03x10 - The First Cause of Absurd Conclusions I Ascribe to the Want of Method

[bunniefuu]

To protect my precious friends,

I have to protect the class.

If I protect my class,

I can protect my friends.

But...

That is not the real me.

I made a mistake in that incident

in junior high school.

So I shouldn't repeat
the same mistake in this class!

And I came up with one answer.

That is...

Shut up, will you, Horikita?

But still...

I made the same mistake again.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

What do you want to talk about?

Kiyotaka?

If it's about the special exam,

I thought it might be a good idea
to have him here.

He's the Commander, after all.

I understand.

So?

I've come up with a way
to get information from Class A.

Are we going to tail the Class A students?

No.

We're going to make Katsuragi
from Class A our ally.

What?

Don't you think Katsuragi
holds a grudge that Yahiko,

who followed him,
was expelled from school by Sakayanagi?

Since then, he has been isolated
and lost his place in his class.

Yes, he certainly had a conflict
with Sakayanagi.

But do you think he would betray his class
just to frustrate Sakayanagi

and screw her plans up?

Of course, we'd probably need
a good bargaining chip.

Do you think we can provide that?

If we move up to Class A,

we'll offer Katsuragi
the right to move into our class.

That would require 20 million points!

It's not impossible
if the whole class saves up for it.

There's no way an ordinary student
would take on such a deal.

We're still in Class C, you know?

If his classmates find out
he betrayed them,

Katsuragi will be
the next one to get expelled.

We don't have much time
to accumulate 20 million points.

I'm not against the idea
of information warfare.

But that strategy is simply not good.

If we don't move, we're not
going to get any information!

I find it difficult to imagine we'll get
any information even if we make a move.

If you come up with another idea,
come talk to me again.

Kiyotaka, will you help me out?

I promised to meet Katsuragi after this.

What exactly would I get
in return for doing so?

We would welcome you into our class.

And when we move up to Class A,
we'll give you the right to move...

No need.

You guys can't provide


But there's no doubt
that I'm inexplicably angry

with Sakayanagi.

If you're fine with my guess, I don't mind
telling you our official five events

that Sakayanagi
has not shared with anyone.

Really? Then, what do you want in return?

If I had to name something,
I want Sakayanagi to be defeated.

Chess, English and Mathematics.

These three will surely be
our official events.

Contemporary literature and
flash mental arithmetic are most likely.

Conversely, jump rope and dodgeball,
which require large numbers of players,

are mostly likely meant to fake you out.

Kiyotaka, now we've got a chance
to win this exam!

No.

Don't think you can beat them
with half-hearted cooperation.

Even if I slack off, you'd probably barely
be able to compete on equal footing.

The only thing I can help you with
is flash mental arithmetic.

Or maybe, if I'm chosen, jumping rope.

Will you even be allowed to participate,

with Sakayanagi being
so wary of you right now?

The students in Class A
who are best at flash mental arithmetic

are me and one other student.

If I'm not nominated,
just consider it bad luck and give up.

Let's tell Horikita about this right away.

No, she'll be mad when she finds out
that we took action on our own.

I want you to let me tell her
at the right time.

I understand.

CAFETERIA

SPECIAL SET MEAL

What?

If it's all right with you,
can you come here now?

I have a bad feeling about this.

SPECIAL SET MEAL
CHEESE AU GRATIN - TOFU SALAD

Barley miso, huh?
I didn't know you were good at cooking.

It's nothing to be proud of.

So, you liked the food I made, correct?

How about we get down to business?

I'm going to say
"Thank you for the dinner,"

but I want to ask you
to stop playing dirty.

That's right.
I must think of another strategy.

No, that's not what I meant.

I've come up with a plan that I think
is best for Class C on this exam.

I'd like your opinion on it.

This data almost feels like
it lays our entire class bare.

I've been struggling with this data
for the past week,

and this is the answer I've come up with.

I have no objections
to anything in your data.

However, can I just add one thing?

What is it?

I'd like you to be the one to play chess
that Class A has chosen.

Me?

It's true that someone has to practice it
before the main event.

But why me?

Because I think you're
the right person for me to teach.

I understand.

But how are we going
to practice playing chess?

We're going to have to practice online
in the middle of the night.

That way, we won't be seen
by anyone, right?

