Chapter Summaries

Kazehara Tetsu went to a quiet shop for lunch and unexpectedly encountered Sakura Airi, whom he had not spoken with meaningfully in nearly a year. After hesitating, Sakura asked if she could sit with him, and he agreed.

• Hashimoto Masayoshi invited several boys to lunch while Class A left exam strategy to Kazehara Tetsu.
• Kazehara Tetsu found his usual cafeteria meal sold out and walked to a small shop in the Camphor Tree Shopping Mall area.
• Kazehara Tetsu ordered pork cutlet curry rice at the nearly empty shop.
• Sakura Airi entered, froze when she saw Kazehara Tetsu, and ordered her usual pork cutlet rice from the proprietress.
• Sakura Airi approached Kazehara Tetsu and nervously asked to sit with him, and he said she could.

Kazehara Tetsu met Sakura Airi for a meal, praised the photos she had shared under the name Shizuku, and encouraged her to overcome her social fears. Sakura Airi agreed to meet him every weekend until the Cultural Festival and asked him to advise her on a maid cafe outfit if their class chose that project.

• Sakura Airi asked Kazehara Tetsu what he thought of the photos on her USB drive, and he told her they were beautiful.
• Sakura Airi explained that she had avoided him because she feared making a bad impression, and Kazehara Tetsu reassured her that she was gentle and likable.
• Sakura Airi said she wanted to join the class's possible maid cafe project and asked Kazehara Tetsu to privately advise her on her outfit after the Sports Festival.
• Sakura Airi told Kazehara Tetsu that Haruka and her other friends had helped her feel less isolated, though she still wanted to talk with him more.
• Kazehara Tetsu asked Sakura Airi to meet him every weekend until the Cultural Festival, and she agreed.

Kazehara Tetsu met Ichinose Honami, who wanted to discuss her concerns about the next day's Unanimous Exam. He exposed Hoshinomiya Chie eavesdropping nearby, and she teased them about their relationship.

• Ichinose Honami approached Kazehara Tetsu and startled Sakura Airi, who hurried back to the classroom.
• Ichinose Honami explained that the Unanimous Exam seemed unusually mild and worried that its apparent lack of danger hid a serious problem.
• Kazehara Tetsu pointed out Hoshinomiya Chie hiding behind a tree and called her out.
• Hoshinomiya Chie admitted she had been eavesdropping and asked how Kazehara Tetsu and Ichinose Honami's romance was progressing.

Kazehara Tetsu revealed to Ichinose Honami that his plan was for every student in their year to graduate as a Class A victor, and Hoshinomiya Chie confirmed he was serious. Ichinose was left stunned as her understanding of Kazehara’s ambitions changed.

• Kazehara Tetsu confronted Hoshinomiya Chie about guiding Ichinose Honami through the upcoming exam and pressed her to stop hiding the truth.
• After Kazehara confirmed he was serious, Hoshinomiya asked Ichinose whether she trusted him without reservation, and Ichinose said she did.
• Hoshinomiya told Ichinose that Kazehara planned for every student in their year to graduate as a Class A victor.
• Ichinose asked whether the plan was real, and Kazehara confirmed that it was.
• Ichinose reconsidered Kazehara’s ambitions after learning that his goal extended beyond his own class to all four classes in their year.

Hoshinomiya Chie told Ichinose Honami that class unity could neutralize the dangers of the upcoming Special Exam. Kazehara Tetsu asked Honami to help his plan by becoming the next Student Council president, and she agreed.

• Hoshinomiya Chie explained that if Ichinose Honami united her classmates behind Kagihara's goal of everyone graduating, the Special Exam would pose little threat.
• Hoshinomiya Chie said she might no longer need to break rules or risk her career, then left Ichinose Honami and Kazehara Tetsu to handle what came next.
• Ichinose Honami admitted she had never imagined Kagihara aiming for everyone to graduate and said she could not achieve it alone.
• Kazehara Tetsu asked Ichinose Honami to help his plan by becoming the next Student Council president.
• Ichinose Honami agreed to help Kazehara Tetsu so everyone could share the future he envisioned.

Kazehara Tetsu warned Kushida Kikyo not to interfere with the next day’s Special Exam, then offered to end their coercive relationship after it. Kushida refused a clean break and agreed not to cause trouble in exchange for reconsidering their relationship, which they tentatively defined as lovers.

