"Wow, those clouds are huge, and the sea is so blue."
"And this cruise ship is enormous!"
"Uh... Shibata, are those the only things you know how to say?" Kanzaki stood nearby, looking at the excited Shibata with exasperation.
"Huh... Did I say something wrong?"
Before Kanzaki could answer, a series of shouts came from nearby.
"Woohoo! This is awesome! Did you see that, Yamauchi?"
Following the sound, Kanzaki saw Ike leaning over the railing and pointing at something as he shouted. His voice echoed all around them.
Compared to Shibata, Ike was far more excited. The people around him paid him no mind, though. For most of the students, simply experiencing this place was already a tremendous privilege.
The cruise ship swayed gently with the waves, its engine humming low.
Kitahara stood at the bow with one hand on the railing, his white uniform billowing in the salty sea breeze. His black hair was tousled, but his gaze was sharp as he looked toward the Uninhabited Island in the distance.
Perhaps because his body had been enhanced, Kitahara could now make out details of the island from so far away.
His gaze swept over the width of the beach and the density of the vegetation. In an instant, he assessed the difference in landing risks between the east and west coasts: the eastern reef zone offered good cover but little fresh water, while the gently sloping western shore was likely to become a contested focal point.
(Don't ask how he could tell. After all, he was a man well-versed in high school geography.)
"Ah, there you are, Kitahara." Ichinose smiled as she walked over.
"Hm? Weren't you all going to check out the facilities on the cruise ship?" Kitahara asked, coming out of his thoughts.
"Oh, that? We've already seen them."
Kitahara nodded. "So, did you come looking for me for something?"
"It's nothing major. It's lunchtime, and everyone in Class B wants to eat together in the dining hall, so I came to invite you."
Ichinose tucked a strand of hair tousled by the sea breeze behind her ear and explained with a smile.
Only after hearing her explanation did Kitahara notice how much the crowd on deck had thinned.
He glanced at his watch. "So it's already this late? Let's go, then. I'm getting a little hungry too."
The two of them walked along the deck toward the dining hall. As soon as they entered, they saw the students from Class B, who had already saved seats.
Kanzaki waved to them. "Kitahara! Over here!"
Shibata called out with his mouth full of food, his words muffled.
As they headed for their seats, Kitahara keenly sensed someone watching him from the right.
Katsuragi from Class A set down his cutlery and studied Kitahara, a hint of hostility in his eyes.
Once Kitahara and the others had sat down, Katsuragi came over and addressed him. "Sorry to interrupt. You're Kitahara, right?"
"This is the first time we've met, after all."
At Katsuragi's words, Kitahara gently set down his fork. The metal clinked crisply against the porcelain plate.
He raised his head slightly, his gaze calm but edged with an inscrutable sharpness. "I didn't expect you, Katsuragi, as Class A's leader, to come over and greet me."
"But I assume you didn't come just to say hello."
As Kitahara's words fell,
the din in the dining hall seemed to quiet a little. The students in Class B stopped talking without realizing it, and Ichinose looked at Kitahara anxiously.
Seeing this, Totsuka Yahiko, Katsuragi's loyal underling from Class A, immediately stood up. His chair scraped across the floor with a grating sound.
"Hey, you in Class B! Watch your tone!"
He strode toward them menacingly, but Katsuragi raised a hand to stop him.
Seeing this, Ichinose and Kanzaki both moved to shield Kitahara.
In the tense atmosphere, Katsuragi remained calm. "Yahiko, step back."
His voice was quiet, but carried unquestionable authority.
Then Katsuragi looked at Kitahara and said slowly, "Kitahara, I admire your abilities. Have you considered joining Class A?"
"Uh..." Everyone around them was a little bewildered by Katsuragi's question.
"Thanks for the offer, but I have no intention of switching classes again. Besides, a certain lady invited me before you did, and I turned her down too."
"Is that so? She invited you as well," Katsuragi replied calmly.
"In this exam, Class A will give everything we've got to defeat you."
"Then I'll look forward to it. Let's see what you're really capable of as Class A's leader," Kitahara said confidently, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
And so, in front of everyone, Class A formally declared war on Class B.
After Katsuragi returned to his seat, Ichinose leaned toward Kitahara and asked, "Kitahara, are you really going to face Class A head-on?"
Hearing Ichinose's question, Kitahara felt a little helpless.
"Isn't our goal to rise to Class A, Ichinose? Sooner or later, we were bound to clash."
"Besides, he's already made his move. We don't have much choice, even if we don't want to fight."
After hearing Kitahara's explanation, Ichinose finally understood. "That's right. Our goal has always been Class A..."
Her voice grew more resolute, though she hadn't expected things to come to a head so suddenly.
Seeing that Ichinose still looked hesitant, Kitahara knew he needed a defeat to show her how brutal this competition could be. This Special Exam was the perfect opportunity.
"..."
"Hey, hey, is this place free too?"
"They won't send us a bill afterward, will they?"
"No, students from the other classes are eating here too, so it should be free."
"Did we come to the wrong place? Maybe we should leave."
"Yeah, maybe..."
While they were still discussing it, a server in the dining hall interrupted them. "Welcome! A table for four?"
And so, Sudo and the other two, along with Ayanokoji, were led to a table near Katsuragi and the rest of Class A.
Kitahara had been watching them from nearby. Suddenly, he thought of something and said to the people beside him, "Want to bet they'll get into an argument with Class A in a moment?"
The students in Class B looked at him in confusion.
Ichinose and Kanzaki were the ones who asked, "Huh? Why do you say that?"
"Heh, that's a secret. Tell me first—do you believe me?" Kitahara asked with a grin, offering no explanation.
Seeing how confident he looked, Ichinose and Kanzaki nodded, even though they didn't know why.
"I believe you."
"Heh, just wait and see."
Sure enough, as soon as Kitahara finished speaking, Yamauchi did something none of them had expected.