Just as Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had anticipated, the day of special test came soon enough. The school announced it while they were aboard the cruise during their summer vacation.
This was a special exam of the school, which focused on survival on a deserted island.
The Class A's Homeroom Teacher Tomonari Mashima explained the rules to everyone.
Basic Rules
Each class will be granted 300 S-points.
S-points can be spent to purchase items listed in the manual.
In addition, bonus points acquired during the test by fulfilling certain conditions will only be added on after the test is finished. They cannot be used during the test.
Each class will choose one student to be their leader.
Leaders cannot be changed without a legitimate reason.
On the last day of the test, each class can declare who they think is the leader of the other classes.
For each leader guessed correctly, that class receives 50 bonus points.
If the leader is guessed incorrectly, the class loses 50 points as a penalty.
In addition, a class whose leader is guessed correctly loses 50 points as a penalty and losses all bonus points gained during the test.
Spots on the island that serves as the testing ground can be occupied under the following conditions:
A special key card is required to occupy a spot.
The key card can only be used by the person designated as "leader".
Each occupation of a spot grants one bonus point to the occupying class.
Occupation rights expire every eight hours, and each renewal grants another bonus point to the class in question.
Use of another class's occupied spot without permission will result in a 50-point penalty.
Students will receive set penalties under the following conditions:
Those unable to continue the test due to poor health or injury will result in a 30-point penalty and retirement.
Pollution of the environment will result in a 20-point penalty.
Each absence at 8 AM and 8 PM daily roll call will result in a 5-point penalty.
Violence, theft, or destruction of property against another class will result in immediate failure for the class to whom the offending student belongs and the forfeiture of all that students' private points.
(Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's POV)
The arrival of Chabashira on this deserted island marked the official start of the special exam. Her delivery of the exam manual, a dry recitation of rules and rewards, held little interest for me.
The flimsy cardboard toilet, however, did spark a flicker of amusement as Shinohara's vehement protests echoed through the clearing.
How stale. The human aversion to discomfort would undoubtedly be a factor in the coming days.
Chabashira's suggestion of a leader selection was met with the usual preening and posturing from the likes of Ike.
Hirata, predictably, maintained his passive stance.
The key card system, however, held a potential for manipulation. So I made a mental note of it.
The cacophony of voices rose as the discussion shifted to the usage of points. Another predictable conflict – immediate gratification versus long-term strategy.
Shinohara's objections to the shared toilet were as expected, countered by the pragmatic Ike.
A flicker of movement on the periphery of the clearing caught my eye. Students from other classes were already scouting the island. Time was a valuable commodity, and Class D was wasting it on trivialities.
Hirata's eventual concession regarding the additional bathroom was a testament to his lack of decisiveness.
Chabashira's subsequent reveal of the toilet's weight, however, presented a new obstacle. Finding a suitable campsite became the next priority.
Thus, four teams were formed with three students each. And I volunteered to join one of the team. My team consisted of myself alongside Koenji and Sakura tagging along to find a campsite.
Sakura's labored breathing and clumsy steps on the uneven forest floor were minor annoyances. Koenji, on the other hand, was a different story. His flamboyant acrobatics through the undergrowth were a display of wasted energy, but also a potential liability.
"Slow down, Koenji," I advised, my voice devoid of urgency. "Getting lost in this forest wouldn't be particularly advantageous."
He scoffed, his voice echoing through the trees. "Lost? Preposterous, Ayanokouji. A being as perfect as myself has no need for such mundane concepts as maps or directions."
A flicker of amusement flickered across my mind, quickly extinguished. Arguing with his inflated ego was a pointless exercise.
"Suit yourself," I replied, my tone flat. "If we lose sight of you, we'll simply continue with the task at hand."
He gave another arrogant laugh before launching himself onto a low-hanging branch, disappearing into the canopy in a flurry of leaves. Sakura, wide-eyed and bewildered, turned to me.
"He… he can climb trees?" she stammered.
"Apparently," I replied with a shrug.
Sakura's shyness was a fascinating contrast to her apparent comfort in my presence. While she shied away from most social interactions, her demeanor towards me remained curiously relaxed.
Our exploration led us to a large, imposing cave entrance. Sakura's curiosity drew her forward, but a flicker of movement in the distance caught my eye. Before she could take another step, I reached out, a firm grip on her arm effectively halting her advance. With a swift motion, I pulled her behind a nearby thicket.
"Stay quiet," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.
