Choice

"Heh~ Looks like everything they've done is groundwork for the upcoming Uninhabited Island exam," Rinya thought.

At the same time, it indirectly confirmed that the mastermind behind all this would put his plan into action on the island.

Rinya wasn't interested in any of that. After all, if the other person was on that man's side, the endgame was obviously to get him expelled.

And whoever was working so ruthlessly behind the scenes, while timing every step to perfection...

He seemed to catch a glimpse of someone lurking behind it all...

Still, if he could use the other person's methods to indirectly help with his plan to build a new class, Rinya was more than happy to let things happen quietly...

With that thought, he picked up his pen and began writing, a knowing look in his eyes.

After school, the sudden exam had left the first-years, who had been so relaxed before, looking exhausted.

As a result, many of them canceled their plans to go out for a meal together.

For some people, though, that was a good thing. Especially for Rinya.

Relieved to have fewer hassles, he took advantage of the free time. As soon as he got home, he called Kushida Kikyo and Ibuki Mio over, one after the other.

He planned to take some precautions against hypnosis for them.

They were his people, after all. He didn't want to deal with any unnecessary trouble later.

What left Rinya a little speechless, though, was that the two girls seemed to have misunderstood him~

Each thought she was the only one he'd invited...

The two of them, bundled up in their coats, ran into each other at the door at the same time. Only then did they seem to realize what was going on. The scene was unbearably awkward.

"You're..."

"You too..."

Once they understood that their host had invited someone else as well, they quietly agreed to go home, change, and come back.

But Rinya had exceptional hearing, and he wasn't about to let them leave. He still had several dinner plans to get to, and time was tight tonight.

"What are you two talking about? Come on in."

The door suddenly swung open. Before either girl could react, Rinya grabbed one with each hand and pulled them inside.

"Holy crap!"

"Man... you're something else."

Just then, Ken Sudō happened to be coming up the stairs and saw the whole thing.

He'd planned to come early and talk to Rinya about becoming Kushida's apprentice, but now he could easily guess what was going on inside.

The thought of Rinya with two girls at once left Ken Sudō feeling a little bitter. He sighed. "Guess I can forget about tonight."

"Man..." He let out another sigh.

Ken Sudō quietly took out his phone, replied to a message, then left dejectedly...

"Hm?"

"What's this..."

Meanwhile, Rinya had helped the two girls take off their coats, revealing their eye-catching outfits, and was explaining how to guard against hypnosis. When he saw the message Ken Sudō had suddenly sent him, a rare hint of puzzlement crossed his face.

"Forget about dinner tonight. But, bro..."

"Make sure to take care of yourself, okay!"

Rinya could guess what might have happened, but if it meant the other guy was canceling their plans and saving him some unnecessary hassle, he could live with that... right~

As he asked himself that, Rinya suddenly remembered something. Sakayanagi Arisu might be there tonight too. Should he find out where she stood?

After all, in the original storyline, she was on Ayanokoji's side.

But now that he was planning to build a new class, when it came to her...

Rinya had no intention of letting Ayanokoji have her~

"Um... Master~"

Seeing the boy staring at her without a word, Kushida blushed and spoke shyly.

But she failed to notice Ibuki Mio beside her, gritting her teeth and glaring at her resentfully as she sneaked around behind her.

"Ah~"

A soft, breathy gasp snapped Rinya back to his senses.

When he noticed the two girls in strange positions on the floor, he understood what had happened.

Amused, he couldn't help reminding them, "Kushida, Ibuki, next time you come over, pay more attention to your surroundings."

"Ah!"

"Master, does that mean someone saw us?" the two girls asked in unison, worried.

Rinya gently shook his head without answering.

After finishing his explanation of the precautions and giving them a few final instructions, he left the two girls behind and went out.

At the café on the school's shopping street,

Chairman Sakayanagi, dressed casually—a rare sight—gazed out the window at the people coming and going, reflecting on how much the school had changed.

"Ding!"

Just then, a message notification sounded.

After reading the message on his phone, the middle-aged man turned to the elegant girl beside him, who was sipping her coffee, and gently advised her, "Arisu, I'm sure you've already guessed who it is, but Dad still hopes you'll make an effort to talk to him."

"Trust your own judgment, and trust your father. This young man... is a good one."

"I understand, Father. Don't worry," Sakayanagi Arisu replied with a slight nod.

Though she was sipping her coffee, the corner of her eye never left the space ahead.

Until a boy in a black trench coat appeared in her field of vision...

"He's here~"

Ever since the riot, Sakayanagi Arisu had quietly noticed the boy at the top of the school. He seemed to have made her even more curious.

At that, Chairman Sakayanagi hurried over to open the door and courteously welcome him inside.

But the look on his face made him seem less like a chairman and more like a matchmaker trying to arrange a marriage.

Rinya understood exactly what he was thinking.

What left him speechless was that after exchanging just a few polite words, Chairman Sakayanagi used the excuse of going to the restroom to sneak a look at them from a distance.

Seeing that, Rinya and Sakayanagi Arisu exchanged a glance in perfect synchrony. They both found the whole thing amusingly naive.

But Rinya had other plans and was short on time, so he didn't keep up the act for long.

Once he was sure Chairman Sakayanagi couldn't hear them—after all, they were both clever people—Rinya got straight to the point. "I want to know what you've decided."

The boy's gaze was full of meaning. Sakayanagi Arisu's lips parted slightly as a drop of coffee fell back into her cup.

Then she smiled faintly. "You're very direct. Don't you want to chat first?"

"I think..."

"Being direct makes things easier for everyone, doesn't it?" Rinya picked up a cup of coffee and downed it while looking at her.

"Wow~"

"How uncouth..."

"But I don't mind." Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes lit up. She raised a hand and asked the server for another cup.

But when she happened to see her father's continued gestures urging her on, she couldn't help shaking her head slightly.

Seeing that, Rinya seemed to have already figured out her answer. He smiled faintly and didn't pursue the subject.

After a few minutes of small talk, he casually said he had other plans and took his leave.

But just before leaving, the boy suddenly turned back. Under Sakayanagi Arisu's intent gaze, he downed the coffee in her cup in one gulp.

Before leaving, he made sure to offer a hint, saying, "I've got my eyes on you."

As the boy walked farther and farther away, Sakayanagi Arisu rested her chin on her hand and smiled faintly, her eyes thoughtful.

Meanwhile, Chairman Sakayanagi had been watching from afar. His face lit up with delight. Forgetting they were in public, he hurried over with quick, mincing steps and exclaimed, "Arisu, now I can finally stop worrying about you~"

"Not necessarily, Father," the girl replied calmly.

But the look in her eyes was completely at odds with her composed expression...