Soon.
Time passed and it was now September, in the Class 3-A classroom.
In front of the podium.
Hoshinomiya Chie was explaining the rules for the next special exam.
"This special exam is called the Mixed-Class Pairing Exam. You need to be divided equally into Group A and Group B to compete against other classes."
"Teacher, we have 41 people. What should we do in the case where we can't divide equally?"
"In cases where they cannot be divided equally, the extra person enters Group B. The requirement is that the number of members in Group A must not be greater than those in Group B."
Not just Class A.
The other classes were also unable to divide equally.
Their class had 41 people, while Katsuragi's and Ryuuen's classes both had 39, and Ayanokouji's class had 37.
None could be divided equally.
Group B would inevitably have one extra person.
"You need to select a captain to draw lots to determine the opponent class. Then our class's Group A will be mixed with the opponent's Group B into one class, while the other side will be our class's Group B mixed with the opponent's Group A."
"Both sides will hold a buzzer-beater quiz competition at the same time. Hmm... just like the pressing-the-buzzer to get the right to answer on a variety show."
"The lot drawing will be held three days later after school."
"Then Teacher, can you tell us the exam content?"
Ichinose was somewhat surprised.
This tests the students' reaction time and knowledge reserves?
If they could know some exam content in advance, they could prepare, though it should be impossible.
However.
Hoshinomiya Chie was quite straightforward this time.
"This exam covers all areas. Besides knowledge related to academics and physical education, it includes uninhabited island survival experience, like how to build a campfire, or music and animation."
"The questions will cover everything you've learned in these three years."
"I see."
Kanzaki immediately frowned.
If that's the case.
Then it's not just the higher the academic or physical ability, the better.
Instead, it tests the depth of each class. After all, everyone is good at different things.
The more people with certain specialties, the better.
"Next are the specific rules."
Hoshinomiya Chie operated the tablet and opened the screen behind her.
It showed a red circular button, just like on a variety show.
"On the day of the exam, each examination hall will prepare three hundred questions."
"There will be a buzzer like this on everyone's desk. The first person to press the button gains the right to answer within ten seconds."
"A correct answer gets one point, timing out deducts two points, and an incorrect answer deducts five points."
"While the score won't go below zero, try to avoid answering in unfamiliar fields. As for whether to buzz in, that's up to you."
"Furthermore, when a classmate presses the buzzer and starts answering, other classmates are forbidden from speaking."
"There are three warning opportunities, but after the third time, every violation will result in a ten-point deduction."
"..."
Normal rules.
If teammates could give hints at any time, buzzing in would lose its meaning.
Rashly pressing the buzzer was useless.
If you hit an unfamiliar field, it might cause a negative effect, but being too conservative would give the opportunity to the opponent.
Specifically how it plays out.
Completely depends on themselves.
"Teacher, what about the rewards."
"You can understand it as one point being one class point."
"What? Does that mean?"
Shibata and the others immediately widened their eyes.
With three hundred questions prepared in each hall, one point is one class point.
As long as they can win in both examination halls simultaneously.
Theoretically.
They could gain a whopping 600 class points at once.
Hikigaya felt somewhat helpless.
People are like that.
In the past, he felt that increasing the Class Point rewards was good because of the "high risk, high reward" nature.
But now that he had reached Class A.
He truly wished the rewards could be a bit less.
The massive fluctuations with every exam were truly nerve-wracking.
The class meeting ended.
Hikigaya, Ichinose, Shibata, and the others gathered together.
"I didn't expect we'd have to separate and compete with other classes. What should we do now? How should we group up?"
"Should we still consider everyone's specialties and do an even distribution?"
"If we do that, it'll be too average. I'm afraid it'll be hard to win against other classes."
"As expected, we should put the students with specialties in Group A and the others in Group B, forming a 'one strong, one weak' combination."
"I think so too. The number of students in Group A cannot exceed Group B; this should be considered a hint from the school, right?"
"Are they telling us to put our main force in Group A or something?"
"But other classes might use this point to put a few people who are good at certain fields into Group B to snipe us, and then try to get as many points as possible on the other side."
"Thinking about it this way makes it so complicated..."
"And we have to consider the opponent. Our class's academic ability is about the same as Katsuragi and the others. If the opponent is Ryuuen, he might pull some small tricks."
"Yeah, I really don't want Ryuuen and his group as opponents."
Sakura Airi had a bit of a headache.
A "one strong, one weak" combination should be the most standard way.
But there was also the option of an even combination.
Or.
Select one or two people with outstanding academic ability to enter Group B to reduce the score gap as much as possible, since there will always be academic questions.
Then, go all out to answer quickly on the other side.
If they kept thinking like this, it might turn into an information war, spying on the group assignments of the opposing class.
While thinking.
Everyone turned to look at Hikigaya.
"Let's not think too much."
Hikigaya thought for a moment and chose to give up: "Thinking like this only leads to an endless chain of suspicion. Let's just do our own thing."
"Study hard during this time, and then based on interests and hobbies, form a Group A that covers the widest range of knowledge as the main force."
"Then we'll see who the opponent is and set up defenses."
"Understood..."
"Then should Hikigaya be the one to draw lots?"
"Yeah, no problem."
Hikigaya nodded.
Fortunately.
According to the rules.
This exam would not result in any expulsions.
However, even if it were an exam with expulsions, it wouldn't matter; with their current Class Points, saving up twenty million would be very fast.
Basically, they could save it up once every three or four months.
Of course, things like prohibiting violence went without saying.
However.
There was one more point that was a bit concerning.
Except for when a teammate presses the buzzer, this exam doesn't seem to forbid speaking, nor does it forbid other small tricks.
Is it to test their composure at the same time?
During this time.
The school had held two special exams.
Current Class Points for each class:
Class A (Hikigaya): 1528 points
Class B (Ayanokouji): 1345 points
Class C (Katsuragi): 1178 points
Class D (Ryuuen): 978 points.
Hikigaya had a bit of a headache.
Katsuragi lost to Ryuuen once more, and he himself lost to Ayanokouji once.
The current Class Points were not stable.
There was a possibility of being overtaken by other classes at any time, especially since this exam had such high rewards.
Even Ryuuen of Class D could not ignore it.
The key is
Ayanokouji....