Stepping through the last dense thicket of shrubs, the view suddenly opened up. Hachiman, Hiyori, and Ibuki finally arrived at the exact center of the island.
Rising from the center was a pure white tower, its surface reflecting the harsh afternoon sun with a blinding glare. The tower was constructed from uniform white panels joined together without any superfluous decoration, poking straight up out of the natural environnt like a jarring intrusion.
"What kind of tower is this?" Ibuki squinted, shielding her eyes from the sun as she stepped forward quickly.
Hachiman and Hiyori followed close behind. The entrance at the base was wide open, revealing a spiral staircase just wide enough for one person. The handrails were cold, carrying the distinct tallic scent of iron. The three entered in single file, their footsteps amplified and echoing clearly in the enclosed space.
The climb was shorter than expected; in less than half a minute, the stone steps ended, and a small observation deck ca into view.
The deck was tiny, roughly ten square ters, with open-air railings on all four sides. On the north wall, a black card reader glowed with a faint neon blue light, the characters on the screen crystal clear: [A class, 05:23:34].
The red numbers ticked down second by second, accurately counting down the remaining duration of Class A's occupation.
"Class A took it. There are over five hours left." Ibuki walked up and lightly poked the screen of the card reader, frowning. "So, is this the hidden spot?"
"This isn't the hidden spot," Hachiman stated. "If Class A had already occupied a hidden spot, the Class A horoom teacher would have ntioned it back on the beach. Since they gave a vague hint like 'hidden easter egg,' there's no reason for it to be this obvious."
As he spoke, Hachiman stood to one side, looking down and outward. Hiyori noticed his posture and also leaned slightly against the cold railing, slowly rotating her body, her gaze sweeping over the outline of the entire island.
From the white tower, one could see everything: from the eastern shallows surrounded by reefs to the impenetrable forests in the west; from the bustling beach landing point in the south to the steep cliffs in the north. One could even make out the silhouettes of the small boats anchored at the beach for their eventual return.
"Hikigaya-kun is right." Hiyori withdrew her gaze and turned to Hachiman. "This place is not a hidden spot. It's too conspicuous and too easy to find."
"Building such a prominent tower on an artificial island can't be for nothing. It must have a purpose," Hachiman added. His insight was sharp; he had noticed sothing in the corner earlier.
Hiyori followed his gaze.
Hachiman said, "Look there. There are two mounting screw holes in the corner. Clearly, equipnt used to be placed there. If you set up a pair of binoculars, what would the effect be?"
Hiyori looked where he pointed and indeed found two inconspicuous screw holes with a bit of dust remaining inside, suggesting they had been vacant for so ti.
She understood instantly, her eyes brightening. "You could see the entire island without any obstructions. This should be a patrol tower for the staff to observe the island and prevent accidents."
"Or it's a 'cheat' prepared for students," Hachiman said, crossing his arms. "Whoever finds this first can look down from a height, lock onto potential spot locations in advance, and seize the initiative. It's much more efficient than searching blindly in the woods."
He then added, "This is why Class A was able to harvest the most spots. Katsuragi is very cautious, so he likely confird the tower's location while still on the ship, headed straight here first, and used the vantage point to confirm other spots before systematically occupying them."
Hearing this, Ibuki couldn't help but glance at Hachiman.
"Your brain turns pretty fast. You're much more reliable than that guy Ryuen who only knows violence."
This was a sudden complint, but Hachiman wasn't particularly happy. His thoughts had already drifted further away, recalling Ibuki's plot in the original story.
Ibuki was soone who could sacrifice herself for Class C.
In the original tiline, Ryuen arranged for her to infiltrate Class D as a spy. She was taken in by the "saints" of Class D, thinking her acting was flawless. The irony was that Ayanokouji saw through her identity and purpose from the start.
Her "acceptance" was just a trap he set, deliberately showing weaknesses and feeding her carefully designed fake intelligence for her to take back to Class C, ultimately dealing Ryuen a heavy blow at the critical mont.
Yet, even after the exam ended and Class C was crushed with another zero, Ibuki still considered Ayanokouji a "good person." There was nothing to be proud of in getting praise from the simple-minded Ibuki.
However, Hachiman thought deeper.
As the original protagonist, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka naturally possessed strength. Now, Hachiman had set Class D on a different path, but Ayanokouji still hadn't withdrawn. He had even contacted Koenji to move together, aning he intended to participate seriously.
According to Koenji, Ayanokouji's plan was likely to stay until the end and guess the leaders. Since he knew the leaders of Classes A and C, their spot points and hidden spots would be invalidated. Since he was forced by Chabashira to show his strength, he wouldn't achieve that without getting close to 300 points.
By guessing the leaders of Classes A, C, (he wouldn't need to guess B), that's 50 *tis 3 = 100$ points. Then there were other spots.
In the original story, Katsuragi got 274 points on his own, equivalent to 16 spots. This ti, because Hachiman released the "bait" leading to Class C's intrusion, Katsuragi's cake was divided. But there were surely other spots.
Ayanokouji's goal would be the deeper spots and the hidden spots. A hidden spot gives 50 bonus points just for scanning once. Combined with the leader guesses, hitting 300 points wouldn't be hard. That would satisfy Sae Chabashira's requirent.
This was his path to showing strength.
Hachiman stayed behind to participate in the guessing phase as well.
However, everyone knew he was the leader of Class B. Hachiman didn't want to "kill the goose that lays the golden eggs"—he wouldn't pull a stunt like Ayanokouji did in the original story, forcing a leader (Horikita) to retire due to illness so the other classes would lose points for guessing wrong.
He still possessed a level of tolerance. Like Hiyori said, he was their creditor now. He had to leave them enough room to pay him back.
Therefore, his targets were not just Class C, but Class A and Ayanokouji.
Class A had plenty of evaluation points. His private conversation with Sakayanagi back at school was 50% truth; he did intend to pull Class A down.
As for attacking Ayanokouji, it was to make his own horoom teacher act more normally. To do that, he had to destroy the ambitions of Class D's teacher, Chabashira, by preventing Ayanokouji from showing off.
This exam was truly going to be a collision.
But Hachiman had an advantage.
Currently, Hirata was the leader of Class D, which everyone knew. Ayanokouji would likely change the leader by having Hirata retire for "illness."
Since Class D only had three mbers left on the island, if you remove Hirata, only Ayanokouji and Sudo remained.
Ayanokouji, like Ryuen, only trusts himself. It was almost certain the new leader would be Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
"Hikigaya-kun? Hikigaya-kun, what are you thinking?" Hiyori's voice drifted in, pulling Hachiman back to reality.
Hachiman snapped out of it, eting the girl's clear eyes. He shook his head and said quickly, "Nothing. Let's head down. The clue to the hidden spot is nearby; it won't be far."
"How can you be so sure?" Hiyori followed him curiously to the spiral staircase. "What if the hidden spot is sowhere else? Won't we have co all this way for nothing?"
"Simple logic," Hachiman explained patiently as he descended. "This is a patrol tower for staff. They can't live too far away. They wouldn't hike several kiloters through the woods every day just to get to work. It's not humane. So, the staff residence must be close by, and the hidden spot is likely connected to the residence."
"Furthermore," Hachiman added, "the fact that the binoculars were removed from the observation deck is itself a clue. If it were far away, they wouldn't have bothered to unbolt them."
Hiyori's eyes lit up. "I see. You're right. So the hidden spot is likely the staff's living quarters?"
"Bingo." Hachiman looked back with a nod of confirmation. "Let's check behind the white tower. There's a high probability the clue is there."
The three descended the stairs. Instead of going back the way they ca, they circled around the back of the white tower. There was no obvious path, only a small trail subrged in waist-high weeds. The grass was so thick it nearly covered the path entirely, suggesting very few people ever ca this way.
Hachiman took the lead, pushing aside the grass. Hiyori and Ibuki followed closely, with Ibuki instinctively guarding Hiyori.
Midway through the trail, the terrain beca steep and the soil loose. "Watch out!" Ibuki grabbed Hiyori's wrist as she nearly slipped, pulling her back steadily.
"!" Hiyori patted her chest in relief. "Thank you, Ibuki-san."
Looking where Ibuki pointed, Hiyori gasped. Beyond the trail was a ten-ter steep slope. Nailed into the rock face with massive iron spikes and thick steel cables was a simple set of stairs. The wooden steps were worn, clearly used before, but now hidden by dense vines and weeds.
