With the first question cleared just like that, Yukio's class finally relaxed.
Maybe it wasn't that hard after all. As long as they did the math properly, it seemed like any option could be handled easily.
They weren't given time to rest or chat—probably because of the four-hour limit. The screen flipped, and the next question was projected immediately.
[Question 2: For the final special exam, you may designate a duel against another class and receive extra Class Points as a reward. Sakayanagi's class (100 points), Ichinose's class (50 points), D Class (0 points). If implemented, and the choices between classes conflict, the school will randomly assign.]
As the question changed, the phone interface changed too—"Agree" and "Disagree" turned into three options: B, C, and D, like the branching situation Sakagami-sensei mentioned yesterday.
They still had to achieve full unanimity.
No one dared waste time. Nobody wanted to time out. Everyone made their choice quickly.
[Sakayanagi's class: 9 votes; Ichinose's class: 17 votes; D Class: 14 votes.]
Once again, the class wasn't unanimous.
This time, since they'd already gotten used to the flow, everyone just started discussing on their own.
"We should pick Sakayanagi's class, obviously. If we win at finals, that's an extra 100 points. That's the biggest reward."
"I still think choosing D Class as the opponent is safer. Pick the weakest target—D Class is the easiest one to crush."
"But there's no reward. Even if we pick D Class and win, we get zero extra points."
"No, you're missing the key part." Someone tapped the air like they were underlining the text. "The rules say if all four classes pass this clause, but their chosen opponents conflict—like all three of us picking D Class—then the school will randomly assign. You have to factor that in."
"Right. If everyone's thinking 'safe,' they'll all choose D Class. That means Sakayanagi's class and Ichinose's class won't get picked. If we pick one of those, we won't conflict."
"Not necessarily." Another voice cut in. "D Class wants to climb, so they'll definitely challenge Ichinose's class first. They won't jump straight to an upper class. And Ichinose's class will likely challenge upward too."
"If it becomes that 'ladder' pattern, then the random assignment won't even trigger."
"So we can't pick D Class. To break the ladder, we should pick one of the other two."
As they discussed, everyone looked at it from overall strength.
In Yukio's class's eyes, no matter which of the other three they faced at finals, they still had a solid chance to win.
So some students wanted maximum profit, while others wanted the best balance of profit and risk.
When the ten minutes were almost up, people hurriedly looked toward Yukio.
They all knew it would come down to their boss in the end.
Yukio didn't really care. This question wasn't hard at all.
"Pick Sakayanagi's class. Maximize profit."
"Yes!" No one argued after that.
They followed Yukio's decision. The final vote became all Sakayanagi's class, with the other two at zero, and they moved smoothly into the third question.
[Question 3: The school will organize a school trip later. Please consider the destination: Nara; Okinawa; Hokkaido.]
The phone interface didn't change—still three options.
The first-round results came out quickly.
[Nara: 6 votes; Okinawa: 21 votes; Hokkaido: 13 votes.]
This time, Yukio's class relaxed even more. The atmosphere in the classroom turned light and breezy.
"So only the first question was actually nasty. They're seriously asking stuff like this now?"
"Hahaha—so they're already making us debate where we want to go have fun? If every question after this is like that, I'm already thinking about what I'm eating for lunch when we get out."
"I kinda want Nara. If we're doing a school trip, getting to see old architecture sounds pretty cool."
"Huh? What are you thinking?" A boy immediately scoffed. "Okinawa. The beach, obviously!"
"This summer's uninhabited island was a total scam—we didn't even get in the water. Didn't see a single girl's swimsuit. If we don't pick the beach, what's the point?!"
"—Oh damn, you're right!" Another guy gasped. "My bad! If I'd known, I wouldn't have voted Hokkaido. I should've voted Okinawa. That's a massive mistake—second round, I'm switching immediately!"
"Eh? Please no." A different student groaned. "I've already been to Okinawa twice. It's a school trip—go somewhere fresh for once. Hokkaido's good, isn't it?"
"That's why you guys are so hopeless…" A girl rolled her eyes. "At least look at the season. Summer's over—why go to some beach when it's getting cold?"
"Go see snow. Go skiing. Isn't that way better?"
"Hearing it like that… yeah, that actually sounds pretty fun." A boy scratched his cheek. "I've never skied in my life."
"See?!"
The vibe was relaxed, but the debate got even fiercer.
Everyone had somewhere they wanted to go.
And a few people had already been to one—or even two—of the destinations, so they desperately wanted the third one they hadn't visited yet.
No matter how they negotiated, there were always a few people refusing to budge, and they couldn't reach unanimity.
At that point, Yukio stood up without hesitation.
"Ahem. If you ask me, we pick Hokkaido."
"Huh?" The boys weren't thrilled, but they couldn't exactly oppose their boss. So they asked as politely as they could.
"Why, boss? Why that one?"
"It's simple." Yukio obviously wasn't going to say I'm sick of beaches, so he used a reason everyone could accept.
"First, the season fits. Summer's over. If we go to the beach when it's cold, you perverts probably won't see any swimsuits anyway. So what are you even going for?"
"Second—who said Hokkaido doesn't have the kind of 'sights' you old degenerates like?"
"If it's a school trip, there'll definitely be group activity days and free time days."
"When we get free time, I'll take you guys to Sapporo. You've heard of Susukino, right?"
That one sentence instantly flipped the boys' brains.
They all took a deep breath—like old steam engines—then exhaled hard, visibly buzzing with excitement.
Susukino in Sapporo… that was one of Japan's three major red-light districts, wasn't it?!
As proud old degenerates, they knew exactly what that meant.
The moment Yukio said it, they all turned their eyes to their phones, already ready to slam that C option.
The girls were speechless.
But they knew what these idiots were like. They just laughed it off and didn't bother digging deeper.
Soon, Hokkaido passed with a unanimous vote.
The third unanimity was achieved, and even Yukio felt genuinely amused.
Maybe that's just how guys are.
Sometimes, they really are that simple.