Hachiman Hikigaya, who returned from his studies after completing his training.

This was taught to Hikigaya by Ichinose. As long as the packaging is unopened, you can simply return it to the school.

"Sudo, you take a few people to the river and fill up some river water with containers to boil. We'll drink river water from now on."

If buying bottled water from the school costs twelve points every day, it would add up to more than eighty points over seven days. No leader would be willing to be taken advantage of.

The girls were agitated when they heard that they were going to drink river water.

Urged on by her companions, Wang Meiyu timidly raised her hand, "Um... is the river water really drinkable without any impurities?"

"Don't worry, this is an artificial island, the water source is clean. I even bought a filter, and boiling it will kill all the bacteria."

"If you drink only bottled water, it will cost you eighty exam points. I hope you can bear with it, please," Hirata added.

After the immediate issues were resolved, most of the students followed Hirata Sudo, while the remaining students were sent by Hikigaya to gather some firewood in the nearby woods.

"I'll leave Koenji to you to guard the base alone. I'm taking Horikita Hiyori to take over the new base."

"No problem, small fry boy."

After Koenji agreed to take the strong labor force that Hirata and Sudo had failed to take, Hikigaya led Shiina and Horikita to visit the old base they remembered.

"Are you afraid of heights, Horikita?"

The first place the three arrived at was a cliff. In an easily overlooked corner, there was a ladder firmly nailed to the edge of the cliff. The ladder led to a wooden cabin base below the cliff.

Because it's too secretive and no one would see it, Shiina can go down and make a smokescreen.

"no problem."

Leaving Shiina behind on the cliff, Hikigaya and Horikita descended to the bottom of the cliff one after the other.

After discovering the cabin, the two pushed open the door and went inside. Inside, there were not only photo booth facilities but also some fishing rods, and the room was covered in dust.

"It's a bit unnecessary to buy a fishing rod with Class A points." Hachiman went over to check the fishing rod and found that it was not damaged.

There are two types of fishing rods in the guidebook. I bought a few of them for a certain amount, but now it seems I can exchange them for other supplies.

"Extra fish caught can be traded with other classes for different foods."

"Right."

After answering Horikita, Hikigaya tied the fishing rod to himself with a rope, closed the door, and returned to the cliff to meet up with Shiina.

After walking for another ten minutes or so, the three arrived at a high platform, where there was also a photo-taking device.

Unlike the wooden cabins, this is an open area with no obstructions to prevent people from taking photos, and there are also many bushes around that can hide people.

"Do we need to clock in?" Shiina asked cutely, glancing around. "The risk is probably quite high."

"It's alright, it's alright even if we get caught. Horikita is the bait, I'd be even happier if someone takes the bait."

Pretending to be on guard, Hikigaya also looked around.

"Today we all put our hands up together to cover it up, but starting tomorrow we can't just let a group of people come over and surround it to take photos and occupy it."

"Ah."

After I finished swiping my card, the sky started to get dark. It would probably be dark in another two hours.

"Horikita-kun, you go back first. Hachiman and I will go back later."

As Hikigaya was about to leave, Shiina grabbed his arm.

"Alright, you guys be careful. I'll take the fishing rod back with me and see if I can catch a few fish before dark."

Horikita didn't ask Shiina the reason at all. He took Hikigaya's fishing rod and left alone, leaving only the two of them on the platform.

"Climb up here and you can see the ocean in one panoramic view."

Shiina pointed to a ladder in the corner of the platform. Climbing up led to an observation deck from which one could see most of the island.

"Shall we go up?"

After Shiina nodded, Hikigaya climbed up first, and after Shiina followed her to the top of the ladder, he immediately reached out and pulled her up.

The observation deck is not large, only able to accommodate four or five people, with a stone chair without armrests in the middle.

"Let's sit together, Hachiman."

Shiina sat sideways on the single stone chair, occupying half of the space, his expression somewhat somber.

“I can stand here.” Hachiman leaned against the fence post.

The Shiina he knew seemed very downcast, a stark contrast to her usual confident and composed demeanor.

"Sit together."

"No need, I'm not tired."

“Together.” Shiina stared straight at him.

"..."

Unable to resist Shiina's persistence, Hikigaya carefully sat sideways on the stone chair, keeping a small distance between them.

Just as he was about to ask Shiina what was wrong, Shiina's back was already pressed against his.

..........

"I feel like I've been so useless lately."

A slightly dejected voice came from behind Hikigaya from Shiina.

“Senpai Tachibana can help you, Senpai Kiryuin can help you, and so can Ichinose. Suzune is also playing a huge role in this exam. It’s just that I can’t help Hachiman.”

The four people Shiina mentioned have indeed helped Hikigaya recently, and Horikita is now his biggest helper in this deserted island exam.

Although Shiina didn't help her much, what did it matter? He didn't become friends with Shiina because he wanted to help her.

"I'll get angry if you think like that, Hiyori. I didn't become your friend because I wanted your help, and I don't think Hiyori is a useless person."

Because he was somewhat angry, Hikigaya's voice was also somewhat agitated; how could he allow Shiina to belittle him?

"What do you think are my strengths, Hachiman?"

The warm sensation on Hachiman's back disappeared.

"She has good grades, loves reading, is very intelligent, can cook, is kind and cute, and has beautiful long silver hair."

To encourage the dejected Shiina, Hikigaya said whatever came to mind, without caring how embarrassing his words might be.

As Hikigaya spoke, he tried to turn around to see Shiina's expression, but two small, delicate hands pressed against his cheeks.

"Don't turn around yet."

Shiina's voice was no longer deep and became somewhat anxious.

Behind Hikigaya's back, where he couldn't see, Shiina's cute cheeks were already flushed, her shy expression as charming as a peach blossom in early spring.

Chapter Seventy-One Night Talk

"How beautiful, that sunset just now."

On a secluded forest path, Shiina and Hikigaya walked slowly side by side, the moon already secretly hanging in the sky.

"Yeah, I was completely stunned."

The sky was dyed red, the sea shimmered with gold, and the captivating smiles of the young girls around him made Hachiman feel that he would remember this scene for the rest of his life.

"So you planned this all along, Hiyori," Hikigaya said, waving his flashlight after answering Shiina.

If it weren't for this, he wouldn't have dared to watch the sunset with Shiina before going back.

"After all, the lookout tower is very conspicuous. I saw it when I was on the ship, and it's also very close to the cave."

"Then why do you say you're useless, you liar Hiyori?"

He lightly tapped Shiina's head, and the girl next to Hikigaya looked embarrassed.

"I'm not a scammer."

"Is that a cute con artist?"

"Hachiman!"

The two returned to their cave base while playing, where two small fires had already been lit outside.

On the fire, there was steaming hot fish soup and golden corn, and groups of students were chatting around the fire.

"Since you haven't come back, I've arranged for the girls to stay in tents, and the boys will stay in caves."

Horikita, carrying a bowl of fish soup with corn floating in it, came to greet us. Clearly, two pots weren't enough for all the students to eat together, and we'd lost count of how many pots this was now.

"No problem, that's what I thought too."

"That's good."

After finding her assigned bowl, Hachiman ladled herself a bowl of fish soup and took an ear of corn, then carefully found a seat on the boys' side.

Outside the cave, there are two rows of slightly flat stones, clearly separated by a narrow strip of land. The two rows of stones are not close to each other.

The relationship between the boys and girls in Class D is not harmonious. Hirata is the only boy who can get along with the girls, and currently, Hirata is the only boy in the girls' row.

"Miyake, Makita, Kikuchi - Outer Village."

The boys whose names were called by Hachiman all put down their bowls and looked at him.

"After roll call tomorrow morning, you'll all go to the base with the girls to check in. Follow Horikita's instructions then."

"I have a question: wouldn't it be better to change the village?"

Miyake's words made Sotomura look a little embarrassed. Of the four boys Hachiman had called, he was the only one whose athletic ability was better than even the girls'.

"Just follow my instructions."

"it is good."

After finishing a bowl of fish soup, Hachiman started munching on corn. Although both dishes tasted just average, he didn't find them unacceptable in the camping environment.

While gnawing on Hachiman, he was also thinking about how to set a trap for Class A.

The school-issued phones allow students to view each other's locations once they add each other as friends. This function can only be disabled by the student themselves in the backend. He wouldn't have known he was being followed if he hadn't left the mountain village.

If Miki Yamamura was also following Kanji Ike and Yamauchi on the day they dropped out of school, then Tomomura, who was also present, might have come into Sakayanagi's sights.

A student who is forced to eat only free vegetable meals every day is the best target for Sakayanagi to bribe.

...............

"Hirata, why don't you find a girlfriend?"

The only light source in the dimly lit cave had been extinguished, but the boys lying inside showed no signs of sleepiness.

A guy who usually goes to bed around 10 or 11 p.m. is having such a novel experience of camping in the wild for the first time, especially staying in a cave. How could he possibly want to sleep at 9 p.m.?

"Yeah, Hirata, with so many girls around you, why don't you choose one?"

Sudo immediately echoed Makita's words, as the boys all had some complaints about Hirata being so popular with girls but not having a girlfriend.

Hikigaya probably thinks they're thinking, "Hurry up and pick one of the remaining girls and release her."

However, he felt that even if Hirata really had a girlfriend, those girls wouldn't be interested in them; one must be strong oneself to succeed.

Among the boys, only Miyake is considered a good guy. Although he is quiet and reserved, he doesn't do anything frivolous and is also in a sports club.

"Girls are impossible for me; I'm not qualified."

"If you're not even qualified, then we're doomed."

"Yeah, yeah, you're not kidding us, are you?"

Hearing the noise from Sudo and the others, Hikigaya turned his back to them and saw that Koenji, who was sleeping soundly in the deepest part of the cave, was fast asleep.

I really envy him for falling asleep so quickly.

Hikigaya closed his eyes, and then Sudo behind him suddenly pointed the gun at his head.

Since Ike and Yamauchi dropped out of school, Sudo inexplicably became closer to him and no longer kept his distance like the other students.

"Hachiman, so you weren't asleep. Was the last girl in the anonymous post on the school forum yesterday from another grade? She's like an idol to me."

As soon as Sudo spoke, the noise inside the cave instantly disappeared.

Did you inherit the idiot character from Yamauchi?

Hikigaya turned to the side and kicked Sudo, who was sleeping next to him, saying, "Shut up and go to sleep."