Classroom of the Elite, A Hypocritical Gray Life

"If that's the case, doesn't that mean anyone who wants to take a bath will have to hide in a secluded spot?"

"Why is that?" Soma asked, looking puzzled.

"Because if we do that, there won't be anything to cover our bodies while we're bathing, right?"

"..."

After a series of brilliant suggestions, Soma's point was instantly knocked back to square one by a single remark from the girls.

We've already thought this far, can't we think a little deeper? Was our thinking hindered by the Heat Group? I was actually looking forward to this.

"We can use the tents meant for the portable toilets instead. I remember those are waterproof, too. We bought temporary toilets anyway, so those tents will be sitting idle, right?"

"Ooh, that's amazing, Raku. That solves the problem."

Faced with Ichinose's praise, I scratched my cheek in embarrassment.

"Then it's decided. We'll replace the shower room with outdoor showers. As for the technical side of things, I'll have to trouble you, Soma."

"I'll do my best."

"It really is wonderful to be with everyone."

Chapter 56: Keeping a ballpoint pen in your pocket is a very dangerous thing

Laziness is considered the greatest of the seven deadly sins, distinct from the others in its own way.

Unworn gears can sharply gnaw away at wisdom, severing relationships with others and even stripping away one's future, leaving behind only the illusion of an empty shell.

Humans are born as lazy creatures; in other words, we are a species born from sin. From the perspective of Dante's theological concepts, laziness is the manifestation of "failing to love God with all one's heart, failing to love God with all one's spirit, and failing to love God with all one's mind."

I don't seek to understand such profound answers, but at the very least, I acknowledge the general theory that laziness is a waste of time. Whether I accept it or not is another matter entirely.

[The most glaring person in a crowd is always the one with the least amount of effective activity time.]

By the time I used laziness as a springboard to recall this sentence, it was already too late, and I had completely forgotten the fact that the link between greed and laziness is the most profound of all.

1

"Thread the rope through this hole, then run it straight through the entire hammock and tie a knot at the end. Next, wrap the rope around the tree, pass it through the top ring, and tie a dead knot... and that's how you finish one end of the hammock."

To help us see the steps more clearly, Soma deliberately slowed down his movements while turning his body to present a better view.

"Just repeat the same steps for the other end. Within reason, wrap the rope around the tree trunk a few extra times at the end; it'll be sturdier, and you won't have to worry about the hammock coming loose... Finally, connect the iron hook to the end of the rope to secure it... Can you understand that?"

"That's way too many steps."

"Most of them are just repetitions; you'll get it if you put a little effort into it. If you really can't, I'll come help you later. Anyway, there's no way to install all the hammocks today, so let's just do as much as we can. We have the small tents as a backup, after all."

"I guess we have no choice but to bite the bullet... Tell me, Okabe, did you learn it? You look so excited."

"Isn't that a given? It's such a simple thing; surely there isn't anyone who still doesn't get it?"

"You guy! Don't let me catch you making a mistake."

"Don't worry, I won't give you the chance. Besides, if you need it, I'll be generous enough to help you, so you can look forward to that, Shiratori."

"I don't need your help!"

We had originally planned to purchase the rope hammocks that Soma mentioned. These hammocks use a mesh structure to bear weight, which is what you'd call a spiderweb design. If it rains, this type of hammock dries the fastest, but unfortunately, the only ones the school could provide were cloth hammocks.

Cloth hammocks would collect water on rainy days, and in severe cases, the weight might even destroy the hammock directly, which led us to schedule waterproof measures for the hammocks ahead of time.

We used the plastic bags provided in infinite supply by the school to create a plastic film about two meters long to cover the hammocks, also tied to the tree trunks for stability. If there's no wind, we might even get the chance to experience sleeping in a hammock on a rainy day.

However, the workload required for this was too great. We couldn't finish the preparations in a single afternoon. So, starting from the first day, we boys had to crowd into two small tents.

