Don't Put Too Much Faith in What Others Say

Besides, how exactly did you tell what state I was in? I was hiding it pretty well, wasn't I?

"Hmm, now that you mention it, Raku always wears the same expression. He constantly has the word 'trouble' written all over his face, along with how much he hates it."

"Really? Is it that obvious?"

"Very obvious... and also very contradictory."

"Contradictory?"

"You look like you hate everything, but somehow... you don't seem to care? That's the feeling I get."

"...I'm impressed you can think so much about it."

"I just tend to overthink things sometimes, so please don't mind me!"

Ichinose suddenly raised her voice, leaving me a little confused.

"Maybe everyone just thinks differently. Anyway, given the circumstances, I'm bound to feel a little uncomfortable too." After saying that, I glanced at Ichinose. Sweat covered her forehead, and her hair was sticking together because of it.

There was something alluring about her, as if she'd just been caught in the rain...

"Right. It's really hard to bear in this environment. I've never worked for this long in such high temperatures before. I can't wait to take a shower."

"It'll probably get a little better tonight, once the temperature drops."

"I asked Chihiro and the others to sprinkle some water around the camp. It should be cooler when we get back."

She was as considerate as ever.

"Rustle, rustle—"

I stopped in my tracks and looked toward the northeast.

The sound was faint, but the rustling and swaying among the leaves still reached my ears. Something was approaching at incredible speed—or perhaps "flying" was a better way to put it.

"What's wrong, Raku?" Ichinose asked when she noticed I hadn't kept up with her. But then an arrogant string of words followed, completely unexpected.

"Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! I truly am a perfect person! I look so beautiful wandering through the forest! Hahaha—"

A half-naked blond man swung back and forth between the branches. His movements were so practiced that even a wild monkey couldn't compare. He kept crossing and clasping his arms, coordinating his body to propel himself upward.

His movements were so fluid that even I couldn't help admiring his athletic ability.

"Hahaha—this really is beautiful! Oh?" The man spotted us and changed direction. After swinging himself along a few more times, he stopped right in front of us.

Ichinose was stunned by his sudden appearance. Her eyes were filled with disbelief as she stared blankly at the blond man.

I quietly stepped over beside Ichinose.

"Hello there, lovely lady, and ordinary boy."

The man brushed his blond hair back and put his hands on his hips, showing off his perfect physique and sharply sculpted face.

"Um... hello. I believe you're a student from Class D. Is there something you need?"

"Lady, my name is Koenji Rokusuke. Please remember it."

"Understood, Koenji. I'm Ichinose Honami, from Class B... Um, did you run into some kind of problem?"

"Are you worried about me? There's no need. A perfect person like me would never run into any problems. So please rest assured."

"Oh, I see. Haha... Then, was there something you wanted?"

"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to get to know you a little."

"Get to know me...?"

"Of course. As the saying goes, everyone appreciates beauty. Though you aren't as perfect as I am, I'll admit you have a cute face."

"Eeeh? I'm sorry, I, um—" Unable to make sense of the situation, Ichinose hurriedly took a few steps back and edged closer to me. Koenji's gaze fell directly on me, then shifted back and forth between Ichinose and me.

Finally, he suddenly laughed. "I see. You have someone you like, so you can't accept my praise? But I'll forgive you. After all, failing to notice someone as perfect as me means you have poor taste. Besides, someone as perfect as I am doesn't belong to anyone. So I understand."

Absolute confidence.

I could see absolute confidence in himself in the eyes of the man called Koenji. It was the kind of arrogance that came from having the ability to back it up.

He looked down on everyone and held only his own talents in the highest regard.

"No, I just—"

"Your feelings are obvious, lovely lady. It's just that this boy doesn't look like he'll be easy to deal with."

After saying that, Koenji gave me a curious, probing look. I calmly met his gaze.

Silence fell around us. We held that pose for nearly a minute, until his arrogant laughter broke the quiet. Then he leaped forcefully onto a tree trunk.

What incredible jumping power!

"What a boring mortal. You're no fun at all."

"But since I'm in the mood, I'll ask you ordinary people something." You two—

"Do you think I'm beautiful?"

Koenji bared his white teeth and spread his arms, facing us with a fearless air.

"What exactly are you referring to?"

"You're not very bright, are you, boy? I'm the one asking you a question. But I don't mind. You're not perfect, after all, so I'll forgive your mistake. I'll tell you this time."

"Do you think I, with my perfect body, look beautiful in a place like this?"

