I was interrogated by Ishizaki and the others for about 15 minutes.
The questioning was still ongoing when they noticed Ryuuen returning from the forest. The classmates who had been chatting until then fell silent, and all eyes turned toward Ryuuen.
"For this test, first, take a look at this."
Ryuuen said this as he showed us a piece of paper.
"We've made a deal with Class A. In exchange for transferring goods worth 200 points, we'll receive 800,000 points from Class A every month."
With that declaration, the entire class began to stir.
"Well, of course. They transferred points to Class A, of all things."
"A-Are you planning to abandon this test!?"
"Listen to the whole story, Kaneda."
Under Ryuuen's sharp gaze, Kaneda fell silent.
"For now, you guys can leave this test to me. It may seem like I'm abandoning the test, but that's not the case. Remember that."
"First, let's enjoy ourselves with the remaining 100 points. It's a deserted island, after all. You can play as you like until tomorrow."
"And after tomorrow? What are we going to do then?"
"Those of you who I haven't selected will retire."
Despite lingering doubts from those around him, Ryuuen ignored them and continued speaking.
"I intend to zero out the points once. My plan won't start otherwise. Understand? Follow my instructions."
There were still some lingering questions among the group, but they seemed to choose to trust Ryuuen's confident words.
The trio of Ishizaki and his friends had looked at Ryuuen with admiration from beginning to end, and after this incident, they seemed to admire him even more.
From there, it turned into more of a real vacation than an exam, with all sorts of entertainment goods purchased: jet skis, barbecue sets, food and drinks, swimsuits, beach balls, and more. Class C plunged into a vacation with this exam.
It appeared that everyone in the class changed into swimsuits, so I changed into one as well. When I looked around, I saw Ryuuen lying on a beach chair under a parasol, clearly enjoying his vacation.
"Haha. I didn't notice while swimming, but you've got quite an impressive physique."
"Well, unfortunately, I was in the Homecoming Club. It just happened this way."
"Your physique doesn't just 'happen'..."
Ryuuen seemed slightly exasperated by my words.
"You've come up with an interesting strategy, though. Something like the 'zero points strategy.'"
"...Do you see the results of this test?"
Ryuuen asked me probingly.
To be honest, I still didn't fully understand. Ryuuen's strategy was indeed well thought out. But that was assuming there were no irregularities like Ayanokoji.
"Well, I can only say one thing: make sure to pay attention to the precautions."
With that, I left Ryuuen behind.
How he would interpret my words would likely be part of his growth process during this test.
Upon hearing my words, Ryuuen widened his eyes once, then broke into a smile, clearly amused.
After leaving Ryuuen's side, I looked around, unsure of what to do. Some were playing beach volleyball, others were riding jet skis, and some were busy with barbecues. There were so many activities happening, and I was undecided.
"H-Hikigaya-kun!"
Just as I was pondering my options, a voice called out from behind.
Thinking it must be Shiina, I turned around. She was wearing a swimsuit, her face blushing red, which caused me to momentarily freeze.
Shiina's swimsuit was a black bikini with a pareo around her waist. It was, how should I put it... a bit more daring and flashy than I imagined Shiina would wear.
"D-Doesn't it suit me...?"
My thoughts momentarily froze, but Shiina's uneasy question snapped me back.
"N-No, I think it suits you. It's... refreshing, different from usual."
It was a cliché response, but Shiina seemed relieved, the anxiety fading from her face.
"That's a relief. The classmates said if I'm going to play with you, this swimsuit would be better."
...What are our classmates expecting from us?
"I-Is that so? Then, what do you want to do?"
"Well... let me think."
Shiina glanced around, considering her options.
...As a guy, it's inevitable. I couldn't help but be drawn to Shiina's appearance in the swimsuit, which was so different from her usual image.
Perhaps sensing my gaze, Shiina blushed even deeper, her eyes slightly teary as she glanced at me with a sidelong look.
"D-Don't stare so much! It's embarrassing!"
"...Sorry."
Since there was no way to explain myself, I apologized sincerely.
"...Well, if it's you, Hikigaya-kun..."
Shiina looked down, her face red to her ears, muttering something so quietly I couldn't hear.
"Shiina?"
