Chapter 66: Kamuro's Turn
After roll call, the group that went out exploring followed Yukinoshita back to the cave base.
It was a little different from before; two temporary toilets and a shower stall were placed near the entrance. Looking further inside the cave, there was a huge screen made of connected plastic sheets, completely obscuring the interior.
"This is..."
"When temporary toilets are distributed, it's stipulated that the plastic sheets are unlimited. So Katsuragi-kun suggested using these free plastic sheets to make a curtain, preventing students from other classes from peeking inside."
Seeing Kamuro's confused look, Yukinoshita lifted the curtain that acted like a screen blocking the cave's interior, and walked into the cave, explaining as she went.
'I see. A cave is inherently a sealed base; blocking the entrance makes its concealment practically an iron wall.'
Since Yukinoshita and Katsuragi were using the cave as the command center, there weren't many students inside right now.
For Class A students, who had plenty of supplies, this deserted island exam was as easy as a vacation. Most students, after roll call, were outside in the open area, laughing and playing freely, only coming into the cave's tents or sleeping bags to rest when they were tired. "Yukinoshita, I'm starving. Is there anything to eat?"
Kamuro, standing behind Hikigaya, asked.
"Of course, Kamuro-san. The food is all stored over there. Canned goods, bread, snacks, drinks, self-heating meals... and some food the other classmates found, of course. Just take whatever you want to eat."
Yukinoshita pointed her slender finger towards the corner of the cave, where several large boxes of supplies were stored, along with the students' personal luggage. "Mmm..." Kamuro nodded, bent down to select items from the box, and then suddenly straightened up to ask Hikigaya: "Hikigaya, what would you like to eat?"
"Well, either a hot dog bun or a yakisoba pan is fine. Do you have anything to drink? Or just mineral water?"
"Don't worry. I bought some drinks with Material Points too. You two take your time eating; I need to confirm the details of the exploration with Katsuragi-kun."
Yukinoshita smiled gently, then walked with steady steps to the occupation device in the cave to meet with Katsuragi.
"Oh..." Kamuro answered without turning her head, looking down to continue scanning the box, then suddenly said: "Max Coffee?"
"Ah, I can't refuse that..." Hikigaya, who had looked utterly exhausted, suddenly brightened up.
'Kamuro-san found Max Coffee. That fills you with determination.'
As a native of Chiba, it's said that I was given my first bath in Max Coffee and grew up drinking it instead of mother's milk. For me, coffee must be sweet, preferably with condensed milk.
Hikigaya took the yakisoba pan and the Max Coffee from Kamuro and pulled the tab on the can of Max Coffee.
"Life is short; at least the coffee should be sweet."
Hikigaya murmured this to himself—a saying that could easily be used as an advertisement slogan for Max Coffee—and then poured the Max Coffee into his mouth.
Drinking a can of Max Coffee after working hard is truly the most comfortable thing. The rich sweetness fills the entire mouth; it's wonderful...
'Perhaps that slogan might actually be adopted.'
Hikigaya exhaled in relaxation, preparing to find a place to eat. He looked around and saw a folded long table and two or three folding chairs leaning against the cave wall. He clack-clacked the long table into place and thumped open the folding chairs.
'Mission complete. So cool it's depressing! Perhaps it's a man's natural instinct to love things that can transform. I also like dismantling and assembling things; during class, I can't resist taking apart a ballpoint pen and putting it back together.'
As Hikigaya sat down on the chair, he saw Kamuro approach the long table with a huge pile of food.
She released her hands gently, and all sorts of food cascaded from her arms onto the table. Kamuro sat down, picked up a piece of bread, tore open the packaging, and then opened her mouth wide, biting off most of it in one go.
"Um... Kamuro-san?" Hikigaya's mouth twitched slightly at Kamuro's rather masculine way of eating.
"Huh? Hikigaya, what's wrong?" Kamuro swallowed the food in her mouth without chewing much, looking at Hikigaya with some confusion.
"...Is all that your dinner?"
"Yeah."
'How should I put it? This girl's appetite is much larger than I expected...'
Kamuro seemed to have figured out Hikigaya's thoughts, and her pretty face flushed slightly as she defended herself: "A machine always needs fuel! To be as strong as a bear, you have to eat as much as a bear. Plus, we were running around outside all afternoon, so we've used up a lot of energy..."
"...Makes sense."
Just as Hikigaya was chewing his yakisoba pan in large mouthfuls, Yukinoshita and Katsuragi, who were talking nearby, turned to look at Hikigaya, signaling him to bring a few more folding chairs over.
When Hikigaya returned to the long table, the food on the table was completely gone, leaving only his unfinished can of Max Coffee standing lonely there.
"Where did all that food go?" Hikigaya turned to Kamuro, asking with some curiosity.
"Huh? What food?" Kamuro rested her chin on her hand, sitting there idly, looking down at the map she had drawn.
"The food you brought over just now," Hikigaya said, touching the empty tabletop with his hand.
"...I finished it," Kamuro was silent for a moment, then answered Hikigaya's question very softly.
"You ate all of it in just a few minutes while I was away and came back?! Did you even chew?" Hikigaya's eyes widened, looking at Kamuro in astonishment.
Hikigaya had wanted to ask this question for a while; it was the same when they ate ramen together—her eating speed seemed much faster than his.
"Okay, actually... I just chewed it twice and swallowed it."
"No matter what you say, that's too much. It's really unhealthy. Doesn't your stomach ever hurt?" Hikigaya couldn't help but ask.
"Uh, I guess you could say I'm used to it. My stomach has never hurt, and I learned to suppress my gag reflex a long time ago, so I've always eaten very quickly." Kamuro fiddled with the purple strands of hair hanging down her chest, turning her face away awkwardly.
'Suppress her... gag reflex? I'd better not let my imagination run wild.'
"Kamuro-san..."
The strange atmosphere between Hikigaya and Kamuro didn't last long. Katsuragi, having finished consulting with Yukinoshita, quickly walked over and sat down at the long table.
He held a written plan sheet and said to Kamuro: "Yukinoshita-san and I have discussed this: a base can be occupied for eight hours at a time, meaning that if we divide the time properly, we can occupy a base three times a day.
However, since we just occupied bases this afternoon, the next refresh time will be in the early morning.
Although we have flashlights, traveling through the forest late at night is too dangerous. So, we plan to leave tomorrow morning after roll call, occupy the refreshed base in the afternoon,
and return afterward, making sure not to miss the evening roll call. Can you accept this schedule?"
"So, we'll only occupy a base twice a day from now on?" Kamuro looked up and asked.
"Yes. This is to ensure the safety of the students who go out to occupy bases and prevent any unforeseen injuries that might lead to withdrawal from the exam," Katsuragi nodded, saying with a steady expression: "We already have the advantage; there's no need to push ourselves too hard."
"I understand."
"Thank you for your understanding and cooperation, Kamuro-san. And thank you too, Hikigaya-kun, for providing information about the bases," Katsuragi said solemnly.
"No, well, I was just doing it to increase the class points anyway... don't mention it."
Hearing Katsuragi's thanks, Kamuro didn't react much, but Hikigaya waved his hand, feeling slightly overwhelmed.
"Hah—" Just then, a tired Kamuro suddenly yawned.
"Kamuro-san, it must have been tiring running around with us boys all afternoon. Please get some rest early; I won't disturb you." Katsuragi showed a faint smile, then pointed toward the cave entrance and continued: "There's a dedicated shower stall at the cave entrance, and the classmates have already prepared hot water. Please don't hesitate to use it."
Having confirmed tomorrow's schedule, Katsuragi quickly left and returned to the tent where the boys were sleeping.
"Hot water too, that sounds great... Hikigaya, I'm going to take a shower and rest now." Kamuro's eyes lit up.
