Chapter 1: With Ike and Komiya

It was the morning of August 4th, the day after the completion of the uninhabited island special exam. For the next seven days, from today until the end of August 10th, the students would spend their vacation on a luxury cruise ship. We were promised that there wouldn't be any special exams like the zodiac exam held last year.

The ship had a swimming pool, a fitness gym, a movie theater, a concert hall, a bathhouse with a view, a shopping area with restaurants such as the café terrace, and various other entertainment facilities.

In other words, we'd earned the right to enjoy all of this.

So where was I on this long-awaited first day…?

I was relaxing in the four-person cabin assigned to each student with my mobile phone in my hand. There was no need to rush off to play just because you had a few days off.

In fact, it wasn't a bad idea to give up all entertainment for a while to get some rest and relaxation. In contrast to the hard bed from our dormitories, the bed of a first-class brand gently embraces the body. That feeling was further amplified after spending the last two weeks living in a tent on an uninhabited island.

I'll leave it at that as far as the situation for the first day goes.

The class points for August were determined and announced based on the results of the uninhabited island exam. Normally, they were announced on the first day of the month, but this time the beginning of the month coincided with the middle of the uninhabited island exam. Because of this, the point totals were announced late so that they could account for the results of the special exam.

For students enrolled in this school, the beginning of the month started with the confirmation of class points. The same was true for our individual rankings, but class points were directly related to our private points, which in turn were directly related to our monthly allowance. If you didn't have any money at your disposal, your holiday on this luxury cruise ship would be wasted.

Second-Year Class Points for August:

Class A led by Sakayanagi: 1206 points

Class B led by Ichinose: 578 points

Class C led by Horikita: 571 points

Class D led by Ryūen: 551 points

As a result, our class ended up rising to Class C by a narrow margin. There was a chance we could've even risen to Class B, but we were just one step short.

However, there was nothing to be pessimistic about. In fact, the results were rather good, with Kōenji managing to get us 300 class points with his solo win.

I was once again reminded of the destructive power of this overwhelming points bonus. Kōenji had always been perceived as a nuisance by many in the class, but those people would have no choice but to change their view now.

However, I was skeptical of whether this change in view would last forever. In exchange for the huge amount of class points he had earned, he was given a card that meant he would be 'exempted from all cooperation' until graduation. If this fact were made public, the number of people who felt honestly happy about the situation would likely decrease. Nevertheless, I think this was a good thing.

If we hadn't gotten Kōenji's 300 points, we would've had to keep fighting for a long time while being uncertain of whether we could really keep up with the upper classes. Having all three classes side by side like this would be a great help mentally.

Now we were just a step away from being able to rise up and become the sole Class B. From there, we would have to try and close the gap through direct confrontation with Sakayanagi's class.

This upward path also applied to Ryūen's class, which had dropped to Class D.

He was unable to finish in the top three in the uninhabited island exam, so didn't win any points for his class. The points gap had shortened as a result of this, but there was nothing to complain about regarding their ability. The addition of Katsuragi would raise the overall academic performance of the class and provide them with a sense of stability.

In addition, Ryūen made some kind of deal with Sakayanagi. It was hard to say if it was a contract to do with private points or class points, or even something completely different, but it may well have an impact in future battles.

Although there were some concerns, their momentum wasn't slowing, but increasing, making them probably the scariest class right now. They dropped to Class D in name only; in fact, I am sure they don't care one bit.

In contrast, Ichinose's class, which had risen back up to Class B, was not in bad shape if you only looked at the results.

With Sakayanagi leading, Ichinose was able to gain class points through cooperation. However, they couldn't rest on their laurels, as the gap between Class B and Class D was only 27 points. We'd entered a situation where the rankings could be switched come September 1st through minor behavioural issues alone. Depending on the results of the uninhabited island exam, they could've fallen to Class D. The anxiety Ichinose was feeling must be quite strong. The moment of truth will come soon, Ichinose.

I sent her a message, though only in my heart.

I didn't think that there would be more exams like the uninhabited island exam where all classes in all years participate from here on, so the next special exam should be a battle among our year. If they fall behind Class C and Class D, the future will look bleak for Ichinose's class. In other words, the next battle may decide their future…

The situation of the three classes side by side could be briefly summarized as such.

