Chapter 57: The Deserted Island Exam Begins
Kushida struck various poses, which included two modes: looking at the camera and not looking at the camera, having Hikigaya shoot her from the front and the front-left angle.
After taking photos for Kushida, Hikigaya sent all the pictures to her phone. Kushida lowered her head, checking them one by one, then gently nodded: "Mmhmm, the pictures turned out really well... Hikigaya-kun, let's take a little break now."
"Kushida-san, are you going to take more?" Hikigaya asked, a little weary.
"No, not of me. Hikigaya-kun, you've been taking pictures for me for so long, now it's my turn to take pictures of you," Kushida said, raising her phone towards Hikigaya and quickly tapping the screen a few times.
"No, um, Kushida-san, I really don't need any..." Hikigaya quickly reached out to stop Kushida, making her lower the phone.
Since he didn't hear the shutter sound or see the flash, Hikigaya was relieved, mistakenly thinking Kushida hadn't managed to open the camera yet.
"Are you sure you don't need any?" Kushida glanced down at the few photos she had just sneakily taken. After confirming they weren't blurry, she raised her head, her expression unchanged, and asked Hikigaya in a soft voice: "Hikigaya-kun, this is a luxury trip, a very rare experience."
"No, I really don't," Hikigaya quickly shook his head in refusal, his ahoge bobbing back and forth.
"..."
'I really wanted to record Hikigaya's frantic resistance too, but if I raise my phone again, it'll make him suspicious... In that case, let me at least keep it in my mental photo album.'
"...If you insist, then never mind." Kushida looked deeply at Hikigaya, then offered another sweet smile: "Hikigaya-kun, thank you so much. According to the school, we'll be free to swim at the island's private beach at noon, right? I'm so looking forward to it. If you're interested, Hikigaya-kun, you can come find me over in the Class D area later."
"No, that won't be necessary. I don't want to be targeted by the Class D guys..."
Kushida-san is excellent in both looks and figure. Just talking to her alone might draw jealous looks from other boys.
In fact, several boys were already glaring at Hikigaya with eyes burning with hatred...
"Hehe, well then, Hikigaya-kun, I'll be going now. Have fun."
"Oh, you too."
Kushida gave Hikigaya a cute smile, then turned around, subtly gripping her phone tighter, thinking to herself—
'In any case, I need to keep the few photos I took today safe. I also need to set up a specific ringtone for Hikigaya, and create a confidential folder dedicated to him. Just in case, I should transfer the photos to other electronic devices for backup.'
After seeing off Kushida-san, Hikigaya didn't plan on staying here any longer. He slowly walked over to the vending machine in the corner and pressed the button for Max Coffee. Bending down to take the coffee out of the machine, he was about to go back to his room to rest when the ship's announcement suddenly rang out.
"This is an announcement for all students. If you have time, please gather on the deck. We are about to see the island. You will surely see a very meaningful sight in a short period of time."
Come to think of it, the official line given by the school was that they owned a small island in the south, which was the destination of this trip.
Moreover, the school deliberately used the word "meaningful" to describe the sight. This meant observing the island's environment might provide useful information for the special exam to come.
Hikigaya arrived on the deck, where several students were already standing at the railing, and students from other classes also came out and gathered one after another.
A few minutes later, the island appeared on the distant horizon within everyone's sight. Upon spotting the island, students began contacting others with their phones. A crowd rushed over and gathered together on the deck.
"Hey, you're in the way. Get lost, you defective products."
A group of aggressive male students shoved aside the Class D students who had been occupying the best positions until now.
Hikigaya followed the sound and saw the blonde Totsuka Yahiko shoulder-check a male student, seemingly to make an example of him while showing intimidation. The latter lost his balance and fell onto the deck.
"What are you doing!" A muscular, red-haired boy immediately retaliated with a threat.
"You understand the structure of this school, right? This is a school of meritocracy. Class D doesn't have much in the way of human rights. Defective products should act like defective products. We are the noble Class A," the blonde Totsuka Yahiko looked self-important, confronting the Class D students with several Katsuragi faction students.
Hikigaya stood at a distance, sipping his Max Coffee, and continued to observe what was happening.
The previous conflict between the Sakayanagi faction and the Katsuragi faction in Class A had made the competition within the class very intense, and now the Katsuragi faction was being pushed into a corner by the Sakayanagi faction.
There is a threshold for how much pressure a person can endure, and exceeding this threshold requires venting externally. Just like Kushida-san kicking the railing before.
