Chapter 2: The Beginning of the Short-lived Vacation

The Beginning of the Short-Lived Vacation

For many students, each day of the uninhabited island exam seemed to drag on for a long time. In contrast, a day spent on a luxury cruise ship was just like a flash of light; gone in an instant. Why was it that the flow was so different for the same period of time?

The main reason was probably because we didn't spend most of the day thinking about time. During daily school life and special exams, students were often thinking about time. On the other hand, when you were on holiday, you weren't thinking about it, so the difference was noticeable.

Today was the second day of such a festive holiday.

The exhaustion many students had been feeling had finally worn off, so they were starting to enjoy their holiday in earnest. As a result, the number of students passing each other in the ship's corridors had increased dramatically. Even I, who'd spent most of my time quietly on my own, received an email from a rather unexpected person inviting me to meet up.

It was from third-year Class B student, Vice President Kiriyama. He had invited me to the pool, perhaps to have an elegant chat while riding a float or play water volleyball to deepen our friendship.

I'll throw out the possibility of any of those ridiculous predictions.

Although he called me over to the pool, it should be a far from playful time.

Of course, I could refuse his invitation. Or I could choose to ignore it. But I was going to end up hearing it at some point anyway. Depending on the situation, it wasn't impossible that I could be called out in more unpleasant place and time than right now.

I sent a curt yes in reply, promising to be there at the specified time. I decided that it would be less damaging for me to be called out now, when I was by myself. Besides, there was a good chance that I could solve the mystery of the persistent stares I'd been receiving from the third-year students since yesterday.

"Kiriyama, huh…"

Right now, I was at the resting area by the fitness gym. The monitor where the results of the special exam were posted was in front of me. Perhaps most of the students had already checked their exam results, as I was the only one here. The number of teachers keeping an eye on the test results had also been reduced to just one.

I memorized the results of the test, and slid the results back to the top groups again, focusing on Kiriyama's group. The top three had already been announced in front of the entire student body, with Kōenji Rokusuke's solo group in first place, Nagumo's group in second place and Sakayanagi's group in third place. In fourth place was Kiriyama's group with 255 points, leaving a difference of only 6 points. In other words, Sakayanagi stole the last spot on the podium from his group. The difference between third and fourth place was more than just the difference in their ranking.

"Naturally, for a third-year student, these results would be seen as a disappointment."

Nagumo missed the top spot and Kiriyama didn't even make it into the top three. In addition, all the expulsions were from the third-year, which was a highly unusual situation.

Since I still had about 20 minutes until the appointed time, I decided to head over to the pool first. It was also to confirm that the stares being directed at me wasn't just me being self-conscious, but a plan that had been put in motion.

The answer was immediately apparent without the need for close examination.

No more than a dozen seconds after showing myself at the pool, I noticed I was being subjected to stares from a large number of third-year students spread all over the place. Students engrossed in conversation, students who were swimming in the pool; all the third-year students began to observe me closely upon noticing my presence.

The stares I felt yesterday weren't just a coincidence.

"I came to find proof of my suspicions, but this is too fast."

It was such a strange feeling that I wanted to complain to the contrary. I was supposed to be a background character in the shadows, but here I was standing out more than anyone. Even though I tried not to think about it, internally, I was naturally looking for the reason.

There was probably an 80 or 90% chance that they are acting under the instructions of Nagumo, but exactly what the contents of his orders were was completely unknown at this point in time. Although many students were sending obvious stares my way, I continued to pretend not to notice anything.

It was easy to play the role of a fool; however, I could easily imagine that Nagumo assumed I was aware of the stares. It wouldn't be surprising if he was enjoying seeing me as the target of this attention.

At any rate, the best thing to do for now was pretend I didn't know what they are all looking at.

I looked around the pool, wondering who else was here besides the third-year students, and saw Ichinose with some of her classmates. It just so happened that Ichinose was the first one to notice my presence, and our eyes met.

Her shoulders jerked once and she quickly hid behind her classmates, looking for an escape. Seeing the sudden strange movement, her classmates were asking what was wrong with her. It was just after Ichinose confessed to me on the uninhabited island, so it was no wonder that just looking at each other, even from this distance, might make things awkward.

It'd be one thing if it was just Ichinose, but her classmates were also there, so I decided to keep my distance for now. Even if I left it alone, I had already made an appointment to see her the evening after tomorrow. I saw a few classmates here and there, but unfortunately I couldn't find anybody that I was particularly close with.

"Looks like you might be in trouble, Ayanokōji."

When I turned diagonally in front of me in the direction of the voice that had called out, I found Kiryūin resting on a beach chair on the deck.

"What are you referring to?"

"The third-year students. It's not like you haven't noticed, right?"

"I don't really understand."

I tried to play it off, but Kiryūin didn't even snicker, and just kept going nonchalantly.

"Even though I'm not involved, I'm still a third-year student. The information has already reached my ears."

"By any chance are you referring to the stares that are currently being focused on me?"

"So you do know what I'm talking about."

"It's not a big problem. I'm being watched, that's all."

"That's all, huh."

Even though I mentioned that I didn't care, Kiryūin didn't seem to think that was the case.

"It looks like quite the frightening strategy to me. I'm sure it's especially troublesome for someone with your personality."

While she was just teasing, Kiryūin's point was not wrong.

"As expected of the Student Council President. He's played a bizarre, yet effective card against this flawless person in front of me."

"Flawless? I think you're overestimating me."

"Don't be modest. We're comrades that have been through the line of fire together, so I know that your abilities are limitless, right?"

The gaze lurking beneath the sunglasses pierced me sharply. Even if I were to deny it, there were many students around, so I would have to be careful so as not to be overheard. Of course, Kiryūin would've taken the surrounding environment into consideration.

"I understand, I'll admit it for now."

"Fufu, that's fine. Now back to the topic at hand, did something happen with Nagumo during the final stages of the test? At the very least, no orders were issued to the third-years until the end of the uninhabited island exam."

"There may have been something that would cause him to resent me...It's frustrating that I can't say that it's not the case."

Kiryūin, who'd been lying back comfortably, sat up slightly.

"In terms of individual strength, Nagumo Miyabi's ability is top class among the school. Academic Ability A, Physical Ability A, Adaptability A+ and Social Contribution A+. He cannot be faulted."

"I know. As far as the OAA is concerned, his overall ability is overwhelming at the top of the school."

There were a few students, like Sudō and Kiryūin, who held an A+ rating in one ability. However, Nagumo was the only student with all A's or higher, and the number of students with two A+ grades was extremely limited.

"With his high academic and physical abilities, his charisma and ability to organize the school year, as well as the achievement of climbing to the top as the president of the student council, Nagumo has never faced a worthy opponent in his year group. The only person in the school who he recognised as his equal, Horikita Manabu, has graduated, and is thus no longer here."

Kiryūin sighed and picked up the glass on the table next to her.

"To Nagumo, you should've been nothing more than a toy. However, something happened during the uninhabited island exam that has caused him to take you seriously."

"It would be best to leave someone like me alone."

"If that's the case, then you've made a seriously bad choice somewhere along the line." Kiryūin spoke harshly, showing no mercy. "There are probably only a handful of people that can defeat you one-on-one. I'm pretty confident in my ability, but if there's one type I'm not good with, it would be someone like you, Ayanokōji. But Nagumo's case is completely different. I can tell that he's the type of person you're no good at dealing with. Am I right?"

"I can't deny that possibility anymore. I misjudged his true character. "

They were only looking at me, but I didn't realise how stressful and disgusting it would make me feel. There were always eyes watching in the White Room, but this was completely different.

In other words, I was forced to live in an environment I had never experienced before in my life. Moreover, the only way to escape was to hide indoors, which wasn't a practical solution at all.

"That's about right. Nagumo tends to prefer flashy moves and one-on-ones, but when it comes to ensuring his victory, he'll use any strategy to win. Even if it means mobilizing the entire third year. He'll prioritise winning, no matter what it takes."

His gathering of the crowd was just the beginning.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you with this one," she said, covering her eyes with the sunglasses that had been resting on her forehead.

"I never once said that I wanted to rely on you."

As if trying to get ahead of me, Kiryūin refused to cooperate.

"For three years I've been free to do as I please, but...I do have one small regret regarding my school life. If there were a retention system at this school, I might've considered it."

Retention, in other words repeating a grade without advancing. To put it bluntly, she wanted to stay.

"So you were here, Ayanokōji."

As I was talking to Kiryūin, Vice President Kiriyama showed up. It seemed Kiriyama, who was wearing a serious expression, had arrived much earlier than promised. After taking a glance at the lounging Kiryūin beside me, he turned to look back in my direction.

"We've still got a few minutes until the scheduled time, but you don't mind if we get started, do you? This isn't the best place for it, let's move."

"'This isn't for you to hear', is what you're trying to say, right Kiriyama?"

Even though she said couldn't help me, it seemed she was interested in what he wanted to talk about. She lifted the sunglasses she had just put on back to her forehead.

"It's just that we would attract too much attention here. If we can, I'd like to speak in a quiet place."

Because the poolside was so popular, a large number of students were hanging around here. Well, for some reason, only the seat next to Kiryūin was empty, but I didn't think I needed to look too deeply into that.

"That's funny, saying that you don't want to attract too much attention. That's a contradiction, Kiriyama."

"What?"

"If you wanted to talk in a quiet place, to choose the pool where so many people are gathered is nonsense. Am I wrong?"

"So you would've preferred if I told you from the start that I don't want to be around you, so I want to move?" Kiriyama spat out after Kiryūin interrupted him.

The expression on his face was completely dead, devoid of any emotion. The fact that Kiryūin had been a pain for him to deal with so far was obvious.

"I see, you're saying I make you feel uncomfortable."

Whenever a conversation starts, it revolves around Kiryūin. Kiriyama didn't want to deal with that, so he made a move to escape, but on the contrary, it provided the opportunity for Kiryūin to bulldoze in.

"Anyway, how about you let me listen in on what you were going to talk about?"

"I refuse. It's got nothing to do with you."

"Nothing to do with me? I don't see how you can just assume it's of no concern to me."

"What do you mean?"

"Ayanokōji and I are in a romantic relationship. If that's the case, how can it have nothing to do with me?"

Eh?

Before his reaction leaked out, Kiriyama looked between me and Kiryūin alternately with a stunned expression on his face.

"Fufu, it's a joke Kiriyama. You're a real boring guy, but if I consider just your reactions, you can be amusing at times."

When Kiriyama saw Kiryūin laughing merrily, he seemed to explode with anger. He started walking without saying another word.

'Leave that woman and come with me quickly' seemed to be what he was getting at.

"I can't ignore this, so I'll take my leave, Kiryūin-senpai."

"Give my regards to Kiriyama."

I'd rather not. Even if she wasn't there in person, he probably wouldn't want to hear Kiryūin's name being uttered.

Following Kiriyama, who walked ahead of me, we arrived on the deck one floor above which overlooked the pool. Many students were napping or sunbathing, but it was a comparatively quieter place. Even so, because of the kind of students that were here, it could conversely make our conversation stand out even more.

However, there was not a single third-year student present. Kiriyama must've paid them off. That meant that first and second-years shouldn't care about the conversation between me and Kiriyama. Another saving grace was that there was nobody waiting for us, allowing me to have a one-on-one conversation with Kiriyama.

"So, why did you want to bring me all the way out here?"

"I won't beat around the bush. What did you do to Nagumo on the last day of the uninhabited island exam, Ayanokōji?"

"What do you mean?"

"Quit messing around. It's obvious you had something to do with the results of the exam."

On the last day of the exam, when Nagumo and I met, I overheard from the transceiver that they were enacting a strategy to suppress Kōenji. It wouldn't be strange if Kiriyama had already grasped what happened.

"I have no problem answering, but before that, could you answer my question first?"

"Your question?"

Yes. There was one thing I wanted to check out when he called me out like this.

As Kiriyama looked at me suspiciously, I continued. "It's a question I've had since I first met you, Vice President Kiriyama. Initially, it looked like you were working to take down Nagumo. At what point did you stop fighting…? Did you give up?"

If Kiriyama was still hoping for Nagumo's downfall, it should've been a welcome development.

"Give up? I don't know what you mean. My personal fight is still going on."

"Is that so? It doesn't look like that to me."

After denying it, Kiriyama seemed to immediately understand what I was getting at.

"You seem to think that I'm on Nagumo's side, but that's incorrect. Now that Nagumo's plan has changed, the others and I have started to see the adverse effects. I believe I told you before the uninhabited island exam, don't get in my way."

That one remark was a rather ordinary denial from Kiriyama. However, human beings were prone to little gaffes like that.

"That's a broad interpretation. I was simply talking about whether or not you've given up the fight, but Kiriyama-senpai, you seem to be very conscious of whether you come across as being on the Student Council President's side."

"...Aren't those the same thing?"

"Admitting defeat and changing sides are not even close to being the same thing. They are completely different. If it's that much, even you should understand, right?"

Proud people who categorize themselves as superior think they will never make a mistake. That's why, if they pre-emptively say to themselves 'I'm so great, there's no way I could be wrong, right?', it makes it even more difficult to admit they made a mistake.

"What are you trying to say?"

Neither admitting nor denying it, Kiriyama tried to continue the conversation. Right now, out of the choices available to him, the easiest way was to ignore it.

"I simply wanted to ask you where you stand. You've given up fighting, but the fact you oppose Nagumo hasn't changed? Or are you under Nagumo's thumb? After all, this was a case that Horikita Manabu entrusted to me."

Hearing Manabu's name for the first time in a while, Kiriyama's face hardened.

"...That was the case, wasn't it…?" Maybe he was remembering the first time he and I met. "Thinking back, this relationship between you, me, Nagumo and Horikita-senpai…in short, the student council, you never had any interest in it whatsoever. In that sense, it wasn't right to involve you in all this."

He placed his left hand on the railing and gripped it tightly.

"It's true that I wanted to take down Nagumo. If we couldn't beat him, it would be impossible for our class to rise back up to Class A. However, that spirit gradually faded away by the time we reached the middle of our second year."

The current third-years had allowed Class A to run unchallenged far more than us second-years. At the moment, the difference between third-year Class A and third-year Class B was more than 900 class points. Even at the midpoint of last year, they should've been over 700 points ahead. They allowed Nagumo to run off with the lead early on and it had now reached a point where they couldn't catch up.

"We third-years shifted to an individual competition early on. Class points and school rules were of secondary importance, and we started playing according to the original rules proposed by Nagumo."

This was a big reason behind his running away with the competition. Once that happened, it would've been too high of a hurdle for Kiriyama to face alone.

"I struggled to break out of it, but as soon as I became a third-year, I was swept up in that wave."

Regret? Resignation? Kiriyama showed an indescribable profile.

"What happened after you were swallowed up by that wave?"

"Hmph...It seems you won't be satisfied unless you hear it clearly from my own mouth."

"It's very important to me after all."

"Nagumo handed me a ticket to graduate from Class A, so I decided to follow the rules that he made up...That's what you wanted to hear, right?"

In other words, the position he was in meant that not only was he no longer hostile towards him, but he'd become one of Nagumo's allies. That was how important it was for ordinary students to graduate from Class A. It was proof of just how much value and appeal 20 million points has.

"Whether or not you take advantage of this school's greatest privilege will have an enormous effect on the rest of your life. Regardless of how my classmates may end up feeling about me, graduating from Class A is most important. These three years of high school are a blink of an eye compared to the decades of your life that come after."

It was only natural that Kiriyama was feeling indignant and wanted to know all of the details, even calling me out here to explain.

"It was our mission to make sure that Nagumo took first place. But your involvement disrupted the chain of command, leaving Kōenji to take first place while Nagumo fell to second. The result was a significant loss in both class and private points. Do you have any idea how much?"

It was confirmed on the OAA that Nagumo had a Trial card as well as a 7 Bonus cards in his large group. The amount of money lost by not taking first place amounted to 7 million points alone. Furthermore, if all of the third-year's 28 Free Ride cards had been designated to Nagumo's group, they would've received an additional reward of nearly 15 million private points. However, they received less than half that due to Nagumo's group falling to second place. Of course, it was a considerable amount of money. If you included the bonus for the class points from the trial card, the loss was even greater.

"With graduation imminent, it's a huge loss for us third-year students to miss out on first place. We need to gather private points without wasting a single one."

Considering that Kiriyama's group had also used 'Bonus' cards with the intention of getting second place, the third year had lost even more private points than I had just calculated.

"The fact that your group couldn't win any additional points from placing in the top three is not irrelevant, Kiriyama-senpai."

When I pointed that out to him, his shoulders twitched slightly.

"...Yeah. I was dispatched as backup for Nagumo's group on short notice and the slight delay in response had repercussions on all sides in the end. We didn't just lose to Kōenji, another group of second-years took third place from us too."

If everything went to plan, the third-year would've gained a massive amount of private points. Although this was just a rough estimate, it was exactly the kind of money that could save a few of Nagumo's allies.

"It costs 20 million points for a ticket to Class A, so we're always looking for the best way to procure points. After this, you could say we're one ticket down."

For the uninhabited island exam, the rewards at the top end were very attractive, but when it came to private points, the Bonus and Free Ride cards could have a great effect.

"Until now, Nagumo has been producing results and has therefore earned the trust of the entire year. But by coming here and clinging to you, he's suffered a wound; losing both trust and money. Even so, if he switched his focus off of you, the problem would be minimal...but after the special exam...Nagumo took an unbelievable step."

