Chapter 105: Year 1 Class A: "I Win!" Year 1 Class D: "No, I'm the Winner!"
The final day of the small island special exam—the seventh day at 9:30 AM. The clock had finally reached the endgame of this grand gambit.
A stillness hung in the air, the kind that follows a settled storm, yet it was taut with the tension of the final confrontation. Even the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves seemed to demand that everyone hold their breath.
The rules explicitly stated that camp maintenance was a graded criterion. Environmental pollution or physical illness could lead to point deductions. At this decisive closing moment, no one wanted to see their hard work crumble over a triviality.
The Class C camp fell into a state of orderly chaos. Following Ryuen's orders, the students worked like precision clockwork. Some swept away dry branches and food scraps, others pulled up tent stakes, and groups worked together to fold the canvas tents into neat squares for collection.
Near the edge of the camp, several temporary trash bags were stuffed to the brim with instant ramen cups, water bottles, and used tissues. Not a single scrap of waste was left to chance.
Hachiman blended in with the crowd. Having spent a week in the Class C camp, he felt it only polite to contribute to the cleanup.
He held a brown broom, focused on sweeping the fallen leaves at the edge of the central clearing into a pile. The morning dew hadn't fully evaporated, leaving the leaves damp and cool. The rhythmic shashasha of the broom against the ground was exceptionally clear amidst the busy camp.
When he paused, Shiina Hiyori approached slowly with a dustpan. She leaned down beside him to collect the leaves, but as she looked up, her clear eyes caught Hachiman's. Her gaze was focused yet worried, her slightly pursed lips betraying the unease in her heart.
Yes, Hiyori was currently in a state of deep anxiety.
As a natural observer of people, Hachiman read the tension hidden beneath her calm exterior the moment their eyes met.
'Shiina wants to discuss the leader-guessing phase with me.' His inner voice transmitted clearly to her.
Hiyori froze for a second, then a knowing, gentle smile spread across her face, as if a massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
Clearly, he had guessed right.
"..." Hachiman was speechless.
He was actually quite surprised.
'Wait, can I actually read a girl's mind now?' Spending a week day and night with Hiyori—a literary girl with such delicate thoughts and sharp observation skills—seemed to have boosted his experience points in this area significantly.
He had originally thought he had no hope of pursuing girls. With zero dating experience, he felt he could never "pluck" a "Highland Rose" like Yukinoshita. He had wanted to gain experience. Yet, before that plan even officially started, he had accidentally gained +3 experience points just by cohabiting with Hiyori for a week.
As expected of a heroine from the later stages of the original story—a girl with the potential to be the protagonist's first love—this silent rapport and understanding were terrifying! If he wasn't careful, he might actually fall for her.
"Hikigaya-kun? Why are you staring at me?" Hiyori tilted her head, a strand of beautiful silver hair swaying with the movement. The morning light caught her pale skin, casting a soft glow. Hachiman's momentary lapse in focus hadn't escaped her.
"It's nothing," Hachiman quickly looked back at the leaves, preparing to resume work. However, there were things to be said.
"I was just thinking... it's about time for Ryuen to bring his 'surprise' over."
'A surprise...?'
Just as the words left Hachiman's mouth, hurried footsteps echoed from the camp entrance.
Ryuen Kakeru burst into view. He had clearly rushed over from another base with a very specific destination in mind—he was walking in a straight line toward Hachiman and Hiyori. He ignored the busy students around him, walking with large, aggressive strides.
"Hey, Hikigaya," Ryuen stopped in front of him, keeping his voice low. "It's about time."
By "time," he meant that two homeroom teachers were likely approaching the camp and would arrive in a few minutes.
Ryuen continued, "I went to see Sakagami this morning to ask about the specific arrangements for the guessing phase. It's just a form. It has spaces for Classes A, B, C, and D. You just fill in the name of who you think the leader is."
Ryuen wasn't doing this out of the goodness of his heart. Hachiman waited for the catch.
Sure enough, Ryuen said, "Your Class B is guaranteed to be at 0 points in dead last; it doesn't matter what you write. But, I want you to write the name of the Class A leader—Hashimoto Masayoshi!"
He stated the name with absolute certainty, his eyes locking onto Hachiman's, trying to catch a hint of hesitation or shock.
However, Hachiman simply stopped sweeping, leaned the broom against a tree, and clapped the dust off his hands. His face showed none of the shock Ryuen expected. Instead, he let out
a soft laugh—a sound that, though quiet, acted like a needle popping Ryuen's inflated confidence.
