SAKAYANAGI FINISHED narrating her interaction with Ichinose.
I‟d just finished eating and drank what remained of my 200ml
bottle of tea.
"To win the heart of Ichinose-san, one of the most popular girls in
the school, you are a sinful person."
It may seem like a frivolous statement, but it couldn‟t be taken as
being even one millimetre in a positive direction.
"That‟s harsh, Sakayanagi."
"Fufufu, it‟s in my nature after all."
As if to get ahead, she was trying to protect Ichinose whilst also
making preparations so that she could use her.
"If I do something to hurt Ichinose here, she‟ll put her trust in
you."
"If I can gain her trust, I‟ll have a much easier time getting around
in the future."
Sakayanagi had a side to her that was my ally, but naturally, she
also had a side that was my enemy at the same time. They were two
sides of the same coin, and she was making good use of it.
"But why are you telling me all this?"
"What I just told you was about Ichinose-san, but that‟s not
important right now. In this school, the number of people who know
about you is gradually increasing, Ayanokōji-kun. And they hold a very
strong interest in you."
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It was true that if my relationship with Ichinose hadn't been so
close during the uninhabited island exam, she wouldn‟t have come
running to me, causing trouble for her friends.
"And to go along with that, you‟ve been getting a lot of strange
looks from the third-year students, right?"
I see. I‟m sure she chased after me because she wanted to chat, but
this was the main topic she was after. It meant Sakayanagi was able to
realise I was being watched by the third-year students from just that
short period of time. As expected from her.
So the earlier conversation was just a preparatory step to bring up
this topic.
"Are you in trouble with the third-years?"
"Well, trouble would be one way to put it. I seem to have made an
enemy of a nasty opponent.
"A nasty opponent...the Student Council President?"
Nagumo was the only one who came to mind when considering a
potential strong opponent among the upperclassmen.
"I had a dispute with the Student Council President on the final day
of the uninhabited island exam. It seems he missed out on first place
because of it, so now they‟re looking at me like I‟m the enemy."
"So he was tripped up by trying to stage a dramatic late victory."
"You were aware of that much?"
"I think the majority of people in the uninhabited island exam hold
the opinion that Kōenji-kun was an unmatched lone warrior. But I knew
from early on that the Student Council President was deliberately
holding back on scoring points. If they made the difference too big, it
would be blatantly obvious that the entire third year was trying to make
a particular group win. I saw the stream of cards in his possession, and
therefore also saw his strategy."
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Although I thought I was already fully aware of Sakayangi‟s
ability, she still exceeded my expectations. It was proof that she had a
perfect grasp of everything that went on during the uninhabited island
exam.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"No, I‟m fine. Nagumo can‟t make any fancy moves lightly either.
Besides, you were already a great help during the uninhabited island
exam, Sakayanagi. I can‟t rely on you even more than I already have."
"You really don‟t have to mind it. I was glad that you relied on me,
and I also took full advantage of your proposition."
"Took full advantage? Meaning?"
Sakayanagi giggled and stared out to the ocean with narrowed
eyes.
"As we neared the end of the uninhabited island exam, we knew it
would be difficult to take first or second place. The pace at which
Kōenji-kun and the Student Council President were gaining points
exceeded the maximum score that our group would be able to obtain."
Well, those two groups were fighting on a whole other level.
"I was aiming for third place, but one of my rivals in the final
stages was Ryūen-kun‟s group. He was only in a small group of two
with Katsuragi-kun, but he showed exceptional tenacity. So I asked him
for his help and decided to let him and Hōsen-kun clash."
"I see. So that‟s what you meant."
"Whatever form it took, if Ryūen-kun were to stray from the main
focus of the exam, his scoring would slow down. As it turned out, he
was forced to retire, which was the best possible outcome for us."
So she was able to help me while crushing her rival, Ryūen, at the
same time.
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However, there were still some parts that I didn‟t understand, even
after hearing all this. Ryūen had been working hard for two weeks to get
on the podium, but he readily cooperated with Sakayanagi. It wasn‟t
hard to imagine that he wouldn't come out unscathed if he were to
confront Hōsen.
The only thing that was clear was that some kind of promise was
made. If he had to give up the possibility of third place, it would have to
be more than just a small transaction.
"Considerable compensation...For example, he didn‟t make you
pay a massive sum of private points did he?"
If Sakayanagi made good use of the „Bonus‟ cards belonging to her
classmates, she should‟ve brought in a good bit of income. It wouldn‟t
be a surprise if she‟d made an offer to Ryūen, who was trying to collect
a huge amount of private points.
"I haven‟t paid a single point, and I don‟t plan to in the future
either."
"So you‟re saying it‟s not money."
In this school, the exchange of private points was the standard
method used for transactions.
"It sounds like a riddle, but I can‟t tell even you the details right
now, Ayanokōji-kun. This is an agreement made between him and
myself. Until he tells me to fulfil my end of the deal in the near future,
that is."
"That wish will end up strangling him soon enough," added
Sakayanagi.
With that in mind, it was no wonder she didn‟t pay him back with
money such as private points.
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"Anyway, please be careful, Ayanokōji-kun. You‟ve solved one
problem, but the White Room students are still around, and now you‟ve
also got to deal with the third-years."
"It‟s a long list of problems, but I‟ll be careful."
I heard a ringtone come from Sakayanagi‟s person. Sakayanagi
gave me a light warning and answered the incoming call.
"──Is that so? I‟ll be right there."
Without speaking for even five seconds, Sakayanagi ended the
phone call and let go of the railing.
"I have an appointment with someone after this, so I‟ll take my
leave now."
"Okay. I‟ll see you later."
"It was a pleasure speaking with you. Then, see you."
After watching Sakayanagi slowly depart, I decided to look out to
the ocean for a little while longer.
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3.4
ON THAT SAME DAY, Amasawa was wandering around the ship
alone with no particular destination in mind.
Sometimes her classmates would talk to her, but she‟d just show
them a friendly smile and leave it at that. She‟d not once done anything
like go out in a group and hang out.
"I want to go see Ayanokōji-senpai~"
Stepping out onto the deck, Amasawa muttered in a voice that was
lightly drowned out by the sound of the wind. For Amasawa, who had
no interest in other students, the only time she felt delight was when she
was meeting Ayanokōji, the one person that could move her. However,
because of his current position, he was deliberately refraining from
contacting her right now.
"Ahh~, I‟m sooo bored I feel like I‟m gonna die..."
"Good day, Amasawa Ichika-san."
The one who approached Amasawa, who was alone on the deck
looking out to the ocean, was second-year Class A student, Sakayanagi
Arisu. Not especially surprised, Amasawa only turned her gaze towards
her.
"And who might you be?" Amasawa tilted her head curiously as if
she‟d never seen her before.
"I am Sakayanagi Arisu from second-year Class A. Pleased to
make your acquaintance."
"Sakayanagi...senpai? Do you have business with me?"
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"Fufu, no need for any monkey business. I hear you are a White
Room student, right Amasawa-san? Of course you know who I am as
well, don‟t you?
White Room student. When those words were heard, there was no
choice but to understand.
"Fuu, I see. So it was the chairman‟s daughter that Ayanokōji-
senpai relied on. You seem to know a little bit about the White Room, so
I suppose you could say it was inevitable. And so?"
Not surprised, Amasawa asked Sakayangi what she was after.
"It‟s only natural that I‟d want to see how good the White Room
student he was so worried about is."
"It‟s okay that you‟re so motivated to do this, but does that mean
you have permission from Ayanokōji-senpai?"
"Permission? I have no need for such a thing. My being here is my
own personal decision."
"You‟ve got an awful lot of self-confidence, haven‟t you, Arisu-
senpai?"
"I‟m proud to say that I have at least that much ability."
"So cool!"
Amasawa, while praising and applauding, seemed somewhat
preoccupied.
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"But I‟m sorry. I‟m feeling a little sentimental right now. Could we
do this some other time?"
"I don‟t mind. Today was only supposed to be a mere face-to-face
meeting after all."
Satisfied with just saying a quick hello, Sakayanagi bowed softly
and turned to leave.
"Oh, and by the way, Arisu-senpai, could the surveillance you‟ve
had me under come to an end here?"
Sakayanagi found Amasawa after using several students from
Class A to keep track of her location and waited until she was alone.
"I had instructed them not to let themselves be seen, but it seems
you noticed."
"Ahahaha, that was supposed to be hiding? That‟s cute."
"I apologize if my actions made you feel uncomfortable. But as
you can see, I‟m crippled, so it wouldn‟t be easy for me to locate and go
to see you otherwise. Please forgive me."
"Ah, I have one question~ I‟m the kind of girl who can hit a
cripple without hesitation, is that okay?"
"Violence is one of the stronger cards available in the deck, but it
is not always the strongest."
Saying this, Sakayanagi lightly tapped her cane against the deck
two and then three times. As if it were a signal, her classmate Kamuro
appeared in the distance.
"She‟s the upperclassman that‟s been following me around, right?
Is it possible that she can compete with me?"
"That is not the case. I just mean that uncivilized conduct can be
easily detected."
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"So you want to have a battle of wits with me? You make me
laugh."
"You‟re very short-sighted, aren‟t you? Please don‟t go drawing
your own conclusions. After all, even if you are a White Room student,
other than Ayanokōji-kun, you are all failures. I don‟t have excessively
high expectations."
At this point, Amasawa‟s gaze sharpened for the first time and she
looked at Sakayanagi.
"I‟ll give you a win or a loss in any setting, is what I mean."
"Oh, really? Even if we were using violence like you were just
talking about?"
For the first time, Amasawa became interested in Sakayanagi and
licked her thumb.
"Yes, of course. You can use any means you like."
"I‟ll make sure to remember you, senpai."
"If it‟s etched into your hippocampus, I would be glad to hear it.
Then, have a good day."
Sakayanagi slowly walked away, and Amasawa took a deep breath
on the now empty deck.
"Even without Ayanokōji-senpai, I might be able to enjoy myself a
little. Play around a bit with Kushida-senpai or enjoy watching Arisu-
senpai‟s crying face...? Under normal circumstances, I‟d be in an
excited mood.."
She softly placed her hand on her aching abdomen and thought
about what was to come.
"...I‟ll wait and see for now, I guess."
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It would take some more time before she was back in perfect
condition. Besides, Amasawa couldn‟t make a move until she saw
how that side fared.
Sakayanagi, on the other hand, left with Kamuro and returned to
the corridor.
"That first-year looks dangerous."
"Oh, you could tell?"
"It‟s just a feeling. I guess after being around you for so long, I‟ve
developed some kind of strange sense. Honestly, I don‟t want to get
involved any further."
"Please cherish that feeling. That said, it would be better to
continue surveilling her to some extent."
She was warned not to monitor her, but Sakayanagi had no
intention of listening to her. Amasawa wouldn‟t be able to ignore her if
she knew that she was still marking her relentlessly. If that happened, it
wouldn‟t be a surprise if she tried to provoke her.
"She noticed that I was following her, didn‟t she? Will you use
Hashimoto?"
"If it‟s him, even if he were seen, he might be able to get through
it, but..."
If they weren‟t careful and came into contact with the White Room
students, it was possible it could become disadvantageous later on.
"For the time being, thank you for your hard work Masumi-san."
With her role already over, Kamuro left the scene immediately.
After that, Sakayanagi took out her mobile phone and made a single call.
"Could you continue for me please?" She asked the person on the
other side to continue monitoring Amasawa, and then added one last
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thing. "As I thought, it seems that you are the only one I can rely on
from the class, Yamamura-san."
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Chapter 4:
The Growth in Each of Us
THIS SUMMER VACATION aboard a luxury cruise ship continued to
be a valuable experience, and had already reached its halfway point.
The wallets of the students enjoying their remaining time to the
fullest must be loosening up like never before. It may sound crazy to the
students who were systematically working their way up, but there was
nothing wrong with spending money on a short break. It would help
refresh any accumulated fatigue, and at the same time, you would
achieve a sense of euphoria and happiness. But that might sound like an
excuse, since I was also using my meagre amount of private points.
I changed into my swimsuit and opened the door to see a large,
empty pool. This luxury cruise ship had a large swimming pool facility
that was open to everyone free of charge, but it was also equipped with
another pool. You could call it a private pool, a pool that we could rent
out and enjoy all to ourselves. It wasn‟t cheap at 20,000 points per 60
minute interval, but the time you could spend alone with your closest
friends was more than worth the money. Moreover, the number of
people who could use it was up to 40 people at a time, so if an entire
class rented it out, you could use it for only 500 points per head.
Because of this, the private pool was surprisingly popular with
students and was almost always fully booked from 8am to 8pm when it
was open. While it was difficult to swim freely in a large swimming
pool packed with people, the private pool was spacious enough to do
whatever you wanted and enjoy it with no trouble.
"Wow, it‟s huge..."
Akito spoke with a hint of excitement after showing up at the
poolside a little later than me. It was the same size as the pool that was
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open to the public for free, but it looked so big that I wondered if the
scale could somehow change by reserving it.
"Where‟s Keisei?"
"He said he‟d go to the bathroom first. The girls aren‟t ready yet,
are they?"
There was no need to confirm that they wouldn't be able to change
as quickly as us boys. For some reason, Akito picked up a menu that was
sitting next to a beach chair.
"Oh...It‟s more expensive than the other one."
For the private pool, drinks were far more expensive than for the
free pool; in fact, they were almost double the price. It shouldn‟t be that
surprising when considering the number of orders that would be placed
for this many people, but it was harsh. It meant that we would be
relentlessly exploited here as well. The fact that bringing your own food
and drink was prohibited was also well thought out.
Just then, the door to the changing room was opened slightly. We
both looked back at the same time, but there was no sign of anyone
coming out. Instead, the sound of voices reached my ears.
"Come on Airi, what are you doing? Hurry up and go."
"B-b-b-b-b-but, but! It‟s embarrassing Haruka-chan!"
"What‟s so embarrassing about it? You‟ve been posting all kinds
of embarrassing pictures onto the internet so you should be fine, right?"
"W-well it‟s not like they were looking at me directly!"
"For me, that‟s even more embarrassing. Come on, come on."
"Aah! Wait, wait!"
Such an indescribable conversation was going on between Haruka
and Airi.
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"How to say it? There‟s a certain invisible quality, right?" Akito
said something completely unexpected. "What?"
"I was just thinking, you think about stuff like that too, huh Akito."
"You know...It‟s natural for guys right? I mean, it‟s not like I talk
about it lightly on a daily basis like Ike and the others. You‟re the same,
aren‟t you?"
He faced me with a somewhat dumbfounded look in his eyes, and
at the same time, there was an air that didn‟t allow for any denial. I
wasn‟t trying to read the atmosphere, but I could tell that Akito was
trying to be brave in his own way. It wasn‟t a good idea to ignore him,
so I decided to admit to it honestly.
"Well, I guess that‟s true."
Hearing my answer, Akito laughed a little as if he were relieved.
"If a girl hears, I know she‟ll just say I‟m an idiot or something
though."
Akito usually wore a calm poker face, but judging by how much he
was talking, it was obvious that he was getting nervous. However, those
two still seemed to be arguing and wouldn‟t come out easily.
"I‟m so embarrassed!"
"You know what?! I feel the same way!"
"H-h...Haruka-chan, that‟s a very daring outfit isn‟t it?"
"That‟s because you promised to wear this in front of everyone!"
"Hyah!"
We were in something of a life or death situation, waiting for them
to appear.
"Daring, she says."
"Sounds like it."
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A sense of anticipation, accompanied by a feeling of
embarrassment. Where should I look and what should I say when the
girls come out?
"Impossible, it‟s impossible! I-I‟m going to borrow something to
cover myself with."
"No, you can‟t! Come on, don‟t run away!"
"Ugh, I‟m still embarrassed in this kind of swimsuit after all,
Haruka-chan!"
"You know that it‟s the same for me too, right? I had no choice but
to go along with you!"
"I never asked you to do that!"
We were waiting for them to come out, but it looked like the
struggle would continue a little while longer.
"Hey, Ayanokōji. What do you think of Airi?"
Akito had been looking towards the girls until now, but I realised
he was now looking at me. I was sure he wasn‟t just speaking randomly.
"As in?"
I immediately understood what he was talking about, but I dared to
feign ignorance.
"Mixed-gender groups can be a little complicated, right? It‟s not
unusual for someone to end up liking someone else."
The question wasn‟t difficult to answer, but...
"How about you?"
When I asked back, Akito showed a somewhat troubled
expression.
"Well, I guess so." After a few moments of silence, Akito spoke.
"I‟d be lying if I said I felt nothing like that whatsoever."
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He answered in a way that acknowledged, not denied, the existence
of such a possibility.
"But if it might destroy this group, I‟m not gonna push it."
He meant to leave those feelings smouldering in his heart. I
couldn‟t tell for sure if it was Haruka or Airi at this point, but... I
wonder what the right answer would be here. Unlike math, it wasn‟t
always possible to get a definitive answer after trying to figure it out.
"Kiyotaka, you..."
"Kyaah!"
Just as Akito was about to say something, the half-opened door
swung open and Airi came flying out in front of me. I made eye contact
with Akito again after looking at where the shouting came from.
"P-pushing me like that...you‟re awful Haruka-chan!"
"It‟s because you wouldn‟t hurry up and get out here."
Saying that, Haruka showed herself immediately after Airi‟s
arrival.
"O-oh, come on..."
Akito looked shocked, but needless to say, I felt the same way.
How could I put it? The two of them were wearing incredibly bold
swimsuits. If this wasn‟t a private pool, they would have attracted a lot
of attention from both men and women.
Haruka immediately looked up and saw us. I somehow felt like it
was a crime to stare at them, so, at the same time as Akito, I turned to
look in the appropriate direction. However, as if something immediately
caught his curiosity, Akito spoke up, keeping his gaze elsewhere.
"Airi gives off a very different impression, doesn‟t she?"
I‟d rather he didn‟t bring me into this, but I guess Akito must also
be in a tight situation.
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"I guess. She gives off a much more innocent feeling."
"That‟s it...that."
While we were describing our impressions of Airi, Haruka looked
blatantly disappointed.
"Conventional. Mundane."
"Don‟t say that. No, I‟m too surprised to get the words out."
I really hoped that Haruka would catch the part where my
vocabulary was rapidly declining.
"...I‟m gonna go for a little swim."
Perhaps the two of them were too stimulating for him, as, after
saying that, Akito turned his back on them and jumped into the pool
without doing any preparation. With a splash, he swam through the
empty pool alone. I knew what it was like to be hit with the feeling of
wanting to run away. Because the private pool was an environment that
we would rarely be able to experience, when faced with the destructive
power of the two people in front of us, escape was no longer possible.
To get rid of all kinds of worries, swimming away like that was the
correct decision. Having said that, if two guys were to suddenly put their
all into swimming, the atmosphere would obviously turn strange. I guess
I‟d just have to be the shield here and continue this confrontation.
What should I do...? Taking a look at the two of them, I could see
that Airi was blushing uncomfortably. Seeing Airi like this, Haruka
happily walked around to her back and grabbed her shoulders.
"Hyaa!"
"Hey, hey, Kiyopon, how‟s the reborn Airi?"
Saying that, she pushed Airi forward. The distance between us was
so close that if we weren‟t careful, we‟d end up touching each other
skin-to-skin. Rather than that, it was like she actually was touching me. I
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retreated just enough for it to be unnoticeable and maintained a close
distance.
"Whoa..."
Both of them were wearing swimsuits that exposed a lot of skin, so
touching them easily was problematic behaviour. Unable to bear the
situation, Airi opened her mouth to escape.
"I-I think I‟ll go swim in the pool too!"
"Wait, Airi..."
Haruka reached out her hand to try and catch her, but she failed to
grab her arm in time. She then went to jump into the pool...or so I
thought, but the way she held the stainless steel railing and gently
entered the water was very Airi-esque.
"Damn it. Even though I‟m so embarrassed too..."
That certainly would be the case. Aside from the emphasis on the
breasts, the area of the swimsuit‟s lower half was clearly small. Even
though they were tied together tightly with string, I was anxious that
something might happen to them.
"Just so you know, it was Airi who chose this ridiculous swimsuit,
okay?"
"I wasn‟t going to get into it, but how did that happen?"
Originally, Haruka wasn‟t the kind of student who liked to show
her skin in public. However, the amount of emphasis she was putting on
her breasts and lower body wasn‟t normal.
"How did it happen? How did it happen, hmm...?" For a moment,
she showed a troubled face, but then she began to explain, choosing her
words carefully. "I'm not sure how to say it? It‟s a form of going along
with Airi?"
"What does that mean?"
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There were so many choices, I couldn‟t even begin to understand.
"It means that she‟s desperately trying to change. And that‟s the
same for me. I can‟t believe I‟m saying this, but...there's a part of me
that stands out a little more than others, right?" She said it in a muddled
way, but it was without a doubt referring to that which I couldn‟t look at.
"I know I shouldn‟t care, but the way people look at me makes me
uncomfortable."
I could understand her distress, but from a male psychological
perspective, ignoring it was extremely difficult. It was inevitable that our
eyes would find themselves being drawn to them.
"I chose a slightly daring bathing suit for her to encourage her, and
she replied that she would wear it if I wore one too."
That was a good reply. I could easily imagine Haruka refusing to
wear a flashy swimsuit. If Haruka refused to wear it, she could say back
to her that she wouldn‟t either.
"I can‟t let her stumble during the first step of the Airi remodelling
project. It‟s called willpower." Now that she‟d accepted the conditions
that Airi herself set, Airi couldn‟t escape either. "Besides, even if Airi
and I can‟t wear something like this in the open pool over there, if it‟s
here..."
It seemed that because it was with three boys that they were close
with, they managed to make it happen. Even so, it was easy even for a
guy to imagine that there was quite a bit of shame involved.
"...You wanna see?" Haruka asked, looking embarrassed, or rather,
hiding her disgust.
"Well, even if I‟ve been told not to look, I have to admit there are
some difficulties."
In the first place, they were in my line of sight when I was talking
to her so there was no way around it. The only way to avoid seeing them
was by looking directly above or below, or by turning my back.
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"I see. I think I know the difference between a man and a woman,
but I don‟t know anything about psychology."
The difference in curiosity about breasts, hips and lower abdomen
wasn‟t something that men and women could understand. No, there was
no way to know because each individual person had their own
preferences; it wasn‟t just separated by men and women.
"Huh? By the way, where‟s Yukimuu?"
"Looks like he‟s going to be a little while longer."
I don‟t know if the stomach-ache was lingering, but he didn‟t seem
to be coming out at all.
"Hmm?"
Perhaps not that interested in checking, Haruka‟s mind seemed to
be elsewhere. The conversation stopped for a moment, and a brief
silence fell.
"...Ah, no, I can‟t stop thinking about it."
"I‟m sorry. I‟m trying to be careful not to look."
If you couldn‟t help but look at the other person‟s face while
talking to them, they would inevitably come into view.
"That‟s not what I mean. You really haven‟t done anything wrong,
Kiyopon. I know I‟m too self-conscious to begin with. I know that
you‟re not looking because you like it."
Eh, no...it‟s not like I don‟t like what I see. I‟ll keep that part to
myself.
"When something stands out it attracts attention. It‟s the same with
anything, right? It‟s just, when I think it‟s me, I can‟t help but feel bad."
In Haruka‟s case, it wasn‟t just the boys‟ gaze. Even if it was a
same-sex gathering, she wouldn‟t welcome attention being drawn to her
breasts.
"I‟m sorry, I think it‟s going to take me a little more time to calm
down," she continued.
"It doesn‟t really matter. If you think it‟s impossible, you can just
go back and get changed."
"I can‟t do that. As long as Airi is giving it her best, I don‟t want
to break."
She called it the Airi remodelling project, didn't she? I could tell
she was thinking about it.
"Let‟s change the subject. It may be a little late, but it seems you
were just about safe in the uninhabited island exam."
I hadn‟t been able to get together with the Ayanokōji group for the
past few days, so Haruka mentioned the topic to me rather late. It was a
completely unrelated topic, which was probably a good thing right now.
"Well, we were just the same, so it‟s not something to laugh
about."
"To be honest, it was pretty tough. I fought as hard as I could and
that was the result. My bad."
"It‟s not bad at all. I mean, I‟m a little relieved."
Exhaling slightly, Haruka watched Airi, who was clumsily trying
to swim.
"Relieved? After those terrible results?"
"I mean, there were rumours that you were a jerk because of that
math problem, Kiyopon. Won‟t this help everything calm down a little?
You didn‟t like the weird pressure you were under, right?"
Apparently, she was thinking about my future.
"As I thought, you're more like a saint than the other boys,
Kiyopon."
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"What did you see that made you think that?"
I was doubtful because I thought she was overestimating me. I had
just as much sexual desire and interest in the opposite sex as anyone
else.
"Things like your facial expressions, your gaze...I feel like it‟s less
of an issue with you than other boys."
I didn‟t know what to say about that. I was afraid I‟d get a lot of
flack for showing anything like that here. I was also grateful that another
guy was playing the role of a panicked person. It must have a synergistic
effect.
"Oh..."
As soon as Keisei, who had finished changing late, showed up, he
let out a surprised voice. It was clear to the eye that this wasn‟t his
reaction to seeing the rented private pool. He must‟ve seen the daring
figure of Haruka beside me.
"Whassup."
Perhaps to maintain a sense of normalcy, Haruka greeted Keisei
with a silly face and voice.
"S-sup..."
He fixed his glasses, which had almost fallen off, and looked over
towards her. I guess this meant that Keisei, who usually spent most of
his time studying, was a fine boy. The fact that all the guys uniformly
reacted and tried to escape in the same way showed the nature of this
group. If it were a type like Ryūen or Kōenji, the reaction would
probably be very different.
"Well then...I think I‟ll go swim a bit too."
He jumped into the pool to escape, joining Akito, who was
swimming vigorously. Airi, who couldn‟t swim well and thus let her feet
touch the bottom of the pool, waved at Haruka.
"Come over too, Haruka-chan~ It feels good~!"
"Okay, okay, I‟ll go. Give me a second."
Saying that she couldn't help it, she started to do her exercises next
to me.
"I get the feeling you‟ve become closer since fighting through the
uninhabited island exam together."
"Well, that‟s true, isn‟t it? We‟ve shared a lot of things from top to
bottom."
"Waah! That‟s a bit embarrassing so don‟t say it!"
Airi, who was waiting at the edge of the pool watching us,
hurriedly made a splashing sound. Top? Bottom? They were common
keywords, but also very meaningful.
"I don‟t know, Airi is essentially helpless, but I can‟t leave her
alone. Kind of like a best friend or little sister?"
A statement that was unthinkable when we first met. And that
wasn‟t something limited to just Haruka. It was the same for Keisei, and,
even if there were no major changes, it was also the same for Akito.
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4.1
AFTER THAT, I took turns playing in the pool with my group of
friends, enjoying myself to the fullest.
After playing two-on-two water volleyball, we were now in the
middle of first to five, one-on-one matches. First up was a battle
between Keisiei and Airi, which Keisei won 5-2. Then Akito and I
fought, and Akito won by 5 points to 3. Airi, who lacked physical
strength, was sat down by the side of the pool to rest, probably tired after
just one match. Seeing this, I called out to her.
"You looked like you were having a great time."
"Ah, Kiyotaka-kun. Yeah, it‟s really fun. Though I wasn‟t much of
an opponent at all..."
For some reason she tried to stand up, so I stopped her and sat
down beside her instead.
"To be honest I‟m still surprised. That you had the courage to do
something like this, Airi."
"That‟s...yeah. I thought I‟d take the plunge...Though I‟m still
terribly embarrassed about it."
"Why did you decide to be brave?"
She couldn‟t have decided to do something like this on a whim.
"During the uninhabited island exam, we were always with our
group for 24 hours every day, right? So Haruka-chan and I spoke about
all sorts of things. About when we were little, about middle school. And
then after coming to this school, about how we started getting along."
If you were together for long periods of time, small talk just wasn‟t
going to cut it. With that being the case, it was no wonder that they
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delved into the deeper stuff. Probably because of the intense time they
spent together, the two of them must‟ve come to understand each other
like they‟d been best friends from way back.
"I thought maybe I can change now...It might be the only time..."
"Change? You‟re not just talking about looks, right?"
"Yeah. I can‟t say it clearly yet, but... I‟ve started to think that I
should change, that I have to change. It‟s not good enough for me to be
bad at both studying and sports."
Even though her cheeks were flushed and she felt embarrassed,
Airi expressed her determination.
"So the start is your appearance."
"Haruka-chan scolded me, saying that it‟s not good to be
deliberately inconspicuous."
Airi didn‟t like to stand out because of her personality. That was
why she lived her life keeping her hairstyle modest and wearing
unnecessary fake glasses. As for posture, she often rounded her back and
kept her head low. She couldn‟t improve her studies or sports abilities
overnight, but she could fix her appearance.
As Airi gazed at the pool, she saw that in the new match, the ball
had been smashed into the water and Akito had scored a point against
Haruka. This gave Akito a lead of 3 points to 1.
"It‟s too late...I guess."
After telling me everything, Airi looked up at me anxiously.
"No, it‟s not too late." I wanted to praise her honestly for making
that decision. "I‟m rooting for you."
"T-thank you, Kiyotaka-kun. I‟ll try my best."
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"Ah, yeah, yeah, I forgot to tell you earlier but Airi‟s image change
is still a secret, okay? We‟ll be unveiling it to everyone when the second
semester starts."
It would probably be better to do it in a classroom with all the
students present. At any rate, if it was going to make her nervous, the
fewer times, the better.
"So what did you think, Yukimuu? When you saw Airi."
Haruka, who was serving, stopped what she was doing and spoke
to Keisei, who was watching the match.
"D-don‟t ask me."
"We won‟t know unless we ask, will we? Let us hear your
unreserved opinion."
After being told that, Keisei looked directly at Airi and observed
every inch of her body. Naturally embarrassed, Airi tried to run away.
"You can‟t run away, Airi."
Haruka did her best to hold Airi down as she growled and flapped
her legs. And after completing his observation, Keisei‟s evaluation
was...
"...It‟s...not bad, is it? I mean, no, it‟s totally attractive..."
Keisei, who didn‟t usually show much interest in girls, replied, his
body tense.
"Oh, if Yukimuu reacts like that, then I‟m sure it‟s perfect!"
Haruka, as pleased as if it were her, jumped high into the air at that
moment. She then slammed her serve towards Akito, who had been
watching Airi after having his attention caught.
"Whoa!"
"One point! With that it‟s two points to three!"
"That‟s not fair, Haruka."
"It‟s your fault for gawking at girls, Miyacchi. Don‟t let your
guard down, carelessness is one‟s greatest enemy."
"Don‟t be ridiculous. But...how can a girl change so much just
by taking off her glasses and changing her hairstyle a little?"
"It means the original material was already top-notch. Didn‟t you
know that much?"
"Even if you say that..."
Akito and Keisei looked at each other and nodded at the same
time.
"Oh dear. Well, it‟s because you guys are like this that I‟m
comfortable hanging out with you."
Akito shook off his worries and concentrated on his own serve.
With the game resumed, Airi let out a sigh of relief.
"When it comes to studying, how do I improve? Or rather, how do
I get smarter I wonder..."
Although Airi and the others prepare when tests come around, they
don‟t study from the ground up like Horikita and Sudō do. That part was
essential when it came to raising your academic level.
Keisei overheard something related to studying, so began to
explain in front of us.
"The first step is to find out what you can and can‟t do, isn‟t it?
Beginning with the 1st year of elementary school, we all start running
side by side. But gradually our strengths and weaknesses when studying
start to emerge. Do you know why?"
"Um..."
"Individuals have different abilities regarding learning and
absorbing content, as well as different levels of concentration. There are
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those who can‟t stand it for even one minute, and there are those that can
get through an hour of class by resourcefully controlling their
concentration. That alone will start to make a difference in your ability
to learn, but how much you study outside of class is also a big factor."
"That‟s...yeah. It‟s true that the kids who went to cram school were
smart."
Although it was obvious, Airi nodded her head as if she were
convinced.
"Rah!"
The ball bounced off Haruka‟s attempt to catch it and he won the
5th point. The result was a 5 points to 2 win in favour of Akito.
"Alright. With that I guess it‟s my win."
"Bummer. But I was a little curious about what those two were
talking about and couldn't concentrate, so that's why I lost."
So with that analysis and excuse, Haruka came up to the pool side.
"Why don‟t you teach her how to study, Kiyopon?"
Hearing the flow of the conversation, Haruka came up with an
idea.
"Sorry, but I‟m not very good at teaching. Besides, there‟s a
teaching specialist nearby, right?"
To shift the gaze away from me, I turned to Keisei as if to urge him
on.
"Well...if Airi says it‟s okay, then I don‟t mind."
"No, but Yukimuu, you know, I was thinking you could take care
of me and Akito from now on. Wouldn‟t it be hard to teach all of us if
we added Airi, who‟s at a different level?"
"Uh, that means I‟m an idiot, right?...Ugh."
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"Ah, that‟s not it! That‟s not what I meant!"
"No, you know, that‟s the only way to take what you just said,
Haruka."
Unable to defend her, Akito muttered under his breath.
"I‟m just, you know...Ah jeez, I‟m very sorry, I was out of line!"
She bowed deeply to Airi, and at the same time, the two lumps
became bigger...And don‟t look...If I do, my concentration will be
uprooted and taken away.
After that, there was a lot of laughter and the atmosphere became
more relaxed.
"Then it‟s time for the Airi and Keisei revenge match."
"Ehh? I won‟t win no matter how many times I try~!"
"You don‟t need to worry, I‟ll join you as a helper."
"W-wait, Akito. I‟m at an overwhelming disadvantage then!"
Even while complaining, Keisei went into the pool without
hesitation. He was very serious about it.
"I-I‟ll try my best."
Airi, who had gained a reliable companion in Akito, clenched her
fists slightly.
Haruka and I decided to watch the novel two-on-one battle from
the poolside.
"Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Hmm?"
Shortly after the match started, Haruka spoke to me with her gaze
fixed on the competition.
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"I hope it‟s not my imagination, but aren‟t you a little cold towards
Airi, Kiyopon?"
"I don‟t mean to be."
"But you could‟ve taught her one-on-one. You can do that much,
can‟t you?"
If I had to choose between being able and not being able, then I
would say I could do it without any problems.
"That‟s kinda unfair, don‟t you think? For Airi."
"I‟m just trying to be fair to everybody."
"Really?"
"I‟ve never really favoured anyone except for pretence."
"...Does that mean you‟d be as fair to your best friend as your
girlfriend?"
"That‟s right."
"Isn‟t that a little strange? It‟s like the distance between us is too
far. I‟ll take this opportunity to say, right from the start you‟ve been
watching us while keeping your distance, right Kiyopon?"
Apparently, that idea had gotten through to Haruka.
"I‟ve never seen you smile or anything."
Saying that, she reached out with her right arm and pinched my left
cheek. She played with it, pulling it with some intensity.
"I wish we could at least make you smile, Kiyopon."
"It‟s not like I‟m not smiling on purpose though."
She removed her fingertips from the cheek she had been pinching
and crossed her arms in displeasure.
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"There are more reasons that I can‟t tell you directly. The distance
between Airi and I was too close from the beginning."
"What‟s that supposed to mean?"
"I think it‟s not me, but the environment surrounding her that is
making her grow."
"The environment surrounding her?"
"There‟s you, there‟s Akito, and there‟s Keisei. Growing
surrounded by her best friends is the most important factor for Airi. In
fact, Airi is about to undergo a major change thanks to you, Haruka."
"I think the one most important to Airi is you though, Kiyopon."
"If she were the type who thrives on romantic entanglements, that
might‟ve been a good idea."
"You told me that you were aware of Airi‟s feelings once before
Kiyopon, but, how can I put this? What you‟re saying is a little harsh,
don‟t you think?"
She looked at me with complicated eyes, as if she didn‟t know how
to express herself.
"Since our first year, Airi has been thinking about me in no small
way. That makes me happy. It‟s just..."
She looked at me with anxiously, as if she were a girl waiting for a
reply to her confession. Airi‟s love. It was an undeniable fact that she
was her best friend and was praying for her to succeed.
"What Airi needs right now are friends that she can trust."
"But, but you know what? It might be good if there were also a
romantic element. She might be able to work harder."
"Indeed, there could be some synergy."
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But the trouble was, love wasn‟t something that you could have for
more than one person at a time.
Basically, if the seat was occupied by one person, if you wanted to
bring in a second person, you‟d have to take action to cut off the first. Of
course, it wasn‟t impossible to do it with two or three people at the same
time if you were good at it, but I‟d say it wasn‟t suitable in the closed
environment of this school and the demerits should you get exposed
were far greater. I stood up from the poolside.
"In the near future, Airi will undergo a bit of a psychological
shock. At that time, Haruka, I need you more than anyone to be there by
her side to encourage and cheer her up."
"What‟s that? What do you mean?"
"Sorry, but I can‟t answer that right now."
Airi is the least valuable person in the class. Academic ability,
physical ability and other factors. Looking at her comprehensively, that
was the only way to judge it. This was not only true for the OAA, but it
was also my own personal opinion.
However, depending on Airi‟s willingness to change from here on
out, she will surely grow, albeit slowly. Maybe in six months, maybe in
a year, at that time, she might be able to climb out from the bottom of
the class.
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4.2
OUR TIME IN THE POOL came to an end in a flash and we started to
get changed.
The system didn‟t allow for extensions because there was a fixed
amount of time for employees to clean the area before the next
reservation. The three of us quickly showered, changed our clothes and
left the private pool. The girls couldn‟t be seen, probably because it took
a fair bit of effort for them to get changed, unlike for us boys.
"Looks like the girls aren‟t done yet."
Since we hadn‟t discussed what to do afterwards, we decided to
wait for them to come out.
"Ayanokōji-senpai!"
"Hmm?"
I suddenly felt a pair of eyes watching me, and it was revealed to
be Nanase. I set a new record today, having met Nanase every day
aboard this ship.
"Nanase helped me find a partner for the special partner exam. She
also helped me several times during the uninhabited island exam."
"Really? So you‟re a pretty amazing girl then, huh?"
Akito nodded with admiration and raised his hand lightly to greet
Nanase. Keisei followed suit.
Could it be that Nanase was the next reservation for the private
pool? That‟s what I‟d thought, but...
"I just happened to be passing by."
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As if to deny it, Nanase said it was just a coincidence.
"I see."
"I don‟t want to bother you, so with that, I‟ll take my leave."
In this area, the only place where students could play was the
private pool. In fact, Nanase walked away, but I still couldn‟t figure out
why she showed up here in the first place. No... At this point, it would
be too optimistic to dismiss this as a mere coincidence. Nanase seemed
to have some grasp of my actions and was checking on me every step of
the way. However, I didn‟t feel any kind of malice in it. If that was the
case, then what was her objective?
Nakaizumi and Suzuki passed by in front of the three of us. Seeing
this, the other two didn‟t seem to have noticed anything unusual.
"What‟s wrong, Ayanokōji? Did those two do something wrong?"
"No...I was just wondering where they were going."
"Ah, you‟ve got a point. There‟s not really anything up ahead, is
there? Maybe they‟re lost?"
There were no special facilities beyond this point. It wasn‟t
impossible that they were lost, though. To begin with, people didn‟t
visit this level for any purpose other than the private pool. Just like
Nanase, they were walking around in places I wouldn‟t consider
normal. Speaking of which, I saw Nanase, Nakaizumi and Suzuki on the
deck near the bow yesterday.
"But Airi‟s in trouble. She seems to have a lot of formidable
enemies."
"What‟s that?"
When Akito muttered from behind me, Keisei butted in.
"No, it‟s nothing."
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Shortly after Nanase left, the two girls finished getting dressed and
came out.
"That was fun, wasn‟t it Haruka-chan?"
"I guess so. Playing in the pool isn‟t so bad if it‟s with close
friends."
The two girls seemed to be completely satisfied and were smiling
the whole time, even after they‟d finished changing. I was sure Haruka
was still anxious about what I said earlier, but she wasn't showing it.
"Ah..."
When we had all gathered and were about to leave the private pool,
the person who seemed to be the next reservation showed up.
"Oh, next is Ike huh?
"Y-yeah. That‟s right. This was the only time I could make a
reservation."
"You‟re not alone, right? You with Sudō and the others?"
Akito looked behind Ike curiously, but couldn't see anyone.
"Ah~ no, um..."
Ike choked on his words and became restless, but he caught
something out of the corner of his eye.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"What a rare combination, Shinohara and Ike hanging out together.
Where are the others?"
Neither Akito nor Keisei thought anything was out of the ordinary
and asked the question indifferently. Of course, Haruka and Airi, though
they were surprised, seemed to sense it immediately and pushed the
boys‟ backs.
"Come on, come on, we don‟t need to worry about that, we‟ll be
on our way."
"Huh? What's this all of a sudden?"
"S-Satsuki, let‟s go."
"Yeah."
He took Shinohara‟s hand as if running away, and the two of them
went to the reception desk of the private pool. I guess they didn‟t have
time to loaf around in this place because the time was fixed.
"Satsuki?"
He called her by her first name and they walked hand in hand as
they disappeared into their respective changing rooms. Seeing that,
Akito finally noticed something strange about the two of them.
"They...eh, since when?"
"What is it? What are you talking about?"
Keisei still didn‟t understand, but he was immediately given a
straightforward explanation by Haruka.
"It means they started dating"
"What are you talking about? Ike and Shinohara are like oil and
water, why would those two date each other?"
He denied with a serious expression that people who didn‟t like
each other would ever date each other.
"You're smart, Yukimuu, but...you‟re an idiot."
"They might‟ve disliked each other at first, but I think they‟ve
probably been closing the distance, little by little. I get the feeling
they‟ve become more conscious of each other lately."
Airi nodded her head in understanding, perhaps because girls
were better at this kind of romance stuff.
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"Yeah, I guess. But I‟m surprised. I can‟t believe that they actually
started going out."
"S-so that‟s how it is. Ike and Shinohara are? ...No, as I thought, I
can‟t understand it."
Keisei, having grasped the situation, looked shocked and searched
for the backs of the two people who were no longer visible.
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4.3
"Nope~ scary~"
Not long after we‟d finished hanging out and returned to our guest
cabin, Miyamoto came back whilst mumbling to himself.
"Did something happen?"
"It‟s nothing like that. That Tokitō guy had a hold of Katsuragi‟s
collar by the nearby restroom. Ah, of course it‟s that Tokitō who‟s
always so quick to start fighting. Well, it was quite a mess."
"You didn‟t try to stop them? Hiroya can be pretty scary when he
gets mad, you know?"
Miyamoto looked a little annoyed at Akito, who‟d made it sound
like he‟d abandoned Katsuragi.
"I‟m not gonna stop them. It‟s none of my business and I‟d get in
trouble if I got involved."
Katsuragi and Tokitō Hiroya. Both were students from Ryūen‟s
class.
"Katsuragi has only just moved from Class A. Considering that
they were enemies until not too long ago, it‟s no wonder that trouble is
brewing. Right, Kiyotaka?"
"That may be so."
"I‟m a little worried, why don‟t we go check on them?"
"Leave it be, Miyake. An enemy class has a dispute, so relatively
speaking, it‟s a win-win for us, isn‟t it? It‟s not surprising that they don‟t
get along since Katsuragi was originally a Class A student."
"But...aren‟t we all second-years?"
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"If we carelessly get involved, we might end up as collateral
damage. And what will we do if we get noticed by Ryūen?"
Akito seemed to have complaints regarding Miyamoto‟s
arguments, but he listened to him all the same. It wasn‟t inconceivable
that the situation could take a turn for the worse if Akito joined them.
Listening to the conversation between the two of them, I stood up
silently.
"Just leave it alone."
"No, I think remaining calm is the right thing to do regarding the
Katsuragi situation. I‟m just going to the store because I‟m thirsty."
With that, I left the guest cabin. I was pretty sure he said their
dispute was at the nearby restroom. If it was a minor dispute, the best
thing to do would be to leave it alone, just as Miyamoto said, but...
When I heard the name „Tokitō‟, the first person that came to mind
was Ichinose‟s classmate Tokitō Katsumi, who was in the same group as
me during last year‟s mixed training camp. The one who was making
trouble right now was someone else, Tokitō Hiroya. I remember being
surprised when I heard that their both having the same relatively rare
surname, Tokitō, wasn‟t just a coincidence, but because they were
distant relatives. We haven‟t built up any deep friendship since then, but
I have shared food, clothing and shelter with Tokitō Katsumi.
It seemed that they weren‟t acquainted, but if it was okay for an
outsider like me to step in, I‟d like to reach out to him at least. That was
what I planned on doing, but...
Even after getting close to the restroom, there was still no sign of
Katsuragi and the others. There was a bit of a disagreement, but I guess
it was already resolved.
"Ayanokōji-kun."
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As I was about to take a look around the area, Hiyori called out to
me.
"Have you seen Katsuragi?"
"As I thought, other people saw them too. I also heard that
Katsuragi-kun and Tokitō-kun were having a dispute, so I came here.
That‟s why I asked them to change location just now."
I see. If it was around the restroom, they‟d stand out even if they
didn‟t want to. As I followed Hiyori‟s lead, I could faintly make out a
voice from an unpopular area.
I was instructed to peer in from the shadows, and silently listened
for the source of the voice. Just as Miyamoto reported, it was Katsuragi
and Tokitō. However, besides them, it seemed that a girl, Okabe, was
also participating.
"Katsuragi, are you really followin‟ Ryūen?"
"You‟re still going on with this? This is the third time you‟ve
asked me that question, albeit with slightly different wording."
"That‟s because you won‟t answer."
"There‟s no way to answer. I keep asking you to clarify what you
mean by „following‟."
While Katsuragi was calmly handling the situation, Tokitō was
letting his emotions get the better of him.
"I‟m talkin‟ about you being his dog and doin‟ whatever he tells
you to do."
"I don‟t remember becoming a dog, and I have no intention of
being ordered around."
"Sorry, but I don‟t think so. If that‟s the case, why did you team up
with him for the uninhabited island exam?"
"That's a difficult question to understand. Obviously it was for the
class to win. What else is there to say," answered Katsuragi, as if it were
a matter of course.
"Even though you couldn‟t even get third place?"
"It certainly didn‟t go as planned. But, the results were not bad."
"What the hell is that? It‟s all the same for fourth place and below.
Also, the Trial card up being meaningless."
"It means that Ryūen has more on his mind than you think."
"I don‟t wanna hear that from a stranger like you. Go on then,
what‟s he thinkin' about?"
"This isn‟t the right stage to talk about it. I‟m sorry, but I can‟t tell
you anything."
"What‟s that supposed to mean? There‟s nothin' at all, is there?
Anyway, I don‟t like Ryūen."
The push and pull exchange went on and on. One thing was for
sure; Tokitō really hated Ryūen from the bottom of his heart.
"It‟s true that if you were to ask me if he‟s a likable person, I
couldn‟t honestly answer with a yes."
Katsuragi nodded his head in agreement, not arguing that point.
However, it seemed that Tokitō didn‟t care for this attitude either.
"And yet, you teamed up with Ryūen on the uninhabited island and
were acting all buddy buddy while eatin' together today."
"We‟re going around in circles. There seems to be a
misunderstanding..."
When Katsuragi was about to deny it, Tokitō intervened with a
biting attitude.
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"After all that hostility, you were won over so easily. I thought
you‟d have more backbone than that."
"I‟ve had more than one or two run-ins with Ryūen, regardless of
being a friend or foe. But now I‟m fulfilling my role as a member of the
class, and as Ryūen‟s classmate. If this class is moving around Ryūen,
then it makes sense to follow suit."
"I can‟t believe these words are comin' from the guy who was
goin‟ at it with Sakayanagi."
"The process is different. When we started as 1st years, we hadn‟t
decided who was going to be the leader yet. And since Sakayanagi, who
had put herself forward as a candidate, and I had opposing views, I put
myself forward as leader and we had a confrontation. The current class
has already set its course with Ryūen as its leader. In the first place, do
you really think I‟ll be recognized as the leader after having just changed
classes?"
"That‟s..."
"Besides, Sakayanagi and Ryūen are different types. The class also
has a very different feel."
Katsuragi replied with a good argument as if admonishing him, but
Tokitō didn‟t seem to be convinced at all.
"That‟s why I told you, Tokitō. Katsuragi-kun isn‟t worth talking
to."
Okabe, who had been quietly watching up to this point, tapped
Tokitō on the shoulder and told him there was no point in going any
further.
"In the end, you, who had no place in Class A, were happy to be
picked up by Ryūen, right Katsuragi-kun? In other words, you're his
dog."
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"I don‟t think you people are going to understand me if I deny it
here."
I see, it was only a rough idea, but I was starting to see the root of
all this trouble. After being tapped on the shoulder with a fingertip, I
pulled my head back and faced Hiyori.
"It‟s not just today that some of my classmates have been
complaining."
"I guess. The resentment they‟ve been feeling until now must‟ve
been building up."
Ryūen‟s dictatorship obviously generates strong opposition. They
must‟ve been forcibly suppressing it until now, but it was finally started
to boil over.
"What about Ryūen? In the past, he never would‟ve shown mercy
in response to rebels."
"In the past, yes."
"Is the absence of that ruthlessness the cause of what‟s happening
here?"
Hiyori gave a small nod.
"Everyone is changing. In the beginning, I didn‟t have any strong
feelings regarding the class either. I hardly ever asserted my opinion, as
long as I could spend the next three years surrounded by books."
Certainly, if you were to ask me if Hiyori‟s presence was strong
from the beginning, I would've said no. In fact, I didn‟t even take notice
of her existence.
"Tokitō-kun has always hated Ryūen-kun‟s way of doing things.
No, it‟s not just Tokitō-kun. The one nearby, Okabe-san, is another one
of them."
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"Are you saying that they want to embrace Katsuragi and rebel
against Ryūen?"
"That may be so."
Ability-wise, Katsuragi was more than capable of being a
substitute leader. And because he‟s student from a different class, he
could cut through Ryūen without hesitation.
"But Tokitō Hiroya. Ryūen has made another troublesome enemy."
Akito said something similar about Tokitō Hiroya, but he has a
selfish personality and was rough with his words, and he was also
known to be vindictive.
"Do you think so too, Ayanokōji-kun?"
As Hiyori feared, this situation was a scourge that wouldn‟t benefit
anyone.
"Indeed, our class is going strong right now. I think one of the
main reasons for this is the growth of Ryūen-kun, who came back after
being out of the war for a while."
Compared to the beginning of the first year Ryūen, Ishizaki, and
others have shown a lot of growth.
"But whether or not this steady progress will continue forever is
another story. It might be something you could say for every class, but if
Ryūen-kun were to be expelled from school in the near future, our class
would fall apart immediately."
"The way Ryūen fights is always fraught with danger after all."
In the future, it was likely that there would be developments in
which he would take on a lot of risk in order to win big. I was also very
curious about the „agreement‟ he brought up to Sakayanagi.
"Should that happen, it‟s essential to have someone who can
contain the damage."
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She meant a potential leader in case of unforeseen circumstances.
Hiyori smiled at me.
"At that time, Ayanokōji-kun...would you join our class?"
Hiyori, despite her appearance, wasn‟t optimistic and spoke of a
strategy to help the class win.
"Again? What a daring thing to say."
"I invited you the other day, but that was half-jokingly just to go
along with Ishizaki-kun. This invitation is different."
In other words, this time she‟s serious.
"I don‟t consider my class to be weak at all. But it‟s also true that
we lack someone who can guide us in case of an emergency. What do
you think?"
A battle with Hiyori, Katsuragi and Kaneda backing me up as
general counsel, huh?
"This development doesn‟t necessarily mean that Ryūen is going
to be expelled. Isn‟t that right?"
"Of course, the best thing would be if that didn‟t happen."
But for Hiyori, I had a feeling that this was a bit of a spur of the
moment invitation. Even if she‟d been thinking about it in her gut, I
questioned whether it was something she should‟ve said right now.
"Did you hear something worrying?" I asked boldly, but Hiyori
just smiled a little and didn‟t answer.
While I was talking to Hiyori, Katsuragi and Tokitō continued to
argue. Katsuragi‟s rigidity was finally broken by the fact that Tokitō
wouldn‟t be pleased no matter how he responded.
"...This is a waste of time. I told you this because I thought if it
was you, you‟d understand, but I was wrong."
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"You seem to have understood."
"I‟m not askin‟ you to keep quiet about this. If you wanna report it
to Ryūen, do it."
"I have no intention of reporting it."
"You sure about this? I‟m tellin‟ you, I‟m serious. You never know
what‟ll happen if you let it go."
"Don‟t get me wrong, Tokitō. There are lots of things wrong with
the way Ryūen does things. I don‟t think it‟s wrong to have complaints
like you do. But I‟m not impressed by your overzealous behaviour."
It was obvious that Tokitō had something in mind. And there was
no doubt that his intention was to eliminate Ryūen.
"Shut up."
After saying this, Tokitō left Katsuragi. We hid ourselves and
watched Tokitō and Okabe leave so that we could stay unnoticed. I was
going to leave quietly after that, but...Hiyori pulled my arm, revealing
our presence in front of Katsuragi.
"Do you need something, Ayanokōji?"
It would be strange to run away now, so I went with the flow and
walked up to Katsuragi.
"No, it just seems there‟s a lot of difficulties in your class too,
Katsuragi."
"It‟s the same in every class. Although I would've preferred not to
be overheard." Katsuragi looked once at Hiyori, who was standing next
to me. "I‟m not impressed, Shiina. You seem to trust Ayanokōji, but I
can‟t say it‟s the right decision to bring your personal feelings into a
class matter."
As harsh as it may sound, what Katsuragi said was correct.
Sending information to the enemy that you didn‟t need to give could
become a fatal wound later on.
"That may be so. But who among our classmates can you talk to
about this? If Ryūen-kun, one of the parties involved, heard about it, he
wouldn‟t leave Tokitō-kun and the others alone, and neither would the
other students. Some might even try to score some points by selling out
their friends who betrayed him."
"It‟s not something that can be solved by letting Ayanokōji hear
it."
"Isn‟t this a good opportunity to sort out your thoughts on what to
do, Katsuragi-kun?"
"What?"
"Why don‟t you let out what‟s on your mind so that you can find
your bearings?"
A schemer, huh? Hiyori was trying to use me to influence
Katsuragi in a positive way. It wasn‟t easy for Katsuragi, who had a
tendency to think alone, to get along with others. Her actions must‟ve
gotten through to Katsuragi, as he agreed in spite of himself.
"You seem to be thinking about the class more than I thought,
Shiina."
"Of course. I intend to graduate with all my classmates in Class A
after all."
As if encouraged by her remark, Katsuragi put his thoughts into
words.
"As the only second-year student who has experienced both classes
so far, I feel there is a crucial difference between Sakayanagi‟s class and
Ryūen‟s class. In both cases, the leaders often face complaints from their
classmates, but even so, Sakayanagi‟s class has a certain cohesiveness.
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On the other hand, in Ryūen‟s class, there are still many students who
are not convinced and dissatisfied."
These were exactly the kind of students Tokitō and Okabe, who
had just confronted Katsuragi, were.
"This dissatisfaction will continue to build up and persist as the
class ascends..."
"You mean you‟re afraid of the next time it starts to go downhill?
"Yes. Depending on the situation, a single mistake could half
destroy the class. I don‟t think that man hasn't already have foreseen
that, but...I don‟t think he‟s going to change the current system."
"Isn‟t that just what you‟ve read into it, Katsuragi? I‟m sure Ryūen
knows that too."
"But if he knows that, then he should step up to the plate and do
something about Tokitō and the others."
"Well, there will inevitably be backlash against Ryūen's methods."
Apparently, Katsuragi thought that Ryūen should solve this
problem.
"Didn‟t Ryūen pull you out of Class A in anticipation of that,
Katsuragi?"
"...Me?"
"If something happened to Ryūen himself, you would be able to
fill in for him, Katsuragi. I think that‟s why he pulled you out."
He was exactly what Hiyori was looking for, somebody who could
potentially become the new leader.
"I find that hard to believe."
Of course, as I told Katsuragi, it was just my own personal
interpretation.
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"In the case of Ryūen, a high-risk, high-return type student, it‟s
possible he could graduate from Class A, or he could also drop out of
school in a flash during some exam. That‟s why he needed some
insurance."
It was very possible that a single betrayal could lead to the
downfall of Ryūen‟s administration.
"If that‟s the case...I don‟t like it."
I felt it was because he thought highly of Katsuragi, but he didn‟t
hide his dissatisfaction.
"Ryūen and I are enemies because of our different values. That
hasn‟t changed now that we‟re classmates. But now that we‟re allies, I
think the minimum goal should be to graduate from Class A without
missing anyone."
Since he knew that this was the kind of person he was, Ryūen
probably wouldn‟t tell Katsuragi directly. When I look at his personal
growth, I could see that Ryūen has made remarkable progress, but his
classmates haven‟t been able to keep up with his momentum.
"About earlier, you made the right decision to keep Ryūen from
hearing about Tokitō."
"It would be nice if we could just leave the rebels alone, but if we
have to get rid of them later, it could become a bigger problem."
I was sure it was a source of annoyance and a headache, but at the
same time, it would be a rewarding experience for Katsuragi. At the very
least, the situation was largely different to the time when he was in Class
A, where he was tamed and defeated without a fight.
The expression on Katsuragi‟s face softened slightly, as if some
new idea had come to mind.
"What do you think, Katsuragi-kun?"
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"...I understand." After clearing his throat once, Katsuragi turned
his attention to me once again. "After having you listen to what I had to
say, I have some perspective on what I need to do. I‟m grateful."
"No, I‟m just saying what‟s on my mind is all."
"If it was all bullshit it wouldn‟t be worth talking about, but what
you said was right on the money. Shiina asked you because she was sure
you‟d give the right answer."
Hiyori smiled happily. I‟d been taken advantage of, but it would be
nice if this could bring the slightest sign of life into Ryūen‟s class.
"And by the way, Ayanokōji. I‟m sure some other students were
thinking the same thing, but I was a little surprised."
"Surprised?"
"The results of this special exam were very close."
Starting with Matsushita, many students had become skeptical of
my abilities. In that sense, Tsukishiro‟s presence turned out to be a good
thing.
"Was that your true ability? Or did something unplanned happen?"
"Hmm, I wonder."
I tried to play it off, but Katsuragi wouldn‟t look the other way.
"Shiina, I‟m sorry, but I want to speak with Ayanokōji alone for a
moment."
"I understand. I‟ll go back to my room. Then I‟ll see you later,
Ayanokōji-kun."
I exchanged a quick goodbye with Hiyori and the two of us
remained in place.
"During the uninhabited island exam, Ryūen told me everything he
knew about you."
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"Ryūen told you frankly?"
"He was a little evasive at first, but I told him that if he wanted me
to be part of the class, he was going to have to tell me."
That was some kind of honeyed phrase.
If that was the case, then my standing as X, who was working from
the shadows in Horikita‟s class, was revealed. That meant that Katsuragi
knew everything, even the incident on the rooftop.
Just like Sakayanagi said, I can‟t prevent the number of people
who know about me from gradually increasing.
"Until now, you‟ve handled everything well."
"As long as I could have a quiet school life, I figured it wouldn‟t
make much difference to me whether I was in Class A or Class D."
"Is that why you‟re hiding your abilities? I‟m not going to tell
anyone, but it probably won‟t take much time for word to get out."
It seemed that way. It was safe to say that there was no way to stop
the information from spreading.
"I‟ll just continue being myself and do what I have to do at this
school."
"I don‟t know when it‟ll happen, but I‟m looking forward to the
day I get to fight you for real."
With that, Katsuragi nodded once and left the area.
4.4
IT WAS LATE AFTERNOON, and I was on my way to the café terrace
with one of my friends.
"It‟s been a while since we‟ve met up just the two of us like this,
hasn‟t it, Satō-san?"
"Yeah. Probably not since that time."
Since that time. She was talking about the time I told her I was
going out with Kiyotaka.
Since then, Satō-san and I have become good friends... No, we
were much closer than before, to the point where I could now call her
my best friend.
However, our group was usually made up of four or five people.
Taking turns, I was always hanging out with a group around that
number.
That was why it wasn't often that I had the opportunity to be alone
with Satō-san. It was the same on the cruise ship during this summer
vacation. In fact, I had even less private time because I was always
hanging out with seven or eight other people. We even went to the pool,
which I was somewhat resistant towards... Well, I was able to cover my
skin with a rash guard, so there weren‟t any problems. Anyway, there
was a reason why I forcibly created some time to spend alone with Satō-
san today.
First things first...find an empty seat. Satō-san and I looked around,
trying to find a seat before ordering. Unlike the school, the café terrace
was spacious so there was no need to worry about finding a space.
However, because of the subject of today‟s conversation, I didn‟t
want people around me if I could help it. If you want to keep some
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distance from other students, the best place would be a spot with poor
sunlight.
What should I do...?
"I‟m okay with the back of the room if you want."
"Eh? Is that okay?"
"I mean, you have something important to talk about, right?"
Satō-san, who had already figured it out, replied so and gave me a
cute smile.
"Thank you."
