"You are Sotomura, Yukimura, Ayanokoji, Karuizawa, and Saiki from Class D, correct? Now, I will explain the details of the special exam."
Mashima Tomonari's voice was cold, almost like an emotionless robot.
"Wait, wait a second! I don't understand. What do you mean by 'exam explanation'? Isn't the exam already over? And where are the others?"
Karuizawa Kei fired off a series of questions, and it was clear that Mashima Tomonari, as the teacher, was somewhat displeased with her behavior.
"I will not entertain any questions at this stage. Please listen quietly."
There was no change in his tone, but Mashima Tomonari's stern demeanor made it clear that no objections would be tolerated.
"For this special exam, the school has divided all first-year students into twelve groups based on the Chinese zodiac. We will conduct the exam within these groups, and the purpose is to test your 'Thinking' ability."
Mashima Tomonari explained slowly.
'Wait, wait, did he just say "Thinking"? I know he's supposed to be the English teacher, but suddenly throwing in an English word in this context is just weird.'
Saiki Kusuo couldn't help but complain internally.
"What's 'Thinking'?"
Karuizawa Kei asked with a serious expression.
'Are you serious?'
Saiki Kusuo glanced at her.
"I've already said I won't take questions."
Mashima Tomonari scolded Karuizawa Kei once more before continuing.
"Professionals in society are generally required to have three basic abilities: Action, Thinking, and Teamwork. Those who possess these abilities are qualified to become outstanding adults. The previous deserted island exam focused on teamwork, but this time, it's about Thinking. This will be an exam that tests your ability to think—your ability to analyze the current situation, clarify the issues, and prepare for problem-solving. It also involves creativity, the ability to create new value. These are skills you will need in the future."
'...Is he just trying to sound profound?'
Saiki Kusuo thought to himself but didn't voice it out.
"Therefore, this exam will be conducted in twelve groups, and you will be in the same group..."
"Why am I in the same group as them?"
At this moment, Karuizawa Kei spoke up again.
"Wouldn't it be more convenient and faster to explain everything to all the students at once?"
"Can you please just be quiet and listen? The exam might have already started. If you lose points for saying unnecessary things, can you take responsibility? You were already a burden during the deserted island exam. Don't cause more trouble for the class."
Yukimura Teruhiko finally couldn't hold back and snapped at Karuizawa Kei.
"Huh? When and where did I cause trouble? You're the one who's annoying me just by being here!"
Karuizawa Kei fired back without hesitation.
[...]
Saiki Kusuo heard Mashima Tomonari sigh internally for the first time, a rare display of emotion. The teacher even rubbed his temples in frustration.
[Are these kids in elementary school?]
'I completely agree.'
[I never expected a class like this to rise to Class B in the first semester of the first year... How did they even manage that?]
'Honestly, I don't want to be part of this either.'
"It seems you're very concerned about the small group setup. Let me answer your question. This isn't some conspiracy or annoying prank—it's a simple matter. The groups aren't formed by a single class but consist of three to five students from different classes."
Mashima Tomonari, finally fed up with the childish bickering, continued.
'So we're grouped with students from other classes?'
Saiki Kusuo quickly understood the difference in this exam.
"Here's the list of members for our group. We are the 'Rabbit Group.'"
As Mashima Tomonari spoke, he handed out the list of group members for the exam. Saiki Kusuo quickly scanned the names.
Class A: Takemoto Shigeru, Machida Koji, Morishige Takuro.
Class B: Ichinose Honami, Hamaguchi Tetsuya, Beppu Ryota.
Class C: Ibuki Mio, Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nana, Yamashita Saki.
Class D: Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, Karuizawa Kei, Sotomura Hideo, Yukimura Teruhiko, Saiki Kusuo.
'Ichinose and Ibuki are in our group too?'
Saiki Kusuo narrowed his eyes slightly. Ichinose Honami was fine, but Ibuki Mio was a bit troublesome.
After all, she had previously infiltrated their class as a spy—and was fed false information.
And...
Saiki Kusuo couldn't help but glance at Karuizawa Kei again.
'Ibuki probably has some misconceptions about Karuizawa.'
"Next, I'll explain the content of the exam. Please pay close attention."
Mashima Tomonari then distributed a document filled with dense text.
Summer Group Special Exam Explanation
This exam is based on a 'Privileged Student' assigned to each group. By answering the school's questions using the specified method, one of four possible outcomes will be determined.
The school will send out emails to all students at 8 AM on the day the exam begins. The selected 'Privileged Student' will also be notified of their selection.
The exam schedule runs from tomorrow until 9 PM four days later (including one completely free day).
Group members must gather in the designated room twice a day for one-hour discussions.
The content of the discussions is entirely up to the group's discretion.
Regarding answers, the school will only accept submissions between 9:30 PM and 10 PM on the final day of the exam. Each person may only submit one answer.
Answers must be sent via the student's own phone to a designated email address.
The 'Privileged Student' is not allowed to submit answers via email.
...
'So it's like a game of finding the spy?'
Saiki Kusuo quickly grasped the rules of the exam.
'As a school, they always come up with these strange exam formats... It's baffling...'