"Hashimoto Masayoshi?" Hachiman repeated.
"Are you sure? Because if you are, Ryuen, you're finished.
The Class A leader isn't him," Hachiman said flatly. "I suggest you don't fill that in if you don't actually know."
"..."
Anger flared on Ryuen's face.
"What... what did you say? Are you saying you already know Class A's leader? How could you possibly know!" His voice rose instinctively, drawing glances from nearby students, but Ryuen didn't care. He glared at Hachiman. "You're bluffing!"
"Let me guess. Since you specifically told me Hashimoto's name, it seems the traitor selling out Class A is indeed Hashimoto. When there are many potential targets, people often instinctively pick out the most relevant person," Hachiman said, shaking his head.
"How disappointing."
'Wait, what's disappointing?' Ryuen was nearly speechless. He suppressed his shock, his eyes turning predatory, like a beast whose secret had been exposed. "Don't talk big! You think Hashimoto would just betray them...?"
"Of course he would," Hachiman said.
"He's a member of the Sakayanagi faction. He naturally wouldn't want to see the Katsuragi faction win big. So, by selling out a little bit of Class A's leader info, he ensures Class A's base points are invalidated and they fall into debt—becoming a weapon to attack the Katsuragi faction."
"..." Ryuen fell silent instantly.
"So you really know the Class A leader?" Ryuen asked, looking up.
"I do. The Class A leader is Katsuragi's sidekick, Totsuka Yahiko," Hachiman replied. "And Hashimoto should have already told you this."
"..." Another silence.
But quickly, Ryuen's face darkened completely. The sense of superiority from having intel vanished, replaced by the irritation of being seen through.
"Impossible! You... you're guessing!"
That was the only explanation he could fathom. He had intended to tell Hachiman the real leader was Totsuka, but he wanted to bluff first to assert dominance. He also thought he
could sell the Class A leader info to Class B for a price. Since Class B was at 0 points but had already gained the best rewards from the exam, they still wouldn't want to see Class A get a high score.
Ryuen had spent 2 million points to buy a spy in Class A, thinking he'd make the money back. Now? Gone. All gone! Hikigaya Hachiman already knew Totsuka was the leader! His intel was worthless!
"Guessing?" Hachiman shook his head at Ryuen's outburst. He began his deduction slowly. "Remember the morning we went to the hidden spot? The mist hadn't cleared. Before you came storming into the camp to find me, you went somewhere else first, right?"
Ryuen's pupils shrunk. He had been hit where it hurt.
Hachiman's gaze drifted down to Ryuen's shoes.
"That morning, there was a specific type of sandy soil on the edges of your soles. It was light in color and extremely fine-grained. That soil doesn't exist near the Class C camp; it's only found on the beach in the central area of the island. At that hour, you wouldn't take a detour to a remote beach just to watch the sunrise. The only explanation is that someone wanted a private chat, and the matter was important enough to avoid prying eyes."
Ryuen's face went from dark to pale. He stared at Hachiman, a low, suppressed growl in his throat, unable to refute. Hachiman's observation and deduction were terrifyingly precise.
"And," Hachiman continued, not giving Ryuen room to breathe, "you didn't just exchange points for walkie-talkies this exam; you also got two cameras. Since you used my Class B base points, I remember everything. I haven't forgotten."
Ryuen remained silent—the silence of an undeniable admission.
Ever since he had tasted success using a voice recorder to catch Nagumo Miyabi, he had doubled down. Since recorders were banned this time, he prepared cameras. Cameras can record both video and audio. And yet, this bastard Hikigaya was sharp every single time.
Hachiman kept up the pressure. "Your beach meeting with Hashimoto couldn't have just been a verbal agreement, right? Given your personality, how could you not keep evidence against a Class A traitor? Two cameras. One was likely given to Hashimoto to photograph Class A's leader info as a bargaining chip. The other was used to record Hashimoto himself, wasn't it? It serves as leverage for the future. After all, you're quite familiar with using recordings, as you showed with Nagumo."
Hachiman's words were like a scalpel, coldly and precisely peeling back Ryuen's cards, exposing his thoughts and methods to the sunlight. Ryuen felt exposed, again and again.
He clenched his fists, frustration and the fury of being toyed with crashing through his chest. But he knew he wasn't a violent idiot like Sudou. He let go.
"So," Hachiman watched Ryuen's state. He knew if he attacked further, Ryuen might despair earlier than in the original story. If Class C lost its "Tyrant," it might become a vassal like Class D, losing its value as a blade to attack Classes A and D.
