The First Night

At dusk, the atmosphere at the D Class Camp was much tenser than it had been during the day. Ken Sudō and several boys had set up simple warning devices around the camp—tripwires made of branches and vines, with empty cans attached as alarms.

"Is this enough?" Sudō wiped the sweat from his forehead. "If Class C really comes to attack us, these things won't stop them."

"It's enough to give us advance warning." Hanyu Xiuyi checked the tripwires. "We don't need to stop them. We just need to know when they're coming and from which direction."

In the center of camp, the two new tents had been set up. The girls were deciding where everyone would sleep. The tents could only fit four people, but Class D had twenty girls. In the end, they decided to take turns, so everyone could sleep in a tent for at least two nights.

"Who gets to sleep in the tent first tonight?" Karuizawa Kei asked. The firelight gave her blond hair a warm glow.

"Let's draw lots," Kushida Kikyo suggested with a sweet, reassuring smile. "That's the fairest way."

The girls began drawing lots. Hanyu Xiuyi noticed Sakura Airi—the girl who always kept her head down and spoke softly—blush as soon as she drew her lot. She lowered her head shyly, her long brown hair almost completely hiding her face. She whispered, "Thank you," so softly it was barely audible.

The boys had an easier arrangement: those in good shape would sleep outside, while the weaker ones and those assigned to night watch would get priority in the tents. Hirata Yousuke volunteered to take the first night watch. His blond hair looked especially warm in the firelight. Yukimura Teruhiko, whose glasses were too strong for him to see well at night, was assigned to a tent.

"Hanyu, do you think Class C will come?" Hirata asked as he organized the night-watch gear, worry in his voice.

"I'm not sure." Hanyu Xiuyi gazed at the darkening forest. "But Ryuen isn't the sort to sit still. If he really wants to target us, tonight is his best chance—the first day, when everyone's exhausted and least on guard."

Dinner was a little more substantial than lunch. Sotomura Hideo had caught a few small fish with the fishing gear, and Hasebe Haruka had made a pot of soup with wild vegetables and fish. Her short brown hair was a little disheveled from the cooking smoke, but she stirred the pot with focused care.

"Hasebe, you're amazing!" Karuizawa Kei exclaimed, taking small sips of soup, her eyes shining. "This tastes even better than the School Cafeteria!"

Hasebe blushed and murmured, "It was just some simple cooking..."

"Simple, but effective." Hanyu Xiuyi took a taste. "It's delicious and nutritious. Tomorrow, we can try to find more sources of food."

After dinner, night had fully fallen. The students sat around the campfire, its light flickering across their faces. It was their first night on the island, and the air was thick with conflicting emotions—exhaustion, tension, unease, but also a curious sense of solidarity.

"Everyone," Hirata Yousuke said, suddenly standing up. "I'd like to say a few words."

Everyone turned to look at him. Hirata smiled with sincere conviction. "Today was our first time living together in an environment like this. It was exhausting, and we faced plenty of difficulties, but we overcame them. We built a camp, found food and water, and got supplies from a Supply Point. We managed it all because we worked together."

He looked around at everyone. "The Special Exam still has four days to go, and there will definitely be more challenges. But I believe that if we stay united like we did today, we can succeed. Class D isn't the worst class. We'll prove that to everyone."

His words struck a chord. Several students who had been hanging their heads lifted them, their eyes brightening again.

"Hirata's right!" Karuizawa Kei stood up too, her ponytail swaying gently. "We can do this!"

"Damn right!" Ken Sudō said gruffly, his red hair blazing like a flame in the firelight. "Let's show those people who look down on us what we can do!"

Morale had clearly risen. Watching them, Hanyu Xiuyi's opinion of Hirata improved even more. He noticed Horikita Suzune sitting at the edge of the group. She hadn't said anything, but her expression was softer than usual, the sheen of her long black hair catching the light. Ayanokoji Kiyonaga sat quietly in the shadows. In the firelight, his ordinary features seemed even harder to read.

The campfire gathering lasted an hour. When the fire had nearly died down and it was time to rest, Hanyu Xiuyi announced the night-watch schedule. "First half of the night: Hirata Yousuke, Ken Sudō, and Matsushita Chiaki. Second half: me, Horikita Suzune, and Ayanokoji Kiyonaga. Three people per shift, switching every two hours. Everyone else, get some rest and save your energy for tomorrow."

