I came, I saw, I lost! (Classroom of the Elite Fanfiction)

『』『』『』『』『』

"I hate barbarians like you most of all, god!"

"What the hell?"

By the time Kumagawa and Ayanokouji got back to the camp, they were immediately confronted with two people arguing.

『What happened here? 』

Kumagawa quickly assumed his self-appointed role as the "leader." The moment he saw a fight, he stepped forward with a smug look on his face and asked Hirata.

"Well, you see..."

Hirata sighed and explained the situation.

With the toilet issue resolved, the next problem was drinking water. Even though there was a river, the class was split on whether or not it was safe to drink.

Ike, as expected, didn't see the problem.

"It's fine! If it's flowing, it's clean. You see this in survival shows all the time!"

On the other hand, the girls, led by Shinohara, rejected the idea outright.

"Are you stupid? What if there's bacteria in there?! What if an animal peed in it? Are you seriously telling us to drink that?!"

And so, the debate escalated into a full-blown argument, with Shinohara and Ike glaring at each other with enough intensity to start a forest fire.

"I've heard that hatred is close to love. Could that be true for these two?" Ayanokouji muttered.

"That... really doesn't seem to be the case here." Hirata gave a tired smile.

Kumagawa let out a long, exaggerated sigh, drawing the attention of Ayanokouji and Hirata.

『What did I expect from a bunch of elite modern-day kids? The moment you take away their bottled water, they act like they've been thrown into a dystopian wasteland.』

His words instantly annoyed both sides.

"Hah?! Are you making fun of us?!" Shinohara snapped.

『Oh, absolutely. But don't worry. As your wonderful leader, I'll solve this ridiculous problem for you. 』

Ayanokouji had a feeling things were only going to get worse from here.

『Just boil the water. 』

The argument came to a sudden halt.

"...Huh?" Shinohara blinked.

『Boil it. That way, if there are any bacteria, they'll die off, and you won't have to worry about drinking river water. Simple, right?』

"Boiling? This isn't some kind of chemistry experiment. Stop coming up with such unexpectedly thoughtful suggestions!"

Shinohara sounded more irritated than relieved. It seemed like, at this point, she was just looking for something to argue about.

Ayanokouji, watching from the sidelines, thought Shinohara was being unnecessarily difficult. Then again, it wasn't surprising. They'd been dropped into a survival test without warning, and emotions were running high. Stress, uncertainty, discomfort—it all built up quickly.

What was the term again? The one for when women were easily irritable due to hormonal fluctuations?

He decided not to say it out loud. That would be a one-way ticket to making things worse.

Hirata, the peacemaker, tried once again to smooth things over, just as he had during the toilet incident.

"Let's try breaking apart for a bit. We still have some time. It's not necessary to decide things in a panic."

Calmed by his words, Shinohara sighed and withdrew, though her frustration hadn't completely faded.

『Well, as a leader, I did try. 』

Kumagawa simply shrugged, completely unaffected.

Though, to be fair, nobody had expected much from him to begin with.

"Damn it! What the hell is Shinohara's deal? It's like she won't even try."

Upset, Ike picked up a small rock and skipped it across the river. It bounced five or six times before reaching the other side—an impressive accident.

Kumagawa watched him for a moment, then shifted his gaze toward a quieter presence.

Horikita sat alone in the corner, detached from the ongoing commotion.

Kumagawa made his way over to her.

『Horikita-chan. How's life treating you? 』

"What do you want?"

『No warm welcome? 』

Kumagawa clutched his chest dramatically, as if Horikita's indifference had physically wounded him. Of course, she didn't react.

She simply stared at him, waiting for him to get to the point.

"If you don't have anything useful to say, don't waste my time,"

『Cold as ever, Horikita-chan. But that's okay. I actually do have something important to talk about. 』

Horikita glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "...Go on."

『Can you tell Ayanokouji to calm down Ike? 』

"Huh? Why?"

『Because I told you so? 』

Horikita narrowed her eyes in irritation. There was no way she'd follow an order from Kumagawa of all people. She had already refused to acknowledge him as the leader in the first place. Even if he did have the title, he didn't act like one, and she had no reason to listen to his nonsense.

"...If you want Ayanokouji to do something, ask him yourself."

『Wow, I didn't know you were such a slacker. 』

Kumagawa let out an exaggerated sigh.

『I suppose it must be relaxing to be unreliable and underachieving. Isn't it, Horikita-chan? 』

She shot him a sharp glare, but he didn't stop.

『Look at Ike—he's dealing with our water supply. Ayanokouji? Scouting the island and making himself useful. Hirata? Handling the group. Kushida? Acting as a bridge between the boys and girls. Even Sudou, as hopeless as he is, can still do physical labor. And yet, here you are. Sitting. Doing nothing. 』

『Must be nice, huh? To just exist while everyone else carries the load. 』

Horikita's fingers twitched slightly.

『Well, it's fine, I guess. If you want to keep playing the role of a useless loner, be my guest. It's not like anyone expected much from you anyway. 』

"...Fine."

She spat the word out like venom, glaring at him before walking off toward Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji, at that moment, was in the middle of doing something completely pointless—stacking small rocks on top of each other by the riverbank. Not because he particularly wanted to, but because Ike had been doing it earlier, and he was mildly curious how high they could go before toppling over.

"Ayanokouji-kun." Horikita's voice cut through his pointless activity.

He looked up and saw her walking toward him, her expression sharp and irritated. It wasn't unusual for her to look like that, but something about it made him uneasy. Would she suddenly resort to physical violence? Considering her history of stabbing people with compasses, the possibility wasn't zero.

"Ayanokouji-kun, can you calm Ike down?"

"???"

Ayanokouji blinked, processing the sudden request. Horikita was not the type to care about others unless it benefited her in some way. Which meant this could only be for one of two reasons. Either it had something to do with the class, or...

He turned his head slightly and looked toward a certain someone.

Kumagawa waved at him.

'Right....'

"Okay. What did Kumagawa tell you to do?"

"What does this have to do with Kumagawa?"

Horikita's voice carried a note of defiance. She refused to acknowledge that she was following an order from Kumagawa of all people. But Ayanokouji wasn't convinced. He slowly raised a finger and pointed in a southwest direction, near the tents.

Horikita instinctively followed his finger—and there he was. Kumagawa Misogi, grinning and waving at them like he was having the time of his life.

"Tch."

She clicked her tongue in irritation.

Ayanokouji observed her reaction. It wasn't surprising for Kumagawa to get on someone's nerves; in fact, it was more unusual if he didn't. But ever since he started role-playing as their so-called leader, he had somehow become even more unbearable. Even Ayanokouji, who wasn't easily bothered, found himself growing weary.

"He told me to tell you to calm Ike down."

"...He what?"

"You heard me."

"But why?"

Ayanokouji frowned slightly. The sequence of events didn't make sense. Why would Kumagawa tell Horikita to tell him to tell Ike to calm down? Why such a roundabout method when he could have just told him directly?

As incomprehensible as Kumagawa was, he seemed to understand human dynamics surprisingly well. He was perceptive in a way that made him hard to deal with. He knew Horikita wouldn't be able to calm Ike down.

Horikita's interpersonal skills were well below that of an average person. Asking her to mediate between people was like asking a fish to climb a tree.

But that still didn't explain why he did this.

"Don't ask me. Didn't you tell me not to think too much about Kumagawa's actions since it would cause vertigo?"

"..."

He had no retort to that.

Trying to analyze something incomprehensible was like trying to measure the depth of the ocean with a ruler.

Horikita then turned away and left, deciding this conversation wasn't worth continuing.

This exam really did bring out the worst in everyone, forcing them to adapt whether they liked it or not. Ayanokouji wondered if this week would finally show Horikita how difficult it was to live life as a hermit.

Alone, she was exceptional. But only alone.

