Modern Monster

“Well, that’s quite a predicament, isn’t it.” Hyo heaved a sigh. With an almost defeated expression, he tossed some extra wood on the crackling flames of the campfire, a few embers fluttering out. One even got so close that it landed on Sen’s crossed leg, then slowly died when it made contact with the expensive white tracksuit. It occurred to him that perhaps he shouldn’t be this close to the campfire, but the warmth comforted him. And right now, he wanted—no, he needed—to calm down. His brain couldn’t think straight anymore. Not after all that.

It was as if he had been sleep-deprived for months on end, not even able to critically process things as he normally should. Huh, normally… That was an amusing thought. He didn’t know what that even meant anymore. Objective conclusions were a foregone thought—things he once knew meant nothing now.

Around Sen, crouching beside the campfire, was his team. Noticing his distant expression, Hana frowned thoughtfully yet offered no words of comfort. He couldn’t quite blame her either; there wasn’t much to say. He should be the one talking by any means. How could he even begin to explain his reaction to Hana? That he saw this devilish face that she couldn’t see? That he kept hearing this voice in his head? That he wasn’t even in control of his own body?

I need to figure it out… It wasn’t necessary for them to know; in the end, it just made things more difficult for him. Having more people know about an issue didn’t solve it any quicker; it just convoluted the solutions. Or maybe he was hesitant. Hesitant that if he said too much, they would look at him as if he were crazy. Which, on a scale of possibilities, was high up there. All the side effects of having schizophrenia were present. But something deep down told him that he didn’t have it. If it were all in his mind, then how was he able to kill that monster? Or if it were all in his head, why, in the past, did other people view him differently… almost with fear? It was true… this issue hadn’t just simply popped up out of nowhere—it was always there—just in different forms. He had just refused to acknowledge them.

“Alright, let’s try to discuss what happened again. Just so we’re clear,” Hyo suggested, crossing his legs and joining the circle.

“Let’s not push it, okay? I don’t know if Sen is ready to talk,” Hana glanced worryingly at her brother. She had brought him back to the camp by herself, with his unconscious body slung over her shoulders. And shortly after using their communication device, she had urgently told everyone that there was an emergency. Sen wasn’t sure what she had told them while he was unconscious, but judging by Hyo’s confused expression, there was still much to discuss.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Baru said, lying on his side on the forest floor, his hand propped to support his head. Hana didn’t appreciate his unworried attitude, shooting an angry glare at him. Surprisingly, however, he didn’t start an argument. Maybe, to some extent, she also yearned to know why Sen had acted so oddly back then. Which was only fair. Sen couldn’t remember the last time he had audibly screamed. He just simply never did that.

“It’s perfectly reasonable to be troubled after what he saw,” Hyo said thoughtfully, prodding the campfire with a long stick and breaking the scorched logs. “It’s not every day that you see three mutilated bodies. I think everyone here can share that sentiment.”

The team slowly yet reluctantly nodded in agreement. However, that wasn’t exactly what troubled Sen. Those dead bodies were nothing compared to that… that face he saw.

“Yeah, It was…” Hana trailed off, then sighed, deciding not to continue that thought, “We were just talking about how easy the challenge seemed, too. I guess that’s karma.”

Baru had a more indifferent opinion. “A few deaths are common in the Knight exams; they probably weren't as experienced in battle. Asashi gave everyone a lot of chances to leave, and they could even forfeit whenever they wanted as well.”

“That’s cruel to say, don’t you think.” Usually, there would be anger in Hana’s tone—this time, there was just dread.

“It is cruel,” Baru agreed, his eyes darkened, focusing on the fire. “But it’s just the truth, and we can’t let it intimidate us.”

“Baru is right,” Sen breathed out, looking at the orange sky above from the campsite. It seemed as though the day had just begun, yet now it was already over, becoming dusk. This was a good time to play it off as if Sen had gotten over the sight he had seen, even though it wasn’t exactly why he had vomited or screamed. Still, the dead contestant bothered him way more than it should have.

“Let’s talk about the more important issue,” Sen firmly said.

Hyo nodded his head, almost waiting for him to say that. “The rumor, I presume?”

Maybe Sen imagined it, but he could have sworn he saw Hyo glance quickly to the side at Hono.

“Yes, before I went fully unconscious, I heard Nova say that there was a rumor about a Senseless contestant. And the most obvious questions are: Who spread the rumor? Just how and when?” Sen gauged his team’s reaction. He was confident most of his team would never voluntarily spread a rumor about him. Even Baru, although very odd, didn’t seem the type to do that. Not to mention, they had only told him very recently. That wouldn’t be enough time for a rumor to spread so far, even to make the number one team/person aware of it. Meaning it must have been when the second challenge started or perhaps even before. I hate to admit it… Sen thought, but the timing was too convenient.

There was another person he had indirectly told he was Senseless, too. And that was Ayame. Only a fool would look at the timing and write her off. As much as Sen was urged to deny it, he simply couldn’t. His gut was telling him no, but his brain was saying yes.

“Does it really matter?” Baru yawned, tired from slaying monsters all day. “I mean, so what if they find out? It’s not like you have an advantage over others.”

What Baru said was true, and at first, that’s what Sen had thought. There shouldn't be a problem with him competing. Theoretically, others wouldn’t care. But now that he had discovered a rumor was spreading, he was beginning to doubt that sentiment. Hyo adjusted his glasses, almost as if he wanted to say something, but debated whether it was appropriate. With a conflicted frown, he eventually exhaled.

