I sat quietly on my bed in the shared room after changing into my sports clothes. After we had been introduced to the island from the outside, they asked us to return to our rooms and change before getting off the ship. They also told us to bring our phones so they could collect them from us,
"Come on, Hikigaya-kun, let's go..." Hirata said as he stood in front of the door, about to leave, with Ayanokōji beside him.
The two of them had also returned earlier to prepare themselves. Kōenji appeared in the room as well before disappearing quickly after getting ready.
I had already finished preparing too, but I didn't want to leave with them. I preferred going alone.
"Just go ahead of me. I want to use the bathroom first..."
They had also told us to use the bathroom while it was still available to us now. That was proof we would be spending a long time there.
I didn't actually need to use the bathroom now, but it was a good excuse.
"Oh, alright... we'll head on first," Hirata said before leaving with Ayanokōji.
I slowly sighed after being left alone in the room. I picked up my red jacket and wore it over my shirt, then I headed toward the door to leave as well.
There was something else I wanted to do while I still had the chance, especially since they would confiscate our phones soon.
I closed the door behind me after leaving the room. The hallway was already empty since most of the students had already left, except for one girl walking alone
"Yukinoshita..." I muttered after seeing her approach.
"Hello, Hikigaya-kun..." Yukinoshita said.
It seemed she had also delayed leaving.
"Let's go together..." she said before quickly walking ahead of me.
"Ah... alright."
I quickened my pace to catch up to her, and we continued walking together.
"What do you think...?" Yukinoshita asked.
"I don't know..."
Everything we had seen so far were only vague hints. It was impossible to determine what exactly was going to happen.
"I think something awaits us that could completely change the standings of the classes..."
Yukinoshita was right. If the results depended on increases in class points, and with the four classes being so close in points, the rankings could change after whatever would happen on the island.
"Maybe the class's overall effort will affect the results..." Yukinoshita said as if thinking out loud.
Well, the results might not necessarily depend on individual performance, and considering the state of our class, that could be difficult.
"We'll find out soon enough what's waiting for us..." I said while sighing.
There was no point in guessing. We were only a short time away from learning the truth.
We continued walking together until we passed by a large vending machine.
I stopped in front of it. Yukinoshita walked past me while I pressed my face against the glass separating me from the drinks, searching for my target.
A yellow can stood out clearly among the others. Its bright color made it easy to find.
Maybe because it was treasure, they chose to color the can gold.
I quickly pressed the button and paid using my phone, then knelt down to retrieve it.
"What are you doing...?" Yukinoshita approached me after noticing I had stopped.
"Didn't they tell us to take everything we need while we're still here...?"
I figured that once we got off now, we probably wouldn't return for a while. I needed to recharge my energy with some Max Coffee.
Yukinoshita sighed helplessly after I opened the can and leaned against the wall to drink it.
Yukinoshita slowly approached the machine and placed her hand beneath her chin, thinking carefully.
"Hmmm..."
Then she slowly took out her phone and pressed the buttons to choose a drink before bending down to retrieve it.
I looked at her from above until a yellow can appeared in her hands, its beauty overwhelming the surroundings.
"I thought you didn't like it..."
Even though she was from Chiba, it was rare to see her choose it among all the drinks.
"Well... let's consider it a good luck charm..." she said as she opened the can with her slender fingers.
"Hah... do you actually believe in things like that...?" I jumped from my spot, unable to believe what I had heard.
Who needed luck if you could do everything with your own hands? Luck was invented by people to cover up their failures by saying, "Oh, it was just bad luck."
"Drink and shut up," Yukinoshita said while extending her hand forward.
I looked at her outstretched hand and the can she was holding.
What was this now...
I slowly raised my hand while trembling slightly, then gently clinked our cans together.
Don't people usually do this after winning?
Well, whatever.
We slowly drank our beverages before heading toward the rest of the students at the front of the ship.
It would be bad if we ended up being the last to arrive.
I quickly finished my drink and threw the can into the trash bin beside the vending machine.
"Let's go..." I said while looking at Yukinoshita as she also threw away her can before approaching me so we could leave.
"Alright..."
We headed toward the front of the ship where they had told us to gather. Most of the students, if not all of them, had already arrived and gotten off onto the land. It seemed we were the last ones.
We found Chabashira-sensei waiting for us with an annoyed expression.
Of course she would be angry if her students were the last among all the classes.
Well, we had been very busy.
"You're late... Put your phones here and join your class," Chabashira-sensei said while holding a box filled with neatly arranged phones, each one inside a bag labeled with its owner's name.
What good organization. It would be hard to find your phone later otherwise.
Yukinoshita carefully placed her phone into the box, and I tossed mine in as well before moving toward my class. But Chabashira-sensei wasn't done yet.
"Come here... We distributed these watches to the other students already, but since you two were late, take them now... Wear them and never remove them," Chabashira-sensei said.
She placed a watch on my wrist that resembled a smartwatch... Did it measure heartbeats?
"Alright, that's all. Now leave... Ah, Yukinoshita, don't let this annoying guy corrupt you," Chabashira-sensei said before walking away toward the stage beside the other adults.
Was she saying that just because we were slightly late? And why did she think I was the reason?
Well, I might have been the reason, but this was unfair.
I stared at Yukinoshita for a moment before she smiled and headed toward the other students.
There were a huge number of people on the shore. I think all the first-year students were standing there, each class divided into a line for boys and another for girls, all silently waiting without saying a word.
Since we were the last to arrive, everyone's gazes turned toward us as if blaming us for being late.
Nobody asked you to come early.