In an academic setting, she could quietly continue her race to the top without relying on anyone. But this test proved that there were some things you couldn't do by yourself.

And with Kumagawa around...

He had a feeling this week was going to be much longer than expected.

『』『』『』『』『』

Long story short, Ike calmed down. It wasn't like he was angry or anything, just...deflated. Being harshly criticized by the girls had taken the wind out of his sails. For someone like Ike, who normally only cared about impressing women, that had to sting.

Ayanokouji somehow managed to lift his spirits, though he wasn't entirely sure how. Maybe Ike just needed someone to acknowledge him after being dismissed so harshly.

Now, Ayanokouji sat under a tree, watching over the tent area. Karuizawa and the other girls had made their decision—they would be taking both tents for themselves. No compromises.

Which meant that the boys were going to have to sleep outside.

It wasn't a huge deal for some of them, but others—especially Ike, who was dead set on saving points—were already trying to come up with makeshift solutions. A few boys were gathering pulled grass to use as bedding, while others discussed whether they could cut down trees for materials. It was good that they were trying to problem-solve, at least.

"What do you think?" Ayanokouji asked.

Kumagawa, who was perched on a tree branch above him, responded in the most Kumagawa way possible.

『Hmm... I think you're an absolutely pathetic subordinate who can't do anything? Oh, but don't worry, Ayanokouji-kun, it's not like I expected anything from you to begin with. But you know... if even you give up, then I'll have no choice but to call myself a failure as a leader too. And that would be really, really sad, don't you think? 』

There was no one—no one—who had ever managed to be this thoroughly annoying before. Even the instructors from his past weren't this insufferable.

But causing a scene would only draw unnecessary attention.

So instead, he ignored him.

With nothing else to do for now, Ayanokouji leaned back against the tree trunk. He had done his part. For now, he could relax.

That was when Hirata approached, wiping sweat from his forehead. He'd been busy helping the girls with whatever they needed. Without him, they would have been completely helpless.

"Excuse me, Ayanokouji-kun? Can I talk to you for a minute? I have something I wanted to ask."

Hirata looked slightly sheepish, like he felt bad for interrupting.

"It's going to get scary tonight with just a flashlight. Whether we use points or not, securing some light is necessary. However, I can't force you to agree, Ayanokouji-kun."

It was a roundabout way of saying they needed another light source without spending points. He wasn't wrong—going through the night in total darkness would be a pain, especially if someone needed to go to the toilet.

Unlike a certain someone, Hirata made his requests with warmth and consideration, never outright commanding anyone. His leadership wasn't based on authority or power—it was based on trust. That was the kind of person he was.

『Ayanokouji-kun. 』

"..."

A familiar voice called out.

Ayanokouji exhaled quietly before looking up.

Kumagawa was grinning from ear to ear.

『Go gather some branches. We need a bonfire. 』

Ayanokouji stared at him blankly.

"...Didn't you already give up as a leader?"

『Only if things go wrong. If I'm ordering people around, then I'm still the leader, obviously.』

"..."

That was a pretty tyrannical rule.

He wasn't sure where Kumagawa got the confidence that being a leader meant people would actually listen to him, but the worst part was... his orders strangely aligned with the class's needs. It created an odd situation where refusing wasn't really an option.

Plus, Kumagawa was the designated leader. You never knew what would happen if you refused his completely reasonable orders. For all they knew, he could be selling his card for a measly Weekly Shounen Jump. Even those who didn't want to follow his commands begrudgingly did so, since adapting to Kumagawa's extreme mood swings was the only way to survive.

They were already at the bottom of the first-year class rankings. If they lost this exam, the gap between classes would only widen further.

Ayanokouji glanced at Hirata, who only smiled awkwardly. It seemed he had already resigned himself to this nonsense.

Ayanokouji let out a sigh before looking up at Kumagawa again.

"...Are you coming with me?"

『Oh? How cheeky. A subordinate daring to ask his great leader for help?』

Ayanokouji sighed once more and stood up.

Without another word, he went off alone.

