After the commotion surrounding the Uninhabited Island Exam had completely died down, the students seemed to have truly settled into vacation mode.
They said a few more couples had gotten together over the past couple of days.
Was he jealous? Uesugi Hara couldn't say for sure.
He'd never been in a relationship, so naturally he didn't know what it felt like. He just found the sight of those couples clinging to each other a little grating.
The classes took advantage of the relaxed atmosphere to hold all kinds of gatherings, with one celebration after another.
Uesugi Hara didn't go to whatever celebration Class A had organized, though. Somehow, it felt like they'd held it just for him.
Still, something had felt off to Uesugi Hara over the past couple of days. He kept feeling like someone was following him, and every so often, he'd sense a faint gaze on his back. But whenever he deliberately slowed down or took a detour to test the waters, he never found anyone suspicious.
It was strange. He could clearly feel someone watching him from behind, but he couldn't find the source of the gaze.
For a while, Uesugi Hara wondered if he'd developed a case of "everyone's out to get me" after being caught off guard last time.
Today, they'd gone out to take pictures, and Airi said she'd found a quiet spot with few people around.
That night, at the stern of the ship.
Uesugi Hara arrived at the agreed-upon spot. He really hadn't run into anyone on the way there.
As usual, Uesugi Hara stood off to the side and watched Airi take pictures.
But that strange gaze had appeared again.
This time, though, he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye: a lock of blue hair swaying gently