Because Kushida had rejected him, Hachiman was temporarily focused on gathering 20 million points, and this island exam was the perfect opportunity to acquire them.
However, shortly after everyone successfully boarded the luxury cruise ship "Mirai," Hachiman discovered that his situation had undergone a subtle change: he had suddenly beco... popular.
The cause was simple. After boarding, getting his room key, and settling in, his phone screen lit up. He received several invitation ssages from girls—none of them junk mail, but actual invitations to et or hang out.
Among them was one from Ichinose Honami, inviting him to watch a movie at the theater. Her tone was gentle, and she specifically asked what ti would be convenient for him.
There was also one from Sakura Airi. It was obvious she had pressed the wrong buttons; the ssage consisted of only a few fragnted words asking when he was free, followed by a frantic apology emoji. It was clear Sakura was not good at asking people out.
Kushida inford him that she was free in the evening.
Interestingly, Karuizawa Kei, who he expected would contact him proactively, sent nothing at all. Instead, the usually cold and solitary Horikita Suzune sent a concise ssage without any small talk, simply asking to et him at the theater because she had sothing to ask.
Considering their personalities and Horikita's developnt in this arc, Hachiman headed to the theater on ti.
The theater on the cruise ship was undoubtedly one of the most elegant places on board. It was exquisitely decorated with comfortable seating, and the air was filled with a light scent of incense, making one feel naturally at ease.
"This sky is free."
"Hope is hidden even in the dark underground—"
"These wings belong to ~"
On the wide stage, Icarus's Wings was being perford—a play centered around "freedom."
The protagonist on stage held his arms high, speaking with passion. Quite a few students chose to watch the performance; out of the 159 total students on the ship, about forty or fifty were here. Given that this was just one of many entertainnt options, it showed that many students enjoyed the kind of leisure programs favored by the wealthy.
Hachiman found a double seat near the back. Soon, Horikita Suzune appeared beside him. He picked up the coffee already prepared on the table and took a light sip. His gaze was fixed
on the stage, seemingly focused on the play, but he was actually paying close attention to Horikita's movents beside him.
He had already scouted the schedule. The ship's theater arranged four plays daily: Icarus's Wings, King Lear, Turandot, and Twelfth Night. All were classics, and this schedule would repeat for three days without any changes.
The current guests on this ship were only the first-year students; there were no outsiders. Therefore, from this schedule, one could clearly judge that the students could play leisurely for at least three days without worrying about exams, truly enjoying a brief vacation.
However, watching the play made his heart swell slightly. This scene was a world apart from his past life.
A sea that felt like sumr all year round, a magnificent cruise ship, the sound of sirens, the vast sky, and the refreshing salty sea breeze. This was a real vacation.
The ship's na was "Mirai", and it was even more luxurious than imagined. It featured spacious guest rooms, restaurants serving lavish als, an elegant theater, a bright swimming pool, and even a high-end massage SPA for students to fully relax.
If converted to points, chartering this ship for a week—no, the original story said two weeks—would likely cost nearly 40 to 50 million points at a rate of several million per day. While points in school are used like cash, the school settles with the ship owner in real money. It was no exaggeration to say the school was filthy rich. It also showed how much importance the school placed on this special exam.
Any student with a brain would realize that if the school spent this much, the upcoming exam would not be simple.
Unlike Class D in the original story, where three people shared a room, Class A and B had double rooms. The room decor rivaled five-star hotels. Not only were food and swimsuits free, but movies, massages, buffet drinks, and high-end restaurants were... all free!
Yes, everything was free! There were no hidden costs; students didn't have to spend a single point to enjoy the facilities.
Even students from Class A and B, who still had points, couldn't resist such temptation. For the penniless Class C and D, this was paradise.
Earlier that morning when boarding, groups of students—so familiar, so not—could be seen running to the deck, gripping the railings and staring at the churning ocean, their eyes welling with tears of excitent.
However, Hachiman's attention was currently on the person beside him.
"So, even though you called out, your mind isn't on the play at all," Hachiman said. He looked at the black-haired girl with fox-like eyes sitting next to him. She hadn't said a word since the beginning and was clearly in a bad mood.
"...I want to ask you... when will the exam start?" Horikita Suzune's voice sounded sowhat weak.
Hachiman noticed a sickly flush on her cheeks. Her eyes were unfocused, and she looked exhausted. This state made her seem significantly "weaker."
Usually, when soone looks like that, it ans they are unwell. Knowing Horikita's usual personality, she would never show such a vulnerable side or speak in such a weak tone unless she was truly suffering.
While this version of Horikita was a fresh sight, Hachiman wasn't a cruel person.
He surmised that she had probably noticed her discomfort since waking up—a heavy head, lack of energy, and a fever—but she had been forcing herself to endure it because she didn't want to affect the outco or let anyone see her weakness.
Seeing her like this, Hachiman didn't beat around the bush and directly suggested, "I think if you're sick, it's best to go to the doctor. There's a doctor stationed on the ship."
"..."
Horikita's expression flickered for a mont, but she shook her head. On one hand, she was bothered that Hachiman had discovered her illness; on the other, she had concerns.
"But," Horikita said, shaking her head. "This ti, Sakayanagi from Class A couldn't co because she's unwell. I asked Chabashira-sensei if there would be consequences for not attending the special exam. Chabashira-sensei said if there is an exam, it will naturally count as an absence and lead to a deduction of points."
In other words, just like in the original story, Horikita Suzune had realized she was unwell. However, unlike the original where she told no one until Ayanokouji found out, she was speaking now. In the original, her condition worsened during the island exam, leading to her withdrawal.
"Furthermore, this exam—" Horikita paused. "I think it should be a high-stakes special exam, since it's the final exam of the first sester. So, I really don't want to be absent... but it takes ti to recover. I want to confirm if there's enough ti—"
Essentially, if the exam was scheduled for much later, she would see a doctor and recover. But if it was starting imdiately, she would choose to push through the illness.
"See the schedule for the theater?" Hachiman said. "The sa program repeats for three days. After that, the schedule is listed as 'to be determined.' This ship was chartered specifically for us by the school. Even though it looks expensive, that doesn't an they can just waste money. What do you think that ans?"
"It ans..." Horikita's eyes moved slightly—a sign she was thinking it through. "It ans the staff are there to serve the students, and their schedule only lasts for three days. This suggests that the students will have an exam after three days. For example, we are sailing
now, and in three days we will arrive at a destination where students will disembark for an exam, or the exam will happen on the ship. Either way, students won't have the energy to watch plays then, so there's no need for the school to waste money on perforrs. The school has to pay for all of this."
"Exactly," Hachiman nodded. "So, including today, you have about two and a half days. You should use that ti to recover. Your physical constitution is actually quite strong, isn't it?"
In the original story, Horikita had a fever that lasted over a week because she went directly to a desert island with no resources, did hard labor, and took cold showers. Now, she had only just noticed the symptoms. If she used dication imdiately, she had a chance to recover before the exam.
Seeing Horikita's dazed expression, Hachiman, as he often did with Ichinose, began to broadcast his inner thoughts.
'Even though Horikita Suzune was sick in the original story and pushed through for a week, she eventually had to retire because her condition beca critical.
While that path brought Class D victory, we don't need Class D's victory right now.
Class D can't hold onto points anyway. It's better to focus on acquiring more private points.'
Sure enough.
As he "spoke" in his mind, the ntal state of the girl beside him seed to be instantly soothed. The uncertainty and worry in her eyes dissipated, and her complexion looked a bit better.
And in reality:
"..."
Horikita Suzune's ears twitched slightly. She realized she had heard Hikigaya-kun's inner voice again.
According to his thoughts, she was "destined" to get sick. If she ignored the symptoms, she might perform well, but the outco would be dire. However, she was currently on a different path.
She wanted points to help her brother and to facilitate her own class transfer. Her direction had changed.
So, she had to consider more. For instance, a sick body would only hinder her partnership with Hikigaya. If her health failed, he might give up on her as a partner and force her to rest. Although she hadn't known him long, she instinctively felt Hikigaya was the type to force her to do that.
"I understand," Horikita Suzune said quickly. "I'll go see the ship's doctor in a mont. But there's one more thing."
She added, "I originally asked my brother to buy Karuizawa a position as a disciplinary committee mber. However, Karuizawa just received a ssage from the Student Council. She isn't a disciplinary committee mber; her status is... 'General Affairs'."
The hierarchy of the Student Council, from highest to lowest, is: President, Vice President, Secretary, Accountant, General Affairs, and then the Head of Disciplinary Committee. At the very bottom are the nurous regular disciplinary committee mbers with little power.
While "General Affairs" sounds like a nial role, it is part of the core executive circle. It is several levels higher than a regular disciplinary committee mber and its point value is vastly different.
Hachiman had sold his Secretary position for 2 million points, and buying it from Horikita Manabu would cost 1 million. A General Affairs position would cost at least 500,000 points.
Horikita had originally asked her brother for a disciplinary committee spot for Karuizawa, which was only worth 200,000 points. She had over 300,000 points, which was just enough to pay for it. But her brother hadn't taken the money yet, and Karuizawa had received a much higher position. Thus, she felt her debt had suddenly ballooned.
"Now I owe my brother another 500,000 points," Horikita said with a downcast expression.
"..."
'So she's feeling like a "useless little sister" again?' Hachiman thought. 'You feel like you haven't helped your brother yet, and your debt has increased. That's probably why you felt sick—stressing over missing the exam and not being able to get money.'
The pressure was mounting, which was counterproductive to recovery.
After a mont's thought, Hachiman said, "I think the reason your brother suddenly changed the chips he gave you wasn't because of you. On the 1st, I actually t with your brother. So, giving Karuizawa a more important position has nothing to do with you. I requested it."
"You requested it?" Horikita seed stunned.
It was, of course, a white lie. He hadn't ntioned it to Horikita Manabu at all. However, Manabu has very high standards; he wouldn't just "make a mistake" with a position. It was intentional.
He surmised that Horikita Manabu had guessed Hachiman was using Horikita Suzune. But utilization aside, Hachiman was tricking Suzune into gathering 20 million points to transfer to his class as a "tool."
If Suzune truly had no value, Hachiman wouldn't bother trying to bring her over. To so extent, Hachiman acknowledged Suzune's potential.
Perhaps realizing this, Manabu changed the agreent without telling his sister and gave Karuizawa a higher position.
Manabu knew his sister. He knew she was being led by the nose by Hikigaya.
Suzune wanting to get Karuizawa a disciplinary committee position to consolidate her own faction wasn't sothing she would naturally think of; Manabu didn't believe Suzune was capable of proactively recruiting a team yet.
Therefore, the person who truly wanted Karuizawa in that position wasn't Suzune, but Hikigaya Hachiman.
By giving Karuizawa a better position, Manabu was signaling that he had detected Hachiman's true intentions. He was stating that he would continue to monitor the situation while he was still at school. If his sister could grow and develop on this path, Manabu wouldn't take her away when he graduated; he would agree to let her stay at this school.
This was his stance.
'Sigh. Siscon!' Hachiman thought.
Of course, there was another possibility. One student failed to make the trip. Hachiman had used a recording of Nagumo-senpai as bait to induce Sakayanagi Arisu to attack Nagumo Miyabi, and it was already showing results.
Positions are limited. For soone new to be appointed, a vacancy must exist. Karuizawa getting the General Affairs spot very likely ant the previous holder had been removed. Thus, the position was vacant, and Manabu did it as a favor. It gave Hachiman face and helped his sister—killing two birds with one stone.
In all likelihood, Sakayanagi Arisu, who stayed back at the school, had already begun her move.
Sigh.
That "evil loli." He had originally intended to throw her a lure to keep her busy attacking Nagumo so she wouldn't interfere with his point-gathering plan.
He didn't expect her to strike so quickly.
How much ti had even passed! Hachiman was starting to regret standing out too much in front of Sakayanagi, making her view him as a rival. If he had known she was this aggressive, he would have been more restrained to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Now, it seed he would have to make so adjustnts to his plan.
.
.
.
While Hachiman was feeling a bit of regret, the person truly suffering was soone else.
As the luxury cruise ship carried the first-year students to their destination, the campus—on the first day of the freshn's departure—felt exceptionally empty. The lively atmosphere was gone, leaving only second and third-year students and faculty.
"Sakayanagi, don't you think you've gone too far?" Nagumo Miyabi's voice was laced with significant dissatisfaction. He no longer found Sakayanagi Arisu "cute."
As the only first-year student remaining at the school, Sakayanagi might have lacked her usual "puppies" to handle her chores and als, but she still easily found people to help her. She spent her days in leisure, showing no signs of frustration or anxiety over missing the cruise or the special exam.
Her thod was simple. She had taken the recording obtained from Hikigaya-kun—the one of Nagumo interfering with the first-year exams—and resold it to Second-Year Class B. The situation in the second year wasn't yet fully controlled by Nagumo; Class B still had a chance to struggle. Naturally, they would fight with everything they had to avoid being suppressed.
Thus, Kiriyama from Second-Year Class B had gathered all the class's points and bought the recording pen from Sakayanagi at a high price, hoping to use the evidence to counterattack Nagumo and break his plan to unify the second year.
However, since the recording featured Nagumo arranging for First-Year Class C to attack Class A, and Class A was the victim, the report had to co from a Class A student—Sakayanagi.
Sakayanagi demanded paynt for the report: she asked Kiriyama for a "tool" to handle her chores. Thus, even though the cute Kamuro-san wasn't with her, she remained quite comfortable with the help of the senpai arranged by Kiriyama.
During lunch, she arrived at the third-floor restaurant as usual. A tall senpai with long silver hair and a proud aura was already seated across from her—the "tool" arranged by Kiriyama.
Two exquisite lunch sets, carefully prepared with a mix of at and vegetables, were soon placed on the table. It was clear the senpai was taking this "chore" very seriously.
Nagumo, having received the news, imdiately went to the third floor to intercept Sakayanagi.
