Recaps

The second-year students learned that their School Trip would take them to Hokkaido in three days, with no Class Point special exam attached. Before the trip, they had to anonymously rank every other student in their grade by their personal impression of them.

• Teacher Majima announced the exam standings, with Class 2-A in first place and Oreki's class in last place; the Ryuuen Class also faced a 50-Class-Point penalty for finishing last.
• Chabashira presented Class 2-C's standings and announced that Hokkaido had been selected as the School Trip destination by three votes.
• Chabashira told the students that the trip would have no Class Point special exam, then instructed them to rank all 156 second-year students within an hour.
• Teacher Majima explained that students in Oreki's class had to rank the other 155 students anonymously using their own standards.
• Oreki suspected the ranking task was not a genuine assessment, though he believed the school had a purpose for assigning it.

Oreki learned the School Trip rules and received his mixed-class group assignment, while Sakayanagi was unhappy that she and Kamuro had been separated. After hearing that Ichika Amasawa was preparing to skip a written exam, Oreki visited Chairman Sakayanagi, who began discussing Arisu’s health and handed him a small box.

• Oreki ranked students by overall ability, and Teacher Majima explained that the Hokkaido School Trip would begin in a week and that eight-person groups would be formed using the rankings.
• The system assigned Oreki to a group with Hayato Kito, Yamamura, Masumi Kamuro, Mako Amikura, Kikyou Kushida, Ryuuen, and Daichi Ishizaki; Horikita Suzune, Rei Ibuki, and two other students formed a four-person group.
• Arisu Sakayanagi noted that Kamuro had been assigned to Oreki’s group, while Kamuro worried that she might have to wash Oreki’s clothes as she had during the Uninhabited Island exam.
• Oreki received a message from Ichika Amasawa saying that Arisu had called her to a meeting and that she was preparing to skip the first-years’ written exam.
• Oreki visited Chairman Sakayanagi, who said Arisu’s health had greatly improved, warned that her personality could become extreme, and gave Oreki a small box while mentioning Manabu Horikita’s effort to block contraceptives from the Shopping District.

Oreki accepted Chairman Sakayanagi’s awkwardly personal gift before the second-year students set off for their school trip to Hokkaido. On the bus, Kushida started introductions, Ryuuen brought up his goal of collecting 800 million points, and Oreki checked how acquaintances in other groups might fare.

• Chairman Sakayanagi gave Oreki a box of condoms and urged him to make good use of it, and Oreki accepted it out of politeness.
• On the 11th, the second-year students gathered with their belongings and were divided into groups before boarding buses for the airport; Oreki joined Group 15 with Kamuro, Kito, Yamabuki, Ryuuen, and others.
• Kamuro offered Oreki food and water on the bus, prompting Ryuuen to tease him about his comfortable life.
• Kushida suggested that the group introduce themselves, and Oreki, Kamuro, and Ryuuen shared their names and hobbies or goals.
• Ryuuen told the group that Oreki had once collected 100 million points, but Oreki explained inwardly that his Private Points balance was now zero after converting his points into cash.
• Oreki checked other groups on his phone and worried that Sakura might face questions from Class B students, while Karuizawa’s group included Manabe and her friends.

Oreki learned to ski with Kushida’s help during the school trip in Hokkaido, then overheard a boy confessing to a girl at the inn. When Kushida invited him out, he instead messaged Sakayanagi that he would not visit her that night and suggested they enjoy the snowy scenery the next day.

• Oreki watched the skiers and admitted he had never skied before, while Ryuuen also struggled to keep up appearances.
• Ichinose offered to teach Oreki, then fled in embarrassment after her classmates teased her about her wording.
• Kushida taught Oreki to ski, and he later went to the hot spring while Ryuuen and the others played table tennis.
• Oreki overheard a boy earnestly confessing to a petite girl, then decided to go find Sakayanagi.
• Kushida messaged Oreki asking where he was, but he contacted Sakayanagi instead and said he would not visit that night.

Sakayanagi Arisu waited in her private room, interpreting the snowy view as a possible confession, while Oreki met Kushida to help her vent. Instead of taking her outside to kick things, Oreki offered her test papers and tutoring, and reassured her that he did not want her to change.

• Sakayanagi Arisu watched the snowfall from her room and thought Oreki had likely gone to help Kushida instead of visiting her.
• Oreki met Kushida in a rented room after arranging for Horikita to cover the cost.
• Oreki explained that he had changed his plan to take Kushida outside and offered test papers as a safer way for her to vent.
• Kushida refused to do problems and said she did not want to change herself.
• Oreki told Kushida he liked her darker side and did not want her to become only an angelic version of herself.

Oreki reassured Maya Sato that she would remain in his life, then accepted a system mission that transported him to a parallel world based on Kaguya-sama: Love Is War. He arrived at Shuchiin Academy with a new backstory that echoed his past, including being falsely accused and offered help by the Student Council President.

• Kushida questioned whether Oreki accepted her true self and tried to calm herself by working on problems.
• Oreki encountered Maya Sato, who said she feared losing him after graduation and had rejected a student from Ryuuen Class; Oreki took her hand and promised she would remain in his life.
• At three in the morning, Oreki worried that Amasawa and Sakayanagi might soon drop out, then received a system mission to right wrongs in a familiar light-novel world.
• Oreki accepted the mission and arrived in a parallel world centered on Kaguya-sama: Love Is War.
• Oreki learned he was a first-year at Shuchiin Academy and the adopted son of the Ishigami family, with a past in which he had been falsely accused before the Student Council President offered him help.

Oreki discovered that the system had assigned him Yu Ishigami’s identity and tasked him with removing Chika Fujiwara as Student Council President within three weeks. After being thrown out of the Ishigami home, he rented a harsh, noisy apartment to cultivate a pitiful image before returning to school.

• Oreki saw the system’s quest to redirect the altered plot and remove Chika Fujiwara from the presidency, and learned that he had been assigned Yu Ishigami’s identity.
• Yu Ishigami’s older brother told Oreki that their father was making him leave the Ishigami residence and gave him money for a place to stay.
• Oreki asked his brother whether protecting Kyoko Otomo had been foolish, then packed his belongings and left the house.
• Oreki decided to present himself as a pitiful victim to improve his reputation at school and asked a real estate agent for a place with harsh living conditions.
• The agent found Oreki a ground-floor apartment with fifty thousand yen monthly rent, a private bathroom, and a noisy, unsafe environment.

Oreki arranged a shabby apartment to make his hardship seem convincing while renting a luxurious home for himself. He met his new upstairs neighbor, Kei Shirogane, and began telling her a story about being cast out by his family, leaving her troubled by his reputation.

• Oreki rented both a cramped apartment for appearances and a luxury residence, then furnished the shabby place with cheap necessities.
• Oreki brought onion noodles upstairs to introduce himself to his neighbor, who cautiously opened the door.
• Oreki recognized the girl as Kei Shirogane, Miyuki Shirogane’s younger sister and a student in Shuchiin Academy’s middle school division.
• Kei recognized Oreki’s name and asked why he had moved into her building.
• Oreki claimed that his family had kicked him out after he entered high school, and Kei reacted uneasily because she knew about his school scandal.

Houtarou Oreki told Kei Shirogane the truth about why he had attacked Ogiwara, and she believed his account. Kei recognized that an injustice had gone unanswered and considered what she could do despite her limited means.

• Kei Shirogane asked Oreki whether hidden circumstances explained his bad reputation, and he told her about Kyoko Otomo and Ogiwara.
• Oreki explained that Ogiwara had threatened to spread compromising photos of Kyoko, so Oreki had attacked him and accepted the blame to protect her.
• Kei offered to help Oreki, but he declined while exchanging contact information with her and leaving her a housewarming gift.
• After Oreki left, Kei reconsidered the incident and realized Ogiwara's behavior explained the strange details she had noticed before.
• Kei reflected on her family's poverty and her limited ability to address the injustice she had discovered.

Kei Shirogane told Moeha Fujiwara about Houtarou Oreki’s situation and asked what could be done without betraying his wish to keep Kyoko Otomo’s secret. Moeha proposed improving his image through a prominent student, but Chika Fujiwara refused to help by pretending to date him.

• Kei Shirogane called Moeha Fujiwara and explained what she had learned about Houtarou Oreki.
• Moeha told Kei that Kyoko Otomo had failed to advance to high school and that Ogiwara had been sent away, while Kaguya Shinomiya and Chika Fujiwara had kept the incident secret at Oreki’s request.
• Kei revealed that Oreki lived downstairs from her family and had told her not to intervene.
• Moeha suggested that a powerful, well-regarded student could help improve Oreki’s image without exposing the truth.
• Moeha asked her sister Chika Fujiwara to pretend to date Oreki, but Chika immediately refused.

Moeha Fujiwara went to help Kei Shirogane with Houtarou Oreki’s situation, but Chika Fujiwara joined her and unexpectedly proposed fake dating Oreki. The Fujiwara sisters and Kei arrived at Oreki’s shabby apartment, where Chika clarified her offer.

• Chika Fujiwara rejected Moeha’s suggestion that she fake date Oreki, citing his gloomy image and her preference for older, hardworking men.
• Moeha called Kei Shirogane and decided to visit her so Kei would not handle Oreki’s problem alone.
• Moeha left to see Oreki, and Chika realized Oreki had once looked handsome and rushed after her sister.
• Moeha, Chika, and Kei went to Oreki’s apartment, where Chika told him to go out with her, then clarified that she meant fake dating.
• Oreki invited the three girls inside and offered them boiled water in paper cups, leaving Chika looking conflicted.

Chika Fujiwara visited Oreki to propose a fake relationship that would improve his reputation at school. After Oreki revealed his circumstances and motives, Chika agreed to help him stage a public arrival together the next morning.

• Kei Shirogane apologized for bringing Chika and Moeha Fujiwara to Oreki, who planned to reward her after sending the sisters home.
• Chika proposed dating Oreki for a few months so her popularity could help counter the damage from the Kyoko Otomo incident.
• Oreki privately told Chika that he had received living expenses from his brother and was using his situation to improve his image and build useful connections.
• Chika accepted Oreki's reasoning and agreed to lend him her popularity.
• Chika told Oreki to wait by the slope at the school gate the next morning so they could go to school together and create the right impression.

Oreki persuaded Chika to help him undermine her standing as Student Council President, then used her lack of romantic experience and tight allowance to convince her to pretend to date him. Chika agreed in exchange for money, leaving Oreki ready to put their arrangement into action.

• Oreki asked Chika to help him by openly attending school with him, and she agreed without requiring them to date.
• Oreki teased Chika about her lack of romantic experience, then drew out money and revealed he knew how restricted her spending was.
• Oreki appealed to Chika’s desire to spend time with Kaguya and help her make happy memories, weakening Chika’s resistance.
• Oreki offered Chika 200,000 yen per week, and she agreed to pretend to date him.

Oreki arranged a fake relationship with Chika Fujiwara to improve his reputation and asked her to help Shirogane’s Father get fair treatment at work. After Kei asked Oreki to help her father too, Shirogane’s Father confronted Oreki and demanded that he let Kei go.

• Oreki explained that he wanted to borrow Chika’s popularity through fake dating and asked her to help improve Shirogane’s Father’s work prospects.
• Chika agreed to help and left with Moeha, while Kei thanked Oreki for his support.
• Kei asked Oreki to ensure her father was treated fairly, and Oreki agreed to help.
• Shirogane’s Father arrived home, saw Kei holding Oreki’s hand, and feared she was getting a boyfriend and abandoning him.
• Shirogane’s Father later entered Oreki’s room and demanded that Oreki let Kei go.

Oreki spoke honestly with Shirogane’s Father about using Kei, and learned that her father had once angered a wealthy rival who may now be targeting him. He asked Chika to help investigate and went to meet her before school, where he spotted Ai Hayasaka arriving in a black sedan.

