Chapter 17 - A treasure hunting game for women

Intro

There were only three days left of my remaining holiday on the ship. The days were too intense to pass by so quickly.

Early in the morning, when everyone was starting to feel sorry for the days they were going to spend on this cruise ship, a text message was sent to all the students at the school at once. Hondou was the first to open his phone and read out the message.

"Today at 10:00 a.m., a treasure hunt game will be held? What's this?"

All of them perused the email at the same time, which contained the unfamiliar word "game" in it. "The Treasure Hunt Game."

• A free-for-all bonus game.

• Participation requirement: 10,000 Private Points for one person, regardless of gender.

• Date: Today, August 8

• Detailed explanation will be given at the venue (you need to be at the 5th floor by 10:00am).

• You can choose not to participate after receiving the explanation.

"For a moment I thought it was a special exam, but it can't be. Free participation sounds interesting, doesn't it?"

In addition to free participation, the only risk the individual will have to bear is the 10,000 points for the participation fee?

The details are unknown at the moment, but since it's called a treasure hunt, it's safe to assume that there will be a big payoff beyond the participation fee. If you find a treasure, you can get private points.

I'm always short on money, so if there's a chance to get an extra bonus, I'm willing to participate.

Miyamoto and Hondou seemed to be participating, and after the meal, they started talking about going together. I'm thinking of inviting Akito to join too. ...

"Don't worry about me, just have fun. ..."

I'm sure you'll be able to understand why I'm so excited.

Maybe it was because he had overstretched himself at the private pool yesterday.

"If it wasn't for the prohibition of bringing in personal items, I would've lent you a game console!" "I can't bring myself to play a game in this state. ..."

Somewhat dumbfounded, Akito nuzzled his face into the pillow.

After finishing the meal with Akito in bed and spending a leisurely time in the room until about 9:50, the three of us decided to leave Akito behind and head for the venue, although it was a bit painful.

1

At the designated venue, there were many students packed into the hall. 107

I wondered how many people would be attending the event, but it was roughly half of the entire school.

I imagined that there would be a little more, but I guessed that the students who weren't interested in the treasure hunt would take the opportunity to enjoy themselves in the less crowded pools.

As it was a free event, it was up to the students to decide how to spend the day. Soon, the stage in front of us started to get noisy, as if the deadline had arrived.

It seemed to be Takatō-sensei, the homeroom teacher of Class 3A, who was explaining the contents of the game.

Almost all the teachers seemed to be there, but I couldn't see Tsukishiro, the acting chancellor, or Shiba, the homeroom teacher of the first year D class. If Shiba had also been hired by that man, it would not be surprising if he stepped down after this incident.

In fact, Mashima-sensei and Chabashira had already made his appearance and role known.

"Good morning, everyone. It is now 10:00 a.m., so we will close the recruitment with the students who are gathered here at the moment."

The other teacher standing at the entrance slowly closed the door.

Even if it's a voluntary game, rules are rules.

They would not allow the late comers to participate if even a second passed.

"Before I start explaining, let me explain how we came to have this treasure hunt game. This treasure hunt game stems from a suggestion from Nagumo-kun, the student council president, that we should have an interesting and enjoyable recreational activity as a way to deepen our friendship after competing with each other by grade level while living on a harsh uninhabited island... Nagumo-kun, please say hello."

Nagumo stood in front of the participants as Takatō-sensei called his name.

"It is with the full cooperation of the school that I am pleased to announce that the bonus game will be held. We came up with this idea from the student council's study to enrich and improve school life. In the uninhabited island examinations, all grades often competed against each other in a cutthroat manner, but in this treasure hunt, it is possible to make partners beyond the grades. Please take advantage of this and participate."

He concluded his speech with a statement typical of a serious student council president. It reminded me of Nagumo, who had shown up in front of us yesterday.

Ichinose was also a member of the student council, sitting beside the teachers and listening to what they had to say.

As far as I can see from here, there is no sign of any change. ...

I remembered the tears that Ichinose had unexpectedly shed yesterday.

The wounds she had sustained were probably not light. She is behaving naturally now, but it will take some time for her to heal.

At that time, her love for me may disappear, or she may even become hostile.

We'll have to wait and see what kind of changes she goes through, but it's sure to be a big turning point for her in the future.

After Nagumo's speech, the microphone was handed over to Takatō-sensei again. 108

"The members of the student council will not be able to participate in this treasure hunt as they will have to manage the operation. We will be working on administrative tasks on our days off, so please take care of them."

Horikita, Ichinose, and several other student council members were summoned to Nagumo's office.

"Now then, I'll give you an overview of the treasure hunt game, there are no complicated rules, it's very simple."

Takatō-sensei raised his right hand. Between his thumb and forefinger, he holds a square piece of paper. It is probably about five centimeters square in size. The paper had a two-dimensional code printed on it.

"I have placed a total of 100 stickers with this two-dimensional code on them all over the ship. Participants will be asked to play a treasure hunt game to find these stickers. By reading the stickers with a special app, they are rewarded with private points. However, each phone can only be read once. Please note that the results will be reflected immediately upon accessing the site and the reward will be paid. Of course, if you try to read a 2D code that has been used once with another phone, it will be invalid and you will not receive the reward. Also, anyone who removes the sticker without permission or uses a pen to make the code unreadable will be severely punished, even if they are playing the game, so please avoid doing so."

Well, it's a very simple game and luck is very important.

"The lowest private point you can get is 5000 points. There are 50 cards available, which is exactly half of the total. And the next highest is 30 cards with 10,000 points."

Unfortunately, that means that half of the 100 cards will be lost.

Even if you can find one card that is 30% of the total, there's no gain.

"For the remaining 20 cards, 10 cards are worth 50,000 points, 5 cards are worth 100,000 points, and 3 cards are worth 300,000 points. And the rest are 500,000 points and 1,000,000 points. It is safe to assume that the more difficult it is to find the hidden 2D code, the more private points you will receive."

With about 200 participants, that means that one out of every two people won't get it, but one million points if you find the sticker with the most difficult two-dimensional code? This is not an easy amount to get, even for a special exam. I wouldn't be surprised if this was something that half of them would risk losing money on. ...

"There are 100 two-dimensional codes prepared for the number of students participating, compared to more than 200. It is inevitable that there will be some students who will not get them. However, we have prepared a way to avoid the risk. Participants can be paired up regardless of grade, and if one of them uses their cell phone to read the 2D code while paired up, the reward for that 2D code, if it is 30,000 points, will be 30,000 points for each pair."

This means that if only the pair scanned 100 2D codes, 200 people would receive the reward, greatly reducing the possibility of losing out without getting a single point.

The only disadvantage is that if you find more than one 2D code, there may be a dispute over which 2D code to read. Despite these disadvantages, which require some adjustment, there seems to be a lot of merit in pairing up.

"Also, there is a predetermined range of places where the two-dimensional codes are posted." When I say all over the ship, there are naturally many places that are considered inviolable areas. Using a screen, Dr. Takatō explained.

109

To summarize, toilets and cabins naturally do not have 2D code stickers hidden in them, and employee-only floors and rooms are also naturally excluded.

There are also no stickers hidden in the levels that students are not allowed to enter. It was emphasized that the seal was limited only to public places, to areas of movement where students were allowed to move.

With that, the teachers began to hand out the papers in unison. Not long after, I received a folded piece of paper.

The map of the ship had been slightly altered, and the areas with stickers had been filled in with color. Then there was an unfamiliar text and graphic description.

"Basically, this game is mostly about luck. However, we have mixed in a few elements that involve a little bit of ability."

Presumably, that was the letter figure on the map that was handed to him.

"There are three riddle questions written here. If you solve them, the system will tell you where all three 2D codes are hidden, and for these three, you should assume that you won't be able to find them unless you solve the problems."

Three exceptional 2D codes out of a total of 100, huh?

I read the three riddles diagonally, and then put the paper in my pocket.

"Registration will take place for 30 minutes from now. Please indicate whether or not you want to participate from your cell phone. If anyone is unable to turn it on due to a dead battery, please notify the nearest teacher immediately."

One after another, students took out their cell phones and began to check in. There were a few students who left the room, but it was safe to assume that almost everyone present would be participating. The treasure hunt game was scheduled to end at 5:00 pm. The game ends at 5:00 p.m., and the two-dimensional code must be read by this time.

Like most people, I pull out my cell phone and decide to participate.

But with so many people here, the stares directed at me are the biggest I've seen in the past few days.

When the event is this large, some students from other grades will naturally notice that I'm looking somewhere else. I'm not sure if they're working together or if they've been instructed to do so beforehand, but when the other grades start following their gazes, the number of gazes on me temporarily decreases and disperses.

At this point, they don't intend to make it known that they're watching me.

They are saving it for a more effective or damaging situation.

Since I don't know what their ultimate goal is, I need to be on my toes.

I need to be mindful of the fact that all of my information is being stolen.

The participants included my girlfriend Kei, but we didn't even look at each other.

Since we hadn't announced our relationship, we refrained from making explicit eye contact. Of course, even if we were told that we could pair up, we would not.

It's not normal for Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Karuizawa Kei to pair up in a place where everyone knows them.

110

At this point, Horikita appeared in front of the students with a microphone.

"I'm Horikita from the student council. I have a request for all the students who will be participating in this event. In order to ensure the prevention of fraud, participants will be asked to fill in their names on a list by grade level as well as process the payment of 10,000 points when they leave the room. No substitute writing will be allowed. Please understand that this is a measure to prevent unauthorized participation using a third party's cell phone. After you receive your reward, please return here and report it by the end of the test. If you ignore this, your reward may be invalidated."

There was no way to connect the cell phone to the student for simple payment.

This makes it possible for me to use a different phone to participate. I don't know how much of a problem this is in itself, but it certainly takes away from the original purpose of the game, which is to participate by following the rules. However, by forcing the player to fill out a form that includes identification at the time of payment, it is possible to link the phone to the player. Even if I use someone else's phone to get paid, the last check will show that I'm breaking the rules, and even if I send the owner of the phone away, it won't be recognized because there's no name on the list. People from the student council and teachers work together, and a special long desk is set up at the entrance.

There, they would pay the participation fee from their cell phones and write their names by grade before leaving the room.

It's possible that those who haven't paid the fee will secretly download the app. Those who had finished installing the app left the room in order.

After standing in line, I eventually arrived in front of Horikita at the reception desk. "Here's your name. Then we'll collect 10,000 points."

She said in a clerical manner and I entered my name in the list.

Then I put my phone on the terminal and paid the 10,000 points.

I was now officially a participant in the treasure hunt game.

"Next."

Without any special conversation with Horikita, I went with the flow and left the room.

2

The treasure hunt game suddenly began, and lasted until the evening.

There are a few rules to follow, but they are basically only about violations.

All we had to do was pull out our big luck and join the game....

The area around the starting point is very crowded because it is within the area where the two- dimensional code is posted.

Like locusts devouring crops, the research is moving forward at a very fast pace.

If I were to join in now, there would be no room for me to intervene.

Seeing the swarm of locusts, some students started to change their search points.

What's more, many of the students are using their cell phones to communicate with each other. Perhaps they are looking for a 2D code while simultaneously recruiting a partner to pair up with.

Since pairs can be formed on the app without meeting in person, there is also a way to split into two 111

groups.

"Hey Mori-san, why don't we take a look from the top?"

Kei came out of the hall late and walked in a friendly manner with her classmate Mori Nene.

It seemed that Kei had grabbed her classmates early and paired them up.

I, of course, was single, so I decided to go down to the lowest level for now.

If I go from the top floor like Kei did, we will be sharing the same space.

But still.................

In this kind of situation, wouldn't it be nice if you could invite one of us to join you?

No, don't think about it too much. I feel like I'm losing if I think about it.

In the first place, there are not many people with whom I have exchanged contact information, either through e-mail or chat.

Keisei was available in the Ayanokouji group, but he had already announced that he would not participate, as if he was not interested in this kind of game. Akito wasn't feeling well, and Haruka and Airi were kind of a pair from the start.

"Ah, ...."

As I started to move for this, I bumped into Satou in front of me.

He raises his hand lightly in greeting and then tries to walk away, but ....

"Oh, wait, wait, wait!"

She grabs my arm and stops me like she's in a panic.

"Hey, ...Ayanokouji-kun, have you partnered up with anyone yet?"

"No, I'm alone."

I didn't add "for now" because I wasn't planning on being paired up with anyone in the future.

It was one thing to have more friends, but it was another to have someone to work with at events like this.

I felt a little vain saying that to myself, but I held on to it.

"So, so what? Will you be pair... with me?"

She made an unexpected suggestion, and I was at a loss as to how to respond.

Satou was the first person to confess her love to me last year. I couldn't reciprocate her feelings, so I turned her down, and then went out with Kei. I never thought that I would be offered a partner after having done something I deserved to be disliked for.

I had no particular reason to refuse, but to be honest, I had no reason to accept.

I had just seen that Kei had already partnered with Mori, as she had kept her relationship with me a secret, but that didn't mean that I should partner with Satou.

"Do you care about Kei-chan...?"

It was hard for me to answer that I was, but Satou seemed to have guessed right away by my attitude.

"I heard that you're going to tell everyone that the two of you are dating." "I see."

112

It seems that Kei had made the first move in opening up about our relationship in the second semester.

I knew that Satou was aware of Kei and my relationship from Matsushita's stories in the past. "We've been dating for a while now, you know. It's not like we can keep it a secret forever."

"Well, there are some couples that hide behind their relationships, but I think only a very limited number of people would notice the combination of Ayanokouji-kun and Kei-chan."

Satou has told several of the girls she is close to that she suspects a relationship between me and Kei.

Of course, I didn't hear her say it directly, but I'm sure from the way she talked to Matsushita that she contacted her. Of course, Satou did not do anything wrong. Because she was just guessing at what she wanted to say without knowing anything about it.

"Yeah, but you know what? The reason why I suggested that we partner up is because I thought that we could be reliable partners. So there's no different meaning there. ... No?"

She says emphatically, not for any strange reason.

"How much private points do you have?"

"Um, I'm a little embarrassed to tell you, but I have about ...180,000 points."

I'm not in a financial position to speak for others, but considering that it's right after the Private Points were transferred, it doesn't seem like a lot. Even though the risk was small, there must have been a certain amount of determination to participate using the precious 10,000 Private Points.

If that was the case, she would want to find a difficult 2D code and pair up with it.

"Okay, if Satou is okay with me, I'll pair you up. I can't promise anything, though."

"Really? Yes!"

Satou's attitude of being honestly happy about something that makes her happy made me feel good as a partner.

We took out each other's phones and applied for and accepted pairing through the app.

We are now officially paired and will be rewarded with a two-dimensional code scanned by either of our phones.

Now all we have to do is grab the reward of at least 30,000 points.

"Speaking of which, the teachers handed us a strange piece of paper, didn't they?"

Satou pulls out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket.

"Ah!"

She looks at the state of the paper she took out and forgets that she crumpled it up, and quickly puts it back in her pocket in embarrassment.

"Oh, wait, it's just that I couldn't figure it out when I looked at ... ... haha, Ayanokouji-kun has one too, right?"

He didn't think he could solve the mystery, so he rolled up a piece of paper at random.

He took out the paper folded in four and unfolded it in front of Satou.

"This means you can see the three places that show where the two-dimensional code is, right?" "Yes, it does."

113

"So if I can solve this, is there any chance I can get a million points?" "No, I don't think so."

Sorry to crush your hopes, but I'll answer immediately.

"Huh? Really?"

Only three of the 100 2D codes have the answer in the form of a question.

This makes me want to get my hopes up for the 2D codes at the end of solving this paper problem, but ....

"These three clues are all similar in terms of level. If that's the case, I don't think there's any difference in the reward you get no matter which one you solve. There is a reasonable number of 100,000 points .... Or it could be 50,000 points."

"Huh? But, you know, if there are three, what are the chances of 300,000 points with only three cards in it?"

"It's true that 300,000 points limited to three cards that are easy to unify are easy to tie together, but the probability is low."

High private point rewards wouldn't be the first to be included.

"Eh? Even if I can solve such a difficult problem, I'll only get that much?"

"This treasure hunt is completely based around luck, and is positioned as a bonus game. Wouldn't Satou think so?"

If all the cards were worth 300,000 points, there would be none left in the game that was supposed to be played by luck. That would make the game unsuccessful.

This paper is only part of the remedy and should be seen as a modest reward.

"Oh, I see. It's true that if these were all expensive 2D codes, I might get annoyed. ..."

She thought about how she would feel if she couldn't solve it, and it seemed to make sense right away.

"There's nothing wrong with finding a 2D code based on this clue, but you won't know the result of the 2D code you find until you read it and get your private points. If you're not good at it, you could miss your chance."

There are hours of this treasure hunt game, but the big game is decided in the first hour or two. "So I guess that means we can just ignore this."

"If I'm ever going to use this clue paper, it'll be when I don't find a good 2D code until near the end. I know exactly where to point you."

Well, by the time I tried to rely on it, another student had already retrieved it, I guess. "... Could it be, Ayanokouji-kun, that you solved the clue on this paper?"

"Sort of."

"Wow ...!"

Each clue was not designed to be too difficult, but rather more like a riddle than a straightforward puzzle, with a structure that allowed first through third graders to participate.

While we were talking, around us, students participating in the treasure hunt were searching for two-dimensional codes at random. Even though the area where the 2D codes were posted was

114

limited to some extent, most of them would be found quickly if 200 people searched for them all at once.

It's also possible that the expensive 2D codes are hidden far away from the starting point. "I think I'll search the lower levels for now."

"Alright, I'll leave it to Ayanokouji-kun to decide where to start looking."

Me and Satou walked side by side to the lowest level designated as the search area.

For the next five minutes, the two of us searched for two-dimensional codes, but we only found two blatant stickers. Was it the wrong place, or was it hidden in a more difficult place?

Without a clue, the number of students around us slowly started to increase.

"You know what, Ayanokouji-kun..."

"What's up, did you find it?"

"No, I didn't. ... Hey, can I go to the bathroom for a minute? I had too much to drink this morning. ... I was actually going to go earlier. ..."

Satou asked me, looking very embarrassed.

"I see, so that's when you found me, huh?"

She nodded, blushing.

"Sorry, I'm supposed to be in a bit of a hurry."

I'm not going to tell her not to go to the bathroom. I gladly send Satou off. "I'll be right back!"

"Don't panic."

I send Satou off to the bathroom for now, and resume my search of the area alone.

"Did Ayanokouji-kun participate in the treasure hunt game?"

As I peeked under the couch, someone called out from behind me.

I thought someone had stopped me, but it was my classmate Matsushita.

Today is one of those days when I'm often approached by my classmates.

At the same time, Tatara20, a third year who seems to have been talking to Matsushita, showed a suspicious look.

"...Ayanokouji, huh?"

"You know him? About Ayanokouji-kun."

Matsushita looked into Tatara's face curiously, and he turned away with a bashful look on his face.

Matsushita had no way of knowing, but he was certain that Nagumo had communicated something about me to the entire third year class.

"We're in the middle of a treasure hunt, so let's talk later. Let's go, we're wasting time."

"If you're talking about that, you're the same, Tatara-senpai. Don't be concerned about me, please pair up with someone else."

The presence of third-year student Tatara here might be a good opportunity to explore Nagumo's

20 I only found out it was a boy after reading ahead, so idk if it was kept intentionally unknown I had assumed it was a girl. Anyway later it says he has a unusual haircut for a boy, so I'm using 'he' pronoun for this senpai.

115

strategy.

"I see that you are also participating in the treasure hunt, senpai."

When I called out to him to jump in, he turned away his gaze with a blatantly disgusted look on his face.

Hearing a small click of the tongue, Matsushita also sensed that Tatara's presence had changed.

"What's up with you? Tatara-senpai."

When she said that again, Tatara clearly started to show an attitude of escape.

The fact that he harbored some sort of fondness for Matsushita was evident from his initial impression.

The fact that he was more reluctant to make contact with me than wanting to pair up with her meant that he was definitely under instructions not to make inadvertent conversation.

"Matsushita, another time."

"Oh, ok."

Unsure of what to say, Matsushita laughed lightly and waved goodbye to Tatara.

He looked at Matsushita as if he had some regrets, but glared at me and walked away.

"Phew. I don't know what it is, but I'm saved, Ayanokouji-kun.

Even if she didn't know about the order from Nagumo, she would still be suspicious if she saw that attitude.

"Nothing, I haven't even talked to him." "Hmm?"

She didn't seem convinced, but she patted her chest, relieved that a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Hey, could it be that Ayanokouji-kun is alone too? If you're alone, do you want to pair up?" "Oh no..."

Just as Matsushita was about to ask me to go on a treasure hunt, I heard footsteps running from behind me.

"Hey, Matsushita-san, I'm pairing with Ayanokouji-kun!"

Satou came back from the bathroom and made a mad dash to close the distance between her and Matsushita, grabbing both of their shoulders.

"Huh? Oh, is that so?"

Matsushita turned around, surprised by the unusual speed and pressure.

"I mean, I saw Tatara-senpai just now, but wasn't he with Matsushita-san?"

"I wouldn't say I was with him, I'd say he was just following me around. ..."

Apparently, not only Matsushita but also Satou knew about a third year student named Tatara, a third year A class student who had an overall grade of B to C on the OAA, slightly higher than average. He has a long and unusual haircut for a boy.

I wonder what kind of hair that kind of thing is. ... I don't know about such circumstances. "I'm a little turned off by the motion too strong. I'm turning it down in a roundabout way."

116

"Oh, I understand!"

I don't understand.

For now, I'll have to reexamine the area under the couch that I was in the middle of checking out.

"I mean, Ayanokouji-kun, it's not there, is it? Even if there is, I think it's a cheap two-dimensional code."

Indeed, under the sofa is easily chosen as a typical hiding place for two-dimensional codes.

In fact, there was a two-dimensional code on the floor of this sofa that peeked out at me when I crouched down at a slightly different angle. Of course, there is no such thing as reading this two- dimensional code.

"What's important is the school's pattern." "Pattern?"

"When they decide to implement this lottery game, it's important to know how to determine the value of the two-dimensional code."

"Uh, let's see, ...?"

Satou nodded her head, unsure.

To which Matsushita replied without really thinking about it.

"Of course, you'd prepare a high-value two-dimensional code for a place that's hard to find, right?" "That's right. Then, the next question is who will be the one to judge the 'hard to find'."

"Sensei!"

Satou said before Matsushita could answer.

But Matsushita added a supplementary note.

"It's quite a task to put up a hundred 2D codes, isn't it? I don't think there's any doubt that the teacher is putting them up, but it's hard to imagine that it's just one or two people. Even if they split up and put them up last night at midnight, several people have been sent out. ..."

"Did the students take their time to decide where on the ship to put the two-dimensional code while they were doing the uninhabited island test, or was it left to the teacher in charge of the task on a moment's notice? Once we know that, it'll be easier to guess where the stickers might have been placed."

"Sorry, I don't understand what you mean at all ...."

"The way the aisles are made and the decorations that are placed are basically the same, right?"

"Do you know what that means now, Matsushita-san?"

"Well, yeah."

"That's great, Ayanokouji-kun!"

"I think it's an interesting point of view, but I think you should take it a little easier, like a treasure hunt game."

"... I guess so."

Once I say that, I can't say it back to me anymore.

I just thought it would be better to do some reasoning in case there were any regrets.

117

"But that's too bad. I can't believe there was someone else here before me." "too bad??"

"I think I'll look for a more reliable partner. See you later."

Standing around talking is just a missed opportunity for everyone in this place.

3

Less than an hour has passed since the treasure hunt began. Many of the participants have dispersed, and although I don't see dozens of people gathered in one place, I still see them repeatedly passing each other, searching hard for the same spot.

Psychologically, it is difficult to read the first two-dimensional code you find.

Even if it is the most difficult 2D code, they don't have any other criteria. There's probably a certain percentage of students, including us, who've found 500,000 point 1 million 2D codes but have withheld or gone through them.

"Good morning, Ayanokouji-senpai!"

"Hmm? Ah, good morning Nanase."

I thought I was being called by a presence approaching from behind, but it was Nanase.

I guess I've broken the record for consecutive encounters since the holidays started today.

"... who?"

Satou, who for some reason showed blatant caution, glared at Nanase.

Nanase, on the other hand, did not take the stare as unpleasant and bowed her head.

"My name is Nanase Tsubasa, I'm in first year D class."

"Hmmm. ... I can't believe you're a first year student."

Satou said as if spitting at a certain part, but Nanase tilted her head curiously.

"Is that so? I don't think it's splendid21 to be seen as older than you usually are."

"Huh, huh? I don't see where you're saying it's not splendid. It's splendid no matter how you look at it!"

"Is that so? I'm glad if you praised me. I'll devote myself every day to become more splendid!"

"There's no point in becoming more splendid, I mean, how are you going to become more splendid?"

Satou asks somewhat forwardly, as if she wants to become splendid too.

"It's hard to explain exactly, but ... hmm, I think it's essential to grow your mind."

"M-, mind? Not like drinking milk or getting a daily massage?"

"Of course, I think that those actions that promote physical growth are also connected to becoming a great person, but in my case, it's still from the heart."

"Wow....., It's the first time I heard it. It has some persuasiveness."

It's nice to be impressed, Satou, but I think you're probably not on the same page with Nanase. ... "Nanase is on a treasure hunt too?"

21 立派 splendid; fine; handsome; elegant; imposing; prominent; praiseworthy; creditable; worthy;

118

"Huh? Ah no, I'm not. I was just kind of in the mood to relax today."

It seems that she is not participating in the treasure hunt. However, if that's the case, why are you showing up at a place like this?

"I'm glad to see that Ayanokouji-senpai is looking well today too. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go."

As I parted ways with Nanase, I also passed by Nakaizumi shortly after.

"Nakaizumi, huh?"

"Hmm? What about Nakaizumi-kun22?"

I've been trying not to pay attention to him for the past few days, but it seems that it's not a coincidence.

It's not just a coincidence that I'm running into Nanase every day.

First of all, Nanase has been trying to make contact with me to check on how I'm doing.

On the third day, I found Nanase having lunch on the deck, but even if I hadn't been there, I'm sure Nanase would have come to see me.

And then there was Nakazumi, who was following Nanase's footsteps.

He may not be following Nanase every time, but he is certainly planning something. And in the background of Nakaizumi, Ryuuen's shadow is hiding in plain sight.

I wondered if he was investigating the relationship between me and Nanase, but he hadn't shown any signs of paying attention to me. If that's the case, it's probably better to assume that he's genuinely marking Nanase.

I have a theory as to why Nanase is being marked: Ryuuen is looking for the culprit who injured Komiya and the others. If he is involved in this, Nanase is completely innocent, and this can be confirmed by the testimony of Sudou and Ike. Then why are they watching Nanase? She and I share a common understanding that she saw Amasawa that day, but if Nanase is hiding more information than that, then it's a different story. I put it in the corner of my mind.

"Oh, there it is, Ayanokouji-kun, in a slightly hard to find place!" Satou exclaimed happily, pointing at it.

It was behind the cover of the stand light, almost out of sight.

It was a sticker with a two-dimensional code that was hidden there. Fortunately, there was no one else besides us in sight at the moment. "But we can't tell how many points this is until we read it, right?" "That's a tough call."

I have a feeling it's not the most numerous two-dimensional code, but it's hard to judge because the place seems both difficult and not so difficult to find.

"What should we do?"

"Well, I guess I'll just go to ...."

However, it's definitely a two-dimensional code that's too good to throw away.

I took out my phone, turned it to camera mode, and pointed it at the two-dimensional code.

22 don't know boy or a girl, will assume it's a boy.

119

"What? Is it okay? You want me to read it?"

"No, it won't."

"Huh?"

I pressed the shoot button and took a picture of the enlarged two-dimensional code. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking a picture of a 2D code that seems to be worth a lot of private points. If we can't find any other good 2D codes in the future, Satou can use her phone to read the 2D codes from my saved photos."

"What? Oh, really? Does it react to the pictures we take of it?" "As long as you take a clear picture, it will work fine."

It would be inefficient to come back here again to look for the two-dimensional code we had found in the past. Other competitors may beat us to it, but if we find multiple copies and save them, we can read them at random when the time comes. Even with a single phone, it is possible to point the camera at a 2D code and display the URL.

However, with our cell phones, it is not possible to copy the URL if we don't want to access it. In other words, if you want to keep the URL, you'll have to type it in manually later. And if you accidentally touch the URL, it will be loaded and the points will be transferred.

"The school said there were only advantages to pairing up, but nothing but being able to share points. You can also use two cell phones for time-saving techniques and accident prevention."

Although I said so, students who are in a hurry to get started may have overlooked this, but I'm sure many of them will practice this kind of technique.

Now we just have to hope that they don't find this two-dimensional code anyway. As soon as they see us looking at the stand light, this place will be exposed. "Let's move."

"Yep."

Then we change the hierarchy and start searching for the two-dimensional code again. I'm groping under one of the couches when I notice a snag.

"There's another one here."

"That's a pretty obvious pattern. Under the same couch."

"Satou, can you keep an eye on the perimeter for a moment?"

"Sure, what's up?"

I sat down in front of the couch and lowered my face to peer in.

"I thought you couldn't expect 2D codes like this?"

"The 2D codes here, yeah."

I tried to feel the bottom23 of the couch, not below the couch, with my hand. Normally, one peeks at the floor under the sofa, but won't look at the back of the sofa. It would be more correct to say that they can't see it.

23 bottom but part of the sofa

120

However, if you touch the back of the sofa with your hand, you will notice that it feels different. Originally, the back of the sofa is made of fabric and it should be flat. However, when I touched the back of the sofa, there was a slight scratch of 5 cm square. This means that there is a sticker on it.

I put the phone in my hand under the sofa and took a picture.

With the light from the flash, I take a picture of the two-dimensional code in the dark. "Wow, it's real. It's a two-dimensional code: ...! You can't usually find this!"

If I had participated in this treasure hunt game alone, it would not have been easy to read this two- dimensional code. If I had the flash on, I could save the picture with the two-dimensional code after taking it, but I couldn't read it with my phone.

Even if I were to turn the couch over, I would have to be prepared to read the 2D code, as it would be quite large and conspicuous, and would be seen by other students.

However, if you're a pair, Satou can just load this picture, which makes the process smoother. "Looks like school is thinking of a lot of things."

Having found a new candidate to read, we decided to move on.

4

Despite the spaciousness of the ship, students can't move freely everywhere. Inevitably, they concentrate on places where they can play and relax, and unexpected encounters are common.

One man is on his way to the cafeteria, another to his room.

The two men, who were on their way to completely unrelated places, came face to face in the hallway.

Both of them are walking in the middle of the hallway and do not show any sign of sharing. Noticing each other's presence almost at the same time, the men stopped about a meter in front of each other.

"Hey Ryuuen, thanks for everything you did for me the other day." Housen Kazuomi, a first year D class student, was the first to speak.

"Are you sure you're okay without sleep? You'll have to sleep in your bed for another week or so anyway."

Ryuuen Kakeru, who received the words, responded as if receiving them.

"Don't worry. Even if I kill half of you here...no, all of you, it won't make me feel any better. The number of targets I have to kill has increased from one to two, and I'm going to be busy."

"It wouldn't be cool to lose to the same opponent twice. Don't overdo it."

Both of them repeatedly provoked each other, but they never showed their fists.

"Haha. I heard that you've been secretly buying the effects of cards from the first years, and you've been making bets with Nagumo and the other 3rd years, but you must have made a lot of money."

"Kuku24. Who's the one who pissed his pants? I kept it quiet in the contract, though."

Before the uninhabited island test, Ryuuen approached the freshman with the flight card and signed the contract. If the designated group won a prize, they were to turn in all the points they earned. If they only won the top 50%, they would only get 30,000 points. In other words, if you pay more than

24 laughing styles are diverse aren't they

121

that, some people will naturally give up their rights. As a result, Ryuuen guessed Nagumo and got 280,000 points for the number of students who signed up.

Most of Ryuuen's classmates didn't know about this fact, only the people he used to carry out his plan.

"If you lick my shoes, I'll give you a little extra, okay? Gorilla."

Laughing, Ryuuen walked off without once taking his hands out of his pockets.

Housen could have just taken it, but he took a step to the side and made way for it.

Ishizaki was wary of Housen, but hurried to follow him.

Housen also walked proudly down the middle of the hallway without looking back.

"You're still a scary guy, aren't you? But he was so scared that he opened the way."

"He's such an idiot."

"But ..."

"It's a sign of determination that if you do it to me, I'll let you have it this time."

The moment they passed each other, Ryuuen sensed the outpouring of murderous energy and violence.

"That's nasty."

"Leave him alone. I know he's a pain in the ass, but first we need to find the culprit." "Huh. I'm having Nishino hold him down."

Ishizaki took out his cell phone and confirmed it, and then led Ryuuen around.

Not long after that, Ryuen and his friends arrived at their destination.

Before Ishizaki could say his next words, Ryuuen approached one of the girls.

"You're Nanase Tsubasa, right?"

"Yes, I am. Is there something I can do for you?"

Nanase, who had been stopped in her tracks, stared at Ryuuen without any sign of panic. She didn't understand why she was being eyed by a senior who was one level above her. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to need some time."

Normally, Ryuuen alone or with Ishizaki would have been enough, but I let Nishino, the girl I was using to hold her back, accompany me. They knew that the situation with only men surrounding a junior girl could be a disadvantage for them, not an advantage.

"I have a question for you about what happened at the uninhabited island exam."

"About the test, you mean?"

Nanase still didn't understand the situation, but the following words made her understand.

"Komiya was injured. I'm trying to find out who the culprit is."

"Why me?"

"Sudou, Ayanokouji, Ike, Hondou, and you were the first five to arrive at the scene of the crime, and it's impossible for Sudou, Ike, and Hondou to get any clues."

"Then why don't you ask Ayanokouji-senpai, who is also a second year?" 122

"Of course, I'll talk to him as well, depending on the situation. But let's start with you. It seems that you've been sticking around Ayanokouji during the uninhabited island test, but why?"

"It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the case."

"I won't decide if it's unrelated to the case until I hear what you have to say."

When cornered by Ryuuen's high-handed attitude, most of them readily confessed.

"I'm sorry, but I have nothing to tell you."

But instead of wincing, Nanase calmly refused.

Nanase bows her head and tries to leave, but Ryuuen kicks his leg out and slams the bottom of his foot against the wall.

"You don't have the right to decide whether or not I talk to you."

"You're very violent, aren't you? I'm afraid you'll get in trouble if anyone sees you like this."

"Don't worry. We have several other guards to make sure that doesn't happen."

"I understand that Komiya-senpai is Ryuuen-senpai's classmate. However, I don't think I can help you with anything. I have no clue whatsoever."

"Really? For that, you've been moving around a lot these past few days." "I'm not sure what you mean."

She replied that she didn't know what he was talking about, but it was an opportunity for Ryuuen to take advantage of.

"You've been keeping an eye on Kurachi, a first-year C class student, all day while all the others are playing around, right?"

"Ha. ..."

At this point, Nanase's eyes widened for the first time, showing her agitation.

"As soon as I heard from Komiya, I put up guards on you, Sudou, Ike, and Hondou just in case. The other three are playing around like idiots, but that's normal behavior on this ship. You, on the other hand, don't play around at all and stalk a particular year. That's not normal."

"It's just a coincidence."

"Coincidence? Today, a lot of people are playing a game of treasure hunt. Kurachi guy is participating, but you're not. Yet, you were following Kurachi all the way until Nishino caught you. Is today's action also a coincidence?"

If she participated in the game, she would have to imitate looking for the 2D code. But if you're not in the game, you can save yourself the trouble.

Nanase was so focused on keeping an eye on Kurachi that she didn't notice the presence watching her.

"I'm so inexperienced, I can't believe I didn't realize I was being followed day after day. I'm surprised."

"You should be grateful that I reached out to you first, huh?"

"Nice work Ryuuen-senpai, but Komiya-senpai's matter has nothing to do with Kurachi-kun." "I see, then I guess I'll have to talk to Kurachi directly."

"I can't have that."

123

"Then tell me what you know. Or do you need someone to tell you what to say?"

"No, I don't. But what's irrelevant is irrelevant."

"Don't make me repeat it. It's not you who judges, it's me."

Ryuuen has been smiling, and continues to do so, but the air he gives off changes.

Ishizaki, who is watching from the side, has felt Ryuuen's intimidation many times, but he has never gotten used to it. He feels like giving in even though he is not the one being questioned.

"No, Ryuuen-senpai does not have the authority to make such a decision."

Despite this, Nanase stared straight back into Ryuuen's eyes without showing any signs of agitation. "What the hell are you confused about? Why don't you just act quickly?"

Indeed, Nanase Tsubasa was lost and troubled. It was during the middle of the uninhabited island test that the seeds of her troubles were born. It was on a day when she had taken out her anger on Ayanokouji, and after Amasawa had appeared in front of Nanase and the others with a weapon.

This was when Ayanokouji predicted that there was someone else in front of Amasawa.

At that time, Ayanokouji denied doing a GPS search, but Nanase was secretly doing a GPS search in the tent she had just assembled.

However, she hid in Ayanokouji's tent without looking at the details. She knew that if he looked too hard and found out something, he would be surprised and upset. As a result of the clandestine GPS search, there were two people who were close to Nanase and Ayanokouji, not including Amasawa: second-years Kikyou Kushida and freshman Naohiro Kurachi25. Both of them should have been investigated, but the second-year student, Kikyou Kushida, was Ayanokouji's classmate, so she was put off.

And apart from that, she had been in regular contact with Ayanokouji to see if there was something wrong with him, and if so, to protect him, but that seemed to have gone unnoticed.

"This is a waste of time, let's go talk to him."

Nanase looked down as if she had given up, but she quickly looked up.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know where on the ship he went to find the 2D code."

Ryuuen gives a small laugh and pulls out his cell phone.

"Where's Kurachi, fourth floor, cabin floor, right? Yeah, I'll be right there."

Ryuuen, who had anticipated all of this, finishes the call briefly and puts it away in his pocket. "You had someone watching Kurachi-kun after you pulled me away from him, didn't you?" "Unlike you, I have a lot of people who can be my arms, legs, eyes, and ears."

"Kurachi-kun is really not involved."

"I don't need you to tell me that, I'll just eliminate them one by one."

Whether it's Nanase or Ryuuen, the only lead they can follow now is Kurachi.

"Decide quickly whether you want to go or not."

If Nanase refused at this point, it was not hard to imagine Ryuuen closing in on Kurachi alone. Nanase nodded once and decided to go to Kurachi with Ryuuen.

25 don't know guy or a girl assuming guy

124

Not long after, they saw Kurachi looking for the 2D code and Taguri, who seemed to be the pair. "First of all, let me and Kurachi-kun have a talk."26

"What?"

"I'll get the information out of him well."

"What guarantee do I have that you'll give me the information you've extracted?" "You'll have to trust me"

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe you.

"You have no choice but to believe me, even if you don't. I'll tell you everything." "That's okay. But if you do anything wrong, even if you're a woman, I won't spare you." "I'm aware of that."

Ryuuen gave instructions to Nishino and Ishizaki with his chin, and pulled Taguri away from Kurachi.

If the second-years, or even Ishizaki and the others, called out to him, he would have to obey quietly.

"Do you have a minute, Kurachi-kun?"

"Huh? You're Nanase... from class D, right?"

Kurachi, who was upset that Taguri had been summoned by a senior, was restless.

"I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"Sorry, but I'm on a treasure hunt right now, so I don't have time..."

"Please tell me why you were targeting Ayanokouji-senpai during the uninhabited island test." "What? What, what are you talking about?"

If I took my time, I wouldn't know when Ryuuen would make contact with me.

Nanase had a need to find out while they were still alone.

"There's no point in hiding it. During the heavy rains on the seventh day of the test, I used my GPS search to find out who was in the vicinity; it was just Amasawa-san and one other person, you. And there were tools to hit people near the scene. There's no excuse for that."

"I don't get it!"

Denying it out loud, Kurachi tried to run away, but Nanase grabbed his arm.

"You see the second-year senior behind you, right? He's desperate to find the culprit behind Ayanokouji-senpai's near-assault. In some cases, he may even resort to violence."

"Huh, what? Huh, don't be silly, what the hell is that!"

"Shh. It's better for your own safety if you don't antagonize them by shouting too loudly." "Sh! But I'm ... I'm just ...!"

"Just?"

"... I'd get money if I attacked Ayanokouji-senpai....That's what they said. ..." "Money for attacking him?"

26 Nanase is saying this to Ryuuen.

125

"Normally I wouldn't take it. But I used up my private points, and ..." "And?"

"He said I could just pretend to attack him and it wouldn't be a big deal. I didn't do anything wrong, you know?"

It's true that pretending to attack someone can be treated as a joke.

"Who gave you the order to pretend to mug me for offering you money? When in the first place?"

"It was before the ... uninhabited island exam, ...."

"Sh, before the exam, huh?"

Nanase was surprised by the unexpected timing.

"So it's something that was planned from the beginning ...."

"And I don't know who that is. The private points were transferred without my permission."

"That's a lie, isn't it?"

"What? I'm not lying."

"You obviously know something and are hiding it, that's what it looks like."

"I'm not hiding anything...."

"I don't know if you deeply know this, Kurachi-kun, but because of your actions at that time, there was a change in Housen-kun's plans apart from Ryuuen-senpai."

Kurachi's eyebrows furrowed as the conversation suddenly switched.

"Right now, he's desperately trying to find the culprit. What would happen if I were to report him? I'm sure Housen-kun will mercilessly raise his fist against Kurachi-kun."

Threatened to be targeted by the two martial artists, Ryuuen, a second year, and Housen, a first year. "Wait, wait, wait! Okay, I'll talk! I'll tell you, but please don't do that!"

He whispered, desperately raising his voice.

Housen, the most hated and feared of all the first years.

The potency of the name is more than Nanase could have imagined when she tried it out. "..., this is my classmate, Utomiya."

"Utomiya-kun, is it?"

"Yeah. He wanted me to attack Ayanokouji-senpai and give money after this special exam." "Is that true?"

"For real, for real, it's true!"

Seeing that look in Kurachi's eyes, Nanase nodded once.

"I trust you, Kurachi-kun. Let me ask you one last thing, do you know anything about the matter of Komiya-senpai and the others being injured?"

"Komiya? What the hell are you talking about, I don't know. No, I really don't know. Anyway, don't ever tell Housen that I had anything to do with it, okay? See?"

"Okay, I promise."

I instructed Kurachi to go, and Taguri was released at the same time.

126

Immediately approaching, Ryuuen demands to speak to Nanase. Kurachi didn't seem to know anything about Komiya's case, but Ryuuen didn't believe her when she told him honestly. This was because even if he was watching from a distance, he could tell that he was telling Nanase something he knew.

"He said that ...Utomiya-kun might know something."

"Utomiya?"

"It's Utomiya Riku-kun, same as Kurachi-kun, first year C class."

Quickly pulling out his phone, Ryuuen checked Utomiya's face and abilities on OAA.

"That's a look I don't remember seeing. But his physical ability is an A?"

"He might be capable of pushing off Komiya-kun without him realizing it, but we don't have any proof of that yet."

"You're starting to see things, aren't you?"

"... What are you going to do?"

"Of course, we're going to hunt down this Utomiya kid and get him to talk to us."

"Wait a minute. I don't agree with that."

If Utomiya was a White Room student, it would be tough to deal with him, no matter how Ryuuen was.

Above all, the fact that he had proceeded this far without Ayanokouji's permission was also not something to be praised.

"A case without conclusive evidence: ... No, it's a case. Even if Utomiya-kun was the culprit, if he was cut white, that would be the end of it, wouldn't it?"

"Like Kurachi just threw up, the point is that it's just a matter of how you threaten him."

"I've been sticking with him for the past few days, and I was able to do my research beforehand. Considering his original personality, I thought I could drop him if I pushed him. But as for Utomiya-kun, he's an unknown quantity."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Give me some of your time. Of course, I'm not saying for free."

"Huh? Tell me."

"I've been quiet for a long time, but there is a witness that Ryuuen-senpai doesn't know about during the Komiya-senpai affair. I don't mind telling you who that person is."

"Who?"

"I can't tell you right now, but I can tell you if you refrain from contacting Utomiya-kun." "You're bargaining too hard with me. Oh well, I'll take your word for it."

"Thank you. I'll get back to you with the details."

"But if you're lying, you'll have to be prepared to pay for it, okay?"

"I'm not lying."

"Kuku, I suppose. Go ahead and call me before I lose my patience."

With a small reply, Nanase nodded and walked away.

