Chapter 4 Continuation

PART 4

Late afternoon. I was walking to the café terrace with one of my friends.

"It's been a while since we've seen each other like this, Satou-san."

"Yes, it has. Maybe since that time."

Since that time. That was when I told her that I was going out with Kiyotaka.

Since then, Satou-san and I have been good friends ... and have become much closer than

before, to the point where we can now call ourselves best friends.

But our group usually consists of four or five people.

That's how many of us are always hanging out together.

So it's not often that I get to be alone with Satou-san. It's the same on the boat this summer

vacation. In fact, since I don't have much privacy, I only have opportunities to play with seven or

eight people. I'm still a little reluctant to go to the pool ..., but I can cover my skin with a rash

guard so it's not a problem. Anyway, there's a reason why I forced myself to spend some time

alone with Satou-san today.

We found an empty seat. Satou-san and I looked around, trying to find a seat before we

ordered. Unlike the school, the café terrace was spacious enough that we didn't have to worry

about finding a

place.

However, based on what we were going to talk about today, we didn't want to be surrounded by

people if possible.

If you want to be at some distance away from the other students, it tends to be in a

place with poor sunlight.

I don't know what I'll do.…

"I don't mind if it's in the back of the room, okay?"

"Oh, you don't mind?"

"Because we have something important to talk about, don't we?"

Satou-san, who had guessed, said and gave me a cute smile.

"Thanks."

We decided to take the unpopular seat with no view of the outside.

After turning over the in-use bill, we went to order.

"Let me buy you a drink, since I called Satou-san."

Pushing past Satou-san's seeming reticence, I ordered two identical coffees

before taking a seat.

"So… what's the story?"

Satou-san asked as soon as we sat down.

I didn't mean to drag it out at all either, but ....

"Well, ... wait a minute."

"What's wrong?"

"Don't you think the atmosphere is a bit strange?"

I felt uncomfortable with the atmosphere of the place, and I confirmed it, but she tilted her head

curiously.

"Weird? I don't think there's anything wrong with it. ..."

"I guess so. I'm sorry for saying such a strange thing."

I didn't know why I felt this way at first.

But maybe it's something I've acquired from spending so much time with him ...Kiyotaka. He

never overlooks even the slightest change.

Is it someone's facial expression, emotion, or the atmosphere of such a place?

No matter what it is, he can detect and see through the changes. Maybe I've acquired such an

eye for picking out the right things....?

I don't know what it really is, but I've decided to think so for now.

But I don't know. Why do I feel such a bad vibe?

I kept my composure and began to quietly observe my surroundings.

"I wish we could live on a ship like this forever…"

I said as I sipped my cup and looked around.

"Haha, I agree with you. But if we continue like this everyday, we'll run out of money."

"That's true. Pools, movies, and good food, I'm sure I'll run out of money soon."

I noticed that the strange atmosphere had disappeared. Or rather, it had faded.

Was it just a misunderstanding on my part? I was too busy trying to figure out what was going

on that I didn't notice the situation changing.

A group of three third-year girls had joined us at the table next to ours, chatting and laughing.

"So, so~, Kisarazu-kun from B class, you know~?"

"Oh my god, seriously? I didn't know that~"

They were laughing out loud, chatting amicably.

Oh, I should have told you ... earlier.

Even though the ocean side is more

popular, it's no wonder people choose this place to avoid the popularity and sunshine. They may

not be interested in our conversation, but they are still close enough to hear it if they want to. I

could move to get away from them, but I didn't want to make a bad impression on them.

They were Senpais.

If it was a first year junior, or a third year senior, there was no way to get rid

of the possibility that they might not want to be next to me, and they might hold on to the fact

that I moved.

I'm well aware that abuse can start from such a trivial thing.

"Actually, I thought I'd tell Satou-san first."

Let's not worry about the irrelevant third-year students, let's just focus on

Satou-san here. It would be rude to worry about anything else.

"I think it's about time I told everyone about me and Kiyotaka."

"... Yeah."

I knew that Satou-san had almost guessed what I was going to say.

She might have even thought about the possibility that we might have

broken up. ...

No, I don't think so. If that were the case, I wouldn't have been able to keep my composure.

I couldn't imagine myself being able to laugh it off and say, "We broke up" without a care in the

world.

"That's why I thought I'd tell Satou-san about the ...."

"Wouldn't everyone be very surprised if they knew? That you two are dating."

I simulated it over and over in my head.

I knew that no matter when I said it, it would probably cause a bit of a stir.

I don't mean to speak ill of myself, but I'm not very pretty.

Before I met ...Kiyotaka, I used to act much more bossy than I am now because I didn't want

to be bullied. I've even used my flirty eyes on boys who weren't interested.

