Chapter 112: Katsuragi's Drawing, Hachiman's Recording!
Right now, Totsuka's provocation was highly likely a test arranged by Katsuragi.
Because casual arrogance or hostility toward others wasn't a typical trait of Class A students, and Totsuka Yahiko was one of Katsuragi's die-hard followers—similar to how Kamuro was to Sakayanagi.
Although Kamuro had weaknesses, Katsuragi wouldn't keep someone reckless like Yamauchi around, who could cause trouble.
So, Hachiman believed that Totsuka's arrogance was most likely a test.
In that case, he might as well escalate the situation a bit.
"Yahiko." At that moment, Katsuragi put down his fork. "Even though there are no surveillance cameras here, and the behavioral exam is limited to just one month, behavior isn't just about passing an exam. You need to have the awareness of a Class A student."
That was a reasonable statement.
Totsuka also restrained himself after hearing Katsuragi's words.
But then Katsuragi turned to Hachiman's group.
"And you all, why not learn some manners as well? Don't trouble those around you."
It was a suggestion.
Katsuragi felt completely different from Yahiko—more mature, like a guardian.
At the same time, his suggestion was fair. Yamauchi and Ike's behavior just now had been somewhat rude, making them stand out awkwardly.
Seeing that Hachiman and his group remained silent, the members of the Katsuragi faction saw their representative speak up and immediately started chiming in.
"Hey, that red-haired guy must be Sudo, right?"
"I heard he was involved in a violent incident before."
"I saw on the school's message board that some students from his class were still looking for records of past incidents."
"Sudo looks so fierce! His gaze is terrifying!"
"How many people has he killed already?"
"Eh—"
The Class A students immediately started gossiping.
"Hey!"
"What are you guys saying? I already told you—I was alone, and they were three people!"
"It was self-defense!"
"Besides, wasn't that matter already settled? It was Ryuen's class that set me up!" Sudo hurriedly tried to defend himself.
But clearly, he hadn't improved much since the previous fight incident.
His argument wasn't very convincing.
However, the Class A students obviously knew Ryuen's class did it on purpose.
In fact, it was orchestrated by Class A.
Originally, they had spent a hefty sum and could have waited safely for the first month's behavioral exam to end while maintaining their excellent scores.
But because the class evaluation scores were released early...
Other classes, especially Class B, found out that Class A had to spend a lot of money to secure their position.
So naturally, Class A wasn't happy about it.
Moreover, what made them even more upset was that since Class B now knew this, they could take precautions.
As a result, the gap between their scores couldn't be widened.
In other words, some members of the Katsuragi faction weren't satisfied with the current point situation either.
According to their original plan, if Ryuen had successfully attacked Class D and then targeted Class B, they could have easily dragged Class B down while Class A remained untouchable.
But Ryuen's plan failed, and he ended up falling instead.
So now, seeing Sudo—the key player in that incident—some Class A students naturally harbored hostility.
As an observer of human nature, Hachiman silently watched the expressions of these Class A students.
Then, he felt a bit disappointed.
Because while he wouldn't underestimate Totsuka Yahiko, it seemed he didn't need to overly overestimate Class A students either.
Did these people even realize how idiotic the things they were saying sounded?
Even though these were Katsuragi faction students...
They were still Class A students.
Which meant...
Maybe he had been too nervous.
Because his encounters with Sakayanagi Arisu had been terrifying—she was a genius, sharp, rich, and fully understood the school's rules.
On top of that, one of her relatives was even the school's chairman.
Her life was basically on cheat mode.
Going up against someone like that was high-pressure.
That's why Hachiman had to use underhanded tactics, tricking Sakayanagi into becoming the student council president.
In other words, Hachiman believed that if Sakayanagi remained in Class A, his chances of surpassing them were slim.
So, he needed to remove Sakayanagi from the equation.
But now, seeing the way the other Class A students behaved, it seemed…
Maybe not all of them were actually that exceptional.
Some of them might even drag the class down.
Which meant...
Even if Sakayanagi remained in Class A and acted as the class representative, it wouldn't be a completely stable situation.
