Time rewinds to the preparation phase before the exam begins.
Unlike the relaxed atmosphere of Class D, Class C was enduring an agonizing wait. Even the usually rowdy Ishizaki was uncharacteristically quiet.
It was as if the school's carefully designed psychological trap—to keep students suspicious and on edge until the last moment—was finally showing its effects.
This shouldn't have happened to Class C.
Normally, as long as the tyrant Ryuuen gave an order, and the chosen target wasn't excessively unreasonable, most of the students would comply.
Everyone hated dictatorship, but when faced with an exam that weighed heavily on their conscience, most were actually relieved to let someone else make the decision.
At the very least, this way, they wouldn't have to bear the moral guilt themselves.
However... maybe this time, the reason Ryuuen did nothing was to let everyone personally experience it.
That feeling—of sending off a classmate with your own hands...
Otherwise, some might not take this brutal exam seriously, or worse, they might grow accustomed to giving up on thinking about the future.
That would be detrimental to the class's growth.
As she processed the current situation in her mind, Shiina quietly sat in her seat, flipping through a book as usual.
Before long, one of their classmates would be leaving.
If she had to say whether she felt reluctant... truthfully, she did, but she had already resolved to accept it.
—Anyone, including herself, could be expelled.
She had prepared herself for that possibility.
However, as long as one was human, there would always be people they were closer to and people they were more distant from.
In an exam like this, most students naturally wouldn't want their friends to be expelled. If they had to make a choice, they would rather sacrifice a stranger. That was just human nature.
Shiina was no exception. There was someone in this school she didn't want to lose—someone who wasn't even in her class.
Compared to her classmates, she cared more about an outsider...
She knew this thought wasn't ideal, but emotions couldn't be deceived.
Yet, what troubled Shiina at this moment wasn't just this—it was something even more urgent.
"Hikigaya-kun... is in danger?"
It had happened after school the previous day.
As usual, Shiina had gone to the library to read. That was when she encountered Horikita.
No—saying they "encountered" each other wasn't quite right. It was clear that Horikita had sought her out deliberately.
Even so, Shiina was genuinely happy about it.
Because of their time in the same group during the forest training camp, she had gained a few friends in the grade she could talk to—Horikita being one of them, as they shared an interest in reading.
Even before that, Shiina had occasionally seen Horikita borrowing books at the library.
But considering Horikita's position as a class leader and the aura of aloofness she carried, it was hard for most people to approach her.
However, the time spent together during the camp had temporarily set aside such barriers.
In those dull days, their interactions gradually turned them into reading companions.
Most importantly, unlike other girls, Horikita wasn't overly talkative. There was no need to think of topics to chat about, making it very comfortable for Shiina to be around her.
Horikita seemed to feel the same way.
Even after the exam ended, they tacitly continued their casual friendship.
Their conversations were mostly about books, rarely touching on class matters.
Yet, yesterday, Horikita was uncharacteristically different—bringing up the ongoing exam on her own.
At first, Shiina found it strange, but as she listened, she quickly understood.
She was talking about Hikigaya.
That person had voluntarily asked his classmates to vote him out... How could this be?
Shiina felt both sadness and anger.
Sadness—because they had agreed that they wouldn't be expelled, that they would always be together (or so she had mistakenly believed).
Anger—because why was it Horikita who came to her?!
Horikita Suzune, who was always like an untouchable flower, had lowered her pride to ask an outsider for help.
Under normal circumstances, Shiina would have been happy to see Horikita change.
But knowing the reason behind it... that wasn't something to be happy about.
"So Hikigaya-kun and Horikita-san are that close, huh... How unfair."
As Shiina was caught in a whirlwind of emotions, the previously quiet classroom suddenly grew livelier.
Looking up, she saw that Manabe and her group had entered.
Those girls were always noisy.
Shiina had intended to ignore them as usual, assuming they would just talk about trivial things.
But this time, she unexpectedly heard a familiar name.
"Hey, I went to help Hikigaya-kun gather votes. A few guys agreed. What about you?"
The one speaking was Yabu Nanami. Shiina had exchanged words with her before—not close, but not strangers either.
But... why was Hikigaya-kun's name coming from her mouth?
This was perplexing.
As far as Shiina knew, those two shouldn't have had any interactions.
If they had, the class should have at least been talking about it, but there had been no such rumors.
And then, the following conversation surprised Shiina even more.
"Well, I asked a few people, but they didn't seem too willing."
"I-I got similar results."
Saki and Rika, Manabe's usual followers, spoke up one after another.
Shiina couldn't help but feel a wave of bitterness in her heart.
If you like it that much… why didn't you just tell me? I could've bought it for you too.
…Or is it that things taste better when they're stolen?
Regardless, Shiina wasn't about to give up so easily. She couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Besides, relying solely on Manabe and the others might not be enough.
But when it came to rallying votes, she wasn't like Manabe—she didn't have that many friends.
Although many of the girls in her class were willing to listen to her, that was only during exams. Outside of that, they barely had anything in common, making it difficult to ask for personal favors.
So, in the end… would she have to appeal to the class's interests instead?
It wasn't impossible—Manabe had already pointed out the answer.
That was to use Ayanokoji as leverage.
Yeah, that's the only way!
Just as Shiina made up her mind, Ryuuen suddenly stood up, walked to the front, and plopped himself onto the podium.
The moment he moved, the entire classroom fell silent.
Then, as if on cue, everyone returned to their seats.
It was more effective than a teacher calling for order.
"Looks like almost everyone's here."
Ryuuen scanned the classroom, skipping any unnecessary words and jumping straight to the point.
"I gave you all five days to think. So? What's the verdict? What do you think about this exam?"
"Uh…"
No one dared to speak up before they could grasp his true intentions.
Seeing this, Ryuuen clicked his tongue in boredom before calling on someone directly.
"You. Ishizaki. Speak."
"M-Me?!"
"Yeah, you. Hurry up."
"O-Oh…"
Ishizaki, caught in the crossfire, had no choice but to stand up. Scratching his head, he stammered, "I-I was planning to just follow Ryuuen-san's lead…"
"Stop. Who asked you that?" Ryuuen interrupted, clearly displeased. "I already told you, this time, the decision is yours to make. I don't care about your opinion of me—I want to hear your real thoughts."
"Uh… well…"
Ishizaki hesitated for a while before finally speaking.
"At first, I thought this exam was a total mess… and I hated it. But after thinking it over, I realized we have no choice. Whether we like it or not, we have to do it. So, I plan to give my praise votes to the strongest students and my criticism votes to the weakest. That's it."
"Heh, not bad."
Just as he said, Ryuuen refrained from making any comments that would guide their decisions—he simply asked for their thoughts.
But not everyone saw it that way.
Suddenly, Kaneda raised his hand.
"Ryuuen-san, may I speak next?"
"Go ahead."
Receiving Ryuuen's permission, Kaneda adjusted his glasses and spoke in a firm voice.
"I've given this a lot of thought over the past few days. My conclusion remains the same as it was on the first day of the exam—protection points are a powerful weapon. And in our class, only Ryuuen-san can make the best use of them. As for my criticism votes, I originally planned to target the three weakest students. But now…"
He turned and pointed at Tokimori without hesitation.
"I nominate Tokito-san. He is the most unnecessary person in our class."
"Oh? So, you're saying Tokito is the weakest?"
"No, that's not it." Kaneda shook his head. "I simply believe that our class needs stability. We must wait for the right opportunity to take down the other classes. While I understand Tokito-san's dissatisfaction with Ryuuen-san, he cannot lead us to victory. To prevent division within the class, we must eliminate him."
The implication was clear—opposing Ryuuen wasn't necessarily wrong. After all, Ryuuen was far from a perfect leader.
However, Tokito lacked the strength to overthrow him. He had also failed to prove his worth in past exams.
His rebellion was ultimately meaningless for Class C.
If they couldn't graduate as Class A, then what was the point of removing Ryuuen?
Or rather, wasn't following Ryuuen the very reason most of them had stayed in Class C? Tokito's actions were completely misguided.
Kaneda's words carried another hidden message—if someone stronger than Ryuuen existed, he would betray Ryuuen in an instant.
Yet Tokito failed to recognize this and instead scoffed, "Oh, I see. So this was your plan all along, huh, Ryuuen? First, you get your lackeys to call for praise votes on you, then you have them push for criticism votes on me. Guess you're scared of losing, after all."
His words sent a ripple through the classroom.
Most had expected Tokito to be nervous, yet he was still acting so brazenly.
No one could figure out where his confidence came from.
Instead, unease began to creep into their minds.
It was the fear of the unknown.
"Heh… interesting. Looks like you're still clinging to your delusions."
Ryuuen grinned and hopped down from the podium, sweeping his gaze across the room.
"Listen up. I'll say it again—I don't care who you vote for. Whether you want to give me criticism votes or praise votes for Tokito, do as you like. I won't hold it against you."
"Cut the bluff, Ryuuen." Tokito sneered. "Listen, if you can't get me expelled, then you better step down as leader."
"Fine. I'll play your game."
Despite Ryuuen's unwavering confidence, many students couldn't shake their unease.
Because in this so-called battle… the conditions for victory were far from equal.
Ryuuen must get rid of Tokito, the troublemaker, or he won't be able to keep the class under control. But Tokito doesn't necessarily have to defeat Ryuuen.
He only needs to prove that Ryuuen can't do anything to him.
If that happens, some students might start believing that Tokito has considerable support, especially those who have long harbored dissatisfaction with Ryuuen's rule. Many of them would likely rise in rebellion.
At that point, Class C would probably splinter as Class A did with the Sakayanagi and Katsuragi factions… and that would be the end.
Kaneda felt deeply uneasy about this. Their class couldn't afford such turmoil.
But the real problem was that Ryuuen continued to do absolutely nothing.
"Ah, right, there's one more thing."
At that moment, as if responding to Kaneda's silent expectations, Ryuuen finally spoke again.
Unfortunately, Kaneda's relief lasted less than three seconds.
Because what Ryuuen said had absolutely nothing to do with the current situation.
"I won't interfere with how you all vote within the class. However, for the single praise vote to another class, all of you will vote for dead-eyes. If anyone dares to disobey, expect my punishment… It's for Hikigaya Hachiman. That's the name."
As he said this, Ryuuen deliberately glanced in Shiina's direction, as if confirming something.
What confused him, however, was Shiina's reaction. After staring blankly for a moment like everyone else, she suddenly glared at him angrily.
Ryuuen was, of course, baffled by this reaction.
What's wrong with her now?
"Oi, Hiyori, do you have a problem with my request? You don't want to vote for Furumiya?"
"…No."
"Then why are you glaring at me?"
"…I wasn't glaring at you."
Even as she said this, the discontent on Shiina's face was obvious. She even mumbled under her breath, "Ryuuen-kun, you meddlesome idiot."
Ryuuen could only sigh and choose to ignore it.
Soon, Sakagami-sensei entered the classroom and announced the start of the voting exam.
As they awaited the results, the atmosphere was filled with anxiety. Only Tokito still had the composure to mock Ryuuen.
"Oi, Ryuuen, who did you cast your criticism votes for? My name must be on the list, right?"
Tokito's voice was full of disdain.
"Too bad—it's all pointless effort."
"Think whatever you want." Ryuuen didn't seem interested in engaging.
But Tokito wasn't done yet. He continued, "And seriously, what kind of ridiculous leader are you? Ordering everyone to vote for Hikigaya from Class D? Have you already forgotten what he did to you? Haha, or have your bones already been broken?"
"Tokito! You bastard—!"
Ishizaki couldn't hold back any longer. He shot up from his seat, ready to teach Tokito a lesson.
But Ryuuen simply raised a hand to stop him.
"Heh… You still don't see it, do you?" Ryuuen sneered at Tokito. "You know, the moment you started provoking me, I already figured out where your confidence comes from."
"So you're aware of how much everyone in class hates you, huh?"
"Let's skip the pointless chatter. Or are you still planning to play dumb?"
