16 Volume 13 - Chapter 3 Part 2: Summer’s Almost Here, A Premonition of a Fierce Battle

Part 7

"You're having a string of bad luck, huh, drawing the Trial card and all. I'm sure you're drawing attention again."

As soon as she entered the class that morning, Horikita approached me as she said that.

"I, too, was distressed by the same thing this morning."

"It would've been nice if we could trade cards freely within the class. No student who isn't confident of winning would want the Trial card, and yet we cannot just give it to a student who is confident of winning."

Horikita drew the Half Off card. Although the card was useful when you received a penalty, it was as good as useless for students who were aiming for the top.

"That being the case, you have no choice but to be in the top 30%, and maybe even get a podium finish, isn't it?"

"You're saying that like it has nothing to do with you. As a classmate, could you worry about me a bit more?"

"If you really want to rely on me, I'll certainly lend a hand."

Horikita was slowly getting cheeky, or rather more difficult to deal with than before.

That aggravating gaze that seemed to say "What do you want?" made me not want to rely on her.

"I'm sorry, but if I find someone who wanted to buy it off me, I might just let him have it."

"What you decide to do is up to you. Although, it would be nice if you could easily find a buyer. The Trial card affects not just the person holding the card but their entire group. It's a dangerous risk to take."

She was nice and polite while explaining that, but I felt like she was just being sarcastic.

"For the record, I'm being sarcastic."

"Of course."

"This is payback for all the times you've teased me so far."

"I don't remember teasing you, though…"

The Trial card was a troublesome thing to have, but it could also serve as a sort of protective charm. I expect there'll be fewer students who will thoughtlessly ask to group up with me. In the worst case scenario, I might have to take the uninhabited island survival exam solo with this card.

"Since it's you, can I take it as you can handle yourself?"

I could rely on Horikita, but as she was the leader of the class, there were bound to be other students who couldn't do without her support. It would be better if I could ease her burden as much as possible.

"Well, I'll try my best."

After I told her that I would get through this on my own, I took my seat. While I was looking up who had drawn which card, I heard Ike, who had come to class late, raise his voice.

"Huh? You, er… found someone to group up with?!"

"Yeah, anything wrong with that?"

It seems like Shinohara had already decided on a group while Ike was away.

Her partner must be-

"But, just a while ago I'd just invited you! Anyway, it's forbidden to form a group without Horikita's permission!"

"Forbidden what, I haven't officially confirmed yet. Well, I'm going to confirm today though."

"Wha…"

"And what are you talking about, saying that you invited me. Who's the one who got all horny and ignored me?"

"Ah, that wasn't like that! I even turned them down for you, you know!"

"Turned someone down? Ah, you're really pissing me off. You really are a horrible person."

"Group… Who did you decide to group up with?"

"What's it got to do with you?"

"Nothing, but I'm just curious, okay?"

"Class B's Komiya-san. He invited me just after the special exam started yesterday."

So it was Komiya. One of them must've brought it up while they were coming to school together.

"Ah? Komiya? Komiya, he's that flashy guy on the basketball team, right? Unbelievable!"

Somewhere inside him, Ike must've arrogantly assumed that Shinohara would group with him.

"He isn't flashy, and I promised to meet up at the cafe after school to discuss it."

After saying that, Shinohara turned away from Ike. To the students in the classroom who were eavesdropping on the conversation, it couldn't be taken as anything more than an extension of their usual arguments.

After school, Shinohara left the classroom early, as she had mentioned earlier.

Ike quietly watched Shinohara leave, but then he left the classroom quickly with a look in his eyes, as if he had made up his mind about something.

"Is this a good time?"

Yousuke had seen the whole scene, and after Ike left he approached me.

Maybe to avoid being overheard, he wanted to talk in the corridor, and I obeyed his wishes.

"About Ike, I don't think it's too good to leave him alone like this."

"Yeah. He might be a bit arrogant, but Ike's knowledge and experience will be of use in the uninhabited island survival exam. It's possible this incident with Shinohara may prevent him from fulfilling his potential."

"Yes. Seeing that, I'm also worried about what will happen if he watches the discussion between Shinohara and Komiya while he's like that."

Yousuke was apprehensive, and I understood his concerns.

It wasn't a good idea to get into dispute with Class B right now.

"I'd like to go see what's going on. If you're okay with it, can you come along? I don't think Ike-kun likes me very much."

If we were to talk about that, well, Ike didn't like me either.

That said, it was normal for Yousuke to feel uneasy.

"Shinohara said she's going to meet Komiya at the cafe, right?"

"Yeah. Shall we go and see what's going on, just in case?"

"Sure."

I decided to check out the situation at the cafe in Keyaki mall with Yosuke.

As we were on our way, we also talked a little bit about the composition of the small groups.

"I wanted to recommend a plan where all of the 2nd years help each other and fight against the 1st and 3rd years, but it doesn't seem like any of the other classes want to unite at all. It's like every class is trying to form their ideal group. It isn't impossible for us to unite to take a course where absolutely no 2nd years get expelled, but there would be no shortage of pain with that."

I discussed this with Horikita yesterday, that deliberately withdrawing from the exams would prevent any drop outs. But the grades that implement that plan would have to bear heavy losses no matter what. And to be honest, it's a bit unrealistic to expect the whole grade to share that burden.

That's why, even after an entire day, there were no students making such an idealistic suggestion.

"It seems like we can only form groups that leave us with no regrets."

"Yeah…"

"You must've been invited by quite a few people, Yosuke?"

Yosuke was popular with both the boys and the girls, and was excellent in every aspect, so there's no way nobody has invited him yet.

"For me, I'd like to select 2 people from Class D to form a group. Instead of aiming for the top places, I'd rather fight to not get penalized."

It's the students of Class D that he should protect, not the other classes. That was the logical way of thinking. If the student was strong and popular, it wouldn't be a problem for the other person when they formed a group, but for the less powerful students, it would be hard for them to ask for help from anyone else.

"Is Sakura-san alright?"

