'Bold': Sign language
At dawn, I didn't sleep in the tent as I managed to get myself a hammock. It was dawn as I climbed down the tree. The night air coming into the tent was a blessing, but as soon as the dawn broke, the temperature slowly rose. Without wanting to wake up anyone else, I sneaked out of the tent as quietly as possible. My classmates, boys, and girls alike, prefer to keep their things, supplies, and bags out of their tents. We did not bring any packages inside because we wanted to do the best out of using the tent.
I ensured no one was around as I went where we found Ibuki. I knew she buried something here when I noticed the dirt underneath her fingernails.
I started digging and found a waterproof bag hidden in the ground. It contained an item: a camera.
So, this is what Ibuki buried.
What's in Ibuki's bag that made the dull noise?
I broke the camera, buried the waterproof bag, and left.
I returned to the campsite, and there was another person awake.
I made my way over to Horikita, tapping her on the shoulder. She jumped in shock and turned around, "Kagurazaka-kun, I didn't realize you were awake."
"Here," she passed me the card.
I swiped the key card to reclaim her spot before returning it to Horikita. I could trust that Horikita is wary of Ibuki.
Horikita was rubbing her arm, looking a bit tense. I placed my forehead against hers as she pushed me away.
'You have a fever.'
Horikita refused to look me in the eye
'You need to go rest.'
"I don't want to be a burden to everyone... I wanted to keep quiet about this," Horikita said.
'You should have told me regardless.'
I patted her head gently as she stayed quiet. After a minute, Horikita said, "Can you do me a favor and don't tell others about my condition?"
'As long as you rest up and not push yourself.'
~Timeskip~
Hirata came over and talked to me about the situation regarding the points.
"The points that we used yesterday cost us around 70 points. I talked to everyone about the worst possible scenario, to be left with only 150 points. However, we don't know exactly how many points we will have in the end..." Hirata said.
'We should be okay as long nobody guesses our leader.'
"Kagurazaka-kun, do you think it is realistically possible to ascend to Class A?" Hirata asked.
I nodded.
'It will be a struggle.'
"I see. I think it is not simple. For example, even if we all were in unison to aim at Class A, the failure of almost losing our points in the first month in school that we carried on our shoulders is big."
"I think that we do not have to be impatient. First of all, now, Class D has to pass this test."
I nodded in agreement.
"Would you like to go have a face wash with me?" Hirata asked.
We decided to head to a nearby river, so we took our towels from the luggage. The towels were wrapped in vinyl. Hirata used the opportunity to put the manual in his bag, which took us some time. The plastic accessories attached to Hirata's bag made a rubbing sound.
'Gifts from Karuizawa?'
Hirata nodded, "How did you know?"
'The accessory with the heart mark.'
Hirata laughed.
When we headed for the river, we unexpectedly noticed someone was there.
"What are you doing here?"
Kanzaki, a student from Class B, was observing Class D. He was accompanied by a group of unknown boys who were likely also students from Class B standing at a distance.
Kanzaki seemed slightly surprised to see us arriving so early from our tent but quickly regained his composure.
"One day has passed, so I was wondering what had happened. I came to check on your situation. You've seized a good place."
"Indeed, you are... Class B Kanzaki, right?"
Hirata seemed to recognize Kanzaki since he remembered his name.
"Have I surprised you? Sorry, it wasn't in ill intention," Kanzaki apologized.
'Kanzaki, I hope you don't mind if we check out Class B's camp.'
"I don't have a problem with large crooked trees; there are trees on the way back to the beach when going along the road. There is a camping ground where Class B stays when heading into the forest southwest from there. You won't get lost when you enter into large trees."
"Did you come spying on Class D to see how we used our points?" Hirata asked.
The discomfort on Kanzaki's face answered our questions.
Kanzaki left, leaving Hirata and me alone.
Hirata washed his face in the river as itely didn't mind being spied. If anything, it seemed that he was more uneasy.
He wiped in the towel and muttered, "Isn't our strategy wrong... Even if we don't win over other classes, I'd like to team up and complete the trial at least. That's why I don't want my leader identity to be noticed."
His hair, wet from water, was shining.
'You should be more carefree.'
Hirata laughed, "Yeah, I should. Thanks for saying that."
After washing my face, I scooped some river water with my hand and drank it. Despite the scorching hot weather in the forest, the river water was refreshingly cold and delicious. Since the river is fed by groundwater from springs, its temperature remains relatively stable and doesn't warm up quickly. Moreover, the water temperature doesn't rise since it flows from upstream. We were lucky to have found this spot as our base camp.
"First of all, we need to adjust our bed properly. Since the ground is hard hit, it is willing to be a tough week without a substitute for a cushion like a mat. Get into action by gathering opinions when everyone wakes up. We have to cooperate and do our best."
After the end of the morning roll call, we were free to move as we pleased. Of co,,urse Hirata gave instructions to reliable classm and started a strategy on savingto save points. On the other hand, students who dially feel like helping out preferred to be independent began t own activities.
Matsushita's POV
"What the fuck are you, guys!"
As Ike's angry voice echoed through the campgrounds, I turned to see two male students grinning like Cheshire cats.
Ibuki, who showed a bitter expression only for a moment, stepped into the shade of the tent like she was trying to hide herself.
"Komiya and Kondou?"
Like Ibuki, who coughed abruptly, I found those two people familiar. They were two students of Class C.
"Well, Class D is living a rather frugal life. As expected, this is a class of defectives."
While filling their mouths with potato chips, they bought PET bottles to fight the heat. And it was not just water; it looked like soda.
"It seems that you have a very comfortable life instead. You Class C fellows."
"Do you know Ryuuen?"
"He's a Class C student. I heard various rumors about him. Quite a reckless fellow, it seems."
"Not quite so. Everything that guy does ends up being messy."
Ibuki then spoke, becoming irritated, as if they were talking about her enemy.
"Those two are Ryuuen's gang mates. You can say they're his underlings."
They are the same underlings that failed to get Sudou suspended.
"What did you have for breakfast? Grass? Or insects? Here, you can eat snacks, too."
He took a potato chip and threw it near Ike's foot. Meanwhile, Ike crawled to it. Class D couldn't help but be irritated while watching that instigating behavior. It was because they were continuing to ration their food supplies.
"We have a message from Ryuuen-san. To enjoy summer vacation fully, you should visit the beach now. Don't be reserved. You better come to spend a dream time together if you're sick of living like this."
I thought they would go back immediately after, but they stayed here. They continued to eat snacks before everyone as a form of harassment.
"When did we invite yapping mutts? Their presence is bothering my perfection," a voice said, provoking them.
"What? Who said that?" Kondou said, looking around angrily.
"Getting angry, are we?" Kouenji grinned as his hair was slicked back while his shirt was off. Water droplets fell off his body.
"You don't want to fail your master a second time. You couldn't get an idiot like Red Hair-kun suspended," Kouenji said.
"What the hell did you say?!" Sudou yelled.
Ike and Yamauchiprevented Sudou from going to Kouenji and trying to fight him.
Kouenji's words did seem to affect Komiya and Kondou as they tensed up.
"You guys got lucky!" Kondou barked.
Suddenly, water poured from the trees on top of Komiya, and Kondosoakinging asked.
Some of my classmates were holding back their laughter while others snickered.
"Fu. Fu. Fu. It looks like the mutts needed a bath from how bad they smelled," Kouenji continued attacking them.
Komiya and Kondou left before they could embarrass themselves any further.
"I would love to stick around, but this perfect being is busy," Kouenji walked away.
Three branches rustled before Kagurazaka was hanging upside from the branch, holding a bucket.
Kagurazaka had his white shirt tucked in... Strange.
Kagurazaka's POV
After breakfast, Horikita returned immediately to the tent and didn't show up anymore. I went over and shook the girls' tent. Although there was no reply, the tent swayed slightly, and cloth rubbing was heard. When that sound stopped, Horikita came out slowly from inside.
"Yes?"
'Did you hear everything?'
"Yeah, I heard it was a cheap provocation on the Class C part."
