Chapter 187: The Final Exam
Nagumo's phone kept buzzing with messages. If it were anyone else, the constant interruptions would have caused unnecessary misunderstandings. But for Nagumo, the student council president, this was normal. However, the situation had changed. With the school still investigating the results of the cultural festival, Nagumo couldn't make any moves against Hikigaya for the moment.
That alone wouldn't be a big deal, but the key issue was that the 100 million points, which had turned the tide of the competition, came from the student council's public funds and the personal points of most of the second- and third-year students. The temporary delay meant that those points were frozen. If the investigation revealed anything, those points would likely be irrecoverable.
Nagumo stared at his constantly ringing phone, frustration visible on his face. At that moment, he felt completely cornered, with no clear way forward. He realized the truth: the ability to lead, whether it's a class, a grade, or even a whole school, doesn't come from skill alone, but from the responsibility one has to bear when things go wrong. Nagumo had led those who trusted him into disaster, and as a result, most people had already lost faith in him.
Before, he had controlled their lives. But now, without points, they were all finished.
As the situation spiraled, Nagumo's allies slowly began to turn against him. But still, he made no progress, his situation growing worse. This time, he had truly lost everything.
Nagumo could not fathom who had betrayed him.
---
As his reputation crumbled, nearly every student from other classes, except for Class 2-A, began to express their opinions about him. However, their voices remained small. If the school found out about these opinions, their points would be completely irrecoverable.
Nagumo found himself trapped in a tough spot.
---
Asahina: "Miyabi... are you alright?"
Nagumo glared at her fiercely. His voice was filled with venom.
Nagumo: "Nazuna, don't think I don't know! You and Hachiman are pretty close, aren't you? Was it you who betrayed me?"
Asahina trembled under his glare, unable to speak for a moment. She looked at him with a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
Nagumo: "I knew it was you! It's always been you, hasn't it? Speak up! Why aren't you answering me?! Say it! Admit that you betrayed me!"
Asahina's expression darkened, and her internal pain finally became too much to bear. She had been holding it all in, but now the sorrow overflowed. Yet, despite the tears welling up in her eyes, she simply lowered her head, smiled faintly, and calmly shook her head.
Asahina: "Miyabi, I don't understand... Why? Why would you think this?"
Nagumo, consumed by rage, let out a bitter laugh.
Nagumo: "You admitted it, didn't you? I knew it all along... Hahaha! Get out! Don't ever show your face to me again!"
Tears streamed down Asahina's face. With a broken heart, she looked at him, but she didn't say anything further.
She turned and left. It felt like the end, and perhaps it truly was. Even if she tried to explain that none of this had anything to do with her, Nagumo would never believe her. She would always be a target for his suspicion and resentment. Their relationship, once close, was beyond repair now.
---
[In the Chatroom]
[Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses: "Although I expected Hikigaya to win, the way things turned out was quite unexpected."]
[Tachibana Akane: "President, do you think... Nagumo might have gone crazy? He put so much effort into making you his target, but in the end, you didn't even consider him a worthy opponent."]
[Horikita Manabu: "When he treated you like that during the summer camp, in my heart, he was no longer worthy of being my opponent. Besides... even if he defeated me, he would have only proven himself to be a second-rate version of me, not Nagumo Miyabi. What's the point?"]
[Tachibana sighed helplessly. "Yes, yes. Since Nagumo is so upset, Hikigaya must be feeling pretty good about this."]
[Kiryuin: "Not necessarily. After all, that guy is surrounded by countless potential partners... Hahahaha."]
[Kiriyama: "If he could take you away, that would be a service to humanity."]
[Kiryuin with a disdainful expression: "What kind of person do you think I am? Someone who can be conquered so easily? At least he needs to show something different. In this world, I doubt anyone could do it."]
[Kiriyama: "Yes, yes, I admit you're a monster."]
[Nagumo, angrily: "You traitor! How dare you even speak!"]
[Kiriyama: "I'm truly sorry, my dear Nagumo-san, for causing a misunderstanding between you and your childhood sweetheart."]
[Asahina: "No, there's nothing to misunderstand. Nagumo, even if Kiriyama hadn't done that, I wouldn't have just stood by and watched you keep going down this path. So... we're no longer the same."]
[Kushida: "Looks like things are quite lively over there."]
[Ichinose: "Things aren't bad over here either, right, Karuizawa? We've even started buying medicine..."]
