I noticed sothing unusual when the clock struck 6:00 AM.
Over the past few days, it had beco routine to check the GPS search function every morning and evening. One reason was to track rival groups competing for arrival order—
"They're making their move."
The other was to monitor the first-years' movents.
I noticed that three key first-year players—Utsunomiya, Tsubaki, and Yagami—were clustered together. Utsunomiya and Yagami being in the sa group wasn't surprising, but Tsubaki's presence there was suspicious. On top of that, none of the other major group mbers were visible.
Recalling what Takahashi had told the other day, I beca certain: Today, the first-years would make their move to expel Ayanokōji.
Tsubaki seed to be leading the operation, so they were undoubtedly planning sothing against him.
"Now then... what should I do?"
I'd spoken briefly with Ayanokōji recently, and it seed he had so kind of secret agreent with Arisu regarding the first-years. He probably wouldn't fall into a simple trap.
Still, even on a vast uninhabited island, if the enemy was willing to use GPS searches to their limit, even Ayanokōji would struggle to avoid direct confrontation indefinitely.
That left with one optimal course of action—
"...Not my preferred choice, but it's an option."
I analyzed Ayanokōji's position and the first-years lurking around him.
After assessing everything, I settled on what I believed to be the best possible response.
.....
"Unbelievable..."
Horikita, dismayed by her own blunder, tilted her bowl and sipped her miso soup with a sigh.
The ti was 6:30 in the morning, and I, Ryūen, and Horikita—an unlikely trio under normal circumstances—were eating breakfast together.
Ryūen smirked as he stared at Horikita.
"Kuku, who would've thought? The rigid Suzune oversleeping."
"...Everyone makes mistakes sotis."
Horikita, clearly uninterested in taking Ryūen's words seriously, responded coldly, though visibly irritated.
That's right. Horikita had, against all expectations, overslept.
Yesterday, the three of us had set up tents nearby, which ant we had no choice but to run into each other in the morning. That was the plan, at least—but even thirty minutes before the designated area was announced, Horikita still hadn't erged from her tent.
The reason we were eating breakfast together now was that Horikita had been busy packing up her tent, so I offered to share a al.
Though she clearly disliked the idea of eating with Ryūen, she reluctantly agreed, treating it as a one-ti exception.
Just how much is Ryūen hated...?
"Don't be so sour, Suzune. Let's enjoy so conversation, yeah?"
"I'm sorry, but I prefer to eat in silence. If you understand, then kindly refrain from speaking to ."
"Oi oi, you sure you should be saying that to ? I'm the one providing the food here."
"Hikigaya-kun was the one who made this breakfast. I intend to compensate him for the ingredients later, so while I'm grateful to him, I have no reason to thank you."
...These two were beyond hostile.
Couldn't they at least try to get along a little better?
For reference, today's nu was miso soup, salted grilled horse mackerel, and portable rations.
The miso soup and mackerel were rewards from yesterday's task. With rice, it would've been perfect, but the rations had to suffice.
"This miso soup... It's delicious."
Horikita, eating with refined manners, offered her thoughts.
"Yeah? Glad you like it."
Thanks to Hiyori, I hadn't been cooking much lately, but it seed my usual self-cooking habits had paid off.
"I can't quite put it into words, but it's really good. Do you usually cook, Hikigaya-kun?"
"Nothing fancy, but I do cook for myself. Miso soup is one of my specialties."
"What a girly guy. You so kinda housewife?"
Ryūen threw out a taunt, but... coming from a guy who was ticulously picking apart his grilled mackerel, that didn't land. And you probably cook too, don't you?
"...These days, even n cook for themselves."
Perhaps annoyed by his comnt, Horikita narrowed her eyes slightly.
"What's this, Suzune? You're really sticking up for Hikigaya, huh?"
"I'm not 'sticking up' for anyone. I'm just stating an objective fact."
Hearing that, Ryūen grinned ominously.
...He's definitely plotting sothing.
"Kukuku, really now? It's always the ones like you who end up marrying guys like in the future, y'know?"
Horikita let out an exasperated sigh and declared matter-of-factly:
"Don't be ridiculous. If it ca down to marrying you, I'd rather marry Hikigaya-kun. He's far more preferable."
"..."
