Ichinose, Himeno and Beppu entered a few moments later. Their group of three was accompanied by Kamuro and Kito, who seemed to have arrived at the same time. My eyes followed Ichinose's tempting butt as she and her friends made their way over to their usual seats while the other two arrivals raised their brows, surprised by their new guests.
Damn you, Ryuuen!
""Heya, Ayanokouji-kun""
"What's up, guys?"
Her smile was as lovely and captivating as usual, but she seemed absentminded, just like this morning. I was about to ask her if there was something weighing on her mind, but Azuma and the Professor walked in, drowning my question in their greetings. They hurried over with quick steps and joined our ongoing conversation while I cursed their mistimed entrance.
Karuizawa was the last one to arrive.
"Hey, aren't you sitting in my seat?"
It didn't take long until our remaining classmate noticed that Manabe had dared to occupy Machida for herself. She laid her eyes on the group of three, glared at the two girls in spite and stomped over with an annoyed expression. This period marked the first one she hadn't greeted me, or anyone else, due to her boiling resentment towards her rival.
"I don't know what you are talking about. What do you mean, your seat?" Manabe seemed irritated and confused by her attitude. Her acting broke a moment later, when she couldn't help herself from letting out a faint, vicious grin. "Just sit somewhere else. There is more than enough space in the room."
"That's the seat I want. My spot. So move."
"Why would I? I'm talking to Machida-kun right now." The girl's smile deepened as she ceased to conceal her unequivocal dissatisfaction for Karuizawa and her attitude. "He promised that we would hang out tonight."
"Hey, Machida-kun!"
Karuizawa shuffled over and inserted herself between Manabe and him before she grabbed the boy's rough hand. She slid her smooth, comforting fingers between his own and grasped onto his palm. Her smile was dizzying, at least to the Class A boy, who turned into a blushing mess in response to her amorous antics.
"Could you please tell her you want me next to you?"
"What?! Hey!"
The battle-hardened gyaru didn't mind the surprised expressions of the remaining students, nor did she care that Manabe seemed to pop a vein as she grew beyond furious with her shenanigans. She peered deep into his eyes and enchanted him with her soundless spell. Machida didn't know how to act in such a tempting situation and averted his gaze.
I would have gone back on my word to go out with Karuizawa instead if I had been in his shoes. Her personality might not have been the best, but I had my own problems to consider. She was cute, at least. Manabe was alright, but void of any other qualities that might give her an edge over an adorable pouting girl.
They should have sent Nishino to him...
"So, how about we spend some time together, just the two of us?" Her radiant smile grew in intensity... "Or have you promised that girl that you will go out with her?" ... and turned into a disappointed frown. "I hate two-timers. If you are going to mess around with her, then that'll be the end of our conversation, I guess."
Wow, she was good...
But what?!
Times like this were the reason I was thankful for my emotionless facade. I doubted that I could have stayed sane after hearing her, of all people, utter such a leading sentence. She might not have been two-timing since Hirata wasn't her boyfriend, but nobody aside from them was aware of this. As far as everyone else was concerned, she was publicly trying to cheat on Hirata with Machida while accusing the latter of the misconduct she maintained.
This would tarnish both their reputations.
Machida was oblivious to all of this, since he kept stealing glances at Karuizawa's faint, yet inviting, cleavage without a care in the world. He either wasn't privy to the fact that she was in a relationship with Hirata, or he didn't care and coveted to perceive how it felt to two-time, which was an understandable, albeit cruel and immoral undertaking.
Just how far would she go?
I couldn't wait to find out...
"Excuse me, but please move?" Machida-kun peered over Karuizawa-san's head, which was close to being buried in his chest, and regarded Manabe-san with a stern gaze. "That's the seat she has been sitting in the whole time."
"Huh? What the hell? Urgh, this is bullshit."
The girl's frustrated voice rang through the otherwise silent cabin as she freed up the chair she had occupied. Karuizawa-san used this chance and slid onto the empty seat before she scooted even closer to Machida-kun, who had shooed her opponent away. She hooked her arm into his and leaned towards him, as if they had been a tender, long-time couple.
Why was she doing this?
What about Hirata-kun?
Did none of them care?
Usually, I would have stepped in sooner to deescalate the situation before it got out of hand. This time, however, I hadn't intervened, because I assumed that Karuizawa-san was the reason that he wished to keep this group viable. The two girls had been in conflict this whole time, but Manabe-san had never been this aggressive before.
Something had changed.
Kushida-san must have found proof of Morofuji-san's claims, which she had passed on to Ayanokouji-kun. He forwarded the information to Manabe-san, who already resented and suspected Class D's troublemaker of being the culprit behind the incident with her friend, and prompted her to act. This approach implied that he wanted both of them to oppose each other like this and affirmed that their dispute wasn't at a stage from which he could gain anything.
Could their relationship be fake?
Hirata-kun was her boyfriend, but she clung to another man she hadn't even known about before this exam. Them being a fabricated couple was the only viable theory I could come up with to explain her conduct and outlandish statements. Kushida-san and Ayanokouji-kun kept their interest in each other a secret, just like every unfaithful partner who cheated on their companion would. Neither Karuizawa-san nor Hirata-kun were dense enough to disregard such obvious facts.
Such cruel appraisals pained my heart.
My thought process had done a complete one-eighty after last night's experience, because I tried to see the world as he did. These assessments would help me understand him better. My goal to support him in his struggle to learn about love, friendship and trust required me to delve deeper into the real Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. I had to recognize him for the broken person he was, if I wanted to have any chance at fixing the gaping wounds he had carried with him all this time.
So, what could his plan be?
Chabashira-sensei and Kushida-san had both been aware of multiple occurrences in which he had threatened or hurt someone. Horikita-senpai had been useful to him because of the points he must have amassed as a third-year Class A student, while the store clerk had assaulted Sakura-san, who was involved in his plans as an innocent bystander.
Was Karuizawa-san next?
But what did she offer?
Not to be rude, but I couldn't think of anything he might need from her. Kushida-san was more than capable of guiding their classmates and gathering information for him. She also supported Matsushita-san and Hirata-kun with managing the class, which gave him access to every important person he might need. Karuizawa-san could add nothing valuable to his roster, aside from her body, which she seemed to give up on a whim.
No — what am I thinking?!
Damn you, Ayanokouji-kun!
The more I thought about this, the less plausible his actions became. He had always acted with a clear, structured plan in mind. This included the first meeting in our classroom on the second day of school, the karaoke visit I had invited him to, the midterm papers he supplied us with, the actions he must have taken during Sudou-kun's trial and his deceptive movements on the island, as well as during this ongoing zodiac exam. His acts were subtle — impossible to connect without a hint — but nothing had been done without a purpose, which suggested that she was important as well.
I glanced at the clock and stood up.
"Well, it seems like our second discussion period for today has started already. I have brought a deck of cards this time as well, so if anyone wants to take part in a few rounds with us, then you are all more than welcome to join."
A smile formed on my lips as I sat.
There was nothing else I could do at the moment.
Ayanokouji-kun had robbed me of all pathways I could have taken since he had opposing ideas to all of my solutions. It didn't matter whether I preferred to win this exam together with my group mates, or wanted to end it in a way that was beneficial for my own class. He had already chosen for me. It would be foolish to go against his plans as long as I hadn't determined what his goals were, which was why I decided that I would go with the flow for now.
It was still hard to believe that this generous, quiet boy was as cold, calculating and unhinged as Ryuuen-kun. Both of them didn't shy away from using violence if the situation called for it, but the former was much more dangerous. He didn't want to be found and moved other people to fill the holes he couldn't occupy.
What would happen if he was exposed?
Azuma-san joined our group this time around.
The minutes flew by, but Ayanokouji-kun remained a mystery, no matter how long I stared at him. He peered at me once in a while, threw me a faint smile, and focused his attention back on the cards in his hand. His responses were both easy and impossible to read, depending on whether he wanted to reveal any information.
The loudspeaker soon announced the end of our discussion.
Karuizawa-san was the first one to take off.
She jumped up and strode out of the room, disregarding Machida-kun's baffled existence and the plans they had made while he stared at her receding back in visible confusion. Manabe-san and Yajima-san brushed past us and followed her outside, while Nishino-san shook her head as if disappointed before she ambled away in a relaxed, unperturbed manner.
Again, I was assured of my theory.
Class D's troublemaker had used Machida-kun to her own advantage. Like a shield, or a powerful ally that protected her from the, in her view, annoying people in our group. Her actions should have been quite obvious, but I had never tried to understand her behavior. My naïve, rose-colored outlook on people had stopped me from thinking too badly about them.
Ayanokouji-kun had opened my eyes, in a way.
The handsome, devilish boy in question said his farewells to our group mates and chased after the girls. He was calm and didn't betray any signs of being short on time, even though he should have been in a hurry after their hasty exit.
Would it be weird if I followed him?
I wasn't sure about the right course of action.
