At the Class C campsite, after sending everyone out, Symon walked to the edge of the pond and looked at the situation in the water through its clear surface.
Evidently, the school organizers had some sense; they had clearly and intentionally stocked the pond with some small fish.
Schools of fish swam in the water. Although they were only palm-sized, judging by the density, there were quite a few fish in the water.
After confirming this, Symon spent some time gathering pebbles from the pond's edge, washed them clean, and carried them back to the campsite in his arms.
As it turned out, Kaneda's reading over the past two days had not been in vain.
While Symon was 'slacking off,' the people who remained at the camp had already divided the labor: some were pitching tents, some assembling the simple toilet, some weeding, some clearing branches, and he even saw Ibuki poking at a bonfire pit in the center of the camp with a wooden stick.
Seeing the group bustling with activity, Symon thought for a moment and decided not to force his way in to join the commotion. He took out the exam guide Ryūen had left behind from his luggage bag, found a tree stump to sit on, and began to look through the list of exchangeable items.
About twenty minutes later, Symon closed the exam guide and happened to see Albert emerging from the woods with four other boys. They used their gym clothes to carry a pile of sweet potatoes, stems and all, and dumped them in the center of the camp.
"There are that many?" Symon asked, a little surprised.
"yes, Morofuji said the sweet potatoes were probably transplanted by the school. We brought some back first." Albert rarely spoke such a long sentence.
Symon replied in a gentle voice, "Thank you all for your hard work."
"no problem." Albert nodded calmly. The boys with him, however, weren't as composed. Rolling up their sleeves, they excitedly declared they would definitely harvest all the sweet potatoes today and eagerly followed Yamada back.
After the harvest group left, a few girls from the foraging group also returned quickly. The one in the lead, Minori Kinoshita, had a radiant smile. She put down the banana leaves in her arms, which were filled with fruit, and said cheerfully:
"Hiyori-chan, we found mango and peach trees, but the mango trees were a bit too tall. Ishizaki-kun climbed up to pick these for us."
"Then you should tell him to be careful~"
"No way, you should have seen him," Minori Kinoshita said, waving her hand with a sly smile. "I've never met someone so straightforward—a little praise is all it takes for him to get completely carried away."
Hearing this, Takeko Nishino beside her also found it hard to hold back a laugh, nodding in strong agreement.
"If that's the case... then I suppose it can't be helped."
Being surrounded and praised by a group of above-average girls, it'd be strange if a boy his age didn't get a big head.
While thinking this internally, Symon's expression remained unchanged as he smiled and said, "It's fine to pick some more, but we still need to light a bonfire at the camp. Don't forget about firewood and dry grass; that's very important right now."
"Ah, oh no, we totally forgot about that." Minori Kinoshita slapped her forehead in sudden realization.
Takeko Nishino said, "It's not too late to go back now, right?"
"Got it, I'll go right now! Bye-bye, Hiyori-chan~!"
Symon smiled and waved, watching the girls leave amidst their laughter.
Hiyori whispered gently in his mind, "It's rare to see everyone getting along so well."
"It's mainly because your image is too gentle. Just imagine if Ryūen were here instead," Symon teased back with a laugh in his mind.
Meanwhile, the class advisor, Kazuma Sakagami, walked out, following the path the students had taken.
Looking at the students bustling with activity in the camp, the already pitched tents and simple toilet, and the piles of sweet potatoes and fruit surrounding 'Hiyori,' Kazuma Sakagami raised his wrist to check the time. He saw that just over an hour had passed and, for a moment, didn't know what to say.
"Sensei, can we exchange for items now?"
Noticing Teacher Sakagami's arrival, Symon stood up and asked gently, "May I ask how many points we have left?"
Kazuma Sakagami took out a pen and a small booklet and handed them over, explaining in a calm tone, "Ryūen traded 200 points with Class B and spent another 20 on some items. You have 80 points remaining."
"Is that so?" Symon took the paper and pen, a little surprised. "That's quite a bit more than I expected..."
Kazuma Sakagami couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth—With what kind of mindset are you saying that?
Symon didn't notice this. He took the pen and wrote down a shower stall-type toilet that could be used for bathing, then added a waterproof tarp, containers, a perimeter net, an axe-saw, kitchen utensils, and miscellaneous items like oil and salt. After quickly totaling the points, he added a bag of candy to the list, for a total expenditure of 30 points.
Hiyori was a bit puzzled. "Mr. Ghost, aren't you going to exchange for two more tents? With only two, won't it be too crowded?"
"There's no need. The exam lasts for seven days, and you have more than enough people. In this situation, rather than solving all the problems at once, it's better to let the students use their creativity to improve their own living environment. This will also help maintain a positive and proactive atmosphere in the group."
Saying this, Symon handed the list to Kazuma Sakagami.
"This is quite... extravagant yet simple." Teacher Sakagami glanced at the items on the list, pushed up his glasses, and offered his assessment.
Symon knew he was referring to the 20-point shower stall. He smiled and shook his head. "It can't be helped. We can find solutions for things like shelter, but making everyone go seven days without bathing is a bit unrealistic. Washing in the pond carries too high a risk of getting sick. To be safe, it's better to buy one."
Teacher Sakagami fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "You don't need to explain it to me. Staff will deliver the items. I'll also be camping nearby, so you can come find me anytime if you need something."
He took back what he had said to Ryūen before—Hiyori Shiina was indeed all-powerful. At least for now, this girl was a little too abnormal.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Outside the stream spot, Ryūen stood at the edge of the campsite, holding the last pinhole camera in his hand. He watched the busy Class B students in their camp, found a tree trunk directly facing the check-in machine, and tried to stick it on.
Unfortunately, this usually foolproof trick didn't work very well on a surface like a tree trunk. The camera fell off right after he attached it.
Seeing this, Ryūen didn't get annoyed. He casually put away the pinhole camera and, deciding not to alert the enemy, turned and slipped back into the jungle to head back to his own class's camp.
However, what he didn't notice was that high up in the treetops, a robust, blond-haired, blue-eyed young man stood steadily on a branch. He held a small mirror and a comb, a confident smile on his lips. "As expected, is it dragon boy's show time again..."
"Kōenji..."—Ayanokōji's listless voice called out from the woods.
"Kōenji-kun, where are you? Don't stray from the group."—This was Kikyō Kushida, who was exploring the forest with the two of them.
Rokusuke Kōenji put away his small mirror, ignoring their calls. He located the direction of the cruise ship and, like a jungle ape, leaped through the treetops, quickly disappearing into the dense forest.
—Clearly, this 'uninhabited island,' so full of artificial traces, did not align with his aesthetics.
...
______
🔥 The latest chapters are being posted! 🔥
✅ Read up to 40 chapters in advance (all stories)!
✅ Access exclusive posts and updates first!
Let's achieve our community goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 extra chapter for everybody
🚀 80 MEMBERS = +5 additional chapters on ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan