'...': Writing
'...': Sign language
The school arranged a two-week trip on an extravagant cruise ship.
I wasn't planning on spending time in my room since I have Yamauchi, Ike, and Akito as roommates. Akito seems like a nice and quiet gut, but the other two... Yeah, no.
"Kagurazaka-kun, let's hang out," I turned my head to see Mori approach me with a smile.
'With?'
"With yours truly!" A girl appeared out of nowhere, "Me, Ichihashi Ruri!"
"I've been anticipating our fated encounter," Ichihashi said.
"Sorry about her. She's a little weird," Mori apologized.
"You don't understand me, Mori-san. This is the perfect chance to learn more about Kagurazaka-kun. Two young girls and a handsome boy are spending time together..."
"What do you say, Kagurazaka-kun. Would you like to join two beautiful girls for some breakfast?" Ichihashi asked, facing me.
You're more than weird, but Class D is full of strange students.
I nodded.
"Alright, let's go!" Ichihashi cheered.
Restaurant
"I think we're destined to be lovers, Kagurazaka-kun," Ichihashi gives me a sly smirk and wink.
What a conversation starter...
"She's teasing you," Mori smiled.
Ichihashi shook her head, "I'm not joking, though."
Ichihashi giggled, "Don't worry, Nene-san. You can also become his lover."
"Stop spouting out nonsense and dragging me into your strange fantasies!" Mori yelled while a blush appeared.
'So, you don't think I'm attractive?'
"No, I never said that," Mori started panicking.
"Bad, Nene-san. Look how heartbroken he is," Ichihashi gestured toward me.
I lower my head in sadness.
"Wait, I think you're cute!" Mori yelled, causing the entire restaurant to go quiet from her outburst.
Mori shrunk into her seat as her face was beet red while Ichihashi was giggling behind her hand.
'We were messing around.'
While blushing, Mori pouts, "You two are a disaster together..." She muttered.
Mori sat up straight as a slight smile appeared, "I'm glad you're getting along."
Ichihashi dramatically touched her heart, "It's because we are destined to be together. I can tell he's already in love with me."
I can't tell if she's being serious or not. The innocent smile wasn't helping at all.
~Timeskip~
After having lunch with Ichihashi and Mori, they invited me to join them for a swim.
I put on my swimming trunks and rash guard before heading toward the pool. I didn't realize how big the pool was.
"Hey!" I turned to the voice and saw Onodera calling me over.
I made my way over to her, "You're taking a dip, huh?"
I nodded.
"Cool, we can talk while we wait for the others."
Others?
"Hello!" I hear a voice coming from right behind me. Turning around, I see four Class B students.
"Yo, Kagurazaka-kun," Minamikita greeted.
"Hi, Kagurazaka-kun!" Amikura greeted me excitedly.
"This is our first time meeting. I'm Kobashi Yume," she greeted me with a slight smile.
It feels like I'm living a perverted guy's fantasy, surrounded by beautiful, cute girls wearing swimsuits.
"Oh my, look at this group of people," I recognized the voice.
I turned to see Ichihashi and Mori walking over to us.
"Look at you being surrounded by all these beauties. You must feel like a lucky guy, huh?" Ichihashi has a teasing smirk.
"Now, Kagurazaka-kun, keep your hands to yourself. You may not touch the girls, but you can stare," Ichihashi winked.
"Please stop," Mori lets out an exasperating sigh.
"So, who do you think looks best in a swimsuit?" Andou asked.
Kobashi and Mori were blushing from Andou's question.
I looked around, and the girls were anxiously awaiting my answer. I only had one solution for this.
...
...
...
SPLASH
Swim away!
3rd POV
"Sayo-san!" Kobashi yelled.
"What? I wanted his opinion," Andou placed her hands on her hips, making her breasts bounce slightly.
"Uh-huh," Kobashi said flatly.
"I want to know his answer," Amikura jumped into the pool and swam after him.
"What an exciting group I'm spending time with," Ichihashi said, relaxing on a sun chair.
~Timeskip~
Amikura stopped chasing me after a bit, but she was sitting beside me on the poolside edge.
"So, Kagurazaka-kun, what do you think of my swimsuit?" This is the third time she asked me this question.
I finally relented, giving her a thumbs-up.
She beamed, "Who do you think has the best body?"
I had to take a double-take because I thought I heard her wrong the first time.
I'll pretend to look around, then go back to looking at the pool.
She poked my side, "Woah! You're ripped underneath your rash guard!"
Please announce it to the entire cruise ship because I want to be harassed.
I felt a hand on my left arm, "You aren't kidding. It feels like a rock," it was Andou.
Someone, please save me.
"Alright, I think he had enough," Ichihashi reprimanded.
Amikura and Andou stopped molesting, letting me sigh in relief.
"You have to wait until I can touch his muscles."
I hoped for too much...
~Timeskip~
After spending time with the girls and getting harassed, I decided to look around the cruise ship.
"You're Kagurazaka-kun," a sudden voice called out to me.
I turned and didn't recognize her at all. She seemed to have reddish-brown hair tied in a ponytail, accompanied by attractive purple eyes.
I nodded.
She walked closer to me, "You probably don't know me, but I'm Nishino Takeko from Class C," she extended her right hand to me.
I shook her hand.
"So, what are you doing?" She asked.
'I was walking until you stopped me.'
She gave me a playful chop to my side, "That's not what I'm asking. What are you doing walking all alone?"
'Because I want to.'
"I hope you don't mind if I tag along," Nishino said.
I shook my head.
"Cool," Nishino nodded, "If you were wondering how I know your name, Ishizaki told our class about your encounter."
"And I wanted to meet the guy that brought the wannabe thug to his knees," Nishimo smirked.
I roll my eyes.
