Chapter 090: Grouping Begins! Hachiman's Lie!
The forest school had arrived.
The bus came to a slow, steady stop in the parking lot. The deep rumble of the engine gradually died down, replaced by the quiet unique to the mountains—the sound of birds chirping, the breeze, and the water from a distant stream.
Students filed off the bus, standing on the gravel-paved parking lot, curiously surveying the complex of buildings ahead.
Several wooden structures were nestled among the flat land of the mountains. The main building was a dark brown wooden structure with dark gray tiles on the roof; the eaves turned slightly upward, carrying a rustic, Japanese style. A playground spread out beside it, with the green grass neatly trimmed. The gymnasium was built of steel, looking a bit more modern than the main building, with large glass windows reflecting the greenery of the mountains.
Further away were the dormitory buildings. They were three stories tall, also primarily made of wood, with neat rows of green curtains hanging from the balcony railings.
"Wow... it's actually pretty decent," someone whispered.
"Looks better than I imagined."
"But there are no cell phones, and we can't take pictures."
"......You're seriously still thinking about that?"
Hachiman stood in the crowd, pulling his shoulder bag up, his gaze calmly sweeping across the buildings ahead. The facilities were complete and the environment was quiet; if one ignored the fact that this was an exam, this place was truly a pretty good location for a group stay.
Hoshinomiya Chie walked out from the front of the group, holding a folder, and called out to the students of Class A: "Class A boys—gather here! Girls, come with me to the gymnasium!"
The group began to split.
The girls followed Hoshinomiya toward the gymnasium. Hachiman saw Ichinose walking in the middle of the girls' line. As she passed him, she briefly turned her head, and the two exchanged a glance without speaking before she continued walking forward.
The boys, meanwhile, were guided by another teacher toward the playground.
"Boys, gather at the playground! Hurry up, time is limited!"
Hachiman followed the crowd toward the playground. The grass felt soft under his feet, and morning dew still clung to the tips of the blades, glinting with fine light under the sun.
There were already quite a few people on the playground. Third-year boys stood in twos and threes inside the track, their postures relaxed; some were stretching, some were chatting,
lacking the tension seen in the first and second-year students. The second-year students arrived a bit later, filing in from the entrance on the other side.
After Hachiman stood still, he noticed that a teacher had already set up a whiteboard in the middle of the playground, with several large sheets of paper posted on it, seemingly for grouping registration.
He looked around.
Then, the head teacher of the third years—a tall, thin, middle-aged man wearing glasses—stepped in front of the whiteboard and cleared his throat.
"Alright, all the boys from every grade are here. I'll make this brief—"
His voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear, carrying a resonance that only someone who had stood on a podium for years could possess.
"You need to complete your team formation within the specified time, and then complete the merger into large groups. The specific rules have already been written on the materials; I will only state one here—" He held up one finger.
"The time limit is one hour. If, after one hour, someone has not yet completed their team formation—that is to say, someone has not yet been assigned to any group—then, for the grade that failed to complete team formation, 100 evaluation points will be deducted from all classes."
The playground went quiet for a moment, and then it boiled over.
"One hundred—"
"Isn't that too ruthless?"
"But this wasn't written in the rules—"
"Added last minute? Or was it there all along?"
"...The school is really getting more and more corrupt."
Hachiman's eyelids twitched slightly.
One hour. Everyone must complete team formation. Otherwise, the whole grade loses points.
He glanced around—some were already fast-walking toward their classmates, some stood in place frowning in thought, and some took out their materials to search through them, trying to confirm if this was truly part of the rules.
Time waits for no one.
"Let's move," Hachiman said in a low voice.
Kanzaki Ryuji stood beside him and nodded upon hearing this. "How should our class divide?"
"First, let's gather the boys from our class."
The 20 boys of Class A soon gathered together. Some were nervously rubbing their hands, some were looking around, and some couldn't help but look back at the time. Hachiman stood at the front, his gaze sweeping over every face, and then he spoke.
"First, divide the 20 people in our class into two groups. 10 people per group."
"Two groups?" Kanzaki asked.
"Yes. A 10+10 model. First, determine the people from our own class, then merge with people from other classes."
No one objected.
The Class A boys were quickly divided into two groups. Hachiman and Kanzaki were in the same group, while the other group was led by Shibata. Each group had 10 people, standing on the east side of the playground.
On the other side.
Ryuen from Class B stood in the middle of the playground, hands in his pockets, a relaxed and calm smile on his face. He said to the Class B boys gathered around him— "Divide into 5 groups. 4 people per group."
"Four in a group?" Ishizaki asked, somewhat puzzled. "Will that be too scattered?"
"Scattered means there is room to maneuver," Ryuen said. "With fewer people, it's easier to shove into other groups. Large groups have to merge with other grades; if you bring a whole mob of people, who would be willing to take you?"
Ishizaki suddenly understood.
Thus, the 20 boys of Class B were divided into 5 groups, 4 people per group. Key members like Ishizaki and Albert were placed in different groups, and only Ryuen himself and two reliable companions were in one group.
On the Class C side, Katsuragi's choice was the same as Hachiman's.
"Divide into two groups. 10 people per group."
His tone was steady, and he spoke quickly, without any hesitation; obviously, this was a division method he had already decided upon long ago. The Class C boys quickly divided into two groups according to his instructions and stood on the south side of the playground.
And Class D.
Yousuke Hirata stood in front of the Class D boys' line, his brows furrowed tightly. He was holding a half-written list, his gaze scanning the group of people before him repeatedly, as if he were solving a complicated math problem.
"Class D... 20 people. Hirata, how should we divide?"
Hirata bit his lip.
".........Let's divide into 6 groups."
"6?"
"Yes. 3 to 4 people per group. This way—" he paused, "we'll be a bit more flexible."
The people in Class D didn't have many objections. In any case, no one had any clue, and it was about the same however they divided.
But the problem came soon after.
"Who am I going to be in a group with?"
"Anyway, I'm not grouping with Ayanokouji."
"Me too."
"...Whoever groups with him is unlucky."
Those words drifted over, not too loud but not too quiet. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, standing at the edge of the crowd, didn't react at all. He was carrying an ordinary sports bag, his expression blank, as if those words had absolutely nothing to do with him.
To a certain extent, Ayanokouji was indeed thick-skinned.
Hirata hesitated for a moment, finally sighed, walked over, and stood next to Ayanokouji.
"...I'll group with him."
Someone looked at him with sympathetic eyes, but no one tried to stop him.
In the end, the 20 boys of Class D were divided into 6 groups: Ayanokouji + Hirata in one group; the other five groups were 3, 3, 3, 4, and 5 people respectively.
The grouping for the first year was completed.
But the real trouble had only just begun.
Because they also had to form groups across classes—each group had to contain students from at least two classes of the same grade.
Hachiman stood where he was without moving. He glanced at the layout on the playground: Class A had two groups of 10, Class B had five groups of 4, Class C had two groups of 10, and Class D had six groups of 2-5.
Then he saw Katsuragi walk over from the direction of Class C.
"Hikigaya." Katsuragi's voice was very steady. "Let's talk."
Hachiman turned his head: "Talk about what?"
"Team formation," Katsuragi said. "I hope Class A and Class C can form a group."
He glanced at the group of 10 behind Hachiman, then looked at the other group of 10.
"We both have two groups of 10. If we split one group off from each side and combine them into a group of 20—the number exceeds the limit."
"15 is the limit," Hachiman said.
"Correct. So we need to break them up—"
"Break them up?"
"Yes," Katsuragi said. "Split 5 people from my group and 5 from yours, and combine them into one group. The remaining people can then form their own groups."
Hachiman looked at him without answering immediately.
At this moment, a voice cut in from the side.
"AC joining forces? How boring."
Ryuen Kakeru walked over unhurriedly, hands still in his pockets, a smirk hanging on the corner of his mouth. Following behind him was Ishizaki, who was clutching that large bag full of things, looking at Ryuen's back with a confused expression.
"Ryuen?" Katsuragi frowned.
