"There's one more thing: where we'll stay. My suggestion is that we all go together to find a suitable spot in a little while," Ichinose continued.
"Mm... I've actually already thought of that. I realized back on the cruise ship that the west coast would suit us best, so we can head straight there later."
"Okay..." Ichinose agreed with Kitahara's answer.
"Are there any other issues?" Kitahara asked, looking at Ichinose.
"Mm, there is one more..."
"Hmm? What is it?" Kitahara asked, puzzled as Ichinose suddenly began to hesitate.
"The school rules say we can't pollute the environment, so the school has provided us with a simple toilet. But it's shared by both boys and girls, so..." Ichinose trailed off. The corners of the other two's mouths had already begun to twitch.
"Ahem. That is something we need to deal with, so we'll just buy another one," Kitahara said, clearing his throat twice to break the awkward silence.
"But this toilet costs more points than the things we just exchanged for. Maybe we should..." Ichinose said, worried.
Before she could finish, Kitahara spoke with unusual firmness. "Don't worry about the points. We'll earn more than expected from this exam."
Although Kitahara's sudden resolve made Ichinose worry a little that Hoshinomiya-sensei might fail, she still chose to trust him.
Meanwhile, Hoshinomiya had already relayed Kitahara's idea to the school through a staff member. She was still waiting for the school's response.
Back at the school, a group had gathered in the chairman's conference room. They were the core staff responsible for designing the Uninhabited Island Exam.
They sat around a huge oval conference table, surrounded by piles of documents. Real-time surveillance footage from various parts of the island flickered across the large screen on the wall.
The staff member who had received the message was now reporting what Hoshinomiya-sensei had told them.
When they heard the staff member convey Kitahara's bold and unconventional proposal, they were taken aback, then began whispering among themselves.
"Have a teacher disguise herself as a student and act as a shadow leader? I've never heard of anything like that before!" A bespectacled, rather stiff-looking middle-aged man pushed up his glasses, his face full of astonishment.
"That's right. No one has ever suggested such a thing since Advanced Nurturing was established. Not even Horikita or Nagumo, who are now third-years..." A kindly-looking woman sighed as well.
"Hmph, this is sheer nonsense! It openly challenges the limits of the rules. If we set this precedent, how are we supposed to run future exams?" Another elderly man with graying hair frowned, his voice thick with displeasure.
"Come now, old friend. It doesn't seem like Kitahara has violated any of the school's rules. He proposed using points to buy a temporary identity, and doesn't that fit perfectly with our school's principle that points can buy anything..."
"So I don't think this student's idea is a problem. In fact, I'd say his understanding is already on a different level from everyone else's," another old man, who knew him well, countered.
"Hmph, I still don't agree. What do the rest of you think?" The elderly man stuck to his position and asked the others who had yet to speak.
"..."
The conference room soon erupted into heated discussion. Watching them, Chairman Sakayanagi felt a little helpless. He hadn't expected Kitahara to give him more work even after leaving.
He'd wanted to spend more time with his dear daughter.
"Knock, knock..."
"Ahem. All right, everyone. We've all been through this several times before. Why are you losing your composure over this one?"
Seated at the head of the conference table, the chairman tapped the surface lightly and teased them.
"..."
The people who had still been debating soon calmed down.
"After hearing your views, I see that none of you can convince the others. So..." Chairman Sakayanagi straightened in his seat and continued:
"Let me share my own thoughts."
"..."
Seeing that Chairman Sakayanagi was about to speak, everyone straightened up.
"You all helped me establish this school, so you should know clearly that our original purpose was to nurture students capable of breaking with convention and working exceptionally well as a team...(omitted), wasn't it?"
"..."
"And think carefully: what was the purpose of this exam?"
"Wasn't it to develop the students' ability to adapt when facing difficulties, as well as their teamwork?"
From that perspective, Kitahara's proposal might be bold, but didn't it fit the goals of this Special Exam perfectly?
"..."
Hearing this, everyone fell into brief contemplation.
After listening to the chairman, the elderly man nodded slightly, his stance softening. "The chairman makes a good point. But a teacher's involvement changes the nature of the exam. What if it causes the other students to..."
Before he could finish, the chairman cut him off. "You're still underestimating our students."
"This year's students are no ordinary bunch..."
After hearing the chairman's words, the elderly man had nothing more to say. The chairman had already made his position clear.
If he kept arguing, he'd just be acting unreasonable.
Seeing that no one else was speaking, Sakayanagi turned to the staff member and said, "Inform Hoshinomiya-sensei that the school approves her request. But remind her to be careful not to overstep."
"Yes, Chairman." At the chairman's order, the staff member hurriedly contacted Hoshinomiya on the Uninhabited Island.
When Hoshinomiya received the school's response, she stood there in a daze. But soon, a smug smile appeared on her face.
"Hehe, I can't believe Kitahara's plan actually got approved. The school must really think highly of him. But now..."
Hoshinomiya let her smile fade, then hurried to where Class B was staying to update them on the situation.