Chapter 50

Teacher Hoshinomiya clapped her hands, satisfied, signaling the end of her announcement.

Hoshinomiya Chie's speech, which was coated in sugar but sharp as knives, finally concluded.

Majima Tomoya let out a silent sigh of relief, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the damp folds of his tracksuit.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty heatwave, brushed against his face but couldn't dispel the gloom settled between his brows.

He watched Hoshinomiya lightly hop off the podium, her smile vanishing as if she had shed a costume. What surged in his chest wasn't anger, but exhaustion.

She couldn't be Class A's homeroom teacher anymore. His own class had to win back Class A. This thought had never been so clear and firm.

Another teacher then picked up the megaphone and instructed everyone to gather at their respective homeroom teachers for more detailed supplementary explanations.

Students from the four classes, with complex and indescribable feelings—a mixture of confusion about the rules, longing for freedom, desire for points, and anxiety about survival—slowly moved, like pawns pulled by invisible strings, gathering around their class instructors.

The students of Class D, also filled with a multitude of questions and a newly ignited desire for points, surrounded Chabashira Sae, whose expression remained stern.

"Thirty thousand starting next month, thirty thousand starting next month, thirty thousand starting next month... I'll give it my all!" Ike Kanji muttered repeatedly like a chant, excitedly waving his fists. He high-fived a few equally hyped boys around him, striking exaggerated victory poses.

An almost fanatical longing permeated the air.

The girls were also ignited by this high-spirited mood, gathering together to excitedly sketch out blueprints for life after their points skyrocketed—no more eating the unappetizing free meal sets, no more using inferior daily necessities...

For Class D, which had long struggled at the bottom of the class points, this "fortune" that fell from the sky was like a long-cherished wish finally within reach.

"Just bear with it, it's only a week without spending money, right?" someone loudly summarized. "Sounds simple enough!"

But was reality really that simple? A sliver of doubt, like a faint electric current, flashed through the minds of a few, only to be immediately swallowed by the overwhelming torrent of temptation from the points.

Teacher Chabashira's voice cut through the brief commotion: "Now, everyone come and collect your watches." A pile of items, just taken from cardboard boxes, lay beside her, and several people in work uniforms were assisting with the distribution.

The students stepped forward one by one, receiving a sturdy-looking electronic watch.

"You are forbidden from removing this watch without authorization until the exam ends," Teacher Chabashira's sharp gaze swept over them.

"Violators will be prosecuted. This watch is not only a timer, but it also has built-in body temperature, pulse, motion sensors, and GPS satellite positioning."

She paused, pointing to a small, inconspicuous red button on the side of the watch. "Additionally, an emergency distress function is integrated here. If you encounter a life-threatening situation, do not hesitate, press it immediately."

"L-life-threatening?" a girl's voice trembled. "Teacher, on this island... there aren't any bears or anything, right?"

Chabashira's expression was blank. "This is an exam. I will not answer any questions that might affect the outcome."

"Hmm... saying that makes it even scarier!" another student shrunk their neck.

"I don't think we need to worry excessively," Hirata Yosuke's gentle voice rang out, carrying a reassuring strength.

"If there were truly a risk of students being attacked by dangerous animals, the school would bear unimaginable responsibility. The core purpose of installing these sensors and the distress function is likely to monitor our health and ensure a basic safety net. After all, when placing us on an uninhabited island, the school's primary consideration must be safety."

His clear and logical analysis relieved most of the nervous students.

At this moment, a more pressing issue was raised. Horikita Suzune stepped forward and calmly asked, "Teacher Chabashira, the school said that our living conditions for this week are entirely our own responsibility. Does this mean that if we don't use our points, we must solve all our survival needs, including food, water, and shelter, ourselves, and the school will not provide any additional assistance?"

"That's correct," Chabashira nodded curtly. "The school will not interfere. Shortages of drinking water, lack of food, nowhere to shelter—these are all part of the exam content that you need to figure out how to overcome. How you solve them is your problem." Her words were decisive, completely cutting off any fantasy of relying on the school.

The students of Class D exchanged glances. Not using points at all? The residual excitement had barely faded before the cold water of reality was poured over them.

Out of thirty-nine people, there were only two tents (each barely fitting 8 people), meaning at least twenty-three had no shelter from the elements.

Even more embarrassing—there was only one makeshift toilet! Were they really expected to sleep under the stars and live in the open?

However, the temptation of thirty thousand points was too intense. Many gritted their teeth, believing they could endure anything for this "fortune."

Someone frantically flipped through the thick handbook. The "Penalty Clauses" at the end immediately caught everyone's attention:

Withdrawal from the exam due to serious injury or illness: Deduct 30 points.

Polluting the environment: Deduct 20 points.

Absence from roll calls twice daily (8 AM and 8 PM): Deduct 5 points per person, per instance.

Violence, plunder, or destruction of another class's property: Immediate disqualification from the class exam and confiscation of all personal points of the individual involved.

