Second day of the uninhabited island exam, evening.
After exhausting their stamina with two physically demanding challenges in the morning—"Capture the Flag on the Beach" and "Open Water Swimming"—Kitagawa Ryo's group slowed down in the afternoon. As they moved toward the island's central area, they casually completed three nearby tasks, securing two first-place finishes and one second place.
Aside from being beaten by their own classmate Miyake Akito in the "Archery" challenge, their afternoon score efficiency remained solid. Unfortunately, none of the nearby challenges rewarded food supplies or card upgrade opportunities. Such high-reward challenges were too far away, and even if they rushed over, they risked other teams filling the slots first. After weighing their options, the group chose to forgo them.
Since it was only the second day, many students were still moving quickly from one lucrative challenge to another. But starting tomorrow, some teams would inevitably slow down.
Fatigue builds. Students who arrived yesterday afternoon were still energetic and enthusiastic, so they wouldn't feel it yet. But after an entire day of running through forest and beach terrain, it was predictable that many would suffer muscle soreness by tomorrow morning.
And the third day? That was exactly when the first shrinking of the island's safe zone would occur.
As Kitagawa Ryo stirred the pot over the fire, he pondered the exam rules. That evening, they chose to camp at a narrow and secluded sandbank near the river. It seemed Horikita Suzune and the others had deliberately picked a hidden spot to avoid Karuizawa Kei.
Though in the end, their plan didn't quite work out.
"--What a hassle."
Not far off, a short-haired, athletic-looking girl smiled and pressed her palms together in greeting toward Horikita and her group.
"It's just one meal, and besides, I have something to ask Chiaki."
Sakayanagi Arisu replied lightly while laying down a ground cloth. Once she finished, she exchanged a look with Matsushita Chiaki, who understood immediately and followed her into a small grove nearby.
They were a group from Class D that Kitagawa Ryo and Sakayanagi Arisu had bumped into while collecting water at the river. The group leader was Onodera Kayano, an athlete second only to Horikita in the class, especially skilled in swimming. Her teammates were Wang Meiyu and Matsushita Chiaki—a well-balanced group both academically and physically.
Before Kitagawa promised Mashima-sensei to reform Class D, he hadn't paid much attention to other students in his class. He didn't even know most of their names. For instance, he had thought Wang Meiyu's name was Wang Mi for the longest time, only to learn later that "Mii-chan" was a nickname used by her friends, not her real name.
Wang Meiyu was an international student from China. Her academic performance rivaled Yukimura Teruhiko's, and her English was particularly outstanding. She perfectly embodied East Asia's competitive spirit. She was the one who took first place in the "English Test" challenge that Ichinose Honami had failed to sign up for.
Since Sakayanagi seemed to have something to discuss with Matsushita Chiaki, inviting only one person felt rude. And as they were all from the same class, Kitagawa and Sakayanagi ended up bringing all three girls along.
At most, it meant setting out three more bowls and chopsticks.
While most groups on the island treated points and point-related supplies as top priorities, Kitagawa wasn't particularly concerned.
He had promised Mashima-sensei to help normalize Class D, and this was a good opportunity to socialize with his classmates.
Besides, a camping dinner had a special kind of charm. If it could leave a good memory for his classmates, even better.
As Kitagawa mulled over the idea of organizing a class-wide dinner party later during the island exam, the girls had already happily started chatting.
Although Sakayanagi had pulled Matsushita aside, Kitagawa's group still had Ichinose Honami, the popular center of attention. With her leading the conversation, Onodera and Wang Meiyu joined in naturally, exchanging stories about their experiences on the island over the past two days.
"Speaking of which, I saw Hirata-kun from Class A this afternoon."
"He was participating in the 'Impromptu Speech' challenge."
"I don't know what specific topic he drew, but it seemed related to school bullying. He did an excellent job and even took first place."
Wang Meiyu sounded genuinely excited, prompting a teasing smile from Onodera:
"I knew you were going to bring that up again."
"Well, it is Hirata-kun we're talking about."
