...
Of course, nothing was done. When Oreki attended the 8 o'clock roll call, he noticed that the students from Class B had asked their homeroom teacher to take pictures of Ibuki and Kaneda's injuries.
They planned to report the incident to the student union after the exam to seek justice for them and ensure Ryūen was punished.
Ibuki and Kaneda tolerated this because it helped them integrate into Class B and gain the trust of its members to gather information about their leader.
For Class D, despite their basic score being reset to 0, it didn't matter if they attended the roll call or not. However, it was likely a formality for teachers to check on their physical well-being.
After the roll call, Oreki intended to explore Base No. 41. As he walked, he noticed a student from Class D breaking away from their team and following him.
Upon identifying the student, Oreki chose not to confront them. Eventually, he reached the 41st stronghold and waited, but since the student did not come down, he went up to investigate.
"Kushida-san." The person standing in the grass below the White Tower was Kushida Kikyo, a first-year student from Class D. She was known for being kind to others.
She probably has the same role as Hirata. If some students are left on the island, someone needs to handle conflicts between them or with other classes.
In Class D, both Kushida and Hirata fulfill this role. However, Hirata's absence in this test, where Class D had a clear advantage, highlights a significant flaw within the class.
Hirata, who excels in all aspects, focuses more on supporting his classmates rather than advancing to Class A. Class D's issues are considerable, and while Hirata is a key figure, targeting him could be an effective strategy.
If an exam situation arises where students are eliminated, Hirata's inability to protect his classmates might be exploited.
With this in mind, Oreki led Kushida Kikyo toward the hut of the island's manager.
...
Just like when Oreki arrived at the hut where the island was managed, Kushida was immediately captivated by the surrounding scenery.
She had never imagined such a place on this small island—flat ground, small hills, lakes, and waterfalls, all surrounding a charming cabin.
"This place is very unique," Oreki commented. "If you were braver, you might have been the first to discover it."
"It's indeed a novel place," Kushida agreed. "Even though it's an uninhabited island, it feels like a human-made environment."
"Are you sure this is an uninhabited island?" Oreki asked. "Among the many strongholds occupied by Class D, you've found large quantities of vegetables, fruits, sugar cane, and corn. Do you think these can grow on their own?"
Kushida was momentarily taken aback. "Oh..."
"I hate it," she said, trying to sound cute. "But finding such a place is impressive. Oreki-kun, you're really amazing."
Despite her cute tone, Kushida's demeanor was serious.
"So," Oreki continued, "are you feeling overwhelmed?"
Kushida didn't respond immediately.
"I've observed that there are no cameras here and no other people around," Oreki noted. "There are also stakes for exercise."
"This wooden pile seems to be used by the administrator for exercise. It's okay to kick it to vent your emotions," Oreki said.
"Aren't you going to kick me?" Oreki asked.
"I hate it, Oreki-san," Kushida replied, feigning innocence. "I'm not a violent person."
"You have to stay on this island for six more days," Oreki reminded her.
"Although students in Class D can abstain at will, their basic points have been reduced to zero," Oreki said calmly. "But as Kushida-chan, you have the task of mediating conflicts among the other classmates staying on the island. So you can't leave."
Kushida listened in silence. Oreki continued, "The emotions you've accumulated and the stress from managing conflicts are likely overwhelming."
Kushida didn't try to deny it this time. "What good does it do you to let me vent?" she asked.
"You haven't given me the weekly update this week," Oreki replied. "I don't want you to come here in a bad mood, as that would feel disrespectful."
Kushida realized that Oreki had intentionally brought her here, not just to observe, but for her weekly update. She felt a twinge of regret, knowing she had been manipulated into this situation.
"So, why don't you kick it?" Oreki suggested. "This is the only place on the island where you won't be discovered by others. It's a place where you can vent your emotions freely."
Kushida glared at Oreki for a moment, then admitted, "I want to kick you!"
Right.
If she doesn't release the pressure she's accumulated recently, she will be in a bad mood. At the same time, though she occasionally sends spam messages to Oreki Houtarou, there's nothing more satisfying than venting directly to him.
The school environment is toxic, with cameras everywhere and people always showing up in places without cameras. To make matters worse, when she was venting her emotions, she ran into Houtarou Oreki.
As a result, not only did she let him press on her boobs in vain, but she also had to ask him daily to help keep her secrets.
This was because the cabin had a credit card machine, which, if discovered, could be used as a stronghold.
When Oreki returned to the cabin, he found the staff had prepared a lot of books for him. He selected two: *David Copperfield* and *Insulted and Injured*.
First, he picked up *David Copperfield*, a likely biography of the character. The story covers the death of David's father and then his mother.
David's stepfather, who turns out to be the villain, is both vicious and greedy. Despite showing some genuine affection for David's mother, his ultimate desires are her beauty and family wealth, leading to her death from depression.
Consequently, David is expelled from his home and begins a harsh childhood. His good friend Emily, initially his childhood sweetheart, grows discontent with their poverty and has an affair with a wealthy young man.
But Emily dies while saving this young man, and she is also the object of David's teenage admiration.
