My Turn, Draw! (4.5k) / What's a Good Conversation Topic? (7k)

"Alright, then Honami, you should try and snatch it."

Seeing the two suddenly becoming so hostile towards him, Kitagawa Ryo was reminded of the Student Council rivalry between Sakayanagi Arisu and Horikita Suzune, so he raised his hand again and offered his solution in a similar manner:

"How about I become the class monitor (Student Council President), and you two become my deputies? That way, we won't have to fight over it anymore."

He was met with two perfectly synchronized cold snorts.

Kitagawa Ryo suddenly felt a headache.

Fate is indeed a very strange thing.

Unbeknownst to them, Ichinose Honami and Karuizawa Kei, and Sakayanagi Arisu and Horikita Suzune had each set up two tense battlefields in Class 1-B and Class A respectively, proving that rivals from all sides are destined to clash.

What Kitagawa Ryo didn't expect was that their first showdown would come so soon.

As the start of the new school year approaches, the Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School unexpectedly announced the date for its next Special Exam on the last day of winter break.

It was the first day of the third semester.

The specific content of the exam has not been announced; only the name and format are available for information.

This is a cross-grade Training Camp Exam for all students from grades one to three.

Chapter 395: My Turn, Draw Cards! (4k5)

Following the Uninhabited Island Special Exam during the summer, the First Year students once again boarded the school bus and left the artificial island where the Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School campus is located after a long absence. However, unlike the port they went to last time, this time their destination was Forest School located in the mountains.

Aside from students like Kitagawa Ryo who occasionally leave ANHS to explore the outside world by participating in competitions, most students are quite excited about leaving ANHS. After all, while ANHS lives up to its reputation in terms of size and facilities, even the largest campus can become tiresome for First Year students who have been enrolled for more than half a year. Just like how the school itself introduces some novel limited-time shops and events at the Keyaki Mall during winter and summer vacations, everyone still craves something new.

That's why, although everyone in Class 1-B knew they were going to take a Special Exam, the atmosphere was more like that of elementary school students going on a spring outing. In addition, because the journey was long, taking several hours, the school allowed students to bring small items such as playing cards and game consoles to pass the time. Therefore, from the moment the journey started, the carriage was filled with laughter and joy, showing no sign of tension about the upcoming Special Exam.

Since the seats for boys and girls were divided into two sides by the aisle, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't very well leave his seat to talk to Megumi or Honami from a distance. So he simply accepted the invitation from other boys nearby and casually started playing the cards that Shibata Sō had brought.

After the entire winter break, he gradually became familiar with most of the students in Class B. At this time, besides Shibata and Kanzaki, the other two boys who played cards with him were Hamaguchi Tetsuya and Watanabe Norihito, who were also Class B students that Kitagawa Ryo had been getting along with recently.

Hamaguchi Tetsuya a boy with square-framed glasses and a bowl cut. The reason he hit it off with Kitagawa Ryo is similar to the reason why Ibuki Mio from Class D pestered Horikita Suzune: both wanted to learn about cooking. Even the trigger was Uninhabited Island Special Exam during summer vacation.

Unlike Kitagawa Ryo, who single-handedly supported the entire class by using a high-level discount card to pass the level, Class B on the Uninhabited Island maintained their usual unity and teamwork. Hamaguchi Tetsuya's group was responsible for the class's logistics and food supply. He was a rare guy who could cook and enjoyed cooking. At least Kitagawa Ryo couldn't find a second one like him in ANHS.

Watanabe Norihito's temperament was completely different from Hamaguchi's. Perhaps it was because of the tuft of hair on his forehead that Kitagawa Ryo felt a lot of déjà vu. His first impression of Watanabe Norihito was closer to Hashimoto Masayoshi from Class C. However, after spending time with him, this feeling faded a lot. After all, compared to Hashimoto, who believed in the theory of "a cunning rabbit has three burrows," Watanabe Norihito's personality was more in line with the identity of a Class B student. He was quite straightforward and cheerful.

Although the reason he initially approached Kitagawa Ryo was rather unstraightforward.

Simply put, Watanabe currently harbors romantic feelings for Amikura Mako in his class, but he's too shy to make a direct advance. As for why he's seeking help from Kitagawa Ryo, the reason is quite simple.

Firstly, Kitagawa Ryo and Karuizawa Kei are very close, and Amikura Mako has always been Karuizawa Kei's best friend in class, so maybe she can find out indirectly.

Secondly, who is Kitagawa Ryo? He is a Love Expert, certified by all the students of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School. Even second-year student Miyabi Nagumo can only cover his face and retreat, not daring to compete with him. Even a couple of tricks from Kitagawa Ryo are enough for a relationship novice like him to learn.

"Speaking of which, this Special Exam is called 'Mixed Training Camp,' which sounds like it means we First Year students will be living together with upperclassmen, right?"

"While that's highly likely, I still hope it doesn't happen. We've been living in single dorms for so long, so sharing a room with classmates for a few nights like on Uninhabited Island is fine. But to share a room with seniors whose living habits we have no idea about for several days and nights is just awful."

Although they were still playing Monopoly, it was just a pastime to pass the time on their long journey, and no one really cared about winning or losing. It was basically a casual game where they chatted while playing.

"The main problem is that no specific details or rules have been announced yet, so we can only speculate here."

Having played all his cards first and secured his position as the richest man, Kitagawa Ryo casually clapped his hands. Having received a warning from Horikita Manabu beforehand, he was somewhat prepared for the Training Camp Exam and now just waited to see how the second and third-year students would fare.

"Let's wait for the class advisor's detailed explanation later. It seems like it'll be soon, after all, the specific rules for the Uninhabited Island incident were announced before we even arrived at the Uninhabited Island."

Not long after, Hoshinomiya Chie, who was sitting in the front row of the bus, stood up as Kitagawa Ryo had said, took out a handheld microphone from her bag, turned it on, and smiled at the whole class, saying:

"Alright, everyone, please be quiet for a moment. We still have about an hour's drive to our destination, and it's time to announce the details of this Special Exam."

"First, I must explain the original intention of this Special Exam. I believe most students will find it a bit puzzling when they see the prefix 'cross-grade,' making you First Year students compete with older students. But this is actually the school's intention in holding this Special Exam. After all, in normal school life, you probably don't have many opportunities to interact with older students, or rather, they are quite rare, especially for students who don't participate in clubs. However, learning how to get along, compete, and cooperate with seniors and juniors is a problem that everyone has to face after entering society."

"It is precisely for this reason that the school organized this eight-day, seven-night Mixed Training Camp exam. We hope everyone can fully understand this point."

"As for the specific content of the exam, it may be impossible to explain everything in detail verbally. Please look at the materials I have distributed while listening carefully to my explanation."

As she spoke, Hoshinomiya Chie stepped forward again and handed a stack of documents to the students at the front of the line, indicating that they should pass them on to the next student. Kitagawa Ryo also quickly received a copy.

The reason it's called a booklet is because, unlike the Special Exam rules of the past which were only a few pages long, this set of rules is a full twenty pages long. The school specially edited and printed it into a booklet. I glanced through it, and it was even in a picture-and-text format. Photos of the students' rooms, the large public bathhouse, the Student Cafeteria, and other facilities were printed inside, making it look like a travel guide.

After confirming that the materials had been delivered to all students in the class, Hoshinomiya Chie began the next step of her explanation.

"As I mentioned earlier, this Special Exam is a training camp primarily aimed at spiritual growth. To this end, you will need to prioritize your ability to survive in society, assess your capacity to successfully build relationships with random individuals you don't normally interact with, and complete at least a minimum level of cooperation."

As soon as Hoshinomiya Chie uttered the words "random person," Kitagawa Ryo's brow twitched, sensing an ominous premonition.

"Therefore, upon arrival at your destination, the school will ask you to separate by gender. All students in the entire grade will draw lots, and then determine your teammates for the eight days and seven nights based on the group you are drawn into. There will be six groups for both boys and girls. Based on the current total number of First Year, each group will have between twelve and thirteen people."

"Taking boys as an example, just like the red and white groups during the Sports Festival, after the six groups within the First Year are formed by drawing lots, the school will still randomly divide the eighteen groups from the three grades into six large groups according to the composition structure of one group per grade. That is, each large group will consist of one group from the third year, one group from the second year, and one group from the First Year."

"Finally, although the small groups and large groups are temporary combinations only during this Special Exam period, the teaching content will still allow you to spend close time together. Starting with group classes, you will share all aspects of daily life, from cooking, washing clothes, and bathing to going to bed."

As soon as Hoshinomiya Chie said these words, the atmosphere in the car became somewhat uneasy. After all, even the most amiable students in Class B found it quite troublesome to suddenly live with unfamiliar students from other classes, or even upperclassmen, and even have to take showers and sleep together in the mainland for a week.

"A brief overview of the content of this Special Exam is recorded on page seven of the materials. Please read it first to prepare yourself mentally."

