First-Year Snipers

She didn't know how long Aoyama would continue to attract attention.

"These are the spoils from this afternoon's hunt." With a fawning smile, Aoyama took out a pile of ingredients from his now-heavy backpack.

Thinking that he would have to feed someone more, he participated in some food-related projects on his way back, with the rewards mostly being for food-related tasks.

After winning three first places, each person received enough ingredients for three days.

Under Kamuro's annoyed gaze, he placed the ingredients in the designated spot and then led the impatient Ibuki to the open space by the lake.

"I am coming."

Ibuki rolled up her sweatpants above her knees, revealing her slender yet powerful calves. After warming up by jumping around a couple of times, she launched herself into a powerful charge.

Once inside her attack range, she raised her right leg and delivered a straight kick.

As expected, Aoyama blocked her kick with his forearm. She immediately switched to a straight kick with her left foot, and when that was blocked again, she used the momentum to switch legs and unleashed a powerful sweeping kick aimed straight at Aoyama's waist.

"It's a clear mistake to face an opponent who is much taller than you."

"Don't assume that this heavy blow will disrupt your opponent's balance and then ignore the consequences of taking it head-on."

After taking the blow to the side with his chest, Aoyama wrapped his arms tightly around Ibuki's long legs, preventing her from pulling away.

As he spun around quickly with Ibuki's right leg, his calf also hooked Ibuki's left leg, her only support, sending her flying.

How could you even hug that?

Ibuki, who felt she was about to crash into the ground, closed her eyes but did not experience the expected pain.

Just as she was falling, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and back without shaking her at all.

"Again." Sensing the unique scent emanating from Aoyama, Ibuki opened her eyes and immediately moved away from Aoyama's embrace.

After experiencing it firsthand, she knew that Aoyama was right.

You are welcome anytime.

Aoyama opened his arms, striking a casual pose, but Ibuki didn't feel humiliated.

The gap between the two is simply too great.

With gritted teeth, she adjusted her offensive strategy and launched a new attack.

Gradually, the sunlight shining on the open space turned to a dusky yellow, and the voices of the students in the nearby camp gradually increased.

Once again thrown off balance, Ibuki stumbled and fell, only to be half-embraced. She felt she no longer had the strength to stand up, let alone break free from Aoyama's side.

"That's enough for today. If you're too tired, just let me sit down."

As Ibuki felt her soaked back against Aoyama's forearm, she immediately told him to put her down.

She didn't feel it while being instructed during the sparring, but now that it's over and she's Matsushita, she's feeling shy.

"Perfect timing, I can go for a swim to cool off before it gets dark."

"As a reward for your guidance, could you ask Masumi to bring me my swim trunks?"

Ibuki was already drenched in sweat, and Aoyama was in no better shape; his white athletic t-shirt was soaked with sweat and clung to his body, making him feel extremely uncomfortable when he finally stopped.

He disarmed himself, rolled up his trousers to his knees, and jumped into the lake.

It feels much more impressive than Albert's.

With her eyes slightly widened, Ibuki's mind was filled with the image of Aoyama before he jumped into the lake. Compared to Albert's back muscles that she had seen during swimming lessons, Aoyama's were clearly a level more toned.

In short, it's very beautiful.

"No need to trouble you, Ibuki, I've already brought Aoyama- san's swim trunks."

Just as Ibuki was staring Aoyama at Aoyama swimming in the lake, a figure exuding a gentle and mature aura stood beside her.

"Shiraishi?!" Ibuki exclaimed in surprise, snapping out of her daze upon hearing the sudden voice.

Because of her gentle and unique voice, which Shiina's, she immediately recognized the person as Shiraishi Asuka, who, like her, had been wandering around with Aoyama that afternoon.

"Sorry, did I scare you?" Shiraishi chuckled softly. "Since the shower line isn't too long now, I think Ibuki should head back quickly."

Throughout the entire process, she silently observed Aoyama's teaching.