• Kushida Kikyo arrived late to meet Kazehara Tetsu, who warned her not to tamper with the next day’s exam.
• Kazehara Tetsu and Kushida Kikyo walked to the riverbank where he had previously forced her to face her situation.
• Kazehara Tetsu offered to end their coercive relationship after the Special Exam, but Kushida suspected a trap.
• Kushida Kikyo rejected a complete severance and agreed not to cause trouble if Kazehara reconsidered their relationship.
• Kazehara Tetsu suggested becoming lovers, and Kushida accepted.

Class A began its five-hour Special Exam and unanimously chose Class B as its rival for the Third Semester Midterm. The second task asked them to select a destination for the second-year educational trip, with voting still to come.

• Majima Tomoya collected the students’ electronic devices and explained the restroom limits before starting the exam.
• Class A unanimously selected Class B, earning 100 Class Points and choosing the strongest rival.
• Majima Tomoya offered the class a break, but no one accepted, so the exam continued immediately.
• Majima Tomoya sent the second task, asking students to choose between Hokkaido, Kyoto, and Okinawa for the educational trip.

Class A debated whether to choose Hokkaido, Kyoto, or Okinawa for the school trip after its first vote failed to reach consensus. With the discussion deadlocked between Hokkaido and Okinawa, Katsuragi Kouhei proposed deciding the choice with Rock Paper Scissors.

• Majima Tomoya announced that the first vote had split Class A between Hokkaido, Kyoto, and Okinawa, so the class entered a discussion period.
• Hashimoto Masayoshi, Ryuen Kakeru, and Kazehara Tetsu supported Okinawa, while Ishizaki Daichi initially preferred Hokkaido and Ibuki Mio chose Kyoto.
• Hashimoto Masayoshi persuaded Ishizaki Daichi to switch to Okinawa by bringing up the prospect of seeing girls in swimsuits.
• Ibuki Mio and Matoba Shinji began yielding as support for Kyoto dwindled, leaving Hokkaido and Okinawa in a close contest.
• Katsuragi Kouhei proposed that representatives for Hokkaido and Okinawa play Rock Paper Scissors to settle the class's choice.

Ishizaki Daichi won a rock-paper-scissors match that settled the class trip destination as Okinawa, and the class unanimously approved it. The class then debated how to distribute Personal Points and Protection Points, with Hashimoto Masayoshi and others arguing against the costly, random option.

• Katsuragi Kouhei and Ishizaki Daichi played best two out of three, and Ishizaki won for the Okinawa faction.
• Katsuragi agreed that everyone would vote for Okinawa, and the class unanimously passed the destination vote.
• Majima Tomoya presented Task Three on distributing Personal Points and Protection Points for the next six months.
• The first vote on Task Three failed to reach unanimity, with Option One receiving 4 votes, Option Two 12, and Option Three 29.
• Hashimoto argued that Option One would cost the class more than 150 million Personal Points for three random Protection Points, and Katsuragi and Tozuka Yahiko supported his case.

Katsuragi Kouhei and the class discussed the third task, then unanimously chose to keep the current point distribution. They also unanimously selected increased penalties for failing the upcoming written exam, leaving the class confident that its students would avoid the consequences.

• Katsuragi Kouhei argued that Personal Points were more valuable than Protection Points, and Hashimoto Masayoshi and Tozuka Yahiko helped persuade Ishizaki Daichi that Option Three was worth choosing.
• The class voted 45–0 for Option Three, preserving its current point distribution and accepting that Personal Points would be deducted from the bottom five after the written exam.
• Majima Tomoya began Task Four, which required the class to choose an additional rule for the upcoming written exam.
• Kazehara Tetsu and the rest of the class chose Option Two, increasing penalties and expulsion risk for students who failed or ranked at the bottom.
• The class voted 45–0 for Option Two, and Majima Tomoya announced that Task Four had passed unanimously.

Majima Tomoya presented the final Special Exam task, which offered one hundred Class Points in exchange for expelling a classmate. Ryuen Kakeru’s lone vote to approve prevented unanimity, and he said he wanted to ask Kazehara Tetsu a question before voting again.

