The second day of the special exam was progressing smoothly.
It was currently dinner time.
All classes had ended, and once this time wrapped up, the only thing left was to bathe.
Through the course of today, I'd gotten a full grasp of the schedule during this exam period.
In the morning, after finishing cleaning, zazen, and breakfast in quick succession, the morning classes would begin.
They were joint lessons for all three school years, centered around moral issues unlike regular classes.
This tied into the 'Morality' test on the final day.
The outcome of this special exam would be decided by the average scores of the large groups in the final day's test.
The subjects were four: 'Morality,' 'Mental Training,' 'Discipline,' and 'Initiative.'
Zazen corresponded to 'Mental Training' and cleaning to 'Discipline'—that was my rough prediction, but with the exam only just starting, there wasn't enough information to say for sure.
After that, afternoon classes shifted to physical education, beginning with basic physical conditioning.
According to the explanation, long-distance running was the focus, and they'd be holding an ekiden relay on the final day as well.
Once physical training wrapped up, doing zazen once more in the same spot as the morning would end all lessons, leading straight into dinner time.
"Fufu, Izuru-kun. Let's continue our conversation from yesterday."
"Aren't you the one with too much free time?"
The moment I arrived at the cafeteria, I ran into Sakayanagi-san and Kamuro-san near the entrance, almost like they'd been waiting for me.
Dinner time lasted one hour.
The primary goal during this slot should be observing the opposite sex's movements and issuing instructions, yet she seemed completely in the mood for casual chit-chat.
"Let's grab our food first, shall we?"
She suggested.
Lingering by the entrance would just block the way, so we headed directly to the serving counter.
"As for your earlier question, yes, I'm reasonably free. After all, in this exam, the boys don't need to take first place. Passing it normally should secure us second, and there's no need to set up any more countermeasures."
"Then shouldn't you be focusing more effort on the girls?"
"Of course we're doing that. However, luck just hasn't been on our side this time."
"What do you mean?"
"The girls' large group assignments were decided by draft system just like the boys', but my group drew last place in rock-paper-scissors. As a result, we didn't get blessed with particularly strong upperclassmen."
Sakayanagi-san glanced briefly at Kamuro-san.
Seeing the awkward look on her face, it was clear she was the one who'd lost the rock-paper-scissors.
"Luck is part of one's skill too. It seems the goddess of victory has abandoned even me, who entrusted my fate to Masumi-san."
"...Eh? Didn't you just say my luck was ba—"
"——No, it was bad luck for all of us in Class A. Isn't that right?"
Sakayanagi-san smiled while radiating pressure.
Kamuro-san pulled a reluctant face and nodded despite herself.
After reconfirming their master-servant dynamic, we moved to seats with a view of the entrance.
We continued our casual talk while digging into our meals.
"I heard you got first place in rock-paper-scissors too, Izuru-kun. You really are lucky."
"I do possess a talent for good fortune, after all."
"Fufu, then shall we make luck the topic for today?"
"I don't mind, but I have my own things to do during this time. I can't spend the whole hour talking with you."
When I said that, she frowned in disappointment.
That expression didn't stir any urge in me to pamper her or rescue her, but any normal student probably would've reached out, especially given her flawless looks.
"By the way, who are you planning to talk with today and about what?"
"Reports and intel gathering from my classmates, plus a little chat with him."
"...With him?"
Her voice wavered, and her eyes lit up with excitement.
Exactly the reaction I expected, but it was such a pain.
Lying to brush it off was an option, but with her exceptional analytical abilities, she might see through it.
And given her personality, that would only make things more troublesome afterward, so honesty was the best move.
"Could I join in on that conversation too?"
"I think he hates standing out, so you'd better not."
"Talking with you already makes things stand out, so my presence should be within the margin of error, no?"
"You need to consider your own influence. If you're around, it'll just draw extra stares and rumors."
"That's true for you too, Izuru-kun. Your actions are gathering far more attention than you realize. You should be more mindful of your influence."
I told her not to come, but Sakayanagi-san kept trying to worm her way in with every excuse imaginable. It was genuinely annoying.
"Kamuro-san, stop her for me."
"...No thanks, too much hassle."
