4.5

That same day, a little after 2:10pm. It was a time of day when most students had finished their lunch and were having fun.

I was quietly looking out to the ocean while waiting for the person I had called out. Taking out my phone, I clicked on my own name, Horikita Suzune, and opened the OAA app. I was expecting to see some changes after the results of the uninhabited island exam, but it seemed my scores were exactly the same. It was possible that it wasn't reflected because there were a limited number of situations where the teachers could observe each student.

There also weren't any changes when I checked the OAA scores of the person I was meeting later.

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

It had been a few days since the extremely harsh and somewhat unrealistic uninhabited island exam. Although my body no longer felt tired, my sense of routine remained thin because I was on a luxury cruise ship.

"Geh, you're still here?"

The voice came from some distance away. Before I could turn around, the words continued.

"Could you not use other people to call me out? They'll misunderstand and think you and I are close."

I approached Yamaga-san, who was from her class and shared a guest cabin with her.

"Unfortunately there was no other way to contact you. Or did you want me to approach you during a meal with many people present?"

"I'd definitely hate that. But I also hate gettin' approached in a way like today just as much."

"If that's the case, could you tell me in advance what I should do if I want to talk to you?"

"The best thing would be if you didn't think about talking to me at all."

Ibuki-san arrived at the meeting place about ten minutes late with a disagreeable look on her face. Without a single word of apology, she'd been complaining ever since.

"You don't seem to have been delayed by some special circumstance. By any chance, are you trying to be Miyamoto Musashi?"

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

Trying to make me angry…that couldn't be the case, right? Well, if that was her goal, she should've made me wait for two hours instead of ten minutes.

"If it wasn't just to harass me, I'd like to know why you're late."

"Huh? As I see it, you're the one harassing me by calling me out."

"Yes. You're absolutely right."

When I answered back in all seriousness, she sighed in exasperation. "What do you mean by, if I ignore your call, you'll consider me to have run away? You piss me off."

"If I reached out to you normally, you would just ignore me, right?"

"'Course I would. Who'd meet up with you because they want to?"

I was prepared for her to disregard me completely, but she came, albeit late. She disliked the idea of losing to me more than anything, so calling her out with a challenge was the correct decision.

"Ah jeez, I get it already."

'If you have something to say, say it quickly', was what her hurried attitude seemed to show. I'd like to be sympathetic to her feelings, but the circumstances meant that wasn't possible.

"Shall we talk while we walk? As for talking while standing around, it will take some time and this place is conspicuous."

It was a suitable spot to meet up at, but not a good place to have a private conversation.

"Huh?…Fuckin' hell."

Even though she was irritated, she followed me relatively obediently. For her part, she was feeling frustrated because she finished with fewer points than me in the uninhabited island exam. I wouldn't be surprised if she came at me looking for a chance at revenge.

We started to move and when we were able to blend in with the surrounding crowd, I started talking.

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

"…Ah, that shitty arrogant first-year."

I couldn't see Ibuki-san's expression because she was walking slightly behind me.

"It's a little hard to talk, so could you walk a bit faster?"

"Oh, shut it. What pace I walk at is entirely up to me."

"When you're alone, yes." I stopped walking and looked back. "You want to get this over and done with, that's why I'm trying to keep this as brief as possible for you. But in order to do that, I'm going to need your cooperation."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, I get it. I just need to walk faster, right?"

Saying that, she started walking past me with a speed like she was participating in a walking race.

How could I put it? She was like a child in a bad sense. Of course, since she wasn't childish in a good way, it couldn't be used to her advantage. I was watching Ibuki-san's back in disbelief while thinking that to myself when she turned and looked back at me with a scary face.

"Aren't you coming?!"

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

"Ahh, for fuck's sake!" Ibuki-san ruffled her hair, and then came back. "I'll listen to what you have to say properly, but you have to agree to a revenge match! Do you understand?!"

"Right. We're expecting to have a sports festival during the second semester…Depending on the circumstances, I might be able to make it happen."

"You mean I can take my revenge, right?"

"I just said it, didn't I? I'll make it happen depending on the circumstances."

After taking a few moments to sort out the meaning of my words, she bit her lip in displeasure.

"In other words, you also might not agree to it depending on the circumstances, right?"

"Oh my, even someone with your brain can decipher things like that. Well done, you have my admiration."

When I clapped my hands, it seemed she felt she was being mocked, as my hand was slapped away.

"You're violent."

"Shut up! If you don't promise you'll accept, we're done here!"

"I don't really mind, but then you'll never get the revenge match you want so badly."

