If You're Willing to Marry Me

After rattling off this string of words in one breath, Shiina Hiyori smiled and explained:

"This is a line from Shakespeare's play * the Tempest *."

"Because I only spent a short time in the Theater Troupe, I haven't read many plays compared to the number of mystery novels I've read, and this is my favorite one."

"I don't know what opinions you, Horikita- kun, or Megumi, or anyone else hold about Ryo, and I don't care. I can only be sure of my own feelings."

"I don't like feeling lonely, so being with Ryo is my happiest time."

Horikita Suzune pursed her lips and remained silent. At this moment, she no longer cared whether Shiina Hiyori and Kitagawa Ryo had a past that was unique to them, just like hers.

Because the other person's feelings have reached that point, beyond doubt.

I like it cool.

"Yes, that's it."

Kitagawa Ryo stopped playing. The piece "Dream Wedding" was not long, but thanks to his superb playing skills, even Ishizaki Daichi, who knew nothing about music, couldn't help but be immersed in the beautiful and moving melody.

It wasn't until quite a while after the music ended that Ishizaki Daichi finally snapped out of his daze, smacking his lips, and gave Kitagawa Ryo a thumbs-up:

"Impressive, Kitagawa. I didn't expect you to have this hidden trick up your sleeve."

"If the girls in our class saw what you were like just now, they'd be lining up to confess their feelings to you the next day."

"You only dare to say that when no one's around."

Kitagawa Ryo shook his head with a slight chuckle, but Ishizaki Daichi's words just now made his heart skip a beat, reminding him of Shiina Hiyori, who was in Class C.

Aside from the impromptu poetry recitation on the first afternoon, I hadn't run into Shiina Hiyori for over a day, and even then, she was in such a hurry that we barely exchanged a few words.

I wonder how things are going with her and Ibuki Mio's group.

Although I confirmed this morning that the two of them were ranked in the middle of the group, I haven't met them in person and don't know the specifics based on their scores alone.

Thinking of this, Kitagawa Ryo also asked Ishizaki Daichi, who was standing to the side:

"Ishizaki, have you run into Hiyori?"

"You mean Shiina... I initially thought it was just something the girls in our class were spreading. It seems your relationship is indeed quite special."

Ishizaki Daichi chuckled twice, winking at himself.

"Our group hasn't actually encountered them before, but with Ibuki leading the way, we should be fine. After all, her family owns a martial arts dojo, and although she seems a bit unapproachable, she gets along quite well with Shiina. Don't worry."

"And even if he's in a worse state than the boss of Ryuen, right? When I ran into him this morning, good heavens, he looked like a caveman. I don't know..."

Although his mind was a bit off, Ishizaki Daichi finally realized something was wrong and quickly covered his mouth, stammering as he changed the subject:

"Anyway... I'll keep an eye out for Shiina if I run into her again, after all, Kitagawa, you gave me a bottle of water."

"I'll let you have first place this time; I need to go back and meet up with the others."

After Ishizaki Daichi speaking, just as he had said before, he casually pressed a couple of keys on the piano before leaving with a grin.

Anyway, only he and Kitagawa Ryo successfully registered here. No matter how good Kitagawa Ryo is, he was guaranteed second place, which can be considered a great success by taking advantage of the situation.

Watching Ishizaki Daichi dash away in a flash, clearly afraid of leaking any more information, Kitagawa Ryo shook his head and smiled helplessly, then shouted after him:

"Don't you dare exaggerate!"

I wonder if Ishizaki Daichi heard it.

"Amazing!"

Meanwhile, on the other side, Tachibana Akane clapped and cheered for Kitagawa Ryo.

"Although I don't know how good Suzune is at playing the piano, Kitagawa's piano skills are definitely the best I've ever seen."

"That's why I already said, I taught Suzune piano."

Kitagawa Ryo answered casually while checking his watch for the points and other rewards.

"Then what about that Shiina that Kitagawa mentioned earlier?"

With Tachibana Akane smile, Tachibana asked, "The true intentions are revealed."

"... Ah, I suddenly remembered that Suzune mentioned to me before that Tachibana-senpai plans to go to the same university as Horikita-senpai after graduation?"

Kitagawa Ryo was no pushover either, and immediately switched from defense to offense.

"It's just an idea—and first, I need to graduate from Class A."

As expected, the moment Horikita Manabu was mentioned, Tachibana Akane's emotional intelligence and IQ dropped by fifty percent, and she hurriedly waved her hands and stammered a reply.

Just then, a message came through on the tablet that Tachibana Akane had been holding. After reading the message, the petite senior immediately spoke to Kitagawa Ryo:

"It seems there's been some kind of mishap with Horikita- kun's project; I need to go there right away."

"Hmm? Which project is he in charge of?"

"It's the [Tea Ceremony] section on the right, in the three squares on the right."

