Chapter 221 Shimizu Akira is Very Obedient to Her!
After walking a few paces, he saw Ichinose Honami sitting under a thick oak tree, holding a piece of paper and writing with her head down. Hearing footsteps, she immediately looked up. When her eyes met Shimizu Akira's, a gentle smile instantly rippled through them. She stood up and hurried to greet him.
"Shimizu-kun, you're finally here."
"Yeah, sorry to keep you waiting, Ichinose-san." Shimizu stopped, his eyes landing first on the paper in her hand—the texture looked familiar, like an inner page from the guidebook.
As if seeing through his confusion, Ichinose explained first, "These are the last five blank pages of the guidebook. I specifically asked Hoshinomiya-sensei, and tearing them out doesn't count as damaging the manual, so they're free to use. As for this ballpoint pen, I borrowed it from her, so it didn't cost any exam points either."
The paper and pen didn't cost points? Shimizu felt a slight stir in his heart—this was a key piece of information he hadn't noticed before. For recording supplies and planning subsequent actions, it would undoubtedly save a lot of trouble.
As Ichinose watched Shimizu's contemplative expression, a memory of yesterday's slightly embarrassing event flashed through her mind.
Yesterday afternoon, when the three boys—Kanzaki Ryuji, Shibata Souta, and Hamaguchi Tetsuya—returned, they were each carrying a wild rabbit, and one was even holding a pheasant. Four pieces of game in total. The sight stunned everyone in Class B, followed by a wave of pleasant surprise—getting fresh meat on a resource-starved desert island was an unexpected joy.
At first, Ichinose's reaction was to assume it was the result of the boys' own hunting, and she stepped forward with a smile to praise them. But as soon as she spoke, Kanzaki scratched his head and waved his hands in awkward explanation: "It wasn't us! It was Shimizu Akira from Year 1 Class D. He's a true hunter! And he caught far more than just these four."
With those words, everyone in Class B essentially got a "re-introduction" to Shimizu Akira. No one expected that a member of the boxing club would possess hunting skills—a talent that was incredibly useful on a desert island!
True to her personality, Ichinose wasn't about to accept someone's kindness for free. She immediately proposed paying Shimizu a reasonable reward in either Special Exam Points or Private Points. No one in the class objected; they all felt it was proper etiquette.
Even with her gentle nature, Ichinose couldn't suppress her curiosity. She looked at Shimizu and asked softly, "Shimizu-kun, how do you know how to hunt? And for it to be so useful here on the island, it's almost too coincidental."
"I actually didn't know how to hunt before," Shimizu shook his head honestly.
"I just read a lot of related books beforehand and made some preparations. Speaking of which, I have you to thank. If you hadn't mentioned to me that we might come to a desert island, I wouldn't have gone out of my way to prepare."
Ichinose froze for a moment, her eyes wide with surprise.
'Wait... because of what she said, Shimizu went out of his way to read books and learn to hunt?'
She thought back carefully, and the memory became clear—the last time they went out together, she had indeed casually mentioned that there would likely be a special exam during summer break, even guessing it might be an outdoor scenario. At the time, she was just sharing her speculation and didn't expect him to take it to heart.
'...Shimizu Akira really remembered my words.'
A sudden warmth flooded Ichinose's heart. She couldn't describe the exact feeling, only that it was warm, soft, and exceptionally comfortable.
Having one's casual remarks treated with such importance is inherently rewarding. Specifically, knowing that the source of his current island prowess traced back to a single sentence from her gave her a strange sense of happiness.
For a brief, fleeting moment, she had the illusion that "Shimizu Akira is very obedient to her."
"By the way, did you eat that fat pheasant?" Shimizu asked, following the flow of conversation.
"Um... yes, I did," Ichinose replied, her tone suddenly becoming a bit guilty. "But that chicken was over three pounds... I... I thought I shouldn't waste it, so..."
She was too embarrassed to finish the sentence. Out of the four pieces of game Shimizu sent, Kanzaki had specifically pulled her aside to mention the pheasant. He said Shimizu had set it aside specifically for her and had passed on a message: "If you don't eat it alone, the deal is off."
Faced with such a "command," her first reaction wasn't anger at all; rather, she felt Shimizu was being truly good to her.
She wasn't stupid; she understood he just wanted to make sure she was well-fed.
Originally, she intended to share all the game with the whole class, but hearing that message, she had to drop the idea. However, the chicken was too much for one person; she only ate a small portion yesterday, and since there was no canteen or fridge, she couldn't keep the rest. She ended up sharing it with the other girls in the class.
Ichinose's heart was pounding: 'Would Shimizu be angry if he knew I shared the 'private gift' with others?' That worry was immediately dispelled by his next words.
"It's fine as long as you got to eat some of it," Shimizu said, showing no sign of caring.
"You're right; we can't store things in this weather."
Ichinose let out a massive sigh of relief. She composed herself, leaned in slightly, and said seriously: "Shimizu-kun! I've discussed it with my class, and we'd like to propose a long-term cooperation. Could we trouble you to catch a few extra pieces of game every day? Of course, provided it doesn't affect Class D's own supply. We will provide reasonable compensation."
She paused and hurriedly added, fearing he might feel pressured: "If this affects your standing in Class D, or if you feel it's too exhausting, just pretend I never asked! It's entirely up to you. If you don't want to do it, don't."
Yesterday, Class B had a rare, sumptuous dinner thanks to his gift. For Ichinose, she wanted to use this cooperation to help Class B navigate the exam more comfortably—without starving to save points, allowing them to focus on other key tasks, like occupying spots and preparing for the final day's challenge of guessing other leaders.
"Sure, I'm okay with that." Shimizu gave a firm answer without hesitation. In his view, efficiency would be even higher now that he wasn't slowing down for Kushida. Catching ten or more in a morning was no problem.
"Then Shimizu-kun, what kind of reward do you prefer?" Ichinose asked quickly. "Special Exam Points or Private Points? If you have other needs, you can tell me."
Shimizu felt that Ichinose was indeed thoughtful. He weighed his options for a moment and said, "Let's go with Special Exam Points. I plan to deliver at least five pieces of game a day. In exchange, I want 20 Special Exam Points. What do you think?"
"20 points?" Ichinose blinked and immediately shook her head. "For five pieces of game, 20 points is too few. I think 25 is more reasonable. That matches what we discussed yesterday."
"Fine." Shimizu had no objection. Being 5 points ahead of Class D already was a good thing.
"Do you need to exchange for anything now?" Ichinose handed him Class B's supply manual. "You can choose directly, and I'll register it for you."
Shimizu looked at the list. He didn't need much for himself, and he could provide his own food. However, thinking of his upcoming trip to Class A, he remembered Kamuro Masumi.
She had lent him points and worried about his meals for months; it was time to do something for her. Beyond that, he wanted to rent two electronic devices for his future plans—tools that could yield a massive profit or serve as a trump card.
"Ichinose-san, please exchange for 6 packs of hot cocoa, 6 large cup noodles, and some snacks. For the remaining points, I'd like to rent a voice recorder and a digital camera. Is that possible?"
Ichinose did the math: the food and snacks totaled about 5 points. For one person, it was enough for the whole week. She noted the "hot cocoa"—Does Shimizu-kun really like that?
She was a bit confused why he wanted snacks when he could hunt, but she respected his choice.
The camera was no problem.
As for the voice recorder, it wasn't explicitly listed. However, on the first day, her teacher mentioned that "anything can be exchanged for points" as long as it wasn't a weapon. She had tried to exchange for a bow and arrow for the class's archery club members, but Hoshinomiya-sensei refused, citing safety.
"Wait a moment, Shimizu-kun. I'll go ask Hoshinomiya-sensei." She went to the personal tent and asked. Surprisingly, the teacher agreed quickly.
Returning to the oak tree, she told him: "Sensei agreed to the recorder. With the food, camera, and recorder, it's exactly 25 points—matching our agreed limit. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, perfect." Shimizu wasn't surprised. Students had likely used recorders in the past; it wasn't a weapon, so there was no reason to refuse.
Ichinose wanted to chat more, but the island schedule was tight. Class B was busy with morning gathering and afternoon duty rosters. Soon, the school delivery arrived. Ichinose handed him the cocoa, noodles, snacks, camera, and recorder with an apologetic wave: "I won't see you out; I have things to handle in camp."
"No problem, get to work." Shimizu took the goods and left.
As she watched him go, Ichinose couldn't help but wonder why he wanted a voice recorder. If he wanted evidence, a camera was more direct. Why both? She wondered if he planned to bug other class camps, but leaders didn't always talk business at their spots.
She couldn't wrap her head around it.
As the sun moved overhead and her classmates called her name, Ichinose pushed the question aside and headed back to the center of camp.
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