I started walking together, 'What's Class C like?'
Nishino seemed to tense up briefly before relaxing, "I don't particularly like it. I'm a loner."
'I'd thought you'd be popular with the guys.'
Oh, she slapped me.
This is what I get for complimenting a girl.
"Anyways, I don't like our Class Leader. He's so demanding that he runs the class like a dictator," she said.
That's interesting to know.
We didn't talk much before I walked her back to her room.
"So, we are going to meet up again, right?" Nishino said.
I shrugged.
"You're supposed to say yes."
I shook my head.
"You're messing with me," she said.
I am messing with her.
"I wouldn't take no for an answer since we only talked about class stuff," Nishino said before pulling out her phone, "Let's exchange information."
I exchanged contact information with her.
~Timeskip~
All the students got off the ship and handed their phones in. We were waiting in our class group for further instructions. A tall teacher stepped on the white platform. It was Mashima-sensei, "First, I would like to say that I'm happy you've arrived safely, but, unfortunately, one of you could not participate due to illness."
He must be talking about Sakayanagi. I wonder how she is doing because she never texted me when we would have our chess match.
"We shall commence the academic year's first special test," Mashima-sensei announced.
"The test commences now and lasts for a week, concluding on August 7th at the year's end. This test will determine whether you can live on a deserted island together. I should warn you that this special test is both practical and realistic, designed based on real-world corporate training."
So, I must stay with my classmates on an island for a week? That sounds like a recipe for disaster.
So, that means we're not allowed to stay on the boat.
"Since this island is deserted, there are no ships or boats; what will we do about accommodations?"
Class B and Class C, close to Mr. Mashima, hit him with this question.
"Boarding a ship is prohibited without justification. Living on this island requires consideration, from sleeping arrangements to meal preparation. At the start of the test, each class will receive two tents and two flashlights. One box of matches will be provided, and there is no restriction on the supply of sunscreen. Each person will receive one toothbrush. Sanitary goods are only unrestricted for girls. You may ask your homeroom teacher for any concerns. Finally, we will distribute the provisions."
"What? Do I have to become a survivor to win this deserted island challenge? Now is not the time for jokes!"
"We cannot all sleep in just two tents! Also, what is our plan for food? I cannot handle this!" Ike made a fuss in a loud voice so that everyone could hear.
"I will tell you a small piece of information: this deserted island belongs to the same enterprise that designed this test. It's a top-secret operation, so no one else knows what's happening here. "
"No way! So, this is not just some special operation. The island itself plays an important role in this whole thing. This is why it exists, being a testing ground."
"No way! This can't be happening!"
"Now, because it is against the rules, let's stop."
"So what Mr. Mashima told us about this island, only a part of it was true. Many other enterprises like our school exist, and the training course can be changed suddenly. Your workplace is not just your chair in the office but also your ability to move forward by the cast of your dice, just like when your salary is decided. The world is much wider and deeper than you know."
Watching Ike's reckless moves, Ms. Chabashira said this in a voice like she was hurt and continued.
"In other words, you get to draw the thin line between reality and unreality."
"What is the purpose of this test? It's natural to have doubts, but those who question the training program's existence will limit their future possibilities. Criticizing the methods of a top corporation is not wise for students who have yet to prove themselves. There should be no basis for denying anyone's worthiness."
"But, teacher... It's supposed to be the summer holidays. And we came here with the pretext of a trip. Don't you think taking part in a training survival test instead is foul play?" It didn't take long for the students to protest.
"I get it. You are not wrong about this point. I also understand your discontent and grumbling."
Unlike Ike, Mr. Mashima acknowledged the students' objections without trivializing them. Their dissatisfaction was evident due to the differing viewpoints between students and teachers.
"Don't worry about criticism in this tough life. This is just a trial test. You'll spend a week swimming in the sea, having barbecues, sitting around campfires, and developing relationships with friends. The theme is 'Freedom'."
So, we have the freedom to have fun taking this test, but it seems the students are perplexed by the theme.
Even though it is a test, they chose 'Freedom' as the theme. As soon as the students heard about the piece, they felt more perplexed.
"This manual contains information on how to survive on a deserted island during a week-long test. Each class is given 300 points to spend wisely to make the test enjoyable. The manual, created by Mr. Mashima, includes advice on necessities such as drinking water, finding food, and making a barbecue, as well as how to gather tools and use them in various situations."
"In other words, we can obtain anything we need by accumulating 300 points through proper planning. Living with these points for a week will feel like a vacation."
"But, teacher... You said this is a trial? Isn't it supposed to have a level of difficulty?"
"No, there is no difficulty; it will not even affect the second semester; I guarantee it."
"So... We just have to enjoy ourselves here for one week?"
"That's right. Just enjoy yourselves freely. Of course, to live a community life with the minimum necessary, there must be rules you must abide by so that this won't be difficult for you."
"Should we assume that there is no risk?' If that is the case, then we should find out the real purpose of this trial..."
It seemed like a simple summer vacation, similar to a class trip exchange. I pondered the meaning of this experience, but Mr. Mashima's words clarified the test's purpose.
"When this special examination is over, the points of each class that are left will be added to each class' general points. The points will be reflected when the summer vacation is over."
Mr. Mashima's final words left a lasting impact. In the written test, literary ability is evaluated, and the class's overall performance determines superiority. The D class has consistently struggled to earn points, making them difficult. Therefore, we must implement the rules perfectly this time to make a difference. There doesn't seem to be a significant disadvantage between the A and D classes.
"If we can endure for a week, then could we see our 'pocket money' increasing substantially?"
"Each class will receive a manual, but losing it incurs a point penalty. A student from A class retired due to poor health, resulting in a 30-point penalty for the class. A class will begin with 270 points."
Alright, let's get this exam over with.
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