As Chabashira Sae spoke, the screen changed again, displaying the exam rules:
Exam Rules Explanation:
Voting will be repeated until a unanimous decision is reached on a single option.
If the remaining time runs out, the results of the current task will not be recognized, regardless of progress.
Tasks that achieve a unanimous decision will be recognized, whether or not the special exam is passed.
Completing all 5 tasks will be considered passing the exam, and the class will receive 50 class points.
Failing to complete all 5 tasks within the time limit will be considered a failure, resulting in a loss of 300 class points.
Special Exam Process:
After the task is presented, the first vote will take place (within 60 seconds).
If a unanimous decision is reached, the class will move on to the next task and repeat the process. If not, the next step will follow.
Between each vote, there will be a 10-minute interval during which students can move freely and discuss within the classroom.
Each vote will have a 60-second time limit. No talking is allowed during this time, and only voting is permitted. Students who fail to vote within 60 seconds will be penalized based on the number of seconds they exceed the limit. Exceeding 90 seconds will result in expulsion.
The voting results will be announced. If a unanimous decision is reached, the class will move on to the next task and return to step 1.
If a unanimous decision is not reached, the class will return to step 3.
Repeating these steps, completing all 5 tasks will result in passing the exam. Failing to complete even one task will result in failure.
'Although the rules sound simple, based on Chabashira-sensei's thoughts, it seems some students might be expelled in this exam.'
Saiki narrowed his eyes slightly. The other students in the room didn't seem to notice the underlying issue.
...
After explaining the rules of the upcoming special exam, Chabashira Sae left the classroom.
The students immediately began discussing the upcoming exam.
However, for Saiki, this exam had nothing to do with other classes, so it wouldn't have much of an impact on him.
After all, getting the entire class to reach a unanimous decision wasn't difficult for Saiki.
Now, he needed to think about how to handle the café.
What should he do?
First, he needed staff. According to Sato Maya's proposal, they would need about ten maids.
Sato Maya, Wang Mei Yu, Matsushita Chiaki, Sakura Airi, and Hasebe Haruka—that made five people already.
'So we need to find a few more people? Maid servers seem to have certain appearance requirements. I don't know much about the looks of the girls in our class, but based on others' reactions, the girls in our class should be fine.'
'Horikita dumped this responsibility on me, so she'll have to take responsibility too...'
'But...'
Saiki couldn't even imagine what it would be like for someone with Horikita Suzune's personality to act as a maid.
Would it be terrifying?
However, Horikita Suzune's cooking skills seemed decent, so having her work in the kitchen shouldn't be a problem.
'What about the others...'
'Karuizawa Kei could be a candidate, right? For some reason, I feel like she might get upset if she's not chosen.'
'As for the others... Kushida would probably be a good fit, or rather, a perfect fit. She's the type of girl who excels in social situations, making her the best candidate.'
...
The next morning, Chabashira Sae entered Class A's classroom to prepare for the exam.
However, this exam was different from previous special exams. Teachers from other grades also entered the classroom and sat at the back.
They were sent by the school to supervise the exam, ensuring it proceeded smoothly and preventing the homeroom teacher from influencing the students.
"It's almost time. The special exam will begin shortly. Since it might take a while, there will be up to four breaks. Basically, breaks can only be taken after reaching a unanimous decision and before moving on to the next task. No breaks are allowed during voting. Additionally, each break can last up to 10 minutes, and the exam timer will continue to count down. If you decide you don't need a break, you can skip it."
Chabashira Sae explained the exam rules but seemed somewhat distracted.
[When I was a student at this school, our class suffered greatly during this exam... It was the most regrettable day of my life... But now, this class has risen to Class A. Perhaps they're completely different from how we were back then. They should be able to overcome this challenge.]
'I never expected Chabashira-sensei, who used to not care about anything, to change so much.'
Saiki thought to himself.
"Chabashira-sensei, it's time."
At that moment, the supervising teacher noticed Chabashira Sae's distraction and reminded her.
"Ah, yes. Sorry. Now, let's begin the special exam. We will strictly follow the rules, including standing up outside of the designated intervals and talking during prohibited times. Please be mindful."
As the exam began, the first task was projected onto the large screen in the classroom.
Task 1: Choose which class to compete against in the final exam of the third semester.
(Even if the class rankings change, the choice made here will take priority.)
※The numbers in parentheses indicate the additional class points that can be earned upon victory.
Options: Class B (100) / Class C (50) / Class D (0)
"This task requires you to choose which class to compete against in the final exam of the second year's third semester. As the note explains, if the class unanimously chooses Class B, even if Class B is demoted to Class C by the end of the year, the opponent and the additional points will not change. Of course, if the desired opponent combinations don't align across all classes, the school will randomly decide."
Chabashira Sae explained slowly.
"Now, let's proceed with the first vote. The time limit is 60 seconds."
For Saiki, it didn't matter which class they chose.
He could clearly hear the thoughts of the other students.
[The safest choice is Class D. They're the weakest.]
[The reward is 100 class points, so choosing Sakayanagi's Class B is undoubtedly the best option! Besides, we've already beaten them once.]
