COTE : Oh No, I've Become the Substitute

An August morning on the Pacific. The sky was just beginning to wake. Where sea and sky met, the moon had yet to fully sink beneath the surface, while a faint, pale gold had already seeped through the ink-blue in the east.

When the students of each class awoke in their camps, their aching bodies were the only lingering traces of yesterday's mountain-goat chase and bonfire revelry.

Whether they liked it or not, this exam would end in just two more days.

By the small stream not far from Class A's cave camp, Fuyuji Mikage had once again arrived in utter boredom to hold the second Deserted Island Cup Fishing Tournament.

At this stage, all the preparations each class could make had already been made. All that remained was checking in at the island's base points.

And even now, no students from other classes had attempted to seek out the current leaders of each class. It seemed everyone understood that even if they found them, it would be a waste of effort.

The only obstacle to swapping leaders was the so-called "legitimate justification."

Fuyuji had already asked Mashima Tomonari about this. It had to be a justification recognized by the school. In other words, situations like Class D faking illness to withdraw wouldn't pass the school's verification.

Given the current circumstances, Ryuen Kakeru certainly wouldn't feel any pity for his underlings. Whether it was beating one of them up badly enough to warrant a trip to the cruise ship for medical inspection, or feeding them something "clean and hygienic" to give them diarrhea—either would probably work.

As for Ichinose Honami, she would never allow Shiranami Chihiro to do such a thing. But the possibility of Shiranami willingly sacrificing herself for the class couldn't be ruled out. Plus, Fuyuji had already promised Ichinose not to guess Class B's leader, so Class B had to be reluctantly crossed off.

That left only Class D.

The hook in the middle of the stream swayed gently, sending out a ring of ripples.

Now!

Fuyuji yanked upward with both hands, pulling up whatever was beneath the water. Its true form was revealed: a single blade of water grass.

Fuyuji: "..."

"Pfft..."

Beside him, Yamamura Miki stifled a laugh behind her hand. "Fuyuji-kun, you can't catch fish like that."

For the second Deserted Island Cup Fishing Tournament, in the interest of fairness, the previous champion and runner-up had swapped teammates for a rematch!

"I give up. It seems I have absolutely no talent for fishing." Fuyuji let out a long sigh and sat back down on the bank in resignation.

"In that case, leave this to me. I'll fish. You can just sit here and rest." Yamamura volunteered.

"As expected of Miki. So reliable."

"Not at all." Yamamura's face flushed red instantly. She lowered her head and fidgeted with the fishing rod in her hands.

"Come to think of it..."

Fuyuji scooted a couple of steps closer to Yamamura and lowered his voice.

"Tonight... are we still going?"

The original plan had been to accompany Yamamura on a midnight check-in last night. But the sudden appearance of the goat and the ensuing three-class feast had thrown that off. Plus, Yamamura had been responsible for cooking the goat—the most physically demanding task. So Fuyuji had proactively canceled last night's operation.

Today, with only two days left until the special exam ended, the steady, cautious Class A had absolutely nothing else to do. Yamamura could rest and recover her energy during the day.

"Mm." Yamamura slowly leaned her head closer. She bit her lip and drew a deep breath. "Let's go."

"Then... one in the morning?" Fuyuji sought her opinion.

"No problem. I'll set my alarm." The wristbands issued by the school had an alarm function—probably to help students check in on time.

"No need. I'll set the alarm. Don't forget, you're sleeping with that person." A grin of eager anticipation spread across Fuyuji's face. "I'll come wake you when it's time."

Yamamura nodded. "Oka—"

"What... are you two whispering about behind Morishita-sama's back?"

A flat, emotionless voice drifted up from between them. At some unknown point, Morishita Ai from the opposite bank had abandoned her fishing rod and inserted her head, expressionless, right between the two of them.

"..."

The air fell silent for a beat. Fuyuji and Yamamura simultaneously averted their gazes toward the distant forest.

"Ahaha. We were just discussing how cute Morishita-sama is, of course." A bead of cold sweat rolled down Fuyuji's forehead as he laughed dryly.

"Mm... this, this... yes! Exactly. We were just talking about how cute Morishita-san is."

Unlike Fuyuji, who changed faces on a daily basis, Yamamura, who had never really had friends to begin with, was utterly hopeless at lying. She could only lower her head, red-faced, and shamelessly parrot Fuyuji's words.

"Really?"

Morishita's suspicious gaze scrutinized the two of them.

"Mm, mm." Yamamura and Fuyuji nodded repeatedly.

"You pass. For now." After eyeing the two for a good while, Morishita withdrew her gaze and began walking back toward the opposite bank. "The consequences of deceiving Morishita-sama are very serious, you know."

Fuyuji & Yamamura: "How could we possibly..."

The two had just barely breathed a sigh of relief when Morishita, halfway across, suddenly stopped and spun around. She threw out a sudden, pointed question.

"Then—what part of Morishita-sama were you just discussing as the cutest?"

Fuyuji & Yamamura: "Your feet (Your face)!"

"..."

Shimatta!

The air froze solid in that instant. Fuyuji and Yamamura turned their heads mechanically toward Morishita, who stood with her arms folded, looking down at them with a cold expression. Both screamed inwardly: We've been played!

Yamamura tilted her head in utter disbelief, unable to comprehend why her answer and Fuyuji-kun's had diverged so drastically.

"Spill it!" Morishita stepped forward. The sea breeze lifted the tips of her deep blue hair. "What exactly were you two planning to do behind Morishita-sama's back?"

"..."

At that moment, Fuyuji's brain spun at full speed. Countless combinations arranged themselves in his mind. Subconsciously, the words flew out.

"Alright... The truth is, we were planning to borrow a couple of fish from Hashimoto Masayoshi next door to win this tournament!"

"You despicable, shameless Fuyuji Mikage!"

Morishita flew into a rage. She clenched her little fists and rushed at Fuyuji, unleashing a barrage of Ora Ora punches.

"I knew you were up to some sinister scheme! To actually try and beat Morishita-sama through such underhanded means!"

Fuyuji and Yamamura exchanged a glance and simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief deep inside.

Logically, under normal circumstances, once the scheme had been exposed to this point, the two of them should have raised their hands in surrender and honestly told Morishita about the operation.

But this time, for reasons unknown, both of them, by unspoken agreement, chose to stubbornly maintain the lie.

That night, as the moon hung high in the sky, the entire deserted island seemed to sink into a deep, silent blue.

Under the moonlight, outside the cave camp, the drooping weeds were faintly visible. In the distance, the forest was an expanse of pitch black, punctuated occasionally by the call of an owl.

Amid the chorus of insects, Fuyuji's eyes snapped open in the darkness. He reached out and silenced the vibrating wristband. Propping himself up, he swept his gaze across the interior of the cave.

During the first two days of the exam, Katsuragi Kohei had assigned students to keep night watch. But after the recent analysis of each class's situation, it had become clear that none of the other classes had any intention of attacking. Besides, with the camp being a cave, it was genuinely difficult to cause trouble. So the night watch had been called off.

After a few stealthy, tiptoeing steps, a long, slow "zzzip" sounded. One of the girls' tents inside the cave was pulled open just a crack.

This was one of the two tents Class A had specially squeezed into their supplies. Not too big, not too small—just right for four people.

The curtain at the cave entrance lifted gently in the sea breeze. The bright moonlight slanted through the gap into the cave. By its faint glow, the four girls lying in the tent were barely visible, each in a different posture.

Kamuro Masumi. Shiraishi Asuka. Yamamura Miki. Morishita Ai.

In her sleep, Shiraishi's small ear twitched. Her eyes opened instantly, coldly scanning outside the tent. Then, in a single moment, her gaze softened, and a shimmering light swirled in her eyes.

Quietly, she propped up her upper body. Without her hairband, her pale golden hair spilled messily behind her—losing a touch of its usual serenity, but gaining a softness and loveliness rarely seen.

Shiraishi blinked, silently inquiring with her eyes.

Fuyuji pointed at Yamamura, lying beside her. Her hands were placed properly on her stomach, long breaths drifting from her nose. She looked like a sleeping beauty. He signaled for Shiraishi to wake her.

"..."

Shiraishi remained frozen in place. She continued staring at Fuyuji.

Hm?

Fuyuji lowered his voice to a whisper. "What's wrong?"

A smile surfaced on Shiraishi's face. She closed her eyes and coyly tilted her cheek to the side. Her slender finger tapped her own fair, rosy cheek.

"..."

Bad woman! You're threatening me at a time like this?!

Left with no choice, the pure and innocent Fuyuji could only submit to the gentle yet beautiful bad woman, Shiraishi.

Glancing around, Fuyuji swiftly cupped Shiraishi's face in both hands. He planted a quick "chu~" on her fair cheek, stamping it with his seal. And for good measure, he gave her other cheek a fierce pinch in retaliation.

Shiraishi opened her eyes, satisfied. She wrapped both arms around Fuyuji's neck, drawing him down slightly. Carrying a faint fragrance, her cherry lips pressed softly against his forehead, leaving behind a trace of warmth.

"That's the return gift." A dreamlike, slightly bewitching murmur echoed beside Fuyuji's ear.

Slowly releasing Fuyuji's neck, Shiraishi gently shook Yamamura's body.

Half-asleep, Yamamura rubbed her bleary eyes. Seeing Fuyuji suddenly appear before her, her dazed eyes showed confusion, as if wondering why he was here.

Two seconds later, her crashed brain finally rebooted. She scrambled to tidy her appearance.

Fuyuji suppressed a laugh and waved his hand, signaling that there was no need to rush.

A few minutes later, Yamamura had tied up her side ponytail. Her small feet slipped into white socks and athletic shoes. She quietly crept out of the tent and tugged at the corner of Fuyuji's clothes, signaling that she was ready.

Fuyuji poked his head back into the tent for one last look. His gaze fell on Morishita, who had unconsciously curled up into a little ball, sleeping like a small hamster. A smile involuntarily surfaced on his face. He turned to Shiraishi and mouthed in a whisper.

"Keep an eye on her for me."

"Don't worry. I'll watch over Morishita-san." Shiraishi nodded with a smile.

"See you in a bit..."

"Okay..."

A few extremely light footsteps later, the curtain at the cave entrance lifted and fell back. Fuyuji and Yamamura vanished completely from Shiraishi's sight.

"Haah~"

Letting out a soft breath, Shiraishi peacefully closed her eyes and drifted back into slumber.

When she opened her eyes again, she would see him once more...

However, in another corner of the tent—unnoticed by Fuyuji, Shiraishi, or Yamamura—

Kamuro Masumi, sleeping on her side, snapped her eyes wide open. Her entire face had flushed bright red. She jabbed her finger fiercely against the tent wall beside her, grinding her teeth as she cursed inwardly.

Shameless!

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