All or Nothing
By : rainy26541
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V1 Chapter 4
Chapter 4: Unanimous Decisions
Intro
It was Friday, which meant the day of the unanimous special exam finally arrived. It was not due to start until after lunch time, so lessons had gone as normal before then. When it was near the end of the lunch break, the teachers in the staff room prepared to pack up their belongings and head to their respective classrooms.
For the second year teachers, they were mentally preparing themselves for the next 5 hours of sitting in the same classroom with their students. Whether or not they were ready for such a feat did not matter. They just needed to get through it and let the students handle everything.
That's what Chabashira kept reminding herself as the day kept going in preparation for the upcoming exam.
For a teacher like her, it was pretty easy to get distracted during the day since she had a lot to do. It wasn't just preparing for classes and teaching students. Chabashira also had to check emails, inspect school properties such as the swimming pool's water quality and other means of tasks.
But even then, on extremely important days where special exams were being held such as today, there were other things teachers like Chabashira had to complete. Before homeroom started for her and her class, she had partaken in a morning meeting with the other second year class teachers.
As she got close to finishing her packing up belongings, she recalled that morning meeting.
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"I want to remind you all about this in case you forgot. In this special exam, our utmost concern as teachers should be to not intervene in the exam. We want to protect the students in our own class. That is a given. But we can't help them intentionally and unintentionally. Please avoid doing this."
The four second year teachers Mashima, Hoshinomiya, Sakagami and Chabashira had gathered around a business meeting table. The one who gave the warning with a stern face was a third year teacher known as Ikari. Despite not sitting in the main chair of the business meeting table, he appeared to be chairing the meeting about the special exam as he was the one auditing it.
"Um, I know it's a little late, but do you have a minute?"
"What is it, Hoshinomiya-sensei?"
Seeing an opportunity to speak up, Hoshinomiya raised her hand, causing everyone to look at her.
"If I recall correctly, the last time this exam was held was 11 years ago, right? Wasn't there a measure that was taken to shuffle the teachers so that they wouldn't be assigned to the same class? Why is it that this time the homeroom teacher is still looking after their own class? If you are concerned about fairness, I think you should change it."
Even though they wouldn't go that far, the second year teachers, and this included Chabashira now, were very close to their students and would help them as much as they could. The school knew this. By that logic, it would make sense to assign teachers to other classes as they wouldn't go to the risk of helping another class's students.
"What an interesting statement. Do you not believe that you can maintain fairness in this exam? Anyway, I can't tell you the real reason other than because that was the decision that was made. Once a decision has been made, we can't change it anymore."
The one who answered was the one who was really chairing this meeting, Chairman Sakayanagi. He had been silently listening, observing and analysing the conversation calmly.
"So the top brass decided it..."
Teachers could not decide what would happen in special exams. The people who truly held the power to do so in Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School was Chairman Sakayanagi and the others involved with the management and operation of the school. All Chabashira and the other teachers could do was follow the rules and try to make it work.
However, it didn't seem to make any sense, and Hoshinomiya didn't even try to hide her dissatisfaction. Ikari, who could not bear to see this, opened his mouth and spoke in a low voice.
"This is my own personal thought on this special exam, but it has the potential to look inside the minds of students. To see personalities they've kept hidden. It is a massive chunk of information. I think they thought that by leaking it to the teachers of other classes, it would in turn affect the next special exam."
"Doesn't that mean that they don't believe in us teachers after all?"
"It can't be helped, can it? You, Mashima-sensei and Chabashira-sensei have experienced the same thing in the past, right? Isn't that also the reason why they each took the class they were in charge of in the inclass voting held last year?"
"That's what I thought."
Even though she had acted annoyed, Hoshinomiya acted convinced as if she knew it from the beginning. Whether that was true or not, Ikari probably didn't care anymore and that would probably put Hoshinomiya in a worse mood.
"Hoshinomiya-sensei, can we proceed...?"
"Sure, whatever. I'm somewhat convinced, so please proceed."
"Finally. So if the supervisor deems it to be you giving advice, you will be warned. If it is repeated, there will be a pay cut. I am not worried about you all, but I would like to make sure that the students make the choice on their own in this special exam. Remember that if you are judged to have intervened in a malicious manner, such as intentionally leading the students on, you may be demoted at worst."
The unanimous special exam was all about choices. If a teacher acted in a way that shouldered and led to a particular choice, it would only be natural that the teacher and the nature of the exam would be questioned. Though, the four second year teachers did not have any intention to break the rules and lead students to a choice.
"That's all. Now, please take care of the special exam."
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Since then, Chabashira did her best to keep calm. Even after her meeting with Kiyotaka two days ago, she still felt slight fear and sadness over the special exam. It wasn't known if people had noticed her distress or not.
Finishing her flashback, Chabashira refocused on packing up her belongings in the staff room. Her desk held her uneaten meal so she packed it away in a bag to finish later.
She left the staff room in a hurry as soon as she was done, staring at the floor. Chabashira did not want to be seen like this by her other second year colleagues.
"It's finally here, Sae-chan."
As soon as she entered the corridor, she heard footsteps from behind and a voice calling out to her. Unsurprisingly, it was her colleague and former classmate 11 years ago, Hoshinomiya Chie.
"What is it? Words of wisdom or something?"
"Not really. You're quite down today and you've been like that since this morning, I noticed. You couldn't sleep last night because you were thinking about the special exam, right?"
This was an obvious and cheap provocation against Chabashira from Hoshinomiya. Chabashira couldn't exactly answer back the way she wanted.
"This class has nothing to do with me. It doesn't matter if the students clear it easily or not."
Seeing not much of a way out, Chabashira tried to mislead Hoshinomiya by acting like her cold self. She knew it was futile, and yet she still tried to act tough. Knowing it was better to just get to class, Chabashira tried to quickly leave.
"Hmm? You don't seem to truly feel that way. Whatever, just know that Sae-chan doesn't have the qualifications to aim for Class A. Never forget that."
Hoshinomiya's voice was filled with resentment. It seemed that she didn't bother to hide the fact that she didn't forgive Chabashira for the incident that happened 10 years ago.
Chabashira hurried herself around the corner and finally raised her head before sighing. She stopped and did her best to compose herself as much as possible. She had her conversation with Kiyotaka and she hoped he would help direct the class to the correct decision. But there was still a part of her that was really worried about what results would be coming.
"Chabashira-sensei."
The invigilator for Class B stood up ahead, waiting for Chabashira it seemed. It was almost time for the special exam to begin. Chabashira sighed and began walking, dreading the next couple of hours.
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Part 1
Kiyotaka had eaten lunch with Kei and the rest of the KiyoKei group. While he himself just acted normal, the girls had been slightly on edge. Even though they were sure that Horikita and, to a similar extent even though they knew he wouldn't do much, Kiyotaka would get them through the exam no problem, that didn't stop them from feeling a little afraid of what would likely happen over the next couple of hours.
But there was nothing they could do about it. Soon, the time for the special exam to start arrived and the KiyoKei group entered the classroom 5 minutes before it would start to see both Chabashira at the front of the classroom already and another adult at the back of the room. Kiyotaka noted that this extra adult was probably an invigilator who was going to enforce the strict rules for this exam.
"You're early. Find your seats and sit down. You will all be in different spots today for the exam. Your seat will have your name on it," Chabashira gave the group a nod and spoke to them.
The group split as they tried to find their own seats. Interestingly enough, Kiyotaka's seat appeared to be at the very back of the class, near the window. This was the seat that he had sat in for the whole of his first year. He didn't know if it was a coincidence or not that this was his seat for the special exam.
The other students had been spread across the classroom in random seats, though Satou happened to have a seat directly next to him, the seat that was once taken by Horikita in their first year.
"Hey, hey, hey... if we clear it in an hour or two, let's go to the Keyaki Mall."
"Yeah, I'd love to, but I'm pretty sure I have to study in the dorm. So can we go in the evening?"
As more students entered the classroom and traversed their way to their allocated seats, some decided to pick up conversations for the last 2 minutes. Ike and Shinohara, who were now currently known as Class B's second famous couple, were one of the loudest as they discussed their plans for after school activities.
Looking from the outside, it appeared that the students of Class B were not that concerned about the exam. But the fact was that every student was. It was a special exam after all. The students were doing their best to focus on the positives before the difficulty of the exam would change that.
But soon, the clock reached the end of lunch time and the start of lessons, or in this case the special exam. Seeing that, the invigilator gave a glance to Chabashira and beckoned her to begin.
"Well... It's about time."
Reluctantly, Chabashira stood up and clapped her hands to grab the attention of every student in the class.
"We will now begin the special exam. Since the exam will be quite long, we will have up to four-bathroom breaks. We can only take a break once we make an unanimous decision and get some time before moving onto the next question. There will be no time in the middle of questions to take a break. Each break is a maximum of 10 minutes, but the test time continues to be counted. It will be important to skip breaks if you deem them unnecessary."
Luckily for Class B, those that needed the toilet had already gone and those who hadn't didn't require it so far. For now, it appeared that there would be no problems for a while. As long as there wasn't anyone who would have stomach aches or other unexpected health problems, they would be fine.
Now it was time for the special exam to begin.
At least that was the plan, but Chabashira just stood there and stared at the Class B students absentmindedly. At first, they didn't pay too much mind to it. It was normal for teachers to watch their students for a short time to ensure they were okay and paying attention. But then they started to look at each other, noticing something was off. The invigilator at the back of the classroom also seemed to have noticed something strange.
"Chabashira-sensei. It's time to begin the exam. You need to start."
"Huh? Oh, yes. I'm sorry. We will now begin the unanimous special examination. From here on out, we will proceed according to the rules, so if you leave your seats outside of the interval, or if you chat during forbidden times, you will be strictly warned. Be mindful of this."
Kiyotaka noted that Chabashira probably felt a little down because she remembered her in this situation 10 years ago. Despite partly moving on thanks to the conversation, a person would always still feel haunted by their past. For example, Kei had moved on from the bullying, but part of her still felt afraid of it happening again, despite having reassurances that it wouldn't.
But that wasn't important. What was important was that a huge countdown appeared on the digital display board at the front of the classroom, indicating that the exam was about to begin shortly. The countdown started at twenty-six seconds, probably due to a slight delay in the start signal from Chabashira.
Seeing some time before the official start, Kiyotaka decided to look at the equipment in front of him. The usual school tablet was attached to a stand on the desk and there were a few blockers to prevent onlookers from seeing what one student voted for. Combined with the no standing up rule, the school appeared to really be going all out to ensure total anonymity.
Soon, the timer reached zero and a small bell sounded from the speakers of the blackboard. The special exam was now about to begin. Would Class B flawlessly get through this exam with ease? Or were they going to experience hardships that would determine their fate? They were soon going to find out as the text arrived on the main screen of the front blackboard.
QUESTION ONE:
Choose which class you want to face in the final exam in the third semester. Even if there is a change in class rank, this choice will take precedence. The numbers in parentheses indicate the additional class points you can earn by winning the match.
Class A (50)
Class C (0)
Class D (0)
"This is for the last semester of your second year, and the choices are used to determine the opponents for that end of school year special exam. As mentioned in the question, if you unanimously choose Class A, your opponent will be them and you will get additional class points at the time of this choice. Even if the current Class A falls to Class B by the end of the school year, they will still be your opponent."
To put it simply, this was a choice of who would Class B, and in further simplified terms, Horikita, rather fight; Sakayanagi, Ryuuen, or Ichinose. The opponent chosen here will not be changed.
"Also, just a side note, if the end vote of every class is not the desired option, for example, every class chooses the same class and there isn't a consensus, then the school will decide the choices for you. It's important to figure out which class you can fight and win. Of course, you won't necessarily be able to fight the class you want, but..."
If Horikita and Class B nominated Sakayanagi's class, and Ichinose also nominated Sakayanagi's class at the same time, the question was whether Sakayanagi's class would be left to choose between Horikita and Ichinose? And if Sakayanagi's class chose Ryuuen's class and not either of them, then it would be left to Ryuuen to confirm their choice. If Class D avoided Class A, then the result would be a random combination and the school would end up deciding the end factor.
In general circumstances, the most optimal decision would be to choose a lower class with lower strength. However, due to the rewards being on offer, the treatment of the higher classes seemed to be a little different. If Class B was able to defeat Sakayanagi's Class A, they would be rewarded with extra class points. On the other hand, fighting Ichinose's Class C or Ryuuen's Class D would not give them any additional rewards.
"We'll move on to the first round of voting. Remember, the time limit is sixty seconds. If you do not vote on time, a penalty will occur and if the penalty reaches a certain time, you will be expelled."
As the buttons to vote on the question appeared on everyone's tablets, a 60 second timer appeared on the front digital screen. Either make one decision or the other. "Take your time to decide but not too long that you incur penalty time." This was what Horikita had informed the class beforehand so that they wouldn't have to deal with that kind of trouble the first time around.
Kiyotaka remembered that he had made an agreement with Horikita that no matter what he would always vote for the first choice. So without hesitation, he chose Class A, the first choice. He didn't know what choice Horikita would make, but his guess was either Sakayanagi's Class A or Ichinose's Class C. He didn't know what the rest of the class would think.
"Now that everyone has voted, I will now announce the results of the voting."
Results of the first round of voting:
Class A: 12 votes
Class C: 16 votes
Class D: 11 votes
The results displayed a mix of votes though it appeared more of the votes were focused on Ichinose's Class C, with Sakayanagi's Class A next and Ryuuen's Class D last.
"Since the vote was not unanimous, we will now set an interval."
From this point on until the ten minute time limit ended, students in Class B were allowed to leave their seats freely to discuss the results and come to a concession. It didn't matter how as long as they came to a decision that would help reach an unanimous vote.
"So that we don't waste time from the first question, let me make a suggestion first."
Taking upon her role as the "leader" for this special exam, Horikita raised her hand and gained the attention of every student. Her position at the front of the classroom allowed her to stand tall as the leader as she stood up, turned around and gave a deep breath.
"We've all voted similarly, but please listen to my own opinion here. The only opponent that will allow us to gain bonus class points is Class A, in other words Sakayanagi-san. We really should be taking any chance we can to increase our chances in reaching Class A, so generally we should take on Class A for the bonus points. But Sakayanagi-san is a difficult opponent to face against. We were close last year but she's still difficult. It's best to avoid her for the time being."
Fighting against the top dogs when your team wasn't developed was never a good idea. Class B unluckily (or luckily?) fought against Class A in the end of year 1 exam. Both classes had fought well and were on the stretch of either winning at the final event. However, Sakayanagi prevailed after showing her top tier skills, though Kiyotaka kept to himself that he only lost to Sakayanagi because Tsukishiro interfered in the battle.
"So that leaves Ryuuen-kun's Class D and Ichinose-san's Class C. While choosing Ryuuen-kun would be the better option because he's in Class D, I would actually be against the idea. Ryuuen-kun would do anything to win. He'll use any and all underhanded tactics. It's just not worth it for us."
As she kept talking, the rest of Class B's expressions began to show some understanding. It seemed Horikita was doing a good job at her role as the leader for the exam.
"That leaves the last option. In my opinion, the ideal opponent for us would be Class C, Ichinose's class. Unlike Sakayanagi, who is a little more powerful than us, and Ryuuen, who will use underhanded tactics, Ichinose's class will be a fair fight. We'll have an even chance at winning. Though there aren't any extra class points for grabs, we can at least gain the ones in the actual exam should we win. Plus, they are currently Class C right now, which means if they continue to do well, they'll catch up to us. Fighting them and winning can limit their chance at overtaking us."
She spoke rather quickly, perhaps because she was concerned about time, but her reasoning was clear, and it seemed to have resonated with many of the students.
"If anyone has any objections, I would like you to voice your opinions here and now. If, on the other hand, you think that Class C is okay, then you can vote for Class C as soon as possible and we can move onto the next question."
No one raised their hands in objection immediately, but one student stood up in response to Horikita's statement.
"I agree with you, Horikita-san. The additional reward for defeating Sakayanagi-san and the rest of Class A is big, but there's no doubt that they are the stronger enemies. Of course, the strong bonds and solid fighting style of Ichinose-san and Class C won't be easy to overcome, but I think they are the best opponents."
"I think I'll go with Ichinose-san and Class C too. I don't think it's fair that we don't get any additional rewards for fighting her's or Ryuuen-kun's class, but she is still a far better opponent than Ryuuen-kun. And it wouldn't be funny if we lost to Sakayanagi-san's class a second time."
Before any opposition could be raised, Hirata and Kei quickly solidified and supported Horikita's opinion of voting for Class C. The two of them followed Kiyotaka's plan, whether they supported Horikita's decision or not. As two surrounding leaders in the class, no one could disagree with their opinion either.
The fact that Class C received the most votes in the first round of voting was a clear indication that most of the students thought similar. No one else objected to the opinion, all nodding their heads in agreement except for a certain blonde narcissist. Due to that, the remaining time in the 10 minute interval passed in silence. Chabashira resumed the proceedings that had been halted.
"The 10 minute interval has ended. We will now move onto the second vote. Just as you have done so beforehand and as I have explained, as soon as the tablet screen changes, you have 60 seconds to cast your vote. if you go past 60 seconds, the penalty time will accumulate. Be careful."
Though she warned her students of the rules, it turned out to be unnecessary caution as in less than ten seconds, everyone had casted their vote. The results were immediately displayed on the monitor.
Results of the second round of voting:
Class A: 0 votes
Class C: 39 votes
Class D: 0 votes
There were some, including Kiyotaka, who thought that Kouenji would do his own thing and vote against the rest of the class. Luckily, it seemed he probably understood the implications of this special exam and just decided to go along with the class.
"By an unanimous vote, the first question shall be finalised with the choice of Class C. I will inform you of the class you will face in the final exam as soon as it is officially decided, but that will be after tomorrow."
In the space of between ten and twenty minutes, Class B had completed one of the five questions. They had 5 hours to complete 5 questions and the first was handled smoothly. The student's hopeful faces displayed their expectations that the exam would go smoothly and be finished soon.
However, Kiyotaka did not hold that hope. He still had his suspicions, though he did not let it show. He continued to show his calm, expressionless face while looking to the right towards a certain person.
4 hours and 45 minutes remained until the end of the exam.
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Part 2
"From the looks of things, I don't think we need to take a break. But just to make sure, I'll ask. If you require to make use of the school bathrooms, now's the time to go. If not, we can move on to the next question as long as you're all alright with it."
No student objected, so the second question began immediately...
...At least that's what should've happened.
"Umm... Excuse me, but I need to use the bathroom. I have a slight stomach ache."
Miyamoto raised his hand in the air, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. It appeared that one student actually had an upset stomach and needed to go deal with it.
"Really man? Come on!"
Understandably, Sudou raised his eyebrows in slight frustration. Every student had gone to the toilet right before the exam or earlier on during lunch time. But it appeared that this didn't apply to all the students.
"I-I ate a little bit too much for lunch and a little bit too fast."
"So why didn't you go to the toilet earlier before the exam!?"
Feeling insulted by Sudou's questioning and the stares from every other student, Miyamoto did his best to defend himself. But that did nothing to stop Mori Nene from rickling back into him. For the student that paid over 100,000 private points just to get Kiyotaka's original seat for their second year, there was little much Miyamoto could say that would actually defend himself.
"Hah... Forget it. There's no need to question it right now. Chabashira-sensei, we'll take the 10 minute break. Miyamoto-kun. Go to the toilet now and get back in within 7 minutes. If you don't, you'll get a stern talking to from me."
"Y-yes ma'am!"
Feeling exasperated at what she was hearing, Horikita placed a hand on her forehead, essentially facepalming. She decided to just end the conversation and allow for Miyamoto to quickly head to the toilet. However, her warning sounded more like a threat so Miyamoto quickly left so that he wouldn't incur her wrath.
After 5 minutes of being out, Miyamoto returned looking better. Kiyotaka thought that whatever he had for lunch probably wasn't as bad as Miyamoto was making it out to be. But that wasn't important.
"Are we ready now then? Let's move on to the second question."
Finally seeing the opportunity to move on, Chabashira spoke and the digital screen behind her changed to show the next question.
QUESTION TWO:
Choose a destination you would like to see for the school trip scheduled for late November.
Hokkaido
Kyoto
Okinawa
"Huh? What is this?"
Confused and surprised at the second question on the screen, a voice from one of the students leaked out. Since conversations or any form of speaking were not allowed during the voting section of the exam, any other voices were quickly drowned out by the sharp stares of Chabashira and the invigilator.
While Class B all had the same thoughts, they could not speak their mind. They could only think about the option themselves and vote first, and talk about it after the first vote as long as it's not unanimous.
"This vote is the same as the previous one, only this time it's a school trip. One extra thing too, whatever you choose is not final. The results may change depending on the situation of the remaining three classes. Be sure to understand that."
With that said, the 60 second voting time began and students began voting. In just 20 seconds, all 39 votes were accumulated and the results were displayed on the screen.
Results of the first round of voting:
17 votes for Hokkaido
3 votes for Kyoto
19 votes for Okinawa
"Since the vote was not unanimous, we will now have a 10 minute interval."
"Hey, hey, can we call this a special test? I mean, it's a piece of cake."
As soon as the interval started, Hondou made his observation with a small laugh that indicated he wasn't nervous about the special exam anymore. Kiyotaka narrowed his eyes after hearing Hondou's statement.
However, it was true that the first and second questions were easy ones. They didn't need to be presented in an ostentatious way for a special exam and could easily be done in homeroom classes. Because of that, quite a number of the students, like Hondou, started relaxing a little bit.
Only two questions had passed. If the questions continued to be like this, they would be considered too easy by the students and wouldn't be taken seriously.
However, not all the students were losing their anxiousness due to the state of the questions. Excluding Kiyotaka who knew what was going to come soon, Horikita, Hirata and Kei also did not show any lack of caution and looked at the question very seriously.
"I'm sure we all have our own thoughts on this special exam currently. But let's focus on passing this question first."
Wary of getting distracted, Hirata pulled the entire class back together.
"So our first vote is split between Hokkaido and Okinawa. What are we going to do now to get the vote unanimous?"
"Horikita-san, it looks like we're divided in our opinions, do you have any advice for us?"
When Kei's question reached the ears of Kushida, she turned her attention to Horikita. Being the one who nominated her as the leader, Kushida thought she needed to be the one to question Horikita for staying quiet instead of giving out orders.
However, even after having her name called out, Horikita still stayed silent. That silence transported around the whole room as everyone waited for Horikita to speak to no avail.
"Horikita-san?"
After having her name called out by Kushida again, Horikita shook her head and hurriedly answered.
"I'm sorry. I've been thinking about this question for a little bit. It's not a complicated choice, but I thought it might be surprisingly hard to make it unanimous. The school trip is an important event for us students, and of course I can't summarise its destination in a single word... Anyway, I guess we'll just have to start by asking you to give us your opinion on your preferred travel destination."
As if he had been waiting for that, Sudou raised his hand and stood up to give his answer.
"Okay, I'll start. I want to go to Okinawa. Okinawa is the most popular school trip because of the ocean, right? It's got the most votes, so I guess it's settled, right?"
"Wait just a minute. I'll admit that Okinawa is one of the standard places, but if you say that, then so is the North Coast Highway. It's not even a close call in terms of votes. Don't you want to go skiing or something?"
Right after Sudou presented his reasoning, Maezono immediately stood up in opposition. It appeared she was one of the students to have voted for Hokkaido.
"I'd like to go to Okinawa. I want to go snorkelling!"
"I've been to Okinawa a few times, so Hokkaido is my choice..."
The two travel destinations with close total votes started to disagree head on. Since Sudou and Maezono both chose the destination they thought was best for them, it was not surprising that they are critical of the other options.
"In the first place, there's only snow in Hokkaido, right? It's definitely boring."
"Well, if you put it that way, Okinawa is nothing but ocean, isn't it?"
"Wait guys. Hold on. Hokkaido and Okinawa are both equally popular destinations for school trips, so I guess it's not unreasonable to get into trouble, but you might want to be a little more considerate of the others."
If Hirata hadn't intervened when he did, Sudou and Maezono probably would have bickered with each other to no end. They wouldn't be able to have a decent discussion over the options if the heated debate that turned more into humiliating the other's choice continued.
"Hirata-kun picked Hokkaido, right?"
"Hey Hirata, you chose Okinawa, didn't you?"
"What about you, Ayanokouji-kun? Not Okinawa, right?"
"Ayanokouji. You didn't choose Hokkaido did you?"
Since Hirata was the one who tried to act as the mediator, Sudou and Maezono immediately turned their questioning to him, seeking for a supporter. Surprisingly though, the two arguers also brought Kiyotaka, an uninvolved party member, into the debate.
Sandwiched between both groups, Hirata gave a troubled look while Kiyotaka just sat there slightly confused on why he was being brought into the battle of words and choices.
