"Thank you for your generosity, Katsuragi-kun. This is the kind of demeanor a class leader should have."
Having obtained the answer he wanted, Hashima Hikaru spoke to Katsuragi Kouhei with a smile.
"You should leave quickly. You are not welcome here." Katsuragi Kouhei did not respond to the boy's praise and coldly ordered the three of them to leave.
"Alright, then we'll go."
Led by Hashima Hikaru, the two girls quickly walked out of the cave. Although they were curious about what the device the boy had just seen looked like, they didn't choose to ask at this time. Leaving quickly was the best decision.
After the three figures had completely disappeared, Totsuka Yahiko walked to Katsuragi Kouhei's side and awkwardly explained, "Sorry, Katsuragi-kun, I lost my composure just now..."
"I hope you truly recognize your mistake and will never make it again!"
Katsuragi Kouhei's tone was very strict as he rebuked Totsuka Yahiko: "From now until the end of the exam, you are not allowed to speak to anyone from other classes who comes to spy on our base, understood?"
"I understand. I don't think I'll make the same mistake again."
Totsuka Yahiko's attitude of determination was still very correct, but no one could really know to what extent he could achieve it.
The Class A trio walked a long way from the cave before stopping. Seeing the sudden smile on the boy's face, Ichinose Honami and Andou Sayo were both surprised.
"What's wrong? Why are you so happy, Hashima-kun?"
"Because we got a lot out of this trip."
Hashima Hikaru smiled and said to the two girls, "Actually, when we saw Katsuragi Kouhei at the entrance of the cave just now, we couldn't determine whether he was the real leader. But the sentence I deliberately said just now unexpectedly made him reveal a flaw."
"Really?" An expectant expression appeared on Andou Sayo's small face as she stared straight at the boy's face.
"Was it the self-deprecating remark Hashima-kun made at the end? I thought at the time that the sentence must have a deep meaning." A smile appeared on Ichinose Honami's lips.
"That's right, it was that sentence."
Hashima Hikaru turned back and looked at the cave, which was now far away from them, and explained to the two of them, "Although we saw Katsuragi Kouhei and the key card he was holding in the cave, this cannot be the basis for us to make a judgment because we didn't see the name on it."
"So I guessed that since he took the initiative to do this, it might be deliberate," the boy paused, then continued, "But the test I just did made him almost instinctively glance at a certain classmate next to him."
"And this classmate happened to have appeared at the entrance of the cave with Katsuragi before. If they are inseparable in order to protect the key card, then the answer is obvious."
"I know, it's Totsuka-kun, right?"
Ichinose Honami thought for a moment and quickly came to her answer.
"I see, I think I understand what Katsuragi-kun meant. He puts the leader by his side and makes himself the main target to attract the attention of others, right?" Andou Sayo also followed the train of thought, and her eyes were shining with excitement.
"Yes, Class B's leader is Totsuka Yahiko."
Hashima Hikaru made a final conclusion. After all, he had watched the scene just now very carefully. When he took the initiative to mention the word "leader," Katsuragi almost subconsciously glanced to the side, and there was only Totsuka Yahiko in that direction.
People's instincts don't lie. In order to confirm the status of his class leader, he exposed this fact on the spot.
"In this case, haven't we gained a very powerful advantage? As expected of Hashima-kun, your brain is really useful."
"Yes, I think so too."
The pink-haired girl looked at Hashima Hikaru's profile with a gaze full of unchanging affection.
"It's just luck. Let's hurry back to the camp. We can have a debriefing with the remaining two groups tonight, and we still need to formulate a plan of action for the future."
The trio returned the way they had come, and since they had already walked it once, everyone's speed was much faster. They soon returned to the Class A camp.
"It's Hashima-kun!"
"And Ichinose-san and Andou-san. You're back."
The students who remained at the camp immediately gathered around after seeing the familiar figures. Everyone had excited expressions on their faces, wanting to hear if they had obtained any important information.
"Where are the other two groups?" Hashima Hikaru scanned the camp with his eyes.
"Kanzaki-kun and the others have already returned, but it seems like they went out again to collect supplies," the students standing closer explained, "and Shibata-kun and the others haven't returned yet."
"I see."
The boy nodded. He looked at the time on his watch and then at the brightness of the sky.
Because it was summer, it would probably be dark around seven or eight o'clock. There was still some time before the roll call, so they could make full use of it.
"Well then, did everyone collect any herbs or plants today? I'll identify them. Maybe they can be useful."
He decided to fully utilize the effect of the [Wilderness Survival (Master)] skill he had previously exchanged. Whether it was to prevent disease or to test the safety of food, he could ensure that the students in his class obtained more resources. This was a very important way to save exam points.
"I did. They're over there. Come with me, Hashima-kun."
"Okay."
While the boy was carefully examining the herbs that the students had dug up from the forest, Ichinose Honami and Andou Sayo were also not idle. Everyone was actively contributing their strength to serve the class. This was what a united group should do when facing an exam.
After the roll call in the evening, everyone who had finished eating assigned some students to carry out fumigation operations with the insect repellent herbs that Hashima Hikaru had just prepared. This would not only leave a pleasant fragrance in the camp but also reduce the chance of mosquitoes approaching.
Because a stream passed through the camp, everyone had long since set up temporary washing spots. The boys and girls maintained an orderly system to clean their bodies, while others were cleaning kitchen utensils or organizing and counting the supplies they had obtained today.
Hashima Hikaru sat on the small hillside behind the camp and looked at the scenery below. He had just spoken with the other two members who had gone out to find bases and formulated an action plan for tomorrow.
"Hashima-kun?"
Just as the boy was relaxing his body, a familiar fragrance suddenly came from behind him. It was Ichinose Honami.
She seemed to have already taken a shower and was walking behind Hashima Hikaru in a thin short-sleeved shirt. Because it was night, the campfire in the camp could only illuminate part of her face, but it did not affect the girl's beauty at all.
"What's wrong?" Hashima Hikaru asked softly.
"I want to talk to Hashima-kun. Is that okay?" The girl's voice was very soft.
"Of course, but..."
Just as Hashima Hikaru said the word "okay," Ichinose Honami quickly sat next to the boy and put her head directly on his shoulder.
"Uh... is this how we chat?"
"Yes. I have a lot to say to Hashima-kun. Is that okay?" The pink-haired girl blinked her still-radiant eyes and stared straight at Hashima Hikaru's face.
"..."
"Alright."
Even if he didn't understand romance, perhaps they could provide each other with a little warmth in this unfamiliar wilderness environment.
Hashima Hikaru leaned a little towards Ichinose Honami, allowing her to lean on him better, and said gently, "Then let's chat, Ichinose-san."
"Okay."
May Summary and Review
Hello everyone, this is the author.
May has come to an end. I have continued to update every day this month without taking any leave. I have updated about 170,000 words, which can be considered as fulfilling my promise from last month.
Regarding the review.
I read every comment and message, whether it's discussing the plot or complaining about me, I can accept it, but I hope you don't use swear words.
During this period, the opinions of the readers are mainly divided into two parts.
The first is to set purchasing stamina as the male protagonist's main direction for improvement. Regarding this, my idea is actually very simple. The male protagonist does not know what special exams will happen later, so most of the skills will not be purchased if there is no urgent need. The short-term upgrade from physical trash to physical excellence is his initial choice.
It's true that I didn't think clearly about making everyone feel speechless or unhappy. Please forgive me.
The second is the issue of the slow plot progression. Regarding this, my plan is to allocate time to the plots of each female protagonist. The distance of interaction and the development of the emotional lines all require a process. It's impossible to fall in love with the male protagonist immediately.
Perhaps the descriptions in terms of detail and brevity are not very good, so it seems a bit too draggy to everyone. I will slowly speed up the pace. Please be lenient.
Regarding the future.
After two months, although the subscription data for this book has suffered serious losses, I think as long as there are still people reading it, I will not stop updating.
Recently, I found that many books of the same type have been abandoned. Some friends said that if the data for this book is too bad, I should just stop it and there's no need to continue.
But as I said before, this is the first book I've published. It's everyone's freedom to support or abandon the book. If I'm not capable enough to attract everyone to continue reading, then let me work hard slowly.
The focus is on writing a complete book as my confidence, so I will continue to write it.
Tomorrow is Children's Day, I wish everyone a happy holiday.
Thank you to the readers who have always supported me.
Love you all.