Starting in class C: not completely defective.

Arc 2 chapter 1: departure

"Goodbye, Fuka." I said
"Goodbye, Kiyo." She leant over to whisper in my ear.
"I have a special surprise for you when you come back." She whispered seductively, and then kissed me on the lips, which I gladly returned.
We were in my cabin. Fuka was allowed to come on to bid me farewell, but she had to go now. I watched her leave. After she'd gone, I felt the boat start to move slightly. I raced to the top deck. When I got there, I looked at the edge, seeing Fuka still standing there. I waved at her, and she waved back.

The endless summer sea. The infinite blue skies. The perfectly clear air. Here, in the midst of the Pacific Ocean, we didn't feel the intense midsummer heat, and the gentle sea breeze kissed our bodies. Yes, this really was an oceanic paradise.
"This is the good life, eh guys?" Ryuuen asked our group, arms crossed over the railing.
"It sure is." Shiina exclaimed. The view from the "special seats" on the deck was exceptionally gorgeous.
"This view is incredible! I'm honestly super moved right now!"
A group of girls lead by Karuizawa Kei from class D came out from the ship's cabin. Karuizawa pointed out to the expansive ocean, wearing a radiant smile.
"Seriously, the scenery here is just amazing!"
Kushida Kikyou, the girl who hated me more than anything else, was also present among the group of girls. It looked like the extraordinary view had stolen her fake breath away.
After overcoming numerous hardships, midterms, and the final exam, we had welcomed summer vacation with open arms. The Advanced Nurturing High School had arranged an extravagant two-week trip-a cruise on a luxury liner.
"I'm glad none of you got expelled. Although, I expected nothing less of the best that class C has to offer. I bet you're glad you did well. I mean, if this were a normal trip, it would've been impossible for us to go." Ryuuen congratulated us.
We had faced some tough challenges just a short while ago, but this trip completely blew those feelings away. Perhaps the blue seas had washed away our everyday troubles.
"I never dreamed that high schoolers could go on such a luxurious cruise. And it's for two whole weeks."
As Shiina stated, this was certainly no ordinary trip. At our government-sponsored school, there was absolutely no need for us to pay for tuition or other miscellaneous expenses-which, of course, included this trip. We received the best of special treatment. The cruise liner and its facilities were of the highest possible quality. The ship was fully equipped with everything from prestigious restaurants to a theatre, and even an upscale spa. On my own, this would probably have cost me about 100,000 yen, even in the off season.
Our trip, which promised the pinnacle of luxury, had finally started today. According to the schedule, we would spend our first week staying at a fancy summer lodge on a deserted island. After that, we would enjoy the cruise ship for another week.
"Attention, students. Please assemble on the deck. You will be able to see the island soon. This is a good time to take in some rather significant scenery."
This rather strange announcement issued from the ship's PA. The island appeared on the horizon a few minutes after several students had gathered. Shiina let out a gleeful cry.
Other students noticed, and began assembling on the deck. After a crowd had gathered, some particularly domineering boys showed up and began pushing us out of the way in order to get the best position.
"Hey, you're in the way. Move it, you defects."
One of the boys tried to intimidate me, and shoved my shoulder. I stayed firmly in position. He tried to shove me again, this time with his right hand. He tried once more, with both hands, and with all his meagre strength...
Fell backwards. In a panic, he quickly grabbed onto the deck's railing to keep from falling. My friends, and even some of the students that came with him, sniggered.
"Kukuku, did you just try and shove Ayanokouji? Why'd you do that?" Ryuuen slunk over to us.
"You do understand how this school is structured, right? Class C may not be as inhumanly stupid as class D, but you're not much better. Defects like you are just that-defective-so you should submit. We're all in class A over here?"
"Kuku, is that what you think, is it? In what way are we...what was it you said...defective?" Ryuuen leaned over the boy who had tried to push me, who started to shake a little.
"T-there's no true logical explanation. The school just valued you as a failure. We in class A are above you in every way." Damn, this kid didn't know when to quit.
"Did you hear that Albert? He thinks he's better than you in every way. I wonder if he could beat you in a fight?" Ryuuen gestured Albert to come closer to the boy.
If he had been scared of Ryuuen, he was almost terrified of Albert.
"L-let's go guys." Finally, he went away, and most of his friends went with him.
"Damn, I have to stay in a room with that guy." Albert muttered under his breath in English. Poor Albert. At least he probably wouldn't be insulted by that boy.
"What a strange mindset those class A dicks have. If we manage to reach class A, I hope we don't end up like that." Ryuuen scoffed in distaste.
