At 9 PM, a light rain began to fall on the uninhabited island.
In the Class B campsite, Kakeru Ryūen, draped in a waterproof sheet and carrying a duffel bag, braved the hazy rain,
looking at Hiyori Shiina, Mio Ibuki, and Nishino huddled in the tent to escape the rain, he asked calmly, "Why didn't you go back today?"
From behind the girls, Honami Ichinose interjected apologetically, "Sorry, the rain never stopped, so I took the liberty of having them stay."
Around noon, the clouds that had been gathering all day finally bared their fangs. Violent streaks of lightning churned within them, followed by a torrential downpour from the heavens.
Under those circumstances, Honami Ichinose naturally couldn't let the two leave in the rain. What no one expected was that—although the rain later lessened considerably, it ended up lasting the entire day.
"I wasn't talking to you," Kakeru Ryūen said, shooting her a cold glance.
Hiyori, seeing his attitude, thought for a moment before tentatively asking, "Did something happen?"
Kakeru Ryūen was silent for a moment before saying, "There are only four of us left in Class C now."
Hiyori Shiina: "???"
Nishino: "?!"
Ibuki: "!!!"
Ignoring the trio's reactions, Kakeru Ryūen tightened the rain tarp around him and said casually, "The stove in the shelter probably wasn't completely extinguished. Just now, our campsite was burned to the ground. Luckily, someone—I don't know who—noticed and shouted, so nothing serious happened."
Symon: "A fire in the rain? How fitting."
Hiyori was stunned and asked with some concern, "No one was hurt, were they?"
Kakeru Ryūen's eyes were cold as he replied calmly, "No. I had Daichi Ishizaki send a distress signal to the school and told them to grab their luggage and go straight back to the ship."
He wasn't an idiot. For something like a fire, the school had special rescue helicopters. They could bring a generator and a hose and pump water directly from the pond. There was no need to let his classmates risk their lives.
"That's certainly... unfortunate." Honami Ichinose gave a sheepish smile, unsure of what to say. She settled on a less offensive phrase, and after a moment's thought, added:
"If you don't mind, Ryūen-kun, you can stay with us tonight."
"No need. I just came to inform them."
Kakeru Ryūen glanced at her and instructed calmly, "I'm heading to the safe house by the cliff. If you need anything, you can find me there. I'm leaving these two women with you."
Honami Ichinose was taken aback for a second, then patted her chest with one hand, a brilliant smile spreading across her face. "I understand! Leave it to me!"
Having received his answer, Kakeru Ryūen extended his hand towards Hiyori Shiina and said coldly, "Give me the keycard."
Hiyori Shiina paused, then decided not to guess his intentions. She took the keycard from her pocket and handed it over.
Kakeru Ryūen leaned down to take it, then turned and left without a backward glance.
After Kakeru Ryūen left, back in the tent, Yume Kobashi was the first to react, cheering as she jumped onto Hiyori's back. She giggled, "Wah! Hiyori-chan is all mine tonight!"
"Then—Ichinose is all mine." Chihiro Shiranami, eager to stir up trouble, came closer and casually wrapped an arm around Honami Ichinose's neck.
Meanwhile, Hiyori Shiina thought to herself, "This feels... a bit too coincidental."
"As long as no one was hurt, why overthink it?"
"Well, that's true."
...
Elsewhere—
Kakeru Ryūen and Kōhei Katsuragi crossed paths.
Kōhei Katsuragi silently tucked the phone he was holding into the sleeve of his raincoat and asked, feigning confusion, "So late... What are you...?"
Kakeru Ryūen, slightly surprised, glanced at the faint light he could see, and after a moment's thought, a grin spread across his face. He explained, "A small accident. The class campsite caught fire. I'm heading to a safe house to crash for the night."
"That's truly unfortunate. I hope it won't affect our contract," Kōhei Katsuragi said calmly.
"Of course not."
Kakeru Ryūen replied casually, glancing pointedly at his sleeve. He ignored the man who was acting clever and walked past him, clutching his rain tarp.
Judging by the direction Kōhei Katsuragi had come from, he must have just left Class D's area, likely heading for Class B. He really hadn't expected someone to willingly jump into the pit. It just went to show some people really didn't know when they were in over their heads.
And besides...
Recalling the unfamiliar shout he heard when the camp caught fire, Kakeru Ryūen's back straightened, his eyes brimming with killing intent.
August 7th.
Though it felt long, it wasn't actually a short time. The Uninhabited Island Special Exam had finally reached its last day.
8 AM.
In the Class D campsite, a clamor was rising and falling. When Ayanokōji emerged from his tent, he saw this scene—
In the center of the camp, Ken Sudō had Yōsuke Hirata by the collar, roaring, "Hirata! Tell me! Who's the leader now?! I'm gonna kill them!"
Something's happened—thinking this, Ayanokōji scanned the area and quickly noticed something unusual on the card reader by the well. The screen displayed:
Class C 4:37:13
Just then, their homeroom teacher, Sae Chabashira, walked over with the class roster. She silently observed the chaotic group and said calmly, "According to the rules, you used a Class C spot as your campsite last night and stayed for over an hour. Therefore, 50 temporary points will be deducted."
"Sensei, that's not fair!" Kanji Ike shouted. "How can a spot be occupied by another class without even a single notification!"
"Is that what you think?" Sae Chabashira replied, her expression blank. "If it were an emergency rescue, staff would be on standby at all times, working in shifts to ensure everyone's safety."
"However, if you expect someone else to take responsibility for a mistake caused by your own negligence, then it just proves you truly belong in Class D."
"Do I make myself clear?"
As she said this, Chabashira glanced at the indignant crowd, her gaze pausing on Ayanokōji for a moment before adding, "By the way—last night, the Class C campsite burned down and is now a pile of ruins. So, if you're thinking of equivalent retaliation, it's likely impossible."
Ken Sudō froze, his grip on Yōsuke Hirata's collar loosening. "No way. Class C had that much bad luck?"
"Haha, serves them right!" Haruki Yamauchi laughed out loud.
Kei Karuizawa looked annoyed. "So they lose their own campsite and decide to snatch someone else's? That's just awful!"
"Yeah! Yeah!" Satsuki Shinohara agreed.
In the crowd, Kiyotaka Ayanokōji watched everything with calm eyes, his heart undisturbed, as he silently considered his counter-plan.
He was the one who set that fire in the Class C camp. His goal was to test Class C's reaction while Hiyori Shiina was away, to determine whether Shiina or Ryūen was the true leader.
What he hadn't expected was that Kakeru Ryūen had already discovered him and had unhesitatingly chosen to go for mutual destruction in this manner.
...
_____
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