Chapter 062: Do You Lack Confidence in Yourself?
And at this very moment, in the Year 1 Class A classroom, Hoshinomiya Chie leaned against the podium, her chestnut-colored hair draped over her shoulders, a light, airy smile playing on her lips.
She had already finished explaining all the rules for the Pairing Exam: pairs of two, eight subjects, sixty points per subject; a total score of less than 700 points results in expulsion. Classes must create exams to challenge one another, and the winner plunders two hundred class evaluation points from the loser.
The classroom was quiet for a while as the students digested this information.
However, aside from arranging the pairings, there was one other thing that needed to be decided.
That was... which class they would mutually exchange exams with.
Who challenges whom, and who pairs with whom—these were the keys to determining victory or defeat.
Ichinose Honami sat next to Hachiman, holding a pen, her notebook already filled with the key points of the rules she had just noted down. She turned her head to look at Hachiman's profile. His expression was very calm, but Ichinose knew he was thinking. That look of slightly squinting his eyes while his fingers tapped lightly on the edge of the desk was exactly the same as it was before every exam.
"Hikigaya-kun," Ichinose spoke up.
Hachiman looked at her.
"Which class should we engage in battle with?" Ichinose's voice was kept very low, ensuring only the two of them could hear. "The rules state that once someone issues a challenge, the match-up order is finalized. Four classes, battling in pairs. We can't just passively wait for others to challenge us."
Hachiman's fingers stopped on the edge of the desk. "Taking the initiative to attack is a good thing. But Ichinose, who do you think we should battle?"
Ichinose thought for a moment, opened her notebook, and wrote down the names of the four classes on a blank page—Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class D. Her pen tip drew a line under Class B. "Attacking Class B is best," Ichinose said earnestly. "We have collaborated with Ryuen-kun many times. During the uninhabited island exam, we had several collaborations and trades with Class C—no, they were Class C back then, now they are Class B—we had several collaborations with them. Although Ryuen-kun's methods are rough, he is not an unreasonable person. He knows what choice is advantageous for himself."
In other words, because they had collaborated with Ryuen many times, Ryuen's credit was trustworthy.
But Hachiman looked at her without saying a word.
Ichinose continued, "Class B certainly doesn't want anyone to be expelled. Although they have risen to Class B now, their academic foundation is still that of the original Class C. They took three of the bottom ten spots in the sports festival penalty. A ten-point deduction in all subjects is a huge burden for them. If we face them in the class matchup, we can negotiate with them—exchange exams so that both sides can pass. We win, they don't get the points, but at least no one will be expelled. For them, that is already the best result."
After finishing, Ichinose looked at Hachiman, waiting for his response.
Hachiman leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk edge. "Then Class B has to hand over two hundred points."
Ichinose nodded. "Correct. They lose, we win. We gain two hundred points, they are deducted two hundred points."
"Do you know what Class B's current evaluation score is?" Hachiman asked.
Ichinose thought for a moment. "After the sports festival, it's probably 650 points?"
"650 points," Hachiman nodded. "How much of that is debt they owe me?"
Ichinose's fingers paused on the pen barrel. Of course, she knew. During the uninhabited island exam, Class C—which is now Class B—incurred a massive debt there. And that debt, converted into evaluation points, requires a deduction of 350 points every month. Therefore, Class B only has 300 evaluation points that truly belong to them.
"Three hundred points," Ichinose's voice lowered slightly.
"Right," Hachiman said. "If they get deducted another two hundred, they will only have one hundred left. And in the next exam, if they get deducted again, it will cut into my 350 points. Is that what you want?"
Ichinose fell silent. She understood what Hachiman meant—Class B was currently his ATM. They steadily paid off their debt every month and provided points. If Class B was deducted too heavily, that 350 points wouldn't be safe. It wasn't about whether they could afford to pay; the school would directly deduct it from the evaluation points. When that happened, Hachiman's debt could no longer be collected.
"So," Ichinose's voice felt a bit strained, "you don't want Class B to be deducted points."
Hachiman glanced at her. "It's not that I don't want to. It's that I can't let them be deducted to the point where it affects their debt repayment."
Ichinose lowered her head, looking at the "Class B" that had been underlined in her notebook. She suddenly felt that Hachiman's attitude toward Class B was exactly the same as a bank's attitude toward a loan client. Not friends, not enemies, but a debtor relationship.
As long as the client can pay on time, the bank hopes the client stays alive. But you can't let the client die, and you can't let the client get so poor that they can't pay back.
"...Ahhh," Ichinose hurriedly shook her head, throwing away this ridiculous thought.
"Then... what about battling Class D?" Ichinose switched options, her pen tip drawing a line under Class D.
Hachiman's fingers paused. "Class D has Ayanokouji."
Ichinose's brows furrowed slightly. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. That dangerous guy.
"He definitely wants to bail and transfer to another class, and the class most suitable for him is Class B," Hachiman's voice was very calm. "So, this exam is his 'letter of intent'."
Ichinose's fingers squeezed the pen barrel lightly. "A letter of intent?"
"He wants to transfer classes," Hachiman said. "Coming to our class or going to Class B are both possibilities. But he needs a reason—a reason for the target class to accept him. For example—helping the target class defeat their opponent in the class match. Or, taking money from Class C to attack us."
Ichinose's breath hitched slightly. "You mean he will help the opponent to attack us?"
"Not helping the opponent," Hachiman shook his head. "Helping himself. Class D can no longer accommodate him, so he must transfer. Therefore, he has to demonstrate his strength."
These words made Ichinose silent.
She remembered Ayanokouji's methods during the sports festival—leaking the entry list, letting Ryuen target Class D, letting Sudo be besieged, and having the girls be completely suppressed. He had no class loyalty; he didn't care about the life or death of his classmates. Even when Hirata set a trap to test him, he jumped in without hesitation. A person like that could truly do anything.
"And," Hachiman added, "he is someone from the White Room. His academic ability won't be low."
Ichinose's brows furrowed even tighter. The White Room. She had heard of that place from Hachiman's inner thoughts—fully enclosed, no privacy, systematic training that started from infancy. Finishing high school curriculum by age four, completing university content by age six. The kinds of questions created by someone from a place like that probably aren't something ordinary students can handle.
Ichinose took a deep breath and stood up from her seat. She turned around and looked at Hoshinomiya Chie by the podium.
"Sensei," Ichinose's voice wasn't loud, but the classroom fell silent for an instant.
Hoshinomiya looked at her. "What is it, Honami-chan?"
"If students create their own exams, what happens if the opponent makes the questions too difficult?" Ichinose asked. "Are there any restrictions?"
Hoshinomiya smiled and straightened up from the podium. "The school will review them. Questions that are too sharp, beyond the curriculum, or obviously intended to make things difficult will not pass. So you can't make overly excessive questions, okay?" She paused, her tone slowing down a bit. "However, students have different academic abilities, so the difficulty of the exams created will naturally be different. Classes with high academic ability will still produce relatively difficult exams. The school will not deliberately balance this point."
Ichinose nodded and sat back in her chair.
If Hoshinomiya-sensei said that, then it meant that if the question-maker's academic ability is extremely high, they can indeed create exam questions that stump most students.
"So," she lowered her voice and said to Hachiman, "this exam isn't testing academic ability."
"Correct," Hachiman said. "It tests transactions. Trust, leverage, and the exchange of interests. In the adults' world, these things are far more important than academic ability."
Ichinose's fingers tapped lightly on her notebook.
Transactions. Trust. Leverage.
Then what does Class A have? Academic ability. Points. And a person named Hikigaya Hachiman.
What does Class B have? Ryuen's ruthlessness, Shiina Hiyori's brain, and a debt owed to Hachiman.
What does Class C have? The strongest academic ability, but they were just stepped on, holding in a breath of frustration.
What does Class D have? Ayanokouji's individual ability, and a bottomless pit of minus 270 points.
Ichinose's gaze swept back and forth over the names of the four classes. Class A is too strong, Class B has debt, Class D is too chaotic, and there is one more class—Class C.
"Hikigaya-kun," Ichinose looked up. "Have you thought about battling Class C?"
Hachiman looked at her, his mouth moving slightly. "Class C?"
"Yes." Ichinose's pen tip drew a line under Class C. "They are the original Class A, their overall academic ability is the highest. Our class is just a little weaker than them. Although, if it really comes to comparing academic ability, we might not lose. Because we have also worked very hard."
Hachiman leaned against the back of his chair, not speaking, waiting for her to continue.
Ichinose took a deep breath. "Moreover, Class C just fell from Class B—no, they fell from Class A to Class B, and then from Class B to Class C. They are holding in a breath of frustration, wanting to climb back up. If we win against them in the class matchup and snatch two hundred points from their hands, they will be completely desperate. If we lose, we are just giving them two hundred points. After all, we are currently still leading by 1000 points..."
But Hachiman looked at her with piercing eyes, just like Horikita Suzune, "Do you lack confidence in yourself?"
"Uhh—" Ichinose was stunned for a moment.
"We are Class A now." Hachiman's voice was calm, but every word was clear. "It's not about defending this position, but sitting firmly in this position. You must have that kind of backbone.
That is the standard for being a student of Class A."
Ichinose looked at him; her wine-red eyes reflected his shadow.
But she already understood what he was saying. Maintaining stability, constantly compromising. This was her weakness, and she had just fallen back into her old way of thinking. But now, just as Hachiman said, yes, everyone is a student of Class A. Then naturally, they must be able to meet the school's requirements. And so.
Ichinose lowered her head, looking at the "Class C" that had been underlined in the notebook. Then she looked up at Hachiman.
"Then let's issue a challenge to Class C." Ichinose's voice was firmer than before. "It's not that it's okay for us to lose to them, but rather, we must have the courage to initiate a challenge against the former Class A!"
Ichinose's fighting spirit was instantly ignited.
But.
Hachiman glanced at her, his mouth moving slightly. "No need."
Ichinose was stunned. "Why?"
Hachiman straightened up from the back of his chair.
"They've already issued it," he said.
Before Ichinose could react, Hoshinomiya Chie on the podium suddenly picked up her phone and glanced down at the screen. Her expression changed from light and airy to serious.
Then.
"Students," Hoshinomiya looked up, her voice a bit louder than before. "The match-up order is finalized."
The classroom went quiet. Everyone looked at her.
"Class C has issued a challenge to our Class A. Therefore, Class B versus Class D." Hoshinomiya put down her phone, her gaze sweeping around the classroom. "So, our Class A's opponent is Class C."
A low murmur of discussion erupted in the classroom. Some were surprised, some were nervous, and some just nodded, as if they had expected it all along.
Ichinose turned her head and looked at Hachiman. Her mouth opened slightly, then closed, then opened again. She wanted to ask "How did you know?", but the words reached her lips and were swallowed back. Because she suddenly understood—it wasn't a "guess," it was a "calculation." He calculated that Class C would proactively challenge, calculated that Katsuragi didn't have the guts, and calculated that it would be Sakayanagi.
"It's Sakayanagi-san," Ichinose's voice was very soft.
Hachiman nodded. "Yes, Katsuragi doesn't have that kind of guts. It's Sakayanagi. Katsuragi would seek stability, but Sakayanagi will definitely be aggressive.
Their class has already fallen to Class C and has been left behind by 1000 points. If they are cowardly here, their morale will be gone.
Therefore, if it's Sakayanagi's proposal, they will launch a 'burn the bridges' attack here," Hachiman stated.
If it were Sakayanagi-san, then that is indeed what she might do.
Ichinose nodded in agreement.
"Ignoring Sakayanagi," Hachiman's voice came from the side, "is truly impossible."
Ichinose's fingers squeezed the pen barrel lightly. She didn't know how to describe her current mood. As expected. Compared to herself, Hikigaya-kun probably feels that Sakayanagi-san is more like a leader. And she is regarded by Hikigaya-kun as an opponent.
And Hoshinomiya stood on the podium, watching the different expressions on the faces in the classroom, her mouth once again wearing that light, airy smile. "Alright, alright, since the opponent is decided, then prepare well. Creating exams, pairing up, reviewing—three weeks is not long, but not short either. You are Class A, don't embarrass yourselves."
Laughter erupted in the classroom; some shouted "We won't," some shouted "Don't worry, Sensei," and some had already started discussing who they would pair up with.
As for Hachiman, he was busy contemplating Sakayanagi's intentions.
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