Chapter 207 A Transaction for 2 Million Personal Points
Speaking of transactions, she mentioned this was the "third" time?
Shimizu Akira was startled. Thinking back carefully, he indeed had two prior dealings with Chabashira Sae.
The first was on the Monday of their first month. He was facing off against Sakayanagi Arisu regarding whether Kamuro Masumi had stolen a can of beer. To ensure a 100% victory, he had asked Chabashira, as an adult, to buy out all the canned beer on the shelves and then temporarily put them back—for which he paid her 5,000 points as a fee.
The second was on the Friday of that same month. Chabashira had accidentally learned that he had figured out the special school rules the administration was hiding. She offered a price of one million points to buy those rules from him, requesting that he indirectly relay the information to the class—specifically to Hirata Yosuke or Kushida Kikyo.
No matter how he looked at it, he hadn't lost out in those two transactions; in fact, they were highly profitable. Especially the second one—without that million points, he wouldn't have had the capital to lease crucial surveillance access from the Student Council President, Horikita Manabu, for over a million points.
In a sense, Chabashira Sae was someone who had helped him out significantly. With that in mind, he grew curious: what would the third transaction be?
A second later, Chabashira provided the answer.
"Regarding this special exam—if Class D manages to hold at least 250 Special Exam Points by the end of the seventh day, I will give you 2 million personal points as a reward."
'Trying to "collect class funds" through this method again?'
In the previous transaction, she used high points to buy rules from him, only to have him pass them to the class, which ultimately functioned as a way to boost the class's standing. Regardless of where Chabashira's points came from, for him, this was a win-win deal.
"Assuming Class D gets over 250 points without my interference, what happens?" Shimizu thought for a moment and asked back instinctively.
"Impossible," Chabashira blurted out without hesitation.
In her eyes, the current Class D was still extremely dependent on Shimizu's performance; there was no doubt about that.
In the first month, it was his intel and rented surveillance that secured over 500 Class Points. In the second month, although Sakayanagi Arisu had publicly revealed the past questions she felt Shimizu was the hidden hand behind the scenes. As for the Sudo Ken incident in the third month, she later learned from Sudo that Shimizu had found the key witness and even nudged Horikita Suzune to get involved.
Looking back, Shimizu played an indispensable, pivotal role in Class D's development every single month.
But this time, the situation was different. Previous events were more like "skirmishes" between classes—quiet developments where outcomes depended on internal decisions. This, however, was a special exam featuring direct confrontation. Chabashira was genuinely worried: if Shimizu were hired as a helper by another class for a high price, Class D would fall off a cliff.
She knew his personality well—he acted with fairness and logic, never favoring one side without reason. When she wanted him to stay in the class, she didn't expect him to work for free; she only sought the right of "first refusal" for cooperation. This offer was based on that logic.
Based on past experience, classes usually spent 150 to 200 points on supplies. While points could be earned through occupying Bases or guessing Leaders, those carried risks. Most classes ended with a score around 150. Setting a goal of "at least 250" meant he had to outperform the average by 100 points. Offering 2 million personal points for this "excess profit" was, overall, a very reasonable price.
Chabashira paused and added with clear emphasis: "I only look at the final result. As long as Class D has at least 250 points at the end, I will transfer the 2 million to you, regardless of whether you personally took action."
She calculated that even if he didn't act directly, any breakthrough made by the others would likely be influenced by him. The past months were proof—a few words from Shimizu could spur Horikita or Kushida into action. Strictly speaking, wasn't that the same as him contributing?
"Fine."
Shimizu accepted the deal after a brief thought—there was no downside. Since Chabashira said he'd get the credit as long as the class reached the target, he wouldn't pass up a chance to make a free 2 million points.
"Regarding the Leader for Class 1-D, who do you think is suitable?" Chabashira shifted the topic.
"Anyone who can traverse the map quickly," Shimizu said almost instantly.
It was the same logic as before—it didn't matter who was the initial Leader. One just had to find a "valid reason" for them to withdraw on the last day and pass the position to someone else. It was the most stable and effective optimal solution. There was no reason not to use it.
"...Is that so?" Chabashira nodded. She roughly guessed his intent. Having been a teacher for years, she had seen students think of similar tactics, but she hadn't expected him to grasp the key point so quickly.
With their discussion finished, Chabashira pulled a contract from her bag. Shimizu raised an eyebrow, surprised by her preparation—it seemed she had decided to "hire" him before she even approached him. He scanned the terms, confirmed everything was in order, and signed his name.
When they returned to Class D's gathering spot, Shimizu overheard the class still arguing over "whether to buy a portable toilet." The debate was mainly between Shinohara Satsuki, leading the girls, and Yukimura Teruhiko, leading the boys. One side insisted on the purchase; the other insisted on saving.
