Chapter 133: Hachiman: Want to Start a War with Me? Fine, Then Have -100 Points for Class A First
On the other side, after finishing lunch together, Hachiman led Ichinose out of the restaurant, through the corridor, and toward the ship's training room. The lights in the corridor were dim and quiet.
As Ichinose walked beside Hachiman, her heart was filled with doubt. She tilted her head, looked at Hachiman's profile, and finally couldn't help but speak.
"Hikigaya-kun, where are we going?"
Hachiman didn't answer immediately, just continued walking. After a few seconds, he finally spoke slowly. "The training room."
"The training room?" Ichinose was stunned for a moment. "What are we going to the training room for now? The exam isn't over yet, shouldn't we be..."
"During the group discussion earlier, Sakayanagi sent me a message. She will challenge us on behalf of Class A," Hachiman interrupted to supplement.
Ichinose's footsteps faltered slightly.
In other words, without her knowing, Sakayanagi had already declared war for this exam?
It made sense.
Sakayanagi had specially arrived by helicopter; she clearly wasn't here just to make up the numbers.
The discussion in the Dragon Group hadn't been able to continue—after all, it wasn't easy to obtain information in that group, and Class A hadn't made any other moves. Therefore, Ichinose thought the situation had stabilized. Looking at it now, it was actually her who had become somewhat complacent in a stagnant situation.
"So..." Ichinose caught up to his pace, her tone becoming serious. "What are we going to do now?"
"Something very simple," Hachiman explained.
"This time, our Class B has a total of 5 'VIPs,' but there is no pattern among these 5 people; it's random. Because Class B is using a 'blank slate' response method, students from other classes can't get any information. The pressure on the other classes is immense.
However, I have already checked. There is no pattern between the VIPs in our class. It's not by student number, not by the phonetic spelling of names, and not by any rule that can be deduced—it is pure randomness."
Ichinose nodded slightly.
Hachiman continued, "However, that is information we know. The other classes don't know it. In fact... because of the mindset from the previous paper-based exams, they are still prone to believing that the arrangement of VIPs has a pattern. So, I'm preparing to set a trap for Class A and Class C.
I want them to believe—that the arrangement of VIPs follows a pattern."
Ichinose: "..."
!!!
Ichinose's pupils contracted slightly.
She understood instantly.
If Class A and Class C believed there was a pattern to the VIPs, they would do everything possible to collect the VIP lists of other classes and then try to derive that "rule." Once they felt they had mastered the rule, they would be eager to submit their answers early to guess those they believed to be the VIPs.
In reality, however, no pattern existed at all.
Therefore, they would only guess wrong.
And what was the result of guessing wrong?
The fourth rule of the exam flashed quickly through Ichinose's mind—
Outcome 4: Incorrect early submission. The class where the VIP belongs receives 50 class points. The class that answered incorrectly is deducted 50 points. The individual VIP receives 1 million private points.
If Class A and Class C kept guessing wrong... they would be continuously deducted points. Meanwhile, the classes of the VIPs they guessed wrong would continuously gain points.
This would be especially advantageous for a class like Class B with many VIPs. Since there is only one VIP per group, if someone rushes to answer and fills in the wrong name—even if it's not the Class B VIP—out of the roughly 8 names belonging to other classes (excluding the 3-4 from the guessing class), the probability of the opponent being wrong was too high.
Class B had five VIPs, the most of all four classes. If Class A and Class C followed a so-called "pattern" to guess Class B's VIPs, Class B would get 50 points for free every time they guessed wrong once.
Five wrong guesses would be 250 points.
If Class B could get points for free, it would create a situation where they pulled ahead of other classes by a double-point margin.
Then, Class B would only need to coordinate with Class D students to use VIP lists to deceive students from other classes, leading to even more point deductions for the others.
One could say this was a "double buff"!
Thinking of this, Ichinose's breathing became slightly hurried.
Because Hikigaya-kun's plan... was too ruthless.
As long as they believed the VIPs had a pattern, they would explode.
"But since it's a setup," Hachiman continued, "making Class A and Class C believe there's a pattern isn't enough if they just guess on their own. They need samples from other classes to derive that 'rule'.
So, I need to proactively send a sample to them.
As for which class is lucky enough to find the 'rule' later, or if Sakayanagi falls for it and uses her Class A VIP list to 'realize' the rule, that will be their luck."
'No, no, no, once they get this 'luck,' it will become terrifying' Ichinose thought. But considering this was an excellent strategy beneficial to Class B, Ichinose naturally didn't let her "Saint" heart overflow and continued to listen.
Hachiman continued, "Koenji Rokusuke of Class D is a quite fearsome genius. He possesses individual combat power comparable to Ayanokouji. To other students, this exam is like a game of Werewolf, but for him, having participated in three group discussions is already enough to find the target of that Werewolf game.
And he is in the Monkey Group. Our Class B VIP is not in the Monkey Group. Therefore, the VIP of the Monkey Group must come from Class A, Class C, or Class D.
Of course, Class D is impossible. I believe Class D has only one VIP in this exam. I already have the information on that Class D VIP.
So the Monkey Group VIP can only be from Class A or Class C. As long as he makes a move, the Monkey Group exam will end immediately. Then, other classes can also obtain information on the Monkey Group VIP from him."
Ichinose finally understood.
This was a chain of interlocking plans. And the initial bait was this.
To make people realize that Koenji held "a VIP list."
Soon, Hachiman led Ichinose into the ship's training room.
As the door was pushed open, a faint smell of disinfectant mixed with the scent of metal equipment hit them. This training room was much larger than imagined, at least two hundred square meters by visual estimation. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was a deep blue ocean view, with sunlight spilling through the glass and casting large patches of light on the floor.
Rows of brand-new fitness equipment were neatly arranged—not only treadmills, elliptical machines, rowing machines, and spin bikes, but also various strength training equipment. The dumbbell racks in the corner were fully stocked from 2kg to 30kg, glinting with a metallic sheen in the sun. On the other side was a dedicated stretching and yoga area with thick professional mats. Large screen TVs hung on the wall, silently playing a sports channel.
But at this moment, the massive training room was almost empty.
Only at the squat rack in the corner, a figure was repeating standard squats.
Koenji Rokusuke.
His golden hair was exceptionally dazzling in the sunlight, and beads of sweat slid down his well-defined muscle texture. He was shouldering a barbell of at least 100 kilograms, his movements standard and composed. He gave off a very aesthetic, "bodybuilder" feel.
Watching this scene, Ichinose couldn't help but daze off for a moment.
This boy... clearly a first-year student like them, gave off a feeling of being in a completely different dimension.
Just then, a man in sportswear walked out from the inner room. He had the physique of a wrestler, and this man was none other than the Class A homeroom teacher—Mashima Tomonari.
He was also the chief examiner for this special exam.
When Mashima-sensei saw Hachiman and Ichinose, his footsteps faltered slightly. His gaze lingered on Hachiman for a second, then he looked away as if nothing had happened and walked toward the door.
As they passed each other, Hachiman nodded slightly in greeting.
Mashima-sensei also gave a slight nod but didn't stop, leaving the training room straight away.
The door slowly closed behind him.
"That was Mashima-sensei from Class A..." Ichinose said in a low voice, "Why would he be here?"
"Teachers need exercise too," Hachiman replied casually, his gaze already landing on Koenji in the corner.
Koenji finished his last set of squats, placed the barbell steadily back on the rack, and picked up a nearby towel to wipe his sweat. He turned around, saw Hachiman and Ichinose, and a hint of amusement flashed in those wine-red eyes.
"Oh?" He picked up a bottle of sports drink and took a sip. "Hikigaya-boy, did you come here specifically to find me? Or does little sister Ichinose also want to work out?"
