Chapter 26 - Endgame
Around an hour later, we arrived back at our camp.
Kouenji-kun, who had already made it back with Kiyotaka, walked up to me after our return. We found a quiet spot in the cave and went through the contract together. He signed both copies without hesitation, regardless of the clause that forbade him to betray the class, and kept one for himself, while I took a hold of the other one.
"You seem to mistrust me, Princess-girl."
"One can never be too careful, don't you agree?"
A loud, charismatic laugh shook the walls of the cavern.
"Indeed."
Neither of us could back out of the terms we had agreed upon without severe repercussions. With this irrevocable contract in hand, I could rest assured that he wouldn't betray us during this exam. I gambled once again, hoping that Fumei would come through for me, contrary to Kouenji-kun, who would most likely deliver after everything I've seen him do the past few days.
It couldn't have been a coincidence that he brought this giant fish a few days ago, but proof that he wasn't only spouting nonsense in order to make me consider this deal. His actions were a clear demonstration that he differed from the remaining Class D students, who wouldn't have been able to act in such a brazen manner, and a hint that he might have caused my boyfriend's accident on purpose.
After this problem was taken care of, I made my way over to Kiyotaka.
Now that he was hurt, I wouldn't let him do anything during this exam. I was furious that he continued running, kept renewing the spots, and worked himself to exhaustion, despite my repeated pleas to slow down and rest when it became too much for him. But this anger couldn't compare to the relief I felt when I saw him again. Aside from a few scratches, a light bump to the head and a sprained leg, he was fine, according to him, at least.
I opened the tent and dove into my boyfriend's muscular chest.
Hirata-kun and Kushida-san were busy stopping any fires from spreading, while I took time I didn't have to be with him. This wasn't only out of a deep, lingering desire, but necessity, as I couldn't function anymore without charging myself with his everlasting, warm presence.
This exam on unfamiliar ground was too harsh for the current me.
The previous time I had spent with him alone in a tent led to a rather uncomfortable situation, but I couldn't have cared any less about the arousing thoughts that flooded my mind. I just wanted to hold on to him, feel his tempting body heat, breathe his seductive scent, hear his humming heartbeat, taste his luscious lips and study his sweet smile.
Kiyotaka's spheres widened in surprise when I snuggled into him and closed my eyes to rest.
The two of us talked about trivial stuff, none of which had anything to do with the task at hand. I just wanted to escape from this current situation and enjoy our intimacy as we were embracing each other for as long as we could.
My head, which rested on his broad chest, heaved up and down, following his calm breaths. The relaxed pulse below his rib cage was slow and rhythmical, guiding mine. His rugged, yet gentle hands caressed over my hair and neck, before massaging my shoulder and back, making me feel loved, cherished and cared for.
I slid up and planted a kiss on his delicious lips.
This should have been all there was, yet neither of us stopped as our tongues entwined. They moved and glided along each other as his palms took hold of my slim hips. An electrifying static jolted through my body as his fingers touched the bare skin my previous upward movement had exposed.
The muscles in my body convulsed as I grabbed onto his jaw, deepening our still ongoing kiss. His palms stopped at the waistband of my tracksuit trousers, unsure if it was acceptable to proceed any further.
I broke our stalemate just long enough to take a breath.
"It's okay..."
Our tongues collided, coiled around each other as his hands slipped into my pants. Muffled, gentle moans bounced off the tent's fabric, back into our ears as he grabbed my buttocks, tugging me closer towards him. His enticing smell blended with mine as my palms traveled over his athletic chest.
My heart had long since stopped beating in its usual calm rhythm as the two of us accepted each other. The temperature in the tent kept rising, not only because of me, but also the heat Kiyotaka radiated as his frame brushed against mine.
None of this could compare to the severe changes my body went through, however.
Even though it was impossible, I could smell the excitement, feel the moist sensation between my lower lips as his hands traveled back up and hear the passion in his own heartbeat.
Kiyotaka raised his upper body and bent to the left, reversing our positions.
His hot, steamy breath tingled my neck as he began to work his way down.
I grabbed his smooth hair, pulling him closer into me as my continued gasps vanished between his lips. His palm roamed upwards, past my stomach and waist, until he approached my chest. They brushed against the fabric before he slipped his fingers behind my back, trying to undo my underwear.
He fumbled for a moment until a defeated sigh grazed my ears.
"Chiaki..."
A giggle left my lips as I leaned into him again.
"Try the front."
I was the only one who was allowed to see this cute, clumsy Kiyotaka.
My heart pounded against my chest as I lost myself in his dazzling golden eyes. An inaudible click must've sounded through the tent as the bra popped open. Despite this, I could perceive nothing but our moans, our lips brushing against each other, and the wet sounds our tongues produced when they collided.
An aroused purr slipped my mouth, as his fingers rubbed over my nipples.
My boyfriends breathing grew heavier before his hands slipped out from beneath the tracksuit. His two brilliant spheres shone in a mysterious luster, as his fingers grasped the slider. I crossed my arms over my burning face, realizing what he was about to do.
"Kiyotaka wai—"
My voice vanished, drowned by the sliders journey southward.
A cold gust of air brushed over my chest and stomach before it clacked and came loose. Even though I couldn't see him due to the arms that blocked my vision, I could feel his passionate, intense gaze hovering over my exposed breasts.
"What are you doing?"
His tone was so much softer, so much more delicate than usual.
"It's embarrassing..."
"Why?" His tongue, which was soaked in our combined saliva, brushed against my nipple, sending another blissful jolt of electricity through my already trembling frame. "You are beautiful. There is no need to hide."
His lips swept over my chest, up to my neck as his head began to break away my crossed arms. I gasped in excitement, whimpered in bashfulness and immersed myself in his warm, comforting scent.
My eyes once again met with his.
There was no one but me. The bags, luggage and all the other belongings around the tent had long since vanished from his view, as only my oceanic orbs reflected in his two shining spheres.
"It's unfair..."
"What is?"
Our lips met once again as his hands caressed over my chest, pinching my nipples.
"That..."
I averted my gaze, unable to utter a single coherent sentence as my heartbeat reverberated through my ear canal. The thoughts, worries and doubts I had harbored before faded, replaced by pure euphoria as our gasps molded into one.
Kiyotaka leaned back before he took off his own tracksuit, revealing his chiseled abdomen, which I had seen once before, back at the pool. My palms were pulled towards his chest, as if we were two opposing poles that attracted each other. The trembling fingers on my hand slid along each and every intricate lining his muscles formed as my tongue danced around his neck.
He squeezed my breasts, forcing a loud stimulated moan from my lips.
His palm ran along my skin, slipping into my pants. The muscles along my lower body tensed as his finger slithered between my legs. My whole being burned in passion as I felt his fingers tapping against my slippery entrance. I leaned against him, pressing my chest against his.
We fell over, he backwards, and I dove right after him.
His eyes widened as we had once again swapped places.
Warm, moist gasps ran along my lips as I peered down at the boy below me.
My core pulsated stronger than ever before.
Juices continued oozing out of me, drenching my underwear. Heat kept traveling through my body as my pulse sped up, and the ability to think had long since left my person, as only instinct and lust remained.
I shut my eyes and took a deep breath before sliding down my pants.
The sticky substance formed translucent threads as the panties slipped down my leg. Kiyotaka lifted his upper body as something hard slapped against my thigh. He paid this sensation no mind and began to fondle my breasts as our tongues entwined once again.
His warm, sticky palm that was coated in my essence drifted along my moist inner thigh before he approached my drenched passage. My boyfriend's gentle fingers shifted upwards, massaging the silken pearl above my sopping entrance as I grabbed onto him.
Passionate pants and sensuous moans covered the tent, originating from the only occupants inside. My hands brushed past his erection, which exuded its immense heat even through his tracksuit before I pulled down his pants in anticipation. He kept moving, passionately kissing and pleasuring me with his fingers, as my whole body froze in astonishment.
There was no way that this was going to fit.
I grew dizzy thinking about taking this in, as this wasn't a size that could just slide inside without resistance, even with enough lubrication. Yet despite this, my body grew boiling hot, fascinated, and eager to try. The longer I stared at it, the more I wanted to feel him inside me.
My fingers reached out, grabbing onto his rigid part.
His warm, almost burning hot shaft pulsated again and again.
It's getting even bigger?!
My heart stopped as Kiyotaka pushed me over.
"Chiaki..."
"W-wait, this won't fit."
"I'll go slow..."
"Kiyotaka, I'm serious. This isn't —"
My whole body was set ablaze as his searing hot member pushed into me. The tip slid inside without trouble as I closed my eyes and waited for the pain that never came. Kiyotaka's warm breath caressed over my cheek as he planted a loving kiss on my lips.
"Should we stop?"
"I'm okay... j-just go slow, alright?"
"Tell me as soon as it hurts."
Faint, weak whimpers escaped my lips as he advanced.
My arms wrapped around his head, pulling him into my embrace. Kiyotaka slowed down, sometimes stopping altogether, when my pained gasps increased in volume until I signaled him to proceed. He was so gentle and worried about hurting me that he would rather stop during our first time than continue causing me discomfort.
"Are you okay?"
"Mhh..."
A gentle, almost weak hum was all I could muster at that moment.
My boyfriend brushed over my lips as he slid further inside. The mild lingering pain soon subsided and was replaced by pleasure. The whimpers turned into delicate moans as our two bodies became inseparable. He began to increase his pace, but never stopped to evaluate my reactions in case I felt uncomfortable.
The faint scent of blood entered my nose, as I was growing more and more dizzy. I felt something shifting inside me, as the pleasure kept building up like a bubbling soft drink that was still unopened. My deepening moans entwined with his sharp gasps as our lips coiled around each other.
Deafening, wet slapping sounds reverberated through the tent every time he pushed further into me. The muscles in my lower body began to spasm, following his stimulating, visceral motions.
Two distinct names were repeated as our lust and longing intensified.
A newfound feeling blossomed inside me.
The ecstasy, the euphoria I felt, couldn't be described with just words. Our moans as we kissed, the muscles that rippled and tensed in my body, my breasts that tingled with his every touch, and his warmth that kept moving in and out of me for the last few minutes kept building up the sensual pressure that would soon be released.
My body felt weightless as I leaned into his firm embrace. Our frames brushed against each other as the pleasure we felt reached a new high. His firm, yet delicate, hands held onto my cheeks and back as our tongues entangled, danced like two figure skaters.
"Kiyotaka, I'm..."
A gasp for air fled my lips as I felt pure bliss.
The racing, tempestuous heartbeat in my chest increased in intensity as he reached deeper inside. My legs quivered and convulsed as I wrapped them around his back. Leaning forward, I grasped onto the hair on the back of his head and pulled him deeper into my lips.
"Chiaki, wait —"
His voice melted, drowned by the pleasure I experienced. My boyfriends shaft trembled as all the muscles in his body seemed to clench and release over and over. A warm, comforting liquid spread inside of me as I lost all power and leaned into him for support.
"I love you, Kiyotaka."
'I love you.'
Those were three of the most influential words a human could utter.
I understood the meaning of 'love' in a literary sense, but I still didn't know what 'love' felt like. Replying with these three words would have been nothing but a lie, a deliberate strategy to deceive her, which was why I wouldn't state them.
Maybe I was on my way to fall in love, or perhaps it was impossible.
Ever since I've left the White Room, I learned a lot about human qualities.
Their darker sides, their brighter, more gentle personalities and everything in between. Emotions were complex, yet simple. They were frail, yet unbreakable. Predictable, yet unexpected.
Despite my doubts, I was looking forward to someday expressing those words.
Two pairs of heavy breaths circulated through the room as we lay on top of each other, exhausted yet full of energy. The magic had ended and reality hit like a truck that did 150 on the freeway.
We screwed up big time...
Sweat, semen, blood and vaginal fluid kept oozing out of me, staining the tent and, possibly, some bags in my surroundings. The stuffed feeling inside of me lessened as Kiyotaka pulled away.
"I think we messed up..."
His voice was as calm as usual, which almost prompted a laugh if not for the pain that assaulted my back due to the uncomfortable position I was lying in. I pushed the luggage out of the way and stared at one particular bag in horror.
"Whose is that?"
"Ike's..."
"Couldn't this have been yours?"
Kiyotaka kissed me before resting his head on my chest. Despite our current precarious situation, I caressed over his smooth hair, a faint smile on my face. Our breathing calmed as we began to realize what a mess we had made.
"It should be fine if we swap the clothes."
"Okay... what about the smell?"
"Open the tent and hope for the best?"
"Sounds like a plan."
A gentle giggle flew off my lips as I raised my upper body.
This was the first time I saw the entire aftermath of our escapade. Kiyotaka and his body were more or less fine, but the same couldn't be said about the tent or me. A mixture of blood and semen decorated the upper end of Ike's bag, which was only half as bad as the puddle that formed on the tents surface.
"I need to get to my bag."
"Like this?"
He glanced at the blend of multiple substances that still trickled down my thigh.
Shit...
What if I get pregnant?
No, my period just ended, so we should be fine...
Do I tell Chabashira-sensei that I need a pill?
Would I even get one here?
Could we get expelled for this?
My dad is going to kill us...
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, just a little worried."
I leaned forward and brushed past his chin before planting a kiss on his sweet lips.
There was no need to think about any of this now. It was already too late to go back, so we needed to deal with whatever would happen later. Whether this was trouble because we got found out, our parents murdering us for being so irresponsible, or an unexpected child.
The most important step was to clean ourselves up as thoroughly as possible. Neither of us was at fault for this situation, as we both failed to realize what repercussions we had to face after our sexual intercourse. I made this even worse by clinging onto him when he was about to climax.
What was I thinking?
"We need running water..."
"There's a creek around 200 meters from our campsite."
"Alright. Let's go there then. The others are occupied with blaming each other, so we should be able to slip out for a bit. I still need to deal with the whole underwear situation, so we should hurry."
"Your underwear situation?"
"No, Karuizawa-san's."
He tilted his head in confusion, which looked adorable. I shook my head and stood up before I winced in pain and slumped back down. The stinging sensation between my legs lessened after a few deep breaths.
"Does it still hurt?"
"A little. Can you help me up?"
Kiyotaka took my hand and support me until I felt more comfortable standing. He grabbed Ike-kun's bag and swapped the contents with his, before he tucked it in the farthest corner of the tent. I put my bra back on and peeked outside before limping towards my bag while my boyfriend grabbed some of the moss and grass we had stashed beneath the tents and wiped our mess away.
My dirtied pants slid down my legs before I wiped the juices trailing along my inner thigh with the already stained underwear. We had no tissues, so this was the best I could come up with in the current situation. I hid both items in an empty vinyl bag and buried them deep inside my luggage before slipping into my new pants.
"We should be good as far as the tent is concerned."
"Good. Here." I handed him my new panties, which he just stared at with a dazed expression. "I have to make sure that my pants won't get dirty again, and the underwear in my pockets would only be a bother. Don't act like you haven't seen them before."
I slid out my tongue in gentle banter, which backfired immediately as I blushed in embarrassment.
Kiyotaka and I really did it.
We had sex.
Our first time as a couple.
The whole situation still felt surreal, but I was beyond happy. Having unprotected sex during an exam inside the boys' tent might have not been the best place to lose one's virginity, but I was fortunate to have done it with the person I love.
'I love you, Kiyotaka.'
Those four words still echoed in my mind, since I could never forget the affectionate kiss he had put on my lips afterwards. He must have been as surprised as I was when this unforeseen phrase slipped through my teeth.
While he came inside me, no less...
How adorable would a small Kiyotaka be?
"Chiaki, are you feeling alright?"
His warm palm rested on my forehead, taking the temperature.
"Never better." I pecked his lips, taking his hand in mine. "Let's hurry."
The two of us strode out of the cave as if nothing had happened. We slipped past Horikita-san, who glanced at us for a short moment before she continued staring at Ibuki-san, who I believed stole Karuizawa-san's underwear.
I limped through the forest, while my boyfriend, who had sprained his leg, supported me. The pain wasn't unreasonable, but walking caused more uncomfortable stinging sensations than I had hoped.
We soon reached the aforementioned creek and stopped near the source.
"Here."
Kiyotaka pulled out a bottle of pre-boiled water, which he must have grabbed as we wandered past our stockpile. I took the pure liquid and cleansed my inner thigh from any residue that stuck or still oozed out of me. Our pre-arranged reserves had the benefit that I wouldn't contract any unwelcome diseases if I rinsed my private parts with it, as they were clear of any natural germs that would swim around in the creek.
"Let's not do this in a tent next time..."
His hands stopped cleaning his own lower area as he glanced at me with a surprised expression. I didn't mean to say anything weird and just blurted out my thoughts by accident, but I really wanted there to be a next time. The cleanup right now might have been annoying, but I would suffer through it again if I had to.
He bent forward, which caught me by surprise.
"It's slimy."
"Kiyotaka, you pervert..." I slapped the back of his head in mild frustration before I covered my private parts with my hands. "Please don't call it slimy. It's embarrassing."
"What? No, I didn't mean you."