As Ayanokouji walked off, Hirata turned his attention to Kumagawa, who was still lounging on the tree branch, looking as if he had all the time in the world.

"...Kumagawa-kun, may I ask you something?"

『Sure! But whether or not I answer depends on my mood. 』

Hirata smiled wryly. He was used to that kind of response by now.

"It's about spending points on food and water. Right now, we're trying to conserve as much as possible, but that might not be sustainable. If we don't use at least a little, it could affect everyone's health and performance."

Kumagawa tilted his head, pretending to think it over.

『Hmm... spending points, huh? Well, that is an option. But you know, Hirata-kun, I can't help but wonder... If you're asking me about it, doesn't that mean you already know the answer?』

Kumagawa was an odd person, but he wasn't stupid. In fact, he was remarkably perceptive. He had already stripped down the entire special exam system on the first day, understanding its flaws and loopholes better than anyone else. Even if his personality was strange, his insight was undeniable.

"...You're right," Hirata admitted. "I just wanted to hear your thoughts."

『.... 』

『Good, good! Now, let's enjoy this wonderful survival life together!』

『』『』『』『』『』

『Ayanokouji-kun. 』

"What is it?"

『I told you to gather branches, right? 』

"That's right."

『Then what's this? 』

"Well..."

Kumagawa stared at Ayanokouji, who had returned not only with firewood, but with a girl with short blue hair. But rather than her presence, Kumagawa's eyes were fixated on something else—the single strand of hair sticking up from her head.

『Ahoge? 』

"A what?!"

Apparently, the girl heard him.

Before anything else could happen, Hirata and Kushida arrived, looking concerned.

"Ayanokouji-kun, what happened?" Hirata asked.

"Yeah! Who's this?" Kushida added, her gaze shifting to the unfamiliar girl.

Ayanokouji figured this was a reasonable reaction. If you saw a girl with a red bruise on her cheek suddenly appear at your camp, you'd want an explanation.

...Kumagawa was the one who was weird.

Ayanokouji summarized what had happened. The girl, Mio Ibuki, was from Class C. She had a disagreement with Ryuuen, challenged him, and lost. As a result, she had been kicked out of her own camp.

Considering Ryuuen's tyrannical rule, it wasn't exactly surprising.

Hirata and Kushida looked shocked. Even Ike and Yamauchi, who had just arrived, seemed taken aback by the situation.

Kumagawa, however, remained silent. His usual carefree grin had vanished as he slowly approached Ibuki with a serious expression.

"Kumagawa-kun?" Kushida called out hesitantly.

"Kumagawa-kun, what are you doing?" ask Hirata.

"Dude, chill. You're gonna freak her out." Yamauchi, likely trying to act cool in front of a new girl, added.

Then—slowly—he reached out.

And—

Pull.

『Whoa, it's real. 』

Kumagawa tugged on the single strand of hair sticking up from Ibuki's head.

Ibuki's eye twitched.

"The hell are you doing?" she snapped, slapping his hand away.

『Ah, sorry, sorry. I just had to check if it's actually real. 』

Kumagawa smile as he rubbed his hand, unfazed by her reaction.

"Check what?!"

『Whether it was a biological phenomenon or an unnatural mutation. Turns out, it's part of you. Amazing. 』

Ibuki looked like she was ready to punch him. Ayanokouji could understand why.

"More importantly," Hirata interjected, stepping between them before things got worse, "what should we do? If Ibuki-san really got exiled from her class, then..."

"We obviously can't leave her out here alone," Kushida said. "That would be too cruel."

"Well, yeah, but..." Ike muttered, scratching his head.

Ayanokouji glanced at Ibuki. Her arms were crossed, and she looked away, clearly irritated but not denying her situation. It was true that if she really had been kicked out, letting her wander the forest alone wasn't an option.

At that moment, Kumagawa clapped his hands together.

『Alright! I've decided!』

Everyone turned to him.

『Ibuki-chan is now officially a member of Class D! 』

"What?!"

