Volume 14 - Chapter 3: Travel Companion

Intro

I woke up at 6:30 the next morning. From the way the dazzling sunshine lit up the inside of my tent, I could tell that it was a bright sunny day without even needing to go outside.

A world of green spread out before my eyes as I emerged from my tent in the sweltering heat.

"Seems like choosing somewhere out of the direct sunlight was the right choice after all."

Even though I had walked a little further to find a good spot, setting up my tent in a consistently shady place had been the smart thing to do.

After a quick breakfast of one of my portable meals and some water, I packed up my tent and waited for 7:00 AM.

Most students should already be awake by now and waiting for the exam to begin for the day. Designated areas would be my top priority, but I'd consider changing focus if a Task showed up somewhere nearby. That is, depending on the details and rewards.

Then, at 7 o'clock, a notification was sent to my watch.

I set my tablet on my lap and powered it on before refreshing the map.

My current location was area D7. So where would I be traveling today?

The area highlighted on my map was─ E8.

The location closest to where I had chosen to set up camp for the night.

Put another way, I was in an ideal position to go after the Early Bird Bonus this time.

Without wasting even a second, I immediately set off.

I had spent the first day sitting back and taking a look at the situation, but from today onward, I would gradually begin to pick up the pace.

Before too long, I stepped foot into area E8 and received a confirmation notification on my watch.

As my entire group had arrived, I was given the full 10 point reward for a first-place finish.

In one fell swoop, I managed to recover from yesterday's deficit. You could even say that things were going a little too well.

Since I had the time, it'd be best if I could lock in some Task wins as well, but…

There were no Tasks that a solo group could register for in the surrounding area, with the closest one all the way over in B8. Given the time it would take to go there and back, I felt that I should probably just pass up on the opportunity for now.

Since I didn't know when some other Task might show up, I'd just keep an eye on the map as I waited for my next move.

1

The designated area announced at 9:00 AM was area E6.

I arrived a bit slower than I had for the last area, as I received a 5-point reward notification for coming in second place.

And at 1:00 PM, after the two-hour break, the third designated area was area F7.

Even though I started a bit off to the southwest, my success streak continued, racking up an additional 5 points for another second-place finish.

Most of the Tasks that showed up along the way required at least two people to participate. I felt pretty sure that a fair number of students went to them too, something I was grateful for as someone who moved alone.

I had gotten 23 points so far today, for a total of 26 when combined with the 3 I earned yesterday.

While this was certainly good progress, a group of three would have at least 18 points as long as they had been steadily piling up Arrival Bonuses. Even though I was on a hot streak, the difference was almost negligible.

If I lost pace even slightly, I'd begin falling behind again. I may have gotten second place twice, but put another way, that just meant that I had missed out on first place twice. There may very well be some unknown, powerful opponent who had the same Table.

For the time being, I decided to head back to area E6 and wait for a Task that I could participate in to appear.

So far, all three of the designated areas today had been normally selected.

In other words, the upcoming fourth and final area of the day would be the first randomly designated area of the exam.

"Ayanokōji-senpai, it seems we meet again."

As I sat down to take a break, Nanase showed up on her own again.

There had been six designated areas so far. And throughout those six, I had crossed paths with Nanase three times now.

"By any chance, do you think that we might share the same Table?"

"Maybe."

Since we had been running into each other so often, it wouldn't be that strange if our tables overlapped with each other.

Though at the end of the day, it didn't really matter to me if we had the same Table or not. The thing I was concerned about was the fact that we were running into each other so much. For argument's sake, even if she and I had been going to the same destination, the probability of meeting face-to-face like we have been shouldn't be this high. Not only would our routes be different, but our time spent traveling and staying in the different areas would be as well. I hadn't noticed anything that would lead me to think she had been following me, so I guess you could say that it had been nothing more than a coincidence, but was that really the case…?

Without any further evidence, figuring out whether or not she actually shared a Table with me would be impossible. Nanase was in a group together with Amasawa and Hōsen. This meant that, by entrusting her fellow group members with arriving at the designated areas, she wouldn't be penalized for missing them. While the group wouldn't be able to get any Early Bird Bonuses, they could still steadily pile up points, two points at a time.

I could theoretically find out something by paying attention to the alerts she might get on her watch, but there was a chance that she had muted that already.

Our last two encounters hadn't gone on very long, so I thought that she'd leave immediately this time around as well, but instead, she paused for a moment and looked at me.

"Um, Ayanokōji-senpai, there's a favor I'd like to ask of you."

"A favor?"

"If it's not too much trouble, would you perhaps allow me to accompany you for a while?"

"Accompany me? What do you mean by that?"

No matter how incredibly likely it was that she and I had the same Table, the special exam had been set up in such a way that made it essentially impossible for students of different school years to collaborate. Neither party stood to gain anything from it.

"To tell you the truth, a slight issue came up as my group was talking last night. Both Hōsen-kun and Amasawa-san felt that we would be better off if we all acted independently, so everything more or less fell apart."

Even though they were all part of the same group, there wasn't any rule stating that they had to work together.

Of course, there were many advantages to working together as a unit, but independent action was another viable strategy for students who didn't have any problems with working alone.

"I've crossed paths with you a total of three times now, Senpai. From what I've seen from our encounters, I believe that you've managed to reach the designated area faster than me. That is of course, except for the first time. I fear that if I'm on my own, it won't be long before I start to fall behind the designated areas."

"Don't you think it's possible that I just happened to be faster than you these last two times?"