Yosuke was worried about Airi, who was a part of my group and was last in terms of ability.

"As of now, she's going to form a group with Akito and Haruka."

"Miyake-kun has good motor skills, so I feel the group is well balanced."

Although Keisei was left out, thanks to his mind, the other classes were trying to scout him for his mind. It would be a formidable group if he could choose students who could cover for his lack of physical ability.

However, while we were chasing Ike, a problem surfaced.

There was a person following us. They had tried their best not to be seen while following me before, but this time they seemed to be prepared to be spotted by me. Ike was walking straight towards Keyaki mall. Then it was me and Yosuke, and after that was the person following us. This state of double-stalking continued on like this. Although ignoring them wasn't hard, if this continued in the future, it would be a bit troublesome.

As we were approaching Keyaki mall, I stopped in my tracks.

"Sorry, Yosuke, but can you go on first?"

"What is it?"

"I remembered something I have to take care of. I think I'll be back in around 10 minutes."

"Alright, I'll call you if something happens."

Without asking any questions, Yosuke disappeared into Keyaki mall.

A little while after that, the student who was following us took that as her cue and walked over.

It was a classmate, Chiaki Matsushita.

"You don't seem very surprised. Did you notice from the start?"

"I just don't show any surprise in my expression."

Was this the first time since spring break that I've talked to Matsushita alone like this?

No, take away the condition of us being alone, and it'll still be the first time I've talked to her since.

"What were you and Hirata-kun talking about? About Ike-kun? Or about the uninhabited island survival exam?"

Matsushita, who was standing by my side, raised her head as she judged the situation.

"Is that any of your business, Matsushita?"

"It's not so much about me, as it's about us. Ayanokouji-kun, you're an important existence for us to get into Class A."

She seems to think highly of me, but what was her objective?

For how smart she is, she should have known that trying to flatter me wouldn't work.

But I don't think she approached me now for no reason.

"Don't be so cautious, I approached you because I just had something to tell you today as soon as possible."

"Something you need to tell me?"

"The Trial card is an item with a very powerful effect. But it's difficult to use it. If you've got any problems, I would like to help you, Ayanokouji-kun. How about it?"

Setting aside my thoughts and opinions on the matter, she expressed that she was willing to help me out any time because she was on my side. When I didn't respond, she looked a bit embarrassed.

"I guess you won't answer unless I straight up say it."

It wasn't like I was trying to be mean to her, but I didn't want to be forced into a conversation while it was crowded. It was after school, and we could see a fair number of students showing up in the area around us. Matsushita must've been aware of that, too, so without waiting for an answer, she started speaking.

"You need to stay in the top of the rankings to avoid the penalty, so it's hard for you to find people who'll group with you, right? So I just wanted you to rely on me if you're in trouble."

After replying, as if she'd forgotten to say something important, she added:

"Of course, during the exam, I'll completely follow your instructions."

That seemed to be what she had gone so far as to chase me to say.

"Although I'm happy that you're willing to assist me, if we don't make it to the top 30%, you'll be penalized. You know the risks, right?"

"I do. That's why I think it's important for me to cooperate with you to help you."

I don't think she didn't have any good intentions, but the essence of the matter lay somewhere else.

While suppressing my desire to hurry up and go to Yosuke, I turned to Matsushita who was walking beside me.

"Did you judge that your odds of survival are the highest if you grouped up with me?"

Normally, a group who had the trial card would be more likely to get expelled. Nevertheless, Matsushita offered to assist me, despite the danger. Pure goodwill couldn't explain it.

"…So I've been exposed?"

Matsushita narrowed her eyes and smiled, raising the white flag early.

"I don't think it'd be difficult to stay in the top ranks if it were you. Even if we don't end up on the podium, we're bound to reach the top 30%. It would be more dangerous if I put my friends first and make a half-assed group with them."

So this was what Matsushita really meant. She weighed me against her other options to form a group and chose me.

"I thought you'd get snapped up quickly, Ayanokouji-kun."

Greet me as soon as possible. It also made understanding the evaluation of the other person's intentions easier.

While it's something to be grateful for, I never intended to come to a conclusion here from the start.

There was nothing wrong with Matsushita, but the outcome would've been the same no matter who it was.

"I won't decide on my group, at least for this month."

"You mean that you want to wait and watch how things go?"

"After all, I'd like to see how the other classes move."

I told her the most important factor.

But the part I cared about was different from what ordinary students cared about.

The special exam on the uninhabited island required a lot of preparation.

It was absolutely inconceivable that Tsukishiro had nothing to do with it.

It had been a month and a half since the last special exam, but he hadn't made any noticeable moves.

Day by day we were getting farther away from April, which was when he had planned to expel me from this school.

Because of the White Room Student's arbitrary actions, the gears were in chaos.

They probably have done something in this group formation stage, which can be called the prelude to the battle.

Matsushita didn't understand the element of danger involved. If she got dragged into this, it wouldn't end easily for her.

"It seems like I won't get a satisfactory answer now. I see, give it some thought."

Maybe she never intended to push me on it. Soon, she waved her hand to say goodbye.

"Ah, right. Here's my contact information."

Seemingly prepared in advance, she handed me a paper with her ID written on it.

"There, I've said what I wanted to say."

Having wrapped up the conversation without wasting any time, Matsushita turned around and began to walk towards the dormitory.

"Well, it certainly doesn't feel bad to have another girl's contact info."

It's unclear if I'll be able to meet Matsushita's expectations in the future.

After that, I met up with Yosuke at Keyaki mall.

"What's the situation?"

"I don't think it'll be as bad as it can be, but…"

Following Yosuke's gaze, I spotted Shinohara and Komiya, who were talking and laughing in the cafe.

A little further away, I also spotted Ike, who had his back to us as he quietly watched them, depressed.

"What should we do?"

"First, if Ike doesn't show any signs of charging in and going berserk, let's just see how this scene develops. Carelessly calling Ike out might not lead us to a solution."

Yosuke nodded his head in agreement.

"Anyway, I wanted to ask about Komiya first. Why did Komiya invite Shinohara to his group? If we're not sure about that, we can't take any action."

"I'll think about who would be the best person for Ike to group up with if he can't group with Shinohara."

"Please do."

We then agreed to gather information separate from each other.

Part 8

After leaving Yosuke, I gave Ishizaki, from Komiya's class, a call, and asked him out.

Since I thought he was still at school, I set off to meet him.

"Yo! Are you finally thinking to group up with us!?"

He said that enthusiastically with a bright smile on his face.

"Sorry, that's still under deliberation. I'm here for something else today."

Ishizaki looked slightly regretful upon hearing these words, but recovered quickly.

"So, what did you want to discuss with me?"

I wanted to discuss my problem with him right away, but a girl was approaching Ishizaki. It was Nishino Takeko from Class 2-B.

"What, you said you 'something', did you mean a meeting with Ayanokouji-kun?"

"Hey, didn't I tell you not to follow me, Nishino? Sorry about this, Ayanokouji."

After apologizing to me, Ishizaki urged Nishino to go to Keyaki mall first.

However, Nishino didn't listen to Ishizaki and approached me.

"You're rather close with Ishizaki. That's a surprise."

Nishino observed me as she directly addressed Ishizaki without an honorific.

"Hey, you didn't listen to me at all! This is why you're ostracized!"

"Ostracized?"

"Ah no, just that this girl's isolated in our class right now. That's become a bit of a problem."

"Isolated? I'm hardly troubled by that."

Speaking of isolation, Ibuki was also a lone wolf, and Nishino seemed to belong to the same category.

"Anyway, can you just leave, okay?"

"No."

"No? Yo-you say no? This girl… Sorry, Ayanokouji, wait a minute. I'll just get rid of her right now."

"But I'm curious as to why you and Ayanokouji-kun are secretly meeting, Ishizaki."

Although I'd never spoken to Nishino, she seemed to be the type who spoke her mind without hesitation.

People like her made enemies easily. However, it was only natural for her to be incredulous, seeing us meeting secretly. Chasing her away without giving an explanation would only backfire on us, so I decided to tell Nishino about what Ishizaki and I were going to discuss.

"Our relationship became better after being in the same group in last year's Mixed Training Camp."

First, I told her how our current relationship got to here, and then got to the topic at hand.

"I contacted Ishizaki because I wanted to ask him a few questions about Komiya from your class. I decided to meet here because this conversation isn't meant for others to hear."

"Because of Komiya-kun? What's going on?"

She didn't drop the suffix while talking about Komiya. I explained my reasons as I held that impression.

"I heard that he and Shinohara from my class decided to form a group. Do you know about this?"

"No, it's the first time I've heard of it. But it's not that strange, right?"

Wanting to team up with someone from another class was indeed nothing out of the ordinary.

So it wasn't unreasonable for Ishizaki to find my asking about it to be a bit strange.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Because even in the kindest of terms, Shinohara isn't the kind of person who would be very active in this uninhabited island exam. So our class is worried about whether her grouping up with Komiya is a good idea or not. We want to know what kind of person he is beforehand."

"He's just a nice guy in general, right? He also has good motor skills, and because he's in the basketball club, he has good physical strength as well."

Right? Ishizaki confirmed this with Nishino who nodded her head in agreement.

"It seems like one of them invited the other to form a group, are they dating?"

"Eh? Th-that's hard to say…"

"Even if you ask Ishizaki these things, he wouldn't understand. You don't know anything about love, do you?"

"Shut up! Do you understand it then?'

"At least more than you. Although they're not dating, Komiya-kun certainly likes Shinohara-san, right?"

"Eh? Komiya likes Shinohara, really? Oh, but he did say he liked a girl from another class… although I only vaguely remember it…"

Ishizaki recalled a past memory, and told us this.

If any students were to form a group, it was natural for one to seek something from the other. Elements such as ability, friendship, or even, romantic feelings. Like Nishino said, if Komiya had a crush on Shinohara, then it was reasonable for him to want to form a group with her.

"But why do you care about that?"

"I saw the two of them together this morning. Since Komiya called Shinohara by her first name, I felt that they were close, which is why I thought it might be the case."

"Ahh… Eh, what? Don't tell me, Ayanokouji, that…. You like Shinohara?"

"No."

Even though I denied it immediately, Ishizaki had a delighted smirk as if he had already convinced himself of that fact

"Wha? She's the type of girl a blockhead like you'd fall for though? Am I right, am I right?"

"I just said no."

"Don't hide it from me, we're close friends, eh?"

No, I don't think we were that close at all until the Mixed Training Camp…

Indeed, I had recently gotten to know his character even better than my own not-so-familiar classmates.

"But since it's you, I'm pretty sure you can aim for a cuter girl."

If this continued any further, there was a possibility that false rumours would start spreading.

If that happened, the relationship between Ike and Shinohara might become even more tenuous than it is now.

"It's Ike. Ike from my class likes Shinohara."

"Huh? The heck, isn't it you, Ayanokouji?"

"Which is why I was trying to understand their situation."

"I get it now, but, love isn't something that others can interfere with."

"I also agree with that, meddling in someone else's business is out of the question."

"Normally, that would be true. However, for our class, it's a situation that we can't ignore. Ike being active in the special exam is indispensable to Class D."

The more strained their relationship became, the more chance Ike would go off in a strange direction.

The uninhabited island exam, where his skills can finally be of use, was approaching. However, this development was not favorable. That being said, helping out in this situation wouldn't do any good to Class B. Rather, it would give an advantage to their enemy. It was probably something that they wouldn't want to help out with.

Although that's what I was thinking—

"Alrighty, I can help out if you need it. What can I do?"

Ishizaki offered to help me out, as he said he didn't mind helping.

"Wait, Ishizaki, are you serious? You're Komiya's friend right?"

"So I should just ignore Ayanokouji, who's currently in dire straits?"

"No, you have to leave it alone. I understand that you're friends, but you're also supposed to be enemies."

