Not long after they had all finished reading the exam guide, Mashima Tomoya, the Class A homeroom teacher, a man who looked very upright, announced that the Special Exam had officially begun.
However, the students of Class D did not take action right away. Instead, they split into two groups and began a heated debate over how to use their resources.
One side was the group of boys led by Ike, whose slogan, "Saving above all!" rang out loud and clear.
Ike waved his fist and said enthusiastically, "If we hold out for a week without buying anything, our Class Points will go up. Isn't that a case of no pain, no gain? Thirty thousand points a month!!!"
On the other side were the girls led by Shinohara, who believed that excessive frugality was unrealistic.
Shinohara stood to one side with her arms crossed and said calmly, "Some spending is necessary, isn't it? That's better than exhausting ourselves and regretting it later."
The two groups argued heatedly around Hirata. The boys accused the girls of "not being tough enough," while the girls retorted that the boys were "being unrealistic."
Caught in the middle, Hirata seemed to listen to everyone voicing their opinions with a troubled expression.
At that moment, Onizuka stood with Sakura in a shady spot in the distance. Watching the chaotic scene, he lifted the corners of his mouth and gave a scornful laugh.
In his view, rather than relying on these people, they would be better off withdrawing from the exam altogether. Even closing their eyes and guessing who the other classes' leaders were would be more reliable.
After a long, heated discussion, the boys' group eventually compromised and agreed to some basic necessities.
Class D unanimously decided to add three tents that could accommodate eight people each, as well as two simple outdoor toilets and a basic shower stall.
The girls smiled with satisfaction and finally stopped butting heads with the boys.
Although the boys grumbled under their breath, they did not raise any further objections.
Well, in Onizuka's view, these could at least be considered some of life's necessities.
Now that they had finally reached an agreement, everyone in Class D orderly packed up their supplies and officially set off, heading deeper into the Uninhabited Island to find a suitable campsite.
Onizuka walked at the back of the group with Sakura, remaining somewhat alert.
Onizuka scanned their surroundings.
The area was thick with trees, and the air carried a stuffy, humid warmth. Yet every area they passed through seemed unusually "orderly."
The trees grew in a fairly balanced way, and the ground was easy to traverse. It even seemed a little too "welcoming."
That made sense, though. The school could not possibly let them live on an Uninhabited Island that was completely beyond its control.
Even with government support, a student losing their life would be completely unacceptable for a school.
If that was the case, then nearby there had to be...
Ah! There it was!
Sure enough, beside what looked like a withered tree trunk, Onizuka caught sight of an extremely well-hidden camera.
Its camouflage was quite ingenious. On the surface, it looked exactly like the surrounding bark, but a sliver of reflected sunlight inadvertently revealed its true identity.
The camouflage was so convincing that he would never have noticed anything amiss if he had not looked closely.
The corners of Onizuka's mouth lifted slightly. He looked around as if nothing were amiss, and, after confirming that no one was paying attention, quietly approached the camera.
He carefully reached out and checked it, discovering that it could be removed easily.
With quick, practiced movements, he pulled it free and put it in his backpack. The whole process was as smooth as flowing water and made almost no sound.
After stowing the camera with satisfaction, he turned and caught up with the group.
Returning to Sakura, who had been watching him the whole time, Onizuka smiled softly and raised a finger to his lips in a "shh" gesture.
Sakura was startled for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on her face, and she quietly nodded.
Before long, Onizuka noticed the group had stopped. He raised his head and looked ahead, slightly puzzled.
Just then, Hirata's voice rang out as he called the students of Class D together to discuss things.
Hirata suggested, "Moving around together like this is too slow when we're looking for a campsite. Why don't we split up and search in different directions for more suitable places to camp? It would be much more efficient."
As soon as he finished speaking, the students around them began discussing it in low voices.
Some were clearly interested in Hirata's suggestion, since it would speed things up. Others showed a hint of unease, worried that splitting up might put them in danger.
Onizuka was naturally interested. This was the early stage of each class's preparations, and scouting the area now might let him gather more information.
In the end, Hirata decided to let everyone sign up and form their own groups to explore the surrounding area, with everyone required to return and regroup within half an hour.
Hearing this arrangement, the students of Class D gradually gathered together and began talking in low voices.
Some stepped forward to sign up, while others hesitated, worried they might get lost on this unfamiliar Uninhabited Island.
"As long as we don't go too far, half an hour should be enough," Hirata instructed them seriously.
"Every group has to be careful. If you run into danger, return to the meeting point immediately. Also, try to keep quiet and avoid attracting unnecessary trouble."
Onizuka glanced at Sakura beside him. "What do you think? Want to come with me?"
"No. I definitely couldn't keep up with you, Tsukasa-kun." Sakura shook her head slightly and declined his invitation.
Hearing Sakura's answer, Onizuka's lips curved upward. He said with a hint of teasing, "Oh? You really don't want to spend a little more time with me? You're so heartless, Sakura."
Sakura covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her eyes warm with amusement. "You're not doing a very good job of pretending to be 'injured,' Tsukasa-kun," she said softly, with a hint of seriousness.
"Besides, just like you said before, we'll have plenty of time together. This is only the beginning. I can't let you neglect what you need to do because of me."
Onizuka gently patted Sakura on the head and said softly,
"Then go with Horikita... or Kushida for now. Just wait until I get back."
Horikita was fairly dependable under normal circumstances, but when it came to taking care of people, she would score well below zero.
After making sure Sakura was safe, Onizuka quietly set off alone. He did not tell Hirata or even say goodbye to anyone else.
He knew that the more he said about something like this, the more likely it was to cause trouble. Why make people worry or invite questions for no reason?
Going alone gave him more freedom. He could go wherever he wanted.
He moved through the dense woods with light steps and a relaxed mood, occasionally glancing up at the sun to check his direction.
On this first day of scouting, he planned to get a sense of the island's terrain and the general movements of the other classes.
Especially the direction of Class A. He was really looking forward to seeing what kind of gift Sakayanagi would send his way~.