With the successful conclusion of the first-year final exams, the students' sumr vacation officially kicked off. What awaited them was a two-week island getaway, specially organized by the school.
The distant horizon had just barely begun to glow with the first pale light of dawn. The entire first-year student body, as if forcibly dragged from their warm dreams, groggily assembled into clusters, making their preparations before boarding the buses.
An atmosphere of not-yet-fully-awake stillness perated the air. Yawns rose and fell in waves across the open ground.
No, perhaps "entire" wasn't quite accurate...
Fuyuji Mikage cast a glance toward the direction of Class D. He couldn't find the figure of that white-stockinged loli, Sakayanagi Arisu.
Stayed behind at the school, did she?
Cupping his chin, he turned to Mashima Tomonari beside him and asked with a contemplative air, "For this vacation trip, are students free to decide whether to remain at the school?"
Mashima, dressed in a crisp, perfectly pressed suit, paused for a mont. After a brief silence, he replied, "Theoretically, yes. As long as they submit a request to their horoom teacher."
"Even right now?" Fuyuji asked, as if rely making idle conversation.
"As long as the ssage is copied to the school administration, even now is possible."
Fuyuji nodded with an expression of sudden, profound understanding. Leaving behind a look that said, "I get it now," he turned and dove straight into the crowd of Class A students.
What did he get?! What was he planning to do?!
Mashima's heartbeat suddenly began to accelerate. An ominous premonition surged within his heart.
In re monts, the Class A students, who had just been lined up in perfect, orderly formation, began to boil over like water brought to a rolling heat.
"Eh? Isn't this supposed to be a vacation? A chance to relax? Why are they making us assemble here before six o'clock?"
"Yeah, gathering this early, getting up before the sky's even bright—what kind of vacation is this? I'd be better off sleeping in my room."
"Co to think of it, if this is a vacation, the ti should be left for us to manage ourselves, so we can have the best possible experience!"
"Seconded!"
With Class A of the first year taking the lead in stirring up the crowd, protests and grumbling began to erupt in succession from the formations of the other classes. Class D, already sowhat chaotic to begin with, practically exploded in an instant, ceaselessly directing their complaints at their horoom teacher, Chabashira Sae. This only compounded the headache for Chabashira Sae, whose spirits were already low from her habitual smoking and drinking.
Mashima's cheek twitched as he watched Fuyuji frantically steering the rhythm of the crowd from within the ranks.
Whether this was a vacation or not—weren't you the one who knew that better than anyone?!
And besides, what exactly were you trying to accomplish?
Listening to the increasingly clamorous crowd around him, Fuyuji revealed a simple, honest smile, like that of an old farr. Borrowing the cover of the Class A crowd, he slightly lowered his voice and shouted out.
"If you ask , this vacation trip probably isn't all that great anyway. How could the school possibly spend that much money on us students for a vacation? They'll probably just find so little boat to haul us off to so island, and then we'll spend these two weeks in so shabby, run-down hotel. Might as well just stay at school and play a couple rounds of gas in my room."
"I heard from an upperclassman that the hotel on the island is actually really dilapidated. No air conditioning." A student imdiately chid in, picking up the thread.
"A senpai said the food is just simple boxed lunches. Really awful."
The Class A students grew more and more outrageous the longer they spoke, each displaying their own unique talents—the more off-putting and discouraging, the better.
Under the influence of this atmosphere, the Class D students began to voice their doubts about this vacation trip.
"Chabashira-sensei, is this true? You're not going to lie to us again like you did with the midterm exams, are you?"
"If that's really how it is, we'd be better off just going straight back to our rooms."
...
Chabashira Sae looked at the growing unrest among the Class D students and could only helplessly explain.
"This ti, what you'll be boarding is absolutely a luxury cruise ship. That much I can guarantee you."
Before the words had even fully settled, yet another voice rang out from the direction of Class A.
"How many tis has the school already deceived us? Isn't it better to just pull out now and stay at school, enjoying the air conditioning?"
The horoom teachers of each class were practically about to split apart at the seams. If students started pulling out before this had even begun, their classes would essentially be declaring defeat in this special exam before it even started.
In perfect unison, the assembled horoom teachers turned their gazes toward Mashima, who was himself equally on the verge of losing his composure. Their eyes signaled:
Get your class's students under control!!
Hashimoto Masayoshi, having swiftly grasped Fuyuji's intent, let a grin spread across the corner of his mouth. In his usual flippant, frivolous tone, he continued fanning the flas among the crowd.
"That's a fair point. After all, this is a school funded by the state. That's the taxpayers' money. There's no reason for them to let us squander it so freely, is there?"
Imdiately after, discussion voices continued to stream out from Class A, slowly and subtly agitating the students of the other classes.
Seeing that the timing was about right, Fuyuji cleared his throat and once again lowered his voice. "What kind of character does this school have? Would it really be so gener—"
A palm directly sealed Fuyuji's mouth shut. Mashima personally fished Fuyuji out from among the Class A students.
"Mmph? Mm! Mm! Mm!"
"Can you just not cause trouble for once and show a little consideration for my bonus?" Mashima let out an imnsely weary, deeply pained sigh.
No matter the circumstances, if students failed to carry out the special exam within the school's plan, they as horoom teachers would bear a certain degree of responsibility.
"Pwah!"
Fuyuji shook his head free and dislodged Mashima's palm. "I already knew in advance there was going to be a special exam. Isn't it only natural to strike a blow against the competition ahead of ti? There's a saying, isn't there—winning a ga of chess doesn't necessarily have to happen within the chessboard."
"Aren't you afraid we'll notify the other classes about the special exam ahead of ti?"
"It's about to start anyway. In such a short ti, they couldn't do much even if they wanted to. And what if it actually succeeds? Didn't Sakayanagi Arisu stay behind at the school? If she can do it, why can't other students?" Fuyuji spread his hands nonchalantly.
"Also, if you were to notify the other classes, wouldn't that be unfair to Class A, who earned the information about the special exam through their own efforts? We spent points on that, you know. And as I recall, teachers aren't allowed to personally step in and help students, are they? Careful, or I might just file a complaint against you!" Fuyuji began turning the natural order upside down and threatening Mashima.
"Then what do you want?" Seeing that the hard approach wouldn't work, Mashima could only resort to the soft approach.
"Heh heh!" Having successfully executed his sche, Fuyuji revealed a triumphant grin. "In that case, I shall formally present my conditions."
"Go ahead."
Mashima let out yet another sigh. Over all his years of teaching, this was the first ti he had ever been so thoroughly handled by one of his own students.
"I have a friend. He's a pigeon..." Fuyuji spoke with a perfectly straight face.
"A friend? A... pigeon?" A question mark materialized above Mashima's head. He traced the cartoon outline of a pigeon in the air with his finger and spoke with a strained voice, struggling to keep a straight face. "You're not talking about... that pigeon, are you?"
"Correct!"
Morishita Ai swiftly pulled out a birdcage from among her enormous pile of luggage. A fat pigeon was inside, its wing raised to cover its own head, its rear end pointed squarely at Mashima.
Extending a hand toward the birdcage, Morishita introduced it with the utmost solemnity. "His na is Nobato!"
"What exactly are you two trying to do?" Mashima felt he had completely failed to grasp Fuyuji's aning.
Fuyuji straightened his expression and spoke with righteous gravity. "This is a pigeon unlike any other. He yearns deeply for freedom. His lifelong wish is to see the distant ocean he has never before set eyes upon. Should he be deprived of his freedom, he will unleash the Rumbling, summoning countless giant pigeons to trample the entire world of humanity into dust. Therefore, for the sake of the safety of the human world, I demand that he be allowed to accompany us on this vacation trip!"
"..."
Mashima fell into silence for a ti. This was the first ti in all his many years of teaching that he had felt the existence of sothing called a generation gap between himself and his students. Why was it that he could understand every single word individually, and yet the mont they were strung together, they beca utterly incomprehensible?
Mashima raised a hand and rubbed his temples. "In short, you want to bring that pigeon onto the cruise ship with you, correct?"
"Precisely." Fuyuji and Morishita puffed out their chests in unison.
Mashima silently rifled through the school regulations in his mind.
The school didn't seem to have any rule prohibiting bringing a pet on vacation... And even in the most extre scenario, weren't there still points? Couldn't he just cover the cost of those points for him? How many points could bringing one extra pigeon possibly cost?
"Fine. But keep an eye on your pigeon. The school bears no responsibility if it gets lost. Also," Mashima lowered his voice, weariness saturating his words, "tell the Class A students to quiet down. No more riling things up."
Never did he imagine that a day would co when he, who had always been known among his students for his stern, unsmiling severity, would have less authority in his own class than one of his own students.
Fuyuji silently flashed an OK hand signal. Leave it to , rest easy!
...
Watching Mashima's retreating figure, Fuyuji shook his head.
Young. Far too young, Mashima-sensei. I did agree that Class A would stop stirring the pot. But this thod—as long as soone sees through the fact that there's going to be a special exam, anyone can use it, can't they?
To say nothing of others... Ryuen-boy, with that personality of his that trusts absolutely no one, can definitely see through it!
Fuyuji silently shifted his gaze toward the direction of Class C.
"This damned trash school—didn't they scam us once already right at the start of the year?"
A tall, broadly built male student erged from the crowd of Class C, cursing and swearing as he walked directly toward Class C's horoom teacher, Sakagami Kazuma.
"Oi! Sakagami! I'm skipping this trash vacation. I'll be better off staying at school and practicing my basketball skills. Who knows, after two weeks, I might even make the school team next sester." Having spoken, he even cast a provocative glance in the direction of the redhead from Class D.
It's you again! Class C's acting emperor! Komiya Kyogo!
You really are a goddamn genius! Your IQ must be 160!
Before long, several more followed suit from Class C, erging from the crowd. It seed they intended to feign retreat, swindling Class D into revealing their trump card.
Over in Class B, although discussions were still buzzing, there was absolutely no sense of any actual movent. Had they been seen through by Ichinose Honami?
As for Class D... I don't even need to look!
Fuyuji closed his eyes and slowly swiveled his head toward the direction of Class D. With an expression of absolute, self-assured confidence, he spread his hands, like soone checking the numbers on a scratch-off lottery ticket, and opened his eyes.
There's definitely gonna be so idi—
What the hell!!
Gazing into the distance, from within the crowd of Class D, a figure carrying an aura of cold aloofness, exuding an aura that scread "stay the hell away from ," stepped out from among the students. She walked directly toward Class D's horoom teacher, Chabashira Sae.
"Tch..." Fuyuji was both exasperated and amused.
This woman... just a few days ago, on a call with , she had been swearing up and down with absolute certainty that she would definitely defeat Class A in the next special exam. And now, look at her walking away—so brisk and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
If I don't call out and stop her... my own conscience won't let rest easy. After all, I've fleeced her brother for so much money.
But if I do call out and stop her... I feel like I'll have done sothing incredibly stupid. Every night when I go to sleep for the next few days, I'll probably slap myself once.
And so, Fuyuji chose a compromise.
He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
After the dial tone rang a few tis, that cool, aloof figure on the other side lowered her head to glance at her phone screen, then looked over in the direction of Class A.
Fuyuji waggled the phone in his hand, signaling for her to pick up.
"Do you need sothing?" That sa ice-cold tone as always.
"Horikita-san, could you possibly stop owing money?" This ti, it was Fuyuji's turn to let out a weary sigh.
"What do you an?" Horikita Suzune furrowed her brow and stared in his direction.
"You intend to apply to stay behind at the school?"
"Sothing like that is a waste of ti. Rather than fritter away two weeks for nothing, it's better to use that ti to improve myself." Horikita rubbed her own arms, unconsciously shrinking her body inward as she spoke with blunt, unvarnished frankness.
"..." Sohow, Horikita-girl always gave off this pristine, crystal-clear aesthetic—untouched and unpolluted by the world.
"Didn't you still owe two hundred thousand from before, and you haven't paid it back yet?"
A few days prior, Horikita had obtained so points from Ryuen Kakeru and had gradually been repaying portions of her debt. At present, she still owed him two hundred thousand points.
"You needn't worry about that. I'll return them imdi—"
"The vacation trip is actually a special exam arranged by the school. The subject is deserted island survival. Selling it to you at the price of five hundred thousand—not expensive, right?" Fuyuji cut off Horikita's confident declaration and directly engaged in a forceful buy-and-sell. "Alright. You now owe seven hundred thousand. For the next three years, you'll have to work hard to earn points and pay back. Ganbare!"
Fuyuji suddenly recalled sothing else and continued speaking at an extrely rapid clip.
"Oh, right. You are absolutely forbidden from telling your Class D about this intelligence. Otherwise, its value will increase to two million. If you don't pay up, I'll go find your brother for it. As a side note—I recorded this."
The other end of the phone went utterly dead silent, as if the line had jamd.
"Hello? Moshi moshi~ Can you hear ? Horikita-san? Horikita the Indebted? Horikita's little sister? Suzune?"
Exactly what kind of expression Horikita Suzune wore at this mont—Fuyuji couldn't quite describe it.
First, her expression froze solid. Her pupils, within those fox-like eyes, scattered and diffused. She stood there, rooted to the spot, phone in hand, utterly stunned. Her mouth opened slightly, as if she wanted to say sothing, but couldn't bring herself to utter the words. All she could do was leave her mouth hanging open in mid-air.
"Since you're not saying anything, it's decided then. Ja ne~"
"Wait!" Horikita spoke as if jolted awake from a dream.
"Horikita-san, do you have so insight to share?" Fuyuji adjusted his expression and smiled at Horikita, whose face on the other side was twisted in utter humiliation.
"..." The grinding, crunching sound of teeth ca ceaselessly through the phone.
At the Class D position, Horikita held her phone and bit her lip. In a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, she spoke. "Could you... make it cheaper..."
"It's already very cheap. Go ask around and see how much intelligence on a special exam costs." Fuyuji began haggling like a pork vendor on the street.
"..."
Horikita clenched her fist, then weakly released it.
Why was it that just by answering a single phone call, she had suddenly fallen into five hundred thousand points of debt?! And it was the kind she had no choice but to acknowledge!!
Five hundred thousand... if she couldn't pay it back, that bastard would definitely go ask her honored brother for it.
At this rate...
Horikita squeezed her eyes shut, gritted her teeth, and blurted out. "Bento!"
"What do you an?"
"I will make bento for you every single day to pay off my debt!"
"Um... can I refuse? Just looking at your art style, I can tell you're from the Dark Cuisine world. You'll contaminate my household's legendary cooking utensils."
"Please agree!" Horikita stared at Fuyuji with piercing intensity.
"Why does your tone sound like you're about to kill soone?"
"My cooking skills are very good!" Horikita pressed in, step by step.
"Actually, I also have a goal of becoming a master chef, you see."
"Abandon that unreachable dream. It is impossible for you to succeed." Horikita showed absolutely no rcy.
"Fine..."
Fuyuji shrugged and agreed readily. He had nothing to lose anyway. All he had done was flap his lips a bit.
"Then starting today, you are my exclusive personal cooking wife. Cook for until graduation, and the five hundred thousand will be wiped clean in one stroke. How about it? I've given you a bargain, haven't I?"
"Thank you!" Horikita hung up the phone through clenched, grinding teeth.
You're quite welco...
Wasn't there still your brother as your safety net? He should still be sleeping around this ti. Ti to give him a little surprise.
[Fuyuji Mikage: Good morning. Your little sister just fell into another five hundred thousand of debt with .]
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