Repeating the Same Mistake

With Ichinose and Kanzaki leading the way, Hikigaya followed them into the camp.

Up close, the stark difference in atmosphere between Class B and Class D was unmistakable. Everyone in Class B seemed to be diligently fulfilling their roles, moving with a sense of purpose and harmony.

Most strikingly, each person wore a genuine smile, even those engaged in the dirtiest or most exhausting tasks.

This was in sharp contrast to Class D, where the boys often complained after the slightest effort, and the girls frequently found excuses to shift difficult tasks onto others.

"Hikigaya-kun, we found some fruit in the forest. They're pretty sweet—would you like to try some?"

Ichinose asked, picking up a few pieces from a plastic bag laid out on the ground and offering them to him.

All along the way, Ichinose had been chattering away, while Kanzaki remained mostly silent, only occasionally chiming in. However, based on their encounter earlier that morning, it seemed Kanzaki wasn't one to avoid conversation; rather, he likely recognized that Ichinose was the better communicator and willingly played the supporting role.

A truly capable second-in-command.

"We tried to be frugal, but we still bought quite a lot of things," Ichinose said, counting on her fingers.

"Hammocks, cooking utensils, small tents, lanterns, a portable toilet, an outdoor shower… All in all, it came to forty points."

"Forty?" Hikigaya was dumbfounded. Even after excluding Koenji's expenses, Class D had spent at least sixty points. Those twenty points weren't trivial; they were hard to save.

Moreover, Class B's meals included not just fruit and fish, but also some wild vegetables, presumably foraged from the forest. This meant their future food expenses would likely be even lower than Class D's.

"That's impressive. In our class, just one person quitting cost us thirty points…"

"Oh? Did someone get hurt?" Ichinose asked, concerned.

"No," Hikigaya shook his head.

"That guy just quit because he wasn't interested. You might have heard of him—Koenji."

"Ah, that explains it…"

Both Ichinose and Kanzaki exchanged knowing looks. It seemed Koenji's reputation was well-known even among the other classes.

"Haha, losing someone midway must've been a blow," Ichinose said with an awkward laugh. She then quickly tried to change the subject, perhaps to dispel the awkward atmosphere.

"But we aren't that great either. If it weren't for your help, Hikigaya-kun, we wouldn't have been able to save so much."

"…It's not related to me, though."

"Uh…No! It is though!"

"Ichinose, can you please lower your voice?"

Hikigaya couldn't help but feel embarrassed as more and more Class B students glanced over with curiosity. Although they were far friendlier than Class A, the attention still made him uncomfortable.

Among them, Chihiro Shiranami stood out. She kept lifting her head to stare at him, only to be stopped by the companions beside her. Hikigaya expected her to rush over at any moment, but she didn't.

That's… odd.

"Ah, by the way, speaking of outdoor showers, this is it!"

Ichinose exclaimed enthusiastically, pointing toward a large device by the lake.

"You just fill the tank with water, and within seconds, you get hot water. Super convenient, right? And it only costs five points to use, so it's quite a bargain."

"Yeah… we didn't know how well that would work, so our class opted for a temporary shower setup. That one costs twenty points, though."

"Hehe, we studied in advance, so we were bold enough to go for it."

The manual provided by the school was hardly helpful—just pictures, names, and prices, with no detailed descriptions or instructions. Even asking the homeroom teacher yielded no useful information.

While Kushida had also reviewed some camping knowledge beforehand, she was just one person and couldn't cover everything.

Next to the outdoor shower stood a portable tent, one that was meant to be paired with a makeshift cardboard toilet… Wait, does that mean…?

…No, there's no way anyone could use the shower and the toilet at the same time, right?

Noticing Hikigaya's gaze, Ichinose explained, "We repurposed the tent for the shower. Some people don't like being seen while bathing, and the material is waterproof."

The school had allowed students to bring swimsuits to the island, so if anyone was really worried about being seen, they could just wear a swimsuit while showering. That's what all the girls in Class D did, even in the fully enclosed temporary showers.

In contrast, despite the limited conditions, Ichinose and her class made every effort to accommodate everyone's preferences, and everyone in Class B was willing to endure the situation. For instance, Hikigaya noticed that their camp didn't have a temporary flushing toilet, so both boys and girls were likely using cardboard ones.

Though these issues seemed trivial, Hikigaya couldn't help but admire the determination of Class B. Their ability to resist immediate desires and work through each problem step by step was truly impressive.

No wonder Class B was known as the most united class of the year. If it were Class D bathing in a tent, the girls would have thrown a fit by now.

But enough of the small talk.

"Ichinose," Hikigaya's tone grew serious.

"Is there a quiet place we can go? I need to speak to you and Kanzaki, and it's not something I want to discuss in public."

"Oh, sure! Let's head to one of the tents. No one's inside right now."

With that, Ichinose led Hikigaya into a nearby tent, with Kanzaki following quietly behind them. Stepping inside, Hikigaya noticed the ground felt soft underfoot, probably because they had lined the floor with plastic bags—another clever solution.

