Although Onizuka knew full well that this Uninhabited Island had been modified by humans to some extent, the terrain on the island was still quite difficult to navigate.
It was summer, and the air was thick with dampness. The soil beneath his feet was soft and slippery, and his shoes could easily get stuck in it with every step.
The plants around him grew wildly, their branches and leaves tangled together, forcing him to frequently push aside vines and branches blocking his way.
Onizuka frowned slightly but did not slow down at all. Instead, he controlled his steps even more carefully, avoiding the slippery ground as he gradually adapted to the primitive environment.
He had not gone far when Onizuka spotted a messy little path.
The weeds on the ground had been trampled, and there were obvious scratches on the surrounding bushes and vines. Clearly, a group of people had passed through not long ago.
Then again, with forty students from an entire class walking through a semi-primitive jungle, wouldn't it be hard to imagine them leaving no traces?
Onizuka lightly touched the crushed leaves and branches, his gaze following the messy trail ahead.
Just don't know which lucky person it is, Onizuka thought with a cold laugh, carefully creeping forward along the path.
Compared to the primitive jungle he had just passed through, this trampled path was obviously much easier to navigate. He even deliberately slowed his pace so as not to startle the people ahead.
Onizuka followed the path they had made. Walking along it was naturally much easier than traversing the terrain he had just crossed.
Before long, sure enough, he spotted a familiar figure not far ahead: Ryuen from Class C.
The other boy was sitting cross-legged on a huge rock, wearing a school uniform jacket and seemingly unguarded as he admired the surrounding scenery. His face wore its usual cold, confident expression.
Onizuka lowered his body and hid in the dense woods, holding his breath. He had no intention of following any farther; his gaze fixed on Ryuen, who was not far away.
The other students from Class C had clearly continued onward, leaving behind a path that led deeper into the jungle, while Ryuen had stopped here alone, showing no sign of being in a hurry.
But those students were a trivial matter for now. Ryuen wouldn't have stayed here alone just to feed the mosquitoes.
Onizuka's gaze shifted slightly as he noticed two people emerging from the woods on the other side.
"Ryuen, have you been waiting long?"
The newcomers were Katsuragi Kohei and Totsuka Yahiko from Class A.
This was the first time Onizuka had actually seen Katsuragi. Until now, he had only heard about him through the information going around. His bald head was very distinctive.
This was the first time he had seen Katsuragi Kohei, the rumored leader of Class A.
At a glance, Katsuragi's slightly reflective bald head and composed presence made a deep impression on him. He certainly lived up to the reputation for being "seasoned" that people had passed around.
Totsuka Yahiko stood to one side. Onizuka noticed a trace of contempt in the way he looked at Ryuen.
Even though Ryuen was the leader of Class C, Totsuka seemed to look down on him.
Onizuka could see no outstanding qualities in Totsuka that were worthy of praise. He could only be described as mediocre, meeting the passing mark in every respect, and nothing more.
"Katsuragi, you took your sweet time getting here. If we'd finished the deal earlier, I could've been free sooner and gone back to enjoy myself on the cruise ship!"
"I don't want to waste this whole week on this pointless exam."
Katsuragi did not rush to speak. Totsuka Yahiko, however, could not hold back and spoke with a cold laugh.
"You only had to wait a little while, Ryuen! We've got important business to take care of. We're not giving up like your Class C!"
Before he had even finished speaking, Katsuragi immediately cut him off. "Yahiko! Don't say another word!"
Then Katsuragi lowered his head slightly and addressed Ryuen sincerely.
"Sorry, Ryuen. This forest is much more complicated than we expected. We couldn't find a suitable route right away, so we got delayed."
Ryuen only smiled faintly, seemingly unconcerned.
His gaze moved calmly and sharply between the two, as though silently judging something.
Onizuka stood to one side, his eyes lighting up slightly.
What sort of "important business" could the students who had just arrived on the island have taken care of in such a short time?
Even though Class A had set out about twenty minutes before the others, that was nowhere near enough time to make any substantial arrangements.
He caught the key information almost instantly and quickly considered the possibilities, suddenly understanding.
At that moment, he and Ryuen had arrived at the same conclusion: the leader of Class A was one of the two people standing right in front of him!
What a stroke of luck. He had not expected to make such a discovery on this trip.
And he had ample reason to suspect that Totsuka Yahiko was the leader of Class A.
After all, Katsuragi was steady and reserved. He would never care about letting others know about his achievements, even if it was something completely trivial.
Totsuka Yahiko, however, was exactly the sort of person who couldn't help showing off after even a small success.
Onizuka smiled slightly, put his thoughts aside, and turned his gaze back to the people in front of him.
Ryuen took the list of supplies Katsuragi handed him, glanced down at it, then grinned, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.
"That's all?" he drawled, flicking the list in his hand as he spoke leisurely.
"Hmm... The amount is right, at least. Tsk, tsk. You don't have to do a thing, you get to enjoy a week on a cruise ship for free, and you can even earn a huge pile of private points. What a sweet deal~"
Katsuragi remained composed, seemingly unmoved by Ryuen's mockery. He continued to stand there calmly.
Totsuka Yahiko, however, looked slightly annoyed when he heard that, his fists clenching a little. He was clearly unhappy with Ryuen's contempt for their class.
But just as Totsuka was about to argue back, Katsuragi calmly patted him on the shoulder, signaling him not to act rashly.
Totsuka paused, then swallowed his words. The unwilling expression on his face remained plain to see.
Katsuragi turned to Ryuen and said in a steady, emotionless tone, "In any case, the agreement is made. I hope you'll deliver the supplies in full and on time."
"Don't worry, Katsuragi. I'm counting on getting twenty thousand points from your Class A 'elites' every month."
Ryuen's lips curled slightly into a careless grin. He deliberately drew out the word "elites," making no effort to hide his scorn.
Onizuka stayed quietly hidden behind a tree, keeping his eyes fixed on the three of them and holding his breath without making a sound.
Only after Katsuragi, Totsuka, and Ryuen had disappeared one after another into the depths of the woods did he step out from the shadows, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Well, that was quite a show~"