Chapter 103: Class A's Complete Defeat, Katsuragi's Despair
[In the Service Club…]
[Ebina Hina: "What a pity. Kamuro helped Hikigaya, but in doing so, she unintentionally hurt her own class's standing. Ugh, why does that sound weird?"]
[Despite Kamuro being a Class A student, it somehow felt like she wouldn't help her own class.]
[No one dwelled on it, though. Isshiki Iroha nodded enthusiastically. "Such a shame, such a shame, Senpai. But even so, Class A's already lost big time. That punch wasn't for nothing."]
[Hikigaya shot Isshiki a deadpan look. What did she mean, not for nothing? He'd taken that punch without any defense. Without resolve, he'd have been in tears from the pain.]
[Compared to Isshiki, Yuihama Yui's face was etched with worry for Hikigaya.]
[As for Yukinoshita Yukino, her expression was incredibly complex, so much so that Hikigaya couldn't bear to meet her eyes a second time. Her gaze was filled with conflict.]
[It was clear she was worried about him. Her restless hands rubbed together anxiously. But it was also clear she wanted to say something, her lips kept parting, only to close again.]
[Finally, Yukinoshita spoke.]
["Hikigaya-kun, isn't it about time you paid attention to the female classmates around you?"]
[Okay, so Hikigaya had misread her. Yukinoshita wasn't worried about his health, she was more concerned about this.]
[The Service Club fell silent, but Yukinoshita, as if prepared, continued. "You're no longer the friendless Hikigaya-kun, at least not in the video. So learning how to keep a proper distance from girls is very important."]
[Yukinoshita sat upright, hands on her knees, her gaze resolute as she spoke earnestly to Hikigaya.]
[Hayama Hayato was stunned. Though he'd known Yukinoshita since childhood, practically a childhood friend, he'd never seen this icy girl say such things to a boy. To say this meant Hikigaya held an irreplaceable place in her heart, maybe even there.]
[It wasn't just Hayama. The other girls, and even Hikigaya himself, were taken aback. They never imagined Yukinoshita would boldly say something like this.]
[They'd long known Yukinoshita had feelings for Hikigaya, perhaps ones she hadn't even noticed herself. But to outsiders, it was crystal clear.]
[Yukinoshita didn't back down despite the chilly atmosphere. Instead, she looked at Hikigaya more firmly, her expression tinged with urgency and a hint of anger. "As I said, I can't change the you in the video. But since it's a video, it shows a possible future where you become that kind of person. I hope you remember this now, or you'll never find the 'genuine thing' you're searching for."]
[Hikigaya's ears turned red, all thanks to Yukinoshita's words. But how was he supposed to respond?]
[In the end, he just gave a small nod.]
[Seeing his response, Yukinoshita's face softened into a rare, genuine, warm smile, one that didn't seem to belong to her.]
In Class 1-D, Sakura Airi and Horikita Suzune sat together.
Ever since learning Hikigaya's plan, Sakura's expression had been grim, her heart heavy with worry about his condition, whether he'd safely made it to the ship. She even considered seeking out Koenji Rokusuke.
Few knew Hikigaya's true plan: Horikita, Sakura, Kushida Kikyo, Koenji Rokusuke, and Hirata Yosuke were the insiders.
They'd expected Koenji to return by evening, but even late into the night, with everyone asleep, he showed no sign of coming back.
Finding Koenji was easier said than done.
Sakura fidgeted restlessly, muttering "Hachiman" under her breath.
Horikita wanted to comfort her, to calm her down, but she was just as anxious. When Hikigaya had shared his plan, she'd thought it was too risky, doubting Yahiko would act so impulsively. If he didn't, Class D would be the one in a bind.
But Hikigaya was certain, so she let him go through with it.
If there was a difference between the two girls, it was this: Sakura Airi's heart was entirely consumed by Hikigaya Hachiman. She only cared about his safety, class victory be damned. Horikita Suzune, while worried for Hikigaya as his deskmate and long-time partner, was also concerned for the class. Her goal had always been to reach Class A.
Sakura: "I wonder if Koenji will go back on his word. That guy's so unpredictable."
She recalled the first day of the island exam, watching Hikigaya negotiate with Koenji. It was a deal, so there were no guarantees.
If it had been Sudo Ken, Sakura would've felt more at ease.
"If Class A offered Koenji more points, I bet he'd switch sides in a heartbeat."
Horikita thought for a moment, then nodded helplessly. "We have no way to fully control him. Taming a monster like that is impossible. I'm honestly impressed Hikigaya dared to make such a gamble."
Sakura shook her head, puzzled. "Normally, Hachiman's like a rational machine, he wouldn't take such a gamble. But this time… I don't know if he's testing something or if he's really that confident."
Their conversation under the moonlight grew, but their worries never lessened.
"If Hikigaya fails, I won't let him off." Horikita said, clenching her teeth, frustrated at being left out.
But Sakura shook her head, looking at Horikita. "Horikita-san, you can't blame him. He's already done so much for us… I just want to hug him right now."
Hearing Sakura's heartfelt words and seeing her intense gaze, Horikita sighed in resignation. "You're way too on his side."
