While Arisu wasn't listening to the instructions, Houtarou focused on the exam's final rule.
"This test will only cover third-year junior high material. As mentioned earlier, the questions won't come from the school — they'll be created by each class. Eight subjects, 50 questions each, all made by the classes themselves.
In other words, you'll create the final exam questions yourselves. After making the exam, you'll assign it to one of the three classes outside your own — whether that's Class B, Class C, or Class D.
This exam also affects Class Points. You'll prepare questions for eight subjects, and you can challenge one of the other three classes beforehand. The two classes will exchange tests and compete based on scores. The winning class can take 50 Class Points from the losing class."
This is where it gets interesting. When two classes create tests for each other and compare scores, various strategies become possible.
For instance, since they're exchanging tests, they could share answers with each other, ensuring no students face expulsion by knowing the answers beforehand.
However, there are serious risks.
Can the other class be trusted? What if they betray you? What if they give you fake answers, causing your students to fail and face expulsion? The consequences would be devastating.
The timing is also significant. Today is August 1st. Classes must choose their opponent within three days, then submit their test between 6 AM and 5 PM on the 24th.
This schedule creates an interesting dynamic — while they must quickly decide their opponent, they have ample time to create the test, during which many variables could emerge.
Yet the Class Points at stake are relatively small — the winner only gains 50 Points from the loser, meaning the point gap can only shift by 100.
For Class A, with their nearly 1200-point lead over other classes, this exam poses no threat to their standing.
So only one question remains.
"Teacher!" The reliable Kōhei stood up with his hand raised, "What about the questions' difficulty — are tricky or biased questions allowed?"
Class A students possess strong fundamentals — none would score below 50, especially with junior high content. Without studying, most could easily achieve scores of 60 or 70.
"That's where we teachers come in as gatekeepers." Tomonari said. Understanding his concern, he continued, "If questions are too tricky, they won't be approved. If such questions appear and the opposing class can't provide rule-compliant questions in time, the school will use backup questions — quite simple ones that even children could solve."
In other words, creating tricky questions would backfire, since the opposing class would then receive easy points from the school's backup questions.
"I understand." Kōhei sat down after getting his answer.
This meant the exam posed no pressure for Class A. With their high academic abilities, there was no chance of failing. Moreover, the school had eliminated the possibility of facing difficult, tricky questions from opposing classes.
So this exam was safe for them.
Houtarou glanced at his neighbor. Arisu's gaze remained fixed on her blank notebook, completely still.
This aggressive little T-Rex was still entirely disengaged from her surroundings. Yes, Arisu definitely wasn't listening to the instructions.
However, during this time, he had realized something. This exam had a safe solution — one that could only be discovered by understanding its true purpose.
First, analyzing the exam content: it tests eight subjects from third-year junior high, separate from current coursework, with students creating tests for each other.
Isn't that strange? While having students create their own tests increases their control, it also gives them complete freedom over the questions.
Therefore, if they're exchanging tests, couldn't they also exchange answers? This is the exam's shortcut.
This terrible school loves this kind of thinking pattern — where careful analysis leads clever people to the optimal solution. So this is the safe solution.
By exchanging answers, classes could work together and both pass safely. Though not explicitly stated, this exam is likely about "cooperation for mutual benefit".
However, this cooperation depends entirely on the opposing class's trustworthiness.
Someone like Kakeru cannot be trusted — they might provide fake tests. This deception would lead to mass expulsion of unprepared students, an outcome far more tempting than any other benefit. They would certainly betray.
So who can be trusted?
Honami from Class B is the answer — she and her classmates are unique in this school, true saints.
The Sports Festival proved this. When Class C asked them to throw matches, they agreed without hesitation. Their final score was 1800 points, even after deliberately forfeiting several events to help Class C students.
Without those forfeits, they could have scored 100 points higher — enough to potentially win the entire Sports Festival.
Thus, Honami's class sacrificed their chance at victory from the start, all because of their principled nature.
Such people are undeniably trustworthy. The optimal solution, therefore, is to recognize this and challenge Class B first.