"Hey…"

"I can't promise anything here, but depending on your actions, the possibility remains open. That's a very important thing, don't you think? I don't think I've lost to you. In other words, until you graduate…no, even after you graduate, you're going to have regrets about not winning."

"Aah…!"

"So? Are you going to listen to me or not? The choice is yours, Ibuki-san."

"I get it, I get it already! I just have to listen, right?!"

"It would've been better to be obedient from the start. This conversation with me, who you hate so much, would finish quicker, so it would be easier for you."

I decided to give her some advice for next time. Ibuki-san was hoping for a revenge match, but that really did depend on the future. Of course, if it would conflict with our class' objective, I won't become her opponent. Talking about that here would only bring about negative repercussions though, so I'll keep quiet. The fact that I gave her room to potentially accept a revenge match may have helped lessen her sour mood somewhat.

Ibuki-san stopped in her tracks and started walking at my pace.

"And? What about that cocky first-year?"

"How did it make you feel when you traded hands with her?"

"How did I feel…?"

"Stronger than anyone you've ever fought until now, isn't that how you felt?"

"Well…she wasn't in perfect condition, so I might have to admit it."

Whether it was myself or Ibuki-san, there was such a difference in skill that we wouldn't be able to match Amasawa-san even if she was standing on her hands.

"Yeah, there's no doubt that Amasawa's strength ain't normal for a first-year. Ah, I don't wanna think about it 'cause it makes me feel sick, okay?"

"Don't say that. You're the only one I can and need to have this conversation with right now."

Now that she'd confronted her face to face, Ibuki-san could also understand that. If I were to explain Amasawa-san's strength to someone who didn't know anything, they wouldn't be able to comprehend it at all.

"I know it's a strange turn of events, but you could also be in for some kind of damage. I thought I should apologize for that first."

"Damage?" Ibuki-san raised an eyebrow, as if she didn't understand what I meant.

"I've been thinking I should investigate Amasawa-san's background for a bit."

"You're gonna stick your nose into her business? Wouldn't it be better to just leave her alone? She seems to have a few screws loose and is a completely unpredictable type."

For Ibuki-san to say something to that extent, she must have a powerful impression of Amasawa-san.

"Certainly, she's a dangerous opponent. But I have a feeling that bad things will happen in the future if we leave her alone."

"Doesn't sound like she was interested in you though?"

"It's not for me. It's for Ayanokōji-kun."

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

"Ayanokōji, right. I don't really know much, but she sure seemed to know a lot about Ayanokōji."

Yes, Amasawa-san knew about Ayanokōji-kun. It didn't seem like she only knew him starting this year as a mere underclassman.

"He's my classmate. If there's anything I can do to help, of course I'll do it."

Even my teeth were on edge after saying that. If you'd asked me when I first entered this school, I would've had goosebumps and denied it with all I had.

"But if she figures out you're looking into her, she'll probably pick a fight with you. At that time, you wouldn't stand a chance, would you?"

"Her strength is…how do I put it?…I feel like she's in a completely different dimension to the world we live in."

"I'd like to say don't call it 'we', but that is definitely something else."

"So there was no one else as good as her in your memory either then."

"I'm the strongest of the second-years. It was the same when I was in middle school. There weren't many girls who practised martial arts, and I was never gonna be beaten by someone who only had a passing interest in it. In other words, I've been at the top for as long as I can remember."

"Yes, that's right. I think your strength is second only to mine in the second-year, I won't deny that."

"You're denying it so much. You don't recognise my strength?"

"Nobody said that. I just don't think I'm weaker than you."

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

"I wonder where you get so much confidence from. What's your basis?"

"Intuition?"

"I wouldn't count on that at all. You're just being self-centred in your analysis aren't you? We've not once fought each other at full strength. We don't have all the information to make a clear decision on who is stronger, do we?"

"Then it's fine to put me as number one provisionally, right? Why do I have to be second?"

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

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

We reached one of our destinations, the café terrace.

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

"I'm fine with anything, but…I'll have an ice lemon tea."

Ibuki-san and I finished ordering and I paid with my mobile phone. 1400 points for two drinks, that was pretty expensive.

We received two drinks from the barista who was ready to serve us.

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

"It feels strange that you're buyin' me a drink."

"You should just accept gratitude when it comes."

"Well, that's fine I guess."

Ibuki-san received the cup with her left hand and took a sip while staring off into the distance.

We then moved a little further away and stopped in a less crowded area.

"Because I fought her, I know we share the same sense of strength. On top of that, did you sense any weaknesses, or quirks in her fighting style?"

"She's not someone you can analyse that easily."

"…That's true."

It would be best if it didn't turn into a rematch, but… I didn't know what would happen if I pushed her too far.

"If you're on your own, she'll just turn the tables on you and finish it. I don't think that outcome can be reversed."

Ibuki-san wasn't trying to put me down or anything, she was just stating facts. Even if I were to retrain myself from this point on, it would play out just as she indicated.

"You're free to think about it all you want, but I think it would be best to just let it go."

"Did you hear what I just said? For Ayanokōji-kun…"

"Yeah, that." She interrupted my words, pointing the hand that held her cup towards me. "No matter what Amasawa does, if it's him he can handle it on his own, no?"

"…What do you mean?"

Certainly, Ayanokōji-kun is an excellent person. It was because I'd been watching him for a year and had a chance to learn a bit about him that I knew this.

But there were still many mysteries, and not everything had been revealed regarding his academic and physical abilities. Even I, who was in the same class as him, didn't know everything, so Ibuki-san, who was from another class, shouldn't know more. From the outside, all that should be known was that he was good at math and his motor skills weren't too bad.

"I felt like I was being assertive, but you must be buying into Ayanokōji-kun quite a bit."

"I'm not buying into anythin', anybody would think that considering his strength."

Ibuki-san clearly said 'anybody would think that considering his strength'.

"Did you by any chance hear about what happened with Hōsen-kun from somewhere?"

"Huh? Hōsen? Who's that again? Ah, that gorilla looking guy?"

We weren't on the same page and I was wrapped up in a queasy feeling.

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

"You say where…"

As she was choosing her words, her face looked as if she was lost.

"Did he keep you in the dark about all that? Did he not? I've forgotten…"

She closed her eyes and crossed her arms, as if she was trying to remember something.

"Something happened without my knowledge, didn't it?"

I'll give a little push here.

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

"Hmm…There's nothing I don't know, but it's not like I know what you're talking about either."

Since we were both keeping each other in check, I decided to take the plunge and continue the conversation.

"I think we need to compare the information we have."

"I don't really want to though."

"That won't do. Now that you've mentioned it, tell me everything you know. What do you know about Ayanokōji-kun that I don't?"

This was some kind of once in a lifetime chance to gather information. Anything, I didn't care what it was, even if it was a little thing, if Ibuki-san knew about it…

"Well, that's fine I guess. So, what don't you know?"

It seemed Ibuki-san couldn't decide on what to say so she asked me, sounding as if she considered this a hassle.

"I'm curious about what you were about to say earlier."

"The thing I was going to talk about was the rooftop thing with Ryūen and Ayanokōji. You know, the time when he called out Karuizawa and tortured her with water."

"What? Wait, what are you talking about…? I have absolutely no idea."

Ryūen-kun? Rooftop? And Karuizawa-san? Water torture?

Question marks kept popping up in my head.

"Ah~, so it's like that? That means he hasn't told anyone in the class then, has he?"

Ibuki-san nodded her head as if she were satisfied that she had come to understand it first. Then, Ibuki-san started talking about something I didn't know about Ayanokōji-kun.

As I listened to her, I stared out to the shining sea so as not to let my emotions get the better of me, whilst also trying to sort out my head at the same time. The fact that Ryūen-kun turned his attention to Karuizawa-san in order to fish out Ayanokōji-kun, who had been hiding in our class. And how, in order to save her, Ayanokōji-kun went to the rooftop alone.

Once there, he showed his overwhelming strength and overpowered Ryūen-kun and the others. Even though I knew about him to a certain extent, I was still surprised many times over.

"…So the reason why Ryūen-kun stopped messing with our class was because something like that happened…I really had no idea."

"Anyway, now you know, right? That guy's strength ain't normal."

"Yes, that's right. He's a man with immeasurable ability… Having fought both, who do you think would win in a fight between the two of them?"

"Who knows? I haven't seen either of them take a fight seriously. I'm not trying to say it's because he's a guy and she's a girl, but isn't Ayanokōji better overall? So there's no need for you to get involved."

Even if Amasawa-san tried to do anything to him, he might just have the strength to deal with her.

"But having physical strength doesn't necessarily mean he'll be safe. Especially in school, he might not be able to avoid expulsion. In fact, that strength could become his downfall."

On the uninhabited island, Amasawa-san was able to do whatever she wanted, but that wasn't the case while inside the school.

"Thank you Ibuki-san. Your information was more useful than I thought it would be."

"You're not gonna talk to Ayanokōji about all this?"