Because her subordinates weren't very bright.
As he pondered this, Hachiman noticed that Katsuragi, who had spoken earlier, didn't stop his classmates from gossiping this time.
Instead, Katsuragi was watching him.
Yes.
It seemed like he was observing how Hachiman would handle the situation.
Was that it?
Bringing up Sudo's incident again—like throwing out a problem to be solved.
But...
There was a solution.
And it was quick.
Almost without thinking—
"I say—"
Hachiman walked over to the guy who had been sitting with a female companion and had just been saying, "I wonder how many people Sudo has killed."
"Are you a Class A student?"
"…" The male student glanced around, realizing that after Hachiman spoke, many eyes were now on him. This puzzled him. "So what if I am?"
"I thought you were from Class E."
"Our school only has Classes A through D, but you seem to have the qualities of an E-class student."
Hikigaya said, "Because just now, you said you didn't know how many people Sudo had killed, right?"
As he spoke, Hikigaya gave a rare smile.
"…Yes, and so what?" The male student found Hikigaya's smile annoying.
Moreover—
This Hikigaya was someone that Sakayanagi had once valued.
Even though he was part of the Katsuragi faction, he didn't believe that a student from Class D—oh wait, the now lucky Class C—could have been acknowledged by Sakayanagi Arisu.
A bit of jealousy surfaced.
"It's nothing," Hikigaya replied calmly. "I just think your judgment level is only fit for an E-class student. You said you don't know how many people Sudo has killed? If Sudo had really killed someone, do you think he'd still be able to attend such a prestigious high school? So, please use your brain and think for a moment. Slandering others so casually, and with such a stupid reason—don't you find yourself incredibly foolish?"
"Hikigaya!"
Sudo, who had been furious with the Class A students and was about to grab the guy who badmouthed him by the collar, suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Seeing Hikigaya standing up for him, he almost shed manly tears.
"If this is the extent of your judgment, I must say, I'm really disappointed in you Class A students. So much for your so-called elite status."
"Right now, our class is only Class C, but if this is all Class A has to offer, I'm afraid we'll be catching up soon." Hachiman declared.
His words were practically a declaration of war.
And yet, at that moment, none of the Class A students stood up to rebuke him.
Hachiman continued,
"Sudo, let's go. Staying here with them just makes the air feel polluted."
"Alright!"
With that, Hachiman turned and walked away, with Sudo closely following behind.
"Let's hurry and catch up with them too," Ike, Yamauchi, and Sotomura—who had been silently fuming ever since Yahiko mocked them but didn't know how to respond—immediately followed.
"…" Class A was left in silence.
As for the student who had made the remark about Sudo killing people and had been singled out by Hikigaya—he was extremely displeased.
"What the hell… Class C students. They only got this far by sheer dumb luck."
He muttered to himself.
But as he looked up, he noticed that the way his classmates were looking at him had changed.
"I think… I'm done eating." His female companion abruptly stood up.
Even those who had been on good terms with him subtly adjusted their chairs, as if trying to distance themselves.
"…"
Why?
The male student was utterly confused.
"…" Katsuragi.
If this guy's goal had been to provoke Hikigaya, then he had done a decent job.
But Katsuragi had never given him such instructions.
He had only directed Yahiko to deliberately test Hikigaya.
Which meant…
This guy acted on his own—going so far as to throw out an accusation as absurd as murder.
Sigh.
Having a supporter who spoke without thinking was a bit of a headache for Katsuragi.
However—
"…Katsuragi-kun." Yahiko spoke with lingering nervousness.
As Katsuragi's right-hand man, Yahiko wasn't foolish. He had only tested Hikigaya and his group when they entered.
"Hmm, and now we have our answer," Katsuragi remarked. "I really misjudged before. Someone recognized by Sakayanagi and valued by the student council president—Hikigaya Hachiman is definitely someone to watch."
"I'm even starting to suspect that he deliberately damaged the surveillance camera at the beginning."
"That he intentionally exposed the class evaluation scores," Katsuragi added.
"No way!"
Yahiko was shocked.
