Shipboard Anecdotes

Qiuyue: (I spent the whole morning working in my room, exhausted. I never thought we'd board at 5 AM—I figured we'd have the evening. Damn it, I was drawing until 11.)

(I installed a camera on the drone and finally finished the map, marking most of the base locations. I printed four copies and kept the original for myself.)

(I hid each copy in a bathroom without cameras nearby, and I even added a little extra for Class B. Next step is contacting all four classes.)

Qiuyue flexed his hands as he slowly walked up to the deck. A gentle breeze brushed against his cheeks, carrying the salty scent of the ocean.

Qiuyue took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air fill his lungs, and his mood gradually relaxed.

Qiuyue walked to the railing and gazed into the distance. The boundless sea sparkled under the sunlight, waves lightly lapping against the hull in a pleasant rhythm.

Sunlight scattered across the water, shimmering with golden light, like countless diamonds embedded in a blue canvas.

He closed his eyes, listening to the waves and the cries of seagulls, savoring the tranquility and beauty of nature.

Qiuyue: (Mm... I never saw the ocean in my past life, never rode a ship this big. The school really has money.)

(I've decided—in this life, I'll enjoy everything I missed out on. This hard-won second chance at life—I'm going to truly experience this world.)

"Woooooah—! Little Kikyou is amazing!!"

Qiuyue was startled by a sudden loud yell and turned to look.

There was Ike, kneeling before Kushida, completely ecstatic, like the protagonist of a hot-blooded anime unleashing his ultimate move.

Qiuyue: (...Does he have some kind of problem? What did I miss?)

Everyone around was staring at Ike, who was kneeling in front of Kushida, with strange looks.

Qiuyue glanced around and saw Beautiful Guy lying on a chair in nothing but triangle underwear.

He was looking in a mirror, combing his hair, and muttering something to himself. Qiuyue didn't need to guess—he knew it was probably, "I am truly beautiful."

Qiuyue didn't linger. Instead, he went to enjoy the food on the ship. Since everything was free, it would be a waste not to eat.

Qiuyue arrived at a Western restaurant, ordered a plate of pasta, and was about to dig in when he saw the Idiot Trio and Ayanokoji walk in.

"Oi oi, is this free too?"

"Are they going to charge us later?"

"No, other class students are eating too. It should be fine, right?"

Just as the Idiot Trio was hesitating, a waiter approached them.

"Welcome. Four of you?"

"...Yes." x3

As the four of them sat down, Qiuyue leisurely ate his pasta, ready to watch the show.

Meanwhile, the Idiot Trio.

"Hey, what kind of dish is this? I can't read it?"

Sudo looked at his two buddies and Ayanokoji with great confusion. To be fair, a menu full of English was indeed beyond his academic ability.

"Pig head terrine? With herb sauce?"

"...N-Not bad... Let's just order something."

Yamauchi clearly couldn't read it either, but he still forced himself to say that.

He took action, shouting loudly:

"Excuse me, waiter? Can we order? Excuse me, over here."

Qiuyue: (...Six...)

Yamauchi's shout immediately drew the attention of everyone in the restaurant. They all looked at them with amusement.

"You're from Class D, aren't you."

"Huh? So what?"

"Listen carefully. This isn't a place for trash like you."

"Hah?"

"Trash should stick to junk food. Why don't you go eat burgers?"

Sudo got angry, walked straight up to the speaker, grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him out of his seat.

"You bastard! Don't you dare look down on burgers!"

"Yahiko, don't provoke them for no reason."

"Katsuragi..."

"Even though it's a holiday, you could still lose points for your attitude. Have some awareness as a Class A student."

"Y-Yes."

"And you Class D people—you should learn some manners. Don't cause trouble for those around you."

"Huh? We didn't—"

Just as Sudo was about to say something, the whispers around them had already started.

"That's him, right? The one involved in that famous violent incident."

"Yeah, I remember his name was Sudo. Look at that red hair and thuggish vibe—matches perfectly."

"His eyes are terrifying. Who knows how many people he's killed."

"Hah..."

Sudo couldn't take it anymore and shouted loudly:

"You bastards! What the hell are you saying? What's your problem?"

"Are you about to make the same mistake again?"

Katsuragi just frowned and glanced sideways at Sudo as he spoke.

Ike quickly stepped in to mediate, patting Sudo on the shoulder and saying:

"Forget it, Sudo. Let's just find another store."

"...Tch."

Sudo clicked his tongue without hiding his irritation and followed Ike out of the shop.

Qiuyue: (...Katsuragi... first time seeing him. That bald head reflecting light—is that alopecia?)

(...Hmm, a bit unique. Today was quite a show. After eating, I'll play some Head-Patting Village and then rest.)

"Mmm... ah... mmm... ah... ah~ aah, that feels so good~"

"Hoshinomiya-sensei?"

In a private room, Hoshinomiya and Ichinose were having an essential oil SPA. Two female staff members applied oil up and down their bodies, massaging with expert skill.

Both Hoshinomiya and Ichinose wore only panties, lying face down on the beds as they enjoyed the treatment and chatted.

"Sorry, sorry. Go on."

"Right now, the class points for Classes A, B, and C are very close. I think we need to keep a close eye on the movements of Class A and Class C, especially Classmate Sakayanagi and Classmate Katsuragi from Class A, and Ryuen from Class C."

"And Class D?"

"I think it would be Classmate Hirata and Classmate Horikita."

"There should be more, right~"

"I've heard that Kouenji's grades and physical abilities are also excellent."

"That's true..."

"Ayanokoji-kun?"

"That's right~ My intuition tells me he's also someone worth keeping an eye on."

"...Is that so? Ah—Hoshinomiya-sensei, what do you think about that person who sold us information? Looking at the class points, it's clear they sold to Classes A, B, and C, right?"

"That's right~ Mmm~ Right there, that feels good~ Press harder there, mmm~"

"Hoshinomiya-sensei?"

"Nothing, go on."

"Hoshinomiya-sensei, what do you think their goal is? Points?"

"It can only be for points. We knew that when the school announced the hidden rules, didn't we? Upperclassmen and school staff can't do this, so they must be a first-year."

"That's true... But what do they need the points for? Could they use points to get into Class A?"

"Bingo~ You guessed it, Honami-chan. It costs 20 million Private Points per person."

"Whoa, is it really possible for one person to gather that much?"

"Who knows?"

"So they're from Class C or Class D?"

"That's quite possible~ My intuition tells me they're from Class D. I don't think Ryuen-kun's class would have someone capable enough to endure this situation in silence."

"Intuition again? Hoshinomiya-sensei's intuition isn't exactly reliable, is it?"

"How mean~"