7th August,
7th Day,
"What the fuck is this...?"
I mean, I already suspected it, and this is a great confirmation, but what the fuck?
I stood at the boulder where our mechanism for rights of possession is, staring blankly at the two things in my hands.
"I genuinely have no clue what's going on."
No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to even begin piecing the pieces of this puzzle.
I couldn't tell if this is good or bad. I'll have to make use of this now, but from this point onwards, I'm unsure of where I should begin my investigation to get to the bottom of this.
.
.
.
"What'd you call me for, Ayanokouji? Shouldn't you be with your class during the last day?"
"We're in an alliance, remember? I'm here to help you."
"Help... us?"
He didn't appear convinced. From his point-of-view, his class had been doing just fine. They have been operating at a consistent pace and from the beginning to end, everything went quite smoothly.
He's probably thinking to himself 'what did I miss?'
"I appreciate the offer, I truly do. But, can you please enlighten me here? I don't have a clue as to why we need help now, given how smoothly everything went during the last 7 days?"
From the look in his eyes, I could tell he didn't truly believe what he said, despite how much he wanted to have faith in his class. Still, I'm a little surprised Kanzaki was able to say what he said.
"Because I'm pretty sure the other leaders are going to put Himeno Yuki down as your leader."
He stood frozen with his eyes wide at my words. His hands became stiff, and his eyes darted in a panic, trying to analyse me to ascertain the validity of my words.
"And, if I tell you she isn't our leader?"
"Class B and D are going to write her name down either way."
His shoulders slumped slightly, realising what's about to happen to his class. The previous fighting spirit he had seemed to have left him.
There's no point in trying to bluff me, Kanzaki. It would never work. Besides, I'm here to assist you. That contract we made would be a huge plus for us, and is currently serving no use as of now other than gaining Class C as allies.
"I see... guess that's 100 points gone just like that, huh?"
"Didn't I tell you? I'm here to help your class."
"How? Is there really any way my class can be saved in this situation?"
"There's always a way. You just have not been able to find it, Kanzaki."
"What way is that?"
A slight light of hope returned to Kanzaki's eyes.
"Firstly, your word that you won't mention my involvement to Honami."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because I want to protect that kind and gentle soul she possesses. At the same time, I also need to uphold our agreement and assist your class."
That's partially a lie. I'm more inclined on the destructive side.
"I don't quite get it, but given the state of things, I'll trust you. You have my word that Ichinose won't hear a word of your involvement in this. So, how is my class going to be saved from this situation?"
"Force Himeno to retire."
His eyes widened slightly at my instructions.
"Are you joking...-? Oh..."
Seems like he understands the reason. That saves me time from having to explain it to him.
"Yeah, that's why. Have her fake a stomach ache or something. It doesn't matter how, but you need to do this immediately. Best option would be to tell the teachers something they couldn't test or confirm."
For example, a sprained ankle would show swelling, which might make the teachers disallow it out of suspicion that they're lying.
It's around 7:30 AM right now. The test ends at noon. So he has to make a move now, if he wants to save his class.
Based on Chie-sensei's personality, I'm sure she would gladly allow Himeno to retire, since she probably understands the reason why and wants her class to do well.
"It might be troublesome, but I'll find a way to do that. At this point, I don't care how it's done, as long as my class is saved."
Great mindset, Kanzaki. Just do what I tell you and your class will be victorious. For now.
"How'd the other classes manage to discover our leader's identity?"
"I can't really tell you much as of now since all I'm working on is assumptions and inferences due to lack of evidence. All I can say is you really shouldn't have allowed Kaneda to stay in your camp."
At that, I can see his fist tighten slightly and a frown formed on his face. Looks like Kanzaki didn't buy Kaneda's story to begin with.
"Bloody fucking hell... I warned her about this."
There's not a doubt in anyone's mind that the 'her' he was referring to was Honami. It was evident that Kanzaki was suspicious from the start, but Honami's fairy tail abilities had won out.
If their other classmates had a more aggressive mindset like Kanzaki, then Kaneda wouldn't have stayed, and I'm guessing the option to vote for leaders, which Kanzaki was clearly all for, would've been chosen.