...Wait, was that really okay to say?
Ryūen wore a triumphant, scheming smirk, while I had no idea how to react and averted my gaze.
"?......!!......!!!?"
A sudden silence fell over us. Horikita, at first completely unaware of what had just happened, seed to replay her own words in her head—
"Th-that's not— I didn't an—!"
Her hands froze mid-al, her face burning red as she trembled, her eyes darting between and Ryūen.
She was clearly in complete disarray.
"Bwahaha!! Damn, Suzune, if you're gonna marry Hikigaya, guess there's no room for , huh? Oh well. Hey, invite to the wedding, yeah? I'll turn today's story into a speech for ya!"
"Grrrrrrrrrr—!!"
Horikita glared daggers at him, but Ryūen just laughed loudly, completely unfazed.
...In a battle of wits, maybe, but when it ca to everyday bickering, neither Horikita nor I stood a chance against Ryūen.
.....
Among the students, a particularly large-frad man charged through the forest with fierce montum.
His target was singular—to take down Ayanokōji Kiyotaka of Class 2-D.
The Ayanokōji encirclent plan, devised by Tsubaki Sakurako.
A man who had no interest in such sches from the start—Hōsen Kazunao—had instead used Tsubaki to create an unobstructed opportunity to corner Ayanokōji.
Hōsen pulled out his tablet and perford a final GPS search, confirming Ayanokōji's location just 300 ters ahead.
Almost there.
The prospect of a no-holds-barred brawl had Hōsen already savoring the thrill.
Fueled by a burning competitive spirit, his eyes locked onto Ayanokōji in the distance.
"Found ya, Ayanokōji-senpai!"
Hearing Hōsen's unrestrained shout, Ayanokōji turned.
"Hōsen."
Calmly eting his gaze, Ayanokōji stopped walking.
"I've been waitin' for this mont, y'know!"
"I expected you to co at sooner. You're more patient than I thought."
"Woulda killed the mood if soone interrupted our fight, yeah?"
Hōsen's lips curled into an involuntary grin.
Faced with such a man, Ayanokōji's expression remained unreadable.
"Haven't been this pumped in a while! C'mon, don't give that blank face—you're lookin' forward to this too, right!?"
To Hōsen, a fistfight was nothing more than the ultimate ga.
"Stabbin' a knife into your own hand to threaten soone—no way a guy who does that is normal! Right!? Ain't that right!?"
During the exam in May, Hōsen had sensed sothing off about Ayanokōji. That was precisely why he held such high expectations for him.
Clenching his fists tightly, Hōsen roared.
In less than ten seconds, he had no doubt their all-out brawl would begin.
But—
"Made it in ti."
"Huh?"
In what was supposed to be a one-on-one showdown, a lone figure now stood in the way.
"...Sakayanagi's orders?"
"Yeah. Made a little deal with Arisu. I'll handle this. Get going."
The man had been lying in wait as if he'd anticipated Hōsen's arrival.
After a brief exchange of glances, Ayanokōji vanished deeper into the forest.
Hōsen wanted to chase after him imdiately, but the man before him couldn't be ignored.
"Didn't see this comin'. Never thought you'd show up. ————Hikigaya."
"Sorry, but you're stopping here. Hōsen."
Blocking Hōsen's path, Hachiman stepped forward to face him head-on.
"Don't get it. Why're you helpin' Ayanokōji? What I do ain't got shit to do with you."
Hōsen couldn't comprehend Hachiman's reason for interfering.
"You just don't know the connection. But it does involve ."
Locking eyes, Hachiman slowly closed the distance.
"Our leader's obsessed with points. And since I want points too, I act when necessary."
"Leader...? That bastard Ryūen? So you're his lackey after all?"
"Unfortunately, I don't recall ever becoming Ryūen's subordinate. Like I said—I act when necessary."
To Hachiman and Ryūen, their alliance was nothing more than a ans to an end.
"Hah! Hikigaya-senpai, I actually had high hopes for you too. But seriously—you really think you can stop ?"
Though he'd lost his pri target, Hōsen's fighting spirit only grew fiercer as he turned his focus to Hachiman.
"Who knows? But I can't let you pass."
At point-blank range, Hōsen's eerie grin clashed with Hachiman's cold, lifeless gaze.
