A Warning from the Kouenji Family, Hashima Hikaru's Resolve / Negotiations with Class C, Ryuuen's Smugness

"That makes sense. After all, the school has designated an activity area on the Uninhabited Island, which is very likely for us to explore."

Shibata agreed with his suggestion. As an athletic guy, he was good at all kinds of sports, but he still suffered a lot when he first went to the Uninhabited Island.

"That's a possibility. Besides, didn't the teacher say that this time it will not only test physical strength and endurance, but also academic ability?"

Hashiba Hikaru stroked her chin. "I think this might be reflected in how we acquire supplies?"

"That's right, Classmate Hashiba's guess is similar to mine."

Kanzaki Ryuji picked up the conversation and said slowly, "The exam lasts for two weeks, which means we'll be living on Uninhabited Island for more than ten days. Therefore, supplies will be a very important challenge."

"Perhaps the ability to maximize the use of resources and facilitate the exchange of various resources is what truly tests our Thinking Ability."

"Pretty much, I think it's possible to consider this aspect."

Everyone quickly reached a consensus, so they wrote down their considerations in a notebook and planned to discuss them in more detail when the class meeting was held.

"So, who's next?"

Hashiba Hikaru's gaze swept across everyone's faces, and then he saw Horikita Suzune raise her little hand.

"Okay, then Horikita it is."

"Um."

Horikita Suzune paused for a moment, but she wasn't intimidated at all by the attention she was receiving.

"What I want to talk about is the strategy for team formation."

The black-haired girl glanced at the group of students present. She knew that these students were core members of Class 2-A, and each of them had a high personal profile rating.

"Horikita, just say what you're thinking. We'll listen carefully."

Ando smiled and nodded, indicating that she could relax a bit.

"First, there's the issue of group formation. The exam rules emphasize that if it's a mixed-gender group, there must be at least two girls in each group of three. This means that it will put considerable pressure on some girls who are physically weaker or even unable to endure long-distance hiking."

Although Horikita Suzune wasn't targeting anyone, Ichinose Honami was standing next to Hashiba Hikaru, looked uneasy.

Her profile clearly states that her athletic ability is C (59), which certainly doesn't mean she's good at sports. If she were to survive on Uninhabited Island for two weeks, she would definitely need companions.

"So I think we still have more than a month to train those who are less athletic, and then when selecting team members, we can let the more athletic boys lead the girls."

"This plan is actually quite good,"

Hashiba Hikaru paused for a moment, then continued, "However, I think that since the school has designed this rule so that teams can be formed across the entire grade, it means they want us to make the most of it."

"After all, there are also excellent students in other classes. As long as the conditions are right, we can still form teams."

"There are many athletic girls in Class C, but I think..."

Horikita Suzune paused for a moment, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

What do you think?

When Hashiba Hikaru asked the question, everyone else looked over as well.

"It's best not to place too much trust in the alliance before the specific results of the cards are released, because the final impact of the cards can be too great."

"Really."

Chapter 825 The Koenji Family's Reminder, Hashiba Hikaru's Resolve.

The internal meetings of Class A are a very interesting discussion process because everyone wants to serve the class. After getting used to this model, they can always come up with good ideas.

Although Hashiba Hikaru is always responsible for the final summary and debriefing, he now gives everyone more opportunities to speak, allowing them to grow more through each reflection, which is beneficial to the overall improvement of the class.

The discussion continued until around nine o'clock in the evening. After the boy had written down a few brief plans, he saw everyone out.

"Everyone should see the details of the cards in their emails tomorrow morning, but since trading is not allowed within the class, please don't announce it yet."

"We'll discuss this with Class C tomorrow, everyone understand?"

"Understood."

After seeing her classmates off, Horikita Suzune seemed to have something to say, but she was led away by Ando and Himeno, leaving Ichinose Honami and Hashiba Hikaru in the room.

"I feel like this Uninhabited Island Exam is going to be really tough."

Hashiba Hikaru Hajime leaned lazily against the sofa. This time, the time was twice as long as last year, a full fourteen days to be spent on Uninhabited Island. It was definitely not an easy test.

"Hikaru, I feel like I might hold them back..."

The pink-haired girl snuggled into her boyfriend's arms and rested her head on his chest.

"Why?"

Smelling the fragrance emanating from his girlfriend, Hashiba Hikaru gently patted her waist.

"Because my athletic ability is just average, if I had to live on Uninhabited Island for two weeks, I would definitely cause trouble for the other members of the group."

Ichinose Honami felt uneasy. She looked up at the boy's angular face, a hint of worry in her eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll be in a group with Honami anyway."

Hashiba Hikaru shook her head indifferently, "If Honami can't walk anymore, I'll carry you on my back."

"That's not a good idea..."

"Hehe, the whole school probably knows we're a couple, right?"

Hashiba Hikaru did indeed plan it that way. The rule was that teams of three could be formed, with members from their own class or from other classes in the same grade – the choice was entirely theirs.

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you?"

Feeling her boyfriend's gentle tone, Ichinose Honami's heart was filled with tenderness. She pressed herself close to his chest, gazing at him intently.

She certainly wanted to take the exam with Hashiba Hikaru, as that would give her a sense of absolute security.

"You're not allowed to say things like that."

Hashiba Hikaru raised her hand to look at her little head and said with a smile, "As for the other person, we'll think about it tomorrow."

"All right."

Ichinose Honami breathed a sigh of relief. She had been thinking about the exam ever since she heard about it. If she hadn't teamed up with Hashiba Hikaru, the girl wouldn't even know how to take the exam.

She knew very well that relying on him all the time wasn't a good thing, but because they had been spending more time together lately, even a short separation made the girl feel very uncomfortable.

"I think I'm sick..."

Ichinose Honami nestled softly against Hashiba Hikaru's chest, closing her eyes and curling up slightly like a cute kitten.

"Hey, don't fall asleep here! Go back to your room to rest after you take a shower!"

"Hmm... just carry me into the bathroom~"

"Honestly, why do I feel like Honami is becoming more and more affectionate lately?"

Hehehe.

After finally coaxing his girlfriend, whose face was flushed, to sleep, Hashiba Hikaru went onto the balcony and gently closed the glass door behind her.

He held his phone, his expression somewhat strange.

"Hello?"

"Hashiba- kun".

The voice on the other end of the phone was familiar, quite magnetic, and belonged to a man.

"Mr. Koenji?"

"It's me. Does it feel strange to receive a call from me?"

The man spoke in a very casual tone, as if he were joking with a friend.

"It's not surprising. If it weren't something very important, I don't believe you would call at this time."

Hashiba Hikaru knew that Koenji Morito was a man who wouldn't act without a reason, so his decision to call close to midnight meant he must have encountered a very urgent problem.

"Haha, that's absolutely right."

Koenji Morito paused, his tone slightly somber, "I heard you've already rejected the Kujo Family's offer of a son-in-law?"

"Yes, has this matter spread widely already?"

Hashiba Hikaru somewhat surprised. Logically speaking, being rejected shouldn't be a glorious thing. Did Kujo Hayato have to promote the company after returning?

"Of course not, I just pay more attention to the Kujo Family's actions, that's how I found out about this."

Koenji Morito's tone seemed somewhat strange. "This is the issue I want to discuss with you today."

"What's the problem?"

After you rejected him, did Elder Kujo share his thoughts with you afterwards?

He said he would find a way to get me to agree.

"Do you know what method he came up with?"

Koenji Morito glanced down at a report in his hand, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"What method?"

"I received a photo today. It was taken at one of the Kujo Family's private clubhouses. Elder Kujo... actually went to see Ayanokoji Atsuomi again!"

"What?"

Hashiba Hikaru's expression suddenly changed. He had gone to great lengths to completely break ties between Ayanokoji Atsuomi and the Kujo Family, so why was he meeting with Kujo Hayato now?

"... Please explain in more detail."

"I haven't investigated the specific reasons yet, but I can roughly guess why Elder Kujo would want to meet with someone who betrayed him."

"Is it because of me?"

Hashiba Hikaru reacted quickly, and from the other party's tone of voice, he quickly figured out the reason, which was not hard to guess.

"Yes, Elder Kujo has basically never been rejected by anyone in his life. No matter how nicely he says it on the surface, he will definitely have some dissatisfaction behind his back."

Koenji Morito's tone was very serious, "So he will definitely try every means to force you to agree to marry into his family. As for the specifics of the operation, he may have to cooperate with Ayanokoji Atsuomi again."

Hashiba Hikaru, then suddenly remembered something and exclaimed as if in sudden realization, "The school's School Board?!"

"That's right."

Koenji Morito said, enunciating each word clearly, "The election is over. Ayanokoji Atsuomi has now lost everything in politics. All he has left is the [White Room] and a portion of his influence on the Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School Board."

"As long as the Kujo Family continues to fuel the flames, he can once again extend his reach into the school."

"This is really troublesome."

"Please keep a close eye on this matter, Mr. Hashiba. After all, a person who has lost everything is very likely to do something extreme."

After thinking for a moment, Koenji Morito's tone suddenly became much calmer.

"I see."

Hashiba Hikaru pondered for a moment, then her eyes suddenly turned icy cold.

"If they dare to come again, then there's no point in holding back; let's just wipe out the Kujo Family as well!"

Chapter 826 Negotiations with Class C, Ryuen's Triumph.

The next morning, when Hashiba Hikaru woke up, he found that the girl in his arms was gone.

"Honami?"

Hashiba Hikaru got up and washed up, and then saw his girlfriend, who was already dressed up and looking pretty, standing in front of the stove.

"Hikari, are you awake? I'm making breakfast, noodles and fried eggs."

The girl's tone was very gentle; she had enjoyed her boyfriend's boundless tenderness yesterday, and she looked radiant this morning.

"Hmm, did you check your email? What card did you draw?"

Hashiba Hikaru wiped her face dry and picked up her phone from the table.