• Majima Tomoya revealed the task to expel a classmate for one hundred Class Points, and Class A students expected to oppose it unanimously.
• Forty-four students voted against the task, but one vote in favor triggered free discussion.
• Kazehara Tetsu calmly looked toward Ryuen Kakeru, while Katsuragi Kouhei tried to prevent the class from turning on itself.
• Tozuka Yahiko and Ibuki Mio angrily challenged Ryuen Kakeru, and Ishizaki Daichi reacted with disbelief.
• Ryuen Kakeru admitted casting the approving vote and said he wanted to ask Kazehara Tetsu a question before opposing the task in the next round.

Ryuen Kakeru interrupted the final task to question Kazehara Tetsu about his leadership and why he had enrolled at This School. The class then passed the last vote unanimously, completing the Unanimous Special Exam and earning fifty Class Points.

• Ryuen Kakeru challenged Kazehara Tetsu’s lenient approach to leading Class A and asked why he had come to This School.
• Kazehara Tetsu said he had followed his family’s expectations, while adding that he had personal reasons he could not easily explain.
• Ryuen Kakeru ended the discussion and told Majima Tomoya to begin the second vote.
• The class voted unanimously for Option Two, passing Task Five and completing all five exam tasks.
• Majima Tomoya announced the fifty Class Points reward and allowed the students to leave or keep studying before collecting their phones.

After the five-step exam, Majima Tomoya privately spoke with Kazehara Tetsu about his lingering guilt over a past expulsion and the class transfer’s effects on the school. He asked Kazehara to use his abilities to help Hoshinomiya and Chabashira move beyond their past, then warned him to stay alert as events continued.

• Sakayanagi Arisu left the classroom after Majima Tomoya asked to speak privately with Kazehara Tetsu.
• Majima asked Kazehara how he felt about the exam, and Kazehara said the Tasks had gone smoothly because the class had united.
• Majima confessed that he still blamed himself for a past exam involving expulsion and points, though he had tried to suppress his anger.
• Majima said Hoshinomiya and Chabashira remained consumed by the past and asked Kazehara to help change their situations.
• Kazehara said Chairman Sakayanagi supported the class transfer and had directly helped him, and Majima urged him to remain cautious.

After Class D completed its exam, Ichinose Honami thanked Kazehara Tetsu for guiding her class through a difficult Task, while Kanzaki Ryuji asked whether Kazehara truly intended to pursue having all four classes graduate as Class A. Kazehara said he would try, and Kanzaki agreed to cooperate; their conversation ended when Hoshinomiya Chie joined them and Ichinose noticed other classes were still taking their exams.

• Ichinose Honami left her classmates and thanked Kazehara Tetsu for helping Class D avoid going in circles on the fifth Task.
• Kanzaki Ryuji asked Kazehara whether his plan for all four classes to graduate as Class A was serious.
• Kazehara said he could not guarantee success but would try, and Kanzaki agreed to assist him.
• Ichinose Honami teased Kazehara about anticipating the exam's malicious choices, and Hoshinomiya Chie joined their conversation.
• Ichinose Honami pointed out that two classes were still taking their exams, and Hoshinomiya Chie confirmed the corridor was quiet because of them.

Kazehara Tetsu and Ichinose Honami met Hoshinomiya Chie at Pallet Cafe, where they pressed her for information about changes to the upcoming Sports Festival. Hoshinomiya denied knowing anything and accused Kazehara of leading Ichinose astray, while Ichinose playfully joined in teasing her.

• Hoshinomiya Chie rested at Pallet Cafe with Kazehara Tetsu and Ichinose Honami instead of returning to sort exam materials, and Ichinose offered to pay for their treats.
• Ichinose asked whether Kazehara planned to compete in this year's Sports Festival, and he said he probably would if his schedule allowed.
• Ichinose mentioned unusual changes to the festival's scoring rules, and Kazehara suggested Hoshinomiya might know more about them.
• Hoshinomiya denied that she would share school secrets in exchange for coffee, while Kazehara and Ichinose pointed out the contradiction in her claim to be a reformed teacher.
• Ichinose teased Hoshinomiya instead of comforting her, and Hoshinomiya blamed Kazehara for leading Ichinose astray.