Honami wanted to play the safe and friendly game. Kanzaki wanted the opposite. But due to the nature of their classmates, it wasn't meant for things to go his way.
"This is what you meant by protecting her, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
If their class dropped points in this exam, then the one most affected by it would be Honami, who had been leading them. They would then be thinking that if they had been following Kanzaki from the beginning, then this might not have happened.
That would then do some damage to Honami in return. Doubts about her leadership capabilities might arise. Hence, to save their class while also protecting Homani, Kanzaki would need to do some things behind her back. Reason being, if he told her about it now, she would feel responsible for their failure. And the more people know about this, then the likelihood of their classmates finding out about this would increase, which is something that would like to be avoided as much as possible.
"Lastly, write these names as Class B and D's leaders."
I showed him a small piece of paper that had two names written on it.
"It's what I'm going to write down as well."
"... I thought he retired along with the rest... How'd you even figure it out?"
"I'll leave that to your imagination."
Frankly, one of the names on it was a huge gamble, even on my part given what I found a few hours ago. But, I need to start my investigation somewhere. So, if it meant gambling some points to ascertain the level of trustworthiness, I'll gladly do it.
"I should be going now. We need to clean up before we assemble at the beach."
"Right... Thank you, Ayanokouji. I'm grateful"
Kanzaki offered his open hand to me and I shook it.
"It's not a problem."
I turned and left Class C's Vice-Leader as I'm sure he's trying to think of a way to get Himeno to retire without letting Honami know.
.
.
.
It was finally time for our short stint on the uninhabited island to come to an end. Has it been fun and worthwhile? Not in the slightest. I will never forgive the school for taking away my relaxing summer vacation. Yamauchi will have to pay the price for this soon.
"Ayanokouji-kun, may I ask something?" Horikita asked.
"If I don't want to answer that question, then I won't."
"Alright... What I want to ask is, where is Koeunji-kun? It's already noon and there's no sign of him at all."
That guy's probably making the lives of the staff members a living hell.
"... Guess I won't be getting an answer..." Horikita sulked.
"We're now tallying up the test results. Please wait a moment. Feel free to use the rest area if you would like, or have a drink."
After that announcement, the students gathered together and headed toward the rest area. Underneath the provisional tents, they'd prepared tables and chairs for our use, so we could get comfortable.
"Ayanokouji, I saved you a seat. I want to get all the leaders together for the announcement." I heard Katsuragi's voice calling out to me.
It was quite obvious that he wanted to discuss the scores and how they came to be since the school would only be announcing the final results.
Though Katsuragi said he saved seats for the leaders, I saw no sign of any of my Class A's leaders there. Did they only consider me as the leader?
I could see Honami and Kanzaki over there. She was waving at me with a bitter smile, then quickly turned back to face Kanzaki.
From the looks of it, she is quite upset and wanted to talk about something serious with him, but Kanzaki was trying his best to ignore her as he was looking away and had his arms crossed.
"I'm good." I politely declined and took a seat with my class.
"No, you get your fucking ass over here, Ayanokouji!" Ryueen roared from the tent.
His fist was clenched on the table and he didn't look too happy, either. Surrounding him were some of the usual people from his clique, the only few he actually talks to. There was no sign of his other classmates, so they're definitely up on the ship.
His very angry demeanour had quite easily caught the attention of the rest of the students who had been busy in their own conversations.
"Nope. Not interested."
"You fucking-! Just you wait, you fucking dickhead! *gibberish screaming*"
Oh my god, I think he is very angry. I don't know what dialect that last one was, but this man is very angry. He's most angry.
"Don't talk like that to Kiyotaka-sama!"
"Shut the fuck up! Useless fucking slave!"
"Eat shit you fucking cunt! Scum of society!"
"Mind your bloody language!"
Ah, there it is. The lovely melodic voice of Sae-sensei over the megaphone, silencing Ryueen and Chiaki's squabbling.
"No matter what, you guys are still in a school environment! So, watch those filthy mouths of yours!"
Consider my timbers to be shivered now.
"No, you shut up, you lying teachers! Fucking throwing us on an island with no warning!" Ryueen crushed a paper cup he had been drinking from and threw it at Sae-sensei's feet. "I'll fucking throw your big tits off the ship into the Bermuda Triangle if you don't hurry up and announce the bloody scores!"
