Beep! Beep! Beep! The phone rang.
"Moshiboshi!"
"Pressure-masu ne—quite capable, Nagami."
"To think you could back Class A and Class C into a corner. Even I would have trouble pulling that off. If I had enough points, I'd almost be tempted to buy you into Class A."
Because of her poor health, Sakayanagi couldn't endure the yacht's rough movements at sea. She hadn't joined the summer trip and could only remotely pull the strings from home.
"Thanks for the praise, little princess. When are you paying the rest? After all, at this school, points can buy you anything."
"How heartless. I feel like you're looking down on me. Once Class A is unified, I'll show you what Class A is really capable of. And I won't go easy on you then."
"Then I'll look forward to it. But before that, please settle the bill."
Nagami was as confident as ever.
"I hope you can still surprise me the next time we meet."
With that, Sakayanagi hung up.
"Same old tsundere little princess."
After ending the call, Nagami gazed out the window and thought to himself.
"Life isn't about the pursuit itself. It's about enjoying life along the way. Points aren't the goal; what matters is the process of pursuing them!"
I really am a great philosopher.
A notification chimed, informing him that 50,000 points had arrived.
"Time to eat again, boys!"
With his newly earned points, Nagami headed to the dining hall. Most of the food was free, but a few desserts cost extra. His favorite was the Macau Secret Portuguese Egg Tart.
As he passed the pool, he saw a lively scene. Several Class D students were playing in the water, splashes sparkling in the sunlight. Koenji swam rapidly as if no one else were there, his arms slicing through the water.
On a lounge chair beside the shallow end, Horikita was absorbed in the book in her hands, basking in the sun's gentle warmth.
Kushida was still doing her best to get close to Horikita and build a friendly relationship. She went over to strike up a conversation, but Horikita made a disgusted face and moved away.
"Talk about getting the cold shoulder, Kushida."
Nagami couldn't help stopping to watch for a while. Kushida's figure in her pale red swimsuit was too eye-catching to ignore. Even a sigma male like Nagami had to admire the view for a moment.
Then he headed toward the dining hall. The laughter and chatter from the pool gradually faded behind him, but the lively atmosphere seemed to linger along his path.
The fragrant sweetness of eggs and sugar wafted toward him. One bite broke through the crisp layers of pastry with a delicate, crackling sound.
The filling was soft and springy on his tongue. Eggs, cream, milk, and sugar blended in perfect proportion to create a unique flavor. Sweet without being cloying—that was the highest praise for a dessert.
The Macau Secret Portuguese Egg Tart truly lived up to its name.
"Special announcement, special announcement. This is a notice to all students: the Special Exam is about to begin. Please check the email on your phones."
"Follow the instructions on your phones and take action immediately."
Hearing the announcement over the yacht's loudspeakers, Nagami felt annoyed. It had interrupted his enjoyment of the food.
Before long, a chorus of phone notifications began to sound.
[Please go to Room 504 before 6:00 p.m. today. Do not arrive late, leave early, or request an absence.]
"This school really doesn't give us a moment to rest. It's making everyone tense."
After finishing his tart, Nagami immediately went to the gym to work up a sweat. Muscles shrank the moment you stopped training for three days. The human body was terribly lazy.
What's more, he'd lost a lot of weight during the seven days on the Uninhabited Island, when food and clothing had been scarce. As soon as he was back on the yacht, he'd started a heavy-weight training program.
"The gym is free and nearly empty. I've got to make the most of it while I can."
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The 100-kilogram barbell slammed roughly onto the floor. That was only a light warm-up.
Looking in the mirror, Nagami couldn't help striking a standard bodybuilding pose and admiring his muscles.
I'm gorgeous.
"Crap. I hope I haven't caught something from Beautiful Guy."
5:50 p.m. Ten minutes before the Special Exam. After a tiring day, Nagami made his way into the designated room, 504.
"Oh, Ayanokoji, Karuizawa, Yukimura. All from Class D. What a coincidence."
"Why do I have to be stuck with you people again? I'd take even one hair from Hirata over this."
(You don't see many couples who still call each other by their last names after all this time. They're more formal with each other than strangers.)
(Maybe they're only pretending to be a couple. Either Hirata is too popular and this is a way to fend off confessions, or Karuizawa's a delinquent using the relationship to build an image.)
Whichever it was, Karuizawa was clearly using Hirata's reputation to put up a front.
"Oh, that's mean, Karuizawa. We still need to get along for the exam, you know?"
Nagami was smiling on the outside, but cursing inwardly. He couldn't be bothered to argue with children.
"Please take your seats. The Special Exam is about to begin."
That was Mashima, Class A's homeroom teacher.
6:00 p.m. The exam began.
"I'll now explain the rules for this exam. This time, you won't be competing by class. The school has selected twelve students from Classes A, B, C, and D to form each group. There are twelve groups in total.
"There are cards in front of you with the rules for this VIP Exam. Please read them."
(Not competing by class. Are they testing our ability to think? Based on my recent conversation with Horikita Manabu, the school's Special Exams follow three principles: the ability to act, teamwork, and the ability to think.)
(With a hastily assembled group like this, teamwork should be the first factor we can rule out.)
"The VIPs will be announced by email at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. The VIPs aren't chosen at random; there's a pattern."
"Each group can have only one VIP, and the VIP themselves can't email the school to reveal their identity," Mashima-sensei said.
In other words, the aim of this exam was to identify the VIP hiding in their group.
Nagami carefully studied the rules on the card in his hands.
(There must be some hidden clues or logical loopholes.)
(Twelve groups, four classes. That means an average of three VIPs from each class. As the core leaders of their classes, Hirata or Kushida would certainly find out who the VIPs were in their class right away.)
(Then we can look for patterns by comparing the VIPs in each class with the groups they're in. Whoever figures out the school's pattern first will gain the advantage.)
"What kind of ridiculous exam is this supposed to be?!"
After reading the card, Karuizawa muttered under her breath. Clearly, the rules were too complicated for her to grasp. Ayanokoji, by contrast, looked calm, as if he had everything figured out.
"Quiet down. Let's carefully analyze what we know first."
Yukimura pushed up his glasses and spoke solemnly.
"Is that all? Doesn't seem too difficult."
Nagami's bold remark drew Ayanokoji's attention.
Ayanokoji frowned slightly, wondering if Nagami was being overconfident.
Nagami paid no attention to the looks around him and continued analyzing the rules.
"If the VIPs aren't chosen at random, then their identities must be connected to some attribute we all have. Maybe our academic rankings, or some score from the entrance exam."
Nagami continued speaking to himself.
"If it's that easy to guess, wouldn't this exam be too simple?"
Yukimura couldn't help speaking up.
"Of course it won't be that simple. But as long as we start checking all the possibilities, we'll find a way through."
Nagami smiled.
Everyone fell silent, deep in thought.
"I'm going to find Hirata. You can keep thinking." Karuizawa huffed impatiently.
Before you continue