The third semester had just begun.
It was Thursday morning, and all the students were gathered at the school gate, boarding a line of buses that stretched out across the road. The long convoy pulled away from the campus, speeding along the highway toward an undisclosed location.
Hikigaya sat by the window, watching the scenery blur past.
The school had given no reason for this sudden trip.
That, of course, meant only one thing: a special exam.
"There's no way this isn't a special exam, right?" Shibata leaned in from the aisle seat, speaking in a hushed tone.
Clearly, Class B wasn't filled with fools. Shibata, ranked third in class influence, had noticed something off the moment they stepped on the bus.
"Probably," Hikigaya replied dully, eyes still fixed on the road outside.
There was something amusingly persistent about how fate kept tying him to this overly earnest guy. Still, Hikigaya couldn't bring himself to care too much. He felt a little helpless when it came to Ichinose, sure, but Menlai and others were right—there really wasn't a better candidate to lead Class B. Kanzaki might be intelligent, but he had zero communication skills. And in a society built on connections, that made all the difference.
"Anyway," Shibata changed the topic, sensing Hikigaya's lack of enthusiasm. "What were you up to during winter break? Didn't really see you around."
"Ah… just living life," Hikigaya muttered, stiffening up slightly.
He definitely couldn't say he'd spent most of the break hanging out with different girls. That would be way too complicated.
He leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes. Honestly, he was tired. That whole vacation had been exhausting.
Shibata gave up on the conversation and turned to talk with the students across the aisle.
Time passed.
Eventually, someone nudged Hikigaya awake.
"Hikigaya, the teacher's about to explain the exam."
He opened his eyes groggily. Up front, Miss Hoshinomiya stood with a loudspeaker in hand. For once, her expression was serious—a rare sight.
"This time," she began, "we're heading to a forest camp. It'll be an eight-day, seven-night inter-grade group activity. The special exam is called: Mixed Camping."
Hikigaya blinked.
"This exam is focused on emotional and interpersonal growth," Hoshinomiya explained. "The point is to see how well you can build relationships with people you don't usually interact with."
That caught his attention. While he wasn't a social butterfly, Hikigaya thought he could handle teamwork if it was purely task-oriented. Still, the gravity in Hoshinomiya's tone made him sit up straighter.
"Once we arrive, boys and girls will be separated, and then—across the entire grade—you'll need to divide yourselves into six groups. You can refer to the fifth page of your handout for group size rules."
Hikigaya flipped to the page. The numbers were clear:
If over 80 boys were in the grade, then each group had to have 10 to 15 people.
So, most likely, their groups would fall into that range.
He kept reading.
"You're free to form groups with students from any class," Hoshinomiya continued. "But each group must include members from at least two different classes, and everyone in the group must agree unanimously. No dissent."
You'd eat, study, clean, bathe, and sleep together as a team.
Basically, they'd be living like a small community.
So far, it wasn't too bad. It reminded Hikigaya of company trips, where everything from meals to schedules was determined by someone else.
Still, what a pain.
"On the last day of camp," Hoshinomiya said, "a comprehensive assessment will take place. It will determine your group's final score. Look at page seven for assessment categories."
Hikigaya turned the page.
Morality, discipline, autonomy, cooperation—vague, subjective categories.
Each day's schedule would be tightly packed: morning exercises, meditation, cleaning, lessons, meals, more study, meditation again, dinner, and lights out.
He glanced warily at Hoshinomiya. Her current serious expression was unsettling. She was never like this.
She continued. "After the first-years form six groups, each will be combined with second- and third-year groups, forming a larger cluster of 30 to 45 students across grades."
The average score across all six smaller groups in that large cluster would determine rankings.
Hikigaya didn't care too much about that. The older students had more experience, so their scores should theoretically raise the group average.
What worried him more was something else.
He glanced toward the familiar figure with pink-blonde hair sitting ahead—Huko from Class D.
Class B and Class D were currently in a cooperative relationship.
That could be both a blessing and a curse.
"Now, let's talk rewards," Hoshinomiya said. "Top-performing groups will receive class and personal points."
1st place: 10,000 individual points + 3 class points.
2nd place: 5,000 individual points + 1 class point.
3rd place: 3,000 individual points.
"But," she added, "for fourth to sixth places, points will be deducted."
4th place: -5,000 personal points.
5th place: -10,000 personal points and -3 class points.
6th place: -20,000 personal points and -5 class points.
"The twist is—rewards are multiplied if your group includes students from more than two classes. But penalties are not."
That line made Hikigaya sit up.
So the school was encouraging cross-class collaboration. Bigger, more diverse groups meant bigger rewards.
But then the mood shifted.
"The last-placed group, if they score below a school-set average, will face a severe penalty," Hoshinomiya said grimly.
"The group leader will be expelled."
That dropped like a bomb.
Even Hikigaya's eyes widened. That was harsh—but still avoidable. As long as your group didn't crash and burn, and you didn't sabotage anything, it shouldn't be hard to stay above average.
Hoshinomiya continued, "Each group must pick a leader through discussion. The leader takes on all responsibility."
"But," she smiled again, "there's a perk. The leader's entire class will receive double the rewards."
The leader had to be selected by the morning of the second day. If no decision was reached, the group would be disqualified and everyone would be expelled.
And if the leader did get expelled, they could take one group member down with them.
Yes, drag someone to be expelled together.
Hikigaya's mind froze.
What kind of twisted rule was that?
He was definitely not becoming the leader. And if someone picked him to go down with them… he could only pray he wouldn't be targeted.
"Teacher?" Ichinose raised her hand. "What if someone tries to sabotage the test or take out rival leaders?"
"Good question," Hoshinomiya nodded. "That's why the school will only approve expulsion if they can determine you were part of the reason your group failed. As long as you don't deliberately fail, you won't be penalized."
Still, it left Hikigaya uneasy.
How would the school detect sabotage in a forest setting with no cameras?
He didn't ask the question out loud. Maybe he was overthinking. Surely no one would go that far.
Hopefully.
"There's one last thing," Hoshinomiya added.
"If anyone drops out during the exam, their class will lose 100 class points. If the class has no points left, it'll be in debt. You'll start from zero and need to earn your way back up."
And with that, she snapped back into her usual playful mode.
"If you have any questions, just ask me anytime~!"
As her words faded, Ichinose immediately stood up, determination burning in her eyes.
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