Chapter 85: Hikigaya: Can I Get a Fever, Please!
If he didn't occasionally feel his breath flowing, Hikigaya might've thought he was already dead.
He spread his hands and lay back on the bed. In this private room, Hikigaya finally felt his favorite thing—solitude.
But this wonderful feeling didn't last long. Before he was even fully awake, an announcement began playing softly by his bedside.
"Good morning, students."
"We'll soon see the island. I'm sure in the coming days, you'll all witness some very meaningful scenery."
The broadcast continued, and Hikigaya opened the curtains. For someone who slept until nearly noon, the deck was already crowded with people.
As expected, no matter the school, these teenagers were bursting with endless energy—so much so that they could skip sleep entirely. Absolute idiots.
Hikigaya slowly left his room and joined the others on the deck.
From the ship, he could already see the island in the distance. Hikigaya knew that if he had to survive on a deserted island like that, he might as well just wait to die.
The activity he hated most was coming up. He'd rather have a written exam on the ship.
"Good morning, Hikigaya."
Kushida seemed to have been standing there for a while. From the expectant look in her eyes, it was clear she was brimming with anticipation for this special exam. In contrast…
Horikita, standing nearby, looked at the island with the same disdain as Hikigaya.
Clearly, she'd regained about 80% of her strength today. After a few days of rest, her unhealthy complexion had completely vanished.
Hikigaya placed his hands on the railing, taking a deep breath of the ocean air.
It wouldn't be long before he might no longer breathe such clean air.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the school began summoning all the students on the ship to gather on the deck.
Chabashira Sae still wore her familiar expression. She was dressed in her usual black uniform, the only difference being that she wasn't wearing high heels.
She walked unhurriedly toward the students, her movements exuding elegance.
"Before we fully disembark onto the island, there are some important details to explain. Please wait here."
Ike was already impatient. The midday sun was scorching, and with an entire grade crammed together, the air felt stifling.
"It's so hot. Can they hurry up already…?"
Ike muttered softly, and Yamauchi chimed in: "Yeah, yeah! They call us to gather but don't say anything, and now we're just waiting. We'd be better off not assembling at all."
Their muttering was so faint that even Sudō, standing behind them, didn't hear it.
Luckily, Hikigaya was at the back of the group. No one would notice if he slacked off here.
However…
Standing next to him was a girl who looked as stern as a security guard—Horikita Suzune. Seeing her standing so upright, Hikigaya felt a twinge of embarrassment.
"You're looking a lot better."
"I've rested for a few days to prepare for this exam. It'd be troublesome if I didn't recover."
"What were you doing in your room…?"
Hikigaya felt like he was making small talk for the sake of it, but in this situation, anything he did felt awkward.
Surprisingly, Horikita didn't roll her eyes at him. Instead, she said calmly: "I was reading."
After all, in her room, there's nothing to do but read or sleep.
Horikita paused, then continued: "I was really invested in the story, but since the school prohibits personal items, I had to give it up."
Hikigaya: "I didn't expect the school to go this far."
Horikita nodded, then added: "But since that's the case, I'll just have to finish the story when we get back. And… it seems the school isn't satisfied with just that."
Her gaze lingered on Chabashira Sae's hand, and Hikigaya's eyes followed.
Chabashira Sae was wearing a black wristwatch that, from a distance, looked like… a completely ordinary watch with no special features.
Chabashira Sae raised her right hand high, showing the watch to everyone.
"We will now collect your student IDs. In their place, you'll wear these wristwatches."
"Anyone who removes them without permission will be penalized."
Horikita Suzune: "If they just wanted to ensure student safety, this wouldn't be necessary. It seems… this exam isn't as simple as we thought."
Hikigaya: "I already expected the school wouldn't play fair, but this is still within my predictions."
Their muttering was overheard by Kushida, who was standing behind them. She giggled and said: "I've already told the whole class the news. At least this time, we're prepared!"
