After a brief swimming competition, it was time for free activities.
"How about it, Kanzaki? Want to race me? I'm pretty confident in my athletic abilities."
"Pass. It's just swimming. I don't want to tire myself out."
Uesugi Gen kept half his head above the surface, silently listening to the exchange between the two polar opposites.
Those two were so full of energy. They'd been swimming for ages and still weren't tired.
By comparison, the indolent Uesugi Gen didn't feel like moving at all. He relaxed his body and floated on his back, drifting with the current.
At that moment, Uesugi Gen stared blankly at the ceiling above the pool, listening to the sound of the flowing water.
There was something strange about this swimming class.
Unlike the other teachers, who indulged their students, Gorilla Teacher had started off by putting them through rigorous training.
If the goal was simply to help the students improve and become more competitive, why not coordinate with the other teachers? Wouldn't it be much more effective to get strict after the truth about the S System came out?
Was there not enough time?
Considering Gorilla Teacher's words, "I'll make sure you learn by summer,"
there was a good chance they'd be holding a water-related Special Exam in the summer.
So, for the students' safety, she was making them undergo rigorous training ahead of time so they'd learn to swim.
On top of that, based on the information Nice Senior had given him,
they could rule out an exam held on campus. Even though the first-years were on a small island, the school wouldn't make all the students swim together. And after ruling out off-campus Special Exams that didn't require swimming,
could it be a deserted-island survival exam...?
[My adventure is nearing its end. Now it's your turn, young man!]
A voice from nowhere rang in Uesugi Gen's ear, going straight to his head.
Oh, I'm on it!!
With a splash, Uesugi Gen stood up in the water, then hunched forward and swam to the other side at full speed. He swam back, then repeated the journey again and again.
The students of Class B stared at the sight, dumbfounded.
"Hey, Shibata, what's gotten into Uesugi?"
Kanzaki Ryuji watched Uesugi Gen swim past him and couldn't help nudging Shibata Hayate beside him, hoping for an explanation.
"How would I know? I play soccer, not water polo."
Shibata Hayate rolled his eyes and replied helplessly.
"Have I been pushing Uesugi-kun too hard lately?"
Ichinose looked at Uesugi Gen with concern.
Himeno Yuki, from the observation group, rested her chin on one hand and quietly watched Uesugi Gen.
He actually looks pretty cool when he swims...
Chapter 21: Miyabi Nagumo Issues a Fencing Challenge
Horikita: [Come to the meeting. This is the last time I'm telling you!]
After Uesugi Gen had ignored his meeting notices several times, Horikita Manabu issued one final warning.
Uesugi Gen gave a cold snort.
As if. I can't even be bothered to go to class. Why would I do something as boring as attend a meeting? Go ahead and have the school expel me if you can.
Looking at the Student Council sign in front of him, Uesugi Gen sighed helplessly.
You were the one who said you'd give me an easy job. So what's this? You keep calling me in for meetings every few days, and I can't even skip them. The dignified Student Council President actually went and complained to Ichinose.
What a shameless guy. He'd turned Ichinose down himself, yet he could still ask her for help without batting an eye.
Uesugi Gen opened the Student Council room door and greeted everyone listlessly.
"Good morning, President."
"Good morning."
"Good morning, Secretary-ko."
"I've told you, I'm not a secretary. I'm the Student Council clerk."
"I don't know you, but good morning, blondie."
Uesugi Gen lowered his head and tossed out a casual greeting as he walked to his seat. He plopped down and began napping as if no one else were there.
"Uh, good morning to you too."
The smile of the handsome, blond-haired senior in the Student Council room froze. He turned to Horikita Manabu.
"Senpai, is he the new Vice President?"
Horikita Manabu took off his glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and replied helplessly.
"Much as I hate to admit it, he is."
"He's quite the disrespectful junior, isn't he?"
Miyabi Nagumo suppressed his anger and forced a smile.
He'd looked into how this junior had gotten the Vice President position.
If possible, he didn't want to antagonize him. The fact that he'd gotten the school to accept an investment proved he could influence the school's decisions to some extent.
The Student Council's authority came from the school, after all. Turning someone who represented the school into an enemy wasn't a wise move.
By comparison, Horikita Manabu's reaction interested Miyabi Nagumo more.
"I'm curious. Why did Horikita-senpai let him join the Student Council and become Vice President?"
In other words, given Horikita Manabu's personality, why was he so indifferent to the matter?
"I wasn't the one who invited him. The school did. As Student Council President, I had no authority to refuse. It's that simple."
Uesugi Gen, who was sitting with his eyes closed, took over the conversation and offered another seemingly reasonable explanation.
From what Miyabi Nagumo had said, Horikita Manabu hadn't told him the details of how Uesugi Gen had joined.
And according to the information Nice Senior had given him, Miyabi Nagumo was the kind of guy who liked to make trouble for no reason.
Horikita Manabu was already more than enough trouble for Uesugi Gen. He didn't want to add Miyabi Nagumo to the mix.
So Uesugi Gen cut Miyabi Nagumo off, indirectly telling Horikita Manabu not to reveal anything about him.
In an instant, everyone turned to look at Uesugi Gen.
"Seriously?"
"That can happen?"
"..."
Disbelieving voices rang through the Student Council room.
"Much as I hate to admit it, that's how it is."
Horikita Manabu was at a loss when it came to Uesugi Gen. He hadn't forgotten that Uesugi Gen still had a recording of him.
Besides, he didn't want to give Miyabi Nagumo any information about Uesugi Gen. That would only make things in the Student Council more complicated.
Seeing Horikita Manabu's helpless expression, Miyabi Nagumo instantly forgot about Uesugi Gen.
Uesugi Gen was an annoying junior, but if he could make Horikita Manabu's life difficult, he wasn't so bad after all.
After rising from Class B to Class A in a year and bringing most of the second-years under his control, Miyabi Nagumo could be said to have conquered Advanced Nurturing High School.
He could only sing about how lonely it was at the top among the second-years.
Of the remaining students, the only one who could put pressure on him was Horikita Manabu, whom he'd always regarded as his target and who was said to be the best Student Council President in the school's history.
So,
ever since bringing the second-years under his control, Miyabi Nagumo had spared no effort in challenging Horikita Manabu to a duel.
But Horikita Manabu always refused, saying that fighting him would be tantamount to setting the classes against one another, or some such reason.
Though Miyabi Nagumo was dissatisfied, there was nothing he could do about the Student Council President's authority.
Now, there was suddenly a student who could make the stern Horikita Manabu feel just as helpless.
That seemed to ease some of Miyabi Nagumo's resentment.
And this lazy junior didn't seem likely to threaten his position. He could even annoy Horikita Manabu in the process.
For a moment, even Uesugi Gen's handsome face, which had bothered Miyabi Nagumo, started to look rather pleasant.
Miyabi Nagumo's expression softened, and he joked,
"Come on, maybe this junior's been studying too hard. He's just taking a break over there."
No. He never studied, and he often skipped class under the pretext of being Vice President of the Student Council.
Horikita Manabu, who knew the truth about Uesugi Gen, silently complained to himself.
After the meeting,
"Horikita-senpai..."
"Horikita Manabu..."
"Horikita..."
"..."
As soon as the meeting ended, Miyabi Nagumo started hovering around Horikita Manabu.
He kept bringing up new topics to get his attention. Even when Horikita Manabu changed the subject, he kept at it without getting discouraged.
Is he, is he into men?
Uesugi Gen stared in shock at the interaction between Horikita Manabu and Miyabi Nagumo.
Much as he hated to say it, that blond Miyabi Nagumo-senpai was into men, wasn't he? He had to be.
He brought up Horikita Manabu every other sentence, and even when Horikita Manabu ignored him, he doggedly followed him around.
So was the reason Nagumo-senpai kept wanting to duel Horikita Manabu that he could never get Horikita Manabu's attention? Did he want to defeat him so Horikita Manabu would finally look his way?
With that thought,
Uesugi Gen hurriedly scooted his chair back a couple of steps.
Then he shifted his gaze slightly to Tachibana Akane, who stood beside Horikita Manabu.
Come to think of it, Nagumo didn't seem to treat Tachibana Akane like everyone else either. There was something strange in his eyes.
Uesugi Gen's intuition told him that if Miyabi Nagumo kept failing to get Horikita Manabu's attention and couldn't duel him, he might turn his love into hate,
then do everything he could to get Secretary-ko expelled and draw Horikita Manabu's attention.
Don't ask where Uesugi Gen's intuition came from. That was how these melodramatic stories usually went.
For a moment, Uesugi Gen looked at Secretary-ko with sympathy.
Secretary-ko, take care of yourself. It's no good to be in love with the same man as a guy who likes men.
Noticing Uesugi Gen's sympathetic gaze, Tachibana Akane was confused at first. Then, as if she'd suddenly remembered something, she clutched her folder and glared back at Uesugi Gen.
Advanced Nurturing High School really did have all kinds of people...
Chapter 21: Everyday Life Nears Its End
Ichinose: [Uesugi-kun, don't forget to come to tomorrow's end-of-month quiz.]
Shibata: [Uesugi, tomorrow's end-of-month quiz is important. Remember to come to class.]
Kanzaki: [Uesugi, there's a quiz tomorrow. Hoshinomiya-sensei said it's important, so don't skip class.]
Before you continue