COTE: A Gathering of Geniuses

Deserted Island Special Test Part 1 Class D

Disclaimer: I own none of the series used nor the characters themselves.

Class D Day 0

Sakura Airi sighed.

It was not the heat. Even if it was the middle of summer, her current location was rather windy, standing on the deck of a cruise ship. The salty sea breeze of the Pacific Ocean offset the heat of the setting sun with the sky turning a glowing orange.

It was not her situation. While being on a cruise on a luxury liner wasn't something she thought she'd ever want, it could be a lot worse. It helped how the whole thing was paid for by the school, so she didn't need to spend anything.

It was not even the people (for once). Yes, she wasn't so sure she could get along with the classmates she was rooming with but, if they were here, that meant he was here too.

The reason for her current muddied feelings.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka

A boy from her class who had recently been stuck on Sakura's mind. He was like her, someone who disappeared in the background, yet was incredibly reliable. He had given her confidence to be a witness in a student hearing even if it turned out she wasn't needed.

Even knowing her past as a gravure idol named Shizuku, he didn't treat her any different or looked at her creepily. She had stopped her activities in the past due to a stalker who then followed her to ANHS, but Ayanokoji had been able to save her from him.

No, he had given her the courage to save herself.

Ayanokoji was her first true friend since arriving in this school. Kushida did come first but it was only with the silent boy that she truly found a connection.

A connection she was starting to consider deepening since arriving on the cruise ship.

The combination of the constant stress that were of class exams and the sudden impact of a paid two-week cruise must have been the push students were looking for to finally get together. All around she could see pairs of students mingling under the evening sky.

Everywhere she looked ignited a spark of envy within her. It felt like everyone else was getting along, even just as friends, unlike her.

"Ahahahaha!" A short girl with curled long hair was laughing at the figure of a frozen bespectacled boy holding out some sort of game device to her. "Wha-ahaha-what is that? That-ahahaha-that's just some doodling!"

...Maybe not everyone.

Sakura looked away from the sight to continue looking for Ayanokoji. There was, in fact, an easy way to get contact him. She could simply text him as she did have his contact info. However, whenever she tried to type something in the message box she'd freeze up and delete it.

Eventually, she was able to spot what should have been his brown hair from the back. However, as Sakura approached his location, she noticed he was sitting next to a dark-haired girl by the ship's bar.

A frown grew on Sakura's face.

Horikita Suzune, a girl who Sakura only knew as someone who seemed to spend a lot of time with Ayanokoji. Horikita seemed intimidating at first, but Sakura learned the dark-haired girl cared for their classmates from listening to her at the hearing. So, not a friend but an acquaintance Sakura knew was reliable.

However with how close Horikita seemed to be with the boy she was interested in, Sakura couldn't help but worry if there was something more going on there. It didn't help that there were rumors going around which Sakura definitely did not believe.