12 Vol. 3 Chp. 3: Misfortune
'...': Writing
'...': Sign language
3rd Day
"Hey, boys! Boys! Wake up! Wake up already!"
Their loud voices woke me up.
"What the hell?" I heard Sudou yell.
"What's going on?" I heard Hirata say.
"Hirata-kun. Awful news!" Shinohara yelled.
It only took a couple of minutes before all the male students had to get out of the tent.
"What could it be this early in the morning?" Hirata asked.
"It probably has nothing to do with you, Hirata-kun... but we must find out something. This morning... Karuizawa-san's underwear went missing. Karuizawa-san's in our tent, crying. Kushida-san and the others are comforting her, but..."
"W-Wait a minute! Why are you suspecting you? " Ike asked.
"Why do you think? One of you stole them overnight!" Shinohara explained.
"It was probably that Ibuki girl, not us!" Sudou suggested.
"A girl would never steal something like that!" Shinohara glared right at me, "It bet it was you! You're the only one who slept outside of the tent!"
'I didn't steal her underwear, but I'll allow you to check my bag.'
"Why is he throwing out gang signs?" Ike whispered.
"It's sign language," Horikita answered, "He said you can check his bag."
I pushed myself off the tree and made my way over to the tent. I grabbed my bag, but Shinohara ripped it out of my hands.
All that was left was my bag. I gave them my bag, and Shinohara immediately started searching.
"I knew it!" Shinohara reached into my bag and pulled out underwear that was balled up and hidden.
I shook my head, denying that I stole Karuizawa's panties.
I noticed Ibuki's shocked reaction to the underwear in my bag.
"What is this?! This proves that you're the culprit!" Shinohara yelled.
I've been framed!
I turned to Horikita, and she looked back at me, 'I need a translator.'
She nodded, and I signed to her.
"He says that if I were to steal Karuizawa-san's underwear, then why would I allow you to check my bag," Horikita translated.
"No, you're making excuses for yourself!" Shinohara argued.
"Okay, let's stop fighting," Hirata said, "For now, give the underwear to Karuizawa-san while I talk to Kagurazaka-kun."
The arguing had stopped, but the gossip began. I could hear the whispers all around us.
"He's the worst..."
"Pervert."
"You shouldn't trust the silent guy."
"Just die."
Even the guys were keeping their distance from me. I don't understand why I deserved to be framed for a crime I didn't commit.
I shook my head and signed. Horikita's eyes widened slightly before she composed herself.
"He doesn't want to talk to anyone because no matter what he says, no one will believe him."
"But..." Hirata started, but I shook my head.
I knew he would believe me, but it didn't mean anything. Hirata acts like a pacifist, and I don't need that now.
I returned to my original spot, sitting against the tree, and closed my eyes.
~Timeskip~
"If you wanted a pair of panties, you could've asked," I recognized the voice and opened my eyes.
Ichihashi had a teasing smile on her face as she sat down right beside me.
I roll my eyes at her teasing.
"Don't worry; I don't believe you didn't steal her underwear, and I'm not the only girl either," Ichihashi smiled brightly.
"Can you all please gather?" Shinohara asks.
When everyone gathered up, Karuizawa's eyes were red from crying. When her eyes landed on me, she looked at me disgustedly.
"Sleeping close to the boys stresses us out a lot, so we will draw a line here between girls and boys," Shinohara says.
"Move your damn tent. We aren't going to help," Sudou says.
"We didn't need your help anyways. Hirata, can you help us move our tent?" Shinohara asks.
"Okay, I'll help," Hirata says.
"Thank you, Hirata!" Shinohara says.
"Yeah. Only Hirata can be trusted," Karuizawa says before looking at me angrily.
"Can I object to all of you? Especially to you, Karuizawa?" Horikita asks.
"What is Horikita-san? Do you have any objections to the present plan?" Karuizawa asks.
"It doesn't bother me dividing the living area between men and women, but I do not trust Hirata. He's a boy, after all," Horikita says.
"Hirata would never do such a thing. Can you understand that?" Karuizawa argues.
"That's your personal belief. You will not force the same idea on me," Horikita says.
Karuizawa took a step forward, "Hirata isn't a criminal. Kagurazaka-kun is a perverted criminal. You don't even have friends or a boyfriend, so you may not understand."
