Leader of Class D

Onizuka curled his lips into a playful smile, brushed the bark dust from his hands, and turned around nonchalantly, strolling back along the path he had come from.

His current haul had already far exceeded his original expectations; since the situation in this area was now clear, continuing to push forward recklessly would only expose his trail.

Besides, the "prey" ahead hadn't yet noticed his surveillance, and alerting them was not the result he wanted.

He would explore the path ahead another time.

Onizuka made his way back, moving even faster than when he had set out.

When he returned to the Class D assembly point, he saw a group of classmates gathered together, excitedly discussing something.

The moment he appeared, Hirata let out a sigh of relief and walked over to greet him.

"Onizuka, while I know you have no trouble acting alone, you should at least let us know in advance." Hirata's tone was gentle but carried a hint of helplessness.

"If Sakura hadn't told me about you, I would have almost taken everyone out to look for you."

Onizuka offered a faint smile, completely unbothered, and gave a casual response that clearly signaled, "I hear you, but I'll probably do it again next time."

Hirata looked at him helplessly, sighing silently in his heart.

What else could he do?

Class D was like a collection center for problem children; they had diverse personalities, loved to pull stunts, and were completely uncontrollable.

Compared to those classmates who constantly needed to be persuaded and comforted, someone like Onizuka, who possessed both strength and the ability to make substantial contributions to the class, was already a rare find.

Ignoring Hirata's internal struggle, Onizuka asked:

"What's going on over there?"

Hirata looked back in the direction he was pointing.

"Oh~ Ike and the others found a river, and there's a check-in device set up by the school. We were just waiting for you to come back so we could go take a look."

Onizuka then scanned the area, but quickly noticed someone was missing.

"The headcount isn't right, is it? Where is that guy Koenji?"

Hearing this, Hirata's expression stiffened slightly, and he averted his gaze, seemingly contemplating how to answer the question, his voice sounding a bit vague.

"Koenji... he wasn't feeling well, so he went back to the ship early to rest."

Heh, that guy Koenji—in terms of physical fitness alone, he was even above himself. If he said he wasn't feeling well, Onizuka would sooner consider if some fatal epidemic had broken out again.

He knew Koenji simply didn't want to continue suffering with the group, and he couldn't be bothered to press the issue, lest he rub salt into Hirata's wounds.

Since there was no more information to be mined for the moment, he turned and returned to Sakura's side, standing still with a relaxed expression.

Seeing this, Hirata felt relieved and immediately called for everyone to form up and head toward the campsite Ike and the others had discovered.

The group gradually merged into a line, and accompanied by the dappled light filtering through the leaves, the students of Class D moved forward excitedly, seemingly full of anticipation for the campsite they were about to explore.

After a journey that was neither long nor short, the members of Class D finally arrived at the campsite discovered by Ike and the others.

What came into view was a crystal-clear stream, its water shimmering under the sunlight and flowing slowly, bringing a touch of coolness that seemed to make people temporarily forget the sweltering heat of the island.

Through the water, one could see pebbles and water plants intertwined, reflecting the blue sky and the lush shadows of the trees, making one feel instantly refreshed.

Beside the stream was a neat, flat clearing that had clearly been cleared by human hands, suitable for setting up tents at any time.

The surrounding weeds had been cleared away, and the ground felt firm underfoot—it was clearly an ideal campsite.

What was even more eye-catching was a device with a high-tech feel by the stream—a check-in machine, its display screen flickering with a faint light in the sun.

However, the conversation quickly turned to a more serious issue. The group gradually gathered together—it was time to decide who would serve as the "leader" for Class D.

"So, who will be the leader?" Hirata was the first to bring up this critical question, wearing his usual peaceful smile as he tried to defuse the slight tension in the air.

"The leader is responsible for checking in to claim territory, and they also have to hide their identity to prevent other classes from guessing," Kushida said slowly.

"We must choose someone unexpected to take on this role..."

Before he could finish his sentence, everyone began to look at each other, seemingly searching for a candidate who was both inconspicuous and capable of handling unexpected situations.

"How about..." Shinohara suddenly spoke up, her tone hesitant.

"Let Hirata-kun do it? He's always looking out for everyone anyway, and it would make communication easier."

"Hirata is indeed suitable," Horikita countered without hesitation.

"But precisely because he is suitable, he is more likely to be targeted by other classes, right? If the intelligence networks of Class A and Class C are strong, he might be their primary target."

Everyone fell into deep thought for a moment.

Everyone understood that once the leader's identity was exposed, not only would all the points earned from checking in be wiped out, but an additional fifty class points would be deducted—a loss that could not be ignored.

Sudo scratched his head, frowning as he whispered a suggestion: "Since we need to be discreet, maybe we should pick someone less conspicuous, for example..."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's gaze shifted in unison toward Horikita Suzune.

Realizing the meaningful stares of the group, Horikita's body stiffened slightly.

She scanned the crowd, her expression as indifferent as ever, but there was a hint of displeasure in her eyes; she clearly did not want to be pushed into this awkward position.

After a moment of silence, she spoke calmly, her voice steady yet carrying a hint of defensiveness.

"Why not leave it to Onizuka? His way of handling things... might be more suitable."

Onizuka raised an eyebrow nonchalantly when his name was called, a faint, elusive smile playing on his lips.

Upon hearing Horikita's suggestion, the group fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

Seeing that Onizuka had no intention of declining, Sudo patted him on the shoulder, an expression of approval appearing on his face: "Indeed, Onizuka is better suited for this than the rest of us."

Standing to the side, Ayanokoji silently observed the entire discussion, his brow furrowed slightly and a flicker of deep thought passing through his eyes, yet he remained silent throughout.

Seeing that no one had any objections, Hirata made a decisive call and whispered: "Alright, then Onizuka will serve as the leader of our class."

In truth, Onizuka had no intention of actually serving as the leader of Class D; in his plans, this identity would not provide any substantial benefits.

However, he glanced at Ayanokoji, who was standing in the shade of a tree nearby.

If he could use this status to shield himself from unnecessary interference and make others less suspicious of him, perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad thing.

At the very least—he could act more freely, less constrained by the gazes of others.

Onizuka's lips curled slightly as he gave a dismissive smile, then nodded decisively: "Fine, since everyone thinks so, I will accept this role."