At the café beside the deck, Sakayanagi Arisu and Kamuro Masumi had arrived at their meeting place ahead of time.
Sakayanagi Arisu had ordered no drinks, with only a slice of vanilla mousse cake on the plate before her. As always, Kamuro Masumi stood behind her.
"Have you finished checking?"
Sakayanagi Arisu seemed well aware of what Shiraishi Makoto had been doing, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Yes." Shiraishi Makoto did not deny it. "But even though I won our contest, it doesn't really feel like it."
He was neither being affected nor humble. That was genuinely how Shiraishi Makoto felt.
Although they had decided to settle their contest during this exam, there had been very little either of them could actually do. Every day, they repeated the same routine of traveling and taking on nearby Challenges, without any direct competition or battle of wits.
Not only had the two never faced off directly, but Sakayanagi Arisu had missed most of the proceedings because of her health. In the latter half, she had also diverted her attention to targeting the first-year groups, while Shiraishi Makoto had focused on Tsukishiro Tokinari.
"I feel the same way, but a loss is a loss. I agreed to the wager, so I'll honor it." Sakayanagi Arisu picked up her fork, speared a piece of cake, and held it out before Shiraishi Makoto. "Would you like a taste? Your prize for winning."
Shiraishi Makoto did not hesitate either, taking the cake in one bite. It tasted different from what he had imagined. The sweetness was very mild, making the cream's fragrance and smooth texture stand out all the more.
"Do you not like sweet things?"
"That's right. Too much sugar isn't very kind to my body." Sakayanagi Arisu drew back her fork and