Recaps

After ending the study session, Hoshida No met Ryuen Kakeru, who proposed an alliance against Sakayanagi Arisu. Hoshida No agreed to cooperate with Ryuen for the next Special Exam.

• Hirata Yousuke ended the study session, and Hoshida No returned to the dorm after seven in the evening.
• Yamada Albert escorted Hoshida No to meet Ryuen Kakeru, who confronted him about the 1.2 million points and accused him of selling information to Sakayanagi Arisu.
• Ryuen Kakeru said Sakayanagi Arisu had been using underhanded tactics and proposed joining forces to take her down.
• Ryuen Kakeru warned that Sakayanagi wanted to make Hoshida No her subordinate and revealed she had offered him 500,000 Personal Points to work with her.
• Hoshida No agreed to the alliance until the next Special Exam, and he and Ryuen Kakeru toasted their partnership.

Hoshida No interrupted Horikita Manabu as he threatened and attacked his sister, Horikita Suzune, and fought him off before Ayanokoji Kiyotaka intervened. Horikita Manabu recognized Hoshida No's perfect exam scores and Ayanokoji's repeated scores of exactly fifty, leaving both Class D students exposed as unusual talents.

• Hoshida No and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka discovered Horikita Suzune speaking with her brother, Student Council President Horikita Manabu, who told her to drop out and raised his hand to strike her.
• Hoshida No stopped Horikita Manabu's attack, then defended himself as Manabu fought him; Hoshida No subdued him but was struck by a surprise blow when he let go.
• Ayanokoji Kiyotaka blocked Horikita Manabu's punch before it could hit Hoshida No and rebuked Manabu for breaking his word.
• Horikita Manabu identified Hoshida No as the first-year student who earned perfect scores in every subject and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka as the student who scored exactly fifty in every subject.

After Horikita Suzune joined Hoshida No’s study group, he investigated how the upcoming Special Exam could make the unequal classes compete fairly. Comparing recent quizzes with archived review guides, he spotted a pattern in the exam problems and began to understand what fairness meant.

• Horikita Suzune watched Hoshida No defeat Horikita Manabu, then walked back to the dorms with Hoshida No and Ayanokoji in silence.
• Hoshida No agreed to Karuizawa Kei’s request to go out with her and Honami, and Horikita Suzune told him she would attend his study group.
• Horikita Suzune joined the study group, challenged Hoshida No’s teaching methods, and said Class D needed perfect scores.
• Hoshida No wondered how the Special Exam could account for differences between the classes and borrowed three years of public review guides from the librarian.
• Hoshida No compared the guides with recent quizzes and noticed two math problems had the same format despite using different scenarios.

Hoshida No bought past exam papers from Morikawa and confirmed that the first-year quizzes reused old questions. He then met Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami at Keyaki Mall, where their outing drew attention before they moved to a private room and talked about Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

• Hoshida No paid Morikawa 200,000 Personal Points for fifteen quiz papers and five midterm papers, then confirmed from the screenshots that the first month's quizzes matched past exams.
• Hoshida No met Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami at Keyaki Mall and offered to treat them to afternoon tea for arriving late.
• Nearby students recognized the trio and secretly took photos, so Hoshida No asked one student to delete a picture and paid for a private room.
• In the private room, Hoshida No reassured Ichinose Honami, and Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami teased him about resembling Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

Hoshida No sold Ryuen Kakeru exam-preparation information and gave his class practice papers closely resembling the midterms. Horikita Suzune questioned him about their source, then resolved to uncover his identity and aims.

• Hoshida No met Ryuen Kakeru in the library and offered him exam question analyses for 450,000 points, with a refund condition if they proved inaccurate.
• Ryuen Kakeru accepted the deal, transferred the points, and asked Hoshida No about his information source; Hoshida No cited upperclassmen’s materials and teachers’ habits.
• After Ryuen Kakeru left, Hoshida No gave Ayanokoji 200,000 points.
• Hoshida No presented his class with five practice exams containing answers and explanations, and told the students not to share them.
• Horikita Suzune confronted Hoshida No about where he got the exam information, but he gave her the same explanation and left.
• Horikita Suzune resolved to discover who Hoshida No was and what he wanted from the school.

After Hoshida No helped Class 1-D gain 180 points, Kushida Kikyo grew jealous of the attention he received and secretly investigated him while trying to turn Horikita Suzune and Hirata Yousuke against his methods. When she failed to uncover his past or manipulate him, she decided to take control herself and summoned him behind the dormitory at night.

• Class 1-D celebrated gaining 180 points after the midterm exams, while Kushida Kikyo resented the attention Hoshida No received.
• Kushida used her network of contacts to investigate Hoshida and suggested to Horikita Suzune and Hirata Yousuke that his exam methods might cause trouble.
• Kushida learned little about Hoshida's past and grew unsettled by his aloof response to her probing.
• Kushida decided to manufacture leverage against Hoshida if she could not find anything real to use.
• On May 17, Hoshida received Kushida's messages asking him to meet her behind the dormitory.

Hoshida No confronted Kushida Kikyo in a secluded clearing after she tried to frame him by tearing her dress and pretending he had assaulted her. He exposed her plan with his recording, then left her with his jacket and a promise to keep the video private if she caused no further trouble.

• Hoshida No went to the clearing behind the dormitory after tracking Kushida Kikyo's location, while Horikita Suzune questioned Ayanokoji about his and Hoshida No's intentions.
• Kushida Kikyo accused Hoshida No of drawing attention away from her and admitted she wanted him to disappear or stop being special.
• Kushida Kikyo tore her dress and threatened to claim Hoshida No had assaulted her, but he pointed out that her skirt pocket held a miniature recorder and revealed that he had filmed the encounter.
• Kushida Kikyo broke down, explaining that she feared being abandoned and alone, and Hoshida No covered her with his jacket.
• Hoshida No told Kushida Kikyo he would keep the video sealed if there were no further incidents, advised her to trust someone, and left her alone in the clearing.

After midterm exams, Hoshida No joined his class for swimming lessons and admitted to Horikita Suzune and Kushida that he could not swim. Kushida taught him the basics, and during a break he accepted her apology for what happened on a previous night.

• Yamauchi Haruki, Kanji Ike, and Sotomura Hideo debated which girls in their class had the biggest breasts.
• Horikita Suzune found Hoshida No hiding by the pool and learned that he could not swim.
• Ayanokoji joined Hoshida No poolside, and Kushida noticed them watching her swim.
• Kushida offered to teach Hoshida No, who quickly learned to float and kick with her guidance.
• Kushida apologized to Hoshida No for her past behavior, and he told her it was over.

Hoshida No noticed Shiina Hiyori’s unusual independence while they shared a quiet encounter in the library. Later, he advised Ichinose Honami on how to handle a love letter from a girl in her class, leaving her resolved to act as usual.

• Hoshida No observed Shiina Hiyori reading in the library and wondered how she fit into Ryuen Kakeru’s Class C.
• Hoshida No and Shiina Hiyori reached for the same book, and she gave it to him after recognizing him as the Class D student who led his class to a midterm miracle.
• Ichinose Honami met Hoshida No privately and told him a girl in her class had left her a love letter.
• Hoshida No advised Ichinose to accept the letter without reacting immediately and to treat the girl as she always had.
• Ichinose put the letter away and resolved to remain herself, then asked Hoshida what he would do if someone close confessed to him; he said he did not know.

Hoshida watched Horikita and Hirata organize a response to Ryuen Kakeru's harassment, which led to penalties for Class C. The chapter then introduced the first-years' seven-day Special Exam, the “Class War.”

• Hoshida warned Horikita that the class needed evidence to make the Student Council act, and Horikita and Hirata devised a plan to document Class C's harassment and prevent confrontations.
• Hirata and Horikita submitted evidence to the Student Council, with Ichinose Honami and Karuizawa Kei testifying, and the school gave Class C a written warning and deducted 30 Class Points and 500,000 Personal Points.
• Class C stopped its harassment, while Horikita questioned Hoshida about his connection to Ichinose and Karuizawa.
• Hoshida agreed to read with Shiina Hiyori, then joined her at an emergency first-year gathering in the auditorium.
• Majima Tomoya announced that the first-years would take part in a seven-day Special Exam called the “Class War.”

