Chapter 347: An Exam of Total Backroom Manipulation
"Congratulations. As expected of Hachiman-kun, your knowledge of classical literature is indeed profound!"
As the loser, Shiina Hiyori showed no signs of dejection; instead, she praised Hachiman with a look of genuine sincerity.
"It just so happened that I'd read the texts that were chosen. Hiyori is also very impressive," Hachiman replied with a smile.
The score difference between the two was only two points—a true battle between "Crouching Dragon and Hidden Phoenix."
Horikita Suzune stood to the side, a trace of frustration on her face. Although Class D won the overall score for the event, she personally lost to Hiyori Shiina, which was incredibly painful for someone who took her studies as seriously as she did.
Noticing Suzune's mood, Hiyori quickly offered some comfort: "If this had been a standard Japanese language paper, I suspect I wouldn't have been a match for Horikita-san."
"There's no need for modesty, Shiina-san. A loss is a loss; I won't make any excuses."
Suzune's tone was as cold as ever, but the tension in her brow relaxed slightly. Her competitive nature was especially fierce when it came to academics.
Kikyo Kushida looked at the two of them and cursed inwardly: 'This stupid woman, she doesn't even know she's being played like a fiddle!'
Before Hiyori could turn her gaze toward her, Kikyo took the initiative to mock herself: "Oh my~ you top students should stop with the 'humble-bragging,' you're making me look quite silly~~"
Suzune glanced at her, her eyes clearly saying: But you ARE silly.
However, in front of someone from another class, Suzune had finally learned how to read the atmosphere and refrained from commenting on Kikyo directly.
"Kushida-san isn't silly at all.
You are one of the most popular girls in the first year. Even in our class, many boys like Kushida-san."
The smile on Hiyori's face was very sincere, appearing to be a genuine compliment.
'What a cunning, wicked woman!'
Kikyo felt a surge of irritation. She knew that Hachiman's twisted personality made him hate the "all-around perfect goddess" type the most.
'This woman is definitely doing this on purpose!'
"Speaking of popularity, Shiina-san isn't far behind," Kikyo struck back subtly. "Everyone calls you the literary beauty of the library in private!"
"Thank you for the compliment."
Hiyori acted as if she couldn't hear the sarcasm, maintaining her polite smile. This managed to strike even Kikyo silent.
Hachiman sensed the abnormal atmosphere between them and quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Our exam is over, but other events are still ongoing. Let's sit down and watch together."
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The Fifth Event: [Free Sparring]
Rules: 3 participants per side; best of three rounds. Commander: One opportunity to swap a participant.
Although Class D's submitted project was chosen, Hachiman didn't think this was a guaranteed win.
Class D participants: Yosuke Hirata, Ryotaro Hondo, Wataru Ijuin. Class C participants: Yamada Albert, Ibuki Mio, Takumi Oda.
Except for Ibuki Mio, the other five were relatively strong males. However, Hachiman wasn't worried about Ibuki at all; her martial arts level was on par with Suzune's, more than enough to handle average opponents.
Match 1: Ijuin vs. Oda. Ijuin, a basketball club member, won a hard-fought battle through sheer physical stats. Match 2: Hondo vs. Ibuki. Hondo was a "thick-skinned" fat otaku, but surprisingly brittle. Ibuki took him down with a flying kick followed by a high-speed flurry of punches. Match 3: Hirata vs. Albert.
"Finally, something worth watching." Hachiman's sleepy eyelids lifted slightly.
"Hirata's style is fierce and he has rich practical experience; he should have a good chance," Suzune analyzed seriously.
"Yamada-kun is skilled in Judo; he's Class C's primary enforcer." Hiyori turned her gaze to Hachiman. "What do you think, Hachiman-kun? Who will win?"
"Hirata has high attack but low defense, while Albert has a massive health bar. Both have advantages," Hachiman squinted his dead-fish eyes and judged. "If I had to pick, the latter has a slightly better chance. Overall, it's about a 40/60 split."
