COTE :  Oh No, I've Become the Substitute

A deep, resonant horn blast sounded. The luxury cruise ship, anchored beside the deserted island for an entire week, set sail once more. A long, white wake trailed behind it, the churning foam at the stern glinting like shattered gold beneath the sun.

That emerald-green island where they had lived for a week gradually shrank in the students' field of vision, like a forgotten dot of green ink, until it finally merged completely into the deep blue of the horizon.

Inside a student cabin, Katsuragi, having swiftly washed up and tidied his belongings, immediately compiled the post-exam class points for each class.

Class A: 1432 cl

Class B: 1043 cl

Class C: 272 cl

Class D: 42 cl

He closed his notebook with a snap. The corner of his mouth lifted. His perpetually furrowed brows finally relaxed. Even the ever-steady him now revealed a satisfied smile.

No problems whatsoever. Class A had further widened the gap between themselves and the other classes. And at present, the combined scores of the three lower classes still fell short of Class A's current total.

However, it was precisely at times like these that one had to act with the utmost caution. According to Fuyuji, there should be another special exam coming up next.

With such an enormous gap, the possibility of the three other classes joining forces against Class A in the next exam could not be ruled out.

The cabin door was flung open with a bang. Totsuka, who shared the same room, burst in excitedly.

"Katsuragi-aniki! Where should we go for the victory celebration dinner later? I think that French restaurant on the top deck last time was pretty good. Or that Japanese-style place works too."

Having just finished the exam and achieved a huge victory, and having gnawed on nothing but compressed biscuits for an entire week on the island, the Class A students had naturally proposed a group dinner to celebrate together.

"No!"

Lowering his head to think for a moment, Katsuragi calmly gave his answer.

"Right now, every class is in roughly the same situation as ours. They're all surely thinking of heading to the restaurants on the cruise ship for a big feast. With so many students flooding in all at once, not only will it be packed to capacity with no seats available, the speed of service will definitely slow to a crawl."

"Then where should we go?"

Clearing his throat, he straightened his back and spoke with brimming confidence.

"We're going to eat at the buffet!"

Convenient and fast. The food is prepared in advance. You can start eating the moment you walk in.

At a time like this, classmates who hadn't eaten anything decent in seven days wouldn't be too picky about the food as long as the taste was passable. A buffet was absolutely the optimal choice for a class gathering.

Totsuka's face lit up with sudden understanding. With a look of pure admiration, he said, "Sasuga Katsuragi-san! I'll go tell our classmates right away!"

With that, he flung the door open and dashed out of the room once more.

Watching him run off, a smile surfaced on Katsuragi's face.

Although he hadn't been of much help in this special exam, he could still handle tasks like organizing his classmates and dealing with the class's miscellaneous affairs.

Half an hour later, the golden glow of the sun streamed through the massive glass curtain wall and spilled across the polished floor at the entrance of the buffet restaurant, reflecting the bustling crowd.

When Katsuragi arrived at the buffet entrance with his contingent of Class A students, his body suddenly froze.

He looked toward the far end of the corridor, where Class B, led by Ichinose, was making its way over with laughter and lively chatter. Then he looked at Class C, led by Ryuen, freshly clean-shaven, hands shoved in his pockets, striding over with his trademark swagger. Then he looked back at the crowd of Class A students behind him. The confident smile on his face gradually vanished.

The three class leaders had converged by pure coincidence. They stared at one another, then at the vast, dark mass of over a hundred people, and fell into collective silence.

After a moment, Katsuragi was the first to voice his question. "You're all... here to eat too?"

"Ahaha." Ichinose laughed dryly, a blush rising on her cheeks. Somewhat embarrassed, she said, "I thought the buffet would be a great choice. Did Katsuragi-kun and Ryuen-kun think the same?"

"Don't lump me in with you people." Ryuen kept his expression taut and sneered without changing face. "My Class C simply happens to enjoy eating at buffets."

"..."

The seagulls circling the cruise ship cawed noisily. A strange atmosphere gradually spread across the scene.

In a corner of the buffet restaurant—

"I won. Nom, nom~ I just knew they'd all collide here." Fuyuji forked a piece of aromatic steak into his mouth. At the same time, he extended his free left hand and curled his fingers in Morishita's direction, silently pushing his plate forward. "Now hand over the chicken legs. Nom, nom~ Two of them!"

"Cunning Fuyuji. Nom, nom, nom~"

Her cheeks puffed up like a little hamster, Morishita glared at him indignantly. Reluctantly, she forked the last two chicken legs from her own plate onto his.

"How did you know?"

"Hmph, hmph." He grinned confidently and raised one of his newly acquired chicken legs in the air, waving it. "This is Fuyuji Mikage's exclusive innate talent!"

Half an hour ago, when Totsuka had notified the Class A students that they would be dining at the buffet, Fuyuji's meal radar—as if carved into his very soul, akin to a knee-jerk reflex—had thundered to life at that very moment.

At that instant, he knew. This was no ordinary meal gathering. He had to strike like a thunderclap.

So, clever as he was, he immediately rounded up Morishita and the other girls, and along the way called over Kito and the other two who shared his cabin. They swiftly seized the enemy's high ground.

"A lie. Not even the great Morishita possesses such a talent. How could a mere Fuyuji have it?" Morishita swallowed her food, pursed her lips, and put on a fierce little face, declaring it had to be fake.

"Of course it's because my talent—"

"Yahallo, Fuyuji-kun!" A crisp, sweet voice suddenly cut in.

Ichinose, having just finished exchanging pleasantries with the two class leaders, spotted Fuyuji devouring his meal in the corner the moment she walked through the door. Her eyes lit up, and from afar, she waved and greeted him sweetly, her tone carrying a hint of playful reproach.

"So that's what you meant when you messaged me earlier asking where I was eating! I was thinking of inviting you along. I didn't realize Class A was here too."

"Ahaha. After all, it's a Class B gathering. It wouldn't be right for me to join in."

"Then next time I invite you, you have to come, okay?"

"Alright."

After swiftly waving goodbye to her and watching her head toward the area where Class B had gathered, the smile on Fuyuji's face instantly crumbled.

Slowly, bit by bit, he turned his head. His gaze drifted, unwilling to meet the dim, ghostly eyes of the great Morishita.

At the same time, he slowly pushed the plate—now with only one chicken leg remaining—back in front of her.

"I'll... owe you one chicken leg. I'll pay it back when I get the chance..."

"The great Morishita wants it now."

Pitch-black, deathly aura wafted up from her little head like wisps of smoke. Emotionless words drifted from her greasy little mouth.

"You stole my mutton last time too. Let's call it... let's call it even..."

Fuyuji scooted his rear a couple of times, edging slightly closer toward Shiraishi and Yamamura, seeking their protection.

Unfortunately...

Yamamura stifled a giggle behind her hand. She glanced at the food on the table, silently rose, and picked up her plate.

"While there still aren't too many people, I'll go get some more food."

Shiraishi propped her chin on one hand. Her other hand secretly reached out beneath the long table covered in white cloth and lightly scratched the back of his hand. Her gentle, water-like eyes curved into crescents as she gazed at him.

Mm... she provided moral support only.

You can do it~

And the remaining one—Kamuro, who had been eating quietly the entire time—doubled down instead. As if recalling all the ways he had persecuted her, intentionally or not, over these past days, she stretched out her long leg and planted a foot squarely on his pant leg, venting her resentment. She even ground the tip of her shoe against it, neither too lightly nor too heavily.

Drop dead, you!

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