Because if that were true, then Hikigaya must have understood the school's rules from a very early stage.
And that level of keen insight… was terrifying to think about.
But Katsuragi spoke with certainty.
"This exam might be much tougher than we expected."
"Especially…"
"We must gain the upper hand!" Katsuragi said firmly.
"I'll do everything to assist!"
As Katsuragi's loyal follower, Totsuka Yahiko immediately responded.
He also understood—this was an opportunity for Katsuragi since Sakayanagi couldn't participate in this exam.
If he could perform outstandingly, he could silence the Sakayanagi faction.
Choosing to follow Katsuragi was the right path!
—
Meanwhile, Hachiman and his group had left the cafeteria.
"Those Class A students were so damn annoying just now."
"The things they said were way out of line."
Once outside, Yamauchi started ranting, clearly furious.
But if he had really been that angry, he should have spoken up earlier instead of standing by silently, feeling relieved that it was Sudo who was being targeted.
Hikigaya thought to himself.
Sudo, however, didn't care about that. In fact, he seemed a little excited.
"I think your judgment level is only at the E-class level. Right now, our class is just Class C, but if Class A is only at this level, then we'll probably catch up very soon."
"That was so cool!"
"Hikigaya, I've changed my opinion of you!"
Sudo said.
Is that so?
Then please grow up a little.
Hachiman thought to himself.
However, he also understood that the school's special exams weren't just about written tests—there were other aspects as well. And Sudo, with his exceptional athletic ability, had an undeniable advantage.
So, Sudo would have his moments to be useful. Even if he couldn't directly earn points for the class, he could still... serve as bait and become a target for attacks from other classes.
—
Perhaps the students from Class A had been shaken by what had just happened.
Afterward, the group headed to the buffet restaurant.
Ike Kanji also stopped bringing up his failed confession to Kushida, which had ended before it even started.
Rather,
"Isn't dwelling on the past just lame?" he said.
It was a bit cool, in a way.
But this also meant that his confession to Kushida wasn't out of real love—just an impulsive decision.
Because—
If it were truly a case of heartbreak, he wouldn't be acting like this.
And the source of this knowledge was none other than Hikigaya himself.
Still—
"Isn't dwelling on the past just lame?"
Hachiman mentally took note of this phrase.
Then, perhaps because he wasn't in the best mood after hanging around Yamauchi and the others, Hikigaya decided to act alone after finishing his meal.
After all—
"The sky is free."
"Even in the darkness underground, hope exists—"
"These are my wings~"
On a grand stage, a play titled Icarus' Wings was being performed—a story about the pursuit of freedom.
And at the same time, there were chips, soda, and even free chicken wings to enjoy.
Essentially, Hikigaya was watching a play for free.
No money required.
This cruise ship had been rented by the school, and every day, hundreds of thousands of points were being spent, but the school covered the costs.
For the students, everything was free.
The vast summer-like sea, the luxurious cruise liner, the sound of the ship's horn, the open sky, the refreshing sea breeze—
It was incredibly comfortable.
So even if they called this a school trip, it wasn't too much of a stretch.
"Beep beep."
Hachiman glanced at his phone.
It was a message from the class group chat.
Apparently, some students had gone to the deck and tried to lure seagulls with French fries. Unfortunately, the seagulls seemed to prefer bread over fries.
However, someone excitedly shared that they had finally managed to touch a pigeon.
No one knew where the pigeons had come from in the middle of the sea, but it was clear that everyone was thoroughly enjoying their time on the cruise.
That was actually pretty nice.
Ignorance really was bliss.
"And so—"
Hachiman wasn't alone. He was sitting in the back row of the theater.
Beside him sat a woman in a black women's suit with a V-neck blouse, her long hair tied in a ponytail.
Her gaze was fixed on the stage performance in front of her, but at the same time, she was speaking to Hikigaya Hachiman.
"Also, I remember telling you to bring Horikita along as well."
"But right now, you're the only one who showed up."
It was Chabashira-sensei.
Hachiman had made a promise with her—to lead his class to Class A.
On one hand, it was to receive compensation from her. On the other hand, it was to put an end to her lingering regrets.