"Isn't there a saying, that yesterday's enemies are tomorrow's friends?"

Technically speaking, it should be "today's friends", but that was fine, so I ignored it.

"Although that's very generous of you, I'd be troubled if you want something in return."

"Something in return? I won't ask for anything. It's normal to want to help out a friend who is in trouble."

Ishizaki wasn't a good liar, so I knew he meant it when he said that he would help me unconditionally.

Although that was very generous of him, I couldn't make such an unreasonable request of him considering that he was Komiya's friend.

And if we forcefully separated Komiya and Shinohara, it would invite Nishino's ire.

"In that case, hmmm… Could you first ask about Komiya's feelings for me, Ishizaki?"

"So you just want to know if he actually likes Shinohara, Ayanokouji?"

"Yeah, but please keep the fact that somebody's specifically asking for this under wraps."

"Of course, but how should I confirm that? Any ideas?"

Nishino lent a helping hand to Ishizaki, who couldn't think of a way to approach Komiya on this matter.

"Ayanokouji-kun, you saw the two of them enjoying each other's company, right? Then let's just pretend that Ishizaki was the one who witnessed this instead of you and use it to find out whether they're dating. As a guy who's not popular with girls, it would simply look like he cared that his friend might have gotten a girlfriend before him, right?"

Ishizaki, who had little material to use as a motive for asking, immediately accepted Nishino's suggestion.

"Fe-feels somewhat empty as a motive, but I suppose it'll work… Al-Alright, I'll give it a try then. Give me a moment. club activities haven't yet started—"

Ishizaki guessed that it might just work, and gave Komiya a call after saying that.

"… Ah, Komiya? Sorry to call you right before club activities start. Ah no, I've got something I wanted to ask you. Did you talk to Shinohara from Class D this morning? … Just as I thought. No, we formed a pact of not getting a girlfriend before telling each other, but I think you might be leaving me behind in that respect."

Ishizaki smoothly asked Komiya about Shinohara, unexpectedly.

"You're telling me you aren't dating? Really? If you're lying, then you'll be in trouble later, eh?"

After confirming that Komiya and Shinohara weren't dating, Ishizaki made an OK gesture with his right hand.

However, immediately after that, his expression changed slightly.

"Eh… Seriously? Oh, oh, I see, ahh…"

Ishizaki, was asking the questions in a manner easy for me to understand, but the amount of information I got from him suddenly diminished.

He was listening carefully to what Komiya was saying on the other end of the phone.

"… Is that so? Ah, I see, nah I get it. The time has finally come for you to become a man, and of course, I'm rooting for you. Let me know how it goes."

From the direction of the conversation, I was able to roughly understand what Komiya told Ishizaki.

After ending the call, Ishizaki looked at me somewhat awkwardly.

"That Komiya guy, he's planning to confess to Shinohara on the uninhabited island."

"I see—"

If they form a group, they would have to work together the entire day. A perfect time for him to confess would present itself.

"What can we do? In the end, there's no way we can stop it."

That's true. Komiya had the right to confess his feelings.

After all, even though Ike and Shinohara liked each other, neither was willing to take a step forward. So if someone came in between them, then that was just fate. Or maybe Ike might just be able to win her back at the last minute.

"Anyway, thanks for the great help. I think I'll talk to Horikita about this. If Nishino's having trouble forming a group, you can talk to me. I might be able to help in some way."

"I said I don't need anything in return."

"We should help each other when things are tough. I'll help you as much as I can."

"Thanks, although it's not easy for you either, do your best."

After listening to Ishizaki's word of sympathy, I decided to tell Horikita about this.

Part 9

That evening, I called Horikita to the cafeteria.

Since the cafe was a busy place, even if there were students around us trying to eavesdrop on our conversation, they would have a hard time trying to make out what was being said.

I expressed my concerns to Horikita about the current situation between Ike, Shinohara, and Komiya and that it might affect this upcoming uninhabited island exam. Ike liked Shinohara but still hasn't made a move. Komiya, however, was planning to confess soon.

Horikita's reaction upon hearing my concerns was…

"Isn't it fine to just leave them alone?"

As I had partly expected, her reaction to this was indifference.

"I thought we had a serious problem on our hands, since you're the one coming to consult me… but this isn't our problem to fix. Besides, I've evaluated Ike-kun's ability as a boy scout to be high, so we should group him with regards to his ability, not his feelings."

"I don't know about that. Ike seems to be overly concerned about Shinohara's affairs. Depending on the situation, he might not be as effective as last year. That alone would have been acceptable, but now there's a possibility that he could become a liability to his group due to his concern over Shinohara's affairs."

"So he could be expelled due to his feelings for Shinohara leading him by the nose?"

"I can't say that he definitely won't be."

"… That would be problematic. This is so stupid."

Annoyed, Horikita let out a heavy sigh.

"It seems like Komiya and Shinohara have already agreed to form a group, but because of your orders, they haven't confirmed yet. However, if you give them permission, 9 times out of 10, they'll form a group. You're the leader of Class D now, so if you tell Shinohara that grouping up with Komiya is strategically disadvantageous, she can't forcefully disobey."

"So you're saying it's necessary to prevent that? But if we stop them from forming a group, won't Komiya-kun just change the timing of his confession? Depending on the situation, he might just confess on that same day."

"We can't discount that possibility."

"This is a lot more complicated than it sounds. We can't take care of them until they start dating."

"Then what should we do?"

"Why don't we just make Ike-kun confess? If Shinohara-san accepts, Ike-kun will fight hard to stay at the school no matter what group he's in, right? On the other hand, if he gets rejected, he can forget about this whole matter and focus on the exam."

While I think the former is true, it was hard to say what would happen if he gets rejected.

There's a risk that he would just give up and stop trying in this exam.

However, this isn't something we can settle through talking alone.

Maybe getting Ike to confess soon was the fastest way out.

"Although you're good at many things, you don't seem to be good at romance at all."

"I'm studying hard right now."

"For real?… Well, let me see what I can do. For now, I'll start with asking Ike-kun and Shinohara-san to form a group together, alright?"