Ibuki's head snapped back toward him.

『Starting today, you'll work under my rule as my most trusted subordinate!』

"Like hell I would!"

『Huh? But you got exiled, right? If you don't have anywhere to go, then isn't this a great deal? We'll feed you, shelter you, and in exchange, you can be my personal servant. I'll even give you a cool code name.』

『I was thinking of calling you 'Agent Ahoge.'』

Ibuki looked like she was about to throw hands.

"...More importantly," Ayanokouji spoke up before this spiraled even further, "can we even let an outsider stay in our camp?"

"Good question. If she stays here, will it count as violating the rules?" Hirata said, looking troubled.

He was most fefinetly want to shelter her, that was the kind of person Hirata is, but considering this is an exam, it carried a certain risk. Even the not so smart student understand this dillema.

They were dividedd on logic and moral.

Ibuki looked around at everyone, then clicked her tongue.

"Tch. I don't need your pity. I'll figure something out myself."

She turned to leave.

『Ah, wait, wait, wait. 』

Kumagawa suddenly grabbed her by the wrist.

Ayanokouji noticed it immediately. His grip wasn't strong at all—Ibuki could easily shake him off if she wanted to. But for some reason... she stopped.

『That's not how a subordinate supposed to act. 』

Then, she clicked her tongue again and yanked her wrist away.

"Shut up."

With that, she stormed off into the woods.

Everyone watched as Ibuki disappeared into the trees. Though they could still see her in the distance, moving away at a steady pace, it was clear she had no intention of coming back.

"By the way... that girl, Ibuki-san from Class C? I've seen her before."

Satou, who had only now processed the situation, finally spoke up. She eyed Ibuki with suspicion.

"Could she be a spy? I mean, if she can spot the leader..." Yamauchi asked, throwing his hands over his head in exaggerated concern.

That was the most concerning possibility. If she was here to gather intel, letting her roam freely was dangerous. However...

Everyone, including Ayanokouji, slowly turned toward Kumagawa.

He was sitting atop a tree, swinging his feet carelessly as he stared in Ibuki's direction, as if watching a new toy that had caught his interest.

They were at a crossroads between logic and morality.

Logically, Ibuki couldn't be trusted. She was an outsider, an enemy, and if she was here on Ryuuen's orders, she could jeopardize everything. The smart thing to do would be to drive her away or monitor her closely.

Morally, however, abandoning her felt wrong. Regardless of her reasons, she had been cast out of her own class and had nowhere to go. Leaving her to fend for herself was cruel, especially when Class D had the ability to help.

Kumagawa, as their "leader," didn't seem concerned with either option. If anything, he looked entertained.

"I suppose it's possible," Hirata said, thinking carefully. "I'll check on it. Is that okay, Yamauchi-kun? Ayanokouji-kun?"

They looked at each other and nodded.

Kumagawa remained perched on his branch, swinging his feet idly as he watched the conversation unfold below.

Hirata, Kushida, and the others were debating whether or not to trust Ibuki.

As he continued to lazily kick his feet, his smile widened.

『Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. 』

Ayanokouji, who had been listening to Hirata and Yamauchi, looked up at him with an exhausted expression.

"...What now?"

『I think I'll go have a little chat with her. 』

Ayanokouji's eyes narrowed slightly. "And what are you planning to say?"

『Dunno. I'll figure it out when I get there.』

Kumagawa let go of the branch, dropping down effortlessly. He landed lightly on his feet, stretching his arms as if he had just woken up from a nap.

『I mean, aren't you guys overthinking things? She's alone. She lost. She got kicked out. What's she gonna do? Bite me? 』

"That's not the point." Ayanokouji said.

『Oh? Then what is the point? That she might be a spy? If that's the case, isn't it better if I go talk to her? I'm the leader, remember? If I'm the one who gets fooled, it's just my own incompetence. Doesn't that sound good? 』

It was true that Kumagawa's orders, no matter how ridiculous they seemed, always lined up with what the class needed. His strange way of leading somehow worked—if only because refusing him felt like it would make things worse.

