Recaps

At midnight on Christmas, Kamuro Masumi visited Kazehara Tetsu’s room to claim the first date of the day. She stayed beside him, holding his hand as their Christmas began.

• Kamuro Masumi used her spare key to enter Kazehara Tetsu’s room while he showered, then waited on his bed.
• Kazehara Tetsu came out of the bathroom and asked Kamuro why she had visited so late.
• Kamuro said she wanted to be the first person with Kazehara on Christmas and claimed their time together as her first date.
• Kazehara accepted her claim and lay beside her, while Kamuro insisted he stay awake and keep her company.
• Kazehara held Kamuro’s hand, and she curled her fingers around his.

After spending the night together, Kazehara Tetsu prepared to leave for a date while Kamuro Masumi tried to hide her jealousy. Before she left, he gave her a bracelet for Christmas, and she accepted it and thanked him.

• Kazehara Tetsu woke early and got ready for his plans while Kamuro Masumi woke beside him.
• Kamuro Masumi grew bitter when Kazehara Tetsu said he had plans and hurried to leave.
• Kazehara Tetsu stopped Kamuro Masumi and gave her a Christmas gift.
• Kamuro Masumi opened the box and found a silver bracelet with a cat pendant and amethyst eyes.
• Kazehara Tetsu admitted he had chosen the bracelet from online recommendations, and Kamuro Masumi accepted it before leaving with a quiet thanks.

Kazehara Tetsu and Shiina Hiyori spent Christmas together at a tucked-away used bookstore that Hiyori loved. They shared an old mystery novel on a sofa, and Hiyori said she really liked this kind of Christmas.

• Kazehara Tetsu met Shiina Hiyori in the dormitory lobby and apologized for keeping her waiting.
• Shiina Hiyori guided Kazehara Tetsu through the cold streets to a hidden bookstore near the edge of the Commercial District.
• Shiina Hiyori showed Kazehara Tetsu a rare first-edition anthology by Edogawa Ranpo.
• Kazehara Tetsu and Shiina Hiyori sat close together and searched a mystery novel for a hidden clue.
• Shiina Hiyori told Kazehara Tetsu that she really liked spending Christmas this way.

Shiina Hiyori and Kazehara Tetsu left a rare-book shop after Tetsu bought her the books as a Christmas present. On their way to Keyaki Mall, they encountered Miyabi Nagumo and his entourage, and Tetsu challenged Nagumo’s holiday patrol.

• Hiyori’s stomach growled, so she and Tetsu stopped reading and paid for the rare books she had chosen.
• Tetsu paid the collector’s price and told the owner to wrap the books as a Christmas present for Hiyori.
• Hiyori tried to repay Tetsu, but he persuaded her to accept the books as a gift for their date.
• On the way to Keyaki Mall, Tetsu and Hiyori encountered Nagumo, Kiriyama Ikuto, Gowaki, Tonokawa, and Ichinose Honami.
• Nagumo recognized Tetsu and commented on his pairing with Hiyori, while Tetsu questioned why Nagumo’s group was patrolling on Christmas.

Kazehara Tetsu confronted Miyabi Nagumo after the Student Council members left, then warned him to stay away from Ichinose Honami. The encounter ended with Nagumo shaken by Kazehara’s threat as Kazehara and Shiina Hiyori left to eat.

• Miyabi Nagumo sent the Student Council members ahead and invited Kazehara Tetsu to join them for karaoke, but Kazehara refused and mocked the gathering.
• Nagumo grabbed Kazehara’s arm to assess his strength, and Kazehara seized Nagumo’s wrist and overpowered him.
• Kazehara ordered Nagumo to stay away from Ichinose Honami and said he knew about her hidden past better than Nagumo did.
• Nagumo claimed he was helping Ichinose and challenged Kazehara to try to make him leave school, but Kazehara warned he could make Nagumo disappear from society.
• Kazehara left with Shiina Hiyori, while Nagumo stayed behind, shaken and staring at his injured wrist.

Kazehara Tetsu and Shiina Hiyori went to a small restaurant for lunch after Hiyori asked about his tense encounter with Miyabi Nagumo. Their meal left Hiyori blushing over their shared food and enjoying a warm moment with Tetsu.

• Shiina Hiyori asked Kazehara Tetsu whether he and Miyabi Nagumo were on bad terms, and Tetsu gently evaded the question.
• Kazehara Tetsu took Shiina Hiyori to a small restaurant, where she ordered a tempura set meal and he ordered a Special Sushi Platter.
• Shiina Hiyori enjoyed the generous meal and offered Kazehara Tetsu a bite of her fried shrimp from her Chopsticks.
• Kazehara Tetsu ate from Shiina Hiyori's Chopsticks and gave her a piece of salmon Sushi, leaving her flustered as they shared lunch.

Shiina Hiyori and Kazehara Tetsu ended their Christmas reading date by exchanging books as gifts. After Hiyori left for the dormitory, Tetsu called out Karuizawa Kei, who had been hiding in the snowy shrubbery.

• Shiina Hiyori gave Kazehara Tetsu a wrapped philosophical novel as a Christmas present.
• Kazehara Tetsu gave Shiina Hiyori a white gift box and told her to open it after returning to the dormitory.
• Shiina Hiyori thanked Tetsu, said goodbye, and walked toward the dormitory.
• After Hiyori disappeared into the crowd, Tetsu addressed someone hiding in the shrubbery.
• Karuizawa Kei emerged from the snow-covered bushes, complained that she was freezing, and accused Tetsu of waiting until Hiyori left before acknowledging her.

On Christmas, Karuizawa Kei told Kazehara Tetsu she planned to break up with Hirata Yosuke and gave Tetsu an expensive present she had bought with her own points. Tetsu accepted it, gave Kei a scarf voucher, and held her freezing hand as they exchanged Christmas greetings.

• Kazehara Tetsu confronted Karuizawa Kei for secretly following him and Shiina Hiyori, and Kei admitted she had left Hirata Yosuke to check on Tetsu.
• Kei said she intended to end her pretend relationship with Hirata Yosuke, explaining that she no longer needed him as a refuge because she had found someone else in Tetsu.
• Kei gave Tetsu an expensive gift and insisted she had saved her own points to buy it rather than using the points he had given her.
• Tetsu accepted Kei's gift and gave her a box he described as a voucher for a scarf.
• Tetsu took Kei's icy hand, and they wished each other a merry Christmas.

Karuizawa Kei refused Kazehara Tetsu’s invitation to join his date with another girl, then parted from him on teasing but affectionate terms. Tetsu went to meet Morishita Ai and found her asleep on a freezing park bench; she woke when he joked about giving her artificial respiration.

• Karuizawa Kei rejected Tetsu’s suggestion of a three-person date, saying she did not want to interfere with his time with the other girl.
• Kei threatened to expose Tetsu’s secrets, then waved him off and walked away with a faint smile.
• Tetsu checked the time, bought hot coffee, and headed to a secluded park to meet Morishita Ai.
• Tetsu found Ai asleep on a snow-covered bench in the freezing weather and tried to wake her.
• Ai sat up after Tetsu mentioned artificial respiration and told him it was not appropriate for someone who was still breathing.

Kazehara Tetsu took Morishita Ai to the infirmary after she collapsed from sleeping in the snow and discovered she had a high fever. As she fell asleep after giving him an unexpected Christmas kiss, he decided her debt to him was not settled.

• Kazehara Tetsu supported Morishita Ai to the infirmary after she became dizzy and weak from the cold.
• Kazehara Tetsu examined Morishita Ai, found she had a 38.9-degree fever, and lectured her before giving her warm water.
• Morishita Ai explained that she had agreed to the date to observe how people celebrated Christmas and had chosen Kazehara Tetsu as a familiar example.
• Kazehara Tetsu gave Morishita Ai a pair of ear cuffs as a Christmas and get-well gift.
• Morishita Ai kissed Kazehara Tetsu to repay him, then fell asleep, while he said her debt was not settled.

Morishita Ai woke in the infirmary after recovering from a fever, and Kazehara Tetsu walked her back to the dorm. She left him with a pointed “Goodbye” before the elevator doors closed, while he headed out to take care of his own business.