A little while later, the crowd started getting riled up and making noise. The students' enthusiasm increased by leaps and bounds as we sailed closer and the island became clearer.
I'd thought that the ship would have gone directly to the island, but for some reason we passed the pier and started circling around. The island, on loan from the government, had a surface area of about 0.5 square kilometres. The highest point of the island reached 230 metres. In comparison to Japan's total area, the island was tiny, but when seen by one hundred-odd people on a cruise ship, it looked unbelievably massive.
Eventually, the boat made a complete pass around the island. The ship continued to circle without changing speed, barely making a splash as it moved unnaturally fast through the water.
"Such a mysterious sight! It's so moving! Don't you think so, Ayanokouji-kun?" Shiina gasped.
"Yeah, it is."
As I looked at Shiina, whose eyes sparkled as she looked at the deserted island, I felt my cheeks getting red. Shiina was just too cute. I wanted to protect her smile, and her childlike mannerisms.
An announcement came over the PA speakers.
"We will disembark in thirty minutes. Please assemble on the deck. All students should have changed into their jersey's. Make sure to check your designated bag and your luggage, and do not forget your cell phone. Please keep all other personal items in your room. There is a possibility that you will not be able to visit the bathroom for some time, so please do so now."
Apparently, the private beach was near. Ryuuen and the others went to change in high spirits. I started heading toward my group's room, too. There, I put on the jersey that I used for gym class, returned to the ship's deck, and waited until we reached the island. As the island grew closer and closer, the first-years' enthusiasm reached its peak.
"We will disembark now, beginning with the students from class A. Cell phones are prohibited on the island. Please hand your phone to your homeroom teacher as you leave."
Following the loudspeaker's command, the students went down the stairs in an orderly fashion.
"Come in. Hurry up! Even though we're wearing thin clothes, we're all sweating!"
There was no place to hide from the sun on the ship's deck. No surprise that people were complaining. The class C students waited on standby in the heat.
Disembarking took longer than I thought it would, probably because the teachers guarded the students on both sides as they got off the ship and checked their luggage.
"Hey. Does it seem like they're being strangely cautious right now? On their guard? I mean, they didn't even confiscate our cell phones during the final. They're really cracking down on the personal items." Ryuuen observed.
"It certainly seems that way. I mean, if we're just playing in the ocean, I can't imagine they'd need to go this far." It was very strange, to say the least.
As we got off the boat, chatting amiably with one another, our homeroom teacher greeted us.
"I will now start roll call for class 1-C. When you hear your name, please respond loud and clear."
Our homeroom teacher started taking attendance, clipboard in hand, while simultaneously instructing us to form a line. Sakagami-sensei wore the same kind of jersey as his students. This atmosphere was more akin to training camp than summer vacation.
Most of the students wanted to run off onto the sandy beach. Soon enough, a tall teacher stepped onto a white platform. It was Mashima-sensei, class A's homeroom teacher. He normally taught English, an was well-known for having a stubborn disposition. At first glance, he could easily be mistaken for one of those bodybuilder types. He was built like a professional wrestler, but was actually quite intelligent. He'd even taught special courses in the past.
"First, I would like to say that I'm happy you've arrived safely. However, it's unfortunate that one of you was unable to participate due to illness."
If this were some kind of dinky field trip, that'd be one thing, but such a luxurious vacation was another story altogether. I wondered if that kid would regret not coming after hearing friends talk about it. Even in poor health l, I think they should've pushed themselves and participated. Oddly enough, the teachers themselves looked rather grim. Well, while this was a vacation for us students, maybe the teachers supervising us had to think of it as a job.
No. Somehow it seemed more than that. While Mashima-sensei surveyed the students in silence, I could see that adults in uniform had started setting up some kind of special tent nearby. I also saw computer and other equipment on a long table. This increasingly business-like setup didn't match the natural splendour around us at all, and many of the students looked perplexed.
Mashima-sensei uttered a few cruel words, as if waiting for the atmosphere to change. "Well then. We shall commence the current academic year's first special test."

Authors notes
1790 words.
A new arc, and a new special test.
Almost completely copied from the ln, except for the intro and the conflict with class A. It'll get better. Probably.
And one more thing. In the ln, Mashima looks like a bodybuilder. Look at him in the anime.

Look how they butchered my boy.
Not much else to say.
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed.