Volume 16, Chapter 5: Ichinose Honamis Choice

Before the start of this special exam, there was one class that every teacher thought was certain to clear this obstacle. On the other hand, it was also foreseen that if the class could not clear the exam without a struggle, they might have to retreat from the competition for A class in the future.

That is the B class, that Ichinose was enrolled in.

Motion ? Expel one classmate and gain 100 class points in exchange

(If the vote is unanimous in support, please vote for the student who will be expelled)

Having reached the last task in the early hours, Ichinose and the others had completed their first round of voting and were waiting for the results. There was no sign of anxiety or unrest on anyone.

Except for one person.

Kanzaki prayed as he looked at the 39 people who had already voted, excluding himself. He strongly hoped that the results of the voting would be a little more divisive.

Well then, I will now announce the results

With a touch of disappointment, Hoshinomiya operates her tablet.

The result displayed while everyone was watching was

1st vote results 1 in Agreement 39 in opposition

After recognizing the worst possible outcome that he could have imagined, Kanzaki closes his eyes.

The overwhelming majority of votes against the motion came as no surprise to the students of Class B, of course.

The reason, of course was that they did not doubt that an unanimous vote against the motion would be passed as a matter of course. This was symbolized by the fact that they felt nothing unusual about the fact that there was a vote in favor of supporting it.

Hey, who was the one who voted Support? You pressed the wrong button.

Without a sense of crisis, Shibata who was sitting in front of me, turned around and said so.

Indeed, they did not take any account of the possibility that this one vote was a vote with a clear intention. Not only Shibata, but everyone in the class had the same perception.

Knowing this, a sense of uncontrollable anger welled up inside Kanzaki.

Up until now, Kanzaki has done his best to quietly assist his classmates with their intentions.

However, in no situation are we able to continue the battle to protect our friends delusionally.

It was precisely because Kanzaki was in the position of a general advisor that he felt this concern more strongly than anyone else.

For the time being, I dont think theres anything for us discuss, so lets just go along with it until the next vote

Lack of a sense of urgency. A mindset that would assume that there would be no student who would prioritize their class points over their own classmates.

Kanzaki could not continue to endure in silence as this was shown to him.

Hold up a momentIts true that we can always make a unanimous decision by dissent. But can we really say with certainty that it is the right thing to do, to keep choosing to protect our classmates?

Kanzaki interrupted Shibatas words and stood up, calmly but powerfully tapping on his desk.

It seems to me that were all suffering from normality bias if none of you think that its not unusual that 39 people voted against the motion without any hesitation or doubt.

Normality bias refers to the characteristic of not paying attention to unfavorable events, information, recognizing a crisis and etc.

In order for our class to win in the future, well have to make new decisions. Were already at the edge or a cliff, are you guys thinking that we would be able to hold on forever? If we dont greedily pursue class points, moving up to class A will only be a dream.

I want you to understand that. Kanzaki created an argument, which was not his strong suit, but the eyes of his classmates watching him were unusually cold.

What was that, Kanzaki? In other words, youre saying that you were the one who casted the vote in favor of this?

Looking unconvinced by the split vote, which was now not a pushover error, Shibata turned around and said.

No, its wasnt just Shibata. The whole class was staring at him aswell, Hamaguchi, Andou, Kobayashi, Amikura, Shiranami.

Indeed, it was me. Its certainly important to protect our classmates. However, our class has been slowly losing points ever since we enrolled. If the lower classes prioritize their class points over their classmates, this special exam will drop us back to class D.

The only person who listened to Kanzakis pleas was their homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya.

However, from the standpoint of a teacher, she could not say anything in agreement with his statement.

What youre saying is indeed truebut theres no one in this class who deserves to be expelled.

There was no room for debate, said Shiranami, who instantly showed her opposition to Kanzaki.

I know. I know that.

You say that we might drop down to D class, but I dont think the other classes are going to just expel anyone for 100 class points. Well, if theres one I could think of, it would be Ryuuen, but this

exam requires an unanimous approval from the entire class who will be voting under concealment. I wouldnt say this for certain, but I dont think even their class would choose to expel him.

By foreseeing that all the classes would be unanimous in their opposition, the gap will not, in fact, widen at all.

Certainly, its not easy for any classes to make the choice to cut off their friends. But its the process that Im focusing on. Isnt it natural for some students, if not half, to think that they should put their class before their friends a little?

So what youre saying is that you want to have a discussion about this? Even though weve already decided to be unanimous in our opposition?

Its not a done deal yet. Its just a discussion with a view to unanimity in favour.

No no no, thats crazy. Its precisely because our friends are here with us that we work hard and aim for the top together with no one missing. So theres absolutely no way that we can lack even a

single person.

Class points and classmates.

If it was a simple choice of which of the two was more important, Kanzaki would have no room for doubt.

However, a lot of things has changed ever since he enrolled into this school.

Starting in class B, the class points were side-by-side.

In the first semester of the first year, they took a big lead over the lower two classes. He wouldve never complained about preaching the value of fellowship as long as it was maintained.

By all means, is there anyone who has an opinion other than opposition to this?

Even though he was about to give up, Kanzaki believed in the last possibility and looked around at his classmates.

However, none of them showed any sign of agreement.

Even if they partially agreed with the idea, none of the students could put it into words.

Everyone believed, or rather hoped, that the second vote would be unanimous due to opposition.

Im sorry, but I I will not let this choice be unanimous in opposition.

Feeling the pressure, Kanzaki muttered to himself to resist it.

By thatdoes that mean youll be voting for support in the next round too?

Ichinose, who had been silent up to this point, asked Kanzaki about his true intentions.

Yes.

But, Kanzaki-kun, were not going to change our minds, you know? Sacrificing a friend to obtain class pointsI dont ever want to be in a class like that.

Yeah, Kanzaki. No matter how you look at it, this special exam is a challenge or rather, a trap made by the school. Sacrificing your classmates for the sake of short-term class points. If you start thinking like that, youre going to suffer the same kind of pain in future battles, you know?

But by giving up on our friends in order to obtain class points, we can get closer to Class A. If such a chance comes again and again, so much the better. On the other hand, if our class is the only one that chooses to protect our friends instead, we will be overtaken by other classes.

I dont think its that easy for people to sacrifice others. Can such a class even continue to win? The class that protects its friends and believes in its friends will win in the end. Dont you think?

Almost in unison, all of his classmates nodded their heads.

Look at the reality, Shibata. The situation is very different from last year. We are now in a tight spot. As a result of choosing not to expel anyone, we lost a lot of private points. On the other hand,

the three classes that are missing their classmates are now making good progress.

It wont last forever.

What makes you so sure it wont last forever?

If thats the case, Ill ask you the opposite, whats your rationale that it would last forever?

Just look at where we are now, we were in second place and now were in danger of falling to fourth place.

Youre the one who should look at the situation, Kanzaki. Right now, were in B class. Whether the lead is 1 point or 100 points, its a fact that were in B class, right? And even if we drop a few spots, well come back eventually.

Up until now, Kanzaki had been pushing against the expectations of those around him from beginning to end, but he had tried his best to stay in the game.

He was desperate to make people question this unusual way of thinking.

Kanzaki-kun. I understand that there are various methods you want us to take in order to win. But there are some methods that you should never take. I think thats the case with this assignment. Its not that I dont understand your way of thinking. I just think that it is wrong to put our class points and classmates on a scale.

When Ichinose spoke up, the resolve of her classmates became firm.

No, they originally already had a firm will to put their friends first before anything else, but now they had entrenched themselves even more.

Kanzaki was deeply disappointed. This class was often envied by others.

They are kind, cheerful, equal, and have the ideal balance of study and sports.

This is an advantage that Ichinose, as the leader, has created, but on the other hand, she also has a major disadvantage. Her presence has mass-produced followers and created an environment where people dont pay attention to the dirty things.

Even if they were told that if they were to expel someone, they would be guaranteed to move up to A class, they would still put their friends first before anything else in this class. An obsession that practically says I would rather stay in B class than cut off my friends.

Kanzaki was reminded once again that this was their only and greatest flaw.

I see I suppose youre right. Maybe I am wrong.

In order to overcome these shortcomings, we must be willing to take risks and try to cure ourselves.

Even though I knew I wasnt the right person for the job, I had no choice but to do it since there was no one else who would do it.

What if I still voted in support till the end? One vote has a lot of power in this special test. I can ignore the will of the 39 of you and continue to vote in agreement.

There is no way you would do that. If we run out of time and fail, well lose three hundred class points, and then we wont be able to beat the other classes anymore.

There was no way anyone would choose to run out of time. Its called common sense.

Its the same thing. If we dont do this and grab the 100 points here, I dont think well graduate in A class. In other words, even if we were to lose 100 or 300 points, it doesnt matter how small or big the loss is

Okay, stop right there. Its time to vote now, so please suspend your discussion.

Hoshinomiya interrupted Kanzaki and moved on to the 60-second voting period.

The tablet showed a switched voting screen, with buttons for support and oppose.

Just quietly, Kanzaki looked at the button. The class stopped moving, and silence fell.

The air seemed as if 39 people had finished voting in less than five seconds.

No, they had already finished voting even before then.

Kanzaki made up his mind and pressed the button, and at the same time, Hoshinomiya moved.

Okay. Now that everyone has voted, Ill announce the results.

2nd vote results 1 in Agreement 39 in Opposition

Despite desperate attempts to persuade him, the result was the same as the first vote.

