COTE : Backed By Black Technology System

After Chabashira-sensei finished reading all the rules, the students in the class started arguing about whether or not to use their initial points, creating a big fuss.

"Hey, that's enough already, right? Other classes have already left!" Kanda Shuichi couldn't take the heat anymore. "And if you want to argue, why not do it in the forest? If we stay out here any longer, I'm going to pass out from the heat."

Even though some of the details weren't clear yet, the most important thing had been settled—finding a good point. Everything else could wait, but this one couldn't be compromised.

"Damn it! Those guys are already making a move!"

After hearing Kanda Shuichi's reminder, Ike and Suten immediately became anxious when they saw other classes starting to leave. The number of good camping spots was limited, and if they got taken, it would be a problem.

"To protect our points, I'm going to do whatever it takes. I'm going to find the base camp and points, and Yukimura, don't let Shinohara and the others use their points without permission, okay?"

Ike said while reminding Yukimura, who also disagreed with using the points.

"Of course, that's exactly what I plan to do!"

Yukimura Hidetaka, the academic type in the class, had always been unhappy about being placed in Class D. So, he wanted to take this opportunity to earn some class points.

"Ike, if you follow the small stream on the east side of the island and head upstream, there should be a good camping spot."

At this moment, the information Kanda Shuichi and the others gathered on the ship was put to good use.

"Really? Is that so?"

There's a huge difference in efficiency between searching with a purpose and searching aimlessly, so Ike's expression lit up with excitement.

"Yeah, when the ship was sailing around the island, I asked Kanda and Miyake to keep an eye out. The closest spot should be the camp near the stream."

Hirata then drew a simple sketch of the island on the sand, marked the location of the stream, and even drew a possible base where Kanda Shuichi had previously guessed it might be located.

At this point, most of the students in the class turned their attention to Kanda Shuichi and Miyake Akito.

Wow, Kanda is amazing! He noticed that so early?

Meanwhile, Kanda Shuichi was resting his arm on Miyake's shoulder, conserving energy from the intense heat and the exhaustion of standing.

But that didn't hide the brilliance he radiated.

What brilliance, I'm about to burn up here. Can we just get into the forest and find some shade?

"Alright, let's hurry up then!" 

Compared to Ike, Sudou seemed to trust Kanda Shuichi more. Without much thought, he started heading in the direction Hirata had pointed out.

After all, Kanda Shuichi had never let him down!

The rest of the group helped carry the supplies provided by the school. The tents were heavy, weighing dozens of pounds, and were so large that one person couldn't carry them alone.

If these items were damaged, they would need to use class points to replace them, so everyone was being extra careful.

In fact, when Kanda Shuichi heard Chabashira-sensei say that occupying a base would earn a point, a bold idea immediately came to his mind.

His plan was to send the fastest person in the class to the watchtower to find large areas of campsites, then make them the leader and start taking over the campsites in bulk.

However, there was a risk. If the enemy figured out who the leader was, not only would the temporary points from the base occupation be lost, but 50 initial points would also be deducted.

But this could be avoided, so it wasn't an issue.

The most crucial part of this plan was that it needed someone with excellent sense of direction, physical strength, stamina, mental toughness, and alertness.

Of course, there was someone in the class who could handle it: Koenji Rokusuke. But seeing his uninterested attitude, Kanda Shuichi knew he wouldn't agree to it.

Unless they offered him a certain amount of initial points to use. And it couldn't be too little—at least 100 points would be needed to bribe him.

To offer Koenji 100 points would require almost everyone in the class to agree, and even with Hirata and Kushida's help, it would be hard to convince them.

So, Kanda Shuichi dismissed the plan and classified this test as a spy game. No matter how many bases they took, if the leader was discovered, everything would be over.

He dropped the plan and decided to go with the regular approach, adjusting the strategy as they went along. After all, plans rarely survive contact with reality.

And the black tech for this month hadn't been handed out yet, so maybe there would be a twist.

After about half an hour of walking, the students from Class D had completely entered the forest.

Although the forest was still hot, the absence of direct sunlight made it much more bearable for Kanda Shuichi.

Aside from Kanda Shuichi, many students were already feeling exhausted, as not everyone could adapt to this tropical environment.

Hirata, who had been leading the way, seemed to notice the students' condition and stopped.

"Everyone, let's take a break here and wait for news from Ike and the others."

Honestly, Kanda Shuichi was surprised by Ike's eagerness. They had originally planned to send Miyake out to find a campsite, but since Ike volunteered, it worked out well for Miyake to stay behind and support Kanda Shuichi.

After stopping, Horikita walked over to Kanda Shuichi and furrowed her brows.

"Are you okay? You don't look too well."

Although she knew that Kanda Shuichi wasn't in the best health, she hadn't expected him to be this weak. After just half an hour of walking, his face looked pale.

"Well, I'm fine."

Kanda Shuichi let go of Miyake's support, leaned against a large tree trunk, and slowly sat down.

Ah, this feels good, but I wonder if there are any bugs here.

Ugh, can't think about it, the more I think about it, the worse it gets.

"What about you? Are you completely over your cold?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine now."

Horikita nodded, looking perfectly normal.

Although Kanda Shuichi thought about reaching out to feel her forehead, he reconsidered given that they were in public.

"What do you think we should do for this exam? Should we follow Ike's idea and just endure, or should we focus on securing supplies?"