He was speechless.
'Shouldn't we be prioritizing finding a campsite and occupying a Base?'
He glanced around; Classes A, B, and C had all vanished into the forest. Only Class D was still stuck on the beach, going nowhere.
'I feel like we're starting on the back foot...'
As Shinohara and Yukimura continued to bicker, Hirata Yosuke tried to mediate, but neither would budge. Finally, two voices broke the deadlock.
"Satsuki, okay, okay! Stop obsessing over the toilet! The most important thing is finding a Base! If we wait any longer, all the good spots will be taken by other classes!" Karuizawa Kei walked to Shinohara's side, tugging her arm with a tone of helpless persuasion.
On the other side, Ike Kanji turned to Yukimura, waving his hands to calm him down.
"Exactly, Yukimura! How long have we been stuck here? The other classes are long gone! The toilet only costs 20 points; it's no big deal. Just listen to Shinohara-san and stop arguing!"
He paused, offering a more practical reason: "We have over 500 Class Points right now; we aren't hurting for this! And don't forget? Our goal this semester is to surpass Class C! Ryuen just said Class C plans to spend all their points. If they're that reckless, we don't need to be this stingy. We're already set to pass them!"
"This..." Yukimura pushed his glasses up, his eyes wavering. It was true; Class D was not short on points, with a reserve of over 500. Their goal to reach Class C was within reach. If Ryuen was going to blow all his points, they didn't need to fight over 20.
"I... fine then," Yukimura finally conceded, his hesitation fading.
"You're right. That makes sense." He looked at the empty beach and thought of Ryuen's words. "If even Class C is throwing points away, spending 20 for a toilet really isn't much."
Shimizu watched this shift with interest. He wasn't surprised by Karuizawa helping Shinohara—they were close. But Ike Kanji stepping up for Shinohara and convincing Yukimura was intriguing.
He recalled that over the last two months, Ike had been finding excuses to talk to Shinohara: borrowing notes, asking for tools, being much more helpful than usual. Sudo had mentioned Ike was pursuing her, though it seemed Shinohara hadn't noticed yet.
With the toilet issue settled and the atmosphere relaxed, Chabashira mentioned the Leader selection. Since the rules allowed them to decide as late as the 8:00 PM roll call, they agreed to find a Base first.
At that moment, Horikita Suzune stepped forward, arms crossed, her voice calm.
"As for the location of a Base, I already know where it is. Everyone, follow me."
The class looked at her in confusion. Since it was everyone's first time on the island, how could she know?
Horikita explained as if expecting this: "Earlier on the ship, with Shimizu-kun's help, I observed the terrain of this island and roughly memorized the map layout."
No one questioned her further. After months of hard work for Class D, Horikita had earned their trust.
'But... with Shimizu's help?'
Immediately, the class responded. Sudo and Hirata took charge of moving the supplies. A few workers followed with the toilet equipment to help with the installation—after all, it wasn't realistic for students to do technical plumbing. Currently, Class D's points stood at 280.
The group trekked through the dense forest. Shimizu kept his eyes on the ground—flattened grass and traces of deliberate clearing showed this wasn't just a natural trail. He realized the school must have surveyed the area for safety before sending the students.
After about half an hour, the forest thinned, and a river appeared. The path had man-made improvements, making the walk relatively easy. Beside the river stood a large, conspicuous rock with a card-reading device embedded next to it—the sign-in point for the Base. Since Class D hadn't chosen a Leader yet, no one could "claim" it, so the device sat idle.
Exhausted from the hike, the students dropped their bags to rest. Once the school staff confirmed Class D intended to stay there, they quickly installed the toilet and left.
Shimizu scanned the area. His gaze fell on a wooden sign with black text: "The river is a designated Base. Use without permission is prohibited."
As the sun climbed to its zenith, the midday heat made everyone drowsy, and the conversation turned to lunch.
"Let's eat something good before we think about anything else!" someone suggested, earning a chorus of agreement. They gathered to discuss what to exchange points for—instant rice, canned goods, or more water.
Shimizu, however, quietly found Chabashira Sae to report his departure, saying he wanted to walk around. He then left the group and headed into the deep forest. Over the past few days, he had studied survival books and memorized trapping and tracking techniques. He wanted to try them out. If he could catch a few wild rabbits or pheasants and roast them over a fire until they were sizzling and fragrant, it would be much better than chewing on compressed biscuits and canned food with the group.
Besides, he wasn't one for crowds. Compared to the restriction of collective action, the freedom to explore and plan alone suited him much better.
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