NOVEL WEB Chapter 20: Island : The Hunt.
"Hey, Koenji! Wait up!" Yuto called out, matching pace with Koenji, who was effortlessly swinging through the trees with his usual confidence. Ayanokoji and Sakura trailed behind, struggling to keep up.
"Impressive, Doggy-boy! You're managing to keep pace with a perfect being like me!" Koenji remarked with his trademark smile.
Yuto's retort was swift and sharp. "Who are you calling Doggy-boy, you monkey-bastard!" he shot back, a grin spreading across his face.
Koenji laughed heartily at the banter, picking up his speed as he challenged Yuto to keep up. Yuto, undeterred, matched his pace stride for stride. Ayanokoji and Sakura, observing from a distance, exchanged bemused glances at the competitive display unfolding before them.
"I didn't expect Kazuki-kun to be so competitive," Sakura commented between breaths, her voice tinged with surprise.
Ayanokoji nodded in agreement, a faint hint of disbelief coloring his thoughts. 'Is this really the same lazy friend of mine?'
As the gap between them widened, Yuto seized the opportunity to engage Koenji in a more serious conversation. Leaping onto the trees to close the distance, he spoke with a determined tone. "Don't leave the island," he urged.
Koenji, intrigued by the sudden change in Yuto's demeanor, raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "It seems you know something, Doggy-boy, but I fail to see the reason to stay," he replied.
"Then let me give you a reason." Yuto's proposition caught Koenji's interest. "Let's play a game, Koenji," he suggested. "If I win, you stay on the island and assist me with a minor task. But if you win, you're free from ever contributing to the class again. How about it?"
Koenji considered the offer, his expression thoughtful. "What's the game?" he inquired.
"You can decide that," Yuto replied with a shrug.
Koenji's laughter filled the air as he regarded Yuto with a gleam in his eye. "Interesting, Doggy-boy. I accept your challenge. As for the game... Let's hunt sharks."
____________________________
Yuto and Koenji stood on the beach, the imposing cliffs surrounding them. Yuto looked around him. It was a small beach but was completely covered by cliffs, making impossible for the school management to spot what they will be doing.
"I'm impressed once again, Doggy-boy! You've climbed down a 100m cliff without breaking a sweat. Of course, you're nowhere close to my perfectness! I commend you for how close you are!" Koenji chuckled aloud.
Yuto maintained his deadpan expression, responding with a matter-of-fact tone. "Likewise..."
Koenji's face turned serious as he outlined the rules of their game. "The rules are simple. This unattractive watch here will serve as the timer. We'll take turns hunting our own shark. The one who does it faster will be the victor." He finished his explanation with a casual flick of his hand, adjusting his hair with practiced ease.
Yuto maintained his composure as he and Koenji both cut their fingers to attract sharks. "You can go first," Yuto said, giving a bleeding thumbs-up. Koenji smirked as he spotted a shark approaching him. With a few bone-breaking punches and a deft maneuver, he swiftly subdued the shark and broke its top fin, finishing the task in just four minutes. Returning to shore with the shark's corpse, Koenji looked back at Yuto with a smug grin, "Your chance, Doggy-boy."
Yuto nodded as he waited for another shark to come. Due to the scent of the other shark's blood, this one came much faster. Yuto didn't go too far into the depths of the water due to his fear which was mostly vanquised due to what he expereinced in the pool. Alas the fear still existed.
With a swift and calculated move, he grabbed onto the shark's gill and tore it, swiftly ending the creature's life. The entire encounter lasted a mere thirty seconds.
"Brute strength can't beat pure knowledge," Yuto remarked, a smirk playing on his lips.
Koenji chuckled in acknowledgment, "Indeed! It seems I lacked knowledge of this shark's anatomy. Your victory was as elegant as me!" Yuto chose to ignore Koenji's self-praise, instead reminding him in a dark tone, "You better stick to your word."
"Of course! It's not very elegant to break a deal!" Koenji replied, laughing heartily.
_____________________________________
As dusk settled over the island, Yuto and Koenji made their way back to camp, their journey uphill laden with the weight of their impressive catch.
"Climbing up a 100-meter hill with a 400-pound corpse sure is hard work, isn't it, Koenji?" Yuto remarked, his tone a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction.
Koenji looked at Yuto with a smirk. "This was child's play for someone like me! And the sharks we killed were but infants that got too close to the shore," he replied casually, his demeanor oozing with self-assurance.
Yuto shot Koenji a deadpan look before breaking into a grin. "You're weird. Exactly why we should be friends, Koenji!" he said.
Koenji laughed in response. "Having a companion close to my level of perfectness would indeed be entertaining," he considered seriously.
As they approached the camp, Yuto heard Sudo's exclamation, "Where the hell did Yuto and Koenji go?!"
"Down at the beach, hunting sharks," a voice called out from the forest, drawing the attention of the entire class.
Their confusion palpable, the classmates turned to see Yuto and Koenji emerging from the trees, Yuto waving cheerfully as Koenji followed behind.
"Where the hell were you?" Kei demanded, her eyes widening in shock as she took in their disheveled appearance.
"Eh? Didn't I just tell you?" Yuto replied casually, gesturing towards the massive shark corpses at their feet.
Kei's reaction was immediate. She nearly collapsed in disbelief, while the rest of the class erupted in incredulous exclamations.
Horikita remained silent, her expression unreadable as Ayanokoji maintained his usual stoic demeanor. But the rest of the class was in utter disbelief.
Rushing forward, Kushida and Kei checked on Yuto and Koenji, ensuring they were unharmed. Hirata noticed a small cut on their fingers and inquired about it.
Koenji spoke up before Yuto could respond. "We cut ourselves to attract the sharks," he explained matter-of-factly, a proud smirk gracing his features.
Yuto mirrored his smirk, but it was short-lived as he received an unexpected slap across the face. Surprisingly, it was Sudo who then enveloped Yuto in a tight hug, his emotions overflowing.
"Kazuki! You idiot! Don't go and die like that!" Sudo cried, tears streaming down his face. Some of their classmates were similarly moved, their eyes misty with emotion. Yuto began to shed tears leading his classmates to assume that he was moved by the emotional outburst from Sudo and others. Yet, deep down, Yuto's tears stemmed from a different source.
Glancing at Horikita, who remained stoic on her rock beside Ayanokoji, Yuto cried, 'She really doesn't care about me..' For Horikita, it was a matter of understanding Yuto's nature. She recognized his tendency for dramatics and his capability to handle himself in various situations. While she was intially worried, she didn't see the need for excessive concern over minor incidents. It was part of her stoic demeanor, often misconstrued as indifference.
Meanwhile, Ibuki sat in a corner, her shock evident as she pondered the events. 'Unbelievable! No wonder Ryuen told me to keep an eye on him! This guy is nuts! I doubt even Albert can pull something like this off unscathed!'
As the commotion died down, Kei intervened with practicality. "Hey, Kazuki, more importantly, go take a bath! You stink! You too, Koenji!" she exclaimed, her nose wrinkling at the smell.
Yuto, embarrassed but still grinning, retorted, "Of course I stink! I'm soaked in fish blood!"
With nods of agreement from their classmates, Yuto and Koenji headed off to clean up, leaving behind a camp abuzz with disbelief and admiration for their outrageous feat.