Chapter 149: Examination Results Announced! A Total Shock!
At 8:50 PM, the corridor on the second floor of the ship was quiet, bathed in dim, yellow light.
Hikigaya Hachiman and Ichinose Honami walked side by side toward the Dragon Group discussion room. Today, Ichinose was carrying a large canvas bag, with a stack of neatly arranged phones peeking out from the opening, each labeled with a name tag. These were the phones of the thirty-eight students in Class B; tonight, they were finally being returned to their original owners.
"A bit nervous?" Hikigaya turned his head and glanced at her.
Ichinose shook her head gently, her strawberry-blonde hair swaying slightly with the movement. She had changed her hairstyle today, tying it into a low ponytail. It felt fresh, though a few stray strands fell along the sides of her face, making her gentle features seem even softer. However, her fingers subconsciously tightened their grip on the canvas bag's strap.
"I'm alright," she said softly. "I just feel a bit... moved, thinking that the exam is finally coming to an end."
Hikigaya nodded and said nothing more.
The two pushed open the door to the discussion room. The room was already packed; just like this morning, everyone was present.
In the Class C area, Ryuen Kakeru leaned back in his chair with his legs propped up on the table, holding a can of soda, maintaining his usual defiant posture. Shiina Hiyori sat beside him, her silver hair draped over her shoulders; it seemed she had already finished half of Gone with the Wind.
As for the Class D area, there wasn't much to say—Kushida-san was as cute as ever tonight.
In the Class A area, the atmosphere was similar. Sakayanagi-san remained the elegant little princess, though she didn't seem quite as proud now.
Hikigaya and Ichinose took their seats in the Class B section. Ichinose placed the canvas bag by her feet and let out a soft breath.
The room was silent.
Everyone knew this was the final group discussion. In one hour, this four-day examination would reach its conclusion.
Time ticked away, minute by minute.
At exactly 10:00 PM, the broadcast rang out on time.
"Attention students: The sixth group discussion has ended. Please exit the rooms in an orderly fashion. The final submission period is from 10:00 PM to 10:30 PM tonight. Group members,
please send your answers to the designated email address within the allotted time. Repeating—"
The broadcast echoed through the room and then gradually faded.
However, the Class B students from the other four groups currently taking the exam had all gathered here at the Dragon Group's room.
Ichinose stood up, opened the canvas bag, and began distributing the phones.
Her movements were light and careful, as if she were performing a ritual.
Students from the other classes simply watched in silence; no one spoke.
After finishing the distribution, the other Class B students returned to their respective groups. Since the members of other groups hadn't dispersed yet—everyone still had to carry out the final step for "Outcome 1"—Ichinose walked back to Hikigaya's side and sat down again.
Silence fell over the room once more.
Ryuen set down his soda can, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. A playful smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Alright," he began, his voice exceptionally clear in the quiet room. "The VIP of the Dragon Group... no need to hide anymore, right? You can pop out now."
He paused, his gaze landing on the Class A area.
"My guess is it's Hashimoto," Ryuen said.
Hashimoto Masayoshi looked up, an awkward smile appearing on his face. "Ryuen-kun, that's quite a thing to say..."
"Stop acting," Ryuen waved him off. "With that indecisive personality of yours, you're the perfect fit for a VIP. Besides, you've been acting shifty these past two days; it's obvious there's a problem."
Hashimoto's mouth twitched. He wanted to argue but didn't know what to say, so he could only curse Ryuen in his mind.
At that moment, Katsuragi Kohei spoke up, looking directly at Ryuen. "Ryuen, you don't need to hide either. Let Class C's VIP step forward."
Ryuen arched an eyebrow and looked at Katsuragi. "Katsuragi, did you get something wrong?"
Ryuen's tone carried a hint of mockery. "Isn't the Dragon Group's VIP from your Class A?"
Katsuragi was momentarily stunned, his brow furrowing.
"It's not someone from Class C?" he asked back.
The two exchanged a look, both seeing the confusion in the other's eyes.
The room went silent for a heartbeat.
Just then, Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly let out a soft chuckle.
The laugh was faint, yet it drew everyone's attention to her.
Sakayanagi continued to look out the window as if the sound hadn't come from her. After a few seconds, she slowly turned her head, her violet-blue eyes scanning the room before finally resting on Hikigaya.
"The VIP of the Dragon Group," she said with a hint of significance, "is from Class B. One of three choices: Hikigaya Hachiman, Kanzaki Ryuji, or Ichinose Honami. Any of them is possible."
Ryuen was stunned for a moment, then looked toward Hikigaya.
"It couldn't really be you, could it?" Ryuen's tone carried a trace of uncertainty and disbelief.
Hikigaya met his gaze without speaking.
He simply pulled his phone from his pocket, tapped the screen, and turned it toward the crowd.
The screen clearly displayed a message:
[Congratulations, you have been luckily selected as the VIP. Please protect your identity and choose the most suitable exam outcome for yourself.]
The room fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone was frozen.
Kanzaki Ryuji, sitting next to Hikigaya, had his eyes wide open. His mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. As a Class B student using a spare phone, he had no idea who was on the VIP list—he had always assumed that the Class B VIPs did not include Hikigaya-kun.
After all, Hikigaya-kun had been carrying his phone the entire time.
But now, that message on the screen told him clearly: Hikigaya-kun was the VIP of the Dragon Group.
And he hadn't known from beginning to end.
Ryuen stared at the screen for several seconds before slowly lowering his propped-up legs. A flash of complex emotion crossed his face—shock, disbelief, and a hint of... begrudging respect.
"So..." his voice was a bit dry, "what you told me this morning was true?"
Hikigaya put his phone away and nodded.
Ryuen was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly began to laugh. There was no mockery or anger in that laugh, only a kind of helpless self-deprecation.
"Fine." He stood up, hands in his pockets. "I give in."
He walked over to Hikigaya.
"I don't want to touch an exam like this 'Werewolf' game ever again," Ryuen said with a touch of emotion. "You really are..."
Ryuen didn't finish his sentence; he just shook his head and turned back to his seat.
Evidently, the fact that Hikigaya Hachiman was the Dragon Group's VIP was enough to disgust him.
Katsuragi Kohei was also silent. He looked at Hikigaya with a gaze full of complex emotions—shock, reflection, and a touch of... admiration.
"Hikigaya-kun," he spoke, his tone steady. "You hid it well."
Hikigaya did not respond.
Sakayanagi Arisu picked up her teacup and took a light sip. Her gaze rested on Hikigaya, and in those violet-blue eyes, there was now an indefinable emotion. There was relief, reflection, and a faint hint of... appreciation.
"Well then," she said softly, putting down the teacup. "We can begin submitting the answers."
Everyone took out their phones and opened their email interfaces.
The fact that Hikigaya Hachiman was the Dragon Group's VIP was now known to everyone.
According to the rules for "Outcome 1," everyone except the VIP and their classmates needed to write down the VIP's name.
This meant the three from Class A, the three from Class C, and the three from Class D all needed to enter the name "Hikigaya Hachiman."
The three from Class B—Hikigaya, Ichinose, and Kanzaki—did not need to fill it out.
The crowd began composing their emails.
Ryuen's fingers tapped quickly on the screen before he hit send. Katsuragi completed the operation as well. Hashimoto, Kaneda Satoru, Shiina Hiyori, Hirata Yosuke, Kushida Kikyo, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka—everyone completed their submissions.
Only Sakayanagi Arisu was the last to put down her phone.
She looked up at Hikigaya, a faint smile present in her violet-blue eyes.
"Hikigaya-kun," she said softly. "Congratulations."
Hikigaya met her gaze and nodded slightly.
"Thanks."
The room fell into silence again, but this time, the silence was less heavy and more filled with a sense of closure.
Everyone knew the answers were submitted; all that remained was to wait.
At 10:30 PM, the broadcast sounded exactly on time.
"Attention students: The final submission period has ended. The exam results will be sent to your phones in half an hour. Please wait patiently. Repeating—"
After the broadcast faded, no one left the room.
Everyone sat in their original places, waiting for that moment to arrive.
At some point, Ichinose's hand had gently gripped the strap of her canvas bag. Her gaze rested on Hikigaya, her bright eyes filled with a mix of tension and anticipation.
Hikigaya met her eyes and shook his head slightly, as if saying: Don't worry.
Ichinose nodded gently, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
Time passed second by second.
