The Contested Perch

That afternoon, at the Class D camp.

The news that they had brought Hiyori Shiina back sparked quite a discussion around camp.

"Are we really going to take in someone from Class B?" Yukimura questioned. "We barely have enough food as it is..."

"She's injured. We can't just leave her to fend for herself," Yosuke Hirata said firmly. "Besides, helping students from other classes might earn us bonus points."

"Points? Who knows what the scoring criteria are!" Kanji Ike complained. "For all we know, the school won't care about this at all."

"But if we do nothing, Class B might turn against us when they find out," Kei Karuizawa reasoned. "We've already made an enemy of Class C. If we antagonize Class B too, we'll be at a serious disadvantage."

Throughout the discussion, Hiyori Shiina sat quietly in a corner with her head bowed, saying nothing.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka listened to everyone argue, then finally made a decision. "Shiina will stay with us for now and recover. At the same time, we should let Class B know what happened to her, so there won't be any misunderstandings."

"I'll contact them," Karuizawa offered. "I know a few girls in Class B, so I can get in touch with Ichinose through them."

"Good." Ayanokoji nodded. "Also, we need to take turns keeping watch over the water source we found. It's important, and we can't let others take it from us without a fight."

"Keep watch? Are we going to fight?" Sudo asked.

"We should avoid fighting if possible," Ayanokoji said. "But if another class tries to claim the water source exclusively, we need to make our position clear. Remember, we won't provoke anyone, but we won't back down either."

They divided up the work again: Karuizawa would contact Class B; Sudo and two others would set up a simple outpost at the waterfall; everyone else would continue building the camp.

Ayanokoji went over to Hiyori Shiina and handed her a ration bar and half a canteen of water.

"Thank you..." Shiina said softly.

"Your ankle should be less swollen tomorrow," Ayanokoji said. "But it'll take at least a week to heal completely."

"I know." Shiina gave a bitter smile. "I'm just... so useless."

"Everyone has things they're good at and things they aren't," Ayanokoji said calmly. "What kind of work do you do for Class B?"

Shiina blinked. "I... mainly analyze intelligence and make plans."

"Then do what you're good at," Ayanokoji said. "Since you're here now, why not help us analyze the situation?"

Shiina looked up, a spark of light in her eyes. "You... trust me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Ayanokoji countered. "You're a 'temporary member' of Class D now, at least until you recover."

Shiina fell silent for a long time. Then she nodded. "I understand. Well, based on what I've observed, the situation among the four classes is as follows..."

She began her analysis, her voice gradually growing clearer and more confident.

"Class A has occupied the central hills, giving them a clear advantage in terrain. But they're too confident and may underestimate the threat posed by the other classes. Kohei Katsuragi is a steady leader, but his caution can sometimes become a weakness—when a risk is necessary, he may hesitate."

"Class C revolves around Ryuen Kakeru. They're quick to act, but lack long-term plans. They're good at creating confusion and pressure, but they often struggle when a situation calls for a more precise strategy."

"Class B..." She paused. "Ichinose is an excellent leader. She's good at bringing people together, but that also makes her vulnerable to moral and emotional considerations. She wants everyone to be treated fairly, but in a competitive environment, that can become a burden."

"Finally, there's your class, Class D." Shiina looked at Ayanokoji. "Your greatest advantage is that no one expects much from you. That lets you stay in the shadows and develop quietly. But it's also your greatest weakness: once people notice you, you'll become a target for everyone."

Her analysis was remarkably precise. Ayanokoji nodded to himself.

"So, what do you recommend?" he asked.

"Keep a low profile and build up your strength," Shiina said. "Avoid direct conflict as much as possible early on, and focus on building the camp and completing tasks. Then, in the middle and later stages, look for opportunities when the other classes have worn themselves down through conflict."

It was exactly what Ayanokoji had in mind.

"Also," Shiina added, "I recommend that you... keep an eye on Class A. They've been too quiet. It's not normal."

Indeed, from the time they arrived yesterday until now, Class A had barely made a move. They hadn't provoked anyone like Class C, nor had they tried to cooperate like Class B.

What were they planning?

That evening, at the waterfall.

Ken Sudo and two classmates had set up a simple observation post there—a shelter made of branches to protect them from the sun and rain.

"Ayanokoji said another class might come and try to take this place," Sudo told his companions. "We need to stay alert."

"But this place is pretty far from our camp," a boy named Hondo said. "If a fight breaks out, there won't be time to send for help."

"That's why we need to avoid a fight," Sudo said. "But if someone insists on taking it... we can't just back down."

Night fell, and the jungle grew pitch-black. All that could be heard was the waterfall and the chirping of insects.

Around midnight, Sudo suddenly heard footsteps.

They were faint, but someone was definitely approaching.

He immediately shook his companions awake, and the three of them hid behind a tree to watch.

Several figures appeared by the pool, shining flashlights over the water. Judging by the color of their uniforms... they were from Class C.

"Three of them," Sudo counted. "The one in front looks like... Mio Ibuki?"

It was indeed Mio Ibuki, the short-haired girl who had fought Ayanokoji the day before. Two boys were with her, both carrying canteens.

"Ryuen sent us to get water," one of the boys said. "The water here is better than the stuff near our camp."

"Make it quick," Ibuki said. "We'll get the water and leave. Don't make trouble."

They started filling their canteens.

Sudo hesitated. Ayanokoji had told them to avoid conflict, but the thought of just watching Class C take the water made him uneasy.

As he hesitated, a voice came from another direction.

"Well, good evening, Class C."

Several people emerged from the woods. They were Class A students, led by Kohei Katsuragi.

Mio Ibuki immediately went on guard. "Katsuragi? What are you doing here?"

"Getting water, just like you," Katsuragi said calmly. "Though it looks like you got here first."

"First come, first served, right?" Ibuki said coldly.

"Of course." Katsuragi nodded. "We'll wait until you're done."

The atmosphere grew tense. The three students from Class C faced off against the five from Class A. They appeared calm, but the air was thick with tension.

Hidden behind the tree, Sudo whispered to his companions, "Come on, fight..."

But no conflict broke out.

Class C soon finished filling their canteens and left in a hurry. Class A then began filling their own.

"Katsuragi," one of the Class A students asked, "why didn't you stop them? We outnumbered them."

"There was no need," Katsuragi said. "The water keeps flowing, so there's more than enough. Besides, a clash with Class C now would only benefit the other classes."

It was a very rational decision. But Sudo noticed that as Katsuragi spoke, his gaze briefly swept over the spot where they were hiding.

Did he notice us? Sudo's heart tightened.

But Katsuragi didn't expose them. He simply finished getting water with his group and left.

The crisis had passed for now, but Sudo felt even more uneasy. Class A's composure and rationality were more unsettling than Class C's open threat.

At the same time, at the Class D camp.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was on night watch. Most of the camp was asleep, and only the campfire crackled.

Suddenly, he sensed someone approaching.

It wasn't anyone from the camp. Their footsteps were light, and they were deliberately keeping quiet.

He stood up, resting a hand on the wooden club at his waist.

A figure emerged from the bushes. In the moonlight, a red tie was clearly visible.

Someone from the Student Council.

"Ayanokoji Kiyotaka?" The newcomer was a bespectacled boy who looked like an upperclassman. "Could I speak with you somewhere more private?"

Ayanokoji hesitated, then followed him to a spot a little farther from the camp.

"I'm Akane Tachibana, the Student Council treasurer," the boy introduced himself. "President Horikita sent me to give you a few... hints."

"Hints?"

"About the hidden rules of this Special Exam." Tachibana adjusted his glasses. "The president said that someone with your abilities should have already figured something out."

Ayanokoji remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"The scoring for this exam isn't based solely on camp construction and task completion," Tachibana said. "There's another hidden criterion: 'internal class governance.'"

"What does that mean?"

"It means the school is observing how each class handles internal conflicts, distributes resources, and treats its weaker members." Tachibana looked at Ayanokoji. "Especially... how it chooses when the interests of the class conflict with a moral decision."

He paused. "For example, your decision to take in an injured student from Class B earned you points in this category."

Just as he'd thought. Ayanokoji understood.

"But I should warn you," Tachibana continued. "This score changes over time. If you later abandon her because you're short on resources, or use her to threaten Class B, you'll lose points."

"Is the school monitoring us?"

"Not monitoring. Observing," Tachibana corrected him. "There are twenty miniature cameras and recording devices hidden around the island. The Student Council can view the footage in real time."

So that was how it was. No wonder the school dared to leave four hundred students on an uninhabited island for two weeks—they had never truly lost control.

"Why are you telling me this?" Ayanokoji asked.

"Because the president thinks you should know," Tachibana said. "He says you and he are alike—you both understand the importance of rules and how to use them."

Horikita Manabu... That cold, austere Student Council president was paying attention to him?

"Also," Tachibana added, "there's one more thing. Tomorrow, when the task locations refresh, there'll be a special task called the 'Perch Dispute.' It'll only appear once, and the rewards are substantial, but the risks are high."

"What does it involve?"

"Occupying and defending a specific highland for twenty-four hours," Tachibana said. "Its location will be marked on the map. The first class to occupy it gets the base points, and each hour they hold it adds more points. If another class takes it, the points transfer to them."

"Sounds like a free-for-all."

"It is." Tachibana nodded. "And classes are allowed to form alliances for this task. Two classes can occupy it together and share the points."

An alliance. The word stirred something in Ayanokoji.

"The president asked me to tell you this," Tachibana said finally. "If you want to make Class D rise for real, this is an opportunity. But it's also a gamble—one that puts everything you've accumulated so far at stake."

With that, he turned and disappeared into the night.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood beneath the moonlight, thinking over everything he had just heard.

A hidden scoring category. Cameras and microphones. The special task, the "Perch Dispute."

This Special Exam was far more complicated than he had imagined.

At the same time, it was also an opportunity—one that could make Class D stand out.

He returned to camp and looked at his sleeping classmates. Hirata, Sudo, Karuizawa, Horikita... and the injured Hiyori Shiina.

They trusted him and followed his plans. And he had to lead them to victory.

[Ping! Key information detected. The "Uninhabited Island Trial" task has been updated.]

[New objective: Place in the top three in the "Perch Dispute" task.]

[Special note: This task may trigger a class alliance. Please choose your partners carefully.]

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka lifted his head and looked up at the night sky.

Tomorrow would be the third day of the Uninhabited Island Exam.

And the battle for the "perch" was about to begin.