Hoshida No helped organize Class D’s response to the newly announced class war, becoming its strategy deputy under Overall Commander Horikita Suzune. After the class submitted its commanders and plans, he began gathering intelligence through the Information Trading Market and private contacts.

• Majima Tomoya and Chabashira explained the war’s rules and announced that Class D had the lowest starting total, 250 CP.
• Hoshida proposed dividing command duties by strength, and Class D chose Horikita Suzune as Overall Commander, Hoshida No as strategy deputy, and Hirata Yousuke as execution deputy.
• Hoshida outlined a seven-day plan focused on intelligence gathering, selective resource contests, possible cooperation with Class B, and avoiding early conflict with Ryuen Kakeru.
• Hoshida assigned Ayanokoji the role of free agent and delegated other tasks before Class D submitted its commander list at 21:00.
• At his dorm, Hoshida anonymously checked the Information Trading Market and sent encrypted questions to Chazhu Zuo Zhi and Shiina Hiyori about point conversions and Class C’s response.

On the first day of the war, Hoshida No organized Class D’s reconnaissance, tested the anonymous information market, and opened a cautious channel for cooperation with Class B. After learning Ryuen was investigating his tip and seeking contact with Hashimoto Masayoshi, Hoshida prepared Class D to secure a resource point the next day.

• Hoshida No reviewed replies from Chazhu Zuo Zhi and Shiina Hiyori, then modeled potential resource points and assigned Class D’s war tasks with Horikita Suzune.
• Hoshida listed a paid tip about exclusive resource-point bonuses on the information market and told an anonymous buyer that some locations increased CP production when held uncontested.
• Hoshida spoke with Ichinose Honami and Kanzaki Ryuji, discussed possible resource exchanges, and warned them that Ryuen Kakeru did not seek mutual benefit.
• At the class representatives’ meeting, Horikita Suzune challenged Class A’s resource advantage, Ichinose Honami proposed cooperation, and Ryuen Kakeru tried to provoke Class A; afterward, Hirata Yousuke reported that Ryuen had reminded Horikita of his agreement with Hoshida.
• Class D’s groups reported their findings, and Hoshida recommended seeking a medium-value resource point with Class B while avoiding Class C’s provocations and testing information about Class A’s internal divisions.
• Shiina Hiyori told Hoshida that Ryuen was testing the exclusive-bonus tip and had approached Hashimoto Masayoshi; Hoshida hinted that Class C could draw Class A toward selected areas while Class D cooperated with Class B.

Hoshida No led Class D to secure resource points, uncover hidden information, and win an expulsion match that revealed a rooftop garden bonus. Class D narrowed the gap with Class C, while Hoshida arranged to meet Sakayanagi Arisu the following afternoon.

• On Day Two, Hoshida No arranged a joint occupation of the gardening greenhouse with Class B and directed Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's team to unlock the Old School Building archives.
• Ayanokoji Kiyotaka completed the archives' hidden mission, learning how Majima Tomoya, Hoshinomiya Chie, and Sakagami Kazuma judged rule-breaking and cooperation.
• Hoshida No stopped Ibuki Mio from driving Class D students away from the small gymnasium, citing the rules and warning her that Sakayanagi knew Ryuen was investigating Hashimoto.
• On Day Three, Hoshida No led Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Ken Sudō to challenge Ishizaki Daichi's group for the rooftop garden, and Class D won a three-on-three obstacle course.
• Class D exclusively occupied the rooftop garden for three hours, triggering a hidden yield bonus and raising its total to 620 CP by the end of Day Three.
• After receiving Shiina Hiyori's message about Ryuen, Hashimoto, and Sakayanagi Arisu, Hoshida No agreed to meet Sakayanagi privately at the library the next afternoon.

