Chabashira announces that everyone passed the last exams, which means the school has gone an unprecedented length of time without any expulsions. That said, apparently the school’s goal is to cull the herd at least somewhat, so there is a surprise Special Exam: a Student Vote. Everyone in each class will be able to cast a positive vote for and a negative vote against another student.
The votes will be counted up, and the student with the most positive net vote will get a non-transferable “protection point”, which will allow the awardee to negate an expulsion they’ve qualified for. The only other way to potentially cancel an expulsion is to pay twenty million private points.
Chabashira makes clear there’s no getting around the fact that there will be one winner of a protection point and one person marked for expulsion: someone at the top, and someone at the bottom. It’s an unreasonable, unfair exam, but life is unreasonable and unfair, isn’t it? The vote will be held in four days. Ayanokouji advises his study group to lay low, and also supports covering for one another with each other’s votes.
That said, he knows that the lowest in the class hierarchy will naturally be the ones who receive the most negative votes, not necessarily out of malice but because students won’t want to vote out their friends or allies. Suzune confronts Ryuuen in the library, someone who seems doomed to be expelled. But while he’s ready to accept that fate, he may also have a plan for survival, and believes Suzune is too soft to “carry out the sentence” of someone from her class worthy of expulsion.
Ayanokouji believes Ryuuen is right in one regard: Suzune should really face her brother at least once before he graduates, something she still believes to be impossible. He also admits that he doesn’t necessarily want Ryuuen expelled; he may be of some use to him in later exams.
That night, Kei calls Ayanokouji, partly to hear his voice, and partly to ask about the exam and how she should vote. Like his study buddies, he advises her to lay low. He also tells her the fact she and Hirata “broke up” works in her favor, since the girls who were jealous of her relationship might’ve given her negative votes if they were still “together.” After assuring Kei she’s important to the class and won’t be eliminated, he asks her to keep her eyes open for voting groups.
The next morning, Honami “ambushes” Ayanokouji to ask if she can walk to school with him. They discuss the upcoming exam, and he quickly notices she may be trying to sacrifice herself in some way to protect the rest of Class B. Without getting too deep into strategy, Honami offers to give Ayanokouji her outside positive vote (everyone gets one of those too). He appreciates it, while she’s happy to have gotten to speak to him.
Unfortunately, their walk to school is interrupted by Arisu. She reports that her father the chairman has been suspended, suggesting “someone” may have “a larger plan in mind.” This makes Ayanokouji consider that the school, or perhaps “that man” is maneuvering to get rid of him.
Arisu calls a ceasefire in their competition until this exam has concluded. During that time, she’ll do nothing to sabotage him, and will consider it her loss if her actions indirectly cause his expulsion. Needless to say, Arisu values “interesting” people like Ayanokouji, so would prefer if he stuck around. As for who she’s voting to expel, it was always going to be her Class A rival, Katsuragi.
Ayanokouji was right about Honami having some kind of selfless plan in mind for the exam, and at the end of the episode we learn what that is. With just under sixteen million private points, she’s short the points needed to cancel another person’s expulsion. It seems she’s struck a deal with President Nagumo to gain the remaining points she needs. In exchange, she needs to date him. Did I mention I don’t like this Nagumo fellow? This seems slimy.
One thing I’ll say about this newest exam: it’s simple, at least on the surface. At this early stage, three days from the vote, there’s the feeling anything could happen, because with a few exceptions, anyone could vote for anyone for any reason, and that vote might be the one to determine who gets expelled. I’m keen to see how this all pans out; I have a feeling it will be someone I least expect.
RABUJOI - An Anime Blog 