"I heard it," Ryuen said. "AC joining forces, kicking B and D out—that's what you were planning, right?"
"I didn't say that." Katsuragi's voice turned a degree colder.
"But that's what you're thinking." Ryuen laughed. "Katsuragi, your thinking is too easy to guess. You want stability, you're conservative, you don't want to take risks—that's why finding a reliable ally is more important than anything else. Class A is indeed reliable, and Hachiman does have brains. But are you sure that by joining forces with him, you'll be safe?"
Katsuragi didn't speak.
Ryuen stopped looking at him and turned to Hachiman: "Hachiman, add Class B in as well."
".........Why?" Hachiman asked.
"Naturally because I have arrangements," Ryuen said. "Our Class B's 20 people are divided into 5 groups, 4 people each. I can pull two groups out and stuff them into your combination—this way, the number of people on your side is easier to adjust."
Hachiman listened to him finish quietly, without responding immediately.
At this moment, another voice came from behind.
"B..."
Yousuke Hirata jogged over. Following behind him were a few boys from Class D, including the expressionless Kiyotaka Ayanokouji.
"Um, Class D also wants—wants to participate in team formation—"
His voice was a little breathless; he had clearly jogged all the way.
Katsuragi's brows furrowed even tighter. Ryuen's smile faded a bit. Hachiman's expression didn't change at all.
"............All four classes want to get together?" Katsuragi said in a low voice, his tone containing obvious dissatisfaction. "This is simply unworkable."
Hirata stood there somewhat awkwardly, looking at Katsuragi, then at Ryuen, and finally cast his gaze toward Hachiman.
"Hachiman-kun—our Class D—"
"What is the reason Class D wants to join?" Hachiman asked, his voice very flat.
Hirata froze for a moment, then said: "Because... if we don't join, we won't be able to complete team formation within the specified time. And—"
He turned and glanced at the Class D students behind him.
"And there are some... some situations inside our class."
His gaze swept over Ayanokouji quickly.
Ryuen followed his line of sight and saw Kiyotaka Ayanokouji standing at the very back of the Class D line.
Then Ryuen laughed. That laugh carried an undisguised mockery.
"Oh... I see. Nobody wants to group with that guy, right?"
Hirata's face changed.
"Ayanokouji-kun—"
"Enough, no need to explain," Ryuen interrupted him. "Who would want to group with a person like that? Pulling that kind of stunt during a grouping exam, and now you want others to accept him? Ridiculous."
Ayanokouji stood in place, not refuting, without any change in expression. He didn't even look at Ryuen.
Katsuragi also turned his head to glance in Ayanokouji's direction. His expression was much more restrained than Ryuen's, but his brows were locked tighter.
".......This matter isn't easy to handle." Katsuragi said.
"It's not just hard to handle, it's completely impossible," Ryuen spread his hands. "In a group with that kind of person, who knows what kind of trouble he'll stir up."
Hirata opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately didn't speak.
Hachiman stood in the middle, listening to their conversation, his gaze sweeping around between Katsuragi, Ryuen, Hirata, and Ayanokouji.
Then he spoke.
"Let's get this straight—if we can't complete team formation within the specified time, all classes will be deducted 100 points."
Several people went quiet.
"So regardless of what conflicts everyone has, let's ensure we don't get points deducted first."
Katsuragi's lips moved, then he said: ".........Then what do you propose?"
Ryuen snorted without refuting.
Hirata watched Hachiman intently, as if clutching a straw.
Hachiman was silent for a moment, then said: "I'll make a concession on my side."
"Concession?"
"Our Class A's 10+10 will be split up. It will become 10+8+2."
He looked at a boy wearing glasses. "Watanabe, you take 8 people. The remaining 2—I will be with Kanzaki."
"Alright!" Watanabe-kun agreed immediately.
Ryuji Kanzaki also nodded, expressing his stance, "No problem."
"Then," Hachiman looked at Hirata, "Ayanokouji and Hirata from your Class D will join the group with me and Kanzaki. This way our group will be 2+2=4 people."