[Karuizawa: "How dare you say that! You guys keep sneaking to eat! I haven't even had a chance to react yet, and if I don't act now, I won't even get any hot food!"]
[Kamuro: "You're not bad either, Ichinose. After planning for so long, you've finally taken action."]
[In a video message, Ichinose publicly declared that Hikigaya was her boyfriend. She played it off by saying that Hikigaya couldn't refuse her, continuously creating opportunities for them to be together. Thanks to Ichinose's efforts, the entire school now believed they were a real couple, and everywhere Hikigaya went, people asked, "Hey, Hikigaya, where's your girlfriend?"
[It could be said that Ichinose had completely won the battle, even though she had physically lost.]
[Later, Yukinoshita showed a gentle smile, pressing down on Hikigaya with an overwhelming aura. She leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "Hachiman-kun, can you tell me which one you prefer?"]
[Hikigaya: "Is that something I can say?"]
[Yukinoshita didn't say anything more, but instead answered him with a smile.]
[Hikigaya: "I'd rather not say..."]
[Yukinoshita: "Not saying means you do have something?"]
[Hikigaya: "I didn't say that..."]
[Yukinoshita: "Then what are you saying?"]
[Hikigaya: "Nothing..."]
[The conversation was interrupted by a loud scream from within the Service Club.]
---
Hikigaya had almost forgotten what it felt like to wake up late, until that wonderful Saturday morning arrived. As usual, he slowly crawled out of bed, feeling the slight warmth of his body and the lingering fuzziness in his mind. It didn't matter. This feeling was just the aftermath of waking up.
On this early spring day, Hikigaya opened the curtains to let the sunlight in. The soft rays of the sun kissed his face. He then crawled back into bed, hoping to enjoy a peaceful nap. After all, weekends were meant for relaxation, especially in an empty room. Hikigaya hadn't experienced this level of comfort in a long time.
Hikigaya: "Comfortable..."
Just as he was about to relax, a familiar blonde girl in bed beside him rubbed her tired eyes and sat up in a cute, duck-like posture. Hikigaya was immediately distracted by her appearance, she was completely naked, her blonde hair shining in the morning light.
He turned around and noticed an obvious scar on her body. Hikigaya's brain almost shut down. For a moment, he couldn't process anything.
Hachiman: "Kei... Karuizawa... Why are you in my bed?! When did you come in? Put on your clothes! Quickly!"
Karuizawa, however, wasn't in any hurry. She stood with her hands on her hips, smiling playfully.
Karuizawa: "What's the rush? Relax, Hachiman."
"Hachiman, do you really not remember anything?"
"Hey, hey, hey, what are you talking about? How could I remember? I went back to my room and fell asleep yesterday."
"Oh? That's such a shame… It was my first time last night…"
"Karuizawa, it was your first time? Hey, wait, why are you focusing on that? Don't tell me we had 'that' kind of relationship!"
"Hachiman, you can just say you don't want to take responsibility."
"Something's not right. Something is very wrong!"
---
Twenty minutes later, Kamuro, Sakura, and Kushida stood in front of Karuizawa like three imposing statues, creating an extremely oppressive atmosphere.
Kushida said sharply, "Hey, Karuizawa, you're shameless! How could you drug him?! What if you hadn't controlled the dosage properly?"
Karuizawa immediately snapped back, her tone filled with anger: "You've got the nerve to say that to me? We agreed to stick together, but you already went and had 'that' kind of relationship! Tell me, Kushida, what dirty tricks did you use?"
Faced with Karuizawa's counterattack, Kushida, who had been prepared to continue lecturing her, fell silent. Even Kamuro, who was visibly furious, had nothing to say.
Sakura also looked somewhat helpless, but after letting out a small sigh, she spoke gently.
"Karuizawa-san, please don't use drugs next time. If something went wrong, it would be very serious."
Karuizawa, who had been standing there with her arms crossed and an annoyed expression, instantly changed the moment she heard the words 'next time'. She suddenly lunged forward and hugged Sakura tightly like a spoiled child.
"Sakura-nee is the best! Look at all of you, so petty! Next time I definitely won't drug anyone again. It hurts way too much! My stomach is still burning, and Hachiman is the same, he has no sense of proportion at all!"
Hachiman muttered weakly, "No… I was unconscious."
Sakura blinked. "Hachiman…?"
"Okay," Hachiman sighed, "it's my fault…"
Karuizawa deliberately stuck out her tongue and made a teasing "bleh" at Kushida. Kamuro, meanwhile, pressed her fingers to her temples, clearly at a loss for words.
