Chapter 71: Fire
When the Class B students arrived at the cornfield following Beppu, they saw Kanzaki talking to Katsuragi from Class A.
Going back a few minutes, since Beppu had already been sent back to report, only Kanzaki remained as the guard. After confirming that the area was not a base occupied by another class, he reached out and picked an ear of corn.
"Look at this! Katsuragi-kun! There's a massive amount of food here!"
Just then, an excited shout suddenly came, making Kanzaki, whose attention was focused on the corn, jump. He quickly turned around and saw Katsuragi and the others who had been out occupying bases.
"I apologize; we didn't mean to startle you, and we have no malicious intent. Please forgive him," Katsuragi noticed Kanzaki's wary expression and apologized to Kanzaki on behalf of Yahiko. "I am Katsuragi Kouhei of Class 1-A. Pleased to meet you."
Katsuragi introduced himself but did not mention the names of the three key card holders beside him.
"I am Kanzaki Ryuuji of Class 1-B."
The two sides exchanged a brief greeting. Kanzaki showed a thoughtful look after hearing Katsuragi's name, while Katsuragi glanced at the area full of corn and then began to walk away.
"This is something you found first. We have no intention of forcibly taking it, so you can rest assured. However, if this place is discovered, there's a high possibility of it being taken... We should help out," Katsuragi thought for a few seconds and then offered.
"A-Are you serious, Katsuragi-kun? You're going to provide assistance to another class—"
Yahiko showed expected resistance, but after meeting Katsuragi's sharp gaze, he swallowed his words deep into his throat.
Kito and Kamuro exchanged a look. Although they didn't understand Katsuragi's intention, neither planned to voice their opinion and simply followed behind Katsuragi in silence.
"Thank you very much for offering help, but don't trouble yourselves. Our classmates are already on their way. I apologize, but please allow me to decline."
"I see. In that case, I will..."
Hearing Kanzaki say this, Katsuragi nodded lightly in understanding. Before he could finish his sentence, he heard a burst of cheerful laughter coming from the bushes behind Kanzaki.
"It seems your classmates have arrived. Then we won't intrude."
Saying this, Katsuragi led the three Class A students and slowly departed under the gaze of the Class B group.
.
.
.
Wandering in the cornfield was like being in a world of gold.
On the deserted island surrounded by the blue ocean, the corn grew at ease, as if showcasing its vitality and charm. When the students entered the cornfield, the first thing that caught their eyes were the towering corn stalks.
The stalks were tall and strong, standing like mighty warriors. The tender green leaves were like a green curtain, blocking the scorching sunlight. A gentle breeze blew, and the corn leaves rustled, as if providing accompaniment to this beautiful summer.
The corn here was perfectly shaped and didn't look wild at all. Also, the soil where the corn was planted was slightly different in color from the forest soil. However, immersed in the joy of the harvest, the Class B group didn't notice these two small differences, but instead happily discussed the various ways to cook the corn.
After finally collecting the corn in this area, the problem became how to transport so much corn back. Fortunately, the Class B students had brought some plastic bags and successfully contained all the corn in the area.
On the way back, everyone was chatting and laughing, praising Kanzaki and Beppu.
When the group was halfway back, they saw a huge column of smoke rising into the sky from the direction of the Class B campsite. The smoke column was like a black dragon, spiraling up into the air.
'Chihiro must be starting the fire... Wait! The smoke shouldn't be this big for a normal fire. Something's wrong!'
Ichinose turned to Kanzaki, only to see that his expression was also serious. Realizing the abnormality, the two immediately put down the corn they were holding and ran towards the Class B campsite.
'What happened?
I left Chihiro alone! This smoke isn't normal! I told her to start a fire! She'll be fine! She'll be fine...'
Ichinose was extremely anxious, comforting herself in her mind while running towards the campsite at her fastest speed.
The path in the forest was not flat, and Ichinose nearly fell several times.
Gasping for breath, Ichinose finally saw the Class B campsite, which had turned into a sea of fire.
The fire scene was a mess. The smell of burnt objects permeated the air, suffocating everyone. The raging fire seemed to have gone mad, scattering wildly with the wind, brazenly devouring everything. The tents, hammocks, students' personal luggage, and the surrounding trees were all burning. The scene was like a living hell. The crimson flames were like an arrogant painter, using a brush in hand to paint everything they touched black.
There are many firefighters here, but where is Chihiro-chan? Where is she now?!
Ichinose urgently looked around, searching the area near the campsite, and finally saw her figure.
Shiranami Chihiro was being carried onto a helicopter on a stretcher by school staff, her eyes tightly closed.
"H-How is she! Gasp—gasp—Is Chihiro not burned!" Ichinose ran to the staff member, asking breathlessly.
"Are you her classmate? Calm down first; she just fainted, she has no burns," the staff member gently waved his hand and continued: "However, even if there are no major problems, she can no longer participate in the exam."
"That's a relief... Of course she should receive treatment, but what exactly happened here?!" Relieved to hear that Shiranami Chihiro was safe and sound, Ichinose couldn't help but ask.
"We don't know the exact details, but we suspect the student fainted from heatstroke while starting the fire. Your woodpile was right next to the fire, and the isolation trench around your fire was substandard, so the fire spread out of control. It will be put out soon," the staff member explained.
'I put the wood near the fire. I thought it would be convenient for adding fuel to the fire.
—It was all my fault. If it weren't for me, the campsite wouldn't have caught fire. The hammocks that my classmates worked so hard to set up, the tents they pitched, and the supplies they collected wouldn't have turned out like this.'
"Ichinose-san... You must pull yourself together... This was just an accident," Hoshimiya-sensei softly tried to comfort Ichinose, but the latter no longer had the strength to reply.
The fear of what could have happened instantly overwhelmed Ichinose—what if Chihiro had fainted in the middle of the fire...
Ichinose leaned on a large tree that hadn't been burned, her body slumping down like a lump of mud.
"What happened! How could this be... Where's Shiranami-san? Can someone explain the situation?"
"Why are all our supplies on fire..."
"The fire should be put out soon, right..."
The Class B students, carrying the corn, returned to the campsite. They were clamoring agitatedly, unable to accept the sight they were seeing.
"Everyone, please calm down..." Kanzaki led the Class B students to an area away from the fire scene, soothing their emotions.
"It's like this..."
Hoshimiya-sensei was about to explain the situation to the students, who looked incredulous, but Ichinose suddenly stood up and bowed to everyone.
"I'm sorry, everyone..."
Ichinose explained the details about Shiranami Chihiro and the fire break. Then she lowered her head, speaking in a suppressed, low voice: "That's how it is. It was all my fault."
'Even though everyone is usually very friendly, given the current situation, if my classmates have any anger, I will bear it.'
Ichinose looked earnestly at her classmates, preparing to face their anger.
"This isn't just Ichinose-san's fault; everyone is at fault for the inadequate fire break."
"That's right... And Shiranami-san's heatstroke was an unpredictable event."
"Exactly! We still have a lot of Material Points left, enough to get us through the next few days."
"Now is not the time for self-blame. Shiranami-san has withdrawn from the exam; we must choose a new leader."
Although the supplies purchased with Class C's points and collected by the Class B students over the past two days were all burned, and one classmate was forced to withdraw from the deserted island exam, the Class B students did not blame Ichinose.
Instead, they offered comfort and encouragement, hoping she would pull herself together and continue to lead the class through the deserted island exam.
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting