Recaps

Oreki took Karuizawa’s phone to intercept Ryuuen’s plan to lure her to the Special Physics Building, replying to the message from Yoshiko Banjo as if he were Karuizawa. The next afternoon, Shiina Hiyori watched Karuizawa arrive at the library with Sato instead of going to the appointment.

• Oreki admitted that he needed Karuizawa’s phone and asked her to leave it with him while he handled Ryuuen himself.
• Oreki received a message from Yoshiko Banjo asking Karuizawa to meet alone at the Special Physics Building and promising to reveal Kikyou Kushida’s secret.
• Oreki replied from Karuizawa’s phone, pretending to be interested in Yoshiko’s offer.
• Shiina Hiyori waited near the library, expecting Karuizawa to attend the meeting, but saw her arrive with Sato instead.
• Sato told Karuizawa that she wanted to study because she was worried about future written exams.

Shiina Hiyori overheard Karuizawa Kei and Maya Sato insulting Horikita Suzune, then realized Karuizawa was supposed to meet Ryuuen at the Physics Laboratory Special Building as part of his plan to obtain Oreki’s weakness. The chapter ended when Maya noticed that Karuizawa’s phone location was moving, despite Karuizawa saying she had left it for repairs.

• Karuizawa Kei told Maya Sato she was studying every day in hopes of suddenly understanding her lessons, and the two criticized Horikita Suzune’s studying and lack of friends.
• Horikita confronted Karuizawa and Maya, defended her study habits, and went upstairs.
• Shiina Hiyori remembered that Ryuuen had arranged for Karuizawa to be lured to the Physics Laboratory Special Building, where he planned to psychologically control her and obtain Oreki’s weakness.
• Karuizawa told Maya that her phone had broken and was being repaired, but Maya noticed that its location was moving.

Hiyori’s eavesdropping exposed her to Karuizawa, Sato, and Horikita, while Oreki intercepted Albert before Ryuuen’s plan could target Karuizawa. The chapter left Ryuuen waiting on the Special Building roof, unaware that his scheme had already been foiled.

• Sato used the GPS tracker to discover Karuizawa had lied about her location, and Karuizawa admitted her phone had been borrowed since the previous day.
• Hiyori realized Oreki might have acted against Ryuuen’s plan, but Karuizawa, Sato, and Horikita confronted her for spying and demanded to know what Ryuuen was planning.
• Fearing the three girls might hurt her, Hiyori agreed to tell them what she knew.
• Oreki arrived at the Special Building before Karuizawa, told Albert the plan had failed, and ordered him to take him to Ryuuen.
• On the roof, Ibuki objected to Ryuuen’s plan to use Karuizawa to uncover Oreki’s weakness, while Ryuuen explained why he wanted her present.

Ryuuen planned to exploit Karuizawa to find leverage over Oreki, but Oreki arrived and revealed he had anticipated the scheme. Ryuuen suspected Oreki had come to fight or gather evidence and ordered his followers to search him.

• Ryuuen decided to stop charging Ibuki a monthly fee and used Yoshiko’s phone to track Karuizawa’s location.
• Ryuuen ordered Ishizaki to prepare to isolate Karuizawa and obtain evidence of Oreki’s weakness.
• Ishizaki drenched Albert with a bucket of water as Albert entered the rooftop, while Oreki appeared behind him carrying a Grip Strength Tester.
• Oreki revealed he had borrowed Karuizawa’s phone, had replied to Ryuuen’s messages himself, and already knew Ryuuen planned to target her.
• Ryuuen laughed off the idea that Oreki had come to fight and ordered Ibuki and Ishizaki to search Oreki and the area outside the door for recording devices.

Oreki’s planted Voice Recorders were discovered, but he handed over his phone and faced Ryuuen’s group on the rooftop. After Oreki demonstrated surprising grip strength, Ryuuen ordered Ishizaki to attack him, though Ishizaki hesitated.

• Ishizaki found two Voice Recorders near the rooftop door, and Ibuki searched Oreki for more.
• Ibuki discovered two Voice Recorders strapped to Oreki’s leg, while Ryuuen accused Oreki of setting them up.
• Oreki surrendered his phone, and Ryuuen’s group found and tested Oreki’s Grip Strength Tester, which showed 100 kilograms.
• Ryuuen ordered Ishizaki to attack Oreki, but Ishizaki hesitated.
• In the dormitory, Sakayanagi Arisu read Oreki’s psychology book and remarked that Ryuuen might not return next semester.

