Yoru swallowed nervously.
He had long heard that Mafuyu Kirisu was a cold and strict teacher, difficult to approach.
"Go now!" Kirisu's face turned cold. As an educator, she had to assert her authority.
She thought this would finally make Yoru act.
But he still didn't move.
Kirisu grew angry.
She now believed Yoru wasn't just lazy, but also disrespectful—a troublemaker who ignored teachers.
Did he treat her words like air?
Seeing her face go completely cold, Yoru realized there was no avoiding it.
Under Kirisu's glare, he had no choice but to run back under the scorching sun to get the life jackets.
Back at the warehouse, not knowing where they were stored, he searched the huge space until he was drenched in sweat.
By the time he returned carrying the box, the bus had already left.
Fortunately, there was another one.
This one was led by Shizuka Hiratsuka, rumored to be a hot-tempered beauty.
For some reason, she wasn't in the bus or nearby.
Yoru loaded the box into the trunk and looked at the tightly packed bus interior, hesitating.
Just the thought of stepping inside and drawing everyone's attention made him want to crawl into a hole.
Not to mention, he wasn't even assigned to this group.
Nervous, he stepped onto the bus. The moment he did, the cool air from the AC hit him.
He shivered slightly and saw a few open seats.
He figured taking one should be fine.
He picked the nearest empty seat, holding his backpack tightly, and sat beside a girl.
Seconds later, the girl beside him suddenly covered her nose and let out a small cough.
Behind him, a boy spoke up.
"Ugh, what's that smell? So sour."
"You smell it too? Like sweaty sour stench…"
"Gross… why would you sit near the AC vent…"
Yoru froze.
He had forgotten that he was once again drenched in sweat.
With the AC blowing, the smell spread quickly.
The students on this bus hadn't helped carry supplies.
They were clean and sensitive to sweat odors.
Though no one named him, the scattered complaints clearly referred to him.
Feeling the stares, Yoru stood up stiffly and moved toward the back of the bus.
A few rows down, he saw an empty window seat but didn't dare sit.
That was where Kaguya Shinomiya—the icy beauty and heiress of the Shinomiya conglomerate—was.
Even with ten times the courage, Yoru wouldn't dare approach someone like her.
He lowered his head and kept walking.
At the very back, he found another empty seat.
But the person sitting there had long, shapely legs wrapped in sleek black stockings, which made him freeze again.
"Kasumigaoka Utaha… Can't sit here either."
He mumbled to himself.
To be honest, maybe it was because he'd been bullied by girls or hurt by rumors, but he'd grown a bit gynophobic.
He didn't want to get close to any girl, let alone someone like Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Plenty of boys were on the bus, yet no one sat next to her. That said it all.
Utaha gave him a sideways glance and recognized him as that disgusting fat guy who had seen her argue with Eriri. She coldly looked away.
In the end, Yoru chose to sit on the floor in the farthest corner at the back of the bus.
There were lots of bags piled up there, making it a tight fit.
He had to spend some effort to clear out a small space.
Sitting there, Yoru actually felt a bit relaxed.
A while later, Shizuka Hiratsuka entered the bus with a cute mixed-race gyaru girl who had blonde hair in a side ponytail and bright blue eyes, both carrying a big cardboard box.
"Sorry to keep everyone waiting. Driver, please depart," said Hiratsuka as she placed the box in the bus aisle.
The side-ponytail girl went straight to sit beside Kaguya Shinomiya.
...
This group's spring trip destination was a private beach in Chiba Prefecture.
The trip would take about three hours.
Yoru curled up in the corner, enjoying the cool air conditioning. His whole body relaxed. Surrounded by the soft murmurs of conversation, he slowly closed his eyes.
He didn't know how long had passed.
A big bump in the road jolted Yoru awake. He yawned and groggily opened his eyes.
The next second, his pupils shrank.
Above Kasumigaoka Utaha's head floated a dazzling golden treasure chest.
Beneath it was a progress bar, currently at 0%.
His first thought was that he must still be half-asleep and hallucinating.
He rubbed his eyes and looked again—the treasure chest was still there!
Everyone else seemed completely unaware.
That huge golden chest was clearly floating above Kasumigaoka's head.
"I must be dreaming…"
Yoru pinched the flesh on his thigh hard.
It hurt. This wasn't a dream!
What the hell was that treasure chest?
Yoru's mind went blank. His mouth hung open in shock as he dumbly stared at the chest over Kasumigaoka's head.
Combined with his chubby frame and sloppy face, he looked exactly like a perverted freak straight out of a movie.
"That... that treasure chest… what is it?"
"Why can only I see it?"
Was it a gift from God out of pity?
With a sharp snap, Kasumigaoka shut the light novel in her hands.
Her face darkened as she turned and caught sight of Yoru's disgusting expression.
She had noticed several minutes ago that Yoru had woken up and was staring at her intensely.
It gave her the creeps.
Maybe it was a sixth sense, or just years of caution, but Kasumigaoka had always been extremely sensitive to being watched.
Even if someone stared at her from behind, she could sense it like she had eyes in the back of her head.
She had already proven this once—back when Yoru watched her arguing with Eriri.
"Wait a minute...?"
Just as she was about to tell Yoru off, something clicked in her head.
She remembered—Yoru wasn't even supposed to be on this bus.
Why was he here?
And he'd also seen her arguing with Eriri earlier…
Kasumigaoka's imagination ran wild.
It was too much of a coincidence.
Even now, Yoru was still staring at her... her thighs... like he was in heat?
His mouth was hanging open, practically drooling.
Was he fantasizing about her like some crazed freak?
Kasumigaoka suddenly thought.