Chapter 108: The Exam Ends, Intelligence Sent Back! Sakayanagi Remaining Behind
Hachiman had just been surrounded in the center of the deck by a swarm of Class B students. Scraps of confetti clung to his shoulders as waves of cheers and banter rose one after another.
It was a picture of boisterous celebration.
The commotion was significant enough that many Class D students, who had retired early and returned to the ship, poked their heads out from the corridor entrances and gangway stairs on the other side of the deck. Their gazes were fixed on the scene with pure curiosity; no one spoke a word of gossip, feeling only that this kind of atmosphere between classmates was truly rare.
After all, only Ayanokouji, Sudo, and Hirata remained on the island to finish the exam for Class D. Everyone else had returned early due to the hardships of island life and was currently reveling in the relaxed atmosphere of the ship, their moods generally excellent.
"Someone's back, and that welcome party is huge." A Class D boy peered over the railing, his voice filled with surprise as he nudged the classmate next to him. "Is that Hikigaya from Class B, the one who stayed on the island alone? I didn't expect his class to value him so much."
"It looks really heartwarming. If it were our class returning from an exam, we probably wouldn't even gather together," a girl nearby whispered, her eyes following the cheering crowd with a hint of envy. "Regardless of the score, that kind of sentiment is hard to come by."
"But seriously, now that the exam is over, Class D can finally welcome a life with a guaranteed 20,000 points per month. It's awesome!" another boy laughed out loud, his tone brimming with excitement. "I've had enough of last month's misery. I am definitely never eating that mountain vegetable set again. We've got stable points for the next two years—this is a total win!"
"You bet! Hikigaya-kun really did us a huge favor!" someone chimed in, sounding relieved.
Because the students of Class D had experienced the poverty of the previous month and ended their frugal island life early to return to high-consumption luxury on the ship—combined with the stability of points for the next two years—they felt they had gained immensely.
Normally, if they saw students from another class being this rowdy, they might feel jealous and mutter complaints. But now, realizing it was Class B welcoming Hikigaya, even Yamauchi—the public enemy of Class D—remained silent, simply leaning against the railing to watch the spectacle.
After all.
This person was essentially the "Living Father" who had provided him with a living allowance for the next two years!
As long as Yamauchi wasn't expelled, he would always have points!
Soon, students from other classes began returning to the ship one by one, covered in sand and exhaustion. However, the exam results were like a persistent ghost, still haunting them.
In every guest room and public lounge on the ship, the televisions were playing the final results of the uninhabited island exam on a loop.
White subtitles jumped clearly across the screens, refreshing the sight of everyone present: 1st Year Class A: 120 points, 1st Year Class B: 0 points, 1st Year Class C: 350 points, 1st Year Class D: 50 points.
The scores flickered back and forth; it was impossible for any student to miss them.
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Inside Class D's Room
In a standard guest room for Class D, Kushida Kikyo, Horikita Suzune, Karuizawa Kei, and Sakura Airi were gathered. Several bottles of iced juice sat on a small round table. The television was on, and as the scores continued to loop, the four sat together, each with their own thoughts, though their eyes drifted toward the screen periodically. No one was truly focused on the juice.
"Class B's atmosphere is just too good. I could hear their cheers on the deck earlier; you can feel that lively vibe from a mile away," Kushida spoke first, her tone filled with genuine envy. "They got 0 points. In any other class, everyone would be listless, blaming each other, or sulking. How can they still gather to celebrate so happily? Their class unity is just too strong."
As someone who desperately craved the approval of others and worked tirelessly to maintain a facade, Kushida felt the preciousness of this atmosphere most keenly. Even though Hachiman Hikigaya had scored 0 points, the students of Class B accepted and welcomed him without reservation.
This heartfelt recognition was something she might not truly obtain even if she exhausted herself playing the role of the gentle, cheerful girl.
Hearing Kushida, Horikita leaned against the table, her gaze sweeping sharply across the scores of each class. Finally, she spoke, "The 0 points is completely irrelevant.
Because Hikigaya wasn't on that island simply to earn exam points. He won a massive amount of private points for Class B. On that point alone, he has far exceeded the mission of this exam.
Points are a class's risk reserve. Every extra point is a boost in confidence.
Furthermore, Class B's points came specifically from their rivals, Classes A and C. So, while increasing their own reserves, they directly weakened the strength of the other classes. That is the key.
Moreover, look at the situation of the other three classes. Class A has 120 points but carries a massive debt of 50 million. Even if it's paid in installments, the psychological pressure will constantly weigh on them. Class A has lost its edge.
Class C's 350 points makes them look like they're in first place, but the agreement they signed with Hikigaya requires them to pay private points equivalent to those 350 points. To put it bluntly, those 350 points were earned for nothing; they gain no practical benefit. Plus, it exposed their determination to push for Class A.
Finally, there's our Class D with 50 points. Added to the 80 points we already have, it's only 130. Still nothing to fear.
In the end, the true winner of this exam is never determined by the surface scores," Horikita Suzune concluded.
Horikita's words were blunt and cold, completely disregarding the so-called "class atmosphere" to focus solely on practical interests and the overall situation.
The three others present knew well that Horikita wasn't one to care about "vibes." Furthermore, the four of them were a small group formed on the condition of an alliance with Hikigaya, having exchanged their secrets.
Because they knew each other's depths, they naturally knew Horikita recognized Hikigaya's abilities from the bottom of her heart. To be blunt, she was a total "Hikigaya fanboy." It was perfectly normal for her to be praising his layout now.
However.
Even though she had decided to stay in the same group as Horikita and they had exchanged secrets, Kushida still didn't like Horikita Suzune.
After a moment's thought, she spoke up, "Horikita-san is as rational as ever, not considering everyone's feelings at all. Just think, if Class D had scored 0 points, the class would definitely be blaming each other. People would be fuming, losing their appetites—a victory party would be out of the question."
"That's why I envy their atmosphere."
"..."
At that, everyone fell silent.
Though they were all from Class D, if they had worked incredibly hard only to return with 0 points, they would certainly have been torn apart by their classmates.
That was Class D.
Self-indulgent, selfish, self-preserving, problem children, short-sighted, and a large portion of "trash." This was the reality of Class D.
Finally, Karuizawa decided to speak to keep the conversation going.
"As for Class A, I really didn't expect them to end up this miserably. They're so proud, always acting superior even on the ship. The result is just too pathetic!"
"The reason is obvious; there's nothing to be surprised about," Horikita said without changing her expression. "Since they bought Class B's base points, it should have been impossible to get a score like that. Such a result means their leader's identity was guessed by other classes. Looking at the margin of the deduction, it's likely all three classes guessed their leader. With security that lax, they still wanted a high score?
Ultimately, Katsuragi Kohei was too careless and overconfident. He thought everything was too simple and ended up like this.
Or perhaps, Katsuragi hasn't fully adapted to this school yet and didn't realize the risk factors of special exams are this high," Horikita added.
"Class C took first place, but I doubt they gained much of an advantage," Kushida added. "Hikigaya-kun bought our class's supplies and sold them to Class C at a high price, but their current score is exactly equal to the price he needs to be paid."
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As they discussed, Sakura suddenly pursed her lips as if remembering something, then spoke softly, "Um... the TV says Class D isn't at 0 points, it's 50. Even though our base points were gone, we still got 50 points. That's actually quite impressive, isn't it? At least we didn't come in last. So, was it... did Aya-Ayanokouji-kun do something while staying on the island?"
Hearing that hated name, Kushida's face darkened instantly. Her smiling eyes furrowed, and the warmth vanished.
She said in a harsh tone, "There's no need to think about it; it must have been Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's idea. No one else could have gotten points for Class D under such passive circumstances. That guy is truly dangerous."
She paused, as if suddenly recalling something important, and hurriedly added, "Right, this morning I accompanied Mii-chan to the ship's infirmary to get cold medicine. I saw Hirata-kun. He was sitting on a chair in the infirmary changing his bandages. He said he was bitten by a snake on the island and had to withdraw early for treatment."
"So, could that be the reason Class D got points?" Kushida asked. "The exam hadn't finished this morning, but he was already back on the ship. But he was Class D's leader!"
?
Hearing this, Horikita's pupils constricted slightly, and she immediately looked at Kushida.
Because this news—no, this intelligence—was vital.
Her mind flashed back to what Hachiman had told her: that in the "original story," she had withdrawn from the island exam due to illness yet still secured a good score for Class D. At the time, she had felt somewhat sentimental, thinking she was actually quite strong.
But after arriving on the island and learning the rules, she had been full of doubt.
This was an exam centered on collective cooperation and teamwork. How could a sick person play such a critical role, even influencing the class score? Now, she finally understood. In the "original" Hachiman knew, she had likely withdrawn due to illness, but that withdrawal served a purpose.
If Hachiman hadn't reminded her to take medicine, and she had participated while sick—or even served as the leader and then withdrawn—Class D would have had to change leaders because she couldn't continue.
That was it!
Using injury or illness as a reason to deliberately change the leader, causing other classes to guess wrong, thereby securing the bonus points for the "Guess the Leader" phase! That's how they got points despite their base points being zeroed out!
So that was it.
But in the "original," her illness would have been a natural accident. How could Hirata's situation be so coincidental?
Hirata Yosuke was the core of Class D, the class rep trusted by everyone. He was gentle, steady, and meticulous, considering every detail. Since so many in Class D needed looking after, how could he "just happen" to be bitten by a snake at the most critical moment of the exam?
Horikita felt this coincidence was too deliberate—so deliberate it forced one to look deeper.
Horikita frowned, her finger lightly against her chin, and voiced her suspicion directly, "Was Hirata being bitten by a snake really a simple accident? Don't you think it's too convenient? It happened just as the exam was ending, when other classes would be confirming him as the leader on their forms. Then, this happens, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka naturally takes over as leader. It's all a bit too smooth."
Sakura's face went pale. She understood the implication, and her lips trembled with fear and disbelief. "D-did Ayanokouji-kun make Hi... Hirata-kun get bitten by a snake on purpose? That... that's too scary. How could anyone do something like that?"
"No way? If that's true, Ayanokouji is way too ruthless, isn't he?" Karuizawa's eyes widened, her juice bottle nearly slipping from her hand.
"To get some points, he'd set up his own classmate like that? Poor Hirata. He's always done his best for the class, helping anyone in trouble, only to be used like this. It makes my skin crawl."
"Perhaps it's because Hirata cares so much about his classmates that he would agree to Ayanokouji's request," Horikita thought back to Hirata's uncharacteristic behavior last month during the written exam when Yamauchi and Sudo were facing expulsion.
One could say Hirata was already "broken." As long as it was for class harmony and to prevent expulsions, he would do anything.
So if Ayanokouji made the request, Hirata might have actually done it. After all, the only person hurt would be Hirata himself.
But still...
The four of them were stunned by this bold conjecture. The room fell silent, the sound of breathing becoming exceptionally clear, with only the electronic drone of the exam scores on the TV puncturing the quiet, hammering at their nerves.
As for Kushida Kikyo.
"..." Well, Kushida was numb.
Her heart was paralyzed, a cold sweat broke out on her back, and her palms were damp.
Little Kushida suddenly remembered being followed by Ayanokouji previously. Hikigaya had noticed it, called her to tip her off, and then led her away.
Now that Ayanokouji's true face was laid out on the table—a man who would use any means to achieve his goals, a ruthless mind that could even scheme against a "saint" like Hirata—she realized how vulnerable she was. If Hachiman hadn't stepped in, the footage of her kicking the railing and cursing would likely have been recorded by Ayanokouji.
He would have arranged far worse things for her; she wouldn't be sitting calmly in this room discussing exam results.
As expected, she really owed it to Hikigaya.
Kushida felt a secret relief, her fingers tracing the edge of the round table, but her mind was made up.
Later, once the commotion on the deck died down, she would go see Hikigaya. Whether to say thank you or to understand the follow-up situation, she should say it in person.
Thinking this, she looked out the window.
On the deck, Class B's cheering continued, and the confetti looked vivid in the sunlight. In that moment, Kushida felt that Hachiman Hikigaya—the boy who was always alone, out of place, yet helped her—was perhaps far more reliable than anyone imagined.
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On the other side, Hachiman was mobbed by Class B students for a long time. Confetti scraps covered him, and cheers rang in his ears until someone noticed the faint dark circles under his eyes and his habitually slumped, exhausted shoulders. Someone shouted, "Hikigaya must be worn out from the island; let him rest!"
At those words, the crowd quieted. The students who had been clamoring for a victory party immediately changed their tune, telling him to head back to the dorm to rest. Even the planned dinner was pushed back until after he had slept.
His roommate, Kanzaki Ryuji, waved to him from outside the crowd. When Hachiman walked over, Kanzaki spoke directly, "I'll crash with Shibata tonight; three of us squeezing in is no problem. The dorm room is yours. Get some quiet sleep."
Kanzaki's tone was natural, without a hint of reluctance. He had clearly planned this already.
Hachiman was stunned. He wanted to say it wasn't necessary, but Kanzaki patted his shoulder.
"Don't be polite with me. You've done enough for the class this trip. Resting is only right. It's the only thing I can do."
"..."
This left Hachiman speechless. When he first arrived in this world, he thought it would be difficult for Class B to avoid expulsions. Under such passive conditions, he had thought it better to proactively prepare candidates for expulsion.
At the time, his first instinct for a "sacrifice" was Kanzaki—with his privileged background, emotional volatility, and rebellious streak.
