The long yet fleeting spring break ca to an end, and the opening ceremony finally arrived. On this day, we left the classroom we had grown familiar with over the past year and moved to a new one as second-year students.
At first glance, the chairs and desks should have been the sa, yet there was an undeniable sense of discomfort—probably not just my imagination.
The first thing waiting for us upon arriving at school was a ssage displayed on the blackboard:
"Take the sa seats as last year and wait."
Apparently, there would be no seat changes, and we'd be spending another year in the sa spots. Following the instructions, I settled into my usual seat from last year—the very back by the window.
"Morning."
As soon as I sat down, Ibuki, my neighbor since last year, greeted . Back then, she wouldn't even make eye contact, but our relationship had clearly progressed.
"Morning, Ibuki."
"You still look half-asleep. What were you even doing over spring break? I bet Hiyori and Ishizaki kept bugging you to hang out, right?"
It was true—I'd gotten plenty of invitations during the break, but between various circumstances and just needing so downti, I'd mostly kept to myself.
"I invited you too, y'know. And all you said was 'Sorry' before turning down."
For just a second, I could've sworn Ibuki's glare sharpened.
"I wasn't feeling well that day. Hell, most of spring break, I was under the weather. Can't help it."
"...You could've at least asked to take care of you or sothing."
Muttering sothing under her breath in my direction, Ibuki turned away with a huff.
"Good morning, Hachiman-kun, Ibuki-san."
Ibuki acted as usual, so I didn't pay it much mind and fiddled with my phone—until Hiyori, who had just arrived, imdiately made her way over to us. Both Ibuki and I gave her a casual nod in response.
"We're second-years now... It still doesn't feel real."
"Yeah, thinking of ourselves as upperclassn now... feels kinda weird."
"True. I'm not in any clubs, so I probably won't interact much with the first-years... but those three idiots over there are already dreaming of eting underclassn, apparently."
Letting out an exasperated sigh, Ibuki jerked her chin toward Ishizaki and the others, who were deep in conversation.
"This might finally be our chance for romance!"
"Hell yeah! Younger girls! We'll impress 'em in club activities and score!"
"WOOOOOOOOH!!!"
Just by glancing over, it was obvious that Ishizaki, Komiya, and Kondou were already hyped up about eting the incoming first-years. Their shouting echoed through the classroom, drawing sharp glares from the girls—including Ibuki, who had pointed them out.
"...They're sothing else. I can practically feel their desperation."
"Total morons."
Hiyori watched them with a mix of fascination and bewildernt, while Ibuki didn't hold back her disdain. Compared to last year, those three had definitely matured—but their complete lack of tact remained unchanged.
"Tch."
While the three of us chatted, Okabe—seated two rows in front of —walked past and deliberately clicked his tongue in my direction, shooting a glare.
"What the hell was that? Did you do sothing to him?"
"...That was kind of scary. What was that about?"
Ibuki frowned in irritation, while Hiyori shrank back slightly, unnerved by Okabe's behavior.
I'd heard from Ishizaki and Komiya earlier that Okabe had a thing for both Hiyori and Ibuki. But explaining that to them would be... complicated.
Better to play it safe.
"Beats . He's had it out for lately."
Probably just didn't like seeing talking to them.
......
"Everyone's here, I see?"
Almost simultaneously with the morning chi, our horoom teacher, Sakagami-sensei, appeared in the classroom. His expression was dead serious.
Given that there were no classes scheduled for the first and second periods after announcents, it was easy to guess that sothing was up.
"Sir, is there a special exam?"
Before the teacher could speak, Komiya asked the question. There was no sign of joking in his tone—just genuine curiosity.
In the past, the re hint of a special exam would send waves of unease through the class. But now, as we strive to climb higher, exams have beco an indispensable part of the process. We've learned to face them head-on.
"I understand your curiosity, but there's sothing we need to do first—sothing crucial for your school life moving forward."
Sakagami-sensei pulled out his phone, holding it up for us to see as he continued.
"Everyone, take out your phones and place them on your desks. If anyone forgot theirs, you'll have to go back and get it imdiately... but it seems no one did."
Phones were practically a necessity in daily life now—sothing no one would ever leave behind.
