"Hey Saito, how much further are we walking?"
The sound of crunching leaves filled the air as Ike asked the question.
"We should get there in about two minutes. Just hang in there a little longer."
I know he's anxious because I haven't told him where we're going, but I'm the one carrying a 15-kilogram tent, so I wish he'd be a little more patient.
"He's right! You're not carrying anything, so just be quiet!"
I wasn't the only one who felt that way, and boos came from the girls, including Shinohara. Well, it couldn't be helped, since I was carrying one of the only two tents, and Yosuke had the other.
"Shut up... why do you always have to pick a fight?"
"What? It's because you're saying weird things like we don't need a toilet!"
Another argument was about to break out between the boys and girls. Seriously, this was the third time this had happened.
"Oh! I can see it. Come on, stop fighting and go check it out."
"What can you see—whoa!"
Beyond the thicket was a clear, 10-meter-wide river and a well-maintained piece of land along its bank that looked like it had been intentionally cleared.
"This is... amazing. This might be the ideal place for a base camp. You're incredible, Tsugumi-kun!"
"Right? That machine embedded in the rock over there is probably the device to occupy it, so let's decide on a leader and get the points soon."
"I'll go check out the area further downstream!"
With those words, Ike took off running. I thought the girls would complain again since he left without our permission, but they didn't.
"Amazing... how did you find this place?"
Their excitement about securing this spot seemed to outweigh any frustration.
"Something in the announcement when the plane circled the island just now caught my attention. I have a rough idea of the island's layout in my head."
"As expected. I didn't even notice."
Even the classic 'tsundere heroine' would be smiling at this.
"Hey! If we occupy this river, it looks like only we can use the downstream area!"
Ike, who had just returned from the lower stream, said excitedly. I went to where he had just come back from and saw a wooden signpost stuck in the ground at another usable location.
"Let's see... 'Designated as a spot; unauthorized use is prohibited.' I see. Ike-kun is right. Alright, let's occupy it. If another class secretly occupies it in the middle of the night, we'll get kicked out."
"You... you think of some scary things sometimes."
No, I'm not thinking of doing it! Seriously! So don't look at me like that.
"It's true, since it's an open area, it's not impossible... I agree. The important thing is who to make the leader."
Yosuke-kun and I talked it over as we walked back to the rock with the machine embedded in it.
Occupying the spot was a given, but deciding who would be the leader was the main key. A mistake here could be fatal. While everyone wanted to avoid this heavy responsibility, Kushida-san told everyone to gather and form a circle, and she started speaking in a low voice.
"I've been thinking about it, and Hirata-kun and Saito-kun will inevitably stand out. But we need to entrust the leader's role to someone with a sense of responsibility, right? I thought Horikita-san was the one who satisfied both conditions... what do you think?"
Oh, that's a good idea. No matter how it turns out, it'll lead to Horikita-san's growth. And since she's gotten surprisingly well-liked after learning to cooperate with others, no one would object.
However, there was one concern. I had to make sure of it.
"I agree, but Horikita-san, are you feeling okay?"
That's right. She had a cold at such a crucial time. I had given her medicine and taken care of her, so I thought she was fine.
"...Thanks to you. Seriously, you're such a busybody even though I told you I was fine."
"Horikita-san was so cute! Her face was all red when Saito-kun was taking care of her, she was so—'Did you say something?'... No! Nothing at all!"
And so, she's become well-liked in this way.
I spread the word about how hard she worked for Sudou-kun and the others, along with the nickname 'tsundere heroine,' and this is the result. But I have no regrets at all.
"Honestly. Besides, that was only because I had a fever—'Alright, that's enough.'..."
Since the conversation was getting complicated, I put a stop to it with my now-familiar cheek-pinching move.
"So, you're feeling alright?"
"Yes. In this situation, Kushida-san's opinion seems correct... does anyone have any thoughts? Even minor ones are fine."
The old her wouldn't have even listened to her classmates' opinions. I'm truly happy to see her growth. I hope she uses this leadership experience to grow even more.
"...It doesn't look like it. Then I'll take on the role. Thank you."
"Yes, thank you, Horikita-san! I'll go call Chabashira-sensei right away!"
Alright, we managed to get it sorted out. I seem to have a pretty good relationship with Kushida-san, too. I don't know what she's thinking inside, though.
As I was thinking that, Horikita, who had finished her conversation, tapped me on the shoulder.
"Hm? What's up, Horikita-san?"
"...Your childhood friend, is she Sakayanagi-san from Class A?"
I was worried when I turned around and saw her serious expression, but it seemed my worry was unfounded.
"Yeah. You mean Arisu-chan, right? What about her?"
"As I thought, you call her by her first name... Um, it's fine if you don't want to... but if this test goes well, would you call me by my first name, 'Suzune'?"
Horikita-san was looking up at me with an anxious expression, tugging on my jersey. Huh? What is this cute creature? The destructive power is so strong it's sacred.
Horikita-san, seeing me in a state of mental shutdown due to the overwhelming cuteness, slowly let go of my jersey, looked down, and whispered weakly.
"...I'm sorry. I said something so sudden. Maybe the heat is getting to me."
She turned to leave as if to escape, but I grabbed her hand. ...I screwed up. But I can't just leave her alone when she's looking so sad.
"Sure. If that's the reward you want for your hard work, I'd be happy to. In return, you have to call me 'Tsugumi-kun,' too, okay?"
"...Okay. K-Kushida-san seems to be calling for me... please let go of my hand."
By the way, Kushida-san just went to call Chabashira-sensei. But it would be rude to point that out to her when her ears are completely red.
"Mhm, okay. Good luck, Horikita-san."
"Of course."
As soon as I let go of her hand, she quickly walked away as if to escape, rejoining the circle of our classmates.
I looked at my right hand, which had unconsciously grabbed Horikita-san's, spreading my palm and staring blankly.
"Sigh. I guess... I can't complain if I get stabbed again."
Being stabbed was seriously painful, so I'd rather not. At least let me choose how I die. I'm still left with some... strange... aftereffects because of that.
"---Can you call me Kiyotaka after this test is over, too?"
"Aah!"
Huh? What... oh, it's Ayanokoji-kun.
"...Don't you think you're overreacting?"
"No, I was seriously scared. I'm telling you, no more 'ninja mode.'"
I probably would've noticed if I were in my right mind, but him showing up when I'm flustered is a bit too much for my heart.
"So, will you call me that?"
"Are we still talking about that?! I don't mind at all. Just give me the report for now."
"Yeah. Got it."
---------
"Seriously? You found out the leader of Class A?"
"Yeah. It's probably Totsuka, the student who shoved me and Sakayanagi."
I was feeling incredibly excited right now. That's because my best friend, Tsugumi, had agreed to call me Kiyotaka. I was frustrated with the current situation where I was calling him by his first name, but he was calling me by my last name. Good job, Horikita. I'll affectionately call you Suzune, too.
"Hmm... him, huh?"
Jokes aside, thanks to my dear friend, Tsugumi, who had me act alone, I was able to get various pieces of information.
"Yeah. I witnessed Katsuragi and Yahiko occupying the cave. To be precise, I didn't see the exact moment, but I checked for occupation after the two of them left the cave."
I explained the situation again. The moment I saw them, Katsuragi was standing at the entrance with a card, and Yahiko came out from the back and joined him before they left.
"Ah, I see. Okay, I'll double-check, but the leader is probably Totsuka-kun."
That's right. Based on the information I had already gotten from Sakayanagi, it was impossible for Katsuragi, who had the card, to be the leader.
When he found the cave, Katsuragi must have had no intention of occupying it. The reason he held it was likely because Yahiko had foolishly occupied it. He must have assumed no one had seen him, but he played it safe. By holding the card and showing himself in the area, he figured he could mislead any potential witnesses about who the leader was.
"Even with a leader card, a leader must perform the occupation directly. I don't know if they check fingerprints or iris patterns, but... this is a huge accomplishment, Ayanokoji-kun. This is going to get interesting."
Tsugumi was grinning mischievously. Seriously, Totsuka has no luck. Not only did he just shove us, but his timing was terrible-.
"Now we just need to confirm the movements of the other classes. Were you able to do that, too?"
"Yeah. As I said before, Class A will likely move very conservatively. And that judgment is not wrong."
The story would change if Sakayanagi's faction and Katsuragi's faction were separate.
But with Class B having a point difference of nearly 300 points, it would be a disaster if they took a gamble and had the leader guessed correctly. Furthermore, there were two spots, a hut and a tower, near the cave that Class A occupied. This means that occupying this entire area for a week would give them nearly 60 points.
"There's no doubt that Class A won't try to guess the leader. Unless they have conclusive information."
"I've come to the same conclusion. And Class C is fishy. Katsuragi was a straightforward type, but Ryuuen is a complete unknown. I can't imagine him just spending a week quietly."
"He could commit acts of violence or plunder, but he would face a huge penalty if he got caught. But that wouldn't stop him. After all, there was the Sudou-kun incident, and he even figured out our camera and voice recorder plan. He might have the same potential as Arisu-chan in this kind of situation."
The voice recorder probably refers to the recording of Ishizaki and the others' reactions when they were told about the surveillance cameras.
The plan was to submit that audio to secure our win, even if they found out the camera was fake. He probably figured out he was being recorded when he saw how calm I was, and dealing with someone who can think that far ahead in that situation is troublesome.
...If I displease that woman, I could be expelled at worst. Losing is impossible, but there's always a possibility.
I was feeling that kind of anxiety, but it vanished when I saw Tsugumi's expression. With a belligerent smile, Tsugumi spoke strongly, as if to encourage me.
"No matter how strong our opponent is, what we have to do doesn't change, Ayanokoji-kun. Think about it the other way around. Do you think it's possible for us to lose?"
"...Haha. You're right."
Why am I being so negative?
I'm not alone anymore. I have Tsugumi and Sakayanagi, and I also have Horikita, who is still growing, even if she's not skilled enough yet. For us to lose? Impossible.
"You want me to call you by your first name, don't you, Ayanokoji-kun? Then get rid of all your unnecessary thoughts and just focus on eliminating the obstacles in front of you."
I'm sure my 'juniors' will come to try and get me expelled by next year. At that time, as their senior, I'll tell them, 'Having friends is a good thing.'
---------
"Saito! It's an emergency! Ryuuen, that guy, he's demanding to see you!"
I heard someone calling out to Tsugumi from a distance.
"Looks like he's already making a move. Well, it seems I'm being called, so I'll go ahead, Ayanokoji-kun."
"Yeah. I'm counting on you."
---------
With a slight sense of excitement from my first-ever fist bump, I made that resolution for my juniors, whose faces I didn't even know.
============
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