"Everyone, this is bad! Wake up!"
A frantic voice cut through the deep sleep enveloping my consciousness.
Sleepiness still clung to me.
But the voice belonged to Hirata. If something had rattled him this much, I had to open my eyes and assess the situation.
"…What the hell's going on, Hirata?"
"…Yeah. I wanna sleep a little more."
Sudou and Ike sounded mildly irritated, still half-asleep.
It was the morning of the fifth day of the special exam. Fatigue had built up, making everyone weaker in the early hours.
"This is no time for that! Look outside!"
At Hirata's urgent prompting, we sat up.
We stepped out of the tent and headed toward him.
"…They're here."
I'd already guessed what was happening outside.
As expected—they'd surrounded us with numbers.
"Whoa, what the hell is this…?"
"W-What's with these guys?"
Outside—students from another class.
They were scattered in positions that allowed them to monitor Class D's campsite from every direction.
Not just one or two. I turned my head quickly, counting them.
"Sixteen. That's a lot."
"…We've been had, Ayanokouji-kun."
Hirata's face twisted as if he'd bitten into something bitter.
Ike and Sudou were still stunned, but Hirata had apparently realized it.
The possibility that from now on, they'd tail us whenever we went to renew spot occupation.
"Regrets and reflection can wait. Right now, we need to figure out how to break this situation."
"Yeah. Should we try talking to them first?"
"Good idea. Everyone, come with me?"
At Hirata's words, Ike, Sudou, and I nodded immediately.
We'd been drowsy moments ago, but now we were fully alert.
United, we followed Hirata toward the students from… Class A.
As we started walking, Class A reacted too.
Every gaze shifted to us as we moved together. Countless eyes pierced us.
And most notably, one student approached us as if to greet our envoy.
I knew him—the guy I'd spoken to yesterday, Hashimoto.
"Good morning, everyone from Class D."
"You bastard—what's with the 'good morning'? What the hell is this?!"
The moment we faced off, Sudou snapped at Hashimoto's relaxed demeanor.
"Whoa, whoa—do I really need to explain? It's surveillance. Surveillance."
Hashimoto grinned carelessly. That slightly irritating gesture made Sudou's body start trembling faintly.
His boiling point was still low, but I could tell he was holding it in.
"T-This has to be against the rules!"
"Nope, not at all. We're not committing violence, theft, or property damage against you. We're just watching. Any problem with that?"
Hashimoto was right. Class A hadn't broken a single rule.
Just bold surveillance. That was all.
Feeling uncomfortable about it was natural, but it wasn't wrong.
Because this exam included guessing leaders.
They'd thought it through and acted to achieve that.
Group surveillance sounded negative at first glance, but in this exam, it was perfectly fair.
"It's true there's no rule violation, Hashimoto-kun. But it's a little unpleasant. Could you stop right now?"
"That's impossible. Points are on the line for us too. We're moving to win."
I was slightly surprised to hear the word "unpleasant" from Hirata.
But telling them to stop wouldn't make them stop.
"…I understand. Everyone, let's head back to the tent and discuss this."
Agreeing with Hirata, we returned to the tent.
Some time passed, but they didn't enter. They were likely considering that touching the tent could be claimed as property damage.
"Damn it! What the hell's their problem… screwing around like this!"
No one blamed Sudou for his open anger.
Even if it was within the rules, constant surveillance from all directions would build stress.
Our current situation felt like being imprisoned despite being innocent—we had to break it somehow.
"Let's talk for now. Any ideas?"
"Beat the crap out of all of them."
"Ken, that'd be violence."
"…I know."
Sudou's stress seemed close to peaking. To avoid an explosion, I'd throw him a lifeline.
"…Hirata, how about cooperating with another class?"
"Yeah, I think that's best too… We should live jointly with Class B."
Hirata reached that answer remarkably quickly.
And with that—this strategy was now proposed by Yōsuke Hirata.
"Why joint living?"
"…Right. Ike-kun and Sudou-kun didn't know.
Class B is thoroughly focused on 'defense' this time. And in a better location than our base camp.
If we move into their stronghold, no matter how much they claim it's surveillance, they shouldn't be able to infiltrate that deeply.
Most importantly, Class A deployed that many people precisely because our numbers are low. If we live jointly with Class B, B and D effectively become the same class. The numerical disadvantage disappears."
"…So we're getting them to protect us?"
"In simple terms, yes. Any issues with my idea?"
"…Getting protected by another class stings, but… if it's for the class, guess we've got no choice."
Sudou spoke calmly, without the earlier anger.
His ability to control his temper showed growth.
"I'm in favor too. Ayanokouji?"
"No objections."
Everyone agreed. All that remained was action.
The four of us stood again.
"Then let's head to Class B right away."
At Hirata's direction, we stepped outside the tent.
The scene remained unchanged—Class A students scattered, watching.
Ignoring the gazes from every direction, we headed toward Class B's base camp.
…
The four of us from Class D walked briskly through the forest.
We were en route to Class B's campsite.
One thing to note upfront is we were moving, but Class A's surveillance hadn't stopped. The numbers had dropped considerably, but about five were still following at a distance.
"Alright, we're here."
We crossed a fallen large tree, and Class B's camp came into view.
"…Finally. Those guys were seriously annoying."
"For real. So this is what being stalked feels like. Ugh, feels gross."
Sudou and Ike grumbled while glancing at the group still watching from behind.
When I looked too, they'd widened the distance further and stopped.
Probably because we'd neared Class B. They seemed unsure whether to follow.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
A clear, high voice came from the entrance area behind us.
The four of us had been focused on the stalkers and neglected our rear.
So we all turned at once.
"Ichinose-san—perfect timing!"
Hirata sounded genuinely relieved.
The voice belonged to Class B's popular figure, Honami Ichinose.
Behind her was Class B's leader for this exam, Chihiro Shiranami.
"I see, I see. Looks like something happened. Come inside and tell me about it."
Ichinose scanned the surroundings and analyzed the situation.
A few seconds later, she spotted Class A and narrowed her eyes. She seemed to grasp it.
"Thank you, Ichinose-san. You're a lifesaver."
"You're welcome!"
Following Ichinose's beckoning, we entered Class B's base camp.
Glancing back, Class A was no longer visible. The surveillance had apparently ended.
As we proceeded, it was clear the camp had developed further since my last visit.
The number of hammocks had increased slightly, all securely fastened.
The eight-person tent we'd given them was used not only for sleeping but also as a barrier to block the view from the entrance.
Other things caught my eye too is a well and water shower in limited space, plus numerous Kouenji-style natural bags.
While analyzing the scene, my eyes met those of Chihiro Shiranami walking beside me.
She immediately looked away. Her face was pale, her behavior almost suspicious, so I spoke to her.
"Your complexion's bad."
"…! N-No, it's nothing."
…We're at least acquaintances.
Our connection came from a fake confession, so to speak.
When she—a girl—fell for Ichinose of the same gender and Ichinose was troubled, I'd been called in to play the boyfriend role to make the confession "never happen."
I'd resolved it without misunderstandings, yet I didn't recall doing anything to make her hate me this much.
Still, seeing her face pale like this forced me to admit there might be an issue with my communication.
"Are you really okay?"
"I-I'm fine. Really fine."
…What's this? Something feels off.
Her demeanor is strange. It doesn't look like simple illness.
She keeps repeating "fine" like self-suggestion, but to me, it seems she's enduring something.
"Hey, hey—what's up, Ayanokouji? Picking up girls at a time like this? …Wait, you okay? You look pale."
Noticing my conversation with Shiranami, Ike jumped in with a joke and a laugh.
But his expression quickly turned serious as he asked.
Everyone reacted to Ike's voice. The group stopped in front of the eight-person tent.
"Chihiro-chan, you okay? Feeling sick?"
Noticing Shiranami's state, Ichinose immediately touched her forehead to check for fever.
"I-I-Ichinose-san. I'm fine. Really."
"…No fever, true, but you don't look fine at all."
She kept insisting she was fine, but no one could see it that way. What was she holding back?
"…Could it be… that time of the month?"
Ichinose seemed to realize something and phrased it vaguely.