In the surveillance video, the two finally clashed.
"Hah!" Hirata took the initiative with a violent flying knee. Having fought older, larger students in middle school, he knew aggression was key.
However, Albert was different. Not only was he naturally massive, but his Judo skills made him formidable. He easily pushed down Hirata's knee strike and, after absorbing a few hits to the head, charged like a human tank, sending Hirata flying.
"Again!" Hirata's eyes sharpened as he continued his aggressive assault. Albert remained mostly on defense, but his few counterpunches were heavy. Hirata managed to land a heavy uppercut on Albert's chin, drawing blood.
"Holy Shit!" Albert spat out blood, his veins bulging—he was genuinely pissed off now. He grabbed Hirata in a bearhug and slammed him into the ground.
"Cough!" Hirata's face contorted in pain.
"Hirata-kun, do you request to terminate the duel?" examiner Mashima asked.
"This level of pain... is far from enough!!" Hirata stubbornly stood up. The two engaged in a brutal melee, their uniforms being torn to shreds.
"Is it really necessary for Hirata to go that far?" Kikyo looked incredulous.
"Perhaps he feels it's necessary," Hachiman shrugged, respecting the man's will.
Soon, Albert used a Judo throw to slam Hirata down again. "Surrender," he muttered.
"Not yet!" Hirata used a ground sweep to trip Albert and lunged onto him, landing punches that sent Albert's sunglasses flying.
"GRAHH—!" In a fit of rage, Albert struck Hirata's flank. Hirata's face went pale from the impact. From that point on, Hirata was essentially pinned and pummeled.
"Enough!" Suzune frowned. "The commander has the right to swap players or end the exam. What is Ayanokouji doing? Is he just going to watch Hirata get beaten?"
Probably... Based on Hachiman's view of that "Masterpiece," Ayanokouji didn't care about Hirata's injuries. To reach the goal, anything could be sacrificed.
Ultimately, Mashima-sensei stepped in: "I declare the [Free Sparring] over. The winner is Class C!"
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The Sixth Event: [Shorthand Memorization]
In a surprising turn, Matsushita Chiaki from Class D dropped her lazy facade and showed her true brilliance. Hachiman had seen through her "hidden talent" long ago. As someone from a wealthy family, she didn't need to fight for Class A, but for once, she took it seriously. Class D won this project.
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The Seventh Event: [Go]
Class D: Kanji Miyamoto (a low-profile honest guy). Class C: Kaneda Satoru (top academic student).
Kaneda quickly pushed Miyamoto to the brink. At the critical moment, the commander took action, sending instructions. Miyamoto followed them decisively.
"Eh?" Kaneda adjusted his glasses. "Class D's commander seems quite proficient in Go."
The pace of the game accelerated. Kaneda began to sweat as the tide turned.
"The situation has reversed..." Hiyori sighed. "It seems we underestimated Ayanokouji-kun."
"What's happening? Are we going to win?" Kikyo asked, unable to read the board.
"Black has the upper hand. If this pace continues, we win," Suzune's brow relaxed.
"It's better not to draw conclusions until the very end," Hachiman muttered, staring at the instruction prompts on the screen.
'Why not let the commander talk directly to the student?'
Everything had to go through school review first. Ostensibly, it was to prevent cheating, but to Hachiman, this was clearly a backroom setup. If Tsukishiro really wanted to expel Ayanokouji, this was the perfect moment. All he had to do was intercept the message and swap it for a wrong instruction.
'Acting Chairman Tsukishiro... still going to say you're not an 'undercover agent' for Ayanokouji?'
"Let's go, there's nothing left to see," Hachiman stood up, bored.
"Wait, the exam isn't over yet," Suzune insisted.
"What's the point of watching someone else's exam?" Kikyo said indifferently, grabbing Hachiman's arm. "Hachiman-kun, come on a date with me next~"
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