Ayanokouji POV
As I, Katagiri, Kaguya, and Akise are heading to our respective rooms, I noticed that Katagiri was texting someone.
"Who are you texting to?" I asked
"Right now, it's Kushida I think you know why" he said
Ohh right I remember that Katagiri told me that he blackmailed Kushida because of the fact she revealed her true nature and Katagiri managed to record everything she said. I have to admit Katagiri is cleverer than I would've expected.
"She's already given us enough info thanks to her, but she hasn't told me about this mastermind"
"Mastermind?"
"Right, I've overheard your conversation with Karma about some mastermind lurking in Class D and I want to confirm it from Kushida but for some reason she didn't bother talking about it or even saying his name"
"And?"
"Well, I told her if she doesn't tell me then I would leak the recording and she was panicking in her messages"
"I see"
"She told me that she'll tell me later, but I can't guarantee if she's even going to follow through on that specifically."
"You think she's hiding the identity of this mastermind?"
"Yeah"
"Also is it alright if you call me Yuuichi? I mean you and I have been close friends for months now after all"
"Alright Yuuichi"
"Thanks Kiyotaka"
After all that talking, we made it to our assigned room. From there, we met up with Shigeru-sensei. All four of us found our seats and began discussing the exam.
"Welcome, time to begin the special exam" he said
"In this exam, all first-year students will be divided into groups based on the assigned zodiac animals that you are given, the entirety of this exam will be conducted in groups that share the same assigned zodiac animals."
I see so there are 12 groups in total where each class will be split into smaller groups and then they will be mixed together to create one group with the other group students from other the classes.
"The purpose of this exam is to test your thinking ability. There are three attributes to you are required to learn to function well in society: Action, thinking, and teamwork. These skills will help you analyze the situations at hand and also using your creativity and imagination. These traits will be vital for this task"
Shigeru-sensei explained the overall gist of the exam to the four of us.
"These exams will be conducted with your assigned group, any questions?"
"I have one question" Yuuichi said as he raised his hand
"Since there are 12 groups in total, this means that there will be more of us in this group aside from us?"
"Exactly, there are also other rooms with other students as well being given the same explanation. Some of them might potentially team up with you if it happens"
Team up? wait does this mean that we could also team up with the other students as well?
I guess given his wording, it means that the 12 groups are going against each other. This means that I'm not on the same team as the other classmates of mine and the rest.
"You are all assigned to the Rabbit group, here is a list of the members that are involved in this group" he gave each of us paper containing the list of members in this group.
Rabbit group
Class A: Machida Koji, Takemoto Shigeru, Morishige Takuro
Class B: Ichinose Honami, Hamaguchi Tetsuya, Beppu Ryota, Hikigaya Hachiman
Class C: Ibuki Mio, Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, Yamashita Saki
Class D: Yukimura Teruhiko, Sotomura Hideo, Karuizawa Kei
Class S: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Shinomiya Kaguya, Aru Akise, Katagiri Yuuichi
So, these are the members. I am familiar with Ichinose and Kaguya is close with her but Hikigaya being there would be interesting. I know who Ibuki is and I'm already familiar with some of the Class D students as well. By the sounds of it, I have my doubts if a group like this can cooperate since we are from enemy classes after all. But this will give me a chance to get some info on the White Room students from Class D if they bother talking about him.
"In this exam, differences of each class will be ignored. From now on, you are now part of the Rabbit group. Whether you pass or fail this exam depends on your group instead of your own class."
"Now I will hand out the explanations of 4 potential outcomes of this exam and do well to memorize this" he said as he gave the papers to us.
The explanation of this exam:
The exam focuses on the chosen VIP student for each group. By using your critical thinking, there are 4 outcomes that can occur at the end of this exam.
1. At 8 AM, the exam starts. Every student will be given emails whether they are the chosen VIP of the group or not.
2. Discussions will take place around 4 PM to 9 PM (students are also free to act whenever they like)
3. Discussions will be left up to the students.
4. At the end of the exam, you must identify the VIP of your group. Each student is only allowed to give one answer.
5. The answers must be given to the school faculty members using their email addresses which will be provided on your phones.
6. VIP cannot submit an answer
7. You can only answer the identity of the VIP in your own group. Other names from another group are invalid.
8. Results of the exam will be mailed to the students at 11:00 PM on the same day.
Those were the rules, it's pretty basic and has a lot of detail. This exam has more rules than the island exam, so a lot of thinking is required.
The following are the outcomes of this exam:
1. If the submitted answers of all students are correct. Every student in that group will be given 500,000 private points while the VIP receives 1,000,000 private points.
2. If there are incorrect answers or if the student in the group doesn't submit their answer. The VIP will instead gain 500,000 private points.
3. If a student submits an answer before the allocated time is correct. The class of the answerer will gain 50 class points and the answerer will receive 100,000 private points. On the other hand, the class which the VIP belongs to will have their class points deducted by 50. If this outcome is reached, then the exam concludes but if the answerer is from the same class as the VIP, the answer will be invalid, and the exam continues.
4. If a student submits an answer before the allocated time is incorrect. The answerer of that respective class will be penalized -50 class points while the VIP receives 500,000 private points as well as 50 class points of the VIP's respective class. If this outcome is reached, then the exam concludes but if the answerer is from the same class as the VIP, the answer will be invalid, and the exam continues.
I see, so this means the two outcomes can be beneficial depending on if the VIP revealed themselves and the whole group can easily cooperate. But you also have the option to betray the group in order to benefit your own class which changes the situation of this exam drastically.
I saw Yuuichi wearing that sinister smile again like back when we visited Class D. I wonder if he somehow has the same idea that I'm planning soon. Either way the idea of the VIP revealing themselves is risky on their part because any traitor can easily target them but at the same time from an individual standpoint, you can benefit yourself from this regardless of any betrayals.
I think that outcome 3 would be better for us since given our circumstance. Any of us can be capable of deceiving our own group. If Yuuichi for example managed to guess the VIP quickly, we can deal a blow to one class. So, in short, Outcome 1 would be too simple, so the only option is to use outcome 3. However, if I, Yuuichi, Kaguya, or Akise are the VIP. Then we can trick anyone from our group to thinking that one of the other members from a different class is the VIP by making our target pretend to be the VIP, so they don't suspect any of us four. So pretty much the only option is betrayal.
Meanwhile in another rooms
3rd person POV (Karma's group)
Karma: I see so that's how it works
Snake Group
Class A: Hashimoto Masayoshi, Nishikawa Ryoko, Hayato Kito
Class B: Kanzaki Ryuji, Shibata So, Minamikata Kozue
Class C: Komiya Kyogo, Yamada Albert, Kaneda Satoru, Tokito Hiroya
Class D: Miyake Akito, Hasebe Haruka, Ijuin Wataru
Class S: Akabane Karma, Jabami Yumeko, Rue Ryuzaki, Shirogane Miyuki
Yumeko: So, are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?
Ryuzaki: we should discuss this when we are in the right place to do so
Shirogane: are you sure we can do this? I'm not comfortable with betraying people.
Karma: shhh! c'mon Miyuki-kun it's not that bad.
Shirogane: I mean can I really do something like that if I ended up being the VIP?
Ryuzaki: that's a matter of if, don't worry about it.
Another 3rd person POV (Light's group)
Dragon Group
Class A: Kamuro Masumi, Nishi Haruka, Yahiko Totsuka
Class B: Amikura Mako, Himeno Yuki, Kobashi Yume
Class C: Ryuen Kakeru, Shiina Hiyori, Nishino Takeko
Class D: Matsushita Chiaki, Sudo Ken, Yamauchi Haruki, Sakura Airi
Class S: Yagami Light, Kirigaya Kazuto, Lamperouge Lelouch, Kururugi Suzaku
Lelouch: this is seriously a grim coincidence
Kirigaya: yeah, looks like we have to deal with Ryuen again
Light: You guys have a bit of history with him so fill me in
Kururugi: maybe later (I don't want Lelouch to be put more in a bad mood than usual cause of Ryuen) 1
Another 3rd person POV (Tatsuya's group)
Rooster Group
Class A: Katsuragi Kohei, Yamamura Miki, Yoshida Kenta
Class B: Shirinami Chihiro, Ando Sayo, Tsube Hitomi
Class C: Ishizaki Daichi, Kondo Reo, Masashi Sonoda
Class D: Ike Kanji, Mori Nene, Horikita Suzune, Kokoro Inogashira
Class S: Tatsuya Shiba, Yuuki Asuna, Shiro, Oreki Houtarou
Yuuki: Are you alright Shiro?
Shiro: *trembling* I-I'm f-f-fine
Oreki: you'll be fine I mean I'm used to being alone myself
Tatsuya: still it's going to be tough when Shiro is in this state
Yuuki: *pats Shiro's head* It's ok, I have your back as well as everyone else.
Another 3rd Person POV (Kei and Sora)
Cow group
Class A: Fukuyama Shinobu, Shinji Matoba, Satonaka Satoru
Class B: Ninomiya Yui, Sumida Makoto, Yonezu Haruto
Class C: Mariko Yajima, Yoshimoto Kosetsu, Isoyama Nagisa
Class D: Hirata Yosuke, Sato Maya, Kyosuke Okitani, Ryotaro Hondo
Class S: Shinomiya Kei, Sora
Sora: WAIT THERE'S ONLY TWO OF US?
Kei: yeah, I mean we got this in the bag right Sora-san?
Sora: I...ughh yeah of c-course we do
Kei: c'mon Sora-san at least try to calm yourself down, besides you have the genius of Class S right here remember? heheheehe this will be fun.