Chapter 37 - Turtle

「The discussion period has ended.」

My power nap was cut short as I heard the monotone voice ringing from the announcement. I fixed my posture and stretched my body, which for some reason felt lighter than usual. When I checked my smartphone, it was already sharp at 2:00 P.M, signifying the end of the hour-long 'Discussion'.

"From this point on, we're free to do whatever we want, right?" Satou inquired.

"Well, we have five more discussion periods left. Why not end this one here?" Amikura spoke.

In the end, the group stuck with the proposed strategy, thus refrained from attempting to disclose the VIP's identity, which gave me a bit of psychological relief.

Students scattered when the discussion was declared over, the previously isolated hallway became crowded once more. The other classes had already started making their move. At some point, the only ones remaining on the room were class C and Kamuro and Shiina.

"We're heading to the deck. Do you want to join us, Levent-kun?" Satou suggested kindly.

Honestly, I was a bit happy to be invited by Satou.

"Thanks. But I already have some prior commitments that I need to attend."

"Oh... That's too bad," Satou slumped her head down in disappointment.

"Maybe next time."

"Then, see you later."

I waved them on their way. My physique was dying to go back and have a long meaningful conversation with the bed. At that time, I was planning on doing exactly that, but then-

[If you're free, can we talk again, today?]

I looked again at the lime message on my smartphone. It was from a certain pink haired girl. She wanted to meet me.

"Perfect timing..." I murmured.

At first I thought it'd be fine if it was on the deck of this level where we had talked before. But Sakura was weak to crowd, she was sure to be reluctant about meeting there. Because of that, I asked her about our meeting location. Immediately she sent me the location.

[Since there are so many people around, why don't we head to the bow?]

Still unable to handle the crowd, it seems.

After sending her the confirmation, I began ascending above the staircase. Since the first discussion of four zodiac groups had just ended, the elevator was going to be intensely packed. Only about ten people could ride at a given time, so it'd probably be faster to take the stairs.

I made my way toward the bow. Unlike the interior of the ship that was full of luxurious facilities, the bow only consisted of a large deck which provided a good view of the water. Because of that, it was usually quiet. There didn't seem to be anyone else around, which meant that we had the entire deck for ourselves.

"Where is she, anyway?"

At first I didn't see Sakura, which is why I began looking around. When I walked near one of the pillars, I heard some stuttering noise coming from behind. She was probably waiting for me there. Deciding not to give her a heart attack I slowly approached her.

"I was thinking about it, b-but... h-how do I do it? It's too embarrassing!" Sakura stammered, but somehow managed to let her words out.

What was embarrassing? I tried thinking about it hard. Yesterday, I gave her some advice on how to smoothen her relationship with her roommates. It required her to compliment them on various trivial occasions.

Was she not able to perform what I advised her earlier? Did my plan end up in failure? Or, am I just overlooking something obvious?

I silently closed in on the pillar trying to confirm my doubts.

"I-I... wanted to...d-d-d-da...date you!"

"....."

I see...

Without making a noise, I silently walked toward the pink haired girl.

"Hey, I'm here." I whispered, trying not to surprise her.

"Aaaieeeeeeee!" Sakura yelped, her soul practically leaving her body. I'd ended up surprising her after all.

"Wh-wh-when did you get here? How long have you been here?" she asked frantically.

"A little while ago. I didn't see you, so I was looking around a bit."

Like a frightened little animal, she began trembling in panic.

"Were you listening? Did you hear what I was saying?!"

Do I lie here, or...?

"You were talking about dating someone, right?"

"So you heard it after all!!!" she shouted.

If this was a gag anime, I'm sure I would've been able to see those comical spirals right through her glasses, or even some steam coming out of her head.

"Well, it's not really a bad thing to have a crush on someone. It's 'that' time of our life, after all." I shrugged and tried putting on a mischievous tone. "So, who's the lucky guy?"

Maybe it had finally clicked on her mind that I hadn't figured out yet who she specifically meant. She appeared relieved, but then also seemed a bit disappointed.

"I-it's nothing. You must've misheard."

She couldn't be any more obvious than this. But I decided to pretend not to understand, and tease her a bit more.

