The exam is still only on its first day, and we've attended just two sessions, yet I already feel like I've had more than enough of it.
Why do we have to attend every single session and pretend that we're interested in what's going on?
On top of that, we have to be careful of the students around us so they don't corner us or let things slip out of our hands.
Why doesn't someone just guess the leader and get this whole thing over with...
Well, no matter how much I think about it, that's impossible. Who would want to lose 50 class points over a guessing game like this? That's far too high a price.
Would this game have been easier if the important person had been on the other side?
It's time to forget about all of this and stop thinking.
Right now, all I want is to go to sleep...
Ah... I just remembered.
The most impossible thing in my shared room is getting to sleep peacefully.
Hirata will never let you lie down without making one of his stupid attempts to drag you into a conversation, especially with Ayanokōji and his annoyingly expressionless face.
Even if they somehow finish talking and decide to stop, Kōenji will show up late and never stop muttering to himself out loud.
I'm seriously about to lose my mind...
I stood in front of the room's door, unable to move.
Should I just spend some time outside...?
No. There's a curfew. I'd be in trouble if I broke the rules.
There's no point hesitating this much.
There's nowhere else for me to go.
I carefully opened the door and heard Hirata speaking warmly with Ayanokōji, who was sitting in front of the television while Hirata stood beside his bed.
"Since everything went well today, there's no need to worry..." Hirata said while Ayanokōji slowly nodded.
Once the door was open enough, the two of them noticed my presence and turned toward me.
"Hikigaya-kun... welcome back," Hirata said with a welcoming smile.
"Ah... hi," I replied as I carefully closed the door before walking toward my bed.
The two of them watched me as I opened the drawer beside my bed and put my belongings inside.
I placed my phone down and pulled my light novel out of my pocket...
Hmm... I'll deal with it later.
"...You look tired. Did you run into any problems during the exam?" I heard Hirata ask from behind me as I sat down on the bed.
I raised an eyebrow while undoing the strap of my shoe.
Was he actually checking to see if I was okay?
That was surprisingly kind of him...
"No, nothing in particular..." I answered with complete certainty.
Everything about this school annoys me.
This exam isn't going to change that.
"That's good to hear..." Hirata replied in his usual friendly tone.
I lay down on my bed, wiggling my toes after finally freeing them from my socks.
I should change my clothes before going to sleep.
Silence filled the room.
It seemed Hirata and Ayanokōji hadn't been talking before I arrived.
Honestly, I didn't mind that at all, but Hirata—the popular guy—would probably get an inflammation in his tongue if he didn't keep talking.
"Maybe if we stick to the ideas we discussed before, we won't run into too many problems..." Hirata said with that same foolish smile.
"Discussed?"
I didn't remember hearing about any discussion regarding the exam, other than the ideas Yukinoshita had shared with me.
"Yeah. We decided how we'd approach this exam within our class group," Hirata said as though what he was saying was the most normal thing in the world.
The class group...
I see.
Now I understand why I hadn't heard anything about it.
That makes sense.
"Didn't you read the messages this morning?" Hirata asked, tilting his head.
"No..." I answered as I closed my eyes, pretending to relax.
Seriously...
How was I supposed to read them when I wasn't even in the group?
No point bringing that up now.
"There are only thirty-nine students in the group..." Ayanokōji suddenly remarked after silently playing the role of an observer this entire time.
My eyes snapped open.
I immediately reached into the drawer beside me and grabbed my light novel.
Perfect.
Without any warning, I threw it straight at Ayanokōji.
He simply tilted his head with effortless agility, causing the book to slam into the wall behind him before falling onto the floor.
Why does he always have to blabber...
That jerk.
I didn't even want to join their stupid group in the first place...
"Hikigaya-kun... could it be that you haven't joined the group yet?" Hirata asked, looking back and forth between me and Ayanokōji.
"N-No..." I answered reluctantly while glaring at Ayanokōji, who had bent down to pick up the light novel from the floor.
"Really? Then give me your contact information and I'll add you," Hirata said as he eagerly pulled out his phone.
I clenched my teeth as I watched Ayanokōji flip through the pages of my light novel with great interest, as though he'd just discovered something completely new.
What an idiot.
I gave Hirata my contact information, and moments later my phone notified me that I'd been added to a new group.
Suddenly, messages started pouring in as though everyone had finally found something worth talking about.
And what's with all these stupid emojis and stickers?
Damn it.
I'm leaving.
