Chapter 62 VIP EXAMINATION

August 10th.

The third day after the exam on the uninhabited island.

Outside the café on the top floor, Hikigaya leaned back with his left arm serving as a makeshift pillow. His right hand idly held his phone as he stared at the messages on the screen.

[Kushida Kikyo: I'm really sorry about what happened today. I've explained everything to Ike and the others. Please don't worry, Hikigaya-kun—it won't cause you any trouble (). (last night)]

[Hikigaya Hachiman: Sorry, my phone ran out of battery yesterday. (this morning)]

[Kushida Kikyo: It's okay, it's okay. It's my fault for disturbing you so late last night. I just couldn't control my emotions. I hope Hikigaya-kun isn't upset (?).]

[Hikigaya Hachiman: Sorry, I was eating and didn't check my phone. (three hours ago)]

[Kushida Kikyo: It's okay, really. Speaking of which, I'd like to formally apologize for yesterday. If it's convenient, I'd love to treat you to a meal as an apology. (three hours ago)]

Hikigaya stared blankly at the messages. "Stare..." Any ordinary person would have blocked her by now. This girl was persistent—too persistent. What now? Refusing her directly felt like it would only escalate things. Ignoring her wasn't working either.

At that moment, a sharp tone blared from his phone, followed by a broadcast echoing through the ship:

[Attention all students. The school has sent an important email to all students containing specific contact details. Please check your devices and follow the instructions carefully. If you do not receive the email, contact the nearest faculty member immediately. This message is critical—please ensure confirmation of its contents.]

Hikigaya sat up straight. It was the first time he'd heard such an official announcement since entering the school. What now? He opened the email on his phone:

[Special Examination Notice: The next special examination will commence shortly. Students are required to assemble in their designated rooms at the specified times. Anyone more than ten minutes late will face penalties. Your designated location is Room 201 at 8:40 PM. Please ensure you've used the restroom beforehand and silence or power off your phone before arriving.]

Hikigaya scrolled through the message. As expected, the school wasn't going to let them relax for long. Not long after, another notification popped up—from Ichinose Honami.

[Ichinose Honami: I figured you might not have checked the group chat yet. Are you all set for the meeting time and place, Hikigaya?]

[Hikigaya Hachiman: Yeah, it's Room 201 at 8:40 PM tonight.]

[Ichinose Honami: That's great! Same as Kanzaki and Asako-chan. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Kanzaki.]

[Hikigaya Hachiman: Got it.]

As expected of Ichinose. In just a few minutes, she had everything under control—even finding time to check on him. What a kind and capable person, Hikigaya thought.

Dormitory, 8:00 PM.

"Alright," Kanzaki said, adjusting his shirt. "Hikigaya, we're heading to the same place—why don't we go together?"

"Eh?" Hikigaya looked up from his book, startled.

"Isn't it at 8:40?"

"It's better to arrive early," Kanzaki replied calmly.

"You'll get a sense of the environment, and it eliminates the risk of being late. Remember, penalties apply if you're more than ten minutes late."

Hikigaya groaned as he stood up. "Well, if they're allowing a ten-minute window, doesn't that mean being a little late is acceptable?"

Kanzaki's sharp gaze cut through the room. "That kind of thinking will only lead to trouble. I suggest you don't take unnecessary risks."

"Alright, alright." Shibata stepped in to ease the tension, smiling. "Anyway, you were just reading, right, Hikigaya? It's no big deal to leave a bit earlier."

Hikigaya sighed as he grabbed his jacket. Complaining was a reflex at this point. No choice. With Kanzaki clearly leading the group, resistance was futile. Hands stuffed into his pockets, Hikigaya followed the others listlessly toward Room 201.

When they arrived, Kanzaki knocked politely on the door.

"Oh, Kanzaki and Hikigaya? The teacher isn't here yet—please come in!" The voice belonged to a girl. Hikigaya recognized her vaguely: Amikura Mako, one of Ichinose's closer friends.

The pair stepped into the room. Amikura sat at a table with two chairs beside her and an empty seat across the table.

Hikigaya glanced around, noting the neat arrangement. Typical of Ichinose's class, he thought. The girls in Class B seemed to adore her, and Ichinose had somehow managed to unite the entire class seamlessly. It was impressive, to say the least.

"Alright," Kanzaki said, taking a seat. "Let's wait for the others."

Hikigaya slouched in the corner, a trace of irritation crossing his face. Why are we even here so early if the teacher isn't here yet?

Kanzaki, sitting upright as usual, surveyed the room. "Amikura, how long have you been here?" he asked calmly.

"I just got here a few minutes ago," she replied with a cheerful smile. "But hey, just call me Mako. I prefer it, honestly."

Kanzaki gave a polite nod, his demeanor as stoic as ever, and took the seat between Hikigaya and Amikura.

To Hikigaya, Kanzaki seemed like the type of person who wasn't naturally adept at socializing. Yet here he was, shouldering the responsibility of being a dependable member of Class B. This guy's impressive in his own way, Hikigaya thought. He couldn't imagine forcing himself to cooperate with others like this—it was exhausting just thinking about it.

"By the way," Amikura began, her tone light and conversational, "why do you think the school deliberately split us into these smaller groups for the exam?"

According to the group chat, students were divided into two-time slots—6:00 PM and 8:40 PM—and then further split into smaller groups of three or four.

"Not sure," Kanzaki replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "It's possible that this special exam is designed to focus on individual performance. What do you think, Hikigaya?"

"Who knows?" Hikigaya replied, propping his head up with one hand. He wasn't one for speculation—it wasn't like he'd magically deduce the answer. Still, the way this school engineered exams to force interpersonal interaction was undeniably irritating.

Sensing that neither Kanzaki nor Hikigaya were talkative, Amikura eventually gave up and started scrolling through her phone.

8:30 PM.

A sharp click of heels announced the arrival of their instructor. A woman in a sleek black business suit with matching black stockings stepped into the room, exuding an air of professionalism.

It was Chabashira Sae, the Class D homeroom teacher. Her composed, cool expression made her seem far more reliable than Hoshinomiya Chie.

"You're all early," Chabashira remarked as she approached the table. Without further ado, she got straight to the point. "I'm Chabashira Sae, Class D's homeroom teacher. I'll be explaining the details of the upcoming special exam. If you have questions, save them until the end. I'll allocate time for them"

The three students gave small nods of acknowledgment.

"This is the special exam." Chabashira began her explanation, her tone firm and authoritative. "The school has categorized all first-year students into twelve groups for this examination. Each group is composed of members from different classes, and the primary focus of the exam is to test your critical thinking abilities."

"The skills required to thrive in society can be broken down into three categories: action, thought, and teamwork. Only those who excel in all three areas can be considered outstanding individuals. This exam has been designed to evaluate your aptitude in these areas through group collaboration and problem-solving as adults."

Hikigaya mulled this over. Three things to be a successful adult, huh? Then again, for a househusband, only action was necessary—mainly in the kitchen. Being a househusband really might be the ultimate dream. He gave a small nod of approval at the thought.

"Excuse me, sensei," Kanzaki interrupted, raising his hand. After receiving permission, he continued, "While I understand the purpose of the exam, could you clarify why the school chose to separate us this way?"

"It`s simple really" Chabashira replied, her tone as steady as ever. "These groups are composed of students from all four classes. Without this clarification, the sudden grouping might cause unnecessary confusion and complaints."

Hikigaya raised an eyebrow. Confusion? Complaints?

This was a school that didn't hesitate to invade personal privacy under the guise of education. The notion that they'd care about "confusion" seemed almost laughable.

"Understood," Kanzaki said, nodding slightly. "Thank you for the clarification. Please continue."

"You've been assigned to the Dragon Group," Chabashira continued. From her folder, she pulled out an A4 sheet and three cards and placed them on the table.

"This is a list of your group members. You are not allowed to remove this document from the room, but you may copy the information if you feel it's necessary."

Hikigaya glanced at the list and immediately felt his stomach twist.

Dragon Group Members:

Class A: Katsuragi Kohei, Nishikawa Ryoko, Toba Shinji, Yano Koharu.

Class B: Kanzaki Ryuji, Okakura Asako, Hikigaya Hachiman

Class C: Oda Takumi, Suzuki Hidetoshi, Sonoda Masashi, Ryuen Kakeru.

Class D: Kushida Kikyo, Hirata Yosuke, Horikita Suzune..

Great. He stared at the names with a sinking feeling. This was shaping up to be yet another headache. Although Hikigaya didn't recognize most of the names, there were a few he instinctively wanted to avoid.

Katsuragi, Ryuuen, Horikita Suzune... Most of them are the leaders of their respective classes, so why does the Dragon Team feel so stacked? He glanced at Kanzaki, seated nearby. Let's not even talk about Kanzaki. Honestly, he doesn't belong in this lineup. It would make way more sense for someone like Ichinose to be here instead.

"Is there something wrong?" Chabashira Sae asked, her sharp gaze directed at him.

"Well…" Hikigaya hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Why was I assigned to this group? It feels… off, don't you think?"

"I wouldn't know," Chabashira replied curtly, her attention already shifting elsewhere.

Ugh. Figures. Despite knowing that compulsory education technically ended at high school, Hikigaya couldn't help but lament. You're still supposed to be a teacher, aren't you? Give me back the praise I gave you earlier.

Deciding it wasn't worth pushing further, he stayed silent. Honestly, she's no better than Hoshinomiya Chie. At best, she's just more business-like.

"Let's continue," Chabashira said coldly, pulling out more documents from her folder.

"As a major premise for this exam, you must disregard the existing dynamics between Classes A, B, C, and D. For this test, you will act solely as members of the Dragon Group." She placed the papers on the table and continued, "There are only four possible outcomes for each group in this special exam. The structure is non-negotiable, and there are no exceptions."

"To help you understand, the school has prepared detailed information about the rules. This document must not leave the room, but you are free to read and copy down any details you deem necessary."

Hikigaya took one of the documents and started reading.

[Instructions for the Summer Group Special Examination]

This exam revolves around identifying the "VIP" assigned to each group. Success will depend on correctly identifying this individual.

On the morning of the exam, at 8:00 AM, the school will notify all students via email. Those chosen as preferential recipients will be privately informed of their status.

The exam will run for four days, ending at 9:00 PM on the final day. One of these days will be designated as completely free. Group members must convene in a designated room twice daily at specific times for one-hour discussions. The content of these discussions is entirely up to the group.

Answers must be submitted between 9:30 PM and 10:00 PM daily, via email to a designated mailbox. Each participant is limited to one submission per exam. VIPs are prohibited from submitting answers. Answers about groups other than your own will be deemed invalid.

Results of the exam will be emailed to all students at 11:00 PM on the last day.

Possible Results:

Result 1: If the VIP's identity is correctly deduced by all group members (except for those in the preferential recipient's class), every member of the group will be awarded points. Students in the preferential recipient's class will receive equal points.

As a bonus, the VIP will earn 1,000,000 personal points.

Result 2: If one or more members of the group fail to deduce the correct identity or provide no answer, the VIP will receive 500,000 personal points.

Result 3: If someone outside the VIP's class identifies the VIP before the exam concludes, and their answer is correct:

Their class will receive 50 class points.

The answering student will receive 500,000 personal points.

The exam will end immediately, and the VIP`s class will lose 50 class points.

Result 4: If someone outside the VIP's class guesses incorrectly before the exam ends:

Their class will lose 50 class points.

The VIP will receive 500,000 personal points.

The VIP's class will gain 50 class points.

The exam will end immediately.

If a student in the same class as the VIP submits either a correct or incorrect answer, it will be deemed invalid.

To summarize:

If the group correctly identifies the VIP, everyone wins.

If they fail, the VIP wins.

If someone guesses correctly outside the group, their class benefits and the exam ends.

If someone guesses incorrectly, the VIP's class benefits and the exam ends.

"Alright," Chabashira said, her tone unwavering. "Now is the time for questions. If there are none, we'll adjourn."

Hikigaya sighed. Figures. Her approach was cold and efficient—eerily similar to Hoshinomiya Chie's in its lack of warmth or empathy.

It's like they're cut from the same cloth.