"The tent collapsed because of poor soil...?"
"Yeah. That's why we moved it to a safer place. If we hadn't been lucky, it could've turned into a disaster..." Hirata said with a smile.
I went off to gather firewood and left the matter of returning that thing to Yukinoshita. When I came back, the entire camp was in chaos until Hirata explained what happened.
Because of the poor soil, one of the tent stakes hadn't held properly, causing the tent to collapse.
Was this really one of Yukinoshita's plans...?
That's way too reckless. How could she think of something like that?
What if she had gotten hurt while pulling the stake out?
Well, she saved me either way.
That means I'm indebted to the entire Yukinoshita bloodline now.
At least she solved the problem quickly before it turned into a catastrophe.
After moving the tent elsewhere, everything immediately returned to normal. Right after attendance registration, Class D started preparing breakfast.
Kouenji returned at the perfect moment and registered attendance with the class, avoiding the five-point deduction. Because of that, Yukinoshita carefully made sure he received the meal we had agreed upon.
Maybe the only good thing about that narcissistic bastard is that he keeps his promises.
Aside from that, he's trash among the trash of Class D.
I quietly stood beside the girl distributing food, waiting for the moment I would receive my portion.
But dreams remain dreams.
Girls who arrived after me got their servings first.
Even the boys received theirs before me.
Everyone except me.
I looked at my skin, then at the tree beside me.
Maybe my skin had become like bark after collecting branches all day, so she simply couldn't see me.
But no, my skin still looked normal.
Hmmmmmm...
Then what's the reason?
I stepped away from the food distribution area while pondering this difficult mystery.
Why can't I receive my food like everyone else?
I spotted Yukinoshita sitting alone while elegantly eating breakfast as if it weren't just rice and fish.
She's the leader.
She should solve this issue.
I quickly walked toward her to file my complaint.
"Yukinoshita, I'd like to file a complaint. The girl distributing the food refuses to give me my share, and even when she does, I only get leftovers..." I said while pointing toward the serving area.
"Really...? I haven't encountered such a problem," Yukinoshita said carefully while placing her chopsticks down on the plate.
I glanced at her plate.
Rice and perfectly cooked fish that wasn't even burned.
It looked like something from a luxury restaurant.
This is unfair.
"Tch..."
Yukinoshita laughed softly before nodding slightly.
"I've actually received several complaints about Shinohara-san. Apparently she serves food to her friends first and to whoever she likes while ignoring the others. So I'll warn her first, and if she doesn't improve, we'll replace her..." Yukinoshita explained.
So I'm not the only one complaining about that Shinohara girl.
That's fair.
"Still, I think you should continue receiving the same food she usually gives you."
"Hah? Why?!" I said in shock.
Food is the most important thing in life.
Without it, there's no energy, no movement, nothing.
"You barely do anything, so there's no reason to waste resources on you... perhaps leftovers are enough," Yukinoshita said while striking a thinking pose.
"...But I collect firewood. Firewood! Do you know how difficult that task is? It requires concentration to choose the correct sticks and immense self-control not to hit someone with them..." I said while crossing my arms.
Only an idiot would say my task is easy...
It might even be harder than the leader's job, where she does nothing yet still receives delicious fish.
"Mmm... you still haven't convinced me," Yukinoshita replied.
"Then what exactly do I have to do to stop getting leftovers?" I asked in defeat.
"Let me think... collect firewood, catch fish, cook, distribute food, clean up afterward, and if you have spare time, wash the clothes too. Then I'll guarantee you a small bowl of rice and half a fish..." Yukinoshita said after counting all the tasks on her fingers.
All that for half a fish...
I'm not a cat desperately working for a can of tuna.
"If that's how things are, then why don't all of you return to the ship while I handle the exam alone?"
"If you did that, then you'd deserve a full bowl of rice and an entire fish," Yukinoshita replied arrogantly.
All this effort just for a normal meal...
This is unfair...
"I demand a change of leadership."
"Very well. You're the leader now. What do you want us to do?"
Hmmmm, that's easy.
I'd force all of them into hard labor while I returned to the ship and relaxed like a king.
Hahahahaha...
No, this isn't the right time for an evil laugh.