"The unexpected expulsion of third-years, yes?"

"That's right. The original plan was for the top groups to pick up the groups that had deliberately been placed at the bottom and save them from dropping out at the end of the test."

However, because this wasn't done, the third-year students in the lower groups were expelled en masse.

"Unable to do anything, those fifteen people were expelled. They didn't even have time to cry out."

"It's terrifying isn't it? From the point of view of a third-year student that is."

"Of course it is. A single whim and these last three years would amount to nothing. If it's because of their own actions, they would just give up, but if it's because of Nagumo's unreasonable behaviour, it's a different story."

If all of this were really true, it should be a wake-up call for the students that had been following him blindly. Rather, it was unusual that the third-year students hadn't shown any signs of disobeying Nagumo even after this incident.

"You think it's strange? That Nagumo isn't being accused of anything?"

"It's a huge blunder after all. It seems the students that don't have tickets in Class B and below are still keeping quiet."

"Even if they want to defy him, they can't. Nagumo and the students with a ticket to third-year Class A are protected by an impenetrable fortress."

An impenetrable fortress. So a system has been set up so that the other classes cannot go against him. In that case...This mystery can be solved by asking a single question.

"Vice President Kiriyama, you have the ticket to Class A in your possession right now, right?"

Normally, this question would be answered with a simple 'yes'. Even so, Kiriyama replied in a blink of an eye without changing his expression.

"If I had the ticket in my possession right now, I wouldn't have any problems."

"I see. If Nagumo was holding onto that ticket, it would certainly be a different story."

I mean, it wasn't surprising, but Nagumo had a cunning strategy. If Nagumo controlled all the private points, then nobody could go against him. Put simply, he made a verbal promise to spend 20 million points to rescue them and bring them up to Class A. No, it may be a bit naïve to call it a promise.

If you continue to be loyal to me, I'll provide you with a ticket.

It was safe to assume that he was avoiding explicit statements by using vague expressions. If they were to go against him in this situation, Nagumo would violate that promise without a second thought.

"It's also forbidden to accumulate your own private points. Individuals are free to hold up to 500,000 points. Anything beyond that is syphoned off to Nagumo."

"Sounds tough."

Unlike hiding cash under your mattress, private points were an electronic currency that couldn't be hidden. They would probably have rules in place to supervise each other.

Even if they were able to kick Nagumo out of the school by some means, he would then be expelled with his tens or even hundreds of millions of private points, and they would be left with nothing. This also meant that even if they wanted to rebel, they could never succeed.

"Now you know why the third-years put Nagumo on a pedestal and protect him, right?"

"I understand."

You could say it was the perfect dictatorship. It was impossible for anyone within their year to oppose Nagumo.

"That guy has been playing around with the entire third year. The students without tickets are made to compete against each other, and then he'll make a show of giving the winning guy a ticket and make him pledge his allegiance."

He was just playing around of course, but from the point of view of students in Class C and D who had no chance of winning in the conventional way, Nagumo must be seen as nothing but a God. If you can be useful, you can graduate from Class A. Since that was what he says, his support was not surprising. However, they wouldn't know for sure until they actually moved classes just before graduation.

"With what little school life we have left, we want to fight and compete, even if it's for just one more ticket. That's why your existence is just a hindrance, Ayanokōji."

Because he was focusing his attention on me, Nagumo was losing out on precious private points. The resulting loss would mean that students who could've been saved, would no longer be saveable.

So this was the situation that the third-years were in now.

"But do you really think I chose to be in this situation?"

"I know."

"So, what do you want from me?"

"Let's go back to where we started. Tell me about what happened on the uninhabited island, and then we'll find a solution."

"I thought Nagumo didn't want that? He didn't tell even you, the Vice President, what happened, right?"

"...That may be true, but letting it go won't solve anything."

So he wanted to stop Nagumo's reckless actions, even if it meant risking losing his ticket. No, he was concerned that if he didn't stop it, something might come up that affects his own ticket.

"If you're not going to talk to me, I want you to go meet Nagumo right now and talk to him instead. I'll even set up the meeting if you need me to. Nobody will benefit from you and Nagumo getting into a fight in the future, right?"

"You're absolutely right."

"I'll make sure to advise Nagumo to stop the current operation he's carrying out. I want you to trust me."

The operation he's carrying out. There was no need to ask him what that could be referring to.

"You mean the stares everyone is sending my way, yes?"

Kiriyama looked down towards the pool and nodded.

"What is its purpose, and how long will it last? There was no explanation for any of it. There's a growing sense of distrust among the third-year students at this bizarre behaviour."

Despite their lack of trust, they had no choice but to obey Nagumo, who held all the cards.

"The Nagumo administration is rock solid, but… If we continue with this nonsense, the worst could happen."

Kiriyama and the others who'd been given tickets would surely continue to follow him faithfully, but the same couldn't be said for the many students who didn't have one. Kiriyama couldn't let something like an uprising happen. If they knew they wouldn't get a ticket from him, it wouldn't be surprising if they were planning to expel Nagumo. For Kiriyama and the others, that would be the worst case scenario.

"I don't think the story would just end there if I said I'd agree to meet with him though."

"Then what would you have me do? You won't tell me the details, but you won't see Nagumo either. As it is, this is only going to get worse."

"Could you give me some time? I will definitely have an answer for you soon."

It was likely that Kiriyama would receive further information not from me, but from Nagumo.

"...That's fine. But you have to make a decision before Nagumo makes his next move."

Kiriyama, who had been looking around the pool area, quickly noticed someone's entrance. Of course, it was the person who had been the focus of our conversation, Nagumo.

"I'm going. If he knew we were meeting, things would become even more troublesome."

I think that would be wise. Kiriyama must have taken a considerable risk by making contact today. It was worth coming here just to understand the situation of the third-year students.

Translator's ramblings: Ayanokōji speaks really formally when talking to his senpais. Just thought I'd let you know because it's kind of hard for me to get that across. Also, here is the translation for the associated short story.

As Nagumo and his allies started arriving at the pool, I quickly withdrew.

Even if I didn't initiate contact, I knew that he would send a messenger from his side if he wanted to talk to me directly. The fact that that hadn't happened could be interpreted as him having no intention of talking to me.

In any case, it wasn't pleasant to be the centre of attention.

After I escaped, just as I had finished getting dressed in the changing room──

"Ayanokōji-senpai!"

I encountered Nanase, who saw me walking along the corridor and ran up to me with a cheerful look on her face.

Since there were so few places you could go on the ship, you would repeatedly pass by students you recognise, and so seeing each other two days in a row wasn't that unusual.

That being said, because the way she appeared was completely identical, I was reminded of the encounter we had yesterday.

"Could I have a moment of your time, please?"

She was checking my surroundings to make sure that I wasn't with anyone else. I was with Ishizaki yesterday, so she might not have been able to talk about it back then.

Somewhat disconcerted by her intense pressure, or rather, her close proximity, I nodded.

"Actually, I'm not sure if I should report this, but um, there's something that's been bothering me."

"Something bothering you?"

Nanase nodded and her cheerful expression was replaced by a more serious one. She then spoke in a whisper, paying close attention to our surroundings.

"There's something I kept quiet about, senpai. If I tell you, you might get angry..."

I might get angry? What on earth could it be?

"The thing is…"

Whispering even more quietly, Nanase was about to speak up about what she was keeping quiet, but...

"Oh? Ayanokōji-kun?"

A voice she didn't recognise called out, and Nanase hurriedly distanced herself from me.

It was Ichinose's classmate, Kobashi Yume. In the past, we wouldn't have even greeted each other if we passed each other at school. However, we spent some time together during the uninhabited island exam, albeit briefly, and it seemed to have brought a change in our relationship.

"Oh, was I a bother…? Maybe I should have waited…" she said apologetically, perhaps noticing Nanase hiding behind my body.

"No, it's okay. I was just asking Ayanokōji-senpai about something I didn't understand."

"Are you sure it's okay?"

Nanase nodded vigorously twice, as if to say it wasn't as serious as I was thinking.

"I'll call on you again when you have more time."

The only thing I knew for sure was that it wasn't something for other students to hear.

Nanase bowed deeply not only to me, but also to Kobashi, and ran off.

"Ah, sorry, I didn't realise you were in the middle of a conversation. That girl's a first-year right? Did I upset her?"

"I don't think you need to worry about that. More importantly, you wanted something from me?"

"Actually, the girls in my class are going to have a party tonight to celebrate the end of the exam. We were wondering if you'd like to join us, Ayanokōji-kun. We also wanted to thank you for helping Chihiro-chan."

So it was an invitation. However, the key phrase "girls in the class" stuck with me.

"What kind of people are going to be there?"

I was worried so I went to check, but Kobashi tilted her head, saying, "hmm".

"Right now, I guess we're still fine-tuning who is coming and whatnot. There are no weirdos so you don't need to worry so much."

It wasn't that I was afraid of a strange person participating, but she didn't seem to understand.

"It's only students from your class, right Kobashi? Would it be okay for an outsider like me to join?

"Really? It's nothing like that. Hey, hey, so how about it?"

It was an invitation to a fluffy, abstract celebration party. To be honest, I wasn't really interested in going as there weren't very many people in Ichinose's class that I was close with. It was doubtful I'd be able to have a good conversation with Ichinose, especially right now. I felt a little regretful, but I decided to decline.

"Nah, I'll pa──"

Seeing that I was about to refuse, Kobashi clasped her hands together and cut me off.

"Please! This was like, a fateful meeting, right?"

It was hard to say no when she put it like that, but I couldn't give in so easily. I could see that if I just went with the flow here, it wouldn't be good for me later.

"You mean it's my fault...right?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, I guess it's no use. I'll properly report what happened here to everyone in the class. I invited Ayanokōji-kun to the party, but I was turned down because my invitation wasn't good enough."

"Wait. Why would it end up like that?"

"So you're going to come?"

"...That's…"

"Oh you do hate it, don't you? Ahh, if only I could have asked you out a little better... I'm sorry everyone."

"It would be a problem if you get so depressed…"

"You only need to show your face…! Please, even just that! And Honami-chan is coming too!"

She clasped her hands together once again, this time with more force than before. After she had come this far, it was as if there was no way out of this situation.

"Fine, I get it. I really just need to show my face, right?"

"Yes, thank you! Ah, but don't tell Honami-chan you're coming to the party later, okay?"

She showed a smile so bright that it was hard to believe that she had been sad and depressed just moments ago. It was often said that women were born actresses. But don't tell Ichinose? That part stuck out to me a little.

"Why keep it a secret? I'd like to ask permission from everyone to see if it's okay for me to join."

If even one student didn't want me to participate, I'd prefer it if they told me without reservation. If that were to happen, I could say no again unequivocally, this time in the name of the greater good.

"You know...that's just...well...Don't you think it would be better as a surprise, Ayanokōji-kun?"

I couldn't help but think it would be a surprise of the unpleasant sort. I didn't really want to get into it, but it seemed that her classmates had a lot on their minds regarding me and Ichinose.

"Well then, we'll be waiting for you in room 5034 at 8pm, okay?"

"Room 5034...You're doing it in someone's room?"

I thought we would be using a rest area or a deck somewhere. Moreover, I could tell from the room number that this was a room where girls, not boys, were staying.

"Is that a problem?"

"It's not that it's a problem...I just feel like I'll have a harder time getting there."

"That's not the case. Right?"

Somehow, Kobashi's 'right?' left me overwhelmed and on the defensive. One after the other, my possible escape routes were being taken away.

"I'll be waiting for you then! You definitely have to come!"

Perhaps satisfied with my promise, Kobashi walked away a little too fast.

"Ah, I give up."

It wasn't really the right time to talk to Ichinose face to face. Well, I guess if it was going to be in a crowd it would be fine. If it was a party to celebrate the end of the exam, there should be more than a few boys in attendance.

After all that, I didn't feel like playing around and spent my time feeling gloomy in my room. I finished my 6pm dinner, and in no time at all, it was just before 8pm.

"I guess I should go…"

If I could choose again right now whether to go or not, I would choose 'I'm not going' right away. It wasn't a particularly welcome invitation, but if I really didn't want to go, I should've refused without hesitation. This was all because I gave such a half-hearted response, so I guess I had no choice but to live with my mistake. I was determined, but...when I arrived in front of room 5034, I just stood there.

A minute had already passed since I first arrived. I was going to knock, but I could hear the occasional sounds of girls talking and laughing from inside the room. The presence of any boys...couldn't be felt at all right now.

I could only have a bad feeling about this. I wasn't sure why, but I felt like I was starting to sweat. What I was sure of, was that I was more nervous now than when I had to face Tsukishiro during the uninhabited island exam.

"No, wouldn't it be wiser to just turn around right now?"

The whisper of a devil leaked out of my throat. Wouldn't I take less damage if I just said I forgot and apologized later? That could work, but I'd like to avoid being branded as a person who breaks his promises.

What on earth should I do…?

I was in a bind and felt like I couldn't move when the spell was suddenly broken by an unexpected interruption.

"Oh, you came!"

It was Kobashi who appeared from down the hall. I didn't know if it was just bad timing or what…

In Kobashi's hand was a large plastic bag filled with snacks and small bottles of juice. Once I was spotted, running away was no longer an option.

"I think everyone's already here, so don't hesitate and come in."

"Y-yeah... I was just about to."

Escape was no longer allowed. The door that I had felt was too heavy to open, was opened easily, without hesitation by Kobashi. Was it really okay to open it so trivially? I wanted to prepare myself a little more...

As I was thinking that, the only barrier that separated me from the guest cabin was removed. Rather than sight, the first of my senses to be stimulated was smell. There was a sweet aroma in the air, like flowers or honey. And right after that, a girl's, or more accurately, several girls' eyeballs caught sight of me.

"Ta-da! I brought Ayanokōji-kun!"

It was a four person room, so it wasn't exactly spacious, with girls spread out sitting all over the place. What is this world in front of me? 1, 2, 3...with Kobashi included, there were 10 of them in total. In other words, half of the girls in Ichinose's class were here.

Moreover, there wasn't the slightest hint of any boys, which almost made me feel like I had been betrayed.

"Hey, saying you brought him is a bit rude, Yume-chan~!"

"Really? Oh, I bought what you asked for~"

She placed the plastic bag on a small table near the bed of this small room.

What was up with this fluffy, light-hearted gathering? It was definitely a little different to Kei and her group of girls. Most of the members participating were girls that I had never spoken to before, but I remembered their names and faces from the OAA app.

I was so taken aback by the sight that I couldn't move, and I felt Kobashi tap my back lightly. "Then, I wonder where we should put Ayanokōji-kun~? Ah, how about next to Honami-chan?"

While it was true that Ichinose was the person I was closest to out of everyone here, Kobashi didn't even think before assigning my place. I didn't think there was any choice to be made in the first place due to how small the room is…but it seemed like she never intended to give me the right to decide anyway.

Another curious thing was that despite the fact that there were 10 people in the room, there was enough space for a boy to sit next to Ichinose right from the beginning.

In other words, it wasn't a coincidence that there was a space there, but most likely a predetermined move. I thought back to when Kobashi invited me in the afternoon and compared it...I wasn't sure that doing something like this was going to help in the current situation.

In any case, standing here like this with 10 people staring at me would only make me uncomfortable, so I hurriedly made my way through the girls, apologizing for the disruption, and arrived at Ichinose's side.

"...May I sit here?"

"O-of course you can."

After hearing her brief reply, I sat down next to Ichinose, but everyone's attention was still on me. Or perhaps it would be better to say that everyone besides Ichinose, Kobashi and a student named Himeno, were watching me carefully, as if evaluating me. No, I needed to stay calm and keep a low profile. Then, when the timing was right, I should be able to slip out quietly.

Kobashi poured some tea into a clear cup and handed it to me. As soon as everyone had their drinks, Amikura, who seemed to be the one hosting this get-together, spoke up.

"So, without further ado...We're having a party to celebrate the end of the uninhabited island exam and also to thank Ayanokōji-kun for helping Chihiro-chan when she was lost. Cheers!"

Hearing these words, everyone raised their cups.

"Well, first of all, thank you Ayanokōji-kun. I really appreciate your help from that time."

It was Shiranami, who was sitting to Ichinose's left, that spoke up to thank me. I really hadn't done anything to deserve these repeated thanks.,, For now, I just nodded my head slightly, as I couldn't further the conversation.

"Um, Ayanokōji-kun.."

Personally, I'd like to say that the party was in full swing, but unfortunately only about ten minutes had passed when Shiranami suddenly faced my direction with a serious expression.

"What is it…?"

She clenched her hand around her can of orange juice, as if to motivate herself to say something.

"I'm grateful to you for your help...but I just can't accept it yet."

"...Huh?"

Without elaborating, Shiranami left it at that and squeezed the orange juice down her throat.

"Phuaa! I can't say any more!"

No, no, what are you talking about…?

I was left behind, and the people around Shiranami showered her with words of encouragement and praise, saying she had done well and worked hard. Shiranami was acting shy and embarrassed, as if this wasn't all that bad, but seriously, what are you talking about...?

However, when you're an outsider, you can't ask a question like that in return.

Shiranami talked to me at the beginning of the celebration, but after that, the girls started talking about their own problems. I just sat there watching their conversation unfold, meek as a lamb. Of course, if you were to ask me if I was comfortable, the answer would be a resounding no.

At any rate…It was amazing how the girls' conversation progressed, with new topics coming up one after the other. The topic of conversation, regardless of genre, was as busy as an airplane flying around Japan. However, no matter the topic, there was one thing in common.

That was because most of these girls centred their lives around Ichinose, having great trust and a blind faith in her. I wouldn't necessarily say that was a bad thing.

Ichinose Honami was unquestionably the most trustworthy student among the second-years. This was true regardless of whether you were a friend or foe.

The criterion for what constitutes trustworthiness depends on the individual, but I'd like to think that trust was something that was built up on a daily basis. No one would trust a person who had never spoken before if they suddenly said 'trust me'.

However, there was a difference between being trusting and having blind faith. Because even if Ichinose is a trustworthy person, there are times when she'll make the wrong decision. If you continued to trust a person that kept making wrong decisions, you wouldn't see any results. There was always a need for people who could point out when something was wrong in order to correct it.

"Can I have a moment?"

As their excitement peaked, one of the girls, who had so far only shown the occasional gesture, raised her hand.

"What's the matter, Yuki-chan?"

"The usual headache. Sorry, but I'm feeling tired, so can I go back to my room? I feel really heavy."

Normally, I wouldn't have paid any attention to such an ordinary, throwaway statement, but I was surprised by the tone of her voice. This was because Ichinose's class was filled with fundamentally polite, decent students.

Himeno revealed that she wasn't feeling well and wished to go back to her room.

"Of course, should I go with you?"

Ichinose and the other girls, hearing about their friend's condition, hurriedly called out to Himeno.

"Ah, I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm not a child..."

Himeno stood up, looking fed up with their overprotective behaviour. So there was a student like this in Ichinose's class, huh? As I recall, all of the people in Himeno Yuki's group during the uninhabited island exam were from the same class.

Anyway, the atmosphere preventing me from leaving seemed to have changed slightly. If I let this opportunity pass, I had no idea when I would be able to leave this place. I had to be bold and follow Himeno's lead.

"Well then, I guess I'd better get going."

"Eh, you're leaving already? You could've stayed way longer."

"No, I was only planning to show my face briefly, and I have plans to meet up with someone later."

If I told them I had plans, Ichinose and the others wouldn't try to hold me back.

"Well, then I'll see you later, Ayanokōji-kun."

With Ichinose and the other girls sitting pretty, I got up and left the room.

"Phew…I was about to break into a strange sweat."

No, it was safe to say I was already sweating.

Less than 30 seconds after Himeno left the room, I also slipped out of the demonic room 5034. It may be heaven for some people, but for me, I'm sorry, but it was a painful place to be. I couldn't say I was very good at interpersonal relationships after all. If I had committed to that kind of thing from the start, it might've been a different story, but I decided to play the role of an inconspicuous high school student. Suddenly changing that was no simple task.

However, since I hadn't had much contact with Ichinose's class before now, I think I was able to close the distance to a certain extent. With Ichinose at the centre, I was able to get a vague idea of the students surrounding her. What do they have and what are they missing? At this point, I knew the strengths and weaknesses of Ichinose's class.

The presence of students who could speak up was essential, no matter who was in charge in future. The only person I could think of who could do that right now was Kanzaki from the boys in the class. However, in a class that revolved around Ichinose, the girls seemed to have just as much influence as the boys.

Kanzaki was the type of person who could speak up against Ichinose, but whether he could appeal to the whole class and control the girls was an entirely different matter.

"Hmm?"

Himeno complained about having a headache and said she was going back to her room, but she walked in a completely different direction from the guest cabins. I only caught a glimpse of her as she turned the corner, but I was sure I didn't mistake her for someone else, as she had a very distinctive hair colour.

Himeno, the one who seemed to be a bit out of place during the girls' party earlier. She was acting a little suspicious, so I decided to follow her.

It was already late at night when we arrived at our destination, the stern of the ship, so there was no sign of life. I watched her profile from a distance and recalled Himeno Yuki's OAA scores.

Second-Year Class B Himeno Yuki:

Academic Ability: B- (63)

Physical Ability: C (51)

Adaptability: C+ (58)

Social Contribution: C+ (58)

Overall Ability: C+ (57)

Except for a high level of academic ability, they were neither good nor bad, and as far as I could tell, she didn't possess any outstanding abilities. However, that was just from what the school had decided. It was possible for students to have hidden strengths and weaknesses that couldn't be seen from the school's perspective. I'd like to keep digging a little more. The fastest route would be to speak with her directly.

"What are you doing?"

"Huh…? What?"

She averted her eyes with a slightly displeased look on her face. It was unnatural for her to be here since she left the room claiming she had a headache.

"Is your headache gone?"

She muttered a few words which were mostly drowned out by the wind, but I thought I made out the word 'annoying'. There certainly were a few boys and girls who used abusive language, but in Himeno's case, rather than to be abusive, it seemed she spoke like that so that others would keep their distance.

However, perhaps concerned about how others would view her, she cleared her throat once and turned her gaze in my direction.

"I thought that the breeze might help it ease up a little, so I was just stopping by."

"Do you get headaches often? You said something along those lines earlier."

I planned to ask her for more details, but she kept quiet, as if she didn't want to continue this conversation any further. She hadn't said a single word during the party, except for when she was leaving. In addition to that, the other girls basically never approached Himeno.

It wasn't like she was being bullied as Ichinose would never tolerate such a thing. Also, if their relationship was so bad, they wouldn't want to show it to someone from another class like me. In that case…

They must've half forced Himeno to come to the party. If I thought about it as them desperately trying to get a classmate to have fun, even if just a little, I could see the connection.

"It's because I get migraines."

She gave a short reply, in a cluttered manner.

"If it's a migraine, cooling it down is the correct response."

Migraines are caused by the dilation of cerebral blood vessels due to changes in hormones, fatigue and lack of sleep. Blood vessels dilate less when cooled, so exposure to a cold breeze wasn't a bad idea.

However, that was only if it really was a migraine.

She was about to start speaking, but I cut her off.

"Isn't your headache just an excuse to get out of an unpleasant situation?"

"Huh? Are you saying I'm a liar?"

Himeno had been relatively calm up to this point, but when I suggested she might be lying, her face changed. She was a rare type of person for Ichinose's class, where there were so many mild-mannered students.

My intuition wasn't wrong after all.

"I can see you're pissed off, did I hit the nail on the head?"

"You're wrong. Oh, what's this? Ah, my head is starting to hurt again...I'm going back to my room."

"I'm sorry if I upset you. It's just, could you listen to me for a moment?"

Holding her forehead, Himeno looked back in displeasure. "My headache is getting worse though?"

"I'm sorry."

"'I'm sorry' you say...you think it's a given that I'll listen to you?"

"You don't seem to like this."

"I don't."

The conversation flowed like a game of catch, and I could see it. This one seemed to be her true self.

"Ah well, guess I have no choice." Do you understand now? I shrugged my shoulders in exasperation. "I guess I have to go back to the party now and let them know that Himeno might be faking her condition."

"H-huh? Don't go treating me like this is a fake illness. You liar."

"Liar? I'm just saying you 'might' be faking your condition. At least that's the impression I got, so I've got the right to throw an accusation. You can just prove whether or not it's true or false in front of everyone later."

"There's no way to prove a headache, is there?"

"Maybe."

"What the hell's up with this? Everyone kept on praising you but you've got a nasty personality."

"At the very least, I don't think they ever praised me for having a good personality, did they?"

I didn't really want to say it myself, but all they did was thank me for helping Shiranami.

"Is that right...?"

"In any case, you're a strange one, Himeno. How to put it? It's kind of unlike a member of Ichinose's class."

"Strange? If you ask me, the people in my class are too good-natured. Our class tends to get together in large groups to do everything. Well, I don't mind that in and of itself, but the problem is that these meetings take too long, and nobody ever wants to leave."

If I had to repeatedly go to meetings I didn't like, I'd get fed up with it. However, Ichinose's classmates enjoy these gatherings. That was why nobody wanted to leave, which of course resulted in the meetings taking too long.

"If you don't like it, you don't have to participate, right?"

"Do you really think I can do that? Even if I think it's irritating, it's important to stay in line."

"Well, I guess so."

Their class as a whole was a cohesive unit, and there was an especially strong sense of unity among the girls. Even if you were secretly unhappy, it would take a lot of courage to throw a stone and cause a ripple.

Himeno. Perhaps my encountering her would be the one factor that would change the path her class was headed on. Normally, I wouldn't get deeply involved with Himeno, a person of the opposite sex, unless there was a special situation.

However, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to take a step forward here. Of course, if it ended up troubling Himeno, then so be it.

"If you want to relieve stress, isn't screaming the best thing to do?"

"Screaming…? Even if I wanted to, I'd get in trouble if I screamed here."

"Not many students come to the back of the ship, and when you consider the sound of the engine and the wind, even if you screamed, it wouldn't be heard. It would immediately be drowned out and disappear."

"But…" She looked puzzled, as if she had never screamed with all her effort before. "Well, why don't you go ahead and scream first?"

"...Me?"

I couldn't help but feel flustered by her unexpected response.

"I don't really know much about you, but you seem rather quiet...You don't seem like the type to scream out. If you show me how it's done, I'll try it myself."

I was in trouble. I don't remember ever feeling a strong sense of stress in my life, so if you were to ask if I had ever screamed out loud like I was suggesting, I'd say no.

"If you can't do it, hurry up and leave."

If I were to back out now, this would probably be the last time I would speak with Himeno.

"I understand──"

Having made up my mind, I screamed out into the ocean while Himeno watched.

"Ah───── Okay, now it's your turn, Himeno."

"...Are you kidding me?"

"Not at all?"

"Your voice didn't have a shred of volume. Seriously, you're messing with me."

"Then show me how it's done."

"I won't give you an example or any other shit after that."

I spoke at Himeno's back as she tried to leave in disgust. "I thought you said that if I did it, you would do it too, Himeno?"

"No, no, I don't care if you think you've done it, you're just annoying."

"Whatever the volume, I did respond to your request. But if your voice is just as low as mine, you have no right to make fun of me."

To make sure she didn't just scream in the same low voice, I pre-emptively shut her down.

"Ah, shut up...I know, I know. I just have to do it once, right? Then you'll leave me alone?"

After taking a breath, Himeno put both her hands up in front of her mouth as if she had no choice.

"WA────────────!!!"

The sound of the ship's engine and the wind drowned out the rest of the world, so no one aside from me could hear it. However, a voice, twice as loud as I had imagined, echoed inside my ears. I felt like the ship was rocking...but it was only a feeling, it shouldn't actually be shaking.

Her usual speech and demeanour were that of a downer, her tone was low and her voice was subdued. However, in actuality, she had a tremendously powerful voice.

"Hah...That felt refreshing."

Himeno nodded in satisfaction, seemingly unconcerned by my surprised reaction.

"Right? I also felt better after screaming."

"No, no, you didn't scream at all."

She poked and prodded me while sending me a cold glare, like she was looking down on me.

"Well...I think I could've done better if I was under more stress."

"Yeah? It really didn't look that way to me though."

"You were much better than I thought you'd be. You must've been under a lot of stress."

"Ha? I'll kill you, you know?"

She gave me a very sharp look. Even when she was angry, she would always use her mouth before her hands and feet.

"I went a little too far."

I honestly apologized for my behaviour, but she didn't seem to be offended. Maybe this Himeno had a fearless side to her too.

"I'm going back to my room."

"Ah yeah, I'm sorry I held you up with all this."

"If you know that you were in the wrong, that's better yet."

After saying this, Himeno returned to the ship.

"I think I'll head back to my room too."

The party was supposed to be a relaxing celebration, but I felt unusually tired. It seemed I was going to have a deep sleep today.