Chapter 21 - Domination
Hirata-kun began to distribute miscellaneous tasks like gathering wood, dry leaves, berries and mushrooms in the surrounding area. We pushed the decision about which things to purchase back for the moment, since we still needed to check if some items couldn't be supplemented with cheaper alternatives. Kushida-san was very helpful with appeasing the boys and girls for the moment, but the decision would have to be made today.
Going over Ike-kun's notes to narrow down the list of items should have been my task now, but since Kiyotaka just came back from his exhausting trip, I wanted to make sure that he was feeling alright first.
Both Hirata-kun and Kushida-san convinced our classmates that this was the only correct decision at the moment, so not even Shinohara-san pushed back because of the toilet that hadn't been bought yet. Since everyone but Sudou-kun had managed to visit the bathroom on the cruise ship, it wouldn't be a problem to discuss our sanitary situation later.
I ambled into the chilly cave and waved at Kiyotaka, who was leaning against one of the walls.
His whole body was drenched in sweat as all the exhaustion that had accumulated due to the heat sapped on his strength. This was one of the reasons for his labored, strained breathing as well as his rather pale complexion.
"Are you feeling better, Kiyotaka? You didn't need to push yourself so hard..."
My handsome yet defenseless boyfriend gifted me with one of his rare, faint smirks as I sat down beside him. I wiped the sticky, damp hair out of his face and checked the temperature on his forehead to make sure that he hadn't caught a sunstroke or something equally bad.
Even now, his usual calm facade didn't waver.
"Don't worry Chiaki, I'm fine. But I guess I've put you in a difficult position, huh?" He leaned against my shoulder and took a deep breath. "They'll surely think that you are a demon now, even towards your boyfriend. Maybe I should have taken it slower for your sake."
At least he could still crack jokes...
"Come on..." I tapped on my lap, brimming with confidence. "Lie down and rest for a bit."
Satou-san said that this was a so-called 'lap pillow', and that every boy was thrilled to receive them, especially from their girlfriends. According to her, it was as simple as him placing his head on my lap and relaxing while I was supposed to stroke his hair while he either slept to recharge or talked with me to tighten our bond.
I hadn't heard about this before, but I didn't mind spoiling my attractive boyfriend once in a while. Now that he was exhausted and tired, it was the perfect opportunity for us to experience this new first together.
Kiyotaka glanced at me before his captivating gaze swayed towards my thighs.
Although I was wearing my jersey, which was much less revealing than the swimsuit I had donned on the cruise ship, I couldn't help but feel aware of him and the way his eyes shifted after my proposal.
He leaned forward, and the scent of his fresh sweat drifted into my nose.
It didn't smell bad, but it wasn't as pleasant as his usual body odor that I learned to love over the past few months. I didn't need to wrinkle my nose because of it, but I wouldn't lean into him to take a whiff, either.
My heart stopped thumping inside my chest as he rested his head on my lap.
His soft, warm breath, which shouldn't have been able to penetrate the thick fabric of my jersey, tickled the smooth skin of my thighs as a strange tingling sensation traveled through my whole body. The unfamiliar, fuzzy feeling spread from my lower limbs through my upper body and into my brain, where it lingered until the next jolt arrived.
Thank you, Satou-san, but this is kind of dangerous...
I cleared my throat to stabilize the chaotic thoughts that began roaming through my mind.
"S-so what happened? Why did you designate yourself as the leader?"
The only plausible explanation for his action was that Fumei had messaged him before he disembarked. Since I had left my phone with Chabashira-sensei beforehand, it wasn't too far fetched to believe that Horikita-senpai would have texted Kiyotaka instead of me. He was my boyfriend and thus, the most confidential person in Class D, aside from me.
He rubbed his head against my thighs as if he was some kind of cat.
This simple yet adorable action led to a deep blush as I began to caress his handsome face.
"I received multiple messages from an anonymous number as we stood in line to leave the ship. The first instructed me to take the leader's position and race towards the cave in a certain pattern, while the second was a map of the island, similar to the one that was drawn in the manual. That person said that he wasn't able to reach you, which is why he contacted me. I didn't trust this individual at first, but when I realized that your words and his coincided, I followed the instructions to the letter."
So it was as expected...
Horikita-senpai must have known what kind of exam this would be and re-watched the video in order to draft us a path through the island, which rewarded us with the highest amount of points if the leader was fast and tenacious enough to pull through.
Reviewing the footage had taken him some time, of course, so he must have finished his examination after I got off the cruise. Since he had promised his support at the beginning of our partnership, he must have felt the need to get this information to me, despite saying that he couldn't do much to help.
"Chiaki, who was that person?"
Kiyotaka rolled over and gazed into my eyes.
Even though his expression was the same as ever, I could gleam some sort of sadness from his unusual countenance as he awaited my answer with bated breath.
A sudden stabbing pain assaulted my heart as I glanced back into his brilliant golden orbs.
I trusted him, but I wasn't sure if I could tell him everything.
If someone like Ryuuen found out that Class D had support from an upperclassman, he might try to gain additional information by going after Kiyotaka in order to hurt me. The thought that he might be injured because of my dealings with Fumei wasn't something I could handle, and I doubted that I could function properly if this possibility ever occurred.
But if I lied to him now, and he somehow noticed my insincerity regarding this matter, then he might draw the wrong conclusions. I could never forgive myself if he thought that I was cheating on him.
In the end, I decided to be partially honest.
He was my boyfriend and shouldn't feel left out, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him the whole truth, since this knowledge alone might endanger him. The person in question wouldn't need to be Ryuuen, since even Fumei might deem Kiyotaka untrustworthy and decide to act against him if push came to shove.
"I don't know... but he has been helping me. Do you remember when I saved Sudou-kun from expulsion during the midterms? He gave me those points for free. He was also the one who sent me the video during the incident with the Class C students in June."
Would he be disappointed, knowing that I hadn't done all of this on my own? What if he thought less of me, now that he learned that all these miracles hadn't been mine alone? What would I do if he said that he couldn't be with me anymore because I've been keeping this secret throughout our whole relationship?
This single terrifying thought tore my heart to shreds.
My whole body felt numb and paralyzed as I awaited his answer.
"I'm glad..." He rolled to the side and shut his eyes before the first teardrop in mine could take form. "At least that person was really on our side. I was worried that I might have messed things up for you by trusting that stranger."
"No, you did great Kiyotaka."
I played with his smooth brown hair, wearing a loving smile on my face, before I rewarded him with an affectionate kiss. A jolt of electricity sparked through my body every time our lips intertwined like this. Today it was even stronger than usual because of the relief I felt after those heartfelt words.
The sensation of his gentle warmth on my skin made me euphoric, and I couldn't contain my pleasure as our tongues began to dance around each other like Sakura petals in the fresh spring breeze.
Our lips parted after a few seconds, revealing a long, steaming hot string of saliva that snapped as I averted my gaze in embarrassment. My heart kept throbbing against my chest like a thunderstorm as I peered into Kiyotaka's golden eyes, which seemed to illuminate the cave with their mysterious, mesmerizing luster.
"Can you give me the map?"
He broke the ensued comfortable silence with a simple question that brought us back on track.
"Yes, of course."
I nuzzled his smooth cheek one last time before standing up. After strolling outside, I grabbed manual and ball-point pen from Hirata-kun, who held onto everything important while I was occupied.
"Is everything okay out here?"
"Yes, the preparations are proceeding effortlessly so far. Kushida-san said that she had discovered a fishing hut from the ship and left with Inogashira-san and Mii-chan to check it out. The rest of our classmates are nearby, gathering resources as needed." He glanced over towards a small pile of mushrooms that had amassed on the foot of a tree. "I think we should ask Ike-kun to look over them just to be on the safe side. It would be bad if some of them turned out to be poisonous."
"That's a good idea, even though I'm not sure if Ike-kun would know much about the vegetation on an island in the middle of nowhere. Were there any complaints about the items yet?"
"No, but we won't be able to hold out much longer without buying at least the toilet. The boys don't mind the cardboard box, but the girl's disapproval is obvious."
"Understood. I'll go over the list soon, but Kiyotaka wanted to see the map of the island first. He must have occupied quite a few spots, so maybe he had found some I hadn't seen from the ship."
Hirata-kun nodded with a complex expression and was about to open his mouth but stopped midway. An earnest smile spread over his face, instead of the words that should have followed.
"I presume Ayanokouji-kun is alright then? I'm glad."
I nodded and walked back into the cave, where I sat down beside my boyfriend.
Kiyotaka flipped the book open and took the pen that Hirata-kun had pinned between the pages. He circled five spots that I hadn't marked and began to draw lines from one location to the next. Upon finishing his rough sketch, he tapped the spot where his path began.
"The message instructed me to start here and run this way while occupying all the spots along this route." He retraced his steps, using the lines he had drawn onto the map in the reference book for visualization. "I heard voices a few moments after occupying the cave and dove into one of the thickets around the clearing. Two Class A students tried to claim this spot and headed off towards the tower after realizing that we already possessed ownership over the area."
Surprise colored my face after listening to his explanation.
Horikita-senpai was indeed worthy of his spot in Class A. Even through video, he managed to gleam at more suspicious locations than I could identify on-site, which wasn't an easy feat to pull off.
"Do you know who they were?"
He shook his head and wrote something on the free space around the map.
