Chapter 127: High-Quality Camping, Ai Morishita's Expedition (Two-in-One 5k) (Patreon)

Back at camp, Mio Ibuki's on-the-spot raise had left everyone in Class A a little stunned.

Class C wanted to sell two hundred points' worth of supplies in one go? Would what was left even be enough to get them through the exam?

That was the question on most people's minds.

When Kakeru Ryuen first proposed the deal, everyone had agreed on the expectation of roughly 100 points' worth of supplies. That was hardly small, but it was at least within the range of "understandable."

But why put such a huge stake on the table now?

On the other side, Kohei Katsuragi and a few others had earlier concluded that Class C's aim might be to burn through their 300 points fast and then pull some kind of "trick move."

If that was true, what were they planning to do?

While everyone hesitated, Hikaru Naruse's reaction surprised every last person in Class A.

He just thought for a moment, then looked at Mio Ibuki and spoke slowly.

"Interesting."

The smile at the corner of his mouth deepened a notch as he studied Class C's trio.

"Looks like you really do have the nerve to gamble."

After all, they were going to have Kakeru Ryuen survive the island alone, so holding onto those points wouldn't do them any good.

"In that case, let's ask everyone for their opinion."

The supplies had doubled, which meant everyone would be paying more. There was no point in running a one-man show now.

The boy paused, sweeping his gaze over his classmates.

"Personally, I think we don't need to worry about anything outside this deal. We're only going to make one flat offer anyway."

"Also, after tonight's roll call we still have six more days to live here. If we want a more comfortable camp, buying their supplies isn't a problem."

"Speak your minds. We'll go with the majority."

"By the way, I'm in favor of the deal," Naruse said with a shrug, smiling at the rest of the class.

Katsuragi traded a look with him and quickly understood what Naruse meant.

Naruse would be swiping the card to take outposts on the island anyway, and he'd also assign someone to keep watch on Class C's camp, so they'd hear about any disturbance right away.

Given that, as long as the name of Class A's real leader didn't leak during this exam, the payoff later would be far from small.

After all, there were the 190 exam points they hadn't spent, plus the bonus for the outposts Naruse would take on top of that, plus the points for guessing the other classes' leaders at the end. That came to 300 points at the very least.

"If that's the case, I agree to buying Class C's supplies too."

Katsuragi's tone was calm and frank as he spoke.

Once he spoke up, both of Class A's current pillars had made their positions clear.

Some of the others were still a bit uncertain, but most of them preferred to follow the class leader. And if they got more supplies, everyone would benefit.

"Then I'm in too. We really are a little short on supplies right now."

"Yeah, I want a mosquito net… I can't sleep well at night otherwise."

"If we've got enough points, I saw a barbecue grill earlier."

Scattered voices of agreement rose from the crowd, and everyone quickly settled on the same view. Class A's lead was so clear that their margin for error was wide.

Apart from a few core members, most of them didn't know Naruse's plan, but his very presence gave many of them confidence.

"Then let's agree to it."

After a brief discussion, all of Class A reached a consensus.

Naruse turned to Ibuki's trio on the other side and spoke.

"We've talked it over. Since you've got such guts, let's do the deal."

"Our terms are still a flat price."

"A flat price, then… We want three million Private Points." Ibuki's expression was hard, and with her sharp short hair she looked fierce.

"Heh, I think you should think it through before you name a price."

Naruse smiled and went on.

"We don't have time to play haggling games with you. There's another question you should be asking yourselves."

The boy spread his hands, his tone confident.

"If you're planning to sell supplies, Class A is probably the only buyer that makes sense."

"As for Class B, your rankings and scores are close, so they won't buy and you won't sell."

"Class D is even less likely. They've barely earned any Private Points these past few months, so even if they wanted to buy, they'd have no money."

"So, you see… don't you understand your situation yet?"

Naruse's tone sank slightly as he took in Ibuki's darkening face.

"As they say, demand decides the market. Class A is your only hope of a buyer."

"And you're still being this pushy. What will you do if we say no?"

Naruse knew perfectly well that selling supplies at this point meant Ryuen's plan had already convinced most of Class C. Selling was what best served their interests.

"So how much are you willing to pay?"

Ibuki didn't like it, but she knew as well that only Class A could be the buyer. No other class would.

Naruse's words were harsh, but they were true.

After Ibuki asked that question of her own accord, Naruse smiled and glanced at Katsuragi. The meaning of the look was clear: he could decide.

"Same price level as before. Since you're doubling the supplies, we're willing to double the money and nothing more."

"Sixty thousand from each of us, 240 points in total. There's no room to haggle."

Two million four hundred thousand Private Points, sixty thousand per person. It wasn't actually a big number, and it was still within what Class A could bear. Even with Sakayanagi absent, she could pay her share later, since she alone had cost them 3 points.

"Also, we'll pick out what we need first. You exchange for it and then deliver it here."

"I hear the boys in your class are all pretty strong. Can you make a home delivery before the eight o'clock roll call?"

Naruse's tone was relaxed. He clearly had the upper hand.

"Two point four million… Fine. I accept your terms."

The figure was a bit lower than she'd estimated, but Ibuki knew it was already the limit.

If Naruse hadn't been there, she might have found a way to talk Katsuragi or the others around.

But since that guy was here, he'd definitely take the hardest line.

"Good. Deal."

"Let's sign the contract first."

"Of course. Katsuragi-san, you sign it, as Class A's representative."

"All right."

Katsuragi had always been serious about this sort of thing, and he read every word of the terms carefully.

Once everything was confirmed, he signed his name and began organizing everyone's transfers.

The original 30,000 points had become 60,000, but for most of Class A it still wasn't much of a burden.

After all, very few students in Class A spent recklessly. When the first semester ended, everyone had a decent amount in hand, and 60,000, while not small, was still within a safe range.

Besides, once this Special Exam ended, next month's allowance might even go up.

Any unused Special Exam points would be added directly to the class evaluation points after the exam, and that was why everyone felt so secure.

As for Naruse, he still had several million Private Points on hand, so 60,000 was nothing.

After the payments went through, Katsuragi led the Class A students in discussing which supplies to buy.

Everyone chimed in with opinions, and Katsuragi, as the one running the household, worked out the priorities.

"Let's start with shelter."

Katsuragi also knew what everyone cared about. His thinking was clear as he studied the guidebook intently.

After some thought and discussion, they finally settled on the 200 points' worth of supplies.

For shelter, they bought a soft floor mat for each of the two tents, a large mosquito net, and several medium-sized electric fans with batteries.

They also bought two separate simple toilets, one for the boys and one for the girls, replacing the "cardboard box toilet" plan Mashima-sensei had handed out at the start. Everyone could put up with it, but that didn't mean they truly wanted to.

There were some improvements to daily necessities too. Besides the basic cooking pot, rice and vegetables, they also exchanged for some fruit and fresh meat.

Since everyone kept suggesting it, they actually did end up buying an iron-mesh barbecue grill.

There were also upgraded lunch boxes, one set per person, with some heat-retention.

Combined with the 80 points' worth they had bought earlier and the full 200-point allotment now, Class A's camp life was maxed out.

After Class C's "delivery men" left, it was eight o'clock, time for the evening roll call.

When their homeroom teacher, Tomonari Mashima, came to take attendance, he noticed at a glance that the camp had changed enormously.

Besides the piles of supplies, a barbecue grill was set up on the open ground near the river, sizzling with dripping fat, and the one working the grill was none other than Naruse.

Mashima was surprised, but he didn't ask about it.

Teachers didn't interfere in the desert island exam.

How each class allocated its points, arranged its daily life and competed was left entirely to the students.

Mashima simply followed procedure, confirmed that all thirty-nine students were present, and ticked them off on the roll sheet.

"All right, roll call is done. We'll do it again at eight tomorrow morning."

"Get some early rest. There are no phones here for you to play with, after all."

"Yes, sir."

When roll call ended, Naruse dusted the cumin powder off his clothes and said to Katsuragi with a smile.

"Then I'll go back to searching the forest for outposts. I'll be back around midnight."

"Thank you for your hard work, Naruse-san."

Katsuragi trusted Naruse's ability. Since the other had taken on such a heavy responsibility, his own job was to guard the camp and keep everyone's life from being disrupted.

"I'll do my best to protect the camp."

"Mm."

Before setting off, Naruse took a few freshly grilled slices of pork off the grill, added a serving of white rice and some cut fruit, and carefully packed it all into a lunch box.

Many people noticed him packing food, but nobody asked what he meant by it.

With his standing in Class A, no one was going to make a fuss over something like that.

But Morishita, sitting under a tree, had been watching him the whole time. She ate one mandarin orange and slipped another into her pocket.

Only after Naruse left the camp did she get up and follow.

"Squad Member Yamamura, I'm going to the forest to pick up some wood."

"Oh, okay."

Miki Yamamura nodded and didn't ask why Morishita was going into the forest at this hour.

After leaving Class A's camp, Naruse followed the route he'd marked that afternoon, moving swiftly through the forest.

It was already past eight. Even in summer, night was slowly settling in, and moonlight spilled across the island's ground.

The cicadas' song grew clearer in the darkness, and Naruse's stride didn't falter for a moment.

After about twenty minutes, he reached the spot he'd arranged with Kei Karuizawa.

The camphor tree with its natural fork was still plainly visible in the moonlight, and the mark he had carved into its trunk was just as clear.

And in the grass beneath it sat a girl hugging her knees.

Kei Karuizawa.

She had left camp only after Class D's roll call, too. Given how Class D operated, nobody there would care what she did anyway.

"Kei, I'm here."

Worried about startling her, Naruse called out softly while he was still some way off.

"Hm?"

Karuizawa recognized the familiar voice, turned, and sure enough saw the boy walking slowly toward her.

"Hikaru-kun!"

Her eyes lit up at once, like grass swept by the wind.

She sprang up from the ground and ran straight at him, throwing herself into Naruse's arms.

"Mm. Aren't you scared, being out here alone?"

Naruse held the girl in his arms, smiling as he stroked her hair.

"Nope, not scared, because I knew Hikaru-kun would definitely come."

She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and buried her face in his chest, feeling the strong beat of his heart.

"Oh right, Kei, I brought you a present."

Naruse took off his bag and pulled out a lunch box that was still warm.

"Hm? What's this?"

Karuizawa hesitated, but when she opened it, several slices of grilled meat were neatly arranged inside, with a serving of white rice and a rolled omelet beside them. The second tier held cut fruit and two mandarin oranges, and the whole thing gave off a tempting aroma.

"Wow! This is…"

"It's a meal for you. Things must be pretty rough over at Class D, right? So I'm giving you a little extra."

"Mm…"

Feeling the boy's tenderness, Karuizawa was deeply moved.

"Hikaru-kun, you're the best~"

"All right, eat up. I grilled it myself, you know." Naruse smiled. "If you want more, I can bring you some later."

Class A had plenty of food supplies now. He could bring Karuizawa food every day and it wouldn't be a problem.

"Your class exchanged for that much?"

Karuizawa thought of her own class. Everyone had been trying to save from the start, and the person cooking wasn't very good, so she really hadn't gotten enough to eat.

"Yeah. Now stop asking questions and try it."

After all, living on this deserted island meant eating enough was important. There was hard labor every day, gathering firewood and cleaning the camp, so there was no need to worry about dieting now.

"Mm!"

The girl took the chopsticks Naruse handed her, picked up a slice of grilled meat and put it in her mouth.

"Mm, it's delicious!"

"Glad you like it. You can finish it all."

Naruse smiled as he watched her, but at that moment his ear suddenly twitched.

He'd heard an extremely faint sound.

It wasn't insects, and it wasn't the rustle of leaves. It was a person's footsteps.

The other party was deliberately trying to muffle their presence, but Naruse had noticed all the same.

"Hm…?"

Naruse's gaze locked onto a nearby thicket. Who would be wandering the forest at this hour?

The footsteps were coming closer. Whoever it was seemed to keep heading this way.

"Kei…" The boy patted the girl's shoulder and stood up.

"What's wrong?" Karuizawa asked, puzzled, still holding the lunch box.

Naruse narrowed his eyes slightly and raised his voice, calling toward the thicket.

"Who's there?"

At those words, Karuizawa beside him froze.

She still had half a piece of grilled meat in her mouth, and her eyes went wide.

"What…?"

The footsteps in the thicket stopped. After a moment, a girl suddenly pushed her way out from behind it.

"I didn't think I'd still get caught. I thought my camouflage was pretty good."

The girl's voice was calm, with no trace of extra emotion.

It was Morishita.

"Morishita? What are you doing here?"

Once he'd confirmed who it was, Naruse's attitude shifted from wary to exasperated.

"Exploring."

A few fallen leaves and bits of grass clung to Morishita's track suit. She looked down and brushed herself off, then fixed her eyes on Karuizawa, who was standing behind Naruse.

"Naruse, so this is where you sneak off to for a date?"

"…And?"

Naruse smiled helplessly. He'd long since become immune to Morishita's eccentric behavior and didn't even get angry anymore.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I want to join your night date."

"?"

Now it was Karuizawa's turn to be completely dumbfounded.