Hachiman realized that Chabashira had psychological issues.
If left unaddressed, it could become a serious problem.
So, in a way, his actions could also be seen as a form of therapy for her.
This was a win-win situation.
But Chabashira-sensei was highly dedicated to the goal of advancing the class, so was she still pushing Hikigaya to climb higher even now?
This kind of thing—
"She wasn't feeling well, so I let her rest," Hachiman said. "After all, collapsing due to illness before the exam even starts wouldn't be good."
Is that so?
Chabashira hadn't noticed that.
"But Horikita looked perfectly fine," Chabashira said.
In other words, she found it hard to believe that Horikita would suddenly fall ill right after boarding the ship.
"She studies ten hours a day," Hikigaya replied.
Oh.
That explained it.
Even an ironman couldn't handle that.
And doing it over the long term—
It was no surprise that she'd collapse.
"Actually," Chabashira sighed, seemingly nostalgic as they discussed Horikita Suzune. "Seeing Horikita reminds me of my past self."
Is that so?
Then it's no wonder you failed in the past.
Hachiman was well aware of Horikita's weaknesses.
And if Chabashira saw herself in Horikita, it meant that during her own school days, she must have struggled a lot—only to ultimately fail.
Perhaps—her failure had even caused her class to fall short of reaching Class A.
So even after all these years, she was still haunted by the regret of not achieving that goal.
"Well then," Hachiman said, "when does this month's special exam begin? I've been on guard all day."
"That, I cannot disclose. As a teacher, I have my own principles," Chabashira replied. "But if you just want to enjoy a vacation, I think you can still relax for another day."
I see.
Hachiman understood what Chabashira meant by "principles."
And since he now knew there was at least one more day of cruising left, he decided to make the most of it.
After all—
His family was just ordinary, and opportunities to board a luxury cruise ship were rare.
So, since he had the chance, he might as well enjoy it.
Perhaps recalling her own "principles," Chabashira stopped discussing the exam and instead shifted the topic to the cruise ship.
"This ship has been in use since two years ago," Chabashira said. "But it doesn't belong to the school—it belongs to the Sakayanagi family. They provide it to the school for free as a form of support."
I see.
Hachiman knew that Chabashira was probably trying to highlight the name Sakayanagi, subtly hinting that Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A was related to the chairman, Sakayanagi.
However—
The only thought that crossed Hachiman's mind was...
Wow, Sakayanagi's family is insanely rich.
They actually own a cruise ship.
If he could marry into her family, then he could truly become a full-time househusband... No, no, no—he wouldn't even need to cook. He wouldn't have to do anything.
No, no, no.
Hachiman quickly shook off his bizarre thoughts.
Because—
He didn't believe he'd ever be favored by Sakayanagi.
Let alone end up marrying her.
After all, someone like her—
She wasn't the type to spoil a useless person.
She was the type who tormented useless people.
The type who would force them to go to work instead.
Terrifying.
She was the worst kind of opponent for him—practically a natural enemy.
Ugh.
It was all Kushida's fault. If he hadn't had that nightmare about marrying her, he wouldn't have started overthinking things like this.
"Isn't dwelling on the past just lame?"
Hachiman decided to bury the topic of romance.
Whether it was in the past or in the present, he had never believed that love was a possibility for him.
So.
Upon learning that he still had another day to enjoy life on the cruise ship, Hikigaya began indulging himself.
From watching theater performances to eating free meals, and even getting a massage.
Yeah.
He went for a massage, and while it felt great at the time, a few hours later, he realized… the areas that had been massaged were now sore.
"Hikigaya-kun."
When Hachiman returned to the ship's library, he once again encountered the silver-haired girl from before.
Shiina Hiyori, a student from Class 1-D.
Hachiman was now a student of Class C.
And Hiyori was originally from Class C as well.
So, when she had previously probed him, it was likely out of loyalty to her own class—perhaps even a way to vent some emotions about her class being demoted.
However, with her waist-length silver hair, snow-white skin, and clear, bright eyes, she looked quite cute.
