Just past six in the morning, the dormitory was filled with the sound of upbeat background music.
Perhaps because it was winter, the sky outside was still a gloomy shade of gray. Even after opening his eyes, Hikigaya couldn't make out his surroundings.
Strictly speaking, today was the official first day of the mixed-group training camp exam. The final test for the entire school year was scheduled for next Thursday, which meant they had only spent one day in this hell… right?
"Oi, dead eyes, what are you spacing out for? Did you sleep yourself stupid?"
Ryuuen, that bastard, jumped down from the top bunk, and the first words out of his mouth made Hikigaya want to punch him.
"Ugh… I wanna go home."
Unfortunately, no matter how much he complained, he still had to get out of bed.
Dragging himself up reluctantly, Hikigaya left the warmth of his beloved blanket with deep regret.
The others seemed to share similar sentiments. Though their movements were sluggish, none of them needed a wake-up call—they all got up on their own.
As expected of the elite students from the former Class A. Such well-behaved little angels.
Thinking about it this way, maybe being the leader of this group wasn't so bad. At the very least, he wouldn't have to waste time waking everyone up.
Afterward, all the students gathered in designated classrooms to receive instructions from the teachers.
The main topic was the daily tasks, which included cleaning the school buildings and sports fields.
This reminded Hikigaya of something he had read online—how some religious groups assigned unreasonable tasks to their followers, like cleaning toilets with their bare hands… Though this place wasn't that extreme, the concept felt eerily similar.
Honestly, couldn't they just use cleaning robots instead?
Nobody scrubs floors on their hands and knees anymore. Aside from making yourself or your boss feel good, it served no practical purpose.
Surprisingly, even Ryuuen was taking the cleaning task seriously.
Though everyone in the group was doing their best, it was Ryuuen's attitude that shocked Hikigaya the most.
He had already suspected something during the last sports festival… but was this guy really a delinquent?
Once the cleaning was finally over, the next task was "meditation."
Hikigaya and the others were taken to a dojo-like building, where a strict-looking male teacher was in charge of the lesson.
"Starting today, you will practice meditation here every morning and evening."
For modern youth, this was probably their first time trying something like this.
Everyone sat down on the straw mats that covered the floor, listening as the teacher explained.
In this "meditation hall," whether standing or walking, they had to clench one fist, wrap the other hand around it, and hold it at chest level.
This posture was called "baojian"… Hikigaya was pretty sure he had seen it in martial arts movies before.
"Meditation is just another form of mindfulness. Some believe that meditation requires an empty mind, but the most important thing is to close your eyes and focus your imagination."
As he spoke, the teacher demonstrated the proper meditation posture.
"This is the full-lotus position. You sit cross-legged and place both feet on top of your thighs. On the final day of the exam, your mastery of this posture will affect your evaluation, so do your best to learn it."
It didn't seem too difficult at first glance.
Hikigaya tried imitating the teacher. He could do it, but it was a little painful.
Maybe it would get easier with practice?
However, it seemed others weren't having much luck. Many students struggled to sit properly, and occasional pained murmurs could be heard.
"If you find the full-lotus position too difficult, you can try the half-lotus position—placing only one foot on your thigh," the teacher suggested.
Come to think of it, wasn't the term "full-lotus position" originally from Buddhism?
Why did they have to invent such an uncomfortable way to sit? …Yeah, this forest-side school was designed to torment students.
Many students followed the advice and switched to the half-lotus position, but Ryuuen had no trouble sitting in full-lotus form.
Seriously, watching Ryuuen meditate with a straight face was so surreal that Hikigaya almost burst out laughing.
Since a lot of time had been spent on explanations, the first meditation session only lasted five minutes.
However, the teacher didn't seem satisfied—not because of incorrect postures, but because too many students appeared restless. They couldn't even stay calm for such a short period.
The first-year group, in particular, was called out for being the worst.
Ah, Hikigaya understood now.
