Cruise Ship

It's the day of the first semester's final exam.

The classroom in the early morning was filled with a peculiar atmosphere, a mix of tension and anticipation.

Although Chabashira Sae had clearly stated that the results of this exam would not affect class points, the extra reward she announced a few days prior had injected a shot of adrenaline into Class D.

Chabashira calmly walked to the podium, her gaze sweeping across the class, her voice clearly breaking the silence: "To reiterate, if all students in Class D pass this exam and the final exam in July," she paused slightly, seeing all attention was focused on her, "then, during the summer vacation, the school will organize our class to go to a private island surrounded by the blue sea for a... dreamlike experience."

"Ooooh—!!!" Like a spark falling into dry grass, the classroom instantly ignited! Especially the group of boys gathered at the back of the classroom, who erupted in deafening cheers almost simultaneously.

Chabashira's description of a "dreamlike life" instantly materialized in their minds: scorching sun, golden beaches, and... the vibrant figures of girls in swimsuits dancing upon them.

"Hooray!"

"Island! Swimsuits!"

"Beach! Ocean!"

"A free vacation!"

The overlapping voices mixed with excited shouts.

The most excited were undoubtedly Ike Kanji, Yamauchi Haruki, and others.

Ike Kanji excitedly slammed the table, while Yamauchi Haruki "whooshed" and stood up, raising his arms high and shouting his pre-prepared slogan with all his might: "Brothers! The opportunity has arrived! For the dream island! Let's go all out!"

His face was flushed red with excitement, as if victory was already in sight.

It wasn't just this group of over-hormonal boys who were excited; even other Class D students, who were usually accustomed to tight budgets and a meager life, couldn't help but fantasize about the blue skies, white clouds, coconut groves, and tree shadows of summer vacation, and a leisurely holiday without meticulous budgeting.

After all, this might be a rare luxurious experience in their high school lives.

Of course, amidst the excitement, the small troubles of reality were also quietly brewing.

Several girls exchanged glances, a hint of helplessness on their lips.

Speaking of which, the school did offer swimming classes, held in the largest public pool in the school, with boys and girls in the same class.

But this exacerbated some problems—the behavior of some boys by the pool was too "prominent," their naked gazes, as if trying to pierce through people, made the vast majority of girls feel disgusted.

Coupled with some boys privately criticizing the girls, and even engaging in pointless bets like a "Bust Ranking."

This directly led to many girls being unwilling to wear slightly more revealing swimsuits during swimming class, or simply taking leave for various reasons.

Except... Kushida Kikyo.

The universally acknowledged "Little Angel," Kushida, always wore a sweet smile and seemed unfazed by the stares, always attending class in a modest swimsuit.

She was also quietly packing her things at the moment, her lips curved in her usual gentle smile.

However... deep down? Perhaps she too felt troubled or even disgusted by those undisguised, scorching gazes.

After all, even the best disguise can't completely erase instinctive feelings.

Thinking of this, many boys also understood that even if they got their wish and went to the island, the girls in their own class would likely still not wear swimsuits.

People like Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki privately discussed that their targets would probably have to shift to girls from other classes who wore more "daring" outfits...

Chabashira Sae on the podium looked at the chaotic scene, her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, then quickly resumed her usual indifferent expression. She tapped the podium surface heavily with her knuckles: "Quiet!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was extremely penetrating.

The noisy clamor in the classroom quickly subsided.

"Alright," she picked up the test paper bag, "Leave the fantasies in your heads. Now, concentrate all your energy on the exam in front of you. Prepare to begin."

As the final exam bell rang, the last trace of tension that had enveloped the Class D students vanished.

Regarding passing, there was an atmosphere of almost certain conviction in the classroom.

This wasn't blind optimism, but solid confidence—thanks to the recent efforts of Hirata Yosuke, Kushida Kikyo, and Horikita Suzune, the learning atmosphere in the class had improved significantly, and there were dedicated review sessions for the final exam. Everyone was convinced: Class D, all members passing the final exam was a foregone conclusion.

In the corridor during the break, when Ike Kanji loudly shouted, "See you on the island during summer vacation!" he was met with a wave of knowing smiles and relaxed nods.

This "power of review" was the key they had earned themselves.

Hoshino Kanade tidied her stationery, her gaze drifting towards the window, as if she could see the imagined azure sea through the glass.

Finally, it was an exam where points could be earned, but the island exam wasn't easy to perform well on...

The "hardship" of months of being deprived of class points and living frugally had left a deep mark on the students' hearts.

The lack of daily pocket money, the meticulous budgeting when buying any personal item, the embarrassment of being unable to repay borrowed points... these real-life hardships were instantly magnified into a stark contrast when faced with the imagination of the upcoming "Paradise Life," thus transforming into an even more fervent desire for the "Paradise Life" that was about to arrive.

Only now, having boarded this luxury cruise ship far exceeding expectations, standing on the gleaming deck, breathing in the clear sea breeze, the suppressed excitement mixed with a touch of anxiety since the end of the exam finally erupted completely, turning into solid ecstasy.

"Waaah—! It's real! Chabashira-sensei didn't lie to us!" Shinohara Gatsumi rushed to the railing, excitedly pointing at the distant sea horizon, her face filled with pure joy.

"It's more than ten times more luxurious than I imagined!" Karuizawa Kei also showed a relaxed smile, her tone filled with amazement, "I thought it would be just some ordinary ferry at most... Is the school really willing to spend so much?"

Hirata Yosuke smiled and looked around, watching his classmates' joyful figures, and said gently, "No matter what, this is the result of everyone's hard work. For the next few days, please enjoy yourselves!"

"Ha! Enjoy? Of course, we'll enjoy it!" Ike Kanji, after shouting his signature "Awesome!", was still unable to calm down. He excitedly jumped a few times on the deck, almost bumping into a waiter carrying drinks nearby, "I feel like I'm dreaming! A private island! I declare, from this moment on, Ike-sama's vacation officially begins!"

It wasn't just the boys; most of the girls had also shaken off the gloom brought about by their awkward situations during the school swimming class.

Freed from the campus environment filled with scrutinizing gazes and placed between the truly free, vast sea and sky, their reserve seemed to relax considerably.

Although the topic of swimsuits remained a sensitive area, the beautiful anticipation for future beach time was real and pure.

Kushida Kikyo and a few other girls gathered, pointing at the island pictures in the cruise brochure and excitedly discussing possible snorkeling and beach barbecue activities, her sweet smile as radiant as ever.

However... when she inadvertently caught sight of a few boys in the distance huddled together, pointing and whispering as other classes' girls walked by, the arc of her smile faltered subtly for a fraction of a second before returning to its flawless state.

The luxurious giant ship steadily cut through the clear sea surface, leaving a long white wake.

Classmates gathered in twos and threes in various corners of the deck. Some leaned on the railings, gazing into the distance, greedily absorbing the boundless azure. Others curiously explored the upper-deck facilities of the cruise ship. Still others held cameras, excitedly documenting the magnificent ocean scenery they were seeing for the first time in their lives.

Their specific imaginations of island life upon landing—beach volleyball under the sun, laughter by the bonfire, strolling through coconut groves, and even potential secret adventures... these thoughts, like the foam rising from the ship's stern, were constantly fermenting and soaring.

Everyone's eyes sparkled with anticipation, their physical and mental fatigue already blown away by the sea breeze.

This cruise ship was steadily carrying all of Class D towards the island paradise filled with unknowns and surprises.

For them, who had just finished a tough battle and struggled in material scarcity for a long time, whatever awaited them ahead wouldn't turn into another tough battle, right?

Probably.