COTE\OC Unpolished Diamond Year 2

Volume 3: Panic

Chapter 8

Kiyo Pov:

We had reached the sixth day of the special exam. 

Yesterday, after leaving the starting area after talking with Sakayanagi and Yato, Nanase and I successfully reached our last designated area of the day.

We also encountered three classmates of Ichinose: Hamaguchi Testsuya, Andou Sayo, and Minamikata Kozue. Nanase and I accepted an invitation to go camping with them. They shared the meat and food they won that day, and we spent the evening with them due to their friendly nature.

After resting for the night, we proceeded to the designated area to make up for the time and points lost caused by my return to the starting area.

At 1:00 p.m. the third designation was announced, and it ended up being the random designation which was C3.

After taking the decision to cut straight through the steep mountains of area B4, even if we need to do some rock climbing...Nanase and I started making our way.

Even if Nanase's fatigue continued to build, she followed me without hesitation.

But what she fared happened...We had only had to navigate a couple of fairly steep inclines and slopes so far, but the challenge before us now was far more akin to a sheer cliff.

Now that it had come to this, we had two distinct options: Scale the mountain, or turn back and find another way.

Nanase: I... I can do this!

Watching as she talked herself into it, I decided to let her go first and see how she'd hold up.

She pulled a ribbon out of her backpack and tied up her long hair to make it easier to climb.

The very moment she started the climb, she made a mistake with her footing on the rock and came tumbling down to the ground.

Nanase: Oww, that hurt...!

She gingerly rubbed at her bottom as she stood up again. Fortunately, she hadn't been very high up when she fell. If she had been two meters higher, it probably wouldn't have ended as well for her.

The cliff was close to ten meters tall, and in all honesty, it didn't even seem like it would be that hard to climb. That being said, it would probably be challenging for Nanase to scale it by herself.

Kiyo: I guess that's the end of the line.

In reality, this obstacle was more challenging for her than I thought it'd be.

She had done well to keep up with me these past six days, but it seemed like I would have to push on from here on my own.

She tried to argue, but it was a waste of time. Even if she would use her remaining stamina, she wouldn't be able to follow me once up there.

I decided to leave her behind, and I started climbing until...

Kiyo: What are you doing?

Nanase: Please... don't mind me. I've made the choice to follow after you of my own volition, Ayanokoji-senpai...!

Saying that she fearlessly reached out and took hold of the rock again.

But, due to the lingering traces of fatigue still plaguing her body, she couldn't put enough strength into her grip. Her arms began to shake as she clung to the face of the cliff.

Kiyo: If you're not careful, you might end up facing consequences even worse than retirement.

I warned her yet again, but she still seemed hell-bent on chasing after me.