The Desert Island Exam had already reached its fifth day.
By yesterday afternoon, Kaoru's rank had already surged into the top ten, but there was still a significant gap between him and the top five.
"Are you planning to go our separate ways again today, Senpai?" Ichika Amasawa leaned in close to Kaoru, peeking at his tablet.
"Whoa, second place this morning. That's a great start."
Although Kaoru acted separately from them, their routes were all the same, so they still camped together at night, all sleeping in one place.
"Want to make a bet?" Kaoru caught the faint fragrance from her body.
The girl's twin tails were so close that a few strands of hair even brushed against his shoulder in the breeze.
"Let's see who gets more points today. The loser has to obey the winner for a whole day."
"That sounds so lewd. What kind of things do you want to order a girl to do, Senpai?" Ichika Amasawa covered her chest.
"Just to be clear, while I don't mind letting you touch me, my feet are off-limits."
Ever since Karuizawa and her group had visited, the rumor that Kaoru was a perverted foot fetishist had naturally reached Ichika Amasawa's ears.
And Kaoru couldn't even deny it, because Morishita Ai and Tsubasa Nanase were witnesses.
"I'm not that lewd. The one who immediately jumps to such conclusions is the real pervert here," Kaoru countered. He paused. "If I win, I want you to help me with something."
"Help you trick Tsubasa-chan?" Ichika Amasawa's eyes sparkled.
"I'll tell you when I get back." Kaoru felt a strange sensation in his chest. He couldn't shake the feeling that Ichika was practically hoping he would pin Tsubasa Nanase down.
"Tch, stingy," Ichika muttered under her breath before running back to Tsubasa Nanase's side.
Kaoru gave a slight nod to Tsubasa Nanase and Morishita Ai, then turned his gaze to Yamamura Miki.
She was still crouching on the ground, refusing to look at him.
Given what had happened, her reaction wasn't surprising. However, Kaoru still hadn't found the right moment to speak with her alone. Every time he approached, she would lower her head and scurry away in silence.
With no other choice, he decided to set Yamamura Miki aside for now and focus on climbing the rankings.
He had spent the first two days on an outing with the girls, which had left him lagging behind. He'd heard that Ichinose Honami's start was even worse, as Sakayanagi Arisu had been constantly stealing her points.
Sakayanagi Arisu's group had already upgraded into a large group. She had absorbed three smaller ones, seizing all their supplies in one fell swoop. This left her so affluent that she could even spare resources to negotiate with other groups.
Furthermore, Class 2-A's Reinforcement Card had been used for Sakayanagi's group. Her group should have consisted of seven people, but as the Reinforcement Card holder, Morishige Takuro withdrew from the exam the moment he joined her group.
Not only that, he had exchanged all his starting points for food, which was now hidden somewhere on the uninhabited island—a location known only to Sakayanagi Arisu.
How did Kaoru know this?
Because he had deduced it. Morishige Takuro was the first student to withdraw from the exam. His points must have been preserved and exchanged for supplies that Sakayanagi deemed valuable.
Sakayanagi's current strategy desperately needed such logistical support.
Besides, this silver-haired lolita had absolutely no qualms about depleting her class's reserve fund. Every group she encountered was hit with a double assault of food and individual points. She wasn't even pretending anymore; she was simply steamrolling her way through to the end of the exam.
Kaoru reckoned that only Koenji Rokusuke could possibly withstand this strategy of hers. Even Nagumo Miyabi would struggle, as he no longer had the spare funds to counter her "pay-to-win" approach.
Koenji Rokusuke formed a one-person group; he only needed to focus on running his own marathon. But Sakayanagi Arisu had far more to consider.
Now, the students who were withdrawing from the exam were almost all from Class 2-A. Being allowed to return to the cruise ship early and enjoy their summer break made them more than willing to support Sakayanagi.
However, Kaoru had his own advantages.
Setting aside the first-to-arrive reward for now, in terms of the main assignment, Kaoru had Kiriyama Ikuyo's support. If they went all out, they would soon catch up to Sakayanagi's group.
By this time, Kaoru had already instructed Kiriyama and the others to spread the word about Class 2-A's situation: he didn't even have many individual points on him; Morishita Ai was their true "wallet."
This was easy to verify. All one needed to do was find a few Class 2-A students to get the answer.
Of course, Nagumo Miyabi might refuse to believe it.
But Kaoru felt that Nagumo had to believe it, and that the latter would definitely target him.
Rather than drawing Nagumo Miyabi's attention, it was more about attracting Hozumi Kazumi's gaze and forcing him to act.
