"Feeling better?" I asked.
"Yeah... I think so," replied Horikita.
"If something's wrong, tell us. There's no need to act all tough on your own."
"I apologize. I initially planned to hold out until it goes away naturally, but I guess seeking help is still the better option. Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun."
Horikita thanked me sincerely.
"Do you want to head back and rest, or are you up to get some air by the bow?" I asked.
"I think we're almost there. It would be bad if I sleep and wake up late."
"Alright, let's go then."
When Horikita and I arrived at the port side of the bow, a lot of the girls in our class immediately approached us.
"Ayanokouji-kun, Horikita-san! This question might be sudden but... are you two dating each other?" asked Rino.
"I saw Ayanokouji-kun visit Horikita-san in the girls' suites earlier. From what it looked like, I think they were sharing a kiss." Ichihashi, the main culprit, addressed us happily.
"Kyah~! How sneaky!"
"They didn't even wait until we got to the island!"
Horikita tugged my shirt nervously. Even she can be overwhelmed by something like this, huh? That's pretty cute of her.
The girls donned knowing smirks after seeing her like that.
"It's a misunderstanding. Horikita and I are not going out," I said.
"Hehh~? Look at how sweet you two look right now. It's alright if you reveal it to everyone, you know?" said Maezono.
"Horikita's actually sick. She wasn't letting me touch her forehead so I restrained her and used my own forehead instead. It's really a misunderstanding. Horikita, show them the receipt."
"H-Here it is..."
Horikita gave me the small plastic bag containing the remaining medicine and the proof of purchase.
"O-Oh... So Horikita-san was actually not feeling well... I hope you're okay," said Ichihashi. "And you didn't kiss, after all?"
"We didn't and we wouldn't. We're not a couple." Horikita nodded slowly to cement our claim.
I expected their excitement to wane down, and it did. However, their smiles didn't let up. After giving back the receipt and telling Horikita to get well, they proceeded to ask about my plans.
"Well then, according to Ayanokouji-kun, no one would get angry if we invite you later, right?" Maezono leaned in close to me.
"Later?"
"At the beach house. We'd like to hang out with you. Is that alright?" she elaborated.
We were scheduled to stay in a luxurious beach house once we reached the island-- a fancy summer lodge if you will. Our luggage will be stuck there for a week. The said summer lodge should be pretty big to house all four classes at once. Or will there be some sort of rotation where some classes will stay on the ship? Well, that's an unnecessary thought right now as I was being asked a question.
"Sure, it's not like I have plans or anything," I answered.
"Great~! We'll see you later then. Bye, Ayanokouji-kun, Horikita-san." The five of them waved at us as they walked towards the starboard side of the ship.
"You alright?" I turned towards the silent Horikita.
"Yeah... I'm glad that the misunderstanding was cleared up." Horikita heaved a sigh of relief.
"Well, I'm sure it's been spread among all of our classmates, at least. I've been getting messages from my friends for a while now. It seems like the gossips have reached them."
"How troublesome..." Horikita shook her head.
"Yeah... It'll fix itself eventually."
At that moment, a public announcement was broadcasted all over the ship.
"Attention, students. Please assemble on the main deck. You will be able to see the island soon. This is a good time to take in some rather significant scenery."
What a strange way of wording it...
"Ayanokouji-kun," Horikita called out to me with a sharp look.
"Yeah... As expected, something strange is up."
"Class B, huh?" An unfamiliar voice could be heard from behind.
"You are?" Horikita asked the person who addressed us.
"I'm Katsuragi Kouhei of Class A. Nice to meet you." His words were polite, but his expression was stern. I noticed that most of the Class A students were behind him.
He was a tall, bald boy with a serious countenance.
"I'm Horikita Suzune of Class B."
"I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."
With a slight bow, Katsuragi walked past us and positioned himself at the front-most part of the deck, around the helicopter pad. The Class A students seemed to be happily observing the now-visible island.
After a brief second, Hirata arrived to meet us.
"Ayanokouji-kun, Horikita-san, you're here."
"Hirata, I'm glad you came. You've noticed it too, right?" I asked.
"Yeah... It seems like we must be ready for something big."
The ship started to pick up its speed. It was way faster than that of a normal cruise ship-- around three times as fast.
"I see... So that's how this is going to be..." I muttered.
Horikita and Hirata were focused on observing the island.
"It's not just a simple deserted island, huh?"
"A lot of strange things are very noticeable."
But why? What is the purpose of letting us see these distinct places on the island? A considerable amount of time passed as I got drowned in my own thoughts.
"We will disembark in thirty minutes. Please assemble on the deck. All students should have changed into their jerseys. Make sure to check your designated bag and your luggage, and do not forget your cellphone. Please keep all other personal items in your room. There is a possibility that you will not be able to visit the bathroom for some time, so please do so now." Another PA was heard from the speakers.
As the island drew closer and closer, the students got more and more excited. Most of us went to change in high spirits. Our class assembled on the main deck as soon as we finished changing. Everyone was looking forward to paradise which was seemingly waiting for them.
"Is everyone ready?" Hirata asked the entirety of Class B. We weren't really lined up neatly, but we were in the same general area so it was easy to distinguish which class was with whom.
"I'm so excited!"
"This is it!"
A lot of the girls were giggling in anticipation.
"We will disembark now, beginning with the students from Class A. Cellphones are prohibited on the island. Please hand your phone to your homeroom teacher as you leave."
We began lining up in an orderly fashion. A lot of the students started complaining because of the heat. With no roof above us, there was no escaping the rising sun. The disembarkment process took longer than we initially expected. No-- that's what one would normally notice, but for us who were on guard of what might come, the teachers' actions are actually quite understandable.
Hirata and Horikita approached me while watching Class C and D's inspection as they get off the ship.
"They're being strangely cautious. It's way too strict to be a normal inspection." Hirata commented with a grave expression.
"The way they check everything... They even went as far as to confiscate our phones when they didn't even do that during final exams..." mused Horikita.
"If the school intended to have us play in the ocean, then this is certainly going overboard. Have our classmates gather near. Let's keep our heads focused."
Hirata nodded as he followed my instructions. Ike and his group who were initially noisy and filled with excitement had sharp expressions while waiting on standby. It seems like our talk stuck in their minds. Meanwhile, the girls started feeling weary because of our class's sudden guarded atmosphere.
"Alright, I will now start a roll call. Please respond loudly and clearly once you hear your name." Chabashira-sensei announced with her usual poker face.
After confirming a complete attendance for the class, a tall male teacher stood on top of the prepared white platform. He was Mashima-sensei, Class A's adviser and homeroom teacher. Mashima-sensei teaches English and he was well-known for his rather stubborn disposition. His appearance might deceive a lot of people into thinking that he was the brawny type, but Mashima-sensei was actually quite intelligent. He'd even taught special courses in the past.
"I would like to say that I'm happy you've arrived safely. However, it's unfortunate that one of you was unable to participate due to illness."
A lot of the students started murmuring. Ike and Yamauchi, for instance, were whispering about how pitiful the student was. Whoever he or she was, I think trying to push themselves would've been the right move. This luxurious vacation was too much for anyone in our age to miss. Or at least, that's the opinion of the majority.
While Mashima-sensei was continuing his speech, I noticed that some adults in uniform were setting up some sort of special tent nearby. Computers and other equipment were transferred inside and laid around a long table. That was also the time when we finally noticed that something was wrong. The ominous feeling got confirmed by Mashima-sensei's subsequent words.
"Well then. We shall commence the current academic year's first special test."