"Hidden stairs? So the hidden spot is below?" Ibuki moved to jump down. "I'll scout ahead. You two wait here until I confirm it's safe!"
"Wait," Hachiman stopped her, his tone firm. "I'm a guy; I'll handle the risky part. You and Shiina wait here. I'll check it first."
Ibuki looked at him defiantly.
"I'm more athletic than you. It's more suitable for ."
"No need, I'll do it." Hachiman didn't argue further. He grabbed the steel cable and tested the top wooden board. It was solid.
"Safe. You can follow, but watch your step and hold the cable."
Hachiman's intention was for Ibuki to follow. But Hiyori, unable to contain her curiosity, followed as well. They descended slowly, with Ibuki acting as the rearguard. They soon reached the bottom of the slope.
The terrain flattened into a quiet small valley surrounded by cliffs on three sides. It was peaceful, filled with the scent of earth and greenery. Not far from the stairs stood a small wooden cabin with a thick thatched roof and light brown walls that blended perfectly into the environnt.
"There's actually a house?" Ibuki pushed the door. It wasn't locked. With a creak, the door opened, releasing a faint scent of wood and a hint of residual warmth from a hearth.
The interior exceeded their expectations. The wooden floors were wiped clean of dust, suggesting soone had lived here recently. On the left was a simple bed with neatly folded blankets; in the middle was a low table with two chairs and an enal cup; on the right was a mini-kitchen with a stove, sink, and a small, functional refrigerator.
High-powered binoculars and fishing gear hung on the wall, well-maintained. Next to them was a black card reader—the screen was dark, unactivated.
"It hasn't been activated yet," Hachiman said, touching the screen. "We're the first to find it. This is the hidden spot Ryuen needs."
Ibuki pushed open an old wooden window. A cool breeze filled the room. Leaning against the fra, she looked at the lush valley and suddenly muttered, "It wouldn't be bad to retire here. Quiet, comfortable, no exam pressure, no scheming. How nice."
"..." Hachiman was taken aback.
'Wait, big sis, you're only in high school. You're in the pri of your youth; why are you thinking about retirent? And living in a place this isolated with no one to talk to—you think that's leisure? Most people would be driven mad by the loneliness.'
Hiyori smiled gently. "Ibuki-san is quite cute. It's quiet, but living alone for a long ti would be lonely."
"I wouldn't be lonely... I think," Ibuki said, her face flushing as she realized her comnt was a bit weird.
"Alright, enough chatting. It's confird as a hidden spot." Hachiman turned serious. "We need to get back and tell Ryuen. My mission is complete."
In his agreent with Ryuen, the hidden spot was worth the equivalent of 300 evaluation points. If Hachiman provided a spot worth 50 bonus points, it ant Class C would owe him even more Private Points.
The three began the long trek back. As the representative of Class B, Hachiman decided to gather so intel on his rivals. "By the way, what do you two want to do in the future? What kind of job are you planning for after graduation?"
Hiyori answered quickly, having already thought about it. "I want to be a librarian at the National Library."
"A library?" Ibuki looked back, surprised. "Why a librarian? Isn't that boring? Just organizing books and cleaning, not seeing many people."
"It's not boring," Hiyori shook her head with a look of longing.
"The biggest libraries have endless books. Being with books every day makes happy. The work is quiet, no dealing with complex social relationships. It suits ."
It fit her "literary girl" persona perfectly. Hachiman thought it indeed suited her, keeping her away from conflict.
"But getting a position at a library that big is usually very difficult," Hachiman noted. He was subtly telling her it required either strong connections or incredible grades—top-tier university, librarian certification, civil service exams, and a lot of red tape.
"Yes," Hiyori nodded. "That's why I'm hoping to graduate from Class A—"
'Okay, stop right there.'
Since Hachiman was from Class B, he couldn't accept them graduating from Class A. But he understood why she worked so hard for Class C; a recomndation letter from this school could bypass exams and get her the exact job she wanted.
"What about you, Ibuki?" Hachiman asked.
"? I want to be an office clerk. Nine-to-five, quiet work. No fighting, no martial arts."
"A clerk?" Hachiman and Hiyori asked in unison, surprised.
The girl before them was athletic, skilled in combat, and direct. She seed destined for sports, martial arts coaching, or even being a police officer.
Why a mundane office job?
"Don't look so surprised," Ibuki said with a hint of rebellion. "My family runs a dojo. My father forced to train since I was a child. They expect to inherit the dojo. But as I get older, I realize that while I could beat boys in elentary school, it got harder in middle school. In high school, even with technique, the power gap against boys who also know martial arts is
too large. I've only mastered the techniques. I feel frustrated. My 'martial arts heart' is blocked... Wait, why am I telling you this?"
Ibuki looked embarrassed for sharing too much.
Hachiman understood. Many people he t didn't want to follow the paths laid out by their parents—like Yukinoshita Haruno, or... well, Sakayanagi Arisu probably would follow her father's path since it was hard to imagine her being poor.
He realized his own dream of being a stay-at-ho husband wasn't that weird in this school.
Just as he thought this, Hiyori and Ibuki both looked at him with curiosity.
"What about Hikigaya-kun? What do you want to be?" Hiyori asked.
Hachiman didn't even have to think.
"I want to be a stay-at-ho husband. No work, no complex workplace relationships, just quietly taking care of the house."
"..." x2
The air went still. Hiyori and Ibuki stared at him in utter disbelief.
"A... stay-at-ho husband?" Hiyori's lip twitched.
"Hikigaya-kun... you're not joking, are you?"
Ibuki stepped forward, urgent. "Don't joke! You're so capable, your brain turns faster than anyone's, you're ticulous... you look like soone destined to be an elite. Why would you want to be a stay-at-ho husband? That's such a waste of talent!!"
"That is the most offensive complint I've ever heard," Hachiman said, looking like he'd been attacked.
"I don't want to be an elite at all. Being an elite ans solving many troubles and doing a lot of work. It's not a synonym for 'capable,' it's a synonym for being bound by work."
He added, "When I ran into Koenji, he invited to join his company with a high salary. I refused. I have no interest in working or dealing with workplace politics."
"Why?" Ibuki frowned. "Working is hard, but it makes money and realizes your value. It's better than being a stay-at-ho husband, right?"
Hiyori didn't speak; she just assud her "listening" posture, looking down, trying to confirm his true thoughts.
Hachiman sighed and decided to "speak" in his mind.
'Ibuki and Shiina really don't get it. What's wrong with being a stay-at-ho husband? Easy, free, no boss to answer to, no workplace intrigue, no grinding every day. How comfortable.'
His thoughts reached Hiyori clearly and firmly.
'As a kid, I saw my parents leave early and co ho late, falling asleep from exhaustion, forcing smiles despite being unhappy because of workplace politics. I hated that life. I don't want to be like them, bound by work for life, losing my own existence.
'Find a capable wife to work outside and support the family. I'll cook, clean, and keep the ho in order. No workplace struggles, no answering to anyone, just a simple, quiet life. That is the ultimate ideal of human life!'
"..."
The core thought was one thing: I don't want to work! I don't want to work! I don't want to work! He was utterly repelled by the professional world.
'Hikigaya Hachiman, you are running away from the career you're most suited for!' Hiyori felt a drop of cold sweat. She thought her choice of being a librarian was "escapist" enough, but Hachiman was on another level.
"Eh?"
Suddenly, Ibuki froze. She rubbed her ears and looked at Hachiman, then at Hiyori. She swore she heard Hachiman's voice even though his mouth didn't move—sothing about avoiding work.
Was it a hallucination?
Hiyori noticed and asked quickly, "What is it, Ibuki?"
"I... I think I just heard sothing," Ibuki muttered.
Hiyori's heart skipped a beat.
'Oh no! Ibuki can hear Hikigaya-kun's heart too? How is that possible? I thought I was the only one..' She panicked but forced herself to stay calm.
"It's probably the wind?" Hiyori forced a smile.
"We're on an island, it's windy. Anyway, let's hurry back. I'm running out of energy." She fake-yawned and rubbed her arms.
"I overestimated my stamina."
