Narrator: Shikakoi Souta
I was silently watching the ocean, wondering about my latest philosophical book, when I saw Ayanokoji.
He was intently looking at the ocean, which meant he was in a daze.
I went down to the same floor as him and then asked him, "You seem oddly frustrated?"
He just looked at me for a moment and asked, "Why do you think so?"
"You think I would reveal my trump card so easily?" I teased, but he seemed to have no idea that I was joking.
"I see."
"The only thing I can think of that would make you this frustrated is an obstruction of your peaceful high-school life."
"You seem oddly confident."
"I am just throwing your words right back at you..."
"Is that so?"
"If you were not in class D, your ability would have been obvious to everyone."
"Why is that so?"
"I do not mean to pry into your private life, but as the student council secretary, I have to pay attention to things that might go against the spirit of the rules." I said, probing him further.
After all, his classmates are easy to fool. Horikita would rather lead the class than bother him with trouble because pushing him away would only cause her more trouble. Kushida would rather cement her place in the social circle than create problems for Ayanokoji at the moment, and as such, all his classmates would also not be a bother.
Thus, the only one who can cause him trouble would be a teacher or a senior.
But considering there are no seniors on this ship, it can only be a teacher.
"Then, can you answer one question of mine?" He asked.
"As long as I can answer."
"Is it possible for a teacher to expel a student?"
"No. A teacher can be a good witness, but not absolute. And the teachers have no say in the final decision, only in the factors considered in said discussion."
"I see. I am grateful for this."
"Don't mind. I hope this solves the problem you were facing."
He nodded to me, and I left afterwards.
x-x-x
Narrator: Shikakoi Souta
Being placed in rooms right next to Kanzaki, he often came around to trouble me; as such, I went to a French place to dine, hoping to find some peace. However, what I found there was annoying.
Why are these three here? And why are they so loud? Isn't it normal behaviour to leave when not understanding the menu?
They even managed to almost fight with a student from class A named Totsuka Yahiko, and then the fight was dispelled by Katsuragi Kohei, another student from class A.
After dining, I left the restaurant. The meal is absolutely free here, so I guess the three of them here just came out of curiosity.
Usually, my next target would be Yamauchi, but since Ichinose has chosen to ally with class D for the moment, I decided against it.
As such, the next target that came to mind was Yahiko.
I was thinking that when I ran into Sakayanagi...
Of course, I tried to ignore her, but what was surprising was that she did not say anything.
I instantly got to thinking, and soon realized that Sakayanagi would use Yahiko to hold something over me. So, the best I can do is not skirting the rules openly; the rest would just be her digging her own hole.
Deciding on the basis of my strategy, I decided to head into my room.
x-x-x
Narrator: Shikakoi Souta
I got a message from Ichinose, asking to meet up. When I got to the location, I realized that Ichinose had been asked by Kushida to arrange a meeting for us.
"Hello! Shikakoi-kun!" Kushida greeted
"Where is Ichinose-san?" I asked.
"I wanted to talk to you alone..."
HUH! What do you mean?
"About what?"
She tilted her head a little, as if to hide her face from others' view, and her face grew venomous as she said, "Did you tell Ayanokoji?"
"Let me tell you this once. I am not scared of you. So, don't use that tone with me."
A moment passed...
"Did you not know?" I asked curiously, shifting my tone as well.
"What?" She said, her tone still venomous, but slightly restrained.
"Let me rephrase... Don't you think that he behaved differently from the moment your outburst happened?" I said.
Then I got up and said, whilst leaving, "I would advise you to tread the future very carefully."
I mean, I could not just tell her that Ayanokoji was eavesdropping... It would lead to a lot of... Trouble to say the least...
x-x-x
As I roamed around the ship, I ran into Koenji. I remember him from the bus.
"Oh! If it isn't the goodwill boy." Said Koenji with his proud demeanor.
"I see money does not buy civic sense."
Koenji smiled, unfazed. "Someone as magnificent as I would never be bound by the standards of others."
"Never is a strong word."
"Oh? And why would that concern me?"
"Then consider it me talking to myself."
He let out a quiet chuckle."I see you possess some sense. That alone sets you apart."
"In that case… allow me to offer something in return."
Koenji's eyes narrowed slightly.
"By the end of the second year, your class will be Class B."
A pause.
"And someone as… magnificent as you," I continued calmly, "wouldn't enjoy standing at the top of something he didn't build himself."
For the first time, Koenji didn't respond immediately.
"Is that so?" he said, his tone lighter but his gaze sharper. "Then I must ask… are you so certain Class D will surpass Class B?"
"I see," I replied, turning slightly. "Your foresight isn't lacking… just misdirected."
After all, the class A by the end of the summer vacation will be my class.
And then, I left.
x-x-x