"That may be so indeed, but either way, I've still recognized you as a step above someone as inexperienced as myself."

Although her words sung me praises, it didn't seem like these were her true feelings at all.

"I don't think it's a very wise idea to travel together with someone in a different school year."

"You're saying that due to the influence it would have on Early Bird Bonuses and the increased competition for Tasks, correct?"

"There would be a conflict of interest if we came across a Task that only had room for one more group."

"I would be perfectly fine with taking the back seat in that regard, Ayanokōji-senpai. I would only step foot into the designated area after you've checked to make sure you've received your points and Bonuses. That way, it shouldn't place you at a disadvantage. As for Tasks, I'll just defer to you should there only be one space remaining."

So she had no problem with abandoning the valuable Tasks and Early Bird Bonuses?

There was absolutely no physical way I'd recommend doing that.

"You'd ultimately lose points by doing that, Nanase."

"This is my first uninhabited island exam, and you've already proven the extent of your physical abilities during your fight with Hōsen-kun. It would be immensely helpful to me if I could have you choose a suitable route for us to take."

While she said it would help, it didn't seem like she really needed it given how she had moved around the island on her own today without any issue.

There was really no reason for her to take on the risk of traveling together with me.

"Even if we assume that I'm going to choose the most suitable route, would you be able to keep pace with me? Sometimes the path I choose might even be dangerous. Would you really be able to do it?"

I already knew the answer to this question and yet I chose to ask anyway.

After all, I figured that her response may help reveal the reason behind her strange behavior.

However, her response was different from what I had expected.

"I'm fairly confident in my stamina. …You're not uncertain because you think I might hold you back, it's more that you're not able to trust me, isn't it?"

Nanase had previously teamed up with Hōsen and Amasawa to try and force my expulsion.

In that regard, I was certainly a fair ways off from trusting her.

But even if I turned her down here, she was free to follow after me if she wanted to. I didn't exactly have much of a choice when it came to that.

Though, if she began awkwardly tailing after me from a distance, it would seem unnatural if we were seen by a third party. It wouldn't be impossible for me to give her the slip or anything, but doing that would just be a waste of energy. After all, we would inevitably cross paths again at some point if we both had the same Table.

That being the case, I felt like it'd just be less of a hassle in the long run to fold and allow her to tag along.

"Alright. If that's what you want, then go ahead."

"Thank you very much."

After letting show a delighted smile, Nanase bowed to me deeply.

"We just have to make sure you and I really have the same Table. We on the same page?"

"Indeed! The notion that we've just coincidentally shared some of the same designated areas is certainly feasible, so further investigation is the natural first step. What do we do for now though? It seems we still have some time until the next designation happens."

It was only half-past one in the afternoon, so we still had more than an hour to spare.

"True… Oh, on that note, some Tasks just showed up."

Several new Tasks appeared on my tablet.

I looked over the Tasks in the surrounding area and quickly decided where to go.

Then, I showed her the screen and pointed at the Task we'd be heading for as I began to explain our next steps.

"It looks like there's a quiz-type Task right under area F8. We'll go there."

"It's fairly close by too!"

"Yeah. After we're done there, if the next designated area shows up too far away from us, I think we'll give up on trying to get there in time."

Since reaching the next area might not be very practical, I wanted to rack up points by clearing Tasks instead.

"Understood. Please lead the way."

In truth, I wanted to head for the 'Football Juggling' Task that appeared in area E5, but the route and distance made it much more difficult to reach than area F8.

In any case, I first wanted to find out exactly what Nanase was capable of.

2

"We should be able to see it any time now."

"Right!"

We crossed over into area F8 with our sights set on reaching the Task, tablets in hand to confirm our location as we pushed forward.

"By the way Senpai, this Task we're looking to take on seems rather challenging, wouldn't you agree?"

"Well, it's a quiz, so it's true that there can be a lot to cover."

The 'Quiz' Task took on a format where the genre of its questions would be chosen from several different options.

While it would be an easy Task to participate in because it was entirely multiple-choice, it would probably be difficult to win if you didn't have a solid grounding in both liberal arts and sciences. Participation would be done as a group, and up to 12 groups could participate. Put simply, the larger the size of your group, the more minds you'd have to work with and the greater your advantage would be.

"That said, I should have a decent enough chance depending on the genre they choose."

"That may be so, but… you actually wanted to go after the Task in area E5, didn't you Senpai?"

I had deliberately changed my route to try and accommodate her, but it sounded like she had seen through me.

"I'll admit that I considered it, but it was honestly fifty-fifty. It's nothing you need to worry about."

"I'm glad to hear that. However, I'm simply here to accompany you, so please don't make any concessions for my sake, okay?"

"You don't need to remind me. Besides, the quiz is better when it comes to rewards anyway."

The 'Quiz' Task gave 8 points for first place, 4 points for second, and 2 for third. Furthermore, you'd receive a bonus based on the number of people in your group who took part, allowing you to choose from a list of provisions to receive food or water.

It was an ideal way to replenish what you had consumed over the past two days.

Before long, the Task site came into view, and from the look of it, a decent number of people had already gathered there.

"Yo! Ayanokōji! There's only three spots left! Get in before it's too late!"

Having noticed my arrival, my classmate Sudō shouted out as he beckoned me over.

"Seems he's right. Let's hurry."

Nanase nodded in response, and together, we ran over to the Task and completed the registration process.

We weren't given any more information about the genre of the quiz, leaving us to wonder what kind of questions would show up.

At this point, we were effectively on standby until a twelfth group showed up or the registration deadline passed in around 30 minutes.

Ike was sitting down a bit away from the registration desk, waiting for the quiz to begin, but overall he seemed a little out of it.

He was clearly somewhat bored and disinterested, and Hondō seemed to be having a hard time striking up a conversation with him, so he was just off killing time by himself. You could say that the greatest strength of Sudō's group was the enhanced teamwork that came from their close friendship, but it wasn't clear how well that was really working out for them.

"Is everything going well on your end?"

I tried pitching a question to Sudō, the only one who really seemed willing to talk right now.

"I'm doin' aight' on points. Took third in one of our designated areas today, and first in two Tasks so far as well."

"I wasn't able to participate myself, but I watched you place first in that Grip Strength Measurement Task yesterday. By a large margin too."

"Hell, you were gonna join in too!? If that happened you wouldda prolly given me a run for my money, so lucky me eh?"

Sudō made a show of wiping imaginary sweat from his brow in a slightly exaggerated manner.

"What about your group? Any problems there?"

"Well, I guess we're runnin' outta water faster than expected… Kinda feels like I mighta been runnin' around too much."

Apparently, the side effects of going all-out these first two days had finally caught up to him.

"But ya know, we can get that stuff back from doin' Tasks, so I'd say we're doin' okay."

With that said, however, Sudō's expression took on a more difficult undertone.

"Though, well, Ike's been kinda out of it."

"Why?"

"Dunno… He was acting kinda strange before the exam, but he's just glossed over it all by sayin' nothing's wrong."

What happened with Shinohara had apparently left a lasting impact on Ike's mental state.

The uninhabited island exam was already well underway, with the second day more than half-finished.

And meanwhile, the girl Ike was smitten for, Shinohara, was spending her time together with his rival, Komiya.

So in that light, it made sense that he couldn't stop himself from worrying about it.

"I get that you're worried, but a Task is a Task. If the three of you come together and give it your best, it shouldn't be hard to come out on top."

"Oh yeah, speakin' of which Ayanokōji, you're on your own right? Will you be alright on the quiz?"

"Well, it depends on whether or not they choose a genre I'm good at."

Without responding, Sudō noticed Nanase standing beside me and turned his attention over to her.

"Hey come to think of it… You're a first-year, yeah? What's your name again…?"

Sudō had taken part in the fight with Hōsen a few months back, so it was only natural that Nanase would look familiar to him.

"It's Nanase, Sudō-senpai."

Instead of ogling the pretty girl in front of him, Sudō took on an extremely serious expression.

"…Ey Ayanokōji, c'mere a sec."

He suddenly wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled me aside, taking some distance away from Nanase.

"Looks to me like you came here with her, but you know she's an enemy right? The hell are you doing?"

"She just asked if she could tag along with me since there's a good chance that we have the same Table."

"Wha? Even if you got the same Table what's the point in doin' that? That chick is workin' together with Hōsen to get you kicked outta here right? This shit ain't safe man."

It seemed like, in his own unique way, Sudō was genuinely worried about me.

"You might be right."

However, I wasn't naive enough to think she was accompanying me for no reason.

"You've got no sense of danger do you… Well, I get you're all calm like this cuz you know you'll get through it, but… If you run into trouble make sure you let me know aight?"

I nodded in response to Sudō's sentiment, and while he wasn't entirely satisfied, he seemed willing enough to back down.

"If she was givin' you a hard time, I was gonna have her buzz off, but if yer sayin' it's fine, then I guess I'll leave it be."

Just as he said that, the last group finished registering and preparations for the beginning of the quiz went underway.

"We can talk more afterward. A Task is a Task, just like you said, so let's do our best."

At that, Sudō went back over to Ike and Hondō. Each of the 12 participating groups then took out their registered tablet and readied themselves for the upcoming questions. And when the time finally came, the quiz genre was displayed on our screens.

『Quiz Genre・Anime』

Huh? Anime?

Before my mind had a chance to fully comprehend the words that showed up on my tablet, the first question began.

『Question 1: Which of the following is the correct title of the Thirteenth episode of TV Anime Mobile Samurai Bombdam?』

1)『Farewell Bombdam』 2)『Burn! Bombdam』 3)『Shouting Bombdam』 4)『A Bombdam's Tears』

"…What the hell is this?"

I spoke involuntarily, the words practically escaping from my mouth.

It obviously had something to do with anime given the genre and question, but beyond that, I hadn't the slightest clue as to what the correct answer was.

"Forreal!? This is uber-mega-easy!"

From nearby, Hondō shouted out in excitement, clasping his tablet tightly as he selected the answer.

Easy? This question was easy?

Bombdam… Bombdam… What in the world did that even mean?

The genre definitely fell way outside of my area of expertise, but even so, I was the one who had gotten myself into this, so I was going to put forth every effort to see it through.

I just needed to stay calm. Since there were four possible options, there was a 25% chance that I'd answer correctly even if I chose at random.

If I were to attempt to make a guess, unlike titles 1 through 3, title 4 was the only one that had the word 'Bombdam' come at the beginning. Perhaps that was some sort of hint? I decided to take a stab at it and go with the fourth option. Not long after I did, the time limit was reached and the correct answer was displayed.

『Correct Answer: Option 2 – 'Burn! Bombdam'』

My attempt at reasoning had been futile, my answer, incorrect.

I focused my attention on the second question, feeling a faint sense of dizziness as I stood under the scorching summer sun.

『Question 2: Which of the following artists sang the opening theme of TV Anime Dashu Sea Chicken?』

But reality was cruel.

I was once again confronted with the fact I knew nothing of the chosen genre.

Naturally, the second question was completely beyond me as well. And this time, each of the four options looked effectively identical.

And at that, I came to realize that participating any further would be nothing more than a waste of time.

I proceeded to select answers at random, hoping that by some kind of miracle I'd manage to select the correct ones.

After spending the next ten minutes answering the rest of the questions, I silently closed my tablet.

Of the 20 questions on the quiz, the number I had gotten right was 4, for a correct answer rate of 20% overall. In other words, I had done worse than average. Unsurprisingly, the group that took first place was Sudō's group, with an astonishing 95% correct. After all, Ike and Hondō seemed fairly reliable when it came to these kinds of questions. It wasn't just straightforward academic and physical prowess that could prove useful, but miscellaneous knowledge as well. This all helped support what Chabashira had told us back before the exam had even started.

"Those questions were all pretty challenging, huh?"

With 5 correct answers, Nanase's accuracy rate was just about the same as mine.

Essentially, it seemed safe to say that she knew nearly nothing about anime. And from a look at everyone else's scores, it seemed like most of the other groups had the same experience with the quiz as we did.

"We freakin' did it Kanji!"

As a member of the winning group, Sudō put his hand up, looking to celebrate by sharing a high-five with his teammates.

"Yay…"

Ike gave a dispirited response and just barely touched hands with his teammates. Seeing this firsthand, I felt somewhat concerned, unsure if I should talk to Sudō about what Ike was going through.

While this was my second time running into him, there was no guarantee that we would meet again after this. If Ike were to find out that Shinohara and Komiya had begun dating or had otherwise gotten close to each other during the exam, he probably wouldn't take it very well.

However─ Was Sudō really the right person to try and support Ike right now? To that end, I had my reservations. In an academic, physical, and even mental sense, Sudō had no doubt matured from the person he used to be. But, whether or not he was capable of providing someone with delicate emotional support was a different story entirely.

"Is something the matter?"

Nanase asked me curiously.

After all, with the Task finished, there was no reason to stick around any longer.

"Is something wrong with Sudō-senpai's group?"

As she had been watching closely for a while now, Nanase got right to the heart of the matter.

"As an uninvolved third-party, what does their group look like to you, Nanase? Well, I ask that, but I guess it'd be hard for you to conclude anything since you've never met any of them other than Sudō before."

"Indeed. Then could you perhaps fill me in and tell me a bit about them?"

"Off on Sudō's left is Ike Kanji, and to his right is Hondō Ryōtarō. They're the type of people who do stupid things and end up standing out in a bad way… or, well, I guess it might be better to say that they're the type of people who easily get carried away. But, at the same time, they both really add a lot to the class atmosphere."

This definitely felt like an oversimplification.

Though, I probably wasn't mistaken either, but I'd keep that to myself.

"They aren't a studious bunch by any means so their group leaves a lot to be desired, but Sudō has plenty of physical strength and Ike has the right skills and experience to camp out on an uninhabited island. And Hondō… Well, Hondō's a lively guy."

It wasn't a bad group of people to be with if the goal was just to get through the exam and enjoy yourself along the way.

"Ike-senpai and Hondō-senpai, is it? They add a lot to the atmosphere…? From what I can tell, that doesn't really seem to be the case for Ike-senpai; Could he be sick perhaps?"

Despite having never met face-to-face, Nanase was still able to perceive that something was wrong.

Based on the vibe he gave off right now, she was certainly correct in that he didn't look like someone who added to the atmosphere at all.

"It's true that he's usually livening things up in class. While he seems to be in a bit of a funk right now, he should at least be fine physically."

"So that's what Ayanokōji-senpai is worried about…"

After everything that had been said so far, Nanase had probably gotten a sense for it as well.

"Well, it is what it is. It's troublesome, but I can't always worry about the affairs of others. In the quiz, instead of placing in the top three, I placed all the way down at the bottom. They on the other hand took first. Composition aside, the group that racks up more points is the better one."

Put simply, I was getting a bit ahead of myself by worrying about Sudō's group when they were currently ahead of me in terms of overall score.

"That's just the nature of this special exam, isn't it? As long as you play to your strengths, you'll still stand a fighting chance. In that respect, it really puts into perspective just how much effort the school has put into all of this. After all, not only did they rent out this entire island, they also crafted such a large-scale competition that highlights the different strengths and weaknesses of the students."

This may sound rude, but there simply weren't many opportunities for students like Ike and Hondō to play an active role back in the classroom.

A student's duty primarily consisted of studying and sports, so it followed that those who struggled with both would eventually find themselves left in the dust.

In this exam, however, other aspects had a chance to take center stage as well. I had previously been concerned about the lack of balance in Sudō's group, but they seemed like they were going to be just fine.

And because of that, Ike's mental health was the only thing left standing in their way, which was a really tricky problem to solve…

If he were in prime condition, this exam could've been his chance to become a dark horse and overturn his negative reputation.

Be that as it may─ I cast a sidelong glance at the adults in the process of dismantling the Task site. While this school was clearly different from an ordinary high school, the sheer cost of such a large cruise ship, all the various equipment, labor, and everything else that had gone into a single special exam was unimaginable. Last year's island had been impressive, but this time the school had gone above and beyond.

Not only was the budget on a completely different level, but the content was as well. Last year, we were told to work together as a class, but this time around, we had been told to split up into a bunch of small groups and scurry to and fro throughout this vast, no-man's island. As such, minor, petty disputes between fellow students had the potential to blow up into something major and unprecedented.

Additionally, matters of injury and illness were now incredibly pivotal. While a couple of scratches or a low fever probably wouldn't pose too much of a problem, there was a dire need to keep in mind the possibility of a bone fracture, or potentially something even worse than that.

Until the two-week exam has safely reached its conclusion, the school faculty members probably won't have the luxury of relaxing either.

"Let's get going."

Rather than stand around here, we'd be better off heading toward the next designated area or looking for another Task to take part in.

"Senpai, may I say something before we depart?"

Just as I began to start walking, Nanase inserted herself in front of me and looked up to meet my eyes.

"Once again, just to reiterate, please disregard my presence and choose what you truly believe to be the most ideal route. Okay, Ayanokōji-senpai?"

This uninhabited island exam was such that, even if you took first every once in a while, that wouldn't be enough to secure yourself the win. Coming out on top overall would be difficult if you didn't steadily rack up victories throughout the entirety of the long, two-week battle. And, this said nothing of the fact that larger groups had an inherent advantage. If you were on your own, that just meant you had to work harder to score more points than others.

"I'll say this one more time as well. I'm not letting your presence influence my decisions, so stop worrying about it."

By this point, I had already come to a decision about my approach to this.

An approach that looked to unravel the rules of the exam and the thought processes of those around me.

If letting her accompany me was going to get in the way of that, I wouldn't have allowed it in the first place.

"I'm relieved to hear you say that. Please take care of me moving forward."

After checking my watch, I took out my tablet.

It was just about time for the fourth Basic Movement designation. It would be the last of the day, as well as the first randomly designated area of the exam. When the time came, I checked the map and found that I had gotten area I7.

If we wanted to take the shortest path, we would have to cross over a mountain range.

Having said that, if I chose to prioritize safety and take a detour, it would take quite a while to get there.

However, this was where it got tricky, because this wasn't an area we needed to get to.

"Shall we depart?"

"Before that, Nanase, I want to see your tablet."

"Ah, that's right. We still haven't confirmed whether or not we have the same Table."

While I was expecting her to at least be somewhat reluctant, Nanase pulled her tablet out of her backpack and showed me the map without hiding anything. And sure enough, her next destination was marked as I7, just the same as me.

"It seems I have the same Table as Senpai after all."

"I guess so."

I couldn't discount the possibility that our areas might have coincidentally overlapped across different Tables, but given everything else that had happened so far, it seemed reasonable enough to conclude that our Tables were the same.

"With that out the way, let's move on. Will we be going over the mountain range?"

"No, I'm not going to go out of my way for the Arrival Bonus this time. Tasks appeared in both G8 and G9, so I'm thinking of finishing off the day by heading to those instead."

Both Tasks were centered around academic concepts, with the first being called 'Math Problems' and the second 'English Problems'.

I felt pretty confident that I'd do well in them. That is, as long as I managed to make it there in time to register.

"Then, which will we be pitching camp at today?"

"Well… The first area tomorrow will be centered around area I7. If we get too close, we might accidentally start out in the next designated area. I'd like to avoid that if possible."

Just to be sure, it felt like it would probably be safest to stick to area H9.

"Once we're done with the Tasks, I think we'll head to H9 to set up camp."

After hearing out my explanation, Nanase nodded along in agreement without a single complaint.

"Oi Ayanokōji! Didja just say you're gonna set up camp in H9?"

Sudō was just about to set out after wrapping up with the Task when he called out to me.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, it's just that our next designated area happens to be H9. Where you goin' after this?"

"For now we're going to G8 and G9 for the Math and English Tasks."

"Ugh, yeah, we're gonna be avoidin' those for sure."

Sudō muttered while scratching his head, as if he was saying something obvious.

While it was a little further away, Sudō's group would most likely be headed to the Task that appeared over in area E9 instead.

"If ya want, how 'bout we all meet up after an' camp together? Should be more fun with friends. I'd also like to hear whatcha think 'bout our strategies so far and see if you've got any suggestions."

This was an unexpected proposal, but not a bad one. Moreover, I should probably praise him for his progressive attitude. Not to mention, the problem with Ike had been bothering me for a while as well.

With a coincidental get-together like this, Ike probably wouldn't feel like I had any ulterior motives in reaching out to him.

"It'll prolly be hard to find each other in the forest, so how 'bout we meet up on the beach in G9 instead?"

Since it'd be easier to find each other on the beach, that was probably the better choice.

"That sounds good. When should we look to meet?"

"Since we'll all be close by, how 'bout 5:30?"

In which case, we'd probably be able to meet up without running into any problems after we all finished up with our Tasks.

"Alright. See you on the beach in G9 at 5:30."

With that, Sudō and his friends set off in the other direction, looking to take on a different Task than us.

Well, it'd be unreasonable to ask them to participate in an English or Math Task.

It was only natural that they would look to challenge Tasks that suited them.

"Turns out that we'll be spending the night with them today. Do you have any problems with that, Nanase?"

She'd be spending the night with four older guys, so it would make sense for her to be at least a little bit hesitant.

Although, I guess it was probably better than having to spend the night camping alone with me.

"It's fine. I actually think it'll be a good chance to get to know everyone."

I was glad to see that she seemed open to the idea.

3

Later, at around 5:30 PM, Nanase and I were waiting together on the beach when Sudō's group finally showed up, coming from the direction of their designated area.

"How'd it go?"

"Ehhh… Not so great. After we split, a buncha new Tasks popped up so we ended up goin' for three of 'em. We took third place in one, but the other two had so many people that we couldn't even register."

Sudō clicked his tongue in frustration, slightly short on breath. Nanase and I hadn't made it to our Tasks in time to register either, so there were clearly quite a few students still in the surrounding area.

"The second day only just ended, so don't overwork yourselves."

Although they had been racking up points like crazy, there was no denying that they were moving a little too quickly, something that Sudō had even admitted himself. It was commendable that Sudō, brimming with confidence in his power and stamina, was able to drag Ike along given his ambitionless, sullen demeanor, but they probably wouldn't be able to maintain that pace forever.

Hondō, in particular, was gasping for air as if he had just braved his way through the depths of hell. There was no way that he was okay with something so strenuous, but from the fact that he hadn't vented even a single complaint, it was probably safe to assume that he had simply resigned himself, devoting whatever energy he could to follow along instead.

"First things first, let's find a place to camp. How 'bout it, Kanji?"

Sudō looked to Ike for a suggestion, prompting the absentminded boy to point off toward the forest.

"Let's go back to H9 for now. We passed by a clearing earlier. That should be good enough."

At Ike's listless reply, the five of us set off.

"I really don't get the impression that Ike-senpai is the life of the party that you made him out to be, Ayanokōji-senpai."

"He has a lot going on."

"A lot…?"

"I don't feel comfortable talking about it when it's not my place to do so. If you really want to know, you should ask him yourself."

"You're right. I'll try asking him when I get the chance."

Nanase responded cheerfully. That said, whether or not Ike would answer her honestly was a different matter.

After following Ike for about twenty minutes, we arrived at a clearing in the forest.

It was a solid campsite; So much so that there wouldn't be much of a problem even if three or four groups decided to pitch tents here.

"Welp, let's get these tents set up pronto and get some grub. I'm starving."

Sudō patted his belly as he spoke, understandably famished after all the moving around he had done today.

At that, both he and Hondō looked over at Ike with eyes full of expectation.

The reason for this was obvious, given the fishing rod sticking out of the back of Ike's backpack. However, Ike simply stood there without taking notice of their expectant gazes, absentminded as ever.

"Oi Kanji. Ain'tcha gonna go fishin' tonight?"

Sudō pressed him more directly this time, his expectations soaring high due to their close proximity to the ocean.

"Eh? Oh, uh, well… it's already kinda late and I'm pretty tired, so yeah. Sorry."

If he had planned on going fishing, he probably would've stayed on the beach back when we all met up.

Well that, or maybe he just didn't have the drive to exert himself so much.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped then."

Although Sudō looked disappointed, he backed down rather quickly, not wanting to force the issue.

Ike shook his head from side to side so as to keep himself from zoning out again before beginning to set up his tent.

"Seems like his mind is somewhere else."

Even Nanase, who knew nothing of the situation, was able to see through him. So in that light, saying that he seemed distracted almost seemed like an understatement.

4

By the time we finished eating dinner, the sun had already set into the night. It was just around 8:00 PM, and we were all freely passing the time on our own. This 'freedom' came with limitations, however, as it wouldn't exactly be a wise choice to go on a stroll through the surrounding forest in the dark like this. There were mosquitos upon mosquitos out there, so we were essentially forced to stay cooped up in our tents.

Given that, we naturally began conversing through the mesh fabric of our protective barriers.

Nanase, Ike, and I all had our tents set up in a row. Hondō's tent was set up directly across from Nanase's with Sudō's right beside it.

"So Nanase-chan's in Class D, huh? I never wouldda guessed."

Hondō seemed pretty happy to be talking with a girl, seeing as he was the one asking Nanase the most questions out of all of us.

"No no. I'm really not a very capable person… Class D seems like an appropriate place for me."

"Eh? No way. If anything, we're the incapable ones here, ain't that right guys?"

Hondō burst out in laughter alone, amused by his joke, but Sudō's expression remained rigid. He was laying down on his back, staring at the roof of his tent without even trying to join in on the conversation. And while I couldn't see what Ike was doing, he didn't seem to be genuinely engaged with the conversation either since he wasn't doing much more than passively comment on what was being said from time to time.

"The atmosphere feels down in the dumps. Kanji, Ken, what's with you guys?"

"Nothin' really. But lemme warn ya Ryōtarō… Nanase ain't trustworthy."

"Wha? Why's that?"

Hondō pressed his face up against the mesh screen of his tent and stared straight at Sudō, shocked about what his peer was saying about such a cute underclassman.

"No reason, really. Just stating a fact."

"And what's that supposed to mean!?"

"It's okay Hondō-senpai. I did something rather rude to Sudō-senpai in the past, that's all."

"Rude? So it's not cuz he tried to touch you inappropriately or somethin'?"

"You think I'd do somethin' like that?"

Even though he had somehow come up with the idea himself, Hondō immediately realized the flaw in his logic after hearing Sudō's response.

"Well, it is true that you've always been devoted to Horikita. But like, what the hell happened then?"

"It's not somethin' you need to know about."

Sudō shifted around so that his back was turned to the entrance. Hōsen Kazuomi of Class 1-D had done something truly unforgivable to the girl Sudō loved. And, the one who had colluded with him was none other than Nanase herself. From Sudō's perspective, as someone who knew all the details, it made perfect sense for him to be wary of her. If Horikita were here, she probably would've said the same thing. Hondō probably wasn't fully satisfied, but since Nanase herself said it was fine, he didn't really have the right to keep pressing Sudō about it.

