(kei's perspective)
---
The wind had barely settled from our descent when our boots hit the ground. Haruto and I set off our parachutes a second before landing, smooth and calculated. We touched down in the clearing where Class C had already begun to gather, a mix of confusion and chaos hanging in the air.
Daiko, Mei, and her two friends were all glaring at us like we'd just betrayed them. Maybe we had, in their eyes. But I couldn't bring myself to care. Neither could Haruto. The way Daiko was throwing death glares at Haruto like some sort of angry toddler only made me more tired.
Haruto broke the silence. "Alright. Time to set up our tents. You remembered to bring them, right, Daiko?"
I already knew the answer.
Daiko looked down in shame. "…I thought someone else had them."
Typical.
I could practically feel my eye twitch. It wasn't just that Daiko was useless—it was the fact that Haruto still gave him the benefit of the doubt. Why he trusted that idiot in the first place was beyond me.
Before I could speak, a loud buzzing noise echoed from above. A drone.
This one wasn't like the small, discreet models patrolling us from the sky. No, this one was big. Heavy. Struggling to stay in the air as it hovered above our heads. It dipped a little, then dropped its payload with an audible thud.
A box. Metal casing. Marked with the NIFL logo.
Inside were our tents—and the spray paint for marking territory.
Daiko's face lit up like a kid at a candy store. "Sweet! Let's do this!"
I didn't respond. Just helped set up the tents. Twenty minutes passed. A breeze rolled through the trees. Things finally started to feel stable.
Then Daiko opened his mouth again.
"Haruto, I have an idea."
I sighed, low under my breath. "Oh no…"
I knew that tone. I knew that stupid grin. When Daiko had an "idea," it was never good. It was violence or chaos—or both.
He continued, way too excited. "What if we take the gift to Class A? Like, take them by surprise—raid their supplies before they can even mark territory! It's the perfect ide—"
Haruto's head turned with a snap. A vein throbbed on his temple.
"Why is it… when I think you can't get stupider… you somehow make it worse?"
Daiko puffed up. "I think we should put this to a vote! You don't have the right to boss us around, captain or not!"
Haruto didn't flinch. "Very well. But how can you mark territory without a captain, huh? And if I'm correct… aren't you the kid with the lowest grade here? Rumored 2.5 GPA at best?"
That shut Daiko up—for a second.
He scowled. "Well maybe we don't need territory! We can just stomp Class A and Class B!"
I stared at him. This guy really thought he was the protagonist of some action manga.
Haruto ignored him and said, "We should start scouting for territory in a few hours. Let everyone settle in."
But Daiko was already on his soapbox. "Let's vote then!"
Minutes later, it came down to a tie.
I glanced around at the circle of students. "Did everyone vote?"
One of the girls spoke up. "No. There's still one more person."
Everyone turned to look.
Mei.
The air grew tense. She froze under the weight of a dozen eyes, but Daiko's stare was the most desperate. He needed her vote. His only hope of winning.
Her friends kept staring at her, pressuring her. Whispering without words. Telling her what she should do.
Mei glanced at me.
Then back at her friends.
Her voice trembled. "Let's… do Daiko's choice."
Half the class erupted into cheers. The Daiko fan club, united under idiocy.
Haruto looked at me. I looked at him. We both knew what this meant.
Disaster.
But the damage was done. Class C moved out, marching through the dense woods like a pack of clueless explorers. Daiko took the lead, of course, chest out like he was some kind of hero.
Then—movement in the bushes.
Daiko stopped and squinted. "I got this."
I didn't move.
A second later, a rooster jumped out.
Daiko screamed loud enough to wake the dead.
I lunged forward and slapped my hand over his mouth, dragging him back. "Are you trying to get us eliminated on day one, you dumbass?!"
But it was too late.
More rustling. Louder this time.
Not an animal.
Footsteps.
From the bushes emerged a group of students—at least seven of them, all older.
And none of them looked friendly.
I knew this wasn't going to end well.
And this? This was only the beginning.
---
---
Seven of them.
They stepped out of the underbrush like shadows at sunset—uniformed, but not clean. Rough. Aggressive. Their posture said enough: they weren't here for conversation.
Daiko, of course, took a step back like a startled deer, his bravado vanishing the second confrontation became real. I didn't flinch. Just met their gaze.
"Which class are you in?" I asked, flat and cold.
One of the students—tall, buzzcut, a scar just beneath his eye—smirked. "Class D."
Daiko's fear melted into sudden, cocky laughter. He straightened up and practically doubled over.
"Oh, you're just Class D?" he snorted. "That's embarrassing. You're like the school's garbage tier."
I closed my eyes for a second.
God, he really was an idiot.
Haruto looked at Daiko like he'd just sprouted a second head. Rightfully so.
Then came the voice again—the one from the Class D boy, but this time it was edged with threat. "Give us your supplies. Or else."
Daiko didn't hesitate. "Or what, you idiot—"
Smack.
Haruto hit him across the back of the head, hard. "Are you trying to start a war on day one? Even Class A and B are avoiding conflict for now!"
But it was too late.
The one who had spoken—the leader, clearly—stepped forward, pulling something from his pocket. A glint. Sharp. Small.
A pocket knife.
Just like that, Daiko stopped laughing.
I stepped in front of the group, blocking Haruto, Daiko, and the rest from the knife-wielder's view. My voice remained calm, but my mind was racing.
"There are other ways to resolve this," I said. "A truce. A bargain. A temporary alliance, even. Conflict now helps no one."
The leader—Satoshi, if I remembered right—grinned in a way that made it clear he wasn't the type to listen to reason. "I'd rather die. Either you hand everything over, or we slice you up."
My jaw tightened. "That would get us hospitalized."
Satoshi shook his head. "No. See, there's a difference between a hospital worker… and the school nurse. If I break your bones, you'll walk with a limp to the nurse. That doesn't break the rules."
Behind me, I heard someone shift uneasily.
Then—chaos.
A scream.
Mei.
I turned just in time to see her yanked back—arms pinned, a cloth thrown over her mouth. One of Class D's students had flanked us from behind.
Satoshi raised a hand. "Now we've got a little insurance. Until you idiots comply, we'll keep the girl in our tents. You got that?"
Daiko surged forward. "That has to be against school rules!"
Satoshi looked genuinely amused. "It's not the type of violence the school punishes. She'll be fed. Just locked up."
Then he pointed a finger at me. "Meet me here at dawn. Bring all your supplies. No tricks."
And just like that—they were gone. Fading into the forest like wolves.
Mei was gone with them.
I turned slowly. My fists clenched.
Daiko stood there, blinking like reality hadn't fully caught up yet. "But… no. That's impossible. This wasn't how it was supposed to turn out…"
I stepped forward, my voice low and venomous. "Do you have any idea what you've just set in motion?"
He turned to me, but I wasn't done.
"One of our own has been kidnapped—because of your incompetence. Because you couldn't shut your mouth, or think two steps ahead. You tell me, Daiko. How the hell are we supposed to get her back now?"
Daiko dropped to the ground. His face—usually smug—twisted with confusion, regret, and something that looked a lot like fear.
"…I don't know," he whispered.
Silence.
No one spoke. Not Haruto. Not Mei's friends. Not the rest of Class C.
The wind rustled through the trees like it was mocking us.
And just like that, the exam changed.
This wasn't just about territory anymore.
This was war.
---