Chapter 053 Tsubaki Sakurako's True Goal / The Final Day of the Uninhabited Island
Tsubaki Sakurako stood quietly beside her tent.
"Tsubaki Sakurako!"
A shout tinged with a hint of impatience suddenly rang out. Tsubaki Sakurako turned around to see Nanase Tsubasa walking toward her with a wary expression and quick strides.
"What exactly are you and Utomiya Riku planning? Was the target Shimizu Akira after all? Also, where is he now? Why can't I see his position anymore? Did he break his watch on purpose to hide in the shadows and ambush the senpais?"
Nanase Tsubasa threw out a string of questions.
Tsubaki Sakurako shook her head slightly and said in a flat tone, "You guessed wrong. He simply withdrew from the exam, which is why you can't find his location."
"What? How could..." Nanase Tsubasa swallowed the rest of her words.
Tsubaki Sakurako didn't waste breath and briefly narrated the sequence of events to her. Nanase Tsubasa froze on the spot. She never expected that the operation planned by the first-years would end so completely and abruptly.
Fortunately, Shimizu Akira was safe, which counted as good news. However, this relief did not diminish her hostility. Nanase Tsubasa spoke firmly, "Even if the plan is over, it doesn't change the fact that you were plotting behind the scenes, does it? To think you'd do such a thing just for forty million private points!"
To be honest, the plan she and Housen Kazuomi had originally set only targeted Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. But this Tsubaki Sakurako had gone so far as to involve the innocent Karuizawa Kei and Kushida Kikyo. Yagami Takuya was an assassin from the White Room; if those two had actually been captured by him, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
"From the very beginning, I never intended to have Shimizu Akira or Ayanokouji Kiyotaka expelled during this uninhabited island special exam," Tsubaki Sakurako said calmly.
"What? I don't understand. If you didn't intend to expel them, then what was the purpose of everything you've done until now?" Nanase Tsubasa was stunned, finding it completely impossible to read the other girl's mind.
"Part of the reason was simply to get Yagami Takuya sent out. Because I knew from the start he was a White Room assassin, and that this operation would absolutely end in failure."
"You... how do you know about the White Room? Wait, then what is your reason for being hostile toward them?"
Hearing this, Tsubaki Sakurako immediately looked disinterested. She and Nanase Tsubasa had no real connection and had hardly spoken; explaining her life story would be far too much
trouble. However, if she didn't clarify things, this person would likely keep pestering her endlessly.
Tsubaki Sakurako said simply, "My family is quite well-off—wealthy, even—so I've known about the White Room institution since I was a child. As for my reason for targeting them, I can't explain that to you. In short, like you, I hate the people from the White Room. During this exam, I deduced through reasoning that Yagami Takuya was from the White Room and planned to have him expelled. I just went with the flow to make these things happen; that's roughly it."
"So that's how it is!" The hostility in Nanase Tsubasa's eyes vanished, replaced by a strange sense of excitement—it turned out they were on the same side.
"Then, will you assist Shimizu Akira-senpai and Ayanokouji-senpai in fighting the White Room next?"
"Nanase-san, I don't understand what you're talking about."
"?"
"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka himself was raised in the White Room. He's cold-blooded, nothing more than a machine following White Room instructions. Why would I assist him? Moreover, I don't understand what you mean by saying he is 'fighting' the White Room."
"It's like this! Although Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was raised there, he actually escaped! Since entering Advanced Nurturing High School, under Shimizu Akira-senpai's guidance, he has slowly become more like a normal person!" Nanase Tsubasa realized Tsubaki Sakurako didn't know the background and quickly explained patiently.
She looked at Tsubaki Sakurako's still-indifferent expression and added, "Rest assured! Ayanokouji-senpai listens to Shimizu Akira-senpai very well now, so there's no need for you to be so hostile toward him."
Tsubaki Sakurako stared at her for a long time. "Housen-kun said you had fallen in love with Shimizu Akira-senpai. I didn't quite believe it, but it seems it's true."
"That has nothing to do with this...!" Nanase Tsubasa whispered, somewhat embarrassed.
"It has a lot to do with it, because love has caused you to make a misjudgment," Tsubaki Sakurako said bluntly. "I truly cannot understand how liking someone can cause a person's judgment to drop so drastically."
Nanase Tsubasa felt a strange stir in her heart.
She wondered if it was her imagination, but she felt that when Tsubaki Sakurako said this, there was a trace of resentment in her tone—not directed at Nanase Tsubasa specifically, but more like a long-accumulated emotion.
"I haven't misjudged. Shimizu Akira-senpai is indeed a very..."
"Let's set aside whether Shimizu Akira is a good person for now. This time, we are only discussing Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. I'll ask you a few questions; answer me honestly, and I might consider listening to your explanation." Tsubaki Sakurako interrupted, her tone turning cold again.
"Fine, ask away," Nanase Tsubasa nodded, following her lead.
"I ask you: can you guarantee 100% that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka will definitely become a better person in the future?"
"..."
"Then I'll ask: even if he is truly fighting the White Room, weren't the assassins who came this time targeting him?"
"I don't deny that."
"Yagami Takuya has been missing since the fifth day. I strongly suspect the two senpais injured on that day were hurt by him. And today, to capture Karuizawa Kei and Kushida Kikyo, he attacked several senpais in succession. Tell me, aren't all these troubles indirectly brought about by Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?"
"..."
"This is Advanced Nurturing High School; assassins from the White Room are not welcome here. If Ayanokouji Kiyotaka stays at this school, there will only be one victim after another. The White Room won't give up; the people they send will only get more troublesome. So, I want him expelled. Is there a problem with that?"
"I understand what you mean. You feel he is inherently dangerous and, because of his background, will keep attracting assassins, so you want him gone. But! He is fighting the White Room after all. At a time like this, shouldn't we join forces?"
"Join forces?" Tsubaki Sakurako completely disagreed with the logic.
"Why would I join forces with someone from the White Room to fight the White Room? Isn't that putting the cart before the horse? Because of the White Room, how many families have been torn apart and plunged into misery? Even if we succeeded, if the victims of the White Room knew I collaborated with an assassin from there, how could they be happy?
Furthermore! Except for combat ability, in what way are the students of this school inferior to those assassins? Why wouldn't I join forces with psychologically normal, trustworthy people instead of touching a time bomb that could explode at any moment? Moreover, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's father is the head of the White Room. If he chooses to betray us at a critical moment, who bears the consequences?"
Nanase Tsubasa was completely speechless. Every word Tsubaki Sakurako said was logical and irrefutable.
"..."
The flicker of emotion on Tsubaki Sakurako's face quickly vanished, returning to her usual coldness.
She was a bit surprised herself that she had become uncharacteristically agitated. Perhaps looking at Nanase Tsubasa's stubborn and naive face made her subconsciously remember her sister's tragic experience, or perhaps the emotions suppressed for years had finally leaked out during this dispute.
Tsubaki Sakurako steadied herself. "Fine, let's not talk about this anymore. The ten people I sent out have returned. They said Amasawa Ichika seemed to have done something 'indescribable' with Shimizu Akira-senpai. Do you know about this?"
"What indescribable thing?!" Nanase Tsubasa's attention was instantly hooked, and she questioned urgently.
"I don't know the specifics. None of them dared to look back; they only heard Amasawa Ichika say, 'Anything Shimizu Akira-senpai does to me is of my own volition and not forced.' I imagine there was some physical contact. She likely said that to win Shimizu Akira's trust."
"Ph-Physical contact?! Surely it wasn't a k—"
"It probably didn't go that far. With Shimizu Akira's personality, if the other person really tried something, he would likely have stopped them in advance."
Nanase Tsubasa thought about Shimizu Akira's usual style; that seemed to be the case. He always acted honorably and never hid anything.
"Where... where are those ten people now?"
"Shimizu Akira let them go," Tsubaki Sakurako said. "Not a single one was injured, though they were quite badly frightened."
Nanase Tsubasa breathed a sigh of relief. She hesitated but then asked, "So what do you plan to do next? Since Shimizu Akira-senpai taught Yagami Takuya a lesson and his group's score is zero, your goal has been achieved..."
Tsubaki Sakurako didn't answer immediately. She looked up at the sky; the sun was already starting to set.
"Next?"
She withdrew her gaze. "To protect the other first-years, I will send the remaining ten people tomorrow to attack third-year senpais who are alone."
"Oh, I see."
"Do you want to come?"
"I'll pass."
The two stood in silence for a moment, the atmosphere a bit delicate.
"Um..."
Nanase Tsubasa broke the silence. "Even though you said those things, I still feel you aren't a bad person."
Tsubaki Sakurako naturally took out a lollipop and put it in her mouth.
"I never said I was a bad person."
"No, what I mean is... never mind, I don't know how to say it. Anyway, thank you for not actually laying a hand on Shimizu Akira-senpai."
Tsubaki Sakurako didn't respond this time. She turned to walk back to her tent, stopping at the entrance. "Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Amasawa Ichika are still in this school. I will continue planning to have them expelled. I hope you don't do anything unnecessary."
.
.
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The fourteenth day of the uninhabited island exam.
That is, the final day of the special exam. The long life on the island was finally coming to a total end. For most students, this was undoubtedly good news; they finally wouldn't have to eat poorly, wear rags, or sleep badly, nor would they have to drag their exhausted bodies to check-in points or tasks.
However, for Shimizu Akira, it had been manageable. Food and drink were handled by Ichinose Honami's side. As for clothes, since his own washing last time was quite poor, he simply handed them over to Horikita Suzune. So, he only needed to focus on participating in tasks and checking in every day.
Speaking of which, after he thrashed Yagami Takuya yesterday, Amasawa Ichika told him and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka to leave first. She then contacted the school via walkie-talkie, saying Yagami Takuya needed to be carried to the luxury ship for treatment. With those injuries, even for a White Room student, he'd likely be stuck in a hospital bed for two or three months.
Later, he found Kushida Kikyo and showed her the photo of Yagami Takuya's face beaten like a pig's head. Kushida Kikyo was indeed satisfied and said she would reward him later.
The only bad news was that Hirata Yosuke and Yamada Albert both lost their qualification for the exam due to Yagami Takuya's attack. Sudo Ken, the remaining one, only had a wrist injury; he could stay on the island to check in, but he certainly couldn't participate in tasks requiring his left hand.
Looking back, Shimizu Akira felt he had underestimated Yagami Takuya slightly; given the opponent's combat power, sending only three people was indeed too few. If he had asked Masumi to bring their group along with Hashimoto and Kito Hayato, stopping him would have been no problem. However, Sudo Ken and Kito Hayato had fought a boxing match before where the latter lost; the relationship between those two was delicate and hard to handle.
"All three were injured to protect Kushida-san. Have you thought about how to compensate them?" Horikita Suzune had learned the general gist of the events from Shimizu Akira. While the three were eating breakfast, she proactively brought it up.
"Hmm... I plan to give each of them one million private points as compensation."
"One million?"
"What? You think it's too much or too little?"
"Usually, fifty thousand would be enough. But considering the opponent was a White Room assassin, the amount you're giving is actually quite appropriate. I'm just worried Hirata Yosuke might not accept it; he's not the type to take money, is he? To him, he was injured protecting a classmate."
"Hirata Yosuke should accept it. Because before the exam started, he owed others about a million points to buy off Koenji Rokusuke. By giving him a million, he can clear his debt all at once."
"You certainly think of everything." Horikita Suzune gave Shimizu Akira a side-eye. "No wonder you hired him to help."
Her boyfriend's cleverness! In this way, he was inadvertently helping Hirata Yosuke clear his debt through an "equal exchange" method.
Shimizu Akira turned to Karuizawa Kei. "Kei, were you okay yesterday?"
Karuizawa Kei was stunned for a moment and then shook her head. "Of course I'm fine! Kiryuin-senpai protected me very well! You weren't there yesterday! Senpai is amazing! She was tied with that Yagami person. But speaking of which, Kiryuin-senpai is quite curious how you beat that Yagami half to death. While we were fishing yesterday afternoon, she said she wanted to have a proper fight with you!"