"I will not repeat myself. You can not change my mind," Horikita stands firm, "I nominate Ayanokouji-kun to help out Hirata-kun."
"Hahaha! Do not make me laugh! I refuse to have any help from a quiet, sullen-looking guy." Karuizawa says.
You don't need to attack him like that.
Karuizawa tells me, "I can't trust someone who is friends with him! They are probably plotting together to do something perverted. And if I'm wrong, weren't you also nominated our leader? At this point, your opinion is trash."
"Umm, I-I don't think Ayanokouji-kun would do something like this," Sakura unexpectedly spoke up.
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Karuizawa glared at her.
Sakura refused to make eye contact with her, "B-Because... he isn't like that... It's the same for Kagurazaka-kun."
"Kagurazaka is guilty! He had my underwear in his bag!" Karuizawa argues.
"But what if someone put it in his bag to frame him?" Mori suggests.
"Does Sakura-san like the perverted Kagurazaka-kun, maybe?"
"E-Eh?!" She was startled as her cheeks started to turn a bit red.
"Ha, isn't this amazing? No one likes him that much. Are you going to confess to him?" Karuizawa laughs.
SLAP
Karuizawa was hit with a hard slap across the face that knocked her down on her ass. Everyone was shocked to see Karuizawa's sudden silence. Her right cheek was red as she saw Mori standing before her.
Oh, shit...
"What the hell is your problem?!" Shinohara yelled, marching her way over to her.
"My problem? What the hell is this bitch's problem?!" Mori yelled, causing Shinohara to flinch.
I think Mori's outburst made many students take a step back.
"Kagurazaka-kun doesn't give a shit about Karuizawa-san's underwear, especially if she has a boyfriend!" Mori yelled.
"Ayanokouji-kun and Sakura-san didn't do anything wrong, so don't drag them into this," Mori stated.
~Timeskip~
"Kagurazaka-kun, all the girls decided your punishment," Shinohara announced.
Sakura gave me a sorry and worried look.
"You'll be an outcast from the base camp, and you can only come here during roll call and claim the device."
Cool, I'm leaving.
I grabbed my belongings and started walking away. Horikita called me, "Kagurazaka-kun, I'm sorry for all the trouble you must carry..."
When I patted her head, she stopped talking.
...
...
...
...
...
"I'll b-be f-fine," I spoke for the first time in many years.
...
...
...
...
...
Horikita looked at me with wide eyes, "You spoke," she muttered.
'Don't exert yourself too much, or you'll be a burden.'
A faint blush appeared on Horikita's cheeks. She's a tough woman who is holding her own while being sick until now.
From the corner of my eye, two people were staring at me. One was gripping her hand tightly while having a frustrated expression. The other one had a wicked smile as she watched me walk away.
Class B's camp
I arrived at Class B, and Ichinose saw me. She stopped what she was doing, "Hey, Kagurazaka-kun!" Ichinose waves with a smile.
I wave back at her.
"How are you doing?" I ask.
'Can take shelter here?'
"Eh?! Why?!"
'An incident happened, and I have been kicked from my camp.'
"That's terrible! I don't mind you staying here. You are more than welcome," Ichinose says.
She's way too kind for her good. So many people can take advantage of her kindness.
"If you don't have any problems with it, then all of us will follow your decision."
'Thank you, Ichinose.'
"It's no problem," Ichinose smiled.
'Do you need help with anything?' I asked.
"I could use some help collecting the fruit," Kanzaki said.
I nodded.
I helped Kanzaki collect fruit until the evening and returned to Class D's camp for roll call before leaving immediately.
I returned to Class B's camp, where Ichinose greeted me, "I'm sorry we don't have another tent for you to sleep in. I could ask one of the guys..."
I shook my head, 'I preferred sleeping outside since the start of the exam.'
"Are you sure?" Ichinose gave me a worried look.
I nodded.
"Okay... Well, good night."
Ichinose walked away.
I glanced over at the sea to see someone sitting near the water. She had violet hair tied up in twin tails.
She was the only one out here, so I made my way over to her and sat down.
"So, what are you doing?" She asked.
I shrugged while listening to the waves.
"You seem like a quiet guy."
I wrote in the wet sand, 'I'm mute.'
"Everybody sucks," she commented.
She stares at me and feels like she is staring right through me.
