Chapter 123: Five VIPs Stuffed into One Class, You're Incredible!
The time quickly approached 7:30 AM.
By the time Hachiman arrived at the restaurant, the students of Class B had mostly gathered. Located on the third deck of the ship, this restaurant usually wasn't very crowded; now that Class B had reserved the entire space, it felt exceptionally spacious. The forty students were scattered across a dozen tables—some with their heads down playing on their phones, others whispering to one another in low voices. The atmosphere was relatively relaxed.
Hachiman scanned the room and saw Ichinose Honami standing in the center, talking to a few classmates. Kanzaki Ryuji was seated by the window with a notebook spread out in front of him, writing rapidly. Noticing Hachiman's entrance, Kanzaki looked up and gave him a nod.
Hachiman walked over and sat down across from him.
"Is everyone here?" Hachiman asked.
"Two short," Kanzaki checked his phone. "Amakura and Hamaguchi said they're almost here; they're already on their way."
Hachiman nodded and didn't say anything else.
Outside the window, the sea was dyed gold by the rising sun, shimmering and appearing very calm. But he knew this tranquility wouldn't last long—in another half hour, the school's email would be sent to everyone's phones, telling them who was the "VIP" of their group and who was not.
As for Class B, they wouldn't receive any emails.
They were all using backup phones.
Ichinose had gone to apply for them at 10:30 PM the previous night. Forty backup phones had cost 800,000 class points. Although Hoshinomya-sensei was a bit surprised, she didn't ask many questions; after all, the application process for backup phones was public—as long as you could pay the points, anyone could get one.
Ichinose's efficiency in handling matters was indeed reassuring.
Hachiman retracted his gaze, leaned against the back of his chair, and closed his eyes to rest.
Meanwhile, in another restaurant on the ship's second deck, the students of Class A were also gathered in small groups.
Unlike Class B, this place had not been reserved. Sakayanagi Arisu sat by the window with a cup of black tea in front of her, her inseparable cane resting by her side. Her posture was elegant and composed; she seemed to be in a fairly good mood.
Katsuragi Kohei sat opposite her, his bald head shimmering slightly in the morning light. A simple breakfast sat before him, but he hadn't touched it, choosing instead to stare silently out the window.
The surrounding Class A students were either eating or talking in low voices, and the atmosphere was much looser than that of Class B. After all, Sakayanagi hadn't forced everyone to gather; she had simply said, "Those who want to come can come." Consequently, those who arrived early were mostly loyal members of the Sakayanagi faction.
Given the nature of the exam, Katsuragi had naturally come as well.
Kamuro Masumi sat diagonally behind Sakayanagi, bored and playing with her phone. Morishita Ai and Shiraishi Asuka were sitting together, chatting about who-knows-what. Masayoshi Hashimoto walked over carrying a tray and sat down next to Katsuragi.
"Princess Sakayanagi," Hashimoto initiated the conversation. "I just got word that Class B reserved the restaurant on the third floor, and Class C reserved one as well. It looks like those two classes intend to gather everyone before eight o'clock."
Sakayanagi held her teacup and took a light sip, not responding immediately.
Hashimoto paused before continuing, "Should I arrange for someone to go over and keep an eye on them? If they make a move, it would be better for us to know in advance."
Hearing this, Ai Morishita immediately became interested and turned around. "I can go! Anyway, the school facilities are public; there's no such thing as a total buyout. I'll just walk right in—they can't exactly kick me out, can they?"
As she spoke, an eager expression appeared on her face. "And my acting isn't bad. I can pretend I'm just passing by or entered the wrong room; it'll be no problem at all."
Sakayanagi glanced at her, a slight curve appearing at the corner of her mouth, but she shook her head.
'Acting? Morishita-san?
She probably couldn't even outshine the girls in Class D.'
"No need," Sakayanagi said.
Morishita was stunned. "Why? It's a great chance to gather intelligence."
Sakayanagi set her teacup down gently, her gaze sweeping over the Class A students present. Her voice remained sweet, yet carried a thought-provoking undertone.
"If a single exam makes everyone turn into the type of people who act sneakily and disregard their image, it only proves one thing—you are all too nervous."
She paused, tilting her head slightly, her silver hair swaying gently with the movement.
"I don't think it matters much if Class A drops a bit in position. It's not like we'll immediately become Class D."
As soon as she said this, the expressions of several Class A students changed.
Katsuragi Kohei frowned slightly and looked up at Sakayanagi. He remained silent for two seconds before slowly speaking. "Sakayanagi, you're joking. It's best for Class A to remain Class A. Look at the second-year Class B—they were originally Class A, but after they dropped, their morale completely shattered, and they still haven't recovered."
He paused, his tone becoming serious. "We in Class A cannot repeat their mistakes."
Sakayanagi looked at him, the smile still on her lips, but her eyes flickered slightly.
"Katsuragi-kun, you certainly care a lot about that."
Katsuragi didn't argue; he simply nodded.
Sakayanagi retracted her gaze and sighed softly. She believed that the more one cared about something, the more they would strive for it, becoming strong enough to protect it. But unfortunately, Class A didn't meet that standard; instead, the more they cared, the more it acted as a negative "debuff" for them.
"I was just joking," she said. "However, there is one thing I hope you understand—if everyone only takes exams for the sake of maintaining Class A's position, then sooner or later, you will lose something."
She paused, her gaze landing on the sea outside the window.
"In this school, Class A's position has never been eternal. What's truly important is whether you are still standing in Class A when you finally graduate in the third year."
She looked back at the students.
"If it's just about maintenance, how long can you maintain it? A month? A semester? A year?"
No one answered. After all, they had all sensed the strength and danger of Class B. Class C had ambitions, and Class D possessed a certain level of aggressiveness.
Could Class A really remain stable?
Sakayanagi laughed softly, her tone turning serious.
"Therefore, for this exam, I will not seek merely to maintain. I want to win."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over every person present.
"But the premise of winning is that you are willing to listen to me."
After a brief silence, someone in the crowd suddenly spoke up.
"Please lead us, Sakayanagi-san!"
Immediately, more people chimed in.
"Sakayanagi-san!"
"We're at ease with you here!"
"Sakayanagi-san!"
The voices rose one after another, and the atmosphere in the restaurant instantly heated up.
Katsuragi closed his eyes.
Sakayanagi nodded slightly as a response to the crowd's enthusiasm. But in her heart, she knew how much of this passion was genuine and how much was born from the fear of falling from Class A; she didn't want to look into it too deeply.
She just needed them to be obedient. As for the reason, it wasn't important.
Sakayanagi's gaze swept the room again, landing on Masayoshi Hashimoto.
"Hashimoto-kun."
Hashimoto immediately sat upright. "Yes."
"I've noted what you said about Class B and Class C reserving spaces," Sakayanagi said. "Since they are taking it so seriously, it means they have a plan. Go arrange a few people to walk around the vicinity of their restaurants. They don't need to go in or do anything specific—just watch."
Hashimoto nodded. "Understood."
Ai Morishita looked a bit disappointed. "Just watching...?"
Sakayanagi glanced at her. "Morishita-san, if you want to practice your acting, there will be plenty of opportunities later. For now, do what needs to be done."
Morishita pouted but didn't say anything else.
Sakayanagi retracted her gaze, picked up her teacup, and took a small sip.
The sunlight streamed through the window onto her, coating her silver hair in a faint halo of light. Her expression was calm and composed, as if everything was under her control.
But only she knew that she was thinking about one thing—
What would Hikigaya Hachiman do?
That man certainly wouldn't just sit and wait.
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.
.
Meanwhile, Hashimoto quickly finished his breakfast and led two Class A students toward the stairs.
"Hashimoto, are we really just going to watch?" one student asked, his tone laced with confusion.
Hashimoto smiled and patted his shoulder.
"Watching is enough. Sometimes, knowing what the opponent is doing is more important than doing something yourself."
He paused and added, "Besides, since Princess Sakayanagi said so, we do as told. Don't act on your own, got it?"
The two students nodded hurriedly.
