The First Round: Neither Romance Nor Brains / Can I Come Eat at Your Place?

Because she just saw other students coming out of the restroom and about to pass by her, Ichinose Honami could only helplessly stop talking and signaled to Kitagawa Ryo to come find them again at dinner time.

"Good."

There wasn't much time to talk during this short journey, so Kitagawa Ryo nodded in agreement and then pretended to turn into the men's restroom. As soon as he entered, he caught sight of Ryuen Kakeru had just finished relieving himself.

Because there were other older students at the urinals next to him, Ryuen Kakeru only glanced at Kitagawa Ryo before bumping into him and leaving the restroom. The only time he could talk to boys and girls was during lunch and dinner. Talking to people of the same gender was actually more convenient. For example, the time before bed when he was washing up was a very suitable time for secret talks. After all, the school provided all students with a communal bathhouse, and unlike the communal meal times, the bathing times for each grade were different, which saved a lot of trouble.

However, the thought of discussing the Special Exam with other boys, completely naked, in a steamy public bathhouse still gave Kitagawa Ryo goosebumps. He decided to bring a towel to wrap around himself when they went in.

Actually, this might be the best way.

After all, if he were really seen naked by the other boys in the First Year, the ever-present question on the forum about how many girlfriends he actually has would have a whole new way of being answered...

Chapter 399: The First Round: Neither in Love Nor in Brains

The one-hour lunch break flew by. Kitagawa Ryo barely managed to finish talking with three groups of girls and didn't even get a chance to have a fourth bowl of rice. Somewhat helplessly, he left the restaurant and returned to his dormitory under the instructions of the school staff.

Since formal classes won't start until tomorrow, the students are free to do as they please this afternoon. However, since the activity areas for boys and girls are separate, and most areas of this Forest School are temporarily closed to students, the bored boys wandered around the dormitory area a couple of times before returning to their rooms to chat and kill time without their phones or computers.

"Actually, if you think about it, we should have been in school today. Even though we didn't have phones or computers to play with, at least we had a day off, right?"

Ishizaki Daichi lay on the upper bunk, listlessly raising and lowering his legs, struggling to come up with this self-comforting explanation.

"I'd much rather just stay at school and attend classes quietly."

Compared to the delinquent Ishizaki Daichi, the Yukimura Teruhiko was still leaning against his bed, flipping through the books he had brought. He seemed to be in a pretty good mood, since he had been assigned to the same group as his good friends Yamada Albert and Miyake Akito. His group also had a capable and prestigious leader like Kitagawa Ryo who could keep the group in check, so he didn't have to worry about interpersonal relationships or the group atmosphere. All he had to do was study hard and pass the exam.

"I'm back."

Just then, Kitagawa Ryo, who had returned from his outing, pushed open the door to the dormitory room of the Third Group, immediately attracting everyone's attention.

"I just took a walk around the school building. Although all the classroom doors were locked and we weren't allowed in, we could still see some things through the windows."

As he spoke, Kitagawa Ryo took a bottle of water from his bag, unscrewed the cap, and gulped down a couple of mouthfuls. He then casually sat down on the bed. That's the advantage of the lower bunk; it's very convenient to sit or lie down whenever you want without having to climb up or down.

"This Special Exam may include courses such as meditation or seated meditation."

Without intending to keep anyone in suspense, Kitagawa Ryo quickly shared his discovery with the other students in his group.

"On the third floor of the school building, there's a particularly large area that looks like a dojo. You can see that it's covered with tatami mats, and there are scrolls with the word 'Zen' written on them hanging on the walls."

"Hmm... the rulebook does mention that this course includes 'morality' and 'mental training,' and meditation and sitting meditation both fit the bill."

Watanabe Norihito, who slept in the lower bunk next to Kitagawa Ryo, nodded in agreement.

"But I've never had any experience with this before, do any of you have?"

Does seeing it in the game count?

"What a joke! This isn't like in a game where you can just sit cross-legged and time will pass to restore your stamina. Staying in this position without moving is actually quite difficult."

"Really? I'll give it a try."

After a lively commotion, several boys on the beds spontaneously clasped their hands and assumed a cross-legged sitting posture. For a moment, the entire boys' dormitory seemed to have transformed into a sacred temple or some kind of Buddhist monastery, with the upper and lower bunks bathed in a radiant glow.

