"Food, clothing, shelter, and transportation... The school has been giving us tough problems since day one."
After checking all the free supplies they could receive, Horikita Suzune was the first to speak as Kitagawa Ryo's group stepped onto the deserted island.
"Although we're allowed to bring extra clothes, including swimsuits, we weren't given even the most basic tent. There's also nowhere near enough food or water."
Currently, the only supplies their four-person group had were a single meal's worth of bread and drinking water that Ichinose Honami had managed to claim. It was already 2 PM, meaning they had to secure food and at least one tent before nightfall.
Other groups gathered at the starting area seemed to realize the same thing. Although no tasks had been announced yet, many teams had already begun moving toward other grid sections to gain the advantage.
"The school likely won't go too hard on us. If I had to guess, most of the afternoon's task rewards will probably be tents."
"If we can't win one, we'll have to exchange points for it. It's a necessity, after all."
Ryo took a few steps forward into the forest, crouched down to examine the soil, then looked up at the surrounding environment. Though the island was man-made, to high schoolers like them, it was indistinguishable from the wild.
He'd already spotted several spiders a few centimeters long, spinning webs between the branches. Even with tents, some girls might be extremely uncomfortable in these conditions.
Fortunately, items like bug spray were distributed for free. They'd taken some as a precaution.
"Let's head toward the central area. That way we'll have more options once tasks start appearing."
As team leader, Ryo studied the map and gave instructions, then turned to Sakayanagi Arisu beside him.
"Arisu, how are you holding up?"
Although her heart condition had been treated, her physical endurance still trailed far behind Suzune and Honami's. If they were going to do any intense hiking, her condition needed to be closely monitored.
"I'm fine."
Arisu answered easily, tightening her shoelaces with a small smile. Everything about this situation was new and exciting to her.
"Alright then. Let's move out."
To conserve energy, the group walked in silence. After covering about one and a half grid spaces, their wristwatches suddenly beeped.
[Nearby task registration detected.]
Honami was the first to check and report:
"There are fourteen tasks total. The nearest one is 200 meters northwest: 'Geography Knowledge Quiz.' Maximum two members per group. First prize: a double tent. Second: a single tent. Third: 2L of water. Task closes after six participants."
Suzune focused on another nearby task:
"500 meters northeast: 'Cooking.' No participant limit. The group that cooks the most acceptable dishes in an hour wins. Only the winner and participation prizes are given. First place: assorted ingredients. Participation prize: 200g of bread."
Rather than checking his own watch, Ryo set down his bag and climbed a tree to scout the directions the girls had reported.
"There are already two groups approaching the geography task. I can't see the cooking one clearly—it's blocked by the terrain."
After reporting, he descended and wiped his hands with a tissue from his bag.
"Any high-reward tasks? I don't mind if they're farther away."
"There's a promising one in square H3 to the southwest."
Arisu quickly expanded the search range and responded:
"It's about 1,300 meters away in a straight line, but accounting for terrain, more than 2,000 meters in reality. Task name: 'Impromptu Poetry Recital.' Registration closes one hour after opening. First prize: large tent (three-person). Second: double tent. Third: single tent."
"Perfect!"
Ryo's eyes lit up. Their group was three girls and one boy, so a large three-person tent would be ideal. He could use a small one himself.
Large tents cost a lot of points, so winning one through a task was a huge benefit.
"Suzune, you handle cooking. Honami and Arisu take the geography quiz. I'll head for the poetry recital. Let's regroup here after. Sound good?"
"No problem with cooking."
Suzune nodded first. Arisu and Honami exchanged glances and agreed.
This was a strategy only a few groups could pull off.
Splitting up to enter separate tasks seemed efficient but carried high risk. If they didn't win any, it would be a complete waste of effort and energy—something early in the exam they couldn't afford.
Still, no one in Ryo's group objected. His distribution ensured decent chances of winning, and he'd taken the hardest job himself to ease the burden on Arisu.
"Be careful."
"Watch your step."
"No need to rush—it's only day one."
All three offered words of concern as Ryo departed.
"See you soon. I'll bring back that tent."
Ryo smiled, waved behind him, then set off at a run toward the H3 square and the poetry recital task.
His figure quickly disappeared from their sight.
With him gone, the remaining trio fell quiet, as if a shared topic had vanished. Eventually, Suzune broke the silence.
"I'll get going too."
"Wanna compete?"
Arisu's sudden question was out of left field.
"I'm not in the mood for the kind of stupid bet you'd find in some trashy romance novel."
Suzune paused, looked back at Honami, then added:
"If you're pairing up with Arisu, you'd better keep an eye on her."
"...What do you mean?"
Honami scratched her cheek with a puzzled smile, not quite grasping Suzune's warning.
"Exactly what I said. And if you're still pretending not to get it, then you never should've volunteered to join Ryo's group."
Crossing her arms, Suzune spoke honestly. Honami's actions had surprised her.
