"Lost something? Shiina-san, could you please elaborate? I don't quite understand what you mean. I don't think I've lost anything on my path forward. If you're referring to victory, this time was just an accident, and I will definitely win the exam next time."
Horikita-san was startled by Shiina-san's reply, then immediately realized that Horikita-san had completely misunderstood her meaning.
Just as Shiina-san was about to explain, Horikita-san received an email.
Opening the email and reading it for only two glances, Horikita-san's expression changed, and she stood up again.
"Whatever you have to say, let's talk next time. Something has come up that I need to handle. Amane-san, if you don't want to go back now, just chat with them. Contact me anytime if you find anything."
Horikita-san finished speaking and, without waiting for Amane-san's reply, hurriedly left the scene alone.
"It seems she really is a stubborn one."
Sakayanagi-san shook her head.
Horikita-san's dream of ascending to Class A was well-known. No one doubted her ability; Horikita-san's ability was undoubtedly among the top tier in Class D.
But the problem was that if Class D wanted to become Class A, it absolutely could not do without Amane-san's assistance.
In Class D's series of activities before, whether special exams or inter-class competitions, Class D's ability to gain an advantage had nothing at all to do with who the leader was.
If Amane-san hadn't been actively working behind the scenes, Sakayanagi-san would have many ways to defeat Horikita-san in her current state.
Sometimes, to defeat someone, you don't necessarily need to do it yourself... "Alas, Horikita-san seems to have her priorities reversed, doesn't she? Amane-san, are you... alright?"
Shiina-san was a bit worried that Amane-san would be affected.
Even Shiina-san, who had only met Horikita-san a few times, noticed Horikita-san's current extremely obsessive change, so how could Amane-san not notice?
But Amane-san hadn't said anything to Horikita-san from beginning to end. Was she indulging Horikita-san to continue this way, or had she already given up on Horikita-san?
If she was disappointed, Amane-san must still be sad... As Shiina-san looked at Amane-san.
Amane-san had already eaten all her milk and cake, then reached for Horikita-san's untouched cake and began to eat it heartily.
"How could I be alright? People always need to experience setbacks to grow. Speaking of which, the exam isn't over yet, so you can't be careless, or else you might suffer a great loss."
Amane-san finished the last piece of cake, wiped her mouth with a tissue, and a meticulous expression finally began to subtly curve into a smile at the corner of her lips.
However, her gaze wasn't directed here.
Horikita-san's steps were somewhat hurried.
Along the way, she encountered many classmates who greeted her, but she merely nodded perfunctorily.
She really wanted to run to the location that person had designated.
However, suddenly running would inevitably attract more attention, so even though Horikita-san was already starting to feel anxious, she still tried her best to restrain her pace, wanting others to believe that her mindset hadn't been affected even after her failure in the first discussion meeting.
Hurrying as fast as she could, Horikita-san still arrived at the designated location at the agreed time.
The cinema.
In the tense backdrop of this special exam, almost no one would come here to watch a movie, but the cruise ship's cinema was open twenty-four hours a day.
This meant that if one was lucky enough, they could have the entire place to themselves during certain periods.
Like now.
Almost all students who attended the discussion went to the cafeteria to eat, while those who didn't attend were now anxiously trying to gather information related to the special exam content, hoping to discover a way to predict the favored person from the performance of other groups.
At this time, no one had the time or inclination to come to such an entertainment venue.
The person who arranged to meet Horikita-san precisely chose this time slot to ask Horikita-san to come out and meet.
This perfectly staggered the time with the vast majority of students, reducing the chance of being discovered.
As Horikita-san walked into Cinema Hall 1, she saw a figure sitting in the corner.
Horikita-san didn't hesitate and sat down in the seat right next to him.
"Classmate Shibata, you called me here in such a hurry. Are you really sure you've discovered the pattern of the favored person?"
Horikita-san calmed her breathing, looked directly at the screen, and questioned Classmate Shibata next to her.
It was Classmate Shibata who had arranged to meet Horikita-san. Originally, Horikita-san hadn't planned to meet Classmate Shibata during the special exam, but Classmate Shibata claimed he had discovered the favored person's pattern for the special exam.
Such an important matter meant Horikita-san could only come in person to ask Classmate Shibata for the specific details.
"Of course, although it's just a clue, I trust my judgment. I heard from others that Horikita-san, you were identified as the favored person by Sakayanagi. Is this true?"
Classmate Shibata's question stung Horikita-san.
But to learn the pattern of the favored person, she had to cooperate with Classmate Shibata's questions right now.
"That's right, that girl named Sakayanagi had very good luck and directly drew a slip of paper with my name on it, stating I was the favored person. This led to my defeat in the very first discussion. To some extent, it's quite unfair."
The main reason she remained silent when Yukimura angrily denounced Sakayanagi was also because she believed it was unfair.
She herself didn't even know she was the favored person, yet the other party just randomly drew a slip of paper and confirmed it. Her, Horikita Suzune's, abilities hadn't even had a chance to be displayed in this favored person exam before it was already over. How could Horikita-san accept such a result?
"Luck? Perhaps luck is also a very important part, but the school must have confirmed this exam many times, otherwise, it wouldn't be possible for an unfair situation to occur."
Classmate Shibata's words did not receive Horikita-san's approval.
"Isn't directly drawing a slip of paper with the favored person's name on it considered unfair? What's the point of a discussion if that's the case? Wouldn't it just be a competition of who has better luck?"
Horikita-san's mindset and perception at this moment were almost identical to Yukimura's. If she were defeated by honest strength, she would naturally admit her own shortcomings.
But Sakayanagi's actions, if one had to compare it, were like when a group of top students studied hard and started competing to see who could get a perfect score, and then suddenly a struggling student who had the answer sheet got the perfect score they all dreamed of.
When the top students questioned it, the teacher actually said it was an open-book exam, leaving them speechless.
Of course, Sakayanagi was not a struggling student. With Sakayanagi's own ability, it was not impossible for her to eventually discover that Horikita-san was the favored person.
But in that case, it wouldn't be as shocking as defeating the flourishing Class D with a casual draw.
"But what if I said... the favored person knows they are the favored person?"
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