In the end, it was Class A led by Sakayanagi on top. It wouldn't be easy to close that gap. Their sense of stability was outstanding, and as such, they were able to slip into third place in the uninhabited island exam and accumulate class points.

They have many excellent students, and Sakayanagi's ability to control them was perfect. Furthermore, the strategies Sakayanagi was capable of using weren't limited to just the traditional or unorthodox, she was able to use both with great dexterity. Class A was truly unshakable, and she was certainly worthy of being their leader.

There was barely a chance, but if 'Horikita's Class' gained momentum, it wouldn't be impossible to catch up. Yes, it wasn't like there was no room to manoeuvre.

Of course, in order to do that, the dominant Class A needed to be broken down in some way. The shortest route would be to get rid of Sakayanagi, but it would be extremely difficult to do so when considering her protection point. Even if she didn't have a protection point, it would be no simple task. Rather than destroying the head, the smart thing to do would be to crush the pieces that are the limbs.

We would need to eliminate more than just 1 or 2 people, but if Kamuro, Hashimoto, and Kitō were absent or otherwise made dysfunctional, there was only so much Sakayanagi would be able to do. There were unknowns about Kitō, but the other two seemed to be people with a lot of problems that could be exploited.

Well, I'll leave it at that for now.

With the official start of the summer vacation, all classes had temporarily stopped fighting and were in a state of truce.

From here on for a while, it was my turn to have as much fun as I could as a normal student. Until the other day, my pockets were empty, but when the class points were announced and the private points for August were given out, my wallet was suddenly full. Our class had 571 class points, or in other words, 57,100 yen worth of private points were given to each person. I didn't receive any bonuses since I wasn't able to get into the top rankings for additional rewards, but it was more than enough. Private points were essential for spending a fulfilling time on this luxury cruise ship, as the system required a minimum number of private points to enjoy a movie or meal of your choice. Last year, all the facilities on board were free of charge, so the rules have been tightened up regarding money as well. Of course, it didn't cost anything to spend the week holed up in your guest cabin, but then it would be no different to living in your dormitory on a day off.

Ping! There was a pleasant little sound and then an email arrived.

I received a message on my recently returned phone that the detailed results of the uninhabited island exam would be released at the resting area by the fitness gym on the ship for two days starting today. Since only the top and bottom few groups had been announced, many students would be interested. As for me, it would be best to check it out so that I could keep an eye on the future.

However, it would be more convenient to send the list to everyone's phones, but they didn't do that. Did they not want students to take the results home and analyse them for a long time? It could be considered a measure to avoid leaving unnecessary evidence due to Tsukishiro's involvement this time.

There was a part of me that wanted to go check it out right away, but it was likely that students would be coming in droves, so it would probably be better to give it some time.

Forgetting about the test results for the moment, I decided to take care of something else. Using my phone, I sent a simple message to Ichinose with a request to meet briefly in the evening in three days' time. Of course, it was easy for her to imagine that it was in response to the spur of the moment confession I received on the uninhabited island.

I thought about seeing her and giving my reply right away, but the gruelling uninhabited island exam had only just ended. It was okay to let her spend some time regaining her strength and having some fun with her friends. Since the message hadn't been read yet, I turned off my phone for now.

I decided to see what my roommates, Miyamoto Soshi, Hondō Ryōtarō, and Miyake Akito, would do.

"Hey Ryōtarō, the exam results are out. Wanna go take a look?"

"Hmm...pass… I can't walk, I'm a wreck. Right now I just want to lie in my bed…"

Not only was he tired, but it was understandable that this bed would take away his energy to move. The temptation of the bed was too much for all of us, including me. Hondō, who was particularly exhausted, turned weakly to his left and showed his back.

"You've been like that since yesterday."

"I felt like dying when I moved and I really wanted to eat, but I couldn't get it down my throat."

With his back to me, he covered his head with the duvet and curled up. For now, it seemed he just wanted to lie down and sleep. The trip on this luxury liner would last for a week, so it was a wise decision to not panic and wait to recover his strength.

"What about you guys, Miyake and Ayanokōji? Aren't you a little curious about your rankings?"

Akito turned his gaze towards Miyamoto as he fiddled with his phone. "I'm good. I have a good idea of what rank we placed. Honestly, I think it's enough that we didn't get expelled. I just want to relax for today, like Hondō."

It wasn't hard to imagine that Akito, who was working with both Haruka and Airi, would've had a lot of trouble as the only guy in his group. It must have taken more of a toll on his spirit than his physical strength.

"You were in the same group as Sakura and Hasebe right?" Miyamoto asked Akito whilst sitting on his bed.

"What's this all of a sudden?"

"I was in a group with three guys, so it was a hell of a sweaty time, but you must've been in heaven surrounded by girls, right?"

"What kind of heaven is that? If you ask me, it was hell 'cause there were so many things to take care of. A bunch of guys would definitely be easier."

Because both were part of different groups, each was claiming the other had it better.

To be honest, I was glad I didn't join either group. For this exam, unless you were really good friends, it was better to go alone.

Anyway, when the two of them refused, Miyamoto's gaze turned towards me as well. Unlike Hondō and Akito, I was able to regain most of the strength I had lost on the island by sleeping well in my bed. I wasn't quite in perfect condition, but I'd have no trouble moving around the ship.

However, instead of rushing, I could go take a look later. Besides, even if Akito didn't go, it was possible that other members of the Ayanokōji group might go to check it out.

"I'm going to take it easy today. I don't like crowds and I'm sure everyone is curious about their rankings."

Bang bang bang!

When I tried to say no like the first two did, there were several knocks on the door of the guest cabin. The momentum of the knocks was unbelievably strong, as if something unusual had occurred. Akito jumped up and rushed to open the door, revealing Ishizaki. There was a tense atmosphere as if something was wrong…

"Ayanokōji, let's go check out the test results together!"

Everyone was taken aback by his smile and what he had said. Akito turned around and looked at me, having lost his voice.

"No, I'm…"

"What, you're not busy are ya? Come on, let's go!"

He barged into the room and grabbed me by the arm while I was sitting on the bed.

"When did you guys become such good friends?"

The person who was most surprised by the situation was Akito, with whom I spent the most time. Ishizaki, who was from a rival class, was also a bit of a problem child, so it wasn't surprising that Akito was concerned. In fact, the other two had also been taken aback by Ishizaki's appearance and were still stiff.

"Well, it just kind of happened…"

I had nothing more to say, but I didn't think Akito would find my explanation satisfactory. Despite the strong pressure of Ishizaki's smile, I decided to pull back and turn him down.

"I'm a little tired today."

"Whatcha mean you're tired? If it's you it'll be fine. Come on, let's go!"

With no regard for my feelings, he didn't seem to want to give up on dragging me out the room.

"...Okay, I get it. Let me get changed for now."

"Right, I'll be waitin' for you in the hallway then!"

Perhaps because he was satisfied with my answer that I would join him, Ishizaki walked out of the room.

"Looks like you've caught the eye of a nasty one. Let me know if there's any trouble."

"Thank you, Akito. Well, Ishizaki's not a bad guy, so I'll be okay."

"Not a bad guy, huh? I ain't got a good impression of him. It's possible Ryūen's pulling his strings from behind. You'd best be on your guard."

We'd repeatedly had clashes with the delinquents led by Ryūen, so it was natural for those who didn't know the inner workings of the class to think that way. Ishizaki wasn't good at hiding things or playing games, but if he was being controlled without knowing it, then he could be troublesome to deal with. Saying that, now that weren't in the middle of a special exam, I could assume that wasn't the case.

After changing out of my uniform, I raised my hand lightly to Akito and left the room. Ishizaki seemed to be the only one waiting in the hallway, and I couldn't see any other students.

"Right, let's go~!"

"There's no need to be in such a hurry, is there?"

"Eh? Why not?"

"Even if we don't rush, the results will be up for two days, so we can see them later, right?"

"I want to see it quickly. I'm the kinda guy who, when a new movie comes out, can't wait and goes to see it straight away."

Even if he explained to me that he was that type of person, there was no way I could understand. It was a little hard to imagine Ishizaki going to the movie theatre in high spirits on the day of its release.

"I went to see 'World Domination 16' the day it came out."

I'd never heard that title before, but it sounded like it would have guns and fists flying all over the place. And 16 films made it quite the long series. However, that title didn't appeal to me at all.

"I'm curious where Ryūen-san's group ended up placin'."

At any rate, Ishizaki didn't seem like the kind of guy to not have many friends in his own class. He shouldn't have needed to invite me, a student from another class.

"Are you sure you don't want to invite Ryūen and the others who are worried about their ranking?"

I'll ask him indirectly to find out his true intentions.

"That guy will say somethin' if he needs to. If he hasn't said anythin' yet, then it ain't needed."

"That's easy to understand."

"Right. A lot of the other guys are too tired after being on an uninhabited island and passed on my offer."

Like Akito and the others, most people just wanted to rest right now.

"You're in good spirits. Aren't you tired?"

"Me? I recovered after I slept."

"I see"

It was a surprisingly simple answer, but it was easy to understand. He might not have particularly good motor skills, but he seemed to be more resilient than most. However, the fact that he chose me after the process of elimination didn't really make sense.

"You're easy to talk to, Ayanokōji."

"...Is that so?"

That was a little surprising, since I wasn't very good at socializing.

"You're way easier to talk to than that weirdo Kaneda."

I didn't know much about Kaneda, but the comparison resulted in some complex feelings.

On the way, we passed by a store.

"Oh, they're sellin' national flags!"

Ishizaki's eyes sparkled with excitement as he picked up national flags from all over the world in the store. As I watched him with a confused expression, wondering what was going on, Ishizaki rubbed the bottom of his nose with his index finger and answered.

"Ah, you know, when we went to Albert's room before, he had a collection of flags. I dunno, maybe I've been inspired by him, but I've been collectin' them too."

So, one person's hobby influenced another person, and that spread? They'd apparently found a common hobby in collecting flags, which seemed to be a rarity nowadays.

"I don't know much about Albert, but he's a good guy, isn't he?"

"Yeah, that's right. When we first came to school we had a bunch of problems, but now he's my best friend."

It was true that I often saw Ishizaki and Albert together.

"So, as far as friendships go, it's smooth sailing, I guess."

I was honestly impressed and said so, but Ishizaki's face hardened slightly as he walked beside me.

"It's not really like that. It's not like I'm the most popular kid in class."

"Is it because you're working under Ryūen?"

"I don't think that's necessarily the reason, it happened right after I came to this school after all. But after our run-in with you on the rooftop, I was supposed to have defeated Ryūen-san and taken back the class. I'd been hangin' out with a lot of people I'd never really gotten to know before."

He spoke so much that he seemed to be at a loss for words. It was true that Ishizaki's position may be complicated. There were more than a few students who were hoping Ryūen would be defeated and were grateful to Ishizaki. However, if he were to fall straight back into line under Ryūen, he would inevitably face opposition.

"So, I'm also part of the cause."

"Ah sorry, I phrased it weirdly. It's not your fault, Ayanokōji. That was a fight we started in the first place. It's true that some of my friends left me, but now I'm friends with you instead, so don't worry 'bout it."

Ishizaki turned his head my way and laughed powerfully. But there was something fragile about that laugh, almost dangerous.

"Don't go trying to solve the class problems all by yourself."

"I know. Class problems are solved with classmates together. Ryūen-san returned with that determination."

Ishizaki believed so and would do everything he could to follow.

"Whoa, there are loads of people."

Sure enough, the rest area near the fitness gym where the test results were disclosed was crowded with students. A large sign beside the monitor read, 'Photography is strictly prohibited' and there were two adults, probably associated with Tsukishiro, watching the students.

The rankings and scores were displayed as a list on the monitor, which seemed to be scrolling automatically. Right now we could see the group members and scores for the groups ranked 50th through to 60th.

"...Huh?"

Suddenly, I felt an incredible sense of discomfort flowing through my body. What was it? I couldn't immediately figure out what it was, but I felt an indescribable sick kind of feeling.

"I wanted to get a closer look at the results, but I don't think I can concentrate with all this."

Ishizaki, who wasn't feeling the same discomfort as me, looked at the monitor and muttered in displeasure.

"There's no helping it. I'm sure a lot of people wanted to know the detailed results of the exam."

Ishizaki clicked his tongue in frustration and had no choice but to squint at the results from the spot. Although he had a bold personality, he wouldn't push the upperclassmen to get to the front.

The trouble was, even though it was an auto-scrolling monitor, you could touch it with your hand to hold it in place or scroll to look at any order. Currently a third-year student was operating it, so it was unlikely we would see the top results that Ishizaki wanted to see anytime soon.

"What shall we do?"

Even if we waited for a long time, it would be a while before our turn would come.

"I'm curious, but let's not overdo it. We can look at it later after all."

That was what I said a few minutes ago but...If he understood, then it was fine.

"By the way, do you notice anything?"

"Hm? Notice what?"

Ishizaki, who was about to turn around, didn't seem to have noticed anything.

This bizarre atmosphere. The number of gazes directed at me.

This couldn't be dismissed as just my imagination. It wasn't that Ishizaki next to me was too slow and unaware of it. It wasn't Ishizaki, or any other students; the gaze was focused entirely on me.

They were watching my every move, with no apparent intention to hide. All of the students looking at me had one thing in common; they were all third-years. I didn't know all the details yet, but I was certain that Nagumo was involved in this. I guess this was one of his plans that he had decided set in motion after putting it off in anticipation for the exam.

"What's up?"

Apparently, I was so lost in thought that Ishizaki was worried about me.

"No, it's nothing. It looks like a lot of other students are coming to check it out, so let's head back."

"Oh, yeah you're right."

I'd imagined he'd try something sooner or later, but this was a bit troublesome. It would've been much easier to deal with if Nagumo had decided to confront me directly. He got me with something I hated to deal with right from the start.

"Hey, you haven't eaten yet, right? Let's eat together."

"What? Ah, yeah I haven't eaten yet, but…"

I started to walk away, and there was no sign of the third-year students following after us. In the end, all they did was watch me, but it didn't feel great to be stared at relentlessly.

"What's the matter with you? You don't want to eat with me? You're a rude guy."

"It's not that. I was just thinking about something unrelated."

I couldn't involve Ishizaki in this, but if they didn't come after us, we'd be fine.

"It's rude to think about other things like that."

He had a point. Let's forget about the third-years for now.

"Are you fine with it? Eating with me?"

"Who cares? We're just eatin' a meal together."

I couldn't deny that I was feeling some pressure, but it didn't feel bad at all. I just couldn't get over the fact that Ishizaki was treating me like a friend.

"I don't know if I've said this before, but I'm not invitin' you out like this just to get you to join our class. It's 'cause I like you as a friend, okay?"

Without hesitation, Ishizaki uttered a line that, in a way, set my teeth on edge. But then, as if realizing something, he turned around.

"...Am I botherin' you?"

"That's not the case."

"Right!?"

For a moment, Ishizaki seemed to wonder if he'd been acting selfishly, but then he immediately laughed with a cheerful face. Well, I already knew that he had this kind of personality. I didn't feel bad at all, so I decided to just go along with Ishizaki.

As the two of us left the area and started to move, we heard footsteps running towards us from behind.

"Ayanokōji-senpai!"

The owner of the footsteps was Nanase, who I had worked with for the first half of the uninhabited island exam.

"You came to see the results of the exam too, senpai?"

"Yeah. Saying that, I couldn't go over them slowly, so I gave up."

"Is that so? Right now the third years are operating the monitor, so we underclassmen will have to wait a while before we can view it freely."

Apparently Nanase also wanted to know more about the results, but decided against it. Ishizaki was watching our conversation with curiosity. Thinking about it, Ishizaki probably hadn't had any direct interaction with Nanase.

"Oi, oi Ayanokōji. When did you get to know this cute girl?"

"A lot happened."

It was tedious to explain from scratch, so I gave him that summary.

"Oi, don't tell me you're...datin' an underclassman, are ya?"

"That's a big leap. It's just a normal senior and junior relationship."

It was unusual for me to be brought into this sort of thing. I'd thought that Ishizaki wasn't particularly interested in relationships with the opposite sex, but not so much, apparently.

"Did you want something from me?"

"No, after I saw you, senpai, I just wanted to come talk to you."

She spoke without hesitation as she looked at me with bright eyes, despite the contents of her reply being somewhat embarrassing.

"Sorry for bothering you. Excuse me!"

One minute she was running up to me, and the next, she was running away. The ship's interior was the same as the school corridors in that she shouldn't be running here, but I guess she was just about safe.

"She was a cutie. And her...you know...was pretty…you know"

I'm sorry, but I guess I'll just skip over the 'you know' part.

"You're really not dating her, right?"

"No, we're not dating."

It would be annoying to have people misunderstand and spread the story. That was why, once again, I firmly pushed Ishizaki so that he wouldn't talk.

When I returned from my meal with Ishizaki, I found Ike standing in front of the door. He had a restless look on his face as he worked his phone. After raising his head and checking his surroundings, our eyes met.

"Oh, Ayanokōji! I'm glad you're here, I've been waiting for you."

Ike was waiting for me? Another unexpected occurrence.

"Actually, I'm thinking of going to visit Komiya right now, and I was wondering if you'd join me."

"Me too?"

Ike approached me, asking me to lend an ear, so I did.

"How to put it?…I feel a little awkward going to see him by myself."

"Why?"

"You say why...Well, you know, I...I'm going out with Shinohara. When we were heading back to the ship after the exam, there was a moment when we were alone, and…"

It seemed he confessed his feelings and Shinohara gave him the okay. I thought their relationship might develop, but this exceeded my expectations.

"Is that so? Well, congratulations."

After I bluntly offered congratulations, he averted his gaze in embarrassment.

"Ah, thanks. But...from Komiya's point of view, I think I might have done something unfair."

"I don't think so though."

"No, I mean, rather than unfair...It's like I was stealing a march on Komiya."

Certainly, Komiya had to retire from the island exam early due to injury, so you could express what Ike did as stealing a march, but that was also true for everyone involved. It seemed like Komiya was planning to confess to Shinohara during the uninhabited island exam.

"I was actually gonna wait until Komiya recovered, you know? But then I was so relieved that the island exam was over, Shinohara was right by my side…and then...it just hit me that I didn't want to give her to Komiya…"

It seemed like he couldn't help confessing his feelings to her. Of course, there was also the risk of being rejected. If that had happened, it would've been even more awkward if Komiya and Shinohara had gotten together.

"That's why I thought I have to report it to Komiya properly. If that guy's still planning to confess to Shinohara, it'll get complicated, right?"

"If you don't get ahead of this, you could be in trouble if Shinohara decides to go with Komiya."

"Uh...! W-why would you...!?"

My exaggerated reply left Ike flustered. So half of the reason was to report the truth to him, and the other half was to stop him from confessing.

"You're prepared to take at least one hit, right?"

"Ehh!? I'm going to get hit!?"

"Wouldn't you do at least that much if the person you love was snatched from your side?"

"...Gulp."

Ike looked terrified; it seemed imagining what was coming left him a bit scared. Komiya wasn't necessarily a big guy, but he wasn't playing basketball just for show. On the other hand, Ike was on the smaller side for a guy, so there was a more than sufficient size difference.

"Well, he's got an injured leg right now, so he shouldn't be able to get a good footing. It shouldn't hurt that much"

"T-that's not really the point, but...I-I'm prepared."

Since he seemed to be somewhat determined, I didn't have any reason to object. I'd been wondering about Komiya's condition, so this was a good opportunity.

"I hear that Komiya's still sleeping in the infirmary."

"I'm sure it would be hard for him if he was in his own room."

It wouldn't be surprising if he spent most of his holidays in the infirmary.

Ike and I arrived in front of our destination. Ike took a deep breath to calm himself down before entering. There was no point in rushing him, so I was just waiting quietly when we heard a loud laugh from inside.

"W-what's that? Let's go in and have a look."

After hearing unexpected laughter from inside, Ike opened the door and entered the infirmary before he could finish preparing himself. There we found Ryūen and several classmates around Komiya, who was sitting upright. There was a group of four people; Albert, Kaneda, Kondo and Yamawaki.

Because people from outside his class appeared, Ryūen stood up, not giving us a second glance.

"Excuse us, Komiya."

He left the infirmary with his friends; apparently he was done talking. I stole a quick glance in Ryūen's direction, but he didn't look my way.

"Ryūen's just as scary as ever... Anyway, what did he want?"

On the other hand, Ike couldn't even look directly at Ryūen, and was muttering to himself dejectedly. Komiya, who overheard what he said, nodded in understanding before answering,

"Well, he certainly has that power. Despite appearances, he just came to visit me."

On a small table near the head of the bed, there were snacks and juice that he seemed to have been gifted.

"J-just visiting...Somehow, he doesn't come across as the kind of guy to do that." Ike replied with his honest feelings and Komiya agreed with him.

"If it was this time last year, well, that would've been unthinkable." Komiya smiled with nostalgia as he recalled the past year. "But somethin' about Ryūen-san's changed a little bit. He's become a bit more mellow...or maybe not..." Komiya added, with a somewhat confused, yet happy face.

As soon as they entered school, Ryūen took control of the class and treated everyone as tools to be used without mercy. It wasn't surprising that most of his classmates felt a strong sense of rejection in their hearts.

"If it's that guy from now, I feel like I can honestly follow him, you know?"

"You can willingly follow Ryūen?...I don't get it..."

Ike's body trembled slightly, as if he couldn't understand what he was hearing.

"Anyway, Ike, Ayanokōji, don't just stand there, sit down."

Komiya gently welcomed us students from another class and urged us to sit down without hesitation. The two of us took advantage of his kind offer and sat in a couple empty chairs.

"You seem healthy,"

Looking at his leg that was secured in a fixed position, I checked Komiya's condition.

"As you can see, I'm fine except for my leg. But I get frustrated when I think about everyone having fun on the other side of the door. I hope it heals quickly…"

"When will you be able to walk?"

"I'm in the process of asking for permission to walk on crutches."

They were rivals in love, but surprisingly, they were able to talk to each other without any problems. It looked like my presence here was completely unnecessary.

"I'm just... a little worried."

"Worried? About what?" Ike, who was straddling the backside of the chair, put his arm on the backrest and asked Komiya.

"It's just...Ryūen-san's trying to figure out who pushed me during the exam. He asked me a bunch of questions to see if I remembered anything, but just like I told Ayanokōji, I don't even remember being attacked at all…"

It seemed there has been no difference in his memories since that time. Right now, Ryūen's class was gaining momentum day by day. It was time to focus entirely on the second year battle and reach Class A. Of course, that goes for our class as well, so we shouldn't delve too deep into this one.

If Amasawa or another White Room student, or someone else related to Tsukishiro was involved, there was no guarantee that even Ryūen would be safe.

"It would be good if Ryūen-san doesn't overdo it."

"It seems he wants to beat the culprit half to death."

The two of them were unable to envision Ryūen getting beaten. Rather, it was natural to be worried about the culprit instead.

"So? You didn't just come to visit me, right?" Komiya asked Ike softly, as if he had sensed something.

At that moment, Ike stiffened up in surprise.

"Ahh, no...That…"

He was unable to speak. Had he not prepared himself enough yet? Perhaps seeing this, Komiya waited for him to speak without prompting, wearing a serious expression.

The atmosphere changed in the blink of an eye. There was no trace of the relaxed situation we had just experienced.

"...I...How to put it?...So…"

Ike's talkative demeanour faded and he became unable to string the words together.

"Ike. I don't know what you're gonna say, but if it's important, then look me in the eye and say it."

He must've guessed what he was about to say. Even so, Komiya pretended not to know, and urged Ike to tell it to him straight. I didn't think Ike had noticed that Komiya had already guessed what he wanted to say, but he must've felt something from him as a fellow man. He felt that this wasn't something to be reported in a lazy manner. He slapped himself on both cheeks, forcing himself to wake up out of his daze.

"I confessed to Shinohara!"

Ike, who had steeled his resolve, spoke in a simple but loud voice.

All that came after was silence. I could see Ike gulping down a large mouthful of saliva beside me.

"And? What was Satsuki's reply?"

"I got the okay. We're going out now."

"I see…"

After hearing his curt response, Ike continued to stare at Komiya's face without averting his gaze. Like we had spoken about earlier, because Ike had jumped the gun, he couldn't blame him if he had complaints. He seemed to think he would jump out with a surprise shot.

"Did you think I was gonna hit you?"

"Huh?"

"It's written all over your face; that you might get punched."

"That's...Well, maybe a little."

"Well, then you've resolved yourself, right? I can't move right now, so you come over to me."

As he asked him to come over, Komiya's face hid any hints of his intentions. But, from his intensity, it seemed Ike had made up his mind. Even though he was terrified, he went to stand right next to Komiya. Immediately after, Komiya's right arm reached out and grabbed Ike's shoulder.

