"Alright, everyone! We've made it through the third day, so let's have a toast!"
It was the evening of the third day. The students of Class D were eating dinner around a bonfire. Starting with Ike-kun's words, they all cheered in joy.
"Even though we don't have cups."
"Hey! Don't be such a downer, Saitō!"
When I made a comeback to Ike-kun, he lightly nudged me with a troubled voice, and everyone laughed even more.
"Kōenji is such an idiot. He's missing out on a fun bonfire like this."
He took a bite of a freshly grilled corn and said in a truly exasperated voice.
"Right! And the corn that Ayanokōji-kun and Sakura-san found is so delicious! The outdoors might actually be fun!"
"You get it, Shinohara! But seriously, if we can get this much food, we should've used the points on other things."
What Ike-kun said was true. We found fruits and fish on the first day, but we were worried, so we bought a few days' worth of food. However, there's a big difference in the sense of security you get from having a stable meal and not. When I told Ike-kun that, he pouted and muttered sulkily.
"Tch~ Is that all there is to it?"
"Come on now. We have over 270 points left, so we don't have to be that frugal. Let's just focus on getting through this exam first."
"You're right! I'm counting on you, Hirata."
I'm pretty sure he said he didn't like Yōsuke-kun, but it seemed this peaceful gathering was enough to blow those feelings away. After a lot of twists and turns, Class D was able to work together and get through the exam.
"I'm going to step away for a bit."
"Okay, got it."
I excused myself to Ayanokōji-kun, who was sitting next to me, and put some extra grilled corn and fruits on a paper plate before walking away from the circle.
"You're all alone, aren't you, Ibuki-san?"
"Hmm... You're the one from before."
I went to Ibuki-san, who was sitting alone with her knees tucked up to her chest. I spoke to her and then gently placed the paper plate in my hand next to her.
"Here! My special grilled corn. It's hot, so be careful not to burn yourself."
"...There's nothing special about this."
"What are you talking about? The taste changes a lot depending on how you grill it. Just eat it, come on."
She seemed to understand that I wouldn't back down, so she sighed and took a careful bite of the corn. She chewed two or three times, then her eyes widened a little, and she took another bite.
"Hahaha, it's delicious, right? You've been working hard in this heat, so I thought something salty would be nice."
"Did you buy this with points?"
Ibuki-san pointed to the thin layer of salt crystals on the corn.
"It would've been the best if I had butter, but unfortunately, we can't get anything that spoils. Now, tell me what you think of it."
"...It's good."
After muttering that, Ibuki-san continued to eat in silence. She had a certain cuteness to her, like a small animal, and it was a picturesque sight.
"Why are you grinning?"
She complained to me after she finished eating everything, probably because she was tired of only eating nutritional blocks for two days.
"Sorry, sorry. Do you want another one? I have a lot more."
"...No. I'm not that hungry."
Was she a little hesitant...? Well, if I prod any further, she'll probably get angry, so I'll move on to the other reason I came here.
"Oh, right. Can you show me the cheek that got hit? I want to see what it looks like."
"Huh? Sure... wait!? Don't touch—"
"Hey, calm down. Something cold is coming."
"Hee!"
I put a cold pack wrapped in a towel on her cheek, holding the other side with my hand.
"Huh, this is..."
"I used the leftover points to rent a small freezer with a solar panel and some cold packs. I've been cooling it down since yesterday, and it's finally ready to be used."
It was a great invention that could run without power during the day and last for almost 10 hours at night. It was an incredibly cheap 10 points, but it was a reasonable price since the purchase price was low compared to the temporary toilets and showers. It was very popular as a way to prevent heatstroke and a reward after a day of hard work, but it seemed that Ibuki-san didn't even know it existed.
"I hope it heals quickly. Try putting it on for about 20 minutes, then taking a five-minute break and putting it back on again."
"...Thank you."
"You're welcome... Um, can I let go now?"
By the way, I've been holding both of her cheeks in my hands this whole time. I said she was like a small animal earlier, but now she's more like a cat.
"Oh... I-I get it, just go away!"
"Hahaha, as you wish... You're always welcome with us, Ibuki-san."
"Ugh... You're seriously too kind."
She said that as she walked back to the group. Ibuki-san looked a little lonely, but it's best to wait for her to come to us on her own.
I saw Ayanokōji-kun's unguarded back. He didn't seem to have anyone to talk to and was just staring at the fire... Okay, I'll get him back for what he did before. I took a cold pack from the small fridge next to me and put it on the back of his neck.
"Whaaat!?"
"Bwahaha! He said 'Whaaat!?' Hahaha!"
No, I can't. This is too funny. The masterpiece of the White Room said "Whaaat!?" My stomach hurts, seriously.
"...Tsugumi?"
"Wait, stop. Sorry, Ayanokōji-kun. I can't help but laugh... wait, what!?"
While I was rolling on the ground laughing, Ayanokōji-kun had already picked me up and thrown me into the river. "Splash!" a loud sound echoed, and my butt and jersey became a noble sacrifice.
"Ouch!? You went too far! What if I get a cold!?"
"Don't you know the folk saying that idiots don't catch colds?"
"Look up the meaning of 'folk saying,' you idiot!"
Ayanokōji-kun was wearing a slight, smug smile, even though he had said he was happy to be able to laugh naturally.
"Don't worry about it since you're going to take a shower anyway. You can just dry it by the fire... !?"
I used all of my physical ability to splash water on Ayanokōji-kun, who was speaking proudly. He was instantly drenched by the wave of water.
"Then get in here, Ayanokōji-kun. I'll show this naive city boy how terrifying I can be."
"...You'll regret this."
Ayanokōji-kun said that and jumped into the river without hesitation. You're on. I'll crush you.
---------
"..."
"..."
An hour later. We were both topless and huddled around the crackling bonfire, warming our hands. Next to us were our wet jerseys and a set of underwear.
"—Are you guys idiots?"
Ibuki-san's stare was colder than the blazing fire.
---------
It was late at night on the fourth day of the exam. I was walking through the deep forest with Tsugumi. With only the moonlight to guide us, Tsugumi continued to walk without getting lost.
"...How are you not getting lost?"
"Well~. But seriously, it would be a joke if we got sick after what happened yesterday."
It seemed we were both idiots, and we didn't get sick from our playful fight yesterday. I honestly didn't want to be thankful for my strong body in this way. While muttering that, I shared the information I had gathered today with Tsugumi.
"Oh, wow... Katsuragi-kun currently occupies two spots. And he hasn't occupied the third tower."
Tsugumi, who had been completely furious yesterday, put his hand on his chin and fell into thought.
"Well, Class A is an easy one. The weather is going to get worse from here, so luck seems to be on our side."
"When I first heard about it, I couldn't believe it, but I can't think of a more cost-effective plan."
"By the way, I used what you said as a reference."
...Did I say that? When I looked at him with a puzzled expression, Tsugumi cleared his throat and changed the subject.
"Oh well. Now for the internal problems... What should we do about Ibuki-san?"
"Was your plan to make her stop by using her guilt? To be honest, I don't think that'll work."
"That's not a nice way to put it. Besides, I just want her to hesitate a little. I don't want her to get punished by Ryūen-kun again."
It seemed he still cared about Ibuki.
We continued to walk for a few minutes, and Tsugumi, who was walking ahead, held out his hand to the side. It was a signal to stop. When I stared in the direction he was looking, I could see a faint light.
"This is your area of expertise, Ayanokōji-kun, isn't it? I'm counting on you to scout."
"...Okay."
I don't think the White Room teaches ninja training... but there's something about this kind of special forces exchange that excites a man.
While I was thinking such unnecessary things, we came out into a small clearing. I slowly poked my head out of the bush and heard a crackling sound. The light was from a fire someone had started.
"Ryūen-san... How long do we have to keep doing this?"
"Shut up. We're about to see something good. So just shut up and go to sleep. You too, Albert."
The people there were Ishizaki, the ringleader of the Sudō incident, and Ryūen, who was supposed to have retired. Next to them was a large black student.
...I see. It seems our assumption was correct after all.
"...Huh?"
As much as I wanted to keep listening, it was too dangerous. I decided to turn back to Tsugumi before Ryūen noticed me.
"Good job scouting, Ayanokōji-kun. This confirms that Ibuki-san and the boy from Class B are spies. And I have a rough idea of what his goal is."
Tsugumi had probably reached the same conclusion.
—Ryūen's goal had not changed since the beginning. He was aiming for the bonus points from guessing the leader of each class.
"He probably offered the deal to Class A first because it would be harder to successfully pull off a spy operation with Katsuragi-kun's personality compared to other classes. And the digital camera in Ibuki-san's bag..."
"Ryūen is more of a man to be wary of than I thought."
He didn't need to go out of his way to get a digital camera with the remaining 100 points. Ibuki could just tell Ryūen directly.
—That narrows down the possibilities to just one.
"...That is our last resort. I want this uninhabited island exam to be a successful experience for Horikita-san. If we manipulate everything from behind the scenes, it will hinder her growth again."
I nodded in agreement with Tsugumi's words.
"I agree. I'll leave Class A to you. I want to focus on Ibuki."
"—Got it. Let's do our best, partner."
============
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