Although Kikyō had no idea why Ai was trying to escape, the attempt itself was far too suspicious for her to simply let the girl leave.
Ai had only taken a few steps when Kikyō put on a surprised expression and raised her voice slightly.
"Oh! Aren't you Morishita-san and Yamamura-san from Class A?"
Ai's footsteps stopped.
Anyone would hesitate after suddenly hearing their own name called, and once Kikyō had identified her so easily, Ai realized she had already been noticed.
Running now would only make their next meeting even more awkward.
She decisively abandoned the attempt and turned back toward the three girls.
"Hello! Did you come here for the task too?"
Kikyō greeted them with the little angel's signature smile, radiating warmth and friendliness.
She sounded as though they already knew one another fairly well, even though her knowledge of the pair was limited to their names and class.
For a greeting, that was enough.
Miki seemed astonished.
Perhaps she had never expected someone from another class to know her name.
"Y-yes. But the task here already ended."
Miki tried to explain.
"We were the final group allowed to register."
"No wonder there's nobody left. It's rare to find such an easy task."
Kikyō sighed faintly while examining Miki and Ai.
Miki gave off a gloomy, withdrawn atmosphere similar to Airi's, but Kikyō sensed a subtle difference between them.
When a stranger approached Airi, she would normally flee immediately. Even when forced into a conversation, every part of her radiated resistance and fear, like a sewer mouse desperately hiding from the sunlight.
Miki was slightly different.
She could answer Kikyō normally and did not completely avoid her gaze. She merely looked uncertain and cautious, as though she had no idea how to handle someone suddenly speaking to her.
In other words, she was easier to approach than Airi had once been.
"You're Kushida Kikyō from Class C?"
Ai was observing Kikyō too.
"You look like the kind of girl everyone would like. His taste really is strange."
That immediately drew Kikyō's attention.
Unlike the timid Miki, Ai openly studied and commented on her without the slightest restraint. It was impossible not to notice her.
"You know me, Morishita-san?"
Kikyō sensed that something was unusual.
This girl had addressed her by her full name without any hesitation.
"I've heard about you. Mitoma Kaoru and all his girlfriends are famous in our class."
Ai immediately began investigating the subject that interested her.
"Are all of you genuinely dating him?"
"Of course we are!"
By then, Kei and Airi had approached as well.
"Kaoru and I started dating a long time ago. We've always been together."
Kei's first reaction was naturally to boast about her boyfriend.
"Does your class gossip about us that much?"
"Karuizawa Kei, weren't you previously dating Hirata Yōsuke?"
Ai asked without warning.
Kei's expression immediately collapsed.
That was one period of her past she hated discussing.
"S-so what? I broke up with him soon afterward!"
"Leaving aside why you dated him, I'm interested in why you separated and then began dating Mitoma Kaoru."
Ai nodded slightly before continuing.
"Normally, nobody would accept a boyfriend who was involved with multiple girls, would they?"
"That's none of your business. He isn't your boyfriend."
Kei felt an immediate dislike toward Ai.
She wanted Kaoru to herself too.
"What Kaoru and I do is our freedom. Right, Kikyō?"
Kikyō nodded.
She had heard this kind of curiosity and gossip countless times already, so unlike Kei, she did not become particularly upset.
"That is your freedom. Did I go too far?"
Ai appeared to genuinely reflect upon her words.
Meanwhile, Airi quietly moved beside Miki and whispered, "Your classmate seems a little unusual."
"I'm sorry. She's always like this."
Miki did not know how else to explain her.
Then she noticed Airi's familiar scent.
For some reason, Kaoru immediately entered her thoughts.
He would recognize that scent too.
Far better than Miki did, most likely.
"You and Mitoma-kun..."
The words felt too embarrassing to finish.
"Has your relationship with him become closer?"
"Eh?"
Airi froze, then gave her an unbearably shy smile.
"Even Miki noticed?"
Miki blinked.
Did that mean Haruka had known for some time too?
"It was when I told all of you that I wanted to make lunch for Kaoru..."