"So when are you going to tell everyone?"

Satou-san asked me about the timing, to which I immediately replied.

"Well, it's summer vacation right now, so I'm thinking I'll tell everyone when the second semester

starts."

"What did Ayanokouji-kun say about that?"

"He said he'll adjust the timing to my liking."

Satou-san takes a sip.

"I see. So you guys are in love?"

"What? Huh?"

"It's nice of you to tell me."

"Uh-huh. Well, it would be weird if we weren't lovey-dovey."

"Did you kiss him or something?"

"Yeah, what?"

"You've been going out for quite a while now, right? How is it going?"

"..., just one surprise."

I answer honestly and Satou-san smirks.

"That's nice, I'd love a surprise kiss."

"Oh, really? I wasn't prepared for it, and it was my first time ...."

Satou-san rolled her eyes a little when she heard such a murmur.

"Karuizawa-san didn't have anything with Hirata-kun? You'd been together for quite a while,

hadn't you?"

"Huh?"

"And it's not surprising if Karuizawa-san had a boyfriend in middle school."

As I listened to Satou-san's comments, I felt my blood run cold.

From her perspective Karuizawa Kei was a woman at the top of her caste, who was always

moving from one man to another as a popular girl.

To report that such a person had her first kiss was certainly a problem.

"Well, ..., you see, I'm very firm with myself."

She replied, trying her best to look nonchalant.

"Are you sure it's only your special boyfriend that you allow to do that?"

I poured a third of the cup of coffee down my throat in one gulp as I felt my throat grow thirsty

rapidly.

"But Hirata-kun was a super cool boyfriend too, right?"

"Well, yeah. But I guess he wasn't exciting enough for me."

Don't worry, I can do it.

Now that I've slipped up, I'll just have to go with the flow and cover it up.

"Hirata-kun is a calm and decent guy, so he didn't come on too strong. It was a little

unsatisfying, wasn't it?"

I apologize in my heart, but I sacrificed him for my own sake.

"I see. Well, it's true that I want my boyfriend to take the lead in some ways."

"Right, right?"

"But even Ayanokouji-kun is pretty crazy, even though he looks calm."

When Satou-san said that, I thought she was showing a little bit of regret.

"Satou-san... me..."

"Oh, sorry Karuizawa-san, that's not what I meant...!"

Today, I was just going to tell her that I was going to announce that we were dating.

But now I'm just a sarcastic girl bragging about it.

When I first entered this school, I thought it was fine.

I was a sarcastic girl, going around telling everyone what Hirata-kun did and did not do.

But now, I think that's not enough. I should have avoided making unintentional remarks because

I consider him to be an important friend. ... It sounds like a defensive instinct to protect

yourself, but it's just a selfish ego.

"It's okay, it's okay. It's normal to fall in love with a boy you like at the same time, it's been

happening for a long time. Well, ... in my case, I always lose."

Satou-san leaked such dissatisfaction by sharpening her lips. But after that, she immediately

returned to her usual cheerful state.

"Just to make sure, if Karuizawa-san dumps Ayanokouji-kun, it's okay if I ..., right?"

Okay, that's what you mean by okay, isn't it? I continue without finishing clearing my mind.

"You see, Hirata-kun can also go free and get a new girlfriend, right? So it's

the same for Ayanokouji-kun, right?"

"That's well, yes, but ..."

That's absolutely not okay! I mean, I'm not breaking up with him!

I shouted in my mind, but I couldn't bring it to the surface, so it was tough.

"See, I think Karuizawa-san can get a better guy."

"By higher-ranked guy, who?"

"I'm a little confused when you ask me who, but I'm thinking of ... Tsukasaki-kun and Nagumo-senpai "Huh?"

For me, both of them are just out of the question.

Speaking only of looks, Tsukasaki-kun is certainly top class, and maybe even the student

council president. I'm sure he's the best in terms of titles and such.

But…yeah I don't feel like they can be Kiyotaka's rivals.

He can be ... sarcastic, but he is also ... strong, cool, and mysterious. And yet…he

understands me.

"Yes! I'm sorry, that was unnecessary, thank you for the meal!"

"What?"

"Because it's written on Karuizawa-san's face. Ayanokouji-kun is the best."

I'm not sure what to do. My poker face didn't work on Satou-san, who knew the details of my

love life.

"Thanks for being the first to tell me. It made me happy."

"I don't know. ... I'm glad you did."

Then our conversation shifted to other people's love stories.

About the uninhabited island, about completely unrelated things.

It was the first time in a long time that the two of us were able to have a good time together.

Part 5

The same day. It was a little after 2:10 pm in the afternoon.

A little after 2:10 p.m., when most of the students had finished their lunch and were playing

around.