Kamuro-san's agreement made it obvious Sakayanagi-san was pumping her fist internally as she broke into a wide grin.
"Even if you say no, I'll just follow along anyway. I'm endlessly curious about what kind of talk you'll have with him."
"...Ask him about it after our conversation ends."
"Wouldn't that be doing things twice over?"
"It's fine to do it twice. Having you there would make him unnecessarily wary from all the weird speculation, which is even more annoying. Got it?"
"Fufu, understood. I got to see your pushy side, so I'll reluctantly accept for now."
Exhausted from dealing with this white-haired girl who refused to listen, I forced the concession.
She laughed teasingly at my attitude, looking thoroughly entertained.
"Oh, and just as expected, she was caught in the encirclement."
I immediately understood what those words meant.
Afterward, I left her and started my information gathering.
...
After splitting from Sakayanagi-san, I first received the regular reports from Shiina-san and Yajima-san.
"Things seem to be going well on your side."
"Yes, we managed to pick the upperclassmen as our second choice, so we should be able to aim for the top ranks at this rate."
Shiina-san declared confidently.
From what she described, there were no major slip-ups, so the Class C group of twelve probably wouldn't drop below fourth place.
Based on the info so far, the group with the highest average ability upperclassmen was Horikita-san's Class D, while the lowest was Sakayanagi's group.
Class B had picked decent upperclassmen too, but with Ichinose-san out of the picture, they had no shot at first.
Therefore, the girls' groups looked poised to contend for the upper spots.
"How's the situation with Manabe-san's group?"
"Doesn't seem like anything's changed. Manabe-san's group has Ichinose-san in it, and their relationship with Class D is solid too."
Manabe-san's group was formed from the leftover students, but thanks to Sakayanagi's smooth talking, Ichinose-san ended up there.
Aiming for the top would be tough, but they shouldn't hit rock bottom.
Of course, there were issues with her large group overall.
"Thanks for the report. Also, call Kinoshita-san over to me afterward."
Kinoshita Minori. A high-caste first-year in Class C and a member of the track and field club.
Surprisingly, she got along well with the genuinely kind Yajima-san, but she was quite the schemer herself.
She feared Ryuuen-kun yet actively cooperated with his ruthless nature, and didn't hesitate to sacrifice herself for points—she was the type who could operate effectively from the shadows.
"Minori? Ehh~, Kamukura-kun, aren't you reeling in too many girls?"
Yajima-san said with a wicked grin.
"Given your surprisingly gentle personality, I thought it would be too cruel to force you to obey orders by turning your heart to stone."
"Eh... ah, thank you?"
"Aren't you way too gullible?"
The easily flustered Yajima-san. She acted like she was experienced with guys, but apparently compliments made her weak.
"What kind of orders are you giving Kinoshita-san?"
"Just having her help with a bit of maneuvering behind the scenes the day before the actual exam starts."
When I said that, Shiina-san narrowed her eyes slightly. Yajima-san also seemed to suspect that I intended to do something ruthless to her friend Kinoshita.
"Please rest assured. I won't make her do anything dangerous."
"…Really?"
"Yes, I promise."
"I see. Then go ahead and work her to the bone!"
Yajima-san looked convinced and flashed a smile.
After finishing all the confirmations, I turned my back on the two of them and moved off with my tray in hand. I had already spotted my target—Ayanokouji-kun.
He was sitting at a sparsely populated seat on the edge, in a position where he could observe what the other students were doing. He didn't seem particularly motivated to seriously participate in this special exam either, but it looked like he'd made at least some preparations.
And right then, he stood up from his seat to return his tray. This was my chance to make contact. Just like on the first day, there were many eyes on me, so any careless approach could cause problems for him. I needed to make it look completely natural—like a chance encounter.
"Hello, Ayanokouji-kun."
On the way to the tray return counter, I walked up beside him and matched his pace. He didn't look surprised at all, which told me he'd already noticed my approach. As expected, he wasn't slacking on his observation of the surroundings.
"I have a favor to ask you."
"What do you want?"
I kept my voice to a low whisper that no one nearby could possibly hear, speaking in English. He didn't even glance my way, replying in English as naturally as if we were having casual small talk. He'd caught on to my situation and didn't refuse. It saved a lot of time.
