Divergence (2)

At Takahashi's words, everyone quieted down a little.

"Takahashi, you also think we shouldn't buy the toilet and should save those points?" Ike asked him.

"Don't rush, Ike. Hear me out first." Takahashi took the Guide Manual from Hirata. "Before we decide whether to buy the toilet, I want to make sure everyone understands a few things."

When no one spoke and everyone simply watched him, waiting for him to continue, Takahashi spoke again:

"First, can everyone guarantee they won't get an upset stomach at any point during the coming week? I don't think any of you can be sure of that, considering we're in an unfamiliar environment and have to prepare our own food. Second, there are so many of us in our class that I think one simple toilet might not be enough. All right, that's all I wanted to say. Hirata, a conflict breaking out later because there aren't enough toilets would be much more troublesome than one breaking out now."

Takahashi had deliberately directed his last sentence at Hirata. He had known since the start of the school year that Hirata cared deeply about his classmates, so his words were also a subtle way of pressuring him to make a decision soon.

"Yeah... Takahashi's right. We have to survive here for a week, and there are too many unknowns. We should buy the toilet after all."

"But..." Ike tried to argue, but then he thought about what Takahashi had said and fell silent.

"Ike, I understand that you want to earn more points for our class, but we also need..." Hirata tried to reassure him, but Ike interrupted before he could finish.

"Fine, fine, I get it. I didn't think it through properly at first."

"Thanks, Ike."

Hirata really was kind.

While Hirata and Ike talked, Takahashi casually flipped through the Guide Manual. The thicker the manual, the more freedom they had. At the same time, it showed just how difficult it would be for the class to stay united.

After confirming what he had suspected, Takahashi handed the Guide Manual back to Hirata.

Then Takahashi noticed Teacher Chabashira watching him. She had been observing the boys and girls from a distance with her usual cool gaze. She had no need to comment on her students. Class D was full of defective products, a group that could only sink lower and lower. But now she was the one who seemed to be backed into a corner. All she could do was watch coldly and keep provoking the students in Class D. Otherwise, how could Class D rise through the ranks and defeat Class C, let alone Classes B and A?

The dice had already been cast, and they couldn't be taken back. The gamble had begun.

"Hey, look! Don't you think Classes A and B might have already made a deal?"

A girl in the class spoke anxiously after noticing the students in Classes A and B moving around. As soon as she said it, everyone turned to look.

Several students from each of Classes A and B had already formed groups and headed into the forest.

They were probably looking for a place to camp or a suitable base.

Takahashi watched it all in silence and thought, It's as if the classes are already divided into ranks. Classes D and C don't seem united enough yet. No, to be precise, it's only Class D that isn't united. Given Ryuuen's personality, he'll definitely rely on himself to win this competition. Class C is united because their tyrant has already decided to win this competition by taking a different path from the other three classes. There's only one last thing to check in a few days...

Seeing Classes A and B already spring into action while Class D hadn't even figured out how to get started, Ike grew impatient and spoke up:

"Damn it, now's not the time to drag our feet discussing the toilet! I'm going to risk it to save our points. I'll go into the forest and look for a campsite and a base. Yukimura, keep an eye on Shinohara and the others. Don't let them spend points recklessly."

"Got it. I was just about to say the same thing."

Ike and Yukimura weren't usually on good terms, but they had the same goal right now, so they began cooperating.

"Wait, Ike. It's too dangerous to go into the forest without a plan."

"But we can't just stand around worrying about the toilet. We're running out of time."

Hearing Ike say that, Hirata was torn between going and staying.

Sudo had also returned from the toilet by then. "I'll go with Ike. If we find a suitable place to live, we'll come back."

In the end, Ike, Sudo, and Yamauchi went to look for a suitable campsite.

"By the way, did Sudo actually clean the toilet properly?"

A girl frowned and pointed toward the toilet, looking worried.

Only then did everyone remember that Sudo had come out of the toilet empty-handed, without any cleaning supplies. Which meant the place might very well...

The blazing sun beat down on the toilet, whose door had been left wide open and unattended. The tents were probably sweltering like steamers by now, and the stench must have been spilling out.

After quickly settling on the necessities they would buy, everyone started carrying their supplies toward the forest.

"Karuizawa, Hirata's amazing! He takes on all the troublesome stuff by himself," one of the girls beside Karuizawa said.

"I think Takahashi's amazing too. If not for his analysis, we might not have gotten a high-end toilet," another of Karuizawa's friends said.

"But Hirata was the one who made the final decision. I believe he would've made the same choice even without Takahashi. Takahashi just happened to explain the reasoning first."

At the head of the group, Karuizawa and her friends gazed admiringly at Hirata, who was struggling to carry a tent.

Meanwhile, Takahashi walked with Sakura Airi on his left and Hasebe Haruka on his right. Having two beautiful girls beside him should have been a joy, but...

"Hey, Haruka, shouldn't you help me carry some of this? Look how much I'm holding!"

"Oh my, Little Kan. Your analysis was so impressive just now! How come you're already worn out?" Hasebe said, grinning mischievously at Takahashi.

After reaching an open area, they took a short rest. Then Hirata asked everyone, "Excuse me... Does anyone here have much knowledge of wilderness survival? We need someone to explore the dense forest ahead of time."

When no one answered, Hirata awkwardly scratched his temple with a finger.

"Um... I can go." Kushida broke the awkward silence. She really was an angel!

When Kushida volunteered, the boys who hadn't wanted to go exploring all raised their hands to sign up. After all, who wouldn't want to share a perfect encounter with a beautiful girl in the dense forest?

"One, two... Eight people. Is anyone else willing to join? If we get nine, we can split into three groups of three."

"You two rest here. I'll go take a look," Takahashi told Hasebe and Sakura, then headed over to Hirata.

"Hirata, count me in."