Published at 16th of September 2021 9:37 pm

Volume 4.5, Chapter 1: Intro - IKE AND KOMIYA

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

It was the morning of August 4th, the day after the completion of the special uninhabited island exam. For the next seven days, from today until the end of August 10th, the students will spend their holidays on a luxury cruise ship. They promised that there will be no special exams like the zodiac exam held last year.

The ship has a swimming pool, a fitness gym, a movie theater, a concert hall, a bathhouse with a view, a shopping area, a restaurant, and various entertainment facilities.

In other words, we’ve earned the right to enjoy all of this.

So where was I on this long-awaited first day…?

I was relaxing in the four-person room assigned to each student with my mobile phone in my hand.

There is no need to rush to play just because you have a day off.

In fact, it’s not a bad idea to give up all entertainment for a while to get some rest and relaxation.

In contrast to the hard bed from our dormitories, the bed of a first-class brand gently embraces the body.

That feeling is further amplified after spending the last two weeks living in a tent on an uninhabited island.

I’ll leave it at that as far as the situation for the first day goes.

Based on the results of the uninhabited island test, the class points for August were determined and announced.

Normally, they’re announced on the first day of the month, but this time, the beginning of the month was in the middle of the uninhabited island exam. Because of this, the point totals were announced late so that they could account for the results of the special exam.

For students enrolled in this school, the beginning of the month starts with checking their class points. As well as our own personal rankings, class points are directly related to our private points, which in turn are directly related to our monthly allowance.

If you don’t have any money at your disposal, your holiday on this luxury cruise ship would be wasted.

2nd Year Class Points for August:

Class A led by Sakayanagi: 1206 points

Class B led by Ichinose: 578 points

Class C led by Horikita: 571 points

Class D led by Ryuuen: 551 points

As a result, our class ended up rising to Class C by a narrow margin. There was a chance we could have even risen to Class B, but we were just one step short.

However, there is nothing to be pessimistic about. In fact, the results were rather good.

Kouenji managed to get us 300 class points for his solo win.

I’m reminded of the destructive power of this overwhelming addition.

Kouenji has always been perceived as a nuisance by many in the class. These people will have no choice but to change their view now. However, I am skeptical whether this view will last forever.

In exchange for the huge amount of class points he had earned, he was given a card that meant he would be exempted from all cooperation until graduation. If this fact were made public, there would be very few people who would be happy to hear it. However, I think this was a good thing.

If we hadn’t got Kouenji’s 300 points, we would have to keep fighting for a long time while being uncertain of whether we could really keep up with the upper classes.

Having all three classes side by side like this will be a great help mentally.

Now we’re just a step away from being able to rise up and become the sole Class B. From there, we would have to try and close the gap through direct confrontation with Sakayanagi’s class.

This upward trend also applies to Ryuuen’s class, which has dropped to Class D.

He was unable to finish in the top 3 in the uninhabited island exam, so he was unable to win any points for his class. As a result, the points gap had shortened, but their ability was apparent. The addition of Katsuragi would raise the overall academic performance of the class and give them a sense of stability. Also, Ryuuen made some kind of deal with Sakayanagi. It’s hard to say if it’s a contract to do with private points or class points, or even something completely different, but it may well have an impact in future battles.

Although there are some concerns, their momentum is not slowing, but increasing, making them probably the most scary class right now. They dropped to Class D in name only. In fact, I’m sure they don’t care one bit.

In contrast, Ichinose’s class, which has risen back up to Class B, is not in bad shape if you only look at the results.

With Sakayanagi leading, Ichinose was able to gain class points through cooperation.

However, they can’t rest on their laurels. The gap between Class B and Class D is only 27 points.

We’ve entered a situation where the rankings could be switched come September through minor behavioural issues alone. Depending on the results of the uninhabited island exam, they could have fallen to Class D. The anxiety Ichinose is feeling must be quite strong. The moment of truth will come soon, Ichinose.

I sent her a message, though only in my heart.

I don’t think that there will be more tests like the uninhabited island exam where all classes in all years participate from here on.

So, the next special exam should be a battle among our year.

If they fall behind Class C and Class D, the future will look bleak for Ichinose’s class.

In other words, the next battle may decide their future…

The situation of the three classes side by side can be briefly summarized as such.

In the end, it was Class A led by Sakayanagi on top. It would not be easy to close that gap. Their sense of stability was outstanding, and as such, in the uninhabited island exam, they were able to slip into third place and accumulate class points.

They have many excellent students, and Sakayanagi’s ability to control them is perfect.

Furthermore, the strategies Sakayanagi uses are not limited to good or evil, she is able to use both skillfully. Class A was truly unshakable, and she was certainly worthy of being their leader.

There’s barely a chance, but if “Horikita’s Class” gains momentum, it will not be impossible to catch up. Yes, it’s not like there is no room to maneuver.

Of course, in order to do that, the dominant Class A needs to be broken down in some way.

The shortest route would be to get rid of Sakayanagi, but it would be extremely difficult to do so when considering her protection point. Even if she didn’t have a protection point, it wouldn’t be easy.

Rather than destroying the head, the smart thing to do would be to destroy the pieces that are the limbs.

We would need to eliminate more than just 1 or 2 people.

If Kamuro, Hashimoto, and Kito are absent or otherwise made dysfunctional, there is only so much Sakayanagi would be able to do. There are unknowns about Kito, but the other two seem to be people with a lot of problems that could be exploited.

Well, I’ll leave it at that for now.

With the official start of the summer vacation, all classes have temporarily stopped fighting and are in a state of truce.

From now on, it’s my turn to have as much fun as I can as a normal student. Until the other day, my pockets were empty, but when the class points were announced and the private points for August were given out, my wallet was suddenly full. Our class received 571 class points, or in other words 57,100 yen worth of private points were given to each person. Since I wasn’t able to get into the top rankings for additional rewards I didn’t receive any bonuses, but it was more than enough. Private points were essential for spending a fulfilling time on this luxury cruise ship. The system requires a minimum number of private points to enjoy a movie or meal of your choice, unlike last year where all of the facilities on the ship were free of charge. The rules are getting stricter. Of course, it doesn’t cost anything to spend the week holed up in a guest room with no money, but then it would be no different to living in your dormitory during the vacation.

Ping! There was a nice little sound and then an email arrived.

I received a message on my recently returned phone that the detailed results of the uninhabited island exam would be released at the resting place by the fitness gym on the ship for two days starting today. Since only the top and bottom few groups had been announced, many students would be interested.

As for me, It would be best to check it out so that I can keep an eye on the future.

However, it would be easier to send the list to everyone’s phones, so if they aren’t doing that, it must mean that they don’t want students taking the results home to analyse for a long time. Because of Tsukishiro’s involvement this time, it could be considered a measure to avoid leaving unnecessary evidence.

There’s a part of me that wants to go check it out right away, but it’s likely that students will be coming in droves, so it would probably be better to give it some time.

Forgetting about the test results for the moment, I decided to take care of something else. Using my phone, I sent a message to Ichinose. It was a simple request to meet briefly in the evening in three days' time. Of course, it’s easy for her to imagine that it’s in response to the spur of the moment confession I received on the uninhabited island.

I thought about seeing her and giving my reply right away, but the grueling uninhabited island exam had just ended. It’s okay to let her spend some time regaining her strength and having some fun with her friends.

Since the message wasn’t read yet, I turned off my phone for now.

I decided to see what my roommates, Miyamoto Soshi, Ryoutaro Hondou, and Miyake Akito, would do.

“Hey Ryoutaro, I heard the exam results were announced. Want to go take a look?”

“Hmm...pass… I can’t walk, I’m a wreck. Right now I just want to lie in my bed…”

Not only was he tired, but it was understandable that this bed would take away his energy to move.

The temptation of the bed was too much for all of us, including me.

Hondou, who was particularly exhausted, turned weakly to his left and showed his back.

“You’ve been like that since yesterday.”

“I felt like dying when I moved and I really wanted to eat, but I couldn’t get it down my throat.”