Even though we hadn't finished our meals, Horikita took out her phone and launched the OAA app.

Only to discover something completely unexpected.

"Unfortunately, it seems like we're too late."

Horikita put her phone on the table and slided it toward me so that I could see the screen. On the OAA, you could see the groups that have been formed, and it showed that Shinohara and Komiya had already formed a group. The third person in their group was Kinoshita Minori of Class B.

"Since we've already reached this point, we must take measures to prevent Ike-kun's loss of motivation."

"Let's discuss this with Yosuke as well. He's thinking about the best group for Ike right now."

The prospect of forming groups for the uninhabited island exam would be difficult.

Part 10

Post nightfall my customary date with Kei began in my room.

Today's conversation focused on the groupings for the exam, starting with the fight between Ike and Shinohara.

"Hey… Kiyotaka, who do you plan to group up with for this uninhabited island exam?"

With a somewhat shy expression, Kei looked up at me and raised this question.

"At the moment, I've no plans to group up with anyone."

"Eh? Wh-why?"

I could sense that Kei wanted to group up with me, but I was afraid that it wouldn't be beneficial to me even if we grouped up. Not due to any lack of ability on Kei's part but it was unsuitable considering my battle with Tsukishiro.

"Forming a group undoubtedly has its own advantages. Even so, it's not that one definitely cannot win alone. Rather, it has the benefit of allowing the student to move around freely without being influenced by others. Moreover, depending upon the situation, that student can assist other groups and even join them if they are on the verge of dropping out.

"Basically, you can be more adaptable when going solo…"

Regardless of whether you were a boy or a girl, taking the exam alone was within the rules. In other words, it's also a chance for students who believed they were all-rounders to win on their own.

"If a student came in first place alone, that itself would give the class 300 class points."

"Kiyotaka, if it's you, are you able to take first place?"

"What do you think?"

Our eyes met as I threw the question back at Kei. While we gazed at each other, she was stiff while thinking.

"I feel like… You'd take first place non-nonchalantly. Eh, but wait a minute. In that case, wouldn't it be harder to say that we're dating!?"

Kei couldn't help but get panicky at the thought of the future.

"If you come in first place by yourself, Kiyotaka, I would be so ecstatic that I might just pass out and think you're so cool. But, but, ah– I don't know what would be ideal anymore!"

"You're getting overly excited. Don't worry, securing first place is not an easy task by any means."

"So, so… even you don't think you can win, Kiyotaka?"

"Let's just say, there's a 50/50 chance."

"Just answering that there's a 50% chance is already super impressive…"

"Anyway, the thing you should be worried about isn't who you should group up with, Kei."

"Eh? Isn't that important? Since I might get expelled if I'm not careful about it."

"Right, this special exam does involve expulsion. If you are in the bottom 5 groups, you'll have to face that penalty. That's why you can't randomly choose who you group up with."

"Yeah. That's why, I wanted to group up with you, Kiyotaka… I hoped you could protect me."

Kei who had invited me in a roundabout way earlier finally came out and said that straightforwardly.

"Even if I don't protect you, there's still a way to save yourself, right? That is, to keep a deposit of the amount of private points needed to nullify the expulsion."

"That's true, but…"

Although a large amount of private points were required, as long as you had them, you definitely won't be expelled.

"That's true, but even if you do form a group of 6 students in the exam, you'll still need 1 million points to avoid expulsion, right? I don't have that much."

"How much do you have left now?"

"Um… 240,000 points…. E-even so, I'm considered to be someone who has saved up a lot recently!"

Not that I was making an accusation against that.

Since I was in a similar situation, I was hardly one to assign blame.

"So you're short 760,000 points?"

I had about 250,000 on my hands. Even if I gave it all to Kei, she still wouldn't even have half the required amount.

"Kei, you've got the Free Ride card, right?"

"Yeah. How much is that card worth?

"Honestly, I can't say that it's a good card. Whether it's in a good or a bad way, the impact on yourself would be the least out of all the cards, as it's neither a card that rewards you for effort, nor a card that helps you if you commit a mistake during the exam."

Since you could only use it to bet on a group that you think would likely win, you could say that it's at the bottom of the list in terms of value.

"… Sure enough, that's true."

Kei more or less understood that from the start, and sighed in disappointment.

"Kiyotaka, your card is the Trial card, right? It's a card that has a strong effect if you win, but conversely if you lose it would be tragic… Ah, of course, I know that you'll have no problem at all. I wanted the Half Off or the Nullify card though."

For a student like Kei, it was natural that the relief cards feel more valuable than cards like the Trial card.

"It's not like there's no hope for the Free Ride card. There are probably also many students who think that the Half-Off card or the Nullify card is worthless. In their eyes, the Free Ride card also holds a certain value."

Unlike the Head Start card and the Bonus card, it wouldn't affect the students who were confident about their abilities; rather, it targeted the students at the middle of the pack who reckoned they couldn't win. Also, since most students were in the middle, it would be easy to find someone to trade with. However, cards like the Half Off card would be coveted by some students in the middle and students in the bottom. Depending upon the cardholder, even a worthless card could dazzle like a gold one.

"I'll prepare the points."

"Eh? You say you'll prepare… How?"

"There are many ways, but selling the Trial card is one way to get you the required points."

"But then, you'll have to give up the Trial card… Is that really okay?"

"It's more important to prevent you from getting expelled."

"Ye-yeah… Th-thanks."

After saying that, Kei blushed.

Soon after, our conversation shifted to the approaching summer vacation, and the room's atmosphere got more lively, but, there wasn't any further progress in our relationship.

Part 11

There was a rule that groups of up to three people could be formed before the special exam started in the summer.

But there was also a conversation going on that went beyond that, one that looked to the future.

"Ah, you're here, Ichinose-san."

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Sakayanagi-san."

It was the Friday of the first weekend after the group formations had started.

Sakayanagi had contacted Ichinose and asked her to come to the cafe.

"Is this a good time? Since I asked so suddenly, I was also prepared for you to reject me and not come."