Ichinose smiled kindly from the side:
"If you really like him, Mii-chan, maybe you should try talking to him. Hirata-kun doesn't seem like a hard person to approach."
And thus began a round of emotional counseling.
Horikita sat with her chin propped up, quietly listening. She eventually realized that Wang Meiyu had developed a faint crush on Hirata Yousuke from Class A, stemming from a chance encounter during the entrance ceremony. However, being somewhat reserved, she never dared take the initiative.
Hirata Yousuke was indeed famous across the grade. Reportedly handsome, well-mannered, academically successful, a soccer club member, and humble—he naturally attracted attention from many girls. That was also why Wang Meiyu had hesitated to get closer.
Unlike Ichinose, Horikita wasn't the type to give love advice like a guest on a relationship talk show. After all, her own romantic affairs were a tangled mess.
Still, upon hearing the keywords "Hirata Yousuke" and "school bullying," she felt a strange sense of familiarity.
"Dinner time. It's a bit simple, just stew."
Kitagawa's voice cut in just then. Onodera and Wang Meiyu quickly expressed their gratitude. On this uninhabited island, a hot, hearty stew with meat and vegetables was a luxurious treat. From the aroma and presentation alone, Kitagawa's cooking skills were clearly top-notch.
Horikita got up to help. As she caught sight of the stew, a memory flashed in her mind—she remembered when she had heard the name Hirata Yousuke before.
It was nearly three years ago, in winter, back when they were still second-year middle school students. Kitagawa had come home unusually late one night.
He had been at another school's drama club event when he rescued a male student who attempted suicide by jumping off a building due to school bullying. Thanks to timely intervention, the boy—initially declared brain dead—was miraculously saved after hospital treatment.
The person who had accompanied Kitagawa to the hospital was the victim's best friend and eyewitness to the incident.
His name: Hirata Yousuke.
Horikita's gaze flickered.
"What are you thinking about? It'll get cold if you don't eat."
"If you don't want it, I'll eat it, Suzune."
Kitagawa's voice pulled her back from her thoughts. Seeing him seriously reach toward her bowl, Horikita hurriedly scooped up a spoonful.
"..."
Though she hated to admit it, Kitagawa's cooking really was far better than hers.
She used to have a competitive streak, but now she had long given up.
After all, she was the one eating it.
Her expression calm, Horikita didn't slow down as she ate.
But when she reached out for another helping, the pot had only a little left.
Too many people.
-------------------------------------
"You're saying Class C and Class A are working together?"
After hearing the intel from Matsushita Chiaki, Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I saw Ryuuen from Class C deliver a large number of supplies to Hirata's group from Class A. Considering his score had just dropped to zero and became the lowest, it's likely that Ryuuen used his own points to exchange for those supplies."
Chiaki gave a detailed response.
She was a self-aware girl who considered herself excellent but not a genius. She didn't see herself as the kind of person who could take the lead in things. Moreover, perhaps due to a smooth life over the past sixteen years, there was a hidden yearning deep in her heart to chase after things others wouldn't—something mysterious, something thrilling.
And Sakayanagi Arisu happened to match all those conditions.
Otherwise, Matsushita Chiaki wouldn't have followed her so willingly.
"Did you run into any other groups? Any other intel?"
"I encountered Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."
As if anticipating Sakayanagi's question, Chiaki quickly responded:
"It was during the 'Puzzle' task. He completed the highest difficulty—an uncolored puzzle—and received first place, along with a reward to upgrade a basic card."
"Do you know what card he holds?"
"No idea."
Chiaki shook her head. Of the four basic cards—[Double], [Hitchhike], [Supply], and [Discount]—only [Double] and [Hitchhike] took effect after the uninhabited island exam, and [Supply] and [Discount] were also hard to distinguish. After all, it was impossible to know whether another student's supplies were purchased with points or obtained from a card, and even if they were purchased, there was no way to confirm whether a discount had been applied.
In the end, unless the cardholder openly declared their card, no one could really know. Basic cards were hard enough to track—special cards were even more elusive.
As of now, no special cardholders in the grade had been exposed.