"Not yet anyway. This whole thing is about him to begin with, so I wouldn't be surprised if he had already guessed what was going on."

He should especially have some idea regarding Amasawa-san, given that they had been in contact several times even before the uninhabited island exam.

"And then there's the question of the paper…"

"Paper?"

"Besides Amasawa-san, there was one other thing on my mind concerning the uninhabited island exam."

I explained to her how someone put a piece of paper in my tent. Ibuki-san now seemed to understand why I was on the northeast side of the island on the last day of the exam.

"I see. Someone other than Amasawa sent you a note implying Ayanokōji was in danger."

"So you know the word 'implying', huh?"

"Could you stop making out that I'm stupid?"

Ibuki-san's academic ability score was low in the OAA, but she was surprisingly easy to talk to. I didn't feel as uncomfortable as I would when talking to someone who was clearly not at the same level as me.

"That time, Amasawa-san looked at the paper she received from me and tore it into little pieces. That behaviour had been bothering me for a while, but I think it might be because she didn't want to leave any handwriting evidence. Anyway, all I could remember clearly was that whoever wrote it had beautiful handwriting."

"Beautiful handwriting?"

"Yes. I don't think there are many people who can write with that level of penmanship."

"I see. So there's a possibility that the guy who can write that well is up to something. But won't it be hard to find them if that's all you have to go off? Plus the evidence was destroyed."

"It's not going to be easy. I can't just go around from person to person asking to look at their handwriting. The other thing is, and this is still an unsubstantiated theory, there's a possibility that the person who wrote those letters is physically capable. Whether it's Ayanokōji-kun or Amasawa-san, if they have such exceptional strength, it's also possible for this other person. Furthermore, it's highly likely that they're a first-year."

"Given that it concerns Ayanokōji and Amasawa, then sure, they could be a strong one. But what's the basis for them being a first-year?"

"Someone who was acquainted with Amasawa, who could be recognized by their handwriting. It's unlikely to be a second or third-year."

"I see."

Ayanokōji-kun, Amasawa-san, and a third party. Right now, I didn't have a complete picture of what linked each of them at all. But I couldn't just leave it alone.

"I intend to move in a way that keeps you out of harm's way, but I can't guarantee what will happen if I'm brought down. If Amasawa-san shows any strange behaviour, don't hesitate to get the school involved ──"

A light click echoed across the deck. Ibuki-san pushed the cup of tea against the railing strongly and the contents of the cup, which had still been more than half full, overflowed and covered her hands.

"What's wrong?"

"If you're brought down? I told you, I'm the one who's gonna take you down."

"It's not like I intend to be helplessly beaten. But we don't know what the unseen enemies, including Amasawa-san, might do, so…"

"The other side has two, so we should have two as well."

"Is that…"

"If you add me, the strongest out of the second-years, it's a different story, right? If you absolutely insist, then I guess I've got no choice but to lend a hand."

With that, she put the cup in her other hand and licked the lemon tea off the back of her hand.

"What's going on? I can't believe you've agreed to cooperate with me twice."

"I don't like how that first-year got the better of us, and I can't stomach the idea of you losin' to anyone but me. Besides…the truth is you came to me with the intention of relying on me for help, didn't you?"

Ibuki-san looked me straight in the eye.

"No, not at all?"

"Huh? Why don't you just be honest with me? Go on, say it, 'I need your help Ibuki-san'."

"I hadn't thought that for even one second though?"

"…Alright then! Don't come asking for my help a second time! Bye-bye!"

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

"What is it!"

"I'm going to have you work for free to pay for the drink I bought you earlier."

"Huh? You said it was on you and now you want to take my money?"

"Nothing is more expensive than something that was given for free."

"Then I'll pay you back right now."

Ibuki-san took out her mobile phone, but I continued.

"In that case, I'll take three million points." I raised my eyebrow and tilted my head, as if I couldn't understand why Ibuki-san didn't already know this. "It was my treat. Don't you think it adds that much value?"

"I don't think that at all! It was 700 points wasn't it?!"

"If you don't have the ability to pay me, then I'll write it off if you lend me a hand."

"You know…I'm gonna say it again, but are you incapable of being honest?"

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

For some reason, I felt it was embarrassing to honestly ask Ibuki-san for help, so I ended up doing it this way. But I maintained my usual demeanour and continued with my high-handedness.

"You really have a nasty personality."

"I think we are both equal in this regard, Ibuki-san."

Our gazes crossed each other and Ibuki-san drank the rest of the cup even though she was disgusted.

"That's one expensive lemon tea."

I laughed a little because I felt such a complaint to be somewhat amusing.