"... good."

Unsure if Shiraishi had noticed her dazed expression, Ibuki answered hastily before immediately getting up and leaving.

As Shiraishi watched Ibuki's departing figure, his smile deepened.

Then, she walked to the flat grass by the lake, rolled up the cuffs of her sweatpants to her knees, and slowly sat down to soak her calves in the water.

The icy chill helped alleviate much of the fatigue she had felt after running around with Aoyama all day.

"I've brought your swim trunks, Aoyama."

"Why is it you, Shiraishi? Where's Ibuki?"

"I told her to go back and take a shower first." Lifting her exquisitely carved, work-of-art-like Shiraishi feet from the water, Bai Shi alternately raised her left and right feet, splashing the water and sending ripples across the Aoyama not far away.

"Want to go swimming? I still have plenty of supplies left."

Aoyama kept treading water to keep himself afloat, watching Shiraishi playing in the water like a child.

His basic card is Lead Card, and he hasn't spent many resource points on buying anything yet.

"That'll have to wait until tomorrow, but we can conveniently stop by to see Ryoko." With a slight smile, Shiraishi tossed his swimming trunks to Aoyama.

This time, there's no door-to-door delivery service on the Uninhabited Island; you can only buy things at the starting point.

"If Nishikawa knew you were just passing by and came to see her, she would cry."

With a gentle smile, Aoyama grabbed his swimming trunks and swam to a place where Shiraishi could no longer see him.

After changing, he simply packed up his sweatpants and threw them onto the shore.

"Ryoko wouldn't go that far as to cry, but she's definitely going to have a tantrum, so we need to comfort her."

"I'd actually like to see Shiraishi coaxing Nishikawa."

"How about you try being a troublemaker, Aoyama, and then I'll coax you now?" Seemingly intrigued, Shiraishi increased the frequency of his kicking the water's surface.

Her delicate face, which originally held a gentle smile, now showed a hint of playfulness.

"Touched, yet refused."

What does this mean?

It means being very interested but then rejecting the offer.

Swimming to the shore, Aoyama braced himself against the ground and suddenly pushed off, his body flying out of the water and onto the shore.

After shaking off the water droplets from his clothes, he sat down not far from Shiraishi.

"Even though we've been walking and stopping frequently, you must be exhausted after a day of walking with me."

Unlike Nanase, a fellow alumnus, Shiraishi has a genuine D-level physical ability and doesn't pretend to be weak.

"Yes, so I hope you can treat me well, Aoyama." Shiraishi turned to look at Aoyama with an expectant expression.

"Good girl, you were really great today, Asuka."

As Shiraishi wished, Aoyama praised Shiraishi Aoyama now looked completely at ease, in a voice that was unlike anything he usually used, full of magnetic gentleness.

The best reward for a voice enthusiast is, of course, her favorite voice.

Chapter 346 First-Year Sniper

Day four of the exam.

Perhaps it was the calm before the storm. Yesterday, Aoyama took Shiraishi to explore the remaining half of the Uninhabited Island again, but nothing particularly noteworthy happened.

The top spot in the group rankings still belongs to Katsuragi's group from Class 2-A, but the second place has now been taken by Ichinose's four-person group.

"Let's get started!"

At nine o'clock in the morning, the maps of the Uninhabited Island on each student's tablet showed some new assignments.

After quickly browsing the topics and selecting the one closest to them with the reward of increasing the number of group members, Aoyama set off with Shiraishi.

After three days of observation, it was found that the most common topic in the Special Exam was that only two people were allowed to participate.

"I'm not very good at sports-related activities." By confirming the topics they would be participating in using a tablet, Shiraishi gave Aoyama a heads-up beforehand.

Topic: "Archery Target Practice at a Distance of 25 Meters" Category: Sports

Participation requirements: Register within sixty minutes of the topic being announced.

Number of participants: Two people (one boy and one girl, five arrows each).

