The March Hare / Off with Their Heads!

After Sakayanagi Arisu replied casually, he turned around and sat down again, picked up the menu on the table, and prepared to order two refreshing drinks for the two of them.

Unbeknownst to Kitagawa Ryo, just after he turned around again, Sakayanagi Arisu was still standing there, silently extended her free right hand towards his back once more.

Just as she had grasped that hat that was once out of reach but now easily attainable, her slender fingers slowly and gently clenched into her palm.

Then, it gripped it tightly.

Chapter 262: The Rabbit in March

"How about we go swimming?"

Driven back indoors by the blazing sun on the deck, Kitagawa Ryo wiped the sweat that had accumulated on his forehead and casually offered this suggestion to Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Alright."

Sakayanagi Arisu also seemed to be feeling hot from the scorching sun, and kept fanning the two of them with her large white sun hat, agreeing to Kitagawa Ryo's suggestion without hesitation.

"It's convenient that they also offer food service by the private pool, which helps us avoid the lunch rush."

After seeing Sakayanagi Arisu nod in agreement, Kitagawa Ryo took the opportunity to book lunch for the two of them. He then sent a message to the staff in charge of private pool rentals and received a positive reply shortly afterward.

As the most popular attraction on the entire cruise ship, the private pool has been fully booked since the first day of the holiday, not to mention that it is also the first day that students are waving their prepaid cards to spend money. It can only be said that it was the students' mealtime that allowed the two of them to take advantage of this opportunity.

After all, considering that the prices of food and drinks at the private pool are double those outside, not every student is willing to be a sucker like Kitagawa Ryo.

Since they decided to have lunch there first, Kitagawa Ryo and Sakayanagi Arisu didn't change into their swimsuits right away. Instead, they leisurely lay down on the sun loungers by the pool in the most comfortable positions, and ordered some simple desserts and drinks to fill their stomachs.

Since the two of them were going swimming in the pool afterward, it wasn't convenient for them to eat too much.

Shortly after the two placed their order, a female staff member pushed a cart and brought up the food they had ordered, carefully placing it on the round table next to their chairs.

To be fair, although this Luxury Cruise Ship is full of ways to rip off students, the consumption experience provided by the school is still unparalleled. Otherwise, so many students wouldn't easily step into these consumption traps.

Even in this sweltering summer, Sakayanagi Arisu was still thinking about her coffee, ordering an iced Americano as usual. She seemed to have a natural fondness for this type of drink; she used to go to coffee shops often when she had heart problems, let alone now that her heart is fine.

Unlike Sakayanagi Arisu style, Kitagawa Ryo ordered a large glass of juice called "Gathering of Heroes," which was actually a fruit party. The glass was quite large, with a lot of various fruit pieces piled on top, giving the impression that you wouldn't need to eat anything after finishing it.

Sure enough, Kitagawa Ryo had just scooped up a few pieces of fruit pulp with the small spoon that had been brought along, and then happily took a couple of sips of his chilled juice through a straw when Sakayanagi Arisu, who was sitting next to him, started to feel tempted:

"It's cold, give me a sip."

In response to Sakayanagi Arisu's action, Kitagawa Ryo smiled and moved the cup he was holding slightly to the right, but then added a short, teasing remark in English:

"Drink me."

His outstretched hand gesture initially seemed like an agreement to Sakayanagi Arisu's request, but Arisu instantly understood Kitagawa Ryo's implied meaning. She quickly crossed her arms back to her chest, pursed her lips, and muttered a sarcastic remark:

"Tch, fine, I won't drink it then."

The reason Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly withdrew her hand was because she realized that Kitagawa Ryo's phrase "Drink me" was a reference to a scene from the opening of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, specifically the label on the juice bottle that shrinks people after drinking it.

Because her name sounds the same as Alice's, and with Kitagawa Ryo's recommendation, Sakayanagi Arisu herself had read this fairy tale book many times. Moreover, she had solved a riddle related to this setting in the 'brain teaser' section of the Uninhabited Island Special Exam that she had just finished, so it was quite memorable.

After drinking it, you'll shrink... and if you shrink any smaller, you'll really disappear.

With a slightly melancholy look, Sakayanagi Arisu rested her chin on her hand and glanced at Kitagawa Ryo, who was still leisurely enjoying his luxurious juice. Perhaps it was the setting, or perhaps it was because she didn't want Kitagawa Ryo to be so successfully teased, but she blinked Sakayanagi Arisu beautiful purple eyes and boldly retorted:

"Even if it's cold, you shouldn't drink this, right?"

Although the story still features cakes labeled 'Eat me' that can make people grow bigger, Sakayanagi Arisu clearly saw that Kitagawa Ryo didn't order any cakes or similar food. Instead, she ordered a small cream cake to neutralize the bitterness of her coffee.

As she spoke, Sakayanagi Arisu raised her chin with a hint of smugness, deliberately picking up her plate of cake in front of Kitagawa Ryo. She used the accompanying spoon to scoop a little bit from the cake, then held the spoon in her mouth, savoring the sweetness of the cake slowly melting between her lips and teeth. She licked the wooden spoon with her tongue until it almost reflected a layer of shimmering water before taking it out of her mouth.

Seemingly acknowledging that Sakayanagi Arisu had won back the argument verbally, Kitagawa Ryo didn't reply further, simply crossing his legs and continuing to drink his juice.

To be honest, the juice he drank didn't seem to have any magical effects. On the contrary, the cake that he hadn't eaten yet, which Sakayanagi Arisu, was showing remarkable effects on him.

Oh no, it seems he really underestimated Sakayanagi Arisu.

Seeing this, Sakayanagi Arisu, but pretended to check if anyone had sent a text message. She picked up the phone on the table and quietly opened the app she had just installed that day.

That unnaturally rapid heartbeat completely betrayed him.

The girl pursed her lips and secretly raised the corners of her mouth, but her right hand touched her heart a little shyly.

She's the same way, isn't she?

After a simple lunch that could barely be called lunch, they rested for about half an hour. During this time, Kitagawa Ryo and Sakayanagi Arisu chatted lazily about class affairs and the current situation of the grade.

Compared to Amasawa Ichika, who was completely uninterested in these activities yesterday and whose mind was solely focused on playing touch games with him, Sakayanagi Arisu is a girl who can't truly relax, as evidenced by the fact that she was still preoccupied with profiting from the school's Treasure Hunt Game yesterday.

The successful command of the final task of the Uninhabited Island Special Exam undoubtedly gave Sakayanagi Arisu a great boost. To use an inappropriate analogy, she is the type of person who creates goals to surpass even if there are none. At a time when the entire class, including their homeroom teacher Mashima Tomoya, is quite satisfied with the current state of the class, Sakayanagi Arisu has adjusted her mindset and set her sights on the next competitor, the former Class B, now Class A.

Without a doubt, Sakayanagi Arisu didn't really take the current Class A seriously. The only issue she was considering was actually Karuizawa Kei's stance, which Kitagawa Ryo Kei had once worried about.

"So, if Ryo really feels embarrassed to face Karuizawa directly, then you can leave the entire command of the next Special Exam to me."

Faced with Sakayanagi Arisu's confident and proactive volunteering, Kitagawa Ryo somewhat spoiled the atmosphere by throwing cold water on her enthusiasm:

"Um, the next Special Exam will most likely be the Sports Festival."

"Ahem... Commander, understand? Commander."

Sakayanagi Arisu, slightly disarmed by Kitagawa Ryo's answer, pouted and argued a couple of times before adding:

"Besides, the Sports Festival is still two months away, right? Didn't Ryo say he would train with me during that time?"

As she spoke, she reached out and waved the sports ring she had just bought that morning, which was on the middle finger of her left hand.

"Okay, let's start now, change into our swimsuits and go swimming."

Upon hearing this, Kitagawa Ryo jumped up from his recliner and casually clapped his hands.

"... By the way, isn't Arisu not very good at swimming?"

"A little bit, at least I've never actually swum in one."

When Kitagawa Ryo asked her question, Sakayanagi Arisu rolled her eyes at him coquettishly, feeling that he was deliberately bringing up a sore spot, since all her swimming-related experiences were only sealed in the second memory in her mind.

Unfortunately, the person who was instructing her in swimming at that time was Yuki, who came from the White Room and was already an extremely skilled swimmer compared to the clumsy Yuki.

"It's alright, I'll teach Arisu today."

Seemingly sensing what Sakayanagi Arisu, Kitagawa Ryo added with a smile, then went into the men's changing room and soon came out wearing only a pair of loose-fitting swim trunks.

A short while later, Sakayanagi Arisu, having changed into her swimsuit, strolled leisurely from the women's changing room to his side. Knowing that a bikini wouldn't look particularly good on her, Arisu Chosen One for a one-piece swimsuit, similar to a dress. While not revealing much overall, she deliberately used a nearly transparent sheer fabric around her lower abdomen, showcasing her delicate navel and slender waist. Below that were her slender, white legs, like the tusks of a young elephant. The overall style suited Sakayanagi Arisu quite well.

After doing some uneventful warm-up exercises with Kitagawa Ryo, Sakayanagi Arisu quietly entered the pool. Although she wasn't as flustered as a complete novice, her limbs were still wobbling a little involuntarily, but Kitagawa Ryo, who followed her into the water, quickly reached out and steadied her.

"Relax your body... How are Arisu?"

Kitagawa Ryo stood next to Sakayanagi Arisu, smiling as he asked her a question.

