Chapter 5: Chapter - 4 How Everyone Grows…
INTRODUCTION
The summer vacation on the luxury cruise ship, which has been a valuable experience for me,
has already passed its turn.
The wallets of the students who are enjoying the remaining period to the
fullest must be loosening up like never before. It may seem a bit silly to students who are
systematically aiming for the top, but there is nothing wrong with spending money on a short
break.
At the same time, it gives you a sense of happiness.
This may sound like an excuse, but I'm also using my private points.
I changed into my swimsuit and opened the door to see a large empty pool.
This luxury cruise ship has a large pool facility that is free for everyone to use, but it also has another pool. For that The fee is not cheap but 20,000 points for 60 minutes,
but the time you can spend with your closest friends is more than
worth the money. The pool can be used by up to 40 people at a time. If you rent it out to one
class, you can use it for 500 points per head.
For this reason, this private pool is unexpectedly popular with students, and
is almost always booked up from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. when it is open. It's hard to swim freely
in a large pool packed with people, but in a private pool, there's plenty of room to do whatever
you want and enjoy it without getting in trouble.
"Whoa, it's huge!"
Akito says excitedly as he shows up at the poolside a little later. It's the same size as the pool
that's open to the public for free, but it looks so big that I can't believe how much the scale
changes when it's private.
"Where's Keisei?"
"He's going to come after he finishes using the bathroom. The girls aren't ready yet, are they?"
I don't need to confirm now that they won't finish changing in a short time like the boys.
Akito somehow picked up the menu list that was placed by the beach chairs.
"Wow ... that's more expensive than the other pool."
In the private pool, drinks were more expensive than in the free pool, almost
double the price. It may have been natural considering the number of orders they had to make
in relation to the number of people to prepare them, but it was harsh. This is another example of
unrelenting exploitation. The fact that food and drinks are not allowed is also well thought out.
Just then, the door to the locker room opened slightly.
We turned around at the same time, but there was no sign of anyone coming
out of the door.
Instead, we heard a voice.
"Hey Airi, what are you doing, hurry up and go."
"B-b-b-, but, but! That's embarrassing, Haruka-chan!"
"What's embarrassing? You've been posting all kinds of embarrassing pictures on the Internet,
so you should be fine, right?"
"Well, it's not like I was being watched directly!"
"For me, that's more embarrassing. There, there."
"Wow! Wait, wait, wait!"
Such an indescribable conversation was exchanged between Haruka and
Airi.
"What can I say, there's a goodness you can't see, isn't there?"
Akito says such a thing unexpectedly.
"What is it?"
"I wondered if that's what Akito would think."
"You know, ... that's normal for boys, right? I mean, I don't talk about it lightly on a daily basis
like Ike and the others. You wouldn't either, right?"
He looked at me with a somewhat dumbfounded look, but at the same time, there was an air
that didn't allow for denial.
I didn't read the air, but I could
tell that Akito was trying to be brave.
Since it was not advisable to ignore it, I admitted it honestly.
"Well, I guess so."
Akito laughs a little, as if relieved when I answer that.
"If a girl hears, she'll probably say I'm stupid or something, though."
Normally, Akito has a rather calm poker face, but judging from the amount
of words he's saying, it's obvious to the casual observer that he's getting nervous.
However, the two still seem to be arguing, and it's hard for them to come out.
"I'm so embarrassed!"
"You know what! I'm feeling the same way over here!"
"Haha ...Haruka-chan, that's a very bold outfit."
"It's because you promised to wear this in front of everyone!"
"Hyah!"
We were in a kind of life-and-death state as we waited for them to appear.
"Bold, they say."
"Looks like."
A sense of anticipation, accompanied by a feeling of embarrassment.
Where should we look and what words should we say to the then when they both
come out?
"Impossible, impossible! I'll at least borrow something to put on!"
"No, you can't! Come on, don't run away!"
"Ugh, I'm still embarrassed in this kind of swimsuit, Haruka-chan!"
"That's what I'm like, too, you know? I have no choice but to go along with you!"
"It's not something I asked you to do!"
We're still waiting for them to show up, but it looks like the wrangling will
continue.
"Hey Ayanokoji, what do you think of Airi?"
Akito had been looking at the girls earlier, but now he found himself looking at me.
I'm sure he didn't just say something random.
"What do you mean?"
I immediately understood the flow of the conversation, but I tried to remain
ignorant.
"Mixed-gender groups can be a little complicated, right? It's not strange for someone to fall in
love with someone else."
It wasn't hard to answer that question, but….
"What about you?"
When I asked that back, Akito showed a somewhat troubled expression.
"Well, I guess so."
After a bit of silence, Akito speaks.
"I guess I'd be lying if I said it doesn't exist at all."
He replied in a way that didn't deny or acknowledge the existence of such a being.
"But if it might destroy this group, I'm not going to force it."
To leave it there, in his heart. Whether that existence is Haruka
or Airi, I can't judge right now, but I'm going to .... I wonder what the
right answer would be here.
It's not like math, where you can be sure of the answer if you try to figure it out.
"Kiyotaka, you're…"
"Kyaaaah!"
Just as Akito was about to say something, the half-opened door opened with
great force. Then, Airi jumped forward.
She makes eye contact with Akito
again as a loud voice comes flying out.
"Oh, you're terrible for pushing me, Haruka-chan!"
"It's because you didn't answer quickly enough!"
Saying that, Haruka also showed up soon after Airi's appearance.
"Oh, come on, ...."
Akito looked shocked, but needless to say, I felt the same way.
What can I say, both of them are wearing incredibly daring swimsuits.
