The students from all four classes had slowly grown accustomed to the rhythm of the test — endless strategy meetings, veiled conversations, and the faint scent of tension drifting through the ship's pristine halls.
Inside the Rabbit Group's meeting room, the atmosphere felt the same as always: heavy, cautious, and filled with unspoken suspicions.
Kiyotaka entered five minutes before the scheduled time, his expression calm and unreadable as usual. He took a seat in the back corner, watching as students trickled in one by one. Yukimura nodded to him silently, while Sotomura was already tinkering with his tablet, seemingly unconcerned with the undercurrents around him.
The Class A students — Machida and his group — were the last to arrive, taking their usual seats with an air of superiority. They still refused to engage much with the others, maintaining a quiet but firm distance.
A few minutes later, Karuizawa Kei strutted in. Her expression was as composed and proud as ever, but Kiyotaka could tell from her subtle glance toward him that she was uneasy — maybe from the previous incident with Manabe and her friends.
Before anyone could even start the day's discussion, Manabe leaned over toward Machida, a soft giggle escaping her lips."Hey, Machida-kun, wanna hang out with us after the meeting?" she asked, her tone teasing.
Machida looked up from his phone, giving a faint smirk. "Depends. Where are we going?"
"Anywhere fun. We're getting tired of these boring meetings."
Before he could reply, Karuizawa's sharp voice cut through the air like a blade."Hey, that's my seat. Move."
Manabe turned slowly, smirking. "Your seat? We were just talking, Karuizawa-san. You don't own him, do you?"
Karuizawa crossed her arms, her glare intense. "Maybe I do. Machida, come here."
Machida blinked, surprised. "Huh?"
Karuizawa leaned closer, lowering her voice just enough for everyone nearby to hear. "If you choose her over me, don't expect me to ever go out with you again."
The room froze for a heartbeat. Even Kiyotaka's eyes widened slightly. She's dating Hirata… and yet she can say something like that without flinching.
Manabe's jaw tightened. "Wow, that's low, even for you."
Machida raised a hand awkwardly. "Uh… let's not start a fight. Manabe, can you just move?"
Manabe glared but eventually stood up, muttering under her breath as she shifted away. Karuizawa smirked triumphantly and sat down, crossing her legs.
Kiyotaka leaned back, quietly analyzing.She's playing a dangerous game… clinging to Hirata, using Machida, manipulating both sides just to maintain control. What are you really hiding, Karuizawa?
Ichinose, sensing the thick air, quickly clapped her hands together."Alright! How about we play cards again to relax before the meeting ends?"
The tension began to ease. Sotomura immediately agreed, and even Yukimura gave in with a sigh. Kiyotaka joined as well, knowing Ichinose's games were more than just a pastime — they were subtle ways to read behavior and motives.
The group played quietly, with occasional laughter from Ichinose and her classmates. Kiyotaka observed every detail — the way Karuizawa fiddled with her phone between turns, the glances exchanged between Machida and Manabe, and the way Yukimura's patience was thinning with each round.
An hour later, the session ended. The Class A students left first, followed by the others. Karuizawa lingered just long enough to exchange contact info with Machida before leaving.
But Kiyotaka noticed something odd. The Class C girls — Manabe and her two friends — were waiting near the hallway. They didn't seem to be heading to the elevator like everyone else. Instead, their eyes followed Karuizawa's retreating back.
Yukimura frowned beside him. "Something's off about them."
Sotomura shrugged. "You think too much."
Kiyotaka, however, quietly rose to his feet. "No… Yukimura's right."
They followed at a distance, moving quietly through the corridor until they reached the emergency stairwell. The sound of the door slamming echoed faintly through the hall.
Kiyotaka pushed it open a crack and peered inside. The scene before them made Yukimura's fists tighten.
Manabe and her two friends had cornered Karuizawa against the cold metal wall.
"You're still acting like you didn't do anything to Rika, huh?" Manabe hissed. "You think being Hirata's girlfriend makes you untouchable?"
Karuizawa's voice trembled, but she tried to sound defiant. "I already told you, I didn't do anything wrong. Your friend bumped into me."
"Liar." One of the girls shoved her shoulder.
Kiyotaka could see the subtle change in Karuizawa's expression — her usual fake smile collapsing into sheer panic. She was shaking, breathing heavily, eyes wide in fear.
"Apologize," Manabe demanded, grabbing her by the hair and yanking her head up. "Or maybe we'll give you something to remember us by."
"Let go of me!" Karuizawa cried, struggling weakly.
Yukimura clenched his jaw and reached for the door. "That's enough. I'm going in."
Kiyotaka held up a hand. "Wait."
"Wait? They're about to—!"
"Not yet." Kiyotaka's eyes were cold. "Let's make sure they won't try again after this."
But when Manabe raised her hand again, he moved. Yukimura burst through the door first, shouting, "Stop it right there!"
The girls froze. Kiyotaka followed behind, his calm voice cutting through the tension."A teacher just passed by. I'll call them if you don't leave now."
Manabe glared at them, but she hesitated. "You better watch your back, Karuizawa."
With that, the three girls left, slamming the door.
Karuizawa fell to her knees, trembling, gasping for air. Yukimura bent down to help her. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
But she slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me! Just… leave me alone!"
Her voice cracked as she stormed out, the sound of her footsteps echoing down the hall. Yukimura stared after her, his shoulders slumping.
"She hates me for trying to help."
Kiyotaka looked at the door quietly."She's not angry at you, Yukimura. That wasn't fear of them — that was fear of something deeper. Something that's been there for a long time."
Yukimura sighed and walked off, leaving Kiyotaka alone in the stairwell.
Kiyotaka leaned against the railing, lost in thought.Karuizawa… you're hiding something that defines how you live, how you act, how you pretend. I'll find out what it is.
Meanwhile… Somewhere on the upper deck
The sun had begun to set, painting the sky with hues of orange and red. The air was quiet — until a soft voice broke it.
"...Gotcha."
I grinned mischievously as he wrapped one arm around Ibuki's waist from behind, his other hand covering her eyes.
"Guess who~?" he whispered playfully.
Ibuki stiffened instantly, her entire body tensing up. "Miyamoto…?"
"Bingo," he chuckled. "Wow, you didn't even pretend to guess wrong. That's no fun, Ibuki-chan."
Her hand twitched. "Let. Go."
"Oh? So cold. You weren't this cold. What happened to the warmth in your heart?"
Ibuki slowly turned her head, a smile so sweet it was almost terrifying. "You really want to know?"
Before I could answer, stomp — her heel came crashing down on his foot.
"Gyaaaah—!" I yelped, hopping on one leg. "That hurt!"
Ibuki smirked, flicking her hair back. "Maybe next time you'll think before touching me."
But she didn't leave. She crossed her arms, watching him clutch his foot dramatically.
"You done crying yet, boss of the Miyamoto gang?" she teased.
Eric looked up at her with a pitiful face, rubbing his foot. "Mercy… please, Ibuki-sama. Spare this poor soul…"
Ibuki sighed, shaking her head. "You're hopeless."
"Hopelessly in love, maybe," I said with a grin, immediately dodging her next attempt to elbow me.
Despite her annoyance, there was a faint pink tint on her cheeks as she turned away. "You're impossible. Go bother someone else."
I chuckled, falling into step beside her. "Can't. You're the only one fun enough to bully me back."
Ibuki rolled her eyes, but a tiny smile tugged at the corner of her lips. The sunset light reflected off the sea, glimmering softly as the two walked along the deck, the air filled with quiet laughter and unspoken warmth.