On Days 4 and 5 of the war, Hoshida secured Class D’s alliance with Class B, countered Ryuen’s attempts to sow distrust, and helped Class D gain CP through rumor verification and a debate. The chapter ended with Class D in third place, Hoshida second on the individual contribution leaderboard, and a spy-detection mission announced.

• Class D amended and accepted Ichinose Honami’s alliance offer, while Ichinose declined Katsuragi Kohei’s offer to ally with Class A.
• Hoshida rejected Sakayanagi Arisu’s recruitment attempt and sold her his agreement with Ryuen Kakeru for 150,000 Personal Points, warning her that Hashimoto Masayoshi might be unreliable.
• After Ryuen claimed Hoshida had secretly cooperated with Shiina Hiyori, Hoshida reassured Ichinose and shared Grade B intelligence, preserving Class D’s alliance with Class B.
• Hoshida verified a rumor about Class A, traced its spread to someone connected to Class C, and fabricated a rumor linking Sakayanagi and Ryuen in a plot against Katsuragi and Class B.
• Hoshida won the Public Debate vote for Class D, which received 150 CP; by the end of Day 5, Class D had 1,100 CP and Hoshida had risen to second place on the individual leaderboard.
• The system announced a Day 5 spy-detection mission, offering 80 CP for correctly identifying a spy and penalizing false accusations with a 50 CP deduction.

Hoshida No secured Class D the right to choose the Final Battle mode by borrowing 1000 CP, then chose Shadow Game and led his class to win several Secret Treasures. Class D finished second in the Seven-Day War, while Hoshida No topped the individual contribution rankings and received one million Personal Points.

• Hoshida No traded with Katsuragi Kohei for Class A’s analysis of the Final Battle modes, then secured a 1000 CP loan using his Personal Points as collateral.
• Hoshida No and Ryuen Kakeru engineered disagreement within Class A, causing it to forfeit the right to choose the Final Battle mode; Hoshida No chose Shadow Game.
• Hoshida No organized Class D’s search, and his team claimed Secret Treasures worth 200 CP and 300 CP by solving clues and misleading rival classes.
• Hoshida No defeated Sakayanagi Arisu in a shogi endgame to win the 500 CP Secret Treasure, while Class B claimed the final 350 CP treasure.
• The Seven-Day War ended with Class A first at 2330 CP and Class D second at 2100 CP; Hoshida No ranked first in individual contributions and received one million Personal Points.

After Class D’s strong exam performance, Hoshinomiya Chie tried to recruit Hoshida No into Class B, but he refused and affirmed that he would remain in Class D. Chabashira-sensei later spoke with him privately about how important he was to the class.

• Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami stopped Hoshida No after the exam, and Hoshinomiya Chie joined them to praise his performance.
• Hoshinomiya Chie urged Hoshida No to transfer to Class B, appealing to his friendships with Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami, but he declined.
• Chabashira-sensei confronted Hoshinomiya Chie and backed Hoshida No’s place in Class D; Hoshida No said he would continue acting as a Class D student.
• After Hoshida No left, Hoshinomiya Chie encouraged Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami to stay close to him, while Ichinose said they should respect his choice.
• Chabashira-sensei gave Hoshida No coffee and told him that Class D needed his abilities; he replied that he understood.

Class D rose to Class C, and Hoshida No agreed to continue leading study groups while declining to commit to Horikita Suzune’s plan to reach Class A. He later discussed the coming exam with Ayanokoji and noticed Sakura Airi hiding a swimsuit-idol magazine in her basket.

• The Class Points update showed Class D had surpassed Class C, and Hirata Yousuke, Kushida Kikyo, and Chabashira Zuo Zhi addressed the class’s promotion.
• Kushida Kikyo asked Hoshida No to keep leading study groups and invited him to practice swimming with her, and he agreed to the study groups.
• Horikita Suzune asked Hoshida No to work with her toward Class A, but he told her she would need to accept his approach.
• Hoshida No and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka discussed Horikita’s role and the importance of the next exam at a supermarket.
• Hoshida No noticed Sakura Airi hurriedly hiding a swimsuit-idol magazine in her basket and wondered about her other side.

Hoshida No and Hasebe Haruka rescued Sakura Airi from an obsessive fan who had mistaken her for gravure idol Shizuku. After campus security took the man away, Hasebe escorted Sakura to the dormitory and offered Hoshida her thanks.

• Hoshida No heard Sakura Airi pleading for help and found an electronics store employee cornering and filming her.
• Hasebe Haruka stepped between Sakura and the man, but he tried to shove her.
• Hoshida No restrained the man, took his phone as evidence, and stopped him from lunging at Hasebe.
• Hasebe called campus security while comforting Sakura, who explained that the man had recognized her as Shizuku.
• Campus security restrained the man and took him away for further questioning.
• Hasebe thanked Hoshida, agreed to take Sakura to the school counseling office, and escorted her back to the dormitory.

Hoshida No met Morishita Ran while reading behind the school, where she revealed her interest in observing him. Sakayanagi Arisu arrived, acknowledged her shogi defeat, and again tried to recruit Hoshida into Class A, but he refused before Morishita left, still intrigued by him.

• Hoshida No found Morishita Ran reading on a secluded bench, and she questioned him about his mathematical skills and motives.
• Morishita explained that she independently observed people she found interesting, including Hoshida, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, Ichinose Honami, and Katsuragi Kohei.
• Sakayanagi Arisu arrived with Kamuro Sumire and praised Hoshida's shogi ability, admitting that his logical deductions had exposed a weakness in her strategy.
• Hoshida described the psychological turning point in their match, and Morishita remarked that Sakayanagi's strategy had relied on an unsound premise.
• Sakayanagi renewed her offer to bring Hoshida into Class A, but he refused and told her the game was over.
• Morishita left after saying she remained interested in Hoshida, who returned to his journal but struggled to focus.

Karuizawa Kei, Ichinose Honami, and Kushida Kikyo visited Hoshida No’s dorm room, followed by Horikita Suzune, creating a crowded afternoon of study-session planning and exam strategy. After the others left, Hoshida No agreed to have dinner with Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami.

• Karuizawa Kei brought Hoshida No pudding and invited him to a joint study session, then Ichinose Honami arrived to ask about a mathematical model.
• Kushida Kikyo brought the study-session plan, and she accidentally spilled water on Hoshida No and Ichinose Honami while looking over his notes.
• Horikita Suzune joined them to discuss the next exam, and Hoshida No outlined possible team-cooperation or survival formats and how to prepare.
• Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyo left, and Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami invited Hoshida No to dinner; he agreed.

Kushida Kikyo struggled with her feelings after seeing Hoshida No still kept her handkerchief, then helped organize a joint study session for Class B and Class C. Ryuen Kakeru threatened Hoshida No over their ended alliance, while Hoshida continued observing Kushida as the study session ended.

• Kushida Kikyo left Hoshida No's room unsettled by Horikita Suzune's visit and the pink handkerchief he still kept.
• Hoshida No, Karuizawa Kei, and Ichinose Honami encountered Ryuen Kakeru, who threatened Hoshida over their past deal and promised further trouble.
• A few days later, Kushida Kikyo organized a joint study session for Class B and Class C, where Hoshida No explained difficult problems.
• Kushida Kikyo thanked Hoshida No for keeping her secret and helping her, then hurried away to speak with Hirata Yousuke.
• Hoshida No touched the handkerchief in his pocket and reminded himself that he kept it because he was used to using it and was observing Kushida Kikyo.

Hoshida No navigated shifting relationships and warned signs of trouble as Ryuen Kakeru began targeting him with intimidation and rumors. No quietly countered Ryuen’s tactics through school discipline, forcing him to ease off while tensions lingered in Class C.

