Changing the Plan and Hiding the Key Cards! / Class A Through Yamashita Saki's Eyes

"Heh, that's quite an interesting discovery."

Hashiba Hikaru stroked his chin and carefully examined the girl sitting under the tree. There seemed to be a red mark on her face, as if she had been hit.

"That's not how it works."

Shibata glanced furtively at Yamashita and continued, "We've already asked her. The reason Yamashita stayed here is because she had a fight with Ryuen and didn't want to go back to the Cruise Ship with him. Look closely at her face... that red mark is from when Ryuen hit her."

"Ryuen?"

Upon hearing that familiar name, the boy raised an eyebrow and questioned, "I remember the class leader of Class D should be Ibuki, right?"

"No."

Shibata shook his head and slowly uttered a sentence: "Yamashita -kun just said that Ibuki since last month. The current class leader of Class D is Ryuen Kakeru, and he's the one who made the decision to give up the exam."

"?"

"So, Shibata- san, you mean..." After hearing these words, Ichinose Honami glanced at the lonely girl sitting under the tree and understood the reason for her hesitation. "Are we going to take her in?"

"I don't know, but since you're here, why don't you decide?"

Shibata shrugged. He felt that they couldn't just leave a girl in the forest like that, but such an important matter needed to be decided by the people in the class who had the final say.

"What do you think, Classmate Hashiba?"

"I need to think about it."

Hashiba Hikaru's eyes gleamed with thoughtful consideration. This was indeed an unexpected discovery. Whether the class leader of Class D had really been changed was not something that could be easily verified now that the majority of their group had returned to the Cruise Ship. More importantly, since they had clearly expressed their desire to give up the exam, they still agreed to leave people on the island.

Sulking?

Being alone on an island is no child's play; it means facing all sorts of extremely difficult situations.

This could not possibly be a coincidence; there must be a deeper story behind it.

Chapter 156 Changing Strategy, Hiding the Key Card!

Deep in the forest, after Hashiba Hikaru expressed that she wanted to think about it, she stood alone at a distance, Ichinose Honami approached Yamashita Saki, wanting to ask about the current situation.

"Um, Yamashita -kun, right? I'm Ichinose Honami."

"I know you; you're the class leader of Class A."

The girl below the Yamashita gazed at the pink-haired girl so close to him. She was indeed extremely beautiful, with a delicate face that was almost flawless. Coupled with her full and proud figure and the gentle temperament she exuded, she would probably attract countless eyes wherever she went.

"Yes, but more than that, I'd like to know why Yamashita -kun didn't want to return to the Cruise Ship with her classmates?" Ichinose Honami looked at the red mark on the girl's face, her expression somewhat serious. "If it really was Ryuen who used violence, why didn't she tell the teacher? Hitting a classmate is absolutely unacceptable."

"Oh."

Yamashita Saki, with her twin ponytails, sneered, seemingly mocking Ichinose's naiveté.

"Ryuen is the class leader right now, and the teacher trusts him a lot. Trying to prove him wrong with such a small clue is useless; at most, he'll just get a verbal reprimand."

"... Then why did the conflict break out between you?" Ichinose Honami calmly pressed. If they were to take in students from other classes, they needed to understand the cause and effect.

Why should I tell you!

Yamashita Saki glared at Ichinose Honami, looking quite displeased. "Anyway, I didn't beg to go to your camp. It's only for a few days, so it's fine for me to stay here."

Although his tone was harsh, Yamashita knew that this was an essential part of the performance, because only in this way could he lower their guard and present himself as someone who was genuinely staying on the island out of anger and displeasure.

"Well... Yamashita -kun, please don't say that. If you really can't go on the Cruise Ship, we wouldn't mind letting you stay at our camp."

"Really? You really dare to take in a student from another class?" Yamashita Saki pouted, her mind replaying what had happened yesterday.

After being chosen by the class to be an undercover agent, Ryuen Kakeru specifically instructed her on many things, including the general situation of Class A and who she needed to keep an eye on.

For example, Ichinose Honami, the class leader of Class A, is a kind-hearted and easy-going girl, so she would never abandon a classmate who is alone in the forest.

Tied for first place with her was a boy named Hashiba Hikaru. Yamashita Saki remembered him well; she had seen him once when the rules were being sold, and later she had heard his name several times from her classmates Shiina Hiyori and Ibuki.

Most importantly, before setting off, Ryuen singled him out and emphasized this point, his face showing considerable apprehension as he said it.

