COTE : Oh No, I've Become the Substitute

Day six of the deserted island special exam. It was also Fuyuji Mikage's final day of free movement on the island.

Early the next morning, each class would have to clean up all the garbage generated over these seven days, pack up their belongings, and reassemble on the beach to await the school's announcement of the exam's final results.

While there was still time, Fuyuji made his way to a spot at the base of a cliff—a place normally difficult to discover—to complete his final task.

Coo!

A joyful cry rang out. A plump white pigeon descended from the sky, its four talons splayed wide, and planted a foot squarely on the head of the chicken cowering beneath the cliff.

Cluck... cluck...

The two chicken brothers huddled together in the corner, shrinking back. They wore expressions of fury they dared not voice, but their eyes blazed as they glared at Wild Pigeon.

So it was you who led them here, you beast-traitor!

Fat Pigeon said nothing. It merely spread its talons and delivered another Ora strike, exacting revenge for the blow it had suffered back then.

Fluffy white clouds drifted swiftly overhead, blotting out the sun, then slowly shifted away under the urging of the sea breeze.

Ten minutes later.

The two chicken brothers, having been Ora'd who knew how many times, belatedly lowered the wings covering their eyes. Their chicken necks swiveled. They looked at themselves—their feathers now glistening under the refracted sunlight—and then at the snow-white Fat Pigeon sprawled on the ground, panting heavily.

They figured they must have been kicked in the head back then to have been bored enough to attack it.

"Alright." Sensing the wind picking up, Fuyuji stood up from the rock and brushed off his pants. The sandy dust vanished in the wind in the blink of an eye. "Revenge ends here. It's about time to head back."

So saying, he raised a hand to his brow and gazed out at the distant horizon.

Where sea and sky met, clouds as heavy as lead blocks had already amassed into a dark, oppressive mass. The sea wind rushed toward him, whipping his athletic jacket wildly. The moisture in the air was growing thick.

This kind of setup—anyone standing here could tell a great storm was about to strike.

Coo coo... (You got lucky!)

Flat on the ground and exhausted, Fat Pigeon continued to crow with wild bravado.

Cluck! The two chicken brothers glared back with fury.

"There we go." Fuyuji crouched down and reached out to stroke the heads of the two chicken brothers. A gentle smile surfaced on his face. "Although it's a bit of a shame I didn't get to eat you two this time, you'd better be careful. Don't let my underclassmen eat you in the future."

The two chicken brothers, still basking in Fuyuji's petting, instantly stiffened. Their feathers bristled as they smacked his hand away with a wing.

Cluck—!

"Thanks for this year's hospitality. Ja ne~" Slinging the prone Fat Pigeon into his pocket, Fuyuji waved and turned to leave. "Every year around this time from now on, be careful not to come out. Otherwise, when I come back, all I'll find are your chicken bones."

Cluck! (Don't ever let us see you again!)

After emerging from the cliff area, the wind blowing in from the sea had intensified.

A damp, earthy scent of approaching rain rolled low across the ground. Scattered dead leaves danced chaotically in the air. The trees in the forest swayed in sweeping waves, producing a rustling roar.

This level of disturbance—it looked like a gale mixed with torrential rain. Probably the final trial that all the exam takers would face in this special exam.

Fuyuji quickened his pace, threading through the forest as sea wind gusted through the gaps between the trees.

At times like this, the advantage of the cave camp that Class A had chosen began to show.

Situated at a high elevation, surrounded by rock walls on all sides, with no leaks inside the cave—all they had to do was block the entrance, and they could rest easy.

Class B and Class C were likely in a rougher spot. Both had the girls using tents and the boys using hammocks. Staying outside in such heavy rain could easily lead to hypothermia. They would have to crowd together into the two tents originally meant to sleep only eight people.

If the rain didn't let up, those forty people would be spending tonight sitting inside their tents.

Rustle, rustle, rus—

Fuyuji's footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

The rustling of the entire forest echoed ceaselessly in his ears.

His head turned bit by bit. The corner of his mouth twitching, he looked toward the direction of the former Class D camp.

That Class D bunch... they did prepare a tent for their left-over personnel... right?

No matter how eccentric they were, they were still classmates. And those who stayed behind were doing it for the class, putting in effort. At the very least, food and shelter should have been arranged, shouldn't they?

Fuyuji shook his head with a helpless smile and continued toward the cave camp.

Even if things got dangerous, wasn't the school still keeping watch? The wristbands issued by the school weren't just for show.

Even in the worst case—Class D barely had any points left anyway. The ones who stayed were just earning those few occupation points. If they truly couldn't hold out, they could just withdraw early.

No one would be that stupid...

No one wou—

Halfway there, Fuyuji executed a smooth about-face and rushed toward a certain hidden base point.

Damn it, better go check just to be safe!

Horikita's brother had given him several million, after all. If Horikita's little sister, with that stubborn-to-death personality, really couldn't think straight, wouldn't he be screwed?

He glanced up at the dark clouds pressing closer in the distance. They were still a ways off. It probably wouldn't rain for a while yet.

Over the past few days, he had memorized every terrain and path on this deserted island. Casually pushing aside the branches blocking his way, nimbly vaulting over various obstacles, Fuyuji threaded through the forest at top speed.

A short while later.

Fuyuji halted his steps. Catching his breath, he locked his gaze onto a black machine embedded in the mountainside, concealed by layers of vines and leaves.

[D CLASS. Time Remaining: 3 hours, 42 minutes.]

This was why he had been so certain that someone from Class D was still on the island. On the very first day they had set foot on this deserted island, Fuyuji had already mapped out every single base point.

But he had deliberately left a portion of the most hidden base points untouched.

Commonly known as: fishing!

They should be somewhere nearby.

Fuyuji began turning his head to observe his surroundings. A silvery gleam slowly flowed through his eyes.

If they wanted to keep occupying this base point while preventing other classes from discovering who the leader was, they would at least need to check periodically whether it had been exposed. If so, they couldn't be too far away.

There!

The rotating scenery stopped. Amidst the dense thicket, in a gap between drooping branches, a dark green single-person tent swayed faintly in the sea wind, half-visible. Without looking closely, it would be impossible to spot.

So they had already set up a tent in advance...

For some reason, Fuyuji suddenly felt a touch of gratification. It was as if he could now understand Horikita Manabu's feeling—that despite his stubborn little sister being disappointing, immature, and hard-headed, at least she still showed some signs of being worth saving.

However, five minutes later, Fuyuji's gratified feelings had completely evaporated.

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