3.6

The starry skies stretched out before me as far as the eye could see. I wandered around, and stumbled onto the deck.

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

The view was more beautiful than anything I had seen in a movie or envisioned in a book. It was the kind of sky you couldn’t see in a large city. There were a few couples holding hands, looking up to the stars shoulder-to-shoulder. I felt a little lonely. Because there was almost no light, I couldn’t make out their faces, but I didn’t particularly care. I wasn’t interested in other people’s romances.

But amongst all the couples, there was one student looking up at the starry skies alone. A girl, judging by the silhouette.

I couldn’t just walk up and say something like, “Why don’t we look at the stars together?” I’d probably come off sounding like one of those sleazy pick-up artists. Besides, if a boyfriend came along and joined her in the middle of me making a move, it would be bad. But part of me was interested in discovering her identity. I tried getting a little closer.

The girl turned toward me.

“Huh? Oh, Ayanokouji...kun?”

“That voice... Kushida?”

Kushida stepped out of the shadows. She looked at me with an expression of shock.

“Are you...alone?” I asked. Perhaps she was waiting to meet her boyfriend. Just imagining that made my chest tighten and ache.

“Yeah, I am. I just couldn’t seem to sleep.”

“I-I see,” I answered.

Well, now I knew she wasn’t on a starlit date. In that case, I figured she wouldn’t mind, so I got closer. Kushida wore a jersey. She must have just gotten out of the bath, because she smelled nice. It should have been the scent from the complimentary shampoos in our rooms, but it wasn’t. How mysterious.

“Aren’t you cold?” I asked.

“I’m fine. What about you, Ayanokouji-kun? Are you all alone?”

I nodded. When I did so, Kushida laughed happily.

“So we’re both alone? I admit, I felt a little ashamed being alone. This makes me feel better.”

“...”

I should’ve spouted off a witty one-liner. But I couldn’t. Besides, being alone with Kushida in a place with a ton of couples spiked my heart rate. Deep down, though, Kushida must’ve been thinking how much she hated this.

“Well, I’m gonna head on back,” I said.

“You’re already leaving?”

“I’m getting tired.” That was a total lie. I didn’t want to sleep in the slightest.

“I see. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night, Ayanokouji-kun.”

“Good night, Kushida.”

I turned around and began to make a pathetic retreat.

“Wait!”

Unexpectedly, Kushida wrapped her arms around my chest. Even in this cold, I felt the warmth of her body through her jersey.

“K-K-Ku...Kushida? Wh-what’s the matter?” I squeaked.

Of course, I was completely flustered. It was only natural that I’d panic. I couldn’t understand what was happening.

“...”

But Kushida didn’t answer right away. She finally responded in a small voice.

“I’m sorry. I...I just felt so lonely, I think,” she whispered. Her words hit me hard, like a fighter smacking me right in the jaw. I felt dizzy. Kushida buried her face in my chest for a few seconds longer, without saying a word.

Then she pulled away, flustered, as if breaking from a spell.

“S-sorry. I, um...I just hugged you so suddenly, Ayanokouji-kun.

Good night!” she stammered.

I couldn’t make out Kushida’s face too well in the dark, but she might have been blushing slightly. Kushida quickly scurried away before I could speak. I stood there, hand on my chest, feeling the warmth that remained. I already couldn’t sleep, and after all that, I couldn’t just return to my room. I decided to wander around the boat before heading back.

“Now that I’ve calmed down, I’m feeling thirsty.”

There should’ve been a few vending machines on the first level, so I decided to head there. But as I approached, I found an odd three-person group: Chabashira-sensei; the Class B homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya-sensei; and Mashima-sensei from Class A.

The teachers were relaxing on the sofa. The area wasn’t technically off limits to students, but since things like izakaya and bars weren’t open to us, no one came around. I’d taken this route just for a change of scene, but had stumbled onto an opportunity. I hid myself and drew nearer.

“You know, it’s been a long time since the three of us all got together.”

“It is what it is. Fate. After bouncing around from one thing to the next, we all chose the teacher’s life.”

“Enough. There’s no point talking about that.”

“Ah, that reminds me. You were on a date the other day, weren’t you? You’ve got a new girlfriend, huh? Mashima-kun, you’re quite the playboy. And here I’d thought you were the quiet, unsociable type.”

“Chie, what happened to the man you were with?”

“Ah ha ha! We broke up two weeks ago. I’m the type of girl who breaks it off once the relationship starts getting serious. It’s just like, see ya later!” Hoshinomiya-sensei said.

“That’s what you’d usually hear from the guy.”

“Ah, but I’d never do that to you, Mashima-kun. You’re my best friend, after all. I’d hate to ruin our friendship.”

“Relax. I’m not worried about that.”

“What a shocker.”

Hoshinomiya-sensei poured whiskey into an empty glass. She downed it in one gulp. Must’ve been a drinker. On the other hand, Chabashira-sensei sipped her drink like a cocktail.

“What are you planning, Chie?”

“Huh? What are you talking about? What’d I do?”

“It’s customary to place all of the class representatives into the Dragon group, isn’t it?”

“I’m not screwing around or anything. It’s certainly true that as far as grades and attitude are concerned, Ichinose-san is number one. However, someone’s true place in society cannot be measured by numbers alone. I determined that she needed a challenge. And besides, rabbits are just so cute, aren’t they? The way they hop around. Doesn’t that suit Ichinose-san?” Hoshinomiya-sensei asked.

“I hope you’re right.”

“I think what you’re saying makes sense, Hoshinomiya, but what are you getting at?”

“We wouldn’t want you to base your judgment on personal grudges.”

“Oh, are you still talking about what happened ten years ago? I thought that was all water under the bridge.”

“I wonder. I mean, you can’t seem to stop yourself from running your mouth. You’re not satisfied unless you’re one move ahead. That’s why you put Ichinose in the Rabbit group, isn’t it?”

“I genuinely thought that Ichinose needed to learn a lesson, so I removed her from the Dragon group. You know? By the way, Sae-chan, I couldn’t help but notice you’ve been focusing on Ayanokouji-kun. Anyway, it’s just a coincidence. Coincidence, coincidence. When the island test ended and Ayanokouji-kun became a kind of leader, you weren’t surprised at all, were you?”

“I see.” Mashima-sensei nodded as though convinced of something.

However, he then strictly addressed Hoshinomiya-sensei. “There’s no rule against this, but I want to be clear. Stop spying on other colleagues’ classes.”

“Agh, it’s like you don’t trust me at all. Well, I’m not the only one to blame. Sakagami-sensei is part of the problem, too. If we evaluated the Class C students properly, another student should’ve been placed into Dragon. But they threw Ryuuen in there.”

“That’s certainly true. This isn’t your average year. The students seem rather special.”

With this newfound information, it was about time for me to head back. If I stayed any longer, I might be seen. Just knowing that Ichinose had been sent to spy on me was enough for this little reconnaissance. Apparently I was under heavy scrutiny.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***