Chapter 19: second exam begin!... and fun.
// Ichinose's POV //
I was confused, "W-what did you say?" My heart was beating in my chest, the speed of a freight train. I couldn't believe my ears. I stood there looking at a red faced Lucy, is what she said true?
She took a deep breath, "It's true, I've been thinking about it for a while now but I think... I think we are going to have another special exam soon."
// Lucy's POV //
It isn't time yet, if I told her about my intentions with her right now then she would reject me and the progress of the class will see the effects of it. I have to wait for her to start having feelings toward me.
"I see..." She seemed as if in thought for a moment, "What makes you think that though? Surely they wouldn't have prepared another exam as big as the first one right?"
My response was fast, "No of course not, but that doesn't mean that they haven't prepared one at all though. The reason I think there will be another exam is because they want to see how everyone copes with these tense situations in quick succession." After all that is what this school is about, pushing everybody's mind, body and emotions to the limits.
"And? What do you think this exam will be like?" It seems Ichinose is very curios.
"I don't know it's just a hunch. What I did want to tell you though is that I want you to create us a strategy for us to win this exam so if and when we find out what the exam is, I need you to take charge of the class." I had grabbed her shoulders and stared her directly in her eyes.
"O-okay, but what about you? What will you be doing?" I smirked at her.
I crossed my arms under my chest, "I my dear Ichinose will be... " After building the suspense for maybe a moment too long finished my sentence, "It's a surprise. Sorry, I can't tell you."
What is that surprise I hear you asking? Well... there isn't one. I know, I know i'm horrible aren't I? Well to be honest i'm happy with how the exam went in canon for class C, we actually benefited the most from it so I don't see a reason to interfere with it.
"Ichinose?" I spoke into the silent room.
"Hmm?" I wasn't blessed with any words.
"Why did you reject Chihiro?" I could instantly feel the room become uncomfortable and Ichinose reaching for the hem of her skirt to start fiddling with it.
~Sigh~ "To be honest I just didn't like her in that way, don't get me wrong, I like her as a friend but I don't exactly love her so I couldn't respect her feelings in the way she may have wanted me to." Ichinose was clearly downcast.
That's why I spoke these next few words even knowing how the situation went, "Wow, your so strong. I don't think I could reject a person with as much respect as you have, I would have tried to find a way to reject them without rejecting them you know?" She seemed to understand what I was getting at and that seemed to make her more sad.
No, sad isn't the right word. I think the right word would be self-deprecating , I just know that she is beating herself up at this moment in time. The word horrible coming up every now and then.
My reason for bringing this situation up has a few points, the first is to see if Ichinose will tell me what happened or withhold the information.
"Actually... erm, I did try to do that." A frown adorned her face.
"Try?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"I tried asking a class D student to pretend to be my boyfriend but he told me that would be disrespectful to Chihiro's courage to even ask me the question." Ichinose didn't tell me what I wanted to hear.
I guess I'll have to be a bit intrusive, "A class D student? You don't mind if I ask who right?"
Conversation is something that takes talent, charisma or a lot of practice. You have to know how to ask certain questions, in this instant I asked the question as a suggestion.
I didn't ask "Who?" directly as that seems very intrusive to a person, people like Ichinose who are very kind would try to protect that persons identity if she feels that i'm being confrontational so I can't ask the question outright. That means taking another approach and make her tell me herself.
"Well his name is Ayanokoji Kyotaka, you remember the person I was helping when that thing happened with class C and D? That's him. He was trying really hard to help his friend Sudo." She seemed to brighten up at that memory.
Rather her feelings have already begun for Ayanokoji (Which I doubt) or she's happy about remembering helping someone. I hope it's the latter.
Although now that I think about it I should hurry up with my plans revolving Ichinose.
"I see, well i'm getting tired so I think we should go to bed now." I said as I turned around to walk back to our room.
"Hey Lucy?" I turned my head to look at her, "Do you believe in miracles?"
There was a sudden surge of memories that came to me and hit me like a truck, the pain of death, the suffocation of being given new life, the loneliness and boredom of being somewhere in between the two and the utter thrill of putting everything on the line just to feel something, oh how I love adrenaline.
Despite my 'special' circumstances, I don't believe in miracles. I think miracles are an abstract thought that people create to explain the explainable. Just like religion, it's something people turn to so there is some sort escape from questioning why something is happening.
"Lucy?" She broke me from my thoughts.
I put a smile on my face and gave her my honest thoughts, "I don't." At this her eyes widened, though I don't know why my answer was so surprising, "I think there is a reason or answer for everything, even if no one knows why or how."
I turned around to start walking again when she said something truly surprising that stopped me in my tracks, "So, say someone was thinking about taking their life. Truly no reason to live and wanted to end it all when one message, one opportunity turns their life around. It's just a coincidence that it happened?"
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Was it really a coincidence?
Did I really not see it coming?
I know the truth.
So why do I keep lying to myself?
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"Ichinose." I didn't turn around this time, I couldn't bring myself to do it. "There are a lot of things that I think are unacceptable, but to be selfish enough so as to take your own life away from those that care about you is the most heinous thing I can think of. "
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The first thought I had was how selfish I was to escape by myself.
How could I leave them like that?
They didn't know it but they all lived in a cycle of monotony, they where trapped.
I wanted to leave that depressing reality but I just re-entered the same cycle.
except I gave them more pain.
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Ichinose didn't make anymore noise after that so I finally made my way back to my bed. The grin on my face wouldn't disappear though. I had made an impact on this world.
When I got to the door of my room, I paused before walking past it and up the stairs further down the hall. I got to very back of the boat, moving at a slow pace.
I grabbed the rail and jumped, both my feet landing on the rails. I spread my arms open as wide as I could before my laughter escaped me.
"HAHAHAHAHA! HAHA~Hahaha. ~Giggle~" It took a while but my laughter slowly died down into a quiet giggle.
I let out a deep breath and a smile - a genuine smile etched it's way on my face.
I can't believe it. Just because I enrolled into this school Ichinose almost offed herself.
This is proof! Proof that I exist!
I think i'm finally having fun. Not the kind of fun that comes with doing dangerous activities, but the kind of fun that comes with flirting with death! the kind of fun that comes with saving a life out of greed! the kind of fun that comes when you know that your actions has caused someone to consider the meaning of life!
What's so fun about it?
The fun is when they realize what I realized 16 years ago, that life has no meaning. So you have to create your own meaning in life. Despite what people like to say, there are no true consequences of your actions. So you might as well forget about everyone else and have fun while you can.
// The next day //
~Sniff~ ~Sniff~
I look to my right and I can see Himeno with a tissue to her nose. "Are you okay?"
The other two class C students and Himeno looked at me as I interrupted Class D's sensei from talking to us about the rules for the second exam.
"Errm, i'm fine. Just an ichy nose is all." An ichy nose?
Ichy nose, ichy nose, ichi nose, Ichinose, Ichynose. ~Pffff~
Everyone looked at me weirdly, but I couldn't help it. "Hahahahahahhahahaha! Ichy nose! Hahahahaha!" They all looked at each other in confusion, "Hahahahhahaha, Ichynose HAhahahahahahahaha!"
// Sae Chabashira's POV //
I was just debriefing four class B students about the upcoming exam. These students where to be placed in the Dragon group, the group that was made for all the 'leaders of the classes' plus a few extras.
That's why I expected these students to have payed extra attention toward me while I debriefed them, especially that Lucy Hall girl that Chei has been talking about. 'My second favorite student' as she likes to call her.
When I was first interrupted I let it go as she was just showing concern for her fellow classmate, it came as a huge shock to me when she burst out laughing about it though. I looked at the other students and two of them seemed to be just as confused as me. The other blue-brown haired girl seemed a bit more casual about her sudden outburst.
After waiting a few minutes for her to stop laughing I finished my explanation, "You will, along with students from other classes, meet up twice a day for three days for an hour per session. Good luck."
As I left that room, I heard the girl laughing again, it was muffled behind the door but I could hear it. I messaged Chei the moment I reached the teachers lounge, I grabbed two drinks from the bar for when she got here.
I was on my second drink by the time she arrived, "Seeeiiiiiiiii! What did you want to talk about?" ~Sigh~ She was way too loud but I was used to it at this point.
"I met Lucy Hall today." Her eyes gained this gleam.
"So what did you thiiink? Hm?" Chei gave me a tone of voice implying she already knew what I was going to say.
"She's ignorant of authority and doesn't care about how her class places in this exam." I don't understand why your putting her in the Dragon group, especially when you told me that Ichinose Honami was the driving force of your class.
She reached for her drink and took a few sips before wagging her finger at me, "Nah ah ah, I told you she's one of the driving forces of my class thank you very much. Besides I think Ichinose will do just fine in the Rabbit group."
The room was silent for a few more moments before Chei started up another conversation, "Sooo, what's up with this Ayanokoji then?"
It immediately hit me when she asked this, she want's Ichinose to spy on Ayanokoji for her. I know this because he is also in the Rabbit group. "What's it to you?"
There's no way she suspects anything about him right? There's no way she knows that he's a special case. "I'm just curious is aaall. Why are you being sooo stiingy?"
"Chei are you drunk already?" She gave me a deadpan stare before a grin took over and she dropped her head on my lap, asleep.
~Sigh~
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Class: A
Leader(s): Kohei Katsuragi, Arisu Sakayanagi
Class points: 1,080
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Class: B
Leader(s): Lucy Hall, Honami Ichinose
Class points: 1,045
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Class: C
Leader(s): Kakeru Ryuen
Class points: 340
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Class: D
Leader(s): Suzune Horikita, Yosuke Hirata
Class points: 314
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CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
fumei_unknown
fumei_unknown Chapter 19!
I know I know, update shave been slow.
That's just how life is and I don't have any in advanced chapters anymore.
I'm writting as is now sooooo the story might take a bit of time to pick up because im as lazy as they come.
Hope you enjoyed!
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