After Yukimura—who looked every bit the class snob—joined us and the toilet fiasco erupted, we regrouped under Yosuke’s instructions and began wandering through the forest.
Our first task was to secure a base before we could claim any spot. For that, Ike, a former Boy Scout with survival experience, Sudo, whose physical strength was unmatched, and Yamauchi, the ever-loyal “monkey” who always stuck with them, set off on a separate scouting mission.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, Horikita was chosen as our leader—thanks to Kushida’s recommendation.
With things roughly in order, we pressed deeper into the forest.
"Haa... haa..."
At the tail end of our group, I noticed Horikita lagging behind, her breaths coming in labored gasps. "You okay, Horikita?" I asked.
"...Mind your own business," she replied curtly.
I mused silently. We’d grown closer yesterday over our book talk, yet she remained as aloof as ever.
Not wanting to dwell on it, I turned to Ayanokouji, who was walking beside me. "So... what's on your mind?"
"You’re so stiff. It’s nothing major—I was just curious about your strategy for this exam. I figured I'd ask in advance. After all, we never really had a chance to talk on the ship, did we?"
"...No, we didn’t," he agreed softly.
Normally, Ayanokouji would have replied instantly, but today he hesitated for a moment. Something in his demeanor was off—he seemed pensive, almost as if a silent shift had taken place.
"I feel like having you around might make things a bit easier," he admitted.
Then, almost out of the blue, he added, "For now, I’m planning to try and win."
"...What got into you?" I pressed.
"Some things are better left unsaid," he replied coolly.
Even though his tone was as cold as ever, his words marked a stark contrast to his usual casual demeanor. "So you want me to help, but you won't say it straight?" I teased.
"...What do you expect?"
"Just stating it. I don't know what flipped your switch, but if you're planning to take this exam head-on, count me in."
After that conversation, we pressed on until Yosuke called for a break.
"Ike and the others are scouting, but I still think it's best if we split up to find a suitable base. Any volunteers for the search?"
"Of course I'll help!" came the enthusiastic reply.
Before long, thanks to Yosuke’s call and Kushida’s lead, more than eleven of us had volunteered. Ayanokouji and I were right there among them.
Ayanokouji paired up with Koenji and Kushida, while I went off with Hasebe and Sakura.
"...Something’s off," I murmured as Hasebe, Sakura, and I combed the forest for a water source as Yosuke had instructed.
"What’s off, Ikkun?" Hasebe asked, head tilted in curiosity.
"Ikkun?!" I repeated, puzzled.
"Huh? Did I say something weird?"
Sakura shot us a startled look at the peculiar nickname Hasebe had used.
"Call someone by a weird nickname like that and no wonder Sakura’s taken aback," Hasebe explained in a teasing tone.
"Oh, really? Sorry, Sakura," I replied, a sheepish smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.
"No, it's okay. B-but… are you two really that close?" Sakura inquired, still curious.
"We're just classmates," I shrugged.
"Ehh~? That’s a letdown, Ikkun," Sakura teased.
"Liar," I shot back, and Hasebe then stuck out her tongue, laughing, "Caught me red-handed!"
"But seriously... what do you mean by 'something’s off,' Ian?" Hasebe prodded.
I gestured downward. "Look at the ground, Sakura."
"Uh... this is... a path?" Sakura asked in surprise.
"Exactly. An artificially made path. Since the school prepared this test on an island, engineered features like this are to be expected. But if you look closely at the plants and the layout, everything feels too contrived,” I explained.
The ecosystem reinforced my suspicion. On a true deserted island, one might expect an abundance of wild creatures—perhaps insects, reptiles, or small mammals like squirrels. But there were no signs of larger wildlife.
'At least I won’t lose my way in broad daylight,' I thought.
Closer inspection revealed cameras stationed around the area and wristwatches issued by the school that could track our GPS and temperature. 'They've spared no expense—turning an entire island into a test site. I wonder how deep the purse strings go.'
Chuckling to myself about the absurdity of such lavish spending, I continued through the forest, using the stone knife I’d fashioned from a long rock to hack through the undergrowth.
"You seem oddly at home out here, Ikkun," one of them remarked.
"R-right...?" I replied.
They exchanged puzzled glances at the wild, almost feral calm in my stride, but added, "This survival stuff is actually fun—even if it’s our first time at it."
Adapting to the new environment was, after all, a welcome distraction from boredom.
We continued to chat as we scouted the area, though our search yielded little of note. After returning to base camp, news came that Ike had located a spot with a water source.
When we all regrouped and headed toward the discovery, we found not only a promising location but also a river nestled deeper in the forest.
"Look, there are fish! If we catch them with nets or even by hand, we can save on food supplies. Plus, the water looks clean!" Ike boasted.
"Hmm... drinking directly from the river might be risky," Karuizawa interjected, clearly uneasy. She had become Yosuke’s girlfriend before summer break, and her concerns were hard to ignore.
'Mountain trout, dace… even first-class water,' I thought, watching the fish glide by. The water itself seemed pristine, yet nowadays even freshwater fish can harbor parasites.
"Raw water is questionable, but if we distill and store it, it should be fine," I suggested.
"Right! Ian, you actually make sense," Ike conceded with a grin.
Though we’d have to rely on bottled water initially, the plan was to condense and cool the distilled steam in water containers, ensuring a steady supply of safe drinking water. As for the fish, a thorough cleaning and grilling would suffice for a proper meal—unless someone had a particularly sensitive stomach.
After some discussion, Yosuke and Kushida consulted on who should lead the effort to secure the spot, and it turned out Horikita was to take charge. Only a handful of us knew the details, in case word got out.
'I heard it through Ayanokouji too,' I mused.
Once the tents were pitched and a toilet installed at Yukimura’s suggestion—courtesy of a majority vote—we wrapped up a simple meal and resolved to continue exploring the vicinity.
Since the island was a school-created construct, I assumed most dangers had been eliminated. Yet, with Yosuke and Kushida running the show, I decided to play along, joining Yamauchi and Ayanokouji as we ventured into the forest to gather firewood and scout around.
In the midst of our trek, a voice broke the silence.
"...What are you staring at?"
I spotted Ibuki—the girl from the ship the day before.
Her hands were smeared with dirt, and her usually sharp features were marred by swelling. It was clear she had taken a hit.
'She’s been roughed up,' Ayanokouji and I silently agreed at a glance.
Before we could properly process the scene, Yamauchi abandoned his collected firewood and rushed over to check on her.
While a well-mannered guy might have made that gesture seem chivalrous, coming from Yamauchi—with his reputation for lewd thoughts—it hardly came off that way. It smacked of someone trying to score extra points.
"Leave me alone...!" Ibuki snapped.
She brushed away Yamauchi’s hand and buried her face in her knees, clearly insisting on being left alone.
However, before she could remain isolated, a voice broke through.
"Staying alone in the mountains will get you killed."
Taking over for Yamauchi, I gently scooped her up in a princess-carry, more to steady her than anything else—I had a few questions of my own.
'She must have hidden something here,' I thought, noticing a disturbed patch of earth where she had been sitting. The dirt on her hands led to one conclusion:
'A spy… Ryuuen? How old-school can you be!'
I was about to exchange a knowing look with Ayanokouji when Ibuki suddenly erupted, "W-w-w-what the hell are you doing?!"
"Ghk...?!"
Perhaps mortified by the sudden intimacy of the princess-carry, she landed a solid punch right on my chin without hesitation.
The shock of her strike, compounded by my distracted thoughts on other matters, left me reeling.
"Kgh...?!" I managed to groan as I staggered.
"Put me down, you pervert!" she screamed.
In an instant, my footing was lost and Ibuki tumbled from my arms to the ground. Watching the scene unfold, Ayanokouji remarked with a hint of admiration, "Impressive, Ibuki. I still haven’t managed to land a clean hit on him."
That bastard…
"You pervert! How dare you just grab people like that!"
"Then why insist on it? If you can’t return to your class, just come with us," I countered.
"I told you to leave me alone!"
"It’s dangerous to be alone here in the wild. Come on, Ibuki. I’ll explain everything to Hirata," I urged.
Maybe buoyed by Ayanokouji’s supportive nod, Ibuki calmed down and joined our group without further fuss. Of course, she continued to shout, "Stay away from me, pervert!"
Her wariness toward me seemed to have soared to the maximum.
...Unbelievable.
"I understand the situation. Ibuki, welcome to Class D," Hirata said softly.
Apparently, after Ibuki had clashed with Ryuuen’s oppressive rule in Class C—only to end up battered and left with nowhere to go—Hirata offered her quiet consolation and accepted her into Class D’s base.
Of course, Sudo, Yukimura, Karuizawa, and others voiced suspicions that she might be a spy. But when Ibuki seemed ready to bolt, Hirata and Kushida stepped in quickly to mediate. In the end, Kushida was assigned to keep an eye on her, ensuring her continued stay in Class D.