I was quietly looking out at the ocean, waiting for the person I had called. I took out my cell

phone, clicked on the my name, Horikita Suzune, and opened OAA.

I was expecting to see some changes after the results of the uninhabited island exam, but it

looks like there are no changes here. There were only a few occasions when each teacher

could see the students, so it's possible that the results were not reflected.

This was also the case when I looked at her OAA as I was waiting for her later.

I quickly closed my phone and stared at the ocean in silence.

It had been a few days since the grueling and somewhat unrealistic uninhabited island test.

My body was no longer tired, but I still felt a sense of everyday life, partly because I was on a

luxury cruise ship.

"Gee, you're still here?"

A voice called out to me from some distance away. Before I could turn

around, the words continued.

"Can you not call me out using other people? It'll give people the wrong idea

that you and I are close."

I called out to Yamaga-san, who was in the same cabin in the class she was staying in.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't have any other way to contact you. Or did you want to be approached at a

meal with a lot of people in the same room?"

"I definitely don't want to do that. But I hate it just as much to be approached in a way like

today."

"Then can you tell me in advance how I should go about it if I want to talk to

you?"

"It's probably best if you don't even think about talking to me."

Ibuki-san, with a disgusted look on her face, arrived about ten minutes late for the meeting.

Without a single word of apology, she only complained earlier.

"You don't seem to be late for some reason. Are you perhaps trying to be

Miyamoto Musashi?"

[For reference Miyamoto Musashi was a japanese swordsman, philosopher and Strategist. In

duel he had an undefeated record of 61 duels, The reference here is given when Miyamoto

Musashi had a duel with Sasaki Kojiro (another one of the great swordsmen) he intentionally showed hours late to the fight to disrespect him and make him angry before the fight which he

eventually won. For more info you can look it up]

"What? I don't even know what that means."

It doesn't seem like she's trying to piss me off - or anything.

Well, if that's what she's trying to do, she should make me wait two hours instead of ten minutes

late.

"If you're not trying to harass me, I'd like to hear why you're late."

"Huh? As far as I'm concerned, you calling me is harassment."

"Yes. You're right."

I answered back seriously and sighed in exasperation.

"What do you mean, if I don't go through with the call, you're going to pretend I ran away? I'm so

pissed off."

"If I call you out normally, you'll just ignore me, right?"

"Of course I would. Who the hell would want to meet you?"

I was prepared for her to ignore me completely, but she came, albeit late. She didn't like the

idea of losing to me more than anything, and I was right to call her out on the challenge.

"Oh, I get it now."

If you have something to say, say it now, or so she seems to be hurrying.

I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt, but there are circumstances that make that unlikely.

"Shall we talk while we walk? It takes a long time to talk standing up, and we'll stand out here."

It's a good place to meet up, but not a good place to talk confidentially.

"Huh? ... Damn you."

She's irritated, but follows rather obediently.

She's frustrated that she lost to me in the uninhabited island test.

It's no wonder she's contacting me for a chance at revenge.

As I started to move, I was able to blend into the hustle and bustle of my surroundings and

started talking.

"It has to do with Amasawa-san, the person we fought in the uninhabited island exam."

"... Oh, that damn cocky first year."

I can't see Ibuki-san's expression as she is walking somewhat behind me.

"It's a little hard to talk to you, can you walk a little faster?"

"That's too much. It's up to me what pace I walk at, isn't it?"

"It is only when you are alone."

I stoped and looked back at her.

"As for you, I'd like to cut this short. So for my part, I'd like to make this as quick as possible for

you. But in order to do that, I'm going to need your help."

"Okay, okay. Just walk fast, right?"

She said and started walking past me. It was like she was walking in a race.

What can I say? She's a child in a bad way. Of course, she's not a child in the good sense, so it

can't be a strong point.

As I was watching Ibuki-san's back

in disgust, she looked back at me with a scared face.

"You're not following me?

"Too fast a pace is also a problem. Can you walk moderately fast?"

"Oh, for God's sake!"

Ibuki-san came back, ruffling her own hair.

"I'll listen to you, but you have to accept my revenge match! Got it?"

"Yes, and I expect that there will be a gymnastics festival in the second semester - depending

on the situation, I may be able to make it happen."

"You mean I'll get my revenge, right?"

"That's why I'm saying it. I'll make it happen, depending on the situation."

After sorting out the meaning of her words for a bit, she bit her lip once in frustration.

"So you're saying you won't accept it depending on the situation, is that it?"

"Oh, you can decipher that kind of thing for someone with your mind, I'm impressed."

I clap my hands together, and she slaps them away as if she thinks I'm being

ridiculous.

"That's violent."

"Shut up! If you don't promise to take the job, we're done here!"

