"Ora ora, muda da!"

  With the sun shining and the sound of waves crashing against the shore, a young man stood at the water’s edge, arms spread wide, striking a pose straight out of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and shouting toward the sea.

  "……"

  Kanzaki and Shibata covered their eyes, unable to watch any longer.

  So embarrassing!

  The mere thought that this guy was their css’s vice president—worse, that he had been the one to suggest electing him—made Kanzaki wish he could go back in time and strangle his past self for ever making that suggestion.

  "Uesugi-kun, it’s time to gather. We need to line up and board the ship."

  Ichinose jogged over and grabbed Uesugi Gen’s hand, pulling him back.

  "Let go of me! We’ve been stuck in css forever. Can’t I just enjoy myself for once? Keep the music pying and the dancing going!"

  "Yes, yes, we’ll go sing together once we’re on the ship, okay?"

  "…Forget it, I’ll just find a spot to py games instead."

  Students from other csses exchanged various gnces as the two of them walked off.

  Ryūen Kakeru looked on with a cold smirk.

  "Still as conniving as ever, huh, Uesugi, you bastard? Coming out here and acting like an idiot right now… is this some kind of scheme to lower everyone’s guard?"

  After the st time Uesugi had outmaneuvered him, Ryūen had completely reassessed his opinion of the guy. Now, he saw him as a ruthless schemer who was even more underhanded than himself.

  "That’s… the rumored vice president of Css B? And also the vice president of the student council?"

  Katsuragi Kōhei crossed his arms, furrowing his brows as he watched Uesugi walk away.

  Among the first-years, unless someone made a deliberate effort like Kamizumi Masumi to gather intel, most students outside Css B had never even seen Uesugi in person—let alone had any detailed information on him.

  "That guy? He probably just got lucky and stumbled into the role of Css B’s vice president. There’s no way he’s on the same level as you, Katsuragi-kun."

  His ckey, Tozuka Yahiko, wasted no time kissing up.

  Katsuragi didn’t respond. Having been rejected from the student council himself, he knew just how difficult it was to get in.

  This guy… I can’t get a read on him.

  ---

  "Hey, Ayanokōji, is he gone yet?"

  The so-called Three Idiots of Css D huddled behind Ayanokōji, too scared to even lift their heads.

  "He’s gone."

  Ayanokōji Kiyotaka replied expressionlessly.

  "I don’t get why you guys are so afraid of him. No matter how scary he is, he’s not going to eat you alive."

  "Shut up, Ayanokōji! You don’t get it—you’ve never dealt with him before! He’s just… just… He’s terrifying in a way you wouldn’t understand!"

  Sudō Ken shouted defensively, clearly shaken.

  "Hey, you three, quit wasting time. It’s almost time to board the ship."

  Horikita Suzune walked over, rubbing her arms in an oddly unnatural manner, her face cold as ever.

  "Horikita, this has nothing to do with you. Just mind your own business."

  The moment Uesugi was confirmed to be gone, the Three Idiots immediately regained their bravado.

  "Oh? Then maybe I should just call him back? He doesn’t seem too busy tely—why not have him hang out with you guys for a while?"

  Horikita smirked and pulled out her phone.

  "N-No, we get it! We’ll get moving! We’ll do anything, just please don’t call him over!"

  All three of them stiffened in horror, immediately surrendering.

  Horikita tucked her phone away, a faint, satisfied smile appearing on her lips.

  Huh. His tactics actually work pretty well.

  Ever since she found out that the Three Idiots were terrified of Uesugi, she had started using his methods against them. Whenever they refused to listen, she would simply threaten to involve Uesugi—and without fail, it worked like a charm.

  ---

  Before they knew it, it was time to board the ship.

  "This thing is huge."

  Shibata shaded his eyes with a hand as he gazed up at the luxury cruise liner.

  The massive ship loomed over the shore, its sheer size casting an imposing shadow.

  The cruise had a total of nine levels—four below deck and five above.

  It was equipped with world-css restaurants, theaters, high-end spas—every luxury one could imagine.

  And the best part?

  Everything was completely free. Even the ship’s facilities were avaible for unlimited use at no cost.

  "No kidding. I guess this school really does have national backing. They can afford to charter an entire luxury cruise ship just for us."

  Even Kanzaki Ryūji, who came from a wealthy family, was stunned by the school’s extravagant dispy, adjusting the backpack on his shoulders.

  "Haha, see? Told you guys this was a real luxury trip!"

  Hoshinomiya Chie gave the css a thumbs-up. Ever since her little special exam had been exposed, she had been getting compints non-stop.

  "This trip will st two whole weeks! For the first week, you’ll be staying in lodges on an uninhabited isnd, soaking up the summer sun. Then, for the second week, you’ll be aboard the cruise ship, enjoying a luxurious voyage. So, go on—rex and enjoy yourselves!"

  "Yeah, that makes sense. We need to unwind so we’re in the right mindset for future challenges. Besides, just exploring a ship this big will take a while."

  Even Kanzaki, who had been stressed about the exams, finally allowed himself to rex.

  But then, a voice interrupted.

  "Oi!"

  Uesugi Gen marched straight up to one of the staff members, pulling them aside. He cupped a hand around his mouth.

  "Hey, is the Sakayanagi family going bankrupt or something? You really thought this tiny boat was good enough for a vacation? Call Sakayanagi Narumori and ask if he’s willing to accept Uesugi family funding. I can get him a bigger ship."

  "Uh, sir…"

  The staff member was momentarily speechless.

  "……"

  With that, Css B collectively short-circuited.

  "Uesugi, drop it already. Just get on the damn boat."

  The rest of Css B wasted no time dragging him aboard before he could stall them any longer. If he kept this up, the ship might leave without them.

  The third deck was the boys’ dormitory, while the fourth deck housed the girls’ rooms. Each room accommodated four people.

  Naturally, Uesugi’s roommates were members of his so-called Uesugi faction—Shibata, Kanzaki, and Hamaguchi.

  "Alright, Kanzaki, Hamaguchi—it’s about time we got down to business."

  After the four of them finished tidying up their cabin, Uesugi leaned against the window, gazing out at the sea.

  "Yeah… Hamaguchi, you noticed too, right? The first week is an exam on the uninhabited isnd. But what about the second week?"

  Kanzaki wasn’t surprised by Uesugi’s statement. Instead, he turned to Hamaguchi.

  "Of course. I mean, Hoshinomiya-sensei practically spelled it out for us."

  Hamaguchi y on his bed, staring at a yout of the cruise ship.

  "So, there’s another special exam. And it’s taking pce right here on this cruise ship."

  Shibata finally caught on, realizing Hoshinomiya’s hint.

  "In that case, let’s gather the Uesugi faction and start gathering intel on this ship."

  ---

  A good story, much like a well-fought battle, is all about precision, strategy, and passion. Every choice matters—the right move, the right word, the perfect bance between staying true to the original and making it shine in English.

  That’s why you should support WiseTL at [patreon.com/WiseTL] – where every pledge helps ensure more high-quality transtions, faithful to the original while flowing naturally in English. Trust me, as a Champion, I know a thing or two about mastery.

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  —Cynthia