Special Exams

Lore & Background

The school uses the "S-System," which awards "Private Points" based on class merit. Class D begins the series with zero points after failing to adhere to school regulations. Special Exams often involve classes being paired against each other, such as the "Paper Shuffle" exam where classes design test questions for their rivals, with Class D paired with Class B against Class A and Class C. The stakes are personal: the "Class Poll" exam resulted in the expulsion of Yamauchi Haruki from the original Class D only. Points act as currency for both daily life within the dorms and academic privileges outside, turning the school into a battlefield of economics and espionage.

In Their Own Story

The notification screen glowed against the dorm wall, casting a pale light on tired faces. A new Special Exam had been announced, disrupting the quiet evening with urgent demands. Students gathered in hushed tones, calculating risks and alliances within seconds of reading the rules. Outside, the city lights of Tokyo faded into the distance, irrelevant to the internal war brewing here. One student tightened their grip on a pen, knowing that tomorrow's decisions would determine not just grades, but survival within this system.

Reader's Guide

The campus architecture functions as a psychological instrument designed to isolate and test. Dormitories strictly segregate genders, compelling students to form tight-knit alliances within their assigned rooms for survival during crises. Classrooms transform into monitored zones where every conversation is potentially recorded by the administration's surveillance network. During Special Exams, locations often shift to controlled environments like private islands or locked-down sections of the school grounds. Surveillance cameras line the hallways, creating a panopticon effect where privacy does not exist and rule-breaking carries severe penalties. Curfews lock students inside their facilities at night, removing external support systems and forcing reliance on internal class resources. The physical space becomes an active opponent in these trials. Corridors echo with the footsteps of rivals, while meeting rooms are soundproofed to prevent information leaks, yet remain under electronic observation. Every corner reminds the student that they are being evaluated constantly without pause. The environment strips away comfort to reveal raw capability and strategic depth. It is a pressure cooker where social engineering meets architectural constraint. Students must navigate these spaces without violating regulations or face expulsion. The design ensures no one escapes scrutiny, forcing adaptation or elimination within the walls of the institution.

Did You Know?

• Class D begins the series with zero points after failing to adhere to school regulations.
• During the deserted island Special Test, each class is given 300 points to survive for a week; remaining points are added to their class total.
• The 'Class Poll' exam required each student to cast three 'praise' votes and three 'censure' votes for their own classmates, with the most censured student expelled.
• In the 'Zodiac Test,' students are divided into groups based on their own choices of Chinese zodiac signs, with one randomly assigned hidden 'VIP' in each group; groups were assigned by the school.
• The 'Paper Shuffle' exam has classes design test questions for their rivals, with Class D paired with Class B against Class A and Class C.