And so, Shikime Natsu, with Shiina Hiyori and Shiraishi Asuka in tow, calmly and unhurriedly took his leave of the Class C Base Camp under Ryuuen Kakeru's gloomy gaze.
Ryuuen Kakeru sat on that reef rock, toying with the seashell he had picked up, his eyes fixed dead on Shikime Natsu's receding back, his gaze brimming with displeasure.
"That guy…"
He cursed under his breath, clenched the seashell in his hand hard, and then flung it straight off to one side.
"Does he really not intend to seize this chance and grind the other classes completely underfoot?"
If it had been that guy Katsuragi Kouhei, then faced with the deal he'd proposed, even if his mouth said he needed to think it over, his heart would surely have been tempted.
After all, just by getting hold of the other classes' Leader intel, Class A could place itself in an invincible position in this exam—maybe even pull open a massive point gap outright.
But…
When facing Shikime Natsu, Ryuuen Kakeru always felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
From the very first time they met, he had never once seen through that man's thoughts.
This fellow Shikime Natsu had, right at the start of the term, seen straight through the rules of this school. His powers of observation were downright terrifying, and on top of that he possessed that absolutely terrifying combat value. The instant he thought of Shikime Natsu's combat value, Ryuuen Kakeru couldn't help but touch his own face—the scene of Shikime Natsu taking on multiple opponents single-handed on the rooftop that day was still vivid before his eyes, and in the deal that followed, the man had toyed with him in the palm of his hand with the greatest of ease.
Even that Nagumo Miyabi had lost outright to Shikime Natsu. There was always a kind of inscrutable confidence about this guy—yet… this fellow Shikime Natsu wasn't like the others, like those few idiots in Class D who had nothing but confidence and no ability. Just how much ability this fellow Shikime Natsu actually had, Ryuuen Kakeru still hadn't managed to figure out to this day.
It was as if, no matter what difficulty he faced, no matter what environment he was in, he could resolve it with ease—without so much as batting an eyelid.
"Could it be…"
Ryuuen Kakeru narrowed his eyes as a thought flashed through his mind.
"In this Deserted Island exam, could that monster also pinpoint exactly who the other classes' Leaders are?"
But the moment this thought surfaced, he swiftly dismissed it himself.
"No, impossible."
"First of all, that guy absolutely would never make a move against Class C and Class D."
After all, these two classes held his girlfriends—Shiina Hiyori and Sakura Airi.
With Shikime Natsu's sort of personality, where he valued women above all else, there was absolutely no way he'd let his girlfriends suffer for the sake of points, or drag them into being blamed and cornered within their own classes.
As for Class B…
Although he had no genuine, official girlfriend there, his relationship with Class B's Leader, Ichinose Honami, was pretty good too, and there were even some girls in Class B who had feelings for Shikime Natsu.
Of course, this wasn't something Ryuuen Kakeru had gone out of his way to dig up—because even within his own class, there were a few hopeless cases who harbored feelings for Shikime Natsu.
After analyzing it this way, Ryuuen Kakeru's brows couldn't help but knit tightly together, the irritation in his heart growing even worse.
"Does that guy really not plan to make a move against the other classes on this Deserted Island?"
"Is he really not afraid that Class B and Class C will seize the chance to overtake Class A?"
A tail-ender like Class D could naturally be ruled out right away—even handed the best opportunity, wanting to overtake Class A at this stage was a pipe dream; after all, the two sides had a gap of a full thousand class points between them.
But Class B and Class C were different.
Although these two classes' points lagged behind Class A's, it was hardly an insurmountable chasm.
As long as this special exam was handled properly—say, by correctly guessing Class A's Leader, or by gaining a huge advantage in occupying base camps—then the situation might very well reverse in the span of a single exam.
And yet…
That fellow Shikime Natsu was acting like it was no big deal at all. This time, his coming over to Class C was actually only to look for Shiina Hiyori—he showed not the slightest intention of targeting the other classes.
As for learning the identity of Class C's Leader from Shiina Hiyori's mouth—at least, in Ryuuen Kakeru's view, that was impossible, unless Shikime Natsu wanted to ruin Shiina Hiyori's standing within Class C.
Of course, you could say that resolving this problem was actually rather simple: all he had to do was scrape together twenty million private points, and he could transfer Shiina Hiyori straight over to Class A.
With Shikime Natsu's ability, twenty million private points was already more than enough, but… Shikime Natsu hardly had only one girlfriend. Rather than transferring Shiina Hiyori away, he'd be better off first pulling Sakura Airi out of that mire.
"This guy… what on earth is he thinking?"
It was precisely because of the variable that was Shikime Natsu that Ryuuen Kakeru hadn't gone all-in right at the start of the exam and squandered every last one of his exam-exclusive points.
His original plan had been to first sound out Shikime Natsu's attitude and see whether a deal could be struck.
If Shikime Natsu was willing to cooperate, then he could convert all his points into supplies without any reservations, then set aside one portion for the deal and one portion to mislead.
But from the looks of it now…
Shikime Natsu clearly had no interest in cooperating with him.
"Tch, good thing I kept a card up my sleeve."
Ryuuen Kakeru shot a glance at the few extra tents behind him, and his heart settled a little.
Whether or not a deal was struck with Shikime Natsu, these tents were a necessity.
If the deal succeeded, these tents could serve as bargaining chips to be resold to Class A in exchange for more profit.
And now that the deal had failed…
These tents became Class C's guarantee for a drawn-out campaign.
After all, if they couldn't obtain points or supplies through a deal, then they'd have to tough out the next few days on their own.
"From here on, I'll have to make that lot scrimp and save."
Ryuuen Kakeru calculated in his heart.
If someone fell ill due to the harsh environment and dropped out of the exam, the points deducted would be a real, tangible loss.
By then, not only would they fail to catch up to Class A, they might even get left in the dust by Class B.
"Looks like… I'll have to rethink my scheme."
Meanwhile, on the other side.
After leaving the Class C Base Camp, the three of them continued onward toward the edge of the forest.
It was just that…
With the addition of Shiina Hiyori, his official girlfriend, Shiraishi Asuka—who had originally been walking shoulder to shoulder with Shikime Natsu—unconsciously let a bit of distance open up between them as she walked.
Though her face still wore a poised, proper smile, her gaze kept drifting again and again toward that couple beside her holding hands, radiating pink bubbles.
"Um…"
She sighed inwardly to herself.
"Just as I thought—I've ended up being the third wheel after all."
Although she had already steeled herself for it before setting out, and had even confidently declared to Shikime Natsu, "I'll know when to make myself scarce."
But when this kind of scene actually played out before her…
Watching the tender look in Shikime Natsu's eyes as he gazed at Shiina Hiyori, listening to the sweet, low whispers that flowed so naturally between the two of them, Shiraishi Asuka had to admit that her mental fortitude wasn't quite as strong as she'd imagined.
That sense of awkwardness, of being "the extra person," left her feeling uncomfortable all over.
Although Shikime Natsu was holding Shiina Hiyori's hand, he hadn't overlooked Shiraishi Asuka behind him.
He naturally knew what Shiraishi Asuka was thinking at this moment. But, well… if he wanted to resolve it, he could hardly just come out and tell Shiraishi Asuka she was free to leave, now could he?
So, Shikime Natsu directly used the Purification ability on Shiraishi Asuka. Once this power settled over Shiraishi Asuka, the somewhat tangled thoughts within the girl's heart were swept away.
Shiraishi Asuka also felt the heaviness inside her chest lighten considerably.
With her mood improved, the smile on Shiraishi Asuka's face became a great deal more natural as well.
She quickened her pace a few steps, caught up with the two of them, and began to proactively join in the conversation, chatting with Shiina Hiyori about the island's scenery and plants.
The atmosphere among the three of them finally turned harmonious and warm.
As they walked on, after passing through a thicket of bushes, two familiar figures appeared in the view ahead.
It was Sakura Airi, who was busy gathering wild berries.
And at her side stood a beautiful girl with a head of gorgeous, lustrous long purple hair—none other than Kamuro Masumi.
Both of them held leaves laden with berries in their hands, seemingly picking and chatting at the same time, looking like they were getting along quite well.
"Airi! Masumi!"
Shikime Natsu called out with a smile and waved his hand.
Hearing the voice, the two of them turned their heads at the same time.
The instant Sakura Airi caught sight of Shikime Natsu, those blue eyes of hers instantly burst with delighted surprise.
"Natsu!"
Sakura Airi went and stood right in front of Shikime Natsu, those eyes looking as though they wanted to take all of Shikime Natsu in at once.
"Hello there, Hiyori, everyone."
Seeing the two who followed at Shikime Natsu's side, Sakura Airi greeted Shiina Hiyori and Shiraishi Asuka.
Sakura Airi's gaze landed on Shiraishi Asuka beside Shikime Natsu—another rather cute girl, hm?
But… there was no information on the other girl in her intelligence network for the time being. In other words, this was a girl Shikime Natsu had newly gotten to know?
Kamuro Masumi walked over as well and greeted the three of them.
"Are you two gathering ingredients?"
Shikime Natsu glanced at the spoils in their hands and asked with a smile.
"Mm."
Sakura Airi nodded, showing off the berries on the leaf in her hand.
"Masumi, thank you for the trouble."
Shikime Natsu turned to look at Kamuro Masumi, his tone gentle as he spoke. What Shikime Natsu meant was, naturally, thanking Kamuro Masumi for bringing food to both Shiina Hiyori and Sakura Airi.
"It's nothing."
Kamuro Masumi shook her head slightly. But upon hearing Shikime Natsu's thanks, the corners of her tightly pressed lips couldn't help curving up into a tiny, faint arc—evidently she was in quite a good mood.
Shikime Natsu smiled, then handed over the other leaf-wrapped parcel he'd been keeping warm in his hand to Sakura Airi.
"Airi, this is for you."
"Fish I grilled with my own hands."
"Wah… thank you, Natsu!"
Sakura Airi received it with both hands, and feeling the warmth transmitted to her palms, her heart turned cozy and warm.
After that, Shikime Natsu took over the pile of berries in Sakura Airi's hands that hadn't yet been dealt with.
Relying on his photographic memory of plant knowledge, he quickly sorted through them.
"This red one is edible, very sweet."
"This purple one is slightly poisonous, can't be eaten."
"This yellow one is too sour, not recommended for eating directly…"
As he spoke, he picked out the berries that couldn't be eaten.
Of course, these picked-out berries couldn't just be tossed onto the ground either—after all, the school had a rule strictly prohibiting environmental pollution.
Shikime Natsu took out a garbage bag he carried with him and gathered all these discarded fruits together, planning to bring them back to the base camp to dispose of.
After taking care of these trivial matters, the scene now could be called quite spectacular.
Shikime Natsu's three girlfriends—Shiina Hiyori, Sakura Airi, and Kamuro Masumi—were now all gathered together in one place.
Shiraishi Asuka, meanwhile, looked rather out of place amid this crowd. Fortunately, though, with the boost of Shikime Natsu's Purification ability, the third-wheel feeling within Shiraishi Asuka's heart had lessened considerably.
"Come, Airi, let me introduce you."
Shikime Natsu pulled Shiraishi Asuka along and said to Sakura Airi.
"This is Shiraishi Asuka, my classmate."
"Shiraishi-san, this is Sakura Airi, also my girlfriend."
"Nice to meet you, please treat me well."
"Please treat me well…"
The two of them exchanged greetings.
As for Kamuro Masumi, there was naturally no need for an introduction—after all, they were all from Class A and saw each other constantly.
Shikime Natsu continued, smiling as he spoke to everyone.
"If Shiraishi-san hadn't helped deal with those ingredients, I reckon I wouldn't have been able to free up time this quickly."
"Not at all."
Shiraishi Asuka smiled and waved her hand.
"Actually, I didn't really help with anything. If you could call it help, it was only a tiny little bit of help. The one who really did a lot for the class and let everyone relax is Shiki-san, after all."
As Shiraishi Asuka talked, she quickly tossed the topic back onto Shikime Natsu—after all… Shiraishi Asuka wasn't very familiar with the others, and the only common topic she had was Shikime Natsu, just the one person.
Shikime Natsu had made himself into the third wheel, so… he had to properly shoulder the responsibility for it.
"Oh right, Natsu, I just heard from Masumi that you helped Class A build five cabins. What do they look like? I want to go take a look—is that okay?"
Just as everyone was chatting happily, Sakura Airi suddenly seemed to remember something and asked Shikime Natsu, those blue eyes faintly carrying a trace of anticipation.