10:55 PM.
10:58 PM.
11:00 PM.
Buzz—
In the room, a dozen phones vibrated simultaneously.
Everyone looked down at their screens.
Hikigaya opened the email and quickly scanned the contents.
[Notice of Examination Results] Dragon, Cow, Dog, Tiger, and Horse groups all achieved Outcome 1. All members of the above groups receive 500,000 Private Points; the VIP receives 1,000,000 Private Points.
Monkey, Pig, and Rabbit groups had correct "traitor" guesses, achieving Outcome 3. The guesser receives 1,000,000 Private Points; the guesser's class receives 100 Class Points. The VIP's class loses 100 Class Points.
Sheep, Rat, Rooster, and Snake groups had incorrect "traitor" guesses, achieving Outcome 4. The guesser's class loses 50 Class Points. The VIP receives 1,000,000 Private Points; the VIP's class receives 50 Class Points.
Note: The school will transfer the points to personal accounts within ten minutes of the results announcement. If not received after ten minutes, please contact your homeroom teacher.
After reading it, Hikigaya let out a soft breath.
Just then, another message popped up.
It was the update notification for Class Points.
[First-Year Class Points]
Class A: 1,175 points - 350 points = 825 points
Class B: 1,011 points + 250 points = 1,261 points
Class C: 450 points + 100 points = 550 points
Class D: 130 points + 100 points - 100 points = 130 points
The room fell into a dead silence.
Everyone stared at their phone screens, not speaking for a long time.
Class A had lost 350 points. Class B had gained 250 points. Class C had gained 100 points. Class D—after additions and subtractions—remained in place.
Katsuragi Kohei stared at that "825 points," the expression on his face incredibly complex. There was shock, helplessness, and a hint of bitterness.
The shock came from the fact that things had indeed headed toward the worst-case scenario.
The helplessness stemmed from knowing that 50 of those lost points were due to Yahiko acting on his own initiative.
The bitterness was because Class A had truly fallen; once they returned to school, they would be Class B.
Katsuragi opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found he couldn't say a word.
Looking at the results, Hashimoto Masayoshi's face turned pale. He pressed his left hand to his forehead, feeling despair.
Class A had shouldered debt from the island exam, and now, with this VIP exam, they had even lost the title of Class A.
And because of his unauthorized actions, he was one of the culprits who caused Class A's downfall.
Sakayanagi Arisu looked at the numbers and was silent for a few seconds. She sighed softly, then spoke.
"As expected," she said quietly.
She knew very well that since Hikigaya-kun had used his "inner voice" as a weapon to mislead her, Class A was destined for a poor result. Sure enough, everything had developed toward the maximum point deduction.
-350 points. Losing the position of Class A—this was the result of her taking up the challenge.
In this exam, she had indeed failed.
Ryuen stared at the "550 points" for a long time, then scoffed. He put his phone away, hands in his pockets, and leaned back against his chair.
"Fine," he said with a hint of begrudging acceptance. "Class B wins."
Hirata Yosuke looked at the "130 points." The smile on his face remained gentle, but his eyes held a trace of helplessness. He was thinking that once the school transferred the Private Points to everyone's accounts, Class D would surely become rowdy.
Kushida Kikyo wasn't too surprised by the results. What she was thinking about was the message Hikigaya had sent her this morning.
[You probably feel like I'm going to leave.]
So, Hikigaya-kun... is he really going to leave? Even though she knew he was a "traveler," bringing this up so suddenly...
It made one feel somewhat melancholy.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka remained expressionless. He just looked at the numbers, silent, his thoughts unknown.
Shiina Hiyori closed her copy of Gone with the Wind and looked up at Hikigaya. In those clear eyes, there was now a mix of complex emotions—relief, reflection, and a touch of gratitude.
Hikigaya met her gaze but didn't speak.
However, Ichinose looked at Hikigaya, and in her bright eyes, there was a hint of excitement and an indefinable sense of being moved. Her hand gently gripped his sleeve.
"Hikigaya-kun," she said softly, her voice trembling slightly. "We... we won."
Hikigaya looked at her and nodded gently.
"Yeah," he said. "We won."
In the room, no one spoke anymore.
There was only the faint sound of waves from outside the window and the occasional chime of a phone notification.
The exam was over.
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