The light in the forest grew dimmer. Vines coiled around the tree trunks, and a thick layer of fallen leaves covered the ground, rustling softly beneath their feet. Suzune Horikita's sharp gaze swept over every rise in the terrain as she carefully searched for traces of a base. Kiyotaka Ayanokoji followed close behind, his expression calm as he discreetly observed their surroundings, alert to the possibility of running into students from other classes.
After about fifteen minutes, a flat stretch of high ground came into view not far ahead. An inconspicuous metal marker stood at its center, engraved with the tiny number "3"—one of the bases designated by the school. Suzune Horikita immediately raised a hand to signal Kiyotaka Ayanokoji to stop. They instinctively crouched and hid behind a sturdy old tree, cautiously peeking out to observe.
Two figures from Class A were turning away from the marker. They were Kohei Katsuragi and Yahiko. Yahiko held a silver card, lightly rubbing its edge with his fingertips, his expression somewhat tense. Kohei Katsuragi walked beside him with a stern look and patted him on the shoulder. His voice was low, but Suzune Horikita's sharp ears still caught some of what he said.
"Keep the Leader Card safe. Don't let your guard down for a second." Kohei Katsuragi's tone was grave and unquestionable. He deliberately raised his voice a little, as if emphasizing something. "As Class A's leader, with Classmate Sakayanagi absent this time, it's up to us to hold the base and protect our points. You have to be careful. Don't make any mistakes."
Yahiko hurriedly nodded and carefully slipped the Leader Card into his inner uniform pocket. "Classmate Katsuragi, understood. I'll keep the card safe and won't let you down."
Kohei Katsuragi gave a slight nod, then furrowed his brows. His gaze slowly swept over the woods around the base, sharp as an eagle's, as though checking for outsiders in hiding. His eyes passed over the old tree concealing Horikita and Ayanokoji and lingered there for a couple of seconds, but he spotted nothing unusual. Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had already pulled Suzune Horikita down low, and both of them had quieted their breathing, blending perfectly into their surroundings.
"Looks like no one's around." Kohei Katsuragi looked away, his tone slightly more relaxed, though still carrying a hint of vigilance. "But we can't let our guard down. Every class is scouting bases now, so conflict is bound to happen. Let's head back to our camp and arrange for people to retake the base at regular intervals. We need to make sure we don't miss a single check-in and protect that one bonus point."
"Okay." Yahiko nodded, and the two walked side by side toward Class A's camp. Their steps were steady, and they remained alert until they disappeared into the depths of the forest. Only then did Suzune Horikita and Kiyotaka Ayanokoji slowly straighten up.
"Kohei Katsuragi is Class A's leader?" Suzune Horikita frowned, sounding puzzled. "He's certainly blunt. He actually announced his identity in front of someone else and even showed the Leader Card."
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji watched the direction in which Kohei Katsuragi and Yahiko had disappeared. A trace of thought flickered in his eyes, and his tone was calm but certain. "Not necessarily."
"What do you mean?" Horikita looked at him, baffled.
"Katsuragi is too vigilant," Kiyotaka Ayanokoji said slowly. "The way he checked their surroundings seemed deliberate, and his insistence that he was the leader came across as unnatural. Besides, if he were genuinely worried about his identity being exposed, he wouldn't casually reveal it at a base where anyone might stumble upon them. And he certainly wouldn't let Yahiko display the Leader Card in the open."
Suzune Horikita paused, then reconsidered what she had just seen. Gradually, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's reasoning began to make sense. "Are you saying he was putting on a show for someone? But he didn't know we were here."
"Perhaps he sensed something, or perhaps he was already prepared for this. Either way, Kohei Katsuragi probably isn't Class A's real leader." Kiyotaka Ayanokoji said no more and turned his gaze to the metal marker.
Suzune Horikita nodded, putting her doubts aside. In the end, she and Kiyotaka Ayanokoji found a more secluded base, claimed it, then returned to Class D to discuss arranging shifts to retake it. Kohei Katsuragi's claim, "As Class A's leader," and the way he had deliberately searched the area kept circling in Horikita's mind, planting a seed of suspicion.
Meanwhile, Mio Ibuki, planted by Ryuen Kakeru and disguised as a Class C spy who had been expelled, followed the route to Class D's camp. A faint bruise marked her cheek, and her forearm bore a slight scratch. She deliberately acted timid and helpless, her expression humble and her voice pleading. "Everyone, Ryuen expelled me from Class C in front of everyone because I wouldn't follow his orders. He actually wants to spend all our points at once. It's ridiculous."
Yosuke Hirata noticed the bruise on her cheek and the scratch on her forearm. Hearing that Ryuen had expelled her, he felt sorry for her and was about to agree to take her in, but Suzune Horikita stopped him. "Wait. We don't know anything about her, so we can't just take her in," Horikita said, warily studying Mio Ibuki. "Besides, Class D is currently organizing base patrols and building our camp. We need people to handle those tasks ourselves, so we don't have the energy to take in outsiders right now."
A flash of panic crossed Mio Ibuki's eyes, and she instinctively covered the wound on her forearm. Then she put on an even more pitiful expression. "I really don't mean any harm. I just need somewhere to stay. I really can't follow Ryuen."
Yosuke Hirata hesitated for a moment. Seeing Mio Ibuki's injuries and timid expression, he finally nodded. "All right. You can stay, but you have to follow Class D's rules. Don't act on your own, don't use Class Points without permission, and follow instructions. If we notice anything suspicious, we'll send you away immediately."
Mio Ibuki secretly rejoiced and hurriedly thanked him with a nod. She made a point of leaving her injuries visible, acting obedient and honest, while quietly observing Class D's key decision-makers. She set out to find out who the class's hidden leader was, gathering information in secret and preparing to send word to Ryuen Kakeru aboard the cruise ship at any moment. When she learned that Suzune Horikita and Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had been scouting bases and might have stumbled across Kohei Katsuragi's supposed identity as Class A's leader, she redoubled her efforts, eager to identify Class D's leader and pass along the clue about Class A to Ryuen.
Unlike the chaos earlier, Class D gradually got back on track under Yosuke Hirata's mediation and coordination. They secured a temporary toilet, distributed food and water according to need, sent out an organized base-scouting team, and steadily made progress on building their camp. Still, the lurking spy, the unknown locations of the bases, the rule requiring them to reclaim each base periodically, and the other classes' secret schemes remained like hidden currents, ready to shatter this brief calm at any moment. Suzune Horikita and Kiyotaka Ayanokoji continued scouting through the forest, unaware whether they would find another base ahead—or stumble into some other unforeseen trouble.
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