"Whether he's right or wrong, I'll always stand by him. Even if it means facing failure."
Horikita felt a twinge of admiration for the girl beside her. In just one semester, the shy, socially anxious idol had grown into a capable figure, the only first-year on the student council.
As long as her faith in Hikigaya held, she'd keep moving forward. That kind of drive was terrifyingly powerful.
…
"You two are actually worried about that guy."
Behind the rock where Horikita and Sakura sat, a short-haired girl leaned against a tree, speaking with a hint of disdain.
Arms crossed, her face no longer bore the angelic smile everyone loved, only coldness, with a touch of menace when needed.
Horikita: "What brings you here?"
Kushida Kikyo: "The tent's full of people chattering. I didn't want to join their nonsense."
Horikita: "That's not like you. By the way, I still don't know why you suddenly changed like this."
Kushida: "You can thank that guy you're talking about."
Sakura wasn't new to this version of Kushida. When Kushida first dropped her angelic facade, Hachiman had asked Sakura to look out for her.
This version of Kushida was easier for Sakura to deal with. Though her cold expression and occasional fierceness were intimidating, at least it was real.
Like Sakura, Kushida was facing the world authentically.
Though Sakura didn't know what Hachiman had done, she knew Kushida was like her, someone who'd worn a mask to avoid the world's harm. Now, they'd both taken them off.
Hearing Hachiman's name, Sakura grew anxious. "Kushida-san, do you know something?"
Kushida shook her head, then slowly looked up, her expression unchanging. "Don't worry. That guy's cunning. Anyone who tries to scheme against him ends up facing serious consequences. Even I have to admit he's masterful at it."
Sakura: "Even if you say that…"
Horikita quickly patted Sakura's shoulder twice. "Relax. When we wake up tomorrow, the exam will be over, and everything will be settled…"
Sakura: "Mm…"
The three fell silent, gazing at the moon obscured by the night sky, no longer speaking.
Perhaps only when the results came would they know if he'd succeeded.
…
The seventh day, noon.
Each class's Homeroom Sensei arrived at their respective camps, delivering the leadership panels.
Writing another class's leader's name correctly would earn 50 class points; guessing wrong would deduct 50. If a class's leader was correctly guessed, all their reward points would be nullified.
To keep stronghold points, a class's leader had to remain unexposed.
Of the three remaining classes, Class B hadn't joined the fray or investigated the others' leaders, focusing on their own affairs, a fulfilling vacation, essentially.
Classes A and D, however, were scheming against each other.
After learning Hikigaya had withdrawn, Katsuragi and Yahiko decided not to submit a guess for Class D's leader. With only half a day left, finding their leader was impossible. Ending the exam quietly might be the best outcome.
On Class D's side, Hirata Yosuke had filled in the name Hikigaya told him before leaving.
He didn't know why he trusted someone who'd withdrawn a day ago. He couldn't predict the future or see what changes Class A underwent in his absence, but…
Hirata had a gut feeling to trust him.
So, in secret from most of the class, he wrote Yahiko's name.
With that, the special exam officially ended.
The three classes gathered at the beach where they'd arrived seven days ago, luggage packed, awaiting the Senseis' announcement.
Ichinose Honami looked at Class A, who'd arrived first. They lacked energy, as if they hadn't slept or had faced some ordeal.
When Class D arrived late, Ichinose greeted them warmly, but…
Kushida didn't respond with her usual enthusiasm, giving only a fleeting glance. Hikigaya's absence puzzled her, and only Sakura Airi shyly waved back in greeting.
Ichinose: "That's odd. Where's Hikigaya-kun?"
Hearing her, Kanzaki Ryuji quickly scanned Class D for Hikigaya, but he was nowhere to be found.
It wasn't that his presence was faint, he was simply gone.
Kanzaki Ryuji: "Did something happen? It looks like these two classes had some kind of conflict."
Ichinose Honami: "Yeah, the tension feels unusually thick. I wonder how Hikigaya-kun is doing?"
As the three classes gathered on the beach, Kamuro Masumi finally emerged from the forest, slowly joining Class A's formation.
Mashima Tomonari stood at the highest point, while Class C, already on the ship, sent Ryuen Kakeru alone to receive the results.
As he approached, Ryuen cast a pitying glance at Katsuragi Kohei.
Mashima: "Now, I will announce the final results of the special exam."
Ryuen: "This'll be a good show."
Mashima: "Last place…"
"Class C, 0 points."
Ryuen gave a dismissive sneer. "Tch…"
Katsuragi glanced at Ryuen but said nothing.
Mashima: "Third place…"
All three classes held their breath. Subconsciously, they assumed the scores wouldn't differ much, so any of them could be third.
"Class A, 100 points."
Katsuragi: "How is that possible?!"
At that moment, not only Class A but also Classes B and D stared at Katsuragi's group in disbelief.
Before they could process their shock, Mashima continued.
"Second place…"
"Class B, 140 points."
"And finally, first place…"
"Class D, 190 points."
For a moment, the entire beach fell silent.