If this wasn't a private pool, they would have attracted a lot of attention from
both men and women.
Haruka immediately raised her eyes and looked at us.
I felt like it was a crime to stare at her, so I turned in the right direction at the
same time as Akito.
However, something immediately caught my attention, and Akito said, keeping his gaze
elsewhere.
"Airi gives a very different impression, doesn't she?"
I wish he didn't have to bring it up to me here, but I guess Akito's in a tough
spot too.
"I guess. It looks so much more innocent."
"That's it, that's it."
Haruka blatantly looked disappointed as she expressed her thoughts on Airi.
"It's bland and mundane."
"Don't say that. No, I'm too surprised to say anything."
I'd really like Haruka to catch the part where the vocabulary is rapidly declining.
"... I'm going to go for a little swim."
Perhaps the two of them were too stimulating, Akito said, turning his back
on them and jumping into the pool without any preparation.
Splashing in the water, he swam through the empty pool alone. I know what it feels like to want
to run away. It's because it's a private pool, an environment you don't
usually get to experience, and when you see the stimulating power of the two
people in front of you, you can't escape.
To get rid of all the worries, it was the right thing to do.
However, if the two men suddenly put all their energy into swimming, the atmosphere would
obviously turn strange.
I guess I'll just have to shield
myself and keep facing them.
What should I do? I took a quick look at the two of them, and saw that Airi
was looking uncomfortable and blushing.
Seeing this, Haruka happily walked around to her back and grabbed both her shoulders.
"Hiya!"
"There, there, Kiyopon, how's the reborn Airi?"
With that, she pushed Airi forward. The distance between us was so close that we could almost
touch each other. It wasn't like that, it was like she was actually touching me. I retreated to the
point where I couldn't tell, and maintained a close distance.
"Wow, ...."
Both of them were wearing swimsuits that exposed a lot of skin, so touching
them was a problematic action.
Unable to bear the situation, Airi opened her mouth to escape.
"Wow, maybe I should go inside the pool too!"
"Hey, Airi…"
Haruka reached out to catch her, but failed to grab her arm in time.
Then she jumped into the pool. I thought it was ..., but it was just like Airi
to hold the stainless steel railing and enter the water slowly.
"Damn. I'm super embarrassed too. ..."
That's true, I suppose.
Aside from the emphasis on her breasts, the area of her swimsuit on her lower half was clearly
smaller than the rest.
Even if it is tied tightly with a string, I'm anxious if something happens.
"Just so you know, Airi is the one who chose this ridiculous swimsuit."
"I couldn't get into it, but what's the story behind it?"
Originally, Haruka was not the kind of student who liked to show skin in public.
However, this emphasis on her breasts and lower body was not normal.
"How did it happen, how did it happen? ..."
She looked confused for a moment, but began to explain, choosing her words
carefully.
"Is this, how do you say, like a form of going along with Airi."
"What do you mean?"
She's so choosy, I can't even begin to understand.
"It means that she's desperately trying to change. And me too. If I may say
so myself, ... there are some things that
stand out a little more than others,
right?"
She said it in a muddled way, but I'm pretty sure she was referring to the thing that was
bothering me.
"I know I shouldn't worry about it, but the way you look at me makes me
uncomfortable."
The problem is understandable, but it's extremely difficult to ignore, even
from a male perspective.
It's inevitable that everyone's eyes will be drawn to them.
"I chose a daring bathing suit to encourage her, and she replied that it was okay if I wore it too."
That was a good response, and I could easily imagine Haruka refusing to
wear a flashy swimsuit.
Airi could imagine Haruka refusing to wear a fancy bathing suit, because she
could say back that if Haruka won't wear it, then she won't either.
"I can't let this one stumble on the first move of the Airi modification project, either. It's called
willpower."
So now that she's accepted the conditions she had set, there's no escape for Airi either.
"Besides, neither me nor Airi can wear something like this in the open pool
over there, but if it's here…"
It seems that because the three boys are close friends, they managed to make it happen.
Even so, it was easy for a guy to imagine that there was a lot of shame involved.
"Do you want to look ...?"
Haruka asked, looking embarrassed, or rather, hiding her disgust.
"Well, to be honest, there's something difficult about being told not to look."
It couldn't be helped that they were in my field of vision when we were talking in the first place.
The only way to avoid seeing them is to turn my back to them.
"I see. I think I know the difference between a woman and a man, but I don't
know anything about psychology."
The difference in curiosity about breasts, waist, and lower abdomen is not something that men
and women can understand.
No, there's no way to know because each human being has their own preferences, strengths
and weaknesses, not just men and women.
"Huh? Where's Yukimu by the way?"
"Looks like it'll take a little longer."
I wonder if the stomachache is lingering longer, but he doesn't seem to be
coming out at all.
"Hmm?"
Haruka responded, looking in the faraway direction, as if she had confirmed it without much
interest.
The conversation stopped once, and silence flowed for a short while.
"... Oh no, I'm still thinking about things."
"Sorry. I'm trying not to look at it, but…"
I can't help but look at the other person's face as we talk, and I can't help but see them.
"That's not it. There's nothing wrong with you, Kiyopon. In the first place, I know I'm too
self-conscious too. I know that you don't like to see."
Well, no, ... I'm not watching because I want to.
I'll keep that part to myself.
"If something stands out, it attracts attention. It's the same with everything. I just can't feel good
when I think it's me."
In Haruka's case, it's not just the gaze of boys. Even if it's a same-sex gazes, she doesn't welcome the attention being drawn to her breasts.
"Sorry, I think it's going to take me a little longer to calm down."
"That's okay. If you don't think you can do it, you can change and come back."