"W-Well, I mean... That's a bit... secret... isn't it?"
"Votes are meant to be anonymous so I can't exactly tell you what I voted for. However, my opinion is that both options and Kyoto do seem like good choices that it is difficult to choose between them."
The two popular boys in the class each gave an answer they could only give in this situation. They didn't see a need in adding more fuel to the fire, plus the anonymity excuse was sure to push them away for now.
"The only place you can swim in November is Okinawa, right? Don't you want to go to the beach?"
"I don't want to go to the ocean anymore. I've had enough after the island. Hokkaido for sure!"
While Kiyotaka and Hirata were able to avoid answering to make the argument worse, it did not stop said argument from continuing. Once again, the very young childlike argument soon became heated again. If anything, the exchange between Sudou and Maezono could probably be seen as a microcosm of the entire class' opinions.
"Oh my... what should we do, Horikita-san?"
With a troubled look on her face, Kushida turned back to Horikita and asked for help.
"We're in a tough spot I suppose... There's not much time left to discuss a plan. Just vote again for now and we'll figure out what to do next round."
The difficulty of unanimity. Maybe they've been given a problem that will bring it to the surface sooner rather than later. There was no easy way to wrap up the conversation, and the ten-minute interval was coming to an end.
With no plan yet, and time running out, Horikita decided to just to allow freedom of choice again while she could think of a plan.
Incidentally, Kiyotaka followed his and Horikita's agreement of voting the first option the first round, but now he was given freedom to choose what he wanted. He decided that he wanted to vote for Kyoto because it had a deep history that he had a strong desire to see. Coincidentally too, Kei had told him that before moving to Miyagi prefecture and Sendai, she also happened to live in Kyoto too. It was quite likely Kei voted for Kyoto in the first round too.
"So, now that all the voting for the second round is complete, the results will be displayed," Chabashira said as soon as the voting was complete.
Results of the second round of voting:
18 votes for Hokkaido
4 votes for Kyoto
17 votes for Okinawa
"Ah, Hokkaido is now winning! Yes! We did it!"
"Damn it. Who the hell switched from Okinawa to Hokkaido!?"
The votes between Hokkaido and Okinawa continued to be a near 50-50 split, although Hokkaido was slightly ahead with more votes this round. However, both the Hokkaido and Okinawa groups began arguing all over again at the new movement of votes. If this kept up and the voting process repeated, there would be no end answer to this question.
Coming to this realisation, Horikita gave an exasperated sigh and spoke up again.
"I guess it can't be helped. There are lots of people who want Hokkaido, lots who want Okinawa and very few for Kyoto. To choose a winner, we'll have representatives from each option and have them play rock-paper-scissors. We'll choose the spearhead, the middleman, and the general, and play a winner-take-all game. However, Kyoto, with its low number of votes, will be left with only one representative. It's a tough fight, but we'll try to keep it as fair as possible."
It would certainly be unfair for the minority group of Kyoto to be able to fight on the same terms as the Okinawa and Hokkaido teams. It was unfortunate and this method was sure to cause some dissatisfaction, but Horikita decided this was the only way to pull together and answer the question within good time.
While there was some wrangling over who would be the representative of the rock-paper-scissors team, the contestants were soon chosen.
For the Hokkaido team, the chosen warriors were Maezono as the spearhead, Ishikura Kayako as the middlewoman, and Shinohara as the general. It was a full women's team.
And as for the Okinawa team, the spearhead role went to Onodera Kayano, the middleman to Hondou, and the general as Sudou. A mixed gender team compared to Maezono's women only team.
"So we've got the teams for Okinawa and Hokkaido. Whoever voted for Kyoto, can you join us for rock-paper-scissors?"
Only 4 people voted for Kyoto and one of them was Kiyotaka. Horikita was asking one of them to be the representative for this rock-paper-scissors battle. But Kiyotaka didn't want to take part and he didn't know anyone else who voted for Kyoto other than the possibility of Kei.
"If no one else is willing to participate, I'll be the captain. I'll definitely bring everyone to Kyoto."
Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly), it was Yukimura who expressed his strong will and threw himself into the fierce battle to fight for Kyoto. He was the only student to speak out of the 4 that chose Kyoto as the destination.
With all the participants nominated, the heated battle of rock-paper-scissors began. However, Kyoto was immediately knocked out of the game as soon as it started. The first round went to the Okinawa team with Onodera defeating Yukimura and Maezono.
The dream of having Kyoto be the destination was shattered in an instant, and they left the battlefield with a broken heart. It was a fleeting moment, less than ten seconds after Yukimura had come forward. Slight angry tears could be seen forming in his eyes.
And if that wasn't enough, Kiyotaka witnessed Horikita put her hand on her forehead and sigh. He also turned towards Kei and saw her do the same thing. It appeared that the four people who voted for Kyoto were himself, Yukimura, Horikita and Kei. But that didn't matter anymore as Kyoto was no longer an option.
With Kyoto now completely out of the battle, the game continued. Onodera continued her winning streak by defeating Ishikura the middlewoman and taking a greater lead for the Okinawa team.
However, there was an unexpected turn of events when the final opponent Shinohara was drafted in. Whether it was by luck or if she was just a rock-paper-scissors goddess, Shinohara defeated not only Onodera but Hondou right after.
With both of the Okinawa first fighters out of the game, that left their leader and general left to fight the incredible Shinohara. Sudou walked forward, trying his best to look badass, and Shinohara stood there in a position that made her seem like a professional bad girl. As soon as they were directly in front of each other, the two sides glared at the other.
The final battle between two generals was about to begin. The room became slightly intense from the aura between these two.
"Definitely Okinawa! Beaches and snorkelling."
"Definitely Hokkaido! Hot springs and Skiing!"
Each of them clenched their fists while chanting out random words that related to their chosen destination. They were just deciding where to go on the next school trip, but the tension of this decision was unbelievable.
The raised fists finally lowered and formed their respective shapes. The battle finally reached a conclusion and the results began to show themselves.
"I got it! It's Hokkaido!" The Hokkaido group shouted in unison.
The lucky horse Shinohara brought light to the Hokkaido team and defeated every single fighter on the Okinawa team.
"What are you doing, Sudou!?"
"Damn you...!"
Understandably, Sudou and the rest of the Okinawa team were frustrated after coming so close to winning. But there was nothing that could be done. They now needed to stick with Hokkaido after the battle, whether they liked it or not.
Horikita understood that this was not the kind of atmosphere to let her personal choice cloud her even if she looked somewhat dismayed. The third round of voting was held, and everyone operated their tablets at once.
Results of the third round of voting:
39 votes for Hokkaido
0 votes for Kyoto
0 votes for Okinawa
"The third vote was unanimous, so the second question is clear."
While about half of the voters were dissatisfied with the results, the third round of voting was successful in achieving unanimity through a "fair fight" according to the established rules. Though Class B were forced to choose Hokkaido, that did not mean that it was guaranteed to be the chosen destination for the school trip. Depending on what the other classes voted, Kyoto and Okinawa were still possible.
But for now, that did not matter. They had only completed two questions out of the five they needed to complete. This one had taken a little bit longer to complete, but they were still within good time.
4 hours and 10 minutes remained until the end of the exam.
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Part 3
"Shall we move onto the next question or do you guys require another toilet break?"
Chabashira asked the class as soon as the results disappeared from the screen. Her demeanour hadn't changed since the start of the exam, but Kiyotaka noticed there was a slight change of tone in her voice.
He remembered that the expulsion question that came up in her exam ended up being the last question. While they were getting closer to the last question, Chabashira's slight change in voice didn't exactly make sense to Kiyotaka.
[Is there something wrong with the third question that I don't know about?] He asked himself.
"OK... let's move on to the third question."
Kiyotaka did not have time to think about it too much as the next question appeared on the front screen.
QUESTION THREE:
Either the private points that are paid out according to class points each month are reduced to zero and three random students in the class will be given protection points.
Alternatively, the number of private points awarded could be halved, and a specific student could be awarded a protection point.
If neither of these options is desired, the bottom five students in the next written exam will receive zero private points.
Note: No matter which option is chosen, the period of private point forfeiture will continue for six months.
Unlike the previous two questions, this one encompassed major advantages and disadvantages within the class. In option one, the payback was greater because of the larger number of private points you lose, but they also couldn't overlook the fact that 3 protection points would be given to random students. Protection points were a very powerful ally but it was important that they were given to students who needed them most and not random.