"Well, alright then I guess… But Kanji's been pretty out of it this whole time."

"O-oh, uh, I… same old same old, ya know?"

Ike began to panic, having suddenly become the topic of the conversation.

"'Same old same old' my ass. This is a good chance so I'll just come out and say it: something's been up with you since before the exam even began."

"Sudō took the words right out of my mouth. You've been really out of it man."

Sudō readjusted his posture to face toward us once again, clearly interested in where the conversation was headed.

"What're you guys saying? L-look, there's this whole uninhabited island exam, and like… I mean, I'm just under a lot of stress cuz there's a chance I might get expelled. That's all."

"Stress? Yeah right. Weren't you super pumped back when we first heard about this exam?"

Ike had plenty of camping experience, and he even played an active, important role during last year's island exam. His close friends were well aware of this too, so there was no way they'd let him get out of this with an excuse like that.

"Well, erm… That's uh, but like…"

Hearing as Ike incoherently struggled to put together a response, Nanase looked over at his tent and spoke.

"Even though we've only just met, I also got the impression that you were rather lacking in spirit."

"What do you think Ayanokōji?"

Hondō asked me for my opinion, prompting me to break my silence.

Given the flow of the conversation so far, it'd probably be the most natural to just be honest and agree with them.

"It's been on my mind since we first met up earlier today."

"See? All four of us managed to pick up on it."

Ike had been pushed into a corner, left only to stammer as he tried to come up with a solid excuse.

"Earlier, Ayanokōji-senpai told me that you and Hondō-senpai are the type of people who add a lot to the class' atmosphere. But, so far, it just seems to me like your mind is somewhere else entirely… Is something troubling you, Ike-senpai?"

In all likelihood, Ike was probably shocked that Nanase's words had hit the nail right on the head even though she knew nothing about what had happened.

"Uhm, how do I put it…"

Ike frantically tried to find the right words.

"C'mon, if you're bothered by something just come out with it."

"It's prolly not a big deal anyway."

Despite being two of his closest friends, they both seemed to think that Ike's troubles would end up being trivial.

And because of that, they just wanted him to come out with it already.

However, their approach only seemed to make Ike more reluctant to speak.

"Just forget about it…"

"Could you two please hold off and give him a moment?"

After hearing Ike's dejected response, Nanase quietly whispered to Sudō and Hondō.

For a moment, Sudō seemed indignant and offended, upset that Nanase had even asked, but once he took a look at Ike's troubled expression, he realized that his friend might be going through something worse than he had been making it out to be.

"There's no need for us to hold off, Nanase-chan. In the end it's probably nothin' big."

"No. It might be a bit too early to say that Ryōtarō. Let's try waitin'."

"Eh? A-ah… Well I guess we can try."

Reading the room had never been one of Sudō's strong points. From the look of it, however, he had gradually picked up on how to pay attention to his surroundings and notice the subtle nuances of a situation. This was probably yet another byproduct of Horikita's teachings over the last year.

The four of us quietly watched over Ike, making sure not to make him feel pressured to speak. Of course, it wouldn't be easy for Ike to speak in a situation like this, but at the same time, he wouldn't be able to turn tail and run away. We simply needed to wait for him to feel ready on his own.

Eventually, after about ten minutes of silence, Ike made up his mind and began to open up.

"To be honest… There's… a girl I've had my eye on for a while now."

Surprised, Sudō and Hondō turned and looked at each other through the screens of their tents.

Hondō then became very animated, excited about the sudden emergence of such an interesting topic.

"What!? Who!? Who is it!?"

"Let's wait until Ike-senpai feels ready to tell us himself."

Nanase gently intervened, looking to stop Hondō from hounding Ike with questions.

It was difficult to imagine that his current mental state had come about simply because he had a crush on someone. To that end, there had to be something else that had happened afterward to make him turn out like this. Nanase probably understood this as well.

"H-hey but like, you've gotta dive in head-first with this kinda stuff!"

"How about you calm down and wait to hear what Ike-senpai has to say? Instead of worrying about who he likes, don't you think that it's more important to find out how it relates to the matter at hand? Or am I wrong?"

Nanase's words were calm, yet firm, bringing Hondō screeching to a halt.

"I-I guess you're right."

Upon being rebuked by his underclassman, Hondō seemed to realize that he was being tactless and awkwardly scratched at the back of his head.

"The girl I like…"

Once Ike began to speak, the two boys definitely let their imaginations run wild.

Was she in our school year? A senpai? Or was she one of the new students?

And, if she was in our school year, was she a classmate?

Popular, attractive girls like Kushida or Ichinose were no doubt the first to come to mind.

"The girl I like is… uhm… Sh-Shinohara… Shinohara Satsuki."

When they finally heard the name, for a moment it seemed like Sudō and Hondō were genuinely unable to process it.

After all, to them, Ike and Shinohara must seem like nothing more than classmates who butt heads with each other.

She wasn't exactly the best-looking girl out there either, so their confusion was perfectly understandable, given how much Ike had boasted about his plans to go out with a cute girl.

"B-but Kanji, like… You're on bad terms with Shinohara right? You're always talkin' about how crazy ugly she is."

Hondō asked, unable to stop himself from pointing out what seemed to be the most glaring problem with the idea.

"It's not like I've been conscious of her from the start or anything. Hell, I hated her at first. But… I dunno why, but at some point I started caring about her and, well… I guess I didn't wanna admit it to myself, so just went along pretending that I hadn't fallen for her."

He probably wasn't lying when he said this. It was a natural scene for those of us who were forced to listen to Ike and Shinohara's daily bickering sessions back in the classroom.

"I mean, if you like Shinohara, then why don't you just go confess to her?"

Sudō offered a blunt, somewhat crude suggestion, but Ike replied with a tone of despair.

"It's just not that simple. Not anymore."

"Did something happen, Ike-senpai?"

"Shinohara is in a group together with Komiya right now. That guy… probably likes her too."

At this point, Hondō and Sudō finally began to get a grasp of what was happening.

"Plus, well… it seems like she sees him as someone special as well."

A boy and a girl who were conscious of each other, working together in the same group to get through all of this. This exam was a crucial battle with our futures at the school hanging in the balance, so the conditions were perfect for the formation of close bonds and strong feelings that weren't there before.

"I… I only realized that I was fallin' in love with Shinohara a little while ago… So when this exam came around, I wanted to group up with her more than anything. But I just couldn't be freaking honest about it so we started fightin' like we always do… It's pathetic… This whole time, I've just been searching for her…"

Ike had been distracted for a while now; His eyes had been searching, chasing after a glimpse of Shinohara's shadow.

"Maybe I just got the wrong idea at some point, thinking she liked me somehow even though we argue so much… I'm such a loser. Even now I've got no idea what I shouldda done differently."

There would always be times when you wonder if the feelings you have are mutual, just as Ike had. But even so, it was impossible for anybody to truly know the feelings of the other party.

This was something I had experienced firsthand back when I confessed to Kei.

"Can't you just be honest with her, Ike-senpai? I don't necessarily think that'd be a bad thing."

Nanase shared her thoughts after hearing out what Ike had to say.

"But… Shinohara's together with that Komiya guy while I'm here in the friendzone."

"I'm not so certain about that. This is just a guess, but… don't you think Shinohara-senpai has just been waiting for you to draw the line?"

"Draw the line…?"

"From what I've been told, you're someone who's always bright and cheerful to everyone. Someone who often speaks what's on your mind. Of course, I'm sure that Shinohara-senpai has a high opinion of you in this regard as well. That said, don't you think she might wish she could be someone a little more special to you?"

He often freely spoke what was on his mind, or put in other words, he often spoke without thinking.

"Don't you think maybe she wants you to be more upfront about your feelings?"

It was already a well-established fact that Ike had feelings for Shinohara.

And at the same time, I felt pretty confident that Shinohara had feelings for Ike as well.

Yet, Ike constantly argued with her, sometimes even going so far as to make fun of her. He treated her no differently than one of his male friends.

However, that alone probably wasn't enough for her, just like Nanase said.

"I…"

"Ike-senpai, would you be happy if the girl you liked never took you seriously? There's nothing wrong with trying to hide your embarrassment, but you won't get anywhere if you don't convey your feelings to her. Wouldn't you want her to look at you a little more seriously as well?"

You could gain new insight by looking at it from the other person's perspective.

How would it make you feel if the special someone who was always on your mind constantly spoke ill of you, day-in and day-out?

"…Dammit."

Ike hung his head and held his face in his hands. Right now, he was probably recalling memories of how he had treated Shinohara in the past and putting himself in her shoes, doing his best to understand how his actions had made her feel. Or no, given his reaction, he had probably already understood.

"Feeling troubled about this isn't a bad thing, per se, but you're currently in the midst of a special exam where your future here is at stake. You wouldn't be the only one expelled either; Your actions could very well drag Sudō-senpai and Hondō-senpai down along with you. I fully understand the feeling of wanting to go chasing after Shinohara-senpai, I do, but you should focus on fighting for survival first."

Before I knew it, everyone present had been mesmerized by Nanase' words.

After all, she had responded to Ike's woes far more sincerely than even his own best friends, but that wasn't the only reason.

"If you can't meet… If you can never reunite with someone you care about… then you'll never ever be able to let them know you love them again…!"

There was no need to look at her expression. Just the sound of her voice alone was more than enough to make it clear.

"Y-you, why are you crying?"

Despite his lasting distrust of Nanase, Sudō spoke up in a panic.

"Ike-senpai, you don't have the time to be feeling caught up in your troubles, wouldn't you agree?"

Sudō's question went unanswered as Nanase posed Ike one of her own, completely disregarding the fact that tears were streaming down her own face.

"…Yeah. I've gotta get through this exam safely first right?"

Nanase's words, the words of a here-before stranger and underclassman, had touched Ike's heart more than any of us could've expected.

"Ken, Ryōtarō, I'm sorry guys. I… I've prolly troubled you two a heck of a lot these past two days, haven't I?"

Ike expressed his remorse, to which Sudō─

"No, you haven't… Eh, well, maybe just a lil' bit."

He wasn't able to get himself to say that there hadn't been any problems, but that was probably for the best.

"To be honest, I'm still anxious about Shinohara. But… that won't matter anyway if I don't get through the exam first. All my worrying, all this time I've spent, everything wouldda been in vain if we don't pass."

"Eyy, attaboy Kanji!"

Hondō agreed, shouting out so as to rally everyone's spirit.

Sometimes friends could be a nuisance, but in other cases they could be truly irreplaceable.

I felt like this was my lesson, my takeaway from what had happened tonight.

And as for the tears Nanase had shed, my gut was telling me that it hadn't been a mere performance, nor had it been the result of her getting caught up in the atmosphere.