The students of Class D disembarked one after another.
Since they were the last ones to finish the inspection, they all wore unmistakable expressions of exhaustion after spending so long under the blazing sun, and their steps were sluggish.
At that moment, the only thing on their minds was finding a shady place to escape the heat as soon as possible.
Quite a few of them fanned themselves with their collars, clearly showing little interest in the upcoming exam.
"Everyone! Please listen up!"
Teacher Sae Chabashira stood at the front. Her voice wasn't especially loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority.
It was enough to cut through the students' quiet complaints and quickly draw everyone's attention.
The surrounding area gradually fell silent, and everyone turned to look at her.
Chabashira-sensei surveyed the group. Once she saw that they had finally quieted down, she continued.
"I'm sure you've already heard the announcement on the ship."
She paused briefly, looking over each student's face. Her tone shifted, taking on a hint of chill.
"Your first Special Exam at this Advanced Nurturing High School is about to officially begin."
"I remember you've all been complaining that you don't have enough points. Well, this is your best opportunity!"
As soon as she finished speaking, quite a few students raised their heads, unease and curiosity flickering in their eyes.
"This exam will last one week, from now until August seventh." Chabashira-sensei gestured slightly toward the island behind her, her tone serious.
"And the exam location"-she paused-"is this Uninhabited Island behind me."
When Chabashira-sensei solemnly announced, "The exam location is this Uninhabited Island," the students of Class D immediately erupted into an uproar.
They looked at one another, clearly struggling to accept the arrangement.
Kanji Ike raised his hand and shouted in disbelief, "Chabashira-sensei! What are we supposed to do on an Uninhabited Island? Are we supposed to learn how to make a fire and cook?"
Chabashira-sensei glanced at him coldly, showing no sign of backing down. Her tone remained as stern as ever.
"Not only that. Apart from the two tents provided at the start, the school will provide you with only two flashlights, one box of matches, one toothbrush per person, and unlimited sunscreen and feminine hygiene products for the girls."
"Other than those, the school will provide no 'free assistance' of any kind, including the 'making a fire and cooking' you just mentioned."
As soon as she finished, the students erupted into even louder protests.
Kanji Ike and Yamauchi Haruki exchanged stunned looks and cried out almost at the same time, "You've got to be kidding!"
Ignoring Ike and Yamauchi as they continued to complain, Hirata stepped out from the class formation, clearly unwilling to let the exam begin amid a chorus of grievances.
"Sensei, you just said the school wouldn't provide free assistance, right? I was wondering how we could get paid assistance. If we can buy it with our personal points..."
His gaze swept over Classes A, B, and C, who were receiving explanations of the rules nearby.
"Wouldn't that be a little unfair?"
At his words, Chabashira-sensei smiled faintly. Her smile carried a cool, mocking edge as she replied,
"Hirata, as your teacher, I'll be especially kind and give you another lesson. Don't assume everyone is equal. In this school, equality is the most laughable thing of all."
Hirata was taken aback. Those words had clearly struck at some of the beliefs he had held.
He had just begun to say something when Chabashira-sensei waved her hand and cut him off without mercy.
"However, the school will provide standardized points for this exam, so don't worry. Every class will receive the same three hundred Exam Points, which can be used to purchase any supplies."
"You can use those three hundred Exam Points to enjoy a fairly comfortable life during these seven days."
Only after hearing this did the students of Class D breathe a sigh of relief and show some signs of relaxing, as if a heavy stone had been lifted from their hearts.
Hirata still furrowed his brow slightly, clearly left with unanswered questions.
"Chabashira-sensei!" Hirata asked. "Then what's the real purpose of this exam? It can't just be to let us 'vacation' on the island, can it?"
Chabashira-sensei smiled faintly, clearly having anticipated his question.
"Of course, it's not as simple as a vacation. When the exam ends in seven days, your class's remaining Exam Points will be directly converted into Class Points. In other words, the less you spend, the more points your class will earn."
She paused, her gaze passing over every student's face, her expression stern and unquestionable.
"If you can manage to 'spend nothing' during this exam, Class D will gain a full 300 Class Points."
"However, remember that every point you spend represents a certain degree of convenience. How you balance survival and resource consumption on this deserted island is entirely up to you."
Hoshinomiya-sensei from Class B seemed to have finished explaining the exam rules to her class and walked over to Chabashira-sensei.
"Little Sae~ You can't say it like that~ I wouldn't want to see you get fired for violating school rules." She spoke with a beaming smile.
At her words, Chabashira-sensei furrowed her brow slightly and glanced at her coldly.
"I haven't violated any rules. If you have any other objections, please take them up with the school, Hoshinomiya-sensei."
"I was just kidding~ Why would I betray a colleague of mine? Right, little~ Sae~?"
Chabashira-sensei pressed her lips together and continued explaining the rules, though she was clearly much more concise.
"Additionally, each class will have one temporary leader, and there will be several campsite locations across the island."
"The leader can visit a campsite, claim it, and check in. Each check-in will earn one Temporary Point, and there's no limit to the number of check-ins."
At Chabashira-sensei's words, excitement flashed in the eyes of the students of Class D.
They seemed to be calculating how they could keep checking in to accumulate a large number of points and easily get more resources for their class.
However, Chabashira-sensei noticed their enthusiasm and immediately gave a cold smile. She continued in a flat, icy tone:
"But don't get too excited. If students from another class figure out who your 'temporary leader' is, all your check-in points will be reset to zero, and you'll even lose an additional fifty points."
"In other words, the points you worked so hard to earn could vanish in an instant."
"However, you can also guess the leaders of other classes. Guess correctly and you'll gain fifty points; guess incorrectly and you'll lose fifty."
Next, Chabashira-sensei handed out a guidebook for everyone to read in turn.
Onizuka flipped through it briefly, all the way to the last page.
1. Anyone whom the school determines to be clearly unwell will have thirty points deducted and be withdrawn from the exam.
2. Any act of polluting the environment, including but not limited to littering and relieving oneself anywhere, will result in a deduction of twenty points per violation.
3. Anyone who misses the daily 8 a.m. or 8 p.m. roll call will have five points deducted each time.
4. Violence is strictly prohibited. The class will be disqualified from this Special Exam, and all personal points will be confiscated.