Today would mark the halfway point of our special exam. I woke up, ate breakfast, and awaited our next challenge in the hall. Like usual, Hiden-sensei was announcing the rules, but strangely, teachers of both genders were present.

My eyes met briefly with Chabashira-sensei's, causing her to look away. I had a sneaking suspicion that the teacher we "found" on day one's scavenger hunt was about to become relevant now.

"Good morning everybody! I hope you've had a wonderful start to your day and a fulfilling breakfast, because today is going to be a super long one! In fact, it's so long, it's the first challenge that will last over three hours! That's right, this challenge's time limit is a staggering... drumroll please... ten hours!"

Everyone in the hall broke into confused whispers as Hiden-sensei uttered an outrageous number. He grinned, chuckling at our reaction.

"That's right, I couldn't believe it earlier when I heard the brief from Benson-sensei, but it's true! The challenge lasts ten hours, meaning it'll end at 7pm today! You're all probably thinking, "Hiden-sensei! What could possibly take so long?!". And well, the answer to that my friends... is this!"

The crowd went silent as Hiden-sensei whipped out what looked to be two green bricks from his coat pockets, one in each hand. He thrusted them forward and presented it to us with a slithery laugh, revealing that they were actually two fat stacks of 1000 yen bills.

"...is that, real money?!" Ikeda said.

"I can't believe it, it is!" Ryouta said.

Hiden-sensei tossed the two stacks of money over to Hiryuu-sensei and Kawaga-sensei, who both caught them with ease.

"That's right, each group will be receiving 50,000 worth of yen in cold, hard cash! Isn't that exciting?! I haven't even explained the challenge yet, but it looks like you guys are already raring to go!"

A lot of groups became really excited over the implications that came from them bringing in actual money, and what it could mean for our challenge. However, like me, some were equally sceptical about this set up, since the school wouldn't let us use real money without a good reason.

"Don't tell me, the last two challenges were meant to be practise before we got our hands on the real thing..." Matsushita said.

"It seems to be that way."

It was definitely concerning that they were entrusting us with actual, physical yen, rather than the digital private points we normally spent at school. For us, it'd be the first time in three months since we've touched the real thing.

"However, what you'll all be doing with all this money is in the Free Will challenge! For today, and today only, all the groups will be allowed back into mainland Tokyo, supervised and driven around by the teachers you found on the first day of the challenge!"

The whole hall exploded into loud cheers hearing that we were allowed get away from this outdoors school and go back into Tokyo, even if it was for just a day. Not only that, but with a teacher as our chauffeur, we could practically go anywhere we wanted as well.

"Now, you can tackle this challenge in three ways! The first way you can tackle it is by spending the money however you want! That's right, your group is free to spend as much as you want at whichever shops, halls, and establishments you'd like! Don't hold back and indulge yourself in luxury!"

I feel like I'm in a dream right now. There's no way they're seriously going to entrust any teenagers like us with an obscene amount of money on summer break and not expect us to blow through it all. There has to be a catch to this...

"The second way you can tackle it is by not spending any money whatsoever! You can go around, enjoy Tokyo for free, and leave it all untouched!"

Yeah, there's no way any group would choose the second option. If there's no drawback to spending it, then even I'd use 3000 yen out of that 50,000 to buy a nice meal for myself.

"The third way you can tackle it is by making a profit! If you spend money, like in option 1, but returned back to the outdoors school with more than 50,000 yen in your pocket, then you'll be legible for the best reward in this challenge!"

So a business route was also possible... that was quite interesting. I guess this was the option Shimada was talking about yesterday.

"Of course, with three different ways to tackle this challenge, there's also three different outcomes depending on which one your group chooses! If you choose option one, by spending even just a single yen, your group will lose 5 cumulative points!"

Immediately, whines and groans filled the air. A lot of boys were looking forward to have a fun day out, but hearing that neutered a majority of their plans. Some groups couldn't even afford to lose 5 cumulative points, since that's all they had.

"If you choose option two, and manage to display how hard your will is by restraining yourself from not spending anything, your group will gain 6 cumulative points!"

