The second Tuesday of February—the day when the results of the final exams were announced.
This school had a strict policy of expelling students who failed their exams without mercy. Unlike regular high schools, which rarely enforced such severe rules, this meant that even students with decent grades couldn't help but feel a little nervous during this period. One careless mistake could cost them everything.
As the morning assembly bell rang, Chabashira-sensei walked into the classroom, right on time as usual.
However, unlike before, her expression was more severe than ever.
The tension spread quickly among the students.
Many of them swallowed nervously, their first thought being: Did someone fail? Is someone about to be expelled?
After a brief silence, Chabashira-sensei finally spoke.
"This time, for the final exams, all of you have passed."
"…Huh?"
Ignoring the students' stunned reactions, Chabashira-sensei turned around and pinned the results sheet onto the blackboard.
And just like that, the classroom instantly exploded with noise.
"Sensei! That's not funny at all!"
"Yeah, I really thought someone was getting expelled!"
"Sae-chan, you're too cruel!"
The earlier tension disappeared in an instant as the students burst into laughter.
Some of the boys had already started discussing the upcoming Valentine's Day—well, to be fair, they had probably been thinking about it for a while. They had just been too preoccupied with exams to talk about it until now.
Some even tried to act indifferent, jokingly bringing it up with the girls… Hmph.
Shallow.
Did they think their intentions weren't obvious?
Hikigaya propped his chin up with his hand, looking completely uninterested in the chatter around him.
To him, Valentine's Day held no meaning whatsoever. It was just another commercialized holiday, much like Christmas—a day that had long been twisted by greedy businesses.
People seemed to forget that February 14th was Saint Valentine's Day.
Back in ancient Rome, there was an emperor who, for some ridiculous reason, banned marriages. But a priest named Valentine secretly continued to officiate weddings for lovers, defying the decree. Eventually, he was sentenced to death by the tyrant, and the day of his execution was February 14th.
It was only later that people started celebrating Valentine's Day in his honor.
So if you're just looking for some casual fun, don't go tarnishing the meaning of this day!
Yet now, thanks to corporate brainwashing, people have even come up with nonsense like obligatory chocolates. How was that anything more than a bandwagon trend?
In the end, Valentine's Day was just a trap set by consumerism.
And Hikigaya refused to go along with it.
As he was lost in these pointless thoughts, Matsushita, who sat next to him, suddenly turned and smiled.
"Hikigaya-kun, it's great that everyone passed the final exams, don't you think?"
"…Huh? Oh."
No matter how he looked at it, Matsushita didn't seem like the type to care about things like this.
She was quite pragmatic in her way.
But Hikigaya couldn't be bothered to think too deeply about it. He simply gave a half-hearted response and tried to brush it off.
However, Matsushita wasn't done. With that same somewhat mischievous smile, she continued, "I imagine the other classes passed as well, right? Especially Ichinose-san from Class A."
"…Yeah."
"I mean, Ichinose-san usually does well in school, but if it weren't for you helping her this time, the results might have been different, right?"
"…Who knows."
So this was what she wanted to talk about…
Hikigaya sighed internally.
A few days ago, Matsushita had invited him to a study session. During one of their breaks, she and Kushida had cornered him, pressing for details about the whole rumor incident.
Since he didn't see any harm in telling them, he had been honest about everything.
But the moment he finished explaining, both of their expressions had instantly darkened.
Why, though?
He had already made it clear—he only helped Ichinose because Horikita and Shiina asked him to.
So why did nobody believe him?!
Even Horikita had mumbled something under her breath like, "I didn't ask you to go that far."
What's that even supposed to mean?
She wouldn't clarify, so how the hell was he supposed to know?!
Ever since then, Hikigaya had been subjected to unreasonable treatment—Matsushita and Kikyo would take jabs at him like this whenever they felt like it.
Sigh... Well, they'll probably get bored in a few days… maybe.
With the weight on his mind finally lifted, the classroom remained as noisy as ever—nothing unusual about that.
What was unusual, however, was that Chabashira-sensei didn't step in to stop the commotion as she normally would. Instead, she remained silent, gazing at them without a word.
This odd behavior quickly caught the attention of the students.
Gradually, as if someone had flipped a switch, the classroom fell into a natural silence.
"Sensei, did something happen?"
The one who spoke up first was Hirata, always the most concerned about the class.
Something was definitely off about Chabashira-sensei today—she wasn't joking around, that much was clear.
"…There is something I must inform you all of."
After a long pause, she finally spoke in a heavy voice.
"Originally, as first-year students, you were scheduled to face your final special exam in March. Passing it would mean successfully advancing to the second year—this has always been the standard procedure… However, this year, an additional special exam has been imposed upon you."
With that, Chabashira-sensei turned around and began writing on the blackboard.
Hearing her words, many students let out a sigh of relief.
While an extra exam wasn't exactly good news, it wasn't the worst thing in the world either. At most, they'd grumble about it for a bit.
More importantly, protesting wouldn't change anything anyway.
However, some students noticed a certain ominous undertone in Chabashira-sensei's demeanor.
Then, they saw the four large characters written on the blackboard—
Class Vote.
A vote…?
Hikigaya suddenly recalled some unpleasant memories.
"Up until the end-of-term exams, not a single student in your year has been expelled due to an exam. This is unprecedented in the history of this school. As a result, the administration has decided to introduce an additional special exam."
"Wait a minute," Hirata immediately objected. "That's not entirely true, is it? Our class already—"
That statement practically erased the existence of Ike Kanji.
Chabashira-sensei immediately refuted, "If you're referring to Ike's expulsion, that's an entirely separate matter. As I just said, 'no student has been expelled due to an exam.' You all know perfectly well why Ike was expelled. There's no need for me to repeat it—it's not exactly a pleasant topic, after all."
Indeed, the school's system was designed to eliminate weaker students through a series of exams.
However, Ike's case was different—he had violated school rules so severely that expulsion was inevitable, no matter the circumstances. In fact, being expelled was already a lenient punishment.
Hirata seemed to understand this as well and fell silent.
"In any case, this is a finalized decision." Chabashira-sensei continued. "Frankly, aside from Ike's situation, your year has performed exceptionally well compared to previous cohorts. The school administration prefers to have as many students graduate as possible… However, this situation has deviated from expectations, creating some issues."
"Issues…?"
Horikita felt a strong sense of unease.
"Sensei, the way you're phrasing it… it's almost as if the school is troubled by the fact that no students have been expelled through the exams."
"That's not it. It's just… life is unpredictable—you never know what will happen next."
For some reason, Chabashira-sensei's tone carried a weight unlike before, casting an unsettling atmosphere over the classroom.
In an attempt to dispel this unease, Horikita pressed further.
"Sensei, what exactly are you trying to say? Even if this new special exam is added, I believe our class will get through it without any issues."
She was likely trying to boost the morale of her classmates.
Under normal circumstances, Chabashira-sensei might have played along and helped encourage the class.
But today, she had no intention of doing so.
Because this special exam had nothing to do with that.
"Then, I'll begin the explanation—"
After a brief pause, she slowly delivered the next part.
"The exam itself is very simple. It doesn't test your physical ability, your intellect, or your teamwork. It's an exam that anyone can easily complete—like writing your own name on a piece of paper… Moreover, the final expulsion rate, calculated separately for each class, is less than 3%. That's quite low, wouldn't you say?"
She had spoken at length, yet still hadn't touched upon the core issue.
Hikigaya couldn't help but think that Chabashira-sensei seemed rather adept at avoiding things… I really shouldn't turn into an adult like that.
That being said, surely someone else in the class had already caught on, right?
A dropout rate of less than 3%…
That meant that someone was guaranteed to be expelled in this exam.
After all, Chabashira-sensei had specified the percentage per class, rather than using her usual phrasing of "based on past cases."
There was something clearly off about that.
Of course, it was possible that Hikigaya was just overthinking it.
"…The difficulty of the exam isn't the issue. From our perspective, that 3% is the truly terrifying part."
It seemed Hirata had noticed it too—his expression was filled with unease.
That percentage meant that one student from their class would be expelled.
"I understand your concerns, but whether that 3% can be reduced even further will depend on how you act during the preparation period leading up to the actual exam. That's something you should be well aware of by now."
Though Chabashira-sensei's words remained vague, she knew her responsibility.
That was to properly convey the details of the exam—whether the students liked it or not, they had no way of escaping it.
"Next, I will explain the exam rules. Over the next five days, you will evaluate your classmates and select three students you believe deserve praise and three who deserve criticism. The voting will take place on Saturday morning… That's all."
Upon hearing this, the students exchanged bewildered glances.
This exam… feels kind of absurd?
Or is that really all there is to it?
However, no one voiced any questions. Almost instinctively, everyone sensed that things wouldn't be that simple.
Meanwhile, Chabashira-sensei tightened her grip on the chalk and began writing on the board again.
"The key point of this exam lies in the results of the votes. The student who receives the most praise votes will receive a special reward—a new system called the 'Protection Point.' A student who possesses a Protection Point can be exempted from expulsion once due to failing an exam. However, this point cannot be transferred to others."
The moment she finished speaking, the entire class widened their eyes in shock.
Chabashira-sensei calmly observed their reactions and continued, "It seems you all understand the significance of this point. Essentially, it holds the same value as 20 million private points… But let me remind you, Protection Points can only be used for exam-related matters."
She was likely trying to subtly convey that even with a Protection Point, committing a crime—such as secretly filming the girls' locker room—would still lead to expulsion.
Which made sense. After all, this was still just a school, and no institution would condone criminal behavior.
Even so, it was an incredibly generous system.
There was no doubt that everyone would want to obtain a Protection Point. After all, no one could predict what might happen to them in future special exams.
But on the other hand, if the reward was this extravagant, then the punishment for the lowest-ranked student would be even harsher.
Could it be… expulsion?
Hikigaya couldn't think of any other possibility.
Hirata seemed to have the same concern. Wearing a worried expression, he hesitantly asked, "Sensei, does that mean the three students who receive the most criticism votes will be punished in some way?"
"No. The punishment will only apply to the student who receives the most criticism votes in the class. After all, the additional special exam's theme is 'select the top student, then determine the lowest one.'"
"And… what exactly will the punishment be?"
At this point, the answer should have been obvious.
The reason this special exam was added in the first place was that no first-year student had been expelled due to academic failure. In other words, this exam was designed to correct that 'problem.'
Sure enough, Chabashira-sensei's gaze swept across the students.
After a long pause, she finally spoke in a calm yet firm voice.
"This exam's purpose is completely different from past ones. That's why the Protection Point, an unprecedented reward, has been introduced. The reason behind this… is likely to ensure that an outcome where no one is expelled simply does not happen. That's right—the student ranked last will be expelled."
A heavy silence filled the classroom.
Perhaps it was because no one knew what to say, or maybe their minds simply shut down from the shock. Most students could only stare blankly at Chabashira-sensei.
And it was no wonder—this kind of exam was simply unreasonable.
Regardless of whether a class was strong or weak, whether it was united or divided, everyone was forced to bear this consequence.
So… is this the exam Tsukishiro devised to expel Ayanokoji?
On the surface, Hikigaya had to admit—it wasn't a bad idea.
After all, Ayanokoji was extraordinarily capable. The only way to expel him would be through an exam that had nothing to do with ability.
However, Hikigaya still had his doubts.
To put it simply… this plan felt too childish.
If he played out the scenarios in his mind, the most they could achieve was a 'possible' expulsion of Ayanokoji—not a 'guaranteed' one.
Seriously, were the people at the White Room all this unreliable?
At that moment, the class finally snapped out of their daze.
"I-I don't really understand, sensei." Hirata stammered. "S-So if someone ends up in last place… That means one person will definitely be expelled?"
"Exactly. It'll be like sending someone to the guillotine. But don't worry—this time, even if someone gets expelled, the class won't suffer any penalties. That's just how this exam works."
There was a hint of sarcasm in Chabashira-sensei's tone. It was clear she wasn't happy with this exam either.
Previous special exams had varied in format, and while some resulted in expulsions, there were always ways for students to avoid that outcome.
But this time, the exam's structure ensured that someone would be sacrificed.
"Additionally, the full results of the class votes will be publicly revealed after the exam ends. However, the identities of the students who voted for whom will remain anonymous. You'll be called into separate classrooms one by one to cast your votes in person."
This was probably to prevent unnecessary conflicts within the class.
After all, if students knew exactly who had voted against them, things could get ugly fast.
"Also, praise votes and criticism votes will cancel each other out." Chabashira-sensei continued, giving an example. "If a student receives ten criticism votes but also gets thirty praise votes, their final tally will be twenty praise votes. Additionally, students cannot vote for themselves, nor can they vote for the same person multiple times."
"What about abstaining?" Hirata asked bitterly. "For example… if someone only casts praise votes, is that allowed?"
Unfortunately, Chabashira-sensei immediately shot him down.
"Of course not. You must select three students for both categories. Even if you're sick and absent on the exam day, your votes will still be counted."
This completely eliminated any way to escape the system.
But even with the addition of the Protection Point, a system deliberately designed to force student expulsions was bound to cause backlash.
However, due to the chairman's authority, any teachers who opposed it had no choice but to comply.
It was clear that in their efforts to expel Ayanokoji, the people at the White Room had abandoned all sense of shame… Truly, they were cut from the same cloth.
"Do you think this is unreasonable?" Chabashira-sensei said coolly. "I agree. But the decision has been made. There's nothing you can do to resist it. Your only option is to follow the rules and face this special exam head-on."
"This is ridiculous…"
At that moment, a dark cloud loomed over Class 1-D. No, perhaps all four first-year classes felt the same way.
By Saturday, someone would disappear from this school.
But… it wasn't as if someone was going to die.
If one took a step back and looked at it rationally, getting expelled wasn't the end of the world.
It just meant transferring to another school.
Hikigaya quickly adjusted his mindset. Not that he had been particularly worried in the first place.
Even if he were expelled, so what? His parents might lecture him, and Komachi might tease him for it.
After all, their 'brilliant son (big brother)' had gotten into an elite high school, only to be kicked out in less than a year. And considering how they had probably bragged about it to their colleagues and classmates… yeah, their faces would take quite the hit.
As punishment, his allowance might get cut off?
If that happened, he'd just have to get on his knees and beg.
Because no matter what, Hachiman could not survive without his Max Coffee!
In the end, getting expelled wasn't the worst thing in the world.
What really annoyed him… was the fact that he had to wake up early on a Saturday to come to school.
He had anime to watch!