Kushida frowned. "Sakura, you're being too nice to her. If you spoil her like this, who knows what she'll do in the future?"
Kamuro nodded slightly. "Even though I'm not really in a position to say this, Sakura, you accepted it far too easily."
Sakura smiled faintly. She glanced at Hachiman, her expression thoughtful and calm.
"Hachiman, I understand you. If you didn't have feelings for her, I would never have agreed. But you and Karuizawa-san already share an inseparable bond, so… I understand."
Even at a time like this, she is still thinking about him…
Indeed, as Sakura had said, if Hachiman truly had no feelings for Karuizawa, why would he have allowed her to remain by his side again and again? Now that things had developed to this point, even if it wasn't particularly ethical, it was ultimately an inevitable outcome for the two of them. Because Sakura understood this, she never tried to stop it.
Just as Karuizawa was basking in her happiness, another knock suddenly sounded at Hikigaya's door.
Hikigaya walked over and looked through the peephole.
"It's Ichinose…"
Almost simultaneously, a bright voice rang out from outside.
"Hachiman-kun! It's me, Ichinose!"
Hikigaya turned back toward the room, silently asking the four girls for their opinions.
Kushida said curtly, "Let her in."
Kamuro shrugged. "I don't have any objections."
Sakura smiled reassuringly. "Mm-hmm. Don't worry, Hachiman, we're here. She won't dare do anything."
"I...I object!" Karuizawa blurted out.
The other four all turned to look at her.
"Why?" someone asked.
"Ichinose keeps calling Hachiman her boyfriend every single day! I'm not okay with that!"
Kushida stared at her in disbelief. "You've already gotten your share, and you still care about this?"
Karuizawa hesitated. "That's true… No, it's not like that. I'm just unhappy. I don't want her to come in. But since Sakura-nee agreed… fine! Just this once!"
With the consent of everyone inside, Hikigaya finally opened the door.
Ichinose, who had clearly been waiting for a while, showed no sign of dissatisfaction. Instead, she bounced forward excitedly and pulled out a carefully prepared gift box.
"Hachiman-kun! Happy Valentine's Day!"
"This is to commemorate our very first Valentine's Day, and there will be many, many, many more in the future!"
Hikigaya froze. When was the last time he had received chocolate? He honestly couldn't remember.
Seeing him standing there dumbfounded, Ichinose immediately understood. She gently took his hand, held up the gift box, and smiled warmly.
"Th...thank you," Hikigaya said awkwardly.
Ichinose pouted slightly. "Couples shouldn't say thank you. You should say… 'I love you'."
"Oh…" Hikigaya stalled.
"Hachiman-kun is so mischievous," Ichinose laughed. "But that's fine, because I love you!"
Just as Hikigaya was desperately trying to figure out how to respond, Karuizawa's voice floated out from inside the room.
"Oh my, how sweet. You two really are a cute couple, aren't you?"
At that moment, Ichinose finally noticed the presence of several other people in the room.
"One, two, three, four… Huh? You're all here too? Did you all come to give Hachiman a gift as well?"
At those words, all four girls flushed slightly. In truth, they had only just woken up and rushed over after receiving Hikigaya's call. Valentine's Day had completely slipped their minds.
Sensing the awkwardness, Hikigaya quickly tried to smooth things over.
"They're… here to discuss the future development of the class with me."
Ichinose smiled innocently. "Oh, I see. That makes sense. After all, I'm the only one who's Hachiman-kun's girlfriend."
That was the final straw.
Karuizawa crossed her arms and spoke sharply. "Hey, Ichinose, stop playing dumb. What exactly do you mean by that?"
Ichinose didn't get angry. Instead, she replied calmly, "Some things can't be obtained through the body alone."
Kushida raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then let me ask you, what have you obtained so far?"
Taking advantage of the moment, Ichinose hugged Hikigaya's arm tightly.
"Love."
Kamuro watched the scene with clear amusement, while Sakura could only laugh awkwardly, completely unsure of how to react.
Hikigaya deeply regretted bringing everyone to his room. Every time a girl entered his room, nothing good ever happened. If another person showed up now… he would probably collapse on the spot.
---
In the first-year sensei's office, Chabashira was visibly trembling.
For years, this long-haired beauty had maintained a cold, composed expression, but now even her hands were shaking.
