"I'm happy that you will be joining us, Sakayanagi," Chabashira smiled.
"Thank you, Chabashira-sensei," Arisu replied with surprise.
"I hope that you can be a positive influence on... some of the class," Chabashira said with a pointed look at me.
It was already well established now that Arisu wasn't going anywhere. After having told them that she was staying and then being backed by both Koenji and Eiichiro, everyone had come to the consensus that as long as I was willing to care for her, they didn't have any other options. Arisu had stayed silent the entire time and I was wondering if she would actually stay.
It wouldn't be easy for her, what Horikita pointed out was right. Carrying her from camp to camp was going to be difficult, especially if our camp was located furthest away from Class A. It wasn't an issue for me, I've been carrying Arisu since we were kids. My little tsun tsun may have pretended to not like being carried down to the beach, but she loved it. The only thing she hated was the fact that everyone saw it.
Number two, no pun intended, was the toilet issue. When Chabashira-sensei demonstrated the one button pop up tent with the cardboard box I knew that it was going to be a problem. Still, if there was one thing that I was sure about, it was that Class A wouldn't be living in squalor. If needed be, I was more than content with negotiating to stay with them instead. If anything, it was the easier option.
If Arisu and I stayed with Class A, all I would need to do was sort my own food out and come back for roll call by myself. Then I wouldn't have to carry her about the isla... Hang on a minute. Hang on just a damn minute... Shit.
It wasn't an option as much as I begrudgingly wanted to admit. I couldn't leave Eiichiro and he wasn't about to come with us. They really wanted the Class Points and just this once I needed to be as supportive as possible. As Koenji had said at the time, I wasn't about to work like a slave, but I would help. Only as much as necessary, but I would contribute.
There was also the matter of Koenji, who very vocally supported Arisu staying. It was a surprise, especially when he gave them the same ultimatum telling them that if we left he would be coming with us. It was a gesture, but not a grandiose one. I was sure he didn't want to be on this floating rock either, it would be an easy way to pass the blame buck onto me.
"Koenji, you didn't just support Arisu staying to pigeon hole me into not going with Class A for the easier option, did you?" I asked suddenly.
Koenji smirked at me before moving to my side while the others were still arguing among themselves.
"Would a perfect existence such as myself resort to such underhanded methods?" Koenji asked condescendingly.
Yes.
"Notwithstanding, I still hold hope that you will retire. If not for that friend of yours, I have little doubts that we would be enjoying the plentiful facilities of the cruise ship at the present time," Koenji said with a frown. "Dragging this riffraff is going to be a monumental task. One that I usually would be more inclined to steer clear from."
Arisu wasn't paying any attention to what the rest were saying, listening intently to what we were talking about. Arisu was a tactical genius, not only that but she was ruthless and rather sadistic. To her, there was no strategy better than one that made your allies as uncomfortable as your enemies. I would be willing to bet that the thought of leading Class D intrigued her, it would certainly be a boost for her.
If she led Class D, the group of defectives to a win against Class A, who looked down on them as if they were ants, it would boost her reputation against Katsuragi. She didn't care for any of these competitions, Class Points or even finishing as Class A. Her sole focus was me. She'd have no issues in the slightest burying Class A into the ground if it meant she could compete with me.
But even if her relationship with Eiichiro had suffered over the years, she still respected him. She was probably nostalgic at the moment. Hearing Eiichiro's support moved her, I could tell. She would be more than willing to help with strategizing, even willing to take the leadership role of Class D for the exam.
It wouldn't work though, she had very little rapport with the rest of the group. While they would support the idea in the beginning, excited that someone from Class A would be taking the lead it wouldn't last. The moment she told them to do something they didn't want to, they'd ignore her. Knowing Arisu like I do, that would be very early on.
"Before we get moving, is there anyone here who's been camping or anything?" Eiichiro asked suddenly.
Something Chabashira said earlier suddenly occurred to me, only then did I realize I could have my revenge. Koenji may have successfully forced me to stay with Class D after I realized too late that I could have had an easier time with Class A. But he was about to learn that it was a double edged sword.
As he said so himself, he would stay on the island as long as I was here. Provided I didn't intend to retire, he would cooperate. After all, he used the fact that we both have the highest physical OAA scores to convince them. Why would that matter if you intended to do nothing?
"Didn't Chabashira-sensei say that there are many prominent companies who use this as corporate training?" I pondered innocently.
Koenji suddenly fell silent, the gloating tone gone from earlier.
"I'm not sure, but the Koenji Conglomerate Group is a pretty large company from what I remember, isn't it? If we need someone to lead us, I couldn't think of a more perfect being than Koenji."
Koenji said nothing and just stared at me as the rest of the group suddenly turned to him. Eiichiro clued in to what I was doing and started stifling his laughter as best as he could while the others looked a little hesitant. Even Chabashira was doing her best not to look amused.
He was more than capable. In this situation where I wanted to palm off as much responsibility as possible, he was the best option. Eiichiro had no experience here; the best we could hope for would be for him and Hirata to keep everyone in check. But when it came to strategy, the second best option would be Koenji, because the first option wasn't an option at all.
"That's actually a surprisingly good point," Horikita agreed with a frown.
"Would you be willing to help us with this, Koenji?" Eiichiro asked.
Koenji said nothing for a while, just continuing to stare and trying to come to a conclusion. After a while he seemed to come to a decision as he hesitantly started to speak again. If he was about to do what I thought he was about to do then I'd be sending him points the moment we got back to the ship. He more than deserved it.
"I have conditions," Koenji started cautiously.
"I will have full autonomy and that goes without saying. I will make all decisions for the group and no one will be able to work outside those decisions without my permission. If anyone has a problem with this, then they should speak now. The moment that there is anyone usurping my authority, I will retire.
"We will leave you to come to a consensus while Ayanokouji-boy and I scout the island. Stay in the shade until we return." Koenji instructed.
Maybe it was because they were told to do nothing but sit, but they all listened obediently. They all started moving to the shade while I grabbed mine and Arisu's bags to walk them to their spot. Eiichiro and Arisu followed behind at a slower pace while I doubled back and grabbed the tents to put it with them.
It would have been far easier to just let everyone scout the island then return at an agreed time even if Arisu had to stay behind and wait, which could only mean that Koenji wanted to talk in private away from the rest of the group. Putting the bags down I waited for Arisu to get there before helping her take a seat.
"Please, stay here or I'll be back on the ship with you if I get back and find you gone," I told her.
"You're being incredibly forceful," Arisu said angrily. "I didn't even agree to any of this, you spoke for me and didn't even let me have a say."
"You do have a say, it's your choice. Wherever we go, we go together." I said calmly.
"As I've said before, I do not like what you have become since we came to this school," Arisu looked at me coldly.
"Well, we will have plenty of time to discuss it over the next seven days, either on the island or on the ship," I said bluntly.
"In the meantime, would you be willing to read the manual with Eiichiro and go through the rules with him? It'd be really helpful," I asked Arisu while patting her head.
It was playing dirty. One of her biggest weaknesses that I tried not to overuse so she wouldn't catch on to it. Rosy cheeked and embarrassed, she just nodded bashfully before falling silent.
"I don't have my hat," Arisu said sadly.
"I put it in your bag," I let her know with a smile.
Before anything else could be said, I went to Koenji who was taking off his shirt and dropping it next to Eiichiro. I wanted to roll my eyes, what was the point of even doing that? That's just Koenji though.
Koenji set a monstrous pace, one that if we had anyone else with us they would have been long lost. The forest was mostly thick and overgrown and grew even more dense the deeper we went onto the island. Realizing how hot and stifling it was, especially at the pace we were going, I took off my own shirt before tucking it into my pants, letting it hang down my leg.
We were moving faster than a jog but not quite a run, the ground was uneven with branches and random potholes. Any faster and we would be risking significant injury, I couldn't help but marvel at Koenji. The man was a dynamo, it was one thing when we were in the gym. In there I could probably outpace him. But out here in nature where things were functional, I begrudgingly had to admit that Koenji was superior.
It's difficult to admit that someone may be better at something than you. Koenji was taller with a larger stride but that normally wasn't an issue for me. Still, the one thing I noticed during the morning gym sessions was that Koenji worked incredibly hard. This wasn't just God given talent, the man worked out like he was possessed.
"Now that we finally have a moment of solace from the rabble, there is something else that I would like to request of you in exchange for taking command of this examination," Koenji started suddenly. It was a testament to our conditioning that the two of us could even speak normally while keeping up this feverish tempo.
"Sure, if it's something that I can give you. Name it," I answered without hesitation.
"Your most recent endeavor with the application everyone seems to be using, horrendous name if I may add. It has begun to bear fruit, has it not?"
"That's putting it mildly," I said with a laugh.
"I tire of continuing to live in squalor. The meager points we will receive upon completion of these special exams does little to satiate my appetite. I have lived my entire life in abundance and I no longer wish to live on such a small budget like a common pheasant.
"Which is why I wish to barter a deal with you. One where you may provide me with points on a monthly basis and in exchange I would offer you the equivalent in Yen upon our graduation." Koenji offered.
There was no doubt in my mind that he was going to ask for an amount that would be considered ungodly to an average student. BUDDY was doing well and I feel like I've said it a thousand times but it was like board game money at this point. The truth is that I had concerns about spending too much because I didn't want the student populace to know that I was the one who coded it and that I was benefiting from it.
This was for a number of reasons. One I felt as though people would use it more sparingly if they knew that a student was making so many points from them. It was very realistic that the first year leaders could tell their classes not to use it for fear of giving our class an advantage. Many of them wouldn't listen completely, they'd probably use it sparingly only to make money instead of enjoying life as a fellow lazy degenerate like myself.
Currently, first year students are using it mostly to make money. They saw the benefits of earning points and starting early in order to build up a bankroll. There were few exceptions that were so lazy or unmotivated that they weren't working at all, people like Karuizawa and Kushida who valued their social lives over having to do a part time job.
However in Class D alone, there were people who were doing a lot of work almost at every opportunity. Two notable examples were Sotomura and Hondo. In the other classes there were other examples, I knew them by name but not by face. Arisu would make a mandate to stop Class A students from using it if another student other than me had coded it. She still didn't know but if she did I doubt it would be an issue for Class A's usage rate.
The other two, that was a different story. I didn't know about Class C but now that Class B was run by a new leader, they would probably enforce such a rule. Interestingly, Class B was the second highest when it came to usage when looking for work. I would have thought that would be Class C instead, with Ryuuen forcing minions to work and give him the points but it wasn't the case.
The second reason was that I didn't want the attention. It's not like the points had a use by date, they didn't disappear or expire while they were in my account. While I still had my peaceful lazy existence, I would budget myself to appear normal. That said, the moment my secret came out would be the day that I go to spend like one who won the lottery and was looking to get back onto social welfare.
"Do you have a number in mind?"
"Two hundred and fifty thousand a month seems sufficient enough at this stage," Koenji replied quickly. It seemed like he planned to have this conversation for quite some time and was just looking for an opportunity to bring it up.
Normally this would seem ungodly to the average student but to me it was a pittance.
"I don't mind but I have no interest in the money, keep it."
Koenji suddenly stopped in place and when he turned to me he actually looked a little angry. While I'm not afraid of anyone, the anger was a little surprising so I stopped as well looking at him in bewilderment. What did I say to make him angry?
"Allow me to explain something, Ayanokouji-boy, for it will be a valuable lesson for you.
"Do not be naive to think that money is unimportant. While your father has managed to amass a fair amount of wealth and the school pays him generously, he will not live forever. Sakayanagi-girl is important to you and is impaired. There is every possibility that she will need to be cared for and abundance is something that shouldn't be taken lightly.
"Secondly, you have no idea of the situation of that Ichinose-girl. She may have a family that requires financial support in the future. Do not be so willing to throw away an opportunity simply out of lack of foresight.
"Finally, I am Koenji Rokusuke and I do not take handouts. A Koenji pays their dues and squares their debts. It is one thing to accept random acts of generosity but I will not be indebted by accepting points on a regular basis when no compensation is given. I have my honor and pride, I will not allow it."
"Ichinose isn't my girlfriend," I said childishly.
Koenji rolled his eyes and started to make his way in the same direction we were heading again, not even looking at me to see if I was following along.
"It's only a matter of time. You're also someone who doesn't place value in short term relationships. If Ichinose-girl is the one you have chosen, she will be around for quite some time. You should consider her to be a part of your foreseeable future."
"You seem to be paying a lot of attention to me and my habits, should I be worried?" I joked lightheartedly. Koenji gave a booming laugh at the sudden joke but quietened soon after.
"Information is valuable, especially when the subject has potential as a future ally. Though I must say, your choice in women is predictable but rather disappointing."
"Why would you say that?" I asked with a laugh.
"When we return, I shall introduce you to Kiryuin Fuka and you will understand." Koenji said with a smirk.
It wasn't long until we heard the sound of the ocean waves, we were close to the coastline on a different side of the island. We pushed through the trees before coming to the cliff face that looked out over the ocean. Maybe this exam wasn't going to be so bad, I hadn't been camping before or anything so this would be a new experience for me.
"Over there, do you see that?" Koenji asked while squinting his eyes at the reflection of the light against the water.
I looked over to where he was pointing and saw that he pointed out a ladder that ran down the cliff face that looked like it had a small hut at the bottom. We tore off along the cliff side running as fast as we could toward the ladder and were there within a few minutes. Koenji went down first with me following and upon reaching the hut we found a device indicating a spot as well a duffle bag with broken down fishing rods, sinkers and lures.
"This is good, we'll be taking these," Koenji said with a nod.
"What about the spot? We can't take it, we haven't established a leader." I said with a frown while helping him to collect the equipment.
"For what I have planned, it doesn't matter. We should leave as soon as possible and return to the group. This equipment will be useful."
After collecting the fishing gear we climbed up the ladder again. We quickly made our way back into the shade of the trees before inspecting what we had in the bag. We hit the jackpot with this, four rods and everything needed to use them. I hadn't inspected the manual yet but there was no doubt that this would help with saving points. We zipped the bag back up before Koenji put it over his shoulder and we started to make our way back.
We walked in relative silence, there was no need to rush at this point but we kept a brisk pace. After a while we could hear voices on the path that we had passed earlier on and looked to see Katsuragi along with his sidekick Totsuka.
Koenji and I quickly hid as the duo walked past.
"-spot that you saw from the boat." Totsuka was saying excitedly
"The rest of the class won't be far behind but we have to hurry. The spot won't be unoccupied for long. From what I could see it was likely the best option on the island. We'll have to make contact with Class D. I didn't realize that there would be a roll call. Having Sakayanagi with them will cause problems." Katsuragi continued
"Class D are broke, maybe we could pay Ayanokouji to re-" Totsuka trailed off as they moved out of earshot.
Once they were gone Koenji and I moved quickly making sure to keep off the path to remain unseen. When we were a safe distance away, Koenji started to speak.
"Once we return to the group and establish a base, you and I will have to go back out and pretend to scout the island to make contact with Class A. It'll look suspicious if you were to go straight to their base."
"Sure that's fine. This turned out pretty well, we'll save some points with this." I grinned indicating the bag.
"Don't be coy, we were incredibly fortunate that we were able to establish their leader before the exam even started. The fact that we remained hidden was an even greater success, Class A will be none the wiser that they have lost before the examination even began.
"Having said that, before I can continue formulating a plan I must ask. How much of your assistance can I expect from you during our stay here?" Koenji asked as we continued to walk.
"I plan to participate, this is actually kinda fun," I admitted.
"So long as you are not exposed?"
"As long as I am not exposed," I parroted in agreement.
"That's far more than I expected if I may be so candid. I fully intended for you to simply care for Sakayanagi-girl while leaving us to fend for ourselves as a group," Koenji said gratefully.
"Within reason though," I added as an afterthought.
"How ambiguous," Koenji scoffed in exasperation.
When we came back to the group we were surprised to see that while most of them were there, a few of the boys had gone missing. Eiichiro was sitting with Arisu with the two of them talking while the other girls seemed to be in their own groups chatting amongst themselves, some of them relatively angrily.
The moment Arisu saw me her eyes lit up with happiness as Koenji and I approached them. Eiichiro quickly moved to Koenji and the two of them started to talk between them while Arisu got to her feet.
"You're back," Arisu said with relief.
"Of course I am, you thought I'd disappear or something?" I asked in amusement.
"No, that's not it. How do you coexist with some of these idiots?" Arisu scoffed. "The two called Ike and Yamauchi are beyond ignorant. I have half a mind to get them expelled just for being so stupid. How they were even granted admission, I could never understand."
I realized that the fun I had scouting and exploring what we could of the island was probably something that was going to be in short supply. If those two continued to cause problems, it was very likely that Koenji was going to just head back to the boat. I... would have to do something about this. More work, disgusting.
"Did they say anything to you?"
"...not to me," Arisu said hesitantly.
"What did they do?" I sighed.
"Eiichiro successfully convinced the group to allow Koenji to take the lead, but those two were against it. Ike has been on a couple of camping trips with his family, Yamauchi thinks that he should take the lead over Koenji.
"One of the girls said they needed to use the toilet. She was completely embarrassed, apparently it's worse than it looks, which is actually a feat in and of itself. The girls argued about the need to buy the temporary toilet, it's twenty points in the manual.
"Those two in particular weren't happy about the expense. They're committed to attempting to go through the exam without spending any points. It's not possible, they're going to be a problem moving forward." Arisu finished.
"Got any ideas?" I asked. I had a few of my own but it would be worth hearing her thoughts, we hadn't worked together on anything like this before.
"A couple, since they're committed to going through the exam without spending any points, it wouldn't be difficult to poison Yamauchi and make him retire. It'll be thirty points from Class D but it's a small sacrifice for reducing an obstacle." Arisu had a smile on her face that was far too happy for something so sadistic.
"Any options that don't involve potentially killing someone?" I chuckled in amusement.
"I'm confident you can injure him without getting caught," Arisu said with a firm nod.
"You're ruthless," I couldn't help myself as I broke out into full blown laughter. The loud laughter caught the attention of the girls sitting around in the shade and I was suddenly keenly aware that both Koenji and I were shirtless and covered in sweat.
"Nothing life threatening," Arisu brushed off. "Just for you to break his arm or leg or something."