Chương 252: -248- The hint hidden at the start
"That is..."
When Hori took out his phone and displayed an edited memo in front of everyone, all present couldn't help but focus their eyes on the screen.
On the screen, a list was displayed.
The list had a total of twelve names.
Before each of the twelve names was a prefix of one of the twelve zodiac signs.
Those prefixes represented the groups of students these names belonged to.
At the top of these twelve names was a line of text.
———— "List of VIP."
These were the names of the VIPs within the twelve groups.
Included were the three VIPs from Class D: Kushida Kikyo, Karuizawa Kei, and Setsuya Minami.
"Ah..."
Kushida Kikyo lightly covered her mouth.
"How... how is this possible?"
Minami, who had been hiding among the Class D crowd, couldn't help but waver.
Naturally, within the four classes, each of the VIPs let out a cry of surprise.
"No... impossible!"
"How could we be discovered!?"
"I... I didn't tell anyone!"
Each of the VIPs panicked.
These reactions clearly and unequivocally told everyone present.
The list was entirely genuine.
The names on it were indeed the VIPs of all twelve groups.
Hori's actions informed everyone present that he had indeed identified all the VIPs and held the key to total victory.
"You...!?"
At this moment, Katsuragi Kouhei's expression changed.
The students from the other classes also panicked, looking at Hori with expressions full of fear.
There was no helping it.
Hori had already grasped all the VIPs.
If he let his classmates submit their answers to the school, Class D would win all the groups except for their own three VIPs, earning 450 class points and 4.5 million individual points.
As for the other classes, they would all lose 150 class points each.
How could this not induce fear?
It's important to note that although the exam had ended, the submission time to the school was until 9:30, allowing for early submission.
And the final discussion session ended at 9:00, so it was only around 9:15 now.
If Hori wanted, he could let his classmates submit their answers now and achieve total victory.
Thinking of this, the students from the other classes couldn't help but become fearful.
However, it wasn't just the other classes that were fearful.
Class D's students were equally panicked.
"Are you... are you crazy?"
For the first time, Horikita Suzune showed a shocked expression.
The reason was simple.
"Our class's VIP are also exposed!"
Hirata Yosuke's expression changed as well.
Yes.
The list revealed not only the VIPs of Classes A, B, and C but also of Class D.
In other words, if someone from another class submitted their answers now, they could guess the VIP of Class D and make them lose 150 class points.
Hori's actions at this moment thoroughly disrupted the entire situation.
If nothing happened next, it would plunge the students into unprecedented chaos, turning it into a guessing game.
In such a chaotic atmosphere and anxious emotions, conflicts might arise, potentially leading to violent incidents.
At that point, everything would be over.
But Hori, as if unaware of this, still displayed the list, speaking to himself.
"From the start of the exam briefing, I noticed that there were hints in this exam."
Hori's voice seemed to forcibly suppress the fear and chaos in everyone's hearts, making them look at him in a daze.
Hori remained indifferent, explaining calmly.
"Didn't you ever think about why the twelve groups were divided using the twelve zodiac signs?"
This was the first anomaly Hori noticed.
It's logical, isn't it?
If it was just about differentiating the groups, there were simpler ways, right?
Like the first-year classes in Advanced Nurturing High School, directly using A, B, C, and D for differentiation, and using the same for different grades, it was straightforward.
So, if it was just for distinguishing groups, the school could simply label them as Group 1, Group 2, up to Group 12, or use A, B, C, etc., for easier student memory. Why introduce the zodiac concept?
It seemed redundant, right?
That's how Hori felt.
"From that moment, I thought that using the zodiac signs for group differentiation, like the cruise trip around the island, was a hint set by the school." Hori spoke frankly, "And since the privileged students were selected in a fixed manner, I naturally thought of the connection between the two."
This connection was found when Hori learned about the three privileged students from Class D.
"The answer is the fifty-sound syllabary."
Hori revealed the method for selecting privileged students.
"Sort the initial sounds of the students' names in each group according to the fifty-sound syllabary, then match them with the zodiac animals' order. Those whose sequence matches become the privileged students."
For example, the Rabbit Group.
The rabbit is fourth in the zodiac.
And Karuizawa Kei's name's initial sound is also fourth in the fifty-sound syllabary.
Therefore, Karuizawa Kei is the VIP of the Rabbit Group.
Similarly.
Kushida Kikyo's name's initial sound is fifth in the fifty-sound syllabary, and the dragon is fifth in the zodiac, so Kushida Kikyo is the VIP of the Dragon Group.
Minami's name's initial sound is seventh in the fifty-sound syllabary, and the horse is seventh in the zodiac, making Minami the VIP of the Horse Group.
"Following this pattern, by sorting all group members' names according to the fifty-sound syllabary and matching them with the zodiac signs, you can find all the VIPs."
Hori put away his phone, looking at the silent students, and smiled.
"How about it? Doesn't solving the puzzle make it seem easy?"
Indeed, it was simple.
But not many could connect all these clues.
Of course, though few, Hori wasn't the only one.
Someone else had figured it out too.
"Show everyone your phone too, Ryuen."
Hori spoke with a smile to the silent Ryuen Kakeru.
Ryuen Kakeru raised his eyelids, maintaining his usual cold smile, and raised his phone.
On his phone's screen was also a list.
The list was identical to the one Hori had just shown.
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực