The next afternoon, after school.
Class A's classroom did not empty out immediately as it usually did.
Katsuragi Kouhei stood at the podium, holding a sheet covered in names as he finalized the entry order for the Special Exam.
After several days of repeated discussion, their plan was more or less polished.
The two people who would enter first, answering questions while marking the easy ones, were officially decided that day... Katsuragi Kouhei himself and Kazehara Tetsu.
"These first two positions are the most important. We can't afford any mistakes."
Katsuragi Kouhei looked at the names on the sheet. "Kagihara and I both have the academic ability for it. Once we're inside, we'll answer our own questions while marking the easy and medium-difficulty ones. We'll discuss exactly how many questions each person will answer separately over the next few days. Today, let's lock in the lineup."
No one objected.
Kazehara Tetsu sat at his desk. Settle the lineup now and work out the details later-he had no objections to any of that.
The discussion wrapped up without much ceremony, and the students left the classroom in twos and threes.
He glanced at his phone.
That morning, Himeno Yuki had sent him a message with the gathering's location and time...
A café on the Commercial Street near the Camphor Tree Shopping Mall, at six in the evening, in a private booth on the second floor that had already been reserved.
He put his phone away. Instead of heading straight there, he first detoured to a fruit shop on the Commercial Street and picked out some fruit.
A bag of strawberries, two bunches of grapes, and a few oranges. He asked the owner to pack them in a clean fruit basket, then carried it with him.
Showing up empty-handed to a gathering