A quiet, literary girl.
But.
"You're back at the library again. You really seem to enjoy reading," she said. "I happen to have a few books I'm planning to read these days."
"I think I could share my reading list with you," Shiina offered.
Hachiman noticed that she opened a book she was holding, revealing a bookmark inside. On it were a few book titles.
Gone with the Wind, The Sorrows of Young Werther, Peter Pan—
All well-known literary classics that had been around for ages.
"I've read all of these," Shiina said. "But I wouldn't recommend them to you."
"..."
Hachiman was speechless.
Was that even a thing?
Uh.
Actually, it made sense.
There were some books she had read, and it was like she had tested poison for him—so she didn't want him to suffer the same fate.
Looking at it that way, did that mean Shiina wasn't actually hostile toward him?
"Then, what kind of books do you think would suit me?" Hachiman asked.
Yamauchi was being noisy again, and Koenji was constantly working out. Meanwhile, Sudo, who had apparently gone to eat and ended up provoking Class A, now had an oddly high opinion of Hachiman and even invited him to go swimming.
For someone like Hachiman, who wasn't fond of sports—please, spare him.
So, he chose to read.
Using books as an excuse to avoid social interactions. That was why he deliberately came to the library.
But he did plan to read a few books to ease his mind.
"These books are quite difficult," Shiina, now in Class D, said. "I can recommend some books I personally like."
With that, she flipped the bookmark over, took out a pen, and began writing on the back.
Her appearance was beautiful, and her handwriting was equally elegant.
Hachiman watched as she listed out the book titles.
Resurrection
Journey Under the Midnight Sun
David Copperfield
The Woman in White
Humiliated and Insulted
All rather obscure books.
Hachiman frowned slightly but still accepted the list.
Since it was a recommendation from a literary girl, they were probably good books, right?
After parting ways with Shiina, Hachiman went to borrow the books on his own.
But soon after he started reading, he realized there was a problem.
Because—
The books that Shiina had recommended… were either full of suffering for the protagonist or had deeply unsatisfying storylines that left one thinking for a long time—only to feel empty inside.
If reading books was supposed to be an enjoyable experience—
Then the only thing these books brought was misery.
Yeah.
So, Shiina was clearly dissatisfied with her class being demoted.
But rather than retaliating through direct class competition—
She attacked by recommending depressing books to him.
What an interesting strategy.
And then—
Hachiman decided to recommend these books to Yamauchi.
…
And on the third day—
Hachiman sent a message to Horikita and Kushida, arranging to meet at the theater.
There weren't many people who came to watch the play, making it a good place to have a conversation.
Hachiman arrived early and waited at the seats.
But—
As the appointed time approached, he realized that only Kushida had shown up.
"Horikita…," Kushida said, "It looks like her condition has worsened. Even though she slept all day yesterday, she still doesn't seem to be doing well today."
I see.
Horikita really was unlucky.
But there was no miracle cure for a cold—it could only be endured.
The illness would last anywhere from a few days to a week.
So if she didn't want to forfeit, they'd have to consider taking care of her.
Hachiman analyzed the situation in his mind.
"Sorry for being late."
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
Hachiman looked up and saw a girl with beautiful, long black hair walking toward them, her left hand resting on the back of a chair for support.
She was dressed in the same red sportswear as everyone else.
But—
One had to admit, beautiful people looked good in anything.
Horikita still had a slightly weak aura about her, giving off the vibe of a delicate beauty suffering from illness.
However, her personality was strong-willed.
She pushed herself forward, walking toward them.
"It looks like you're still not doing well," Hachiman remarked.
"I'm fine," Horikita responded. "I can still manage."
"But your cheeks are still flushed," Hachiman pointed out. "That's a sign your body isn't doing well."
"Sakayanagi from Class A is absent, so if our class is also down one person, it won't be a huge problem."
"So—"
"We should assess the situation and consider forfeiting if necessary," Hachiman said.
"..."
Horikita bit her lip at those words.
She had already come to terms with herself through her previous conversations with Hachiman. She had even declared to her brother that she would no longer chase after his shadow—she would forge her own path.
And yet—
Was she about to become a burden to the class?
"That's not necessarily the case," Kushida quickly added.
"After all, the exam hasn't started yet."
Even though she hated Horikita, Kushida still maintained her angelic persona, considering Horikita's situation with apparent kindness.
"Hopefully," Horikita said.
But she wasn't confident.
Her illness had lasted longer than expected, as if it had built up over time and suddenly erupted. Recovery might not come so quickly.
As she was thinking that—
[Attention, all students—]
At that moment, the ship's speakers came on.
[If you have time, please gather on the deck. We'll soon be able to see the island. Be sure to enjoy this fleeting yet meaningful sight.]
It sounded like a random announcement.
But the three of them exchanged glances.
Kushida had already received intel from upperclassmen, learning that in past years, students had taken a ship to an island to participate in a survival-style group exam.
And now—
The exam had begun.
Any hope Horikita had of recovering a little longer before becoming useful—was crushed.
—
The students gathered on the deck.
The ship was large, more than enough to accommodate all 160 students.
However, after the announcement, not everyone had shown up.
Only about 50 to 60 students were there.
They stood at the deck railing, looking forward.
And then—
"Hikigaya-kun, isn't it?"
Someone called out to him.
It was a girl with dazzlingly smooth, golden-blonde hair, a confident yet sweet smile on her face—Ichinose Honami from Class B.
If Kushida was a little angel, then this Class B representative was a big angel.
Because, well… she was big.
This was actually the first time Hachiman had spoken to Ichinose since boarding the ship two days ago.
Although, he had seen her a few times.
Class B students were often seen enjoying the ship's facilities, playing and having fun—completely carefree.
Among the four classes, they were the only ones who didn't seem to realize that this school trip was actually an exam.
But at the same time, Hachiman had to admit—
Class B really did have a great atmosphere.
They genuinely treated this school as just a normal school.
And with that kind of mindset, sooner or later, they would suffer for it.
For example, right now.
"Ichinose, do you think the school has gathered us on the deck because they have an announcement to make?"
"Well…"
"It's possible, but the announcement mentioned that we'd get to see a meaningful sight."
"So," Ichinose said, "I suddenly feel like this might be part of a special exam."
Oh.
Now you realize it.
But doesn't that just mean you all had no vigilance whatsoever?
So, out of all the classes, yours probably had the most carefree and enjoyable time over the past two days.
Hearing Ichinose say that, Kanzaki had already gone into alert mode, staring ahead.
As the announcement had stated, the ship was now sailing forward.
Then, it began moving in a circular motion—looping around a small island.
If the announcement was meant to signal the start of a special exam, then the so-called "meaningful sight" must be the island itself.
In other words, there must be something on the island worth seeing first—something that would provide an advantage.
Some students had already caught on.
For example, Hachiman noticed that Class D's Ryuen had appeared, accompanied by his towering henchman, Albert.
And following closely behind was Ishizaki Daichi, who had been involved in the previous incident where Sudo hit someone.
The three of them stepped onto the deck, leaning on the railing as they looked forward.
The students of Class A were there as well.
Among them, Katsuragi stood at the deck, taking out a notebook and pen while observing the island.
Next to him, Totsuka Yahiko hurried off, only to return shortly after with a pair of binoculars, which he handed to Katsuragi.
Katsuragi immediately started using the binoculars while making notes.
It seemed he was drawing something.
Then there was Class C, where Hachiman, Kushida, and Horikita were all present on the deck.
However, not many of their classmates had come to see the view.
But there were some.
"Wow… You really can see the island from here," said classmate Ike Kanji, who had recently gone through a breakup.
He had also made his way to the deck.
During their meals together, Hachiman had learned that Ike often went camping with his family in the past.
So naturally, he was interested in an island like this.
However—
Ike had just found a great vantage point when two male students from Class A suddenly grabbed him and pulled him away.
Sudo was standing nearby.
"Hey… Don't get in the way. Move it, you defective products."
The two Class A students ignored Sudo completely and shoved Ike aside, causing him to fall to the ground.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!"
