Motivated to be lazy

Chapter 16

I've never been on a cruise ship before, it's surprisingly beautiful. Everything from the view to the luxuries are all things that are a godsend just when things at the school were starting to get boring. I really needed a holiday and I was looking forward to all the relaxation and laziness that was about to take place for the duration of the trip.

As I looked about the deck, sunbeds are scattered about all over and I instantly start to analyze which one will be mine for the coming days. I already had it in mind to see Chabashira-sensei and buy the rights to said chair and have an "Ayanokouji Kiyotaka" sign attached to it.

We had been on the deck earlier as a group, staring out at the sea and taking in the breathtaking view. There was a bit of a bittersweet acknowledgement that Sudo wasn't with us but with everything that happened it barely made much more than a mention. It's interesting that Yamauchi was the one who said it though. I wonder if he'd have the courage to say such a thing if Sudo was standing right by him.

Despite the fact that we were now at zero points once again, morale was surprisingly high. Almost everyone worked pretty diligently and improved their behavior to a very respectable level. Most of them acknowledged Eiichiro's efforts, while he did stumble a fair bit and didn't end up coming out with a win, at his explanation of how things weren't so bad most of them simply thanked him for doing what he could.

Almost all of them had the opportunity to help, even his friends that were dubbed the idiot trio and yet Yamauchi, Ike and Sudo didn't contribute much if not at all. Looking at them you can see how sometimes friendships could be incredibly superficial. If it were Eiichiro or I in that position, I have no doubts whatsoever that we would move mountains to help each other. Yet the three of them didn't seem to see the urgency.

Perhaps I'm expecting too much, but I honestly thought the two remaining idiots of the trio would be more put out at the fact that he wasn't there but instead they mocked him. I know why it annoys me, but it also shouldn't. It isn't like I have any love for any of them but it bothers me that a friendship could be boasted so loudly and yet mean next to nothing inside.

Irrespective, if I were to look on the side of the cruise liner for me the name is the Freedom. I don't care whatever words are painted on the side, this ship represents freedom. Freedom from school responsibilities, freedom from the student council office and freedom from that smirking bastard known as President Horikita Manabu.

Upon our leaving, all he said was to have fun with that same grin that he always has plastered on his face whenever he's trying to be cryptic. Ichinose took it with a grateful smile for the well wishes but I know that smirk far too well. Something is coming.

Things with Ichinose seemed to be different as well. It was like dancing around the very obvious, she seemed like she was trying to get me to notice her. She would do little things differently than before. She seemed to smile at me more sweetly and seemed to try to spend time with me at every opportunity.

For some strange reason, Eiichiro encouraged this with so much gusto that it was starting to make me a little weirded out. We had time to breathe now and while we were able to hang out a lot more than before but every time Ichinose would come through the door smiling at me, Eiichiro came up with some half baked reason on why he had to go and would pointedly and obviously mention we should spend more time with each other.

If Ichinose noticed it or if it annoyed her it didn't seem to show. She would beam even more widely and we'd spend that time alone, me on the couch doing nothing and her doing work at the desk, sometimes even in the mornings on the way to school. Every time it happened, she would pretend to tell Eiichiro it was okay and that he didn't have to leave, only to shove him out the door the moment he said that it was fine. It was actually quite comedic.