"That's no good, because as long as Airi's trying, I don't want to have to break her."
Did she mention the Airi modification plan? I could tell she had a lot on her mind.
"Let me change the subject. Maybe it's too late, but it looks like Kiyopon was just about fine in
the uninhabited island test."
The Ayanokouji group hadn't been able to get together in the past few days, so Haruka had
mentioned the topic, albeit late.
It was a completely unrelated topic, which was probably a good thing right now.
"Well, it's not funny because we were the same way."
"Because it was pretty tough, to be honest. We fought as hard as we could and that's what we
got. I'm sorry about that."
"Not bad at all. I'm just relieved, I guess."
Letting out a short breath, Haruka looked at Airi, who was clumsily trying to swim.
"Relieved? After the results were such a mess?"
"Look, there were rumors that Kiyopon was a Dangerous person for other classes because of
the math exam. I think this will calm that down a bit. You don't want to be
under any kind of pressure, do you?"
Apparently, she was thinking about my future.
"After all, Kiyopon is more of a saint than the other guys."
"What did you see that made you think that?"
I wondered, because I thought she was buying too much.
I have the same sex drive and interest in the opposite sex as anyone else.
"Facial expressions, gazes, and so on. I feel like you're less interested in those things than other
boys."
I don't know what to say about that, but I don't want to show it here. I'm also grateful that
another guy is playing the role of panicking.
"Uo..."
As soon as Keisei, who finished changing late, showed up, he let out a surprised voice.
It is clear to the eye that this is not the impression ... he had of the private
pool we had rented.
I'm sure he saw Haruka standing next to me in all her daring glory.
Haruka greeted Keisei with a dumbfounded look on her face and voice, as if trying to maintain a
sense of normalcy.
"Oh, oh ...."
He put back his glasses, which had almost fallen off, and looked over.
I guess it means that Keisei, who usually studies all the time, is a fine boy.
The fact that the reaction of the boys and the way they run away are the same again shows the
character of this group.
If it were Ryuuen or Kouenji, they would probably react differently.
"Well, ..., I guess I'll swim a bit too."
I jumped into the pool as if to escape towards Akito, who continued swimming vigorously.
Airi, who couldn't swim very well and had her feet on the bottom of the pool, waved at Haruka.
"Come here too, Haruka-chan~. It feels so good~?"
"Yes, yes, I'm coming. I'll be right back."
I can't help it, she began to do her preparatory exercises next to
me.
"It seems like you've become better friends since we fought the uninhabited island test
together."
"That's true, isn't it? We've shared a lot of things from top to bottom."
"Wow, that's a little embarrassing, don't say that!"
Airi, who was waiting at the edge of the pool looking at me, hurriedly made
a splash.
Up? Down? Common things?
"I don't know, Airi is basically unreliable, but I can't leave her alone. She's
like my best friend and my sister."
A statement that was unthinkable when they first met. It's not just about Haruka.
The same goes for Keisei, and even if there are no major changes, the same
goes for Akito.
PART 1
After that, I took turns playing in the pool with the rest of the group, enjoying it to the fullest.
After a game of two-on-two beach volleyball, we are now in the middle of a five-point,
one-on-one beach volleyball game. The first match was between Keisei and Airi, which Keisei
won 5-2.
Then came the battle between me
and Akito, which Akito won 5-3.
Airi, who had very little energy, was tired
after one match, and I called out to her as she sat down by the pool to rest.
"You looked like you were having a lot of fun."
"Ah, Kiyotaka-kun. Yeah, it's a lot of fun. I wasn't much of a partner at all, but ..."
For some reason, she tried to stand up, so I stopped her and sat down next to her.
"I'm still surprised, to be honest. It's the fact that Airi was brave enough to do it."
"That's ... yeah. I thought I'd take the plunge. ... I'm still terribly, terribly embarrassed,
but…"
"Why did you decide to take the plunge?"
It couldn't have been a mere whim.
"When you do a uninhabited island test, you're with your group almost 24
hours a day, right? So Haruka-chan and I talked about a lot of things. We talked about our
childhood, middle school, junior high school, and how we got to know each other in this school."
If you have time, a little chatting won't be enough. So, it was no wonder that they delved into a
deeper conversation.
Perhaps the intense time they spent
together made them understand each other as if they were old best friends.
"I think I can change now. ... I think now is the only time I can
change. ..."
"Change? You don't mean just the way you look, do you?"
"Yes. I can't say for sure yet, but ... I'm starting to think that I need to change. It's not good
enough for me to be bad at studies and sports."
With a blush on her cheeks and feeling embarrassed, Airi expressed her determination.
"So that's the start of your grooming."
"Haruka-chan told me that it's not good to deliberately be inconspicuous."
By nature, Airi didn't like to stand out because of her personality.
That's why she keeps her hairstyle modest and wears unnecessary glasses in her daily life. As
for her posture, she often rounds her back and tries not to look up.
As Airi gazed into the pool, she saw that in the new game, the ball had been slammed into the
water and Akito had scored from Haruka.
It was now three to one, and Akito had extended his lead.
"I guess it's late ...."
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'll back you up."
"Oh, thanks Kiyotaka-kun, I'll do my best."
"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you something…don't tell anyone about that makeover of Airi's
yet…we'll show it off to everyone after the second semester starts."
It would be better if it was in a classroom where everyone was present. If
she's going to be nervous anyway, it's better to do it less often.
"So what did you think about it Yukimu? I mean, look at Airi."
Haruka, who was serving, stopped moving and spoke to Keisei, who was watching the match.
"Oh, don't ask me."
"You wouldn't know if I didn't ask, would you? Let me hear your frank opinion, right?"
With that being said, Keisei looked directly at Airi and observed every inch of her body.
Naturally embarrassed, Airi tried to run away.
"Don't run away, Airi."
Haruka did her best to hold her back as she growled and flapped her legs.
And after the observation, Keisei's assessment was ....
"... Not bad, is it? I mean, no, it's totally fine. ..."
Kesei, who was usually not interested in girls, replied embarrassed.
"Whoa, if Yukimu has this reaction, it seems perfect!"
Haruka jumped high at that moment, as happy as if it was her.
She then slammed her serve into Akito, who had been caught looking at
Airi.
"Whoa!"
"1 point! Now it's two against three!"
"That's not fair, Haruka."
"It's probably Miyachi's fault for gawking at the girls. Don't let your guard down.
Carelessness is the greatest enemy."
"Don't be reckless. But ..., can a girl change like this just by taking off her glasses and
changing her hairstyle a little?"
"It means that the original was top notch. Didn't you even know that?"
"Even if you say something like that … hey?"
Akito and Keisei looked at each other and nodded at the same time.
"Oh dear. Well, it's because of you are like this that I'm able to treat you
without hesitation."
Akito shook off his worries and concentrated on his own serve.
As the game resumed, Airi blurted out.
"I wonder how I can get better at studying, or rather, how I can get smarter...."
Although Airi and the others prepare for tests on a regular basis, they don't have the kind of
fundamental study sessions that Horikita and Sudou do.
That part of the program will be essential for raising the academic level.
Keisei overhears something related to studying and begins to explain it up front.
"Don't you think we should start by figuring out what we can and can't do? Starting from the first
grade of elementary school, we all start running side by side at first. But gradually, we start to
show our strengths and weaknesses in our studies, and you know why that is?"
"Um, ...."
"Individuals differ in their ability to learn and absorb, and they also differ in
their ability to concentrate; some people can't hold out for a minute, while others can flexibly
control their concentration and get through an hour of class. That alone starts to make a
difference in learning ability, but how much you study outside of class is also a big factor."
"That's true, yeah. It's true that the kids who went to the cram school were smart."
Airi nodded in agreement, though it was obvious.
"Rah!"
The ball bounces off Haruka's catch, scoring a fifth goal. The result was 5-2 in favor of Akito.
"Alright. I guess I've won now."
"I'm sorry. But I was a little distracted by their conversation and couldn't concentrate, so that's
why I lost."
With that analysis and excuse, Haruka also came up to the pool side.
"Why don't you teach her how to study, Kiyopon?"
Haruka suggested from the flow of conversation.
"Sorry, but I'm not very good at teaching subjects. Besides, there are specialists around, right?"
The gaze that had been directed at me turned to Keisei as if to prompt him.
"Well, if ...Airi says it's fine, it's fine with me."
"No, but you see, Yukimu, me and Akito are going to be being taken care of by you from now
on. Won't it be hard to teach her if we put in a different level of Airi?"
"Ugh, that just means I'm an idiot, doesn't it? ... Ugh."
"Ah, no, no! That's not what I meant!"
"No, that's the only meaning I got."
She can't defend herself, so Akito mutters with a sigh.
"I'm just saying, so ... oh my god, I'm sorry, that was a little too wordy!"
She bowed deeply to Airi, and at the same time, those two were big…
And don't look at them. I'm going to lose my concentration.
Then they all burst into laughter, and the atmosphere relaxed.
"Now, let's play a revenge game between Airi and Keisei."
"Eh, I can't win no matter how many times I try~!"
"I'll join you as a helper, so don't worry."
"Wait a minute, Akito. I am at a huge disadvantage then!"
While complaining, Keisei honestly walked into the pool. He's very serious about it.
"I'll do my best!"
Airi, who had gained a reliable companion, Akito, made a small fist pump.
Haruka and I watched from the poolside as the two of them engaged in a
novel two-on-one battle.
"Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Hmm?"
Haruka asked shortly after the match started, keeping her gaze fixed on the match.
"I hope it's not my imagination, but isn't Kiyopon a little cold towards Airi?"
"I don't mean to be."
"But, you know, you could have taught her one-on-one. You can do that, right?"
If I had to choose between being able to and not being able to, I could do it no problem.
"I feel like it's unfair, you know, to Airi."
"I'm being fair to everyone."
"Really?"
"I've never really favored anyone except for pretense."
"... Does that mean you're just as fair to your best friend or girlfriend?"
"Yes, it does."
"I don't know, isn't that a little weird? It's like you're too distant. I'm going to take this opportunity
to say that Kiyopon has been watching us from a distance for a while now."
Apparently, Haruka could tell that about me.
"I've never seen you smile or anything."
She reached out her right arm and pinched my left cheek.
She plays with it, tugging and pulling with some strength.
"I hope we can at least make Kiyopon laugh, right?"
"It's not like I'm not laughing on purpose, though."
She let go of her fingertips from the cheek she was pinching and crossed her arms in frustration.
"There's still another reason why I don't tell you directly: the distance between Airi and me has
been too close from the start."
"What's that?"
"I don't think it's me that's making her grow, I think it's the environment around her."
"Surrounding environment?"
"There's Haruka, there's Akito, and there's Keisei. Growing up surrounded by her best friends is
the most important factor for Airi. In fact, right now, Airi is about to change a lot thanks to
Haruka."
"I think the most important person for Airi is Kiyopon, though."
"If you're the type who grows by involving romance, that might have been a good idea."
"I've heard before that Kiyopon is aware of Airi's feelings for him, but I don't know how to put it,
that's kind of a terrible way to put it: ..."
With Complicated eyes Haruka looked at me, as if she didn't know how to express herself.
"Since our first year, Airi has been thinking about me in no small way. I'm happy about that. It's
just…"
She looked at me with anxious eyes, as if she were a girl waiting for a reply to her confession.
Airi's love. It's an undeniable fact that she's her best friend who can pray for her to succeed.
"What Airi needs right now are friends she can trust."
"And, you know what? But it would be nice to have a romantic element in there. It might make
her work harder."
"Sure, there could be."
But the trouble is, romance is basically not something that can be done more than one in
parallel.
Basically, you can only have one person at the table, and if you want to bring in a second
person, you'll have to take action to cut off the first. Of course, it's not impossible to have two or
three people at the same time, but in this closed school environment, it's not suitable, and the
disadvantages of being exposed are far greater.
I stood up from the poolside.
"From now on, Airi will go through a bit of a psychological shock. At that time, Haruka, I need
you more than anyone to be there to cheer her up."
"What's that, what does that mean?"
"Sorry, I can't answer that right now."
Airi is the least valuable person in the class.
Academic ability + physical ability + other factors. Overall, it leads to that decision.
It's not only the OAA, but also my own personal opinion.
However, depending on the changes that Airi is trying to make from here on out, she will grow,
albeit slowly.
Maybe in six months, maybe in a year, she'll be able to escape from the bottom of the class.
PART 2
My time in the private pool was quickly coming to an end, and I began to change my clothes.
There was no way to extend the time, as the employees had to clean the pool before the next
reservation was made.
The three of us quickly showered and
changed our clothes and left the private pool. We didn't see any of the girls, probably because it
takes time to change.
"Looks like the girls aren't here yet."
We hadn't discussed what to do after this, so we waited for them to come out.
"Ayanokouji-senpai!"
"Hmm?"
I suddenly felt a pair of eyes looking at me, and it was Nanase.
Today was another record-breaking day,
and I was seeing Nanase every day
on the ship.
"I asked Nanase to help me find a partner for my special written exam. Also, Nanase helped me
out a few times on the uninhabited island."
"Huh? So you're a pretty awesome girl."
As if impressed, Akito nodded and lightly raised his hand to greet Nanase.
Keisei followed suit.
Could it be that Nanase was the next one to book the private pool? That's what I thought. ...
"I just happened to be passing by here."
As if to deny it, Nanase interjected that it was just a coincidence.
"I see."
"I'm sorry to bother you, but I'll leave you to it."
The only place in the vicinity where special students could play was the private pool.
In fact, Nanase walked away, but I couldn't see the purpose of why she showed up here.
No, no, no, no… it's too optimistic to chalk this up to mere coincidence.
Nanase seems to have some grasp of my actions and is checking on me every step of the way.
But there is no malice in it.
If that's the case, then what's the purpose?
Naka Izumi and Suzuki walked past in front of the three of us.
Seeing them, the other two didn't seem to notice anything unusual.
"What's up Ayanokoji, is something wrong with those two?"
"No. ... I was just wondering where they were going."
"Oh, sure. There's nothing special about this destination, is there? I think they're lost."
There are no special facilities beyond this point. It's not impossible that they got lost, though. In
the first place, we don't visit this level for any purpose other than the private pool.
Like Nanase, I'm walking around in places I wouldn't normally think of.
Come to think of it, I saw Nanase, Naka Izumi and the others on the deck near
the bow of the ship yesterday.
"But it's tough on Airi, too. There seems to be a lot of strong enemies in many ways."
"What's that?"
Akito muttered behind me, and Keisei butted in.
"No, it's nothing."
Nanase walks away, and not long after, the two girls come out after getting dressed.
"That was fun, Haruka-chan."
"Well, yeah. Maybe it's not so bad to play in the pool with friends."
The two girls seemed to be very satisfied and were smiling the whole time after they finished
changing.
Haruka must have been worried about what I said earlier, but she didn't show it.
"Oh, ...."
As we all gathered to leave the private pool, the next person who seemed to have a reservation
showed up.
"So Ike is next?"
"Oh, oh. Yeah, that's right. It's the only time I can get an appointment."
"You're not alone, are you? Sudou and the others?"
Akito looked curiously at Ike's back, but there was no one in sight.
"Ah~ no, let's see, ...."
Ike chokes on his words and is restless, but he catches something out of the corner of his eye.
"Sorry, sorry to keep you waiting!"
"How unusual, a combination of Shinohara and Ike, hanging out. What about the other men?"
Akito and Keisei didn't think anything suspicious and asked such a thing in a
matter-of-fact manner.
Of course, Haruka and Airi seemed to have guessed right away and pushed
the boys back, though they were surprised.
"Here, here, don't worry about that, we'll go on our own."
"What? What's with you all of a sudden?"
"Come on, Satsuki, let's go."
"Yeah."
Taking Shinohara's hand, the two of them took the reception desk of the private pool.
The time was fixed.
"Satsuki?"
Akito finally notices something strange about the two when he calls her by her given name and
sees them disappear into their respective changing rooms, hand in hand in a friendly manner.
"Those guys ... yeah, when did that happen?"
"What the hell does that mean?"
Keisei still didn't understand, but Haruka immediately gave him a straightforward explanation.
"You mean they've started dating, right?"
"What are you talking about? Ike and Shinohara are water and oil, why would they be going
out?"
He denied with a straight face that there was no way two people who disliked each other would
be dating.
"Yukimu is smart, but also ... stupid."
"They might have hated each other at first, but I think they've been getting closer little by little.
Lately, they've been kind of conscious of each other, you know?"
Airi nodded her head as if she understood, probably because girls are good at this kind of
romantic stuff.
"Well, yeah. But I wasn't expecting it, though I was surprised that it seemed like they really
started dating."
"... So, is that right? Ike and Shinohara? ... No, I still don't understand."
Keisei, having grasped the situation, looked confused and searched for the
backs of the two people he could no longer see.
PART 3
"No~Okkay~"
Not long after they finished playing and returned to the guest room,
Miyamoto came back, mumbling.
"Did something happen?"
"There's nothing like that. Tokitou was grabbing Katsuragi by the chest in the nearby bathroom.
Of course, he's the one who's quick to fight. That was quite a struggle, though."
"You didn't stop him, did you? He can be pretty scary when he gets mad, you know?"
Miyamoto looked a little pissed off at Akito, who acted as if he had abandoned him.
"I'm not going to stop them. It's none of my business, and it would be a disaster if I got involved."
Katsuragi and Hiroya Tokitou. Both were students in Ryuuen's class.
"Katsuragi just moved from A class. Considering that they were enemies not long ago, it
wouldn't be surprising if a trouble or two occurred. RightKiyotaka."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"I'm a little worried, why don't we go check on him?"
"Leave it alone, Miyake. The enemy class is in trouble, so it's relatively our gain, right? Katsuragi
is originally from Class A. It's not surprising that they don't get along."
"But, ..., we're in the same second year."
"If we get involved in this, we might end up as collateral damage, right? What if Ryuuen finds
out about it?"
Akito seemed to be dissatisfied with Miyamoto's persuasion, but he listened for the moment.
It was possible that the situation would take a turn for the worse if Akito left.
As I listened to the exchange between the two, I stood up silently.
"Just leave them alone."
"No, I think it's right to remain calm about Katsuragi. I'm thirsty, so I'm just going to the
concession stand."
With that, I left the guest room.
I'm pretty sure the two of them were talking about the restroom nearby where they were
struggling.
If it's a minor dispute, it's best to leave it alone, as Miyamoto said.
The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the name Tokito is Ichinose's
classmate Katsumi Tokito, who was in the same group at last year's joint
camp. The person who is in trouble now is someone else, Hiroya Tokito. I remember being
surprised when I heard that the relatively rare surname of Tokito was not just a coincidence, but
a distant relative. Since then, I have not had any deep friendship with him, but I have shared
food, clothing, and shelter with Katsumi Tokito.
I've heard that they don't know each other, but if it's okay for an outsider like me to step in, I'd
like to reach out to him.
That's what I wanted to do. ...
Even though I came near the restroom, I couldn't see Katsuragi and others.
There was a bit of a struggle, but it was probably already resolved.
"Ayanokouji-kun."
As I was about to take a look around the area, Hiyori called out to me.
"Have you seen Katsuragi?"
"Just as I thought, others had seen them too. I also heard that Katsuragi-kun and Tokito-kun were having a dispute, so I came here. That's why I asked them to change the
location a while ago."
I see. I'm sure It'll be conspicuous around the restroom.
As I followed Hiyori's lead, I heard a faint voice coming from an unpopulated area.
I was instructed to peer into the shadows and quietly look for the source of
the voice. As Miyamoto had reported, it was Katsuragi and Tokito. However, It seemed that
another girl, Okabe, had also joined them.
"Katsuragi, are you really following Ryuuen?"
"That's a parallel. This is the third time you've asked that question, though the wording has
changed somewhat."
"That's because you won't answer."
"I can't answer that. I've repeatedly asked you what you mean by 'following'."
While Katsuragi was handling the situation calmly, Tokitou was letting his emotions get the
better of him.
"I'm talking about becoming his dog and listening to his orders for everything."
"I don't remember being his dog, and I don't think I'm listening to his orders."
"Sorry, but I don't think so. If that's the case, in the uninhabited island test, why did you work
with that guy?"
"That's a statement I don't understand. Of course it was for the class to win."
What else could it be, Katsuragi replies as if it were obvious.
"Even though we didn't even get third place?"
"It certainly didn't seem to go as planned. But it's not a bad result."
"What's that, fourth place and below are the same. And the flight card is meaningless now."
"It means that Ryuuen has more things on his mind than you think."
"You're a stranger, you know that? Then tell me what you're thinking."
"I'm not at the stage to tell you yet. I'm sorry, I can't do that."
"What's that? You don't have anything to tell me, do you? Anyway, I hate Ryuuen."
The push-and-pull exchange went on and on.
One thing is for sure, Tokitou really hates Ryuuen.
"If you ask me if I'm a person who can be viewed favorably, I certainly can't give you a
straightforward yes."
Katsuragi nodded in agreement, not arguing that point.
But that attitude also didn't sit well with Tokitou, apparently.
"For all that, you teamed up with Ryuuen on the uninhabited island, and you were eating well
together today."
"You're going in circles. It seems that there's a misunderstanding…"
Tokitou interrupted Katsuragi, who was trying to deny it, with a biting posture.
"You were so hostile to us, but you were so easily won over. I thought you'd have more
backbone than that."
"I've had more than one run-in with Ryuuen, friend or foe. But now I'm
fulfilling my role as a member of the class, as Ryuuen's classmate. And if this class is centered
around Ryuuen, then it makes sense to follow him."
"I don't think that's coming from the guy who had a run-in with Sakayanagi."
"The process is different; when we started as a first year, we hadn't even decided who would be
the leader. And Sakayanagi and I were at odds with each other, so I put my name forward and
we had a confrontation. The current class has already established Ryuuen as its leader and is
steering the course. Are you going to recognize me as the leader now that I've been transferred
in the first place?"