“Well, I wouldn’t say everyone wouldn’t care,” he said at last.

Kaiyo tilted her head, her knees drawn to her chest, and her arms wrapped around them beside the crackling fire. “What does that mean?”

“I mean, just take why people bully Sen, for example. It’s not like they envy him, no offense Sen—it’s quite the opposite. People like to bully others who are different. And the very fact this is a rumor is worrisome. Usually, people don’t make a rumor without some sort of ulterior motive.”

Hyo ripped Sen’s thought straight out of his mind. The worrisome part wasn’t that someone knew, but rather that there was a rumor about him, and usually, it meant there was controversy at the root of it.

“So, you’re saying that this person, or people who spread the rumor, are planning on doing something bad to Sen?” Kaiyo asked with a quiver in her tone.

Hyo and Sen exchanged glances. “Well, there’s a chance of that, of course. The person who spread the rumor is bound to have some ill intent toward us, that’s a given,” Hyo said. Once again, he quickly glanced at Hono, who remained quiet most of the time, listening in the circle with an unreadable expression. He suspects her. Sen caught the hints. However, it would be a lie if he said he didn’t. Sen had been keeping an eye on her for a long time, and many things felt out of place. But she was with us the whole time. I just don’t know when or how she would have had the time to spread a rumor like that. Purely on the probability range, Ayame and her brother are at higher suspicion.

“What Hyo is trying to say is that the biggest problem is if the rumor gets heard by the wrong people,” Sen clarified. “That being said, it’s all speculative. There is a chance that nothing is going to happen, even if this rumor spreads further. But the best thing for now is if Hana and I try to remain unseen. It’s better not to make other people associate me with the rest of you for the time being.”

Baru picked his nose, inspecting his booger, then flicking it away. “What if the people who started the rumor already know who the rest of the team is? Is keeping you hidden going to help at all?”

“The person who’s at the bottom of this might know, but from what it looks like, the rumor itself is only about me.”

“How are you so sure?” Kaiyo wondered.

Sen wasn’t sure, but his gut was telling him that it was true. “Back when we saw Nova, he was only interested in me and had no clue of Hana’s name, leading me to believe I’m the only one known yet. But, after seeing us together, it’s only a matter of time before descriptions of the Senseless contestant’s sister start to surface as well.”

Although Sen was terrified out of his mind after seeing Nova, he still recalled everything in detail. He wished he couldn’t, though. He tried to get that face out of his mind, but… it just wouldn’t leave.

“Hana, did that Nova guy mention anything else?” Hyo asked.

She shook her head. “No, he just mentioned that he had overheard a rumor of a Senseless contestant and asked if it was true. I obviously denied it, but he didn’t seem inclined to get more information out of me.”

Hyo frowned and scratched his head with a sigh. “Okay, well, that doesn’t help much. What do you think, Sen? What should we do?”

There was only so much they could do.

“Well…” Sen breathed in the crisp air, a ray of orange light hitting his face from the setting sun. “Hana and I will refrain from being seen in the forest, so we’ll be here most of the time. I’m counting on the rest of you to keep piling up points…” He scanned his team as they all nodded in agreement, except for Hono, who seemed distracted. Sen decided it was a good opportunity to test and study her reaction.

“Hono?” Sen asked her. She jerked up, meeting his stare. There was a hint of nervousness in her expression, though she kept it hidden behind her bright smile quite well. “What do you think?”

She blinked. “What do I think? You mean about what to do?”

He nodded. “You’ve been quiet, so I would like to know your thoughts. We value your input just like anyone else on our team.”

She flushed. “Oh, I’m… I’m not too sure. It’s an interesting situation, but you guys are always smart, so I’m sure everything will work out!” she sustained with a cheerful expression.

She’s blushing? Sen thought with confusion, wondering why. The answer came to him instantly. That’s right, she’s still awkward around me ever since I kissed her. Remembering that event all of a sudden made him feel weird. For some reason, he wanted to forget that ever happened as quickly as possible.

“But there is something I think is worth a shot,” Hono said unexpectedly. The team eyed her with intrigue. “If you want to be extra careful, I think it’s possible to change the name of your team.”

Sen wasn’t expecting that method and certainly wouldn’t have ever thought about it. He assumed that the naming of teams was final. The only reason he had boldly named the team under Sen was to throw off Asashi, but now that it wasn’t needed anymore, it would help them greatly in their predicament.

“Is that even possible?” Hana probed Hono, and she simply shrugged, unsure herself.

“It’s worth a shot. If a team leader gets disqualified, it’s only natural that the techno-watch would allow you to change the team’s name to someone else. In this case, I also think it’s possible,” Hono noted.

How is she so sure that the team gets to change its name if a leader gets disqualified? Sen wondered.

“Well…” Hyo met eyes with Sen with a shrug. “I don’t know if it’ll work, but it’s better than nothing.”

“Hope you name it Team Baru this time, for crying out loud!” Baru lifted himself from his laid-down position, stretching his arms out. “I don’t get the respect I deser—”

“Sure, if it works.” Sen didn’t exactly care who got the title. It just couldn’t be him or Hana, since she was seen with him.

Baru froze mid-stretch. “…Huh?”

“No objections here,” Hyo lifted his hand.

The rest of the team voiced their agreement, except for Hana, who just tried to pretend she didn’t hear anything. Baru’s jaw hung, and his brows raised in pure disbelief. After begging the first time and being shut down instantly, he finally got what he wished for. Baru almost cried. “Holy shit.”