"Woohoo!"
"This place is paradise! I'm so glad we didn't get expelled!"
"Yeah!!!"
So noisy...
Watching Yamauchi, Sudo, and the others across from him yelling their heads off, Chiba Yu could only think how loud they were.
He was wearing a swimsuit and beach shorts, with a pair of black sunglasses on. Lying beneath a sun umbrella, he calmly took in the scenery around him, looking utterly at ease.
The only thing missing was a way to make those noisy guys quiet down. Then it would truly be perfect.
The Luxury Cruise Ship, the vast ocean, everything around them had all the students buzzing with excitement.
The school had arranged the cruise, presenting it as a vacation for students after their exams to help them relieve the pressure the tests had caused.
After the Sudo Incident, Chiba Yu had stepped in, and naturally, the problem had been resolved.
Later, Horikita had suspected that Chiba Yu was behind it all and had even checked his personal points. There had been nothing unusual, of course—he hadn't received the huge number of points Ryuen had claimed to see.
That had made Horikita wonder whether Ryuen had deliberately said that to distract them.
After that probing, Horikita no longer thought Chiba Yu had anything to do with the incident. Although Ayanokoji's gaze sometimes made Chiba Yu's scalp prickle, at least he wasn't interfering with his life.
On the surface, nobody seemed unhappy with the school's vacation plans. If anything, everyone was thrilled.
But Chiba Yu knew this wasn't just an ordinary vacation. Afterward, they would most likely have to take a type of test called a Special Exam.
But what did that have to do with him?
Hirata and Ayanokoji could worry about the exam. When the time came, he'd just keep a low profile and take it easy. For now... he'd better enjoy himself.
The cruise ship was surprisingly enormous. Including the ship itself and its decks, it had nine levels.
There was everything from a movie theater and swimming pool to karaoke rooms and a spa. All the entertainment venues, including those facilities, were completely free. It almost made people wonder whether they were really allowed to enjoy all this.
Today was the first day of vacation, and the first day they'd set foot aboard the cruise ship.
Countless students crowded around the railing, admiring the ocean and expressing their excitement. Chiba Yu, on the other hand... was like an old man, quietly sitting off to the side and soaking up the sun.
"Honestly, even when you come out to have fun, you're still like this. You're hopeless!"
Chiba Yu looked puzzled, then lifted his sunglasses and glanced toward the voice.
Karuizawa Kei stood beside him with her arms folded, a hint of disbelief in her eyes.
Recognizing her, Chiba Yu leisurely put his sunglasses back on and waved a hand.
"For me, this is the best way to relax."
"You... sigh." Karuizawa Kei couldn't even think of what to say to the lazy guy in front of her. Just like she'd said, he was hopeless—his laziness had reached the terminal stage.
"Speaking of which, why aren't you hanging out with Hirata and the others? Instead, you came over to see this boring man you're always talking about. What's up?"
Karuizawa Kei calmly replied to Chiba Yu's question. "Who says I came here specifically to see you? I just happened to be passing by."
The corner of Chiba Yu's mouth twitched. He said nothing.
"Karuizawa!"
"So this is where you ran off to! We've been looking for you forever. Oh, right, I heard there's a swimming pool on the deck, and they even have free swimsuits for us to wear. We—"
Halfway through, Mori Nene seemed to spot something scandalous. Her expression shifted, and a mischievous grin spread across her face.
"Oh, so that's why you came over here. You came to meet someone in particular."
"Ooh~"
"Ooh~"
Several girls, including Mori Nene and Matsushita Chiaki, started teasing her.
"Y-you guys, what are you talking about? I just happened to pass by, okay? Just passing by!"
"Mm-hmm, passing by. We understand."
Sitting off to one side, Chiba Yu trembled with fear. He didn't dare say a word. He was afraid that one wrong breath would pull him into the vortex of gossip—even though he was one of the people they were gossiping about.
"Chiba, want to come with us?"
At that moment, Hirata looked like an angel radiating light in Chiba Yu's eyes, rescuing him from his predicament.
Seeing Chiba Yu's look of having narrowly escaped death, Hirata was at a loss for words.
With Hirata there, the others naturally stopped talking about what they'd been discussing.
After all, gossip was gossip... everyone knew how it went.
"Then let's all go together."
With no other choice, Chiba Yu got up from his chair and slowly stretched his limbs so he wouldn't black out the moment he stood.
By the time they reached the deck, plenty of students from the different classes had already gathered there.
Chiba Yu looked to the side. There were plenty of students from Class B and Class C, and even Class A.
In the pool, Kushida Kikyo was playing some kind of ball game in the water with one of the girls from her class. The surging waves made Chiba Yu lose focus for a moment.
"Hey, is it really that nice to look at?"
Beside him, Karuizawa Kei was giving him the look reserved for a scumbag, with a hint of contempt in her eyes.
"I thought you'd be different from those guys. Turns out you're all the same. Hah. Men."
"No, I think I only glanced over by accident. Besides, isn't that a perfectly normal reaction for a guy? I was looking with appreciation."
Even if he sounded like he was making excuses, Chiba Yu didn't think there was anything wrong with what he'd said.
Guys appreciated good-looking people on the street, whether they were men or women. Also, what did Karuizawa Kei mean by that? Did she not even consider him a guy?
And what was wrong with him looking at another girl? What did it have to do with her? That was the only thought in Chiba Yu's mind.
"Hmph! Who knows?"
Unreasonable. That was Chiba Yu's honest opinion at that moment.
Sure enough, his earlier conclusion had been right. Whoever married this woman would probably be blessed for the rest of his life.
He'd leave girls like her for Ayanokoji and the others to deal with. He wanted no part of it.
As the two of them chatted, Chiba Yu noticed Ayanokoji and the others sitting comfortably a short distance from the pool, chattering about something.
Perhaps sensing his gaze, Ayanokoji glanced his way too.
When he noticed Karuizawa Kei beside Chiba Yu, he seemed to think about something, then silently nodded at him.
I see. You've got it rough too...
What exactly do you think you understand, you bastard?!
Chiba Yu grumbled furiously to himself.
"Still, why aren't you swimming like everyone else?" Karuizawa Kei asked, looking at the light cover-up Chiba Yu had on.
"Well, swimming isn't really for me. I'm better suited to enjoying the sun's generosity from the shore. But enough about me. What about you? I saw Matsushita and the others go over to pick out swimsuits."
For once, Karuizawa Kei was at a loss for words in response to Chiba Yu's question. Gradually, her gaze lowered, and she avoided looking him in the eye.
"I... I just don't want to get in the water. There are so many people here, including all those boys from the other classes. The thought of them staring at me..."
Chiba Yu keenly noticed something was off about Karuizawa Kei. Without drawing attention to himself, he followed her gaze and stole a quick glance.
Hah. What a clumsy attempt to hide it...