Her face was full of enthusiasm, as if she was brimming with confidence for this exam.
After Chabashira Sae finished speaking, the Class A homeroom sensei slowly brought out a speaker, stepped onto a platform, and announced loudly: "I'm Mashima, Class A's homeroom sensei. First, I'm glad everyone arrived here safely. However, I deeply regret that one student couldn't participate due to health issues. Now, starting from this moment…"
"We will begin this year's first special exam."
The students fell silent, as if they'd already anticipated this, showing no great surprise.
"You will live collectively on a deserted island. From now on, you must make all decisions yourselves. Now… the survival test begins!"
The vacation's officially over…
[Yuigahama: "A s-s-s-special exam?! It's really a deserted island survival test!"]
[Hikigaya thought her excitement was due to disbelief, but he was wrong. The girl's eyes weren't filled with fear—they were genuinely full of anticipation.]
[Yuihama: "When will our school have a deserted island survival exam? I'm so excited!"]
[Hearing Yuihama's enthusiastic words, Yukinoshita, standing nearby, started trembling. Okay, Miss Yukinoshita, your fear is pretty intense.]
[To be honest, if he had a choice, Hikigaya wouldn't want to participate in some group island survival. It involved two things he hated: survival and group activities.]
[Just staying alive was hard enough—why challenge the limits? And did the exam have to be a group effort? But as soon as he thought that, he realized that without the group, he'd probably die on the island. So… group it is.]
[They'd done group activities at the forest school and the field trip, so it wasn't a big deal.]
[Miura: "I also want to try island survival and become the jungle queen, hahaha!"]
['This girl's gone crazy. You're already the jungle queen, stop dreaming of grand adventures. Yup, I'm crowning you.']
[Hikigaya muttered helplessly to himself, but it couldn't dampen their enthusiasm. If Tobio was here, the situation would be unimaginable.]
[As expected, in moments like this, he and Yukinoshita were the same kind of people. These high-energy activities weren't exactly friendly to them.]
[But he'd forgotten one thing…]
[While Yukinoshita hated the idea of island survival, that didn't mean she didn't enjoy watching others struggle through it—especially when Hikigaya was involved. That was her insect-like hobby.]
[Hikigaya watched himself slowly follow the group to change into gear and board the island, a wave of despair washing over him.]
[Terrifying. The island is terrifying.]
Classes A, B, C, and D were now gathered on the shore, receiving the equipment and supplies distributed by the school.
Hirata, as reliable as ever in times like this, held the gear provided by the school and explained: "The school has prepared two eight-person tents, two flashlights, a box of matches, a large-capacity backpack for each person, and sunscreen for the girls."
Shinohara, clearly anxious, said worriedly: "Can these things last us a week?"
Ike, checking the equipment, grumbled weakly: "A real deserted island survival test. Kushida, your info was spot on… but I kinda wish it wasn't."
Though they'd mentally prepared, actually setting foot on the island made everyone's hearts tremble. That feeling could only be understood through experience.
And that included Hikigaya.
Since coming to this school, he'd been through far too many things he shouldn't have.
…
Deep in the forest, Class C's leader, Ryūen, and Class A's current leader, Katsuragi, stood face-to-face, their expressions heavy.
Ryūen: "We'll proceed as agreed."
Katsuragi: "Mm."
Ryūen: "Don't act so high and mighty. Everyone's talking about how you got rejected by the student council."
Katsuragi's face showed clear frustration as he said: "Why did the student council choose a Class D student to join?"
Ryūen smirked wickedly: "That's obvious—because of that guy. You know who I'm talking about."
Katsuragi: "Hikigaya… I've met him. He seems completely unimpressive."
Ryūen's smirk grew wider: "Seems, huh? Hahaha. Sure, we're working together, but that doesn't make us friends. You know that, right?"
Katsuragi just furrowed his brow and said calmly: "What's the point of saying that now?"
