Holy Crap, They're Not Even Trying to Hide It

Raising her head, listening to the whispers of her classmates, Shiranami Chihiro, who should have been his girlfriend but hadn't chosen to go public with their relationship, gave a bitter smile.

... Sure enough, no matter who it is, everyone suddenly feels that Che-kun and Honami are a couple.

"Yes, I think so too," she said.

Therefore, precisely because of this, she must hold onto the only identity she can hold onto and enjoy the happiness she is entitled to.

I am your girlfriend.

"Hoshinomiya-sensei, can I have the guidebook now?" Watching Asakusa Toru's figure disappear into the distance, Ichinose Honami turned around and asked Hoshinomiya Chie for the checklist.

Then, holding up the handbook she had brought, she called out to her classmates:

"Everyone, while we wait for Asakusa- kun to return, let's discuss how to save the most points!"

He has his battlefield, and she has her own direction to strive for.

As he traversed the jungle, Asakusa Toru began to play the role of Tarzan.

It was definitely faster to leap from tree branch to branch than to push through the bushes on the ground.

The biggest advantage of traveling through the trees is that there are fewer obstacles and a wider field of vision, allowing you to see scenery that you can't see on the ground.

With the help of the highlighted areas on the Mini-map, Asakusa Toru only needs to keep moving forward to determine if there are any strongholds that can be captured along the way.

Before long, he successfully found a broken 'giant tree'.

Great, we've found the class's base.

Following the signpost called the Giant Tree, we turned and traveled a short distance southwest, referring to the illuminated image on the Mini-map.

Soon, Asakusa Toru found a fairly suitable area nestled in the cracks of the island.

A huge rock lies across the bank, and behind it is a small waterfall mostly surrounded by cliffs. The thick trees cast long shadows, creating a large area of shade. Although not perfect, the well-balanced environment is just right to be a class base.

The key card was lightly touched on the screen terminal device in the center of the base, and two messages appeared smoothly on the screen.

[Class A]

[07:59:59]

The class, and the countdown to the eight-hour occupation period.

From this moment forward, this outpost belongs to them.

Chapter 199 Holy crap, they didn't even bother to act!

Once the bases were located, Asakusa Toru only needed to return and report back before he could begin his sweeping campaign.

He didn't even need to go back the way he came.

There's no need to rely on memory to reconstruct the route, nor is it necessary to leave directional marks along the way...

Oh no, the second one is still necessary, since his classmates are different from him and don't have Mini-map.

If someone gets lost and goes in the wrong direction, they could lead the whole class astray.

So, do I still have to go back the way I came?

Let's just go the same way; it won't take much time anyway.

With a flick of his wrist, Asakusa Toru pulled out a Voice Recorder.

He couldn't very well use his fingernails to mark the road. Although if someone saw him, it might raise questions like, "Where did this guy bring the Voice Recorder from?" But considering that the guys from Ryuen had gone to great lengths to bring a lot of stuff, he could always get away with it by saying that the security check wasn't strict enough.

That's right, Asakusa Toru certainly knew that Ryuen Kakeru had managed to bring a lot of things off the ship, and he could also see that Horikita Suzune had prepared a lot but brought nothing with her.

He's not blind. Not to mention that quite a few students in Class C had things found on them during security checks, even if he didn't watch them press the buttons, anyone could tell with a little observation that the students in Class C were hiding a lot of things.

After all, most of the students in Class C become quite relaxed after passing through security.

If it weren't for the fact that security checks are only conducted once, they would all have been caught, one by one.

This also shows just how straightforward Horikita Suzune is. Ryuen Kakeru immediately came up with a solution, but she was the only one who actually obediently didn't bring anything after hearing that she couldn't bring anything.

In short, if Class C could bring the Voice Recorder off the ship, there was no reason why Asakusa Toru couldn't do the same.

At worst, I can just put it in the Diary later. As long as I don't take out a new Voice Recorder, this one in my hand can be put into the Diary as the 'main prop'.

... In fact, picking up a random stone should theoretically be the optimal solution.

But he finds Voice Recorder more convenient to use, and even if he doesn't use them for marking, he might be able to record something interesting by simply taking one out.

The directional markers were quickly placed, and at a slightly slower pace, Asakusa Toru returned to the beach where he had landed.

"I'm back." Without taking a breath, in just over ten minutes, before the sun had even set, Asakusa Toru returned to his original spot.

Stopping her discussion with her classmates, Ichinose Honami smiled.

Welcome back.

Beside her, in an extremely soft voice, Shiranami Chihiro also whispered:

Welcome back.

Just like a wife who stays at home and a husband who returns from working away from home.

"Wow, Asakusa- kun found a base already?" Seeing him return so quickly after leaving not long ago, without even breaking a sweat, the classmates couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "How come we never noticed before that Asakusa could run so fast?"

If it were Class D, they might question whether Asakusa Toru hadn't even bothered to find the base and had just wandered around before returning.

But their class would never say such stupid things.

They are never stingy with their praise.

"Wow, that's amazing! At this rate, we'll be able to take over most of the outposts on the island in no time, right? If it's eight hours per minute... I can't even begin to calculate how many points we'll get on this exam."

"As expected of Asakusa!"

After exchanging glances and nodding with his classmates, Asakusa Toru finally spoke:

"The outpost has been found. Did you get the guidebook?"

"Yes, yes, it's here with me!" Shiranami Chihiro quickly handed over the manual, raising her hand.

Taking the manual, he quickly flipped through it without directly revealing the location of the base. Instead, Asakusa Toru turned to look at Hoshinomiya Chie was standing to the side.

"First, give me a new pen, and then... a camera, please."

The former is used for drawing maps, while the latter is used... well, it's a tool for messing around with people.

