Night fell, and when the time for roll call arrived, the figure of a certain person was still missing from Class D's campsite.
Kōenji Rokusuke, the one who always fixed his blonde hair in the mirror and had "beauty" constantly on his lips, did not appear at the campsite.
Chabashira Sae looked at the diminished team and emotionlessly announced news that caught everyone off guard.
"Kōenji Rokusuke has applied to withdraw from the exam due to poor health. He has already returned to the cruise ship."
"Huh?! Are you kidding me!"
Sudo Ken's roar instantly pierced the night sky. He violently slammed the water bottle in his hand onto the ground, his face contorted with rage. "That bastard! He was swinging like a monkey this afternoon; how is that 'poor health'?"
"Exactly! Now we've been deducted 30 points! That selfish jerk!"
The feeling of anger spread through the class like a plague. Everyone was already irritated by the harsh environment, and now losing 30 points for no reason was something no one could swallow.
Natsukawa Sosuke stood among the crowd, watching the agitated students, a subtle, cold smile playing on his lips.
'Kōenji, huh... Just as expected.'
He certainly could have kept silent, but for the sake of his subsequent plans, he had to fan the flames around that blonde guy here.
"Everyone, calm down." Natsukawa's voice rang out flatly, sounding particularly abrupt in the noisy environment. "Since Chabashira-sensei said it was 'poor health,' we can only believe it. After all, Kōenji-kun possesses a 'noble' aesthetic that belongs only to him. Or perhaps he was injured during the afternoon activity and truly cannot continue the exam."
This statement sounded like he was making excuses for Kōenji, but in reality, every word emphasized Kōenji's arrogance and unwillingness to cooperate.
Sure enough, after hearing this, the fire in Sudo's eyes intensified: "To hell with aesthetics!"
Even Hirata, who was usually gentle, could only sigh helplessly at this moment.
After this incident, when everyone returned to the ship and saw Kōenji looking perfectly fine, he was thoroughly branded as a "traitor" and an "outsider" in the class... The next morning, after the 8 AM roll call.
Natsukawa Sosuke organized his gear, preparing to scout other areas of the island. Before he could leave the campsite, a red figure quietly followed him.
"Um... Sōsuke-kun..." Sakura Airi, carrying a small backpack and gripping the straps with both hands, looked at him shyly yet firmly. "I... I want to go with you too."
Natsukawa looked at her expectant expression and nodded.
"Stay close."
The two followed the coastline in the opposite direction from yesterday and entered the dense forest.
After about half an hour of travel, a noisy clamor of human voices and the roar of an engine suddenly came from the forest ahead, where only bird song and wind had been heard before.
"People?"
Sakura Airi instinctively pulled her head back and hid behind Natsukawa, the spot where she felt safest.
Natsukawa Sosuke made a silencing gesture, carefully pushed aside the blocking bushes, and, using the cover of the vegetation, looked toward the beach.
The next second, the sight that met their eyes made Sakura Airi instantly widen her eyes, nearly letting out a gasp.
On that golden beach, the students of Class C were engaged in a massive party, as if they were at a Hawaiian resort.
Sun umbrellas were lined up, some people were comfortably sunbathing on beach chairs, and others were busy with a beach BBQ in front of a giant grill. The aroma of roasted meat drifted over with the sea breeze. Even more unbelievable, several people in the distance were riding rented jet skis, speeding through the waves and letting out excited screams.
"Mmmph—!"
The gasp Sakura was about to make was promptly muffled by a large hand.
Natsukawa Sosuke pinched her soft lips with his fingers, signaled her to be quiet with his eyes, and then pointed toward the dense woods behind them, indicating they should retreat first.
The two silently retreated to a safe distance.
"Oh my god... Sōsuke-kun..." Sakura Airi patted her chest, looking utterly incredulous. "Class C... isn't this too much? Is it really okay to squander points like that? It's only the second day!"
At this rate of spending, never mind the remaining points, even the initial 300 points probably wouldn't last them a few days.
"They never intended to stay on this island for the full seven days."
Natsukawa Sosuke leaned against a tree trunk and said calmly, "If I'm not mistaken, Ryuuen Kakeru's plan is to spend all the points, enjoy themselves for a few days, and then have the entire class collectively apply to withdraw from the exam due to 'poor health' and return to the cruise ship for a comfortable life."
"Eh?!"
Sakura Airi was completely shocked, her blue eyes wide and round. "But... wouldn't that mean giving up the exam? The class points they could earn would become zero! Are they just giving up like that?"
In her view, giving up such important class points just for a few days of enjoyment was insane.
Natsukawa Sosuke looked at her naive expression and smiled meaningfully.
"Airi, you can't just look at the surface of things." He reached out and gently flicked her forehead. "Sometimes, what a magician shows you is often the 'illusion' he wants you to see. The real objective is hidden behind that illusion."
Sakura nodded, half understanding, half confused. Although she didn't fully grasp the deeper meaning, since Sōsuke-kun said so, there must be a reason. She obediently didn't press the matter further... The two adjusted their direction and continued traversing the forest.
After walking for a long time, they discovered a wild base on a high ground. However, the electronic screen there already displayed the words "Occupied," and the owner was Class B.
"Class B's base must be nearby."
Natsukawa Sosuke listened closely and faintly heard the sound of water hitting rocks. "That's a waterfall. Let's go this way."
Following the sound for a few hundred meters, the scene before them suddenly opened up.
If no one had said this was a survival scenario on a deserted island, Natsukawa might have thought he had stumbled into some kind of summer camp.
Class B's campsite was situated on flat ground below the waterfall. Although it lacked the luxurious recreational facilities of Class C, it was filled everywhere with an orderly vitality.
The boys were building stoves out of rocks and chopping wood, while the girls were washing fish caught from the river and wild vegetables and fruits they had gathered by the stream. Everyone was smiling, performing their duties, and the entire camp was full of vibrant energy.
"Ah! It's Natsukawa-kun and Sakura-san!"
The sharp-eyed Ichinose Honami was the first to spot the two walking out of the woods. She put down her work and ran over like a cheerful lark, her pink-blonde long hair shimmering in the sunlight.
"Good morning! I didn't expect you two to wander over here!"
"As expected of Class B." Natsukawa Sosuke surveyed the camp and sighed sincerely, "This level of initiative and cohesion is truly enviable. Compared to this place, our Class D looks like a refugee camp."
"Hehe, it's not that exaggerated." Ichinose scratched her cheek a little shyly, a faint blush on her face. "Actually, it's thanks to the information Natsukawa-kun gave us at the start of the school year! Everyone watched a lot of wilderness survival shows and prepared thoroughly, which is why we adapted so quickly. Otherwise, we would definitely have been scrambling at first."
"Since you're here, would you like to take a look around our campsite?" Ichinose warmly extended the invitation.