The ship was quiet. The hum of the ocean outside echoed softly through the glass walls of the indoor pool, where the lights reflected off the water's surface like shimmering fragments of the moon.Kiyotaka stood by the poolside, hands in his pockets, waiting. He'd sent a discreet message earlier, and as expected, Chabashira-sensei arrived shortly after.
"Meeting here at midnight? You're not afraid someone might think you're planning something, Ayanokōji?" she asked, her tone casual but sharp.
Kiyotaka's expression didn't change. "If I were, I'd have chosen a more secluded place. I just have a few questions."
Chabashira crossed her arms, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Go on."
"Are there exceptions — things that cannot be bought with private points?" he asked, his voice calm and deliberate.
Her lips curved into a faint, ironic smile. "Of course there are. You can't buy a person's life, for instance. Whether it's a student's or a teacher's. The school's system might be absolute, but it's not that insane."
Kiyotaka nodded slightly, his eyes distant. "I see."
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of heels echoing against the tiles. Both turned as Hoshinomiya-sensei appeared, her bright smile contrasting sharply with the still air around them.
"My, my, Sae-chan, meeting a student this late? Naughty, aren't we?" she teased, walking toward them with a playful sway in her step.
Chabashira frowned. "You followed me."
"Followed? Please. I was just walking by~." Hoshinomiya's teasing gaze shifted to Kiyotaka. "Oh, and look who it is — the famous quiet boy. You're much more handsome up close, you know?"
Kiyotaka didn't respond, simply observing. This isn't coincidence. She must've tailed Chabashira here.
Chabashira sighed in irritation. "You're in the way, Hoshinomiya. Go back to your cabin."
"But Sae-chan, I just wanted to chat—"
Before she could finish, Chabashira grabbed her wrist and began dragging her away. "We're done here anyway."
Hoshinomiya looked back over her shoulder and mouthed, So serious, before vanishing around the corner.
When the echo of her laughter faded, Kiyotaka turned back to the water. "One more thing. What's the most expensive thing ever purchased with points in this school?"
Chabashira adjusted her glasses, thinking for a moment. "Hmm. There was once a student who used points to change part of the school's rules. Not something drastic, of course — you can't rewrite the foundation. But… something practical, like changing class times to avoid tardiness penalties."
"I see," Kiyotaka said softly. "That tells me what I needed to know."
"You could've just emailed me that question," she remarked.
"I didn't want to leave a record," he replied flatly. "I'll need another favor soon."
Chabashira regarded him silently for a moment, then turned away. "You're a strange one, Ayanokōji. Always digging where no one else dares."
When she left, the pool returned to silence — only the sound of gentle waves lapping against the hull below remained.
2:00 A.M. – The Hallway
The ship was asleep, save for the faint hum of the engines. Kiyotaka's eyes opened as he heard the creak of a door. Hirata quietly stepped out, trying not to wake anyone.
Kiyotaka sat up immediately. "You're leaving?"
Hirata froze, startled, then turned with a sigh. "Ah… Ayanokōji. I didn't want to wake anyone. There's something I have to take care of."
"You're meeting Karuizawa," Kiyotaka said plainly.
Hirata blinked, caught off guard. "You… knew?"
"I expected it. She's your fake girlfriend, after all. Suzune also told me to keep an eye on you and report anything that happens in the Rabbit group."
Hirata's shoulders slumped. "I see. You really notice everything, don't you?"
Kiyotaka's eyes were sharp. "I'm not interested in the romance. I just want you to tell me everything about Karuizawa."
Hirata hesitated. "It's… complicated. The information I'm about to share is extremely sensitive. If she knew I said anything, she'd never forgive me."
"I understand. Then let's go talk somewhere quiet."
The Lounge – 2nd Deck
The lounge was dimly lit, empty except for the three of them — Karuizawa, Hirata, and Kiyotaka. Karuizawa's eyes widened the moment she saw Kiyotaka.
"Why is he here?" she snapped.
"I asked him to come," Hirata said calmly. "He understands what's going on."
"I don't care! I told you not to bring anyone!" she shouted, but Hirata's calm tone didn't waver.
"Karuizawa, this can't continue. I know what happened today with the Class C girls. You asked me to take revenge, but violence isn't the answer."
"They humiliated me, Hirata! You said you'd protect me!" she yelled, trembling.
"I said I'd stand by you," Hirata corrected, his voice steady. "But I won't hurt someone else in your name. That's not protection — that's just cruelty."
Karuizawa's lip trembled. "You liar! You said we were in this together!"
Hirata exhaled slowly and stood up. "I told you from the beginning — we're not a real couple. I agreed to pretend so that you could feel safe, but I won't fight a war for you."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Karuizawa's eyes filled with tears she refused to let fall. "Then what am I supposed to do, huh? Just let them walk all over me again?"
"I'll talk to them in the morning," Hirata said. "You'll apologize. That's how we end this peacefully."
"I won't!" she screamed. "You're just like everyone else!"
Then, without another word, she stormed past them, slamming the door behind her.
Hirata sank back into his chair, covering his face with his hands. "She won't listen…"
Kiyotaka studied him quietly. "You can't save both her and Manabe."
"I know." Hirata's voice was hollow. "That's probably why you're here, isn't it? To remind me of that."
He looked up, his eyes tired but earnest. "You're much more capable than you let on, Ayanokōji. I can tell."
Kiyotaka ignored the compliment. "Your relationship with Karuizawa — it's been four months, but you two have never acted like a real couple. You helped raise her social status, but there's more to it than that. You accepted her request too easily."
Hirata's expression darkened. "You've noticed everything, haven't you?"
"She wanted to protect herself," Kiyotaka said simply.
Hirata nodded. "That's right. She… wasn't always like this."
He took a deep breath, his tone lowering into something haunted. "Karuizawa was brutally bullied in elementary and junior high. She was isolated, mocked, and beaten. No one helped her. Not even the teachers. By the time she came here, she swore she'd never be that weak girl again. She built walls — fake smiles, fake confidence, fake relationships. Anything to avoid being a target again."
Kiyotaka listened quietly, not interrupting.
"I accepted her request because…" Hirata's voice cracked. "Because I once failed to protect someone who needed me."
He looked at the floor. "Back in junior high, I had a childhood friend — Sugimura. We were neighbors. Best friends. But when we ended up in different classes, things changed. He got bullied. I didn't help him."
Hirata's fists clenched. "He begged me for help, but I ignored him. I didn't want to lose my own place. I thought someone else would step in. Then one day… he jumped out of a classroom window."
The silence that followed felt heavy, suffocating.
"He survived… barely," Hirata whispered. "But his mind was gone. He never woke up. And I—" he stopped, voice trembling. "I decided I'd never let something like that happen again. If someone is being bullied, I'll protect them. Even if it destroys me."
Kiyotaka looked at him, emotionless but analytical. "You can't save everyone, Hirata. You'll burn out."
"I know that," he said, forcing a faint smile. "But I still have to try."
After a pause, Kiyotaka asked, "So that's why you agreed to date her. You thought you could save her."
"Yes. Even if it's just pretending, it gave her strength. And maybe it gave me something to hold onto too."
He looked up again. "Ayanokōji… please keep this between us. You and Horikita."
Kiyotaka nodded. "Understood."
Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded slip of paper. "I have a favor to ask. Deliver this when the time comes."
Hirata took the note, glancing at it briefly before tucking it away. "I'll do it. And… there's something you should know."
"What is it?"
"I've found out the identity of the last VIP from Class D," Hirata said quietly. "It's Karuizawa."
Kiyotaka didn't flinch. "I know."
"What surprises me," Hirata continued, "is that Miyamoto knew before any of us. I don't understand how he found out."
Kiyotaka's lips curved slightly — not a smile, but a sign that his mind was already several steps ahead."He has his ways," he said simply. "Sōshi Miyamoto doesn't move without purpose."
Elsewhere — Deck 3
The ocean wind was cool that night. Sōshi Miyamoto stood by the railing, his phone glowing softly in his hand. He glanced down at the message confirming the Rabbit group's situation, then pocketed it with a smirk.
"Everything's moving just as planned," he murmured to himself.
A voice spoke from behind him. "You're still awake, Miyamoto?"
He turned to see Ibuki, her arms crossed, her usual sharp glare softened by the moonlight. "You planning another prank or something?"
He grinned. "Maybe. Depends — are you planning to scold me again?"
She sighed. "You really never sleep, huh?"
He shrugged. "Bosses don't sleep, Ibuki-chan."
"Yeah? Then make sure you don't lose," she said, brushing past him. "Because I'm not cleaning up your mess if you do."
As she walked away, Miyamoto chuckled to himself. "You say that… but you'd still chase me if I ran."
Ibuki stopped briefly, half turning, the wind tugging at her hair. "Keep dreaming, idiot."
And then she was gone, leaving him alone with the sound of waves and the endless, calculating thoughts that filled his mind.