บท 27: Chapter 27 - Not as it seems

---Notice—

Please read the important notice at the end of the chapter.

Any support means a lot, can hopefully get this story out there.

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"Truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies." ~Winston Churchill

At this point, the ambiance of Class D was akin to that of Class B during our visit. The living standards and attitudes within our class have all improved. Fish, crops, and clean water - we had all the essentials, and everyone adapted to the outdoors. Regrettably, the wilderness lacked cake, ice cream, or candy, but it seemed I was the only one bothered by this detail.

Our class has expended slightly less than 100 points, and at this pace, we will remain just around 100 by the exam's conclusion, as I had hoped.

Observing the class, one could hear laughter and see a few individuals completing their daily tasks while others, like Koenji and myself, simply lazed around. Ayanokoji was currently engaged in conversation with Kaneda, which has been a common occurrence lately. Meanwhile, Horikita was confined to the girl's tent, her cold having taken a toll on her. It was almost surprising how Class B could overlook her condition, but it was better this way.

Horikita only had to endure until tomorrow, the final day of the exam. Time has flown since my discussion with Class B. As Class B wouldn't vote for Class D and had no reason to learn our true leader, and Class A was on the defensive, relying on Class C for intelligence. We had also identified the names of the three cardholders, two of whom Horikita will claim credit for as per my agreement with Ayanokoji, and I will take credit for identifying Class B's cardholder. Not that Class D will be pleased once they discover I voted for them. Ayanokoji is the only one who knows I'm aware of their cardholder.

"What are you up to, Eru?" Hirata inquires, pausing to glance around.

"I was merely thinking about how Class D has been managing well in this exam. It's funny to think back to our initial day on the island. Other than that, I'm not particularly engaged at the moment," I respond to Hirata.

"I see; yes, there's been a significant change since then; it's good," Hirata remarks, seeming genuinely pleased. "I was going to ask if you could lend a hand. We're dispatching some groups to gather food for a grand party since it will be our last night here. We have plenty of people fishing, but we wanted to gather more vegetables for grilling and even fruits for making drinks."

"I see. I don't mind assisting. I don't have anything better to do at the moment anyway," I respond.

"Thank you. You can join Ayanokoji and Sakura whenever you're ready. They are the only group short of a member," Hirata informs me.

"I understand. I'll speak with them shortly then," I respond, and with that, Hirata nods his head.

"A final party, huh?" I say to myself as I rise from my crouched position. I suppose they feel they've earned it after all their hard work.

"Apologies for interrupting your conversation, Kaneda, Ayanokoji. I just wanted to let you know that I've been chosen to join you and Sakura in searching for extra food," I inform him.

"Ah, I see. You don't have to come if you don't want to. I had told him that just Sakura and I would be enough, but he seemed insistent on bringing someone else," Ayanokoji responds.

"It's no trouble. I'm more surprised that you, Kaneda, are not coming along. You seem to have become closer friends with Ayanokoji and Kushida than anyone else."

"I wanted to, but I thought it would be better if I stayed here and helped with fishing. I'm not very fond of the wilderness or very athletic."

"Fair enough," I respond to him and turn to Ayanokoji, "Are we departing now?"

"Yes, let's get Sakura so we can get this task done," he responds.

I trail behind him as he walks towards the female side of the camp, and soon we locate Sakura, "Sakura, are you prepared to leave? Hirata asked that Eru join us, so now we're a trio."

"Ah? Yes, I think I'm ready," Sakura responds a hint of anxiety in her voice.

"Alright, let's head this way," I say, turning right, "Let's aim to complete this quickly."

"Eru, is there a reason we're heading in that direction? There are mostly trees in that area… and it's quite dim because of that…" Sakura mutters softly.

"Yes, we likely won't find fruits, but we can at least find mushrooms," I explain, removing my tracksuit hoodie, planning to use it as a makeshift sack like Koenji did on the first day, "They typically grow in areas with low levels of light."

"Oh, I see. I didn't know you were knowledgeable about such things. Have you ever been camping before?" she continues.

"I can't say I have. I was pretty sheltered for most of my life, so something like this isn't routine for me," I say, halting upon noticing an area with mushrooms, "All the mushrooms here appear safe, so you can start gathering." The two proceed to help.

"I see, so you're just naturally capable then? That's good. And what about you, Ayanokoji? Have you ever done anything like this?" Sakura asks, growing more comfortable.

"I can't say I have. You could say I was also sheltered to a degree," Ayanokoji responds.

"I see. Did you also come from a wealthy background? I remember Eru mentioning that he did it on the cruise ship, but I've never heard you talk much about your life. Even Eru only shares little details every once in a while," Sakura says, lost in thought as we begin to move this time to the outer and brighter areas of the island to search for fruits like berries.

