Chapter Summaries

Oreki considered how to secure cooperation from another class for his plan to turn Class D into a cash machine, then learned that Ichinose was devastated after Ibuki photographed Class B’s Leader Card and fled. He borrowed an umbrella and went to offer Ichinose help, seeing her as the useful ally he had been looking for.

• Oreki reviewed his side quest’s progress and wondered how Nagumo and Manabu Horikita had earned so many points in earlier exams.
• Oreki concluded he needed control or cooperation from another class to make his plan work thoroughly.
• Kamuro reported that Ibuki had photographed Class B’s Leader Card, withdrawn, and thrown her camera into the sea.
• Oreki realized Ichinose was punishing herself in the rain after trusting Ibuki and seeing Class B’s position worsen.
• Oreki borrowed an umbrella from a Katsuragi Faction student and headed out to approach Ichinose.

Houtarou Oreki found Honami Ichinose punishing herself in the rain after Class B’s repeated failures and the leak of its leader information. He tried to comfort her, then stood in the downpour beside her as she continued to deny that he was to blame.

• Masumi Kamuro led Oreki through the rain to Ichinose, who was walking alone with a distant look in her eyes.
• Oreki offered Ichinose his umbrella and asked whether her despair came from her past mistakes as Class B’s representative; Ichinose did not answer.
• Oreki reminded Ichinose of how she had preserved her friendship with Shiraha and urged her not to give up on leading Class B.
• Oreki put away his umbrella and said he would share her punishment, but Ichinose insisted that the class’s failure was not his fault.
• Kamuro watched from a distance and considered what she had learned about Ichinose, Ibuki, and the leaked leader information.

Oreki comforted Ichinose after she blamed herself and stood in the rain, then explained how Class C had planted spies in other classes and offered Ichinose a way to protect Class B’s points. He outlined a strategy based on Kōenji’s behavior and the exam rules, leaving Ichinose to consider how her class could use it.

• Oreki urged Ichinose to get warm and rest, and Kamuro helped her shower and change into dry clothes.
• Kushida brought Ichinose ginger brown sugar tea after Oreki fetched her from Class D’s camp.
• Oreki told Ichinose that Class C had planted Daichi Ishizaki as a spy in Class D and offered Class B a friendly alliance to limit its losses.
• Kushida revealed that Kōenji had been soaking in a pond since midnight, and Oreki explained that he was exploiting the leader-change rule to protect the base points he had claimed.

Oreki advised Ichinose to change Class B’s leader by claiming illness, but she weighed the health risk against accepting the likely Points loss. The next day, all three classes guessed Kakeru Ryuuen as Class C’s leader, and Ryuuen suspected Oreki had anticipated his moves from the start.

• Oreki explained that Ichinose could replace Class B’s leader if the current leader became sick, making Ibuki’s information useless.
• Ichinose considered the plan but worried that deliberately making a classmate ill would be unfair and could cause lasting harm.
• Oreki offered an alternative: Class B could accept a 50-Point leader-guessing loss and a small base-related loss, while still guessing Ryuuen as Class C’s leader.
• Oreki argued that Ryuuen had not abandoned the exam because his spies remained on the island and Class C’s leader could still be guessed.
• The next day, Class A, Class B, and Class D all wrote down Ryuuen’s name, correctly identifying him and leaving him with zero Points.
• Ryuuen rejected Oreki’s explanation and suspected Oreki had foreseen his actions, from his staged withdrawal to his use of Ibuki as a spy.

After the Deserted Island exam, Ryuuen realized his staged violence had left him vulnerable to another penalty and further restrictions. Class D celebrated its increased score, while Horikita questioned why Kushida had received a larger reward and felt her strange illness returning; Oreki returned to his private room aboard the cruise ship.

• Suma Bando told Ryuuen that Class B students planned to report him for bullying, which could cost his class 100 Points.
• Ryuuen suspected Oreki had maneuvered him into a recorded repeat offense that would prevent him from using violence.
• Kōenji welcomed the returning students aboard the cruise ship and announced a victors' feast.
• Class D students celebrated earning 650 Points, including 50 bonus Points for correctly guessing Ryuuen as Class C’s leader on Kushida’s suggestion.
• Horikita compared her 30-Point reward with Kushida’s 50 Points, declined Kushida’s invitation, and felt her earlier sickness returning.
• Oreki returned to his private room on the luxury cruise liner and lay down on the bed.

Oreki completed his Deserted Island exam side quest and received an enhancement to his Restoration Ability, which could now return people or objects to any state from the previous week. After learning Horikita had skipped the class celebration, he realized her cold had returned and went to check on her.

• Oreki’s side quest reached completion, and he received an enhanced Restoration Ability that could restore someone to a state from within the past week.
• Oreki considered the future he had seen in a Precognitive Dream, including Sakayanagi’s illness and possible pregnancy, and wondered whether his choices could change what happened.
• Oreki read Kōenji’s invitation to a spoils celebration and Sakura’s message thanking him for making the exam safer for her.
• Oreki learned from Sakura that Horikita had skipped the celebration and might be resting in her room.
• Oreki concluded Horikita’s cold had returned because he had not used his Restoration Ability on her that day, told Kōenji to postpone the banquet, and went to check on Horikita.

Oreki went to check on Horikita after realizing she was ill, accidentally interrupted her while she was changing, and later explained why he had broken into her room. On the deck, Horikita refused to keep holding his hand and questioned the fairness of his plan, while Oreki suggested the school’s exam might not be over.

• Oreki called Sakura to get Horikita’s room number, then went to the room Horikita shared with Sakura and Kushida.
• When Horikita did not answer his call, Oreki kicked open the door and found her changing; he apologized, waited outside, and had the lock repaired.
• Oreki invited Horikita to the deck and learned that she had felt unwell and gone back to the room to sleep.
• Horikita refused Oreki’s request to hold hands, saying their routine had not helped him resist Kushida and that she had received fewer Points than Kushida.
• Oreki explained that he had placated Kushida and suggested the school might hold more than one special exam in a month.

Oreki explained that he supported Class B and raised Kushida’s popularity to prepare for a likely exam aboard the cruise ship. After Oreki restored Horikita Suzune’s health by shaking her hand, she wondered if she had feelings for him, while Ryuuen arrived and revealed he had only 50,000 Points on his phone.

• Oreki told Horikita Suzune that another exam was likely to take place aboard the cruise ship, so he had built support among students and boosted Kushida’s popularity.
• Oreki shook Horikita’s hand and used his Restoration Ability to return her body to how it had been before she fell ill.
• Horikita recognized the familiar sensation of her symptoms disappearing and wondered whether she liked Oreki.
• Ryuuen interrupted them, and Oreki mocked him for earning zero points in the exam.
• Ryuuen said he had 50,000 Points on his phone, while Oreki and Horikita remained unimpressed.

Oreki told Ryuuen about an upcoming second special exam, then reflected on his attraction to Horikita after seeing her change. He met Kikyou outside Class D’s dinner and hugged her, leaving her wondering whether their relationship had begun to feel different.

• Oreki told Ryuuen that a second special exam would take place that night or the next day, and Ryuuen paid him 50,000 points.
• Oreki explained that his connections with Class A, Class B, and Class D made Ryuuen’s preparations futile, since those classes would have an open-book exam.
• Oreki realized that seeing Horikita in her underwear had stirred both attraction and a desire to touch her, though he dismissed it as lust rather than romance.
• Oreki arranged to contact Horikita when the exam came and obtained Class D’s dinner location through Sakura.
• Oreki hugged Kikyou from behind outside the restaurant, and Kikyou accepted their embrace as a substitute for their weekly arrangement.
• Kikyou reflected that she relied on Oreki to vent her feelings and use him to socialize, though she neither liked nor completely hated him.

After the deserted island exam, Oreki spoke with Sakayanagi Arisu about the results and the possibility of another exam before they returned to school. He discovered Kamuro had been nearby and told her she would serve under him until their return, leaving her startled by the news of another exam.

• Oreki hugged Kushida to test whether his agitation over seeing Horikita meant he had feelings for her, then ended the embrace and answered Sakayanagi Arisu's call.
• Kushida left in disgust after hearing Sakayanagi's voice, while Oreki avoided her question about what he had been doing by discussing the exam results.
• Sakayanagi told Oreki that the updated class scores matched her information, and Oreki predicted another exam would take place before the students returned to school.
• Oreki received messages from Sakayanagi's faction members but noticed Kamuro had not replied.
• Oreki found Kamuro waiting behind the corner and told her to follow his orders until they returned to school; Kamuro was surprised when he mentioned another exam.

Oreki explained that the cruise ship’s next exam would be an opportunity to earn Private Points, while assuring Kamuro that Class A’s lead was secure. Kamuro realized he might have acted cautiously in the island exam because she had asked him to protect Class A, then closed her eyes as he removed a loose thread from her shoulder.

• Oreki told Kamuro the school would hold another exam and said he wanted to earn a large amount of Private Points.
• Oreki explained that Class A had 1,801 Points and enough of a lead over Class B to remain secure this year.
• Kamuro realized Oreki’s cautious strategy in the island exam might have been meant to honor her wish to keep Class A safe.
• Kamuro told Oreki that Sakayanagi had ordered her to follow him and report on his relationships.
• Oreki removed a loose thread from Kamuro’s shoulder, and she closed her eyes, mistaking his approach for a possible kiss.

Oreki reassured Kamuro that he had only removed a loose thread from her clothes before a school announcement signaled the start of another exam. Ryuuen reviewed Class C’s losses and, after learning how much Oreki and Kōenji had taken from Class D’s rewards, realized their rivals were even more ruthless than he expected.

• Oreki showed Kamuro the loose thread he had removed from her clothes, while Kamuro hid her embarrassment and Oreki wondered whether he was truly interested in Horikita.
• Hoshinomiya Chie announced that all students had received an important email, and Oreki and Kamuro recognized that another exam had begun.
• Ryuuen reviewed Class C’s 100-point penalty for its self-inflicted injury scheme and the further drop in its class ranking with Kaneda, Ishizaki, and Shiina.
• Shiina reported that the cruise ship had been circling the deserted island, supporting Oreki’s warning that another exam might happen that night or the next day.
• Ryuuen said Class C had recruited a Class D spy for 20,000 points a month and reasoned that Oreki had taken much of Class D’s reward.
• Shiina revealed that Kōenji had pledged to take 200 points and give Horikita 300 out of Class D’s 600-point target, leaving only 100 for the class, shocking Ryuuen.

After the school announced a new cruise ship exam, Oreki organized students to compare their individually assigned meeting details. Ichinose and Kanzaki agreed to cooperate with him, leaving the classes to prepare for the exam.

• Ryuuen realized Oreki had secured Horikita's 300 Points and abandoned his plan to take a share of the class's points because Class C was in a desperate position.
• The school announced that the special exam had begun and sent students messages assigning different rooms and meeting times.
• Oreki noticed the messages differed, asked Kamuro to collect Class A's information, and passed the same instruction to Classes B and D.
• Ichinose received Oreki's request to cooperate and agreed with Kanzaki, citing their debt to Oreki and concern that Ryuuen might make a move.
• Kanzaki reviewed Class B's evaluation score of 970 Points and noted that fifteen students still owed monthly payments for Oreki's failed shop plan.

Kushida gathered Class D’s exam notifications for Oreki, while he and Kamuro used records from several classes to analyze how students were assigned to rooms and time slots. Oreki joined two Class A students in Room 204, where Teacher Majima began explaining the special exam, which had divided the first-years into twelve groups.

• Kushida sent Oreki 29 Class D records showing students’ assigned rooms and times.
• Kamuro compiled the participants scheduled for Room 204, including Ichinose from Class B and Karuizawa from Class D.
• Oreki arrived at Room 204 with Shigeru Takemoto and Koji Machida shortly before their six-thirty exam slot.
• Teacher Majima asked the three students to silence their phones and prohibited photography.
• Teacher Majima distributed exam documents and explained that the school had split all first-year students into twelve groups.

Oreki studied the rules for a three-day group exam in which students had to identify a secretly assigned VIP, with early guesses affecting personal Points and class standings. As the exam approached, Teacher Majima wondered whether Oreki would prioritize widening Class A’s lead or earning Points.

• Teacher Majima distributed the group assignments and rules for the VIP exam, placing Oreki with Shigeru Takemoto and Koji Machida in the Rabbit Group.
• Oreki reviewed the rules: each group would have a hidden VIP, and students could submit guesses early or wait until the final answer period for different rewards and penalties.
• Takemoto and Machida hurried to memorize the rules, while Oreki quickly processed the exam and returned the sheet to Teacher Majima.
• Teacher Majima reflected on Class A’s exam results, Kōenji’s performance on the Deserted Island exam, and the possibility that Class D could not realistically reach Class A.
• Teacher Majima considered Oreki’s mix of boldness and steadiness and wondered whether he would seek more Points or extend Class A’s lead.