So by living frugally, you could earn your group a large amount of points. This was a huge opportunity for the lower groups to make a comeback, since 6 points would easily close the gap between them and the groups with more points.

In fact, those higher groups are more likely to choose option 1, since they had the cumulative points to spare. Knowing Mitsuba's group, they'd probably take this option and drop to 15 points, creating a huge opening for the middle of the pack to overtake them.

"If you achieve option 3, your group will get 5 cumulative points, plus a 1 cumulative point bonus relative to every 5,000 yen you made in profit!"

No wonder it was the best reward. If you do the bare minimum, you'll get the same reward as option 2, but if you put in the work and go the extra mile, your reward would scale accordingly since it wasn't a fixed amount.

In other words, the more profit you made, the more cumulative points you could gain. There was a possibility you could even gain upwards of 10 cumulative points if you were that good at business.

So this is what the "Free Will" name of the challenge meant, huh...?

We had the free will to choose how we'd spend our money, just like at school, but those who were strong willed and resisted from spending would be handsomely rewarded, while those who were weak willed and caved in would be punished for their greed.

The challenge basically revolved around delayed gratification and instant gratification. What an interesting concept.

It seemed to be testing our ability to communicate and come to an agreement with each other, and, if you were doing option 3, your group's ability to work as a team in a business environment.

A fairly easy challenge to overcome on paper, but it became needlessly complex when you factor in basic human psychology. Our own desire would never let us sacrifice such a golden opportunity to indulge ourselves in pleasure.

However, this mental battle didn't apply just to you, but to everyone else in the group as well. Everyone, together, had to restrain themselves and abstain from dipping into this pot of gold, but not everyone is mentally as strong as each other.

That was the hardest part of this challenge. If you go option 2 or 3, everyone has to be involved. Otherwise, one person could ruin it by spending some money, and steer the group right into option 1. The only way to get out would be achieving option 3.

"The ranking for today will be based on the amount of money each group has by the end of the challenge! If you want even more cumulative points, you better start making a profit people!"

Fitting for the turning point of the special exam, this challenge could quite literally flip the current rankings on their head if the groups at the bottom can abstain or profit. Our group was in danger of being usurped as well.

"And since you'll be out and about and dispersed in a large city, for safety reasons, we'll be letting you have your phones back just for today! The only stipulation is your location must be turned on at all times so the teachers can track you!"

Since we could contact each other through the school app, sharing our personal numbers wasn't necessary. It was a relief for some students, as it meant they could keep some privacy within their group.

"Finally, the additional rewards and punishments! The winners of this challenge get to keep all the profit they made as private points at school! Meanwhile, the losers will be paying back the amount they spent in this challenge to the school from their personal accounts! Basically, if you somehow spend all 50,000 yen today, the entire group will take responsibility with their private points! Don't worry though, the debt will be split equally between the seven... or six, of you. Interest is added if you're late~!"

As much as everyone wanted to go buck wild with the money, the punishment for coming in last place once again restricted that. The school was really making it obvious what they wanted you to do.

Although, for what it's worth, the sum isn't as extortionate as it first sounds. While 50,000 looks like a lot, if you split it between seven people, it gets reduced down to 7,143 points. That's a fraction of the allowance A Class currently gets.

While it's still a considerable amount, in the long term, it's not actually that much. For reference, most families end up spending much more than this on their weekly shop.

"Now that the rules have been explained, feel free to go and spend an extravagant, or not so extravagant, day in Tokyo! And savour it while it lasts, because today might the last time you get to be together as a group..."

Hiden-sensei grinned ominously. I scratched the back of my head and sighed.

"...I guess option 2 would be most preferable."

I mumbled to myself, turning to the rest of the group. However, to my surprise, no one was talking. While we usually would start by forming a plan and discussing tactics, this challenge had stumped everyone on a whole new level.

No... rather, it made everyone consider their own individuality within the group. How the group chooses to face this special exam also depends entirely on what each person wants to do with the money.

It forced us out of the herd mentality which we had become accustomed to from the first three days of living together. I could already guess which option each of my group members wanted to pursue.

"How are you boys feeling about this one?"

Pulling us out from our stupor was Chabashira-sensei, who joined our group. In each hand was a bag of money and an envelope containing the detailed rules. She handed them to Ryouta, our group leader.

"I don't know... probably, overwhelmed?" Matsushita said.

"Yeah. This certainly caught me by surprise." Zyriot said.

Ryouta peered inside the bag, and his eyes flashed wide with panic. Blushing, he shoved the money back into Chabashira-sensei's hands.

"A-ah, s-sensei, can you be in charge of the cash...? I don't trust myself with such an extravagant sum..."

"I think that would be for the best as well." Zyriot said.

"Actually, before we decide on our strategy for this challenge, I think it'd be good if we should set some ground rules for the money." Satou said.

"I agree. I'm all in favour for letting Shizuka-chan-sensei act as our group's bank!" Ikeda said.

I never thought Chabashira-sensei's nickname in our class would spread out to other people in our year. Chabashira-sensei seemed embarrassed about it, as despite her cool expression, her cheeks were slightly redder than before.

"Doesn't that entirely depend on which option everyone wants to pursue?" Machida said.

"Of course, but I think everyone can agree we should let the adult be in charge of it. This isn't some in game currency... this is the real thing." Satou said.

"What are you guys, elementary school kids? You need your mommy to handle the money? Gimme a freaking break."

"Better to be safe than sorry. If the money somehow became lost, it'd be all over for us. It's only logical to give it to the teacher."

That was one surefire way to come in last place. Machida crossed his arms and sighed.

"You aren't getting the big picture here, emo. It's against the rules to let some bitch handle it."

"Since when?"

"Since the challenge description? The old coot up there already explained that it's our money for the day, so we're the ones responsible for handling it. Besides, sensei's just a taxi for our group. She's not obligated at all to handle our money for us at all."

"And the responsible thing to do is to let the adult take care of it. Hiden-sensei never said we couldn't use the teachers in ways other than being our chauffeur."

Sensing they were about to burst out into another argument, Ryouta cut in by showing the detailed rules to them.

"Hang on, we can settle this matter by just looking at whether or not it's allowed in the challenge."

Go back to Tokyo! How will you spend your "free will" there?
Rules!
● The time limit is ten hours!
● All groups will receive 50,000 yen in cash!
● You may spend the money however you wish, but there are three potential outcomes!
● Outcome 1: If your group spends any amount of money, your group loses 5 cumulative points!
● Outcome 2: If your group doesn't spend any amount of money, your group gains 6 cumulative points!
● Outcome 3: If your group spends money and returns with at least 50,000 or more yen, your group gains 5 cumulative points, plus an additional 1 cumulative point for every 5,000 yen in profit!
● The teacher you "found" in the Scavenger Hunt will be your chauffeur!
● You cannot change chauffeurs!
● You cannot go outside of Tokyo!
● You can return to or stay at the outdoors school at any time!
● You are allowed to use your phone, but location services must be turned on at all times!
● If location services get turned off for any reason, your group will lose 1 cumulative point!
● Everyone must return to the outdoors school by 7pm!
● Violence between groups is prohibited!
● The group that comes first will get all the profit they made transferred to their personal accounts!
● The group that comes last has to pay back the amount they spent from their personal accounts!
● If there is a tie in money, priority in ranking will be given to the group with better past performance!

That last rule was reassuring for me. Since other groups would try to go for option 2, there was a chance that multiple groups would end the challenge with 50,000 yen, meaning we'd tie.

If the tiebreakers are decided by how well we did in past challenges, it was more or less guaranteed we would get a higher rank than them. It was just more reason for us to pick option 2.

"Nothing says it's not allowed, so it's legal."

Seeing this, Machida backed down. He still opposed the idea, but there was nothing much he could do about it now. I stepped forward to give my opinion.

"I also think letting Chabashira-sensei be our bank would be a good idea. However, I'd like to add one stipulation to it."

"And what would that be, Takanori-san?" Ryouta said.

