Under the Surface

And so, once all four first-year classes had boarded the ship, the two-week trip began.

"Beeeep..."

With a long blast of its horn, the passenger ship began to move slowly forward.

Everyone stood by the railing, singing and cheering as they looked forward to the wonderful days ahead.

And since the trip had been organized by the school, what made everyone happiest was that all the facilities on board were free to use.

For Class D, which was usually troubled by a shortage of points, it was a godsend.

As a result, everyone in Class D, boys and girls alike, had a wonderful time.

The pool was especially popular. Even some of the girls who were usually rather timid took the opportunity to show off their amazing figures.

But while plenty of boys stared with shining eyes, Ayanokoji and Horikita Suzune happened to spot a stranger cautiously peeking out from a corner of the cabin, near the small stage in the bar.

"I've never seen that person before..."

Looking at the man, whose expression was grim and whose air was nothing like a student's, Horikita Suzune furrowed her brow. Her strong feminine intuition told her something was wrong.

"If we don't know who he is, it's best not to get involved."

Ayanokoji poured himself a glass of juice and drank it calmly. His expression seemed to say that as long as the man didn't interfere with him, he didn't care what happened.

At his casual response, Horikita Suzune realized that, despite expecting to get angry and argue back, she didn't feel the slightest bit of anger.

Instead, for once, she found herself thinking that he had a point.

Have I... really become so indifferent?

She asked herself the question, then fell silent for a moment.

Seeing this, Ayanokoji did something uncharacteristic and gently patted her shoulder. "Don't overthink it. I think this is exactly the kind of person the class needs—and wants you to be, isn't it?"

"But..."

Horikita Suzune looked at his placid, lifeless eyes and gave a bitter smile. Then she shook her head and decided to stop thinking about it. She would simply pretend she hadn't seen anything.

After all, following everything that had happened, she was no longer the stubborn girl who always acted on impulse.

Especially after the riot, when she'd experienced another side of human nature firsthand, she might really have grown without even realizing it.

"Ding! Announcement. All students with free time are requested to gather on the deck."

"We'll be able to see the island soon. In a little while, we should be treated to some beautiful scenery."

Suddenly, a strange announcement began playing over the ship's speakers.

Most students were mainly interested in what the island itself was like.

After all, according to the plan, they would spend the first week enjoying summer at a villa on the Uninhabited Island, then stay aboard the ship during the second week.

Of course, the boys in Class D probably weren't thinking about the island scenery.

By the clear pool, a group of boys led by Kanji Ike could hardly hear the announcement anymore. They were transfixed by the glorious sight before them.

Even Ken Sudō, who was always saying that Horikita Suzune was the only girl he cared about, had gotten caught up in the moment.

Girls with stunning figures—Kushida Kikyo, Shinohara Satsuki, Hasebe Haruka, Sato Maya, and others—were playing freely in their stylish swimsuits. It was hard to imagine anyone looking away.

"Boss, this is the kind of sight you'd regret missing for the rest of your life. Should we call Rinya over too?" Kanji Ike, who was leading the group, asked with a flushed face.

"Yeah, good point."

"Then... you go get him. I'll keep watch for you."

"Uh... all right."

He had a bad feeling about it, but since he'd said he would do it, he had to be a good friend.

Before long, Kanji Ike spotted Rinya beside a relatively quiet pool, just as he was about to change.

But as Ike was about to call out to him, he saw Rinya's sturdy, perfectly toned body, without a hint of excess fat, and froze.

"I had no idea Rinya was built like that... Damn!"

"Was he... a professional bodybuilder before he started school?"

As he spoke, perhaps out of the instinct all men had to compare themselves with one another, Ike grew curious. If Rinya had such a powerful physique, then what about...

But the next second, Ike's jaw dropped.

His eyes widened to their limits.

Even as a fellow boy, Ike couldn't help exclaiming, "Is that thing even human?"

"Oh, Ike. Did you need something?"

With his extraordinary perception, Rinya immediately noticed the boy around the corner behind him and calmly asked what he wanted.

"Huh? Uh..."

Ike hadn't expected to be spotted so quickly and was clearly caught off guard.

But seeing Rinya like this, Ike naturally wasn't about to introduce him to the others.

He didn't want to embarrass Rinya. He was his friend, after all.

"Heh heh... I just happened to be passing by."

"Carry on, Rinya. Don't mind me. See you!"

Watching Ike dash away, Rinya couldn't help shaking his head with a laugh.

Now, he could get down to business.

After getting dressed and resting for a while, he felt that the energy he'd spent on Matsushita Chiaki had fully recovered. The first thing he wanted to do was figure out where the hypnotist would be hiding this time.

After all, if he was going to use the other person's hypnosis to help get things done, he needed to get a handle on their movements first.

"Beep!"

Just then, as Rinya was wondering how to draw the other person out, his phone suddenly rang.

He saw that the caller was Kushida and answered. When he heard the girl's anxious voice, his eyes lit up.

"Master... Master, I think I've noticed something strange.

"Just now, near the pool, I heard that Sudo and a few others had been reported for something by someone. Chabashira-sensei has already called them to her office to reprimand them.

"But what I find strange is that Chabashira-sensei would never have done something like this before."

"Even when she was really angry, the most she'd do was remind the person who'd made a mistake. She'd never waste her time calling someone in for a reprimand herself.

"But now she's been so unpredictable..."

Their homeroom teacher seemed perfectly normal, yet she suddenly changed her attitude at crucial moments. Even Kushida couldn't help feeling a little afraid of her now.

"Oh?"

"Were the people she called in the ones who were discharged from the hospital not long ago?" Rather than answering directly, Rinya asked in a calm voice.

"Ah... Master, now that you mention it, I think you're right."

Kushida remembered that before this, even Koenji, who usually liked to keep to himself, had been taken to the office by the teacher for being improperly dressed.

"So I was right..." Rinya's gaze shifted slightly.