The real problem probably lay with him and Ryuuen. After all, they were the ones squeezing Class B for private points until graduation, even knocking them down to Class C at one point.
From a Class B student's perspective, it would be a miracle if they could remain calm.
After meditation, it was time for breakfast at seven.
The location wasn't the same cafeteria as last night but an outdoor area that had been set up in advance, complete with multiple kitchen stations.
It looked like they would have to cook their meals.
"Today's breakfast is provided by the school, but starting tomorrow, as long as the weather is clear, each group will be responsible for preparing their breakfast. Make sure to coordinate roles among yourselves," the teacher announced.
ANHS's food was great and reasonably priced, so many students—especially the guys—probably never had to cook before.
Hikigaya knew how to cook, but that was back when Komachi was still in elementary school. Hopefully, his skills hadn't deteriorated.
That said, he had no interest in cooking for anyone other than his little sister.
Moreover, the breakfast menu was already decided, and they had to follow the recipe precisely. A full meal with three side dishes and soup… He had planned to just make a few rice balls and call it a day.
As they ate, Kanzaki, sitting next to Hikigaya, nudged his arm.
"Hikigaya, should we check who in our group can cook? Other groups are already doing that."
"Yeah…"
Hikigaya swallowed his rice and turned to look at a certain someone.
"Katsuragi, I'll leave the confirmation work to you."
"…Why me?"
"Because you seem reliable. More importantly, I'm too lazy to do it myself," Hikigaya stated bluntly.
Before Katsuragi could protest, Hikigaya added, "Besides, if we don't get good results, your class will lose the most points. Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Heh, dead eyes, you're so shameless," Ryuuen chuckled. "You know damn well that even if Sakayanagi stripped Katsuragi of all authority, he'd still step up for the sake of his class."
"Is that so? Then I'll leave it to him."
"…Understood."
With no other choice, Katsuragi stood up and addressed the group.
"Sorry to interrupt your meal, but I'd like to confirm who here can cook. Please raise your hand."
Class B students usually ignored him, but under Hikigaya's watchful gaze, they reluctantly put down their bowls and chopsticks.
The result? Even in Hikigaya, only six people could cook.
Wait… did he have to cook for all these guys?
"You're not my little sister…"
"What are you muttering about, dead eyes?" Ryuuen asked suspiciously.
"Nothing. I was just debating whether to poison your food."
At the same time, the members of the large group, which included Hikigaya and the others, were also discussing breakfast arrangements.
"How about we take turns by grade level, with each year group responsible for a day?"
"I'm fine with that. Let's start with the first years."
The third-year representative, Ishikura, and the second-year representative, Mikiya, came up with a rotation system for preparing breakfast.
On the surface, it seemed perfectly fair.
"Hey, first-years, what do you think?" Mikiya turned toward them and asked.
Assuming the next few days were all sunny, they would need to prepare breakfast for six days, with each grade level taking responsibility for two days. The only real difference was the order in which they went. That much wasn't a big deal.
The real problem, however, was that there were very few first-years who could cook.
Preparing meals for nearly forty people was an unreasonable task no matter how you looked at it. Not to mention, they'd have to wake up at least two hours earlier to get everything ready.
Considering morning classes started at six, that meant waking up at four... Who could handle that?
And yet, faced with the upperclassmen's question, no one could bring themselves to voice any objections.
Mikiya himself probably didn't expect any underclassmen to dare refute him. The question he posed was merely a formality, a perfunctory gesture.
"Uh, senior…"
"Huh? You got something to say?"
Just as Katsuragi was about to speak up against the plan, Mikiya shot him a threatening glare.
But Katsuragi didn't back down. Instead, he walked straight over.
"Apologies, senior, but our group only has six people who can cook. I'm afraid we won't be able to finish in time."
"What? Why do you guys always have so many problems?" Mikiya said impatiently. "Every grade takes turns cooking for two days. No one's picking on you. Just figure out a way to deal with it."