Hirata's eyes widened, he almost gasped; he had been worried it would take a lot of time to persuade people to accept Ayanokouji, "Really—"
"However," Hachiman interrupted him, "you must ensure that Ayanokouji won't quit the exam. If he intentionally gives up in any of the exams, causing our group's score to be affected—"
"He won't!" Hirata said hurriedly, "I will keep an eye on him!"
Hachiman glanced at him, didn't refute, just continued, "Then, Class C—" he looked at Katsuragi, "split your 10+10 into 10+3+7. You bring 7 people to join this group of ours."
Katsuragi's face was grave; he thought for a few seconds, then nodded, ".........Can do."
"Finally, Class B—"
Hachiman looked at Ryuen.
Ryuen tilted his head, watching him, waiting for him to speak.
"You bring 4 people to join our group."
Ryuen raised his eyebrows, "4 people?"
"Yes. You're here to get a piece of the pie, not to protect yourself," Hachiman said. "4 people is enough."
Ryuen was silent for two seconds, then grinned: "Fine. Albert, Ishizaki, plus two more—" he looked back and called out two names, "You four, go with him."
Albert and Ishizaki looked at each other, then nodded.
"Then—" Hirata hesitated, "how many people in total are in this group of ours?"
Hachiman lowered his head and did the math.
"Class A: 2 people—me and Kanzaki. Class D: 2 people—Hirata and Ayanokouji. Class C: 7 people. Class B: 4 people."
Total 15 people.
Perfectly compliant.
"Then it's settled," Hachiman said. "This group of ours—Group No. 2."
"Why 2?"
"Because I don't really like 1," Hachiman said. "Besides—"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the few people in front of him—Kanzaki, Hirata, Ayanokouji, Katsuragi, Ryuen.
"—the people in this group are already complex enough, there's no need to be flashy."
Hirata hurriedly wrote down the number and members on his list. Katsuragi turned to arrange the list of 7 from Class C. Ryuen called Albert, Ishizaki, and two other Class B students over.
Hachiman stood in place, watching them each act, then took a look at the clock tower beside the playground.
Forty-seven minutes remained.
"By the way," Hachiman said, "this group of ours will have to merge with the groups from the second and third years to form a large group later. For now, let's just determine the small group for the first year, and we'll talk about the rest later."
"Understood," Kanzaki nodded.
Because Hachiman had paved the way, there wasn't much pressure for the remaining first-year team formations.
But Hachiman didn't stay in place; instead, he turned and walked toward the second-year area.
The air on the second-year side was much more tense than the first-year side.
On the west side of the playground, the second-year boys had already been divided into several groups, but the atmosphere was clearly not quite right. When Hachiman approached, he happened to hear an angry voice—
"Nagumo! If you do this, the exam won't go smoothly!"
That was Kiriyama from Class B of the second year. His face was slightly flushed, staring at Nagumo Miyabi opposite him.
Nagumo Miyabi stood in front of the Class A line of the second year, arms crossed over his chest, his posture relaxed, forming a sharp contrast to Kiriyama's anger.
"Kiriyama, why are you so agitated?"
"You're asking me why I'm agitated?" Kiriyama's voice went up another degree. "You've manipulated all three classes A, C, and D, and then you only let the Class D people come to me to group—you think I don't know what kind of scheme you're playing?"
Nagumo's smile faded a bit, but it didn't disappear.
"I'm just arranging the grouping within a reasonable scope."
"Reasonable? You intentionally let those people from Class D group with my Class B. You want the Class D people to act as the bottom-ranked cushion, and then nominate my students for expulsion—you think I can't see that?"
The playground went quiet for a moment. Other second-year students looked at the two; someone nervously took a step back.
Nagumo was silent for two seconds, then sighed, as if facing an unruly child.
"........Kiriyama, listen to me."
"Say what?"
"If you don't accept this plan—" Nagumo's voice wasn't high, but it was very clear, "then all four classes A, B, C, and D of the second year will have 100 evaluation points deducted for failing to complete team formation. At that time, the school will arrange the grouping randomly. Do you want that?"
Kiriyama looked at him, grinding his teeth.
"But that plan of yours—"
"The plan can be negotiated," Nagumo said. "I'm not an unreasonable person. You don't want to group with Class D alone? Fine. I will split the three classes A, C, and D and group them in a mix. Each group will contain people from all four classes A, B, C, and D."
He said it very lightly, but Kiriyama knew this wasn't a concession at all—each group having people from other classes meant Nagumo could plant his own people in every group. As long as Nagumo wanted, he could manipulate the ranking of any group at will.
Kiriyama became even more silent.
Nagumo looked at him, his corners of the mouth slightly raised.
"How about it? This should be fine, right?"
Kiriyama didn't speak again.
Nagumo turned around and was about to head toward the third-year direction when he saw Hachiman standing not far away.
"Oh—" Nagumo's expression changed slightly, "Hikigaya-kouhai? Why are you here?"
"The first-year grouping is almost finished," Hachiman said. "I came to look at the second year's progress to facilitate the subsequent large group merger."
"The first year is about to be finished?" Nagumo's eyes widened slightly. "So fast?"
"Because I don't want points deducted."
Nagumo was silent for a moment, then laughed.
"...As expected of Hikigaya-kouhai. The speed is truly fast."
He glanced behind Hachiman, confirming that no one else was following, and then said, "Then you wait for me for a moment. I have to go over to the third-year side."
"Go to the third year?"
"Yes." Nagumo's smile had an extra layer of unfathomable light, "It's a rare opportunity to have an inter-grade exam; I should at least greet President Horikita, shouldn't I?"
Hachiman looked at him and didn't stop him.
"Then go ahead."
Nagumo nodded and stepped toward the third-year area. His pace wasn't fast or slow, his posture was calm, but Hachiman noticed his shoulders lifted slightly—that was tension.
The third-year students were sitting on the steps on the north side of the playground, their postures much more relaxed than the second and first years. They had clearly completed their team formation—the 13th-18th groups of the third-year boys were neatly numbered, the lists were all written, just waiting for other grades to come and match.
When Nagumo approached, several third-year students lifted their eyes to look at him, and then someone whispered something. Then those gazes turned in unison toward the person sitting in the top row of the steps.
Horikita Manabu.
He sat upright, his back straight, holding a closed file in his hand, his gaze looking straight ahead, as if he had known Nagumo would come long ago.
Nagumo stood still at the bottom of the steps, looking up at Horikita Manabu.
"President Horikita."
"Nagumo." Horikita Manabu's voice was very flat.
"Long time no see."
"It hasn't been that long," Horikita Manabu looked down at him. "We met the day before yesterday."
Nagumo laughed, however, "But the atmosphere is different now. We are currently in an exam."
He didn't wait for Horikita Manabu to respond and continued, "Inter-grade exams are rare. Opportunities to truly compete are even fewer. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I want to properly compare with the President."
Low discussions erupted in the third-year line. Someone frowned looking at Nagumo, some turned their heads to look at Horikita Manabu.
Horikita Manabu pushed his glasses.
"Nagumo."
"Hm?"
"You and the people from Class B of the third year have already made contact, haven't you."
Nagumo's smile stiffened for a moment.
".........The President even knows about this?"
"This is school," Horikita Manabu said. "There are no walls that don't leak wind. Class B of the third year wants to promote to Class A before graduation; they need your help. And you—you need their cooperation to target me."
Nagumo didn't speak.
"I won't say this is a violation of the rules," Horikita Manabu continued. "The exam rules allow for inter-grade negotiation and cooperation. However—"
He lowered his head, his gaze falling squarely on Nagumo.
"—I hope you don't involve innocent people."
Nagumo was silent for two seconds, then put away that smirk; his expression became a bit more serious.
"..........I didn't intend to involve innocent people anyway. I just want to win."
"Win what?"
"Win you," Nagumo said. "President, you have sat in this position for three years, and everyone says you are unshakable. But I want to try."
Horikita Manabu looked at him for a long time. Then he stood up, looking down at Nagumo from a higher position.
"Fine."
Nagumo's eyes brightened for a moment.
"I accept your challenge," Horikita Manabu said. "The large group you and I are in can compete against each other. The one with the higher ranking wins."
"Alright."
"But the premise—" Horikita Manabu's voice sank a degree, "you cannot manipulate other people's groups to affect the result. You and I will compete using the groups we are in."
"That goes without saying," Nagumo said. "Fair and square."
He held out his hand.
Horikita Manabu looked at that hand for a while, then also reached out and shook hands with Nagumo.
On the playground, students from other grades watched this scene from afar, some whispering in discussion.
Nagumo withdrew his hand and turned to walk toward his own area.
His steps were a bit lighter than when he came.
But as he turned, he saw Hachiman standing not far away.
Hachiman was still standing in place, holding something in his hand—a scrap of paper.
When Nagumo approached, Hachiman handed the note to him.
"For you."
Nagumo froze for a moment, took the note, unfolded it, and glanced at it.
There was only one line of words on the note. Very short.
But looking at the words on it, Nagumo's expression changed slightly.
He didn't say anything, just folded the note and put it in his pocket, then nodded toward Hachiman.
"...Thanks, Hikigaya-kouhai."
"You're welcome," Hachiman said. "Just a reminder."
Nagumo turned and walked away.
Katsuragi walked over to Hachiman at some point. He watched Nagumo's retreating back and asked in a low voice, "What did you give him?"
Hachiman turned his head and glanced at him.
"............You don't need to know for the time being."
Katsuragi frowned, but didn't press for an answer.
He glanced at the layout on the playground—the large groups for the second year were basically decided, the third year had also completed theirs, and the numbering for the first year had already been written down.
"So the boys' grouping is settled like this?"
"Yes," Hachiman said. "Next is to confirm the members of each large group."
He lowered his head and looked at the record in his hand. Group No. 2, which he was in—would merge with Group No. 8 where Nagumo was, as well as Group No. 14 of the third year, into one large group.
And Horikita Manabu's Group No. 11—would merge with Group No. 9 where Kiriyama was, as well as Group No. 1 where Katsuragi of the first year was, into another large group.
"...Interesting," Hachiman said softly.
"What's interesting?"
"Nothing."
He put away the record, raised his head, and looked at the podium by the playground.
Standing there was a person in a dark gray suit.
Tsukishiro.
The acting chairman Tsukishiro had arrived at some point. He stood on the podium, his hands behind his back, looking down at the students on the playground. His expression was calm, even carrying a trace of a gentle smile, but for some reason, the people standing on the playground all subconsciously went quiet for a moment after seeing him.
The third-year head teacher walked to the side of the podium and spoke a few words to Tsukishiro with his head lowered. Tsukishiro nodded, and then the head teacher turned and announced to everyone on the playground—
"The grouping on the boys' side is finished."
Scattered applause rang out on the playground, but it soon stopped.
Tsukishiro took the microphone from the head teacher and cleared his throat.
"Students, you've worked hard. I am very gratified that you have completed team formation within the specified time."
He paused.
"—I was actually looking forward to seeing someone drag their feet and causing the whole grade to have points deducted."
The playground went quiet for a moment.
He said it very easily, his tone as if he were joking. But that lightness made people's backs feel cold.
"What kind of chairman is this........." someone muttered in a low voice.
"He is serious."
"...Yes."
Tsukishiro didn't say anything else. He just waved his hand, signaling everyone to disperse.
"Alright, now everyone head to the dormitories and be assigned rooms according to the groups. Rest well, and the exam officially begins tomorrow."
The students began to scatter. Hachiman stood in place, watching Tsukishiro turn and leave the podium. His back was drawn out long in the sun, his leather shoes making dull thuds on the wooden steps.
"Let's go," Kanzaki walked to Hachiman's side. "To the dormitory."
"Yeah."
Hachiman turned and walked toward the dormitory buildings.
The dormitory buildings were wooden and three stories tall, with spacious corridors on each floor. Every door was labeled with a number—from 1 to 12, corresponding to the various groups from the first to third years.
