—"Look at that view! I can't believe we're on a cruise ship!" Sato exclaimed, practically glued to the railing, her eyes shining as if she were staring at paradise.
—"Yes, this school really is amazing," Matsushita said with a calm smile, as if all of this were perfectly normal.
I couldn't say the same.
My eyes wandered across the ocean that stretched endlessly into the horizon. The sun shone brightly, and the reflection on the water was so perfect it looked like a living painting. The breeze brushed softly against my face, and for a moment, I thought I was dreaming.
I was on a cruise.
But not just any cruise.
This was a floating giant, a luxury liner taller than some buildings in my neighborhood, with pools, restaurants, lounges, shops... and even actual butlers offering room service. I struggled to understand how something like this could be part of a "school experience."
I had never been on one before. In fact, the closest I'd ever gotten to a cruise ship was seeing one on TV. And now, out of nowhere, I was sailing across the sea on this monstrous floating palace, surrounded by students just as confused as I was—though some hid it better than others.
According to what we'd been told, this was some kind of special trip for first years.
A vacation, they called it.
And if that wasn't enough, we were heading to a private island owned by the school.
Yes, you read that right: a private island.
Who even owns a private island? And why would a school need one?
I couldn't shake the feeling that something didn't add up.
I mean, this was too much.
A cruise just for us? No second- or third-year students anywhere in sight? This ship could easily host every student in the school, their families, the faculty, and, if you pushed it, a full symphony orchestra.
So... why just us?
I liked to think of it as a reward for surviving the first term. But there was something about all this that smelled fishy. Maybe it was instinct, or simply the fact that nobody gives away this much for free.
I had learned that at this school, nothing came without strings attached. Every smile, every gift, every opportunity... there was always a hidden catch, a price that would eventually come due.
And yet, here I was, standing on the deck, swallowing my skepticism along with a freshly squeezed juice someone had just handed me without charging a single yen.
Anyway... if this was a test, it hadn't started yet. And if it was an illusion, at least it was a good one.
So I decided to set my doubts aside for the moment.
For now, I would cling to that instant of calm, to the shining sea, the unjustified luxury, and the suspicious idea that—for once—everything was free.
...
—"There's definitely something strange about this trip," Horikita said, sipping her coffee with an elegance that made me feel like I was drinking juice from a cardboard box. "Don't you think so too, Endo-kun?"
I wasn't going to lie to her.
—"Yeah... it'd be hard not to notice. I mean, this smells fishy. Really fishy. The deal's too good to be true."
—"Exactly. Vacations for first-years, on a luxury cruise ship, heading to a private island? I don't buy it. It doesn't fit this school's logic."
She was right. Ever since the existence of "special exams" and those class-versus-class battles had been revealed, Horikita had been more alert than a cat in unfamiliar territory. And honestly, if anyone's radar was tuned to pick up suspicious activity, it was hers.
And right now... this situation was screaming "suspicious" through a megaphone.
—"What do you think it could be?" I asked, genuinely curious. Horikita's theories always intrigued me, even if they sounded colder than an industrial freezer.
—"Let's see..." She set down her cup carefully, thoughtful. "It could be one of those special exams Chabashira-sensei mentioned. But to be honest, I have no idea how it would work here. They haven't given us any details... no rules, no objectives. Everything is wrapped in an uncomfortable mystery."
As she spoke, I couldn't help but notice her cheeks were slightly flushed.
Had she put on makeup?
No, no. Horikita voluntarily wearing makeup... that would be stranger than the cruise itself. It had to be the sun. Yes, that made more sense. Or at least, that's what I told myself.
—"Well... we're heading to a deserted island, right? Maybe the exam is about surviving there for a week or something," I suggested half-jokingly, though a part of me feared I might have just hit the nail on the head.
Horikita shot me a dry look, like I had just claimed penguins could fly.
—"Surviving on an island? Don't be ridiculous. What kind of logic would that have? What academic purpose would it serve? It doesn't make sense."
—"I don't know... maybe it's to evaluate teamwork, leadership, decision-making..." I shrugged with a half-smile. "Or maybe they just want to see who gives up first when there's no Wi-Fi."
She sighed, but she didn't completely dismiss the idea.
Which, coming from Horikita, already meant something.
And so, as the cruise ship slowly advanced toward our secret destination, a thought began to settle in my mind: what awaited us on that island wasn't tropical cocktails and suntans.
This wasn't just a trip.
It was the prelude to something bigger.
I just hoped I hadn't been right about the "survival" part.
...
I can't believe it.
Seriously... I can't.
I'm standing on the sand, the sun is shining cheerfully above, the sea is so blue it looks like a postcard, and around me are dozens of first-year students... all just as confused as I am. Some are still wearing sunglasses, others brought sandals, and of course someone even carried a towel like this was some kind of summer camp.
And just when I thought this was only the school exaggerating things...
—"Attention, students!"
A loud, metallic voice blared from a hidden megaphone somewhere on the shore. We all looked up at once, like the sky itself had spoken.
—"The special exam has begun. Your objective: survive on this island for the next seven days. We wish you the best of luck."
...
Silence.
The kind of silence that only comes when you realize you've just stepped into a gigantic mess.
I look to one side. Kushida blinks slowly, as if her brain hasn't processed what she just heard.
I look to the other. Ike is already asking if "survival" includes food.
And me...
Well, I'm remembering the exact moment I joked, "Imagine if the exam was surviving on an island?"
Bravo.
Applause for me.
The backpacks they gave us only had the bare essentials: a toothbrush, a change of underwear, and a bottle of water. Nothing that would, you know, actually keep us from dying.
I drop onto the hot sand, still in shock.
Around me, my classmates don't look much better. Some are frozen in place, staring into nothing. Others rummage through their backpacks as if that might somehow change what was inside.
Not a word. Just confusion hanging in the air... and sand everywhere.
—"Well..." I mutter to myself, unscrewing my bottle of water and taking a sip. "This is going to be interesting."
Very interesting.
Great. Seven days stuck on an island with nothing but underwear and a toothbrush. Who came up with this exam? A horror movie scriptwriter? Help.