Chapter Summaries

Ken Kaneki bought a second-year student's copies of past midterm exam papers and answers, intending to help Class D's struggling students avoid expulsion. After the student left to retrieve them, Ken explained the deal to Hiyori.

• Ken Kaneki met Hiyori and led her to the Student Cafeteria.
• Ken Kaneki and Hiyori approached a second-year student who had little money and offered him a Deluxe Tempura Set Meal.
• Ken Kaneki agreed to pay five thousand points for the older student's copies of past midterm exam answers.
• The second-year student left the cafeteria to retrieve the exam materials.
• Ken Kaneki explained the purchase to Hiyori, who understood he wanted to help Class D's struggling students.

Ken Kaneki bought past exam papers from an upperclassman, who told him about special exams. Ken Kaneki then helped Hiyori deduce that the first special exam would be survival on a deserted island.

• A second-year upperclassman gave Ken Kaneki past exam papers and answers in exchange for points, and Ken Kaneki paid him double the agreed amount.
• The upperclassman told Ken Kaneki that the school held special exams in addition to written tests.
• Hiyori reasoned that special exams were likely major opportunities for classes to earn points and catch up.
• Ken Kaneki hinted that PE lessons might reveal the first special exam, and Hiyori connected the swimming lessons and an island poster to deserted-island survival.
• Ken Kaneki confirmed that the school would send students to a deserted island for a survival test, and Hiyori looked forward to it.

Ken Kaneki and Hiyori caught Ayanokoji spying on Horikita Suzune’s late-night meeting with her brother, Horikita Manabu. When Manabu grabbed Suzune and lifted her by the collar, Ayanokoji intervened and restrained him with a powerful grip.

• Ken Kaneki spotted Ayanokoji hiding in the bushes and joined him with Hiyori to watch Horikita Suzune meet Horikita Manabu.
• Horikita Manabu told Suzune that she was incapable of reaching Class A and urged her to drop out, but she declared that she would stay and lead Class D toward Class A.
• Horikita Manabu grabbed Suzune by the collar and lifted her off the ground as she struggled.
• Ken Kaneki signaled for Ayanokoji to intervene, and Ayanokoji seized Manabu’s arm to stop him.
• Ayanokoji tightened his grip until Manabu grunted in pain and stared at him in shock.

Ayanokoji defeated Horikita Manabu in a brief fight, revealing his extraordinary strength and surprising Manabu, who then left. Kaneki took Hiyori back to his room, where they spent the night together.

• Ayanokoji dodged Horikita Manabu’s attacks and struck his abdomen, leaving him weakened and in pain.
• Ayanokoji identified himself as a Class 1-D student and jokingly attributed his combat skill to carrying a piano while practicing the tea ceremony.
• Horikita Manabu recognized Ayanokoji’s name from his entrance exam scores and reflected on the unusual strength of Class D, including Ken Kaneki and Rokusuke Koenji.
• Ken Kaneki arrived with Hiyori Shiina, stood beside Ayanokoji, and told Manabu that he could simply beat up anyone who annoyed him.
• Horikita Manabu departed, and Horikita Suzune told Ayanokoji that Manabu was her older brother and held advanced ranks in karate and aikido.
• Kaneki took Hiyori to his room, helped her put on black stockings, and the two spent the night together.

Ken Kaneki, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, and Rokusuke Koenji shared breakfast and discussed romance before revealing that each had independently bought the same midterm exam papers and answers. They agreed to compare the sets and coordinate their plans in the future.

• Ken Kaneki found Hiyori’s breakfast and invited Kiyotaka Ayanokoji and Rokusuke Koenji to eat with him.
• Koenji said he had spent several days with a second-year girl, and he and Ken teased Ayanokoji about finding a girlfriend.
• Ayanokoji asked what being in love felt like, leaving Ken and Koenji speechless.
• Ken, Koenji, and Ayanokoji each revealed that they had bought past midterm exam papers and answers from upperclassmen.
• The three compared their identical sets and agreed to check the answers and divide up their efforts in the future.

Ken Kaneki watched Ken Sudō dominate the Basketball Club tryouts and make the official roster, while planning to use Sudō’s tournament ambitions to secure his cooperation. Ken Kaneki, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, and Rokusuke Koenji agreed to help steer Class D toward Class A, and Sudō celebrated his success unaware that failing his midterms would bar him from the interschool tournament.

• Ken Kaneki received a suggestive invitation from Sae Chabashira and went with Kiyotaka Ayanokoji and Rokusuke Koenji to watch the Basketball Club tryouts.
• Ken Sudō excelled in the physical tests and skills events, then thrilled the crowd with a powerful dunk during the scrimmage.
• Ken Kaneki told Ayanokoji and Koenji that Sudō’s tournament hopes depended on joining the official roster and passing every subject on the midterms.
• Ayanokoji and Koenji agreed to support Ken Kaneki’s plan to lead Class D toward Class A, with Koenji offering to help when he felt like it.
• The captain announced that Ken Sudō had ranked first and made the official roster, and Sudō celebrated with his teammates.

Ken Sudō made the Basketball Club and school league roster, but learned his failing grades could cost him both his chance to compete and his place at school. Ken Kaneki offered to help him pass if he joined Horikita Suzune’s study group with Kanji Ike and Haruki Yamauchi, and Sudō agreed.

• The Basketball Club captain announced Ken Sudō as a full member and a key rotation player on the school league roster.
• Two second-year reserves challenged Sudō’s selection, and a club member showed him the school rule requiring league participants to pass every midterm subject or face expulsion.
• Sudō admitted his grades were poor, and the captain kept his roster spot open pending his midterm results.
• Ken Kaneki, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, and Rokusuke Koenji approached the despondent Sudō after the crowd left.
• Kaneki offered to help Sudō pass if he attended Horikita Suzune’s study group and brought Kanji Ike and Haruki Yamauchi.
• Sudō accepted Kaneki’s condition to protect his basketball dream and remain at school.

Ken Kaneki visited Sae Chabashira's dormitory, where they shared an intimate dinner and wine before going to her bedroom together. The chapter ended with Chabashira overwhelmed by the forbidden excitement of being intimate with her student.

• Ken Kaneki went to Sae Chabashira's dormitory after leaving the Basketball Hall and admired her revealing nightgown.
• Ken Kaneki kissed Chabashira, and she led him to a table set with home-cooked dishes and red wine.
• Ken Kaneki and Chabashira fed each other during dinner, then shared wine mouth-to-mouth.
• Ken Kaneki carried Chabashira to her bedroom, where she struggled with her shame and excitement over their forbidden relationship.

Sae Chabashira woke beside Ken Kaneki after their night together and asked whether he was confident about helping Sudo and the others pass their midterms. At the Library, Horikita and the students apologized to one another and began a more cooperative study session.

• Sae Chabashira woke beside Ken Kaneki, remembered their night together, and tried to kiss him before he woke and kissed her.
• Sae Chabashira asked Ken Kaneki if Sudo and the others could pass their midterms, and he reassured her.
• Ayanokoji had told Horikita Suzune about the situation, and she agreed to bring review materials to the Library.
• Horikita Suzune apologized to Ken Sudō, Kanji Ike, and Haruki Yamauchi for her approach, and the boys apologized for their behavior.
• Ken Sudō worked through basic problems and asked Horikita for help, while she patiently explained the material and felt useful to the class.

Ken Kaneki celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival with Hiyori, Ayanokoji, and Koenji, then welcomed Sae Chabashira, who used a dorm inspection as an excuse to join them. The gathering ended on the balcony beneath the full moon, where Ken recited “Prelude to Water Melody” and the group shared a quiet sense of longing.

• Ken Kaneki received messages from Hiyori, who planned to visit, and Sae Chabashira, who told him not to come to her dorm; he invited Sae to his instead.
• Ayanokoji told Ken that he and Koenji planned to mooch dinner in Ken’s dorm, where Koenji had prepared ingredients and Mid-Autumn decorations.
• Ken cooked a lavish meal, and Hiyori arrived with fruit and helped him in the kitchen.
• Ken set out an extra pair of chopsticks, and Sae arrived claiming she was conducting a routine dorm inspection; Ken invited her to join the meal.
• After dinner, Ken recited “Prelude to Water Melody” as everyone admired the full moon, and Hiyori leaned against his shoulder.