Keyaki Mall. Dining area, Ogura-ya.
"I didn't expect there to be a hidden rule, but this is great."
"Yeah, I wondered how it would end. That third-year homeroom teacher's stare scared me to death."
"But... isn't a hidden rule a bit unfair?"
"What do you mean?"
"Will the people in other classes really be able to accept it?"
Inside the shop, the people from Class B were split into several small groups. They sat around low tables, chatting incessantly.
Seeing them forced to split into groups, Hikigaya noticed some subtle differences. Usually, Class B centered around Ichinose, but when separated, they gravitated toward Ichinose, Shibata, and Kanzaki.
However, everyone's personality was quite good, so there were no issues.
Except, Hikigaya felt a bit awkward.
Ichinose, Himeno Yuki, Kobashi Yume, asakura mako, and Shiranami Chihiro—all girls—were seated around him.
"Um..."
Hikigaya pressed his hands against his legs. Ichinose and Kobashi Yume had him flanked on both sides. He felt his palms sweating.
Why was he, a lone boy, mixed into this group of girls?
He was only sixteen years old. When it came to eating, please let him sit at the kids' table—or at least with Shibata and Kanzaki.
"Doesn't this feel strange?"
"Eh? What's strange about it?"
Ichinose, sitting on Hikigaya's left, tilted her head in confusion.
"More importantly," Kobashi Yume said from his right, her beautiful eyes sparkling, "Hikki, you're really amazing."
"Hikki, how can you be so confident? If things had kept going like that, we wouldn't have been able to take tomorrow's exam."
Hearing this, Shiranami Chihiro and the others perked up their ears. Himeno Yuki, sitting next to Kobashi Yume, felt a bit worried.
What was with this Kobashi Yume? Didn't they agree she would help her pursue Hikigaya? Why was Kobashi Yume sitting next to him now, pushing her away?
Whatever. Himeno Yuki was also curious.
Even if it was just writing names on paper, the pressure of being watched by teachers was no joke. Moreover, the voting was completely anonymous.
She had been tempted many times to change her vote on her own, but she had held out in the end. How could Hikigaya be so confident?
If they had continued, they wouldn't even have been able to participate in tomorrow's special end-of-term exam.
"It was nothing special."
Despite his words, Hikigaya was a bit smug. "The students aren't the only ones under pressure. The school staff is under even more pressure than us."
No exam can last forever. Not only are students limited by time, but the school is as well.
Furthermore, they were just a group of students, while the school staff were a bunch of corporate drones with bosses breathing down their necks.
The pressure adults face is far greater than that of students!
Looking at the previous pairing exam, the school had many exams that required 1v1 class battles. There would surely be many such exams in the future.
If there were only three classes left, the entire grade's exams would become impossible to conduct
Furthermore, the school just made the choice that was easiest, most beneficial, and most efficient for them.
Besides, students can't see the full scope of the exam rules; the school can just make up a rule on the spot. It's not hard.
Upon hearing this, the faces of Kobashi Yume and the others turned a bit pale. Shiranami Chihiro said fearfully, "Then the school must hate us, right?"
Hikigaya felt a bit awkward. For "good kids" like them, deliberately going against the school was likely an unimaginable act.
Fortunately, he hadn't told them the plan earlier.
"Don't worry about that," Ichinose said with a brilliant smile. "Being able to have no one expelled is more important than anything."
"That's right."
Hearing this, Hikigaya quickly began to defend himself. "The school was the one that held such an unreasonable exam in the first place. I'm not wrong; the school is the one in the wrong."
"Hikki..." Ichinose looked at him reproachfully. "That's a bit much. We did cause a lot of trouble for the school. Let's... use this method less in the future."
Just "less." Not "never."
Clearly, in Ichinose's heart, her companions were more important than a bad reputation.
"Yeah."
Okakura Asako, watching Hikigaya from across the table, was also a bit concerned. "Shibata and the others mentioned it earlier too. Even though our class avoided expulsion because of a hidden rule..."
"I also feel that such a hidden rule is quite unfair, isn't it?"
"Can the other classes really accept it?"
From the very beginning, everyone knew the rules of this exam were incomplete.
And under the homeroom teachers' explanations, most people were led to believe that the hidden rule existed to resolve a tie for last place. They probably thought it was a rule to force an expulsion.
Almost anyone would think that way.
However, now that a hidden rule like this had suddenly popped up, anyone would likely find it hard to swallow. It was unacceptable.
Even Class B, as the beneficiaries, felt it was unfair—though that was only because they were kind-hearted. Hikigaya, on the other hand, loved this kind of preferential treatment.
But this was even more true for the other classes.
"Don't worry about it. It has nothing to do with me anyway."
Hikigaya nonchalantly ate his delicious eel rice.
A populace that cannot unite is just a rabble. There's nothing to worry about.
Hikigaya was confident he could even persuade the students of other classes himself, and he was sure the school could do the same.
In fact, he could roughly guess how the school would convince them.
Oh man.
Thinking of this, Hikigaya wanted to laugh. He was curious about Sakayanagi—she probably didn't care—but he was very curious to see the expressions on Horikita Suzune's and Ryuuen's faces.
Strength? Meritocracy?
Naive!
The strongest existence in this school is undoubtedly the school administration, which holds all the power. The only way to counter them is to gather the power of the masses.
That rabble could never do it.
As 6:00 PM approached, everyone finished the delicious eel set meal.
"Thank you, Hikigaya-kun."
"But are you really okay with this? Let's just pay for our own."
"It's fine."
Hearing the worried words of Shibata and the others, Hikigaya waved his hand and walked to the front counter first.
After all, this success wasn't his alone. It was the result of everyone's persistence. It was only right to treat them.
At the counter, the waitress's fingers tapped quickly on the cash register.
"That will be 164,000 private points total!"
"Here..."
Hikigaya forced a smile as he held out his phone. It still hurt a little to spend that much.
"Thank you for your business..."
Hikigaya turned and left Ogura-ya, only to find Ichinose, Shibata, and the others waiting outside.
Were they waiting for him? Or just resting to digest their food?
"Eh."
Hikigaya felt a bit bad and hurried his pace to catch up with Ichinose.
"Why didn't you guys head back first?"
"Eh?" Kobashi Yume asked, confused. "Because we were waiting for you, of course."
"No..."
Looking at Shibata and Kanzaki chatting, and then at the girls in front of him, Hikigaya felt embarrassed.
"It's only a few steps. There's no point in waiting for me, right?"
"If you put it that way," mako said speechlessly, "there's no point in going back first either, is there?"
"Yeah," Kobashi Yume added with a smile. "Besides, it's more fun to be together with everyone."
"Alright, alright," Ichinose said with a laugh. "Let's head back. We have to prepare for the exam tomorrow. Remember to get some good rest when you get back."
"Right, the exam is tomorrow."
"We can't be careless!"
"I remember we're about 200 points behind Class A. Thanks to Hikki's plan this time, we should take this chance to try and move up to Class A directly!"
"Yeah!"
Class B was in high spirits.
The group finally returned to the dorms in small clusters. Hikigaya hung back silently, while Kobashi Yume and Ichinose walked beside him, chatting.
It didn't feel too bad.
When they reached the dorms, the elevator was immediately crowded. The boys let the girls go up first.
Dammit. Who said going back first was pointless?
Not only could he have rested longer, but he could have avoided the elevator traffic.
Seriously. The school should add more elevators!
Weren't they supposed to respect student autonomy? Why were they making Class B waste time on things like this?
Only after all the girls had entered the elevator did it become the boys' turn, but Ichinose stayed behind as the class representative.
"Um... Hikki..."
Hikigaya felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned around to see Ichinose, whose face was slightly flushed.
"What is it? Is something wrong?"
"Yes! Could you come outside with me for a moment? I have something I want to say to you."
"Oh."
Hikigaya followed Ichinose outside the dormitory and waited for her to speak.
"Um..."
Ichinose glanced at the boys in the lobby. It seemed like now wasn't the right time to talk. She hesitated.
"Tomorrow is the special exam. I'd like to talk to you after school."
She lowered her head, a soft blush spreading across her cheeks.
"Could I borrow a bit of your time?"
"No problem..." Hikigaya nodded nonchalantly. "When?"
She probably wanted to discuss something about the exam.
Even though he couldn't carry the future of thirty-nine people on his shoulders, he could at least provide Ichinose with some references and advice.
Therefore, Hikigaya didn't hesitate.
"Then..." Ichinose said in a faint voice, "after club activities, behind the school building. Is that okay?"
"Got it!" Hikigaya nodded. "I'm heading back now."
"Okay... Hikki, goodnight!"
Ichinose's face instantly filled with relief, and her smile became even more radiant.