But deep down, there was a hint of melancholy that was hard to detect-something at odds with her usual sunny image."
"You've built a really good camp." Ichinose looked enviously at Class D's facilities. "It's much more organized than ours."
"We just got lucky." Tang Yu replied modestly. Then a sudden idea struck him. "By the way, we have a spare Water Purification Device. If Class B needs one, we can lend it to you."
Ichinose's eyes lit up. "Really? Thank you so much!"
"In exchange," Tang Yu continued, "if you notice any unusual movements from Class C, could you let us know? Sharing information would benefit everyone."
Ichinose hesitated. "Well... all right, if it's to prevent a conflict."
They chatted for a few more minutes and agreed to meet again by the stream at dusk to hand over the Water Purification Device. As soon as Ichinose left, Horikita Suzune came over and confronted him. "Why did you offer to help Class B? They're our opponents."
"They're only temporary allies," Tang Yu explained. "With Class C threatening us, cooperating with Class B is in our best interests."
"A wise choice." Ayanokoji appeared beside them at some point. "Divide and conquer."
[Confusion from Horikita Suzune +50]
[Approval from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka +30]
That afternoon, Class D split into several groups to carry out different tasks. Tang Yu and Ayanokoji were responsible for exploring the island and looking for potential resource and mission sites. They walked through the dense forest in silence, each keeping watch on their surroundings.
"You approached Ichinose. It wasn't just to form an alliance, was it?" Ayanokoji suddenly asked.
Tang Yu didn't answer directly. "What do you think Ryuen will do next?"
"He'll test Class A first," Ayanokoji analyzed. "Katsuragi Kohei is too conservative and an easy target. Once Class A is weakened, Ryuen will turn all his attention to us."
"I think he'll use both approaches at once." Tang Yu pushed aside a branch in front of him. "He'll send people after Class A while also harassing our supply lines."
"That's why we need Class B's intelligence network." Ayanokoji nodded. "But Ichinose isn't good at strategy games. Her kindness could become a weakness."
Tang Yu stopped walking. "You seem to know the leaders of the other classes pretty well."
Ayanokoji's expression remained calm. "Just basic observation."
They reached a high point with a view of most of the island. Class A's camp was on the beach, orderly but lacking concealment. Class B was on the other side of the woods, with a scattered layout. Class C was near the Freshwater Lake, in the best position but with weak defenses.
"Look there." Tang Yu pointed to a small hill in the center of the island. A glint of light was just visible at the summit. "That should be a mission site."
Ayanokoji took out binoculars and looked. "Confirmed. There's a flag and a Mission Box up there."
"We'll take it first thing tomorrow morning," Tang Yu proposed.
"Too conspicuous." Ayanokoji objected. "Let the other classes fight over it first. We should conserve our strength."
Their strategies differed. It was the first time this had happened since the Leadership Group had been formed. Tang Yu activated Emotion Perception and noticed that Ayanokoji's Emotion Cloud was unusually active-he wasn't simply objecting; he was testing Tang Yu's reaction.
"How about this?" Tang Yu suggested a compromise. "Tomorrow, we'll send a scouting group to watch the mission site, but we won't get involved directly. We'll make our move after the others have worn each other down."
Ayanokoji thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "All right."
When they returned to camp at dusk, Class D had already prepared dinner. It was just grilled fish and wild vegetable soup, but under the circumstances, it was a generous meal. Tang Yu took the Water Purification Device to the stream, and Ichinose arrived as promised.
"Here you go." Tang Yu handed over the device. "Did you find anything today?"
Ichinose hesitated. "Some Class C students were asking around about where Class A stores its food. Ryuen may be planning to steal their supplies."
"Thanks for the warning." Tang Yu spoke sincerely. "Is there anything else your camp needs?"
"Actually..." Ichinose looked a little embarrassed. "We're not very good at making fires, so everything we ate today was cold."
Tang Yu smiled. "I'll send someone to teach you tomorrow morning. In exchange..."
"Information sharing, I understand." Ichinose smiled too. "You're quite the businessperson."
The two sat on a rock by the stream and talked about their respective classes. Tang Yu found it comfortable talking with Ichinose-she was sincere and unpretentious, completely different from the affected warmth of Kushida Kikyo.
"Actually, I'm a little worried." Ichinose suddenly lowered her voice. "This test is very important to Class B. We lost quite a few Class Points because of some mistakes we made before..."
Tang Yu's Emotion Perception picked up on her anxiety and stress. On an impulse, he activated his newly unlocked Emotion Resonance ability, wanting to understand the sunny leader's inner world more deeply.
In an instant, a complex flood of emotions surged into Tang Yu's consciousness-the heavy pressure of responsibility, fear of failure, the loneliness of being a leader... But the most surprising thing was...
Deep inside, Ichinose was hiding a profound sense of inferiority, as if she believed she didn't deserve the position she held now.
[Emotion Resonance complete]
[Honami Ichinose Psychological Profile updated: Hidden inferiority stems from a major failure]
The ability lasted only a very short time, but it revealed a great deal. Tang Yu withdrew it and pretended to adjust his shoes to hide his unusual reaction.
"It's getting late." He stood up. "See you tomorrow."
Ichinose seemed to recover from her brief melancholy and put on a smile again. "Yeah. Thanks for your help."
When Tang Yu returned to Class D's camp, he found the Leadership Group discussing the plan for the next day. He told everyone about the possibility that Class C might attack Class A's supplies, prompting a lively discussion.
"Should we warn Class A?" Hirata asked.
"No," Tang Yu and Ayanokoji said in unison. They glanced at each other, and Tang Yu continued, "It benefits us if Class C wears Class A down."
"But that's not fair..." Hirata frowned.
"That's the nature of the test." To everyone's surprise, Horikita supported Tang Yu. "The strong prevail."
After the meeting, Tang Yu was assigned to the first night watch. Stars dotted the night sky, and the sound of waves came from the distance. Sitting in the watchtower, he reviewed the day's gains-his direct confrontation with Class C, the preliminary alliance with Class B, and the new ability he'd unlocked...
[Current Emotion Points: 9650/10000] [Special Reminder: Increased attention from Katsuragi Kohei of Class A detected]
The system's alert made Tang Yu wary. He activated Night Vision, which he'd previously unlocked in exchange for Emotion Points, and scanned the darkness around him. Sure enough, in the trees outside the camp, a tall figure was silently watching Class D's camp-Katsuragi Kohei of Class A.
"Looks like tonight won't be boring." Tang Yu murmured, tightening his grip on the Alarm Rope.
On the first night of the deserted island, undercurrents were already stirring. The contest between the four classes had only just begun, and Tang Yu knew the real challenges still lay ahead. He looked up at the starry sky, the corner of his mouth lifting in a confident smile. He was determined to win this game.