End-of-Volume Chat

Hello, everyone. I won't rush into posting new content just yet—let's chat for a bit first.

With the first volume ending here, Class D had finally stopped being the every-man-for-himself class it was at the very beginning. When everyone first received their points, they only thought the school was being generous. It was only after their points were reset to zero that they realized none of it had been given for free. If a class had no rules and no one was willing to take responsibility for the group, then no matter how many points they had, it would only look good for a while.

That was the process covered in the first forty chapters.

Gu Heng had gradually gone from observing and testing the waters to being the one in Class D responsible for identifying problems. He was not the kind of person who could predict everything in advance, nor could he make the right choice every time. More often than not, he simply noticed problems earlier than others, then laid them out on the table and let everyone decide whether they were willing to face them.

Horikita had not suddenly become a perfect leader, either. She had her own principles and things she refused to yield on, but she had begun to understand that standing at the front did not mean she had to handle everything alone.

Hirata had always looked after everyone, but he was not someone who never got tired. Sudo was still easily provoked, and his words were not exactly pleasant, but he had started to understand that impulsiveness did not just affect himself. Many times, it made the entire class bear the consequences alongside him.

As for Ayanokoji, he was still someone who did not like putting himself at the center of the crowd. He observed, and when necessary, he offered a reminder or two, but he would not suddenly step forward and solve everyone's problems for them. His cooperation with Gu Heng was not complete trust, either. It was a temporary confirmation that, while each kept something in reserve, the other would not undermine their shared outcome.

I think the real change in Class D was not that they had suddenly become stronger. It was that whenever something happened, someone was now willing to stop and ask: Who should be responsible for this? Who should bear the cost? What was the most important thing to do right now?

By the time the first volume reached its conclusion, Class D had achieved a fairly good result, but that did not mean they had already won. Third place was only feedback for this stage, not the final answer. The division of labor and rules they had established would need to be tested again in a new exam environment. Problems in the classroom could be discussed while sitting down, but once they moved into the wilderness, they might only have a few minutes—or even less.

The next part of the story would enter the uninhabited island exam. It would not simply be a change of setting followed by a repeat of what came before. Resources, routes, stamina, everyone's condition, and probing from other classes would all come into play at once. What Class D had to face was not merely how to earn points, but how to keep the entire class functioning under pressure.

Gu Heng would continue proposing plans, but he would also make misjudgments. Horikita would continue standing at the front, but she would not abandon her own judgment. Hirata needed to learn to let others take over part of the burden. Sudo would still act impulsively, but hopefully he would see the consequences earlier each time than he had before.

So, you can treat this section as a little chat and recap before the end of the first volume. What happened earlier would not simply be turned over and forgotten, and the characters would not start over just because the exam environment had changed. The first volume resolved whether Class D could get back on its feet. The story ahead would resolve whether, after standing up, they could keep moving forward under even greater pressure.

Thank you all for reading this far. While writing this book, I also run into writer's block and moments when I do not know how to continue. Sometimes I stop to reorganize the characters and plot; sometimes I ask others for their opinions before coming back to revise it. A serialized story certainly cannot make every part perfect, but I will do my best to let earlier choices leave an impact later on, and to make every character's actions fit their own personality.

That's all for now. The first volume is temporarily wrapped up. Next, let's continue watching how Class D faces the new exam.