NOVEL WEB Chapter 21: Island : Unseen
It was the second day on the island.
Yuto was on recon duty with Horikita and Ayanokoji. They came over to Class B's spot. "I don't want to go!" Yuto started crying as he grabbed a tree trunk while Ayanokoji was pulling his left hand. Class B spot was lively and fun. "Suzune! Can I stay here pleasee!" Yuto cried
"No." Horikita shut him down. Ichinose started chuckling as she asked Horikita, "Horikita-san, we don't mind him here. You can leave him be."
Ayanokoji looked at Ichinose with a dead fish look as he said while pointing at a feral Yuto, "Are you sure you want to babysit this man-child?"
Ichinose nodded with a smile while Horikita said in a serious tone with the arms crossed. "Ichinose-san, don't spoil this idiot. He is only running away from his responsiblilities."
Yuto frowned, "But but, wern't you the one who said I should enjoy!" Horikita glared at him, "You are a nessesary cog for Class D to function as a whole. What happen yesterday only strengthens that point." what came out of Horikita's mouth next, felt like a ton of bricks on Yuto, "You have responsibilities."
In a desperate attempt to escape, Yuto latched onto Kanzaki's leg, begging for mercy. "Ryuji-chan! I don't want to go! They will do unspeakable things to me! Are you truly ok with that?" Kanzaki was perplexed by Yuto's behavior. They had only met five minutes ago and Yuto already called him by his given name?!
Ichinose chuckled as Horikita pulled Yuto's ear and began to drag him away. Yuto began flailing his hands while calling Ichinose's name. Ichinose put on an awkward smile and waved her hand. "Ichinose-chan! You have betrayed me! This is a declaration of war!" Ichinose looked startled when Yuto said that, but knew he was joking.
"Is he retarded..." Kanzaki commented to which Ichinose pouted, "Kanzaki-kun, that's a very mean thing to say, moreover, Kazuki-kun is one of the smarter people I know. He is just... a bit feral.."
After getting away far enough, Yuto sighed. "Do you know Class B's leader now?" Ayanokoji asked while Horikita was confused. "Chihiro Shiranami." Yuto said matter-of-factly.
Horikita looked suprised, "How did you now? More importantly, are you trying to break our alliance with Class B?!" Yuto frowned, "Chihiro kept throwing glances at her side pocket and her micro expressions were a dead give away when you glanced at her. I was also suspicious of Kanzaki but when he also glanced at Chihiro for a second, I knew it was Chihiro Shiranami."
Yuto paused. "As for you second question. Class B can sustain itself with it's current class points after we are going to do. Class B should also not name any leader, while it is a shame that they will have to lose 50 S-points. Ichinose should still try to keep the alliance up as it would be disadvantagous not to."
Horikita was suprised at how much information Yuto processed in a mere 5 mins. 'His deduction might be on par with nee-san' she commented internally however, a phrase caught her eye. "What do you mean by 'after we are going to do'?" Yuto stuck his tougue out as he said, "It's a secret between Kiyo-chan and me!"
Ayanokoji looked at Yuto as he said, "You won the bet fair and well, I shall give you the lollipop as promised after we return to the ship." Yuto's eyes glimmered as Horikita immediatally understood that Yuto did all of this for the sake of a lollipop!
'If only he wasn't such a idiot...'
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Back at camp, Yuto walked over to Koenji with a dark look and said, "It's time" Koenji smirked as he said, "Doggy-boy, you are very entertaining..." and proceeded to stare at Yuto for a second. Yuto said in a deadpan tone, "Koenji, are you gay?"
"Uh?"
Yuto approached Hirata and informed him, "Hey Yosuke! I'm going with Koenji to gather some fruits."
Kei, standing nearby, interjected with a worried tone, "Hey Kazuki! Don't go shark hunting again. You might not make it this time."
Yuto chuckled awkwardly, "I'll be fine..." Sato chimed in, "He just jinxed it, didn't he?"
Hirata offered Yuto a warm smile, "Be careful, Kazuki-kun. It's pretty dark out there right now." Yuto nodded in acknowledgment before leaving with Koenji.
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"AHHH!" A sharp scream pierced through the air, sending a shiver down Hirata's spine. It had been 30 minutes since Yuto and Koenji set out, and Hirata's heart sank at the sound. He could only hope it wasn't Yuto that caused such a scream. To his dismay, it was.
Hirata's eyes widened in alarm as he spotted Yuto being supported by Koenji, his appearance disheveled. His gaze dropped to Yuto's right ankle, twisted unnaturally backward. Rushing to Yuto's side, Hirata's voice trembled with concern, "Kazuki-kun! Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine... hahaha... just twisted my ankle..." Yuto managed to utter through the pain, though his laughter sounded strained.
Koenji interjected, providing a more detailed account, "He fell from a redwood tree after his ankle twisted. Luckily, I caught him before he fell completely. But his condition is serious. I believe he needs immediate medical attention, though he insists on consulting everyone first, as leaving will cost us 30 S-points."
Horikita cut the crowd and walked towards Yuto, her hand connecting with Yuto's cheek in a disheartening slap. "Are you an idiot?!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with concern and frustration. "Given the severity of your leg injury, your tibial tendon may have torn! You must seek medical attention immediately, or you may never walk again..."
Yuto's eyes widened as he looked at Horikita's sorrowful face. 'She does care about me...' he thought as he began to tear up a little. His classmates instantly agreed with Horikita.
"I only need one person to accompany me to the ship as we can't leave camp alone," Yuto declared, his voice strained with pain. Despite everyone's eagerness to help, Ayanokoji was the first to step forward. With a calm demeanor, he lifted Yuto into his arms and began to carry him into the forest, away from the watchful eyes of their classmates.
As they departed, the rest of the group looked on with somber expressions, realizing the gravity of Yuto's injury. Ibuki meanwhile, was observing from a distance, sitting on a rock. She managed to catch a glimpse of Yuto's feet and assessed the severity of his condition. 'I can certainly say that he is not walking for at least two weeks. With the biggest threat in class D incapacitated, this will undoubtedly make things easier,' she thought to herself, but couldn't help but feel bad for Yuto, who was limping his way towrds the ship.
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"We are far away now," Ayanokoji noted, breaking the silence as they ventured deeper into the forest.
"Finally! I can stretch my leg now," Yuto exclaimed, readjusting his ankle back to its proper position. Ayanokoji observed with interest, his analytical mind intrigued by Yuto's unusual flexibility.
"What are you looking at, Kiyo-chan?" Yuto asked, noticing Ayanokoji's weird gaze. Yuto grimaced, "Wait! Don't tell me you're gay too!"
Ayanokoji shook his head ."It's rare to see someone who is triple jointed, so I wanted to observe how the bone formation works," Ayanokoji explained.
Yuto stuck his tougue out as he rubbed the back of his head, "Benefits of being born three months prematurely! Your bones grow weird!"
"Well, this is my cue! I should go now before the class starts to worry about you!" Yuto announced.
"Are you sure about this?" Ayanokoji asked, his expression still the same.
"Yes! It will be easier to sabotage classes like this, plus I'll have nothing to do after the 6th day, so I shall spend the 7th day enjoying anyway" Yuto remarked with a nod.
Ayanokoji simply nodded aswell.
"Well, I guess that's it," Ayanokoji said, extending his hand for a shake. Yuto tilted his head and grinned, "Yeah... I trust you will take care of the toddler, no?" Ayanokoji nodded as Yuto shook his hand.
As Yuto disappeared into the forest, Ayanokoji couldn't help but think, 'It's nice to have allies that can match my thinking. Is he also from the whiteroom? Our way of thinking is very similar.'