The past, ignorant me, wouldn't have picked up on most of this, but I was different now. This chance meeting last night had revealed a world I had strived to keep away from — chosen to ignore. Without this unexpected confrontation, I wouldn't have known that Ayanokouji-kun deceived Matsushita-san and everyone else he came into contact with.
Should I stop him?
My deafening survival instincts discarded this terrible idea as soon as it popped into my mind. I still didn't know what the two girls would do to Karuizawa-san, but it wouldn't be anything amiable. Ayanokouji-kun would step into the fray if she needed him, not like the man that orchestrated these intricacies, but as his usual kind self.
All of this was part of his strategy.
Could I go with him, perhaps?
He might be even more alarmed if I pretended that I hadn't noticed the inconsistencies and changes in Karuizawa-san and Manabe-san. Concealing my knowledge about Ayanokouji-kun felt like walking on a tightrope on top of a bottomless abyss. One mistake — a single revealing reaction that seemed out of place — could spell imminent doom.
A deceitful whisper left my lips as I scurried after him.
"Ayanokouji-kun, let's follow them."
"Follow whom?"
He tilted his head, clueless and confused.
His bewilderment seemed so genuine that everyone would have believed him without a second thought. Even we Class B students, who knew about the 'lying gesture' he had indoctrinated into our minds, wouldn't have been capable to tell that he deceived us. If I hadn't been disillusioned by his usual self, I would have fallen head over heels for him once again.
Who am I kidding?
It was already far too late not to fall again.
Despite everything...
"Them." I pointed at the three girls who walked along the sidewalk to our right and turned into the corridor as soon as my mouth closed. "I'm worried that those two might do something to Karuizawa-san. The situation today was much worse than before and they seemed furious because of the matter with Machida-kun."
"Now that you mention it... Okay, I trust your judgement, Ichinose."
The two of us tailed the group of girls until they vanished behind a corner. A silent, almost inaudible 'ka-chack' sound traveled through our ears as one of the emergency doors slammed shut. We walked over to its origin, whereupon Ayanokouji-kun glanced at the handle with a quizzical look, wondering whether we should proceed.
I bobbed my head in affirmation.
He inched the door open without a sound.
This was a much easier feat to accomplish than estimated. The ship produced dozens of different noises in various, distinctive volumes while it drifted over the ocean, which were loud enough to mask our covert espionage attempt.
Was he as nervous as I was?
At least I wasn't alone this time...
Our cheeks bumped against each other as we peeked through the small crack between the door and the frame. I pulled back, surprised by his irrational comforting body heat and the wonderful smell he emanated. He scratched his cheek in a sorry gesture and glanced into the room from a higher position, since he was much taller than me.
Wait, how did this happen in the first place?
Did he do this on purpose?!
"Hey, why'd you bring me to a place like this?"
These infuriated words brought me back to reality.
Karuizawa-san didn't seem to feel too uncomfortable, which meant that she hadn't recognized her current precarious situation, or didn't think that the two teenagers would do anything to her. We couldn't see much from our position, but their body language painted an unambiguous picture. Manabe-san and Yajima-san were daunting and demonstrated themselves as the aggressors in this scenario, while their opposition folded her arms, as if uneasy.
"Stop playing dumb. You pushed Rika. We want you to apologize to her."
"Huh? I already told you, you got the wrong person."
They clicked their tongues in dissatisfaction and shoved the annoyed Class D girl against the wall. Manabe slammed her hand against the surface a few centimeters beside her head in a rather intimidating gesture, while Karuizawa-san returned her conduct with a vicious glare. She was as headstrong as always and didn't even flinch during the whole ordeal.
Her composure was impressive.
I would have been scared in an inescapable, distressing situation that seemed like it could grow violent at any moment. The plight in front of my eyes was tense beyond belief, and I assumed that at least Manabe-san would resort to physical or verbal abuse if Karuizawa-san continued to behave in her brazen, admittedly provoking manner.
Maybe she was innocent?
Could he have fabricated wrong evidence?
Manabe-san pulled out her phone with a smile.
"Yeah, this girl keeps bothering me the whole time because of her friend. So what if I pushed her? I will not apologize. It's this Rika girl's fault that she stood in the way. How come you are taking her side in all of this, huh?"
This was her telltale voice, without a doubt.
The recording she had revealed might have been muffled, but her knowledge about the incident with Morofuji-san was unmistakable. Her own statements had revealed the lies she had told them, which worsened her current position.
Karuizawa-san's complexion paled.
An anguished expression of grief surfaced on the girl's face, as she bit into her lower lip in visible frustration. Her blue eyes constricted and quivered in pure disbelief as Manabe-san pinned the girl against the wall with an expanding sneer.
"We know that you pushed Rika and we demand an apology."
Their disagreement might cool down and end like this if she were to express clear regret over her previous actions. The only problem with this straightforward and peaceful solution was Karuizawa-san, who wasn't remorseful in the slightest.
Neither of the two Class C students cornering her seemed like a bad person. Both just wanted justice for their fearful friend, Morofuji-san, who had been harassed by her in the past. Karuizawa-san wasn't being honest, despite them asking her about this incident multiple times, which prompted them to take matters into their own hands.
"No way, she was in the wrong. She's a total airhead."
"You're totally pissing me off, you know that?" Manabe-san stepped forward and slapped the girl's right shoulder. "We might have forgiven you if you properly apologized to Rika. But now we definitely won't show mercy."
"Are you sure we should do this? If Ryuuen finds out then..."
"I won't tell him. Will you? Rika's your friend too, right?"
Yajima-san was unsure about their next steps.
She wasn't disturbed or unsettled by Manabe-san's proposition, but concerned about the dominating intimidation force their infamous class leader represented. Both girls would have a horrible time for the next three years if Ryuuen found out what they had done, or rather, that they had been careless enough to let people observe them.
"I guess... you're right."
"Exactly, which is why I think that she should experience how Rika felt back then. She seems too dumb to understand this, so it's our responsibility to teach her. Why don't we bully this girl for real? This way, she won't hurt anyone ever again."
Her words were only correct in theory.
Such a relentless eye-for-an-eye approach wouldn't improve the situation, but deteriorate it further for one or both related parties. This emerging violent cycle of harassment would never stop as long as they attended this school. The two Class C students who were prepared to torment her had already stepped over the point of no return. Morofuji-san, who wasn't aware of this happening, might also be unhappy with the approach her friends used to gain justice for her, since she had been on the receiving end of such an oppression once before.
Everyone would be worse off if this continued.
Manabe-san struck her shoulder with even more force.
I had tried to steel myself for this, but my mental preparations hadn't been enough. Karuizawa-san might have been the one at fault, but I couldn't watch her get bullied and smacked with a clear conscience. It was impossible for me to stand on the sidelines and watch this tragedy unfold with my own eyes.
My fingers reached for the door.
They didn't travel far, however, as Ayanokouji-kun's warm, reassuring hand grabbed onto my arm. The brown-haired, golden-eyed boy rested his index finger on his smooth lips and peered straight into my shattered soul. He moved his pupils downwards twice in quick succession, almost as if he wanted to inform me of something important.
I followed his guidance and looked towards the ground.
His left was holding onto a phone, which was recording the entire confrontation. The faint outline of the thin black gloves he had worn last night was also visible in his blazer pocket, which affirmed that he would have acted if I hadn't been here.
What would he have done to them?
'Come on, we both know that you assaulted the guy that molested Sakura. I heard that he looked half-dead when the security guards got to him. Chipped teeth, broken bones and a screwdriver right next to his femoral artery. The doctor's preliminary examination identified rather interesting black traces of silk in his mouth.'
Chabashira-sensei's words froze the blood in my veins.
He wouldn't... right?
"Ahh... ahh..."
Karuizawa-san's pants pulled me out of my trance.
Manabe-san kept hitting her until she collapsed from the pain. Her breathing grew laboured and uneven as her hands grasped onto her head, almost as if she was suffering the most harrowing anguish one could imagine. The Class C girls kept laughing at their victim, who cowered on the ground and kept smacking her, even after she went down.
We need to do something...
But would my interference help her?
They wouldn't stop to torture Karuizawa-san, even if I were to rush into the room to protect her now. She had stated that she wouldn't apologize to Morofuji-san multiple times, which meant that their bullying would never stop. If I saved her today, they would just try again tomorrow, or the day after. No one had enough time to attend to her around the clock. Blackmailing them with this recording was the only permanent solution to keep them away from her.
My heart tore itself apart as I reflected on this.
Ayanokouji-kun's response was the correct one.
To prevent me from doubting him, he would explain his appalling behavior away with Matsushita-san ordering him to record any event he might stumble upon. His deception would continue with classified details that no one but him and her were supposed to know, which would make me feel like someone special to him.
Then this naïve notion would pop into my mind.
He was so kind, so why was he with Matsushita-san?
What if they were to separate in the future?
Could I maybe go out with him then?
Now that I knew about him, there was only one question...
Why were you so cruel to me?
"Act as girly as you want. We won't forgive you." She grabbed onto Karuizawa-san's hair and yanked her head up with a sudden, forceful tug. "I've always hated your face, Karuizawa. Hey, don't you think she's butt-ugly?"
"Yeah. Don't you just want to cut it?"
The other girl chimed in as well, hesitant yet brave in her proposal to use deadly weapons to exert physical violence. Both of them began to smile and laughed as if they enjoyed this situation. They kept snapping their fingers into her face, almost as if they were prompting a child for a reaction, before they grew more violent and began to hit her again.
No, I couldn't watch this any longer.
This was too much...
"St-stop it."
"'St-stop', she says."
Manabe-san's cold voice, which mimicked Karuizawa-san's heartbreaking cries, reverberated through the eerie, desolate chamber, causing her classmate to snicker. I began to doubt that she still thought about justice for Morofuji-san when I saw her face, which contorted in pure delight as she reveled in the pain she inflicted on her defenseless schoolmate.
"What happened to your big attitude?"
I need to help her!
"Get a teacher. I'll hold them off."
A tall shadow slipped into the room before I reacted.
"What? Ayanokouji-kun?"
The surprised whispers that had escaped my lips were eclipsed by the loud noises the heavy metallic door generated as it shut behind him. My eyes, which hadn't been able to process his sudden movements, widened in disbelief and utter shock as I glanced at the position Ayanokouji-kun should still have been standing at.
My fingers slid forward and rested on the handle.
If I leave now, he'll be alone with them.
The former Honami wouldn't have questioned his intentions, because she would have trusted every single word that left his lips. He didn't want me to find a teacher, but to leave him alone with them. I had intruded into what should have been a one-man job and forced my way into this situation in order to protect Karuizawa-san from both him and them.
I succeeded, in a way.
Ayanokouji-kun was inside the cabin and would support his classmate now that his presence was revealed. He had told me to get a teacher and counted on the fact that I would dash off to find one as soon as possible. These actions must have initiated a countdown in his head — a reminder of how much time he would have before a faculty member arrived.
He wouldn't have enough time to hurt them.
A sharp sigh escaped my lips as I hid in the area.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
Manabe and Yajima jumped back in surprise.
Their faces, after being caught red-handed, were quite the sight to behold. If I could laugh or show my amusement in a different form other than smiling, I might have been incapable of keeping myself in check. Regret, fear and worry flashed over their ashen complexion, as their minds simulated the many horrible ways this whole situation could get out of hand.
They were terrified of Ryuuen, after all.
Karuizawa's eyes widened, but she was quick to react.
"Ayanokouji-kun! These two crazy girls abducted me and started getting violent. They are the worst! They were being like super annoying and kept bothering me on the way back. I told them to get lost, but they hit me!"
She stood up, grabbed her phone and ran towards me.
Her performance was fitting, and she seemed sharp enough to have realized that the tables had turned in her favor. My bishop threw defence overboard and transferred straight into an offensive maneuver by implicating them without looking for any faults in her own behavior. Even if I wouldn't act, she still had Chiaki's name to intimidate them with.
"Hey, that's none of your business. Piss off."
Manabe, high on adrenaline, dopamine and a moderate dose of norepinephrine that should just have set in, stepped forward with her domineering temperament without evaluating her present position. She examined my frame, classified me as non-dangerous entity and bared her teeth like an insignificant dog that sought attention.
How adorable...
The room itself would provide a nice, cozy place for a thorough beating, but it wasn't far enough away from prying eyes. Both Ichinose and Kamuro had accompanied me to this small, peaceful gathering, so I had no time to deal with Manabe and her antics. As long as I saved my troubled classmate, she could live to fight — or die — another day.
Karuizawa raised her phone for the two girls to see.
"Just leave me alone or I'll call someone."
"Who are you going to call? Hirata-kun? Or maybe your new toy Machida-kun?" A wide, scornful grin surfaced on Manabe's face as she made fun of her social circle. "I bet a slut like you has hundreds of guys on speed-dial."
Wouldn't that be impressive, though?
I should ask Kikyou about that.
"Azuma just ran off to get a teacher. If you don't want any trouble, I propose that you leave now."
None of them had the intention of exposing their argument to their respective classmates or friends. Karuizawa's reputation would receive irrevocable damages if her pitiful appearance was revealed while the Class C dogs would be beaten to hell and back for being foolish enough to terrorize a schoolmate and leaving witnesses to tell the tale. The easiest way for both parties was to leave the location before a teacher showed up.
"You better bow your head and apologize to Rika."
Manabe left this final piece of advice for Karuizawa before she signaled Yajima to leave. Both girls walked in our direction, towards the emergency door. One was rather frightened of the prospect that Ryuuen might learn about this and stayed clear of our position on her way out, while the other glared at my classmate, and readied herself to bump into her.
A faint gasp of surprise buzzed through the cabin.
The person responsible for this adorable exclamation peered at me in surprise. My headstrong gyaru had acknowledged that Manabe was about to run into her, but didn't plan on evading. She assumed that she would have lost this exchange if she dared to show another weakness and was prepared to face this collision from which she wouldn't back down.
"Thanks... Ayanokouji-kun."
She averted her gaze and took two steps back.
"There is no need to thank me for this." I stopped until the noisy mechanical closing mechanism notified me that the door had shut. "You don't need to worry about Azuma because I lied to Manabe. Aside from me, no one has seen anything."
"What? You serious?"
Her dim, muddied eyes shot open, lost their dull presence, and regained their wonderful indigo color. They sparkled in heartfelt relief and genuine happiness upon learning that no one but me had seen her in such a miserable state. This involuntary feedback was prime evidence that she had been distressed about her secret being discovered.
This immense fear was useable.
"Yeah, just me."
"You won't tell, right?"
My future dark bishop tilted her head.
She couldn't put her unconditional trust in me, even though I was one of two male friends she had made. Her behavior wasn't strange or unwarranted, as she knew best where Manabe's recording originated from. No one would condemn her if she doubted Hirata now, since he had been the only one in the room during their conversation. The other possibility was that one of her roommates had left their phone to record, but this hypothesis was anything but reliable.
Who was left if she couldn't trust Hirata?
"Of course not. We are friends."
"You can't tell Matsushita-san either, alright?"
Karuizawa grabbed onto my blazer and revealed a shy pout.
Dozens of gorgeous girls visited this school, and she was one of them, without a doubt. There was one aspect, however, that differentiated her from the others. She was ready to auction herself off to whomever necessary, if it meant protection. This parasitic nature became more prominent during an exam such as this, when she was forced away from her host.
"Promise, I won't tell anyone."
A faint, comforting smile surfaced on my face.
"Yawoooo! If it in't Kiyotakaaa~."
A certain carefree, brown-haired teacher clung to my neck as I was cooling my legs in the pool. Thick clouds drifted through the somber sky and covered the brilliant moon, which made it rather difficult to see in the darkness. The only visible light sources were from the ship's railing and the sidewalks, far away from the area the two of us occupied.
Some alone time was too much to ask, huh?
"You reek. Get off please?"
"Mooouuuuu~~~ That's not something you say to your favorite teacher now, is it?" She pressed her voluptuous chest into my face and smacked my head around three to four times. "Don't be such a meanie Kiyobaka~."
Could I get her expelled for assault?
It wasn't unusual that I was still on her radar.
I had presumed that she would try to feel me out when she had the chance — but I hadn't expected her to do so in a literal sense. Hoshinomiya and Sae couldn't be any more different in their character and overall attitude towards people. Our instructor was much more refined, similar to Suzune, while Class B's homeroom teacher boasted pure chaos and anarchy in true Kikyou fashion. Yet both would do anything to gain an advantage over the other.
"You're heavy."
This complaint slipped my lips as she leaned onto my shoulder with her whole body weight. Your typical average highschool boy would struggle with the additional load even in a seating posture due to the sudden one-sided increase in pressure. I wouldn't have any difficulties to remain in an upright position, but I chose to let gravity handle its task.
My frame grew weak beneath her and collapsed.
"Sensei..."
"Neee~ Kiyotakaaa~~."
These rumblings lingered as she slouched over me.
Her dizzying movements, weird expressions, slurred speech, peculiar sounds and the sharp smell that penetrated my poor suffering nose were clear signs of intoxication. Hoshinomiya's alcohol consumption, which could be labeled abuse, was horrible for one's body and mind. I knew about her iron liver because of Sae, who I had interrogated about the remaining homeroom teachers after Sakagami interfered in Sudou's trial. Due to her information, I knew that she wasn't drunk at all, which begged the question why she came onto me, pretending to be.
"Na, Kiyoka~ why are yu helping Sae-chan, ehh? It's so meaa~aan. Ne~ ne~ would yu come over tu us if we provided the points for yur tansfer? I'd take good care of yuu... Honami-chan will take great care of yu tuu. Please~ Kiyoka~."
Is she poaching me while acting drunk?
And offering me a student?
Isn't that prostitution?
"What are you talking about, sensei? I can't understand a single word." She kept rubbing her face against my own while she slung her smooth arms around my chest. "Would you mind stopping with that? I'd like to go to bed."