During all this, Horikita remarked, "If she skips roll call, she’ll lose points. Ryuuen really is a fool."
She had done the math and accepted Ibuki’s stay accordingly.
'So that's that,' I thought. Ibuki’s status as a spy was now all but confirmed, yet I still couldn’t fully grasp Ryuuen’s true intentions.
'I should probably scout the other classes soon,' I resolved, knowing that understanding their situations would be crucial.
The next day, teams were organized to check on the other classes.
Thanks to Horikita’s nomination, Ayanokouji and I joined the scouting team and headed off to assess Class C.
What we found there was...
"...Not even worth discussing," someone muttered.
"Hey, Suzune—and you two goldfish droppings, welcome! Honestly, I was secretly looking forward to your arrival," a voice called out.
Class C’s students lounged on the beach, clearly enjoying what looked like a vacation.
Barbecue sets, a dazzling array of tropical fruits and drinks, ice boxes, beach volleyball, tubes, diving gear—the scene was a far cry from our struggles.
'They must have spent at least 100 points,' I thought, noting the extravagance. Although it appeared they had enough for just a day of fun, given the rule that we had to survive on this island for over five days, it was as if they’d already given up on the exam.
At the sight of it all, Horikita turned away in disbelief. "Come on, Ayanokouji, Ian. I was a fool to think of a guy like that as an enemy," she said.
Apparently, Horikita had concluded that Ryuuen had essentially thrown in the towel.
'It doesn't seem that way to me,' I thought, suspecting Ayanokouji shared similar doubts.
But then Ryuuen himself sneered at Suzune, "Hey, hey. You came all this way—why not have some fun with us? I could even set up a private tent just for the two of you if you want."
"What a pathetic provocation," came the retort.
"Kukukuku..." Ryuuen chuckled.
"From the look on you, it seems you’ve already burned through all your points, haven’t you?"
"Well, yeah. If we burn through all our points now, those later deductions won't matter. We're just living for today," he replied nonchalantly.
"...How foolish. It's no different from tossing your class points onto the ground," Suzune shot back.
"The exam isn’t over yet, and you're already jumping the gun, Suzune. You might get hurt," Ryuuen teased.
"At least I don’t seem likely to get hurt by you. I have nothing more to say. I’m leaving before your filth contaminates me further," Suzune concluded.
With that, Horikita silently left the scene. But I could sense something—Ryuuen wasn’t watching the departing Suzune at all, but us instead.
Ignoring Horikita as she forged ahead, I moved closer to Ayanokouji and whispered, "He's glaring like crazy."
"Still, a zero-point strategy, huh? Ryuuen really knows how to stir things up," I remarked.
"I agree. Only Ryuuen could pull off such an audacious move," Ayanokouji said.
Next, we headed over to Class B.
"...Amazing. In its own way, this class has a much stronger sense of cohesion than ours," Horikita commented.
"Nyahaha, thanks for the compliment, Horikita. And long time no see, Ayanokouji and Ian," chimed in another student.
Ichinose’s Class B was busy constructing their base, with everyone working seamlessly together. Meanwhile, we were still caught up in our endless quarrels.
"Excuse me, Ichinose. Is there anything I can do to help?" asked a bespectacled boy whose face bore a slight swelling as he approached.
The normally amicable Class B now had an undercurrent of awkwardness, and Horikita wasted no time commenting, "For someone from our class, you seem strangely distant."
"Ah, that’s Kaneda—from Class C. Looks like he got booted from his class," another explained.
"So, even Class B has its outcasts?" someone mused.
"Does that mean Class D does too?" another queried.
Since Class B had been in cahoots with us ever since the Sudo incident, it wasn’t surprising to see a few misfits from Class C among them.
'To anyone, they look like spies, but there’s no concrete evidence. Besides, both Kaneda and Ibuki are chipping in wherever they can,' I observed.
Ibuki’s burning dislike for Ryuuen was palpable—so genuine that it left no room for pretense.
'If Ryuuen has planned this far ahead, then things are more complicated than they seem,' I mused.
We had already confirmed with Ayanokouji during yesterday’s free time that those guys were likely moles, so I decided not to press the issue further.
Lastly, we checked on Class A.
There, we were practically turned away at the door, unable even to conduct a proper scout. Katsuragi—the bald guy—was suspicious to an extreme degree.
But since we had already gathered enough intel on that front, it hardly mattered.
And so, our life on this artificial island continued.
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