COTE : Backed By Black Technology System

Thinking of this possibility, Kanda Shuichi's expression turned a bit strange. The exam's already over—why would you still show up?

I don't think you're the kind of person who'd come just for a luxury trip, so do you have other motives?

Are you planning to take over Class A when Katsuragi is at his lowest?

But even then, you didn't have to rush like this, right?<

[When did you arrive?]

He sent the message to Sakayanagi Arisu while pondering. 

But after sending it, there was no reply, not even an unread notification.

So, did this guy really arrive?

With no other choice, Kanda Shuichi opened another contact option.

[Did you come on the ship?]

Just a few seconds later, his phone received a reply.

[What? That guy came?! Didn't they say he couldn't come? Not even taking a vacation from me?]

It seems even the loyal dog didn't know. Or maybe he just landed and hasn't contacted Kamuro yet.

As for whether Kamuro lied to him, it didn't matter. Even if he did, there was no benefit in doing so.

And there's no point in Sakayanagi hiding—if she was going to consolidate Class A, she had to be there in person. No one could take her place. If she decided to hide, she might as well not come at all.

So, Kanda Shuichi just felt like it was a prank and put his phone away.

Turning his head, he saw Miyake had already eaten the leftover fries with ketchup.

"Let's go back. I know eating and sleeping right after isn't good for your health, but I really don't want to move right now."

Miyake stood up, stretched his body, and got his blood flowing again.

"Same here."

Maybe because everyone was so tired after returning from the uninhabited island, on the way back, they didn't run into any other students, except for Kouenji, who was drenched and being chased by waiters offering him towels.

"Hey, Kouenji, you're as beautiful as ever."

"Hahahaha, the most beautiful man is the one full of water!"

...Flatter him, and he gets even more full of himself.

After getting back to the dorm, both Miyake Akito and Kanda Shuichi were too exhausted to keep going and collapsed onto their beds, falling into deep sleep.

Detective Shuichi was just physically weak, while Miyake Akito, who had been out taking control of bases every night, was just as tired.

Not long after, Hirata Yosuke, looking just as worn out, pushed the door open. Upon seeing the two of them sleeping, Hirata went back to his bed to rest as well.

Although Hirata didn't have to go out to secure bases at night, a lot had happened during the camping trip. He was like a gentle, caring mother who took care of everything, so he was simply exhausted. 

The three of them slept until around five or six in the afternoon. Kanda Shuichi was woken up by the sound of a text message notification on his phone, which meant he was already close to waking up on his own.

[Come to the theater after you wake up. Come alone.]

The message was from Class D's homeroom teacher, Sae-chan. Kanda Shuichi and she had a relationship where they could mess around with each other.

But... 

Wouldn't it be too dangerous to go alone?

Miyake and Hirata, both exhausted from their time on the island, were still asleep. Looking out the window at the sunset, Kanda Shuichi couldn't help but feel that his current life seemed a bit unreal.

The theater, located at the stern of the ship, was one of the entertainment facilities provided onboard. 

However, because most students had just returned from the island, and there were so many other entertainment options on the ship, the theater typically had no audience, even though there was a performance almost every day.

It was probably for this reason that Chabashira-sensei asked him to come here. Was there something she wanted to discuss in secret?

When Kanda Shuichi arrived at the theater, he saw that, aside from the stage, only Chabashira-sensei was there.

From the stairs at the back, it looked like Chabashira-sensei was talking on the phone.

Could it be her boyfriend?

A mischievous smile appeared on Kanda Shuichi's face as he quietly approached.

"Sae-chan, as you asked, I came alone~~~"

He said it loudly and with a teasing tone, making sure the person on the other end of the phone would definitely hear.

It was just like when, back in his past life, he would go to a friend's house during school breaks and get caught by his mom's phone check. His friend would yell, "The internet's down! Give us two more hours!"

The moment his words fell, Chabashira-sensei shot him a murderous glare before quickly turning away.

"No, mom, it's just my student playing a prank."

"I really don't have a secret boyfriend."

"No, I just want to be a teacher. I'm not interested in arranged marriages…"

"I understand. I'll go home for New Year's."

After hanging up, Chabashira-sensei let out a noticeable sigh of relief, then turned to Kanda Shuichi with an unusually warm and friendly expression and a bright smile.

"Do you have any last words?"

Kanda Shuichi, on the other hand, was already stiff with fear, cold sweat dripping down his face, feeling like he wanted to turn and run.

Who could have known she was talking to her mom, and that her mom was pressuring her to get married? And now she's going to blame me for it?

Kanda Shuichi regretted his loud outburst, but if he had the chance again...

He would shout even louder than before.

"Uh, actually, I thought the person on the phone was your boyfriend or something…"

And then he saw Chabashira-sensei's smile grow even brighter, and her expression become even friendlier.

Damn it, I stepped on another landmine…

"Sumimasen…" 

Next time, I won't do it again!

At this point, Kanda Shuichi had no choice but to shut up and offer a generic apology.

Seeing Kanda Shuichi acting so obedient, Chabashira Sae opened her mouth, but didn't know how to scold him.

Though she knew he was probably faking it, what could she do?

Threaten to expel him?

He had 20 million points, and could easily skip a grade if he wanted to.

And after this exam, Chabashira had already fully understood his abilities. He could find loopholes in the rules and even make the school accept it. Not just any student could do that.

Even the teachers hadn't seen through it, and that alone showed what kind of person he was.

So, this guy couldn't be scolded or punished, and now he had apologized, what more could she do?

The more she thought about it, the more of a headache it became. So, Chabashira Sae decided to pretend nothing had happened. Her face returned to its usual cold expression.

"Come here, sit down."

"Yes, ma'am!" 

Seeing that Chabashira-sensei didn't seem like she was going to pursue it any further, Kanda Shuichi relaxed. But Sae-chan, you look really good when you smile. You should smile more often.

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