Onizuka's lips curled into an amused smile. He brushed the bark dust from his hands and turned around nonchalantly, strolling back along the path he had taken.
He had already gained far more than he'd expected. Now that he had a clear picture of the area, pressing on recklessly would only risk exposing his whereabouts.
Besides, those "prey" up ahead still hadn't noticed him spying on them. The last thing he wanted was to alert them.
He could explore the road ahead another time.
Onizuka made his way back much faster than he had gone out.
When he returned to D Class's meeting point, he saw a group of classmates gathered together, excitedly discussing something.
As soon as he appeared, Hirata breathed a sigh of relief and came forward to greet him.
"Onizuka, I know you can handle yourself, but at least let us know before you go off alone," Hirata said gently, though with a hint of exasperation.
"If Sakura hadn't told me what you were doing, I almost took everyone out to look for you."
Onizuka gave him a faint smile, completely unfazed, and casually acknowledged him. His attitude was clearly, I get it, but I'll still do the same thing next time.
Hirata looked at him helplessly and sighed inwardly.
What was he supposed to do?
D Class was like a gathering place for problem students. They all had different personalities, liked to pull little stunts, and were completely uncontrollable.
Compared with classmates who needed constant persuading and soothing, someone like Onizuka, who had both ability and something concrete to contribute to the class, was a rare find.
Ignoring Hirata's dilemma, Onizuka asked, "What's going on over there?"
Hirata looked back in the direction he had indicated.
"Oh, Ike and the others found a river, and there's a school-installed checkpoint device there. We were waiting for you to come back so we could take a look."
Onizuka glanced around again, but soon noticed someone was missing.
"Doesn't look like everyone's here. Where's Koenji?"
At that, Hirata's expression stiffened slightly. He turned his gaze aside, seeming to consider how to answer. His voice was somewhat vague as he said, "Koenji wasn't feeling well, so he went back to the ship to rest."
Hah. Koenji was in even better physical shape than he was. If Koenji claimed he wasn't feeling well, Onizuka would sooner suspect some deadly contagious disease had broken out again.
He knew Koenji simply didn't want to keep suffering along with the group. He couldn't be bothered to press the matter and rub salt in Hirata's wound.
Since there was nothing more to investigate for the time being, he turned and went back to stand beside Sakura, looking relaxed.
Seeing this, Hirata put his mind at ease. Then he called everyone to line up and set off for the campsite Ike and the others had found.
The group gradually came together in a line. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows as the D Class students headed forward in high spirits, apparently looking forward to exploring the campsite.
After a moderately long walk, the D Class students finally reached the campsite Ike and the others had discovered earlier.
A clear stream came into view. Its water glimmered faintly in the sunlight as it flowed by, bringing a refreshing coolness that seemed to make the island's stifling heat briefly fade away.
Through the water's surface, they could also see pebbles interspersed with aquatic plants, reflecting the blue sky and the lush green trees. The sight was enough to make anyone feel refreshed.
Beside the stream lay a neat, level clearing. It had clearly been prepared by people and was suitable for setting up tents at any time.
The weeds around it had been cleared, and the ground was firm underfoot. It was obviously an ideal campsite.
Even more eye-catching was a high-tech-looking device by the stream-a checkpoint machine, its screen glimmering in the sunlight.
However, the conversation soon turned to a more serious matter. Everyone gradually gathered together. It was time to decide who would serve as D Class's "leader."
"So, who's going to be the leader?" Hirata asked first, wearing his usual mild smile as he tried to ease the slight tension in the air.
"The leader has to handle the checkpoints and keep their identity hidden so the other classes don't figure it out," Kushida said slowly.
"We need to choose someone unexpected for the role..."
Before he could finish, everyone began sizing one another up, apparently looking for someone who wouldn't draw attention but could handle unexpected situations.
"How about..." Shinohara suddenly began, hesitating.
"Hirata? He's always looking out for everyone anyway, so it would make communication easier."
"Hirata would definitely be suitable," Horikita replied without hesitation.
"But that's exactly why the other classes would be more likely to target him, isn't it? If Class A and Class C have good intelligence networks, he might be their first target."
Everyone fell silent in thought.
They all knew that if the leader's identity was exposed, not only would all the points earned from checkpoints be wiped out, but the class would also lose an additional fifty Class Points-a loss they couldn't afford to overlook.
Sudo scratched his head and frowned as he made a quiet suggestion. "If we want to keep the leader hidden, maybe we should pick someone who doesn't stand out as much, like..."
As soon as he said that, everyone's eyes shifted toward Horikita Suzune.
As she registered the meaningful looks around her, Horikita stiffened slightly.
She glanced around. Her expression remained calm, but there was a trace of displeasure in her eyes. She clearly didn't want to be pushed into this awkward position.
After a moment of silence, she spoke calmly, her voice even but tinged with wariness.
"Why not leave it to Onizuka? The way he handles things... might be more suitable."
Onizuka, the one who had been named, raised an eyebrow without concern, the hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
At Horikita's suggestion, everyone fell into brief thought.
Seeing that Onizuka wasn't refusing, Sudo patted him on the shoulder, approval showing on his face. "That's true. Onizuka is more suitable than the rest of us."
Standing to one side, Ayanokoji quietly observed the discussion. His brow furrowed slightly and a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes, but he remained silent throughout.
Seeing that no one objected, Hirata made the decision without hesitation and said quietly, "All right, then Onizuka will be our class leader."
Onizuka didn't actually intend to take on the role of D Class's leader. In his plan, this position wouldn't bring him any practical benefit.
Still, he glanced at Ayanokoji, who was standing in the shade of a tree nearby.
If taking on this role could shield him from some unnecessary interference and make the others suspect him less, it might not be a bad thing.
At the very least, he could act more freely, less constrained by other people's attention.
Onizuka's lips curled slightly in an unconcerned smile, and he nodded decisively. "All right. If that's what everyone thinks, I'll accept the role."