Chapter 7: The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 7: The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 7:

The Calm Before the Storm

T HE CLOSING CEREMONY for the first semester arrived much sooner than I had expected. So much so that it was kind of staggering. We had to move onto the next goal as soon as possible. Just like last year, we would leave school and head toward the port. There, we would board a large cruise ship and depart for an uninhabited, unknown island somewhere at sea. Finally, with no time to relax, tomorrow morning would mark the beginning of the special exam.

The students, who were supposed to gather in their classrooms to hear a brief explanation, arrived at school as usual that day. They waited for their homeroom instructors to show up. A short checklist was displayed on the monitors in each classroom to help students make sure that they hadn’t forgotten anything.

We were allowed to bring up to one week’s worth of changes of underwear, as it would be essential for proper hygiene. Cell phones seemed to be categorized as essential items, but it looked like they would be confiscated at the start of the island exam. I supposed that even if we were allowed to bring our phones onto the island, they’d be nothing more than paperweights without an available signal. They’d probably only be used for paying off penalties or for buying things while on the ship.

While we waited for the bell that signaled the start of class, Keisei came over to my seat, going over the checklist to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. He had a grim look on his face.

“To be honest, I’m really not good at this whole uninhabited island exam thing. This special exam might as well be asking me to catch a cloud,” said Keisei.

“Well, that’s understandable, though. This test is so far outside of what we do normally every day.”

“It sounds like it’s going to be especially tough for the girls. I suppose I shouldn’t really complain,” said Keisei.

This exam had some challenges that were unique to the girls, so you could say that this exam was stacked against them. Of course, the school seemed to have taken their situation into consideration as much as possible, but there was no changing the fact that it was going to be hard.

“Although we’re going to be competing while in separate groups, I still plan to back people up however I can,” said Keisei.

Even though this was a special exam that he wasn’t personally comfortable with, Keisei expressed a determination to do everything he could to protect his friends.

“Yeah. I’m sure we can try to work together, in some shape or form. I’ll lend a hand when the time comes,” I replied, promising to help as much as I could.

“But are you really okay with tackling this by yourself? If you get sick or hurt, you’ll be disqualified. In the unlikely event you get penalized and have to pay six million… It’ll be all over,” said Keisei.

“Well, if nothing else, my perfect attendance record up until this point is one of the few things I’m proud of.”

“You’re starting to sound a little bit sarcastic lately, you know that?” said Keisei with a laugh as he went back to his seat.

Not long afterward, we heard the bell that signaled the start of a new battle. All thirty-nine students in Class 2-D took their seats. After she entered the classroom, Chabashira’s expression naturally turned stern, and there was a heavy, oppressive air in the room.

“Today’s the start of summer vacation, but it looks like you’re all feeling depressed. Well, I suppose that’s understandable, though,” said Chabashira, turning on both her tablet and starting her presentation on the monitor. “Well then, we’ll get started on the final check. Also, if you’re not feeling well now, please report to me.”

We were going to check our belongings and our physical conditions. The schedule and a list of the necessary items for this exam were once again displayed on the monitor. Fortunately, no one in our class was feeling ill, so things progressed smoothly. Even Kouenji, who had, as expected, chosen to go it alone rather than form a group, was quietly behaving himself at this stage.

“It seems there are no problems. That’s great,” said Chabashira.

A few minutes after we finished going through the checklist of things we needed to confirm before our departure, the monitor was shut off. Then, in order to get the attention of the class, she lightly smacked the podium once with the palm of her hand.

“This is not the first time that you have taken a special exam. You have been here at this school for over a year now, and you have managed to fight your way through many hardships. But this particular special exam isn’t going to be easy to pass,” said Chabashira.

She was giving us advice, but it also sounded like a warning of sorts. It was the kind of advice a teacher could give her class… A class that was by no means complacent.

“This is going to be tougher than any exam that you have taken so far. That is the inescapable reality of the situation,” said Chabashira.

She looked at each student carefully, almost as if she were trying to etch each individual face into her mind.

“I have just one request for all of you. If possible, please do not allow a single one of you to disappear. Please return to this classroom once more,” she added.

She was saying she hoped this wasn’t going to be a one-way trip for any of us, so to speak.

“We’ll gather outside on the field in about ten minutes for roll call. Please use the restroom now, if necessary,” said Chabashira.

Since we didn’t have that much time to spare, the students hurriedly left the classroom. When Akito and the others gathered around my seat near the classroom entrance, I got up from my seat with my luggage in hand. At almost the exact same time, Kouenji stood up as well, and called out to one of the students who wasn’t standing out in the hallway.

“May I have a minute? Horikita Girl,” said Kouenji.

It was a rare sight. What Kouenji did had attracted not just my attention, but the gazes of other students in the classroom as well.

“It’s unusual for you to come and talk to me of your own volition.” Apparently, Horikita seemed to feel the same way.

“There is a small matter which I wish to discuss with you regarding the special exam that is about to begin,” said Kouenji.

“Oh my, so does this mean that you’re finally willing to help us? Do something proactive?” she asked.

“Let’s just say that you’re half right,” replied Kouenji.

Horikita eyed Kouenji somewhat suspiciously after hearing this rather unexpected response. She understood quite well that Kouenji wasn’t the kind of person who’d aid others that easily.

“What are you after? Can I ask that you tell me what the other half is about then?” asked Horikita.

“You want the Class Points that will be awarded to the groups that place in the top three positions so badly that you can practically taste it. That is the case, no?” asked Kouenji.

“Of course. Depending on how many points we can acquire, there could be significant changes to the class rankings,” said Horikita.

“In that case, please allow me to make a modest proposal. If I perform well during this uninhabited island survival test, I want you to promise me total freedom until graduation,” said Kouenji.

Kouenji’s unbelievable proposal caused the entire class to fall completely silent for a moment. Even though his help came with conditions, he was expressing a willingness to truly participate in the special exam.

“Promise you total freedom…? What a dramatic proposal. Are you saying that you want me to grant you permission to just keep doing whatever you please?” said Horikita.

“Exactly. Not only will I require your permission, of course, but I will also ask that you work diligently, and I mean with your undivided attention, to negate any malady or abuse that may come my way. Hm?” said Kouenji.

To give an example, this was basically what happened during the class vote that took place last year. This more or less meant that if another special exam came our way in the future where we had to select unnecessary students in class and have them expelled, Kouenji would be protected unconditionally.

“This isn’t something I can simply agree to. I’m sure our fellow classmates would think the same if they heard your request,” said Horikita.

If you were part of the class, then helping out, at least at the bare-minimum level, could be considered a kind of obligation. There was no way you could just casually grant someone permission to dispense with that.

“Consider this an advance payment until graduation,” said Kouenji.

Kouenji was proposing that, if he contributed to our efforts in the upcoming special exam, we let him do whatever he wanted from that point onward.

“It seems even you’re feeling threatened. Your classmates will not tolerate your typical antics forever. If another special exam like the class vote were to be held in the future, you’d be directly put in the line of fire,” said Horikita.

Even an eccentric like Kouenji would be in trouble if he were put in such a difficult position, depending on what the exam was like.

“It would really be best if you didn’t make such ridiculous proposals, but instead just followed everyone else’s lead,” said Horikita, naturally turning him down.

Even if she refused him here, though, Kouenji probably wasn’t going to be helping us out in any future special exams anyway. If he did, it would only be when he himself had been forced into a tight situation. Given that, we did have the option of at least getting him to be motivated during the island exam, but…

“I’m sorry Kouenji, but I value your talents. I just don’t think it’s worth it to have you give us a ‘so-so’ performance in this special exam only to have you sit on the sidelines during exams to come,” said Horikita.

After weighing her options, that was the decision that Horikita had come to.

“I see. I suppose our negotiations have broken down then,” said Kouenji.

“…No. I am open to accepting your proposal, albeit with the addition of certain conditions from my side,” said Horikita.

For a moment, it had seemed like she had outright refused his offer, but apparently Horikita had other ideas.

“I won’t accept something as vague as a ‘good performance.’ The group that takes first place in this exam will be rewarded handsomely. If you can manage to get first place all by yourself, that might be good enough reason to convince me to count your efforts as an advance payment until graduation,” said Horikita.

If Kouenji won, since he wasn’t partnered up with anyone, he would earn 300 Class Points. In terms of how much he could contribute to our class prior to graduation, you could say that was more than enough. But at this current point in time, there were over a hundred rival groups and taking first place would be no easy feat, even for Kouenji.

“Fu fu fu fu fu. I see, I see. Certainly yes, it seems like you’d be quite satisfied if I were to claim first place on my own,” said Kouenji, laughing loudly after hearing about a deal that sounded delightful to him. “Very well! Let us proceed with our arrangement then, with those terms. Shall we?”

“Hold on. That’s not all.”

Kouenji had showed that he was willing to accept what sounded like an absurd proposal, but without a moment’s delay, Horikita responded that she wasn’t finished yet.

“I haven’t fully laid out all of my terms yet. You’re forcing us to work with a boastful braggart like you, so if this exam ends without you taking first place, it’ll be trouble for the rest of us,” said Horikita.

“Meaning?” asked Kouenji.

“Meaning that if you do not get first place, you must promise to cooperate with the class in the future, whether for upcoming special exams or anything else. And promise you’ll produce good results,” said Horikita.

In that moment, I could hear Keisei’s breathing as he stood there, staring at the two of them. That was nothing short of a brilliant condition. In the unlikely event that Kouenji did get first place, that would be great. And even if he didn’t place first, the condition Horikita had put in place meant Kouenji would have to contribute to future special exams. Class D had nothing to lose form this arrangement. Now, the only question was whether Kouenji would accept this added condition…

“It sounds as though you’re giving me a strongly-worded order, Horikita Girl,” said Kouenji.

“If you agree to the conditions that I’ve just given, then I will accept your proposal,” said Horikita.

“In that case, I’d say that these negotiations have proved fruitful, Horikita Girl. We have a deal. Do not forget my own conditions, now,” said Kouenji.

Even though Horikita had added on conditions of her own, Kouenji didn’t refuse the deal.

“You’re seriously planning on getting first place by yourself?” asked Horikita.

“Absolutely. Nothing is impossible for me,” said Kouenji.

Horikita had demanded something outrageous, but she couldn’t hide her shock at the confidence that Kouenji was displaying.

“Now then, I believe this conversation is finished. I shall be on my way,” said Kouenji.

Satisfied with the successfully conclusion of his negotiations with Horikita, he left the classroom. No one could say a word to him, or do anything other than just watch him leave.

“I have absolutely no idea how seriously he’s actually going to take this…” said Keisei.

“Yeah, it’s hard to tell,” I replied.

“But this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. We got him to commit to something himself , ” said Keisei.

I wasn’t sure I believed Kouenji was being honest about his pledge, but it was certainly true that this was an unprecedented development. Kouenji would need a certain degree of support for him to live his life freely and according to his own whims at this school. If he continued to just do as he pleased, he would inevitably plummet down the ranks of classmates who deserved to be protected. Even if he didn’t speak up this time, he would need to enact countermeasures at some point.

However, if Horikita, the leader of Class D, acknowledged this plan, then that was a different story.

“Even in the unlikely event that he does break into the top spots, it would be even better if we managed to place above him. That would be fantastic,” said Horikita, turning to me. “If we managed to get first place and Kouenji-kun got second or third… If we could accomplish that, the benefits to our class would be substantial. We could make up for all of the setbacks we’ve suffered.”

If you performed some simple calculations, we could get between 400 and 500 Class Points. If we managed to do that, our total would be around 700 or 800 Class Points, which would promote us to Class B in one shot. And on top of that, as a bonus, Kouenji would have to produce satisfactory results in upcoming exams. Hm.

“I still feel uneasy about this, though. When it comes to Kouenji, it just feels like you can’t completely fathom him,” I answered.

Whether you were talking about academic or physical ability, if the question was whether or not he was demonstrating his full potential, then the answer was no, he probably wasn’t. It was certainly true that he possessed extraordinary talent.

“You’re right. But whether he’ll get first place so easily is another matter,” said Horikita.

The competition was fierce. The representatives from the other classes, Sakayanagi, Ichinose, and Ryuuen, were also seriously shooting for first place. And that wasn’t all, of course. Just based on what I knew now, there were some up-and-coming groups among the first-years, like Housen and Amasawa. And there were formidable third-year students too, like Nagumo, Kiriyama, and Kiryuuin.

And although I hadn’t actually said anything out loud about it so far, I was planning on shooting for the top myself. Who was going to be sitting in first place two weeks from now? And who would be leaving the school?

Our long summer was about to begin.

7.1

“I T’S ALREADY THE latter half of July. It has been getting quite hot lately, hasn’t it?” muttered Tsukishiro as he looked down at the large buses arriving at the school, one after another.

“Yes, it certainly has been,” replied a first-year student, without a hint of emotion.

Tsukishiro continued speaking without turning to look at the student. “No more time spent on analysis, please. There is nothing to be gained by delaying action any further.”

“Are you…telling me to expel Ayanokouji Kiyotaka now?” asked the student.

“Is that too much for you to manage?” asked Tsukishiro.

“I have established that he’ll be an easy opponent. Well, actually, I knew that all along,” said the student.

“I will help you as much as I possibly can. That being said, I cannot provide you with more support than this,” said Tsukishiro.

Upon hearing that, the student thought that Tsukishiro was aggressively pushing for this plan to move forward.

“Are you saying that you have been pushed to act recklessly yourself?” asked the student.

“Yes. I had to jump through some impossible hoops to scrape together the budget needed for this special exam. More importantly, I had to force the rest of the school administration into submission when they objected to the exam’s strict rules,” said Tsukishiro.

“Will it be difficult for you to continue in your position as Acting Director then?” asked the student.

“Quite. The fraud allegations made against Director Sakayanagi are about to be cleared up, and it is obvious I’m going to be relieved of my duties. That’s precisely why I’ve prepared a massive display of fireworks for the very end. I hope you will use whatever means necessary to remove Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from this school. Is that clear?” said Tsukishiro.

“…Yes. There will be no more hesitation.”

“I am glad to hear that. In that case, please…be as violent as you wish during this special exam. Go on a rampage. Once everything has been taken care of, you will return to your old life. Let us both return to the places that we are supposed to be, hm?” said Tsukishiro.

A girl’s left hand—her dominant one—clenched tight, naturally swelling with strength. Tsukishiro, seeing that out of the corner of his eye, smiled gently and broadly.

“I am expecting great things out of you…Nanase Tsubasa-san.”