• At the swimming lesson, Hoshida No discussed cooperation for a future exam with Horikita Suzune while Karuizawa Kei and Kushida Kikyo joined the group.
• Hasebe Haruka told Hoshida No that the employee who harassed Airi had been dismissed and gave him cookies she had baked with Airi.
• In the library, Morishita Ran warned Hoshida No that Ryuen Kakeru was spreading rumors and that Sakayanagi might take an interest in his friends.
• Ryuen Kakeru’s lackeys intimidated timid Class C boys, and rumors claimed Hoshida No was stringing along several girls from Class B.
• Hirata Yousuke and Kushida Kikyo urged classmates not to believe the rumors, while Horikita Suzune advised Hoshida No to use school rules against Ryuen.
• With information from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, Hoshida No anonymously exposed minor rule violations by Ryuen’s rumor-spreaders, prompting disciplinary action and making Ryuen rein in his tactics.

Hoshida defeated Sakayanagi Arisu in their shogi match, while she probed how he handled personal relationships and unexpected variables. He left with her gift of tea, wary that it was also a way to mark him, as Sakayanagi anticipated the upcoming Special Exam.

• Hoshida arrived at the Third Music Classroom, where Sakayanagi Arisu and Kamuro Sumire were waiting to play shogi.
• As they played, Sakayanagi questioned Hoshida about his role in Class C and warned that personal relationships could become variables in the school’s games.
• Hoshida explained that emotional risks could be assessed with enough information, then used a Knight move to block Sakayanagi’s counterattack and set up a stronger line.
• Hoshida gained the advantage, and Sakayanagi conceded, calling it his second win against her.
• Sakayanagi had Kamuro give Hoshida a gift of fine tea and warned him to expect the unexpected in the upcoming Special Exam.
• After Hoshida left, Sakayanagi told Kamuro that his skill excited her and wondered what he had understood from his last look; Hoshida suspected the tea was also a way of marking him.

Hoshida No joined his classmates for a beach outing, where he stopped Yamauchi Haruki and his friends from taking photos in the women's changing area. On the bus ride back, Yamauchi's hatred of Hoshida deepened, and Hoshida chose to wait and see what he would do next.

• Hoshida No agreed to join Karuizawa Kei, Ichinose Honami, Kushida Kikyo, Horikita Suzune, and their classmates at the beach.
• At the beach, Hoshida No spent time with Kei, Honami, Kushida, Hasebe Haruka, and Sakura Airi while Horikita watched the changing-area entrance.
• Horikita confronted Yamauchi Haruki, Sotomura Hideo, Ken Sudō, and Kanji Ike as they attempted to take pictures through a changing-area ventilation window, and Hoshida made Yamauchi hand over his phone and delete the blurry photos.
• Hoshida explained to Horikita that keeping the incident quiet would protect the class's points and strength, and Horikita Manabu later warned Hoshida not to let efficiency cost him other important things.
• On the bus back, Yamauchi glared at Hoshida and brooded over Ryuen Kakeru's rumors, while Ayanokoji told Hoshida that Yamauchi was emotionally vulnerable.
• Hoshida told Ayanokoji he would wait to see what choice Yamauchi made.

Class 1-B celebrated Ichinose Honami’s birthday, and Hoshida No’s thoughtful gift brought her closer to acknowledging her feelings for him. After Kushida Kikyo warned Hoshida about Yamauchi and Sotomura, he ordered Ayanokoji Kiyotaka to keep watching them and privately wondered whether his own feelings were changing.

• Shiranami Chihiro, Kanzaki Ryuji, Karuizawa Kei, and their classmates prepared a birthday celebration for Ichinose Honami.
• Hoshida No gave Ichinose an illustrated marine-life guide and a silver anchor bracelet, which she said she would treasure.
• Kushida Kikyo noticed Ichinose’s happiness and warned Hoshida that Yamauchi and Sotomura seemed to be planning something involving Ryuen and him.
• Ichinose thanked Hoshida again as they left, then sent him a photo of the bracelet that evening.
• Hoshida told Ayanokoji Kiyotaka to keep tracking Yamauchi and Sotomura, then looked at Kushida’s old handkerchief and wondered when he had started to change.