Chapter 3.4

Yuuichi: And I want you to swap the names on the cards.

Sae: Hahaha, seriously? Hahaha.

You're the demon I've been waiting for.

If you keep this up, I'll protect you no matter what.

Yuuichi: Fulfill your part, and I'll fulfill mine. Frankly, I don't understand your obsession with getting into Class A.

Sae: It's everything to me. That's all you need to know. As long as you get me to Class A, everything about me belongs to you.

Yuuichi: I hope you won't regret it.

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In the distance, you could see the two completed tents side by side. While talking to the other girls, Shinohara waved a pumpkin-shaped war fan. Both tents were exclusively for the girls. In other words, the boys would simply sleep outdoors to toughen themselves up with this experience. I feel like most of our classmates have never slept outdoors before. Fortunately, it's summer, and even though there's no breeze, there are still hardships to endure. Sometimes, it's troublesome as insects attack our hands and feet, and when it gets dark, visibility becomes quite poor. Especially in the grass under our feet, mysterious insects jump and fly, creating an eerie feeling.

As I got closer, I overheard Suzune talking to Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji: You usually don't cooperate, but now you're unusually calm and granting them your favor.

Horikita: I just heard what he asked you. Anyway, Hirata can save himself somehow. The details are not our concern.

Ayanokouji: He's relatively at the center of Class D, so that's why he can't bring himself to trust you.

Horikita: For better or worse, Class D relies entirely on Yuuichi, followed by Hirata and Karuizawa in that order. Except for these members, if we pool together the strength of other people, it's nonexistent and incompetent.

Ayanokouji: What if you became Katagiri's assistant? Besides, for the sake of the class, you'd prefer to do it yourself.

Horikita: M-Me, an assistant to Yuuichi-kun? D-Don't joke about that! If that's the case, then I'd rather have the ability of a mongoose.

Ayanokouji: The ability of a mongoose?

The thread of the conversation was completely lost.

Yuuichi: Ahem... why are you guys talking about mongooses?

Horikita blushed a bit from embarrassment, and Ayanokouji just stared at me with his apathetic face.

Ayanokouji: Who knows..

Yuuichi: Haha, playing the mysterious...

Horikita: We were just talking about the class... -She said, interrupting.

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For some reason, Ayanokouji and Sakura invited me to join them in searching for branches not far from the camp. It must be because they both have no friends, so the four of us spread out to collect branches.

I saw Yamauchi whisper something not very discreetly to Ayanokouji as they exchanged glances while Sakura and I gathered branches. But I simply ignored it and engaged in casual conversation with Sakura, continuing to collect branches.

Yamauchi: Don't we have enough now? We've collected plenty for today, right?

Yuuichi: You're right; today, we've gathered more than enough.

The three of us finished collecting branches and began to head back to camp.

Yamauchi: Hey, hey, Sakura. Would you like me to help you carry them? It must be tough for a girl. You might hurt yourself.

He seemed to want to present himself as a sweet and caring guy.

Sakura: It's... It's okay... Ayanokouji-kun, you have many. Help him instead.

Now that I noticed it, Yamauchi handed all his branches to Ayanokouji, and the introverted class N1 accepted them.

Yamauchi: Phew! You're so kind, Sakura! You're really greedy, carrying so many by yourself, Ayanokouji. Look, I'll take half for you, so give me a few.

With that, he grabbed half of the branches. Even if Sakura refused, it seemed like a two-stage strategy to appeal to her kindness. Yamauchi, who seemed satisfied, walked away cheerfully.That adventure happened on the way back.

There was a girl sitting with her back against a large tree, as if she had been left behind by another class. If I remember correctly, it's Ibaki or Ibiki from Class 1-C. She turned her eyes towards us only once and then completely averted her gaze as if she had lost interest.

Because another class had left her behind, there was a red swollen mark on her cheek. I could tell at first glance that it was a slap mark, as if someone had struck her. One delivered with great force. When Yamauchi tried to hurry towards the girl, Ayanokouji grabbed him by the shoulder.

Yamauchi: What's wrong?

Ayanokouji: Ah, no... sorry. It's nothing.

Yamauchi: Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?

Yamauchi couldn't leave the injured girl alone and wanted to take the initiative to talk to her. But...

Ibuki: Leave me alone. It's nothing.

Laughing self-congratulatorily, the girl said that and declined Yamauchi's offer.She emitted a masculine feeling, but it was clear that she felt depressed and unwell. I guess she was a little worried about the dispute. This place is completely different from the school grounds. It's a jungle surrounded by another forest. In 1 or 2 hours, the sun will start to set. When that happens, it could lead to accidents.

Yamauchi: What are you going to do? I can't leave you here. Look, we're students from Class D. If you don't mind, join us at the base camp.

Ibuki: Eh? What are you talking about? Are you kidding me?

Yamauchi: I mean, shouldn't we help each other when someone is in trouble? Isn't that natural?

She had no intention of listening to those words, so she turned around immediately and continued to ignore us. She didn't realize where we were standing.

