Chapter 049 Shimizu Akira is a Puppy / The Super-Capable Shiranami / Fishing / Kiyotaka and Yuki
The next day. Day twelve of the uninhabited island exam. Daytime.
Karuizawa Kei, wearing a high ponytail and looking full of energy, said with a giggle: "Akira, Suzune! Let me tell you something you'll never guess."
Horikita Suzune, who was tidying her bedding, responded coldly, "If you're talking about sneaking a kiss from Akira-kun last night, save it. We both noticed."
"Eh?!" Kei's face instantly flushed crimson.
Although Suzune strictly forbade her from doing anything "indescribable" with Akira at night, she was a high school girl after all. Having finally landed a boyfriend, it was hard not to develop a taste for it. Consequently, around 10:00 or 11:00 PM every night, she couldn't help but steal a few kisses.
She never expected Suzune to find out!
'Wait, does this woman not sleep at night?'
She gave Suzune a fierce glare. "It's not that! I'm talking about yesterday morning. I ran into Kiryuin-senpai from Class 3-B."
Horikita Suzune paused. "Kiryuin-senpai? You know her?"
Kei laughed triumphantly. "Of course! We were in the same group during the forest camp exam last year. I made breakfast for her several times. Later, when I was acting as the boxing club manager and practicing boxing in private, Kiryuin-senpai saw me and even gave me some secret pointers."
Shimizu Akira remembered clearly. Last year, he had indeed instructed Kei to get on Kiryuin Fuka's good side as much as possible. He hadn't expected the senpai to follow up by coaching her in boxing.
Horikita Suzune quickly retrieved information about Kiryuin Fuka in her mind, saying slowly: "Rumor has it she's as willful as Koenji Rokusuke, but her overall strength is immense. I checked the group rankings this morning; she's suddenly jumped to ninth place."
"Mhm! Kiryuin-senpai is amazing!" Kei nodded. "Her group has been a solo one from the start, just like Koenji. She spent a lot of time obsessed with fishing these past few days, otherwise she wouldn't be losing to Koenji."
Horikita looked thoughtful and asked, "So the 'good news' you wanted to tell us is that Kiryuin-senpai plans to take you to participate in tasks, so our group's score will rise quickly these next few days?"
If that were the case, it was indeed good news. Although Shimizu's group was currently in 11th place, pushing higher would certainly be better.
To her surprise, Kei shook her head without a thought. "No! Senpai meant she's taking me fishing this afternoon to exchange beauty tips. When I come back tonight, you guys will have plenty of fish and meat to eat."
Horikita's eyes widened. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. After all that buildup, this was the good news. "Ugh... just come back early then."
"Mhm! I'm off!" Kei waved and skipped away.
Shimizu couldn't help but laugh. The compatibility between Kei and Suzune was incredibly good; over these ten or so days, Suzune had occasionally started to subconsciously dote on her.
Seeing that Horikita Suzune was in a good mood today, he tested the waters.
"Then can I go fishing too? My... my hands are a bit itchy since I haven't fished in days."
Suzune gave him a flat look. "If Kei is going, you don't need to. Otherwise, we'll have too much fish to store."
"Oh."
Looking at her boyfriend's completely unmaskable expression of regret, Suzune sighed and added helplessly: "Fine, fine, you go too. Just give the fish you catch to any students passing by."
"My Suzune is the best to me!" Shimizu couldn't resist stepping forward and picking her up in a hug.
"Who's being good to you? It's just because you're too annoying!" Horikita Suzune struggled twice, failed to break free, and simply gave up. "Staring at me with those eyes... like a puppy."
"A puppy?"
"Yes, a puppy. The kind that wags its tail if you don't give it a bone."
"So, is Suzune giving me a bone now?"
"...If you say another word, I'm taking back what I just said."
The two held each other quietly for a while. After a long moment, Horikita gently pushed him away. "Had enough?"
"Had enough."
Shimizu finally let go.
"I'm telling you, you have a mission today. No fishing until it's finished."
"What mission?"
"This." Horikita turned and packed the sportswear, umbrella, raincoat, and rain boots she had borrowed from Shiranami Chihiro a few days ago into a bag. "The gear for the rain that day was borrowed from Shiranami-san; it's time to return it. Also, take that set of sportswear you washed."
"Got it," Shimizu nodded.
