WHILE I WAS WALKING in the hallway, making my way to the main entrance…
"'Sup!"
As I stood there looking at my phone's pitch-black blank screen before it
powered on, the student who called out to me was none other than Ishizaki
Daichi from Class 2-B. He had a wide grin plastered on his face. I guessed that
something good must have happened to him.
"Hey dude. I tried sendin' you a text, but I didn't get an answer. So I figured
I'd just come over."
"Sorry. My battery ran out."
"No worries, man. Hey, I'm just gonna borrow you for a sec. 'Kay?" said
Ishizaki.
"Am I being mugged or something right now?" I asked.
"What? Come on dude, now that's a good joke. I mean, hell, is there even
anyone in this school who could mug you?" he replied, responding to what he
thought was a joke with one of his own. "What, do you have something you
gotta do or something?"
"No, I was just about to head back to my dorm."
"Yeah, I figured. In that case, ain't no problem, right? Let's go," said Ishizaki.
Ishizaki beckoned to me with an impassive smile on his face. He started
walking on ahead, going faster and faster, inviting me to follow. If I just stood
there and let him walk off, I'd probably lose sight of him in a flash. However, if
we carelessly conducted a conversation here in the hallway and caused a
commotion, we'd only end up attracting attention. Since I had time right now
anyway, I decided to follow Ishizaki.
But the minute I turned the corner, an impossibly large wall suddenly
appeared right before my eyes. No, wait, that's not what it was. It was Yamada
Albert, Ishizaki's classmate. He was wearing sunglasses. Then, with an air of
intimidation about him, he placed his right hand on my shoulder.
"Hey," he said in English.
"…Hey," I replied similarly.
I didn't really understand what was going on right now, so I figured I'd just
respond to him with the same thing he said to me. But what was happening
here? This mugging that was supposedly just a joke now seemed to be a little
more real.
"Hello, Ayanokouji-kun."
Right there, besides the gigantic Albert whom I had earlier thought was a wall,
stood Hiyori.
"It's kind of unusual seeing you three together," I told her.
"You might be right about that," she replied.
I had thought for sure that Ryuuen would show up too, but that didn't seem
like it was going to happen.
"Anyway, probably not so great to hang 'round here. Let's move," said
Ishizaki.
"Move? Where to?" I asked.
"Hmm, yeah… I actually haven't really given that any thought," said Ishizaki,
rubbing underneath his nose with his left index finger, chuckling sheepishly.
"Hey, I've got a bad feeling about all this, so can you please just let me leave
now?" I asked.
I had the feeling that this was in no way going to be a good turn of events, so I
asked for their permission to make my exit.
"Hey, the hell man? You're free, ain'tcha? We ain't lettin' you go."
"You're…not letting me go?" I repeated.
Albert, who was standing behind me, used the strength from his massive
frame to hold me, binding my arms behind my back. Then Hiyori grabbed hold
of my arm as well, pulling herself close. The two of them had captured me.
"I'm sorry, Ayanokouji-kun. We can't let you escape."
"Huh…?"
Finally, my mugging theory was starting to look increasingly plausible.
…Okay, that's enough of me making that joke.
Anyway, the three of them seemed like they were planning to bring me to
some other location.
"We'll draw attention here. Let's go somewhere else, Ishizaki-kun."
"Yeah. But where?" he asked.
"That is a good question… Well, how about your room, Ishizaki-kun?" she
asked, making a casual suggestion.
"Huh? M-my room? N-no, that's uh, kinda… I mean! No way! We can't!" cried
Ishizaki, in a panic, after she had suggested we move to his room.
"Why? Is it inconvenient or something?" asked Hiyori.
"W-well, there's, uh, lots of reasons. I mean, you just asked me totally out of
nowhere and all, and, uh…"
"I don't think anyone would mind if your room were a little bit messy though.
Right?" said Hiyori, turning to Albert, looking for his opinion.
Albert slowly moved his large head up and down, nodding in agreement.
…Is it okay for me to assume that he understands Japanese? I mean, I'm
certain that he would have to get through classes and take exams, but I'd like to
hear him speak it at least once.
"Y-yeah, that's it. And it's not just a little messy, it's like, super, crazy messy!
It's like, you won't even have anywhere to step, it's that bad. Oh darn, that's
just too bad!" said Ishizaki.
"There's no need to worry. If necessary, we can help clean up," said Hiyori.
"No, no, no! There's like, tissues, and stuff, definitely not the kinda stuff I
want a girl to help clean up!" wailed Ishizaki.
Ishizaki couldn't help but blurt out exactly what was littered around his room.
"Tissues…and stuff? What's that supposed to mean?" asked Hiyori, cocking
her head to the side in apparent confusion, wondering what Ishizaki was talking
about.
"Anyway, my room's a no-go! S-so hey, let's go to Albert's room!" said
Ishizaki, changing the topic while still panicking. "Yeah! I mean, Albert's room
should be great, right? Right? Right!"
Ishizaki threw that suggestion out like he was trying to run away from
something.
"OK."
So Albert did understand Japanese after all. He gave Ishizaki a brief response,
indicating that he accepted his proposal. Then, we started to move, with Albert
carrying me in his arms.
"So, um… Am I just going to be carried there like this?" I asked.
"It's all right. Yamada-kun is quite strong," said Hiyori.
Yeah, uh, that's not exactly the problem here. If anything, I felt like we were
unusually conspicuous looking like this…
"It's all right. I suppose that in a way, this is kind of like sending a message,"
said Hiyori, the same kindhearted smile she usually had on her face as she led
on the way.
"Yeah, all right! You go, Shiina! Great idea!" shouted Ishizaki.
What in the world were they planning to do, dragging me along like this?
With that question in mind, I was brought over to the dorms.
4.5
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I had visited Albert's room. Even though he was much
larger than the rest of the students in terms of physique, his room's layout and
structure were naturally the same. However, everyone decorated their rooms in
different ways, and his was a bit unique.
A large American flag and Japanese flag hung in the center of his room—and
those weren't the only flags he had up. He also had countless others, including
the Chinese flag, Italian flag, the flags of some African countries, and more. The
others were smaller in size, but still displayed all over his walls. I felt a sense of
passion in the display, particularly when I noticed these weren't simply printed
on paper, but proper cloth flags.
"Albert's kinda a flag fanatic. Surprised?" asked Ishizaki.
He must have visited Albert's room several times before, which was why he
was able to explain that to me in a calm manner.
"Yeah, seems that way," I replied.
After Albert released me from his hold, he urged me to take a seat. Once I had
made sure everyone was now sitting, I decided to go ahead and ask them what
they wanted.
"So… What are you three after?"
The three of them exchanged glances. For some reason, they all had happy
smiles on their faces, like they were enjoying this. Then, Ishizaki, the
representative of their group, spoke up.
"I'm just gonna come right out and say it. Here goes, this is my proposal…
Form a group with us for the next special exam!" shouted Ishizaki.
Well, that was one of the things I'd predicted that this might be about. So this
did have to do with the special exam, after all.
"Form…a group? Can you explain your plan in a more detail?" I asked.
"Whaddya mean, more detail? That's everything"
"Um, no, that doesn't cover nearly everything. I can't tell who exactly I'm
supposed to be partnering up with."