Once Kanzaki zipped the tent shut, Hikigaya got straight to the point. "I'm here to give you information about Class A. Their leader is a guy named Totsuka Yahiko. I saw him myself using a keycard to claim a stronghold, so you can be sure of this."

"Wait, what?"

Ichinose and Kanzaki exchanged looks of disbelief, momentarily stunned.

It wasn't surprising. After all, not even 24 hours had passed since they arrived on the island, and while they knew Hikigaya would offer help, they hadn't expected it to come so quickly.

"Thank you for the intel, Hikigaya," Kanzaki said after a pause.

"We'll discuss this with the others and consider writing down the name."

Before Hikigaya could respond, Ichinose cut in, looking visibly anxious. "Hold on, Kanzaki! That's kind of rude. What you said makes it sound like—"

Hikigaya interrupted her calmly, "It's fine. I understand Kanzaki's doubts. If I were in his position, I'd be suspicious too."

"Sorry, Hikigaya," Kanzaki lowered his head, apologizing.

"I've heard you're on good terms with Sakayanagi from Class A, so I can't trust your information outright."

His words were direct, but his posture was humble enough to make it difficult to take offense.

It was a fair point.

From an outsider's perspective, even with the internal conflict between the two factions in Class A, it wouldn't make sense for them to jeopardize their class's standing. Hikigaya had even lent Ichinose a million points, but that could be seen as part of a larger scheme by Sakayanagi to manipulate Class B.

Understanding Kanzaki's reasoning, Hikigaya didn't feel insulted. He respected Kanzaki for being willing to step up and play the bad guy. This guy was genuinely concerned about his class, not blindly following Ichinose's lead.

Ichinose, on the other hand, looked at Hikigaya apologetically, her face filled with regret.

"I'm really sorry, Hikigaya-kun. I know you're just trying to help…"

Her sincerity didn't seem forced at all. She wasn't even backing up Kanzaki—she truly felt bad.

She's not faking it, is she? Hikigaya thought, feeling a little concerned for Ichinose's future if this was her genuine personality.

"I told you, it's fine. I expected this," Hikigaya said evenly. "That's why I plan to show some sincerity. That way, you'll believe me."

"Sincerity?" Ichinose tilted her head in confusion, and Kanzaki also looked puzzled.

Hikigaya's next words caught them both off guard. "Your class's leader is Chihiro Shiranami, isn't she?"

"Uh…"

Ichinose's face tensed, her smile turning awkward.

"Hikigaya-kun, we're not doubting you at all. It's just… guessing the wrong leader means losing points, so we have to talk it over with everyone. But, um, I feel really bad because, well, Shiranami-chan isn't our leader."

She quickly added, "Of course, I don't mean to make fun of you! We're friends, Hikigaya-kun! And I sometimes get things wrong too, so it's no big deal!"

"Ichinose, please stop talking," Kanzaki sighed. "Your attempts at comfort are only making it more awkward. Even I can't stand it."

"Hey! That's rude, Kanzaki-kun!"

"But I'm just telling the truth."

The two of them bantered back and forth, clearly trying to lighten the mood. But Hikigaya wasn't fooled. Or more accurately, he wouldn't have said Shiromi's name unless he was confident.

"Ichinose, you made the same mistake as Katsuragi. Your choice for a leader is terrible."

Ichinose's smile didn't waver as she replied, "Oh? Then please enlighten me."

"The logic is simple. Totsuka Yahiko and Katsuragi are close friends, just like you and Chihiro-san… well, maybe not quite the same."

Even though he didn't like those two, Hikigaya wasn't one to smear people's reputations without reason.

"Anyway, theirs isn't the same kind of relationship you have with Chihiro-san. You get that, right?"

"Wait! Shiranami-chan and I aren't in that kind of relationship either!" Ichinose protested.

Kanzaki chuckled knowingly, probably because he was well aware of Shiromi's feelings for Ichinose. It wasn't exactly a secret—most of Class B probably had a sense of it.

"I know. It's just that Chihiro-san likes you."

That's precisely why Hikigaya believed Ichinose had made a poor choice.

"Yesterday, when we were talking on the cruise, Chihiro-san looked like she wanted nothing more than to cling to you. But today, as you showed me around the camp, she didn't come near you even once. Don't you think that's strange?"

Ichinose burst out laughing. "So that's what you were thinking? Sorry to disappoint you, Hikigaya-kun, but Shiranami-chan doesn't stick to me all the time."

"It's not just that. It's also the way Class B students keep glancing at her."

"Eh?"

"They might not even realize it, but their eyes occasionally dart toward Chihiro-san, giving her more attention than anyone else. Given that, and her unusual behavior today, I'm convinced she's your leader."

Still not done, Hikigaya pressed on, "If I had to guess, I'd say Chihiro-san volunteered to lead because she wanted to contribute to the class, and you couldn't bring yourself to say no."

"Uh…" Ichinose fell silent, clearly unable to maintain her cheery facade any longer.

She could no longer deny it.