"First, I want you all to access the school's hopage and install a new application. It should have just beco available for download as of this mont. The official na is Over All Ability, but after installation, it will simply display as OAA."
Once installed, an icon—presumably the school's emblem—appeared alongside the na OAA.
"This isn't just for Class B. Right now, all grades are installing this app simultaneously. It's a highly advanced tool that will provide significant benefits to the students of Advanced Nurturing High School. You'll understand once you launch it."
Tapping the icon, the app started up—and the phone's cara automatically activated.
"Scan your student ID with the cara, and the initial setup will complete automatically."
Following the instructions, I pointed the cara at my ID. My photo, student number, and other details were read, and the login proceeded.
"This app contains personal data for every student across all grades. For example, if you select the 2nd Year Class B section, your nas will be displayed in alphabetical order. Try tapping your own na."
I tapped my displayed photo as instructed.
I expected to see basic details like my birthday, but instead, unfamiliar categories and nurical ratings appeared.
2-B Hikigaya Hachiman
First-Year Evaluation
Academic Ability: C (60)
Physical Ability: C (68)
Adaptability: D (39)
Social Contribution: C (51)
Overall Rating: C (56)
"W-What is this?! Our grades are being shown like so kind of ga stats?!"
"Exactly. These are your individual evaluations, calculated by the school based on your first-year performance. You can view not only your own class's results but those of other classes and all grade levels."
The OAA system was essentially a way to quantify each student's abilities nurically. On top of that, it seed to include an open chat function accessible to all students.
Alongside the first-year results, there were sections for second and third-year evaluations—currently blank.
"Right now, only your first-year ratings are displayed. They will have no bearing on your second-year performance. If you score well on the next written exam, those results will directly reflect in your second-year evaluation."
"Ugh... My academics are rough..."
Ishizaki muttered under his breath after checking his own scores.
At first glance, it seed like a convenient academic tracking tool—but I doubted that was all there was to it. There had to be sothing more significant behind this.
The list was sorted alphabetically, but there was also a ranking function. I decided to check the class standings.
"...Albert, huh."
Surprisingly, the highest overall rating in the class belonged to Albert. His Physical Ability was an A—exceptionally high—and his academics were slightly above average, making him the most well-rounded in the class.
In pure academics, Kaneda and Hiyori topped the list, though both had lower physical scores. Without that drawback, they'd likely rank among the school's elite.
On the other hand, when sorted from lowest overall rating, Okabe appeared at the very top—with a total score of 38.
Another na that caught my eye was Ryuuen's.
2-B Ryuuen Kakeru
Academic Ability: C (59)
Physical Ability: B (71)
Adaptability: B (70)
Social Contribution: E (18)
Overall Rating: C (60)
While his other scores were above average, his Social Contribution was abysmal.
I wanted to ask what kind of behavior led to that, but... well, this was Ryuuen we were talking about. It was only natural.
.......
The excitent over the introduction of OAA had barely settled when second period began.
Most likely, this was when they would officially explain that matter in full.
"Now, I will outline the details of the special exam."
As soon as the teacher spoke those words, a tense atmosphere filled the classroom.
"This will be the first exam you take as second-year students, and it incorporates an unprecedented approach—much like OAA itself."
Whether it was due to Tsukishiro's influence or Nagumo's, the school was clearly undergoing major changes.
"As for the exam itself, it will be a written test conducted in pairs—comprising one second-year student and one first-year student."
"First-years... as partners?"
Until now, special exams had always pitted grade levels against each other. But with OAA's introduction, it seed those barriers had been dismantled.
"If you recall last year's special exam, this should be easy to understand. Think of it as an improved version of Paper Shuffle, where you ford pairs within your class—except now, it's between second and first-years."
In essence, what had once been pairs ford within a class now extended across grade levels. On paper, it sounded simple, but the implications were far more significant.
"The exam period begins today and lasts approximately two weeks, concluding at the end of the month. This gives you ample ti to carefully select your partner and prepare for the test."
The introduction of OAA must have been in anticipation of this exam. First-years and second-years barely knew each other's faces, let alone their nas. That was precisely why OAA's data was indispensable.
And then ca the announcent of victory conditions—
Class Rankings (By Grade Level)
- Classes would compete based on the average score of all their mbers and their respective partners.