Kaoru's plan was to deal with Hozumi Kazumi next. But as he approached the target assignment location, he spotted an unexpected figure.
"Aha, long time no see, Kaoru-kun." Seeing him, Kiryuuin Fuuka suddenly broke into a smile, looking quite pleased.
Counting it out, they hadn't seen each other for about half a month.
He remembered that Kiryuuin Fuuka was also operating alone, without any teammates. When Kiriyama Ikuyo had mentioned this, she had specifically complained about Kiryuuin Fuuka's refusal to follow orders.
"Am I late?" Kaoru asked, looking at the students who were signing up for the assignment.
"No, you're just in time." Kiryuuin Fuuka skillfully nudged a bystander aside and urged Kaoru, "Hurry up and sign up. I want to compete with you."
Kaoru glanced at the assignment details. It was a climbing competition; the person who reached the summit within the allotted time would be the winner.
"You're in the girls' group, and I'm in the boys' group. We can't really compete, can we?"
Since this was a physical activity, the school had naturally divided the participants into male and female groups for fairness's sake.
"I know. That's why we'll compete against the clock to see who finishes in the shortest time."
Kiryuuin Fuuka was warming up, shamelessly showcasing her figure. Her full chest strained against her white short-sleeved shirt, and a large portion of her fair, soft arm was exposed, revealing a hint of muscle definition. It wasn't the unnatural beauty of a fitness fanatic; she looked healthy, radiating a sense of vibrant energy.
Under normal circumstances, he would probably see a pair of long legs clad in black pantyhose. But right now, she was wearing athletic pants, and the white, tender skin of her ankles—like spring bamboo shoots—peeked out from under the cuffs. One could only imagine what Kiryuuin Fuuka's bare feet, without stockings, would look like.
Kaoru had always felt that Kiryuuin Fuuka had the most beautiful long legs, followed by Horikita Suzune.
However, at this moment, he didn't really feel like competing with her, even though he had planned to give it his all from the start.
"Senior, you're so cute. You'll definitely take first place."
Kiryuuin Fuuka narrowed her eyes. Seeing Kaoru offering his praise with such nonchalance, she seemed to realize something.
"Even if you flatter me like this, we still have to compete. Otherwise, I'll start spreading rumors about what you've done to me."
Kaoru stiffened slightly. This was the last thing he wanted to hear right now.
"You might have quite a few girlfriends, but someone is bound to mind, aren't they?" Kiryuuin Fuuka leaned closer, her voice a devilish whisper. "Oh, right. My father once told me that if a boy tricks me into giving up my first time, I should either fall in love with him or kill him. What do you think I should do?"
"Senior, that joke is way out of date." Kaoru instinctively took a step back. "Besides, if you want an apology, I'll give you one. There's no need for us to compete."
"An apology?" Kiryuuin Fuuka seemed genuinely surprised. "Isn't this the moment you're supposed to prove your strength to me?"
"Why should I prove anything?" Kaoru asked. "Do you really think you'd fall for me just because of that?"
"I don't know. You tell me," Kiryuuin Fuuka said, stroking her chin. "What does love actually feel like? I'm standing this close to you, yet my heart isn't pounding at all."
They were indeed close—close enough that Kaoru could smell her scent. Her long hair seemed within reach; he was certain that running his fingers through it would be incredibly soft.
"Want to hold hands?" Kaoru proactively extended his palm.
Kiryuuin Fuuka wasn't entirely sure what he meant, but she still placed her hand in his, her eyes fixed on him without blinking.
"My heart isn't pounding," she told him.
"I can tell you're not nervous," Kaoru said. "I just simply wanted to hold your hand. It's just as soft as I imagined."
In truth, her hand wasn't particularly soft—the knuckles were distinct, almost like a boy's hand—but it was very warm, and her fair, clean skin made him want to lick it.
Though this was certainly not the first time she'd heard such flattering words, Kiryuuin Fuuka found herself feeling a little happy. It was like being praised for her looks by Daniel Wu himself; she could barely suppress the smile tugging at her lips.
"Compete with me. Hurry up." Her eyes sparkled. She didn't resist this feeling; on the contrary, she was now all the more curious about it.
Yeah, Senior was a bit of a strength-worshiper, so she was hoping Kaoru could defeat her. That way, she'd have a reason to convince herself to date him for a bit.
Since she had already said so much, Kaoru had no choice but to compete with her.
Before long, the subject exam ended, and Kaoru was packing up his things, preparing to head to the next location.
Kiryuuin Fuuka seemed to have taken some kind of blow; she stood frozen in place, completely motionless.
It wasn't until she saw Kaoru's figure about to leave that she suddenly snapped out of it and hurriedly chased after him.
"You won. You were a second and a half faster than me," Kiryuuin Fuuka said bluntly. "Aside from Koenji, this is the first time I've seen a boy who could keep up with me."
"You know Koenji-kun, Senior?" Kaoru turned to look at her.
"I don't really know him. I've only seen him twice in the last few days," Kiryuuin Fuuka said with interest. "That kid runs very fast. I think you two are probably evenly matched."
Of course Koenji Rokusuke ran fast. On this entire uninhabited island, few people could keep up with his pace.
"Haha, I guess I'm really no match for you young people at my age," Kiryuuin Fuuka couldn't help but sigh.
Kaoru couldn't help but glance at her pretty face, then down at her chest. Her entire being radiated the healthy vitality unique to a young woman. Her lower body featured long, well-proportioned legs, and her full hip line curved upward, resembling a perfectly ripe peach—utterly alluring.
"You won," Kiryuuin Fuuka said, as if speaking of something completely unrelated to her. "So, where are you heading next?"
"I should probably continue with the subject exam, then head to the next designated area," Kaoru replied, completely bewildered by her attitude. "Where are you planning to go, Senior?"
"With you," Kiryuuin Fuuka said matter-of-factly.
Kaoru wondered if he had misheard. "What did you just say?"
"You're with so many girls, you must be very experienced. So I was thinking... maybe you could teach me," Kiryuuin Fuuka said, tilting her head as she looked at him. Her long hair fell slightly, resting against her ample chest. "Make me fall for you, Kaoru."
With her staring at him like that, Kaoru's heart inexplicably skipped a few beats.
"Senior, this prank isn't going to scare me."
"I'm not trying to scare you. I'm just speaking the truth. You're the first guy I've ever been interested in. Maybe you're the one who can unlock my cute side."
"Senior, you're already plenty cute. Being with me will only lead you astray. With my personality, if you stay with me, I'll never let you go for the rest of your life."
"Haha, you're just a toy to pass the time, Kaoru. You're getting ahead of yourself. Do you plan to keep every girl you take a fancy to by your side for a lifetime?"
"I don't plan to keep you captive. I just don't want to give you up to anyone else."
Kiryuuin Fuuka couldn't help but look Kaoru up and down, her gaze turning strangely piercing.
"I didn't expect you to be so fiercely jealous," she suddenly smiled. "If you can actually make me fall for you, I might just agree to it."
This line sounded all too familiar. Kaoru's expression darkened.
"Heh, don't you worry. My original plan was just to idle away my days and wait to die. My grandfather is practically desperate for me to drop out and come live with him. If I weren't determined to take control of my own life, he would have already mapped out my entire future for me."
This was the first time Kaoru had ever heard Kiryuuin Fuuka talk about herself. He was surprised—she sounded like some rich girl whose family owned a mine.
"As for me," she said, "I plan to go to college after graduation. If I can get in as a scholarship student, it would cut down on expenses. I could be free, grow on my own, and then work at some small or medium-sized company. I wouldn't be held back, and I could live a free and easy life."
Kiryuuin Fuuka spoke with a sincerity that was rare for her peers. Unlike most students who were still clueless about their futures, she had a clear and definite plan for her life. And she was the only one who knew about it.
"Since you've already figured things out, Senior, there's even less reason for you to be with me. Living an ordinary life on your own is actually pretty good." Kaoru was tempted by the rewards she carried, but he wasn't the same person he used to be.
He wouldn't deliberately force someone into a relationship just for their rewards anymore.
If he kept going like this, Karuizawa and the others would actually get angry.
"I thought so too. I've never even considered things like romance," Kiryuuin Fuuka smiled for some reason. "But... the taste of kissing you seems to be pretty good."
Kaoru nearly choked. He had never heard such a bold statement before.
"Hehe, Kaoru, my motto in life is to seize the day," Kiryuuin Fuuka said, looking at him with a smile.
"As long as I'm happy, that's all that matters. If I'm in a good mood, we can even 'cook rice' right now."
Cooking raw rice until it's cooked—a euphemism for taking things to the next level.
Even Kaoru hadn't dared to imagine such a thing, yet she spoke of it as if it were the simplest of matters.
"Oh? Does Kaoru want to 'cook rice' with me now?" Kiryuuin Fuuka mischievously poked his shoulder.
The way she smiled didn't seem like a young girl at all; she gave off the vibe of a roguish older man.
He had already forcibly kissed her once, yet this Senior still loved to tease him so much.