However, this harmonious scene didn't last two minutes before Ishizaki Daichi cried out first:

"Ouch, ouch, ouch... Why does it hurt so much even when I sit cross-legged?"

"For beginners who lack flexibility, it's recommended to start with a single-leg cross-legged position. There's no other way, as incorrect posture will only make it more uncomfortable."

Although Kitagawa Ryo himself had no prior experience in this area, his exceptional physical abilities and familiarity with various positions made this meditation posture a breeze for him. So he got out of bed to check on the other students.

Kitagawa Ryo casually pointed at Ishizaki Daichi, who looked to be in great pain, and then heard a knocking sound coming from the dormitory door. All twelve members of their Third Group were now in their rooms, so the knocker must be an outsider. Therefore, most of the students peeked out from their beds and looked towards the door.

Who is it?

"A teacher?"

"Open the door and let us see."

Since his lower bunk was close to the dormitory door, Kitagawa Ryo casually walked over and opened the door. Standing there were four boys: Mizowaki and Fujimaki from Class 2-A, and Tonokawa and Ishikura from the third year. The first two were Miyabi Nagumo's confidants and held positions in the Student Council. Fujimaki was a student from Class 3-A, and Ishikura was the Leader of Class 3-B.

Although Kitagawa Ryo hadn't exchanged more than a few words with any of the upperclassmen since enrolling, he had already memorized all the students' information in the OAA System, so he recognized everyone's face the moment they met.

"Excuse me, senior students, what brings you to our dorm?"

After the encounter with Horikita Suzune at noon, Kitagawa Ryo had a pretty good idea of why these people were coming, but he still greeted them with a smile.

"Well, we're all members of the Third Large Group, so we wanted to check on the juniors and see if there's anything we could do to help."

It was Ishikura from Class 3-B who took the initiative to explain their purpose, since the third-year students were considered seniors compared to the second-year students.

"Huh? Did the upperclassmen go through this kind of Training Camp Exam before?"

Seemingly thinking about the fact that answers could be bought for the Midterm Exam the first semester after enrollment, Komiya Yogo from Class D asked a question out of curiosity.

"We have indeed experienced this type of exam before, but the specific rules are different each time, just like the Uninhabited Island Special Exam last summer. The school will definitely take you there again this year, but the exam rules and format will be different."

Upon hearing this, Ishikura shook his head, his gaze quickly and discreetly scanning the entire room before finally locating Ayanokoji Kiyotaka on the upper bunk next to the door. He then quickly looked away and continued explaining as if nothing had happened:

"Actually, every year during these cross-class camping or collaborative activities, the First Year students always have the most accidents. After all, everyone hasn't known each other for very long. Once you experience these Special Exam a couple more times, you'll get used to it."

As he spoke, Ishikura pulled two decks of cards from his pocket.

"Here, these are for you. They can help pass the time when you're bored and also strengthen the bonds between team members."

Unlike electronic devices such as game consoles and mobile phones, or simple food and drinks, the school did not restrict students from bringing these kinds of entertainment gadgets this time. Yukimura Teruhiko's own books were not confiscated, and Kitagawa Ryo did bring a deck of cards to play on the bus, but it seems that he later gave it to Kanzaki Ryuji, so he was unable to bring it to the Third Group.

"Oh, thank you."

Kitagawa Ryo accepted the two brand-new decks of playing cards, still wrapped in their protective film, and thanked Ishikura. After all, these cards were quite good for passing the time, especially in an environment where there were no cell phones or computers.

"And then, besides this, there's something else I'd like to discuss with the younger students, which is the arrangement for breakfasts for the coming week."

After presenting the small gift, Ishikura immediately changed the subject and revealed his true purpose.

"That's exactly what I was thinking about. I was planning to talk to you guys about it, but I didn't expect you to come here."

Before Ishikura could continue, Kitagawa Ryo spoke first:

"With seven days left, we'll allocate two days per grade, leaving the Sundays off from classes for each grade to decide how to handle things. That would be the fairest approach."

During this week-long Special Exam, Saturday afternoon and the entire day of Sunday were free of classes, just like this afternoon, with rest and free time. Kitagawa Ryo's plan certainly conformed to the principle of equal distribution.

"That's true, but as you know, preparing breakfast for the whole group early in the morning is really tiring. Our second-year and third-year groups are very competitive, so if we can have a couple more hours of rest, it will definitely benefit our group's overall score."

Upon hearing Ishikura's words, the First Year students, who had initially felt grateful for his gesture of giving them the playing cards, all frowned in unison. Ishizaki Daichi and Komiya Yogo, whose tempers were already rather short, even started shouting:

"What do you mean? You guys think it's tiring, but we First Year don't feel tired at all, right?"

"What's with all this fancy talk? If you want to be lazy, just say so. Why keep calling yourself a senior or a mentor?"

Compared to this kind of direct, on-the-spot cursing, Watanabe Norihito from Class B was a seasoned veteran of sarcastic remarks, immediately addressing the second-year students Mizowaki and Tonokawa:

"Is the competition really that strong? Can you beat Nagumo's group? No, I should say, do you dare to beat Nagumo's group?"

Seeing that all the First Year students looked excited and seemed reluctant to participate, Fujimaki, who had been sitting silently with her arms crossed since entering, also spoke up to stop them:

"I told you long ago, Ishikura, your suggestion is unreasonable. Wouldn't it be better to just distribute it equally as Kitagawa suggested? Or are you going to continue putting on airs as a senior?"

"No need to get so worked up. I just think this kind of equal distribution is meaningless. How about we play a game of Jokers with this deck of cards and decide the winner? If luck is on your side, you First Year might not even have to make breakfast twice."

Faced with the situation before him, Ishikura still wore that smiling expression, casually pointed to the two decks of cards in Kitagawa Ryo's hand, and offered another solution.

Upon hearing that there was a chance to skip breakfast altogether, and that the decision would be made through drawing Joker cards—a method clearly involving luck— Ishizaki Daichi was somewhat tempted. However, after being pulled back by Hirata Yosuke on the next bed, and seeing him point at Kitagawa Ryo and then shake his head with a smile, he held back his intention to speak, waiting for the temporary leader of their temporary group to reply.

"There's no need for that. After all, Senior Ishikura's reason was that he felt his group was very competitive in the grade and needed more rest, right? Let's just use the simplest and most direct method for the competition. Starting from the second day, the cooking task will be assigned to the group with the lowest total score from the previous day's three groups from the three grades. As for tomorrow, the first day... let's all share the workload."

Without any intention of agreeing, Kitagawa Ryo quite decisively threw the two decks of cards onto his bed and then proposed a new plan.

"What do you two second-year students think? This should be pretty much in line with the 'Classroom of the Elite Studio' principle advocated by your Student Council, right?"

Having been hit on the head by his own boomerang, Ishikura had no room for rebuttal for the moment. He glanced unconsciously at the deck of cards on Kitagawa Ryo's bed, exchanged glances with Mizowaki and Tonokawa, and finally could only reluctantly nod in agreement.

"Since Kitagawa insists on deciding this way, then let's do it this way for now. Tomorrow morning, our three groups will share the work, and after that, it's up to each of us to do our best."

After saying this, Ishikura seemed to feel that he had no more excuse to stay, and quickly chose to say goodbye and leave. The other three senior students also got up together. Only Fujimaki glanced at Kitagawa Ryo before leaving and nodded slightly to him. As a student of Class 3-A, he was obviously aware of the relationship between Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Manabu, or rather, the Horikita Siblings.

Ishikura's operation failed because he didn't expect Kitagawa Ryo to successfully take control of the entire group in such a short time. Although he had seen many First Year students showing some interest when he suggested using playing cards to decide the winner, no one objected after Kitagawa Ryo refused, thus fundamentally cutting off the possibility of his next plan.

After seeing off the senior students, Kitagawa Ryo casually tossed the playing cards to Ishizaki Daichi and the others to pass the time. Although the two decks of cards looked brand new and unopened, once they realized that these were the very cards that Ishikura had brought from Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School and then brought here, and that it would be too easy for him to tamper with them beforehand, there was absolutely no need to have any competition with them to draw the Joker.