"…N-No. That's not…"
Shiranami flinched, then tried to deny it.
Her behavior was odd, but maybe Ichinose was right.
…That female-specific time. Something guys can't understand.
But why deny it? If it's a natural bodily function, resting wouldn't draw complaints.
"For now, rest up, Chihiro-chan. I'll handle the rest."
Shiranami looked down.
Ichinose called over a nearby girl and instructed her to care for Shiranami.
The response was swift—Shiranami was quickly led to another tent by the girl Ichinose stopped.
"That time? What's 'that time'?"
"Ike-kun, that's—"
Hirata whispered to Ike while placing a finger to his lips.
Once explained, Ike nodded vigorously without speaking, showing understanding.
"Ichinose—is Shiranami really okay?"
"Hmm… no fever, so I think she's fine… but Chihiro-chan's been a little off since yesterday."
"Off?"
An uncertain factor.
If this relates to the exam, we need to address it quickly.
"Yeah. I was near the entrance earlier for that reason too. Last night, out of nowhere, she suddenly asked to talk alone this morning.
I figured something was up and was about to listen when you all showed up."
"That was bad timing on our part."
"Don't apologize—Ayanokouji-kun and the others aren't at fault. Anyway, I'm pretty sure it's that time of the month. Chihiro-chan's the type who pushes through even when she's not feeling well once she's decided to do something.
She also has a habit of shouldering everything alone, so I think she was just psyching herself up, telling herself she could keep going."
"But her condition got so bad she tried to tell only you… I feel like we interfered."
"No, no—that's just hindsight. You're not to blame. Plus, we've been pushing her too hard because she's the leader, so we share responsibility too."
The conversation paused there. After a brief silence, Ichinose took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and exhaled.
"…Phew. Anyway, Ayanokouji-kun and everyone—wait just a moment."
Smiling brightly, Ichinose slipped into the tent. She spoke to the boys chatting inside.
After a conversation lasting dozens of seconds, the boys exited.
The tent was now empty. That was safe to assume.
"Alright, come on in!"
Ichinose poked her head out from the entrance and beckoned.
Whether intentional or not, that smile sent Ike into visible agony.
Ignoring him, we followed her words and entered the tent.
We sat down, settling into a talking posture, and Ichinose kicked off the discussion.
"So, so, so—what brings you here today?"
"It's about Class A, Ichinose-san. We want to counter them. That's why we came to rely on Class B."
"I see, I see… Then could you explain the current situation?"
Hirata nodded in acknowledgment.
He detailed the morning's events with Class A's group stalking, explaining carefully and thoroughly.
Once finished, Ichinose crossed her arms and nodded in understanding.
"…Hmm. So Class A has shifted effort into 'attack' mode. And you came to our class for countermeasures and consultation."
"Exactly."
Ichinose digested the information and instantly grasped what we wanted to do.
"If it's not too forward—I'd like to hear Class D's plan right away. Would you shelter us—hide Class D within Class B?"
"…I see. Numbers against numbers. By living together and effectively becoming one class, you eliminate the numerical disadvantage."
"Yeah. What do you think?"
To Hirata's confirmation, Ichinose answered almost immediately.
"I'm okay with it. I'm sure the rest of the class will agree too.
After all, Classes B and D are practically one and the same now. The barriers between classes have almost completely vanished in this exam. Right?"
Her charming smile carried layered intent.
Ike and Sudou tilted their heads in confusion, but Hirata quickly caught it. It referred to the mutual leader disclosure enabled by the "point transfer" rule.
In this special exam, the leader's existence heavily influenced victory or defeat. The rule—"minus 50 points if another class guesses your leader correctly"—meant massive damage if discovered.
Class B and Class D had revealed to each other something that must never be known to outsiders.
In other words, each held the other's lifeline.
Betray, and be betrayed—but refrain from betrayal, and neither side betrays.
Only classes that crossed the dangerous bridge of leader disclosure could achieve this removal of class barriers.
"Thank you so much, Ichinose-san!"
Hirata conveyed heartfelt gratitude. He extended his right hand, seeking a handshake to affirm friendship.
But Ichinose hesitated to take it.
