Three days had passed since the special exam on the uninhabited island. As promised, the school rewarded them with a cruise trip, allowing the first-year students to enjoy three days of fun on board.
Of course, this didn't include the former Class A—now Class B, Katsuragi's class. After falling from the top in a single exam, most of the students weren't in the mood for a vacation.
While the other classes enjoyed themselves, the students of Class B could often be seen sulking with gloomy faces. In fact, on the first and second day of the trip, some were even spotted blocking the entrance to Katsuragi's room!
As for Totsuka, rumor had it that he was too embarrassed to show his face and had been hiding in his room all day. In contrast, Katsuragi remained completely unfazed. Even when questioned by his classmates, he stayed calm as ever—though the wrinkles on his forehead had deepened.
To outsiders, his ability to stay composed despite such a huge setback was impressive.
But to his own classmates, it just looked like he was playing dead. Of course, Sakayanagi's faction had been stirring things up within the class, making sure the internal conflicts didn't die down. If anything, they had only intensified after the demotion.
After last night's interrupted conversation with Ichinose, Hikigaya unexpectedly ran into her again the next morning at the cruise ship's restaurant.
He had basically torn into her the night before, yet today, she acted like nothing had happened. She even greeted him first, leaving Hikigaya completely confused.
What he didn't notice, however, was that after saying hello, Ichinose's heart was racing, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.
...
"Hikigaya-kun, I—I need your help again."
At the back of the cruise ship, in a spot where almost no students ever went, Hikigaya held up a camera, taking pictures of the girl in front of him.
Sakura leaned gently against the railing and slowly slipped off her outer jacket, revealing her fair shoulders and a glimpse of her deep cleavage. Behind her stretched the endless blue ocean, with seagulls flying in the distance. The sunlight fell perfectly on her.
Click.
Hikigaya seized the moment, taking several shots in a row. During the shoot, Sakura struck a few bold poses, only to blush and quickly switch to more modest ones, going back and forth between the two.
Ever since Sakura had invited him to take her pictures last time, it was as if she had discovered a whole new world. Before, she could only take selfies in secret, always afraid someone would see. But now, she had a "photographer."
Back in middle school, when she posed for magazine shoots, she had been so nervous and scared that the set had to be cleared, leaving only her and a female photographer. Even then, they had to take countless retakes.
But now, despite the fact that Hikigaya was a guy—and that she was the one who had invited him—she didn't feel nervous at all. Instead, she felt at ease, even happy.
Even Sakura herself was surprised by this change.
"Thank you so much for today, Hikigaya-kun. When we get back to school, I... I'll sort out the photos, and if you don't mind, I can send you a copy."
Her face turned red as she spoke softly.
"Uh... That might not be the best idea..."
Hikigaya's expression stiffened. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but in the end, he gave in.
"Alright... sure."
He mentally scolded himself for being so weak to temptation.
Just then, their phones rang loudly at the same time. Even though both were set to silent mode, the ringtone forced its way through—the special notification sound used only for official school messages.
At the same time, an announcement played over the ship's speakers. The message was simple: all students must check the important email they just received. It was repeated three times, making it clear how serious it was.
Hikigaya already had a bad feeling. His face immediately turned lifeless.
Sure enough, when he opened the email, it was yet another special exam.
[The special exam is about to begin. All students must gather in the designated room at the specified time. Please report to Room 207 on the second floor by 6:00 PM tonight.]
That was the gist of the message in Hikigaya's email. It seemed like they would get more details on-site. The meeting location was a conference-style room, and since each student got an individual email, this exam was clearly different from the large-group test on the deserted island.
"Sakura, can I see your email?"
Hikigaya suddenly asked.
Sakura hesitated only briefly before handing him her phone, showing complete trust in him.
He carefully read her email. The content was almost identical to his, except for two differences—he was told to go to Room 207 at 6:00 PM, while Sakura was assigned Room 209 at 7:30 PM.
"So this time, the special exam is divided into smaller groups?"
Hikigaya quickly grasped what the school was doing. If they simply wanted to separate students within the same class, they wouldn't need such an elaborate setup. That meant this exam likely involved interactions with students from other classes as well.
The way the school was isolating students and keeping them in the dark until they reached their assigned rooms felt a little suspicious. But for now, he couldn't be sure what it all meant.
After saying goodbye to Sakura, Hikigaya returned to his room. At the door, he ran into Hirata, who had just gotten back. A quick conversation revealed that Hirata's assigned time was 8:40 PM in Room 201.
As for his other roommates, Miyake Akito and Hondou Ryoutarou, their assigned times and locations were completely different from his and Hirata's.
And Koenji? Well, Hikigaya hadn't seen him at all and had no intention of asking about that "weirdo."
At 5:55 PM, Hikigaya arrived outside Room 207 on the second floor of the cruise ship. He also noticed students from other classes heading into nearby rooms.
After knocking, he pushed the door open and saw two students already inside—both from Class D. In the center of the room sat Sakagami-sensei, looking as strict as ever.
"You're the last one. Sit down and get ready for the exam briefing."
Sakagami-sensei's voice was cold, and the room suddenly felt much colder.
Only three students besides the teacher?
Hikigaya sat down as if nothing was unusual, then glanced at his two classmates, his expression turning slightly odd.
Because... both of them were girls—Inogashira Kokoro and Hasebe Haruka, the blue-haired girl.
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