"...I remember you, are you Classmate Ayanokoji?"
Chen Yao smiled and asked while looking at Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
"Senior Chen, I am Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. Nice to meet you."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka looked at Chen Yao silently and replied.
Chen Yao and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka looked at each other, as if both felt the immense contrast between them. To put it one way, if they were allies, both would be at peace; if they were enemies, they would be natural-born rivals.
"So we should try to organize the 15 students with the best physical fitness—no, it has to be 20—to control the probability of being guessed to one in twenty..."
Horikita Suzune pinched her chin with her hand, carefully considering this countermeasure.
"Give it up, Horikita."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka said to Horikita Suzune.
Horikita Suzune was stunned and asked, "Why..."
Chen Yao was a newcomer, after all, and had only had contact with Class A, so he didn't understand the situation of the other three classes. Upon hearing Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's suggestion, he subconsciously looked at the mobilization of the other classes. As it turned out, Class A had already gathered twenty physically fit students, and Sakayanagi Arisu was not among them, but many of her subordinates had gone over; it seemed she was supporting Katsuragi Kohei. Class B had also prepared seventeen students, and Yukino was not among them either. Only Class C seemed to have no mobilization at all, appearing to have given up on occupying the base. Given the Student Council's new rule that no class was allowed to return to the ship, every class seemed to have its own plan.
"Because our class can't put together twenty students who can compete with the other classes. Maybe a few people could, or even ten might have a chance, but the various risks involved are too high. It's better to spend 20 points to buy tents and quilts; there will be plenty of opportunities to earn points later."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka proposed.
Chen Yao thought it made sense, but he saw that Horikita Suzune didn't seem to agree. After all, not getting the base meant not just losing 7 points, but also having to spend 20 points to buy necessary survival supplies—it should be said that she had already lost 27 points in opportunity costs. Given her personality, she still wanted to take a shot at it.
"We can't give up so easily. Although the chances of winning are indeed not high, we should at least try. If the team really can't compete with the other classes, then we just have to make sure we aren't exposed. We won't let the opportunity cost turn into more than 57 points in the end."
Horikita Suzune made up her mind and said.
If the key card holder being discovered meant losing 60 points to someone else, she might not have taken the risk, but since it was reduced to 30 points... most students were willing to take the gamble.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka said nothing more, and Chen Yao respected Horikita Suzune's decision throughout. Soon, Horikita Suzune organized more than a dozen other students, including Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Chen Yao. But when she prepared to call a vigorous blonde male student named Koenji Rokusuke, he refused without a second thought.
"Sorry, I don't want to participate in this kind of action. You guys work hard."
This blonde male student, who looked free-spirited and unsociable, didn't care about the strange looks from the participants; he truly seemed uninterested in such things.
"Fine, since Classmate Koenji isn't participating, let's work hard together."
Horikita Suzune said to the participating students.
The students of Class D also began to prepare. When Yukinoshita Yukino saw that Chen Yao was also participating, she felt a bit concerned; it was clear he had already thrown himself into assisting Class D's operations.
"Alright, then..."
The teacher held a megaphone and shouted, "Students, officially begin landing on the island!"
Immediately, except for a small number of students responsible for looking after the firewood and other distributed supplies, the majority of the students from the three classes formed teams and began to run rapidly toward the rocky cliffs.
In the dense forest, a large group of students struggled through the cross-country trek. The path ahead was blocked by thick undergrowth, and as the students followed one another, it gradually became difficult.
"This won't do. If this continues, some students will fall behind. Once the occupation fails, the students who are temporarily lost will basically be confirmed as not carrying the key card. The one who can be protected by the team to reach the destination smoothly will most likely be carrying the leader card, and the probability of being seen through in the following days will greatly increase."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka thought about the emerging problems while closely following the students ahead.
Furthermore, Class A was overall physically stronger than them, leading by about fifty meters. With Class D's current method, it would likely be difficult to seize the base.
Just then, Horikita Suzune, who was charging near the front, was tripped by a vine and fell to the ground. However, she was clearly unwilling to lose; she scrambled up and immediately tried to run again.
But her leg seemed to be a bit injured. Although it wasn't enough to stop her from running, she grit her teeth and continued—this was clearly not a rational choice.
As a result, Chen Yao, who was running in front of her, saw this and without a word, picked Horikita Suzune up directly, startling both Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Horikita Suzune.
"Wait, you idiot, put me down quickly..."
Horikita Suzune's cheeks flushed red instantly as she spoke hurriedly.
"...Senior, can your stamina support you all the way to the base?" Ayanokouji Kiyotaka asked after a moment of silence.
"It's no problem at all. I'm on the baseball team; this little weight is nothing. But Classmate Ayanokoji... can you manage a long-distance run with a load?"
