Chapter 45: The Plan
Over the next few days, Horikita tutored several people in their studies. Starting from the basics, Sudo, Ike, and Yamauchi had managed to advance to the second page of the practice sheets.
That's right—this explosive progress was already the fastest pace they could manage. During this time, Horikita grew frustrated more than once, but never once lost her temper.
Kushida Kikyo had been watching from the sidelines, as though waiting for something to happen. But in the end… she left with a faint trace of anger on her face.
Meanwhile, Hikigaya's situation was different. His growth was rapid—but not in the right direction. Since he was strong in liberal arts, he shifted his focus to science. Unfortunately, his "talent" lay in dragging down the class average with terrifying precision.
It couldn't be said there was no progress at all—only that his progress was… misdirected.
But this clearly wasn't a solution, and Hikigaya knew it.
From Horikita, they had learned that the passing line wasn't fixed; it was based on the average score of the class. In theory, if the entire class united and deliberately lowered their scores, the safety line for the weakest students would also drop.
It was the simplest solution—yet also the hardest. For Class D, where unity was a foreign concept, it was practically impossible. Ichika Ichinose's Class B, on the other hand, might actually pull it off.
As the exam drew closer day by day, Hikigaya turned over every possibility in his head. At this rate, their chances of survival were slim.
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Aniverse
Sudou: "If I remember right, we only passed thanks to the test papers Kushida got from the upperclassmen."
Kushida Kikyo shot a glance at Ayanokouji, then nodded slightly.
Ike: "Yeah, we should've been grateful back then. Without Kushida, we'd have been screwed."
Yamauchi: "Kushida's the best. Even if Horikita didn't drive us away this time, with our current progress, we'll still have to rely on her."
Ike: "Exactly. Forget slowly raising our grades—Kushida's way more reliable."
Horikita shook her head helplessly. If they kept thinking like this, then even if they passed, Class D would never climb higher. The deserted island exam had already sent out a warning. If not for Ayanokouji's intervention at the end, blind reliance on others would only lead to destruction.
But her classmates hadn't realized that yet.
Kushida, smiling awkwardly, responded to their praise. They all thought she was the savior—but she knew better. Without Ayanokouji, she would never have come up with such a solution. Or perhaps… she had been fully prepared to let these idiots be expelled.
"So… what will you do this time? Without Ayanokouji, how will you keep them from dropping out?"
The overall quality of Class D's students was the lowest in the grade. They were the most vulnerable in this exam. Other classes had weak links too, but none were as critical as this.
The real problem was that the stronger students didn't care if their weaker classmates failed. They didn't yet realize how devastating losing members would be to the class as a whole.
If each class's student count was fixed, then losing even one person at the start of the year would cripple Class D's chances of ever climbing up to Class A.
Hikigaya knew this. And Horikita, by now, understood it as well.
If they wanted to survive, there was only one way.
Limit each student's answering area. Restrict the total score. As long as the higher performers kept their scores low, Ike, Sudou, and Yamauchi could safely reach the passing line.
Through email, Hikigaya first informed Hirata and Kushida of his plan, asking them to gather all the small quizzes and practice sheets they had done so far, then compile the results.
Every test had sections where students excelled and sections where they struggled. Hikigaya's idea was to map out those strengths and weaknesses, then assign each student the portion they could reliably handle.
The uncertain elements—students hovering around the pass mark, and Koenji—were excluded first. Then, through Hirata and Kushida, the class would be told which parts they were responsible for. The rest of the test they were to leave blank. Even if mistakes were made, Hikigaya's calculations would keep the class average just above the line.
If Hikigaya had announced this himself, his classmates would have dismissed it as a selfish scheme, given his mediocre scores.
But coming from Hirata and Kushida, it was different. For most of them, this was their first "withdrawal" exam. Once they felt the strength of unity, they'd follow the leaders. Aside from a few variables, most would cooperate with Hikigaya's plan.
There was still time before the exam. This was no pipe dream.
Of course, Hirata himself was uneasy. The sheer volume of calculations had to be handled by Hikigaya alone. One mistake could mean a classmate's expulsion.
But… Hirata still carried guilt from before. And he knew Hikigaya's capabilities weren't limited to Class D. Back then, when Hikigaya had almost revealed his true face, Hirata had stopped him. So, in the end—he chose to believe in him once more.
Kushida, on the other hand, had been skeptical at first. But she was quick to agree. If it meant protecting her classmates from expulsion, she would take the risk.
Of course, she had one condition.
After the exam, regardless of the result, Hikigaya had to go on a date with her.
At that point, Hikigaya could no longer refuse.
Truthfully, he also wanted to see what Kushida Kikyo looked like beneath her perfect mask.
Hikigaya didn't mind. But not everyone in the Service Club felt the same way.
Out of nowhere, a sharp gaze cut across the room.
Yukinoshita Yukino was staring at Hikigaya with a faintly resentful look in her eyes.