Unexpected Visitor

The next afternoon, while Class D was reinforcing its camp and gathering resources according to plan, an unexpected visitor appeared.

At the time, Hanyu Xiuyi was discussing ways to improve the alarm system with Hirata Yousuke, while Horikita Suzune stood nearby, recording suggestions with a cold expression. Suddenly, the alarm on the south side of camp went off—it had been triggered by a person, not the wind or a small animal.

"Someone's here!" Ken Sudō immediately grabbed a wooden club from beside him.

"Don't rush in," Hanyu Xiuyi said, holding him back. "Let's see who it is first."

The bushes rustled, and a figure emerged. It wasn't a Class C student, as they'd expected, but a girl—Ichinose Honami from Class B.

She was alone, wearing a neat tracksuit, her pale pink hair fluttering gently in the breeze. Seeing how wary the Class D students were, she gave them a warm smile and raised both hands to show she meant no harm.

"Classmate Ichinose?" Hanyu Xiuyi said, surprised. "What brings you here?"

"I came to see Hanyu." Ichinose's smile was warm, but her gaze was serious. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you in private."

Horikita Suzune immediately frowned. "What can't you say here?"

Ichinose looked at Horikita, her smile unchanged. "It's about Class C intel. I thought Hanyu might be interested."

Hanyu Xiuyi thought for a few seconds. "All right. Horikita, Hirata, keep working on the camp. I'll go talk with Ichinose over there."

He pointed to a shady spot near the edge of camp. Ichinose nodded and followed him.

"Can you tell me now?" Hanyu asked after they sat down.

Ichinose's expression turned serious. "This morning, Ryuen Kakeru from Class C came to see us in Class B."

"What did he want?"

"He proposed a 'deal,'" Ichinose said. "He promised not to target Class B during the exam, on the condition that we 'cooperate' with them once on the final day."

"Cooperate how?"

"He didn't say exactly. He only said he'd give us a signal when the time came." A trace of concern crossed Ichinose's eyes. "I refused. But Ryuen said that if Class B wouldn't cooperate, he'd make us a target."

Hanyu Xiuyi frowned. "Was he threatening you?"

"Mm." Ichinose nodded. "And he made it very clear: 'Either become our ally or our enemy.'"

That was definitely Ryuen's style. Hanyu Xiuyi considered the matter. "You came to see me to..."

"To warn you to be careful," Ichinose said earnestly. "Ryuen is clearly planning something big. He came to Class B, and he'll probably approach Class A too. If he can convince the other classes to cooperate, he might launch a surprise attack later in the exam."

"Thanks for the warning," Hanyu said sincerely. "What are you planning to do?"

Ichinose smiled, her expression firm. "I won't work with someone like Ryuen. Class B will complete the exam in our own way. But..." She paused. "If Class C really targets us, I hope Class D and Class B can support each other when necessary."

"Is our verbal alliance still in effect?"

"It is." Ichinose nodded. "I just thought we should confirm it in person. After all..." She looked toward the busy Class D camp. "You seem well prepared."

Hanyu Xiuyi followed her gaze. Ken Sudō was teaching a few boys how to set new tripwires, Hasebe Haruka was sorting the plants the girls had collected, Hirata Yousuke was discussing the map with Yukimura Teruhiko, and Horikita Suzune stood nearby, recording things with a cold expression.

It was true. Compared to the chaos of the first day, Class D now looked like an organized team.

"We've done our best," Hanyu said. "But there's still a lot we need to improve."

"You're already doing great," Ichinose said sincerely. "Honestly, I didn't expect Class D to get organized so quickly. It seems you have strong leadership ability, Hanyu."

"I can't take all the credit," Hanyu said modestly. "It's the result of everyone working together."

Ichinose looked at him, her gaze a little complicated. "You really are different from the other Class D students, Hanyu. I've been thinking... if you were in Class A or Class B, you might achieve even more."

"But I chose Class D," Hanyu said calmly. "And I think what I achieve here will mean more than what I could achieve in another class."

Ichinose paused, then smiled. "You're right. I won't keep you any longer. Remember to watch out for Ryuen—he's definitely planning something."

"I will. Thank you for coming all this way to warn me."

After Ichinose left, Hanyu Xiuyi returned to the center of camp. Horikita Suzune immediately came over, her black hair swaying gently as she moved.

"What did she say?"

Hanyu briefly recounted their conversation. Horikita listened, her brows knitted together. "Ryuen really is plotting something. But what exactly does he want to do?"