Following Hoshinomiya Chie's instructions, Kitagawa Ryo casually turned to the seventh page of the booklet in his hand. It contained various courses that seemed somewhat incomprehensible at first glance, such as "morality," "mental training," "rules," and "autonomy," all of which were topics that were rarely taught in regular schools.

Corresponding to these abstract course titles is a seemingly packed schedule:

After waking up, we complete our morning lessons, then meditate in the dojo, do group work such as cleaning, have breakfast (which we cook ourselves), and learn various subjects in the classroom. Next is lunch, followed by afternoon lessons, then another meditation before dinner. After dinner and a bath, it's time to go to bed. It seems like the only rest time we can see is Saturday afternoon and Sunday.

"A more detailed schedule will be announced once we arrive at the Forest School. I can't tell you the content of the daily lessons or the order and type of the Special Exam on the last day at this stage."

"Finally, we will announce the specific rewards and punishments for this Special Exam."

"The grading for this Mixed Training Camp Exam will be based on two criteria: the daily assessment and the Final Exam on the last day. The former accounts for 60% and the latter for 40%. The total scores of each student and each group will be published in real time after each day."

"I will now explain to you in order from smallest to largest."

"First, there is a competition among all students across the three grades, meaning the entire school will compete. The top 50% of students will receive a Private Points reward of 20,000, the top 20% will receive 50,000, the top 10% will receive 100,000, the third place will receive 200,000 Private Points plus 20 class Class Points, the second place will receive 500,000 Private Points plus 30 Class Points, and the first place will receive 1,000,000 Private Points plus 50 Class Points."

"Then, there's competition within the grade, specifically between groups."

"The first-place group: Each member of the group will receive 30,000 Private Points and 5 Class Points."

Second place: 10,000 Private Points and 3 Class Points per person.

Third place: 5,000 Private Points and 1 Class Points per person.

Those who finish fourth or lower will be subject to punishment.

Fourth place: Each person will have 5,000 Private Points and 1 Class Points deducted.

Fifth place: Each person will have 10,000 Private Points and 3 Class Points deducted.

Sixth place: Each person will have 30,000 Private Points and 5 Class Points deducted.

Finally, there was the competition between the six groups.

"First place: Each member of the group receives 10,000 Private Points and 3 Class Points."

Second place: Each person receives 5,000 Private Points and 1 Class Points.

Third place: Each person receives 3,000 Private Points.

Fourth place: Each person will have 10,000 Private Points and 1 Class Points deducted.

Fifth place: Each person will have 30,000 Private Points and 3 Class Points deducted.

Sixth place..."

At this point, Hoshinomiya Chie paused slightly before slowly uttering the word:

Student Council in the same group whose scores are below the passing grade will all be expelled.

Seemingly sensing that the atmosphere in the room had cooled down a bit, Hoshinomiya Chie clapped her hands again and smiled to comfort her:

"Of course, this passing score is the same as the ones you encounter in your midterms and Final Exam. It's set according to the school's standards. As long as you complete your tasks diligently every day, you should be able to achieve it. Theoretically speaking, even if your group falls to the bottom, there's still a chance for everyone to pass. Don't worry, don't worry—"

It has to be said that this is probably Hoshinomiya Chie's role in the class. However, Kitagawa Ryo didn't pay attention to the homeroom teacher who was almost thirty years old and still acting cute. Instead, he frowned, feeling that he had missed some important information.

It's quite normal for larger groups to receive fewer rewards than smaller groups, because larger groups have more members. Also, compared to a small group of only twelve or thirteen, a single student has little influence on a larger group of thirty or forty. The school's arrangement is essentially to avoid the delicate situation where a small group works desperately to get points, only to be dragged down by the larger group and lose points in the end.

However, if we only look at the rewards and punishments, this Special Exam seems to be a zero-sum game, because each group will have students from their own class. This means that the Class Points reward that the first-place student receives will most likely be deducted by the last-place student, and it is possible that all their efforts will be in vain.

However, Kitagawa Ryo's doubts didn't last long, because he soon found the answer on the first two pages of the rulebook:

[After completing all assignments for the day, each student can obtain at least one and at most three special cards based on their performance. These cards are of two types: boost and protect, each with a 50% probability. They can be used to boost or protect rewards or punishments received after the final exam results are announced.]

[Amplification: There are four types: 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5, with a probability of obtaining them of 50%, 40%, and 10% respectively. A 0.5 amplification is guaranteed in the last draw.]

