[Past Arc] Chabashira Sae

Chabashira Sae would never forget what happened that day. It was like a nightmare.

Her heart stopped forever that day, too.

"Next up is the Unanimous Special Exam."

At their homeroom teacher's announcement, the students immediately began clamoring. The Special Exam had come out of nowhere, with no advance notice.

What's more, their Class 3-B was only a few dozen points behind Class A, while the gap between them and Classes C and D was also quite small.

In other words, the gap was so narrow that whichever class graduated as Class A wouldn't be surprising.

"Quiet!"

The homeroom teacher's stern words immediately put an end to the sudden commotion.

"This isn't a complicated exam, so there was no need to give you advance notice. The exam is starting now, so please remain quiet."

With that, the homeroom teacher took out a bag and began collecting the students' phones one by one.

Seeing this, the students all grew extremely alert.

Once their phones were taken away, they would be cut off from communicating privately, which made them feel very insecure.

"Don't worry, the rules are simple. You just choose from the options provided, and as long as everyone agrees, you pass. There are only five questions, so if things go quickly, we'll be done in under an hour."

After collecting the phones, the homeroom teacher offered a gentle reassurance at the sight of the students' tense expressions.

But no one felt any more at ease.

After nearly three years of brutal struggles, they didn't believe what their homeroom teacher was saying. There had to be something unusual about this exam, especially since their phones had already been confiscated.

"Oh, right. Passing the exam will earn you 50 Class Points. On the other hand, if there are still unfinished questions when the exam ends, you'll lose 300 Class Points. The exam will last five hours in total."

And this was what you called "don't worry"?

The students silently grumbled about their homeroom teacher's words. What about this could possibly put them at ease?

"To help everyone understand the rules, we'll start with a sample question."

After handing a device to each student in order, the homeroom teacher said this.

[Lose 5 Class Points, and each student receives 10,000 Private Points]

[Agree][Disagree]

"While answering, all communication is forbidden. You'll have 60 seconds to vote. If you exceed that time, it will count as overtime. Each student has a total of 90 seconds of overtime for the entire exam. Anyone who exceeds that limit will be immediately expelled."

"If everyone doesn't reach a unanimous decision, there will be a mandatory 10-minute discussion period."

The homeroom teacher laid out a series of unsettling rules, but the Class B students weren't particularly worried yet.

[Agree: 0 votes]

[Disagree: 37 votes]

The homeroom teacher nodded, having expected this result.

"Lastly, the voting is anonymous, so please rest assured."

Though the homeroom teacher kept saying "rest assured," the students didn't dare let their guard down. Everything about the Special Exam's rules seemed strange.

Fortunately, though, the next four questions didn't put them under any pressure. Each time, within the 10-minute discussion period after voting, Watanabe, the class leader, was able to bring their opinions together and make the right decision.

Until—

[Expel one person from your class and receive 100 Class Points]

[Agree][Disagree]

The familiar and terrifying word "expulsion" was reflected in every student's eyes. Some immediately chose to disagree without a second thought, while others thought about the gap in points between them and Class A and chose to agree.

[Agree: 14 votes]

[Disagree: 23 votes]

"Wait, why did you choose Agree?!"

As soon as the mandatory discussion period began, someone exploded in protest.

"Are you stupid? We're only a few dozen points behind Class A. Expelling one person would let us catch up. Isn't that great?"

"Oh... I guess so."

The student scratched his head at that answer, but quickly realized there was something wrong with it.

"By that logic, Class A could also choose to expel one person. Wouldn't that leave the gap unchanged?"

"So this is basically a gamble. We have to bet that Class A won't choose to expel someone. What does Watanabe think?"

Everyone turned their attention to Watanabe, who had led their class for the past three years. He had his head bowed, lost in thought.

After coming to understand the personalities of his classmates so well over the past three years, he felt lost for the first time. Still, he wanted to try.

"If possible, I'd like everyone to choose Disagree."

"Why?!"

For the first time, someone openly opposed Watanabe's opinion in class.

"This is a great opportunity, isn't it? Why give it up?"

"...Yeah, but I don't think Class A will necessarily choose Disagree. Wouldn't it be better for us to give up, then? Could the memories we made together over these three years really have been fake?"

Watanabe tried appealing to their feelings.

"W-well... all right."

The influence he'd built in the class over the past three years was no illusion. The student quickly gave up arguing.

The 10 minutes passed in a flash, and the next round of voting began.

[Agree: 3 votes]

[Disagree: 34 votes]

He'd known the result would be like this. After all, the vote was anonymous.

"Looks like someone doesn't want to give up."

"Yeah."

The student who'd just given up arguing breathed a sigh of relief. He still wanted to fight for a chance, really.

"All right, for the next vote, everyone choose Agree."

Watanabe had already made up his mind.

The classroom fell strangely silent. Everyone quietly waited for time to pass.

[Agree: 37 votes]

[Disagree: 0 votes]

Humans were creatures who clung to hope. Until the final result came, no one would believe that they were the one about to be expelled.

"Everyone, listen."

Seeing that the result had finally made it unavoidable that one person would be expelled, Watanabe stood up and spoke.

"For the next vote, I'd like everyone to vote for me."

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

Chabashira Sae couldn't hold back from joining the discussion for the first time.

"You're our class leader. How can you get expelled here?!"

It was a compelling argument, and other students quickly backed her up.

"Sae is right! Watanabe has led our class all this time, taking us from Class D to where we are now, in Class B. We're just a stone's throw from Class A, too. How can we make Watanabe bear the consequences of expulsion?"

Hoshinomiya Chie stood up for her best friend.

Most of them were arguing against Watanabe's idea. It was simply absurd.

"It's all right. I've already made up my mind."

Watanabe was uncharacteristically firm. Seeing him like this, everyone found it hard to say anything more.

Just as Watanabe understood them, they understood him, too.

He was a man who wouldn't turn back once he'd made up his mind.

At the same time, most of the class quietly breathed a sigh of relief. They knew that the sword of Damocles called "expulsion" would no longer hang over their heads.

[Agree: 35 votes]

[Disagree: 1 vote]

As the person being voted on, Watanabe couldn't vote for himself.

"Who was it?"

Someone put on an angry front, venting their feelings without restraint in the hopes of making the person who'd voted against it step forward and face them.

"Could you not betray Watanabe's wishes?"

Someone else tried to persuade the unknown dissenter from their moral high ground.

"Sae, are you all right?"

Seeing that her best friend, Chabashira Sae, seemed completely out of it, Hoshinomiya Chie offered her some comfort.

But the seed of suspicion had already been planted. She sensed that something was off about her friend.

Could the one behind the opposing vote really have been...?