At first Sakayanagi Arisu couldn't say anything. She suddenly felt inexplicably flustered. The two of them were in the water, their bodies touching and their skin pressed together as they spoke, which gave her a strange feeling that was almost shameful.

She was used to talking to people while sitting in a chair, leaning on a cane, or talking across the chessboard, but talking to people like this was truly a first for her.

But Sakayanagi Arisu quickly regained her composure. Although unfamiliarity often brings unease, the person beside her at this moment was the one who could make her feel most at ease.

After overcoming her fear of water, swimming wasn't too difficult. In no time, Sakayanagi Arisu was able to swim a lap around the pool on her own, stumbling and wobbling, without Kitagawa Ryo's help.

However, given her physical limitations, after several rounds of this, Sakayanagi Arisu, whose stamina was below average, started to feel exhausted. Kitagawa Ryo, noticing this, used the excuse of balancing work and rest to take her ashore again.

After swimming in the pool, Sakayanagi Arisu's swimsuit clung tightly to her body. Feeling exhausted as soon as she got out, she simply lay down lazily on the ground, not wanting to move a single finger, and let Kitagawa Ryo wipe Sakayanagi Arisu hair and body.

It has to be said that the scene of wiping Sakayanagi Arisu with a large dry towel reminded Kitagawa Ryo of scenes he had seen in many works involving the application of sunscreen.

However, perhaps because of the towel in between, or for some other reason, Kitagawa Ryo felt that even with his eyes closed, he probably couldn't tell whether he was wiping his front or back, his chest or his back.

Of course, despite making such a rude joke in his mind, Kitagawa Ryo still carefully wiped Sakayanagi Arisu clean and refreshed, and then draped a free Yukata over her shoulders in case she caught a cold.

"Hmm, let me wipe your feet too."

Seemingly feeling comfortable thanks to Kitagawa Ryo, Sakayanagi Arisu just lain down on the chair when she subconsciously brought her legs together, stretched them straight forward, and slightly raised her feet in front of Kitagawa Ryo.

"Alright, but this won't happen again."

Kitagawa Ryo had never really been interested in this kind of game, but he didn't mind trying to appease Sakayanagi Arisu, who had been snubbed by him that morning. In the end, he reluctantly took her ankle, changed to a small towel, and began to carefully wipe Sakayanagi Arisu.

It has to be said that this is where the advantage of the "sickly and beautiful girl" attribute really shines. Because she doesn't move around much, Sakayanagi Arisu is probably the girl with the fairest and most delicate skin that Kitagawa Ryo remembers. Just by gently pinching her soft, almost weightless, pink and white arches, Kitagawa Ryo almost believed the fairy tale of the princess and the pea that he once scoffed at.

Sakayanagi Arisu just looked at Kitagawa Ryo with a smile, and everything in the world seemed to suddenly fall silent at this moment, leaving only the two of them.

In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter's time was taken away by the Queen of Hearts, so his time is forever frozen at three o'clock in the afternoon, and he can only endlessly hold tea parties with the March Hare and the Dormouse.

If such magic truly existed, Sakayanagi Arisu would probably be willing to strip away both of their time, freezing their entire lives in this very moment, and then endlessly repeating the cycle.

They can role-play as Alice and the Mad Hatter, together trying to figure out the answer to the absurd question, "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

Of course, you can also try becoming March Hare.

The March Hare... refers to a crazy rabbit that goes into heat in March.


Chapter 263: Beheading!

After spending a fulfilling and enjoyable half afternoon in the private pool, when Kitagawa Ryo and Sakayanagi Arisu the facility and strolled back into the shopping street, their hair was still slightly damp, and the skin on their fingertips and other parts of their skin was wrinkled from being soaked in water for so long.

"It's time to talk about something dry--"

Seemingly addicted to referencing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Sakayanagi Arisu playfully made this suggestion to Kitagawa Ryo as soon as she appeared.

This is advice Alice hears from a mouse in the story, when she swims out of the ocean of tears she shed after growing up with a group of small animals. The original work plays on the English word "dry," which has meanings such as boring, dry, and parched, implying that talking about boring topics can quickly dry out the body. When Sakayanagi Arisu says this, it is quite fitting for the two of them in their current situation.

"Does Arisu want to talk to me about history? How about starting with the Norman Conquest?"

Just as easily and effortlessly, Kitagawa Ryo Sakayanagi Arisu's comment with a scene from the original story. Kitagawa Ryo casually folded his arms behind his head and continued his suggestion nonchalantly:

"Instead of talking about dryness, Arisu, Arisu we have a warm-up race? That way we'll dry faster."

"I can't run anymore... If there weren't so many people on this road, I would have wanted to carry me on my back."

The afternoon swim had probably drained all of Sakayanagi Arisu's energy reserves. As if to prove her own words, the girl soon leaned half her body weight against Kitagawa Ryo, yawning sleepily.

"Just hold on a little longer, we'll be there soon."

Dragging along Sakayanagi Arisu, who looked like she could close her eyes and fall asleep at any moment, Kitagawa Ryo hurried to the private cinema before the scheduled time. After verifying his identity, he walked into the room with practiced ease.

Although his and Sakayanagi Arisu's itinerary for the day seemed very casual, it was actually mostly a cycle of rest and activity. They would meet in the morning, sit in the concert hall for a while, then go shopping and get some exercise, rest on the deck and by the pool, and then swim for a while. So now it was time for another round of rest.

There's no way around it; Sakayanagi Arisu's physical condition is what it is. Yesterday, he spent the entire day playing non-stop with Amasawa Ichika until the early hours of the morning. Otherwise, how could a date with Arisu be considered a day off?

Since none of the veteran chefs had prepared a documentary about winning the championship beforehand, Sakayanagi Arisu casually picked a comedy and put it on the big screen as background noise. Before long, she curled up in Kitagawa Ryo's arms.

The two of them had actually watched a movie together before. During Sakayanagi Arisu's first simulation, in the hospital room at night, they each put on an earphone and challenged a horror movie that, in retrospect, wasn't actually that scary.

It has to be said that a petite girl like Sakayanagi Arisu gave Kitagawa Ryo a very comfortable or rather novel experience at this time. He could simply wrap his arms around her curled-up knees and hold her completely in his arms. She was so light that he could hold her in his hands, and so soft that he could knead her into his chest. Kitagawa Ryo instantly understood the adjective "adorable".

"Hmm, the phone is ringing."

Just as the two were chatting leisurely about the movie's plot, Sakayanagi Arisu's cell phone, which was in her bag, suddenly rang clearly.

Too lazy to leave Kitagawa Ryo's embrace Sakayanagi Arisu stretched out her two feet and hooked the bag in front of her, then reluctantly took out her phone from the bag.

However, upon seeing the caller's name displayed on the screen, her expression immediately turned serious. She quickly answered the phone and placed it to her ear.

"Hello, Dad."

Upon hearing this address, Kitagawa Ryo knew it was Chairman Sakayanagi calling, but he didn't join in to listen. Instead, he waited until the father and daughter finished their conversation before asking Sakayanagi Arisu:

"What's wrong?"

Sakayanagi Arisu's phone call with her father wasn't actually very long, but it seemed to contain a lot of information. Faced with Kitagawa Ryo's question, Sakayanagi Arisu thoughtfully leaned back against his chest, stroking her chin for a long time before tilting her head slightly upwards and answering:

"My dad might, no, it's highly likely he'll temporarily step down as Chairman of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School next semester."

"... Is that so? It seems that some people on Ayanokoji Atsuomi's side are indeed getting a little anxious."

Without needing Sakayanagi Arisu to say more, Kitagawa Ryo, who had already roughly figured out the cause and effect, smiled unsurprisingly. Just two days ago, he was telling Ayanokoji Kiyotaka that Ayanokoji Atsuomi would most likely be dissatisfied with his failed actions and would start putting pressure on him again from the next semester, but he didn't expect that the first thing he would do was to take down Chairman Sakayanagi.

"If I'm not mistaken, the Acting Chairman is probably Mr. Tsukishiro. Speaking of which, what was the reason for Chairman Sakayanagi's resignation this time?"

"Yes, the new Acting Chairman is Tsukishiro. As for the reason why Dad stepped down this time, it's related to the Uninhabited Island Special Exam that just ended."

As she spoke, Sakayanagi Arisu recounted her conversation with her father on the phone to Kitagawa Ryo.

As Kitagawa Ryo predicted, Class A's sudden fall to Class D was indeed an intolerable defeat. Just as Class A itself had to drag out the traitor and Totsuka Yahiko had not yet been found to take the blame, in this gamble between him and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, Ayanokoji Atsuomi also needed to give his allies a plausible explanation and a way to deal with this defeat.

It's not hard for anyone with eyes to see that what truly allowed Class D to turn the tide was the final topic of the exam. It seemed that Class D, having known the content of the final topic in advance and thus being fully prepared, reversed the entire situation in less than three days. However, just before the final topic was presented, there was a suspected leak of the exam questions.

Although the suspect in the leak is Chabashira Sae, focusing on the school's inadequate security measures in organizing this Special Exam could be considered a decent starting point.

Following this line of public opinion, isn't there something wrong with Chairman Sakayanagi, who still decided not to change the final exam content and continue the exam after the leak incident?

Of course, the innocent will clear themselves, but that doesn't mean it's necessarily true. However, for the sake of fairness in this match, how about you step down and rest for a while?