"I don't know," Hanyu said. "But one thing is certain: he won't be satisfied with fair competition."

"What should we do, then?"

"Keep following the plan," Hanyu said. "But we need to gather more intel. Ayanokoji!"

Ayanokoji Kiyonaga came over from where he'd been checking the water supply, his expression as nondescript as ever.

"Take Kanji Ike and Yamauchi Haruki to scout the south," Hanyu ordered. "Don't go near the Class C camp. Observe their movements from the perimeter. Stay safe, and report back immediately if you notice anything unusual."

"Understood." Ayanokoji nodded and went to call the two boys, who had been slacking off.

Kanji Ike and Yamauchi Haruki weren't keen at first, but after Hanyu promised them extra food as a reward, they set off with Ayanokoji.

Around four that afternoon, the scout team returned. Ayanokoji looked unusually serious.

"Something's not right," he said. "Most of Class C stayed in their camp today, but every so often a few people left in different directions. It looked like they were... surveying the terrain."

"Surveying the terrain?" Horikita asked, puzzled. "What are they planning?"

"They could be preparing for something later on," Yukimura Teruhiko reasoned. "An ambush, a sneak attack, or maybe setting traps."

His guess made everyone tense. If Class C really was setting traps, Class D's next moves could be dangerous.

"Should we still go out exploring?" Hirata Yousuke asked worriedly.

Hanyu Xiuyi thought for a long time. In the end, he made a risky decision.

"We'll not only keep exploring, we'll expand our range," he said. "But we'll change our strategy. We'll split into more, smaller teams, with no more than three people in each, and take different routes. That way, if one team gets into trouble, the others can come to their aid or sound the alarm."

"Wouldn't spreading out make us more vulnerable?" Horikita challenged.

"That's why we need better communication and coordination," Hanyu said. "We have walkie-talkies, don't we? Each team will take one and stay in contact. Also, every team needs someone who's physically fit and someone with a good sense of direction."

They quickly came up with a new team arrangement. Hanyu Xiuyi divided the class into six groups of three, assigning each a different direction to explore. He, Horikita, and Ayanokoji formed the mobile team, staying at camp and ready to provide support at any time.

While assigning the teams, Hanyu noticed a few interesting pairings. Ken Sudō and Sakura Airi were in the same group, and the shy girl nearly buried her head in her chest. Kushida Kikyo and Karuizawa Kei were together, and the two girls seemed to get along well. Yukimura Teruhiko and Matsushita Chiaki were also paired up; the two rational thinkers would probably work well together.

"Remember," Hanyu stressed before they left, "safety comes first. Report anything unusual immediately, and don't take risks. You must be back at camp by six."

Once the teams had left, only Hanyu, Horikita, Ayanokoji, and a few students responsible for camp duties remained.

The wait dragged on. Hanyu Xiuyi paced around camp, checking the walkie-talkie from time to time. Horikita Suzune sat in the shade studying the map, but Hanyu noticed that every few minutes she looked up toward the forest.

"Worried?" Hanyu asked as he walked over.

Horikita didn't deny it. "Splitting up like this is risky. If Ryuen really has set traps, we might not be able to help in time."

"I know," Hanyu said. "But if we don't take risks, we'll always be on the defensive. With someone like Ryuen, the more you back down, the more he'll take advantage."

Horikita glanced at him. "You're a lot like him."

"What?"

"Neither of you plays by the rules," Horikita said. "He chooses to act out of malice, while you choose... a constructive approach."

The comment surprised Hanyu. He was about to reply when the walkie-talkie suddenly crackled.

"This is Group 3." It was Yukimura Teruhiko, and he sounded a little nervous. "We found something. Southeast of here, about two kilometers from camp, there's a... strange marking."

"What kind of marking?"

"It looks like an arrow made of stones, pointing west. It seems to have been made by someone, and it's fresh."

Hanyu and Horikita exchanged a glance. A man-made marker? Who had left it, and why?

"Don't go near it," Hanyu ordered. "Mark its location, then return to camp. Keep an eye out for anything unusual."

"Understood."

Over the next half hour, the other teams gradually reported their own discoveries. One found broken branches that looked like they'd been snapped by someone, another heard strange sounds in the distance, and a third found unusual drag marks on the ground.

But the report that unsettled them most came from Ken Sudō's group.

"We ran into Class C!" Sudō's voice came through the walkie-talkie, full of anger. "Three guys. They saw us and laughed, then said, 'The game's about to begin!' What's that supposed to mean?"

