Day 2 of living on the deserted island.
Waking up at 4:00 AM as usual according to my body clock, I slipped out of the tent so as not to wake anyone up.
There were six tents pitched inside the cave in total, with the Sakayanagi Faction and the Katsuragi Faction staying in three each.
Even though Katsuragi had said something about the class acting as one for this exam, it seemed the rift between the two factions was deeper than expected.
…Ah, of course they’re separated by gender, okay?
Keep your dirty fantasies in check.
After giving myself a bare-minimum quick tune-up, I stepped out of the cave to find it exceedingly hot and humid, even though the morning sun had only just begun to rise.
“Now then, a perfect day for fartlek.” When it comes to training in nature, fartlek is the way to go.
By running using your entire body through varied terrain, it allows you to build overall physical strength.
Since we couldn’t bring study materials for this exam, I couldn’t go through my usual routine, so I intended to focus purely on physical conditioning.
While running all over the forest for a while, I ran into a familiar scary-faced guy with long hair…
Hayato Kito.
“Hm?
If it isn’t Falcon.” “Honjo, huh.
…Falcon?” “Falcon because of Hayato.
Is that bad?” “Do as you like.
…Are you training too?” “Too” meant Falcon was training as well.
Looking closely, he was covered in sweat.
…Though why was he stubbornly refusing to take off those gloves?
“Pretty stoic for being in the middle of an exam.” “I don’t want to hear that from you.
Besides…
I can’t contribute to the class in academics, so I can’t afford to neglect my daily training.
In this school, students without strengths simply lose their value.” Mhm, mhm, as expected of Arisu’s Rook.
Low on sociability, but with zero hesitation in his words and actions, a martial-minded guy with an unshakeable spirit who never turns his eyes away from harsh reality.
…Except for Arisu, he really was my favorite guy in the class.
“Nice, I welcome anyone with ambition.
In that case, to deepen the friendship between the faction aides, let’s train together.” “…It’s an offer I couldn’t ask more for, but what exactly do you plan to do?” “Tag.” “…Huh?” “Alright then, since you’re making a face that looks just like an ogre right now, Falcon’s ‘it’!
Ciao!” While Falcon was left dumbfounded, I sprinted away at full speed.
“Ah, hey, wait—WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN OGRE, YOU BASTARD?!” The game of tag continued until right before the morning roll call, but in the end, Falcon couldn’t catch me even once as I ran freely through the forest.
Contrary to his appearance, he was surprisingly quick, but it was impossible for someone unaccustomed to nature to catch me.
Having safely finished the morning roll call, today as well, I sprinted through the forest at full speed while gathering food.
I passed a few students along the way, but they all panicked, as if mistaking me for a wild animal or something.
How rude.
“Nn?
What’s this?” The ground around here is remarkably easy to walk on.
…In fact, it’s visibly and unnaturally flat.
Almost as if someone had stomped it down.
My interest piqued, I followed the tracks and reached Class B’s base camp in no time.
The area around the well they were using as a spot was overgrown with trees, lacking enough space to pitch tents for the entire class, but they compensated for the narrowness with several hammocks.
Even a quick glance revealed clever ideas scattered everywhere aimed at keeping points to a bare minimum.
…Yeah, we were completely losing in terms of class atmosphere and unity.
“Ah?
Honjo-kun?” Noticing my arrival, Bankai-chan ran over while carrying a plastic bottle filled with water.
You look really good in a track suit, though.
“What’s wrong?
Is this recon by any chance~?” “Nah, the ground was unnaturally flat, so I followed it out of curiosity and ended up here.
Was that your doing?” “Yeah, pretty much.
Everyone stomped it down yesterday so it could serve as a landmark to keep from getting lost.” “Well, aren’t you thorough.
…Looks like you’re pretty busy; should I beat it if I’m in the way?” “It’s fine for a little bit, okay?
I was just thinking of taking a break anyway.
…Besides, I wanted to talk to Honjo-kun about a lot of things.” As usual, she was a girl without a trace of malice, for better or worse.
To match wits with Arisu, who was practically made of malice, maybe she should become a little darker.
“Still, how should I put it?
Your class is really well-disciplined.
Is this all thanks to Bankai-chan’s charisma?” “Nyahaha, I’m not that amazing of a person.
Everyone just actively cooperates, you know?” “Don’t be modest.
Our class is split dead in half due to policy differences, and even though this is our first special exam, there are people running wild without staying in step—it’s a world of difference from you guys.” “Um, you say that like it’s someone else’s business, but isn’t the person running wild probably you, Honjo-kun?” “Well, yeah, but how did you know?” “Earlier, one of my classmates reported that someone looking like you was running through the forest at insane speeds…” With a wry smile, Bankai-chan implicitly told me to “please hold back a bit.” …Did I scare them?
If so, my bad.
“Well, I’ll do my best to manage it, yeah.
…Is that what you wanted to ask me?” “Yeah, that too, but…
I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about how Class A is approaching things.” I see; if we were turtling up that tightly, there really was no way to probe us.
Normally, there’d be no way to guess the leader, either.
“Ah…
Sorry, but I can’t really tell you.
I’ve dumped this entire exam onto Katsuragi, so going behind his back to expose what he’s desperately trying to hide rubs even me the wrong way…” “Ah, I’m sorry!
It’s not like I was trying to force it out of you!
Right, you can’t just betray your class…” For some reason, Bankai-chan suddenly looked extremely apologetic on her own.
Could you stop that?
It’s making me feel guilty.
“Well, don’t worry about it, and rest easy.
I don’t plan on passing any info on you guys to my class, either.” “Eh?
Um…
You don’t have to go that far to consider us, you know?
It’s not like there’s anything to hide that would cause trouble.” “No, no, that’s not true, right?
Clever tricks to build a comfortable environment are one thing…
but getting your leader guessed would mean massive damage, so you have to hide it no matter what.” “…Eh?” “What do you mean by that, Honjo?” Perhaps my casual point was completely unexpected, because Bankai-chan’s eyes went wide in shock, and a male student rushed over in a hurry…
Ryuji Kanzaki.
“Ah, Zaki-chin.
What’s up?” “What did you mean by that just now?
You spoke as if…
you already know who Class B’s leader is?” “Yeah, I figured it out.” ” ” ” Gulp…?!
” ” ” Bankai-chan, Zaki-chin…
no, every single Class B student present focused their gazes on me with palpable tension.
…Hmm, yep, looks like it really is her.
“You don’t have to be so guarded.
Didn’t I say Katsuragi is calling the shots this time?
Even if I told him, do you really think a foolishly cautious guy like him would take it at face value?” “…Would you mind telling us who you think the leader is, just in case?” “It’s that girl with the hairpin over there, right?
Shiranami-chan, was it?” “N-No way…
How?!” When I pointed her out, Shiranami-chan went pale and covered her mouth with both hands.
…I mean, come on, at least feign ignorance and put up a fight?
Bankai-chan and Zaki-chin are desperately trying to act calm, and you just ruined it.
“…Why did you think it was Chihiro-chan?” “I could tell just by looking.
It might be nosy of me, but you should hide it a bit better.
…Alright, I’ve got something to do, so I’m off.” “…Something to do?
What do you mean?” “I got a bit intrigued.
No real meaning to it, but just to kill time, I thought I’d go uncover the leaders of each class.
Good luck with the exam, I’m rooting for you.” Basking in gazes filled with unhideable vigilance, I left Class B’s base camp.
If this raised their alert level, that was a win in itself.
Their unity was impressive, but relying solely on that to fight us moving forward was unreliable.
…So don’t hate me if Class C guesses your leader this time.
Rather, why is no one doubting that a spy is mixed in?
At Class C’s base camp, which Katsuragi had told me about beforehand, a lavish BBQ was underway.
…And for some reason, I ended up partaking in the feast too.
“Man, I feel kinda bad, Ryunkel, getting treated to all this.
I was just thinking I was running low on protein, yep.” “Kukuku, don’t worry about it, help yourself.
Right now, Class C and Class A are allies who should be holding hands.
Besides, Kaneda just contacted me.
Sounds like you helped us narrow down Class B’s leader.” “Inviting students from other classes without a trace of suspicion was honestly questionable to me.
Since that’s fatal when fighting against us or you, I pushed them down the ravine out of a little old lady’s concern.” “What’s that supposed to mean?
From their perspective, it must be quite the unwanted favor.” “Well, since it’s meddling I did just so I can enjoy myself in the future, it really is unwanted trouble.” Still, what a sight.
Aside from the BBQ set, it was an parade of every conceivable tool needed for entertainment…
a spending spree that ground the concept of saving into fine dust and liquefied it.
To Horirin, Bankai-chan, and the others who didn’t know about our deal, it must look like pure madness.
…Once most of Class C’s students retire shortly, they’ll be even more stunned.
“By the way, given the terms of that contract, you’ve sent a spy into Class D too, right?” “Yeah, Ibuki.
She’s still probing things over there…
but it’s only a matter of time.” “The ones who let her in were probably Hirata-kun or Kushida-chan.
Nobody has enough sense of crisis, geez.” “Speaking of Class D, Suzune came by earlier with that goldfish poop trailing behind her to scout us out.
Since they’re making the rounds to every class, shouldn’t she be starting to probe Class A pretty soon?” “For real?
Then I better head back before Totsuka or someone pulls another rude stunt.
…Thanks for the food, then.
I look forward to seeing how Katsuragi and Totsuka dance in the palm of your hand.” “Kukuku, so you noticed the loophole in the contract after all.
And yet you didn’t point it out to him—how cold-hearted.
…Fine by me.
I’ll make them dance as exuberantly as you want, so enjoy watching.” Now then, last is Class D, huh.
Class C’s leader is predictably Ryunkel, no doubt…
Well, given the terms of that contract, a few people had to stay on the island anyway, and given his demeanor, Ryunkel—who seems to trust no one but himself—would never leave the leader role to someone else and wait on the ship for the results, yep.
“Katsuragi-san!
These guys came to scout out our sleeping quarters!
What dirty cheats!” “Making a fuss over a mere plastic sheet.
We’re only taking a brief look inside.” Oh boy, when I got back, they were arguing just as expected.
Inferring the situation, Totsuka was barely holding back Horirin and Cozy, who had come to scout our class, and Katsuragi arrived right after.
…If they look inside, it’ll be exposed that we’re trading with Class C.
Now then, Katsuragi, how are you going to slip out of this predicament?
“You may do as you like, but be prepared.
The moment you lay a single finger on it, I will report it to the school as interference.
I cannot guarantee what will happen to Class D as a result.” “I already explained to Totsuka-kun, but monopolizing a spot isn’t a protected right under the rules.” “That is true, but I consider it an unwritten rule that one class secures a single spot as a base camp, holds it until the end of the exam, and continues to earn points.
Encroaching on that will cause chaos, and naturally, we will retaliate by barging into Class D’s base camp.
…I believe unnecessary trouble should be avoided, but am I wrong?” Hmm, hmm, he managed to talk his way out of it pretty well.
Having been bullied by Arisu so much, it seems he’s grown a bit—impressive.
Horirin must have judged that persuasion was impossible, because she turned on her heel and walked away from the cave entrance.
“Fine then.
I’ll look forward to seeing the results of Class A’s true capabilities.” “You sound quite spirited.
I shall look forward to seeing how you desperately struggle.” While not as blatant as Totsuka, Katsuragi also possessed that peculiar Class A arrogance, naturally looking down on lower classes.
That’s why you’re going to end up dancing the lambada with Totsuka in the palm of Ryunkel’s hand.
…Now then, “Oiii, boys and girls over there~” “Honjo, huh.” “Gh…” Waiting until Katsuragi and the others were out of sight, I called out to the two trudging back.
Cozy aside, Horirin immediately went into high alert.
Still disliked…
but it wasn’t just that.
Did she catch a cold?
Up close, she looked completely worn out.
…This is a good opportunity; maybe I should try poking at her.
“Sorry about that, coming all this way just to get turned away.
…Seriously, stingy over a mere sleeping spot, that old Lightbulb Monster.” “Harsh words for Katsuragi…” “Well, I was enjoying visiting other classes, but now I can’t go to Class D’s place.” “Yes, and I will firmly refuse.” “Cheer up~ …Still, Horirin, what’s wrong?
You seem even more guarded than usual.” “I heard from Ichinose-san earlier that you uncovered Class B’s leader.
Since such a dangerous person is trying to come to my class, it’s only natural to be guarded, isn’t it?” “If you heard it from Bankai-chan, you know there’s no harm even if I figure it out, right?
Even if you’re the leader, isn’t that being a bit too stiff?” “What are you talking about?
I don’t recall saying I was the leader.” Compared to Shiranami-chan, she maintained a decent poker face despite being sick, but…
sorry, I can tell when someone’s lying.
Class D lacked unity, so rather than entrusting the leader role to the class as a whole, I guessed they would assign it to someone reliable, so I threw a wild guess…
but I didn’t expect to hit the bullseye.
I was planning to negotiate cleverly and locate them gradually, so I feel like I lost out big time.
“Ah, my bad, my bad.
Horirin has low recognition among other classes and is reliable, so I thought for sure you were the leader.” “Your assumption couldn’t be further off.
…It seems I overevaluated you.” “If you’re going to mock me, at least hide what’s peeking out of your pocket first.” Almost reflexively, Horirin looked down at her pocket, but of course no keycard was sticking out.
Perhaps out of anger at being teased, Horirin glared at me with eyes that looked capable of murder.
How scary.
“You tricked me…!” “Falling for a simple trap like that—your judgment has dropped quite a bit.
Just because you’re young doesn’t mean you should push yourself too hard.” Though I indirectly pointed out her fever, Horirin turned her back as if telling me it was none of my business.
“Let’s go, Ayanokoji-kun.
I don’t have time to bother with someone who isn’t taking the exam seriously.” “A-Ah.” “Wow, harsh words.
Well then, good luck on the exam, I’m rooting for you.” Can she really hold out until the end in that state?
…Wait, if she doesn’t hold out, is that actually convenient in a way?
Is that why Cozy remained so unbothered even after I guessed the leader?
Cozy has been unbothered like a machine as long as I’ve known him, so it’s fifty-fifty.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Author’s Note: Kiriha-kun can tell when someone is lying or hiding something, but he can’t divine the exact contents, so that alone isn’t a massive threat.
After all, most humans live while holding lies or secrets.
His true weapons are his precise negotiation and psychological tactics to shake up his opponent.