Yamauchi: I'm from Class C. In other words, I'm your enemy. At least you understand that, right?

Sakura: But... we can't leave you in this kind of place, can we?

Yamauchi: We can't just leave this girl here. We'll stay here until you move.

Yamauchi decided to stay in this place. Then we just had to watch and wait together. But then the young girl, perhaps judging our presence as a temporary trick of her imagination, immediately walked away and continued to ignore us. She didn't realize where we were standing.

Yamauchi: Anyway, it's gloomy in the forest, and there's unpleasant heat and humidity. Sakura, aren't you hot?

Sakura: I... um... not really... I'm fine.

Ibuki: You guys are so stupid. You're so naive. You're not thinking about your class.

Yuuichi: What good is winning if we can't help a person? - I spoke for the first time, looking at her with clear concern in my voice.

Ibuki: Fine...

Yamauchi: Is it okay? Then there's no problem. I'm Yamauchi Haruki. Nice to meet you!

Ibuki: Well, you seem like a nice guy, but... you're really an idiot!

Yuuichi: I'm Katagiri Yuuichi. Pleasure to meet you.

While she was taken aback by the introduction, the girl, without even looking at us, gave us a brief response.

— I'm... Ibuki.

As soon as she told us her name, she rubbed her cheek, which had turned red, with her hand. Even during the introductions, she made sure not to look us in the eyes. Maybe she hated looking into other people's eyes. Whatever it was, I found it quite intriguing. It might be insignificant, but there was dirt under Ibuki's nails and on her hands. Not long ago, we found Ibuki sitting, but it seemed like she had been digging.

Ibuki picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder, as if it was bothersome, then cast a strange look at Yamauchi. Her eyes blinked when she almost saw something coming.Well, Yamauchi had to show himself as a man, at least in front of Sakura. Plus, to impress me with his technique, he offered his hand to the new girl. Truth be told, it was polite.Ibuki: I'm fine, wait, I'm telling you, I'm fine. Stop it.

While we had Ibuki and her bag in our custody, there was no chance she'd entrust it to us to carry. If we thought she would trust us, then we were mistaken. The bag left her hands and, bouncing, hit a tree with a dull thud. When the atmosphere became uncomfortable and almost tense, Yamauchi apologized.

Yamauchi: Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm. I apologize.

Ibuki: I get it; it's just that I don't trust you guys yet, boys. You understand, right?

That's it; it seems there's nothing more to say. Ibuki remained silent, Yamauchi also gave up, and started walking. If she didn't carry the bag, then she should carry some branches. Maybe he thought we'd force her to carry a large amount of branches and hurt her hands, so she clung to the bag. We collected the branches and returned to the camp. We didn't want to cause trouble since Ibuki was from a different class, so we made her sit in a place hidden from most people. Although we left her in a place within our view, I hope nothing unpleasant happens. It would be really unlucky if we ran into Hirata. For the time being, it was Yamauchi, Ayanokoji, and me, as Sakura was busy with preparations for the bonfire. Well, night was falling around us, and we still hadn't prepared to light the fire, so we felt a bit inappropriate. Yamauchi arrived with the box of matches he had received from Hirata, making a pile of small branches, then knelt in front of them.

Yamauchi: Let me handle this; I'll show you an easy way to do it.

He took a match from the box and struck it against the box to light a small amount of fuel. I heard the friction sound for a moment, but the stick didn't seem like it would produce a flame easily.

Yamauchi: Damn it, this is really hard.

Sakura was standing beside him, and Yamauchi tried to assume an imposing posture, but it didn't seem to work as usual, especially in front of other people. Well, it seemed like something that wouldn't easily work.

Yuuichi: Let me do it - I said as I stood beside him - go help with something else, you too, Sakura, take a break.

Yamauchi: Oh, alright!

I waited for them to leave, and with a simple motion, I lit the fire perfectly.

It's the privileges of having lived on the streets...

Of relying on a barrel and a lighter not to freeze to death.

In some way...

I'm thankful to you, Shiba-sensei.

Although if you hadn't found me...

Maybe...

Just maybe...

I would be a good person.

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Who am I kidding...

Even after all this time,

I still can't understand you, Mom.

Are friends the most important?

Or is it money?

I...

"I still choose money over friends."

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When the clock struck 5 o'clock, Kushida and her group returned. Hirata was also mobilized with Kushida's group. As this was somewhat the leader's return, students started gathering. It seemed like they were looking for food supplies, and they seemed to have brought some kind of small red fruits, something like strawberries, or even small tomatoes, and there were also things that looked like grapes and kiwis.

"Can we really... eat all of this? It looks like some kind of fruit, but still..."

As they weren't confident, the students looked at each other, waiting for someone to make a move or at least say something. But who has the courage to eat a fruit they've never seen before?

"However, my throat is dry... and my stomach is empty."

"Me too, my throat feels a bit parched."

The night could come, and the students would still have the same conversation without actually doing anything. After all, I felt like I was alone in this. But as dinner time approached, the issue of proper food and water became more prominent.