"A law of transparency. If we ask for it, Chabashira-sensei should be allowed to disclose how the money's been used. This includes, but is not limited to, the identity of whoever requests a sum withdrawal, regardless of whether they actually take the money or not, the identity of whoever deposits money into her, and most importantly, the identity of whoever spends our money. Likewise, she can also disclose the identity of whoever asked for this kind of information as well."

If we establish this rule before deciding which option to follow, it'd push everyone towards option 2, as tampering with the money would become infinitely more difficult. All it'd take is asking the teacher for the money logs, and it'd become public knowledge as to who used what.

"That's a good suggestion. Considering there's a potential traitor in our group, I'd like to implement this. What do you guys think?"

"Seems like a no brainer to me." Satou said.

"Yep, no problems about it!" Ikeda said.

"I don't mind it, but wouldn't doing that force us into option 2?" Zyriot said.

"That's a clear violation of privacy and anonymity. I'm against it." Machida said.

So it was two people who agreed, one person who disagreed, and one person who was skeptical.

"It doesn't really force us into option 2. It can also be applied to option 1, to see if anyone betrays us on the chance we pick option 2, or option 3, to check how everyone is spending our capital and contributing to the business." Ryouta said.

"I see... I suppose it's fine if we have it."

"Matsushita-san, how about you? What do you think?"

"...huh?"

Matsushita, who looked incredibly spaced out, came back to his senses when Ryouta called to him. Ever since the challenge started, it looked like he was off in his own world, especially with those glazed over eyes and diluted pupils.

Though, I couldn't exactly blame him for such a strange reaction. I knew perfectly well why he seemed so on edge today. Out of us seven, he was the most dangerous one in this challenge.

"Should we implement a rule of transparency?"

Matsushita looked at me for an answer, but I simply looked away. I was curious as to what he truly thought.

"...this might sound bad, but I'd rather not."

Ikeda and Zyriot looked surprise at Matsushita's response. Machida grinned slightly. For once, someone had taken his side on a matter.

"If we go by group vote... it looks like the majority wants to put the rule of transparency in place. It's five votes to two."

"Ah, is that so...?"

Matsushita had no clue his opinion was already stacked against, since he wasn't paying attention to us from the very start. Instead, he was more focused on the bag that Chabashira-sensei was holding onto us.

"Yes. I hope you two don't mind."

"Do as you like." Machida said.

Matsushita's face dropped, but he nodded and went along with the rest of the group.

"As for the three options... as boring as it may sound, but I think option 2 is our safest option. We don't have to risk anything, like in option 1 and 3, and we'll be gaining a solid 6 cumulative points from it as a bonus."

Right now, our group was in second place with 18 points. Since it was very likely Mitsuba's group would spend the money at the cost of 5 points, we could use this as an opportunity to spring ahead to first place with at least 24 points.

"Our past performance has generally been consistent too, so even if another group does the same as us, we'd rank ahead of them and gain more additional points." Satou said.

"Isn't that boring... you guys have no vision at all."

That snarky comment came from Machida, who sighed at Ryouta's and Satou's reasoning.

"We can all agree that option 1 is stupid, yeah?"

No one objected Machida's words. Everyone here was aware of how foolish choosing that option would be, especially since it would hurt us more in the long run.

"That means we can rule it out altogether. In that case, we only need to focus on option 3."

"Eh? So you oppose the idea of going option 2?" Ryouta said.

"Exactly. From a purely logistical standpoint, everyone should be going for option 2. But ultimately, that means nothing now we're in this stage of the special exam."

I understood what Machida was trying to get at. Essentially, because this was a huge chance for everyone at the bottom to turn it around, they'll disregard the safe choice of not spending anything, and instead bet on making a profit to steam ahead.

This was possible, not through the cumulative point bonus that came from profit, but through the ranking system itself.

If our group chose option 2, and stayed on 50,000 yen, a group that got even 50,001 yen would beat us in the ranks. That means they'd earn one extra cumulative point over us, since the point distribution is staggered.

I'm sure groups like Shigeru's and Koishi's were eager to pounce on this opportunity. Their way of thinking are crafty and businessmen-like at heart, so this challenge was perfect for them to show off their skills.

"When people become desperate, they'll do anything to win. That's why the majority of groups here will choose option 3 and try to make a profit, so they can gain additional cumulative points from ranking high. If we sit on our asses and do nothing, a majority of groups will return with more money than us, and we'd drop to the lower rungs of the ranking. Picking option 2 is the same as throwing our second place, so why the hell would you do that? If we don't want to fall behind, we have no choice but to also pick option 3, and crush the competition with an even better business than theirs."

For once, he made a compelling counterargument. However, Ryouta shook his head.

"The fact that so many groups will choose option 3 is exactly what I'm betting on."

Machida raised an eyebrow, smiling thinly.

"...what?"

"I'm betting on the fact they'll fail to make a profit. With only ten hours to make a successful business, you'd need to get extremely lucky with viral advertising to attract any potential customers. Most startups don't even catch their stride until a month into business. Most of the time, they're red at the beginning, losing money on creating the products. It's not until much later they start to see profits rolling in. And even then, the vast majority of independent business fail. Unless you have prior connections or are extremely confident in your marketing ability, you're probably worse off trying to make a successful business in ten hours, even if the reward is objectively better. In the first place, earning 6 points off option 3 requires you to have at least 55,000 yen, and earning that much profit when also accounting for the initial investment cost... to be blunt, that's almost impossible. Naive and unprepared groups who try this method will sink immediately."

And even greater counterargument came from Ryouta. He succinctly shut down Machida's reasoning while pushing forward his own as to why option 2 was superior.

Part of why Ryouta was so compelling was the grand way he spoke to audiences. He really was a natural speaker... everyone was entranced by how he orated his words, moved his hands, and commanded his cadence.

"You, out of all people, wishing misfortune upon others while not fighting yourself...? I don't know whether to call you sly or cowardly right now."

"I think it's neither of those things. Fortune favours the wise, so we're just playing it safe. Our position is already stable, so it's unnecessary for us to take a risk just because everyone else is. If the other groups want to bet everything on today's challenge, then that's their problem, not ours. If they succeed, then they deserve it."

Essentially, it was a battle of risk. Ryouta represented an ideal scenario where the other groups would fail in their business endeavours, while Machida represented a worst case scenario where the other groups succeeded in their business endeavours.

It really reflected their way of thinking, with Ryouta's being optimistic, and Machida's being pessimistic. In any case, this was still a difficult decision for our group, mainly because we couldn't see into the future to determine which option was better to take.

However, there was a secondary reason why Ryouta was pushing option 2 so hard. One that he hasn't revealed to everyone else yet, but one that I'd already figured out, because it's the main reason why I wanted to choose option 2 as well.

Picking option 2 would reveal the traitor within our group.

Picking either option 1 or 3 would let the traitor get away with tampering with the money, since we'd be allowed to spend it however we like. If our funds went down, no one would suspect a thing.

However, if we impose a ban on touching the money, then we'd be able to smoke out the traitor by seeing who tries using it to sabotage our group into outcome 1. My proposed rule of transparency from earlier would help facilitate this.

While this would deter the traitor from making a move normally, it would also become a way to throw suspicion onto someone else if multiple people access the money. However, the main purpose of this rule is to actually narrow down our list of suspects.

Simply put, this is a trap for the traitor. They won't be able to resist an opportunity to frame someone else as the source of the group's troubles, since today is the day of the trading window.

If they can trick us into trading that person out instead of them, then that means they would've succeeded in their main goal in sabotaging the group from the inside. They could cause chaos up until the very end.

But that's when I'll reveal the true identity of the traitor and drive them out of the group for good.

"Since you're such a democrat, let's have a vote on it. There's seven of us, so it's impossible to draw."

"Sure, that's my preferred way of doing things anyways. Then, who wants to pursue option 3 with Machida-san?"

Machida was the only one to raise his hand. Like always, he was the only one who opposed the group.

"Thank you. Next, who wants to pursue option 2 with me?"

Me, Ryouta, Ikeda, Satou, and Zyriot all raised our hands. However, the only person who didn't was Matsushita, who was off in his own little world just like earlier.