[Overall, Ryuen's Class C seems like the best choice.]
Everyone had different opinions, and Saiki predicted that the first vote wouldn't result in a unanimous decision.
"Everyone has finished voting. Now, let's announce the results."
Chabashira Sae displayed the results of the first vote.
First Vote Results:
Class B: 8 votes
Class C: 16 votes
Class D: 15 votes
The votes were scattered, but for now, Class C and Class D were the most competitive.
Ichinose Honami's Class D posed the least risk but offered no rewards.
Ryuen Kakeru's Class C was the most acceptable choice overall.
"Now, let's begin the free discussion."
"I'll start."
Horikita Suzune stood up and began sharing her opinion.
"I think Class C is a good choice. It seems nearly half the class agrees with me..."
Horikita Suzune then elaborated on her thoughts, gradually persuading the rest of the class.
In the end, the class unanimously agreed to choose Class C as their future opponent.
Next came the second task.
Task 2: For the school trip planned for late November, choose the desired destination from the following options.
Options: Hokkaido / Kyoto / Okinawa
Although there were some disagreements, Hokkaido ultimately won.
With two tasks completed quickly, the students began to relax.
Starting with the third and fourth tasks, the questions became more challenging, focusing on weighing gains and losses.
Task 3:
Options:
Monthly personal points based on class points will be reduced to 0. In exchange, 3 randomly selected students in the class will receive protection points.
Personal points will be halved, and 1 student of your choice will receive protection points.
If neither option is chosen, the personal points of the bottom 5 students in the next written exam will be reduced to 0.
Task 4:
In the second semester's written exam, the class will apply the following rule:
Options:
Increase difficulty
Increase penalties
Reduce rewards
These two tasks caused some discord in the class, with some students openly opposing certain ideas during the preparation phase.
However, in the end, Hirata Yosuke and Horikita Suzune managed to resolve the issues, and both tasks were successfully completed.
Finally, it was time for the fifth task.
Task 5: Expel 1 student from the class and gain 100 class points.
(If the vote is unanimously in favor, the student to be expelled will be determined through another vote.)
Options: Agree / Disagree
[This is the final task that will determine the class's fate.]
Chabashira Sae thought to herself.
She desperately hoped this task would be resolved quickly.
'Yare yare, so there's a task like this after all.'
Saiki sighed inwardly.
He knew that if this task wasn't resolved in one vote, irreparable rifts could form within the class, which would be troublesome.
If necessary, Saiki would have to use his mind control abilities.
However, after hearing the thoughts of those around him, Saiki decided against taking action.
"Now, let's announce the results."
After the voting was completed, Chabashira Sae turned to the large screen.
39 votes, all opposed.
This was the only vote in Class A that didn't result in any disagreements. The entire class reached a unanimous decision within one minute.
[Did we pass?]
Looking at the results on the screen, Chabashira Sae let out a sigh of relief.
[A unanimous decision... This would have been impossible for us a year ago.]
Meanwhile, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, sitting at the front of the class, thought to himself while glancing at Saiki.
There had been many uncontrollable factors in the class.
The first was Kushida Kikyo. However, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka still didn't know what method Saiki had used to eliminate Kushida's hostility toward them, turning her into an asset for the class instead.
Although Kushida was dangerous, her abilities had become one of Class A's most important weapons.
The other factor was Koenji Rokusuke.
Koenji, who did as he pleased, was difficult to reconcile with the rest of the class. However, due to his agreement with Horikita Suzune, he had to act in the class's best interests.
The person responsible for this outcome was Saiki.
Saiki's first-place finish in the uninhabited island exam was the key reason Koenji Rokusuke became a valuable asset to the class.
"Congratulations, you've successfully passed this exam."
The teacher sitting at the back of the room finally stood up and addressed the class.
[Although there were disputes in the earlier tasks, the fifth task was resolved so cleanly and decisively. Perhaps this is why they were able to rise from Class D to Class A. I've never seen anything like this before.]
"I sincerely congratulate you all on passing this exam."
Chabashira Sae, who had maintained a serious expression throughout, finally smiled.
The exam was finally over.
...
After the special exam, the second-year students would soon face their second sports festival.
Although the rules had changed slightly, with the experience from the previous year, the training for this sports festival went much more smoothly.
Most importantly, Class A had become more united.
For them, the upcoming cultural festival was the most important event.
Not only did it concern their class points, but it also involved the school's reputation, as many outsiders would be visiting the school.
Among them, Saiki's parents were likely to attend.
As the nominal manager of the café, Saiki also needed to begin formal preparations.
One day after class, Saiki was sitting at his desk.
Academic Ability: B+ (85)
Physical Ability: A (90)
Flexible Thinking: B (70)
Social Contribution: C+ (60)
Overall Ability: B (71)
After these exams, Saiki's OAA (Overall Ability Assessment) had improved.
Although Saiki wasn't happy with this result, there was nothing he could do about it now.
At that moment, Hasebe Haruka approached Saiki with a meaningful smile:
"Got a minute?"