Welcome to Paradise of Freedom

"Okay, we'll leave it to you then."

Hirata immediately agreed, responding warmly.

Meanwhile, Kiyotaka, under Horikita's incredulous gaze, directly took her by the hand and slowly walked away.

"I really can't believe you'd volunteer to find something to do yourself."

Horikita, wearing a jacket, crossed her arms and said coldly.

"Idle hands are the devil's workshop—just passing the time. And don't forget Ryuen's provocation toward you on the yacht. You've undoubtedly become one of his targets, haven't you?"

Horikita let out a light sigh upon hearing this.

"Haah, I suppose you're right."

Chapter 35: Reconnaissance

"Oh? Isn't that Ayanokoji-kun and Horikita-san?"

Before the Class B base, Kiyotaka and Horikita appeared. Ichinose, who had been chatting with someone else, spotted them and greeted them enthusiastically.

"Hello there! What brings you two to our area?"

Ichinose looked at Kiyotaka, a faint blush creeping onto her face before she asked naturally and generously.

"Ah... just bored and taking a stroll. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not! I'll show you around!"

With Ichinose leading the way, Kiyotaka noticed that Class B was filled with harmony and cheerfulness. Everyone had a clear, assigned role, and their faces showed none of the tension of the exam—instead, they gave him the impression they were here on vacation.

"There's plenty of fruit in the forest, and we can barely catch fish in the sea. Since we're near this waterfall, drinking water is also very easy to secure."

Seeing Kiyotaka surveying the area, Ichinose proactively explained.

"As expected of Class B—more united than I imagined." Horikita couldn't help but remark as she watched the scene before her.

"Haha, not at all. We've been through a lot of hardships too. At first, we were struggling every step of the way, but we came up with many ideas and barely managed to get by." "Ichinose-san, I believe there's still a cooperative relationship between Class D and Class B, isn't there?"

"Hmm, I think so."

Just as Horikita and Ichinose were talking, a voice interrupted them.

"Sorry to interrupt."

"Is there something you need?"

"I wanted to ask if there's anything I can help with."

"Hmm... let me think. Then go help out over at Chihiro's place." "Understood. Sorry for the trouble."

Horikita watched the exchange between Ichinose and this classmate and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Isn't that a bit too polite for talking to your own classmate?"

"His name is Kaneda. Apparently, he got into an argument with someone from Class C and was kicked out of their camp."

At those words, Kiyotaka's eyes narrowed slightly. Pieces of a puzzle that had been hard to understand began to fall into place.

"I see..."

Ichinose looked at the contemplative Kiyotaka with curiosity.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing. Your classmate is calling you—you must be busy, right? We won't disturb you any longer. We'll come find you again when we have time."

Hearing Kiyotaka say he'd come find her again, Ichinose's face grew even redder. She gave them a sweet smile.

"Okay, I'll get back to work then. See you next time."

"I have to admit, Class B is a complete upgrade of Class D. In every aspect, the current Class D can't compare."

After Ichinose had walked away, Horikita remarked.

"Well... who could argue with that?"

In the grass near the Class A territory.

"We can't see anything from here. Class A has their area completely covered with cloth."

After observing for a long time without seeing anything, Horikita said helplessly.

Kiyotaka stood up directly.

"Then let's just get closer and look. Even if they're Class A, hiding like this all the time isn't a solution."

"What are you trying to do? Exposing ourselves for no reason isn't a wise choice. There's no benefit to us in that."

Kiyotaka looked down at Horikita from his height and said flatly, "Staying here sneaking around won't get us anywhere. Or do you want to do something else with me?"

Hearing this, Horikita's face instantly flushed red. Without any further hesitation, she stood up and followed Kiyotaka out.

"Hey, who are you? What do you want here?"

As Kiyotaka and Suzune stepped inside, the Class A student guarding the entrance spoke up.

"We're here to scout. Is there a problem?"

Suzune said, then looked at the large cloth blocking her path and reached out to lift it and walk in.

"What do you think you're doing? This area is occupied by Class A."

"Oh? So it's occupied by Class A. But that doesn't stop us from taking a look, does it? The rules don't say other classes can't inspect occupied areas, do they?"

As the argument flared, a figure slowly emerged from within. A tall silhouette, **bare-chested, with a simple homemade bow slung across his back. This was none other than Class A's leader, Katsuragi. "What's going on here? I don't recall allowing guests in this place."

"Sorry, it's them..."

Before the guard could finish, Suzune cut in with a cold laugh.

"We just wanted to go inside and look. The rules don't forbid it. Are you planning to break the rules?"

Katsuragi smiled in response.

"Break the rules? Finding your own territory and guarding it until the exam ends—that's the unspoken rule of this test. Trespassing like this is bound to upset Class A, don't you think?"

As Katsuragi spoke, Kiyotaka and Suzune heard faint footsteps behind them. Turning around, they found Class A students standing in a crowd, each holding weapons like wooden bats.

Kiyotaka let out a faint smile.

"Sorry, that was inconsiderate of us. We'll be going now."

With that, Kiyotaka took Suzune's hand and slowly walked out of Class A's encirclement, leaving under their wary gazes.

"Why did you drag me away? That was clearly a violent threat! Why give in?"

Held by Kiyotaka, Suzune complained with a dissatisfied look.

Kiyotaka stopped and casually pulled Suzune into his arms.

"What good would arguing with them do? This isn't like school with cameras everywhere. Even if something happened, a few words would be enough to brush it off."

Suzune, rare as it was, showed a girlish pout, her lips drooping long.

Seeing this, Kiyotaka leaned in and kissed her without hesitation, one arm around her while the other began exploring the peaks between.

He kept at it until Suzune was breathless, her body squirming involuntarily, before he finally let her go.

"Calm down now, okay?"

Suzune's face was flushed crimson. She shot him a glare.

"Calm down? Calm about what? That you took advantage of me again? I don't have any strength left. How am I supposed to walk?"

Kiyotaka chuckled and immediately scooped Suzune up in a princess carry.

"Let's go. We'll check on Class C one last time. After that... I'll miss you."

Hearing this, Suzune's heart fluttered, and she shyly nestled into his arms.

Her small, jade-like hands tightly wrapped around his neck, her cheeks burning hot.

Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. Mengdong wishes everyone a peaceful and happy holiday~

Chapter 36: Unbearable

On the beach, loud music blared. Class C's students were all playing by the shore in swimsuits, with tables on the sand piled high with an array of food and drinks. Seeing this, Suzune couldn't help but feel stunned. "Um, Ryuen wants you to come over." A Class C student approached, speaking timidly to Kiyotaka and Suzune.

Ryuen was lounging on a beach chair, with someone standing behind him holding a parasol. When he spotted Suzune, he immediately grinned.

"Yo, you're here, Suzune."

Ryuen took a sip of the beer in his hand, then frowned.

"Hey, come here."

The terrified Class C guide scurried over.

Ryuen poured the beer directly over his head, the liquid streaming down his hair.

"This isn't cold, you get it?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

The man nodded frantically like a chick pecking at grain, then scrambled to grab a new bottle from the cooler.

Watching this, Suzune frowned deeply. "You're spending all your points on eating, drinking, and having fun? How are you going to survive seven days like this?"

Ryuen let out a sneer.

"Is it right to suffer through the heat and mental strain like you poor saps? Why not enjoy this time like Class C does?"

"I feel ashamed for coming here with such a cautious mindset. I feel like an idiot."

Suzune sighed from the heart.

"Idiot? Who? You, or me? Since the points include these things, why shouldn't I use them?"

Suzune didn't want to argue with Ryuen over this. She cut straight to the point.

"Ibuki is from your class, right? When we ran into her, her face was swollen. What happened?"

"Oh, they're from our class. It's only natural for me to teach those who disobey orders a lesson. Is there a problem?"

Ryuen took a sip of his alcohol, speaking with utter indifference.

"You're nothing but a tyrant!"

Horikita felt nothing but disgust at Ryuen's casual use of violence against others, and she didn't hold back her scathing rebuke.

But Ryuen, instead of being ashamed, took it as a compliment and burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, thanks for the compliment, Suzune. Interested in joining the fun? I can set up a private tent for you, you know?"

"Ayanokoji, let's go. Staying here is a complete waste of our time."

Horikita completely ignored Ryuen's invitation, turned on her heel, and walked away.

"Hey, leaving already? Sure you don't want to join in? Come on, let's enjoy ourselves, hahaha."

Ryuen's arrogant laughter echoed from behind, making Horikita clench her fists as she quickened her pace.

In the forest, the two walked along the path.

"What a waste of time. Having a leader like that in Class C is truly pathetic. Squandering points so recklessly—there's no way they can last until the end."

Horikita spoke with clear frustration.

"Maybe Ryuen never intended to last until the end in the first place?"

"What do you mean?"

Seeing the confusion in Horikita's eyes, Kiyotaka directly pulled her close and explained.

"It's simple. They've just given up on this exam outright, just like Koenji. Make up some excuse—mental issues, physical discomfort, whatever—enjoy themselves, then head back to the ship when they're done."

So this was Ryuen's 'Zero-Point Plan'? Perhaps, in a way, it could even be considered a success?