I thanked her and we decided to take the unpopular seats with no
view of the outside. After turning over the „in use‟ tag, we headed over
to place our orders.
"Let me pay for your drink. I‟m the one who called you out here
after all, Satō-san."
I pushed through Satō-san, who seemed to be hesitant, and ordered
two cups of coffee before taking my seat.
"So...what did you want to talk about?"
As soon as we sat down, Satō-san began to speak. I also wasn‟t
intending to drag this out at all, but...
"Hmm...wait a moment."
"What‟s wrong?"
"Don‟t you think there‟s something strange about this
atmosphere?"
I felt something was wrong regarding the atmosphere in this place
so I went to check with her, but she just tilted her head curiously.
"Strange? I don‟t think there‟s anything though..."
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"Yeah, I guess so. I‟m sorry for saying something weird."
At first, I also didn‟t know why I felt this way. But maybe it was
something I‟d learnt from spending so much time with him...Kiyotaka.
That guy never overlooked even the slightest detail. No matter if it was
someone‟s facial expressions, emotions or the atmosphere of a place like
this. Whatever it might be, he would see through it and detect any
anomalies. Perhaps I‟d also become able to discern things like that...?
I didn‟t know what was really going on, but that was what I
decided to think for the time being. But what could it be? Why did I feel
such a bad vibe? I tried to keep my composure and began quietly
observing my surroundings.
"If only we could keep living on this cruise ship forever..."
As I said that, I put the cup to my mouth, and looked around
casually.
"Ahaha, I feel the same. But if we keep going like this every day,
we‟ll run out of money."
"That‟s true. With the pool, movies, and good food, I‟m sure I‟ll
run out of money soon.
I noticed that the strange atmosphere had disappeared. Or rather, it
had faded away. Was I simply mistaken? Or maybe I was too
preoccupied with probing, and it became too late to notice that things
were starting to change.
A group of three third-year girls sat at the table next to us, chatting
and laughing.
"You know, you know~... Kisarazu-kun from Class B, yeah~?"
"No way, are you serious? I didn‟t know that~"
They were chatting amicably, laughing out loud and having a great
time.
Page | 145
Ahh, jeez...I should've spoken sooner. Even though the ocean side
was more popular, it wasn‟t surprising that some people might choose
this place to avoid the crowds or keep out of the sun. I didn‟t think our
conversation would be very interesting to them, but they were still close
enough to overhear us. We could just move and run away, but I didn‟t
want to leave a bad impression.
It would be one thing if they were first-years, but these were third-
year upperclassmen. I couldn‟t ignore the possibility that they could
become upset if I were to move just because I didn‟t want them to sit
next to us. I knew very well that bullying could start from trivial things
like that.
"Actually, I was thinking I should tell you first, Satō-san."
Let‟s not worry about the irrelevant third-year students and focus
on Satō-san here. It would be rude to worry about unnecessary things.
"I think it‟s about time I told everyone. About Kiyotaka that is."
"...Yeah."
As I thought, Satō-san had almost expected the contents of what I
was going to say. She might‟ve also considered the possibility that I was
perhaps going to tell her we broke up...No, I don‟t think so. If that had
been the case, I wouldn‟t have been able to keep a level head. I couldn‟t
imagine myself being able to laugh about it and say, „we broke up~‟
without a care in the world.
"That‟s why...I thought I should tell you, Satō-san."
"Everyone‟ll be really surprised when they find out, won‟t they?
That the two of you are dating."
I simulated it over and over in my head. There was no doubt that
no matter when I reveal it, it was going to cause a bit of a stir. I don‟t
intend to speak ill of myself, but I don't have a very cute personality.
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I was always so pompous and trying to push everyone else down.
Before I met Kiyotaka, I acted much bossier than I was now because I
didn‟t want to get bullied. I‟d even sent amorous glances to boys I
wasn‟t interested in.
"So when do you plan to tell everyone?"
When Satō-san asked me about the timing, I replied immediately.
"Since it‟s summer vacation now, I was thinking I‟ll wait until the
second semester starts."
"What did Ayanokōji-kun say when you told him?"
"He said he‟d adjust to whatever timing I liked."
Satō-san sucked on the straw and sipped her drink.
"I see. You guys are all lovey-dovey?"
"Eh?! Ehhh?"
"It‟s fine to tell me isn‟t it?"
"Y-yeah. Well, I mean, it‟d be weird if we weren‟t lovey-dovey
given that we‟re a couple."
"Have you kissed and stuff?"
"Ehhhhh?!"
"It‟s been a while since you started dating, right? So how‟s the
progress?" She clenched her right hand and held it out to my mouth,
mimicking a microphone.
"...J-just once, by surprise."
Hearing my honest reply, Satō-san smiled widely.
"That‟s nice, I like the idea of a surprise kiss."
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"R-really? I wasn‟t able to prepare or anything...Even though it
was my first time..."
Hearing such a murmur, Satō-san‟s eyes widened slightly and she
let out a little, "huh".
"Did you never do anything with Hirata-kun, Karuizawa-san? You
were together for quite a while, weren't you?"
"Eh?"
"And if it‟s you, Karuizawa-san, it wouldn‟t be surprising if you
had a boyfriend during middle school."
As I listened to Satō-san‟s comments, I felt the blood drain from
my veins. Karuizawa Kei was a very popular girl of high status who was
constantly moving from one boy to another. Reporting that such a
person had only just had her first kiss certainly was a problem.
"Well...you see, it‟s because I'm a modest girl." I replied, trying
my best to look composed. "Don‟t you think that it has to be a special
person, not just any boyfriend, to allow that kind of thing?"
Suddenly feeling thirsty, I poured a third of the cup of coffee down
my throat in one gulp.
"But Hirata-kun was a super cool boyfriend, wasn‟t he?"
"Well, yeah. But maybe it just wasn‟t stimulating enough for me."
This is fine; you can do it, me.
Now that I‟d slipped up, I had no choice but to go along with the
flow and deceive her.
"Hirata-kun‟s a passive guy, so he didn‟t make a move even if I
wanted him to. It was a bit unsatisfying for me~"
Sorry, Hirata-kun! I apologized in my heart whilst I sacrificed him
for my own sake.
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"Is that so? Well, it‟s true that you might want your boyfriend to
take the lead in some areas."
"Right, right?"
"But Ayanokōji-kun looks like a more passive guy, but he‟s
actually quite aggressive, huh?"
Satō-san seemed a little regretful after saying that.
"Satō-san...I..."
"Ah, sorry Karuizawa-san. That‟s not what I meant...!"
Today‟s meeting was just supposed to be for me tell her that I was
going to reveal our relationship. And yet, this was nothing more than a
disagreeable jerk bragging about herself.
When I first came to this school, I thought that was fine. I was a
gaudy woman who went around talking about all kinds of things
regarding Hirata-kun.
But now, I think that kind of thing is no good. I consider her a
precious friend, so I should‟ve avoided saying something so
thoughtless...I could say it was a defence mechanism to protect myself,
but that sounded like an excuse and was just my selfish ego talking.
"It‟s fine, it‟s fine. I mean, it‟s normal to fall in love with the same
boy if you think they are nice, or rather, it‟s something that‟s been
happening to me for a long time. Well...in my case, I was always on the
losing side though."
Satō-san pouted her lips as she let out her complaint. But after that,
she immediately returned to her lively self.
"Just to be sure, if you dump Ayanokōji-kun...It‟s fine right?"
When she says „it‟s fine‟ she means that right?
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She continued without letting me clear my mind. "You know, now
that Hirata-kun‟s free, he can go get a new girlfriend, right? So it‟s the
same for Ayanokōji-kun, yeah?"
"That‟s...well I guess that‟s true, but..."
That definitely can‟t happen! I mean we‟re not breaking up! I was
screaming in my heart, but I couldn‟t show it on the surface so it was
difficult.
"You know, I think you could aim for better guys, Karuizawa-
san."
"Better guys? Like who?"
"Answering who straight after being asked is a little difficult,
but...like Tsukasaki-kun, or Nagumo-senpai."
"Ehh~?"
For me, both of them were out of the question. It was true that if
we were only talking about visuals, Tsukasaki-kun was top class, and the
Student Council President might be too. And if we were talking about
status and stuff, they were unmistakable at the top.
But...yeah, I didn‟t think they could rival Kiyotaka. That guy...he
could be disagreeable at times, but...he‟s strong, handsome and
mysterious. And most of all...He understands me.
"Okay! I said something unnecessary, thank you for the meal!"
"E-eh?"
"I mean it‟s written all over your face, Karuizawa-san. That for
you, Ayanokōji-kun is number one."
Jeez... My poker face can‟t get past Satō-san, who knew the details
of my love life.
"Thank you, for telling me about it first. It made me happy."
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"I wonder... If that‟s the case then that‟s good."
After that, our conversation turned to other people‟s love stories.
Reflecting on the uninhabited island and things that were completely
unrelated. It was the first time in a long time that the two of us were able
to spend an enjoyable time together.