"Ah, Yukinoshita... if Ibuki comes back, act normally..." I said as I sat beside her.
"Have you thought of something?"
"More or less... I'll tell you tonight. Horikita will help too..."
There aren't many people who can help with this, so Horikita's assistance might actually matter.
"But she..." Yukinoshita tried to say something, but I interrupted her.
"I know. We'll deal with that tonight too."
"Alright..." Yukinoshita nodded.
I quickly stood up and left...
I've lost my appetite for breakfast now.
Maybe I'll just wander around for a while.
---
I walked alone through the forest until I reached the beach where the golden sand and violent waves stretched endlessly before me.
Perfect weather for swimming...
Maybe I'll come tomorrow if I finish my work early.
I looked around at the place where Class C's camp used to be.
All the students had truly left, abandoning behind them a complete mess.
So they really withdrew after losing all their points...
At least clean up after yourselves.
I noticed some coffee cans nearly being dragged away by the waves.
I picked them up from the ground and carried them farther inland.
Sea turtles could die because of this...
Do they even know how many turtles die every day?
Well, I don't know either.
But they should still clean up after themselves.
I gathered a few rocks from the forest and formed a medium-sized pile before collecting as much trash as I could reach and tossing it inside.
Yeah...
It's just a side quest that earns me extra experience points.
Once I finished collecting everything I could, the waves wouldn't be able to drag them away anymore and some poor salmon wouldn't accidentally eat them...
No, salmon don't live in the ocean.
Whatever.
I stood facing the sea, quietly watching its strange waves.
You can never predict them.
Will the next wave be larger or smaller than the previous one?
A strange chill suddenly spread across my body, as if someone was watching me while hiding their presence perfectly.
Could it be a bear trying to hunt me...?
No, there aren't bears on islands.
I glanced toward the bushes behind me.
They all looked nearly identical, so I couldn't pinpoint the exact location.
A hopeless situation.
I picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it directly toward the place where I felt the gaze coming from.
Ayanokouji stepped out from the bushes and caught the stone heading toward his face with his bare hand as if showing off his skills to me.
Is he becoming narcissistic too now...?
I returned to watching the waves and ignored his existence until he walked over and stood beside me.
"Do you like the sea?" Ayanokouji asked.
"No."
Dealing with the sea is like dealing with the future.
It always pressures you because you never know what's waiting ahead.
"Ibuki had a walkie-talkie hidden among her belongings," Ayanokouji said while staring at the sea.
I quickly turned toward him after hearing that.
He was part of the group that first found Ibuki.
Maybe he thinks I still haven't fully confirmed that she's a spy.
But after what happened this morning, I've already reached absolute certainty.
"Hm... why are you telling me this? Shouldn't you be telling the leader?"
The class had already decided who the leader was, so this was a waste of time.
"I thought this information might help you," Ayanokouji replied.
Help...?
No, he's trying to guide me so I don't fall into Ryūen's trap—the same trap he probably already saw through himself.
Just like he said back on the ship, he hides his abilities, so seeing through Ryūen's act probably isn't difficult for him.
Even though he wants to hide his talents and blend into the background, he still wants to guarantee victory.
I still remember how he pulled Chabashira-sensei's collar during the stage incident.
Maybe she threatened him and forced him to choose victory...
That's why he wants to ensure we win this exam no matter what.
But I'm not doing any of this for victory...
This is simply personal revenge because they dragged me into that mess this morning.
Yeah.
I'm not forgiving anyone.
"Alright..." I nodded slightly.
If he wants to call it help, then I'll accept it for now.
Without warning, Ayanokouji suddenly moved with incredible speed and threw back the stone I tossed at him earlier.
Wait...
He hadn't thrown it away after catching it?
The stone sliced through the air directly toward my eye.
I jerked my head aside just in time, narrowly avoiding it as it flew past my face and landed in the sand.
"What the hell are you doing, you bastard?!" I exploded at him.
That was way too close.
"You almost hit my forehead earlier," he replied coldly.
"So your solution was to burst my eye?!" I glared at him angrily.
If my instincts weren't sharp enough, I would've become the one-eyed zombie Hikigaya...