As dawn broke, Hikigaya's eyes fluttered open. The harsh reality of life on the uninhabited island was more taxing than he'd anticipated.
The sweltering heat was certainly a factor, but the real challenge lay in the cramped quarters. Sharing a tent with so many people left him with barely enough room to turn over at night.
Originally, the tent was designed to accommodate eight people, but in the interest of saving points, ten of them were forced to squeeze in. It felt like they were sardines packed into a can.
...Might as well get up.
Hikigaya couldn't bear to stay in the stifling tent any longer. Moving quietly, he slipped out, careful not to wake anyone.
The camp was still and empty, with no one else in sight. Most likely, everyone else was still fast asleep in their tents. After all, they had gathered early the previous morning and spent the entire afternoon toiling away on the deserted island. The physical and mental strain had taken its toll.
He checked his watch. It was only five o'clock.
But since it was summer, the sun was already up, and there was no need to worry about visibility.
To conserve space, everyone's backpacks had been left outside their tents, containing little more than changes of clothes and other essentials. There wasn't anything valuable, so there was no concern about theft.
Hikigaya retrieved a towel and toothbrush from his bag and headed toward the nearby river. A night spent sweating under the covers had left him drenched, and he decided to wash up first.
This school is stingy, he thought. They didn't even provide toothpaste.
Not that it mattered much.
He could just brush longer.
As he was attending to his hygiene, he suddenly sensed someone approaching. Turning his head, he saw that it wasn't a student from his class but someone unexpected.
It was Ryuji Kanzaki, whom he had seen on the cruise ship the day before, accompanied by a boy Hikigaya didn't recognize, likely another Class B student.
So, they're up early, scouting the area. That must be tough.
Hikigaya only glanced at them before resuming his brushing. It wasn't any of his business.
But Kanzaki walked over and spoke up. "Sorry to bother you. I'm Kanzaki Ryuji from Class B. You're Hikigaya, right?"
"…Yeah, hi." Hikigaya nodded, though he felt slightly annoyed. Why did it seem like he was so well-known in other classes?
Kanzaki must have heard about him from Ichinose, he reasoned, as Kanzaki was a class leader.
"We appreciate what you did during that situation with Class C," Kanzaki said, suddenly bowing in gratitude.
"If you hadn't calmed Ichinose down and lent us all those points, our class would have been in chaos."
"No, Class D should be the one thanking Ichinose," Hikigaya replied, uncomfortable with the thanks. He had his reasons for helping Class B. On the other hand, Ichinose genuinely wanted to help those in need. There was no comparing the two of them.
Kanzaki's expression grew serious.
"That's a separate matter. Ichinose helped Class D out of her own volition. I also had a role in facilitating that, and there's no way I would blame Class D if things went wrong. Besides..." He paused briefly.
"If I'm not mistaken, you helped us more out of your principles rather than for Class D's benefit, didn't you? In that way, you and Ichinose are alike."
"...Think whatever you want."
Hikigaya was surprised by Kanzaki's insight. He hadn't expected such perceptiveness from him. It was no wonder Kanzaki had become a deputy leader. Unlike Ichinose, he wasn't naive.
"Alright, I will," Kanzaki replied with a smile. "We mainly came by to check on how you guys are doing. If you need any help, just let us know. It looks like things are going well for you, though. You've secured a good spot."
He glanced toward Class D's camp in the distance.
Thanks to Kushida and Hirata's efforts, everything in the class was running smoothly, with no signs of disorder.
"But we should get going before we're suspected of anything." Kanzaki waved and was about to leave with his partner when Hikigaya called out to him.
"Wait a second. I wanted to ask you something—has your class come across any students who were kicked out by Class C?"
"We have," Kanzaki said, pausing.
"A boy named Kaneda. We've taken him in."
"I see..."
Hikigaya's suspicions were confirmed. Ryuuen, as expected, liked to target the weak.
Even though Class B and Class D might suspect that the Class C students were spies, they couldn't bring themselves to outright reject them. At most, they would be cautious, warning their captains to be on guard.
That hesitation would undoubtedly hinder their captains from efficiently securing strongholds. Even if the spy's identity wasn't uncovered by the end, the points gained from capturing strongholds would likely be minimal.
Ryuen's strategy was foolproof; Hikigaya could easily imagine him mocking the other classes for their naivety once the exam ended.
The thought of Ryuen's smug face was enough to irritate him.
"If it's alright with you, could I visit your class after roll call?" Hikigaya suddenly asked.
Kanzaki looked surprised for a moment, then smiled. "Sure, you're welcome anytime. Just follow the path from here, and you'll come across a fallen giant tree. Enter the forest from there, and after a few steps, you'll find Class B's camp. We even have a small waterfall nearby, so you shouldn't get lost."
With that, Kanzaki and his companion departed.
Hikigaya lingered by the river, lost in thought until he judged it was time to return to camp.
By now, it was nearly six o'clock. Those lazybones should be getting up soon, he mused.
But as he neared the camp, he spotted a shadowy figure lurking near the girls' tent.
Narrowing his eyes, he was shocked to see it was none other than Ayanokoji, rifling through the girls' backpacks.
Hikigaya's heart nearly stopped.
So much for that stoic facade! Who would have thought the guy would stoop to something like this behind closed doors?
Pass it on—our greatest masterpiece yet: stealing panties!
...Just kidding.
Hikigaya had already noticed that the bag Ayanokouji was rummaging through was a different color from the others. The school had prepared a unique color for each class, meaning that this one belonged to Ibuki.
Ayanokouji was probably suspicious of Ibuki being a spy, which is why he wanted to go through her belongings early in the morning when no one was around. It wasn't out of any interest in women's underwear, right?
...Wait, really? Not even a little?
Hikigaya suddenly realized that whether Ayanokouji was interested or not, this was a pretty big problem.
At that moment, as if sensing something, Ayanokouji quickly turned his head.
Their eyes met.