"You didn't get into a fight, did you?" Hanyu immediately asked.

"No. They left after saying that," Sudō said. "But Sakura was scared. She..."

A quiet sob came through the walkie-talkie, followed by Sudō's clumsy attempt to comfort her. "D-don't cry. I'm here..."

"Return to camp immediately," Hanyu ordered. "All teams, stop exploring and come back at once."

As the teams returned one after another, the mood at camp grew noticeably tense. Sakura Airi's eyes were red, and she hid behind Kushida Kikyo. Ken Sudō looked furious and kept cursing the Class C students.

"What are they trying to do?" Hirata Yousuke asked anxiously.

Hanyu Xiuyi called the core members together for a meeting. Horikita, Ayanokoji, Yukimura, Hirata, and Kushida sat in a circle and shared what they had found.

"Based on all the intel," Yukimura Teruhiko said, sorting through his notes, "Class C seems to be setting up some kind of elaborate... trap. They're surveying the terrain, leaving markers, and deliberately showing themselves to us. They're clearly trying to put us under psychological pressure."

"But what exactly are they planning?" Kushida asked. Her sweet smile had disappeared for the first time.

Ayanokoji Kiyonaga spoke up. "I think they might be trying to stage an 'incident.'"

"An incident?"

"For example, one of our groups might 'accidentally' get lost or 'accidentally' get injured," Ayanokoji said. "Then, while we're searching for them or trying to rescue them, they could create chaos and take the opportunity to steal our supplies or points."

It was a frightening theory, but it fit Ryuen's style.

"What should we do, then?" Hirata asked.

Hanyu Xiuyi fell silent for a long time. The setting sun filtered through the leaves and fell across his face, making his expression look grave.

"Turn the tables," he said at last.

"What?" Horikita asked, puzzled.

"If they want to stage an incident, then let's give them one," Hanyu said. "But we'll follow our own script."

He explained his plan in detail. When he finished, everyone looked shocked.

"That's too risky!" Hirata was the first to object.

"But it may be our only option," Horikita calmly reasoned. "Passive defense will only leave us more and more vulnerable. If we take the initiative, at least we can keep control of the situation."

"I agree," Ayanokoji said.

"I agree too." Yukimura pushed up his glasses. "Logically speaking, the plan is risky, but it has a decent chance of success."

Kushida Kikyo hesitated, then finally nodded. "If everyone else agrees..."

The majority ruled, and that settled it.

At dinner, Hanyu Xiuyi announced part of the plan to the whole class—not all of it, since the fewer people who knew, the more likely the plan was to succeed.

"Starting tomorrow, we'll change how we operate," he said. "We'll stop exploring separately and focus our efforts on one goal: finding the special supply point at the center of the island."

"Isn't that dangerous?" one student asked worriedly.

"That's why we need everyone to work together," Hanyu said. "We'll spend a day getting there, collecting the reward, and returning. We may face all kinds of difficulties along the way, but if we stick together, we can overcome them."

The goal was clear, and it was a challenge. Unexpectedly, most of the students supported the idea. After two days of tension, everyone seemed eager for a clear goal to take their minds off things.

"Then that's settled," Hanyu said. "Get a good night's rest. We leave first thing tomorrow morning."

When night fell, Hanyu Xiuyi stood at the edge of camp, gazing up at the stars. The forest was quiet, but he knew that things were stirring beneath the calm.

The real contest would begin tomorrow.

"What are you thinking about?" a voice called from behind him. It was Ayanokoji Kiyonaga.

"I'm thinking about what Ryuen is planning," Hanyu said. "And whether our plan will work."

"It will," Ayanokoji said. "Because you've considered something Ryuen hasn't."

"What's that?"

"People's hearts," Ayanokoji said flatly. "Ryuen only thinks about how to use fear and control. But you're thinking about how to build trust and unity. In a long-term confrontation, the latter is stronger."

Hanyu turned to look at Ayanokoji. Under the starlight, his unremarkable classmate seemed to have a different air about him.

"Ayanokoji, what kind of person are you, really?"

Ayanokoji was silent for a long time. Just when Hanyu thought he wouldn't answer, he spoke.

"Someone... who wants to see how far ordinary people can go."

Then he turned and walked back to camp, leaving Hanyu Xiuyi alone in the dark, lost in thought.

An ordinary person?

Hanyu Xiuyi looked at his hands. He'd never thought of himself as ordinary. But he didn't think he was a genius, either.

Maybe he was simply clearer than most people about what he wanted, and willing to work hard for it.