On How Bathing Can't Hide Your Body

"Isn't that a pretty bad situation?"

"Yeah... Aaaaaaah, this is seriously awful! How did that guy Soma even get interested in this kind of activity?!"

"Probably the spirit of a great explorer. Their nerves are constantly stimulating their desire to explore the wonders of the world. Whenever they get active, they produce excitement-inducing criminal hormones. They can't resist them, and end up getting addicted."

"That's nonsense. I have no idea what you're trying to say."

"Heh heh, honestly, I don't know either. Just pretend I'm talking gibberish."

"What are you even talking about?"

"Is there still time to go back and join Ichinose and the others' discussion?"

"Damn it, don't bring that up right now, at least. My willpower can't take such a heavy blow." Takashima stepped over and draped an arm around my neck. As he told me to shut up, he rested some of his weight against me.

"Please let go. If you keep this up, I'll collapse too."

"Just think of it as punishment for your mistake. Don't mind me."

"How could I not mind? You were the one who thought it was strange that I wasn't complaining earlier, and now you're the one complaining about me. Isn't that unfair?"

"I never said anything like that."

"..."

From the moment we took our first steps, we hadn't paused once as we pressed deeper into the island. That meant our stamina was rapidly draining away.

"Do you think we'll get lost later?"

"Don't worry. I've been leaving markers."

"That's good. Whoa—" Takashima suddenly yelped. He'd probably tripped over a tree root, and with his arm around my neck, he toppled toward the ground. I went down with him, taking the fall in stride. At least nobody got hurt.

"Ow, that hurts."

"...Next time, don't take me down with you." Once I'd regained my balance, I stood up and couldn't help complaining.

"Haha, sorry. I didn't expect that root to grow in such a weird shape."

"Be careful. It doesn't matter if we go slowly; what matters is staying safe. If you get injured and have to drop out, we'll lose thirty points." Nakahara, at the front of the group, spoke to Takashima with a pained expression.

"Yeah, there won't be a next time. By the way, this path is really steep."

"That's what a natural forest is like."

We took the opportunity to rest for a bit, then continued clearing the obstacles around us and pushing forward with difficulty. Before long, however, an unwelcome voice rang out from the group.

"Nakahara, slow down a little... I'm starting to fall behind."

"Huh? Are you kidding me? We just took a break. And Raku hasn't said anything, but you're already giving in?"

"Maybe I just haven't said anything." I put on a breathless act as I replied.

Nakahara glanced back at us helplessly. "You two need to exercise more."

"Give me a break. If I increase my exercise any more, my muscles will snap." I tried to convince Nakahara that I put in plenty of effort in my daily life, but he rejected my claim without hesitation.

"Heh. Do you think I'm an idiot? Just how intense would your exercise have to be to make your muscles snap? And there's no way that would happen to Raku."

"In that case, maybe I have a fragile constitution."

Sorry, it's my fault I couldn't handle the extraordinary amount of training.

"You two really are... Sigh. Anyway, I'll slow down a little, but stopping is out of the question."

"That's more than enough." Before I could respond, Takashima answered first.

After that, the joking between us fell silent, and we focused on clearing the plants blocking our way. Before long, a path that hadn't been there before appeared in front of us. This little trail, with clear signs of human handiwork, marked a fresh start for us after the exhausting trek.

There were two key points to this exam. One was how to use our points efficiently and sparingly; the other concerned everything the leaders did.

The first point wasn't important, because there wasn't much room for the class to maneuver in how it saved and spent points. It would be difficult to gain an advantage that way. The problem was the second point. We still didn't know whether any class would do something as reckless as locating and occupying a base. Class A's actions in that regard worried me, since they seemed inclined to do something like that, which could easily lead to information leaking.

"Could this be... a road?" After walking along the path for a while, Nakahara froze and pointed at the scene before us.

"It looks like it."

It wasn't a paved road or a proper gravel path, but there were signs of trees having been cut down, the ground cleared, and the earth flattened. It looked like the school had made it.

"If we follow this road, we might find a base."

"Let's hurry and check it out before another class claims it."

We jogged along the path and eventually reached an exceptionally comfortable spot.

It was a surprising place for a base. The trees blocked it from view, making it difficult for anyone elsewhere to see. It was an excellent hiding place.

We examined the base carefully.

In the end, we concluded that this place could be replenished.

Bill Lafo was an impressive entrepreneur. Even in middle school, he'd been determined to become a businessman. Rather than boldly studying business, however, he'd chosen mechanical engineering, giving himself a foundation of professional knowledge to prepare for his career.

After that, to develop the qualities he needed as a businessman, he studied economics for three years and worked in a government department for five. Only then did he quit his job and go into business, achieving far greater success than those who had gone straight into business.

Everything he did was preparation for future success.

Dale Carnegie had once mentioned something similar: "Those who do not prepare for tomorrow will never have a future."

So, to keep our future selves from easily ending up in desperate straits, and to overcome every difficulty, we often had to pay a greater price.

Do you know why there are more mosquitoes at night in places with denser trees?

For people with a lot of camping experience or extensive knowledge of wilderness survival, this was probably an easy question.

The answer lay in mosquitoes' habits.

The more lush the aquatic plants, the faster mosquitoes multiplied.

Dark, damp, foul-smelling places with no light were ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. They provided excellent places for mosquitoes to mate and roost, which was why there were so many in the woods. Especially during summer, when mosquitoes were less active, they loved the cool, damp shade under the trees.

For that reason, it was best to sleep in a mosquito-proof tent at night; otherwise, the quality of your sleep would take a devastating hit. Of course, if you had something like mosquito repellent, that was a different matter.

"Raku, we're here." When I heard Ichinose call out, I tossed away the branch I'd been playing with and casually covered it with soil.

