"Sigh... how frustrating."
Today, Sunday, was the only day off during this exam period.
But after hearing a whole bunch of nonsense last night, Hikigaya was still feeling irritated. Even on a day off, he couldn't feel happy.
That damn so-called masterpiece... I should've just ignored him!
Still, the meeting wasn't completely meaningless. At the very least, Hikigaya confirmed Horikita-senpai's thoughts.
...No, to be precise, he had known for a long time.
He just deliberately avoided asking, so he could pretend not to know.
That way, he wouldn't have to face the troubling reality.
And that reality was—Horikita-senpai didn't want more students to be expelled. That's why he was trying to stop Nagumo.
But the actions Hikigaya had taken to stop Nagumo would inevitably lead to many expulsions... especially from Class 2-A, the foundation of Nagumo's power. He had to destroy them as much as possible.
If someone smarter were in his place, they might have thought of a better way.
Unfortunately, Hikigaya was just an ordinary student. He could only come up with the most efficient method—he had no idea how to achieve the best of both worlds.
...Perhaps such an option had never existed from the start.
After all, in this school, almost everyone aimed for Class A. Otherwise, Nagumo wouldn't have so many followers.
Once it involved a battle of interests, it would inevitably turn into a fight to the death. And in the future, once they entered society, it would be even more extreme... which was precisely why he didn't want to become a corporate drone.
Although Horikita-senpai had said he didn't mind whatever the outcome was, Hikigaya still—
"Oi, dead eyes, what are you spacing out for?"
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
"If you don't play your card soon, I'll count that as a forfeit."
"What's the rush?"
At this moment, Hikigaya was playing UNO with Ryuuen, Kanzaki, and the others... Yes, this was not a joke.
He couldn't even remember who had suggested it at first, but before he realized it, things had already developed into this situation.
To be honest, the fact that Ryuuen even played this game—and played it well—was truly surprising.
But at the end of the day, it was probably because there was nowhere else to go.
Even though it was a day off, boys and girls still couldn't meet freely. They couldn't even leave the dorms and were only allowed to move around freely during dinner time.
So, besides them, the other boys were also holed up in their dorms, playing various games in small groups.
"I feel like our group's atmosphere is finally improving," Kanzaki commented as he glanced around. "At least it's not as awkward as the first few days when even speaking felt like walking on thin ice."
He had a point. The barriers between group members had weakened considerably, and that suffocating tension in the air had faded.
They were now chatting and laughing like ordinary students.
This was probably, at least in part, thanks to Katsuragi. No matter what, he used to be an influential figure in his class. If he was willing to extend a hand, others would more or less give him some face.
Most importantly, the students from Class B now had a common enemy—Hikigaya.
His attitude so far had made it blatantly clear that he had joined this group just to stir up trouble. Anyone with a little backbone wouldn't surrender so easily.
As a result, it was easy for them to unite under a shared cause.
"Heh, Kanzaki, why do you look so pleased with yourself?"
Ryuuen smirked.
"From your standpoint, if this group does well, it'll be bad for your class, right? Shouldn't you be thinking of ways to sabotage things instead?"
"I won't do that," Kanzaki replied calmly. "While there is some truth in what you say, we're teammates in this exam. I have no reason to drag us down. Besides, I have confidence in my class."
"Heh, clinging to such naive ideals will get you all killed someday." Ryuuen sneered.
"Say whatever you want."
Taking advantage of their distraction, Hikigaya swiftly pointed at Ryuuen.
"Gotcha. You forgot to say UNO!"
"...Tch."
Clicking his tongue, Ryuuen reluctantly drew two cards from the deck as punishment.
Hmph, that's what you get for not taking the game seriously!
Just as Hikigaya was feeling smug, Ryuuen suddenly spoke up.
"dead eyes, where did you sneak off to last night? Were you secretly meeting up with some girl?"
"You bastard... Hm?"
Hikigaya was about to curse at him, but suddenly, the room fell silent.
Everyone's gazes, whether intentional or not, were now fixed on him...
What the hell are you all looking at?
Before he could even clear things up, whispers began spreading.
"Probably Kamuro, right?"
"Wasn't it Sakayanagi?"
"That seems unlikely. I heard they've been arguing lately."
Hey! You over there! Stop spouting nonsense!
Who the hell started this ridiculous rumor?!
Hikigaya wanted to explain. He hadn't fought with Sakayanagi—he was just trying to get her expelled, that's all.
"Alright, enough. I think it's best to stop this topic here."
At a crucial moment, Katsuragi finally spoke up with some sense.
But then, he added—
"Besides, why are you assuming it's someone from our class? It could be a girl from another class, too. Without evidence, don't jump to conclusions."
Uh... Katsuragi? I told you to get along with your classmates, not to go along with their nonsense!
I can't believe even you—wait, actually, do you even have eyebrows?
"dead eyes, just come clean already," Ryuuen grinned.
"Clean my ass," Hikigaya glared at him. "And don't think I don't know what you did... Stop putting weird stuff on my bed."
If he had to guess, the note on his bed was probably Ryuuen's doing.
It was simple logic—only people in their group knew where Hikigaya's bed was. Considering Ayanokoji's current situation, Class B students wouldn't approach him, and he wouldn't go around asking suspicious questions like, 'Where is Hikigaya's bed?'
Kanzaki was cautious, so even if asked, he would likely deflect or at least warn Hikigaya.
That only left Ryuuen as the wildcard. Hikigaya even suspected he might have some secret dealings with Ayanokoji.
It wasn't impossible. Just because they fought on the rooftop didn't mean they wouldn't cooperate.
If anything, it was precisely because they fought that Ryuuen might have gained some respect for him.
After all, back when school started, Hikigaya had tricked Ryuuen badly, yet here they were playing cards together now.
"Heh, I don't know what nonsense you're spouting," Ryuuen denied with a smirk.
His reaction only confirmed Hikigaya's suspicions.
"Hmph. Whatever you say."
"Oh? Whatever I say?"
For some reason, Ryuuen suddenly wore a victorious grin.
Hikigaya had a bad feeling.
Then, Ryuuen loudly declared, "I did pass a note to you from Hiyori. So, you met up with her last night, huh?"
"Eh?!"
Ignoring Hikigaya's dumbfounded expression, Ryuuen continued weaving lies.
"Since no one was around that late, did you two do something... improper? Tell me the juicy details."
"'Improper'... I'm surprised you even know that word."
Despite being framed, Hikigaya didn't lose his composure.
Unfortunately, rather than mocking Ryuuen's vocabulary, everyone seemed more interested in gossip.
Damn it, I can't win this.
There was only one way out—
"It's almost dinner. I'm heading to reserve a seat."
Without waiting for a response, Hikigaya bolted out the door.
"Ah, he ran away."
"Heh, he ran."
Ignoring Kanzaki and Ryuuen's comments, Hikigaya pretended not to hear.
...
The weekend ended peacefully just like that. On Monday, the fifth day of the exam, the morning was dedicated to a four-hour-long physical education class.
But this time, it wasn't just simple jogging around the track. The boys were taken into the mountains to experience the actual route they would be running on the exam day.
The exam was structured as a relay, with a total distance spanning 18 kilometers.
Hikigaya's group consisted of fourteen members in total. On average, each person only needed to run about 1.3 kilometers—1300 meters.
At first glance, it seemed manageable. The problem was that the running route was far from ideal. The uneven mountain paths would sap the students' energy much faster than expected.
Initially, everyone had the energy to chat while jogging, but soon, the group fell into silence.
Up ahead, a winding path leading to the mountaintop came into view, with a steep incline that drew groans from several students.
"Let's take a short break before climbing," Katsuragi suggested with a reasonable tone.
First-year students, along with some third-years, were responsible for preparing breakfast today. Thankfully, they only had to wake up an hour earlier. Given that everyone had gotten sufficient rest the previous day, there shouldn't be any risk of falling asleep halfway through the run.
It seemed that the second and third-year students in the nearby groups shared the same thought, as they all stopped simultaneously.
Since no one had been slacking off along the way, their progress was quite decent. Reaching the finish line and returning before lunch didn't seem like a problem.
That said, there were indeed quite a few students in the group who struggled with physical activity.
Based on Hikigaya's observations, nearly half of them fell into that category. Fortunately, Katsuragi, Ryuuen, and Kanzaki had excellent stamina, maintaining an effortless pace.
When the time came, it wouldn't be a bad idea to let them shoulder a bit more of the burden.
"Hey, dead eyes, look over there."
Just as Hikigaya was assessing the group's condition, Ryuuen suddenly patted him on the shoulder, a playful grin on his face as he pointed to the side.
