Exam Rules

After Majima-sensei announced that they were dismissed, the atmosphere on the beach did not lighten much. Students from every class gathered around their Class Advisors, their expressions grave and curious. Over in Class B, Hoshinomiya Chie-sensei had somehow produced a small flag printed with a Cute Cat Pattern and was waving it energetically.

"B-class boys and girls, over here, over here! Follow your teacher~!" Like a tour guide, she led a group of students in tracksuits and with serious expressions toward a corner of the beach. Several labeled cardboard boxes were piled there.

With a little "heave-ho," Hoshinomiya took a smaller box out of one of the cartons and placed it on a simple table the School Administration had set up. She opened the box, revealing a number of sturdy-looking Black Electronic Watches.

"Come on, come on, one for each of you!" she said, handing them out. "From now until the exam ends a week from now, please don't take these watches off. Make sure you keep them on your wrists!" She picked one up and demonstrated by fastening it to her own wrist. Then she raised an index finger, suddenly putting on a "menacing" expression as she lowered her voice to threaten them. "If you take your watch off without permission... heh heh, you'll face a severe punishment! Maybe it'll just go 'boom' and explode!" She made an exaggerated exploding gesture.

Seeing the students' stiff expressions, she immediately put on a bright smile again. "Just kidding~! But the punishment is real! These watches are crucial equipment!" She pointed to the face of the watch and explained, "They don't just let you check the time. They're also equipped with sensors that can detect your body temperature, pulse, and movements, as well as a very important Satellite Positioning System! That way, the school can know where you are and whether you're safe at any time."

Her tone grew serious. "Also, just in case, there's a Small Red Button here on the watch." She pointed to an inconspicuous bump on its side. "If you run into danger or an emergency, remember! You must! Must! Must press this button right away! The exam is important, but your safety matters more than anything to me! I absolutely don't want any of my cuties getting hurt, not even a little! So make sure you burn this button's function into your brains!"

"By the way, Hoshinomiya-sensei," Shibata Kaede raised his wrist and gave the watch he had just put on a shake, asking with some concern, "is it okay to wear this watch in the sea? Won't water get inside and break it? I don't want it to quit on me while I'm having a great time swimming."

"Don't worry, don't worry!" Hoshinomiya-sensei promised, patting her chest. "It's completely waterproof! I tossed mine into the water last night and left it there all night. I just took it out, and it's working perfectly. It even keeps accurate time!" She gave her wrist a shake. "And if it really does break, don't worry. An exam administrator will come right over with a Spare Watch and replace it for you. Go ahead and embrace the ocean! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و"

"Hoshinomiya-sensei," Kanzaki Ryuji asked after carefully thinking through the Exam Rules.

"Based on what Majima-sensei said earlier and the contents of the manual, can we understand it to mean that, aside from the Basic Supplies the school is handing out now, like tents and Matches, we'll have to figure out how to get everything else we need ourselves or buy it with Points?"

"That's right. Little Kanzaki has understood perfectly!" Hoshinomiya-sensei nodded approvingly, her expression growing a little more serious. "The School Administration won't interfere with your decisions about how to use the island's natural resources. Food, drinking water, even more comfortable accommodations—you get to decide for yourselves whether to buy supplies with Points or try to make use of the resources already on the island. You'll also have to figure out how to deal with the shortage of tents. How to balance your Point expenditure with your comfort, and how to plan and make decisions—that's the main test in this exam! I'm sorry, but I can't give you any specific advice this time. You'll have to think it through yourselves! But—" She changed tack, her smile returning. "I believe in all of you. Put your heads together, and you'll surely overcome these challenges!"

"All right, Honami," Hoshinomiya-sensei said, turning to Ichinose Honami. "Sorry to trouble you, but could you open the Guide Manual we just handed out, turn to the last page, and read the Penalty Clauses to everyone?"

Ichinose nodded, quickly flipped to the last page, and read aloud in a clear, crisp voice:

"Students who fall under any of the following conditions will receive the specified penalties:

1. If the school determines that a student is suffering from Significant Physical Discomfort or has been seriously injured and can no longer continue the exam, thirty points will be deducted. The student will also be withdrawn from the exam.

2. If a student is found polluting the environment, twenty points will be deducted.

3. For each student absent from roll call at 8:00 a.m. or 8:00 p.m. each day, five points will be deducted."

She paused, took a deep breath, and read the most severe clause:

"4. If a student commits an act of violence against another class, engages in looting, or damages equipment, the class that student belongs to will immediately lose its Exam Qualification, and all Personal Points belonging to the student responsible will be confiscated."

When she finished, silence fell over the beach. Everyone could feel how strict the rules were. Kanzaki Ryuji spoke thoughtfully. "In other words, to keep everyone healthy and avoid the severe point deduction in the first clause, certain necessary expenses and even extra food supplies are unavoidable. Good health is the foundation of saving Points."

"Suppose," Shimiya Kuki asked calmly, after listening quietly until then, raising a crucial question. "We use up all our Points and our balance reaches zero. If a deduction is incurred after that—for example, if someone misses roll call—how will it be calculated? Will we go into the negative, or are there other rules?"

The question immediately drew everyone's attention, and all eyes turned to Hoshinomiya-sensei.

"The answer is zero points!" Hoshinomiya-sensei replied at once. "The worst result in this exam is a score of zero. You can't go into negative points. In other words, once your Points reach zero, further penalties won't reduce your Class Points, but you won't have any Points left to spend, either. You won't be able to do anything that requires Points after that, and you'll have to rely on the resources you already have and the most basic means of survival to get through the rest of the exam." Her explanation put many people at ease. At least they wouldn't be "in debt."

"Hoshinomiya-sensei," Kanzaki asked again, having thought things through carefully. "About roll call, will it be held at one fixed location, or will the teachers visit each class's campsite?"

"Good question!" Hoshinomiya-sensei explained. "The School Administration requires us teachers to stay with our respective classes until the exam ends. You need to decide on a place as your Base Camp as soon as possible, then report it to me. I'll 'set up camp' there, and then I'll magically conjure my Temporary Base! ✧⁺⸜(●˙▾˙●)⸝⁺✧"

Roll call must take place at the Base Camp you choose. Remember, once you've decided on your Base Camp, you can't change it without a valid reason, such as a natural disaster. So make sure you think carefully and weigh the pros and cons when picking a location! The other classes have the same conditions; there are no exceptions. Even if you come begging for help, looking all pitiful," she made a "hard-hearted" face, "if it doesn't comply with the rules, I can only refuse you, however painful it may be. Rules are rules!"

"Oh, right! Everyone, listen carefully to the next part. This concerns a major matter in life!" Hoshinomiya-sensei suddenly gave a playful wink, then turned and brought out another, slightly smaller box. When she opened it, a folded plastic device was revealed.

"Ta-da-da-da~ Portable Toilets!" She held one up as if presenting a treasure. "Each class will receive one. Please be careful when using it, and take good care of public property! (◕‿◕)"

"Pfft!" Shibata was the first to burst out laughing.

"Ah... there's only one?" Shiratori Chihiro and several other girls murmured softly, their faces turning faintly red. They had clearly imagined the awkwardness of using it.

"Sensei, will this... be enough?" Hamaguchi Tetsuya scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.

"There's only one toilet unit per class," Hoshinomiya-sensei said with an understanding smile, adding, "but, thoughtfully, you'll also receive a lightweight little tent that can be used for changing and as a screen! That way, you won't have to worry about anyone seeing you. Your privacy is fully protected! Next, I'm going to teach you how to assemble and use this Portable Toilet. Make sure you keep your eyes wide open and pay attention! Otherwise, you might end up fumbling around—or... well, needing to ask someone else to deal with your 'personal business,' which would be super awkward!" Her words drew another round of laughter and a few coquettish protests from the girls.

As Hoshinomiya-sensei began explaining in detail how to assemble and use the toilet, most of the students gathered around to learn attentively. After all, their "dignity" for the coming week was at stake. Shimiya Kuki, meanwhile, walked over to Ichinose and silently held out his hand. Ichinose understood and handed him the thick Guide Manual she was holding. Shimiya took it and began leafing through it quickly and intently, scanning the densely packed text and diagrams as though searching for more important information.

