Kiyotaka arrived at a small café on the upper deck shortly after 7:30 a.m.A few students were already seated inside, whispering about group compositions and possible rules.Horikita Suzune was waiting at a table near the window, her usual calm posture contrasting with the morning breeze that played with her hair.
Without a word, she slid a slip of paper across the table as he sat down.On it, twelve names were neatly written.
Group: Dragon
Class A: Kōhei Katsuragi, Ryōko Nishikawa, Shinji Matoba, Koharu Yano
Class B: Sayo Andō, Ryūji Kanzaki, Hitomi Tsube
Class C: Takumi Oda, Hidetoshi Suzuki, Masashi Sonoda, Kakeru Ryūen
Class D: Kikyō Kushida, Yōsuke Hirata, Suzune Horikita
Kiyotaka's eyes scanned the list quietly.
"Katsuragi, Hirata, Ryūen… that's quite a lineup," he murmured. "It looks like each class sent their major representative."
Suzune nodded. "Exactly. It's like the school intentionally placed leaders together."
"But Ichinose isn't in your group," Kiyotaka observed. "She's in mine."
Horikita folded her arms. "Ichinose may be the face of Class B, but that doesn't necessarily make her the strategist. Kanzaki is also capable — she might just be serving as a symbol of unity rather than leadership."
Kiyotaka leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing. "Interesting. So, they've built this setup to test both cooperation and hierarchy."
"Or to destroy it," Horikita said quietly.
They spent a few minutes analyzing the structure.
"If we assume that each zodiac group has a balance of strong and weak members," Horikita began, "then the school might have divided the students based on grades or influence."
Kiyotaka nodded. "But it's imperfect. The Rabbit group has Ichinose, Ibuki, and me — a mix that doesn't fit a strict ranking order. They might have introduced random variations to make prediction impossible."
She looked thoughtful. "Then the key lies in social interaction. The school wants to see which students can manipulate or resist manipulation."
"Probably," Kiyotaka replied. "And since the VIPs are already chosen, the next three days will just be… people playing roles."
At exactly 8:00 a.m., both their phones vibrated at once.A familiar chime echoed across the deck — the same one used for official announcements.
Kiyotaka opened his first.The message read:
To: Ayanokōji KiyotakaYou have not been chosen as the VIP.
The exam will begin at 1:00 PM today and will last three days.
All students are required to gather immediately in their group meeting rooms.
Horikita's eyes flicked up from her phone. "Same here. Not the VIP."
"So, the real game begins at one," Kiyotaka said, pocketing his phone. "Until then, information is the only weapon we have."
Horikita hesitated for a moment before asking, "Who do you suspect the most in my group?"
Kiyotaka didn't even pause. "Ryūen."
Her eyes sharpened. "I thought the same."
"He's the type who thrives in chaos," Kiyotaka explained calmly. "If he's not the VIP, he'll try to manipulate whoever is. And if he is the VIP, he'll use aggression to divert suspicion."
Horikita sighed lightly. "Predictable, yet troublesome."
A voice interrupted their quiet conversation.
"Well, well, talking about me so early in the morning, Suzune? I'm flattered."
Both turned to see Ryūen Kakeru, hands in his pockets, that infuriating grin plastered across his face.Beside him stood Mio Ibuki, arms crossed, glaring like she'd rather be anywhere else.
Ryūen slid into the empty seat beside them without invitation. "Mind if I join? Or are you two plotting to overthrow the school already?"
Horikita's eyes narrowed. "You always assume too much."
"Only because you always hide too much," Ryūen replied, smirking. "Tell me, Horikita — are you the VIP?"
"I don't see why I should answer that," she said sharply. "Would you answer if I asked you the same?"
Ryūen laughed, low and mocking. "Too bad. Still, I can't help being curious about Class D's miracle child. How'd you pull off that island stunt, anyway? Outsmarting Class A — that wasn't beginner's luck, was it?"
Before Horikita could respond, I showed up — casually stepping into the scene like I'd been waiting for my cue.
"Yo, Ryūen! Ibuki!" I called out with a grin. "Man, you two look like a couple having a lovers' spat this early. Should I give you some privacy?"
Ibuki turned crimson immediately. "Wha—!? Shut up, idiot!"
"Ohh, so you do care," I teased. "You used to glare at me with love, now it's pure murder. Tragic."
"Keep talking and I'll kick you overboard," she snapped, half-standing from her chair.
Ryūen chuckled, clearly amused. "I like this energy. You two should do a comedy act during the test. It'd break the tension nicely."
Kiyotaka sipped his drink silently, ignoring the circus.He glanced at Ryūen's expression — still light, but there was sharpness beneath it. Ryūen wasn't here just to taunt. He was studying reactions.
After a few minutes, Horikita rose. "If you're done wasting time, Ryūen, I have a meeting to attend."
"Likewise," Kiyotaka added quietly.