There are surveillance cameras on the ship. The recent conflict between Class C and Class D just ended not long ago. If another incident of violence occurs at this sensitive time, these few Class A students are highly likely to be suspended... But this guy seems completely oblivious. Katsuragi-kun must have it rough with such reckless followers.
"That's enough!"
Just then, the crowd suddenly parted, and a strong, bald figure appeared on the deck. The aggressive Class A students immediately wilted.
"Yahiko! Even though student conduct is no longer assessed, since we are Class A students, we must maintain the proper attitude and character of Class A," Katsuragi reprimanded the arrogant Totsuka Yahiko a few times, then turned to the Class D students and said: "My apologies, Class D students. My classmates caused you trouble. Is this student injured?"
"N-No..."
Questioned by the tall, burly Katsuragi, the knocked-down Class D student quickly shook his head, grabbed the railing of the deck, and stood up, apparently not wanting to be embarrassed in front of so many students.
"What! You think a mere apology for knocking down Hondou is enough?! You Class A guys were the ones who provoked us first!"
"Sudo, maybe let it go..."
The agitated, red-haired boy, Sudo, still wanted to say something, but the fallen boy tugged at his sleeve.
"Is that so?" Hearing Sudo's words, Katsuragi looked seriously at the few Class A students, and they showed expressions of shame.
"I apologize. We will compensate this student..." Katsuragi surveyed the Class D students, expressing his apology in a calm voice.
"Katsuragi-san!" Totsuka Yahiko called out, looking unwilling.
"Yahiko, you must apologize when you do something wrong..." Katsuragi frowned and glanced at Totsuka Yahiko, stating an undeniable truth.
"What, what? Hondou gets compensated just for being bumped? How much?" A Class D boy was very excited when he heard Katsuragi mention compensation.
"Shut up, Haruki. You're not the one who got bumped," the red-haired boy Sudo pressed down on that boy's shoulder.
"..."
"You are Hondou-kun, right? How about I compensate you 50,000 points on behalf of my classmate?" Katsuragi took out his phone, intending to use points to get the Class D students to drop the matter.
"F-Fifty thousand?! Yes! Absolutely no problem!" Hondou nodded quickly in agreement.
50,000 private points is not a small sum for a Class D student, but it's nothing for a Class A student, making it a very reasonable price. After Katsuragi transferred the points to Hondou, the Class D students chuckled and left the bow. Katsuragi remained on the deck, gazing at the distant horizon.
Soon after, the surroundings suddenly became noisy. Once the island could be clearly seen with the naked eye, the distance between the cruise ship and the island shortened in the blink of an eye. The students' excitement and anticipation gradually rose.
Hikigaya expected the cruise ship to simply arrive at the island, but for some reason, the ship bypassed the pier and began to circle the outside of the island.
The island that the school rented and manages has an area of about 0.5 square kilometers, with a maximum elevation of 230 meters. Although it's very small in the context of Japan as a whole, it's a sufficiently large island for the hundred-plus students aboard the cruise ship.
The cruise ship seemed to be taking a full circle to let the students view the entire island. The ship circling the island did not change speed but was cruising unnaturally fast, splashing water high up.
"Hikigaya, you're here..." Just as Hikigaya was intently observing the full view of the deserted island, a familiar voice entered his ears. He turned around and saw Yukinoshita and Kamuro had come up behind him at some point.
The deeply meaningful broadcast was issued five minutes ago. Why did these two only arrive on the deck now? Did something delay them?
As if noticing Hikigaya's confusion, Kamuro crossed her arms and offered an explanation: "Yukinoshita and I just went to see Mashima-sensei..."
"Is something wrong? The exam is about to start. I don't want to waste energy talking to anyone," Hikigaya said, lifting his dead, rotten fish eyes.
'I was on the bus for so long, and I barely got any rest on the cruise ship, and now the deserted island exam is about to start.'
"Then you're taking exams all year round," a smile like cold ice appeared on Yukinoshita's face.
"...Basically, yes. What is it?"
"Katsuragi-kun came to me for a discussion half an hour ago. He seemed to hope to gain my cooperation so that the Sakayanagi faction students would follow his instructions," Yukinoshita said indifferently.
Before the students departed, Sakayanagi had informed the Sakayanagi faction students to fully follow Yukinoshita's leadership. Now, Katsuragi seemed to want to reach an agreement with Yukinoshita first and lead the Class A students to cooperate for the exam.
'Oh, oh, so Katsuragi-kun is also working hard.'
"So, what do you think?" Hikigaya asked with some curiosity.
"Well... Although the specific rules and content of the exam are still unknown, though..."
Before Yukinoshita could finish her sentence, the ship's announcement rang out again—
"We will soon land on the island owned by our school.
All students are requested to change into their sports uniforms in 30 minutes, and after ensuring the required bags and luggage are confirmed, please gather on the deck with your mobile phones.
All other private items must be left in your rooms. Since you can still access the restrooms for the time being, please take care of your needs first."
Another clear hint. If this were just an ordinary vacation, there would be no need for so many ridiculous regulations.
"It looks like the exam is about to begin..."
"..."
Yukinoshita wore a serious expression and left with Kamuro. After parting with the two, Hikigaya went to his room, changed into the sports uniform he used for PE class, and returned to the deck, waiting for the cruise ship to arrive at the island.
Bathed in sunlight, the island with its verdant forest and golden beach appeared before everyone's eyes. It must be said that this was definitely an excellent vacation resort.
As the island drew closer, the excitement of the first-year students reached its peak.
"Now, please start disembarking, beginning with the Class A students.
Additionally, mobile phones are prohibited on the island. Please hand yours over to your respective homeroom teachers before disembarking."
Under the command of a teacher holding a megaphone, students walked down the cruise ship's stairs in order. As they disembarked, the teachers from each class stood on both sides of the students, conducting a thorough luggage inspection. The teachers collected the students' mobile phones, placed stickers with their names on the back, and sealed them in waterproof plastic bags.
After the Class A students disembarked from the cruise ship, they quickly lined up on the beach. After taking attendance, Mashima-sensei stepped onto a prepared white platform.
"First of all, I'm glad you all safely arrived here today. On the other hand, although it is only one student, I regret to inform you that someone is unable to participate due to illness."
After a brief statement, Mashima-sensei silently gazed at the first-year students. The homeroom teachers of the other classes also looked serious. A group of adults in work clothes began setting up tents a little further away. Upon closer inspection, computers and other items could be seen on a long table.
The students began to show confused expressions at the urban sounds that were out of place with the gentle lapping of the waves. Mashima-sensei waited as if for the atmosphere to change, then uttered a cold sentence.
"Now—we will begin the first special exam of the academic year."
"Huh? A special exam? What is going on?"
Aside from Class A, the other classes made surprised and questioning noises upon hearing about a special exam.
It seemed Ichinose-san, though she had suspicions about this vacation, had not told all her classmates.
For the students who until now, and even currently, believed this was just a trip, this was a sudden, unexpected attack.
As if he hadn't seen the students' expressions, Mashima-sensei continued indifferently: "The exam period is one week from now, and it will end at noon on August 7th. The content of the exam is that you will spend the next week in a group life on this deserted island. Also, let me state this in advance: this is a special exam based on real corporate training. It is very practical and realistic."
'August 7th, August 8th... Huh? That means the day after the exam ends is my birthday. Come to think of it, Komachi used to help me celebrate my birthday every year, but this year, no, maybe I won't be able to eat Komachi's homemade cake for the next three years... Kishou (Damn)!'
"Living on a deserted island?... Does that mean we're not staying on the ship, but on this island?" A student, perhaps from Class B or Class C, posed this obvious question to Mashima-sensei.
"Yes. During the exam, boarding the ship without a legitimate reason is not permitted. All aspects of life on this island, from sleeping arrangements to preparing food, need to be figured out by yourselves. At the start, the school will provide each class with two tents, two flashlights, and one box of matches. Also, there is no restriction on sunscreen. Regarding toothbrushes, one will be distributed to each of you individually. As an exception, we allow
girls unrestricted use of sanitary products. Please request these from your homeroom teacher. That is all."
After Mashima-sensei finished speaking, a brief silence fell, which was then broken by a Class D male student who loudly shouted at a volume everyone could hear.
"What! Is this what real deserted island survival is supposed to feel like?! I've never heard of anything this absurd! This isn't an anime or a manga! And with only two tents, there's no way everyone can sleep! Besides, what are we supposed to do about eating and stuff?! This is unbelievable!"
To everyone's surprise, the school's special exam was for the students to live a self-sufficient life on a deserted island.
However, Mashima-sensei did not correct him by saying it was a joke. No, far from it, he even seemed genuinely surprised by the student's outburst: "You say it's unbelievable, but that's simply because your life so far has been short and shallow. In fact, companies that conduct training on deserted islands do exist, and they are even large corporations that everyone knows. They hold this as an attempt."
"Ugh—T-This is... that is... that must be a special case... Should I say that a deserted island is too extreme? This is absolutely impossible! It's too unrealistic!"