Even a brief exchange could be troublesome if overheard, so I quickly and concisely laid everything out in English.
"——It's about Nagumo Miyabi."
I dove straight into the main topic and continued without pause.
"Luckily, you've ended up in the same large group as Nagumo Miyabi. That's why I want you to report his actions to me."
My request was for him to monitor Nagumo Miyabi. Since they were in the same large group, he'd have more chances to interact with him and would be able to detect any unnatural movements faster than I could. Although Ayanokouji-kun's group also included Class C students, I specifically asked him because I wanted the most accurate information possible.
"I'll accept that request, but first tell me why you want to investigate Nagumo."
It was a reasonable question, so I answered honestly.
"I've been asked by Horikita Manabu for quite some time now to stop Nagumo Miyabi. This time, I've prepared several means to fulfill that request."
"I see."
"You don't think I'm lying?"
"Nah. Horikita's older brother has brought that up with me multiple times too."
As expected of Horikita Manabu. He had found Ayanokouji-kun—who hated standing out—and recognized his true capabilities.
"Was the help he gave you during the rooftop incident related to this?"
"Yeah. That's why I made some preparations for this exam too."
That also explained why Ayanokouji-kun had been keeping such a close eye on the situation around him. It seemed safe to treat him as an ally this time.
"Then you'll accept my request?"
"Yeah. I'll pass the information to Horikita's older brother through you. This arrangement should satisfy Horikita Manabu as well. Also, as compensation for cooperating, can you keep your distance from me from now on?"
"That's one thing, this is another. I won't accept that kind of compensation. However, I have properly prepared compensation. Later on, you'll get to have a conversation with a beautiful girl named Sakayanagi Arisu. That's what I'm offering."
"Hey, hold on—what kind of compensation is that?"
Ayanokouji-kun had tried half-heartedly to slip away from me, but my painful counterattack made him glance over for a split second.
"Before this conversation, Sakayanagi-san cornered me. She was extremely persistent about joining our talk, so I arranged for her to question you about it afterward."
"Give me a break…"
Ayanokouji-kun shrugged his shoulders in resignation.
We had reached the tray return counter, so we slowly returned our trays. At that moment, he gave me his report for the day.
"I think the situation in this exam will change drastically depending on whether the student council gets involved or not. Also, based on yesterday's events, there's a possibility Nagumo is connected to a third-year Class B student named Ishikura."
"What's your evidence?"
I listened as he recounted what happened yesterday—playing cards with the upperclassmen. I carefully memorized his concise and polite summary of the events.
Once his report was finished, I told him about the student council's potential involvement in return.
"Thanks for the valuable information. I'll take my leave here. If anything comes up, please let me know immediately."
After thanking him, I quickly walked away.
Dinner time was limited. After that, I continued gathering more information.
…
On the night of the second day, I quickly finished my bath and headed toward the third-year dormitory. I'd tried inviting Ryuuen-kun for tonight's plans, but he declined. According to him, there was no real value in socializing with the graduating third-years. It was a very Ryuuen-like answer.
"The shared room layout seems identical."
Upon arriving at the third-year dorm, I lightly knocked on the door. It opened immediately, and Horikita Manabu greeted me.
"You came. Come inside for now."
Horikita Manabu spoke while staying alert to our surroundings. I followed behind him and entered the room right away. The interior was no different from the first-year dorms, but due to the larger number of residents, the rooms felt smaller than the ones we used.
With everyone's gazes concentrated on me, that thought crossed my mind.
"Make yourself comfortable."
Horikita Manabu sat down at a small round table that had been prepared. I took the seat across from him, and one of the third-years immediately spoke to me.
"You're Kamukura Izuru from first-year Class C, right? I'm…"
"Fujimaki-senpai from third-year Class A, correct?"
When I confirmed his name, his eyebrow twitched slightly.
"I remembered that during the large group selection, Nagumo Miyabi was provoking you."
"…I see. Then there's no need for introductions. Let's get straight to the main topic."
Fujimaki-senpai sat down beside Horikita Manabu and joined the conversation. From the looks of it, they were friends. For someone who gave off such a solitary, lofty image like Horikita Manabu, having him there felt completely natural—which meant Fujimaki-senpai was also quite the capable individual.
"I've heard from Horikita that you're the most promising first-year who can stand against Nagumo. You seem willing to cooperate in this exam as well, but I want to confirm that first. You really are going to oppose Nagumo, right?"
"Yes, that's the promise I made."
It seemed he'd accepted that I was on their side, but he still remained cautious.
"He's a student with no issues in terms of ability. He also has the credibility to not break his promises. In fact, Kamukura has been quite active in this exam. Besides, I've already given him private points."
"If you're vouching for him that much, I can probably trust him. Still, I want to hear it from him directly."
Their exchange showed just how deep their trust was. Even so, he didn't blindly accept Horikita Manabu's words. The fact that he wanted to judge for himself meant he wasn't merely a follower.
"Kamukura, I want to hear your current report on how Nagumo is moving in this exam."
As we moved on to the main subject, the atmosphere grew noticeably tighter. Even the other seniors who had been chatting and playing cards started listening in closely. It was clear that an important discussion had begun.
"Fujimaki-senpai, you of course remember the rule that if the 'person in charge' is 'expelled,' one other person in the group can be forced to 'expel' themselves under joint responsibility, correct?"
"Yeah, I remember."
"I believe that this particular penalty rule is exactly where Nagumo Miyabi's intervention occurred."
Fujimaki-senpai looked greatly surprised.
Even though this rule existed because the school was special, it wasn't something that could be established so easily.
Even if it only applied to students the school itself recognized as having contributed to falling below the set border, one couldn't help but question the very concept of the 'person in charge.'
"If you use this rule to assemble a group made entirely of your own pawns, expelling the target becomes effortless.
Of course, this is merely an idea born from a sense of unease, so there's no real credibility to it."
Nagumo Miyabi had promised a fair and square contest, but if he planned to exploit this rule, then winning or losing probably meant nothing to him.
In fact, he was likely hoping the entire match would turn out to be a bluff.
To conceal this scheme, he would undoubtedly spread a great deal of false information throughout the school.
"…However, that line of thinking drags outsiders into it. Nagumo has kept his promises up until now.
He made this promise in front of a large audience as well, so breaking it would cause a massive drop in trust. I can't imagine him discarding that trust for a single use."
"He must have possessed that level of resolve and malice.
There's a chance he'll stake everything just to put a loss on your record."
Horikita Manabu rested his hand on his chin and reconsidered.
"…Assuming you're correct, who would he be aiming for?"
"Since it's a grand trap he went out of his way to rig the rules for, he'll want to use it as effectively as possible.
That being the case, the target would be limited to students connected to you—and moreover, ones you're close with."
"…Hey, you don't mean—"
Fujimaki-senpai sensed something from Horikita Manabu's grim expression.
Connected and close.
Searching for candidates like that would eventually narrow it down.
"…Is the target Tachibana?"
"If he's aiming for someone, it would be her. And to disclose one piece of information, the second-years in the large group Tachibana-san belongs to are apparently composed of students close to Nagumo Miyabi."
I shared one piece of information I'd obtained through covert activities with the third-years.
Horikita Manabu's expression grew even more severe at that.
"By the way, do you know the composition of the third-year group Tachibana-san is in?"
"…The group Tachibana belongs to is centered around third-year Classes B and D, and she should be the only participant from Class A."
Fujimaki-senpai answered slowly in place of Horikita Manabu, who had already grasped the situation and couldn't speak.
The atmosphere in the room grew heavier in proportion to the increasingly ominous developments.
"Then allow me to disclose further information. There's a possibility that Nagumo Miyabi is connected to a third-year Class B student named Ishikura."
"W-what did you say!? Where did that information come from!? How credible is it!?"
"Calm down, Fujimaki."
Horikita Manabu soothed the rising Fujimaki-senpai.
His tendency to get heated easily was a flaw, but it could also be said to stem from the depth of his concern for his comrades.
"I'd say the credibility is reasonably high. If you want to confirm just in case, go to him directly and ask."
I phrased it vaguely as 'him,' but Horikita Manabu immediately realized it was Ayanokouji-kun.
Being Horikita Manabu, he had already grasped that I remembered the group Fujimaki-senpai belonged to and that it included Nagumo Miyabi.
Moreover, it was safe to assume he knew Ayanokouji-kun was there as well.
"So that's how it is. If it's coming from someone who can observe Nagumo up close in this exam, then the credibility is definitely high."
"You don't think he might be lying?"
"We made a certain promise on the rooftop. With that promise, he swore to cooperate with us.
As long as he's not the kind of ungrateful person who doesn't repay his debts, he won't betray us."
As compensation for using him in the rooftop matter, I had promised him something regarding the student council.
Since Ayanokouji-kun was the type who only thought about himself, he would keep the promise to avoid any unnecessary risks.
Therefore, the possibility of him running away was practically zero.
"Is this okay, Horikita?"
"Yeah, the credibility is quite high, just as Kamukura says. The source is one of the first-years I had my eye on."
"…Understood. I'll trust it."
A strong bond of trust was evident.
They didn't abandon doubt but believed after doubting.
I knew that trust which had overcome doubt possessed the ultimate power to unite.
"Well, I've laid out all the information I've obtained, but I can't deny the possibility that all of this is a bluff."
"If I start worrying about this and intervene with the girls, I won't be able to fight in perfect condition.
It's not like Nagumo to use a tactic that avoids a direct confrontation with me, but we need to consider it."
"Yes. Though weren't you planning to avoid careless contact with the girls anyway?
At this stage for third-year Class A, your strategy would focus on defense."
"That's right. To graduate from Class A, we need solid results in this exam. As long as I don't become the person in charge, no one will be expelled."
"Even so, you understood that absolute defense wasn't possible and prepared a fair and square stage.
Assuming Nagumo Miyabi would keep his promise, you avoided careless contact to prevent any risk from turning toward the girls.
Your plan to carry the fight as much as possible according to the exam rules can truly be called one that exhausted every possible measure."
This exam took place in January—one of the few remaining special exams for the third-years who were on the verge of graduating.
To protect Class A's status and graduate together with the classmates they had fought alongside, they had to meet it with everything they had.
That was why they adopted a defensive strategy, and their leader, Horikita Manabu, tried to protect his comrades from Nagumo Miyabi.
But Nagumo Miyabi's malice did not stop.
"It's because of the trust that has piled up over time that you can only act defensively."
"Do you think the endgame is too soft?"
"If it were the old me, I would have declared so.
However, ordinary human relationships are complicated. Trust built over a long time leads to the decision to believe fully after doubting.
Since I don't know your history with Nagumo Miyabi, if there was a corresponding reason for you to judge him as trustworthy, I have no intention of complaining."
After opening his eyes, Horikita Manabu gave a faint smile.
"To think… such words would come from you. You've really changed since you first enrolled."
"My core hasn't changed. I've simply broadened my way of thinking to see the unknown."
Since the ending was easy to predict, there was no change in how boring it was.
Even so, I thought I would try respecting his judgment and that trust.
Just like how Hinata Hajime once surpassed my expectations—I wanted to feel it with my own skin.
"So, what will you do? Are you planning to let Nagumo Miyabi do as he pleases?"
"Even if aiming for Tachibana is a bluff, letting him have his way isn't fun.
Kamukura, if I move, Nagumo might become wary. Could you contact Tachibana and ask about the current situation?"
Horikita Manabu calmly made the request to me.
Since he couldn't move himself and needed to act without showing his hand to Nagumo, cooperation from a third party was indispensable.
Considering the situation, it was the best choice.
"Understood. You focus on raising the morale of the third-years—and by extension, the second-years—so they can raise the average score as much as possible."
"You're asking for the impossible. There might be students under Nagumo's influence, you know?"
"I've judged that you can do it."
With talent close to that of the Ultimate Student Council President, uniting the group's morale should be possible.
"I'll continue my own investigation as well. I'll report immediately if there's any progress."
"Got it. Thanks for the cooperation."
With a calm conclusion, I left the third-year shared room.
Through today's discussion, I reconfirmed that trust relationships were crucial.
That was precisely why, for Nagumo Miyabi who tried to snatch victory by betraying that trust...
...let's make him lose everything once.
***
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