"Now I'm curious. Spit it out. Who is it?"

"No! I-it's not like that!"

"Give me a hint at least?"

"N-no! Never!" Sakura covered her face and turned away from me. Her face was tomato red from pure embarrassment. What a cute little creature~ I couldn't help but want to tease her more. My hidden sadistic side was acting up.

However, I kept it short, because I needed to end it quickly and return back to my room.

"Alright. I won't bother you anymore if it's that embarrassing."

"Hah~" Sakura sighed in relief.

"So, what happened? Did you call me here for a reason?" I asked.

"Um, well, you see, it's...ah...I was stressing out over the test and..." she stammered. Sakura, looking depressed, handed me a list. I read over the names written on it.

「Cow group:」

Class A: Nishi Haruka, Yoshida Kenta, Ishikawa Yumi, Natsuhiko Izayoi

Class B: Kobashi Yume, Ninomiya Yui, Watanabe Norihito

Class C: Ike Kanji, Sakura Airi, Sudou Ken, Matsushita Chiaki

Class D: Tokitou Hiroya, Nomura Yuuji, Yashima Mariko

"I thought I might know someone from the other classes but... amazingly enough, I don't know anyone. No one who would remotely consider me a friend."

Well, I could see exactly why she was stressed out. The test itself was about teamwork. Once the exam started, they needed to stick together. They couldn't be scattered, no matter what. Sakura's teammates, however, were a bit... Intense? Considering boys like Ike and Sudou, I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her.

"It seems you're in a bit of a pinch there."

I had also noticed a few familiar names among the other classes, though I didn't know anything about them. Nomura and Tokitou, yes. I did see those guys during the island exam. However, they didn't leave a particularly positive image on me. That was all I could think from that list.

"I wish I could help you myself. But I also don't know anyone from there either... No, actually..."

"Hm?" Sakura tilted her head in confusion.

I thought about it for a while. She probably wouldn't do anything daring on her own volition. It'd stay like this until the end of the exam, which was fine on hindsight. But...

"Why don't you try and talk to Matsushita-san?"

"Eh?"

"Yes. Matsushita-san. Express your insecurities to her just like you did for me. I'm sure she'd treat you kindly."

it was like teaching a child how to swim. If I gave her small pushes like this, then maybe she'd be a little motivated into facing her fear for people on her own.

Besides, there was Matsushita who, from my prior observations, was trustable enough to some degree. She was kind, tolerant, but most notably, a great social manipulator. I had high hopes of her treating Sakura kindly.

"B-but... it's so embarrass- hyah!"

I put my hands on her shoulder blades, and shook her a little, trying to make her snap out of that depressive trance. I looked her in the eyes and spoke with kindness, "You've got this, Sakura-san. I believe in you."

Sakura, who was a mixture of embarrassment and fluster, stared at me in daze, slowly nodding her head in response. "Hn!"

"Thank you." I let her go and step back a little before leaning on to the railing. "By the way, Sakura-san, I have something to ask."

"Hm? Ah...Wh-what is it?"

"Tell me honestly, did you follow exactly what I told you yesterday?"

"A-ah... That..." Sakura stammered. There was a high chance of her not doing any of the things I asked her to do. It would be understandable considering how nerve wracking the task could be. But regardless, I had high hopes for her.

Please don't disappoint me, Sakura.

"I tried to do it a few times to others... I-it was very embarrassing every time!"

"I see...So, what was the result?"

"...."

"...."

What was the result, Sakura?

"W-well, I think now they at least know a person like me exists?"

"...Rome was not built in a day. So, it would probably take some time for them to get along with you. Keep up the good work, Sakura-san. Fight on."

"I-I-I will try my best!" Sakura responded.

I moved my gaze toward the sea again. On that sunny day, a vast blue sea was ahead of me. A view so astonishing and frightening at the same time.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of this view.

"Remember, you can contact me again if something is bothering you. Feel free to tell me anything."

"Is that okay?" asked Sakura.

"Absolutely. I may not always be there, but as long as I am, I'll try my best."

Sakura's eyes sparkled like a child's. Perhaps she was glad to learn that fact.

"I'll definitely contact you!"

"Alright..."

I gave her a bow of acknowledgment before I turned around and made my way to the staircase again. Sakura was overjoyed and had a bit more vigor behind her words that usual. She was even humming a bit. It wasn't a bad sight per say.

And, I knew exactly the reason behind such behavior.

🄾🅄🅃🅂🄸🄳🄴🅁

I went back to my room only to find it isolated. I remembered Ayanokouji saying something about their meeting time being right after our's. By the time I got back, they must've gone to their designated room for their tests.

I quickly changed into my jersey and laid down, trying to get some sleep. But in the end, I only ended up moving left and right. Come to think of it, I had gotten a good forty minutes of nap time in the exam room.

'I won't be getting sleep any time soon.' I thought.

Bored out of my mind, I sat down on the bed and looked for my phone. Browsing the internet could temporarily fix my nigh permanent boredom, or so I thought. However, the phone's battery was flat, and it wouldn't turn on anymore. Heaving a sigh, I connected the charger to my phone and slumped my head back on the pillow.

I've been thinking about this for a while...

Should I, or should I not, manipulate this scenario?

I was having an internal strife with myself. The divider between 'this' and 'that' was paper-thin.

Manipulating the scenario was a tempting offer. It would give us an ample amount of class points in a short time. We could overtake class B almost instantly with this. However, the repercussions weren't negligible either. It will raise the suspicion of a 'Kuromaku' in our class. It would void our relationship with class B. But most importantly, it would entirely change the direction of the upcoming events in the future.

On the other hand if I didn't do anything, there was no saying what Ryuen would do this time. The butterfly effect had probably changed his way of thinking. Let's say, this time he decided to crush us as soon as he figured out the sequence. Class C would undoubtedly face a great deal of damage. The gap between D and C would lessen once again. But it would keep our façade running for a little longer. And hopefully there won't be any significant changes in the future.

What should I do?

"Hah~" I took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to elope from those overwhelming thoughts.

"Maybe I should get a book, or something?" I thought.

Earlier, when reading the ship's map, I remember seeing something like a library somewhere on the fifth deck. Well, it was better than having nothing to do.

I exited the cabin and took the elevator to the top floor. The usually packed fifth deck was less crowded than usual. It was probably because of the ongoing exam period. The time being almost 3:00 PM could be the reason too, but whatever...

I stood in front of the map located on a corner of the hallway. My head jerked up when I found that the library section did exist on the ship. I speed walked there and barged inside without delay.

Whoa.

Although it wasn't as big as the library we had on the mainland, this library was by no means, a small one. Like any other services of the ship, we could borrow books without any restrictions too. Although, I was told to return the books before the end of the trip, which was fair enough.

The library was understandably not as popular as the other facilities. So it was silent and more peaceful than the other places.

This is!

While browsing, I came across a title I didn't get to read in my previous life. 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo', the first part of the millennium trilogy. I was curious about this psychological thriller, and had it on my wishlist for the longest time. When I saw the same title on Shiina's hand, I was a bit surprised to say the least.

I grabbed the book and happily walked toward the librarian to check out.

"Hm?"

"...."

I licked my unusually dry lips.

For obvious reasons, Shiina was also happened to be there, reading her book in one of the tables. She must've entered while I was browsing through the aisles. At first, I thought she was immersed in her book, so she wouldn't notice someone like me who lacked presence.

However, her fixated gaze on me spoke otherwise.

That's why I retorted to plan B. I walked by and pretended not to notice her. When I stood at the reception, I silently passed the book toward the librarian and gave her my student ID. The librarian quietly took care of the procedure and handed me the book. I, also quietly took the book, and quietly left the library.

Shiina probably understood my disinterest in having a conversation. That was probably why she didn't approach me. I felt bad for purposefully avoiding her. I must've looked like a total jerk. Whatever...

I walked toward one if the isolated areas of the fifth deck. After finding an area to sit down, I opened the cover of the book, and quickly immersed myself inside the story of Salander and Blomkvist.

🄾🅄🅃🅂🄸🄳🄴🅁

After receiving my smoothie from the counter, I began walking around the deck, my eyes darting everywhere searching for a certain individual. The third batch of zodiac groups were free to leave at that time. So I wanted to exchange informations with her.

I pulled the smoothie pipe on my lips and took a sip. An extremely sweet, yet bitter taste filled my mouth. My throat and nose felt cooler than usual as the aftertaste. It was a bit irking, but I somehow enjoyed that taste.

I checked the lable of the smoothie. 'Clair Rose Latte'.

Is that what they used to call mint chocolate in my original world?

"Ara, Levent-kun. What brings you here."

The person who I had been looking for, called out to me from behind.

"I could say the same to you. Is the exam over?"

Kikyou approached me with her 'usual' bubbly personality. Unlike me, she was wearing her uniform. She didn't bother going back to her room and changing into something comfortable.

"Yes, we just finished our discussion a while ago." replied Kikyou.

"So, how did the discussion go?"

"It was...fine, I guess?"

"...What's with the pause?"

"No reason."

Kikyou had her usual smile plastered to her face throughout the conversation. However, I felt as though there was something else she wanted to convey.

"Would you like to go somewhere else? Just the two of us?" I asked.

"Ooo.. You're quite bold today, aren't you, Levent-kun?"

"...what?"

"Could it be that you're going to confess to me? Are you asking me on a date, hm? Or, are you suggesting something a bit more..." she pressed close to me and whispered, "...scandalous."

"..."

Forget what I said earlier. Kikyou had a mischievous grin plastered to her face. With a mischievous tone she began her mischief. Truly a mischievous co-worker she was.

"Won't you have a hard time if they saw you flirting with me?" I mused.

"...Nothing ever gets to you, huh?"

"You just realized that?"

"How boring..." Kikyou pouted.

I sighed and took a big sip of the mint chocolate.

It was one of the moments when I had difficulty believing that she was the same girl who would try to expel someone just because they knew of her hidden persona. I was momentarily taken aback by her joke, but it was a welcome one. After the banter was over, I wheeled over to an isolated corner of the deck, alone to avoid standing out. Kikyou followed a bit later.

"Well...is there something you wanted to talk about?" asked Kikyou.

"Give me a brief summary of what happened during your group's discussion."

"Why are you interested in our group discussion?"

"I'm simply gathering information before making a decision."

"Is that so? Sounds deep."

"You don't have to worry about that. Now, the details..."

"Hmph! Alright, listen carefully. Here's what happened..."

Though she was a bit pouty at first, Kikyou began thoroughly explaining what took place during the Dragon group's discussion. According to her interpretation, Class A abstained from the discussion, whereas Class B tried their best to keep things calm and peaceful. Class D on the other hand... constantly went back and forth with the other members, as if they were playing around.

"So, nothing eventful?"

"You can say that. We just sat there, constantly dealing with that Ruyen's provocations for an hour."

"Sounds rough." I muttered.

"Not really."

"...Eh?"

"Eh?"

"...I never expected you to be into that stuff." I deadpanned.

"Like hell I am!"

"Then, why?"

"Well... It wasn't a bad sight, y'know? To see that bitch (Horikita) getting toyed around by that bastard." Kikyou smirked. It was a sadistic smirk.

"...."

"?"

Suzzzt...

I took another sip of the mint chocolate smoothie. Thinking about it now, the taste actually grew on me, and I kinda liked it. For some reason, everyone hated and avoided this drink previously. I never understood why. They were missing out on this delicacy.

More importantly, there was a bit of history between Horikita and Kikyou, and Kikyou's previous statement probably had something to do with that. Unfortunately, I was unable to solve their conflict yet, so they were still at each other's neck. Even now, she'd still harbor dark thoughts for us, regardless how many times I reassured her.

"...Tune it down a bit. You're creepy." I commented.

"Wanna die?!"

In any case, judging by Kikyou's description and the easygoing personality, it probably wasn't that big of a deal. Ryuen was poking everyone to cause reaction and get some hints. But he could still make do without getting the name of a VIP from the other classes. He'd already gotten his hands on the VIP identities of his class. He probably needed another name just to be sure.

In that case, I already took measures against that problem. Kikyou, hopefully, won't cooperate with him this time, unless I asked her to.

"By the way, Kikyou. There's something you must do tonight."

"What's with all the suspense all of a sudden?"

"You will understand when I tell you..."

Kikyou eyed me with suspicion for a while. It was regrettable that she had to be the one. However, beggars can't be choosers.

"So, what is it... The thing that you want me to do?" Kikyou asked.

Knowing what was about to come next, I turned around, closed my eyes and spoke with absolute confidence...

"Stand proud, you have a date with dragon boy."

🄾🅄🅃🅂🄸🄳🄴🅁

Day 1, 9:00 PM;

Meeting #2:

Sitting on the chair, I was rubbing my left side that was still aching from Kikyou's punch. Don't let her feminine appearance fool you. She may be a girl, but her punch was anything but girlish.

Gorilla! Yes, it was a gorilla punch! When her fist made contact, I could even feel the raw emotions surging through me. The punch was packed with pure disgust and irritation for saying such bullshit-like utterance. I was even convinced that I had a few broken ribs. What a craft!

Aside from that unnecessary fact, the second discussion was relatively less chaotic than the first one. Everyone minded their own business, casually talking with each other, while some were drowning in their smartphones. If someone saw this scene, and was told that this was an ongoing exam, I'm sure they'd have a laughing fit from this.

Well, it had nothing to do with me. At that moment, I was just happy to bring the book with me this time. I silently got up from the chair and made myself comfortable on the sofa. I opened the book and began reading where I had left off.

The millennium trilogy. Swedish author Strieg Larsson's best-sellers that had received praises from all over the world. As far as I had read, it was an interesting read. Each words contained consistent level of thrill and suspense, which gave the readers a completely different kind of experience. I slowly began understanding why it received such praises as I was also drowning inside the mysteries surrounding serial murders of Hedeby island.

As a result, I almost forgot that I was in supposed to be in a special exam.

"You..."

Hm?

A soft voice brought me back to reality. At first, I thought it was Shiina from the mild nature of that voice. However, when I checked the owner of the voice, I had realized that I was mistaken.

"Hey?" she called again.

"Yes?" I responded.

Yamamura Miki, that girl from class A who I remembered being indulged in her smartphone in the earlier meeting, was the one who called out to me.

Sitting next to me in the sofa, she stared at me. I didn't notice when she got there, probably because I was too focused on my own book. I looked at the screen of her smartphone on her hand. It was a Webnovel interface, 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint' or something like that was the title of that.

For some reason, that name got me curious.

"You, and that girl. You're both reading the same book. Is it famous?"

Yamamura pointed toward Shiina who also happened to be reading this book. I guess, she was just curious about the book we were reading. Perhaps she was also a bookworm like Shiina?

"Famous, huh? I guess you can say that." I replied.

It was the first part of the award winning 'Millennium Trilogy'. Obviously, it was famous. It was widely praised among the thrill seekers from all over the world.

"Hm..." the girl hummed in monotone, with a neutral expression on her face. She seemed like she was thinking about something.

"What is it about?" she asked.

"Do you want the synopsis, or just a brief summary of what happens?"

"Give me the summary. Just be careful enough not to spoil."

It was understandable that she didn't want to be spoiled. I didn't like spoilers either.

"It's a story about an indicted journalist Mikael Blomkvist, and a private investigator Lisbeth Salander, about the mysteries surrounding a serial murder on a small Island."

"So, it's a murder mystery."

"Actually, I haven't finished reading it yet, so can't really tell. But I guess the story is headed that way."

"I see."

"...Perhaps you're not a fan of suspense thriller?" I asked, curious about her preference.

"That's not the case. I'm quite fond of them, actually."

"I see..." my eyes went toward the book she was holding. "And what about the novel you're reading?"

"Hm?" she tilted her head to meet the interface of her smartphone. "Oh this? It was a thriller too, I think? I just finished reading it."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. It was a very long and enjoyable read. But after reading the conclusion, I feel kind of empty." she let out.

"I see."

She just needed something else to fill that empty void. I guess that's why she was asking about the book.

