AN: A shorter chapter this time around, but definitely a more dramatic one.

The Tests:

Chapter 2- Expelled

2.1

Hikigaya Hachiman: Matriculation

Congratulations once again on getting into Sobu Boarding School. We wish you the best of luck at our institution.

Term will begin on the 1st March. We will pick you up personally outside your home address, at 8AM, on this day. This is mandatory; we grant no exceptions. All transport is paid for by the school- however, we ask that you pack sparingly. A single suitcase is preferred. Matriculation will take place on site.

We would like to remind you that our non-disclosure agreements are binding. Any infringements on their conditions will make you liable to fines, prosecution and incarceration.

We look forward to meeting you.

Signed, Sobu Board of Directors

It started raining two days before the 1st March, and seemingly continued, non-stop, until the all important day dawned.

Hachiman, much like the night where he'd chosen to accept his place, didn't get much sleep. It was almost like that decision was still on-going; that he hadn't really picked up the phone and said those words, 'I accept the place at Sobu Boarding School' at all. The immediate consequences, and the ones so far-reaching on his life that they couldn't be defined, were too much for him to wrap his head around.

In truth, he was so numbed and tired by the barest thought of the school, of the future to come, that he began to ignore it altogether. It's going to happen. So what? I'm a terrible person for giving in to my own fear of failure. So what? I might as well enjoy the time I have left with my old life.

And there was a fair amount to enjoy. His family may have sensed that he didn't want to discuss things, that he didn't feel proud of the achievement that they personally felt was immense, but they did sense that their son just wanted them there. So every hug or embrace, every look of affection, every feeling, was somehow amplified.

In many ways, the Hikigaya family had never felt more united. His parents did his very best to get off work early as the 1st March approached. They went out to nice restaurants together. They went on day trips, either just shopping at the mall or longer ones to Tokyo. It was the family that Hachiman had always had- father, mother, sister- but he'd never been more aware of them. Or grateful for them.

But that just made it more difficult to see his Kaa-san's nervous smile, his Oto-san's proud looks, Komachi's tears, as they stood outside their apartment complex on the 1st March, waiting for him to be picked up. The rain was lighter than the day before, but still insistent, pouring down from an array of grim grey clouds. They merged with his sister's tears.

Five minutes to 8. Five minutes before he left. Five minutes more with his family. They took turns saying last words. Kaa-san told him to make sure his suitcase was packed, to straighten the half-smart shirt he was wearing, to double-check they didn't have to buy any uniform. Komachi bawled, sometimes telling him not to mess it up, sometimes telling him to make sure he came back with a girlfriend, sometimes just rambling.

His Oto-san kept it shorter. He stepped up to Hachiman and put his hands on his shoulders. "So here we are, son… Guess I won the bet."

"Yeah. You know me better than I do, apparently."

"That's my job." He hesitated, and his fingers tightened around Hachiman's shoulders. "… I'll try not to make this too embarrassing. You know I'm proud of you. I'll just… I'll just say the same thing that I said at the start. Do your best."

Do your best, huh? Hachiman didn't smile, but his dead fish eyes betrayed a dim sentiment. I doubt that will be good enough at a place like this, but sure.

The drizzle picked up in speed and intensity, as if to announce the arrival of the very normal looking car that pulled up at 8AM exactly. It was a Toyota four by four, steel grey, the windows black and opaque. Punctuality seemed to be taken as seriously as confidentiality by Sobu Boarding School. Hachiman inhaled, trying to stay cool, as the side door swung open, inviting him in.

"Well… like I said. Good luck." Those were his father's last words to him. His mother settled for a smile, but weaker, more emotional.

Komachi managed one last hug, voice incoherent through her crying. Hachiman bit his lip, aiming for stoicism, just about succeeding.

"See you guys when I graduate," Hachiman said, taking hold of his suitcase. After dropping it in the boot, he ducked inside, deciding not to look at the other passenger until he'd waved goodbye.

The car door closed. The opaque windows allowed him only a dim view of his family as them, the apartment block, everything he'd always relied on, disappeared.

He swallowed. It was hard. Harder than he'd anticipated. And then, turning to look at the other passenger, it immediately got that little bit harder.

None other than Kawa-something was sat in the passenger seat behind him. The scowl on her face, seemingly a permanent fixture whenever he was nearby, was back with a vengeance.

"… So you got in too," she said. "What a shame."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Kawa…" Hachiman intentionally paused to think about her name. If she was going to be rude, he may as well be rude back. "Sorry, what was your name again? It's hard to remember someone so unimpressive."

"I'd rather you didn't know," was her snapped response. "… Idiot."

The delinquent girl re-adjusted her collar in annoyance. She was wearing clothes much smarter than he was used to seeing, and her hair, most often seen in a ponytail, appeared to have been combed. The extra effort was mirrored in his own outfit. For two loners, we've really put in an effort.

Hachiman glanced forward to look at their driver. There was a partition between the front and back of the car of the same opaque covering as the windows. He could just about see the shape of a man there, but nothing more.

"No point trying to talk to him, or ask where you're going. He picked me up twenty minutes ago and hasn't said a word."

Hachiman raised an eyebrow. "Whoa… was that you trying to talk to me? Bit of a change of angle, don't you think?"

She wrinkled her lip. "If everyone at this damn school is as annoying you, I'll have made a terrible mistake."

I wouldn't worry about that. We've made a terrible mistake regardless.

From the way the car instantly went quiet, the quips and sarcasm evaporating into thin air, Kawa-something must have had the same thought.

Hachiman considered breaching the silence between them several times, but decided not to. It was obvious they didn't get along; their consequential meetings thus far were just because they'd applied from the same area. But that prompted another thought- there more seats in the back of the car available. It seemed likely they would be picking up others.

As they drove further from Hachiman's district, and the houses grew bigger, more ornate, more expensive, his mind went back to the First Stage of Application. To the memory of a black limousine pulling up in front of Aiya Warehouse, and the excited whispers as people recognised who had arrived.

He wasn't surprised in the slightest when, finally, their lift stopped outside a large steel gate. It was only the entrance to what must have been an enormous mansion; well trimmed hedgerows surrounded the gates, and the driveway past it sloped uphill. Hachiman couldn't see the house atop, but the girl stood by the gates waiting, a small suitcase at her feet, was instantly recognisable.

"She made it in as well, huh?" He heard Kawa-something grumble.

"Did you really think she wouldn't?"

The side door swung open automatically again, and the Yukinoshita girl approached. She dropped her suitcase into the boot and then took her seat in the car, right next to Hachiman, with the air of a spirit passing through a wall. Her face was as absent, as robotic, as the last time he'd seen her.

But the image of icy serenity was ruined by the rain that had soaked through her clothes. Her silky hair was soggy, untied, and the black skirt and pale white jacket hung against her heavily, weighed down by water. Hachiman couldn't help but stare. There was an umbrella sticking out of her jacket pocket which she'd chosen not to use.

The Yukinoshita girl kept staring straight forward. In spite of the droplets trickling down her clothes, she didn't shiver or shift. Her hands lay in her lap, her mouth still. Only once the car had driven away again did she very slowly turn to look at him, meeting his stare which, subconsciously, had remained on her.

"…" She didn't spoke. No insult. No scolding. Just the barest acknowledgement that he was looking at her. Her ice blue eyes didn't blink once.

He swallowed and looked away. Behind him, he could sense Kawa-something rustling in her seat. Is there something wrong with her…?

Neither of the three were conducive to conversation at the best of times. They sat there staring straight forward, trying to make out their surroundings through the windows. Sometimes Hachiman and the delinquent girl fiddled idly with their phones. The Yukinoshita girl may as well have been made of stone.

As time rolled on, it seemed to Hachiman that the car was taking them towards the coast of Tokyo Bay. It was a long drive through the city, but their choice to leave in the morning, if that was indeed the destination, had reduced the traffic. The last email he'd received from the school had mentioned nothing about the school's location.

They didn't have a clue where they were being taken. The frightening thought had occurred to him days before leaving, and it should have bothered him more than it did. After the Second Stage of Application, Hachiman had no more expectations. Not even of basic decenc-

A hissing sound.

Hachiman and Kawa-something jumped in their seats. The Yukinoshita girl glanced downwards, imperceptibly. It resembled the opening of a window, of air streaming in. But there was no open window. Just a cloud of what looked like water vapour, rising up from the bottom of the car.

Hachiman looked at the vapour, astonished. What is this…?