Speaking of which, after giving Shiina Hiyori two bottles of water yesterday, he checked their own water supply in the tent. There wasn't much left. Going there would be a good chance to restock.
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Shimizu walked for about twenty minutes until he arrived at the small tent belonging to Ichinose Honami and Shiranami Chihiro.
Today was a far cry from the rainy day. A line of five or six people had formed outside the tent. Ichinose and Shiranami were busy attending to students coming for water, and they didn't seem to have a spare second for him.
However, Amakura Mako, who was in charge of moving water at the entrance, noticed him and waved. "Ya! It's Shimizu-kun!"
Looking at her single ponytail and lively, cheerful aura, Shimizu felt an inexplicable sense of seeing a version of Karuizawa Kei. But then again, with 480 people in the school, it was normal for a couple of people to have similar vibes.
"Good morning, Amakura-san." He quickly dismissed the thought. "You guys have been quite busy lately?"
"Yeah! More and more people have been coming over!" Amakura wiped sweat from her forehead. In this scorching weather, even slight movement brought on a sweat. "The relief station was originally handled by two people; I was called in to help."
"Then I'll help too."
"Eh? Is that okay?"
"Why not? I've been taking free water for days." Shimizu smiled. "Besides, I'm Honami's boyfriend. It's only right to do what I can."
"Oh! Okay! Then please help move these cases of water inside, Shimizu-kun! I assume this won't be too hard for you!" Amakura pointed to several cases of water on a small trolley.
"Of course."
Shimizu scanned them. It wasn't too much or too little—about five cases. He moved them into the tent one by one.
Inside was cooler than outside, but with people coming and going, it still felt a bit stuffy. Ichinose Honami was handing water to a girl when she looked up and saw Shimizu carrying a case. She froze. "Akira-kun? What are you doing here?"
"Returning items and helping out." Shimizu set the case down and turned to fetch the second one.
Honami wanted to stop him, but the students in line were waiting, so she had to focus on the work at hand. Shiranami Chihiro, who was registering the water distribution list nearby, found her eyes involuntarily following Shimizu's back. When she snapped back to reality, she quickly looked down and continued writing.
Amakura Mako shouted from outside, "Shimizu-kun, the third case is a bit heavy, watch your back!"
"Got it."
By the time Shimizu moved the third case in, the line of students had mostly thinned out. Honami wiped her forehead and came over to help him organize the cases. "You really didn't need to help; the three of us could manage."
"It's fine, I didn't have anything urgent." Shimizu stacked the last case. "Besides, you guys have helped me so many times; I had to do something."
Honami looked at him and finally gave a happy smile. "Alright then, thank you."
"Why are you being so polite with me?"
Amakura Mako walked in pulling the empty trolley. "All done? Shimizu-kun is so strong; those cases take me forever to move alone."
"You move them alone?"
"Yeah, I was the one doing it before." Amakura flexed her arm. "My arms have gotten a size bigger these past few days."
"Wait, where are the boys from your class? Like Kanzaki Ryuji or Shibata Souta?" Shimizu couldn't help but ask.
"Well..." Ichinose explained, "Kanzaki and Shibata have formed a large group with Katsuragi Kohei, Totsuka Yahiko, and two other boys. They're working hard to raise their group score. The six of them are doing great; they've reached about fifth place now."
"Fifth place?" Shimizu was surprised. "That's actually quite impressive."
Since it was a unified exam for all three grades, the top spots were a battle between monsters. Ranking fifth was no small feat.
"Yes." Honami nodded, speaking with some relief. "They've all been working very hard, especially Kanzaki; he's barely rested these past few days."
Amakura Mako added from the side, "After all, Kanzaki just returned to the class properly; it feels like he's fired up to contribute."
"Since it's a large group, more people means more responsibility," Honami continued. "And Katsuragi is very serious too, so no one feels comfortable slacking off."
Shimizu looked thoughtful. "How is Totsuka Yahiko? His personality can be a bit aggressive. Has he caused any conflicts?"
Ichinose immediately shook her head. "No. He's very grateful that our class was willing to take him in, and he listens to Katsuragi. Though he does occasionally clash with people from other classes, it's always to defend our class's interests or protect classmates. To be honest, I feel our class used to be a bit too soft; since Totsuka-kun arrived, many students feel more confident."
Shimizu breathed a huge sigh of relief. "That's great then."
Amakura Mako couldn't help but laugh. "Why are you sighing in relief?"
