"Omnipotent" Shimiya Kuki

After Hoshinomiya-sensei finished explaining all the rules, she hummed an unfamiliar tune, waved her Cat Flag, strolled over to a coconut tree not far away, found a shady spot, and sat down comfortably. She pulled out a small telescope, watching with keen interest as the other classes also began their internal discussions, a grin on her face that said she was just here for the entertainment, leaving all the space and pressure for Class B to digest on their own.

Once the teacher left, the air within Class B's circle seemed to grow even more stagnant, as if invisible threads were binding everyone. The sea breeze blew in, no longer bringing a refreshing coolness but instead carrying a hint of scorching heat and an indescribable unease. The waves continued their steady rhythm, but now it sounded like a countdown urging them on.

"Three hundred points... sounds like a lot, but when you think about it, how much is that per person per day? We still need to buy food, water, and what if someone gets sick and needs extra supplies, or a tent breaks..." Shiratori Chihiro muttered, counting on her fingers, her brow furrowing deeper the more she calculated, her tone full of worry about the unknown.

"And drinking water is the key, right? The manual says there might be freshwater sources on the island, but it doesn't guarantee we'll find them, nor does it say about the water quality. If we can't find any and have to rely on buying it, our points will drain fast," another girl chimed in, her gaze unconsciously drifting toward the lush jungle that looked resource-rich but was full of unknowns and potential dangers, her voice a bit shaky.

"The most critical and troublesome thing is still that Leader Guessing Game, right?" Hamaguchi Tetsuya crossed his arms, his expression more serious than ever. "Occupying bases to earn points is good, but the leader has to show up in person, and the more activities, the higher the risk of exposure. Once they're guessed, not only do we lose 50 points, but all the base points we've worked so hard to accumulate get wiped out! The risk-to-reward ratio is way too intense... it's like walking a tightrope." His words voiced the concerns of many.

"And there's only one toilet..." Shibata Kaede tried to break the tension with his usual cheerfulness, but even he couldn't help scratching his head vigorously, looking quite embarrassed when mentioning this very real problem. "This arrangement is really 'testing' us, isn't it? Especially in the morning and at night..." His comment made a few girls blush and glare at him, but it did loosen the atmosphere a little, since it was an unavoidable practical issue.

Mild anxiety spread like small ripples, gradually converging into larger waves, rippling through Class B. Everyone looked at each other, seeing similar confusion in each other's eyes, estimates of the tough week ahead, and a bit of helplessness. A sense of unease from the lack of clear direction began to permeate the air.

"Everyone," Ichinose Honami took in everyone's reactions, took a deep breath, and broke into her usual warm, unwavering smile, like sunlight piercing through clouds, her voice clear and crisp, reaching everyone's ears. "It's okay! The rules do sound a bit complicated and harsh, but that's exactly why we need to stick together, calm down, and discuss things properly, right? First of all, we absolutely cannot panic! We're Class B!"

Her smile and words seemed to carry a strange power to soothe and unite, like a backbone, calming everyone's restless and anxious emotions a little, their gazes refocusing on her, waiting for the next instruction.

"Right," Ichinose looked around and brought up a very real and urgent issue. "Before we start, we need to understand our own situation first. Does anyone in our class have experience with camping or similar outdoor activities? Even just a little, like setting up a tent or building a campfire? Any experience could give us valuable ideas and help."

Kanzaki Ryuji pondered for a moment, then spoke up steadily: "I once participated in a three-day Mountain Summer Camp organized by the school. I have experience setting up group tents, cooking outdoors with designated stoves, and planning Hiking Routes. However," he added very objectively and calmly, "the logistics support back then was quite sufficient. Food, Drinking Water, and tools were all provided by the organizers; we were more there to experience and learn. Compared to this Survival Exam, where we start from almost nothing and have to make all decisions and bear all risks ourselves, the practical reference my past experience can provide is very limited, especially in terms of resource acquisition and risk management."

Everyone nodded. Kanzaki's experience was valuable and worth learning from, but it was indeed hard to fully apply to this truly "deserted" island where they had to rely on themselves. The hope that had just risen seemed to dim a little.

Just then, Shimiya Kuki silently reached out his hand to Ichinose again. Ichinose was momentarily startled, then immediately understood and handed him the thick Guide Manual without hesitation. Shimiya took the manual, said nothing, walked straight to a quieter spot on the edge of the group, turned his back to the slightly noisy crowd, and quickly flipped through it again. His movements were highly efficient, his fingers precisely and swiftly gliding over the pages, his gaze focused as he scanned the dense text, charts, and appendices, as if confirming certain key details or looking for information points he might have missed during his quick read earlier. His calm, independent figure formed a Sharp Contrast with the slightly restless and confused atmosphere around him, as if he had an invisible "do not disturb" barrier.

