Christmas Eve Notice

"It's so ordinary, so ordinary that it's unsettling. What exactly did I miss? Are there any other unstable factors in the class?"

Early in the morning, Nagami sat on a rock, deep in thought.

Could it be that they designed such a long buffer period just to lower everyone's guard? Are they waiting for a fatal hour to make everyone kill each other?

But there is absolutely no motive to do so.

Ring, ring, ring—the sound of Santa's reindeer bells echoed.

[Is you...]

[I don't want a lot for Christmas]

[There is just one thing I need]

[I don't care about the presents]

Mariah Carey's annual Christmas anthem refreshed right on time for December 25th.

The cold winter air carried a hint of sweet, hot chocolate, and the streets were draped in colorful Christmas lights, as if every branch had been set ablaze with stars.

After rejecting Sato's confession, Ayanokoji was walking side-by-side with Karuizawa through the bustling shopping district. Her breath turned into white mist, yet her steps were as light as if she were walking on clouds.

"Why did you reject Sato's confession?"

Karuizawa asked.

"Because she cannot replace your position."

Ayanokoji's blunt answer left Karuizawa blushing, unsure of what to say.

"Hey, that Santa is so funny!"

Karuizawa pointed at a shop window by the road, laughing until she couldn't stand straight. The Santa model inside was dancing while shaking its head, clumsy and cute.

"By the way, I have something for you."

"Nani, nani?"

Karuizawa looked at the simple package Ayanokoji handed her. She opened it to find a box of ordinary cold medicine.

"Uh, even though it has nothing to do with romance, thank you anyway."

Karuizawa sighed helplessly, but she wasn't disappointed. Because what she was looking forward to wasn't snow or gifts, but a Christmas with him.

This gift, I have already received it. Thinking of this, the corners of her mouth curled into a smile involuntarily.

The hot cocoa in the paper cup in her hand radiated warmth, dispelling the chill from her fingertips.

The sound of a guitar from a nearby shop playing "Last Christmas" resonated with the crowd on the street.

Karuizawa stopped and stood on the edge of the crowd, humming along softly, though her voice was a bit off-key.

"Kiyotaka, will we be able to spend Christmas together next year too?"

"No problem."

She stared at Ayanokoji with wide eyes for a long time, as if trying to find traces of a lie.

Ding—a message notification. Karuizawa picked up her phone and opened the email.

"You have been selected as the anonymous Water Ghost for the Primeval Forest special exam. To protect your safety, it is recommended that you do not disclose this to anyone until the exam is over."

Karuizawa put her phone away and looked at Ayanokoji hesitantly.

Her gaze flickered between the ground and Ayanokoji, but in the end, she confessed her identity as the Water Ghost to him; she couldn't hide anything from him.

Although the cold wind persisted, this street seemed exceptionally warm because of this secret couple and the festive atmosphere filling the air.

They continued to walk aimlessly, the small bells at the shop entrances jingling, the air filled with the scent of desserts.

After they left, only the melancholy melody of "Last Christmas" lingered in the air: "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away."

Ring, ring, ring...

If you can't find it by the book title, try searching for the author; maybe it just changed its name!

"Stare~"

Kushida said nothing, just kept staring.

"Stare~"

"What's wrong, little Kikyo?"

"Nagami-kun, although you aren't wrong, could you apologize to me?"

Kushida wore her signature fake smile, requesting in a gentle tone.

"If you beg me, I might consider it."

"Temee! Don't look down on me!"

Kushida's face turned slightly red.

"Want to compare button-mashing speeds? I'd be happy to oblige."

"Huh? At a time like this, you're still saying things that don't make sense. Baka! Baka!"

Kushida stomped back into the tent, fuming.

"Girls are such a hassle. Imagine if we were actually dating."

Nagami silently admired his own quick-wittedness.

Just as Nagami was congratulating himself, he suddenly heard a commotion. It turned out that several boys in the class were arguing over who would be responsible for grilling food at the bonfire party that night.

"My grilling skills are the best, so obviously it should be me!"

Sudo said, patting his chest.

"No way. Sudo burns part of the food every single time, and the ingredients bought with Class Points go to waste. It should be me instead."

Ike gathered his courage to retort. Ever since Nagami cooked on the first day, others in the class had been eager to try, taking turns in a rotation.

Watching the monkeys turn red in the face from their argument, Nagami couldn't help but chuckle. Interesting, far too interesting.

He calculated whether he should collect some protection money after the special exam concluded; after all, he still held the evidence of the locker room voyeurism in his hands.

Previously, he had shown mercy, considering the poor living conditions of his Class D classmates and their lack of spare points. But times had changed; the school had suddenly bestowed a large sum of points upon them, so it was time to make a move.

At this moment, Hirata finally returned, mediating the class conflicts as always, seemingly never tiring.

"Hirata-kun plans to organize a bonfire party on the sixth day and use the remaining points to purchase supplies."

Karuizawa looked forward to this scene and said excitedly, as if she could already see the beautiful image of herself and Kiyotaka dancing by the bonfire—it would surely be a wonderful memory.

"A bonfire party will definitely be fun!"

The small group chimed in.

"Using the atmosphere of a bonfire party to alleviate the anxiety of the final hour?"

"It's like a serial killer who, while evading capture, is moved by a bowl of fragrant noodles at a farm woman's house and decides to turn over a new leaf."

"To be honest, it's somewhat feasible, but not by much."

"Looking left and right, I still can't think of any suspicious individuals. There are only a few core figures in the class: Hirata, Ayanokoji, Kushida, Horikita, and Karuizawa."

"No matter which one it is, I can't find a motive for betrayal."

"Using a Water Ghost to drag someone down is a lose-lose situation. The Trust Points earned by a class in a special exam surely exceed 4 million. Furthermore, if they suffer retaliation from an opposing class, they would also lose 4 million points, and the opposing class would definitely target a core figure. Trading a person for points isn't viable either."

"Sigh, what a headache. Might as well just give up."

Deep down, however, Nagami felt a faint sense of unease, one that grew heavier as time passed.

When the news of the bonfire party struck like a bolt of lightning across the sky, the students gathered in the distance cheered one after another, temporarily forgetting their quarrels.

In its place, the students were filled with enthusiastic discussions, full of anticipation for the upcoming bonfire party.

"Woohoo!" "Woohoo!" "Woohoo!"