Optimistic Class A

"Honami, this is a secret between the two of us," Nagami said, drawing out the last word. He made a pinky promise gesture.

Nagami winked with his left eye, putting on the expression and voice of a beautiful girl whose secret had been discovered. This was a "cloying" voice he had perfected over years of online dating.

"Kagami, have you been possessed by a female ghost!"

Ichinose waved her hands in embarrassment.

Beep! Beep! Beep! A phone rang, breaking the awkward atmosphere. It was a call from Mori Nene.

"Sorry, I accidentally chatted for too long. I kept Nene waiting."

Ichinose sighed, feeling as though she had been saved.

Because the distance wasn't far, the two of them quickly returned to the Class B campsite.

"Let's go, Nene. We need to find a base. Bye-bye, Honami." "Bye-bye, Nagami."

After the two parted ways, Mori Nene felt a bit curious.

"Nagami-kun, your friends are all popular beauties."

As she spoke, her head lowered involuntarily, feeling as though she were dispensable.

"Nene, are you complimenting yourself?"

"Eh? That's not it at all!"

Nene's face turned red. She shook her hands, trying her best to defend herself. She didn't know why the topic had shifted to her.

"Oh, Nagami-kun. Eh, Nene, why are you following behind him?"

"Karuizawa, and Ayanokoji-kun."

The two girls met by chance on the road and started talking. It seemed like the way they looked at each other was a bit off.

"Alone together!" "Alone together!"

They spoke in unison.

"We aren't!" "We aren't!"

Their movements while speaking were almost identical as well.

"Are you two twins or something?"

Nagami retorted.

"Did you come from another class's campsite, Nagami? Karuizawa and I came from Class C. Most of the bases there have already been occupied."

Ayanokoji stepped forward, interrupting the sisters' bickering.

"Yeah, that's right. I just came from the Class B campsite, and it's the same situation there. So Class C is split into two camps? Truly worthy of being called the land of the little people."

"I know the direction to Class A. How about we head there together?"

The two nodded, agreeing with Nagami's suggestion.

"Come to think of it, Nagami-kun is really quite popular. I ran into some Class C girls on the road asking about your name. What do you think, Nene?"

Karuizawa said with a hint of bitterness.

"Nagami-kun, does it bother you?"

Nene looked at Nagami.

"Oh, is that so? I'm honored."

Nagami didn't think being popular was a bad thing at all, as long as it didn't interfere with his daily life.

"Tch, what a scumbag thing to say."

Nagami ignored Karuizawa's disparagement, and the group chatted as they walked toward the Class A campsite.

Before they even got close, they heard bursts of laughter. As they approached, they saw the students of Class A sitting on rocks, playing cards together.

In the distance, students were flipping sizzling meat skewers over a grill, and the aroma drifting on the breeze filled the air.

"Wow, they look so relaxed."

Nagami couldn't help but exclaim.

"Indeed. There aren't even any footprints on the path to their base. Is Class A so wealthy that they don't even care about 10,000 Class Points anymore?"

"It's so infuriating!"

Karuizawa, who had been scrimping and saving for cosmetics since the start of the school year, broke down in frustration.

"Isn't this Nagami from Class D? Thanks to your help during the Sports Festival, Class A didn't lose quite as miserably."

Hashimoto said as he saw them walking over.

"You seem to be in a very good mood. You haven't spent all your Class Points, have you?"

Looking closer, more details became apparent. Around the campfire, there were no longer just grills and crude pots, but a row of gleaming, modern camping gear, as if they had moved a luxury hotel into the wilderness.

The first thing that caught the eye was a specialized outdoor coffee machine, its all-metal body reflecting a cold, sharp light in the morning sun.

The heating plate at the base of the coffee machine maintained the water temperature evenly, and a few freshly ground coffee beans emitted a rich, mellow aroma.

Beside it, a matching milk frother hummed softly, and white steam rose into the air, making one feel as if they were in an exquisite café.

Not far away stood a smart portable oven; slightly larger than a standard microwave, its digital touchscreen suggested it possessed functions far beyond imagination.

Seeing such luxurious appliances in Class A, Nagami couldn't help but sigh to himself that it was truly nice to be rich.

"Hahaha, it's not that exaggerated. Anyone would be happy to get 100,000 points for free during an exam. There's no reason for Class A to lose this time."

"Feel free to look around if you like. Aside from the girls' tents, there are no secrets here. I won't be accompanying you further."

"Hey, Hashimoto, did you find the wild vegetables? The meat is almost cooked."

A voice came from behind; the students doing the grilling were urging Hashimoto on.

"Coming."

"Would you like some coffee? If it's you, Nagami, the companions in Class A would certainly welcome you."

"Thanks for the offer, Hashimoto."

Nagami declined Hashimoto's invitation, fearing that if he lived too comfortably in Class A, he wouldn't be able to resist dropping out of the exam over the next few days.

"Class A is treating this special exam entirely like a company-sponsored trip."

The group felt a bit envious of Class A.

"This leisurely attitude is really infuriating. It feels like they're sitting firmly in first place while just eating, drinking, and having fun."

Karuizawa complained.

Indeed, theoretically, it was impossible for Class A to have any unexpected dropouts this time. The expected reward of over 300 Class Points at the end of the special exam would only make the already wealthy Class A even more decadent.

In contrast, for Class C and Class D, one could not rule out the possibility of someone taking a desperate risk or doing something reckless to make a scene.

Given the current bonds in Class D, it was hard for a heartless traitor to emerge.

To obtain sufficient benefits, one would have to be a core member of the class, and since they held too many cards, it was hard to imagine them doing anything to betray the class.

"Did I overlook something? This exam feels terrifyingly calm."

"Is there still any need for further probing?"

Ayanokoji looked at Nagami.

"Let's go. They've already checked out; let's head back to Class D to rest."

Nagami walked in the opposite direction. The group from Class D waiting on the spot looked at him with puzzled eyes. While no one from Class A was paying attention, he secretly took a piece of frozen beef and put it in his bag; his hands were a bit dishonest.

"Nagami-kun, isn't this a bit..."

"This is personal compensation from Class A to me."

Before Nene could finish, Nagami interrupted her.

Black lines appeared over the heads of the group, their awkward expressions conveying their true feelings.

They hadn't walked far when they heard the voices of the Class A students behind them.

"Is this beef missing a piece?"

Nagami's footsteps faltered, and everyone else grew tense.

"It must have been taken by Totsuka and the others. They wouldn't tell us if they took something."

The people in Class A began to rationalize it for themselves.

"Nagami, are you sure you aren't going to cause trouble for us?"

Karuizawa complained.

Nagami, however, shrugged indifferently and began to whistle.

He only knew that dinner was sorted for today, and he was busy thinking about what side dishes would pair well with it.