Time passed quickly, and before long it was the end of July — the day final exam results were announced.
Mashima Tomoya stood quietly at the front of the classroom. The expression on his habitually stern face carried something rare: the faintest trace of a smile.
His sharp, hawk-like gaze swept across the full rows of Class A students before he spoke, his voice low and measured.
"First of all, congratulations to everyone on successfully completing the final exams. Not a single person failed this time around. And now, the moment you've all been waiting for — summer break."
At those words, the class erupted with barely contained excitement. Summer break was finally here.
It was a shame, of course, that they wouldn't be able to leave the school grounds during the break — but at the very least, they wouldn't have to sit through classes. Every person in the room was a Class A student, which meant their academic performance was exceptional by any measure, but that didn't make them robots. Nobody actually enjoyed attending school every single day. Summer break meant they could finally breathe.
Before anyone could voice their vacation plans, Mashima continued.
"During the upcoming summer break, the school has arranged a two-week luxury trip for all of you."
The moment those words left his mouth, the classroom burst into noise.
"A trip? And two whole weeks?"
"A luxury trip, at that — just how luxurious are we talking?"
No one doubted the school's financial resources, of course. After all, they funded an enormous student body every single month. And while the individual points system placed certain limits on spending, not every class was in the same position as Class D. Class A's current class points were still quite substantial.
Granted, the last time Class A had gained class points was back at the midterm exams. At present, their total was one thousand one hundred points — the initial one thousand granted by the school at enrollment, plus the hundred earned during the midterms — which translated to one hundred and ten thousand personal points per student each month.
For high schoolers, that was a remarkably generous sum.
Mashima raised a hand slightly to quiet the room, then continued.
"The school has prepared a cruise ship voyage for everyone. The ship is equipped with an extensive range of luxury entertainment and living facilities, most of which will be available at no charge. There will also be a complimentary buffet provided throughout the trip."
The repeated mentions of "free" and "no charge" immediately put the class on edge. It was just like when school first started — the school had played a clever word game back then too, announcing the distribution of one hundred thousand personal points before casually mentioning they'd be deposited on the first of each month.
That wording had led many students to believe they'd be receiving a hundred thousand points every single month — a windfall from nowhere. The reality, of course, was that personal points were tied to class points, and while the deposit date of the first was accurate, the amount was anything but guaranteed. Class D had learned that lesson the hard way when their personal points for May came out to zero.
Now, with so many things being labeled "free," and given that the last change in class points had been back at the midterms, the students couldn't help growing suspicious the moment Mashima mentioned a so-called luxury trip.
Right on cue, a bald figure in the crowd raised his hand — Katsuragi Kouhei, his mature features set in an expression of careful scrutiny.
"Mashima-sensei, if I may — I'd like to confirm something. Does this trip mean the school will also be arranging some kind of special exam during the process?"
Mashima said nothing. He simply leaned both hands on the podium and smiled.
He looked out at Class A, observing their collective wariness with quiet satisfaction.
Then his gaze drifted, almost imperceptibly, to the one person who wore no wariness at all — Shikime Natsu, perfectly at ease.
Even now that Shikime Natsu, Class A's undisputed leader, had gradually stepped back and allowed the class to operate more independently, the students had grown considerably. Their ability to see through temptation, to read a situation clearly — it was already quite sharp.
Mashima's silence was, in itself, confirmation enough.
Class A understood perfectly. It seemed the school had been thoughtful enough to arrange an exam during summer break as well. How considerate of them. Truly, a school with a one-hundred-percent university placement rate and one-hundred-percent employment rate after graduation wasn't going to let anyone coast.
Though, to be fair, daily life here was relatively comfortable. It amounted to exams, studying, and otherwise going about one's day however one pleased.
Shikime Natsu himself showed no particular reaction. The special exam had already been announced, so there was no need for him to say anything about class points. Everyone in the room was intelligent enough to understand what it implied.
Natsu personally didn't care much about class points — as long as he had enough personal points to spend, he was content. But a fair number of his classmates cared quite a lot.
Especially since Class A hadn't pulled far enough ahead of the other classes yet. Class D in particular was still clawing its way forward with considerable effort.
Still, no matter how tense the atmosphere grew, whenever someone's eyes landed on Shikime Natsu, they couldn't help feeling a little calmer. With Natsu here, Class A simply could not lose.
Whatever the challenge — as long as Shikime Natsu was present, they could hold Class A's position without question. That was the confidence this boy — Class A's sun — had given them all, from the very first day of enrollment until now. Every situation he'd faced, he had handled with effortless composure.
Mashima looked out at the current Class A and let out a quiet laugh. This was probably the most stable Class A cohort ever — on par with the one Horikita Manabu had led, or perhaps even more so.
After all... in Horikita Manabu's Class A, the entire class had leaned too heavily on Horikita himself. Without him, that class would have been precarious at best. But in the current Class A, Shikime Natsu had actively worked to raise the capabilities of every single member. Academically, at least, this Class A had the raw power to crush any competition.
"All right, that's everything for today. Tomorrow morning, be mindful of the time — we'll be boarding a bus and heading to the cruise ship."
Mashima wrote the departure time on the board. With that said, he collected his lesson notes and left the classroom in one clean motion, leaving the floor open for the students to talk among themselves.
"Do your best in the special exam ahead."
Shikime Natsu smiled lightly, sweeping his gaze across the room.
The moment those words left his mouth, the class's morale shot up.
Such was the effect Shikime Natsu had — a living, breathing buff for the whole class.
"Of course, Shiki-san!"
Totsuka Yahiko was the first to puff out his chest in response, his voice brimming with enthusiasm.
Beside him, Hashimoto Masayoshi narrowed his eyes and chimed in.
"Naturally. Now that our leader has spoken, we'll give it everything we've got. And if there are any miscellaneous tasks the leader needs handled, just say the word — we won't turn anything down."
The rest of the class nodded in agreement, every word and gesture making clear that they would follow Shikime Natsu's lead without question.
After a brief, lively exchange, students began filtering out in small groups, heading back to pack their luggage for tomorrow morning's departure.
Shikime Natsu wasn't particularly concerned about the exam ahead. As far as he was concerned, this was simply a trip — and a cruise ship at that, which meant there would likely be plenty of interesting things to do. It would certainly be more novel than sitting around at school.
"Natsu, let's head back."
Kamuro Masumi slipped her hand into Shikime Natsu's with practiced ease. Even now that Natsu had three girlfriends, Masumi was still the one who spent the most time with him day to day — something that made her quietly, genuinely happy.
She didn't know who Natsu's next girlfriend within Class A might be. But for now, at least — Shikime Natsu was hers.
"Mm."
Shikime Natsu gave a small nod and began mentally cataloguing what fun things a cruise ship might offer.
"Oh, right, Natsu — come with me to pick out a swimsuit first."
Kamuro Masumi glanced down at her own clothes as if something had just occurred to her, then looked back up at him.
"Tell me what style you like, Masumi. I'll make it for you."
Shikime Natsu smiled with easy confidence.
It had been a long time since he'd had a reason to use his clothing camera.
"Huh? You can make one, Natsu?"
Kamuro Masumi's violet eyes flickered with surprise. After all the time they'd spent together, she'd never once heard that Shikime Natsu could sew — let alone construct a swimsuit.
Then again, because it was Shikime Natsu, it would be perfectly normal for him to know how to do just about anything.
"Of course I can."
Shikime Natsu nodded. And it would save time and effort too — one quick snap, and it would be done.
"I want..."
Masumi started to describe what she had in mind, but then her violet gaze drifted to Shikime Natsu's face, and a soft blush rose to her cheeks.
"What does Natsu like?"
A woman adorns herself for those she loves. Kamuro Masumi's heart belonged to Shikime Natsu, so naturally she wanted to look the way he liked when she wore her swimsuit.
If it wasn't a swimsuit Shikime Natsu liked, then as far as she was concerned, it didn't qualify.
"You're handing the choice over to me?"
Shikime Natsu looked at her with an expression somewhere between a smile and something more mischievous.
Something about Natsu's look gave Masumi the distinct sense he was plotting something. Even so, she gave a small nod.
"Then I'll take care of it."
"What about the measurements..."
"Don't worry, Masumi. I remember everything."
Shikime Natsu smiled. After all, he'd already explored every inch of her — his senses had long since committed Kamuro Masumi's figure to perfect memory.
Hearing that, Masumi couldn't help shooting him a slightly flustered look.
The two tidied up briefly and left the classroom. It was then that Shikime Natsu's gaze landed on a figure not far away — Sakayanagi Arisu, still walking with her cane.
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