"And because Takatoji withdrew from the exam due to illness, your class has been deducted 30 points!"
Chabashira Sae said with a smile. She had known about this for a while but hadn't mentioned it since no one had asked.
"What?!"
"That jerk Takatoji!"
"This is infuriating!"
Complaints echoed through the class. Meanwhile, Saiki Kusuo secretly used his clairvoyance to check on Koenji Rokusuke. The guy didn't look sick at all—he was enjoying a luxury spa on the cruise ship.
'This guy...'
Saiki's eyebrows twitched slightly. Koenji was doing exactly what Saiki had wanted to do earlier. But now, not only could Saiki not do that, but his burden felt heavier than ever.
'For the rest of the summer, you won't get any iced drinks.'
Saiki cursed Koenji in his mind.
Though Koenji's actions angered the other students, there was nothing they could do about it. They could only focus on the exam on the island.
As night fell, everyone returned to their tents to rest. Considering the class's living conditions, Hirata Yousuke had decided to set up two tents for the boys.
The weather was humid, and the tents were cramped. Despite the discomfort, the exhaustion from the day quickly sent everyone to sleep.
Once Saiki confirmed everyone was asleep, he used teleportation to return home and immediately turned on the air conditioning.
...
The next morning, Saiki returned to the tent before anyone else woke up.
"Saiki... are you already awake?"
Hirata asked, his voice heavy with fatigue, as he saw Saiki standing up.
"Yeah, just woke up."
Saiki replied.
"This environment makes it hard to sleep well..."
Hirata sat up, shaking his head helplessly.
"The tent's too hot, and there's no mattress or pillow... My back and waist ache."
After Hirata woke up, the rest of the class gradually stirred.
They had fallen asleep quickly due to exhaustion, but the poor conditions left them far from rested.
'Sorry, I spent last night in a comfortable, air-conditioned room.'
Saiki thought to himself.
...
After everyone finished washing up, Chabashira gathered them for a headcount. Then, they were free to do as they pleased.
Hirata assigned tasks: some gathered fruit, others fished, some upgraded the camp, and a few checked on other classes. He didn't force anyone—it was based on their skills and preferences.
Saiki initially planned to stay in the camp and rest, but when he saw Yamauchi Haruki lingering to get closer to the girls, he decided to leave. He found Hirata.
"Saiki, you're going out too?"
Hirata asked, surprised. After Saiki nodded, Hirata handed him an extra fishing kit.
"Ike and the others are already fishing. Saiki, do you know how to fish?"
'Fishing? I've never really tried, but with psychokinesis, I should catch plenty.'
Saiki thought. Staying with someone like Yamauchi was less appealing than fishing, so he took the kit without hesitation and headed to the river.
As Saiki left the camp, he heard hurried footsteps behind him. Sakura Airi was following.
"Sakura?"
Saiki looked at her, confused.
"Um... I was thinking... could I... help you with something...?"
Airi's eyes met Saiki's, then she quickly looked away, focusing on the ground. She still seemed nervous.
"Also... there are too many people in the camp... It's uncomfortable there..."
Hearing her, Saiki didn't say anything but allowed her to join him.
Saiki found a spot by the river, sat on a rock, and Airi sat beside him.
'With Airi here, I can't use my powers openly... I'll just pretend.'
Saiki used clairvoyance to find Ike and mimic his fishing motions. Ike's bucket already had several fish.
'I didn't expect Ike to be good at fishing. Looks like Yamauchi is the only one in their trio with no real skills... Ike's decent, so I'll catch slightly fewer fish than him.'
Saiki stopped using clairvoyance and began fishing, imitating Ike's movements.
"Saiki... you can fish?"
Airi looked surprised.
Meanwhile, Saiki used psychokinesis to draw a nearby fish closer.
"Got one!"
Airi saw Saiki's rod dip and quickly grabbed a net to help. But her nervousness made her stumble, and she lost her balance, falling toward the river.
'!'
Just then, Airi's falling body froze mid-air. Saiki quickly grabbed her hand.
'Close call. Good thing I caught her with psychokinesis.'
To avoid exposing his powers, Saiki held the rod with one hand and Airi's hand with the other.
'A klutz? So Airi's clumsy too?'
Saiki realized bringing Airi was a mistake. Once she steadied herself, he slowly let go.
"So, so sorry!"
Airi's face turned red, and her body trembled with embarrassment.
"I... I'm just getting in the way... I can't keep bothering you..."
"I'll get the fish!"
Airi tried to focus, extending the net into the water. But her hands shook, and she struggled to catch the fish.
'Ugh, so dizzy... I might throw up...'
Saiki heard the fish's thoughts clearly.
Frustrated, Saiki used psychokinesis again. The fish leaped into the net.
"I did it!"
Airi looked surprised, carefully placing the fish in the bucket.
"Saiki, you're amazing! You caught one right away!"
"Just luck."
Saiki was already regretting coming here.
"Saiki, Saiki-kun?"
Another voice came from behind. Saiki used telepathy to identify the speaker: Shiina Hiyori.
Shiina stood behind him, looking surprised to see Saiki and Airi. After a few seconds, she asked:
"Saiki-kun... you can fish?"
"Yeah."
Saiki nodded, surprised Shiina was here.
That morning, he'd used clairvoyance to check on the other classes. Ryuuen Kakeru's Class D hadn't done much—they were just buying snacks and drinks with their points, enjoying a vacation.
If possible, Saiki would've joined Class D temporarily.
"Shiina, what brings you here?"
Saiki asked, though he already knew the answer.
Class D had no major plans. They'd enjoy the island today, then return to the ship. Shiina had just come to check on Saiki, not expecting to find him fishing.
"I just wanted to see how you guys were doing. Don't worry, I'm not here to steal information."
Her gaze shifted to Airi, who also looked at Shiina. Their eyes met, then quickly looked away, as if in sync.
'She seems close to Saiki-kun... Probably his classmate... Should I say hi?'
'I've never seen her... Which class is she from? She seems to know Saiki-kun well... What should I do? I don't know how to talk to her...'
Both girls had similar thoughts but were too shy to speak. An awkward silence fell over the three.
'These two socially awkward girls met?'
Saiki sighed in his mind. If they'd met elsewhere, they probably wouldn't have said a word.
'But...'
'Why am I here? Both of them are staring at me fishing.'
'This is so awkward... Say something already.'
Saiki's mind raced. After a few seconds, he finally spoke:
"Shiina, how's your class doing?"
"Everyone's enjoying the trip. Ryuuen and the others plan to return to the ship after some time on the island. I don't know the details, but Ryuuen and Ibuki argued yesterday."
Shiina smiled.
She wasn't lying. Ryuuen hadn't shared his plans with her. While he respected her abilities, her laid-back personality meant she wouldn't contribute much to the exam. So, he hadn't told her his strategy.
But Shiina was smart and had guessed Ryuuen's plan.
"Is Ibuki... still with you?"
"Yeah."
Saiki nodded.
"Your classmates are very friendly, but remember, classes are competitors in this exam. I don't want class relations to sour, but be careful, Saiki-kun."
Shiina smiled. She cared for Saiki as a friend but also had to remind him as a member of Class D.
"Got it."
"Oh, Saiki-kun."
Shiina pulled a novel from her bag.
"Ryuuen said we could spend points freely, so I borrowed this novel. Class D will return to the ship soon, but if you're interested, you can read it!"
"Thanks."
Saiki took the book from Shiina.