Ichinose was a bit embarrassed by the address "little sister," but she still smiled politely. "Koenji-kun, sorry for the interruption."
Koenji waved his hand and walked to the lounge area to sit down. "It doesn't matter, I'm almost done training anyway."
Hachiman walked over and sat opposite him. Ichinose hesitated for a moment and then sat down beside Hachiman.
The lounge area had comfortable sofas and coffee tables, with a vending machine nearby filled with various sports drinks and energy foods. Several fitness magazines lay on the coffee table, the latest cover featuring a muscular bodybuilder.
"Koenji-kun," Hachiman got straight to the point, "how do you feel about this exam?"
Koenji arched an eyebrow and leaned back on the sofa, his legs crossed casually.
"The exam?" He chuckled, "Boring rules, boring people. But..." He paused, his gaze falling on Hachiman, "Your Class B operations are quite interesting."
Ichinose's heart skipped a beat.
Koenji continued, "Spare phones, no VIP notifications received. Not just in my group, but Class B students in other groups are the same—they know nothing, completely unaware if they are the VIP or not. This handiwork must be your idea, Hikigaya-boy?"
Hachiman didn't deny it.
Koenji looked at him, the smile at the corners of his mouth deepening. "Interesting. This way, it's impossible for other classes to fish for information from Class B. However..." He changed his tone, a hint of nonchalant confidence in his voice, "For me, getting points in the Monkey Group is still no problem."
Ichinose's breath hitched.
She understood instantly.
Koenji already knew who the VIP of the Monkey Group was.
This man's insight indeed far exceeded normal imagination. If the exam was compared to Werewolf, three group discussions were enough for him to lock onto the hidden "werewolf" from subtle words and deeds.
She was a bit nervous.
Hachiman's expression, however, didn't change at all. After all, Koenji Rokusuke in the original work was such an existence. He didn't need anyone's help or extra information; relying solely on his own observation and analysis, he could see through everything.
"Koenji-kun is indeed impressive," Hachiman said, then pulled a black point card from his pocket, placed it on the coffee table, and pushed it toward Koenji. "There are 1 million points inside."
...
Koenji's gaze fell on the card, and he raised an eyebrow. "What does this mean?"
"Interested in a deal?" Hachiman asked.
"A deal?" Koenji looked at him with great interest. "What kind of deal?"
"End the Monkey Group exam early," Hachiman said quickly.
Koenji was slightly startled, then he laughed. "End it early? You want me to tell you the name of the Monkey Group VIP?"
"No." Hachiman shook his head. "You can answer it yourself. I just hope you can end the exam early."
At this, Koenji's smile faltered.
He stared at Hachiman for a few seconds, a hint of thought flashing in those wine-red eyes.
"You have other ideas for this exam?" Koenji asked.
"I do," Hachiman nodded frankly. "But I need your cooperation."
"My cooperation?" Koenji repeated. "The cooperation you need is for me to end the exam early?"
"Yes," Hachiman said. "I don't even need you to tell me who the Monkey Group VIP is."
Koenji was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter.
The laughter was hearty and unrestrained, exceptionally clear in the quiet training room.
"Interesting! Too interesting!" He stood up, walked to the window, looked at the endless sea outside, then turned around, his gaze landing on Hachiman. "Hikigaya-boy, you are indeed an interesting person. I'll take this deal."
Ichinose breathed a sigh of relief.
But Koenji's next words made her heart leap again.
"However—" Koenji walked back to the sofa, sat down again, and tapped the point card lightly with his finger. "1 million points is not enough."
Hachiman looked at him and didn't speak.
Koenji leaned back on the sofa, his tone still nonchalant yet carrying a hint of seriousness. "Although I also find this discussion troublesome, a waste of time, and meaningless... 1 million points is still not enough. The Class D students in my group, those little girls, have
been clamoring to go for Outcome 1 so everyone gets points. If I rush to answer, they will suffer a loss."
Ichinose was stunned.
The Class D students in the same group... she quickly recalled the list for the Monkey Group.
In the Monkey Group, there were four students from Class D—besides Koenji, there were Akito Miyake, Wang Mei-Yu, and Maya Sato.
According to the information Ichinose had, Koenji had always been a loner, doing as he pleased without ever considering the gains or losses of Class D. Now, Koenji was actually considering the losses of the other three members in his group?
It felt extremely strange.
So Ichinose looked at Hachiman, but she found Hachiman was still very calm, as if he had already anticipated Koenji would say this.
"Then, increase the points to 3 million," Hachiman said.
Koenji raised an eyebrow.
Hachiman continued, "However, I will only pay 1 million. The remaining 2 million will be covered by someone else."
Koenji was slightly startled, then a flash of realization crossed his eyes. He stared at Hachiman for a few seconds, the smile at the corners of his mouth deepening.
"So that's how it is." He nodded slightly. "It seems you are playing a very new way."
Hachiman didn't speak, but silence itself was the answer.
Koenji stood up, walked to the corner of the lounge area, and took his phone out of his backpack. He leaned against the window, the sunlight spilling over him, outlining his silhouette clearly. Unfortunately, neither of the two people present were muscle enthusiasts, so they couldn't appreciate this aesthetic beauty.
"Fine." Koenji looked down at his phone and said casually, "Then I'll end this boring exam early according to your wishes."
Ichinose held her breath.
She saw Koenji's fingers tap the screen a few times—it was the email editing interface. He paused for a second, then typed a name and clicked send.
The whole process took less than ten seconds.
Almost simultaneously, the ship's broadcast system rang.
"Notice to all students. The special exam for the Monkey Group has ended early. Members of the Monkey Group will no longer need to participate in subsequent group discussions. The final exam results will be announced uniformly at 11:00 PM on the fourth day. Repeat—"
The broadcast played twice in a row, echoing throughout the ship.
Ichinose subconsciously stood up and looked out the window. Although she couldn't see anything, she could imagine the reaction of the students in all corners of the ship hearing this broadcast right now.
Surprise, confusion, tension, excitement...
All sorts of emotions should be spreading through the various groups.
Koenji put away his phone, walked back to the sofa, and sat down. He picked up the 1-million-point card, twirled it between his fingertips, and then tucked it into his pocket.
"Alright." He looked at Hachiman. "Mission accomplished."
Ichinose couldn't help but ask, "Koenji-kun, you... which class's name did you fill in?"
Koenji glanced at her, then at Hachiman, a meaningful smile curling his lips.
Because Ichinose's question meant that Hachiman and his group actually didn't know the Monkey Group list, which explained what Hachiman meant by "someone else will pay the remaining 2 million."
Koenji understood completely.
"Class A."
Koenji only said those two words.
Ichinose's pupils contracted slightly.
Class A... in other words, the VIP of the Monkey Group was a Class A student. And according to Hachiman, Koenji could guess correctly. Since Koenji guessed correctly, it meant...
According to the rules, Outcome 3—Correct early submission.
Outcome 3: Correct early submission. The class where the VIP belongs is deducted 100 class points. The individual who answered correctly receives 1 million private points, and their class receives 100 class points.
This meant Class A was deducted 100 points, Class D added 100 points, and Koenji personally added 1 million private points.
With Class A being deducted points, it was a great cause for celebration for Class B.
Because the distance they needed to climb up had decreased.
"Well then, just wait for the Class C students to come to your door." Hachiman stood up. "Congratulations, 3 million points are about to be credited. But I hope you can agree to one thing." Hachiman looked at him, "Don't let the students of Class A and Class C know that we were here."
Koenji raised an eyebrow, then understood his meaning.
"Don't worry," Koenji chuckled, "I, Koenji Rokusuke, have never been a big talker."
Koenji paused, his gaze landing on the sea outside the window, with a hint of emotion in his tone. "Speaking of which, if Ayanokouji-boy wanted to try something else in this exam, I might not have agreed to you so readily."