He raised his hands, which had grasped onto a helpless fish that had been attracted by the new, unknown substances that coursed through the creek after our arrival. It flapped around in his palm, struggling to break free as we stood half-naked in the ankle-deep water. Kiyotaka glanced at me with a curious expression, like a small child that found something interesting.
"It really feels slimy. Do you want to hold it too?"
Everything had changed.
Not even half an hour had passed, but our relationship had evolved, matured after the two of us shared such an intimate moment. I hadn't noticed it back in the tent because of the scare I had received, but I grew more comfortable around him even now. Not that I felt troubled before, but I wasn't the least bit embarrassed about what we had done or talked about continuing once we were back at school.
My focus shifted back to the exam as we returned to our camp.
The person who tried to frame Kiyotaka was still around and needed to be taken care of in order to reassure the class. Katsuragi-kun might have something up his sleeve as well, but I didn't know from which angle he would attack an enemy. Ryuuen's modus operandi was clear after taking the incident in June, as well as his classmates' terrified reactions into account.
Our three schoolmates took a break and ate some berries beneath one of the many trees. Neither of them was surprised when they caught sight of me, since they must have predicted that I would pay them a visit because of this incident.
"Could we talk?"
"Of course, Matsushita-san. We already expected that you would eventually come by."
Shiina-san executed a faint bow, kind and understanding, as always. Yamada-kun turned around and stared at Kiyotaka and me, while Ibuki-san nodded, apparently upset that we suspected them of foul-play. She didn't make any eye contact, as if she was feeling guilty about something, but this might have just been her usual 'friendly' attitude.
Ichinose-san and Kanzaki-kun mentioned that her behavior was the same in Class B's camp, so it could have been her usual demeanor. This, however, was one of the reasons this whole scheme confused me. A proper spy should have operated like Shiina-san, agreeable, kind and under the radar.
Was this their ploy?
Using Ibuki-san as the scapegoat while Shiina-san gathered intel?
The silver-haired Class C student was an elegant, yet private girl who wasn't paying much attention to the class conflicts. She preferred reading books over conversing with her schoolmates, as she hadn't found someone she could share her passion about novels with.
Her cerulean-haired friend was a similar lone wolf, but she was both impudent, bordering on hostility and difficult to deal with. It made little sense that Ryuuen would use such an obvious, disagreeable character to spy on a class, especially since they had clashed with each other multiple times throughout the last few months.
According to Kushida-san, this was their usual conduct.
"Well, there's no need to beat around the bush, then. Did one of you steal the underwear from Karuizawa-san's bag? I would prefer honesty over lies, in which case we could part ways without bad feelings. I am not unreasonable, so I would understand your actions if Ryuuen forced you to sabotage our class."
From their point of view, I offered them an easy way out.
Using my convenient excuse, they could hide behind Ryuuen with little to no repercussions. The man in question had already retired, or that's what everyone was supposed to believe. Their reactions might present me with some hints I could follow in order to figure out whether he was still on the island.
Shiina-san forced a wry smile.
"As expected, you believe that one of us had a hand in causing such a commotion. It's only natural to see us in such a bad light because of Ryuuen-san's influence. I'd like to thank you for keeping this between us, since a sudden accusation would have strained our remaining time here, if we can stay, that is." She executed another delicate bow before turning to Yamada-kun. "Albert-san, do you have anything to do with the missing underwear?"
"NO."
A simple one-worded answer followed her question.
It was difficult to get a consistent, meaningful read on him since he talked little, but his behavior around the camp portrayed a pretty good picture of what kind of person he was. Yamada-kun was rather compassionate and took great care of his two classmates while following every instruction we had given him, despite his intimidating size.
When Mii-chan and Mori-san struggled with a large branch, he helped them without being asked. Even though one could get the wrong idea about him due to his large frame and muscular body, he was as docile as a well-trained dog. He possessed a looming presence but was a really kind and sympathetic person, which made me wonder how he fit into Ryuuen's group of delinquents.
"I also haven't seen or done anything, but I would understand if you had to kick us out of the camp for the good of your class. We are already thankful that we could stay here for this long."
The girl was quite direct in her approach.
She knew what must have been going through my mind and made no efforts to hide her honest feelings about this matter. Whether she was especially insightful was impossible to figure out with this little information, as even Sudou-kun and Ike-kun could have guessed that the odd-people from a different class would be the most suspicious.
"I did nothing either, but it's not like you'll believe us anyway so stop playing saint and just kick us out. We would have been fine without your charity so don't think you did anything honorable by picking up a bunch of outcasts."
Ibuki-san glanced at me from time to time throughout her speech.
She never held eye contact for too long and was more aggressive than usual, which differed from her natural behavior. This indicated lying behavior as the perpetrator would subconsciously hide themselves when they had something to withhold. These signs, coupled with the stature and haircut which fit Horikita-san's description, assured me that she must have been the underwear thief.
It made sense that Kiyotaka was the victim of her prank, as his luggage was the easiest to reach. The other boys used theirs as pillows, while his bag was unused most of the night because of his trip around the island. She wouldn't have had any trouble to check if everyone slept before she slipped into the tent and hid the underwear.
This plan was similar to the ones that expelled Yamauchi-kun and endangered Sudou-kun. Ryuuen was acting out, just like your usual delinquent, but he was careful and had enough patience and foresight to come up with ruthless plans that were difficult to trace. He wasn't just a dumb offender like most of his class, which explained how he took the leader position with such nonchalance.
Even though I felt somewhat bad about sending her out into the forest on her own, there was no way that I could let her stay after what she had done. She might have been easier to observe in the camp, but the rest of the class would never understand such a reasoning. Kushida-san and Hirata-san might help me persuade my classmate, but Karuizawa-san and her followers would never support this decision, as she was the victim of this theft.
"First, thank you for being so accepting. We tried our best to include you into our camp to make you feel at ease, but Class D, especially, had some qualms due to Ryuuen's previous antics. Shiina-san and Yamada-kun, the two of you may stay. Ibuki-san, I have to ask you to leave for stealing Karuizawa-san's underwear."
Shiina-san looked taken aback and turned to her classmate.
"The hell are you talking about? I did nothing wrong!"
"Chiaki, she seems pretty angry... are you sure it was her? Even though she's a bit... well, difficult, I don't think she's a bad person. I don't believe that one of them did it."
Kiyotaka's voice cut into the conversation, surprising me and the three Class C students.
"Ha?! What's your damn problem now. Mind your own business."
"Sorry?"
I was quite surprised that she was so angry at him, despite his best intentions to help her. Kiyotaka was compassionate and sometimes a little too naïve. Getting to know the Class B students might have been an accidental lucky encounter, but his attitude wouldn't help him around the Class C guys.
"One of the girls saw a silhouette matching your description at Karuizawa-san's bag."
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? I didn't do shit last night. Tell her to get some glasses, would you?" Her narrowed eyes surveyed our camp before she stopped on a certain someone. "Wait... It's the sick one, isn't it? That's why she's been watching me the whole time. Are you fucking kidding me? That girl had some sort of wasted fever-dream and you're kicking me out? Screw you!"
Ibuki-san's angered reaction was rather loud.
Some of my classmates turned around, whispering among each other. Our guests from Class B also observed the situation as they tried to figure out what I said for her to explode into my face with such a volume.
"She —"
My words halted as I felt a warm grip on my shoulder.
"I'm really sorry to interrupt again, but do you think the person in question would behave like this?"
"Dude, what is wrong with you? Could you stop defending me?! It's annoying!"
"Um, I'm really sorry?"
Kiyotaka lowered his head and backed away.
Why would Ryuuen send someone like her to us?
No, that's wrong.
He didn't send her to us, but to Class B.
Her behavior wouldn't have bothered them since they were all about being friendly and getting along with everyone, which was why Ryuuen had sent Ibuki-san to them and not to our class. His hold of the leader position should have been weakened because of the three expulsions, which might have not left him a choice but to use her.
What about Shiina-san?
If she was uninvolved in the class affairs like Kushida-san said, then she might have not understood that Ibuki-san was exiled for a specific reason. That all of this was just an act to get information about Class B's leader. From Shiina-san's perspective, everything she had told us could have been the truth.
She saw how Ryuuen hit her classmate without knowing that the two had planned this. When she began bothering him about it, he threw her out as well. Shiina-san could be one of the few people Ryuuen had no control over, because she didn't care about reaching Class A.
According to Kushida-san, she just wanted to enjoy her time in the library.
Ryuuen was cautious around us, which was why he never planned to send someone our way. It was entirely possible that Shiina-san accidentally wound up here as she was pulled into their scheme. Due to their uncoordinated movements, we figured out that they might be spies and grouped up, foiling Ryuuen's plan.
Ibuki-san would have a terrible time to find Class B's leader in this constellation, which is why she tried to frame one of us to sow chaos in our camp. This would provide her a chance to figure out Class B's leader, especially if they were arguing against my class to protect Kiyotaka. I would have a hard time interfering with them, since he was also my boyfriend.
Luckily, she hadn't foreseen Hirata-kun's willingness to sacrifice himself.
This line of reasoning also explained Yamada-kun's arrival.
A kindhearted person like him would have worried about Shiina-san, who got pulled into this mess against her will. If Ibuki-san's plan failed and caused all three of them to be exiled, then he wanted to be there to protect her from the fallout.
Even if not every conclusion was on point, the gist should remain the same.
Had Kouenji-kun used this maneuver to advance his own plan?
"You are the only person who fits Horikita-san's description. She is sick, yes, but she has no vision impairment or a weakened mental state. The decision has been made. Whether you leave in silence is up to you. Shiina-san and Yamada-kun are welcome to stay, of course, but if you feel that it is necessary to leave with your companion, then I won't stop you. I'll let my classmates know what Horikita-san saw in ten minutes. You should be gone before that happens."
"Tch. Screw you. Didn't want to be here anyway."
She stared deep into my eyes before strolling off into the forest.
Ten minutes after our talk, Matsushita-san summoned her classmates.
I managed to convince Albert-san to take care of Ibuki-san, since I wouldn't need any support as long as I could stick around in Class D's camp. They were generous enough and saw me as a victim more so than an enemy, which must have been an unexpected boon my behavior had caused. I could never forgive myself if something happened to Ibuki-san, now that I was in charge of the exam.
But still...
"This is all wrong..."
A frustrated whisper crawled through my lips as I nibbled on my thumb.
Matsushita-san's train of thought was easy enough to follow. She must have concluded that Ibuki-san was sent by Ryuuen-san, tasked with finding Class B's leader. Because of my usual disinterest in the class competition, which she should have been aware of through Kushida-san, she should have also assumed that I had stumbled into their plan by accident, which was why she let me stay. The trail she followed from thereon had one glaring flaw, however.
Ibuki-san had no reason to sabotage their class.
She had stolen and presented Shiranami Chihiro's leader card to Class A during our first night on the island. As far as she was concerned, there was nothing to do but relax for the next few days, in case Ryuuen-san had assigned the leader's position to her.
This was our final play that might cost her some points.
Not even we knew who the leader was.
But who had set Ibuki-san up, and how?
Depending on the credibility of her statements, there were less than a handful of people who could have pulled this off. One of which was Matsushita-san herself. She might have put this whole scheme into motion to separate us from each other. This would give her a better opportunity to narrow down our leader while we couldn't communicate.
At least in her mind.
Ibuki-san's exile was both an offensive and defensive mechanism, as she couldn't know for certain that Ryuuen-san had left the island. It was even more impossible to assume that she would figure out which one of us possessed the rights after Albert-san had thrown the card into the ocean.
