Fantasy

The scorching sun baked the fine white sand, and the receding waves brought a cool sensation to the feet.

Teacher Chabashira Sae stood before the students, holding an electronic clip, her expression as stern as ever, creating a subtle contrast with the tracksuits she and the students were wearing.

It felt less like the start of a dream vacation and more like the signal for a training camp to begin.

"We will now begin roll call for Class D," Teacher Chabashira's voice was clear and formulaic, cutting through the roar of the waves. "Those whose names are called, please confirm and respond!"

She began calling names in order from the roster, her gaze sweeping over every student who was supposed to be present.

The air was indeed lacking the relaxed atmosphere of a vacation, instead filled with an indescribable tension.

However, perhaps the blue sea and blue sky before them were too deceptive, or perhaps the lingering expectations in their hearts outweighed their doubts, many students still wore relaxed expressions, even a bit careless.

After all, without ironclad evidence hitting them in the face, people always preferred to believe what they wished to believe.

"Haaah—" Ike Kanji, not far from Hoshino Kanade and the others, idly poked the sand with his toe, letting out a long sigh.

"I really hope the roll call ends quickly... Let's get to free time already! Such a beautiful ocean is right in front of us!" His complaint represented the inner voice of many, who were still eagerly anticipating the so-called "free time."

Soon, the roll call for Class D ended, and the roll calls for the other classes had also been completed long ago.

Just then, a lively figure, completely out of sync with the current atmosphere, bounced onto the white simple podium set up in the center of the beach—it was the homeroom teacher for Class A, Hoshinomiya Chie.

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

Her outfit today was truly cool and cute: her medium-length, wavy hair was slightly messy from the sea breeze, a casual sun protection shirt was thrown over a tight-fitting sports vest, and she wore well-fitting sports shorts, revealing her well-proportioned and slender legs.

This appearance, brimming with youthful vitality, made her seem less like a teacher and more like one of the students, instantly capturing the attention of the vast majority of the boys in the venue.

From the moment she stepped onto the stage, many held their breath, their gazes fixed on her as if drawn by a magnet.

Hoshinomiya-sensei paid no attention to the stares. She first adjusted her wavy hair, then gave a bright smile to the audience below. At the same time, she very naturally gave a signature playful wink in several directions and even made a cute gesture, shouting energetically, "Yaho~ How is everyone doing? (∠・ω＜ )⌒☆"

A louder wave of cheers erupted from below the stage, mixed with excitement and playful heckling.

Yamauchi Haruki stared with his eyes glazed over, muttering as if out of his mind, "Mom... I feel like this is the third time in my life I've experienced a heart flutter..."

Ike Kanji beside him sneered but had to admit that Hoshinomiya was indeed very cute.

However, Majima Tomoya, the homeroom teacher for Class B, was not as relaxed.

This tall English teacher, known for his rigorous teaching style, frowned deeply, watching Hoshinomiya's overly casual and even "moe" behavior on stage, filled with objections.

He believed it was utterly unbecoming of a teacher's dignity.

His lips moved several times, but in the end, considering that Hoshinomiya was currently the Class A homeroom teacher and he was only the Class B 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 aura emanating from Majima-sensei. She adjusted the microphone, her voice still carrying a sugary lightness, but her words began to deviate:

"First of all~ Hoshinomiya, representing the teachers, is very, very happy that all students have successfully and safely arrived on this super--beautiful island today! (˘︶˘).｡.:*♡" She spread her arms, striking a pose that embraced the ocean.

"But~" her tone shifted, with a hint of slight regret, "On the other hand, although there's only one student, it's also super regrettable that she couldn't participate in this trip due to health reasons. I hope she gets well soon~" Hoshinomiya wore a genuinely regretful expression.

Ike Kanji below whispered a sneer, "Ha! There's actually an idiot who got sick and missed out on such a good thing? How pathetic... It's definitely their own fault." A few voices around him echoed with a similar schadenfreude.

Before the cruel truth was revealed, this combination of a "luxury cruise + private island" looked like a top-tier gift.

They could never have imagined that this kind of "sympathy" would soon become a huge boomerang, smashing back at them.

Then, Hoshinomiya-sensei tilted her head slightly, her innocent and cute eyes, sparkling like little stars, scanned the entire venue. Then, from her 37℃ cherry lips, she uttered words so icy they could freeze all fantasies:

"Alright~ Then next--☆" she deliberately drew out the tone, then revealed a mischievous, devilish smile, "I'm going to announce something very important! (ﾟ▽ﾟ)"

"We are about to begin the first! Big! Special! Exam! of this academic year! ヾ(●ω●)ノ"

Her cute actions and energetic girl's tone struck like a bolt from the blue over the beach.

"Huh?!" "What?!" "Wait... an exam? What's going on?" "Special exam? Now? Here?" "Are you kidding me!"

Instantly, incredulous exclamations and questions erupted from the students of all four classes. Those who had been fantasizing about beach volleyball and sunbathing moments ago froze, their faces paling. Shock, confusion, and even anger instantly replaced their relaxed moods. This sudden turn of events was no less than a heavy blow to those still immersed in the dream of a vacation!

However, humans are sometimes so self-deceptive.

Even when the truth was staring them in the face, they would cling to a sliver of hope before the "evidence" was conclusive.

The school's "benevolent" gesture of hosting a luxurious summer trip? It now seemed like a fantasy as illusory as kyōka suigetsu.

Hoshinomiya Chie acted as if she didn't see the commotion below, or perhaps, it was part of the effect of her words.

Her smile remained unchanged, and she pronounced the "death sentence" in the cutest voice:

"The duration of this exam~ will be one full week starting from now! It will end precisely at 12 PM on August 7th, which is next week! (´▽`ʃƪ)"

She extended her slender fingers and wiggled them playfully.

"And during this week~ you all~" her voice suddenly lowered slightly, with a hint of mysterious seduction, yet speaking an even crueler truth, "will spend a period of loving group life together on this... uninhabited~ island that belongs only to our school! ヽ(•̀ω•́ )ゝ"

"--This is the entire content of this exam! (｀・ω・´)"

"Living... on an uninhabited island...?" A student's voice trembled as they repeated the keywords.

Hoshinomiya-sensei nodded vigorously, as if confirming an interesting game rule: "That's right, that's right! Simply put, it's wilderness survival~ ヽ(^.^)丿 You all need to set up camp here, solve various problems yourselves, and help each other!"

She paused, then added as if remembering something: "Ah, right, right! Let me tell you a secret, the content of this exam wasn't made up by me! It was designed by referencing real-life, super--amazing training programs used by major enterprises to train their employees! (◕‿◕✿)"

She raised one finger for emphasis: "So, it's very, very practical! And super--realistic! Everyone must take it seriously! (ง •̀_•́)ง"

"Living on an... uninhabited island? Staying here? Right here on this beach? In the jungle? Aren't we staying on the luxury cruise ship?" A student who had realized the situation cried out, their voice filled with panic and disbelief.

The ocean was still as blue, the sun still as bright, but this paradise had instantly transformed into a jungle exam site fraught with danger in their eyes.