The school bell echoed over Kouyoku High School's Campus, bringing the final end to the long and tense Final Exam.
In the classroom, there is a restless and relaxed atmosphere in the air.
Almost all the topics discussed by the students seemed to have been agreed upon and converged on the same focus.
That upcoming, fantastic Summer Vacation luxurious Cruise Trip.
The students gathered together in twos and threes, their faces filled with undisguised excitement and anticipation.
"It's finally over! My brain cells are almost dead!"
"Who says it's not the case! That big question at the end is simply not made by humans... But who cares, the test is over anyway!"
"Hey, have you bought all your swimsuits? I went to Keyaki Mall yesterday and took a fancy to one, it's super cute!"
"There are also delicious foods! I heard that Buffet on Cruise Ship is available 24 hours a day, with hundreds of dishes! I want to eat it from the first day to the last!"
Luxury Cruise, blue sea and blue sky, free food, accommodation and entertainment...
These alluring words, like baits, easily seduce the minds of these young people who are in adolescence.
Kazehara Tetsu was still sitting at the window. He did not participate in any discussion and just looked out the window.
His back was lightly poked with a probing force by a finger.
Even without looking back, he could recognize this unique touch.
"Kazehara Tetsu."
Morishita Ai's voice came from behind him, very low, as if he was afraid of disturbing anything.
Her upper body leaned forward slightly, and her head poked over from his shoulder. Her big eyes, full of curiosity, stared at his side face unblinkingly.
"During the exam just now, I observed that you stayed for a long time. Did you encounter a problem that you couldn't solve?"
"If you need answers, I can provide services to you at any time."
She paused and added, "It's free."
"..."
Kazehara Tetsu turned his head slowly.
"No, I'm just about to fall asleep."
"Asleep?"
"It seems that the test questions bored you to the point of falling asleep?"
"What is your overall self-assessment level for This Exam?" She quickly asked the next question, and the observation continued.
"Barely qualified."
"'Barely qualified'..."
Morishita Ai's eyes stayed on his face for a few seconds.
"This is a very broad term. It just passes Passing Score, and it still meets your expectations..."
"Hey, what are you two whispering about? Are you secretly comparing answers? Doing this kind of thing after taking an exam is the most boring behavior."
A smiling, slightly flirtatious voice cut into their conversation just right.
Hashimoto Masayoshi didn't know when, but he had already walked to their seats.
He did not sit down, but put one hand in his trouser pocket and rested his other hand casually on an empty desk next to him.
His eyes glanced back and forth between Kazehara Tetsu and Morishita Ai, and finally landed on Kazehara Tetsu's face.
"Looking at you, it doesn't look like you are discussing any academic issues. How about it, Kagihara, did you do well in the exam?"
Without waiting for Kazehara Tetsu to reply, he took the topic in another direction.
"Forget it, it's too confusing to talk about exams now."
"Let's talk about something more in line with the current atmosphere. For example... the Luxury Cruise is about to set sail."
"About that trip, I have an ultimate problem here, and I would like to hear your opinions."
He lowered his voice pretending to be mysterious, and his eyes flashed with a cunning light.
"The endless blue sea, Buffet in the restaurant, and Outdoor Pool on Deck... just imagining it makes people excited!"
As he spoke, he changed the topic and asked a question to Kazehara Tetsu.
"However, if I have to choose the two most representative elements from these countless fun...Kagihara, I would like to ask you."
A malicious smile appeared on his face.
"Magnificent natural scenery, and cute girls' swimsuits. Which of the two do you prefer?"
This is a question full of pitfalls.
No matter which one you choose, it seems that a certain aspect of your "attributes" will be exposed.
Morishita Ai's eyes still stayed on Kazehara Tetsu's face.
She didn't seem to be interested in Hashimoto Masayoshi himself, but she became slightly interested in the question he raised.
She wanted to know what answer Kazehara Tetsu would give when faced with such a straightforward choice.
"Do you have to choose one?" Kazehara Tetsu leaned on the back of the chair, his eyes moved away from Hashimoto Masayoshi's face that was watching the excitement and looked out the window.
"Landscapes, especially grand and monotonous scenery like the sea, have the fastest diminishing impact. On the first day, you may feel overwhelmed by the magnificence. But after a long time, when you open your eyes and see the same scenery every day, you will soon become tired of it, and its long-term value is the lowest."
He paused and shifted his gaze back to the room.
Hashimoto Masayoshi Listening to his succinct analysis, the smile on his face became more and more playful.
He nodded, indicating for him to continue.
"So, according to your logic, the value of the swimsuit is the highest?" Hashimoto Masayoshi asked with a smile.
"No." Kazehara Tetsu shook his head.
"The value of a swimsuit is the most unstable. Because it completely depends on the quality of the 'human body'. A high-quality human body can increase the ornamental value of the swimsuit exponentially. On the contrary, an inferior human body will make the value of the swimsuit approach zero, and even cause negative visual pollution."
"So, each has its own pros and cons, and it's hard to simply say which one is better."
"Wow..."
Hashimoto Masayoshi couldn't help but whistle after listening to his long speech.
"Kagihara, you guys are really... boring enough."
"I'm just stating the facts."
"So, Kagihara... after conducting such a profound analysis, what is your final choice?"
"As a person, you must have character and style. You must always remind yourself to be a gentleman with high moral character and free from vulgar taste."
Just when Hashimoto Masayoshi thought he was going to choose "landscape", he changed the subject and added the last sentence.
"But I still prefer swimsuits."
"Pfft... hahaha..."
"That's what I'm saying! Kagihara You guy... you really pretend to be like that!"
Hashimoto Masayoshi couldn't bear it anymore, he covered his stomach and laughed.
As for Morishita Ai, who was sitting in the back row, she looked at Kazehara Tetsu's serious face and slowly let out a very light, yet full of contemptuous snort from her nose.
"Tsk."
Her voice was soft and inaudible, but in those eyes looking at him, two words were clearly written - hypocrisy.
"Okay, okay, stop laughing."
Hashimoto Masayoshi finally stopped laughing, "However, it was worth it today to see such a funny side of you Kagihara."
"It's getting late, I should go prepare my equipment."
He waved to the two of them, and then left the classroom with brisk steps.
Morishita Ai also stood up.
"Goodbye, perverted boyfriend."
She turned around and left silently.
Most of the people in the classroom had left, and the hustle and bustle was quickly disappearing like an ebbing tide.