The last clause, like a cold iron gate, completely blocked the final escape route of the "endurance strategy"—endurance was possible, but if someone collapsed due to the harsh environment, or contaminated the area due to hygiene issues, or even if conflict erupted over resources, the price would be devastating.

"In that case... not using points at all might not work, right?" Shinohara Gatsumi frowned, voicing the thoughts of many. "For safety and basic hygiene, we might... have to spend some."

"I object to compromising from the start!" Ike Kanji immediately retorted, feeling that Shinohara's words were undermining everyone's resolve. "We should endure as far as we can! Otherwise, why would we get those thirty thousand points?"

Hirata tried to mediate: "Ike-kun, I understand your persistence. But we must be rational. If someone genuinely collapses from illness because of it, that would be an irreversible loss..."

"Hirata, don't say unlucky things!" Ike rudely interrupted him. "If we don't give it our all and grit our teeth to hold on, what's the point of this exam?!" The cracks in the class began to become apparent.

At this moment, Horikita raised a crucial question: "Teacher Chabashira, where will the roll call be held?"

"The homeroom teacher must act together with the class," Chabashira explained. "Once you've chosen a campsite, report it to me, and I will set up a base there. The roll call will be conducted at the base."

She seemed to remember something she had forgotten and walked over to another cardboard box. With a "shriek," she tore open the packing tape. "Also, this is your solution for urgent needs." She took out the folded cardboard and accessories inside.

"Huh? What is that thing?" Yamauchi Haruki stared at the pile of items with disgust.

"A makeshift toilet. Each class is issued one. Please use it properly." Chabashira began to assemble it efficiently.

However, the strongest resistance came not from Yamauchi, but from a group of girls led by Shinohara Gatsumi.

"Wait!" Shinohara's voice was filled with disbelief and resistance. "Are you saying... all of us have to use that?!"

"Shared by both males and females," Chabashira-sensei said without looking up, her hands still busy. "However, a portable tent with a simple changing function will be provided to cover it, ensuring privacy. You don't have to worry about being seen."

"It's not about whether they can see or not!" Shinohara's cheeks flushed bright red, her tone unusually agitated. "To... relieve yourself in a cardboard box?! I absolutely cannot do that!" The other female students nodded vigorously in agreement, their faces displaying a visceral sense of repulsion and embarrassment.

Chabashira-sensei remained unmoved. She skillfully propped the cardboard box into a square structure, laid down the blue plastic liner, and then took out a white sheet. "This is an absorbent cloth. It covers the waste, absorbs moisture, solidifies its form, and reduces odor. It can be reused; one bag can hold about five uses. The plastic liners and absorbent cloths are supplied infinitely. If you're really bothered, you can replace the bag each time." She calmly demonstrated the procedure.

Even so, the girls' resistance showed no signs of abating.

No matter how tempting the points were, overcoming this shame rooted deep in instinct and the profound concern for hygiene presented a psychological chasm that was truly difficult to bridge.

An atmosphere of unease and debate once again permeated the air.

"Alright," Chabashira-sensei raised her voice, suppressing the commotion that was about to erupt. "There are important rules to supplement." She pointed to the Handbook:

Occupy Strongholds: Requires a special key card held by the "Leader." Each successfully occupied stronghold earns 1 point. Occupied strongholds of your own class can be used freely.

Violation Penalty: Using another class's stronghold without permission deducts 50 points.

Leader Privileges: Only the elected "Leader" can use the key card. The Leader cannot be changed without a valid reason.

Stronghold Refresh: Every 8 hours, the occupation status of all strongholds resets.

Occupation Limit: Unoccupied strongholds can be occupied multiple times simultaneously.

Seventh Day Guessing:

During the final roll call, you can guess the Leaders of other classes.

Guessing one Leader correctly earns your class 50 points; the guessed class loses 50 points.

If the person guessed incorrectly is reported to the school as a Leader, it's considered a false judgment and deducts 50 points.

The class whose Leader is guessed will lose all accumulated bonus points.

"Your class must also elect a Leader," Chabashira-sensei concluded. "Whether to participate in the stronghold competition is your choice. If you're not greedy, no one will know who your Leader is if you keep it a secret. But if you decide to participate, or want to avoid being guessed, you must choose someone. Report your decision to me, and I will issue a key card engraved with their name. The deadline is the first roll call at 8 PM tonight."

She paused, her voice carrying a hint of undeniable pressure. "If a decision hasn't been made by then, I will assign one randomly. That's all."

After Chabashira-sensei left, Hirata Yosuke was the first to speak, trying to steer the discussion back on track. "The decision of the Leader can be discussed later. The immediate priority is to decide on the camping location—should we stay on the beach, or venture deeper into the forest to find a more hidden spot? We can consider the stronghold issue after the campsite is determined."

He surveyed his classmates, whose expressions varied, hoping to find a starting point for consensus.

However, with the immense temptation of points, the hardship of survival, the embarrassment of privacy, and the unknown challenges, Class D's path ahead was already fraught with thorns.