Ichinose was slightly startled.
Ayanokouji?
But Koenji continued, "But unfortunately, I won't support him now."
He retracted his gaze and looked at Hachiman, those wine-red eyes carrying a rare hint of seriousness.
"I heard the things Ryuen said on the deck this morning."
Ichinose understood instantly.
The "honey trap" scheme, using Class C girls, bullying classmates, video threats...
She had heard those words too, of course. She just didn't expect that even an egoist like Koenji would care about these things.
"That guy," Koenji's tone held a hint of disdain, "clearly has enough strength to act alone, yet he chooses to take that path of unscrupulous means. I don't support it."
However, Hachiman understood even more. In the original work, Koenji Rokusuke was an extremely self-centered person who only pursued "beauty" and "interest." However, he also had his own pride and principles.
While the original Koenji was very free, he had a weakness: he would repeatedly assist the unremarkable Wang Mei-Yu in his class.
The reason was because Wang Mei-Yu had accidentally helped him once and completely forgot when she had done so.
But he personally adhered to the principle of not owing favors and repaying kindness. Now, even knowing Ayanokouji had strength, he chose not to support him because of the other's methods.
This pride was perhaps his true "beauty."
Wait, Wang Mei-Yu...
Hachiman looked at him and suddenly remembered the Monkey Group list submitted by Class B students.
Monkey Group— Class D: Koenji Rokusuke, Akito Miyake, Wang Mei-Yu, Maya Sato.
What Koenji just said about "the Class D students in my group" meant Akito Miyake, Wang Mei-Yu, and Maya Sato.
Given Koenji's personality, he wouldn't care about the feelings of these people at all. But he specifically mentioned their losses and even increased the bargaining chip because of it.
There was only one reason—
Wang Mei-Yu was in the Monkey Group.
The girl who, in the original work, accidentally helped Koenji without knowing it, but was remembered and repaid by Koenji. This was true, selfless kindness.
In the original story, Wang Mei-Yu was not in the Monkey Group, so the original Koenji had very directly ended the exam early. However, the current grouping had been modified by the school, so Wang Mei-Yu was assigned to Koenji's group.
He didn't expect that the changes occurring now would also cause some changes in Koenji's behavior.
Hachiman thought this to himself, but he didn't say it aloud. Instead, he nodded, "Then I'll congratulate you in advance for the 3 million points being credited."
With that, he turned and walked toward the door.
But as he led Ichinose to the door, Hachiman glanced back at Koenji.
The man was still leaning back on the sofa in a leisurely posture, with a faint, lingering smile at the corner of his mouth. The sunlight spilled over him, making his golden hair shine brilliantly.
He waved a hand at them as a farewell.
.
.
.
In contrast to the relaxed atmosphere in the training room, which even carried a rare touch of human sentiment, at the same time, the atmosphere in the Class A lounge area was much heavier than before.
Class A students were either sitting or standing, but everyone's gaze was focused in the same direction—where Sakayanagi Arisu was located.
The moment the broadcast rang, the entire room went silent.
"The special exam for the Monkey Group has ended early..."
Every word entered everyone's ears clearly.
Sakayanagi Arisu sat on a single sofa by the window, silent. Her "puppy," Kamuro, stood beside her.
Katsuragi Kouhei stood opposite her, his brow furrowed.
"Monkey Group..." Katsuragi repeated in a low voice, then looked at a boy in the corner of the room.
The boy sat on a chair in the corner, his face pale, a layer of fine sweat seeping from his forehead. His name was Takuro Morishige, a student of Class A and a member of the Monkey Group.
"Morishige." Katsuragi spoke, his voice steady but carrying a hint of pressure. "You're in the Monkey Group. Do you know what happened?"
Takuro Morishige looked up abruptly, his lips moving, but he couldn't make a sound.
The surrounding Class A students looked at him, and whispers broke out.
"What happened to Morishige?"
"His face looks so terrible..."
"Could it be..."
Morishige took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, but his voice still trembled. "I, I don't know... I only heard the broadcast notice saying the Monkey Group exam ended early..."
"Nonsense." Masayoshi Hashimoto stood to the side and couldn't help but roll his eyes. "The broadcast said it; who doesn't know? The question is, why did it end early? Who rushed to answer? Whose name did they fill in?"
Morishige's face grew even paler.
Looking at him like this, Hashimoto suddenly thought of something, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Morishige, don't tell me you..."
He didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was already obvious.
Morishige was a member of the Monkey Group. If he was the VIP and someone guessed correctly... then Class A would be deducted points, and it would be 100 points!
Morishige didn't answer, just lowered his head, not daring to meet anyone's gaze.
Hashimoto didn't continue questioning him.
After all, only Sakayanagi knew the list of Class A's VIPs; asking further would be overstepping.
At this time, Sakayanagi raised her hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet. She took her phone out of her pocket and tapped the screen several times.
"I have already sent a message to the homeroom teacher," she said. "But the reply I received was—the correctness of the early answer will not be announced before the exam ends. The final results will only be uniformly announced at 11:00 PM on the fourth day."
Katsuragi frowned. "Why? Why won't the school announce it?"
"To protect student privacy." Sakayanagi's gaze fell on Morishige. "Information about who was selected as the VIP cannot be disclosed at will unless the VIP themselves agrees. This is clearly written in the rules."
Hashimoto was stunned for a moment, then reacted. "In other words, the school won't tell us whether this early answer was correct or incorrect?"
"Yes," Sakayanagi nodded. "At least not for now. I even infer that when the exam ends, the specific point deductions won't be announced; only the separate results for each group will likely be given."
The room fell into a brief silence.
Katsuragi pondered for a few seconds and slowly spoke, "If the early answer was correct, our Class A will be deducted 100 points. But if the answer was wrong... we actually get 50 points for free."
Hashimoto's eyes lit up. "Right! That's also possible! Maybe some idiot guessed wrong, and our Class A gets 50 points for nothing! For example, Class D! If Class D blindly guessed us, then it's a good thing!"
Morishige looked up, a hint of hope flashing across his face. "Then... then could it be..."
"Could it be what?" Katsuragi looked at him at this time, deciding to prioritize the overall situation and reassure him. "Morishige-kun, if you are the VIP, you should know better than anyone. Did you expose any information during the group discussion? And if you aren't the VIP, then you have nothing to worry about! Besides, I think you all followed Sakayanagi's principle of not speaking unless necessary. So there shouldn't be any worry about information leakage."
The other two Class A members of the Monkey Group also nodded, indicating they had also followed Sakayanagi's arrangement.
Morishige nodded hurriedly and then said, "We all followed Sakayanagi-san's request and didn't say much."
"Then we can only wait," Arisu Sakayanagi retracted her gaze. "Wait for 11:00 PM on the fourth day, wait for the final results to be announced."
Katsuragi pondered for a few seconds and suddenly spoke, "But we need to know one thing now—who exactly rushed to answer, and whose name did they fill in?"
Hashimoto nodded. "Right, if we can know who the person who answered was and whose name they filled in, we can deduce some things... As for me, I can probably get information from Class D directly."
But Sakayanagi was looking at her phone because she had received a message.
This message even had a special notification sound.
Kamuro, who was beside her, heard this special notification and immediately looked over.
Because she knew that Sakayanagi had been unhappy previously because Kamuro didn't remind her that Hikigaya had sent a message—resulting in her only seeing it the next day—so she had modified the notification sound. Now, this sound represented a message from Hikigaya.
Because she was very close to Sakayanagi, she saw the message on top.
The message sent by Hikigaya-kun was also very simple and unadorned.
[The battle has begun. I have sent to your Class A an opening gift of -100 points.]
"..."
It was indeed simple and unadorned.
And full of the scent of gunpowder.
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