Option two was also not cheap, as the amount of private points transferred to students every month for the next 6 months would be halved. Moreover, only one student would be granted a protection point. It was important that if this option was chosen that they had to carefully choose the selected student.
Option three existed as a means to minimise the loss of private points as much as possible. This would be the option one would choose if they found the protection points too expensive or if they didn't need them in the first place. However, there were still disadvantages here. Five students who get the lowest scores in the next exam would not be awarded any private points for 6 months.
In addition to calculating the profit and loss of each option, Kiyotaka noted that it was also necessary to consider the class situation. Some students may have a lot to say, but there is no other way but to vote first.
"Before you all vote, let's talk about the case where there is unanimity on option two, the option to grant to a particular student. If the vote is unanimous on this choice, we will move on to the next option where we will continue to determine one person without clearing question three. You remember the practice example we did a few days ago, don't you?"
To recap, the small 10 minute interval between answering the first part of the question and the next part would be used to select one student and collect votes for or against granting it to that student. If the vote is unanimous in favour, the student will receive a protection point. But if the vote is unanimous against, the student will no longer have a chance in that question. Then, the remaining 38 students will discuss and select one candidate.
When the buttons to vote appeared on the tablets, Kiyotaka and the rest of Class B quickly put their votes in.
"Based on those results, we will announce the results of the first round of voting."
Results of the first round of voting:
12 votes to grant three random people
5 votes to select and grant one person
22 votes to not grant anyone
The results seemed to indicate that the majority of people were willing to sacrifice the bottom 5 students from not getting private points and give up on the protection points. For those who weren't in the bottom five rankings, the option was risk-free. On the other hand, the rest believed that gaining protection points was more beneficial even if they know that they won't get private points for six months.
"Hey, wait a minute! There is something about this!"
"Yeah! If we don't get protection points, we'll lose five people!"
Ike and Satou were the first to protest against the majority choice. As students who seemed to fall into the bracket for lowest grades, it was to the surprise of no one that they disagreed with the option.
"Well, it can't be helped, can it? It's a bit like... not getting your private points transferred for six months. Also, the random option has low probability, and the specific option is unlikely to be given to me so... Please sacrifice yourself, Kanji."
Sudou was the one to answer their concerns. His tone voiced his outward confidence at no longer being in the bottom academics rankings. Understandably, Ike showed annoyance and slight anger in his expression at this.
"That's bullshit! So not fair! Even I need a lot of private points right now!"
"You're not going to tell me you need money to go on dates with Shinohara, are you?"
"Well... I mean... Hey, what does it matter to you?!"
Despite being caught for his reason for wanting lots of private points, Ike didn't seem particularly bothered by it. He was more focused on winning the fight against his friend as it appeared to be a matter of life and death.
"If you really disagree with us, then you should study more. That will help solve your problem, right?"
"H-hey... I just can't agree with what Ken says! He's asking too much."
Sudou had once been at the very bottom of the academic barrel because he refused to study. But after vowing to be better and putting all his effort into studying a lot, he broke out of it and made his way into the majority of Class B's academic ability. In this situation, it was definitely important to study as much as possible, but it appeared that seemed too much for Ike.
"I understand what you're saying, but it's too early to be pessimistic. We just need to minimise the number of private points we lose and we can all make up for the burden. The remaining 34 students should be able to make up for the bottom five's private points that will be lost each month. This way, only certain students won't feel dissatisfied, right?"
Surprising everyone with his explanation, Sudou explained the situation from his point of view and even proposed a solution to help Ike and the other bottom students if they chose the option.
If one student earned 50,000 points per month, then 250,000 points for five students would be lost in this example. The remaining 34 students would get 1.7 million points, and, if divided by 39 and rounded down to the nearest whole number, would come to 43589 points per student if they went with Sudou's plan. The loss of points would be unavoidable, but each person would only lose about 6500 points which wasn't too much considering their current position of Class B.
"Well, that's fine then..."
"To be honest, I don't really want to share... but we're getting closer to Class A and that means we need to help each other more. I could help Kanji if he really needs it," Sudou's change towards helping others more surprised everyone, but it was a welcome that Class B needed.
Even if he seemed to be dissatisfied with his own proposal, he was willing to help Ike in any way he could, whether he was a friend or not.
As many of the students voted to not be granted any protection points, they naturally began to agree on the direction to stick with option three. However, in the midst of all this, Hirata raised his voice.
"Horikita-san, do you think it's best to choose the no protection point distribution option?"
Following his position as the second leader, mediator, and bias reducer of the class, Hirata turned to the leader for their class's exam, Horikita.
"That's a tough one. It's a pretty troubling option, to be honest. Protection points can be a very powerful tool to prevent expulsion. But the same can be said for private points. I wonder if Hirata-kun thinks differently?"
"It's only one opinion and it's my own too, but I think we should get protection points for this question. For all three of us, of course."
"If you don't get any private points for six months, it's going to hurt a lot. Not only will it put a lot of stress on your daily life, but it could also affect the special exam if the situation warrants it."
The possibility that private points could make the difference between winning and losing cannot be denied. If no one had something to work for, they would become unmotivated to continue to work for it.
"If something unforeseen happens, we can protect three people. The timing of when you can get protection points is quite limited, plus this is a valuable commodity that can't be taken lightly."
Hirata's reasoning made sense. The value of the protection points that can prevent expulsion is actually up to 20 million private points. It was not often that three protection points for three different people in a class were available. In Hirata's case, who cares about his friends, it's a value that can't be replaced by money. A protection point could save a student's life and future at ANHS.
"Sorry, but can I have a say in this?"
Another student raised his voice for the first time since the exam started. This time, it was Yukimura who stood up and expressed his opinion to Horikita and the class.
"For the next six months, we're going to increase our class points, right?"
"Of course. There's never a good time to stagnate in your quest for a higher class."
Horikita answered with raised eyebrows, as if saying "Yes. That is obvious. Why are you asking that?"
"Fifty for this special exam, and a hundred points if we place first in the cultural festival. Assuming the sports festival increases similar points, by the end of the semester, we might have more than 200 points, or even 300 points depending on the situation. Can I assume that?"
"I suppose we will."
"Then I think that as we aim for this larger growth of class points, I agree with Hirata that we take the opportunity to grab protection points. Grabbing as many private points as we can is important as they can help us greatly in fighting back, but we also need to be aware of attacks on us from normal and special exams. That's why we need a protection point, even if it means sacrificing a bit of our private points."
Class B was slowly rising each time, which meant they were likely more vulnerable to more targeting from people like Sakayanagi and Ryuuen who played dirty. There was also the possibility of outside interference, such as what Kiyotaka had gone through in the end of year 1 exam just many months ago. This was what Yukimura was trying to make everyone aware of.
"So... is Yukimura-kun saying that the idea of prioritising private points is an offensive strategy which is something we're already doing pretty well, while the idea of prioritising protection points is a defensive strategy and something we need to consider a bit more, right?"
Kushida asked that question to understand and defuse the situation. Yukimura nodded at her question, to which she continued on with her point.
"I know what you're going to say. If it doesn't get used, then it may or may not be worthless and expensive. But even if it ends up being unnecessary in its original use, it can be used as a strategy to intentionally consume protection points to launch a surprise attack or to use it as a self-destruct mechanism. You might even be able to use them for offensive purposes, not simply for protection."
Despite having the name "protection point" indicated it as a mere defensive mechanism, there were uses for it to be used offensively. For example, a shield is merely used as a means to protect from a sword or spear hitting you. But there were many other uses a shield could have in offensive terms. As if remembering a certain light novel that covered this topic, a certain student nearby Kiyotaka had his eyes sparkling.
There was no guarantee that they would have the opportunity to use the protection point effectively in the future. However, it was important, especially for the roads ahead, to have everything prepared as they grow as a class.
"Then Yukimura-kun, you are saying that we should grant protection points to three students? Isn't there a risk with it being random?"
In order to make a final confirmation and narrow down the options, Horikita tried to get a word in edgewise.
"No. You misunderstand, Horikita-san. The option I'm recommending is the second. The one that grants a protection point to one student."
Horikita raised her eyebrows at Yukimura's answer of wanting option two, which was thought to be the least likely.
"Does that mean, for lack of a better word, that I should grant it to you?"
"I'd honestly be happy if you did. But that's not realistic. I think you'd want me to grant someone who is more worthy of it, because that's basically what all of us would do. It's hard to pick out a specific person. But no matter how much of a bargain it is, I don't know how well giving protection points to three random people will work."
