The softness against his back didn't let up. If anything, it grew more pronounced.
Karuizawa Kei rested quietly on Chiba Yu's back, her steady breaths brushing lightly against his face and making his thoughts falter.
Though Chiba Yu did his best to keep a reasonable distance, someone's actions made that seem like a hopeless endeavor.
For some reason, Chiba Yu's heart was racing. He tried to suppress the sudden change, but against his body's instincts, the effort felt ridiculous.
Karuizawa Kei simply leaned against his back, her steady breathing making it clear that she was resting.
Chiba Yu had no idea how she could nap so peacefully in this sort of environment, on his back, no less. Wasn't she afraid he might suddenly do something inappropriate?
He was a perfectly normal high school boy, after all. It wouldn't have been strange for him to do something under these circumstances, would it?
Maybe Karuizawa knew she was only ever going to tease him with words, which was why she felt so comfortable resting.
Sigh. In the end, he was still being underestimated. One day, he'd make them understand... No, forget it. Just thinking about it was exhausting.
Before long, when they were only a short distance from camp, Chiba Yu slowly lowered Karuizawa to the ground.
After confirming there was nothing wrong with her wound, Karuizawa slowly got to her feet.
She flexed her foot a little, and once she was sure it didn't hurt as much as before, her expression finally improved.
"Looks like I'm in pretty good shape. I'm already fine again." Karuizawa spoke playfully, with a hint of pride.
"Yeah, yeah. If we'd waited any longer, your wound would've healed completely."
"But don't let your guard down. Once we get back, you should rinse the wound with clean water to prevent it from getting inflamed or infected."
"I know. I didn't realize you cared about me so much. You seem like you don't care about anything, but secretly you're a cold-faced tsundere."
"Sigh. I should've just left you there and come back by myself."
"I carried you all the way back, and I didn't even get anything out of it." Recalling the sensation against his back, Chiba Yu shook his head and banished those unrealistic thoughts.
"Why do I feel like you're thinking something inappropriate?" Karuizawa looked at him suspiciously, trying to find a weakness in his expression.
"Stop being so paranoid all the time. And conceited, too."
???
"...Fine, I won't argue with you. Let's hurry back."
The moment they arrived at the base, Hirata, who was still busy taking care of things, spotted them. He immediately set down his work and hurried over.
"You're back!"
Hirata patted Chiba Yu on the shoulder, a hint of excitement on his face. Chiba Yu could see, though, that Hirata still looked a little worried.
After taking the map of the island from Chiba Yu, Hirata turned around and came back with two boxed meals.
"I was just about to go looking for you. You were already past the time we agreed you'd be back. If Ayanokoji hadn't said you'd be back soon, I really wouldn't have been able to relax."
"And you've worked hard, too, Karuizawa."
Hirata's normally warm, sunny smile turned worried as soon as he noticed the dirt on Karuizawa's clothes.
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. I just tripped by accident, so I got back a little late." Karuizawa wore a confident, carefree smile that made it seem as though nothing was wrong.
"Are you really all right? If anything's wrong, make sure to tell us. Everyone in the class will help." As the class's mother hen, Hirata showed a level of concern that was worlds apart from Chiba Yu's.
"I'm working hard, too. Why doesn't anyone ever check on me?"
Hirata smiled warmly. "Mm, I know. Chiba-kun works hard, too."
"...Ugh. Never mind. This feels weird in a way I can't explain."
Hearing Chiba Yu's complaint, Hirata continued with a smile. "Chiba-kun is an important member of our class, too. Any contribution to the class, big or small, deserves praise, so please keep up the good work."
"Who knew you were still such a little kid? There, there. You're the best."
Having watched the whole exchange, Karuizawa couldn't help teasing him, then burst out laughing.
Chiba Yu: "..."
After filling Hirata in on the results of their reconnaissance, Chiba Yu went off by himself to eat lunch.
He treasured this rare break, unwilling to waste a single second.
Once his precious lunch break was over, Chiba Yu was assigned to help gather firewood again.
This time, no one went with him. He went out alone.
On the surface, this was a simple task that didn't need help; he could easily gather some wood by himself. What really concerned him was something else.
Seeing that no one was around, Chiba Yu headed straight for the spot where they had found Ibuki last time.
Dark clouds on the horizon were gradually moving toward the island. It looked like a heavy rain might arrive before long. He hoped Hirata and the others were prepared.
Although a downpour would be miserable, perhaps it would also reveal certain people's true colors once and for all.
After all, heavy rain could wash away traces, but it couldn't erase them perfectly—just like what he was doing now.
When he reached the large tree, Chiba Yu looked around. Once he was sure no one was watching, he slowly crouched down and began scraping away the soil beneath him with his hands.
He'd had his suspicions, but when he saw part of a walkie-talkie and a corner of a camera poking out, his doubts finally cleared.
Without drawing attention or making a move, Chiba Yu slowly covered everything back up with dirt, restoring the ground to roughly the way it had been before.
Once he was done, Chiba Yu picked up some fallen branches and calmly headed back to camp.
It really proved the old saying: as long as you're the one who wins in the end, there'll always be people willing to do whatever it takes.
After today, this Special Exam would undergo a true "transformation"...