"If we stop here, there's foliage blocking the sunlight, and it doesn't seem like we'll have to worry about anyone hearing us."
His words came after he and the girls had already stopped. Some even went over to the rocks to settle down.
They didn't seem keen on moving. Something on which the boys made their opinion known, "We ought to be moving, too, not leaving everything to Ike and the others. Don't you think? If another class captures one of the main spots, the point difference will widen."
Yukimura had decided to take the lead then. Pushing himself up, "Yeah, you're right. We do need to get moving right away, but it's not a good idea to neglect our problems and scatter. And then there was the toilet too."
Hirata, bless his bleeding heart, took to the front, "I am with the girls on this," I could almost hear the cheers go through the girls, "It is a necessity."
"You don't just get to decide. Ike also had an opinion."
"Installing a toilet might be a necessary expense. To begin with, we have one simple toilet that our class, which has thirty or more students, isn't used to. I have to wonder if we can really take turns effectively without any trouble?"
"That's… If we use it well…"
There were a thousand better arguments he could have used but Yukimura couldn't even handle the easiest one, and so Hinata pushed on.
"It's unrealistic. We have to consider the worst-case scenario. If everyone took three minutes to use the restroom, then it would take an hour and a half or more for everyone to go. Can that possibly work?"
It can, not like everyone will use it at the same time but…it's gonna get dirty isn't it? Ugh. I think I might even want two. Not that I was willing to say that, they hated the idea of a single toilet enough already.
"Not everyone would need to use the toilet at the same time. The school provided us with just one toilet because it was realistic. We should be able to effectively take turns, right?"
"I don't think so. From the beginning, I thought using only one toilet would be impossible…" My focus was dragged away from their conversation by the girl next to me as she literally dragged me to the edge of the group. And while at it, I snatched a match box into my pocket. One of the two given to us. Then we were just off a turn in the foliage. We weren't out of sight, just slightly off.
"So?" Horikita asked, though I didn't know what. So, I simply raised my brow, "What?"
She shook her head, as if asking why I was not esper, "Thoughts Heylel, I am asking for your thoughts."
"Toilets, I think they will be important if only to keep the girls' morale. Maybe even two, that would allow us to separate for genders and alleviate the girls' anxiety."
She nodded, "Two seem appropriate but I think one for Girls and the boys make due with the cardboard?"
I gave her a mean eye—sexist woman thinks men don't like being clean, "And then the boys would cry discrimination, unfairness and the like."
"Fair enough," She relented. Her arms wiping a bead of sweat that formed on her forehead. A red forehead. A bit too much. Then my eyes ran over her fully. Her pale, almost milky skin now had a feverish flush, well, not 'ish,' she did indeed have a fever, "You alright?"
"Yes. More importantly, I have an idea for our leader candidate." She gave a once over of the crowd gathered in front of us, a few had given an ear to our conversation though we were low enough to not be heard, but most were still focused on the carnival of Yukimura and Hinata.
"Who?" I asked her.
She looked me in the eyes, "Kounji."
"Absolutely not." My words were instant. Ike would be better. Hell, draw a fucking lottery.
"Listen first," She came prepared, she knew the answer before she had even asked.
There was no need for her to tell me, I knew where it was going, "No. You can't trust him. Not on this."
"I'm disappointed, Heylel, my boy. To think anyone could find this magnificent self unreliable," A voice cracked though. Half amused as he always was. Koenji.
"As if," I turned, only to be greeted with his wide smile, and met it with my own, "Bored of exploring yet?"
He laughed, turning to the crowd, "Not at the moment, the lush green has managed to keep me occupied."
"More glory to the greens then," I shook my head following his eyes to the toilet orators, "So, what brings you back?"
"Food, I have secured some sources and it is nearly time for our lunch."
A sigh gurgled out of my lips. Then I tucked my hand into my pocket. Pulling out my coin. "Heads or Tails?" The words came naturally.
"Heads naturally," Blondie said.
And so I tossed it.
Heads.
"Fuc—" My words tumbled as I was stabbed in my side. My eyes traced the pain point and I saw Horikita's finger having just been dislodged. That made me glare at her. She didn't care.
Koenji just laughed and left immediately after. He was a small storm, no one even bothered trying to stop him, well not many cared about us while the toilet musketeers fenced away.
Rather, her lips had tucked into a small crescent, "So what did you bet on?"
"Our shares of food," I sighed. Fucking hell, now I was going or have to go hungry.
She for her part gave me the most annoyed look she could, "I would appreciate it if you don't gamble away our food."
Yes mom, "I won't gamble away our—our? Huh?"
