Chapter 66 – Chie Hoshinomiya

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"Hey, Class C! There's no need to list your ailments anymore, just head back," an energetic female teacher announced, greeting Class C with lively enthusiasm. She was B-Class's homeroom teacher, Chie Hoshinomiya.

It was the second night of the uninhabited island special test. Class C, having had their fill of fun, had covertly transferred their supplies to Katsuragi and other students from A-Class. With the exception of Ibuki, who stayed behind at the B-Class camp, the rest of Class C had returned to the cruise ship.

The school rules, however, required a valid excuse for withdrawal. Under Yukio's guidance, Class C students came up with a plethora of inventive excuses. Complaints ranged from eye soreness to mental distress, and even included absurd claims like hair loss due to island living. The ship's doctor, baffled by the array of non-traditional illnesses, eventually handed the matter over to Hoshinomiya.

Though Hoshinomiya served as the homeroom teacher for B-Class, her primary role was in the infirmary, and she didn't teach regular classes, making her a relatively unfamiliar figure to students outside of B-Class.

As Hoshinomiya instructed everyone to return to the ship without having to report their illnesses, Yukio observed the vibrant teacher. She appeared youthful, exuding a high-school-girl-like energy despite being well into her thirties. With her youthful face and lively spirit, she might easily be mistaken for a student.

She had a peach-blossom-like beauty, with a slender frame highlighted by a fitted pale pink round-neck T-shirt that outlined her mature figure, a stark contrast to the high school girls. Her hair, cascading to her shoulders, shimmered in the moonlight, adding to her enchanting appearance. Her attire, a grey professional skirt paired with bare, elegant legs, radiated a subtle charm.

In short, Classes B and D were extremely lucky to have such a homeroom teacher, unlike Class C's Sakagami or Class A's Mashima, who hardly matched the fantasies of a typical high school boy.

Noticing Yukio's attention, Hoshinomiya beckoned him with a light gesture, "Ah, Yukio-kun, could you come here for a moment?"

Yukio, not one to decline, directed his classmates to proceed back first and strolled over to Hoshinomiya under the night sky, curious to find out what she might have in store for him.

Yukio wasn't naive enough to think that the female teacher was genuinely interested in him for a private chat. After all, it was their first encounter, and such developments were highly unlikely.

Moreover, in a school that emphasized special education and competitive special tests, it was a given that no homeroom teacher was simple or ordinary. For instance, Sakagami, on the first day of school, had allowed the use of a balloon to block surveillance cameras, permitting Yukio and Ryuuen to use violence for class consolidation. It was clear that the teachers were incentivized to encourage their classes to ascend to Class A, implying significant rewards for these homeroom teachers.

As the homeroom teacher of Class B, Hoshinomiya must have been no simple character either. Otherwise, how could she manage a class only second to Class A? Her calling him over might very well be an attempt to probe something.

"Ooh~" Hoshinomiya, like a little girl who hadn't grown up, made a particularly girlish gesture. She placed her hands behind her back, leaning slightly towards Yukio. From his angle, she looked up at him with a 45-degree angle, a posture peculiar to girls, and he inadvertently saw more than he should have. "Yukio-kun, you're really charming~"

"No wonder Ichinose talks about you from time to time with me. If I were ten years younger, I might have pursued you myself~"

"You're joking," replied Yukio, maintaining his composure due to his constant vigilance. "You look the same age as us. At most, you're like a senior. Standing next to Ichinose, it's hard to tell who's the student and who's the teacher."

"Wow!" Hoshinomiya's expression froze for a moment before she exclaimed dramatically, covering her mouth in a ladylike gesture, her eyes curving into crescents. "Yukio-kun, you really know how to talk, don't you? Be careful, or I might fall for you~"

Yukio maintained a polite and detached smile in response to the praise. These were the types of social niceties he had been trained in since his time in the family.

Perhaps his silence gave Hoshinomiya no other topic to discuss, so she mentioned the real reason for calling him over. "Right, I almost forgot because I was enjoying our chat too much. Even though we don't need each Class C student to explain their discomfort in detail, if anyone feels unwell later, they can come directly to me. I also work in the school infirmary."

"Here, this is my contact information." She said, showing her phone number on her mobile for Yukio to note down...

After Yukio finished saving the contact, he too smiled and showed his phone as a sign that he had saved the number. His silent gesture implied, "Is there anything else? If not, I will be leaving."

Unsure whether she was being genuine or not, Hoshinomiya let out a weak sigh, "Am I not charming enough? It seems like Yukio-kun isn't very interested in talking to me. I guess no one loves an old pearl. I, too, long for a sweet romance!"

Hoshinomiya hugged herself while laughing, making Yukio feel a bit overwhelmed. He quickly looked for an excuse, "No, it's not that. It's just that the uninhabited island was quite exhausting, and I was hoping to get some rest early tonight."

"You guys tired? The first years have it the easiest," Hoshinomiya almost seemed at a loss for words, feeling that Yukio was hard to engage with, his thick skin not befitting of a high school freshman. "It's Ichinose's class that worries me more."

"Class B should be fine. I encountered Ichinose earlier today," Yukio thought Hoshinomiya wanted to know about Class B's situation on the island, so he briefly shared what he knew.

However, Hoshinomiya's face was serious, nodding occasionally to match Yukio's rhythm, but her eyes lacked any genuine concern. It was clear that she was very confident in Ichinose, believing that a mere seven days on the island wouldn't pose any difficulty for her class.

Then, Hoshinomiya finally brought up what she really wanted to know, "What about Class A and D? You must have some insight into their situation, right?"

Yukio casually shared his observations, "Class A is doing alright, they have a good strategy and are aiming to make a big profit. The hardest time is probably being faced by Class D."

"Is that so~" Hoshinomiya's eyes lit up with satisfaction upon hearing this, as if she was pleased with the outcome. "During the mid-term exams, Yukio-kun, you also targeted Class D."

"Are you worried they might rise and become an obstacle for Class C? If you need any help, feel free to ask me or Ichinose~"

As the conversation came to an end, Yukio laughed and agreed, while internally noting that Hoshinomiya was particularly interested in targeting Class D. 

Class D was full of newcomers and unlikely to have any interaction with Hoshinomiya. The only possible connections were with Ayanokoji, the student who hides his abilities, and Chabashira, Class D's homeroom teacher. Remembering how Chabashira deliberately misled Class D students before the mid-term exams, Yukio suspected there were unknown past incidents.

The more he thought about it, the more intriguing the mysteries became. It wasn't just a competition among students, but there seemed to be unresolved grudges among the teachers too.

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