Shimizu spread his hands. "After all, I was the one who persuaded Katsuragi to come over, and I was the one who casually suggested to Honami that she take them both in. Seeing you guys get along so well is a big win."
Honami giggled again. "Actually, there's more good news. As you've seen, many people are buying water these days. We'll be able to pay back the debt to Sakayanagi very soon."
Shiranami Chihiro, who hadn't been able to get a word in, finally found her opening and added softly, "We have orders for nearly three million private points now."
Ichinose had borrowed five million points from Sakayanagi Arisu to save her classmates, so this would cover a massive chunk of that debt.
"That really is good news."
Amakura Mako looked around, her eyes landing on the bag Shimizu had placed in the corner while moving water. She leaned over curiously. "You came to return the gear borrowed for the rain? Speaking of which, Nanase-kohai came by to return hers the day before yesterday."
As expected of the methodical Nanase Tsubasa; she was even efficient at returning items.
Honami looked at him apologetically. "I came back late that day, and you probably left out of consideration for me, right? I didn't get to host you properly."
Shimizu quickly waved it off and pointed at Shiranami Chihiro. "Actually, Shiranami took very good care of me—snacks, washing my clothes, and even preparing rain gear for Nanase and me."
Being called out publicly, Shiranami's face instantly turned red. "T-those were just small things..."
"What small things! If it weren't for you, Nanase and I would have had to head back in the pouring rain."
Shiranami Chihiro lowered her head quickly. Amakura Mako watched from the side, unable to stop a smirk. Honami spoke up gracefully. "Chihiro is always meticulous. With her around, I'm much more at ease."
"Honami works hard too," Shiranami said softly. "She's been running around outside these past few days while I've spent more time in the tent." After saying this, she stole another glance at Shimizu. "Um, Shimizu-kun, I've washed your clothes and shoes. I'll get them for you now."
She jogged over and handed him three new bags. Shimizu opened them to find his tracksuit jacket, pants, and shoes inside. As he expected, they smelled faintly of orange. Moreover, each bag was clearly categorized; the jacket and pants were even organized with small clips—had they been ironed?
After delivering the clothes, Shiranami crouched down to look through Shimizu's return bag and said with some surprise, "Eh? Did you wash these clothes yourself, Shimizu-kun?"
"Mhm? Is there a problem?"
"Uh... just a little... they aren't quite clean." Shiranami wanted to say they hadn't been washed properly at all, but to save his face, she spoke diplomatically. "See here, the collar is a bit yellow, and the fabric fibers are heavily damaged, which will lead to pilling. If I'm not mistaken, you washed them all together, right? But clothes and pants require completely different washing intensities, and the shoes are the same; there are still dirty spots."
Shimizu rubbed his forehead in embarrassment. "S-sorry..."
When he washed them that day, he really hadn't thought that much about it; he just scrubbed hard by hand. Usually, he just threw things in the washing machine.
'Who knew there were so many rules?'
He couldn't help but flip through the bags she gave him. The tracksuit he had worn for months now looked practically new. The color and luster were different, and the collar looked brand new. If someone said he had just bought them, he'd believe it.
This was simply the gap in "feminine power."
Shiranami Chihiro paused before whispering, "It's okay... Shimizu-kun is a boy after all, and he has a lot to do. In... in the future, if you need clothes washed, you can find me..."
Amakura Mako couldn't help but look at Honami. Since she was Shimizu's official girlfriend, she would inevitably be jealous, right? To her surprise, Honami was watching the scene with a smile. "I don't think there's any problem with that."
Shimizu didn't dare agree to such a thing. Even though Honami didn't mind, if his other seven girlfriends found out, they'd probably tear him apart.
Seeing more people arriving at the entrance, he quickly grabbed his new bags, snatched a few bottles of water, and prepared to bolt. "Well... I see more people coming, I won't disturb you. See you later."
With the other two present, he couldn't be intimate with Honami. It was better to leave.
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Soon it was 3:00 PM. Having obtained permission from Horikita Suzune, Shimizu headed straight for the nearest fishing task.
It was decent; even though the special exam was nearing its end, many people came for the fishing task. Among them were many familiar faces from the same grade, the first-years, and the third-years.
"Shimizu! Back for more fishing?"
"Shimizu-senpai?!"