Oreki revealed his strength as he fought Ryuuen’s group on the rooftop, defeating Ishizaki and Albert before turning to Ibuki. The fight continued with Ibuki hurt but still conscious as Oreki addressed her.

• Oreki caught Ishizaki’s punch and crushed his hand with his grip, forcing Ishizaki to his knees in pain.
• Albert attacked Oreki, but Oreki threw Ishizaki into him and knocked them both down.
• When Ishizaki and Albert charged again, Oreki subdued them with a series of swift strikes, leaving Ishizaki crying and Albert dazed.
• Ryuuen and Ibuki realized Oreki was far stronger than they had expected, while Ibuki thought he looked fatigued.
• Ibuki attacked Oreki with a kick, but he evaded her, lifted her, and slammed her down; she braced herself but still felt pain.

Oreki defeated Ryuuen’s three companions and confronted Ryuuen, who attacked him but was quickly pinned down. Meanwhile, Horikita, Karuizawa, and Sato tried to reach Oreki, still unaware that Karuizawa was Ryuuen’s true target.

• Oreki revealed that he had only pretended to be exhausted, then made Ibuki lose consciousness.
• Oreki told Ryuuen he had come to reason with him, and described how Ryuuen wore down Albert through relentless harassment.
• Ryuuen rushed Oreki with a kick, but Oreki dodged and pinned him to the floor by the throat.
• Horikita, Karuizawa, and Sato learned from Hiyori that Oreki was heading alone into Ryuuen’s trap, then struggled to push open a metal gate.
• Karuizawa found no contacts in Hiyori’s phone, while the girls discussed who they could call for help.
• Horikita urged Karuizawa and Sato to hurry, frustrated that they were not moving quickly.

Houtarou Oreki restrained Ryuuen and used a Grip Strength Tester to measure the force of increasingly powerful punches, intending to break him physically and mentally. Ryuuen endured the blows as Oreki continued raising their strength, while Horikita Suzune climbed toward the rooftop to confront Ryuuen’s group.

• Horikita Suzune told Sato and Karuizawa she had trained in martial arts and continued climbing toward the rooftop.
• Oreki asked Ryuuen his grip strength, then struck him with a measured 100-kilogram punch.
• Oreki announced that he would punch Ryuuen every ten seconds, increasing the force by five kilograms each time.
• Oreki repeatedly measured his punches with the Grip Strength Tester and hit Ryuuen with 105-, 110-, 115-, 120-, and 125-kilogram blows.
• Ryuuen insisted he could withstand more punches, but Oreki revealed that the tester measured up to 300 kilograms and prepared to continue.

Oreki defeated Ryuuen and made him promise not to target the girls around him, especially Kei Karuizawa. After Ryuuen agreed to withdraw from the class competition, Oreki encountered Horikita, Karuizawa, and Sato at the rooftop door, where they saw the battered Class D students.

• Oreki used the grip strength tester to intimidate Ryuuen, who surrendered and agreed not to target the girls around Oreki, especially Kei Karuizawa.
• Ryuuen asked how Oreki had become so strong, and Oreki attributed his strength to talent.
• Ryuuen said he would withdraw from the class competition, and Oreki reflected that Ryuuen’s departure meant losing a useful source of points.
• Oreki gathered his recorder and grip strength tester and left the rooftop, where he ran into Horikita Suzune, Kei Karuizawa, and Maya Sato.
• Karuizawa noticed the battered Class D students, while Horikita offered to help fight, prompting Oreki to worry about her safety.

Oreki explained that he had resolved his confrontation with Ryuuen, then persuaded Sato not to report what she had seen. After learning that Shiina Hiyori had revealed his meeting to the girls, he went to the library to confront her.

• Horikita, Karuizawa, and Sato explained that they had come to check on Oreki after learning he had gone to meet Ryuuen alone.
• Oreki said his voice recorders and Ryuuen’s Student Council record made it difficult for Ryuuen to frame him, but Sato suspected Oreki had beaten the group.
• Oreki took Sato’s hands and persuaded her that she had not seen anything, using her lingering affection for him.
• Oreki learned the girls had obtained their information from Shiina Hiyori and asked for her phone before heading to the library.
• Shiina saw Oreki arrive and walk up to the library’s second floor, wondering why he had come.