Hōsen struck first. Without breaking eye contact, he threw a punch, banking on his superior physique to overpower Hachiman.
"Didn't plan on dragging this out."
Hachiman shifted just one hand, catching the fist squarely in his palm.
"Tch. Now I get it. Hikigaya-senpai—you're mockin' , aren't ya?"
Hōsen's attack had been a re probe—sothing he could easily follow up on if he wanted. That was why he reached his conclusion.
"Mocking you? Save the jokes for your face. I'm just an average student. You've got the build and the experience. I'm not underestimating you."
"That's exactly what I an, senpai! No one's ever looked down on this hard in my life! Co at like you wanna die!"
Yanking his captured arm back violently, Hōsen tried to drag Hachiman off-balance and smash his forehead into him.
"Hah!?"
Instead, Hachiman pulled back with even greater force—sending Hōsen stumbling forward.
"...The hell was that?"
"Don't get it?"
"The fuck did you just do?"
Regaining his footing effortlessly, Hōsen glared at Hachiman.
He hadn't been hurt—just thrown off balance.
For the first ti, Hōsen couldn't comprehend what had happened. He'd never been overpowered like that before.
"Simple. My strength surpassed yours. That's all."
Hachiman stated it plainly, but Hōsen was quietly stunned.
The difference in physique was obvious. By all appearances, Hōsen's raw strength should've been overwhelming. He had countless advantages—and no reason to lose.
Yet despite the undeniable fact that he'd been overpowered, Hōsen laughed.
"————Fine by ."
A quiet mutter—but only once.
"Fine by , fine by , fine by ! This is perfect, Hikigaya-senpai! No more gas! From here on out—it's a real fight!"
What Hōsen wanted most was an all-out brawl. Winning, losing, differences in strength—none of it mattered as long as he could throw his fists.
"...I see."
Seeing Hōsen like that, Hachiman lowered his gaze as if realizing sothing.
...
Hōsen kicked off the ground, closing the distance with a speed belying his massive fra. Keeping his left hand low, he swung a right hook with full force.
I blocked it with my forearm—a blow that would've inflicted serious damage if left unchecked. But he wasn't done. With his free left hand, he seized my other arm.
"Gotcha."
He tightened his grip and wrenched my arm upward, likely planning to follow up with a devastating kick. But before he could, I drove my foot into his ribs.
"Hah! Now we're talkin'!"
He disengaged briefly, never breaking eye contact, then feinted a front kick—only to plant his foot and fire a straight right instead.
"..."
I caught the full-force punch in one hand.
"Tch! Let go, damn it!!"
I gradually increased the pressure, crushing his fist in my grip.
"Ghh—O-OOOOOHHHHHH!!?"
Hōsen thrashed, trying to break free, but the mounting pain forced him to his knees. His reaction was understandable—his fist was being slowly crushed.
Grabbing his hair, I yanked him forward and slamd my knee into his forehead.
"——!!"
The mont I released his fist, Hōsen collapsed limply. Yet even after such a display of overwhelming strength, his hand remained clenched tight.
"Hah... Hahaha... First ti... gettin' knocked on my ass like this..."
"You're still conscious after that? Tougher than I thought."
His vision was probably swimming—I'd hit him hard enough to cause severe concussion.
"Don't... think this is over, senpai... You're on my list now. Next ti I see you... I'll kill you."
"...So this is all you amount to."
"Huh?"
He glared up at , teeth bared.
"Nothing unexpected. Hōsen, you're exactly as I predicted—utterly unremarkable."
"The hell's that supposed to an!?"
"From start to finish, you were fixated on nothing but a brawl. Even knowing the gap in strength, you still ca at ."
Hōsen had tunnel vision—his entire strategy began and ended with brute force.
"At this level, you're nowhere near Ryūen."
"The fuck did you just say...!?"
"Even if Ryūen had been here instead of , you'd still be the one on the ground."
Fueled by my words, Hōsen forced his trembling body upright.
"The gap between you and him is that vast. Just from observing this past year, Ryūen is in a league you can't even compare to."
"Bullshit!! Don't get cocky just 'cause you won once! Mark my words—I'll crush both you and Ryūen!!"