"Aren't you going to play, Ayanokoji?"

Seeing that his Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, showed no intention of getting out of bed, Kitagawa Ryo stretched out his foot and kicked the bed board.

"Maybe next time, I'm not really keen on playing poker right now."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka rolled over on the upper bunk and replied in a flat tone.

Their first round of this Special Exam came to an end.

If I had to say, it was a minor defeat for the other side.

Kitagawa Ryo rested his head on his arms, closed his eyes, and began to take a nap.

... but.

Why does this description always feel like something out of a romance comic?

Chapter 400: Can I come eat at your place?

As dinnertime approached, and he found himself once again in the bustling Student Cafeteria, much like at lunchtime, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was convinced once more that this was an area where students with excellent communication skills and who were trusted excelled—essential for gathering information and issuing instructions in such a place.

To succeed in the various Special Exam at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, interpersonal and communication skills are indeed essential. Especially after the Class Vote Special Exam at the end of last semester, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was also intentionally cultivating this ability. After all, his loss in the last Class Vote exam was less due to Kitagawa Ryo's strategy and more due to the opponent's intricate network of relationships among the First Year.

Although when it comes to the most popular and outgoing students in the first First Year, most students would immediately think of Ichinose Honami and Kushida Kikyo, in Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's eyes, Kitagawa Ryo's influence on the entire grade is no less than that of these two. Before transferring to Class B's class president Karuizawa Kei, was already considered to be following his lead. He also planted several spies in Class C, including the class teacher Chabashira Sae, and at the same time, he established a friendly relationship with Ryuen Kakeru, the Leader of Class D. As a result, he naturally had a huge advantage in the Class Vote and easily got what he wanted.

Judging solely from the result of the exam manipulation, Kitagawa Ryo's methods were almost equivalent to controlling almost the entire second-year student, Miyabi Nagumo. However, their reputations within the school were vastly different, which was also one of the points that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was particularly concerned about.

It is precisely because the First Year have almost been transformed into the shape of Kitagawa Ryo that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka has chosen to extend his reach to the second and third-year students. Since Kitagawa Ryo has automatically become an ally of Horikita Suzune Horikita Manabu, he can also use the competition between Horikita Manabu and other third-year classes, as well as with Miyabi Nagumo, to bring these forces to his own advantage.

Speaking of Miyabi Nagumo, he had actually been in contact with him since the beginning of his school years. At that time, Nagumo was riding high and had not yet been beaten down by society. He even arrogantly asked him to eliminate Sakayanagi Arisu and Horikita Suzune, who had been recruited into the Student Council by Horikita Manabu. Unexpectedly, in less than a year, the positions of the two sides have been completely reversed, and he has become the one in control.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo had predicted, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who had already joined the Student Council, naturally noticed the various strange things that Miyabi Nagumo had done since the Sports Festival. Connecting this with the drastic change in her attitude towards Sakayanagi Arisu and Amasawa Ichika, as well as some scenes from the Cultural Festival, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka also deduced the truth behind this change to a great extent.

After that, things became quite simple. Ayanokoji Atsuomi was only temporarily working behind the scenes, not disappearing into thin air. In addition, Miyabi Nagumo had seen Ayanokoji Atsuomi on the day of the Cultural Festival, so everything went quite smoothly. Although it wasn't to the point of bowing down and calling him "Brother Gongming" like in "Water Margin," Miyabi Nagumo herself changed her attitude towards Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and directly told him to ask for his help if he needed it.

Of course, in addition to these external forces in the second and third years, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka is also actively cultivating his own power within Class 1-C. However, unlike when he first entered the school, when he only wanted to find a tool to facilitate his behind-the-scenes operations, his current desire to communicate with people is probably more genuine.

The girl's target for infiltration Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, has already been chosen: Yamamura Miki, who has been relatively unknown since the start of the semester but whose abilities are all above average. As for the boy, the current target is Hirata Yosuke.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka knew very well that although Katsuragi Kohei seemed to be ready to hand over the leadership of the class to him at any time if he asked, this was actually based on the fact that Totsuka Yahiko to drop out of school. Their relationship was not actually secure.