At the very least, until Class B ascended to Class A and distanced itself from the original Class A, the Ryuen-led Class C couldn't be allowed to rot.
Hachiman softened his tone. "I will write Yahiko Totsuka for Class A along with you. However, you must give me that recording of Hashimoto's betrayal."
He was demanding the intel on the Class A spy.
What could he do with that intel? Plenty.
He could make Hashimoto buy back the evidence of his betrayal using those 2 million points.
He could also sell it to Sakayanagi Arisu, who had been back at school for a week and likely had points of her own.
He could even use it to trigger internal strife in Class A when necessary.
That intel was something Ryuen wanted to keep for himself! And now, Hikigaya Hachiman was asking for it for free.
Ryuen's expression was a mix of shock, rage, humiliation, and a faint trace of fear. His proudest schemes were like a transparent chessboard to this guy.
After a long silence, he squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth: "...How do you know so much?"
"Information integration, logical reasoning, and a bit of necessary observation," Hachiman added.
"In elementary and middle school, I was often alone. Most of my time was spent observing—observing my surroundings and the people in them."
'You're making being a lonely loser with no friends sound so noble...' Ryuen thought.
But this explanation actually lessened his sense of fear and defeat slightly.
"So Ryuen, can you give me that evidence from the camera—the video of your deal with Hashimoto—for [free] now?" Hachiman added.
"Free?!" Ryuen shrieked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Hikigaya Hachiman! You're dreaming! I spent 2 million points on that intel! I even signed a non-disclosure agreement! If it leaks, who would ever deal with me again? You want something for nothing?"
His roar echoed through the camp, drawing more stares. Sakagami Kazuma and Hoshinomiya Chie had already approached, clearly having heard the heated argument.
"Ryuen-kun," Sakagami frowned, glancing at Hoshinomiya before speaking sternly. "Please mind the time and your language."
Hoshinomiya Chie blinked her large eyes, looking at the furious Ryuen, then at the calm Hachiman, and finally at the nervous Hiyori. A playful smile danced on her face.
As the Class B homeroom teacher, she was a bit dissatisfied with Hachiman's plan. Class D getting 0 points made her happy, but Class B getting 0 points too made her grumpy. Regardless, she was here for the final step: the leader-guessing phase.
Hachiman simply nodded to the teachers.
The two teachers remained polite, keeping their distance to avoid eavesdropping. Hachiman's gaze remained on Ryuen, unmoved by his outburst. Once Ryuen settled down, Hachiman spoke in a voice so calm it was almost cold.
"Ryuen, you've misunderstood two things.
First, a typical traitor might have their mouth opened by a bit of money, but Hashimoto is different. He's a core member of the Sakayanagi faction. His betrayal wasn't purely for your 2 million points. His true goal was hedging."
"Hedging?" Ryuen was stunned.
"Exactly," Hachiman's eyes turned deep. "Hashimoto looks loyal, but he's a realist with immense ambition. He contacted you to sell out Class A essentially as a diversified investment—risk mitigation. He doesn't support Katsuragi, but he doesn't fully trust Sakayanagi either. He doesn't want to put all his eggs in one basket. He's observing and placing bets on rising powers. Contacting you was just one of many investments. I believe if given the chance, he'd even keep contact with Class D or us in Class B. He's a true double agent. In his eyes, there is no eternal loyalty, only eternal interest and 'growth stocks'."
"..."
This explanation left Ryuen speechless.
'What does Hashimoto's family do? Is this guy trying to be a triple, no, quadruple agent? Investing in everyone... or rather, wanting everyone's money!?'
Ryuen recalled Hashimoto's ease during the deal; he really didn't look like a desperate traitor.
'Seems I misjudged him.'
"Second," Hachiman continued, "you're worried that selling the intel will make others lose trust in you. That won't happen. Because Hashimoto is a multi-sided spy. To function as a spy, he needs us to trust him. Having leverage over him makes him feel the job is more 'stable.'
Of course, he probably doesn't know about your video yet. And I can guarantee this material won't surface early. It likely won't be exposed until next year."
"I still won't give you the video for free," Ryuen quickly rejected the offer. "You have to pay!"
"I won't spend points," Hachiman shook his head. "My points need to be used for more important things."
'Oh? Like what? Are you just trying to 'freeload' off Ryuen-kun?' Hoshinomiya wondered.
Hiyori listened quietly, several thoughts flashing through her mind. She instinctively felt that Hikigaya-kun would likely succeed in getting the evidence of Hashimoto's betrayal for free. Which meant he had another bargaining chip—one very important to Class C. Hiyori's brow furrowed slightly.
At that moment, the two teachers, seeing that the discussion was ending, walked over. Hoshinomiya Chie came first.
"Alright, alright! You two excellent class representatives, the final moment is here!" She waved a form in her hand and handed it to Hachiman. "Here's the guessing form. The rules are simple: write the names of the leaders for the other three classes. Guess right, they lose 50 points + their base points are invalidated, and we gain +50. Guess wrong, we lose 50. Leave it blank, no loss. Don't worry, you can't go below zero in this exam."
Sakagami-sensei looked at Ryuen's dark face and handed him a form. Ryuen instinctively reached for it.
"Wait," Hachiman interrupted again.
All eyes snapped to him. Ryuen's hand froze in mid-air, his eyes full of suspicion and wariness—what trick is he playing now?
Hachiman didn't look at Ryuen or Sakagami-sensei. He turned to the silent Shiina Hiyori. This time he didn't transmit his thoughts, but Hiyori already understood.
Without a moment's hesitation, Hiyori stepped forward, blocking the space between Ryuen and Sakagami. She bowed slightly to Sakagami, her voice clear and firm. "Sakagami-sensei, please allow me to fill out this form."
"What?" Ryuen turned sharply, staring at Hiyori in disbelief, his eyes burning with the shock of betrayal. "Shiina! What do you mean? I am the class representative!"
Sakagami-sensei frowned. "Technically, there's no rule on who fills it out, as long as they are a Class C student. But Shiina, are you sure?"
Hiyori looked up, her clear gaze bravely meeting Ryuen's fury before turning back to the teacher. Her tone was resolute.
"Ryuen-kun, this is the agreement I made with Hikigaya-kun."
She paused and looked at Hachiman as if seeking confirmation.
Hachiman spoke up. "That's right, Ryuen. On the first day on the island, Shiina approached me privately, asking me not to write Class C's leader's name in the guessing phase. In exchange, my condition was that in the final stage, Shiina would fill out the form and write the leader information I designated. This was our deal. I kept my promise and didn't leak your identity. Now, it's her turn to fulfill her end."
Hearing this, Ryuen felt like he'd been struck by lightning. He froze, the red in his face draining until he was pale. The sense of defeat he thought he'd shaken off hit him again.
He realized Hikigaya was playing a much deeper game than he had imagined.
'The agreement... not to fill in Class C... the price is filling in names he chooses.'
This sentence revealed two things.
First, why Hiyori would "betray" him for such a deal. There was only one possibility: she had already discovered that Hikigaya Hachiman knew Ryuen was the leader. She had compromised for the sake of Class C, begging him and trading with him so he wouldn't attack them!
But that was only the first layer.
The second layer was that Hachiman, despite Class B being at 0 points, stayed on the island for the next stage of the exam. He had steps left—like attacking Class A. Did he know Totsuka was the Class A leader from the very beginning?
And here Ryuen was, paying 2 million points to Hashimoto for information Hikigaya already possessed.
Massive shock and an unprecedented sense of dread washed over him. He watched Hiyori silently take the Class C form from Sakagami's hand, then looked at Hachiman's expressionless face. He realized for the first time that he had been toyed with from start to finish. He thought he was the hunter, but he was the prey trapped deepest in the pit.
But... could he admit his utter weakness here? Admit he had no chance of winning?
No!
"Agreement... agreement..." Ryuen muttered, his voice dry and raspy. He looked up, a final spark of defiance in his eyes, trying to grasp at a straw. "Hikigaya! Stop your tricks! Even if Shiina fills it out, why do you think you can win? No matter what, you're at 0 points! That can't change!"
"Is that so?" Hachiman looked at him with a hint of pity. "Then do you know that Hirata Yousuke of Class D is no longer on the island?"
"???" Ryuen was stunned.
Then, Hachiman began to fill out the leader information. He only wrote two names. He then looked at Hiyori, who followed his instructions, filling in the designated info—including one extra name he requested.
Finally, both forms were submitted to the respective homeroom teachers. Hachiman turned his attention back to Ryuen.
Ryuen noticed that in the list Hiyori filled out, one name didn't match what he knew.
Class A: Yahiko Totsuka. That matched his expectations.
Class B: Hikigaya Hachiman. No argument there; he was the only Class B student left.
Class C: Blank.
But for Class D, Hiyori hadn't written Hirata Yousuke. She wrote Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. That was the name Hikigaya Hachiman had demanded.
