Horikita Suzune, who had endured humiliation and cooked for Kanda Shuichi for three days to prepare for the special summer exam, ended up with a fever as soon as they boarded the ship. She couldn't even take the exam. It was the kind of situation you wanted to laugh at but couldn't.
After texting Miyake to handle lunch on his own, Kanda Shuichi called Horikita and asked her to meet him.
Kanda Shuichi had noticed that after leaving the school, their phones, which were previously unusable, now had a signal again. This suggested that there was a special signal tower on the ship creating a local network. Thanks to this, the students could use their phones normally on the ship, though it was unclear if they'd work on the island.
Ten minutes later, in a Chinese restaurant on the ship, Kanda Shuichi met Horikita Suzune.
Despite being on a southern island, Horikita was wearing a green jacket over her upper body. With her flushed cheeks, she looked... well, cute.
No, wait—she definitely looked sick.
"What do you want from me?"
Horikita sat down across from Kanda Shuichi without hesitation. Given her condition, she clearly didn't want to waste energy.
Kanda Shuichi didn't say a word. Instead, he reached out and placed the back of his hand on Horikita's forehead.
Horikita froze for a moment before leaning back to dodge his hand.
"What are you doing?"
"That's my line. What are *you* doing, Horikita?"
From just that brief touch, Kanda Shuichi could tell she was definitely sick. Her body temperature wasn't normal—it was roughly 37.5 degrees by his estimation.
Although no one knew how many days the upcoming exam would last, it was best to prepare for the worst. What if it lasted fourteen days?
Surviving fourteen days on a deserted island with this kind of physical condition would be far too difficult.
No, not just fourteen days—even if it was cut in half to seven days, it might still be unbearable. At least, Kanda Shuichi didn't think he could manage it.
Hearing Kanda Shuichi's retort, Horikita bit her lip. Combined with her slightly flushed cheeks, her expression looked unexpectedly endearing.
37.5°C Horikita Suzune…
No, no, what am I even thinking?
"I can handle it! I'll definitely make it until the exam ends!"
Hearing that, Kanda Shuichi couldn't help but laugh—a mix of frustration and disbelief.
"Has the fever made you lose your senses? You're talking about lasting until the exam ends. Do you even know how many days the exam will be? What if it's fourteen days? Do you want your brother to take a school helicopter just to visit his critically ill sister?"
With one sentence, Kanda Shuichi left Horikita Suzune speechless.
"You need to rest well today. I'll ask Sakura to keep an eye on you."
At that moment, the waiter brought out the food Kanda Shuichi had ordered.
Besides a bowl of soft steamed rice, there was also a bowl of ginger soy soup.
"Eat. This is medicinal food. After eating, rest properly. If you're not feeling better by tonight, we'll have to use stronger medicine."
Seeing Kanda Shuichi's serious expression, Horikita Suzune quietly picked up her spoon and began to eat.
The rice had sugar mixed in, which balanced out the sharp taste of the ginger soy soup. Because of this, Horikita didn't seem to have much difficulty eating it.
Soon, she silently finished her meal.
Feeling her body slowly warming up, Horikita let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Thank you."
"No need. Since you asked me to let you join the exam and paid the price, our deal isn't over yet."
Kanda Shuichi said calmly, "When you go back, make sure to cover yourself with a blanket and avoid using the air conditioner. If you sweat, you'll feel a lot better."
After Horikita left, Kanda Shuichi let out a sigh.
I really am the kindest guy in Class D!
He then pulled out his phone and sent a message to Sakura.
[Sakura, Horikita might try to act tough, so please keep an eye on her.]
[I'll do my best.]
Maybe this could even help Sakura and Horikita become friends.
[Also, Horikita can't use the air conditioner for now. I hope you can understand and help explain this to Hasebe.]
[Actually, Hasebe might've already noticed Horikita isn't feeling great, so she probably won't mind.]
Perhaps because they were communicating through text, Sakura's words were unexpectedly smooth, with no sign of her usual nervous stuttering.
After Horikita left, Kanda Shuichi ordered himself a bowl of steamed rice as well. The rice was mixed with sugar and red dates, making it incredibly soft, fragrant, and sweet. To his surprise, he found it delicious.
When he returned to the dorm, Hirata was chatting with Miyake.
"Oh, Shuichi, back from your date?"
...
Akito, how did I never notice this side of you before?
"What date? I'm seriously tired, you know. Anyway, what were you guys talking about?"
Kanda Shuichi sat on his bed and joined the conversation.
"Girls."
"Girls? Akito, you've finally seen the light? I told you before—Hashibara-senpai would be perfect for you."
As he said this, Kanda Shuichi suddenly felt wide awake.
"Huh? Why are you bringing up Hashibara-senpai? She doesn't even count as a girl!"
Beep!
[Why are you bringing up Hashibara-senpai? She doesn't even count as a girl!]
The voice from Kanda's phone left Miyake stunned.
"What the heck? When did you get so sneaky!"
"If Hashibara-senpai hears this, it won't end well for you."
Kanda Shuichi's face lit up with a smug grin, looking like a typical small-time villain from a manga.
"Please, Shuichi! Delete it, I'm begging you!"
Miyake immediately clasped his hands together over his head in a pleading gesture.
"Then I'll leave the next few days of the deserted island exam to you."
"Don't worry, I've got it covered!"
With that, the joke ended, and Kanda Shuichi deleted the recording.
In truth, Kanda genuinely thought Hashibara-senpai was a good match for Miyake. Her outgoing personality had even pulled the once-reclusive Miyake into learning how to banter and joke.
Plus, she was highly skilled in archery, which could help Miyake with his family business in the future. It made so much sense! And she didn't even have a boyfriend yet!
Akito, you need to make a move while you can!
"Kanda-kun, I'd like to discuss the exam with you."
Even though the deserted island exam hadn't been officially announced, it wasn't much of a secret anymore. This year's first-year students were far more capable than the previous two years, and the competition was intense. Even Class D, currently at the bottom, couldn't be underestimated.
"Well, since the exact rules are still unclear, I suggest we start by looking up camping resources."
Camping, huh? Hirata appeared to be deep in thought.
"I know a bit about that. Need my help?"
Miyake raised his hand from the side.
Kanda remembered that Miyake had mentioned his camping experience long ago.
"That would be a huge help, Miyake-kun." Hirata nodded, grateful.
"There's even a library on this ship. Let's borrow some books this afternoon—I'd like to learn more about it too."
"But Hirata, you should rest a bit first. If you're too tired, even reading won't be effective."
Since morning, Hirata hadn't taken a break. He had been up early and spent the whole day running around helping classmates. Even someone like him would feel exhausted.
After some hesitation, Hirata finally nodded, then lay down on his bed to rest.
---
————— ----
You can read 10 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu