Mutual Nonaggression

Shimiya Kuki's meaningful words, "Seeing isn't always believing," echoed softly through the damp cave, mingling with the faint green glow from the equipment screen and creating an indescribably subtle atmosphere.

Sakura Airi blinked her wide eyes, still tinged with alarm, and parted her small lips slightly. She clearly hadn't fully grasped the deeper meaning behind those words. As far as she could tell, Katsuragi had used the Leader Keycard to open Class A's base. That should have confirmed him as Class A's leader.

"Um... Shimiya-kun, do you mean..." she began timidly, her voice barely louder than a whisper. Confusion and curiosity were written all over her face as she prepared to ask more.

But before she could finish, Shimiya Kuki calmly interrupted her. He didn't seem inclined to explain further just then. Instead, he shifted his gaze from the base's screen to the woodland outside the cave and casually suggested, "By the way, why don't you two come with me somewhere?"

Without waiting for either of them to respond, he set off, his figure merging with the light spilling through the cave entrance as he headed outside.

Sakura Airi instinctively started to follow, but she hesitated after taking only a step. She suddenly realized that the person standing before her wasn't a Class D classmate, but Shimiya Kuki of Class B. In this Special Exam, where the classes competed against one another, they were still rivals at heart. She turned to the side and looked to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who had remained silent, for help. Her eyes were full of uncertainty and dependence, as if she were waiting for him to make the decision.

Ayanokoji's expression remained as calm as still water, as though none of the conversation or discoveries had stirred even the slightest ripple in him. He caught Sakura's gaze and gave the faintest nod. In his usual flat voice, he said, "Shimiya-kun invited us. Let's follow him and see. We have nothing to lose." His assessment was calm and practical. It sounded like a simple statement of fact, and it eased Sakura's unease.

Hearing Ayanokoji say the same thing, Sakura relaxed a little and murmured, "Mm." She hurried to catch up with Shimiya, who had already gone a few steps ahead, while Ayanokoji followed at an unhurried pace.

Shimiya Kuki moved steadily and silently through the woods, as if he knew every plant and stone in the area. Sunlight filtered through the layers of leaves, dancing over his dark hair and outlining his calm, somewhat distant profile. Sakura followed carefully, watching for the tangled roots underfoot, while Ayanokoji silently observed their surroundings and Shimiya leading the way.

They hadn't gone far when Shimiya stopped in a relatively familiar area. The arrangement of the trees and the shape of the rocks seemed familiar from somewhere they had visited not long ago.

"Isn't this...?" Sakura looked around as a vague sense of recognition came over her. Lowering her voice, she glanced uncertainly at Ayanokoji, instinctively seeking confirmation. This was near the area where they had hurriedly hidden to avoid Katsuragi and Yahiko.

Ayanokoji calmly surveyed their surroundings and nodded, confirming Sakura's guess. "Mm." His reply was brief, but there was no doubt.

Shimiya Kuki walked over to a particularly dense patch of green vines and bushes. With a brisk motion, he pushed aside the layers of leaves and branches, revealing a scene cleverly concealed behind them—

Hidden beneath the thick vegetation was a patch of plants utterly unlike the wild grass around it. Broad, green leaves spread luxuriantly, and even more surprisingly, several plump ears of corn stood among them, wrapped in green or slightly golden husks, with brown tassels hanging from their tips.

"This is... corn, right?" Sakura Airi's eyes widened slightly in surprise, and her voice held a note of uncertainty. She recognized the plant.

"It looks that way." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka confirmed Sakura's answer, his gaze also fixed on the ears of corn. Just then, he noticed the Wicker Basket half-hidden in the grass. Seeing the basket and the mulberries already collected inside, and recalling that Shimiya had arrived near the cave before they did, a clear chain of reasoning formed in Ayanokoji's mind.

He deduced that Shimiya had evidently been exploring and gathering in this area earlier. The mulberries were proof of that. During his search, he had probably happened to notice the movements of Katsuragi and the others from Class A. To avoid alerting them—and perhaps to finish collecting what he had already found first—he had chosen to leave the mulberries temporarily in this concealed spot, then quietly climbed a tree to observe them. That explained what had happened afterward.

"Are these supplies Shimiya-kun gathered?" Sakura had also noticed the Wicker Basket. She leaned over curiously and saw that it was full of plump, deep-purple fruit.

"Those must be mulberries! You've gathered so many. That's amazing!" Genuine admiration filled her voice, and she looked at Shimiya with increased respect. Finding and collecting so much food in such a short time in what looked like an untouched forest was no small feat.

"Mm." Shimiya Kuki gave a faint acknowledgment, effectively confirming it. He then pointed toward a spot nearby and added casually, "If you want to gather some, they're over there." He gave them a general direction without any intention of keeping the location to himself.

Then he changed the subject and looked back at Ayanokoji. "Ayanokoji-kun, how's your physical stamina?" The question seemed abrupt, a subtle contrast to his earlier willingness to share information.

Ayanokoji's expression didn't change at all, as if the question were perfectly ordinary. He replied calmly, "About average for a student." He neither bragged nor went out of his way to downplay himself, giving an objective assessment.

Shimiya didn't say anything more. He turned and briskly pulled some flexible vines from a nearby tree, then gathered a few broad corn leaves and sturdy branches. Under the curious gazes of Ayanokoji and Sakura, he deftly began weaving. The vines seemed to come alive in his hands as he crossed, looped, and secured them. Before long, he had made two simple but sturdy and practical baskets. He handed the newly made containers to Ayanokoji and Sakura.

"Looks like," Ayanokoji said flatly as he accepted a Wicker Basket, "you're planning to share this corn with us. If we gather it all, it should save Class B a fair number of Points." He paused, glancing over the hidden patch of corn. "And even if we can't carry everything at once, this spot is well concealed. It'll be hard for students from the other classes to find, so it can serve as a temporary storage site."

"Exactly." Shimiya nodded, agreeing with Ayanokoji's analysis, but then added a potential risk. "However, Class A has set up camp in the cave we just left. It isn't very far from here, so coming back to collect more could lead to a conflict. It would be better to gather everything sooner rather than later." He had clearly considered the matter carefully, recognizing both the value of the resources and the potential risks.

Then Shimiya Kuki changed the subject again, a more cautious look in his eyes as he turned to the two of them. "There's something else I'd like to ask. What's Class D's strategy regarding the special rules for this exam?" The special rules naturally referred to the system in which correctly guessing another class's leader earned a large reward, while each class also had to protect its own leader from being identified.

The question struck at the heart of the class's strategy. Ayanokoji answered almost without hesitation, his voice as even as ever and his wording cautious. "That's not something ordinary students like us would know in detail. The leaders are responsible for deciding that. And as for the leader's identity..." He emphasized the last part. "I'm afraid I can't tell you." His answer was watertight, entirely in keeping with what an ordinary Class D student would say, and he had firmly maintained the boundary.

Shimiya didn't seem surprised by Ayanokoji's answer. He fell silent for a moment, as if weighing his words, then slowly spoke again, his tone more formal than before. "When we handled the Sudo Incident, our two classes reached an agreement to cooperate. So, for this exam..." He looked at Ayanokoji, his expression calm but carrying a faint, almost imperceptible note of probing. "Class B hopes we can maintain mutual nonaggression."

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the corn and mulberries before them, then continued, "Our classmates want to enjoy this rare vacation, and we don't intend to stir up suspicion or conflict. So our strategy is this: we won't actively try to guess the leaders of other classes, and we'll do our best to keep our own leader from being identified."

"As for these supplies," he said, pointing to the corn and mulberries, "consider them a goodwill gift. I hope you can pass that message on to Class D's leader for us." His proposal was clear. It carried forward their past connection while also offering something of practical value in the present, and he had made a considerable gesture of goodwill.

Ayanokoji listened quietly, his expression as unshakable as ever. He looked at the Wicker Basket in his hands, then at the healthy patch of corn, and thought for a few seconds before nodding. "I understand. I'll pass along your words and this goodwill."

His voice remained steady, but he made it clear that he accepted the gift. "Then thank you for the supplies. Class D really does need them." He acknowledged Class D's shortage of supplies instead of making a false show of refusing.

The three of them set about harvesting the corn. Shimiya Kuki worked the fastest and most skillfully, while Ayanokoji maintained a steady pace. Sakura was less physically strong, but she did her best to help. Now and then, the crisp sound of corn stalks snapping and their quiet breathing were the only things that could be heard.

Before long, all the corn had been gathered. Shimiya Kuki divided it up, keeping twenty ears for himself and giving the mulberries left over after setting aside his share of the corn to Ayanokoji and Sakura as well.

"Then I'll be going." With the supplies divided, Shimiya Kuki lifted the Wicker Basket containing Class B's share of the corn and the remaining mulberries, then gave the two of them a slight nod in farewell. His manner was as brisk as ever, without the slightest hesitation.

"Goodbye, Shimiya-kun. Thank you again," Sakura said, hurriedly bowing. Her face showed her sincere gratitude.

Ayanokoji also gave a slight nod.

Then Shimiya Kuki disappeared once more into the thick woods. Only Ayanokoji and Sakura remained, watching him go.

"Let's head back to camp too! Ayanokoji-kun, everyone in Class D will be so happy to have these supplies."

"Mm."

And so the two of them began their journey back to camp.