But, really. How relatable~. The emptiness that comes after a long read, it was a universal emotion all reader felt at some point of their life.

"Do you want to know my opinion on this book? If it's a worthy read or such?"

Yamamura silently nodded as a reply to that question.

"Very well. Here's my opinion." I closed 'Dragon Tattoo' and looked her passionately in the eyes before replying, "Read it, you won't regret it."

"...is that so?"

Yamamura seemed to be deep in her thoughts again.

During our conversation, she didn't show much emotions to my words. Of course, it could be because she only interested in the book rather than the person reading it. For some reason, she reminded me of Horikita when she's neutral. If it was up to me, I'd naturally put her on the kuudere list. (Except for the dere part, because we barely met.)

After taking a moment to contemplate, Yamamura opened her lips...

"Mind if I read a few chapters? I want to see it for myself."

"Sure, I have no problem with that." Leaving a bookmark on where I was at, I handed her the book. "By the way, are you fine with the English translation?"

"I don't have any problem with that."

"Alright then."

We both sat next to each other, and turned to the very first chapter of the novel. I was reading again, the words detailing the adventures of two protagonists of that story. Some people may think that it would be boring to read something that you already know. But if you read again, the story feels different altogether. Reading again was more fun than people make of it.

Yamamura seemed like she was enjoying the story. She was concentrated in reading the words from the white canvas. Probably imagining herself to be in the protagonist's shoe.

"Are you done with this page?" she softly asked.

"Yes, but feel free to change pages whenever you're done. I've already read this part once."

"But you're re-reading it, aren't you?"

"That's true. Alright, I'll tell you when I'm done."

Yamamura Miki was sitting on the right side, and I was on the left. Unlike a Japanese novel, the chronological page orders were from left to right. Whenever, Yamamura was done reading, she would wrinkle the page, as if asking if I was done. She'd only turn the page if I nodded. It was surprisingly surreal, to have a reading partner who I could share my book with.

I noticed that the other students would throw brief glance at us. It was probably due to our unique way of reading. Yamamura didn't seem to care about the attention, so she remained unaffected. It didn't affect me either, but what caught my attention was from an unexpected person.

"...."

Shiina was also one of the people who were curious about us. She probably wanted to come here and talk about the novel. Maybe she was hesitating because she felt like she would be bothering us if she came. I felt kind kind of bad for her.

In the end, we ended up reading beyond the part where I had left off, and kept reading until the second discussion was declared over.

🄾🅄🅃🅂🄸🄳🄴🅁

Before we parted, Yamamura told me she enjoyed the novel and wanted to continue reading it. That's why I accompanied her to the library. Her classmates didn't seem to like that fact, but they didn't interfere either.

Unfortunately, there happened to be only one copy of the book in the ship's library, the one I had on me. Yamamura seemed a bit disheartened by this. So, I decided to spend another hour reading the book with her in the library. I wasn't complaining though, as it was good to have a silent companion while reading.

It was late at night, almost near midnight when I returned to my room. My roommates Ayanokouji and Hirata were yet to return. The only person I found inside the room was Kouenji.

"Yo, it seems you have returned quite late, Levent-boy."

"I had my circumstances."

Kouenji was in his signature uniform, his legendary speedo's covering nothing but his swangaboongas. He was doing push ups right next to his bed. His entire body was covered in sweat, hinting that he had been exercising for a while. Despite that, Kouenji was barely out of breath. He wasn't bothered by anything at all. No ordinary high school student of his age would be able to accomplish that.

"Oho? Was it perhaps a girl?" Kouenji spoke with a confident smirk.

"Ahem... Anyways, you seem to be in a good mood, Kouenji." I coughed.

"Hahaha! A perfect being like me is always in his prime, both physically and mentally."

I looked at him with genuine astonishment. If only I could have half of his strength.

Anyways, there were more pressing matters to worry about. In the story, Kouenji was the traitor for the Monkey group. The monkey group, the VIP of which happened to be from class B didn't take that kindly. This prompted class B's Kanzaki to make a secret deal with Ryuen in exchange for giving him that name of the Monkey group. This was all made possible because of the domino effect caused Yukimuras' nagging to Kouenji.

However, this time Yukimura wasn't there.

"You didn't participate in the earlier discussions tonight, did you?" I asked in a cold voice.

In other words, I had to be the one to make sure that the deal happens.

"Well, I couldn't exactly help it. I was in awful shape. You can't possibly expect me to do the impossible."

"That's just an excuse to get out it, and you know it."

"Oh, but I'm not lying when I say I was in a bad sha-"

"You just told me, that a perfect being like you were always in your prime, both physically and mentally."

Kouenji briefly staggered in his push ups. Quote "Briefly". He looked at me with an amused smile and said...

"My, this test is becoming nothing but troublesome, wouldn't you say?"

He continued his push-ups for a while, then stood gracefully. He grabbed his towel from the bed and started wiping his body.

"Well, there isn't any point to continue a test that isn't interesting. Finding a liar is simple, don't you agree, Levent-boy?"

"I wonder." I simply shrugged in reply.

Kouenji, phone on his hand, started to fiddle around. Soon after, two of our phones recieved a notification from the school.

「The test has now ended for the Monkey group. Those in the Monkey group are no longer required to participate any further. Please do not disturb the other students.」

...said the letters in the email.

"You never fail to surprise me, Kouenji." I commented as a reply to his recklessness.

"Your complement is well received. And now, I finally have my freedom once again. Adieu."

He tossed his phone aside before slipping into the bathroom. I was left in the room all by myself staring at the email from the school.

"Wh-what happened, Levent-kun?" suddenly a winded Hirata barged inside the room.

"I'm confused as well. He just went for it." I pointed toward the bathroom where Kouenji was at. Looking at the situation, Hirata was dumbstruck. He sat on his bed and sighed. Moments later, Ayanokouji joined the party and asked the same question.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. Ask Kouenji." I responded.

Ayanokouji eyed me curiously, as if he had questions regarding this event. However, he refrained from asking, and sighed while sitting on his bed. All three of us were sitting in a circle with chins resting on our hands.

"Well, we still don't know anything yet. He probably had his own ideas." Hirata smiled wryly.

"I really hope that's the case." I sighed.

Kouenji's action quickly became known to rest of the student body. Hirata's phone started to beep continuously as new messages poured in. Everyone was desperate to know what on earth was happening. Ichinose, Katsuragi and Ryuen were probably surprised by this too. Who knew that a small stone thrown in the pond could cause such ripples?

My phone buzzed. Horikita messaged me:

「I'm sorry. Things seem really confusing now. Can I give you a call?」

「I'm heading toward the fifth deck. Meet me there, if you can."」 I typed back and closed the phone.

"I'm stepping out for a bit." I said before standing up. Ayanokouji also stood up and said, "I'll do the same."

He probably had something to discuss, that is why it was the best chance to exchange information.

We headed outside the cabin, Ayanokouji didn't spend a single second and ask, "What are you planning to do, Levent?"

I couldn't answer him immediately. It was because I wasn't sure about the answer myself. It was possible to win the exam with an overwhelming gap. But to be honest, I could see my own limitations in this exam.

"Let's just survive this one." I replied.

After a long pause, Ayanokouji nodded his head. He seemed to agree with my thoughts.

"I understand."

Like always, I wasn't sure about this. But this was one of the moments where I had left everything up to fate. My future plans would greatly depend on the results of this gamble. Whether I won, or whether I lost; it didn't matter. The stakes were high, but it was a gamble worth taking.

Let the gamble begin.

「E: whoosh! 5700 words. What a pain...

Did you miss me? Oh, you little rascals! I know you did!

So, how'd you like Yamamura?

I'll have to apologize to Shiina-fans. It was a request from one of my favorite reader and a fellow writer friend. That's why Shiina-chan shall be protected from Aozaki's rizz. Thus she's not part of the harem anymore.

I'm still thinking about how to develop more characters and scenes. I feel like I'm not in my prime anymore, like I used to be during the island exam arc. Let's see what more can I experiment with.

Anyways, just an early notice, I'll be taking a long break 'again' to fix some earlier parts of the story.

With that, I'll take my leave.

E... Out.」