Classroom of the Elite: Checkmate 29

Chapter 29 - Fool's Mate

Just as surmised, we weren't alone.

Chiaki, Hirata and Satou already waited for us when we arrived at the bar area. The location was stuffed with the other first-year students, similar to the Palate back at school, which was why I stayed clear of this area most of the time. It wasn't as bad since only our grade level was on this ship, but I appreciated the peace that came with being alone much more.

Depending on the company I could make do, of course, but I wouldn't have chosen this place for our meeting if it had been up to me. Fortunately, there was no sight of Ryuuen and his henchmen because he would have certainly walked up to us in order to annoy our class leaders with his usual shenanigans.

"Kiyotaka! How's your leg? Do you need help?"

A bright smile surfaced on my girlfriend's face as she spotted Karuizawa and me walking towards them. She turned and stood up, ready to support me in case I was still struggling, since I had mentioned that my leg was acting up before.

"No, it's fine, thank you. It got better after I massaged it a bit."

It was still difficult to believe that people cared about my well-being and were worried about my health because of such a minimal, almost laughable 'injury'. I had made a habit of limping after my accident, but I wasn't used to their concern since no one had ever cared about my feelings or the pain I might have had to endure.

She beamed and tapped on the empty seat to her left.

Chiaki grabbed my fingers after I sat down beside her and caressed the back of my hand with her gentle, affectionate touch. Karuizawa didn't want to lose out in the boyfriend department and clutched onto Hirata's whole arm.

I was fascinated by her ability to feign such a close relationship and impressed by his talent to ignore the comfortable, soft feeling that must have been embracing his whole limb now that she had pulled it into her cleavage.

Both girls were similar in cup size to Suzune, which left little to complain about. Despite my large sample size of breasts, I didn't have any preferences, as everything between small and large felt comfortable and brought their own pros and cons to the table. Other departments, just as the thighs were easier to arrange. Here, I favored —

Damn you, Ike!

This might sound presumptuous after such an insolent, superficial analysis of women's secondary sex characteristics and similar enticing body features, but I believed that the inner qualities of a person were equally important to their physical aspects. Neither boys nor girls could deny that they attached great importance to an appealing appearance when they selected their potential partner.

Some were one-dimensional, only interested in good looks and the popularity of their companion. They didn't care whether their boyfriend or girlfriend was kind or made them happy, as they valued the envy of others and their newly attained social status more than anything else.

Most people who didn't know her would have sorted Karuizawa into this category.

I counted myself to the other group.

One could say a lot of things about the brother complex Suzune was dealing with, her difficult character or many other negative things, but very few people could deny that she had a pleasing physical appearance. If a batch of random test subjects was ordered to rate her and the rest of our classmates, she would be higher valued than someone like Shinohara.

Yet, I would have rejected her if she had asked me out.

The banter and our silly talks were nice, and I enjoyed the time I spent with her, but she hadn't been the person I was looking for back then. Fuka had the same problem besides my uncertainty about her motives, which was why I never took her advances seriously and downplayed her sexual actions towards me.

Chiaki was different.

I tried my hardest not to lie to her if I didn't need to protect my secrets, did my best to be a good, loving boyfriend, despite the questionable thoughts that swirled through my mind, because she deserved loyalty and happiness. The other girls I became more familiar with were beautiful, without question, but she was the one I had chosen to be with.

This hadn't been a decision I made on a whim.

Unfortunately, it turned out to be the wrong one.

After realizing this truth, she became expendable — useable — even, and I couldn't break it off with her for this very reason. My girlfriend was too valuable of an asset to throw away at the moment, and Kikyou was one of the few girls who wouldn't mind that I was in a relationship while I was with her. She didn't care that I cheated on Chiaki, because she knew that the two of us could never publicize our relationship.

But I was running out of time.

To use my girlfriend to her fullest potential, I needed to break her in the most disgusting way imaginable. This charming, kind girl, who had gifted me her love, and even her most important 'first times', didn't deserve any of the things that were coming her way. But I wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice people — including her — to achieve my goals.

Chiaki leaned into my shoulder with a loving smile, ignorant about the painful path I had established for her. I embraced my girlfriend and kissed her forehead, aware that this small gesture of affection would make her happy. A sweet, captivating giggle danced along my earlobe as she shifted towards my lips.

If I had a heart, it would have shattered at this very moment.

I snuggled into Kiyotaka's shoulder.

This was something I had disliked doing in front of people for the longest time, but it was one of the best feelings on a day that could only become more troublesome due to the exam we would have to take part in. Karuizawa-san and Hirata-kun were all lovey-dovey as well, so it should be fine for us to follow their example and enjoy ourselves a bit.

In a modest fashion, of course.

My eyes wandered towards the lone single in this constellation — Satou-san.

She might not have been uncomfortable surrounded by two happy couples, but I still felt sorry for her as she couldn't spend her time with the person she cherished. Unlike us, Satou-san hadn't found a guy she was interested in yet, but she still had ample time to experience a wholesome highschool romance, just like Karuizawa-san and I.

Maybe we could go on a group date someday?

The first confirmed couple in Class D took things much slower than we did, but I wasn't worried about them, as everyone had their own pace and feelings to consider. I was quite surprised when they started dating, since they differed quite a lot, but I wouldn't say anything as long as they were happy. Hirata-kun was kind and courteous to everyone in school, while Karuizawa-san could be mean and condescending, depending on her mood and the person she was talking to.

But I hadn't known how strange love could be.

Kiyotaka and I were also different in certain aspects, but they never bothered me. He grew out of the little turtle shell he had holed up in and maintained a close relationship with his friends from Class B. My boyfriend had made a lot more progress with his 'social ability defect' than I did with my distant behavior towards people, but he still had to work hard to overcome his never-changing poker face.

The only one I was really close to was him, as I still kept everyone else at arm's length.

My boyfriend embraced me, kissing my forehead.

This was one of those small signs of devotion he showed me once in a while whenever we were hanging out together. He still had trouble smiling, and I had never heard him laugh, but he always reassured me of his feelings in his own way. We were happy and appreciated our time together wherever we went, which made me one of the luckiest girls in this school.

A giggle flew off my lips before I leaned in for a kiss.

Hirata's resilience was indeed impressive.

Despite Karuizawa's chest touching him, he remained calm without being flustered in the slightest. This seemed to be a difficult endeavor in such circumstances, at least according to the reactions of the other boys, who lost their minds as soon as a girl walked in their general direction.

My favorite delinquent was improving due to the time he spent with Chiaki, Sakura and even Hasebe, but Hirata handled himself without exposure therapy or being an emotional wreck like myself, so he was someone I could look up to.

He even had a fake girlfriend!

Such a situation should have been much harder for him than having a real one, from a logical standpoint, at least. Their arrangement might help Karuizawa, but it should hurt Hirata and the girls that were interested in having a sincere relationship with him, like Mii-chan. He, just like every other human, must have had certain urges, needs that might grow when she closed in on him in such an affectionate way.

Chiaki was quite discerning, but even she hadn't seen through their charade.

Karuizawa was an actress, similar to Kikyou, while Hirata bent backwards to make other people happy. It wasn't strange that my girlfriend, who was preoccupied by her own happy relationship, couldn't penetrate such a sophisticated veil. She might have found their progress slow compared to ours, but she wasn't someone who would see this as a red flag.

Satou slurped on her juice and heaved a sorry sigh.

"I still have around two hours left until I need to meet up with my group, but I feel less and less inclined to go. My classmates are fine, but forming a group with other students? What were they thinking? This is so annoying. Huuh... what did you guys talk about during the meeting, anyway?"

Karuizawa and I glanced at each other.

She laughed, scratched her cheek and recounted what had happened without mentioning that she had bullied two of our classmates by treating one like air and verbally abusing the other. I cut in and corrected her whenever she said something inaccurate. My 'help' wasn't well received, however, as I stated similar wrong rules about fifty percent of the time.

A short back and forth would follow until we found the closest wording for a specific regulation on which we could both agree. We patted each other on the back, proud that we managed to convey some contents we had gone over, and kept going until her next mistake took place.

Our three classmates stared at us in astonishment, realizing that neither she nor I had any grasp about what this exam was about. Chiaki and Hirata tried to make sense of our jumbled-up ramblings, while Satou glanced around in a panic, unable to understand anything we tried to convey.

"So you are a rabbit, huh?" Chiaki's eyes sparkled as a charming smile surfaced on her face. "Rabbits are cute. I can live with your group name." She played with my hair-ends and supported her head with her free arm. "I wonder if I'll get something cute as well, like... dog maybe? The other animals aren't that cute, so my chances are slim."

Her innocent thoughts still amazed me.

I would have never worried about the creature I was assigned to, much less hoped to be in a 'cute' group. If my other classmates had heard her mumblings, they would have stopped assuming that she was distant and scary all the time. Maybe she would have been able to make some close friends this way.

We spent the next hour chatting and having a good time.