Hashimoto pulled his hand back, his gaze fixed on the direction of the stairs.
'But... just watching?
Sakayanagi, are you giving Hikigaya Hachiman face, or...'
He shook his head, refusing to think further.
In any case, follow orders first. Since Sakayanagi was still letting him act, it meant she wouldn't pursue his previous betrayal on the deserted island for now.
'Damn it!'
So, one really shouldn't take matters into their own hands! He shouldn't have thought that betraying Katsuragi for those 2 million points would win Sakayanagi's favor; in the end, he had tried to be clever and ended up outsmarting himself.
Today, because of Sakayanagi's words, he felt even more nervous. He felt that Class A's atmosphere wasn't just dull, it was... Sakayanagi didn't even care much if Class A dropped. If an expulsion event occurred, she would probably choose to arrange someone to be expelled. And who would she pick? The weakest? Or... those who had betrayed the class.
The mere thought made his scalp tingle.
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On the other side, inside the McDonald's reserved by Class C.
This McDonald's was located in the most remote corner of the second deck, and usually, hardly anyone went there. Ryuen Kakeru's reason for choosing this place was simple—it was remote enough to avoid being disturbed, and small enough to just barely fit forty people.
At this moment, the forty students of Class C were squeezed into the cramped space. Some sat in booths, some stood, some leaned against the walls, and some simply sat on the floor. The air was thick with a strange scent of French fries and sweat, but no one dared to complain.
Ryuen Kakeru stood in front of the ordering counter, arms crossed, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. His expression was as arrogant as ever, his eyes filled with undisguised sharpness.
"Listen up," Ryuen began immediately. "At eight o'clock, the school will send a message to your phones telling you whether you're a VIP."
He paused, adding weight to his words.
"Once you get the message, you are not allowed to delete it, hide it, or keep it from anyone—bring your phone to me immediately. I want to know exactly how many VIPs Class C has and who they are."
As his voice fell, a commotion broke out in the crowd. Some frowned, some lowered their heads, and some couldn't help but whisper.
"..."
The voices weren't loud, but they were exceptionally clear in the quiet space.
Ryuen's gaze instantly swept over, landing on a boy with spiky hair. The boy instinctively shrank his neck but still spoke up with forced courage.
"Ryuen, this isn't appropriate, is it? Our phones are private property; why should we show them to you?"
Ryuen didn't speak; he just stared at him. The boy's voice grew smaller and smaller until it vanished completely.
Only then did Ryuen retract his gaze. He slowly pulled his phone from his pocket, opened the recording function, and held it up so everyone could see the red dot on the screen.
"Come on, everyone cooperate." Ryuen's tone was playful, yet carried an undeniable pressure. "One by one, state your name and say 'voluntary'."
He began calling names.
"Ishizaki."
Ishizaki Daichi was the first to speak, his voice booming. "Voluntary!"
"Albert."
Albert nodded. "Voluntary."
"Kaneda."
Kaneda Satoru pushed up his glasses. "Voluntary."
Ryuen went down the list one by one. The students whose names were called could only grit their teeth and say "voluntary." Some said it weakly, others with bitterness, but regardless, they all uttered those two words.
The recording continued.
Ryuen's expression remained unchanged, as if this were a trivial matter. But everyone knew the purpose of this recording—if someone later reported him for using violence or coercion to obtain information, this recording would be the best counter-evidence.
"Voluntary."
"Voluntary."
"Voluntary."
The voices rose and fell, echoing in the cramped space.
However, when Ryuen called a certain name, someone finally stood up.
"I'm not willing."
A serious-looking boy with short, capable black hair stood up, looking straight at Ryuen. His name was Tokito Hiroya, a student known for holding grudges. In Class C, he was the competitive and hot-tempered type.
He was one of Class C's "problem children."
Ryuen knew his academic ability was decent, but when they obtained the old test papers in the second month after enrollment, Ryuen had deliberately not let him fill in the blanks.
Ryuen raised an eyebrow, tucked his phone away, and looked at him with interest.
"Oh? Give me a reason."
Tokito Hiroya took a deep breath, seemingly bracing himself, and then spoke. "Ryuen, your method is too dictatorial. It's just an exam; we can cooperate, but why do you have to see our phones? This is an invasion of privacy."
As he spoke, his voice grew louder.
"And what if there's private stuff on our phones? Why should we show you?"
His dissatisfaction with Ryuen hadn't appeared overnight; it had always been there. He wasn't just discussing the topic now; he was opposing Ryuen, venting his frustration.
Ryuen didn't respond immediately, just watching him. The gaze made Tokito a bit uneasy, but he forced himself to remain standing.
Ryuen suddenly laughed, but there was no warmth in that laughter.
"Dictatorial?" He repeated the word with a hint of mockery. "Fine, then let me ask you—can you ensure victory in this exam?"
Tokito froze. "That..."
"Can you lead Class C?
Do you think Class C would be better off without my leadership?"
Ryuen threw a barrage of questions at him, and Tokito's face grew increasingly pale. He opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.
Ryuen sneered at his state and continued, "Class D is doing pretty well now, right? They have a stable allowance? Is that what you want to say?"
Hit where it hurt, a flash of embarrassment crossed Tokito's face, but he didn't argue. He continued to stare straight at Ryuen.
But Ryuen's eyes turned dangerous in an instant. He took a step forward, looking down at Tokito.
"You stupid brat."
His voice was low, but it carried a bone-chilling coldness.
"Class D has a stable allowance because they sold their basic points to Class B. Do you know what that means? It means they've given up on exam scores and have to survive by selling their own resources. You call that 'pretty well'?"
He paused, his tone growing even colder.
"Do you know Class C's current situation? We owe Hikigaya over 40 million points. Every month, money is deducted from your allowance to pay the debt. How much do you get a month? After the debt, only 100 points belong to us—meaning your allowance is only 10,000 points!
But if we fail this exam, we won't even have that 10,000!
This debt is always here! So what the hell are you jumping out for now?!"
Tokito was speechless.
Ryuen retracted his gaze and scanned everyone present.
"I know some of you think I'm too aggressive, some think I'm unreasonable, some think I only rule through violence. But have you ever thought—what would Class C look like without me?"
He paused, emphasizing his words.
"You would be stepped on by Class A, used as an ATM by Class B, and mocked by Class D. No hope of moving up, no allowance, and looked down upon by students from other classes. Is that the 'democracy' you want?
It's true I haven't brought you an allowance yet, but the current Class C still has a chance to charge upward. Can you do that yourselves?"
No one spoke.
Ryuen picked up his phone again and looked at Tokito.
"Now, I'll ask you one more time—are you willing or not?"
Tokito's face was flushed, his fists clenched, but finally, he lowered his head and squeezed a sentence through his teeth.
"...Voluntary."
Ryuen nodded and continued calling names.
At the back of the crowd, Mio Ibuki leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, her gaze on Ryuen. She sighed softly.
"Ryuen's attitude is as aggressive as ever."
Standing next to her, Hiyori Shiina heard this and turned her head slightly, a faint smile on her face.
"It can't be helped; this is Class C."
Her tone was calm and devoid of emotion; after all, it was the truth.
Ibuki glanced at her, a bit surprised. "You don't think he's going too far?"
Hiyori shook her head gently. "I don't."
She paused, her gaze falling on the phone in her hand.
"Besides, my phone doesn't have anything scandalous. It doesn't matter if I show it to him."
Ibuki was stunned and leaned over to peek at Hiyori's screen. It was the contact page, and the list was pitifully short:
Sakagami Kazuma (Homeroom Teacher) Ryuen Kakeru Hikigaya Hachiman Mio Ibuki
Just those four people.
Ibuki's mouth twitched. "Your contact list... is way too clean."
Hiyori smiled. "Because I don't have many friends."
She said it nonchalantly, as if it weren't something to care about. But Ibuki knew that Hiyori didn't dislike making friends; she just found it troublesome. Rather than forcing herself to get along with people she didn't click with, she preferred to read books quietly by herself.