"But—"
"If you can't manage, then just wake up earlier."
If the entire day's schedule were light, waking up early wouldn't be much of an issue.
However, in addition to morning cleaning duties, they also had daily long-distance runs, both of which were physically exhausting.
"Also, if I recall correctly, you're not the group leader, are you? The one in charge of your group should be… Hah, here he is."
Mikiya turned to look at Hikigaya, who had appeared behind Katsuragi at some point and waved a hand dismissively. "I remember your name—Hikigaya, right? This time, breakfast will be handled in rotation by all three grades. First up is your first-year group. Got it? Now, go back."
So he had no intention of reasoning at all.
Well, that was fine.
"Ishikura-senpai."
Ignoring Mikiya, Hikigaya went straight to Ishikura.
"If you don't mind, may I ask how many people in your group can cook, senior?"
"Pretty much everyone. You should remember this—every bit of personal points matter at this school, so you have to learn how to save as much as possible," Ishikura advised earnestly.
Though Hikigaya appreciated the good intentions, Class D had no money to spend in the first place.
"Thank you for the advice, senior." Hikigaya nodded in gratitude. "But our group is in a tough spot. We simply don't have enough people who can cook, so I'd like to propose a solution."
"Go ahead."
"How about splitting the third-years into two groups? Each group could lead either the second-years or first-years in preparing breakfast. Each group would be responsible for three days instead of two. It's only one extra day compared to the original plan, but it balances out the workload. Plus, we'd only need to wake up an hour earlier, so it wouldn't impact sleep too much. What do you think?"
"Hmm… That does make some sense." Ishikura nodded slightly.
Sensing an opportunity, Hikigaya pressed on. "Besides, this exam is meant to test the cohesion within our larger groups, right? Preparing breakfast together could be a good way for underclassmen to build rapport with their seniors. I don't see any downsides."
Just as Ishikura was about to agree, Mikiya cut in.
"Oi, what's with you, first-year?" Mikiya glared at Hikigaya, visibly displeased. "Your job is to do as the seniors say. No one asked for your opinion."
"Why is that? If you think something's wrong with my proposal, feel free to point it out."
"Annoying. Just stick to the original plan. Ishikura-senpai already agreed to it."
As he spoke, nearly half of the second-years stood up, surrounding Hikigaya and Katsuragi.
Threatening murmurs could be heard from the crowd.
It seemed they hated underclassmen who talked back.
Hikigaya sighed inwardly. This timing was perfect.
"Please wait. We weren't—"
"Weren't what? Your attitude makes it obvious that you're looking down on your seniors!"
Katsuragi still attempted to reason with them, but such efforts were futile.
The so-called senior-junior dynamic was fine if it was about mutual respect. But any additional expectations beyond that? Nothing but a distortion of reality.
"Haha, looking down on seniors? That's not true at all," Hikigaya smiled placatingly. "I have great respect for the seniors at this school. That said, not everyone is worthy of being called a 'senior'… especially certain former Class 2-A students. Have you all forgotten that you're just a bunch of losers?"
"W-What…?"
The second-years, including Mikiya, exchanged bewildered looks as if doubting their ears.
"Am I wrong?"
Hikigaya didn't bother hiding the contempt on his face.
"Calling you failures is already putting it nicely. Most people, after losing, would at least strive to make a comeback. But you guys? You're nothing more than a pack of stray dogs, deluding yourselves into thinking that wagging your tails for Nagumo-senpai will earn you a ticket to Class A. That's hilarious."
"You… you…!" Mikiya's fists trembled with rage.
"Honestly, have you ever looked in a mirror? Do you think you're worth 20 million points?" Hikigaya spread his hands, shaking his head mockingly. "This school is all about survival of the fittest, not survival of the parasites. Can't compete on your own, so you leech off others? And not even your class, but a different one? You have no—"
"Shut up!"
With an enraged roar, Mikiya lunged forward, fist raised.