Witnessing what Ryueen just did shocked the entire cohort and the staff members. The veins in Sae-sensei's head bulged and she shot Ryueen a glare.
It's clear to me that Ryueen isn't actually angry about the unexpected exam. He is angry because something bad happened and things didn't go his way. He's also not the type to get angry over losing.
On the contrary, he would actually feel excited at the thought of going up against a strong opponent. I just have to wonder what happened to make him this upset. To the point of doing something like that to a teacher.
"You rude son of a-!"
With her fists clenched on the megaphone, Sae-sensei stomped towards Ryueen, slowly raising the megaphone as she got nearer. It was quite clear she had lost her patience with his disrespectful attitude and might be considering to hit him.
I quickly held Sae-sensei back by picking her up and placing her back at the front, where the other staff members were. I grabbed the megaphone from her hand and passed it to Mashima-sensei who was beside her.
"Calm down and stay." I said before walking back to my seat.
Despite how much she was fuming inside, Sae-sensei reluctantly remained tight with a frown on her face and her arms crossed.
"What the hell just happened?"
"Ryueen, no matter the circumstances, your actions are way out of line."
"Huh!? The no littering rule was only during the test!"
"Your extremely rude behaviour, if not stopped, could result in immediate expulsion. In fact, you are dangerously close to that consequence if you don't stop."
With a click of his tongue, he leaned back in his seat. I don't know if it's just me, but it appears that Ryueen is very angry.
"Now then, let's continue."
The first-year students, despite what had just happened, hurriedly tried to form a line, but Mashima-sensei waved his hands at them to stop.
"It's fine. We don't mind if you want to keep relaxing. The test has already concluded. Now we've entered the summer vacation part of the trip, so it's alright if you loosen up."
Even though he'd said that, tensions were naturally running high for the students. They all stopped their chatter in an instant.
"Over this past week, we, your teachers, have closely watched your efforts in this special test. There were some students who took on the challenge honestly, head-on. There were some who devised schemes to tackle the test. Many things have happened, but overall, the test results were splendid. Good work."
The students appeared relieved to receive such straightforward praise from Mashima-sensei. It seemed like everyone was finally starting to believe the one-week test was really over.
"Well then, to get straight to the point. I would like to announce the results of the special test."
There probably wasn't a single person, not even our own homeroom teacher, who had seen these test results.
"We will not accept any questions regarding the results, no exceptions. We would like you to accept the results you have been given, analyse them, and use them to help you for the next test. It is what it is. Don't wet yourselves over these results. You must accept reality, you know?"
"Ayanokouji-kun... will my mistake cost us the exam?" Horikita asked in a worried tone.
"Hmm... don't know. But, no matter what, you would need to accept the results, analyse them, and use them to help you for the next test. It is what it is. Don't wet yourselves over these results. You must accept reality, you know?"
"You're just saying the same thing as Mashima-sensei."
"Only because he's right. There's no point crying over spilled milk. Or in this case a spilled keycard."
"Stop making fun of me! I don't like it." She poked my hips in retaliation to my little teasing.
Why do I feel stares everywhere...? This is creepily uncomfortable.
"Now, we will announce the rankings. The lowest class is Class D, with zero points."
From my peripheral vision, I could see Ryueen's intense glares aimed at me. But, he didn't appear too surprised by the results. Almost as if he had expected at least some parts of it.
Mashima-sensei continued the announcements matter-of-factly.
"In third place is Class B, with 70 points. Coming in second place is Class C, with 331 points."
"70!?"
"331!?"
A commotion broke out. No one had expected the rankings or the point totals, especially those from Class B and C. I suppose it'll be a happy surprise for those in Class C as they inch ever closer to regaining their Class B title. It might not be that pleasant of a surprise for those in Class B, though.
"And finally, Class A has come in first with 374 points.This concludes the announcement."
My class erupted in jubilation upon the announcement. Horikita breathed a sigh of relief and could only stare at me with profound admiration and a little something else hidden in her eyes, accompanied with a slight smile.
"What's the meaning of this, Katsuragi?!"
Voices saying such things echoed from one end of the rest area to the other. Class B students circled around Katsuragi.
I suspect he would never be leading the class ever again, as long as my princess is still there. He's being swarmed in all directions by her supporters and even those who previously followed him as they demanded answers.
Only Yahiko was making an effort to defend him, but, I doubt it's working that effectively. Having Yahiko defend you is the same thing as having Loris Karius as your goalkeeper.
"What did you do, Kanzaki-kun...?"
"I'll explain more on the ship, Ichinose."
By inferring the situation, Class C was quickly able to tell who's the person responsible for their crucial victory this time around. A huge shift and rift is happening as things play on, as the majority of their classmates are now favouring Kanzaki, seeing that his decision had produced results for them, even though they had no clue he even did anything. Amazing results, if I may add.
If I had not told him to retire Himeno, only given him Class B and D's leaders, and voted for Himeno Yuki as Class C's leader, my class would've gained another 50 points. But, I suppose this is fine for now.
"We won, Kiyo!" Nino jumped and latched onto my back, along with the quints and other girls in the class, clearly ecstatic about the situation right now.
"I'm so happy I can kiss you right now, Ayanokouji-kun!" Satou had her face pressed against my abs while making a smooching face.
"I didn't really do much, but you're welcome. Can I go back on the ship now, please? I'm quite tired and would like to rest."
"Oh, of course! You've done so much for us, after all!"
Though they were a little disappointed, they slowly got off me and allowed me to leave.
The exam was over, and while we were free to go onto the boat, we were also free to play in the ocean, and most of Class A had chosen the latter. Almost everyone was still down on the beach, flaunting their victory in front of the other classes, despite having no idea what happened.
"Did you enjoy your little concentration camp on the island, demon-boy?" With a drink in hand and wearing nothing but his speedos, Kouenji came to greet me.
"Could've been worse, I guess."
"Fuhahahaha! I had a great time aboard the luxurious liner, so you have my utmost gratitude for that." He sincerely thanked me.
"It's no problem. A good deal if I do say so myself. Glad you enjoyed yourself, Kouenji."
Koeunji's retirement had proved to be the base for my lazy strategy. Despite a waste of his talents, I'm still grateful he's willing to offer a hand every now and then. Of course, I wouldn't be doing this often.
"I would like to thank you for the victory as well. Splendid results, despite your minimal efforts. You've provided me with more cash to indulge myself with. A little favour here and there doesn't bother me much when you're assisting me to this degree."
"I'm glad things went well for the both of us. Hope you'll still be available for some of those assistance in the future."
"So long as you keep winning for all of us, it'll be my pleasure" With a cheeky grin, he laid back in his seat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with the sun. This magnificent beach body isn't going to tan itself."
Patting the back of his chair, I made my way towards my room to unpack, before getting a nice rest.
"Wait." As I turned the corner to the hallway leading to it, I was held back by a smooth and delicate hand grabbing my own.
Turning around, I was met by a girl with violet eyes matching her violet hair with blue streaks, tied in twintails.
So, this is Himeno Yuki. The girl that I believe is incompatible with her class. Her personality was quite distinct from her cheerful classmates. At first glance, you wouldn't even believe that she was Honami's classmates.
"Can I help you?"
"I just wanted to say thank you for your help on the island. Things might not have ended this well if not for you."
It would appear that Kanzaki had explained the situation, including my involvement to her. Based on the impression I'm having of her right now, I'm guessing she wouldn't have moved a muscle if Kanzaki hadn't let her in on it.
"It's no worries. We have an agreement in place, after all."
"Don't worry. I promise Ichinose won't hear a word about this."
With her free hand, she took out her phone and displayed the screen to me.
"This is my number and email. Please, contact me if you need anything. Don't hesitate. I'll help you to the best of my abilities. Of course, without putting my class at risk."
"I'll take note of that. Thank you for the offer, Himeno."
I wonder how she ended up in Honami's class. What unique characteristic did she have that the school determined her placing there.
For a couple seconds there, she just stood staring into my eyes, trying to analyse what I was thinking. Unfortunately, I doubt she'll be able to find anything.
"You can let go of my hand now."
"Oh, right. Sorry about that."
With a nod, she turned and briskly walked back where she came from.