"Hey!" He heard Kawa-something shout to the driver. "Aren't you gonna explain what's going on? Why is there… why… why is there…"

Her voice went quiet. Already, it sounded like it was echoing from within a tunnel, a tunnel deep inside Hachiman's head. He felt drowsy. His limbs felt heavy. The feeling came from the blue, and now he was blinking, struggling to keep his eyes open…

Did they… did they just…?

That was Hikigaya Hachiman's last thought before collapsing into a dreamless sleep.

2.2

He woke up to the sound of someone shouting.

He couldn't discern the words at first. He couldn't discern anything. His eyelids felt heavier than rocks. His head felt like it had been struck by a blunt object.

Did I doze off, or something? Where was I… I was in a car…

Memories came back chipped and broken, half-assembled, like grainy footage from a VCR tape. … I just got picked up, to go to Sobu Boarding School. I was in a car, with Kawa-something, and the Yukinoshita girl…

… Gas. They gassed us.

The thought sent a shot of adrenaline, of suppressed and delayed panic, rushing through his veins. He opened his eyes.

The sensory overload was intense. Feeling, sound, light, all at once. He jerked, nearly falling off his chair. He was no longer in the car. He was sitting in one of those plastic seats- the kind you got in assembly halls. No… I am in an assembly hall.

The hall was sizeable, even for the biggest of schools. It must have been the size of three or four basketball courts. The lights above them were an intense white- the same colour as the one they'd used for the Second Stage of Application, in the alley. It looked modern, full of sporting equipment. On the right side there was no wall; just three enormous windows, metres upon metres high and wide.

Rain cascaded onto the double glazed glass. That was one of the noises he could hear. But the shouts… they were coming from other people his age.

Hachiman looked around, open mouthed. Students. There must have been dozens of students, all of them sat in lines of plastic chairs. There were two main groups, the first consisting of all the boys at the front, the second consisting of all the girls at the back. Some were awake, like him. Others were still fast asleep, arranged like dolls in a children's playhouse.

My clothes are different. He grabbed hold of his shirt, inspecting himself. It was a school uniform. They must have changed his clothes while he was knocked out. His luggage. His phone. Everything gone, save for himself.

The blazer was rich, velvety and stylish, the fabric black with gold buttons at the side. Everything else, from shirt to shoes, was the same dark colour, except for the necktie fastened so tightly around his neck it felt like a noose. That too had a dark background, but was emblazoned with a scarlet floral design- red roses burnt on his chest.

The other boys were the same. The girls too had the black blazer, shirts and all, but the skirt had the same bloodied design as their neckties. People were doing the same as him, inspecting themselves, looking around, remembering.

But they weren't alone.

Standing along the perimeter of the hall were guards in the same attire as the ones at Aiya Warehouse. They were stood up, some in sunglasses. And all of them were cradling machine guns.

At the front of the hall was a stage and podium. Sat behind the podium were men and women, all severe expressions, all suited and smart, like teachers at an open day. They watched the students as they awoke, inscrutable.

Projected onto the wall behind them was a circular logo. A badge. It was the same one sewn onto their blazers. It read: SOBU BOARDING SCHOOL. And beside it was a motto, next to the word Matriculation:

The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.

The shouts only got louder as more and more students woke up. Hachiman rubbed his eyes, his heart beating fast, still getting up to speed.

A scraping chair leg. Hachiman turned, looking at the boy immediately to his left. They were still half asleep, sprawled against the back of the chair, their weight making the leg scrape. He was blonde and probably tall; Hachiman gave him a shove.

"Hey. Wake up, whoever you are."

The boy grunted, and then came round. Hachiman found himself looking into a pair of china blue eyes. As he went through the same process as him, realising what must have happened, Hachiman saw that the boy was good-looking and broad-shouldered. The uniform fit the boy perfectly, as did his, as if they'd been tailored.

"You alright?" He grunted.

The blonde blinked, and then with a surprising air of calm, replied, "Just fine, thank you."

Hachiman looked at the boy in confusion. He didn't look at all fazed.

"Looks like we made it to Sobu Boarding School…" The blonde's voice was a tenor, soft and yet masculine. "What's your name?"

"… Hikigaya Hachiman."

"Hayama Hayato. It's nice to meet you, Hikigaya-kun." He laughed. "Guess they must have sat us down in alphabetical order, right?"

Hachiman shook his head. "What the hell is with the small talk? Did you know this was going to happen? We've been gassed for fuck's sak-"

Microphone feedback hissed over the top of the increasingly panicked shouting. The noise was distorted and high pitched enough to force some to cover their ears, and to startle many of those still asleep out of their slumber. Hachiman turned away from Hayama Hayato to see a man stand up from the group on stage, adjust his tie, and pace up to the microphone.

"Everyone! If you would calm down. There is no reason to shout."

It took a moment or two for the students to quiet down, but quiet down they did, uneasily, eyes darting from side to side. At the teachers. At the guards and their machine guns.

"Thank you." He adjusted his tie once more. "Well… we may as well begin the Matriculation, mightn't we?"

Hachiman squinted, trying to pick out features of the man before him. Something about him looked vaguely familiar… the narrow face and short hair…

He leaned over to the boy named Hayama. "Do you recognise him…?"

"That's Nagasaka Kawada, the principle of Sobu Boarding School," he whispered back, composed.

"The ex prime-minister?!"

"One and the same."

Hachiman shook his head. Nagasaka Kawada was infamous in recent Japanese political history. He came from a family that had produced several big name politicians, amongst them his father, Nagasaka Ueno. Nagasaka Kawada, however, had finished his term in the late 2040s with his popularity intact, but several years afterwards a probe had been raised against him for corruption. It was a scandal that never went to court, but which had nevertheless tarnished his reputation.

He had rarely been seen in public since. Apparently, this was why.

"It is my upmost pleasure, everyone, to welcome you to Sobu Boarding School," Nagasaka Kawada announced, his voice full of easy charisma. "This is the twenty sixth year of our hallowed institution's existence. You are the Class of 2059. You are the future of your country. You are, quite simply, the brightest and the best. And that is exactly what you need to be to even have a prayer of graduating from my school."

The ex prime-minister surveyed the crowd before him. "I understand that some of you may be alarmed. We sincerely apologise for any distress your journey may have caused. Rest assured that all of your belongings are safe. However, the precautions we take are vital for securing our school's future. If you would please look out the windows…"

They did so. He was asking them, Hachiman realised, to notice where they were. The windows of the hall looked over a large school complex, resting atop a slope. There were buildings that resembled labs, soccer pitches, tennis courts, and a hundred other buildings that no doubt catered for every whim. The rain continued to pour, and beyond the complex… Hachiman could see only acres and acres of trees, and beyond that, ocean. Waves and waves of isolated ocean.

"Our school is located on a deserted island. There is no way to get here and no way to leave other than through the school's transport. A place at our school is permanent. You must use it to the best of your abilities."

Hachiman could only shake his head. The disbelief in the hall at what this school had done was palpable, but after the Second Stage of Application he wasn't exactly shocked. It didn't matter that they had accepted their places- this was a mass kidnapping, and Hachiman had a horrible feeling that the worst was yet to come.

"Now… it is something of a tradition here at Sobu Boarding School to ask a prominent alumni to deliver the Matriculation Speech, and officially begin the academic term. I myself delivered one a few years ago, before succeeding my father as headmaster. So, please give a round of applause for the beautiful and charming miss Yukinoshita Haruno!"

No one clapped at the first urging, but a long stare from the principle soon prompted a spattering of tense, rippling applause. Hachiman's ears perked up at the name. He watched as the elder Yukinoshita sister, the one he'd seen outside Aiya Warehouse, stood up from behind the teachers, where she'd been obscured.

She was dressed in a shapely maroon dress with a buckle and black tights. The animation on her face was a sharp juxtaposition of the stillness he'd seen earlier, from 'Yukinoshita Haruno's' sister. This alumni of the school was a picture of animation, with a warm and bubbly smile. She laughed modestly at the applause.

"Oh really Kawada-san, you shouldn't have. Such high praise coming from you!"

She winked at the student body once she reached the podium. Her demeanour was the precise opposite of her sister's cold severity.

"Anyway," she continued, "what a joy it is to see you in your uniforms, just like it was on my matriculation day. What a throwback! This also happens to be a special day for my family personally, because ah… Where are you… Oh, there you are, my cute like Yukino-chan! Congrats again on getting in! The whole family is so proud of you!"

Everyone turned their heads to look at who she was waving at. Hachiman already knew, of course. The younger sister, whose name must have been Yukinoshita Yukino, did not wilt under the attention as many might. However, even from afar, Hachiman could see the lines on her face, the thinly veiled scowl.

Something told him the two siblings didn't get along.