5

I found a few 2D codes, but still only one that seemed to have a high point.

I could see several students searching for codes within my line of sight, so I was sure that the competition was not too low.

Since we don't allow any other people to participate in the event, it's unlikely that any of the students will be cheating openly, but even so, with over two hundred participants, this was inevitable.

I suddenly noticed that Satou had stopped and turned around.

"What should I work on? What do I have to work on so I don't get in trouble with the class?" "What's wrong, all of a sudden?"

"I'm sorry for asking such a strange question. But it's not just a random thought, you know? I've been thinking about it since before the uninhabited island exam, wondering if I can be of any use to the class."

Satou then looked at her hands, the palms of her hands.

"I wish I could tell you what it was like before I entered this school, when I was just floating around thinking I could have a random and interesting high school life and get a job anywhere. This isn't just any high school, it's a hell of a place."

For lack of a better word, Satou is generally less capable than the average high school student. However, she is still on the higher side of the caste and has a good amount of say in the matter.

Academics, physical ability, and communication are all things that most people can improve with some effort, though with varying degrees of difficulty.

One of the most obvious examples is Sudou.

Sudou, who was at the bottom of his class, made remarkable achievements and improved his academic performance at once.

As you can see, the important thing is to have room to grow.

"If You're going to work hard for your classmates, I guess studying is essential." "Uu..., right?"

"I knew that", Satou cheeked as she drooped her head.

"Oh, Ayanokouji-kun won't teach me to study or ..., will he?"

"Me?"

Just as I asked back, Satou hurriedly thrust her hands out in front of her and waved them. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Forget about that! Karuizawa-san will get mad at me ...!"

"Why don't you ask Horikita to teach you?"

"Horikita-san? But I don't get along with her very well, you know?

I guess "not really" is a very mild way of putting it.

For almost a year and a half, Satou hadn't acted like she could call Horikita a friend.

"Aside from the fact that you need to get along, I think she's pretty good at teaching how to study. After all, she trained up that Sudou."

128

There was no need for me to go into detail about Horikita's personality and teaching methods. She was able to train Sudou, the most problematic boy in the school.

"Before I knew it, I was overtaken by Sudou-kun. ... Indeed."

"You don't want to take the disgraceful title of lowest in class and lowest in grade, do you?" "No, absolutely not."

Satou was also one of the candidates for that lowest rank, so she had a strong sense of urgency in that regard.

"So, can I ask Ayanokouji-kun to be the bridge?" "If it's that good, it's a small price to pay."

Horikita wouldn't refuse if it would improve the academic performance of the class, and Sudou wouldn't reject it, although it would be complicated to have more people around Horikita, whether of the same or opposite sex.

6

"Horikita-senpai, it is time for your shift. Please take a break."

Yagami-kun, the next person to check the rewards, approached me and said this as the treasure hunt game started about two hours ago, around noon. I close the first-year list and slowly raise my gaze.

"I'm not particularly tired, and I don't mind if I continue to be in charge of checking rewards." Now, I want to cherish the time I have to freely look at the roster with so few people like this.

"Not so fast. I have a job to do, a job I've been given. If I leave that to Horikita-senpai, I can't call myself a member of the student council."

"... Yes, you're right."

If I can make it easy, I'll make it easy. It's unlikely that someone who thinks like that would join the student council.

I don't persist strongly here and pull my chair back.

"Thank you. I'll feel free to take a break."

"Of course."

So, after this, I'll help confirm the reward again at 2:00, and then my role will be over. It's not much of a burden, though, if you look at it as time to work. ... "Horikita-senpai, how many of them have received your rewards so far?"

Looking down at the list of names, Yagami-kun asked me that.

"I'd say about forty, including the pairs, and while there were some students who got half a million points, I get the impression that a surprisingly large number of students misread and got only five thousand points."

"I guess they don't want other people to take the 2D code that they think only they found, so they want to read it quickly. I kind of understand."

After missing that 2D code, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to find it again.

What I'm more interested in is the existence of another person who came to this place with Yagami-

129

kun.

Yagami-kun turned to that person and gave a smile.

"Well then, Kushida-senpai, see you."

She had heard that he and she had been close in junior high school, but it seemed that their relationship had continued in this school.

"Yeah, see you later Yagami-kun."

The way she sent him off in a friendly manner, it didn't seem like they were more than just friends. I would describe their relationship as more than friends but less than lovers.

"If you need anything, just call me and I'll be right over." "Okay, thank you."

Even though I've only been involved with Yagami-kun for a little while in student council work, he has a high level of communication skills in addition to his ability to do the obvious things.

He's also a reliable junior in the sense that I can trust him with my next job, and he's definitely much more capable than the two first-year students who joined the student council at the same time.

He is definitely much more capable than the two first-year students who joined the student council at the same time, and although he still has a long way to go, he seems to be the best candidate for student council president in his generation.

When I left my post, Kushida-san left without staying by Yagami-kun's side. She didn't want to interfere with his work later on, so it was only natural.

I couldn't help but think that there was some kind of meaning in the fact that she walked alongside me.

"So you were with Yagami-kun. Why didn't you participate in the treasure hunt, Kushida-san?"

"Hmm. I just couldn't bring myself to participate in the game for some reason. There are quite a few kids like that, you know?"

"You're right, the participation rate of second and third year students wasn't as high as I thought it would be."

It meant that they prioritized the holiday over the chance to earn expensive private points. If it was just a vacation, though, the time they could spend on this ship would be precious.

"You're going to take a break now, aren't you, Horikita-san? Would you like to have lunch with me?"

"With me?"

I couldn't hide my suspicion at Unusual-Kushida-san's suggestion.

"Is it weird that I'm asking you out? I mean, it's weird, right?"

She smiled in an amused way, but never lost the smile she showed to everyone. This wasn't a scene she needed to think about.

"Okay, I still have a lot of work to do as student council after this, and I've been meaning to get something in my stomach. It's just that I have some urgent calls to make, so I was wondering if I could get something from the concession stand."

"Of course."

130

I'm sure it's not often that Kushida-san calls out to me like this.

It might be a good opportunity for me to ask the questions that have been smoldering inside me.

"Can I ask you a simple question?"

As if biding my time, I spoke as soon as we started moving.

"Why did I invite Horikita-san?"

"That's part of it, but..."

"The reason why I'm friends with Yagami-kun?"

It seemed that the questions I felt were something that Kushida-san knew as a matter of course.

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me."

It had always bothered her that she herself was acting in a way that was hard to understand under normal circumstances.

"You've been trying to hide your middle school past. That's why you're looking down your nose at me, who's from the same middle school, and Ayanokouji-kun, who has found out about your past. ...."

Kushida-san kept her eyes forward and listened without looking at her.

"Even if Yagami-kun didn't know anything about it, he has the impression that you have avoided getting along with only certain boys. I've always thought of you as a person who, for lack of a better word, is pretty on all sides, and treats everyone equally."

"Well, that didn't need to be worded badly, did it?"

"... I guess so. I'm sorry if I offended you."

"Haha, don't worry, I'm not mad."

I hadn't intended to say anything bad, but I had mentioned my personal impressions. I thought it was uncalled for, but I couldn't swallow the spit I had spit out.

"Why do you think I'm so close to Yagami-kun?"

It was the opposite of the question, and it came back to me.

"Could it be that...you have that kind of relationship with Yagami-kun?"

I was hesitant to express it directly, so I tried to convey it in a slightly muddled way.

"By that kind of relationship, do you mean we're dating or something?"

"... yeah."

"Unfortunately, nothing like that. I'm not planning on dating anyone in particular while I'm in school, you know."

That's exactly what it means to maintain the eightfold popularity.

Even though I'm not usually interested in such things, I know that Kushida-san is very popular among boys. But if she had a boyfriend, junior or not, it was inevitable that her popularity would wane.

I knew it wouldn't suit Kushida-san, who wanted to be seen as better than anyone else. "Then what's the reason why you're so close to Yagami-kun?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?"

131

Kushida-san pressed her mouth with a laughing hand, "You say the strangest things."

"Because the best way to get rid of someone who gets in your way is to get into their pocket."

"... I see."

I had imagined it, but I was pressured by her reply and smile, which was exactly what I imagined straight away.

This means that Yagami-kun is a target to be eliminated, just like me and Ayanokouji-kun. But that doesn't mean that all my questions are answered.

"Is it possible that he knows about your past? You can't be absolutely sure, can you?" "Yes, there is. There's no guarantee that he knows for sure, is there?"

"Then ...."

"But you can't guarantee that you'll never know, either, right?" Without cracking a smile the whole time, Kushida-san continued.

"Yagami-kun seems to have feelings for me that are more than just senior and junior, so it's much easier than you think to stick close to him. So I'm just waiting by his side for him to show an opening."

Whether it's 1% or 2%, as long as it's not 0%, eliminate it. That's Kushida-san's basic stance. So that means even Yagami-kun, her junior, is not an exception. ...

"For you, it's just more lumps on your eyes. You haven't even gotten me or Ayanokouji-kun expelled, and now you're going to make more enemies?"

"You think that's stupid, don't you, Horikita-san?" At least, it didn't seem like a smart move.

"Essentially, I don't think we need to antagonize each other. I don't care if it's another girl who talks too much, but me and Ayanokouji-kun don't slip up."

I wondered why she didn't understand this part of my story, and I took a step into territory I hadn't seemed to venture into before.

"What's your guarantee on that? How can you be sure it's one hundred percent?"

"I can say that it's as close to 100% as I can get, but ... that doesn't convince you, does it?"

"You know the past I have to protect. That alone is already like exposing my heart unprotected. Because sooner or later, Horikita-san is bound to come and grab that heart."

"I don't understand. There's no need for me to do that."

"You don't because there is no need. Then what if a need arises?" "What do you mean, ...?"

"What if I take the secrets of my class and try to leak them to another class? What if I betray you and try to move to another class? How can you be sure that Horikita-san and the others won't nail me for betraying them if I don't want my past to be revealed?"

"That's..."

It's true that I can't guarantee that when a situation arises where I have to restrain myself, I won't mention Kushida-san's past. If you have to do so in order to protect your classmates, you can't erase the possibility that you'll bring out your family's treasured sword. ...

132

Of course, Kushida-san will try to get away with "faking" most of the things.

But there is a slight breakdown in her credibility.

She made a strategic error in the class vote, and it was unnecessarily obvious.

"For me, you know? I'm feeling a strong sense of frustration at the situation we have to talk about these things. I'm still feeling nauseous, and it's a real painful thought."

Despite her words, she really does have a smile on her face and her tone of voice remains much calmer.

She keeps much of her anger under control, masking it on the surface.

"I kind of understand what you're saying, but ... you're still overthinking it. I'm worried about you."

"Oh, I see. You're worried about me?"

"I'd like to lighten your mental burden if I can."

"Hahaha, don't worry Horikita-san, I'm fine."

"You're okay?"

"I'm also thinking that I need to get this nasty problem thing over with." "I mean, ...."

"I'm trying to figure out a way to get rid of this burden in my own way." So you're saying that you've approached me with some kind of solution?

"I've been thinking a lot about it, and I've been thinking that if we keep on being jilted, the number of people who know about unnecessary things will only increase. So, ... first of all, Horikita-san, would you be willing to drop out?"

Naturally, the most reasonable way to lighten her mental burden is for me to drop out of school. Of course I can't consent to that. Most importantly, it wouldn't solve everything.

"I don't see the connection, what about Ayanokouji-kun's existence? What about Yagami-kun? If I were to leave the school, there would still be someone who knows about you."

Very much so, I don't think that would take away the mental burden.

"I'm well aware that Ayanokouji-kun is a tricky opponent. But you know what? Ayanokouji-kun is contributing private points to me."

"Paying off ...?"

It was a story Ayanokouji-kun had told me before.

I'm going to pretend I don't know here and ask her back.

"I think he said it was a defense to keep me from getting him expelled. If I get rid of Horikita-san, even Ayanokouji-kun will have no choice but to keep quiet, right? And if he did something wrong, he'll be expelled himself."

Her face moved a little closer to mine as she gave me a creepy smile.

"Anyway, even if I can't get everyone except Horikita-san expelled right away, I can still find a certain amount of peace. In the meantime, I can just figure out another way to get rid of Ayanokouji-kun. And as for Yagami-kun, I guess I can always do whatever I want. He's just a guy who serious likes me."

133

Her large eyes seemed to have color, but they didn't.

People can read emotions in eyes, but Kushida-san is definitely an exception. Her strong will to absolutely expel me from school has not wavered at all.

"After all, the reason why I want Horikita-san to be the first to disappear is because she's in the same middle school as me. If I look it up, there might be other people who will come across that fact. But Ayanokouji-kun met me in high school, so even if he did expose me, I could get away with saying he was just lying, right?"

It's true what Kushida-san said.

If you were to ask me or Ayanokouji-kun who I would rather have her past exposed to, it would definitely be him, since we went to the same junior high school. And that too, by an overwhelming margin.

"You don't think it's easy to expel someone when you say you're going to get rid of them? You think, don't you? For the past year and a half, I haven't been able to get my hands or feet on Horikita-san. That's a fact, right? That's why I can't expel you in the future. ... Are you sure about that?"

"If we were enemies in different classes, that might have been a possibility. But we're not. It's not easy to expel a fellow student from the same class."

"I'll prove it to you."

"Can't we just understand each other? I'm trying to graduate from Class A with all my classmates, including Kushida-san. And in order to do that, your help is essential."

"Ba–ka27."

She cursed me, so quietly that the end of the word almost disappeared.

"I'm not going to cooperate with you. Stop saying repulsive things."

"Kushida-san, ...."

"I'm looking forward to the second semester. I'm sure we'll have some fun times together." As the approaching faces slowly separated, the evil faded from her expressions.

Still, it was obvious that there was a mixture of hatred and anger behind the smile.

"You just can't help it, can you ...?"

She pulls away from me, as if she's had enough of talking.

"But I believe ... that one day you will understand."

The words must have certainly reached her ears, but she didn't stop walking.

7

It was past two in the afternoon. We had plenty of time before the treasure hunt game was over, but we could safely conclude that we had seen most of the place. There were a total of six two- dimensional codes that I took pictures of. Three of them were objectively judged to have a difficulty level of 4 out of 5. It would be a good idea to choose one of these to read first.

"Turn on the camera, please."

135

"Which one do you want to load?"

"You can pick the one that Satou intuitively thinks is good."

"What, eh? You're letting me choose? What if I pick the wrong one?"

"I'm going to leave only carefully selected two-dimensional codes. Besides, there's a possibility that all the codes have been read, so you might end up winning the whole thing."

I would have a better chance if she made a quick decision rather than being able to think it over slowly.

"Wo.., okay."

Pulling out her phone, Satou slides up a pictures from me.

She seemed to think about it for a few seconds, but then she decided to point her phone camera at one of the pictures.

It was a two-dimensional code that I had found by inserting my phone under the couch. But then....

"Oh, no. It says someone's already received it."

It was quite difficult to find, but it seems that there were other students who found it. "Never mind, on to the next two-dimensional code."

She nodded, and this time she didn't hesitate to read the two-dimensional code I slid in.

However, the second one seemed to have been received as well, and Satou stepped on the ground in frustration.

"I just found it! It's so frustrating!"

She hurriedly read the third two-dimensional code.

Satou stared at the screen for a while, but then jumped up and down.

"It's loaded! Look! It looks like some kind of treasure chest!"

It was a simple illustration, but a treasure chest and the word TAP.

"I wonder how many points I can get for this: ..."

Satou tried to tap the treasure chest with her index finger, but she stopped just before her finger touched it.

"Oh, Ayanokouji-kun push it!"

Apparently afraid to see the result, she handed the phone to me.

Satou had used her precious 10,000 points to participate in the tournament. She was afraid to see the results.

I took the phone from Satou and touched the treasure chest on the screen.

"Wow, Ayanokouji-kun, that's bold!

I didn't do anything so bold as to be called bold.

The treasure chest glowed simply, and a blue light spilled out from inside the box. And then...

"Ah! ... Ah~"

136

For a moment Satou was intensely surprised, but she soon realized the truth and her joy began to wane.

She was expecting to get 300,000, 500,000, or even 1,000,000 points, so she was a little disappointed.

"Apparently, it didn't find the 2D code as difficult as I thought."

"I see~ ... Too bad. But even if you subtract the entry fee, it's 90,000 points plus, so it's enough!"

Without needing to be confirmed, it was an achievement that I could say with a big smile that I was glad to have participated in.

"Thank you Ayanokouji-kun."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you. It was Satou who found the unapproved 2D code." "... hehe."

Satou giggled, looking both pleased and embarrassed.

8

Students who read the two-dimensional code in the treasure hunt are still obligated to report it to the school.

137

We returned to the starting point and headed for Horikita who was waiting at the reception desk. "Good work, the procedure is now complete."

Receiving such a report, Satou also expressed her joy honestly.

"Well then, Ayanokouji-kun, thank you for today. Let's hang out together sometime."

With that, Satou waved her hand and walked happily away.

With the extra income coming in, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a somewhat opulent time.

138

"A total of 180,000 points for the two of us, excluding the entry fee. That's pretty good." "I guess so."

At this time of night, most of the participants seemed to have scored their goals, and few were coming.

"You're in a tough spot, aren't you? Did you take a break?"

"Yeah, about an hour. But I can't complain. It was my own idea to appeal directly to the school from the viewpoint of preventing fraud."

"A direct appeal. It's a small thing, but it's one step closer to becoming student council president."

Making a good impression with this kind of thing would be appreciated by the student council and the school.

"That's not what I meant. And it wouldn't be much of an injustice if I didn't advise you. It's just that ... well, I thought I could be of some help."

Not sure, Horikita removed her gaze to a faraway direction. "So, who got the highest private points in the class?"

"Who do you think?"

I asked, and she returned with a question of her own.

"I'm hoping it's not us."

"Good for you, you are correct, there is a pair that won 500,000 private points, it's Wan-san and Kouenji-kun."

"Kouenji? I'm surprised to see him paired up with someone, as well as having participated in the game itself."

He hadn't noticed Kouenji's presence in the large crowd at the briefing.

"I'm with you on that. I don't know how he ended up joining or pairing up, but I'm sure he's made quite a lot of money in the last two weeks or so."

"No matter what he does, Kouenji is out of this world."

I didn't know that he had luck in addition to his incredible physical abilities.

Or maybe it was the two-dimensional code that his partner had found.

"Not being able to use that Kouenji-kun in the future would be a big negative for the class."

"It wasn't a working one to begin with, can't you be satisfied with just winning first place this time?"

"How can I be satisfied? It would be a shame not to use his abilities to move up to Class A. Do you have any ideas for me?"

A way to use Kouenji well? It's a waste of resources to even think about it anymore.

"I don't."

"That's a quick answer."

I'm confident that I can control a certain amount of opponents. However, Kouenji is the only exception to this rule.

I had run several control simulations on all of my classmates, but Kouenji was the only one I could not get under control, no matter how many times I tried.

139

"I won't give up, even if you do. His power is vital to us." Trying to control the uncontrollable. It's just a contradiction. "Even if it's a waste of time?"

"Are you saying you don't need Kouenji-kun?"

"I believe that if he is not going to do any harm, the best course of action is to leave him alone, and now that Kouenji has also been given a protection point, he can be left alone more easily."

"I'm sure it's a rational thought, isn't it?"

"If it's a class that can't win without Kouenji, I can understand why they're so eager. But Horikita's class has already developed enough strength to be able to compete with other classes. And it will continue to grow."

"Yes, it's true that we've become much more reliable compared to a year ago." But - and Horikita continues.

"Aiming for Class A is the top priority and the ultimate goal, but I want to bring the class together. I want to lead the class so that we can all work together."

So you don't want even Kouenji to be left out.

Horikita's eyes were so straight that I couldn't help but choke on my words.

If Horikita could bring Kouenji into the fold, he would be an irreplaceable ally.

But that hurdle is probably more difficult than trying to get to Class A.

In the past, I would not have taken this statement seriously.

I would have dismissed it as rhetoric, an unworthy statement.

Horikita is growing slowly, but one step at a time.

Well, ... still can't say that Horikita might be able to move Kouenji someday.

I really don't think Kouenji is the only guy who can do the math.

"What's wrong?"

"What?"

"You looked like you were having a thought."

"No, I was wondering what to do with the private points I got."

"... So. You're giving half of your money to Kushida-san, so you should take care of the private points you got today and stop wasting them."

"Right. Let's do that."

I decided to slink away, since staying any longer would only get in the way of the operation.

9

It's a little after 5:30 p.m., and I have a meeting scheduled with someone before dinner at 6:00.

As I was leaving my room to go to the 5th floor deck, I ran into Sudou, who was in the room two doors down.

"We're almost at dinner, where are you going?"

140

Sudou asks me, as if he was about to return to his guest room.

"I'm going for a little walk before dinner."

"You're talking like an old man. I'll see you at the restaurant."

We exchanged a few words and were about to part, when Sudou remembered something and spoke up.

"No, sorry, sorry. Yes, actually, I've got a bit of a surprise for you!" "That Ike and Shinohara started dating?"

"What, you already knew about that?"

"I only heard about it by accident."

"No, of course I was surprised about that too, but you beat me to it. ... More importantly, he wanted to study with me, and wanted me to join Suzune's study group."

That's surprising, or rather, a quicker move than I expected.

"Because poor academic performance is fatal in this school, you know."

The fact that you're often in danger of being expelled from school is still about academics, a student's main concern.

"For me, it's a precious time to be alone with Suzune, but if he's motivated, I have no choice but to support him, right? So Kanji is going to start studying hard from the summer semester."

It seems that he is planning to start studying immediately after this trip is over.

Whether or not the results will show up right away depends on Ike's efforts, but we may see some growth early in the second semester, and both Sudou and Ike may turn out to be big names as a result of their romance.

"There might be more members in the group, you know."

"Oh? Seriously?"

"I guess that means Ike isn't the only student who's starting to want to learn from Horikita."

"It's not a guy, is it?"

He made a serious face and grabbed both my shoulders as he crowded me.

"No, ... no, it's Satou, Satou."

I wasn't going to tell him her name, but he pressured me to tell him, so I did.

"It's a girl. Well then, it's ... Satou. If I'm not the only one and Ike's there too, she's not going to join the study group, is she?"

"I think you're expecting that to happen to some extent, aren't you? She seemed to have a strong resolve."

"Hmm. Well, I don't mind. I don't care who's coming, I'm not going to lose."

He sniffed, indicating his continued strong desire to study.

"Isn't it tough to study while doing club activities at the same time?"

"Yeah, it's tough. But I think I've got the stamina to brag about it. The first time I turned my head, I fell asleep within a minute, but now I can concentrate on ... for an hour or so."

If you can concentrate and study that long, you're fine. 141

Study for an hour, take a break, study for an hour, and repeat is more than enough.

"But ... damn it, I can't understand why Kanji got a girlfriend first."

Sudou lamented, laughing but genuinely frustrated.

"I'm going to train him thoroughly while holding a grudge about that. I'm going to give him a Spartan education at the basketball club."

He seemed to be loving on his bad friend with a mixture of love and hate.

"In moderation. Because it's not easy to fall in love with studying when you hated it." "I know. I know how much I've hated studying myself."

He stuck out his tongue as if he had bitten into something bitter.

After parting ways with Sudou, I approached my destination. I spotted Kushida at the front of the deck and hid myself once. It was already five minutes past the meeting time, so naturally she was waiting for me.

I took out my cell phone and called Kushida, who picked up after about two calls. "Hello?"

After hearing her voice, I walked out to the deck where she was standing.

Cell phones, by their very nature, prioritize calls.

Even if I had activated the recording mode, it would automatically turn off once the call started. In other words, the conversation that was about to take place was only between me and Kushida. "Sorry Kushida, I'm late. I'm on my way, are you still waiting for me?"

"Yeah, let's see... Ah, it's this way!"

She checked left and right and immediately found me and waved.

I didn't hang up my phone myself, but instead ran straight to Kushida's front door.

At about the same time, we both hung up our phones.

"Sorry for making you wait. I took a wrong turn."

"Ayanokouji-kun makes mistakes too, doesn't he? But what's wrong? You said you wanted to talk to me."

"I've been wondering what to do for the past few hours, but I thought I'd tell you straight out." "Hmm? Confide in you? Tell you what?"

"You know that I participated in the treasure hunt game, right?"

"Yes, you were paired with Satou-san, right?"

What about it? I wondered, not understanding the flow of the conversation.

"In this treasure hunt, the reward for the two-dimensional code I scanned was 100,000 points. That means 90,000 points after deducting the participation fee. If you divide that by two, you get 45,000 points. I thought it was the right thing to do to give half of that to Kushida."

After saying that, I took out my cell phone and showed her my deposit and withdrawal records. It clearly stated that 100,000 points had been transferred just moments ago.

"What? That's just a game, you don't have to worry about it that much~"

142

Kushida, surprised by the unexpected story, shakes her hands and refuses.

"To be honest, I thought so too at first. I tried to think that way, but I couldn't help but feel that it was an evil and cunning way of thinking. There was a possibility that you would tell me you didn't want it, but I thought if I kept quiet, Kushida wouldn't find out. I was ashamed of my thinking like that, so it made sense to give it to you."

"But..."

No matter what kind of logic I put into it, it would be a difficult point for Kushida to accept.

"To tell you the truth, ..., I want you to accept this as my sincerity."

"Sincerity ...?"

"I'm buying safety from Kushida by giving you half of the private points I get. I believe that as long as I am sincere to this place, I can be sincere to Kushida."

Am I wrong? I appealed with my eyes.

"There's no harm in having as many private points as you can. Isn't that right?"

"That's true, but isn't Ayanokouji-kun in a lot of pain too?"

"Not really. It's nothing compared to getting in trouble with Kushida."

"Something about ... is a little scary in reverse."

"What do you mean?"

"Ayanokouji-kun, you see, there's a lot of talk about you being a great student now. Are you really giving me half of your private points just because you want to have a truce with me?"

"As far as I'm concerned, I've decided that it's more dangerous to make an enemy of Kushida, whose private life is also related to mine, than students like Sakayanagi and Ryuuen, who are fighting in special exams."

Somewhat alarmed, Kushida nodded as if she was satisfied with the situation.

"Alright. So you're sure about this, then?"

"Of course I am."

I transferred the private points again, this time through my cell phone to the account Kushida had.

"I don't want to say this after giving them to you, but if I ever get in trouble related to money, I might ask you to help me."

"Huh? That's a little uncool, Ayanokouji-kun."

Kushida laughed a little, as if she was amused by my pettiness.

"But I think you're much, much smarter than Horikita-san, I don't mind that kind of thing." "Really?"

"I don't want at least Ayanokouji-kun to be my enemy either, so keep up the good work." "Ah. I hope we can keep things on an even keel."

With that, me and Kushida parted as if nothing had happened.