Sawahara's Plan

"We're giving up on this Special Exam."

Sawahara announced it to his classmates.

"Wha—" The students looked at one another. Quite a few of them thought it was a bad idea. After all, they had a chance to earn a large number of Class Points just by enduring for a week.

"You have an hour to pick supplies worth one hundred points from this booklet. Spend the day having fun at the beach, then head straight back to the ship tonight."

Sawahara gave the instructions without hesitation.

"Sawahara..." Kaneda looked at him, unable to understand why he had suddenly said this after being so eager to prepare for the exam.

"Kaneda, Shiina, Ryuen will explain later." Sawahara knew they would have questions, but Ryuen should have already understood his plan.

"Help Ryuen manage the class. I have a few things to take care of.

"Mr. Sakagami, sorry for the trouble, but could you come with me? I may need you to step in later."

Sakagami nodded in agreement. As long as he could help the class, he would rarely refuse a student's request.

"Ibuki, once everyone's dismissed, follow Class A's group. Don't get too close, and remember to use this to mark the way."

While Mr. Mashima was explaining the rules, Sawahara quietly gave Ibuki her assignment.

To keep anyone else from hearing, Sawahara leaned close to her ear. It startled her, and his warm breath made her ears turn red.

Even now, thinking about that moment made her feel embarrassed and annoyed.

"Phew, what am I thinking? I almost lost them." Ibuki slapped her cheeks to clear her head, dropped a button on the ground, then continued forward.

That was what Sawahara had given her to mark the way. The teachers would carefully inspect everyone's luggage when they landed on the island, so they couldn't bring many things. Sawahara had simply torn off a button from his own shirt.

There weren't many, but the groups mostly followed paths that had already been cleared, so they only needed to mark forks and turns. The buttons would just about suffice.

She followed Class A's trail, moving farther and farther from the beach. She had only two buttons left, but the good news was that Class A had stopped. There was bad news, too.

"You're from Class C, right? You've done well to follow us all this way, but this is where it ends." Hashimoto Masayoshi smiled at Ibuki and blocked her path. Two boys stood beside him: one looked at Ibuki, while the other kept his eyes fixed on Hashimoto.

"Huh? What makes you think I'm following you? Move. You're in the way." Ibuki looked displeased, frustrated with herself for getting caught and anxious because Class A's group was already so far ahead. It would be hard to catch up now.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, miss."

"Are you puzzled by my decision, sir?" Following the markers Ibuki had left behind, Sawahara headed deeper into the island, making conversation with Mr. Sakagami along the way.

"A little. With your abilities, I think you could have raised your Class Points by quite a lot in this exam." Sakagami nodded. It seemed a shame to pass up such a good chance to earn Class Points.

"Maybe, but there are too many uncertainties."

Sawahara didn't deny it. If they took the exam seriously and used Class C's Special Exam Points to get through it, they could save three hundred points. They had also found eight bases earlier, worth another hundred or so. Then, by guessing the leaders, he could get information on at least two classes' leaders.

"First of all, we have to consider whether someone in our class might have an accident and lose points, whether someone might betray the class, and whether another class might discover our leader. There are too many things to account for.

"I'd rather go after the biggest prize from the start.

"Class D's Special Exam Points are being sold at a premium for one and a half million Private Points a month.

"Now that you've heard that, sir, how many points do you think Class A would pay to buy our class's points?"

Kazuma Sakagami understood what Sawahara had in mind. "At least the same amount."

That would already be equivalent to gaining seven hundred Class Points, more than they could earn from a normal exam.

"But that would also greatly increase Class A and Class B's Class Points. Catching up afterward would be difficult."

"That's not a problem. Don't forget the rules for guessing the leader."

If a leader was guessed correctly, the bonus points earned from occupying bases would be nullified, and the class would also lose fifty points.

If they guessed wrong, the class that made the incorrect guess would lose fifty points.

"I'm not actually planning to do nothing." Sawahara had already made plans.

"Phew, if you've thought it all through, then I have no problem with it." Mr. Sakagami let out a long breath. He was still a little disappointed, given the difference between Private Points and Class Points... But despite his disappointment, he would still do his duty as Class C's homeroom teacher.

"I'll help you as much as I can within the rules."

Teachers weren't supposed to accompany students, but he had been granted permission on the grounds that he was confirming the location of Class C's base.

"Thank you very much." Sawahara smiled and thanked Mr. Sakagami. Having a teacher who was willing to be flexible was a great advantage for their class.

As they talked, Sawahara spotted Ibuki. As expected, she had been stopped, but this was enough.

"Is Class A planning to use violence against one of our female classmates?" Sawahara quickened his pace and called out loudly to get ahead of them.

"Of course not." Seeing Mr. Sakagami panting as he followed behind Sawahara, Hashimoto denied it without hesitation. If they were accused of something like that, Class A's exam would be over.

"We're just enjoying the scenery."

Whatever else you could say about him, Hashimoto certainly had a thick skin.

"Class A really does seem to have everything under control, if you've got this much free time." Sawahara smiled, then dropped a bombshell. "I wonder if you'll still be so relaxed when you learn that Class B has bought Class D's Special Exam Points."

"What!?" The three Class A students froze. As students who had made it into Class A, they quickly realized what that could mean.

"Is that true?" Hashimoto's smile disappeared, and he looked at Sawahara solemnly.

"You can verify it for yourselves, but the Class D students should all be back on the ship by now." Sawahara wore a faint smile. "I also have something to discuss with Katsuragi, about our class's Special Exam Points. Could you ask him if he has time?"

The three Class A students exchanged looks. In the end, they left behind a boy they didn't know to keep watch while Hashimoto went back to find Katsuragi and the other student went to verify the news.

You had to hand it to Class A. They'd considered all the angles when dividing up their people.

With nothing else to do, Sawahara asked the boy his name and learned that he was Nomoto Taiga.

"Sorry. I didn't complete the task." Iori's face was full of frustration. If she hadn't been distracted, she wouldn't have been discovered.

"No, you did well." Sawahara shook his head. But with a stubborn, competitive girl like her, telling her outright that he had never expected her to keep following Class A would only make her angry.

"They're Class A students, after all. Even Ryuen wouldn't have done any better."

That was because Ryuen would have gone straight around them to block Class A, rather than actually bothering to follow them.

"Hmph. Obviously." Sawahara's words eased Iori's frustration a little.

After a while, Katsuragi finally arrived.

"Hashimoto said you wanted to see me. Tell me, what exactly do you want to discuss?" Katsuragi looked at Sawahara with a serious expression. He already had an idea of what Sawahara wanted to talk about.

"Didn't you bring your little sidekick this time?" Sawahara asked in surprise. Totsuka, who usually stayed by Katsuragi's side, hadn't shown up.

"Since you're here, sign this." Sawahara took out a contract. He had prepared it earlier, when he signed one with Class B.

"After signing the contract, Class A will provide Sawahara Zoya with two million Private Points every month.

"Class C will provide Class A with supplies worth two hundred Special Exam Points. Class A will decide the type and quantity of the supplies."

Katsuragi's expression darkened as he read the contract. He threw it back.

"You're asking for far too much. There's no way I'll agree to those terms."

"Katsuragi, why don't you think it over?" Sawahara calmly laid out the facts. "Class B has already acquired Class D's supplies, so their basic point total is already far higher than yours. Unless something unexpected happens, Class B should finish this exam in first place.

"Besides, your position has been getting more and more unstable lately, hasn't it? You applied to join the Student Council and weren't accepted, while Ichinose Honami from Class B is already under evaluation. And someone from Class C has even managed to join the Student Council."

That was also one reason Sakayanagi had chosen to make her move now. The people who had gathered around Katsuragi because of his abilities were beginning to waver. After all, if the Student Council President thought you weren't good enough, then you probably weren't.

"Even so, I won't accept this contract." Katsuragi still refused. Even knowing that rejecting it might cause him to lose his position as leader if they failed the Special Exam, he wouldn't agree.

The difference between people from the same class is incredible. Is this what human diversity looks like?

Sawahara sighed to himself.

"If that's the case, then there's nothing left to discuss." Sawahara calmly took back the contract, then turned to leave without hesitation.

He had walked about ten meters when Katsuragi finally couldn't hold back and spoke again.

"The terms of that contract won't work, but we can negotiate."

In the end, Class A needed this contract. If Class B won the exam, the gap between them would shrink by at least half. They couldn't accept that.

"Fine."

This negotiation was much more difficult than the one with Kanzaki. The gap between the two sides' bottom lines was simply too wide.

Class A was willing to pay only one million points a month for the supplies, almost the same amount as Class B. But how could Sawahara pass up a chance to take advantage of them while they were desperate?

Class A would have to pay at least one million six hundred thousand Private Points a month.

"One million four hundred thousand, and you have to provide information on one class leader. I also need to see concrete proof. Those are my final terms."

Katsuragi offered the greatest concession he could. If Sawahara still refused, he would have no choice but to give up.

"...One million six hundred thousand. Information on two leaders. I don't mind seeing physical evidence, either." Sawahara thought it over and changed the terms.

"...Fine, but one of those two leaders has to be from Class B." Katsuragi immediately guessed what Sawahara had in mind. There might be something to gain from information on the leaders of Classes C and D, but the more important thing was to push Class B down.

"If you want Class B's leader information, you can't see physical evidence, and you can't tell Class B where the information came from." Sawahara added another condition. Getting physical proof from Class B would be too difficult.

"Then how can I know whether your information is true?"

"You'll have to judge for yourself."

Katsuragi looked Sawahara in the eye. By now, he knew Sawahara wouldn't make any more concessions. After thinking it over for a long time, he finally signed the contract.

"Class A will provide Sawahara Zoya with one million six hundred thousand Private Points every month.

"Class C will provide Class A with supplies worth two hundred Special Exam Points. Class A will decide the type and quantity.

"Class C will provide Class A with information on the leader of Class B and one other class. The information on this other class's leader must be supported by physical evidence."

That was the full agreement.

With that, Sawahara had accomplished the first step of his plan for this Special Exam.