Oreki learned that Ryuuen and his classmates had ended up in the infirmary after their rooftop confrontation, while the classes’ point totals remained unchanged. He arranged a date with Sato through Kikyou and told Sakayanagi he would miss chess practice, leaving his summer schedule busy.

• Oreki told a girl to arrange help for Ryuuen and the others, who had been injured on the rooftop, and returned her phone.
• Ryuuen and several Class D students went to the infirmary, denied that they had fought, and their class lost points for destroying laboratory cameras; the four classes’ totals stayed the same.
• Oreki told Kikyou that Sato wanted a date in exchange for keeping quiet about what she had witnessed, and Kikyou planned a public outing for them.
• Oreki went to Sakayanagi’s room and told her he would miss chess practice that day and the next because he had something to do.

Arisu Sakayanagi suspected Houtarou Oreki had fallen in love after he borrowed romance books, while Kei Karuizawa reacted uneasily to his planned date with Sato. The next morning, Oreki prepared to meet Sato for their date.

• Kamuro told Sakayanagi that Oreki had borrowed romance books, and Sakayanagi said she had expected him to waver after she held his hand.
• Kamuro noted that Sakayanagi’s divination readings kept showing green, but Sakayanagi said she did not believe in them.
• Karuizawa called Oreki to ask about his date with Sato, and Oreki lied that it was scheduled for the day after tomorrow.
• Sato called Oreki to confirm whether he had changed the date, then Karuizawa called again after Sato revealed the lie.
• Oreki confirmed separately with Sato that their date would happen the next day, and he got ready to meet her at ten.

Oreki went on a date with Sato, who brought Karuizawa along, and the three visited a movie theater after navigating Sato’s jealousy over his mysterious benefactor. Sato chose a horror movie, and Oreki soon understood why she had picked it.

• Sato arrived at the park with Karuizawa, explaining that she had felt nervous about meeting Oreki alone.
• Sato linked arms with Oreki as the three walked, while Karuizawa praised their pairing and teased Sato about Oreki’s wealthy senior.
• Oreki explained that his benefactor sent him one million yen each month but had never contacted him privately, and Sato regretted not giving him a birthday gift.
• Karuizawa diverted Ichinose and her companion when they ran into the group, allowing the date to continue without them.
• Oreki let Sato choose a horror movie at the theater, then realized why she had selected it.

Oreki went to a horror movie with Classmate Sato and Karuizawa, while Kamuro learned from Ichinose that Oreki was on a date. Kamuro returned to prepare breakfast for Sakayanagi, who had stayed in bed because Oreki was not visiting for chess lessons that day.

• Classmate Sato held Oreki's hand during the movie, and Oreki later took Karuizawa's hand while she watched beside them.
• Karuizawa pretended to be startled by the horror movie when Classmate Sato noticed her reaction.
• Kamuro woke Sakayanagi Arisu, who explained that she had stayed up thinking about what to wear when Oreki came to learn chess.
• Kamuro met Ichinose in the Shopping District and suggested they split a crepe and burrito between themselves and Sakayanagi.
• Ichinose told Kamuro that Oreki was on a date with a girl, surprising Kamuro.

Oreki went on a date with Sato and heard her confess to him again, but he refused to date her during high school. He left Sato disappointed while Karuizawa secretly watched from the bushes.

• Oreki followed Kushida's itinerary with Sato and let her hold his arm and hand during their date.
• At lunch, Sato said she liked fashion design and did not want to continue studying after high school, so Oreki advised her to pursue design education.
• Karuizawa left Sato alone with Oreki, and Sato confessed that she liked him and would wait if his Sugar Senior did not return his feelings.
• Oreki refused Sato, saying he did not think he could date during high school.
• Oreki noticed Karuizawa hiding nearby and recognized her green ribbon in the bushes.

Oreki rejected Sato’s confession, but he stopped her when she tried to leave in tears and ended up kissing her. Sato revealed she had kissed him to get revenge on Karuizawa, who had watched from the bushes, and Karuizawa confronted Oreki about giving Sato his first kiss.

• Oreki told Sato he would not consider romance while studying at the academy, but Sato asked him for a kiss after he turned her down.
• When Sato tried to run away crying, Oreki grabbed her hand and agreed to kiss her if she stopped crying.
• Sato kissed Oreki, then told him she knew Karuizawa was hiding nearby and had kissed him to get revenge on her.
• Sato revealed she had seen Oreki and Karuizawa holding hands at the movie theater, then kissed Oreki several more times before leaving.
• Oreki found Karuizawa hiding in the bushes and said their date was over, but she challenged him about kissing Sato seven times and giving her his first kiss.

