Dragging my feet lazily, I made my way toward the meeting room assigned to the Boar Group's evening session.
The faces of the students passing by all showed obvious exhaustion after everything they'd gone through that morning.
For some, this special exam was probably exciting.
For others...
It simply drained all of their energy.
I definitely belonged to the second group.
This kind of atmosphere wasn't really my thing.
I arrived in front of the massive door that most likely led to yet another luxurious meeting room.
I wasn't late.
But I had arrived at the very last minute.
There wasn't a single person waiting outside.
Looks like I was the last one to arrive.
I opened the door and stepped inside.
Every student had already taken a seat around the table.
Only one chair remained.
The one beside Albert.
...
Was this on purpose?
Were they trying to isolate me?
Then again...
That was pretty much my natural position.
I shouldn't forget that.
Ignoring the empty chair, I walked past the table and instead sat down on the sofa at the back of the room.
Stretching out comfortably, I claimed the entire thing for myself.
I let out a quiet sigh as every part of my body relaxed into the cushions.
Sleep almost overtook me.
I slipped a light novel out of my pocket.
Its original cover had been hidden beneath a plain paper jacket.
Without any intention of participating in the meeting...
I quietly began reading.
The atmosphere hadn't changed since this morning.
The room was still filled with tension.
Nobody wanted to make the first move.
Eventually...
Kanzaki once again decided to break the silence.
"I think we've wasted enough time. We should try to make the most of this session."
What inspiring words.
Even I couldn't simply ignore them.
No wonder he was one of Class B's key figures.
Even my eyes stopped moving across the page.
"So... make the most of it?"
A calm voice echoed throughout the room.
"What exactly do you mean, Yukinoshita-san?" Kanzaki asked, unable to tell whether she was being sarcastic or genuinely trying to move the discussion forward.
"Nothing."
"I was simply wondering how you intend to move this discussion forward."
Yukinoshita answered with her usual composure.
I glanced toward the meeting table.
Almost everyone was closely watching their exchange.
After all...
The two people speaking were probably the most influential students in the group.
"I don't have any specific plan yet."
"I simply want to avoid repeating what happened this morning and push things forward."
Kanzaki answered confidently.
Well...
He wasn't wrong.
Nobody wanted to waste their time.
Still...
It wouldn't be that simple.
"I understand."
"But there are certain classes openly obstructing the discussion."
"What do you intend to do about that?"
One problem after another.
Yukinoshita calmly placed each obstacle in front of him.
Everyone knew exactly which class she was referring to.
Class A.
Under Katsuragi's orders...
They were openly refusing to cooperate.
"Hey! Who exactly are you talking about?!"
Green Hair slammed both hands onto the table before standing up.
"I suggest you keep your teeth firmly closed around your tongue if that's the only way you know how to speak."
Yukinoshita's voice was so cold it felt capable of freezing the water glasses resting on the table.
Green Hair immediately sat back down.
He practically shrank into himself, looking as though he wished the floor would swallow him whole.
Silence filled the room.
Everyone had learned the same lesson.
If you weren't careful with your words...
Even defending yourself could backfire.
"I understand what you mean, Yukinoshita-san."
"But if we're trying to achieve the greatest possible benefit..."
"The outcome that benefits everyone is still the first scenario."
Kanzaki spoke in a gentle tone while addressing the entire room.
Several students looked around awkwardly.
Apparently...
They had already forgotten what the first scenario was.
"Everyone receives five hundred thousand private points."
Hasebe answered from beside Yukinoshita.
"Exactly."
"But doesn't that require the VIP to reveal themselves to everyone?"
Yukinoshita added.
At last...
The students finally seemed to understand the path they were discussing.
No matter how I looked at it...
The first scenario wasn't impossible.
With enough coordination...
It could work.
Class B wasn't an issue.
They were the ones proposing it in the first place.
Class A...
There was still a chance they could be persuaded.
As for Ryūen's class...
It wasn't impossible either.
Just exhausting.
There was no point convincing the people sitting here.
They were loyal followers.
They wouldn't make a move without Ryūen's approval.
Which meant...
Ryūen himself would have to be convinced.
...
Tch.
Wasn't he outside this group anyway?
"I know."
"That's why the VIP would have to cooperate with us."
"But..."
Kanzaki stopped halfway through his sentence.
He understood the real problem.
How exactly were they supposed to convince the VIP to expose themselves?
It was still too early for that.
For now...
Finding the VIP should come first.
"Still..."
"I have an idea that might help."
Kanzaki picked up a pen and a stack of paper.
"At every meeting..."
"We'll hold a secret vote."
"Each of us will write down the name of the person we suspect."
"Then we'll count the votes and compare the results."
He carefully explained the idea so everyone could understand.
Nobody objected.
The voting would remain anonymous.
Hashimoto slowly raised his hand.
"What if we don't suspect anyone?"
A fair question.
Most of us barely knew each other.
Suspicion wasn't exactly easy.
"That's fine."
"You can leave the paper blank."
Kanzaki turned toward Yukinoshita, silently asking for her opinion.
"I don't mind."
"Let's try it for now."
Once Yukinoshita agreed...
Kanzaki immediately began distributing pens and paper.
Looks like the wheels had finally started turning.
At the very least...
We'd learn who everyone considered suspicious.
Holding the paper in my left hand and the pen in my right...
I thought for a moment.
Honestly...
I didn't suspect anyone in particular.
So I left mine blank.
After carefully folding the paper...
I waited for Kanzaki to reach me with the tray collecting everyone's votes.
The moment I placed my paper on it...
His eyes fixed on me once again.
A shiver ran through my entire body.
Would he please stop staring at me like that?
Once Kanzaki returned to his seat...
He began counting the votes.
The others passed the time however they pleased.
Some chatted.
Some played with their phones.
Meanwhile...
I closed my novel and slipped it back into my shirt pocket while waiting for the results.
It didn't take long.
Kanzaki eventually stood up.
"Thank you all for participating."
"I'll announce the results now."
He stood in the center of the room.
Every eye turned toward him.
"Eight blank ballots."
That was the first result.
More than half the group couldn't identify a single suspect.
Honestly...
That sounded about right.
"Six votes for Hikigaya Hachiman."
The moment Kanzaki spoke...
I felt countless eyes turning toward me.
So...
I was both the prime suspect...
And apparently the only suspect.
What an interesting outcome.
"Hikigaya."
"Do you have anything to say?"
Kanzaki waited for my response.
"Hmm..."
"Not particularly."
I adjusted my posture on the sofa.
For some reason...
My body suddenly felt stiff.
"I think the reason is obvious."
"Because of your behavior..."
"Everyone's suspicion naturally turned toward you."
Suspicion?
What was this?
A murder investigation?
Don't throw the ball into my court like that.
Should I throw it back at your head?
"Well..."
"I clearly remember the teacher saying attendance at these meetings was mandatory."
"She never specified how we were supposed to conduct them."
"So talking about other things doesn't necessarily count as interfering with the discussion, does it?"
I shrugged.
Resting one arm on the sofa, I supported my chin with my hand.
"What I find truly suspicious..."
"Is how determined you are to accuse me of misleading the discussion."
"I can't help wondering..."
"Are you trying to draw everyone's attention toward me..."
"So you can protect the VIP from your own class?"
I smiled sarcastically.
Honestly...
I had no idea what I was supposed to do.
But if we were throwing accusations around...
I might as well join in.
"Huh...?"
For the first time...
Kanzaki was visibly caught off guard.
"I understand what you're saying."
"But all I did was share my deduction with the group."
"Isn't that what cooperation is?"
He replied logically.
Unfortunately...
Logic wasn't my strong suit.
There was always someone better at it than me.
"So..."
"You're calling your direct accusation against me cooperation."
"How kind of you."
I casually flashed a peace sign.
The students looked completely lost.
Some were shocked.
Others simply couldn't keep up with the conversation anymore.
Kanzaki, meanwhile...
Looked genuinely irritated.
"That's outrageous."
He pressed a hand against his forehead.
"This is the truth."
I relaxed back into the sofa once again.
There was no point continuing.
This had become nothing more than a cheap performance.
Even Kanzaki realized that.
He quietly returned to his seat.
"Hahaha!"
"Come on, everyone."
"There's no need to get so worked up."
Hashimoto laughed carelessly.
That idiot...
He looked like the one enjoying all of this the most.
I really wanted to hit him.
Silence returned once again.
The atmosphere of cooperation Kanzaki had tried to build had completely collapsed.
Well...
That's what happens when you start construction without a permit.
The students returned to passing the time however they pleased.
Nobody seemed interested in discussing the exam anymore.
Then...
A chair scraped across the floor.
I looked toward the table.
Yukinoshita had stood up.
Under everyone's indifferent gaze...
She quietly walked over and sat down beside me on the sofa.
Nobody paid much attention.
They probably assumed she'd simply changed seats.
I glanced sideways.
She lightly pressed both hands against the cushion.
Almost like a cat testing a place before lying down.
Then she leaned back with a quiet sigh.
It seemed everyone had silently agreed that the meeting was already over.
Now they were simply waiting for time to run out.
Yukinoshita shifted slightly beside me.
She looked strangely restless.
"Hmm..."
I watched her carefully.
Then...
She slowly leaned closer.
Our shoulders touched.
For a brief moment...
My entire body froze.
My brain completely stopped working.
...
What was happening?
"So..."
"What do you think so far?"
She whispered before leaning back again.
I see...
She simply wanted to make sure nobody else heard us.
"Ahem..."
"I think it's still too early."
"You're right."
"We shouldn't make our move this soon."
She quietly nodded.
If our goal was truly the first scenario...
Then even though the idea had already been mentioned...
This still wasn't the right time to pursue it.
I let out a quiet sigh.
There was still plenty of time before this meeting ended.
I reached into my shirt pocket and pulled out my light novel once more.
Opening it to the page where I'd stopped...
My mind instantly froze.
An illustration.
Several girls wearing swimsuits.
Even without color...
Their figures were drawn in far too much detail.
...
Damn it.
I don't remember stopping on this page.
I slammed the book shut in panic.
My eyes darted around the room.
Then...
I slowly turned toward Yukinoshita.
She was looking directly at me.
Her expression clearly said,
"Go on. Explain."
...
Had she been watching the whole time?
"What terrible taste."
She sighed before standing up and calmly returning to her seat at the table.
"Ah... Yu—"
I tried to call out to her.
But no words came out.
By the time I managed to react...
She was already gone.
...
What just happened?
Wasn't this supposed to be a story about supernatural powers?
How did the plot suddenly end up here?
I quietly slipped the novel back into my pocket.
Then made a solemn vow to myself.
I would never read another novel by this author again.
As for this one...
I'd burn it.