Chen Yao seemed to have realized that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had extraordinary physical strength, and he turned his head to ask him.
"...I can."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was silent for a moment, then he imitated Chen Yao and picked up Airi Sakura, who had poor physical ability and had fallen several times.
This scene made the people of Class D curious about what the two of them were doing.
"Wait a minute, won't you be slower running like this..."
Horikita Suzune asked in confusion.
"Don't worry about the probability of being guessed, Horikita. In your current state, you definitely won't make it to first place. If we can't maintain the one-in-sixteen chance, then we should strive to take the base. We'll be responsible for carrying two girls. While ensuring we run faster, there's a one-in-four chance of being guessed, but if we only carried you, the other classes would quickly know you're the one holding the key card."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was still very relaxed as he ran alongside Chen Yao, then asked, "Wouldn't you say so, Senior Chen?"
"Exactly. If we win, we lose nothing; if we lose, we take the risk. There's no such thing in this world as a good deal that covers both sides."
Chen Yao nodded and replied.
"..."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka looked at him and judged him to be a radical figure, the same type as Sakayanagi Arisu.
Horikita Suzune quieted down. She had to admit that the speed these two were running was indeed much faster than Class A as a whole. It was just that her curled-up posture was truly a bit embarrassing; her legs appeared even more rounded and tempting, and her fair, smooth face was flushed red, adding a touch of charm.
But she also felt that although Chen Yao looked thin on the outside, his arms were particularly muscular. Looking up at his face, he kept his gaze forward as he ran, as if he never hesitated in anything he did, seemingly enjoying it.
"What a strange person..."
Horikita Suzune thought as she looked at him.
In the end, the first to break through the forest were the four from Class D, traveling light despite the heavy load. And just as the three classes had expected, the base was indeed on that rock wall. Although Class A's overall team was of better quality, they were actually behind by dozens of meters when they spotted the four from Class D.
"Oh... pulling a stunt like this?"
Katsuragi Kohei and the others thought.
Soon, the teacher's satellite signal received word that Class D had seized the only base.
"While it's not exactly a regret, you guys are certainly bold. Now the other classes know the key card holder has been narrowed down to one of you four. If you're guessed by the other three classes, 90 points will be deducted. You really are a group of risk-takers."
Katsuragi Kohei's side surprisingly still had over a dozen students; the team hadn't lost many people.
When Class B, which had been catching up, saw that the situation over there wasn't right, they had already started retreating back into the bushes.
"Then you go ahead and guess, Classmate Katsuragi. If you guess wrong, our class will take 30 of your S-points."
Chen Yao was not panicked at all, speaking with a smile.
"Hmph."
Katsuragi Kohei, Kito Hayato, and the other Class A students were somewhat unwilling, but they still headed back toward the harbor.
Even though they won, the risk of the other three classes sniffing out the key card holder had greatly increased. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka still felt it wasn't worth it, but a win was a win. He would take responsibility for the confidentiality of the key card.
"Great, there are enough bedding supplies here for the whole class. Thank you for your hard work, Senior Chen Yao, Classmate Ayanokoji, and Classmate Sakura. I'll call the other students to bring the daily necessities over now."
Horikita Suzune stood up straight again, looked at them, and said her thanks.
"I didn't do anything..."
Airi Sakura's cheeks were also a bit red as she shook her head in response.
"No, you and Horikita are now the primary targets of suspicion for being the key holder. Although they aren't sure if we boys are just a deliberate distraction, the four of us will have to be careful with our actions from now on."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka said.
"Yes, I caused the problem, so I'll be careful," Horikita Suzune admitted responsibility and said.
Chen Yao asked, "So, Junior Horikita, does your leg still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore. It hurt a bit when I fell just now... but I wasn't really injured. Don't worry, it won't be noticed."
Horikita Suzune understood Chen Yao's meaning and replied.
There were no problems for the time being, but soon, a new task was placed before each class.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's gaze was somewhat low as he looked at Chen Yao and asked, "Senior Chen, what do you think we should do for today's task regarding the production item evaluation?"
That's right, this evaluation was actually the most crucial point-scoring part of 'Desert Island Survival.' The examiner had said before that they could make furniture, hunting tools, or cuisine. Which of the three categories was most likely to get a high score?
Airi Sakura and Horikita Suzune hadn't decided which one would be better for the class to do yet.
"Without a doubt, it's cuisine."
Chen Yao replied.
"Cuisine? But wouldn't that be a bit too simple?"
Horikita Suzune looked at him, seemingly a bit worried.