"You could say that, and I don't talk much because my life is average. There isn't much to be said," Ayanokoji responds.

"That isn't true… I think you're very interesting," Sakura says before pausing, leaving us to walk in silence until we arrive at an area with berries.

I begin to gather them, "These are safe," I inform the two.

"What are your thoughts on this school so far?" Sakura inquires.

"I find it intriguing. The situations it presents are interesting. Beyond that, I don't have much else to say," I respond in my usual analytical manner.

"It's not what I expected, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I've made some connections within the class, so I don't have much to criticize," Ayanokoji replies in his calm, composed tone.

"I see; you two are stronger than me," Sakura says with a small smile. "Honestly, I find this school intimidating. This is the first time I've been so isolated, and the constant threat of expulsion is always there. I've never been good with people… But at least in my previous school, it was a place I understood."

"Don't worry too much. No one in our class would want to see you or anyone else expelled unless they were causing significant problems. So, for now, I'd say your worries are unfounded. I'm sure Hirata and Kushida wouldn't let such a situation occur," I reassure her.

Ayanokoji remains silent at my words while Sakura seems to contemplate them.

"I don't mean to be rude, Eru, but that's easier for someone remarkable like you to say. I'm not talented in the slightest. I can't help the class, and even if the class wouldn't look down on me because of that, I have to constantly live knowing I'm the weak link in the class, and the class probably knows that too, or will come to realize it," Sakura confesses.

"That's true," I respond. I'm not one to offer empty comfort. It's better to acknowledge one's own situation than to receive false reassurance.

We quickly finish gathering berries. "All we're missing now are some vegetables," I say.

"Do you know how to find them?" Sakura asks, having been quiet since our brief conversation.

"Yes, it shouldn't be too hard. This island has a lot of areas with water. We just need to search for a place with water and sunlight, well, open areas," I say, looking at the sky. It was currently cloudy, and it seems it will be raining soon.

"Birds can lead us to grain too, so if you spot any, we will probably have good luck in finding what we're looking for," I continue.

"You seem to know a lot, even though you've never been camping," Sakura observes as we resume our walk.

"Well, these are basic things that anyone could figure out with a bit of thought. It doesn't really require extensive knowledge," I explain.

"Are you planning to eat any of the food that will be prepared?" Ayanokoji asks me.

"No, I'm not really in the mood for fish or vegetables. I might have some fruits, though."

"That's interesting, Ayanokoji. I've noticed that Eru tends to eat sweets most of the time. Why is that, Eru?" Sakura asks, and Ayanokoji also turns to look at me with curiosity.

"Can't I just have a preference for sweets?" I respond.

"Eating them for every meal of the day is quite unusual, though," Ayanokoji quickly counters.

"I agree. There must be another reason," Sakura quickly adds.

"Sweets provide a quicker source of energy compared to other foods, which helps me deal with my insomnia. But the main reason I eat sweets is simply because I like them," I explain.

As we continue our walk, we begin to spot more and more birds. Following their direction leads us to a small lake, next to which is an open field abundant with corn. Some might consider it the perfect vegetable for grilling.

"Considering the amount of food we already have at camp and the fact that other groups also went out to scavenge, we should definitely have enough for tonight. But try to gather as much as you can without crushing the fruits we've collected. After that, grab some in your hands and pockets if possible," I instruct.

"Aren't you guys suspicious of the Class C guy we have in our class?" Sakura suddenly asks. Surprisingly, she seems quite talkative. It appears she's more quiet in larger groups or when under pressure, but I wouldn't describe her as completely unsociable.

"Kaneda?" I ask her, playing dumb, and receive a nod of affirmation.

"Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I get a bad feeling from him when I look into his eyes. I don't think his intentions for the class are good; at the very least, his intentions don't match the feelings I pick up when I've been around him," Sakura shares. Ayanokoji and I exchange a brief glance after listening to Sakura.

It seems she has a knack for reading people to an extent. She is very skilled if she can do it with just a gaze. That would explain why she gave Kushida a hard time during the Sudo incident; she could tell something was off about her. Interesting. That's definitely a valuable skill, opposing what she said about being useless. Well, it is a skill likely to go unnoticed by those without similar talents. To ordinary people, she would simply be seen as having a good instinct.

"Well, all that's left is tonight, right? Class C also went to the cruise ship, so what could he possibly do," I reply to Sakura, who still seems unsure.

"Well, I guess I could tell Hirata and Kushida to pay some more attention to him tonight just to make sure he doesn't stir up trouble on the last day," Ayanokoji responds, and I simply nod my head.

"Well, let's head back to camp now. It seems like we're all full on food," I tell the two, tying up my makeshift sack.

And so, before long, we quietly make our way back to camp.

Upon entering the camp, we are greeted by Hirata. "Ah, you guys are back," he says, his gaze trailing to our hands. "It seems you guys managed to gather a good amount of food. I'm surprised. I thought it would be difficult to find food with all the classes trying to survive the exam."

"Well, it's logical that there would be enough food to survive; the school wouldn't let us starve. Plus, Class C has essentially withdrawn from the exam, so there are really only three classes on the island," I respond.

"You're right, I hadn't considered that," Hirata admits, looking up as tiny drops of rain start to fall from the sky. "It seems the feast will have to wait a bit longer. Could you guys help me move some stuff inside the tents? We don't want certain things, like the wood we've gathered, to get wet."

"That's not a problem," I respond.

Ayanokoji also responds, "I don't mind helping either," he says, scanning the camp and the river where some students were fishing. "Where is Kaneda? I don't see him around."

"Huh? You don't know either? I thought he had decided to leave to scavenge with your group. He disappeared shortly after you, Eru and Sakura left," Hirata informs us.

***Satoru Kaneda POV***

Eru, you thought I was some kind of fool, didn't you? Well, we'll see who has the last laugh.

I clutch my walkie-talkie and camera as I navigate through the forest towards the agreed meeting spot with Ryuen and Katsuragi.

All that praise from Ryuen and Sakagami, for what? In the end, you weren't all that remarkable.

"Ryuen-san? Katsuragi? Are you two here?" I call out. Almost instantly, I hear rustling from the nearby bushes. Ryuen emerges, looking disheveled, and Katsuragi appears from behind a tree.

"Do you have the evidence?" Ryuen asks, cutting straight to the chase.

"Yes, although I wasn't able to get a picture of the class's keycard, they keep it quite secure. But I got something just as good," I say, handing Ryuen the digital camera.

"If you couldn't get a picture of the keycard, then what evidence did you manage to capture?" Katsuragi asks, moving next to Ryuen to look at the digital camera in his hand.

On the camera were multiple videos I had recorded.

"I captured multiple videos of Class D's terminal reset," I reply, a smile playing on my lips. As Ryuen and Katsuragi play one of the videos, I can't help but think of Eru. It was because of his overconfidence that I got this idea. He will be the very reason his class will lose 100 class points. If he hadn't underestimated me and gone on his rant about the importance of time in this exam, I might never have had this idea.

"Interesting," Ryuen says, a smile of understanding on his face. Katsuragi also smiles in response.

"I was stumped for a while. I couldn't get my hands on Class D's keycard, but then I had a moment of enlightenment. I got the idea to tail those whom I assumed to be Class D's cardholder until I found the camps terminal and then take advantage of the fact that the terminal begins a visible countdown whenever the leader refreshes it," I explain.

"I see, so you took advantage of that fact and recorded the refresh of Class D's terminal on multiple occasions. Then, you walked up to the terminal to record the countdown, proving that the cardholder was indeed the person being captured in the video. I must admit, the idea is simple yet quite ingenious. I'm surprised someone in Class C thought of it before I did," Katsuragi says, sounding impressed.

"Is this sufficient?" Ryuen inquires, switching off the camera.

"Yes, you've fulfilled your end of the bargain," Katsuragi acknowledges.

"I could also disclose the leader of Class B, though you'd have to take my word for it. They're obviously more elusive than Class D," Ryuen informs Katsuragi.

"There's no need. If you can't substantiate it with evidence, I don't want the information," Katsuragi responds, "But these videos resolve this matter. Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, he's undeniably the cardholder of Class D."

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IMPORTANT NOTICE

After the Island exam arc I may take a short break from this fanfic, and I also MAY start something new and fresh I would appreciate opinions on what that should be.

A new original novel - Pretty self-explanatory.

Another Cote fanfic - I know a lot of you wanted Light Yagami in Cote; I'm not opposed to the idea. I think it would be cool to put him in classes c and maybe b specifically with his more 2 faced side (not perfect light before the death note more of the narcassist/actor/fake light). I would appreciate opinions on this. Also if you choose this do you think ryuk should be included in the story? no death note obviously but I think it would be cool for him to exist and light to make use of him throughout the story.

Continue my Naruto fanfic - Honestly, I haven't dropped it. I've just been thinking about certain things in regard to it and don't feel ready to write, but I would be willing to try again.

A different idea? - drop your unique ideas here!

If you are interested in any of these ideas please give a opinion!!!