• Oreki told Shirogane’s Father that he had used Kei and explained how helping him benefited her and her family.
• Shirogane’s Father revealed that he had offended a rich heir in his youth and said he would never hand Kei over to anyone.
• Oreki called Chika and told her about the person who had targeted Shirogane’s Father, and Chika agreed to handle the matter.
• Oreki arranged to meet Chika before school so they could act as if they were dating.
• While waiting near the meeting place, Oreki saw Ai Hayasaka get out of a black sedan in her Shuchiin uniform.

Ai Hayasaka changed from her cold, natural demeanor into her school gyaru persona, but Houtarou Oreki caught her in the act and photographed her. Realizing he could expose her connection to Kaguya Shinomiya, she led him into an alley and tried to offer him help.

• Ai Hayasaka used a scooter mirror to practice expressions and transform herself into her gyaru persona.
• Houtarou Oreki appeared behind her, photographed her repeatedly, and revealed that he had seen her real demeanor.
• Ai Hayasaka recognized Oreki and worried that he might expose her role as Kaguya Shinomiya's close attendant.
• Ai Hayasaka brought Oreki into a nearby alley and offered to help improve his standing at school.

Oreki confronted Ai Hayasaka about the photos he had taken, while Hayasaka tried to use them to threaten him. The encounter ended with Oreki turning her threat back on her and claiming the alley’s camera footage and fingerprints favored him.

• Oreki said he needed to recover his popularity and explained that Fujiwara-senpai had agreed to go out with him.
• Ai Hayasaka realized she had nothing to offer Oreki and tried to threaten him by pressing his hand against her top to create evidence.
• Oreki startled Hayasaka by calling her Miss Hayasaka, then seized her hand and briefly pressed it against his clothes.
• Oreki warned that he could accuse Hayasaka of dragging him into the alley and trying to take advantage of him, pointing out that the street camera could have recorded her bringing him there.
• Ai Hayasaka realized Oreki had anticipated her actions and that the situation was now unfavorable to her.

Junior Oreki persuaded Ai Hayasaka to help improve his reputation at school, then met Chika Fujiwara and her sister Moeha. After Chika noticed his new haircut and began acting as his girlfriend in public, students realized he was a transfer student, and some Class D students began to recognize him as Houtarou Oreki.

• Junior Oreki asked Ai Hayasaka to say good things about him at school and promised to delete the pictures on his phone once she helped.
• Ai Hayasaka agreed and left the alley before Chika Fujiwara arrived with Moeha Fujiwara.
• Chika noticed Oreki's haircut and handsome appearance, then hugged his arm as they walked to school together.
• Students saw Chika with Oreki and assumed he was a transfer student and her boyfriend.
• Oreki asked Chika to call him by his first name, and she called him Houtarou while continuing to act affectionate.
• Some students from first-year Class D began to realize that the transfer student was Houtarou Oreki.

Oreki and Chika arrived at school together, prompting rumors that they were dating. After learning that Miyuki Shirogane was absent from this world, Oreki realized he would need to rethink his mission to remove Chika as Student Council President.

• Students recognized Oreki walking with Chika, and Chika predicted their relationship would attract trouble.
• Oreki asked Chika about Miyuki Shirogane, but she confirmed no such student attended their high school division.
• Oreki returned to Class 1-D and wondered how to fulfill his mission without Miyuki as a candidate for president.
• Osaragi confirmed Oreki’s identity to their classmates, and Miko confronted him about dating Chika before Osaragi led her away.
• Oreki told his classmates that Chika had confessed first and made him cut his hair, then reconsidered his mission as class began.

Oreki discovered that his new world also included Rio Futaba, a longtime classmate who understood his past, and realized she might help him remove Chika Fujiwara as Student Council President. He left the chapter considering Futaba’s insight and the possibilities of their first conversation.

