Chapter 44

Ayanokōji's POV

"We will disembark in thirty minutes. Please assemble on the deck. All students should have changed into their jerseys. Make sure to check your designated bag and your luggage, and do not forget your cell phone. Please keep all other personal items in your room. There is a possibility that you will not be able to visit the bathroom for some time, so please do so now."

An announcement came over the PA speakers as the ship completed a lap around the island. Apparently, the private beach was near. Since I was alone, I started heading towards my group's room, too. The bedrooms on the Speranza usually occupied four people, but since Class D only had seven students, we were split into two rooms, one of which only had three people.

I happened to be in that room, along with Sora and Shiro. In addition to the fact that our room was the only three-person room on the ship, the rooms were usually divided by sex. A special exception was made for us, since we only had one girl in our class. It made changing quite awkward, but we managed somehow.

I threw on the jersey that I used for gym class, returned to the ship's deck, and waited until we reached the island. As the island drew closer and closer, the first-years' enthusiasm reached its peak.

"We will disembark now, beginning with the students from Class A. Cell phones are prohibited on the island. Please hand your phone to your homeroom teacher as you leave."

Following the loudspeaker's command, the students went down the stairs in an orderly fashion.

"Come on. Hurry up! Even though we're wearing thin clothes, we're all sweating!"

There was no place to hide from the sun on the ship's deck. No surprise that people were complaining. I waited on standby in the heat. One by one, my classmates began to join me.

"Yo!" Sora called out, being the last one to arrive, alongside his sister.

"I would complain that you'd kept us waiting, if not for the fact that we'd have to wait either way." Lelouch responded as Sora and Shiro walked over.

"So, is it just me who finds this entire situation extremely suspicious?" Sora said, changing the subject.

"I find it odd too," I said, joining the conversation.

"Mhm, they're definitely being overly-cautious right now. I mean, they didn't even confiscate our cell phones during the finals. They're really cracking down on the personal items." Light agreed.

"Could it be that whatever will occur on this island is more important than the finals?" Sora speculated, putting his hand to his chin.

"Maybe. Quite a few things here are unusual."

"Like that helicopter parked over there," I said, pointing towards the stern of the boat.

"You'd assume that they're just being overly-safe, but could it be that they're actually expecting the possibility of someone being injured on the island?" Ryuzaki said analytically, clearly skeptical.

"And it's almost like there's a reason why we need to go onto the island with nothing on us but our clothes." Sora added, referring to the confiscation of personal items.

"Aren't you guys just being overly-suspicious?" Kururugi asked.

"Ha! As if there's such a thing as 'being overly suspicious' at this school." Lelouch laughed.

What Lelouch said was true. This school had already proven itself to be extremely enigmatic. There was probably no need for serious deductions, though, since we were about to set foot on the island anyway.

Before long, it would be our turn to be examined and get off the ramp. I had yet to realize that this place was going to be the boundary between heaven and hell.

As we got off the boat, chatting amiably with one another, our homeroom teacher greeted us slightly more seriously than normal.

"I'm now going to start roll call for Class D. Please respond clearly so I can hear, 'kay?"

Our homeroom teacher started taking attendance, clipboard in hand, while simultaneously instructing us to form a line. Ishihara-sensei wore the same kind of jersey as her students. This atmosphere was more akin to training camp than summer vacation. Still, not many of the students seemed tense at all.

Looking around, it seemed as if most of the students wanted to run off onto the sandy beach. Soon enough, a tall teacher stepped onto a prepared white platform. It was Mashima-sensei, Class A's homeroom teacher. He normally taught math, and was well-known for having a stubborn disposition. At first glance, he could easily be mistaken for one of those bodybuilder types. He was built like a professional wrestler, but was actually quite intelligent. He'd even taught special courses in the past.

"First, I would like to say that I'm happy you've arrived safely. However, it's unfortunate that one of you was unable to participate due to illness."

"Illness, huh?" Light muttered quietly.

While Mashima-sensei surveyed the students in silence, I could see that adults in uniform had started setting up some kind of special tent nearby. I also saw a computer and other equipment on a long table. This increasingly business-like setup didn't match the natural splendor around us at all, and many of the students looked perplexed.

Mashima-sensei uttered a few cruel words, as if waiting for the atmosphere to change. "Well then. We shall commence the current academic year's first special test."

Almost everyone cocked their heads, but nobody said anything, unlike students from all of the other classes. To be fair, we'd all thought this was just a class trip, only to be hit by this surprise attack. Our summer vacation was a product of the school's goodwill, but that had been an illusion. We plummeted from relief into stark tension.

"The test commences now and lasts for one week, concluding on August 7th at the year's end. This test will determine if you can live on a deserted island together as a group. In addition, I should warn you that this special test is both practical and realistic, designed based on real-world corporate training."

"Living on a deserted island. Does that mean we're not staying on the boat, but the island?"

Some students from Class B and C voiced their obvious concerns.

"You are correct. During the test, you will not be allowed to board the ship without a suitably justifiable reason. It will be necessary for you to fend for yourselves on this island while you are here, from creating a place to sleep to preparing food to eat. Once the test starts, each class will receive two tents, and two flashlights. You will be provided with one box of matches. There is no limit to the amount of sunscreen you can have. Each student will be provided with one toothbrush. As a special case, girls will be allowed to have as many feminine sanitary products as they'd like, without any restrictions. Please ask your respective homeroom teachers for those. That is all."

With that, the teachers began distributing the items.

"Hmm..." Sora hummed inquisitively.

Compared to the rest of the classes, our Class D was almost eerily calm.

"Told you, Suzaku. No such thing as too suspicious." Lelouch taunted Kururugi, who'd had his expectations crushed.

"Well this is certainly disappointing," Kururugi sighed in response, admitting defeat.

"That's why you should be a cynic. Can't be disappointed if you always expect the worst possible outcome." Ryuzaki said philosophically.

I couldn't say that I agreed with his sentiment, but I couldn't exactly say that I disagreed, either.

"This is certainly a fun test, isn't it, guys?!" Ishihara-sensei jovially cut into our conversation, her attitude contrasting against the mood of the students.

"An exam that tests neither academics nor athletics, huh." Lelouch thought aloud, pondering our situation.

Developing skills of self-sufficiency on a deserted island-hunting wild animals, washing in the river, building bedding from tree branches-it certainly was like something you'd see in a movie or read about in a book. No one could've imagined that the school would put us through a test like this.

"How sneaky. Hiding an exam under the pretext of a summer vacation." Sora joked, going along with the bright mood Ishihara-sensei created.

It certainly was a cunning trick.

"But, teacher, isn't this supposed to be our summer vacation? We were brought here under the pretext of going on a relaxing trip. Don't you think that bringing us here and then springing this corporate training on us could be considered unfair?"

Some students from Class E made a fuss loudly a short distance from us. Mashima-sensei responded to them, which drew in the attention from all of the other classes.

"I see. I suppose that you're not wrong about that. I can understand why you would be discontented."

Mashima-sensei's response showed that he recognized the soundness of such an argument, unlike some of the complaints he'd heard prior. There were students who were dissatisfied with the current situation, and those who were dissatisfied with the process as a whole.

"However, please do not worry. It would make sense for you to have complaints if you were being forced into a harsh situation. However, even though we're calling it a special test, there's no need to think about it in such unhappy terms. In the coming week, you can go swimming, or hold a barbecue. It wouldn't be a bad time for you to occasionally have a campfire and chat with friends, either. The theme of this special exam is 'freedom', after all."

"Freedom?" Sora echoed. "That's funny. 'Freedom' is pretty much the theme of my wholw life, too. Right, Shiro?"

Shiro simply nodded her head in response. Somehow, Sora's words struck a chord with me, but I decided to keep silent about it for now, as did everybody else.

"As a major part of this special test, we've decided to distribute 300 points to each class. By using your points well, you might be able to enjoy this week's special test just as you would a normal trip. We've also prepared a manual just for that purpose."

Mashima-sensei received a booklet that looked to be a few dozen pages thick from another teacher.

"This manual lists all of the ways you can obtain points. It also explains where to get drinking water and food, as well as essential necessities. If you wanted to have a barbecue, it explains how to prepare the equipment and ingredients. We also have numerous tools for you to be able to enjoy playing in the ocean to the fullest."

Gradually, the students' grim expressions grew calmer.

"So, we can do whatever we want with the 300 points?"

"That's right. It's possible to arrange for anything using your points. Of course, it's necessary for you to use them in a systematic way, but with a solid plan, you can spend your week without any difficulties."

If we could really get through the week by using the points we had, then this would be more like a vacation than a test. It might end up feeling like a real summer vacation.

"B-but, teacher. You said this was a test, right? So shouldn't there be some kind of difficulty to it?"

"No, there's nothing difficult. It won't even have any adverse effects on your second semester. I guarantee it."

"So it's really okay for us to just have fun for one week?"

"That's right. You're all free to do what you want. Of course, there are some bare minimum rules that you need to abide by as a group, but there shouldn't be anything difficult about that."

If that were true, then did that mean there really was no risk? In that case, we should ask if he could explain the purpose of this test. Was it linked to some kind of exchange between grade levels? I couldn't understand the school's true intentions, but Mashima-sensei's next statement clarified everything.

"When this special test period is over, each class' remaining points will be added to their total class points. Your point totals will reflect this change once summer vacation is over."

As he spoke, a gust of wind blew across the beach and kicked up a cloud of dust.

Mashima-sensei's words were the greatest shock of the day. In previous examinations, they'd measured things like our academic abilities. Naturally, this was advantageous for students with a fundamentally high level of academic ability. Each time, those in the lower classes were forced into situations where they'd lose class points. However, the rules were completely different this time. This test was designed in a way that didn't create too much of a gap between Classes A and E.

"I see. So we will gain class points depending on how well we can endure this lifestyle." Kururugi said, understanding the situation just as well as everyone else.

"If we can curb our desires and cut off all the luxuries, we can climb quite dramatically up the rankings." Lelouch said.

"This exam seems a lot fairer than the others," I pointed out, sparking a discussion within the class.

"Yeah, because things like endurance weren't factored in when sorting the classes, Class A won't have a massive advantage like they have so far." Sora replied, agreeing with me.

"Wait, doesn't that mean we're the only ones at a disadvantage?!" Light exclaimed, apparently coming to a realization.

"We are? How so?" Kururugi asked.

"Isn't it obvious? We have far less manpower than all the other classes. They'll be able to search for food and stuff a lot more efficiently." Light explained.

"Hmm. But don't we also have far less mouths to feed?"

"That's true. But take a look at the island. For over one-hundred-and-fifty students, it isn't that big. Additionally, it's not like every square meter will be filled with harvestable resources. In other words, accessibility to things like good locations, water and food could become quite competitive."

"And in that case, we wouldn't be able to cover nearly as much ground as every other class. We'll be forced to buy goods more often than everybody else." Sora picked up on the implications rather quickly.

"Tch." Lelouch simply clicked his tongue in annoyance, an adequate response to the information we'd just been given.

"Each class will receive one copy of the manual. If the manual is lost, you may have another copy. However, it will consume points, so please be very careful. Also, the student who was marked absent from this trip was from Class A. According to the rules of this special test, should any student have to leave due to illness, there will be a thirty-point penalty to the class as a whole. Therefore, Class A will be starting with 270 points." Mashima-sensei's speech interrupted our discussion.

Even though it didn't affect our class, the penalty was still merciless. The students from Class A were visibly trembling. The other classes also appeared shocked. As soon as Mashima-sensei had finished speaking, he told us to disperse. Another teacher's voice came over the loudspeaker, telling us that each class would receive supplementary instructions from our respective homeroom teachers. We then gathered around Ishihara-sensei. The five classes had congregated in order to keep some distance from each other.

"You all have to wear these the whoooole time, 'kay?" Ishihara-sensei presented us with a box of wristwatches. "They have loads of fancy features like GPS, body temperature sensors, pulse sensors and all that. If something does happen, there's also this lovely button that notifies the school of an emergency. Oh, and you're not allowed to take them off. If you do, you'll be punished~."