Karuizawa's haughty attitude from before had long since vanished, proving that she had a different mask for any occasion. There should have been some emotions or gestures that she wasn't faking, even if she had a false boyfriend. Her life as Karuizawa Kei might not have been that bad without Hirata and her cloak of lies.

What would happen if I were to shed my skin?

If my true thoughts ever came to light?

Hirata might try to understand my troubles. He would give me time to explain and ask questions himself to figure out what he could do to save me. The others would curse my birth, some of them might even wish me a painful death for the things I had done. Even Class B would have trouble to understand me, but they might try, at least.

Chiaki was difficult.

She cherished me, but I doubted that this love would survive my cruelty, not after everything I had planned for her. If anyone knew what I had done, what I was still doing and would do to her and Kikyou, they would loathe me. The human behind my queen was broken beyond repair, and she hadn't realized that this had been nothing but an appetizer.

Did I deserve happiness?

Had I earned the right to escape that man?

Matsuo believed that I deserved a better life.

I, however, wasn't so sure about this conviction.

He, just like everyone else, only saw the parts of me that I had shown him. Matsuo couldn't have known how contorted, cruel and disgusting I was deep inside my blackened core. No one could ever have imagined what hell he had unleashed upon this world by helping me escape my snow-white prison.

My father contacted the school before we left Tokyo on the Speranza, which meant that he must have found and tortured the man until he confirmed my location. The chances that he was still alive were slim — no, they were nonexistent.

"Oh! Hey everyone!"

Kikyou joined our gathering, followed by her own horde of followers.

The next exam was just around the corner, so everyone felt kind of depressed. After the torturous week on the island, they wished for nothing more than tranquility to enjoy the remaining days we had on this luxury cruiser, but even this was too much to ask.

Some of our classmates left after their time arrived and returned once their meeting had concluded. We kept chatting and having fun with everyone until Satou and the other girls said their farewells.

"Mh, it seems like Sudou-kun, Sakura-san and Hasebe-san are part of the Dog group. Do you think the names are relevant, Matsushita-san? Currently we have Rabbit, Tiger, Snake, Rat, Ox, Monkey and Dog."

"They might be, but I'm not sure. Kiyotaka, Karuizawa-san and the others said that Mashima-sensei specifically mentioned the zodiac signs, so the names are bound to be important, otherwise it could have just been a group exam. For example, we started with Rabbit, which was followed by the Tiger group. These are the fourth and third zodiac sign respectively, if we were to order them in their usual arrangement. Maybe this is some kind of hint?"

Her initial thoughts were similar to mine.

Our groups were named after the zodiac animals, so there had to be a clue we might not be able to see without more information, like our VIPs. It was also highlighted that we were using the Chinese version and not the Japanese one, which couldn't have been a coincidence.

""As expected of Matsushita-san!""

Multiple praises followed her evaluation.

Kikyou didn't dislike Chiaki, which informed me that she thought herself to be superior, otherwise she would have reacted similarly to back then, when I told her that Ichinose's position in the cuteness and breast size rankings was above her own.

She wasn't wrong about the objective view on her predominance.

There was no one in this school who wouldn't call her beautiful or charming, due to the way she carried herself around people. Chiaki was good looking as well, but seven out of ten people would prefer Kikyou because of her bubbly feel-good attitude. Her superiority complex was further supported by my actions as I cheated on my girlfriend for her, which conveyed the misguided feeling that I cared about her more.

I got myself a refill and walked back to our table.

Two strangely familiar Class A students strode into the bar and sat on the bench next to ours. In their defence, it was the only spot that was unoccupied, but they had performed the same poor maneuver that Kikyou had tried on Suzune when she ambushed us in April. The ones who had left the table had been part of the Sakayanagi faction as well, which meant that she had decided to enter the game after the island exam.

According to the rules, they weren't allowed to talk with her during the examination period, which started tomorrow at eight, but this didn't change the fact that they shadowed me. Kamuro tried to be covert, but her eyes followed my every move, while Kito observed the whole area and the people at our table.

Had Sakayanagi figured something out?

Her followers must have talked to her after the initial exam, so she knew as much as they did — which should have been nothing. Class A, B and D thought that Chiaki did most of the work, while Class C considered Koenji as the true mastermind behind her. I should have been out of the equation as nothing more than an above average athlete.

But for this girl, I wasn't.

Who are you, Sakayanagi Arisu?

"It's about time we leave as well, right?"

"Mh, yes, otherwise we might risk arriving late."

Hirata-kun replied to Kushida-san's question with a nod as he checked the time on his phone. He slipped it back into his pocket and turned towards me to make sure that I was fine with this arrangement.

"Let's."

I emptied my drink and glanced over to Kiyotaka.

My boyfriend surveyed the area with an exhausted, somewhat tired expression, glad that this extensive, prolonged gathering dispersed. A sweet smile formed on my lips before I rewarded him with a tender goodbye kiss for sticking around with us for so long.

"See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

Kushida-san's phone vibrated once again.

She had supplied us with updates over the course of the evening as our classmates finished their respective meetings and found out about their partners. Now that we had the second to last group's name and member list, we could discern our own by process of elimination.

"Wow... this is going to be a gathering of big shots. Some of the remaining people are Katsuragi-kun from Class A, Kanzaki-kun, Shibata-kun and Amikura-san from Class B, as well as Ryuuen-kun from Class C."

This last piece of information confirmed my previous doubts about the allocation.

At first, I thought nothing of Ichinose-san's spot in the Rabbit group, but this changed throughout the day as I received more reports from Kushida-san. Even seven and eight groups in, she had been the only class leader that was allotted, which was statistically close to impossible.

Class B's figurehead differed from the other leaders who were assigned to the final meeting. Our groupings suggested that she wasn't one of the leaders, which couldn't be the case because everyone knew that Ichinose-san managed their class with the help of Kanzaki-kun, similar to how I led ours with Hirata-kun and Kushida-san to support me.

Was Kanzaki-kun their hidden leader then?

Or did this have some other meaning?

"Is Kouenji-kun with us?"

"No, he's part of the Goat group."

"That leaves 'Dragon' for us, right?"

Wasn't there a Chinese idiom with a hidden dragon?

Even though I had heard of it before, I couldn't replicate it on the spot. It wasn't too important either way, because I doubted that a random phrase would have something to do with our current exam. The chronological order of the zodiac signs might be important, but even this might just be a false lead by the school.

"See you all tomorrow."

"See you Kiyotaka!"

"Bye-bye Kiyotaka!"

"We'll see each other later, Ayanokouji-kun."

My boyfriend nodded and turned around.

The three of us said our farewells to our remaining classmates before we strolled towards the designated room. Kushida-san tapped around on her phone and shared a picture with everyone's group name and their members as we made our way over. I skimmed through the list to make sure that I hadn't missed out on anything important.

Figure_2

We soon arrived at the location in question.

Katsuragi-kun and his classmates waited in front of the room next to ours, while I caught sight of Kanzaki-kun and his companions on the elevator at the end of the walkway. There was no sign of Ryuuen just yet, but I doubted that we would be spared by his antics and had to deal with his presence eventually.

"Matsushita-san. It seems your meeting is also during the 20:40 time slot."

"Good evening, Katsuragi-kun. It's been quite a while since we last talked, hasn't it?" A gentle smile formed on my face as I turned to my classmates. "You know Kushida-san and Hirata-kun as well, I presume?"

He crossed his arms in front of his burly chest.

"Yes, but who doesn't know them, really? They are the most popular students in the first year, aside from Ichinose-san, who received even more attention for her placement in the student council. I'm looking forward to working with you all."

"Likewise. Katsuragi-san!"

"I'm looking forward to our meeting as well."

Both of my companions voiced similar opinions in their own usual ways, while I glanced over to the Class B students who stepped off the elevator after reaching our deck. Katsuragi-kun exchanged pleasantries with my classmates and turned to face me with a stern disposition, similar to Mashima-sensei's.

"I'd also like to apologize for what happened back on the island. I hadn't taken either of you Class D students seriously. That was my mistake, and I hope that you can forgive me for my oversight. We should both let bygones be bygones and work together as a team during this current examination."

His apology sounded sincere even though he had nothing to atone for, so I had no qualms about accepting his proposal. I had overstepped during our previous test because of his green-haired classmate, so I was glad that he was amiable to work with, despite our preceding differences.

Class A's misjudgement wasn't their fault as it would have been a waste of resources to pay attention to a class that had lost a student and all their points during the first month of school. They had a fortunate starting position and didn't need to worry about a class that scraped along the bottom of the barrel.

Katsuragi-kun's evaluation had changed after we managed to win against all the other classes by a landslide, which came as no surprise. Achieving a lead of over 450 points to the second place wouldn't have been possible without a small assortment of talented people in our midst, after all.

"There is no need for apologies. I can't fault anyone for underestimating us after the 'capabilities' we had shown during April. This, as well as our placement in the lowest class, only emphasized the superiority of the higher-ranking classes."