"I'm sure all of your families are exceptionally proud as well. They should be! Getting into Sobu Boarding School is very impressive indeed. However…" Haruno-san's voice sharpened. "Graduating will undoubtedly be the most difficult challenge of your life. Believe me. I know."

She pointed to the left wall, where a series of black and white pictures were hung up. Hachiman counted around twenty in total.

"What you're looking at are the school's graduation photos. There's one there for each year since the school was established, in 2033. You may also notice how few people there are in each one. In my year, there was less than ten overall."

She smiled, but only now he could see how utterly humourless it was. "That's right. It's likely that, out of the 150 odd students sat in front of me, only ten percent of you will…" She paused, as if searching for a diplomatic word. "… Graduate. That's probably how I should phrase it."

A horrible chill ran down Hachiman's spine. He glanced at Yukinoshita Haruno, and then to the guards, the barrels of their weaponry glinting unfeelingly. No… no, they couldn-

"Still, it's important for me to emphasise that 'difficult' doesn't mean 'impossible'. All of you have the same chance of graduating- whether you succeed or fail or not is entirely on you. That's the motto of Sobu Boarding School…" She cleared her throat. "The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must. Can anyone tell me who said those words?"

"…"

"No? I thought you lot were the brightest and the best?"

"… Thucydides."

It was Hayama Hayato who'd spoken. Through the wall of terrified silence, his voice rung out clear and strong, without a hint of intimidation.

"Good job, Hayato-kun! I thought you might be the first to speak up!" Yukinoshita Haruno gave the boy a thumbs up from the podium.

"You know them as well?!" Hachiman hissed, under his breath.

Hayama Hayato didn't reply, the smile on his face inert.

"Your schoolmate here is spot on: these are the words of the Ancient Greek historian and philosopher Thucydides. They perfectly capture the spirit of Sobu Boarding School. Over the course of three terms, you will experience the ultimate meritocracy. The ultimate reflection of life. Just as I did, and all of those who graduated before me.

Each of the three terms will be one month in duration. You'll have tutors, but really, this school is all about self-improvement… You are the ones who will choose your classes and your timetable. Balancing independent and in person learning will be paramount. Extracurricular and athletic enrichment isn't just expected: it's essential. Strong engagement and performance in any of these will be rewarded. The opposite will be punished. You'll learn more about how things work here post matriculation… what I'm supposed to tell you about is assessment."

Yukinoshita Haruno grinned. "At the end of each month-long term, there will be a Test. These are the Test of Mind, the Test of Body and the Test of Soul. Traditionally, the Test of Soul is your final exam, at the end of the third term. The order of the Test of Mind and Body changes year by year, however, to discourage students from focusing on one or the other. The contents of each test, except for the Test of Soul, also changes year by year."

She allowed a calculated pause. "… The failure of any of these Tests will result in immediate expulsion from Sobu Boarding School. There are no resits. You have one shot at them. I suggest you prepare properly… Any questions?"

Yet again, terrified silence reigned over the student body. It was patently clear the question on everybody's mind, but no one quite had the strength to ask it.

"… What does expulsion mean?"

At last, someone asked it. Hachiman wasn't even sure who it was.

Yukinoshita Haruno frowned. "Y'know, I think the brightest and best should know what 'expulsion' means by now… Well, in fairness to you lot, Sobu Boarding School is a very unique place. That means we also have a pretty unique definition of expulsion. Not too different. But still different."

In the second calculated pause that followed, Hachiman got a distinct sense that Yukinoshita Haruno was toying with them. And thoroughly enjoying it.

"To be expelled from Sobu Boarding School means to die."

2.3

All that had happened was merely the calm before the storm.

And then came the storm.

All of a sudden, screams engulfed the hall in a cacophony. Loud, horrified, high-pitched screams. Students all around Hachiman leapt to their feet as if they were fleeing from a burning building, like they very ground beneath their feet was on fire. Chairs were pushed over. Crashing. Footsteps. Total panic.

Hachiman had unconsciously dug his fingers into his legs, the nails sharp through the fabric. It was like he was forcefully holding himself down, holding down the eruption of feeling that he couldn't pinpoint. Fear, loathing, desperation and self-pity all intertwined themselves in a helix, a twister sending his heart flying through the air.

… Komachi… I shouldn't have listened to you. You could never have known what it would be like, but I shouldn't have listened.

The thought activated something within him, and he made to stand up too, but someone else's hand took hold of his blazer. Through the surging emotion, Hachiman identified Hayama Hayato, staring right at him with those china blue eyes.

They were still so calm. How? How?!

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Hayama uttered. "I really, really wouldn't."

Hachiman gritted his teeth. But he followed the instruction. He forced himself back into the chair. This person had known about Nagasaka Kawada, the principle. He'd obviously met the Yukinoshita sisters before. He knew things that others didn't.

And the logic of his words quickly made itself apparent. They were surrounded by guards. They were on an island. They'd just been threatened with death. Hysteria would solve absolutely nothing, no matter how inevitable.

So as chairs started to be overturned, as crowds of students started to push amongst themselves, moving towards guards and then backing away, Hachiman stayed put. As the microphone crackled and the guards lifted their machine guns, only intensifying the screams, Hachiman stayed put.

But the situation only got worse. A tall boy with floppy brown hair, the bravest amongst the throng, had stepped up to one of the guards. He was yelling obscenities in the emotionless guard's face, while others shoved, or cried, or wailed like banshees.

Hachiman looked up at the stage. Yukinoshita Haruno and the principle simply observed. He could tell they'd seen it all before. That this was normal. This is just another piece of the theatre…

They allowed it continue as long as they deemed necessary. Then, Nagasaka Kawada raised his hand.

On cue, the guards fired upwards. The sound of bullets ricocheting sent those confronting crashing to the floor. The wailing died as if it had been strangled. Hachiman ducked and covered his head with his hands, still immobile in the chair. He closed his eyes so tightly he began to see colours. Shit… Shit…

A voice. Yukinoshita Haruno's. "… Well… that was certainly interesting, wasn't it?"

There was another whimper. Then nothing.

Very slowly, Yukinoshita Haruno took the microphone out of its stand on the podium and stepped off the stage. The students watched breathlessly as she approached them, the maroon of her dress stark in the light. There remained a smile on her face, but it was little more than the upturn of a lip, and her eyes had hardened.

"You."

She was addressing the boy with floppy hair. He'd been on his hands and knees, but lifted his head as she spoke.

"Stand up."

He did so without another word, quivering, his bravado during the panic gone. Yukinoshita Haruno tapped the head of her microphone, and then nodded.

The same guard the boy had confronted stepped forward and grabbed him. The boy gasped and struggled, kicking his feet, but couldn't escape the hold. The students nearby scrambled away as the woman in purple walked up to him.

Soon, she was stood directly in front of the boy, staring right into his eyes, right into his soul. Hachiman couldn't see her face from where he sat, but he could see the boy's. The expression beheld there was that of a cornered animal.

"… I hadn't mentioned before, but Sobu Boarding School doesn't have a formal set of 'rules', per say," Yukinoshita Haruno drawled. "What we do have is a Code of Conduct. It's very short and very easy to remember. Just three points. Three things that we expect of a student. If you follow them, you couldn't possibly get in trouble with us… What's your name, by the way?"

"…" The boy kept opening his mouth to speak, but couldn't.

"Well? Speak up."

"… Hiranaka."

"Hiranaka-kun, eh… That's a lovely name." She reached forward, touching his face, which was dripping in sweat. "Do you think you can guess what the first point of our Code of Conduct is, Hiranaka-kun?"

"…"

"It's Commitment. This refers chiefly to your studies, of course. There's no point being at Sobu Boarding School if you don't show some commitment. Anyone slacking off, making a mockery of the chance they've been given, will be expelled."

She started playing with his hair. Hiranaka-kun let out an indescribable sound, half-way between a choke and shudder.

"The second is Respect. That's respect for your studies, your peers, your teachers, and most importantly, for the school itself. We expect you to treat others like you wish to be treated…" Her eyes narrowed. "I didn't see much respect when you were swearing at our friend here, Hiranaka-kun."

"P- please, I'm sorry… I didn't mean it, I-"

"The third and final point is Discipline." She turned slightly, making it clear that she was now addressing everyone. "I definitely didn't see any discipline just now… None at all. How disappointing… Almost all of you have breached the Code of Conduct, and you've barely been here half an hour."

"Please…" Hiranaka-kun repeated. "Just let me go. I'll do all of those things. It was a mistake."

Haruno didn't listen. "I'm sure my friend Nagasaka-sensei, your principle, is willing to forgive your early transgressions… We understand this is a lot to take in. But from now on, there will be a zero tolerance policy to breaking the Code of Conduct. Anything that even comes close will get you expelled, just like that."

She clicked her fingers and giggled, before reigning it back in.

"But that's not enough… We have to show you what zero tolerance means. We have to give you a taste of that 'ultimate meritocracy' I mentioned… Of what lies in store."

Only then did she turn back to Hiranaka-kun. He was struggling harder now, pushing against the guard with everything he had, his whole body quivering.

"Hiranaka-kun… I regret to inform you that you have been expelled."

No-

The guard shoved the boy away from him and fired.

A round of bullets buried themselves into his chest, piercing flesh and bone and organ. Crimson blood spurted out, landing in a shower all around him. Hiranaka-kun was dead before he hit the ground. Blood continued to flow from the corpse where it lay, blossoming out like the red roses on the student's neckties.

Yukinoshita Haruno wrinkled her nose. Some of the remnants of Hiranaka-kun had got on her maroon dress. "Couldn't you have pushed him further away before firing? This is going to stain…"

Sobu Boarding School- Student Profile

Name: Hiranaka Tetsuo

Student No: 106486

First Stage of Application Score: 49/50

Second Stage of Application Comments: Performed strongly in Scenario 9- Mugging. Showed qualities of self-preservation.

Status: EXPELLED

Hachiman's skin was crawling. He couldn't take his eyes off the body. A boy no older than seventeen, the same age as him, had been reduced to nothing but a stain to be washed out. The world he had grown up in, the world outside of Sobu Boarding School, the one where there was morality and innocence, was fading away. Fading like a dying breath. And he couldn't lift a finger to stop it.

Powerlessness. Utter powerlessness. It could be him, lying there on the floor. In all likelihood, it would be him, soon enough. He had been presented with irrefutable proof of his own mortality for the first time. It wouldn't be the last.

The guard, the murderer, stepped back into the line. The woman who'd sentenced Hiranaka-kun mumbled a further complaint about her dress, before returning to the stage at the front.

She slotted her microphone back into the podium stand. "Well, thank you for listening to my Matriculation speech! Hope I was as good as some of my precursors… what do you think, Kawada-san?"

The principle of Sobu Boarding School gave a polite clap, replacing Yukinoshita Haruno at the podium. "Splendid job, miss Yukinoshita. Just splendid. Everyone, give her another round of applause… You can also return to your seats."

The students followed his orders without a hint of hesitation. All of the dread and disorder was gone, and in its place was the innate desire to survive. To not be the next to die.

"Now, that concludes our Matriculation… I'm sure all of you are exhausted from your journey, as well as the recent, ah… developments."

There was a ripple of sickening laughter from the staff.

"It's time for you to see your dormitories. Accommodation comes free with a place at this school. You will find all of your luggage inside, although any phones or communication devices have been confiscated, as well as any items we consider suspect or inappropriate. Also, if you have not introduced yourself to the student on your left, please do so now."

Hachiman and Hayama glanced sideways at each other. The blonde offered yet another smile, hollow and toneless.

"For however long you last at Sobu Boarding School, the two of you will be roommates. This is decided alphabetically, and will only be changed in the event of a serious breach of our Code of Conduct. Do try to get along."

Hachiman's dead fish eyes widened. You've got to be kidding me-

"So we're roommates now, huh?" Hayama said. "I'm sure we're gonna be the best of friends."

"..."

"You will all be escorted to your rooms line by line. The boy's and girl's dormitories are located on opposite sides of the complex, so the boys will leave from the front doors and the girls from the back. If you are part of the first line of boys, or the last line of girls, please stand up."

They stood up in unison. Hachiman couldn't see the boys faces, although many of them had their heads hung, as if folding in on themselves. He looked over his shoulder. Three of the girls were crying quietly, still looking at the corpse of Hiranaka-kun.

Near the back of the girl's line was Yukinoshita Yukino. She looked exactly the same as she had in the car, when they'd been picked up from Chiba. Nerveless. Drained and desensitised of anything human.

The girl to her left, Yukino's roommate, was covering her mouth with her hand, scarcely holding it together. She had died pink hair, so bright it was almost phosphorescent. It contrasted poorly with the red of their uniforms.

If Yukino is even half the psychopath her sister is, I doubt that roommate of hers will survive.

A guard moved forward for each of the lines, still clutching their firearms, and began to escort them out. They each pushed open the doors to the hall in unison, revealing the storm still waging outside. The rain and wind had reached a crescendo. The students in each line were led right into it.

Nagasaka Kawada kept directing each line to stand up in turn, giving them an escort. Kawa-something's line stood up just before his. She appeared less shaken than those around her, but Hachiman knew it had to be a front. Immediately afterwards, it was Hachiman and Hayama's turn.

As they started walking, Hachiman realised he had pins and needles in his right leg. Every other limb and joint in his body was simply numb. With Hayama following him, and their line as straight as an army rank, they traded the hall for the tempest outside.

Water crashed down on his head so hard it might've been gunfire, the same that had taken Hiranaka-kun's life. The wind buffeted him, blowing his blazer from side to side. The sun had only just set, so the only thing that illuminated their way was the sparse floodlights of the school complex.

They passed building after building, tennis courts inside and out, a large swimming pool, an astro turf soccer pitch. Then came science labs, a sizeable theatre, a music studio. The site of Sobu Boarding School was truly impressive, the facilities endless, but Hachiman didn't notice a thing. His mind was empty of all thought. A blank canvas.

Soon, they came to one of the largest buildings yet, four or five stories of windowed student rooms. This was the boy's hall. The structure and architecture was modern, but not enough to convince the students that this wasn't their prison.

The guard escorting them pressed his thumb against a metal pad by the door. It opened at his touch. They stepped out of the rain, all of them frozen and drenched, but none of them dared to break the order of the line, the rhythm of their steps, as they were taken up to the third floor.

The corridors were grey, the floor carpets equally colourless, the walls absent of adornment save for an occasional photograph of the school's alumni. Hachiman noticed a famous actor who'd appeared in several blockbusters. Then a well-known news anchor. Then a model.

At last, the guard started directing people into rooms. When it came to their turn, he nodded to the door. It also had a thumb pad.

"Your rooms are coded to your fingerprint so no one else can get in. There are security cameras inside and out. Follow the Code of Conduct at all times. More information about school protocol will be relayed to you in the morning." His voice was like a computer.

Hayama nodded obediently and opened the door with his finger. The light flickered on within. Two normal sized beds, each with a steel bedside table and a digital clock. A reading light hung above their beds, and their suitcases lay on top of them. On Hachiman's side was the window, looking out over the complex.

Hachiman heard his roommate say, "Thank you", and then the door slammed shut behind them. They were alone.

Hayama immediately walked to his bed and started undressing. "Wow… what a day. I'm absolutely shattered."

Hachiman said nothing.

"And the Matriculation… I can't believe it went down like that. Hiranaka-kun, wasn't it? Poor guy."

… Poor guy? That's all you can say, you bastard? Poor guy?! He clenched his fist, barely holding it together.

"Anyway, we can chat for awhile if you like... try and get to know each other? I really would love it if we were friends. It's a bit of a rough situation, but Sobu Boarding School will be much nicer if we get along. Then we can come back from a long day of schoolwork to a warm bed and a friend-"

"Shut up."

"… What's wrong, Hikigaya-kun?"

"Just stop talking. I need…"

He wanted to punch something. Anything. He wanted to let go. He wanted to release all the feverish anger in his stomach. He wanted to break everything he looked at. And if Hayama Hayato didn't take a fucking hint, it would be him who experienced that anger firsthand.

"… I'm sorry. I didn't realise how shaken up you were by all this." Hayama's tone was apologetic. Almost genuinely so. Almost.

"…" Hachiman breathed in deeply, and then choked. The anger metamorphosised into sadness. Into grief. For a boy he'd never know, and the life he'd never know again.

He turned away from Hayama Hayato, tearing the soaking blazer off his skin, undoing the buttons of his shirt. "I need to sleep."

"Alright. That's absolutely fair enough… Talk in the morning?"

"…"

By the time he was in bed, the light had turned off again. Hayama rustled, unpacking his suitcase, but Hachiman had just shoved his to the side. If he unpacked, then he was admitting to himself that the choice he'd made was permanent. That he really had walked blindfolded into hell on earth.

I… I need to be strong. I need to hold it together. Just for tonight. And then the next. And then the next.

… Three months. Three months in hell on earth. That is, assuming he didn't get expelled.

Who am I kidding? I'm all but dead. I'm a dead man walking.

… Komachi… Oto-san… Kaa-san… I'm sorry.

I'm so, so sorry.