"It's no problem at all, although I didn't think you would contact me so I was a little surprised."

That day, an hour before meeting at the cafe, Sakayanagi had extended a sudden invitation to Ichinose.

It wouldn't be strange for Ichinose to reject the invitation if she already had things scheduled.

"It's because no matter what, I wanted to meet you today, Ichinose-san."

Sakayanagi was lying.

Inviting Ichinose on such short notice was a strategy to not give her the time to think.

Had she been told a few days in advance, Ichinose would have speculated on what the meeting would be about.

Depending on the occasion, she might even ask a classmate like Kanzaki for help.

This was just a precautionary measure.

"By the way, why did you accept my sudden request?"

"Why? Because I had nothing special planned for today."

"That's not what I meant. I've done some terrible things to you before, Ichinose-san. It wouldn't be surprising if you hated me."

In order to suppress Ichinose, Sakayanagi had secretly found out about Ichinose's past.

She exposed Ichinose's past which she didn't want to be known to everyone, a painful thing to Ichinose.

If you were betrayed by someone you had trusted, you would come to hate that person. Even if you didn't hate them, you would certainly hold a strong sense of mistrust towards them and keep your distance from them.

However, not only did Ichinose immediately accept Sakayanagi's sudden invitation, she also didn't seem to resent her at all.

"Well– I don't think you did anything excessive, Sakayanagi-san. Indeed, I have to reflect on what happened during middle school, as I also think that it was a shameful act. Also, it's not like I asked you to keep it a secret, so I don't think it's right to blame you for exposing it."

What Ichinose meant was that in the end, it was her own fault that she revealed her past.

"You're definitely a good person, Ichinose-san."

"Am I? I'm not too sure about that."

Ichinose seemed to be a bit embarrassed, scratching her cheeks lightly and averting her eyes, as if she couldn't handle the sight of Sakayanagi gently gazing at her.

"So… What do you want to talk to me about?"

Perhaps Ichinose thought that she would feel uncomfortable if they continued with this topic, so she urged Sakayanagi to get to the point.

"As you wish, I'll get to the point, but you might not be very comfortable with that either."

Ichinose mumbled to herself, "Please have mercy", as Sakayanagi said this as a warning.

"Bluntly speaking, if this continues, Class A will naturally feel the danger of Class B approaching them again. Do you mind telling me your thoughts on this matter?"

Sakayanagi mercilessly pointed out the current situation where Ichinose and her class were being left out in the cold.

"Ahaha… Truly blunt."

For a moment, Ichinose's mind went blank, and then started fanning herself with a bitter smile on her face.

With a deliberate smile, Sakayanagi waited for her answer.

"It's true that our state of being left out in the cold can't be called good."

On May 1st, the difference in class points between Ichinose's class and Class B led by Ryuuen, whom she was chasing after, was only 26 points. Ichinose thought it was possible to catch up even without a special exam, as points can be affected by things like absences or tardiness. In fact, over the past year, the small point differences created from everyday actions accumulated and ultimately affected the class points by a lot.

However, when Ryuuen's class rose to Class B, there were no holes found in his class from such everyday actions that would have decreased their class points. As June approached, the gap was reduced, but only by 2 points. You could sense the strong will of Ryuuen and his class to never be surpassed by Ichinoise's class.

Ichinoise didn't have to say it out loud for Sakayanagi, who was being chased by Ryuueen, to feel that as well.

"I also know just how formidable they are."

"Even if you do know, aren't there things you can't do anything about? They haven't caused any problems lately, unlike Ryuuen-kun's previously disruptive strategies. If you can't catch up in daily life, your only hope is the special exams."

Ichinose nodded slightly. However, Sakayanagi would not respond with sweet words.

"He's not an ordinary person. For you who only face your problems head on, in a sense, it's no exaggeration to say that he's your greatest opponent."

Ichinose, who had faced off against Ryuuen at the end of year exams, understood this point very well.

The aggressive and unconventional Ryuuen didn't mind breaking the rules.

For Ichinose, he's an opponent she wanted to avoid if possible.

"But, in order to climb the ladder, there's no avoiding that road. Besides, while it's true that Ryuuen-kun is a tough opponent, you're not someone that can be easily defeated either, Sakayanagi-san."

Although Sakayanagi had a past dispute over leadership of their class with Katsuragi, Class A had almost twice as many points as Ryuuen's Class B and was the undisputed number one. That gap ensured that even if Class A lost one or two times, they would still comfortably remain on top.

"Even though Class C and D have a difference of over 200 points, Class D is gaining momentum, right? Are you sure that you won't be overtaken by them?"

"Horikita-san and her class are also rapidly gaining strength. In terms of individual strength, some of them wouldn't lose to anyone in the other classes… Looking at it this way, It seems like I really don't have any room to spare."

"Indeed, there are some interesting talented individuals in Class D. Headed by Hirata-kun and Kushida-san, who have strong communication skills, and have well-balanced grades, along with Sudo-kun, who's the only one to get an A+ rating in physical ability in the entire 2nd year. Meanwhile, their hidden trump card, Ayanokouji-kun, got a perfect score on an extremely difficult math test. Then, there's also Kouenji-kun, whose strengths and limits are still a mystery; he too is a dangerous adversary."

From saying it deliberately, Sakayanagi made Ichinose feel the thick layer of students in Class 2-D once again.

"And then, the leader who brought them together and led them forward, Horikita-san. She has both excellent academic and physical abilities, and has recently joined the student council."

Sakayanagi once again made Ichinose reaffirm her current situation of being left out in the cold.

"Sorry for continuing with the tough words, but I think it's only a matter of time before your class falls to Class D."

"Right now, that evaluation might be accurate, but—"

"But what? Are you going to talk about the value of effort and friendship, those kinds of abstract concepts?"

Sakayanagi simply took the words out of Ichinose's mouth, and Ichinose could only swallow back what she was going to say.

"It's impossible to win with these kinds of vague things, no matter how hard you try. While every class has clearly increased their strength over the course of the year, I don't see much growth in yours, Ichinose-san."