Ryūen: "I know Sakayanagi's faction has the upper hand in Class A. If you want to beat her, you need to solidify your influence in this exam. It's one of your few chances, right?"
Katsuragi nodded, not denying it.
Ryūen: "Seize the opportunity. You and I are the same. If you want to face that guy, be ready for total ruin."
Katsuragi gave a cold laugh. His pride told him he wasn't like Ryūen, who'd failed so miserably.
Of course, Ryūen knew what he was thinking. He walked away, raising one hand casually and saying: "For now, our target is Class D. But don't think we're friends. I'll crush Class D my own way!"
Watching Ryūen disappear into the forest, Katsuragi headed in the opposite direction to regroup with Class A.
He understood Ryūen's words. That guy planned to take down Class D in a way different from his own. Even after the last major failure, Ryūen's spirit hadn't been broken. It was just as he'd said.
As long as he wasn't completely destroyed, he'd keep his eyes on his prey until he devoured it.
Back with Class D, aside from occasional complaints, the atmosphere was decent. Of course… Hikigaya Hachiman trudged along with the group, his dead-fish eyes even more pronounced.
Sakura, carrying a backpack, approached him with concern:
"Hachiman, are you sick?"
Hikigaya shifted his gaze, only speaking after seeing the girl walking beside him: "Airi, huh? I'm not sick… I just want to die."
Sakura Airi's face flushed for a moment before she caught the meaning of his words. She quickly pinched his stomach, saying: "That's why I told you to exercise more. You're so disobedient."
"It's not about exercise…"
Hikigaya believed his athletic ability wasn't bad. He could survive normally, even live well. But this island survival… it was completely breaking his spirit.
Sakura kept pinching his stomach, trying to lift his spirits, and said: "If you don't perk up, we'll leave you here to survive alone."
Hikigaya clearly didn't believe her, saying lightly: "No way, that's too ridiculous. And forcing me to get motivated is way too hard, isn't it?"
Sakura gave an uncharacteristically mischievous smile, looking at Hikigaya: "Oh? Hachiman, your presence is so low, no one would notice if we left you behind. With a little trick, we could easily ditch you…"
Hearing this, Hikigaya finally twitched, shaking off his gloom.
Women are terrifying.
That was the only conclusion Hikigaya had reached at this school.
Seeing Hikigaya Hachiman finally stop moping, Sakura Airi looked at him with a relieved smile. Everything was going according to her plan.
Hirata: "We need to be self-sufficient for food and survive under the scorching sun until noon seven days from now."
Hirata and the others were walking while reviewing the materials provided by the school.
Yamauchi slung an arm over his shoulder: "Hirata, don't look so glum. The school said we can swim in the ocean or have a barbecue if we want."
Hirata shook his head, dismissing his words.
"If we want to buy barbecue supplies, we'd need to use 300 of the exam-specific S-points. Those points can buy a lot—drinking water, food, even the things you mentioned."
Sudō: "But we can't spend those lightly, right?"
Hirata nodded: "At the end of the exam, any remaining S-points will be added to our class's SP points. This is our chance to surpass Class C."
Ike: "If we can get through this week, we'll get an extra 30,000 points a month! 30,000!"
Though Ike was excited, the rest of the class saw the reality clearly.
Surviving a week without spending any points was no small feat.
And if their class could do it, so could the others. In the end, it wouldn't create a huge gap—unless some class was foolish enough to not care about the 300 points at all… but there couldn't be idiots like that, right?
Hirata Yōsuke continued: "Deductions will be made for things like physical discomfort or serious illness, severe environmental pollution, absence at morning or evening roll calls, or attacking or stealing from other classes."
Karuizawa, as if remembering something, spoke up: "There should be ways to earn points too, right?"
Hirata nodded: "For every stronghold you occupy on the island, you'll receive corresponding bonus points."
Horikita: "The theme of this special exam is freedom—at least, that's what the Senseis said. If we can get through this smoothly, we can close the gap with the upper classes. But if we fail, the gap will widen significantly. And… this watch is such a hassle."
Hirata Yōsuke: "Exactly. This exam is a chance to close the distance and rise to Class C. Let's do our best, everyone!"
"Alright!"
Kushida: "The watch seems to be equipped with various sensors and a GPS system. It's for student safety, and removing it without permission will result in penalties."
Horikita, with a haughty expression: "Of course I know that."
Ike: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go find a stronghold to occupy!"
Sudō: "I agree. Since they're called strongholds, finding a good one early will give us an advantage for survival."
Hirata nodded in agreement. They were right, but before setting out, there seemed to be one issue to address.
Karuizawa, somewhat embarrassed, said: "Um, Hirata, some points have to be spent, right?"
"Right…"
"Like, for a toilet."
Karuizawa wasn't wrong. This was a concern for many of the girls. For the boys, a simple toilet would suffice, but…
For so many girls, relying on just one basic toilet for seven days was impossible.
Yukimura: "No, if we can save points, I think we shouldn't rush to buy one."
Karuizawa, clearly uncomfortable: "That's easy to say, but that thing is just…"
The so-called "simple toilet" was essentially a seat with a sanitary bag. If possible…
Hikigaya was absolutely against it too.
Karuizawa: "Honestly, I want to save points too, but some girls definitely won't be able to handle it."
The girls nodded in agreement, but Ike jumped in to object.
"Just deal with it for seven days. Hikigaya, use your twisted logic to brainwash them or something."
'Wait, why drag me into this? And if you're calling it twisted logic, why would anyone listen to me?'
Hikigaya glanced at the girls nearby. Whether it was Airi, Horikita, or even the good-tempered Kushida, they all looked dejected.
Yeah…
If even he couldn't accept it, the girls definitely couldn't either.
"Don't drag me into this, idiot. This time, I think Karuizawa's right."
Though he couldn't quite remember the guy's name, Karuizawa was glad to have a boy backing her up.
Yamauchi: "Come on… It's just seven days. It'll pass quickly if you tough it out."
Sudō placed a heavy hand on Yamauchi's shoulder, exuding an intimidating aura: "I think we shouldn't skimp on necessary expenses. It'll affect our unity, which will only hurt us in the days ahead."
At some point, Sudō had become a voice of authority in the class.
The girls looked at Sudō with grateful eyes, while Sudō gave Hikigaya a knowing glance, as if to say, You get it.
Sudō, my man, your bros are living the dream.
Under Hirata Yōsuke's persuasion and Sudō's intimidation, the boys who initially opposed the idea gradually gave in. In the end, they unanimously agreed to let the girls purchase the toilet.
Finally, under Hirata's direction, Yamauchi, Ike, and Sudō took on the task of forming the advance team. Before leaving, Sudō kept looking back at Hikigaya, hoping he'd join them. But seeing his half-dead expression, Sudō decided not to bother him.
For now, despite a small hiccup, no major issues had arisen. With Hirata's calming influence, everyone's mindset gradually settled.
Though this issue might resurface later for bargaining when conflicts arose, as long as nothing went wrong, they could get through it smoothly.
Hikigaya just wanted this exam to end quickly.
But sometimes, the more you wished for something, the slower time seemed to crawl. Listening to the incessant cicada calls in the forest and feeling the UV rays piercing through the leaves, every step felt like it might be his last.
Two hours after leaving the cruise ship, Hikigaya desperately missed the luxurious Speranza, where everything was provided, where he could feel the joys of life and enjoy what a high schooler should.
But those were just pleasant fantasies.
Hikigaya kept trudging upward, feeling his body temperature rise. Honestly, even though he'd rested well, he thought getting a fever would be an easy way out. If he collapsed here, maybe he could withdraw from the exam.
If that were the case, it'd be great.
With this despairing mindset, Hikigaya pressed on.
(End of this chapter)