Patience

The sea breeze gently brushed past, lifting a few stray strands of hair from Kiyona's cheeks. She didn't ask further questions. Years of unspoken understanding and her unconditional trust in Kanade made her inquiry concise and direct, hitting the core of their action plan:

"What's your final judgment?"

Her tone was naturally calm, conveying a complete handover of decision-making authority—when it came to analysis and judgment, she had always deferred to Hoshino Kanade.

Hoshino Kanade's gaze remained steady, sweeping over the island's winding coastline and undulating jungle contours like a precision instrument, imprinting every detail into his mind.

Hearing Kiyona's question, his movements paused almost imperceptibly, then he spoke, his voice as calm as if discussing dinner choices:

"Combining previous observations, the tendency of the broadcast guidance, and the deliberate artificial intervention marks on the island... the most likely direction is already emerging." He turned his head, his deep eyes looking directly at Kiyona, "It seems like it's most likely a survival-type exam."

"So—" He deliberately drew out the end of his sentence, not to confirm her understanding, but more like leisurely revealing a small secret, "If the rules allow, we'll proceed with the original plan and go on 'vacation' with Shiina."

Upon hearing this, Kiyona's delicate eyebrows flickered upward for a brief moment, and then a knowing "As expected" rippled through her clear, cool eyes.

The scene of Shiina Hiyori extending an invitation on the deck, and Hoshino Kanade's immediate acceptance, instantly became clear.

"You knew already?" she asked softly, her tone devoid of surprise, only a natural certainty—after all, the decision was made by Hoshino Kanade, who always anticipated moves further ahead than others.

She tilted her head slightly, her clear gaze resting quietly on his face, waiting for his further explanation.

A faint, almost imperceptible arc curved the corner of Hoshino Kanade's lips. "I wouldn't say 'knew already'." He honestly denied the statement. "At that time, it was just a vague guess. This kind of judgment is more about the highest probability pointed to by logical deduction from limited clues, or rather..." He paused, his voice low and firm, "an 'intuition' built on a foundation of rationality."

He skillfully wove a description of an objective process, omitting certain deeper "prophetic" qualities.

"Heh..." Kiyona let out a soft laugh, a mixture of understanding and faint helplessness.

Understanding his line of thought, she no longer had any objections.

Immediately after, that trace of helplessness quickly faded like mist blown away by the wind.

In its place, a tiny spark was quietly ignited deep within the clear depths of her eyes.

She gazed out at the exam island, so close at hand, cloaked in the guise of paradise:

"Exams and such... I don't want to bother with them." she stated frankly, her tone carrying its usual detachment.

However, in the next second, the end of her sentence subtly lifted with an almost imperceptible hint of positivity. "But..." she paused slightly, her gaze lightly sweeping over Hoshino Kanade, as if piercing through him to glimpse the unknown picture about to unfold as she walked together with Shiina, "Since it's an action taken with 'friends', then treating it as a special 'survival vacation' in a scenic area, sounds..." The corner of her lip also curved into a tiny arc, "Not too bad?"

Her voice, rarely, blended a note of near-ease and novelty.

Years of training and experience had long smoothed away her fear of "survival" itself. Now, instead, a curiosity was quietly piqued—she wanted to see what novel tricks this meticulously arranged stage and survival game could perform.

Exploring unknown rules and challenges with trustworthy companions, this format... seemed to possess a unique appeal.

Hoshino Kanade caught the fleeting glint in her eyes and nodded slightly.

No further words were needed; their minds were in sync. The objective remained unchanged, and the "vacation" would proceed as planned.

Hoshino Kanade and Kiyona turned around simultaneously, their gazes returning to the island that loomed larger in the twilight.

The luxurious cruise ship finally broke through the blue waves, approaching the destination covered in lush vegetation. The island, like a massive emerald inlaid on the boundless sapphire, its outline clearly visible to all passengers.

The Class D students were also captivated by the magnificent scenery, flocking to the front of the deck for the best viewing spots. Excited pointing and exclamations rose and fell, and the deck was momentarily filled with anticipation and joy.

However, the commotion abruptly changed. A rough shove and undisguised shouts erupted from the rear of the crowd:

"Hey, you trash blocking the way! Move it! You're in the way crowding here!"

Several tall, arrogant-looking male students roughly pushed aside the Class D students blocking their path, forcefully occupying the area with the best view. The Hedgehog Haired Boy at the forefront wore undisguised contempt on his face. He scanned the surroundings, seeing most of the Class D students reluctantly backing down, and then set his sights on Yamauchi Haruki, who was talking to Ike Kanji.

"I'm talking to you! What are you spacing out for? Get out of the way!" Before he even finished speaking, he took a forceful step forward, his shoulder carrying full intent of humiliation and warning, and slammed hard into Yamauchi Haruki—a typical move to make an example of someone.

"Ugh!" Yamauchi, caught off guard, was sent stumbling backward by the powerful force, his back slamming hard against the cold metal railing of the ship's side. The violent tremor spread along his spine, and he instinctively gripped the railing tightly, barely managing to steady himself and avoid a humiliating fall.

A mix of shock and anger surged through him, and Yamauchi abruptly turned his head, his cheeks flushing red, "What are you doing?!"

The Hedgehog Haired Boy crossed his arms, looking down at the disheveled Yamauchi from above, a look of extreme disdain on his lips. "What am I doing? Just teaching a blind Class D trash who doesn't know his place a lesson."

His gaze was like a knife, sweeping over the Class D students, who had fallen into instant silence due to the conflict. His voice suddenly rose, filled with ingrained superiority, "Haven't you realized the reality yet, you flawed goods? This school believes in naked power! Class A, B, C, D! Clearly defined ranks! You lot, the defective products selected, should obediently stay at the bottom like trash, don't even think about blocking the path of higher-ranked classes!"

This naked declaration of hierarchy, like poisoned ice picks, pierced through the excitement of the Class D students, which had been rising due to the "vacation," freezing it instantly.

Lies are not sharp blades; truth is the swift knife.

Humiliation and unwillingness fermented in the silence. Many clenched their fists tightly, their knuckles turning white from the force, trembling slightly at their sides, enduring.

This bitter taste had been their constant companion since they enrolled.

A silent rage burned fiercely within the crowd: Just you wait... next exam... we'll give it our all to get Class Points! We'll completely change this situation!

"Flawed goods?"

A mocking voice, trailing off with a long, drawn-out tone, suddenly cut through the heavy dead silence.

Yamauchi Haruki, who had just been treated as the "chicken to be made an example of," now stood straighter.

He met the contemptuous gaze of the Class B student without flinching, imitating the other's arrogant tone and deliberately elongating his words:

"Oh—so you mean Class B, who 'accidentally' fell from the glorious Class A within the first month of school due to insufficient points, and now has to breathe the same deck air as us 'flawed goods' at the bottom?"

He shrugged exaggeratedly, feigning realization as he spread his hands, his voice full of flamboyant mockery:

"My, my, my apologies! I really thought you were from Class A, standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid~ Tsk tsk, looking at it that way, your level doesn't seem much higher than ours, does it?"

He paused, then delivered the fatal blow in an extremely irritating, flippant tone:

"Felt... just so-so?"

Lies are not sharp blades; truth is the swift sword.

Yamauchi's full-power "sarcastic jabs" were like a resounding slap delivered with the back of a hand, fiercely striking the faces of the Class B students.

The deliberately drawn-out "so-so," the extreme contempt in "felt just so-so," didn't inflict much damage, but the insult was off the charts!

"You... want to die?!" The hedgehog-haired guy and the Class B students behind him instantly ignited, their faces turning ashen, veins bulging on their foreheads.

The hedgehog-haired leader was furious, taking a heavy step forward, his fists clenching with a cracking sound, his fierce gaze locked onto Yamauchi—to have their most painful scar publicly exposed by a Class D nobody enraged them far more than any punch!

The air tensed like a bowstring, threatening to be torn apart by bloodshed the next second!