Island Landing Chaos, Class D's Disagreement and Outpost Reconnaissance

The cruise ship's small boats ferried the students to the uninhabited island's shore in batches. The salty, briny sea breeze carried the raw, green scent of the forest, while coarse reefs pressed against the soles of their shoes. Dense woods stretched infinitely into the island's interior, the canopy blotting out the sky and shattering the afternoon sunlight into fragmented shards.

According to the zones designated by the school, Class D was assigned to a clearing at the edge of the coastal woods. No sooner had everyone landed and begun to unpack than internal conflict erupted without warning. The protagonists of this dispute, however, were not Ken Sudo and Kikyo Kushida, but Kei Karuizawa and Teruhiko Yukimura.

The rule stating that "any member may unilaterally use class points to purchase supplies" struck a nerve regarding the girls' concerns over privacy and hygiene, triggering a divide between the boys and girls.

"We must purchase a portable toilet, and it can't be one of those flimsy models that offers no cover!" Kei Karuizawa frowned, her tone firm and her eyes betraying undisguised resistance. "It's already inconvenient enough for us girls in the wild. If we can't even guarantee basic privacy and hygiene, we won't be able to cooperate with class activities later. This isn't a waste of points; it's a necessary expense."

Teruhiko Yukimura stood opposite her, his expression pragmatic and calm, his tone tinged with helplessness. "Karuizawa-san, I understand your concerns, but our 300 class points have to last us seven days; we can't afford to waste a single one. While a simple toilet is crude, it meets basic needs. With the points we save, we could buy more food, water, and first-aid supplies. After all, survival is the priority."

"Survival is important, but is privacy not?" Kei Karuizawa's voice rose sharply, her face flushed with grievance and anger. "You boys can just find a corner to relieve yourselves; you have no idea what we girls are going through! If we don't get a proper portable toilet, I'd rather not participate in any further activities than subject myself to this."

The two held their ground, and the argument grew increasingly heated. The girls rallied behind Kei Karuizawa, echoing her sentiments and insisting on a toilet that guaranteed privacy, while most of the boys sided with Teruhiko Yukimura, arguing that survival supplies should take precedence and that a basic toilet was sufficient.

Class D fell into a minor state of chaos, the class cohesion—already fragile—appearing even more tenuous at this moment. Suzune Horikita stood to the side, her brows locked in a deep furrow, her cold eyes filled with impatience. She had intended to coordinate the allocation of points, only to have her rhythm disrupted by this sudden squabble.

Ken Sudo, impatient by nature, couldn't help but bark out, "Stop arguing! It's just a toilet, isn't it? Either make do with what we have or just buy it! Wasting time on such trivial matters is completely unnecessary!" His words did nothing to quell the dispute; instead, they made Kei Karuizawa feel even more aggrieved, and the volume of the argument only increased.

Just as the situation threatened to spiral out of control, Yosuke Hirata stepped forward. He took a deep breath, raised a hand to signal for silence, and spoke in a tone that was gentle yet carried enough sincerity and persuasiveness to be heard. "Everyone, please calm down and listen to me. The school only provided one basic toilet for free, which is barely functional. Using points in certain areas can actually increase our efficiency. Excessive endurance leads to stress and fuels anxiety, and there are valid concerns regarding personal hygiene. Providing this will allow the girls to face this exam with peace of mind."

Yosuke Hirata's words were sincere and fair, balancing the need for survival with the girls' well-being. The logic was clear and irrefutable. Teruhiko Yukimura pondered for a moment, nodded, and softened his tone. "I suppose you're right."

Kei Karuizawa looked at Yosuke Hirata's earnest eyes, the grievance in her heart dissipating. She nodded. "As long as basic privacy and hygiene are guaranteed, spending a few points is fine. We don't want to affect the class's overall rhythm because of this, either."

Seeing the two reach an agreement, the other students expressed their approval, and the chaotic situation was instantly quelled. Yosuke Hirata struck while the iron was hot, continuing to coordinate. "Since everyone agrees, I will contact the homeroom teacher now to purchase the portable toilet, along with a small amount of emergency food and water. Additionally, according to the exam rules, there are 10 outposts on the island that must be re-occupied periodically. Each occupation grants 1 bonus point, which will add up to a significant number of points for the class. This is crucial. I suggest we split into three groups of three to head in different directions and scout for these outposts as quickly as possible."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Yosuke Hirata quickly organized the groups. Considering Suzune Horikita's keenness and Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's composure, he deliberately placed them in the same group, adding a meticulous girl to complete the scouting team. The other two groups were also finalized, each with their own duties, ready to depart.

Suzune Horikita did not object to Yosuke Hirata's arrangement. She glanced at the perpetually silent Kiyotaka Ayanokoji beside her and said in a flat tone, "Let's go. We need to find an outpost as soon as possible; don't waste time." Kiyotaka Ayanokoji nodded slightly without a word, silently following behind Suzune Horikita as they headed deep into the island.

They hadn't walked far into the dense forest before they encountered a languid figure—Rokusuke Koenji. He wore the standard school uniform, his posture upright, his hands hanging loosely at his sides. His gait was aimless, and his eyes were filled with curiosity about the surroundings, entirely unaffected by the pressure of the uninhabited island exam.

"Oh? Isn't this Horikita-san and Ayanokoji-boy?" Rokusuke Koenji raised an eyebrow, his tone casual. "Are you off to scout for outposts? How boring. Compared to those wretched places that only offer points, I'd much rather see if there's any beautiful scenery on this island."

Suzune Horikita frowned, her tone cold. "Koenji-kun, we have a mission, so we won't be joining you for idle chatter." With that, she led Kiyotaka Ayanokoji to bypass him and continue forward.

Rokusuke Koenji did not yield. Instead, his body swayed, and he leaped lightly, grabbing a branch overhead. Relying on his exceptional physical prowess, he swung flexibly between the branches, his movements fluid and effortless, as if he were merely strolling through the woods. "Don't be in such a rush," he said with a laugh as he swung. "I happen to be heading deeper in as well. Why not go together? Who knows, I might even help you find an outpost."

Suzune Horikita looked vigilant. She could sense the formidable strength hidden within Rokusuke Koenji, but she couldn't fathom his intentions and had no desire to get entangled with him. "That won't be necessary. We can find the outposts ourselves; we won't trouble you, Koenji-kun."

Rokusuke Koenji smiled and didn't press the issue. He swung to a tall tree and looked down toward the depths of the island, his eyes gleaming with intense interest. "Since you insist, I won't bother you. I am off to find the true beauty of this island; as for outposts, they are of no importance to me."

No sooner had he finished speaking than he exerted force again, darting rapidly through the branches. His movements were so agile they didn't seem human, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished into the dense forest, leaving behind only the faint rustling of leaves.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji looked in the direction where Rokusuke Koenji had disappeared and said in a flat tone, "His physical ability is high. He is no ordinary person."

Suzune Horikita nodded slightly, her expression remaining serious. "Whatever he is, it has nothing to do with us. Let's continue scouting. We must find a suitable location as soon as possible so we aren't beaten to it by other classes."

The two stopped lingering and quickened their pace toward the depths of the island, carefully observing the terrain along the way for signs of the outposts mentioned by the school. Meanwhile, the other two scouting teams also set off in different directions, and Class D's outpost scouting operation officially began.

Under the distant canopy, Rokusuke Koenji's figure flashed occasionally through the branches. He paid no further attention to Class D's movements, nor did he make any effort to look for outposts. He simply roamed the forest as he pleased, savoring the primitive atmosphere of the uninhabited island and searching for the "true beauty" he spoke of, as if this special exam—which concerned the class's points—had absolutely nothing to do with him.