The luxurious summer vacation aboard a cruise ship, continuing with valuable experiences, had already passed its halfway point. The students, fully enjoying the remaining time, had wallets looser than ever before. The ship's pool, equipped with large facilities accessible to everyone for free, also had another area called the private pool.

This place could be rented out for 60 minutes at 20,000 points. Although the rental fee was not cheap, if rented by a class, it would cost only 500 points per person, making it an excellent opportunity for intimate moments with close friends. Consequently, the private pool was unexpectedly popular, fully booked from 8:00 in the morning until 8:00 in the evening.

I arrived a little late to meet with the Kiyopon group by the poolside. Coincidentally, I arrived at the same time as Keisei, who had complained of a stomach ache earlier, so we ended up going together.

"Sorry, my stomach ache lasted a bit longer."

"It's okay. Shall we go now?"

"Yeah, sure."

What caught my eye was the large pool. I changed into a simple swimsuit, white surf shorts, while still wearing a black hoodie rash guard. As I headed towards Kiyotaka and the others, I saw Haruka dressed in quite a remarkable outfit. Damn, she's sexy. I won't say anything further, but let's just say she really got my attention.

Inside the pool, Akihito and Airi were swimming.

"Wow..."

Keisei exclaimed in surprise, most likely at the sight of Haruka's swimsuit. I couldn't help but show a surprised expression as well, and Haruka greeted us with a playful smile and voice.

"Hey there!"

"Oh, hey."

Keisei adjusted his glasses, glancing over at them. So, you're also a guy, huh? I thought you were just all about studying, but I'm relieved now.

"Well, I think I'll go for a swim too."

Following the vigorous swimming of Akihito, Keisei also jumped into the pool. Airi, who couldn't swim well and was standing at the edge of the pool, gestured towards Haruka.

"Haruka-chan, come on over! It feels so good!"

"Okay, okay, I'm coming. Just wait a moment. Jinjin, you're coming too."

Haruka grabbed my arm, urging me to enter the pool with her. It was dangerous; her chest was pressing against me. 

She was practically half-naked and looked so sexy that I was starting to feel overwhelmed. Haruka, with a perplexed expression, grabbed my arm and dragged me out forcefully.

"Let's go already, come on!"

"Wait a sec... This is bad."

"What's bad? Come on, hurry up!"

As she spoke, she pulled my arm, leading me along. I had to bend forward to hide my current situation, or else it would have been embarrassing. Seeing this, Kiyotaka sent me a cold gaze, but I decided not to pay it any mind.

We played volleyball and other games, fully enjoying the pool. Before we knew it, it was time to change. As we returned to our cabins, Hondo, who shared the same room with me, came back muttering to himself.

"Man, that was scary."

"What happened?"

"Oh, nothing much. It's just... Tokito and Katsuragi. They were about to fight near the restroom nearby. Of course, it was Tokito who started it, right? But man, it seemed like quite a heated argument."

They had mentioned something about a dispute in the restroom, so I decided to go check it out.

When we got closer, we couldn't see Katsuragi and the others. Had they resolved their issues?

"Horagasaki-kun."

As I was about to walk around the area, Shiina called out to me.

"Is the dispute over?"

"I see, so you saw it too. I heard about it and came here. I asked them to leave the area earlier."

"I see. You can't avoid standing out here. I'll take a look around."

As we conversed, we could faintly hear voices coming from a quiet area nearby. Peeking in, we saw Katsuragi and Tokito having a discussion.

As we listened in, Shiina occasionally tapped my shoulder. When we made eye contact, she spoke.

After observing for a while, I turned to face Shina after being lightly tapped on the shoulder with fingertips.

"The dissatisfaction among the classmates of Part 1 isn't something that just cropped up yesterday or today."

"The frustration has been building up for a while now, huh?"

The dictatorial regime of Ryuen naturally provokes strong resistance. While they might have forcefully suppressed it before, it seems like it's finally starting to push back.

"What about Ryuen? Didn't he used to handle this kind of thing easily?"

"If it were before, then yes."

"So, the fact that he's not doing that anymore is the reason?"

Shina nodded quietly in agreement.

"Everyone is changing. Initially, I didn't have strong feelings towards the class either. I hardly made any demands, thinking if I could spend three years surrounded by books, that would be enough."

Certainly, if asked whether Shina's presence was strong from the beginning, the answer would be no. Well, it's okay because she's cute.

"Tokito-kun has always disliked Ryuen-kun's methods. No, it's not just Tokito-kun. Even Okabe-san, who's now close to him, is one of them."

"They want to attract Katsuragi and turn against Ryuen, right?"

"That might be the case."

Ability-wise, even Katsuragi has enough potential as a leader, and being the only transfer student who came here gives him the freedom to confront Ryuen without hesitation.

"Tokito, huh... Ryuen must be having a hard time too."

A guy named Yuuya Tokito is known for his assertive personality, rough language, and strong determination. It seems like he's just buried under Ryuen's shadow, but he's quite troublesome in his own way.

"Indeed, our class is doing well now. One of the reasons is that Ryuen-kun, who left the front lines once and returned, has shown growth."

Compared to when they were in first year, Ryuen and those around him, like Ishizaki, have shown significant growth.

"But whether this winning streak will continue indefinitely is another matter. It's true for any class, but if Ryuen-kun were to drop out, our class would collapse all at once."

"Well... his methods are quite risky."

"In that case, the presence of someone who can take over in unforeseen circumstances is essential."

A leader candidate in case of unexpected events. Shiina says this with a smile.

"If that happens, would you consider joining our class, Horagasaki-kun?"

Despite her quiet appearance, she doesn't hesitate to discuss strategies for the class to win.

"Seriously...?"

"I don't think our class is weak, but it's also a fact that we lack someone who can lead us in case of emergencies. What do you think?"

Certainly, in terms of class abilities, they might be the best. Fighters like Ibuki and Ishizaki, strategists like Shina and Kaneda. With Katsuragi as a strategist and me as a leader, Katsuragi, Shina, and Kaneda would back us up, forming a battle formation.

"There's no possibility of Ryuen leaving, though."

"Of course, that's the best scenario."

But it felt like an oddly sudden invitation from Shiina.

"Was there something?"

I asked outright, but she just smiled without giving an answer. While conversing with Shina, the discussion between Katsuragi and Tokito continued with some friction. Tokito left, probably thinking it's a waste of time. After that, I tried to quietly fade out, but Shiina pulled my arm, making me inadvertently show up in front of Katsuragi.

"What's up, Horagasaki?"

I decided to go along with the flow and talk.

"It seems like things are pretty tough."

"That's the case in any class. I didn't want to talk about it, but..."

Katsuragi looked once at Shina standing beside me.

"I can't admire that, Shiina. While it's true that you seem to trust Horagasaki, dragging personal emotions into class issues isn't the right decision."

It's a harsh way of putting it, but he's not wrong. Giving away information unnecessarily might become a fatal blow later.

"It might be possible, but can you discuss this with your classmates? If Ryuen-kun hears about it, he won't just leave it alone, and the same goes for other students."

"It's not something that can be resolved by telling Horagasaki."

"Isn't this a good opportunity for Katsuragi-kun to organize his thoughts?"

"What do you mean?"

"To establish your own direction, how about expressing what you're thinking right now?"

She's quite the strategist. Trying to influence Katsuragi through me. It's not easy for Katsuragi, who tends to dwell on his own thoughts, to open up to others. Maybe Katsuragi sensed her intentions, as he reluctantly agrees.

"You seem to be thinking more about the class than I thought, Shiina."

"Of course. I intend to graduate with everyone in Class A."

Encouraged by her words, Katsuragi verbalizes his thoughts.

"As someone who has experienced both classes as a second-year student, I've noticed a fundamental difference between Sakayanagi's class and Ryuen's class. While both leaders are often criticized by classmates, Sakayanagi's class still has a certain cohesion. On the other hand, there are still many students in Ryuen's class who are dissatisfied and holding grudges."

It's probably about Tokito, who was causing a commotion just now.

"While this dissatisfaction may continue to accumulate while the class is on the rise..."

"When that winning streak comes to an end, it's going to be dangerous."

"Yeah, depending on the situation, a single mistake could potentially cause the class to collapse. I don't think that guy is unaware of that."

"So Ryuen recruited you to foresee and prepare for that?"

"...Me?"

"If something were to happen to Ryuen himself, Katsuragi could serve as a substitute. I think that's why he recruited you, expecting you to be a good backup."

Exactly the kind of leader-like presence Shina is looking for. 

"It's hard to believe all of a sudden."

"If Ryuen, who seeks high risk and high return, were to disappear without a trace, there's a possibility. So having insurance in case of an emergency is necessary."

It's entirely conceivable that Ryuen's downfall could stem from one person's betrayal.

"But well, it's probably best not to inform Ryuen about Tokito."

"It's one thing to leave insurgents alone, but it's another problem if it comes to expulsion."

While it might be a headache to deal with, it's also what makes Katsuragi's job fulfilling. At least, it's a far cry from his situation in Class A, where he was left out. Perhaps it's something new he's envisioning, as his expression softens slightly.

"What do you think, Katsuragi-kun?"

"...I understand."

Clearing his throat, Katsuragi looks at me.

"I can see what I need to do a little clearer after talking to you. Thank you."

"I just said what I thought."

"If your words were nonsense, it wouldn't have mattered, but they were remarkably accurate. Shiina was confident that you would give an appropriate response."

Shina smiles happily at this.

"But Horagasaki, didn't you fail to show your true abilities during the deserted island exam? Was there something unexpected?"

"I didn't really plan to aim for the top anyway. I just did enough to not get expelled."

"So, it's fair to interpret that if you had wanted to, you could have taken first place?"

"I'll leave that to you. I'll never do something I don't want to do, but I'll always do what I want to do."

"I see. I look forward to facing you seriously someday. I'm looking forward to that day."

Saying that, Katsuragi nods and leaves.

"Well then, Horagasaki-kun, I'll return to my room. When we return to school... please come to my room again."

With a big bombshell of a statement, Shiina also waves and leaves.

Ah, how cute.

=================================

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