Hoshinomiya burst into laughter: "Hahaha, Sae, what goes around comes around! It's 'that' exam again! You were the one who caused us to become sensei here back then, and now it's resurfacing! I don't hate you, you should thank your students, but I'm really curious. How did you choose your students this year? As your students… they won't make the same mistake again, will they?"
Chabashira ignored her completely and turned toward Mashima instead and said "Impossible. Absolutely impossible! The school promised they would never bring this exam back! Mashima, you know this. You know how much impact this exam will have on all three grades! How is this possible… how is this possible…?"
Mashima let out a helpless sigh: "I'm not entirely clear on the situation either, but… the school has indeed issued the notice."
Sakagami, however, grinned widely. "Isn't this wonderful? The hierarchy of all the classes will be overturned in an instant! And even more interesting… I'm very curious to see how Hikigaya will handle this exam. Hahahaha!"
Mashima shot him a sharp glare: "Sakagami, as a sensei, you're showing far too much personal emotion."
"No… absolutely not…" Chabashira murmured: "The exam from ten years ago cannot be repeated."
…
[In the chat room…]
[An exam that can instantly shatter friendships, love, and all relationships, what kind of exam could this be? Everyone is extremely curious.]
[Kushida: "Why is Chabashira-sensei so flustered? I've never seen her like this before."]
[Kamuro: "Maybe something irreversible happened to her as well. That's probably why, like Hoshinomiya-sensei always says, she resents her for becoming a sensei here alongside her."]
[Ichinose: "That's true. I often hear Hoshinomiya-sensei complaining about it, but I'm not very clear on what exactly happened back then."]
[Sakura: "It seems that some things… we can only gradually understand by watching the video."]
[Horikita: "I just hope the final outcome won't be too dark."]
---
After the chaotic scene in the room finally ended, Hikigaya was subjected to two straight days of interrogation.
Naturally, the main reason for the interrogation was Ichinose and Karuizawa. As for the specific content… it was really not something that could be openly revealed. All that needed to be said was that Karuizawa also actively participated in the questioning.
As a result, Hikigaya's carefully planned and beautiful weekend was ruined yet again.
When school started, Hikigaya didn't even have time to properly settle down before Chabashira arrived with news of a new exam. Before that, however, most of the students were still dissatisfied about the previous cultural festival, as their earnings had not yet been returned.
Chabashira ignored all of these complaints entirely.
As a sensei, she had her responsibilities to fulfill, and just like now, she calmly announced: "This is a very simple exam. As its name implies, it can be completed as long as the entire class agrees on the same option. Therefore, the official start time will be tomorrow."
"However, since this is an internal class test, the school has determined that no additional thinking time is necessary. As such, the preliminary arrangements and trial experience will begin today."
As she said this, Chabashira showed no intention of giving the students time to react.
"Now, let's begin with the first example question. Please listen carefully."
"If the class loses five class points, but every student in the class receives 10,000 individual points, would you agree or disagree?"
As these words appeared on the electronic screen, whispers immediately spread throughout the classroom. Some students even wondered aloud whether they would actually receive the points.
However, Hikigaya's thoughts were completely elsewhere.
He knew very well that this exam was absolutely not as simple as Chabashira claimed. When she spoke those words, there had been a clear trace of fear in her eyes.
Secondly, because of the events surrounding the previous cultural festival, both Sakayanagi and Hikigaya were certain that the dark forces backing Nagumo, the school's hidden power structure, would do everything they could to eliminate either Hikigaya or Nagumo.
Therefore… This exam might be specifically designed to target them.
If Hikigaya or Nagumo could be expelled from the school before everything was exposed, then there would still be room to salvage the situation. However, if they were allowed to remain in the school any longer, the final outcome would likely become completely irreversible.
At this point, it was simply a matter of whether the forces behind Chairman Sakayanagi, Koenji, and Kiryuin would act faster, or whether the forces backing Nagumo would strike first.
The battlefield between the two sides revolved entirely around one point: Hikigaya's expulsion from the school.
This was the final clash, an all-out offensive and defensive battle.
Because of that, Hikigaya was certain of one thing.
He had to buy them enough time during this exam.
Since discussion was strictly prohibited, everyone's thinking speed was relatively slow. However, after nearly a year of experience, none of the students were fools anymore. They began calculating the outcomes on their tablets and casting their votes.
One class point yielded 100 individual points per month.
Losing five class points meant a loss of 500 individual points per month. Meanwhile, instantly gaining 10,000 points was equivalent to receiving 20 months' worth of points all at once.
(End of this chapter)