Bab 67: Chapter 67 – The quiet Koenji
The luxury cruise ship was exceptionally quiet, seemingly occupied only by Class C students who were happily enjoying their summer vacation, unlike the other classes struggling for survival on the uninhabited island.
Due to the low number of people, Yukio and Shiina were able to exclusively reserve an entire swimming pool on the top deck for themselves. With seven pools on the cruise ship, the other Class C students tactfully chose not to disturb Yukio and opted for different pools.
The duo leisurely lounged on air mattresses, floating in the pool. They read books or occasionally covered their faces with them to block the sunlight, indulging in brief naps, utterly content.
Yukio's attention drifted from his book as he felt a gentle collision. Turning his head, he met Shiina's deep purple gaze. Both chuckled in unison, realizing that a playful breeze had nudged their air mattresses together.
Shiina was particularly fond of this relaxing moment: the gentle wind, the warm morning sun, silently reading books with Yukio, and occasionally exchanging smiles. Nothing could be more perfect than this.
Driven by the human nature to seek love, even someone like Shiina couldn't resist reaching out to grab Yukio's air mattress, preventing the wind from blowing it away again. She even tugged a little harder, hoping to bring his mattress closer to hers and alongside her own.
Yukio, amused by such a girlish gesture, couldn't help but laugh, "Be careful, Shiina. Don't fall in."
"It's okay~," Shiina replied, light as a floating cloud, her voice uniquely soft: "Even if I fall, Yukio-kun will surely save me."
After saying this, the girl started to giggle to herself, perhaps imagining an accidental plunge into the water and being heroically rescued by Yukio. Or maybe she was reminded of a romantic scene from a book she had read. In any case, her laughter was particularly elegant and literary.
Her slightly upturned lips were like a poem praising a refreshing summer plum drink.
"I actually hope I won't have to rescue you," Yukio replied, closing his book and sharing his view, "If there are no accidents or dangers, then there's no need for a rescuer."
Shiina understood Yukio's sentiment. It was like hoping for a world where doctors weren't needed because no one would fall ill.
This is very much Yukio's manner of speaking, shaped by his time spent with a literary girl like Shiina. If Ibuki were there, Yukio's response would likely have been more direct, perhaps something like, "The pool isn't even waist-deep, so there's nothing to worry about."
Shiina, with her personality, felt a small wave of happiness from this interaction. Her eyes and brows relaxed, and she was about to respond with something equally poetic when they were interrupted by a loud, almost theatrical laugh: "Ahahaha! So beautiful!"
Disturbed during their quiet time, Shiina, with her gentle nature, felt a little displeased, but she didn't voice her thoughts.
Yukio, half-rising, cast a sharp glance around. He was curious to see which of his classmates could laugh so heartily, a laugh that seemed exaggerated enough for the theater.
Then he spotted a man with a presence like a golden lion, standing at the edge of the pool, laughing heartily with his head thrown back. The man's laughter was genuinely uninhibited, and his physique was impressive, comparable to Albert's in sheer bulk.
Recognizing the man, Yukio recalled the relevant information. This was Koenji Rokusuke, Class D's most problematic student. Koenji was fiercely independent, indifferent to the school's or Class D's assessments of him, and believed himself to be the most exquisite being in the school. In Class D, he did as he pleased, unconcerned about class points or private points, following his own sense of aesthetics. This information had come from undercover reports by Karuizawa.
Seeing Koenji at this time on the luxury cruise ship indicated that he had voluntarily left the uninhabited island special test, causing Class D to lose an additional 30 special test points. He was the only student from another class on the cruise ship at the moment.
Yukio could somewhat understand why Kei described Koenji as being too proud and egocentric. If someone like that were in his class, they would not get away without facing consequences.
Yukio's reflection was interrupted as he jokingly said, "Public places call for some volume control, don't they? Laughing so loudly is quite unpleasant."
"Good taste!" Koenji's thought process was completely different from Yukio's: "So you've noticed the robustness of my laughter as well? Hahaha!"
Regardless of whether Koenji was feigning ignorance or not, Yukio sat up from his float and fixed his gaze on Koenji: "So, do you need me to teach you how to control your volume?"
Koenji's sharp gaze didn't falter as he met Yukio's stare. After a brief moment of eye contact, he shook his head: "No need, I've always been well-mannered."
"It's just that, while swimming and maintaining my beautiful physique, seeing you both reading in the pool under the sunlight, I couldn't help but admire such a romantic scene!"
"And, if I confront you, it would be hard for me to maintain my beauty."
Koenji, with his keen observational skills, quickly realized that challenging Yukio wouldn't end well for him and decided against any actions that could lead to a less than beautiful outcome.
He chose to converse more politely, maintaining his style and aesthetic. When he spoke normally, he had a theatrical tone, likely developed from long-term training, a habit forced upon him.
Honestly, Yukio wasn't used to this theatrical style, but at least it was more tolerable than Koenji's loud laughter.
If other students from Class D were present to hear Koenji's words, they would be shocked. When had Koenji ever been so detailed in explaining himself to others? Wasn't he always the one who acted like he was above everyone else?
In reality, Class D students had never truly understood Koenji's nature. He may appear egocentric and aloof, but that was only towards average students.
Facing someone like Yukio, who was on the same or even a higher level, Koenji wouldn't foolishly provoke conflicts.
In short, Koenji might be arrogant, but he knew his audience. As the only son of a wealthy family, he could afford to be arrogant with ordinary students, but there was no need to be so with someone of Yukio's caliber. Why create unnecessary trouble?
Koenji may seem to do as he pleases, but he's not foolish. Creating unnecessary enemies was not his style.
Realizing that Koenji had said his piece, Yukio dropped any further thoughts. After all, Koenji was not just another student; his family wielded significant influence.
Being the son of the Koenji financial group from Sakurajima, there might come a time when Yukio would need to leverage their resources in the future.
After this brief interaction, Koenji tactfully left to find another pool, understanding that there were plenty to choose from on the nearly empty cruise ship with only forty students on board.
***
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