Chapter 151: As long as you're willing to marry me

When Kitagawa Ryo heard Tachibana Akane mention the word "Tea Ceremony," his heart skipped a beat, because he remembered that Horikita Suzune had recently participated in a project called "Tea Ceremony," mainly for the ingredients that were being awarded.

No two topics will appear in the same round of the Uninhabited Island Exam, so the [Tea Ceremony] that Tachibana Akane mentioned should be the topic that Horikita Suzune was on, there is no mistake about that.

Thinking of this, Kitagawa Ryo immediately moved closer and asked in a low voice:

"Senior Tachibana, Suzune is participating in this project. Has something happened over there?"

"Suzune is there too? No wonder."

Tachibana Akane was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but quickly showed a look of realization, and also lowered her voice to say:

"Actually, it's nothing serious. It's just that the teacher who was originally in charge of reviewing that project suddenly fell ill and has been airlifted to a cruise ship for medical treatment, so he can no longer serve as a judge."

"The school initially intended for Horikita to take over, as Horikita Tea Ceremony skills are quite good, but that was inexplicably canceled. The current order is for the third-year students who have already completed their work nearby to go there and form a temporary judging panel to review the project."

"If Suzune is there too, then Horikita- kun really wouldn't be a good fit as a temporary judge. Hmm, let me see..."

After all, the school also needs to consider issues of fairness and avoiding conflicts of interest. Although Horikita Manabu's professional level is not in question, considering that his biological sister is among the participating students, the school had no choice but to change its approach.

It seemed the school had shared information about the research project. Tachibana Akane swiped through the tablet's screen and muttered to herself:

"Suzune's name is indeed there, as are Nishikawa Ryoko from Class A, Amikura Mako from Class B, Shiina Hiyori from Class C..."

From the other side came the sound of someone calling Tachibana Akane's name. Tachibana Akane quickly responded and then said to Kitagawa Ryo:

"I'll head over now, see you next time."

Because the teacher in charge there was urging her to hurry, Tachibana Akane also left in a hurry with her tablet. It seemed that in order to quickly send people over, the school also used various means of transportation, and soon a beach buggy arrived.

Although Kitagawa Ryo really wanted to go along and use the school's vehicle, the teacher in charge was unlikely to agree.

However, Kitagawa Ryo was quite concerned about the list of participants in the [Tea Ceremony] project that Tachibana Akane had just mentioned. Although he thought that Shiina Hiyori, who had joined the Tea Ceremony Club, would most likely participate in the project, he still couldn't help but feel a bit of a headache after confirming that she was with Horikita Suzune.

After all, Shiina Hiyori is different from Horikita Suzune and the other three. Kitagawa Ryo doesn't intend to tell her about the existence of the simulation or her past memories with her. This is also why he hasn't tried to discuss the ring with Shiina Hiyori all these years.

Should he tell Shiina Hiyori that he once used her to dump her?

It would be better to let that first meeting at the theater, Shiina Hiyori's slightly embarrassed recitation of "Hamlet," become the beginning of their story.

Furthermore, Kitagawa Ryo also noticed Horikita Suzune's actions these days, including her probing of other girls.

Both "change" and "unchanged" are positive and negative terms.

Thinking this through, Kitagawa Ryo no longer hesitated. He walked directly to the teacher in charge of exchanging supplies who was still standing, took a deep breath, took out the Redemption Manual from his backpack, pointed to something on it, and said:

"Hello, I'd like to redeem this with my points."

"... oh?"

The teacher in charge was surprised for a moment, but quickly replied with a smile:

"You've come at just the right time. I estimate that in another two hours, this item will be removed from the redemption list."

The teacher pointed to the sky as she spoke:

"You'll probably receive the notification soon. There will be a heavy rain this afternoon and evening. The school will advise you to find a suitable campsite by noon. If you encounter any difficulties, contact us immediately using your watch."

[Notice: Attention all students and school staff. According to the weather forecast, a large-scale rainfall is expected on the island between 3:20 PM and 7:40 PM today. Students are requested to find campsites in advance and exchange for necessary supplies. School staff are requested to return to the rest area in advance. For the safety of teachers and students, all sessions this afternoon are cancelled.]

In case of any sudden emergency, please contact the school immediately using your watch.

Horikita Suzune quickly read through the notice that the school had just sent to each student's watch. She looked up at the sky again, but it was still clear and sunny, with no sign of heavy rain.

Ibuki Mio reacted quickly and went to exchange for a waterproof tarpaulin and raincoat. The members of the other groups who were staying here also got up at the same time, and for a moment only Shiina Hiyori and Horikita Suzune were left sitting here.

After Shiina Hiyori's explosive remarks, Horikita Suzune was at a loss for words. She could only lower her eyes and fiddle with her watch, idly switching between pages displaying time, leaderboards, and school announcements.

It seems there's something wrong with the examiner for the [Tea Ceremony] topic; even though ten minutes have passed since the scheduled start time, there's absolutely no indication that the topic is about to begin.

Just as Horikita Suzune was feeling uneasy, Shiina Hiyori, on the other hand, remained indifferent, as if nothing had happened. She continued to play with her message in a bottle, occasionally lifting it up as if trying to find the right angle to throw it.

"Does what I did count as littering?"

Shiina Hiyori's sudden remark, delivered in a slightly dazed tone, inexplicably elicited a chuckle from Horikita Suzune, whose emotions were in turmoil, thus easing the awkward atmosphere.

However, considering that one of the rules of this exam is against damaging the environment and littering, Shiina Hiyori's concerns are not unfounded.

"Then just throw it on the beach and pretend it's a message in a bottle washed ashore."

Horikita Suzune casually remarked this, but unexpectedly Shiina Hiyori seemed to think it was a good idea, and actually raised her hand and threw the message in a bottle onto the deserted shallows.

Perhaps due to the gravitational potential energy from its elevated position, or perhaps because the sand on the beach was indeed soft, the message bottle traced a beautiful curve in the air before firmly embedding half of its body in the sand.

Half a message in a bottle is buried in the golden sand. If you take a good picture of it up close with a decent camera, it would make a great computer wallpaper.

"I'll pick it up again after the project is over."

If the project weren't about to start anytime soon, Shiina Hiyori would probably rush over and grab the bottle back right now. So, despite saying that, she stared intently at the half-destroyed bottle, as if afraid that a wave would come and carry it into the deep sea at any moment.

Just as Horikita Suzune was about to ask what was written on the letter the other person had put in the bottle, a rough engine roar suddenly rang out in the area.

The next second, a black dot appeared on the sea not far away.

This was a loophole that Kitagawa Ryo discovered on his first day. Although the school would not provide any form of transportation assistance to the students on the island, there was a similar item in the Redemption Manual.

That is the Jet Ski, which is classified as a recreational activity.

The main reason is that Kitagawa Ryo had rented these before when he came to the Uninhabited Island, so he knows them pretty well. However, last time he went parasailing with Shiina Hiyori, and was tied to the back of the motorcycle and felt the wind all the way. This time it was finally his turn to have some fun himself.

The [Tea Ceremony] topic happens to be located in a grid near the coast, which is quite quick to reach by sea.

Kitagawa Ryo gripped the handlebars tightly, forging ahead against the oncoming wind and waves, trying to forget the large amount of points that had just been deducted.

Although it was only a daily rental, the price of a jet ski still reached an astonishing 2,000 points, which was equivalent to half the price of a water purifier. Even though Kitagawa Ryo's Level 5 Discount Card (the first place reward for the [Piano Performance] project increased his level by 1) reduced the price by 45%, 1,100 points was still quite painful.

Moreover, even though it will be unusable in just a few hours, the price doesn't seem to be getting any cheaper.

No wonder the teacher in charge of the exchange looked so strange; he was probably the only student on the entire island who had ever exchanged this thing.

[Watch me upgrade my Discount Card to level 10-15, then you'll see if I can get it for free.]

While inwardly cursing the school's unscrupulous nature, Kitagawa Ryo struggled to raise his watch amidst the wind and waves to check his location and direction.

To prevent any accident, the lifeboats nearby were also dispatched immediately, flanking him from both sides. Fortunately, most of the coastal area was designated as a restricted zone at this time, and there were relatively few students nearby. Otherwise, if they had seen it, they might have thought it was some kind of maritime capture operation.

The motorcycle sped along, reaching the shore of the grid where the [Tea Ceremony] project was located. Kitagawa Ryo immediately spat out a mouthful of salty seawater after Kitagawa Ryo, tidied his hair which had been blown off his hairline, and then waded into the sand.

Thanks to his innate [Hawkeye], Kitagawa Ryo had excellent eyesight. He easily spotted the protruding cliff and Shiina Hiyori and Horikita Suzune, who were looking at him with some shock.

"Hiyori! Suzune!"

While waving to the two people on the high place, Kitagawa Ryo searched for a path to get up from this side. However, he hadn't taken more than two steps when he tripped over something under his feet. Fortunately, he was in amazing physical condition and managed to maintain his balance, avoiding a humiliating fall into the sand in front of the two people.

"... What is it?"

Kitagawa Ryo pulled the item that had almost tripped him from beside his feet, somewhat puzzled.

It was a sparkling message in a bottle, containing a little sand, a few seashells, and a rolled-up piece of paper.

"Hidden themes in the school?"

Because Special Exam were still underway, and the island itself belonged to Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, Kitagawa Ryo subconsciously made this conjecture.

Then he began trying to pull out the cork from the message in the bottle to see what was inside.

Meanwhile, Shiina Hiyori, who was high up, was also caught in a dilemma.