Chapter 109 Sakayanagi: Fine, You Left Me Behind and Did Something This Huge!
In the Student Council office, a copy of the 1st Year Island Exam results, just sent from the ship, lay on the desk.
Horikita Manabu had already confirmed the scores. As members of the Student Council, the others had also reviewed the results.
However, there was an uninvited guest in the office: It was a sickly young girl with beautiful, straight silver hair and exquisite, doll-like features.
It was Sakayanagi Arisu, carrying her cane.
She sat quietly on a chair to one side of the room, her posture upright yet not stiff. A layer of expectation hung over her delicate, slightly slender face. However, she was neither restless nor urgent; it was a form of composed waiting.
This was her second consecutive day taking the initiative to come to the Student Council. If she were truly anxious, that energy would have been spent yesterday. Now, she did nothing but sit there in silence, waiting patiently.
Her only goal was to be the first to obtain the results of the first-year uninhabited island special exam.
On the surface, everything seemed perfectly reasonable.
Although she was a first-year student, her physical condition had prevented her from joining her class on the island, forcing her to remain at school. As the core figure of Class A and the one who truly controlled the class's direction, it was impossible for her to truly let go of class affairs, regardless of where she was. Given the immense weight of this exam, it was entirely beyond reproach for her to be particularly concerned or eager.
But this was merely the surface. For those who truly knew Sakayanagi Arisu, these reasons were all false.
The reason she had staked out the Student Council for two days had nothing to do with Class A. She was merely using that dignified excuse to intercept the exam intelligence at the first possible moment.
The target she truly cared about, the one she had set her sights on from the very beginning, was never Class A's performance. It was Hikigaya Hachiman of Class B.
The man who knew everything about her, yet deliberately left her at school and subjected her to this "neglect play."
In Sakayanagi's eyes, Hikigaya's approach was nothing more than "burying his head in the sand." He wanted to take advantage of her absence and inability to interfere to display his skills in this uninhabited island exam, setting up a scheme that would leave everyone speechless.
As someone who had heard Hikigaya's inner thoughts, Sakayanagi was well aware that Hikigaya Hachiman was a "transmigrator." He didn't just know everyone's backgrounds; he naturally knew the contents of the assessments. He was the man holding all the answers, looking down from a "God's eye view."
But that was known information. Sakayanagi was only curious about one thing: exactly how beautiful of a "snowballing" victory a man like him could achieve in this exam.
She only wanted to confirm that.
Everything else was irrelevant.
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In the midst of this quiet and eerie waiting, the atmosphere in the Student Council office grew heavy.
Student Council President Horikita Manabu and Vice President Miyabi Nagumo stood side-by-side at the desk, their gazes falling simultaneously on the score sheet that had just been transmitted. Their expressions differed as they remained silent.
Nagumo was the first to reach out and pick up the thin sheet of paper. He gave the numbers a casual glance, and a playful, mocking smile quickly curled at the corner of his mouth. He slowly turned his head toward the seated silver-haired girl, his tone filled with undisguised banter, as if he had finally reclaimed his ground.
"Sakayanagi-kohai, it seems your Class A wasn't very ambitious this time," Nagumo said. "Only 120 points—you couldn't even beat Class D. On the other hand, Class B got 0 points, setting a new record for the lowest score since enrollment. But the most impressive one is Kakeru Ryuen of Class C. 350 points, standing alone at the top."
At this point, Nagumo's smile deepened.
He already had a significant personal grudge against Ryuen. During their last conversation, he never imagined that this rookie kouhai would actually record him. Furthermore, Ryuen had turned around and sold that recording to Sakayanagi, causing Nagumo to suffer a major loss.
In his heart, he felt Ryuen was a failure as a "new lackey." But this time, he had to admit: Ryuen's move was indeed brilliant.
Originally, everyone thought Class A would dominate and secure first place. Or, with Sakayanagi absent, Class B would counter-attack and topple Class A. No one expected Class C to pull ahead and take the crown. This was effectively a slap in the face to Class A in front of the entire grade. This realization gave Nagumo, who already disliked Sakayanagi, a strange sense of gratification.
Horikita Manabu's focus, however, was different. His gaze was fixed on Class B's score of 0.
Class B—0 points.