Ichinose Honami, Kazehara Tetsu, and Hoshinomiya Chie shared desserts at Pallet Cafe and discussed working together for good results at the Sports Festival. After Hoshinomiya Chie was called back to work, Ichinose Honami took on the overly sweet Cake and offered Kazehara Tetsu the plainer one.

• Hoshinomiya Chie gave up arguing with Kazehara Tetsu and Ichinose Honami, and Ichinose Honami steered their conversation toward the Sports Festival.
• Hoshinomiya Chie praised the desserts, but Kazehara Tetsu said the caramel Cake was too sweet, and Ichinose Honami explained that he disliked excessively sugary food.
• Hoshinomiya Chie received a message from Majima revealing that her break was over, thanked Ichinose Honami, and hurried out of Pallet Cafe.
• Ichinose Honami tasted Kazehara Tetsu's Cake, found it even sweeter than hers, and decided to finish it while offering him the plainer Cake.
• Kazehara Tetsu accepted Ichinose Honami's offer and pulled the ordinary Cake closer to himself.

Kazehara Tetsu and Ichinose Honami shared dessert and spoke openly about their happy time together, including his confession that he liked her. Kazehara kissed Ichinose without warning, and after they discussed it, he paid the bill before she could.

• Ichinose Honami struggled to finish the overly sweet caramel cake, then told Kazehara Tetsu she had been happy spending time with him.
• Ichinose said she had understood and remembered Kazehara's confession that he really liked her.
• Kazehara suddenly kissed Ichinose, leaving her flustered and short of breath.
• Ichinose clarified that she had been startled by the kiss, not resisting it, and agreed they could take their time next time.
• Kazehara paid the bill before Ichinose could follow through on her offer.

Kazehara Tetsu spent his Saturday morning coaching Ibuki Mio to improve her sprint time so she could race Horikita Suzune at the Sports Festival. After an hour of practice, they stopped for lunch.

• Ibuki Mio ran a 100-meter sprint in 13.3 seconds, and Kazehara Tetsu told her she was close to the next performance tier.
• Ibuki Mio demanded that Kazehara Tetsu coach her because she wanted to race Horikita Suzune at the Sports Festival.
• Kazehara Tetsu objected to sacrificing his weekend for an unagreed race, while Ibuki Mio offered to buy him lunch as compensation.
• Kazehara Tetsu used remembered track-and-field theory to advise Ibuki Mio on her starting technique and running form.
• Ibuki Mio practiced interval sprints with Kazehara Tetsu for an hour, then they began deciding where to eat lunch.

Kazehara Tetsu and Ibuki Mio encountered Horikita Suzune, who rejected Ibuki’s demand for a personal Sports Festival match. Horikita then questioned Kazehara about Kushida’s behavior during the Special Exam, and he offered an implausible explanation that she accepted only temporarily.

• Kazehara Tetsu told Ibuki Mio she was following him, while Ibuki insisted their routes had merely overlapped.
• Kazehara Tetsu and Ibuki Mio ran into Horikita Suzune near the Commercial Street, and Horikita asked whether they were on a date.
• Ibuki Mio challenged Horikita Suzune to a physical contest at the upcoming Sports Festival, but Horikita dismissed the match as pointless and recalled winning their previous contest.
• Horikita Suzune told Kazehara Tetsu that Class A seemed to have completed the Special Exam smoothly and asked why Kushida had caused no trouble in her class.
• Kazehara Tetsu claimed Kushida’s conscience had awakened, and Horikita Suzune said she would temporarily believe his unsupported explanation.

Horikita Suzune and Ibuki Mio agreed to settle their Sports Festival rivalry with a best-of-three contest and set Cultural Festival stakes for the loser. Ibuki stormed off after accepting the challenge, confident she would win.

• Horikita told Kazehara Tetsu that her class supported his Cultural Festival project and invited him to evaluate her maid outfit at the fitting.
• Horikita questioned Kazehara about Class A’s plans, and he said he trusted Ryuen Kakeru to handle the festival.
• Horikita accepted Ibuki’s Sports Festival challenge, proposing that Ibuki help her class at the Cultural Festival if she lost.
• Kazehara proposed that Horikita help Class A if she lost, and Horikita and Ibuki agreed to the matching terms.
• Ibuki proposed a best-of-three format, with each girl choosing one event and Kazehara selecting the third.
• Ibuki stormed away after vowing to win and make Horikita do the hard labor.