others.
With practice, she could certainly live up to her full potential.
"If you're still worried, how about this?"
Hikigaya raised a finger.
"Let's make a bet."
"A bet?"
"If this plan doesn't work, I'll grant you any request."
"Eh?!"
Kushida's eyes widened in surprise. Hikigaya suddenly realized that he might have been too hasty. What if she asked for something unreasonable... like getting Horikita expelled?
Just as he was about to add a caveat—something along the lines of 'no immoral requests'—the clock struck 11:00.
Simultaneously, their phones buzzed with a message from the school.
"Hikigaya-kun, hurry, check it!"
"Uh, yeah."
For some reason, Kushida didn't take out her phone. Instead, she leaned closer to Hikigaya, as if wanting to check the results together.
Did she forget to bring her phone? Well, it doesn't matter.
On the screen, a lengthy message was displayed:
[The Mouse Group answered correctly due to a traitor, resulting in outcome three;
The Ox Group answered incorrectly due to a traitor, resulting in outcome four;
The Tiger Group answered correctly due to a traitor, resulting in outcome three;
The Rabbit Group answered correctly due to a traitor, resulting in outcome three;
The Dragon Group answered correctly after the exam, resulting in outcome one;
The Snake Group answered incorrectly due to a traitor, resulting in outcome four;
The Horse Group successfully hid the existence of the VIP, resulting in outcome two;
The Sheep Group answered incorrectly due to a traitor, resulting in outcome four;
The Monkey Group answered correctly due to a traitor, resulting in outcome three;
The Rooster Group answered correctly after the exam, resulting in outcome one;
The Dog Group answered incorrectly due to a traitor, resulting in outcome four; The
Pig Group answered correctly due to a traitor, resulting in outcome three.]
[Based on the above results, the changes in class and individual points for this exam are as follows:]
The points were followed by abbreviations "CP" for Class Points and "PP" for Personal Points.
[Class A: +50 CP, +4.5 million PP; Class B: -300 CP, +4 million PP; Class C: +250 CP, +6.5 million PP; Class D: No change in CP, +5 million PR.]
It seemed the results for each group were exactly as Hikigaya had anticipated.
Class A's VIPs were in the Monkey, Ox, and Horse Groups. The Monkey Group was targeted by Kouenji, after which Kanzaki struck a deal with Ryuuen, who instructed his subordinates in the Ox Group to send the wrong answers. As for the Horse Group, they followed the terms of the deal and concealed the VIP until the end.
There was no need to even mention Classes B and C. Katsuragi was completely fooled by Kushida and Ryuuen's performance, leading Class B to send the wrong name and giving Class C a sweeping victory.
As for Class D, apart from Karuizawa in the Rabbit Group being discovered by Ichinose, Kushida in the Dragon Group and Hikigaya in the Rooster Group both managed to secure outcome one.
But the real trouble was yet to come.
After all, achieving outcome one, which seemed almost impossible, might raise some eyebrows... Well, that's something to worry about later.
For now, it was time to savor the moment of victory.
"So, Kushida, I told you that you could do it, didn't I?"
Hikigaya smiled and raised his coffee cup towards her.
"Without a doubt, you have the ability to become someone truly special."
Now that he thought about it, before this exam, Class B had 1,024 class points, while Class C had 538.
In other words… Wait a minute.
Is the former Class A about to fall down to Class C?
Hikigaya suddenly thought it might be a good idea to block Sakayanagi's number after all.