It was past midnight on the fourth day. Well, I suppose it's already the fifth now. At that moment, I was taking a sip of water near the possession device while admiring the beautiful moon in the sky, which shone brightly, illuminating the night with clarity.
Suddenly, I noticed a figure emerging from one of the tents, specifically from the boys' tent. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the silhouette belonged to Kaneda. Without thinking, I hid behind the nearest tree. Why did I do that? Well, I wanted to see what he was doing awake at this hour. The most logical reason would be that he needed to go to the bathroom, but noticing the direction he was heading, he was walking in the completely opposite direction. As he moved further away, I hurried to follow him stealthily.
After about five minutes of walking, Kaneda stopped in front of a tree that had a white ribbon tied to one of its branches. I saw him approach and start digging something up near the trunk. I was already getting an idea of what it could be, and my suspicions were confirmed when I saw what he was holding in his hands.
—Ryuuen-kun, answer. This is urgent—he said, holding a walkie-talkie.
—I hope it's good news—Ryuuen's voice came through the device.
—Quite the opposite. My camera is damaged.
—Damaged? I checked that it was working fine before I gave it to you.
—I don't know, it just won't turn on.
—Damn it. Then we have no choice but to steal the Class A leader's card.
—Steal it? That's almost impossible.
—You have to do it, Kaneda. Without the camera, we need the card as evidence. That damn bald guy is too cautious, and we need proof. That's what the camera was for.
—I know, but as I said, it's too complicated.
—At least, do you know who the leader is?
—Yes, the leader is Ichinose-san.
—How sure are you?
—100%. I've been watching her, and every eight hours she goes to the possession device. I checked the times afterward and they had reset.
—I see... Kukuku. I was hoping they'd pick someone less conspicuous. So, they picked Ichinose. They probably want to play some reverse psychology on us.
—I guess I'll try to see how I can steal the card, but I can't promise anything. After all, Ichinose is always surrounded by people.
—Do your best to steal it. Try to do it during the night, sneak into her bag, and take it.
—I'll see what I can do. I'll be back before they notice I'm gone—he said, ending the communication with Ryuuen.
Now everything was starting to make more sense. The three walkie-talkies... surely the other one is with Ibuki, who is in Class D. Additionally, it seems that Ryuuen made some kind of deal with Class B and needs some proof to present. Considering the large amount of supplies that class has, it's possible that part of the deal involves Class C providing resources to Class D. But what would Ryuuen gain from it? Besides finding the leaders, I suppose it will be difficult to know all the details.
Poor Katsuragi. Making a deal with someone like Ryuuen is just stupid. He must be desperate to win.
According to Kanzaki, Class B is divided into two factions: Katsuragi's, the "bald guy," and Sakayanagi's. Katsuragi's faction has been losing quite a bit of ground, and since Sakayanagi is not here due to her disability, this is their best chance to show results.
But, unfortunately for you, Katsuragi, that's not going to happen.
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On the fifth day, at 2 p.m., while my classmates worked diligently at the camp, some others were resting. The atmosphere was quite pleasant to see, but I had some things to do.
—Honami, Amikura-san— I called out, taking advantage of the fact that they were together.
—Yes, Kayden? Do you need something?
—Do you want to help with something?
—Yes, I want to visit Class D's camp. I wanted to ask if you'd like to come with me— I said.
—I'd like to! I haven't been to Class D's camp yet, and I'm curious—said Amikura-san enthusiastically.
—I'll join too. I'd like to see how they're handling things—Honami replied.
—Then, let's not wait any longer. Let's go— I said before starting to walk toward Class D's camp.
The camp wasn't too far from ours, so it didn't take us long to get there. As we talked along the way, the journey felt quite light.
—So this is Class D's camp... It's pretty simple— commented Amikura-san as she looked around.
—Yes, although it's not bad. I guess they're opting for a more cost-effective strategy than ours—added Honami.
—By the way, what's the student named Ibuki like? — I asked.
—Ibuki from Class C? — asked Amikura-san.
—Yes, her.
—Well, she's a pretty girl with short navy blue hair. But why do you want to know that?
—Kanzaki mentioned to me that a student from Class C named Ibuki, just like Kaneda, was expelled from her class and that Class D took her in.
—Really? Ryuuen-kun is so cruel—said Honami with a tone of concern.
At that moment, Hirata, seeing us arrive at his class's camp, came over to greet us.
—Hello, Osawa-kun, Ichinose-san, Amikura-san! What brings you to our camp?—he asked kindly.
—Well, we were curious about how Class D was handling things, so we decided to come and take a look— I answered.
—That's it. Feel free to look around—he said, and apparently, someone else noticed our arrival and decided to approach.
—I see it's our turn to be visited this time—commented Horikita, who was the second time I saw up close.
—Hello, Horikita-san. I hope our visit isn't causing any inconvenience—said Honami.
—Not at all. I also visited your class; it seems fair that you do the same. Also, we're in an alliance, aren't we?
—I suppose that's true.
—I think this is the first time we're meeting in person. It's a pleasure to meet you, Horikita-san— I greeted her warmly.
—Likewise, Osawa-kun. Although when I visited Class A, I hoped to exchange a few words with you. At that time, you were sleeping—she said with her usual serious expression.
—Well, it's a bit embarrassing that you found me in that state— I replied with a slightly awkward smile.
After that, Honami and Horikita exchanged a few more words. Meanwhile, my gaze wandered around the camp until I found what I was looking for: the student Ibuki. There she was, with a group of girls, carrying fruit. With the confirmation of Ibuki's presence in this class, I had no more reason to be here.
—By the way, Horikita-san, do you mind if I ask you a question?— I said, waiting for her response.
—You can ask.
—Are the student council president and you family?— As I said that, I noticed a slight change in Horikita's expression.
—Why do you want to know that?— she asked with a slightly defensive tone.
—It's just curiosity. Since the president and you share the same last name and have a physical resemblance, I just wanted to clear up that doubt. That's all.—As I spoke, I noticed that Horikita-san's face was slightly flushed, and her breathing was a bit irregular, something I hadn't noticed before. It might be fever, which wouldn't be surprising after five days on this island.
—He's my older brother— she replied in a slightly lower voice. From the way she said it, it seemed evident that she didn't have a good relationship with him.
—I see. I'm sorry if my question made you uncomfortable.
—It's okay. Don't worry.
—By the way, I'm sorry our visit was so short, but we have other matters to attend to— I said, noticing that Honami was looking at me with an expression that seemed to say, "We just got here."
—It's fine, no problem.
—At first, we thought of staying a little longer, but some matters have come up that we need to resolve. That said, I hope everything goes well for you. Goodbye— I said as I turned around, with Honami and Amikura-san following me.
Once we were far enough from Class D's camp, I decided to address the real reason I had called them. I positioned myself between Honami and Amikura, putting my arms over their shoulders to bring them a bit closer to me.
—Girls, I need your help with something.
—What is it? —asked Amikura-san, curious.
—Sure, what do you need?— replied Honami with her usual willingness.
—Well, the thing is...
After explaining what I needed them to do, another crucial piece was falling into place. The main reason I had called them was not really to visit Class D; that had only been an excuse. Thanks to that visit, I confirmed Ibuki's presence. The real reason was to assign them a crucial task that could determine the amount of points we would earn. Now that everything was set in motion, all I had to do was wait.
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At 6 p.m. on the 6th day, with the end of our stay on the island just around the corner, most of my classmates were starting to pack up their things and organize the camp for the return. I wasn't in a hurry, so I was relaxing in the hammock, which had become my usual place of rest. Also, another thing that had become routine was sharing the hammock with the charming girl who was sleeping on my chest. Himeno, with her silky long purple hair with bluish highlights, was resting peacefully.
As I gently stroked her hair, I watched from a distance as Honami and Kaneda arranged some boxes on the opposite side of the camp, leaving only the two of them. Honami held a bag in her right hand, which was given to students to store their belongings: clothes, toothbrushes, and other personal items.
It seemed like they were in the middle of a conversation until someone interrupted them.
—Honami-chan, can you help me carry this? — said Amikura-san, carrying some bags.
—Sure, give me a moment — replied Honami, and then seemed to say goodbye to Kaneda. However, she left her bag 'carelessly' next to a tree near Kaneda.
Once Honami left, Kaneda looked around, perhaps checking if anyone was nearby. Then he approached Honami's bag and started rummaging through it. After a moment, he successfully pulled something out: the leader card. Seeing what he had found, his face lit up with a look of satisfaction. He carefully closed Honami's bag and quickly disappeared into the forest, his silhouette fading among the trees.
Seeing Kaneda disappear with the leader card in his possession, I couldn't help but let out a laugh.
—Pft, hahaha — I couldn't contain the laughter, which came out spontaneously.
—What are you laughing at? —asked Himeno, sleepily waking up from my laughter.
—I'm sorry, I just remembered a joke Kanzaki made yesterday morning — I explained, using Kanzaki as an excuse again.
—Kanzaki making a joke? That must be a lie — she said, surprised.
—Do you think Kanzaki is incapable of making jokes? — I asked, amused.
—Yes — she replied firmly.
—Maybe you're right. Sorry for waking you up. You can go back to sleep — I said with a smile as she closed her eyes again and settled back down.
With Kaneda now in possession of the leader card, the final piece of the puzzle was finally in place. The intrigue about the exam results grew with each passing moment. Tomorrow, at noon, when the exam ends, the results of all our planning and effort will be revealed. The pieces of the puzzle fit perfectly, but there was an air of uncertainty in the atmosphere.
What surprises or unexpected changes could arise at the last minute? The details of the plan were complete, but the final outcome was still a mystery. Excitement and anticipation filled the air, and the question on everyone's mind was whether the results would confirm our expectations or if some unexpected twist would change the course of events. I was anxious to see how it would all turn out, and the tension mounted as we approached the final resolution of the exam.