"Hey! Why did you all come over here!" Ike Kanji grumbled while surveying the surrounding environment. "We found a base on the other side too, but... it really doesn't seem as good as this one. There's a small river over there, but it's a bit too damp to be a proper base."
He looked around and quickly recognized the advantages of this prime location.
"Wow! There's a cave here! This is practically the perfect campsite!"
...After confirming the base, the first problem everyone faced was starting a fire.
Without fire, it meant no cooked food, no hot water, and no light or warmth at night.
"Damn it! There are too few matches!" Yamauchi Haruki struck several matches but failed to ignite the somewhat large dead branches he had picked up from the ground.
Just as everyone was at a loss, Ike Kanji stepped forward.
"Move aside, move aside, let the professional handle this!"
He confidently pushed the others away and began to display his unexpected camping skills.
He first instructed a few boys to collect some dry, flammable dead leaves and small twigs. Then, he found several dry sticks of appropriate thickness himself.
He built a two-layer frame using sticks of varying thickness, placed the dead leaves and small twigs inside, struck a match, and carefully brought the flame closer.
"Ike, can you actually do this?" Yamauchi Haruki questioned from the side.
"Shut up! Watch closely!"
Ike Kanji ignored him, carefully bringing the match closer to the gaps in the dry leaves.
Gradually, a flame ignited from the center, successfully catching the small twigs on fire.
"It worked! It worked!"
The surrounding students let out excited gasps.
"It's burning!!"
Amidst the cheers, a blazing bonfire soon rose up in the forest clearing.
"Ike! You're amazing!"
Shinohara Satsuki looked at the dancing flames and offered sincere praise.
Being praised by a girl he usually found irritating, Ike Kanji's cheeks instantly flushed. He scratched his head awkwardly, but the genuine pride he felt was impossible to hide.
"Hehe, it's nothing much."
In that moment, he felt that all his hard work had been worth it. His ability had been recognized by everyone, and even the girl who had always argued with him now looked at him with new respect.
He finally understood the girls' previous concerns about sanitation and proactively spoke up: "Um... regarding the toilet issue, I also remembered crying and arguing with my parents during my first camping trip because I didn't want to go outside... Um, let's think together and see if there are any better solutions..."
The minor conflicts among the group were tentatively resolved with the rising of the bonfire.
Seeing that the atmosphere was right, Horikita Suzune stepped forward.
"Alright, now let's discuss the plan for using the points."
She pointed to the guide manual in her hand.
"I calculated that if we are frugal and rely entirely on exchanging for school food to get through these seven days, we will need to spend approximately 150 Exam Points in total."
"Therefore, I propose that besides essential survival tools like tents, fishing gear, and cooking utensils, everyone will have a personal spending quota of five points. Within these five points, I won't interfere with whatever snacks or drinks you wish to exchange for."
"If you want to exchange for items or food packages costing more than five points, you can find people to group up with, as the school's food package is for 40 people, which you probably can't eat alone. The package price is 10 points. But let me make it clear first: after this exam, the Class Points Class D obtains will be deducted based on the percentage of points each of you spent, and this amount will be submitted as class funds."
This proposal immediately received approval from Ike and Sudo's side.
After discussion, Ike and Sudo, who had intended to rely on saving points, naturally agreed strongly with Horikita's proposal. Since no one else could come up with a fairer method that better encouraged everyone to be frugal, the plan was ultimately approved.
After resolving the point usage issue, the next step was to nominate a Leader.
Everyone's gaze once again focused on Horikita Suzune, who had just demonstrated her leadership skills.
Kushida Kikyo stepped forward and said, "I think Horikita is very suitable. After all, Hirata-kun and Karuizawa-san are too conspicuous and could easily be guessed by the other classes. But this role requires someone with a sense of responsibility, and Horikita fits the bill perfectly."
However, Horikita shook her head.
She cast her gaze toward Natsukawa Sosuke, who had been standing on the periphery of the group the entire time.
"I nominate Natsukawa."
"Eh?"
This suggestion surprised everyone.
Kushida Kikyo had intended to say something, but noticing Natsukawa's gaze, she closed her mouth.
Hirata had no objection to this, even expressing his agreement.
Since the few people with the most influence in the class had reached a consensus, the other students naturally had no objections.
Thus, Natsukawa Sosuke naturally became the Leader of Class D for this Special Exam.
"Since everyone has chosen me as the Leader," Natsukawa Sosuke finally spoke, "I have a suggestion."
He pointed to the cave serving as their base.
"We can use the unlimited plastic bags and absorbent cloth provided by the school to hang a curtain at the cave entrance. We can put the collected firewood and other water-sensitive supplies inside. This will not only keep out the rain but also deceive others. When the Leader enters and exits to swipe their card, people outside won't see, which maximizes the prevention of identity exposure."
This suggestion was immediately approved by everyone.
Seeing the problems solved one by one, everyone began to immerse themselves in the tension and excitement of surviving on a deserted island. Hirata and Horikita, along with Ike and the others, started discussing which necessary tools and items needed to be exchanged... As the initial excitement from successfully starting the fire wore off, the students of Class D had to face reality. Surviving for seven days on this deserted island required far more than just a bonfire.
Thus, under the organization of Hirata Yosuke, everyone began dividing the tasks. Although Horikita Suzune was nominally the Leader, she seemed to be feeling unwell. After giving a few brief instructions, she fully delegated the specific command authority to Hirata, telling him to inform her once he determined the necessary supplies. She would first go find Chabashira-sensei to confirm the Leader, the base, and exchange for enough tents.
Hirata Yosuke truly lived up to his role as the glue of Class D, quickly and systematically arranging personnel responsible for collecting firewood, organizing the site, and setting up tents.
"Next, we need to conduct a preliminary exploration of this island," Hirata said to the remaining people, holding several bottles of mineral water exchanged from the school. "We need to confirm the surrounding terrain and look for potential food sources. For safety, we need to move in groups. Each group will have two people and receive one bottle of water."
"Who is willing to go?"
As soon as he finished speaking, several people raised their hands, and Natsukawa Sosuke raised his hand as well.
Sakura Airi, who had been secretly watching Natsukawa's movements, subconsciously glanced in Horikita's direction when she saw Natsukawa raise his hand. Seeing that Horikita Suzune had no intention of stepping forward, she took a deep breath, summoned her courage, and raised her own slender hand.
"Th-that... I'll go too!"
Hirata looked at Sakura with some surprise, then offered a gentle smile.
"Alright, thank you, Sakura-san. Then Sakura-san will be paired with Natsukawa-kun. Here is your bottle of water, be careful on the way."
Taking the water, the two left the bustling campsite and headed into the depths of the dense forest.
....
READ MORE AT PATREON.COM/ZEASER