Almost at the exact mont the freshn left the school, Sakayanagi had appeared at the Student Council and submitted the recording pen.
The recording contained the conversation between Nagumo and Ryuen Kakeru. The school strictly prohibits senpais from leaking exam-related info to kouhais; violators face suspension at best and class point deductions at worst. Supporting or interfering with a lower-grade exam—especially directing who should attack whom—was strictly forbidden.
Consequently, while Sakayanagi couldn't go on the trip, Nagumo was gifted a one-week suspension. His Second-Year Class A was also docked 50 evaluation points before this month's special exam even began.
Nagumo reacted quickly. He sacrificed a "General Affairs" mber from his own class whom he had recomnded to the Student Council, making him take full responsibility to protect his own position as Vice President. However, since his voice was recorded, Nagumo himself was forbidden from leaving his dorm except for als—effectively house arrest. This was similar to what Ryuen Kakeru had faced previously.
The 50 points weren't a big deal to him, but the suspension and confinent were a major headache. First, he also had a special exam this month, and a one-week suspension would definitely affect his class's performance. More importantly, he had already decided to have second-year Classes A, C, and D surround Class B to achieve his goal of unifying the second year.
Now, with this sudden incident, the Student Council would be monitoring his movents. The difficulty of getting the representatives of the three classes to sit down and set a trap for Class B had increased exponentially. It seed he wouldn't be able to defeat Kiriyama of Class B in one fell swoop during this exam.
This ant he wouldn't be able to unify the second year before the one-month sumr break.
This also ant he wouldn't get the "living expenses" from Class B this month and they would likely get an exemption next month... all of which was his money!
Nagumo naturally could not swallow this insult.
"What are you saying, Nagumo-senpai? I haven't done anything," Sakayanagi Arisu said calmly, watching the furious Nagumo.
"And speaking of going 'too far,' I think you've always been getting a bargain, haven't you?"
As she said this, Sakayanagi glanced at the tall, silver-haired senpai sitting across from her. Nagumo recognized this student imdiately.
She was Kiryuin Fuuka from Second-Year Class B. She was the most beautiful and individualistic girl in the second year, with O-level (Overwhelming) ratings in academic ability, physical ability, and thinking ability.
While his childhood friend Asahina was excellent, Kiryuin was on another level—a literal genius. However, she played no role in Class B.
She seed to lack any sense of class pride. Kiriyama had asked her several tis to work for the class, but she refused. In her first year, she even forfeited during the Sports Festival, preventing the class from getting a high score.
The "bargain" Sakayanagi referred to was the fact that Kiryuin wasn't fighting for her class; if she were serious, Nagumo wouldn't have been able to promote his class so easily.
'But what do you an by this, Sakayanagi?' Nagumo thought.
'Not only did you report , but are you trying to goad Kiryuin into fighting?
Or rather, damn you, Ryuen! Do you have no integrity? I just spoke to you and you imdiately recorded it and sold it to Sakayanagi?'
Granted, First-Year Class C was poor, and it was understandable they didn't want to sell their class votes for 500,000 points. But he had promised that if Class C successfully attacked Class A, he would provide point support.
Couldn't he have a bit of professional ethics and finish the task before collecting the money? Instead, he sold the recording directly.
"But it's a sha," Sakayanagi said. "Even though I did receive point support from Kiriyama-senpai, unfortunately, Kiryuin-senpai has no intention of participating for the ti being."
"I have no interest in class promotion," Kiryuin stated.
Is that so? Then Sakayanagi's persuasion had failed.
For Nagumo, this was undoubtedly good news. As long as Kiryuin Fuuka didn't plan to work for Class B, Class B remained a fish on the chopping block. His plan to unify the second year still had a chance.
However, the idea of having "no interest in class promotion" was incomprehensible to Nagumo. In this school, graduating from Class A ant a bright future with better opportunities for higher education and employnt. It was what all students dread of.
Kiryuin's academic ability was ridiculously high. Even without Class A's resources, she could likely get into a top university on her own. Yet her goal was to attend an ordinary university and find a job at a small company to live an average life. To Nagumo, such a thought was bizarre. It was like having power but refusing to show it—a pearl hidden in the dust.
"Your 'dead-fish eye' kouhai from before seems more realistic to ," Nagumo comnted. "By the way, you entrusted him with this exam, didn't you? That guy isn't bad." Nagumo seed to recall sothing. "Maybe he can prevent your Class A from suffering too much in this exam."
He viewed that "dead-fish eye" kouhai as soone obsessed with money and quite shrewd.
"He will certainly win a landslide victory," Sakayanagi said.
"After all, I didn't go."
"?"
'Wait. Aren't you two in the sa class? What do you an 'Because I didn't go, he will win a landslide victory'?'
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