Translated from Spanish to English - www.onlinedoctranslator.

com
 welcome to the
elite class
2nd year Volume 5
Shōgo Kinugasa

7
Translated from Spanish to English - www.onlinedoctranslator.com

CONTENT
Prologue: Sae Chabashira's Monologue P.9

Confusion. P.10

Two teachers, the destiny of a special test. P.28

Problems. P.62

The choice of Ichinose Honami. P.111

The choice of Ryuen Kakeru. P.123

The choice of Sakayanagi Arisu. P.147

Suzune Horikita's choice. P.150

Epilogue: Goodbye to the Past P.207

Cover and illustrations by Shunsaku Tomose.

Spanish translation by: Ryouix
 Sae Chabashira's Monologue

Ever since I became a teacher, or even before I became a teacher, I have had a problem that I
cannot tell anyone.

I constantly have a nightmare. It is a nightmare that continues to repeat in my dreams the

events of that day, which I will never be able to forget. Every time I have the nightmare, it
takes a different form, sometimes from my point of view, sometimes from someone else's,
sometimes in a different language or process. But they all have the same thing in common.

It means that no matter how many times the story is repeated, the "ending" is the

same. . . . At that time, there was nothing to fear for us in class B.

Momentum took over the rest of the class and we were within reach of class A. Of

course, it has not been an easy road.

By the time we moved up to the third year, the number of comrades who had been expelled
had increased to six.

However, in the third year, no one was expelled and the class accumulated points.

We believed we could graduate from Class A without losing another classmate.

Until that day, until that moment ...

It was the end of the third semester, just at the last chance to turn things around, the
graduation exam.

The class teacher appeared with a stiff expression on her face and told us about a new
special exam.

At first we had no fear about the special test.

The rules were always simple and straightforward, and I had no doubt that we would be able
to complete them without difficulty.

But the optimism lasted until the challenge was presented. The

scene changed, there were screams throughout the class.

Chie, who was my best friend, approached me with a furious look and grabbed me by the
chest.

I was terrified.

The class, which had been united as one, fell apart in an instant. "It's enough".

He murmured, a look of resignation and understanding on his face.

9
But I couldn't make up my mind.

There was no way to be prepared.

After three years of hard work, it was not an easy thing. An esteemed

classmate, an irreplaceable best friend. As a partner of the opposite

sex, you are an important person.

He was silly at times, but he was also serious, kind, and more trustworthy than anyone.

This was a face that he had never shown before.

That moment when, with a certain shyness, he held out his hand to me under the sunset.

I fought back the tears that threatened to spill and said, "I'm sorry." "Greetings,

please ......".

The relationship between the two ended as quickly as it had begun.

Confusion.

Today, after the summer holidays, the second semester of the second year of school begins,
and in the academy scheme, this means that we are reaching the end of these three years. I
tie my tie and put on my jacket. I look at myself in the mirror, comb my hair, make sure I'm
presentable, and then head to the door. Along the way, Sudo joins me, yawning loudly, and
we exchange greetings before leaving the house.

"Suzune warned me that there might be a written test early in the second semester, so I
stayed up all night."

"Have you studied even on the last day of summer vacation?"

"Unfortunately luckily I have a full curriculum to work with. I'd like to get a high score and get
my OAA a B or better."

Getting a score of a B is a great achievement. However, it is also something to brag about.

If you've studied so much over summer break, it's no wonder you've improved your academic
skills even more. He has become a man for whom the phrase BunBuRyōDō (Nt: a phrase
used in Japan referring to culture and war going hand in hand) is quite appropriate.

The most recurrent minor problems, such as tardiness, absenteeism and sleep, have been
drastically reduced.

He can be a little hotheaded when the situation calls for it, but that's a feature of Sudo too.

10
"I'm going to ask you a weird question, do you think Kanji has already kissed Shinohara? I
wonder.

"That?"

"It's great that he has a girlfriend, but it's frustrating when people get ahead of you. It
bothers me a lot lately."

"Why don't you ask him directly? I'm sure Ike could tell us."

"..... I can't ask you that. They've never held hands, I've never heard of them going any
further ....... My right fist hasn't roared for a long time.

Well that's a bit of a problem isn't it? And it's going to be a big deal when your fists are
roaring.

"I think Ike's personality is such that when he's happy, he tells you everything. If you don't
hear him, then he hasn't made much progress, has he?"

"Indeed. But maybe it's different when it comes to love. I don't know, I've never been in one."

By the way, have you ever had a girlfriend, Ayanokoji? ...... Do you know how it feels?

The Ike story unexpectedly turns into a story about me.

I can't help but feel Sudo's passionate gaze (I'll believe you!) On me, wondering "What am I
about to say?"

"I can't lie to you, so I'm going to say I do have my first girlfriend." "......

Really? Really?"

It's not a good idea to fool him, since he will find out about Kei without a doubt.

When I answered honestly, Sudo held his head and sighed. Right after that, he

hastily grabbed me by both shoulders. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It can't

be!"

"Don't worry. He's not the person you think." "Are

you sure? Are you sure it's not Suzune?" "No. It's

not her."

"Oh I see. Well that's good. ...... I thought my heart was going to stop for a second ....."

He brings the palm of his left hand to his forehead and wipes it messily, as if he's sweated.

Then he showed me the sweat from the palms of his hands impatiently. "Who are

you then?"

"It is..."

eleven
"Ah! I found them!"

Just when Sudo regained his composure, we heard footsteps running behind us. The
footsteps caught our walking speed and they looked at me with a slightly angry look.

"I was thinking of going to school together, but I didn't find you in your room! Kei puffs

up his cheeks a bit as he complains.

"Sorry, I didn't expect you to want to come with me."

"It's ...... I mean, I was nervous and until the last minute ... I wasn't sure."

And then Sudo looked at us suspiciously as he suddenly started this mysterious exchange.

"Karuizawa, we were talking important things between men now, so don't bother."

It seems that he has not realized that the way of speaking to us is not the same as always.

It was just weird that he had appeared here.

If you think about it, we hardly get involved in each other's life.

We are neither near nor far ...... Well, our relationship is somewhat confusing, if at all. "Are you

going to tell us about us today?

"What? Hmm, hmm. I'm analyzing the situation ...... thinking how to say it. It's not like I can
come to the school and announce it. ...... It's hard to make an announcement like that, right?
It's hard to tell ~ "

"With Yosuke it seemed like you were rushing to tell it."

"'Well, that was in other circumstances, wasn't it? This is a completely different situation."

"Of…. Of… .What are you talking about?"

I sweat that he was showing a bored face, he suddenly showed one of astonishment, maybe
because we were calling each other without honorifics and he got an idea.

"Hey ...... What? What do you mean, Ayanokoji?"

But in a way he couldn't make a connection between us. In part, it might be a good thing if
you were the first to know.

"We are dating, you know."

Kei smiled and then elbowed me three times in the

arm. Maybe he was glad I told him.

"Eh ...... Eh? Oh my gosh. No."

12
He has been confused and screams loud and exaggerated more than you can imagine.

There were no classmates nearby, but the students turned their heads to see what
happened.

"You're talking too loud."

"I'm sorry. But…. No, no, no, no why Karuizawa?" "What? Do

you have some kind of problem with me?" "That's not the

point ...... It's not about that, but about ..., ...?"

He makes a little puzzled movement and twists his head as if he still doesn't believe it.

"What, did you want me to date Horikita?"

"I will never accept that. ...... No, I didn't mean that. ...... I'm sorry." He wasn't sure if it

was a good idea to say that, but it didn't turn out bad. He grabbed me by the

shoulders and leaned close to my ear and whispered to me.

"I'm sorry to say this, but ...... Karuizawa was dating Hirata, and before that, we don't know
what kind of flashy relationships she had in high school, right? I'm not sure what to think, but
I think it's A good idea. Isn't that too high a bar for your first girlfriend?

Yes.

The image that her classmates have of Karuizawa Kei is probably like this. In fact, until I
found out about her past, I thought she was that kind of girl.

"What are they whispering?"

"It's no big deal".

I do not know what to say. It sure could hurt her to say something that was almost a curse.

"Ayanokoji and Karuizawa are dating ......? I'm not sure what to think. I can't take it in, no
matter how many times I think about it, it's going to be a strange start to second semester.

I'm sure I heard Sudo say those words.

We arrived at school. Sometimes we ran into third-year students commuting from their
dormitories to school.

13
They look at me the same way as when we were on the boat, but there is no sign that Sudo is
aware of it.

During the summer holidays I have experienced the same, but I do not think I will get used to
it. The act of being watched is so oppressive and confining. And this is something that will
continue unless we erase the very existence of the gaze.

Kei quickly formed a group with the women and made the summer vacation theme blossom,
Sudo for his part started talking to Ike and Hondo, I was chatting with Ayanokoji's group and
waiting for the bell to ring.

Finally, Chabashira-sensei arrived and spoke, she looked the same as in the first trimester.

"There are a few important events coming up for you in the second semester. First, there will
be the sports festival, which took place last year, and then, in October, there will be a test of
the physical abilities of the students. rules are different from last year, but there are no big
differences in the skills required. "

At this time, it has been said that a physically demanding competition is about to begin, that
is, it can pose problems for students who are only good at studying, it is not surprising that
students who do not exercise daily like Keisei and Airi see this with a tense look. I am
concerned that the standards are different from the first year.

"In November we will hold a cultural festival, which will be the first of its kind at the Escuela
Superior de Estudios Avanzados. Details will be announced in the same way as for the sports
festival, but we will take the time to organize it in parallel from September".

The month of September is mainly used to prepare for the Sports Festival, with a few extra
hours of physical education a week, and one hour a week for debates on the Festival. After
the festival is over in October, preparations begin for the main event in November.

A school trip is also planned, although it is not clear if it will be related to the special exams.

"And of course there will be midterms and finals between these events."

In any case, there is no doubt that it will be a rather difficult second semester.

"We will talk about the sports festival later, first we will talk about the cultural festival."

In terms of order, the gymnastics festival comes first, but Chabashira-sensei started talking
about the details of the culture festival first.

"The cultural festival will welcome a large number of guests. They will have to compete with
all the classes of the school with the total sales. You can apply

14
do all the things you want, but there is a limited budget. Check your cell phone for more
details. "

Cultural festival overview

・In the second year, each class receives 5,000 private points that can only be used for the
preparation of the festival, and each student can use them freely (5,500 points will be
awarded for the first year and 4,500 points for the third).

・Additional funding will be provided for community service, such as serving on student
council, and for those participating in club activities (details will be announced to each class
once confirmed).

・Initial and additional funds are not reflected in final sales and will be forfeited if not used.

・100 class points will be awarded from 1st to 4th place in the rankings. 50 class points will
be awarded to those who are between 5th to 8th places in the classification. There are no
changes in class points for classes occupying positions 9-12 on the standings.

When it comes to rewards, there are a relatively large number of classes available and there
are no penalties for finishing lower than the others. If you finish 8th you will get points. The
rules are easy to understand and there seems to be no confusion. The rules are easy to
understand and there are doubts due to the fact that they were announced before the details
of the sports festival. The reason why the rules were announced before the sports festival
details is easy to understand, it was not possible to start preparations until the rules were
explained. As for the sports festival, we can prepare to some extent by improving our
physical abilities for the event.

"It's a bit like a traditional school festival." I can understand

why Shinohara was saying that.

There is no risk of losing class points or being expelled. It is a sign of how deeply we have
integrated into the school system that we wonder if there is more to it than meets the eye.

fifteen
"It will also be important to know where to settle. For example, if you want to have your
booth near the front door, where guests will surely pass, you will have to pay the school for
the space."

Students, myself included, look at the new information sent to our cell phones.

There is a map of the location with the title "List of Possible Positions" and a list of possible
locations with a combination of location and number. The location closest to the main gate,
mentioned by Chabashira, is marked "Main Gate 1" and its cost is 10,000 points. There are
also places that are far enough from the front door to make it difficult for guests to access,
there are even some places that are free. The budget without taking into account the
additional funds is about 200,000. In this context, 10,000 points is not cheap.

However, there is no doubt that it is a privileged location that is likely to attract many visitors.

"It is very possible that there will be competition for places, but only one class per place will
be able to use it. In the event of a tie, there will be a bidding war and the class that offers the
school the highest price will win."

This means that if we are forced to spend a lot of points to get a prime location, our budget
will be drastically reduced. Over the next two months we are going to work on how to fight
effectively on a limited budget.

"The school will not reveal what each class will do and where they will set up their booths until the day
of the festival."

The school will not release this information, but you should know that it is not possible to
deafen students. If information leaks out, you should expect to be treated mercilessly.

Even if you come up with the ideal presentation, there is always the danger that other classes
will copy and counter it.

"There will always be things we need. If something is not available on site, we can apply for a
permit and get it from outside. We are free to spend our budget however we want, as long as
we stay within the rules."

I will have to investigate that and other details.

"This is the description of the festival and its rules. The specific preparations and preparation
time will begin after the Sports Festival, but starting today they will discuss what event they
will hold, how the budget will be allocated and how they will use their time."

The more time we have to dedicate to the festival, the more accurate we will be.

16
2

After class, most of the classmates stayed in the classroom, except for those who were going
to their club activities.

This is, of course, the first discussion to prepare for the cultural festival in November.

A certain number of students will have experienced the festival during their high school
years.

I don't have any information so, as always, I am the listener. "Let's start

with a small list of events that we can think of." Yosuke, who is one of the

class leaders, types on his cell phone.

"When you think of a cultural festival, the most common is food, haunted houses, etc."

Related to food, haunted houses, mazes, cafes, live music, plays, etc. One by one, the most
obvious are added to the list.

"The event will run from 10 to 3 in the afternoon, we hope to have plenty of food and drink
for the adults in attendance. They will be available to the adults in the audience, but the
competition can be high ......."

"It's just a question of balancing the budget. If we add something to that like haunted houses
or mazes, it will inevitably be expensive."

Some of the stereos can be rented for a fee, but the number is limited and is on a first-come,
first-served basis. There is also the question of how many students have the skills to make a
profit.

"We have 39 students in our class." We have 39 students in our class, which means we have a
budget of 195,000 points. To be honest, it is not enough. It's not an easy decision to make
when it comes to food. "

"I have a suggestion for you."

"Your opinion is very welcome, Horikita."

"As Hirata says, we have a limited budget for the festival. But there are many things that we
cannot discuss on the table. Even if we were cooking takoyaki at a stand, we would have to
know what ingredients to use, what skills to use, and many other things. So maybe we should
take our ideas to work and test them over and over again, even using private points.

Many of the students agreed with the proposal.

Without a doubt, it is important to taste the cuisine, the service and whatever it is that is made.

Of course, you have to pay out of your own pocket, but it is easy to define this as a necessary
initial investment that will pay off in class points later on.

17
"But ...... I don't want to offend the current idea, but I think some people will be reluctant to
do something if they have to pay for it themselves."

Matsushita fears that some students will not buy anything and will not make an effort for the
festival.

"Okay. I don't want to waste time with random ideas, but I can't ignore people who are trying
hard to contribute. So I'd like to come up with an idea, why don't we pay those who
participate? ? "

"Yeah, it's a good idea. I think it's okay to reward people for their hard work and give them
something in return."

"We'll work out the details, but for example, if we get 100 class points for the festival, that
means 390,000 private points per month for the whole class. We will divide it by the number
of people who have planned the event and we will give it to them as a reward. So there
should be no complaints. "

If there are five events, that's 78,000 points per person. If the number of organizers and
contributors is too large to be worth dividing, the total amount can be divided by two or
three months. This way, students who actively participate in the festival will benefit, and
those who skip will benefit after a while. What's more, if the class points are increased, why
would they object? "

"You also have to be very careful about what you say, be it at school, in the dormitories or at
the Keyaki Mall, so that your ideas are not stolen.

Total confidentiality. This is very important in the next two months of preparation.

The discussions continued and until the event was officially introduced by Horikita and
Yosuke.

It was decided that if the possibility of a full-time job arose, it would be resolved at that time.

For the next two weeks, our school life continued as usual.

I was preparing for the culture festival and the sports festival while working hard on my
homework. It was a beautiful time when I could say that my days were no different from
those of a normal school. Surprisingly, our relationship with Kei was not extended by Sudo,
and there were no signs that anyone new knew us.

It was a Wednesday after school, the third week of mid-September. I was sitting in the back of
the class when I saw the shadow of an unusual person

18
coming into contact with Horikita, who was sitting in the middle of the front row.

"Hey, Horikita-san. I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time after this."

It was Sato who approached her with a bit of reserve. She is one of the girls who does not get
involved with Horikita.

"I have to go to student council in an hour, so if it doesn't conflict with that, fine."

He doesn't show any different expressions, but he probably hasn't had much experience with
Sato.

When he answered her, he continued in a slightly whispered voice.

"You said to come up with ideas and if we had any good ideas for the cultural festival …… we
would tell you."

"Yes. Proposals are welcome, you can propose it."

"I've come up with an idea for a winning performance! I've come up with an idea that will
really win this festival."

Sato is confident, but Horikita doesn't seem to be easily impressed.

And it is that, in the last ten days, not a few students have contributed their ideas to Horikita.

Both men and women make repeated suggestions to Horikita, as there is a reward if they are
accepted.

They range from traditional to bizarre, but one thing they have in common is that Horikita
ignores them if they only mention the name of the event. The day the reward for the idea was
announced, Hondo immediately suggested they sell fried chicken because it was delicious.
However, Horikita rejected the idea and told him to go prepare a proposal. But Horikita
refused to accept the idea. The next day, undaunted, Hondo submitted a proposal to make
fried chicken, but all it contained was a fried chicken recipe that he must have gotten off the
Internet and a passionate speech about how much he would sell and how delicious it would
be.

Seeing the low level of the proposal, Horikita explained the importance of it. If we were to open a
fried chicken shop, how much would it cost, where would it be located, how many people would
be needed, what would the price be, how many customers would be expected, and what would be
the rationale?

He said that he would only accept proposals from those who had prepared them correctly.

After that, it seemed that the number of people who would easily make proposals to Horikita
would decrease, but surprisingly more and more students are bringing their well-crafted
proposals.

19
Some of the ideas made it onto Horikita's candidate list.

However, none of the proposals have yet been adopted because they are not sufficiently
final.

"I'll listen to your proposal then."

"Oh yeah. Of course we're ready, but …… it's not the right place. Could you make some time
later if you don't mind?"

"Yeah? Oh well, where do I have to go?"

"I'll be in an empty classroom in the special wing in half an hour. I have permission from the teacher." "An

empty classroom?"

He turned his back on Horikita and greeted him, then his eyes met mine and he quickly
approached me.

"Hey, Ayanokoji-kun. Do you have any time after this?" "Me? I don't

have any plans after this."

"You heard what I said before, right? Could you come with me and Horikita-san in half an
hour?"

"Huh? Why me too?"

"That's a secret for now. You will find out when you come."

Like his previous attitude towards Horikita, Sato's face was filled with confidence.

"I'll be waiting then."

After checking the time on his mobile phone, Sato rushes out of the classroom. "I wonder

what it is. She seemed so sure of herself."

"Did you think of something?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't have bothered to call you."

I don't know what all that means, but I'll find out in half an hour.

Horikita and I spent time in the classroom and then we decided to head to the special
building.

Since we were heading to the same place anyway, I went with Horikita to the special building.

When I arrived in front of Sato's designated classroom, I found Maezono there for some
reason.

"Oh, I'll just be on call. I don't think anyone will come to the special wing after school, but just
in case."

twenty
"Guard? ...... It's much more elaborate than I thought."

He was surprised to see that they had even organized security, it was necessary to hide what class it
was and what they would do until the day of the event.

The same happens to me. Not only did a teacher offer them a room in a special wing, but
they also had a third.

I was surprised to see that they have even posted a guard to prevent intervention. There is
even a simple barrier to prevent the interior of the classroom from being seen from the
windows.

"Well, let's take a look inside, shall we?"

"Oh wait a minute. From here on, everything is practical, so that you and Horikitasan can
experience it as customers."

"I like it. Okay, this is a lot easier than reading a poorly written proposal." With such

an elaborate process, Horikita is sure to raise your expectations.

Another thing is that they end up accepting or not, but by now it is clear that they are making
a real effort to win the festival. Horikita must be very happy about this.

Horikita and I double-checked that no one was there, and then slowly opened the door.

The first thing that struck me was the unexpected color of the room.

The decor was so bright and cheerful that it was hard to believe it was a simple, inorganic
classroom.

"This is ... This is ..." "Welcome to the

Maid Café Maimai!

At the same time, we were greeted by three girls, each wearing a different outfit.

Sato, who called us, and Matsushita, who is next to her, are wearing maid uniforms.

Mi-chan, eyes swimming in embarrassment, was wearing a Chinese dress.

By the way, the classrooms are usually equipped with monitors, but the special wing, which is
used less frequently, seems to still have a white board. The name of the store was written on
the board in a nice pen.

They show us our seats and hand us a handcrafted menu list. "What can I do for you sir?

Goshujin-sama1". "Wait a minute. May I ask something before I order? "" Huh? That?"

1 Master-master.

twenty-one
"Hasn't it taken a lot of time and money to prepare this?"

It is true that it seems difficult to prepare in the same day. We could do the decoration, but
what about the costumes?

"How long has it been, Matsushita-san?"

"The setup time was about 4 days. The cost was surprisingly reasonable. The total was 13,200
private points. The three of us and Maezono planned the event and divided the cost between
us, so it's 3300 points per person. This includes 3 suits for rent and some decorations like
origami and pens from the general store, the dishes were ours, so there was no cost.

That is why there is a lack of uniformity in the dishes. Of course, as we are still in the planning
phase, this is not a negative factor. In fact, I am impressed with how they have managed to
keep costs to a minimum.

"It had the perfect impact. The impact was perfect, better than anything I've ever seen.
But ..."

Horikita praised the show for its perfect grip on the audience, but it was not so easy to
question as to decide what to present.

"Do you have a budget for the whole thing? I'd like to see the exact process." At one

point, Sato leisurely turns his gaze to Mii-chan.

"Well, I have tried to make a proposal as complete as possible."

She took a transparent folder out of her bag and handed it to Horikita. It was written by Mi-
chan in beautiful letters on three pages. He said he had rented the clothes, but had obtained
quotes from three different companies and rented a suit from each. Prices, quality and range
of items were compared. The difference in cost between the cheapest and the most
expensive dishes of the day. The approximate number of people who will be staying and how
this will affect the number of guests.

"This is by far the most comprehensive proposal I've ever seen. It's brilliant."

When she sincerely praised them, Sato and Matsushita nudged Mi-chan and told her that
they were praising her. She still looks embarrassed, but tilts her head slightly as if to say
hello.

So far, Sato and his team have given us a perfect score for their proposal.

Nevertheless -.

"It's certainly an interesting show. It's not an unusual genre, but I think it has a lot of
potential if done right. But there is a downside. The cost of renting a costume is 4,000 points
per costume. If done as planned, that's 40,000 points for 10 costumes. Then there is the
estimated cost of the drinks and snacks, which is 50,000 points. That's a total of 90,000 ......
The total cost is

22
90,000 points. 5,000 points for the decoration of the classroom, plus the cost of the place ......
It is not cheap. It is not a cheap price at all.

Even if the workforce could be reasonably secured without the need for salaries, almost half
of the current budget would be spent on a single event.

"Yes, I know, but ...... But I think we can increase the unit price for that!

For example, a cup of tea costs 800 points. The price is higher than a cup of tea in the
cafeteria at Keyaki Mall. Of course, the price could be revised later, depending on future
adjustments, but they believe it will continue to sell well.

Horikita is serious as he reads the three pages of the proposal.

However, the way Sato and her friends dress is strange and unreal, like a fairy tale.

Finally, having come to a conclusion, Horikita looks up. "Just to confirm,

this show ...... Has anyone seen you? No." "Of course, no person."

Matsushita looks confident and responds. Sato and Mi-chan followed suit.

"Okay. We will do everything we can to get this Maid Café approved. Would you be willing to
examine the proposal further, including cost reduction in depth?

"Really? Yes! Yes."

The three were delighted and exchanged caresses with each other.

"It is too early to be happy. Don't forget that we are only in the phase of a positive review.

But it was a huge win to get Horikita to say that she would take care of it.

When we stepped out into the hall, Maezono, who had been watching us, greeted us
cheerfully.

Because the commotion in the classroom would have reached their ears. "I

didn't think you would say that you would do something about it."

"We will not accept ideas if we do not believe they have a chance of winning. In fact, most of
the proposals we received were rejected on the spot or, at best, were put on hold. That's how
good their idea was."

A Maid Café is not a very rare event.

However, Horikita was willing to help out because she saw the potential for our class to
showcase its strengths and impress guests.

"Even if some other class adopts the same Maid Café, can we win?" "Yes. Don't you

think so?"

23
"No, it is not safe."

If you open a bad food store, you will have to fight with various rivals. On the other hand,
even if there are one or two waitress cafes, you might be able to beat them. Aside from the
three students who wore the sample costumes, there are still some strong talents in the
class.

"That's right. We are going to need your help so that the boys do their project well."

"Cooperation? Don't tell me you want me to dress up too?"

"What nonsense are you talking? We're going to give it our all. If we're going to do this, we
must have the best, right? I think you as a man should do it."

"No ....... Well, I don't know what you mean. ...... I'm sure there is someone better suited for
the job."

"Yes, Ike-kun and Hondo-kun are better at this, I'm sure. But if we tell them this, there may be
an information leak."

"'...... I can not deny it".

These are the students who may inadvertently do something with no intention of leaking it.

"I don't want to add to the list of people who know what's going on. You know it, right?

"I understand".

I may have had no luck that Sato called me and had to do this.

"So it's up to you to choose the right people. Of course, you can inform the person accepting
the job about the project, but remember to keep it confidential. If something goes wrong, the
project will disappear."

That's how important it is to protect your information.

"Yes, ...... That's why we want to minimize the number of people who share information. Can
you take care of everything? Later we will present a formal budget and you will take care of
all the expenses and administration, both the organization of people".

"Wait a minute. You're giving me too much responsibility. Do you really want to leave it to
me?"

We will not open a single booth at this festival. There must be more than one position, taking
into account both men and women, they can perform different tasks. It is going to be a
challenge to find a way to increase sales on a low budget and I prefer to focus on that.

I want to focus on it, but I'm not sure why I should. "Are you sure you want to

accept my offer? Was it clear to me?"

24
I don't recall showing any pretense of accepting the job, but the decision was made without
question.

"You got me ....... I will."

I don't know if it is possible that he runs a Maid Café. I think not, but I cannot assure you that it is
not.

Sato, Matsushita, and Mii-chan are confirmed. ...... How many more waitresses do we need?

Although there is still a long way to go, it will have to be launched in the near future. "I'm

going down to the student council room, see you."

"Oh God...."

On the way home, after dealing with a case that made me want to grab my head with my
hands, I was about to leave the special building when I spotted Chabashira-sensei. I don't
think it's a coincidence.

"Have you been to see Sato and the others? I heard about the performance. I know what you're going
to do. It's not a bad idea."

"I also believe in it. But Sato and his team will have to make sure the application is approved
before they can start preparing."

It is not a laughing matter when you have prepared so much and do not know if they will give you
permission.

"I was wondering how it was going, personally, so I thought I'd come take a look. How was
everything?"

"Horikita was very positive. Now we are working out the details." "'I see.

Then I guess I don't have to go see her."

"It has been a bit complicated because I have ended up involved."

"What do you mean?"

"Under Horikita's orders, I was to run the Maid Café."

"Ayanokoji? That is also ...... I'm sorry."

Chabashira-sensei gave me a pitying look and then laughed. "That's

good. Horikita has some very interesting suggestions."

"I think people like Ike and Hondo are many times better suited for this type of work."

When they say "Maid café", I can't relate it to anything specifically.

"When it comes to understanding otaku culture, that may be true. But the main thing in a
festival is the sales. They may be able to improve the quality of the performances, but they
are not good at calculating the profits. That is why it is important

25
supervise them. It is a problem that can be solved by asking for their opinion if necessary. "

26
It would be easy to get help from them. But in order to assimilate their opinions, I have to
have a minimum of knowledge. If I only listen to their advice without knowledge, there is no
guarantee that I will arrive at the answer I am looking for, and it will be difficult to point out
what is wrong.

"So you want to learn something different from your studies. Manager of the Maid Café."

"...... Yes".

I was about to go back to the bedroom, but Chabashira stopped me from behind.

"Ayanokoji". Next time ...... Can I have a moment of your time? "

"Next time? When?"

"I'll send you a message about it shortly. Okay?" "Well that's

fine. I'll let you know if I have any plans."

I could have refused, but with Chabashira's serious gaze, I decided to accept.

Two teachers, the destiny of a special test.

The next morning I was appointed as the manager of the Maid Café.

Many students immediately notice something strange when they see the harsh expression
on Chabashira-sensei's face as they enter the classroom.

This time, however, the word "special test" did not come to mind, as it often does. The main
reason was that they announced that the next exam would be the sports festival, then it had
been said that the cultural festival would follow, so we ruled out a preliminary exam.

"Before the sports festival in October, they will have to take a new special exam."

The students were a bit upset. Last year around this time there were no more special exams
because the students were already working on the sports festival, but this year has been
different.

"I just survived a grueling exam on a desert island… And now we have another special exam!"

This is also becoming commonplace, but I can hear Ike's frustration when he answered
before anyone else.

For Ike, the road must have been difficult, as he had to pass a test on a desert island where
he could be expelled from school, and then establish a relationship with Shinohara.

28
No matter how well you have gotten to know each other and no matter how close you are,
depending on the special tests, there can be a sudden expulsion.

There is no doubt that students with a low overall OAA performance are at higher risk.

"Hey, this looks good to me. We will have the perfect warm-up in this exam before
participating in the sports festival."

Sudo, fully confident in his athleticism, raised his fist. "Do not be put off".

"Of ... Okay"

Horikita's immediate admonition made Sudo feel a bit embarrassed and he fell silent. What a
good master-slave relationship ...... No, you could say that they are developing a good
friendship.

"To be honest, it's not often that special exams are held at this time of year. In fact, there are
no special exams for freshmen or juniors."

"Does this mean that only sophomores have to take a special exam before sports day? Asked
Sato, who had been leaning back in her chair, as she leaned forward.

Chabashira-sensei nodded.

"Due to the excellent performance of the entire second year, the school has decided to
evaluate them in a special way."

"What? We are having a good performance and they will give us a special test, isn't that
strange?"

"It is true that the special exams carry risks that they must know and of course they must be
taken care of, such as the loss of class points, private points and, sometimes, even expulsion.
But, on the other hand, they also give you many opportunities to have a more satisfying
school life. Also, the greater the number of special exams, the greater the chance of being
promoted to class A, which we consider to be the most important goal. "

It is true that it is extremely difficult to earn big class points on a day-to-day basis. Normally
we focus more on how to keep the class points while there are no special exams. Only when
there is a special exam, be it a desert island exam or something else, do we get a chance to
move up to a higher class.

"Well-being and misfortune are two sides of the same coin. Risk pays you back, right?"
Horikita, taking it easy, asks from a position close to Chabashira-sensei.

"That's what I mean".

29
"There is nothing to fear, now we are definitely approaching class A. We have a good chance
of coming out of the triple tie around our class.

The more opportunities you have once, the better. That's something everyone should know
when it comes to moving up.

"It's true .......... It's true. Complaining isn't going to stop the special exams."

Horikita's words are greeted with approval by Sato and the other companions.

Although it is still a work in progress, Horikita's development as a pillar of support for the
class has undoubtedly had a positive effect on her peers. Chabashira is sure to be happy, but
she doesn't show it on her face. I'm sure you are pleased to know that I am not the only one
who can make it up to a higher class.

"They are going to participate in an exam that is a 'unanimous special test'".

The monitors turn on and the explanation begins.

"This special test is very simple. So, I will be happy to answer any questions you have at any
time. The test will take place tomorrow and as you may have guessed from its name, you will
be asked to vote repeatedly in class on a series of options until reaching a unanimous
decision ....... "

"Tomorrow? It's very sudden."

There is no time to prepare. Of course, there is no advantage or disadvantage, since this is a

competition on equal terms, but the class, which had begun to calm down, tensed again.

"As I said before, this special test is simple. You don't have to spend a lot of time discussing it
beforehand and the school sees no problem in celebrating it tomorrow."

Repeat the voting within the class until it is unanimous. Just by listening to it, you certainly

don't see the complexity of it. "So this time we are not going to face another class, are we?"

Yosuke makes an immediate reply, which was the most accurate at this point.

"Yes, that's right. You will not compete with students from other classes, as this is a special
exam that will only be taken within each class. On the day of the exam, the school will give
five" proposals "to complete. The content of the assignments it is the same for all classes, so
there is no differentiation. "

This is important, as the level of difficulty of the assignments does not vary from class to
class.

"I'm going to give you an example so that you understand."

30
Example: You lose 5 class points, but all your classmates earn 10,000 private points.

| In favor | Against |

The proposal was shown on the monitor. The content was simple and straightforward, as
advertised.

"Hmm? What is this? Well ...... You will lose 5 class points, but instead you will get 10,000
private points ...... What is this? Is this a challenge? What Does it give me? Is it a loss? "

Not surprisingly, a number of unexpected questions have arisen.

I expected more options, even if it was just an example. Shinohara said out loud, flexing his
fingers and trying to calculate the loss in his head.

Each class point awards 100 private points.

This means that the value of 5 class points is 500 private points.

If you think about it in a moment, these last private points are by far the most expensive.

However, the class points themselves will still have more value.

Over the course of a month, 5 class points are worth only 500 Private Points, but over the
course of a year, only 5 class points are worth 6000 Private Points. Considering the time
remaining until graduation, there are only 18 opportunities to receive Private Points between
October of the second year and March of the third. This means that one class point is worth
9000 private points.

You can earn 10,000 Private Points immediately, or you can work your way up to graduation
and earn a total of 9,000 Private Points. The former is slightly more profitable only in terms of
Private Points.

But it is not that simple.

If I had lost five class points here and lost class A by that margin, I would have made the
worst possible choice and would remember it as such.

Of course, the odds that five points will be the difference between winning and losing are not
that high. So it might be better to get 10,000 private points.

Whichever point of view is taken, in the end there are advantages and disadvantages.

"In response to this challenge, 39 people will vote, completely anonymously, the options that
are presented to them. Experiencing it is worth a thousand words, so let's try it. I know that
many of you may have some doubts, but I want you to. try without discussion time. Vote yes
or no on the tablets. "

With the help of Chabashira-sensei, the contents of the tablets of the students in the class are
changed, including mine.

31
The tablet displayed the content of the proposal and the students could press "for" or
"against."

It was a new kind of special test. I'm going to think about it carefully.

Private points have no direct effect on class points. It is a simple advantage that, if you vote
yes, all your colleagues will get 10,000 points. However, if you vote yes, you only lose 5 class
points, only 5 points.

In this case, we have to think about how we think in terms of human nature.

It is not a question of whether it is better to earn 10,000 private points or not lose 5 class points, but the
other way around. It's about knowing which choice you will regret the least.

I decided to vote "yes" and see what the result would be.

I thought it would not be wise to be unanimous the first time.

After a while, the count ends and Chabashira-sensei looks up from her tablet.

"Now that everyone has voted, I would like to show you the results." After he

said that, the result was displayed on the monitor.Results of the first round of

voting: 3 in favor, 36 against.I knew there would be opposition, but the

margin was greater than I expected.

"Oh, what happened? We would get more for 10,000 private points than for 5 class points,
right? Have I done the wrong accounts? Why are so many opposed? Ike who seems to have
voted in favor asks curiously, looking at his companions.

"It is true that the 10,000 points are more valuable than the 9,000 private points that we
would get. But the class points are essential to move up to class A. If the difference is only
1,000 points, it is not necessary to reduce those precious class points ".

Here is a theoretical explanation of the vote for Horikita, who apparently voted against it.

"In the unlikely event that a five-point class difference makes the difference between winning
and losing, I would feel guilty about it."

Like me, many students are naturally concerned about risk "just in case." It is also important
to remember that three other classes will face the same challenge. If all three classes are
unanimous in their choice of class point, this class will be the only one to step back.

Of course, the story would be different if we could make use of the 10,000 private points that
we have earned.

"I know you all have your own opinions, and we have to listen to them. The vote was
overwhelmingly 36 against, but it was not unanimous, so it will have to be redone. In the real
test, there will be a fixed interval of 10 minutes.

32
before the next vote. During this interval, they are allowed to speak freely, and occasionally
leave their seats and exchange opinions, as we do now, but at the moment it is not
necessary. So let's start the voting again. "

The objective of this test is to be unanimous.

If the vote is not unanimous, it is invalid and a 10 minute interval applies. Even if we could

reach consensus quickly, we would lose a lot of time.

Due to the way this special exam is structured, it can be assumed that there will likely be a
time limit.

If the discrepancies continue, there is a chance that time is running out. ...... I don't know
what to think of that.

So, for the second time, the only thing that can be done is to vote against, without even
thinking about it.

If it is thrown against, it can lead to unanimity. That is why I

have decided to vote "yes" for the second time.

I thought that this way my classmates would better understand this special

exam.Result of the second vote: 2 in favor, 37 against.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, is there still someone who is against it despite everything that
was said?"

"Sorry, it was me, Sudo-kun. I tried to avoid unanimity. Apparently, there were other people
who had the same idea as me .......".

He didn't look at me, but I think he meant me.

"This is the result of the second round of voting. The second round of voting has ended and
the vote is now almost completely against, but there are still two votes in favor. In this case,
there will be a new interval of 10 minutes before resuming voting. The test is to reach a final
unanimous vote of 39 in favor or 39 against. Of course, whatever is chosen in this way will
actually be approved. In this case, if the vote is 39 in favor, everyone will receive 10,000
private points, but they will lose 5 class points. On the other hand, if 39 votes are cast against
the proposal, it is annulled and has no effect. "

This means that the challenge will end without anyone earning or losing points. "It

was not unanimous, but to save time we will move on to the next example.

Example - 1 million private points to one person in the class (If the vote is unanimous in
favor, the students who will be awarded points will be identified and voted on)

| In favor | Against |

33
"You may have some ideas about the proposal, but on the show we prohibit any private
conversation before the first vote. In other words, we have to really face the issues and vote
on them first."

So it is not until before the second vote that we read the issues and discuss what we think
about them.

Results of the first round of voting: 39 votes in favor, 0 votes against.

This is a natural result. Even if only one of the different players gets private points, there is
almost no reason to choose the latter. Even if you are disappointed not to get them, it would
be difficult to achieve unanimity in the opposition.

"The first step is to get a unanimous vote for or against. If the vote is unanimous, the
proposal ends, but if the vote is not unanimous, the task does not end, but takes another
step. After an interval, it is Ask the students to discuss who they would recommend.The tablet
shows the names of all their classmates except yours.

The tablet screen was forced to change and sure enough, other names appeared besides
mine.

However, it is not in alphabetical order, but in an irregular order, with a mixture of boys and
girls.

"To ensure anonymity, the position of the student's name is changed every time the vote is
taken, as is the choice of yes or no. This is to prevent people from spying on their neighbors
and guessing from the position of their fingers which option they have voted.

Continue explaining the rules, explaining that they won't be able to see who other people
have voted for.

"At the end of the 10 minutes, the majority of the votes will be cast. As long as it is within the
established time, you can change your vote ....... At the end of the 10 minutes the votes will be
counted, the student who has received 20 votes will be considered as the specific student.
Suppose Ike is elected by majority vote. "

"Oh me? Yes!"

"Ike will temporarily lose his right to vote, and the remaining 38 will vote."

Most of the students, naturally, almost unanimous. I guess this is how voting works.

A new round of voting begins on issues that go further and we cast our votes.

Example - 1,000,000 private points to Ike Kanji.| In

favor | Against |

Result of the second vote: 0 votes in favor, 38 votes against. "What? Why

hasn't anyone voted for me? Why?"

3. 4
"Naturally, I won't give you a million points.

Sudo spoke for everyone in the class when he said what they must be thinking.

"If the vote is unanimous against Ike" There are no points for Ike ", but this only removes Ike
from the voting list, leaving one million points in the air. Therefore, of the remaining 38
students, we will return to select the students and we will continue with the proposal.
However, if the students are not unanimous in their decision to award the points at the end
of the term, the test fails. Also, no one will receive a million points, so be careful " .

"What! Does that mean my chances of getting the points are now nil?"

"That's what I wanted to say. If there had been one person in favor of the proposal, you
would not have been removed from the list. Candidates can also stand for election. If they do
so during the interval, they will be accepted in order of arrival as specific students. However,
only one candidate per proposal is allowed. "

"What if there is not a majority of votes for a certain student in a 10 minute question, or if
there are no candidates? I suppose there can be cases like that."

"In that case, they will be randomly selected from the class and voted on."

They will not wait any longer for someone to appear, but will force someone to start the vote.

"If you have to choose between individuals, it is better to waste as little time as possible."

That's how it is. There are too many options if we count the number of students in the class.

However, I don't think it's easy to decide on a randomly selected student.

"We have to be careful. This special test may be more difficult than we think…"

Not all problems can be solved by talking about them.

It is very likely that you will be forced to make decisions that you would never have accepted.

Yes, otherwise it would not make sense as a special exam.

"I will give a final example, and they will have to adopt it as if it were the real test."

Example: It has been decided to build an additional facility at Keyaki Mall. Which of the
following do you prefer? (The institution with the most votes will be adopted based on
the results of the four classes)

Options: | Restaurant | Grocery Store | Leisure facilities | Hospital |

Unlike the previous examples, the method will change to a choice of four options instead of
for or against.

35
I thought it was just a yes or no vote, but apparently it is not.

If not an example, does this mean that the facility will actually be built?

"When an issue is approved, it will actually be done. However, there is a special way of doing
it only for issues that affect the whole class. When such a question is raised, the unanimous
choice is simply the one chosen by each class. If this class is unanimous on the restaurant
option, but the other three classes are unanimous on the entertainment option, then the
entertainment option with three votes in favor will be the final decision. "

The meaning of what Chabashira-sensei was saying was probably clear to everyone. There
are two types of proposals: those that are immediate and those that are presented as a class
vote. In any case, it will have to be carefully discussed and agreed unanimously.

Private conversations are not allowed before the first vote, so choose your options intuitively.

Results of the first round of voting: 20 votes for restaurants, 4 votes for grocery stores,
15 votes for leisure facilities, 0 votes for medical facilities.

"It was not unanimous, so we will have a 10-minute interval." This is

where the interval first comes in.

A ten minute countdown began on the monitor behind the podium. This will continue until
time runs out and the next vote is forced.

Students are free to leave their seats and formulate their opinions as they wish, either out
loud or whispering to someone in particular. I watch and wait to see what happens. Ten
minutes passed without anyone giving instructions, just chatting at ease.

"Just before the end of the interval, they should return to their seats and prepare to vote.
They will have a maximum of 60 seconds to vote. If everyone has voted on time, the results
will be announced without waiting for the time limit."

Unlike the mandatory 10-minute interval, poll questions can be shortened with some
ingenuity.

"Students who do not complete their voting in 60 seconds will be penalized with an overtime
penalty. Individuals will have 90 seconds throughout the exam, and any student who allows a
total of 90 seconds to pass before completing the five proposals will see his time reduced to
zero and he will be expelled. "

This is the school's way of making sure students vote. If a student does not want to vote and
crouches, they will be forcibly expelled.

Even if it is delayed every time you vote, valuable time would be wasted if the vote is not
completed in 58 or 59 seconds, so it is unlikely that any student will bother to do so.

36
And in the second vote, the result.

Second round voting results 23 votes for restaurants, 2 votes for grocery stores, 14
votes for leisure facilities, 0 votes for medical facilities.

As there was no talk of a consensus of opinion, the result was the same as the first. Unless it
is a flagrant challenge, it is not easy to bring it to unanimity in the first vote.

And it is not that difficult to get 39 votes for a specific option once we have reached a
consensus.

But that's only if the challenges are as expected.

Depending on the content, there will be a few things that will require considerable
discussion.

"This is the end of the example, but you should have understood the story. To pass this
special exam, you have to unanimously agree on five tasks in five hours. If you fail to
complete all the tasks in the five hours, you will be penalized very harshly. penalty is 300 class
points.

"Damn, three hundred points."

So it is a special exam that is an absolute requirement to pass. "But if they

finish on time, they will get 50 class points."

The rewards and penalties seem lopsided, but are reasonable considering the difficulty of the
exam.

"There is no need to panic. There is no need to panic, this time we don't have to fight anyone,
we just have to be united. We can go back to the polls as many times as time allows, with an
interval between them.

"Now that you have a rough idea of what this special test is, let's look at the rules. I will show
you a summary of the rules. Those who feel the need to save it can do so by capturing the
screen yourself."

Overall summary of the total consensus test.

Explanation of the rules.

• All colleagues have to vote a series of options in response to

a proposal made by the school. (There are a total of 5 tasks and a maximum of 4 options)

• Unless one of the options is unanimous, it will be repeated.

• If you run out of time in the middle of a proposal, it will not be approved in
absolute regardless of the progress of the task.

• Proposals approved unanimously are actually approved,

regardless of whether or not they pass the special exam.

37
• Earn 50 class points for completing all tasks

• If you don't complete all assignments in 5 hours, you will lose 300 class points.

Special examination process

1. You will be presented with a proposal and you will cast your first vote (within 60 seconds).

2. If there is unanimous agreement, go to the next proposal (go to point 1). Yes
no agreement, go to point 3.

3. An interval of 10 minutes will be given (during this time, students are free
to move and discuss only in the classroom).

Four. 60 seconds of voting will be given (you can not debate, only vote) (The
Students who do not complete their vote within 60 seconds will receive a cumulative penalty)
(If the cumulative penalty exceeds 90 seconds, the student will be expelled)

5. The results of the vote are announced and, if the vote is unanimous, it is passed
to the next proposal (go to point 1). If no unanimous agreement is reached, go back to point
3.

Repeat the process and when you have completed all five questions, you will have completed
the special exam. If you fail, you will be penalized. Losing 300 class points here could mean
losing your ticket to class A. This is not an exaggeration.

Eliminating three classes would open a gap of 350 points for all classes.

We can talk about it as many times as we want, but the main obstacle is that it is a totally
anonymous vote, in which it is impossible to know who has voted for whom.

You can vote up and keep saying that you voted against.

"We teachers have no idea what kind of questions they will ask. Some of you may be
optimistic, but I advise you not to be complacent. Furthermore, it is strictly forbidden to reach
agreements with other students that force them to vote for a It is also strictly forbidden to
make any kind of monetary exchange with another student to force him to a certain
choice.This applies to your own class as well as to other classes.

So you can't force people to choose their options.

They may be allowed to join in and consolidate their votes to some extent, but they cannot back
up their guarantees.

If you have a contract that says you can only vote for option 1, then you have a person who
has signed a contract that says you can only vote for option 1, and that could make the test
unfeasible.

That alone makes it possible to make a strong attack against other classes.

38
"The school will closely monitor the rules, if it is discovered that a third party outside of class
has been involved in making the decisions, all parties involved may be mercilessly expelled.
Please be prepared for this. I also assure you that, If someone is accused of something
wrong, they should immediately report it to the school and we will do our best to resolve it. "

If time runs out on the special exam with a premise, the school will conduct an investigation
without question.

The mere mention of the subject would likely spell such a heavy punishment that even Ryuen
would be reluctant to make such a blatant move.

Until the beginning of the special exams, it is advisable to refrain from interacting with
students from other classes.

"Also, the protection point will be temporarily invalidated for this special exam. The reason is
that it is not possible to take a fair special exam if only one student is protected. If a student
with a Protected Point is expelled in some way, the Point Protected cannot be used to reverse
expulsion. However, expulsion can be avoided if the individual or the class as a whole pays 20
million Private Points. "

There are currently not enough private points in this class to do so. This means that

students who are going to be expelled are sure to be.

Protected points, which can be used to override a kick, are this time restricted.

In the case of a special examination against another class, the temporary invalidation of the
protection points could give rise to claims. In this case, however, it is a question of class.

In this regard, it is not surprising that this special rule applies. Koenji doesn't

seem to mind this, although he is bound to complain.

"During the exam, all cell phones and other communication devices will be collected. This is
due to the unwritten nature of the exam and the possibility of communication with other
classes. In the unlikely event that you are found to be carrying a concealed device, I don't
need to go into details. "

This, like the other rules that must be respected, implies expulsion.

When it was time for lunch, Yosuke immediately left his seat and headed to the front of the
room.

"I wonder if it's okay to do this before noon, I'd like to hear what everyone has to say. What
do you think?"

39
When I ask everyone in the class, Kushida raised her hand and replied. "This special exam

means there will be a lot of conflicting options, right?

"Of course there will be. I wouldn't have to take a special test like this if it didn't seek to
generate conflict."

"So wouldn't it be better to have a defined leader in case the options don't work out? If we
follow the decisions made by the leader in the end, I think we will pass the special test
without a hitch."

"That's right. I agree with you, Kushida-san, but the leader will have a lot of responsibility."

The more options there are and the more opinions there are, the more criticism there will be
from students who support the option that has not been chosen. You have to choose a leader
who can handle that.

"If it's okay with you ...... Horikita-san I think it will be the best option, if she doesn't mind." Me?

"

"Yes. You have been a leader for a long time and I think you can put everyone in agreement
without being unfair. Of course, as Hirata-san says, it is a great responsibility. But when it
comes to Horikita-san everything will be fine."

"… Good. Other classes may have similar strategies, and take action that will be necessary
when there are differences of opinion. If someone will not feel comfortable following my
instructions when the time comes, they can tell me now."

Not many students are willing to defend themselves or speak out against the idea that
responsibility is a serious issue in this matter. Kushida's proposal was easily approved and it
was agreed that Horikita would be the leader of the group in case of emergency.

Opinions were exchanged for the rest of the day, but no major decisions were made. It was
getting a little late and it was time to eat.

"Let's eat. Yukimu and Miyachi are coming too, right?" The two boys

agreed and got up.

The members of the Ayanokoji group. It's a small group of five people, including me.

Just as the five of us were starting to meet, one of the students came running up to us.

As soon as I make eye contact with him, he

screams. "Kiyotaka". Let's eat.

He looked at me without pause, but with a nervous look.

40
No one was paying attention to the fact that Kei was addressing me, nor did they want to hear
what he had to say. But all three, except Koenji, looked at us at the same time.

"Sorry guys, I'll eat with Kei today."

I get up from my chair and stand up before the others realize what is happening.

"...... I would like to go to a cafeteria. Okay?

"Hey ...... What ......? Wait, wait, wait. Why are you interrupting me all of a sudden? Karuizawa-
san.

"No rule prevents me from interrupting, right? Besides, have you heard Kiyotaka's refusal?

"I did, but ...... What do you mean? Did he promise you something? ...... What, Kei?

A moment later, Haruka begins to understand that we are calling each other by our names.

Well I'm not sure you get it.

"I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I can do it. You know?" I'm sorry, but the priority is

your girlfriend. It is not like this?

"No girlfriend?"

Haruka and Airi have different reactions, but at the same time they mutter to each other.

"So Kiyotaka, you may have fewer chances to participate in that group's meetings, but thank
you."

Come on, Kei tugs my arm as we walk out of the room.

The fact that his face started to turn bright red shows that he had many embarrassing
feelings. I also didn't think I was going to do it this way ...

It seems that both Haruka and Airi and the others were stunned and did not chase us

By taking such a drastic step, our relationship, which few knew until now, became known to
the entire class. It will probably spread to the entire school at the end of the day.

Well, I am skeptical about how many students are interested in the relationship between Kei
and me.

41
Ike and Shinohara, the couple who became a couple over summer vacation, have not caused
as much of a stir as they thought. Rather, it was an expected combination.

Some of the boys' friends may have been pretentious or downright jealous, but the fact is
that they were complimented by many, and little by little they are developing a loving
relationship.

The frequency of seeing them together, going home together, dating together has increased
dramatically.

And what was a novelty at first has become commonplace.

I think the same thing will happen to Kei and me, but we may make more noise than the Ike-
Shinohara couple for a long time. I'm not sure many of the students were able to predict our
relationship.

Anyway, the end of the first day comes and the whole class knows about the relationship.

I had noticed that all afternoon a girl hadn't looked at me once since lunch.

"Hey Kiyopon, come home with me, if you want."

A girl called me, a great friend of mine and a confidant of Airi approached

I was hoping Kei would suggest that we go to the dorms together after class, but when I
looked at her, I saw that she was surrounded by girls and that she was still being questioned.

"Are you sure?"

It's about Haruka, I thought I would do something to try to help and take care of Airi.

While Airi calmly and quietly prepares to leave.

"I know, but there's nothing I can tell him right now. Well, is there a reason why Kiyopon can't
just go home with me?"

After saying that, Haruka's expression hardened for a moment. "Agree".

Now that our relationship has become more open, it is inevitable that there will be fewer
opportunities to meet up with the Ayanokoji group.

Then the best thing would be to accept and listen to what he has to say to me.

So we both grabbed our bags and headed for the front door through the back exit.

On the way, Haruka walked without saying a word.

From time to time she changed her expressions, she seemed angry and sometimes sad.

When I put on my shoes and leave school, he finally looks at me.

42
"I'm not sure about this yet. Is it true that you and Karuizawa-san have started dating? I still
can't believe it."

"It is true, as you have seen."

When I said this, Haruka's lips moved, and then she nodded quickly.

"...... It's a bit shocking isn't it? It was a shock. You can date whoever you want, but I wouldn't
expect it to be Karuizawa-san, of all people."

Karuizawa Kei's reputation is not very high in the eyes of others. Most people are under the
impression that she is a selfish woman who dated the popular Yosuke too early and left him
for her own reasons.

"So this is what you meant when we were talking in the pool. That Airi would go through a big
psychological shock. But hey, it hasn't been easy, you know? She tried to maintain her
composure in the classroom, but cried the entire hour lunch.

"Ah, is that so?"

"No, not really ....... And they started dating during spring break right?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But there are various circumstances."

"Circumstances, yes. Well, there are a lot of rumors about Karuizawa-san, so I don't know…"

The fact that she's been dating Yosuke for now, and that she's probably faking her past,
makes this perception unavoidable.

"Is that true? I mean, it's not a joke or anything like that." "That is not

the case".

"Hmm ....... I see. I'm confused too. ...... No, I had the idea that you were seeing someone, or
that you were in love with someone other than Airi. .... .. No, no, I couldn't guess Karuizawa-
san. "

He laments with his hands on his head that all his predictions have been wrong.

"I've talked to Yukimu and Miyachi a bit, and they think the same as me. I didn't hear it
directly, but I think Airi was more surprised than us."

For sure YES. It's something I can easily imagine would happen.

"What happened? I mean, what's the story? You don't seem to have a lot of connections."

It's no wonder she doesn't know when I fell in love with Kei and she with me.

"I was in the same group as Kei at last year's test on the ship. We started talking more and
more, and when Yosuke and Kei broke up, the relationship started to develop."

43
In February of this year, the news that their relationship had ended reached the ears of some
students.

"So you've known each other for a long time? It didn't seem like they were talking normally."

"It's because most of the time we communicate by phone."

"I'm going to ask you a lot of questions. Which one of you was the one who went to confession?" As

a tutor and spokesperson for Airi, you would like to know more about it.

"It was me"

"… Well. If it had been from Karuizawa, I would have thought there were possibilities, but it
was Kiyopon himself… Oh no!"

He slaps his forehead and raises his hands in surrender.

"Right now. I have so much information together that I don't know what's going on. I'm sorry,
but can I stop by the convenience store?"

Just as we were approaching the store, Haruka suggested that we do so. "Yes, I'll be

waiting outside."

Apologizing slightly, Haruka hurried into the store. During that time, I took out my

cell phone that has been vibrating several times.

"I'll be waiting for you at the Keyaki Mall later. It took me a lot. There were a lot of questions
~".

The message was an invitation from my girlfriend.

"Very good. I'll call you before I get there."

After a minute, Haruka comes back with a croquette in hand. "I couldn't eat

anything this afternoon because I was talking to Airi." "It doesn't bother me."

"I'm not trying to be annoying or anything, but ........."

"I don't know if this is the right time to ask you, but there is something in which I need your
cooperation and Airi's, if possible."

"Cooperation?"

"It is not yet public information, but one of the acts of the festival has been decided." "Oh

really?"

"The story is only known to me, Horikita and the organizer so as not to leak any information.
We will have a Maid Café as part of the festival."

"Ma… maid Café? Somehow it doesn't surprise me, well if a little. Horikitasan doesn't have the
image of admitting a Maid Café."

44
"In this case, he said that he would be impartial for all proposals. I suppose he allowed it
because he thought that one could compete by making a Maid Café, leaving prejudices
aside."

"I see. And why did you tell me?"

"Well, I found out about the project and I have to take care of some things." When I said

this, Haruka nodded in understanding. "Since the situation is like that, Horikita-san,

entrust it to Kiyopon, it is something to be expected." "So I'm thinking of asking Haruka

and Airi if they could help me with it." Unsurprised, Haruka listens with an indescribable

look.

Well, I suppose I could have guessed something from the way he speaks.

"If it hadn't been for the incident with Karuizawa-san, I could have agreed to do it, even if I
had my doubts. I wouldn't want to dress up as Maid in front of a lot of people, but if one of
my friends asked me to do it, I wouldn't have been able to refuse. But ....... now is a bad time.

The day she found out that her best friend had her heart broken, it would have been a bit
inconsiderate for her to ask her to do this.

"But the problem is that we cannot blame Kiyopon. I have already said something similar, but
it is you who decides who you want to date, and I can't help but think that there are certain
circumstances that cannot be changed. Airi is free to fall in love with you. , and you are free to
reject it ... "

It is as if you are convinced in theory, but your emotions do not accept it.

"I can't promise anything. But when things calm down a bit, I'll talk to Airi."

"Are you sure?"

"He has to accept reality sooner or later. I know you feel about it, but if it's Karuizawa-san, he
might end up getting bored. There is still that possibility, right?"

"Well yeah. I think there are chances that that will happen."

"I'm sure that when the time comes, Airi will have another chance. It is a gem that has not
stood out for the moment. ...... and Kiyopon's feelings may change."

It is true that if Airi changed her way of being and gave it her all, she would be as good as
anyone. If your physical characteristics are included, it might even exceed them.

Furthermore, not only the students, but even the teachers and guardians would be surprised
by Airi's change.

If this happened, rumors would quickly circulate around the school and could even reach the
ears of students from other years.

46
"It's true, but I think Airi may change her mind after all that time." When the person you love

has a girlfriend, it is natural for you to look for the next love. I thought she said the obvious,

but she seems more angry than she had all day.

"Don't you think you're taking Airi's feelings too lightly? I've watched her for a long time and I
know exactly what she feels. Her feelings for Kiyopon aren't so light that she changes her
mind about them so much."

He flatly denies that possibility.

"I'm sure you'll have more dates with Karuizawa-san, but make sure you show up at our
group meetings. I don't want us to split up over this."

"Good. I get it. This group has become an important part of my life at school."

I think it would be a mistake to lose a friendship like that.

"Okay, I feel a little better already. I'm going back to school." He says it while

finishing his kibble and putting the garbage in his bag. He didn't say much, but

it was clear that he was going to see Airi.

"See you tomorrow.

"Yes, see you tomorrow."

After seeing her run back, I too changed direction to go to Keyaki Mall instead of the
bedroom.

After school, she was still somewhat upset.

Kei and I returned to the dorm from the Keyaki Mall, chatting.

In the hall of the bedrooms, Horikita was sitting on a sofa, waiting for someone.

I can imagine who it is right away. I pressed the elevator button on the ground floor, when
Kei and I went up, Horikita also entered.

"Ayanokoji-kun, can I talk to you?"

The elevator stops on the fourth floor, where my room is. "I'll see you

later, Kiyotaka."

Kei gets jealous easily, but understands the situation well.

47
We know that Horikita is not a person who thinks of the opposite sex in the first place, and when
we learned about a special examination she was able to decide that it would be best not to
interfere.

"Oh. I'll get back to you."

A year ago, I would never have believed that we were going to spend time together like this.

I got off and Horikita followed me. I turned to see Kei smiling and saying goodbye from an
elevator that was closing. Soon it will close and go.

"How long have you been dating her?" Well,

when was it? "

"Rumor has it it was spring break, but I think the relationship really started earlier."

He looked at me with a hint of something as he spoke those words. "I do not

know"

Whether or not there is a reason behind Horikita's words, I am not interested in and do not want to touch on
that subject.

"But that's not the point. You said you wanted to talk to me. What do you want to talk

about?" ...... Yes. I need to ask you something about a special exam. Agree?".

"Yes, no problem".

"Yes".

"What is that reaction?"

"I was prepared for you to say no. You didn't seem happy the other day when I put you in
charge of the Maid Café.

Apparently he was surprised by how easily I accepted. "Let's

not talk here, so let's go into the room." Standing in the

hallway, you never know who can hear you. Room 401, I

opened the door and we walk in and come in.

"You won't ask me to help you, will you?"

"It's ...... I don't know. In the meantime, if you listen to me, I'll move on."

Perhaps thinking that she would be rejected if he provoked her badly, Horikita let him pass and
began to speak.

"I was thinking that if I wanted to make sure I pass this special exam, I could make it semi-
mandatory before the exam. But it's impossible to prepare for it without knowing what the
proposition is, right? You couldn't unify your choices.

48
"Depending on the situation, we will inevitably have to use different options."

Even if there were only two options, it would be nothing short of unwise to vote only for or
only against a problem.

"You have thought of something, right, Horikita? How to pass this special exam?"

"We believe that the shortest way to pass a special test is for someone else to have the last
word. No matter how many options there are, or how the votes are distributed, you have to
promise that you will follow the predetermined leader's decision."

This is what Kushida suggested to me during the day.

A strategy that does not take into account whether or not individuals are unhappy with their
choices.

Surely, if that deal worked, it wouldn't be that difficult. "I hope

that really unifies us as a class."

"Yes. ...... There will always be students who are not satisfied with some proposals ... I'm sure
you will agree. If this had been a kind of dictatorship like Ryuen's, it could have been faster."

As for coercion, unlike us who ask for it, Ryuen will be able to exert it without mercy. But
whether this works in reality is another matter.

"The fact that all voting is anonymous means that students who are not happy with Ryuen
can vote against it. There is no guarantee that mere orders will favor this."

"If a student is not happy with their methods, they can react. But there is nothing to be
gained by it. In the end, if the vote is divided and time runs out, the whole class will be
harmed. In the end, they will leave them alone and They will join".

"I know what you mean, but that's a contradiction, because nobody wants a special test to
fail. If that's the basic premise, then we don't need a strategy from the start."

"It is..."

"Nobody wants to run out of time to the detriment of the class, but don't expect them to be
able to complete all five proposals if left to their own devices. It doesn't make much sense for
the school to call it a special exam."

"......You're right".

"The only thing you can do now is prepare your mind to be flexible, so that when you face a
challenge, for example, with one person for and another against, you know what to do."

"Of course we will try to bring the one who is against to be in favor."

49
"What if one of them never gives up? What if the only person who disagrees never gives up?
And then what?"

"That would be......"

"Those who disagree with you don't always win, but they can change their minds"

"Even if the idea of one person is detrimental to the whole class?" "It's all in

the content, I guess."

I wouldn't be surprised if a challenge awaited us that we can never overcome.

"This is all a bit strange to me."

"That?

"It's because you give me advice without hesitation. It has something to do with the fact that I
interrupted you Karuizawa-san ....... I don't think it has anything to do with that."

"It's not great advice. In some little corner of your mind, you've started to think about that
development."

"Yes. ...... I'll tell you why. I'll tell you the main reason why I have approached you. I have a
proposal for a special exam tomorrow. I could ask someone else, but I want to ask someone
to ask me. in shop".

"Do you want us to always vote separately on the first option?" Do not

get ahead of my thoughts, please. "

I could see the irritation in his eyes and I distanced myself from Horikita.

"It's something I would have done if someone else hadn't suggested it. I didn't think we were
on the same page."

"...... Is that true? Okay.

I could see Horikita's anger dissipate, seemingly a little convinced by the now appropriate
excuse.

True, it was an idea that should have been done at least to that extent, so it would have been
similar. It is better to avoid the risk of making unwanted decisions as a result of a bias caused
by the momentum.

"Even if the question is that 99% agree or disagree, or if there is a debate between options
where there are advantages and disadvantages for both parties, the coincidence can be a bit
scary."

"Ah! If the vote is skewed as a result of a random vote, it can be irreversible. However, the
strategy of always using an interval at least once is not always a good one. You have to take
that into account. There is always the risk of that what was agreed unanimously in an
impromptu debate remains unfinished when the votes are divided. It must be taken into
account. "

"Yes you're right".

fifty
To argue is to plunge your hand into the deepest darkness.

If this causes unexpected breaks to lengthen, it can be time consuming.

"Under the rules of this special test, there is no way to be sure who voted whom, no matter
how much we argue about it. Even if you get a statement, it may not be 100% true."

"Does that mean you think they can lie?"

"In some cases, because the class is not yet as close as it should be." Speaking of which,

there are a few people that will appear on Horikita's head. "You mean the presence of

Kushida-san and Koenji-kun."

"In the case of the first, he would lie without hesitation, and in the case of the second, he
could dare to vote differently from his peers if his nature manifested itself. That is all."

"...... Hey, why are you telling me all this? That's weird. It's not every day you give me a
warning like this."

Horikita, of course, feels the changes in me.

"I judged that today's Horikita would be flexible enough to listen and understand what he
was saying."

"Should I take that ...... as a compliment?" Something

like that.

"It ...... feels kind of strange."

In front of me, I briefly heard his phone vibrate once.

"Sorry".

Stopping talking, Horikita took out her cell phone and started staring at the screen. "Let

me message you back. You may not read my messages if it takes too long." I have no

intention of stopping her, of course, but who is she?

I was a little worried, but decided to wait quietly while Horikita wrote a long message that
took about two minutes to complete. Finally, he finished his message and put his phone in his
pocket.

"Anyway, I said what I wanted to say. Good luck with tomorrow's special exam."

With no intention of staying long, Horikita quickly left the room.

51
4

It's just before 6 in the afternoon. Soon the sun will set and night will fall. Today was

supposed to be an ordinary day, although special exams were explained. It has been a

difficult day with too much information.

It would be easier if we could just move on towards the end of the day quietly, but that's not
going to happen.

This is because the hastily announced special unanimity examination begins tomorrow.

"Hello".

When I got back to my room, Yosuke appeared. "Let's

go in."

When I think about it, it's probably the first time I've invited Yosuke into my room like this.

"Yaa-hoo".

Shortly after, Kei came into my room. "It's a bit

weird, meeting like this, don't you think?" "It

may be so".

I have not told you why I asked you to meet. Although Yosuke may have guessed.

"I thought it would be better to prepare countermeasures for tomorrow's special exam."

"Countermeasures? Isn't that just a test to make sure everyone is unanimous?"

"It doesn't seem like a very difficult exam because of the scheme, does it? The rules of the
previous special exams were much more difficult."

Yosuke showed a small thoughtful gesture as he explained to Kei

"But I think this particular exam, like all the difficult ones in the past, will not be easy, because
if you follow the rules it will be an exam where you can get more points from the class simply
by being unanimous. It's not that difficult to put to the agreement class ".

"Thats what I think".

"It will not be easy, which means there are likely to be a lot of disagreements and
controversies on the proposals."

52
Yosuke is right. Students in the class may have different ideas, but if it is in the best interest
of the class, they will be willing to be flexible and vote together.

If you're a freshman, it might be a different story, but sophomores have already deepened
our ties as friends. Also, there is no penalty for not reaching unanimous agreement on the
first try, and there is plenty of time for discussion.

It's no wonder the exams seem so lazy as they can be covered.

"But on what kinds of issues is it difficult to reach unanimity? On what kinds of issues is it
difficult to reach unanimity?"

"I can't think of a specific one, but ...... Yes, there must be one ....... I know."

What kind of proposal would cause problems for your colleagues? It wasn't something
Yosuke could think of immediately. I gave him a proposal that was easy for him to
understand.

"From now until you graduate, you can only eat rice or bread. Make your choice." "Well that's

kind of complicated ~"

"It sounds a bit funny when you hear that it is rice and bread, but it is a difficult decision."

"I would definitely eat bread. I couldn't live without bread until I graduated."

"I'd probably go for rice. ...... I usually only eat bread once a week."

"I would choose rice. I like rice better. It's not that easy when the whole class has to vote. If
there are three of us right now, could we vote rice?"

"No, no, no. That's impossible, because it would be banned until graduation, right? I'll keep
voting for Pan."

Some students will resist, as Kei did, because later they will suffer if they are forced to eat
something they did not want.

"For a more realistic comparison, from now on all exams will be based solely on 'physical
ability' or 'academic ability', which option will you choose?"

Hearing this, Yosuke and Kei look at each other.

"For an athletic student like Sudo, it is absolutely a choice of physical ability, and for the less
athletic one like Keisei, it is a must to lead the academics to a unanimous decision at all
costs."

Of course, Sudo, who is trying hard in his studies at the moment, could have relented, but it
would have been better for his evaluation if he had been judged on his physical ability, and if
there is now a student completely incapable of studying, no I could have agreed as well as
Sudo.

53
"Yes the answers have to be unanimous, but it is not mandatory, does it? Does that mean
that we only have to be prepared to lose 300 penalty class points if we do not choose the
option?"

"I don't know ....... There will be tough decisions, of course, but losing 300 class points could
cost Class A a ticket. The first priority is completing the exam."

"I'm starting to think that this may be a really difficult special exam ........" "But, is that

why you called us here? No?"

"Ah. The next special exams will require a lot of unity among the classmates. One or two
unanimous disagreements are fine, but if there are too many, there will be problems. And
when that happens, Yosuke and Kei, the two main figures in the class, will have to be
attentive to ensure that the vote opts for one or the other option ".

"That's right. But shouldn't we include Horikita in this discussion? Horikita-san is the class
leader in this exam."

Yosuke has a good point. It would be better if Horikita told both of you this to control the
class, rather than me. However, at this point, I can no longer stay on my side.

"This time we will support Horikita from the shadows. What we do here will be confidential."

"Why? As far as I'm concerned, I don't like to follow Horikita-san's orders."

"Both Kei and Yosuke can read the situation better than most students. However, I wish they
could react more flexibly than now. If they are able to sense what Horikita is thinking and
what she wants, then the class it will be much stronger. "

"Why don't you do it, Kiyotaka? For me that would be the best solution."

"It is not always possible for me to move. I have to be prepared for unexpected
circumstances."

"What would be unexpected?

"Could it be a sudden illness or an unexpected expulsion? What are the chances?"

"That ...... Well, ...... Expulsion is one thing, but why a sudden illness?

I can't explain to him all the time.

If he cannot think to anticipate that situation, he will not advance in class.

"Somehow, now I understand. All we have to do is follow Horikita-san and make sure the
special exam runs smoothly."

"So, I'll give you some signs, that only Yosuke and Kei will understand."

54
There is an interval that allows discussion and free movement, so there are no problems in
that regard. However, in some situations it may be necessary to give instructions without
being perceived as being given. In situations where private conversation is not allowed, it is
possible to exchange signals by coughing or banging on the desk.

After they have learned the patterns, I look at Yosuke.

"One last warning to Yosuke if the five proposals go well, there will be no need, but if there
are less than two hours left and we have not yet passed the special exam, we may have to
resort to force."

I decided to tell Yosuke to get ready now so he doesn't get out of control at that time.

It was just after 10 p.m., the hectic day before the special exams seemed to come to an end.

I was in bed looking at my phone when I got a call.

Although the phone number is not registered, I am familiar with that number.

"Hello?"

"Sorry it's so late, can we talk for a moment?"

"Okay. We have spoken for a long time, President Sakayanagi."

Yes, the owner of this telephone number is the director of the Higher School of Advanced
Training.

"I know I have caused you a lot of trouble, but now you are safe." "I am glad

to know that you are well."

It must have been difficult for him. But I am surprised that he has managed to stay in school
in the face of so many difficulties.

"It just happened. If I hadn't been serious, I wouldn't be here now."

It is not necessary to mention his name to know that he is Tsukishiro, the man who has been
replacing President Sakayanagi.

"When everything was happening, I also had some doubts about your actions ....... I do not
want to talk about it today. In the future I will contact you and I have thought about letting
you know as soon as possible."

55
With that said, President Sakayanagi continues his story.

"You've heard that government officials and their families are being invited to the cultural
festival in unusual ways, haven't you? I couldn't stop it, even if I pushed."

If you have notified those involved, it is understandably difficult to remove it.

"It's nothing you should apologize for. I'm sure the students are looking forward to it."

It is a bit like a special exam, but it is in the realm of fun for the students.

That it ends up being just a cultural festival is another story.

"I'd like to tell you something about it ...... Actually, it's something that hasn't been
announced yet, but I've thought about letting you know before."

"What is it?"

"The October sports festival will be held as a preliminary step of the cultural festival. It was
decided on short notice that some guests would be welcomed there first."

"Guests at a sports festival?

It's a story that I never thought I'd hear.

"Normally the parents of the students go to see the festivals. In this sense, the position of
receiving the guests is no different ........

"I see".

It is true that when we watch television, we often see families with cameras and lunch boxes
prepared for sporting events.

"This is unprecedented, and there will be security concerns from leaving guests loose at a
festival."

Although it was a test, there must be serious preparation for the arrival of large numbers of
guests.

"The choice of people is entirely up to the higher ups, and there is no way to rule out the
possibility that your father was involved in it ...... So, in view of the danger he is in, I would like
to have a pair of observers by his side. "

"It's very nice of you, but I'm just one of the students at this school. I don't want any special
treatment."

"So what are you going to do when you meet the people he sends?" "I know it will be

difficult."

Of course, there is no way I can use force. It would be easier for them if they wanted to do it
in a secluded place, if they introduced themselves as officials of the

56
school in the presence of friends and acquaintances and they asked me to follow them, there was
no way to refuse. "

Who are you? No, you cannot simply ask if they are impostors.

"I understand that he is a student. But if you are expelled from this school in some way ......, I
am sure I will regret it. I want to avoid the remorse of not having done my best to avoid it."

"Even if it was on the orders of President Sakayanagi, it would not be natural to have a
supervisor."

"That is why I want to ask you not to participate in the sports festival."

"Absent…?

That is not what I had in mind.

"I am sure you understand that there will be inevitable absences due to illness from sports,
cultural festivals and other exams that can only be held on the same day."

"Yes. Even if the class is disadvantaged, there are no mandatory measures like expulsion,
right?"

We are all responsible for our own health, but there are unavoidable problems.

For smaller special exams, emergency measures can be taken, such as waiting for all
students in each grade to be present, but not for a sports festival involving the entire school.

"You will have to stay in the dorm on sick leave assuming you've had a medical checkup. Then
I can post a reliable guard outside the dorm without a problem."

If you are ill and have been ordered to stay in the bedroom, your colleagues will agree that
you have no other choice.

There are always guards who walk through the dormitories, students will not find it strange
to see a guard.

"With that, you can help me escape from that man's hands."

"Of course, there is another risk. As you have said, the young people in your class will be at a
disadvantage because of the lack of students."

The fact that you propose to lie with an illness is a sign of the president's generosity. It's nice
to see that you want to keep the deal to a minimum, without favoritism.

I appreciate the offer, but as soon as I heard about it I assumed I would have to say no.

But at the same time I had a new idea.

57
"Can you give me some time to think about it?"

"Of course I can't force you to do anything, so the final decision is yours…"

"I know. I'm seriously considering taking a sick day."

"Yes. I would like the answer a week before the sports festival. To make preparations."

It would take at least that long to organize the staff.

After the call, I thought about the possibility of holding a sports festival without me.

Of course, it is very possible that other classes or grades are absent that day. In fact, it is not
easy to get every student to sit every exam.

"No, I think I should focus on the special test before me."

This special exam can be more painful than any other special exam so far.

All the tests I have done so far have been ones that I could have taken any kind of measure.

But in this particular test, there is no "safe" strategy. You must believe

that your colleagues work together as one.

A cultural festival and a sports festival. There are new things to worry about that weren't
there last year, but it all starts with passing the special exam tomorrow.

"Come in, Kushida-senpai."

A few hours ago. After finishing classes, Kushida went to visit Takuya Yagami's room in the
first-year dorms.

The afternoon sun shines through the closed curtains. Kushida looked at the steam from the
freshly brewed tea on the table, but didn't take it.

"There is no poison or medicine in it, is there?"

"Can you go on with this, please?"

With a grim look, he pulls out his cell phone, not trying to hide his annoyance. "Sorry.

Well listen to it yourself."

58
When I pressed the play button, Chabashira-sensei's voice was heard explaining the outline
of the unanimous special exam announced to the second graders, but only in the middle of
the explanation.

And after silently listening to everything that was said in the class, including the examples,
Yagami handed the mobile back to Kushida.

"Kushida wants to expel Horikita Suzune and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. Isn't that what you said?"

Without needing to answer now, Kushida remains silent.

"I have been informed in advance by our senpais, but it is still a very simple special exam.
There are five proposals in total and you have five hours to complete them. What did you
think when you heard this? What did you think?"

"...... It's easy, isn't it?

"Yes, it is. It is supposed to be very easy for a special exam. However, the only punishment for
wasting time is severe. This must be because the school assumes that the exam is clear. The
closer the expiration time gets. , the closer unanimity will inevitably be. Whether you don't
like the election or not, everyone wants to avoid heavy sanctions. "

Yagami picks up the cup of tea, which is still steaming in front of Kushida.

"Well this is the question. We are already in the middle of our second year. I have always
wanted to expel them, but until now I have not had the opportunity to do so."

"I think you are partly to blame, but I will put that aside now." It won't gain anything

by lashing out at Yagami here, Kushida restrains herself. "Did you propose to

Horikita-senpai to be the leader?"

"Oh ....... As a leader? More or less. Although I'm sure he would have done it on his own
without me telling him."

"It is not good to leave things ambiguous. For Kushida-senpai it is important that Horikita-
senpai has the responsibility to make sure she gets the correct answers."

"What are you trying to say? Do you think you can expel Horikita next special exam? When he

asked her about it, she laughed and took a sip from her cup.

"That's right. I've listened to the recording to make sure I haven't missed anything or
misinterpreted anything, but now it's clear. At the next special exam ... ...... There is a good
chance that I will."

"...... How can you know that? The only way to expel someone is to let them accumulate
penalties in their personal voting time. Do you think Horikita would make such a mistake?
Not just Horikita. No one would make that mistake." .

59
"Of course, it is unlikely that someone would be foolish enough to be expelled for a
cumulative penalty. Of course, but from what I understood there are other ways to be
expelled."

"Eh what?"

"There is a possibility of expelling Horikita and, depending on the situation, Ayanokoji. I'm not
sure what to do with him. I'm sure you can find something that works for you."

Yagami mentions an example proposal that she hopes will be assigned in this special exam.

"Are you sure about that? Really?"

"Of course it is not the same word for word. But I think it is very possible that there are
proposals like the ones I just mentioned."

Tsukishiro hadn't told Yagami about this special exam, but after listening to the teacher's
explanation, he had an idea of what the proposals would be.

"There is only one way for Kushida-senpai to face a challenge like the one I just mentioned."

He then explains how he can corner Horikita and Ayanokoji on the subject.

"What do you think? Doesn't the word 'expulsion' make it visible? Sure you'll have the whole
class crying, but it's a small price to pay, right? What do you think?"

"Do you think I can ...... Do you think you can do it?"

"I think Kushida has the ability to do it, am I wrong?" "You have a pretty

high appraisal of me."

"I had to check it when I met you to see if you were someone I could use." "...... What does

that mean?"

"When we met, do you remember what happened?" I

was in a hurry at the time. "

"So what? Normally, you'd have doubts. Kushida and I are complete strangers who didn't
even know each other. And yet, she was able to get through the situation by improvising. So I
knew you were capable enough."

"But what if he had said, 'Who are you? I may just have forgotten. "

"I don't think so. If you don't know where you met, you may have been in the same institute.
If that's the case, there's a chance I might know my past. If I said," I met you from that
incident, "it would be a disaster. ".

To rule out such a possibility, Kushida immediately went to talk to him.

"If you find out that you have not gone to the same institute, but to an intensive school, for
example. If later you discover that it is a third-year student from

60
your neighborhood, the risk of it being someone you knew in the past is greatly reduced. You
can laugh at it as a misunderstanding. The first priority is to make sure you are from the
same high school, right? And it's easier to divert the conversation if the topic of the past
comes up. "

After you have drunk a quarter of the tea, place the cup on the table.

"Who the hell are you? How do you know about my past if we didn't even go to the same high
school? ......"

"I'm sure you will be suspicious, but think of me as a guest in a special position. However, yes.
My purpose is to play with Ayanokoji-senpai."

"What? To play with him?"

"Yeah, well, I don't think he knows anything about me at all. So far I have been able to try
various things without Ayanokoji-senpai knowing."

"What if I got angry when we first met and I didn't give you the answer you want? What
would you do?"

Kushida was curious to know what Yagami would do at that moment.

"That would seem interesting to me. I'm sure Ayanokoji-senpai would notice the difference
and look at me suspiciously. Maybe I could have greeted him earlier."

"...... Maybe you went to the same high school as Ayanokoji?"

"Well that's a minor matter for Kushida-senpai. Let's move on to the special exams now."

"I know. If the proposal you said comes up ...... I'll try it then." "I'll try… try…

weakness?"

"...... Weak? What do you mean weak?"

He got up, walked over and grabbed Kushida by the shoulders, who reflexively tried to run away.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

He tried to escape, but Yagami's power, which looked delicate, is stronger than he imagined
and he cannot move. "

"Listen to me well. Kushida-senpai is in more trouble than you think. Not only are you
surrounded by Ayanokoji-senpai and Horikita-senpai, but you also have my and Amasawa-
san's presence, as well as other people who may be cause for concern, that they continue to
threaten your daily safety and livelihood ...... Isn't it? "

"That is if".

Kushida stares at Yagami, who stares into her eyes without fear.

"Of course, it is not easy to kick a classmate out of this school. It is very difficult to expel
students. When you have the opportunity to expel someone through a special test like this, it
is a unique opportunity."

61
"I know. But if you go too far, you will put me in danger."

"So you have to be prepared for that. Kick him out or get kicked out." We are

under an advantage of fighting two to one.

"It is Kushida who must make the decision, of course. If I said this" If you do not want your
past to come to light, you must expel Horikita-senpai or Ayanokoji-senpai from school ", that
would be nothing more than a threat against the exam rules ".

"That is what I call a threat ..."

"I'm sorry. I'm not really trying to threaten you. But I think Kushidasenpai isn't ready for this
yet. You have to kick them out at all costs. If you don't succeed, you won't be able to avoid
being kicked out."

Taking her hands off her shoulders, Yagami returns to her position in her chair and sits
down.

"Let me clarify again. Senpai wants to expel those two. Doesn't she?"

When Yagami looks into his eyes again, Kushida's emotions are a mixture of strong anger
and frustration.

This is something that does not need to be confirmed.

It's what I've been wanting every day for a year and a half.

"...... Yes. I want to expel Horikita and Ayanokoji. I will definitely have them expelled!"

"I can feel it, I can finally confirm that Kushida's intentions are genuine."

Kushida has made up her mind. Kushida decides that she must expel Horikita and Ayanokoji as
soon as possible, and also Yagami, who talks about what she wants.

Problems

Ring-Ring-Ring.

The same alarm clock, which I have known for ten years, rang in my ear.

I reach out quickly and silently, and without caring, I press the button roughly to stop the
ringing.

In a fit, he fell off the mini table. He screamed for the last time. He's been hit by me so many
times that he's not weak enough to collapse over something like that.

"...... It's already 6:00 ......"

62
In the end I only slept about two hours and then it was dawn. I took off my pajamas, which I
had no idea why I had changed them, and walked with heavy steps to the sink in my
underwear. Picking up my alarm clock, I see that the cover that had been attached with a
tape had come off and a battery had fallen to the ground.

"'I think I was too abrupt. I will be more careful tomorrow, so forgive me."

Next, I stand in front of the mirror. "I have a

terrible face ..."

I don't think I can face the students in my current state. The dark circles are even more
noticeable today because I have slept especially little in the last few days.

After washing my face carefully, I pick up my cosmetics, which I usually hardly ever pick up. I
am somewhat ill ...... No, I cannot let my students know that I am in an unstable state.

As I pick up the bottle of lotion, I look at myself in the mirror.

"It is a pity".

I touch my cheek somehow.

The elasticity and tactile sensations that come off your fingertips are incomparable to what I
had when I was in school.

"They are getting old, just like me."

It's only been a little over ten years, but it's still ten years. It is an inescapable

reminder that I can never forget.

"It's a minor matter ...... It doesn't matter."

It is not that now he has understood the passage of time. I knew it from the beginning.

After recovering, I opened the lid and silently began to apply makeup.

This day was coming.

This is something that I assumed when I decided to be a

teacher. I knew it, but I wasn't really ready.

"Easy. This is not my fight. The situation is different than it was then. I'm sure my class will get
through it without problems. Yes, they will. There is no use being nervous."

I feel like my heart is beating faster and I try to convince myself that this is a totally different
situation.

It was a silly idea, but it made my heart beat faster and faster.

63
At this rate, I won't be able to last until the end of the special exam. I don't know what the
future holds.

"I'm ready…"

I rested both palms on the mirror, looked at my reflection, and murmured to myself.

A teacher's morning is surprisingly busy. At this school, we live in dormitories and work on
the premises, which means that we are close to the school, but there is a lot to do: prepare
for classes, check for calls, and sometimes check the quality of the water in the room. pool.
However, the start of my shift coincides with the start of classes, so it's a bit like working
overtime. After the individual preparations in the morning, we have a meeting with the
teachers.

The work doubles or triples right now, when special exams are held.

The school cannot afford to make any mistakes because it affects the lives of the students, or
part of it.

"The most important thing for us as teachers in this special exam is to be very careful about
classroom intervention. Please avoid any situation where you unintentionally help a student
in your class to protect him."

Mashima-sensei, who gathers the teachers from the four classes and audits this special
exam, warns them with a stern face.

"I was wondering if I could speak to you." "What

is it, Hoshinomiya-sensei?"

"I remember the last time ... The last time this exam was held, a year ago, there was a
shuffling policy to ensure that no teachers were with their class, right? So why this time the
teachers of classroom is still dealing with its own classroom? For the sake of fairness, I think it
should be changed. "

As for the reprimand, he feels that the school is enough to prevent the intervention of the
classroom teacher.

But surely it would be better to leave another teacher from a different class in charge.

Not many teachers would go to the trouble of risking their lives to help a rival class.

64
"Isn't it because they believe in teachers?"

Sakagami-sensei, who was listening in on the conversation, calmly analyzes the situation.

"Oh really?" Really?"

"...... I can't think of any other reason for the school's decision." "It's up to us,

right?"

All the special exams, there is nothing that we, the teachers, can decide. The decision
corresponds to the rector, President Sakayanagi, and those who participate in the
management of the school.

All we have to do is follow the rules and stick with them. But it doesn't seem to

add up, and Chie doesn't even try to hide her frustration. The master, who

could not bear this, opened his mouth in a low voice.

"'This is my personal opinion, but this special exam has the potential to look into the minds of
the students they hide. It is a mass of information. I think they thought that if it was passed
on to teachers in other classes, it would affect turn to the next special exam. "

"That means they don't believe in us as teachers."

"It can't be helped. It seems like three teachers in charge of this special exam have
experienced the same thing in the past ... Isn't that also the reason why you took care of each
of the classes in last year's survey? ? "

"That's what I mean".

Once again, the Chie seemed convinced, as if she had known from the beginning

"Hoshinomiya-sensei ...... Can I continue?

"Yes, yes, yes. I understand, so please go ahead."

He was clearly in a bad mood, but he resumed his explanation without giving up.

"If the control officer considers that you are giving advice, you will be warned. If it is
repeated, there will be a reduction in salary. And, although this does not worry you,
remember that, if it is discovered that you have intervened maliciously, deliberately taking
the students to make decisions that they should not have made, will be demoted in the worst
case. "

A special unanimous examination is a matter of choice. It is natural that the nature of the
special exam itself is questioned if the teacher leads with a certain option.

Of course, the teachers in other classes and I have no such intention.

As always, we don't get too emotionally involved with the students, we just move on.

65
Even if it is a special exam full of bitter memories, it does not change. "That's it.

Thank you very much for taking part in today's special exam."

Next, I tried to do my best to get through the morning classes.

I was the only one who thought it was business as usual, when in reality it probably wasn't.

I had no sense of time, and before I knew it, it was lunchtime. There's a half-eaten

meal on the staff room desk. When I was halfway through, my chopsticks completely

stopped working.

I put the rest of my lunch in a bag and put it away, I didn't want to be seen like this. Then

came the sound of afternoon classes, and the start of the day.

When I came out of the staff room, looking at the floor, the sound of footsteps coming from
behind me called out to me.

"It's time, Sae-chan."

"...... Chie."

"You've been like this since this morning, but I wonder if you couldn't sleep last night thinking
about the special exam."

He was clearly teasing me. It is best to ignore it.

"'This class has nothing to do with me. I don't really care if the students get through it easily
or not."

"Hmm? It doesn't seem to be the case."

"Well that's fine. But don't forget you don't deserve to be in class A."

As I walked away, Chie made no effort to hide the bitterness in her voice. I was too scared to
look up to the end.

September, 17th. After the lunch break. Less than three weeks after the summer vacation,
the next special exam arrived.

When I returned to the classroom about five minutes before the test started, there was already an
adult waiting for me in the classroom.

From the back of the classroom, he silently watches the students.

66
I was a bit surprised that I was not asked to sit in my seat, but in a designated seat for the
duration of the exam. I guess they are trying to be more strict with the rules. Interestingly, I
am sitting in the back of the class, by the window, where I sat in my freshman year. The rest
of the students are in ..... The rest of the students were randomly assigned to seats,
regardless of their location last year. They were just in similar seats. When I looked at
Horikita, who was already seated, I saw that she was still in the front row, which was almost
the same as her current seat, but one seat to the side.

Sato is sitting to my right and Onizuka is sitting across from me. Students start arriving one
after another.

67
The test that we are going to carry out is the "Unanimous Special Test".

It is a simple test in which you have to choose between five options from the school and
repeat them until you achieve unanimity, no more, no less.

There is not much to highlight in this special exam, and there are also few steps to take in
advance.

I engaged in the voting to avoid unexpected unanimity, as it is not possible to communicate

during the first round of voting, regardless of the nature of the matter. Paying attention to
the time limit to vote.

In case of dispute over which option to choose, or if you are confused, you can decide in
advance what to vote for.

Each one in the class cannot do much.

This means that there is almost no air of heaviness in the classroom.

The test is also perceived as easy because, ultimately, it is easily achievable for all
participants: "You just have to choose and press the voting button."

Of course, there is a bit of tension due to the special examination ....... The

tablet was well covered to avoid prying eyes.

Even if you peeked out from the seat next to you, you wouldn't be able to catch a glimpse of the
screen.

It is not possible to see the votes of others with their eyes, since they cannot stand up during
the vote.

Even if, by some means or accident, you could see the results of a third party's vote, it would
be another thing if you were able to put it into words and be believed. First of all, it is
impossible to make a fuss about who has voted for whom, since snooping is prohibited.

We have to face this special test head-on.

The tablets on the desks seemed to be off, and it was forbidden to even turn it on without
permission.

"Hey, hey, hey, if we're done in an hour or two, we're going to the Keyaki Mall."

"I'd love to, but I'm pretty sure I'll study in my bedroom. Can we go in the evening?"

Ike and Shinohara, who have become a close couple, talk about what they will do after
school.

Special exams that can be easily passed ...... However, it is questionable how many students
currently understand that it can become a difficult exam depending on the conditions.

69
The issue at hand is that the vote is anonymous. It is impossible to know who has voted for
which option, during the test or forever.

Total anonymity. It's about knowing what impact this factor will have on this particular test.

Anyway, the deadline for the special exam is five hours, from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., which is
a very long time.

For simplicity, you are allowed to spend one hour on each question.

It would not be surprising if, as Ike says, the special exams were completed in an hour or two.

And if you complete it within the time limit, you can easily get 50 class points.

On the other hand, if you cannot complete the test in 5 hours, you will lose 300 class points,
so getting all 5 questions unanimously is essential. Considering the nature of the test, the
small reward and the heavy penalty were understandable. I sit in my seat in the corner of the
classroom, it has about half the seats taken. Next to the podium, the instructor of this special
exam, Chabashira-sensei, and in the back who is responsible for the supervision.

"As previously communicated, we are removing all communications equipment."

Monitoring from the front and back, limit the luggage that can be brought and avoid spying
on the tablet. It is all a little more detailed than necessary. This is how they want to prevent
people from knowing who has voted for whom. It may sound harsh, but it is the right thing to
do. To reflect the genuine feelings of the students in the multiple choice system, to avoid this
security must be at 100%.

If there is a possibility of spying on them, the likelihood that they will succumb to peer
pressure increases.

I choose A, although I really would like to Choose B, but I do it because everyone else puts it
in A.

They don't want that to happen.

We attach great importance to the "individual will of the student", which is the meaning of
this special test.

However, this is not a positive step for students, as we all want to be unanimous, whether it is
peer pressure or not.

However, there is no room for fraud. Whatever

the issue, it must be unanimous. "Come on, Airi.

You have decided to tell him, right?"

70
Hmm? When I looked back into the classroom from the window, I saw Haruka push Airi from
behind.

"Oh hey Kiyotaka, ......! I ...... After school if you want ... can we talk?"

Nodding her head, Haruka looks at me "You know how to answer" right? I can see it in his
eyes.

"That ...... I was wondering if I could talk about the school festival."

"So that's it. I thought we would have to speak in person, so that's fine." "Oh, thank you!

I'll see you later."

After running away, Airi sits in a far seat and turns her back to me.

"He's calmed down somehow. He hasn't gotten over it, but he's trying to move on." He didn't

mention it in front of me and struggled to maintain eye contact.

"But it remains to be seen whether or not he will actually take it on. It depends on Kiyopon's
efforts ~".

"I will try to do everything I can." "Yes.

I'll see you after school."

They really take care of each other, rather, they've been together a lot lately.

Two minutes before the start, Chabashira-sensei begins to explain.

"It's about time. Due to the length of the day, there will be a maximum of four toilet breaks.
Basically, you can only take a break before the next task if you reach a unanimous
agreement. This means that they cannot be done. pauses in the middle of an assignment
where there is no unanimous agreement. Pauses are limited to a maximum of 10 minutes
each, but still count for the duration of the exam. It may be important to avoid pauses if
deemed necessary. "

All of us have already used the bathroom, as previously announced, so there will be no
problems for a while.

No student in the class seems to have had unexpected illnesses, such as stomachaches.

Now is the time for the special exam.

I thought so, but Chabashira-sensei, looking at the students, did not initiate the process. She is

somewhat clueless and distracted.

At first, the students were indifferent, but when they started looking at each other, the
teacher in the back of the room also noticed something unusual.

"Chabashira-sensei it's time to start."

71
"Oh yes. Sorry. We will now begin the special examination unanimously. From this moment
on, it will proceed according to the rules, which means that you will not be allowed to leave
your seats outside of the interval, and you will not be allowed chat at forbidden moments.
Courage. "

The monitor changes and the countdown begins at 26 seconds.

This was probably due to a slight delay in the start, but it did not affect the students.

Finally, when the count reached zero, the text changed to show the first proposal.

Proposal 1 - Choose the class you would like to face in the end-of-course exams for the
third term. (In case of class rank change, this selection will continue to have priority)

※ (The numbers in parentheses indicate the additional class points earned by winning the
challenge)

Choice Class A (100) Class B (0) Class D (0)

"This is an election to determine your opponent for the extraordinary tests to be held at the
end of the third semester of your sophomore year. As noted, if you unanimously choose class
A at this time, your opponent will be current class A. and any additional class points, even if
current class A drops to class B at the end of the school year. In case of disagreement
between all classes, the school will decide at random. "

In simple terms, you have the option to fight Sakayanagi, Ichinose, or Ryuen, and the
opponent you choose will not change.

"It's important to know which class you can win against. Of course, we can't always fight the
class we want ......"

If Horikita and her class nominated Sakayanagi's class A and Ichinose also nominated
Sakayanagi's class at the same time, does that mean that Sakayanagi's class will get the
choice of Horikita's class or Ichinose's class? And if the Sakayanagi class did not nominate any
of them, but the Ryuen class, then the choice of the Ryuen class must be confirmed. Again, if
Ryuen's class avoided Sakayanagi's class, the result would be a random combination in which
everything would not fit. Typically, you want to choose a lower class with less force. "

However, as you can see from the options, the treatment of the upper classes is a little
different.

If you are able to defeat a higher class, you will be rewarded with extra class points for doing
so. You will not get any additional rewards for fighting lower classes.

You don't normally want to fight Class A teams, but when you have these perks, it's worth
considering.

72
"Now we move on to the first round of voting. You have 60 seconds to cast your vote."

If these 60 seconds are missed, penalty time will be incurred.

Of course, as Horikita had decided and informed the class beforehand, the classmates voted
for their favorite option at their discretion, to avoid those problems the first time.

I have established something before with Horikita that I always vote for the first option, so I
have no hesitation in choosing class A. Horikita will choose class B, the second option.

It's never going to be unanimous at this point, but the other 37 votes will really tell you which
class you want to take on.

"As all the votes have been cast, the results will now be announced."Results of

the first round of voting:

Class A: 5 votes | Class B: 21 votes | Class D: 13 votes |

Instead of the lowest class, the D, the votes were concentrated in the class B, to which
Ichinose belongs.

"Since the vote was not unanimous, now there will be an interval."

From this point on, we are free to leave our seats for 10 minutes to establish contact with the
students or start a conversation. You may raise your voice a little or speak only into a
particular student's ear.

"Let me make a suggestion first so we don't waste time on the first task."

Horikita raises her hand, is sitting in front of Chabashira-sensei, gets up and turns around.

As you have been assigned to be the leader of this special exam, you took the initiative.

"Since the vote is divided, we all have our own opinions. Feel free to ask as many questions as
you want, and don't be afraid to express your opinions to the whole class."

Then, after a pause, Horikita begins to state her preferred option.

"The ideal opponent for me at the end of the school year would be class B. There were three
reasons why I think Ichinose is the ideal opponent: First, unlike Sakayanagi and Ryuen,
Ichinose is likely to be a fair match, a clash of sheer potential. Even if it's an irregular special
exam, we don't have to worry that it's not. Second, they are currently in class B. This gives
them an advantage over the other classes because you get extra class points in addition to its
rewards. The third and final point is that the class B title is

73
a screen. Since they are next to our class and Ryuen-kun's. At one point, his class points were
far apart, but now his class has dropped. I'm sure you can understand why. This is the ideal
way to compete with them. "

He spoke rather quickly, perhaps because he was concerned about the weather, but gave a
clear reason for his actions, which impressed the hearts of many of the students.

"If any student has any objections, I would like them to express their opinion here and now.
If, on the contrary, you think that class B is fine, then you can vote for class B as soon as
possible."

We would like the second vote on this issue to be unanimous.

Horikita's intentions manifest. In response, Yosuke also stands up.

"I agree with what you say, Horikita-san. The additional rewards for defeating Sakayanagi
and the rest of Class A are enormous, but there is no doubt that they are stronger opponents
than anyone else. And of course not. You have to discard the strong ties and strong fighting
style of Ichinose and company, but I think they are the best opponents. "

With the two pushing the vote for class B, the classmates begin to make up their minds.
Then, as if to make it final, another person, still seated, makes a suggestion for it to conclude.

"I think it's for the best. I don't think it's very nice to compete against Ryuen without an
additional reward, and we can't trust ourselves and go for Sakayanagisan's class."

Before any opposition could be raised, Yosuke and Kei quickly voiced their opinion by voting
for Class B. It could be said that they followed the planned plan, but it's probably safe to
assume that they also wanted to fight Class B. It's easy to see why, since in the first round of
voting Class B was the most voted.

The interval, which lasted almost six more minutes, ended up without different opinions.

Checking that the time was up, Chabashira-sensei resumed the exam.

74
"The time has expired and we are going to move on to a second vote. As soon as the tablet
screen changes, you have 60 seconds to cast your vote. As explained before, the penalty time
will accumulate after 60 seconds. Be careful ".

This precaution was unnecessary, since the second time everyone had voted in less than ten
seconds.

The results were immediately reflected and displayed on the monitor.Results

of the second round of voting:

Class A: 0 votes | Class B: 39 votes | Class D: 0 votes |

Luckily Koenji didn't vote for another class, and he couldn't have started better than getting a
unanimous agreement for the first time.

"Unanimously, the first task is confirmed as the choice of class B. I will report the class for the
final exam as soon as it has been officially decided, which will be after tomorrow."

In just 10 minutes or so, they had completed one of the five tasks. And we were able to vote
for class B, which was what Horikita wanted.

For me personally, if I had to choose a class to fight, I would have chosen the Ichinose class
without a doubt.

The reason is that, well, Horikita has said everything and there is nothing to add.

Now we just have to wait for Sakayanagi's and Ryuen's classes to match, but Ichinose's class
is sometimes an easy target, so we could have three classes competing. Hopefully Ichinose's
class prefers Horikita's without a problem.

"I don't think they want a break, but I have to make sure. They don't mind if we move on to
the next task, do they?"

Of course, the second task begins immediately, since no one from the student body objects.

"Now let's move on to the second proposal."

Proposal 2 - Choose a destination for the school trip planned for the end of November.

Options: | Hokkaido | Kyoto | Okinawa |

What is this? I heard a student say.

76
As this is a situation where you cannot speak, his voice is quickly drowned out by the look he
receives from Chabashira-sensei.

But it is undeniable that many students thought "What the hell". Still, you

have to vote first before you can talk about it.

You have to really think for yourself which option to choose before voting.

"This vote is similar to the previous one and is not final. The result may change depending on
the situation of the three remaining classes, so keep that in mind."

Results of the first round of voting:

| Hokkaido 17 votes | Kyoto 3 votes | Okinawa 19 votes |

With the exception of Kyoto, the survey results were much tighter than before.

"As the vote was not unanimous, now we will have an interval."

"Hey hey hey, can you call this a special test? I mean, it's so easy, it's like ...... It's so easy!"

When the interval came, Hondo laughed as if he had lost his tension and said.

It is true that the first and second questions need not be so ostentatiously formulated. They
can be summarized in the course of the class.

There have only been two questions. But the second question is still.

When this is over, two-fifths of the special exams will have been completed.

Everything was too easy. Many students begin to relax rather than get nervous.

However, it is interesting to note that some students become more anxious the more they
are in these situations.

The representatives are careful and thoughtful students like Horikita and Yosuke.

As everyone laughs and discusses which way to go, they take the task seriously.

I guess that's true. It is hard to believe that a task like this, which could have gone in any
direction, could have lasted until the end. In fact, the easier the first part is, the more
pressure there will be in the second.

With this in mind, I watched the interval in silence.

"I think we all have our own thoughts. But let's focus on this task first."

77
Translated from Spanish to English - www.onlinedoctranslator.com

In order not to be distracted, Yosuke reunites the entire class.

The first time I voted for option 1, Hokkaido, as promised, but now what should I vote for?

The problems are the same. This means that there will always be two kinds of votes for either
option.

It is, without a doubt, an important vote when deciding where to go on a school trip.

"Horikita-san seems that opinions are divided. Do you have any advice?"

Kushida was worried about Horikita who, unlike before, did not speak immediately. But
Horikita was able to reply immediately, and for a moment she was silent.

"Horikita-san?"

When Kushida calls his name again, Horikita responds hastily, looking worried.

"I'm sorry. I've gotten a little lost in my thoughts. ...... It's not a complicated choice, but I
thought it might be difficult to make it unanimously. School trips are an important event for
us as students, and of course I can't sum up destiny in one word. "

We promised to follow the leader if things go wrong, but that doesn't mean that Horikita can
decide on her own where to go on the school trip. It is a difficult choice considering that it is a
matter of preference rather than of merit.

"Anyway, we'll have to start by getting their opinions on where they want to go."

As if he's been expecting him, Sudo raises his hand.

"I want to talk. I chose Okinawa. Okinawa is the best place for a school trip by sea, right? It is
the most voted, so I think it is the right choice, don't you think?"

"Wait a minute. I agree that Okinawa is a favorite, but so is Hokkaido. The votes are close.
Many want to go skiing, right?"

Maezono, who has probably voted for Hokkaido, told Sudo in opposition. "I'd like to go to

Okinawa. I want to snorkel!"

"I've been to Okinawa several times, so Hokkaido is ..."

Two destinations with a very tight vote count are beginning to disagree head-on.

It is understandable that we are critical of other options because we have chosen a

destination that we both think is the best for us.

"Hokkaido is all snow, right? It's absolutely boring."

"Well if that's the case, there is nothing but sea in Okinawa, right?"

78
After a few minutes of seemingly endless debate, Yosuke chimed in.

"Hokkaido and Okinawa are equally popular destinations for school trips, so it's
understandable that there are some conflicts. ...... We should be a little more considerate of
each other."

Yosuke asks him not to speak out of place.

At first, we talked about how good our choice was, but then we began to look down on the
other person's choice.

"You chose Hokkaido, right, Hirata-san?"

"Hey Hirata, you chose Okinawa, right?"

"What? Um, ...... what?

Pressed between the two groups, Yosuke seems concerned. "That's

a vow ...... Secret ...... Right?"

In this situation, it is difficult to say which one you choose. In a way, it's a nice moment of
anonymity.

"Okinawa is the only place where you can swim in November. Don't you want to go to the
beach?"

"I'm sick of the sea. I've had enough of the desert island test. Absolutely Hokkaido!"

Once suspended, the debate soon heated up again.

The exchange between Sudo and Maezono can be considered as the opinions of the whole
class.

"What should we do, Horikita-san?

With a worried look, Kushida asks Horikita for help. "Yes, it is a

sensitive subject."

The difficulty of unanimity. Maybe that's why the question was chosen in the first place.

There is no easy way to choose your destination, and the ten minute interval is coming to an end.

By the way, I plan to vote for Kyoto this second time.

Kyoto has a deep history. I really wanted to see the sights.

"Now that the second round of voting is over, we will show the results."

79
Results of the second round of voting:

| Hokkaido 18 votes | Kyoto 4 votes | Okinawa 17 votes |

"Oh, it's Hokkaido backwards! We did it. We did it." "Who the hell has changed

from Okinawa to Hokkaido?"

It was a nearly fifty percent cast, although Hokkaido had slightly more votes than the other
two.

However, both the Hokkaido and Okinawan groups begin to argue about the votes they have
moved.

If we try to solve the problem at this rate, we will not be able to solve it no matter how much
we vote.

The only sad thing is that Kyoto is not talked about at all. You just got one more vote .......

If so, Horikita's vote may not have been influenced by her first choice of Kyoto. Of course,
Horikita may have voted for Hokkaido or Okinawa and someone else voted for Kyoto, so we
can't be sure. If Hokkaido had won twice in a row, Okinawa would have won the first.

"It's useless. I suppose we'll have to decide through a game. Three people who want to go to
Hokkaido and three others who want to go to Okinawa. They choose a representative and
play rock-paper-scissors. However, in the case of Kyoto, where the number of votes is low, it
will be one person. It is somewhat tough, but it is best to keep order as much as possible. "

Of course, it is not fair that Kyoto, a minority, can compete on equal terms with the other two,
because it would be very unfair.

If we want to put it together without coercion and without time, should we do it like this?

Some frustration is inevitable, but if you set the rules up front, follow them.

The contestants are soon being chosen, although there are some disputes over who will be
the rock-paper-scissors representative.

Hokkaido team: Maezono, Ishikura, Shinohara. This is a women's team. Okinawa team:

Onodera, Hondo, Sudo. This was a mixed gender team.

"Now we just need someone to play rock-paper-scissors with whom I voted for Kyoto."

Horikita wishes to have a representative. Then a man raises his hand completely.

80
"If no one else goes, I will go as a representative. I will take you all to Kyoto." It was

Keisei who made a strong statement of intent and launched into the fight.

One of the students who chose Kyoto who expresses himself. Kyoto is also my chosen
destination for school trips.

I charge you, Keisei. It will be a tough fight, but you will win…. You will get over it.

In order to vote in time for the third round, Jan-Ken-Pong was quickly played.2, and Maezono,
Keisei, and Onodera began.

The Okinawa team easily won the match. The Kyoto team's dream was shattered in an instant
and they left the battlefield disappointed.

It was a fleeting moment, less than ten seconds after Keisei was announced.

I witnessed the moment when Horikita put her hand on her forehead and sighed, and I was convinced
that she was one of those who wanted to go to Kyoto.

The game continued as if the Kyoto wannabes had never existed in the first place. Onodera,
who had beaten them both in the first game, won two games in a row, beating Ishikura.
However, Shinohara who was the last, successively defeated Onodera and then Hondo in an
unexpected turn of events.

Then there was a battle between 2 people, in which both sides stared at each other.

"Definitely Okinawa! Soki soba3! Shisa4! Love5! Okinawa! "" Definitely,

Hokkaido! Kani6! Onsen7! Suki8! "

Each one clenches their fists, saying something that we don't quite understand. When both

fists are raised, the choice is the same Pong. It's a tie.

I would like to leave it in a draw, but it is not possible, both parties stop moving and take a
break.

We are deciding where to go on a school trip, but it is unusually tense. "First Jan! Then

Ken! And Pong!

They clashed for the second time. Sudo made a mighty Jan.

At the other end, Shinohara threw a brilliant pong for the second time in a row. "Yes! We

are in Hokkaido! Hokkaido!

2 Rock-Paper-Scissors, the order would be reversed Scissors-paper-Rock

3 Pork rib noodle soup
4 Lion statue placed at Okinawa entrances as a talisman

5 Diving

6 Crabs

7 Thermal waters
8 Ski

81
At the same time, the Hokkaido group raised their hands in victory. "What are you

doing, Sudo?"

"Wow, that's bad ..."

Not to be pessimistic, but this class's vote went to Hokkaido. If the other classes vote for
Okinawa or Kyoto, it will be that.

Horikita understands this is not the kind of environment to say it in. When

voting for the third time, everyone presses their tablets at the same time.

Results of the third round of voting:

| Hokkaido 39 votes | Kyoto 0 votes | Okinawa 0 votes |

"The third vote was unanimous, so the second proposal is clear."

Despite the discontent of about half of the members, a fair fight based on a set of rules
managed to achieve unanimity in the third round of voting.

Although Kyoto is not in their plans, and they are looking forward to going to Hokkaido,
depending on what happens in the other classes, Kyoto and Okinawa could be in their plans.

Anyway, it was a proposal that made me look forward to the study trip, wherever it may be.

"Now let's move on to the third proposal."

Chabashira-sensei's appearance was the same, but there was a slight change in the tone of
her voice.

This may be a turnaround from the easy challenges we've had so far.

Proposition 3 - Instead of receiving private points for class points each month, 3 random
students in the class will receive protection points. Alternatively, the private points will
be cut in half, but only one person will receive a protection point, if they do not want
either option, the bottom five ranked in the next written exam will receive 0 private
points. "

Whichever option is chosen, the period of loss of private points will last for six months.

82
Unlike the previous two tasks, this one has included a large number of advantages and
disadvantages within the class. Option 1 has a higher payoff in terms of private points lost,
but the fact that it is given to a random student cannot be overlooked.

Protected points are a very powerful system, but depending on your point of view, some
students may end up not needing them for three years. If given to those students, they can
end up being a waste of money.

Option 2 is not much better either, as it halves the amount of Private Points you receive. In
addition, only one student will be awarded. However, being able to choose any student is an
important factor.

Option 3 is an option that minimizes the loss of private points. This will be the option to
choose if you decide that the protection points are too high, or if you don't need them in the
first place. However, it is important to remember that even with five people there is still a
downside.

It will be necessary to take into account not only the calculation of losses and gains, but also the
situation of the class.

Some students may have a lot to say, but you have to vote first.

"Before we vote, let's talk about the case where the vote is unanimous on option 2, that is,
the option to give to a particular student. If the vote is unanimous on option 2, then proposal
3 is completed and We move on to the next option, which is to choose a student. You
remember the example, right? "

A student is chosen in the interval and a vote is taken for or against awarding him the point.
If the vote is unanimous in favor, the student will receive a protection point, if it is unanimous
against, the student will no longer have any chance in that task. The rest of the group
members will then discuss the question and choose a winner. If the vote is unanimous, the
student receives a protection point.

"Based on those results, we will announce the results of the first round of voting."

Results of the first round of voting:

| 12 votes for 3 random names | 5 votes for 1 chosen name | 22 votes for none |

The result of the first round of voting appears to be that the majority are willing to give up
their protection points in exchange for some inconvenience. It is true that the five students
who will lose their private points are already defined as the last five in the written exam. For
students who do not fall into that category, it is a risk-free part of the process. On the other
hand, some may

83
think that it is better to get protection points anyway, even though they will not get any
private points for 6 months.

"Hey, wait a minute! I don't understand anything!"

"'Me too! If there are no protection points, only five people lose!"

Ike and Sato were the first to speak. Ike and Sato were the first to speak, as they were the
students who seemed to be underperforming.

"Well, it can't be helped. It would only be that they didn't transfer you points for six
months ........ Besides, you have a probability of getting protection points, it's not that
someone in particular gets it ....... So, sacrifice yourself, Kanji. "

Sudo tells him this with a smug tone, which is no longer in the top 5 academically.

"It's not fair! I need all the private points I can get right now!"

"You're not going to tell me that you're saying it to pay for dates with Shinohara, are you?" "Huh?

Huh? Really, how do you think? My God ......."

It appears to be something of life and death, although it seems that it is not for the reason
mentioned.

"It's settled. It's unanimous, there are no points." "I

can't accept that! That's a problem!" "'Then study.

That will solve it."

"Gu ...... I don't know, I can't accept what you say Ken!"

Of course it is important to study and get out of the lower ranks, but no matter how many
points you get, you cannot change the fact that five people will be killed.

"I understand what you mean, but it is too early to be pessimistic. The only thing we can do is
minimize the amount of Private Points we lose and make up the difference between us. For
the 5 classmates who will lose Private Points each month, the 34 students The rest can make
up the difference. That way, no student will be the only one to suffer, right? "

For simplicity, suppose a student earns 50,000 points per month, which means 250,000
points are lost for five students. The remaining 34 students score 1.7 million points, which,
divided by 39 and rounded to the nearest whole number, gives 43,589 points.

The loss is inevitable, but it is only about 6,500 points per head. Even though

it lasts six months, the stress for each student will be minimal. "Well, okay

then ......."

"I don't have to share, but I guess I can."

84
He wasn't happy, but he was willing to help Ike in whatever way he could.

Since many of the students wanted to choose the option without the grant, they naturally
began to agree to stay with option 3. But then, Yosuke spoke.

"What do you think is better, Horikita-san?"

"It's a tough decision, to be honest. Protected points can be a very powerful tool to avoid
expulsion. But the same can be said for private points. Do you think differently, Hirata-kun?"

"It's just an opinion, but I think we should get protection points for this challenge. For three,
of course."

"If I don't get any private points for six months, it's a huge blow. Not only would it put a lot of
stress on my daily life, but it could also affect my special exams if the situation warranted it."

It is undeniable that private points can make the difference between victory and defeat.

"We can protect three people in the event of unforeseen circumstances. There are very
limited times when protection points can be earned and they are very valuable because you
cannot simply put a price on them."

It is not difficult to understand why Yosuke is somewhat passionate about his speech. The
value of protection points that can prevent expulsion is actually up to 20 million private
points.

It is not often that you get a chance to get three of them.

For Yosuke, the value of money is irreplaceable, especially when it comes to his friends.

It is a different story than the destination on a school trip, and one that is not easily
unanimous.

It is difficult to predict the course of the class at any destination, but this point of protection is
also important for the entire class. If you get them, you can save someone else's expulsion.

"I'm sorry, but I have to give my opinion."

At that moment, Keisei got up and voiced her opinion.

"In the next six months we are going to accumulate class points, right?"

"Of course. There is no time to stagnate when it comes to reaching a higher class.

"In addition to this special exam, you get 100 points if you get the best sales at the cultural
festival. You also get similar points for the festival.

85
sports,…. By the end of the second semester, we may have earned more than 200 points, or
even 300 points, depending on the situation. Can I think that?

"You are right".