"Well said."

He was easy to talk to, despite his stern appearance and the earnest atmosphere he carried around him. I felt a little guilty for clashing with him on the island, but he seemed to have forgiven me for my misbehavior. Even though he was large, muscular and looked like an intimidating brute, he was very respectful and chose his words with consideration.

If only Class C were this easy to deal with...

"Still, Katsuragi-kun. We'll be coming for your spot."

An innocent smirk surfaced on my lips.

Class A's leader chuckled, unfazed, even amused by my sudden statement. His entourage didn't seem as amiable as he was, however, as they glared daggers at me after this playful remark. Wry smiles formed on my classmates' faces, but the situation calmed down as Kanzaki-kun and his friends arrived.

"So you are finally showing your teeth?"

He must have overheard the end of our conversation, realized that I had made a joke to annoy him a bit and used his own comment to pacify the angered students that clenched their fists behind Katsuragi-kun.

"He looked down on us, so a little harmless fun should be fine."

The stern boy didn't enjoy my quips, just as expected.

If we had won the exam with a less noticeable lead, he might have written our victory off as mere luck, but that was impossible after the bloodbath we had caused on the island. Neither Class A nor C had scored a single point, while Class B achieved the second place with a solid lead and little to no risk because of our partnership.

Hirata-kun and Shibata-kun began their own conversation.

Both were part of the soccer club, so I wasn't surprised that they knew each other well. Even without their previous familiarity, it would have been easy to talk to him, because it was quite difficult not to be on good terms with one of the most popular boys in our grade level.

"Yo, Chiaki. The two of us haven't met, have we?"

Only one person in this school was allowed to call me Chiaki, but this ridiculing, unsympathetic voice couldn't belong to my charming boyfriend. I ignored his impudence, since I figured that he would continue to annoy me even more if I were to show him that his antics bothered me.

"Ryuuen? I guess we haven't. Face to face, that is."

"Kukuku, you are not even rebuking me for using your first name, huh?" His grin turned into a wild, brutish sneer as he narrowed his eyes like a vicious serpent. "That's a girl suiting my taste."

"There is no need to react to such a cheap provocation attempt, caused by frustration. Even you should understand that our dances so far ended rather painfully for you. Do you really want to go at it again?"

"I'd go at you all night long, kukuku."

The boy licked his lips after he offset my provocation with his tasteless remark. He leered along my body, as if he evaluated my physical appearance and fantasized about his previous words.

Disgust and general discomfort germinated inside me, but I couldn't show any weaknesses towards his harassment. If he realized that his comments troubled me, he would continue with more enthusiasm the next time we met.

"Ryuuen." Katsuragi-kun's amiable tone grew grim, as he also didn't look too favorably upon our new arrival. "Are you part of this meeting as well? Or were you just walking by to greet us?"

Class A's leader seemed to have been unaware of all the groupings so far, different to Kanzaki-kun and Ryuuen, who weren't surprised by certain people showing up. We held an advantage if this turned out to be important, but I was more surprised because he hadn't informed himself prior to our meeting.

Was he deceiving us to check our progress?

"Yeah, it looks like I'm with you." Ryuuen averted his gaze from Katsuragi-kun and his colleagues before he glanced back at me. His tongue slid over his lips once again. "Fortunately..."

I was sure that he would stop sooner rather than later, as long as I wouldn't open myself up for an attack. His attitude and behavior towards me was disgusting by design, since he wanted to see how I would react to threats and sexual harassment. This much was possible to surmise due to the run-in's I had with his underlings.

"Well. Originally I thought that our group would be compromised of students with high academic ability. Now that you and you lackeys are here, however, I'm not so sure about that assumption."

Did he really not know?

It was difficult to read his stern exterior.

He might have just been trying to get under Ryuuen's skin, but I wasn't sure whether he was a person who would do something like this. From what I had learned about him so far, the answer would have been a definitive no, but I couldn't believe that he had learned nothing from the previous groups.

"Academic ability? Kukuku..." A deafening laugh echoed through the area before he ridiculed Class B's pacifistic approach. "That kind of thing is meaningless. Friendship and flowerbeds, that's what counts. Ain't it, Kanzaki?"

Class B's spokesperson frowned, ignoring his remark.

If they hadn't made a deal with us, they might have received fewer points for the same effort. Without Shiranami-san's unforeseen illness, they could have saved another thirty points, which would have put them in front of the current Class A.

It was a shame that they got unlucky at the end.

"That's a rather deplorable thing to say, considering that Japan is often referred to as an academic society. This alone proves that academic success is the most important factor in shaping our futures."

Ryuuen turned around to his lackeys without a word.

Even the lone female in their group of four began to scoff at Katsuragi-kun's statement as they glared at him and his classmates in ridicule. The girl seemed to have a different opinion, but she had no choice but to comply with her tyrant's commands because she knew that she might end up like Shiina-san if she dared to defy him.

"I won't let you bring your awful attitude to this test."

"Awful attitude? What are you talking about, Katsuragi? Believe it or not, I am quite the gentleman." He peered at my chest area with a nauseating, vulgar glint in his eyes. "Don't you think so as well, Chiaki?"

Once again, I was pulled back into Ryuuen's focus.

It seemed like he wanted to provoke me until I made a mistake, but I wouldn't do my enemy this favor. Unfortunately, I had to doubt my previous conclusion that he might stop if I ignored him, as he continued with his shenanigans no matter what I did. In the worst case, I would have to deal with this harassment whenever we met.

Talk about psychological warfare...

The three of us were still spun up in this tense situation while the social butterfly Kushida-san bounced from student to student and conversed with everyone who stood around. Kanzaki-kun also ignored Ryuuen and joined the discussion between Hirata-kun and his classmates.

I was surprised by their abilities to be kind and comfortable around anyone, because I could never achieve such an equanimity next to someone like Ryuuen. Due to my deal with Fumei, I couldn't back out anymore, but I disliked standing in the spotlight. My role was especially difficult during these tests when I had to converse with students from other classes.

But in the end, it was always worth it.

After everything was said and done, I could return to Kiyotaka and fall into his warm, loving embrace. I could just close my eyes while he caressed my back, kissed me, and gifted me with his soothing presence.

There was nothing more fulfilling than that.

My hand moved towards the door we were assigned to, because I wouldn't give Ryuuen the satisfaction of answering his cheap provocation. I deemed it unnecessary to stay outside any longer, since my mood would only worsen due to him and his entourage.

"Enter."

Both of my classmates said their farewells to the other students and followed me inside. We already knew what the teacher was going to explain to us, but that didn't mean we could allow ourselves to become complacent.

My heavy eyelids flapped open at around 07:40.

For anyone else, it would have been a nice surprise to wake up a few minutes before the alarm ripped them out of their well-deserved sleep but I never had such problems since my biological clock had been tuned to perfection during my time in the White Room. Even without checking, I knew that my estimate was correct and, at most, off by a few seconds.

Hirata and Yukimura turned in their beds, still tired from yesterday's shocking revelation about yet another exam. The remaining mattress in our room was empty, but it wasn't strange for Kouenji to be gone this early in the morning.

He rose at seven sharp, every single day.

Unlike the rest of our roommates, he didn't even use the supplied alarm clock in the cabin while I always set mine to wake me at 07:55 like the other boys, in order to keep up appearances. Hirata had seen me get up sooner multiple times, but I just told him that I couldn't sleep well in a bed that wasn't mine. This was something Makida mentioned once or twice, which meant that I could use this precedent to explain my behavior, which might seem out of place.

My phone vibrated twice as I turned off the alarm.

I sat and slipped out of my bed, which still carried Kikyou's scent.

Kouenji had already picked up on our new relationship, while I had no reason to hide her presence from Hirata and Yukimura, who wouldn't assume anything weird since she was our class angel and could do nothing wrong. My finger put gentle pressure onto the power button before I glanced at the notification that was displayed on my lock screen.

[Suzune] I'm having breakfast in the Blue Ocean at eight.

[Suzune] Would you like to join me?

Wow, she was smooth.

This wording was apparently well thought out and not something I would have picked up on without Kikyou's lessons in social skills. The first message informed me that she would eat breakfast at the specified time and place regardless of my answer to the following question. My queen mentioned that this was the preferred way of asking someone out for a date, since neither of the two parties would feel bad about a refusal, nor would the recipient be inclined to agree.

[07:41:38 PM] I'll be there.

The status of my message changed to 'read' before it could even show 'delivered', yet no answer followed. If I had been starring in one of Chiaki's romcoms, I would have wondered why she hadn't replied and what I might have done wrong, just to reveal that she was so excited to meet me that she forgot or didn't know how to answer.

A dream-like, impossible scenario.

'Blue Ocean' was the name of a cafe on the fifth deck, which wasn't as frequented as some other options that were available to us. Only a few students would patronize this establishment early in the morning, similar to the high-class restaurant we had shared a nice evening in. We both valued our privacy and enjoyed the peace in the initial hours of our day, so I wasn't surprised by her choice of venue.

She knew me well, or that's what I felt, at least.

I snuck into the bathroom and took a warm shower.

Memories of my previous White Room routine surfaced in my mind as the comfortable water pelted along my skin. Back then, we had been handed a small piece of soap and a bit of shampoo before our naked bodies were hosed down with high-pressured, ice-cold water for twenty to thirty seconds, depending on the instructors mood.

The wounds we had received during our training ripped open due to the force more often than not, which caused a burning sensation whenever the chemicals in the soap and shampoo came into contact with our damaged flesh.

Following this, we had around ten to thirty seconds to clean ourselves before we were 'rinsed' for another twenty seconds to conclude our 'shower'. If one wasn't cleaned up properly — or worse — began tearing up from the pulsating pain, they received a 'fitting punishment' for showing weakness in front of the tutors.

Due to these recollections, I was quite interested in experiencing traditional Japanese bathing. We had learned that this existed and how everything worked from start to finish, but that was only in theory, as we hadn't been allowed such luxuries. The same could be said about tea-ceremonies, which we had performed with hot water instead of tea, hence my prior ignorance about this fragrant, delicious beverage.

I was accustomed to cleanse my body twice a day.

The cold morning shower had been used to wake us up, as there was nothing more effective than freezing water to shock someone out of their drowsiness. The evening one was necessary to rinse ourselves from sweat, dirt and the bloodstains after a day of training, mock fights and other events that took place in the physical department.

I trudged out of the cubicle and dried myself off.

Even something as trivial as putting on new clothes hadn't been something we could do freely. We all had white gowns, nothing more and nothing less. Sometimes they had turned into a deep crimson color, unable to be cleansed, as the amount of bleach needed wouldn't have been worth the investment.

The clothes were disposed of, just like the subjects.

Humans didn't reside in this place.

Mercy had no reason to exist, either.

Darwin would have been proud of that man's creation.

I spat the mint-flavored toothpaste into the sink and rinsed my mouth with fresh water before raising my head. The reflection of my golden eyes was still the same as before — distant, cold and void of emotion. If I didn't put the bare minimal effort into hiding them, then my classmates would have been terrified whenever they glanced at me.

Would this ever change?

After finishing up, I took my phone and tip-toed out of the cabin.

The cruiser had elevators that stopped on each deck, but exercise was important, even if it was just walking. I strode up the stairs and made my way over to the cafe we had agreed to meet up at. Only a handful of students were inside, and the interior was spacious enough to fit at least ten times the current amount.

A nice shaded spot in the corner caught my attention.

"Good morning Sir, what may I get you?"

There wasn't much traffic at the moment, so the staff members must have decided to approach the new arrivals to make our visit more comfortable. I didn't mind walking up to the counter after reserving the table, but this generous service was to be expected, considering the cafe's location on such a luxurious cruiser.

"Two breakfast specials, one royal milk and a green tea, please."

"Right away."

The employee bowed and wandered off.

My palm supported the heavy head that rested on my shoulders as I gazed out of the window. The clock on the wall showed the time as seven fifty-one as the first light-blue wave crashed against the cruiser, unable to rock this massive steel monstrosity by even an inch.

I kept waiting for Suzune for a few minutes until a giant gray sperm whale broke through the surface around two-hundred meters away from our ship. The ocean animal ejected air out of his blowhole and dove back down into the dark abyss, together with his younger companion.

This spectacle produced a small rainbow, which soon faded.

"You are early. Did you wait long?"

My classmate wore a charming smile and sat down opposite of me while she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She was quite beautiful, even though she only wore the usual school uniform I was all too familiar with.

If she had spruced herself up for this 'date', my heart might have skipped a beat or two. Maybe I was even a little disappointed by her choice of attire, which drew a clear perimeter for our current relationship.

"No, I just arrived."

Having learned from my previous mistakes, I lied straight into her delicate face.

Usually people preferred honesty, so I was still surprised and somewhat confused that it was normal and considered as good practice to lie to the girl you were meeting when she posed such a question.

My date should have been happy if I arrived sooner and had to wait a little for her, since she would have done nothing wrong if she showed up at the promised time. There was no reason to feel bad that someone looked forward to a get-together and chose to arrive early, after all.

It was a form of complimenting the other person.

Suzune eyed me with a mischievous grin, as if she had seen through my lie, felt my curious gaze along her contours and listened to the supporting thoughts that wandered through my mind.

"Mh, were you looking forward to meeting up this much?"

"Well, I believe that I was punctual compared to you."

"Really?" The raven-haired beauty tilted her head and glanced at the clock that kept ticking away on the wall. "It's seven fifty-nine. Eight in around twenty, nineteen... you know where I am going with this, right?" A victorious expression surfaced on her face. "Since I said that I would be here at eight, I am still early."

"Your orders."

Her beautiful ruby eyes widened in surprise as the waiter bowed and placed the two breakfast menus as well as our beverages on the table. The man, having worked in this profession for a long time, realized that I had been waiting for a guest and understood my faint nod as the optical hint I had intended it to be. He placed the royal milk tea next to the still perplexed girl and left for the kitchen area.

"If I hadn't come sooner to order for us, you wouldn't have had 'breakfast at eight'." I showed her my phone, which displayed the time and as seven fifty-nine and switched over to eight o'clock as soon as the last syllable left my mouth. "Alas, you were late."

My words were further emphasized by the sounds and vibrations that rang through the busy establishment. Scenes like this occurred over the whole ship as we received the long-desired message from the school, and not even Suzune could claim that I had just changed the time on my phone to tease her.

Lost for words, she stared at me.

"What would you do if I don't want any of this?"

She peered into my eyes, betraying her clear bewilderment as well as a hint of scepticism. Her fingers moved towards the spoon, which she used to stir her tea. These actions translated into 'How did you know what I wanted?' more than anything else, which revealed her previous statement as nothing but groundless banter.

"If you want something different, I don't mind taking yours."

An artificial sigh escaped my lips before I reached for her plate.

Suzune stopped my arm midway as she pinned the back of my hand down with her palm. Her grasp was warm and gentle, yet even she was confused by the movements her body had performed without her explicit permission.

My classmate pulled back and averted her gaze.

"Fine. You win. It's what I would have ordered. Are you happy now?"

Her complexion veered between defeat, wonder and pleasant surprise as she brushed through her hair. She took a sip of the steaming tea and enjoyed the comforting feeling of the hot liquid that traveled down her esophagus until it eventually warmed her enticing, silky stomach from the inside.

Suzune didn't reach for her phone, despite the important message we had received. This was but a glimpse at the progress our relationship had made during our time together and I was pleased with the outcome of my efforts so far.

She was smart, but her inability to work or even converse with other people amiably held her back. Right now she was beating herself up for being useless in the last exam, so there was a high chance that this would lead to further development. This stubborn and frail girl forced herself to change as she realized that her shortcomings were a major disadvantage, now that she had seen 'Chiaki' in action.

It wouldn't be an easy transition, but I would support her.

Our banter concluded, whereupon we checked our devices.

"After thorough consideration, you have not been chosen to be the VIP. Please remember to be a team player as your group tackles the challenges of this test. The exam begins today and will be held over three days. Members of the Goat group should gather in the Goat room located on the second deck."

Her smooth voice danced through my ears as she read the contents aloud.

The only difference to my message was the term 'Goat', which had been substituted with 'Rabbit'. Neither of us held the VIP position in our respective groups, which was rather unlucky. I could have concealed my identity with ease, while Suzune might have run into problems with Shiina, depending on her observational abilities.

"'Suzune the team player.' Never heard that one before."

She glared at me and followed up with a vicious attack towards my shin.

I might have dubbed her action as a 'vicious attack' but she took great care when she bumped into me. Not only had her kick been very gentle, almost rivaling a light teasing brush, she also made sure to spare my injured leg. Unfortunately, my lovely neighbor noticed the faint smile that formed on my lips, and slapped my leg once more.

"What about you?"

"A similar message to yours."

"Unfortunate. You would have been an excellent VIP candidate for our class. It's difficult, almost impossible, to gauge your reactions with any reliability due to your never-changing facial expression. You're a natural in such an exam."

"A compliment? Suzune, are you sick?"

My palm brushed over her smooth forehead, which felt warm but not hot enough to be worrisome. Her two crimson orbs gleamed at my own from underneath my hand, which told me that she was discontent with my concern for her.

"Kiyotaka... Could you please stop reacting in the same ridiculous way every time I do or say something nice?" She glanced out of the window where the sunlight caused a light red tint on her delicate, white skin. "It's nerve-wrecking."

"Who are you grouped up with, by the way?"

I let go of her and sipped on my tea.

Suzune took a quick bite from her meal and pulled a slip of paper out of her blazer pocket. She glanced around the cafe for a moment before handing me the note, which was warm to the touch. I might have asked for the members in her group, but I already knew everything important about the exam, aside from the VIPs identities, which I hadn't received yet.