Hikigaya Hachiman... actually got 0 points?
A flash of incomprehension and surprise crossed Manabu's eyes. While he didn't directly interfere in first-year affairs, he observed their core figures. The atmosphere of Class B was somewhat similar to his own class, and Hikigaya Hachiman, in particular, had left a deep impression on him.
On the 1st, they had bathed together in the sauna and shared some intelligence. In Manabu's view, this kouhai did not seem like someone who would calmly accept a result of 0 points. There must be intelligence hidden here that he didn't yet know.
Based on his understanding of the guy... since he liked to convert good things into private points, could he have used this exam to acquire a massive amount of points instead?
While Manabu was lost in thought, the silent Sakayanagi Arisu finally spoke.
"Quite an interesting solution."
Her gaze remained on the score sheet, lingering briefly between Class B's 0 and Class D's 50. A light of realization flashed in her eyes, as if she had captured some vital information from these seemingly absurd scores.
The expectation on her face vanished, replaced by a shallow, pleasant, and satisfied smile.
A "Zero-Point Operation," was it?
She understood now. Hikigaya had indeed displayed his hand in the exam she missed.
Leaning lightly on her cane, she slowly stood up and gave a slight nod to Manabu and Nagumo.
"Now that I have this information, there is no need for me to stay. I shall take my leave."
With those words, she turned and walked out of the office with steady steps, carrying her cane. Her posture was composed, her bearing indifferent. There was no sign of panic over Class A's poor performance, nor any instability over Class B's 0 points.
Watching her leave, Nagumo raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Why isn't Sakayanagi worried? Her class did this poorly, and she doesn't care at all?"
Manabu withdrew his gaze and looked back at the scores, shaking his head. "It's not that she doesn't care. It's that she has already seen what she wanted from these results. The days ahead likely won't be peaceful."
"..." Nagumo paused. "What do you mean?"
"From the results, Class A failed to get a high score, and Class B got zero. It looks like a mutual defeat that allowed Class C to take the lead," Manabu reasoned.
"That's how you see it, right?"
"Isn't it?" Nagumo said as if it were obvious. "The scores for first-year A and B were close. A wanted to counter-attack, and C joined in to target A. Naturally, A couldn't get a high score. Isn't that logical?"
Currently, they only had the final scores. They knew nothing of the specific rules, the strategies of each class, the arrangements of class representatives, or the process of the "game."
"I know the first-years better than you do."
Manabu put away his fountain pen, resting his chin on his wrist with a deep look in his eyes.
"This batch of first-years is excellent. Class A is excellent, Class B is excellent, and now, Class C has shown strength to match. Class A has internal factions, and with Sakayanagi Arisu absent, the morale was unstable. This is why I didn't actively invite first-years into the Student Council core, only offering a secretary position."
Nagumo didn't deny this; President Horikita was notoriously strict.
Class A looked polished on the surface but was indeed fractured. Yet even with internal strife, during the previous written exam involving old questions, the whole class had united against outsiders to fight for the right to participate in the next Student Council President election.
So, Nagumo thought: They started splitting violently just because Sakayanagi wasn't there, and their combat power tanked? Is that class really that ridiculous?
However, he didn't say it out loud.
"Does the President mean... Class B's 0 points is the situation that should least be happening?" Nagumo speculated based on Manabu's words.
"0 points," Manabu repeated softly. "In an assessment where the entire grade has a chance to earn 1,000 class points, they ended up with zero. And Hikigaya Hachiman—the man who led Class B in a steady rise from the first month—turned in a blank answer sheet right when Class A was at its weakest."
Manabu looked at Nagumo. "Realizing this is likely why Sakayanagi left immediately. There must be internal details of this exam that we cannot see. As a rival in the same year, Sakayanagi might understand Hikigaya better than I do. If he chose to end the exam with 0 points, then he must have obtained chips and resources far more important than class points."
"..."
'So, both Sakayanagi and President Horikita think Class B is the strongest?' Nagumo wondered.
'Is their evaluation of that 'Hikigaya' kid really that high? Even though Sakayanagi's class has that cunning 'dead-fish eyes' kouhai, did he fail to gain an advantage this time?'
