Soon, the three of them followed Onizuka's directions and quietly made their way to Class C's campsite along the route he had scouted before.
What came into view was an almost extravagant scene:
Out on the sea, a small speedboat raced through the sunlight, its blue-and-white hull carving a bright arc across the water and standing out brilliantly.
On the shore, several brightly colored parasols stood neatly in a row, with all kinds of drinks and snacks laid out beneath them.
On several comfortable lounge chairs, Class C's students lazily enjoyed the sun. Some chatted, while others rested with their eyes closed.
They were completely in vacation mode, as if this weren't an exam site but some picturesque beach.
Onizuka glanced at the expensive supplies and quickly calculated how many points they must have cost.
All that equipment and those provisions must have cost at least a hundred points. It was a full-blown "spend-money-to-have-fun" extravagance.
As soon as the three approached, they saw Ryuen, dressed in casual beachwear and sprawled on a lounge chair, beckon to them. His usual carefree smile held a hint of casual provocation.
"Well, well, Horikita, Ayanokoji, and Onizuka-what do you think of Class C's 'luxury amusement park'? Why not join us and enjoy yourselves?" Ryuen said leisurely, wearing a pair of sunglasses.
Horikita narrowed her eyes and looked at Ryuen coolly, her voice carrying a note of confusion.
"If you keep spending so extravagantly, you won't last seven days, will you? You're running out of resources this early. Are you really planning to give up so easily?"
Ryuen merely chuckled at her question, entirely unshaken by it. If anything, he seemed even more relaxed.
He crossed his hands behind his head and lounged against the back of the chair, acting as though he didn't care about her concern at all. There was even a hint of mockery in his expression.
"Seven days? On this deserted island? You really take the school's damned exam seriously?"
"Horikita, this so-called 'survival exam' is nothing but a boring trick by the school. You're going to make yourselves miserable for days, only to end up with a few dozen or a hundred points? Give me a break."
He spread his hands and glanced over the luxurious setup around them, speaking with easy confidence.
"We'll enjoy ourselves to the fullest, and once we run out of points, we'll all withdraw and head back to the ship openly. As they say, enjoy life while you can."
He then gave Horikita and Ayanokoji a meaningful look before lazily pointing at the empty lounge chair nearby, his smile tinged with teasing.
"But you guys could 'enjoy yourselves' too, you know. It's not every day you get this kind of treatment on a deserted island."
Ayanokoji silently shook his head and declined calmly.
"Sorry, I don't really need that kind of enjoyment."
As soon as he finished speaking, he headed toward the edge of the campsite, periodically glancing toward the other corners. He clearly had no desire to waste time talking with Ryuen.
Horikita snorted, a trace of disdain in her eyes, and decisively turned to leave as well.
However, just as she turned around, she noticed Onizuka beside her smiling as he accepted the invitation and strolled toward the empty lounge chair next to Ryuen.
"Then I'll take you up on that."
Onizuka raised an eyebrow at Ryuen and calmly walked to the empty lounge chair beside him, lying down without the slightest hesitation.
"It's not every day I get to see Class C's 'luxury' for myself. I really shouldn't miss the chance. Thanks, Ryuen."
Ryuen paused slightly and raised an eyebrow, evidently surprised by how at home Onizuka seemed.
Thinking back, hadn't he only just invited Onizuka?
But then he reconsidered. Since the kid had walked right into his trap, he might as well see what sort of stunt he could pull.
Horikita watched this unfold and silently rolled her eyes, feeling utterly speechless and contemptuous of Onizuka's behavior.
She said nothing more, shot Ryuen a cold glance, then turned and left, as if even staying here another moment would be a waste of time.
Ayanokoji stood to the side, silently observing. He gave Onizuka a faintly amused look, then quietly followed Horikita, leaving Onizuka alone at Class C's campsite.
Seemingly bothered by the glaring sunlight, Onizuka squinted and turned to Ryuen.
"Hey, Ryuen, could you get me another pair of those sunglasses?"
Ryuen's mouth twitched slightly at that. He called out to Ishizaki beside him.
"Get him a pair of sunglasses!"
"And a bottle of something cold to drink!" Onizuka added, raising a hand without even looking up.
Ishizaki froze, unsure whether he should actually fetch them. He looked to Ryuen for guidance.
Ryuen lifted his chin at him, signaling that he should go ahead.
Onizuka put on the sunglasses, leaned back comfortably in the lounge chair, and took a gulp of the ice-cold drink. Seemingly immersed in the refreshing summer coolness, he let out a satisfied sigh.
"Ah, that hits the spot! This is great!"
Watching him like that, Ryuen's expression grew stiffer and stiffer, and his gaze sharpened.
He let out a cold laugh, leaned menacingly toward Onizuka, and demanded in a low voice,
"Don't tell me you came to our campsite just to mooch sunglasses and drinks. Tell me, what are you really after?"
Onizuka smiled easily and turned his head slightly. He deliberately lifted his sunglasses without hurrying, revealing a playful smile.
"Weren't you the one who invited me to sit down?"
The corner of Ryuen's eye twitched. The simmering anger inside him was clearly getting the better of him.
He stepped closer, almost unable to hold back, his expression darkening as though he was about to lose his temper-then Onizuka spoke.
"I know about your deal with Class A."
Ryuen's expression froze instantly, but only for a moment. He quickly regained his composure and snorted.
"So what if you know? Everyone will find out when the results are announced in a week anyway. You just found out ahead of time."
Onizuka calmly took a card from his pocket. It was the D Class Leader ID Card. He twirled it between his fingers, the smile at the corner of his lips growing more pronounced.
"I've worked out the terms of your deal. Two thousand points a month in exchange for these supplies-however you look at it, it's a losing bargain."
"If Class A is paying such a steep price just to solve a temporary supply problem, that doesn't really add up, does it?"
Ryuen's expression darkened slightly, but he didn't rush to respond. He merely eyed the card in Onizuka's hand, and for a moment it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
"Nothing is more valuable than this, is it?"
Onizuka's voice was low but firm, and the Leader ID Card in his hand glinted faintly in the sunlight.