The Odd One Out

Chapter 5.1 - The Zodiac Exam

It has been three days since the special exam ended. Over the course of these three days, I stayed in my room and occasionally went out to hang out with some people after accepting their invitations.

I had decided to head out to get some fresh air, as I had stayed the entire day in my room, and I was looking out to the horizon, lost in my thoughts.

These past days, I've been wondering if being in an environment so different from the White Room had slowly started to change me.

I said to Arisu that I would like to learn about emotions. I'll learn not by readings books like I always have done, but by trying to experience them firsthand.

Happiness, sadness, frustration, regret, love. I'm curious to know how they feel like.

Arisu's words after the special exam results really made me give thought to my current mindset and my defective humanness.

French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once said,

Man is condemned to be free, because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.

That's one way to see it.

Indeed, we choose everything we do, every word we say, every action we take. Choosing not to chose, in the end, that is still a choice. In that sense, we are our choices.

In that sense, I chose to remove my emotions.

I chose to deem human relationships unnecessary.

I chose to survive the White Room.

I chose to win.

Now, could I also choose to change?

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A special exam will begin soon. Please gather in the designated room at the designated time. Anyone who arrives later than ten minutes after start time may be penalized. Please gather in Room 204 on the second deck by 6:00 PM today. Because it takes 20 minutes to reach the area, we ask that you please use restrooms now if necessary. Either silence your phone or turn it off, and make your way over.

I had received a message from the school. It seems like our one week of relaxation on the cruise ship has been cut short.

The class group chat almost immediately began discussing the meaning of the message.

It seemed like not everyone received the same message. People were assigned to different rooms and at different times.

I was assigned the same room and time as Horikita, Hirata, and Kushida.

Five minutes before the meeting time, I arrived at the designated room. There was Mashima-sensei, Class A's homeroom teacher, as well as Horikita, Hirata, and Kushida.

"Hello, Ayanokouji, please have a sit."

"Hey Ayanokouji!" Kushida said as I sat down on the empty chair next to her.

Mashima-sensei then began explaining the special exam.

All first-year students were divided up into groups and the entirety of the examination will be conducted in those groups of students. The purpose of the test was to assess their 'thinking ability'. The four of us will also be in the same group and we'll be joined in by some other students, who are also receiving the same explanations in other rooms.

Although he didn't mention how the groups were divided, he said that every group had a name based on a zodiac sign, hence the special exam name 'Zodiac Exam'. Our group was the Cow Group.