Chapter 74: Class B's Leader
Seemingly sensing the "do not talk" aura surrounding the other two, Hashimoto, as if completely unconcerned about the pair behind him, strolled forward calmly, hands clasped behind his head, humming a little tune. Hikigaya and Morishita Aoi followed him without a word.
Soft sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, creating a beautiful play of light and shadow. Walking along the forest path, the three quickly arrived at the Tower Base.
Deep within the dense forest, the tower rose straight up, like a silent watchman hidden within nature. The tower seemed like a part of the sky, pointing to the edge of the firmament, with white clouds dancing around it as if they were the guardian's gentle caress.
The entire structure gleamed under the brilliant sun, like a sword soaring into the clouds. At the foot of the tower, a field full of wildflowers encircled it, like a colorful painting. The faint fragrance of flowers, mixed with the fresh forest air, filled the entire space with life and vitality. With blooming flowers and lush greenery, this place felt like a lost paradise, quiet and mysterious.
After confirming that the Tower Base had not yet been occupied by any other class, the three found a spot hidden by the shade of trees and bushes and began to lie in wait.
To be honest, this work was incredibly boring.
Since they had to avoid being discovered by any students who might come to explore, they couldn't casually chat. Even if they could talk, the three people present seemed to have nothing to discuss besides the weather, so they just had to wait quietly for time to pass, with nothing to do.
Boring moments often feel long, as if time itself is stretched. The numbers on the watch ticked by slowly, each second feeling endlessly prolonged.
Tired of looking at the surrounding scenery, and due to extreme boredom, Hikigaya began to do what he was best at—spacing out.
'Yep, we definitely won't lose at this one. Hachiman is really strong; his skill at spacing out is unparalleled, with a personal best of eight hours...'
Hikigaya glanced at his two classmates. Morishita was sitting between two tree roots protruding from the ground, lightly shifting her body as if a little uncomfortable. She tried adjusting her posture several times, finally resting her head against the hard tree trunk sideways and slowly closing her eyes.
'Ah, I really want to sleep too..'.
Unlike Morishita, Hashimoto was intently staring in the direction of the tower, occasionally looking down at his watch.
"...You're really serious about this."
"It's a mission, after all..."
"..."
After an unknown amount of time, Hikigaya, who was forcing himself to stay alert and look at the tower, suddenly heard a slight rustling sound from the nearby bushes. Two boys appeared within the sight of the Class A trio.
"Look, Watanabe. I told you there was a structure here..." a short-haired boy shouted excitedly, loudly calling his companion over.
"I see, I see... You don't have to shout so loud," the other boy wiped the sweat from his forehead, pushing aside the bushes as he slowly walked out.
Seeing someone arrive, the originally drowsy Class A trio immediately perked up. Hashimoto quickly took a miniature camera out of his pocket, switched it to recording mode, and recorded every move of the two boys.
The two boys first cautiously looked around, then together walked towards the exterior wall of the tower. Soon, they discovered the black device mounted on the wall for occupying the base.
"I didn't expect this tower to actually be a base, and one that hasn't been discovered by other classes yet," Watanabe's face showed joy as he looked at the screen displaying "Unoccupied."
"Then, without further ado, let's quickly occupy this place," the short-haired boy said excitedly.
"...Alright," Watanabe thought for a moment, nodding hesitantly.
Hearing this, the short-haired boy took the key card out of his pocket and quickly pressed it against the black device.
"Let's go up and take a look." After occupying the base, the two boys climbed the tower using the ladder fixed to the exterior wall, looking down at the scenery from the top of the tower.
To avoid being discovered, the Class A trio had to pause the recording, shrink their bodies among the branches and leaves of the bushes, and hide themselves as much as possible.
Fortunately, the two boys' attention was drawn by the beautiful view of the sea, and they didn't notice the Class A trio.
"Wow, it's really beautiful from here... Huh? Why are those Class C students lining up to get on the ship?"
"What did you say?!"
"Look over there..." the short-haired boy pointed in the direction of the Class C campsite.
"Alright, let's go. We have to rush back and tell Ichinose-san about this."
"Okay."
The two descended from the tower and left in the direction of the Class B campsite.
After watching the two leave, the Class A trio emerged from the bushes where they were hiding and walked up to the exterior wall of the tower to check the occupation status of the base.
"Base occupied. Occupant: Class 1-B. Time remaining: 07:55:56."
'Class 1-B? I thought Class B's leader was Shiranami Chihiro, but it turned out to be that short-haired boy. That means the fragile-looking Shiranami Chihiro actually deceived both Yukinoshita and me with her acting... You really can't judge a book by its cover.'
Hikigaya lowered his head slightly, disappointed that his prideful skill of human observation had failed.
"It seems that Class 1-B's leader is that short-haired boy..." Morishita spoke softly.
"That boy's name is Shibata Souta. He's Class 1-B's star athlete," Hashimoto said with a smile, seeming quite knowledgeable about the other's identity.
After confirming Class B's leader, the Class A trio intended to leave the Tower Base and return to the cave.
When the three were halfway there, Hashimoto stopped as if he had remembered something.
"Ah, Hikigaya, and Morishita, you two go ahead. I think I left my flashlight back at the tower. I'll go back and look for it."
Saying this, Hashimoto was about to turn and run towards the tower, but Morishita blocked his path.
"Hashimoto Masayoshi, I don't object to you going to get the flashlight, but you will leave the camera with Hikigaya Hachiman and me for safekeeping."
"...Morishita, we are classmates, after all. You should have some trust, shouldn't you?" Hashimoto looked at Morishita with some indignation, then turned to look at Hikigaya, who was standing to the side: "Hikigaya, what do you think? I completed the mission very seriously."
As if trying to convey some message, Hashimoto even winked lightly at Hikigaya.
Stared down by Morishita's sharp gaze, Hashimoto had no choice but to take the miniature camera out of his pocket and hand it over to Morishita before diving into the jungle.
Not long after, Hashimoto reappeared in front of Hikigaya and Morishita, who had stayed in place waiting, holding a flashlight.
Looking at Hashimoto's slightly narrowed eyes, Hikigaya sighed almost imperceptibly.
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