After a ten-minute conversation, Ayanokōji and Horikita finally left Saiki's room.
For Saiki, those ten minutes felt like the longest of his life.
"Phew, finally over…"
Saiki sighed, ready to leave, but suddenly picked up Shiina's thoughts. She had come specifically to visit him.
I wonder if Saiki's feeling better. I'll go check on him.
'Shiina's here too? Though she's different from the others, it's time for the special pudding in the cafeteria. I don't like being the center of attention, so I'll pretend I'm not in my room.'
I even brought him his favorite sweets.
In the next moment, Saiki was back in his seat, as if the idea of pretending to be absent had never crossed his mind.
Soon, a knock came as expected. Saiki opened the door and let Shiina in.
"Saiki!"
The moment she saw him, Shiina's face lit up with a bright smile. She handed him a bag of treats.
"I heard you were sick, so I came to check on you. You'll like these!"
"Thanks."
Saiki forced his gaze away from the sweets and looked at Shiina.
Meanwhile, Shiina quickly scanned the room.
Saiki's probably faking it, right?
No cold medicine, no tissues in the trash. If he were really sick, the room wouldn't look like this.
So, the exam results are connected to Saiki after all.
'Damn, I slipped up…'
Saiki realized something was off and thought of an explanation.
Earlier, Ayanokōji had almost exposed himself in front of Horikita, and now Shiina had figured things out from small details.
There wasn't a single easy-to-deal-with student in this school.
"Saiki, can I ask you something?"
Shiina paused thoughtfully, then continued,
"You were the class leader during the exam, right? And you faked being sick to switch roles and trick Ibuki?"
That must be it.
If I say it outright… will it distance us?
But I need to know the truth to move forward.
"I won't tell anyone else. If it's too much, you don't have to say…"
"You're right."
Saiki confirmed Shiina's guess.
'Even if I deny it now, with Shiina's abilities, she'd figure it out later. Better admit it now to avoid trouble. Plus, Shiina's not the type to spread this around.'
After all, Shiina had only guessed the exam process, not Saiki's psychic powers. So, after a moment's thought, Saiki didn't deny her assumption.
And an idea formed in his mind.
Saiki admitted it right in front of me… Does he trust me that much?
Hearing Saiki's words, Shiina was slightly surprised but quickly felt a warmth in her heart.
Saiki's truly amazing… I don't want the class atmosphere to sour, but one day, I might have to oppose him… How can I change this? Wait… If Saiki transfers to our class, wouldn't that solve everything?
An idea sparked in Shiina's mind.
"Though it wasn't my idea."
But Saiki continued,
"It was Horikita and Ayanokōji's plan."
"Them?"
Shiina's eyes widened slightly, surprised, but she quickly shook her head.
"The exam's over. Past is past. Saiki, did you finish the book I lent you? I brought more interesting ones!"
...
"Damn it, damn it!"
In another room, Kushida slammed the wall, cursing.
Nothing in this exam had gone her way.
She'd planned to make Horikita the leader, then sabotage the exam to blame her.
But Kushida never expected Saiki to become the leader.
And in the end, not only did Horikita become the leader again, but her class's first-place finish skyrocketed her popularity. She even gained a ton of supporters!
This was unacceptable to Kushida.
"I'll make you drop out, I swear!"
Her face twisted with anger, Kushida grabbed her phone and dialed a number.
"Hello, Ryūen…"
...
After the island exam, everyone had three days of rest.
In those three days, everyone seemed to forget the exam's exhaustion, enjoying a vacation on the cruise ship.
The ship was massive, with everything imaginable, and three days weren't enough to experience it all.
For Saiki, these days were fulfilling.
He tried all sorts of desserts and even brought his germanium ring, allowing him to enjoy movies in the ship's theater—almost a dream come true.
At that moment, Saiki sat in the ship's café, sipping coffee and reading a novel. With the ring on, he enjoyed rare peace—
But then his phone buzzed. Before he could check it, the ship's announcement blared:
"Attention students, the school has sent an important email. Check your phones and follow instructions. If you didn't receive it, inform a staff member. The content is crucial, so don't miss it. Repeating—"
"More trouble, huh?"
Saiki sighed, removing his ring and checking his phone.
"Special exam starting. Gather in assigned rooms at designated times. Late by 10+ minutes = punishment. Be in Room 204, 2nd floor, by 6 PM. Prep time: 20 mins. Use restroom, silence phone, then proceed."
"Another exam, huh."
Saiki knew the school's track record meant nothing good.
Without the ring, he heard nearby students' thoughts.
What's the school up to now?
8:40 PM? Another exam?
Different gathering times? We're split into groups again.
Saiki checked the time—almost there. He left the café and headed to the room mentioned in the email.
At the door, he used his X-ray vision to see inside.
Class A's teacher, Mashima, sat sternly. Before him were two Class D students.
One, glasses, slightly overweight, unkempt hair with a faint oily sheen.
Sotomura, nicknamed "The Doctor."
'The Doctor's here?'
Saiki narrowed his eyes. Sotomura fit the stereotypical otaku mold.
He was deep into gal games, anime, and often talked about wanting to go to a 2D world or needing a 2D wife. He knew history, mechanics, and obscure trivia.
Despite his niche knowledge, Sotomura had no romantic prospects in high school. He wasn't popular, especially with girls, though he got along with the "Three Idiots," chatting about weird topics.
The other was Yukimura, though his student ID said otherwise. He preferred "Kosei."
Yukimura ranked high in class but wasn't popular with girls. He and Saiki hadn't interacted much before.
Saiki knocked, entered after Mashima's response, and greeted the others.
Another knock came. Saiki knew who it was before the door opened.
'Two more troublemakers.'
The door opened, revealing Ayanokōji.
Saiki's here too?
In Saiki's mind, another's thoughts almost drowned out Ayanokōji's.
Ugh, why these guys?
It was Karuizawa.
Her honey-blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail. Her sharp features held gem-like eyes, playful yet piercing.
In Saiki's mind, Karuizawa's thoughts never stopped.
That Sotomura's a total loser. Gross.
Yukimura's smart but always looks pissed. What's his deal?
Ayanokōji's okay-looking but too gloomy. Invisible in class.
Karuizawa instantly judged the boys.
Ugh, Karuizawa.
Stuck with her? Great.
Both Sotomura and Yukimura seemed annoyed by Karuizawa.
Saiki rarely involved himself in class affairs and didn't know their issues. It seemed like pure mutual dislike.
He recalled Karuizawa targeting Hirata earlier but postponing due to school events.
Compared to Hirata, these guys are nothing.
Oh, Saiki's here?
He's…
Saiki wondered how Karuizawa saw him.
Anything better than Sotomura was fine.
He's cold, but in the last exam, he did well, even faking sickness for the class. He's handsome, more popular with girls now. Maybe a backup plan for summer.
'Not a bad impression.'
Saiki was surprised by his decent standing with Karuizawa but knew it wasn't good. She was attention-grabbing, incompatible with him, and he had zero interest in her "summer backup" plans.
Out of courtesy, Saiki nodded at Karuizawa, then glanced at her—his X-ray vision activating unintentionally.
Saiki narrowed his eyes. Karuizawa's body was covered in scars.