Cruise Ship, Launch!

Ying stood on the deck of the luxury cruise ship, gazing at the azure sky and the endless expanse of the sea. The sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, brushed past him. Ying spread his arms and leaned forward slightly, savoring the cool sensation. Then, he fell off...

"Splash!"

"Holy crap, can anyone even steer this ship? If the open-air swimming pool wasn't directly below the third-deck railing, I might have ended up in another world again!" Just as he climbed out of the pool, Ying lay on the edge and complained. He couldn't understand why the ship had suddenly turned, causing him to lose his footing and tumble down.

"Eh!? Byakuya-san? Are you alright?" Ying looked toward the voice and was surprised to see Sakura and a few other students from Class D.

Sakura spoke anxiously, trying to pull Ying up, while Kushida also walked over.

"Wait a second! I can get up myself." Ying had his pride, after all; he certainly couldn't admit that he'd fallen because he lost his balance on the deck.

"Byakuya-san, what just happened? Why did you suddenly jump down from up there?" Kushida asked, while Sakura looked on with concern at Ying, who was soaked to the bone in his casual clothes.

"Hahahaha! It's just that it's rare to find a swimming pool, so I thought I'd practice a ten-meter dive while I was at it, hahaha!" Ying brushed back his wet hair and said with a laugh.

"But why is Byakuya-san wearing casual clothes?" Sakura couldn't help but ask, puzzled.

"It is said that the more clothes you wear, the greater the resistance when you hit the water, which makes for better diving practice," Ying explained with a straight face.

"Is... that so?" Kushida said, half-doubting.

"Of course. I'm going back up to do it again. You guys should hurry up and enjoy the life on this cruise ship." With that, Ying turned around, waved at them with his back turned, and left.

Returning to his cabin, Ying quickly changed his clothes, just in time to hear a knock at the door.

"Uh, hello?"

Standing at the doorway was a Kamen Rider. Ying didn't know if he had come to eliminate him.

"Byakuya, long time no see!" The Kamen Rider took off his mask, revealing himself to be Hashimoto from Class A.

"So it's you, Hashimoto. What's with this getup?" Ying recognized the visitor, but he remembered Hashimoto being a fairly normal guy. Why did this person seem so off?

"Eh? You don't like it? Everyone said you liked this style of greeting, so I got tricked~." Hashimoto made an exaggerated expression and complained.

Ying: Slander, pure slander! He was a decent person; how could he possibly like these things?

"Well, whatever. I actually came to see you because the princess wants to invite you to play chess. She's waiting for you in the game room right now. You should be free, right~." Hashimoto patted Ying on the shoulder and asked.

"Uh... I'm supposed to go to karaoke with my classmates from Class B in a bit." Ying thought about his schedule and replied.

"Eh~, what a pity. But the princess is always in the game room at 106. Go whenever you have time." After saying this, Hashimoto took out his terminal and left while typing a message.

"Arisu actually came after all..." Ying muttered to himself.

After that conversation with Arisu in the library, Ying had indeed kept his promise and made a great deal of effort. However, due to her health, Arisu had refused to board the ship until recently, but it seemed she had made it today.

As expected, lolis are all creatures who say one thing and mean another. Ying concluded.

On his way to the karaoke room, Ying spotted Himeno from his class walking from the opposite direction.

"Himeno-san, the way to the karaoke room is that way. You're going the wrong direction." Ichinose had invited everyone from Class B, so Ying assumed Himeno must be lost.

"Actually, I have a stomachache, so I won't be going. You go ahead, Byakuya-san." Himeno replied.

"Quack, quack, quack!" (Ying's terminal notification sound)

Arisu: "You've got some nerve, daring to refuse me."

Ying: "Actually, I'm already on my way. Playing chess is more fun than singing anyway."

"Byakuya-san, why did you come back? Did you forget something?" Seeing Ying turn back and walk toward her, Himeno couldn't help but ask.

"Actually, my foot suddenly started hurting, so I wanted to go check on it." After answering, Ying quickly walked away.

Himeno: ...

"Byakuya-san, I hope you've been well." Arisu, who was playing chess by herself, stopped what she was doing when she saw Ying enter.

"Same to you, Arisu-san. It feels like you've grown even younger in the few days since I last saw you." Ying offered a polite greeting.

"Young...er?" Arisu didn't quite understand, but she continued: "Still, I really must thank you. I didn't think you could actually pull this off."

"Ahahaha, it was nothing." Ying brushed it off, though it had really just been a matter of writing dozens of proposal letters.

Chairman Sakayanagi hadn't wanted his daughter to face any risks, but he had believed the letter Ying wrote about Arisu wanting to go on a cruise. Doting on his daughter, he had used his capital to add a professional medical team to the ship.

"Although I can only stay on the cruise ship and my activities are restricted tomorrow, this is still the first time in my life that I've been able to go out on a trip," Arisu said.

"Is that so? Then you must enjoy it even more. Why not go to the deck and feel the sea breeze? Just be careful not to fall off..." Ying suggested.

"Hahaha, Byakuya-san, you really know how to joke. But going to feel the sea breeze is a good suggestion. Why don't we go there and play a game of chess?" Arisu chuckled and invited him.

"This... wouldn't it be too cold?"

"What?"

"Such elegant leisure, you truly are a paragon of grace. If you do not mind, I would be honored to accompany you!" Ying said, bowing to Arisu.

"Hashimoto, go call Kamuro over. I want to go to the deck and have a look." Arisu stood up with her cane and instructed Hashimoto.

"Understood, Princess."

Before long, Kamuro walked in with an impatient expression on her face.

"You, you're that perverted creep!" As soon as Kamuro saw Ying, she jumped back as if she had seen a ghost and pointed at him, cursing.

"So that's Byakuya-san's true nature. If you agree to one condition, I'll have Kamuro wash up and wait in my room right now," Arisu said with a mischievous smile.

"Really? No... what did I even do? Why am I being scolded?" Ying asked, bewildered.

"Sakayanagi, I advise you to stay away from him! He's a pervert who likes voluptuous women and even has a penchant for grooming!" Kamuro hurried over to Sakayanagi's side to say.

"What the f*ck? What are you talking about?" Ying felt this was pure slander.

"So Byakuya-kun wants to play at grooming with me? It's a pity my body doesn't allow for such things, so I'll have to ask you to choose someone else," Sakayanagi said deliberately.

Ying covered his forehead with his hand, no longer wanting to think about anything...

"Alright, no more jokes. Let's get going, or we'll be at the Uninhabited Island soon." After Sakayanagi finished speaking, she raised a hand, signaling for Kamuro to help her up.

Although Kamuro kept saying it "wasn't a joke," she still supported Sakayanagi as they walked toward the deck.

"Sakayanagi-san, actually, I think since you don't have much to do on the cruise ship these past few days, you could learn to play other types of chess." After finishing a game with Sakayanagi, Ying suggested this.

"Is that so? It certainly is a good way to kill time... Does Byakuya-kun have any recommendations?" Sakayanagi asked.

"I think Dragon Country Chess is quite good."

"Really? I've looked into the rules before, and it does seem quite interesting." Sakayanagi agreed.

"Attention all teachers and students, we are about to arrive at the School South Island. Everyone may go to the decks on each floor to watch. I repeat..."

As the broadcast voice came through, an island in the distance slowly revealed its full appearance...