Chapter 058: Sakayanagi Arisu's Showing Off: But I Succeeded, Didn't I!
Hikigaya didn't expect to encounter Kamuro here, and to make matters worse, she was the only one in the elevator.
"..." x2
As the elevator doors opened, they came face-to-face.
However, Kamuro Masumi, who was standing inside with her arms crossed, suddenly spoke: "Aren't you getting on?"
This surprised Hikigaya slightly. This girl, who usually avoided him like the plague—even turning and running at the sight of him—was actually taking the initiative to speak today.
He didn't stand there like an idiot; he walked in, and the doors slid shut. Kamuro leaned against the cold metal wall, her gaze fixed directly on him. She looked like she wanted to talk.
And she did.
"Sakayanagi chose this exam as the stage to face off against you. Do you think she's already admitted defeat?" Kamuro's voice was a bit tense. Then, as if remembering something, she added, "Of course, you don't have to answer."
'Sakayanagi?'
Hearing that name, Hikigaya's heartstrings were plucked by an invisible finger. Habitually, he pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen.
'Today is the 18th... then, it's about time. Sakayanagi is a person of incredible perseverance. Since she sent a declaration of war to the Student Council President, she won't admit defeat easily.
The action on the 12th was likely just a feint to test the waters. The most likely window for her to strike is between the 18th and 20th, and today is the 18th. Problems arising at this specific time create a situation that ordinary students find unacceptable.
So, perhaps today—or tomorrow—is the moment she truly draws her sword.'
As Hachiman's thoughts raced, the elevator let out a crisp "ding," and the doors slid open on the first floor. At that moment, he noticed Kamuro Masumi's face was filled with shock. Her pupils were slightly dilated, as if she had just heard something unbelievable.
"What's wrong?" Hikigaya turned his head toward her with a hint of confusion, not understanding why her expression had suddenly changed so drastically. He hadn't even replied yet.
"N-nothing!" Kamuro seemed to snap out of it. She quickly straightened her face and tossed out those words coldly. Without waiting for a response, she practically bolted out of the elevator, her slender figure disappearing around the corridor corner.
Hikigaya stared at the empty elevator doorway, momentarily speechless.
She was the one who started the conversation, yet she was also the one who ran away like a startled rabbit.
Truly, a girl's mind is the most unsolvable puzzle in the world.
Though the solitary encounter with Kamuro was unexpected, Hikigaya was in quite a good mood today.
Since Sakayanagi's provocation at the Student Council on the 12th, both she and Horikita Manabu had remained motionless—which meant the latter was likely about to suffer a hidden setback.
In the original story, Horikita Manabu had indeed suffered losses. During the mixed training camp exam for the first and second years, Nagumo Miyabi assisted second-year Class B in attacking Manabu's third-year Class A.
This resulted in Manabu's class losing their expected evaluation points and even being penalized with point deductions. Furthermore, his secretary, Tachibana Akane, faced expulsion, forcing Class A to spend 20 million points to save her.
They lost their long-held advantage and were forced into a tense final struggle with Class B.
Ultimately, Nagumo and Sakayanagi were quite similar—they both proactively sought out opponents and yearned for a clash.
That training camp was less about Class B vs. Class A and more about Nagumo simply wanting to trade blows with Horikita Manabu.
Admittedly, being targeted by someone who suddenly decides you are their rival is a major hassle. Thinking about how Sakayanagi was now targeting him, Hikigaya felt a bit dejected.
However, even though Sakayanagi was on a roll, she probably wouldn't target him directly this time. If she wasn't aiming at him, then... the upperclassmen were going to suffer. Since the entire school followed the same exam pattern, and the first years were already "perfectly prepared," if she wanted to show off a different "answer sheet," she had to go for the senpais.
For the second and third years, this was an unmitigated disaster.
Of course, given Sakayanagi's brilliance, she wouldn't be so overconfident as to attack both the second and third years at once. She would likely choose one grade as her target. Since she had challenged Horikita Manabu at the Student Council, it was safe to assume her targets were the third-years.
Since he had deduced Sakayanagi's movements, shouldn't he do something? For now, there was no need. But if Sakayanagi's attack succeeded and the third years made concessions, he might be able to take advantage of the chaos to "fleece" the second years as well. But that
thought was a bit much—it was a move that would offend many people and might even lead to an investigation.
So, better to let Sakayanagi set the example first. If she could walk away unscathed, he could follow suit. Thus, Hikigaya's good mood remained.
Thanks to Sakayanagi Arisu of Class A, he might have an opportunity to earn some extra "pocket money."
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When Hikigaya finished breakfast at the cafeteria and headed toward the school building, he found that Sakayanagi had already struck.
The reason was clear: on May 18th, the third-year floor exploded.
Specifically, as the third-year students arrived at the building, they were greeted by a sea of white—the air was filled with fluttering greyish-white papers. It looked like the aftermath of a crowded convention, except instead of confetti, it was box after box of white paper being dumped from the roof.
The papers drifted down, scattering everywhere like falling cherry blossoms in spring, covering the corridors and stairs. If you walked past, it was impossible to ignore.
"W-what is... this?"
A third-year girl who arrived early froze in her tracks, her books clutched to her chest. She hesitantly bent over, her slender fingers picking up a stack of papers scattered at her feet. She had only seen paper in such stacks during promotional flyer giveaways in the shopping district.
But this was school... and the teaching building! The third-year floor!
Her brow furrowed, her eyes reflecting confusion and a faint sense of unease. She looked down at the page in her hand. At the very top was a prominent title:
[Third Year Physics Midterm Review Materials]
"Review materials!?"
Her voice trembled slightly, her fingers tightening on the paper. She was a student of third-year Class C and had already been through two midterm written exams in the first semester. As a confused first-year, she had discovered many questions exceeded the curriculum, only to find out later that the second and third years were tested the same way.
She had understood instantly back then. One could simply buy old questions from the previous year's senpais and memorize them before the test. Her class had prepared the "old
questions" for the third year while they were still in the second year, and just a week ago, their class representative had photocopied and distributed them.
Thus, she recognized at a glance that this paper filled with answers was identical to the one she had. Only the solution steps for the final electric field calculation were slightly different, but the final result was exactly the same.
These weren't "review materials"... this was the actual exam paper! And it had been leaked in the most blatant way possible.
Her face gradually turned pale, and her breathing quickened. Even an ordinary student could smell the approaching storm. More students picked up the "review materials" from the floor; the sound of rustling paper and hushed whispers spread rapidly.
"W-why is this happening to the third years?!" someone cried out, their voice laced with panic.
"Ishikura-kun!"
Ishikura, the representative of third-year Class B, rushed to the scene after receiving the news. His pace was hurried, and a few strands of hair were messy from running. A classmate immediately handed him a paper. Ishikura took it, scanned the content, and his expression turned grave.
"Is this a plan by third-year Class A? They seemed so quiet—and now they pull this?!"
The students immediately became indignant. Although they didn't feel the threat of total destruction yet because the papers were leaked, they hadn't been studying seriously lately. They likely wouldn't be able to get the maximum 100-point evaluation reward. But if Class A did this, then Class A must have been prepared. This was a move to pull ahead by taking 50 more points than Class B in this exam!
"Horikita-kun!"
At that moment, the students of third-year Class A arrived. Their appearance caused the noisy crowd to quiet down slightly. Horikita Manabu walked at the front, his pace steady and his expression calm. A classmate immediately handed him the found paper.
"President." Tachibana Akane also looked worried. She wasn't worried about the leak causing the school to change the exam papers at the last minute; Class A knew they had been a burden to Manabu, so they had been studying hard. If the papers were changed, they weren't afraid.
However, she was reminded of Sakayanagi from first-year Class A who had provoked them at the Student Council a few days ago. Upon leaving, Sakayanagi had said: 'I thought President Horikita would be more forward-thinking.'
That sentence echoed in her mind like an ominous omen. Sakayanagi hadn't appeared since, but this move was very likely her handiwork. It was a violent tactic—like flipping the entire poker table over.
"Horikita-kun... this, this—" More students from Classes C and D looked over with terrified faces. Their voices shook, and their eyes were frantic. Some even had red eyes, as if they were about to cry.
Clearly, compared to Class B—who could calmly speculate on Class A's strategy—and the steady Class A, Classes C and D were on the verge of a breakdown. During the written exam in the second year, they had relied on memorizing the previous year's papers to pass, having tasted the sweetness of that method. Naturally, they did the same for the third year.
No one was actually studying; they were just memorizing "old questions." But now, they had memorized everything only to have the questions leaked. If the school changed the papers, they would definitely fail. Of course, as "old-timers" in the third year, they had experience with various special exams.
They could try to struggle by staying above the failing line (half of the class average), but if they did that, they certainly wouldn't get the full 100-point reward. This was an unmitigated disaster!
Naturally, news of what happened to the third years spread to other grades. First, it reached the second-year area nearby.
"President Horikita is going to suffer this time," Nagumo Miyabi said in the Class A classroom, watching the opposite building.
"What do you mean?" At that moment, a girl with beautiful orange hair and a sunflower hairclip walked over. This was Asahina Nazuna, Nagumo's classmate and childhood friend.
She was no mere "flower vase"; she excelled in thinking, sports, academics, judgment, and social skills. She was a highly outstanding student. Naturally, she was Nagumo's right hand and a major help in maintaining the class.
When such things happened, it was a topic they could discuss.
"Over the weekend, a first-year kouhai went to the Student Council to challenge President Horikita, saying she wanted him to recognize her and give her candidacy for the next Student Council President," Nagumo said.
"A first-year is that bold?" Asahina was slightly surprised.
"Yeah, I'm quite interested too. It's a pity I wasn't there on Sunday. But looking at it now, this year's freshmen are indeed special. Not only are the scores of Classes A and B far beyond other years, but other students are also this aggressive," Nagumo evaluated.
"If I were the Student Council President, I would give them a bigger stage and more space, and then let them truly demonstrate 'meritocracy'."
"You're only talking about 'them' (girls), aren't you?" Asahina teased. As his childhood friend, she knew exactly what kind of person Nagumo was. Even though Nagumo was excellent in every way, she felt no romantic sparks with him at all.