Of course, the vote in support of the motion was cast by Kanzaki.

Youve got to be kidding me

Are you seriously going to continue voting in support of this, Kanzaki-kun?

His classmates, including Ichinose, were more annoyed than angry.

However, this easygoing atmosphere began to change little by little due to Kanzakis firm determination.

Yeah. Im going to go again about this for the second time. I want this motion to be unanimous in support.

At that comment, the class grew silence even though the interval had just begun.

If I keep voting yes, after a few hours, youll have no choice but to unpack your halted thoughts and think. To debate whether voting no is really the right thing to do.

Kanzaki confidently tells them that he was prepared to use the remaining three and a half hours of test time to the fullest.

There are only a number of ways we can get out of this situation. We have to make it unanimous.

What are you saying, Kanzaki-kun. That kind of thing

That wouldnt be realistic, would it? Because you guys have never thought about sacrificing a classmate from the beginning. But Im not moving my vote from agreement.

Interrupting Ichinoses words, Kanzaki continues to speak without stopping.

Since that is the case, then theres really only one way left: vote in support and expel me.

I want to change this class, even if its at the cost of self-sacrifice. He expressed that will in form.

If we dont have the courage to take a step forward in this special exam, we will never make it to Class A. As a result, well just spend the other half of our remaining school life in vain. If that

happens, I would rather drop out than seek another path.

It seemed like a trap, but it was the only way Kanzaki could do it.

There was no way that this class, which caters for the weak, could take action to select students for expulsion.

On the other hand, theres nothing that can be done against the heavy penalty of expulsion.

The vote was then repeated more three times, with a new interval each time due to his resistance.

A total of five rounds of voting resulted, all with one vote in support and 39 votes opposed.

The same screen and the same results were repeated without a single vote being moved.

Well then, Ill see you guys in the next interval.

Perhaps tired with the stalemate, Hoshinomiya did not hide her annoyance.

The watcher at the back of the classroom showed no issue with the look of annoyance.

The role they were given was only to maintain fairness.

Whether the students were playing around or if the teacher was feeling tired, they were free to do whatever they liked as long as it was within the rules. But then again, its been more than half an hour.

In other words, three additional rounds of voting were repeated, but the results still came out the same.

Only the results of the fixed, unchanging votes reflected back to the class.

Its been over an hour now? On this last motion.

But it cant be helped, can it? Until Kanzaki-kun votes in opposition, we will have to wait.

The hope of the 39 people who were voting in opposition was that Kanzaki would lose his patience and that he, too, would vote in opposition to the motion.

At first, they all tried to be friendly, but then they gradually turned more aggressive. Even so, Kanzaki continued to repeat his vote in silence.

Hey everyone, Im getting bored with the silence, so can I talk to you all for a minute? If youre not interested, you can just ignore me.

Hoshinomiya, who had been keeping up with everyone during the last motion so far, opens her mouth.

Actually, when I was a student, I went through the same thing as everyone else. Why? Because I too, had once taken this unanimous special exam. And the content of the fifth motion was exactly the same as now.

Its kind of unusual for Sensei to talk about your school days. Isnt that a first?

The relationship between Ichinoses class and Hoshinomiya was good, and it was known early on that she was from this school. In the process, a few students tried to ask about her school days, but its safe to say that there were no serious opportunities for her to talk about it.

I remember being stranded for a long time on this motion as well, although our class situation was completely different.

She smiles somewhat coldly, as if remembering those days.

Its the ultimate choice between choosing class points or friends. Thats why we struggled and struggled. The boys grabbed each other by the chest.

I-isnt that a bit too much?

Perhaps they could imagine such a situation in their own class. Grabbing each others chests.

Shiranami smiled bitterly as she looked at the other girls.

In my case, it was the third semester of my second year, and it was the time to go all out even if it was only a single point. If you talk even a little bit about expelling a certain person, your friends will certainly defend that person as a matter of course. But sometimes you have to cut someone in order to win, dont you? If you were in a situation where you needed 100 more points to get to Class A, would you have made the same decision youre making now?

Hoshinomiya understood very well what Kanzaki wanted to ask of them, and she put it directly into words.

We cant let anyone get expelled. We can always try our best to make up for it in the next special exa-

What if there is no next time? What if this special exam is the last exam for graduation? Now youve made it to class A, the class youve always wanted to be in. But the gap with Class B is only a few dozen points. If you prioritize protecting your friends here, youll end up in B class. So, what to do? Of course, the B class thats chasing after you doesnt have a choice, do they? Even if they have to cut someone off, theyll come to get 100 points, right?

No matter how many good-natured people are in your class, you would have to think about it.

If they decide protect their friends, they are almost certain to fall into B class.

