After Teacher Mashima announced the rules, he stepped aside and quietly watched Class A.
Hoshinomiya-sensei was as carefree as ever. She hopped lightly to one side and leaned against a tree, her eyes sweeping over the students scattered across the beach. An amused smile played on her lips.
Sakagami smiled. Ryuen Kakeru stood before him, and the two appeared to be discussing something.
Chabashira Sae stood nearby with her arms crossed, her expression cool. She watched the Class D students calmly, observing their every move without a word.
After saying goodbye to Sakayanagi Arisu, Hoshinomiya Rinyu returned to the Class A group to listen to their discussion.
Katsuragi Kohei sat in the middle of the group. He looked over the Class A students gathered around him and spoke first.
"Everyone knows the rules of this exam. First, we need to choose a leader. Their identity must remain strictly confidential. If it gets out, Class A will suffer a major loss."
He folded his arms. His voice was quiet, but everyone around him could hear it.
"Thirty minutes isn't long. The leader must keep the key card, register our campsite's location, and manage all our points. We can't give the position to someone impulsive or easily lured away by another class."
A Class A student asked, "Katsuragi, who do you think is suited to it?"
"We should prioritize someone meticulous who can calmly judge how much supplies we'll use."
Katsuragi continued evenly, "Of course, if everyone trusts me, I'm willing to serve as leader. But the final decision belongs to all of you."
Quite a few people looked toward Hashimoto Masayoshi.
"Don't look at me. I completely agree with Katsuragi."
Hashimoto Masayoshi spread his hands with an easy smile. "As far as I'm concerned, Katsuragi is the best choice. The princess supports him too. Katsuragi will have full charge of this exam."
He looked around at the Class A students and added,
"Katsuragi is dependable and knows how to control our spending. Having him as leader is best for Class A. He has my vote. Hahaha!"
Katsuragi paused and looked at Hashimoto, who seemed utterly unconcerned.
His gaze passed over the others, lingered briefly on Hoshinomiya Rinyu, then he continued.
"All right. I'll take responsibility as leader."
"One more thing. Our campsite can't be too close to the beach, where the tide could put us at risk. But we can't go too deep into the forest either, where another class could ambush us. We need to use points sparingly. We won't exchange them for anything we don't need."
Quiet discussions sprang up around him. Some agreed with Katsuragi; others had different ideas.
"Can we really last seven days on just the supplies we brought?"
"If we plan properly and find a suitable site, the equipment we were issued will cover our basic survival needs. Spending points blindly will only leave us at a disadvantage later."
Katsuragi replied calmly, "Other classes may spend a lot of points, but we need to stick to our own pace. Keeping these 270 points will give us a substantial boost in Class Points."
The thirty-minute discussion period soon came to an end.
An announcement told each class to stop talking, enter the island in order, and search the forest for a base.
The Class A students stopped talking and got to their feet. Katsuragi put away the leader's card he had just received, his expression still composed.
"Let's head into the forest. We'll scout the terrain while looking for a base. Our first priority is a campsite that can shelter us from wind and rain."
Hoshinomiya Rinyu said nothing. Something was on his mind.
Noticing him standing in a daze, Hashimoto smiled and gave him a push forward.
They joined the flow of students heading toward the forest entrance.
In the distance, Chabashira Sae quietly watched the Class D students gather and set off. Hoshinomiya-sensei watched with interest as the classes entered the forest one after another.
"Kito, you're in excellent shape. Could you scout the path ahead? Look for somewhere we could use as a base, and keep an eye out for students from other classes."
Katsuragi turned to Kito and assigned him the task in a steady voice.
Kito said nothing. He gave a small nod, then strode quickly into the forest ahead of them.
Following Kito, the group soon reached a cave.
Its entrance lay hidden behind thick vines. Inside was a base terminal, marking it as one of the island's checkpoint sites. The cave was spacious enough for everyone, and its stone walls would keep out wind and rain. It was ideal for Class A's campsite.
Katsuragi stepped forward, took out the leader's card, and held it up to the terminal inside the cave.
"This is the place. The cave itself will be our base. We'll swipe the card to claim it and set up tents here. Control of a base lasts only eight hours. After that, we can send people back in shifts to swipe the card again, or go to other bases nearby, like the cabin and tower, to earn more points."
The Class A students nodded, approving of Katsuragi's plan.
Some cleared loose stones from the cave while others sorted their supplies. The work proceeded smoothly.
Then they took the tents out of their backpacks and prepared to set up camp.
But most of Class A had no experience pitching tents. Faced with the equipment, they had no idea where to start.
Katsuragi was troubled too. He knew only a little about it himself.
Just as everyone was at a loss, Hoshinomiya Rinyu quietly stepped forward and took the tent components.
"I'll do it. I just need a few people to help hold it steady."
Everyone nearby stared at him, their mouths falling open.
His movements were smooth and practiced as he separated the supports and connected the poles.
"WTF, Hoshinomiya, you're way too good at this!"
"I can't even follow what you're doing."
"Yeah, my eyes can keep up, but my brain..."
Katsuragi Kohei looked surprised, his expression growing a little complicated as he watched Hoshinomiya Rinyu.
"So cool. Lord Hoshinomiya is amazing." Morishita Ai gave Hoshinomiya Rinyu a thumbs-up.
The bizarre title made Hoshinomiya Rinyu's mouth twitch.
He kept working, steadying the assembled frame before taking the outer cover a classmate handed him and draping it over the top.
"Pull the four corners tight and hammer the stakes into the ground. Don't leave anything loose, or the wind could bring it down tonight." He spoke calmly as he smoothed the creases from the canvas and pulled every edge taut.
Several Class A boys quickly agreed. They crouched with stakes and hammers, fastening them one by one where Hoshinomiya Rinyu directed.
"Hoshinomiya, did you go camping a lot before?" Hashimoto asked from beside him, a faint smile on his lips.
"I've dabbled. I read up on it and tried it a few times." Hoshinomiya Rinyu kept working as he answered.
Before long, a complete tent stood firmly in the forest clearing.
"There. It's done."
Hoshinomiya Rinyu gave the tent wall a gentle push to check its stability. Only then did he straighten and wipe a thin sheen of sweat from his brow.
Once the tent was up, Katsuragi began assigning tasks.
He called over Totsuka Yahiko and Sanada Kosei and told them to leave the cave. Then he turned to Hoshinomiya Rinyu. "Hoshinomiya, are you coming too?"
Hoshinomiya Rinyu declined. "No. You three go ahead."
The three of them went outside.
Hoshinomiya Rinyu watched them leave, his thoughts circling.
He knew how Class A fared in the original story. They had lost utterly.
He knew Class B's leader was Shiranami Chihiro. He knew Class C's leader was Ryuen Kakeru from beginning to end. He also knew Class D's leader had changed from Horikita to Ayanokoji.
He knew all of it, but no one could predict what the butterfly effect might bring.
Even Katsuragi and Totsuka's scouting trip had become an outing for three. What else might change?
P.S. I'll be changing some of the plot. Otherwise, it feels too monotonous, hehe.
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