The cruise ship's hallways were quiet now, hushed under the dim golden glow of the ceiling lamps. Midnight had already settled across the vessel, silencing the rowdy laughter and chatter that had filled the lounges earlier.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji walked the corridor with his usual blank expression, the low hum of the ship's engines his only companion. His hand rested loosely on the doorknob before he slid it open.
The room's atmosphere was far from quiet.
Inside, Yosuke Hirata and Teruhiko Yukimura sat on their beds, voices low but urgent, phones lit in their hands. Across the room, Soshi Miyamoto leaned casually against the wall, listening, arms folded.
And in the far corner, Rokusuke Koenji was shirtless, sweat glistening as he powered through his one-hundredth push-up, humming some triumphant tune under his breath.
Kiyotaka's gaze swept the scene. Hirata and Yukimura paused when he entered.
"Ah, Ayanokoji-kun," Hirata said with relief. "Good timing. We were just talking about… something important."
Kiyotaka let the door click shut behind him. "I was about to sleep. What is it?"
Hirata looked hesitant, glancing at Yukimura, then at Soshi. Finally, he held up his phone.
"Two of our classmates… we've confirmed them as VIPs," Hirata said. His tone was hushed, as if even the walls might betray him.
Kiyotaka tilted his head. "Confirmed?"
"Yes. Kushida-san in the Dragon group. And Minami-san in the Horse group. They showed me their mails."
Yukimura added sharply, "We kept it quiet. No one else knows yet. That's why we wanted to talk, to decide what to do."
Hirata leaned forward, worried. "Ayanokoji-kun, to be safe, look here." He handed his phone over rather than saying the names aloud. The glow of the screen reflected the message clearly.
Kiyotaka scanned it. He nodded once, expression unchanged. "Understood."
Yukimura sighed, pushing up his glasses. "Which means… there could be another Class D VIP in Rabbit. It's the only explanation that fits."
The silence stretched, until Soshi finally spoke.
"You're right."
Both boys turned toward him in surprise.
Soshi's arms remained folded, his tone even. "The Rabbit group's VIP is Karuizawa. That much I can confirm."
"What—?!" Yukimura's eyes widened. "How do you know that?"
Soshi's expression didn't change. "If you're a member of my team, you already know my way. I won't reveal methods I can't afford to. Just accept the result."
Yukimura frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the evasive answer, but Hirata quickly stepped in. "If that's true, then… our class has three VIPs confirmed."
Kiyotaka observed quietly, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Interesting. Miyamoto is holding knowledge beyond the reach of others, and yet he feeds it to them just enough to build trust, not suspicion.
From the corner, Koenji's voice suddenly boomed.
"Magnificent! Splendid! A true man never hides his strength!"
His words came mid-push-up, accompanied by the steady thud of his palms against the floor.
Yukimura snapped. "Can you shut up for once, Koenji? We're discussing something serious!"
Koenji only laughed heartily, flipping his golden hair back as he rose into a one-armed push-up without breaking rhythm.
"Hmph! Your petty exam holds no weight before the greatness of my physique! The muscles of Koenji Rokusuke shine brighter than any so-called VIP!"
Yukimura's hands clenched into fists. "You—! This exam determines class points, and you're treating it like a joke?!"
The tension crackled. I stepped forward quickly, raising a hand between them.
"That's enough," I said, voice calm but firm. "Yukimura, losing your temper won't change Koenji's attitude. And Koenji…" I glanced at him, my tone sharpening, "…don't forget what happened on the island. Dropping out isn't just selfish. It drags all of us down."
For a moment, silence.
Koenji paused mid-push-up, then slowly stood, chest heaving from the exercise. He looked down at me with a grin that gleamed in the dim light.
"Heh… you speak as though you can command me, Miyamoto-kun. But worry not! Koenji Rokusuke requires no such reminder. I am free, I am glorious, I am—"
"—unreliable," Yukimura snapped.
Koenji's grin only widened. "Unreliable? No, my dear bespectacled comrade. I am merely above this trivial game of liars and whispers. This exam is but a child's quiz!"
Before anyone could respond, Koenji pulled out his phone, twirling it between his fingers like a toy. He hummed again, ignoring Yukimura's glare.
"Koenji, don't—" Hirata started, alarmed.
But it was too late.
The phones of everyone in the room buzzed simultaneously. A cold, official tone filled the air as they read the new mail.
School Announcement: "Monkey Group's test has ended."
The words burned across every screen.
"What—?!" Yukimura shot to his feet. "You ended the test?! On your own?!"
Koenji laughed, tossing his phone onto his bed carelessly.
"At last, my freedom is restored! No more tedious discussions, no more meaningless constraints! I, Koenji Rokusuke, have triumphed over this dull game!"
He turned toward the bathroom, striding with the confidence of a king. His golden hair shimmered under the cabin's dim lights.
"Now, gentlemen, if you'll excuse me, I must refresh my radiant body!"
The door slammed shut behind him.
For a moment, the room was frozen.
Then Hirata's phone lit up again—buzz, buzz, buzz—flooded with incoming messages. His face twisted in panic.
"They… they're all shocked. Everyone's asking what happened. Why would Koenji…?" His voice trailed off, overwhelmed.
Yukimura cursed under his breath, pacing. "That idiot! He doesn't understand the damage he's caused! Two more days of this exam, and he just—just throws it all away!"
I remained still, watching the ripples spread. Koenji's recklessness wasn't a plan. But even chaos could shift the game board in unexpected ways.
Kiyotaka stood, his expression unchanged. Without a word, he walked toward the door.
"Ayanokoji-kun—" Hirata began, but he was already gone, slipping into the hallway's quiet darkness.
The room simmered with tension. Hirata tried to calm Yukimura, who was still ranting about Koenji's irresponsibility.
I leaned against the wall again, silent.
Koenji was a wild card—untameable, irrational, impossible to predict. But in games like these, even a wild card could upset strategies carefully laid by others.
Reckless pawns, after all, can sometimes change the board more than kings.