Special Exam Day 7, early morning. Finally, today marks the end of our time as a group.
Come tomorrow morning, the exam starts right away.
Excluding Koenji-kun and Ryuuen-kun, we'd become a group with incredibly tight bonds, but this relationship ends too.
Hashimoto-kun and Tokito-kun from Class B. Quite a few students probably feel a pang of reluctance at saying goodbye.
"Shit. Is this really the last time I get to eat this meal?"
Hashimoto-kun lets tears stream down while carefully treasuring his breakfast.
Keeping my promise to Koenji-kun on the side, I'd taken charge of the first-years' meals during the exam.
That's why he's reacting like this.
"Kukuku, too bad, Hashimoto. This is Class C's privilege. If you betray Sakayanagi, you'd get to stuff your face with this shit way more often."
"...I'm seriously considering it right now."
Hashimoto-kun stops what he's doing and puts on the most serious face he's shown yet.
"Hurry up and get it in your gut already."
"Give me a break. It's my last supper here."
Ryuuen-kun bursts out laughing at Hashimoto-kun, who guards his food like a wild animal parent protecting its offspring from enemies.
Since it'd be a pain in the ass if I lost interest in taking it away, I left him alone.
"Kamukura boy, you got any intention of making my meals in our future school life?"
Koenji-kun takes his turn calling out to me.
"50,000 per meal... Nah, I'll cut you a deal at 10,000 PP each."
"Hmm, that's normally an unbeatable discount, but 10,000 PP, huh.
Looks like I'll have no choice but to hold back. First time since coming to this school I've regretted that real money doesn't work here."
After mulling it over briefly, Koenji-kun sensibly accepted it.
Points are finite. He has a personality that squanders points, but precisely because he understands the value of things, he didn't push for more negotiation.
It seems he wants to pay the right price for valuable things.
"By the way, Kamukura boy, you really think you can take first place in this special exam?"
"Yeah, no problem at all. We'll handle every test without a hitch."
For tomorrow's exam, through the classes so far, I have a pretty good idea of what needs to be done.
The specific point additions weren't explained in detail, so there's some conjecture involved, but I've nearly confirmed the sections that will definitely factor into the exam.
The four key ones: 'Zen', 'Ekiden', 'Speech', and 'Written Test'.
On the schedule handed out on the bus, 'Morality', 'Mental Training', 'Discipline', and 'Initiative' were listed, so these likely match up to them.
"Hou, it didn't look like you gave those ordinary folks perfect instructions, but you're saying it'll be fine anyway?"
"If I taught them everything, it'd be boring as hell, wouldn't it? That's why I've only provided the kind of education that encourages their growth."
When educating the Class C students, I do utilize my talents, but I'm not trying to mass-produce perfect hundred-pointers.
I'm simply teaching each person what's appropriate for them, to a level that doesn't push them too hard.
In essence, I'm just giving them the spark.
So from now on, some will bloom and others won't.
And with that in mind, the twelve who will bloom are exactly the members of this group.
"More importantly, Koenji-kun, you better not suddenly lose motivation during the exam, got it?"
"For this exam, I'm cooperating as your friend, so I won't lose motivation. But whether I go a hundred percent all out depends on how tomorrow's me feels."
"What if I said that in our future school life, I wouldn't mind treating you to dinner every now and then?"
"Even so. That's a seriously tempting proposal, but I only move based on my mood."
It's obvious, but getting Koenji-kun motivated is difficult even for me.
For someone who puts his own ego above all, his mood is the highest priority.
In that case, the best approach is to let him take the exam normally without ruining his mood.
Even performing normally, he brings in better-than-average results, so I have no complaints.
As expected, tomorrow's exam should be no problem.
...
Once we smoothly finish the classes, we reach the time for the final dinner of the special exam.
Today's lessons were mostly final confirmations of the four items we checked this morning.
My prediction was correct—we'll definitely take first place.
"Yo, Kamukura."
As I finish eating, I encounter Nagumo Miyabi.
There don't seem to be any of his pawn students around, making it clear he wants to talk to me one-on-one.
A late contact.
He's noticed my covert maneuvers but determined they're not a threat. That's why he can make such a bold approach without any urgency.
"What do you want?"
"Nah, it's nothing. You've been moving around quite a bit in this exam, so I got curious about how it was going.
How about it? Did you manage to read what I'm planning to do here?"
"What if I said I did figure it out?"
"Lie. There's nobody who can read my schemes."
His expression overflowing with confidence looks so transparent to my supreme analytical power.
If he'd lied here and hidden how he's handling me, even I would've had no choice but to use whatever means necessary.
But in the end, he was just an arrogant asshole.
Despite mobilizing that many soldiers, he couldn't see through the true aim of my actions.
Ah, how fucking boring.
"Did you come talk to me just for that kind of bragging?"
"No, I simply wanted to have a match. To see if you, who diligently acted as Horikita-senpai's hands and feet, could read my strategy or not."
"Isn't there no one who can read your strategies?"
"That's what I believe. But since you went and got active in this exam, I came up with a nice little bet."
"What's the bet?"
"That's for you to enjoy after we sit down."
"Then I'll take that bet."
I decide instantly.
"Good, I don't dislike guys with quick responses.
The bet is simple. At the end of this exam, who'll be the one laughing—me or Horikita-senpai?"
"Does that mean the side that wins the large group competition?"
"No, whoever's laughing when the results are announced."
"Understood. What are we betting?"
"Points, of course. I'll match whatever amount you stake."
As the bet details get settled smoothly, Nagumo Miyabi pulls a pen and a small notebook from his pocket.
Not just a verbal promise—he's prepared everything to clearly determine winner and loser.
It seems he seriously thinks he can beat me of all people.
"After Horikita-senpai graduates, I plan on playing with you. This is basically a preliminary skirmish, so let's both enjoy it, yeah?"
Nagumo Miyabi tears two pages from the notebook and passes one to me.
Spaces were prepared to write the bet details and the amount.
"Then let's bet 1 million PP. Just the right amount for a preliminary match."
"Haha, you really think you've read my strategy, huh."
"On the contrary, why do you think I haven't read yours?"
He grins boldly, as if the provocation tastes good.
Ah, how fucking boring.
I accept the pen and fill out the contract.
When I hand the pen back, he fills it out too.
With that, the contract is complete.
"Honestly, I'm happy as hell, Kamukura. Horikita-senpai only accepts fair and square matches.
You don't throw out conditions like that before the match?"
"No matter what kind of match it is, there's no way I'll lose."
He shows a pure smile like a kid's.
He's rejoicing from the bottom of his heart at being able to have an equal contest.
Contrary to his appearance, he seems to have a surprisingly straightforward personality.
"Well then, I'm looking forward to the final day."
He says it cheerfully and turns his back. Really, the tedious conversation is finally over.
Now I can return to the shared room.
That's what I thought.
"... Listen to me, Tachibana!"
It was a frantic, raised voice.
An unusually ragged tone coming from Manabu Horikita—the former student council president that every student at this school knew.
He had grabbed the hand of a female student who was trying to flee, his face twisted with desperation.
"Heh~ Not bad at all."
My lips curved slightly at this long-awaited new development.
In this exam, Akane Tachibana was a key figure.
Manabu Horikita understood just how crucial it was to stir her heart into action.
But if he moved personally and gave direct instructions to a specific student, Nagumo's hostility might shift toward others.
That was what Manabu Horikita had feared, which is why he had avoided contact until now.
And this was perfect timing—during the final dinner where boys and girls could still mingle. This move was sure to plant anxiety in Miyabi Nagumo.
"I heard you're in a very difficult situation right now."
In the suddenly silent cafeteria, Horikita slowly opened his mouth.
He released the hand he'd been holding and tried to persuade her in a gentle, guiding tone.
"…Horikita-kun, I don't know who you heard it from, but that information is wrong.
I'm not in any trouble."
Akane Tachibana forced a smile onto her stiff, twitching face.
However, Manabu Horikita wasn't fooled by that expression at all.
He wouldn't overlook her kind lies or her flashy act of self-sacrifice.
"You don't need to lie anymore now that I'm here. I've already decided… that I'm going to move to save you."
"B-but if you do that, everyone else will be—"
"Don't worry about it… No, actually, you're right. If things stay like this, you really will end up troubling everyone."
Horikita had started to speak softly to soothe her, but then affirmed the reality to make her accept it.
Tachibana looked shocked, but Manabu Horikita smiled and continued.
"You're a kind person. I've been watching you more closely than anyone else for these past three years, so I know."
"Y-you've been watching me the most!?"
A flush of red bloomed across her dark expression.
But it only lasted a moment. As if deliberately recalling the dire situation, her gaze dropped to the floor.
"Yeah. That's why I immediately understood what a kind girl like you was trying to do, and how you'd try to act without causing trouble for the class."
"…Th-then please leave it to me. I can handle things in a way that won't bother anyone."
"No. That's not allowed. That kind of action… is troubling me."
"Eh?"
Manabu Horikita declared it with a slightly embarrassed look.
Saving her heart with his own two hands.
It was essentially a confession.
The romantically dense Manabu Horikita making a choice like this. This bold move revealed a small taste of the unknown to me.
"You're planning to sacrifice yourself to protect the class, right? But if you succeed, you'll be expelled. I can't allow that."
"…Why, Horikita-kun? This is the cheapest solution! If I just get expelled, everything will work out perfectly!"
Tachibana raised her voice, but Manabu Horikita instantly declared:
"It won't work out. Even if it ends with you getting expelled, I'll 'salvage' you."
Salvage—that meant paying 20 million PP and 300 CP to nullify the expulsion.
The final desperate move to save one person by spending an enormous amount of points.
The only plan she had to end everything by forcing her own expulsion had been blocked.
"…Stop it. Don't waste precious points on something like this."
A single tear slid down her cheek, her voice breaking into stuttering sobs.
Joy and sadness crashed over Tachibana at the same time, and she could no longer hold it back.
"No, I won't stop. Not until you stop trying to sacrifice yourself."
"If I… don't sacrifice myself, then how will you solve this?"
"Give it your all in tomorrow's real exam."
Manabu Horikita held his hand out to Tachibana.
He no longer grabbed her to prevent escape.
Like the climax of a confession, the only thing left was whether she would take it.
"But with the current situation—"
"—Just believe in me."
His words were strong, leaving no room for refusal.
Large tears rolled down her cheeks one after another. Manabu Horikita patiently waited for her to calm her overflowing emotions.
And then…
"…Alright. I'll believe in you, Horikita-kun."
Their hands joined.
In full view of many students, the resolve of the two solidified.
Their feelings facing each other, closing the distance as Akane Tachibana recovered—it had nothing to do with my main objectives, but it was certainly an unknown variable.
But everything wasn't resolved yet.
The situation was still at its worst. While I'd be able to handle tomorrow's actual exam flawlessly, we hadn't secured a complete escape from expulsion.
If the third-years in the same group colluded to pin all the blame on Tachibana as the villain, the possibility that her actions during the test would be seen as the main cause for the drop in average score still hadn't disappeared.
"What's the matter, Nagumo Miyabi?"
I called out to Miyabi Nagumo, who had been watching the two with a stunned look.
He snapped out of it and turned toward me.
"It's nothing. Later."
"Wait a second. I just came up with something interesting."
"Hah?"
I stopped Miyabi Nagumo as he tried to walk away quickly.
He looked back at me, clearly irritated.
"Sorry, but I'm busy."
"Yeah, so I'll keep it short. How about we change the content of our bet? ————Whether Akane Tachibana will become an expulsion target or not."
He started to turn his back on my proposal, but stopped halfway.
With just his one visible eye, he glared at me.
"What are you planning?"
"It was such an entertaining conversation that I couldn't help getting excited.
It seems like she's somehow involved with the expulsion matter, doesn't it?"
"…Heh, I see. I don't really care either way, but that does make the win and loss a lot clearer."
"It looks like you'll accept my proposal. I'll bet that she won't become an expulsion target, and you'll bet that she will. That works for you, right?"
"…Wait."
"Oh? Is the student council president trying to run away?"
"…Fine. I'll take that bet."
This time, he really left the area.
I also focused on making the final adjustments for the actual exam.
...
After finishing his conversation with Kamukura, Nagumo quickly strode off, intending to fire off orders to his pawns who served as his hands and feet.
Time was already running short. He'd barely be able to lay down a single countermeasure.
The current problem was that Akane Tachibana—the target he planned to drag down—had regained her will to fight.
If she took the special exam in this state, Nagumo knew from their time together in the student council that she would handle it flawlessly.
Even if that happened, he had measures ready to ensure her expulsion, but there was one lingering concern.
The possibility that Manabu Horikita had seen through his scheme. Nagumo had tried to manipulate things so Horikita wouldn't notice, yet precisely because it had all leaked, Horikita was able to act so boldly.
While feeling a hint of respect for Manabu Horikita, Nagumo turned his thoughts to addressing that concern.
(The reason Horikita-senpai noticed my scheme… I hate to admit it, but it has to be Kamukura's covert actions.)
Nagumo correctly understood the current situation.
If Horikita had learned about his plans through Kamukura's secret maneuvering, then dealing with Kamukura would be the key to unraveling this.
(…Fuck. Did that bastard really figure out my entire plan?)
Recalling their earlier exchange, Nagumo couldn't stop grinding his teeth.
He had acknowledged Kamukura's abilities, but never imagined the guy would see through even this extra move he'd played.
The thought of being underestimated like that ignited regret and hatred, stabbing at Nagumo's immense pride.
"Nagumo."
"…Horikita-senpai."
Before the anguished Nagumo appeared Horikita and Tachibana.
Seeing their joined hands, Nagumo suppressed the turbulent emotions swirling inside him.
"Should I start by offering my congratulations?"
"Yeah. This result is thanks to your scheme, after all."
Nagumo felt a small thrill at having his taunt returned with equal fire.
The ever-serious Manabu Horikita usually avoided direct clashes with him.
But this time, after all the behind-the-scenes work, he had finally dragged him out into the open.
That's why, despite being in a difficult position, Nagumo was genuinely enjoying this moment of speaking as equals.
"Now then, Nagumo. I have one proposal. You already understand what it is, don't you?"
"Who knows? I have no clue unless you spell it out for me."
Nagumo played dumb, but Horikita's resolve was already set in stone.
He pressed forward with the clear intent to settle it right here.
"Stop targeting Tachibana. If you continue going after her, we'll take the appropriate measures on our end."
"Appropriate measures, huh? Haha, I like that. To think that Horikita-senpai would get this serious and actually prepare countermeasures against me."
"You were that troublesome, after all."
Horikita glared at Nagumo with icy eyes.
"I already understand your scheme. You used our competition as a bluff while secretly maneuvering to make Tachibana a drag-along expulsion target. You've done some truly despicable things."
"What are you talking about? I was so focused on competing against you, Horikita-senpai, that I don't know anything about some girl."
"You're still pretending? Fine, I have no choice then. It seems you still want to keep competing with me, but this time I'm genuinely furious. I'll be taking those appropriate measures."
"By the way, what exactly do you plan to do for these 'appropriate measures'?"
Nagumo asked with a thin smirk.
Thanks to Kamukura's interference, he knew Horikita had correctly grasped his plan. What he wanted now was the specifics—how Horikita intended to break through it.
"I'll have several students expelled from Momoko Ikari's group. Since you worked so hard to make Tachibana a sacrifice, it's only fair they receive their just reward."
"I see, I see. It seems Tachibana-senpai has been dragging Momoko-senpai's group down enough to become an expulsion target. And you're certain that Ikari-senpai and the others are trying to use her as a sacrifice. But do you actually have any proof?
It's possible she simply became a target due to her own incompetence."
"That's impossible. Tachibana's abilities aren't low. There's no way she'd drag the group down."
"What a beautiful bond of trust. However, that still means you have no actual evidence."
Without evidence, there was no way to remove Tachibana from the list of expulsion targets.
And in this environment where cell phones and recording devices couldn't be brought in, no solid proof could ever be left behind. Nagumo was absolutely certain of that.
"If it's evidence you want, I'll make some…"
"…Heh~. Then you should've just waited for the final day instead of threatening me like this."
Nagumo couldn't dismiss Horikita's serious, frustration-filled grim expression as mere bluff.
"I don't want to actively produce expulsions. Failure itself is a valuable lesson. Once someone is expelled, they lose the chance to make use of that lesson. That's not the meritocracy I strive for."
"So you've already prepared everything to expel them, yet you're still giving them one last chance. You're too soft, Horikita-senpai. Way too soft. True strength won't grow that way."
"This is simply a difference in ideology. I have no intention of affirming your thinking, nor do I deny it. However, if you stand in front of me and spread malice, that's another matter entirely.
This time, I don't mind producing expulsions according to your principles. That's how pissed off I am."
Nagumo's lips curved into a smile at Horikita's unusually strong words.
This Horikita was dead serious. He was seriously trying to crush Nagumo's plan.
That intention came through crystal clear.
That's why Nagumo judged that the evidence wasn't just a threat, but something real.
"By the way, what exactly is this evidence you keep talking about?"
"There's no reason for me to tell you that."
"If you tell me, I might actually surrender on something."
Nagumo maintained an attitude of never admitting any wrongdoing.
However, inside he was anything but calm. He was desperately spinning his mind, searching for any chance to counterattack from this conversation.
"Don't bother. I have no intention of telling you.
If you refuse to back down, the expulsion targets will simply shift from Tachibana to several other people."
There was no sign Horikita would change his mind.
Like a fierce beast that had locked onto its prey, he didn't take his eyes off Nagumo for even a second.
There wasn't the slightest opening born from mercy or sympathy, leaving no room for Nagumo to slip through.
"————Ahahaha!"
Faced with this completely checkmated situation, Nagumo finally burst out in joyous laughter upon realizing that Manabu Horikita was using his full power to stop him.
He was being cornered. Horikita-senpai really was an amazing person. That raw emotion couldn't be contained and came spilling out like a child's.
Yet Horikita's expression didn't change at all.
"There's no time left to judge whether that evidence is a bluff or not. But I'm sure it's the real deal, right, Horikita-senpai?"
It was the final dinner of the special exam. In just a few more minutes, the one-hour window would vanish.
If he missed this moment, contact with the girls would be gone. Meaning this was the absolute last chance to give specific instructions, and Nagumo had no time left to carefully analyze Horikita's words.
"Damn, this is so fucking frustrating. After preparing this thoroughly, to think it would get seen through…"
Nagumo smiled thinly, as if accepting defeat.
The cause of failure surfaced in his mind, but his expression showed no clouding.
He felt frustration and wanted to reflect.
Yet at the same time, it felt refreshingly clean—like the feeling after pouring out everything and still losing.
"Do you admit it, Nagumo?"
"Yeah. Honestly my brain's still spinning at full speed, but I can't come up with any solution."
Nagumo scratched his head and spoke with an air of resignation. Seeing this, Horikita finally let his serious mask crack a little.
"…I promise you, Horikita-senpai. This exam is my loss. So I'll give orders to pull my hand away from Tachibana-senpai. Time's tight, so it'll have to be a verbal promise—is that fine?"
"Yeah, I'll trust you. So don't betray that trust again."
"Got it."
A promise made and received.
The two exchanged such a simple, ordinary thing.
However,
————Nagumo had no intention of honoring such common sense.
He had been bluffing right until the bitter end. Nagumo, who had planned to throw away any trust from the start, clung to his scheme far more tenaciously than Horikita ever imagined.
If it was a bluff, he'd just carry it out anyway. And even if it wasn't, it didn't matter to him.
Evidence or no evidence, as long as the plan went through, that was enough. After all, the initiative for this operation had already slipped from Nagumo's hands.
The 20 million PP had already been handed over to Ishikura in third-year Class B.
Nagumo had only provided support. He'd transferred the points and planted his own dyed-in-the-wool subordinates into Ikari's group. That was why the final decision and responsibility for dragging Tachibana down rested squarely on Ishikura's shoulders.