With his back to me, he covered his head with the futon and curled up.

For now, he just wanted to lie down and sleep it seems.

The trip on this luxury liner will last for a week. It’s a wise decision to not panic and wait to recover your strength.

“What about Miyake and Ayanokouji? Aren’t you a little concerned about your ranking?”

Akito turned his gaze towards Miyamoto as he played on his phone.

“I’m good. I have a good idea of what rank we placed. Honestly, I think it’s enough that we didn’t get expelled. I want to relax for today, just like Hondou.”

It’s not hard to imagine that Akito, who was working with both Haruka and Airi, must have had a lot of trouble as the only male in the group. It must have taken more of a toll on his spirit than his physical strength.

“You were in the same group as Sakura and Hasebe right?”

Miyamoto asked Akito whilst sitting on his bed.

“What’s this all of a sudden?”

“I was in a group with three guys, so it was a hell of a sweaty time, but you must have been in heaven surrounded by girls, right?”

“What kind of heaven is that? If you ask me, it was hell because there were so many things to take care of. A bunch of guys would definitely be easier.”

Because both were part of different groups, each was claiming the other had it better.

To be honest, I’m glad I didn’t join either group.

For this test, unless you are really good friends, it’s better to go alone.

Anyway, when the two of them refused, Miyamoto’s gaze turned towards me as well.

Unlike Hondou and Akito, I was able to regain most of the strength I had lost on the island by sleeping well in my bed. I’m not quite in perfect condition, but I’ll have no trouble moving around the ship.

However, instead of rushing, I can go take a look later. Besides, even if Akito doesn’t go, it’s possible that other members of the Ayanokouji group will go to check it out.

“I’m going to take it easy today. I don’t like crowds and I’m sure everyone is concerned about their rankings.”

Knock knock knock!

When I tried to say no like the first two did, there were several knocks on the door of the guest room.

The momentum of the knocks was unbelievably strong, as if something extraordinary had occurred.

Akito jumped up and rushed to open the door, revealing Ishizaki.

There was a tense atmosphere as if something was wrong…

“Ayanokouji, let’s go check the test results together!”

Everyone was taken aback by his smile and what he had said.

Akito turned around and looked at me, having lost his voice.

“No, I’m…”

“What, you aren’t not busy are you? Come on, let's go!”

He walked into the room and grabbed me by the arm while I was sitting on the bed.

“When did you guys become such good friends?”

The person who was most surprised by the situation was Akito, with whom I spent the most time. Ishizaki, who is of a rival class, is also a bit of a problem child, so it’s not surprising that Akito was concerned.

In fact, the other two had also been taken aback by Ishizaki’s appearance and were still stiff.

“Well, it just kind of happened…”

I don’t really have much more to say, but I don’t think Akito would find my explanation satisfactory.

Despite the strong pressure of Ishizaki’s smile, I decided to pull back and turn him down.

“I’m a little tired today.”

“What do you mean you’re tired? If it’s you it’ll be fine. Come on, let’s go!”

With no regard for my feelings, he didn’t seem to want to give up on dragging me out the room.

“...Okay, I get it. Let me get changed for now.”

“Okay, I’ll be waiting for you in the hallway then!”

Perhaps because he was satisfied with my answer that I would join him, Ishizaki walked out of the room.

“Looks like you’ve got a little problem on your hands. Let me know if there’s any trouble.”

“Thank you, Akito. Well, Ishizaki’s not a bad guy, so I’ll be okay.”

“Not a bad guy, huh? I don't have a good impression of him. It’s possible Ryuuen is pulling his strings from behind. You’d best be on your guard.”

We’ve repeatedly had clashes with the delinquents led by Ryuuen. It was natural for those who don’t know the inner workings of the class to think this way.

Ishizaki is not good at hiding things or playing games. However, if he was being controlled without knowing it, then he could be troublesome to deal with. Saying that, now that we’re not in the middle of a special exam, I can assume that this was not the case.

After changing out of my uniform, I raised my hand lightly to Akito and left the room.

Ishizaki seemed to be the only one waiting in the hallway, and I couldn’t see any other students.

“Come on, let’s go!”

“There’s no need to be in such a hurry, is there?”

“What? Why not?”

“Even if we don’t rush, the results will be up for two days, so we can see them later, right?”

“I want to see it quickly. I’m the kind of guy who, when a new movie comes out, can’t wait and goes to see it straight away.”

Even if he explained to me that he was that type of person, I wouldn’t understand.

It’s a little hard to imagine Ishizaki going to the movie theater in high spirits on the day of its release.

“I went to see “World Domination 16” the day it came out.”

I’ve never heard that title before, but it sounds like it would have guns and fists flying all over the place. And 16 films makes it quite the long series. However, that title does not appeal to me at all.

“I’m curious where Ryuuen-san’s group ended up placing.”

At any rate, Ishizaki doesn't seem like the kind of guy to not have many friends in his class.

He shouldn’t have needed to invite me, a student from another class.

“Are you sure you don’t want to invite Ryuuen and the others who are worried about their ranking?”

I’ll try to find out what his motives are.

“That guy will say something if he needs to. If he hasn’t said anything yet, then it’s not necessary.”

“That’s easy to understand.”

“Right. A lot of the other guys are too tired after being on an uninhabited island and passed on my offer.”

Like Akito and the others, most people just want to rest right now.

“Ishizaki is in good spirits. Aren’t you tired?”

“Me? I recovered after I slept.”

“I see”

It’s a surprisingly simple answer, but it was easy to understand. He may not have particularly good motor skills, but he seemed to be more resilient than others. However, the fact that he chose me after the process of elimination doesn’t really make sense.

“You’re easy to talk to, Ayanokouji.”

“...Is that so?”

That’s a little surprising, since I’m not very good at socializing.

“You’re much easier to talk to than that eccentric Kaneda.”

I don’t know much about Kaneda, but the comparison resulted in some complex feelings.

On the way, we passed by a store.

“Oh, they’re selling flags!”

Ishizaki’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he picked up flags from all over the world in the store. As I looked at him with a confused expression, wondering what was going on, Ishizaki rubbed the bottom of his nose with his index finger and answered,

“Ah, you know, when we went to Albert’s room before, he had a collection of flags. I don’t know. Maybe I’ve been inspired by him, but I’ve been collecting them too.”

So, one person’s hobby influenced another person, and that spread?

They have apparently found a common hobby in collecting flags, which seems to be a rarity nowadays.

“I don’t know much about Albert, but he’s a good guy.”

“Yeah. That’s right. When we first came to school we had a lot of problems, but now he’s my best friend.”

It is true that I often see Ishizaki and Albert together.

“So, as far as friendships go, it’s smooth sailing, I guess.”

I was honestly impressed and said so, but Ishizaki’s face hardened slightly as he walked beside me.

“It’s not really like that. It’s not like I’m the most popular kid in class.”

“Is it because you’re working under Ryuuen?”

“I don’t think that’s necessarily the reason, it happened right after I got here after all. But, after our run-in with Ayanokouji on the rooftop, I was supposed to have defeated Ryuuen-san and taken back the class. I’ve been hanging out with a lot of people I’ve never really gotten to know before.”

After telling me so much he choked on his words.

It’s true that Ishizaki’s position may be complicated.

There were more than a few students who were hoping Ryuuen would be defeated and were thankful towards Ishizaki.

However, if he were to fall straight back into line under Ryuuen, he would inevitably face opposition.

“So, I’m also part of the cause.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I phrased it weirdly. It’s not Ayanokouji’s fault. That was a fight we started in the first place. It’s true that some of my friends have left me, but now I’m friends with you instead, so don’t worry about it.”

Ishizaki turned his head my way and laughed powerfully. But there was something fragile about that smile, almost dangerous.

“Don’t go trying to solve the class problems all by yourself.”

“I know. Class problems are solved with classmates together. Ryuuen-san returned with that determination.”

Ishizaki believes so and will do everything he can to follow.

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