"All right, all right, the toilet lesson is over! I'm sure you've all mastered this important survival skill!" Hoshinomiya-sensei clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention back to her. Her expression turned serious again. "Next is the final additional rule, and the part of this exam with the most uncertainty and strategy involved! Listen up!"

"You'll soon be allowed to move freely around This Island. There are several special 'bases' scattered around it. These places have a system of 'ownership rights.' The first class to find a base and open it using a dedicated Key Card will be granted exclusive use of that base for eight hours! During those eight hours, the class that holds the rights is free to decide how to use it—for resting, storing supplies, or even as a strategic point. However," she stressed, "ownership rights only last eight hours! Once the time is up, the rights automatically expire, and the base becomes 'unclaimed land' again. The other classes will then have a chance to compete for the ownership rights!"

"Now, here's the important part!" Hoshinomiya-sensei raised one finger, her eyes shining. "Every time a class successfully captures a base, it gets an extra point! One point! But!" She changed tack. "That point is frozen for the time being and can't be used during the exam! The Points earned from capturing bases will only be calculated together at the end of the exam and added to the class's final remaining Points! And teachers and technical staff will monitor the use of Points, so there's no room for you to seize or occupy bases in violation of the rules! Make sure you remember that. Don't think you can get away with it!"

Just then, Shimiya Kuki had reached the detailed page in the manual about the additional rules for "base capture." He quickly scanned it, confirmed the key points Hoshinomiya-sensei had mentioned, and calmly handed the manual back to Ichinose.

Ichinose took the manual and promptly read out the key clauses of the additional rules:

"Additional Rules:

1. A dedicated Key Card is required to capture a base.

2. Each time a class successfully captures a base, it earns one extra point.

3. Using a base occupied by another class without permission will incur a penalty of fifty points.

4. Only a 'leader' designated by each class may use a Key Card to open a base.

5. The leader cannot be changed without a valid reason."

"That's right! Honami read it very clearly!" Hoshinomiya-sensei praised her, then announced an even more exciting rule. "And during the final roll call on the seventh day, before the exam ends, the School Administration will grant each class the right to guess who the other classes' leaders are! If you correctly guess another class's leader, your class gets a huge reward of fifty points for each correct guess! On the other hand, the class whose leader is identified has to pay fifty points!" Her voice carried a note of gravity. "In other words, if you let your leader come out frequently to earn the points from capturing bases, they might be secretly watched by other classes, revealing their identity and costing you a huge number of points at the last moment! Both the risks and the rewards are enormous!"

She paused, making her warning more emphatic. "However, you can't use this right to guess the leader any old way! If you report someone who isn't the leader to the School Administration, it'll count as a false guess, and the class that guessed wrong will lose fifty points instead! To make matters worse, if another class correctly identifies and reports your leader, your class will lose not only fifty points but also all the extra Points you've painstakingly saved up through capturing bases! So," she said, looking around at the varied expressions of the Class B students, "be very careful and weigh the pros and cons when deciding whether to capture bases and how your leader should act!"

Finally, Hoshinomiya-sensei pulled a blank card from her pocket and waved it. "Once you've discussed it and decided who will take on the crucial role of 'leader,' you can let me know. I'll issue an Exclusive Keycard bearing the leader's name. The deadline is the first roll call tonight at 8:00 p.m.! If, by then..." She deliberately drew out her words and gave a mischievous smile. "If you're all still discussing it and can't decide, I'll just have to... pick someone at random, and that person will be the leader! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و"

"All right!" Hoshinomiya-sensei clapped her hands, her encouraging smile returning. "Those are all the rules for this Special Exam! Take a moment to digest them, then hurry up and discuss what you're going to do. Once you're ready, you can set off and begin your Deserted Island adventure—your survival trip! When you've chosen your leader and picked a Base Camp location you like, you can use your watch to notify me. I can't wait to see what you do! Good luck! (＾▽＾)"

With the rules explained, the Class B students fell into a brief silence, every face filled with thought and deliberation. Three hundred points in starting resources, strict penalties, the tremendous temptation and risk of capturing bases, and the dire consequences of the leader's identity being exposed... Countless pieces of information intertwined. A silent war over "freedom" and "survival," testing their wisdom and ability to work together, had already begun on the white sand. The sea breeze swept by, carrying the salty scent of the ocean and stirring the tense hearts of the boys and girls.