Kushida Kikyo: Don't Betray Me / Time Management on the Cruise Ship

Hashiba Hikaru's tone was still gentle, but she had become much more reserved in her speech.

After all, making promises is a dangerous thing. Before being prepared to break through the relationship with Ichinose Honami, one cannot directly agree to anything, otherwise the plan to manipulate the stock market will be in big trouble.

"I will stay in this class, that will never change, and Honami and I will always be deskmates, that will also never change."

He squeezed the girl's small hand and said with a faint smile, "We're already quite close, you know. This should count as me staying by Honami's side all the time, right?"

"..."

Looking up at the gentle expression on the boy's face, which was flawless, Ichinose Honami couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Is there really no other way?

She swallowed back the result of her probing question, a smile returning to her pretty face as she responded positively.

"Yes, yes, that's good. Hikaru and I will always be together."

"Okay, I'll take Honami back to his room."

The two walked side by side into the cabin of the Cruise Ship. In a corner of the deck that neither of them noticed, there seemed to be a short-haired girl standing there all along.

After Hashiba Hikaru Ichinose Honami disappeared from sight, she uttered a murmur that only she could hear.

"... They're actually calling him by his first name now?"

The next day, after the first Uninhabited Island Exam, the school still hadn't given any further notice.

Therefore, the text appears to be a jumbled collection of characters and symbols, possibly representing a corrupted or incomplete sentence or a corrupted file. A direct translation is not possible without further context or clarification.

The Cruise Ship's facilities were only briefly experienced before being sent to Uninhabited Island, so now that they've been given this opportunity again, they naturally want to make the most of it.

Whether it was entertainment venues, restaurants, or spas, the students participated enthusiastically, experiencing high-end services they had never encountered before.

The next morning, Hashiba Hikaru was planning to go out for breakfast and then go to the deck to enjoy the breeze and read a book when she received a text message on her phone right after she finished washing up.

And it was a name that surprised him somewhat.

Kushida Kikyo: I'm in Cinema Number Three on the second basement floor. Come over quickly.

Hashiba Hikaru: Has something happened?

Kushida Kikyo: I'll explain the reason after you arrive.

Hashiba Hikaru: Okay, I'll be off right away.

Although I don't quite understand what this guy is trying to do, the stock price of Kushida Kikyo Stock I just bought back is only 60 now. If I want to raise the price back up, it's always good to have more contact with her.

After quickly leaving the room, Hashiba Hikaru immediately headed for the stairs. The Cruise Ship consisted of nine decks plus a roof, with five decks above ground and four below.

The five floors above ground mainly include restaurants, banquet halls for gatherings, rooms for students and teachers, and many lounges, while the four underground floors house a series of entertainment facilities, including a cinema or stage for performances.

The last floor is the electrical control room and the area where the Cruise Ship's internal staff go. There are plenty of places to enjoy on this completely open Cruise Ship, so students generally don't go down to this floor.

Upon arriving at the entrance of Cinema No. 3, Hashiba Hikaru crouched down and slipped inside, since a movie was playing in front of her and it was best not to block other people's view.

"I'm here."

He heard that familiar voice, so he went straight along the rows of seats in the aisle.

Chapter 173 Kushida Kikyo: Don't Betray Me

As a great entertainment venue, movie theaters not only offer the opportunity to enjoy movies on a big screen, but more importantly, they are usually equipped with comfortable seats where you can take a break when you get tired of watching movies.

Kushida Kikyo chose a seat in the right corner of the movie theater, where all the surrounding seats were empty.

It's rather strange that she, a popular girl among the first-year students, has come here alone.

After slowly moving closer, Hashiba Hikaru sat down next to the short-haired girl.

"Kushida."

The boy's tone was calm. When he came, he had thought about whether to get some popcorn or cola, but then he thought that Kushida Kikyo probably had something to say to him, so he gave up on that idea.

"Classmate Hashiba, you've arrived."