"That's ...."
"Besides, Sakayanagi and Ryuuen have different types. The types of the
students are also different."
Katsuragi responded with a fair warning, but Tokitou didn't seem convinced at all.
"That's why I told you, Tokitou, that Katsuragi-kun is not worth talking to."
Okabe, who had been quiet up to this point, tapped Tokitou on the shoulder and admonished
him that there was no point in going any further.
"In the end, Katsuragi-kun, who had no place in A class, was happy to be picked up by Ryuuen,
right? In other words, you're his dog."
"I don't think you guys will understand me if I deny it here."
I see, I'm starting to get a rough idea of the basis of this dispute.
Someone tapped my shoulder with their fingertips and when pulled my face
back I faced Hiyori.
"It's not yesterday or today that some of your classmates have been complaining."
"I suppose. It's just that the resentment they've been feeling has been building up."
Ryuuen's dictatorial regime would naturally create a strong backlash.
He's probably been forcibly suppressing it until now, but now it's finally starting to bounce back.
"What about Ryuuen? He used to have no mercy for insurgents."
"Before, yes."
"So the fact that that's no longer the case is the reason for things like this?"
Hiyori gave a small nod.
"We're all changing, you know. I didn't have strong feelings about the class
in the beginning either. I almost didn't even insist on it, as long as I could spend three years
surrounded by books."
Indeed, if you ask me if Hiyori's presence was strong from the beginning, I would say no. In fact,
he didn't even take notice of her presence.
"Tokitou-kun has always hated Ryuuen-kun's methods. No, it's not just Tokitou-kun. Even
Okabe-san, who is standing beside him right now, is one of them."
"You mean they want to embrace Katsuragi and turn against Ryuuen?"
"That may be so."
In terms of ability, Katsuragi is capable enough to be a substitute leader. And
because he was a transferred student, he could cut into Ryuuen without hesitation.
"But Hiroya Tokitou, Ryuuen has also made a troublesome opponent."
Tokitou Hiroya, Akito had said something similar, was known for his winsome personality, rough
language, and agressive nature.
"Do you think so too, Ayanokouji-kun?"
As Hiyori feared, this situation was not in anyone's best interest.
"Certainly, our class is doing well right now. I also think that one of the reasons for this is that
Ryuuen-kun, who came back after being out of the frontline for a while, has shown a lot of
growth."
Compared to the beginning of the year, Ryuuen, and those around him such
as Ishizaki, have also shown great growth.
"But whether or not the rapid progress will continue forever is a different story. It may be true for
any class, but if Ryuuen-kun were to be expelled from school in the future, I think our class
would collapse at once."
"Ryuuen's fighting style is always fraught with danger."
There will probably be a development in the future where people will take big risks in order to
win big.
The "promise" that he made to Sakayanagi is also of great interest.
"When that happens, it's essential to have someone who can be on the receiving end."
A potential leader in an unforeseen situation. Hiyori smiles at me.
"In that case, why don't you come to our class Ayanokouji-kun...?"
Hiyori, despite her appearance, is not optimistic and spells out a strategy for the class to win.
"How daring of you, again."
"I recruited you last time, but that was just a half-joke to go along with Ishizaki-kun. But this
invitation is different from that."
That meant she was serious.
"I don't think it's a weak class at all. But it is also true that we lack someone who can lead us in
case of an emergency. What do you think?"
A battle with Hiyori, Katsuragi, and Kaneda backing me up as advisors, huh?
"It's not necessarily a development that would cause Ryuuen to drop out of school. Right?"
"Of course, it's best if it doesn't."
It just seemed like a bit of an outlandish offer for Hiyori.
Even if she had been thinking about it in her gut, it was questionable if it was something she
should say now.
"Did you hear some troublesome things?"
I asked boldly, but Hiyori just smiled a little and didn't answer.
While I was talking to Hiyori, Katsuragi and Tokitou continued to argue with each other.
Katsuragi finally broke his rigidity when Tokitou didn't respond in a way that pleased him.
"... You're wasting your time. I told you because I thought you would understand, but I was
wrong."
"I guess you do understand."
"I'm not asking you to keep quiet about this, if you want to report me to Ryuuen, be my guest."
"I'm not going to report it."
"Are you sure? I'm telling you, I'm serious. I don't know what will happen if you leave me alone."
"Don't get me wrong, Tokitou, there's a lot wrong with Ryuuen's methods. I don't think it's wrong
to be frustrated like you are. But I don't admire overzealous behavior."
It was obvious that Tokitou had something on his mind.
And there was no doubt that it was his intention to get rid of Ryuuen.
"Shut up."
With that, Tokitou walked away from Katsuragi.
We ducked down and watched Tokitou and Okabe go without noticing us.
After that, I was going to leave quietly, but ....
Hiyori tugged on my arm, causing me to appear in front of Katsuragi.
"What do you want, Ayanokoji?"
It would be strange to run away at this point, so I followed the flow and walked up to Katsuragi.
" I see, a lot of things are going on in Katsuragi's class."
"I guess it's the same for every class. I wish I didn't have to tell you that."
Katsuragi looks once at Hiyori, who is standing next to me.
"I'm not impressed Shiina, you seem to trust Ayanokoji, but it's not the right decision to bring
your personal feelings into a class issue."
As harsh as it sounds, Katsuragi is right.
Sending information to the enemy that you don't have to give can be fatal later on.
"That may be so. But who among my classmates can I talk to about this? If one of the parties
involved, Ryuuen-kun, hears about it, he won't leave Tokitou-kun and the others alone, and the
same goes for the rest of the students. They might try to score points by selling out the friends
who
betrayed them."
