While Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune were consecutively claiming first place in their respective tasks, things weren't going quite as smoothly for Ichinose Honami and Sakayanagi Arisu.
"I'm very sorry, but registration for this task has already closed."
Class 1-A's homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, glanced at the tablet in her hand and confirmed with another teacher before regretfully informing the two girls.
"The 'Geography Knowledge Test' task has already reached the maximum of six participants."
As one of the nearest and seemingly easiest tasks in the area, many groups had rushed to register for it first. Even Kitagawa Ryo had noticed two groups arriving ahead of theirs. Although they were disappointed, Sakayanagi and Ichinose accepted the situation calmly.
Still, neither of them left right away. Instead, they stayed behind, silently observing the students participating in the task.
There were four groups and six participants in total:
- From Class 1-A: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka (solo group), and Hashimoto Masayoshi with Kito Hayato (as a pair)
- From Class 1-C: Ishizaki Daichi and Komiya Yogo
- From Class 1-D: Yamada Albert and Miyake Akito
After greeting their classmates, Ichinose and Sakayanagi quietly watched the task unfold.
The Class A students appeared calm and confident. In contrast, the Class C pair looked completely flustered. The most surprising sight for Sakayanagi was seeing the burly, intimidating Yamada Albert breeze through the questions with ease.
"Yamada might not score high in general academics, but he genuinely loves geography. He even collects national flags," Ichinose whispered to Sakayanagi, sensing her confusion.
Since the two girls were part of the same class group overall, it was only natural for them to hope that the Class D members would do well.
The test consisted of twenty multiple-choice questions. Thanks to the format, even the slowest—like Ishizaki—finished within ten minutes.
The results were promptly announced:
1st Place: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka – 95% accuracy
2nd Place: Yamada Albert – 85% accuracy
3rd Place: Hashimoto Masayoshi – 80% accuracy
"The top three can come here to receive your rewards: a two-person tent, a one-person tent, and a 2-liter bottle of water."
Perhaps because two of the top three were from her class, Chabashira Sae's tone softened a bit.
Ayanokouji, upon receiving the two-person tent, immediately handed it to Hashimoto. In return, Hashimoto passed him the 2-liter bottle of water.
"There's another one-person tent prize in Grid H2. With your speed, you should make it in time," Hashimoto suggested.
Ayanokouji nodded, stashed the water into his backpack, and took off toward Grid H2 without hesitation.
Ichinose and Sakayanagi watched the exchange without surprise. It was an expected move.
Despite being in different groups, students from the same class often helped each other. Sharing supplies like food and gear had become surprisingly common in this special exam.
"We should head back too. I wonder how Ryo and the others are doing," Sakayanagi said while rubbing her sore legs.
"It's still not quite four o'clock. We have some time before nightfall, so we can probably still find another task to attempt," Ichinose replied gently.
"Mm."
Sakayanagi brushed the dust off her hands, but as she watched Yamada Albert stuff his tent into his backpack while chatting with Miyake about their camp setup, a strange thought crossed her mind:
What if, come nightfall, they really didn't have enough tents to go around?
She quickly shook her head. The rules of the exam explicitly stated that male and female students could not share the same tent.
So that was nothing more than a silly fantasy.
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"I got a three-person tent!"
"But it didn't come with any sleeping bags. Let's use some points to get four of those—it'll be more comfortable that way."
The four regrouped at their agreed meeting spot, and Kitagawa Ryo eagerly showed off the first-place prize he had just won.
"Luckily, the card I received was a 'Discount,' and sleeping bags are pretty cheap."
"We should also exchange for some cookware—at least a pot."
Horikita Suzune chimed in quickly. She unzipped her backpack, revealing two massive bags of food that took up nearly half the space.
"The 'Cooking' task only offered a first-place prize and participation points, but the top reward was definitely worth it."
"One bag's vegetables, the other's meat. I mostly chose canned goods, since we don't have a way to store fresh meat or fish right now. There is a portable fridge listed in the exchange manual, but it's not necessary."
"From what I calculated, this food should be enough to feed the four of us for over a day."
Suzune's enthusiastic tone made her sound like a seasoned farmer with a bountiful harvest, prompting a chuckle from Ryo.
"Yeah, cookware's essential. We can't just eat bread for two weeks."
Ichinose flipped through the exchange manual. While items like fish and raw meat were available, they were expensive and perishable.
Meanwhile, Sakayanagi Arisu curiously examined the nearly ten cans inside Suzune's bag. She'd never eaten canned food before. The selection was wide: grilled chicken, luncheon meat, mixed vegetables, kinpira gobo, corn, pork miso soup—just a bit of cooking and they'd be ready to eat.
After all, this was an exam on a deserted island. One couldn't expect luxury.
"Now we should aim for tasks that reward points and one-person tents," Ryo said, rubbing his chin as he began planning their next move.
Right then, all their wristwatches buzzed—signaling the start of the next wave of tasks.
Among the nearby options were: Grip Strength Test, Fire Starting, Speed Mental Math, and English Test.
Compared to the first wave, there were noticeably fewer tent rewards. In their place were valuable exam points, crucial for both team and class rankings. And—
"Grid G3: 'General Knowledge Quiz.' First place earns 800 points and a Normal Card upgrade."
Sakayanagi scanned the task listings calmly.
"Out of the 18 new tasks, only two offer a Normal Card upgrade. The other's 'Fishing' in H6, which is way too far."
"The 'Quiz' task allows one participant per group, within one hour of its appearance. Ryo, can you go?"
Since Ryo had just run from Grid H3, Arisu was a little worried about his stamina.
"If you're too tired, we can just go for a closer task to earn points."
"I'm fine."
Ryo nodded. Ichinose, looking a bit concerned, handed him a water bottle she'd received earlier.
"Take this. The sun hasn't set yet—if you don't stay hydrated, it's easy to get heatstroke."
"Thanks."
Ryo unscrewed the cap and took a sip. Noticing Ichinose's slightly flushed cheeks, he chuckled.
"Looks like we'll have to trade for some disposable paper cups later. I don't mind sharing, but it's more hygienic this way."
This wasn't about flirting. In this exam, risking physical discomfort or illness for something so trivial would be foolish.
"You guys check out the other tasks yourselves. Whether you split up or stick together is fine. I'm heading out."
Ryo packed the water bottle, stretched a bit, then jogged off in the direction of the Quiz task.
"Oh, and if you find a good camping spot, mark it down."
He spun lightly and added one last note before vanishing.
Even though flashlights were listed in the manual, moving around at night was difficult. The island's terrain, while partially man-made, still had forests, cliffs, and rugged mountains. The school discouraged nighttime movement—and had placed no tasks during those hours.
"Fire Starting... None of us are really good at that, are we?"
Once Ryo was gone, Ichinose brought up a new topic. She'd noticed the tension between Sakayanagi and Horikita, and figured she'd better act as a buffer.
"I've only read about it in books. Nothing practical."
"Same here."
Both girls shook their heads honestly. Although the task allowed multiple group members to participate and had good rewards, they unanimously dropped it.
"The Grip Strength Test doesn't separate by gender."
Suzune checked her watch.
"Plus, Sudo and Yamada's group is nearby. With their team's build, they'll definitely go for that. We don't really stand a chance."
With even Suzune—arguably the most physically fit among them—saying so, that task was also scrapped.
"I'll go try the 'Speed Mental Math' task."
Arisu then looked at Suzune.
"Each group can send two members. Want to join me?"
Suzune had always considered herself competitive—but Arisu seemed even more obsessed with winning. Still, Suzune wasn't the type to back down.
"Sure."
"Then I'll go for the 'English Test.' Good luck, you two."
Ichinose, sensing the quiet tension between the other two, pressed her palms together and smiled, trying to keep the mood light.
She acted like none of it bothered her at all.
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"Hello, hello~! Didn't expect to see you here too, Ryo!"
Just as Kitagawa Ryo arrived at the "General Knowledge Quiz" task site and was about to register, a familiar voice called out from behind him.
It was Karuizawa Kei, working solo as a one-person team.
Dressed in light athletic wear, her radiant smile shone even brighter than the late afternoon sun.
"I thought I'd be the first one here."
One advantage of being in a solo group was flexibility. Kei jogged up behind Ryo and continued, "How's it going on your end? I already got a one-person tent. Some classmates gave me food too, so I should be set for tonight."
"Are you really okay being on your own?"
Ryo still didn't fully understand Kei's choice to form a solo team. After all, the island's harsh environment wasn't exactly friendly for girls traveling alone. Both physically and mentally, it posed a huge challenge.
"I'll be fine. I got that card, remember? If I use it right, we might even place top three... maybe even first."
She smiled brightly, clearly appreciating Ryo's concern.
Kei had drawn one of the four special cards: "Reinforcement."
Reinforcement: The cardholder can exceed the maximum team size by becoming a fifth member.
Since the holder could join another group at any time, it was easy to infer the optimal strategy: act solo during the early stages of the exam, then join the top-scoring group from their class on the final day to merge points.
It also helped hide a group's real strength, since rankings updated hourly.
That was one reason Kei had chosen to go solo.
Perhaps because the quiz task was located in a remote grid, only two more groups showed up in the final minutes. One of them was Ayanokouji Kiyotaka—also a solo participant.
"Oh, Kei's here too."
"Mako, Saya, Kanzaki, Hibikuchi, you guys made it! Hurry and register, time's almost up!"
The other arriving group was from Class B—two girls and two boys. Ryo recognized one of them: Kanzaki Ryuji.
What caught Ryo's attention, though, was how Kanzaki kept casting strange glances at him and Kei. There was something unusual in his expression, and he even patted his pockets like he'd forgotten something important.
Meanwhile, Ayanokouji stood alone on the opposite side, expressionless as ever, quietly waiting for the task to begin.
Once time was up, the "General Knowledge Quiz" task officially began with seven participants from four groups.
Each received a tablet, and the first question appeared on screen:
Category: Anime - General
Question 1: Which of the following songs are insert songs from the anime Bocchi the Rock!? (Multiple answers)
A. Loneliness, Guitar, and the Blue Planet
B. That Band
C. START: DASH!!
D. Unspoken Love
"...What the hell is this?"
Ayanokouji couldn't help blurting out.
Clearly, it was an anime-related question, but he had no clue what the correct answers were.
"Whoa, this one's easy!"
One of the Class B boys shouted excitedly.
Easy? This was easy?
Bocchi the Rock? What the heck was that? Something about loneliness and rock music?
Ayanokouji rubbed his temples. This was completely outside his area of expertise.
And since it was a multiple-answer question, he couldn't even count on a lucky 25% guess.
Still, he tried to reason it out. The anime's title had "Loneliness" and "Rock," and option A clearly referenced both. B seemed like a plausible band name. D fit the theme too—"unspoken love" sounded like it could match the tone.
In the end, Ayanokouji cautiously selected answers A, B, and D.
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