"That's five votes to one. Looks like we'll be doing option 2 after all."

Machida sighed. He couldn't even rebuke the results as he was the one who suggested doing a vote in the first place.

"Don't come crying to me when we end up in sixth place again then. I warned you guys."

"If that happens, I'll give a proper apology."

"God please no, I'll take anything over you bowing and crying for my forgiveness. I'm not that merciful."

"Then what would you want?"

"I don't need anything from you, especially your fake pity. Actually, here's an idea. Why don't you drop the mask and show everyone your real self?"

Ryouta looked confused.

"What do you mean by that, Machida-san?"

"The devil that's lurking in your heart, obviously."

Machida bumped Ryouta in the chest.

"Eh?"

"You're not as innocent as you look, you bastard child."

Ryouta's eyes widened, stepping back. However, Machida moved forward, closing the gap between them even further than before.

"That's how you see me...?"

"From the very beginning. From the very moment I laid my eyes on you... I knew that I would despise you."

Ryouta lowered his head, before looking up at Machida with a soft smile, nodding in agreement.

"You might be right, actually... there's no such thing as black and white when it comes to people. Even I have a side that people would dislike. Things that may appear good on the outside, like gentleness and kindness, might be seen as cowardice and mockery by someone else. What is it that you don't like about me, Machida-san?"

Machida narrowed his eyes and raised his fist. Rather than calming him, Ryouta's response only made him more angry.

This was because what Ryouta described was happening right now between them. He was trying to be honest with Machida and admit his faults like a good person, but Machida interpreted it as him trying to twist his own logic to hide his own flaws.

"Everything."

Machida squeezed his fist, his knuckles popping.

"Everything about you pisses me off. Your face, your voice, your class, and most of all... your absurd personality."

Slowly, I was also starting to understand why Machida hated Ichinose as well. Personality wise, Ryouta was very similar to her. Both were morally upstanding, excessively kind, and extremely impressive people.

To Machida, such a perfect person can't exist without having another side, or an ulterior motive. He can't believe that someone can be a genuinely good person, or at the very least, they must be suppressing their own flaws somewhere to appear as one.

And in a way, he's right. It's a common twist for these kinds of people to be secretly harbouring a dark side.

However, when it comes to Ryouta, or even Ichinose for that matter, they were the rare examples of righteous and honest people in a world filled with contradictory and misguided humans.

"I'm sorry for coming off that way towards you. It wasn't my intention."

"There you go again, saying an apology when no one asked for it... do you ever learn from my words?"

Machida really looked like he was about to strike Ryouta in the face, but since Chabashira-sensei was watching over them, he backed down and lowered his fist. Ryouta was about to slip back into his habit of apologising, but stopped at the last moment.

"...then what should I say?"

"Saying nothing is better than something, you piece of trash."

"That's a ridiculous thing to ask though... that's the same as giving me an earful without letting me speak back."

"And that's good enough. Better to be a punching bag than punch back, especially since your above me in the school hierarchy."

Ryouta sighed, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I'm starting to think you don't have an issue with me personally, but rather an issue with the class I'm in..."

"A Class or not, my opinion on you wouldn't change. I still fully believe you're a monster. There's something about you I can't trust."

Honestly, I couldn't tell if Machida was bluffing to Ryouta or trying to gaslight the rest of us. I suppose this was one way to split the group... make us doubt the true nature of our leader.

However, the main problem is Ryouta's reaction towards Machida's accusatory words. He looked really surprised, and even a little upset, that his own group member would say such awful things about him so openly.

"If that's what you think of me, then it can't be helped."

We had spent nearly thirty minutes on this discussion, only to reach two conclusions: firstly, that Chabashira-sensei would act as a transparent bank for us, and secondly, that our group would pursue option 2 and not touch the money.

The true nature of Ryouta was still up in the air.

Afterwards, we went to collect our phones, turned on the location, and headed off back to Tokyo in a minivan driven by Chabashira-sensei. I had one location in mind already where I wanted to go.

Tokyo General Hospital.