Another Like Me - Part I (CoTE x OC) ✔

Chapter 19 - Deserted Island Special Test, Part 6

(Day 6; Takeyama, Keisuke POV)

Horikita and Ayanokoji had, for some reason, left the basecamp together, and had headed out into the forest. I had been looking and keeping an eye on Horikita's movements, ever since I gave her my Keycard. Ibuki had been standing in the line for showering, but she had mysteriously disappeared as soon as Horikita had entered the river to wash off what seemed like mud in her hair. Why did she even have mud in her hair? The way it looked, it was definitely not an accidental fall on the wet trail. It was smeared on her hair on purpose. I wanted to meet the person who had the balls to smear mud on Horikita's hair. I wish I could give them flowers.

Ibuki had gone towards the river. Did she change her mind, and decide to go swim in the river instead? That seemed unlikely, since she had been standing in the shower room for 5 minutes, and there were literally only 2 people in front of her. It was a really bad decision if she really had gone towards the river for swim instead, after waiting so patiently in front of the shower room.

I glanced at Ibuki, who was now sitting on the rocks next to the river, lost in thought. Her hair was not wet in the least, indication that she did not in fact skinny-dip in the stream. Why did she then suddenly decide to exit the queue?

Did she, by any chance, have the Keycard already?

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(Night 6; Ayanokoji, Kiyotaka POV)

Me and Horikita were drawn back to the camp by what seemed like a smoke signal.

"What the hell!? Why's our stuff on fire!?" Ike shouted, garnering the attention of everyone in the vicinity.

"Everyone, please calm down!" Hirata, the ever-present mediator, said. "We must extinguish the fire immediately!"

Horikita looked around behind the toilet, the location of the fire. What seemed to be burning was small bits of paper. Some of it was still legible, but most of it had been turned to soot. Ibuki was present at the scene as well, and the expression on her face was just so genuine, I couldn't possibly single her out to be the culprit. Horikita had noticed that.

"I don't get it. If the keycard was stolen, Ibuki must've done it. If there is a fire now, it definitely must have been Ibuki. But she's as surprised as we are, and her expression is just so genuine. I don't get it. I don't get it at all," Horikita mumbled to herself.

"Did the manual get burnt?"

"Looks like it."

Hirata appeared at the scene to save the day. "The manual was in my bag. This is my responsibility. I did not expect it to get stolen in broad daylight, though." He scooped up 2 plastic water bottles, and ran down to the stream. I followed Hirata.

"Why? Why can't we all just get along?" Hirata muttered under his breath, crushing the plastic bottle in his hand. It was terrifying to see this change in personality. Hirata, the eternal peacemaker of the class, was carrying a huge burden, which could not be carried by anyone.

"I don't think you need to take so much on yourself," I said quietly. Takeyama was also there to Hirata's right, scooping up water in a bottle, and looking at Hirata with worried eyes. Guess that makes sense. They were pretty close, after all.

"Thank you," Hirata mumbled a soft statement of gratitude.

"Hey, who did this? Is there a traitor in our class?" Karuizawa started again.

"Why are you looking at the guys?! This had nothing to do with the underwear incident!"

"This could just be a ploy to distract all of us and mislead us, right?"