COTE: A Mute Guy

Vol. 3 Chp. 8: End Of Island Exam

'Bold': Sign language

As I looked at Horikita, who had completely lost consciousness, I took a deep breath. It had been a while since I had such a formidable opponent. If her physical condition had been good, the situation wouldn't have been so ridiculous, regardless of the winner. 

She was that strong. After a short while, I continued what I was doing and dug up the flashlight and transceiver wrapped in vinyl. However, I would have gotten by without using those if I could.

"What...?"

Right after I took out the two items buried in the ground, I was caught by a mysterious sensation. I didn't know the cause of it. It's just that, for some reason, I felt they were different compared to the last time I had buried them.

"Could it be... due to rain?"

Thinking that I was overthinking, I picked up the transceiver and reported my current location to someone waiting to be contacted from somewhere. I then sat down to rest. About 30 minutes later, suddenly, a flashlight started flashing in front of me. It flashed two times, then three times, with a well-regulated pattern like Morse code. 

I responded by doing the same with my flashlight near my feet. We communicated with each other, and his guiding light became more robust. Eventually, Ryuuen appeared before me with his irritating face, which I didn't want to see.

"Oi. Thank you for your hard work, Ibuki; it was a good performance."

"That was justified, right?"

"Justified? You knew you had to do it without making a mess, or you wouldn't have taken a risk coming here."

"There was no other way, right? I didn't think the digital camera would break."

That's right. If only the digital camera hadn't wrecked, I would have taken a photo of the key card, and everything would have ended there. I'd have a sure proof in my hands. I wouldn't even have called Ryuuen using the transceiver. However, as a result, I took a significant risk by carrying the card, which led Horikita to discover my true colors.

"So, where's the card?"

"It's here," I took the card from my pocket and handed it to Ryuuen. 

Ryuuen illuminated the card with the flashlight, confirming that the name carved on it was Horikita Suzune.

"You, come here to confirm it as well. You demanded it from the start. Be at ease. No one is supposed to be here in this weather and darkness. It's good to take precautions, but don't waste your time."

Katsuragi of Class A emerged from his hiding place. He was the calm and steady type, the complete opposite of our leader. Though I tried to remain calm, my mind couldn't help but dwell on Ryuuen's awfulness. Right from the start of the trial, Ryuuen had claimed that he would turn Class A against me, and he had indeed carried out his threat. But how was it even possible?

Katsuragi took Horikita's card from Ryuuen and examined it closely. It seemed impossible that it could have been forged on this uninhabited island.

"Looks like the real thing."

"Do you agree with this?"

Although it proved proof, Katsuragi didn't change his stern expression. I've heard he's a cautious guy, but being this careful is kind of a disease.

"You managed to infiltrate into Class D. Weren't you suspected?"

"Under normal circumstances, I would have been. But, how I managed to do it – that's a secret to be traded."