"Uh... then tell her today that after the exam is over, if she wants to spar, she can find me at the Boxing Club!" Shimizu Akira's mouth twitched.
To be honest, when he went to find Kiryuin Fuka the day before yesterday, she hadn't said anything other than that he owed her one. Since she had proposed a fight, it seemed he had no choice.
The three began to eat in silence.
"By the way, because today is the last day, the school just sent a tablet notification to every student. Everyone must gather at the starting point by 6:00 PM. You two just need to be back by 5:00 PM; we'll pack our luggage together and head back to the ship." A few minutes later, Horikita Suzune glanced at her tablet and briefly relayed the message.
"Eh? So soon?! I thought it would be 10:00 AM tomorrow, like last year's exam. When we get back to the ship, are we going to the movie theater as a group? The final rankings should be announced then, right?"
"No. The notification says that before the gathering in the evening, the school will announce the results directly to all students via the ship's broadcast."
"I see, that's quite efficient. Finally, I can get some proper rest." Karuizawa Kei let out a long sigh of relief.
She didn't have Shimizu Akira's stamina. As a girl, having to run all the way to the starting point to shower every time was a real hassle. It would be different once they were back on the ship; she could have a comfortable shower every day.
-
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Luxury cruise ship, 9th floor, infirmary.
Acting Chairman Tsukishiro looked at Yagami Takuya, who was receiving treatment and looked beyond recognition, and asked the doctor, "How long until he fully recovers?"
The doctor closed the medical record. "Conservative estimate: at least two months. Nasal bone fracture, zygomatic bone crack, slight mandibular fracture, and five teeth need replanting. The facial soft tissue damage is severe. Fortunately, there is no intracranial hemorrhage; he's lucky."
Tsukishiro nodded. Two months. Longer than expected.
He looked at the unconscious Yagami Takuya on the bed. His face was completely unrecognizable, wrapped in bandages and gauze like a mummy.
"They really hit him hard," the young doctor standing nearby whispered. "How much of a grudge could they have?"
Tsukishiro didn't answer. He turned and walked out of the infirmary. In the corner at the end of the corridor, Shiba Katsunori, dressed in a black suit, was waiting for him.
"Who do you think did it?"
"It should be Shimizu Akira."
"Why couldn't it be Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?"
"A White Room assassin wouldn't use this method. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's style is cleaner, more efficient—like Housen Kazuomi who went down on the seventh day. Beating someone like this... is too emotional. Moreover, before Yagami Takuya fell, he checked Shimizu Akira's positioning multiple times; that was likely a trap Shimizu Akira intentionally left."
Tsukishiro nodded. Even though his own person had been beaten so severely, he himself was smiling instinctively.
"Makes sense. Anything else?"
"On the same day, two second-year students and eleven first-year students fell. The former was Yagami Takuya's doing; the latter should be Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's. And judging by the injuries, all were won with a single strike."
"That child is still as strong as when he was in the White Room."
"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka is, after all, Ayanokouji-sensei's child and the White Room's ultimate weapon. I am not surprised by this result. I am more surprised by Shimizu Akira. Judging by Yagami Takuya's injuries, he had almost no power to fight back during the entire process; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was unilaterally suppressed. From this, it's clear that Shimizu Akira's strength is even greater than the best White Room assassin of the fifth generation."
"Can you do it?"
"Facing Yagami Takuya, if the two of us used no weapons and relied only on bare hands, I could probably suppress him within three minutes. However... that doctor said the punches used to beat Yagami Takuya were almost all of the same force, delivered from different angles. That part requires a bit of extra effort."
Acting Chairman Tsukishiro laughed.
"That Shimizu Akira child is indeed very interesting."
With his current abilities, he could manage to throw a dozen punches with almost identical force. However, he was already moving from middle age toward old age. At sixteen, he absolutely could not have achieved that level.
"Acting Chairman Tsukishiro, well then, are the two of us going out today as planned to deal with Shimizu Akira and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?" Shiba Katsunori asked.
"Why wouldn't we go?" Tsukishiro said. "After all, you and I only have this one chance to act. Once we return to school, Chairman Sakayanagi will be back."
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