The login period ends when 20 people have logged in.

Victory condition: The students who gather within the specified time compete for a score, with the sum of the scores of male and female students tallied.

Rewards: The maximum number of members in the first-place team increases by 3, the maximum number of members in the second-place team increases by 2, and the maximum number of members in the third-place team increases by 1. The winner will also receive a day's worth of ingredients.

"There are many students like you, which is why the distance is set at 25 meters."

Aoyama answered as he hurried along, carrying a large backpack.

They did have one archery lesson in first grade and even touched a bow, but for many students, that was the only time they touched one bow.

Given that there might not be any Archery Club students participating, Aoyama believed there wouldn't be any strong opponents, and he could easily carry Shiraishi alone.

"It seems that even if we play it safe, we can still come in second."

Upon arriving at the location of the research project, Aoyama immediately registered with Shiraishi and the person in charge, and was then informed that he was in the seventh group.

He took in the faces of the students who had clearly also registered, and based on the information, he determined that one of the third-year students was a former member of the archery club.

As time passed, the last three groups of students had gathered, and the first five groups began their exams.

Because the open space was not large enough, placing five targets horizontally at a distance of ten meters was the limit.

"This is the first time I've met a senior student, I'm so happy." Amasawa Ichika, who was also in the last five groups and in the waiting area, greeted Aoyama with a cheerful smile.

The last three groups of students who signed up were from grades one, two, and three. The second-grade group was Miyake's group from Second-Year Class D, and the first-grade group was Amasawa Ichika's group.

In the first-year group of four, Hosen's partner is Nanase, Amasawa Ichika's partner is naturally Yagami.

"I'm really looking forward to my match with President Aoyama."

Before Aoyama could reply, Yagami approached with a gentle smile.

"So you're so free that you deliberately came to ambush me? Are you trying to rebel?"

Ignoring the hypocritical Yagami, Aoyama used a single Facebreaker and capture Amasawa Ichika, the Student Council traitor, and brought him to his side.

Three days have passed, and he naturally knows which schedule each of the top four groups has.

According to the designated area on Amasawa Ichika's schedule, they have recruitment tasks closer to here. With Yagami and Amasawa Ichika's abilities, they can get first place in any task as long as they can sign up.

"Could it be that I miss my senior so much that I even wasted a precious minute just to see him?"

Amasawa Ichika didn't hide the fact that she found Aoyama's location using GPS, but she concealed the fact that it was Yagami, who had a gentle smile, who first made the suggestion.

Yagami harbored resentment towards Aoyama for the humiliation he suffered at the hands of the student council shortly after the start of the Student Council.

Having guessed that Aoyama would emerge from seclusion after the recruitment exam, he made a special trip to ambush him.

"Hehe, I'll take that as true."

Aoyama pinched Amasawa Ichika's smooth little face before letting go of his hand.

Yagami, who had been ignored from beginning to end, maintained his gentle expression and silently returned to his position with Amasawa Ichika.

"It seems that Yagami is a tough guy." Although Shiraishi didn't know Yagami's true identity, he could tell that he was no ordinary student.

Despite being humiliated by a student of similar age in front of a cute girl, Yagami managed to maintain a smile and keep his dissatisfaction hidden.

Since Yagami is the leader of Class 1-B, the possibility that Yagami is naive and innocent is almost nonexistent.

"Let's skip this assignment. Shiraishi, just shoot whatever you want."

His gaze fell on the arrows fired at almost the same time, Aoyama revealed a slightly mischievous smile.

"Judging from your smile, Aoyama, I get the feeling you're up to something bad," Shiraishi asked curiously.

"Yes, just wait and see my heroic performance."

With a widening smile, Aoyama smoothed Shiraishi's pale golden hair as Amasawa Ichika turned his head to look at him.

This was the second time he had stroked that wonderfully soft long hair since he had obtained Shiraishi's permission last night.