"That concludes the basic rules of this summer's deserted island special exam. If anyone still has questions, feel free to ask now."
First year Class D's homeroom teacher, Mashima Tomonari, finished listing off a long set of rules and precautions while pointing to a demonstration board. He took a sip of water from his cup to soothe his throat and observed the students' reactions.
As expected, what was supposed to be an anticipated island vacation had turned into a survival exam. Coupled with the word "exam," something students disliked most, the class's morale visibly dropped. Most of them lay slumped on their desks, sighing or blankly staring at the board.
"However, after the exam ends, you'll enjoy a week-long luxury cruise completely free. According to the school, this cruise can be considered a proper vacation."
Sensing the mood, Mashima quickly pulled up a photo of the five or six-deck luxury cruise ship, explaining its various facilities. The image reignited the students' interest—after all, they were just sixteen or seventeen.
"Now, these are the reward and penalty rules for the special exam."
Riding the wave of renewed attention, Mashima explained the group and class ranking systems. Unlike the initial plan proposed by Nagumo Miyabi, the school added two new detailed rules:
- Groups in the top 50% (ranks 1 to 3 included): Each member earns 50,000 personal points.
- Groups in the top 70%: Each member earns 10,000 personal points.
Unlike Nagumo's overly harsh focus on rewarding top performers and punishing the rest, the school clearly took average students into account by adding these two conditions.
The moment the rewards were announced, students began murmuring in discussion.
Leaving aside midterm and final exams, this summer's special test was the first truly large-scale exam for First year students. The mention of huge stakes—300 class points or a million personal points per person—reflected the school's seriousness.
Currently, the highest-scoring First year class barely had over 500 class points. Theoretically, if one class took both first place in group and class rankings, they could earn 600 class points. That would instantly place them above Class A, which currently had only 548.
In other words, even Class D, sitting at zero points, had the chance to shoot up to A-Class.
Mashima explained that unlike previous academic-focused tests, this one evaluated students' overall abilities: academics, fitness, mental strength, communication, and teamwork. The group format was intended to allow team members to complement each other.
Perhaps realizing this, students didn't feel left out. Even Yukimura and Sudou, who had disliked each other since the beginning, exchanged awkward glances. After all, one excelled in academics and the other in sports. Together, they'd make a formidable team.
Mashima, noticing the shift in atmosphere, offered his suggestion:
"It's important to team up with close friends, but team strength could directly impact your score. I recommend considering each person's strengths before deciding."
"Also, more members means higher survivability, especially since this exam uses an elimination model."
"For example, if Kitagawa and Horikita were in the same group and one dropped out due to illness, the other could continue alone, and their earned points would still count for the group."
"If Kitagawa secured first place solo, Horikita would still benefit from the rewards as a group member."
"In short: even if everyone else drops out, the remaining student still counts as a group. The more people, the better the chances."
Although Mashima casually named Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune, Ryo couldn't help but smirk. He remembered how Suzune, despite having a high fever, was manipulated by him and Kei during the last island test, which nearly ruined Class D.
But now, both he and Suzune were in Class D, while Karuizawa Kei had been moved to rival Class B.
"Though this might sound troublesome, there's one more thing."
After a short pause, Mashima continued.
"This new feature, if used wisely, will make the exam much easier."
The board beside him changed to display a screen resembling a card game.
Normal Cards:
- Supply: Grants the holder one meal and water per day (Lv1)
- Double: Doubles the personal points earned after the exam (Lv1)
- Discount: Reduces point cost by 15% when exchanging goods (Lv1)
- Hitchhike: Lets the holder select another student before the exam and receive 25% of their earned personal points afterward (Lv1)
Special Cards:
- Reinforcement: Allows a fifth member in a group.
- Resurrection: Can negate the expulsion of one expelled student after the exam.
- Chosen one: Boosts point earnings by 50%.
- Double-Edged: If the group places top 3, class point reward increases by 50%. If not, 30% is deducted.
"What... is this?"
Yukimura looked confused. Focused entirely on studying, he found these game-like items hard to grasp.
"These are cards that influence the survival test. Each person will receive one. Think of them as tools. Most are beneficial. Their uses should be clear from the descriptions."
Mashima explained patiently:
"Before the exam, each student will randomly receive one card. There are only four special cards across the entire year—one of each. Don't be discouraged if you get a normal card."
"See the 'Lv' next to each? You can upgrade normal cards by completing tasks on the island. Higher levels mean stronger effects—comparable to special cards."
"Only the holder will know what card they get. They can't be traded or transferred."
"Choose your exam role based on your card—those with [Supply] or [Discount] can handle logistics."
Mashima didn't elaborate too much, but students like Horikita Suzune and Sakayanagi Arisu had already recognized the cards' strategic value. The most dangerous one was [Double-Edged]. It had a tempting bonus, but failure came with a painful cost—a true double-edged sword.
"That's the overview. The rest, you'll discover during the exam."
As the bell rang, Mashima concluded his explanation.
"Some of you might not fully grasp everything now. A handbook will be released at noon for review."
With that, the first morning homeroom ended.
"Think carefully about your team strategy. You have a week until the exam. Team formations must be submitted via phone."
"I recommend forming teams after receiving your card tomorrow."
Leaving that advice behind, Mashima left the room.
As soon as he was gone, Class D burst into lively discussion. With the possibility of earning huge points, many eagerly began inviting friends to form teams.
"Did you notice it?"
Horikita Suzune leaned toward Kitagawa Ryo, taking advantage of her natural proximity as his deskmate.
"You mean the exam? It seems pretty fun."
Ryo tilted his head. He truly found it more enjoyable than the previous island test.
"I meant the team formation—or more precisely, the hidden trap behind it."
Dissatisfied with Ryo's casual attitude, Suzune nudged his leg under the table.
"Mashima-sensei avoided mentioning one rule to keep the mood light: the last-ranked group will be expelled."
"Class D is already at a disadvantage in class size and strength. To earn points, we need to win group rankings. That means forming strong teams."
"But forming a strong team creates leftovers."
"True."
Ryo nodded. It came down to a choice: team up strong players to win, or pair strong with weak to avoid expulsions.
"There's another way."
Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly appeared, pulling up a chair beside them.
"The last-ranked group will be expelled, but that can be nullified with 6 million personal points or 100 class points. So, we can designate a one-person group to take last place and pay to save them."
"That way, the rest can go all out."
"If someone gets [Resurrection], the cost drops even more. And honestly, there are people in class who would gladly rest on the cruise ship."
Her idea, though surprising at first, was feasible.
Since no one could predict who would be last, why not plan for it? One member as the designated dropout ensured the rest could focus on winning.
But Arisu wasn't done.
"If we're forming the strongest team, I should team with Ryo, right?"
Suzune, seeing the map shrinking, immediately responded:
"Each group can have four members. If we want maximum efficiency, four is best. And I work great with Ryo too, right, Ryo?"
"...Yeah."
Ryo smiled wryly. Thankfully, Karuizawa Kei and Shiina Hiyori were in other classes. Otherwise, even four slots wouldn't be enough.
With Suzune and Arisu already decided, only one team slot remained. Fourteen days of living together on an island—it was practically a honeymoon.
No one wanted to miss that chance.
Ryo looked over at Ichinose Honami, who was surrounded by other girls. Always popular and athletic, she was fielding invitation after invitation.
Each of them was trying to rewrite past memories into something new and meaningful.
Then Ryo heard Honami's gentle but firm voice rejecting every invitation. She walked through the crowd to his desk.
With her back to everyone else, she showed only her soft, trembling face to him. Ryo could even see her eyelashes quivering—not sure if it was nerves or something else.
Compared to Kei, Suzune, and Arisu, Ichinose Honami seemed like the one who had changed the least.
Because she had always been this way—kind to everyone, loved by all.
Ryo once read a line in a book:
"I hate gentle girls. They're kind to everyone, but I end up thinking they're kind only to me."
The line between love and friendship was that special treatment.
Someone special, with special feelings, deserved special care.
"I'd like to join your group too, Ryo."
"Sure, I was waiting for you."
Ryo replied with a smile.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To Read Advanced Chapters, and support this novel, please join me on [email protected]/geats2000
(Note: Replace "@-" with "a" on your web browser.)