- Rewards would be distributed in order of highest average: 50, 30, 10, and 0 class points.
Individual Rankings
- Scores would be tallied based on the combined results of each pair.
- The top five pairs would receive a special reward of 100,000 private points each.
- The top 30% of pairs would receive 10,000 private points each.
- If a pair's combined score fell below 500 points, the second-year student would be expelled, and the first-year student would forfeit all private point deposits for three months—regardless of their class points.
- Any student found intentionally manipulating their score (e.g., deliberately answering incorrectly) would be expelled imdiately, regardless of grade level.
Partner Selection Rules
- Using OAA, students could send one partner request per day (unanswered requests would reset at midnight).
- If the request was accepted, the partnership would be finalized and irreversible.
- If no partner was selected by the deadline, the school would automatically assign remaining students (with a 5% penalty to their total score).
Even just reading the explanation made it clear how intricate this exam was. For , the most dangerous part was the rule stating, "Any student found intentionally manipulating their score will be expelled imdiately, regardless of grade level."
This ant blatant sabotage was off the table. For most students, this rule was a safeguard—but for , it was anything but reassuring.
Because—the White Room students were a different story entirely.
They were coming for with the explicit goal of getting expelled. This rule wasn't a deterrent—it was a disadvantage. If I paired with one of them, they wouldn't hesitate to score zero, ensuring my expulsion.
"Hey, Sakagami—how tough's the test gonna be?"
Ryuuen, with his usual rough tone, voiced the question on everyone's mind.
"To put it bluntly, it will be extrely difficult. Without a doubt, it will be the hardest exam you've taken so far. However, adjustnts have been made to ensure scores remain attainable."
So while the questions would be challenging, they were designed to allow students to score properly.
"That concludes the overview of April's special exam. Be sure to take it seriously."
As the teacher finished and left the classroom, I noticed Ryuuen grinning—a sharp, predatory smile.
....
The lunch break after the special exam announcent.
Despite the exam being announced, no one in the class seed panicked. That was because Ryuuen had already explained his strategy in detail after horoom.
Right now, I was heading to the cafeteria with Hiyori for lunch, but...
"Ehehe~♪"
"..."
Lately, Hiyori had been acting closer than usual. Not that we weren't already pretty close before, but recently, she'd beco more... proactive. Did she just like clinging to arms or sothing?
Even now, she'd been happily latched onto my arm ever since we left the classroom, her fingers tightly intertwined with mine.
"H-Hiyori. We're almost at the cafeteria, so... mind letting go?"
"Muuu... Fine, I guess."
Though I couldn't help but be drawn to her pouting expression, my right arm was finally freed—though I wouldn't say it felt bad. Better keep that thought to myself.
Since Hiyori had brought her own lunch, I had her grab us a seat while I ordered the fried chicken set and joined her at the table.
"What do you think about Ryuuen's plan from this morning?"
I ant it as casual conversation, but Hiyori's eyebrows furrowed slightly with worry.
"I'm... a little uneasy. Ryuuen-kun's strategy feels a bit too reckless."
"It is forceful, but I doubt Ryuuen would do sothing that could easily backfire. I think it'll be fine."
"That may be true, but it might damage our relationship with the first-years. Wouldn't that be a disadvantage in future exams?"
Hiyori was thinking further ahead than just this exam. She wasn't wrong—if Ryuuen's plan misfired, we might never be able to build friendly relations with the first-years again.
Not to ntion, I myself would have to be even more careful than usual when choosing a partner.
As I was thinking that, I accidentally made eye contact with Hiyori, who had been eating her own lunch. Noticing my gaze, she turned her lunchbox toward with a flower-like smile.
"Ah, do you want to trade side dishes again today?"
Apparently, she thought I was eyeing her lunch, because she cheerfully pushed her bento toward without a hint of displeasure.
Whenever we ate together in the cafeteria, we often traded side dishes—I usually ordered fried foods, and surprisingly, Hiyori seed to like them too.
"Sure, thanks."
"Okay! You can take whatever you like, alright?"
I gratefully took so simred vegetables from her bento, while Hiyori picked a few pieces from my fried chicken set.
"This is really good."
"Fufu, you always eat so happily, Hachiman-kun. It makes really glad."
"You say that every ti we trade, don't you?"
"Because I think it every ti we trade."
Her smile was completely genuine, without a trace of ulterior motives.
Ti with Hiyori really was peaceful.
"You like simred dishes, don't you, Hachiman-kun? I can tell because you always pick them when we trade."
"Ah, sorry about that."
Hiyori's simred dishes were just too delicious—I couldn't help but go for them.
"I don't mind at all! In fact, I often pack extra simred dishes thinking you might want so."
So she'd been anticipating my preferences all along.
We continued chatting for a while until our phones buzzed simultaneously.
A ssage had been posted in the app's general chat by Ichinose Honami, the leader of Class 2-C.
"Today from 4:00 to 5:00 PM, we've received permission to hold a gathering between first-years and second-years in the gymnasium. Anyone with free ti is welco to join!"
It was a lifeline—a chance to interact with the first-years.
"That's so like Ichinose-san. She's thinking about everyone, not just her own class."
"Yeah. No idea how many will show up, though. What about you, Hiyori?"
After a few seconds of thought, Hiyori quickly made up her mind.
"I think I'll pass. I was planning to return so books I borrowed from the library today. What about you, Hachiman-kun?"
"I'll go. I want to see how the first-years are acting."
Half of that was just an excuse—this exam was sothing I had to take seriously if I wanted to survive. At the very least, I needed to scout the first-years' situation.
"Please be careful. Running out of ti would put you at a huge disadvantage."
I nodded slightly at Hiyori's concerned words.
I didn't plan to take things too leisurely either, but the White Room students were weighing on my mind. There was no doubt—they were hiding among the first-years.
.....
Dozens of first and second-year students had gathered in the gymnasium, with the majority being first-years. It seed many students saw this gathering as an important opportunity.
"Yo, Hikigaya."
As soon as I entered the gym, Hashimoto called out to . There was no sign of Arisu nearby—he was probably here on reconnaissance.
"Arisu's errand boy? Sounds rough."
"Hey now, there's a better way to put it. Call her attendant."
"Isn't that even worse?"
I wasn't sure why Hashimoto had approached , but for so reason, his gaze kept drifting toward Ichinose's class, who were mingling with first-years nearby.
"Interested in Ichinose and her group?"
At my words, Hashimoto waved both hands dismissively.
"Not so much interested as... wondering if Ichinose even realizes the downside of recruiting idiots. At this rate, it's like she's throwing the match."
He spoke with clear exasperation.
Even before coming here, I'd looked into the first-years' records—most of the ones attending this gathering had poor grades. Ichinose was probably trying to help them despite knowing this, but it was undoubtedly a bad move.
"Arisu probably didn't even need to see the gathering to figure that out. The students here—no offense—are the ones likely to drag their partners down. You ca to confirm that, didn't you?"
It was just speculation, but that was exactly why Hashimoto was scouting.
"Man, you really are her fiancé... Spot on. Though personally, I didn't even think scouting was necessary."
I ignored the "fiancé" comnt as Hashimoto shifted his assessing gaze from the first-years to .
"So, Hikigaya, anything going on in your class? Just asking for reference."
His casual, friendly tone was a good way to extract information. Gathering intel on my class was likely part of why he'd approached .
"Dunno. Ryuuen's plans are beyond . But he might end up making the first-years hate him."
"Hate him, huh? Not gonna give anything easy, are you? Well, I'll get going then. Thanks for the chat."
Hashimoto turned on his heel and left with a wave, maintaining a good impression until the very end.
"...No point staying here any longer."
If I ended up paired with a White Room student, expulsion would be guaranteed. And this gathering wasn't going to provide any way to eliminate that risk.
"Got a minute?"
The mont I stepped out of the gym, Ayanokōji appeared as if he'd been waiting for .
Given that he'd approached in a deserted hallway, whatever he wanted to discuss was probably confidential.
"You ca all the way back? Weren't you just at the gathering with Horikita and Sudō?"
"I saw you leaving the gym. There was sothing I needed to tell you, so I split off from them."
Was it about the White Room? Or sothing else?
"So? What is it?"
Ayanokōji took a breath before speaking quietly.
"Hikigaya... I need you to score full marks on the next test."
=================================
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