Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e

Volume 5, Chapter 3: Intro - Premonition of defeat

On a Saturday, which would have been a holiday in our school life, there are still lessons being held for the duration of the outdoors school.

But even though I call them lessons, the timetable itself differs somewhat from the weekdays.

What could be referred to as lessons ended with the morning and after that is our own free time.

The special exam that began on Thursday too, is already on its third day.

Discord began to occur within the group.

It started around 5 o'clock in the early morning.

"Aaaah, I'm fucking sleepy!".

At the outdoor cookhouse near the school building, Ishizaki screamed.

"Everyone's in the same boat. Ahh, please measure it so you don't mess up the amount of miso".

Keisei warns him while flipping through the paper on which the breakfast menu was written that the teachers had given us.

"Shut it. Why do I have to participate in cooking the meals in the first place?".

Even as he moved his hands to stir the miso, Ishizaki did not stop cursing.

"It can't be helped, right? There's the possibility we'll incur a penalty if everyone isn't assembled here".

"Hell if I care, shit......ahh".

"What's with that 'ahh' just now?".

".......nothing".

"No way that was nothing. Where's the salt you had in your hands!?".

"I added it all".

Apparently, quite a bit of salt got added to the miso soup that Ishizaki was in charge of.

Keisei panickedly put out the fire and checked the taste. And then he coughed.

"You put too much in it, ugh! It's not drinkable.......".

If you gave that miso soup to the senior students, you'd get bashed severely for it.

In the first place, it's bad for your body.

"Nothing for it but to make it again".

"Don't fuck around. If we're making it again, then you start over from scratch. I mean, what about Kouenji?".

"Hell if I know".

"You're in the same damn class".

While glancing at the two of them quarreling over miso soup, Hashimoto skillfully handled a frying pan on top of the stove while cooking up an omelette.

"You're quite the dexterous one......".

"It's because I always cook my own meals".

Hashimoto said so without a hint of pride and briskly continued cooking.

Albert approached Hashimoto silently. In his hands he carried a bowl with scrambled eggs in it.

"Thank you. If you don't mind, can I ask you to cut the vegetables too?".

Despite his large frame, Albert began skillfully swinging a kitchen knife on the chopping board.

Since there are a lot of mouths to feed, Hashimoto cooks the eggs one after another.

It appears, as far as cooking is concerned, these two are set to be our aces.

On the other hand, I managed to acquire the extremely undemanding task of preparing the raw vegetables and tableware.

However, since I have to prepare everyone's worth of vegetables, it's still a lot.

I can't help with the china but I feel like I should help out with cutting the vegetables too.

As I stood beside Albert, he looked at me silently and so I tried communicating with him via eye contact.

"Can you handle it? Cutting vegetables, I mean".

"Probably".

Somehow, we managed to understand one another sufficiently enough and he handed over the kitchen knife to me.

I'm glad I've utilized one before, even if only a little, since I had started living in the dorm.

I cut the vegetables, keeping up with Albert's proficiency.

Still, I wonder exactly where that Kouenji went off to.

It's already been more than 30 minutes since he said he'd be going to the toilet. Class A and Class B students each sent a single student to look for him but seeing as how they aren't back yet, it would appear they haven't found him.

In the end, Kouenji did not return until breakfast and even after he returned, he didn't even try to persistently make the excuse that he was stuck in the toilet due to a stomach ache.

As such, I should assume the relationship between Ishizaki and Kouenji has completely deteriorated.