A message from Hirata suddenly appeared, explaining things to the students who seemed interested in nothing except fooling around and sending messages on their phones like idiots.
I muted the group before tossing my phone aside.
I'm not opening it again.
"Looks like nobody expected that we'd forgotten someone from our class. I thought I'd already added everyone. I'm sorry," Hirata said with an awkward laugh.
Huh?
Why was he apologizing?
This was probably the most trivial thing anyone had ever apologized to me for.
"No, it's fine. It's my fault too for never asking before," I said while waving my hand in front of me.
This is all Ayanokōji's fault.
Yeah, it's his fault.
And why does he look so interested in that cheap light novel?
He's so focused on it.
For your information, it's mine.
Give it back.
"Anyway... as you can see, we agreed on a few things so we can at least get through this exam safely..." Hirata said as he adjusted his sitting posture, as though preparing to explain everything to me.
So their goal was simply to pass the exam safely...
What happened to striving for victory?
I quietly nodded, signaling that I was listening so he could continue.
"It's best if we stay calm during the sessions. There's no need to provoke the students from the other classes and start conflicts. We should also be careful whenever we participate in the discussions so we don't ruin the exam," Hirata explained, briefly summarizing what they had decided.
"So... what do you think?" he asked while looking at me with unusual determination.
I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
Did he really care about my opinion?
"Well... it's definitely better to stay cautious and avoid provoking others. That's a losing gamble," I answered as I quietly adjusted my sitting position.
What's with all these questions?
It feels like I'm the one being tested.
Hirata nodded after hearing my answer, but apparently that still wasn't enough for him.
"That's true... but that's not what I meant."
"Huh...?"
I quickly turned toward him, completely unable to understand what he was trying to say.
"I mean, what do you think about the exam as a whole? How do you think we should clear it?" Hirata asked insistently, as though my opinion truly mattered.
"Ah... well..." I scratched my cheek with one finger while glancing around awkwardly.
I'd never felt Hirata being this persistent before.
"I think... hmm... the approach should change depending on the situation..." I said as I adjusted my posture and sat properly on the bed this time.
Hirata raised an eyebrow, while Ayanokōji lowered the light novel slightly, as though something other than the book had finally caught his interest.
"What do you mean...?" Hirata asked.
Ah...
So I have to explain it too.
I sighed inwardly in resignation before clearing my throat to prepare my explanation.
"Well, as you know, there are only two possible situations in this exam. Either the VIP is on your side and you have to protect them until the end, or they're on the other side and you have to find them," I said while looking at Hirata, who watched me attentively as he nodded.
"If the VIP is on your side, then you have to protect them until the end. The best way to do that is by distracting everyone..." I continued. Hirata paused for a moment as though thinking about what I'd just said.
"You mean we trick them into believing the VIP is someone else...?" Hirata offered his conclusion.
I nodded, satisfied with his answer.
"Yeah, that could work. But it's a cheap trick. Distracting people isn't just about keeping the VIP out of sight..."
"Then what do you mean?"
"What happens if an entire hour passes without any real discussion about the exam? Just random conversations here and there..." I said, waiting for Hirata's answer.
He rested a hand under his chin and thought about it.
But he couldn't reach an answer quickly and only sank deeper into thought.
"The discussion wouldn't make any progress... so it would become harder for every side to identify their target..."
Distraction might be the strongest weapon of all.
The students wouldn't even realize it.
They'd simply think they were ordinary arguments and meaningless conversations, when in reality those distractions would slowly push them farther and farther away from their goal.
"That's a really good idea..." Hirata said, his mouth half-open as though he had only just understood what I meant.
"What if the VIP isn't on our side?" Hirata asked, bringing up the second scenario.
"That's simple. We'd do the exact opposite. We'd steer the discussion toward its real objective. We also have to shake up everyone present so they can't quietly hide the VIP in the background," I answered as I lay back down on my bed after finishing my explanation.
If you don't know who the VIP is, naturally you'll want to find them.
As far as we know, discussion is the only way to do that.
That's why every unnecessary detour has to be avoided.
That's exactly what Kanzaki has been doing this entire time.
He's an opponent that's hard to ignore.
"That's impressive. I think things will go smoothly in your group," Hirata said with a happy smile.
I glanced sideways at him.
Looks like he really accepted my explanation.
"Yeah. Yukinoshita and the others are doing a great job. I can relax," I said while adjusting the pillow behind my back.
Stupid pillow.
Sometimes it's unbelievably comfortable.
Other times it's unbelievably annoying.
"Ah... that's true. Horikita-san and Kushida-san are in my group too, and they're both doing a great job as well," Hirata said.
Horikita and Kushida in the same group...
What a strange combination.
Doesn't Kushida hate Horikita?
How are they even working together in the middle of this exam?
Wait...
Horikita's group?
"Is Ryūen in your group too?"
"Ah... yeah. He's trying to solve the exam in his own way," Hirata replied, as though remembering Ryūen's behavior.
I know exactly what he means.
That guy is difficult to deal with...
"Is there anyone like that in your group?" Hirata asked, seemingly trying to check on the other groups as well.
Now that I think about it...
Not really.
There's Hashimoto, but he's nowhere near as troublesome as Ryūen.
"No. Things are going well, especially since Kanzaki from Class B is keeping everything organized."
"Kanzaki-kun is a really good person," Hirata said as though he knew him well.
Even I don't find him that annoying.
Still, I feel like he's being overly cautious around me.
"Ah, right... Ichinose-san is in Ayanokōji-kun's group too," Hirata added, as though he'd just remembered.
I turned toward Ayanokōji, who was still completely absorbed in the pages of the light novel.
Ichinose might be a kind girl...
But she's still the leader of her class.
It's hard to ignore someone like her.
Still...
She's not my problem.
"Ah, I almost forgot..." Hirata said, as though there was still one more thing he wanted to ask.
I turned toward him to see what he wanted this time.
"Which outcome do you think is the best?" he asked with the same serious expression as before.
Again...?
Well, whatever.
I took a moment to think about it, but I couldn't come up with a better answer than the one Yukinoshita had given this morning.
"The first outcome."
Hirata paused for a moment, as though trying to remember exactly what that outcome was, before focusing on me again.
"But that one seems incredibly difficult..." Hirata said worriedly.
"Yeah... but it's not impossible..." I replied as I sank deeper into my bed.
I didn't feel like talking anymore.
Even Hirata seemed to understand what I wanted and quietly returned to his seat.
"Hikigaya..."
Suddenly, I heard an annoying voice calling my name.
I wanted to ignore it as much as possible, but that idiot's very existence made it difficult.
"What do you want...?" I asked with a frown as I looked at Ayanokōji.
"What does 'isekai' mean?" Ayanokōji asked with his usual expressionless face.
He doesn't know what isekai means...?
He never stops being weird.
I smirked mockingly from where I was lying.
"Just look at yourself. You're honestly a complete idiot, a fool, a genuine moron..." I said, barely holding back my laughter.
"They all mean the same thing," Ayanokōji replied, focusing only on my choice of words.
I simply ignored both him and his question.
"Isn't it a genre where the protagonist gets transported to another world?" Hirata asked from his spot, answering the question I'd left hanging.
"Yeah..." I shifted in my bed to look at Hirata.
I honestly hadn't expected him to know about things like that.
Well...
It's pretty common knowledge, I guess.
Suddenly, the door swung open forcefully, and a large-built boy with a ridiculous hairstyle and a narcissistic posture walked in.
"Ah, good evening, Kōenji-kun," Hirata greeted the last person to arrive.
Kōenji completely ignored him and headed straight toward the bathroom.
But Hirata wasn't the type to give up that easily.
He stood up and sincerely asked Kōenji,
"Kōenji-kun, how did your exam go today?"
This time, Kōenji stopped in his tracks as though he'd suddenly remembered something.
He pulled out his phone, fiddled with it for a moment, then looked back at Hirata.
"Sorry, Hirata-boy, but this little guessing game doesn't interest me," Kōenji said before walking into the bathroom, leaving poor Hirata standing there by himself.
Then, at the exact same moment, all of our phones rang with notification sounds.
A notification...
What a strange coincidence.
I reached for my phone to check it.
It was an email from the school.
As I opened it, I couldn't help but wonder...
Was Kōenji behind this?
The Monkey Group exam has ended.
There is no need to attend any further meetings.
That was essentially the entire message.
Looks like he really did it just now while he was using his phone.
"Impossible..." Hirata muttered as he stared at his phone with both hands, completely stunned by what he was seeing.
It's only the first day...
So Kōenji actually did it just so he wouldn't have to participate in the meetings anymore...
What a bastard.
I'm jealous.
Even so, we won't know whether his answer was right or wrong until the exam is over.
He's just another fool that nobody can control.
Nothing more than a raging bull.
The same as always.