Group No. 2, where Hachiman was, was assigned to the room at the end of the second-floor corridor. The door was a sliding wooden door; after opening it, one could see the interior—spacious, clean, floored with tatami mats, with fifteen beds lined up against the wall.
The lighting for the beds was different. The row against the window was clearly better, sunlight shining through the window and basking the tatami mats in warmth. The row against the door, however, had dimmer light and seemed a bit chilly.
Fifteen people stood in the room, their gazes turning in unison toward the few spots by the window.
"............I want that one," Ishizaki Daichi opened his mouth first, heading directly toward the bunk closest to the window.
His movements were fast, but Kanzaki Ryuji was one step faster than him. Kanzaki stepped forward, stood in front of that bunk, and turned his head to look at Ishizaki.
"Sorry, our Class A wants this position."
"Ha? Your Class A wants it? On what grounds?"
"On the grounds that we are now Class A," Kanzaki's tone was neither haughty nor humble, but very firm.
Ishizaki frowned: "So what if it's Class A? Can Class A grab the good spots?"
"It's not grabbing. It's choosing," Kanzaki said. "If Class B wants it, you can propose exchange conditions."
Ishizaki still wanted to say something, but Albert came up from behind and patted him on the shoulder.
"Ishizaki. Ryuen said don't resist."
"Ryuen said? But that position has good lighting—"
"Ryuen said don't be too conspicuous," Albert continued. "This is Ryuen's instruction."
"..."
Ishizaki looked at Albert, then at Kanzaki, and finally gritted his teeth and took a step back.
"...Fine."
He chose the spot next to it.
The other two Class B boys didn't participate in the argument and directly chose the spots against the wall, putting down their luggage.
Hashimoto Masayoshi stood in the Class C line, watching this scene, his expression somewhat displeased.
"This won't do," Hashimoto said. "The beds are shared, everyone should discuss it—"
"We have already discussed it," Kanzaki said. "Class A chooses the best positions. You guys divide the other positions yourselves."
Hashimoto's brows furrowed.
But Hirata Yousuke spoke up at this time, "I think... it's quite good for Hikigaya-kun to sleep in that position."
Hashimoto looked at him, "Hirata, you're from Class D, right?"
"Yes. But I'm not wrong. Hikigaya-kun is the core of our group; letting him rest better is good for our whole group."
"..."
Hirata's words made Hashimoto silent for a few seconds. He glanced at Hachiman standing by the window—Hachiman hadn't spoken much since entering the room, just standing by the window quietly, looking at the mountain scenery outside.
".........Forget it," Hashimoto finally conceded, "then let it be."
The others from Class C didn't object.
So Hachiman slept in the position by the window. His bunk faced the window, from where one could see the playground and the continuous mountain ridges in the distance.
He placed his backpack next to the bunk, sat down, and took a look at the record in his hand.
Group No. 2.
Members included: Hachiman and Kanzaki from Class A; Hirata and Ayanokouji from Class D; 7 people from Class C; Albert, Ishizaki, and 2 others from Class B.
Fifteen people. Complex identities, each with their own hidden agendas.
Hachiman folded the record and put it in his pocket, then lay down.
The ceiling was wooden, carrying a faint scent of pine. The sound of roommates packing luggage—zippers, footsteps, low conversations—drifted into his ears. Someone was arguing over other bunks, someone had already laid out their sheets and lain down.
Because he was a bit exhausted from the car ride, Hachiman closed his eyes for a while.
Then he heard a sound from beside him—very soft, but very clear.
"Hikigaya-kun."
He opened his eyes. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was standing beside his bunk, looking down at him. Those eyes were blank, quiet, and devoid of any emotion, as always.
".........Something up?" Hachiman asked.
Ayanokouji was silent for two seconds.
"Why did you let me join this group?"
"Because if no one wants you, the whole grade will have 100 points deducted," Hachiman said. "I just don't want to get points deducted."
Ayanokouji watched him without responding immediately.
Then he made a sound, "Hm," and turned to walk away.
Hachiman closed his eyes again.
Because, of course, what he just said was a lie.
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