"Do you remember the one who pushed us around on the ship this morning, the one with green hair? He was one of those guys. The other was a burly bald man I haven't seen before. I would recognize him again, but I don't know either of their names. The sturdier student held onto the card when they withdrew from the cave."
My eyes opened wide in astonishment.
This was incredible news!
It wouldn't be strange that a top student from Class A might have anticipated someone hiding in the forest, so our bald schoolmate might have just been miming the leader to protect the other person. Even though we couldn't be certain who the leader was, we had already narrowed the potential suspects down to two people, since they traveled towards the cave in order to occupy the spot for their class.
"Matsushita-san?" Onodera-san stepped into the cave and dumped an armful of firewood into the corner by the entrance before she turned around to us. "Ichinose-san and Kanzaki-kun came to visit. They wanted to talk to you."
Her curious gaze danced over Kiyotaka's body, as if she was checking him out.
She must have been surprised, huh?
Most of my classmates wouldn't have understood how overwhelming the physical burden on Kiyotaka must have been. Not only was the terrain difficult to navigate through, it also harbored hidden dangers like roots and branches one could easily stumble over. Keeping up a certain pace during this heat and despite the challenging topography wasn't easy.
An athlete like Onodera-san would have recognized this.
"Yeah, I'm coming."
I gave Kiyotaka a quick peck and strode outside.
Ichinose-san wouldn't pay us a visit this early into the exam if she didn't want to talk business, so I had to prepare myself beforehand. She was a good friend who might turn into a formidable enemy under certain circumstances.
It was in our best interest that we kept good relations with Class B.
"Your stamina is incredible. Have you practiced a sport focused on endurance?"
I glanced up at the brown-haired girl that eyed me with an inquisitive look.
Onodera Kayano was a kind, good-looking member of the swimming club, as well as someone that was quite popular among the girls in Class D. She didn't stand out like Karuizawa or Kikyou did, but she was respected and relied upon by her close friends. The boys talked little with or about her since she had no 'redeeming features' like huge breasts or an overly cute face, but the consensus was that she was a kindhearted classmate.
"Not really. Both of my parents are rather athletic, so I guess I had luck in the gene lottery. I also competed against them when I was little. They never went all-out on me, of course, but every time I beat them I felt all fired up. That's the only practice I can think of, though, if you could even call it that."
"Mhh... have you thought about joining the swimming club? We could use someone with your endurance in our line-up. The senpais would be thrilled to welcome you before the tournaments begin."
She threw me a genuine smile while doing her best to recruit me. Onodera must have already assumed that I would decline since I had made no efforts to join any clubs before, yet she couldn't help but hope that I might consider enlisting.
"Thank you for the offer, but I'm not interested in joining any clubs at the moment." I moved to stand up when a lightly tanned hand appeared in my field of view. Onodera smiled as I accepted her support before she pulled me up with a rather powerful tug. "Thanks."
"No worries. Tell me if you reconsider!"
A toothy grin emerged on her delicate face before she waved me goodbye and strolled out of the cave to continue the errands she and the other students had received from our two leaders.
"Will do."
Even though she was too far away to hear me, I felt obligated to acknowledge her final appeal.
I ambled out of the cavern after my short but fruitful conversation with Onodera, just in time to watch Chiaki as she walked away from Hirata, who held onto the manual and continued his chat with Ike. I observed the three students exchanging their greetings and slumped down near the cave entrance.
Ichinose waved at my girlfriend and threw me a bright smile while Kanzaki regarded me with his usual nod. The small gathering of leaders began their discussion while Kikyou sat down beside me, wearing a worried expression.
"Did everything work out?"
She was the only person on this island who knew that my behavior was a false front, so her acting needed to be genuine according to my current condition, which is why she pretended to feel troubled in case I had overexerted myself during the trip.
"Something like that."
"Wait, it didn't?"
Her surprised gasp was understandable.
I couldn't fault her for repudiating such a shocking statement because she was aware how meticulous I could be when I wanted to. It unsettled my queen that the beginning of this examination deviated from the initial plan.
"There is nothing to be concerned about. I told you that I assumed something was off when she saved Sudou during the midterms and once again when she revealed that video. Since I wanted to see how capable Chiaki was on her own, I didn't interfere in either of these cases and just kept my eyes on her. Both the points and the video she had received in her times of need were too coincidental, don't you think?"
Kikyou leaned back against the wall and tapped her legs on the ground.
"Matsushita-san said that someone anonymous had sent the video, right? I tried to dig deeper after you shared your thoughts, but I couldn't find anyone who might have supplied her with these points without revealing my knowledge. Both situations combined are indeed weird, but you seem to have a theory."
A few of our classmates walked by with branches and leaves in hand, so the two of us began to chat about trivial topics in order to keep our discussion a secret. They greeted us and went their way, since our goal was to prepare the most crucial items for our camp before sundown.
"People look out for their own interest. It's a law of nature, same as gravity and conservation of momentum. There is not a single reason to help our class via anonymous message without receiving something in return."
"What are you saying?"
My queen snickered and tapped my leg as if I had cracked a joke. For our classmates who were roaming around in the vicinity, we were two friends that relaxed for a moment after completing their tasks.
"An upperclassman is helping her, and I have a pretty good idea who it is. I had planned to leave their dealings alone for now, but that person informed me of the spots and the fastest routes to get to them, with map and everything. It was quite difficult to determine the island's layout with video, which is why I believe that this person had insider knowledge. Thanks to Kiryuin's intel about the second- and third-years, only three people with such privileges come to mind."
It wasn't hard to believe that someone took control of people that they deemed useful, just like I did. Even though our methods might differ, the outcome would be a similar one.
"Are you serious? But isn't Matsushita's source dangerous then? If even you aren't sure about their identity, doesn't that mean that this person was influential in the school?" She narrowed her eyes for a moment and peeked into mine. "Don't tell me, someone from the student council?"
Kikyou was sincerely worried about the third party that had intruded into our special exam, but she was also quick on the uptake. She realized that only a few chosen people would have enough control over the school to get information about the current exams.
"I'm not omnipotent, so I wasn't able to narrow it down for certain, but my line-up is stronger than his. That person's only piece is Chiaki, otherwise he wouldn't have messaged me when she was unavailable. I could take her away from him anytime I wanted, so there was no need to be worried. We are still on track, because I could leave Ichinose the note as planned. The only thing I'm curious about is what he told Chiaki about the exam and why he keeps helping us. Other than that, it's quite relaxing to follow someone else's commands for a change."
My beautiful classmate stared at me in confusion.
"So we are staying on course for now and keep observing what this mystery person is doing?"
"Yes. I'll notify you once I need to adjust something but until then, act as we have discussed."
I ran my hand along her back in reassurance.
She didn't jerk back or displayed any other sign that she found this act repulsive or unpleasant. Instead of rejecting my goodwill, she regarded me with a blissful smile on her gorgeous face.
"Ichinose-san, Kanzaki-kun!" Matsushita-san waved us as she walked over after talking to Hirata-kun. "It's nice that you guys are visiting this soon into the exam. How are you doing so far?"
"We are doing fine, thank you. Class D's base seems to take shape as well, huh?" I glanced at the busy students that roamed the vicinity. "You even managed to claim the cave, which should give you some nice advantages during the day."
Kanzaki-kun nodded as both of us peered over to sate our curiosity.
They had bought no items from the manual so far, which was within our expectations. Most of the Class D students gathered mushrooms and branches before asking Hirata-kun where to put them.
A brilliant smile surfaced on my face as I caught sight of Ayanokouji-kun, who rested near the cave's entrance. Kushida-san sat down beside him before the two began to talk. Even though we couldn't hear their conversation from here, it was obvious what they were talking about after examining his pale complexion and her concerned facial expressions.
This brown-haired boy who had offered us multiple olive branches until today was the sole reason that Kanzaki-kun and I made our trip towards Class D's base this soon into the exam.
The two of us, being enemies, felt wrong, especially after all the time we had spent together. It was weird regarding him as a competitor for any student in Class B, since we've all been friends since April.
I quenched my lingering desire to talk to him, because it was more important to establish our partnership with Matsushita-san, who was calling the shots in their class.
"We are still ironing out all the details, but we got pretty lucky with the cave." A shy chuckle escaped Matsushita-san's lips as she pointed towards a few logs which have been repurposed as benches and stools. "Please, why don't we sit while we talk."
Kanzaki-kun and I nodded, whereupon the three of us walked over.
My classmate disapproved of the deal I was about to propose, but he trusted my judgement in this matter and observed our dealings to make sure that we would come out on top.
If it weren't for Ayanokouji-kun, we would have followed our plan to take part in this exam safely in order to gain one or two hundred points without fighting for the leader's identities or multiple spots.
I may not have been very experienced, but I wasn't stupid.
After remembering the talk I had with Ayanokouji-kun on the day that Chihiro-chan confessed to me, I realized what this feeling inside of my heart was and how I could mend it. The only person capable of doing so, however, was already in a happy relationship with someone.
Kanzaki-kun knew that those sentiments were dangerous for my reasoning, which is why he began to observe and question my actions much more than before. I was sure that he would lead me back on track if I made a mistake I couldn't recover from, or did something else that would go against the best interests of our class.
Despite his better judgement and the doubts he carried, Kanzaki-kun believed in me.
The two of us made our way over to the designated spot as soon as we received Ayanokouji-kun's message because we had figured out what his plan was. Class D's biggest flaw was their lack of unity, since their students would begin to fight as soon as they weren't on the same page. This could happen quickly out here due to the difference in living standards.
