First Arrival at the Island

Not long after they finished reading the exam guidebook, Mashima Tomoya, the homeroom teacher of Class A—a man who looked incredibly upright—announced that the special exam had officially begun.

However, the students of Class D did not take action immediately. Instead, they split into two factions and began a heated debate regarding the use of their resources.

On one side was the group of boys led by Ike, their "savings first" slogan shouted at the top of their lungs.

Ike waved his fist with great passion, saying, "If we just hold out for a week and buy nothing, our class points will increase. Isn't that the reward after the hardship? That's thirty thousand points a month!!!"

On the other side were the girls led by Shinohara, who believed that excessive frugality was simply unrealistic.

Shinohara stood to the side, arms crossed, and said calmly, "Isn't a certain amount of spending necessary? It's better than collapsing from exhaustion and regretting it later."

The two sides argued fiercely around Hirata, with the boys accusing the girls of "lacking toughness" and the girls retorting that the boys were "impractical."

Caught in the middle, Hirata seemed to listen to everyone's opinions with a troubled expression.

At this moment, Onizuka stood in the shade in the distance with Sakura, watching the chaotic scene with a slight, disdainful smirk on his lips.

In his view, rather than relying on these people, it would be more reliable to have everyone withdraw from the exam and just close their eyes and guess the leaders of the other classes.

After a long and intense discussion, the boys' group finally compromised and agreed to some basic living supplies.

Class D unanimously decided to add three tents that could accommodate eight people each, plus two simple outdoor toilets and a basic shower stall.

The girls showed satisfied smiles, finally stopping their confrontation with the boys.

Although the boys muttered under their breath, they did not raise any further objections.

Well~ in Onizuka's eyes, these could at least be considered life necessities.

Once a consensus was finally reached, the entire Class D packed up their supplies in an orderly fashion and officially set off, heading deep into the Uninhabited Island to find a suitable spot for camping.

Onizuka walked at the back of the group with Sakura, maintaining a degree of vigilance.

Onizuka's gaze swept across his surroundings.

The area was densely forested, and the air carried a sultry, humid feeling, yet all the areas they had walked through seemed exceptionally "orderly."

The trees grew with relative balance, the ground was not difficult to traverse, and it even seemed a bit too "friendly."

But that was to be expected; the school couldn't possibly place them on an island that was completely out of their control.

Even with government support, a loss of life would be completely unacceptable for a school.

If that was the case, then there must be something nearby...

Ah! Found it!

Sure enough, beside a seemingly withered tree trunk, Onizuka caught a glimpse of a highly concealed camera.

It was disguised quite cleverly, appearing identical to the surrounding bark at first glance, but a stray reflection of sunlight had inadvertently exposed its true identity.

Such a realistic disguise—if he hadn't been observing carefully, he would never have noticed the clues.

Onizuka's lips curled slightly. He looked around nonchalantly, and after confirming that no one was paying attention, he quietly approached the camera.

He carefully extended his finger to check it and found that the camera could be easily detached.

With quick and practiced movements, he pulled it off and tucked it into his backpack. The entire sequence of actions was as smooth as flowing water, producing almost no sound at all.

Satisfied with stowing the camera away, he turned to catch up with the group.

Returning to the side of Sakura, who had been watching him the whole time, Onizuka smiled faintly and raised a finger to his lips in a "shush" gesture.

Sakura was stunned for a moment, then a shallow smile appeared on her face, and she nodded quietly.

Not long after, Onizuka noticed the group had stopped. He looked up, gazing ahead with slight confusion.

At this moment, Hirata's voice rang out, calling everyone in Class D together for a discussion.

Hirata proposed, "Moving together like this to find a campsite is too slow. Why don't we split up and head in different directions to find a more suitable place? The efficiency will be much higher."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding students began to whisper among themselves.

Some were clearly interested in Hirata's proposal, as it would speed up their progress; however, others showed a hint of unease, worried that splitting up might lead to danger.

Onizuka was naturally somewhat interested. Since this was the initial stage of construction for each class, scouting now might allow him to gather more intelligence.

In the end, Hirata decided to let everyone sign up for groups on their own to explore the surroundings, with the rule that they must return to regroup within half an hour.

Hearing this arrangement, the students of Class D gradually gathered together, discussing in low voices.

Some stepped forward to sign up, while others were slightly hesitant, fearing they would get lost on this strange Uninhabited Island.

"As long as you don't go too far, half an hour should be enough," Hirata instructed with a serious expression.

"Every group must be careful. If you encounter danger, retreat to the meeting point immediately. Also, try to keep quiet and don't attract unnecessary trouble."

Onizuka looked at Sakura beside him: "How about it? Do you want to come with me?"

"No, my speed definitely won't keep up with yours, Tsukasa-kun." Sakura shook her head slightly, declining his invitation.

Hearing Sakura's reply, Onizuka's lips curled up slightly, and he said with a hint of teasing:

"Oh? You really don't want to spend more time with me? You're truly heartless, Sakura-san."

Sakura covered her mouth and laughed softly, a gentle warmth in her eyes: "Tsukasa-kun's 'injury' really wasn't acted out very convincingly," she said softly, with a touch of sincerity.

"Besides, just as you said before, we have plenty of time together. This is only the beginning, and I can't let Tsukasa-kun get delayed on important business because of me."

Gently patting Sakura on the head, Onizuka said softly:

"Then just stick with Horikita... and Kushida for now, and wait until I get back."

Horikita was generally reliable, but if one were to grade her on taking care of others, it would be a negative score.

After confirming Sakura was safe, Onizuka quietly set off alone. He didn't notify Hirata, nor did he say a word to anyone else.

He knew that the more one said about such things, the easier it was to invite trouble. Why make people worry or ask questions for no reason?

Acting alone was far more liberating; he could go wherever he pleased.

He wove through the dense forest, his footsteps light and his mood relaxed, occasionally looking up at the position of the sun to determine his direction.

As for the first day of reconnaissance, he intended to first understand the terrain of the island and the general movements of the other classes.

Especially the direction of Class A; he was truly looking forward to what kind of gift Sakayanagi would send his way.