Ryūen leaned back, smirking. "Sure, sure. Don't get too nervous. The real game hasn't even started yet."
By 12:55 PM, Kiyotaka arrived outside Conference Room 3, where the Rabbit group was assigned.Inside, thirteen other students sat scattered around the long table, some chatting softly, others avoiding eye contact.
Yukimura and Sotomura waved him over."Let's get this over with," Yukimura said, adjusting his glasses. "The faster we cooperate, the better."
Kiyotaka nodded. "If everyone's willing, that is."
The clock ticked toward one. At exactly 1:00 PM, the monitor on the wall blinked with the school emblem — signaling the start of the Zodiac Test.
A quiet fell over the room.
No one spoke.
For nearly a full minute, the sound of the ship's engines was the only thing breaking the silence.
Then, finally — Honami Ichinose stood up.Her warm tone and gentle smile immediately softened the atmosphere.
"Since we'll be together for three days," she began, "why don't we start with introductions? Even if we can't say much, I think it'll help us trust each other a little."
Everyone nodded — except Machida from Class A, who merely crossed his arms.
The introductions went smoothly at first.Ichinose's natural charisma set the tone, and soon even Ibuki muttered a curt "I'm Mio Ibuki. Don't bother remembering too much."
When it was Kiyotaka's turn, he said simply, "Ayanokōji, Class D."As expected, no further comment.
After the last introduction, Ichinose clasped her hands lightly. "I think we should aim for the first outcome — the cooperative one. If we share the identity of the VIP and submit the same answer together, everyone benefits."
Yukimura nodded immediately. "Agreed. It's the most logical route."Sotomura added, "Statistically optimal. Avoids unnecessary class point loss."
But Machida finally spoke, voice cutting through the goodwill."I disagree."
The room turned to him.
"This kind of idealistic cooperation only benefits the lower classes," he said coolly. "Katsuragi has already proposed our plan — silence. If no one talks, no one betrays. The results stay even, and we avoid risk."
Ichinose frowned slightly. "But that only keeps the status quo, doesn't it? Class A stays first, and everyone else stagnates."
"That's not our problem," Machida replied. "Our priority is stability."
Ibuki scoffed. "Sounds like cowardice to me."
Machida's gaze hardened. "Call it what you want. We're not here to babysit the other classes."
Ichinose tried to reason again, but Machida and the other Class A members had already closed off."We'll be staying silent," he declared. "Discuss however you want. We won't participate."
The tension thickened immediately.
Just as Ichinose was trying to recover the mood, another voice piped up — Shiho Manabe from Class C.Her eyes were sharp, fixed directly on Karuizawa.
"Before we continue, I want to ask something," she said. "Karuizawa — did you push Rika Morofuji out of line at the café yesterday?"
The air froze.
Karuizawa blinked, startled. "What? No, I didn't!"
Manabe crossed her arms. "Rika said someone from Class D shoved her when she tried to order. She described you pretty clearly."
"That's not true! I didn't even see her yesterday!"
"Then let's confirm," Manabe said coldly, pulling out her phone. "Smile for the camera, Karuizawa. I'll show her and see if she recognizes you."
Karuizawa's face twisted in panic. "W–What are you doing!? Stop that!"
Manabe stepped closer. "If you're innocent, you shouldn't mind."
"Enough."The interruption came from an unexpected source — Machida.
He stood, his presence calm but firm. "Taking unauthorized photos of other students could be considered harassment. If there's an issue, speak to Rika directly later. Don't turn this room into a circus."
Manabe frowned but reluctantly lowered her phone. "Fine. But I don't trust her."
Karuizawa sat down, trembling slightly, muttering something under her breath.
Kiyotaka watched quietly.A personal grudge during a group exam… This could be a problem later.
The discussion never truly recovered after that.Ichinose made a few attempts to reignite conversation, but the atmosphere had already splintered into small, suspicious clusters.Class A sat silently.Class B tried to stay optimistic.Class C whispered among themselves.And Class D, as usual, watched quietly.
At exactly 2:00 PM, the monitor displayed a message:
Discussion period over. You may now leave.
The first session of the Zodiac Test was done.
Class A students were the first to stand and leave without a word.Ichinose sighed softly. "Well, it's only the first day. We'll try again later."
As Karuizawa hurried toward the exit, she accidentally stepped on Manabe's foot.
"Ow!" Manabe snapped, glaring. "Are you serious right now!?"
"I—I didn't mean to! Sorry!" Karuizawa stammered.
"Tch." Manabe clicked her tongue but didn't pursue it further.
Karuizawa fled the room, and Yukimura exhaled heavily."This is already exhausting," he muttered.
Kiyotaka watched the door close behind Karuizawa, his mind already calculating.
Conflict, distrust, and silence.The Zodiac Test isn't just about finding the VIP — it's about seeing who breaks first.