But looking at him now...
He realized he had been a bit too autocratic back then.
While reducing numbers might be "correct" in a cold sense—because gentle, correct people often struggle to survive in a world that is neither gentle nor correct—it wasn't the only solution.
He felt that Horikita's insistence on keeping the whole class together might have been born from a similar realization. After all, being suddenly attacked by a group of "saints" while being completely confused is a terrifying thing.
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Meanwhile, elsewhere on the ship, Class A was plunged into low spirits.
Whether in guest rooms or lounges, wherever Class A students were, an oppressive silence reigned. Irritation and resentment were written on every face. The 120 points flickering on the screens felt like a thorn in their hearts.
This was the most unsightly grade they had received since enrollment. Both Katsuragi and the teachers had told them that Class A was the pride of the school, granted the top rank by the institution.
Yet, this Class A had fallen to such a state in the uninhabited island exam. Even the "D-class" they looked down upon had secured 50 points. How could the arrogant students of Class A accept this?
A few Class A students went to the restaurant for dinner and happened to pass some laughing Class D students. One Class D boy glanced at them and smirked, "Yo, aren't these the big shots from Class A? Why do you look so down? 120 points—not bad, not bad at all."
The mockery was like a sharp slap to Class A's face.
The Class A students turned red, clenching their fists, wanting to explode. But the words died in their throats.
They had no right to argue.
Not only did Class D get 50 points, but more importantly, every student in Class D would now receive a steady 20,000 points a month for the next two years. Their lives were looking up.
As for Class A? Forget living expenses; due to this result, they were burdened with massive debt.
Points would be deducted from everyone every month to be given to Hikigaya Hachiman.
The contrast in exam results and income was stark. Even if they wanted to be angry, in the face of reality, it was just impotent rage. They could only watch the Class D students walk away, the bitterness in their mouths almost overflowing.
This was a total failure for Class A. A complete disaster.
After the exam, the school finally returned the students' phones. Many Class A students immediately tried to contact Sakayanagi Arisu, wanting to hear how the class's core figure would handle the situation.
But they soon discovered the school had issued special phones that could only be used within the campus network. They couldn't make external calls, let alone reach Sakayanagi, who was temporarily away from school.
The spark of hope was extinguished by a bucket of cold water, adding a layer of despair to Class A. Neither the Sakayanagi faction nor the Katsuragi faction members could find a reason to smile.
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Since returning to the ship, Katsuragi Kohei had stayed alone in his room. The screen in front of him was frozen on Class A's 120 points. He sat in his chair, brow furrowed, replaying the entire exam in his mind, trying to find the cause of the crushing defeat. He didn't believe Class A, with its strength, could end up like this—50 points lower than his worst-case scenario of 170. Something was wrong.
It wasn't until he reviewed the rules and deduction details again that a brutal answer appeared: Class A's leader's identity had been guessed by all three other classes.
Only then would the spot points be entirely deducted, along with other penalties, resulting in the miserable 120.
In other words, every single class knew Class A's leader! And they all guessed right!
The conclusion made Katsuragi's heart sink.
He had thought that even if Classes B and C guessed the leader was Totsuka Yahiko, the scattered students of Class D would never notice. But the fact was, even Class D had seen through his layout.
Silence.
Speechless.
Katsuragi leaned back and closed his eyes. Ryuen Kakeru's mocking deductions on the island flashed through his mind. Every word now felt like a dagger. Was it really as Ryuen said—that his way of thinking was too rigid, too easy to see through?
So whether it was Ryuen, Hikigaya, or even that invisible Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from Class D, they could all easily guess he would choose Totsuka Yahiko as the leader?
The feeling of being seen through by everyone gave Katsuragi a suffocating sense of frustration.
But that wasn't the most soul-crushing part. Holding onto a final sliver of hope, Katsuragi found Class A's homeroom teacher, Mashima-sensei, to ask about Class C's leader. When Mashima calmly stated, "Class C's leader was Ryuen Kakeru," Katsuragi felt a "buzz" in his head.
Everything went blank.
He remembered Hashimoto had raised a suspicion that Class C's leader might be Ryuen himself. But Katsuragi had been too overconfident, too obsessed with being "steady," so he hadn't filled in Class C's leader information.
If he had trusted Hashimoto a little more, he might have secured the 50-point bonus for Class A. Even if the final score was bad, it wouldn't be this ugly.
But there are no "ifs" in this world.
Those 50 points became Katsuragi's eternal regret.
For the first time, he began to doubt: Did he really have the ability to lead Class A? Was Sakayanagi more suited for this than him?
