"However, Yukimura."
Horikita Suzune turned to look at Yukimura, her gaze sharp.
"Whom do you plan to have expelled? You should understand, right?"
"Mm."
Although Horikita Suzune didn't say it explicitly, Yukimura still understood.
"Those who don't have the courage to name someone don't have the right to choose—something like that?"
"Of course, it's according to OAA."
Yukimura pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose.
His gaze, however, was even sharper, even making Horikita Suzune feel it was a bit piercing.
Having gone through the Unanimous Vote Exam and with no one to communicate with.
Yukimura had long since become rational enough.
He possessed sufficient resolve.
Since it was for the sake of rising to A, why not do it?
"Stop joking."
Hearing this, Sotomura and Inogashira Kokoro and others were instantly displeased; they slammed the table, stood up, and roared.
"Yukimura, do you want us to be expelled?"
"Is it strange?"
Yukimura's gaze was flat as he looked back at them, without the slightest fear.
"Sudou has grown from an E academic ability to a B academic ability in less than three years."
"While there are many in the class who haven't grown much in three years. There are also many who couldn't play a role in physical or academic abilities during the last exam; it's only natural for such people to be expelled when facing this kind of exam."
"Why didn't you work hard usually?"
Yukimura wasn't just talking empty words.
As early as after the first-year sports festival, Yukimura also began to strengthen his physical training.
Although his growth wasn't as significant as Sudou's, his physical fitness rating was now at C-level.
Physical ability was no longer Yukimura's weakness.
Compared to that.
Most people in the class grew slowly.
In fact.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they had no growth at all.
They could only blame themselves for not working hard usually.
What was wrong with being expelled now?
However—
Although they were holding study groups, studying hard, and exercising, the difficulty of the studies also increased with the grade.
It was natural for evaluations not to change.
In learning, if you don't advance, you retreat.
Maintaining a comparable evaluation already required corresponding effort.
As long as one wasn't studying as diligently as Sudou, spending most of their personal time on studying.
Just study groups.
Ordinary studying.
Academic grades naturally wouldn't have significant progress.
What Yukimura found hard to accept was that since they wanted to rise to A, why didn't they work as hard as Sudou?
At the very least, they should study as hard as he did.
It wouldn't be a grievance at all for these people to be expelled.
"Everyone, calm down. I have no intention of expelling three people to rise to A using this kind of exam."
Horikita Suzune took a deep breath and turned to look at Yukimura.
"Yukimura, you see the situation. If you can't make everyone accept it, even the most correct choice is meaningless."
"Moreover, I believe expelling three people means Class D will have to face exams with 35 people afterward; losing too many people here is not a good strategy."
"Could I please ask you to change your vote to one person in the next round?"
"..."
Yukimura frowned in thought.
Rationality meant that as long as there was enough logical support for a reason, he would be persuaded.
To put it bluntly, Yukimura's own strength wasn't strong either.
He had just moved toward an extreme, becoming extremely rational.
Sacrificing three people to rise to Class A was indeed the most profitable way from a rational perspective, but it was meaningless if opinions couldn't be unified.
"Fine..."
"..."
Hearing this.
Horikita Suzune breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as there was a sufficient reason, Yukimura could still accept it.
Finding a reason for him to accept wasn't that hard.
Fortunately.
It only took one round to get Kouenji and Yukimura to change their votes.
The problem was—
The final abstainer...
Horikita Suzune turned to look at Ike Kanji.
"Ike..."
"Shut up!"
Only, before Horikita Suzune could speak, Ike Kanji shouted loudly.
"In the end, you'll just make me be the one expelled anyway. I won't be fooled by you. Even if this exam fails, I will definitely not vote."
"Ike..."
Sudou spoke softly.
Class D instantly fell into a deathly silence; no one dared to look Ike Kanji in the eye.
Whether it was his performance in the last special exam.
Or based on the OAA rankings, it should be Ike Kanji who is expelled.
To avoid expulsion, Ike Kanji naturally would not vote.
The entire class.
Only Yukimura, who had recognized himself, had the courage to speak, and even used a dissatisfied tone to say:
"Are you saying that even if the exam fails because of you and prevents the class from rising to A, it doesn't matter?"
"Yeah, so what?"
Ike Kanji stared back stubbornly, and Yukimura faced him without fear.
Although Yukimura had this kind of rationality, he didn't have the strength to convince the other party, causing it to sound like moral kidnapping.
You're about to have me expelled, and I'm supposed to care whether you live or die?
On the other side.
Ayanokouji watched the scene before him expressionlessly; Yukimura was still thinking too simply.
However.
He himself was also somewhat surprised.
That an exam would appear that directly selected several expellees.
Although an exam like the class poll had appeared before, there was a difference after all.
To put it bluntly.
The key to smoothly passing this exam lay in.
Convincing the other party to voluntarily sacrifice themselves for the class, or convincing them to agree through a method of guidance.
Only then.
Could the exam proceed to the next stage.
The school would actually hold such an unreasonable exam.
However.
It was exactly as Chabashira Sae said.
Since the exams all classes faced were the same, there was no unfairness.
And.
This exam was not impassable either.
Convincing Ike Kanji was useless.
Since he clearly knew he was the most likely candidate for expulsion, Ike Kanji naturally wouldn't vote.
No need to guess.
Ike Kanji surely didn't have the resolve to sacrifice himself for the class either.
Most importantly.
Ayanokouji's relationship with Ike Kanji was average; he didn't have much influence over Ike Kanji.
The correct answer.
Only by promising to select another dropout.
Of course, this point was naturally very difficult.
As Ayanokouji saw it.
The ones who most deserved to drop out were only Karuizawa, Hasebe Haruka, and Kushida Kikyou, who were on good terms with the other class's Hikigaya.
It wouldn't matter even if all three dropped out.
But.
Trying to persuade the three was almost an impossible task.
As long as the three cast opposing votes against each other, the exam would not end.
Horikita Suzune presumably would not be able to accept this either.
After all.
Based on value, or based on ability and OAA.
None of the three ranked at the very bottom; it could only be a choice among Ike Kanji, Inogashira Kokoro, Sotomura, and others.
So.
There was only one correct answer left.
Guide Sudo and Shinohara.
One is Ike Kanji's best friend, and the other is his girlfriend.
Only through these two could Ike Kanji be persuaded.
But.
Ayanokouji did not intend to act for the time being.
After all, this is Horikita Suzune's exam, and the results of Horikita Suzune's contest against Hikigaya should be seen in this exam.
So.
Would Horikita Suzune be able to find this correct answer?