• Oreki confirmed that the world was a mission-based fusion of light novel settings and reviewed his task to remove Chika Fujiwara from the presidency within three weeks.
• Students and teachers crowded around Oreki after noticing his changed appearance, then gradually left him alone as the news of his relationship with Chika faded.
• Oreki considered Kaguya Shinomiya as a possible replacement for Chika and noted that Shuchiin’s students faced unusually difficult academic standards.
• Rio Futaba told Oreki that he was finally moving on from the past, and Oreki recognized her as the kind of sincere friend he had long wanted.
• Oreki realized Futaba knew about the Kyoko Otomo incident and considered asking her to help persuade Kaguya to become Student Council President.

Houtarou Oreki asked Rio Futaba for advice on removing Chika Fujiwara as Student Council President, then invited her to become his friend and ally. Just as Futaba began to respond, Oreki jumped out of the window.

• Oreki told Futaba he wanted to remove Fujiwara from the Student Council President position and asked for an energy-saving approach.
• Futaba suggested that Oreki either expose a mistake or support another candidate, and Oreki decided running himself was the most efficient option.
• Oreki asked Futaba whether she had made friends at Shuchiin and proposed that they team up as friends.
• Oreki promised he would rush to help Futaba even in the middle of the night, and then he jumped out of the window.

Oreki spotted Honami Ichinose being ostracized and accepted a side quest to make her stand out within thirty minutes. He decided to draw attention to her by confessing to her, then jumped from a third-floor window and ran toward the field.

• Oreki noticed Honami Ichinose walking alone across the sports field while her classmates ignored her.
• Oreki received a side quest to make Ichinose stand out and remove Chika Fujiwara as Student Council President, with a ten-day extension to his main mission as the reward.
• Oreki decided that a public romantic confession would attract attention to Ichinose and chose to confess to her.
• Oreki jumped from the third-floor window, landed safely, and ran toward the field, shocking Futaba and the nearby students.
• Ichinose was stunned when Oreki arrived on the field.

Oreki jumped from a third-floor window, rushed to Honami Ichinose, and confessed to her, though she barely knew who he was. The story left Fujiwara and the school hearing rumors that Oreki had cheated on Fujiwara.

• Ichinose recalled how poverty, exclusion, and bullying had made it difficult to fit in at Shuchiin Academy.
• Oreki jumped from a third-floor window and ran to Ichinose, then realized she did not know him well.
• Oreki confessed to Ichinose, gave her his number, and asked her to answer within three days.
• Futaba watched Oreki leave and wondered whether he had fallen for Ichinose despite his supposed relationship with Fujiwara.
• Students spread rumors that Oreki had jumped off a building to confess to another girl, and the story reached the second-years during break.

Chika learned that Houtarou Oreki had confessed to Honami Ichinose and hurried to the staff office to confront him. After Oreki’s quest was completed and his deadline extended, an adult woman arrived at the guidance room and addressed him about his attempted jump.

• Kaguya asked Chika whether she was dating Oreki and warned that he seemed to be confessing to another girl.
• Chika saw Oreki leaving the sports field with Honami Ichinose and rushed to the staff office, worried people would think he had cheated on her.
• Oreki was taken to the guidance room after a teacher reported that he had tried to jump off a building.
• Oreki received notice that Honami Ichinose’s Dazzling Plan was complete and that his deadline to remove Chika from the Student Council President position had been extended by ten days.
• An adult woman entered the guidance room and asked Oreki whether he had been the student who jumped off the building.

Oreki dealt with Hoshinomiya Chie as his homeroom teacher and explained his fall by claiming he had fallen for Ichinose, confessed to her, and been rejected. The story left off as Chika Fujiwara, Kaguya Shinomiya, and Miko Iino approached Oreki after hearing that he had confessed to Ichinose.

• Oreki told Hoshinomiya Chie and the teachers that he had accidentally fallen while looking at Ichinose, then confessed to her and was rejected.
• Oreki reasoned that publicly admitting his confession could help protect Ichinose from harassment by other students.
• Oreki listened to Hoshinomiya Chie's lecture, and she called him boring; he then obtained the school's student roster from her.
• A classmate teased Oreki about the rumor that he had confessed to Ichinose and warned that Chika Fujiwara might confront him for cheating.
• Rio Futaba pointed out someone approaching, and Chika Fujiwara and Kaguya Shinomiya arrived with Miko Iino beside them.