[Protection: Only 0.05 is available]

[Example: Student A obtained a total of eight special cards during the eight-day Special Exam, including five boost cards (three with a value of 0.1, one with a value of 0.3, and one guaranteed value of 0.5) and three protection cards. In the end, Student A's total score was in the top 50% of the school, ranking third in their group and second in the overall group.]

[Therefore, the student's final Private Points will be 30,000 multiplied by 2.1 (1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.3 + 0.5) equals 63,000. The Class Points earned will be 6 multiplied by 2.1 equals 12.6, which rounds to 13.]

[Example: Student B obtained a total of eight special cards during the eight-day Special Exam: four enhancement cards and four protection cards. His final score placed him in the top 70% of the entire school, ranking fourth in his group and fifth in the overall group.]

[Therefore, the student's final Private Points deducted will be 35000 multiplied by 0.8(1-0.2) equals 27000. The Class Points deducted will be 4 multiplied by 0.8 equals 3.2, rounded to 3.]

[Note: The cards themselves are non-tradeable and non-transferable, and there are no other ways to obtain them besides daily draws.]

Looking at these familiar terms like probability and safety net, Kitagawa Ryo suddenly felt a strange pang of pain in his liver.

Chapter 396: What's Our Common Topic? (7,000 words)

Twenty pages of rulebooks are indeed not something that can be read in a short time. As Hoshinomiya Chie's voice stopped, the only sound in the carriage was the rustling of turning pages. Each student was trying to make the most of the last moments of the journey to sketch out as much of the Special Exam as possible in their mind.

In Kitagawa Ryo's view, both the random selection of teammates to form groups and the card-drawing mechanism that is closely related to the severity of the final rewards and punishments clearly indicate that there is a considerable element of luck involved in this Special Exam. It is precisely because of this that any prior preparations or plans can only be temporarily shelved before the specific group assignments are finalized.

Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami must have realized this as well, which is why they didn't speak up until the bus arrived at the final Forest School. However, they both looked a little gloomy. After all, the rulebook clearly stated that during this Special Exam, or rather, from the moment they stepped off the bus, the boys and girls would be separated to carry out their respective projects. During this eight-day, seven-night training camp, the only time they could meet and talk freely was one hour at lunch and dinner.

You see, Karuizawa Kei had turned Kitagawa Ryo around hoping to encounter a Special Exam similar to the one on the Uninhabited Island, but she never expected that the first thing they would run into was this subtle rule of forcibly separating boys and girls.

"We'll be arriving at our destination soon. Afterwards, you'll be asked to form small groups indoors and be assigned rooms, followed by lunch. Since today is the first day, there are no classes scheduled; you'll be free to do as you please in the afternoon."

With Hoshinomiya Chie's additional explanation, the bus's speed noticeably began to slow down, and the shadows of some buildings could be seen through the windows. A few minutes later, the bus steadily drove into the parking lot.

"Starting from the front of the line, each student will turn off their mobile phone and place it in the box next to me before getting off the bus. Electronic devices are not allowed during this Special Exam. Please be patient for the next few days."

Hoshinomiya Chie is indeed quite adept at providing emotional value. Every time a student passes by her to hand in their phone and get off the bus, she greets them with a smile and a word of encouragement. Kitagawa Ryo was greeted in the same way, and after handing over his phone, he quickly got off the bus without even giving the other person a chance to pat him on the shoulder.

School staff who had arrived earlier were methodically gathering the students together, seemingly waiting until all students were confirmed to be present before giving further instructions. Therefore, Kitagawa Ryo could only stand a little distance away from the bus and wait quietly with the boys from Class B who had already gotten off.

"... It feels even colder than inside school."

The sudden transition from the warm train carriage to the cold outdoors caused many students to shiver and hug their arms. Watanabe Norihito, standing next to Kitagawa Ryo, even shivered and muttered a complaint under his breath.

"After all, we should be in the mountains now, where the temperature is definitely lower. Speaking of which Forest School is probably a more suitable place to visit in the summer."

Hamaguchi Tetsuya answered in a very low voice, beginning to regret that he hadn't brought a scarf. After all, compared to them, who were freezing like two little quails, Kitagawa Ryo, wearing Horikita Suzune handmade scarf, looked calm and composed, even having the leisure to look around at his surroundings.

It must be said that, just like the Uninhabited Island Special Exam last time, Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School has never been stingy with its investment in such large-scale Special Exam projects. The area of this Forest School is quite astonishing. Although it is still some distance away, you can see the shadows of the magnificent school buildings and dormitories. It even feels more exaggerated than the one in the ANHS High School campus. However, considering that it needs to accommodate students from three grades to attend classes and live at the same time, it does seem that this size is indeed necessary.