Sudo, who often hung out with Ike at school and had been sticking with him on the ship, immediately rushed forward in anger.
He saw Ike as a companion, so watching him get treated like this made him furious.
"Hah! What are we doing? You already know, right? This school follows the doctrine of meritocracy, so Class C people have no human rights. You guys were promoted from Class D, right? But defective products should act like defective products. Stay in your place. We're from Class A."
Hmm…
What this guy was saying was actually true.
That was indeed the reality of this school.
However—
These two students were unfamiliar faces to Hachiman.
As an observer of people, he had already scanned the faces of Katsuragi's faction yesterday when Sudo and the others got confronted in the cafeteria.
But these two Class A students weren't among them.
Yet, they called themselves Class A students.
Which meant—
These two were actually under Sakayanagi Arisu's faction, weren't they?
And their behavior… was pretty crude and sloppy.
So just like Katsuragi, did Sakayanagi also have to deal with incompetent subordinates?
No.
Hachiman didn't think Sakayanagi's ability to command subordinates was that weak. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to keep Kamuro under her thumb like a dog.
So even if some of the classmates weren't particularly capable… there must still be some level of restraint.
Not just outright picking fights like this.
Which meant…
It was possible that since Sakayanagi couldn't be here herself, she secretly instructed these students to cause trouble and smear the reputation of Class A, which was currently under Katsuragi's control.
That would be quite a ruthless move.
Sakayanagi.
"Tch!"
Sudo glared at them angrily but didn't actually start a fight. "Let's go."
Hachiman revised his opinion of him.
It seemed that Sudo had barely managed to control himself.
He had matured a little.
Violence couldn't solve everything.
In fact, sometimes, it could bring disaster upon oneself and the entire class.
Last time, he had a recorded video to prove his innocence.
But now…
They were in front of everyone.
So Sudo held back.
Maybe he also realized that his reputation was bad, which was why those Class A guys mocked him earlier.
And these people didn't even care about the truth—they just jumped to their own conclusions. It was disgusting.
"Ah~ Everyone's here!" At that moment, "Mother Hirata" from Hachiman's class suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
He had probably come out after hearing the announcement as well.
However—
"Ah… Seems like Yukimura ran into some trouble. I need to go help him."
With that, Hirata immediately turned and left.
"..."
Even though the announcement had specifically asked students to gather on the deck, Hirata still prioritized checking on a classmate.
In other words, whether it was a school trip or an exam, Hirata's first instinct was always to worry about his classmates.
Hachiman had known this about him for a long time, so he didn't find it surprising.
However—
Since all the other classes were putting in effort, it was time for their class to do the same.
He noticed that Horikita and Kushida had already started leaning on the railing, looking out at the horizon.
Searching for the "meaningful sight" mentioned in the announcement.
Kushida offered a hint, "Over in Class A, it looks like Katsuragi is using binoculars and taking notes on something."
The ship was still some distance away from the island, making it hard to see clearly with the naked eye.
So, she was suggesting they should also borrow some binoculars.
However—
"I don't think we need to go through that trouble," Hachiman said. "Besides, drawing maps and taking notes… I don't think it's very reliable."
"Then what do you suggest?" Horikita asked.
The exam rules hadn't been announced yet, but it was clear they would be going to the island.
Right now, the amount of information they could gather was extremely limited.
And Katsuragi from Class A was already taking detailed records.
He was a meticulous and thorough person.
Horikita felt a bit pressured.
However—
"It's simple," Hachiman said. "Since we're supposed to look at a 'meaningful sight,' and it's hard to get a full view with just our eyes…"
"Then…"
"Why not just take pictures of everything?" Hachiman suggested.
"Take pictures of everything? But our phone cameras aren't high-quality enough…" Kushida, being a social butterfly, had a good understanding of smartphones.
She had likely taken enough photos to know the limits of their zoom and clarity.
"Yeah, phones won't cut it. But professional equipment would work. For example, why not use a camera?" Hachiman said.
Then, he started sending messages to call someone over.
Because—
At a time like this…
They needed a certain someone to make an entrance.