My caution proved well-founded. Two figures emerged from the cave entrance, their voices echoing through the clearing. They were Class A students, their relaxed banter revealing them to be Katsuragi and Totsuka.
Their conversation, laden with self-assured arrogance, confirmed what I already suspected – Class A would be a formidable opponent in this exam. Katsuragi's observation about spotting the cave from the cruise was particularly noteworthy. A keen eye for detail was an invaluable asset in a situation like this.
As their voices faded into the distance, I released my grip on Sakura. Curiosity flickered in her eyes as she approached the cave entrance. A monitor embedded within the wall displayed a message declaring Class A's claim to the location.
"A special area?" she murmured, a hint of awe in her voice. "Katsuragi-san must be the leader, then."
There was a certain logic to her conclusion, but I remained silent.
Soon, both of us were returning back to our class group.
Sakura trailed behind me as we retraced our steps.
My gaze lingered on her, a calculated observation. She possessed a certain potential, hampered by her introverted nature. If I were to utilize her effectively, some adjustments would be necessary.
"Sakura," I began, my voice flat. "There's something I've been meaning to ask."
She looked up, her eyes widening slightly. "Y-yes, Ayanokouji-kun?"
"Your glasses," I stated, my gaze lingering on them. "Why do you wear the zero-power lenses?"
A faint blush crept up her cheeks as she hesitated. Before she could formulate a response, I continued, my words devoid of emotion. "Objectively speaking, you appear more… attractive without them. It might ease your interactions with others, particularly the male students."
Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink, and she mumbled a reply. "I, uh, I don't really like attracting attention," she stammered. "Not the kind from boys who… just stare." She cast a hesitant glance in my direction. "You're different, though, Ayanokouji-kun."
This final statement held more weight than she likely realized. "Different," I echoed, a flicker of something akin to curiosity flickering within me. It was an unusual sentiment, one I wouldn't readily admit to.
However, the current situation called for a calculated response. Reaching out with a swift motion, I removed her glasses before she could react. Surprise flickered across her features.
"From now on," I stated simply, "while you're with me, no glasses. Consider it exposure therapy. Slowly, you'll get used to not needing them to navigate the world."
Sakura's initial surprise gave way to a hesitant nod. While her true feelings remained hidden behind the veil of her hair, a tiny spark of defiance flickered in her eyes. This was the reaction I sought – a pushback, however subtle, against her ingrained habits.
We continued our trek for several more minutes, the forest canopy filtering the harsh sunlight. As we neared the presumed location of our class group, I handed Sakura back her spectacles. With practiced ease, she slipped them back on, the familiar barrier returning to her face.
"If you're comfortable with it," I stated casually, "we can continue this… exposure therapy later."
Sakura, her cheeks still dusted with a faint pink, stammered a reply. "I… I suppose," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.
There was a hint of defiance in her mumbled agreement, a flicker of rebellion against the comfort of her usual routine. This internal conflict was far more interesting than a simple acquiescence.
Upon rejoining the class, I was greeted by a cacophony of voices. Koenji, naturally, was absent, having declared his need for a refreshing swim.
Ike and his scouting group had apparently secured a campsite near the river.
The decision to utilize this location as our base camp was met with a chorus of grumbles, but ultimately accepted.
Horikita Suzune, unsurprisingly, was voted leader. This development presented an interesting wrinkle – how would she handle the mantle of authority in such a chaotic environment?
The expected arguments erupted, Shinohara voicing her concerns about the river's suitability as a water source. The predictable Ike and Sudo bristled at her objections, prompting Hirata's usual placating intervention.
A dry amusement flickered across my mind as I observed Ike. His boisterous personality often belied a surprising degree of resourcefulness.
"Ike," I began, my voice devoid of any inflection, "for someone who spends most of his time indoors, you seem surprisingly adept at rudimentary survival skills."
He puffed up his chest, a hint of pride flashing across his face. "Don't underestimate me, Ayanokouji," he boasted. "Used to go camping with my old man all the time."
A begrudging admission of his own shortcomings, followed by a swift departure towards the river for another swim. Interesting. Even the boisterous Ike possessed a hidden well of experience.
Horikita latched onto this revelation. "He could be useful in pulling the weight of the class for this special exam," she stated flatly, her eyes fixed on his retreating form. "Especially with a misfit like Koenji not being helpful to the class at all."
Soon after, I split up from Horikita because Hirata had called out for me.
