"Go ahead and speak."
Ichinose occasionally pushed aside the bushes as she walked, glancing back. "Hikigaya, have you made any other discoveries?"
"No..."
Hikigaya had barely finished his sentence when he sensed something was off.
Although this group of people was outstanding, they seemed careless in some aspects. Perhaps what he had noticed had escaped their attention.
"Actually, maybe I do have something."
Hikigaya stepped a little closer to Kanzaki and asked, "Has anyone considered whether this island is artificial?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Ichinose turned to face him, her bright eyes full of curiosity.
Hikigaya coughed lightly to cover his brief embarrassment at her proximity before explaining, "This is our first time here, right? But look at the ground. While some parts are covered, there are visible traces of footsteps."
"That's probably from previous staff or former candidates. Since this is an exam, the school must have left supplies in certain areas of the island."
"Otherwise, surviving on just 300 points would be impossible. The entire exam would become meaningless if everyone ran out of points too quickly."
No matter how strict the exam was, at the end of the day, it was still conducted by a school. It wouldn't be designed to be completely unforgiving.
More importantly, using an island only once would be too costly. It had likely been reused multiple times, with each new batch of students facing slight modifications.
If they were lucky, maybe they'd even find something left behind by past graduates.
"I see."
Ichinose nodded in agreement. "Hikigaya-kun, this kind of information is really valuable. Next time, share it sooner rather than later. Explaining it late can be awkward."
"Yeah, I get it..."
Hikigaya nodded, though he knew what some of their classmates were probably thinking: 'What's with the fake humility?'
After all, they had clearly spotted the large wooden house nearby. He had assumed there was a reason no one suggested staying in it. Wooden houses had drawbacks, after all.
"Our next stop is in that direction," he said, pointing forward. "I'll leave it to you guys, okay?"
"Whatever."
Kanzaki's reply was curt, his tone stiff.
Hikigaya frowned slightly. Did I do something to offend him? Then again, he was used to being disliked. He sighed and fell to the back of the group.
The island wasn't that big, and it was daytime. Getting lost shouldn't be an issue.
Especially with Kanzaki and Ichinose, who were far more competent than he was.
After Hikigaya Left
"Kanzaki-kun," Ichinose said with a sigh, "aren't you being too harsh on Hikigaya?"
She had noticed that Kanzaki's attitude had changed from before.
"...Well," Kanzaki exhaled and cast a quick glance in Hikigaya's direction before saying, "You've probably realized it too—Hikigaya is undoubtedly capable."
"When you asked him about his needs earlier, his instinctive response was to solve the problem for us."
"That's the mindset of someone in a superior position—someone strong. He believes he can handle everything alone, without relying on anyone."
"This means he doesn't see us as comrades. He doesn't even consider himself a real member of Class B."
Ichinose was silent for a moment. It was true—Hikigaya had never really blended into their group.
"Still," she said seriously, "Hikigaya is part of our class, and he's made valuable contributions. He's helped us multiple times, hasn't he?"
From the information he provided at the beginning of the school year to discovering the wooden house just now—Hikigaya's efforts were undeniable.
"I know."
"That's why I wanted to help him integrate at the start of the year. But in the end, I realized he's not someone who needs my help."
Kanzaki's expression was complicated. "Even so, watching someone with ability do nothing… is frustrating. I can't accept it."
"Maybe…" Ichinose hesitated. "Maybe it's just that we haven't earned his trust yet."
Meanwhile…
Feeling the occasional glances from his classmates, Hikigaya subtly increased his pace, heading toward Hoshinomiya Chie.
"Ah, Hikigaya~"
Hoshinomiya greeted him cheerfully. "You're doing great! This way, the teacher gets to relax~"
Delegating work to students—what a great personality.
People who could shift responsibilities onto others and still maintain a leadership position were truly enviable.
"Sensei," Hikigaya started, suppressing his frustration, "were you a student here before?"
"Hmm?" Hoshinomiya blinked in surprise. "What makes you ask?"
"It's just a guess."
Hikigaya shrugged. "Earlier, you mentioned that the portable toilets won't break down after seven days. That seemed like something someone with experience would say."
"Ah, I see."
Hoshinomiya nodded knowingly. "You're right—I was a student here and went through this exact exam before."
"Figures."
Hikigaya's suspicions were confirmed. "Does that mean Chabashira-sensei was, too?"
"Yup! Sae-chan and I were in the same class back then."
Hoshinomiya puffed out her chest with a mischievous grin. "Why? Are you interested in her? I can introduce you, you know~ It's her first time, after all."
"...Hahaha."
Hikigaya let out a dry laugh.
Selling out her best friend like that—what an amazing teacher.
No wonder she got along so well with Class D's teacher.
"Sensei," Hikigaya said casually, "if you ever decide to betray Class B, remember to call me. We can slack off together."
If even the homeroom teacher was ready to give up, there was no point in pretending to aim for Class A. Might as well take it easy.
"Huh?"
Hoshinomiya was momentarily stunned before she smacked him on the back.
"Ugh—!"
Hikigaya coughed violently from the impact.
She actually hit me… That hurt!
The sound caught the attention of the others, and Hikigaya quickly looked away, his face slightly red.
"Hikigaya seems pretty close with Hoshinomiya-sensei," Ichinose observed, watching the interaction.
Somewhere in the group chat, vague gossip about "teacher control" was probably starting to spread.
"Right? A teacher wouldn't—wait, actually…"
Hoshinomiya suddenly leaned in close, her breath warm against his ear.
"If you can stop Class D from reaching Class A," she whispered, "I'll give you a reward~ Oh, and this is my first time making such an offer, you know~"
"..."
Hikigaya took half a step back, face slightly flushed.
This is too obvious.
The so-called "reward" was definitely something else entirely. A blatant lie.
Besides, there was no way a teacher this casual had never done this before. Her past students from Class B had probably heard the same thing.
"Hikigaya, your expression is really rude~"
Hoshinomiya pouted like a child, hands on her hips.
Despite her scolding, she still looked oddly cute.
She then lowered her voice and added, "There's a strange guy in Class D this year. He seems dangerous, so I just wanted to throw him off a little~"
"Relax, the teacher isn't that easy."
Hikigaya forced another dry laugh. He didn't care about whatever schemes were unfolding between the teachers and students.
If there was drama, all the better. Watching chaos unfold was always fun.
As long as his own peace wasn't disturbed, nothing else mattered.
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