Do you think this
will help us beat Class A?

I don't think they're
an unbeatable opponent at all.

That's what I thought
when I saw this data.

I'll leave it to you from now on.

And the rest...

Wait a minute, Hirata.

Let me just confirm one thing.

There are no plans to have you in play
on the day of the exam.

Even so, when it comes to an event
that requires a large number of people,

will you at least join us?

So you won't even give me an answer, huh?

It seems we can't win this exam.

Hirata has become like that.

We don't have much time left
until the exam.

Hirata, wait!

Please, Hirata. We need your help.

That's why...

Can you please
just leave me alone already?

I can't do that!

Then, can you bring Yamauchi back?

What?

Talking to you is a waste of time.

Leave me alone already.

Ouch.

If you keep hanging around me...

Oh, my, my.

It would seem
you're being harsh again today, huh?

And you're showing everyone
such an unseemly side of yourself.

Whoa, there.

Don't worry about me.

Carry on with what you were doing.

Is there...

something you want from me?

If I, who have everything,
have something I want from you,

it's to have you stay out of my sight.

Shut up. You have no idea how I feel.

I don't know, and I don't care.

Please stop, Koenji!

Hirata hasn't done anything wrong!

Oh, my apologies.

But you should forget about Hirata
as soon as possible.

He's already beyond help now.

Enough already!
You're so annoying, Koenji!

I'm not going to show any mercy
to anyone who comes at me.

CLASSROOM OF THE ELITE


Since you're not going to do anything,
I'll take care of her myself.

Please put me down!

I can't do that.

You're heartbroken and even injured.

Why won't you let me heal you?

But! I'm not hurt anywhere though!

No need to worry.

I may look like this,
but I am very gentle.

Let go of me! Put me down!

I'm afraid I cannot do that.

I've already taken you.

Are you still not happy with me?

So you're going
to keep hurting me forever.

You're wrong.

You're the one hurting those around you.

At the very least,

I wouldn't ignore a girl
who showed me affection.

Would you disappear now?

Hirata...

You should give up
on following Hirata today.

Hirata.

Why do people just keep
coming after me again and again?

Why don't you push me and run away,
like you did with Mii?

I'm so tired today.
I don't have any energy left to run away.

So, what did you want to talk about?

I want you to tell me your story.

You've been dragging out
Yamauchi's expulsion forever,

and you don't even try
to cooperate with the class.

What I want to know is

what caused you to have
the system of values you have.

What's the point in talking about that?

You think I'm going to tell you?

You will.

Your eyes...

There is a terrifying,
deep darkness in your eyes.

It all started
when I was in junior high school.

A good friend of mine
was the target of bullying.

I wanted to help him.

But I was afraid that I would become
the bullies' next target,

so I became a bystander.

Then one day,

my friend jumped and committed suicide.

He survived,

but he's still sleeping
without sign of recovery.

I'm the one...

who drove him
to try and take his own life!

It's not like
you're the only one at fault.

You're right.

But being a bystander
makes me equally guilty.

I thought that my friend's suicide
would end all the bullying.

But it didn't. After that incident,

I saw the unfathomable darkness
of humanity.

The bullies chose a new target
from one of my classmates!

I couldn't believe it.

This other kid,
who was nothing but a bystander,

started getting the same treatment!

And even my classmates, who weren't
previously involved in the bullying,

started to join in!

When the bottom
of the caste system is no longer there,

the student who was one level above it
will naturally take their place.

In a sense,
it's the natural order of things.

I knew I had to stop it.

That's why...

I tried to control the class through fear.

You did, Hirata?

I really swung my fist,

but no one tried to hit me back.

So I stood alone at the top of the class

while everyone else stayed at the bottom.

If a dispute arose,

I would give both sides
the same amount of punishment and pain.

I guess,

I destroyed that year of our lives
as a result.

The smiles from my classmates disappeared,

and they just lived their lives
like emotionless robots.

So you couldn't forgive yourself
for Yamauchi being targeted, huh?

In the end, I could not protect Yamauchi.

I knew...

I was the one who shouldn't have
brought the class together.

I even thought about protecting people
by using fear again!

It's not Horikita's fault

that Yamauchi got expelled,
and it wasn't my fault either.

Do you understand that?

Yes, nothing we could do about it.

There was nothing we could do.

You're wrong.

Yamauchi getting expelled...

is your fault, Hirata.

If you really wanted to save him,

then you should've done
everything you possibly could.

I did my best!

But there was nothing I could do!

Ichinose from Class B

hasn't sacrificed a single person.

That's...

That's because she's a special case!

She was able to do it
because she had a lot of private points!

Then it's your fault
for not leading the class like she did.

But that's absurd!

Yes, it is absurd, but it can't be helped.

You chose to take this path.

You should have just kept this fantasy
of saving everyone to yourself.

But if you continue to feel this way,
you will take all the blame when you fail.

You need to be prepared for that.

I...

I was wrong about you.

I thought you were an honors student,

a man of character who had the respect
of many of your classmates,

but you are not.

You're just a weak,
incompetent student who talks big

about things you can't even do.

That is the person you are,

Yosuke Hirata.

How long are you
going to keep on dreaming?

Is that...

your true nature?

Your words are so terrifying,
merciless and cold.

You're free to wish for whatever you want.

But if you want to save everyone,

you have to fight to the bitter end
and push yourself to your limits.

If there are expelled students
in the process,

you have no choice but to accept that.

You have to keep moving forward.

That's so cruel.

If you stop now,

the students around you will disappear
one after another.

That is why
you must keep moving forward to the end.

If you do that, when all is said and done,

there will be lots of students
standing right behind you.

Do I have to keep everything to myself

and walk forward alone?

Then...

How do I let myself be vulnerable?

When you're in trouble,

you can always rely on your classmates.

You can vent your frustration
to anyone you want to rely on.

It doesn't matter who's leading the pack
or who's following.

Is it...

really okay for me...

to walk in front of everyone like this?

It's all right for you now
to take the lead.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ayanokoji.

This should be fine.

-Morning.
-Good morning.

It's a good day today.

Good morning, Hirata.

Good morning.

I'm sorry about yesterday!

I was really horrible to you, Mii!

I'm sorry for ignoring you, even though
you're always there trying to talk to me!

That's... I just...

I don't mind it.

Good morning, everyone!

Hirata?

And, I'm sorry!

It may be too late for me
to apologize now,

but if everyone is all right with it,

I'd like to contribute to the class again
starting today!

Hirata!

What's going on with you?

-We've been waiting for you.
-Yeah.

-Now we can compete with Class A!
-What happened?

Good morning, Horikita.

Yes, good morning.

I don't think that I was wrong
in the class vote incident the other day.

I see.

But I don't think
what you did was wrong, either.

No.

You did the right thing in a way.

Your way of thinking seems different
from how it was just yesterday.

I'll do my utmost
to regain all the trust that I've lost.

Not quite yet.

The chess skills that you've acquired
in such a short time are quite impressive.

I've hardly won against you,
even though you were going easy on me.

No matter who I'm up against,
there's no one out there stronger than me.

You have great confidence in yourself.

KIYOTAKA AYANOKOJI

It's not confidence, it's experience.

I guess we should call it a day
and prepare for tomorrow.

You're right.

See you tomorrow, then.

Yeah.

THE FINAL SPECIAL EXAM

Bewildered by and indulged in desire

The lurking fixer is about to trip

Bending the meaning of words
No true intentions spewed, man is lonely

Show off your superficial side
Deceive to survive

Breath or not?

Obviously a foolish question
But in conclusion, it's breath

Stop your thoughts and share the O2

Overthrow for anything and anyone's sake
Be alive

Expectations are worthless
And it's fine

Don't believe in a living soul

Strategy x Strategy

Has it always been an etude?
Since when was it a mission?

I can't seem to answer

Never forgive your heart

And brandish your fate

With a scornful smile, set up the scenario

Let no one block it, and have it your way

Bewildered by desire
Be alive

FINAL SPECIAL EXAM
COMMANDERS GATHERING PLACE

Kaneda is coming late.

Ryuen?

Why are you here?

What are you all upset about?

I see.

I had thoroughly convinced myself
that the Commander would be the students

with the protection point.

If the Commander is absent,

of course, someone
has to take their place.

Am I right?

Oh, my.

I never imagined it would be Ryuen
who does not have a protection point.

It seems the showdown
is shaping up to be quite interesting.

Now that everyone is here,

let's get going, shall we?