Since Class B's academic ability falls below Class A's, with some struggling students, they would naturally want to avoid any expulsions. Simply offering them a "no expulsion" option would suffice — they'd likely suggest it themselves, expecting nothing in return.
Yet for Class A, choosing Class B offers little strategic value. Everyone would pass regardless of Class B's moral character.
Therefore, Class A might as well challenge Class C, given their existing agreement from the island exam.
During that time, Suzune's class provided Class A with living supplies in exchange for 800,000 Private Points monthly — essentially selling points while letting Class A assume the risk.
As a Class A member, Houtarou pays 20,000 points monthly. Since he dislikes this expense, this exam presents an opportunity to dissolve that arrangement. As mediator, he could terminate the contract.
Moreover, he could earn mediation fees.
During the previous Sports Festival, Class C's struggling athletes paid out 4 million points. From the school's VIP Exam, they should still have another 4 million.
While Houtarou isn't unreasonable — rather than taking all 4 million again, 2 million would suffice. This would bring his account up to 50 million. Though he's not exactly miserly, watching savings grow can become addictive.
As for his current balance, Houtarou opened his student ID.
『Houtarou Oreki』
『Student ID: 1008610010』
『Class: First Year, Class A』
『Personal Account: ¤ 50,931,501 Pts』
Well then. With transaction notifications disabled, today's portions from both Class C and Honami's Class Points had been transferred. Kakeru's class had also repaid 1 million of their 3 million debt.
50 million had been reached.
Looking at his account again, Houtarou's mind wandered to other matters.
Class C was vulnerable — too many struggling students and poor athletes. If another class targeted them, complications would arise. Moreover, he had connections with several girls in Class C.
Take Airi, for instance. She'd been quite helpful lately, despite her physical limitations. During the Sports Festival, she was among those who needed Class B's mercy. He'd compensated Suzune with 133,000 Points for the pink-haired girl's assistance.
As for academics... that situation wasn't promising either. Would this mean more financial involvement? Houtarou preferred avoiding debt — especially when it came to favors rather than money.
If Kakeru's class challenged Class C, they'd inevitably have to negotiate both money and test papers.
Kakeru had paid another 1 million after the Sports Festival, leaving 3 million still owed. His class despised being in debt, which meant they'd be desperate to profit from this exam.
While Houtarou had shown restraint in not exploiting Class C completely, Kakeru would show no such mercy.
Would the girls come seeking his help then? He preferred preventing problems rather than solving them afterward.
| Houtarou Oreki |
| How's your academic ability? |
Houtarou sent a message to Kei.
| Kei Karuizawa |
| Huh? You're asking me about that... Don't tell me your class is planning to challenge Class C? That would be devastating! |
Their class must have been receiving the same exam announcement.
| Kei Karuizawa |
| Well, regarding studies, I could get 100 points before elementary school, but then in fifth grade... |
Hmm. So she'd done well in elementary school. But he'd asked about her current high school performance. Her deflection to elementary school grades likely meant her present academic situation was rather dire.
After a moment's consideration, Houtarou spoke.
"Mashima-sensei." He said, "Can our class be the first to declare war on Class C?"
"Class C?" Tomonari said, "Yes, as long as you submit the request, it can be processed immediately."
⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟
Meanwhile, in Class D...
The same exam rules had thrown the class into chaos.
"This special exam works as follows." Teacher Kazuma explained, "You'll nominate another class, create test questions for each other, and take paired exams. Two students per team must score at least 60 points in each subject and achieve a total of 700 points across eight subjects. Failure to meet these requirements will result in expulsion for both team members."
"Ryūen!"
Before the implications could fully sink in, several students turned anxiously toward their leader — the same one who'd collected their protection money earlier that day.
Their concern was understandable. Most of the class struggled with written exams. What if they faced Class A and received impossibly difficult questions?
Even with standard-difficulty questions, their prospects looked grim. The class's academic performance was poor overall, Kakeru himself wasn't a strong student, and only a handful of classmates showed any academic promise. Effective studying would be a major challenge.
Failure seemed almost inevitable. The situation couldn't have been worse.
Kakeru: "..."
⍟⍟⍟
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