At that moment, Shibata Kaede, watching Shimiya's focused back as he studied the manual, suddenly looked as if struck by lightning. He slapped his thigh hard. "Ah! Right! When it comes to real Wilderness Survival experience..." he said loudly, pointing his index finger without hesitation at the Youth who seemed immersed in his own world.

Ichinose and the other students, hearing this, instinctively followed Shibata's gaze, all eyes turning to Shimiya Kuki. A dozen gazes instantly focused on his back.

As if sensing the sudden concentration of stares behind him, Shimiya Kuki closed the manual, turned around smoothly, his Calm and Unwavering face meeting everyone's probing and expectant looks, his tone as flat as if he were commenting on the nice weather: "I don't think I ever told you I had such experience."

"No, no, you didn't tell me!" Shibata quickly waved his hands to clarify, but his face wore an almost blindly confident grin. He nodded firmly, trying to explain his intuition. "It's just that every time I see your unshakable calm no matter what happens, and that mysterious aura like you know a bit about everything, I somehow get this feeling that 'if it's you, you could totally handle this kind of survival too.' Yeah, that's it! Like nothing can stump you! It's a kind of trust built on long-term observation!"

"That's right, that's right! Now that Shibata mentions it, I feel the same way." "Shimiya-kun does look very reliable." "I feel like he knows a bit of everything." The other students also seemed to be awakened, finding some common ground, nodding in agreement, their eyes full of even more obvious expectation. Ichinose also blinked her big blue eyes, her long Eyelashes fluttering, looking at Shimiya with curiosity and hope, a gentle smile with encouragement on her face, as if waiting for a confirmation that would settle everyone down.

Shimiya Kuki's gaze calmly swept over the pairs of eyes full of trust, dependence, and expectation. He was silent for a moment in the face of that unspoken collective plea. The sea breeze lifted a few strands of dark hair from his forehead. He finally spoke flatly, his voice steady as he admitted: "Alright, I do have Wilderness Survival experience."

"See! I told you Shimiya is all-powerful!" Shibata Kaede felt a surge of pride, almost jumping up in excitement, as if he himself had discovered Shimiya's hidden skill, happier than if he had it himself.

"It's just that I happened to have some experience and learning in this area before," Shimiya's tone remained as plain as a glass of water, promptly cutting off Shibata's overly enthusiastic "praise" and cooling everyone's expectations. "I'm not good at everything, no one is. I can only maybe offer some advice for handling this basic survival." He stated the facts calmly, drawing clear boundaries.

But that was enough. For Class B, who desperately needed direction and professional guidance at this moment, this was a ray of light in the darkness.

A bright, decisive gleam flashed in Ichinose Honami's eyes. She took a deep breath, faced the entire class, and her voice was clear, firm, and full of trust as she made her suggestion: "Everyone! Then, from now on, let's leave the direction and decisions to Shimiya-kun! For this exam, I think having Shimiya-kun as our leader and commander-in-chief is the best choice! Does anyone have any objections?"

"No objections! Totally agree!"

"Agreed! We feel at ease leaving it to Shimiya-kun!"

"Great! With Shimiya in charge, I suddenly feel confident!"

"Right! He's the best choice to lead!"

Almost in unison, Class B expressed their agreement, the anxiety and confusion on their faces replaced by a sense of relief and excitement at having found a reliable leader. Shimiya Kuki's past displays of calm, decisiveness, Analytical Ability, and now his confirmed "just happened to have" survival experience seemed especially reliable and precious in this extreme environment.

Ichinose turned around, clasped her hands in front of her chest, and gave Shimiya Kuki a radiant, adorable smile full of sincere gratitude and entreaty. "Everyone trusts you! So it's settled then, Shimiya-kun! The next seven days, we'll leave it to you! Lead us to survive and get Good Grades! o(^▽^)o"

All eyes were on Shimiya Kuki. He still wore that expressionless face, neither declining the sudden leadership role nor showing excitement, just looking back at Ichinose and all the classmates with those calm eyes. Then he gave a slight nod, accepting the heavy responsibility with his actions.

"First," he wasted no time, immediately slipping into command mode, his voice steady but carrying a convincing power that instantly took control of the scene. "We need to prioritize choosing the location for the Base Camp. This will be our base for survival, rest, defense, and all activities for the next seven days. The choice needs to consider multiple factors like water source, terrain, safety, sun exposure, and wind shelter—it can't be taken lightly. Before we move, we also need to inventory and distribute all the Basic Supplies."

He raised the Guide Manual in his hand. "The island map in the manual is rough, but it marks the general areas of a few spots that might be suitable for camping. So, everyone, get ready now, and we'll set out."

Class B's survival on the Deserted Island officially began after establishing an undisputed core command. An invisible cohesion started to replace the initial scatteredness and anxiety.