She must be waiting for a response.
'I can relate to that.'
"So, you also wake up in the morning and struggle to get out of bed?" She asked.
'Sometimes.'
"I don't mind talking to you now and then," she said, "I'm Himeno Yuki, and I want to die."
What a unique introduction.
'Kagurazaka Norogumi. Mute.'
"You seem cool, though. We can be friends if you want to or not. I don't care," Himeno said.
3rd POV
From the girls' tent, they were spying on them both.
"This is a rare sighting! She hasn't run away!" Kobashi whispered.
"It looks like you have competition, Honami-san," Amikura teased her.
"I think we should stop spying on them," Ichinose suggested with a blush.
"But she's talking to him," Andou points out.
"Just for a little bit longer," Minamikita said while watching them.
Ichinose sighed, and she knew she couldn't convince them.
Kagurazaka's POV
"I have a strange feeling... that it's going to be harder to keep my walls up around myself with you," Himeno spoke her mind.
"Well, I'm off to another sleepless night," Himeno said, getting up.
4th day
Ayanokouji's POV
It was morning roll call as Chabashira-sensei announced, "Kagurazaka Norogumi has retired."
Exam Class Points: 200-30=170
~Timeskip~
Tension was rising in the morning after the morning roll call. There seemed to seem to be two separate groups.
Mori became a group leader with the following members: Ichihashi, Onodera, and surprisingly, Mei-Yu Wang and Sakura were part of the group.
There was still Karuizawa's crew, but the rest of the girls didn't want to be part of the conflict, and I don't blame them.
It feels like I'm walking through a minefield if I were to approach either group.
"It seems with Kagurazaka-kun leaving, there has been a rift with the girls," Horikita said beside me.
I should go check out Class C's camp.
Class C's camp
Arriving at the scene, Class C's camp was completely deserted. It seems like everyone retired.
"Hey, you scared me, seriously. I thought you were strange, but not to this extent."
I vaguely looked at the shore view when two people walked behind me, pretending they knew me.
"Did you come here to spy, too, Ayanokouji?"
It was Ichinose and Kanzaki from B Class. I wondered if these two came to see how C Class was doing.
"I'm in charge of finding food. I was walking around the forest and ended up on the shore."
"We are looking for Kagurazaka-kun, too. We haven't seen Jim since last night," Ichinose said.
"He retired," I answered.
"Wait?!" Ichinose seemed shocked, "Why?"
"Chabashira-sensei didn't say why," I told them.
I saw a pitiful look on Ichinose's face. Her expression changed into a shocked one.
"Woah, I can't see anybody. It must be just like Kanzaki said. They must be abstaining from operations," Ichinose scratched her cheek and sighed sadly.
"We were trying to see who Class C's leader was, but... was this all for nothing? If they've all gone up to the boat, we won't be able to find any hints."
"I thought about it, and don't you think C Class already used up all their points? If so, even if we find the leader, does that mean we won't get a penalty?"
"They said there would be no bad influences in Semester 2, so their points wouldn't go below 0."
Ichinose appeared bored while we looked around the empty Class C base camp in the morning.
"An operation that uses all of your points, it's not something to compliment, but even so, it's amazing."
"No matter how much I think about it, this just doesn't seem like it will work. This test is so you can gather points. By just throwing that whole idea away, Ryuuen has already lost."
Ichinose and Kanzaki, both with pitiful looks, looked towards the uninhabited island as they spoke.
"It's so hard trying to figure out who the leader is. It's a waste of time, just a waste."
"I think quietly keeping watch and taking part in the test would be the best option."
"Yes, yes. I think a solid strategy is the best thing we can use."
"Chirp, chirp."
Hmm, when did this bird get here? On closer inspection, it was holding something in its mouth. It dropped whatever it was fitting and tilted its head.
A moment later, the bird flew away. I was curious about what it dropped.
I walked over and reached into the sand, picking up a slip of paper that was folded multiple times.
I unraveled the paper, "What is it, Ayanokouji-kun?" Ichinose asked.
"It's a message from Kagurazaka."
"What?!" Ichinose and Kanzaki were shocked.
I was slightly surprised. Kagurazaka managed to have a bird send a message.
"What does it say?" Kanzaki asked curiously.
"It reads, 'Ryuuen is on the island.'"
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