"Let's go!" "Faster, faster!" "Come on, speed up!"
A staff member from Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School stepped on the speedboat's accelerator with a weary expression as screams of excitement echoed from above. The special uninhabited island survival exam was a standard part of the first-year curriculum. Having worked here for nearly a decade, he had seen it all—students tumbling off cliffs, girls breaking down crying in the middle of the night, begging to go back to the ship. But this was the first time he'd seen students turn a survival exam into a beach vacation.
"Fly! Fly!"
Up in the air, Ishizaki Daichi, strapped to a parasail being pulled by the boat, stretched out his arms and shouted with exhilaration as the wind pressed against him:
"We're hitting C! Accelerate! Almost to D!"
Under the shade of a beach umbrella, Kitagawa Ryo nearly choked on his cold cola when he heard that shout.
"Ryo, what does he mean by that?"
Shiina Hiyori, in her swimsuit, didn't join the other girls in the water. Instead, she quietly sat next to Kitagawa. Hearing Ishizaki's howling, she tilted her head curiously.
"Ahem… probably just... nothing important."
Kitagawa coughed and avoided the topic, setting his drink on a small table. Beside it, a mini-fridge was stocked with water and sodas. Every so often, classmates would walk by and casually grab a drink, laughing and chatting under the blazing sun—a carefree summer vacation atmosphere.
"Tch."
Not far away, Ryuuen Kakeru clicked his tongue in disdain from his own beach chair.
"It's just some virgin fantasy about girls."
"There's a rumor, right? At 60 km/h, if you stretch your hand out the window, the wind pressure feels like a D-cup."
Clearly pleased with his obscure knowledge, Ryuuen shot Kitagawa a smug look, oblivious to the increasingly exasperated stares from nearby girls, led by Ibuki Mio.
Kitagawa returned a pitying glance and casually asked Shiina beside him:
"Want to try anything, Hiyori? Jet ski or parasail? We only have enough points for one of the two."
Shiina, who had been subtly inspecting her figure thanks to Ryuuen's earlier remark, tilted her head again at Kitagawa's question. Usually quiet and reserved, she turned it back on him:
"What do you want to do, Ryo?"
"Hmm... parasailing, I guess. Ishizaki looks like he's having a blast, and now I'm kinda curious."
"Then I want to parasail too."
"Eh? It does allow two people, but you don't have to force yourself, Hiyori."
Surprised by her answer, Kitagawa hadn't expected the literary girl to choose something so daring. But since he was the one who asked, he couldn't really object. Worst case, he could have the staff lower the speed and altitude.
"Let's go together. I'd be worried if you went up alone."
Jumping up, Kitagawa brought Hiyori over to the launch point. Ishizaki had just returned from his turn and was excitedly chatting about how fun it was. Noticing Kitagawa and Shiina approaching, he quickly stepped aside and held back another classmate about to board.
Class C's boys knew better. If not for Kitagawa, they'd still be stuck in the jungle eating bugs like the other classes. So they all grinned and headed off to ride the jet skis instead, leaving the parasailing to Kitagawa and Hiyori.
"Two people?"
Now free of Ishizaki's loud voice, the staff member sighed at the approaching pair—handsome boy, pretty girl. Even on the job, he still had to witness young love.
"Yeah, tandem parasailing."
Kitagawa replied while curiously examining the equipment.
"Put your gear on. I'll attach the tow lines."
It was clearly Kitagawa's first time doing this. Judging by her flustered movements, it was Hiyori's too. After fumbling together for a bit, they finally got everything on with the staff's help.
"Strapped in tight?"
Kitagawa asked as he tried to lift his head. Watching his classmates go solo had seemed fine, but doing the tandem ride was clearly designed for couples. Now, Shiina Hiyori was firmly strapped against his chest like a koala—granted, their clothes and gear prevented skin contact, but still...
"Mm."
Hiyori gave a small nod, her silvery hair brushing Kitagawa's nose. She didn't seem to realize how intimate their position was, gripping the harness tightly as she looked up at him.
"Alright, let's go."
The staff double-checked everything, then hit the throttle. The boat surged forward, and with a rush of wind, the parachute lifted them into the sky. The sudden ascent felt just like a roller coaster. In seconds, they were dozens of meters above the sea.
"Wooahhhh!"
Before Kitagawa could appreciate any D-cup sensations, Hiyori's hair whipped into his face. He reached forward to gently press it down, shouting next to her ear:
"How's it going?!"
He was still worried it might be too intense for her. But she turned to respond without a trace of fear:
"..."
He couldn't hear her.
"Shout it out!"
Like riders on a roller coaster, the wild wind, vast blue sea, and open sky amplified unspoken feelings, which naturally spilled out in cries.
"I'm so happy!"
Hiyori nestled closer into Kitagawa's chest. If he had wrapped his arms around her, it would've been a perfect embrace. But one hand was still pressing her hair down, and the other clutched the harness tightly.
"I'm glad!"
He smiled at her, and overhead, the midday sun gleamed on the edge of the sky.
Being so close, Hiyori could hear his steady heartbeat. The warmth and lavender-like scent on him made her heart flutter. She inhaled it deeply, intoxicated by the inexplicable sense of safety.
"Heads up! Eyes closed, ears covered!"
Parasailing usually involved a dip into the water once or twice. Kitagawa saw the altitude dropping and guessed it was time. He reached out and loosely encircled Hiyori's waist.
SPLASH!
They plunged into the ocean. Water engulfed them briefly before they rose again. Kitagawa shook the seawater off his head, shouting joyfully. He stretched his arms out, embracing the wind.
The droplets on Hiyori's hair sparkled like gemstones in the sun. Her eyes were still closed, long lashes misted with water. Perhaps startled by the dive.
"Hiyori? You can open your eyes now."
He waved a hand in front of her. She slowly opened her eyes. Her clear violet gaze, tinged with innocence and wonder, caught Kitagawa's attention completely.
"Time's almost up..."
As they began descending, Hiyori suddenly leaned up and bumped her forehead against his.
Kitagawa felt a faint, warm pressure against the base of his neck for half a second.
It was a kiss.
So light and fleeting, it was almost imperceptible.
-------------------------------------
"A deal?"
Katsuragi Kohei frowned as he looked at Kitagawa Ryo, who appeared completely relaxed, even wearing a swimsuit. A-Class had just discovered an artificial cave to use as their base, but the next moment, the leader of C-Class came knocking. It made him suspect they had been followed.
In truth, Kitagawa had merely spotted the location while parasailing.
"Yeah. Our C-Class has decided to withdraw from this exam."
Kitagawa casually shook the bottle in his hand. Due to the temperature difference, condensation clung to the glass, making some of the A-Class students swallow nervously. After all, A-Class had opted to save exam points by finding their own drinkable water, but no boiled river water could compare to a ready-made chilled beverage.
"We used all 300 of our special exam points to exchange for supplies. Food, drinks, essentials. Excluding the recreational facilities you don't care about, the remaining items are enough for you to survive comfortably until the end of the exam."
"You're trying to sell them to us, A-Class?"
Katsuragi's eyes lit up. If they could acquire C-Class's stockpile, they could save a massive amount of exam points and pull ahead of the other classes by a wide margin. But he quickly realized nothing comes free. He cautiously asked:
"What's your condition?"
"One million personal points paid monthly from A-Class to C-Class."
Kitagawa spoke without hesitation, clearly having already thought it through.
One million monthly points—that was 25,000 per person, the equivalent of 250 class points.
Katsuragi quickly considered his options but started by attempting to haggle:
"No way. Your C-Class supplies aren't worth 250 exam points. Jet skis and parasailing are useless to A-Class. At most, 600,000 personal points."
Kitagawa remained unfazed, replying with full confidence:
"You're right, our supplies alone aren't worth 250 exam points. But what if we also provide you with the identities of the leaders of both B and D Class?"
Katsuragi, usually calm and composed, couldn't help but show a flicker of surprise. It was only the first day on the island, and Kitagawa dared to offer such a promise. Was he really confident he could identify the other two leaders in the next six days?
If he was telling the truth, then A-Class would not only cripple B and D-Class, but also gain an additional 100 exam points.
"How can you be sure? What if you give us false names and end up costing A-Class points instead?"
"We can put it in the contract. If C-Class provides fake names, A-Class won't owe a single point. In fact, we'll compensate A-Class with a million personal points every month."
Katsuragi was startled, but quickly regained his composure and sneered:
"So C-Class isn't actually withdrawing from the exam. You're planning to burn all 300 points and then guess the leaders of B and D-Class at the end to win the 100 bonus points."
"We are. But what does that have to do with A-Class?"
Kitagawa pulled out a pre-written contract and smiled.
"No matter how you look at it, A-Class has nothing to lose, right?"
Katsuragi took the contract and carefully read it. Every clause matched Kitagawa's explanation with no wordplay or fine-print tricks. The transferred items were clearly listed:
- Nutritional meal and water set for the entire class (10 points per meal)
- Portable toilet (20 points)
- ...
He double-checked each item against the exchange manual and found no discrepancies.
Though he had no idea how C-Class would identify the other leaders, that wasn't his concern. If they failed, A-Class would gain compensation. With the additional supplies, A-Class could conserve even more points. Even if they paid one million personal points per month, they would still come out ahead.
"What exactly is C-Class planning?"
Katsuragi was still slightly hesitant.
"We just don't feel like surviving on a deserted island with you all. With 100 bonus exam points and one million personal points a month, we'll still profit."
"Win-win, right?"
Kitagawa extended his hand with a genuine expression.
After re-reading the contract and confirming C-Class hadn't tampered with anything, Katsuragi finally gave in to temptation.
In A-Class, during a power struggle like this, whoever made progress first would win the hearts of the students. With Sakayanagi Arisu unable to participate in this special exam due to health reasons, this was Katsuragi Kohei's golden opportunity.
Even the A-Class students behind him began urging him to accept. After all, personal points weren't as important as maintaining A-Class's lead in class points.
"Then, here's to a pleasant partnership."
Katsuragi finally reached out his hand.
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