Setting Out to Investigate

Once the leader was determined, the campsite suddenly became lively, and everyone busied themselves with their respective tasks.

The boys rolled up their sleeves, sweating profusely as they pitched tents and drove the supports firmly into the ground; some were responsible for clearing the ground, removing rocks and branches, and laying down thick layers of leaves for moisture protection.

The girls scattered in all directions, searching for usable dry wood and branches, carrying them back in bundles to light campfires or build simple windbreaks.

Hirata coordinated from the side, arranging each task in an orderly fashion.

Sudo hoisted a long wooden pole to serve as a campfire rack, drawing teasing remarks from Ike, who said he looked like a caveman who had returned to the forest.

It must be said that Sudo has changed quite a bit since the semester began.

However, in the eyes of Onizuka, he had merely transformed from an idiot into an idiot who could understand human speech; both versions were equally brainless.

Meanwhile, Kushida silently counted the supplies, ensuring that the equipment needed by everyone was fully accounted for.

Everyone was busy at their own posts, gradually turning a patch of messy woodland into a cozy little campsite.

In short, during the initial phase of the exam, the atmosphere of cooperation among the members of Class D could be considered... pleasant?

Although there were some minor disagreements, everyone was able to sit down and discuss the basic supply requirements seriously.

In the end, they unanimously decided that in addition to the essentials, they would add some daily necessities and food to ensure sufficient supplies and comfort on this unfamiliar Uninhabited Island.

After some weighing of options, the expenditure plan for Class D was set at 180 points, which included food supplements, camping equipment, and simple emergency medicine.

If the bonus points obtained from occupying the base were added, the total class score would still have nearly 150 points remaining.

Under normal circumstances, this kind of harvest was already close to the limit of what each class could achieve in this exam.

As far as this result was concerned, everyone was reasonably satisfied.

However, Onizuka and others with ambition were clearly not going to be satisfied with just this.

Most of the people in Class D seemed to still not realize a cruel fact—in this school, if you don't eat others, you will be eaten.

Should it be called kindness or stupidity? Even after suffering the devastating blow of zero class points in the first month of school, they remained completely oblivious to the true nature of this school.

In this school, you must be stronger and faster to react than others, and even possess the resolve to stop at nothing at critical moments; otherwise, only failure and expulsion await you.

And what Class D lacks right now is precisely this kind of cruel self-awareness.

...The next day...

"Onizuka, do you want to come with us to check out the locations of the other classes?"

Horikita stood beside Onizuka with her arms crossed, her tone devoid of any hesitation, as if she had already decided to invite him along.

She was as direct as ever, seemingly convinced that he would agree.

Onizuka smiled faintly and followed her gaze toward Ayanokoji Kiyotaka not far away.

The other boy was leaning lazily against a tree trunk with his arms crossed, his eyes falling on them with indifference.

That nonchalant appearance made it seem as if he were waiting silently, yet also as if he were completely detached from the situation.

Onizuka felt a slight stir in his heart, and the corners of his mouth curled into a playful arc—it seemed that the one who wanted to invite him wasn't Horikita herself, but the guy behind her.

But that didn't matter; things were easier to handle with more people, and although it was unclear why, Ayanokoji had reacted so strongly on the ship.

But in some respects, they were not actually in conflict.

"Since that's the case, let's go. I'm also curious about what the other classes have been doing on this island," he said to Horikita, unhurriedly.

The moment he stepped forward to follow, Ayanokoji's eyes flickered imperceptibly before returning to calm, and he continued to follow silently behind them.

Seeing the two of them like this, Horikita was a bit confused for a moment, feeling that something was wrong but unable to put her finger on it.

She quickened her pace, tightened her clothes, and followed silently in Onizuka's footsteps, attempting to walk side-by-side with him.

Onizuka, however, kept his eyes fixed ahead, relying on the terrain map he had observed and memorized on the ship to lead Horikita and Ayanokoji in the direction where they were most likely to encounter other classes.

Just then, Ayanokoji's voice came from behind them, unhurriedly.

"Onizuka-kun, sorry to interrupt," he said flatly.

"Koenji-kun mentioned a place before he left, and I think it's worth checking out."

Onizuka was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, showing a bit of curiosity.

That guy Koenji had always been a maverick; what could he possibly have left for them?

In Onizuka's mind, a man with a handlebar mustache suddenly appeared, kneeling on the ground and shouting:

"Do you want my treasure? If you want it, you can have it! Go find it! I left everything I own in that place!"

Horikita looked at Onizuka with a thoughtful expression; although she didn't state her position, one could tell from her demeanor that she was equally skeptical about Koenji's actions.

She spoke with a hint of doubt: "In that case, we might as well go and see. Although Koenji is... unique, he generally doesn't do meaningless things."

Unique? That was certainly a euphemism.

Onizuka smiled slightly and spread his hands, "Since everyone is interested, let's go take a look. It won't take up too much time anyway."

The winding path gradually gave Onizuka a sense of familiarity.

He scanned the surrounding trees and terrain, vaguely feeling that the scene before him looked familiar.

Finally, in a clearing in the forest, the three of them stopped in their tracks, and what came into view was an unexpected sight—a large, lush Corn Field.

The three of them stood at the edge, momentarily at a loss for words as they gazed at the crops, which were a mix of emerald green and golden yellow.

None of them had expected to see such a vast expanse of farmland in this wilderness.

Onizuka's mouth twitched, and after a moment, he let out a soft sigh that seemed tinged with helplessness.

Such large-scale crops were tall and highly conspicuous by nature; as long as one paid a little attention, they wouldn't be hard to spot, even from within the dense forest.

Originally, he had intended to quietly make use of this resource, waiting for the right moment to sell it for a good price and earn some extra points.

As Onizuka stared at the golden Corn Field before him, Koenji's mocking smile seemed to surface in his mind, as if the boy were right there beside him, laughing derisively...

How truly infuriating.