"We're getting a real toilet!"
"No! We should be saving points!"
The dispute between Ike and the girls, mostly Shinohara, had picked up again. Shinohara and a few other girls were adamant about not using a cardboard box for a week.
"Hirata-kun," the girls finally turned to Hirata for his aid. "You know we can't last a week with that. Tell this idiot we need a real toilet!"
"Well, I know it may be hard going a week without a real toilet, but let me check the manual first."
Hirata quickly flipped through the manual to check out how many points we would lose from buying the portable toilet.
"It says here it would cost us 20 points."
"See?! It's not that expensive, buy it already!"
"But," Ike jumped in, "using those 20 points is missing out on 2000 Private Points a month. Wouldn't you rather save them?"
It seems the girl's argument was based more on being comfortable and living a decent life while stuck on the island. While Ike's argument was about saving as many of the 300 S-points as possible for more Private Points in the future.
"I agree with Ike-kun."
A new voice had entered the argument. I turned and saw Yukimura stepping closer to Ike.
"What? How?!" Shinohara was leading the girl's attack right now and was obviously upset about the new rising opposition.
"It's simple. This is the only chance we have right now to close the gap between the other classes. By conserving more points and guessing Class Leaders in the end, it would put us in a close spot to overcome Class C."
So Yukimura was also someone who wanted to conserve the points we spent, albeit not for Private Points, but for a change in Class rankings.
Murmurs in consideration began to sweep the class after that idea. Everyone was now fully aware of the great opportunity in front of us.
"No! I will not stand for that!"
It was getting painfully obvious now that no matter what, Shinohara and some of the girls did not care if we closed the gap between classes or not.
"Hirata-kun!" Once again, the girls turned to Hirata's aid.
"Oh, um, well, I see the benefits of both sides of this argument. I agree this is our best chance at closing the gap, but we also want everyone to be safe and remain comfortable on the island, so..."
"So, you're getting the portable toilet?"
"So, you're deciding to save Points?"
Hirata, the appointed Class Leader, was in a dilemma now. He wanted to make a compromise for everyone and make sure no one would be on the losing side. But, with an argument with two strong and unchanging oppositions, it was hard to please everyone.
"Everyone, I think we need to put this matter to rest for the time being."
This argument was going on way too long and wasting precious time to get a head start.
Everyone in the class turned to look at me as I spoke up. "This test is designed, so we will have to use points. There's no way 40 people can survive on this island without using points. But this argument right now is wasting too much time. Look around, is there any other class still left on the beach?"
During this back-and-forth bickering, every other class left the beach and made moves to secure a campsite. Class D was the only one remaining.
"First, we need to find a good campsite for us. And during this test, we need to find sources of food and water, because those will prove extremely valuable in helping us save points where we can."
"I agree with Fukumoto-kun," Hirata spoke up, "we need to get moving right now, and besides, there will most definitely be times we need to spend points. So can we all agree to push this debate back till later?"
A few grumbles of agreement were heard throughout the class, so we packed up the resources we had and started our adventure into the dense shrubbery ahead.
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The walk in the dense forest on the island wasn't exactly a challenging one.
The tall trees covered most of the blistering sunlight from hitting us, but because of the dense amount of vegetation, it made it far more humid on the walk. As everyone was drenched in sweat as we surveyed the land.
Currently, I was toward the back of the group walking between Ayanokouji and Horikita. We hadn't said much to each other yet. The humidity in the air kept us from engaging in any conversation.
"Tch, this is bothersome," Horikita muttered under her breath as she kicked a stick.
"Why's that?"
"This exam. It's an exam that exceeds my skill and expertise and makes me feel useless."
"Wow, finally admitted you're not good at something," I teased back.
Horikita shot me a side glance in retaliation.
"What, no snarky comeback? Something wrong?"
"It's fine," Horikita responded flatly.
"Well, I do have to agree this test is somewhat outside my area of specialty too. But, it seems that others like Sudo and Ike are taking charge. Which is good."
Since we had left the beach, Sudo and Ike had taken the charge of searching for grounds for a campsite. They both seemed extremely excited about the prospect of living on a deserted island for a week.
"That is acceptable that Ike-kun and Sudo-kun seem to finally be pulling their weight."
"Hey, Ayanokouji," I turned to look at my robotic friend. "Do you have any expertise in island living?"
"I know some basic things, but nothing too advanced."
Why'd I even ask?
"Looks like we'll have to rely on some new people for this exam then..."
This was a new situation for all of us. No one had the experience of surviving on a deserted island with 40 people. You had to worry about everyone's health, mentality, food, water, weather, and so many other variables that were out of our hands. It would be extremely beneficial if anyone had some sort of camping or survival experience.
"Say, why did you two join this school?"
"Huh?" Both Ayanokouji and I tilted our heads at the random question from Horikita.
"I wanted to take advantage of the school privileges," Ayanokouji said.
"Like the guaranteed job or post-graduation schooling? Even though we know that's a lie now."
"Yeah, that..."
"What about you, Fukumoto-kun?"
"Hmmm," why did I want to join this school. "I guess it looked fun. You know, basically live on your own for three years."
Horikita deadpanned for a moment at my response. "Is that really your answer?"
"Eh, you'll see."
"GUYS! I found a spot!"
Suddenly Ike shouted from the front of the class and sprinted deeper into the forestry.
"Honestly, who thinks they'd run after him?" Horikita said.
"Might as well go see this spot, though."
Everyone in the class picked up their pace to catch up to Ike.
Indeed he did find a spot. It was a nice flat land, with a stream running close by. There were enough trees overhead that provided shade from the sun. From the amount of walking we did, I presumed we were somewhere near the middle of the island, which was perfect. It allowed quick access to all points of the island which could become a necessity.
If the stream provided drinkable water, it would save our class a lot of points that we could use to buy other necessities.
Near the base of a thick tree by this campsite was a checkpoint that I assumed we would use to claim this spot.
It seemed we stumbled upon a jackpot. If we claimed this spot, we would have a steady influx of points, possibly drinkable water, shade, and a great location. Ike truly did find a phenomenal spot.
"This is a great spot! There's water, shade, it has everything!" Ike shouted proudly about his achievement. "Let's claim the spot already!"
True, this spot would be extremely beneficial for the class. But, we now needed to decide upon a leader.
"Well, we need to decide who the leader should be first, Ike-kun," Hirata was the first to speak up.
"Shouldn't it be you, Hirata-kun?" Karuizawa was the first to appoint a candidate for a leader. All the girls quickly followed ensuite for the nomination.
"I don't think so," Horikita rivaled the choice to name Hirata leader.
"What? Why's that?"
"It's too obvious. Think about it, every other class knows Hirata-kun is our representative, which would make him an easy target. So I think neither Hirata-kun nor, Kushida-san should be a leader. There is an obvious tactic of reverse psychology to trick the other classes, but that strategy is far too weak to secure the win in this exam."
Horikita made a great point. Assigning the position of leader to an influential person in our class would make us an easy target to guess the leader at the end of the exam. But we couldn't pick someone who was utterly useless. They would have to be smart and have some pull within the class if we wanted to succeed.
"Who should the leader be then?" Hirata asked the entire class.
"What about Fukumoto-kun?"
Apparently, Matsushita had spoken up and nominated me as a leader.
"Yeah, I agree!"
"He's smart and helpful!"
"And he doesn't stand out too much too."
Seems like everyone was now on board for making me the leader. Of course, I didn't want that role, though. I had other plans for this test, and having to be a leader wouldn't help.
"I thank you all for the nomination, but I don't think I have the right qualification for making tough choices as a leader. Instead, I think Horikita should be the leader. She's intelligent and has a strong will to make the tough decisions."
Everyone started to agree with my statement. I successfully directed the class's attention to Horikita.
"Are you alright with that, Horikita-san?" Hirata still made sure Horikita was willing to take on this role.
"I don't particularly mind."
"Alright then, I'll talk to sensei and officially name you the leader."
Hirata walked off somewhere in the shrubbery to find Chabashira-sensei, who had been loosely following the class since we left the beach.
After a few minutes, Hirata returned to the class with a keycard that had Horkita's name engraved on it.
"Shall we claim the spot?"
"Wait," Horikita intervened before we claimed the spot. "We should all huddle around the checkpoint, we never know who might be watching us."
"Good point, Horikita-san!"
One by one, we all crowded the checkpoint. Horikita, Kushida, Yukimura, Hirata, and I all crouched down near the checkpoint to further confuse any spies nearby.
"Hey, Horikita?"
"What."
"Do you mind if I try swiping the card?"
"Why?"
"Just let me."
Horikita then handed me the small rectangular piece of plastic. And after holding the card at the checkpoint for 3 seconds, an audible ding sounded. The screen displayed that Class D had acquired this spot for 8 hours with a countdown.
"Huh, good to know." I handed the card back to Horikita.
"What was the purpose of that?"
"It's a secret." I put a finger to my lips and gave her a wink.
"You're incompetent."
Once we claimed the spot, the class spread out from surrounding the checkpoint.
"Now," Hirata spoke up once again. "The issue regarding the toilet."
"I still believe in saving points as much as possible," Yukimura fired back.
"While I agree with that sentiment, Yukimura-kun. I believe a portable toilet is a necessity. Firstly, we are acquiring points by claiming this spot every 8 hours. So by the end of the test, we will have acquired 21 points, which covers the loss of 20 points from the toilet. Secondly, a portable toilet makes everyone at ease, making the test easier, henceforth, not as many people may drop out. You can still use the cardboard one, but I believe a portable toilet is a necessity."
Yukimura went silent for a moment considering Hirata's well-spoken argument.
"I see what you mean. Fine, I'll agree."
"Alright, can we all agree to buy a portable toilet?"
"YES!" Hirata's harem shouted in excitement at the achievement.
Well, there was one issue dealt with. It was a significant one to resolve though, as it meant the strengthening of Class D's unity. Which would be essential for passing this exam.
"There are still three main issues we need to resolve," I called out to the grade. It was great that we fixed the issue regarding the toilet, but we still had much bigger problems to take care of at the moment. "First, we need food, whether that be the meal kits or food we find. Second, we need water, this river may be drinkable, but we never know. And finally, we need more shelter, two tents would not be able to hold all 40 of us."
"I agree with Fukumoto-kun," Hirata said. "We still have many problems to take care of, so if a few volunteers would like to search for food, that would be helpful. While you search, I'll do the math if we use points to buy meal kits and water. So, any volunteers?"
No one raised their hand right away. I don't think anyone here felt like expending more energy running around an island.
"I'll go," Kushida was the first to volunteer.
"Thank you, Kushida-san."
Quickly a few more people raised their hands.
Even Ayanokouji, Sakura, and Koenji raised their hands to volunteer.
Reluctantly, I also raised my hand.
"Oh, Fukumoto-kun too. Could we get two more volunteers for Fukumoto-kun's group?"
No dared to raise their hand to join me.
"What, not feeling it today?" I leaned back to ask Horikita, who was sitting down near me.
"I simply do not want to waste my energy. My efforts would be better spent here, helping Hirata-kun."
Well, I couldn't force her to join me in the end.
"It's alright, Hirata. I can take care of myself."
Even though I would be fine on my own, Hirata had a worried expression on his face. He turned his gaze to his girlfriend in desperation.
"Haa, Matsushita-san, and I will join you."
"What?"
Seems like without saying anything to Karuizawa, she had understood that Hirata wanted her to join my group. Matsushita was oblivious to this development.
"Alright then! With the groups formed, you can head off in the cardinal directions, only walk for about an hour, then turn right back. Make note of any food, checkpoints, or anything significant."
With the groups formed and plans settled, we all headed off in our own directions.
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(Ayanokouji, Kiyotaka POV)
"Kouenji... slow down."
"I'm sorry, Ayanokouji-boy. The natural beauty of the scenery and my own is not something to waste. Bask in the glory of my perfection!"
There was no point in calling out to him. He only swung faster through the trees and continued to grow the gap between us.
"He is quite amazing..."
"Agreed, I don't think I could ever do that," I said back to Sakura.
From all the people who volunteered to explore the island, Kouenji, Sakura, and I banded together to form a unique group.
Sakura and I were desperately trying to match the pace of Kouenji on the ground, but the terrain made it a tough challenge.
Behind me, Sakura was struggling to even keep a moderate pace. The humidity, terrain, and overall physical demand was too much for her to keep going at this pace.
"Why don't we walk for a bit?"
"Huh? But we might lose sight of Kouenji-kun..."
"I think he'll be alright. Let's continue walking for now."
I slowed my pace down to where I was walking side-by-side with Sakura. She was panting heavily as sweat continued to drip from her forehead.
"This is quite a tough test, isn't it?"
"I agree. It's one thing living out in the wild for a few hours, but having minimal supplies and trying to last a week is hard. Lucky, we have people like Kouenji and Sudo who can bare most of the physical load."
"Yeah, I guess so." Sakura let out a quiet sigh as she rubbed her arm for comfort. "I wish I could be of some use for this test."
I tried my best to offer some reassuring words to Sakura. "Don't get down on yourself now, this is only one opportunity of many in which classmates can demonstrate their skills. There will be a time when you can too."
"Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun. That mean's a lot to me." Sakura offered a small smile in return. "I feel a bit better after walking. We can pick up our pace if you want?"
"If you're fine with it."
It was only a brisk walk, but Sakura tried her best to muster up some strength during our quick break.
"Oh?"
I turned back, and as soon as we began running, Sakura tripped on a branch and started tumbling backward. With a thud, Sakura landed on her rear.
"Are you alright?" I made my way back to Sakura and offered her a hand to help her up. She was lightly rubbing her behind as she sat on the floor of the forest.
"Oh... Thank you. I'm sorry, just as we started to run..."
Crack
It sounded like someone close by had stepped on a stick. Could it be Kouenji? No, he wouldn't come back to meet with us. It could only be someone from a rival class.
I quickly grabbed Sakura off the ground and hid behind a large tree with her.
"Ayanoko..."
I placed my free hand over her mouth and held her tightly to my body so we wouldn't be easily spotted by the new arrivals.
"This path is amazing, Katsuragi-kun! I can't believe you saw this from the boat!"
"Let's keep moving. We never know who may be nearby."
I peeked around the thick base of the tree to catch a glimpse of the people nearby.
There indeed was a path the two were using. It seemed to be a man-made one more than a path that came from the usage of the island. The two were walking toward a cave near the end of the path that was not too far from our current position.
They kept their quick pace and disappeared into the cave.
"That was amazing Katsuragi-kun, I can't believe you noticed this spot from the boat!"
"Keep your voice down, Yahiko. We never know who could be nearby."
It seems like Katsuragi was a cautious man. Constantly quieting his easily excited friend in case of spies.
"Let's head back to the group."
As Katsuragi turned around to continue down the path, I noticed a reflective object in his hand. It looked exactly like the shape of a keycard, was there a possibility one of the two was a leader? If so, this would be a huge development for our class.
They started to walk back down the path, but it seemed Katsuragi was too cautious. He took a few steps into the shrubbery and peered behind a tree that was close by.
I tightened my grip around Sakura, so she knew to remain quiet and still during this tense moment.
"What's up, Katsuragi-kun?"
"Nothing, just checking. Let's continue."
After 5 minutes of sitting in the same position, watching where the two had disappeared into the forest. A warm sensation on my hand reminded me I still hadn't let go of Sakura.
"Oh, sorry, Sakura." I dropped my grip on her and stood up.
Sakura collapsed to the floor immediately, her face was bright red as she muttered some words under her breath.
"Sakura? Are you alright?"
She briefly collected herself and sat up straight.
"Y-yeah, j-j-just a little sur...prised." Sakura finally stood up and brushed the dirt off her uniform. "Did we just find out that class's leader?"
"Well, let's go find out."
We both walked toward the nearby cave. Sure enough, one exactly like the checkpoint our class had found, was sitting near the wall of the cave entrance.
On the checkpoint read, occupied by Class A, 7:52:38 remaining on occupation.
"So he was the leader!" Sakura said with excitement at the prospect of our class getting a free 50-points now.
"This is good fortune for our class, we should head back now and relay the information to Hirata."
My strategy from the beginning of this exam had taken a sharp turn now. With this new information, winning the exam would be far easier.
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AN's:
HEY EVERYONE
how are you?
Sorry, but finals and assignments do be stacking up now so the uploading won't be as frequent.
I hope you all continue to like this :)
adieu