Practical Classroom: Kaoru Hanayama's Classroom of Merit

In the lush, dense forest, sunlight occasionally filters through the gaps in the leaves.

A girl holding food in both hands appeared in front of Hanayama and Horikita.

"Ah, Hanayama-san and Horikita-san! What a coincidence to run into them here."

Honami Ichinose smiled brightly, and in her arms were wild sweet potatoes and corn that seemed to have been gathered in the forest.

"That fish... Wow! Did Hanayama-kun catch it? It looks so plump!"

Ichinose stared wide-eyed in surprise at the two enormous white fish in Hanayama's right hand.

"I guess so. I just picked it up randomly from the sea."

"Pick it up... how could that be?"

Horikita muttered a helpless complaint under her breath, but Ichinose looked on with admiration.

"Um, if it's possible..." Ichinose seemed a little embarrassed, looking at Hanayama with her gaze slightly raised.

"Could we trade one of the fish for our sweet potatoes and corn? Everyone's been saying they want some meat or fish, but we can't find any."

Hanayama glanced at the fish in his hand. Ultimately, he caught it for Sakura, who couldn't eat pork. One fish was more than enough for Class C.

"I don't mind. Take one."

"Really!? Thank you! Could you come to our campsite? This is definitely not worth it; you should take more!"

From Huashan's perspective, this was simply giving away excess items.

But Ichinose's creed doesn't seem to allow for such a thing.

After walking a while, we came to Class B's campsite on an open area by the riverbank.

The tents have been set up in an orderly manner, and it is clear that they are working together to establish a basic living foundation while following the rules.

"Ah! Ichinose-san is back!"

"Whoa, the person behind her... is from Class C..."

The students in Class B were initially intimidated by the strange pressure emanating from Huashan and shrank back.

But after hearing Ichinose introduce them as "Hanayama-kun is willing to share some fish with us!", they immediately lowered their guard and were surrounded by a friendly atmosphere of welcome.

"Hanayama-san and Horikita-san, if you don't mind, why don't you take a break? There's some fruit here, please have some!"

The girls in Class B enthusiastically handed over clean nuts and wild strawberries.

Huashan couldn't very well refuse such hospitality, so he silently put the food that was handed to him into his mouth.

"Hey, Ichinose."

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"This fish is for you. We can't eat that many sweet potatoes either."

As the leader of the yakuza, it is not in his nature to treat goodwill with meticulous calculations.

However, Ichinose waved her hands firmly in refusal.

"No way! Rules are rules. This fish looks to weigh about fifteen pounds, right? In that case, we must reciprocate with something of equal... no, something even more valuable!"

As she spoke, she gave instructions to the boys in Class B, who began piling baskets filled with sweet potatoes and corn, and even plastic bottles filled with clean drinking water, into small mountains.

The total weight is about 30 pounds.

"So that's roughly equivalent? Take this back with you."

"...Hey, how could you possibly move such a large quantity through the forest?"

Horikita sighed helplessly, but Ichinose winked mischievously and looked up at Hanayama.

"But if it were Hanayama-kun, he could definitely lift it easily, right?"

"Tch. Do as you please."

Hua Shan clicked his tongue briefly, then easily grasped the handle of the basket filled with nearly thirty pounds of supplies with one hand.

Just as the two were preparing to leave Class B's camp.

Small footsteps approached from behind.

"Um...! Hanayama-kun..."

Turning around, I saw a petite, seemingly honest female student standing there, fidgeting with her fingers.

Perhaps out of fear of Huashan's imposing presence, her shoulders trembled slightly.

Huashan silently looked down at her, and she seemed to have mustered up a little courage to raise her head.

"Um... I'm Chihiro Shiranami. I heard from Honami-chan that Hanayama-san was very direct in bringing her to her senses regarding being confessed to."

In her eyes resided a serious light, unlike any other that reflected timidity.

"Hannai-chan refused me properly to my face. Although the person who was rejected seemed very sad, I think it's much better than being brushed off with half-hearted kindness. So, thank you for teaching Honami-chan such an important thing. I'm really grateful."

Bai Bo bowed deeply, then gently handed a cloth bag, which he had been holding in his arms, to Hua Shan.

"These are edible mushrooms I found deep in the forest. They're nothing special... but consider this a thank you gift."

