『』『』『』『』『』
『...... 』
Kumagawa wasn't sure how to describe this situation.
Clink. Clank.
The quiet sound of metal utensils tapping against ceramic filled the space between them.
Across the table, Kushida was eating her meal quietly.
She cut her food into small, neat bites, chewed slowly, and wiped her mouth with a napkin at just the right moments. If someone were watching, they'd see nothing but a well-mannered, refined girl enjoying her lunch.
"What?"
『...Nothing. 』
Kushida briefly glanced up, fork in hand. "Is that so."
She didn't press further, simply continuing her meal.
Kumagawa, on the other hand, was more confused with something else.
Why was she here again?
It had already been three days since the uninhabited island exam. Now, it was lunchtime, and as expected, the restaurant was packed. Just like before, Kumagawa had taken a seat in the farthest corner, away from the crowd, after he had made some unfortunate students uncomfortable enough to leave.
And yet, Kushida was sitting across from him again, eating as if this was completely normal.
『Why are you eating with me again? 』
Kushida barely paused as she took another bite.
"Is there something wrong with that?"
『Not really, but at this rate, I'm going to start assuming you like me or something. You're acting like one of those heroine characters who forces herself on the protagonist until he gives up and accepts her. 』
Kushida let out a short laugh, neither confirming nor denying it.
It was the third time she was eating with him. Yesterday had been the same, but there wasn't much to say about that-except she had spent most of it rambling about Horikita.
Now, as she stabbed at her food with her fork, she casually remarked.
"I feel better today. Woke up in a really good mood, actually."
『Oh? You don't say. Could it be that venting all your pent-up frustration yesterday helped you sleep better?』
"Probably."
Kushida didn't even hesitate.
『.... I didn't expect you to agree so quickly. That makes me sound like the bad guy, you know? What does that make me, your personal stress relief toy? 』
Kushida took a sip of her drink, tilting her head slightly. "That's right."
『..... 』
She answered that way too fast.
『You could at least pretend to deny it, Kushida-chan. I might start getting self-conscious.』
Kushida flashed him a radiant smile, the kind that was just a little too perfect to be genuine.
"Why? The truth is the truth, isn't it?"
『You're surprisingly honest about it. Almost like you don't care what I think.』Kumagawa rested his chin on his palm, watching her with mild amusement.
Kushida twirled her fork idly between her fingers.
"I don't."
She wasn't lying. She really didn't care what he thought.
After all, just talking to him made her feel better.
Ever since the exam ended, her mood had been foul. Seeing Horikita praised for her so-called "brilliance" had made her blood boil. She needed an outlet. Something. Someone.
She had tried venting to herself in front of a mirror, but it was useless. She needed a real person. Someone she could actually direct her frustrations toward.
Of course, she couldn't just rant recklessly to anyone. The only ones who knew her true nature were Ayanokouji, Kumagawa, and possibly Horikita.
Ayanokouji was out of the question. That guy was practically glued to Horikita, following her around like a damn dog. She couldn't stand it.
That left Kumagawa.
She hadn't expected much at first, but... it was better than expected.
It was surprisingly easy to talk to him, even if the experience itself was unpleasant. Disgusting, even. He had a way of speaking that made her want to punch him in the face at least once every few minutes.
And yet-he never judged her.
He was the only one who treated her the same and remain normal, even after learning what kind of person she truly was. She wasn't sure if normal was the right word to describe him, but out of everyone, he was the only one who didn't change his behavior.
...Though he was still annoying, that much was certain.
Was that fortunate? Or unfortunate?
She didn't know.
『Still, I gotta say, Kushida-chan, I never would've expected you to rely on me of all people. You sure you're not just getting attached? 』
Yeah, no. Don't get the wrong idea, Kumagawa-kun. I hate you, but you're tolerable."
『Well, it's not my place to say this, since I'm a contrarian by nature, but that's pretty contradictory you know? 』
"Maybe, but it's the truth."
『I should feel more offended, shouldn't I? 』
"You don't seem like the type to care about that kind of thing."
『Oh, I don't. But you saying it so bluntly makes me wonder if I should start.』
That's pretty annoying.
She didn't know if it was because of the way he said it, or just the fact that he was always running his mouth about things that didn't need to be said. Either way, she wasn't in the mood to humor his weird thought process.
Kushida shrugged, picking up her drink and taking a slow sip.
"You're the only option I have. It's not like I can vent to Ayanokouji-kun when he's always stuck to Horikita. And Horikita herself? Not happening."
Thinking again, it was really unfortunate that the only person she could vent to was Kumagawa.
Of all the people in Class D-no, in this entire school, why did it have to be him? He was unpleasant, shameless, and had a habit of running his mouth just for the sake of annoying people.
『Ah, yeah. That would be like a cat willingly walking into a dog's den.』
"It's more like... I'd rather eat glass than have an honest conversation with her."
『That bad, huh? 』
Kushida didn't answer immediately. Instead, she took another sip of her drink, as if savoring the thought.
"Let's just say I sleep better at night knowing I'm not seeing her smug face every second of the day."
『You're really something, Kushida-chan. That kind of deep-seated hatred takes dedication.』Kumagawa chuckled.
She set her glass down, tapping her fingers against the table.
"I know you don't care, but don't pretend you don't understand. There are just some people you can't stand, no matter what."
『Oh, I get it. I just think it's cute.』
Kushida's expression twitched.
"Die."
『Didn't you say that last time? You're repeating yourself, Kushida-chan. 』
She clicked her tongue, looking away. Annoying. This was why talking to him was such a pain. But at the same time-
She really was feeling a lot better.
Just as Kushida clicked her tongue in irritation, she heard approaching footsteps.
Ichinose and Kanzaki.
In the blink of an eye, her entire demeanor shifted. The slight frown smoothed out, her lips curved into a pleasant, inviting smile, and the sharpness in her eyes disappeared, replaced by warmth and friendliness.
"Kanzaki-kun, Ichinose-san! What a coincidence~" she greeted cheerfully, her voice bright and welcoming.
Kumagawa, watching the transformation, tilted his head slightly.
『Woah. That was faster than a magical girl transformation.』
"Hm? What's faster?" Ichinose asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
Kushida shot Kumagawa a quick glare before smoothly turning back to Ichinose with a radiant smile.
"Ah, don't mind him! Kumagawa-kun just says strange things sometimes," she said, laughing it off. "More importantly, what brings you two here?"
She shifted the topic so naturally that Ichinose didn't think twice about it.
『Since we're in a restaurant, I'd assume they're here to eat lunch, Kushida-chan. I mean, just look at them. 』
Kumagawa's tone dripped with mockery, his gaze lazily drifting down to the trays they were holding.
Ichinose's plate was neatly arranged-a balanced meal with rice, grilled fish, a side of miso soup, and a few vegetables. Kanzaki's was more straightforward-just a simple sandwich and a can of coffee.
Kushida resisted the urge to punch him. Annoying. So incredibly annoying. How did he always manage to ruin the mood with just a few words?
Ichinose let out a small chuckle, waving a hand dismissively.
"Haha, Kumagawa-kun, you say the strangest things sometimes."
"Anyway, is it okay if we sit here?" Ichinose then smiled and tilted her head.
Kushida, regaining her usual bright expression, beamed at them.
"Of course! The more, the merrier."
She gestured to the open seats, smoothly shifting the mood back to a more pleasant atmosphere.
As soon as Kanzaki and Ichinose sat down, Kanzaki glanced between Kushida and Kumagawa with a neutral expression.
"...Are we intruding on something?"
"Huh?" Kushida blinked, not quite sure what he was getting at.
Kanzaki, didn't even hesitate to clarify. "I mean, are we interrupting your date?"
"W-what?"
Kushida's brain short-circuited for a second. The sheer absurdity of the question caught her completely off guard. A date? With Kumagawa? The thought alone made her want to gag.
"Ohh! So that's what this is!" Ichinose clapped her hands together in excitement, her eyes sparkling. "That makes sense! You two have been spending time together a lot lately, right?"
Kushida opened her mouth to deny it, but no words came out. It wasn't that she had anything to hide-she just didn't know how to react to something so completely unexpected. How was she supposed to explain this?
"I-It's not like that! Kumagawa-kun and I just... uh... made an appointment! Yeah! To talk about Shounen Jump! I've been getting into it recently, so we decided to meet up and discuss it. That's right! I'm the... uh... Good Appointmenter Kushida!"
The second those words left her mouth, she wanted to crawl into a hole and die.
『...Appointmenter? 』
At the word that she'd just made up on the spot, Kumagawa made a dubious face-it actually made her feel rather embarrassed to have Kumagawa respond with such a plain reaction. The fact that he, of all people was giving her that look made her want to throw herself into the nearest body of water.
"Shounen Jump, huh? That's kinda unexpected. I didn't know you were into manga, Kushida-chan." Ichinose said, looking amused.
Kushida let out a nervous laugh, trying to regain her composure.
"W-Well, you know... I thought it'd be good to pick up a new hobby."
『Well, Kushida-chan really just likes fabricated tales that were created by humans, you see-it's not limited to books, either. With that, even movies and manga and stage plays are all things she enjoys. 』
Kumagawa spoke with absolute confidence, as if he were the one who understood her best. Of course, it was a blatant lie, but Kushida couldn't be bothered to correct him.
"Fabricated tales... She likes stories that were created by humans?" Ichinose asked, tilting her head slightly.
『That's right. However, what Kushida-chan likes the most are humans themselves. 』
There was something off about the way he said it-like he was speaking with the authority of someone who had deep insight into her personality. But the way he phrased it, especially with his usual playful tone, made it sound like he genuinely believed in the existence of something other than humans.
『And of course, among those humans, the one she likes the most is me. 』
"That's not true."
The one who immediately shut him down was, of course, Kushida. The remark itself was disturbing in more ways than one.
"I don't have anyone to talk to about this kind of thing, so..." Kushida sighed, trying to brush it off.
Kumagawa being an avid manga reader was practically common knowledge in their class. He read at an almost obsessive level, devouring series as if they were a necessity rather than a pastime. It wasn't a stretch to say that his knowledge of manga rivaled a scholar's knowledge of their field. In that sense, choosing him as a discussion partner wasn't all that strange.
"And you chose Kumagawa as your discussion partner?" Kanzaki raised an eyebrow.
『Isn't it obvious? I'm an expert on weekly Shounen Jump. I've read every series, analyzed every trope, and memorized every plot twist. I even remember their slogan: 'Cowardice, Deception, Hypocrisy.' 』
"I thought it was 'Friendship, Effort, Victory'...?" Kushida tilting her head in confusion.
Even if she wasn't an avid manga reader, Weekly Shounen Jump's slogan was mainstream knowledge. It wasn't something you had to be a fan to recognize, it was practically ingrained in pop culture. For Kumagawa who is an avid fan to say something completely different... well, it was strange.
『I got so many things on my mind right now that I confused the slogan with someone else's personality. 』
Ichinose and Kanzaki exchanged uncertain glances, clearly unsure what he meant.
Kushida, however, merely smiled. On the surface, she kept up her usual cheerful expression, but deep down, she understood exactly who he was referring to. The sarcasm in his voice had been thick, so thick that it was almost a miracle the other two hadn't noticed.
Then again, how could they? They had no idea what he was truly talking about.
"You two actually get along pretty well, huh?" Ichinose chuckled, brushing past the awkwardness.
『That's obvious, isn't it? I want to be with Kushida-chan for the rest of my life. I love her and want to be buried with her.』
"...Ah ha ha ha. I wouldn't go that far..."
Kushida forced out a laugh, trying to regain some semblance of control over the conversation. She had already been blindsided by Kanzaki's unexpected 'date' comment earlier, and now Kumagawa was making it worse.
『...You know, tsunderes make good characters because they eventually say their true feelings that they've been unable to say, don't you think? 』
It was a response more infuriating than she could've ever imagined. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hit him or flip the table.
Kushida took a slow breath, reigning in the irritation beneath her carefully crafted smile. No, she couldn't let him get under her skin-not here, not in front of Ichinose and Kanzaki. She had to act like normal.
Ichinose, smiled brightly as if nothing strange had happened. Kanzaki, on the other hand, seemed neutral but didn't comment. Instead, he took a sip of his coffee, watching the two with mild curiosity.
The conversation drifted to more typical topics-class matters, upcoming assignments, and school events. Ichinose did most of the talking, effortlessly carrying the discussion. Kushida chimed in where necessary, making sure to keep up her friendly image. Kumagawa, for the most part, remained his usual self, throwing in the occasional offhand remark that made her want to kick him under the table.
"That is to say, you really had us fooled back then, Kumagawa-kun," Ichinose said, her tone light but carrying a hint of curiosity.
『Hmm? 』
Kushida glanced at her, intrigued.
"You completely deceived us. I didn't expect you to retire on the last day of the exam. That really cost us some points."
"What are you talking about?" Kushida asked, confused.
"Umm..." Ichinose hesitated, shifting her gaze toward Kumagawa.
He simply shrugged, a lazy smile on his face. It was as if he was saying, 'Do whatever you want.'
Taking that as permission, Ichinose sighed before explaining.
"During the exam, Kumagawa-kun told us outright that he was Class D's leader. But it turns out that was just a trap. We fell for it completely."
Kanzaki picked up where she left off. "Since he admitted it so openly, we assumed it was a bluff. But in the end, he actually was the leader... until he retired on the last day. That meant anyone who guessed him was automatically wrong. Because of that, we lost 50 points."
Kushida processed their words carefully.
She had already known Kumagawa had done something during the exam. Even Ryuuen had been sure of it. But until now, she hadn't known the exact details.
Now it was clear-he hadn't just done something underhanded. He had outright tricked an entire class without breaking a sweat, but it did break a bones in return, and loss some blood in the process.
"Kumagawa-
Ding!
Kushida opened her mouth to talk, but before she could say anything, a sudden ding interrupted her.
It wasn't the usual notification sound. It was distinct-louder, sharper. A tone that made it clear the message wasn't something that could be ignored.
The same sound echoed around the cafeteria as multiple students reached for their phones, confirming that it wasn't just them who had received it.
The school only used this alert tone for important announcements-either new instructions, modifications to an event, or something that required immediate attention. Even if your phone was on silent, the notification would still come through.
"Looks like it's something serious," Kanzaki muttered, already unlocking his screen.
Ichinose nodded, her expression turning slightly more focused.
"What is it?" Kushida asked, glancing between them.
Before anyone could answer, the ship's speakers crackled to life, and an announcement rang through the whole ship.
"-Attention. This is an announcement to all students. All students should have received a message from the school, as indicated in the contact line. Please check your individual mobile devices and follow the instructions accordingly. In the event that you did not receive a message, we apologize for the inconvenience. Please go to the nearest faculty member for assistance. Because the contents of the message are extremely important, please do not miss it. We repeat-"
"That was about the message we just got, right?" Kushida asked.
『Probably? 』
Kumagawa responded lazily, already pulling out his phone. A notification was displayed on his screen. Tapping it open, he read the message.
'A special test will begin soon. Place gather in the designated room at the designated time. Anyone who arrives later than ten minutes after start time may be penalized. Please gather in Room 202 on the second deck by 18:40 today. Because it takes about twenty minutes to reach the area, we ask that you please use the restrooms now if necessary. Either silence your phone or turn it off, and make your way over.'
『A special test? 』
He glanced at the time on his phone.
14:30 PM.
Well, it wasn't like he had anything else important to do before then. It was a reasonable time to have lunch, and he still had a few hours before he had to go anywhere.
"Did you get the same message?" Kushida leaned slightly toward him.
Kumagawa looked up at her, then without a word, held out his hand.
Kushida hesitated for only a moment before handing over her phone without complaint.
Taking it, Kumagawa casually scanned the message. The contents were nearly identical to his, except for one key difference-the designated time. While his message instructed him to be in Room 202 at 18:40, Kushida's had the same room number but was set for 20:40.
『Looks like they gave us the same room but at different times, 』 he remarked, handing her phone back.
"I wonder why they called us in such a strange way?" she murmured, more to herself than anyone in particular.
Ichinose, who had been listening, perked up. "What room and time did you guys get?"
Kumagawa answered first. 『Room 202 at 18:40. 』
"Same room, but at 20:40." Kushida followed up.
Kumagawa then turned the question back to Ichinose and Kanzaki.
"What about you two?"
Ichinose glanced at her phone again before answering. "Room 202 at 18:00."
Kanzaki, who had been quietly observing the conversation, finally spoke up. "Room 203 at 20:40."
Kumagawa's gaze flickered between them. Kanzaki's time matched Kushida's exactly, but they had been assigned different rooms.
『Hmm. That's interesting, isn't it? 』
Ichinose and Kanzaki exchanged glances before Ichinose spoke up.
"Well, we should probably get going. We need to check in with our classmates about this."
"Yeah, we don't know what kind of test this is, so it's better to be prepared." Kanzaki nodded.
"That makes sense. See you later, then." Kushida smiled as if to see them off.
As the two left, Kumagawa rested his chin on his hand, watching them go.
Ichinose and Kanzaki excused themselves, saying they needed to meet up with their classmates.
Kumagawa watched them leave, resting his chin on one of his hand, while tapping his fingers idly on the table.
In a way, their decision made perfect sense. After all, a team without communication was like a poorly written manga-messy, incoherent, and inevitably doomed to cancellation.
"What do you think about all this?"
Kushida, still processing the sudden exam, turned her gaze toward him.
As much as she didn't want to admit it, Kumagawa was sharp in his own way. He had a way of cutting through the nonsense and reading between the lines, even if he chose to act like a fool most of the time.
Of course, that didn't change the fact that he was an academic failure. Even if he somehow had a flash of insight, he'd still bomb a written test without hesitation.
『Well, we don't have enough information yet. It's like trying to guess the final boss of a game before even clearing the first stage. Maybe it's an individual exam, maybe it's group-based. Maybe they're just trying to mess with us. Right now, it's all up in the air. 』
Kushida blinked.
"That's... surprisingly reasonable."
She hadn't expected such a grounded response. For someone who constantly ran his mouth with nonsense, he'd actually given a logical answer.
It was almost unsettling.
It was like handing a random guy a gun and finding out he was a seasoned weapons expert. Completely unexpected and weirdly impressive.
Kumagawa stretched.
『Well, anyway, let's wrap up today's therapy session. You can call me if you want to vent out your anger once again.』
Kushida hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"...Why?"
『Hmm? Why what? 』
"Why would you listen to me vent?"
She couldn't understand it. He knew her true personality. He had seen the side of her that she kept hidden from everyone else-the part of her that raged, resented, and despised the people around her. And yet, he still willingly sat there, listening to her without judgment. It wasn't out of kindness. She was sure of that much.
He even had evidence saved on his phone. Proof that could easily destroy the persona she had crafted so carefully. Just one slip, one misstep, and everything she had built would crumble.
And yet, after spending the last three days having lunch with him, she couldn't shake the feeling that Kumagawa... wasn't interested in using it.
That didn't mean she trusted him. Far from it. But his attitude was too bizarre, he didn't treat her with hostility, nor did he treat her like the sweet, kind girl she pretended to be.
It was unsettling.
What did he gain from this?
『You're thinking too hard, Kushida-chan. You'll get wrinkles. 』
She frowned but didn't respond.
『Isn't it fine? I listen, you talk. No strings attached. Just a little give and take between two terrible people.』
"Give and take?"
That was a strange concept. There was no give and take in this conversation. She vented, he listened. There was no real exchange, no transaction. At least, not one she could see.
If anything, she was the only one exposing herself. Kumagawa didn't share anything about himself. He didn't rant or complain, didn't express frustration or irritation. He just sat there, smiling, absorbing her venom as if it was nothing more than background noise.
That's what unsettled her the most.
What did he really want?
『That's a scary look on your face, Kushida-chan. Don't tell me you're falling for me? 』
"Not in a million years." She clicked her tongue, annoyed.
『That's a shame. I was hoping to experience a tragic fourth love. 』
"You're weird, Kumagawa-kun. You don't gain anything from this, so why?"
『Who says I don't gain anything? 』
She stared, waiting for him to continue.
『I care about you, you know? 』
"Liar."
『Well, yeah. I lie about everything. But this one's kinda true, kinda not. I don't care about you in the way normal people do. I don't want to save you, fix you, or make you a better person. I don't have that kind of self-righteousness in me. 』
『Lately, I've been thinking about learning how to accept things. 』
"Accept?"
『That's right, accept. Mistakes, regrets, failures, disasters, tragedies, humiliations, embarrassments, betrayals, weaknesses, helplessness, hopelessness, stupidity, misfortunes, and everything else that makes life awful. 』
Kushida blinked, caught off guard by the sheer number of words.
『Well, I already did, though. But I thought, why not re-learn it? Since I'm in a new world because of a certain someone, it's like a New Game Plus in Dragon Quest IX. A fresh run, but with all my past experiences intact. I mean, it's a good way to kill time before I go back in three years. 』
"What?"
New world? Certain someone? Three years?
As usual, his words were nonsense. Yet, for some reason, they fit Kumagawa perfectly. Even if she didn't understand, she wasn't sure if she wanted to.
『So, you see? I'm not trying to fix you, and I'm not trying to break you either. I'm just here, listening. If you ever want to vent again, the offer's still open. 』
He laughed, as if this was all the simplest thing in the world.
Kushida wasn't sure if that explanation was supposed to amuse her or annoy her.
But strangely enough... it did make her feel better.
『END』
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