In the distance, a dark figure stood among the trees… Was that a wild boar?
Come to think of it, they had passed a sign earlier that warned of wild boar sightings. So this must be its habitat.
The boar merely stood at a distance, observing them. It didn't seem particularly aggressive.
Still, if it decided to charge or take a bite, that would be a serious problem.
"Dead eyes, think you could take on a wild boar?"
"Uh…"
The boar was quite large, but its tusks were short.
It seemed like a juvenile.
That said, no sane human would pick a fight with a wild boar, so there was no need to entertain Ryuuen's ridiculous question.
Hikigaya turned his head away, ignoring him. But, of course, Ryuuen wasn't about to let it go.
"What do you think would happen if someone got attacked by a wild boar?"
"...What do you want to say?"
"Hehehe, nothing."
Even though Ryuuen had brought up the topic himself, he suddenly stopped halfway.
The only thing that was certain was that this wasn't just casual talk… or perhaps the answer would reveal itself in a few days.
Hikigaya couldn't help but feel troubled once again.
Logically speaking, he had no evidence at the moment. It would be perfectly normal not to warn Nagumo, and he wasn't obligated to do so.
But if something were to happen… never mind.
He should focus on the exam.
As the break time quickly ended, Hikigaya gathered his thoughts and followed the group towards the mountain summit.
Meanwhile, Ayanokouji's group was also making their way through the mountain.
Since Yamauchi and the others kept complaining about exhaustion, they decided to walk for the first nine kilometers to the turnaround point and then run back.
Even so, the atmosphere within the group was far from relaxed.
After all, this team was made up of students who had been left over, and with some harboring ulterior motives, there was naturally no sense of unity.
For Ayanokouji, this wasn't much of a concern. As long as their average score was enough to pass, that was all that mattered.
To achieve that, some preparation was necessary.
"How long is this steep hill? Are they stupid? This is way too hard to climb!"
After passing a sign that read "Wild Boars in the Area," Ishizaki complained yet again.
"Hey, leader, think of something already!"
"Just keep running."
This kind of deliberate nitpicking wasn't new. A simple response was enough.
Compared to Ishizaki, who spoke whatever was on his mind, Ayanokouji was more concerned about a few others.
Just then, he noticed someone had left the group.
Turning around, he saw Kouenji stepping onto a side path, heading into the forest.
Ayanokouji immediately addressed the others.
"Kouenji went off into the woods. I'll go bring him back."
"Huh? Do we really need to care about that weirdo?"
Ishizaki had been clashing with Kouenji for days, fed up with the guy who refused to do any work.
His attitude had rubbed off on the others, and soon they were all enthusiastically badmouthing Kouenji. Ironically, this made the atmosphere livelier.
Though such behavior wasn't commendable, it was true that having a common enemy could unite people.
"Anyway, you guys go ahead. I'll catch up after bringing Kouenji back."
It wouldn't be a problem to leave that guy alone, but Ayanokouji had something he wanted to confirm. This was a good opportunity.
"Handling Kouenji might be tough. Want me to help?" Hashimoto offered, appearing considerate.
"Thanks, but I'll just give it a try." Ayanokouji politely declined. "Chances are, no one can bring him back. It would be better if as many of us as possible finish the route—maybe that'll leave a good impression on the school. So if possible, could I ask you to keep an eye on any stragglers? Of course, you don't have to force yourself."
"No problem, leave it to me."
Hashimoto agreed immediately, which was genuinely appreciated.
"But if you think you can't bring him back, you should return to the group right away."
"Yeah, I got it."
Ayanokouji nodded and ran after Kouenji.
However, after only a few steps, he sensed someone following from afar.
The identity didn't matter—what mattered was that someone was trailing him.
The path ahead was unpaved, a rough dirt trail that was difficult to traverse.
To avoid losing his tail, Ayanokouji slowed his pace while tracking Kouenji's trail.
But doing so risked losing sight of Kouenji… what a hassle.
Fortunately, after about two hundred meters, he spotted his target. The person following him hadn't lost track either.
"Kouenji."
Ayanokouji called out, just as he was about to approach—only to suddenly stop in his tracks.
The scene before him was simply unbelievable.
Kouenji was facing off against a wild boar.
And it wasn't that the boar was targeting him—quite the opposite. Kouenji was the one blocking its way.