She smiled, a very cutesy smile that he knew she was deliberately making, "You were going to give some of your share to me, right?"
"No—" She put her arm next to my side, her index finger joined with her middle and ring, ready to strike, "I mean yes." No you commie bitch. I will carve you up the way motherland was—
"Done cursing me?" She asked, turning to sit down on one of the rocks, just behind the group, pulling us out of our cover.
"Yeah, just a few left, say are you an esper?" I said as I took a seat as well.
"Stupid," She mouthed before settling her head on her arms. Her resting bitch face returned a moment later.
By then the argument was over. Yuki MacArthur had lost the plot somewhere along the way and the pro-toilet party had won.
Hirata though being Hirata didn't let himself breath for more than a minute, as he sighed and began again, "Next. We've already heard some opinions, but I think we need to search around and decide where our base camp will be. Where we settle will impact how we consume our points."
His first thought was to ask for volunteers, and the result was predictable, two. Regardless, I spoke low to Horikita, "Want the food?" She thought for a second and nodded.
Then I stood up, "I will go."
Hirata shot me a grateful nod and then he smiled a little, a little tease mixed in as Horikita stood up too.
I rolled my eyes, ignoring the reactions of the rest of our classmates and followed the direction Blondie had departed. Something he had made easy, his prints being visible in the sand and the barks of trees being scratched out in cross shapes.
He really could do anything couldn't he?
So, we simply walked through the thicket till we reached a clearing in the threes. There he was sitting next to a fire. His hands held corn stalks. And more were arrayed next to his feet, enough for four or five people and if taking his appetite into account, three exactly.
"Corn? Really?" I asked as we emerged. He had set them down on a rock and there was already a dug out in the earth. A firepit. "And where is your shirt?"
"Oh please Heylel boy, it would be a crime to hide this magnificent figure, from the world," He gestured to his own body, and well the man was well built, no doubt about it.
"Right, Horikita, gather some dry firewood, I will go get us some sea water."
"Sea water?" Were her words, I shrugged, "Salt. I am not eating corn without salt."
I was going to dry it over my jacket or in the bags they had said were free.
"More importantly Heylel," She grabbed my hand, stopping me there, "Corn, we have food. We will need it back with everyone else. It's a definite advantage over other classes."
Fair enough, but we don't even know where he got it from. He led us here, but not where he found it. More specifically, he didn't lead Horikita there. And he approached me when I was with her.
He wanted to negotiate.
"But we don't have it," I pointed to Blondie, "He does."
She opened her mouth, perhaps to speak something, but was cut off by a low laugh. A laugh trialed by Blondie's voice, "It seems my grace has started to rub off on you."
"Oh please, not this again," I said as I pulled her hand off, the headache of convincing him of anything was not worth it.
"What do you want?" She was plain with her words.
He mostly appreciated that, "This is my contribution to the class," he shot me a glance then, "Fire, water and food, in that order. I have solved the third."
Horikita's eyes remained settled on him, "While I am grateful for that, I would like to know what is it that you want—"
I cut her off.
"He is out."
"Huh?" Her eyes went wide, fully turning to me, "What do you mean?"
I shrugged almost involuntarily, "He will retire."
There was anger on her face, I could almost see it, but before it all, I heard the blonde laugh as he turned away. "I will leave the rest to Heylel-boy, and bring back some more corn for us, my magnificent self feels generous today."
And he was gone then.
Leaving me alone with Horikita who was fully pissed off by then, "Can't you stop him? He will cost us 30 points."
"Nope."
Not that I would even want to. After all, he is most likely gonna be my future boss after we get out of here. Have I asked him yet? Nope. The conversation will likely come up on its own in the future.
Horikita, though, didn't care. Only getting more agitated, "He is your friend, isn't he?"
Even her voice has kicked up a tone. But that would not get her away. "That is his consideration towards me. He would have retired off the island the moment he got bored. This is a peace offering."
Hissing through her teeth, her eyes met mine and I could see the annoyance in them, still she sighed, "You believe this is it, the best we can get out of him?"
No.
"Yes."
She nodded. "Fine, I trust you." Then turned away, "I will gather the firewood."
Was I using her trust for mine and the blonde's gain? Yes. Will it help her out in the end? Most likely.
A win-win as they say.
Still, a sigh crept out my lips, I had two friends and well, I don't like tricking one of them. So, I pulled her attention back, "Horikita."
She turned to see me, I pointed to the firepit, more especially to the corn next to it, "Enough for three."
Her brows furrowed, "What?"
The blonde was preparing another bargaining chip. That's where he was off to.