Shimizu Akira carried a large canvas bag full of snacks and instant food in one hand, while the other held a bag containing a digital cara and a voice recorder. His next destination was clear: the Year 1 Class A base.
After picking up subtle clues from Kushida Kikyo yesterday, he had a strong suspicion that Class A's base was likely near a hidden cave.
After walking for another thirty minutes, the excavated cliff face finally appeared ahead. Shimizu stopped and raised an eyebrow—it was just as he expected. This was Class A's base, confird by the temporary toilet placed near the entrance.
In his mind, he ntally mapped the classes: Class D was by the river, Class B guarded the broken tree, Class C was on the western beach, and Class A had chosen the most secluded cave.
However, from seven or eight ters away, he couldn't see anything inside the cave. The entrance was completely sealed by a massive barrier made of interconnected plastic bags, like an airtight wall without a single gap.
At first glance, Shimizu understood: Class A was clearly trying to hide sothing. Normal classes didn't act this secretive. Even if they wanted privacy, sealing the entrance so tightly was excessive—it practically scread "we have a secret here."
'Is Katsuragi Kohei really this cautious? Doesn't hiding it so blatantly just tell the other classes that sothing is going on?'
He compared this to the other classes. Class C's Ryuen Kakeru was the exact opposite, openly flaunting his base's location and leaking rumors of an early withdrawal. anwhile, Class A's Katsuragi kept everything under wraps.
According to his intel, these two classes with polar opposite styles were actually in a partnership. The contrast was intriguing, making the exam feel a bit more interesting to Shimizu.
However, when he reached a point about three or four ters from the base, he stopped. Moving further would an entering another class's core territory, which was inappropriate. Conventionally, notifying the hosts of a visitor was the safest approach, a silent etiquette most classes followed.
He didn't have to wait long before soone erged from the cave. Shimizu recognized him imdiately: Hashimoto Masayoshi. Back at school, they had spoken several tis, though it was usually Hashimoto who initiated the conversation.
As expected, Hashimoto noticed Shimizu and imdiately put on a familiar smile, walking over quickly.
"Hm? Shimizu-kun? What brings you to the Class A side?"
"Hashimoto-kun," Shimizu greeted him, pulling a pack of snacks from his pocket and handing it over—favors always went smoother with a small gesture.
"Could you help call Katsuragi Kohei-kun and Kamuro Masumi-san? It would be best if they could co out individually, without alerting the rest of your class."
"Ah! Shimizu-kun, you're too kind!" Hashimoto's eyes lit up at the sight of the snacks. He accepted them without hesitation and patted his chest.
"Katsuragi and Kamuro, right? No problem, leave it to !"
The guy was sharp; he didn't ask "why" or "what for." He simply tore open the snack bag and started stuffing food into his mouth as he walked back toward the cave, eating like he hadn't seen food in days.
'Wait, is he really that hungry?'
Shimizu noted the detail. Hashimoto's famished state suggested Class A might not have exchanged for the basic food package.
'If that's the case... is Kamuro Masumi starving too?'
.
.
.
On the other side of the barrier, Kamuro Masumi and the rest of Class A were not having a good ti. This was due to two main reasons.
First, at the start of the exam, Class A had been docked 30 Special Exam Points because of their "sick" student—Sakayanagi Arisu—placing them in a point deficit from the get-go.
The second reason was more visceral: since the island exam began, Class A hadn't had a single full al. After a basic al kit on the first day, they had been forced to forage for wild fruit. Every al was ager and rushed.
This wasn't due to a lack of resources, but rather the command of their current leader, Katsuragi Kohei. To minimize the consumption of exam points, he ordered everyone to "endure it."
According to Katsuragi, if they held out until tonight, Ryuen Kakeru from Class C would deliver a massive shipnt of basic food. They planned to do this at night to avoid being seen by other classes—if the partnership was exposed, their plan would be ruined.
Kamuro couldn't understand Katsuragi's logic. Did he really intend to trust a despicable guy like Ryuen? But Katsuragi was confident, telling the class: "If the plan succeeds, Class A will gain around 500 points in one go, solidifying our position."
Once that was announced, even the Sakayanagi faction stopped opposing Katsuragi's "starvation plan." For Class A students who pursued "optimal results," a couple of days of hunger was a small price for 500 points.
Kamuro, despite her annoyance, couldn't argue against the collective consensus.
For the past two days, Kamuro had tried to find food herself, but she didn't recognize edible fruits and was afraid to wander too deep into the forest. In the end, she found nothing and only made herself hungrier from the exertion.