They'd finally arrived.

Not long ago, Nakahara, Takashima, and I had discovered this campsite. To secure the base and establish that we'd found it first, they'd left me here while they went to contact the main group.

There wasn't a river, but there was a well in the middle of the campsite. A sign had been put up beside it, reading:

[This well is part of the designated base. Use without permission is prohibited.]

The sign itself was proof that this was a base.

The school hadn't merely dug a well to provide this base with resources. The trees around it had been cleared, and the uneven terrain made this an excellent location to occupy.

"This place looks really good. You guys did a great job."

"We were surprised at first, too. We didn't expect to find it after walking for such a short time. I guess luck is part of your strength." Nakahara said proudly.

"This is great... But the most important thing here is this well. Soma, can you confirm that it's safe to use? The surroundings suggest that it's been maintained, but that doesn't guarantee the water in the well is clean."

"It doesn't smell strange. To be safe, I've already tested it. We may have to wait a little for the result." Takashima added from the side, but that seemed to upset Ichinose.

"So you've already drunk some, Takashima? Be more careful next time. What if something happens?"

"Haha, I was so thirsty that I couldn't help drinking a few mouthfuls. Besides, that's the only way to make sure the water is safe, right?"

"We don't have the tools to test the well water, so it seems like that's the only way," Soma said helplessly, confirming Takashima's point.

"It's fine. The worst that could happen is diarrhea."

"Don't act so carelessly next time. At least tell everyone first."

"I understand."

"Honestly... Raku, you didn't drink any, did you?"

"Nakahara and I didn't."

"Good." Ichinose breathed a sigh of relief at my reply.

Nakahara, however, put a hand heavily on my shoulder and gave me a thumbs-up as if he were about to cry.

What's gotten into him all of a sudden...?

"If the well water is safe, then everything will be great. I just estimated that even if we relied entirely on this well for the next seven days, there'd still be plenty of water. There's a lot of it."

Soma stated his conclusion with complete seriousness.

"If that's the case, then as long as the water is safe... I remember Kameyama said he found a cave. How was it?"

Kameyama shook his head. "It's much worse than here. There's no guarantee the water is safe, and we couldn't find any fruit nearby. The terrain is bad, too."

"What about Yasuda?"

"I found a base by a river, but another class got there first. I think it was Class D."

"We didn't find anything," Imada replied before Ichinose could ask.

"...This area is nice, too. If nobody objects, I'd like to set up camp here. Is that okay?"

"No problem. The well water is very likely safe."

After Soma vouched for it and we'd seen it with our own eyes, most of the students agreed. In the end, Ichinose made the decision.

"Then we'll make this our campsite. We'll buy water with points for today. Tomorrow, we'll see whether the well is safe to use."

After a few more discussions, we also decided where to set up the tents.

"Those of you who just went out, come over here. I'd like to tell you about the point-allocation plan we discussed. Let me know if you have any objections."

We promptly answered Ichinose's call and gathered around her.

"First, there's the issue of tents. The school only gave us enough tents to accommodate half the class, so we definitely don't have enough. I originally planned to order two more tents, but after thinking it over, I realized hammocks might be a good choice. The trees here are close enough together to support them, and they'd save us a lot of points."

"Of course, we've also bought two small tents in case it rains. If anything happens, the boys will have to put up with squeezing together a little. Is that okay?" Since she seemed worried about offending anyone, Ichinose asked the question very tentatively.

"We don't mind. I've never slept in a hammock, but just thinking about it gets me excited."

"That's a relief. I was worried you'd be unhappy about it."

"What's the problem? Leave it to us."

"Next, we want to buy a portable toilet. It'll make things more convenient for us girls."

"Wouldn't that be better anyway? It'll ease the psychological stress for most of us, and help us face the exam more easily."

"I think so, too," Ichinose replied with a cheerful smile.

"Next is food. Let's calculate the cost assuming we can't find any. In that case, the set meals listed in the handbook are the most affordable option."

Food or drinking water cost six points per class per meal, but a set meal cost ten points per meal. Two meals a day would therefore cost twenty points. If we had only one meal on the first night and the day the exam ended, that would make twelve meals in total, costing 120 points. If we could manage without eating on the final day, it would come to 110 points.

If we could confirm the water was safe, we could save on water, meaning we'd only need seventy-two points.

If we found food along the way, every meal we saved would help.

"This is highly uncertain, so I just wanted to bring it up. Whether we go through with it later will depend on the situation. Also, pass this handbook around. We've decided to buy some essential daily necessities, too. If nobody objects, we'll go ahead with this plan."

"Make sure to speak up if you have any concerns."

After saying that, Ichinose handed us the booklet she was holding. Many items had been checked off with a ballpoint pen, including hammocks, cooking equipment, small tents, lanterns, a portable toilet, fishing rods, and a shower...

Apart from the points set aside for food, the total came to nearly ninety points. Getting the cost down that much was already quite good.

"We can skip the shower room," Soma said after checking the items listed in the handbook.

"Soma, I don't want to spend a whole week without taking a bath with you."

"That's obviously impossible!"

"Please hear me out. That's not what I meant." Soma sighed helplessly. "I meant we could replace the shower room with an outdoor shower. It's five points cheaper than the shower room, and it's a really good deal."

"Soma, do you know what that is? We asked Teacher Hoshinomiya, but she didn't seem willing to answer. None of us know anything about it."

"I know how to use one. You put the outdoor shower next to the well and fill this tank with water. In a few seconds, you'll have hot water. Pretty convenient, right? It's heated with gas from a canister, and the canister lasts a long time. If it runs out, you just replace it. It's definitely a better deal than a shower room. After all, we can count on having plenty of water. Even if we can't drink it, we can certainly use it to wash ourselves."

"That's fine, but..."