The school staff had set up a tent and stage, dividing the students into four teams.
Hikigaya stood somewhere in the middle of Class B, wearing an expression that could only be described as mild suffering.
Tokyo seemed different from Chiba.
In Chiba, students lined up according to their birthdays, but here in Tokyo, they seemed to follow the fifty-yin order. Or maybe this was just a high school thing, and he had simply never noticed before. Either way, it didn't really matter.
What did matter was that he had been forced into the middle of the lineup, a place of absolute discomfort. He didn't know the students in front of him, nor did he recognize the ones behind him. Fortunately, Class B had decent discipline, so no one was chatting, which spared him the humiliation of being the only one standing in awkward silence.
But then, inevitably, it happened.
A conversation would start somewhere in the front.
Then it would gradually fade out near him.
And then, right behind him, it would resume again.
Every time this happened, he thought, Man, I really wish I could just disappear.
Eventually, names started being called.
A tall, burly teacher stepped onto the newly erected stage, taking up a microphone.
"I believe many of you already know me," he began. "But just in case, let me introduce myself. I am Tomoya Mashima, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A. You can call me Teacher Mashima."
Hikigaya sighed. The man seemed like a strict and responsible teacher—completely different from a certain someone who was currently avoiding the sun.
Yeah, I'm talking about you.
His gaze drifted toward Hoshinomiya Chie, who was idly standing off to the side, fanning herself like she was on vacation.
We're at work here! Be serious!
Meanwhile, Mashima continued speaking.
"First, I want to congratulate everyone on arriving here safely. However, I also regret to inform you that one student is unable to participate due to illness."
Somewhere in the crowd, a few murmurs broke out.
Illness?
Hikigaya raised an eyebrow. That's unfortunate, he thought.
But then, after considering it for a moment, something felt off. This school trip had been announced half a month ago.
This wasn't just some casual outing.
This was a luxury cruise trip.
Even if you were sick, wouldn't you at least try to come? When would you ever get another chance to ride on a luxury cruise ship like this?
That meant…
The person who skipped out must be wealthy enough to not care.
"...Rich woman," Hikigaya muttered under his breath.
Well, whatever. It wasn't like he had the right to judge. He was a future social drone who would one day work himself to death in some gray cubicle, while she was probably sipping expensive herbal tea in a mansion somewhere.
Not that he cared.
"Next, we will begin the first special examination of the year."
At that moment, a loud voice cut in from his right.
"Eh? What's this about a special exam?"
Hikigaya sighed and turned his head slightly.
Sure enough, Class C and D had fallen into a commotion.
Seriously?
It was already hot enough as it was—couldn't they just shut up and let the teacher finish so they could all move on with their lives?
"The exam will last one week and conclude on August 7th," Mashima continued, ignoring the interruptions. "For the next seven days, you will be living as a group on this uninhabited island. That is the content of the exam."
This time, the murmurs grew louder.
A few students in Class D began openly complaining.
"What?!"
"Are you kidding me?!"
"This is ridiculous! Right, Huko?"
"Exactly! Two tents? What about food?! Teacher, I'm going to file a complaint with the Ministry of Education!"
Hikigaya nearly winced at the sheer stupidity.
Were they serious?
They were high school students in a government-affiliated school, and they thought they had a choice?
Please. You're already on the island.
At this point, even if the school decided to throw them into the ocean, no one would be able to stop them. Complaining was useless.
As expected, Chabashira Sae, the homeroom teacher of Class D, stepped forward and shut down their complaints with a lengthy, authoritative explanation.
If he had to sum up her response in simpler terms, it was basically:
"Who do you think you are?"
Of course, she phrased it more diplomatically, but the meaning was clear.
Mashima then continued with the rules.
"As a prerequisite for this exam," he said, "each class will be given 300 special points. You may use these points to improve your survival conditions as you see fit. To aid you in this, we have prepared a special guide manual."
He gestured to the front, and students began passing booklets backward.
Hikigaya flipped through his copy.
Drinking water.
Tents.
Barbecue sets.
Portable toilets.
Showers.
All of these things could be purchased using points.
The penalties were listed on the last page.
If a student was deemed physically unfit and had to leave, 30 points would be deducted.
If they polluted the environment, 20 points would be deducted.
If they missed roll call (8 AM & 8 PM), 5 points per absence.
Any act of violence would result in immediate disqualification.
After scanning the rules, Hikigaya passed the booklet along.
To be honest, he didn't really care.
The rational thing to do was to spend all their points on food and enjoy themselves. Who cared about advancing to Class A? Sure, it would be nice, but it wasn't like failing would ruin his life.
But knowing Ichinose and the others, they would probably be more cautious, saving points to maximize their long-term advantage.
At that moment, the school staff began handing out wristwatches to every student.
Hikigaya examined his.
Aside from the usual timekeeping function, it also had:
Body temperature detection.
Waterproofing.
Satellite positioning.
An emergency distress signal.
At least the school wasn't completely heartless. If they got lost, they wouldn't just be left to die.
Mashima then dismissed the students, allowing them to start planning.
Class B gathered together in a circle. Hikigaya, of course, stood on the outskirts, listening in.
"Everyone," Ichinose said, holding up the guidebook. "There's a section here about possession rights. Hoshinomiya-sensei, can you explain—"
She stopped mid-sentence and looked around.
Hoshinomiya was gone.
"...Teacher?"
The Class B students exchanged confused glances.
Hikigaya narrowed his eyes and found her instantly.
She was standing over by Chabashira Sae, chatting like they were old friends.
…Seriously?
She was supposed to be keeping an eye on Class B, but instead, she was over there gossiping?
Hikigaya's resentment deepened.
So this was what friendship was like, huh?
If you had a friend, you could just slack off at work without consequences?
...How enviable.
Too bad he would never develop those kinds of skills.
End of Chapter 035
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