"Why didn't you write Hirata! Everyone knows Hirata Yousuke is the Class D leader! You've been on the island; how could he not be here? He has to be part of the guessing phase even if Class D is at 0 points. Hikigaya, you're trying to make Class C lose another 50 points by guessing the wrong leader!"
"Are you sure?" Hachiman looked at Ryuen calmly, then turned to his teacher.
"The exam is basically over, and some information is no longer a secret. Revealing it isn't a violation."
"So, Hoshinomiya-sensei, can you tell me the number of occupied spots on the island?"
"You're really giving me a tough one," Hoshinomiya Chie said, only for Class C's Sakagami Kazuma to beat her to the punch.
"There are 35 in total. 34 regular ones and 1 hidden spot. In this exam, only one spot was never discovered by the students."
So, 34 spots were occupied, including the hidden one. Class A had 15, and Class C had 12—that's 28. But how were there 6 more occupied spots?
Ryuen had stopped exploring because he felt he had enough points and didn't want to risk injuries that would lead to deductions. If he was being that cautious, Katsuragi certainly was too.
He and Katsuragi hadn't occupied those spots. Hikigaya had been in the Class C area the whole time. So... who was occupying those 6 spots?
"The hidden spot should have been occupied three times," Hachiman said, looking at the Class C teacher.
"..." Sakagami-sensei.
Unlike Hoshinomiya-sensei, who only got "dirty" when dealing with Class D, Sakagami-sensei was purely utilitarian. He had to know Ryuen used violence to control the class—students had come to class with injuries—but he hadn't acted, implying he condoned Ryuen's methods. He was the most pragmatic type. If Hachiman wanted slightly "over the line" info, he had to get it from him.
Sakagami-sensei didn't disappoint.
"So, didn't your Class B also 'farm' the hidden spot?"
'Alright. So, besides Class C and Class A, another class was farming spots.'
Hachiman hadn't farmed them; he didn't even have his leader card. Farming was useless for him because his leader info would be guessed, making spot points invalid. If Class B didn't farm the hidden spot or the others... that meant it was Class D!
"So, letting Shiina fill out the form... you weren't trying to sabotage me?" Ryuen finally began to understand.
"You should thank my generosity," Hachiman said. "If I had also used the 'cannot change without cause' strategy for the leader, Class C would have failed completely this exam, ending up with a 46.2 million debt they might never pay off."
"Then how was it done?" Hiyori had always been smart. Hachiman hadn't filled in Class C's leader, so she was somewhat relieved. But when Hachiman had her write Ayanokouji Kiyotaka for Class D and mentioned Hirata was gone, she realized Class D must have changed leaders.
But how did they bypass the "cannot change without cause" rule? If she had known how, she wouldn't have been worried for so long. She wanted the answer.
"It's very simple," Hachiman replied. "The rule says 'cannot change without cause.' But what if there is a cause?"
Hiyori's body trembled slightly, a realization and deeper worry flashing in her eyes, as if she had guessed a terrifying possibility.
"The rules forbid changing without cause, but what if the leader faces actual danger, suffers an injury, or is judged unfit to continue?" Hachiman explained.
"Under 'cause,' a change is perfectly reasonable. Since Class D is still occupying spots, it means they haven't given up the exam. And changing the leader makes all of you—who knew Hirata was the leader—lose points for guessing wrong. Even with that as a starting point, Class D can continue. By occupying spots, changing leaders, and guessing the leaders of Classes A, B, and C, Class D will gain over 300 points this exam!"
"There was actually such a strategy?" Sakagami Kazuma was shocked. He thought of another possibility: if Class D wanted to get good spot points, they must have decided from the start to have the leader "withdraw with cause." They planned to swap Hirata from the beginning, meaning they had to let Hirata get hurt or sick.
'This strategy was decided before the exam even started and was executed to the letter...' The student manipulating Class D was not only thorough and decisive but willing to sacrifice a classmate for points.
'This guy is a lot like Ryuen.'
As the Class C teacher, Sakagami began to focus, pushing up his glasses.
"So I wasn't on duty yesterday, and a leader swap happened last night? Class D is still in the exam! How can they still be in it!" Another teacher lost control of her emotions.
It was Hoshinomiya Chie. She looked on in disbelief, her face a mix of surprise and intense frustration.
"Sa-chan... she really bet on Ayanokouji and hit the jackpot!" she said indignantly.
'Wait...' Sakagami noticed Hoshinomiya's emotions were unusually high. She looked completely devastated.
Meanwhile, on the beach, the students of Class A and Class D were beginning to take their positions.
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