But thinking about it, Hikigaya did gain election participation rights earlier than Sakayanagi. He was the first to earn the President's recognition. Although Sakayanagi was usually the one jumping out, if he had the President's approval, Nagumo decided he really ought to meet this "direct kouhai" of his.
After the exam, although Class C took the MVP, the gap between A and B hadn't widened significantly. After the calculations, the total scores were:
Class 1-A: 1055 + 120 = 1175 points Class 1-B: 1011 points Class 1-C: 100 + 350 = 450 points Class 1-D: 80 + 59 = 139 points
Manabu frowned slightly. He had the results, but the specific strategy and content were still unknown.
He would have to wait for the freshmen to return to confirm.
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In the Chairman's Office
Although the school delegated much authority to the Student Council, the Chairman and management still monitored the special exams. Just like the omnipresent surveillance at the start of the year, every student's actions during the exam were recorded and analyzed. This was the school's observation and screening process.
Inside the soundproofed office, the atmosphere was even more serious. Sakayanagi Narumori sat behind the desk, exam data laid out before him. Mashima-sensei was still on the island and was currently giving a detailed report via telephone.
"Chairman, the first-year island exam has concluded. I am reporting the detailed actions of each class."
Narumori nodded slightly. "Proceed."
"This was a confrontation-style exam centered on protecting the leader. However, the total score for the grade was much lower than expected. It wasn't due to a lack of ability, but because the 'game' was too intense," Mashima's voice was steady.
"During the exam, both Class A and Class C signed agreements with Class B—to purchase 'base points' using private points."
Several teachers from the exam-planning committee in the office were stunned.
"Not only that. At the very start of the exam, Class B bought Class D's base points at a low price. They combined those with their own and resold them at a high price to Class A and Class C. In other words, they never intended to earn exam points from the beginning. Their goal was to acquire a massive amount of private points."
The room went silent. While reselling supplies was understandable, the boldness of buying up two classes' worth of "resources" to resell to the other two was unheard of. It was a fresh approach.
"So, since they ended with 0 points, exactly how many private points did Class B acquire?" one teacher asked immediately. They had seen the scores and were disappointed that the freshmen hadn't "grasped" the points the school tried to give them.
"A staggering amount," Mashima said.
"Could it be 20 million? That would be impressive. Many classes can't gather 20 million in a year. If they have it now..."
"And since these points are coming from Classes A and C, it's likely in installments. It's a strategy to grow while weakening the opposition."
"It's an open scheme!" a teacher exclaimed.
"Indeed, a good plan," Sakayanagi Narumori agreed.
"It's not 20 million," Mashima countered.
"Not even 20 million? Well, even Class A only gets about 4 million a month. Expecting 20 million from one exam is a bit much. If they profited 5 million, that's still a great performance," the teacher said.
"No," Mashima knew he was speaking too slowly. "It's not that it's too little... it's too much. It's a 'massive' amount even by my standards. He signed two agreements with Classes A and C for 52.8 million and 46.2 million private points respectively. In total, the two classes owe him 99 million private points!"
"..."
The office was dead silent.
"How... how much? 99 million?"
"Is this year's Class A that bold? Mashima, I know you can't interfere, but 50 million is too much."
"Even a third-year Class A only pays around 40 million to protect classmates. These freshmen just started and dared to sign such massive debt notes?"
"And Class C followed—46.2 million!? How will they pay it back!"
Now they understood why Class C took the MVP with 350 points while Class B had 0. They had bought their way there at a high price.
"Our total budget for this wasn't even that high, and most of it went to the luxury cruise ship. Yet a student from Class B managed to walk away with nearly 100 million."
The teachers were reeling. Class B got 0 points but made nearly a hundred million. This wasn't just smart; it was playing the rules to their absolute limit.
Finally, an older teacher spoke up. "Chairman, even if this Class B doesn't graduate from Class A in the end, I suggest giving their representative a special letter of recommendation. This strategic vision deserves the highest evaluation."
The others nodded.
Sakayanagi Narumori remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "Agreed. Mashima, continue."
"Also, Class D's situation is unique. Most of them withdrew early after selling their points to Class B, leaving only three. However, at a critical moment last night, the original leader was bitten by a snake and forced to change leaders. The new leader was— Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."
At that name, Narumori's eyes flickered, but he said nothing.
