We're currently at rank 104. I'll release 2 extra chapters once we reach rank 90. You can do it!
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In early July, due to the summer season, even though it was only seven in the morning, the day was already quite bright. The first-year students' dormitory was buzzing with noise, a departure from its usual calm.
Having successfully passed their final exams, the first-year students were about to enjoy their first summer vacation trip. To everyone's surprise, the school had lavishly chartered an entire luxury cruise ship for their leisure.
Upon hearing about this trip, almost all first-year students were ecstatic, grateful for passing their finals and getting to enjoy such a luxurious journey.
The dormitory was noisy because everyone was preparing to leave together, boarding the buses arranged by the school to head to the port and embark on the dreamlike luxury cruise.
When Yukio came downstairs, he was immediately surrounded by an excited Ishizaki and Albert. Ishizaki, flaunting his black sunglasses, boasted, "How about these, Yukio-san? Cool, huh?!"
Under the pressure from Yukio, Class C had no shortcuts like buying answers, so all the students with poor grades had joined study groups led by Kaneda and Shiina, successfully passing their final exams without anyone falling behind.
After their hard work, they were now eagerly anticipating the rewards of their efforts.
"Cool, very cool," Yukio responded half-heartedly and then asked Ryuen, who was approaching, "Didn't you tell them?"
The night before, Yukio had instructed Ryuen to warn all students in Class C not to get overly excited. The school, having deliberately set up the ABCD class system to indicate that only graduates from Class A could enjoy various social resources, suggested that there would undoubtedly be fierce competition. However, there had been no such competition organized by the school throughout the semester, which was quite peculiar.
Yukio was almost certain that there would be a significant issue during this summer trip, likely involving some brutal competition.
As for the possibility that Yukio might be wrong and the school was simply providing a leisure trip as a benefit to the students? He scoffed at the thought. Such a gesture seemed unlikely for a school like this one.
Ryuen yawned indifferently, "I did tell them, but they're still this excited. What can you do?" Despite Ryuen's emphasis, the students remained hopeful and eager.
"It's fine, they'll understand soon enough that they can't let their guard down," Yukio wasn't too concerned. Following the crowd, he boarded the bus for Class C under the guidance of their class advisor, Sakagami.
However, about half an hour after boarding, the girls who had been chattering non-stop had mostly fallen silent, with many even dozing off.
Yukio found this odd and tapped the seat in front of him where Ibuki was sitting, "What's with the girls? Did they stay up too late last night excited about the trip?"
"Huh?" Ibuki seemed quite spirited and scoffed dismissively at the question, "It's just because they got up early to do their makeup."
"…" Hearing this reason, Yukio felt a sense of helplessness about his class being hard to manage. So it wasn't excessive excitement, but simply getting up too early for makeup?
This was related to the popularity of makeup. Excluding elementary school students, almost every girl starts wearing makeup in middle school, let alone in high school. It could be considered a characteristic trait.
Considering it was the first day of summer vacation and they were going on a trip, it was understandable that the girls wanted to look their best.
If they had to leave by seven in the morning, the girls would typically get up an hour earlier, around six, to do their makeup. Since they had stayed up late the night before due to the holiday, it was reasonable for them to feel sleepy once they boarded the bus.
However, unfortunately, the school didn't plan to let them rest for long. After just an hour's drive, they had already arrived at the port, which was not far from Advanced Nurturing School.
As they queued to get off the bus, the girls, who initially appeared slightly drowsy, quickly perked up and chatted excitedly.
Before them stood a massive, all-white cruise ship, towering over ten stories high. Normally, embarking on such a luxurious cruise would cost millions, but now they were getting to enjoy it for free. Who wouldn't be thrilled?
"Such a huge cruise ship?! And it's entirely for us first-years! This is so thrilling!"
"Quick, take a photo of me with the cruise ship in the background! Just imagine how envious everyone will be when they hear about this~!"
"This is amazing. I was worried about getting seasick and even bought motion sickness medicine. But looking at this, it's so spacious and stable, I doubt I'll get seasick at all!"
Only Ryuen carefully observed the cruise ship, "It seems you were right, Yukio. This summer trip is not as simple as it seems."
At this moment, Yukio picked up the school-issued phone, which contained a file from the school administration detailing the facilities on the cruise ship.
The upper levels were student dormitories, accommodating three students per room. Other amenities included a movie theater, an opera house, high-end spas, karaoke rooms, various restaurants, and six swimming pools of varying sizes on the ship. It was undoubtedly luxurious, catering to most needs and desires.
Upon seeing this, Yukio began to ponder and simultaneously instructed Ryuen, "After boarding, I'll need you to put in extra effort to monitor the security camera positions."
"You, really..." Ryuen clicked his tongue a few times but accepted the task, also requesting assistance: "Get Kaneda to help. It's too much for one person to watch over such a huge cruise ship. He's quite meticulous."
"Agreed."
...
After all the first-year students boarded, they excitedly dragged their luggage to find their rooms. Yukio, on the other hand, leaned on the railing on the deck to enjoy the scenery, waiting until the crowd thinned out before heading to his own room.
The morning sea breeze, carrying its salty scent, hit his face, making the sea under the blazing summer sun not blue but white like a mirror.
Such a spectacular view always had a calming effect, soothing the mind and stirring a myriad of emotions. Yukio waited until most of the first-year students had dispersed before he picked up his suitcase, planning to come back later to watch the sunset.
Since there were 21 boys in Class C, one of them was eligible for a single room, and Yukio naturally took this opportunity to enjoy a room to himself.
As Yukio was putting away his clothes in the wardrobe, there was a knock at the door. Opening it, he found Ishizaki, excited and wearing only his swimming trunks, with Albert by his side: "Yukio-san!"
"When it comes to summer vacation, it has to be about the pool! Let's go swimming together!"
"No problem, just give me a moment," Yukio responded, accepting the invitation. The school's planned class competition was likely to start soon. It was improbable that they had spent so much money just to let the students play on the cruise for two weeks. Logically, it didn't add up.
However, even if the competition was to start quickly, it would most likely be tomorrow. Starting the competition today would be inefficient, especially since many girls had gotten up before dawn to do their makeup. Forcing them into a competition at their most exciting moment would likely hinder their true performance.
The school administration wouldn't overlook this. So today, Yukio could relax. Moreover, he hadn't gone for his usual morning run and felt a bit off.
Swimming was a good alternative to running, serving as a full-body workout and maintaining his physical condition. Therefore, Yukio readily agreed to go swimming.
***
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