There were four people present in this room right now. Which meant that
there was one extra person. And on top of that, Hiyori, a girl, wouldn't be able
to participate due to the gender ratio restrictions. Ishizaki was certain to
suggest that I team up with him and Albert, but since he hadn't come right out
and said exactly what he wanted me to do, I couldn't be sure.
"Honestly, with whoever, we don't really care. 'Kay? It can be with me, or
Albert, or Shiina, anybody. The point is, we're askin' you to team up with people
from our class," said Ishizaki.
Wow, talk about a grand and daring proposal. In a sense, it was the kind of
thing that could only be suggested precisely because it was Ishizaki proposing it.
"So, you're saying that you want me to form a group with two people from
Class B?" I asked.
"Yep. Then, when the exam starts, you can form up with another threeperson group from Class B, makin' a six-person team. It'll be perfect. With five
folks from Class B and you, Ayanokouji, you can shoot for first place," said
Ishizaki.
He talked like the idea was a thing so sublime it could move one to tears. But
it was significantly important that we calmly discuss this.
"Hiyori… Did you explain the rules of the special exam to Ishizaki properly? In
the simplest terms possible?" I asked.
"No," she replied immediately. "I felt like if I tried to interrupt earlier, I'd end
up having to correct him on something after only five seconds. I thought it
would be better to just let him carry on till he was done."
Yeah, I had to wonder about that. I didn't think it was better. Well, it certainly
was true that even just five seconds into his suggestion, it was clear that there
were things that he didn't understand about the exam…
"Okay, even though there are many points I'd like to bring up, I'll narrow it
down to two… no, three questions for the time being. First, when the special
exam begins, there's no guarantee you'll be able to form the large group you
want so easily," I explained.
In fact, our homeroom instructor had already told us that it wasn't going to be
easy. If teaming up was as simple as "Hey, let's make a group!" "Yeah, let's!",
there would be no point in forcing us to create three-person groups at this
stage. If anything, it would only put us at a disadvantage. It was precisely
because it was difficult to form larger groups during the exam that we were
allowed to freely choose our teammates for the smaller groups right now.
"Huh, that so?" Ishizaki seemed like he didn't understand one bit. He cocked
his head to the side in confusion, looking to Hiyori for an answer.
"If you sort through everything that's been explained to us, then yes, you can
see that it's true. Basically, depending on how the situation plays out, it's
possible we might have to cooperate with groups we didn't expect to team up
with," said Hiyori.
"Oh. What's the deal with that? I don't get it at all, man."
"During the exam, there might be certain prerequisites necessary for teaming
up with certain people, or to make certain groups. That's what we're talking
about."
"And the heck is that supposed to mean?" asked Ishizaki.
I supposed if he'd understood what that meant, he wouldn't be struggling so
much right now.
"The details are unclear. But judging by what the school has explained to us,
we can be sure it's not going to be easy," said Hiyori.
"But… Even if there are conditions, we gotta get ready. We gotta start actin'
on the idea of makin' groups, right?" asked Ishizaki.
"Well, if you put it that way… Yes, that's true."
"Then we're all good, right? We just gotta go ahead and prepare for the exam
like I suggested, and then we'll be golden."
The fact that he could break things down in such simple terms was honestly
something I kind of respected. Hiyori was also listening to Ishizaki's suggestion
with an amused look.
"I mean, ain't no reason to worry 'bout stuff I don't really understand,
y'know?" said Ishizaki.
Was it safe for me to say that this was one of Ishizaki Daichi's charms?
"Well, anyway… Onto my second point," I continued.
Figuring I couldn't really get him to understand my first point, I decided to just
move on to the next.
"Who else have you talked to, other than me? Or are you planning to talk to
anyone else?" I asked.
"Ain't really talked to anybody else, no. And not plannin' on it, either. Right?"
said Ishizaki, looking to his two companions for approval.
They both nodded, indicating their agreement.
"Meaning you've only talked to me, then. And the reason for that is?"
"Well, ain't that obvious? I mean, you're just as amazin' as Ryuuen-san… Well,
no, if I had to say, I think you're even more amazin' than Ryuuen-san is right
now. It's like, you're crazy strong in a fight, and your quick thinkin' has even
gotten Ryuuen-san's seal of approval. And on top of all that, you got a perfect
score in math, dude. That's just nuts. I figure, whoever controls Ayanokouji
basically controls the special exam. How could I not invite you?" said Ishizaki.
"My, that's some high praise, Ayanokouji-kun. However, I agree with
everything he said," added Hiyori.
Albert nodded in agreement as well, without hesitation. I'd said I was only
going to bring up three points earlier, but now I wanted to raise a fourth. How
much Japanese did Albert actually understand and speak? I'd never seen him in
class or anything, but I was sure that he was being taught in Japanese, so…
Anyway, Ishizaki hadn't denied that they were basically trying to win me
over…
"All right then, the third thing… What's in this for me? What do I stand to
gain? If I assume that everyone else in my group is going to be from Class B, and
we manage to get first place in this test, then your class is going to be the only
one who really gets anything," I told them.
The Class Points we'd get might be the same, but the number of Private
Points earned would be very different.
"Aw, come on dude, ain't no thing. 'Course we ain't gonna screw you over so
you're the only one who loses out. Right? When we move on up to Class A, we'll
pay up twenty million points to welcome you into our class, Ayanokouji.
Whaddya think?" said Ishizaki, answering my question in a confident, cocksure
manner. "So basically, either you get your own class up to A, or our class gets up
to A. Don't matter either way. There's a 50 percent chance that you're going to
graduate from Class A."
The proud smile on his face seemed to be saying, "Well, how 'bout that?" His
reasoning would certainly hold true if all four classes had an equal chance of
getting up to Class A. In that case, my chances of getting there via either his
class or mine would be 50 percent. But that wasn't how this worked. Each class
had a different level of skill, making it difficult precisely calculate their chances
of making it to Class A. Of course, there was no denying the fact that even
having one more class I could potentially move into would be an advantage for
me.
"Hiyori and Albert agree too, right?" said Ishizaki.
"Yes. We would welcome you with open arms," said Hiyori.
"Yes," said Albert, but in English.
Both of them went along with Ishizaki's proposal happily, even though they
understood it was nuts. What was going on here? Anyway, if I were going to go
ahead and accept this absurd proposal for the time being, there was an
especially important point I had to bring up before I could commit. I decided to
go ahead and ask another question.
"Was Ryuuen the one who decided to invite me? Or was this Ishizaki's sole
decision?" I asked.
Ishizaki had been answering all my questions in a casual manner so far, but he
now wore a tense look for the first time in our conversation.
"It was my decision. Ryuuen-san doesn't know a thing about it."
So apparently Ishizaki had thought up this plan and made this decision all by
himself. I had thought that might be the case, but wow, that really was reckless
of him. If that were the case, though, I now understood why Ibuki, who usually
hung around Ishizaki, wasn't here right now. Did that mean that Albert and
Hiyori were Ishizaki's advocates, then?
"Have you thought about what might happen if Ryuuen were to find out
about this?" I asked.
"Nope, I haven't! I mean, don't even need to! Besides…I'm ready for it."
Even though Ishizaki was shaking in his boots, he desperately tried to put up a
brave front.
"The rules say there ain't any problem with formin' groups with people in
other classes, anyway. So I figure, even if I decide that we need you and invite
you, what's so weird about that? Y'know?"
That was true. If their class's policy stated they were to only form groups with
people from their own class, I supposed Ryuuen would have no reason to be
dissatisfied with Ishizaki's decision here.
"The key to this special exam is to make sure the Class Points stay with our
grade and aren't taken by anyone else. Naturally, this means we need to aim for
the top in the overall rankings. And Ayanokouji-kun is indispensable to
achieving that goal," said Hiyori.
"Right!"
"Well, even though there are still many aspects of this plan of yours that
concern me… I'd like to say that I do understand where you're coming from," I
told him.
"So will you join up with us?" asked Ishizaki.
"Although I don't think you did anything wrong by inviting me, I can't say yes
to you right now."
"B-but why?"
"That's because Ayanokouji-kun has his own class to consider. Right?" said
Hiyori.
Even though she'd endorsed Ishizaki's plan, she still understood my reasons
for refusal without needing to ask.
"Besides, I think the terms we've offered Ayanokouji-kun aren't enough,
anyway," she added.
"Not enough…? What, you sayin' that twenty million points ain't enough?"
said Ishizaki.
"That's not what I'm saying. If we're talking strictly in terms of the number of
points, then yes, it is an exceptional amount. However, in reality, all we're really
offering to him is the right to move into our class, correct?" said Hiyori.
"B-but, we can't just like, hand over twenty million and let him transfer to
Sakayanagi's class or somethin'."
If Ishizaki and company said I was free to use the points they gave me
however I wanted, then of course I'd go to the class that was sure to be Class A
in the end. Obviously. Ishizaki's class wouldn't be able to bulk up their own
power by bringing me into the fold, then.
"On top of that, you told Ayanokouji-kun it was fine for him to team up with
anyone from Class B, Ishizaki-kun. But that's a problem, too. Surviving on an
uninhabited island isn't a task for a single person. If you really intend to strive
for first place, your chances of successfully doing so are much higher with
capable teammates."
Hiyori, who had simply sat back and listened to Ishizaki lay out his proposal so
far, now viciously pointed out each flaw in his plan in turn. And every time she
pointed something out, Ishizaki started to panic, sweating bullets.
"W-well, then anyone would be fine" he exclaimed.
"If it were up to me to choose a group right now… Yes, all right. I would
choose Ryuuen-kun, Kaneda-kun, and then Ayanokouji-kun to make up a group
of three. I would be fine with replacing Kaneda-kun with Yamada-kun, but
Ryuuen-kun is indispensable," said Hiyori.
In terms of leadership capability, he was one of the best in our grade, and he
had the guts to break the rules with his schemes. Last year, he'd been the only
person left standing in his class on the uninhabited island. He even had the
physical and mental fortitude to endure on said island without anyone noticing
he was still around until the very last minute. The other two people she
mentioned were Kaneda, the best student in their class, and Albert, a student
who boasted immense physical strength. It was true that having two of those
three would be essential to maximize the odds of winning.
"Don't talk crazy! Do you seriously think Ryuuen-san will agree to my plan?!"
wailed Ishizaki.
"I think he'll immediately reject it," said Hiyori.
"Obviously!" shouted Ishizaki.
"I'm sure that Kaneda-kun would, as well. He wouldn't ignore Ryuuen-kun's
orders and endorse such a careless strategy," said Hiyori.
"So, in that case, what the heck should we do?" wailed Ishizaki.
"There's nothing we can do, really. At the very least, not at this current
moment," said Hiyori.
"Urgh… Well, that's a bummer…"
Ishizaki crossed his arms, racking his brain in a desperate attempt to produce
an idea, but it didn't seem like anything was coming to him.
"At any rate, we were able to convey Ishizaki-kun's and our wishes, and I think
we should be satisfied with that," said Hiyori.
It seemed like that had been Hiyori's objective all along, apparently. She'd
known all along that they couldn't easily persuade me to join their group, and
so she'd determined the most important thing was to just show me that they
desired to work with me. Perhaps Albert had understood that this was a
foolhardy attempt on Ishizaki's part, too, because he patted his shoulder gently.
"…All right, I get it. In that case, guess there ain't anythin' I can really do…"
Although reluctant, Ishizaki seemed convinced, at least superficially, after
hearing the response to his plan.
"I don't know if I can meet your expectations. Let me think about it for now," I
told them.
I had judged that was the best answer I could give them in this situation. That
being said, I wasn't planning to group up with anyone at the moment because
of Tsukishiro and the agent from the White Room that was hiding among the
first-year students. The first semester was already almost over. There was no
way they would let things continue as they were, allowing me to keep living my
life here at this school.
The upcoming special exam was most likely going to the final battlefield on
which Tsukishiro and I met. In other words, it was very likely he was going to
launch an attack on me without any concern for appearances. If I did form a
group, I'd be getting dragging those people into it. And if that happened, I'd
need to make sure I was the only one who got expelled. That would be the least
I could do, as a courtesy if nothing else.
Thus, I reaffirmed the situation in my mind.
4.6
WHEN I WAS DONE getting ready to head to school the next morning, I turned
on my phone. I got a notification telling me that I'd received a private e-mail
from the school. In the message, it was stated that I had been given the card
designated "Trials and Tribulations."
"Never thought that I'd end up getting one of the special cards…" I muttered
to myself.
Just when I'd thought the infamy I gained after getting that perfect score in
math had finally died down…this happened. The Trials and Tribulations card
was powerful, although it was a double-edged sword. Having possession of this
card was likely to attract attention. It was safer and preferable to trade it with
another student who needed it, but since the Trials and Tribulations card had
powerful effects that could go one way or the other, it couldn't easily be
handed off to someone from one of the other classes. If the group I ended up
trading it to get first place, then the blame would fall squarely on me.
It was possible that Tsukishiro had slipped the card into my possession
deliberately to get me expelled, but considering the fact that cards were
transferrable, that was far too weak a strategy to drive me out. It was more
natural to simply interpret this as luck of the draw. The two remaining special
cards seemed to be in the hands of Amikura Mako from Class C and Yano
Koharu from Class A, respectively. The former had drawn the "One More" card
and the latter had drawn the "Nullify" card. I supposed it was fortunate that the
cards had been well separated.
I left my dorm room a little earlier than I usually did, pondering about what I
was going to do from here on out. When I set foot on the elevator, I bumped
into Shinohara.
"Morning."
"Good morning," she replied.
Even though we were classmates, we weren't particularly close, so we didn't
really do more than exchange that simple greeting as we headed down toward
the lobby. The ride wasn't long. When we reached the first floor, I pressed the
open button and let Shinohara off first.
In the lobby, we saw Ike, who normally showed up at school relatively late. He
looked over in my direction, seeming somewhat restless. I thought he might
have been waiting for Sudou, but that didn't seem to be the case, since he only
exchanged a brief greeting with her as they crossed paths and then proceeded
to watch her leave. Right after she went out, however, he followed her.
I slowed my own pace down somewhat, trying to keep my distance from the
two of them, as to not get in their way.
"Hey, Shinohara," said Ike.
"What?" she replied.
When I got outside, I could hear Ike and Shinohara's conversation carried on
the wind, although only just barely.
"Well, uh, y'know. About this whole uninhabited island exam group thingy,
and all… Just wondering, have you talked with anybody yet, about teamin' up
with them?" asked Ike.
"No, I haven't really talked to anyone yet about it… Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no real reason, really. Just figured I'd ask is all."
"Oh, okay… So, what about you? You're probably going to team up with
Sudou-kun and Hondou-kun, right?" said Shinohara.
"That so bad? I mean, it'd be fun, bein' with those dudes," said Ike.
"Yeah, I guess."
Shinohara laughed as though she was making fun of him, but Ike didn't seem
to mind at all. It seemed he had something he wanted to say, but he was
desperately struggling to get the words out.
"But, I mean, dudes can make it on their own more or less, anyway, I think…
'Sides, Ken's really strong, so I think in terms of like, manpower, he'd be enough
for the whole group, I think," said Ike.
"Hmm."
Although Shinohara's reaction was a little cold, it didn't seem like she disliked
talking to Ike at all.
"Okay, not sure how to put this, but, uh. I should be able to lend you a hand
where you need it…? So, if you're feelin' like you're in trouble, you can… Well,
y'know, you can form a group with me, okay?" said Ike.
"What's that all about? Look at you, being all high and mighty," said
Shinohara.
"Hey, you saw me in action last year, didn't you? I'm pretty good at the kind
of stuff this exam needs," said Ike.
He was trying to sell Shinohara on the fact that she could capitalize on his
skills. Basically though, the reason Ike was doing this seemed to be that he just
wanted to partner up with Shinohara.
"Well, I suppose I can think about it… You want to be in the same group as
me?" asked Shinohara.
"Oh, uh, hey, don't get any weird ideas or anything, okay? Look, you're like,
one of the people who's in danger of getting expelled, right? That's why I'm
saying that I, kindhearted guy that I am, will sacrifice myself to protect you."
Ike, unable to honestly say what he wanted to, blurted out something that
Shinohara was sure to take issue with.
"Excuse me? Sacrifice? What? I don't remember asking you for that!" she
shouted.
And of course, considering the way that Ike had phrased his offer, there was
no way she was going to graciously ask that Ike join a group with her. The mood
started to sour between them, badly. Just as the vibe was getting grim, though,
Kushida approached and called out to Ike from behind.
"G-good morning, Ike-kun. Do you have a minute?"
The moment Kushida called out to him, Ike averted his gaze from Shinohara
and excitedly waved at her.
"Oooh, what's up?! Yeah, I'm super free right now!" he exclaimed.
He left Shinohara and approached Kushida. Shinohara simply watched him go
with a somewhat cold look in her eyes.
"To tell you the truth, Kobashi-san from Class C said she wanted to invite you
to join her group, Ike-kun. I think she's already at school right now. Do you think
you could maybe talk about it with her?" asked Kushida.
"Seriously?! Yeah, totally, let's go! Let's get going right now!" Ike shouted. He
looked incredibly excited to learn he was being requested by a girl.
"Oh, but it seems like you were just talking with Shinohara-san just now… Is it
okay for Ike-kun to go talk to her?" asked Kushida, wanting to make sure that
Shinohara was okay with it.
"Yeah, it's completely fine. He's been annoying me with all his babbling. Take
him with you," said Shinohara.
"Hey, you're the one who's been annoyin' me!" shouted Ike.
They were each giving as good as they got. Ike was mainly at fault here, but
he started walking away with Kushida with a skip in his step. Shinohara stopped
where she stood, watching them go with a somewhat lonely look on her face. It
wasn't long before I caught up to her and then proceeded to pass by her.
How should I put this? Ike was just the sort of guy who got carried away
rather easily. It seemed he'd grown so ecstatic at being requested by a girl that
he was missing something big.
"Satsuki."
Suddenly, I heard someone call Shinohara's first name from behind. I couldn't
help but turn back and look at who it was.
"Oh, Komiya-kun… Hello," said Shinohara.
It turned to be none other than Komiya Kyougo from Class 2-B.
"What's wrong? Are you crying?" he asked.
"Huh? Wh-why do you ask?" she replied.
"Well, 'cause your eyes are all red."
"Oh, guess you noticed, huh? Yeah, just got some dust or something in my
eye a little while ago… Ouch," said Shinohara, putting up an act, trying to cover
up how she was really feeling. "Oh hey, that reminds me, Sudou-kun said that
you're going to be a regular player on the basketball team. Is that right?"
"Yeah, finally."
"Well, you always practice until late, so I'd be lying if I said you didn't deserve
it," said Shinohara.
She'd stood still as she talked with Komiya, so the distance between us
widened as I continued to walk on. As I kept going, their voices grew fainter,
until I eventually couldn't hear them anymore.
4.7
"I SEE YOU'VE CERTAINLY been having your fair share of misfortunes too,
having drawn the Trials and Tribulations card. I'm sure you must be the center
of attention again," said Horikita, coming up to me right after she got to the
classroom.
"Yeah, I was just going through the same mental agony this morning."
"It would've been nice if we could freely trade cards within our own class. A
student who isn't confident they can win absolutely would not want the Trials
and Tribulations card, and yet, we can't just hand it over to a student who is
confident that they can win," said Horikita.
The card that Horikita had drawn was the "Half Off" card. It was a useful card
to have when you suffered a
penalty, but if you were the sort of student who was shooting for a higher
place in the rankings, it didn't do you much good.
"In any case, since things have turned out this way, you're simply going to
have to work hard, get into the top thirty percent, and if possible, win the
prize," said Horikita.
"You're talking to me like I'm a stranger or something. Aren't you worried
about me at all, as a classmate?" I asked.
"If you really, really want to rely on me so badly, I'll help you, of course."
Horikita was getting increasingly brash. Or rather, she was getting to be more
difficult to deal with than before. The incendiary glare she was giving me
seemed to be saying, "What the heck do you want?" It made me not want to
rely on her.
"Sorry, but if I find someone who wants it, then I might hand it over to them,"
I replied.
"What you choose to do is entirely up to you. I hope it'll be easy for you to
find someone who'll take it, for sure. The Trials and Tribulations card affects not
just the person who owns it, but the entire group. It's a dangerous risk to take
on," said Horikita.
It was nice that she'd explained all that so politely, but to me, it simply
sounded like sarcasm.
"In case you were wondering, I was being sarcastic," she added.
"I figured."
"It's payback for the many times that you've tormented me," said Horikita.
"I don't really remember ever tormenting you, though."
While the Trials and Tribulations card was a burden to bear, it could also be a
bit of a protective charm. Icould expect the number of students who might offer
to partner with me to decrease without me needing to do anything. In the
worst-case scenario, I'd have to consider the possibility of starting the
uninhabited island test alone, while holding onto this card.
"Since this is you we're talking about, is it safe to assume that you can handle
things?" asked Horikita.
I could rely on Horikita, as she was the class's leader. But there were bound to
be students that needed her support. It would be best if I placed as little burden
on her as possible.
"Yeah, well, I'll try my best," I replied.
I told Horikita that I'd get through this on my own and then took my seat. As I
was doing some digging to see who had drawn which cards, I heard a loud shout
from Ike, who had arrived late to the classroom.
"Huh? Wait, you… you found someone to partner up with?!" wailed Ike.
"Yes, I did. Is something wrong with that?" asked Shinohara.
Apparently, Shinohara had decided to form a group with someone during the
time she and Ike were apart. Most likely, her partner was…
"Come on, though! I just invited you to join a group before! I mean, 'sides,
we're not allowed to form a group without Horikita's permission, anyway! It's
forbidden!" shouted Ike.
"It's not forbidden, though. Anyway, the group isn't even officially confirmed
yet…though, I'm planning on confirming it today," said Shinohara.
"Wha—"
"And besides, what are you even talking about? What invitation? Who was
the one who started drooling over another girl and ignored me?" said
Shinohara.
"Hey, come on, it wasn't even like that! I even turned her down for you, you
know!" shouted Ike.
"Oh, you turned her down now, huh? Ugh, you're getting on my last nerve.
You really are the worst person in the world," said Shinohara.
"Who…did you form a group with, anyway?" asked Ike.
"What's that got to do with you?" she snapped.
"Nothing, really, just kinda curious," said Ike.
"Komiya-kun, from Class B. He invited me to join his group right after the
special exam started yesterday," said Shinohara.
So, it was Komiya after all. Huh. I'm guessing that either Shinohara or Komiya
must have mentioned the idea while they were walking to school together.
"Huh? Komiya? Wait, Komiya? That flashy showoff from the basketball team?
No way!"
Deep down, Ike had probably thought that Shinohara would've joined his
group. I'm sure he had been holding onto that arrogant assumption.
"He isn't a showoff. He promised to meet me at the café after class so we
could discuss it," said Shinohara.
After Shinohara had said her piece, she turned her back to Ike. I'm sure that
from our classmates' perspective, who had been overhearing their argument in
the classroom, what they just heard sounded like an extension of their usual
fights. After class had ended, Shinohara had left the classroom right away, just
as she said she was going to do. Ike quietly watched Shinohara leave, but then
he left the classroom himself right after, looking as though he had just made up
his mind about something.
Yousuke, having seen what happened, approached me after Ike had left the
room.
"Hey, do you have a minute?" he asked.
Maybe it was because he wanted to avoid anyone else hearing our
conversation, but he said he wanted to talk to me in the hallway, so I went
along.
"Hey, so, about what's going on with Ike-kun. I don't think it's a good idea to
just leave him be right now," said Yousuke.
"Yeah. Even though he's pretty self-centered, it's clear that his knowledge and
experiences will be useful during the uninhabited island exam. It's possible that
this incident with Shinohara might make him unable to utilize his full potential,"
I answered.
"Yes, I agree. And considering how he looked, I'm worried about what will
happen if he sees Shinohara-san and Komiya-kun's discussion."
I could certainly understand why Yousuke was feeling uneasy about this. It
wasn't a good idea for us to get into a dispute with Class B at this current point
in time
"I think I'd like to go check things out. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind
coming along, if you were okay with it? Ike-kun doesn't really like me very
much, after all," said Yousuke.
If you asked me, I wasn't so sure that Ike liked me either, really. That being
said, it was understandable why Yousuke felt discouraged.
"Shinohara-san said that she was going to meet up with Komiya-kun at the
café, right?" said Yousuke.
"Yeah. Maybe we should head over there and check things out for the time
being," I replied.
"Sure," said Yousuke.
I decided to head over to the café in Keyaki Mall together with Yousuke.
While we were on the way there, we talked a little bit about group formation
plans.
"I had wanted to recommend a plan where our entire grade level would work
together to fight against the first-years and third-years, but from the looks of
things, it doesn't seem like the rest of the classes are intending to collaborate. If
we got just the second-year students to come together and agree to not let
anyone from our grade level get expelled, then it wouldn't be impossible for us
to make it through without losing anyone. Though I suppose there'd be no
shortage of suffering if we went along with that plan," mused Yousuke.
I had discussed as much with Horikita yesterday. We could make sure that no
one got expelled by deliberately losing the exam. However, the grade that
actually executed that kind of plan would inevitably suffer particularly severe
damage. I suppose it would be unrealistic to expect our entire grade level to
share that pain. That was exactly why, even after an entire day had passed, not
a single student had come forward to make a such an idealistic pie-in-the-sky
suggestion like that.
"I guess all we can do is form groups that won't leave us with any regrets," I
told him.
"Guess so…" he replied.
"I'm sure you've probably been invited by quite a few people, haven't you,
Yousuke?" I asked.
It was impossible that Yousuke wouldn't have been approached by people. He
was popular both with men and women, and his abilities were impressive all
around.
"Personally, I think that I'd like to pick two people from Class D. Rather than
aiming for the top spot, I'd like to try and tackle this exam in a way to avoid
penalties," said Yousuke.
If he were going to protect anyone, it would be the students of Class D, not
people from the other classes. That was a natural way of thinking about things.
If you're a talented and popular student, you'll have no trouble at all finding
someone to partner up with. However, students who were less capable weren't
going to be able to ask for help from anyone, not even people in their own
class.
"Is Sakura-san okay?" asked Yousuke.
Yousuke was worried about Airi, who was part of my circle of friends, and
who was the most lacking in terms of ability.
"As of now, she's looking at making a group with Akito and Haruka," I replied.
"Miyake-kun is athletic and has great motor coordination, so that group
doesn't seem badly balanced at all," said Yousuke.
Although Keisei had been left out of their group, he had been approached
several times by students from other classes who had wanted to scout him
because of his brains. I supposed that if Keisei chose a student who could
compensate for physical ability, an area that remained a concern for him, then
he'd make a formidable group.
However, one problem had emerged while we were in pursuit of Ike. There
was someone tailing us. Whoever it was, they had done their utmost to avoid
being noticed before, but it seemed like now they were willingly allowing me to
spot them, like they were prepared for it. Ike headed straight into Keyaki Mall,
so now it was just me, Yousuke, and the person following behind us. This state
of multiple parties tailing someone, with us tailing Ike and this mystery person
tailing us, continued.
Although ignoring this person wouldn't be difficult, if things like this kept
happening in the future, it was going to be troublesome. As we got near Keyaki
Mall, I stopped for a moment.
"Sorry, Yousuke. Would you mind going on ahead?" I asked.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I just remembered that there's a little something I need to take care of. I
think I should catch up to you in about ten minutes, give or take," I replied.
"All right. If anything happens, give me a call or text," said Yousuke.
Yousuke, without asking me for any additional details, went into Keyaki Mall,
disappearing from view. Then, the student who had been following us
approached, as if they thought this was their cue.
It was my classmate: Matsushita Chiaki.
"You don't seem surprised. Did you notice me following you right from the
beginning?" she asked.
"I just don't show surprise in my expression is all," I replied.
Was this the first time since spring vacation that I had talked with Matsushita
alone like this, just the two of us? Well, no, actually, even if you took away the
"just the two of us" part, it still applied. This was the first time we had talked
since back then.
"What were you talking about with Hirata-kun? About Ike-kun? About the
uninhabited island exam?" she asked.
Matsushita, now standing beside me, looked up at me, as if she were trying to
read me.
"And what business is that of yours, Matsushita?" I asked.
"Well, I suppose it's not so much my business as it is our business. Because
you're someone particularly important in order for us to get to Class A,
Ayanokouji-kun," said Matsushita.
She seemed to think very highly of me, but what was she after?
Considering how quick-witted Matsushita was, she should have known that a
little bit of gentle persuasion by way of flattery wasn't going to work. But I
couldn't imagine that she was approaching me right now for no reason at all.
"Don't be so alarmed. I came up to you today because I have something I
needed to tell you, and as soon as possible."
"Something to tell me?" I repeated.
"The Trials and Tribulations card is an item with powerful effects, but it's
difficult to handle. If you're having trouble, I think I'd like to offer you my help,
Ayanokouji-kun. What do you think?" she asked.
Putting aside my own thoughts and intentions, she had shown a willingness to
help me anytime because we were on the same side. When I didn't open my
mouth to respond to that, she looked a little bit distressed by it.
"I guess you're not going to give me an answer unless I tell you straight out,
huh?" said Matsushita.
I wasn't trying to be mean to her or anything, but I didn't want to get thrust
into a conversation like this while there were so many people coming and
going. It was after class, and you could start to see all kinds of students around.
It wasn't like Matsushita hadn't noticed that herself. Then, without waiting for
an answer from me, she started talking once again.
"You need to stay at the top of the rankings to avoid a penalty, so you're
having a difficult time finding people to form a group with, right? Which is why I
wanted you to rely on me if you're having trouble," said Matsushita.
After she said that, she must have forgotten something important, because
she quickly spoke up and made an addendum.
"Of course, I intend to completely follow your instructions during the exam,
Ayanokouji-kun."
Apparently, that was the message she had wanted to give me, going as far as
deliberately tailing me to do so.
"I'm honestly happy that you're offering to help me, but you'll be penalized if
we don't make the top thirty percent. Do you understand that you'll be taking
that risk on too, Matsushita?" I asked.
"I understand. That's exactly why I think it's important for me to cooperate
with you by helping you out, Ayanokouji-kun."
It wasn't like I thought she didn't have good intentions. But I figured that the
true essence of her request must have laid elsewhere.
While suppressing my wish to hurry things up and go join up with Yousuke, I
turned towards Matsushita, who was walking alongside me.
"Did you determine that your odds of survival are highest if you form a group
with me?" I asked.
To put it simply, you would normally expect that the group with the Trials and
Tribulations card would have a higher chance of getting expelled. Yet despite
this, Matsushita had offered to help me, without concern for the dangers. I
couldn't interpret that simply as something done solely out of good intentions.
"…Guess I've been found out, huh?" said Matsushita, smiling with her whole
face, raising the white flag in surrender.
"I was thinking that it won't be difficult for you to stay in the top percentage
of groups, Ayanokouji-kun, since, well, it's you. Even if you don't necessarily
make it to the very top, it's almost a complete certainty that you'll break into
the top thirty percent. It would be more dangerous for me to casually prioritize
my friends and join a group haphazardly," said Matsushita.
Those were her true feelings. She weighed me against the other students she
could have possibly chosen, and she ended up choosing me.
"I thought you might get snatched up, Ayanokouji-kun," she added.
So, she came to talk to me as soon as possible. That made it easier for me to
understand her intentions, by coming to me with her evaluation. I was grateful
for her offer, but I had no intention of coming to a firm conclusion here from
the beginning. That wasn't Matsushita's fault or anything. It would've been the
same regardless of whoever approached me.
"I'm not going to decide on a group now, at least not this month," I told her.
"Meaning that you're going to sit back and see what happens?" she asked.
"I want to see what the other classes are doing," I replied.
I gave her a plausible answer. But what I was concerned about was very
different from what the average student was concerned about. A special exam
on an uninhabited island required extensive preparation. It was impossible to
imagine that Tsukishiro wasn't involved in this somehow.
It had already been a month and a half since the previous special exam, and
there still hadn't been any significant movements on his end. As days went on,
we were getting further away from his original scheme to have me expelled by
the end of April. Because of the fact that the White Room agent had been
acting at their own discretion, Tsukishiro's plans had gotten off track.
Something was likely going to happen at this stage while we were forming
groups. This period of time could be called the preliminary battle. There was an
element of danger that not even Matsushita could read. If she got involved, she
wouldn't be able to get out that easily.
"Well, it seems like I can't get a satisfactory answer now then, I suppose. I get
it. In that case, please just think it over," said Matsushita.
She probably had no intention of pushing this matter too hard because she
seemed to back off immediately, waving her hand to say goodbye.
"Oh, that reminds me. Here's my personal contact info," she added.
She handed me a slip of paper with her ID written on it. It seemed like she
had prepared it ahead of time.
"Well, I said what I wanted to say."
Matsushita said her piece quickly and efficiently, without wasting any time.
After she had made her offer, she turned on her heel and walked back towards
the dormitory.
"It doesn't feel bad, getting another girl's contact information," I said to
myself.
Right now, it was unclear whether I'd be able to live up to Matsushita's
expectations of me in the future. Afterward, I met up with Yousuke in Keyaki
Mall.
"What's the situation?" I asked.
"Well, I get the feeling that it's not going to be the worst-case scenario or
anything, but, well…"
I followed Yousuke's line of sight and saw Shinohara and Komiya chatting
away happily in the café, engaged in friendly conversation. And a little further
away from them, I spotted Ike from behind, slouching his back like he was
feeling depressed. He was watching Shinohara and Komiya quietly.
"What should we do?" asked Yousuke.
"Well, for the time being, if he doesn't show any signs of going on a rampage
of charging in there, I think we can just wait and see. Just carelessly calling out
to him might not lead us to a solution anyway," I replied.
Yousuke nodded in agreement.
"In the meantime, I think we should find out more about Komiya. I'm not sure
what Komiya's intentions are in inviting Shinohara to join a group, but we can't
make a move until we make sure what those intentions are," I replied.
"I'll think about who the best person for Ike-kun to partner up with would be,
in the event that he can't partner with Shinohara-san, just in case," said
Yousuke.
"Please do," I replied.
We both agreed to split up and gather information separately.
4.8
AFTER I SEPARATED from Yousuke, I gave Ishizaki, who was in Komiya's class, a
call and asked him to come out. He told me that he was still at school, so I
decided to walk on over to where he was. As soon as I met up with Ishizaki, he
immediately ran up to me with a huge smile on his face.
"Hey dude! You're ready to pair up with us?!" he shouted.
"No, the jury is still out on that one, sorry. I actually wanted to talk to you
about a different matter today," I replied.
When I told him that, Ishizaki looked a little bit disappointed, but he quickly
recovered.
"What's up dude? Come on, talk to me," said Ishizaki.
I was about to launch right into what I wanted to talk to him about, but then I
turned my attention to a girl that was approaching Ishizaki. It was Nishino
Takeko, from Class 2-B.
"What's this? So, your business you had to take care of was meeting up with
Ayanokouji-kun?" said Nishino.
"H-hey, I told you not to follow me, didn't I, Nishino? Sorry, Ayanokouji," said
Ishizaki.
After Ishizaki apologized to me, he urged Nishino to go on ahead to Keyaki
Mall. Nishino didn't listen to him at all, but instead approached me.
"You're close with Ishizaki, huh? It's kind of surprising to see the two of you
together," said Nishino, observing me closely.
I also noticed that she didn't include any honorific after Ishizaki's name.
"Hey, you never listen to people at all! This is exactly why everybody shuns
you!" shouted Ishizaki.
"Shuns her?" I repeated.
"Oh, uh, yeah, she's all alone in our class right now. She hasn't got a single
friend. It's kinda a problem," said Ishizaki.
"All alone? I'm not really bothered by it though," said Nishino.
On that subject, that reminded me, Ibuki was also something of a lone wolf
herself. Apparently, Nishino was quite like her.
"Anyway, just go on ahead. 'Kay?" said Ishizaki.
"Nope," said Nishino.
"N-Nope? Hey, come on… Sorry Ayanokouji, hold on just a sec. I'm gonna get
her outta here," said Ishizaki.
"I'm just curious why you're sneaking around and meeting Ayanokouji-kun in
secret like this, Ishizaki," said Nishino.
I hadn't ever talked with Nishino before, but she seemed to be the type of
person who just said what was on her mind without hesitation. It was certainly
true that a person like that tended to make a lot of enemies. However, I
supposed that since Ishizaki and I were meeting together, it was
understandable that she would find it curious. It might be counterproductive to
just turn her away without telling her anything.
I decided to tell Nishino about what I was going to talk to Ishizaki about. First
though, I wanted to give her some background context, before going on to the
matter at hand.
"Ishizaki and I were in a group together during the camp thing last year. We
became friends there," I told her. "I contacted Ishizaki because I want to know a
few things about Komiya from Class B. And since this isn't something that we
wanted people to overhear, I asked him to meet me here."
"About Komiya-kun? What do you mean?" asked Nishino.
She didn't drop the honorific in Komiya's case, apparently. With that thought
in mind, I went ahead and explained what was going on.
"I heard that he promised to make a group with Shinohara, from my class. Did
you know about that?" I asked.
"Nope, first I've heard 'bout it. But like, it ain't all that weird, is it?" said
Ishizaki.
Partnering up with someone from another class was certainly by no means
strange, no. So, it wasn't unreasonable for Ishizaki was curious why I'd ask
about it.
"So, what 'bout it?" he added.
"Even in the kindest of terms, Shinohara isn't the type of person who can
perform well in the uninhabited island exam. Our class is worried about
whether her forming a group with Komiya might be a problem or not. I wanted
to know what kind of person he is," I answered.
"I mean, I guess he's a normal, good dude, y'know? He's pretty coordinated
and stuff, and he's on the basketball team, so he's got stamina," said Ishizaki.
Ishizaki then turned to Nishino for her opinion, with a look that said "Right?"
I'm guessing she must have agreed with him, because she responded with an
immediate nod, as if there was no issue.
"Apparently, one of them had asked the other to be in a group, from the
sounds of it. Are they going out or something?" I asked.
"Huh? U-uh, I dunno, I guess…" said Ishizaki.
"There's no way that you could find that out by asking Ishizaki, though. He
doesn't know a single thing about love," said Nishino.
"Shut up! What, do you know anythin' about it?" shouted Ishizaki.
"I know more than you, at the very least. I don't think that they're dating, but
I'm pretty sure that Komiya-kun likes Shinohara-san," said Nishino.
That must have sparked Ishizaki's memory, because he spoke up and told me
something.
"Whoa, serious? Komiya likes Shinohara? Oh, but hey, come to think of it, I'm
pretty sure he might'a said somethin' about there bein' a girl he liked in another
class… Though I only have like, a vague memory of that," said Ishizaki.
If students were to form a group with each other, they would obviously want
to look for certain things. There were many factors. Talent or a bond of
friendship. Or things like romantic feelings, perhaps. If, as Nishino had said,
Komiya had feelings for Shinohara, then it was no wonder that he would want
to form a group with her.
"But why do you care about all that, though?" asked Ishizaki.
"I saw the two of them together this morning. Since Komiya had called
Shinohara by her first name, I figured they must be close. I thought there might
be something going on," I replied.
"Oh… Hey, hold on. Ayanokouji, are you, maybe…? Do you like Shinohara?"
asked Ishizaki.
"No."
I immediately denied it, but Ishizaki was grinning happily, like a switch had
been flipped in his brain.
"Dude, come on. So, you're just pretendin' to be this quiet dude, but turns
out there's a lady you like. All right, I get it," said Ishizaki.
"I said no, though. It's not true."
"Aw, don't hide it from me. You and me are buds, right?" said Ishizaki.
Well, I didn't think we were close at all until the training camp exam, though…
But I supposed it was true that lately he'd been more of a friend to me than the
people in my class who I hardly knew at all.
"But seriously dude, knowing you, you probably could score a much cuter
girl," said Ishizaki.
If this kept going any further, there was a chance that some misguided rumors
could start going around. If that happened, then Ike and Shinohara's
relationship might sour even further.
"It's Ike. Ike, from my class. He's the one who has a crush on Shinohara," I told
him.
"Huh? Oh what? So, it ain't you, Ayanokouji?" said Ishizaki.
"Which is why I'm here, trying to find things out," I added.
"All right, I understand what yer gettin' at now sure. But, I mean, it ain't like
love is somethin' another person can just butt into though, know what I mean?"
said Ishizaki.
"I agree with that. I think that getting involved in their business would be
wrong," added Nishino.
"Normally, yes, I would agree with you. However, for our class, this is a
situation that we can't really ignore, since Ike taking part in this exam is vital to
our class," I answered.
The more strained that Ike and Shinohara's relationship became, the more
chance there was that he might run off in a weird direction. This wasn't a good
turn of events, because the uninhabited island special exam, a place where we
could really make use of Ike's talents, was approaching. However, what I was
requesting didn't offer any benefits for Class B. If anything, it would be like
them helping their enemy. This wasn't something that they'd want to help us
too much with. That's what I had thought, anyway.
"All right. If you need it, I'll lend ya a hand. What should I do?" asked Ishizaki.
Ishizaki offered to help me, not minding it at all.
"Wait, Ishizaki, are you being serious? You're Komiya's friend, aren't you?"
said Nishino.
"So, what, am I just s'posed to abandon Ayanokouji right here, when he's in
trouble?" said Ishizaki.
"Well, yes, you are supposed to abandon him. I get that you two are friendly,
but we're supposed to be enemies," said Nishino.
"They do say that yesterday's enemies are tomorrow's friends, right?" replied
Ishizaki.
Well, technically, he should have said "today's friends," but it was fine, so I
decided to just let that slide.
"That's very kind of you to offer, but it might be tough for me if you're asking
for something in return," I replied.
"Somethin' in return? Nah dude, I ain't askin' for nothing. It's normal to help a
friend when they're in trouble," said Ishizaki.
Ishizaki wasn't good at lying. He seemed to be willing to give me some advice
without asking for any kind of payment. I was grateful for that, but considering
that he was Komiya's friend, I couldn't make an unreasonable proposal.
Besides, if I carelessly tried to separate Komiya and Shinohara, it would
probably be frowned upon, especially by Nishino.
"Okay then, in that case… Could you try to get Komiya to tell you how he
really feels?" I asked.
"So, you just wanna know if he really likes Shinohara?" asked Ishizaki.
"Yeah, but please make sure to keep quiet about the fact that there's
someone who wants to know about it," I answered.
"Yeah, 'course I'll do that. But how am I s'posed to actually ask him? Any
ideas?" asked Ishizaki.
Ishizaki was struggling because he didn't have any motive to ask Komiya how
he felt, but Nishino stepped in to throw him a lifeline.
"Ayanokouji-kun, you saw the two of them together having fun, didn't you? In
that case, why don't you guys pretend like it was Ishizaki who actually
witnessed them, and then Ishizaki can use that to ask if they're dating?
Wouldn't that work? Besides, since Ishizaki is a guy who isn't very popular. It
would bother him when one of his friends beat him to the punch, right?" said
Nishino.
Ishizaki immediately accepted Nishino's proposal since he didn't really have
many ideas of his own to work with.
"W-well, it definitely feels pretty flimsy as a reason and all, but… A-all right, I'll
do it. Just wait a sec. Club stuff still hasn't started yet, and—"
Ishizaki had added that he thought the plan would probably work, and then
proceeded to call Komiya.
"…Oh, hey, Komiya? Sorry for hittin' you up before your club stuff. Oh, uh,
yeah, just somethin' I wanted to ask ya. Were you talkin' with Shinohara from
Class D this morning? …Dude, I knew it. Aw man, and here I thought we were
like brothers in arms, since we didn't have girlfriends and all. And here you go,
leavin' me in the dust," said Ishizaki.
He asked Komiya about Shinohara, handling it better than I had expected he
would.
"Oh wait, so you guys aren't really goin' out? Guess that must be true, yeah. If
I find out later that you're lyin' though, we're gonna have a problem, y'know?"
said Ishizaki.
He confirmed that the two of them were not dating, and then made an "okay"
gesture to me with his right hand. Just then though, his expression changed
slightly.
"Huh… Seriously? O-oh. All right, I getcha, huh…"
Ishizaki had been asking questions in a way that I could follow along up with
so far, but the amount of information I could pick up from the conversation
suddenly diminished. He began to listen intently to Komiya, who was speaking
on the other end of the line.
"…That so? Huh, okay. Yeah dude, I get it. Guess that means the time has
come for you to become a man. I'm pullin' for you dude, of course. Let me
know how it goes, okay?" said Ishizaki.
Based on how the conversation had gone, I was able to understand what
Komiya had told Ishizaki, more or less. When Ishizaki finished his call, he looked
at me with a somewhat awkward expression on his face.
"So, Komiya's plannin' on telling Shinohara that he's got a thing for her. He's
gonna do it on the island," said Ishizaki.
"I see," I replied.
If they formed a group, that meant they'd be together on the island for
twenty-four hours a day. I'm sure there would come plenty of times when he'd
have the perfect opportunity to tell Shinohara how he felt about her.
"What now? I mean, ain't no way we can stop 'em, right?" said Ishizaki.
He was right, of course. Komiya had the unassailable right to tell her how he
felt. Besides, even though Ike and Shinohara both liked each other, neither one
of them had taken that first step in the first place. So if someone else were to
cut in before Ike were to get there himself, well, that just meant that was the
way things were meant to be. Or maybe after Komiya told her how he felt, Ike
could eventually win her back…
"Anyway, thanks for the help. I think I'll talk to Horikita about all this. Oh, and
if Nishino seems to be having a tough time getting a group, come talk to me. I
might be able to help in some way," I replied.
"I told ya I didn't need anythin' in return though," said Ishizaki.
"Well, it's just like you told me. If you're in trouble, I'll help you out, too. As
long as it's something I can do, I'll help," I told him.
"Thanks. I know you've got a lot you're dealin' with too, so hang in there,"
said Ishizaki, offering me some words of appreciation.
I decided to go ahead and report back to Horikita on the matter.
4.9
THAT EVENING, I called Horikita to the cafeteria. Since there were so many
people around, it would be difficult for anyone to pick up on our specific
conversation, even if they were trying to listen in. I told Horikita about how Ike
had a crush on Shinohara but was unable to take that first step. I also told her
that Komiya had a crush on her as well, and that he was planning to tell her how
he felt. I also told Horikita about how deeply I think it might affect the
upcoming exam. And Horikita's reaction to all of that was…
"Wouldn't it be fine to just leave them alone?"
I had halfway expected as much, but her reaction was one of cold
indifference.
"You said you wanted to talk to me about something, and I was wondering
what it could have been about. But this really isn't something that other people
should get involved in. Besides, I do value Ike's camping skills as well. We should
place him in a group to make the best use of his abilities, leaving personal
feelings out of the equation," said Horikita.
"I'm not so sure about that. It seems like Ike can't get his mind off Shinohara.
Depending on how things play out, it's possible that he might not be able to
perform as well as he did last year. If that's all there is to it, then that would be
fine, but we should consider the possibility that he'll be so preoccupied thinking
about Shinohara that he'll drag his group down," I answered.
"You're saying that he'll get all weird about it and end up getting expelled?"
said Horikita.
"Well, I can't say for sure that it's impossible."
"…In that case, that could be a problem. This is absolutely stupid," replied
Horikita, letting out a bitter sigh, seeming to be at her wits' end.
"It seems like Komiya and Shinohara have promised to be in a group together,
but they haven't made it official yet because of your instructions. But if you do
give them your permission, it is almost a guarantee that they will form a group
together. You are the leader of Class D now. If you tell Shinohara that teaming
up with Komiya is, strategically speaking, a bad move, then Shinohara couldn't
go against it," I told her.
"So, you're saying that we need to stop them. But if we prevent them from
being in a group together, wouldn't Komiya-kun just pick a different time to tell
her how he feels? Depending on how things play out, he might even decide to
tell her that very same day," said Horikita.
"We can't discount that possibility," I conceded.
"This issue is more trouble than it's worth. It's impossible for us to see what's
going on before they officially become boyfriend and girlfriend," said Horikita.
"In that case, what do you think we should do?" I asked.
"Why don't we just make Ike-kun come out with it and tell Shinohara-san how
he feels about her? If she responds well to it, then Ike-kun will give his utmost
so that he won't be expelled, no matter what group he's placed in, right? On
the other hand, if she turns him down, Ike-kun can forget about her and
concentrate on the exam," said Horikita.
While I agreed that the former scenario was likely, I wasn't sure if the latter
would happen that way if Ike did get rejected. There was a possibility that he'd
fall into despair and just give up. But we could keep talking back and forth
about this topic all day long. It was certainly true that getting Ike make his
feelings with Shinohara clear at this stage would be the simplest, least timeconsuming solution.
"You're good at quite a lot of things, but when it comes to love, you're really
hopeless, aren't you?" said Horikita.
"I'm studying hard right now," I replied.
"For the love of… All right. I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, should I go
ahead and lead Ike-kun and Shinohara-san to try and form a group together?"
said Horikita.
Even though we were still in the middle of eating, Horikita took out her phone
and launched the OAA app. However, when she did so, an unexpected fact
came to light.
"Unfortunately, it seems like we're too late," said Horikita.
Horikita slid her phone across the table over to me and showed me the
screen. In the OAA app, I could see that groups had been formed. I saw both
Shinohara and Komiya's names listed together already, as two people in the
same group. They were in a group of three people, together with Kinoshita
Minori from Class B.
"Since it's come to this, we're going to need to take steps to make sure that
Ike-kun doesn't lose motivation," said Horikita.
"Let's talk about this with Yousuke too. He's been thinking about ideas for the
best group to put Ike into right now," I replied.
Completing the task of forming groups for the uninhabited island special
exam was fraught with difficulties.