Houtarou Oreki organized Class A’s preparations for the VIP Exam while studying the group assignments and planning to protect the class’s evaluation Points. He sent Kamuro to arrange a class meeting for the next morning and guaranteed that Class A would lose no Points.

• After the rules memorization period ended, Oreki ordered the Class A students to learn the group rosters, especially the Class C students.
• When the student notifications finished, Oreki and Katsuragi updated the group lists and examined Dragon Group, which included Horikita, Kushida, Hirata, and Ryuuen.
• Oreki noticed that Horikita was in Dragon Group while he and Ichinose were in Rabbit Group, and he decided to call Horikita out.
• Oreki dismissed Kamuro, then asked her to gather Class A at Gabriel Angel Restaurant at 7:30 the next morning and reserve the entire restaurant.
• Oreki told Kamuro she might receive 250,000 Points for her work and guaranteed that Class A would not lose class evaluation Points in the exam.

Houtarou Oreki asked Horikita Suzune to help confirm his reaction to physical contact, then outlined a plan to earn forty million points. The chapter ended as they began reviewing the exam rules for identifying the VIPs in the twelve groups.

• Masumi Kamuro saw Horikita Suzune in the corridor and dismissed her as no romantic threat to Oreki.
• Oreki asked Horikita to hold hands, and she agreed so they could test whether she felt the effects Sakura had described as love.
• Horikita felt only reassurance during their interlaced-finger handshake, while Oreki realized he craved physical contact with her and considered desensitization training.
• Oreki named his strategy the Forty Million Plan and began explaining the exam, in which students had to identify one VIP in each of twelve mixed-class groups.

Oreki explained how the final exam could generate up to 90 million Private Points and proposed a plan to secure half of the total. Horikita agreed to help in exchange for 10% of the proceeds, believing the deal could let her reach her twenty-million-Point goal.

• Oreki outlined the exam outcomes and argued that the VIP assignments might follow a pattern students could exploit.
• Oreki calculated that if all twelve groups correctly identified their VIPs at the final deadline, students could receive 84 to 90 million Points in total.
• Horikita asked for 15% of the expected proceeds, but Oreki limited her share to 10% of the plan to collect 40 million Points.
• Oreki proposed later reclaiming the other 40 million from students or their class representatives, giving Horikita another possible share.
• Horikita clasped Oreki's hand and asked what she could do next.

Oreki coordinated with Horikita and Kushida to protect the VIP Exam’s information while pursuing a plan to earn Points. The next morning, he proposed that Class A aim for Result One in exchange for half of each student’s reward, and Katsuragi agreed for his faction.

• Oreki told Horikita that they needed to identify the VIP pattern and keep Class D students from leaking information, and Horikita agreed to help.
• Kushida told Oreki that Horikita had asked her to help preserve the class’s evaluation Points, and Kushida had accepted despite suspecting Horikita had ulterior motives.
• Oreki asked Kushida for advice on getting closer to girls, but she rejected his request.
• Katsuragi proposed protecting Class A’s advantage by preventing risky guesses and safeguarding the class’s VIPs.
• Oreki proposed that Class A choose Result One and give him half of each student’s 500,000-Point reward, and Katsuragi accepted on behalf of the nineteen students in his faction.

After Class A settled its position, Class D gathered to prepare for the exam and protect its class evaluation Points. Horikita asked everyone to surrender their phones for the three-day exam, but Hasebe objected to using a backup phone.

• Katsuragi agreed to the arrangement, and two more students joined his supporters.
• Hirata gathered Class D in the theater, where Kōenji agreed to stay after hearing they would discuss protecting the class’s Points.
• Kikyou Kushida distributed printed exam rules she had reconstructed from memory and checked with other students.
• Hirata explained the rules and urged Class D to avoid the rapid-response section so they could preserve their Points.
• Horikita announced that the school would identify the VIPs in fifteen minutes and asked everyone to exchange their phones for authorized backups.
• Hasebe objected that she preferred using her own phone, and Horikita warned that the exam’s rapid-response section could cost the class its hard-earned Points.