COTE: Popularity System

Chabashira Sae was explaining the rules of the special exam to the students in the class.

"Only leaders can use the special card to capture spots. Each time a spot is captured, 1 temporary point will be awarded."

"Leaders are not allowed to be replaced without a valid reason."

"Has anyone not understood so far?"

Chabashira Sae's voice was cold, and her tone was somewhat impatient. It was as if she was saying, 'No way, surely no one is so dense that they can't even understand such simple rules, right?'

After being questioned in such a tone by her, the students in the class dared not speak loudly and could only respond with silence.

Even the usually boisterous idiot trio, under the pressure from Chabashira Sae, sheepishly hunched their shoulders, not daring to speak.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood expressionlessly next to the idiot trio, silently analyzing what could be done in this special exam.

Before the exam began, he was blackmailed by his homeroom teacher on the luxury cruise ship to contribute to the class, or he would be expelled. According to Chabashira Sae, the homeroom teacher had the authority to forcibly expel a student.

Although she couldn't provide proof, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka didn't dare to bet that she didn't have this ability, so he had to play some role in this special exam.

Capturing a spot once yields 1 temporary point. A spot can be captured 3 times a day, meaning it can be captured 21 times in a week. Considering factors like errors and mistakes, it's better to assume that one spot can yield 20 temporary points.

If five spots are simultaneously checked in, then 100 temporary points can be obtained by the end of the exam. If 15 strongholds are simultaneously checked in, 300 temporary points can be obtained.

This is already the same as the exam-specific points initially issued by the school.

'Checking in at too many strongholds can easily expose the leader's true identity, but... there's still a way.'

He recalled what Chabashira Sae had just said. Without a valid reason, the leader cannot be replaced. Understood from another perspective, if there is a valid reason, the leader can be replaced.

His first idea was to first take the leader to check in frantically around the island, and then, near the end of the exam, have the leader withdraw from the exam, thereby meeting the condition for a valid reason to replace the leader and elect a new one.

If a student withdraws from the exam, the class will have 30 exam-specific points deducted. However, if the leader is guessed, not only will 50 exam-specific points be deducted, but all temporary points obtained from checking in will also be cleared.

Compared to that cost, the points deducted for withdrawing from the exam are negligible.

'It's unclear how many strongholds there are on this island. If there are more than fifteen, then the class will undoubtedly achieve a great victory.'

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka believed his plan was flawless. Unless someone could find Class D's new leader in an extremely short amount of time, his method would absolutely not fail. But such a person couldn't possibly exist.

'Next, I need to find a way to remind Horikita.'

Although Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was currently being blackmailed by his homeroom teacher, he still didn't want to abandon his persona as a reclusive individual.

He wanted to, as before, use various rhetorical techniques to make Horikita Suzune come up with this method herself, and then have her relay it to the rest of the class.

Horikita Suzune has a strong personality and excellent logical thinking skills, making her a perfect mouthpiece. With her help in speaking, the plan could be carried out without him having to step forward.

Just as Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was about to find time to communicate with Horikita Suzune, a voice rang out.

"Chabashira-sensei, how should the leader be chosen?" Kushida Kikyo raised her hand, breaking the gloomy atmosphere.

Chabashira Sae said with a stern face, "For now, you students will discuss and decide on the leader yourselves. Once decided, inform me, and I will apply to the school to create the leader's special card."

"However, if a leader hasn't been chosen by the first roll call, then I will randomly select a student."

For some reason, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka felt that if things progressed to the random selection stage, he would be chosen as the leader by her.

Chabashira Sae didn't bring a lottery machine, so who knows if it's truly random or fake random?

Perhaps this unpopular teacher, to force him to act, would directly choose him as the leader?

This was completely contrary to his desire to be an inconspicuous member of the class. Fortunately, Kushida Kikyo, prevented this possibility from happening.

"Everyone, could you please listen to my idea?"

Kushida Kikyo said to her classmates, "I think Horikita-san is very suitable to be the class leader."

"Look, Horikita-san seems very mature, and she definitely looks suitable to be a leader. Plus, she is very capable. If she were the leader, she would have the best chance of not being discovered. What do you all think?"

Kushida Kikyo was already very popular in class, and what she said seemed to make some sense. After she finished speaking, the classmates enthusiastically responded.

"Kushida-chan is right!" Yamauchi was the first to raise his fist, stirring up the rest of the class.

"I support Kushida-san's statement. Horikita-san is not only good at studying but also discovered that private points could be used to buy grades during the midterm exam. She is indeed a very capable person."

"Since everyone says so, then Horikita-san should be very suitable to be the leader, right?"

"Horikita-san, what are your thoughts?"

The classmates looked expectantly at the black-haired girl who had not spoken until now.

Horikita Suzune's complexion seemed a bit worse than usual.

But upon hearing her classmates' discussion, she nodded without hesitation, saying in a cool voice, "I have no objections."

If the leader is guessed, 50 class points will be deducted. If someone without ability were to be the leader, it could very likely lead the class into an abyss. It was most suitable for her to be the class leader.

"Have you decided?" Chabashira Sae narrowed her eyes slightly.

Kushida Kikyo's face broke into a radiant smile. "Everyone has decided that Horikita-san will be the class leader."

Chabashira Sae nodded slightly. "Since you've already chosen someone, I won't need to do a random selection. I'll go make the special card that only Horikita can use now."

With that, Chabashira Sae turned around and walked towards the luxury cruise ship.

Watching her decisive retreating figure, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka felt a headache.

This is troublesome now. To implement the frantic check-in plan, he would definitely have to move around a lot on the deserted island every day. But Horikita Suzune was currently suffering from a cold, making strenuous exercise unsuitable.

Let alone checking in at fifteen spots, even checking in at five spots would probably be tough.

His flawless plan, before it could even be implemented, was actually messed up by the class's angel, Kushida Kikyo.