"No, in Desert Island Survival, food is the most important thing. And if you make hunting tools, whether it's a harpoon or a bow and arrow, they'll tend to be simple types. If you make furniture, you'd have to buy tools to make it, and it would be very hard to make impressive furniture in a single day, right? So actually, there aren't really three choices; your school only gave one choice. Every class can only make cuisine to get a high score."
Chen Yao smiled and said to Horikita Suzune, "So, starting now, everyone start catching fish."
Chapter 050: A Duel Between Girls
As noon approached, the students of Class D set out one after another, taking charge of gathering fruits and spices in the forest and catching fish by the sea.
Many boys and girls who were good at swimming changed into swimsuits and began using wooden spears to catch fish at the shore, or gathering shells to use as ingredients for the competition; if the quality was poor, they'd just have them for dinner.
However, this finally felt a bit like summer vacation. The golden beach was filled with swimsuit-clad students from various classes catching fish. In particular, it was a swimsuit show for the girls; they had brought swimsuits for beach swimming beforehand, and now presented before the boys were beautiful high school girls with high looks and proud figures.
Chen Yao sat in the scorching sun, holding a large self-made fishing rod, patiently waiting to catch a big one.
It was very difficult to catch large fish by swimming; the best method was always sea fishing.
"It's so hot..."
Chen Yao sat on a rock that was a bit hot on his backside, sweating profusely as he waited for some top-tier seafood to take the bait.
While Chen Yao was waiting patiently, a girl poked her head out of the sea and took large breaths; it seemed Horikita Suzune was giving it her all to catch fish.
After pouring the seawater out of her ears, she looked at Chen Yao, who was still sitting on a rock in the deep water area fishing, and asked, "Senior Chen, do you have any harvest?"
"I caught a few small fish, but I haven't caught any top-tier seafood yet."
Chen Yao turned his head and replied.
However, presented before him was a beautiful girl in a white swimsuit, her S-shaped curves paired with a proud chest—she was simply a perfect high school girl.
"Ahem, um, could you please not keep staring at me?"
Horikita Suzune's cheeks quickly developed a slight flush as she asked.
"Sorry... it's my first time seeing a girl in a swimsuit."
Chen Yao quickly snapped out of it and laughed awkwardly.
"Senior, don't you have a girlfriend? Didn't you go to the beach to play in the summer?"
Horikita Suzune asked in confusion.
The "girlfriend" Horikita Suzune was referring to was most likely Yukinoshita Yukino; she had personally witnessed Yukinoshita Yukino pulling his hand.
Chen Yao shook his head and said, "Classmate Yukinoshita isn't my girlfriend. She's the President of the Service Club who supervises me, and I am Sobu High School's number one criminal."
Hearing that the beautiful and moving second-year senior was not Chen Yao's girlfriend, Horikita Suzune was slightly stunned, then asked another question: "Number one criminal... what's that about?"
Chen Yao told Horikita Suzune about how he was under heavy school supervision at Sobu High School for repeatedly skipping classes and taking leaves of absence, and he also explained the concept of the Service Club to her.
Horikita Suzune's brow furrowed as she listened, and she said, "But you're number one, right? Whether in grades or sports, you're beyond reproach, Senior. Even so, they still think you're a problem student?"
"The students the school wants are those who study hard, listen to the teachers, have a bit of personality and independent thought, but still believe that whatever the teacher says is right. But school teachers never care why someone doesn't listen to them; not listening is just seen as not respecting them, so that's how the impression of me being rebellious was created. That's roughly the logic."
Chen Yao explained the reason nonchalantly.
"Koudo Ikusei High School doesn't have that problem. As long as your grades are excellent enough, you can not only have many conveniences, but no teacher will force you to listen to them... Ordinary schools indeed focus more on teacher guidance. Don't you feel that your talent is being suppressed, Senior?"
Horikita Suzune asked in confusion.
Chen Yao shook his head and said, "No. I have many things to do now—some are necessary, and some are just things I do out of interest. Even if a teacher forces me to obey, if I think it's not beneficial to me, I won't obey. It's not that I think I'm so great, but because others can't understand what I truly need, while I know myself. So, I have always been very free."
These words made Horikita Suzune recall the experience during the school stage play. Senior Chen Yao had enjoyed the performance in his own way and ended up defeating most of Class A. It was because acting isn't about whether the character is positive or not, but whether the actor can integrate into the emotions of the story. But she hadn't thought of that herself.
And now, somewhat ironically, just a moment ago she had been looking down from above, thinking Chen Yao was trapped in a cage while she was outside. But looking at it now, Chen Yao had always been outside the cage; she was just seeing him through the iron bars. The one truly trapped in a birdcage was herself... "You two seem to get along very well."
Just then, a girl's voice asked curiously.