If we increased by 300 points at the end of the year, the class points would recover to the
point that we would undoubtedly have 1000. The total amount of private points awarded in
the next six months would then be about 20 million points, which it represents an increase of
around 50% compared to the current level.

If you think about it, the maximum value of a single Point of Protection is six months of class
income. It is a beautiful figure that seems to have been calculated. However, if you choose
three protection points here, you get it at about 7 million private points per protection point.

It's a fine line, isn't it?

And the least likely, that can be given to a person instead of half the points, seems like a good
combination of advantages and disadvantages, but it is actually the worst cost and the most
difficult to choose. However, the fact that it is the only one with the advantage of being able
to give it to a specific student is an important factor.

However, if the decision is to give it to a single person, what you expect is, of course, a
unanimous vote.

If this option is skipped and approved, there is the possibility of a dispute over who to grant it
to.

"The idea of prioritizing private points is an offensive strategy, while the idea of prioritizing
protection points is a defensive strategy, is that right?"

When Kushida asks them to resolve the situation, the three people who are standing now
nod almost simultaneously.

"But if you don't use your protection points, you run the risk of it being an expensive
purchase, right? If I'm correct ......."

That way. It would be inevitable not to think like that.

"Yes. If you never use it, it is worthless. Of course there is a sense of security and relief in
having a point of protection, but ......"

"It may or may not have value. Even if it ends up being unnecessary in its original use, it can
be used as a surprise attack or self-destruction using the strategy of deliberately spending
protection points. It could be used not only for protection, but also for offensive purposes."

I can understand why Keisei tells us that protection points can be used in different ways.

It is also a great advantage to be able to defend yourself against expulsion.

86
But we won't know what the special tests are until later, without seeing the big picture.

There is no guarantee that we will ever have a chance to put it to good use.

But this proposal, or rather the special examination, is deeper than I thought.

The content of the proposal is the same for all classes, but certain points of the proposal
change depending on the classification and status of the class.

If the class points were equal to zero, it was unanimous that we would have the option of
obtaining three protection points without any dispute. This would have given the other
classes a chance to follow suit. On the other hand, class A, which ranks first, would have to
pay more than the other classes.

Each task may seem less important than the last, but the gap can certainly be closed.

On the other hand, the first and third options can be considered somewhat unfavorable for
class A.

"So, Yukimura-kun. So you're saying that we should give three people protection points?"

To do a final check and narrow down the options, Horikita takes the floor.

"No ... no ... I'm going for the second option. I'll take the second option, which is to give a
point of protection to any student."

Horikita is surprised by the fact that she wants option 2, which was thought to be the most
unlikely.

"Does that mean, for lack of a better word, we grant it to you?"

"I'd be very happy if you did. But that's not realistic. I'd like them to grant it to me, because
that's basically what we would all want."

If a hand is asked to be raised, it is not surprising that the whole class raises their hand.

"It is difficult to choose a specific person. But no matter how good a deal it is, if you give
protection points to three people at random, you never know how effective they will be."

"You seem to have a clear idea of who you want to give to. Who do you want to give to?"

"To who?"

"If you want to make a strategic decision ...... Horikita, I don't think there is anyone but you."

He told her clearly that it should be her.

"...... Me?"

87
"Yes. Now you are the leader of this class and we have no complaints about your
performance in 0AA. In the future you will have to compete with people like Sakayanagi and
Ryuen, and being a leader is one of the most dangerous things you can do. It is not. No
wonder those two people have goals like expulsions. So by granting a protection point, you
can fight with a strategy without hesitation against strong opponents from other classes. I
imagined such a situation. "

Normally, there would have been a protest, but naturally the companions listened.

Because he had a solid reason, not a random one.

"That's not the only reason. If you have a point of protection, there is a risk that they won't
take it seriously. But I don't think you're that kind of person ....... That's what I felt."

It is not just about giving it to someone who is good at what they do, but to someone who
can do even more for the class after giving it to them. Like Horikita, says Keisei.

"I know what you're saying, but ...... it's expensive, okay?"

If that option is accepted, the private points will simply be reduced to half their value for a
period of six months.

It's no wonder some students feel like Hondo.

"I feel like I'm losing money because I think I'm just losing private points. This is an initial
investment. Horikita will convert it into more class points than you pay for this option.
Doesn't it make you feel better?"

"It's a great buy ....... What if you don't use it in a good way?"

"'I don't think you can beat Class A safely. I've been fighting at this school for a year and a
half."

"'Hmph. That's good, isn't it? I'm with you on this, Glasses-boy."

Koenji, who thought he had nothing to do with this special test, showed his approval in
words.

"For the protection points we will give, Horikita Girl should make better use of it than anyone
else."

"You have a point of protection, but you don't seem to push yourself."

"Hard work is for ordinary people9"Even if Sudo told him, he is the same

as Koenji.

9 NT: It is a hdp but I love it.

88
Anyway, it is great that we have enlisted the support of Koenji, who seems to be the biggest
obstacle.

I was thinking about option 1 or 3, but I agree with Keisei's arguments.

Above all, if you disagree here, you must have a good reason.

Simply not wanting to lose private points is not the same as going against the benefit of the
class.

In the atmosphere created by Keisei, comes the next question from voting time.

Results of the second round of voting:

| 0 votes for 3 random people | 39 votes for 1 person | 0 votes for no person |

It was a brilliant interlude and Keisei's idea was adopted.

The only complication is that, in the case of the individual's choice, an interval is set, which is
a bit troublesome.

This time, no student appeared to object to Horikita receiving a point of protection, so the
interval was left for the students to speak freely and kill time. Without the need for a
nomination vote, it was decided that Horikita would run for office herself and become the
specified person.

And without any alteration, the vote was unanimous with 39 votes in favor of Horikita.

It was an issue that we thought would be difficult to resolve, but the fact that it was passed
more easily than expected is significant.

"Topic 3 is closed. For the next six months, all private point transfers will be equal to half
price, but Horikita will receive one point of protection at this time."

Of course, we cannot make use of it in this special trial, but this has managed to give Horikita,
our leader, valuable protection.

It is not cheap, but it is not too expensive either.

Proposal 4 - The following rules selected by the class will be applied in the written exam
at the end of the semester

89
Options: | Increased difficulty | Increased sanction | Reduction of rewards |

What an unpleasant proposition to answer. None of

this is a disadvantage for the class.

If it had been a time when private conversation was allowed, there would have been a lot of
complaints.

Results of the first round of voting:

| 6 votes to increase the difficulty | 18 votes to increase penalties | 15 votes to decrease

rewards |

All of them are basically options that we do not want to choose, and the vote is divided.

This was followed by a heated debate between students who were confident on the written
test and those who were not, and it seemed that the proposal was going to be prolonged, but
the second vote led to a unanimous result with the option to "increase the penalty".

Horikita's strong persuasion that it wouldn't be difficult to avoid the penalty if she worked
diligently also seemed to work.

With a time limit of 5 hours, we reached the last task in an hour without much concern.

Many of the students thought they had already passed the exam, given the constant stream
of questions. Once the last question is completed, the special exam is resolved and class
points are awarded.

However, if there is a concern, it is the status of the classroom teacher. "Well

then ...... Next is the final task."

As the task progressed, it was clear that the color of the tea column was changing for the
worse. It is also clear to the students that he has reached his peak and that he is pale.

"Sensei, is it okay?"

Although the proposal has not yet been announced, private conversations are unacceptable.

90
But Yosuke decided that he couldn't ignore it. "......

That?"

"Sensei, you obviously don't feel very well." "......

Really? No, it's like that."

It does not appear to be a bluff.

In other words, they don't even realize that something is wrong with themselves. Or

should I say, they are unconscious.

Anyway, if you say it feels good, Yosuke has to back off.

The final task will likely begin at this point, as the teachers watching behind them are not
moving.

But one thing is for sure. But one thing is for sure, the next proposal has a lot to do with your
current physical condition.

"And now the final task. Prepare to vote."

He says so, and Chabashira-sensei works the tablet in his hand while adjusting his breathing.

Then the final proposal appeared before us.

Proposal 5 - You get 100 class points, in exchange for expelling a classmate (if the vote
is unanimous, identify and vote the student who will be expelled).

Options: | In favor | Against |

For the final task, there are only two options.

At first glance, it is easy to think that the smaller the number of options, the easier it is to
decide.

But, in reality, the number of options does not have much influence.

If there are many strangers in the room, or if it is not possible to have a discussion, the
number of options is not good, but in our class we can have a discussion.

The important thing is always the content of the proposal.

Withdrawal or class points

This was one of the worst challenges I could have imagined.

The students, who are not allowed to speak to each other, must have been upset when they
read the proposal in their minds.

91
If you vote in favor of this challenge, it means that one of your classmates will be expelled from
school.

Under normal circumstances, the entire class should vote "no" without hesitation.

100 class points is not a small amount, but most of us would rather not have one of our
classmates expelled.

If it were a majority vote, a single vote, with a majority against, would probably be enough to
end it.

However, the last four questions have shown that this does not work. This is the

unanimous point, simple but difficult.

"Now we will start the 60 second count: ...... Everyone, please start voting."

There was no time to lose and the second voting period began.

If the vote is unanimous, the selection of retired fellows from this class will begin shortly.

Again, of course, hardly any student would want to do that. 100 class

points. They are not easy points to get.

If this had been in the third semester of my junior year, when there were only one or two
special exams left, I would not have been in the same frame of mind as I am now.

The value of these 100 points is triggered when the battle is as close as a single point. At that
point, it could be a battle between two definitive options.

But the situation is different now. This is not a time when almost everyone is unsure about
voting "no."

However, it is true that there are some concerns, even about Koenji. So here I am,

with my hands off my tablet, thinking slowly.

The agreement with Horikita is that, in the first vote, whatever the issue, my role is to vote for
option 1. However, if 38 people, including Horikita, now vote no, it is better to combine them
into 39 votes by voting no. no interval.

It is a task that must be completed quickly and without unnecessary complications.

There is no guarantee that a single discussion will not make some students lose their minds
by 100 points.

Just for this task, I decided that an interval was unnecessary.

After a period of time close to 60 seconds, a notification will appear that all votes have been
cast.

"...... Now that everyone has voted, we will tell you the results."

92
Despite the obvious anomalies, Chabashira-sensei maintains her posture and keeps moving
forward.

Results of the first round of voting:

| 2 in favor | 37 against |

Not unanimous, huh?

I take my finger off the button and silently watch the results.

Chabashira-sensei, who should be reading the results, remains motionless, staring at the
monitor, just like the students. The results are amazing ...... I'm not sure what to make of it.

There is no guarantee that we can achieve unanimity in one go without an interval.

On the other hand, perhaps it is the challenge itself that is worrying Chabashira-

sensei. "Professor Chabashira. Please proceed."

From behind, the teacher warns Chabashira-sensei, that time is flowing, even for a few
seconds.

"...... I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Er, ...... Two votes in favor, one against. As the vote was not
unanimous, we went to an interval."

Two votes in favor?

"Who the hell voted for? Are you kidding me?" Sudo's strong gaze is one-

sidedly directed at Koenji.

Despite his comments on protection points, Koenji did not rank high, but the nature of the
task was such that he must be right.

Of course, that's the way Sudo views things, but I'm sure many students would agree.

"What did you vote for, Koenji?"

"Do I have to answer?"

"If you don't want to answer, it means you voted yes, right?"

"Don't be so critical, Red Hair. First of all, according to Horikita Girl, it can be arbitrarily
chosen in the first round of voting. I don't think there is any reason to complain either."

After a good discussion, Sudo reveals himself.

93
"If a vote is for Koenji, it means that there is another guy who has voted yes, right?"

Ike pays attention that there is one vote left, even if Koenji is excluded.

"That is also a problem. Who is it?"

Sudo also asked annoyed, as if he couldn't see the other.

"Don't panic. One of the people who voted yes was Ayanokoji-kun."

"What? Ayanokoji? How can you say that, Suzune?"

"I have kept it a secret until now, but before this special examination began, he and I reached
an agreement on the vote. We agreed that, whatever the issue, the first vote would not be
unanimous."

Upon reaching the last task, Horikita mentions the content of the preliminary meeting.

There is surely no advantage to keeping it hidden when it reaches this stage.

Obviously, it is more useless to spend time and effort figuring out who a vote is. "To avoid

unanimity in unexpected elections, right?"

Yosuke added a few words to clarify to the students that they didn't quite understand.

"Yes".

"...... Is that so? But in that case you should have told me before."

"It doesn't work like that. The first round of voting, in which you are not allowed to speak, is
an important opportunity to get a real idea of what your colleagues want. If you know that
the plan is not to have a unanimous vote from the beginning "Some students can vote
randomly. I wanted to avoid it. It's their job to vote for the first option. I would vote for the
second option. That's why only one person voted yes."

Looking around the classroom, Horikita speaks.

"It is a bit radical, but it is each one who decides the direction of their vote. I do not think it is
wrong to vote for something to earn class points. However, we should all vote against as a
class. If you have any objections I would appreciate it if you would raise it here as you have
done in the past ...... What do you think? "

Typically, this is where students who have voted in favor show up.

However, no one answers Horikita's questions, no matter how long she waits.

"How long are you going to keep your mouth shut, Koenji?

"Yes. As I've said before, please, I don't want you to assume I'm in favor of this." Shut up. I

know you're screwing with me anyway. "

94
If not for Koenji, it may not be difficult for you to identify Sudo's anger.

If the vote is unanimous in favor, the vote will begin to expel a person from the class.

That is, someone who wants to earn 100 class points by expelling one of their classmates.

It would attract attention and criticism in a bad way. I

don't want anyone to think that way.

"It's enough".

"Calm down, Sudo. It's just the first vote, no need to panic." "Yes, but! I don't like the fact

that they voted for this option."

"It is up to you to interpret it like that. But I can't be sure that it was Koenji-kun who voted
yes, I have interpreted it as a sign of apology for not showing his face. As it is an anonymous
vote, we are not going to go too deep at this point. That will be enough. "

The proposal was clear. Horikita seems to have decided that there is no need to spend more
time on it.

As I've been thinking, not chasing after him is one of the best things we can do.

"There is no need to continue discussing this issue. Come on, let's finish it in the next vote."

Seeing Horikita's calm, Sudo slapped both cheeks once as if to discipline himself. After a bit of
disjointed jokes, it was time to vote a second time.

"The 60 second poll will start now."

The LCD screen changes to show the For and Against buttons.

It looks like the voting has been completed in about 20 seconds, instead of 60 seconds for
everyone.

"...... Voting is closed and the results of the second round of voting will be displayed"

Result of the second vote: | 2 in favor | 37 against |

Until that moment, the special exams had never created a strong sense of tension. However,
by the time the results were announced for the second time, it was clear that the atmosphere
had frozen. Again, the result was two votes in favor.

95
It means that the vote did not move after the explanation given above. This fact is

transmitted to us by a monitor.

"Wait ...... what does this mean?"

While saying that, Horikita was the only one who looked at

me. Why have I voted a second time? So he thought.

Sudo and the other students who have just realized and understand the situation also look at
me.

"I have voted no in the first ballot and now in the second."

"What? Oh hey, what is that? Ayanokoji was supposed to choose the first option, right?"

"Oh. But due to the nature of the proposal, I decided it would be best to vote against it the
first time. I didn't tell them because I didn't want to cause any unnecessary confusion."

If there were two in favor in the first vote, the number of dislikes would increase.

The reason for this is that we can't say it's just a joke on Koenji anyway.

Horikita, who had remained calm at all times, was a bit flustered. "So ...... So there are at least

two people who think it's a good idea." Horikita raises her hand to her lips and thinks.

You may want to stop and think, but interval time is precious.

"If you are going to continue voting in favor of expulsion, why don't you tell us exactly why
you are in favor? As you can see, all but two people have voted against. If you want everyone
to vote yes, you will have to make a fair presentation. "

The basis for influencing votes is discussion.

As more and more people decide that there are greater advantages in favor, the vote will
naturally change.

On the other hand, if there are no debates, it is not easy to influence the

votes. But the answer to that question was silence.

"Hey, hey, Horikita-san. Don't worry ...... I'm sorry. No one is going to leave our class, right?"

Worried, Kushida, unable to bear the silence, asks Horikita. "My policy, as I have

said, is not to expel anyone."

Horikita reiterates her decision, but after that silence begins again.

96
It's easy to say the first and last coercion, but .......

"I don't know who is against it. But I want you to listen carefully." Yosuke

stands up and speaks softly, but loudly.

"I don't think you should choose to expel your teammates to get class points. I don't think it's
worth it, even if you get 500 or 1000 points. The most important thing is that it really is only
100 points, which is not much to make up."

The complaint of a man who is reluctant to sacrifice anyone is natural.

Thirty-seven of the thirty-nine, as Yosuke says, have some understanding of this.

We believe 100 points will be lost, but we cannot afford any dropouts.

But ...... Whether that is the true intention is another question.

Even before the first vote, silent peer pressure had largely determined the outcome of the
vote for and against this issue.

There must be students in the class who think they will never be expelled.

In such a situation, it is not surprising that some do not really care about the sacrifices of
their peers.

"It's getting interesting isn't it, this special exam? It's very good." Koenji started

laughing and continued.

"I thought they would vote no on the second ballot, except for me."

Without looking offended, Koenji replied.

"Except you, of course. ...... It was you, Koenji! Unhappy."

"Is it true, Koenji-kun? I don't want you to be a child here, because that would cause a lot of
confusion."

Horikita reaffirms that the first priority is to clarify whether she was really against it or not.

"Rest assured that I have voted yes the first time and the second." "...... Can you

tell me why?"

"The answer is simple, you get 100 more class points, right? That means you will inevitably
get more private points each month, so there is no reason to choose otherwise."

"You have to be kidding me. Do you think class points are more important than your peers?"

97
"You have a funny way of saying things. You didn't look like that when you got here, did you?"

"Shut!"

"I am in favor, so of course it is something to take into account."

"Unhappy. What do you think your companions are? ......"

"Companions? I have never thought of you as companions." "Are you

saying you won't vote against in the next round?"

"No, of course not. I'll keep voting yes, if it 'remains the same. Besides, I don't think Horikita
Girl wants to run out of time, right?"

"What? I'm not sure what to do with him. I'm sure it will stay the same, if that's the case.
Everyone should vote and kick Koenji out!"

It may be an impromptu response, but it is also true that this challenge has that aspect for
those who are in favor. It is also a way to unite and get rid of the bad guys who say you have
to expel your teammates.

We unconsciously choose what we want to believe and then justify the reasons for our
choice.

We do not want to expel anyone, but we have to do it because some students are in favor.

The brain begins to work on the justification that the person should be expelled.

They also believe in convenient logic, conspiracies, and misinformation.

"It would be nice if everyone voted for it. But don't think that will get me expelled. Right?
Horikita Girl."

And so it is. If Koenji comes forward and says that he was one of those who voted in favor of the
project, it is natural that the people around him would make a fuss to oust him. It is impossible
that this man does not understand.

As if he knew that he would not be expelled, Koenji says that.

"...... He's right. We can't expel Koenji-kun." "What do you

mean?"

"I made a promise to Koenji-kun before the desert island test started, you know? If he won
first place in the desert island test, I would protect him from now until he graduated."

I'm sure my colleagues will remember that exchange.

"I did not expect him to get first place, but thanks to his first place in that exam, our class is
now in the tail of class B. It is a great achievement."

98
"Yes, it's true. ...... But if it's about expelling a classmate, that's another story!"

"I don't like the idea of being misled. I am free to make the choice entrusted to me. You
cannot assume that it is wrong to vote yes, can you?"

If the question had been: "Do you agree or disagree that it is acceptable for a student to drop
out of a class? However, in this case, by expelling students, they will earn class points.

Although it is difficult to put a concrete figure on the value of a single student, no one has the
right to deny Koenji the right to calculate the benefits in his favor.

As long as there is a good argument and a promise, it is impossible for Horikita to vote for
Koenji's expulsion.

"That's right. Ignore your promise to Koenji! If Koenji doesn't think his teammates are his friends,
no one will be upset if he gets kicked out!"

"I can't. I'm not going to break my promise to him."

"That's right. No one will trust a leader who doesn't keep his promises. In that sense, I trust
you more than anyone right now, Horikita Girl."

Koenji's troublesome part comes to light.

Now that this has happened, Horikita must first persuade Koenji to do whatever it takes.

But there are still many opportunities to do so.

Even if you think Horikita will basically never betray you, that doesn't mean that Koenji is
100% protected. The possibility of Horikita setting Koenji free must manifest itself in the back
of his mind.

In other words, Koenji will change his attitude if he is threatened.

However, it is difficult to move in that direction.

Horikita, becoming aware of her role as leader, immediately cuts Koenji, who responds with
results.

That choice will be a major obstacle in the future. "If you

don't want to expel Koenji, what will you do, Suzune?

"Give me some time to think. ...... But we can't keep quiet." Yes, it would have been nice

if the only thing in favor was Koenji.

It is also important to note that there is another supporter who has not come forward.

"I wonder if whoever voted in favor, other than Mr. Koenji, could come up and tell me why
they are in favor."

If we don't know, we can't move forward.

99
But again, the only response was a long, deep silence.

If it is presented here, after all, there is a fear that a threat and unnecessary discussion will
come to light, as well as Koenji.

In fact, he's probably more frowned upon than Koenji. No

response is given except silence.

Finally, with time running out, inevitably the time for the third vote has arrived.

The unfortunate thing is that there is no limit to the number of times you can vote.

If time permits, the opportunity to do so unanimously will come every ten minutes.

Result of the third round of voting:

| 2 in favor | 37 against |

As on the two previous occasions, two people, Koenji and someone invisible, voted in favor.

At the moment, many students still give more importance to Koenji, but I wonder what will
happen

We will soon face the reality that there are students who have not shown their faces and
continue to monitor their votes. We are about to face the danger of anonymity, a danger that
we hoped to avoid, above all. But the first priority is dealing with Koenji.

There will be no solution unless the votes in favor here are turned against.

"I cannot ignore who votes in your favor. But it is not absolute. I think there are certain
beliefs that only you have because you are very supportive of it. So I am going to talk to
another person at the same time, someone that I cannot see, including Koenjikun ".

Wasting no time, Horikita began to collect her thoughts.

"Thirty-seven of us will continue to vote against and two in favor. The worst that can happen
is that time runs out. As classmates, we lose the same number of class points, so it seems like
a painful split for both of us. parties, but opponents lose class points, but not our friends. We
can pass this special exam without anyone dropping out. But the protesters will lose a lot of
money instead of gaining the only advantage. Right? "

100
He cited the specific gains and losses and explained the risks of ending the test in
disagreement.

Of course, the invisible person didn't reply, but what about Koenji? "If we run out

of time, so be it. So go ahead, I'll vote yes." Koenji tells Horikita that he will follow

her vote as if it were a natural thing.

"'...... Sure, a unanimous vote in favor would be a step forward. But then there's the even
bigger hurdle of deciding which of your teammates to kick out. You don't think it's going to
be easy to get a unanimous vote, do you ? "

"It's your job to make it work, Horikita Girl. Besides, it's not so bad for a student to drop out,
is it?"

"That is not true. No one should be expelled."

Before Horikita can argue with him, Yosuke tells Koenji.

"I don't know. They're scared of expulsions, but it's easier to see it as a positive, right? You
can eliminate unwanted students at will, and you get class points for it. If you think about it
differently, you'll see that It's a great option. The only person who has voted yes, besides me,
knows it. "

It is a radical idea, but it is reason enough to vote yes.

"I don't think that's true, Koenji. Losing someone of this class is not positive."

In response to Yosuke, Kushida also says that classmates should be prioritized.

The opponents, who had been less vocal, began to voice their objections at the same time.

But Koenji doesn't soften his attitude, he just smiles.

Koenji, who would have liked to be the one with the most to say, did not participate in the
debate and it was time to vote for the fourth time.

Result of the fourth round of voting:

| 2 in favor | 37 against |

After a few minutes of appeals to no avail, the third interval began at Chabashira-sensei's
signal.

"What am I supposed to do? Shit, I could punch him unconscious and vote for myself."

101
"I don't think it's necessary ...... Let's try to think about it objectively. It might make Koenji-kun
change his mind."

Horikita is forced to try a different approach, as he doesn't want to go the same way.

"What do you mean by objective?"

"It is a question of which option the three classes, excluding us, will choose.

"That's ...... There is no doubt that Ryuen's class is going to expel the right people."

Crossing his arms behind his neck, Sudo says without hesitation.

Many of my colleagues seem to agree with me and say it is true.

If you look at the way we have behaved and thought, that is very likely to happen.

"Yes, it is the class most likely to do that."

"On the contrary, Ichinose's class would never vote for it. Mr. Sakayanagi's class is ...... I
wonder ..."

Ryuen's class will do a lot of spin on this. The Ichinose

class, on the other hand, will not hesitate long. And the

Sakayanagi class can be both.

Coincidentally, the three classes have different airs, an interesting result shared by their
members.

In this case, there is little discussion about Ichinose's class, which is known to be the
opposite. After all, the center of the discussion will be Ryuen's class.

"I don't like the idea of being outdone by Ryuen. We have a lot of momentum right now, and
we're going to be one step ahead of them in B-class, right?"

"Still, there won't be much difference. Even without the advantage we have now, the point
difference in the class is 100, which is more than enough to make up the difference from the
special event."

"I know what you mean. But I just want to say something."

Akito has been quietly working on the special exam until now, but breaks his silence when
the last proposal comes. "

"Unlikely, but one day I could be crying over those 100 points, right?" "Come on Miyake,

does that mean we have to expel someone to school?" "Don't get me wrong. I'm clearly

against it."

He responds, looking more annoyed than angry.

102
"I think it's the best way to get to level A without losing anyone in this class. So I think we
have to understand the importance of 100 points and not underestimate it."

"What do you mean?"

"It means that as we approach graduation, we must all voice our opposition to the idea of a
future where this special exam is a turning point."

Akito's opinion was that it was a mistake to vote against without being prepared for it. "Well, I

certainly didn't think anything about it ......."

You have to be against one or the other. Students are in the shadow of that peer pressure.

"Koenji. I am aware of your success in the desert island test. I think it would be strange to get
a vote to expel you, even if you voted yes, even without your promise to Horikita."

Besides Horikita and Sudo, Akito also thinks about Koenji.

"But that doesn't mean you can't annoy the class all you want. Class points aren't the only
thing that makes up a relationship. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Huff Huff" ...... Huh? "

Closing his eyes, Koenji nodded deeply. Then, thinking of

something or not, open your eyes and look at Akito. "Of course I

don't understand."

"......"

"Think about how this school works. It's all based on points earned. It's not about friendship
or affinity. It's about class points, and private points. It's an inextricable evaluation system. I
don't see anything wrong with agreeing. make that a priority. "

"You have never contributed to the class! Just because you won first place on a desert island
doesn't mean you can act like this all the time, Damn."

"I think you'd better look in the mirror, Red Hair. I think it's pretty obvious which one of you is
making a bigger contribution to the class."

Sudo has been highly rated now, but at the time of enrollment, he was a troublesome kid on
a par with Koenji. No, the Sudo part is worse if you take into account the fluctuation of the
class points.

"Well, the important thing for me is not the class points." The pro-Koenji

attitude, which until now seemed unsustainable.

103
But Horikita did not miss Koenji's comment.

"Class points are not important. So, for you, these 100 points are not to move up to Class A,
but to get private points. That is why you have thrown yourself into that decision, right?"

"You are right. I want to vote yes to the Private Point because two editions ago I chose the
option of reducing the amount of my Private Points transfer by half for six months. I assumed
it and I did not see it necessary for you to protect me, but that is not going to happen. this
time".

I want the class points to make up for the private points I lost. Turns out this is

why Koenji favors it.

Some students may be annoyed that we try to expel students for private points. However,
Horikita saw this as an opportunity.

"'Alright Koenji, let's make a deal. It's not a bad deal for you." "Really?

Sounds interesting, I'd like to hear that."

It is not a surprise, in fact, Koenji welcomes the proposal as if he had been waiting for it.

"If from now on you vote no, and the vote is unanimous, I will pay you 10,000 yen in private
points on behalf of the school every month from now until you graduate. Wouldn't that be
the equivalent of 100 more class points for you?"

"Well in that case for Koenji-kun, there is no point in agreeing now ......" "As expected of

Horikita Girl, you have not been long in coming to that conclusion." "...... You were in

favor of this proposal from the beginning, weren't you?"

"I think my vote is worth much more. I could raise the price, but I need Horikita Girl to be a
reliable ally. We are going to work on those terms."

"You don't have to put it in writing, do you? We have Chabashira-sensei here." "'Of

course I don't expect you to take back your word. The deal is done." Koenji voted in

favor of the motion, which seemed immovable.

He finally moves and promises to vote otherwise.

The fact that he dared to continue voting in favor of the proposal and let Horikita bother was
not convenient.

It was the fifth time we voted.

The fact that Koenji made it clear that he was going to turn against them must have had an
effect on the only one left.

It would not be easy for a person to continue speaking against it, even if it is anonymous.

104
In other words, it is a vote with the possibility of going against, if not won, the argument.

But

Result of the fifth round of voting:

| 1 in favor | 38 against |

Koenji went from being in favor to being against, but there was still one vote in favor.

You would like to take a little off your shoulders, but it seems that the real battle is about to
begin.

Absolute positive vote for anonymity.

To overcome this, we still have to find out who is voting for it. But it is more

difficult than anything else.

Basically, you can't spy on the tablet, but you can see where you touch it with your fingertips
if you like. However, the school is aware of this and the order of the elections is random from
the beginning. It is impossible to check the movements of the fingers of others because the
options are changed each time you vote. There is no choice but to settle for repeated
intervals.

"Well, it doesn't seem like it's going to be easy."

"As I said, unless the vote is unanimous, the contract is void."

"I know. If the flow is unanimous in favor, or if we run out of time, I will have to give up."

As long as it is anonymous, there is no way to prove that Koenji did not vote in favor, except
by unanimous consent. You don't think you can get private points for any other option. If you
vote for what you want here, you will lose a good deal. Above all, antagonizing Horikita would
be inconvenient for Koenji, who wants to have a good time.

We have about three hours left.

Despite the difficulties, Horikita is moving forward to break the ice with a solid strategy.

But it is also true that we cannot stay on the sidelines forever.

We need to get a unanimous vote before the remaining grace period runs out.

In the meantime, I'm going to sit and watch, but maybe I can give you some support. I cough
a few times during the interval.

105
In the midst of all the talk, no one pays attention to the unconscious cough. On the

contrary, it is a cough that you only hear if you are aware of it. "You know, Horikita-

san ..."

"...... Tell me Karuizawa-san."

"It's just a hunch, but maybe you have an idea who is voting" "...... Why do you think

that?"

Horikita's face shows her surprise at Kei's unexpected suggestion. "I think so".

Horikita would have thought it was a random comment. But now that it's come to light that
Kei and I are dating, that's when things start to change.

"Yes, you're right ......., Karuizawa-san. I have an idea who is still voting in favor ...... Maybe"

"What, then say it quickly. Who is it?"

"I can't tell you. This special test is an anonymous vote. If you say a name just because it
occurs to you, you can't take it back if you're wrong."

"But!"

"...... I know. That is why I think I have to be prepared. We will have time to vote a few more
times. If the number of votes in favor of expulsion does not reach zero, ...... Then I will have
no choice but to say the name. "

"Wait a minute, Horikita-san. I don't agree with you. As Horikita-san just said, there's no way
to be sure who votes for whom this time. I don't think it's acceptable to give names just
because you have an idea. Of course, I'm not saying it nonsense because I don't want anyone
to leave, you understand, right? "

"I agree with Hirata-kun. I don't think it's correct to say things without absolute certainty.

Kushida, who agrees with Yosuke, is also worried. From their opinions, the

students are filled with anxiety.

If Horikita misinterprets in any way and says his name, he will be criticized.

If we are asked to vote in favor when we are voting against, we will be besieged with no way
out.

If, in the rush to run out of time, 38 people vote in favor, it will be inevitable that there will be
talk of the person named as the target of the expulsion.

"I know. ...... I know, that's why I haven't mentioned the name until now. But I can't let time
run out. Right?"

106
"I know what you mean. I know how you feel. I feel like I'm ready if I am forced to make the
decisions that I really need. But it has to be 100%."

"'...... Yes".

He tried to make a small change in the situation, which is getting more and more difficult.

"Is there someone other than Horikita who knows who is voting for?"

"I can't think of any. I don't think anyone other than Koenji would be so stubbornly in favor of
this."

Sudo's question is not the only one.

It is about tolerating such a situation, which will lead to expulsions.

"If you can't name names, but you know who is in favor, you might change your mind a bit.
I'd like the students to raise their hands if they know anything."

I ask him again to remind him.

But none of them can think of someone who might be the one Horikita thinks.

"Yosuke. I know you don't want to suspect anyone, but with your wide range of friendships
with both men and women, don't you suspect anyone?"

"...... I can't think of any. I'm not lying, I really can't think of any." "I see ....... And what

about Kushida?"

Kushida doesn't show any strange feelings, even if they asked her suddenly. In fact, Horikita

turns slightly annoyed at what I'm pretending to say. "Can you imagine who may be voting

for it?

"Uh-uh ...... I'm sorry, Ayanokoji-kun. I'm with Hirata-kun, there's no one that comes to mind."

"Kushida knows the class better than most. I thought she might know a little about the
students who are not happy with the class. Everyone knows that he cares about the class
more than anyone else and is always willing to help. He wanted them to take it in. bill".

Certainly, Kushida's eyes are vital to the class.

"Hmmm…. I wonder if there is someone …… I don't think so. But I'll let you know if I can think of
someone."

"Yes. Please, I have the feeling that the presence of people like Yosuke and Kushida is
essential for this last special exam."

Without the combined efforts of all of us, it will be difficult for the opposition to overcome this
challenge.

107
But this cooperation was not enough, and the result of the sixth round of voting is also .......

Results of the sixth round of voting:

| 1 for | 38 against |

Unalterable results. Repeated discussions.

Result of the 7th vote:

| 1 for | 38 against |

Result of the 8th vote:

| 1 for | 38 against |

The results remain the same and the conversation is getting quieter. Then came the eighth
interval. A little over an hour had passed since the start of this challenge.

With a loud bang, Chabashira-sensei almost fell. He managed to

avoid falling by pressing his arms against the podium. "LOL!

As the discussion continued, the breathing of Chabashira-sensei, who had been standing on
the podium the entire time, became more and more agitated.

"Se… Sensei."

"Okay. ...... Nothing's wrong."

He says this and adjusts his posture as if to encourage himself.

Chabashira-sensei looks at the students with empty eyes, wondering what they are thinking.

Finally, with some determination, exhale forcefully.

108
"The teacher can't lead them to a specific option. Of course, I never would. But can I tell you
an old story? Of course, it would take a long time. But only if they don't care."

"Chabashira-sensei". Teachers are not forbidden to speak, but if they break the rules, you will
be sorry. If you decide it's something to help the class ...... "

"Yes. If there is any indication of intention to induce the election, I am willing to be punished."

By responding that he knows, the guard has no choice but to keep quiet.

Of course, an unexpected proposal from Chabashira-sensei, who had never intervened in the
special exams.

It is a ray of sunshine in an environment that has been stagnant.

"We are now suffering from this situation. As long as it does not affect our decisions, please
let us hear your story."

If we can break the ice somehow, it would be welcome, Horikita said. Of course, if we

are to be honest, we want to have momentum to the contrary. However, in the eyes

of the watcher, direct language is to be avoided.

"...... I went to this advanced training high school. And I took this special exam when I was a
student."

Horikita and the rest of her classmates are surprised to hear her story for the first time.

"Sensei also took this special exam ......?"

"Yes, there are five tasks, some of which are slightly different, but the final task you are faced
with now is the same word for word. Either you drop out and earn class points, or you keep
your questions and do not earn class points. ".

The students look at Chabashira's statement that he has undergone the same special exam.

"One thing is for sure: we must give everything without regret. For, against or out of time.
Whichever option you choose, ...... Whatever your choice, find a way to live with the
consequences. . There is still time".

For the first time, everyone hears Chabashira speaking to his students with real emotion.

It doesn't tell you which option to choose, nor does it offer you a

solution. As a teacher, this is the best advice you could give.

The professor, who was listening in the background, as he did not say anything that was breaking
the rules, let him finish.

We do not know if this will change the results.

109
But it certainly gave the students the words to face this special test again.

Even with the support of Chabashira-sensei it is not a good idea to waste the remaining time
in the interval, and Horikita will continue to fight to improve her chances by even 1%.

"It's time to make up your mind. ...... But first, let me tell you something. I'm not your enemy. I'm
on your side."

The names of the supporters must have crossed your mind many times. The face, the

voice, the eyes, the breath.

Horikita continues to do her best to convince people not to identify herself.

Surely you have asked yourself several times. I

think you should give your name.

But he still doesn't say it, because he's still wondering if Horikita is really on his side.

A complaint similar to a heartbreaking scream.

This is the ninth time we have voted in favor.

The result is…

Result of the 9th vote:

| 1 in favor | 38 against |

After all, the up vote never moved.

Only one. There is a student who is eternally clinging to his 100 points.

No, there are also those who cling to the right to be forced to "drop out of school."

This is the real truth that only I, or perhaps only two people, including Horikita, know.

You might think that one person's exhaustive vote in favor of the challenge is what has kept it
going.

But there is no way to be objectively sure, in the circumstances, that this person is against it.

Horikita said that if the time question disappeared, he would be forced to say her name.

110
But in fact, no matter how many times the vote is repeated, Horikita never says her name.
You know that question does not make sense "Are you against?". She knows that question
doesn't make sense. In fact, once you say his name, he will have lost everything for the
future.

Although there is still some time left, there are 2 hours left. It is a

deadline to make a big decision.

The choice of Ichinose Honami

Before the start of this special exam, there was a class that all teachers considered safe to
pass. On the other hand, it was also anticipated that if the class passed the exam smoothly, it
would fall behind in the competition for class A in the future. That's the class Ichinose is in,
class B.

Proposal 5 - You get 100 class points, in exchange for expelling a classmate (if the vote
is unanimous, identify and vote the student who will be expelled).

Options: | In favor | Against |

Having reached the last assignment within the first few hours, Ichinose and his class had
completed the first ballot and were awaiting the results. There were no signs of anxiety or
agitation. Except for one person.

Looking at the three people who have already voted, Kanzaki

prays. I hope the result of the vote is a bit divided.

"...... Then I will announce the results."

With a somewhat disappointed expression, Hoshinomiya handles her tablet. As everyone

watched, the result was displayed. The results shown are ...

Results of the first round of voting:

| 1 in favor | 39 against |

111
After realizing the worst possible outcome she could have imagined, Kanzaki closes her eyes.

The overwhelming majority of votes against the proposal will, of course, not come as a
surprise to the students in class B.

The reason is that they had no doubt that a unanimous vote against expulsion would pass as
normal. The fact that the vote in favor of the expulsion appeared is an anomaly.

"The person who voted yes, was it a mistake?"

With no sense of crisis, it was Shibata who was sitting in the front who said that and turned
around.

Yes, they do not take into account the possibility that this single vote is a yes with a clear
intention.

Everyone in the class, not just Shibata, has the same perception. Upon

learning this, an uncontrollable feeling of anger arises in Kanzaki.

So far, Kanzaki has quietly helped her companions in whatever way she could.

But we cannot continue fighting to protect our friends in any situation.

As a strategist, Kanzaki felt this concern more strongly than anyone.

"I don't think there is anything to talk about for now, it is only a matter of time until the next
vote ......."

Lack of sense of urgency. A mindset that assumes that no student should put class points
before their peers.

Kanzaki could not continue to silently endure what was shown to her.

112
"Wait ....... It is true that we can make the unanimous decision to disagree at any time. But
can we really be sure that we are doing the right thing by continuing to choose to protect our
companions?"

Shibata's words are interrupted by Kanzaki, who takes a calm but energetic knock on her
table and stands up.

"It seems to me that we all suffer from a bias of normality if it does not seem strange to us
that 39 people have voted against us without any hesitation or doubt."

Normality bias refers to the characteristic of not paying attention to unfavorable events,
information, etc., and not recognizing a crisis.

"If our class wants to keep winning, we will have to make a new decision. We are already on
the edge. We are already on the edge and we are going to fall off the cliff shortly. If we do not
pursue the class points more avidly, it will be a dream to reach class A ".

Clearly. Kanzaki is not good at arguments, but her classmates are watching her more coldly
than ever.

"What is that, Kanzaki? Does that mean this vote in favor was cast by you?"

Shibata looks back and says that he is not convinced with his vote of approval, which was not
a mistake.

No, it's not just Shibata. Hamaguchi, Ando, Kobashi, Amikura, Shiranami, the whole class
turns over on such a day.

"That's right. Yes, it is important to protect your classmates. But our class has been losing
points constantly since we entered. If the lower classes put class points before those of our
classmates, we will go down to D on this special exam." .

The only person who heard Kanzaki's complaints was her classroom teacher, Hoshinomiya.

But as a teacher, you cannot make statements accompanying your opinion. "'That's true,

but ...... But there is no one in this class who would rather drop out."

There is no room for discussion, and Shiranami instantly shows his opposition to Kanzaki.

"...... I know, I know".

"You say we're going to drop to class D, but I don't think they're going to expel anyone for
just 100 class points. I don't know about Ryuen being one of them, but this exam is
anonymous and the whole class has to be unanimous. No I think the rest of the class decides
to expel anyone. "

114
If we anticipate that all classes will be unanimous in their opposition, the gap will not widen.

"Of course, it is not easy for any class to make the decision to expel your friends, but what
matters is the process. Isn't it natural that some, if not half, of the students think that they
should put class before class? friends?"

"Do you want to have a debate? When has it been decided that the vote is unanimous?"

"...... It is not a fact. The debate is open to unanimity in favor."

"No, no, no, that's not right. I have friends, no one is missing, so we will do our best to target
class A. There is no way I can be expelled."

Class and peer points.

If the choice between the two is as simple as which is more important, Kanzaki has no
doubts.

However, the situation has changed a lot since he entered the school. Starting with class

B, the class points were in line next to each other.

In the first quarter of the first year we take a big advantage over the two lower classes. I
never complained about preaching the value of peers as long as we maintained that status.

"Is there anyone who has something to say other than:" I'm afraid I have to disagree with

you "....... No?"

On the verge of giving up, Kanzaki looks at her companions, believing in one last possibility.

However, none of them showed signs of agreeing with him.

Although they partially agree, there is no student who can express it in words.

Everyone believes, or rather hopes, that the second vote will be unanimous in their
opposition.

"I'm sorry, but I am ...... I will not unanimously disagree with this choice."

Feeling the pressure, Kanzaki muttered to himself as if fighting her. "Does that mean ......

Does that mean I can vote yes in the next ballot?"

Ichinose, who has remained silent until now, asks Kanzaki about her true intentions.

"......Yes".

"'But Kanzaki-kun, we're not going to change our mind, are we? Sacrificing friends to earn
class points ...... We don't want to be in a class like that."

115
"That's right, Kanzaki. This proposal is a challenge or a trap from the school. If you think you
can sacrifice your classmates for class points in the short term, you will suffer the same in the
future, right?"

"But if you give up your friends and get class points, you will be closer to class A. It is the only
way to get closer to class A, especially if you have the opportunity to do it over and over
again. On the other hand, if we are the only class that decides to protect our friends, we will
be surpassed by other classes. "

"I don't think it's easy to sacrifice so many people, and I don't think a class like that can keep
winning. The class that protects its friends and believes in them is the one that wins in the
end. Right?"

Almost in unison, all the companions nodded.

"Let's face it, Shibata. The situation is very different from last year. Now we are in a bind. We
have lost many private points for having chosen not to leave anyone at school. On the other
hand, the three classes that lack of companions are constantly improving ".

"It's not going to last forever."

"What makes you so sure that it won't last forever?"

"If that's the case, I ask you, what is the proof that it will last forever?"

"You just have to see where we are now, we were in second position and now we run the risk
of falling to fourth."

"You are the one who has to see the situation, Kanzaki. Right now we are in class B. It does
not matter if we have an advantage of one point or 100 points, we are still in class B, right?
And if we go down a few places, in the end we will return ".

Until now, Kanzaki has always been under pressure, but she has tried her best to stand her
ground.

He was trying desperately to resist the urge to question this anomalous idea.

"Kanzaki-kun. I understand that you want to have many options to win. But there are some
options that you should never take. I think that is the case with this proposal. It is not because
you do not have enough class points for a student to drop out. What it is wrong is the
weighting of the points of the class and the friends ".

When Ichinose speaks, the determination of his companions becomes firm.

No, they have always put their friends first, but now they have been given another option.

Kanzaki is deeply disappointed. This class is often envied by all other classes.

They are friendly, cheerful and egalitarian, and they are the ideal balance between study and
sport.

116
This is an advantage created by Ichinose, the class leader, but on the other hand it also has a
great disadvantage. His presence has produced a mass following and created an
environment that does not pay attention to dirty strategies.

Even if they tell you that you will get promoted to class A if you expel someone, this class will give
priority to their friends.

The obligation that they would rather be in class B than expel their friends.

Once again, Kanzaki had to remind himself that this was his only and greatest flaw.

"Well ....... I'm sure you may be right. Maybe I'm asking the wrong questions."

To overcome these shortcomings, we are willing to take risks and try harsh treatment.

I know I'm not the right person for the job, but I have to because no one else is.

"'What if I keep voting yes until the end? In this special test, even one vote has a lot of power.
I can ignore the will of 39 of you and continue voting yes."

"'There's no way I can do that. If we run out of time and fail, we'll have 300 less class points,
which means we won't be able to beat the other classes."

No one would ever choose to run out of time. It is common sense.

"It's the same. If I don't get 100 points here, I don't think I'll graduate with an A in this class.
So if you lose 100 or 300 points, it doesn't matter how big or small it is."

"Enough. Now is the time to vote, so let's leave the discussion." Hoshinomiya

interrupts Kanzaki and passes the 60 second vote.

The tablet shows a changed voting screen, with buttons for and against.

Silently, Kanzaki looked at the button. The class stops talking and silence arrives.

The air is filled with the feeling that in less than five seconds people have finished voting.

No, I haven't actually voted.

Kanzaki made up her mind and pressed the button, and at the same time Hoshinomiya

moved. "Yes. Now that everyone has voted, I will announce the results."

Result of the second round of voting:

117
| 1 in favor | 39 against |

Despite desperate attempts to convince them, the results show no change from the first
round of voting.

The same goes, of course, with the fact that the only vote cast in favor was Kanzaki's.

"You got to be kidding……"

"Are you really going to vote yes, Kanzaki-kun?"

His companions, including Ichinose, are more stunned than angry and throw words at him.

However, the calm atmosphere begins to change little by little due to Kanzaki's steadfast
determination.

"Oh. I am really prepared to vote again. I want this proposal to be unanimous in favor."

At this comment, the class fell silent even though the interval had just begun.

"If I keep voting yes, after a few hours I will have to undo my paused thoughts and think. I
will have to argue if voting is not really the right thing to do."

Kanzaki forces him to open it, saying that he is willing to use the three and a half hours of
exam he has left.

"There are only a few ways out of this situation. The only way out of this situation is a change
of mind and a unanimous vote in favor."

"What are you talking about, Kanzaki-kun? That's ……".

"That would be unrealistic, because, as you say, there is no way you will sacrifice any of your
classmates in this class, but I am not moving my vote in favor."

He interrupted Ichinose's words, but still Kanzaki didn't stop resisting and kept talking.

"Then there's really only one way. If you choose to agree, you kick me out." You want to

change this class, even your own expense. He expressed his will.

"If you don't have the courage to take that step forward, we will never make it to class A. That
means I will spend half my school life meaningless. I prefer to drop out and get on with my
life."

It seemed like a strange idea, but it was the only way Kanzaki could do it.

There is no way this class can take action to select students for expulsion.

118
However, this does not mean that we have to use lucky means against the harsh penalty of
expulsion.

The vote was repeated after three new intervals of resistance.

In total, five rounds of voting were held, all of them with 1 vote in favor and 39 against.

Not a single vote is moved, the same screen is repeated, the same result. "Let's go

to the interval, again"

Perhaps tired of the stagnation, Hoshinomiya expresses his annoyance at his attitude. The

guard at the back of the classroom has no problem with the teacher's attitude.

The role entrusted to us is to maintain impartiality.

Whether the students are joking or the teacher is not motivated, it is a free action allowed
within the rules. But, it takes more than half an hour like this.

This means that three additional rounds of voting can be repeated, but the results remain the
same.

Only the result of the vote, which is fixed and invariable, is reflected in the class and returned.

"It's been over an hour now. Just on this last assignment."

"But it can't be helped. We have to wait for Kanzaki-kun to vote against."

The hope of the 39 people who vote in favor is that Kanzaki loses her patience and votes
against.

At first he tried to be nice, then scolded them in a stern tone, but Kanzaki kept voting silently.

"Hi guys, I'm getting bored of the silence, can I talk to you guys? And if you're not interested,
you can just ignore it."

Hoshinomiya, who has been pending on the final task so far, speaks up.

"When I was a student, I went through the same thing as you. Why? Because I once did this
special unanimity test. And the content of the fifth task was exactly the same as now."

"It's not usual for a teacher to talk about her school days. Is it the first time? Isn't it?"

The relationship between Ichinose's class and Hoshinomiya was good and it was known from
the beginning that he was from this school. During the process, not a few students tried to
ask him about his school days, but it's fair to say that there were no serious opportunities to
talk about them.

"I remember that I was also stuck for a long time on this task, although in a very different
class situation."

119
He smiles with a certain coldness, as if he remembers those days.

"It is the final choice between the class points and the friends. So there were many disputes.
The boys were holding each other by the chest."

"Well that's too much isn't it?"

They cannot imagine such a situation in their own class, clutching at the chest.

Shiranami smiled bitterly as he looked at the girls.

"Well, they were other times. In my case, it was in the third semester of my third year, we had
to aim for a point with all our might. If you talk about expelling someone, your teammates
will get angry. But sometimes you have to expel someone to win, right? If you were within
100 points of class A, would you have made the same decision? "

Hoshinomiya knew exactly what Kanzaki wanted to ask, and put it directly into words.

"You can't expel someone. We will try to make it up in the next special exam."

"What if there is no next time? What if this special exam is the last one before graduation?
You are now in Class A, the class you have always wanted to be in. But we are only separated
by a few dozen points of Class B. If you prioritize the protection of your friends, you will be in
Class B. And what do you do? Of course, there is no option for Class B chasing you. We will
have to cut someone to get 100 points. "

No matter how many good-natured people there are in the class, you have to think. If we

protect our friends, we will almost certainly fall into class B.

"Do we want the same unanimity in the opposition? Bet on the dream story that class B
renounces class A and opts for the option not to abandon?"

His companions, who had constantly argued against him, finally began to speak less.

"It's an unpleasant question, isn't it? And they really aren't in that situation right now. But one
thing's for sure. If you want to move up to A-class there will be times when you'll have to
choose rock-paper-scissors. That will be because time will run out. "

"What choice did sensei make …… at that time?"

"Me? ...... Of course, I made the decision to eliminate unnecessary people. Because in the end,
what matters is you, not your friends or confidants. Isn't that true for everyone in against
you? In essence, it's about saving yourself. "

We all want to graduate from Class A. That's what everyone thinks. But many of us

know in our hearts that this is idealism.

120
Is it friendship or self-preservation? Students were speechless when asked to respond.

"I can't say much more as they are watching me closely behind me. I will respect you both,
whatever your choice. But don't make any ambiguous decisions. If you are just friends on the
surface, don't worry, prioritize your points. They've only known each other for a year and a
half, right? I'm sure the wounds from the loss of your friends heal over time. In fact, the three
who dropped out of other classes are now a thing of the past, Right? But if you don't make it
to class A, it's going to haunt you for the rest of your life. If you really care about your friends,
you have to put them first. "

It is not that he defends either of them, avoiding the gaze of the observer. As a teacher, he
only told you that there are advantages and disadvantages in both cases. The next vote will
take place as we finish hearing this story. Everyone is uncomfortable with the button, both
for and against. The result of the vote, which lasted for some time, was 1 in favor and 39
against. As in the past, there were no changes to the vote.

Hoshinomiya, in particular, was not surprised, rather it was something he expected.

"Hey, Kanzaki-kun. Can we stop this now? It's enough."

In the interval immediately after the vote, Himeno cries out in dismay.

"I understood what Kanzaki-kun meant Kanzaki-kun and Hoshinomiyasensei's story, but I
don't think that will lead us to vote for it right now. We will probably run out of time."

He chose to run out of time to protect his friends. This is the perception that Himeno and
many others in the class may have. Ichinose expressed his thoughts there.

"I can understand Kanzaki-kun's story and Hoshinomiya-sensei's story, yes. I understand
what you're saying. But what they were talking about was what to do when you find yourself
in such a situation. I understand that people are indecisive, and I don't think so. that is a bad
thing. But .... If I were in that situation, I don't see the point of letting my friends get expelled
and going to class A. Do you really want that to happen? I think it is important to understand
that going to Class A making such an absurd decision is not a good thing. "

"Idealism ...... That's right. A class where no one drops out. Do you think you can get the
points to be able to move up to class A?"

"I'm not sure I'm strong enough yet. But I want to aim for it."

His companions listened carefully to the story, which is a dreamed reality, and they agreed.

Kanzaki's resistance no longer makes sense.

If we continue voting in favor here, we will only run out of time, as Himeno says.

121
"Let's do our best together, Kanzaki-kun." "Yes".

An accepted and accepted opposition without thinking about the future.

"In my own way, I wanted to force a change in this class. But it seems like I'm not
qualified ...... No, I don't think I'm good enough."

I don't know if I will end up in class B or D, but I will never make it to class A. That was enough
to convince me. The expression on his face, when voting with them, lacked all vitality, but few
would have noticed. Then the votes came, it was received as if there was no dispute from the
beginning.

The answer, which was reached by 40 people, is .......

Result of the 10th vote:

| 0 votes in favor | 40 votes against |

He has decided to give up his class points and protect his companions. "And now

that the final task is unanimous, the special exam is over." "'This is the best,

Kanzaki-kun. We will receive 50 points as a reward."

The time taken for voting was approximately 3 hours. You are not allowed to stay in the
school, but you will have free time.

"By the way, it looks like Class A has already finished their special exams." "Really?

They're really good, aren't they, Sakayanagi's kind?"

"That means Ryuen-kun and Horikita-san's class is still taking exams, right?

"Yes, everyone. Don't talk too much before leaving school. The other classes are in the middle
of a special exam, so please don't disturb them. Please leave your seats quietly, the teachers
will guide you. ".

As each of them shared their thoughts on the joy of being released from the special exam,
Kanzaki got up from her seat.

122
 Ryuen Kakeru's Choice

Special unanimity exams, which began at 1.00 pm Class D. Another class of 40

students, was also beginning to take on a heavy air. Of course, this was due to the

content of the last proposal.

Proposal 5 - You get 100 class points, in exchange for expelling a classmate (if the vote
is unanimous, identify and vote the student who will be expelled).

Result of the first round of voting:

| 14 in favor | 26 against |

This is the time when the results of the vote are released. Like Horikita's class and Ichinose's,
there was a large concentration of votes against. However, compared to the two classes, the
number of colleagues in favor of the expulsion of the students was not very small.

This means that more than a third of the students consider, at first glance, that the class
points should be a priority, even if they have to expel someone.

"What shall we do, Ryuen-san?"

The first person Ishizaki turned to for instructions after receiving the results was the head of
the class, Kakeru Ryuen.

The process that this proposal leads to also begins.

It is unlikely that a question will be unanimous on a single occasion, so the first interval is
used to listen to the leader's policy and the second and subsequent votes are used to achieve
unanimity.

The sequence of events is similar to other classes, but the precision is extremely high. The
class to face in Proposition 1, the protection points in Proposition 3, and the complications
imposed on the exams of its own class in Proposition 4 are all unanimous in the choices
indicated by Ryuen in a single interval. .

All he left to do was decide the school trip for proposal 2. He let his classmates debate for half
an hour and in the end it was unanimous that the destination with the highest number of
votes was the best.

123
It is obvious to everyone that this proposal number 5 is different, but the method is
essentially the same.

Any matter that seems to require instruction is decided with a single word from Ryuen.

The only thing the students have in mind is Ryuen's vote.

If Ryuen is in favor of this, it means that someone will have to drop out of school.

Irresistible decisions. This is the characteristic of a class that is held together by a

dictatorship.

Looking at the results and smiling, Ryuen got up from his chair.

"So far it's been boring, but I guess the school wouldn't let it go on like this. Otherwise, it
wouldn't be interesting."

Muttering to himself and for all his companions to hear, he heads to the stage. Sakagami,
who has been keeping an eye on the class she is in charge of, senses Ryuen approaching and
distancing herself.

You know very well that Ryuen's game begins here.

As if he had a reserved seat, Ryuen sits on the stage.

He then got into position so that he could see all of his companions and said his first words.

"Those who are in favor, raise your hand."

There is intense tension between those who agree and those who disagree with Ryuen's
orders, for which there is no consideration whatsoever.

This is because in previous editions it has not even asked which option they have voted for.

After a few seconds of hesitation, the raising of hands began. Among them were Nishino and
Kaneda, who raised their hands as they looked out the window.

"… Five people. It's okay. It's a good start."

The fact that there are nine students who do not obey the order, even though they voted for
it.

"It was students like Ishizaki and Komiya who were the first to be surprised by what they
saw."

"Hey, you don't think it's worth hiding, do you? Not that they're going to get mad at you for
voting yes once."

Komiya appeals to her silent companions so they don't feel like they will get into trouble.

"Nothing was ordered to be done, you were free to vote for or against, right?"

124
Komiya explains that she doesn't blame him, and to make sure he's right, she checks with
Ryuen.

However, when Ryuen didn't answer immediately, Komiya felt nervous for a moment.

Failure to do so could lead to a warning. "Put your hands up before

he starts to bother us!" Hating to change the atmosphere, Ishizaki

was quick to say that.

Then, a late student raised his hand in apology. With this, the number of students rises to six,
but the remaining eight still do not raise their hands.

"It's okay, Ishizaki. If you don't want to raise your hand, you don't have to do it right now."

"Well, are you sure?"

"As Komiya said, everyone has to decide whether to agree or not. So first, everyone has to
think about what they want to do. We have just over eight minutes left, plenty of time to do
it."

He checks the time without panicking and doesn't change his posture, he's still smiling.

He only vaguely told them to think about it, and then do nothing.

Then, for more than two minutes, there was nothing to do but remain silent.

"Look, don't waste this time. Think about which way you want to vote."

From here, silence again.

Ten seconds, thirty seconds, a minute go by and they don't even try to say anything.

All the tasks performed so far had forced them to make a decision in the first interval.

So the only question the students ask themselves is: why isn't Ryuen giving the orders?

However, few students are able to express their opinions in this way, and the more time
passes, the more their mouths become closed.

'Please give us instructions.'

Ishizaki and his colleagues, who at first seemed to be able to tell, began to look down.

The upper and lower lips stick together and do not open as if they were glued. The

more time passes, the more the desire to speak is lost.

125
Over time, those who want to speak for themselves fade into the background, replaced by
the hope that someone else will do it for them. When even that has happened, they begin to
hope that the time to vote will come sooner rather than later, even if the time remaining is
longer.

The first interval, which seemed long and drawn out, ended with a period of silence for the
most part. This was not what Sakagami expected, and it took a few seconds after the
scheduled time to continue.

"Sakagami. Isn't it time?"

As he steps off the podium and returns to his seat, he listens to Ryuen's words.

"'...... That's right. We will now take a second vote, and you have 60 seconds to cast your
vote."

After everyone has voted a second time, the results are immediately displayed on the
monitor.

Result of the second vote:

| 10 votes in favor | 30 votes against |

Of the 14 votes in favor, four were against. For most of those who did not want to be
expelled, this was not a bad result. One or two more words from Ryuen and the number of
votes in favor will decrease. The results of the second round of voting are such that a
unanimous vote against the proposal is not far off.

However, Ryuen is not happy with the result. "Is this the

answer you thought? I don't think so." "Because the number

of votes in favor is smaller?"

Kaneda asks as he puts his glasses back on. But Ryuen immediately denies it.

"So ...... Does this mean that Ryuen-kun has voted yes? He denies it

and laughs once with his nose as if he's stunned." What the hell is

wrong with him, Ryuen-san? I do not understand".

"Did they really reflect your intentions in the first and second ballots? This last question is
clearly different and out of the ordinary. So I want to know your" true intentions. "Don't worry
about the meaning of my vote, just make an honest choice. based on your emotions. "

With that, Ryuen got up and began to walk slowly around the classroom. "We will

discuss in depth in these 10 minutes. Do you want to vote for or against?"

126
When instructed to do so, the students are forced to frantically debate.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle, they talk about what they want.

Ryuen hears the story and occasionally speaks in a low voice in the ears of some students.

He doesn't seem to have chosen any particular student, from Nishino and Shiina to
Yoshimoto and Nomura.

Then, he goes to the background, speaks in a similar way to Suzuki, in a

whisper. "'You are free to agree or not. Vote what you believe."

So then I continue with Tokito, who this time sits two seats behind Suzuki.

Many wondered why he was doing this, but continued the discussion as time allowed. Then it
was time to vote for the third time.

Result of the third round of voting:

| 9 in favor | 31 against |

The monitor showed a situation almost identical to the second result.

He sits on the podium and decides to express his intentions in the third interval.

"Raise your hand if you have voted yes."

After receiving the results, Ryuen asks to raise his hand again. Only two people raised their
hands, Nishino and Kaneda.

The remaining seven keep their existence a secret and refuse to appear. Ishizaki is

upset by the invisible vote in favor of the project, but

Ryuen is unconcerned and focuses on the two men. "It seems you

have voted yes all three times. Kaneda, why?"

"It's about winning. It's never good for a student to drop out, but it's important to get 100
class points."

"Didn't you think raising your hand would make you a candidate for expulsion?"

"That's a silly question, Ryuen-san. You can cut people you don't need, but you won't cut
people you do need. At least in this class, my value is not 100 points."

He weighed his courage and decided he was in no danger of being expelled.

127
"Well, you have many uses, except for your looks."

"Thanks".

Kaneda nodded in satisfaction, ignoring the comments about her appearance.

"Nishino, do you think like Kaneda?"

"What? No way. I just thought it would be a quick way to get some extra class points.
Although I hate raising my hand, there is nothing wrong with being in favor."

Ishizaki is more on the edge than the man himself, as he speaks in a way that could get him
into trouble with Ryuen.

"It's time for me to tell you what you've been worrying about, which option I voted

for." "Please do it!"

We cannot start without knowing the politics of this class, that is, that Ryuen votes. Ishizaki

raises his voice to the public and hopes for the best.

"'I have voted in favor of this proposal ...... On three occasions, I have voted yes."

This means that the current vote, three of the nine votes in favor, were cast by Ryuen,
Nishino, and Kaneda.

"So you're saying you're going to expel someone from the class ...... Are you serious?"

At Ishizaki's question, Ryuen just smiles wryly.

"Don't be so sure. Don't be too quick to judge, I'm just telling you how I voted. I've decided
that it will be up to you to decide what you want to do with this proposal."

"Oh us?"

"Indeed, I have voted yes on all three occasions without hesitation.

If you vote in favor on all three occasions, it is certain that the policy is to expel your
classmates from school. However, Ishizaki does not understand the meaning and is
speechless.

"The reason I agree is simple: You get 100 points for kicking a person out. In other words, this
is a great option to get rid of a residue and get class points for it. In other words, it's the
thing. best of both worlds. But after three iterations, the vote was still more for than against.
In other words, more than half of the class voted "no" to the challenge. Then I will respect it
and vote no. "

The policy is to waive class points and respect the opinion of your classmates

"It's decided! No upvoting, no. Ryuen-san's orders!"

128
Ishizaki is relieved that the policy is easy to understand and appeals to his peers.

"Wait a minute. It's not like you."

Ibuki, who had been bored throughout the special exam so far, spoke with an unsatisfied
voice.

"What do you mean?"

"You're in favor, right? Why don't you go ahead and force them to vote yes like you always
do? Are you going to say that now you're a better person and protect your teammates?"

The implication is that Ryuen will be the one to collect the class points in front of them. "So,

were you in favor?"

"I voted against. But what I did is none of your business."

"If it hadn't been anonymous, I would have felt free to cast a unanimous vote in favor. It
would have been quicker to expel anyone who disagreed with me. But this is an anonymous
vote test. As we cannot be sure who voted in what sense, it is faster to unify a majority
against ".

"So you're not sure you can get a unanimous vote in favor? No." "Kukuku, you can

think what you want."

"Hey, don't talk nonsense, Ibuki. Ryuen-san already said to vote against it, it will be a problem
if the class points go down."

"It's nothing. I just thought it was a little out of place. Do what you want."

Now that the policy has been decided, this interval will also be marked by a high proportion
of silence.

And a fourth vote. The result is…

Result of the fourth round of voting:

| 7 votes in favor | 33 votes against |

The vote, which was expected to be almost unanimous in its opposition, turned out to be a similar
majority to the previous one, there were only 2 votes that changed.

"Kaneda, Nishino. Which one did you vote for?

"Of course, as per Ryuen-san's instructions, the opposite."

"I am in favor, but I am against because I do not want to alter the unanimity."

129
The two members who had raised their hands in favor of the motion opposed.

And considering that Ryuen had voted against in the current vote, it would have to be
reduced by at least three more votes in favor for it to pass. Furthermore, this time the voting
was not free, but forced, with instructions from Ryuen to vote against. Despite this, there
were seven votes in favor. We cannot rule out the possibility that the number of those in
favor has increased, or that Kaneda and Nishino are lying. Ryuen himself voted 100% against
the proposal, but those around him had no way of confirming whether this was true, and a
new sense of unease began to spread. In light of this result, Ryuen thinks calmly. Instead of
just looking at the number of votes, try to identify the flow of votes and anonymity.

"Who keeps voting yes !?" Ryuen's orders

were to "vote no."

Ishizaki was concerned that there were seven students who did not follow the clear
instructions given to them. If Ryuen changed his mind in favor of the project, there would be
expulsions.

"Kukuku, don't yell Ishizaki. It's getting more and more interesting. This is completely
anonymous, and no one can know who you've voted for. This means that not a few actually
vote yes."

"But it's a problem if you don't follow Ryuen-san's instructions!"

"Not really. There's nothing wrong with trying to get class points by expelling classmates.
Rather, there are seven greedy students aspiring to class A, right?"

As if rejoicing in the situation, Ryuen clapped his hands in joy.

"But if people are allowed to be expelled, there is always the question of 'who' to expel. I am
sure that the seven who have voted in favor have a clear idea of who they have to expel."

"...... Is it really me?"

Ishizaki begins to panic, wondering if he is the target of the expulsion.

"Well, I can't rule out that there are people who don't love you, but is there anyone who has
the courage to say so? Also, someone who wants" me "to get out of school."

'Come closer', challenges Ryuen.

However, the air is quiet again and, as you might expect, there are no students speaking out.

"Eh, can't you just spit it out easily? Kukuku, I'll take my time with you."

Thus comes the fifth voting time.

130
This means that you have completed four intervals.

Since the beginning of this task, we have already dedicated about 40 minutes to the topic.

And the result is .......

Result of the fifth round of voting:

| 8 in favor | 32 against |

The result is one more vote in favor of the project, against Ryuen, whose goal is to reduce it.

"What are you going to do, Ryuen? It's been almost an hour."

Here, Nishino sounded exasperated.

"I'm not in a hurry. There is still a lot of time, right?"

"Yes, but there are a lot of people who vote against it. Isn't that a problem?"

The number of votes in favor clearly symbolizes Ryuen's lack of control and dominance.

"Yes, I suppose so. You may be in favor."

"......Maybe".

It was a counterattack, and Nishino, somewhat taken aback, looked him in the eye and said firmly,
"I'm not going to do it."

"Well, you can't prove anything unless you confess otherwise." A difficult

test to punish the doubtful.

"I have a suggestion, do you mind?"

Nanami Yabu, who has been watching the situation closely, has something to say. "Say it".

"Why don't we vote unanimously in favor and let expellable students be expelled?"

"Are you sure we vote yes?"

"No, I'm not. I've always been against it. But I'm starting to think that if I can't move in favor,
I'd better change my mind. For example, ...... How about we kick Ibuki out?"

Yabu then shoots a cold look at Ibuki.

131
"Yes Ibuki-san, I agree with that ........ Of course, I have always been against"

Following Yabu, Rika Morofuji also raises her hand in agreement.

"Guys. Ryuen-san has decided to stay with the opposite side, so we must go with the opposite
side."

"Wait a minute. I welcome your opinions." "Oh really?"

"The fact that they are so against suggests that it is true. If we don't get at least two votes in
favor of the motion in the next ballot, there will be a contradiction. They wouldn't be that
stupid, would they?

Both Yabu and Morofuji nodded vigorously in response to the question.

Of course, the possibility that the eight anonymous who voted in favor of the project cannot
be denied in the next round of voting, but Ryuen is well aware that this is a different matter.

"I'm willing to say yes, I've even given names. Unlike the anonymous eight. And from the
looks of it, none of them, except Yabu and Morofuji, seem to want to pursue the idea."

The girl group that is close to Yabu and her friends is at the top.

Ostensibly it is the opinion of two people, but in reality it could be taken as the opinion of the
whole group.

"Can you tell us what you think of what we said? What do you think?"

"The only way to expel someone is if there are no votes to back him up. Is there anyone in
this class who is willing to risk his own expulsion to protect Ibuki?"

So I ask the class. But no one immediately raises their hand. "Sounds like a good idea

to me, Ibuki. Do you obediently agree to be kicked out?"

If he accepts or says that he can do whatever he wants, Ryuen will move to expel Ibuki
without hesitation. The atmosphere becomes tense.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not giving up."

Ibuki responds without looking at Yabu or Morofuji, who have pointed out his name.

"What? I thought Ibuki was taking the position that he didn't mind dropping out of school."

"I don't care which school I go to, but I have someone I want to take revenge on. And do you
really think I'm going to accept this form of expulsion? I'm not going to sacrifice to line the
pockets of people I don't care about."

"You don't want to get kicked out for any reason. You try to look cool, but you're scared.
Right?"

132
Yabu laughs provocatively.

"Ha! You've become someone, haven't you? You used to be Manabe's pendant. Are you happy
to be the leader of the girls as soon as she left?"

Ryuen changes his smile and speaks to Ibuki.

"Hey, Ibuki. Now you're in the wrong place. Yabu has friends who are opposed to him leaving
school. But you don't have any. And you didn't have any kind of attachment to school, did
you?"

"… Yes and what?"

"I don't hate you, but if you want to gracefully leave it and contribute to the class, that's
another story. Regardless of your intentions, we will expel you regardless of your will."

"That's not a bad thing, Ibuki-san. You were the only one who thought Ryuen-kun hated you." "Do you

hate me? Ibuki."

"Not at all. I didn't want to be your friend at all. You'd do anything to win. I'm not surprised.
But I'm not giving up."

He repeated his refusal, but Ryuen's tone was also a little harsher.

"It doesn't matter if you mean to or not. Then I'll ask you again. I'm going to ask a question to
see if we get a unanimous vote in favor. Raise your hand if you will defend Ibuki. You have
one minute to decide."

In the suffocating environment, Ishizaki shakes his body

This is not the time to be afraid of Ryuen, but to make up your mind.

"Don't do that, Ishizaki."

It was Nishino, who had been with Ishizaki for a while, who stopped him.

"Hey, Nishino…?

"We are fighting to win. Your half camaraderie will only create confusion." "But, but.

Ibuki is also our partner."

"Time is over".

A minute passed and not a single student came up to say that he would protect Ibuki in the end.

Yabu's cynical gazes, the students' compassionate gazes, his relieved not to be the target. All
kinds of thoughts intersect in silence. "

"Oh yeah. So be it."

He was about to reply desperately, when Ibuki stops.

He realized that he was at a disadvantage in this task since he did not have a single friend.

133
So from the beginning he told people that he had voted against it. But now

that it has happened, she has no one else to back her up. "So what?"

Ryuen maintains his silence while waiting for the next words. "'...... I still

have unfinished business with this school." "Oh?"

"I'm sorry, but I will not follow your instructions, even if the whole class votes in favor, I will
continue to vote against. If we do not get a unanimous vote each time, we will suspend this
special test."

"Eh? Are you going to go against the class by yourself?"

"That's what I mean".

Determined, Ibuki comes out against it.

"Well, of course I do. It's not a bad idea to change your mind, Yabu, but it's too early to name
names. If you really want to get rid of Ibuki, you should first get a unanimous vote for him
and then mention his name."

"Ku!"

If you know you are going to be expelled, you will not vote in

favor. "You will have to vote no."

Nishino felt strangely uncomfortable with Ryuen giving him such instructions.

"Why did you have to go through this charade? Isn't it a complete waste of time?"

Nishino points out that Yabu and Ibuki might have stopped arguing earlier, and that it was
not necessary to raise their hand senselessly as it was clear that unanimous agreement
would be difficult to achieve once people's names were mentioned.

"It's just a way to pass the time. Anyway, I have a lot of free time."

Some of the students in the class realized that there was more to it than that. They
understood that the reason he had agreed to Yabu's proposal was for Ibuki to say that he
would never accept. The aim is to indirectly impress the fact that unanimity in favor is difficult
to achieve.

It seemed to be both a smart move by Ryuen and a desperate attempt to get out of a
situation that he felt he had no control over.

In the sixth ballot there were seven votes in favor and 33 against, and in the seventh ballot
there were six votes in favor and 34 against. It seemed that the number of votes in favor of
the expulsion was gradually decreasing, but in the eighth vote, the vote was again seven in
favor and 33 against. It was time for the ninth round of voting.

134
Result of the ninth vote:

| 7 votes in favor | 33 votes against |

The votes in favor remain.

This was also a number that represented Ryuen's leadership in the class.

From the sixth to the ninth ballot, Ryuen did not utter a single word, except to repeatedly sit
on the podium for ten minutes. He just watched with a haunting smile on his face.

However, this situation changed in the interval prior to the start of the tenth round of voting.

"Oe".

Ryuen, who had been smiling, suddenly turned to the class and yelled briefly.

The students, who had been having a conversation more like a talk than an argument,
hurriedly straightened up.

"You can't even vote against me for yourself without me telling you what to do? You can't
even vote against me for yourself without me telling you what to do."

All the students fell silent at the obvious change.

"You think you are not afraid of a certain level of consensus, but if you consider that the vote does
not make sense, you are wrong."

He kicked the back of the podium hard with his heel.

"You're sitting there anonymous, but it's all in your face. We already have a good idea of
what you're doing. You really want to keep doing this ...... Do you know what I mean?"

Result of the tenth vote:

| 6 in favor | 34 against |

With strong words from Ryuen, the vote was one for and one against.

However, as the vote in favor has already been converted to six votes once in the seventh
ballot, it becomes the result that it can be said that there was practically no effect of the
threat.

135
Time, which seemed so abundant, passes like hot water. "......"

Suddenly, Ryuen's smile disappeared and had been replaced by a hard look.

"They are tenacious people. I am getting tired of dealing with them."

We had about four hours left, but the last task had already been over an hour and a half.

Result of the 11th vote:

| 7 votes in favor | 33 votes against |

The number of votes in favor, which he had just reduced, is once again seven.

"How are you going to get them to vote against?"

Nishino, who is no longer trying to hide his anger, asks Ryuen what he will do.

"Yeah, well. Let's get this over with."

"...... How can you do it?"

"You think I've been sitting here watching for nothing? You do notice that there is a strange
vote from the sixth to the tenth time, right? It's the big jerk that goes in and out of the vote.
Now I'm going to tell you who it is".

There is tension in the classroom.

It is usually impossible to detect complete anonymity.

Nevertheless, ......

"It's you, right? Yajima." What

is ......? No no no! No!"

The person named was Mariko Yajima.

He hastily got up to deny it, but he was clearly annoyed and his manner was restless.

"Don't expect me to believe you just because he's anonymous. If you think so, then you're
definitely the black one. You know what I mean?"

"No, no, no. I'm ...! I'm ...!

"If I say it is black, it is black, and if I say it is white, it is white. I will give you a chance to be
the first. From now on, you have no right to vote in favor without permission. Do you
understand? If you don't comply, you will be expelled from school. "

136
Threats that cannot be denied. Even if you continue to vote against this proposal and fail the
special exam, you will be expelled by some egregious means in the not too distant future. It
wouldn't take much to imagine that.

"I'm not saying all of them, but I know who is in favor. Will I really have to tell them? ...... I will
judge in the next vote."

Then came the twelfth vote.Result of the

12th vote:

| 5 votes in favor | 35 votes against |

The number of votes in favor of the expulsion has not increased, Yajima has decided
completely against it. However, upon reaching the final warning, only two remained in favor
and five votes remained.

It was becoming clear to his colleagues that the five votes were no longer open to any kind of
threat.

"Five people……"

After muttering this, Ryuen checks the remaining time and stands up again.

"I have to admit they have balls. But I'm still not happy about it. If you're not going to give up,
then come over. These five anonymous people want me to drop out of school. If so, it must
be done unanimously in favor of her. I am I'm sure he'll be glad to hear it. Then move on. So
we can fight on equal terms. "

To pass this special test, the unanimous vote of either party must be achieved.

It goes on and on for hours, unless you identify students who want to agree with you.

It was thought that no one would come forward in favor of this situation .........

"Oh well Ryuen. Then I will come forward. ...... I will vote yes."

Finally, one of the anonymous people who had voted in favor of the motion stood up.

"Tokito, damn you! Do you even know what you're saying?"

When Ishizaki tries to jump on him, Katsuragi grabs his arm and stops him.

"No, Ishizaki. We are in the middle of a special exam. Are you trying to cause violence here? If
you're wrong, Sakagami-sensei will cancel the exam mercilessly, right?"

"Of course. Then, of course, this special exam will end with your disqualification."

137
"Ku! ...... Sorry"

"And even if Tokito proclaims himself, there is no guarantee that he will."

Even if you are 99% sure, says Katsuragi, there is no way to be 100% sure when you are
anonymous. It is difficult to erase the line that they pretend to be in favor while voting
against.

"It is true though. I have been waiting for a special exam like this. It is not a normal special
exam, but the moment this task came up, I was shocked ...... I knew it was the only time I
could undo of Ryuen ".

"Why have you introduced yourself now, Tokito ......"

"I have had my eye on Ryuen several times. I would have introduced myself earlier, but I was
pleasantly surprised to see that the number of those who were in favor of the project did not
decrease."

"Very good, Tokito. This is not the first time you have been insubordinate. In fact, I am
sincerely glad that you are in favor.

"How long can you go on like this? You can't afford that."

"Oh! No matter how many times the vote is repeated, the affirmative vote is never lost. That
means if time runs out, our class will lose 300 points and we will be out of the fight for class
A."

"Yes, you are. You are the leader of this class. If you fail the special exam, it is not my fault,
but yours. It is up to you. First of all, you have the freedom to choose. Ichinose, and you
forced the class to nominate Sakayanagi as an opponent. Of course, you can take
responsibility for the loss, right? "

"I see. That is why you have been so rebellious here, and why you have been so obedient in the
previous challenges."

"I want to tell the class that it is a mistake. I don't want to upset the class, but I am not
satisfied with such a leader."

"But here comes the opportunity to expel someone in particular. So you've decided to take a
chance. So, what do you want the most, to show a good rebellion?"

"If you want me, or any of us, to vote against you, you will have to stop being the class leader
here. If you say that in front of everyone, you will probably have more votes against."

Even though he doesn't like Ryuen, Tokito knows how difficult it is to get a unanimous vote for
him. That is why he proposes a compromise.

"Don't be so lazy, Tokito. Not sure you can get me expelled?" "Don't make me laugh. If the

vote is unanimous in favor, you will be expelled, Ryuen."

138
"Can I ask you something Tokito-kun?

Kaneda raises his hand as he adjusts the position of his glasses.

"Yes, it stands to reason that if the special tests fail, part of the blame falls on the leader. But
if the vote is unanimous in favor of expulsion, it is you who will be expelled. In fact, many
students continue to vote against according to the instructions".

Despite Kaneda calmly explaining what awaits him, Tokito is unfazed.

"There is no point in voting against now. Do you think that everyone who voted against us is
giving in to Ryuen? It is true that there are not many people who can stand up to him. But
right now, besides my vote, there are 4 votes. "Yes. Even though he repeatedly told me to
vote no, there are still four votes left. I'm sure there is someone who wants this bastard to
retire."

"Compared to Yabu and Morofuji, you seem to have a lot more logic, Tokito." After

a round of applause and admiration, he continued.

"Then don't be shy. Why don't you and me face off? Tokito." "That?"

"I will have all 35 votes, including mine, which is still against, cast in favor of removal. Then, as
Kaneda said, we can start voting on who to remove. So it's easy, fight me."

If other students cannot vote, there is no need to fear unanimity in favor.

"Are you sure? If you eliminate the other option, you will inevitably be expelled. There is no
way you can survive Ryuen."

It was a mercy to leave open the possibility of unanimity on the part of the opposition.

"We don't want to run out of time. So it's you or me, and we will unanimously. It would be
more interesting for the class, right? It would be more interesting for the class."

Unwilling to accept Tokito's proposal, Ryuen urges unanimity in favor of it.

"People are selfish. They will not be happy to show up if there is a risk that they will drop out,
but if it is you and I who drop out, they will be happy to vote for you if you promise them 100
more points."

"Do you think those who vote yes now will agree to expel me?" "I don't know. If it

smells bad, you can vote against it, right?"

"Fuck you! It's not me who's going to get kicked out, it's you Ryuen!" "Good.

So, let's go ahead and decide who is going to win."

140
All four votes remained anonymous and the students didn't like it, but they had no choice.
Tokito was confident that if he could repeat the vote to oust Kakeru Ryuen multiple times, the
number of votes for him would increase as the time remaining decreased.

"Alright, that's enough ........ I'll sign up."

Just as Tokito is about to accept the challenge, a knock resounds from his table. "Wait a

minute, Ryuen. Can you give him a little time?"

The owner of the sound is Katsuragi. He hurriedly got up and called for Ryuen. "Oh?

What do you mean, Katsuragi? I don't remember asking for your opinion." "I do not

feel deprived of my right to speak."

When ordered to be quiet, Katsuragi responded unfazed and turned to Tokito.

"It is not bad to think, as you say, that as long as the number of those who disobey Ryuen
does not reach zero, we are safe. But what he says is also true. If a decisive vote is taken, with
the limit that one or If someone else drops out of school, students' emotions will fluctuate
greatly with the time remaining, and if that happens, whoever can control the majority of the
votes will have an overwhelming advantage.

"I told you. You can't take it for granted that you have the upper hand. The truth is, many in
the class don't look kindly on Ryuen. They're just dissatisfied with being forcibly held back. In
case you have time Surely there will be more people who will stop defending him. Even
Ishizaki the dog. "

"What the hell?"

"You fought him once, remember? Remember your rebellious spirit." "Oh

that's ........"

In the rooftop incident last year, Ishizaki defeated Ryuen and temporarily took control of the
class when they tried to end the dispute with Ayanokoji. You sure remember it well.

"I don't know what it was like then, but do you think you'll win in the end?" "Oh

yeah".

"I'm going to ask you a question. If Ryuen drops out, who will be in charge of this class?"

"We can discuss it or whatever you want. But not you, Katsuragi."

"It is true that I am an outsider of the class and that I may not be an option, but it is also true
that we will not be able to make a decision unless there can be a clear leader. We cannot let
Sakayanagi catch up with us and overtake us."

141
Katsuragi sees the big picture of the situation and keeps trying to persuade him, but Tokito
doesn't stop.

"You're boring me. ...... So what? If I wasn't willing to face it, I wouldn't have introduced
myself in the first place."

"From the beginning? You seem to have a lot of free time for that." "......

Shut!"

"Well, he couldn't help it if there weren't people with the same intentions, it wouldn't help"

Only when we were able to confirm that there were several votes that disagreed with Ryuen
did Tokito also make his move.

"Please Ryuen. Give Tokito a chance."

In response to Katsuragi's words, which he only sees as an advantage, Ryuen snaps his
fingers once.

"Very good. Tokito, I am giving you a chance. The next vote depends entirely on your vote. If
you vote yes, you will be expelled."

"You ...... You are passing yourself. Do you think you can expel me?"

"Yes. In the next vote, all the votes, except yours, will be against. So it is one in favor and one
against. So if you vote no, the issue is resolved unanimously."

"'Hey, when did the four affirmative votes disappear inadvertently?" "Kukuku, I will

change those 4 votes in this interval."

"You can't do that."

In addition to stubbornly staying in favor of the idea so far, Ryuen has spent most of this
interval talking to Tokito. There was no pretense of turning it around.

"Then try it. Put it in the affirmative as before, and you will know the answer." There

was less than a minute left in the time slot.

Although the room was air-conditioned and kept at a comfortable temperature, Tokito's back
was starting to sweat. Just a threat, just a bluff. You don't think anything has changed in this
interval. But what if the votes in favor of expulsion actually turn into votes against? That would
mean that all the students except Tokito had voted on Ryuen's orders. In case you're not sure
what to do, you can always escape negative feedback and take the defensive measures that
Ibuki took. In any case, a second round with Ryuen is inevitable.

If this happens, it will be decisive for Tokito himself to be defeated. "If you

are ready to quit, feel free to vote yes."

142
"...... I don't need to be told."

The time to vote will come soon. Tokito recklessly casts his vote in favor. "Then I will show

the results of the vote."

It is displayed on the monitor at the same time Sakagami announced.

Result of the 13th vote:

| 2 in favor | 38 against |

"Tsu!"

Tokito's heart must have accelerated faster than anyone's upon seeing this result.

This is because, as Ryuen said, all the remaining four votes, except one, were against.

"It sure scared me. ...... But there is another student who is as determined as I am. Even if
they have threatened us so far, he did not give up."

He screams and roars as if he wants to declare himself the winner.

But instead of looking at Tokito, Ryuen was looking at another student. "What

are you doing? You voted for it, right? Katsuragi.

"That?

Tokito is surprised when they tell him the name of someone he didn't expect.

"That's right. If I had voted against, as you stated, it would have been one vote in favor and
the others against, and it would have gone to a decisive vote, and it would have been
impossible to pass the test if not by expelling one of us."

"This is how it had to be. According to what you say, you will not be free."

"There is a reason, I think Tokito is a necessary member of the class. No, not just Tokito. I am
an outsider, I come from class A. That is why I have looked at this class with an objective eye.
As a result, I know there is no no one that is unnecessary. "

"Do you really think that a student who doesn't follow directions is a necessary student?"

"Yes, I think he is a valuable force. Someone who can disagree with you without hesitation,
just like me, or even more than me. Of course, the way he did it in this special exam was
wrong. I don't like the idea of put the class at risk only to drag Ryuen away. "

Katsuragi shoots a look and a word not only at Ryuen, but also at Tokito.

143
"If you don't like Ryuen being the leader, make a fair appeal to him without involving anyone else.
If you're right, I will support you without hesitation."

"Katsuragi ...... Damn ..."

"If you fall for Ryuen's strategy and quit, you will end up doing nothing. It will mean that he
will only end up here without remembering the existence of a student named Hiroya Tokito":

"But, until shortly before, there were 4 votes."

The invisible reinforcements that have pushed Tokito to this point. It was

also the basis of his hope.

"There is no such thing. It is just an illusion."

"Illusion, you say ......?"

"Or, to be more precise, they were eliminated in repeated voting. There were five votes in
favor left after Yajima's name was mentioned. The ones who voted in favor were you, Tokito
and"

Katsuragi turns around and points his gaze slowly.

"Shiina, Yamada, me and Ryuen ...... the four of us."

In response, Tokito and none of the classmates could understand. "...... What the hell are

you talking about ...... Ryuen also said he was in favor ......?

"When there were five votes in favor, there was only one anonymous vote left. But even then,
when you showed up, everything was clear."

"So, during this interval, Ryuen was teasing me in his mind ......"

"No, I didn't. It is true that the objective was to identify those who were in favor, but that was
already done when you showed up. He didn't have to go to the trouble of trying to win the
vote, he could easily have done it. So, naturally , the vote would have been unanimous in your
favor, and the next vote would have been to expel you. "

"So you were just making puns to insult me!" "No, he wasn't. He was giving

you a chance not to get expelled." "That?"

"But you didn't realize that possibility and you tried to move on. Indirectly, you probably
didn't think Ryuen was giving you a chance."

"Oh me……!"

"But, no matter how much I say, if you don't have ears to listen, it's up to you. Can you give
Tokito one last chance? Just one more time with a negative vote with everyone agreeing and
aligned."

144
"You want to give me another chance? I'm not that naive."

"You too are to blame. You were too provocative, and you missed the thread of salvation.
Now that everything has come to light, you finally have the option."

"And if it doesn't happen, won't you disagree with expelling him?"

"Oh, I won't have any objection. You can do whatever you want."

Katsuragi closed her eyes and crossed her arms. Tokito let him take care of himself. If you

vote yes, you will be expelled 100% of the time.

On the other hand, if you vote against, it will be unanimously and will avoid

expulsion. But voting against means succumbing to Ryuen.

It would be a severe blow to Tokito's pride.

"Then we will begin the 60-second voting period." With Sakagami's

words, the countdown begins.

Thirty-nine people, excluding Tokito, completed their votes within the deadline, but the count
has yet to be stopped.

Sakagami looked up once and looked at Tokito.

"As explained beforehand, after 60 seconds the penalty time is cumulative."

Tokito turns his head and looks alternately at the words for and against on his tablet.

"Fuck ....... Fuck."

I thought I had a good fighting chance. But halfway through, I found myself alone.

Everything danced in Ryuen's palm.

I feel frustrated, ashamed, ashamed.

Lots of negative emotions surround you and you can't let them go. The pride of

not giving in to Ryuen is evident.

Spread out gracefully. No, or you can deliberately cast an affirmative vote to buy some time:
if you keep voting against 39 people, you could fail this challenge.

He did not drop out of school, but failed a special exam. The thought crossed

his mind and he shook his head from side to side. There is nothing to be

gained by doing something like that to compete with Ryuen.

He causes a lot of trouble for his teammates and is even more annoying than Ryuen.

145
That is not what Tokito wants.

"Damn you ......! Fuck!"

With an exaggerated wave of his arm, Tokito touches the vote button. "...... Everyone

has voted. We will now announce the results."

Sakagami took a deep breath, activated her tablet, and displayed the results on the monitor.

Result of the 14th vote:

| 0 votes in favor | 40 votes against |

"As the vote is unanimous, the question is rejected. This concludes the special examination."

It was thought that there was a strong possibility that some students would be expelled from
the school, but it was confirmed that all the students in Ryuen's class would remain.

"Tokito, you"

Ishizaki turns and talks to Tokito, who has his eyes lowered.

"...... Don't get me wrong Ryuen, I do not approve of your methods. If I find out that you have
done something to prevent our class from being promoted to class A, I will eliminate you again
and again."

"Come to me whenever you want. I will face you without mercy."

"Mmm ..."

It was difficult for him to stay here, so he quickly left the classroom. After witnessing

this, Katsuragi walks over to Ryuen's side.

"You've gone too far, Katsuragi. Did I welcome the deserters well?" "Half of them, I guess.

But the other half was exploring the possibility" "Tell me, do I seem so naive?"

"I don't know if I'm being naive, but if your goal was to completely control the vote, it is
important to keep loyal students in their ranks. However, after the second vote, you gave
instructions to Shiina, the main target, while listening to the corresponding students Then,
through Shiina, you gathered a group of friends who would vote in favor of the false vote
through repeated discussions, the motive was to keep time.

"Was he protecting Tokito? Where did you get that information from?"

146
"Shiina overheard Tokito and me talking about you. I wouldn't be surprised if she informed
you and you know."

"I have been lulled into a false affirmative vote and I have been very selective in selecting who
would vote yes. Of course, I would have expelled him to get the class points. He did
something regrettable."

After Ryuen left the classroom late, Katsuragi turned to the eyes that had been watching
them.

I'm impressed after seeing Shiina smile softly.

"So it's possible that it was Shiina's own decision that appealed to me."

But, either way, it doesn't change the fact that Ryuen prepared the ropes to help Tokito and
then gave him a chance. Katsuragi is convinced that the students are relieved that no one has
been expelled from the school.

This is the class that has the potential to beat Sakayanagi and become Class A.

And he wants to work with this class to get it.

The choice of Sakayanagi Arisu

A little over an hour had passed since the start of the special exam. Class A, led by
Sakayanagi, was making good progress on the task, with some probes and breaks in
between. And then came the final task.

Proposal 5 - You get 100 class points, in exchange for expelling a classmate (if the vote
is unanimous, identify and vote the student who will be expelled).

Surprised by the keyword "expulsion", the first vote is cast in silence, according to the rules.

To avoid any unforeseen accidents, Sakayanagi, like Horikita, had instructed the four
members closest to her to cast their votes in advance.

As there are two options, there would be 2 votes in favor and 2 against, and the result of the
vote was ...

147
Results of the first round of voting:

| 2 in favor | 36 against |

This is the final result.

With the exception of two controlled votes in favor, the results reflect the opposition
expressed by all students.

"Well that's what happens. What do you say, Sakayanagi-san? Are we all going to vote no next
time?"

Hashimoto, who was in charge of putting option 1, and who would have voted in favor,
asked.

"What do you think? Hashimoto-kun."

Not expecting to be asked to answer the question, Hashimoto was a bit surprised and reread
the assignment in his mind.

"If it's a nonstop conclusion, I'm against it. But if you think about it, 100 class points is way
more than you think."

"'So you say I should go for 100 points, even if it means expelling my teammates?"

"No. ...... I wouldn't go that far. I'm just not sure we can afford to take it lightly."

"If it had been at the end of a competitive school year, I would have been forced to make a
policy of expelling classmates. But now the class works without problems. It would be quite
crazy to choose to drop a student to collect 100 class points" .

"Of course. Don't you want to have to regret 100 points in the future?"

"The reduction in the number of students is also a disadvantage. It would simply reduce the
total number of private points that are earned each month, causing a loss of morale and
mistrust in the class. An interesting way to act is to dare to quit school and collect 20 million
private points. 100 points will make a difference, but if we take into account the invisible
factors, we believe that the difference between winning and losing is not that great,
regardless of how this challenge turns out. Or is there anyone in this class to offer to drop
out? "

By saying that. Sakayanagi takes a look at the class. Of course, as Sakayanagi says, there is no
way for any student in Class A to volunteer to drop out of school. "

148
"'The other classes in the school will have problems. And if you make tough decisions and
select people to drop out, the class doesn't necessarily go up. Losing a colleague is not as
easy as it sounds."

With that one word, Class A policy is established.

If Class A had chosen to drop out, they would have done so unanimously and without dismay.

And nine times out of ten, the student chosen by Sakayanagi will be expelled.

"My classmates are different from Katsuragi-kun or Totsuka-kun, who have left. And I am not
going to expel my classmates who work for me."

That was a lie from Sakayanagi.

In the unlikely event that Class A were cornered, Sakayanagi would not hesitate to choose to
expel the students. However, if you choose to expel students when the situation is not
critical, it will create a sense of mistrust. He simply decided that he had the most to lose if he
put himself in that situation now.

Result of the second vote:

| 0 votes in favor | 38 votes against |

Ryuen's class and Ichinose's class unanimously opposed the proposal after much discussion.

However, in this case the colleagues voted unanimously after the first interval, leaving more
than half the time.

"This concludes all the proposals for the special exam unanimously. This class has the fastest
time to complete the special exams. All other classes are still in the middle of the special
exams, they will have to leave the classroom according to the instructions of the Professor.
The rest of the time will be spent studying on your own in the bedroom, as planned. "

Although we were not allowed to leave the bedroom, their time was practically free.

149
 Suzune Horikita's Choice

"Then I will announce the results of the vote."

Result of the 10th vote:

| 1 in favor | 38 against |

The scene we are tired of seeing just repeats itself.

No matter how many times we appeal to people to come forward or change their vote,
nothing changes. No discussion will change it.

The number of votes in favor of expulsion did not increase or decrease.

The results make one wonder if the voting can actually be ended - only the same screen is
shown over and over again.

"As the vote was not unanimous, now we will begin the interval."

Even Chabashira-sensei, who announces the standard text, has started to show signs of
fatigue.

Now that you've talked about your past, the only thing you can do is keep an eye on the
future of this proposal as a teacher.

"Why ....... Is there anyone really in favor of this?"

Keisei understandably wants to pose questions this way.

At this point, the discussion has been exhausted in every way, even if we keep talking.

How many times have Horikita and Yosuke tried to persuade him?

"Those who say they are against ...... Please raise your hand."

Yosuke asks the students who are against to raise their hands. Thinking that it would be
useless to call whoever votes in favor

Even if you try to do it in reverse, you won't be able to make a breakthrough.

One hand on each side extended upward in a line. Of course, I also raise my hand.

You can see from this that 38 people, including Yosuke, threw their hands in the opposite
direction without hesitation.

The only one who didn't raise his hand was Koenji, .......

150
"I'm not going to raise my hand, but I'm going to vote against it, so don't worry."

"I'm not sure I believe you Koenji. I'm sure it's you who voted for it ......."

"How many times have we had this discussion? You never get tired of it."

As for Sudo, he has no choice but to rummage through Koenji. It is no wonder that the
situation continues where there is one person in this class who continues to lie.

There is a student who proudly raises his hand to say that he votes no, and yet he votes yes.

"I don't want to think that any of you who have raised your hand are lying, but I'm going to
ask you again, this time looking each of you directly in the eye. If any of you voted yes, please
tell me honestly. …… No, I want you to vote no in the next vote. "

Ten minutes to keep trying. Horikita spares no time and effort to take on each of them.

She must be as tired as the rest of the students, but she can't say that.

Haruka, Airi, Keisei and Akito. Ike, Sudo, Mi-chan and Matsushita. Mita, Onodera, Mori all
respond by looking directly into Horikita's eyes.

I am voting against, they said.

Finally, Horikita reaches the end of the line at the entrance of the classroom. "What

about you, Ayanokoji-kun?

"I voted no, of course." "......

Yes.

This means that, once again, we have completed a close questioning of each person.

There is no change in the fact that all my colleagues vote against.

The only thing left is to appeal to the remorse of conscience that remains and get them to
vote no .......

"One minute to go. Return to your seats, Horikita, and let the voting begin." After all that

effort, it is time to vote again. The answer.

Result of the 11th vote:

| 1 vote in favor | 38 votes against |

151
The result is the same. There is nothing more to add.

It's the same, the same, the same result.

"Oh my gosh! I feel like I'm going crazy! I don't get it!"

Sudo slams his elbows on the desk and scratches his head messily. "Hey, but what are you

really doing? The remaining time keeps decreasing."

Until now, students were convinced that even the most persistent supporters would
eventually collapse.

Horikita and the others must have thought that they would never choose to run out of time.

Absolutely, almost certainly, probably, those who vote yes would vote no for fear of running
out of time.

And just in time, the vote was unanimous in the negative and the special exam passed.

They had that image and then they would start planning the sports and cultural festival.

But...

The vote in favor did not move.

Waiting another ten minutes, half an hour, or an hour would not change the

answer. The only thing that awaits us is the worst possible path: "time is up."

There are nine minutes until the next vote. These nine minutes are no longer just nine
minutes.

After this point, there were less than two hours until the end of the term.

For the past three hours, Horikita has fought hard to meet this final challenge.

Not that Horikita's strategy was naive. Even if he had tried to get a unanimous vote against it,
it would have been impossible.

Why? What was the underlying reason?

Because all forms of persuasion, all forms of negotiation, all forms of action are meaningless.

The only thing that opponents are fighting for is to avoid a unanimous vote against.

The most frightening thing is that the person who has voted in favor does not consider that
the exhaustion of time is the most negative.

Normally, this would not be the case in this particular test.

If we look at this task objectively, the priority of the three options is fixed and determined.

Against ≥ For> Out of time

152
It is an absolute inequality that is common to all four classes and to all students. This is the
basic premise, so to speak, on which the special exams are based, because this priority is
fixed. But what if there is only one student with a different inequality?

For> Out of time> Against

This challenge would not be possible if students were given such a distorted superiority.

That is why the school has strict surveillance and rules to prevent other classes from
intervening, to prevent them from signing contracts with people like Sakayanagi and Ryuen,
who will invite them to their classes if they run out of time, or give them large amounts of
private points.

The special exam became chaotic as some students did not want to give in. If you continue

to be stubborn, you will only run out of time. So, what to do?

There was only one thing to do with the two hours left. Unanimous in

favor.

That is the best solution. There is no other way to end this test. I'm sure

Horikita already has this in mind.

But he cannot take the plunge.

It is not an easy thing when you have to expel your teammates.

Choosing a person to expel is more difficult than a unanimous vote against. Once the first

step is taken, there is no going back.

It is not possible to say: "We cannot expel anyone after all, so we will vote against it again."

And yet when it came time to vote, I was still hesitant to go through with my plan.

Why? The ideal route had been lost and the time needed to carry out the plan is approaching.

If we take the extra time, it will be difficult to get a unanimous vote in favor of the plan and
select the students to be expelled from school.

Even so, I would like to once again attempt a unanimous vote against one more time, even if
I lose valuable time.

A feeling of irrationality that I have never felt before comes to mind.

I wonder what decision you would have made in this situation. I was asking Horikita Manabu
in my mind.

153
There is no answer, but I decide to modify my plan. I decided to give it one last chance
without changing my strategy.

"Here are the results ......"

After counting the results, Chabashira-sensei is momentarily speechless.

"'...... I'll announce the results."

The results of the twelfth vote:

| 2 votes in favor | 37 against |

"Oh why are there more votes in favor?"

After a long period of time, one person voted in favor, of the 38 who had opposed so far.

It has enough impact to break the unity of the opposition. "It seems like a bad

dream ......"

The vote was cast by me, of course.

It was not just a vote. It is not like this. It is a strong vote for the 37 people who were united,
except for Koenji, who voted in favor for certain reasons.

Horikita, teasing her hair, goes back into thoughtful mode.

If we cannot get the number of votes in favor to zero, what should we do?

Horikita quickly realizes that it is a vote that has been lost, now we must prevent time from
running out.

Whichever way this last issue is voted unanimously, the worst option is to run out of time.
Even if no one dropped out, there would be a loss of 300 class points, a difference of 350 if all
other classes passed, and a difference of up to 450 points if any class passed the last
assignment unanimously.

With such a big difference, there is no guarantee that we will be able to catch up, even if
there is more than a year of studies left. No, it can be said that there is no remedy.

It would be no joke that we avoided dropping out of school, but that we would have to quit
class A.

154
And once this idea spreads, it is inevitable that people will start to question the meaning of
continuing to vote against. So I think it is easier to move a negative vote that has the
potential to move the others in a united way than to keep trying to move the vote in favor.

Even if the next big hurdle is who will be kicked out, we can take half a step forward from the
current stark situation.

"Well, I think we have no choice but to vote in favor."

"What are you talking about? If we do that, someone will have to be expelled." "But,

you know, ...... If we run out of time, we're screwed, right?" Little by little, the vote in

favor of expulsion begins to erode.

The first candidates to move are those who are confident that they will not be expelled.

Those who keep voting are not usually the ones who think they can be expelled.

Internally, the number of affirmative votes continues to grow.

However, it is unlikely that a single student will come forward to say that they have voted yes.

Of course not. If it were known that they voted in favor, they could be expelled.

Only when the vote is unanimous in favor of the motion can we proceed to the next round of
expulsions under equal conditions.

Results of the thirteenth vote:

| 5 for | 34 against |

3 more votes in favor.

The question of voting for expulsion remains strong, but that was it.

Result of the 14th vote:

| 12 votes in favor | 27 against |

The number of votes in favor of the expulsion did not stop, but continued to increase.

And for the first time, the number of votes in favor reaches two figures, almost a third of the total.

155
The next vote will have more votes in favor.

At this point, the time limit is only an hour and a half.

"Wait a minute. If you think it's a good idea to vote yes, you're wrong!"

Undaunted by the crisis, Yosuke speaks to the students who are voting for it.

"I know we have to avoid running out of time, but that doesn't mean that a unanimous vote
in favor will solve the problem, does it?"

"Yes, ....... Yes we will target someone in the future. But that does not mean that it is a
solution. It is even more difficult to reach unanimity than it is to the opposition. But we only
have an hour and a half left. You realize?"

To finish the task in favor, they had to decide who would be expelled. "It is not

too late. I think we should vote against it." "I agree with you. Don't get carried

away."

Peers are in a constant state of emotional turmoil. It is not too late to vote for or against.

"They know that they should not vote yes, despite the fact that 12 people are in favor, none have
shown their faces. Isn't that right?"

Even if the vote is repeated and the number of those in favor increases, there will not be an
ideal unanimity unless there is a major intervention to force it. I was originally going to go
unanimous in the next vote, but decided to use it here now ahead of schedule.

"Can I give my opinion?"

"That, ......?"

Horikita is a bit surprised by my suggestion, as if she hadn't expected it.

"Horikita, I voted yes on the fourteenth ballot."

This is a lie. I have already voted in favor since the 12th vote. But no

one can prove it.

"Ayanokoji-kun, why? ......"

"If we stay against it, we will run out of time. I'm sure everyone knows that."

To increase the number of votes in favor of expulsion, someone has to take on this role.

From the seat next to me, Sato looks at me anxiously.

156
No, it's not just Sato. Anyone who is concerned about this situation will react the same.

"It is not a solution. We will end up fighting over who will be expelled."

"It is true. But we can get out of this rigid situation. Even if we find out who has voted in favor
of the decision, I do not think they will vote against. In other words, we cannot expect that
there will be unanimity at the end. But now it is possible to achieve unanimity in favor. And
we can take the only defector and judge him among the 38. It is a bit forced, but it is possible
to achieve unanimity. "

Horikita and I have a common person in mind.

Of course, there is no guarantee that it is that person, but you know who I mean.

"That is to say... "

"Judge? Do you think we have the right to judge a student just because they vote yes?

Yosuke fought back, catching the last thing I said.

"If we do not get a unanimous vote, we will not be able to go to class A. I think everyone
knows that, and despite that he continues to vote against, so he is fully conscious and guilty."

"But, but that's ...... I'm sure that when the time is up, he will vote against it."

"More? There are only a few opportunities left to vote. Do we want to involve all our
colleagues in this slim possibility? The fewer times you vote, the less chance there is of being
favored. It would be a total blow to unanimity."

You don't have to say it, but Yosuke and his teammates know it. The reason so many students
haven't taken the first step is because the biggest hurdle appears when they vote yes.

"It is true that many students hesitate to vote yes. That is why we would like to identify the
one who continued to vote in favor and adjust the rules so that he is the only one who can be
expelled. That means that we can guarantee the safety of the students who vote against. ".

Sato, who has listened to me more than anyone, raises a small hand.

"That's great, but ...... If you don't know who's going to vote yes, it doesn't matter. In the end,
when the time is up, we'll have to randomly send the candidates for expulsion ..."

"If we cannot reduce the list of expulsions, we can run out of time. What we have to avoid
now is to stay here and not take any action when there is a possibility that we can fail the
exam."

To encourage the insecure students, I dropped more material to make up their minds.

157
"As Horikita said, he has an idea who has voted yes."

"So why don't you say it here and now? But Horikita refuses to give a name. That means you
have no idea who they are, right? I think he was bluffing, or he thought that if he threatened
him, I would vote against "

Miyamoto's conjecture is not correct, but it is certainly not far-fetched to think so.

"If we really had an idea, we would try to convince him."

"We can't do that, that's why we're doing this. I'm not going to let that person's name
influence the votes. He can be stubborn and vote against until the end."

This was a warning to be able to vote yes and no problems at the end. Surely if he is

aware, and even if they tell him to vote, he is the one who votes.

If you are afraid of being exposed, you may be the only one to vote against it in the next
round.

"Get ready, Horikita. The opposite is trying to catch you. There is no other way to fight, hunt
or be hunted."

As Horikita remains silent, I turned my attention to someone else.

"And Yosuke. I understand you don't want to expel anyone from your class. If you really
didn't want anyone to drop out, you had to have gotten it before time ran out. You don't
know?"

The day before the exam started, he had warned Yosuke about this. You can see that he

was struggling to keep his head above the water.

I can't understand the desire to continue resisting. "But I…"

"The next vote will be the difference."

"...... Me...... "

It is a difficult decision, but Yosuke is no longer the same person as always.

It has grown since last year's desert island test and class vote.

"So, yeah, you're right. It's ...... I can't upset the whole class just because of my feelings ......."

He ducks his head, but decides to act on his own initiative.

"I am going to vote yes. And as Ayanokoji-kun said, we are going to do our best to expel the
one who voted in favor all the time."

158
The decision of Yosuke, the heart of the class, would have changed the situation even more
drastically.

"It's up to you, Horikita. It's time for you to make up your mind so we don't run out of time."

Time advances for the next round of voting.

"Please. Give me the opportunity to oppose unanimously one more time. If the next vote is
not unanimously opposed ... I too will be ready."

There is no next time. We have managed to create that situation.

The last vote for a true unanimous vote against is about to begin.

It didn't take everyone long to complete the vote in seconds. But things are

sometimes very different between ideals and reality.

Result of the 15th vote:

| 1 in favor | 38 against |

"Fuck! After all, it'll still be the same!"

It was a risky move to force the votes that had started to go in favor of the expulsion to go
against again.

As time is running out, not even this latest attempt to make the vote unanimous was
successful.

But now everyone has understood.

Everyone understands that the student who continues to vote in favor is willing to run out of
time.

"Horikita, Yosuke. Okay?"

I am trying to confirm the determination of both people and obtain their consent.

In any case, the necessary preparations have been made to combat the expulsions.

Now that Horikita, Yosuke, the two leads have made their intentions clear, the majority of the
votes are likely to be in favor. However, it is easy to imagine that students who are concerned
about the possibility of being expelled will hesitate to vote in favor.

Therefore, those who are willing to vote no, should also be.

159
"We cannot have an opposing vote in the next vote. We already know how it hurts to
consume ten minutes of your time for one vote."

If there was still time, it would not be surprising that some of the students were still
dissatisfied.

But with almost an hour to go, the door was completely closed.

It's the kind of thing that forces you to make decisions when you don't have the power to.

"Now that we have come to this ...... We are going to have to choose who is going to be
expelled.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I don't want to lose my classmates either, but if we don't expel someone, the consequences
for the class will be enormous. It's something we absolutely must avoid."

Looking at the class point count so far, the pain of losing almost 300 class points here is well
understood.

The interval is mandatory 10 minutes.

Resist the temptation to flee and vote against it.

Result of the 16th vote:

| 39 votes in favor | 0 votes against |

It was unanimous. With the result comes a pinch of fear and anxiety on everyone's part.

"Agreed and unanimous ..."

Chabashira-sensei mutters like she's ready for anything.

At the time of making this decision, the only option left is to expel someone or to fail the
exam

Of course, the latter arguably means that this class will lose the battle to graduate.

In other words, of the 39 students, there would be a dropout in about an hour.

Of course, I know who should be expelled.

"People can identify themselves either by submitting their application, which is only allowed
once, or by selecting a student's name on a tablet and

160
casting a vote of recommendation. However, if there is no candidate, and if at the end of the
interval there is no majority of candidates, the vote will be carried out by random selection, as
explained above. "

Naturally, many of the students look at me and Horikita as we decide who will be expelled.

There was a lot of pressure for our names to come out. This is a much

more important and valuable interval than the previous one. In the same

ten minutes, we have to choose who to nominate.

"'Unanimity in favor is decided ...... At the very least, I would like the policy to be to wait for
the student to go to confession during this interval. Depending on the circumstances and the
case, we may choose to run out of time and help the student".

Of course, criticism cannot be stifled with such a proposal. You cannot tolerate that

choice to lose class points.

But Horikita was silent and began to take action listening to her dissatisfaction and decided
to endure it.

As for me, I need to find the right time, so I will keep quiet according to plan.

Pass a dark and difficult interval, with directed discontent and the restraint of each. No

particular student can be chosen, and the interval comes to an end.

Looking at his name on the monitor will make you feel a pain in your chest, Especially when it
comes to the first vote, there is no denying the unanimity due to the impulse.

"You don't mind if I run for the election, do you, Professor? Of course not."

"Then please vote for me."

And with that, Yosuke introduced himself as a specific student just before the remaining time
was up.

Yosuke Hirata will be expelled.

| In favor | Against |

This vote has a different weight than the previous ones.

161
If any student votes yes, they are directly telling Yosuke that they don't care if he disappears
and that he wants him to leave.

Result of the 17th vote:

| 6 for | 32 against |

The silence is such that students can be heard gasping and exhaling.

The relief of a majority against, and the invisible presence of the six who voted in favor,
would normally haunt us for some time. However, Yosuke may be more relieved that his
candidacy has cleared the initial hurdle.

"What are they doing? ...... Someone can really drop out of school ..."

"We are running out of time, so let me ask you something. Who is the student who has voted
up all this time?

He couldn't wait, Keisei asks for an answer.

"I'll tell you the names of the students I have in mind, of course. But it's not that simple."

"Isn't it that simple? We no longer have a choice. Now that we have decided to expel
someone, we have to find out who it is as soon as possible.

There are still many students who regret their decision to vote yes and are concerned.

Many of them still feel sorry and anxious about their decision. They need something

that makes them feel like they were not wrong in voting yes. "Next vote, if the weather

continues like this, will someone be randomly chosen ......?" No wonder Sudo is restless.

Even Yosuke got 6 votes in favor.

"Don't worry, Ken. I'll vote against ....... So ... Protect me too please.

"Of course we do, Kanji. That's right. If we protect each other, we'll be absolutely fine ......."

"...... uh ...... uh ......"

The companions lose their composure. There was a weak scream. She

covers her mouth and looks away, but it's clear what the voice is saying.

"Kikyo-chan… Are you okay?"

Mi-chan runs over and puts her hand on Kushida's back.

162
"I'm sorry, ....... I'm not sure why we're doing this, ....... I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do
it, but I'll do my best."

"That happens to me too. But someone has to quit ......." Most of the

students have that feeling.

They are forced to do something that is unreal.

"I regret my choice ....... I should have kept voting against it until the end, whatever
happens ......"

"That's true, but it can't be helped. When the time is up, the class points will be reduced by
300 points.

To justify her decision to vote yes, Keisei said it was inevitable.

"But ...... I'll never get over the regret of voting yes because I was told! ......!

He confesses that he regrets having participated in the unanimous vote in favor of the
expulsion.

The students, who felt the same, but without saying it, began to show their colors more
strongly.

"Don't blame yourself, Kushida-chan. We are all the

same ......." Sudo and Ike also comfort Kushida.

"It's frustrating......"

Tears roll down her cheeks. While cleaning them, Kushida holds her trembling body and
looks up.10

"I'm sure we had a chance to disagree unanimously. If we had been persistent and
persuasive, even those who voted in favor would have understood in the end ......."

"That's ...... But the time is ......"

"Sure, I understand what Horikita-san and Ayanokoji-kun were saying. You have to avoid
running out of time, right? Yes, I understand that ....... But even if he was sanctioned, he
would have preferred to be in a class to which no one will be expelled.

Kushida says the feelings that she has accumulated so far.

"No, but after all it's the fault of the guy who was in favor. Absolutely."

"No one should be expelled from school because of their academic or athletic ability, it is a
trivial matter. You cannot decide who should be expelled on that basis."

10 NT: You want to kick it ahr

163
Kushida says that she really wants to protect even those who are in favor of this situation.

"But, you know. So how should we decide who to kick out?" If that's the

case, what if ...... You know, a lottery. "

"No, you can't do that. ...... I'm sure everyone wouldn't agree."

Wiping away tears with the tips of her fingers, she continued. "I

am prepared to be criticized."

With her hand on her chest, Kushida addressed her companions.

"Horikita-san, who was the leader of this special test ...... or Ayanokoji-kun, who encouraged
them to vote yes, should take the blame for that."

I knew this would happen. Kushida's first move.

For Kushida, there is no advantage to students like Ike and Sudo dropping out of school.

The words are the intense desire of an anonymous who has voted unequivocally in favor.

"I feel so bad for mentioning their names that I almost hate myself. But I can't let our time
run out. Someone has to carry that weight ....... So I'm going to play the role of the
hated ......... "

Nobody wants to be expelled.

However, as long as someone has to be expelled, selection is inevitable.

Like those who are expelled, those who are told who will be expelled are equally fraught with
suffering.

Kushida has taken care of it.

It takes a lot of determination and a lot of reason to name names.

With the proper wording, he got his colleagues to know our names, without making them
feel like they were anonymous sympathizers.

Kushida is much smarter than I thought. Normally, in Kushida's position, she would not be
expelled, even if she remained silent until the end. She has many friends who trust her, and
there are many students who will vote against her. However, Horikita and I have already
realized that Kushida is the anonymous supporter. If either of them raised their fists in the air
and put Kushida's reputation into a tailspin, it could lead to unforeseen trouble. In that case,
it is effective to take a defensive measure by putting yourself in that position as long as it is
not excessive.

By giving the names of Horikita and myself in his act, even if I despise Kushida, I can induce
that it is due to resentment that you have us that declared the expulsion.

164
"Do not be silly!"

The first person to object to Kushida's idea was Kei, not Horikita or me.

"Why should Kiyotaka be expelled? He was about to run out of time so he decided to go
through the same trouble and say yes. Where is the blame in that?"

"...... Yes, it is. That's right. I know exactly what you mean, Karuizawa-san. To be honest, I
think it's wrong to name names now ....... But if you don't, you cannot advance. "

"I would never vote to expel Kiyotaka. You know he is not going to be expelled, right?"

"Wait, Karuizawa. That's a bit selfish."

"Eh? Hondo-kun promised to vote against Onizuka-kun right now? It's not the same."

"Well, I'm not saying that I would unanimously agree ......."

"He's selfish. How can he get expelled if he doesn't make his own decision? Are we going to
run out of time and not go to class A? So what? Kiyotaka is everything to me, I don't care if I'm
in the class B or in the D ".

Kei is relentless in his anger, but it's time to stop.

"Enough, Kei. What Kushida says is more correct."

"But!"

Unsatisfied, Kei looks at Kushida without hiding her annoyance and stops.

"If you get carried away by your emotions and keep arguing, the person who should be most
responsible for what Kushida said will blur, and the target will become me and Horikita. You
know that."

"...... Yes ......"

If I had lost my composure, it would have been worse, but that's okay. As

long as I have a strong reason, I have reasons to suppress it.

Therefore, it is not bad for a colleague to speak his mind.

"I'll tell you that I'm not in favor of Suzune's expulsion. It might not be the ideal unanimously,
but it's not Suzune's fault. I disagree with you. Do you think we can move up the class without
Suzune in the future? We were sure of it. to trust her and we gave her a point of protection. "

"'...... We have decided that Horikita should receive protection points. But in the end, if you fail
this special test, the action itself will not make sense, we would lose 350 points ..."

Keisei answers while holding her glasses.

165
"If we have Suzune, we can go back!"

Will we regain the 350 point disadvantage with Horikita? Or will we fight as equals without
Horikita?

It is difficult to express as a simple value, but what Keisei says is generally correct.

"I can't agree with Kiyopon and Horikita's decision to leave now. It's not about personal
relationships, but about listening to both of them first. We all vote for it anyway, right?"

Setsuya also lifts her face at Haruka's words, which are unusually interrupted in the story.

The explanation was not in the form of defending him because he was one of his friends, but
in the form of saying that it was too early to do so.

"'...... Yes, you're right. I think I've lost my cool a bit ....... But if Ayanokoji is wrong with the
name of the person who voted for the ...... No, even if it is not a mistake, if you say the name
of the person who voted for you, it will probably destroy the whole relationship. ......

Don't say my name by mistake. Can't help but feel the pressure

Anyway, everything here comes to me.

"They are in the middle of a conversation, but it is enough. We have ten minutes to decide
who will be expelled from the school. If we cannot do it, a random vote will be taken."

"'...... Good. We don't have much time before the vote. I will present myself. Vote for me."

"Oh come on Suzune what are you saying?"

"'If we're going to have to vote anyway, I want to make sure. I want to see how many of you
want me to go."

As if to test himself, Horikita raises his hand and proposes that it be put to a vote.

If the agreement is unanimous here, she will be expelled. On the contrary, if the opposition is
unanimous, the expulsion will be waived, and we will have to start voting again, including
Horikita, to choose who to vote for.

"The 60-second voting for Suzune Horikita will begin now." Voting begins

for Horikita's expulsion.

How many students will vote for Horikita's expulsion? It seems that all the votes have been
completed in about 30 seconds, and Chabashira-sensei shows the result on the monitor.

166
Results of the 18th round of voting:

| 16 in favor | 22 against |

Am I the only one who thinks this is an interesting result?

Objectively speaking, the only person who can clearly vote against Horikita is Sudo.

And Koenji, who doesn't want to give up his only ally, Horikita, is probably next on the list.

On the other hand, the rest of the students were asked to vote only on whether or not they
agreed with Horikita's expulsion. For the 16 invisible students, Horikita's presence is not that
important.

Or is there a segment of the population that would settle for just anyone as long as they
don't have to drop out of school?

"Are you crazy? I'll kill those who voted for it, raise your hands!"

I'm not sure if I was expecting more than a few upvotes or not, but Sudo stood up.

"Stop, Sudo-kun."

"You can't stop me!"

"You're wasting your time making a fuss. Let's talk more constructively."

"Horikita-san is right, Sudo-kun. Unanimity is the golden rule in this special test. Even if there
are few votes in favor, as long as they continue voting against, Horikita-san will not be
expelled."

Yosuke convinces him that there was no need to be angry.

Just like he said, even if you are not satisfied, just having a person by your side is enough.

It's the only way to make sure you don't get kicked out.

Just one vote, an immovable defensive vote, is enough to avoid the fate of expulsion.

On the other hand, if you lose that last vote, there is nothing you can do to prevent yourself from being
expelled.

"We are running out of time. It is time for them to give the names of the students that they
think were in favor."

"I know. But before I respond, I would like to make a suggestion."

167
"A suggestion?"

"Yes. I'm going to give a name, but I don't think it's a simple statement. If the wrong person
is said, it will create considerable damage, the word 'rumor' is useless."

"It's ...... It's true."

"That is why it is not a simple statement, and on the other hand, if it turns out that I said the
wrong person, then I will take responsibility and be expelled."

"Wait, Kiyotaka."

Assume the responsibility. Hearing these words, the class went into an uproar.

"Eh, are you sure you'll be okay? Ayanokoji-kun ....... I don't want any of my classmates to be
expelled ....... Ayanokoji-kun is still one of them ..."

"Thanks for your concern, Kushida. But I'm fine."

"You say you are retiring, but Karuizawa-san is against Ayanokoji-kun's vote, right? That
doesn't make sense."

"I won't let that happen. Taking responsibility also means stopping those negative votes. If
the time comes, I'll make sure Kei votes yes. Okay?"

"...... I understand it, but I don't think it will happen"

"I was certainly convinced by what Kushida said. I'm talking about the fact that I am the one
who should take part of the blame in this special test, because it was I who led the way in her
favor. However, there was an anonymous person who insisted on vote yes. And I have the
opinion that this person should take the blame. "

"I'm sure there is someone in this class who took advantage of the anonymity to expel
someone from the school and went to great lengths to keep secret."

Kei joins in to defend me.

"Wow, I agree with you ......! That person must take responsibility ......"

"Yes, that's it. It is the fault of the students who voted yes." Airi,

Haruka and Akito join in supporting that.

"Ready… did you decide?"

One last piece of advice, and Kushida's eager eyes stare at me.

"You have to be prepared to pay the price of naming names. Above all, because I am 100%
convinced, I can speak up and bet on my own expulsion."

"I understand. Then I believe in Ayanokoji-kun."

Kushida's strong eyes keep looking at me with the word "believe".

By pulling my ad security, the interest of the students has increased.

168
The rest of the students, apart from the one who voted in favor of the project, were
inherently anxious.

That is why they are waiting for the name of the person they can listen to and vote for.

They are waiting for the right reasons to hit you, to empty their throats and curse you.

"What is that person's name?"

The person I am going to abandon, the person I have decided to expel. I'm going to

reveal it all here.

"Kushida, you"

The silence. Not even the buzzing in your ears can reach you, a world where sound has
completely disappeared.

I know Horikita. Although I come to the conclusion that he has no choice but to accept, but
still cannot move on.

But Kushida didn't take a step back. I have tried to get Horikita or I to drop out of school on
this proposal and she has voted yes every time I could. Whether or not he realizes that it is a
bad move is now a minor matter.

I decided that it was impossible to rehabilitate Kushida, but you wanted to face it to the end.

I don't know how you could have kept his name out of it all these years considering the
sacrifice of the class.

You may not have been able to save Kushida, but you didn't have to sacrifice yourself either.

I don't know what Horikita is thinking right now, but I clearly see that she is looking at me
more calmly than I thought.

Now Kushida has chosen to stand in his way as his enemy.

Then you have no choice but to fight. I will take on the role of defeating that opponent.

"Hey?"

A voice that seemed not to understand was heard.

It's not just Kushida, but almost all the students at the same time. "Me

too?"

Kushida points to herself realizing that her name has been mentioned. It is also possible

that you have imagined that your name has been said.

That's why I came prepared for it, preparing it in advance.

But even so, he couldn't decide whether to expel Kushida. You might find a few things to use
to your advantage.

169
"Yes, you did. You are the one who insisted on voting yes when you were urged to vote no."

Even his companions, who were willing to hit him, were speechless.

"I'm not sure if it's ...... Maybe .... Why did I say that Horikita-san and Ayanokojikun should
take responsibility?"

When Hondo sees Kushida's tears of pain, he rushes to go with her.

"I don't care how many times you say it, Ayanokoji, it's not Kushida-chan! You do it out of
spite"

"It's not about that. I've been thinking about this since before he appointed me, since the first
vote on the fifth proposal."

"Wait, wait, wait. Vote against until the end? Why ......"

"That accusation? Well, of course that's what it would look like in this situation. It's just a

random excuse to avoid getting expelled from school.

It is obvious to anyone who sees it that way.

"There is no evidence that he continued to vote against. Of course not, it is an anonymous

vote. But now I am going to show you that it is you who voted it. Do you have any
objections?"

"It's terrible ....... What can I say? I was the first to give two names ...... But I was prepared for
it. I have decided to sacrifice myself to protect my class, even if I have to face false slander ".

No matter what I say, everything is a lie.

By putting that line of defense, you will keep those who support you.

"I'm not going to go into details, but I'm going to say why I thought Kushida was the one who
kept voting in favor, it's because she has a student in this class that she wants to expel. Of
course, you won't believe me, but listen to me. The person Kushida wants to expel is Horikita
and me, as Kushida herself mentioned. "

Many people are confused about what I am talking about.

Meanwhile, Kushida, who should be more upset than anyone else, calmly selects words and
speaks while still looking upset. It is a debate in which even a mistake is unacceptable.

"I have given two names, so it will be, isn't it ......?

"No, it's not that. Kushida has recognized that Horikita is more of a hindrance than anyone
since she entered this school."

I'm sure Kushida will understand if we get this far. I am going to reveal

here everything I know about Kushida.

And I can't order it to stop.

170
As long as she continues to play the pretty girl, there is no stopping her.

"Kushida. You have something in common with Horikita that no other partner has, right?"

"What? What do I have something in common with ......?"

You know, but you have to adopt the attitude that you don't know everything at least once.

He could interrupt his act, but he doesn't dare.

But he doesn't want to, because his defensive instinct will make Kushida suffer even

more. "Let's see ...... Oh, are you saying we went to the same high school?" No one had

ever heard such a story.

The first time they heard this information, my colleagues were shocked. You have no choice

but to reveal your hidden past.

"Yes. Not a single one of these students knew about it, right?"

Horikita is now staring at the podium, so we can't see her expression.

However, on the other hand, the line of sight of classmates can be easily seen.

"Wait, wait, wait. It's true that I never told anyone, but I never had a chance to talk about it. It
was a big school and we were never in the same class ....... It took me a long time to confirm.
with Horikita-san who went to the same school ....... "

Kushida says that in no way would she want to expel the students from the beginning.

And it was here that the students, unable to see Kushida's situation, began to act.

"'Come on Ayanokoji. I've heard you say you know who voted for it, but Kushida-chan? It's
impossible."

It was Ike who denied it. And his voice soon spread.

"That's right. What you say Ayanokoji is absurd."

"In the end, he only mentioned Kushida's name out of revenge."

"Why are you talking about them being expelled because they were the same high school in
the first place? You say Ayanokoji went to the same high school as the two of them?"

Classmates ask questions that should have been asked. Complaints are

multiplied from one to two, from two to three.

171
Friends appear one after another without asking.

This is undoubtedly a powerful weapon in the Kushida Kikyo arsenal. "I don't

remember you having that kind of character. Something's wrong with you, Ayanokoji."

"Yeah that's right. It's a bit scary …… I always thought you were quiet ……"

Some people not only cover it up, they start to distrust me for my unusual behavior.

"...... Don't blame him guys. Ayanokoji sure doesn't mean that either. I know what it's like to
be in a situation like this and want to blame someone else."

Exquisitely picking up the words of his peers. He intends to protect me while setting a trap
for me.

"You are too kind, Kikyo-chan. Don't let them say what they want."

Automatically, when Kushida's spokespeople are on her side. I am about to be stripped of my

right to speak.

But I have a weapon to fight back.

"Ayanokoji-kun who is talking about important things now. We must not half-interfere."

Yosuke then gives a warning to any student who tries to interfere with me.

"Come on, Hirata. It's useless to keep listening to Ayanokoji's lies.

"We must wait to hear all the material before commenting on whether something is true or
false. Of course, if it turns out to be false, I will not approve."

"Is it really worth listening to?"

"Yes, it's something we have to listen to. Not only Kushida-san, who was named, but also
Ayanokoji-kun's own expulsion will be greatly affected."

I have told Yosuke that he will likely control the voting when the time is up.

However, there is no way to know in advance what the proposal will be, and of course you
have not heard of Kushida.

As a purely neutral person, I have to be able to judge without making mistakes.

"I have nothing to do with where they both came from, and the fact that they went to the
same high school doesn't mean much to me. But it's true that Kushida had a big secret in
high school."

"'Don't do it again, Ayanokoji-kun ...... Don't lie anymore ......"

Kushida starts crying on the spot as tears start to run down her cheeks.

172
"Hey Kiyopon, I'm on your side, but ...... But I'm also on Kyou-chan's side. I don't know what to
say, but is it really necessary to keep talking about this?"

As you said, Haruka, who is part of the Ayanokoji group, defends me. Haruka has few

friends, but she and Kushida get along well outside of the group. If she cares about

both of you, it is natural for her to try to stop this conflict.

"Haruka. You've been waiting for the anonymous student you voted for to reveal, right? So
you need to hear this story to the end.

"But, because Kyou-chan is ......"

"I don't know what you think, but Kushida is not who you think she is. I'm sorry, but I have to
continue. Kushida's secret lies in her hidden nature.

"Kyou-chan ... His nature ......?"

"That's right. At first glance, Kushida appears to be a good person. She is kind, considerate,
good at her studies, good at sports, a perfect student. But, she is more jealous than anyone
else, and cannot be convinced unless be better. As a result, he has a track record that ruined
his class when they met your true nature in high school, right? "

"'...... Honestly, it's an amazing story. But even if it's true, it doesn't make sense. It's true that
Horikita, who went to the same high school, might know the past. But how does Ayanokoji
know? I also don't think Horikita-san will talk about it. "

"It wasn't long since I started school that I had the chance to see Kushida's true nature. I saw
Kushida in a way very different from her usual gentle nature, expressing her negative
emotions."

Even after all this, Kushida hasn't taken any action to look at me.

Just keep playing the role of a nice girl looking at a poor student who tells lies.

She is very proud of herself because she knows that if she does, she will be fine.

Of course, it is bad that bad things are said about you, true or false, and that will cast a
shadow over the rest of your school life. However, it is also a sign of her strong will that she is
willing to do whatever it takes to get Horikita and I expelled.

"He wants to be seen as a kind person, and he doesn't want his true nature to be known.
That's why he can't bear the thought that Horikita and I have to know about his weakness.
That's why he's always wanted to get us out of the way."

"'...... The interval will end in one minute."

We were in the middle of a conversation, but just in case, Chabashira-sensei informed us of

the time.

173
Translated from Spanish to English - www.onlinedoctranslator.com

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do now." What are

we going to do, by voting again? "

"At the moment… Is there no choice but to vote for Ayanokoji?" In this

situation, of course, I would be the next to be voted on. "Wait."

But it was Kushida, not Kei or Haruka, who stopped them.

"'I've had enough ...... I don't think my heart can take any more ......" "Oh,

Kushida-san?"

"If what you say is serious, you will never change ........ I don't want Horikita-san or Ayanokoji-
kun to be expelled. I even made Ayanokoji-kun lie because I mentioned their names. .... .. I
don't want to have to go through this painful discussion anymore. ...... So ...... So I'll leave ......
Then everything will go back to normal, right? "

Kushida offers herself as a candidate for expulsion.

This special test, one of the selection criteria for individual names, is only allowed if a single
person voluntarily comes forward, without voting, as Horikita and Yosuke have just
demonstrated.

"Are you sure about this, Kushida? Once you say it, you can't take it back." "Yes, okay ...... I

don't care. Please all agree to expel me. Please ..." When Kushida nominates herself with

those words, the expulsion is shown on the tablets. The colleagues are upset by the

unexpected candidacy.

Result of the 19th vote:

| 5 votes in favor | 33 against |

Eventually, the Kushida vote was held and the result was unanimous by overwhelming
opposition.

"Well, everyone ...... why?"

"There is no way we will expel Kushida-chan, whatever happens. You know?"

The 33 students who voted against responded with many nods in a strong show of solidarity.

"Ayanokoji. To be honest, I don't think it's a good idea to accuse Kushidachan just so you
don't get kicked out yourself."

174
With the exception of my vote in favor, only four people voted in favor of the expulsion of
Kushida.

It's hard to say it's just those, but I'm surprised we got five votes.

"Ayanokoji-kun's turn is next, right?

If things continue like this, there will be a vote to expel me.

That would be the best chance of achieving unanimity in favor of the current situation. But

only if I can make that decision 10 minutes later.

"Ayanokoji-kun, you say that Kushida-san's true nature is different, but it's hard to

believe."

"That's right. In the first place, has Kushida-san tried to expel Horikita-san from the school? If
she really wanted to expel her, she would have taken action long ago, right?"

If you wait for the right opportunity, you will naturally find it, voices naturally say that.

"It's not easy to get a classmate expelled. But at least I was a target of Kushida once. But at
least I was a target of Kushida once, in a special exam similar to this special exam
unanimously."

By avoiding direct expression, they let their peers delve into their memories.

"Ah the class voting ...... At that time, I'm pretty sure it was Yamauchi-kun and Kushida-san ..."

Yes. Last year, for the first time, we had a vote in our class that resulted in the expulsion of a
student from our class.

Kushida was one of the people who used Yamauchi to induce me to drop out of school. It's
probably still fresh in their minds.

"Coincidence? We have had two similar examinations and both times she has tried, and again
Kushida is involved, it is not something exaggerated."

If you remember those days, you will understand that it was strange to Kushida.

"It's true that you may think it's a coincidence, if Kushida-chan is deliberately trying to get
Ayanokoji-kun expelled, why would she wait until now?"

It is not as simple as that.

"Kushida thought I was on her side, she didn't think they were going to expose the whole
backstory like this, did she?"

"… On your side?"

"...... What should I do, Ayanokoji-kun ......? What is the correct answer?"

175
Basically, Kushida can only deny or ask again. As long as I cannot

confirm anything, the initiative is always mine.

"Give evidence, Ayanokoji. If you're going to blame Kushida-chan more, you're going to need it."

It is Hondo who has come to the fore with force. He seems to have a special feeling for
Kushida.

"I agree. Now I'll tell you why Kushida trusted me." Don't panic, just

make sure you understand it.

"It was a long time ago. Kushida had threatened to expel me from school, and I had made a
deal with her to give her half of my monthly private points in exchange for not expelled."

Kushida's defenders were slightly surprised when they were told a story that no one had
imagined.

"Is that true, Kushida-chan?"

"Hey…?"

Maybe he didn't expect this to come to light, or it was just on his mind, but he didn't know
how to respond. In any case, Kushida was speechless.

You cannot openly admit that you received private points. On the other

hand, it is difficult to deny that you have not received.

Although you may delude yourself that it is not true at this point, the truth will be revealed
when it is confirmed later.

This is due to the fact of who made the transfer and what amount is recorded in the history.

"What's wrong? Can't you say you haven't received a point?" "That…".

I'm not going to let him have time.

Right after directing his gaze to Chabashira-sensei. Kushida responds while her lips tremble.

"'...... That's right, ...... I receive private points from Ayanokoji every month ..."

Kushida has denied most of what I have said, but now she has to admit it.

If at this moment Chabashira-sensei could confirm it, it is inevitable that the situation will get
worse.

There is some skepticism as to whether Master Chabashira is aware of point transfers

between individuals at any time and whether he would leak personal information, but
Kushida is unwilling to take that risk.

176
"'But, but ...... The reason is totally different! Ayanokoji-kun asked me to keep them for
her. ...... And of course, I didn't use a single point."

There are only one or two ways to justify the fact that you receive half of your private points
each month from your colleagues. Like Kushida said I asked her to keep them, or I just gave
them to her.

If I said they gave it to him unilaterally, as in the case of the latter, he would have to explain
why, by what he said the other. Here's how he dealt with it.

"It was not my intention to give him. It was a condition, a price that he had to pay in order not to
be expelled."

"It is not true".

I offered him half of my private points for this deal. Kushida remembers it well. He even took
the time to record. However, its use is not possible depending on the situation.

No, quite the opposite. It would be a weapon that would stab herself.

"A lie. But Kushida, when she signed this contract with me, she said she recorded it for her
own insurance, right? If that recording comes out of her cell phone, she won't be able to get
away with it."

"Recorded? I don't know anything about that."

She denies it once, overwhelmed. The recording is probably stored somewhere, but
apparently not on your phone. You wouldn't take a risky recording directly with you, would
you? That would have been faster, but it doesn't matter.

"The same thing happens if Kushida has hidden the recordings in some unknown place. We
signed this contract in February of this year and I have also recorded the conversation.
Because if something happened I could use that conversation if you tried something."

Kushida's eyes widened as she looked at me. I don't think I could imagine it.

"I've listened to the recording several times and I know every word. I remember every word."
I'll give you half of the private points I get from here on. "I think that's how it started."

"It's a lie. I've never heard of something like that."

"It's certainly not a bad offer. But unfortunately right now I don't need more private points. It
can never be a bad thing to have more money, but I have enough."

"'...... I do not know".

"If you want, why don't you ask Chabashira-sensei to bring me my phone now?"

177
"I wouldn't mind. But I can't do it, we're on a special test, remember?"

"You cannot avoid confiscating your phone because its use could lead to cheating. However,
you can leave all the handling of the phone to Chabashira-sensei and just ask her to replay
the recorded data. That way there is no room for cheating."

Of course, I do not believe that these exceptions are granted unconditionally during special
examinations.

But the anxious Kushida can't help but look at Chabashira-sensei in front of her.

"It would be a problem if I could bring my cell phone. All the work you have done to cover it
up will be in vain. But you have realized it already, right? I will not stop."

I wonder what Kushida is thinking now that she talks less and less.

He turned his back on me and stopped moving, as if he had stiffened, and kept his gaze
straight ahead.

Kushida, of course, remembers that day and, by her careful nature, she would have verified
that the recording worked correctly. In other words, you've heard it repeatedly. The fact that
you have said the entire exchange, some words must have matched the audio data in your
memory.

"Even if you already have enough to use without worry, there is nothing wrong with having
more points in an emergency."

There has definitely been a big change in Kushida, who had been quite a victim.

You have reached a point where it is impossible for her to continue pretending to be an angel in
this class.

"Oh shut up......."

A classmate gulped. He heard a voice he couldn't understand, wondering who had just said
that.

The only way to stop him from saying more is by showing his true nature. But if you

reveal your true nature, everything will be over.

"Chabashira-sensei said so too. Private points are indispensable when it comes to protecting
oneself."

" Shut up shut up shut up!"

I will continue to the end, even if words of rejection or obstruction come.

"'That proposal. No matter where you look at it, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage if
you were about to be expelled Ayanokoji-kun'. This is the conversation that Kushida and I had
before the agreement. I am sure that everything will be resolved if everyone listens. the same
audio that I just said here in front of you. "

It doesn't matter if I actually have the recording or not, it's not important.

178
The only thing necessary and important is that the lines match the actual exchange.

"Enough!"

Kushida, who screamed and fell silent, must be struggling to remember those days.

It all started when I asked him for private information about several freshmen. When I asked
him to tell me his secrets, I then offered to give up my own private points. There is no doubt
that the conversation that preceded the proposal, in which Kushida wanted Horikita and me
to leave school, would remain intact.

You might think you had something very convenient going for you, but you were wrong

You have left a trail of trials that will lead to your own doom.

"I want you to tell me exactly what part of this conversation you want to say. So that I and the
whole class can hear it."

His friends, hoping it was a mistake, just watched Kushida anxiously.

"'...... Sorry".

Briefly, Kushida muttered an apology. "Why are

you apologizing?"

"'Sure, I promised not to fight Ayanokoji-kun in exchange for half of her private points.
That's ...... That's right, so ..."

Not an apology to me, but an apology to my colleagues for admitting that I had lied to them.

"So, but ...... I don't think about it anymore! I really want to be friends with Horikita-san and
Ayanokoji-kun. I've never been in favor of that."

Kushida stops when after fully raising her voice, sticking to the anonymous ban.

The way her companions looked at Kushida was very different from the warmth they had
shown her.

Even if she was not really the student who voted for us, it would no longer be possible for her
to carry on with her daily life as before. You seem to have understood perfectly.

But Kushida's determination has not yet died.

"Actually, Ayanokoji-kun, ...... Weren't you the one who kept voting yes?" "What do

you mean?"

"Ayanokoji-kun wanted to expel me from school. So she took steps to force the vote to be
unanimous in favor. It's not strange ...... It's strange that I am always

179
be quiet and not assertive, but be willing to take steps to get people expelled ....... "

Kushida, who is the closest thing to a stain, tries to shift the location of that stain from her
towards me.

Sorry, but I've already assumed that you are going to use that strategy.

"Hey, Karuizawa-san."

While scratching her hair, Kushida turns her gaze towards Kei. "That?"

"You seem to be dating Ayanokoji-kun, but did you know that when you started school he
was desperate to go out with me?"

"..... What are you talking about?"

Kei is calmer and more objective than most people, but even she has her weaknesses.

It is when love is involved that your uncontrollable emotions explode.

Earlier, when I mentioned that I was a candidate for expulsion, she was willing to defend me
tooth and nail.

Kushida must have been able to see the gap in Kei's heart because of that. "Did you touch

my breasts at night when I didn't want you to? Didn't you?" "Her ...... Breasts ... What the hell

happened to Kiyotaka?

"You didn't know, did you? He was doing such a terrible thing as soon as we entered school."

A feeling of disgust begins to spread among the girls, including the boys who are in love with
Kushida.

"'I gently warned him to stop right there, but ...... I was scared ...... And I couldn't help
myself ...".

"You seem to be saying something selfish, never touch your breasts." "Ki, what

are you saying Kiyotaka…?"

"It's true, you have to say that. But really, Ayanokoji-kun touched my breasts." "Kushida. I

hate to be the one to tell you this, but isn't it unseemly?"

"I also have evidence, although it is not the same as the recording you made. I have a
uniform with Ayanokoji-kun's fingerprints all over it, and I keep it as it was. Do you know what
would happen if I presented it ...? "

Just when I told him I had a recording on my phone, he did the same trick on me. If this turns

out to be true later, I'll be in trouble.

180
"Explain to me what you mean."

From the point of view of a woman who is being told the story objectively, it is
understandable that she wants to ask for an explanation.

"That's not true at all. Rather a question of whether it's true or false. He says he has
fingerprints on his clothes, but how are they preserved? If it was right after starting school,
it's been a year and a half. It is not easy to get a fingerprint from a garment, and if it is not
well preserved, it is not in good condition. I don't think it is possible to get a fingerprint. "

The surface of a garment is uneven and fingerprint lines are difficult to see. Taking into
account factors such as UV rays, humidity and dryness, we can say that it is 100% impossible.

"......"

Like the recording data, none of the evidence you have is useful. It doesn't matter

how many other cards you have in your hand.

There is no excuse he can think of. And I will not allow it.

"If there really was such harm in the first place, you should have sued immediately."

"Why? ... Why? ... Why? ... Why!? ..."

Kushida, comes up to me and grabs me by the chest while staring intently at me. In the

face of such an action by Kushida, please continue to respond peacefully.

"At one point, he was working with Ryuen to get Horikita and me expelled. Right?"

"At one point, you were working with Ryuen to get me and Horikita expelled. Weren't you?"

One after another, the events of Kushida are exposed to the light of day. At this point, it
would not have much effect to provide new information that is partially wrong.

"Because, why!?"

The hands that grip my uniform get stronger.

"Why are you betraying me? !!!! You promised not to antagonize me, do you remember?"

"Of course I didn't want to antagonize you. I was not interested in your bipolar personality.
That is why Horikita and I wanted to keep our votes against until the end, so that it would be
unanimous. But someone kept opposing you, there is no option. I tried to protect myself.
companions".

For the past year and a half, Kushida has been creating a false bond with her friends.

And now everything fell apart.

181
Without anyone saying anything, Kushida began to lower her tone slowly.

"Oh… No… No, no, no"

Kushida's face contorts with resignation as if she realized everything. But she soon regains

her composure, smiles, and takes her hand off my chest.

"Haha ...... I've been a fool. That agreement was a mistake .......".

The angry attitude disappears immediately and Kushida throws a few indifferent words.

"I knew Ayanokoji would be a tough opponent, but I didn't think he would betray me here.
It's unexpected."

"Hugh, you're lying, Kikyo-chan ...... That's what Ayanokoji was saying ...... It's a lie, isn't it? It's
a lie."

"Lies? I'm afraid it's all true." "Not true…

why…?"

"There are things that must be protected at all costs. Don't you understand? How could I not?
Oh my God, it's all over."

He shrugged, not caring about his situation.

"Yes. I couldn't bear the existence of Horikita-san and Ayanokoji-kun. I couldn't forgive them
knowing my secret that I should have kept. I've been trying for a long time to get a chance to
expel them."

"I was surprised by the last task, but you knew it wasn't going to be easy, right? You knew
what would happen if you did it anyway."

Even though he hated her, there was plenty of time for him to step aside. However, Kushida
continued to vote in favor of the expulsion, and repeatedly acted in a way that could be
described as strange. This is something that seemed out of Kushida's character to me during
the exam. For a moment, Kushida's eyes clouded over and she looked upset, but this soon
disappeared. Before the special exam, Kushida had asked Horikita to be the leader. He
seemed to have anticipated that this kind of proposal would come up ....... It's the first time
I've seen like this. "

"On top of that ...... I can't stand it. I couldn't bear the thought of my past being known. I
knew it would be very difficult to get Horikita to drop out of school, but I couldn't suppress
that urge."

The students who had defended her would have been speechless. Just because she was
considering expelling Horikita doesn't make it easy for her friends to blame her.

Of course, she is guilty of letting the class choose the route of expulsion by continuing to vote
for her, but even so, it would be difficult to say that she could have garnered unanimous
support for the expulsion of Kushida. To make sure students are expelled, we need more and
more damage done to this class.

"You can't expel me or Horikita. I'm sorry."

182
"The next vote is to expel me. This class will get class points at my expense. I'm happy for
you, I think now you can move to class B."

It's hard to believe I'm saying this to a group of people that I was friends with until this
afternoon.

"'...... You have no chance to change things" "Haha, maybe

you're right. But ......"

He brought his face close to my neck and coldly whispered

"You can at least put up a bit of a fight, right? You know?"

Even in a whisper, it was more than enough for the class to pick up on it. You can see that
Kushida was preparing for this inwardly without any need for us to shake it.

"You can't. You don't have any more friends voting against you."

"I don't think so. If they are going to expel me anyway, ...... I have to destroy everything."

The true nature that led to the collapse of the class to end everything in high school begins to
show its face.

"...... What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't you know? I'm the only one who knows the secrets of this class. There's still time
before the end of the interval, so I'll tell you all about it."

"There is no loss. I'm sure you will have problems, so let's get started." If that is. Let out the

truth and the stress that you have been suppressing.

Thus, everyone will be amazed and amazed at your personality.

Only then will any room for sympathy disappear and unanimity be achieved.

"Apart from Karuizawa-san, you consulted me on many other matters, didn't you, from
Shinohara-san?

Satsuki Shinohara was the first target of the myriad contradictions directed at a large group
of girls.

"What what?"

"I'm sure you'll agree that Shinohara-san isn't particularly pretty, or maybe a little ugly. That's
probably why only ugly guys like Ike and Komiya came on at her. It's funny how Karuizawa-
san, Matsushita-san and Mori-san were laughing at such a story in a funny way, right? "

A single pike is instantly divided into innumerable pieces, and one by one the names are
spoken and the targets are scattered.

"'No, no, no, no! I didn't say that! Don't lie to me! No!"

183
Mori immediately denied it, but Kushida had no intention of waiting to listen.

"What? You were the one who laughed and said they were the perfect couple. I told you not to say that,
but you didn't care."

"Is that so ....... Nene-chan .......?"

"Well, no ... I just ..."

"It seems that Shinohara-san confessed to Ike on the ship and went out with him, but it was
pretty easy, although she had been hesitating between him and Komiya-kun until just before
that."

"Oe, oe, Satsuki?"

For Kushida, there is fiery material hanging around the entire class.

As soon as the fire started in one place begins to spread, it immediately targets another
student.

"Speaking of romantic connections, Wang-san asked my advice." "No,

please stop!"

"Stop? Stop talking about the Hirata-kun you love so much?" "..."

Suddenly, the name of the person Mi-chan likes in class is said. In an instant, her face

turns red and she starts crying when Yosuke looks at her.

"Enough already. It's just the beginning. That's not the only secret I've heard from you. Want
to try something more serious next time? Well, maybe from Hasebe to start with."

"'...... Kyou-chan ......"

"Don't call me by that nickname. You can't even make friends, and you call people by
nicknames just to feel closer to them. It sure bothers those you call that."

As Kushida shifts her focus to Haruka, Shinohara, Mori and Ike and the others, they keep
forcing themselves to lie about what they have said or failed to say.

The interval will be over soon, but the unanimous decision to expel Kushida will be close.

If we leave her here, Kushida will only continue to reveal information to us.

184
1

After just a few minutes of listening to Ayanokoji-kun's story, the people around her have
made a 180 degree change in their opinion of Kushida-san. His friends, who should have
been as strong and united as Ayanokojikun's group. Now, for some reason, they seem to
have a terribly fragile relationship.

It was a story of such immense effect that even I, who knew Kushida's background before
anyone else, if you asked me now, I would tell you to vote for Kushida Kikyo before anyone
else.

He may have seen a glimpse of the power Ayanokoji-kun possesses before anyone else.

The class is like a hellish painting. After the interval, voting will begin for Kushida-san, who
will get the majority.

So this special exam is probably over. Our class will earn 100 cost points. It will be a valuable
asset to our search for the A-Class.

But. Yes, I have to fix my situation first.

I'm sure I'm in the same time stream as everyone else, but for me, every second passes
slowly but surely. The second hand of the analog clock, which does not look like a classroom
clock, slows down, as if it were about to stop at any moment.

On the contrary, sensitivities are becoming more and more acute.

What is my purpose? I wonder.

The answer, of course, is to graduate in class A. So class points are very important.

It is obvious. How much is the Kushida-san worth?

It is difficult to give a clear evaluation of each student.

But if you ask me if it's worth at least 100 class points, I'd say no.

185
So changing the way you see it.

If we fail the exam, we will lose 350 class points.

If you could protect Kushida-san instead, could I be a force to regain those points? eleven

… I don't think it's impossible, but it's difficult. It

depends not only on her, but also on me.

Kushida-san will be expelled because it will not be possible to make up 350 class points. That
is a normal idea.

So what do I want to do? Suzune Horikita, what do you want to do with student Kushida
Kikyo?

Just want to chase the easy option? Just kick her out?

I focus my consciousness, and begin to think about the time that has passed, trying to erase
the concept of unnecessary.

Is it okay to leave everything in Ayanokoji-kun's hands how is he? Well think about it. What is
right, what is wrong, and what can I do?

I acknowledge, respect and think again of Ayanokoji-kun's abilities. A ray of light

shines through the darkness of my eyelids. Yeah, I see… In the end, I only came up

with a single sure answer.

May Kushida Kikyo be expelled from school here and now. It's

what I mean by "not the correct answer."

And I am the only person who can save Kushida-san right now. The tick-tock

defrosts and the second hand begins to move again.

One by one, the students began to agree to Kushida's expulsion, but one student stood up.

"Don't go any further, Kushida-san. You can't go back."

"What? It's starting to get interesting. Don't interrupt me, Horikita-san." "That's not the

case. I don't want to hear any more nasty stories."

"Is the truth unpleasant?"

eleven NT: Stop fucking Horikita :)

187
Perhaps taking it as a compliment, Kushida looks at Horikita with the most animated face
today.

"Well, yes. I do not think it is pleasant, at least not to reveal these things. But not only do I find
what you say ugly, but also the people who are now asking for your expulsion for the secrets they
have revealed to you.

The unexpected reprimand was met with an exclamation from his companions. "Why? We

haven't done anything wrong!"

"You told Mr. Kushida a secret that you didn't want anyone to know. Why?" "Well that's

because I thought I could trust Kushida-san! And yet ......"

"Yes. Kushida-san was trusted more than anyone else in the class. It's usually not easy to gain
the trust of others, and there are probably only a few people in your life with whom you can
share a secret that I wouldn't tell anyone else. Of course, it's not a compliment to Kushida-san
for leaking the secret. It's understandable that they would be surprised to find out that she
has another face. But we all have two faces in our life, don't we? "

A person who is honest and true to himself would be a very rare person. "Ku,

but it doesn't matter, he continued in favor. That's unforgivable, right?"

"Yes, she did. It was a very selfish decision to expel me and Ayanokoji. She has to feel a great
responsibility. But instead of expelling her, they can use their skills to pay us back many times
in the future."

At this moment, Horikita's point would have been understood by his companions. "Are

you saying not to expel Kushida-san?"

"Yes. I ... would like to keep Kushida-san in this class."

"What? Just when I thought you dropped the ball, you go and say something selfish."

He decided not to expel Kushida from the school. The first to argue against was Kushida
himself.

"Why don't you want to expel me? Do you want to vote for another student here? Or do you
want to have fun beating me to death to the end? You have good tastes, don't you?"

"I don't like to joke. I mean it."

"'If you're serious, I'll make you change your mind. Let's get on with hell."

"I didn't see much 'hell' in that scene."

"'...... Hugh. So what does he look like? Tell me."

"It was kind of stupid, exposing those things, I think it's kind of funny."

"That?"

188
And this is the final result? I was so focused on the fact that I could get people kicked out that
I lost my balance. "

Horikita sighs unreservedly and with contempt.

Kushida's face, who had been smiling and laughing with a vulgar smile, has turned into that
of a Hannya12 pissed off.

"You don't know how I feel, and you don't know what I want! I want to be the best! I want to
be happy, even though I'm stressed as shit! What's wrong with trying to get rid of you?"

"You don't know how I feel? You don't know what I want? You've been very focused on
listening and picking up on other people's problems. But you couldn't find anyone to talk to,
to let them know how you feel."

Kushida clasps her hands. His hands are clenched so tightly that the blood vessels seem to
stick out.

"I have my problems, but you have them too. But you are much more hard-working than I
am."

"Don't lie to me, you make me laugh. You always say things that annoy me, right?"

"I'm not lying, I'm just telling you the truth. I honestly think it is wonderful and I envy your
effort and talent to meet so many people, both men and women."

When this is said, the students, annoyed with Kushida, argue against it. "What's so good

about Kushida-san harassing us now?"

"We lie to be nice, we pretend to be nice. So that's terrible? That's frivolous. Think back to how
hard it is to be nice. Do you have the talent to smile at everyone, to reach out to everyone? ,
to help everyone? "

How stressful it must have been for her to deal with everyone on a daily basis.

Many of us would like to be like Kushida, but we understand that we cannot be.

12 It is a mask of a smiling horned demon.

189
Hearing irrelevant stories from other people, even discounting this, an ordinary person could
not continue with something like that.

He has done so with a kind smile and has supported many people with a soft smile on his
face.

"Enough. Enough already. I don't want to hear any more of that shit from you."

"Why? You're good at seeing people's hearts you know? I'm not trying to make fun of you or
insult you, I really appreciate you."

Horikita blocks students who try to refute this story, as if anticipating them.

"'It would be a great loss for the class to expel her as she has a talent that no one else has."

"For!"

"So I can't agree to Kushida-san's withdrawal. I'm going to bet on myself and do my best to
get the best of her. No, I'll definitely make the most of it."

"I told you to stop!"

"You never know. Only when I knew everything about you did I develop a great fondness for you."

Thinking about it, Kushida somehow told us in detail and without hiding the past that she
wanted to seal from herself.

Perhaps it was not an act to be expelled, but because deep down she wanted them to know
everything and she really wanted to share it.

Kushida's face was covered in big tears.

And then, like a child, he cries, unable to speak and unable to hide his frustration. Sorry,

sorry, sorry, sorry. These words are repeated sparingly.

190
It is not surprising. Anyone who knows the true nature of Kushida will want to expel her.

But, for some reason, Horikita, who had been keeping her distance, closed the distance with
Kushida.

There is no such idea in Kushida's mind.

Horikita, whom he had hated so much, was the first person who could understand him. Whether
she can accept it remains to be seen, but it has undoubtedly brought about a change in Kushida.

I had decided that Kushida was impossible to win over, so I had devised a strategy to get rid
of her.

Horikita, on the other hand, decided not to expel her but to

protect her. But then the next problem is inevitable.

"We are in the middle of a conversation, but it is almost the end of the interval. What do we
do?"

What you have to do, of course, is stand for election, or run, and whose votes.

"We're running out of time. I'm running out of time. I'll explain later."

He appeals to his colleagues to nominate him, since he cannot use his candidacy, which is
already unique.

"No, don't be silly! They're going to kick me out! Name me and kick me out."

"I am not joking. I am telling you that it is you who created this situation and you have to take
responsibility for it. And I hope you do not withdraw due to a penalty. If you do that, I will
make fun of you for the rest of your life. I will make you a the laughingstock forever. "

I know some students weren't sure which one to recommend in the end, but that's not the
point.

"It's time. Now let's start voting for Horikita, whose nomination received more than most of
the votes."

Even if Kushida is chosen by recommendation, it won't make sense as long as Horikita votes
against her. They voted for and against the expulsion of Horikita, but of course it was not
unanimous. The cheap tease must have worked well for Kushida. Everyone votes in less than
eight seconds.

Result of the 20th vote:

| 1 vote in favor | 37 votes against |

192
"Now that we are in the interval, I will say it again. I will express my opposition to Kushida-
san's expulsion."

Kushida is screaming indescribable words, but Horikita is no longer paying attention to her.

This once again hurts Kushida's pride and, in turn, shuts her up. If she

was expelled, she would have no way to compete with Horikita.

But we did not expect it. He was going to screw them all, no matter who they

were. The inside of your head gets hot.

It's not just a joke, wanting to protect Kushida.

He said he was confident that he could use his strengths to overcome his main weaknesses.

So Horikita got her foot up in the upper stage earlier than expected. Of course, this is

not to say that there is no material to refute from here.

Many students are willing to expel Kushida, who is currently being pushed to be hated.

It's not that they can't completely expel her, now that she's reached out her hand, it's hard to
assume that Horikita will just give up. There is no denying the possibility that, if time runs
out, they will choose to keep the number of students who drop out at zero. It's bad, that's
why it's unacceptable.

"But Horikita-san. I wonder if protecting Kushida-san means choosing to run out of time."

Yosuke asks something that has to be confirmed immediately. "I know that

protecting Kushida-san is not the end. I have my own answers." No way ... No,

that's what you mean, Horikita.

"We must not fail this special exam. It is an absolute requirement."

This means that he was prepared not only to rescue Kushida, but also to expel someone else
at the same time.

Although I can feel Horikita's growth, I will act before her words.

There is no need for Horikita to take on the cruel role of uttering "restructuring" here and
now.

"Wait a minute".

I forcefully interrupted Horikita's attempt to continue.

As justified as it may be, judging here is a great mental drain.

It is easy to say that it is also an experience, but now it is a heavy burden for Horikita.

193
Above all, if you make a single mistake, you are likely to run out of time.

I am the only person who can create a unanimous decision to drop out of school.

No, wait. Those eyes look at me. And I understand it.

It is clear that the person that Horikita and I have in mind is the same.

"Kushida, who was the only one who voted in favor, deserves to be expelled. But, as Horikita
says, he is still a capable student. Then we will have to think of another approach."

"Wait a minute, Ayanokoji. The class voted in favor because she was a traitor, right? Now
you're saying you're not going to vote for expulsion? I don't get it!"

"It is not just Ike who is unhappy, it is all of us. But we have a choice to make. We have to deal
as fairly as possible."

"Justice ...... there is no such way."

"The option to earn class points by expelling someone. The expulsion part is usually
considered negative, but if certain conditions are met, it can be positive, as in the case of the
traitor who voted in favor of expulsion, many people were in favor of it. agree with it. If the
class points earned are worth more than the student expelled, then it is worth choosing. In
other words, the only people who should be expelled are those who are currently unwanted
in the class. What is the criteria For this? It is the sum of all the parts. Someone who has
academic ability, physical ability, or any ability that does not fall into those two categories. For
example, Horikita's ability to lead, or Yosuke and Kei's ability to organize a group Those are
the ones that can be excluded. Of course,If you think I'm being patronizing, you are free to
argue. "

As the time is about to expire, the companions are silent, not wanting to interfere.

"And this story should not include perspectives. It is difficult and speculative to objectively
assess who will actually grow and to what extent. Ultimately, the OAA is the impartial arbiter."

It is the quantification of the student's ability by the school, without the student's emotions.

As of September 1, the lowest score for this class was 36 points overall.

Many students check their ranking and their score, but not many know who is at the bottom
each time.

"The student with the lowest OAA in the class is currently Airi Sakura13I replied, not

looking at Airi in particular, but observing the whole scene. "...... Huh? ...... What are

you talking about? Don't make jokes at a time like this. "

13 NT: I feel like shitting pineapples right now.

194
Getting up, Haruka stood up furious.

"I am only giving an objective opinion. The class must decide whether they agree with me or
not."

I will not listen to personal opinions and I will continue speaking.

"Objective? What is it to be objective? The OAA classification? How does that make it okay to
kick Airi out? And why is it that ...... Why would Kiyopon say that?"

"So who do you think should be kicked out?" "Well I do

not know".

"Those who are not willing to give names directly have no right or power to choose who is
expelled."

"Like Ike! He's not that different from Airi in terms of education and physical ability."

Admittedly, in the OAA, he was once tied for last place with Airi.

But now you have one more point. It goes one step ahead.

"Then I'll just ask it here. Everyone who is opposed to Airi dropping out of school, please raise
your hand. Haruka raised her hand immediately. Almost at the same time, Akito and Keisei
raised their hands."

Of course, it would be natural for the Ayanokoji group.

"Three. So who is opposed to Ike leaving?"

Several of the boys, including Sudo, and several of the girls, including Shinohara and Mori,
who owes Shinohara a debt of gratitude, raised their hands, and there were 11 clear
opponents.

"Why?"

"'Building friendships is also a great skill. Also in that respect I must say that he is inferior to
Ike."

"How can you look Airi in the eye and say that?" "Is

that what you want? "

"Uh, stop!"

When I tried to look into Airi's scared eyes, Haruka stopped me.

"You can raise your hand for Hondo, Onodera or another student, but it will never have less
than three votes than Airi."

"What's that? ...... It's a real joke. We don't have many friends, that's for sure. But you can't
kick Airi out like this!"

If I had a choice, I would too. But we have already passed that stage. "'...... But

let's face it, .... losing 300 points would be fatal."

195
One of the Ayanokoji group members, Keisei, Airi's friend, said to himself silently.

"Yukimu, are you serious? Do you agree with Airi's expulsion…?"

"No, no! I still don't agree with you! No!"

"Still? Does that mean you're going to agree? Huh? Don't be silly!" "No, because I

don't want to…!"

As if realizing everything, Haruka bites her lip and makes a decision. "It feels awful. It's

not possible. I thought you said we were friends."

The cold voice goes to me and also Keisei, who has leaked his true feelings.

"And the others too. No one wants to protect him. That's right, they don't care what happens
to Airi as long as they can save themselves. Do you put Kyou-chan first just because you'll
give him some use? Are you going to abandon one Girl who tries hard to keep up with the
class and stay out of trouble? Oh yeah yeah yeah, it's a great class. "

Keisei's careless comment turned out to be an offense to Haruka. No one

wants to make eye contact to avoid being involved.

"It is enough. I am not going to expel Airi. If you want, you can vote for me. I will be delighted
to be expelled."

He tries to protect Airi by bringing up the voluntary dismissal, which is different from what
Kushida has taken as a strategy.

It's all part of the calculation, Haruka. In fact, with that statement she is only strangling
herself.

"Wait a minute, Haruka-chan! I can't expel you either! I couldn't even leave you!"

"Okay Airi. You have to stay in this school. I didn't like this class in the first place. But after
befriending you, Kiyopon, Yukimu and Miyachi, every day was fun. Even though Yamauchi-
kun left the school. school, I thought it wouldn't happen again and that I could get along with
everyone here ....... ".

Looking at Chabashira-sensei, Haruka makes a formal statement. "I will be

a candidate for expulsion. It is almost time."

As I read it, the statement took precedence, and Haruka automatically headed for expulsion.

"Are you ready? Airi, you must vote yes. You will be able to protect yourself, so there is no reason to
vote no."

"No way! ...... I can't vote yes!" Airi yells that she can't

vote for Haruka.

196
"Okay, I'll protect you and leave, I won't regret anything." "But!"

"No more private conversations. Voting is open." Based on Haruka's firm

will, the vote is up and down. The results displayed on the monitor are ...

Result of the 21st vote:

| 35 votes in favor | 3 votes against |

Almost all the students voted in favor of expulsion, but three voted against. All three votes

must have seemed easy to Haruka.

"Airi!"

Of course, it is clear that the vote is definitely Airi's.

"I can't do it, I can't do it! I can't expel Haruka-chan from school ....... I can't! I can't!"

"I'm doing it to protect you! And Miyachi and Yukimu, please stop!"

Haruka was willing to be expelled from school, but it turns out that some students do not
want her to be expelled.

"I don't want you to be expelled. ...... I can't vote yes."

Despite his anguish, Akito looks him clearly in the eye and responds to him.

"So, should it be Airi !?

"I didn't say that ...... But if you ask me to take one or the other ...... I ......"

"...... I'm sorry"

Suddenly, Keisei yells and interrupts them. He gets up and lowers his head.

"I voted for ...... I voted yes ...... If we don't, our class will be ... Class A"

He responds as if he were confessing the whereabouts of a vow that would not be revealed if he
kept silent.

"Who? So who is the other one? Who has voted against this? Who is he?"

"That vote is mine."

"What the hell? Kiyopon, what's wrong ......? You don't have to defend me, do you?"

197
"I told you. The new policy is that we must expel the least capable students from the class.
You want to leave, Kushida who tried to leave, and any new students who show up will not
change my policy."

If we take a step back, there will be no unanimity in favor.

"Hasebe-san ...... It's a fact that Sakura-san is the lowest ranked student in 0AA ...... Isn't it so
bad to expel the student who contributes the least to the class, .... ..?

Matsushita is willing to take the risk of speaking up in this situation and expresses his
opinion.

"Don't be silly. Think about it. If one of your dearest friends dropped out of school, would you
be able to laugh about it later? I wouldn't. It can't be! No way."

"It is Airi who must be expelled. Now there is no other option."

"No ....... No, Kiyopon! No matter who agrees with me, only Kiyopon should be on Airi's side!"

I know. That's why I say it Haruka.

"I'm not going to change my mind. If Haruka disagrees with Airi's decision to drop out of
school, this class will have to end here."

"Then do what you want! I will continue to oppose Airi's expulsion to the end!"

Only one. If you continue to oppose us to the end, you will not be expelled. That

law is absolute. The most effective way to break that law is ...

"'Thank you Haruka-chan, ...... it's fine."

With a trembling voice, Airi laughs as if she has realized everything. "Ai …… ri?"

"If there is a student in the class that is unnecessary, ...... Maybe it's me ........ I'm not sure
what Kiyotaka says, but nothing he says is wrong, Haruka- chan ".

"Airi!"

"He's right about everything. If someone has to drop out, I'll disappear since I'm the biggest
drag in the class."

"You do not have to do it".

Directly prevent the person who is going to be expelled from the school from casting a
negative vote.

"I can't! I can't expel Airi! Never! I don't care if this class doesn't progress to A-class, we're all
graduating together with Airi!"

198
"No. Even if you save me, I'm sure I will regret it for a long time, that it was my fault that I
didn't make it to class A."

"Okay! There's nothing wrong with you! I'll just protect you with my selfishness because I
want to!"

"Thank you ...... But I can't put that kind of responsibility on you, Haruka-chan." "What?

No ...... It's not like that ......!"

Preventing students from dropping out is not always in their best interest. If this happens,

a vote against will only make Airi suffer.

"Self-sacrifice sounds good. It's good for the ears. I'm sure the class is deeply relieved to have
someone like Haruka among them. In case you have a lot of money to spend, you will be able
to take advantage of it. So, Sudo, will you? would you be willing to sacrifice for the good of
the class? "

"No. ...... I ...... I ...... No"

"Sato, you?"

"Who, me? I wouldn't like that…"

"What about Onodera?"

"'...... I think it would be impossible ......"

"If you ask anyone else, the answer will be the same. Basically, no one would sacrifice."

"I would very much like to be expelled. Then there will be no problems ........"

"We will trust students who are willing to sacrifice. Once they have learned that easy way of
doing things, they will repeat it in the future when they find themselves in a similar situation.
It is too late to make a fair judgment."

"I don't know ...... I can't find the logical reason! I just want to protect Airi! That's all I want!"

"Even if Haruka defended her by expelled from school, Airi could be expelled the next day."

"Don't talk about an uncertain future."

"There is no definite future. So I took the best approach."

No matter how many words I put in front of him, he can't seem to hear me.

But Airi's ears have definitely listened. That is the important thing.

"Okay, Airi. I will definitely continue to vote against. It doesn't matter who votes in favor."

"Everyone ...... Please vote for me ......"

199
In a muffled voice that everyone could hear, Airi said. He grabs

both Airi's arms and desperately resists.

"I hate it. Of course not ....... Yesterday we had a lot of fun. ......! This morning was like any
other. We chatted a lot about the festival, ........ You were going to call Kiyopon after school
and surprise him with a surprise. I can't take that away from you! "

Less than ten minutes left. This means that this is practically the last vote. Whoever is going
to drop out of school, there is no one who can easily vote against it. That is the weight of the
final vote.

Airi shakes her head from side to side and doesn't accept any help from Haruka. "No

no no no no!"

Refuse, deny and scream like a child.

Each time, Airi expresses her gratitude to Haruka, but still convinces her to accept it.

You can no longer change it.

Realizing all this, Haruka sat in her place as if collapsing.

"People who do not have the capacity to do so have accepted it and stepped forward. We owe
them an answer. It is easy for them to vote no in the next ballot. But even if you vote no, Airi
will not stay in this school. No she will want to get out of school, because she will feel guilty
for what she has done to her classmates. The only way to save her best friend is for Haruka to
vote yes and let her move on. "

"I, I ..."

Airi hugs Haruka from the front as she collapses.

"Thank you, Haruka-chan ...... Thank you very much. Thank you for all the help you have given
me. I cannot give you anything in return. ...... Please listen to my last selfishness."

"I don't like it, Airi ...... I hate this"

"Vote for me."

He thanked her, gently stroked a tearful Haruka's hair, and said to Chabashira-sensei.

"I am running for election. Please vote for me."

After Haruka sat down, Airi returns to her seat and accepts it.

But even after the vote has been declared, the voting time has not ended.

Voting continues beyond 60 seconds and beyond 70 seconds.

200
Students have 90 seconds. In the next 70 seconds or so, Haruka will be kicked out of school.

If her best friend Airi goes missing, she will too. It's no

wonder that idea pops into your head.

If you choose to make that weak choice here, it can't be helped.

There will be some extra damage for the class, but unanimity will be established without a
problem just because of Haruka's disappearance of vote. With 100 seconds to go and 40 to
go, it was time to vote unanimously.

She was still crying and showed no sign of wanting to pick up her tablet.

"Haruka-chan!"

It was a rage from Airi like she had never heard before. The loudest voice I have ever heard.

Airi laughed and nodded at Haruka's crying face, who looked surprised as if she had been
patted on the back.

If you do not make a decision and vote here, it will be a denial of everything Airi tried. "The

vote is over. I will announce the results."

Results of the 22nd vote:

| 38 votes in favor | 0 votes against |

Chabashira-sensei, who had been watching the epic exchange, forgot to report the end of the
exam and just stared at Airi and Haruka.14

Airi, who has been expelled from school, stares straight ahead as if she has accepted
everything. On the other hand, Haruka, who was unable to protect her, struggles to contain
her sobs, but cannot hide them from the dumb class.

"Ah, ...... Oh, Chabashira-sensei. Please continue."

The guards, who until now had been silent and calm except for the slightest warnings and
notices, seemed to have forgotten to remind us of the completion signal for the special
exam.

"...... A unanimous vote in favor of the expulsion of Airi Sakura ends the last proposal. The
election stands and you will be awarded 100 class points. Just as a reminder, there is only one
way to undo this. expulsion. Only if you have 20 million private points at the moment and use
them. "

14 NT: I didn't cry I swear

201
Chabashira-sensei continued with the explanation according to the protocol, but stopped on
the way.

"No further explanation will be necessary."

Even if we collected all the private points of all the students in our class, we would never reach
20 million points.

"The other three classes have already finished their special exams, but you are just going
back to the dorms. As for Sakura, she will have to come with me to the staff room afterwards,
so stay in the classroom."

"Yes".

Airi answers Chabashira-sensei in a low voice, but without hesitation.

"That's it, stand up. Follow the instructions and leave the room."

We were informed and we all left our seats, albeit at different times.

Airi has instructions to stay where she is. And Haruka, who can't even stand up, does her best
to keep her shaky knees on her feet, but they don't seem to be working.

His breathing has also become more agitated and he begins to show symptoms that
resemble hyperventilation.

Akito, who could not see him, rushed towards her and forced her to get up while hugging
her.

There is nothing good in leaving it here.

As soon as we enter the hall, our cell phone is returned to us. And Keisei

came out shortly after. "

"...... Kiyotaka. I'm not going to say you've done something wrong. It's just ...... But I'm still ......
I don't know if I can say I did the right thing. No, I don't have pointless asking this. ...... Forget
it. "

He turned his back on me and started walking down the hall, even though he felt like throwing up. It would

be useless to wait here for Haruka or Akito.

Legitimacy is irrelevant. It doesn't matter if it's justified or not, as long as you don't think
twice about expelling an important member of the group on your own initiative. Kei comes
towards me. I noticed that she was getting upset, but I stopped her with my gaze.

For now, it is better to be silent with a feeling of mourning. There

is no need to earn hatred with unnecessary things.

As I recall, Chabashira-sensei said that she wanted to meet me after the special exam.

202
When I looked at my phone I saw that I had received a message and that the meeting was at
6 in the afternoon. I have a little time.

Deciding that it was best not to stay, I decided to leave.

If I go straight to the front door, I will meet Keisei and the other students.

I have a Chabashira-sensei date, so I think I'm going to wander around the less popular parts
of school.

"Ayanokoji-kun".

I knew he was following me, but when he couldn't see anyone anymore, he called me.

"What's wrong? You were talking to Kushida about something, right?"

"Now he's not responding to anything. I just warned him not to despair."

Kushida had many friends around her, but at the end of the exam, no one spoke to her.

Immediately after showing her strong nature, it is understandable that it is difficult to get
close to her.

"Sorry".

Her hair, slightly longer than before, swayed and Horikita bowed her head deeply.

"This special exam ...... I was not ...... I was not strong enough ......"

"Not enough? Didn't you give it your all? It was a much tougher competition than last year's
class vote."

"No matter how hard the fight was, they have put you in an important place ...... You have
assumed all the responsibilities."

It was inevitable that some students would be expelled. This is

why Horikita wanted to show her intentions.

"I'm the one who told you to shut up. That's it."

"That's not good, and it has left a huge scar on your precious group. It's very ...... I don't think
it can be repaired in the future."

"Okay. There may come a day when you see fit not to have done it."

Had it been involved, the blame could have been split equally between the two.

But that's not what I want. "Convenient ......?

What does that mean?" "No, don't listen to

me, something trivial."

203
Of course, I do not think that I can change your mind and convince yourself of this in the short
term, but I do not want you to be dragged into this special examination as well.

"Look on the bright side, we have earned 100 class points that will help us move up to class A.
Those points are not to be made fun of."

"But ...... We have lost Sakura-san."

"The result is that the class average has gone up and that's a good thing. It's a perfect end
point."

"Stop. You don't have to act so ruthless." "Ruthless?"

I was going to deny it, but decided to go along with it.

"I guess so. Maybe he's trying to push away the painful feelings." "Kiyotaka-kun!"

From the end of the hall came a familiar, soft voice. Horikita

turns to hear his voice and is surprised to see him. "You ......

Sakura, San ......?"

An Airi, who does not have much physical strength, almost out of breath walks towards us.

"Yes…"

"Oh that's OK".

Horikita hesitated to speak to Airi the moment she passed in front of her, but in the end she
was unable to do so.

He couldn't think of a word to say to those who would be expelled. "I really

wanted to show this to Kiyotaka-kun in the end… How about it?" Before voting

Haruka mentioned it, but was she referring to this?

"I look different. No wonder Horikita didn't recognize me for a moment."

"...... However, it took me a bit to build up my courage ....... Heh."

Airi, who has removed her glasses and done her hair, smiles wryly. "It's not my

place to say it, but ...... Take care of Haruka-chan."

"I will do it".

"Bye, Kiyotaka-kun."

Airi turned her back on me with a smile I've never seen before.fifteen

fifteen You will always live in my heart Sakura-chan):

204
He started walking, but then your steps slow down and he almost stopped you. Still,

he put his best foot forward and never looked back.

I can hear his voice in the empty hall.

Noises of mucus and muffled crying.

This scene reminds me of one that I saw myself.

Losers always look back and regret their misery when it is too late.

That is no different in the White Room or in this school.

205
Translated from Spanish to English - www.onlinedoctranslator.com
 Epilogue: Goodbye to the Past

The unanimous special examination, which lasted about five hours, came to an end. Soon
after, we found out that we were the only ones of the four classes to expel someone. There
are few students who regret it. However, the fact that we have earned 150 class points in this
special exam, when three classes earned only 50 points, will certainly help us in later battles.

If we end September like this, we could finally be promoted to class B.

After school, he was waiting for someone on the stairs leading to the roof, as he had
promised.

About ten minutes after the scheduled time, a person appears. "I'm sorry I

kept you waiting. I had to post-process." "No problem. By the way, did it end

the way you wanted it to? Or was it the other way around?"

"Don't ask the tough questions. There is no real correct answer on that test ...... I think so.
There is a chance that someone will see us here, let's change places."

"That is adequate."

He slightly lifts the corner of his mouth and begins to climb the stairs to the roof.

Then he took out a key from a blue name holder.

"Every year there is more opposition to the use of roofs in schools. Perhaps in the near future
this school will be no different and it will be difficult to get on the roof."

This is probably due to the risk of falling, even if the fence is in place.

And the bad thing about rooftops is that they can be used for abuse, like Ryuen did. After
calmly walking out onto the roof, Chabashira-sensei leans against the railing and exhales.

"It's been a long day ...... Really."

Chabashira-sensei talks to herself about her pure impressions from the special exam.

"It's something I mentioned during the exam ...... I took the same exam in my last year of
high school."

"It seems that it is so."

I don't know where he's looking, but Chabashira-sensei just stares into the sunset.

"If you don't mind ...... Can you hear my confession?"

"It's called the Sacrament of Forgiveness. I don't know much about religion, but if it's okay ..."

207
This is the unanimous special exam that he says he faced as a student. He said there was the
same problem, but the development will change according to the class situation.

"I remember that day as if it were yesterday. We, class 3-B, were about to take the final
exams and we had finally caught up with class A. The difference in points in the class was 73
points. We were fit. by turning them around with a special test, we could do it in the little time
we had left. "

It is a very close battle, Class A must not have thought they had the advantage with that
margin.

"In the meantime, the unanimous special examination began. There were five proposals. Like
you, we were able to get to the fourth task without problems, despite our differences of
opinion."

"You said the final proposal was the same."

"Well ...... That's right, I seem to have a bit of a fuzzy memory from today's exam."

The juxtaposition with the past may have confused the timeline of what he was saying and
thinking.

"Of course, in the first vote there was only a small majority in favor and a large majority
against. But as the debate progressed, the situation began to change radically. If class A had
voted unanimously in favor, the difference would have been increased to 173 points ".

"So you didn't know at the time what the final exam would be?"

"That's right. But we wouldn't necessarily have won that way. If class B gets first place, and
class A comes second, there may not be a big difference in class points."

The reward difference between the first and second place is 100 or 150. Of course, it could be
more than 200 points, but there was no guarantee of that.

"As time passed, the debate became more heated: 'There is no way Class A will decide to drop
out, so we must all vote against and pass the special exams unanimously; we must win the
final exams and become Class A. There were those who argued that we should win the final
exams and become A students, and those who argued that if A students did not choose to
drop out, then we had the opportunity to turn it around. 'We talked about all possible cases. "

The stories that emerge from the same assignment are still very different depending on the
classroom situation. There are only two options. But the only way to get there is through a
series of twists and turns.

"We spent a lot of time talking about it, but we never came up with the correct answer. We
had to decide whether we wanted to make sacrifices to get to class A, or choose our friends
and fight the tough fight ......."

208
Maybe he was reminiscing about his past right now.

Chabashira-sensei's eyes, looking away, seemed to be slightly moistened by the setting sun.

"Little by little, my teammates began to lean towards the idea that Class A, with its narrow
margin over Class B, would sacrifice itself to get 100 points. And when we started talking
about this, the opposition began to slowly shift to favor of the idea ".

"Still, it is not easy to join forces in favor of something when someone is missing, is it? It is
inevitable that the least capable, the least communicative or the most idiosyncratic students
are the first to be expelled."

"That's right. Once the vote is unanimous in favor, it cannot be reversed. It is not easy to get
everyone to vote in favor."

Something happened to change the situation. In the case of the special exam, I promised to
expel only the traitors, and managed to convince them to accept.

"There was a boy in my class. He's ...... I think the best way to describe him would be to say
that he was a combination of Hirata and Ike in his class."

"Yosuke and Ike ....... It's a bit difficult to imagine them together."

"He's a serious guy, a bit off. He was a good friend and a smart guy, but he couldn't read the
environment. He was the class leader, but also the one in charge of creating atmosphere."

I see, he was a student who somehow included Yosuke's advantages and Ike's disadvantages.

"He has been suffering since the last proposal. Eventually, he decides to agree. And because
of that, he has to guide someone to be expelled with his own hands."

Chabashira tightens the railing.

"And then ... The student came to an answer. When we got the vote to be unanimous in favor
of expulsion, he told us that he would be the candidate to be expelled. I suppose he decided
that he could not abandon his classmates for whom he had fought for three years. "

"The only special exam left is the final graduation exam. It will be painful to be without a
leader, but that doesn't mean there isn't a choice."

Of course, it is difficult to say that it is a wise decision.

But if all your teammates are on an equal footing, it is very difficult to choose one.

There is the option of letting luck take its course, but many students are not convinced.

"But again, it was never unanimous."

209
"Why? It was agreed that the leader would drop out of school, wasn't it?"

"No ....... because one person kept voting against the expulsion of the student until the very
end. That one vote that never was in favor of the expulsion, and time was running out."

From the story, I thought it might be the almost, but ...

"Are you saying that the student who was the leader was not just a leader to you, Chabashira-
sensei?"

Closing his eyes, Chabashira-sensei laughed once at himself and slowly opened his eyes
again.

Then he looked up at the evening sky and affirmed deeply.

"That's right. To me, that student was ...... He is a leader, a friend ...... and. .... and the person I
loved and most important of all ...... The irony is that it was the day before the celebration of
the special exam ".

They have overcome many difficulties and have come to understand each other. In the future,
they should have captured the maximum happiness in the rest of the school life and aspire to
class A. It is a good idea to have a good idea of what you are looking for.

Chabashira-sensei couldn't abandon him.

"My colleagues were puzzled and angry when I kept voting against. Some of them turned
against me."

"But if Chabashira-sensei didn't quit, that means ......"

"Yes. I protect him, he protects me. This stalemate was prolonged. We could not finish the
special exams on time, our class had minus 300, and class A had decided to drop out, so the
exam difference was 450 points. And the total difference was 523 points. The gap between us
and Class A, which had been so narrow, became hopelessly wide. "

It is a difference that no number of graduation exams could cover. "Not that it's any

consolation, but your girlfriend didn't quit, did she?"

"I don't know why I did it, but when the special exam unanimously ended, our relationship
ended naturally. It was only one day ...... No, it was less than 24 hours. ...... 24 hours after that
we lost the final test and our 3 years ended in nothing. "

"And what happend with him?"

"I've never seen him. I don't even know where he is now. When I was in high school, this
school was everything to me, and he was everything to me. Huh ...... In hindsight, it's kind of
silly. Throughout three years of high school it was only a small part of your life. Even if I didn't
make it to class A, I should have fought to the end without regret. "

210
Does this mean that the Tea Pillar has been regretting the mistakes of its choices for 11
years?

In this case, it is both a mistake and an ongoing question as to whether it was the right
choice.

"I didn't have the qualifications to graduate from class A. But what should I have done?
Should I have convinced him not to drop out? Or should I have expelled him when he said he
was leaving ......?

"There is no really correct answer for this particular test, and it is probably impossible to get it
to be completely unanimous. Unless, of course, you have a totally unskilled and unnecessary
student, but…".

However, this does not mean that there was a way out.

"If he could say the reason, the loss was that he couldn't see the student's strategy. I think
there was only one way left for his class to get to A."

"What I couldn't see was the cause of my defeat…?"

"When he tried to convince everyone to abandon their unanimous vote in favor of the
proposal, he decided to withdraw from the school to leave open the possibility of going to
level A. So what he did was try to get a unanimous vote in favor first, and then think about it.
"

Chabashira-sensei nodded remembering those days. "'If

I had expelled him ......"

"Were the final exams so easy that you could win without a good leader? Didn't your class
miss the exam, even though they failed the unanimity exam?"

"Yes. If we had been united and in good shape, we could have been even."

"In other words, you can't choose the absence of a leader. But we couldn't win class A if he
missed it. So the only way out was to stay with the options for and against. They should have
rejected all the temptations and incentives and voted against a start ".

"But even if I had stayed, I wouldn't have been in a position to persuade them to vote against
it. If that's what you mean Ayanokoji."

"You don't have to persuade them. The sensei class was divided on the need to win. If the
vote is not consolidated, defeat is inevitable, as time is running out. When this happens,
those in favor of the expulsion will move so that the vote is absolutely negative. But what
happens if the final vote is taken in the absence of less than a minute? If they vote yes, there
is no time to expel the next particular student. The interval is of A fixed 10 minutes, but the
maximum voting time is 60 seconds. If we adjust the time by deliberately delaying the vote,
we can reach the final vote without missing a minute. "

211
If you choose yes, you get less than 300 for not having completed, if you choose no, you get more
than 50 for having completed, it is impossible to choose the first with only one option.

"You cannot turn your back on the reality of the situation, even if your head is spinning. You
can run out of time and lose 300 points, or you can try to pass the final exam with class A. You
may not get the extra 100 points, but you will surely get some to complete. There is only one
conclusion. Of course, I am not sure I could have filled all 173 points. "

The students were trapped in the immediate 100 points, unable to give up on winning.

A leader who successfully exploited this psychology to bring them together. But

the strategy itself was a mistake.

He couldn't see into Chabashira-sensei's heart and the stubborn will of the opposite sex who
had become her lover.

"I ...... I wish I had a student like you back then." He said that and then fell silent.

"No, it doesn't make sense now. You can't go back in time. But let me ask you something,
Ayanokoji. I'm sure Sakura was a member of your close group. Besides, the girl felt
something special about you."

"You know me well."

"I am still a teacher. I can often tell by the way the students look."

He responds, not with pride, but with a certain indifference.

"Wasn't there a way to save Sakura and sacrifice the others?"

"I don't know. Horikita was very strong at the time. I don't think she had enough time to
compete properly."

"You did something really hard, didn't you? Your heart ...... Didn't it hurt?"

Ability for insight and observation. We have to look at the objective data, at the OAA
classification. "

212
If you look at the system that the school has created, you can see who needs to be expelled,
even if you don't want to.

"Of course, there are some students who are not that different from Airi. But if there is a
dispute between students who are on the same side, their friend will be the one to protect
them. But with Airi, the only major obstacle is Haruka. Even if he shows up. to the elections,
you only have to lose 10 minutes. "

"You mean you deliberately put it ...?"

"Her personality is also a deciding factor, Airi is not good at appealing to people not to vote
for her or to resign. We can take any number of measures that suit us. A good friend of mine,
in this case Haruka, never will vote yes. But if the only exception to this is Airi's self-
declaration. There is no way Airi would choose to stay in school and embarrass herself in front
of the class by sacrificing 300 class points. "

"You knew the psychological state of Sakura."

"The overall strength, the people close to her, her personality. And as a final push, she needs
someone who cares to tell her that Airi is the one to be kicked out. If I tell her, she'll
understand."

"Ayanokoji, you are…"

"People can call me an ogre, a demon, a person who thinks like me. We don't want to play a
role that costs us. But if we have to do it, we must do it without hesitation. It is an inevitable
part of class protection."

"In this school, expulsion is a constant threat in any situation. As a teacher at this school, I am
prepared to accept it. But I will never be able to make a decision like yours."

Recognizing the weakness of his own heart, Chabashira said so.

"I don't know you very well, but how many people have you reduced? How many people do
you have to reduce to reach that level of ...... No, you don't have to answer. I'm sure I'll never
understand."

How many people have I reduced? I had not thought about it.

Just as we do not remember the color and shape of each stone that falls by the roadside,
those who study with us and those who teach us will disappear if they are incompetent. That
is artificial selection.

"Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today, Ayanokoji. I have been standing for a long
time, regretting the decisions I made in the past. But it turns out that I do not have time for
that. As a teacher, I will do my best to guide my students. class so they can keep fighting
without regrets. "

"It seems that through this special exam you have been able to say goodbye to the past."

Chabashira-sensei's profile was somewhat radiant, unlike before.

213
"It's not that I haven't dreamed of Class A before, it's that I try not to think about it. Even if I
try not to think about it, I hope I can fulfill the dream I never had. And every time I do, I
ridicule myself for being so stupid. and I erase it from my memory. This is how it goes. "

He turned to me and gave me a smile I'd never seen before.

"I've made up my mind, Ayanokoji. I'm going to make sure your class stays in class A, at all
costs."

"It's okay to be enthusiastic, but please don't deviate from your role as a teacher."

"Hmmm ...... No, of course I'm aware of my position. I can't do much, but I'm prepared to do
it if I can. Every time you say something it doesn't sound like a student."

"Being a student, you say. What would be the correct answer?"

"If you ask me that, I cannot answer. I am not a student." No, this

person is a mess.

"If you're done talking, I'm going."

"Yes, you're right. I'm sorry I wasted you so much time."

"No problem. I'll leave you with it then. 『Chabashira-sensei』".

That is what I have called her for a long time, but I dare to say it with emphasis.

I'm sure you'll agree it's cheeky. But Chabashirasensei smiled calmly and nodded.

Now it will be fine. After this special exam, he has grown as a student.

His heart, which had stopped in his third year of high school, began to catch up with his
current age immediately.

214
 Author's words.

The year 2021 is coming to an end. When I was cleaning my house, I found my elementary
and middle school graduation books and reread them. In my high school graduation book, I
wrote that I wanted to work as a writer because I had no talent for drawing (I wanted to say
it, but I was too embarrassed to specify it) ...... But that's actually an aside. I was moved to
tears when I discovered that a girl I was attached to had written in the section about the
good things of her high school years that she had met Kinugasa-kun. There are things that
are better not to notice, right?

Joking aside, the second semester of the second year has started and we have a lot of great
events ahead of us, especially the culture festival and the school trip, which will be a new
story not seen in the first year.

We hope you can count on it in the future.

If we look at volume 5, it is the first time in a long time that almost no other grade students
appear in history. The story of the first and third years will continue to unfold, but this volume
reminds us that the main focus of the story is the same grade.

Well, this time we have news to tell you! One of the things that we have been waiting for a
long time, but that we have not been able to achieve, is to make a manga about the second
year. We have been working on it privately for a while and we are happy to announce that we
are finally ready to tell it.

Starting with the February issue of Comic Alive, the manga "Welcome to the elite class" will be
serialized by Sia Sasane-san. Thank you very much for your support. We would also like to
thank Yuyu Ichino-san for continuing to draw the first year version of the manga, and thank
you for your patience.

And finally, in the postcard for the next volume, I hope to mention a thought that I have had
in mind for the past two years.

See you in early 2022, until next year!

215