Fantasy

The scorching sun beat down on the soft white sand, while the waves that had just washed ashore left a cool sensation beneath their feet.

Chabashira Sae stood before the students, holding an electronic clipboard. Her expression was as stern as ever, creating a subtle contrast with the matching sportswear she wore alongside them.

Rather than the start of a dream vacation, it felt more like the signal for training camp to begin.

"Class D, we'll start taking attendance now." Chabashira-sensei's voice was clear and businesslike, cutting through the roar of the waves. "When you hear your name, please confirm and respond!"

She began calling names in order, her gaze sweeping over each student who was supposed to be there.

There was indeed little of the relaxed vacation atmosphere in the air. Instead, it was filled with an indefinable tension.

Still, perhaps the blue sea and sky before them were too deceiving, or perhaps their lingering hopes outweighed their doubts. Many students wore relaxed expressions, and some even seemed a little careless.

After all, unless hard evidence was right in front of them, people were always more inclined to believe what they wanted to believe.

"Haaah..." Kanji Ike, standing not far from Hoshino Kanade and the others, listlessly nudged the sand with his toe and let out a long sigh. "I wish attendance would hurry up and end... Let's get to free time already! The ocean's so gorgeous!" His complaint echoed what many others were thinking. They were still eagerly looking forward to the so-called "free time."

Before long, Class D's attendance was over, and the other classes had already finished as well.

Just then, a lively figure utterly out of place in the current atmosphere came bouncing onto the simple white stage set up in the middle of the beach. It was Class A's homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya Chie.

She also worked as the school nurse, so she rarely interacted with students from the other classes.

Her outfit that day was delightfully light and cute. The sea breeze ruffled her shoulder-length, slightly wavy hair. She wore a fitted sports tank top with a light sun-protective shirt casually thrown over it, and snug athletic shorts that showed off her shapely, long legs.

With her youthful, energetic appearance, she looked less like a teacher and more like one of the students. She immediately drew the attention of nearly every boy there.

From the moment she stepped onto the stage, quite a few of them held their breath, their gazes glued to her as if drawn by a magnet.

Hoshinomiya-sensei didn't seem to mind their stares at all. She first smoothed her wavy hair, then flashed the crowd a radiant smile. Naturally, she gave a signature playful wink in several directions and even struck a cute pose before calling out energetically, "Yahallo~ How's everyone doing? (∠・ω＜ )⌒☆"

An even louder wave of cheers rose from the crowd, mingled with excitement and catcalls.

Yamauchi Haruki stared at her, utterly entranced, and murmured, "Oh, God... I feel like the third time I've ever fallen in love has finally arrived..."

Kanji Ike scoffed beside him, though even he had to admit Hoshinomiya was incredibly cute.

However, Mashima Satoshi, Class B's homeroom teacher, wasn't nearly as relaxed.

The tall English teacher, known for his meticulous teaching style, furrowed his brows. He watched Hoshinomiya onstage, acting far too casually and even putting on what he considered a "cutesy performance," and felt deeply disapproving.

He thought her behavior was entirely unbecoming of a teacher's dignity.

His lips moved several times, but in the end, he remembered that Hoshinomiya was currently the homeroom teacher of Class A, while he was only the homeroom teacher of Class B. He could only stand to the side with his arms crossed, his expression even more severe than usual.

Hoshinomiya Chie completely ignored the oppressive atmosphere Mashima was giving off. She adjusted the microphone, her voice still sweetly cheerful, but what she said began to veer off course:

"First of all~ On behalf of the teachers, Hoshinomiya is super, super happy that everyone made it safely to this super—beautiful island today! (˘︶˘).｡.:*♡" She opened her arms in a gesture of embracing the sea.

"But~" Her tone shifted, carrying a hint of regret. "On the other hand, there's one student who, as unfortunate as it is, couldn't join us on this trip because of her health. I hope she gets better soon~" Hoshinomiya's face took on an expression of genuine regret.

Kanji Ike snickered quietly below. "Ha! There's actually some idiot who got sick and missed out on a chance like this? What a pity... It's definitely her own fault." A few voices nearby murmured their agreement, with a hint of schadenfreude.

Before the cruel truth was revealed, the combination of a "luxury cruise ship and private island" looked every bit like a top-tier gift.

They could never have imagined that their "sympathy" would soon turn into a massive boomerang and smack them right back.

Then Hoshinomiya-sensei tilted her head slightly and swept her gaze over the crowd, her innocent, adorable eyes sparkling like little stars. From those cherry-red lips, as warm as 37 degrees, came words cold enough to freeze all their fantasies:

"All right~ So next up—☆" She deliberately drew out her words, then flashed a playful, impish smile. "I'm going to announce something super important! (ﾟ▽ﾟ)"

"We're about to begin this school year's very first—big! deal! Special Exam! ヾ(●ω●)ノ"

Her cute gestures and energetic, girlish tone rang out over the beach like a sudden thunderclap.

"Huh?!" "What?!" "Wait... an exam? What's going on?" "A Special Exam? Now? Here?" "You've got to be kidding!"

In an instant, disbelieving cries and questions erupted from all four classes. The students who had just been imagining beach volleyball and sunbathing stiffened, their relaxed expressions vanishing as shock, confusion, and even anger took their place. For those still immersed in their vacation dreams, this sudden turn of events was like a blow to the head!

And yet, people could be remarkably good at deceiving themselves.

Even when the truth was staring them in the face, they still clung to a final sliver of hope until the "evidence" was conclusive.

A luxurious summer vacation trip arranged by the school out of "kindness"? Now it seemed nothing more than an illusion, as fleeting as a reflection in the water.

Hoshinomiya Chie appeared not to notice the commotion below—or perhaps it was part of the effect she intended.

Her smile never changed as, in the cutest voice imaginable, she pronounced their "sentence":

"This exam will last for exactly one week, starting right now~ It'll end promptly at noon on August 7—that's next week! (´▽`ʃƪ)"

She held up a slender finger and playfully wagged it.

"And during this one-week period~ you'll all~" Her voice dropped just a little, taking on a hint of mysterious allure as she delivered an even crueler truth. "Spend some time living together in harmony on this... uninhabited island that belongs exclusively to our school! ヽ(•̀ω•́ )ゝ"

"That's all there is to this exam! (｀・ω・´)"

"L-Live... on an uninhabited island...?" A student repeated the key words in a trembling voice.

Hoshinomiya-sensei nodded emphatically, as if confirming the rules of an amusing game. "That's right, that's right! In simple terms, it's wilderness survival~ You'll have to set up camp, solve all sorts of problems yourselves, and help each other out! ヽ(^.^)丿"

She paused, as if remembering something, then added, "Oh, right, right! Here's a little secret: I didn't just make up the exam content! It's based on real training programs that major companies use to put their employees through their paces! (◕‿◕✿)"

She raised a finger for emphasis. "So it's very, very practical! And super—realistic! Everyone needs to take it seriously! (ง •̀_•́)ง"

"L-Live on an uninhabited island? Stay here? On this beach? In the forest? Aren't we supposed to be staying on a luxury cruise ship?" A student who had finally grasped the situation cried out, his voice full of fear and disbelief.

The sea was still just as blue, and the sun still shone just as brightly, but in their eyes, this paradise had instantly become a jungle exam full of hidden dangers.