Kushida-san and Hirata-kun could take care of some arguments, but it was impossible to resolve all issues that would pop up without a class that worked together as one unit. Even I wouldn't be able to establish a class coherence without my friends wanting the same.
Fortunately, there was an easy, albeit temporary fix for their problem.
Ayanokouji-kun had detected it before anyone else could, which is why he turned to us for help. We were the only ones who could provide what they needed due to our close relationship. Both he and I wanted the best for both of our classes, which we could achieve by working together.
The current situation confirmed the doubts I had harbored about him because I believed that he was smarter than he led on. He was incredibly observant and found the solution to a problem that hadn't arisen yet.
Even though I didn't know why he kept his cards so close to his chest, I decided not to dwell on his decision too much, since I had done the same when Class C attacked them in June. The most beneficial action I could take for both of our classes was to respect his wishes to stay hidden and support his plan, since I deemed it profitable for each side.
"We would like to talk about a temporary alliance between our two classes for the remainder of the exam. Are you guys interested in something like this?"
"An alliance?" She tilted her head to the side. "Please, tell me more."
Her reaction supported the fact that she hadn't been the one who had instructed Ayanokouji-kun to leave the note near the spot device. It was beyond me how he knew that we would travel to that exact location, but I was sure that he had been the one who left the memo for Class B.
Now that everything between him and us was out in the open, I needed to make sure that this alliance would be agreed upon right here, for both of our sakes.
"If you agree to this alliance, we would offer to purchase items of your choosing for fifty points in exchange for the identities of the two other class leaders. This transaction would be beneficial for both Class B and D, because we wouldn't need to worry about each other and could focus on the other classes."
I tried to hide my surprise about this gift that had walked up to me with open arms and began to consider the pros and cons of such an arrangement. Ichinose-san must have been aware that the fifty points alone would help us tremendously in our current situation.
The girls would stop nagging after receiving their desired toilet, and the boys wouldn't complain about this 'luxury item' either since it wouldn't have cost us anything. The whole class would make some concessions about other items that they considered essential if I handled this opportunity well.
Thanks to Kiyotaka, we had almost fulfilled half of the condition that was coupled to the fifty points, which is why this deal wasn't a bad one for us. This arrangement only made sense if they had decided to ignore the bonus points for guessing the leaders and planned to take away the remaining points after the seven days.
They would receive 100 bonus points from us and give us 50 of theirs.
In a certain sense, it was fair, since they were the superior class not only in overall class points, but also in class cohesion, exam scores and everything else that came to mind. They were doing us a favor and would gain a net positive of 50 points for little risk while we had to figure out the remaining leaders.
This deal had only positive consequences for either class, if it worked out.
If we declined their offer, they could still try to partner up with Class A or C with a different contract, which they hadn't done yet since they would feed their primary enemies or deal with someone they couldn't trust. If none of the classes agreed with their plan, they could just go back to their initial intention of ignoring the leaders.
"May I ask why you want to partner with us?"
"Of course." Ichinose-san's gentle gaze swayed over our camp. "First, we are good friends, which is why I consider you as the most trustworthy class to partner with. We could decide to cooperate with Class A or C, but we are trying to overtake one of them and the other isn't nearly as ethical as you are. From a tactical and emotional standpoint, Class D has proven to be the best decision for us."
Even if we caught up to them due to this deal, they didn't mind since there was such a large discrepancy in points between our classes. From the other classes' point of view, we would be 'winning' this exam, but Class B would extend their lead by a hundred points and might even threaten Class A's reign depending on their performance.
This deal was almost too good to be true.
Were they speculating that we couldn't supply all the leaders in time?
We would have to reimburse them afterwards, since they couldn't take back the initial investment they would need to put into our deal. Depending on the severity of this compensation, I might need to reconsider the proposal.
Would it be a good idea to push for even more points?
Their offer was a valuable chance to appease my classmates during this exam, but I believed that I could get a few more points out of Ichinose-san. She was kind, generous and would even be called naïve by some, so there should still be wriggle room for a better deal.
As long as I didn't ask for a hundred points, they would leave this island with more than they bargained for. Neither Ichinose-san nor Kanzaki-kun would withdraw their offer if I tried to renegotiate and if all else failed, we could still proceed with their initial bid without ill feelings.
They would understand that I had to secure every advantage I could get.
"Class B would get a hundred extra points you hadn't hoped for if we go through with this deal, while we would only increase our total by fifty or non at all, since we had planned to go after the leaders from the beginning."
Some students might interpret my remark as intimidation, but I was merely stating the facts as they were from our point of view. I could only hope that the two spokespeople for Class B wouldn't take offense at those words.