"All bark. Even if you could land a hit on , getting expelled in the process would still an you lost."
"Shut the hell——!"
I seized his collar, lined up the shot, and drove a straight punch through his jaw—knocking him out cold. His body hit the ground without a sound.
"That's enough. It's over."
I called out toward the bushes to the south.
"...Unbelievable. Hikigaya. To overwhelm him like this... I can't even process it."
Erging from the foliage was Tokitō—a classmate I'd summoned beforehand.
Hōsen had likely checked the area with GPS, but he'd missed Tokitō. The reason was simple: the broken watch on Tokitō's wrist. He'd followed my instructions perfectly.
"So I just gotta retire with this guy like we agreed, right?"
"Yeah. Tell them you got into a fight if anyone asks."
I'd brought Tokitō here to clean up. Leaving Hōsen unattended risked him going after Ayanokōji again, and if I disappeared after beating him down, that'd raise questions too.
Tokitō would handle the fallout in my place—with his full consent, of course.
With no reason to stay, I turned to leave.
"Hold up, Hikigaya."
Tokitō's voice alone stopped .
"What?"
"Give a minute. There's sothing I wanna say."
His expression was dead serious. I could ignore him, but I chose to pause.
Seeing this, Tokitō continued.
"You already know this, but I hate Ryūen. His thods, his mindset—everything about him pisses off."
That much was common knowledge. Tokitō had opposed Ryūen's leadership from day one.
"But until now... I never had a way to drag him down. Not until you showed up."
He pointed at .
"At first, I thought you were just another disposable pawn. But after the last exam... and now seeing you take down a monster like this? I've made up my mind."
His gaze hardened with resolve.
"I'm making you the class leader, Hikigaya."
Before I could respond, he pressed on.
"If you take the role, I'll back you 100%. As your subordinate, whatever. With you as leader, Ryūen doesn't stand a chance. You've got way more trust and respect than he does."
This wasn't so impulsive declaration—he'd clearly thought it through. Rough around the edges, but the potential was there.
" as class leader? You serious?"
"Dead serious. There's no better candidate."
I took a mont to consider.
"I'll think about it."
"! You an it?"
"Yeah. But Tokitō, you'd need to change your approach first."
"My approach? What's that supposed to—"
If he couldn't accept this condition, leadership was off the table.
"For what it's worth, I do respect you. Holding onto your defiance against Ryūen for a full year takes serious willpower."
Most would've been absorbed by the group, falling in line with Ryūen's rule.
"Let ask you this—if I did beco leader, what would you do about Ryūen? You think he'd just step aside?"
"Who cares? Expel his ass if we have to."
"And that's your problem, Tokitō."
"Hah? What's wrong with expelling Ryūen?"
"He would resist, no doubt. But in terms of pure ability, he's top-tier in our class. Kicking him out would weaken us."
"That's..."
And there it was—the flaw in Tokitō's thinking.
If he truly cared about the class, discarding an asset like Ryūen would be idiotic.
"If you can't accept my terms, I'm not interested in leading."
I wondered—what kind of change would this conversation bring to the class?
"Think hard about what I said."
With those final words, I turned my back and walked away.
This ti, no voice called out to stop .
...
Final Day – The Last Designated Area
After stepping into the final designated area, Ayanokōji headed toward I2.
But an unexpected figure stopped him in his tracks—Student Council President Nagumo Miyabi. Whether by coincidence or design, the two now stood opposed.
"Shouldn't you focus on the final exam instead of bothering with ? The point gap between your group, Kōenji's, and Ryūen's is razor-thin. If you don't return, you won't even secure the placent rewards."
Ayanokōji's argunt was perfectly logical, yet Nagumo's smirk never wavered.
"Relax. On this final day, I've got Kōenji completely locked down."
"Does that an Ryūen and Hikigaya's group aren't under control?"
"My strategies don't work as well on them. But don't worry—I've still been interfering enough to keep things manageable."
"As expected of the Student Council President. An ordinary student wouldn't stand a chance against you."
Nagumo laughed, as if sothing about Ayanokōji's response amused him.
"You don't really an that, do you? You don't think I'm impressive at all."
"That's not—"
Nagumo raised a hand, cutting off Ayanokōji's denial.
"You'd just deny it anyway. I can predict that much by now. You and Hikigaya always hide your true abilities. Honestly, I think I finally understand what forr President Horikata ant about you two."
Nagumo had long been aware of the two students his respected predecessor, Horikata Manabu, had taken an interest in. His pride ca from having watched their movents closely ever since.
"I've always doubted whether you two were truly capable, but now it's clear. You and Hikigaya have earned the right to be crushed by . Rejoice."
"I can't say I'm happy about that. Like I said earlier, you should ignore and focus on the exam."
"If I wanted to, I could've racked up 400, even 500 points. But that would've caused so issues. Besides—where's the fun in that? It'd just make the exam boring."
As the leader of the strongest group, Nagumo had spent these two weeks dominating effortlessly.
If he went all out, he could uncover every group's exact score. Even now, with points obscured, he knew precisely how many penalties Kōenji's and Ryūen's groups were carrying.
In other words, he could engineer a dramatic, one-point victory if he wished.
"Honestly, Kōenji and Ryūen don't matter. The last thing I'll do at this school is devour you two."
A declaration of war—aid at Hachiman and Ayanokōji in the cross-grade battles to co.
"Sorry, but I'm in a hurry. Let's continue this conversation another ti."
Ayanokōji tried to defer the discussion, but Nagumo wasn't having it.
"You think I'll let you walk away that easily? I'm not leaving until you agree to fight ."
Nagumo followed as Ayanokōji began walking.
What awaited ahead was Ayanokōji's confrontation with Tsukishiro. He couldn't afford to bring Nagumo along, no matter what.
Ayanokōji stopped and glanced back.
"If you're so eager to fight —"
Misinterpreting this as acceptance, Nagumo grinned—only for Ayanokōji to shove him squarely in the chest, sending him tumbling to the ground without resistance. His tablet and transceiver clattered beside him.
"Wha—?"
"President Nagumo, I do respect you. You possess abilities different from forr President Horikata, and you've brilliantly claid the summit of this school. It's no exaggeration to say you've completely dominated this exam."
Before Nagumo could regain his composure—or his anger—Ayanokōji continued.
"But there are lines you shouldn't cross. With ... and with Hikigaya."
"Ha... You kidding , Ayanokōji? You think you can order around?"
"It's because you're a senior worth respecting."
"The hell? Who the fuck do you think—"
Just then, the transceiver beside Nagumo crackled to life.
["It's done, Nagumo! We've blocked Kōenji's group from three straight tasks now. Ryūen's group is trickier, but we might overwhelm them with numbers. What's our next move?"]
The excited voice of a third-year echoed through the woods.
Nagumo ignored it entirely, his glare fixed on Ayanokōji.
["Hey, Nagumo! Without your orders, the upperclassn won't move. Didn't you say we need to keep pressuring Kōenji and Ryūen until the exam ends?"]
"Aren't you going to respond?"
Even Ayanokōji could tell the conversation was critical, but Nagumo remained silent.
"Right now, Kōenji, Ryūen, and even Hikigaya don't matter to ."
Brushing off the dirt, Nagumo stepped forward.
"I'm going to fight you—and crush you completely. That's my final duty as Student Council President."
Hearing this, Ayanokōji realized sothing: this was Nagumo's pride as president speaking.
"I—!?"
Without hesitation, Ayanokōji drove his fist into Nagumo's solar plexus.
"Gh—!?"
Instantly robbed of breath, Nagumo collapsed, unconscious.
After a brief glance at his fallen senior, Ayanokōji turned and continued toward I2—to bring the exam to its conclusion.
........
(A/N: Uninhabited Island Exam Climax
The longest exam yet is finally nearing its end.
Who will co out on top? It's still anyone's ga.
And there's plenty to look forward to after the exam, too. Let's recap:
- The promise with Hiyori
- Amasawa and Ryūen's deal concerning Hachiman
- Sumr vacation plans with Arisu
- A "date" with senior student Ayano (from Hachiman's side)
- A request for Kiryūin-senpai
- Horikita's way of repaying her debt
- Tokitō's decision
That's a lot to unpack. And, uh... about 90% of it involves girls. Looking at it all at once really puts things into perspective.
Well, I'll just take it one step at a ti. Probably fine. )
=================================
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