"What kind of question is that?" Ichinose murmured nervously beside me, edging closer to me.

Ah, someone like him should be easy to deal with. Everything he felt was written right on his face.

"Of course not."

"Raku," Ichinose said worriedly beside me.

"Oh? Why do you say that? Do you dislike my perfect body?"

"I mean this ugly island doesn't deserve someone with a body as perfect as yours. This backdrop makes you look terrible, doesn't it?"

"..."

"Hahahaha—your answer is so interesting! Absolutely brilliant! Boy, what's your name?"

"Luomu."

"Luomu, is it?" Koenji rubbed his chin with interest, then waved his hand and started wandering through the forest again.

"I'll remember your name, wooden boy. Perhaps you aren't such a boring person after all."

With that, Koenji left us behind.

Neither of us said a word until his figure had completely disappeared.

"...Raku, did you understand what he was saying just now?"

"No, I didn't."

"Then..."

"I just replied to him in the same style he was speaking. Somehow, things ended up like this."

"...What about the things he said at the beginning? Did you understand those?"

"Sorry, I don't think I'm anywhere near Koenji's level."

His character was easy enough to understand, but asking me to grasp the meaning behind what he said was a bit much.

"You really are a block of wood..."

"Sorry, did you say something?"

"No, I was just thinking that he's a really strange person."

To ordinary people, Koenji was far too unconventional. I wanted to know what kind of family environment could shape someone like him. I also hated what he called me. It reminded me of that person.

Koenji... Wasn't that one of the few major conglomerates?

I'd call him Mr. Beautiful from now on.

Spite got the better of me, and I gave him a nickname in my head.

Never Put Too Much Trust in What Others Say

Language was an astonishingly imprecise tool.

So we had to admit that people were very good at talking. Even answering a question with something completely unrelated could carry centuries of meaning, subtly influencing people until they couldn't even tell what the topic was anymore.

That was the limit of language, like hitting a cliff and being unable to go on.

So most of what people said was hollow and deceitful.

And yet, somehow, it was also true in ways that had nothing to do with anything else.

1

"Did Koenji's words just now bother you, Ichinose? You seem a little unhappy."

After dealing with the difficult Koenji Rokusuke, Ichinose seemed to wear a sulky expression. It gave me a strange sense of familiarity that I couldn't quite understand, so I asked her directly.

"Huh? Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah. You're completely different from before. So it really is bothering you?"

"No, it's not that. I just... I'm just... I'm just feeling the effects of this stuffy weather. Yes, that's all." After explaining, Ichinose turned her head away, flustered.

"That sounds like you're trying to hide something..."

"N-no, I'm not."

"..."

Well, if you insisted on keeping it to yourself, I wouldn't press you.

"By the way, are you feeling all right?"

I didn't want something going wrong because of a factor that could be controlled.

"Yeah, I'm fine now. I have you to thank for noticing and helping me, Raku. Otherwise, our class might have wasted thirty points for nothing."

"Are you sure you aren't dizzy or feverish?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I even feel full of energy."

"That's good."

The moment I saw Ichinose on the deck, I checked on her condition. To be safe, I went back to the cabin, got some medicine, and had her take it.

If something happened to Ichinose, the whole class could be thrown badly off course. I was certain she had that kind of influence.

"But how did you figure it out, Raku? I hadn't even realized it myself."

"If you'd noticed yourself, it would've been too late. Besides, I didn't actually figure it out. It was just a feeling. I hadn't seen you before then, so it was only a guess."

"You noticed I wasn't there earlier?"

"Shiranami asked me where you were. That was when I realized."

"Hmm, you mean Chihiro?" Ichinose paused.

"What's wrong?"

"But... No, never mind. I'm just a little surprised. I'd been sleeping in my room the whole time before that, so I had no idea what was going on outside. I only woke up when the last announcement came on."

"Your body was probably going through hot and cold spells then."

"Huh? You knew that too?"

"That's a sign a fever is coming on. I read about it in a book."

"Class Ichinose's class representative, the food's ready. Would you like to come over and have some?"

"Wow, I'm hungry right now. You must be hungry too, Raku."

"No, I don't have much of an appetite yet. I'll wait a little."

"Okay, I'll go eat first, then."

Before I knew it, we'd reached the camp. I found a spot and set down the firewood I was carrying.

"Did you go crazy today or something? No matter how you look at it, you've been unusually active." Kanzaki quietly came over to my side, leaned against a tree, and started chatting with me.