Looking at the mushrooms that had been forced upon him, Huashan narrowed his eyes slightly.

He wouldn't be so unsympathetic as to ruthlessly reject the sincerity offered by the weak with courage.

"...I'll accept it."

"Um!"

Upon hearing Huashan's brief but definite response, Bai Bo's previously uneasy expression immediately relaxed.

After revealing a relieved smile like a small animal, she hurriedly ran back to Ichinose and the others' group.

......

By the time they returned to Class C's base camp, it was already late afternoon, with the sun setting in the west.

"Hanayama! Horikita! Welcome back!"

As soon as they arrived at the campsite by the creek, Ike and the other boys waved with an inexplicably high spirit.

When Horikita saw what they were surrounding, he stopped abruptly.

"Wait a minute, Ike-san. Sudo-san. What's that?"

In front of her was a super luxurious, extra-large sleeping bag that was clearly different from the simple tent she was given.

"No, that..."

When Horikita's murderous aura made Ike hesitate, Sudo grabbed his hair and took a step forward.

"Horikita, this is something we redeemed with special points after discussing it."

"Redeemed with points? According to the manual, that super-premium sleeping bag costs 20 points each. Wasting points equivalent to a tent on such a luxury item? I clearly said I would try to save as much as possible...!"

Just as Horikita was about to officially begin his lecturing, Hirata interjected with a wry smile.

"Horikita-kun, calm down. This is everyone's thank you gift for Hanayama-kun."

"Why……?"

"Huashan killed that huge wild boar, and he carried all our luggage by himself, didn't he? Besides, given Huashan's physique, it would be too much of a strain and a waste for him to sleep in that cramped tent with us, wouldn't it?"

"So it's okay if the guys have to squeeze into the tent and sleep in a cramped space, at least we want Hanayama to sleep in the best bed!"

Yamauchi straightened his back and nodded.

Horikita swallowed the words he was about to say and sighed.

Looking back on the day, all the contributions he made to Class C were worth the price of a sleeping bag costing only 20 points, which was incredibly cheap.

She really didn't feel like pouring cold water on guys who acted irrationally, driven by emotions and loyalty.

"...Do as you please."

Seeing that Horikita had put away his spear, the boys erupted in cheers of "Yay!"

"...Not bad at all."

When Huashan gave a brief smile, the campsite was instantly enveloped in a warm atmosphere.

Just like the younger brothers who had been recognized as tributes by their elder brother, Sudo and Ike proudly puffed out their chests.

"Alright, let's get ready for the feast! Now that we've gotten so many supplies from Class B, we're definitely going to throw a super lavish bonfire party tonight!"

As the night sky began to twinkle with countless stars, a bonfire blazed brightly in the center of the base camp.

"Here it is! It's been a while! White fish sashimi, Chef Chi's special edition!"

Chi demonstrated excellent outdoor skills, arranging the prepared sashimi on a plate made of large leaves.

The fish caught in Huashan are exceptionally fresh; their translucent flesh is so tempting to look at.

"Wow, it's super delicious! Absolutely no fishy taste!"

"The roasted wild boar meat here is amazing!"

"The sweet potatoes I got from Class B are so sweet and delicious!"

Karuizawa and her group of girls seemed to have forgotten their usual small cliques in the classroom, and gathered around the fire, eating meat and fish heartily.

Sakura, who couldn't eat pork, showed a small smile as if she had breathed a sigh of relief after eating the grilled fish and mushrooms that Horikita handed her.

Huashan sat on a luxurious sleeping bag a little further away, quietly watching the students laughing and chatting.

The glass beside him contained an amber-colored liquid that looked like whiskey—clearly obtained by haphazardly applying for the "soft drinks" allowance listed in the handbook.

"Don't you even understand that we're taking an exam right now?"

Horikita, who had somehow appeared beside Hanayama, sipped water from a paper cup and uttered a helpless sound.

"I was just a regular high school student enjoying a bonfire party during summer vacation."

"Where in the world can you find an ordinary high school student who can kill a giant wild boar with his bare hands in a single day and stun fish in the sea with a shockwave?"

She gave a slight, wry smile and turned her gaze to her classmates, who were illuminated by the light of the campfire.

"...But oh well. Maybe it's not so bad to have something like this every now and then."

The crackling and popping of firewood echoed comfortably through the quiet night forest.