Kanzaki-kun narrowed his eyes and was about to speak before Ichinose-san opened her mouth.
"This is indeed correct, but we are taking a fair slice of the cake, don't you think, Matsushita-san?" Her gentle smile turned somewhat twisted as she stood up and moved beside my ear. "Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. We already know who your leader is." She sat back down and interlaced her legs while the blood in my whole body froze. "We are friends, so I feel quite terrible about forcing your hand with a threat like this, which is why we'll give you seventy-five points you may use as you wish. See it as a gesture of goodwill from Class B, since we only have the best intentions in mind."
I had completely miscalculated.
Ichinose-san was indeed a kind and generous girl, but she also had fangs and wasn't scared to use them when the situation called for it. This deal would set a precedent for the ones to come in case we decided to continue our partnership. If she had backed down here, I wouldn't have hesitated to renegotiate terms on every upcoming arrangement between our classes.
This was a warning, coupled with a single concession.
But one question still lingered in my mind.
How?
Had they seen Kiyotaka occupy the spots?
No, that was basically impossible since he had left the beach much sooner than everyone else.
And that must have been the problem...
Since he was friends with them, it wasn't weird to assume that some Class B students glanced over to our class from time to time and might have seen him leave ahead of everyone else.
This, however, revealed yet another question.
Why would they offer us such an opportunity when they could get a similar deal without forking over any points? Was it because of their relationship with Kiyotaka?
If Ichinose-san hadn't disclosed her knowledge about our leader throughout the whole exam, they could have invalidated a majority of our points in one fell swoop. If they were after even more points, they could have led with their observation during our negotiation and I wouldn't have had any choice but to accept the deal they proposed.
Her considerate, almost charitable behavior in such a favorable position demonstrated what sort of person Ichinose-san was. She wanted to keep this information to herself in order to protect us and felt genuinely bad about coercing me to take a deal that would save our class from certain doom while also looking out for Class B's best interests.
Not only had she our concerns in mind as well, she also opened my eyes to a glaring flaw in our current strategy that I had completely forgotten about due to everything that had happened ever since the exam began.
There was a decent chance that Kiyotaka would be seen by another student every time he reoccupied a spot. His trip over the island might have been fine the first time, but he couldn't maintain all the spots during the upcoming days without taking a considerable risk.
I took a deep breath and smiled at our guests.
"Even though we have little choice now, we'd like to partner up with you as well. Those points would prevent a lot of trouble on our end, as you have already realized. We still have to discuss the case in which we cannot provide the leaders to you, however. What were you thinking of as reimbursement if we failed to deliver our end of the bargain?"
This question should answer some of my previous doubts, because there was a chance that we wouldn't be able to keep our promise, depending on the plans and strategies the other classes pursued. The renumeration in case of failure should be their safety net for making this deal with us.
"Oh, that's right." Ichinose-san clapped her hands as a bright smile blossomed on her face. "I trust that you will handle your part of the deal perfectly, so there is no need for a harsh penalty clause. All we ask is that you help our class in an upcoming exam of our choosing."
Just what was she thinking?
I couldn't understand her thought process at all.
Their proposal could barely be considered a penalty, since it wouldn't hurt us that much. Ichinose-san also hadn't mentioned what she would do with our leader in case we failed to keep our end of the bargain. After her threat just now, I couldn't tell whether she would write us up or leave it as is.
"Could you keep Kiyotaka's role in this exam a secret?"
"Yes, of course."
Ichinose-san understood my worries and nodded without missing a beat, as if she had expected this question. Kanzaki-kun also acknowledged my plea with a faint smile before we shook hands and concluded our deal.
If this had been an arrangement with any other class, I would have insisted on drafting a written contract in order to protect our side in case the other party tried to stab us in the back, but this wasn't necessary with Class B.
Kiyotaka's relationship with them really saved us this time...
This whole conversation only took place by pure chance, out of consideration to him because of the ties he had formed with their class. They must have felt conflicted about what they were going to do and came up with a solution that helped both of our classes to gain an increase in points.
Our two temporary partners followed me towards the cave to be present for the announcement, since they needed to know which items to purchase. Presenting them like this would also show my classmates that we came to an agreement that both parties were pleased with.
"Could we all gather around for a moment?"
The whole class assembled, curious about what I had to say.
"Now that everyone is here, I wanted to inform you that Class B and I made a deal which is going to benefit us greatly. Aside from forming a temporary alliance during this exam, we can use seventy-five of their points to purchase items of our choosing."
"What?! For real?!"
"Yeah!"
"The toilet!"
Conversations like this began to pop up around me as boys and girls alike cheered in satisfaction because both of their conflicting demands had been met a few hours into the exam.
"That's nice and all, but what do we have to give them in return?"
Yukimura-kun was one of the few people that posed a critical question while the others were occupied with singing my praises, which was a rather uncomfortable feeling since I had done very little for this opportunity.
"Huh?! What does it matter? Stop brooding the whole time and just be happy that Matsushita-san worked out such an amazing deal for us. Jeez, I really don't get you. If she made the deal, then it's good for us, get it?!"
Karuizawa-san harsh words towards Yukimura-kun seemed to have touched a sore spot. He was about to protest against her naïve outlook into the matter when another one of our classmates voiced his opinion.
"Yukimura-kun, I have faith in Matsushita-san as well. If she and Ichinose-san came to an agreement, we can trust that it is favorable for both of us. It's important to maintain a good relationship between the classes, even in a competition."
"I agree as well! Matsushita-san wouldn't do anything that would be detrimental to us."
Hirata-kun's calm and composed explanation was followed by Kushida-san's reassurance, which managed to appease the small number of students who were hesitant to accept this gift. The amount of people who were happy about the free points far eclipsed the doubts of those few, so there was nothing to worry about.
"Ike-kun, what do you think about our current food and water situation? You've been camping before. Do you have any insights that could be helpful?"
I began to prepare our next steps to relay our list to Class B as quickly as possible. It was rather unprecedented to think of Ike-kun as someone qualified to answer this question, but there was a first for everything, I guess.
"Ah, sure. I saw a lot of berries and mushrooms on our way here. Most of the mushrooms the girls had gathered are edible even without cooking them, and there weren't any poisonous ones so far. About the water... there should be freshwater sources on the island. If we drink from them, we wouldn't need to purchase drinks."
A few of my female classmates seemed weirded out by the idea to drink water from a natural source on the island, which was understandable. None of them mentioned anything, however, which meant they seemed to trust my judgement for now and would only complain once their demands weren't discussed.
"Alright. Did anyone else find anything useful?" I glanced around before turning to Kushida-san. "Hirata-kun mentioned that you wanted to check out some kind of fishing hut, right? Did you find anything?"
"Yeah, there are a bunch of fishing rods inside."
"I found a cornfield and multiple bodies of water near some spots I occupied. Some are quite close to the cave, so it wouldn't take long to make a trip back and forth. I can mark the general location on the map later."
My expression brightened as I heard Kiyotaka's pleasant voice, but I needed to concentrate on the matter at hand. As it stood, we had anything we needed to survive for a week, if my classmates would play nice.
"Ike-kun, do you know how to fish by chance?"
"Well, I've been fishing with my dad a few times, but I have no clue if fishing in saltwater is the same as fishing in freshwater. I can try, of course, but I can't promise anything. If we have corn, berries, mushrooms and maybe a few fish, we should be able to spend our time here rather comfortably."
I nodded and turned towards the class.
"You heard him, right? Would this be okay for everyone? We could save up on the meal sets and prepare whatever we have for the week ourselves. If we buy a cooking pot and kitchen tools for 30 points, we can use them for our food and to boil drinking water. With this arrangement, we could waive the water purifier."
"Uh, don't we still need that, though?"
Azuma-san was unsure about the proposal, but Ike-kun seemed to have his own thoughts.
"No, the purifier is unnecessary if we have a cooking pot. All the germs will be killed off due to the boiling water. It's not only a lot cheaper, but we can use a cooking pot for much more if we need to. If we mix the water with some squashed berries, we could even make cold or warm juice. Since Ayanokouji said that there is a body of water not too far from here, we can fill the pot and pre-boil some water to drink."
It was surprising how much knowledge Ike-kun possessed about the outdoors. I wasn't the only one who thought this as his remarks and explanations began to net him some trust from the other students.
"Alright, to recap what we have for now: a cooking pot for 10 points, kitchen tools for 20 points, and a portable toilet for 20 points, which brings us to a sum of 50. Since we have two tents for around eight students each, we could get another two for a total sum of 70 points. It might be a little tight, but I believe we should be able to get everyone inside the tents."
Once again my classmates began to discuss among themselves.
Everyone was happy with our current shopping list. The boys were relieved that we didn't need to spend any of our points, and the girls had their toilet and a steady supply of clean water. Since their wishes had been fulfilled, they had little to complain about.
"Could we spend the last points for a few beach balls, then? This would allow us to take some edge off the students if we have downtime on some days or if there are any arguments throughout the week."
Hirata-kun's proposal was well thought out, as usual, since keeping everyone in high spirits was one of the most important aspects in this test. If we had some fun activities which we could collectively enjoy during our free time, we wouldn't be as stressed out and even prevent disputes between the students.
"I agree. Let's buy two beach balls for 1 point each. We can spend the remaining 3 points on water for today. Since they come with their own bottles, we can refill them with pre-boiled freshwater once they are empty for a reasonable buffer."
