Misaki
Slowly opening my eyes, I wake up to find myself lying down on my bed in my room. To be more precise, it wasn't my room at the dorms at the high school, but rather a room on a luxurious cruise ship which I and the other first-year students boarded on.
After the incident between Tsukamoto and three Class C students, and after our end-of-term exam, we were given a two-week vacation to go on a cruise ship. Matsubara-sensei had told our class about this when we took our mock test a couple months ago.
Here on the ship, everybody was living their life, enjoying it to the fullest. However, when I say "everybody", that doesn't include myself. Instead of going out and experiencing everything the ship had to offer, I stayed within my room just reading or studying. Why I did this was because I saw there being no point in doing it when you know what would come.
On the surface, this was a vacation, but underneath it all, it was merely a facade for an upcoming special exam. How I knew this was thanks to my mother, who was once a former student here at the Advanced Nurturing High School. She told me many stories of her time here, and one story involved her being on a cruise ship, heading towards an uninhabited island which was the location of a special exam.
"This special exam was the first one we've ever taken, and it was one where I struggled quite a lot. I was sick, and my skills as a leader were still developing at the time. Because of that, my class had nearly collapsed entirely and failed. Fortunately, in the end, we managed to pass the special exam coming in first place."
Luckily, I myself wasn't sick and my leadership skills have improved during my time here at this school. If I make the right moves, I'm confident my class and I will pass this special exam and hopefully take first place.
Hm...I guess I'll go out and see where we are at the moment. I got up from my bed and grabbed my clothes from the wardrobe, putting them on. Next, I grabbed my phone, which had been charged, and left my room.
The Cruise Ship; Hallways
As I went up a few levels and walked throughout the cruise ship, I passed by many other first-year students, as well as a few adults who were working here. The ship was large, and it housed me and many others who were on board. I was often a loner, so I wasn't quite comfortable staying on this ship with this many people.
It was morning time and I was heading on my way to the buffet to grab a bite to eat. As I kept walking, I happened to pass by three Class C students-one of them being Ryuen Takemi. The two of us took a quick glance at each other, then passed by each other without saying anything.
Takemi, no, Ryuen was a childhood friend of mine in the past. Her parents and my mother knew each other quite well back in high school. Thanks to my mother's rivalry with hers, we got to know each other well. Rather than being the normal friends many people usually are, some could say we were "rivals" ourselves. And who do we have to thank for that other than our mothers...
At this school, Ryuen and I were in different classes, which meant that we were enemies. The two of us would have to fight each other one day. However, she wouldn't be able to do that seeing that Bushida was the current leader of their class.
Ryuen wants to take him down herself and only by herself to become the Class Representative. Once she does, she'll have control over the class. I suspect she'll use her power as their leader to challenge me and my class, specifically me alone. I don't mind taking her on if she wishes to challenge me, but I fear that if I do, there will be many, many more to come afterwards.
The Cruise Ship; Buffet
I eventually arrived at my destination and just outside of the entrance, there I saw a familiar figure sitting down at a table sipping on a drink while reading a book.
"Good morning, Furukawa-kun. I never expected to meet you here," I said. He looked up from his book and silently nodded at me, greeting me back. "It seems like you're by yourself as usual." I sat down in a seat in front of him.
"Yes, I am," he replied. "Is there something you want to talk about?" he asked.
"No. I was about to head to the buffet before I saw you, but...on second thought, now that I'm here, I might as well speak to you. Have you already eaten?" I asked and he nodded. "I see. In that case, do you mind waiting for me here?"
"Sure," he said. With that, I stood up and left, entering the buffet.
Some time later...
After eating my fill, I walked out of the buffet and found Furukawa still sitting down at his seat, reading his book. His drink was now completely empty unlike before where it was originally full.
"I didn't actually expect you to wait, Furukawa-kun," I said.
"You asked me, didn't you? It'd be rude to not comply when someone asks you to do something."
