Catching Adultery in the Act

Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Vocational School, Class Trial.

A long table separated Class C and Class D, but unlike before, there were a few extra people on the Class D side.

Sakura Airi, trembling due to her social anxiety, and Kushida Kikyo, who was there for reasons unknown.

"The session is now open. Both sides, please state the additional evidence you wish to present."

"Class C has no additional evidence."

"Class D requests to present additional evidence."

Horikita Suzune's voice was calm and firm, which caught Ryuen Kakeru off guard. He shed his languid posture, a bad premonition stirring in his chest.

"This is an eyewitness from the scene, Sakura Airi. Sakura-san, you can do it!"

Horikita Suzune cast an encouraging look toward Sakura Airi.

"I... I am Sakura Airi from Class D..."

Sakura Airi's voice trembled slightly.

"That day... I was on the third floor of the special building... I was looking for a quiet place to... take, take pictures. Then, I heard arguing."

"I saw with my own eyes that three people from Class C surrounded Sudo-kun first, pushing and insulting him. Sudo-kun didn't fight back at first, until... until the other side struck first, and then Sudo-kun retaliated."

"Huh? You expect us to believe whatever you say?"

Ishizaki Daichi stood up abruptly to retort.

"Who knows if you were just brought in by Class D to commit perjury! You say you took photos, but who knows if they were Photoshopped or taken somewhere else?"

"Th-this isn't Photoshopped..."

Sakura's hands shook slightly as she pressed the playback button on her camera, turning the small LCD screen toward the student council and Class C.

"This is from that day... I accidentally captured it. It's a bit blurry, but you can tell..."

On the screen was a slightly shaky, out-of-focus photo. In the corner of the frame, it clearly captured the Class C trio aggressively cornering Sudo; one of them even had their hand raised in a punching motion. The timestamp in the bottom right corner matched the exact time of the incident.

"This photo proves that before the physical altercation broke out, Class C had already posed a substantial threat and provocation toward Sudo-kun."

Horikita Suzune added at the opportune moment. She walked over to Sakura, took the camera, and displayed it to the student council members.

"Although Sakura-san is introverted, she has absolutely no reason to lie. This photo is enough to prove that this was not a one-sided act of violence by Sudo, but a brawl provoked by Class C."

Amasawa Reigetsu was somewhat impressed by Horikita Suzune. Even though he had given her the hint to the correct answer, she had managed to follow through step-by-step, and with remarkable efficiency.

Feeling Amasawa Reigetsu's gaze, Horikita glared back proudly, as if she had finally cleared her name and solved the difficult problem Amasawa Reigetsu had posed all on her own.

Hajimi...

Amasawa Reigetsu muttered to himself.

With things having reached this point, there was no need for Class C to continue struggling. Ultimately, Ryuen Kakeru withdrew his accusation against Sudo, and the first-year class points were distributed as normal.

Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, Class 1-A.

"Students, I have an announcement to make. Please pay attention:"

"In light of your excellent performance in the midterm exams, the school has decided to organize a luxury cruise vacation for next week. The destination is the school's uninhabited island, and the trip will last for two weeks. Please enjoy yourselves!"

Mashima Tomoya, usually stern-faced, displayed an uncharacteristic look of cheer, which undoubtedly ignited a celebratory atmosphere within the classroom.

"A vacation?!"

"For real? We get something this good right after midterms?"

"As expected of the Advanced Nurturing High School..."

The students of Class A buzzed with discussion. The leaders of the two factions were lost in thought—would the school really be so generous as to give the entire grade a vacation?

However, neither Katsuragi nor Sakayanagi made any rash moves. After nearly a semester of maneuvering and conflict, the Sakayanagi and Katsuragi factions had reached a breaking point; it would only take one major success, or failure, for the scales of victory to tip decisively in one direction.

"Hey, Amasawa Reigetsu, a vacation! Tell me, is this episode legendary or what?"

Morishita Ran elbowed Amasawa Reigetsu in the side. Amasawa Reigetsu pulled out a red card and stuck it onto Morishita Ran's forehead.

Morishita Ran: #^ ^

"Where is the 'legend'?"

Amasawa Reigetsu looked at Morishita Ran, whose forehead veins were bulging, and could only weakly play along.

"The legend is behind the 'original'."

As if she had been holding back and finally found release, Morishita Ran let out a look of pure ecstasy—a look that had nothing to do with lust, but rather the expression of a true old-school artist.

Amasawa Reigetsu looked at Morishita Ran, speechless, his mind beginning to ponder what this vacation would actually entail.

...Judging by Mashima-sensei's expression and mood, this vacation was likely a special exam similar to the one at the start of the school year, which meant it would involve earning class points.

An uninhabited island, huh... Amasawa Reigetsu had already figured out the script. When you talk about an uninhabited island, it's obviously survival!

Finished with his thoughts, Amasawa Reigetsu looked back at his desk-mate, Morishita Ran, who was still maintaining that ecstatic expression.

Amasawa Reigetsu: Little sister, you continue.

Advanced Nurturing Yacht, guest room.

After boarding the Advanced Nurturing Yacht and receiving his room key, Amasawa Reigetsu headed straight for his room. The room contained two bunk beds; he wondered who his roommate would be.

Kito Hayato? Hashimoto Masayoshi? Katsuragi Kohei? Amasawa Reigetsu actually couldn't think of any other possibilities for a moment; after all, given the school's typical behavior, even the dormitories were likely assigned based on ability.

No, wait, there was already someone in the room, and they seemed somewhat familiar. Amasawa Reigetsu walked into the room with a strange premonition, then looked toward the bed in front of him—

What kind of quilt-cocoon was this? Why was it exactly the same as the one that frequently spawned in his own dormitory?

Amasawa Reigetsu decided to try and lift it; could it really be Kiyoko? That couldn't be right; she was a girl and in Class D. How on earth did she get in here?

The moment Amasawa Reigetsu's hand touched the quilt, he regretted it, because a split second before being swallowed by the Quilt Demon, he saw the shattered window.

Feeling the warmth on his lips in the darkness, Amasawa Reigetsu cast a mental induction on the Quilt Demon (perhaps that wasn't a typo), and Ayanokoji Kiyoko's body instantly went limp from its attack state, leaving her at his mercy.

"Mmm... Master, you didn't expect this, did you? (˶ｰ`֊´ｰ) Oh my, ahhh~♡ Let me be proud for a moment, okay?♡"

Ayanokoji Kiyoko was pinned beneath Amasawa Reigetsu, wrapping her arms around his neck and acting spoiled. Her usually indifferent face was now flushed with a faint red, and her clouded pupils were slightly dilated—this was a manifestation of her desire, and also the mark of a servant belonging solely to Amasawa Reigetsu.

Click.

The sound of the door lock opening.

"Eh?"

Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes lost their luster.