"Endure? Sorry, I can't do that."

Kanda Shuichi made it clear that he wasn't going to endure, which relieved Horikita Suzune. Honestly, if there weren't proper toilets, she would have a headache as well. She was already frustrated after two days without a shower.

While Kanda Shuichi and Horikita were chatting, Hirata decided they couldn't rely solely on Ike's group.

"Everyone, I think we shouldn't put all our hopes on Ike's group. If the campsite near the creek gets taken, we need to have a backup plan."

"That's true, we need to be prepared for both options."

Kushida Kikyo immediately supported Hirata's suggestion.

"So, is anyone here good at surviving in the wilderness?"

Hirata scanned the group, hoping someone would step up.

After exchanging a glance with Kanda Shuichi, Miyake stood up.

"I have some camping experience. I'm willing to give it a try."

After Miyake spoke, Kushida added, "I'm not an expert, but I'm also willing to contribute."

When Kushida spoke, several boys eagerly raised their hands, including the usually quiet Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.

No, even the self-centered Koenji Rokusuke raised his hand.

Seeing Koenji's reaction, Kanda Shuichi joked, "Koenji, you're not planning to sneak back to the ship during this exploration, are you?"

After spending a few months as classmates, the impression Koenji left on the others was unforgettable. He never cooperated, did things his own way, and was a hedonist.

In summary, he was extremely self-centered and only did things that benefited himself.

Although he had attended the study sessions before, that was because Hirata had offered point rewards.

Such a person would actually go explore an uninhabited island for the class? It's really suspicious no matter how you look at it.

So, as soon as Kanda Shuichi brought up this idea, it immediately sparked both support and suspicion from the class. When they saw Koenji not denying it, the students' tone quickly became unfriendly.

"Hey, Koenji, you really think that way, don't you?"

The hot weather made everyone irritable, and some even directly began questioning him.

"If I say yes, what will happen?" Koenji ignored the crowd and just looked at Kanda Shuichi.

"Nothing will happen, but if you really do that, you'll be seen as a thorn in the class's side. If an exam comes up where someone has to drop out, you'll be the first to go," Kanda Shuichi said slowly, leaning against the tree, even winking playfully.

Kanda Shuichi wasn't threatening Koenji, just pointing out a possible future situation.

So, this is just advice. I suggest you don't try to cause trouble with me.

In fact, whether Koenji stays or drops out of the exam has nothing to do with Kanda Shuichi. But since he himself isn't free from his own troubles, he can't just let Koenji go around carefree.

It's not about letting your friends suffer, it's about them driving around in a Range Rover while you're stuck, man (just kidding).

Sure enough, as soon as Kanda Shuichi said this, some students immediately started backing him up, shouting that if Koenji dared to drop out of the exam, they'd make sure he'd be expelled next time.

These guys really think they've got something on Koenji, and they're starting to get ridiculous.

Koenji, however, wasn't affected at all. He just watched Kanda Shuichi, the guy who could stir things up so easily with just a few words.

At that moment, he became interested in Kanda Shuichi.

"Enough!" At the crucial moment, Hirata shouted loudly, bringing the situation under control. "We're all in the same class, and I don't think we should be discussing expelling people right now."

"Kanda, please don't say things like that."

"I was just pointing out a possibility…" Kanda Shuichi raised his hands in surrender after seeing Hirata's serious expression. "Alright, I'll keep quiet."

Seeing that Kanda Shuichi had backed off, Hirata turned his gaze toward Koenji. "Koenji, we're all in the same class, so I hope we can work together to get through this exam, okay?"

Koenji looked at Hirata Yosuke, then at Kanda Shuichi, before suddenly smiling.

"Alright, I'll act like an ordinary student and get through this exam with everyone."

So, he doesn't plan on contributing anything?

Kanda Shuichi was speechless. He had originally intended to stir up the class's dissatisfaction with Koenji, hoping to pressure him into contributing something under the class's pressure.

Looks like he overestimated it. This guy is even more stubborn than he thought.

But judging by how things went, it seems like Koenji was genuinely considering dropping out of the exam, so at least Kanda Shuichi's provocation wasn't entirely fruitless. It kept the class from losing 30 points for nothing, though Kanda Shuichi didn't really care much about that.

Soon, the exploration group set off, and to Kanda Shuichi's surprise, Koenji was among them. According to him, he said, "I don't go back on my word. If I promise something, I'll follow through."

After the exploration group left, Kanda Shuichi found Hirata.

"Hirata, I know what I said upset you earlier, but you always have to plan for the worst. If one day it really comes down to someone needing to drop out, you need to be mentally prepared for that."

Hirata nodded with a complex expression. Though he was an idealist, he wasn't that naive.

After giving Hirata some advice, Kanda Shuichi returned to rest under the large tree.

"Do you think that day will really come?"

Horikita Suzune furrowed her brows, forced expulsions...

"Who knows? But this year, no one in Class 3-A, the class your brother is in, has dropped out. So, even if we face that situation, I think there should be a way to solve it."

Kanda Shuichi liked to speak based on facts. While he also thought they might encounter situations where sacrifices would be necessary, he didn't think the school would create a situation where there was no chance of survival. Even if it came to that, there should still be a slim chance of making it through.

Because even now, the school had already offered a 20 million personal points option to cancel a student's expulsion.

"Hirata, if you really don't want to see anyone expelled, you should start figuring out how to gather 20 million points."

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