Classroom of the Elite: Standing Firm in Class A — Chapter 87

Chapter 87: Invitation to Dine

Following Chihiro through the shaded perimeter of the campsite, Tetsu and Masumi took in the inner workings of Class B. The atmosphere here stood in stark contrast to the rigid, paranoid tension of their own camp. Several boys were gathered near a makeshift fire pit, efficiently processing wild ingredients, while a group of girls sat in a circle nearby, sorting through a pile of gathered supplies. Laughter drifted through the humid air. No one looked particularly exhausted.

When a few Class B students noticed the two visitors from Class A, they merely cast curious glances. Thanks to Chihiro leading the way, the usual inter-class hostility was entirely absent. They offered polite nods before returning to their tasks.

Locating Honami required zero effort. Her signature cascade of long pink hair served as a vibrant beacon against the dense green backdrop of the forest. She was currently wrestling with a thick coil of rope, working alongside several classmates to string a heavy canvas hammock between two sturdy tree trunks. Sweat glistened on her forehead, her uniform sleeves rolled up as she pulled the knots tight.

“Honami, you have guests,” Chihiro called out, waving her hand.

Honami paused, wiping her brow with the back of her wrist. When she spotted Tetsu and Masumi, her face lit up with her usual brilliant smile. She dropped the rope and jogged over, practically radiating energy.

“Kaedehara-san, Kamuro-san! Welcome!”

“You look busy,” Tetsu noted, his dark eyes sweeping over the half-finished hammocks swaying gently in the breeze.

“We are! We’re setting up the sleeping arrangements right now.” She gestured proudly to the suspended canvas. “We only bought two actual tents to save on points, so we’re making up the difference with these. Honestly, it’s way better than sleeping on the dirt anyway. The ground here is too hard, it’s crawling with bugs, and the temperature drops sharply at night. Suspending ourselves keeps everyone away from the damp soil.”

“A highly practical solution,” Tetsu said, his tone carrying a perfect note of polite admiration. “It seems your class has adapted to the island life perfectly.”

“As long as we all work together, we can get through anything!” Honami beamed.

Beside him, Masumi kept her expression flat, but her eyes darted around the camp. She analyzed the division of labor. Some students were tying anchor knots, others were measuring the suspension height, and a third group was cutting vines and sorting canvas. It was slow work, but the coordination was flawless. Nobody complained. Nobody slacked off. It was a sickeningly perfect display of unity.

Heavy footsteps crunched against the dry leaves as Ryuji approached from the far side of the clearing. His sharp gaze locked onto Tetsu.

“Do you want to find a place to sit down and talk?” he asked, his voice measured and calm.

“Oh, right! I was so busy talking I forgot my manners,” Honami laughed, clapping her hands together. “Come on, I’ll show you to the lounge area.”

She gestured for them to follow, leading the way toward the center of the camp. A massive patchwork carpet had been constructed on the forest floor, made entirely of flattened plastic bags carefully taped together. Several Class B students were already lounging on it, chatting idly. It was a crude setup, but it gave the camp a surprisingly warm, communal focal point.

Tetsu and Masumi took a seat on the plastic surface. It yielded softly beneath them—Class B had clearly layered dry leaves and grass underneath the plastic to create a cushioned floor.

“About the supply purchases we discussed last time,” Honami began, leaning forward with an earnest expression. “We held a long meeting about it afterward. If you want, I can share some of our ideas and strategies with you. It might help Class A improve your remaining points.”

Her offer was laced with that unique, almost blinding innocence. She genuinely wanted to help a rival class.

Tetsu offered a faint, apologetic smile, shaking his head slowly. “Unfortunately, Class A has already locked in our spending strategy. While I deeply appreciate the offer, trying to alter our finalized plans now would only cause internal friction.”

“Ah, I see…” Honami’s shoulders slumped a fraction, a brief shadow of disappointment crossing her bright features. She recovered almost instantly, forcing a cheerful smile. “What a shame. I really wanted to return the favor and help you out.”

“Please, don’t worry about it.” Tetsu’s voice softened, taking on a gentle, reassuring cadence. “The fact that you even offered is more than enough. In a cutthroat exam like this, maintaining the kindness to help a rival class is an incredibly rare trait.”

Standing a few paces away, Ryuji watched the exchange in total silence. His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Tetsu’s relaxed posture. The Class A student’s phrasing was flawless—he had completely shut down the exchange of information while simultaneously flattering Honami, ensuring she felt validated rather than rejected.

“You seem to have a very solid grasp on point allocation, Kaedehara-san,” Honami noted, tilting her head. “If you’re directly involved in Class A’s financial planning, you must hold a lot of authority over there.”

Tetsu let out a dry, self-deprecating chuckle and waved a hand dismissively. “Not at all. My test scores are just decent enough that people occasionally listen to me. The actual authority lies entirely with Katsuragi. I merely offer him a few reference opinions when asked.”

He delivered the lie with practiced humility. Yet, Ryuji’s gaze remained fixed on him, clearly detecting the subtle misdirection hiding beneath the modest words.

Honami, however, nodded in complete understanding. “That makes sense! But I’m sure you’ll get plenty of chances to show off your real talents later.” She paused, her fingers fidgeting slightly with the hem of her shirt. “This might be a bit forward, but I have to ask… why is Class A making such a massive spectacle out of occupying the base point? We saw it, which means every other class on the island definitely saw it too.”

The casual warmth in the air instantly evaporated.

Ryuji shifted his stance, his attention entirely focused. This was the exact question he had been waiting for.

Tetsu blinked, his expression shifting into a mask of mild confusion, as if he had been agonizing over the exact same issue. “To be completely honest with you, I don’t fully understand Katsuragi’s logic either. But he’s the one who arranged the formation. He must have a specific strategy in mind, so I simply choose to trust his judgment.”

Sitting quietly beside him, Masumi fought the urge to roll her eyes.

‘This guy is playing the innocent victim again,’she thought, her expression remaining perfectly blank.’He literally engineered that entire base point strategy himself, and now he’s washing his hands of it without blinking.’

She kept her mouth shut, letting Tetsu spin his web.

Honami seemed to swallow the excuse without a second thought. “Well, I suppose that’s that! Anyway, since you’re here, do you want to stay and eat with us?”

She glanced up at Ryuji, who crossed his arms. “I thought you two already had lunch.”

“We did,” Tetsu replied smoothly. “But it would be terribly rude to turn down a direct invitation from Ichinose-san. I suppose I’ll just have to be shameless and impose on your hospitality for a second meal.”

“It’s no imposition at all!” Honami clapped her hands, her excitement returning in full force. She quickly gestured toward the fire pit. “Just a warning, our menu is mostly wild vegetables and fruits we foraged from the woods. It doesn’t taste anywhere near as good as cafeteria food. We had terrible luck trying to fish by the river, so we ended up spending a few points on actual meat just to keep everyone’s protein levels up.”

She offered a sheepish, apologetic look. “It’s a very simple meal. I hope you don’t mind.”

“The effort alone is worth a premium,” Tetsu said, his tone rich with genuine-sounding praise. “To be willing to share your hard-earned rations in a survival test… we are the ones who should be thanking you.”

“He’s right,” Masumi chimed in, deciding to play along. “Managing to organize a hot meal at all in this environment is impressive.”

Hearing their validation, a brilliant, heartfelt smile bloomed across Honami’s face. Her happiness was so pure it seemed to physically lighten the mood of the entire campsite.

Standing a short distance away, Chihiro watched the group chatting by the plastic mats. Her chest tightened with a complicated mix of emotions. She had spent the entire morning worrying that Tetsu was still nursing a broken heart after his confession was supposedly rejected. Yet here he was, smiling easily, holding a perfectly normal, charming conversation with Honami.

‘Maybe boys are just a lot stronger than I thought…’ she mused silently, completely unaware of the dark, calculated reality hiding behind Tetsu’s pleasant smile.