Ah... what a wonderful night.
After several days of sleeping as if I were trapped in a blender with rocks, I finally rested like the gods intended. My back, my neck, even my soul... everything feels rejuvenated. This tent I won is, without a doubt, the best investment of the whole test.
And I'm not exaggerating when I say I slept like a king.
A king... with concubines.
Yes, I know, it sounds exaggerated, but I'm not speaking in metaphors. I literally sleep with Matsushita and Sato. How did this happen? Easy: when I returned to the camp with my newly won tent, the rest of the group was practically fuming. Pure envy. They were shooting me murderous looks as if I had stolen the national treasure.
—"It's not fair that you sleep alone in that comfy tent," they said.
—"You have to share!" they demanded, almost on the verge of forming a revolutionary union.
And then, Matsushita, with that smile that hides mischief and chaos in equal parts, proposed the most logical solution in the world:
—"How about Sato and I sleep with you? That way everyone's happy, right?"
And what could I say? I was outmatched by female diplomacy. So now I sleep with both of them. The rumors, of course, didn't take long. Between our shameless jokes during the day and now this sleeping arrangement... well, the gossip fire ignited like gunpowder in the wind.
By the way, if you're wondering whether the school objected to this peculiar arrangement—after all, they have strict rules about contact between boys and girls—the answer is: no.
Why? Because we're literally camping next to everyone else. If anything happened beyond sleeping... let's just say everyone would find out. The slightest suspicious sound would condemn us. So, oddly enough, the school turned a blind eye. Or maybe they just trust that no one wants to get expelled in the middle of the test.
P.S.: The boys hate me even more now.
Not for anything I actually did... but for something they can't do.
Jealousy. Pure and simple.
And I can't blame them. I'd hate myself too if I were in their shoes.
...
—"Whistle... This place is better than ours," —I said, scratching the back of my neck with a mix of resignation and poorly disguised envy—. "They literally have a waterfall. A waterfall, understand? Who finds a waterfall on a deserted island? And that's not all... they have a fully drinkable water well! Damn it, so jealous!"
Matsushita and Sato stopped next to me, equally impressed. Both looked around as if we had arrived at a nature resort. Even the birds sang differently here.
And then, as if the island itself knew it couldn't let us go without adding more shine to the scene, she appeared.
—"Oh, hello Matsushita-san, Sato-san, and Endo-kun. Welcome to our abode," said Ichinose Honami, leader of Class B, with that smile that could make even the sun blush.
I'm not talking about a mere class representative in this test. No. Ichinose has been the leader of Class B since the start of the year, and more importantly... she's a living legend among the first-year students.
—"Oh wow, I'm honored by the super popular Ichinose... what a joy," —I replied playfully, bringing a hand to my chest as if receiving a divine blessing—. "This is too much for my humble average citizen heart."
And I meant it. Ichinose isn't just popular. She's the girl. The one who appears in rumors, in other people's sighs, and probably in the secret notebooks of more than one boy at school.
If we were in an anime, she would be the main romantic interest. The heroine who makes even the villains reconsider their life choices. She has it all: beauty, charisma, kindness, intelligence... the complete package. An angel in a school uniform.
—"Heh, don't exaggerate so much," she said, bringing a hand to her face in a modest gesture that only made her look cuter.
—"Exaggerate? Please, you should charge for appearing in other people's scenes," —I said, pretending to be dazzled—. "I feel like if I stay here one more minute I'll have to pay an entry fee."
Matsushita raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms with that expression she usually used when she was about to scold me... or tease me.
—"Weren't you just as excited when you got the tent?"
—"Yes, but the tent didn't smile at me like Ichinose-san just did," —I said, giving her a quick, soft wink, no intention of making her uncomfortable... just to provoke a reaction.
Sato let out a quiet laugh and murmured under her breath:
—"Here he goes again..."
Ichinose blinked, visibly confused at first... but then brought a hand to her mouth, laughing softly.
—"Ah... I'm not used to that kind of comment," she said with a light blush, still smiling—. "But thank you... I suppose."
Honest. Sweet. Clearly not used to being directly flirted with, which only made her reaction more fun.
—"Then I must be the first to make history," I added dramatically—. "The intrepid explorer who found the waterfall... and lost his dignity in the process."
—"I don't know what's worse," Matsushita sighed with resignation—. "That you said it or that you enjoyed it so much."
—"I vote for the second," added Sato, smiling and shaking her head.
Ichinose looked at the three of us, delighted by our group's energy.
—"I'm glad to see you so united," she said with that warmth of hers—. "I think that's the most important thing in this test... staying close to those who support us."
—"And if that spirit of unity leads me to... let's say, visit this paradise more often? For sociological research, of course."
Ichinose tilted her head, as if she didn't fully catch the double meaning. Then she smiled innocently.
—"Well, I suppose if it's for research... I can't stop you, can I?"
That "can't I" almost made me trip over a rock that wasn't even there.
—"That's true," she added, bringing a finger to her chin—. "If you make too much noise, your friends might end up exiling you. And we don't have private rooms here, Endo-kun."
—"Don't worry," I said, turning to Matsushita with a crooked smile—. "When they're around, I'm a perfect angel."
Matsushita looked at me like she was considering the real possibility of using me as firewood for the campfire.
Ichinose, meanwhile, laughed again, with that clear, genuine laugh that seemed to make the waterfall behind her shine even more.
And so, among jokes, furtive glances, and an atmosphere as warm as the weather, we explored Class B's camp.
Beautiful place.
Beautiful leader.
And me, trying not to stay too long... or to stay forever.
...
—"ARE YOU DEAF OR WHAT?! WAKE UP ALREADY!!" —Shinohara bellowed, kicking the ground with such fury it almost seemed to summon a mini typhoon.
The snores stopped abruptly in the boys' camp. Sudo half-sat up, messy-haired, with the face of someone who had just lost a fight against a pillow.
—"What's wrong now, Shinohara...? It's barely morning..."
—"DON'T MAKE ME START, SUDO!" —she snapped, eyes blazing—. "WE HAVE A PROBLEM! And not a small one!"
I, in the tent with Matsushita and Sato, sat up confused, hearing the commotion from afar.
—"What could have happened now?" —Matsushita murmured, while Sato covered her ears, already annoyed.
Shinohara pointed a trembling finger, filled with rage, at the boys' tent.
—"SOMEONE stole Karuizawa's underwear! And now she's locked inside, crying!"
...
Silence.
From our tent, we all froze.
—"...Who steals underwear in the middle of a survival test?" —I asked, incredulous.
Matsushita let out a nervous giggle.
Sato shook her head.
—"This isn't just a test anymore... this is a live drama."
Seven days.
A deserted island.
Limited resources.
And now... mysterious underwear thefts.
Perfect.
This was turning into a battle royale... with a telenovela extra.