Class D welcomed Ibuki from Class C with open arms and treated her as if she were one of their own students. That kind of warmth might be normal in ordinary schools, but in this school—especially with its competitive atmosphere—some students still couldn't accept her so easily and remained wary of her.
Even though she tried refusing their help with all her strength, after they pressured her a little she even began explaining her story and the reason she had been expelled from Class C's camp.
The legendary heroine Ibuki had stood against the villain Ryūen, who refused to participate in the exam and wanted to spend all the points before returning to the ship. But because she resisted him, she was beaten by his followers and thrown out of her class.
What an inspiring story. I should memorize it and tell it to Komachi every night before bed. If I hadn't held myself back, tears might've started flowing unconsciously.
Still, something about that story remained stuck between my teeth. If Ryūen had truly given up already and spent all the points, then there was no point in staying in this survival game. The best option would be returning to the ship and enjoying a comfortable life while the students from the other classes suffered.
But after hearing her story, the students of Class D sympathized with her. The easiest way to blend into a group is to share a common enemy, and this time that enemy was Ryūen.
I reached my hands into the cold river water and began splashing some over my hair, face, and neck.
There was no need to do anything right now. The best option was observing silently. Besides, there were thirty-nine other students besides me. Ibuki wouldn't be able to move freely around the camp.
I started walking back toward the camp once more. The boys were setting up the tents for tonight while the girls cooked the fish the boys had caught earlier.
Doesn't this resemble ants?
In that case, I want to be the anteater.
Most of the students were working together in a cooperative atmosphere, exchanging jokes as if this were a normal camping trip. All except one person.
A guy wearing a short-sleeved shirt sat carving tree fibers using a rock, surrounded by leaves and sticks.
Even more annoying was the fact that he was humming loudly.
What a narcissistic bastard.
"Koenji, what are you doing...?" I asked while leaning against a tree beside him and resting my foot on it.
"Can't you guess?" Koenji replied without even glancing at me.
"If I knew, I wouldn't have asked."
"Hahahaha... I'm making a hammock," he answered proudly.
A hammock... wasn't that the hanging bed tied between two trees? Yet he was making one using branches and leaves like the ones you see in survival shows on TV.
He really was eccentric.
"Aren't you planning to sleep in the tent?"
Even though there weren't enough tents and each one only fit eight people, we had bought two extra tents, meaning each would now hold around ten students to cover everyone.
"I refuse to cram myself into a single grave alongside a group of fools," Koenji declared arrogantly.
Damn... he had a point.
I didn't want to sleep beside nine other guys in the same place either. There was no difference between hell and that tent.
"Do you want me to make one for you too?"
Koenji glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
I raised an eyebrow slightly, surprised by the offer. He didn't usually make offers like that.
Well, usually he didn't talk to anyone at all.
"R-Really...?"
I didn't know whether he was mocking me or not, but this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
Besides, I had no idea how to make something like that.
"Of course. My offer is exclusively for you."
"Then... alright..." I said while watching him return to his annoying humming again.
Couldn't he work in silence?
"Are you sure it can support my weight...?"
I had never tried something like this before, so I didn't know what it would feel like. Maybe I'd just fall.
"Enough to support my beautiful body."
Ugh... couldn't he answer normally?
His body was bigger than mine, so I should be able to sleep on it.
But sleeping outside... wouldn't insects bother us?
"What about bugs...?"
"Fufufufu... you truly are an amateur. Look at this plant. It keeps insects away. Rub it on your body and no insect will come near you," Koenji explained while pointing at a plant on the ground.
"What are you, some forest dweller...?"
You wouldn't find someone with this much knowledge unless they were used to this sort of activity.
"I simply appreciate everything beautiful," Koenji said before returning to his work again.
He never changed at all.
I thanked him internally so his arrogance wouldn't grow even larger, then stepped away to wait for everyone to finish their work so we could eat dinner.
---
Once darkness covered the island sky, the only source of light in the camp was the fire they were using to grill the fish. The smell of roasted fish spread through the area.
Food was handed out in turns, and naturally I remained in the final group. Every time I stood up to get my portion, I somehow faded into the background until the plate in front of me was gone.
In the end, I was the only person who still hadn't gotten food.
The grilled fish tasted awful anyway, especially since they kept leaving it over the fire until it burned.
Wait... was mine the only burnt one, or was I just imagining things?
Seriously, were we going to eat fish for the entire week?
Once we returned to the ship, I'd make sure to eat at every restaurant and buffet until I felt sick.
I finished eating quickly, then glanced at Ibuki sitting beside me. Even though she refused to take food, Kushida had pressured her hard enough to accept at least a little.
Yet now she still hadn't eaten it.
Should I ask if she didn't want it? I could take it.
No... the students of Class D would probably beat me up for eating their guest's food.
I gave up on asking for her plate and stood to wash my hands. Sitting beside her was exhausting. It felt like she was watching me for some reason.
I washed my hands in the river and drank a little water before returning to camp, where I found Koenji already sleeping in the hammock he had made himself.
That looked comfortable. I probably wouldn't fall if I slept in the one he made for me.
But I hadn't seen him eat with us at all.
Did he survive through photosynthesis?
Honestly, I wouldn't even be surprised.
Still, he probably had eaten earlier. He spent most of his time wandering through the forest.
I passed by the boys' tent, where some were already thinking about going to sleep while others wanted to stay awake a little longer.
"Just leave the bags outside. Since they're sleeping outside, they can guard them," one of the boys said while taking their backpacks outside.
Who's going to guard your bags, idiot?
I'll make sure to sleep deeply tonight.
But I didn't feel sleepy yet... and there was nothing to do here.
If only I had a book...
Ah, wait. We actually did have one.
I could spend some time reading the guidebook the school gave us.
I headed toward the girls' tent. Yukinoshita probably still had the guidebook.
As soon as I approached, I noticed a line of girls preparing to sleep, though their complaints never seemed to end.
"Yukinoshita-san, why don't we buy insect repellent cream?" one of the girls asked.
"Yeah, you're right. We need it," Karuizawa agreed as if a single insect approaching her would mean the end of the world.
The girls all turned toward Yukinoshita, waiting for her approval.
"There's no need for that. These plants are enough to repel insects," Yukinoshita said while reaching toward the plants on the ground and rubbing them against her skin.
"Really? As expected of Yukinoshita-san..." Kushida admired the idea before copying Yukinoshita, followed by the other girls.
"Are you sure about this, Yukinoshita-san?" Horikita asked while standing beside her.
"Yes."
"Hmmm... you really know a lot of things," Karuizawa commented while smelling the plant in her hand.
"No, this just falls under general knowledge."
Yeah right. Who would care about information like that?
As expected of Yukipedia. She really knows everything.
Maybe the school intentionally placed these plants here, but they'd be useless unless you already knew about them beforehand.
There might be more plants like this around the island.
The girls' attention shifted toward the plant and their conversations until Yukinoshita noticed me approaching and walked toward me.
"Hikigaya-kun, is something wrong?" Yukinoshita asked.
"I want the guidebook they gave us."
"The guidebook?"
"Yeah."
Yukinoshita stared at me for a moment before heading into the tent to retrieve it while Horikita continued watching me strangely.
She didn't take long before returning with the book in hand and handing it to me.
"Thanks."
I nodded slightly before turning away from the girls' area.
What caught my attention, though, was Horikita's eyes. She looked visibly exhausted.
Was it because of the physical effort?
I wanted to sit somewhere far from everyone, but without the fire I wouldn't be able to read the words, so I sat somewhere close enough for the firelight to reach me. Beside me, Sotomura and another boy were talking quietly.
I opened the book and began flipping through the pages displaying everything we could buy using points. It contained almost everything, like a full store.
I quickly flipped through the pages until I reached the rules section and started reading carefully.
As expected, there was no rule stating that the card leader had to carry the card at all times. The part with penalties only mentioned that the leader must personally claim the base.
Something else caught my attention.
We couldn't change the leader unless there was a valid reason.
Meaning if the leader got injured and the school decided they couldn't continue the exam, they'd withdraw and lose thirty points—though we'd then be allowed to change leaders.
If we discovered another class's leader, we'd have to make sure they didn't withdraw and remained healthy the entire time.
That doubled the workload.
"The most important thing in fights is power..."
Sotomura's conversation with his friend slipped into my ears and distracted me.
"Dude, if the opponents are close in strength, the fight becomes breathtaking," Sotomura replied enthusiastically.
Hmm? Were they talking about anime?
Whatever. Back to reading.
My eyes moved between the lines, but I couldn't absorb anything because of my stupid ears.
"What about endurance? Without it, fights become meaningless."
"Man, that's the very foundation!"
What a terrible opinion. Did they watch anime through the radio?
"Tch. Are you idiots? The most important thing is speed..." I snapped while slamming the book shut in my hands.
"Hah...?" The boy beside Sotomura quickly turned toward me while the other nearly hid behind him.
"What's the point of speed if he can't even take a single hit?" the boy replied arrogantly.
"Speed lets him dodge attacks. Then he won't need to take any hits at all," I argued while raising my finger.
The boy stared at me with his mouth half-open before bursting into laughter.
"You idiot, hahahaha..."
"Hey, Miyamoto, don't talk to him like that. Just stop..." Sotomura began tugging at his friend's shirt, trying to calm him down.
But his friend Miyamoto was just another hopeless otaku who had completely lost control.
"Let me teach him a lesson. He's probably just some casual viewer who doesn't understand anything," Miyamoto said while adjusting his shirt arrogantly as if he wouldn't allow anyone to challenge him in his field.
Who was he calling a casual?
I'd been watching anime since I was a kid. I even rushed home every day early just to watch it.
Of course, that had nothing to do with me being lonely.
"Hey... who exactly are you calling an idiot?" I asked sharply.
Sotomura immediately abandoned his friend and backed away until he practically merged with the tree behind him.
"Hmmm..." The boy looked at me as if saying, "Obviously you."
Where were those sticks I gathered this morning? I wouldn't hit him—I'd just test the endurance he kept talking about.
"Hikigaya..."
I hadn't noticed my voice rising until someone grabbed my shoulder.
I turned to find Ayanokōji standing behind me while the rest of the class stared at us strangely.
Ah... I lost control.
When you meet someone talking about something you're passionate about, you sometimes end up going too far because of excitement.
Bad Hachiman. Bad Hachiman.
I shrank back into myself while the other boy finally gathered enough courage to leave with his friend.
Damn it... I want to die now.
I tried covering my face with the book in my hands to avoid eye contact with everyone, but I could still feel their gazes piercing through me.
"Hikigaya..." Ayanokōji said after sitting beside me.
"W-What is it...?"
"What exactly were you talking about?"
Huh? He didn't know?
Well, there are people uninterested in those things.
"Hmmm... anime..."
"Anime?"
"Yeah."
Ayanokōji looked like a child discovering the heat of a kettle for the first time, completely unsure of what was happening or what any of it meant.
I honestly didn't know whether I was the strange one for knowing these things...
or if he was the strange one for not knowing them.
It was time to sleep...
But first I needed to return the guidebook. If it got damaged, we'd lose points.
Gathering my courage, I stood and headed toward the girls' tent.
As I approached, I began hearing muffled laughter from inside. Apparently they still hadn't gone to sleep.
I stopped a short distance away.
Should I call her?
If I kept the book, protecting it would become my responsibility.
"Yukinoshita..." I called loudly enough for her to hear.
Suddenly the girls' tent fell silent before whispers returned moments later.
"It's him, right...?"
"I don't know. I never noticed him before..."
I couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, but eavesdropping was bad.
Why were all the bad personality traits gathered in Class D?
I heard movement inside before the flap opened and Yukinoshita appeared.
"Hikigaya-kun..."
She quickly stepped out of the tent and pulled me a few steps away from it.
What was going on here?
"What do you want?"
"I just wanted to return the book..."
Yukinoshita quickly snatched the book from my hands as if she wanted me gone immediately.
Even though it was dark, I could tell she seemed nervous or uncomfortable.
"Are you okay...?"
"Yes... but the girls' questions are terrifying," Yukinoshita replied while rubbing her temples.
I glanced toward the tent behind her. A strange group had gathered near the entrance, peeking through the opening.
"That's him..."
"His eyes are scary in the dark..."
I couldn't clearly hear them, but spying like that was terrible.
"I'm leaving..."
I quickly turned and walked away from the girls' area.
I rarely saw Yukinoshita this exhausted.
Seriously, what kind of topics do girls even talk about during a camping night?