"Senpaku, I am Sakamoto. What brings you here?"

He happened to run into Sakamoto, who was elegantly enjoying his meal.

Katsuragi stepped forward and, after a brief exchange with Sakamoto,

He expressed his opinion:

"Sakamoto, do you really think this cruise trip is just a vacation? It seems a bit unusual that Sakayanagi-san didn't board the ship due to health reasons. If it were just a normal vacation, she should be able to participate. I suspect the school will have other arrangements soon."

After Sakamoto listened,

There was no direct affirmation or denial.

He simply wiped his mouth elegantly with a tissue.

He then made an extremely smooth and elegant tidying motion, pushing up his glasses with his middle finger.

He then got up and left the restaurant, leaving behind a handsome silhouette.

There was no answer to Katsuragi's question.

But everything is implied.

Katsuragi had already discerned the answer from this attitude—

His guess is most likely correct.

and,

Just as he thought,

This was a rare occasion where all four first-grade classes gathered together.

In this delicate environment,

Totsuka Yahiko took the initiative to extend goodwill to students in other classes.

Perhaps it's not a bad thing.

This not only allows us to understand the situation of students in other classes, but may also plant a seed of goodwill in some unknown future situations.

Therefore, Katsuragi chose to wait and see.

the other side,

With the help of Totsuka Yahiko

The trio of idiots finally managed to order their food, albeit clumsily.

Although the process was somewhat awkward

But the other party's patience put them at ease.

The meals were served one after another.

The three temporarily put the strangeness of the cruise ship behind them and focused on enjoying the rare delicious food in front of them.

Ayanokouji ate quietly, but her gaze once again drifted to the boundless sea outside the window.

Luxury cruise ship, free meals, laughing students…

Beneath all this warm illusion,

What kind of turmoil is hidden beneath the surface?

He was almost certain,

A storm is coming.

And at the eye of the storm,

It could very well be that omnipresent figure—

Sakamoto.

How should he navigate the ensuing turmoil?

Leading Class D forward.

And ultimately achieve that almost impossible goal?

Ayanokouji's gaze calmed down slightly.

First Grade Summer Vacation: Chapter 096: Sakamoto on the Deserted Island

The azure waves gently lapped against the white sand.

The Speranza luxury cruise ship

It slowly docked at the pier of a lush, pristine island.

on deck,

The first-grade students have already changed into the sports uniforms provided by the school.

They stood in neat rows.

They were told that their personal belongings could not be brought onto the island.

Instead, each person wears a special electronic watch on their wrist.

The tension and anticipation on the faces of some students were hard to ignore.

At the very front of the student line,

The four homeroom teachers of the first grade stood side by side.

Class A's homeroom teacher, Tomoya Majima, stood slightly forward.

His gaze swept steadily across the entire room.

The students, who had been whispering, gradually quieted down.

"I am Mashima, the homeroom teacher of Class A."

His voice was loud and clear.

It entered clearly into everyone's ears.

"First of all, I am pleased that you have all arrived here safely."

He paused slightly.

His gaze casually swept over the ranks of Class A.

"At the same time, I also feel very sorry for the only student who was unable to participate in this event due to health reasons."

The students in Class A knew who it was.

The one who was absent was Sakayanagi Arisu, one of the two who was with Sakamoto.

But most students' attention is not on this.

They were even more eager to know,

What will be announced next?

Ms. Mashima didn't keep you in suspense any longer.

Let's get straight to the point:

"Now, the first special exam of the year for first graders will begin!"

coming!

Long Yuanxiang stood at the very front of Class B's line.

A sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

The class competition activity organized by the school

As expected, it arrived on schedule.

This was entirely within his expectations.

How could it really just be a luxury vacation?

"The exam will last for one week, starting from this moment, until noon next Monday."

As soon as Mashima finished speaking,

A suppressed murmur arose from the audience.

Mashima did not stop her and continued to announce:

"The exam content is—for the next week, your four classes will live a self-sufficient collective life on this deserted island."

"Wow—"

This only fueled the murmurs.

A deserted island?

Collective living?

A week?

Various questions and worries appeared on the students' faces.

Mashima's gaze swept over Class A, which she led.

Although the students looked surprised, there was no obvious disturbance.

Especially Sakamoto, standing tall and straight at the front of the line,

He still maintained that calm and composed demeanor.

The lenses reflected a cool light under the tropical sun.

It's like everything is under control.

This filled him with a faint sense of pride.

"You will have to make your own decisions regarding all survival decisions on the island."

Mashima raised her voice to quell the murmurs.

"Alright, the survival test will now officially begin!"

"Next, your class teachers will distribute basic survival supplies to you and explain the exam rules and precautions in detail."

Amidst the increasingly noisy discussion,

The first-grade students had different feelings.

They set foot on this uninhabited island, which was full of unknowns.

-

The initial camp of Class D

It is a relatively flat clearing in the woods near the shore of the island.

Kanji Ike was counting the supplies he had just received from Mr. Chabashira.

"Two tents...two flashlights...a box of matches...an empty backpack for each person...and..."

"Sunscreen for women? That's...that's all?!"

The meager supplies left him dumbfounded.

"Are you kidding me! This little bit of stuff is enough for a week?"

Ken Sudo couldn't help but complain.

Discontent also arose among the female students.

"This is so unreasonable! Especially the hygiene products, there's simply not enough!"

"How are we supposed to live like this..."

Haruki Yamauchi sidled up to Yosuke Hirata, the class's core member, and said:

"Hirata, these resources are definitely not enough, right? Forget about having a barbecue and having fun, even basic survival will be a problem! We should at least buy some necessities, right?"

Yosuke Hirata did not answer immediately.

He was intently flipping through the "Special Examination Guidebook" that Mr. Chaba had just handed out.