Night fell over the Pacific Ocean, transforming the azure expanse into a pitch-black canvas illuminated only by the reflection of the moon and the glittering lights of the luxury cruise ship, Speranza.
In the corridor of Deck C, Seiji Koroizumi and Shiina Hiyori walked side-by-side out of the library.
"Thank you for your time, Koroizumi-kun," Hiyori said softly, hugging a thick book to her chest. "That discussion about murder motives in Agatha Christie's novels... was very enlightening."
"You're very welcome, Shiina-san," Seiji replied with a smile. "Remember, the most perfect motive for murder isn't hatred, but distorted love. That's a crucial lesson."
Hiyori nodded, her eyes sparkling as she processed the information. They arrived at a hallway intersection.
"I'm going to head back to my room to finish this final chapter," Hiyori said. "Good night."
"Good night. Don't stay up too late."
Seiji watched the girl's retreating back until she disappeared around the corner. The smile on his face slowly faded, replaced by a highly human expression of hunger.
"Alright," Seiji muttered, rubbing his stomach. "The brain has been fed, now it's the stomach's turn. I heard the main dining room is serving a continental buffet tonight."
His footsteps led him up to the upper deck, heading toward the Blue Horizon Restaurant.
However, the moment the automatic glass doors of the restaurant slid open, Seiji realized one thing.
He hadn't stepped into a dining hall. He had stepped into a lion's den.
The Blue Horizon Restaurant was designed with breathtaking luxury. Marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and giant glass walls that showcased a panoramic view of the night sea.
But it wasn't the decor that made the atmosphere feel so heavy. It was the occupants.
Seiji stood in the doorway, his sharp eyes scanning the room in a matter of seconds. The restaurant wasn't packed, but the "quality" of the patrons was incredibly dense.
At a round table near the east windows sat a group from Class 1-A (formerly B). Ichinose Honami was laughing crisply alongside Kanzaki Ryuji and several of her classmates. Their aura was bright and positive, as if they were radiating their own light.
At a long table on the west side, a group from Class 1-B (formerly A) was eating with quiet discipline. Katsuragi Kohei sat at the head of the table, his face serious as he sliced his steak. Sakayanagi was nowhere to be seen—her physical condition likely forcing her to rest in her room—but Katsuragi's faction was present in full force.
Then, at a dark corner table in the southern section, a dangerous aura billowed outward like cigarette smoke. Ryuen Kakeru sat with his legs crossed, resting them on the empty chair beside him. He was flanked by the giant Albert Yamada, a nervous-looking Ishizaki Daichi, and Ibuki Mio, who was chewing on her bread with a highly annoyed expression.
And finally, at a small, strategically placed table right in the middle of the room, sat Horikita Suzune, all alone.
"Quite the complete set," Seiji murmured. "A reunion of kings before the war."
Seiji stepped inside. His presence, usually concealed under the guise of an "ordinary student," could no longer be ignored. His 500-point score and the rumors surrounding him had fundamentally changed how people looked at him.
"Ah! Koroizumi-kun!"
Ichinose Honami was the first to notice. She waved her hand enthusiastically, pausing her conversation with Kanzaki.
"Good evening, Ichinose-san," Seiji greeted, walking past their table. "You all look like you're enjoying dinner."
"The food is amazing!" Ichinose exclaimed. "Do you want to join us? We have an empty seat right here."
Kanzaki stared at Seiji with a guarded, yet polite gaze. "Koroizumi. Your test scores were quite... surprising."
"Just pure luck," Seiji replied with a diplomatic smile. "Thank you for the offer, Ichinose-san. But my 'king' is waiting over there all by herself."
Seiji pointed toward Suzune.
A slight blush dusted Ichinose's cheeks, whether from embarrassment or disappointment, it was hard to tell. "Ah, of course. Horikita-san is waiting. Send her my regards."
Seiji nodded and continued walking.
As he passed by Katsuragi's faction's table, Katsuragi Kohei set his fork down. The sharp clink of metal against the porcelain plate rang out.
"Koroizumi Seiji," Katsuragi's deep voice halted Seiji's steps.
Seiji turned his head.
"Yes, Katsuragi-kun?"
"Be careful," Katsuragi said, looking Seiji dead in the eye. "Sakayanagi has taken a very strong interest in you after your chess match this afternoon. And Sakayanagi's interest... usually brings disaster."
Seiji raised an eyebrow slightly. "I'll take that as friendly advice. Thank you."