No matter which direction the boar tried to charge, Kouenji effortlessly intercepted it, pushing its head aside.
Hey, hey, this isn't a joke.
Ayanokouji had always known Kouenji wasn't just an ordinary student, but if something were to happen here, it'd be troublesome.
At the very least, he shouldn't get injured by a boar.
"My, my, if it isn't Ayanokouji-boy? This doesn't seem like the designated route."
Noticing him, Kouenji greeted him cheerfully, giving the boar just enough time to bolt away.
…You owe me one, little boar.
As Ayanokouji prayed that the boar wouldn't stray too far from the mountain, he approached Kouenji.
"I came to bring you back. I am the group leader, after all."
"Don't worry, I'll return within the time limit—won't even take thirty minutes."
Kouenji's clothes were speckled with leaves and dirt, but he wasn't injured in the slightest.
It seemed he wasn't lying—this man truly had the ability.
"By the way, was there something else you wanted?"
Sensing that Ayanokouji had more to say, Kouenji smiled as he asked.
"I want you to contribute to the group effort on exam day."
"Heh, whether I do so or not isn't up to you—it's up to me. You understand that, don't you?"
Kouenji's response was unsurprising, though Ayanokouji hadn't expected much.
"In that case, if our group score falls below the passing line, I'll drag you down with me when I get expelled. Are you fine with that?"
Indeed, Kouenji was wealthy and likely unconcerned about expulsion.
But as Nagumo-senpai had pointed out, he didn't entirely disregard the prospect of getting expelled—he'd try to avoid it.
That meant there was room for negotiation.
Kouenji chuckled before countering,
"Ayanokouji-boy, isn't there another issue before that? Would you allow yourself to be placed in such a situation?"
"That's hard to say."
"Heh, I know some boys in your group are scheming, but you can handle them, right?"
"You're overestimating me. I have no confidence in this exam."
Even after laying out the crucial point, Kouenji remained indifferent.
Seems like bluffing won't work on him.
"You're quite good at playing dumb—so much so that it doesn't even feel like an act."
"I have no such intentions."
"Haha, it doesn't matter what you say—I only trust my judgment. Well then, until next time."
With that, Kouenji turned to leave.
But Ayanokouji suddenly grabbed his wrist, stopping him.
"Oh? So this is the strength you used to defeat Ryuuen-boy and his gang?" Kouenji smiled as he looked back.
"That was just luck. It ended in mutual destruction."
"Are you planning to force me to cooperate?"
Strangely enough, Kouenji looked eager.
"If you manage to defeat me, I wouldn't mind cooperating for this exam, you know?"
"…No, I have no intention of doing that."
For a brief moment, Ayanokouji was tempted. More insurance was always better.
But in the end, he dismissed the idea. There was no need for unnecessary actions now.
"I avoid trouble. I don't like fighting."
"Heh, in that case, there's no helping it." Kouenji slipped his wrist free. "I follow only my own heart—that's my principle. Ayanokouji-boy, don't you want to become a more interesting person? Then perhaps this school wouldn't be so boring."
"I think I'm fine the way I am."
Just as expected, persuading Kouenji was nearly impossible.
As Kouenji departed, Ayanokouji turned his attention to the one who had been following him.
Time to say hello.
After seeing Kouenji off, Ayanokoji deliberately took a few detours through the forest, successfully maneuvering behind his pursuer.
"Where did that guy run off to..."
"Tokito, what are you doing here?"
"Whoa?!"
The pursuer turned out to be Class C's Tokito. He hadn't expected his target to suddenly appear behind him, and the shock made him jump.
"What's wrong with you?!"
"That's my line," Ayanokoji responded calmly. "I came out to look for Kouenji and just happened to see you here, so I thought I'd say hello. What about you?"
"I-I was looking for you guys too! You've been gone for so long, don't go causing trouble for others!"
Tokito blurted out an unconvincing excuse. It must have been tough for him to even come up with that.
But Ayanokoji didn't mind. This was nothing more than a trivial matter.
"I see. Then let's head back together. Kouenji said he'll meet up with us later."
"Oh... okay."
Right now, Tokito was probably feeling uneasy. He must have realized he'd been caught.
Once they returned, he would no doubt report what he had seen here to the student council president.
If everything went smoothly, perhaps this exam could end ahead of schedule.