Although the environment inside was dim, Hashiba Hikaru could still see the other person's beautiful eyes, crystal clear, radiating an unforgettable light.

"Um, Kushida, is there something you need?"

"As expected, Classmate Hashiba came empty-handed. You can't do that when you meet a girl at the movie theater. You have to be more careful next time." Kushida Kikyo smiled gently and then handed him a cup of cola with a straw.

"..."

"What, does Classmate Hashiba not like cola?"

It was only then that Hashiba Hikaru noticed that she was holding a can of cola in both hands, clearly indicating that she had been prepared.

"Alright then, thank you Kushida."

The boy didn't refuse her; he reached out, took the cola, and took a sip.

"Actually, I'm here to ask you some questions, Classmate Hashiba."

"What's the problem?"

Hashiba Hikaru put the cola aside and looked at the girl sitting next to her.

"Do you remember what you promised me before?" Kushida Kikyo's voice wasn't loud, but her tone was firm and even a bit aggressive.

"Is this Kushida's problem?"

"This is a prerequisite; you need to answer this before I can ask the next question."

"Of course I remember. For the sake of intelligence, I was to help Kushida deal with Horikita's matter and prevent her from revealing your secret," Hashiba Hikaru said calmly, recounting the agreement they made back then.

"It seems you still remember..." Kushida suddenly leaned closer, staring into Hashiba Hikaru's eyes, and asked, enunciating each word clearly, "Did you meet her privately when you were on the Uninhabited Island?"

"This..."

Hashiba Hikaru was somewhat puzzled. This matter should have been kept quite secret; even Ichinose Honami didn't know about it. Why would this guy ask such a question?

"It seems you've met in private, and you even cured her cold, right?"

Kushida's next question followed immediately. Since they were sitting together at the back of the dimly lit movie theater, she even moved the armrest that was blocking their way up to get closer to the boy's body.

"When did Kushida realize this?"

Hashiba Hikaru wasn't sure where she got this information, so she could only ask questions calmly.

"When I first entered your camp that day, I smelled herbs. Later, when I left, I glanced at the pot in the middle; they must have been boiling these things inside."

Kushida Kikyo is actually very observant. Although she didn't find out anything about the leader of Class A that day, she did gather a lot of other information.

"Besides, didn't Horikita say that she knows you can make herbs?"

The short-haired girl's tone seemed much colder. She stared intently at Hashiba Hikaru's face and said, "Her behavior has been a bit strange since she arrived on the island, but one day after going out and returning to camp, she seemed much more energetic. Why do you think that is?"

"I see, Kushida is quite perceptive."

Hashiba Hikaru offered a lukewarm compliment, then began to recount the events of that day to Kushida Kikyo.

Since she's already guessed it, there's no need for her to deny it.

But after hearing the answer, the girl on the other end immediately let out a cold laugh.

"Hehe, it seems that Classmate Hashiba really does have a good relationship with that woman Horikita. It's amazing that she trusts you so much."

"I did this for Kushida, you know."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled and immediately made up an answer, saying, "After all, I'm going to help Kushida gather information about Horikita- san, so building a good relationship with her would definitely be beneficial, right?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Kushida Kikyo's expression shifted between light and dark. Although she had known Hashiba Hikaru for a long time and knew that she was very capable, the thought of her being so "close" to Horikita without her knowledge made the girl quite unhappy.

"Am I wrong? This is about our promise."

After glancing at the other person's expression, the boy's tone remained sincere.

But the next second, the short-haired girl in front of him suddenly pounced on Hashiba Hikaru. Before he could react, Kushida Kikyo had already squeezed into the boy's arms and quickly wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

"Uh... what's Kushida?"

Feeling the warm, soft body in his arms, Hashiba Hikaru's expression was somewhat dazed.

What's going on?

"I have something to tell you, come closer." Kushida rested his head against the boy's warm chest, his voice slightly muffled.

"All right..."

Because of the height difference between the two, Hashiba Hikaru had to lower her head and put her ear next to Kushida Kikyo's pretty face.

"Although I don't know the exact nature of your relationship, since the agreement has been made and I have already betrayed the class for you, you need to understand your place."

Kushida brought her small mouth close to Hashiba's ear, her voice cold.

"Never betray me, you understand?"

"..."

Feeling the completely different touch of the embrace from Ichinose's, Hashiba Hikaru sighed.

Although he didn't know why Kushida was suddenly so bold, he could roughly guess some of the possibilities.

I guess she was worried that she might be a double agent, secretly covering up information for Horikita Suzune.

"Please rest assured about that, Kushida. Our cooperation has been going on for quite some time," Hashiba Hikaru patted her back gently to reassure her. "Besides, you can give me information, but Horikita won't give me anything. Do you really need to think about which one to choose?"

After the boy finished speaking, the short-haired girl in his arms seemed to fall silent.

In fact, this was the first time Kushida Kikyo had made such a bold move.

She had been thinking about this for the past two days. After realizing that Hashiba Hikaru and Horikita Suzune had met privately on the Uninhabited Island, she worried that Hashiba Hikaru had sided with them, which was why she made this hasty decision.

Such a close face-to-face hug is a replication of the handprinting process; if the other party betrays her, she plans to just give up entirely.

However, after hearing the boy's answer, Kushida Kikyo could still feel Hashiba Hikaru's steady heartbeat, without a trace of panic, which confirmed his attitude.

The girl pressed her head against the other person's chest, and a blush suddenly spread across her pretty face.

Damn it... I guess I don't dislike being in close contact with this guy after all...

Kushida Kikyo inexplicably tightened her grip on Hashiba Hikaru's waist, unsure of what to say next.

Chapter 174 Time Management on Cruise Ship

In the dimly lit movie theater, in the back row, Hashiba Hikaru and Kushida Kikyo were maintaining a rather intimate posture.

The short-haired girl pressed her head tightly against the other's chest, her soft arms reaching behind her to encircle his waist, connecting their bodies so closely that they could even feel each other's heartbeats.

It's worth noting that Kushida Kikyo has a very good figure. Although you can't see what she's wearing in the current environment, Hashiba Hikaru can sense one thing through physical contact: her outfit is definitely very revealing.

At this moment, her full and soft body was pressed tightly against Hashiba Hikaru's body, and the fragrance wafting from her body made him feel slightly overwhelmed.

This was completely different from Ichinose Honami's warm and loving embrace. While holding Kushida Kikyo, certain thoughts immediately and uncontrollably popped into the boy's mind as a teenage high school boy.

We can't continue like this, or things will go wrong.

Since she didn't hear Kushida's reply, Hashiba Hikaru patted her on the back and said softly, "Well, I've already given my answer, so Kushida, can you let go of me now?"

"Oh..."

Although she spoke, her movements did not change at all; she still tightly held the boy's waist with her arms.

"Um, Kushida?"

Hashiba Hikaru had no choice but to try to move the other person's arm. When his palm touched the girl's smooth and delicate skin, he felt her charm once again.

Although it wasn't quite clear what was going on with her, the short-haired girl obediently left Hashiba Hikaru's chest after Kushida Kikyo let go of her arm.

"... Don't overthink it, this is just an insurance policy I'm setting up for myself."

After separating from the boy, Kushida Kikyo could still feel the heat on her face. She didn't know why, but she suddenly reached out and hugged his waist tightly.

Looking back now, I realize how incredibly daring I was.

And wouldn't he be overthinking things?

"What kind of insurance?" Hashiba Hikaru straightened her wrinkled short-sleeved shirt, her tone still gentle.

"If you really dare to betray me, I'll just yell 'molestation'," Kushida Kikyo brushed a stray hair from her forehead. "Given our position just now, if the other students in the movie theater saw us, what do you think would happen, Classmate Hashiba?"