The Meaning of Good Manners

The sky was clear and cloudless. With the sea breeze brushing gently past their ears, it was an incredibly pleasant feeling.

The two-week cruise had set sail, and Sagara and the others were now out in the Pacific Ocean.

"The school really went all out." Even though he'd already known this was going to be a luxury cruise, he still couldn't help marveling at the school's extravagance once they were on board.

The ship had every facility imaginable: a bar, an arcade, a swimming pool, a theater, and more.

"The school's already released the itinerary for this trip." Sagara looked at the document on his phone. "The first week is for enjoying summer at a guesthouse on an uninhabited island."

"A guesthouse on an uninhabited island, huh? Looks like that's probably where the exam will take place." Kaneda analyzed the situation rationally. "Maybe some kind of wilderness survival test?"

After all, the school had also required everyone to bring sportswear, which was an important clue.

Kaneda looked a little troubled. As a bookish type, he had a lot of "confidence" in his athletic ability.

"The first exam should be on the uninhabited island." Sagara nodded, agreeing with the analysis.

"The first exam?" Kaneda asked, puzzled.

"We'll reach the island by noon. So here's the question: by ordinary reasoning, it should only take half a day to get back to school after the exam. Why, then, have they given us a whole week on the cruise ship?" Sagara pointed to the second part of the itinerary.

They would be staying on the ship for the second week.

"If this were just a reward, I don't think the school would be so generous." A cruise ship like this cost a fortune to charter for even a single day. No matter how extravagant the school was, there had to be limits.

"So there are two exams in total, and the second one will take place on the ship." Kaneda understood.

"Let's go find Ryuen. He should've put away his luggage by now. We can take this opportunity to scout the place with him." Sagara spoke to Kaneda. Ryuen wasn't on deck because he'd gone to put away the luggage—all three of their bags.

"Okay." Kaneda nodded. Now that they knew this was the location of the second exam, they naturally had to look around carefully.

They'd only just boarded, so most of the students were excitedly putting away their luggage and then heading off to try out the various facilities. There weren't many people on deck.

Sagara found a lounge chair, lay down, and closed his eyes to sunbathe.

"Hahahaha! I really am beautiful." After sunbathing for a while, Sagara started to feel drowsy. Then he heard a hearty, booming laugh, followed by someone leaping into the pool and sending up a huge splash.

Sagara glanced at the man. Koenji Rokusuke was a student in Class 1-D. The reason Sagara remembered him was that he was famous among the upper-year girls.

As the only son of the Koenji Conglomerate, he had an identity that alone was enough to attract the attention of girls about to enter society.

"Heh, you made us do all the work while you just sat here enjoying yourself." At the familiar complaint, Sagara knew Ryuen had arrived.

After all, he was the only one in Class C who would complain about something like that.

Ryuen's arrival seemed to serve as a catalyst. The deck gradually grew livelier as students from all the classes began to arrive.

Soon, Sagara spotted a familiar figure leaning against the railing by the ship's edge.

Sagara stood and walked over. "Ayanokoji, it's been a while."

"Hello. You're..." Ayanokoji still had the same expressionless look as before. He'd clearly recognized Sagara, but didn't know his name.

"Who's that handsome guy? Ayanokoji, do you know him?" the boy beside him muttered quietly.

"Sagara Zoya. Didn't Horikita mention me to you before?" Sagara was a little surprised. Horikita Suzune had already learned his name at the library, but hadn't told her companion... Did she think that information wasn't worth sharing?

"No." Ayanokoji shook his head.

"Do you know where Horikita is?" Sagara asked. An upper-year student had asked him to pass something along, so he ought to do something.

"I don't know. Maybe in her room," Ayanokoji replied uncertainly.

"That's a problem." Sagara thought it over, then glanced at the boy beside Ayanokoji. "In that case, could you tell her this for me? 'Someone said this cruise isn't as simple as it seems.'"

Ayanokoji nodded without asking who had asked him to pass the message along.

"What are you two talking about? What's not simple about this trip?"

"What class is that guy from? Is he trying to hit on Horikita?"

The two boys pressed Ayanokoji with questions, but Sagara didn't hear what Ayanokoji said in response.

Having taken care of the simple favor his upper-year had asked of him, there wasn't much more he could do. He couldn't exactly go into the girls' rooms and act like a pervert. When he returned to the deck, Ryuen had taken the lounge chair where he'd been lying. He was sipping juice and looking thoroughly pleased with himself, with Ishizaki and Yamada standing on either side of him.

When Sagara came over, Ryuen showed no sign of giving up his seat.

"Attention, students. If you have time, please make your way to the deck. We are about to catch sight of an island, and you will soon be able to see something of interest."

The ship's announcement suddenly cut in with that message.

Ryuen, who had been lying on a lounge chair, finally stood up.

"Something of interest, huh?" Ryuen narrowed his eyes. It was obviously some kind of hint from the school.

"Come on. Let's see what this 'something of interest' is."

Sagara spoke, and Ryuen nodded before following him with Ishizaki and Yamada.

After the announcement, quite a few students headed for the spots with the best views. But since they were already nearby, and Yamada cleared a path, Sagara and the others managed to claim the best spot first.

"Hey, you nuisances, get out of the way!" A commotion came from behind them. Sagara paid little attention and focused on observing the island.

From here, they could see quite a few places on the island, including a very conspicuous cave and a forest where the trees grew in remarkably "orderly" rows.

It was obvious the island had been deliberately prepared. There were quite a few spots set up as potential base camps, and Sagara made a note of each one.

The commotion behind them didn't last long. Soon, a bald head pushed its way through.

"You guys, move out of the way!" a boy shouted at Ishizaki and the others. Both Ishizaki and Yamada were pretty big, and standing behind Sagara, they were like a wall, blocking anyone who tried to squeeze past.

"Katsuragi, is this the kind of good manners Class A teaches? That's rich." Seeing one of his underlings get yelled at, Ryuen looked at Katsuragi.

"Stop, Totsuka." Katsuragi looked rather embarrassed.

"Um, Ishizaki, could you move aside and make room for us?" Ichinose Honami's voice came from behind them.

Ishizaki looked at Sagara. When the other boy nodded, he stepped aside, allowing Ichinose and Kanzaki to walk through.

"Heh." Ryuen looked at Katsuhira, his expression even more openly mocking.