He would lose 20 million PP, but the damage to Nagumo himself was minimal. For the student council president who ruled the entire year, it was hardly a blow worth mentioning.
It didn't matter how many third-years got expelled.
The two student council presidents turned their backs on each other.
Dinner time ended right on schedule.
"Miyabi!"
The moment he parted from Horikita, Nagumo ran into Asahina rushing toward him at a sprint. Since dinner was already over, the timing was just barely acceptable.
She placed her hands on her knees to catch her breath, then lifted her head and looked straight at him.
"What's up, Nazuna? You're in such a panic."
Nagumo spoke in his usual calm tone.
He hadn't told Asahina any of the exam's details. He'd only mentioned, as always, that he was setting something up against Horikita, so he assumed she knew nothing about the specifics.
Which is why—
"Sorry, Miyabi. I really didn't plan on butting into your schemes, but I can't overlook this anymore."
The way she spoke made it sound like she already knew everything, and Nagumo faltered.
"…What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb. You're trying to get Tachibana-senpai expelled this time, even if it means breaking your promise to Horikita-senpai, right?"
"Hey, wait—how the hell do you—"
"I heard it. From one of Kamukura-kun's messengers."
Shock rippled across Nagumo's face.
He couldn't hide his expression at the incomprehensible situation.
Once the initial jolt passed, his mind raced to organize the information.
"That look on your face… so it's true. Then this time, let me step in. …Hey, Miyabi, cancel this plan right now. Please!"
Asahina grabbed both of Nagumo's shoulders, her face desperate.
Seeing her frantic state finally dragged him back to reality.
"W-wait. I get that you know about my plan, but how does that lead to canceling it?"
"…I heard what kind of future is waiting if I don't stop you."
"Tell me everything. Don't hide a single thing."
Nagumo believed her attitude wasn't an act and listened to the whole story.
Just moments ago, one of Kamukura's messengers had approached her.
They had told her exactly how this exam would unfold, like a prophecy of the future.
And if she wanted to stop that future, she was told to betray Nagumo.
"I was shocked by the explanation, but I couldn't betray you, Miyabi. We've fought together for two whole years, after all."
Nagumo felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction at Asahina's words full of trust.
Normally that would have put him in a great mood, but the situation was too serious. He kept pressing.
"…If everything up to now has gone exactly as predicted, what happens next?"
Nagumo had been on the verge of shouting in panic, but he managed to keep at least a surface-level calm.
He waited slowly for Asahina's next words.
"After this…"
Asahina hesitated for a moment.
Then she closed her eyes and forced the rest out.
"Between now and tomorrow's actual exam——they're going to break Tachibana-san. And then force her to retire in the middle of the final day's exam."
Nagumo couldn't process what she was saying.
Break Tachibana. What was the point of that? What good came from destroying a Tachibana who had already changed her mind?
He couldn't read Kamukura's true intention and fell into confusion.
"…You packed your group members with people who would obey your orders to the letter just to corner Tachibana-san, right? Kamukura-kun plans to use that against you."
"Use it against me?"
"There are hardly any cameras in this exam, and no phones or recording devices. No clear evidence can come out. That's exactly why you've been harassing Tachibana-senpai, isn't it?"
If Tachibana got serious about the exam, she'd sail through it without issue. So he'd harassed her to make her a drag-along target and drive her into a corner.
"So what if on exam day she shows up with injuries that are no joke?"
"…Hey, hold on. You mean—"
Nagumo finally understood the meaning behind breaking Tachibana. His composed face twisted.
It was an utterly despicable plan.
"You're going to break Tachibana-senpai and pin the blame on Ikari-senpai's entire group?"
"…That's not all."
"Hah?"
"Just like you said, Tachibana-san will definitely claim it was the group members' fault once she has clear evidence. With proof on the table, the school will surely believe her.
Then the responsibility falls on the third-year senpais. They'll desperately deny it, but with the victim's injuries as evidence, someone is definitely getting expelled. If it's just one, you might get lucky, but in the worst case…"
"…The whole group gets expelled?"