Katsuragi gave a stiff nod, then returned to his meal. The man was as solid as a fortress, the type of opponent who respected the rules but was incredibly difficult to breach.
Finally, Seiji arrived at Suzune's table. The girl was stabbing at her salad with her fork, looking entirely devoid of appetite.
"You're late," Suzune said without even checking her watch.
"I got lost on the road of life... I mean, in the library," Seiji made an excuse as he pulled out the chair across from Suzune.
"Have you eaten?"
"Not yet. I lost my appetite looking at the visual pollution in this room," Suzune shot a fleeting glare toward Ryuen's table.
Seiji followed her line of sight. Ryuen Kakeru was staring straight at them. A wide smirk was carved onto the delinquent's face.
Ryuen stood up.
He didn't walk alone. Albert, Ishizaki, and Ibuki stood up behind him, forming a perfect wedge of intimidation. They marched across the room, heading straight for Seiji and Suzune's table.
The sound of clinking forks and knives throughout the restaurant ceased.
Ichinose stopped laughing. Katsuragi stopped chewing.
All eyes were fixed on the confrontation in the center of the room.
Ryuen stopped right beside their table. He placed his hands on the tabletop, leaning in toward Suzune, though his eyes darted wildly toward Seiji.
"Romantic dinner, eh? Suzune?" Ryuen's voice was raspy and dripping with provocation.
Suzune calmly set her fork down. "Ryuen-kun. I am currently eating. If you wish to spread the stench of your garbage, kindly do it elsewhere."
"Kukuku..." Ryuen chuckled. "Sharp tongue. But it's a real shame your class points aren't as sharp. You're still beneath Classes A and B."
"And you are sitting at the bottom of the abyss, Class D," Suzune fired back coldly. "What do you want?"
Ryuen straightened his posture. He threw his arms out wide, as if giving a speech on a grand stage.
"I just wanted to greet my lovely neighbors," Ryuen announced loudly, ensuring his voice carried over to Ichinose and Katsuragi as well.
"Listen up, all you hypocritical elites!" Ryuen yelled.
"This vacation... this exam on the island... don't for a second think you're going to have fun. I, Ryuen Kakeru, am declaring war on all of you."
Katsuragi frowned. Ichinose looked genuinely concerned.
"I don't give a damn about the methods," Ryuen continued, his eyes glinting with madness. "I will use violence, deception, poison, whatever it takes. I will drag every single one of you down into the mud with me."
Then, Ryuen leaned back down, staring at Seiji, who had remained silent the entire time, merely sipping his glass of water.
"And you..."
Ryuen pointed his finger right in Seiji's face.
"Koroizumi Seiji. Perfect 500 score. Blackmailer of upperclassmen."
Ryuen's eyes narrowed, as if trying to strip Seiji's soul bare.
"People say Horikita is the leader of Class C. But my instincts... the instincts of a wild beast tell me that you're the beast tamer."
Seiji slowly set his glass down. He looked up, meeting Ryuen's gaze with his signature unreadable smile—a friendly smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"You flatter me too much, Ryuen-kun," Seiji replied casually. "I'm just an ordinary student who likes to study. Suzune is the legitimate leader."
"Liar," Ryuen hissed. "Your eyes... those aren't the eyes of a herbivore. Those are the eyes of a well-fed predator."
Albert, the giant foreigner standing behind Ryuen, shifted his stance slightly, ready to launch a physical assault on command. Ibuki rolled her eyes in boredom, but her hand was poised inside her jacket pocket.
Ryuen leaned his face close to Seiji's ear.
"On that island... there are no CCTV cameras. There are no teachers watching 24/7," Ryuen whispered. "I want to see if that 500 score of yours can save you when I break your legs."
The threat was real. Ryuen wasn't playing around.
However, Seiji didn't even blink. His heart rate didn't elevate a single beat.
In fact, the shadow of The Reaper within him chuckled in amusement. A physical threat? From a high school kid? How adorable.
"Ryuen-kun," Seiji replied, his voice soft but carrying a low-frequency rumble that made the hair on the back of Ishizaki's neck stand up.
"Be careful. In the wild, it isn't just the lions that are dangerous. Sometimes, the quietest-looking plants can devour you whole if you step on them carelessly."
Seiji stared into Ryuen's eyes. For a fraction of a second, Ryuen saw something within those pitch-black pupils. A darkness. A void far deeper and older than any street brutality he had ever known.