Hirata's approach signaled another task delegation. "Ayanokouji," he began, his voice laced with a hint of desperation, "we need firewood. Would you mind collecting some?"
With a sigh, I agreed, already formulating my next move.
My first attempt, directed at the enthusiastic Sudō, met with a predictable rejection and a boisterous shout about enjoying the "luxury" of a swim.
Just as I was about to move on, Sakura stepped forward, her voice barely a whisper. "I can come with you, Ayanokouji-kun," she offered, her eyes wide with a nervous determination.
"Very well," I replied simply, my voice devoid of any inflection.
"May I join you two?" Yamauchi inquired, his voice brimming with an enthusiasm that bordered on desperation. "I wouldn't want you two to be burdened with such a task alone."
I cast him a sidelong glance. His true motives were as clear as day, his gaze lingering far too long on Sakura's figure. Yamauchi's fixation was crude, bordering on the repulsive.
However, rejecting him outright might lead to unnecessary complications. With a sigh, I acceded to his request. "Fine," I muttered, my voice laced with a hint of annoyance.
As we spread out to collect branches, Yamauchi sidled up to me, his voice dripping with a pathetically transparent desire. "Hey, Ayanokouji," he began, "you wouldn't happen to… know how to impress a girl like Sakura, would you? Those melons…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but the implication was clear. Yamauchi's interest wasn't in Sakura as a person, but solely in her alluring body. This pathetic display further cemented my low opinion of him.
"I suggest you focus on gathering firewood," I stated flatly, my voice a clear dismissal.
He mumbled something under his breath, but thankfully, didn't pursue the conversation further. The rest of the gathering exercise passed in silence, punctuated only by the crackle of breaking twigs and the rhythmic chirping of unseen birds.
As we made our way back to our camp, Sakura, Yamauchi, and I stumbled upon Mio Ibuki, who appeared to have been kicked out of C-Class camp due to a dispute. Without hesitation, Yamauchi extended an invitation for her to stay with us, much to Ibuki's surprise.
"But I'm your enemy," Ibuki protested, her voice laced with confusion.
Yamauchi, always eager to impress Sakura, insisted that she come with us. It was a calculated move on his part, a transparent attempt to showcase his kindness and generosity. I remained silent, observing the interaction with a detached interest.
Upon our return to camp, Yamauchi's attempt to start a bonfire to impress Sakura quickly turned into a comedy of errors. Dozens of matchsticks were wasted in his futile efforts, the flames stubbornly refusing to ignite. My expression remained unchanged as I observed his futile efforts.
"It's no use," I commented dryly, noting the size and dampness of the branches he was attempting to light.
Thankfully, Ike came to the rescue, offering his assistance in building the bonfire. His practical approach and experience with outdoor activities proved invaluable as he efficiently gathered the necessary materials and skillfully lit the fire.
After some time and discussion among the students in our class, everyone settled in for the night. As the campsite grew quiet and the gentle sounds of sleep filled the air, I quietly rose from my sleeping bag and slipped out of the tent with a flashlight in hand. From the girls' tent emerged Kushida, her own flashlight illuminating the darkness.
Without a word, Kushida and I exchanged a knowing glance before silently heading into the forest for a secret conversation. The night enveloped us in its embrace, the only sound the soft crunch of leaves underfoot as we made our way deeper into the trees.
After walking for some distance, Kushida finally broke the silence. "What do you want me to do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The reason for our clandestine meeting at this late hour was clear - I had instructed Kushida to meet me outside her tent at midnight.
My expression remained impassive as I considered her question. "I have a task for you," I replied evenly, my tone devoid of any emotion.
"First and foremost," I began, my voice flat and devoid of inflection, "I want you to maintain Class D's fragile unity.
"Maintain unity?" she echoed, a hint of confusion in her voice. "How?"
"By proactively mitigating dissent," I replied evenly. "Specifically, the dissent sown by… certain girls."
Her brow furrowed in concentration. "Certain girls?"
"Karuizawa," I stated simply, "and her associates. Shinohara and the others."
Kushida's expression remained unreadable, but a flicker of understanding crossed her eyes. The implications were clear – I wanted her to suppress the voices of these girls, to maintain a semblance of order within Class D.
A barely perceptible pause followed my statement. "I understand," she finally murmured, her voice laced with a hint of intrigue.
"Excellent," I replied, my voice devoid of any emotion. "Keep me informed of any developments."