"Yeah. And if they take that kind of collateral damage, the senpais will absolutely name you, Miyabi. Once the mastermind is identified, the verdict is set."
He didn't need to hear the rest.
The mastermind who had cornered a single girl just to use the drag-along scheme.
If the school learned that, the judgment was obvious.
"——Me? Expelled?"
The moment the reality hit, strength drained from Nagumo's legs.
He staggered like a drunk, unable to keep his balance, and barely stayed upright by leaning against the nearest wall.
He covered his dazed face with one hand.
"…No, that's physically impossible. There's no girl who could actually do something like that."
Breaking Tachibana sounded easy, but he couldn't imagine any student with the guts to actually carry it out.
Nagumo knew Kamukura's pawn was mixed into Ikari's group.
He knew, yet the only reports he'd received were that the student was participating in the exam with full effort, albeit nervously.
"The first-year in charge of Ikari-san's group is Shiho Manabe from Class 1-C.
She's the type who follows orders exactly as given… and she has a sadistic side that enjoys cornering weak people."
"…You're lying."
"Yeah, I thought so too. That's why I checked with several first-years.
They said she's been behaving herself during this exam, but normally the rumors about her aren't good at all."
Looking at Asahina's disappointed expression, Nagumo could tell she hadn't wanted to believe it either and had desperately gathered information.
But that didn't solve the hopeless situation they were in.
"…Kamukura-kun was planning to break Tachibana-san with this scheme and get you expelled no matter whether she recovered or not."
"Bullshit! There's no way! It's all a bluff!!"
Nagumo yanked the hand away from his face and unleashed his rage.
He slammed a full-power right straight into the wall, throwing a childish tantrum.
But the pain shooting through his knuckles and the blood trickling down brought back a sliver of calm.
"…Fuck. What I need to do right now is deal with this. There's no time for regret or shifting blame!"
Amid the storm of emotions flooding his brain, Nagumo focused on what had to be done.
If he pulled his hand away from Tachibana right now, the damage could be almost zero.
Just tell Ikari and the others to take the exam normally and avoid last place, and Tachibana would be safe. The chance of Nagumo being cornered would drop to nearly nothing.
He could hold onto the 20 million PP he'd planned to use, and he wouldn't lose trust from the other years.
At worst, since he'd cooperated with third-year Class B but produced no results, they might demand some kind of penalty.
He could save face. Depending on the special exam results, he could even recover a decent amount of points.
He would lose to Horikita, but that wasn't much damage.
He could keep his dignity as student council president.
However, his pride would be shredded, he'd lose the bet with Kamukura, and 1 million PP would vanish.
Nagumo couldn't accept that.
He briefly considered restraining Tachibana tonight to prevent her from being broken, but that would physically stop her himself.
"You two over there—dinner time is already over. Return to your respective shared rooms."
The patrolling teacher had spotted them while Nagumo was desperately thinking.
It was game over.
Yet Nagumo refused to give up until the very last second and kept devising countermeasures.
If he treated Kamukura's plan as a bluff and carried his own scheme through, everything would go exactly as Nagumo wanted.
But he had to consider the worst case.
If Tachibana was broken, the school would protect her during this exam. From there, the majority of the third-years in the same group would be held responsible.
Bullying would definitely result in expulsion. And once that happened, the mastermind—Nagumo's name—would reach the school without fail.
The status he had built up would vanish in an instant.
The gold plating that let him reign as the popular king would peel away completely, leaving him a naked sovereign.
And without a doubt, he would be pointed at and have his abilities denied.
"Fuck…"
The voice scraped out from the back of his throat.
His handsome features twisted with frustration, and his tightly clenched fist slammed into the wall once more.
But it lacked the power of the previous blow.
"Miyabi…"
Asahina didn't know what to say.
She had never seen that expression on the leader she had shared joys and sorrows with, and words failed her completely.
"…Nazuna, tell the girls. This time… I'm pulling my hand back."
Nagumo spoke slowly.
The cause of defeat was undoubtedly that there hadn't been enough time.
If he had thought calmly, Nagumo probably would have come up with at least one countermeasure.
But that single move had prevented it.
He had fallen right into the trap.
***
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