On the way to Zone G8, Kaoru joined the others in two tasks.
They managed to place third in one and received a portion of food from another.
By the time they reached the designated zone, they had barely made it before the deadline.
The early-arrival rewards had already been taken by several other groups.
The final destination of the day appeared nearby in F9.
Like G8, it was located near the edge of the island, so the terrain was easier to cross than the paths deep inside the forest.
Without stopping for long, Kaoru led the others toward F9.
The trees gradually thinned as they approached the coastline.
Beyond them stretched a beach that glittered like gold beneath the sunlight, while the sea breeze stirred the treetops with a soft rustling sound.
"We've already returned to the coast."
Ichika gazed toward the distant sea.
"I thought we wouldn't see a beach again until the exam ended."
The sun had not yet begun setting. The vast sky remained a brilliant blue, almost entirely free of clouds, and the visibility was so clear that it felt as though they could see where the heavens and ocean met.
Farther along the coast, the school's enormous cruise ship could still be seen docked near the harbor in D9.
Tents, restrooms, and several other facilities had been installed on the beach.
"I-I remember the school saying we could freely use the facilities at the starting point. Is that right?"
Miki breathed faintly.
They had not rushed, but constantly traveling across the island was exhausting for someone with poor stamina.
"I think so. They also provide drinking water there, and you can drink as much as you want. You simply can't take it away."
Kaoru checked his tablet.
There was no notification for an early-arrival placement, meaning they had earned only the standard points.
Someone else had clearly arrived before them.
Kaoru did not care. His score was never the focus of this exam.
On the fourth day, the school would announce the ten highest-ranked and ten lowest-ranked groups. Once that happened, they would finally have enough information to judge the overall standings.
"President, someone is heading over there."
Tsubasa noticed students from another group walking across the beach toward the harbor.
They were too far away for her to recognize them.
"Should we go and have a look?"
Miki asked quietly.
Kaoru glanced at her and noticed that she subtly avoided his eyes, shifting slightly farther away.
That was strange.
Had he done something to upset her today?
They had barely spoken since morning. Perhaps that was the reason.
"Why don't we simply spend the night there?"
A sudden idea seemed to strike Ai, and her eyes began sparkling.
"If they won't allow us to carry the drinking water away, we can just stay beside it!"
If the school refused to let her take the facilities with her, she would simply camp beside them and use everything for free.
Kaoru and Tsubasa looked at her with new respect.
The idea was not necessarily bad. Most people simply lacked the shamelessness required to exploit the rule so directly.
"Wouldn't it feel uncomfortable with teachers watching us?"
Ichika blinked.
"If they discover Mitoma-senpai sleeping beside all these girls, his reputation will become even worse."
"You're the only person who would feel uncomfortable. When have we ever slept together?"
Kaoru initially dismissed her words.
Then he remembered how terrible his reputation already was. Someone might genuinely believe he spent every night causing trouble with the girls at the campsite.
"Don't spread rumors about things I haven't done."
"I'm only thinking about Senpai."
Ichika giggled.
"I don't know whether you'll sneak into my tent tonight, so I need to think of a way to protect your reputation."
Miki's cheeks grew faintly warm beside them.
"Fine. Leave the entrance open for me."
The best way to deal with a shameless troublemaker was to become even more shameless.
"I'd never refuse an invitation from a cute girl like Amasawa-san."
After Kaoru spoke, however, he noticed everyone looking at him strangely.
"President, perhaps you shouldn't make jokes like that."
Tsubasa could not stop herself from speaking.
Kaoru froze.
Was Ichika allowed to start the fire, but he was forbidden from answering?
"It doesn't sound like a joke when you say it."
Ai gave him a contemptuous look.
"Nobody is more shameless than you. When it comes to bullying girls, Mitoma Kaoru is unrivaled."
"..."
Kaoru knowingly looked away.
He had done far too many questionable things in the past for them to believe he was merely joking.
Other people might only boast. In their eyes, Kaoru would genuinely reach out and act.
"Enough of this. Let's hurry and claim a good place."
Ai hoisted her luggage and eagerly headed toward the harbor.
Tsubasa and the others followed.
Kaoru had just put away his tablet when Ichika moved beside him.
"Don't worry, Senpai. I won't be as strict with you as they are."
Her faint fragrance drifted toward him as she lowered her voice to a whisper.
"If Senpai wants to tease me again, I might even allow it."
A girl whispering directly into his ear was far more effective than it had any right to be.
For an instant, Kaoru genuinely wavered.
Before he could react, Ichika had already retreated with a cheerful smile.
"Did Senpai's heart move?"
Kaoru had no idea how to handle this girl anymore.
She constantly attempted to provoke him, behaving as though she might shyly accept him the moment he took one step closer.
Yet if he truly acted, she would probably retaliate on the spot.
"It isn't as though you'd genuinely let me do anything. Why would I be tempted?"
Kaoru took a breath.
"Come closer again, and I might wrap you up and throw you onto a bed."
"No wonder Senpai's reputation is so awful. You're much too rough with girls."
Ichika shook her head.
"Don't you want to improve your image?"
"At this rate, whenever a girl comes near you, everyone will assume she belongs to your harem and that you've already done something strange to her."
"What exactly do you expect me to change?"
Kaoru glanced at her bouncing twin tails from the corner of his eye.
"Should I stop speaking to girls entirely, or forbid everyone from discussing my private life?"
"Hmm. I thought Senpai would dislike people constantly judging him."
Ichika walked beside him.
"I'm also curious about why you're so committed to having so many girlfriends. Are you simply that lustful?"
"You certainly love gossip. Aren't White Room students supposed to have weak emotions?"
"That isn't right, Senpai."
Ichika's expression became faintly serious.
"We aren't machines. No matter how much our emotions were suppressed, we still become curious. We still feel sad when something painful happens. That's normal."
"I thought all of you were like Ayanokōji."
The first person Kaoru actually remembered was Yagami Takuya.
Ichika had reacted to Yagami's expulsion with intense anger and grief, even losing control enough to attack Kaoru recklessly.
"Senpai makes it sound so simple."
Ichika's gaze became distant.
"How could we possibly be like Ayanokōji-senpai?"
"Ever since we were children, he was the terrifying monster none of us could ever catch. Sometimes, I genuinely wondered whether he was human."
Kaoru considered her answer.
"Then why are you staying with me during this exam? Ayanokōji is also acting alone. Wouldn't it be better to go after him?"
Kiyotaka had no teammates during the exam.
Most students assumed it was simply because his social skills were so poor that nobody wanted to group with him.
"Why would I target him? Ayanokōji-senpai was never my mission."
Ichika did not seem concerned.
"Takuya was supposed to handle him. I was only the second-best. I could watch from the side and witness Ayanokōji-senpai's strength. I was basically free."
Then Ichika released a deep sigh.
"Unfortunately, Takuya was expelled. Now it seems I'm the only person left to carry that responsibility."
She did not look toward him, but Kaoru could feel the faint awkwardness and resentment in the air.
"If you successfully expelled Ayanokōji, what would you gain?"
Kaoru changed the subject, unwilling to continue discussing Yagami.
Ichika did not object.
The matter had already happened some time ago.
"The benefit would be defeating Ayanokōji-senpai."
The girl clenched her fist toward the path ahead.
"We'd prove that we were superior to him. The so-called greatest masterpiece would be helpless before us!"
"So there's no actual reward."
Kaoru understood.
"Victory itself is the reward!"
Ichika sounded offended.
"Does Senpai understand what it means to be constantly compared with the White Room's greatest masterpiece?"
"Imagine growing up while everyone told you the child next door was better than you. Then one day you finally had a chance to surpass him. Wouldn't you want revenge?"
Kaoru thought about it.
That feeling was perfectly human.
"What happens afterward?"
Since Ichika was unusually willing to discuss the White Room, Kaoru continued asking.
"After defeating Ayanokōji, would all of you return there?"
"Of course. Only people who are eliminated lose the right to remain in the White Room."
Ichika lowered her fist.
"Takuya is probably undergoing the next stage of training now. Although he may already have left."
"Why?"
"Because he has no further opportunity to fight Ayanokōji-senpai."
Ichika answered as though it were obvious.
"Catching Ayanokōji-senpai was Takuya's goal. Without that objective, there would be little reason for him to remain."
Kaoru awkwardly looked away.
He was the reason Yagami had lost that opportunity.
"Does Senpai feel guilty?"
Ichika seemed to notice and gave him a teasing smile.
"You don't need to carry that much responsibility. If Takuya challenged you first, then whatever punishment you gave him was your choice."
"He brought the result upon himself. People from the White Room aren't shameless enough to deny their own defeats."
Yagami's mission had been Kiyotaka.
Instead of dealing with Kiyotaka, he had provoked Kaoru and been expelled.
In Ichika's eyes, that was entirely his own fault.
She had long since grown accustomed to people being eliminated.
Losing meant losing. No explanation changed the simple fact that someone else had defeated you.
Yagami had also chosen the wrong opponent.
"Where do you go after leaving the White Room?"
Kaoru was genuinely curious.
"I don't know. Nobody ever told us."
Ichika shook her head.
"Perhaps someone comes to collect us."
She knew she had been created through artificial means and raised as one possible genius heir for an influential figure.
If she left the White Room, that person would likely take her in.
However, she had never met them and knew nothing about any family she might possess.
To Ichika, the White Room had always been her home.
Kaoru was about to ask what she wanted for her own future when she suddenly smiled slyly.
"It's my turn to question Senpai now, isn't it?"
She looked slightly dissatisfied.
"Senpai has been asking me everything. That's unfair."
"What do you want to ask?"
Kaoru did not mind.
"Ahem. My question is simple."
Ichika adopted a solemn expression.
"Senpai only needs to answer according to the truest feelings in his heart."
"Would you pursue little Nanase?"
Kaoru blinked.
Ichika continued before he could respond.
"If the opportunity appeared, would Senpai make a move on her?"
He did not know why she had suddenly asked, but Kaoru collected his thoughts and answered honestly.
"Yes."
"Why?"
Ichika asked instinctively.
"Because little Nanase is cute and has an attractive figure?"
"Being attracted to beautiful girls is natural. I won't deny that."
Kaoru continued, "But I only pick flowers that are within my reach. I won't touch one growing far away."
"What if she doesn't like it?"
Ichika frowned.
"A flower that's plucked carelessly will wither."
"I would wait until she no longer rejects me."
Kaoru replied calmly.
"Then I would carefully take her home and plant her in my garden. I still don't know much about caring for flowers, but I'd try to protect her for the rest of my life."
"Do you have some kind of obsession with collecting beautiful girls?"
"If I genuinely did, you wouldn't escape either."
"Fine, fine. If Senpai broke up with all the others, I might consider dating you."
Ichika blinked.
When Kaoru merely glanced at her without reacting, irritation and embarrassment stirred inside her.
"It must be nice."
She suddenly spoke again.
"I'd also like to know what it feels like."
"Little Nanase is cute. Don't hurt her too badly, or I'll genuinely become angry."
Kaoru froze slightly.
Ichika had already walked toward the school campsite before he could answer.
Hayato was setting up their tents. Several teachers watched with interest while Ai and Tsubasa discussed their plans nearby.
"President, several tasks appeared in the surrounding zones. Should we go and look?"
Tsubasa spoke the moment Kaoru and Ichika finally arrived.
Perhaps because of Ichika's earlier question, Kaoru now felt a faint ripple inside himself when he looked at Tsubasa.
He remembered some of the inappropriate teasing that had occurred inside the Student Council office.
"Hmm. That should be fine."
Kaoru forced the images from his thoughts.
He had been fooling around far too much recently. His mind now wandered at the slightest provocation.
"You can complete the tasks. I'll remain here."
Ai removed her bottle of water from her backpack and quietly instructed Kaoru.