Hirata let out a quiet sigh. "...Then, be careful, Kumagawa-kun

『Great! Then, I'm off~』

Without waiting for anyone else's input, he turned and strolled into the woods.

As Kumagawa disappeared into the woods, Hirata turned toward Ayanokouji with a troubled expression.

"Ayanokouji-kun, can I ask you for a favor?"

"...What is it?"

"Could you go with him?"

Ayanokouji raised an eyebrow. "Why me?"

"Well... you're the closest one to Kumagawa-kun in our class, right? You two always talk casually with each other, so I thought you might be the best person for this."

Ayanokouji's gaze drifted toward the rest of the class. Their expressions ranged from uncomfortable to outright wary. No one seemed eager to deal with Kumagawa.

"..."

'Casually...'

Ayanokouji sighed internally. So that was how everyone saw it. It seemed there was no escaping the label of "Kumagawa's friend" anymore.

Hirata smiled apologetically. "Sorry, but I think it'd be best if you went."

With no real choice, Ayanokouji let out a small sigh and follow after Kumagawa.

Kumagawa, who had barely made it a few steps into the woods, noticed immediately.

『Oh? What's with the sudden change of heart?』

"...I'd rather not talk about it."

『Now I'm curious. What happened? Did someone confess their love for you? Oh, or maybe you lost a bet?』

Ayanokouji sighed again, ignoring the nonsense.

Dwelling on that depressing thought was too much even for him.

Kumagawa didn't take long to catch up to Ibuki. She was walking at a brisk pace, but not so fast that she was trying to run away. More like... she wanted to be left alone.

Too bad for her.

『Yo, Ibuki-chan. 』

She stopped for just a moment before clicking her tongue in irritation.

"...You again."

『You should be honored I personally came to check up on you. 』

She turned her head slightly, just enough to glare at him from the corner of her eye. "Don't joke around."

『That hurts, you know? We've barely met, and you're already rejecting me. I might cry.』

Ayanokouji noticed her fingers twitch, slowly curling into a fist. It wouldn't be surprising if she threw a punch at any moment.

『Mmm, well, let's see... I was just curious. Why'd you challenge Ryuen? You don't seem like the type to make a reckless move like that.』

"What the hell do you know about me."

『Ah, I get it. You thought you had a chance, huh? You believed, even just for a second, that you could take him down.』

"...Shut up."

『But you lost. And as a punishment, he kicked you out of the camp. How cruel~』

For the first time since their conversation started, Ibuki looked genuinely irritated. But she didn't answer.

『Alright, alright, fine~ Even though you got kicked out, we'll be gracious enough to let you stay with us. No need to say thank you, Ibuki-chan.』

Kumagawa didn't phrase it like he was doing Ibuki a favor. No, he made it sound like she was the one begging for help.

Ibuki's expression twisted slightly. "...I never asked for that."

『But you want it, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't be sitting here, sulking. It's okay, I understand. Being alone is scary.』

Ibuki clicked her tongue but didn't argue.

『Great! Then it's decided. Welcome to Class D, Ibuki-chan~』

With that, Kumagawa turned on his heel and left, waving lazily over his shoulder. Ayanokouji, who had been watching the whole exchange let out a sigh.

'He's throwing the problem to me, huh?'

He wasn't sure what Kumagawa's game was, but it didn't seem like he intended to deal with Ibuki beyond provoking her for fun. That meant Ayanokouji was left to handle the fallout.

Then—

PAK

A sharp sound echoed through the woods. Ayanokouji turned his head to see Ibuki punching a tree, her knuckles pressed against the bark.

"...He's seriously an annoying guy, isn't he?" she muttered.

Ayanokouji wasn't one to easily sympathize, but in this case, he understood completely. Even he wasn't sure if he could keep his emotions in check after dealing with Kumagawa's nonsense.

"He's rather... unique," he said after a pause. "Are there not people like that in your class?"