Katsuragi felt his conviction crumbling.
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While the students were in low spirits, the teachers gathered. In a tea room on the ship, the four homeroom teachers met. The atmosphere wasn't light, but it wasn't oppressive either.
Freshly brewed tea sat on the table, steam rising to meet the varied expressions of the teachers.
Where there are poor results, there are good ones.
The other teachers congratulated Class C's homeroom teacher, Sakagami Kazuma, on his class's 350 points and their first-place finish.
Sakagami had a faint smile but wasn't overly boastful. "This exam was, in the end, just about 'dynamiting the fish.' It blew the two fish hiding underwater—Class B and Class D—to the surface."
He paused, his gaze sweeping the room. "Class B's Hikigaya Hachiman—everyone saw his layout and methods this time. I doubt anyone has objections. But I didn't expect Class D to be hiding a dark horse as well. To get 50 points after their base points were trashed is impressive. And they even guessed my class's leader, Ryuen!"
By the end, his tone held a hint of gritted teeth.
He had privately asked Mashima about the answers. Of the four classes, only Class D had correctly identified Class C's leader.
If Ayanokouji from Class D hadn't filled in Ryuen's name, Class C wouldn't have just 350 points—they would have had 666!
While Hikigaya had collaborated with Class C to blackmail them, he hadn't completely stripped them of hope. This was all Class D's fault! Naturally, Sakagami held a grudge against Class D.
As homeroom teachers, a quick review revealed two surprises in this exam: one was Class B's scheme to exchange an exam for a massive amount of private points.
The other was Class D's dark horse. They didn't get many points for themselves, but they made sure other classes got fewer.
All eyes turned to Class D's homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae.
Chabashira showed neither joy nor sorrow. She quietly picked up her teacup and took a sip. Her emotions were unreadable.
Seeing this, Hoshinomiya Chie felt disappointed.
She had wanted to see a look of despair or frustration on Chabashira's face. After all, Class D had always been at the bottom. Even if they got 50 points, it wasn't exactly a top-tier score. But Chabashira's calm made Hoshinomiya's schadenfreude fall flat.
Hoshinomiya curled her lip and teased, "It's a pity, Sae-chan. Your Ayanokouji Kiyotaka seemed to have calculated so painstakingly, yet it ended in defeat? He lost 302 points just like that, ending up with only 50. What a waste. I'm afraid there's no hope for promotion now."
Hoshinomiya's words were clearly meant to provoke, but Chabashira's expression didn't flicker.
She put down her cup and said, "50 points... is already the best possible result."
This simple sentence made Hoshinomiya feel even more bored.
She knew that in reality, Class D had gained quite a bit. Though they only had 50 points, their students had secured a stable 20,000 points a month. From that perspective, Class D's performance was above average.
The more she wanted to see Chabashira react, the more Chabashira remained like an impenetrable wall, leaving Hoshinomiya fuming.
As the atmosphere grew awkward, Class A's teacher, Mashima Tomonari, broke the silence. "Everyone, the results of this exam actually exceeded the school's expectations. Our original
plan for the island exam was to distribute about 1,000 evaluation points as rewards to clarify the gap between classes. But it seems those reward points weren't fully released."
His words made everyone turn serious. Discussing students was one thing; as educators, this was the part they needed to focus on.
Mashima continued, "The next exam is the 'VIP' (Preferred) Exam. Given the current situation, the previously set scoring rules might no longer be appropriate. I intend to report this to the school in advance to see if we need to adjust the scores or the assessment plan for the VIP Exam. What do you all think?"
This was an important decision regarding future exams. Mashima's proposal was reasonable. The results of this exam had been quite "pulled down."
Normally, if students lived together on the island, they would spend base points, but not all of them. In previous years, a class could walk away with 200 points as a baseline, or 300+ if they were lucky. The four classes combined usually netted over 1,000 points.
But now? A: 120, B: 0, C: 350, D: 50. A total of only 520 points. The school's intended 1,000+ point reward had only been half spent.
The teachers nodded in agreement.
Sakagami Kazuma said, "It should be so. Adjusting in advance is fair for all classes. Of course, higher scores for the next exam would be good for my Class C."
Class C hadn't earned private points, but they had increased their evaluation points. If they could score high in the VIP Exam, they would be even closer to B and A. He could feel this year's Class C had a fierce determination to reach Class A.
Hoshinomiya Chie added lazily, "Whatever. I don't care what the school decides."
Chabashira Sae nodded her consent.
With everyone's agreement, Mashima Tomonari stood up, took his phone, and left the lounge to report the situation and his proposal to the school.
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