"After taking over, Ayanokouji successfully guessed the leaders of A, B, and C in the final stage. On that alone, Class D could have scored massive points. Furthermore, Class C occupied the hidden spot and 6 regular spots. They didn't give up. Yet, Class D only ended with 50 points."
"Why?" a teacher asked. Guessing all three leaders correctly was incredibly difficult, as every class protects that information fiercely.
"His plan was interfered with. His identity as the new leader was correctly guessed by both B and C. This invalidated his 'spot' points, and the 150 points he earned from guessing others were reduced by 100 points as a penalty."
So that was the origin of the 50 points. Impressive, but his strategy was caught.
"It seems this year's freshmen are indeed different," the Chairman summarized. "Class A carries the best resources we gave them, Class B is chasing them down like Nagumo did—perhaps even faster—Class C is willing to incur massive debt for points, and even Class D has a 'dark horse' student stepping up. I think we can expect more from them."
He then made a decision. "Archive the data. Also, modify the rules and scores for the upcoming 'VIP' exam and delay it by two days. The group assignments need to be adjusted. If they want to fight this intensely, the least we can do is provide the stage."
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Once the teachers left and the door closed, Sakayanagi Narumori looked at the name " Ayanokouji Kiyotaka " on the paper for a long time.
"On the surface, Ryuen is the brightest... but the truly terrifying one is Class B with 0 points."
He knew better than anyone. Ryuen's 350 points were a victory on the surface. Hikigaya's 0 points earned nearly a hundred million; that was a victory at the roots.
But he cared more about Ayanokouji. "Are you finally starting to move...?"
He had a deal with Ayanokouji's father. The man wanted to send his son here as the "final experiment of the White Room," using the school as a laboratory. Out of old friendship and sympathy for a child raised in a loveless environment, Narumori had agreed.
Ayanokouji had hidden his strength in Class D, acting like an ordinary person. Narumori thought the "masterpiece" just wanted a normal life.
Until this exam. Switching leaders in a crisis and guessing three leaders in a desperate situation... he truly lived up to the White Room's reputation.
"A pity," Narumori shook his head. "You have the ability, but the students of this school won't be easily controlled by you."
Class D only got 50 points. This meant Ayanokouji couldn't fully control his class; his plan was broken by others.
This was likely the first true failure for that genius.
Just then, his phone vibrated. It was a message from Arisu.
Seeing his daughter's name, Narumori's sternness softened into a faint, warm smile.
[Father, send me all the details on how the first-years handled this island exam.]
He tapped the screen.
"You want to use your privileges? I thought you hated that."
Arisu replied instantly, as if she had expected the response:
[I am simply a daughter who wants to hear some interesting work stories from her father.]
He chuckled. He didn't refuse. He sent every detail Mashima had reported—Class B's point trading, the tactics, Ayanokouji's leader swap, and the final 50-point result. He added:
"By the way, the child I took you to see through the glass in the White Room when you were little— Ayanokouji Kiyotaka—is currently in Class D."
After a moment, Arisu replied:
[This is the result after he acted?]
"The result wasn't great, but to achieve this much is already excellent."
This time, his daughter only sent two characters:
[Heh heh.]
No follow-up, no evaluation.
She dismissed the "Masterpiece of the White Room" with a light laugh.
She had no interest in Ayanokouji.
In her view, no matter how "impressive" 50 points looked, it was still just 50 points.
The reason he got that score was that he couldn't even control Class D. No matter how great his individual skill, he couldn't achieve the best result without the authority to manipulate his class.
For someone with the title of "genius," it was an "acceptable" performance, but it didn't meet her expectations.
The only person she truly cared about, the only one she found interesting, was—
Hikigaya-kun.
Leaving her behind at school was one thing, but then he went and set up such a massive scheme. Buying low, selling high, and walking away with nearly a hundred million points from a 0-point performance.
This wasn't something 2 million or 5 million could touch. It was a staggering sum, built while simultaneously weakening both Class A and C.
Truly well done.
Arisu sat in her room, her fingers lightly touching her cane, silver hair falling over her shoulders. Her lips curled upward. The irritation from being left behind vanished completely. She was actually looking forward to it.
'If you come back any later... I won't be able to stay still here by myself.'
After all—the real show has only just begun.
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