Ryuen's instincts screamed: Back off.
Ryuen pulled away, his smirk turning slightly stiff, though he quickly masked it with a loud laugh.
"Hahahaha! Good! Very good!" Ryuen patted Seiji's shoulder roughly. "I'm looking forward to it, Koroizumi! Don't go dying on me too quickly!"
Ryuen turned around, gesturing to his subordinates. "Let's go. The food here tastes like cardboard anyway."
The Class D faction left the restaurant, leaving behind a thick trail of tension.
Sighs of relief could be heard from several tables.
"What an unpleasant person," Suzune commented, picking her fork back up. However, her hand was trembling slightly.
Seiji noticed it.
The trembling in Suzune's hand wasn't from fear of Ryuen. Suzune wasn't afraid of verbal intimidation.
Seiji saw the beads of cold sweat on Suzune's temples, despite the restaurant's AC being set quite low. He saw the unnatural flush on her usually pale cheeks. And he saw her slightly dilated pupils—a sign that her body was fighting off inflammation.
"Eat," Seiji said gently. "You need the energy."
"Of course I'm going to eat," Suzune answered curtly, shoving a piece of lettuce into her mouth. "Don't boss me around."
They ate in silence. Seiji practically inhaled his seafood curry rice, while Suzune barely managed to finish half of her salad.
"I'm full," Suzune said, pushing her plate away. "I'm going back to my room. I still have some strategy books I need to reread before tomorrow."
Suzune stood up. But as she did, her body swayed slightly. Extremely slightly. Anyone else probably wouldn't have even noticed.
But Seiji caught it.
"Horikita," Seiji called out as they walked out of the restaurant toward the elevator area.
"What?"
Seiji pressed the elevator button. The doors opened. The two of them stepped inside.
As the doors closed, separating them from the crowds, Seiji spoke.
"Take some medicine before you go to sleep. And turn off your room's AC."
Suzune's head snapped toward him, her eyes wide with shock. Her defenses instantly shot up. "What are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine."
"Your body temperature is elevated by about 0.8 degrees above normal," Seiji stated, analyzing her with a clinical yet deeply attentive tone.
"Your breathing is slightly shallower—about 20 breaths per minute while resting, whereas you're usually at 16. And there were micro-tremors in your right hand when you were holding your fork earlier. That wasn't because of Ryuen. Those are prodromal symptoms of a fever."
Suzune froze. Her mouth parted slightly, but no words of denial came out.
She had indeed been feeling unwell since that afternoon. Her throat was scratchy and her head felt heavy. But she had been trying her hardest to hide it. She couldn't afford to look weak. Not in front of the enemy, and especially not in front of her class.
"How..." Suzune's voice was raspy. "How could you possibly know something that detailed?"
"I am your teacher—I mean, your working partner," Seiji corrected himself quickly, offering a warm smile. "My job is to monitor the condition of the class's most vital asset."
The elevator dinged. They had arrived at the passenger cabin deck.
Seiji stepped out, followed by a still-shocked Suzune.
"Don't push yourself too hard, Suzune," Seiji said, this time using her first name unconsciously. His tone was serious.
"The exam on the island is a marathon, not a sprint. If you collapse on the very first day because you're in denial about your own condition, you will cost the class far more than if you just take a rest right now."
Seiji reached into his suit pocket. He pulled out a blister pack of fever reducers and vitamin C.
"I always carry emergency supplies. Take them."
Suzune stared at the medicine in Seiji's hand. Then she looked up at his face.
There was no mockery. No condescending pity. Only genuine, pragmatic concern.
Slowly, Suzune reached her hand out. She took the medicine. Their fingertips brushed, and Seiji could feel that Suzune's skin was indeed hotter than usual.
"Thank you," Suzune whispered, almost inaudibly.
"Get some good sleep. Tomorrow, we face hell."
Seiji turned around and headed toward his own room.
Suzune stood silently in the corridor for a long moment, clutching the medicine tightly in her hand.
"He knew..." Suzune murmured. "He always knows."
The fear of her secret being exposed was mixed with a strange, profound sense of security. For the first time, Suzune felt like she didn't have to carry her physical burdens all on her own. There was someone watching her back.
------------------------------
"Like my work? Catch up to Chapter 34 over on my Patreon!"
P - Gem_Blanks
Thank you so much for your support — you make all of this worthwhile.)