"Surely you won't 'Air Force' it again this time!" (Note: "Air Force" is slang for coming back empty-handed).
Since Shimizu's previous two outings had been quite dismal, people couldn't help but tease him.
"Isn't it normal to have a bit of bad luck occasionally while fishing?" Shimizu ignored them. After registering, he went straight to the seaside. Once the task began, he selected his rod and bait and started observing the current and depth.
"Heh, average skill, but quite the poseur," came an unfriendly voice.
Shimizu turned his head. Ryuen Kakeru. He was actually sitting to the side, also among the fishing ranks. This guy dared to mock him?
"Yo, Virgin-kun!" Shimizu greeted him with a smile.
"Ha? Who are you calling a virgin!" Ryuen glared at him.
"You, obviously."
"I am not a virgin! I lost it back in middle school!"
"Heh."
"What's with the 'heh'! I, Ryuen Kakeru, have tasted all kinds of women!"
"Really?"
"I, Ryuen Kakeru, am a man of my word!"
Shimizu almost laughed. This guy, a man of his word? The intel from the system was right there. "Then do you know how many points it costs to buy a 'small umbrella' (condom)?"
"Ha? Why would I answer that?"
"Since you're a veteran of a hundred battles, surely you'd know such a thing?"
"Ridiculous! I never need to buy umbrellas; the girls always buy them for me. What? Do you need to buy them?"
Shimizu's mouth twitched. Ryuen was truly stubborn. Seeing Shimizu didn't respond, Ryuen thought he had the upper hand and became even more smug.
"What? Nothing to say? Just a little virgin boy after all, aren't you?"
Shimizu unhurriedly adjusted his rod. "Ryuen, do you know what the greatest taboo in fishing is?"
"What?"
"Talking too much."
Ryuen's expression shifted. "..."
"Shh." Shimizu put a finger to his lips and pointed at the water. "You're scaring the fish away."
Several students fishing nearby burst out laughing. Ryuen's face turned even darker. He opened his mouth to say something more, but Ishizaki Daichi pulled his sleeve. "Boss, stop arguing with him, focus on the fish..."
"Shut up!" Ryuen glared at him, but sat back down and threw his hook into the water.
The scene grew quiet for a moment. Shimizu focused on the water, occasionally adjusting the angle of his rod. After about ten minutes, his float suddenly moved. The eyes of those around were drawn toward him. Shimizu didn't rush to reel in; he slowly lifted the rod, letting the fish struggle for a bit.
Ryuen watched from the side, his tongue still sharp. "Stop posing, it'll just be another tiny fish—"
Before he finished, the surface suddenly splashed, and a fish as long as an arm was pulled out of the water.
"Wow! Such a big fish!" someone nearby exclaimed.
Shimizu skillfully brought the fish in, removed the hook, and placed it in his bucket. He turned to Ryuen and smiled. "What were you saying?"
Ryuen's face turned completely black. Ishizaki whispered, "Boss, maybe we should change spots..."
"Change what!" Ryuen whipped his rod back into the water, staring at the surface through gritted teeth. "I don't believe I can't catch one!"
Shimizu ignored him and continued to focus. Another half-hour passed. He had caught three fish, while Ryuen's side remained silent. Albert Yamada watched silently from the side, occasionally handing Ryuen a bottle of water without a word. Ishizaki was pacing in circles.
"Boss, how about we change bait?"
"No!"
"How about changing spots?"
"No!"
"But—"
"Shut up!" Ryuen roared, and Ishizaki immediately shrank back.
Shimizu couldn't help but let out a laugh. Ryuen glared over. "What are you laughing at!"
"Nothing." Shimizu reeled in his fourth fish and put it in the bucket. "I just feel your fishing skills are just like those women you mentioned—all made up, right?"
Another wave of suppressed laughter echoed around. Ryuen's face turned beet red. Just as he was about to explode, his float suddenly moved.
"It's here! It's here! Finally!" His eyes lit up and he yanked the rod hard.
A tiny fish the size of a thumb was flung onto the shore, flopping twice on the ground. The scene went silent for a second.
Ishizaki spoke up cautiously. "Boss... you caught one..."
Ryuen stared at the tiny fish, his face turning various shades of blue and white.
Shimizu took a glance and said politely, "Not bad. At least you didn't 'Air Force' it."
Ryuen took a deep breath and slammed his rod onto the ground. "I'm done fishing!" He stood up and stormed off. Ishizaki quickly scrambled to pick up the rod and followed. Albert didn't rush; he gave Shimizu a nod before slowly departing.
Watching Ryuen's frustrated back, Shimizu shook his head. That man's mouth was truly made of iron.
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Day Thirteen of the Uninhabited Island Exam.
The two leaders of Class 1-C met early at the designated spot. Utomiya Riku looked at Tsubaki Sakurako, who was yawning lazily, and asked: "Didn't sleep well?"
"Mhm." Tsubaki gave a vague response.
Last night, she had a nightmare for the first time in a while. Unlike most people who forget their dreams upon waking, she remembered this one clearly because she had experienced it more than once. In the dream, she was back in her childhood.
Her sister greeted her as usual, then was taken away by their father. He said she was being sent to a facility for training to become a genius. While Tsubaki missed her sister, she also looked forward to her returning even more excellent.
Two or three years passed like that. Then one day, her father returned home with a heavy expression, saying her sister had been disqualified. Tsubaki's first reaction was joy—if she was disqualified, did that mean she could see her sister again after so long?
But two months later, the place of their reunion was a hospital. Her sister lay on the bed in a hospital gown, staring blankly out the window. No matter how much Tsubaki called her real name, she didn't react.
It wasn't until her father called her White Room name—Yuki—that she turned her head. But she didn't call for her father, nor her sister.
Her sister stammered "Kiyotaka," her breathing growing more rapid and her emotions more intense. Her father watched this scene in pain, quickly calling a doctor to sedate her before taking Tsubaki away.
Later, her father told her that her sister's soul was fragile; she had suffered trauma and her memory had developed problems. She couldn't go to school anymore and had to stay in the hospital for psychological treatment to recover slowly.
Several years passed. Her sister's condition hadn't improved much, but at least she was no longer as volatile as before. Her memory seemed stuck at seven or eight years old. Although she almost never initiated conversation with family, she could at least recognize them.
Since her sister's accident, Tsubaki's personality had changed. She rarely smiled and almost never spoke to her father except for business. In her eyes, it was her father's unilateral decision to send her sister to the White Room that caused everything.
Her father likely felt guilty too. Over the years, he tried to compensate both sisters, personally taking care of Yuki's daily life.
Tsubaki later heard from her mother that as a financial conglomerate, they had to send a child to the White Room to "pick a side." Her father had been forced into it. She didn't hate him as much after that.
In her second year of middle school, her father told her some news. "Sakurako, your sister... her emotions have been unstable these past few months. She keeps crying and demanding to see Kiyotaka."
Tsubaki was silent for a few seconds. "...So, who exactly is this Kiyotaka?"
"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, the son of Professor Ayanokouji. The instructors said Yuki was very close to him during training. When she was disqualified, she cried out for him to save her."
"So, he struck a teacher for her sake?"
"How could that be? At the time, he was just a child like Yuki. He simply explained that Yuki had started her period and her physical condition couldn't keep up with the curriculum. Yuki was eventually disqualified by the instructor."
"Sounds like a very rational person," Tsubaki said. "Maybe he judged that forcing her to continue would break her body?"
"I think so too. Recently, the White Room has stopped operating. I've donated a lot of assets to them. If I ask Professor Ayanokouji, maybe he can let his son meet Yuki."
"...Alright." Tsubaki thought her sister's emotional state was getting worse; not fulfilling her wish would only make things worse. Meeting the person might actually lead to improvement. After all, this person called Ayanokouji Kiyotaka sounded like he had been quite good to her sister.
On the day of the appointment, she hurried to the hospital after school. At the entrance, her father looked like he had aged ten years in an instant. With red eyes, he said, "Sakurako... I'm sorry. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was not what I expected. He remembers your sister, but instead of talking to her, he cared more about looking at the scenery outside. He even said 'not meeting is the best choice'.
Your sister is crying terribly inside... she won't listen to anyone. She keeps crying and has self-harming tendencies. The doctors had no choice but to give her a sedative.
I messed up! I messed up!"
"So, where is this man Ayanokouji Kiyotaka now?"
"He was... taken away by White Room people. They left in a car..."
Tsubaki bit her lip hard until she tasted blood before letting go. Compared to her father's despair, regret, and helplessness, she hated the man named Ayanokouji Kiyotaka even more.
Why was he so cruel to her sister? Why?
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