"Of course it's okay."
Shikime Natsu agreed without the slightest hesitation.
It was just looking at a cabin, a simple matter like that—naturally Shikime Natsu wasn't going to refuse.
As for any ulterior motive—at the very least, Shikime Natsu knew that Sakura Airi's so-called ulterior motive absolutely wasn't about figuring out who Class A's Leader was, then reporting it to Class D after her scouting was done, and helping Class D crush Class A hard at the end.
And so, Shikime Natsu soon led Sakura Airi and the others over together to the Class A Base Camp.
The trees around Class A were fewer compared to the trees near the other classes, because quite a lot of them had been taken to use as building material for the cabins.
On top of that, Class A's chosen site was fairly flat, so it looked pretty good.
When they looked at those five neatly arranged, sturdily structured, exquisite little cabins.
Sakura Airi's and Shiina Hiyori's eyes instantly went wide, those beautiful eyes filled with shock.
"How long did it take Natsu to build them?"
Sakura Airi asked, quite curious—after all, since arriving on this Deserted Island, it had only been a few hours.
For an ordinary person to build this kind of cabin, it would surely take at least several days, wouldn't it?
"This is unbelievable…"
Shiina Hiyori also stepped forward, reaching out to touch that smooth wooden wall, and sighed in admiration.
"Natsu's building skills are really amazing…"
Shiina Hiyori recalled the bookmark Shikime Natsu had made for her—Shikime Natsu was a remarkably deft and skillful person.
Faced with the girls' adoring gazes, Shikime Natsu only gave a calm smile and didn't show off too much.
At this point, quite a few people had already returned to the Class A Base Camp.
Seeing Shikime Natsu come back with girls from other classes, although everyone was a little surprised, they showed no expression of rejection or wariness.
After all, everyone knew who these few were.
These were the Leader's girlfriends!
As for worrying that the Leader's identity might be exposed and lead to a deduction of points?
That was utterly impossible. Right now, Shikime Natsu's prestige in Class A could be called extremely high, and especially since Shikime Natsu had actually landed so many girlfriends, it made people regard him as all the more badass.
Even if Shikime Natsu were to empty out the base camp right now while bringing people from outside classes along, everyone would probably figure that this was surely some far-sighted, deeply calculated plan of the Leader's.
Among the few people Shikime Natsu had brought back, there was also Shiraishi Asuka, but everyone deliberately overlooked her—after all, it was perfectly normal for Shikime Natsu to be on good terms with any given girl.
Just as everyone was gathered around the little cabins, sightseeing and marveling.
Sakura Airi's blue eyes suddenly rolled around, as if she'd hit upon some bold idea.
Taking advantage of a moment when no one was paying attention, she quietly leaned in close to Shikime Natsu's ear.
The girl's warm breath sprayed against the side of his ear, carrying a sweet fragrance.
She lowered her voice and, at a volume only the two of them could hear, softly spoke into Shikime Natsu's ear.
The speaking lasted only a short while, and the few girls standing around basically didn't hear it—it was just that… after she finished saying these words.
Sakura Airi's entire face instantly flushed crimson, like a fully ripe peach, red all the way down to the base of her neck.
It looked as though she'd just said something rather extraordinary.
Shiina Hiyori and Kamuro Masumi, who had been keeping their attention on this side the whole time, saw Sakura Airi's bashful reaction—so flustered she was practically steaming—and then connected it with the slight raise of Shikime Natsu's eyebrow a moment ago.
As girlfriends who likewise knew Shikime Natsu inside and out, the two of them seemed to instantly catch on to something.
In a flash—"whoosh."
Their two pretty faces couldn't help flushing faintly red as well, their gazes turning a little evasive, not daring to meet Shikime Natsu's eyes.
Only Shiraishi Asuka, standing off to one side.
Looking at these three beautiful girls who had suddenly all gone red in the face, she blinked her eyes in slight bewilderment.
She had no idea at all why these beautiful girls had suddenly blushed. Sakura Airi she could understand, but what about Kamuro Masumi and Shiina Hiyori standing off to the side?
She and the two of them were basically in the same position—none of them could make out clearly what Sakura Airi had just said to Shikime Natsu, so why would they suddenly blush so inexplicably?
____
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