"It's not something that can be solved by putting Ayanokoji too."
"Isn't this a good opportunity for Katsuragi-kun to sort out his thoughts on what to do?"
"What?"
"Why don't you let out what you're thinking about in order to set your own direction?"
Huh? Hiyori is trying to use me to influence Katsuragi in a positive way.
It's not easy for Katsuragi, who is a solitary thinker, to get along with others.
This behavior must have rubbed off on Katsuragi, because he agrees with her, even though he
is taken aback.
"You seem to be thinking more about the class than I thought, Shiina."
"Of course I am. Because I plan to graduate with all my classmates in Class A."
As if encouraged by these words, Katsuragi put his thoughts into words.
"As the only second year who has experienced two classes so far, I feel that there is a definite
difference between Sakayanagi's class and Ryuuen's class.
In both cases, the classmates are often frustrated by their leaders, but Sakayanagi's class still
has a certain cohesiveness. On the other hand, there are still many students in Ryuuen's class
who are not satisfied."
That's exactly the kind of students Tokitou and Okabe, who had just
crammed into Katsuragi, were.
"This dissatisfaction will continue to accumulate and endure as long as the
class is on the rise. ..."
"So you're saying you're afraid of the next time it starts to follow a downward path?"
"Yeah. In some cases, a single mistake will be enough to destroy half the class. I think the man
could foresee that, but I also don't think he'd change the ... current system."
"That's exactly what Katsuragi thinks, isn't it? I'm sure Ryuuen knows that
too."
"But if he does know, then he should step up to Tokitou and the others and make a move."
"Well, there will inevitably be a backlash against Ryuuen's methods."
Apparently, Katsuragi believed that Ryuuen should solve this problem.
"In anticipation of that, didn't Ryuuen pull Katsuragi out of Class A?"
"... me?"
"If something happened to Ryuuen himself, Katsuragi would be able to take
his place. I think that's why he brought you in."
Katsuragi was exactly what Hiyori was looking for, a candidate for leadership.
"It's hard to believe."
Of course, as I said to Katsuragi, it's my own interpretation.
"In the case of Ryuuen, who is a high-risk, high-return student, he may graduate with an A
class, or he may drop out of school after an exam somewhere without a second thought. That's
why he need an insurance policy just in case."
It is very possible that the Ryuuen administration will fall apart from the betrayal of one person.
"If that's the case, then I don't like ...."
He thought it was because Katsuragi held him in high esteem, but he made no attempt to hide
his displeasure at that.
"Ryuuen and I are enemies because of our different values. That hasn't changed even now that
we are classmates. But now that we're friends, I think the least I can do is to graduate with an A
grade without missing a single classmate."
Knowing that he is this kind of person, Ryuuen probably didn't tell Katsuragi directly.
In terms of personal growth, Ryuuen's evolution has been remarkable, but his classmates have
not been able to keep up with his momentum.
"About earlier, I think you made the right decision to keep Tokitou out of Ryuuen's earshot."
"It would be nice if we could just leave the rebels alone, but if we had to get rid of them, it would
be a bigger problem."
It would be a headache to worry about, but at the same time, it would be rewarding for
Katsuragi.
At the very least, the situation is very different from when he was in Class A, where he was
tamed and ignored without a chance to do anything.
Katsuragi's expression softened slightly, as if he had something new in mind.
"What do you think, Katsuragi-kun?"
"... I know."
After clearing his throat once, Katsuragi looked at me again.
"Now that you've listened to me, I'm starting to see what I should be doing.
Thank you."
"No, I'm just saying what I think."
"Even if it was you 'just saying' , it wouldn't have mattered, but what you said was on
point, and I'm sure Shiina made you listen because she was sure you'd give the right answer."
Hiyori smiled happily.
Although I had been taken advantage of, he hoped that this would bring
even the slightest sign to Ryuuen's class.
"Nevertheless, Ayanokoji; I'm sure some of the students thought the same thing, but it was a bit
surprising."
"Surprising?"
"Because the results of this special exam were pretty close."
Matsushita and many of the other students must have become skeptical of my abilities.
In that sense, Tsukishiro's presence turned out to be a good thing.
"Is that your true ability? Or was it something unplanned?"
"Well, I don't know."
I brushed it off, but Katsuragi didn't seem to miss it.
"Shiina, I'm sorry, but Ayanokouji and I need to talk alone for a moment."
"Understood. I guess I'll go back to my room. See you later, Ayanokouji-kun."
I exchanged a quick goodbye with Hiyori, and the two of us stayed here.
"During the uninhabited island test, Ryuuen told me everything he knows
about you."
"Ryuuen told you honestly?"He was a little skittish at first, but I told him to tell me if he had accepted me as a member of his
class."
That's some kind of pinching line.
If that's the case, then I stood as the X who was in the dark in Horikita's class.
That would mean that Katsuragi knew about everything, even the incident on the rooftop.
As Sakayanagi said, I can't prevent the number of students who know me
from gradually increasing.
"Looks like you've been getting around pretty well so far."
"I didn't think it would make much difference to me whether I was in A class
or D class, as long as I could have a quiet school life."
"Is that why you're hiding your abilities? I won't say anything else, but it probably won't take too
much longer for it to become known."
I'm sure it will. There was almost no way to contain the information that was beginning to
spread.
"I'm just going to be me, and do what I have to do here at the school."
"I don't know when it will be, but I'm looking forward to the day when I can
fight you for real."
With that, Katsuragi nodded once and left the place.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Lisanna_Shweta
Lisanna_Shweta This is not the full chapter. Since the word limit is too much. I will make a another chapter for this.
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