Fantasy

The scorching sun beat down on the soft white sand, while the waves at their feet still carried a hint of coolness.

Teacher Chabashira Sae stood before the students, holding an Electronic Clip. Her expression was as stern as ever, creating a subtle contrast with the Tracksuit she wore, identical to the students'.

Rather than the start of a dream vacation, it felt more like the signal for a Training Camp.

"D Class attendance will now begin." Chabashira's voice was clear and formal, cutting through the roar of the waves. "When your name is called, please confirm and respond!"

She began calling the names in order, her gaze sweeping over each student who was supposed to be there.

There was certainly no sense of a relaxing vacation in the air. Instead, it was filled with an indescribable tension.

Still, perhaps the Blue Sea and Blue Sky before them were too deceptive, or perhaps their lingering hopes outweighed their doubts. Many students still looked relaxed, even a little careless.

After all, without Ironclad Evidence right in front of them, people were always more willing to believe what they wanted to believe.

"Haah—" Kanji Ike, not far from Hoshino Kanade and the others, idly nudged the sand with his toe and let out a long sigh.

"I hope attendance ends soon... Let's get to Free Time already! The ocean's so beautiful!" His complaint spoke for many. They were still eagerly looking forward to the so-called "Free Time."

Before long, D Class attendance was over, and the other classes had finished theirs as well.

Just then, a Lively Figure that clashed with the atmosphere came bouncing onto the white makeshift stage set up in the middle of the beach—it was A Class's homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya Chie.

She was also the school's nurse, so she rarely interacted with students from the other classes.

Her outfit today was positively Cool and Cute: the sea breeze tousled her medium-length, slightly curled Hair Strands, and she wore a fitted sports tank top with a Sun Protection Shirt casually thrown over it. Her Sports Shorts showed off her shapely, long legs.

She looked so full of youthful energy that she seemed more like one of the students than a teacher, instantly drawing the attention of nearly every boy there.

From the moment she stepped onto the stage, quite a few people held their breath, their eyes fixed on her as if drawn by a magnet.

Hoshinomiya didn't seem to mind the attention at all. She first brushed back her wavy hair, then beamed at the crowd and gave a signature playful wink toward several parts of the audience. She even struck a cute pose and called out with boundless energy, "Yahallo~ How's everyone doing? (∠・ω＜ )⌒☆"

A louder wave of cheers rose from the crowd, mixed with excitement and catcalls.

Yamauchi Haruki stared at her, dazed and practically out of his mind. "Oh, Mom... I feel like the third time I've fallen in love in my life has finally arrived..."

Kanji Ike scoffed beside him, though even he had to admit that Hoshinomiya was really cute.

However, B Class's homeroom teacher, Majima Tomoya, wasn't nearly so relaxed.

The tall English teacher, renowned for his usually rigorous teaching style, furrowed his brows as he watched Hoshinomiya's overly casual, almost "moe-style performance" onstage. He was filled with objections.

He thought it was entirely unbecoming of a teacher's dignity.

His lips moved several times, but in the end, he remembered that Hoshinomiya was currently the homeroom teacher of A Class, while he was only B Class's homeroom teacher. He could only stand aside with his arms crossed, his expression even more serious than usual.

Hoshinomiya Chie completely ignored the low-pressure atmosphere Majima was giving off. She adjusted the microphone, her voice still sweet and light, but what she said began to veer off course:

"First of all~ On behalf of the teachers, Hoshinomiya is super, super happy that everyone made it safely to this super—beautiful island today! (˘︶˘).｡.:*♡" She spread her arms in a gesture of embracing the sea.

"But~" Her tone shifted, taking on a hint of regret. "On the other hand, it's super unfortunate that one student couldn't join us on this trip because of health issues. I hope she gets better soon~" Hoshinomiya wore an expression of sincere regret.

Kanji Ike quietly scoffed from the crowd. "Ha! Some idiot got sick and missed out on this? What a pity... She must have brought it on herself." A few voices beside him murmured their agreement, with a hint of schadenfreude.

Before the cruel truth came to light, this combination of a "Luxury Cruise Ship and Private Island" looked like a top-tier gift in every way.

They never dreamed that this "sympathy" would soon turn into a huge boomerang and come crashing right back at them.

Then Hoshinomiya tilted her head slightly, her pure, adorable eyes sparkling like little stars as she looked over the crowd. From her cherry-red lips, warm as 37-degree Celsius, came words cold enough to freeze every last fantasy:

"Okay~ So, next up—☆" She deliberately drew out her words, then flashed a playful, little-devil smile. "I have something super important to announce! (ﾟ▽ﾟ)"

"We're about to begin this school year's first—major! Special Examination! ヾ(●ω●)ノ"

Her cute gestures and energetic, girlish tone rang over the beach like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky.

"Huh?!" "What?!" "Wait... An exam? What's going on?" "A Special Examination? Now? Here?" "You've got to be kidding!"

The students from all four classes burst into disbelieving shouts and questions. The students who had just been imagining Beach Volleyball and sunbathing suddenly froze, their relaxation replaced in an instant by shock, confusion, and even anger. For those still immersed in their vacation dreams, the turn of events was like a blow to the head!

And yet, people could be remarkably good at deceiving themselves.

Even when the truth was staring them in the face, they clung to one last bit of hope until the "evidence" was undeniable.

A luxurious summer vacation organized by the school out of "kindness"? As it turned out, it really had been nothing but an illusion, as fleeting as a reflection of the moon in water.

Hoshinomiya Chie acted as if she couldn't see the commotion below—or perhaps it was all part of the effect she wanted her words to have.

Her smile never changed as she delivered their "death sentence" in the cutest possible voice:

"This exam will last for exactly one week, starting right now~ It'll end promptly at noon on August 7, which is next Wednesday! (´▽`ʃƪ)"

She held up a slender finger and playfully wagged it.

"And during this whole week~ you're all going to~" Her voice dipped slightly, taking on a hint of mysterious allure as she delivered an even harsher truth. "Spend a wonderful, loving group vacation on this... uninhabited island that belongs to our school! ヽ(•̀ω•́ )ゝ"

"—That's everything this exam entails! (｀・ω・´)"

"Live... on an Uninhabited Island...?" one student repeated, their voice trembling.

Hoshinomiya nodded emphatically, as if confirming the rules of an interesting game. "That's right, that's right! Basically, it's wilderness survival~ You'll have to set up camp here, solve all kinds of problems yourselves, and help each other out! ヽ(^.^)丿"

She paused, as if she'd just remembered something, then added, "Oh, right, right! Just between us, I didn't make up this exam myself! It was designed based on real training programs that major companies use to train their employees! (◕‿◕✿)"

She raised a finger for emphasis. "So it's super, super practical! And super—realistic! You all have to take it seriously! (ง •̀_•́)ง"

"Live... on an Uninhabited Island? Stay here? Right on the beach? In the forest? Weren't we supposed to stay on the Luxury Cruise Ship?" A student who had finally caught on cried out, their voice full of fear and disbelief.

The sea was still as blue as ever, and the sun still shone brightly, but in their eyes, this paradise had instantly become a jungle examination ground full of dangers.