As Kitagawa Ryo observed, all the students in Class 1-B got off the bus. However, the boys and girls were taken to two different areas as soon as they got off the bus. Kitagawa Ryo could only exchange glances with Megumi and Honami from a distance before being led by the school staff to a large school building called the Main Building.

Unlike the modern feel of reinforced concrete, Kitagawa Ryo's school building is filled with the distinct scent of wood as soon as you step inside. It is a very traditional wooden building, but thanks to careful daily management, although it looks quite old, it is still in a beautiful condition and does not give people a feeling of being old or stale.

Continuing to follow the teacher through the corridor, you can see what appear to be classrooms on both sides as you pass through the interior. The layout is basically the same as ANHS's classrooms, but there are no air conditioners or other electrical appliances. Instead, they use traditional heaters for warmth. This should be where they will have classes starting tomorrow.

After leading the boys from Class 1-B through the school building, the school staff member finally led them to a spacious area that resembled Gymnasium, where the boys from Class 1-A were already standing.

Although it wasn't convenient to speak, Kitagawa Ryo still subtly waved and gave a small greeting to Ken Sudō, who was also standing in the front row.

Theoretically speaking, this random grouping mode is quite favorable to him. Needless to say, he is a student in Class A before, and he also has a good relationship with Class D. It can be said that he is only not very familiar with Class C in the whole grade. Therefore, no matter what group he is randomly assigned to, he will not end up in the most awkward situation.

However, unlike the promising situation of the intra-grade group, the large group formed with second- and third-year seniors is not so good for Kitagawa Ryo. Needless to say, the second-year students are controlled by Miyabi Nagumo, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka will most likely instruct the third-year students to secretly sabotage the situation.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was pondering this Special Exam, the boys from Class C and Class D were brought into the Gymnasium one after another by the teacher. Although Katsuragi Kohei was still leading the former, since Totsuka Yahiko dropped out of school, this Leader of Class C was also somewhat mentally broken. Even though a whole winter break had passed, he should still have a considerable amount of complicated emotions remaining in his heart.

The leader of Class D was naturally Ryuen Kakeru. After ruthlessly kicking out the opponent Manabe Shiho, from school in the Special Exam during the Class Vote, his prestige as a tyrant in the class undoubtedly returned to its peak at the beginning of the school year. Even though the class had fallen to Class D, he still exuded an indescribable strong confidence, and his gait was also characterized by ruthlessness.

"Alright, now all the First Year boys are here. We will now begin the random grouping process."

After the boys from Class D lined up, the teacher on the stage began the process without any hesitation, instructing students from each class to come up to the stage in turn to draw lots.

Because Kitagawa Ryo was already standing at the front of the line, he was the first to go up to the stage after receiving instructions. He, along with Ken Sudō from Class A, Katsuragi Kohei from Class C, and Ryuen Kakeru from Class D, reached into the lottery boxes in front of them and quickly drew a slip of paper. After tearing off the film covering the writing, a '3' appeared in front of Kitagawa Ryo, which meant that he had been drawn into the Third Large Group of the whole school and the Third Group of the First Year.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was about to leisurely stroll off the stage, he suddenly noticed that the other three people on stage were all looking in his direction. The impatient Ken Sudō even showed him his lot number, but it only had the number 'one' on it.

With a slightly helpless smile, Kitagawa Ryo held up three fingers to Ken Sudō, then turned to Ryuen Kakeru and Katsuragi Kohei on the other side, waving his three fingers and nodding at them, quickly receiving a response.

Ryuen Kakeru's draw number was 'two', while Katsuragi Kohei's was 'six'. All four of them drew different groups in the first round of the draw, which made the four on stage look a little disappointed. After all, the first ones to go on stage were actually the leaders of the boys in their respective classes. If they could have drawn the same group, it would have been a strong alliance, and they could have aimed for the top three teams.

Because all four classes were drawing lots at the same time, the process was faster than Kitagawa Ryo had expected. In no time, all seventy-plus First Year boys present had drawn their lots.

"Now, please find your group members according to the numbers you drew and regroup. You no longer need to maintain the class's line."

As the teacher's voice faded from the stage, the entire stadium immediately buzzed with excitement. Students from the four classes rushed to their friends, hoping to be assigned to the same group.

"Those who drew group number three, please come over here."