If possible, Ichinose intended to buy us an extra tent as a buffer, but the geography didn't allow for it. Our base is centered around a water well, and the area around the well is filled with dense trees, leaving little room for tents. The two tents the school provided were already pushing the limit.

It was for this very reason that we chose hammocks as a substitute.

"Ichinose-san, we found food."

"Welcome back, did you find anything?"

"We did! We found tons of fruit, and some mushrooms too, but we don't know what kind they are, so we can't be sure if they're edible."

"You don't know if they're edible? Bring them here and let me see... Uh, I don't seem to recognize them either... Soma, could I trouble you to come over here?"

"Sure, I'm coming. You guys go ahead and try them."

After learning that Soma possessed exceptional wilderness survival skills, he began running around like a famous celebrity, with almost no time to catch his breath. Although he looked tired, he seemed to enjoy it. This is probably the ability to balance value with one's inner self.

"Oh? I didn't expect to find Black Bean Tree Fruit here, and you even found Akebia? Ah, these are all edible; this is a huge help."

Black Bean Fruit—you might not have an impression of it by that name, but it's easy to understand if I call it blackcurrant. The fruit is rich in nutrients, containing various vitamins like A, B, and C, with the vitamin C content being particularly prominent.

As for Akebia, it's not strange that you haven't heard of it; it's a fruit that has only been cultivated in recent years. Some newspapers have even reported it as the rarest fruit in the world, though that's a bit of an exaggeration.

But then again, it's been a long time since I've seen blackcurrants. Judging by the amount of fruit the students were holding, I'm sure we'll have a hearty meal tonight.

"Really? There's a lot more of this fruit in that direction, and it's super close to us. Let's go bring back some more before it gets dark."

"Please, by all means, bring back as much as you can. Take the plastic bags with you so you can carry more. Be very careful on the way."

"Got it, we will."

After the brief meeting ended, the team of a dozen people charged out again in a grand procession.

At the same time, because my mind was elsewhere, I failed to control my hand movements well, causing me to set up the hammock twice as fast as an average person. I wanted to lock the stable door after the horse had bolted, but it was already too late; the task of setting up the hammock was finished.

I couldn't exactly take it down and do it all over again, could I...

Well, since the task was already complete, I might as well test the stability of the hammock.

I tried sitting on the hammock I had installed, and after confirming the tension of the ropes, I lay back with peace of mind, closing my eyes to enjoy a moment of lazy comfort.

Hm, I was just checking the results; I definitely wasn't slacking off.

However, the rustling sounds of labor and irritable complaints reaching my ears made it impossible for me to even think about sleeping. Also, due to the unnatural feeling of being out of sync with the group, I sat back up.

I had to find something to do, or at least pretend to be busy.

The weeds had already been cleared, and the tarpaulin was being handled by another group; suddenly stepping in would make me look strange and might even drag down their progress. Helping friends install their hammocks would also likely be seen as me mocking them...

Living life is truly a series of things that are never easy to handle.

"Raku, what are you doing?"

"Installing a hammock..." While I was lost in my own thoughts, Ichinose had wandered over to my side without me noticing.

"Did you run into some trouble? Your expression has been changing this whole time."

"Has it?" I touched my cheeks with a hint of suspicion.

Ichinose shook her head, "I just had that feeling... wait, could it be that you've already finished installing it?"

"I suppose so."

"But the others haven't even reached the halfway point yet... are you sure the ropes are tied tight?"

"I already tested it with the resolve that I might fall, so it should be fine."

"I see. Then what was Raku-kun thinking about just now? You looked quite serious."

"It's nothing worth mentioning."

"Can you tell me anyway?"

Looking at Ichinose's hopeful expression, I couldn't bear to refuse, so I spoke up.

"I was considering how to make certain things look more natural so that others wouldn't notice."

"...What does that mean?"

"Simply put, how to make others think I'm not slacking off."

"Haha, so that's the trouble you're having because you finished the hammock early." Hearing my words, Ichinose didn't hide her laughter at me.

"That's exactly it..."

"Sorry, that's just too funny, haha."

"But then again, Raku is unusually proactive today. I thought you would just stay silent."

"It's a matter of necessity. After all, it's so hot, I just wanted to finish what I was doing as quickly as possible."

Letting the work drag on for even a second longer would be pure torture.

"Hmm, I see..." Ichinose tilted her head and rolled her eyes, which made me feel a sudden sense of foreboding.

"Since Raku is already done, why don't you help me with a small favor?"

Ah, as expected.

"...As long as it's within my capabilities, I'll do my best."

"Then, could you come with me to pick up some dry branches nearby that we can use for a campfire? Although we have flashlights provided by the school and lanterns we bought, I think it's better to ensure we have a light source, and we can also use them to cook food. If it were just me, I might not be able to carry much, so could you help me?"

"If that's all, no problem." After ensuring the conditions were absolute, I agreed to Ichinose's request and left with her.

"Clack—"

Just as we reached the edge of the campsite, the movement of taking my hand out of my pocket caused my ballpoint pen to accidentally fall to the ground.

"Hm? Did something fall?"

"Yeah, just a ballpoint pen." I bent down to pick up the pen, wiped off the dirt it had picked up, and put it back in my pocket.

"Raku, give me that pen."

"What's wrong?"

I followed Ichinose's command and handed over the pen I had just tucked away, feeling confused.

"Let's just leave the pen at the campsite for now. If it falls out of your pocket suddenly, it could be dangerous."

"...How is that dangerous?"

"Of course it is. Think about it: if it falls out and happens to land upright, and you step on it hard, that would be bad. Someone actually ended up with a lifelong disability because of that."

Is that really a thing?

Chapter 57: Beautiful! I am just so beautiful!

"Oranges grown south of the Huai River are oranges, but those grown north of the Huai River are trifoliate oranges; though their leaves are similar, the taste of their fruit is different."

In anthropology, it is said that the influence of environment on human growth is subtle yet profound. The environment shapes an individual's personality and way of life over time, and these traits are difficult to change.

However, while the environment influences growth, it does not preclude the free expression of will. When there is significant conflict between the environment and the freedom of will, an individual's personality will stretch their desires to the extreme, transforming into something "deformed."

This is how defective products are born.

1

The best kindling for a campfire is dry branches, and wood with a soft texture is quite good for this. Because they burn quickly, their downside is that they tend to spark and burn out too fast. Therefore, to have a lasting light source, we need to find other types of branches as well.

The wood required must absolutely be dry; most people understand this, so I won't elaborate on the reasons, but identifying whether wood is dry is the current priority.

Generally speaking, if you aren't using instruments, there are four ways to distinguish this.

The first is the weight of the wood. Dry wood is far lighter than wood containing water. The criteria for this method are extremely strict, as most people cannot accurately gauge the difference in weight.

The second and third methods involve the feel of the wood and tapping it with your knuckles. Wood that doesn't feel cold to the touch and produces a crisp sound when tapped is generally quite dry, while damp wood will feel slightly cold and sound dull. These are relatively simpler than the first method.

The last method is the simplest, but it requires time. Place a tissue on the wood and check the next day to see if it has become damp; this can also basically determine the dryness of the wood.

Due to a lack of tools and insufficient time, Ichinose and I mostly use the first three methods.

"This should be enough, right?" Ichinose greeted me while carrying a large pile of branches, and after I signaled my agreement, I also headed toward her with a substantial amount of firewood.

At the very least, there won't be any issues with our light source tonight.

"Let's head back, then."

"Mm, sorry to trouble you... Raku, don't you feel uncomfortable in such hot weather?"

"Of course I feel uncomfortable; the whole forest is damp, and the air is stiflingly hot... This is probably the environment where humans are most prone to irritability." I shook my head, trying to flick the sweat off my eyelashes.

"But how come I get the illusion that you don't feel any discomfort at all, and instead seem quite used to it?"

"If you put it that way, it's hard for me to explain."