"I'm a little worried and thinking of supervising the situation. Do you want to go together?"
I nodded.
Horikita raised an eyebrow, "So, you aren't going to stop me?"
'You're a stubborn person.'
Horikita didn't refute it, but she scoffed.
Contrary to our bad feelings, along with Horikita, who proceeded with heavy movements, we set out for the beach where C class awaited.
Just before passing through the forest, from the bushes, we saw a lot of Class C students on the beach. The situation we were looking at had been far beyond our imagination.
"It can't be... This kind of stuff... Is it possible?"
As if she couldn't believe the sight, Horikitrepeatedng "impossible" many times.
I had the same thought. It was a surprise to see that they had not only installed portable toilets and a shower room but also provided turf with sun protection, a barbecue set, chairs, parasols, snacks, and drinks.
They had all kinds of equipment for entertainment. The air was filled with the smell of burning meat and the sound of laughter. The students were loudly enjoying the sea on the coast while jet skis were running through the water.
"What the hell is Class C doing? Does this mean they don't have to save points?"
We could only think that way of looking at this. It exceeded the level of splurging.
"Let's check that out. What the hell is Class C thinking doing this?"We walked in on the beach from the bushes, stepping firmly on the sand. One of the male students noticed us and called out to the boy nearby. We couldn't see his face from here because he leaned his body on a chair. One of the boys immediately rushed to us.
"Err, Ryuuen-san called..." A frightened male student said.
"Just like a king. Using classmates like this. Looks like the king welcomes us. What are we going to do?"
'What do you want to do?'
"Alright. I want to know what's going on. Let's go."
We accepted and accompanied the male student. As we approached the sea, a savory smell of burned meat got into our noses.
"This is outrageous," Horikita muttered.
"Hey. Were you the one secretly snooping around? What do you want from me?"
"You're doing very good. This looks like an extravagant spree."
Ryuuen, who was tanning in the chair in his swimsuit, showed his white teeth.
"As you can see. We're enjoying summer vacation," he says, spreading his hands, showing off the entertainment that fully unfolded on the beach.
"If it isn't the man from the trial. I hope you give me a challenge," Ryuuen smirked.
"This is the trial. Do you understand what that means? Although I'm shocked that you don't understand the rules themselves..." He was somewhat more disappointed than delighted, being alerted about his incompetence.
"Oh? I'm amazed. Does that mean you're showing humanity even to an enemy like me?"
"If the ones at the top are incompetent, those under will deal with hardships. That's only pitiful."
Ryuuen only laughed, taking a plastic water bottle next to a walkie-talkie.
"How much did you use to enjoy this much pleasure?"
"Hah. I wonder. I didn't neatly calculate," Ryuuen answered.
"Jeez. It's already getting warmer. Hey, Ishizaki. Bring ice-cold water." He said, provokingly throwing away about half the remaining water in the sand.
Ishizaki noticed a lot of cardboard boxes containing food and water piled up in a nearby tent while he was playing volleyball. He rushed to get water into the tent and looked into a more excellent box next to the boxes.
"As you can see, we're only enjoying summer vacation. We can't become your enemies during the trial. Do you understand?"
As if she were having a headache, Horikita pressed her forehead in non-understanding, creating wrinkles between the eyebrows.
"It's not about being enemies, but what we said before. I was foolish for being alerted and coming here."
"Who's foolish? Is it me? Or is it you?" Far from accepting insults, Ryuuen clapped back at Horikita likewise.
"Survival on this sweltering inhabited island? Isn't that a joke? To pick up 100 or 200 small class points, you, the lowest D class, must put up with hunger, heat, and emptiness. You're making me laugh by just imagining it."
Running over the sandy beach, Ishizakreturnedck with new water dripping with sweat, handing over to Ryuuen what looked like a cold pet bottle. However, the moment Ryuuen took the bottle,e he threw it at Ishizaki's body.
"I said bring ice-cold water. This one is still warm."
"B-but."
"Huh?"
Ryuuen's sharp pupils resembled those of a snake. Making his body stiffen, Ishizaki picked up the pet bottle and ran toward the tent again.
"This trial is about endurance, calculation, and cooperation. That seems impossible for you from the beginning. You can't even set up a proper plan."
"Cooperation? Don't make me laugh. People easily betray. Lie. Relationships involving trust aren't practical. You can only trust yourself. If your scouting is finished, then leave. Well, if you truly desire, you're welcome. You can enjoy eating meat or having fun on the water bike. Or would you like a different type of entertainment with me? I'll prepare a tent for personal use."
"Not an answer I would expect from someone who has declared war before."
"I hate hard work. Patience? Saving? You must be kidding."
Ishizaki came back again and stretched out the water. After receiving the water, Ryuuen opened the cap and drank it up.
"This is my way of doing things. No more, no less."
"Right. Well, do as you please. It works fine with us."
I don't think Class C is out of the competition yet.
"To find out the situation of the other classes, we shed our sweat moving around, so your efforts are appreciated."
Horikita turned around to leave, but as she made a step to move, she hesitated and stopped.
"There is just one more matter. You know Ibuki, right?"
"Ah, yes! She is a member of our class. What about her, though?"
"Her face is swollen. What is the meaning of this? Who did this to her?"
Almost as if having decided who the culprit was, Horikita indirectly hinted at him.
"Heh? I thought she ran away. What? After all, she asked for help from another class's members instead of her own, right? What a pitiful woman!" Ryuuen laughed scornfully, and once more, he lay down.
"Within this world, there are many hopeless idiots, and a ruler of command does not need underlings who go against his will. It was decided that I get to use the points of my class as I like. That is a matter of decision. Besides, it would be pointless if somebody was about to rise in revolt."
"How Ibuki met us relates to how you used the points."
"Well, if you want to think of it simply, I guess it is. That is why we gave her a light punishment."
He moved to give a punch to an invisible cheek. Just as I thought, it was Ryuuen who punched her face.
"There was another guy who defied me. I expelled him, too, of course. I learned from some information that he is not dead, but he is somewhere living by lying on the grass trying to catch bugs to eat."
"So, that's how it is. It is me who used all our points. Ibuki is not the kind of person who would be charmed by points. So, do not mind about her. Besides, that is what we call freedom, right?"
"Well... It is an unexpected turn of events to be with 0 points."
"If Ibuki were really at your place, then it would be better that you have expelled her already. Your awkward sympathy will not help her. Plus, it will save you provisions you waste for one extra member, such as water, food, bed, and other arrangements. You do not have to put up with this any longer; she can come back now. If she kneels and begs for forgiveness, I will allow her to come with a generous heart."
"It is a simplistic way of thinking, right? You may think I am doing this to favor the points. But even if something else is hidden, what are you planning to do? After all, even the simple task of finding food here is a hardship."
"Hehehe, well, what should I do? After all, ordinary people have to express their ideas uncomplicatedly. You have become desperate to protect the points bestowed to us, who to choose for a leader, to find and protect a spot for the team, searching in the woods for provisions drenched in sweat, completely foolish."
"That's enough. Kagurazaka-kun, let's go back already. If we do not go back now, I will feel sick."
"We'll talk again, Suzune"
As this conversation was about to end, Ryuuen seemed to remember Horikita's first name.
"Well, confident women are not unpleasant to me. Anyway, I will let you submit it to me. That time will be the ultimate moment, and I will savor it."
With his own hands, he nearly touched his groin above his swimsuit and made a gesture of provocation. As Horikita put all of her disdain in one look, eventually, she turned her back, pretending not to see this scene, and began to walk away. I was about to leave, too, but a different scene caught my eye. I watched at the pier one boat, also students swimming in the water, or playing volleyball, a flag, also some students doing barbecue and celebrating. I saw a tent on the beach where they were stocking food. Ryuuen intends to ridicule the school rules thoroughly.
"Unexpectedly for Class C. Their self-destruction will save them."
'Horikita, I don't think they are out of the competition yet.'
"I'm getting the same feeling," Horikita said.
'It doesn't matter if they lose all their points. They still can guess our leader.'
S-points=280-50=230