Practical Classroom: Kaoru Hanayama's Classroom of Merit

Majima Tomoya sat in his cabin on the luxury cruise ship, his thick brows furrowed tightly.

As the homeroom teacher of Class A and a meticulous person, he is confirming the island's emergency safety network according to the procedure.

The island was leased by the school to the government, and theoretically there should be a resident nature reserve manager responsible for maintaining the basic facilities.

However, the phone call could not be connected.

No matter how many times I call, all I get is the message "The number you dialed is not in service".

Feeling uneasy, Mashima used the school's authority to directly inquire with the government's contact person.

"...He left nine months ago? And a successor hasn't been chosen yet, so no staff have been assigned!?"

Sweat slowly seeped from Majima's thick hands as he held the receiver.

In other words, the vast, uninhabited island that the students are currently exploring has been completely free from human control for nine months.

Nine months is too long in the natural cycle.

What changes have occurred in the ecosystem, how exactly the roads collapsed, and most importantly, what kind of abnormal reproduction and growth have those large wild animals, who have forgotten their fear of humans, experienced? All of this remains unknown.

Hearing the dial tone of the phone being disconnected, cold sweat poured down Majima's back like a waterfall.

"We must contact the chairman immediately."

Mashima suddenly stood up, even knocking over the chair behind him.

If a highly dangerous wild animal were to appear on the island, the students would be completely unable to resist it.

If there are any casualties, Advanced Nurturing High School will be completely destroyed in the public opinion.

The necessity of immediately suspending the exam must be discussed.

......

Uninhabited island, Class C's base camp.

Having secured their water supply, the students in Class C immediately unpacked their allocated supplies and began setting up their base camp.

"Oh! You over there, straighten the tent poles a bit more! Otherwise, the tarpaulin will get caught!"

Kanji Ike gestured and gave instructions like a foreman.

His usual frivolity had vanished, and he was now fully utilizing his knowledge as a seasoned camper.

Following his instructions, Kenjiro Sudo and Yosuke Hirata were fighting fiercely against the eight men using the framework of the huge tent.

"Damn it, why is setting up a tent such a hassle...!"

"Sudo-kun, if you use brute force, the joint will break."

"Oh, oh. I'm sorry, Hirata."

With Hirata's gentle assistance, although progress is slow, the tent is gradually taking shape.

The girls, centered around Kikyo Kushida, discussed where to set up the makeshift toilet, each finding their own role and taking action.

Among them, Kaoru Hanayama stood there somewhat idly.

"Hanayama-kun, you can go over there and rest for a bit. Just carrying such heavy luggage here has already done enough for you."

Hirata, his forehead covered in sweat, greeted him with a hearty smile.

"That's exactly right. Hanayama, if it weren't for you, we'd all be sunk to dry on the beach by now. Leave this place to us!"

Sudo also gave a thumbs-up in agreement.

In the forest where there were no roads, Huashan carried nearly 100 kilograms of supplies.

Everyone in the class understood that it was unreasonable to ask Huashan to do any more work.

"...I see. Then I'll leave for a little while."

Huashan nodded briefly, left the center of the base camp, and slowly walked towards the edge of the forest, which was out of sight of his classmates.

After confirming that the noise from the campsite had faded into the distance, Huashan put his hand into his pocket.

What he pulled out were cigarettes he had secretly brought with him before disembarking from the luxury cruise ship.

He held the filter in his mouth, ready to light it, but Huashan stopped.

“…………”

The only fire-starting tool distributed to the class was a small box of matches.

These were crucial supplies for cooking, nighttime lighting, and even starting a fire to ward off wild animals during the following week of life on the deserted island.

This is definitely not something that can be wasted casually just for the sake of smoking a cigarette.

For Huashan, wasting his companions' resources for his own pleasure was simply outrageous.

Hua Shan, a cigarette dangling from his lips, looked down at his feet.

He quietly squatted down, picked up a stone in each hand, and held them in front of his chest, assuming a fighting stance.

Crunch...!

The hands holding the stone crossed each other at an incredibly high speed.

It wasn't just a simple collision; rather, it was an astonishing grip that caused the surfaces of the two stones to press tightly together, resulting in violent friction.

*Smack!*

As fragments of stone flew through the air, dazzling sparks erupted in the dim forest.

Huashan immediately brought the cigarette he was holding closer.

"hiss……"

Huashan threw down a stone and inhaled the smoke deeply into his lungs.

For a yakuza man, the time spent smoking is an irreplaceable ritual for calming the mind.

"call……"

The instant white smoke was exhaled into the sky.

Thump, thump, thump...!

Those were clearly not human footsteps, and certainly not the pacing of two legs.

Those were the heavy tremors of four thick legs ruthlessly trampling the earth.

Snap! Crunch, crunch, crunch!

The bushes a few dozen meters in front of Huashan were violently smashed to the left and right.

Low shrubs blocking the way, as well as branches several centimeters thick, were broken off one after another.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!!"

With a series of heavy breathing sounds, a huge wild boar emerged from the depths of the forest.

Its shoulder height far exceeds the abdomen of an adult, and its weight must be over 300 kilograms.

Its thick, layered skin, covered in resin and mud, truly deserves to be called a natural armored vehicle created by nature.

What is most terrifying are the two enormous fangs that grow backward from the corners of the mouth.

"Pfft! Pfft!!"

The wild boar spotted Hanayama Kaoru trespassing into its territory, and its small eyes instantly turned bloodshot.

It pounded the ground violently with its forelegs, a clear signal that it was preparing to attack.

If it were an ordinary high school student standing here, they would probably be screaming and running away by now, or collapsing to the ground in fear.

however.

“…………”

Kaoru Hanayama remained motionless.

He showed no signs of running away, but he also didn't adopt any fighting stance.

He simply maintained that relaxed standing posture, a cigarette dangling from his lips, exhaling thin plumes of white smoke.

What was reflected in his pupils was not fear.

It was merely a quiet, uneventful stillness, a kind of "rare moment of happiness being disturbed," which was terrifying precisely because of it.