Arriving at Class B

"Ah, it's Qiuyue-kun. Welcome."

"But you've come at a bad time, Qiuyue-kun. Ayanokoji-kun and Horikita-san just left not long ago."

Honami Ichinose's tracksuit gave her a very lively impression.

Her smile was like spring sunlight warming the heart, radiating endless gentleness and warmth.

Ryuji Kanzaki's figure was also visible in the distance.

"What did those two come for? Ichinose, you're this welcoming to us from Class D—won't your Class B classmates have objections?"

Qiuyue asked Honami Ichinose about something he already knew.

"It's fine. Class B and Class D are cooperating, so there's no problem. Ayanokoji-kun and Horikita-san also came to exchange information with us."

Ichinose finished speaking with a smile, then took a rope from her bag and began tying it to a tree.

"Did a Class C student show up in your class?"

"Huh? How does Qiuyue-kun know? Ah... could it be that Qiuyue-kun ran into Ayanokoji-kun and Horikita-san on the way here?"

"I didn't run into them. It's just that our Class D also got a Class C student. Ichinose, to be blunt, that Class C student is here to scout out the leader's identity."

"I know that, but... I can't just abandon Kaneda-kun. That would be too cruel. And didn't Qiuyue-kun's Class D also take in a Class C student? Everyone in Class D is very kind."

"Then what if I said I'm also here to gather intel on Class B's leader, Ichinose? What would you do?"

"That won't happen. I trust Qiuyue-kun."

Honami Ichinose looked at Qiuyue with a radiant smile as she said this.

Qiuyue: (...Being trusted by you like this does make me happy, and it stirs me too. But no matter how brightly you smile, it's useless. Kind people are kind to everyone. I've never believed I was the special one.)

"You really let your guard down..."

Qiuyue shook his head helplessly. Sensing hostility, he glanced around and spotted Chihiro Shiranami standing beside Ryuji Kanzaki, glaring fixedly in his direction.

Qiuyue: (...Seriously, this girl...)

"Uh... Ichinose, did you tell Shiranami-san about what happened last time? You know, that..."

Honami Ichinose recalled that day, her cheeks flushing slightly as she explained.

"I did. I told Chihiro-chan that Qiuyue-kun helped me because...

Anyway, I asked Chihiro not to spread it around, even if what Qiuyue-kun said that day was a lie. Why, Qiuyue-kun? Why bring this up all of a sudden?"

"...Well... um, Ichinose, Shiranami-san is staring daggers at me. I'm feeling a bit pressured..."

Hearing this, Honami Ichinose looked over at Chihiro Shiranami, who immediately flashed a very friendly smile and waved at her.

"Huh? No, she's not. It must be your imagination, Qiuyue-kun."

Honami Ichinose said this, then turned back and continued with what she was doing.

But in Qiuyue's eyes, Chihiro Shiranami only put on that smile after Ichinose looked her way.

Once Ichinose looked away, Chihiro Shiranami instantly switched back to that hostile expression, her eyes practically wishing Qiuyue a thousand deaths.

Qiuyue: (...Looks like she really sees me as a rival. She thinks I like Ichinose.)

(She probably believes that while my words that day were meant to help Ichinose, it might have just been a rehearsal for confessing to her later.)

(...Get a clue. You're a girl. The odds of Ichinose choosing me are way higher than choosing you.)

Qiuyue glared back at Chihiro Shiranami, then ignored her and turned to Honami Ichinose.

"Ichinose, is Shiranami-san dating that male classmate next to her?"

"Huh... uh... well... I... I don't know."

Honami Ichinose was visibly flustered.

Qiuyue: (...You really can't lie. Seeing you flustered like that is actually kind of cute. I'll let it slide.)

"No need to panic. I won't ask about that. I was just curious earlier—why is that girl over there all by herself?"

"That's Himeno-san. She's not very good at handling interpersonal relationships, so she asked me if she could be assigned a solo task."

"I see. No wonder your class has such clear division of labor. You arranged it, Ichinose?"

"Well... I did organize it, but it's the result of everyone working together."

"Don't sell yourself short. I know you're impressive, Ichinose."

"Ahaha, when Qiuyue-kun praises me like that, it makes me shy."

Honami Ichinose rubbed the back of her head, a little embarrassed.

"Sorry for taking up so much of your time. Need any help? I've got nothing to do anyway."

"No need. How could I ask Qiuyue-kun to help me? Just having you offer means a lot to me."

"...Alright. Where's Hoshinomiya-sensei?"

"Hoshinomiya-sensei is over there. Come to think of it, why is she in the classroom? Aren't all the teachers supposed to be monitoring near the island's entry point?"

"...Probably because she's bored."

"Ichinose, I want to go check on Class A's situation now. What do you know about their camp location?"

"Just tell me where Class A's camp is, that's all. I'll handle the rest myself."

"You should hold back some of the intel Class B has too. No matter what, I'm still from another class. It's better not to trust others so easily."

"I only know the general location too. I'm not that easy to fool. It's just because you're Qiuyue-kun that I trust you."

Ichinose Honami's face lit up with an unwavering smile, her eyes revealing deep trust in Qiuyue.

Qiuyue felt the weight of that trust.

Qiuyue: (So why, just because I helped her once with that confession incident, does she trust me this much... Now I get how she made Class B so united.)

"...I know. I'll try not to let your trust down. So can you tell me where Class A is?"

Ichinose showed no reluctance and pointed in a direction, telling Qiuyue the camp location she knew.

"Go this way, turn right, and walk straight. You'll see a cave. That should be Class A's camp. I don't know any more details than that. It might not even be Class A's camp."

"Why?"

Qiuyue: (What else could it be? Going by the original, it's inside the cave.)

"How should I put it? I don't know how to describe it. Anyway, it means their defenses are solid."

"...I see. Got it. Ichinose, I'll head off now. Bye."

"Take care, Qiuyue-kun."

Qiuyue followed the direction Ichinose had indicated, turned right, and walked straight. Before long, he spotted a cave.

Qiuyue: (So this is Class A's camp? Really living like cavemen, huh.)