Hearing Yukimura's statement, some students began nodding in understanding. But that hadn't yet convinced them. Horikita also seemed to notice a small detail in his explanation.
"You seem to have a clear idea of who you should give the protection point to. If it's not you, then who do you really want to have the protection point?"
"If you want me to make a strategic decision, Horikita-san, then the person I believe should have it the most is no one else but you."
"Me?"
Horikita was surprised that she was chosen by Yukimura for the protection point nomination. She didn't seem to understand why that was.
"Yes. Right now, you're the leader of this class, and I have no complaints about your abilities in OAA. Obviously, you'd be targeted by Sakayanagi and Ryuuen at the very least. It's not surprising to think that those two would try to expel you without mercy. It's best if we protect our leader first, then worry about the rest of us later."
It was natural to have animosity going round with who was chosen. But in this situation, there appeared to be none. Considering the reason that Yukimura had, it seemed best for everyone to listen and not argue.
"But that's not the only reason. Normally, when you hold a protection point, there is a risk of loosening up. There is also the risk that you will not take it seriously, thinking that you are safe. I'm sure you're not that kind of person. You're someone who will make use of it carefully and ensure we all get benefits out of it. I feel quite strongly about that."
"I see. I understand what you're saying, but... it's an expensive purchase. Option 2 will result in losing half of our private points for six months."
Class B's current class point situation was already in a decent position, with them standing at 621 class points. And with the extra private points they earned from the Talent Show, they were already in a good position to keep a decent amount of class points for the next 6 months as long as they didn't overspend for that length of time.
"They feel like they're losing money because they think they're just losing private points. This is an upfront investment. Horikita will turn it into more class points than you pay for with this option. It's easier to think that way, isn't it?"
"Even so... it could crash, you know?"
"I don't believe we can beat Class A without taking a risk. I've been fighting at this school for a year and a half myself."
"Hmph. That's valid, isn't it? I agree with your current proposal, Glasses-kun."
Surprisingly, Kouenji showed his agreement to Yukimura's option. Most thought he would never be involved in this special exam, just doing his own thing or following everyone else.
"For the amount of private points we give up, we can have Horikita-girl work harder than anyone else."
"You have a protection point, but you don't seem to be working hard."
"Hard work is something ordinary people do, you know. I'd rather sit back and let you people handle it."
As Kouenji said this, he sneakily sent a glance towards Kiyotaka and gave a smirk. It appeared to Kiyotaka that Kouenji was sending him a message through that smirk. He knew Kouenji was saying that he was an exception so he gave a sigh.
But that wasn't important right now. Kiyotaka focused back on the question, the options and Yukimura's points.
[Personally, I thought the first and final option were best. But Keisei is making pretty good points. I can't find many disadvantages with that option and I don't disagree with it either. Perhaps that might be the best option...]
It was hard to say that it was for the good of the class if it's simply because it has to do with private points. Soon it was time for the next round of voting and the students began putting their votes through. Whether or not Yukimura's reasons changed the mindset of Class B, they were about to find out as the results presented themselves.
Results of the second round of voting:
0 votes to grant three random people
39 votes to select and grant one person
0 votes to not grant anyone
It turned out that Yukimura's idea was adopted after successfully sewing through the gap. As there were no students who objected to the idea of giving the protection point to Horikita, when the time came during the interval to decide who they were going to vote on, all 38 other students voted for her and the question was finally completed.
As Chabashira was conducting her mandatory announcement of the third question's completion, Kiyotaka stole a glance towards a beige short-haired student. Though she looked normal, there were visible twitches and Kiyotaka was sure he could see a vein popping on her head. It was evident to him that while she voted with the rest of the class, she really didn't like that Horikita had managed to grab a protection point for herself.
Kiyotaka noted that from all of this, it was probably best to put his plan into action soon. The question he had been waiting for, the question that brought himself and Chabashira to have a discussion, had still yet to show up. He needed to be ready for it.
3 hours and 55 minutes remained until the end of the exam.
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Part 4
QUESTION FOUR:
One of the following rules will be applied to the class in the written exam at the end of the second semester.
Increased Difficulty
Increased Penalty
Decreased Reward
Results of the second round of voting:
0 votes for increased difficulty
39 votes for increased penalty
0 votes for decreased rewards
After a small break, Class B continued on with the 4th question. There were no real benefits from this question, but thanks to a bit of discussion and Horikita's leadership, the class weighed on just voting for an increased penalty for the next end of semester exam.
After that, there was still 3 hours and 35 minutes until the end of the exam, which meant only an hour and a half had gone by and they were already on the very last question. This translated to a really good time as it was possible that the class would finish the exam earlier than they thought.
While most students were optimistic about this, Kiyotaka knew that this was actually pretty bad as it meant that the very question he was preparing for was now about to show up. It was only more evident with Chabashira's current condition.
"Now... then, It's time... for your last question."
As the class progressed through each question, Chabashira's complexion was changing for the worse. It became clearer to the rest of the students before the final question arrived.
"Sensei, are you okay?"
Talking before the 10 minute interval was forbidden. This was made apparent to the students many times. However, Hirata disregarded that rule, raised his voice and asked Chabashira about her condition. It appeared he couldn't overlook it.
"I'm sorry...?"
"Sensei, it's just... It's just that you're obviously not feeling well."
"Is that so? I'm not sure what you mean Hirata."
Since Chabashira was trying her best to deny it, Hirata could not question it further. He was already going pretty far by talking before the interval between questions and the invigilator at the back had given Hirata a pass, likely due to him also noticing Chabashira's condition. But he couldn't do anything else. All he could do was prepare himself for the final question.
"I'm about to display the final question. Prepare to vote."
This was it, Kiyotaka noted. The question that would test him and the rest of the class. Would he be able to find the correct answer? Now was the time to find out. The final question displayed itself on the front screen.
QUESTION FIVE:
Gain 100 class points in exchange for one classmate being expelled. (If the vote is unanimously in favour, identify the student who will be expelled and vote for him/her.)
For
Against
All but a few students, Kiyotaka included, gave looks of complete shock and distress. It seemed that even though they've been through a lot of special exams where expulsion was in the middle, they somehow did not expect a question like this to show up.
Kiyotaka had his suspicions that this was going to show up, and his meeting with Chabashira had all but proven it. From how she explained the question to him, it was exactly the same type of question she received 10 years ago. A nightmare.
Expulsion for Class Points or keep and no Class Points? If Class B voted in favour, one of them would be expelled. Under normal circumstances, that meant the entire class should vote "no" without hesitation. Although 100 class points is not a small number, most would prefer not to have a classmate expelled in return for them.
"The... 60-second count will now begin. You are asked to... begin voting," Chabashira called out in a shaky voice.
Students began voting as soon as the buttons appeared on their tablets. If the results of the vote turned unanimously in favour of the proposal, it would inevitably lead Class B down a dangerous path. But no one wanted that to happen, because 100 class points just from expelling a classmate was not so much a need for Class B.
"All... have voted and will be informed of the results."
Results of the first round of voting:
2 in favour
37 against
...Almost no one wanted that to happen...
Seeing the results on the screen, Kiyotaka narrowed his eyes a bit but returned them to normal and looked at Chabashira who, instead of proceeding with the usual procedures, just sat in her chair motionlessly staring at the screen displaying the results.
"Chabashira-sensei. Please proceed."
The invigilator cautioned Chabashira, causing her to return back to reality after a few seconds.
"Ah... I apologise. T-the results are... 2 votes in favour, 37 against. Since the vote was not unanimous, we'll go into an interval."
[Two votes in favour, huh?] Kiyotaka thought. He already knew who one of them was but he could also probably guess the second one, along with everyone else.
"Hey, who the hell voted in favour of that? Are you kidding me!?"
Sudou's strong gaze was unilaterally directed at Kouenji. Although Kouenji had made some comments about protection points, he hadn't really stood out much in this exam, instead deciding to just roll along with everyone else. But the content of this question appeared to be the thing that made him stand out, as most, including Sudou, agreed that this was a type of question Kouenji would mess around with.
"Which way did you vote, Kouenji?"
As soon as the interval began, the interrogation to find the perpetrators began. Sudou started with Kouenji.
"Do I have to answer that?"
"If you can't answer, it means you voted in favour, right?"
"Don't be so judgmental, Red Hair-kun. In the first place, according to Horikita-girl, you should be allowed to make any choice in the first round of voting. I don't think you have any right to complain about which one you put in, do you?"
Seeing how Kouenji's excuse was a valid argument, Sudou, although frustrated and unhappy, stayed silent.
"Even if one vote was Kouenji, that means there's another guy who voted in favour, right?"
Ike focused on the other important fact of the situation. There were two people who voted in favour of the proposal and they had no idea who that person was.
"That's definitely a problem, too. Who the hell is that?" Sudou barked in annoyance, as if he had no idea who the other person was.
"Don't panic. One of the people who voted in favour is Ayanokouji-kun."
Finally seeing an opportunity to speak, Horikita answered Sudou, Ike's and everyone else's question of who that second person likely was - Kiyotaka.
"What? Oh, Ayanokouji voted in favour? How can you say that, Suzune...?"
"I've been keeping it a secret up to this point, but before this special exam started, me and him had made a pact regarding voting procedures. Whatever the content of the question, I've arranged it so that the first vote will not be unanimous."
Everyone showed slightly surprised faces at Horikita's explanation, some turning to Kiyotaka to see his usual expressionless face, though it also contained narrowed eyes that barely anyone noticed.
"To avoid unanimity on an unexpected question, right?"
Hirata added a few words to make it easier for the students who didn't fully understand.
"Yes..."
"What's that about? But if that's the case, you should have told me about it earlier."
Sudou questioned why he and some other students didn't know about this agreement. Horikita turned around and gave her answer.
"Not so fast. The first round of voting, when you're not allowed to talk, is an important opportunity to get a proper idea of what your classmates want to choose. If you all knew that I was planning to prevent the vote from being unanimous from the start, some of you might just vote randomly. I wanted to avoid that. It was Ayanokouji-kun's role to vote for the first option. I would vote for the second option. That's why only one person actually voted in favour."
Although she didn't know who it was, Horikita spoke to that one person who voted in favour of the proposal.
"It's a bit of a radical question, but it's up to the individual to decide which way to vote. I don't think it's wrong in itself to vote in favour in order to grab class points. But I think we should all vote against it as a class. If you have any objections, I would appreciate it if you could raise them here."
Normally, the student who had voted in favour of the proposal would have come forward at this point. But no one objected to Horikita's instruction, no matter how long they waited. Seeing this, Sudou became more frustrated and began his attack.
"How long are you going to keep your mouth shut, Kouenji?"
"Fufu. As I said before, I don't want you to assume that I'm in favour of this."
"What the hell! I know you're just messing around anyway."
Since it was Kouenji, it might have been possible that he was just amused by Sudou's anger, only provoking him for entertainment. In other words, if it wasn't Kouenji, then someone wants to get 100 class points for expelling a classmate. That would attract attention and criticism in a bad way.
"I've had enough-"
"Calm down, Sudou-kun. It's only the first round of voting. There's no need to be particularly upset."
"Okay, but still! I don't like that someone actually voted in favour of this proposal."
"So do I, but it's your choice to interpret it that way. We have no proof that it was Kouenji-kun. I also interpreted it to mean that whoever voted in favour of it was sorry for not coming forward. If they vote no on the second ballot, it will be unanimous. That should be enough. There's no need for further discussion on this issue. Come on, let's finish it in the next vote."
Sudou gave a defeated "fine" and smacked both his cheeks once as if to discipline himself. Soon, with a bit of unrelated chit-chat, it was time to begin the second round of voting. The buttons appeared on the tablets and the students began their voting again.
"Voting... is now complete and the results of the second vote will be displayed."
Results of the second round of voting:
2 in favour
37 against
Up until now, the special exam didn't create any strong tension. However, the moment the results of this second round were announced, the room went silent. Instead of changing to an unanimous vote of 39 against the proposal, the results stayed the exact same.
"Wait a minute, what does this mean? Ayanokouji-kun. What is the meaning of this?"
Shocked at the spectacle on the screen, Horikita immediately looked over at Kiyotaka and questioned him. At the same time, every other student, including Sudou, also turned to him. Satou, who was next to him, gave a concerned look.
"I didn't vote in favour of expulsion on the first vote or the second. I specifically followed everyone else and voted against both times."
"What? Ayanokouji-kun was supposed to vote for option one, right?"
"Yes. That was the original plan. But because of this question's content, I took the liberty of deciding that it would be better to vote for the against option and go against our agreement just for here. I didn't tell you that because I didn't want to cause any unnecessary conflict."
Kiyotaka was not one of the two people who voted in favour. That meant that not just one but two people who voted went undetected. Now they could no longer play it off as a joke. The situation had now turned extremely serious. Even Horikita, who had carried herself calmly throughout this entire process, was a little distraught.
"So... there are at least two people who think we should expel someone for Class Points, is that it?"
Horikita put a hand to her lips and began trying to piece things together quickly. She probably would have wanted to stop and think about it for longer, but the interval was precious.
"If you're going to continue to vote in favour of this, could you please tell me exactly why? As you can see, all but two of the results show that thirty-seven people are against the idea. If you want everyone to vote in favour, I'd like to see a reasonable presentation."
The basis for swaying a vote is discussion, as seen with the previous votes. If more people decide that there are greater advantages to voting in favour, the vote will naturally shift. On the other hand, if there is no discussion, it is not easy to sway votes.
However, not a single student answered Horikita's request for discussion. Silence reigned throughout the classroom.
"Hey, hey, Horikita-san. It's okay... right? No one is going to drop out of the class, right?"
Kushida was visibly worried. She couldn't stand the silence and asked Horikita that question. However, her, Horikita and the rest of the students failed to notice Kiyotaka narrow his eyes immensely while staring at Kushida.
"As I said before, my policy is to not let anyone drop out of school."
Even though Horikita reiterated her stance and determination in ensuring unanimity on no classmate expulsion for class points, the silence continued throughout the classroom.
"I don't know who's against this. But I want you to listen carefully," Hirata stood up and spoke gently but forcefully. "You shouldn't choose to cut off your classmates in order to gain class points. I don't think the points gained from such a choice are worth anything, even if they were 500 or 1000 class points. The most important thing is that there are other ways to achieve class points."
With the two people who were voting in favour of expelling a classmate still going undetected, tension began spreading across the room. It wouldn't be too long before that tension overthrew before the people revealed themselves. That was until...
"Very well. Things really seem to be taking an interesting turn in this special exam. This is quite enjoyable," Kouenji started laughing with amusement and continued. "I thought you were going to vote against me in the second round."
"So it was you, Kouenji!"
Seeing that he was right all along, Sudou immediately began his word offence on Kouenji. Horikita also turned to Kouenji and began her own questioning, seeking clarification on whether he really was in favour of expelling a classmate.
"Kouenji-kun, is that true? I'd like to stop you from becoming the boy who cried wolf here because that would cause a nasty mess."
Kouenji turned to Horikita with his usual outgoing and confident smirk.
"Do not worry, Horikita-girl. I made sure to vote in favour of the question both the first time and the second time. I can confirm to you that I am one of the two people."
"Can you tell me why?"
"The answer is simple. We'll get 100 more class points, right? That means we'll inevitably get more private points every month, so there's no reason to vote against."
More class points inevitably meant more private points distribution. That much was obvious. When Kiyotaka began analysing Kouenji's reasoning a bit better, it became more apparent to Kiyotaka why Kouenji was voting in favour and what he actually wanted. Kiyotaka decided to just sit and watch things happen for now.
"You've got to be kidding me. You think class points are more important than your friends?"
"You have a funny way of saying things. You didn't seem like that kind of person when you first came here."
"You- Shut up!"
Being reminded of his past self by someone he hated, Sudou could only angrily reply with no comeback.
"What the hell do you think your friends are...?"
"Friends? I've never thought of any of you as my friends."
Kiyotaka oddly felt a sense of deja-vu with this line. He disgustingly felt reminded of his old self during the first island exam where he said something similar in his head. He had changed since then, but being reminded of this catchphrase certainly didn't make him feel good.
"So you're saying you're not going to change your vote to the other side at the next vote?"
"Of course not. I'll probably continue to vote in favour if things 'stay the same'. I'm sure Horikita-girl doesn't want to just run out of time, right?"
"Ha. Don't think things will go as you wish, Kouenji. If that's what you're planning to do, we're not going to let you get away with it either, Suzune. Let's all vote in favour and get Kouenji expelled!" Sudou exclaimed as he tried to get the support of everyone to vote out Kouenji.