Thinking something might be wrong, I spoke up. Shiina abruptly turned her head away, vigorously shaking it.
"H-Hikigaya-kun! How about riding that over there!?"
Just as she turned away, she pointed urgently at a jet ski. She seemed flustered, already starting to walk towards it. It looked like she had made up her mind about what she wanted to do.
"Sure, let's go."
And so, we headed towards where the jet ski was waiting.
We secured a vacant jet ski, with me taking the first seat and Shiina sitting behind me.
"Shiina, make sure to hold on tight so you don't fall off."
"Y-Yes..."
It was a somewhat awkward way to say it, but I got a response and started the jet ski.
As I moved the jet ski, Shiina hugged me tightly from behind.
...Is this really okay?
Even though it was to prevent falling, I wondered if it was alright for Shiina to be this close. Despite trying not to be conscious of it, I could feel the sensation of Shiina's chest against my back.
Shifting my gaze slightly to look at Shiina behind me, she had a relieved expression, happily clinging to my back.
"Shiina, should I speed up?"
"Yes! Please!"
"Got it."
For now, I decided to enjoy this moment and somehow managed to forget about the sensation on my back as Shiina and I enjoyed the jet ski.
We enjoyed the jet ski for several minutes, then discussed doing something else. We disembarked from the jet ski to hydrate ourselves, and as I went to get drinks...
"Hey hey, aren't you going to play with me?"
Ryuuen smirked daringly as he invited me, while Horikita stood beside him with an expression of displeasure. Ayanokoji, as usual, looked on with his usual expression.
"Let's go, Ayanokoji-kun. It's uncomfortable being here anyway."
Seeming the conversation was over, Horikita was about to take Ayanokoji and leave. Seeing that, I told Shiina I had something to take care of and walked towards Ryuuen.
"Ayanokoji, I've got something to discuss. Is that okay?"
I stopped him.
Upon hearing me, both Ryuuen and Horikita looked at me unexpectedly. Horikita, perhaps just realizing it was me, glanced at me with frustration, recalling the incident of violence.
"You want to talk to me?"
"Yeah. Can we?"
"No."
As I invited Ayanokoji, Horikita interrupted.
"That's not your decision to make. Don't interfere when it's none of your business."
"Besides, isn't it strange for you to invite Ayanokoji-kun? There must be an ulterior motive."
"That's why I'm saying it's Ayanokoji's decision."
Horikita seemed like she was about to argue further, but before that, Ayanokoji stepped forward.
"...Could we go somewhere private?"
"What are you talking about!?"
Horikita's response was immediate and sharp. She glared at Ayanokoji, her expression filled with frustration.
"Of course. There's a quiet spot over here. Let's go," I said.
"Yeah," Ayanokoji replied.
"Wait!"
As Ayanokoji and I began walking away, I could hear Horikita's voice from behind, but we ignored it and continued into the quiet woods.
The contrast was striking. The lively atmosphere of Class C's campsite faded away, replaced by the silence of the forest.
"So, what did you call me out here for?" Ayanokoji asked.
"...There's something I wanted to ask you," I said.
"Ask me something?"
"It's about our future."
At my words, Ayanokoji's expression shifted slightly. He looked at me, as if understanding where this conversation was headed.
For a moment, he remained silent, as though weighing his response. But since he didn't speak, I continued.
"There's one thing I want to clarify. You don't want to go back to that place. Is that correct?"
"There's no mistake about that," he confirmed. "I intend to spend all three years at this school."
Ayanokoji's answer was firm.
I wasn't particularly wary of him. His father would never have allowed his son to enroll in this school in the first place. He's not that lenient. And even if he did try to take me back, Ayanokoji wouldn't be the tool he'd use.
"After this test is over, I want to talk about something. Can you make time?"
"Yeah, I also wanted to talk to you," Ayanokoji admitted.
"Alright then. Sorry for calling you out."
"Don't worry about it."
With that, I turned and walked away.
Ayanokoji and I are alike.
We grew up in the same place. Received the same education.
But I can't change him.
And he can't change me.
Because we're too similar, we can't acknowledge our differences.
If someone appears—someone who both denies us and accepts us—
Maybe then, we'll finally understand our emotions.
=================================
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