Could she have caused her boyfriend's accident?
According to Ryuuen-san, she planned to poison him. If she was prepared to go to such lengths, it wouldn't be a leap to presume that she might have provoked an accident to happen by draining the batteries of the flashlight or something similar.
But why?
My eyes opened wide in realization.
She used this unfortunate circumstance to comb through the forest.
It would have been a giant pain to locate Ryuuen-san if he was still hiding on the island, so nothing was more effective than a search party of close to eighty people who scoured their surroundings for another schoolmate.
Was this her plan, or part of X's handiwork?
Thanks to Ryuuen-san's expert negotiation techniques, we could name the leaders of Class A and B, while retaining the advantages of the contract with the former due to a loophole in the terms. I was entrusted with figuring out Class D's second leader after Ayanokouji-kun's retirement. This simple task was expanded upon after a rather interesting turn on the second day of this exam.
...
"Ah, Shiina-san. How are you feeling today?"
Kushida-san's amiable voice entered my ears as I munched on some red berries.
I felt somewhat bad, intruding on them with ulterior motives, but I had decided to help Ryuuen-san for the moment. Supporting the class during the competition was only a secondary objective, since I was far more concerned about protecting my remaining classmates and solving the mystery of the three expulsions.
It almost felt like acting out one of my favorite books.
A gentle smile formed on my face due to this thought. Kushida-san seemed to have misunderstood this involuntary movement as a beam surfaced on her lips, before I had enough time to open my mouth.
"I'm already feeling much better. Thank you for convincing everyone that I could stay. Even though I said that I would have been fine on my own... well, I really don't think that this would have been the case."
Ryuuen-san and Albert-san were still on the island, handling the final preparations for our deal with Sakayanagi-san's group. He postponed his schedule to leave for the ship in case I ran into trouble convincing Class D. If everything worked out as planned, then Albert-san would arrive later today.
"You don't have to thank me for something natural, Shiina-san. We would never have left you on your own out there. I just can't believe that Ryuuen-kun hit you. Does it still hurt?"
She caressed over my red cheek, cautious not to injure me by accident.
It stung a little, but Ryuuen-san seemed to have been in as much pain as I was. At first, he refused to slap me until I was about to run against a tree in order to injure myself. He complained that no one would have believed such a stupid wound and cursed my inability before smacking me.
What a tsundere.
"Somewhat. I'm just glad that Matsushita-san agreed to let me stay. After what happened with Kondou-kun, Komiya-kun and Kimura-kun, I doubted that she would let a Class C student near your camp."
Kushida-san nodded in understanding before a laugh slipped her lips.
"She isn't the type of person to hold a grudge. Even back then, she only planned to save Sudou-kun and pushed for a suspension for your classmates until she received that video."
What?
My eyes widened for a split second.
Ryuuen-san and Sakagami-sensei hadn't mentioned a recording. The three were gone from one day to the next, and none of their friends knew why. He only informed Ibuki-san, Ishizaki-kun, Albert-san and me that Matsushita-san was the reason for their expulsion.
"Ah, right... The one she received during the trial."
Kushida-san was a good conversationalist, but she would never think badly about anyone, which gave me an advantage in this exchange. Assuming that the video made its first appearance that day was relatively safe, otherwise Ryuuen-san would have known about it and prepared a counter. The Class B and D students also kept asking around the whole time, which wouldn't have made any sense if they were assured of their victory.
"Mh. It was quite a shock, right?"
Matsushita-san pushed for an increased penalty after seeing the contents, which meant that it should have shown that our classmates started the fight or something equally detrimental. My following words needed to leave room for interpretation while convincing her that I knew about the subject matter. If this was something even Ryuuen-san hadn't been aware of, I had to gather as much knowledge as possible.
"Yes, I've heard it from Ryuuen-san after our classmates were expelled. The video was proof that Sudou-kun was framed. No one in our class had known about this before, but we couldn't really fault you for retaliating in such a manner."
"Oh? So he didn't tell you that they tried to set Sudou-kun up at first? Matsushita-san and a few others thought that most, if not all, of Class C was in on it. I tried to convince them otherwise, but not everyone believed me when I told them that you are not bad people."
She lowered her head with a wry smile.
Where did this evidence come from?
Ryuuen-san presumed that Matsushita-san had trapped them, but if she received support during the trial, then someone else had outplayed him. We were so focused on her that we failed to realize that another party might have pulled the strings back then.
This unknown individual could be even more dangerous than Class D's leader.
...
In the end, Ryuuen-san had known about the video, but he hadn't been aware that Matsushita-san received it from someone else during the trial. We narrowed the perpetrator, which he dubbed 'X', down to someone in Class A or D, as Class B was, in his words, too occupied with jazzing in each other's pants or something.
I didn't know this word, but Ryuuen-san refused to enlighten me.
He even apologized...
Our leader could be rather irritating and obscene when he got excited over something, but I doubted that I could change this in any meaningful way. I would try my best regardless, since he was a kind soul at heart.
During my stay in Class D's camp, I had more than enough time to observe them. The only students who had caught my attention were Kouenji-kun and Horikita-san. There was also the possibility that Matsushita-san thought ahead and feigned the whole thing to lead us down a wrong path, which would buy her some time.
The rest, as well as people such as Kushida-san and Hirata-kun, could be ruled out because they were too sympathetic, similar to the Class B students. Ayanokouji-kun, Sudou-kun, Miyake-kun and Onodera-san were physically quite capable, but that was all there was to them as far as I could see.
Horikita-san was a wildcard.
Since she was sick, I hadn't been able to observe her as much as I wanted to, but it was quite suspicious that she had seen Ibuki-san during the night, even though this should have been impossible. Even if she wasn't the mastermind, she must have helped Matsushita-san with her scheme.
Kouenji-kun was an odd-ball.
I had not the slightest idea what this person was doing the whole time, but he was more than capable of pulling something this intricate off. Despite not talking to Ibuki-san, he realized that she was a spy, calling her and Kushida-san Apate. I didn't know why she was included in the list of deceitful people, but I should inform Ryuuen-san about this information once we are back on the ship.
Class D found a consensus while I was occupied with my thoughts.
The girls, especially the loud one who seemed really hated, apologized to the boys who had been caught in the crossfire of a fight they couldn't have seen coming. The victim in this whole scheme behaved brazenly and chose not to retract her hurtful statements because they were 'perverts either way'.
She was fancy and loud, but the other girls swarmed around her.
Ayanokouji-kun walked up to their homeroom teacher to grab a handful of vinyl bags while the other students in his class spread out to gather more materials and food for tonight's dinner. He walked into the cave and returned without the bags, which he must have used to pad out the tents again, since the moss would become less effective with time.
Matsushita-san and her boyfriend took a small break and fed each other berries. Sometimes one by one, other times a handful after the other. They even began swallowing a few without chewing because of some bet about who could finish the bowl faster. Ayanokouji-kun grabbed a few berries and took a sip from his water bottle.
"Hey, Kiyotaka! Stop that! Drinking water is cheating!"
"I can't recall having set any rules."
In the end, he won by a narrow margin of around three berries despite Matsushita-san's best efforts in gulping down the water and berries faster than her brown-eyed boyfriend.
Her behavior confused me, as she seemed very close and loving towards this boy, yet she didn't mind poisoning him, at least according to our assumptions. We could be wrong, but Ryuuen-san didn't find a comfortable way to leave this island. The only ways back to the ship for the leader was sickness or an injury that warranted retirement.
The fourth day concluded without additional surprises.
That's what I had thought when I climbed into my bed, at least.
"Which one of you disgusting pigs jerked off in here?!"
I buried my throbbing head into the tent as the other girls began to grimace in disgust. Ike-kun's vehement complaints reverberated through the cave for everyone to hear, which only worsened the headache that had built up throughout the latter half of the day. If he somehow figured out what really happened, I would melt and perish in shame.
"God, those guys are disgusting."
"I can't fault Karuizawa-san for not apologizing, after all."
"Thank you for resolving the issue, Matsushita-san. If Karuizawa-san's underwear had still been missing by now, I would have burned all my stuff as soon as we are on the ship. Why are boys so nauseating?"
How would they react if they knew that the perpetrator was in their midst?
"I'm just doing my job to keep the class together. Don't worry about it."
My voice was quiet, muffled by the tents surface.
Despite my best efforts, I couldn't stop the faint blush that appeared on my fair skin. This was one of those times I would have loved to possess Kiyotaka's unfathomable poker face. Maybe I should ask him to teach me someday.
"Shut up, Ike. No one but you can smell anything."
Sudou's complaints were impossible to overhear.
The other guys soon chimed in, supporting his statement. Everyone was tired after such an eventful day. All they wanted was to get some well-deserved sleep before they had to wake up tomorrow morning. The girls also told him to shut up, but Ike-kun wouldn't go down without a fight.
"There are trace amounts! Trace amounts, I tell you!"
What kind of scary superpower was that?
Evening on the fifth day.
Time had passed in the blink of an eye for the first time during our stay, as nothing unexpected happened. The girls were still careful around the boys, because of the 'information' Ike-kun had supplied us with while we wanted to sleep, but our class atmosphere had returned to a reasonable level.
Karuizawa-san's attitude hadn't changed from yesterday, as she was beyond furious, which caused some small disputes which Hirata-kun and Kushida-san handled with ease. Luckily, one of them was her boyfriend, who managed to appease her somewhat.
The bonfires crackled as we assembled around them in our class groupings.
Ichinose-san and Kanzaki-kun understood that I wanted to separate our classes for the moment, as we had to remedy some mild internal struggles between each other. Some of my classmates had been quite irritated by Class B's behavior before, during and after yesterday's morning roll call, which I couldn't let them know.
Kiyotaka had friends in our class, but they couldn't compare to the relationships he had forged with the Class B students. This became even more obvious when they began to scour through the forest to find him, while we still quarreled about Karuizawa-san's underwear. The ones who knew him well thought nothing of this, but some others began to distrust him because of his close ties to an enemy class.
They backed off because of my reassurance, but they wouldn't forget their doubts.
I leaned back into his chest and angled my face upwards to kiss his cheek before I grabbed a few berries from the container he was holding and put them in my mouth. He returned my gesture and emptied the bowl with a gentle smile on his face.
It was strange, but I didn't feel as embarrassed as before.
He tapped my butt, prompting me to stand up. None of my classmates had seen this, of course, and his actions didn't seem out of place at all. Before yesterday, I would have jumped up and blushed, but our relationship was different now.
We were different.
The two of us ambled over to our storage area to grab some more fruits. Kiyotaka and I were the only people that knew that today would be his last proper dinner, so he vowed to eat his fair share.
Tomorrow's feast would be laced with poisonous berries, after all.
He glanced over towards Class B, who chattered and laughed, with a hint of longing as he grabbed one of the bowls Kushida-san, Onodera-san and Shiina-san had brought back, before he turned around.
"I'll join them. Are you coming with?"
"You shouldn't go. Not today, at least. Class D is unstable enough as is, and if you keep hanging around Class B, then they might think you'll betray us someday. I already talked sense into those idiots, but their doubts will only grow worse."
"I just want to spend a nice last evening with my friends. Is that too much to ask?" His voice felt bitter and lonely. "Horikita told me what happened while I was gone. I understand that you had your reasons for not telling me, so I'm not mad or anything, but..." He peered at our class with a pained expression. "It not like I don't have any feelings, just because I have trouble showing them."