"I see. Do you mind walking around with me for a bit?" He nodded, then stood up from his seat, and the two of us left and went outside.
The Cruise Ship; Top Deck
We walked towards the railing of the ship and looked at the wide and blue ocean in front of us. For someone like me who has never seen the ocean before, it was quite stunning and beautiful.
"So, Furukawa-kun," I said as I placed my hands on the rail. "What do you think about it so far?"
"Are you talking about the view, or are you talking about the upcoming special exam?" he asked.
I turned to him. "So you know."
"I have some knowledge of it. And besides, it was far too obvious. A prestigious school wouldn't give us students a vacation like this without there being something behind it."
So far, the school has been giving us many difficult tests and exams. It would've been no surprise if the school were to give us one as we were heading to a deserted island where we were supposed to have our "vacation".
"I suppose you're right," I agreed with him.
"Oh...! Look over there...!" one student nearby said.
"Woah...! Is that the island...!" another student said.
As we heard more and more students gossiping around us, we both turned our attention back to the ocean and in the distance, there we saw an island coming into view.
"Looks like our vacation is coming to an end," said Furukawa.
"It seems so..."
"Do you already have a plan in mind, Horikita?"
I shook my head. "No. I can't think of anything until we step foot on the island."
"I see. Then I advise you to use this chance to take a good look at the island once we get closer."
"I will. Thank you."
The island was large and vast. It had many resources and many places where we could make our base. However, when choosing a place or gathering resources, we have to think about other factors. For one, we have to consider that the other classes will likely take the spots where it'll have everything they need to survive, from food to water to shelter. Those spots are more than likely spots we would want to take as well and the last thing we need is conflict.
"Well, look who we have here..." Just then, we heard a voice behind us and turned.
"Bushida-kun...?"
Alongside him, there was Orlov, Okada, and Nishida. They were all wearing their casual clothes like us, and they were approaching us.
"Yo, Horikita. Enjoying the view?" I glared at him and he chuckled. "Come on now, no need to be on the defense all the time. Don't worry, we're just here to enjoy the view like you two."
Bushida came next to us and placed his arms on the rails. He looked off in the distance, staring at the island as we got closer to it and grinned.
"It sure is a big island..." he muttered. "So Horikita, what are you going to do once you're on the island?" Instead of replying, I stayed silent and continued to glare at him. "Ku ku. That face of yours is quite cute, you know?"
Okada sighed. "You mind cutting out with the flirty crap? It's annoying me."
Bushida turned to her. "Oh? I never expected you to be a jealous one, Chiyoko." She grunted and glared at him, then he chuckled and turned back to us. "Well, sorry about that. I didn't mean to come here to ruin your moment together." I looked at him with a confused look and Furukawa stared at him with his usual blank expression.
"Ah, if it isn't Bushida-kun from Class C?" All of us turned to the gentle voice speaking to us and saw two similar students walking towards us.
"Well, it's nice to see you two, Sakayanagi twins," Bushida said with a grin on his face.
"Sakayanagi...?!" Sakayanagi Reina and Sakayanagi Toshiro. The two of them were twins and the Class Representatives of Class A. They both had identical faces, as well as the same silver-lilac hair and matching eyes.
"Good morning, everyone. It's a wonderful day today, isn't it?" said Reina, greeting us with a smile on her face. As for Toshiro, he remained quiet and stared at us with a blank expression almost similar to Furukawa. "I apologize if I ruined your conversation earlier. If I may ask, what were you all talking about?"
"We were just talking about the island, that's all."
All of us turned our attention towards the island, and we saw how much closer we've gotten. Earlier, it was in the distance. Now, it was almost directly in front of us.
"Ah, yes. It is quite a spectacle to see, isn't it? So beautiful and dazzling, much like the ocean."
"Ku ku. I'm not talking about the island itself, I'm talking about what we're going to do once we get to the island. Just the thought of it is making me excited."
"Is that so? Well, I suppose there are many things waiting for us students there."
As I stared at Reina, I noticed how she kept her expression and continued to give us that smile. For some reason, there was something mysterious and mischievous behind that smile of hers. I couldn't put my finger on it.
Suddenly, as the ship got closer, instead of going for the pier, it started circling around the island. Just then, the loud speaker turned on.
"Attention, students! Please all assemble on the deck immediately. We are nearing the island, so please use this time to take in the view."
As they told us, everyone and I turned to look at the island, staring at it and analyzing it. From my perspective, I could see many hills and forests covering the island, as well as some small bodies of water. A few ideas came to mind, but I decided to keep it for now until I had a look at everything in person.
"Well, that's it for me," said Bushida with a sigh. "I'll be seeing you both later, Class A, Class D. See ya." With that, Bushida and his classmates left the deck.
"Class D, was it?" Reina turned towards me, still keeping her smile. "You must be Horikita Misaki-san then. It's nice to finally meet you. We're-"
"Sakayanagi Reina and Sakayanagi Toshiro. I've heard about you. You twins are Class A's Class Representatives. The two of you are also quite intelligent and formidable according to the school."
"You're quite knowledgeable, Horikita. As expected of Horikita Suzune's own daughter," said Toshiro.
"How do you-"
"The Horikita name is quite popular across Japan and there's not many people I know who bear the name except you and her," he said. "Okaa-san has told us much about Horikita Suzune. During her time here at this school, she proved to be a difficult challenge for her. 'An intelligent and outstanding opponent'."
The blank expression on Toshiro's face was gone. In its place, there was a smile similar to Reina's. Not only that, the aura he had changed and was almost the same as Kasai or Kurino-a bright and alluring aura.
"Ah, yes. Okaa-san did used to talk about her, didn't she?" said Reina. "Fu fu. For the children of former students to meet each other at this exact same school they once attended...it's almost like fate, isn't it? But~...I wonder if you'll be a challenge at all?"
"Hm..." I quietly grunted.
Sakayanagi Arisu was their mother. She was a former student who attended this school alongside my mother. According to her, she was highly skilled and talented-a natural born genius and not someone you could easily underestimate. She was a difficult enemy to face. If Toshiro and Reina were related to her, they'll likely be the same.
Will I be able to take them on if we face each other...? I thought to myself.
The speaker turned back on. "Attention, students! We will be docking shortly in thirty minutes. All students need to arrive on the deck with their gym clothes, as well as their phones, bags, and luggage. Personal belongings need to stay in your rooms and it is advised to visit the bathroom now as we may not be able to return for quite some time."
"We should get ready, Reina," Toshiro said as he was looking at the island.
"Yes, Nii-san," she replied. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Horikita-san. I hope we meet again soon." She and Toshiro turned around and walked away from us, leaving the deck with their smiles still on their faces.
Now that they are gone, I decided to check on them using the OAA app. I pulled out my phone and opened the app, looking up their scores.
"This is...!"
1-A Sakayanagi Reina
First Year Results
Academic Ability: A+ (99)
Physical Ability: A (98)
Adaptability: A+ (98)
Societal Contribution: A+ (98)
Overall Ability: A (98)
1-A Sakayanagi Toshiro
First Year Results
Academic Ability: C+ (60)
Physical Ability: C+ (60)
Adaptability: C+ (60)
Societal Contribution: C+ (60)
Overall Ability: C+ (60)
Reina had a nearly perfect OAA score. As for Toshiro, he had an average score, which seemed strange. I assumed that he would have a similar or higher score than Reina's. Perhaps his average score was merely a facade, similar to Furukawa and his own OAA score.
I placed my phone back in my pocket and looked back at the island. "We should probably leave and change as well..." I turned to leave, walking past Furukawa, and that's when I noticed he was standing still, staring in the direction the Sakayanagi twins had gone off. "Furukawa-kun, are you not going?"
"...No, I will." He turned and we both left, going our separate ways as we headed back to our rooms.