Just looking at a book can be stressful, but the outcome of *David Copperfield* was quite satisfactory. As a protagonist, David enjoys a relatively comfortable life, and his maid Peggotty gets along well with the driver.
This classic novel features two heroines, as David has two wives. Despite its overall melancholic tone, it is still more engaging than *Insulted and Injured*.
The latter's content is quite unpalatable, revolving around a man who passively allows the woman he loves to openly date her lover. From this perspective, the novel falls flat.
However, Oreki noticed a small girl in the story who genuinely cares for the male protagonist, adding a touch of excitement. This girl, while pitiful and proud, is also very loyal, making her a captivating character.
[T/N: Stupid words counts! Chinese authors! Now they are just spewing nonsense!]
Oreki continued reading until Kushida, who had been sweating from kicking a wooden stake, borrowed the bathroom.
He even lent her a towel to wipe herself. After her shower, she emerged to find Oreki sitting in a chair, having set aside his book. He gestured for her to come over.
"Let's start our session for this week," Oreki said. "Thank you for your cooperation today, Kushida-san."
Kushida, having vented her frustrations, decided to approach the situation more rationally and gather some information.
Oreki's gesture suggested he wanted her to sit on his lap, which only reinforced her belief that he was not as straightforward as he seemed.
She decided to gather information first. "How did you learn about this?" Kushida asked, putting on a curious expression.
"I've been reading a book recommended by Ichinose recently," Oreki replied. "There's a scene where the male protagonist asks the female protagonist to sit on his lap."
Kushida realized that Oreki's knowledge came from Ichinose's recommendations. She wondered if Ichinose read such books. This was an unexpected revelation.
"And then there's a scene where the protagonist hugs the heroine from behind and does something direct—"
Kushida quickly decided she didn't want to know more about that. She didn't want to learn such things from a book.
Sitting on Oreki's lap after her shower was a bit pressuring for Kushida, especially given the circumstances. She felt a mix of embarrassment and anxiety.
She recalled how Oreki had previously asked her to remove her underwear, showing his perceptiveness in detecting when her emotions were on the verge of breaking down.
He had allowed her to vent her frustrations, which was undoubtedly perceptive.
We have to stay on this island for several days, which gives us plenty of time to vent our emotions. For Kushida, this is a relief. However, she is reluctant to reward Oreki for his help.
"So..." Kushida began, her tone sweet as she hugged Oreki gently. "Why should I be excluded from the exam plan?"
"This plan is to target Class D. You're seen as their little angel. If you're involved and it's discovered, it could be very problematic," Oreki explained.
Kushida realized that Class D was benefiting from this exam and noted their monthly living expense guarantee of 800,000 points. She knew that Kouenji had arrived on the island early, and had even arranged for the base to be cleared. Despite this, no action had been taken.
Some classmates were already complaining about Horikita wanting to take away 300 points and Kouenji aiming to claim 200 points from the class evaluation scores.
While these decisions were agreed upon collectively, they still caused discontent among the students.
Kushida didn't want to get involved in such conflicts, but she was also interested in accumulating points. It seemed that Oreki was focused solely on Horikita Suzune.
She had observed that Oreki had been with Horikita the night before the exam, and he had even suggested discussing the topic when they felt awkward together.
Kushida decided to confront Oreki about his feelings. "So, are you dating Horikita Suzune? Or do you like her?"
"Why do you ask?" Oreki responded, sensing that Kushida was hinting at something more.
Kushida's intentions seemed to be leading toward something dangerous.
Her relationship with Horikita is peculiar. From a precognitive dream, it was revealed that the toys Lawyer Horikita's children played with were actually provided by Dr. Kushida.
Given that Dr. Kushida is the only Kushida he knows, it's surprising that their relationship could have become so positive.
Clearly, something must have changed in the future. However, right now, Kushida is definitely hostile toward Horikita. This hostility was evident when she was kicking a wooden stake outside and scolding Horikita earlier.
"I think so," Kushida replied.
"If it's about love, then it is not," Oreki said. "But maybe in the future, I'll marry her. Ten years, or maybe five years from now."
Kushida was taken aback. Oreki, while claiming he has no romantic feelings for Horikita Suzune, was talking about potentially marrying her. This seemed contradictory. Was he attracted to Horikita's appearance?
Indeed, Horikita Suzune is an exceptional beauty. Even if some find her aloof, there are still those who would consider marrying her a dream come true.
Kushida couldn't understand why Oreki would have such feelings. He seemed to have a complicated relationship with Horikita Suzune. Was he seeking experience points from her with plans of eventually being with her? [T/N: 🤣😂]
Kushida had previously thought Oreki was poor at interacting with girls, but his relationship with Horikita seemed to contradict that.
Kushida's irritation with Horikita Suzune grew. She decided to move on to the next city in the future. Oreki's demands were becoming more excessive, and she didn't want to be just a means to his ends.
If Horikita Suzune and Oreki Houtarou did marry in the future, it would be an ironic twist. With Oreki's attention, removing her underwear didn't seem so significant anymore.
Kushida felt that Horikita would never have done such things while still a student.