Class A: Toba Shigeru, Tsukaji Shihori, Morishige Takuro

Class B: Yonezu Haruto, Tokito Katsumi, Watari Kuniyuki

Class C: Yamashita Saki, Yamada Albert, Shiina Hiyori

Class D: Wang Mei-Yu, Kouenji Rokusuke, Miyamoto Soshi, Horikita Suzune

"Kouenji, of all people..."

A mild, frustrated expression emerged on her face.

"At least Shiina and Albert seemed quite nice to be around. The Class B students are also easy to deal with, so you don't have to worry about them either. Mii-chan is great and really knowledgeable about everything Chinese. Miyamoto is not a pervert like Ike and the others, at least. Well, but I guess an exam like this would be kind of difficult for you."

She leaned back into the chair, crossing her arms and legs.

"What could you possibly mean by that?"

Her chest area was propped up due to the position her arms rested in and thus, more apparent than usual. I had already mentioned before that she had the perfect breast size and I concluded that this still held true in the smaller department. Since I had seen Karuizawa's curvatures yesterday, I was confident that Suzune's were more prominent.

In every department.

My gaze turned towards the window.

"Isn't it obvious? You are fantastic when dealing with people, especially strangers or schoolmates from another class. The ones in your group, however, are very problematic due to their behavior."

"Good answer. May I ask who you were paired up with?"

Breathing a sigh of relief that her esper senses hadn't kicked in, I presented her the note I created on my phone yesterday evening. I might not have known that I would meet up with Suzune today, but I assumed that someone might ask for my group members, so I had prepared everything to remain inconspicuous.

"Ichinose-san is in your group? That's weird, don't you think?"

"What do you mean?"

I tilted my head in confusion and slipped my phone back into my pocket while she took another bite. Her expression was a mixture between pleasure and disappointment as I was apparently unable to see what she could, which once again assured Suzune of her superiority over me.

"Your girlfriend is part of the dragon group, right?"

"Yes."

But how did you know?

The protective mechanism in my mind stopped me from posing this question out loud, in fear of getting kicked in the shin. She wouldn't have asked Kikyou, since she didn't trust her. Hirata was another option, but I couldn't see Suzune talking to him for something like this, which left Chiaki as a potential source.

They spoke during the exam, conforming to my preparations, but this shouldn't have been enough for Suzune to reach out to my girlfriend just yet. If she wanted information, she would have come to me, which only left one feasible solution.

She must have waited around once her meeting had concluded.

"The groups that received the explanations changed in intervals of twenty minutes, so I stayed behind to check on the students who showed up for the last time slot. They began to trickle onto the deck not long after my group dispersed and most of them caught my attention as they were the class leaders ranging from A to D."

I ignored my vibrating phone and listened to her.

Kikyou must have sent me the VIPs just now, but this current conversation was too important to interrupt. Suzune had picked up on the strange allocation and hadn't brushed it aside, as per usual. She found it weird and thought about the potential reasons for this peculiar arrangement.

Would she surprise me?

"Except for Ichinose, right?"

"Yes. Katsuragi-kun assumed that the groups were composed of people with high academical abilities, but this couldn't have been further from the truth. The Goat group, for example, encompassed members like Kouenji-kun, Mii-chan and, of course, myself. Academically speaking, we are above average and at least one of us would have been higher ranked than Kushida-san or Hirata-kun if we were talking about overall academics."

"Ichinose is also pretty good."

I took a sip from my tea and leaned forward.

"Exactly, which is why I thought that all the leaders were gathered in the group. What if Ichinose-san is leading the class in appearance only? Maybe Kanzaki-kun is the one calling the shots and they are using her as some kind of billboard due to her high popularity among her schoolmates and peers. Do you know anything?"

This thought wasn't a bad one, but she missed out on crucial information and arrived on the wrong conclusion. Kanzaki was indeed highly capable, but he wouldn't thrive in a leader position as long as Ichinose was around. She overshadowed everyone in her class with her popularity and social skills to a point where very few of them would act without her consent, which limited him in what he could accomplish.

Hoshinomiya also didn't mind playing dirty and must have used this chance to plant Ichinose in the Rabbit group to monitor my movements. Her naïve class leader was in love with me and would pay close attention to everything I did. This was a dangerous position to be in, however, which was why she had inserted Himeno as backup.

"No, Ichinose is their class leader. I'm certain."

"Then there must be something we are not seeing yet. I trust your judgement on this, which is part of the reason I informed you about my suspicions. The other one is, well... I don't like to admit it, but you are the only person I enjoy talking to aside from Nii-san." She averted her gaze with a slight huff. "Count yourself lucky, Kiyotaka."

"Well —"

"I'll kick you if you continue this sentence."

I noted the time and date of her esper outbreak for future reference and pacified her with a faint nod. Suzune knew what I wished to convey, even though I would have indeed opted for the F word to annoy her, as it might have enabled me to see her adorable pouting face once more.

Should I just poison her again?

"Do you know of any other groups?"

She finished the last bite of her breakfast and glanced over.

"No, not really. I'm not very good with this stuff anyway, so I decided to leave everything to Chiaki. As far as girlfriends go, she is not only smart but also reliable, kind, cute and pretty amazing, all things considered."

"Is that why you revealed your abilities on the island?"

This was a fair question, as I had told her that I disliked standing out multiple times during our first few days. She must have been confused that I did the exact opposite now, since I could have just relaxed like everyone else.

"Maybe... I'm not sure if this makes any sense to you, but I just didn't want to let Chiaki down when she was counting on me, you know? Being in such an intimate relationship with someone you like changes you in more ways than one."

Even though I had never experienced these shifts first hand, I could take the lessons I learned from Ichinose and interpolate them into our conversation. Her feelings for me impaired both her judgement and other abilities, which became apparent through the exam, as she never questioned my potential involvement and the ulterior motives I might have hidden ever since April, unlike Kanzaki, who thought with a clear mind.

"Mh, a fair point. I wouldn't be aware of such a fact, after all."

Suzune glanced to her left, towards the never-ending ocean.

She must have been quite mesmerized by the view, since this wasn't the first time that she stared at the water with her shimmering red eyes. A sigh escaped her moist lips a few moments later before she peeked at the message on her phone with an unhappy expression.

"What's wrong?"

I finished my tea and set the tableware aside.

The doorbell rang a few moments after my question, and two familiar students entered the cafe. One strode in with a wide, peculiar grin on his face, while the girl who followed him had to deal with a faint limp. Her expression didn't change when she put weight on her left leg, so the injury didn't seem too bad.

"The way they wrote the message. It doesn't sit right with me. It's like they say that I'm not qualified to be the VIP in our group."

Could you blame them?

A camera shutter reverberated through the area.

Both of us reacted simultaneously and glanced over at the new arrival whose mobile phone had produced this distinctive sound. Ryuuen pocketed the device and regarded us with a broad, toothy grin while his indigo-haired classmate glared at Suzune as if she wanted to murder her with a pair of chopsticks.

"If it isn't the beta male and the sick chick. Mh, you're pretty cute, actually. Suzune, right? What would Chiaki think of your little morning escapade, I wonder? I promise that I won't tell a soul if you follow me to my room. Kukuku."

Class C's leader leered at her body, trying to force a reaction.

His methods were quite crude, but well executed.

Most people would assume that he was just a disgusting, sexist delinquent, but his taunts and disrespectful remarks helped him to build a preliminary profile around her. He noted her movements, the facial expressions and would listen to the words that left her lips to affirm his conclusions.

I had avoided repeated contacts with Ryuuen and his henchmen before, but this seemed to change now that he had almost everyone in my social circle on his radar. His interest was focused on Chiaki, Suzune and Kouenji for the moment, depending on what the latter had done and how quick on the uptake my second favorite delinquent was.

"You are Ryuuen, right? The one who already lost three of his classmates? My deepest condolences for your loss, but I don't remember having given you the privilege of calling me by my first name."

Suzune's remarks were cold and crisp.

Just as expected, she didn't let him intimidate her in the slightest and confronted Class C's leader with her usual contemptuous attitude while adding some additional fuel to the fire. Unlike Ryuuen, she hadn't done this to gather information, but to taunt him after he had used her first name. Her gaze swayed over to Ibuki for a second before she turned back to me, as if she was disinterested in her presence after what she had done on the island.

Was she mad at her for my sake?

"Tch! Hey you!"

My classmate peered at the angered tomboy.

"What? Stop bothering me."

"I'll pay you back for screwing me over."

"I don't have the slightest clue what you are talking about. We were both acting in the interest of our respective class. You just decided to hide that fact like a coward. I don't hold a grudge, and neither should you."

"You —"

The girl clenched her fists and stepped forward, ready to punch my classmate. Her upper body shifted to the side after this unexpected movement, as she had put too much pressure on her injured leg out of habit. Ryuuen grabbed her by the shoulder and shoved her backwards like a dog that misbehaved.

"Shut up Mio. The adults are talking. Follow that twat's lead, would you?" He nodded towards me and focused on Suzune. "Just wondering, but is one of you the VIP in your group?"

"Let's go, Kiyotaka."

I nodded and stood up after hearing her request.

There was no need to start a fight with them right now, but Ryuuen wouldn't let go of us after he was beaten and humiliated twice. The infant dragon would keep barking and biting at every potential instigator like a rabid dog until he gained the upper hand in this confrontation. His pride didn't allow him to ignore us until we begged and cowered in the dirt in front of him for everyone to see.

It was a shame that he hadn't inherited the instincts of a real dog, or he would have known that he was too weak to be Class D's opponent as long as I remained on their side. I assumed that he was here to check on Suzune, who was part of the reason that Ibuki was revealed as a spy, even though the underlying cause had been built on a lie.

"Why did you lie about seeing me that night?"

Ibuki took a step forward.

"What are you talking about? There are no reasons for me to lie. I told Matsushita-san that I saw you because that's what happened. I don't need to stoop to your level and deceive people who took care of me."

Ouch...

Ryuuen kept observing her moves and even glanced over to me from time to time. He must have noticed that Suzune hadn't lied after listening to the conviction and the pride behind each and every word that slipped her mesmerizing lips. My classmate saw no reason to deceive them, since she judged them inferior to herself.

He was a curious fellow.

Someone like Katsuragi would have discarded me as the muscle of the last exam, but Ryuuen still had doubts, even though I had prepared everything for him. Maybe he had noticed that this trail of bread crumbs I had arranged was too obvious — too easy to follow — and looked for someone who might have been able to stage this whole thing from the shadows.

If that was the case, I would look forward to his future.

"Not the VIP, huh..."

I slipped the phone into my back pocket and put on a thin dark-blue jacket before taking a quick glance at the full-body mirror. White jeans were prone to catching dirt, but this was the only pair I didn't need to wash right now. My fingers wiped off some lint that had gathered around the butt area before a satisfied smile flared up on my face.

Would Kiyotaka be happy if I took a picture?

My head turned crimson as I turned to the side to check how I would look. The lighting in the bathroom wasn't anything groundbreaking, but the curvatures along my body were still rather visible if I leaned into the right direction. I pushed my hips backwards, rested my fingers along my waist and peered into the mirror with an enticing smile.

Repeated shutter sounds rang through the room.

The gallery on my phone was filled with pictures of Kiyotaka and me, but none had been this suggestive. Most of them had been snapped on our dates and just featured the two of us or him alone. I also had a selection of other photos with Karuizawa-san, Satou-san, Hirata-kun and the others, but those were far and few between.

What am I doing?

I felt my temperature rise as I reviewed the pictures.

Around half of them presented me showing off my curvatures along my legs, butt and chest area in tight clothing. The remaining ones were even more provocative and emphasized my underwear, both top and bottom, as well as my silky bare stomach, depending on the picture.

What if the school checked our messages?

A cold shudder crept up the skin along my back, whereupon I deleted all the suggestive photos I had just taken. I took a deep breath to exile these tainted thoughts, as I didn't want to imagine what might have happened if someone found my phone on the ship and figured out the password by accident.

Only Kiyotaka was allowed to see me like this.

His hands and lips had caressed, massaged or kissed over my whole body when we had sex, so I wasn't certain whether he preferred something in particular. We only wore our lame school-issued jerseys for our first time, so I wanted to put on something more inviting once we were back at school and had our single rooms back.

Maybe tight jeans that emphasized my butt?

A revealing swimsuit that accentuated my breasts?

My school uniform since it would feel indecent?

His oversized male counterpart without the trousers, perhaps?

God, I'm worse than Ike-kun...

But I really can't wait to get back...

I leaned against the locked door and heaved a sigh.

There might be more than enough space on this giant ship to find a quiet place for a few minutes, but we couldn't do it without protection. The first time was already foolish enough, but any more than this was just asking him to impregnate me. If this happened, we would both be kicked out of the school for breaking the rules, and neither of us wanted this.

Stop thinking about perverted stuff, Baka-Chiaki.

It was past eight, which meant that the exam had started.

In short, I had more important things to consider and think about, but I could only begin to verify the theories I had come up with once I received the identities of our VIPs from Kushida-san, who had volunteered to organize the names, groups and lists we needed.

Our classmates would still need a few moments until they checked their status. Knowing them and their ability to think ahead, she would have to sift through around thirty to thirty-five messages, since almost everyone would text her, even if they just wanted to inform Kushida-san that they weren't chosen as the VIP.

Waiting and doing nothing in our room wasn't worthwhile, so I opted to sate my hunger with a light breakfast. The cafe of my choice was nearby and had a delicious selection of meals, desserts and savory drinks.

I strode out of my room and texted Kiyotaka.

We had arranged nothing tangible for today, so I wasn't sure if he had time. Compared to me, he had managed to form quite a lot of new friendships, so I wouldn't be surprised if he had already decided to meet up with someone.

He disliked cramped places like the bar from yesterday, but the location had already been chosen when Hirata-kun asked me to join, so there wasn't much I could do aside from spoiling my boyfriend to make him feel more comfortable. The establishment I had invited him to right now was much quieter and would fit our preferences better.

They even had some of his favorite sweets.

Kiyotaka had a sweet tooth like no one else, which was rather surprising after I had seen and enjoyed his well-trained, muscular and very tempting chest. I doubted that any girl could glance at this chiseled physique without feeling a tingling sensation between her —

God, CHIAKI!

Most of the time, he ordered sweets he hadn't tasted before, as his reactions were always far beyond adorable. I had a whole folder dedicated to the slight variations in his expressions, ranging from surprise to bewilderment and 'this is far too sweet for any human being'.

Huh, I really am hopeless.

I left the elevator and caught sight of Kiyotaka and Horikita-san.

He held the door open for her as they exited the Blue Ocean. They stopped in front of the entrance and exchanged a few words, whereupon she pointed towards the front of the cruiser with a proud expression. My boyfriend tilted his head and retaliated with a light smack on her head, before the two ambled away.

My selfish, clingy side wanted to call out to him.

If he had left with Karuizawa-san or Kushida-san, I wouldn't have hesitated to greet them, since both were open, welcoming and could be considered friends to both of us. Horikita-san was rather closed off, however, so she might have taken my actions as a cue to leave us alone, which wasn't what I intended.

The reasonable part of me suppressed this desire.

They were on good terms with each other and I was happy for Kiyotaka whenever he found new friends or had fun with his existing ones. He had struggled a lot in the beginning, so I wanted to support him in any way I could. If this meant giving him some breathing room to meet up with his friends, then that was fine as well.

We still had enough time to spend together.

Their friendship might also be helpful for our class, since Horikita-san was smart and rather observant compared to most of our classmates. She was the only one aside from Kouenji-kun and me who had figured out that Sakura-san had observed the altercation between Sudou-kun and Ryuuen's underlings.

She would be a powerful ally, without a doubt.

The bell that was fastened on the upper door frame produced a soft, pleasant ringing tone as I stepped into the cafe. I surveyed my new surroundings as the usual older sister-like smile on my lips vanished and twisted into a frown. Reason for this sudden change in demeanor were two customers I hadn't wished to see.

"Ohhh, if it isn't the queen of the failures. Kukuku."

"Ryuuen. A pleasure, as always."

Wouldn't this make him the king of defects?

His grin grew deeper, even though he must have picked up on the distinctive hint of sarcasm in my voice. Ibuki-san's facial expression betrayed her dissatisfaction of running into me as she stood beside him like a loyal follower.

Hiding my frustration about his presence wasn't target-oriented, since my behavior wouldn't influence his plans with me either way. If he wanted to be an annoying prick, then he wouldn't hesitate to be one, no matter how laid-back or aggressive I reacted to his provocations.

I had learned this just yesterday.

"Mio and I were just thinking about you."

"What an honor. How'd I deserve that?"

The words that kept flowing out of his mouth entered one ear and exited the other as I glanced over the venue. A male attendant in his fifties cleaned up a shaded, cozy-looking place in the corner, which must have been the table where Kiyotaka and Horikita-san had eaten their meals.

It fit all of my boyfriend's selection criteria, after all.

Ryuuen's lips contorted into a wide sneer.

They must have received the hint that I wasn't interested in talking to them, but neither cared about my displeasure nor the other students inside the cafe who turned around to observe us. He ignored their curious gazes and followed me like a cheap stalker as I ambled towards the table that had just been cleaned up.

"Well, you know we were wondering if you were a cuckquean. Your boy toy is pretty close with the other beautiful girls in our year, so we speculated that you might enjoy the thought of him fucking them like submissive dogs in front of you. I was sure that you wouldn't be such a degenerate pervert, but Mio insisted that we should ask. I don't know why, but my adorable classmate here seems interested in visiting pound-town with your boyfriend."

He really was vulgar, huh?

"I'm what?! Fuck you!"

Ibuki-san glared at him with blazing eyes.

It must have been difficult to repress her rage after such a repulsive and humiliating comment. She loathed Ryuuen's actions, his words and how he treated her, so I couldn't understand why she kept following his commands. Their leader might be an annoying and violent delinquent, but Ibuki-san was quite headstrong herself.

Should I just leave again?

This thought spun through my mind for a moment, but I concluded that he would just accompany me outside anyway. His primitive attempts to shake me up didn't work, so he must have already planned his next move, which could only be yet another low blow.

A staff member walked up to me as soon as I sat down and inquired about my order. He left a short moment later to prepare the meal and drinks while Ryuuen and Ibuki-san strode off. The pleasant, surprising silence that ensued afterwards only lingered for a second before the couple walked over with two chairs beneath their arms.

"May we sit? Thanks."

He sat down next to me and leaned against the backrest without waiting for an answer. His frustrated classmate kicked against the leg of his chair to create some distance between him and her, as he hadn't left enough space for a third chair.

"Alright, out with it. What do you want Ryuuen?"

"Just wondering if you are the VIP in our group."

"That's what this is about, huh? I'm not. What about you?"

My calm voice should have given him something to think about, even though he wouldn't believe me, no matter what I said. If luck was on my side, he might even talk less while he tried to figure out whether I bluffed.

This, however, was nothing more than a daydream.

"Me neither. Sucks too. I'd love to have those free points."

His wide, almost animalistic grin didn't vanish for a second as he flicked his finger to call the clerk back to the table. He placed his order and shooed the man back into the kitchen before Ibuki-san could open her mouth. The girl turned and glanced into my eyes as she felt my gaze on her person.

"What about you?"

"Tch! As if I'd tell you."

"Don't be so mean to our friend, Mio." A hearty laugh escaped his crude mouth while Ibuki-san was knocked forward every time he slapped against her back. "She's not the VIP either, but psssht."

"Ryuuen! I told you to stop calling me that, damn it."

"Yes, yes. Here, take your happy meal and shut up."

Class C's tyrant reached out for the tray the waiter carried around and grabbed a breakfast menu. Both the man in question and the angered Class A student, who was about to receive the food, turned around to complain.

"Excuse me Sir, this —"

"Hey, you —"

"Fuck off, would you?"

He placed the meal in front of his angered companion and glared back at both men without backing down. Our schoolmate shut his quivering mouth as soon as Ryuuen's seething voice echoed through the vicinity while the server took a step back in fright. Neither of them voiced any complaints as they continued on their ways.

"You damn piece of shit! Do I look like a fucking kid to you?"

Ibuki-san's exorbitant amount of profanities and the slight but perceptible vibrations of my phone were the only sounds that followed the sudden silence. Compared to everyone else, she didn't seem afraid of his retaliation, as she kept cursing and insulting her class leader without holding back.

His behavior was disgusting and deplorable, but he had done nothing he could be penalized for. Ryuuen knew where the school had drawn the limits and stopped his antics before he violated any rules. Violence might have been forbidden, but insulting people and stealing the free food we received from the school were still inside the reasonable scope.

I understood why his classmates were terrified of him.

People like them wouldn't have realized that he still barely played within the rules the school had set. They saw the disgraceful behavior that any normal, decent human being would have label as 'overstepping boundaries' and acknowledged that he wasn't punished for anything he did.

This alone horrified them to the core.

If he could get away with this much, he would get away with anything else. He must have imprinted this false impression on them throughout the first month, and continued with this performance as 'proof' that he stood above the rules.

Such a cunning person turned out to be my enemy.

Similar to me, he should have been aware of the students that had the highest chances of knowing about all the VIPs, which was why he bothered me. The three people in the Dragon group came to mind for Class D, because Ryuuen would have realized that I would keep Kiyotaka out of the loop to keep him safe. Ichinose-san and Kanzaki-kun were the obvious choices for the peace-loving Class B, while the tyrant knew everything about his own people.

Katsuragi-kun was a wildcard.

He had been unaware of important information, which both Ryuuen and I should have picked up on. This must have placed them quite low on the threat list, as it was impossible to 'solve' the exam without knowing at least a few VIPs.

"Quite the strategy, I admit. Daring, dangerous and batshit crazy. You got balls, Chiaki. I like that. Not even I would have had the mental fortitude to pull something like this, so you earned my respect. I doubt that Katsuragi figured it out yet, but you are a gambler, aren't you? If your calculations were just a little off, your class would have lost everything."

Kouenji-kun's trick was indeed insane.

I had received a message yesterday evening, informing me of what he had done. He didn't plan to share his ploy at first, but the new exam had changed his mind, apparently. If I had known what kind of crazy gamble he had planned to keep Kiyotaka on the island, I would never have agreed to this proposal.

"We wouldn't have lost everything, just a large chunk. This strategy was my way of taking pity on you, but you haven't figured it out until it was too late. Well, I guess I expected too much from the king of defects."

Ryuuen's grin widened.

The man in front of me ceased to look like a human being as his face warped into that of an unstable, carnivorous wild beast that devoured everything in its path as long as it moved and had a heartbeat.

"A pity, isn't it? Kukukuku." His dark anthracite orbs peered deep into my soul, as if they devoured all remaining light. "You know, Chiaki. I love surprise attacks, foul play, and subterfuge. That level of strategy was totally unexpected, but your victory streak will soon end. The one behind you, the person pulling the strings. I'll have my fun with him."

"Now you are spouting nonsense." I leaned back into the chair as a faint smile surfaced on my face. "What's the problem? Can't believe that you got outplayed by a girl? Is that too much to handle for your frail little ego?"

Those words were a last ditch effort to rile him up.

If he lost his focus for just a second, he might overlook the fear, the sudden surprise and the uncertainty that welled up deep inside of me as the latter part of his sentence crept into my eardrums.

Three reasonable conclusions came to mind:

First, he tested my reaction to see whether and how I would acknowledge these baseless accusations to gain more information about a potential third party that might have supported me from the shadows.

Second, he figured out that someone aside from me took care of the heavy lifting on the island and warned me that he had seen through my deception. If this was the case, he might even know about Kouenji-kun.

Or third, he learned about Fumei, which was almost impossible.

No one aside from Kiyotaka and I knew that Fumei even existed. Kouenji-kun was indeed smart, and I had certainly underestimated him, but he couldn't read minds. My boyfriend was also like a fortress if someone tried to extract information from him, due to his unreadable expressions so there shouldn't have been any leaks.

"Someone in Class D, other than you, is quite clever. There's no mistake about that."

"If you say so."

The worst possible event hadn't occurred and I could deal with Ryuuen as long as the reason for his statement was option one or two. He didn't seem to know that Kouenji-kun helped me, which meant that he hadn't formed an arrangement with Class C on the island, which I had determined to be a possibility before.

I still wondered whether those five million points had been well spent, but I figured that class points were more important than anything else at the moment. We could still save up for the twenty million we needed in case someone was in danger of being expelled after reaching Class A.

Thanks to Fumei's hint, I might even get those points back.

This current special exam came as a godsend.

If we could protect our VIPs throughout the test, we would gain a massive amount of private points in one go. It might not be as much as with the 'sharing-is-caring' outcome, but this was almost impossible to achieve because of Ryuuen.

No matter what, I would get the most out of this test.

It was too dangerous to contact Horikita-senpai during this examination, since they might check our messages if we won by such a large margin the second time in a row. The safest option was to take care of this test with the help of Kushida-san, Hirata-kun and our classmates.

"What are you thinking about, sweety? You look tired."

Even Ryuuen himself couldn't help but laugh aloud after this cheap, almost cheesy way to address me. Ibuki-san glanced at him with her usual disgusted expression before she took another bite of her breakfast.

"I'm just wondering why you keep hovering over me, you know? You did the same thing yesterday before the meeting. Are you perhaps crushing on me? Sorry to disappoint you, but I already have a boyfriend."

"Kukuku. I'm just wondering about your capabilities and, of course, the ones your little helper possesses. Katsuragi and Honami are boring — weak even. I could crush them with ease and one closed eye. Class D is different."

I raised my brow in surprise.

"Aren't you reaching a little too high, then? Shouldn't you first prove your worth by taking care of 'the small fry' and leave me alone for the time being? As far as I can tell, you are nothing but talk."

"You wish." He tilted his head towards his classmate. She might have complained about receiving the food, but she was pretty hungry according to the speed with which she scooped it into her mouth. "We're leaving Mio."

"Tch!"

Both of them stood and walked off.

A sigh of relief slipped my lips as I would be free from any further harassment, at least for the duration of my breakfast. The server noted that my uninvited guests left and strode towards me with my order in hand. His complexion grew as white as a sheet of paper after Ryuuen stopped and turned around to face me.

"Your boyfriend. Keep a closer eye on him. He's pretty chummy with a lot of hot girls. Kikyou, Suzune... what do you think? How much longer is it going to take until it's 'Honami' and not 'Ichinose' anymore? Kukuku..."

These last parting words resonated with the doorbell.

Kiyotaka wasn't only close to girls, and I didn't want to restrict him in his choice of social company, but my heart kept hurting as those devilish words repeated in my mind. I couldn't help but feel upset and insecure about our relationship, even though I knew that he wanted to unsettle me with this groundless accusation.

The logical part in me realized that Ryuuen achieved the exact outcome he had set out to plant inside of me, but my emotional side wouldn't leave these doubts alone. 'Kikyou' and apparently now even 'Suzune'.

I hadn't known that he was on a first name basis with her as well.

He had no obligation to tell me anything he was doing with his friends, but this was the reason Ryuuen got into my head. Our relationship progressed day by day and we had never run into an argument because of something either of us did. We always talked about anything we were curious about, because communication was important and brought stability.

Both girls were beautiful.

Not only that — they were smart as well.

Despite my best efforts, I began to compare myself with them. Our appearances, grades, academics, physical abilities, social contributions and everything else that came to mind. This was stupid because Kiyotaka had never given me a reason to doubt him. I still didn't, but Ryuuen's words opened a box that couldn't be closed.

Then there was Ichinose-san.

The two of them were really close, and I believed that she liked him, more than a normal friend due to the way she glanced at him when he had been injured on the island. At first, I had thought little of her peeks and innocent smiles, but they continued and I began to recognize myself in her longing expression.

These toxic, nonsensical thoughts wouldn't leave my spiraling mind, no matter what I tried. From a logical point of view, there was not a single reason to be worried about us, but my chest hurt. The thought of losing him ruptured every single fiber of my being, because I loved Kiyotaka with all my heart.

So why?

Why did I feel like this?

"What can I do for you, Sakayanagi?"

"Good evening, Mashima-sensei. I do apologize for disturbing you at such a late hour, yet I couldn't help but hypothesize what the teachers had decided upon hearing about my humble request."

I flipped the white king between my fingers.

"Well, I would have called you first thing tomorrow, but it seems like you are particularly eager. I talked to the school and the homeroom teachers of the first year this morning. We decided that it would be alright to share the contents of the exam with you this one time. You are also allowed to ask your classmates about the current situation and work on this test yourself. This exception due to your health comes at a cost, however. If you decide to accept this proposal, then you may not support your companions. The school will also check your message history after the examination is over in order to verify this. All communication channels between the students from the school and the ones on the ship right now have been severed this morning at eight o'clock, but we have re-enabled your phone to stay in contact with your friends. If you pick up or call one of your classmates, however, you will face immediate expulsion. We are only giving you this opportunity as a courtesy due to your congenital heart defect, so neither you nor your class will be rewarded, even if you manage to solve this exam on your own."

Fufufu...

My assumption that the test could be figured out without the groups seemed to be confirmed by Mashima-sensei's words and the fact that they allowed me to take part. If solving it were impossible, then they wouldn't have needed to talk it over for a day, as they could have just denied my appeal.

Or had they taken this into consideration?

"The terms and conditions that have been set are perfectly valid. I am very thankful to both you and your colleagues that you have given me a chance to partake in a small capacity, at least. Please convey my thanks, if possible. I know that it is already late, but would it cause you much trouble to send me the materials right now?"

"No, I will send them to you right away."

"Thank you very much, Mashima-sensei."

"Goodbye, Sakayanagi."

"Please have a goodnight."

A wide smile formed on my brightening face as I ended the call.

I placed the white king back on its initial spot and reorganized the board, now that I had solved yet another one of my chess puzzles. The book with an assortment of problems was quite thick and sat at around a thousand pages, from which I had already completed about four hundred.

My phone vibrated soon after, whereupon I opened the chat with Mashima-sensei and scanned through the rules and explanations the other students in my year had received yesterday. Masumi had already informed me about this, as she could still contact me before the exam officially began this morning at eight.

Their explanations corresponded to one another, confirming once again that I had found myself a suitable follower. She might sometimes act as if she didn't care about me, but I was sure that she would be lonely if I left or ignored her.

We were about fourteen hours into the exam, but Ayanokouji hadn't made a move yet.

[10:12:59 PM] Masumi-san, I'd like to have a list of every group and their respective members. Mark the VIPs of Class A as well, so that I have something to work with. Don't call me, I'm only allowed to text during the exam and they will read through them afterwards.

[10:13:12 PM] Are you sleeping already?

[10:13:13 PM] Are you?

[10:13:14 PM] Are you?

[10:13:15 PM] Are you?

[10:13:16 PM] Are you?

[10:13:17 PM][Masumi] Yeah! I get it alright. What the hell...

A delicate smile surfaced on my lips.

[10:13:24 PM] Ah, Masumi-san, what a nice surprise to receive a message, just as I thought about you. I am so glad that I caught you before you went to bed, as I would have felt horrible waking you up because of my inability to wait.

[10:13:29 PM][Masumi] Right...

Fufufu.

[10:13:30 PM] Fufufufufu.

[10:13:42 PM][Masumi] Are you seriously typing this?

[10:13:43 PM][Masumi] Creep.

Her following messages contained the data I requested.

I scanned through the list of names to check if anything odd stood out, but couldn't find a pattern or clue on how to solve this problem. The transcript of the explanation stated that this exam would test our ability to think and that grouping up with the other classes would be a shortcut.

These circumstances revealed that the meetings weren't needed to deal with the issue at hand. They were a distraction from the true purpose of this exam, or an easy way for everyone to earn private points, if we all were to play nice. But there was no way that the exam would end like this with wildcards like Ayanokouji and Ryuuen.

[10:19:12 PM] Thank you very much, Masumi-san.

[10:19:29 PM][Masumi] Goodnight.

Ichinose Honami, huh?

An odd choice indeed.

Had Hoshinomiya-sensei pulled some strings?

Or was she hiding something else?

Chabashira-sensei was also playing with marked cards, because it was impossible that their homeroom teacher hadn't noticed his abilities. Even if he had kept a low-profile before the first special exam, she would have realized that he must have done something during his stay on the island.

I began to work the problem at hand, followed the hints we had received and tried multiple sequences until a final, feasible pattern revealed itself in front of me. There was no way to confirm my assumption at the moment, because the solution was so simple that the school could have set it up as a trap to confuse the students.

The difficulty of this examination might not be the pattern itself, but it lay in confirming a fourth VIP, with which it would be possible to find the correct arrangement for certain.

It was foolish to wage a civil war inside our own class while we were threatened by both Class B and D, so I took the opportunity that Ayanokouji's actions provided me to eliminate Katsuragi from this race once and for all.

Most of our classmates had recognized that I would make a better leader after the disaster on the island and followed Hashimoto's commands in keeping their possible VIP status secret from Katsuragi. This meant that he would have no chance to contend against the other classes, since he couldn't identify a single VIP without my support.

After Hashimoto took care of his side of the arrangement, I sent Masumi to Katsuragi with a contract and the promise for the Sakayanagi faction's cooperation during this exam. For a hefty price, of course. If he wanted a chance, then he would have to promise me the unyielding allegiance of the remaining people he still controlled, including himself.

The outcome of the exam had already been written since I wasn't on the ship to stop Ayanokouji. My foolish classmate didn't know this and signed a deal that would make it impossible to betray me without facing immediate expulsion.

Checkmate on the second move — a Fool's mate.

"Huuuh..."

A deep sigh escaped my lips.

If this was all this 'special examination' offered, then it was nothing short of disappointing. Ayanokouji must have been planning something big, otherwise I couldn't understand how he hadn't verified the solution until now.

Did he become too arrogant?

It wouldn't be the first time in the history of mankind that a genius became complacent because no one reached their level of ability. He might have just been a fake, a cheap imitation, but his capabilities couldn't be dismissed.

Could he have failed to solve it?

No — that was impossible.

If Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, the 'Masterpiece' of the White Room, failed on such a trivial task, then it wouldn't have existed for such a long time. I might have been engrossed in our shared past, could have romanticized his abilities, but he couldn't be this disappointing. None of these false geniuses should be this mediocre, much less him.

My phone vibrated.

I was curious who might have sent me this message, because Masumi seemed to have been tired and neither Hashimoto nor Kito had received any orders that required a reply. My gaze ended up on the clock, which was fastened to the wall as I remembered something about our school-issued devices.

A smile crept on my face as it pulsated again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Few people in the first year knew that the messages we received from the school didn't make an audible sound after ten o'clock. They conformed to the usual 'vibrate only' setting from ten in the evening to seven in the morning. This was added for the students who didn't want to be woken up by messages from school during the night.

I grabbed my phone and unlocked it.

My heart sped up as I read through the nine incoming texts. Despite my best endeavors, I couldn't hold in my laughter any longer. The ecstasy that rushed through my whole body was too much for me to handle as the excitement I tried to contain in my small vessel erupted like an active volcano.

"Fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufu..."