"Stop acting cooyy with me, Kiyoka~. I know what u's been doin~."
According to her reaction — or lack thereof — she had no intention of letting up. It wasn't strange that she, a teacher with a vast information network, figured out that I pulled the strings if we desist from the elder Horikita's involvement, which she shouldn't know anything about. She had suspected me from the moment Sae had called me into her office, and I only managed to keep her off my back for so long. But these few months had been more than enough to verify my abilities.
"Sensei, I believe that this is what one could call sexual harassment of a minor. Your intoxication level doesn't change the fact that your actions are inappropriate and a potential reason for your termination. Please, just let go of me."
My fingers clung to the pool's edge as I clawed my way out from under her. Escaping was a difficult, painful and almost unachievable venture, since she kept lolling around on my back without the intention of letting go of me. This horrible dance went on for around two minutes until I managed to free everything but my legs from her wicked grasp.
Hoshinomiya wanted me to admit what I had done for Sae and my class, but I couldn't comprehend that she would think that I might share these secrets just because she was acting drunk and might not remember all of this tomorrow. She either thought that I was dumb, or that her play was on a level that could fool even professionals. This woman's head was filled with convictions and strategies even I couldn't fathom, which was frightening on another scale.
"I'll do anything if you help Class B."
Her drunken demeanor vanished with a snap.
The vague haze in her violet orbs dissolved as she sobered up and eyed my reaction to her outlandish words. Since her previous performance fell on deaf ears, she decided to just come out with her selfish intentions. Class B's homeroom teacher hated Sae in a way that differed from Kikyou and Suzune, or Manabe and Karuizawa.
The cruise ship felt like a graveyard.
It was almost 1AM, deep during the night, when all the students were fast asleep. Most of the ship was void of any surveillance gear that would pick up on our encounter. Neither cameras nor microphones had been planted around the pool area, for obvious reasons. This could be her one and only chance to talk to the real me without interference.
I pulled out my phone and typed out a note.
'Take a swim.'
Hoshinomiya's charoite spheres widened.
A bright smile crept up her face as she took out her own device and tapped on the power button. She unlocked it with her password, showed me that no recording software was active, and handed it over to me to check for myself. The phone itself was still warm from the time in her pockets, but I ignored the pleasant sensation my palm experienced and shut it off, which was the safest option to confirm that she had pulled no peculiar stunts.
She stood up, spread her arms and fell into the pool.
"Yahooo!"
A loud splashing sound traveled along the desolate deck as her back broke the water's surface. Her wet head emerged a few moments later, followed by the rest of her soaked body. The large amounts of water around all the fibers in her white shirt hindered its ability to scatter light and became more translucent in the process. She didn't mind my blatant stare at her green bra, and had no intention of hiding two of her most viable weapons to bewitch a capable highschool boy.
She swam to the edge and rested her chin.
I signaled her to get out, and she followed.
The combination of her loose sandals and bare, wet feet caused some awkward sounds as she stepped in front of me. Water pelted along her skin and coursed into her soggy clothes as my arm reached forward to frisk her. Multiple droplets splattered onto the wooden flooring as my fingers ran along her hair, neck and shoulders. I pushed them into her oral cavity and checked it for a hidden microphone before I moved towards her chest area.
Wireless audio recorders could be found in many sizes, some just a few centimeters, around the size of a human nail, or even smaller. Hoshinomiya Chie was cunning and sophisticated in her own distorted way. Ignoring any possibility would have been a dangerous move as long as she was involved.
She didn't flinch as my fingers pushed her bra aside and advanced along her exposed breasts. This composed behavior surprised me, since Sae had freaked out a lot more with less contact. I worked along her frame from up top, through her private parts, and down to her feet. Only after I had excluded every imaginable hiding place had I opened my mouth.
"What do you want?"
My voice exuded a distant, unusual vibe.
Class B's instructor wasn't daunted by this nebulous change in demeanor. Her joking, often sexual and misleading comments had died out — hushed by this one faithful opportunity she couldn't pass up on.
"Sae can't win. I don't want her class to graduate from Class A."
"I hadn't taken you for the vindictive type. May I ask why?"
"Because she took everything from me."
She displayed genuine antagonism, similar to Kikyou.
My favorite teacher had never told me about the reason how Hoshinomiya and she had matured into two opposing forces like fire and water, but this was a chance to gather invaluable information. Both of them were useful for the long road ahead of me, and I had to sacrifice one for the other if I wanted to receive their full cooperation in the future.
This had nothing to do with preference.
Whether I was Class A or D didn't matter to me.
"Elaborate."
"Sae and I were in the same class, back when we were students in this school. We lost six people during our time, but we managed to stay in Class B and reached a position where we could ascend to Class A. Back then, she had a boyfriend and a special exam was announced. We hadn't been worried, since this would have been our time to shine, but she messed up everything just because she couldn't give up on her love. The exam was simple. We got questions and had to decide for an answer in a specific amount of time. The final one asked us if we were ready to expel a student for 100 class points. With this addition, we would have reached Class A and they wouldn't have had time to take their spot back. Sae was the reason we lost this exam and our — my chance to graduate from Class A."
She left out some details, but this was enough.
The sincere hate she felt for her was understandable. It made sense that she didn't want to see her, of all people, lead a class to victory. Our rankings would update in September and she realized that Sae would be in Class A, while she would be in B or C, depending on my mood. She comprehended that neither her students nor any others could compete with my abilities and decided to cling to me in a last desperate attempt to overtake her aggravating rival.
"Your only wish is for Chabashira not to graduate from A, correct?"
"I'd like my class to win, if possible. But yes, she mustn't, no matter what."
"What if she were let go?"
Chie's eyes widened in surprise.
"That would be fine as well."
"Consider it done."
"What? Just like that?"
Her growing astonishment wasn't strange.
A teacher like her would know that it was challenging to expel another instructor. No one had done so before and she thought it to be inconceivable as well. What she couldn't know, however, is that Sae stood on a cliff's edge. If I wanted her to be gone, she could do nothing to preserve her position at this school.
"Why not? You are more useful than her."
"Then —"
"Since you said that you would do anything, it will cost you everything." I reached into my pockets and put on the pair of gloves. "The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. If you offer me your soul, I shall award you with hers. But..." My eyes turned arctic as I flashed onto her neck and pulled her close. "There is no turning back. You are aware of this, yes?"
"I told you already. She can't win."
Thus, her deal with the devil concluded.
Karuizawa Kei was a lonely person.
Why was that?
Because her entire world came crumbling down.
Before this school and now once again.
Hirata had been playing her boyfriend for the last few months, but no one could have blamed him if he thought of this whole charade as nothing but a chore. Maybe he decided that he was done protecting her. She wouldn't even perform a small concession and apologize for a mistake that had been her fault, after all.
What if he got sick of his parasite?
Our knight in shining armor wouldn't think or act according to such base motives, but Karuizawa was harboring a dark secret herself. Her impaired, fractured psyche projected her own twisted character onto others, which maintained her assumptions that he may have betrayed her. If she would throw him away to lean onto Machida in order to feel safe in our group, then he might have done the same and just stopped caring about her.
A fragmented mind was one's worst enemy.
This left her, Karuizawa Kei, all alone — without a host.
Was there someone she could she still trust?
Or would everyone betray her?
It wasn't important to know what had happened in her mysterious past, because it was enough to replicate her torturous time. This vulnerability turned into a viable option due to her sudden panic attack when Manabe began to exert violence.
Karuizawa couldn't go to Hirata, the boy who had reprimanded her for what she had done — the boy who might have been the broker of this sinister recording. She couldn't be sure, but this was even worse than knowing for certain.
If it hadn't been him, then who?
One of her roommates, Shinohara Satsuki, might have figured out that she wasn't the person she masqueraded to be and planted the phone to record all conversations inside the room to find a bargaining chip. Most of our classmates hated her, so it wouldn't be strange if she decided to sell insider information to the highest bidder. Maybe she could reclaim, or even improve on, her former reputation by pulling Karuizawa Kei back into the dirt where she belonged.
Or maybe it was a close friend of hers, like Satou?
She could never know for certain.
A vivid imagination was her biggest nightmare.
Her head would warp itself to shreds because she could never be certain about who had betrayed her. She could ask, but none would answer. They would laugh — ridicule the weak, miserable girl behind her back — just like they had always done. Hirata had been her light, her steady cornerstone to lean on, because she had confirmed him to be reliable and kind.
But all of this was in the past.
Karuizawa Kei was a parasite without a host.
A miserable, weak creature like her wouldn't be able to endure for long, not with a traitor in her closest group of friends. The best sycophants were the ones who didn't harm their owners. Karuizawa could harm Hirata, since their ideals clashed. He, gullible as he was, wanted everyone to get along while she needed to be on top of the food chain.
She didn't want to bow down to anyone.
The solution was simple.
Karuizawa Kei needed a new host.
Only then would she truly become a...