"Today's young people are much more capable than we were back then, but they've also become increasingly focused on profit. This might not necessarily be a good thing in the long run."
Mashima-sensei sat in his chair, leisurely drinking coffee.
Whenever he thought of the student named Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, he couldn't help but recall that period he deeply cherished in his memory, his proudest time.
Back then, he didn't have the worries and troubles he had now, his body wasn't just for show like it was now, and his dark hair didn't have a single strand of gray.
Those years spent freely enjoying his youth on the sports field and in various exams were undoubtedly his most unforgettable memories. Mashima still remembered all the names of those who accompanied him through three years to this day.
"Hehe, our Mashima-sensei is also starting to reminisce about his student days, huh?"
Hoshinomiya, holding a beer, put one arm around Chabashira and smiled mischievously at Mashima.
"You two are no different. Some people are still pursuing their dreams from back then, pinning their hopes on one generation of students after another."
Sakaue-sensei picked up his teacup and took a sip, his gaze turning to Chabashira.
Even though she was on the cusp of thirty, Chabashira's behavior was still very much like her youthful self, which meant she was easy to read.
It was precisely because of this simplicity that Hoshinomiya was able to let go of her grudges and maintain her friendship with Chabashira, at least on the surface.
"Hmph, I don't need anyone to comment on what I do. This Class D is completely different from those guys before."
"Oh? Are you referring to Class D, which had all its class points deducted in the first month, and then had multiple students expelled during the midterm exams?"
Sakaue-sensei asked with feigned surprise.
"Sakaue, did you really only see that?"
Mashima raised an eyebrow.
He had originally thought that Sakaue, as the homeroom teacher for Class C, would pay special attention to Class D. After all, if Class D wanted to advance, the first class they would undoubtedly have to step on was Class C.
But from the current situation.
Sakaue seemed indifferent to Class D, which made Mashima a little curious.
"That's truly hilarious. I wonder which class has repeatedly fallen into the hands of our Class D. Hiss... Hoshinomiya, why are you biting me?"
"Chabashira is too naughty!!! She needs to be properly disciplined."
"Bastard! Stop getting so close to me, and take your beer away!"
Just as the teachers inside the tent were enjoying a rare moment of relaxation.
Nagumo rushed into the tent, somewhat agitated.
"Teachers, it's bad. Class A's campsite has a major fire."
"What??"
...Class A campsite.
Thick, rolling smoke completely engulfed the camp.
Everything that could burn had now become fuel for the raging inferno.
Most of the Class A students risked swimming across the small river.
They used the river as a natural barrier to block the spread of the flames.
From the current situation, casualties had been minimized.
However, with the absence of firefighters at the scene, it was a certainty that the fire would spread uncontrollably towards the forest.
Just as everyone was staring blankly at the sea of fire across the river,
Someone suddenly shouted.
"Hashimoto-san seems to have rushed into the fire!"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding Class A students immediately stood up and looked towards the inferno.
Kamuro blinked.
She immediately shouted towards the fire, "Hashimoto-san, come back quickly! The other students can just wait for the rescue team. It's useless for you to go in alone."
After hearing that Hashimoto-san had returned to the fire to save a classmate, the Class A students all shouted towards the flames, urging Hashimoto-san to retreat first.
But at this moment, Hashimoto-san was running through the fire without hesitation.
It wasn't that he didn't know how dangerous it was, but that he had no choice but to do it. Originally, he just wanted to find something to undermine Katsuragi's prestige.
But he never expected Amane to play such a big game.
Now they were in the same boat, and if he didn't complete the final agreement as Amane said, who knew what would happen.
Hashimoto-san even suspected that if he refused to complete the final step of the agreement, Amane would drag the Sakayanagi faction down with him and get them all expelled.
Thinking about it now, he had been naive to believe that even if his deal with Amane was like playing with fire, he could still emerge unscathed.
Now it seemed he had been bitten by a fierce tiger, and no matter how much he struggled, it was useless.
Hashimoto-san ran all over the campsite.
He was very sure that Totsuka was trapped nearby, and as long as he could find Totsuka, his mission would be complete.
"Who? Who's there? Cough, cough, cough."
A violent coughing sound attracted Hashimoto-san's attention.
Hashimoto-san quickly ran towards the source of the sound. At this moment, Totsuka was slumped on the ground, his face smudged with smoke and soot.
His cracked lips and pale complexion showed at a glance that Totsuka couldn't hold on much longer.
"Totsuka, why are you still here? Come with me!"
Hashimoto-san said, about to help the weak Totsuka up.
Totsuka's vision was already blurring, but when he clearly saw that the person risking his life to save him was actually Hashimoto-san, tears flowed uncontrollably from his eyes.
"Hashimoto-san… are you here to save me?"
He never imagined that at such a critical, life-threatening moment, the person who would dare to enter the fire to save him would be Hashimoto-san, whom he had always targeted.
"Isn't that obvious? If I wasn't here to save you, what would I be doing in here? Pull yourself together, I'll carry you across the river."
At this point, the fire had slightly subsided because the flammable materials were almost completely consumed.
Hashimoto-san, covering his mouth and nose with his tracksuit, carried Totsuka on his back and ran towards the small river. With a splash, he jumped into the river and began to vigorously paddle his arms towards the opposite bank.
"Hashimoto-san rescued Totsuka-san! Kitou, go help Hashimoto-san!"
Seeing that Hashimoto-san had rescued Totsuka, Kamuro quickly ordered Kitou, who was beside her. Kitou silently took off his shirt and jumped directly into the still chilly lake water.
Several members of the swimming club also followed Kitou and swam towards Hashimoto-san. Finally, with everyone's combined efforts, they managed to pull Hashimoto-san and Totsuka onto the opposite bank.
However, Totsuka was now unconscious, and Hashimoto-san immediately turned around, intending to swim back again.
"Hashimoto-san, what are you going back for?"
"Katsuragi-san doesn't seem to be out yet. I'm going to check."
After saying that, Hashimoto-san vigorously swam back into the fire.
The constant back and forth had pushed his physical endurance to its limit.
But thankfully… his mission was finally complete.
Hashimoto-san rushed straight out of the sea of fire and arrived at an open space behind it.
Amane and Ayanokoji were discussing something.
Hashimoto-san paid no attention, casually pulled out the key card he had just taken from Totsuka, and handed it to Amane.
"Now we're even. Oh, what were you two just discussing? You both look very strange."
Hashimoto-san had only asked casually.
He didn't expect Amane to answer him.
But Amane looked at him with a serious expression.
"I just confirmed with Ayanokoji that the explosion in the temporary restroom wasn't caused by Ayanokoji. This means…"
"There's someone else nearby?"
Before Amane could finish speaking, Hashimoto-san preemptively gave the answer.
Amane nodded silently.
"Although I don't want to guess in that direction, the most likely scenario is that Class C was involved in this incident."
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"