His eyes continued to scan the document, where the possible outcomes of the exam were listed at the bottom.
Outcome 1: If everyone except the Privileged Student and students from the Privileged Student's class answers correctly, the school will reward all group members with personal points. (Students from the Privileged Student's class will receive the same amount of points.)
Outcome 2: If anyone other than the Privileged Student and students from their class fails to answer or answers incorrectly, the Privileged Student will receive 500,000 personal points.
Looking at the overwhelming amount of information, Karuizawa Kei furrowed her brows, her expression matching her thoughts.
[I don't get it!]
Mashima Tomonari seemed to notice that Karuizawa Kei hadn't understood the rules at all.
"There's one key point in this exam. Once you understand it, everything else is simple. That key point is the existence of the Privileged Student. The name of the Privileged Student is the answer to the exam. It's straightforward. For example, Yukimura, let's say you're chosen as the Privileged Student. Then the answer for the Rabbit Group would be 'Yukimura.' After sharing this answer with all group members, you would submit it via email by 9 PM on the final day of the exam. If the group passes, Outcome 1 will be triggered, and all members will receive 500,000 points as a reward. As a bonus for leading the group to Outcome 1, the school will even double the Privileged Student's reward to 1,000,000 points."
"That sounds amazing!"
Hearing this, Karuizawa Kei's face lit up with excitement, and she began fantasizing about how she would spend the 500,000 points.
"Next is Outcome 2... This occurs when the Privileged Student doesn't reveal their identity to anyone or misleads the group into choosing a fake Privileged Student, and their true identity remains undiscovered until the end of the exam. As the text states, only the Privileged Student will receive points, amounting to 500,000."
"Then being chosen as the Privileged Student would be amazing!"
Karuizawa Kei's face was filled with longing, clearly hoping to be selected.
[No, the school would never offer such a one-sidedly beneficial condition. There are four possible outcomes, and two haven't been explained yet.]
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka analyzed internally.
"If you've understood so far, I'll now explain the remaining two outcomes."
Mashima Tomonari continued.
[I didn't understand a thing.]
Karuizawa Kei answered internally without hesitation. Her focus was entirely on the personal points, and she hadn't grasped the actual rules.
Despite this, Karuizawa Kei nodded as if she understood.
Mashima Tomonari's eyes showed a hint of doubt, but he continued explaining the remaining outcomes.
Outcome 3: If someone other than the Privileged Student submits the correct answer before the exam ends, the student's class will receive 50 class points, and the student who answered correctly will receive 500,000 personal points. Conversely, the class of the Privileged Student will lose 50 class points—and the group exam will end at that point. Additionally, if a student from the Privileged Student's class submits the correct answer, the school will consider the answer invalid, and the exam will continue.
Outcome 4: If someone other than the Privileged Student submits an incorrect answer before the exam ends, the student's class will lose 50 class points. The Privileged Student will receive 500,000 personal points, and their class will gain 50 class points. The exam will end at the time of the incorrect submission. Additionally, if a student from the Privileged Student's class submits an incorrect answer, the answer will be considered invalid and will not be accepted.
'As expected, this is more similar to a board game like Werewolf.'
Saiki Kusuo thought to himself.
While the first two outcomes heavily favored the Privileged Student, the latter two were completely different.
If someone correctly guessed the Privileged Student from another class, their own class would gain additional class points while reducing another class's points.
[The Privileged Student's identity can be used to target other classes. The Privileged Student could intentionally reveal their identity to achieve a win-win outcome, but they must also worry about other classes submitting the correct answer early. In short, this is an exam of psychological warfare.]
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka thought to himself, analyzing the possibilities.
[If it's Saiki, he should be well-suited for this exam. He should be able to easily dissect each person's potential behavior.]
'Hey, hey, hey... Your misunderstanding of me is getting deeper and deeper.'
Saiki Kusuo sighed internally.
'Although this exam seems quite unserious, you could also think of it as a simple board game... I don't like participating in these social games because, with my telepathy, I can instantly know what others are thinking. But now that I have my ring, maybe I can find a bit of fun in this exam...'
Saiki Kusuo thought to himself, reaching into his pocket to put on his ring.
[Actually, the Privileged Student's identity has already been determined. I wonder if these students can figure out the pattern.]
[The Privileged Student is chosen based on the order of names.]
[For this group, the Privileged Student should be Karuizawa Kei.]
'....'
Saiki Kusuo felt a bit helpless. Some exams end before they even begin.
Normally, Karuizawa Kei's identity as the Privileged Student wouldn't be revealed until 8 AM tomorrow, but Saiki Kusuo already knew.
He turned to look at Karuizawa Kei, who was intently staring at the exam list.
Saiki Kusuo knew very well that Karuizawa Kei's outward appearance and inner self were completely different.
[No matter how annoying it is, it's better than going through the same situation again. I don't need youth or friends. What's important is protecting myself. For that, I'll do whatever it takes, even if it means resorting to underhanded methods.]
[I'm just a parasite, a weak creature that can't survive on its own.]
[For now, is he the only one I can rely on?]