Ibuki looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Huh? Of course not."

"...Sorry. It was my mistake for asking."

It really was.

The idea that another person like Kumagawa existed was so impossible it bordered on absurdity. If there were two of them in the world, society would probably collapse within a week.

Ibuki sat down, pulled her knees up to her chest, and lowered her head. Ayanokouji took that as his cue to leave.

When he returned to the group, he found Kumagawa already explaining the situation to Hirata in a way that was... somewhat less than truthful.

Ayanokouji listened silently, picking out several lies in his speech. But he didn't comment on them.

"I see... That's terrible. We can't just leave her out there."

Thanks to his persuasiveness, Class D eventually agreed to let Ibuki stay. Some students were against it, but when they realized that Class C would lose points every time they did a roll call, they began to see it as a strategic move.

In the end, what convinced them wasn't morality—it was the potential for profit. Hirata's intentions may have been pure, but others saw an opportunity.

Kumagawa, naturally, just smiled.

However, maintaining exclusive possession of this place was an extremely delicate issue. They explained the situation to Ibuki, and she promised not to wander near the device. If anyone realized that Kumagawa was the leader, the damage they'd suffer would be significant.

After that, Hirata decided to purchase the necessary food and water sets for tonight.

Of course, not everyone agreed.

"Wait, wait, wait, hold up! Why are we spending points already? We should be saving as much as possible!" Ike protested.

The usual crowd who wanted to hoard points joined in.

The food and drinking water normally cost six points per individual unit, but as a set, it only cost ten points. Ten points per meal, eaten twice a day, meant a daily loss of twenty points. If they ordered one meal tonight and one on the final day of the test, that came to a total of twelve meals, equaling 120 points. If they skipped the last meal, the deduction would be 110 points.

Hirata's tone and presentation were flawless. First, he explained the lowest possible cost, then emphasized the potential to end with nearly 200 points. The way he framed it made it seem like a challenge—if they worked hard, they could maximize their score.

"That's good, right, Hirata? We can earn at least 200 points. If we work hard, we can even earn additional points, right? Then we should definitely try!"

Ike, the loudest opponent a few minutes ago, was now completely on board.

Sudou and Yamauchi exchanged glances before sighing in reluctant agreement. It wasn't like they had any better ideas.

With the meal situation resolved, Hirata turned to another pressing matter—shelter.

Since both tents were being used by the girls, Hirata suggested buying a tent for the boys. Unsurprisingly, the motion passed with overwhelming support. No one wanted to sleep outside. Some even cheered when the decision was finalized.

Thanks to Hirata and Ike, the tents were set up smoothly. Just before sunset, all preparations were complete, and the students finally began eating their meals.

Before anyone knew it, 8 PM arrived.

The first roll call began.

As expected, Chabashira arrived right on time. She pulled out her clipboard and began checking names.

But then—

"Come to think of it, where's Kouenji-kun?"

Everyone had gathered, but Kouenji was nowhere to be seen.

Kumagawa was the first to answer.

『Ah, he retired. 』

"Hah?"

『He said he wasn't feeling well. And as a good classmate, seeing him in pain is... well, for my heart, it's just too much. So there's nothing to be done.』

"Whaaaaaat?!"

Screams of disbelief rang out.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me! Kouenji, you jerk! What the hell were you thinking?!" Even Yukimura, usually composed, was furious. He kicked the ground in frustration.

The others turned to Kumagawa, demanding an explanation.

"What do you mean 'nothing to be done'?!"

"Why didn't you stop him?!"

But Kumagawa, as always, had an answer ready.

『Stop him? Me? Will Kouenji really listen to what I say? Let's be realistic here, it's like telling me to act normal.』

"....."

No truer words had been spoken.

And since no one could argue against that, just like that, the blame shifted back to Kouenji.

"Goddamn it! We lost thirty points! This sucks!"

Both the boys and girls were furious over Kouenji's actions, but could do nothing about it.

And so, the first day of the exam came to an end.

『END』

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