Is This Really the Kind of Vacation a High Schooler Like Me Can Experience?

"Waaah!"

"This place is practically heaven! It's so good not to have been expelled!"

"Oh!!!"

So noisy...

Watching Yamauchi, Sudo, and the others yelling and screaming across from him, Chiba Yu only felt they were exceptionally loud.

At this moment, he was wearing beach trunks and a pair of black sunglasses, lying under a parasol and quietly observing his surroundings, looking exceptionally relaxed.

The only flaw was that there was no way to make those noisy guys quiet down; otherwise, it would truly be perfect.

The luxury cruise ship, the vast ocean—everything made all the students present feel incredibly excited.

This cruise ship was arranged by the school, publicly advertised as a vacation for the students after the exams, intended to help them relieve the stress brought on by the testing.

After the Sudo incident, thanks to Chiba Yu's efforts, there were naturally no problems left.

Although Horikita later suspected that Chiba Yu had done it all and even specifically checked his personal points, there was, without a doubt, no issue at all, and she did not see a large amount of points as Ryuen had claimed.

So much so that Horikita began to wonder if Ryuen had said that on purpose just to divert their attention.

After that probe, Horikita no longer thought Chiba Yu was involved in that incident, and although Ayanokoji's gaze sometimes made Chiba Yu's scalp tingle, at least it didn't disturb his life.

On the surface, no one felt dissatisfied with the school's vacation arrangements; in fact, they were once incredibly excited.

But Chiba Yu knew that they weren't just out here to play; after this, there would likely be another type of exam called a special exam.

But then again, what did that have to do with him?

As for the exams, Hirata and Ayanokoji could worry about them; he just needed to slack off and go with the flow when the time came. As for now... it was better to just enjoy himself properly.

The scale of the cruise ship was unexpectedly large, with a total of nine decks, including the entire ship and the deck area.

There were movie theaters, swimming pools, karaoke rooms, and spas—everything one could want. All entertainment venues, including these facilities, were completely free, making one wonder if this was really something they were allowed to enjoy.

Today was the first day of the vacation and the first day they stepped onto the cruise ship.

Countless students were crowded against the railings, admiring the ocean and expressing their inner excitement and thrill, except for Chiba Yu... he was like an old man, just quietly staying to the side to sunbathe.

"I'm telling you, even when you're out having fun, you're still like this. You're really hopeless!"

Chiba Yu felt puzzled, then lifted his sunglasses and looked toward the source of the voice.

He saw Karuizawa Kei standing beside him with her arms crossed, a trace of disbelief in her eyes.

Seeing it was an acquaintance, Chiba Yu leisurely put his sunglasses back on and waved his hand casually:

"For me, this is the best way to rest."

"You... sigh~" Karuizawa Kei couldn't even think of what to say to answer this lazy guy in front of her. Just as she said, this man was hopeless, having completely evolved into the terminal stage of laziness.

"Speaking of which, you aren't going to play with Hirata and the others, but instead came here to find me, the boring man you described. Is something the matter?"

Facing Chiba Yu's inquiry, Karuizawa Kei just answered calmly: "Who said I came specifically to find you? I just happened to be passing by."

Chiba Yu's mouth twitched twice, and he didn't say anything more.

"Karuizawa-san!"

"So that's where you ran off to! We've been looking for you for a long time. Oh, by the way, I heard there's a swimming pool on the deck, and there are free swimsuits to wear too. We..."

Halfway through, Mori Nene seemed to have discovered something incredible; her eyes suddenly looked strange, and a sly smirk hung on the corner of her mouth.

"Ara, I was wondering why you would run all the way here for no reason. So it turns out you came specifically to meet someone."

"Oh~"

"Oh~"

In an instant, several girls, including Mori Nene and Matsushita Chiaki, started to tease her.

"You... what on earth are you talking about? I just happened to be passing by, passing by, get it!!!"

"Uh-huh, passing by, passing by, we all understand."

Chiba Yu, sitting on the other side, was shivering. At this moment, he didn't dare to say a single word, fearing that if he took a breath, he would be dragged into their whirlpool of gossip, even though he was one of the subjects they were discussing.

"Chiba, do you want to come with us?"

At this moment, Hirata looked like an angel radiating light in Chiba Yu's eyes, rescuing him from the fiery depths.

Seeing the look of 'narrowly escaping death' on Chiba Yu's face, Hirata felt a bit embarrassed.

Seeing Hirata arrive, the group naturally stopped discussing that topic.

After all, gossip... those who know, know.

"Since that's the case, let's all go together."

With no other choice, Chiba Yu had to get up from his chair and slowly stretch his limbs so that he wouldn't get dizzy the moment he stood up.

Arriving at the deck, many students from various classes had already gathered here.

Chiba Yu looked to the side; there were plenty of people from Class B, Class C, and even Class A.

In the pool, Kushida Kikyo was playing a ball game in the water with a girl from her class. The surging waves were enough to make Chiba Yu daze for a moment.

"Hey, is she really that good-looking?"

Beside him, Karuizawa Kei was looking at him with the gaze one might reserve for a piece of trash, seemingly tinged with a hint of disdain.

"I actually thought you were different from that bunch, but it turns out you're all the same. Heh, men."

"No, I think I just happened to glance over by accident. Besides, isn't that a normal reaction for a guy? I was just looking with an appreciative eye."

Although this sounded exactly like a lame excuse, Chiba Yu didn't see anything wrong with what he said.

Guys are like that, aren't they? Seeing someone good-looking on the street, whether it's a guy or a girl, everyone appreciates it. And besides, what was that comment from Karuizawa Kei supposed to mean? Was she implying that in her eyes, he didn't even qualify as a guy?

Also, what was the problem with him looking at other girls? What business was it of hers? That was the only thought running through Chiba Yu's mind.

"Hmph! Who knows."

Unreasonable, was Chiba Yu's most honest thought at that moment.

As expected, his previous deduction was correct; whoever ends up marrying this woman will likely have a "blessed" life for the rest of their days.

A girl like this is better left for Ayanokoji and the others to deal with; he would pass.

While the two were chatting, Chiba Yu also noticed that not far from the poolside, Ayanokoji and his group were sitting comfortably, chattering away about something.

Seemingly sensing his gaze, Ayanokoji glanced over in his direction.

After noticing Karuizawa Kei beside Chiba Yu, he seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before silently nodding at him.

I see, it seems you're having a tough time too...

What exactly do you think you understand, you jerk!

Chiba Yu retorted fiercely in his mind.

"Anyway, aren't you going to go swimming like everyone else?" Karuizawa Kei asked, looking at the light jacket draped over Chiba Yu's shoulders.

"Well, swimming isn't really my thing. I'm better suited to enjoying the sun's gift from the shore. Never mind me, what about you? I saw Matsushita and the others already heading over to pick out their swimsuits."

Faced with Chiba Yu's question, Karuizawa Kei was uncharacteristically choked for words. Gradually, her gaze dimmed, and she couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye.

"I... I just don't want to get in the water. After all, there are so many people here, and so many guys from other classes. Just the thought of being stared at by them..."

Chiba Yu keenly noticed that something was off with Karuizawa Kei. He calmly followed her line of sight and took a subtle glance.

Heh, what a clumsy cover-up...