She then stood up abruptly and ran over to Yukinoshita, whispering in her ear: "Yukinoshita, did you buy any spare underwear? I only brought two pairs, and it might not be enough. Plus, after a full day in the sun, my clothes are getting a bit sticky from sweat."
Saying this, Kamuro lightly tugged at the collar of her shirt.
"Kamuro-san, please mind your appearance..." Yukinoshita sighed helplessly at Kamuro's excited behavior, "Never mind, I'll take you to get clothes."
After Hikigaya finished a hot shower that felt like it washed away all his fatigue, he looked down at the watch on his wrist.
It was past ten o'clock at night, but the noise coming from outside the cave showed no sign of stopping.
Having a rare chance to camp overnight with friends on a deserted island, the students probably wouldn't go to sleep obediently.
They would likely play pillow fights, poker, or lie on their blankets eating snacks and chatting all night.
But not all students got to enjoy the fun. Some went to sleep early. These students, unable to fit into the circle, tried hard to fall asleep.
They did this to keep others from noticing their presence, hoping to be treated like air so everyone else could have fun. They didn't know that others wouldn't give this feeling a second thought.
Hikigaya recalled his middle school trip, when a few classmates giggled while poking him as he slept, taking pictures of the scene for fun, and sighed softly. He took out earplugs and put them in, then burrowed into his sleeping bag and slowly closed his eyes.
Hikigaya had a dream, a good dream.
A soft hand gently shook Hikigaya's body, and through his skin, he could feel a little warmth, like someone who had just woken up. The person softly called Hikigaya's name.
But Hikigaya knew it was just a dream. His sister never woke him up, and his parents always left home before he woke up. The only thing that ever woke him up from a dream was the cold ringtone of his cell phone.
Therefore, Hikigaya's mind and body decided this was nothing more than a dream.
However, the person didn't seem to give up. The hand shaking Hikigaya's body gradually applied more force, and Hikigaya felt like his brain was about to be shaken into a puree.
Hikigaya reluctantly opened his eyes, only to see Kamuro in a tracksuit squatting beside him with a look of slight disgust.
This surreal scene made Hikigaya stare blankly. Bright sunlight streamed in from the cave entrance, and the chirping of sparrows came from outside.
Feeling the warm touch behind him, Hikigaya remembered that he was not at home or school, but had spent the night in a sleeping bag.
Fortunately, the cave itself was cool, and the night wind blew in, so he had slept comfortably last night and didn't feel too stuffy. Inside the shared tents, mats were placed on the ground in each tent to soften the hardness of the floor, along with inflatable pillows and battery-powered portable fans.
"Hikigaya, wake up! It's almost eight o'clock."
"It's only eight o'clock... Wait!"
Seeing Hikigaya finally awake, Kamuro slowly stood up and walked out the cave entrance without looking back.
Hikigaya checked the time, quickly scrambled out of his sleeping bag, changed clothes, took out his toiletries from his personal luggage, finished washing up at the fastest speed, and just made it for Mashima-sensei's roll call.
"Morning."
"Morning."
After roll call, Hikigaya, who hadn't eaten breakfast yet, sat down at the long table, and Katsuragi sitting across from him said good morning. Totsuka Yahiko sat next to Katsuragi, and Kito was next to him; they were quietly eating the self-heating chicken and rice meals in front of them, their heads bowed.
Just then, Yukinoshita came to the long table and wished Hikigaya good morning.
"Good morning. You actually woke up..."
"Hey, please don't close your eyes in disappointment, okay? Good morning."
Hikigaya politely greeted Yukinoshita. In that moment, he deeply felt that he was quite good at being sociable.
Clack, a hot dog bun and a can of Max Coffee were placed in front of Hikigaya. He looked up and saw Kamuro, carrying a bag of food, sit down next to him without hesitation.
"What are you looking at me for? Eat breakfast..." Kamuro, holding her bread, looked at Hikigaya strangely.
"...Thanks." Hikigaya looked at the hot dog bun and Max Coffee in front of him, then clapped his hands together—
"Itadakimasu."
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