Perhaps finding the student's uncontrolled reaction too unsightly, Chabashira-sensei, the Class D homeroom teacher, opened her mouth and scolded him.
Hikigaya's head felt dizzy from the intense sun overhead, and he sincerely envied Sakayanagi-san who didn't need to participate due to her health.
'Wait a minute! Mashima-sensei said boarding the ship isn't allowed without a legitimate reason. In other words, with a legitimate reason, couldn't I escape back to the cruise ship and enjoy the air conditioning?'
"Okay!" Hikigaya thought to himself for a moment, then made up his mind, turning to Yukinoshita who was standing next to him: "Break it! Yukinoshita, go find a luxury car and break my leg!"
'That way, I won't have to take the special exam, and I can also extort a large amount of compensation.'
"What nonsense are you talking about? Has the sun made you lose your mind?" Yukinoshita looked at Hikigaya with a disdainful gaze.
"Are you an idiot?!" Kamuro crossed her arms, showing a look of undisguised contempt.
"Sensei, but it is currently summer vacation, and we were brought here under the guise of a trip. I believe corporate training wouldn't employ such underhanded tactics," a student from some class retorted with dissatisfaction.
Well said! The school not only requires the students to engage in wilderness survival on a deserted island, but the supplies provided are also pitifully scarce.
They might be able to find a way to procure food, especially since the Class A students have been diligently learning about outdoor camping recently. But no matter what, with only two tents, it would be absolutely crowded trying to accommodate forty students, even if boys and girls slept separately.
Even for corporate training, these conditions are unreasonable, let alone for a group of high school students taking an exam.
"I see. You are not wrong in your understanding of that point. I also understand that you all feel a sense of unfairness and dissatisfaction." Until now, Mashima-sensei had been refuting the students with logical arguments, but he seemed to partially agree with this student's opinion.
"However, you can rest assured. If this were an exam that forced you into a harsh life, then criticism would be natural. However, even though this is a special exam, you don't need to overthink it. For the next week, you can swim at the beach, you can have a barbecue. Occasionally building a campfire and chatting with friends is also fine. The theme of this special exam is 'Freedom'."
"Huh? Huh? The theme is Freedom, so we can have a barbecue...? Huh, huh, huh? Can this still be called an exam? My mind is starting to get confused..."
An exam where they can freely play. With contradictory things mixed together, the students naturally began to sink into doubt and confusion.
"As the major premise for this deserted island special exam, first, each class will be given 300 points of exam-specific points, referred to as Material Points. By making good use of these points, you can potentially spend the one-week special exam as if you were enjoying a trip. To this end, we have also prepared a guidebook."
Saying this, Mashima-sensei took a thick, dozens-of-pages-long booklet from the other teachers and held it up high for all the students to see.
"This guidebook contains a list of all items that can be obtained using points. Essential necessities like water and food are included, of course. If you want to have a barbecue, we will also provide the equipment and food. In addition to these, we have also fully prepared countless game items to fully enjoy the ocean."
"B-But, Sensei, since you call it an exam, there must still be some difficult aspects, right?"
"No, there are absolutely no difficult aspects. There will be no negative impact on the second semester and beyond. I guarantee it."
'Since there are no negative impacts, the inverse understanding is that there are positive impacts. Otherwise, the school wouldn't need to specially hold this deserted island exam; they could just let the students play freely.'
Mashima-sensei emphasizing this point is purely to incite the students to spend their Material Points freely.
"So, does that mean it's really okay to just play around for a whole week?"
"Yes. It's entirely up to your freedom. Of course, the exam does include the minimum necessary rules for group life, but there's nothing difficult to follow."
Mashima-sensei first nodded, then revealed the full scope of the exam like a dagger hidden in the sleeve.
"When this special exam concludes, the remaining points of each class will all be added to the Class Points, and the results will be reflected at the end of the summer vacation."
A gust of wind, accompanied by these words, swept across the midsummer beach, stirring up dust. The scene was silent, and the students' faces showed expressions of astonishment.
Until now, though there had been midterm and final exams, they were contests of academic ability.
In exams based purely on academic ability, like written tests, Class A and Class B, which have high-academic students, have a significant advantage. The class points of Class C and Class D would often fall behind, forcing them into difficult situations. However, this deserted island exam is completely different. The exam structure makes the disadvantageous gap between the classes almost imperceptible.
How to use those 300 Material Points—to indulge and enjoy themselves, or to endure hardship for the future... How will each class distribute the points, and how will they coordinate the needs of the students within the class? For all the classes, this is undoubtedly a new kind of examination, one that tests survival skills and teamwork ability.
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