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After leaving the meeting room, Ryuuen strolled across the ship to the deck. He wanted to catch the sea breeze there.

On the way, he ran into Karuizawa—or rather, Karuizawa ran into him.

"Sorry." After apologizing, Karuizawa tried to leave Ryuuen's side.

But Ryuuen had no intention of letting the girl off so easily. "An apology isn't enough."

Ryuuen grabbed Karuizawa by the arm and squeezed hard enough to make her feel pain.

"What do you want?" Karuizawa did not even try to struggle, her voice trembling.

Ryuuen looked over Karuizawa's figure, then punched her in the stomach. The blow was not particularly hard, but it was enough to make Karuizawa remember the days when she had been bullied.

"I'm in a good mood today. Next time, I won't let you off so easily."

Letting go, Ryuuen headed straight for the deck.

The sea breeze still blew, and seagulls flew in the distance. Standing on the deck, Ryuuen received a message from Ibuki. "Ryuuen, I brought you a gift."

Ryuuen's eyelid twitched. Could that girl really be kind enough to give him a gift? Still, true to his policy of never refusing what came his way, he did not decline. "I'm on the deck. Come over."

Soon, Ryuuen saw Ibuki dressed in casual clothes, looking like a tomboy. The pink paper bag in her hand, however, looked wildly out of place.

"Horikita's." Ibuki handed the bag to Ryuuen and slipped away.

Opening the paper bag, Ryuuen was stunned by Ibuki's ridiculous stunt for three full seconds. He could not make out what the grimy scrap of cloth inside was at all.

It was not until Ryuuen took it out completely and straightened it that he realized it was a pair of panties.

Speechless.

That was how Ryuuen felt, and his mind was still a little blank. Ibuki had said they belonged to Horikita. Not daring to leave the panties exposed to the air for too long, Ryuuen hurriedly stuffed them back into the paper bag.

At that moment, Ryuuen was even more nervous than when he had handed a bottle of cola to Shiranami.

If anyone found out, he would be socially dead for real.

In the end, Ryuuen decided to return them to their owner. Carrying the pink bag, he headed for Horikita's room.

Although he had messaged Horikita beforehand, she had not replied. The longer he held onto the bag, the more dangerous it became, so Ryuuen ultimately chose to visit her in person.

He knocked on the door, but no one answered.

He knocked again. Still no response.

Ryuuen wanted to leave the paper bag by the door, but he was afraid someone else might find it. He stood there for a while, and just as he was about to leave—

The door opened.

Horikita forced herself to open the door for Ryuuen.

Almost instantly, Ryuuen wrapped an arm around Horikita's waist. The girl's body was soft, yet heavy—not weighty, but like a sponge soaked with water. Horikita did not want Ryuuen to support her. She wanted to walk on her own, but she could not muster even a bit of strength.

"You're this sick and still trying to act tough." Ryuuen forcefully picked Horikita up and placed her on the bed.

Horikita lay on the bed in cute bear pajamas. Her face was pale, and her eyes looked weak, revealing her exhaustion and discomfort. Her long hair hung messily over her shoulders, lacking its usual shine and vitality. Her body trembled faintly, showing that she was suffering from physical discomfort and pain. The brightly colored pattern on her bear pajamas stood in sharp contrast to her pale skin.

Ryuuen did not intend to stay with Horikita for long. Her current condition clearly made her unfit to be disturbed, but no one from Class D had come to take care of the sick girl. Even the classmate assigned to share her room had vanished somewhere.

Horikita really was unpopular in Class D.

After placing the paper bag at the foot of Horikita's bed, Ryuuen left. He did not know how to care for a sick person, but he knew how to call someone in. He sent Hiyori a message: "Kushida, go take care of Horikita."

The reply came almost instantly. "Are you crazy? How could I possibly take care of that woman?!"

"This is an order."

There was no room for negotiation. Ryuuen was not worried that Kushida would pull anything while Horikita was sick. Kushida might be two-faced, but she was not rotten enough to toy with someone's life. At her worst, she only wanted Horikita expelled.

After leaving Horikita's room, Ryuuen sent Morofuji Rika a message. "Come to my room."

No one in Class C dared ignore Ryuuen's messages. Even though Rika had been having fun with the other girls, she still had no choice but to leave when she saw his message. That was Ryuuen's standing in Class C—the privilege of a tyrant.

"What is it, Ryuuen-sensei?" Morofuji Rika carefully asked. The timid girl was flustered, having no idea what she had done wrong to be summoned.

"I heard someone bullied you?" Ryuuen asked.

"No, no, nobody bullied me." Morofuji Rika hurriedly waved her hands in denial.

Ryuuen frowned. "I mean Karuizawa from Class D bullied you."

Morofuji Rika still did not understand what Ryuuen meant, but she did have a small conflict with Karuizawa. She did not know how Ryuuen had learned about it.

"It's okay. I've already let it go." Morofuji Rika hurriedly made her position clear.

Ryuuen tapped Morofuji Rika on the head. "How is it okay? How can someone from our class be bullied by another class? What I mean is, get your friends together and demand an explanation from Karuizawa. At the very least, make her pay a price. How could she bully our little Rika?"

Ryuuen lifted Rika's chin. The little girl's face flushed crimson. She wanted to nod but did not dare. Though her head felt a little dizzy, she understood Ryuuen's intention and knew what she needed to do.

After sending Morofuji Rika away, Ryuuen lay on his bed to rest, thinking about Karuizawa and the Benefactor Exam. The coming days would be busy, and he also had to deal with the man in the suit. Ryuuen felt a little tired and wanted a drink.

When he thought of something, he did it. Ryuuen's drive was at full throttle. He had previously investigated every room on the ship and knew where alcohol was available. How could a luxury cruise ship like this possibly have no booze?

When he opened the door, it seemed he was not the only one who wanted a drink.

"Chabashira-sensei likes drinking too? How about I join you for a glass?"

Ryuuen saw Chabashira-sensei, dressed in business attire and black stockings, sitting alone at the bar with a Cuba Libre.

Cuba Libre: a mixture of brandy, mint leaves, grapefruit juice, sugar, and soda water.

Ryuuen quite liked this cocktail as well.

It was refreshing, with a rich and balanced flavor.

The tequila gave the cocktail a unique aroma and a faint alcoholic bite, while the mint leaves and grapefruit juice added a touch of freshness. The sugar balanced the alcohol's sharpness perfectly, and the bubbles from the soda water made the overall taste lighter and crisper.

Overall, the Cuba Libre was a pleasant, fresh, and delightful cocktail, perfect for a summer day and capable of evoking a touch of tropical charm.

However, Ryuuen did not order that. He ordered a Locomotive instead. This cocktail was rich and potent, and the stimulation on his tongue was intensely addictive.

Chabashira knew Ryuuen too, but she did not want to pay him any attention. She had already had two drinks and was slightly tipsy. When Ryuuen sat down, she planned to finish the glass in her hand and leave.

But just as she was about to drain it in one gulp, Ryuuen ordered her another Locomotive. "Chabashira-sensei, this one's on me."

Chabashira gave a scornful smile. "All expenses on this ship are reimbursed by the school. Are you just using someone else's money to play generous? And minors aren't allowed to drink. Aren't you afraid of losing points?"

Ryuuen smiled bitterly. Why did all teachers like threatening students with points? Hoshinomiya did it, and so did Chabashira.