Ichinose bit her fingertip, her eyes longingly looking in the direction of the cruise ship.
The exam would end in just over forty minutes, and then they could return to the cruise ship to enjoy their wonderful vacation time.
"You can go back early, you know."
Ichinose's steps suddenly halted.
"Amane, what do you mean?"
"I mean you'd best go back to the cruise ship early right now."
Amane tidied Ichinose's hair, which had been ruffled by the sea breeze.
Ichinose did not press further.
Amane surely knew that returning to the cruise ship early would result in a deduction of thirty exam points, and she also knew that such a simple temptation would not trick her.
So what was Amane trying to tell her?
Unless… "Amane, do you… know the identity of our key card holder?"
Ichinose's expression became very subtle.
Because this situation was both expected and unexpected.
With Amane's ability, it was not impossible for her to know who held the key card.
It was unexpected because Amane's every move was under everyone's nose the entire time; Amane shouldn't have had any opportunity to manipulate things.
"Mm."
A soft "mm" made Ichinose's body waver slightly.
"You're bluffing me, right?"
Ichinose smiled somewhat forcedly.
But the next second, the smile on Ichinose's face turned to surprise.
"Why? Why is Class B's key card in your hand, Amane? Then what Classmate Kanzaki has is…"
Ichinose looked at Class B's key card, which Amane was playing with in her hand, and fell into confusion, followed by an incredibly terrifying thought.
If Kanzaki was holding Class D's key card… Wait, no!!!
"Amane, you almost scared me to death. Hmph, luckily, I remembered that key cards can only be used by key card holders and infiltrators. Kanzaki's use won't have any effect."
Ichinose suddenly remembered this rule and patted her chest with lingering fear.
"How do you know others can't use it? Have you tried?"
Amane's single question stumped Ichinose.
Didn't the rules say it couldn't be used? Did she still need to try?
"If Kanzaki didn't punch the card, wouldn't he have noticed?"
Yes, if the card couldn't be swiped, the light on the card reader wouldn't change color… which means Kanzaki successfully used Class D's key card?
How could such an absurd thing happen?
"Even if he did, it's useless, because Kanzaki's action is a violation of the rules. I just need to apply to the school to revoke Kanzaki's last irregular operation. By then, Amane, your actions will just have given us a false scare."
Ichinose quickly thought it through and gave Amane a good answer.
Anyone else would have collapsed under the circumstances today; to have painstakingly acquired a key card only for it to be for another class, and then for someone from her own class to have successfully punched a card. If it weren't for the fact that this was an irregular operation and could be revoked, Ichinose's heart would probably have already given out under such immense pressure.
"Well said, but what if, and I mean what if, my dear Honami, your base had already been occupied by someone else last night? I was just playing a joke on you all today."
Amane cupped Ichinose's face.
That helpless expression made Amane feel both pained and captivated.
She couldn't resist a quick taste.
"You shouldn't have had a chance to punch the card yesterday, which means it was Class C?"
Tears began to well up in Ichinose's eyes.
They had worked so hard to endure until the end of the exam, but on this crucial last day, they were played and toyed with by one person after another, making their seven days of effort and hardship vanish overnight.
"That's right."
"I will write Albert's name."
Ichinose looked at Amane angrily.
"Anything is fine."
Amane's gentleness at that moment made Ichinose burst into tears.
She lost.
She had tried so hard, why did she still lose so terribly?
Kanzaki, who had to endure being hit, and Shibata, who knelt and begged Amane to return the key card to Class B.
Ichinose didn't know how she could go back and face everyone.
"Just cry if you want to. After you're done crying, go back to the ship. That's the last thing you can do for Class B."
Withdrawal.
It would deduct thirty class points but would allow her to bypass school rules and forcibly change the special identity holder.
This way, even Amane wouldn't be able to know who Ichinose gave the identity to.
This truly was the last thing she could do for Class B.
But Ichinose stubbornly shook her head.
"I want to go back and be with everyone."
"You going back won't change the outcome, you know."
"Everyone has sacrificed so much for Class B, still working hard even until the very last moment. As the leader of Class B, how can I flee at the last minute when failure is imminent? Even if we lose terribly, I want to be with everyone."
After Ichinose finished speaking, she bent down, picked up her shoes and socks, and intended to run back to Class B's camp.
"But you leaving here is the best choice, and the optimal answer."
"Perhaps you are right, Amane, but Ichinose Honami, who flees at the last minute, I cannot do it."
Ichinose wiped away her tears and ran into the woods.
"Sigh."
Looking at Ichinose's retreating figure, Amane could only sigh.
"You tried your best. You've done all this, and she still doesn't appreciate it. There's nothing you can do, right?"
Albert's voice earned him a glare from Amane.
"You've learned to eavesdrop."
"I was just curious, after all, I did what I did yesterday…"
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"