—So, how have you found the cruise so far? —Nazuna asked, her voice reflecting the calm that the sea breeze brought with it.
—I'm quite excited. It's my first time on a cruise, and there are so many things to do here that I don't think I'll get bored at all —I replied, feeling the excitement in every word.
—I thought the same when I was in my first year! I was just as excited —Nazuna commented, with a hint of nostalgia in her voice.
—So, you also went on this trip last year? —I asked, surprised.
—Yes, it was an incredible experience. On a cruise like this, it's impossible to get bored —Nazuna confirmed, suggesting there were more stories to tell.
—And did you also go to the famous private island of the school? —I inquired, intrigued.
—That's right, we went there too —she said, with a tone that hinted there was much more to discover.
—And what did you do on the island? —I asked, eager to know more.
—Well... um... —Nazuna hesitated, but her response was interrupted by Fuuka's voice, which had been silent until now.
—Nazuna, don't say anything —Fuuka warned firmly, as if about to reveal a big secret.
—Why are you stopping her, Fuuka? She was just answering a curious kohai —I said, trying to persuade her.
—We don't want to ruin the surprise, Kayden. No spoilers —Fuuka said, keeping me in the dark.
—Oh, so that means something big is going to happen on the island? Maybe a special exam? —I insisted, looking for a hint.
—That's something you'll find out for yourself when you get there —Fuuka replied with a light laugh.
—Well, I guess I'll have to be patient until tomorrow —I said, resigned but excited about what was to come.
—Just one thing: I hope that when you come back, you'll have a really interesting story to tell —Fuuka said with a challenging tone.
—Then it seems I'll have to do my best to meet your expectations —I replied, accepting the challenge.
—Of course, and if you don't, I'll have to punish you —Fuuka joked with a mischievous tone.
—And how do you plan to punish me? —I continued playfully.
—That, dear Kayden, is a secret you'll only discover if you fail —Fuuka said, keeping the mystery.
—Hey, stop flirting in front of me! —Nazuna interrupted, a bit impatient—. Fuuka-chan, we're running out of time, we have to go now!
—Go? So soon? —I asked, surprised.
—Yes, sorry, Kayden. Fuuka-chan and I have some matters to attend to. But I promise that when you come back, we'll tell you everything —Nazuna said with a mysterious tone that only heightened my curiosity.
—Alright, I hope everything goes well. Have fun! —I said, although something told me that fun might not be exactly what I expected.
—Fun isn't the word I'd use... —Fuuka murmured, almost to herself.
—Good night, Kayden. We'll talk later —Nazuna said goodbye, her smile almost palpable through the phone.
—Sure, good night —I replied before hanging up, left with a tangle of questions and expectations for the next day.
As I headed back to my room, I couldn't help but dwell on the "surprise" awaiting me on the island the next day. From the way Fuuka spoke, it all pointed to a special exam.
Suddenly, my phone vibrated. It was a message from the school, informing us that we should meet at 7 a.m. at the main entrance of the cruise ship. It seemed my curiosity would be satisfied sooner than I expected. Since the meeting was at 7, I decided to wake up an hour early and head to the bow of the ship. I wanted to see for myself how we arrived at the island, feel the excitement of the arrival, and prepare for whatever awaited us.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I was at the bow of the ship, the fresh morning breeze brushed my face and traveled through my body, bringing with it a sense of tranquility and anticipation. The meeting at the main entrance was still some time away, but I decided to get there early, spending almost an hour observing our approach to the island.
The island in question was large, though not gigantic. What stood out the most was its lush and pristine nature. However, something curious happened: instead of stopping and anchoring, the ship began to circle the island completely. I wondered why we were doing this, and as I observed closely, I noticed a few things that caught my attention.
First, I saw a small cabin hidden among some crevices. It seemed there were stairs leading down to it, which intrigued me even more. After that, I didn't see anything particularly interesting, except for a large cave and what looked like a small antenna sticking out on a mountain. Though it was somewhat distant, I wondered if it was really an antenna or just a tree.
My mind started to wander, thinking about the possible reasons we were circling the island and what these details meant. What secrets did this place hold? I would find out soon.
With ten minutes to go before 7, I decided to head to the meeting. On the way, I crossed paths with a few students, and among them, I noticed a bald guy whom I think is from Class B. I wondered if he was bald by choice or if he had some illness.
When I arrived at the location, I was surprised to see that all the students were already gathered. At the entrance, several employees were unloading boxes and other items, while the teachers from each class were there, each with a box beside them. It looked like we were going to leave the ship, and the teachers were in charge of confiscating our phones and other belongings before disembarking. I was curious about what awaited us on the island and why this level of precaution.
Once I handed over my belongings and disembarked, I noticed a large amount of stuff the employees had unloaded, including portable toilets. I wondered what we would need them for, and the answer I came up with was that the students would be spending time away from the ship and would need a place to relieve themselves. Entering and exiting the ship continuously would be inefficient.
Suddenly, Mashima-sensei, the teacher assigned to Class B, raised his voice to get our attention.
—Ahem! Attention, please. All students, pay attention. I will now explain the reason why you have been summoned to this place —he announced in his usual grave tone, immediately capturing everyone's attention.
Once silence was established and everyone was focused on him, he continued:
—From this moment on, you will participate in a special exam that will take place on this deserted island for a week. This exam is designed to evaluate your teamwork ability, physical and mental endurance, as well as your ingenuity in adverse situations. I will now detail the rules and key aspects you need to keep in mind to achieve the best possible result:
Duration and Objective of the Exam
Duration: The exam will last for one week.
Objective: Survive on this deserted island while managing the 300 S-points allocated to each class. The remaining points at the end of the exam will be added to your class's accumulated points.
Initial Supplies
Each class will receive:
2 tents
2 lanterns
1 box of matches
1 toothbrush per person
Unlimited sunscreen
Unlimited sanitary products for girls
Use of Points
Expenses: Points can be used to purchase food, water, construction materials, temporary toilets, and other resources listed in the manual provided.
Penalties
-30 points for health issues or injuries that result in withdrawal.
-20 points for environmental pollution.
-5 points for not appearing on the daily attendance lists at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Immediate disqualification and confiscation of all private points of the offender for violence, theft, or property destruction.
Rights of Possession
Island Sites: There will be several designated sites on the island that you can occupy. Each occupied site grants 1 bonus point every 8 hours. These points will only be added at the end of the exam and cannot be used during the test.
Identification Card: Only the class leader, who must be chosen, will be able to use the exclusive identification card to claim a site.
Occupation Penalty: Accumulated points will be lost if your class leader is identified by another class.
Leader Selection:
Selection: Each class must choose a leader before the end of the day. The leader will be the only one allowed to use the identification card to claim sites on the island.
Leader Guessing: On the last day of the test, each class can declare who they believe is the leader of the other classes. For each correct leader guessed, that class receives 50 bonus points. If the leader is guessed incorrectly, the class loses 50 points as a penalty. Additionally, a class whose leader is correctly identified loses 50 points as a penalty and all bonus points obtained during the test.
Mashima-sensei concluded with the following:
— Although you are in a survival test, the theme of this exam is "freedom." You can enjoy the natural environment, swim, have barbecues, and more, as long as you manage your resources well and follow the rules set. Once you choose a site as your base of operations, you cannot change it without a valid reason, so think carefully before making a decision — Mashima-sensei finished, having delivered a deluge of information that we now had to process. Fortunately, we had a manual containing all the details we needed to review.
Looking around, I noticed that most of the students were visibly shocked by what this special exam entailed. It was understandable; how many ordinary teenagers have experience surviving on a deserted island? Probably not many.
Ichinose approached me with a worried expression.
— It seems like our first special exam is going to be quite difficult — Ichinose-san commented, her face reflecting a mix of nerves and determination.
— It will undoubtedly be challenging. But don't worry, we'll do fine — I replied, trying to offer some encouragement.
— Of course, we have to trust in our skills. What do you think if we move in groups to find a good place to set up our base? — Ichinose-san suggested, clearly willing to take the initiative since other classes were still not moving.
— I think it's a good idea, but let's wait a bit longer — I said.
— Why? I think it's better to get ahead before the other classes start moving — Ichinose-san insisted, looking anxious to begin.
— There's no rush. First, let's understand the rules well. Take it easy — I advised.
— Alright. I'll go talk to Mako-chan and discuss it with Kanzaki-kun too. Will you come? — Ichinose-san offered.
— No, I'll review the manual first. I want to understand the rules thoroughly before making any moves — I replied, feeling that I needed a solid understanding of the rules before proceeding.
— Okay, I'll read it later — Ichinose-san agreed and said goodbye while heading to find the others.
I asked Hoshinomiya-sensei for the manual and made my way to a quiet spot under a tree, where I settled down to read it carefully. I didn't want to overlook any details.
As I delved into the reading, something particularly caught my attention: the rule about the leader. Although each class must choose a leader, it is possible to change them as long as there is a valid reason. This rule is designed to handle unforeseen circumstances, such as accidents or illnesses of the leader. Since only the leader has the capability to use the special access card, it's crucial to have a way to replace them if necessary.
However, the manual didn't provide much additional information about the access card. It only specified that its use was restricted to the leader because it is linked to their fingerprint, preventing other students from using it. Despite this limited information, I couldn't stop thinking about the card and its role in the exam.
As I pondered the information, an idea began to take shape in my mind. Although the situation on the island seemed challenging, I couldn't afford to ignore this idea. With determination, I immediately got up and headed towards Hoshinomiya-sensei.
— Hoshinomiya-sensei — I called firmly.
— Hello, Osawa-kun, do you need something? — She responded with a kind smile.
— Yes, I wanted to confirm something — I said.
— Sure, what do you need? — She asked, attentive.
— On the first day of class, you mentioned that there is nothing that can't be bought with points, right?
— That's correct — Hoshinomiya-sensei confirmed — although there are some exceptions, such as you cannot buy another person.
— Really? — I replied — I would say you can.
— It wouldn't be possible — She said — as there is no set value for each student. Buying someone would imply a form of slavery, which is prohibited.
— I see it differently — I said calmly —. If you want to have someone under your command, you only need to convince that person to sign a master-servant contract.
— If the 'convincing' doesn't involve threats and the person does it voluntarily, then it would be possible. But what are you getting at with this?
— I mean that, although there are rules and prohibitions in the school, or even if some seem superficial, there are always legal loopholes that can be exploited.
— I understand — said Hoshinomiya-sensei, with a thoughtful tone —. And what exactly do you want to know?
— Hoshinomiya-sensei, would it be possible to acquire another access card using private points? — I asked, hoping her answer would be affirmative. If so, this piece could be the key to securing an advantage in my path to success.