There are many detailed rules regarding point deductions in this Special Exam. Points will be deducted for everything, including urinating or defecating indiscriminately, littering and polluting the environment, being absent from roll call, using violence to seize supplies, and even using a stronghold occupied by another class without permission.

However, unlike the Behavioral Norms Exam, where a large number of near-perfect cameras are installed on the Advanced Nurturing school campus to record students' every move and deduct points frame by frame, there are no cameras on this Uninhabited Island.

In other words, the criteria for deducting points are either clear 'physical evidence' or 'witness testimony' that can be forged.

This is quite intriguing.

I said he used the stronghold I occupied without permission, but without evidence, it's obviously impossible to deduct points easily.

That's why he needs a camera.

Incidentally, it might also capture some interesting moments.

"Teru, hold on tight, your pen and camera." After a brief exchange, Hoshinomiya Chie quickly handed over the supplies she had received to Asakusa Toru.

He casually hung the camera around his neck and placed it openly in front of his chest, Asakusa Toru turned to the last page of the guidebook.

This guidebook, which was provided to each class, has a total of five blank pages.

You can tear it off and use it as you like.

Of course, he doesn't need to tear it off; he just needs to refer to the trajectory on the Mini-map and simply draw his route forward.

The route, landmarks, destination, and even the exact distance to walk can all be calculated using the scale shown on the Mini-map.

"Here you go." However, Asakusa Toru finally tore off a piece of white paper before handing the guidebook with the route map to Ichinose Honami: "Go this way, and you'll see a 'broken giant tree.' Then head southwest from there, which means go straight from here and then turn in that direction. You'll see the base."

Gesturing directions, Asakusa Toru continued, "..."

"It's near a forest with a waterfall nearby, so the water should be drinkable, but just in case, it's best to boil it. It won't take long. I've looked into it, and it seems like we could try using absorbent cloth tied to the trees to make a hammock. That should reduce the need for a tent a lot. If you're feeling lazy, you can just use absorbent cloth instead of a tent, which will save you a lot of money."

"Um."

After giving a few casual instructions and confirming that Ichinose Honami remembered the direction, Asakusa Toru once again embarked on his journey.

This is when the coloring game truly begins.

This Uninhabited Island has an area of approximately 0.5 square kilometers and a maximum elevation of 230 meters. In terms of size, it is very close to that of a school.

But after all, this is an island, with its hills and valleys, surrounded by trees and crisscrossed by rivers.

Therefore, exploring with a simple plane is clearly not the right choice.

After a moment's thought, Asakusa Toru decisively chose to circle the island.

If the island were a perfect circle, its circumference would be approximately 2.5 kilometers. However, it is clearly not a perfect circle, so this figure needs to be estimated a little more.

But no matter how you estimate it, assuming you maintain enough stamina and a steady pace, an excellent graduate from the White Room wouldn't take more than twenty minutes to complete a lap.

Considering that the beach, seawater, and terrain can all have some impact, perhaps we could pinpoint the time to around fifteen minutes more precisely.

Of course he could do even faster; after all, he's a graduate of the White Room. If he couldn't reach the limits of human capability, then his level would be far too low.

However, it's not just speed that needs to be considered, but also endurance. He needs to work non-stop for seven days straight, so starting with a sprint would be too foolish.

If he can come easily, he should certainly run easily too.

Go ahead!

"Whoosh--whoosh--"

The whistling wind brushed past, and the fog on the Mini-map was gradually dispelled. One by one, the key cards in their hands were pressed onto the checkpoints they passed, marking the target checkpoints with the name of Class A.

Asakusa Toru circled the island faster than the expected fifteen minutes.

The fishing huts near the shore have been confirmed to be occupied, and the lookout tower on the shore has also been successfully marked.

Of course, in addition to these two known strongholds, several other small strongholds along the way that were lined up on the shore were also captured.

Just when Asakusa Toru thought that all he had to do next was the same old tedious, repetitive work, he realized...

As he walked through the forest, he saw a 'gorilla'.

Well, strictly speaking, he's not entirely a gorilla, but at first glance he does look very much like one—a blond man.

"Hahahaha--" A hearty laugh mingled with her leaping figure on the tree branch, her short, flowing golden hair reflecting a dazzling light in the bright sunlight.

Having shed his sweltering sports jacket, revealing large swaths of muscle, a blond, naked man was leaping through the woods.

Without a doubt, this man is Koenji Rokusuke.

He was also one of the few people who could possibly stop him, the "half" among those he had mentioned.

Asakusa Toru: "..."

Extremely offensive, it's an eyesore.

Maybe we should just change direction and head that way later.

Just as he was thinking this, Koenji in the tree suddenly stopped and turned around.

"Hahaha, I am so beautiful." Asakusa Toru thought that he had noticed him stopping, but Koenji simply turned around, sighed, and then turned back to jump up again.

As he jumped, he shouted, "But standing amidst nature, I am utterly beautiful—"

After leaping around a few times, Koenji Rokusuke's figure disappeared.

"... You're crazy." Asakusa Toru his breath before resuming his journey in the original direction.

Koenji was slightly off-center from the direction he intended to go; moving forward a little further would have created enough distance to avoid a collision.

However, just because he couldn't bump into Koenji doesn't mean he couldn't bump into other people.

"Swish, swish--" The swaying branches were pressed down by the weight, and then straightened up again as Asakusa Toru, who was stepping on the branches, moved. The back-and-forth shaking caused countless leaves to fall, making a swish sound.

"Seriously, what is that guy Sakayanagi!"

Just as he approached, Asakusa Toru the right moment.

"Yahiko, someone's here." Another voice seemed to be trying to stop him from speaking, but it was too late.