"…I don't know what you're talking about."
Seeing Ryuuen's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, Tokito's heart skipped a beat.
Of course, he wouldn't admit it out loud.
"Alright, alright. You're stubborn, huh? Then let me spell it out for you."
Ryuuen looked bored.
"You've been colluding with the student council president, haven't you?"
"…Huh?"
The entire class was stunned.
Why did the student council president suddenly come into the picture? And from the second year at that?
Tokito's expression was that of someone whose deepest secret had just been exposed. Ryuuen could barely suppress a laugh.
"W-Why do you…"
"Heh, obviously, I figured it out." Ryuuen chuckled coldly. "A coward like you wouldn't jump out unless you were sure of winning. But no one in this class is stupid enough to support you, so your confidence can only come from outside—the praise votes from another class."
As the class stared in shock, Ryuuen stepped onto the podium and continued his explanation.
"Class D is too scattered to orchestrate something like this. At first, I suspected Sakayanagi, but she's been too busy dealing with dead eyes. That leaves only Class A."
"Ryuuen-san, please wait a moment."
Kaneda, unable to suppress his doubts, asked, "I know Ichinose is part of the student council, but given her personality, I doubt she'd interfere with another class's exam just because the president told her to."
"Heh. That's a good question, but you're overlooking one thing—they're gathering money to reach twenty million points. They're still two million short. How many students do you think can lend them that amount?"
"Ah… I see now."
Realization dawned on Kanonida, and he fell silent.
"…Hmph. So what if you figured it out?"
Tokito had initially wanted to deny it, but at this point, there was no point anymore.
With an air of absolute confidence, he sneered, "That's right! I have President Nagumo's backing! Class A will vote for me, so even if the entire class votes against me, it doesn't matter! Ryuuen, do you think you still have a chance? You should just step down now!"
"Oh? Then let me ask you something in return."
Ryuuen smirked, his gaze filled with mockery as if looking at a ridiculous clown.
"If I already knew what you were planning, do you think I'd do nothing?"
"W-What could you possibly do?!"
Although a sense of unease crept into Tokito's mind, he had no choice but to hold his ground.
His deal with Nagumo was real. The student council president had no reason to deceive him.
All Tokito could do now was pray that everything went smoothly.
But Ryuuen shattered that hope with ease.
"You are as slow-witted as ever. Forget whether that student council president will keep his promise. Even if we assume he does… do you think I can't come up with that amount of money?"
"…What?!"
Tokito's face turned deathly pale. But the next moment, he latched onto what he thought was a lifeline, shouting, "That's impossible! I'd rather borrow from the student council president than trust someone as unreliable as you!"
"Heh, we'll see about that."
At that moment, Sakagami-sensei returned with the results.
"Keep your voices down next time. I could hear you all from the hallway."
"Sakagami, cut the crap," Ryuuen said impatiently. "Just tell me the result. Who came in last?"
"…Sigh."
After a brief sigh, Sakagami-sensei cleared his throat and announced, "Very well, I'll keep it brief. The student who ranked last is Tokito Hiroya, with a total of 37 criticism votes. Unfortunately, you have been expelled."
"…What?!"
That meant Tokito hadn't received a single praise vote from Class A.
"H-How could this be…?! Dammit… DAMMIT!"
Tokito clenched his fists, his face twisted in frustration.
It was his own doing, yet none of his classmates mocked him. Instead, they cast sympathetic glances.
Except for one person.
"Heh. Tokito, thanks to you, I actually had some fun in this otherwise boring exam."
"Ryuuen… you bastard… HAHAHA!"
Tokito glared at Ryuuen with pure hatred, then suddenly started laughing.
"Hah! You think expelling me is the end?"
"Oh? Are you planning on coming back?" Ryuuen sneered.
"Of course not." Tokito's expression calmed. "But look at the votes—37 criticism votes. Do you know what that means?"
He grew more and more excited, as if clinging to some last shred of hope.
"It means someone in this class still voted to support me! Someone who dares to stand against you! And one day, they'll take you down!"
"Oh? So after all that, this is what you wanted to say?"