The next morning, Sunday.
The exams for other classes were over, so they could naturally rest. However, the students of Class B still needed to go to school for voting.
Walking into the school, Hikigaya looked at the middle-aged man sitting at the podium with some surprise. He remembered him as the teacher who gave the speech during the forest camp.
The homeroom teacher of Year 3 Class B, Onodera.
It wasn't school time yet, but the other party was already sitting in the classroom waiting.
He sat with his arms crossed, his expression steady, giving off an indisputable majesty. His sharp eyes swept across everyone.
He didn't expect that there would actually be a class that dared to openly challenge the school's authority.
It was simply absurd.
He originally thought Class D were the defective products that needed teaching, but he didn't expect Year 1 Class B to be even more of a problem.
Twenty minutes before class started, seeing that everyone from Class B had arrived, Onodera spoke in a deep voice.
"Although there are still twenty minutes before class, since everyone is here, I will start the explanation".
"From today on, I will be responsible for Year 1 Class B's Class Poll exam. That is all".
The subtext was: those who dare to resist their superiors will inevitably be suppressed. Since Year 1 Class B wanted to stall, the school would certainly accompany them to the end.
After speaking, Teacher Onodera closed his eyes, allowing them to move freely before the class started.
However, all future classes would be voting, and the class would have no chance of being promoted again.
Within this teacher's words was such an underlying hint.
"Hikki..." Ichinose and the others suddenly became a bit panicked.
Although Hoshinomiya Chie blended in with them, leading them to treat that cute homeroom teacher more like a friend or a younger sister who needed taking care of....
But facing the middle-aged teacher truly before them, Ichinose and the others still felt the majesty and pressure of a teacher.
After all, Japan follows a seniority system.
In front of elders, most people would be somewhat restrained.
Not to mention good students like those in Class B. Moreover, as guides on the path of life, students naturally had an inherent fear of teachers.
"Don't worry".
Hikigaya revealed an unconcerned smile.
"Why can you still smile like that?" Shibata glanced secretly at Teacher Onodera and whispered: "If this continues, it'll be bad. Forget Class A, we might not even be able to attend school in the future. How much certainty do you actually have?".
"One hundred percent!".
Hikigaya was confident. What about teachers? Aren't teachers also human?.
His performance, even more confident than yesterday, suddenly startled Shibata and the others. It was ninety percent yesterday, and today it's one hundred.
"Is it because of that teacher?" Ichinose also asked in a low voice. Hikigaya nodded. Seeing that Hoshinomiya Chie was not there, he knew that things had succeeded!.
"Don't worry, the result will come out tonight".
Shibata and the others didn't know what to say anymore. The school clearly wanted to wear them down.
How could Hikigaya still be so confident?.
"Understood".
Ichinose took a deep breath and turned to look at everyone.
"Everyone, let's just believe in Hikki. After all, we don't have any other way now. I really don't want to see anyone from the class disappear".
"Me too. Since Hikki is so certain, let's continue".
Kobashi Yume and the others also nodded with serious expressions.
"Roger".
Shibata also took a deep breath: "No matter what, we have to endure today".
"I agree as well. This exam is simply too unreasonable".
The people of Class B huddled together, hands piled on top of each other to cheer for one another.
Teacher Onodera watched the scene before him, his gaze eventually resting on Hikigaya.
So that's it. It's this person who has led the Class B students astray.
Then let's see.
"Start voting. Follow me to the voting room".
Inside the voting room, Hikigaya skillfully wrote down several names. Since the other classes' exams were over, there was no longer any need for external praise votes.
Before him, five middle-aged men surrounded him. Even feeling the immense pressure, Hikigaya remained full of confidence.
Because the teachers before him did not have the power to decide.
As long as one understood this exam, it wasn't difficult.
The essence of this exam was that the newly appointed Acting Director Tsukishiro wanted to use this forceful method to ensure his indisputable authority at this school.
Therefore, the school held this unreasonable exam.
In that case....
The matter became simple.
Unlike previous exams, this one had two very distinct differences.
First, all the rules were newly set. The power of interpretation lay with the school—meaning the new Acting Director Tsukishiro. There was no precedent to follow.
Second, the school did not announce all the rules to the students from the start. Instead, there were an unknown number of hidden rules.
This was likely the escape route Tsukishiro left for himself.
If only two students happened to tie for last place, the school could naturally use a forceful method to decide on one expellee.
However, if there were too many people tied for last place, or if it was an entire class's resistance, the school would have to reconsider.
After all, time was not infinite.
Tomorrow was the Year 1 final special exam. What would happen if an entire class was absent then?.
The school would then have to re-examine this Acting Director Tsukishiro and doubt his capability.
It was precisely because Acting Director Tsukishiro forcefully held this kind of exam that the situation evolved to this point.
Of course, Tsukishiro was the new Acting Director of the school, the highest-ranking leader. The teachers' doubts didn't mean much.
But this was equivalent to slapping Acting Director Tsukishiro's face!.
He could naturally use his power to forcefully push for an exam result.
He might even demand Class B select two, three, or even more expellees before being satisfied.
However, that was by no means the best course of action.
Forcefully abusing power was feasible, but anyone could do that.
Surely not just the teachers, but even those higher up would start to question Acting Director Tsukishiro's competence.
In reality, this didn't slap Acting Director Tsukishiro's face; instead, it gave him an opportunity to showcase himself.
To demonstrate his ability to adapt to changes, respond to crises, and handle them!.
This wasn't difficult.
Advanced Nurturing is a school with a national background.
At the very least, a person capable of being the school's director would certainly think of solutions that even Hikigaya himself could think of.
Hidden rules still existed for the exam.
And the power of interpretation for these rules rested entirely with Tsukishiro.
Compared to the authority brought by forceful oppression, showing the ability to handle a crisis was undoubtedly more convincing.
This was a guaranteed win-win deal for Tsukishiro.
This matter was beneficial for Class B, for other classes, and for this new Acting Director Tsukishiro.
There was no way he wouldn't do it!.
Unless this new Acting Director was an idiot, or a trashy politician who couldn't control his own emotions.
If so, there was no choice. Hikigaya would have to appeal.
He would drag Class C and Class D, whose exams were already over, back into the exam.
Since there were no more external praise votes, this itself violated the exam rules.
In short, Hikigaya was fully prepared.
No one is unwilling to do something that only has benefits, right?.
Although his ability might not match that of Horikita Suzune or Ryuuen Kakeru, Hikigaya understood human nature better.
A free bargain, an opportunity delivered to the door.
As long as Tsukishiro was still a normal person, he would definitely take it.
Even if Tsukishiro dragged Classes A, C, and D together and continued the exam indefinitely, it didn't matter.
Even if the other classes couldn't bear the pressure and unilaterally changed their external praise votes, he could just ask Kaneda and Horikita Suzune for personal points then.
Twenty million in compensation was no small amount.
Although taking ten thousand personal points was risk-free, he was sorry, but he had already kidnapped Class C and Class D.
Getting off the boat wouldn't be easy.
This was no longer an exam to select an expellee, but a battle of psychological endurance between Class B, Class C, Class D, and the school—whoever broke under the pressure first would pay the bill!.
Since I cannot yield, then I'm sorry, I can only ask you to yield!.
Whether it was making the school yield, or having Class C or Class D pay instead, either would work!.
Otherwise, he would have to ask the entire first year to stay in this stalemate with him forever!.
Elsewhere, in the school meeting room.
At the head of the table, a middle-aged man sat with his hands crossed, a mask-like smile on his face. The Year 1 homeroom teachers sat to his left and right.
"Acting Director Tsukishiro," Teacher Mashima said coldly with his arms crossed: "This exam itself is unreasonable. Now Class B is protesting as a whole, and the Year 1 special exam is tomorrow. What should be done?".
As teachers, they naturally wouldn't blame the students.
The subtext was: this is all the trouble you, Tsukishiro, stirred up. You are a far cry from the previous Director Sakayanagi.
"How about we just judge Class B as having forfeited and lost?" Class C's Teacher Sakagami laughed nonchalantly.
"If in every future exam," Chabashira Sae also said indifferently: "Class D's opponent is always Class B, I won't have any objection".
This was obviously unrealistic.
If they were judged as winning by default every time they faced Class B, then surely all classes would want Class B as an opponent.
The Year 1 exams simply couldn't continue.
Clearly, they were all speaking sarcastically toward this newly arrived Acting Director Tsukishiro.
Although he was a leader parachuted in, gaining power required support from those below.
"How interesting," Acting Director Tsukishiro watched the Class B students on the screen.
This was something that should have been absolutely impossible. The original design of external praise votes included the prevention of vote manipulation.
As long as everyone in other classes cast a random vote, it would be impossible for an entire class to tie.
However, someone had achieved it now.
They turned all uncontrollable external praise votes into controllable ones, creating the current difficult situation for the school.
His smile remained unchanged: "It seems the educational methods of Advanced Nurturing indeed have their merits. I didn't expect such an interesting student. Teacher Hoshinomiya, this method was thought of by that student. I really want to meet him".
"Eh?" Hoshinomiya's face was awkward as she blinked her beautiful eyes: "The children in our class wouldn't do such a thing. They probably just truly dislike this exam".
"Is that so?" Tsukishiro didn't seem to care much.
Anyway, Class D's exam was over. Although the mission wasn't completed, discovering such an interesting class was a gain.
"Then what should be done about tomorrow's exam?" Teacher Mashima brought the topic back to the main point. They couldn't really skip it.
"Don't worry," Acting Director Tsukishiro still maintained that mask-like smile on his face, as if this sort of thing was already a common occurrence to him: "The exam will continue tomorrow. I will resolve this matter".