COTE : Oh No, I've Become the Substitute

Outer perimeter of the Class B camp, the deserted island.

"Yahallo~ Good morning, Horikita-san, Kushida-san, Fuyuji-kun~"

Ichinose Honami, who just so happened to be at the very outermost edge of the camp, detected the approaching trio at the earliest possible moment. She raised her hand high and waved, greeting them with overflowing, energetic cheer.

"Yo. I've come to pay a visit." Fuyuji Mikage swept a cursory glance across the Class B camp and asked with puzzlement. "Where's Kanzaki-san? He came to visit our Class A earlier—I haven't even had the chance to properly host him yet."

"Ah, him..." Ichinose seemed to recall something and scratched her cheek with a hint of embarrassment. "He's gone to scout Class C."

"He really is reliable." Fuyuji sighed with admiration.

Rushing over to probe Class A early in the morning. After roll call, heading out again to Class D to pass along the general location of his own class to Horikita Suzune. And now, without pause, off to Class C.

What kind of nuclear-powered workhorse was this?

He was practically on par with Katsuragi—cough, cough! In any case, truly, hard work to the both of them.

"Mm, mm." Ichinose nodded repeatedly. "Kanzaki-kun is very reliable." Then, she turned her head and glanced at the Class B students, each diligently attending to their own duties. Her voice full of joyful pride, she added, "Everyone is incredibly reliable."

No sooner had the words settled than a chorus of shy, embarrassed voices drifted out from every corner of the Class B camp.

"Not at all. I only did what needed to be done."

"Ichinose-san is the most reliable one of all."

"With all our classmates working so hard, I'd feel too ashamed to just do nothing myself."

...

A completely different style from Class A...

Fuyuji quietly marveled to himself. He had known for a long time that Class B was exceptionally united, but this was the first time he had personally felt it so viscerally.

Unlike Class A's corporate wage-slave style—where tasks were delegated and they would complete them—Class B was a class coalesced and bound together through Ichinose's sheer personal charisma. The students in the class would spontaneously seek out work within their own capabilities. This resulted in Class B students having what was probably the best mental and spiritual outlook among the four classes at present.

Class C had started with violent conquest. But from the looks of it now, Ryuen-boy had also discovered that this path seemed impassable. The resistance was far too fierce. He was preparing to try reasoning things out with the Class C students.

And as for the remaining Class D...

One look at Horikita-girl's expression—hand pressed to her forehead in a headache she couldn't even bear to look at—said it all.

After soothing and reassuring her Class B classmates, Ichinose finally shifted her attention to Horikita and Kushida Kikyo, who had come along together.

"Come to think of it, why is Fuyuji-kun here together with Horikita-san and Kushida-san?"

"We ran into each other on the road. They didn't know the way, so I brought them here." Fuyuji mercilessly exposed Horikita-girl's shortcoming.

"Ehh~ So you didn't come to our Class B to hang out and play?" Ichinose looked just a little bit disappointed.

"..."

You're also a complete goof. You're actually welcoming me to come hang out in your Class B? Are you really not the slightest bit afraid I'll sniff out your class's leader?

"Putting it that way, it's not entirely untrue. Your class's Kanzaki-san came to visit our Class A. Courtesy demands reciprocity—it seems perfectly reasonable for me to come visit your Class B in return."

"In that case..." Ichinose pressed her palms together and looked toward the three. "Shall I give you all a tour and introduction of our Class B's setup?"

Horikita furrowed her brow. "Ichinose-san, aren't you afraid that our Class D will learn from your Class B's methods and thereby close the gap in class points?"

"It's fine, it's fine." Ichinose waved her hand dismissively. "This special exam doesn't necessarily have to be a life-or-death struggle, you know."

As expected. Ichinose's style was simply out of tune with this school.

Under Ichinose's guidance, Fuyuji's trio followed her into the Class B camp.

Class B's camp, like Class C's, was also situated on an open clearing within the forest. Beside it was a small lake. But it was abundantly clear that their arrangements were far superior to Class C's.

Only the two tents issued by the school were present. For the rest, they had used hammocks, strung up here and there across the surrounding trees.

By the lakeside, several Class B students were fishing with rods. At their feet lay quite a number of self-made fish traps.

Along the way, Ichinose and Kushida—the two social experts of the entire grade—chattered and chirped ceaselessly like a pair of cheerful little birds. Occasionally, Horikita would ask about the specific function of a particular setup. Fuyuji simply echoed the group's remarks now and then, thereafter directing his gaze toward the supplies and provisions around them.

Hammocks. Cooking utensils. A simple toilet. An outdoor shower...

Every single item had been spent with just the right measure of appropriateness. If Class A hadn't prepared their supplies in advance, they would probably have been at roughly this level as well.

All he could say was—as expected of—

Fuyuji's head came to an abrupt halt. His gaze came to rest upon that Shiranami Chihiro from last time.

At this very moment, Shiranami was hiding inside one of the tents. She had stealthily poked her little head out and was secretly, resentfully spying on a certain someone with eyes brimming with grievance and resentment.

Fuyuji's playful spirit surged forth. He was just about to, as he had last time, suddenly spring forward and give her a good scare.

But unexpectedly, Shiranami, realizing she had been discovered, instantly panicked. She abruptly yanked her head back inside. In a frantic, flustered scramble, she zipped the tent shut with a sharp whoosh. A moment later, she had completely hidden herself away within the tent.

Ho~

A mischievous, roguish grin spread across Fuyuji's face.

Shi↑ra↑nami↑—instead of hissing and glaring at me like last time, your first reaction upon encountering me was to immediately hide yourself away?

Is it that you fear my power? Or is your love for Ichinose only at this lev—

Fuyuji seemed to realize something. The grin on his face gradually vanished. The corner of his mouth twitched as he stared at the tightly zipped-up tent.

No way... another one?

The leader of Class B—just like that, stumbled upon by sheer blind luck?

And it wasn't just Class B. The leader of Class D was also now within his grasp. And this was only the second day of the special exam. He had stepped out once, and the leaders of two classes had simply been delivered right to his doorstep.

I've actually cleared the game already?!

No, no, no!

Fuyuji shook his head violently.

Even if he had found the current leaders, that still didn't prove anything. Strictly speaking, at this stage, there was fundamentally no method that could, with one hundred percent certainty, confirm that a particular person was the final leader.

But still... whether it was Class D or Class B, verification was needed in the end. No matter what, this was still no small gain.

Staring at the light-blocking tent, Fuyuji loosely balled his fist before his mouth and cleared his throat. Turning his head, his face blooming into a beaming smile, he called out toward Ichinose with a raised voice.

"Ichinose! Are you free? Let's go out and play together later. Just the two of us!"

The loud, ringing voice spread throughout the entire Class B camp in the blink of an eye.

In that very instant, the entirety of Class B—those fishing, those boiling water, the boys who had just returned from gathering firewood, even the girls engaged in handicrafts and idle chatter—all abruptly raised their heads at this very moment, staring at Fuyuji in utter, stunned shock.

"Ehhh—!"

Ichinose's pretty face instantly blazed a fiery red. Both hands gestured wildly and chaotically through the air.

"No, no! Th-this is too, too fast! Something like that... and besides, I still have other things to take care of later!"

"Then how about this evening?!" Fuyuji, suppressing his laughter, once again ratcheted his volume up an entire notch.

The murderous aura in the surrounding air intensified by yet another degree.

"Evening... evening..." After murmuring to herself for a moment, Ichinose seemed to think of something. Her entire being—along with her fair, snowy neck and her round, adorable earlobes—was dyed a shade of pink. "Something like that... muri, muri, muri..."

"Ichinose, just pick a suitable time?" Fuyuji once again amplified the force of his offensive.

"Then..." Ichinose lowered her head. Her fingers intertwined helplessly and restlessly. Under the gazes of the entire Class B, whose eyes were nearly bursting and splitting from sheer fury, she quietly leaned in close to Fuyuji's ear. "Shall we... quietly pick a time?"

...

On that day, no one knew what kind of emotional and psychological journey Shiranami Chihiro underwent inside that tent!

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