While there did appear to be some support that was likely to grow, it was immediately destroyed once Kouenji and Horikita spoke again.
"I wish everyone would vote in favour. But don't think you can get me expelled for it. Isn't that right? Horikita-girl."
"He's right. We can't expel Kouenji-kun."
"What do you mean?"
Sudou, obviously confused at why Horikita was defending Kouenji, tried to confirm the situation. Some students began to understand the reason before Horikita could explain it, but the rest listened to her explanation.
"Remember before the island exam started? When we were spending the week or two forming up teams and formulating strategies with our cards? I made a promise to Kouenji-kun that if he took first place in the Uninhabited Island exam, I would protect him until he graduated. Granted, I didn't expect him to actually get first place. But thanks to him getting first place in that exam, our class managed to become bigger contenders to the point we're now Class B. That achievement is immeasurable."
Kouenji's situation was different from the rest. Thanks to that agreement, he had more freedom to do whatever he wanted, leading to the position they were in now. Horikita, not one to break promises, was not going to breach it.
However, there still were exceptions to this agreement as with all agreements. An example of such was the separate deal Kouenji made with Kiyotaka before the Talent Show where they would assist each other with their problems. Sudou did not know about this separate agreement, so he tried to find a different exception.
"Yeah, that's true... but that agreement shouldn't count if you're trying to bring the class down!"
"I'm not sure I'd call it 'bringing the class down'. I'm just freely choosing the choices that are entrusted to me. You can't assume that voting in favour is bad, can you? On another note though, Horikita-girl is making sure she's a trustworthy leader by keeping promises. No one would trust a leader who didn't keep their promises. So in this case, I trust you alot, Horikita-girl."
"Damnit! If you're not going to cut Kouenji, then what are you going to do, Suzune?"
"Give me some time to think about it. But forget Kouenji-kun for the moment, will the other person who voted in favour come forward and tell us your reason."
There was still one other person who was unaccounted for. They still kept their silence while Kouenji came forward. Convincing him was going to be something, but if they couldn't figure out who the second person was then they can't move forward.
Kiyotaka watched silently as he glanced at the suspect. Said suspect didn't even show any hint of being the person who voted for the option, but Kiyotaka knew this was the person. He kept silent for now as he wanted to see where this direction would go before he'd make a move.
Eventually, the interval timer ran out, and the third round of voting began. Fortunately, there was no limit to the number of times the students could vote, but it was better if this wasn't dragged out for a long time. Students put through their votes on the tablets and the results showed as followed.
Results of the third round of voting:
2 in favour
37 against
The results still stayed the same. Kouenji and an unknown party were still voting in favour of expelling a classmate for class points. Understandably, the class became more tense and a ruckus of conversation broke out as soon as the interval began.
"Kouenji-kun. Are you just going to keep voting in favour? To go against what the rest of the class wants? We'll run out of time if we do and we still have the other person to deal with."
"Well, if we're going to run out of time, go ahead and vote in favour. Having students drop out for some class points isn't such a bad thing, isn't it Horikita-girl?"
Kouenji wouldn't budge on his decision. It appeared he was determined to get an unanimous decision of "in favour", something which Horikita and the rest of the class didn't want. Before she could respond though, Hirata cut in.
"That's not true. We shouldn't have expelled anyone."
Despite wearing that confident, yet annoying to most, smirk on his face, Kouenji's expression also seemed to show mock surprise and confusion.
"I don't get it. You guys seem to be afraid of expelling students, but wouldn't it be easier mentally to see this as a positive? You can discard unwanted students at will. You can even get class points on top of that. If you change your mind a little, you'll see that it is really a great choice for the class. The other person who's voting in favour also knows that."
"I don't think that's true, Kouenji-kun. Losing someone from this class is not a positive thing at all."
It was Kushida who responded this time. She believed that classmates should be prioritised over class points just like everyone else. Since it was her speaking as well, other students began to voice their objections at once. However, Kouenji did not soften his attitude, but only smirked and chuckled at Kushida's statement, prompting Sudou and others to argue with him more.
"Kouenji-kun. What is it that you truly want? I don't think you really want to expel someone randomly just for class points even though you said you see benefits from it."
Sighing after seeing the argument go on for another minute or two, Horikita asked Kouenji what his true goal was.
"Hmm? Interesting observation Horikita-girl. You're both correct and wrong at the same time. It matters not to me whether someone in this class gets expelled or not. I told you that I see it as a benefit as not only we can get rid of someone useless, but also gain Class Points. But, it's not exactly the Class Points that are important to me."
"Class points are not important to you? Then based on that statement, I am going to assume that the 100 class points are not for moving up to Class A, but for the private points. That's why you keep throwing your support in choosing to be in favour of expelling, isn't it?"
The sound of clapping hands could be heard after Horikita's deduction. Kouenji was the suspect of the clapping hands as he seemed to be applauding Horikita.
"Bravo, Horikita-girl. That is exactly what I want. Because of the two previous questions, I chose to halve the amount of private points transferred for the next six months. I drank in the tears that it was necessary for you to protect me, but that's not going to happen this time. I want class points to compensate for the private points that will be lost."
Some students began to show shocked and angry faces that Kouenji's reasoning for choosing to expel a classmate just because he wanted more private points, barely even caring for the class points and rising further to Class A. It was understandable they would feel this way as none of them even predicted it.
However, Kiyotaka knew this was Kouenji's reason. He predicted that he would care more about the private points, since Kouenji had been collecting a lot over the last year, something which Nagumo pointed out at the Mixed Training Camp. However, Kiyotaka thought that still wasn't the complete reason Kouenji was doing this, and Horikita's next action proved his thought to be true.
"Okay, Kouenji-kun, let's make a deal. A deal that's not bad for you. Something which I think will interest you greatly.
"Oh? That sounds interesting. I'd like to hear this deal you're wanting to propose, Horikita-girl."
Kouenji raised his eyebrows to show that he was listening. Despite these raised eyebrows, he did not have the slightest hint of surprise. Kiyotaka deduced from this that he was right all along. Kouenji wasn't just voting in favour of expelling because he wanted the class points to get him more private points over the ones he would lose concurrently. He wanted Horikita to make a deal with him that would likely involve private points. And so, he needed a catalyst for that.
"If you vote against the question from now on, and an unanimous decision for voting against the question is granted, I will pay 10,000 private points on behalf of the school every month from now until you graduate. This would be the equivalent of 100 more class points for you, right? That would certainly make it meaningless for Kouenji-kun to vote in favour of it."
"Hm hm. As expected of Horikita-girl. It didn't take you long to come to that conclusion. However, I'd like to make a slight tweak before I agree. I want you to keep that deal no matter what option we end up with. We'll end up all voting against, but I want to be sure."
Even though Kouenji got the deal he was looking for proposed by Horikita, he went a little step further to ensure he 100% got what he was looking for and that he would win. Kouenji had a lot of power to work being one of the students who was voting against the class.
"...I see..."
"That's what my vote is worth, you know. I need the Horikita girl to be a reliable ally for me. So let's make a deal on those terms, shall we?"
"Very well. We have a deal, Kouenji-kun. We don't need to put this in writing, do we? We have Chabashira-sensei here."
Seeing that it was a waste trying to sweeten the deal further to her liking, Horikita agreed to the tweaked terms and conditions of their newfound deal. Chabashira being a teacher at Tokyo Metropolitan High School meant that she was the best mediator and witness to ensure that both parties kept to their agreement.
"Of course. I don't expect you to go back on your word. The deal is done."
Kouenji's vote, which most thought wouldn't stray away from voting in favour, looked to finally join the masses in voting against. Some students were still sceptical that Kouenji would keep his end of the bargain, but they were to find out if they were right or not as the time to vote again arrived.
Results of the fourth round of voting:
1 in favour
38 against
"I always keep my promises. I expect you to do the same, Horikita-girl and all."
"I will. Once this exam is over, I will pay you the first 10,000 private points just so you know I'm serious about keeping the deal too."
The issue with Kouenji was now solved, which meant that there was only one person left that was voting against the class. Said person still ws undetected by everyone, but they couldn't hide forever. Kiyotaka narrowed his eyes and glanced at every student in the class.
[The real battle is about to start here. There's still 3 hours left until the exam ends. It's almost time to put the plan into action. So let's begin to plant and grow the seeds.] He thought.
End of Chapter 4...