Do we make it unanimous in opposition as well? Take a chance on the dream story where Class B gives up on Class A and choose the no-dropout option?

Kanzakis classmates, who had been constantly arguing against him, finally started to talk less.

I know its a nasty question, and that you guys are not actually in that situation right now. But one thing is for sure. If you have the desire to move up to Class A, there will come a time when you will

have to play rock-paper-scissors or whatever and choose to agree. Running out of time is not an option.

Sensei, youwhat choice did you guys make at that time?

Me? Iof course, Ive made the choice to cut out the unnecessary people. After all, even if someone were to be your friend or best friend, you are the one who is important. Isnt it true for everyone whos thinking in the opposite direction right now? In actuality, I myself think its okay to prioritize oneself.

Having everyone graduate within A class. That is what everyone would want.

However, many would understand in their hearts that this is only an idealistic idea.

Fellowship or self-preservation? The students could not find the words to answer the question.

I cant tell you any more than that since im being watched closely behind me. However, I will respect you all, no matter which choice you make. But you cant just make any vague or ambiguous decisions. If youre only friends on the surface, dont worry about it, just prioritize your class points. Youve only known each other for a year and a half, right? Im sure youll heal from the loss of your friends in time. In fact, the three who dropped out of other classes were already somewhat in the past, dont you think? But if you dont make it to A class, its going to haunt you for the rest of your life. But if you really value your friends more than anything else, you have to put them first.

As if she was saying that she wasnt advocating either of them, at any rate, Hoshinomiya had to end the conversation there while avoiding the glare of the watcher. As a teacher, all she did was tell

them that there were advantages and disadvantages to both. Just as they finished listening to this story, the next vote was coming up. Everyone felt a strange sensation while each looking at their

buttons, both support and oppose. The result of the vote, which took some time, was 1 vote for suppose and 39 votes for oppose. As in the past, the vote didnt shift.

Hoshinomiya was not particularly surprised. Rather she seemed to have seen the form of this class.

Hey, Kanzaki-kun. Why dont you end this already?

In the interval immediately after the voting, Himeno called out in annoyance.

I understand what Kanzaki-kun is trying to say, and I understand what Hoshinomiya-sensei is trying to say as well. But I dont think that will lead us to vote in favor of it here and now and im sure thats not going to change even if time runs out.

To protect his friends, he was willing to choose the option for them to run out of time. That was the perception Himeno and many others in the class now had at him On the other hand, Ichinose too, expressed her own thoughts.

Yeah. I understand what both Kanzaki-kun and Hoshinomiya-sensei have said. I understand where you are both coming from now. But what you two were talking about is what you will do when you are put in such a situation. I understand why everyone is upset, and I dont think thats a bad thing. Buteven if I were in that situation, I dont see the point of gaining the right to move up to A class, if youre going to expel your friends in order to do so. So what should we do to avoid that? To avoid such a situation, to avoid being forced to make such an absurd choice, I think its important for us make sure that we surely grasp A-class.

Idealistic goalhuh. The overwhelming A-class which had no one expelled. How many class points would have to be raked in to make that happen

We may not be strong enough now, but I want to aim for a class like that.

His classmates listened intently and repeatedly nodded their heads in agreement to her dream-like narrative.

Kanzakis resistance was all but meaningless now.

If he continued to vote in support here, they would only run out of time, as Himeno had said.

Lets do our best together, Kanzaki-kun.

Right.

The one opposing force was preyed upon and absorbed by the fearless.

In my own way, I tried to change this class, even if it meant forcing it. But it seems that I dont have the qualificationsno, the ability to do so.

This class will not change. He didnt know whether or not they would end up in B class or D class, but he was certain that they would never reach A class. It was enough time for him to become convinced of that. The look on his face as he accepted to admit his lost was devoid of any vitality, but rarely any of the students even noticed that. After that, it was time to vote, as if there had never been any trouble in the first place.

The answer, derived by the 40 people, was

10th vote results 0 in Agreement 40 in Opposition

Choosing to give up on the class points and protect their classmates.

With that, we have reached unanimous agreement on the final motion, and the special exam is now over.

Like I said, itll be fine Kanzaki-kun. Well be able to get the 50 class points as a reward too.

The school day would last for approximately 3 hours more, but they were not permitted to remain in the school building so it was now free time for them.

By the way, it looks like Class A has already completed their special exams.

For real? As expected of Sakayanagis class.

That means that Ryuuen-kuns and Horikita-sans classes are still in the middle of the special exam, right?

Okay, everyone~ Youll have to wait until you get out of school building before you start wasting time talking. The other classes are still in the middle of the special exam, so please dont interrupt

them. The teachers are going to guide you now, so please get out of your seats quietly.

Kanzaki stood up from his seat as each of them expressed their joy of being released from the special examination.