After kissing Sato and Karuizawa, Houtarou questioned his feelings about romance and marriage, then used Precognitive Dream to ask Attorney Horikita for advice. The dream revealed that on September 11 he would force a kiss on Horikita at school, leaving him doubting whether he was really capable of doing that.

• Houtarou kissed Karuizawa while she was squatting, and she stopped fussing despite protesting that it was her first kiss in an undignified position.
• Houtarou took a cold shower and ran twenty laps as he wrestled with the fact that he had kissed two girls and seemed to enjoy it.
• Houtarou used Precognitive Dream to consult Attorney Horikita, who recalled that on September 11 he had barged into her dormitory and forcibly kissed her.
• Houtarou canceled the dream and saw that it was September 11 at 22:45, then read messages from Sato and Kei.
• Houtarou wondered whether he could really be the person who would force a kiss on Horikita.

Oreki considered whether to recreate the future he had seen, then visited Horikita Suzune to test whether he was truly becoming a man who wanted relationships with more than one girl. Their conversation ended with Suzune threatening to hit him if he kissed her, and the next morning Oreki appeared with a bandage on his cheek.

• Oreki worried that changing his choices might alter his future marriage to Horikita and the lives of their children, Lingling and Nene.
• Oreki went to Horikita Suzune’s dorm room and persuaded her to let him in by claiming he had a romance problem.
• Oreki told Horikita he had dated and kissed a girl, then admitted he was unsure whether being with two people was wrong.
• Oreki said he wanted to test his nature by making a move on Horikita, and she warned him she would fight back if he kissed her.
• The next morning, Oreki arrived at breakfast with a bandage on his left cheek, and a student asked if he was hurt.

Oreki encountered Sakayanagi Arisu in the cafeteria, where Horikita Suzune asked him to return books as forgiveness for kissing her, leaving Sakayanagi puzzled about their relationship. Later, Oreki overheard Nazuna Asahina blaming his interference for Nagumo Miyabi’s weakened control over the second-years.

• Oreki told Sakayanagi Arisu that his bandaged cheek was from a bit of punishment, and she linked his injury to his confrontation with Ryuuen and the others.
• Horikita Suzune interrupted Oreki and Sakayanagi, gave Oreki two physics books to return, and said she would forgive him for kissing her.
• Sakayanagi learned from Kamuro that Oreki had reportedly gone on a date, then wondered whether he had dated and kissed Horikita; Kamuro had not known about the kiss.
• Oreki returned Horikita’s books to the library and noticed Nazuna Asahina speaking on the phone with Nagumo Miyabi.
• After Nagumo hung up, Asahina blamed Oreki for disrupting Miyabi’s control of the second-years and worried that her Class A might not remain secure until graduation.

Oreki found Asahina-senpai’s love charm and inferred that she wanted a new relationship, then returned Horikita’s textbooks and helped Hiyori retrieve a book at the library. As Hiyori considered Oreki’s role in Ryuuen’s defeat and her own need for a new backer, she decided that continuing to build goodwill with him was worthwhile.

• Asahina-senpai left Oreki at a fork, and he found her love charm and concluded that she was seeking a new relationship rather than viewing Nagumo as a romantic prospect.
• Oreki returned Horikita Suzune’s textbooks to the library and expected their daily hand-holding arrangement to resume when he saw her again.
• Oreki helped Shiina Hiyori reach Theodore Dreiser’s Genius and spoke with her about books and having siblings.
• Hiyori recalled that Ryuuen remained bedridden after the rooftop fight, while Ibuki, Albert Yamada, and Daichi Ishizaki were suffering its aftereffects.
• Hiyori considered finding a new backer and decided to keep interacting with Oreki, remembering that she had protected his concealed relationship with Karuizawa.

Hiyori thanked Oreki for protecting her from being drawn into Ryuuen’s trouble and asked him to help her pursue a future library career if he ever had the authority. Meanwhile, Ayanokouji suspected his father had arranged to sabotage him through the Pairing Exam and sought Oreki’s help, while Oreki and Horikita renewed their daily handshakes.

• Oreki told Hiyori that Karuizawa had known nothing about his meeting with Ryuuen, and Hiyori declined Points in favor of keeping a favor owed to her.
• Hiyori said she would prioritize saving Points after Ryuuen’s withdrawal and asked Oreki to give her an opportunity to work at the National Library if he could.
• Oreki borrowed Genius from the library and realized his sister had tricked him into reading a complicated story about a painter’s affairs and eventual return to his family.
• Ayanokouji reasoned that his father had bribed his Pairing Exam partner, who scored zero in every subject, and decided to use information he had obtained as leverage to seek Oreki’s assistance.
• Oreki contacted Horikita that night, and she agreed to resume their daily handshakes after he said the kissing matter was over.
• Horikita warned Oreki to keep his distance from Kikyou Kushida, but Oreki said he had other arrangements for Kikyou.

Oreki returned to school after summer break, received the final repayment from Hiyori, and warned Sakayanagi that Class D might prioritize earning Private Points under its new leadership. The new semester began with the school announcing class evaluations, but the chapter ended before all four classes’ standings were shown.

• Oreki noticed Sakayanagi spending time with Ichinose, and Sakayanagi said she had contacted Ichinose because she had heard interesting news about her.
• Oreki returned home before the semester began, found a cowboy hat and note from his traveling sister, and kept the gift.
• On October 1, Oreki received his monthly allowance and the final million Private Points owed by Ryuuen’s class, which Hiyori had transferred.
• Oreki warned Sakayanagi that Class D might focus on earning Private Points now that Ryuuen had stepped down, and he predicted Hiyori would seek ways to gather money.
• Teacher Majima announced the start-of-semester class evaluation figures, including 2,051 Points for Class A and 920 Points for Class B.

The classes received the rules for their first monthly exam, which covered new textbook material and left no opportunity to rely on past papers or other shortcuts. Class 1-C struggled with its depleted Points and fractured trust, and its students turned to Hirata for help after Kōenji refused to teach them.

• Teacher Majima announced a five-subject exam based on the month’s lessons, with class rewards tied to average scores and expulsion for students who failed.
• Katsuragi said Class A should be able to handle the exam, while Ichinose proposed study sessions for Class B.
• Teacher Chabashira told Class C that the exam used newly issued textbooks, leaving students to prepare through honest study.
• Class C’s students had transferred their Points to Hirata for debts owed to Horikita and Kōenji, while more than a dozen had made contact with other classes as spies.
• Hirata asked about the exam reward, then Ike Kanji and other students asked Kōenji to hold study sessions.
• Kōenji refused to teach students who had previously rejected his lessons, so Ike Kanji and the others gathered around Hirata instead.

Ayanokouji considered Kōenji’s influence and the class’s prospects as students prepared for the exam, while Kushida resented her growing closeness with Oreki and her need to help Horikita. In Class 1-D, Kaneda and Shiina arranged a paid deal with Kōenji to help them pass, as Ryuuen remained detached; Oreki then met Horikita and Kushida to discuss the exam.

• Ayanokouji suspected Kōenji had a plan for the exam and observed that Horikita’s earlier studying would still help despite the new textbooks.
• Kushida offered to organize study sessions with Horikita, while privately resenting Sato for kissing Oreki and disliking the kissing that had become part of her own time with him.
• Kaneda announced that Class 1-D would hold study sessions and pay Kōenji 50 Points if he helped them avoid failing and earn class points.
• Shiina’s class pursued the deal with Kōenji as Ryuuen read by himself and showed no interest in their decision.
• Oreki had lunch with Sakayanagi Arisu, then arranged to exchange exam opinions with Horikita and Kushida.

Oreki arranged for Kushida to help Horikita raise her popularity through study groups, hoping to protect her from resentment and the new Principal’s expulsion schemes. When Horikita struggled to teach and Kushida worried that her own betrayal could get her expelled, Oreki questioned whether she would actually be targeted.

• Oreki asked Horikita and Kushida to hold study groups and build Horikita’s popularity, concerned that classmates would resent her for collecting Private Points.
• Oreki considered the new Principal’s efforts to expel Ayanokouji and identified seven Class C students with evidence of contact with other classes as possible sacrifices.
• After the exam rules were announced, Ichinose’s Class B students booked a milk tea shop to study because upperclassmen had filled the library.
• Kushida complained that Horikita’s blunt teaching frustrated the students, and Oreki told her to slow the lessons down and said he could sacrifice spies if Horikita was targeted.
• Kushida asked whether she might be expelled if her Sports Festival betrayal came to light, and Oreki questioned whether she would be targeted.