CotE: Year 2 Volume 5 Translation

Chapter 2- Part 4

It's just before 6:00 pm. The sun will soon set and night will fall. 

Today was supposed to be an ordinary day, although there was an explanation of the special exam.

I felt like I had a very hard day with a lot of information. It would be easier if we could just move on to the end of the day, but that's not going to happen. 

This was because the hastily announced unanimous special exam would begin tomorrow. 

"Hi."

 I went back to my room and waited for Yosuke, who was the first to show up.

 "Come on in."

Thinking about it, this is probably the first time I've invited Yosuke into my room like this.

 "Yoo-hoo." 

Not long after, Kei came to visit me in my room. 

"It's kind of refreshing and unusual to get together like this, isn't it?"

 "I think you might be right."

 I haven't told the two of them why I asked them to get together. Yosuke may have guessed, though.

"I thought I'd better prepare for that special exam tomorrow." 

"Preparation? Isn't this just a test to get unanimity?"

 "It certainly doesn't sound like a very difficult exam just from the outline, does it? And the special exams that have been held so far have had much more difficult rules." 

Yosuke, who showed a slight gesture of thinking, continued while explaining to Kei. 

"But I think this special exam will be as difficult as the past ones. If you think about it as the rules do, just making it unanimous would be a test that would give you more class points. Unifying the will of the class itself is not that difficult."

 "That's what I think, too."

 "I mean, it's not easy, which means there's a good chance you'll be presented with a challenge that will divide opinion."

 Yosuke is right. Each student in the class has a different way of thinking, but if it's for the good of the class, they're willing to be flexible to a certain extent and get their votes together. If we were freshmen, it might be a different story, but we sophomores have already developed a strong bond as friends. 

Moreover, there is no penalty for failing to reach a unanimous agreement once, and time can be set aside repeatedly for discussion. It's no wonder that such a well-covered test seems to be as loose as a blessing. 

"But what kind of issues are difficult to reach unanimity on?" 

"I'm not sure I'll ever get through it all, but yes there are." 

What kind of assignment would annoy his classmates? It didn't seem to be something that Yosuke could immediately think of. I'm going to talk about one obvious issue.

 "From now until graduation, you will only be able to eat either rice or bread. Make a choice."

 "What's that option?"

 "Rice and bread sound a bit laughable, but it's a tough call." 

"If I were you, I would definitely eat bread. I would never be able to live without bread until I graduated."

 "I'd probably go with rice. ・・・・・・ I only need bread once a week or so."

 "I'm more of a rice person myself. And, well, even we three have our own opinions, right? It's not so easy when the whole class takes a vote. If there were 30 Americans, could you follow them?"

 "I can't do it. Because it's prohibited until graduation right? I will keep voting for my decision."

 Some students will resist like Kei because if they are not willing to be swayed by the majority, students will suffer later on. 

"For a more realistic comparison, all future special exams will be based on academic or physical ability alone. Make the choice here. What would be the issue?" 

Hearing this, Yosuke and Kei looked at each other. 

"For an athletic student like Sudo, he would definitely choose physical ability, and for Keisei, who is not very good at sports, he would need to bring his academic skills to a unanimous decision at all costs." 

Of course, Sudo, who is currently putting a lot of effort into his studies, can break the ice but it would be better for his own reputation if he is evaluated on his physical abilities, and if there is a student who cannot study at all, he will not be able to compromise like Sudo. 

"If the issue passes unanimously, it's enforceable, right? Does that mean we have to be prepared to lose 300 class points in penalty if we choose not to?"

"I don't know, ....... Hard choices will obviously be made, but losing 300 class points could mean giving up your ticket to Class A. I think our first priority is to clear the exam" 

"I'm starting to think this might be a difficult special exam. ・・・・・・・"

 "Is that why you called us here?" 

"Ah. The very next special exam requires a strong sense of unity among classmates. One or two unanimous disagreements are fine, but if it goes on for a long time, there are bound to be some disputes. When that happens, Yosuke and Kei, the two main figures in the class, will need to get around and get the vote to go one way or the other."

 "That's right. But then, shouldn't Horikita-san be included in this discussion? Horikita-san is the leader of the class in this exam, you know." 

Yosuke's point is a natural one. The best way to control the class is for Horikita to lead the two of them, not me. However, at this stage, I can't pull out my support. 

"This time, you will support Horikita from the shadows. What we do here will remain confidential." 

"Why? Well, as far as I'm concerned, I don't like following Horikita-san's orders." 

"Both Kei and Yosuke have the ability to read the atmosphere better than most students. But I want you both to have the ability to respond more flexibly than you do now. If we can get a feel for what Horikita is thinking and what she wants to do, then the class will become much stronger."

"Why don't you just do it, Kiyotaka? That would solve the problem." 

"You can't always count on me to move. We have to be prepared for the unexpected."

 "What's unexpected?"

 "It's... well, it's not like I'm going to be expelled from school, but I suppose it could be a sudden illness."

I can't always follow you forever. If you can't move to anticipate such a situation, you can't expect your class to make a leap forward.

 "Anyway, I understand. All we have to do is follow up on Horikita-san and make sure that the special exam goes smoothly."

 "Then we'll have some instructions and cues that only Kei and Yosuke will understand." 

Since the interval allows for free discussion and movement, there is no problem with the act of talking itself. However, depending on the situation, it may be necessary to give instructions without letting them know that you are trying to communicate. Even in situations where private conversations are prohibited, it will be possible to exchange signs by coughing or lightly tapping on the desk. 

After the two of them had memorized the multiple patterns, I looked at Yosuke. 

"One last piece of advice to Yosuke. It's not necessary if the five assignments are going to be completed smoothly, but if there's still no clearing of the special exam when there are less than two hours left, we might have to resort to forceful measures."

 I decided to tell Yosuke to make his preparations now so that he would not go out of control at that time.