Since the start of the school year, Honami had spent most of her private time socializing with other girls. That's how she earned her widespread popularity, rivaling even Class A's Kushida Kikyou.
So when Honami rejected all other team offers and joined Ryo's group, it sparked a lot of discussion—some even malicious rumors born of jealousy.
But Honami had calmly weathered it all. Her graceful handling had impressed Suzune enough to make her keep an eye on her.
What concerned Suzune even more, though, was Honami's feelings toward Ryo.
She didn't act like Arisu, who was nervous, scared, possessive, or emotionally volatile. Honami's attitude was softer, more subdued—like her smile. Deep and calm.
"Is it really so surprising I joined Ryo's group?"
Honami's smile remained as gentle as ever.
"I just thought this was the best way forward. That this is enough."
Compared to the fragmented memories from her dreams, Honami preferred the clarity of the present. Drifting with others' expectations was no longer an option.
Arisu seemed reassured by her words and tugged lightly at her hand.
"Let's go then. Ryo said there were a lot of groups heading to the geography task—we better hurry or we might not make it in."
"Right."
Honami nodded, but still smiled at Suzune before leaving:
"Good luck with your cooking task."
With that, she and Arisu turned and dashed off toward the geography quiz.
Suzune watched their backs thoughtfully. She doubted Honami was truly content with the current situation. And Honami hadn't really been passive either.
Two years ago, Suzune had noticed something: Honami always avoided running into Karuizawa Kei, and never allowed Kei to be alone with Ryo.
Even back when Ryo was trying to fill two student council slots with her and Honami, Honami had inexplicably turned it down. Despite having experience as a middle school council president, she insisted on joining Ryo's new drama club instead—forcing the second council seat onto Arisu, who barely held the title in name only.
Recalling that Arisu had appeared in her own dreams, Suzune felt she was getting closer to the truth.
If Honami had similar dreams, Karuizawa Kei must've appeared in hers too.
From what Suzune could tell, only Honami had lingering emotions—Kei probably didn't even remember what kind of role she'd once played.
Which only made Suzune more curious:
What had Kei done in the past?
Honami didn't seem to harbor hatred or regret toward her—if anything, her feelings seemed more like...
She hope Sakayanagi Arisu doesn't touch the deepest part of her heart.
With that final thought, Suzune turned and made her way toward the cooking task.
-------------------------------------
"Eh? We're the first ones here?"
"Yes~ And so far, only your group has arrived. If the registration time ends like this, you might automatically win first prize."
At the registration point for the "Impromptu Poetry Recital" task, the examiner in charge was none other than Class 1-B's homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya Chie. She smiled brightly at the panting Shiina Hiyori and Ibuki Mio.
"That... must be our lucky break."
Shiina Hiyori was clearly dragged along at full speed by Ibuki. Her forehead was dotted with sweat and her voice trembled slightly, but she looked genuinely pleased.
"We just took a route opposite of most groups, so this square ended up being closer to us."
"Alright then, congratulations on registering. Will Shiina-san be the one participating, or Ibuki-san?"
Though she asked both, Hoshinomiya's eyes were already on Shiina—her demeanor was clearly more suited to the task.
This "Impromptu Poetry Recital" task wasn't judged solely by school faculty. In addition to the five staff members, a well-known literary professional had been invited as a guest judge. The man was currently reclining comfortably under a beach umbrella, watching with curiosity.
"I'll do it."
Shiina volunteered. She pulled a water bottle from her backpack and took two sips to moisten her throat. Once she had calmed her breathing, she stepped forward and bowed slightly to the six judges, picking up one of the poetry sheets laid out on the table.
Upon seeing the content, she exhaled in relief.
Though Shiina wasn't particularly skilled in recitation, Ibuki would've been far worse. Her academic performance meant she might struggle even with the English text. Despite being categorized as "Other," the task clearly required some English proficiency.
Luckily for Shiina, the poem she drew was one she had read before and was quite familiar with: Edgar Allan Poe's famous work "The Raven."
Shiina had always enjoyed Poe's stories and remembered one quote they had once discussed with Kitagawa Ryo:
"The death of a beautiful woman is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world." —Edgar Allan Poe.
Poe's unique style could be glimpsed from that quote alone. "The Raven" was no exception, blending eerie beauty with romance and death.
"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door."
Shiina began her recitation smoothly, her voice weaving through the opening lines.
[The tapping here is a common motif—it symbolizes not just the door, but also the heart.]
Ryo's explanation echoed vividly in her memory, and his voice seemed to resurface in her ears.
Just then, from the corner of her eye, Shiina caught sight of a familiar figure sprinting toward them.
"'Tis some visitor," she recited.
Noticing the judges' surprise, she repeated the line with a faint smile:
"'Tis some visitor."
Kitagawa Ryo saw the silver-haired girl smiling toward him, her voice still reciting:
"I muttered softly..."
"...someone's gently tapping at my chamber door..."
"Only this and nothing more."
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