The students gradually settled into the tents or their sleeping spots outside. Hanyu Xiuyi made a round of the camp, checked that all the warning devices were in place, then lay down in his own spot. But he didn't fall asleep right away.

At midnight, he got up to take over the watch. The campfire had gone out, leaving only the dim glow of embers. Hirata Yousuke and Ken Sudō both looked exhausted.

"Hanyu, be careful," Hirata said quietly. "I thought I heard something just now, to the south."

"I'll check it out."

Hanyu called Horikita Suzune and Ayanokoji Kiyonaga over, and the three of them slipped silently out of camp and headed south. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows. The forest was dark.

After walking about two hundred meters, Ayanokoji suddenly stopped and gestured for them to be quiet. Hanyu and Horikita immediately held their breath.

Faint voices came from ahead.

"...Are you sure it's here?"

"The map marked it somewhere around here."

"Keep looking. We have to find it before dawn."

It was people from Class C! From the sound of it, there were at least three of them. Peering through a gap in the bushes, Hanyu Xiuyi could make out several figures moving in the beams of their flashlights.

Horikita Suzune touched his arm and silently asked whether they should act. Hanyu shook his head. This wasn't the time for a direct confrontation.

The three of them quietly retreated to camp. Once they were back, Hanyu Xiuyi immediately called together the core members who were still awake: Horikita, Ayanokoji, Hirata, and Yukimura.

"Class C is about three hundred meters south of here. There are at least three of them, and they seem to be looking for something," Hanyu said in a low voice.

"What are they looking for?" Yukimura frowned and pushed up his glasses. "We explored that area during the day, but didn't find any Supply Point markers."

"Maybe there's a hidden Supply Point," Ayanokoji said in his usual flat voice. "Or they could be looking for something else—like a good place to ambush us."

The possibility made everyone uneasy.

"What should we do?" Hirata asked.

Hanyu Xiuyi thought for a moment. "We'll change tomorrow's plan. We were going to explore south, but we'll head north instead. That way, we can avoid the area where they're active."

"But if they're looking for a Supply Point, giving up on exploring could mean missing an opportunity," Horikita said.

"Safety comes first," Hanyu insisted. "Besides, if they really are looking for a Supply Point, we can decide what to do next once they've found it."

It was a cautious decision. No one objected.

The rest of the night was relatively peaceful. Hanyu Xiuyi stayed on high alert the whole time. He knew Ryuen wouldn't give up easily.

At dawn, the students began waking as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the leaves and into camp.

After breakfast, Hanyu Xiuyi announced the new plan. "Today, we'll split into three groups. Group 1: the Reconnaissance Team, led by Ken Sudō, will explore north and search for Supply Points and food sources. Group 2: the Resource Team, led by Hasebe, will gather edible plants and firewood near camp. Group 3: the Construction Team, led by Hirata, will reinforce the camp facilities."

He paused. "Horikita, Ayanokoji, and I will act as the Mobile Team. We'll patrol around camp and analyze the information the others bring back."

The groups set out. Ken Sudō led several of the boys who were in good shape on their expedition, while Hasebe Haruka took the girls to gather supplies near camp. Hanyu Xiuyi, Horikita Suzune, and Ayanokoji Kiyonaga stayed in the center of camp, spreading out the map and studying the situation.

"If Ryuen really wants to target us, his goal might be more than just winning the exam," Horikita said. Her black hair glistened in the morning light. "He might also be looking for a chance to put Class D down."

"Why single us out?" Ayanokoji asked.

"Because Hanyu's been too conspicuous." Horikita glanced at Hanyu. "Five million points, and the story of how he won them from the Club overnight. It makes people envious, but it also makes them wary. Someone like Ryuen can't stand anyone else stealing the spotlight."

Hanyu admitted that her reasoning made sense. "So what should we do? We can't avoid a fight forever."

"We don't have to avoid one forever," Ayanokoji said. "We just need to stay out of his line of fire and wait for the right moment. The Special Exam lasts five days, and this is only the second. The longer it goes on, the more things can change."

"Do you have a specific suggestion?"

"Make ourselves look weak," Ayanokoji said evenly. "Let Ryuen think we're no match for him, so he lets his guard down. Then strike when he least expects it."

It was a bold strategy. Horikita Suzune frowned. "That's too risky. If we make ourselves look too weak, it could hurt the class's morale and make Ryuen push us around even more."

"That's why we have to get the balance right," Ayanokoji said. "We can't look so strong that we make them wary, or so weak that they can walk all over us."

As the three of them talked, a sudden cry came from the Camp Edge. They rushed over and saw Karuizawa Kei and several girls gathered around something.

"What happened?"

"A snake!" One of the girls pointed at a tree, trembling. "A snake fell out of it just now and almost bit Karuizawa!"

Hanyu Xiuyi looked toward the tree and spotted a thick snake coiled on a branch. It was venomous.

"Everyone, back away," he said calmly. "Matsushita, hand me a long stick."

Matsushita Chiaki—the short-haired student who was always calm—quickly passed him a long branch. Hanyu Xiuyi approached slowly and gently nudged the snake with the stick, guiding it down from the tree. When it reached the ground, it quickly slithered into the grass.

"All right, it's gone." Hanyu lowered the stick. "Be careful. You can run into wild animals at any time in the jungle. Don't go anywhere alone, and report anything unusual right away."

Karuizawa Kei had gone pale, but she still tried to keep her composure. "I'm fine... Thanks." Her blond hair was a little messy, but she still looked fairly composed.

"Go take a rest," Hanyu said. "Kushida, stay with her."

Kushida Kikyo immediately stepped forward and gently took Karuizawa's arm. "It's okay. Let's go sit over there for a while."

By noon, the groups had gradually returned. Ken Sudō's reconnaissance team had made an important discovery: three kilometers north, they had found two Supply Points. They had gotten Waterproof Cloth, more rope and tools, and another fragment of a map.

"This fragment marks the location of a 'Special Supply Point,'" Sudō said excitedly, his red hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. "It's in a cave in the center of the island!"

"A Special Supply Point?" Hanyu Xiuyi took the map fragment and examined it closely. It was very small, showing only the area around Island Center, where a cave was marked with a star.

"Looks like this is one of the 'three Special Rewards' mentioned in the rules," Horikita said.

"Should we go?" Hirata asked, his blond hair gleaming in the sunlight. "It's in the center of the island. We'd have to cross a large stretch of forest to get there, and it could be dangerous."

Hanyu Xiuyi considered it. The Special Reward was bound to be valuable, but so was the risk. And if Class C had gotten similar information, they might be lying in wait there.

"Let's not rush into it," he decided. "We'll gather more information first. This afternoon, we'll stick to the original plan, but increase our vigilance, especially to the south."

After lunch, Hanyu Xiuyi left camp alone and went to a high point overlooking the southern area. From there, he could just make out the Class C Camp in the distance. They had chosen a beach in the south, and their camp was bigger than Class D's.

As he watched, he heard faint footsteps behind him. It was Ayanokoji Kiyonaga.

"You came too."

"Yeah." Ayanokoji sat beside him, his ordinary face expressionless. "Are you looking at the Class C Camp?"

"What do you think they're planning?"

"I don't know," Ayanokoji said. "But Ryuen won't waste time. He must be planning something."

The two watched the distant camp in silence. Sunlight filtered through the clouds and glittered on the sea.

"Ayanokoji," Hanyu asked suddenly, "why are you helping me?"

Ayanokoji didn't answer right away. After a long pause, he finally said, "Because I think your way is better than Ryuen's."

"My way?"

"You want to win by improving the class, not by holding other people down," Ayanokoji said. "It may not be more effective, but... it's the right thing to do."

His answer surprised Hanyu. Looking at Ayanokoji's ordinary face, he realized for the first time that he might be more complicated than he'd thought.

"Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome." Ayanokoji stood up. "We should head back. There's still work to do this afternoon."

As they walked down the hill, Hanyu Xiuyi reassessed the situation. There were plenty of difficulties, and their opponents were strong, but at least he wasn't fighting alone.

He had a class that was gradually growing stronger, reliable allies, and now, it seemed, another mysterious but trustworthy companion.

The Special Exam had only just begun.

And the real showdown still lay ahead.