"True, you don't have much stamina," Ibuki agreed. She figured she must have been mistaken. How could she hear his heart? She was ordinary; if sothing supernatural were to happen, it should happen to soone more like a "heroine," like Shiina.
It was probably just stress.
The three hurried back toward the Class C vegetable garden spot. As they returned, the sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the forest. At the camp, Ryuen hadn't returned yet. A few Class C students were sitting around a campfire, tired but chatting.
Ibuki sat by the fire, looking dazed. She kept glancing at Hachiman. Hiyori saw this and grew worried. Eventually, she approached Ibuki and nudged her, gesturing toward the woods outside the camp.
Ibuki followed Hiyori into a quiet part of the woods.
"What is it, Shiina?" Ibuki leaned against a tree.
Hiyori looked around to ensure they were alone, then whispered, "Ibuki-san, did you really hear Hikigaya-kun's heart just now? It wasn't a hallucination, you actually heard it, right?"
Ibuki shuddered and looked at Hiyori in disbelief.
"How... how do you know? Can you hear it too?
So it wasn't a stress-induced hallucination?" Ibuki murmured. "Thank goodness, I'm not crazy!"
Hiyori nodded with a mix of relief and disappointnt. She was relieved to no longer be the only one with the secret, but disappointed she wasn't "special."
She whispered her secret: "I've been able to hear his heart since I t him. That's why I asked Ryuen to keep him—his heart reveals exam intel and plans. He can help Class C gain the advantage. This exam is vital for us, so keeping him close ensures we won't fail."
"Wait... so you kept him specifically to eavesdrop on his heart and plans?" Ibuki looked at Hiyori in shock.
She didn't expect the fragile-looking Shiina to be so... wicked.
"Is that... okay? He didn't seem to notice," Ibuki felt this was a bit dark. Ryuen used violence and spies, which she accepted as his character, but Shiina was supposed to be different.
"It's the only way. Class C's overall strength is low, and Ryuen gets toyed with when he faces Hikigaya-kun," Hiyori sighed.
"When strength is lacking, one must use alternative thods."
Ibuki thought of her own failed spy mission. Ryuen was always one step behind Hikigaya Hachiman. Class C was indeed at a disadvantage.
"So if we use this, are we set for future exams?" Ibuki was quickly assimilated into the plan.
"Theoretically," Hiyori said. But then her expression darkened. "But if you can hear him too, things aren't as simple as I thought. What if girls from other classes can hear him as well? It's a strange phenonon.
Who knows how many people can hear him?"
"So the intel isn't exclusive to us? If it's a 'public channel,' our advantage is gone!" Ibuki frowned.
"Exactly," Hiyori sighed. "From now on, using his heart for intel will involve 'spy wars.' We have to treat other classes as if they know the intel too. Truth and falsehood mixed together. This isn't my specialty."
"A battle?" Ibuki's eyes lit up with readiness. "If it's a fight, I'll help! I'm stronger than you. I can deal with those other girls. You just find out which girls can hear him and leave them to ."
She was much better at direct confrontation than scheming. She had never feared anyone in a fight.
Hiyori was stunned. She wasn't asking Ibuki to beat up other girls!
'Don't learn bad habits from Ryuen!'
"Thank you, Ibuki-san. But please don't do anything yet. If I need help, I'll ask. And," she emphasized, "we must never let Hikigaya-kun know. Not a word. With his intelligence, if he suspects anything, he'll feed us fake intel to mislead us. Then we'd lose our advantage and get played. Class C would be ruined just like Class D."
"I got it!" Ibuki nodded firmly. "I won't tell anyone, not even Ryuen. I'll act like it never happened and I never heard his voice."
-
-
-
Not far away, Hachiman stood behind a large tree, watching the two "conspire" and reach an agreent.
'Good grief, they've ford a secret alliance? Quite the chemistry.'
He had heard everything. The heart was his, after all.
He used to be unaware, but now he could control who heard him. If he thought of a person's na, they would hear; if he didn't, they wouldn't. He had deliberately let Ibuki hear him just to see how she and Hiyori would react.
Hiyori's reaction speed was impressive. She imdiately moved to silence Ibuki and form an alliance.
Hachiman thought that although Hiyori looked pure and kind, she was actually a total "snake."
Wicked indeed.
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