"That… that's not the case. We've grown as well."

"I didn't say that you haven't grown. It's just a matter of how much."

"You might not believe it, Sakayanagi-san, but I don't think we'll lose."

Sakayanagi smiled slightly, and slowly shook her head.

"If you look at the OAA, it's obvious at first glance that your class has grown the least out of the four when comparing the overall abilities of when we were 1st years to now. I thought you would've done analysis on this level as well… Is it that you knew, and pretended not to notice, or is it because you were afraid to face reality, that you didn't dare check…"

Ichinose recalled the time when she had been alone with Sakayanagi.

They were like a child and an adult respectively.

It was only natural that she would be refuted, and felt like she was being pushed into a corner by Sakayanagi.

Faced with Sakayanagi, who was precisely attacking her weaknesses, a rebuttal would be blocked.

"You're a smart student. If we were to compete on equal footing, you would definitely not be weaker than me. However, when you are in a disadvantageous situation, you can't demonstrate your strengths. Whether it was last time, or this time, you could only stay silent after being attacked through your weaknesses. However, both Ryuuen-kun and I are able to bare our fangs even if we're in a disadvantageous situation, you know?"

"Ye…Yes."

These two people would probably not doubt that they were strong no matter what the situation was.

"I can say for sure now, that you have no chance at winning, Ichinose-san."

"Did you call me out just to tell me that?"

"If it was just to find fault within you, I could have done that anywhere. I wouldn't waste a precious holiday."

At that moment, Sakayanagi decided to tell Ichinose the real reason as to why she had called her out today.

"Why don't you work with me? Ichinose-san."

"Eh…?"

Sakayanagi's proposal was so unexpected that Ichinose couldn't say a word in response.

"This is the only way you'll be able to catch up to my class."

"No, but that's—"

"A cooperative relationship between classes isn't a bad thing. In fact, didn't you have a similar relationship with Horikita-san of Class D when you were 1st years?"

It wasn't surprising that Sakayanagi knew they had a cooperative relationship.

"What I'm going to say is just speculation on my part, but I think you have already dissolved that partnership with Horikita. Even though they were last place, they were able to accumulate more class points than any other class last year, and are catching up with incredible momentum. Compared to that, Ichinose-san, you guys took a step back and fell down to Class C. For Horikita-san and her class, there's not only advantages in continuing to work with you."

It was as if she had witnessed that conversation between Ichinose and Horikita. Sakayanagi perfectly pointed it out.

Ichinose couldn't deny it, and she replied in a form of near admission.

"That's right… partnerships can't last forever."

"Yeah. In order to maintain a cooperative relationship, you need to meet a "certain condition." Both yours and Horikita-san's class met this requirement last year, so you were able to build a good relationship without uselessly competing with each other."

Ichinose nodded her head in agreement.

"That condition was… the difference in class points."

In fact, the reason why Ichinose and Horikita's class ceased their hostility towards each other, was because of the huge difference in class points.

"Although it wasn't intentional, right now there's a sufficient difference in class points between our classes. In other words, I don't think it's impossible for us to join forces."

"What makes me sad is that this isn't a happy proposal. After all, it implies that our class is not worthy of your caution, an insignificant existence to you."

"Crudely speaking, that's it."

The merciless reality of Sakayanagi's words struck Ichinose.

Nevertheless, Ichinose was still smiling. Although emotional denial was easy, she couldn't ignore the reality that her class was being pushed down into desperate straits.

"I don't think it'll be beneficial for you to cooperate with us, Sakayanagi-san."

"No, that's not true. Indeed, if we only talk about fighting strength, you have many shortcomings. However, you have a powerful weapon that no other class possesses."

Sakayanagi smiled and said.

"That is— "trust". Ichinose-san, I can say for sure that as long as we are joining forces, you would not betray me no matter what happens. That is a very important factor to consider when creating an alliance."

A partner who you can trust to watch your back. Sakayanagi said that this factor in itself made the alliance worthwhile.

"Although it's nice to receive that evaluation from you, we're in a situation where we don't care anymore, right?"

"Still, I don't think you'll let go of the weapon known as trust that you have built up so far. If there is a betrayal, then it would be my own fault for having misjudged you."

Even if this was a trap, Ichinose didn't consider being trusted to be a bad thing.

However, she already knew that Sakayanagi was an opponent who couldn't be taken lightly.

"Could you be a bit more specific?"

"Can I take this to mean that you want to move forward with our partnership?"

"… That's right."

"If so, let's talk about it."

Sakayanagi set out to bring Class 2-C led by Ichinose under her banner.

"There is a slightly annoying rule for the upcoming uninhabited island exam. Only students of the same year may form a group, and the rewards will be divided equally among the classes. In other words, even if the best members from each class are selected to form a group, it wouldn't create a difference in class points."

"Right. So I guess we'll inevitably have to build a winning group from our own class."

ILLUSTRATION :

"If both of our classes work together…"

"Although the gap with our class wouldn't be narrowed, you can catch up with Ryuuen-kun's class, and widen the gap with Class D."

"But— If we do that, we'll lose a chance to catch up to your class."

"Shouldn't getting back to a stable position be your first priority to prepare for the 2nd and 3rd semesters? If you refuse my offer now, it's not like you can surely win. Am I wrong?"

"That…"

"Not to mention, if you do lose again to the other classes, you'll fall to Class D. You'll also lose a lot of class points, and fall into an extremely difficult situation. In which case, your aim for Class A will become almost impossible."

Once again, Ichinose fell silent, as she couldn't respond to what Sakayanagi had said.

"I think you're still suspicious of me. However, there aren't many opportunities to work with the other classes. Whether it be Class D or B, in order to catch up to my class, they won't join forces with me. If they were to join forces, there's only the option of forming an alliance of three classes to challenge Class A. That way, strong groups can be created."

No matter how strong Class A was, if Class B, C, and D all worked together, it would be hard for them to win.

"It'd be lying if I said I haven't thought about that before."