Sakayanagi Arisu silently pondered for a while before asking abruptly:
"What happens if a special cardholder receives the upgrade reward meant for a basic card?"
Chiaki looked confused and shook her head. That was clearly beyond her knowledge.
-------------------------------------
Around the campfire, the groups of Kitagawa Ryo and Matsushita Chiaki—seven people in total—enjoyed steaming stew while chatting casually about all sorts of everyday topics from their class. Kitagawa listened with great interest.
"Didn't expect Sudou's group to have climbed to sixth place already, huh."
Onodera glanced at her watch and commented absentmindedly.
"They've been working really hard. I ran into them a few times these past two days."
Ichinose Honami nodded in agreement.
"They're currently the highest-ranking group in Class D."
Wang Meiyu sighed, but then realized something and blushed, quickly apologizing:
"...If you hadn't invited us for dinner tonight, your group probably wouldn't have dropped in the rankings."
"Don't worry about it. We can earn those points back."
Ichinose hurried to reassure her, afraid she might feel guilty:
"And even if we hadn't met up with you, Ryo was planning to buy the ingredients anyway."
"Yeah. Gotta eat well to stay strong, right?"
Kitagawa Ryo casually waved his hand. He really hadn't been stingy with points when it came to buying food. Tonight's stew for seven cost him three portions of expensive fresh meat. After all, everyone had been running around all day. Even though the rest were girls, they ate plenty.
He had clearly seen Horikita Suzune's hand freeze in midair just as she was about to get a second helping.
Though maybe it was just because his cooking was too good.
Honestly, if not for the effect of the level 3 [Discount] card, Kitagawa's group wouldn't have just dropped to tenth—they might have fallen to mid-rank.
"Speaking of which, didn't the top-ranked Katsuragi group's points stay the same during both lunch and dinner? I can't really remember."
Chiaki hesitated, checking her watch.
"They probably secured enough food from some challenge. Plus, their group's strong to begin with."
Onodera commented nonchalantly, and then smoothly shifted the topic away. After all, most Class D students hadn't paid much attention to the top-three competition.
Frankly, the fact that Kitagawa's group had held the first spot for a while had already been a pleasant surprise.
Since they needed to return to their own camp across the river before it got completely dark, Chiaki's group didn't stay too long. After exchanging a few more stories, they said their goodbyes. Kitagawa's group, ensuring their safety, escorted them across the river before returning.
After a long day of travel and chatting, the four members of Kitagawa's group were too tired to dwell on anything like they had the night before. After quickly tidying up and washing, they said goodnight and retreated into their two tents.
The night deepened.
In his sleep, Kitagawa vaguely heard someone calling his name. As he cracked one eye open, he saw a pair of glowing firefly-colored eyes close to his face. Familiar and reassuring, he closed his eye again and casually draped an arm over her shoulder, mumbling:
"Go to sleep."
But then he snapped awake.
He was on the uninhabited island, wasn't he? Hotaru wasn't here. How could she be sleeping next to him?
Jolting fully awake, Kitagawa opened his eyes again and once more met those familiar eyes.
Amused, almost-smiling Amasawa Ichika was lying beside him, her hair brushing across his vision. He could hear her stifled laughter and soft breathing beside his ear.
"Awake now?"
"Ichika? What are you doing here?"
Kitagawa shook his head, pulled his arm back, and sat up.
"Where's Airi? Weren't you in a group with her?"
"Sakura-san's sleeping soundly right now. That's why I dared sneak over to find you."
"This camping spot is way too remote, you know. I almost lost you guys."
Ichika stood up too, speaking casually.
"You're not hurt, are you?"
Realizing she had come through the forest alone at night, Kitagawa asked with concern.
"I'm fine."
Ichika seemed very pleased by the concern. She then asked:
"What level is your basic card now?"
"Level 3."
"Okay, now it's level 4. You have to do your best, Ryo. I'll try to earn you a few more upgrade opportunities too—those cards are useless to me anyway."
Grinning, Ichika operated her watch, then stood on tiptoe and gently bumped her forehead against Kitagawa's.
[Chosen One: The cardholder's point gains are increased by 50%.]
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