The same goes for Hashimoto Masayoshi. Although he seems to be using it quite well now, if there were another exam where Class Vote could result in someone being expelled, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka would definitely vote him out without hesitation.

Compared to these two, Hirata Yosuke is undoubtedly the most suitable candidate. He is capable, has a good personality, and, more importantly, is quite popular among the girls. If he is willing to help, he can also take care of most of the girls' affairs.

Although Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Hirata Yosuke hadn't had much interaction before, they happened to be in the same group during the Special Exam for this Mixed Training Camp, so he planned to take this opportunity to get to know each other better.

And so, just like at noon Ayanokoji Kiyotaka sat at a table with Katsuragi Kohei, Hirata Yosuke, and Hashimoto Masayoshi to eat, while observing Kitagawa Ryo's movements. He watched as the other man continued to flit between the girls under the pretext of getting more rice, keeping him incredibly busy.

Soon, the one-hour dinner time flew by. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had long since finished his meal, handed his plate back to the school staff at the last minute, folded his hands, and walked out of the restaurant.

In winter, darkness falls exceptionally early, and since they were still in the mountains and forests, even though it was only seven o'clock, the sky had already turned pitch black. There were few stars tonight, but the moon was bright and clear, making it feel like they could finally get a good night's sleep.

Perhaps feeling that the students hadn't sweated much today, or perhaps they weren't fully prepared, the school didn't open the large public bathhouse to the students tonight. So, after a quick wash, the students in the Third Group quickly returned to their dormitories, and even before the 10 p. m. lights-out time, they voluntarily turned off their lights and went to sleep.

There was no other way; they had agreed with the Third Group of second and third graders to share the task of preparing breakfast for the main group on the first day of the new semester. This meant they would have to get up an hour or two earlier, around four or five o'clock, so they had no choice but to go to bed earlier.

Kitagawa Ryo had no plans to go out tonight, nor did he intend to keep an eye on whether anyone else was out, so he quickly drifted off to sleep.

Perhaps because he had developed his body to a very high level, Kitagawa Ryo's biological clock was quite punctual. After telling himself several times before going to sleep that he needed to get up early the next day, he opened his eyes precisely at around 4 a. m., ending a good night's sleep.

The room was still dark, and the sunrise light couldn't even be seen shining through the thin curtains. However, with the help of his talent, Kitagawa Ryo checked the time by looking at the clock hanging on the wall. He quietly put on his clothes and got out of bed. When he looked up, he saw Ayanokoji Kiyotaka climbing down from the upper bunk. He nodded and greeted him.

"Get up, everyone. Time to wash up and make breakfast."

Although he knew that waking people up was a risky job (except for Sakayanagi Arisu), Kitagawa Ryo was, after all, the temporary leader of this group, so he could only clap his hands gently and start waking up the remaining students who were still immersed in their dreams one by one.

"What's going on... It's only this early, it's not even time for class yet."

Many students, still a bit groggy, grumbled after being woken up, seemingly not yet realizing they were in Forest School and taking Special Exam. However, a few students slowly sat up in bed, some yawning, others putting on their glasses, and began to get dressed. The remaining students, too embarrassed to stay in bed any longer, could only crawl out of their blankets along with them.

After successfully waking up all the members of the Third Group, the twelve boys lined up in the wash area outside the dormitory to brush their teeth, wash their faces, and get ready. Other students could be seen scattered around, but they were the only group so neat and tidy.

"The outdoor kitchen... I remember it was over here."

Soon, Kitagawa Ryo, along with his group members who had finished washing up and were feeling more refreshed, found the breakfast preparation area. School staff had already prepared the ingredients and cooking utensils there. Out of concern that the students might not be able to handle the task, they had even prepared a precise ratio table for each seasoning down to the spoonful, as well as a detailed recipe.

Although it's not yet five o'clock in the morning, a considerable number of students have already gathered here, and teachers can be seen supervising nearby. The sounds of crackling wood burning, bubbling pots, and sizzling vegetables create a lively and bustling atmosphere.

"I don't see any second or third graders."

As soon as he arrived, Watanabe Norihito, who couldn't sit still, curiously looked around at the surroundings, only to find no trace of the senior students who had come yesterday or their group, which left him somewhat dumbfounded.