She was likely the type who believed in "quality over quantity."
Ibuki looked back at her own phone. Her contact list was larger than Hiyori's, but not by much. After all, there weren't many people in Class C she could talk to.
Hiyori suddenly spoke, her voice light, as if talking to herself.
"If there really is a pattern to this exam, then just having information on our own class's VIPs probably won't be enough."
Ibuki looked at her. "You mean... we need information from other classes too?"
Hiyori nodded. "Yes. If a pattern exists, we need a large enough sample size to deduce it. Just the few people in our own class is too small."
She paused, her gaze on Ryuen, who was still calling names.
"So, what Ryuen is doing now is just the first step. After getting the list of our class's VIPs, he has to find a way to get the lists from other classes."
Ibuki frowned. "Other classes... Class B?"
"Yes." Hiyori nodded. "Hikigaya-kun must have his own arrangements. If we could get some intelligence from him..."
She stopped halfway through.
Ibuki looked at her. "What is it?"
Hiyori shook her head. "Nothing, just wondering if he'll cooperate. Also, Sakayanagi is here this time, and Horikita and the girls from Class D are too. Perhaps there are many people with the same idea as us."
In other words, was this what Hiyori meant when she said she needed to learn how to "fight"?
Ibuki thought for a moment but didn't press further.
At the front, Ryuen was still calling names.
"Voluntary."
"Voluntary."
"Voluntary."
The voices echoed in the small space.
Hiyori's phone lay quietly in her pocket, the screen displaying those four contacts.
She suddenly remembered the scene of meeting Hachiman in the library—the two of them sitting opposite each other, reading their own books, occasionally exchanging a few words. The atmosphere was quiet and harmonious.
'If it could always be like that, it would be nice.'
But unfortunately, this school was destined not to be an ordinary one; even the closest people could be competitors.
'So, I'm sorry, Hikigaya-kun.'
Thinking this, Hiyori retracted her thoughts and focused her gaze back on Ryuen.
Twenty minutes left.
Eight o'clock.
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7:50 AM, in the restaurant reserved by Class B.
Hachiman sat by the window, holding a cup of coffee that had already gone cold, his gaze sweeping over the Class B students. All forty people were sitting quietly now—some playing on their phones, some talking softly. The atmosphere was still relatively relaxed.
Kanzaki Ryuji walked over from the entrance, stopped beside Hachiman, and whispered, "There are Class A people outside. Two of them, hanging around the corner of the hallway. They haven't come too close."
Hachiman nodded, his face expressionless. "Doesn't matter."
Kanzaki looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, he didn't speak and turned toward his seat.
Ichinose Honami walked over from the other side, holding an empty bag with labels attached, each bearing a student's name. She sat down next to Hachiman and asked softly, "Can we start?"
Hachiman checked the time—7:51 AM.
"Yeah, let's start."
Ichinose nodded, stood up, walked to the center of the restaurant, and cleared her throat.
"Everyone, please be quiet for a moment."
All eyes were on her.
A gentle smile was on Ichinose's face, but her tone became serious. "In a few minutes, the school will send out the VIP notifications. Before that, we need to complete one thing."
She paused and took a stack of documents from Kanzaki, showing them to everyone.
"This is a phone temporary usage consent form. Please sign it and then hand your phones over to us. Afterward, we will hand all the phones to Hoshinomya-sensei for safekeeping until the exam ends."
After she finished, the restaurant went quiet for a few seconds. Then, someone raised their hand.
"Ichinose-san, after we hand over our phones, what will we use?"
Ichinose smiled and pulled a gray backup phone from the bag. "Use these. These are the backup phones we applied for last night. Their functions are the same as your original phones, except they can't receive school emails."
Another person raised their hand. "What if we have important things on our original phones?"
Ichinose explained patiently, "Before signing, you can back up important information or set a password for your phone. We are only keeping them for safety; we won't look into anyone's privacy. We'll only check the screen notification when the school email arrives, and once confirmed, we'll put the phones away."
The person who asked the question nodded and stopped speaking.