Seeing Miki's confusion, Airi quietly explained.
"Kaka realized it then. I thought you already knew too."
Until Airi mentioned it, Miki had almost forgotten.
She only remembered Airi once saying she wanted to prepare lunch for Kaoru.
Miki had failed to understand that the two of them were already together.
"I'm sorry... I think I was too slow to realize."
Miki hesitated.
"But he has so many girlfriends. Why did Airi decide to be with him?"
Airi pressed her lips together.
After a moment, she leaned closer.
"I-I'll tell you, but you mustn't tell Kaka or Kaoru."
"I won't."
Miki became intensely curious.
Airi secretly checked Kei and Kikyō. Once she confirmed they were not paying attention, she lowered her voice to the faintest whisper.
"Kaoru is one of my fans. If I hadn't accepted him, he might have done something reckless."
Confusion filled Miki's eyes.
A fan?
What kind of explanation was that?
Yet Airi looked completely serious.
"But he still has many girlfriends."
Miki could not let the matter go.
"Doesn't that bother you?"
"It does."
Airi answered simply.
"But... I love him."
Her reasoning was remarkably straightforward.
"When you love someone, there's nothing you can do. You keep thinking about them and wondering how they are. If I don't see him for several days, it feels like I'm going to disappear."
It was perhaps the most fluently Airi had ever expressed her feelings.
Miki did not notice that.
She merely stared for a long moment, especially struck by how natural and unquestioning Airi sounded.
A sudden voice from beside them pulled Miki back to reality.
"What?! You've been traveling with Kaoru?!"
Kei sounded genuinely shocked, causing both Miki and Airi to look over.
"We're on the same route, so we've been moving together."
Ai enthusiastically extended an invitation.
"We're planning to camp together again tonight. Would you like to join us?"
The real reason Ai had tried to escape earlier was that she knew she could not deceive Kei or Kikyō into trading canned food.
If she could not profit from them, remaining nearby had seemed pointless.
Now that she had been caught, however, Ai wondered whether she could lure several more people into joining the campsite.
To be entirely honest, she had already noticed their food supplies.
"Camp together?!"
Kei's voice rose another level.
"Were you all sleeping in the same place last night too?!"
"I suppose so?"
Ai tilted her head.
Their tents had been arranged beside one another, so technically they had slept together.
Kei and Kikyō exchanged a look.
A strange flame seemed to ignite simultaneously in both girls' eyes.
...
At one in the afternoon, the next designated zone was indeed random.
It jumped directly from H5 to G8, nearly two kilometers away in a straight line.
When Kaoru returned to their agreed meeting place, he found only Tsubasa and Ichika waiting there.
"Hello, Senpai! You're finally back."
Ichika hummed a cheerful tune.
"Did you earn any points? Little Nanase and I took first place again!"
"Impressive. I only managed one second-place finish. Every other task was already full."
Kaoru responded casually.
"Morishita-san's group hasn't returned?"
"They probably traveled too far away and need more time."
Tsubasa had already been waiting for a while, but without communication devices there was nothing they could do except remain there.
"What does President plan to do next?"
"We'll walk toward G8 at a relaxed pace and see whether any tasks appear along the way."
Kaoru continued, "We have two hours. There's no reason to compete over arrival time."
The final designated zone would appear at three.
Even though G8 was distant, they needed to travel there because all non-random destinations appeared near the preceding zone.
If they were in G8, the next one might be G9, directly beside it.
Tsubasa nodded.
She and Kaoru briefly met each other's eyes.
Neither seemed able to think of anything else to say.
"Senpai, have you heard about the ghost?"
Ichika interrupted their silence.
"A ghost?"
Kaoru paused.
He clearly had no idea what she meant.
"Eh? Senpai hasn't heard everyone talking about it?"
Ichika launched enthusiastically into the story.
"There's a white ghost wandering around the island. Everyone says it has glowing green eyes, and anyone who sees it gets swallowed whole!"
At first, Kaoru listened in confusion.
Then a realization slowly dawned on him, and his expression became complicated.
"Amasawa-san, ghosts do not exist."
Tsubasa could no longer remain silent.
"It was probably a wild animal that stole food from the camps during the night."
After hearing Tsubasa's explanation, Kaoru finally understood the situation.
Several groups had lost food to some mysterious creature.
Because the thefts occurred at night, nobody had clearly seen what it was. They had only noticed a pair of glowing green eyes.
Since that morning, rumors of a ghost had spread across the island. Every time groups encountered one another, they discussed it, causing the story to spread with extraordinary speed.
By tomorrow, almost every student would probably have heard the legend.
"Wild animals don't eat canned food."
Ichika dismissed the explanation.
"I think it really is a ghost. Senpai agrees with me, right?"
"Y-yes. Perhaps."
Kaoru subtly looked away.
Delighted by his agreement, Ichika immediately offered a suggestion.
"Hey, Senpai. Want to catch the ghost with me?"
"Can ghosts even be caught?"
"The two of us can do it."
Ichika's eyes shone.
"They say it moves around at night, so tonight we can ambush it together."
"How?"
"We hide inside a tent and use food as bait. When it appears, Senpai can trap it with a sleeping bag."
Kaoru silently stared at Ichika.
She blinked innocently.
"Is that a bad plan?"
"If the ghost never appears, wouldn't we end up spending the night inside the same tent?"
"Ahaha. Senpai really loves making strange jokes."
Ichika's face became stern.
"Do you want to sleep beside a girl that badly? I'd like to become closer to Senpai like little Nanase has, but we cannot move that quickly. I'm an exceptionally beautiful girl, after all."
"Say something that misleading again, and I'll take you seriously."
Kaoru raised both hands in a threatening grabbing motion.
"I might capture you instead of the ghost tonight."
"Senpai is so indecent. Making that gesture toward a younger girl proves you really are a pervert."
Ichika covered herself theatrically, as if tears might appear at any moment.
"If Senpai truly lost control, wouldn't you attack a girl?"
"You're imagining too much. You're the one person I feel no ordinary desire toward."
Kaoru found her performance painfully unconvincing.
Ichika immediately puffed out her cheeks.
"Is it because my figure isn't as impressive as little Nanase's?"
"Please do not involve me in this conversation."
Tsubasa was sensitive about her appearance and interrupted them immediately.
"Little Nanase has an amazing figure. Why shouldn't we mention it?"
Ichika gestured between them.
"I think she's the most generously built girl I've ever met. Men love that kind of appearance."
Tsubasa's face reddened, especially when Kaoru's gaze unconsciously flickered toward her for one brief moment.
Even that instant felt unbearably embarrassing.
"I-it isn't anything special. My figure is perfectly ordinary."
Her denial lacked all conviction.
Both Ichika and Kaoru were glancing toward her.
"Be more confident. Senpai is always looking at you."
Ichika sounded deeply envious.
"He never looks at me. He must like little Nanase."
Tsubasa wanted to cover herself.
She could not understand what exactly was supposed to be admirable or worthy of attention.
"I wasn't sneaking a look. Stop making things up."
Kaoru defended himself.
"If I intend to look, I do it openly. I never need to sneak."
"Oh dear. Senpai really does like little Nanase."
Ichika gave them a wicked smile.
"Did the two of you do something strange this morning?"
"Amasawa-san, President and I did absolutely nothing!"
Tsubasa's face turned completely red, and her voice rose despite herself.
"Eh? Really?"
Ichika looked genuinely shocked.
Then she glanced at Kaoru as though asking why he had wasted such an opportunity.
Kaoru found the reaction ridiculous.
If he had truly intended to capture someone, Ichika would have been the first target.
At that moment, Ai and Miki finally appeared, with Hayato walking behind them.
"Sorry. We came back late."
Kaoru was about to greet them when he noticed Miki immediately turn her face aside, seemingly avoiding his gaze.
He froze.
Then Ai approached, patted him on the shoulder, and sighed.
"Mitoma Kaoru, tonight is going to be difficult for you."
With that ominous declaration, Ai walked away.