The next day.
3rd Year Class D.
The Unanimous Vote Exam began once again.
With the experience from last time, Class D took less than thirty minutes to pass three tasks.
Chabashira Sae sat before the podium.
The fourth task was displayed on the screen behind her.
[Question 4: Randomly select one person to receive a free Class Transfer opportunity.]
[Approve; Oppose.]
[After approval, one person will be randomly selected. The transfer right is valid for half a year.]
Below the stage.
Horikita Suzune and the others were momentarily stunned.
Even if the exam was the same.
There would definitely be differences.
Although it was expected.
They didn't expect such a question to appear.
A transfer right with a six-month validity meant it lasted until the end of the second semester.
And now it was the third year.
It was almost equivalent to a direct opportunity to graduate from Class A.
That's right.
This was the exam Hikigaya specifically designed for Class D.
There was no "meritocracy."
It was just academic ability, physical prowess, and class compatibility.
The 1th voting result.
25 Approve; 13 Oppose.
Gazing at the scene before her, Horikita Suzune was instantly shocked.
Long before the exam.
She had already made sufficient preparations.
In the first round of voting.
Ayanokouji voted 1, she voted 2, Hirata voted 3, and Sudou voted 4 to prepare for contingencies.
The moment she perceived the task.
Horikita Suzune had already anticipated that someone would vote to approve, but she did not expect that more than half the people would vote "Approve."
"Wait."
Sudou was similarly dumbfounded and quickly stood up, saying:
"Why are there so many approval votes? What are you all thinking?"
"..."
Hearing this.
The people of Class D looked at each other with some hesitation.
Ultimately.
It was Yukimura who stood up.
He had no intention of hiding his actions, being responsible for what he did.
"I cast an approval vote."
Yukimura pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose and said: "Instead, I don't understand why you all voted 'Oppose'?"
"Ha? How could we approve? Yukimura, do you intend to betray the class?"
Sudou was somewhat incredulous.
In his eyes.
Choosing to approve a transfer to another class was undoubtedly betrayal.
"Betrayal?"
Yukimura frowned displeasedly:
"Water flows downward, and people move upward. No one will get hurt because of this, so how can you call it betrayal?"
"Furthermore, the person who finally gets the transfer right might not be me. It could be you, Sudou. If you don't want to transfer, just give it up when the time comes, right?"
As soon as these words were spoken.
Class D fell into silence, and Sudou didn't know how to respond either.
Because what Yukimura said made sense.
Different situations lead to different growth.
After being distanced by Hasebe Haruka, Yukimura, with his personality, had also lost his social place.
The last Unanimous Vote Exam.
It allowed Yukimura to learn a lesson and recognize his true heart.
Just as he said.
He just wanted to save himself, nothing more.
It was all because his own strength was insufficient; it was all because he wasn't rational enough.
Isn't it just being irresponsibly rational?
As if anyone couldn't do that?
His thoughts were becoming increasingly extreme, yet his words were very logical.
Seeing this.
"What about the others?"
Sudou also nervously looked at the people around him, then at his friends Ike Kanji and the others; there were twenty-five people who voted to approve.
"I have the same thought as Yukimura..."
Ike Kanji, Sotomura, and others said haltingly.
Of course.
This was only one of the reasons.
After all, Yukimura made sense; it wouldn't hurt anyone, and the transfer right was random and wouldn't necessarily be theirs.
Why not approve?
As for the other reason.
It was that they no longer wanted to be despised, no longer wanted to endure the strange looks from others when shopping at Keyaki Mall.
As if they were looking at a piece of trash.
However.
As long as they stayed in Class D, this situation would never change.
Transferring classes might be a good way out.
But.
Such words naturally could not be said out loud.
After all, this was equivalent to continuing to negate Horikita Suzune's choice from last time, which would only lower their own evaluation within the class.
Under the temptation of rising to Class A.
Class D's surface-level unity crumbled instantly.
"Do the other people who voted 'Approve' have the same thought?"
Horikita Suzune took a deep breath and stood up to ask.
Seeing Yukimura taking the lead, the people of Class D looked at each other and nodded.
"Yukimura."
Horikita Suzune turned to look at Yukimura and became somewhat serious.
"Do you feel that this class has no possibility of rising to A? Or have I still not earned your trust?"
"That's not it..."
Yukimura avoided the latter question and simply explained:
"Just like what I said earlier, we can choose to approve first and let one person get the transfer right. At that time, if Class D has a chance to rise to A, the person with the transfer right naturally won't think about transferring."
"Won't they?"
"..."
Horikita Suzune thought hard for a moment, but still felt speechless.
Because from a rational perspective, Yukimura's reasoning was absolutely correct.
No one would get hurt.
Get the transfer right in hand first; if you don't want to transfer later, then don't.
What a simple matter.
Even Ayanokouji couldn't think of a way to stop him, as Yukimura's choice was correct.
But.
Horikita Suzune consistently felt an unspeakable wrongness; perhaps it was the "betrayal" Sudou mentioned, yet it wasn't.
She just felt based on intuition that she couldn't choose to approve.
After a long while.
Horikita Suzune then said somewhat hesitantly:
"Yukimura, if you get the transfer voucher, would you be willing to part with the friends you've spent two years with?"
"..."
Yukimura was expressionless.
The people around couldn't help but glance at Horikita Suzune.
Never mind that Yukimura has no friends now.
Even if he did!
You cut off the innocent Sakura Airi; do you, Horikita Suzune, still have the right to say such things? Do you have the right to play the emotional card with me?
Do you take me for a fool?
Whether it's Horikita Suzune or Ayanokouji.
Both are outstandingly capable, cold-blooded, and heartless leaders.
Not just Yukimura.
The people around had also long recognized this point.
However.
Hearing these words.
Yukimura still glanced at Hasebe Haruka and Miyake Akito.
He once had friends, but now he has none.
But it didn't matter anymore.
Yukimura had already recognized himself; now he only wanted to rise to A, and those useless emotions were just stumbling blocks.
Discarding these bonds.
He would become stronger.
As strong as Ayanokouji and Horikita Suzune.
Precisely because they are rational enough, they possess that kind of unattainable strength.
"I have no lingering attachments."
Yukimura also spoke without hiding anything: "And it's not necessarily me who gets the transfer voucher. Even if I get it, as long as the class still has the possibility of rising to A, I naturally won't choose to transfer."
"Horikita, what is your reason for opposing the approval?"
"..."
Horikita Suzune was speechless.
She felt something inside her was wavering.
However.
This kind of torment would not end so easily.