"You can sell this to other students and trade it for food."
Kaoru accepted the bottle with a speechless expression.
He had heard that she had already sold two liters while using his name to guarantee it.
Before leaving, Kaoru apologized to the teachers supervising the school facilities. Since they intended to camp there that evening, it was only polite to greet them.
Ai had already begun preparing to start a fire and cook soup. She excitedly ran over to take advantage of the school's drinking water.
The teachers stationed there were easygoing and told Kaoru not to worry, merely encouraging them to do their best in the exam.
Carrying Ai's water, Kaoru went with Tsubasa to inspect the nearby task sites.
"Did President discuss something with Amasawa-san?"
Tsubasa seemed curious about the conversation the two had held behind the group.
"Nothing important. She asked whether I liked you, and I told her I liked you very much. That was all."
Kaoru did not hide it, although he gave Tsubasa only the essential part.
Tsubasa's eyes widened.
She immediately began stammering.
"Y-you didn't tell her about... about what happened between us, did you?"
"What happened between us?"
Kaoru found her reaction amusing and deliberately pretended not to understand.
"What exactly does Nanase-san mean?"
She naturally meant his constant jokes about abusing his authority, as well as the awkward incident in the Student Council office.
Tsubasa could not say any of that aloud. Her cheeks grew warm.
"Don't worry. I said nothing."
Kaoru adopted a serious expression.
"I only told her that I liked Nanase-san very much and would definitely take advantage of my position if the opportunity arose."
Tsubasa had been embarrassed a moment ago.
Hearing that, she suddenly stopped feeling shy because he was obviously speaking nonsense again.
Even so, a faint disappointment remained.
Perhaps one day Kaoru really would cross that line with her.
With those tangled feelings, Tsubasa followed him to the nearest task site, only to discover the competition had already begun.
Her disappointment deepened.
She had wanted to be useful to Kaoru during this exam. She had privately calculated his approximate score and begun wondering whether traveling with them had actually slowed him down.
As those thoughts passed through her mind, she saw Kaoru greeting several students who appeared to be acquaintances.
Then Tsubasa felt a little sorry for him.
Kaoru was trying to sell Ai's water.
'Never mind. I'll handle something this embarrassing.'
She was about to step forward when Kaoru completed the exchange almost immediately.
The other students accepted the water without hesitation and handed over several food items from their packs.
Tsubasa froze.
Not because Kaoru had sold it so quickly.
During the exchange, Kaoru had casually accepted a small folded note.
She had only seen it for an instant, but the white slip of paper was unmistakable.
"The next task won't begin for a while. Should we return?"
Kaoru walked back toward her.
"Morishita-san's water has already been sold anyway."
Tsubasa's lips moved.
She wanted to ask why the other student had given Kaoru a note and what had been written inside it.
But she could not bring herself to ask.
A hollow feeling settled in her chest.
Apparently, she was not Kaoru's only source of information.
He possessed another intelligence network, and it seemed far broader than she had imagined.
When Kaoru suggested returning, Tsubasa followed with unusually little energy.
She hid it well enough that he did not immediately notice.
Once they reached the campsite, Kaoru had no chance to think about Tsubasa's mood because several familiar figures had appeared.
"I'm sorry our tent caused you trouble. Thank you so much! Kitō-kun, you're amazing. You assembled it so quickly!"
That was Kikyō's voice.
Hayato was setting up a tent for her.
"This amount of fish should be enough to flavor miso soup, right? What a pain. We should've bought proper seasoning—wait, why are you adding instant noodles? Is that soup still going to be edible?!"
Kei was also there, enthusiastically interfering with Ai's seafood soup.
Kaoru's expression sharpened.
He looked around but could not find Airi.
Miki was also missing.
Had the two of them gone to gather firewood together?
"Oh, Senpai is back."
Ichika noticed him.
"Your girlfriends came all the way here to visit. What should we do? Shall we lend you a larger tent so all of you can spend the night together?"
Kaoru's face immediately darkened.
Her voice had successfully drawn the attention of every girl in the campsite.