Ike: Hey! Isn't this a bog blueberry? Did you find Chinese bellflower too? That's great!Making a fuss, Ike, who was sitting near the campfire, came over. He spoke as he grabbed one of the fruits.

Yamauchi: Kanji, do you know what this is?

Ike: Ah, this is bog blueberry fruit. I ate this when I went camping in Otoyama. In appearance and taste, it's like a blueberry. This one is Akebia Canada. It's tasty and sweet. Well, it certainly brings back memories.

Oddly, he wasn't trying to show off. Having found these berries that brought back memories of the past, he was smiling like a child, but everyone else just stood there, looking at Ike, and no one said a word of admiration or encouragement.

Shinohara might have decided to attack Ike with her question, but she received an honest response.

Ike: Huh?... Somehow, I feel like they taste much better than I remember.

As the cause of the disturbance was now unclear, the class focused mainly on this matter. Being able to secure food, even in such small amounts, remained a factor that could determine their victory.

Yamauchi: At least you can do one thing. Thanks for the campfire, Katagiri.

Yuuichi: It was nothing. Now if we get lost, we can locate the campsite and return just by looking at the smoke.

Kushida: That's why we came back so quickly. Don't you understand that this way, it's inevitable that other classes will easily find our campsite?

Yuuichi: That's something that will happen sooner or later.

Ike: Hey... Shinohara. I've been thinking about this all day, I mean, my behavior. On a deserted island, where there's no bathroom, it must be tough for the students. I exaggerated in protecting the points we need. So, I apologize.

Shinohara: Huh? Why are you apologizing so suddenly?

Ike: It's because of my memories. I remembered the first time I went camping. That time was tough, thinking about what to do about the bathroom, among other things, of course with bugs crawling around and getting dirty. That's why I hated going to the bathroom. So when I got back, I complained to my parents. I remembered how tough it was, not to mention that this is much harder for the girls...

Sharing this story seemed to require a lot of courage. However, this courage to apologize appeared to be contagious. In no time, Shinohara started explaining her situation.Shinohara: I also... apologize for earlier. For refusing to drink river water, saying it's not good enough. I went overboard, I think I got too emotional. I believe we all should try to do things to preserve our points and win.

Even though neither of them could look each other directly in the eyes, it seemed they had reconciled.

Whatever unexpectedly happens, well, happens. It seemed that Class D could indeed save points. This premonition, this omen, might have been felt by the other students too. That's why Hirata wouldn't let this opportunity pass. He raised his hands to get everyone's attention.

Hirata: Guys, no matter what, we all have a goal. It's the first time we're facing such a special exam, but we also understand why we might have these complex feelings. Each person has a different value system, so it's natural for misunderstandings to arise. However, without panic, without disturbances, until the end, I want to trust each other and move forward.

He said this with a clear tone in his voice. He composed himself and continued speaking intelligently.

Hirata: After all, even if we have only one point left, it's still good, right? That's because everyone has their own sense of reality. But to make an estimate, we need to tally up. This will only happen at the end of the exam. We might end up with 120 points or less. That's a total of 120 points. If we skip the last day and try to endure our hunger, then we might end up with 110 points. Our temporary toilet cost us 20 points, and the use of the two boys' tents adds another 20 points. All of that together is 150 points. We have 30 points left, and we have almost a week to live here, for a total of 180 points. Hirata's plan had a basis in truth and left everyone else speechless.

Hirata: When I heard that we only have 120 points left, I had the feeling that we'll use them up quickly too. However, it's only transitory, and I want to remind you that we're very much aware of the 300 points. For this reason, we need to see the results of the partial exams or the final exam. I understand that 120 points is a small amount, which is available. However, adding one thing to another, when we reach the end of the test, the ability to have exclusive possessions may give us bonus points. So, in reality, there are still many points available. Well, I was thinking about the lower limit of our points, and if we can find food and drink for just one day, we can save 20 points. If we have no trouble with drinking water for a week,With the sound of the nearby river, Hirata continued speaking, and the importance of the river hit us like a blow.

Hirata: So... that's how it is. If we can show some self-control, just a little, we might change our position...

Even when talking about a similar topic, his tone and mannerisms gave a different impression. Hirata's words' progression was almost perfect. After letting them know the lower limit, he finally spoke about the possibility of saving nearly 200 points. In doing so, he succeeded in setting high goals for his classmates. If we do our best, not only can we save many points, but we can also reassure ourselves that points will increase steadily with a little effort.

Ike: Alright, right, Hirata? We can at least earn 120 points. If we do, we can earn points just by adding our performance, right? Let's try it! — Ike, who was thought to be the most contentious, agreed enthusiastically and raised his voice. Sudou and Yamauchi also agreed as if there were no other options. Yukimura still looked a bit reluctant, but he gave in after seeing his classmate Ike agreeing with Hirata.

Ayanokoji: Ah, that's right, Hirata. I have something to check. Since Yamauchi forgot to report about Ibuki, Ayanokoji decided to inform Hirata.

However, he was brutally ignored.