"I've always thought those two had a good relationship. Could it really be true?"
After waiting a while, Eito explained:
"Don't get the wrong idea. I meant I like her as a friend. I don't think the boys in our class would have the heart to make Kikyo use a toilet like this, either. Unless you have some other motive? Hmm?"
"No, no."
"Of course not. If it's Kushida asking, then we can't say no."
Sudo and Yamauchi agreed without hesitation, and Ike followed suit.
He was probably hoping to win Kikyo's favor this way.
The misunderstanding with Kikyo was cleared up. The girls were a little disappointed, but the outcome was good: they'd finally have a clean toilet.
As the biggest winner of the whole affair, Eito let out a sigh.
He had a feeling things were about to get a lot more complicated. There was no way he could keep a low profile now.
You Dare!
Besides the rules above, every class also had to choose a leader.
The leader's key card could be used to claim various sites around the island. Each claim earned one point, and each site had a cooldown period of eight hours. Different sites could be claimed at the same time.
However, only the leader could claim sites. After the exam, there would be a round where the classes had to guess one another's leaders. A class whose leader was correctly identified would lose 50 points, while the class that guessed correctly would gain 50.
Claiming a site that another class had already claimed would also cost 50 points.
As for choosing a leader, Hirata, who had been given the authority to decide, came to see him.
"Could you come with me for a moment?"
The two of them walked a little way from the rest of the class.
Then Hirata looked at him intently.
"Could I ask you for a favor?"
"No." Eito, a firm believer in keeping to himself, rejected him without a second thought. "But I can hear what your problem is first."
"I'd like you to be our leader for this exam."
To keep the other classes from guessing their leader, it was best to tell as few people as possible. Yet instead of asking one of the girls he was close to, Hirata had come to him.
Was it because he was a guy?
"Why me?"
"Because you're the only guy I can ask..."
What an honest and pitiful reason.
The three idiots were out of the running, so Hirata's only real friend among the boys was Eito.
"But I refuse!"
"...I guess you can't do it."
Hirata lowered his head. Even from half a meter away, Eito could feel the sadness in his eyes.
"If you want my help, there'll have to be something in it for me. What do you think you can offer?" Eito asked.
As if he'd seen a glimmer of hope, Hirata raised his head again.
"...How about I give you all my remaining private points after the exam? I have a little over 40,000."
"Oh?" Eito smiled. "You'd give me all your points over one exam? Do you think that's worth it? And do you really think I can protect the key card? Do I even have the ability?"
"I trust you." A warm smile brightened the corners of Hirata's eyes. "Sudo and the others, Ayanokoji, even Horikita, who never talks to our classmates—they've all become your friends, and they trust you. I think you must be an outstanding person, someone who can do things I can't. Besides, I should've handled what happened earlier, but I—"
Hirata couldn't do that kind of thing. He always tried to remain neutral, and couldn't take anyone's side.
"I see. You've got a good eye."
Eito patted him on the shoulder.
"Still, I don't need your points. I only have one request."
"What is it?"
"Hirata, become my friend."
"..."
That was what friendship meant.
Back with the class.
This time, they headed for the campsite on the mountain. The boys walked in front, the girls a little behind them, and Suzune trailed at the very back by herself.
She didn't seem to mind being alone. Even though no one spoke to her, her gaze never wavered.
Farther behind them, another lonely figure was walking alone.
Eito went over to greet her.
"Sakura, you're walking too slowly."
"Oh...I was just..."
Sakura lowered her head, lost in thought.
The air of loneliness around her was even heavier, like a cruise ship on the verge of sinking.
School was one thing. Once classes were over, she didn't have to interact with anyone. But for Sakura, who had no friends, group activities like this were torture.
"Come hang out with me later."
"Okay."
Sakura nodded and finally looked up at him.
"Then let's go say hello to that ice queen up ahead."
"Huh?"
As Sakura cried out in surprise, Eito took her wrist and hurried after the tall, beautiful figure ahead.
"Horikita, aren't you going to make any friends?"
"Why would I do that?"
Suzune turned to look at him, then glanced at Sakura, who was so startled she hid behind him.
"If you keep this up, no one will listen to you. How are you going to lead Class D to Class A?"
"Even if I don't get along with them, I have my own way of doing things. Besides..." Suzune suddenly fixed him with a cold stare. "I already asked you for help, didn't I? And you turned me down."
"I'm sorry about that. Why don't you ask me again? This time, be a little more sincere. Maybe I'll say yes."
"What counts as sincere?" Suzune frowned slightly.
"For example...let me touch your leg?"
"I'm giving you one more chance to choose your words. What did you just say?"
"Uh."
Well, if she asked—
"Touch your leg."
"..."
Suzune stared coldly at him for three seconds, then sneered.
"Go ahead and touch it, then. But our classmates are right in front of us. If I make some strange noise and they hear, you'll be despised by the whole class."
Eito glanced ahead.
They were all chatting among themselves, but they weren't very far away. If Suzune really cried out, everyone would definitely notice.
But—
He was getting excited instead.
He loved the thrill of tempting fate.
"What, scared?" Suzune scoffed. "If you're going to—Wait...mm...w-wait a second."
While she was speaking, he had already moved in close from behind and to the side, lifted her skirt with one hand, and brushed his fingers against the inside of her thigh.
"Stop!"
Suzune glared at him. One hand tried to push him away while the other covered her mouth to keep herself from making a sound.
Suzune, you wouldn't want the whole class to find out I'm a pervert, would you?
If he threatened her like that, she'd probably stop caring what happened to him.
After letting his hand wander over her soft, pale thigh, he pulled away.
"Get lost!"
Suzune's ears were bright red as she glared at him, furious and embarrassed.
"You told me to touch it. I was just granting your wish," he said, pretending to be calm. "Don't agree to things like that so easily next time. As your friend, I just gave you a demonstration."
"Then thank you for being the kind of friend who likes touching my thighs." Suzune took a deep breath, and her expression gradually returned to normal. "Now that you've touched my leg, what's your answer?"
Eito lowered his head and thought for a few seconds, then replied with a solemn expression:
"I refuse."
"..."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm used to it by now," Suzune said coolly. "You never intended to help me. You just wanted to toy with my body."
"Did it feel good?"
"No!"
"Uh, that wasn't my only reason. Mostly, you seemed upset, so I wanted to talk and help you relax."
"That's certainly a unique approach. Just like you, I suppose. Hmph."
Suzune shot him a glare and strode off.
Eito sighed.
"Um..."
Eito looked behind him, and his heart sank.
He'd completely forgotten about Sakura.
Mami
What should he do if he got caught in the act?
If it were someone he didn't know, Eito would tell them to get lost.
But this time, it was Sakura.
"...I didn't see anything just now...Nothing at all...I didn't see anything."
Sakura closed her eyes, her lashes trembling slightly. Her breath came hot and fast through her nose.
She secretly cracked one eye open. When she saw Eito still looking at her, she quickly closed it again.
"This is—"
Now that she'd seen it, he might as well stop pretending. Sakura, just turn into my—
No, that wasn't how this was supposed to go.
"Sakura, that was just a friendly way of interacting between friends."
Before you continue