Kanzaki Ryuji began distributing the consent forms, handing them to everyone one by one. Meanwhile, Ichinose took the bag and began collecting phones along the seats.
"Amakura-san, if you please."
"Okay, okay."
"Hamaguchi-kun, thank you for cooperating."
"No problem, no problem."
"Shibata-kun?"
"Right here."
The voices rose and fell, the atmosphere calm and orderly.
Hachiman sat in the front, watching this scene, suddenly feeling a bit sentimental. Though the students of Class B sometimes struggled, hesitated, or wanted to work hard on their own, they were truly obedient at critical moments.
This was probably Class B's greatest strength.
Kanzaki finished handing out the last form and sat back down next to Hachiman, whispering, "They're all distributed."
Hachiman nodded, saying nothing.
Time passed second by second.
7:55 AM.
Ichinose finished collecting the last student's phone and walked back to the front row with the bag. Inside the bag, thirty-eight phones were neatly arranged, each with a corresponding name tag.
She sat down next to Hachiman and let out a soft sigh. "All collected."
Hachiman glanced at the bag and nodded.
Ichinose placed the bag on the table, her gaze landing on Hachiman's face. "Next, it's up to you."
Hachiman didn't speak, just looked out the window.
The sea was shimmering, the sunlight growing brighter.
7:58 AM.
7:59 AM.
8:00 AM sharp.
Buzz— Buzz—
The phones in the bag vibrated simultaneously. Thirty-eight phones emitted a synchronized hum, which was exceptionally clear in the quiet restaurant.
Ichinose quickly opened the bag and checked the messages on the screens one by one. Hachiman leaned in as well, and the two worked together, quickly scanning every notification.
The screens of most people's phones showed the same content:
[Unfortunately, you were not selected to be a VIP. Please perform actively in the upcoming exam.]
Ichinose was scanning rapidly, and Hachiman observed phone after phone, both of their gazes focused and fast.
Time passed in silence.
Finally, Hachiman's hand stopped on a phone. The message on the screen was different from the others:
[Congratulations, you were very lucky to be selected as a VIP. Please protect your identity and choose the exam result that best suits you.]
Hachiman glanced at the name tag on the phone—Amakura Mako.
He continued looking.
The second one.
The third one.
The fourth one.
Hachiman looked up and turned to Ichinose. Ichinose nodded back at him.
The two didn't say much. Hachiman took two phones out separately and set them to one side.
"Two," Hachiman said.
"Yes. Two," Ichinose nodded.
It appeared that Class B had 2 VIPs.
So, Ichinose packed the bag again, stood up, and walked to the center of the restaurant.
Everyone's eyes were on her.
"Everyone," Ichinose began, a gentle smile on her face. "All the phones have been collected. At nine o'clock, please go to your respective groups for discussion according to the notified time."
She paused, her tone becoming serious.
"Feel free to act as you wish for this exam.
I also hope everyone will actively pay attention to students from other classes. Although our class has confiscated phones for now, I hope everyone can learn something from this 'Werewolf' game," Ichinose said.
"This exam will be Class B's victory." As the class leader, Hachiman stood up at this moment and spoke as well.
As soon as he finished, a synchronized shout erupted in the restaurant.
"The winners are Class B!"
"The winners are Class B!"
"The winners are Class B!"
Forty people shouted the phrase in unison, their voices echoing in the restaurant, filled with fighting spirit and determination.
Ichinose was startled by the sudden enthusiasm, then couldn't help but laugh.
The usually gentle Class B had actually become so hot-blooded.
After the students gradually dispersed, Hachiman took out his own phone. The list of those selected as VIPs he had just checked wasn't 2—it was 4.
They were only acting because there were outsiders watching.
And the count of 4 VIPs had already broken the original arrangement of 3 per class.
But...
He checked the information on his own phone screen.
[Congratulations, you were very lucky to be selected as a VIP. Please protect your identity and choose the exam result that best suits you.]
It seemed the number of VIPs for Class B was 5.
The time had also reached 8:05 AM.
Students from every grade had confirmed whether they were VIPs.
That meant the exam had already begun.
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