She looked at her watch—it was only 10:00 AM. According to the plan, they had twelve more hours to go before they could move supplies from Class C. Consequently, the Class A camp was bare, consisting only of two essential tents. The plastic barrier at the entrance was less about "hiding secrets" and more about "hiding their plight"—if Class D or B saw the empty camp, their lack of food would be exposed.
Just then, her stomach let out an ill-tid "growl," echoing clearly in the quiet tent.
"Sigh..." Kamuro sighed softly, collapsing onto her sleeping bag in the girls' tent, too tired to move a finger. She finally realized that when you're starving, you lack even the energy to speak; you just want to curl up and conserve energy.
A second later, sothing appeared before her—a peach. It wasn't large, and the skin looked a bit green and hard, far from the perfectly round, sweet peaches in the school supermarket. But on a desert island, there was no room to be picky.
Kamuro perked up slightly and looked at the person offering it: Yamamura Miki, one of the few girls in class she actually talked to.
Yamamura spoke in a low, shy voice: "Kamuro... um... I picked this from a tree this morning. I'm not very athletic so I couldn't climb high; I could only reach this bottom one. You look like you're starving, so you should eat it."
Actually, she and Yamamura hadn't really been friends at first, just acquaintances.
They beca closer because of a small incident. Once, during a group discussion, so boys kept calling Yamamura "Yamada." Yamamura was too shy to correct them and just hung her head.
Kamuro happened to walk by, heard the mistake, and corrected them: "It's Yamamura-san, not Yamada." The boys apologized, and Yamamura shot her a look of pure gratitude. Later, Yamamura shared a pen with her when she forgot hers. Eventually, they beca friends.
Kamuro looked at the clean peach and felt her throat tighten with hunger.
"What about you?" she asked.
Everyone was starving; Yamamura was thinner than her, and this peach might be her only find for the day.
Yamamura waved her hands frantically. "I'm really okay! Please eat, I'm not hungry!"
"No, half each," Kamuro said firmly. She wasn't the type to take advantage of others, especially not Yamamura. She took the peach, her fingers feeling the cool skin, and tried to break it in half. But she was weak from hunger and lacked the raw strength to snap the hard fruit. It wouldn't budge.
"Kamuro, I don't think you can break it..." Yamamura watched her struggle with a helpless smile.
"Tch! What is wrong with this thing!" Kamuro stared at the peach in frustration. She tried again, but it was no use. She let go, looking at the unhard peach, and a thought popped into her head—If only Shimizu Akira were here. With his boxing strength, breaking this peach would be effortless.
She shook her head. Why was she thinking of him? She had been obsessed with hunger and Class C for two days. Now, she'd even devour a dry ration biscuit if it ant filling her stomach.
She suddenly craved the taste of hot cocoa. If she could just hold a steaming cup and take small sips, letting the sweet, warm liquid slide into her stomach... how wonderful that would be.
The thought triggered an impulse: Maybe I should secretly ask Mashima-sensei for supplies? The rules said anyone could exchange points. But she killed the thought instantly. It wasn't worth it. Everyone was enduring hunger; if she was caught with "luxury" items like hot cocoa, she'd be branded as selfish and uncooperative.
She didn't want the trouble. She licked her lips and tucked the craving back into her heart.
Just then, Hashimoto's voice drifted through the tent fabric: "Kamuro-san! A student from another class is looking for you. Co out for a bit."
Kamuro and Yamamura exchanged confused looks. Another class? Who could find this hidden base besides Class C?
As soon as Kamuro stepped out, she saw Hashimoto standing nearby, happily munching on a snack. There were chocolate crumbs on the corner of his mouth. Her nose twitched—that sll... was it chocolate?
A sense of familiarity hit her. She used to love that specific brand of chocolate biscuit at school. What a coincidence.
"Who is looking for ? Be clear," she said, crossing her arms and speaking with her usual bluntness.
"And where did those snacks co from?"
Hashimoto mumbled through his chewing, "The snacks? Shimizu-kun gave them to ! Anyway, Shimizu Akira is the one looking for you. Katsuragi is already out there greeting him. You should hurry up and not keep him waiting."
"Shimizu Akira?" Kamuro's heart skipped a beat. Why was he giving Hashimoto snacks? And why was he looking for her? She started walking toward the barrier, her legs feeling a sudden surge of energy.
'Wait! How dare that guy! He gave the chocolate biscuits to Hashimoto instead of ?!'
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