Class D students exchanged glances, unsure what had just happened.
Ike Kanji: "We won?"
Yamauchi Haruki: "What's going on?"
In contrast, Class A's students turned disappointed gazes toward Katsuragi.
Katsuragi stood frozen, completely stunned. This was nothing like what he'd envisioned. Even in his worst-case scenario…
He'd calculated that if neither class guessed the other's leader, the exam would end with scores roughly even.
But this massive gap, how was it possible?
What had happened?
Could it be… they'd already guessed Class A's leader?
Even so, that would only account for a 50-point difference. Why was there nearly a 100-point gap?
Impossible…
Class D erupted into cheers, while Ryuen approached Katsuragi, a smug, gloating tone in his voice. "You didn't do anything wrong. You just picked the wrong opponent… What a shame."
Katsuragi, irritated, had no desire to be compared to someone who led their class to 0 points. "I'm not like you, dragging a class to rock bottom."
"That's exactly why you're not fit to be a leader."
Ryuen didn't argue further. With a casual wave, he left early, unconcerned. He'd already withdrawn from the exam, so he was just a bystander now. Still, he hadn't come away empty-handed.
For one, he'd learned not to treat Class D as prey anymore.
Class A students: "Katsuragi, you owe us an explanation."
"To think, our prestigious Class A lost so humiliatingly."
"It's all because you didn't keep the green card safe."
"Katsuragi, Yahiko, you two need to take responsibility for this."
Most of Class A didn't know the full story, only that Katsuragi had lost the green card, leading to their leader being guessed.
Hashimoto Masayoshi stayed silent. Though he hadn't targeted Hikigaya this time, he'd been undermining Katsuragi behind his back despite their supposed cooperation. He despised Katsuragi, and Hikigaya was just someone he disliked even more.
So, hands in his pockets, he walked off nonchalantly.
Kamuro, meanwhile, stood in a daze, watching Class D's jubilant celebration in the distance. Most of them probably didn't even know how they'd won, but that didn't matter.
Because behind them was always a man who handled their troubles.
A mix of envy and jealousy flickered in the girl's eyes for the first time.
Without saying more, she quickly left.
In Class 1-D, Sakura Airi let out a huge sigh of relief. "It looks like Hachiman succeeded!"
Horikita Suzune: "Yeah, that guy didn't let us down. I'm growing more impressed with him… Not sure if that's good or bad."
Sakura: "I want to get back to the ship soon. I need to see him!"
Horikita: "I need to go over things with Hirata, so I'll leave that to you for now."
Kushida Kikyo, who'd appeared nearby at some point, showed no change in expression, as if she'd expected this outcome from the start.
"I'll go with you."
"Okay…"
Students from each class began heading to the ship, but Mashima's voice over the loudspeaker stopped them.
Ryuen, Kamuro, Hashimoto, Sakura, and Kushida all halted.
"There's one more matter to address."
"Class 1-A's Yahiko Totsuka, for intentionally injuring another student and engaging in a fight, has seriously violated school rules. As a result, Class A will be deducted 100 class points, and Yahiko will lose 30,000 individual points."
"Of course, the points for the withdrawal of the injured student will also be borne by Class A."
In that moment, Katsuragi understood.
It all made sense.
The massive point gap, the lingering unease, the feeling that something was off.
He'd been walking a path laid out by his opponent all along.
Everything he'd done was anticipated, and he hadn't even realized when he'd stepped into the trap.
It all connected, and Ryuen's earlier words echoed in his ears.
"You picked the wrong opponent…"
Yes, it was that simple.
One wrong move, and he'd lost everything.
It wasn't luck or bad timing. He'd been outplayed from the start, maybe from the moment he stepped off the cruise, or even earlier.
Hikigaya Hachiman, what a terrifying existence.
A belated fear gripped him, his body trembling uncontrollably. To be so thoroughly manipulated… Katsuragi, a figure of some renown, had never experienced this in his years of life.
The scariest part? His Class A classmates were still in the dark, thinking they'd merely lost because their green card was stolen. And looking at Class D's bewildered expressions, they were no different, most had no idea how they'd won.
Monster…
The word popped into his mind unbidden.
It was the only word to describe that rational man.
His spirit crushed, Katsuragi wasn't like Ryuen. In this moment, he'd completely lost the courage to face that boy again.
The feeling of being controlled throughout wasn't something just anyone could endure. It shattered his pride, his past, and his imagined future.
He understood why Ryuen had said what he did.
He wasn't suited to be a leader.
Ryuen had lost, and so had he.
But Ryuen had the courage to start over, while Katsuragi had lost all his drive.
Perhaps Ryuen was right.
Class A couldn't afford another blow. This exam had closed the gap with other classes by nearly 200 points, a terrifying number Katsuragi couldn't accept.
Feeling his classmates' hostile glares, he could only sigh helplessly.
It was time to step down from leadership.
If Sakayanagi could defeat Hikigaya, Katsuragi would follow her.
For now, he needed to reclaim his lost spirit.
To beat him, he was willing to give up everything, his beliefs, his pride.
(End of this chapter)