"Right? However, the strategy for the three classes to form an alliance is not realistic. Tell me Ichinose-san, have you received any invitations to this since the day the rules were announced? It's been a few days since then already."

Ichinose lowered her eyes, and slowly shook her head.

"If three classes formed a group, the class point rewards would be divided equally amongst them. Even if you do your utmost and secure 1st place, the point difference will only be decreased by 100 points. For 2nd place by 67 points, and 3rd place by just 33 points."

Even if the 2nd year classes B,C and D took all the top spots, the point difference with Class A would only decrease by 200 points.

Although it was by no means a small amount, this special exam was, in the first place, a difficult one to monopolize the rewards.

"It's natural to want to win alone and narrow the gap by 300 or 400 points."

"But if you and I group up, Horikita-san and Ryuuen-kun might also group up… Besides, including my class, there were already groups that have been formed, right?"

"Right. Rather, I've been waiting for the groups to start to be formed. In the current situation where none of the classes want to join forces on a class level, I propose that we select only the main forces from our classes to form a group."

"What do you mean by 'main forces'?

"Just like last year, I am unable to move around the uninhabited island because of my handicap. However, I am allowed to participate in this exam, just in somewhat of a special position."

"Special?"

"Students who are unable to participate due to ill health are eliminated from the start of the exam, right? However, I will be participating as a 'semi-eliminated' student."

"Semi-eliminated?"

"Even though I can't walk around the island freely because of my legs, I have the right to remain at the starting point and compete within the same rules as everyone else. In other words, if you asked me for advice, I can help you, and if there's a difficult problem, we can solve it together. Though, when I am the only person left in the group, at that point the group will be eliminated."

"So Sakayanagi-san, you can participate under this special position?"

Ichinose immediately understood that Sakayanagi would play a big factor in functioning as the brain, though a means to communicate with her will be needed..

"From my class, you are free to choose from 4 students – Hashimoto-kun, Kitou-kun, Masumi-san and myself. We are undoubtedly the main forces of Class A. From Class B, there are you and Kanzaki-kun, as well as Shibata-kun, right?"

All of the students that had been listed had not yet formed a group, and were observing the situation.

At this stage, there was no inconvenience for both sides.

"That's right. When you consider that physical strength will also be necessary on the uninhabited island, that is true. However, There's no guarantee we'll be able to merge as we please after the special exam begins, right?"

"Although it's difficult, it's not impossible."

Sakayanagi smiled. It showed that she was confident that she could get the big group together no matter the difficulties they would face.

"Sakayanagi-san, may I tell you how I really feel?"

"Of course."

"Sakayanagi-san, you don't want the three classes to fight together, more than I originally thought. Or to say, you're afraid of that situation, right?

"What do you mean?"

"You said we were someone you could trust, and I think you meant that. However, the most important thing for you is to prevent Class B, Class C, and Class D from working together to catch up to Class A. Indeed, the amount of class points we can get if we win together will decrease, but there's no guarantee that such a development wouldn't appear in the future— That the three classes would continue to help each other."

Ichinose, who had been pushed back by Sakayanagi's words until now, attacked her with her feelings.

"An alliance between the three classes to force Class A out. If that is successful, you would be forced into a bitter battle from now on, Sakayanagi-san… Isn't that so?"

Sakayanagi was a bit surprised by Ichinose's counterattack, who had been on the defensive until then.

"I guess I've underestimated you a little, Ichinose-san."

It didn't matter to Sakayanagi if any of the lower classes got more than 300 points in this special exam. As Class A that's in the leading position, what Sakayanagi should avoid the most in this exam is for the lower three classes to form an alliance. This was an action taken by Sakayanagi who predicted more of these exams to come. If there was a talent who could bring together the three classes, it would probably be Ichinose Honami. Which was why Sakayanagi was trying to get Ichinose on her side, before this scenario could take place.

"This proposal to work together. Are you going to accept it or not?"

After acknowledging her words, Sakayanagi asked for Ichinose's cooperation.

"If you work with me, I can give you three people's worth of deposits. I'll lend to you a total of 3 million points for the students who are at a high risk of expulsion. If they receive the penalty, you can use this to pay for their relief. To you, who doesn't want anyone to drop out more than any other class, this should be a proposal of great help to you."

Fearing rejection, Sakayanagi held out her hand to Ichinose.

"Then can you give me five people's worth? That way I would feel completely reassured."

"How greedy. Although I was planning to spend a similar amount of money recently, I'll finance it specially, just for you."

For more than a year, Class A had consistently received a higher amount of private points than any other class. Therefore, the amount of points each student saved would not be comparable to the other classes.

"With that our contract is complete. Even if you hadn't offered to loan me the deposit points, I would have chosen to join forces with you. Our main goal is of course to reach Class A, but as you said, we fell to Class C and we can't afford to fall even more. Since, if we fall down to Class D, our class's motivation would surely be greatly reduced, and that is something we want to avoid."

Ichinose sought to shake hands with Sakayanagi.

"The proposal for an alliance between Class 2-C and Class 2-A— I accept it."

By shaking hands, they had established an alliance between their two classes.

"With this, I can fight reassured. Although it's a bit hurried, I have a request."

"In order to maximize our chances of winning, it's necessary to start with giving the main force of Class A the "More People" card… right?"

As an ally, Ichinose had already begun to form the best strategy going forward.

Using the "More People" card of which there was only one in the 2nd year, you could form a group of 7 members.

That was another reason why Sakayanagi had decided to fight alongside Ichinose.

"It's helpful that you understood so quickly."

"However, both Ryuuen-kun and Horikita-san are formidable opponents."

Sakayanagi also wasn't underestimating either of them.

Considering Horikita had Ayanokouji behind her, the battle was never going to be easy.

However, she chose to fight with Ichinose under the certainty that she would definitely win.

"First place will be ours. I won't skimp on the efforts necessary for that."

With their main forces consolidated, they were going to challenge both Ryuuen and Horikita's classes along with the 1st and 3rd years.