The Many Faces of the Students After the Special Exam

"Actually, there's a third step to this Uninhabited Island plan: to completely eliminate you as an uncertain factor."

"Ayanokoji."

Kitagawa Ryo threw a punch at Ayanokoji Kiyotaka in the rain, but Ayanokoji Kiyotaka dodged the punch, the sharp wind whistling past his nose.

"Kitagawa Ryo, is that right?"

If we include the previous simulations, this is his 101st time facing Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

However, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka clearly had no desire to continue fighting. The moment he saw Kitagawa Ryo, he realized that his plan had failed.

He backed away, glancing around, but the torrential rain had reduced visibility to only a few meters.

"If you commit violence against members of other classes, you will be expelled."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka attempted to use the rules to intimidate Kitagawa Ryo.

"Wasn't it Ayanokoji who first tried to harm his classmate?"

Kitagawa Ryo's offensive continued unabated. Since the other party had struck first, he was in the right no matter what. He decided to have his fill of fighting first.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka used his hands to parry Kitagawa Ryo's whip kick, and then wiped the rain off his face:

"There's no point in continuing the fight."

"It's pointless, but just thinking about your plans makes me want to punch you in the face."

"Do successful products from the White Room ultimately only resort to violence to solve problems?"

Kitagawa Ryo, seemingly undeterred, continued to press closer, his raincoat whistling in the wind.

"You know about me?"

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was startled upon hearing the term "White Room," but quickly regained his composure.

"No wonder I always felt like you were targeting me."

Back on May 1st, when Kitagawa Ryo first led his men to collect debts from Class D, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka noticed something was off about Kitagawa Ryo, but he never expected that the other party could so easily identify his background.

"If Ayanokoji could just stay a normal high school student, I wouldn't need to target you."

Kitagawa Ryo landed a punch on Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's right arm. The two were very close in terms of physical strength and ability, and it seemed that the situation was still close.

"To be more precise, I'm also very curious as to why Ayanokouji, who had been quietly staying put for an entire semester without making any Ayanokoji, suddenly became active during the summer vacation."

"There are some very troublesome things that I don't want to do."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka also spoke with a hint of helplessness, saying that if he had known he would have to deal with a freak like Kitagawa Ryo, he should have negotiated with Chabashira Sae more thoroughly.

"Your Class C won this Uninhabited Island Special Exam."

Kitagawa Ryo stopped what he was doing when he heard Ayanokoji Kiyotaka concede. He nodded, and suddenly another person emerged from the woods behind him.

Even in the pitch-black rainy night, the other person's honey-colored long hair was extremely conspicuous, and it was only at this moment that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's true target appeared in front of him.

Karuizawa Kei's appearance was unexpected for Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, since Kitagawa Ryo had already guessed that he was going to make a move against Karuizawa Kei, and logically he should have let Karuizawa Kei return to Class D.

But the next second he understood the significance of Karuizawa Kei's appearance. She was holding a digital camera in her hand, the same model as the Horikita Suzune had redeemed a couple of days ago.

"If I remember correctly, it was Ayanokoji who started it."

Kitagawa Ryo draped his raincoat over Karuizawa Kei, standing in front of her to confront Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

"You escaped from the White Room to this school, and Chabashira probably threatened you with expulsion to get you to do this, but..."

He waved the camera in his hand, returning every single word he had just said:

What are the consequences of committing violence against students in other classes during Special Exam periods?

Tell me your terms.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood with his hands clasped behind his back, large raindrops rolling down his cheeks and shoulders. Perhaps because he had been threatened by Chabashira Sae once, he now seemed more composed than before.

"Hui, what do you think?"

But Kitagawa Ryo didn't answer immediately; he looked down at Karuizawa Kei and asked:

"If you want, we can use this video to expel Ayanokoji from school."

"He was targeting you. Although he didn't succeed, I think the choice should be yours."

Karuizawa Kei nodded and stepped forward to extend her hand, but not in the way Kitagawa Ryo had expected—a gesture of venting her anger with a punch—but rather a friendly handshake.

"Although Ayanokoji's methods were a bit extreme, they didn't actually harm me, so I just need to work hard to contribute to Class D from now on."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka looked down at the smiling Karuizawa Kei.

He noticed.

With her back to Kitagawa Ryo, Karuizawa Kei was mouthing words to him, her eyes flashing with a dangerous light that even surprised Ayanokoji Kiyotaka:

[Two, thousands, tens of thousands, individuals, points, numbers.]

"How about it?"

When Karuizawa Kei turned back to face Kitagawa Ryo, her expression was gentle and kind once again.

"It's up to Hui to make the decision herself."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded, deciding not to interfere with Karuizawa Kei's choice any further.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka quietly circled back to Class D' s camp. Since it was the last night and it was raining heavily, the students on night watch had gone to bed early, which gave him and Karuizawa Kei the opportunity to sneak out of the camp.

Why are you only getting back now?

Horikita Suzune seemed to be waiting for him, and walked over as soon as she saw Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

"I got lost on a rainy day."

This flimsy excuse would normally not fool Horikita Suzune, but right now Horikita Suzune is in a rare state of excitement and confidence:

"I got the picture!"

She took out her camera from her pocket and pulled up the photos:

"The Leader of Class C is Kitagawa Ryo."

[Just as he predicted]

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka recalled Kitagawa Ryo's parting words, so he made no attempt to offer any reminders, even trying to appear excited, but his tone remained completely monotonous:

"That's wonderful!"

"As expected of you, Horikita."

"We've got this in the bag."

Chapter Thirty-Five: A Glimpse into the Lives After the Special Examination

On August 8th, the seventh day of survival on the Uninhabited Island, the Special Exam that had come as a surprise attack finally came to an end. Just as the First Year students were feeling, the sky cleared up, sweeping away the gloom of the previous night, and the air was filled with the fresh and natural scent of rain.

"The exam results are being tallied now, please wait a moment. Since the exam is over, if any students need a drink or need to use the restrooms, please go to the designated rest area."

An announcement was playing nearby. After cleaning their respective campsites as instructed by their homeroom teacher, the First Year students gathered together at the rest area. To the students' delight, who were exhausted, there were other things like tables and chairs prepared under the temporary tents, and drinks were poured into paper cups on the tables.

As the icy drink entered his mouth, Ken Sudō took a deep breath, as if he had come back to life. During the seven days of survival on the Uninhabited Island, because there were only thirty-six people in Class D, he had almost done the work of two people. However, he believed that his efforts would pay off. After all, including the points gained from capturing bases, Class D had retained more than four hundred Special Exam Points. If the list provided by Class C was accurate, they could add another one hundred points.

Moreover, last night Horikita Suzune announced that she had discovered the Leader of Class C, citing photographic evidence. Although Hirata Yosuke advised that Classes C and D were in a cooperative relationship and should not speculate about the Leader of their ally, the other students in Class D couldn't resist the temptation of fifty Special Exam Points. Karuizawa Kei, seemingly watching Horikita Suzune's performance. Therefore, Class D ultimately chose to guess that Kitagawa Ryo was the Leader Class C.

If we guess correctly, Class D will get an extra fifty points.

Thinking of this, the students in Class D around them were still chatting and laughing. Thanks to the supplies sent by Class A, Class D' s conditions were much better than those of Classes A and B in terms of infrastructure such as shower rooms and toilets. Although it was Uninhabited Island survival, they did not suffer too much. Moreover, compared with the points that were about to be awarded, the suffering was completely worthwhile.

In stark contrast to the atmosphere in Class D was Class A. Although they gained a considerable number of points through capturing strongholds, they also sent 200 Special Exam Points to Class D and signed a contract with Class C for one million Private Points per month. In total, Class A suffered a crushing defeat in this exam and could only pray that the other classes wouldn't close the gap in Class Points too quickly.

Katsuragi Kohei sighed softly in the crowd. Although Horikita Suzune had given him the information that Kitagawa Ryo was the Leader Class C yesterday, he ultimately did not choose to guess the Leader of Class C. Perhaps it was because he was too deeply impressed by Kitagawa Ryo's tricks during the entire Special Exam, or perhaps it was his own personality. In the end, Class A only guessed Classes B and D based on the list provided by Kitagawa Ryo.

Meanwhile, Class B, led by Ichinose Honami, seemed completely oblivious to the situation. Adopting a purely defensive strategy, Class B focused on conserving points and capturing strongholds after forming an alliance with Kitagawa Ryo. From Class B's perspective, it was more important to protect the identity of their own Leader other classes, in order to preserve the extra points gained from capturing strongholds. In the past seven days, no students from other classes other than Kitagawa Ryo had been seen entering Class B's camp, so the members of Class B were quite at ease.

Unlike the lively scenes in the other three classes, only two people stood simply in Class C's area.

Kitagawa Ryo was clean and odorless, and ate, drank, and slept well.

And then Ryuen Kakeru, whose shirt has vanished, whose pants are filthy, whose beard is unshaven, whose hair is dry, and whose dark circles are incredibly heavy.

Although there were only two of them, their momentum was by no means weak, because...

"Boss Kitagawa is so handsome!"

"Brother Ryuen's beard is so sexy!"

"The victory celebration banquet is ready!"

"Class C is invincible!"

On the cruise ship that docked, the Class C members, who had already gone back to play for four or five days, pulled out a set of banners from somewhere, and even waved support signs and glow sticks. Screams and shouts rose and fell, and if you didn't know better, you would think it was a concert by some idol.

Some students from Class A had originally planned to mock Ryuen Kakeru's slovenly appearance, but upon seeing the Class C students on deck who had been enjoying themselves for five or six days... no, it seemed like they had been on vacation since the first day they arrived on the island, they couldn't help but cast resentful glances at Katsuragi Kohei from their own class.

A soft "chirp" echoed across the beach Mashima Tomoya, the homeroom teacher of Class A, appeared.

The First Year students hurriedly tried to line up, since no one wanted to lose points at the last minute before the exam ended, but Mashima Tomoya stopped them with his hand.

"You can all relax like this. The exams are over, and this is now part of summer vacation. Although it's short, you can still be a bit casual."

Even after the teacher said that, the atmosphere among the students remained tense. They all stood up from their chairs, and even the chatter stopped instantly, as they waited for the teacher's next words.

"This week, our faculty and staff have truly witnessed your dedication to the Special Exam. Some of you tackled them head-on, while others put in considerable effort. Although the formats varied, overall, I believe the results were excellent. Thank you for your hard work."

Receiving generous praise from their teachers, most students showed expressions of relief and pride.

Regardless of the outcome, the week-long exams were finally over—a feeling of reality welled up in everyone's hearts, and they unconsciously straightened their chests.

"Now, I'd like to announce the results of the Special Exam directly."

"Please note that we will not accept any questions regarding the results. The school hopes that you will accept the results yourselves, analyze them, and apply this knowledge to the next exam."

Without further pleasantries, Mashima knew what his students were looking forward to, and he unfolded the folded paper in his hand.

It's likely that no one, except perhaps the school administration, knew the outcome of this Special Exam beforehand, including the class tutor.

Every student focused their attention on Mashima Tomoya on the stage, eager to know the points their class had earned.

"First, the last one is..."

Mashima's movements stiffened for a moment, but she still read the content aloud:

"Class A at midnight."

Katsuragi Kohei sprayed the drink he hadn't swallowed yet all over his underling Totsuka Yahiko's head.

Kitagawa Ryo and Ryuen Kakeru exchanged a glance and nodded.

[Class A started with 270 points. On the first day, they used 20 points to exchange for supplies for Class D, leaving 50 points. They correctly guessed the Leader of Class D, gaining 100 points. However, they were jointly guessed by Class D, resulting in a deduction of 150 points. Additionally, because their Leader was correctly guessed, the bonus points for capturing strongholds were canceled, leaving them with zero points in the end.]

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka turned to look at Katsuragi Kohei, who was staring at him in disbelief. He said that Class A should have gambled on the Leader of Class C. With zero points, they wouldn't lose any more points even if they lost. Although this sounded like hindsight, it reflected Katsuragi Kohei's personality.

In the end, he didn't dare to push his limits.

Besides Class C, which was expected to perform well, Class B and Class D also looked at Class A with disbelief. Class C, whose almost all members withdrew from the exam, didn't even get a zero. How did Class A, a prestigious class, manage to get a zero?

"Third place goes to Class D with 100 points."

Before everyone could recover from the shock of Class A, the teacher's next words caused an uproar in Class D. According to the calculation, Class D should have been able to get more than 400 points, so how come they only got a mere 100 points in the end?

Kitagawa Ryo looked at Horikita Suzune, who had instantly lost all color, and shook his head slightly:

[Class D starts with 300 points. Koenji's withdrawal and the points exchanged in the previous two days cost a total of 80 points. Correctly guessing Class B adds 100 points; being correctly guessed by Class C deducts 150 points.]

If calculated this way, Class D should have been able to save 170 points.

However, Horikita Suzune's unauthorized actions cost her another twenty Special Exam Points (which could be exchanged for a camera), and she also lost an extra fifty points because she guessed the Leader of Class C incorrectly.

Class D should have been second in this exam.

"The second place goes to Class B, which has 140 points."

Ichinose Honami was also stunned when she heard the number 140, but she quickly recovered and her tone became somewhat dejected:

"It seems the Leader was correctly predicted."

The Leader of Class B is none other than Shiranami Chihiro. It's quite an amazing coincidence that the Leader chosen by Class B and Class D are spies planted by Kitagawa Ryo.

[Class B started with 300 points, spent 110 points over seven days of survival, and has 190 points remaining.]