Ichinose-san and Kanzaki-kun verified our shopping list and left our spot a few moments later to purchase the items we had agreed upon. My classmates began to split up and continued with their current tasks.
This was a beneficial deal for all of us.
Class B only needed to make sure that their leader wouldn't be found as long as they spent their time on the island in leisure, while we had to find the other leaders. I didn't know why Ichinose-san put so much faith into my abilities, but I wouldn't disappoint her, no matter what.
But now I had to take care of the next issue that had caught my attention...
Kanzaki-kun and I ambled back to our camp as he peered at me.
The raise in points I had given Class D must have come as quite a surprise for him, since we had agreed on fifty points before we made our way over. I was glad that he put his misgivings about my decision aside until we were alone.
"Ichinose, it might be rude to ask, but what were you thinking? Seventy-five points are far too much, since we still have our own spendings to consider. Additionally, the penalty you stated in case they won't be able to name the leaders isn't harsh enough. We should have doubled down on the reimbursement because there is a good chance that they won't be able to adhere to their end of the deal, especially after you raised their allowance."
I deserved this small lecture, since I had acted outside the scope of our previous strategy. Kanzaki-kun should have known that I wouldn't change our plans on a whim and that I had something different in mind.
"Kanzaki-kun, I promised that I would do anything in my power to reach Class A with all of you, without stooping on Ryuuen-kun's level or cheating people. Ayanokouji-kun will give us the other names if we spend this week hiding our leader, I'm sure of that. The penalty was more than enough, because Matsushita-san would have realized that I would invalidate their points if they betrayed us. The looming threat is too big to ignore, so there was simply no need for another deterrent."
He grimaced, unhappy about my previous actions.
"You felt bad about threatening them, right? Is that why you raised our offer to seventy-five points?" I averted my gaze and stared at my feet in shame. "You are such a dolt."
He hit my head as punishment and let out a light chuckle.
"It wasn't just that, though. When we walked into their camp, I came up with another idea that would cut down on our spendings. If we push through for today, we won't need to waste many points on our own class."
"What do you have in mind?"
"That's a secret."
I stuck out my tongue as a light blush appeared on my face.
My classmate heaved a deep sigh and turned towards me.
"I still think we can't trust Ayanokouji-kun to such a degree. He is also my friend, but we can't even be sure if he really left that note. There's also the fact that you are not thinking straight when he is even remotely involved."
A self-deprecating smile surfaced on my lips before I heaved a sigh.
Kanzaki-kun was a sharp one as well, and he wasn't the first who noticed my... confusion. According to Mako-chan's behavior, she had seen the panda and drew her own conclusions. The rest of my classmates seem to have noticed slight changes in my behavior as well if their reactions on the ship were anything to go by.
"You are still there to back me up if I make a mistake, right? So there is no need to worry. Aside from this, you must have seen Matsushita-san's expression when I told her about their leader. She didn't know about the note. Who else in Class D has spent this much time with us? The token beneath the message was the same as the one below the midterm papers and no one but the sender would have known about this. We took off before Class D strode into the forest, so only one person could have left this note. Ayanokouji-kun ties up all the loose ends, don't you agree?"
My reasoning was sound and Kanzaki-kun should have recognized this as well. Yet, he couldn't put his trust in him the same way I did, even though we possessed the same information.
How else could I convince him?
"Let's do this: trust me this time. Follow my plan, even if you disagree with it. If my faith was misplaced and it turns out we got nothing out of this exam, you can take care of leading the class and I will support every decision you make."
Kanzaki-kun's eyes opened in surprise.
"You are really willing to bet everything on him, aren't you? I just can't understand it, but fine. Since we've already started, let's see this through to the end. But if we lose out on points because of this, I will take you up on this offer. I know that you trust him, and I do as well, but not enough to stake our whole class on such a cryptic message that might not even be his doing." He peered into my eyes with a worried look. "This isn't like you at all, Ichinose."
Assuring him that I would support his decisions if this failed was all I could do.
Staking my whole class, the people I deeply cared about, on someone other than myself, wasn't anything I ever expected to do. But I wouldn't have done so if I wasn't sure that he wouldn't disappoint me.
From the beginning of this exam, it was our plan to occupy one or two spots at most. If this new strategy worked out, we would take a huge step towards Class A. But if my own class lost all those points because of my trust in him, it would destroy me.
Ayanokouji-kun knew this as well, so he wouldn't fail me.
As this thought crossed my mind, I remembered the words Hoshinomiya-sensei had left me before I disembarked from the Speranza while she stared at the necklace he had gifted me with a worried expression.
"Be careful of Ayanokouji-kun, Honami-chan. I'm not sure that he has your best interests in mind."
Her tone was serious and grim.
Almost as if...
... as if he was lying his way into my heart.
"Kiyotaka, can we talk for a second?"