I embraced him, unable to offer any comforting words.
He was my boyfriend, so there was no way I wouldn't understand his thoughts and concerns, but visiting and socializing with Class B would only alienate him more from our classmates. I could deal with the ones who doubted him, but not in such a short span of time. At least for this exam, it would have been best if he stayed clear of them.
But how could I deny his wish to meet up with his friends?
Class D still distrusted him after everything he had done for them. While Class B went out of their way to look for him, they accused him of thievery. I really couldn't care less anymore. Kiyotaka was more important than the class or this exam. If those idiots couldn't grow up, then so be it.
After all of this, I realized why they were defective.
There was no other way to measure their stupidity.
Common sense alone should have been enough proof that Kiyotaka wouldn't betray our class. Yet, they didn't even put his actions throughout the exam into consideration as they denounced him.
What more was he supposed to do?
"You're right." I rubbed over his smooth cheek. "Let's all eat together, okay? If anything comes up, I'll just deal with it. You should have at least one nice meal after everything you've done for the class. I'm sorry that I failed to find a suitable alternative, but I promise that I'll make it up to you as often as you want."
"I'll hold you to that promise."
I tiptoed, rewarding my handsome Kiyotaka with an affectionate kiss to seal our deal.
We began gathering our classmates and joined Class B's assembly, which was in a much more festive mood than our class. The saying that 'fun was contagious' was, in fact, true, as it didn't take long until the dampened atmosphere on our side skyrocketed. Since everyone was here, they couldn't fault Kiyotaka for hanging out with them either.
Maybe it had been a mistake to split our classes up.
Kiyotaka roamed on his own, because I didn't want to intrude on how he wished to spend his last proper evening. If our classmates had a problem with that, they could complain to me all they wanted. It didn't matter how often I would need to assure them that he wouldn't deceive us.
I would always have his back.
"Honami-chan."
A tired groan escaped my lips as I forced open my eyes.
"Mhm, Mako-chan?" I glanced at my wristwatch, which displayed the time at seven twenty-five. There should only be one reason for her to have woken me up this soon into the new day. "What happened?"
"Chihiro-chan is sick. She said that she felt feverish when we went to bed last night and now she's sweating and vomiting the whole time. The fever got worse, and she looks really pale. What do we do?"
The drowsiness I had been feeling vanished in an instance.
"Where is she?"
"Still in our tent."
I shot up without hesitation as the two of us made our way over. The fresh morning breeze was quite cold and no one but Horikita-san was outside. The whole camp was silent, giving off an almost eerie atmosphere.
We reached the tent beside us in just a few steps and climbed inside.
"Chihiro-chan?"
My classmate lay in the center of the tent with eight girls hovering around her.
Two of them were holding open one of the vinyl bags, which gave off a nauseating scent while the others offered her fresh water to cleanse her mouth. She peered at me with an apologetic expression, unable to hide her tears.
"Honami-chan... I'm... sorry..."
I couldn't understand her apology as I looked at her in confusion. It took a few moments until I realized that Chihiro-chan felt horrible for falling sick, as her retirement would cost us thirty points.
"Don't be silly Chihiro-chan. Let's get you back to the ship immediately." I turned towards the worried girls to my side. "Mako-chan, help me get her out of the tent. Himeno-san, could you wake Kanzaki-kun and Shibata-kun?"
"Okay."
"Sure, I'll be right back."
Both girls sprung into action. One stumbled out of the tent, while the other switched positions, which would make it easier for us to get her outside. The nauseous patient wasn't happy with this arrangement, however.
"No... wait, Honami-cha... It's j-just one more... day..."
I shook my head, denying her wish without hesitation.
"No, you are sick. I'm not letting you suffer for a few lousy points."
Mako-chan and the remaining girls agreed, showing their full support for my decision.
We would always think about our classmates first. The ascent to Class A was secondary. If I had to decide between graduating with everyone from Class B, or with thirty-nine of us from Class A, then I would choose the former ten out of ten times.
"But... Horikita-san too..."
"That's Class D's decision to make." I pressed my palm against her boiling forehead. "You're burning up like crazy. There is no way you'll stay here, not even for half an hour. We'll take you back to the cruiser as soon as possible."
Everyone grabbed on as we helped Chihiro-chan out of the tent. She wasn't stable on her feet and her nausea worsened as soon as she tried to stand or even kneel. Himeno-san soon arrived with the two boys in tow. She had already explained the situation to our classmates, which was why they were ready to go.
Kanzaki-kun lifted her into a princess carry as they hurried towards the beach.
Neither of us mentioned the points we'd be losing, as we all agreed that our classmates — our friends — were more important. I couldn't have been any happier with the school's decision to put me into Class B. After everything we have been through together, there was no one I trusted more than them.
Chihiro-chan needed a doctor as fast as possible. I wasn't sure how long the procedures for her retirement would take since she was our designated leader, but I hoped that the school wouldn't dawdle too long due to her high fever.
A simple flu wouldn't break out this sudden, but increase in intensity over multiple days. The only explanation for her explosive illness would have been the ingestion of poisonous fruits or mushrooms that grew all over the island. But we had dinner with everyone and no one aside from her seemed to be sick.
Was this just an accident?
If she had consumed something toxic, then one of the people beside her might have slipped her something. I usually wouldn't think this way, but I couldn't discount any possibility with Matsushita-san hovering over us.
Who sat beside her?
I shut my eyes and reflected on yesterday evening.
Recreating the scenes around the bonfire wasn't too complicated, but assigning places to the different students was quite the challenge after everyone joined. Most of us moved around during our dinner, which made the situation even more convoluted. Mako-chan was to my left, followed by Yonezu-kun, next to him sat...
The images in my mind took shape and turned into people, voices and actions that my schoolmates performed. These recollections sometime faded into a cloud of smoke as the position I had put them didn't overlap with my memory.