"Tss!" Pushing his aching body to the limit, Komiya looked into Ike's eyes. "If you make Satsuki cry, I'll show you no mercy." Komiya said, as he lightly pressed his left fist against Ike's chest.

"K-Komiya…?"

Komiya's serious expression turned into a smile. "What's up with you, don't act so glum. Satsuki chose you, that's all there is to it, right?"

"But...If you hadn't been injured, it might've been the other way around..."

"It sucks, but I don't think that's true. Satsuki's had her eye on you for a while, that's why she accepted your confession. It's not a case of first-come-first-served. But…"

"But?"

"If you hadn't faced Satsuki properly and kept runnin' away, I might've had a chance."

It was as Komiya said. I didn't think it mattered so much whether he confessed first or after. There was an accident that resulted in a serious injury, and Ike just happened to be in the vicinity. That then created an opportunity which gave him a huge boost, allowing him to face Shinohara. Without a doubt, that was the single most important factor that resulted in the two of them being together now.

If Komiya hadn't been injured, if Ike hadn't been nearby at that time. If either of them had suffered a different fate, the one next to Shinohara right now may well have been Komiya.

"In that sense, this injury was really unlucky."

Even though his feelings of love were left unfulfilled, Komiya seemed to be in a good mood.

"Thank you, Komiya."

"Make sure you study properly, will you? Satsuki...No, Shinohara was worried about that too."

"...That's right. I can't afford to get expelled."

This love affair might just become a pivotal turning point for Ike. Like Sudō, he now had an opportunity to struggle for both himself and the one he loves.

Anyway, Ike's report and the ensuing discussion with Komiya had concluded.

"Sorry Ike, but can I talk to Ayanokōji alone for a bit? There's something I'd like to confirm about my injury."

"Alright, see you later Komiya. You too, Ayanokōji."

Ike said goodbye to us and left the room. When we were alone, Komiya cut me off.

"I'm sorry. Ike brought you here asking for your help right?"

"No, I was concerned about your condition too. Rather, I caused you trouble."

"That's not true. I mean...I don't really understand what's going on."

"Hmm?"

"Even though we're in different classes and fighting against each other, we've started talking normally. It's like that kind of hostility has faded away. Last year, it was so bleak."

Since we were in different classes, we were supposed to fight and kick each other down. Other than for a strategy, there wasn't much merit in getting along with each other.

"The uninhabited island exam was a competition between school years, plus we'll be at the same school together for a long time. Maybe that's the reason?"

"Yeah, maybe."

"So? You wanted to talk about your injury?"

It was obvious that this conversation was just a preliminary chat before we got to the main topic.

"It's as I was saying earlier, it's about Ryūen-san."

"You said he was searching for the culprit."

"I'm against it. To be honest, I'd rather chalk this one up as an accident caused by my own mistake."

"But Shinohara actually saw the person that attacked you."

"I know that. But I have this bad feeling that this won't end well."

Maybe it was because he was the one attacked that he could feel the danger.

"Even if it's just for a little while, would you mind keeping an eye out on this matter for me, Ayanokōji?"

"I don't really think there's anything I can do about it though…"

"I don't expect you to do anything directly. If you feel uneasy, let me know."

Komiya made his request with a strong look in his eyes. We formally exchanged contact information so that we could get in touch at any time.

"Okay, for now, you should just focus on healing your injury as soon as possible, Komiya."

Resting was the only shortcut to a full recovery after all.

"Thank you. I'd like to thank you properly next time, if you don't mind. I wanted to talk to the other guys that helped me too."

"I'm sure they'll be glad to hear it. Ike might even bring Shinohara along."

"No way. If I had to watch those two flirting, I think I might just cry."

Komiya smiled bitterly. It seemed he was more heartbroken than he looked. I think it was a mistake to include that teasing comment.

Anyway, I wasn't saying the injury was a good thing, but I felt like the distance between Komiya and I had shortened a little.

"See you later, Ayanokōji."

"Yeah."

After saying goodbye and leaving the infirmary, I was struck by a strange feeling.

My classmates Sudō and Ike, and from another class, Ishizaki and Komiya. The number of people around me that I could call my friends was gradually increasing. I wasn't even particularly trying to make friends, but that was what ended up happening.

"The way to make friends isn't something you can find in a textbook."

Like an idiot, I thought that seriously.