[Remember, the true core of Class A has always been Hashiba, but he's too naive. He doesn't want to use force to make everyone obey him; instead, he plays games with voting and discussion. So, as long as you can gain the sympathy of most people, he won't be able to refuse to let you stay in the camp.]

Yamashita glanced discreetly at the boy standing at the farthest point, but his face still maintained an impatient expression.

"There are indeed risks in taking in students from other classes, but we can't leave Yamashita alone in the forest," Ichinose Honami said matter-of-factly. "We're all classmates; we can't be that heartless."

"Ichinose, is it possible for you to make this decision? Let me stay at your camp temporarily?"

Yamashita Saki hesitated for a moment before tentatively speaking.

"About this..."

Ichinose Honami did not answer the question immediately, but turned to look at Hashiba Hikaru standing to the side.

"Classmate Hashiba, what's your thought process?"

"Almost."

Upon hearing the pink-haired girl's voice, Hashiba Hikaru walked straight over. Without even asking Yamashita Saki, who was sitting on the ground, he immediately pulled Ichinose Honami aside and spoke in a very low voice.

"Although we don't know exactly what happened, if we really want to take her in, we must make some preparations in advance."

After finishing his mental contemplation, the boy felt somewhat relieved, because Class A had not yet officially begun occupying the strongholds. Now, facing this unexpected "gift" might provide him with a completely new perspective.

Regardless, if this were told to the other students in the class, most would probably agree to take the girl in, since the students in Class A are kind and wouldn't ignore Yamashita.

Since Class D has already been proven to have given up on this Special Exam, logically speaking, taking in a student from another class would simply be another mouth to feed, not a significant burden at all.

However, for Hashiba Hikaru Hashima, who had several encounters with Ryuen Kakeru and Ibuki Mio, the moment he discovered that this member of Class D was still on the island, he immediately became extremely wary.

Before sufficient evidence is collected, a better way to handle the most crucial Key Card must be devised.

"What preparations?"

"Hmm... how about this, I'll go back to camp by myself to do some things," Hashiba Hikaru glanced at her watch and leaned closer to Ichinose Honami. "I estimate it'll take about half an hour. You guys can head back to camp after five o'clock."

"Yes, I understand."

Ichinose Honami studied the boy's serious face and nodded obediently. She didn't press him further, because she believed he would explain things clearly later.

"I'll be going now, you can stay here for a while longer."

After nodding to the other classmates, Hashiba Hikaru immediately strode into the forest.

This action, however, left Yamashita Saki was sitting on the ground, somewhat confused about the current situation.

"Yamashita -kun, it's all decided now. You'll be coming back to camp with us later," Ichinose Honami said gently. "It would be dangerous to leave you here alone."

"Is that so?"

Yamashita Saki nodded slightly, but still asked with some concern, "Then why do we have to wait a while?"

"Well, it's because Classmate Hashiba said the trash at the campsite hadn't been cleaned up yet, so we went over first to get everyone to tidy it up before we could take Yamashita -kun back."

Is this necessary?

"Of course! If Yamashita -kun comes to our campsite, wouldn't he be a guest?"

Ichinose Honami smiled gently, her expression flawless.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Hashiba Hikaru was moving at a fairly fast pace through the forest, needing to make a series of preparations before his classmate Yamashita arrived at the camp.

The students in Class A all knew that their class leader was Minami Kozue. After accepting this girl from Class D into the camp, they had to process her Key Card.

Hashiba Hikaru now knows the names of the leaders of Class B, but not Class C and Class D. However, since Class D, which has clearly indicated its withdrawal, still has people on the island, this might be a good breakthrough point.

After all, cell phones can't be used on Uninhabited Island, and communication must be face-to-face. If he were really an undercover agent, wouldn't he have an opportunity to find out the name of their class leader?

Besides, regardless of whether she is an undercover agent or not, Class A has not yet started farming points at the outpost, so it is perfectly acceptable to temporarily halt this arrangement and change the plan to deal with any unexpected arrangements – that is true adaptability.

When the boy returned to the camp, there were still quite a few students there. Everyone was slightly surprised by Hashiba Hikaru's early return, but no one asked any questions. After all, he was the one who formulated the core strategy of the class, and he didn't need to explain what he did.

As for the student from the south, he was naturally inside the camp.

To ensure the safety of the Key Card, she would go into the forest to search for supplies in the morning, and stay at the camp with the students in the cooking group in the afternoon. All her arrangements were the same as most of the students, in order to avoid attracting the attention of others.

"Southern classmate."

"Classmate Hashiba? Why are you back early?" Minami Kozue was picking vegetables when she saw the boy suddenly approaching, and a look of surprise appeared on her face.

"I have something to tell you, come with me for a moment."

"Oh."

After the two arrived at a secluded spot at the back of the camp, Hashiba Hikaru began to explain to her what she had just witnessed and everyone's decision.

After hearing this, Nanfang Minami Kozue quickly understood the boy's meaning and said, "So, Classmate Hashiba suspects that Yamashita -kun didn't actually give up on the exam, but instead plans to come here as an undercover agent?"

"That's right, but there's no evidence yet, so this is just speculation." Hashiba Hikaru gave him an approving look. "Therefore, after dinner I will announce the new strategy to everyone, telling them to stop looking for bases and change their focus to gathering information on the class leader of Class C."

"Your task is to completely hide the Key Card, because if this Yamashita -san is indeed an undercover agent, she will definitely secretly check the name on the Key Card."

"I see."

Minami Kozue wasn't stupid; she quickly nodded and said, "Then I'll just dig a hole and hide the Key Card underground until Classmate Hashiba says it's okay to take it out."

"Hmm... that works too."

Hashiba Hikaru Hashima stroked her chin. If Yamashita Saki was an undercover agent, then they could track her movements to confirm whether there were any other students from Class D remaining on the island; perhaps that was the real leader.

While hiding the Key Card has blocked the point-farming mode of capturing strongholds, the boy's arrangements have resulted in Class A spending far fewer points to exchange for supplies, and they have already learned the name of one of the class leaders.

To maximize your final score, the key to success lies in focusing entirely on identifying the names of the class leaders.

Chapter 157: Class A in the eyes of Yamashita Saki

After Hashiba Hikaru and Minami Kozue dug a hole under a tree and placed the wrapped Key Card inside, the girl had a hesitant expression on her face.

"Does the student from the South have any other ideas?" he asked gently.

"I just feel like I've been completely useless as a leader. We haven't even captured a single outpost, and now they're going to abandon the whole plan."

"Hehe, don't think like that. All the plans and methods are for the sake of winning this exam," Hashiba Hikaru comforted her. "It's already amazing that Nanfang managed to keep the Key Card safe these past two days. If the name of the final leader in our class is never revealed, that would be the perfect outcome."

"Okay, I understand."

After burying the Key Card, the two returned to the camp. Since it was almost dinner time, Hashiba Hikaru threw herself back into the busy preparations, contributing her efforts to the class.

When the appointed time arrived, Ichinose Honami led Shibata and three girls back to the entrance of Class A's camp, where everyone was naturally quite happy to greet them.

However, when the students saw an unfamiliar figure appear behind them, everyone showed a degree of surprise on their faces, after all, this was the first time they had seen a member who did not belong to Class A in the camp.

"Well, let me explain to everyone. This is Yamashita Saki from Class D."

Ichinose Honami took charge of the situation and then explained in detail the series of events that had just occurred, making sure everyone understood why she was there.

"I see." Kanzaki Ryuji first glanced at Hashiba Hikaru standing beside him, and after seeing her nod, he slowly said, "I understand Ichinose's concerns. Indeed, it's not appropriate to leave a girl in the forest overnight."

"Yeah, I never expected Ryuen to even hit girls in his own class, that's outrageous!"

"I think it's fine to let Yamashita stay. Anyway, their class has already forfeited, and we still have plenty of food. It's no problem at all."

"But where will she sleep? Will she have to squeeze in with the girls?"

"It's nothing, Ando- kun."

Just as everyone was discussing how to settle Yamashita Saki, the girl with twin tails felt a strange and inexplicable feeling welling up inside her.

Although she had a few friends in Class D, the atmosphere in the class was still quite good thanks to Ibuki Mio's efforts to maintain it.

But looking at this group of men and women who suddenly started discussing how to settle themselves, each of them wore a genuine smile from the bottom of their hearts—a genuine emotion without a trace of pretense.

To paraphrase Ryuen, the students in Class A, except for Hashiba, are a bunch of idiots who love playing house and don't deserve to be in first place.

However, after witnessing the unique atmosphere of the class firsthand, Yamashita Saki's thoughts did change somewhat, but she chose to keep these feelings to herself and continue to quietly observe everyone in the camp.

"Since everyone agrees, let's leave it at that for now. Let's eat first; I have something to announce later."

Hashiba Hikaru encouraged everyone to satisfy their hunger first, since everyone had been tired all afternoon and needed to replenish their energy.

"OK."

"Coming right away."

"Received, received."

After hearing Hashiba Hikaru speak, everyone understood that she was probably going to announce some plan after dinner, so they responded quite enthusiastically.

"Yamashita's all come together, Yamashita-kun."