"That's fine, but you'll never get the revenge match you want."

"No…"

"I can't make any promises here, but depending on your actions, there is still

a possibility. Don't you think that's very important? I don't think I've lost to

you. I mean, ... no until you graduate, and even after you graduate, you'll still have regrets

that you didn't win."

"Gu...!"

"So? Don't listen to what I have to say. The choice is yours, Ibuki-san."

"All right, all right! I am supposed to listen to you!"

"It'll be easier if you're honest with me from the start, because you'll be able to make short work

of my story, which I hate."

I'll send you some advice for next time, Ibuki-san is hoping for a revenge

match, but it really depends on the future. Of course, if it doesn't match the

class's policy, I won't be able to deal with her. I don't want to talk about it here, because it would

only be negative.

The fact that I gave her room for a revenge match must have lowered her spirits somewhat.

Ibuki-san stopped and began to walk in step with me.

"Well? What's with that cocky yearling?"

"How did it make you feel to put your hands together with her?"

"How did I feel about ...?"

"Stronger than anyone you've ever fought, I guess that's how you felt."

"Well, ... I have to admit that I'm not perfect at that."

Whether it's me or Ibuki-san, there's a difference in strength that we can't beat even if

Amasawa-san stands on her head.

"It's true that Amasawa is a year old with a strange strength. Ah, I don't like to think about that

because it makes me sick to my stomach?"

"Don't say that. You're currently the only one who can or needs to have this conversation."

Ibuki-san could understand this because she had confronted her directly. If I were to explain

Amasawa-san's strength to someone who didn't know anything about it, they wouldn't be able to

comprehend a single millimeter of it.

"I know it's a strange story, but you may have suffered some damage. I thought I'd apologize for

that first."

"Damage?"

Ibuki-san raises an eyebrow, as if she didn't understand the meaning.

"I'm planning to investigate Amasawa-san's background in the future."

"You're going to stick your neck out for her? I don't think you should do that. She seems to have

a screwed-up mind, and you never know what she might do."

It was the strong image of Amasawa-san that made Ibuki-san say that.

"Yes, she's dangerous. But I have a feeling that if I leave her alone, something bad will happen

in the future."

"It doesn't sound like she was interested in you, does it?"

"Not for me, for Ayanokoji-kun."

At the mention of the name, Ibuki-san's gaze turned to the ocean side as if she understood.

"Ayanokoji, huh? I don't know about that, but she sure seemed to know a lot about Ayanokoji."

Yes, Amasawa-san knows about Ayanokouji-kun.

She didn't look like she knew him from this year as a mere junior.

"He's a classmate of mine. If there's anything I can do to help, it's only natural that I'll lend a

hand."

I thought to myself that this was a bit of a toothy conversation.

If I had asked him when I first started at this school, he would have given me goosebumps and

denied it with all his might.

"But if she finds out that you're looking into it, she'll probably try to set you up. You wouldn't

stand a chance then, would you?"

"Her strength is, how should I say, …. different from the world we live in, I feel."

"I'd say don't put "we" in there, but that thing is definitely different."

"So there is no one as good as her in your memory either."

"I'm the strongest out of the second years. It was the same in middle school. There weren't

many girls who did martial arts, and I was never beaten by someone who only had a passing

interest in it. I mean, I've always been the best as far as I'm concerned."

"Right. I think you're the second strongest second-years after me, I won't deny it."

"And you're denying it so much. Are you saying you don't approve of my strength?"

"No one is saying that. It's just that I don't think I'm weaker than you."

"No, no, I'm definitely stronger than you."

"I wonder where in the world you get such confidence. What's your evidence?"

"A hunch?"

"You can't rely on that at all. You're just analyzing me to make yourself feel better. Neither of us

has ever fought in perfect condition. You don't have all the ingredients to make a clear decision

on who is stronger."

"Then it's fine if I'm provisionally the best. Why should I be the second best?"

"It's the result of an objective evaluation."

"I don't get it."

We reached the cafeteria, one of our destinations.

"It's going to take a while, let me buy you a drink. What would you like?"

"I don't really care what you want, but I'll have ... iced lemon tea."

Ibuki-san and I finished our orders and pay with our phones. 1400 points for two drinks, that's

expensive.

I get two drinks from the waiter who's ready to serve us.

"Here you go. It's on me."

"It's kind of weird that you're buying me a drink."

"You should accept my thanks."

"Well, okay."

Ibuki-san accepted the cup with her left hand and took a sip while looking in the faraway

direction.

Then she moved a little further away and stopped in a less popular area.

"Because I fought her, I know that she shares the same sense of strength as I

do. On top of that, did you sense any of her weaknesses, any sort of quirks in her fighting

style?"

"She's not an easy opponent to analyze like that."

"...Yes."

It would be best if it didn't take the form of a rematch, but ... I don't know what would happen

if I pushed too hard.

"You alone will end up getting beaten back. I don't think that outcome can be reversed."

Ibuki-san is not trying to bring me down or anything, just stating the facts.

If I re-trained from here, it would only be as she pointed out.

"You're free to think whatever you want, but it's best to just let it go."

"Have you been listening to me? To Ayanokouji-kun…"

"Yes, that's it."

She interrupted, turning the hand that held the cup towards me.

"No matter what Amasawa did, wouldn't that guy be able to handle it on his own?"

"... What do you mean?"

Indeed, Ayanokouji-kun is a brilliant man.

That's because I've been watching him from the side for a year, and I've had

the chance to learn a little about him.

But there are still many mysteries, and not all of his academic and physical abilities have been

figured out. Even I, who was in the same class and Ibuki-san, didn't understand what was going

on.

From the outside, all they have is the information that he is good at math and not bad at

athletics.

"It felt like an assertion, but you must be buying Ayanokouji-kun quite a bit."

"I'm not buying it, anyone can see that considering how strong he is."

Ibuki-san said clearly, "I can see that, considering his strength."

"Maybe you overheard something about him and Housen-kun somewhere?"

"What? Housen? Who's that? ... Ah, that gorilla-like guy."

The conversation doesn't click, and I'm wrapped up in a bit of frustration.

"Where did you get the information that Ayanokouji-kun is strong?"

"Where...?"

I was in the middle of choosing my words when I got a look on my face like I had somehow lost

it.

"Was that something you were told not to say? Did they not? I forgot...."

Ibuki-san closes her eyes and crosses her arms, as if she is trying to remember something.

"Something happened that I don't know about, didn't it?"

I tried to push a little here.

"So you're the one who doesn't know anything about it?"

"Me... doesn't know anything, but it doesn't mean you know anything either."

With the two of us in check, I decided to go ahead with the conversation.

"Reconciliation, I think we need it."

"I don't want to, though."

"Not so fast. At this point, I want to hear everything you know. What you know about

Ayanokouji-kun that I don't know."

This is sort of a chance in a thousand to gather information.

If Ibuki-san knows a little bit about anything, anything at all, she can go to….

"Well, okay. What don't you know?"

Ibuki-san asks in a troublesome tone, as if she can't decide what to say.

"I'm sure you do, but I'm curious about what you were trying to tell me earlier…."

"What I was going to tell you earlier was about Ryuuen and Ayanokouji's rooftop incident. You

know, the time we called Karuizawa and waterboarded her."

"Hmm, what? I kinda have no idea what you're talking about ... at all."

Ryuuen-kun? Rooftop? And Karuizawa-san? Waterboarding?

Questions kept popping up in my head.

"Ahhh, that's what I mean. That means he hasn't told anyone in the class."

Ibuki-san nodded her head in agreement, as if she understood something first.

Then Ibuki-san started to tell me something about Ayanokouji-kun that I didn't know.

As I listened to her, I tried not to let my emotions get the better of me as I stared out at the

shining sea and tried to keep my mind clear: Ryuuen-kun had turned to Karuizawa-san to find

out about Ayanokouji-kun, who was hiding in our class. In order to save her, Ayanokouji-kun

went to the rooftop alone.

There, he showed his overwhelming power and overpowered Ryuuen-kun and the others.

Even though I should have known him to some extent, I was still surprised more than once.

"So that's what happened when… Ryuuen-kun stopped messing with our

class. I had no idea."

"Anyway, now you know. His strength is not normal."

"Yes, it is. He's a man of immeasurable things. .... Having fought both of them, who do you

think would win if the two of them fought?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen either of them take themselves seriously. I'm not trying to say

they're men or women, but I think Ayanokouji is the better overall fighter. So there's no need for

you to get involved."

If he was strong enough to deal with whatever Amasawa-san might do to him, he might be safe.

"But physical strength doesn't necessarily mean you're safe. It doesn't mean you can avoid

being expelled from school, especially in school life. In fact, your strength can be your downfall."

On the uninhabited island, Amasawa-san could do whatever she wanted, but on the school

grounds, it was not so easy.

"Thank you Ibuki-san, I think your information will be more useful than I thought."

"You're not going to talk to Ayanokouji about this, are you?"

"Not yet, no. I wouldn't be surprised if he has some idea of what's going on."

He had been in contact with Amasawa-san a few times, especially since it was before the

uninhabited island test.

"And then there's the matter of the paper. ..."

"Paper?"

"Besides Amasawa-san, there was another thing that bothered me about the uninhabited island

test."

I explained that a piece of paper had been placed in my tent.

Ibuki-san seemed to have an idea why I was in the northeast of the island on the last day.

"I see," she said, "someone other than Amasawa sent you a notice suggesting

Ayanokoji."

"You know the word 'suggest', don't you?"

"Can you please not make fun of me?"

Ibuki-san's academic ability is low in OAA, but she is surprisingly easy to talk to.

I don't feel uncomfortable as if I'm talking to someone who is obviously of a lower level.

"At that time, Amasawa-san looked at the paper she received from me and tore it into pieces.

That action has been bugging me for a long time, but I think it was because she didn't want to

leave any evidence of her handwriting. Anyway, I just remember clearly that it had beautiful

handwriting."

"Beautiful handwriting?"

"Yes. I don't think there are a lot of people who can write at that level."

"I see. So there's a possibility that the person who can write that good is playing a bad game.

But it's going to be difficult to find just that, isn't it? I mean, the evidence has been destroyed."

"It won't be easy, I'm afraid. We can't just go around asking each of them to write a letter.

There's also the possibility, though it's still an unsubstantiated theory, that the person who wrote

the letters might be physically strong, whether it's Ayanokouji-kun or Amasawa-san, if they have

exceptional strength. Furthermore, there is a high possibility that he is a first year student."

"Could be a strong guy like Ayanokouji and Amasawa for sure. But what makes him a first year

student?"

"Someone who Amasawa-san knows & his handwriting; it's unlikely that he's a second or third

year."

"I see."

Ayanokouji-kun, Amasawa-san, and a third party.

What kind of connection each of them has, we still don't have the full picture.

But we can't just leave it at that.

"I'll try to keep you out of harm's way, but if I fall, I can't guarantee what will happen next. If

Amasawa-san starts acting strangely, I won't hesitate to call the school…"

A light clank sounded on the deck. It was because Ibuki-san had pushed the cup of tea hard

against the railing. The contents, which were still more than half full, overflowed from the cup

and splashed onto her hand.

"What's wrong?"

"What if you fall? I told you I'm the one who's going to take you down."

"I'm not going to let you beat me either. But you never know what the unseen enemy, including Amasawa-san, will do, so…"

"There's two of them, so shouldn't there be two of us?"

"That's ...."

"It'll be a different story if I, the strongest of the second years, join in. If you insist, I'll lend you a

hand."

With that, she took the cup back in her other hand and took a lick of the lemon tea on the back

of her hand.

"What do you mean? I can't believe you've offered to help me twice."

"I don't want to end up being licked by a first year, and I don't like the idea of you

losing to anyone but me. Besides, you brought the story with the intention of relying on me,

right?"

Ibuki-san looked me straight in the eye.

"No, not at all?"

"What? Why don't you at least be that honest and say that you need Ibuki-san's help?"

"I've never thought of it that way before."

"Fine then, ...! I'll never ask for your help again! Bye-bye!"

As an angry Ibuki-san was about to walk away, I grabbed her by the left wrist.

"What the hell!"

"I'm going to ask you to work for free to pay for the drink I just bought you."

[T/L Note : Horikita with her dirty food tricks. Some things don't change. Also it's a joke]

"Huh? You said it was a drink from you, and now you're trying to take money from me?"

"There's nothing more expensive than free drinks."

"Then I'll give it back right now."

Ibuki-san takes out her cell phone and I continue.

"In that case, I'll take three million points."

She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, not understanding what I'm saying.

"It's a treat from me. Don't you think it's worth that much added value?"

"I don't think so at all! It's seven hundred points, right!"

"If you don't have the ability to pay, I'll make it up to you by lending me a hand."

"You know, ..., I'm going to say this one more time, can't you just be honest?"

"If I need to be honest, I will be."

For some reason, I was embarrassed to ask Ibuki-san to be honest, so I ended up like this.

I kept my normal demeanor and continued in a high-handed manner.

"You really have a disgusting personality."

"That's mutual, isn't it, Ibuki-san?"

Our gazes crossed each other and Ibuki-san drank the rest of her cup in disgust.

"A big cup of lemon tea."

I laughed a little, finding such a phrase somewhat amusing.

PART 6

It was dusk, the sun was setting beyond the horizon.

At the promised place, Ichinose was waiting for me, staring at the sea.

Looking at her fragile profile, I felt a little hesitant to call out her name.

"Ichinose."

"Ayanokouji-kun, hello."

I exchanged a quick greeting and stood in front of her. I wasn't in the mood to suddenly cut to

the chase, so I decided to talk roundabout.

"Are you still continuing with that method, the strategy of saving up your private points?"

It was irrelevant to the main topic, but Ichinose didn't show a single displeased face.

"Yeah. I've decided that there's no harm in doing it. It's easy to save up as much as you can,

and when you don't need it anymore, you can just give back the points you kept then to

everyone."

She says it's easy, but it's a strategy that Ichinose can continue to implement because she is a

trustworthy person.

As she said, there's nothing wrong with just keeping the points. If the money is automatically

depleted, it can be inconvenient, but if the money is guaranteed to be returned, it is a good idea

to have a large amount of money ready to move when the time comes.

The fact that it's the one and only advantage given to Ichinose is also a big factor.

"But the strategy of pooling is to be prepared for emergencies. That's not enough, is it?"

"Not if it's something new we've started, but this time it's a continuation."

In other words, she didn't prepare a new strategy, just a continuation of the previous one.

"Ayanokouji-kun, what do you think we are lacking?"

"Things that Ichinose's class is lacking?"

"Yes. We can't really see that on our own.…Ayanokouji-kun, I was wondering what our class

looks like from your point of view."

"During the uninhabited island exam, I had a chance to talk with some of Ichinose's classmates.

The first thing I felt was that there were many students with good character."

This is something you know without even saying it, but it's also an inseparable factor.

However, they don't like to fight, so they can't aggressively go for class points.

"I think it's important to be a little more forceful. I'm not saying you should foul or backstab, but I

think it's important to be strong against rough play."

"Rough play ..., huh? Yes, I agree. We need to be more firm to fight, right?"

I don't really have any concrete solutions in mind right now.

It's just painfully clear that she's trying her best to push forward into the darkness of the

moment.

"The uninhabited island test the other day. I'm talking about that reply. ..."

"Yeah, ... that's right, that's what we're here to talk about, isn't it?"

I gently put my face close to Ichinose's ear and tried to speak in a voice that was difficult to hear

without concentrating on the fact that there was no one

else around - that's when.

"What are you and Honami talking about when you meet up in a place like this?"

Ichinose, startled by the owner of the voice, the student council president Nagumo, hurriedly

distanced herself, but he would have definitely seen the scene from almost zero distance.

Was I being followed? No, I'm not stupid enough to be followed without knowing it.

So was Ichinose marked from the start?

No, this was probably due to Nagumo's countless eyes watching me.

No matter how much you move around without being seen, it's almost impossible to completely

escape the eyes of all the third-year students on this cruise ship. It would not be surprising if

some of them had seen me on my way here.

However, there was no sign of Nagumo's contact in the past few days.

It was as if he had planned it, and the timing was just what he had hoped to

avoid the most.

"Thank you for your hard work, student council president Nagumo."

Breaking the flow at once, Ichinose hurriedly worked on returning to normal

mode.

It wasn't that she was able to completely dispel her agitation and confusion. But even if she had

mended it perfectly, it would have been meaningless to Nagumo now.

"It seems like you two met on the last day of the uninhabited island, are you two sneaking

around together again?"

"Eh, let's see: ...."

Ichinose choked on her words as she was suddenly reminded of what happened on the

uninhabited island. For herself, she inadvertently confessed to me, and it is not straightforward

to deceive him.

I was about to interrupt her, but Nagumo stopped me with his hand.

I was under strong pressure not to interrupt now.

"Well, it doesn't matter what it is. It's just that… if Honami, a fellow student council member,

might be brought to tears, the student council president can't just leave her alone, can he?"

So that's what happened after all. I had already guessed this when I fully realised that Kiriyama

was on Nagumo's side.

Nagumo moved even closer to us, and stood next to Ichinose.

"Are you ... being made to cry?"

"I hope I'm wrong, but it's about Karuizawa."

He doesn't dare to say it in a single go, but speaks slowly and in small bursts to make himself

understood.

"Karuizawa-san, as in?"

Of course, Ichinose couldn't understand why Kei's name was mentioned at this moment.

"It seems you've only told people close to you yet, but I've overheard you talking about dating

Karuizawa for quite some time now. Am I right? Ayanokoji."

I'm dating Karuizawa.

When Ichinose heard those words, she probably didn't immediately understand what they

meant.

"What, you've never heard of them? Honami and Ayanokouji seem to be on

good terms, so I thought you'd have told her by now."

There was a slight pause before he continued.

"You weren't thinking of two-timing her, were you?"

I didn't reply to Nagumo's one-sided attack.

There was no point in telling him that I was trying to tell her that I was going out with Kei.

In fact, it is obvious that it would only be an act of rubbing salt in the wound.

"Is it really ...?"

"Hey Ayanokouji, Honami's asking, why don't you answer her? Or am I wrong and you have

nothing to do with Karuizawa? If that's the case, please deny it, and I apologize profusely."

Kiriyama had seen me and Kei together.

But I didn't give him any definitive indication that we were dating.

In other words, it's not impossible that he's trying to trick her into thinking I'm in a relationship

with Kei.

But there is no option for me to say, "That's not true".

If I were to say that, and later find out that we were together, my lie would be exposed.

In the first place, it's better to assume that Nagumo has confirmed the story before entering into

it.

"I hadn't told anyone about it, but where on earth did you get that information?"

"Ah ...!"

I could see the obvious shock in Ichinose at my admission of it.

First of all, Nagumo must have realised that Ichinose's feelings were directed towards me.

"I see you've realised that I didn't just jump to gossip and speculation, huh?"

He showed his teeth happily, but wouldn't talk about the seed or how to back it up.

I remembered vividly Kiryuuin's words that Nagumo might not be a good match for me.

"I don't want to say anything about people's love lives. But as I said before, Honami is a member

of the student council. She has a good chance of becoming the student council president in the

future. I have to protect her."

"I understand that the relationship between me and Ichinose is unnatural in the eyes of the

student council president Nagumo. However, I think it was premature for you to step in at this

stage, wasn't it?"

"That's true, if you're talking about Honami dating you and being cheated on, but from the looks

of it, that doesn't seem to be the case. It may have been a completely unrelated discussion.

However, if the two of you meet up in a deserted place like this just before dinner, it's

understandable that you would think that, right? I'm sure your girlfriend would be saddened to

see you in

this situation."

"Indeed, it might cause unnecessary misunderstandings."

"As the student council president ..., I did what I had to do as a member of the student

council."

Nagumo gives Ichinose one last look before approaching me.

"You should introduce me to your girlfriend sometime. I'd like to see her face at least once."

Nagumo taps me on the shoulder and whispers in my ear.

"You're free to think what you like about my methods. But, you know, it hasn't even started yet."

"It hasn't even begun?"

"You can mix a hundred truths with one lie and no one will notice. You have to make a decision

and you can't take it back. If you ever want to fight me, you can always come see me. If you get

down on your knees and show me one thing, I'll be your opponent."

In other words, unless I agreed to fight Nagumo, the relentless surveillance

and harassment would continue unabated.

He's talking about dragging me out into the arena of competition, even if it's by force.

"See you later."

With that, he left the place.

It hadn't even started yet, had it? The overwhelming surveillance and information network that

only Nagumo possessed.

All of the third-year students move as his hands and feet, his eyes and ears.

For the students of this school who live on the premises, it is as if their entire lives are exposed.

And then there was the saying,

"One lie for every 100 truths".

For now, he is just letting the truth out, but it means that lies will start to be mixed in with it.

To the casual observer, it is just an extension of harassment, a childish act.

However, he has done more damage to me mentally than anyone else I've fought so far.

Nagumo doesn't care that he's antagonizing his classmates by sticking to me.

Either he doesn't think that he will lose their trust because of something like this, or he doesn't

intend to gain their trust from the start and just wants to be bound by the rules.

Regardless, it is clear that Nagumo is prepared to do whatever it takes.

As Nagumo left, all that was left was a moment of silence.

It did not have any of the buoyant air that had been flowing right after we joined.

It was just a heavy, quiet time.

"Ah, haha. What's with the little interruption in the conversation? ..."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Well, that ... Why did I get called here?"

"It's about the uninhabited island…"

"Oh! That thing, that thing? That's .... that is ... so ...."

She shouted loudly, then her voice gradually faltered.

"Can you just forget it ...?"

Ichinose spat out, her smile never faltering the entire time.

"Sorry, I didn't know anything about it. I got carried away and said something selfish and, well,

weird ...."

"Like Nagumo said, I didn't tell anyone around me anything. It's no wonder you don't know."

"Yeah, I know, right? Maybe so, but ... I knew I was being stupid! You see, Ayanokouji-kun,

you're kind ... and you're very, very nice ... and there's no way you don't have a girlfriend

...."

In spite of Ichinose's strong will to never break her smile, her eyes were clearly moistened and

her eyes began to overflow with tears. She was trying her best to keep her tears from

overflowing, trying to keep her composure and pretend that nothing was wrong.

What kind of emotions do we feel when we fall in love with someone and they have someone

else in mind?

It's something you can't really understand from TV, books, or just from hearing about it. Although

it was a little different from what I had planned, I was now able to experience it right in front of

my eyes.

"Goodbye…"

Ichinose ran off, leaving me with one word that she had to squeeze out.

I didn't say a word or extend my hand to her back, but just watched her go in silence.

"Nagumo, huh? I guess I've made an enemy that's much more troublesome than I thought."

It was a little different from what I had planned, but it didn't change the path I was on.

Even though I felt the disadvantageous circumstances piling up against me, I

couldn't help but feel the curiosity welling up from deep within my chest.