It was dusk, and the sun was setting just beyond the horizon.
Ichinose was waiting for me at the place we agreed upon while staring out at the sea. When I saw her somewhat fragile profile, I felt a little hesitant to call her name.
"Ichinose."
"Ayanokōji-kun. Hello."
After exchanging a brief greeting, I stood in front of her. It wasn't the kind of atmosphere where I could get straight to the point, so I decided to start with a bit of small talk.
"Are you still continuing with your strategy to act as a bank for your class' private points?"
It had nothing to do with the topic at hand, but Ichinose didn't look displeased at all.
"Yeah. We decided there was no harm in keeping it up. We'll save up as much as we can and then, should we not need it, I can just return all the points that were deposited at the time back to everyone. It's easy."
She said it was easy, but it was a strategy that could only keep working because Ichinose was so trustworthy.
Like she just said, there was nothing wrong with keeping at it if they could. If their balances were automatically diminishing, some inconveniences may arise, but if you were guaranteed to get back what was filtered off, you could say it was a good move to have a large sum of money available just in case. The fact that it was the one and only advantage given to Ichinose was also a major factor.
"But the strategy of pooling points is just a provision for emergencies. That alone isn't enough, right?"
"If it was something you just started, it would be a different story, but this time it's a continuation."
In other words, they haven't prepared a new strategy, but were just maintaining the status quo.
"What do you think we're lacking, Ayanokōji-kun?"
"What your class is lacking?"
"Yeah. I mean, we can't really see that part properly ourselves…I was wondering how you see our class, Ayanokōji-kun."
"During the uninhabited island exam, I was able to speak with some of your classmates. Also, after the celebration party, the first thing that struck me was that there are many good-natured students in your class."
This was something that she should've already known without me saying it, but it was also an integral factor. Because they fundamentally didn't like to fight, they couldn't proactively go for class points.
"It might be important to be a little more assertive. I'm not saying you should use foul play or subterfuge, but I think it's essential to be strong against rough play."
"Rough play…huh. Yeah, you're right. We have to be more firm or we won't be able to fight."
I didn't have any concrete solutions in mind just yet. It was painfully obvious that she was trying her best to push forward towards her uncertain future.
"The uninhabited island exam the other day. About my reply…"
"Y-yeah…that's right, that's what we're here to talk about, isn't it?"
I gently pulled my face close to Ichinose's ear and, while knowing that there was nobody else around, tried to speak in a voice that would be difficult to hear without focusing on it──That was when it happened.
"What are you and Honami talking about alone in a place like this?"
Ichinose, surprised by the owner of the voice, the Student Council President Nagumo, hurriedly moved away, but he definitely would've seen the scene where there was almost zero distance between us.
Was I followed? No, I wouldn't be stupid enough to be followed without knowing.
So Ichinose was marked right from the start?
No, it was probably due to the surveillance from the countless eyes that Nagumo had under his control. No matter how much you try to avoid being seen, it was impossible to perfectly escape the eyes of every third-year on this cruise ship. It wouldn't be surprising if several people had seen me on my way here.
However, there was no sign that Nagumo would make contact during these past few days. As if he had planned it, he made contact at a time when I wanted to avoid it the most.
"Good day, Student Council President Nagumo."
The flow was cut off at once, and Ichinose rushed back into normal mode. It wasn't like she'd managed to completely sweep away her agitation and bewilderment. However, even if she had been perfectly mended, I didn't think it would've mattered to the current Nagumo.
"It seemed like you met on the last day of the uninhabited island exam, but are the two of you having another sneaky clandestine meeting?"
"U-umm…" Suddenly having recalled the incident on the uninhabited island, Ichinose was at a loss for words. For her, it was an incident where she accidentally confessed to me, and was not a simple thing to cover up.
I was about to interject, but Nagumo stopped me with his hand. I was now under strong pressure not to interrupt. "Well, it doesn't really matter what it is. It's just──if Honami, a fellow student council member, might be brought to tears, as the Student Council President, I can't just leave her alone, can I?"
As I thought, it was like that. I had already guessed this since the moment I fully understood that Kiriyama had joined Nagumo's side. As Nagumo approached us, he stood next to Ichinose.
"Brought to tears…is it?"
"It's fine if this is just my mistake, but it's about Karuizawa."
Not daring to invite any misunderstandings, he spoke slowly and in small doses to make sure she understood deeply.
"Karuizawa-san?"
Of course, Ichinose couldn't understand why Kei's name would be mentioned at a time like this.
"It seems you've only told your closest friends, but I've heard that you've been going out with Karuizawa for quite some time. Isn't that right, Ayanokōji?"
You've been going out with Karuizawa.
Even after hearing those words, Ichinose probably didn't understand their meaning straight away.
"What, you didn't know? You and Ayanokōji seemed to be good friends, Honami, so I thought he'd already told you." After saying that, there was a slight pause and then he continued. "Don't tell me you were thinking of two timing, were you?"
I didn't return any of Nagumo's one-sided attacks. There would be no point in saying that I was trying to tell her about my dating Kei at this very moment. Rather, it was obvious that it would just be an act of rubbing salt into the wound.
"Is that…true?"
"Hey Ayanokōji, since Honami is asking, why don't you give her an answer? Or am I mistaken and you have nothing to do with Karuizawa? If that's the case, deny it and I'll give you my sincerest apologies, yeah?"
Kiriyama had seen me and Kei together. However, I didn't give any definite indication that we were dating. In other words, there wasn't a zero percent chance that he made an assumption regarding my relationship with Kei and was trying to play a trick.
But there was no option for me to say 'that's not true' here.
If I were to say that here and then later say that we really were going out, the lie would be exposed. No, in the first place, it was better to assume that Nagumo would've found proof of his claims before stepping in.
"Actually, I hadn't told anyone about it, so where in the world did you get this information?"
"Ah…!"
I could see Ichinose's obvious shock at my admission. Without a doubt, Nagumo must've realised that Ichinose had feelings for me.
"I guess you knew I wasn't just jumping onto mere gossip and speculation, eh?"
He showed his teeth happily, but didn't reveal what he knew or how he knew it. I vividly remembered Kiryūin's words when she said Nagumo might be the type of person I would be no good at dealing with.
"I don't intend to say anything about your love life. But, as I said before, Honami is a member of the student council and has a good chance of becoming the Student Council President in the future. I have to protect her."
"I can understand why the relationship between Ichinose and I seemed unnatural from your point of view, Student Council President Nagumo. But don't you think it was a bit premature for you to step in at this stage?"
"You're right. It would be one thing if it was an instance of Honami dating you and being deceived, but from the looks of it, that doesn't seem to be the case. It might've been a completely unrelated bit of gossip. But you know, when two people meet up in a deserted place like this just before dinner, it's understandable that someone might think that way, right? I'm sure your girlfriend would be very sad to see you in this situation."
"You're right, it might cause needless misunderstandings."
"As Student Council President…No, as a member of the student council, I just did what was natural."
Nagumo gave Ichinose one last look and then approached me.
"You should introduce me to your girlfriend next time. I'd like to see her face at least once."
Then, Nagumo tapped my shoulder and whispered in my ear. "You're free to think what you like about my methods. But I haven't even gotten started yet, you know?"
"It hasn't even started yet?"
"You can mix a hundred truths with one lie and nobody would notice. You need to make a decision before it's too late. If you ever want to fight me, at that time, come and see me. If you get down on your knees, I'll be your opponent."
In other words, if I didn't agree to fight Nagumo, the relentless surveillance and harassment would continue indefinitely. He meant to drag me out onto the playing field even if he had to use force.
"See you later."
Leaving it at that, he vacated the area.
It hasn't even started yet, huh? An overwhelming surveillance and intelligence network that only Nagumo possesses. All of the third-year student body would become his formidable limbs, eyes and ears.
That was, for the students of this school who live on the premises, synonymous with the fact that their entire lives would be exposed. And then there was that phrase, 'a hundred truths with one lie'. He was only telling the truth right now, but it meant he was going to start mixing in some lies.
To the casual observer, it was a mere extension of harassment. I couldn't help but say that Nagumo's behaviour was childish. However, he had done more mental damage to me than anyone I had ever fought until now.
Nagumo didn't care that he was antagonizing his peers by sticking to me. Either he didn't think he'd lose their trust over something like this, or he had no intention of gaining their trust in the first place, as long as they were bound by his rules.
In any case, it was certain that Nagumo had an appropriate level of determination.
With Nagumo gone, all that was left in the area was a heavy silence. The lighthearted atmosphere that had been present when we first met up with each other had disappeared.
"A-ahaha…Somehow, our conversation got a little sidetracked…"
"That's right."
"Uh, well, that…why was I called here again?"
"That's…well the uninhabited island──"
"Ah…! That, you mean that thing? That's…about that…you know…"
After shouting loudly, her voice gradually became quieter.
"Could you…forget about it?" Ichinose's smile never faltered as she forced that out. "I'm sorry…for not knowing anything. I got carried away in my excitement and said something strange…"
"Like Nagumo said, I didn't tell anyone. It was only natural that you didn't know."
"T-that's right isn't it? That may be so, but…as I thought, I was just being an idiot! I-I mean Ayanokōji-kun, you're so kind…really, so great…there was no way you wouldn't already have a girlfriend, right…?"
Despite Ichinose's strong will to never lose her smile, her eyes were clearly moist, and they were beginning to fill with tears. Attempting to stay calm and pretending that everything was fine, she tried her best to keep the tears from overflowing.
What kind of emotions did people feel when they fell in love with a person who already had someone in their heart?
This was something you couldn't really come to understand from television, books or through hearing about it. It was a little different from what I'd planned, but I was able to experience it right before my eyes.
"──Goodbye."
Ichinose squeezed out a single word and then ran off. I didn't say anything or try and reach out a hand to her retreating back. I just saw her off in silence.
"Nagumo, huh. I think I've made a much more troublesome enemy than I thought."
It didn't exactly go as planned, but the path I was on remained the same. Even though the unfavourable situations piling up against me were a nuisance, I couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity welling up from deep within my heart.