• Morishita Ai woke to find Kazehara Tetsu waiting beside her bed while the school doctor sat at her desk.
• Morishita Ai tried to prove she had recovered by jumping down from the bed, but her knees buckled and Kazehara Tetsu caught her.
• The school doctor scolded them and mistook them for a couple who had caught a fever on a Christmas date, and Kazehara Tetsu let the misunderstanding stand.
• Kazehara Tetsu walked Morishita Ai back to the dorm as she talked about feeling safe when he cared for her and wondered if that was a side effect of being in love.
• Kazehara Tetsu declined to go upstairs, and Morishita Ai pointed to her lips and said goodbye as the elevator doors shut.

Kazehara Tetsu met Sakayanagi Arisu for a Christmas dinner at an upscale Western restaurant, where they teased each other about his busy day and her carefully timed invitation. The chapter left them alone together as their meal was ordered and Sakayanagi hinted at arranging more than just his food.

• Kazehara Tetsu arrived at the Western restaurant and went upstairs to meet Sakayanagi Arisu.
• Sakayanagi Arisu explained that she had invited him late so he would spend the evening with her after dealing with other requests.
• Kazehara Tetsu called out her plan, and Sakayanagi Arisu admitted she wanted a quiet evening alone with him.
• Sakayanagi Arisu offered to pay for dinner, and Kazehara Tetsu asked for the same meal she had chosen.
• Sakayanagi Arisu accepted his trust and teased that she could arrange other things for him besides food.

Kazehara Tetsu and Sakayanagi Arisu shared an elegant dinner, teasing each other about his eating habits and cooking skills. Arisu fed him a piece of steak from her plate, and Tetsu called it a unique delicacy.

• Kazehara Tetsu said he preferred instant noodles for convenience, and Sakayanagi Arisu teased him about neglecting his cooking talent.
• Sakayanagi Arisu said she might visit Tetsu’s home to inspect his cooking skills, and he welcomed her.
• Kazehara Tetsu quickly ate his small dinner while Sakayanagi Arisu urged him to savor the food.
• Sakayanagi Arisu ordered Tetsu to open his mouth and offered him a piece of steak from her plate.
• Kazehara Tetsu accepted the steak and said it tasted especially delicious because of the feeling behind it.

Kazehara Tetsu and Sakayanagi Arisu shared dinner and walked through the snowy night, where she asked why he trusted her so completely. He told her he trusted the pride and name of Sakayanagi Arisu and was willing to put his back in her hands.

• Kazehara Tetsu urged Sakayanagi Arisu to eat more, and she finished as much of her meal as she could before paying the bill.
• Kazehara Tetsu accompanied Sakayanagi Arisu on a walk through the snowy Beech Forest despite warning her that the cold could strain her health.
• Kazehara Tetsu and Sakayanagi Arisu stopped on a light-decorated bridge and admired the scenery together.
• Sakayanagi Arisu asked Kazehara Tetsu why he stayed by her side without guarding himself against her.
• Kazehara Tetsu said he trusted Sakayanagi Arisu's pride and would put his back in her hands.

Kazehara Tetsu and Arisu escaped the cold by visiting Keyaki Mall, where they shared tiramisu and flirted over a smear of cream. Arisu licked the cream from Tetsu’s finger and teased him about growing stronger so she could accompany him in the future.

• Arisu admitted that the cold was too harsh for her and suggested they go to Keyaki Mall, where Tetsu shielded her from the wind.
• The two strolled through the crowded mall and bought tiramisu, then ate it together on a corridor bench.
• Tetsu wiped cream from the corner of Arisu’s mouth with his thumb and teased her for being careless.
• Arisu stopped Tetsu from licking the cream off his thumb and licked it herself, calling it her property.
• Arisu echoed Tetsu’s advice to eat more and said she wanted to train her body so she could accompany him in the future.

Tetsu and Sakayanagi Arisu played a game of choosing unusual bouquets for each other during their Christmas date. Tetsu chose deep blue flowers and secretly hid an important gift inside, then rejoined Arisu.

• Tetsu followed Sakayanagi Arisu after she teased him for protesting her bold counterattack.
• Sakayanagi Arisu invited Tetsu to choose unusual flowers for each other, excluding familiar choices like roses and tulips.
• Tetsu searched the shop for a suitable bouquet and settled on a dozen deep blue flowers.
• Tetsu asked the clerk to wrap the bouquet extravagantly and secretly slipped a white box inside it.
• Tetsu left the flower shop with the bouquet and greeted Sakayanagi Arisu.

Kazehara Tetsu and Sakayanagi Arisu exchanged bouquets, and Arisu interpreted his choice of Forget-Me-Nots as an unintentional declaration of sincere love. She discovered something heavy hidden inside his bouquet and accepted it as a meaningful token from him.

• Sakayanagi Arisu presented Kazehara Tetsu with a chaotic, colorful bouquet, saying its contradictions reminded her of him.
• Kazehara Tetsu gave Sakayanagi Arisu a bouquet of blue Forget-Me-Nots, explaining that he had chosen them because he liked their appearance.
• Sakayanagi Arisu recognized the flowers' language as eternal love and wondered whether Kazehara Tetsu had chosen them deliberately.
• Kazehara Tetsu explained that he had rejected the white flowers because they did not seem good enough for her, deepening Arisu's sense that his gift was an unintentional expression of affection.
• Sakayanagi Arisu noticed something heavy hidden inside the bouquet and hugged it close, saying she would carry the token of affection herself.

Kazehara Tetsu and Sakayanagi Arisu returned to the dormitory after their Christmas Eve outing, with Arisu cherishing the forget-me-nots he had chosen for her. They parted at the elevator, leaving Tetsu to reflect that the memorable day was over.

• Kazehara Tetsu asked Sakayanagi Arisu what the blue flowers meant, but she kept their beautiful flower language secret.
• Sakayanagi Arisu told Kazehara Tetsu she had no physical gift for him, and they agreed that their time together made them even.
• Kazehara Tetsu and Sakayanagi Arisu rode the elevator to his floor and wished each other good night.
• As the elevator doors closed, Kazehara Tetsu saw Sakayanagi Arisu bury her face in the forget-me-nots.
• Kazehara Tetsu watched the elevator rise, sighed, and said the day was over.

Kazehara Tetsu returned to his room with gifts from Shiina Hiyori, Karuizawa Kei, and Sakayanagi Arisu, then found a Christmas present Yamamura Miki had left at his door. He reflected on the gifts and Morishita Ai’s kiss, ending the day delighted by how fulfilling his Christmas had been.

• Sakayanagi Arisu accepted Kazehara Tetsu’s hidden gift and discovered that she had hidden a small box in the bouquet she gave him.
• Kazehara Tetsu found Yamamura Miki’s unsigned Christmas gift and recognized her handwriting from their study sessions.
• Kazehara Tetsu decided he should return Yamamura Miki’s kindness, considering ways to acknowledge her courage.
• Kazehara Tetsu laid out the gifts from Shiina Hiyori, Karuizawa Kei, Sakayanagi Arisu, and Yamamura Miki in his room.
• Kazehara Tetsu remembered Morishita Ai’s kiss and concluded that his Christmas had been ridiculously fulfilling.

Kazehara Tetsu opened the gifts from Shiina Hiyori, Karuizawa Kei, Yamamura Miki, and Sakayanagi Arisu, considering what each gift revealed about its giver. Arisu’s interlocking chess pieces left him anticipating a more interesting future.

• Kazehara Tetsu recognized Shiina Hiyori’s worn mystery novel as a treasured book from her private collection and placed it within easy reach.
• Kazehara Tetsu tasted Karuizawa Kei’s handmade dark chocolate, noted that she had paid for it with her own points, and stored it in the freezer.
• Kazehara Tetsu found a hand-knitted gray hat from Yamamura Miki, tried it on, and appreciated the time she had spent making it.
• Kazehara Tetsu opened Sakayanagi Arisu’s gift and discovered a black king and a white queen chess piece that joined together.
• Kazehara Tetsu placed the chess pieces at the center of his desk and anticipated that the days ahead would be interesting.

After showering on Christmas night, Kazehara Tetsu received an anonymous call and recognized Kiriyama Ikuto by his voice. Kiriyama demanded an immediate meeting, and Tetsu agreed to meet him behind the first-year Dormitory Building.

• Kazehara Tetsu noticed an unknown number calling just before midnight and answered on speakerphone.
• Kiriyama Ikuto asked whether he could trust Tetsu, and Tetsu identified him by recalling his voice from earlier that day.
• Kiriyama said Horikita Manabu had told him Tetsu might be able to challenge Miyabi Nagumo's rule, but he wanted to judge Tetsu in person.
• Kiriyama insisted they meet immediately, and Tetsu agreed to go to the blind spot behind the first-year Dormitory Building.

Kiriyama Ikuto met Kazehara Tetsu in the snow to explain why he wanted to oppose Miyabi Nagumo despite believing Nagumo was too powerful to challenge. He left Kazehara with his plea to understand his despair, and Kazehara called him a “martyr.”

• Kiriyama waited for Kazehara behind the Dormitory Building, then turned to leave before Kazehara appeared from the shadows.
• Kiriyama told Kazehara that he admired Horikita Manabu and had joined the Student Council to uphold the fairness and order Horikita had maintained.
• Kiriyama explained that Nagumo controlled the Second Year so thoroughly that students feared expulsion or retaliation if they resisted.
• Kazehara suggested Kiriyama could keep his head down, obey Nagumo, and save points to transfer to Class A, but Kiriyama rejected that as the wrong reason to fight.
• Kiriyama said Nagumo was destroying the school's traditions and confessed that he felt helpless watching it happen.
• Kazehara listened to Kiriyama's plea and asked if he was a “martyr.”

Kiriyama Ikuto warned Kagihara Tets that Miyabi Nagumo planned to target first-years in a mixed-combat Special Exam during the Third Semester and asked him to join the resistance. Kagihara agreed only to a transactional exchange of information, leaving the two with a wary understanding and a mutual threat of consequences.

• Kiriyama Ikuto warned Kagihara Tets that Nagumo would turn his attention to first-years after Horikita Manabu graduated.
• Kiriyama revealed that a Third Semester Mixed Combat Special Exam would let Nagumo screen and target first-years he viewed as threats.
• Kagihara rejected Kiriyama's appeal to join the resistance but agreed to consider information if it benefited him.
• Kiriyama agreed to secretly provide information about Nagumo while warning that he would stop or use Kagihara as a pawn if he proved useless.
• Kagihara and Kiriyama warned each other against exposing or disappointing the other, then Kiriyama left and Kagihara dismissed his threat.

First Year Class A traveled with students from across the school to a remote forest facility, where Majima Tomoya announced an eight-day, seven-night Mixed Training Camp Special Exam. The students began reading a lengthy booklet of exam materials as the bus approached the Forest School.

• A large convoy carrying students from all three years left the city and traveled through the mountains, with First Year Class A riding near the front.
• Kazehara Tetsu sat beside Majima Tomoya and tried to draw him into conversation, but Majima refused to reveal exam details.
• After the bus emerged from a tunnel, Majima told Kazehara to return to his seat and announced that the convoy was heading to a Forest School.
• Majima explained that students from different year groups would take part in an eight-day, seven-night Mixed Training Camp Special Exam.
• Majima distributed a booklet of exam materials, and Kazehara examined its photographs of a large complex among the mountains.

Kazehara Tetsu listened as Majima Tomoya explained a Forest School Special Exam built around cross-class groups, unanimous agreement, and a subjective final test. The chapter left the students weighing huge potential rewards against the risks of trusting members of other classes and years.

• Majima Tomoya explained that students would separate by gender and form six Small Groups per year, with each group requiring members from at least two classes and unanimous agreement.
• Majima said the first-, second-, and third-year Small Groups would combine into six Large Groups, whose members would share daily life and take a final Comprehensive Test.
• Katsuragi Kouhei asked what the groups would do, and Majima described the Forest School schedule and its vague categories of Moral Character, Mental Training, Discipline, and Independence.
• Majima laid out Personal Point and Class Point rewards and penalties, with multipliers for larger groups and representation from more classes.
• Kazehara Tetsu calculated that a fifteen-person group representing all four classes could earn enormous rewards, but recognized that the requirements and risks made such a group difficult to form and manage.