"Ahaha, it's not 100% okay yet, Hirata-kun. I need everyone in Class B's approval first."
"Oh… right…"
In his joy at gaining agreement on the plan, part of Ichinose's earlier words had apparently slipped his mind.
An uncharacteristic blunder for the usually flawless Hirata. Sudou beside him wore a surprised expression, likely thinking the same.
Hirata lowered his arm and laughed, admitting he'd jumped the gun.
"Then I'll go tell everyone! Feel free to relax in the meantime."
With the discussion concluded, Ichinose stood to take action and left the tent.
"…Phew. That's one hurdle cleared, at least?"
"Yeah. Good work."
I offered words of appreciation to Hirata as he exhaled with a mix of fatigue and relief.
"Niiice—that went well, huh?"
"Yeah. It felt promising, so I think it worked out. I'm really glad it didn't fail. If it had…"
"Don't be pessimistic, Hirata. And it's not 'probably'—it definitely succeeded. Let's stay optimistic."
Words I'd never expect from the usually frivolous Ike. He'd grown through this exam too.
"Kanji, when'd you learn fancy words like that… Doesn't suit you."
"Shut up! I'm getting smarter bit by bit!"
The two launched into their comedic routine again, starting to wrestle. But smiles were evident—they looked genuinely happy.
Watching them, Hirata seemed inspired and let out a soft chuckle.
"What're you laughing at, Hirata?! You're mocking me too, aren't you?!"
"I'm not mocking you. Just… a little surprised."
"I see… Wait—you are mocking me! You made that unexpected mistake earlier yourself!"
Ike broke free from Sudou, pointed at Hirata, and declared.
"It really was an unusual slip for Hirata. Felt like he got rejected by Ichinose or something."
"Ahahaha, good one, Ken."
"S-Sorry, Hirata. Didn't mean to mock ya."
"It's fine—I don't mind, Sudou-kun."
Hirata responded with his usual handsome smile, completely unfazed. His mental state was clearly excellent.
His smile somehow felt even brighter than usual.
As I thought that, Hirata turned from Sudou and Ike toward me, speaking in a low voice.
Ike and Sudou were still bantering and paid us no attention.
"Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun."
The sudden gratitude caught me off guard.
"I didn't do anything worth thanking."
"No, no—that's not true. If you hadn't told me about the retirement strategy, I don't think I'd be able to smile like this right now."
"Just a hunch."
"Horikita's the one who came up with it."
"Is that really so?"
A strong gaze fixed on me. Eyes holding something close to certainty.
"Yeah, it is."
I answered without hesitation. Hirata seemed to have anticipated the response and quickly showed resignation.
"…I see. Then I owe Horikita-san my thanks."
"Yeah."
Our private conversation ended there. Now we just had to wait for Ichinose's report.
…
"Sorry for the wait, everyone! We got the OK!"
Before we could think further, the tent entrance flung open with her clear voice.
"Really?!"
Hirata stood and asked.
His excitement was rare, and even Ichinose looked surprised at him.
"Yeah, really. So—here!"
Ichinose approached Hirata and extended her right hand, just as he had earlier.
Hirata smiled and gripped it firmly with his right.
"Let's win this exam."
"Yeah!"
Hirata answered with his loudest and most passionate voice of the day.
…
"Shiranami-san—are you feeling better already?"
My classmate who'd cared for me asked worriedly, looking right at me.
I bowed slightly and answered.
"Yeah, I'm okay. I think I can report to Ichinose-san myself."
"Good. That's a relief. Don't push yourself, Leader."
Leader.
Ah, what a heavy title.
This responsibility was one cause of my poor condition.
Regret piles up inside me.
"…I'll do my best. Thank you for looking after me."
I left the tent. Then, almost fleeing from my classmate, I walked quickly away.
My destination was set—the tent with my bag. I moved swiftly and arrived.
Fortunately—or not—no other classmates crossed my path.
My hands rummaged like a thief stealing someone else's belongings. Movements my beloved Ichinose-san would never make.
Finally, I grasped my goal... a towel.
To wipe away what was seeping out.
"…I have to… I have to do it…"
***
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