Golden sand scattered beneath my feet as I quickly walked toward my class. Touching land after so long felt strange.
I tried putting my hands into my pockets, but the watch got in the way.
Were we going to keep wearing this for a long time? It was annoying.
Since I was the last to arrive, I stood at the back of the class. In front of me, Ike was loudly laughing with his friends.
You wouldn't notice the huge difference in behavior between the classes unless you gathered them all in one place.
Even Ryūen's class was quieter compared to ours.
Ike turned around, perhaps sensing my approach and wanting to see who had arrived last. He looked at me for a moment before his eyes trembled and he quickly turned back forward, his shoulders stiffening.
"Hmmm..."
I turned toward the forest behind us to see what he had noticed. Maybe there was a monster there.
I didn't want to deal with something like that.
But strangely, there was nothing behind us except plants...
I looked at him again to understand his weird behavior, but he was tugging at Yamauchi's shirt as if trying to restrain him.
And just like that, silence fell over the students of Class D as well, and calmness dominated the atmosphere.
So... when are we returning to the ship?
The silence was broken by the voice of an adult coming through the speakers.
"Hello, students. I am Mashima Tomonari, homeroom teacher of Class A. First of all, I'm glad all of you arrived safely today, although one student will not be participating due to health reasons," began a tall man in a formal suit as he took control from the stage before everyone.
But apparently our numbers weren't complete. He was probably referring to Sakayanagi from Class A not attending...
The other teachers stood behind him with serious expressions, as if playtime had ended. Several other men also stood outside the stage, probably there just to assist.
Still, the first-year students were confused about why they had been brought here and why everyone was suddenly acting so formally. Weren't we supposed to be on vacation...?
"I won't drag this out too long... Starting now, we will begin the first special exam of the school year," Mashima-sensei announced, dropping news that exploded like a bomb among the students.
Who would expect an exam in the middle of vacation?
"Huh? An exam? What's going on?"
Whispers and quiet conversations began spreading among the students as they tried to understand what was happening, and Class D was no exception. Most of the noise came from our side as both boys and girls attempted to understand the situation.
Mashima-sensei continued his announcement without giving the commotion a chance to stop him.
"The exam period will begin at noon today and end one week from now. In short, the contents of the exam are that you will spend the next week together on this deserted island."
"Living on a deserted island..."
"Does that mean we won't stay on the ship...?"
Complaints began rising among the students like protests.
Who would want to stay here for an entire week?
I want to go home...
"During the special exam period, boarding the ship will not be allowed without a valid reason. You must manage every aspect of life on this island yourselves, from sleeping arrangements to preparing food. At the start, the school will provide each class with one box of matches, two tents, and two handheld lamps. There are also no restrictions on the use of sunscreen. As for toothbrushes, one will be distributed to each of you as well. Female students are allowed to use hygiene products without restriction. Please request them from your homeroom teacher... That is all," Mashima-sensei explained what could be considered the basics of the exam.
A long silence followed as everyone present tried to process exactly what was happening around them.
This time, surprisingly, none of the students of Class D reacted violently. They simply kept staring at one another.
I looked to my right where Yukinoshita stood, staring intently ahead.
"That's not all, right...?" she muttered while narrowing her eyes.
She might be right. It was hard to imagine that the entire exam was simply based on survival skills.
But there was no time to think about that now. Didn't he say boarding the ship was forbidden except for a valid reason?
I needed to think of something and return now before things escalated.
"Why are we taking an exam during summer vacation?" Yamauchi said while raising his hands in protest.
"He's right..."
"This isn't fair..."
Well... I think I agreed with him too.
The temperature was high in August. Staying outside all day was basically torture.
"Yes, you are right... But you are allowed to play and have fun. You can even hold barbecue parties..." Mashima-sensei said, calming the students.
I could even hear sighs of relief from some of them.
Everything he had mentioned sounded like the basics of summer. Being alone in a vast place like this really did feel like a vacation.
But I still didn't understand... where exactly was the exam?
Would they simply give us freedom on the island while observing our behavior?
That wasn't enough...
"As a basic condition of this special exam on the deserted island, each class will receive 300 points. By using these points wisely, you can spend the week of the special exam as if it were a vacation... We have also prepared this guidebook," Mashima-sensei extended his hand and raised a thick book for everyone to see.
"This guide contains a list of all items that can be obtained using points, including basic necessities such as water and food, along with other comforts like party equipment and more..."
It seemed they had prepared everything to make the exam resemble a real summer vacation on an island.
"But Sensei, since you call it an exam, there must be difficult aspects to it, right?"
"No, there are no difficult aspects at all. It will not negatively affect the second semester or anything after it. I guarantee that," Mashima-sensei said.
If it wouldn't affect us, then why hold it?
Maybe it was just training...
Or perhaps he meant it wouldn't deduct from our class points. Maybe they could increase instead...
But how?
"It's completely up to your freedom. Of course, the exam includes the minimum necessary rules for communal living, but there is nothing difficult to follow."
That was obvious. They wouldn't leave us with absolute freedom.
Someone might end up burning down the forest...
Oh, that was a valid reason to return to the ship. Didn't they say they'd give us a box of matches?
It could accidentally slip from my hand... I don't know.
"At the end of this special exam, all remaining points for each class will be added to their class points," Mashima-sensei finally announced the crucial detail of the exam.
That alone could completely change how each class handled this test.
My hair moved slightly because of the strong winds. This could really change the future of the classes, especially since the gap between us was small.
An opportunity that couldn't be wasted.
Maybe I should postpone the plan to burn the forest.