The Angel's Cracks: The Silent Recorder

Morning sunlight filtered through sparse leaves, casting mottled shadows across the beach.

On the second day on the Uninhabited Island, the novelty had long since been worn away by the harshness of reality.

The air was thick with tension.

"Why the hell should we? We worked our asses off gathering that firewood. Why do you think you can use it without spending points?"

Yamauchi Haruki pointed at several girls, spittle flying from his mouth.

"Exactly! The points system was set up by Ayanokoji. If you want to use something, you have to pay for it. That's only fair!"

Ike Kanji fanned the flames from the side, elevating a personal dispute into a matter of collective rules.

Class D, a class made up of failures, had laid bare the most selfish side of human nature under the pressure of survival.

Small cliques had already formed. Everyone acted independently and guarded against one another.

No one was willing to give anything for the group, afraid that their points would be used up and they would become the first to be eliminated.

Natsume Yu leaned against a coconut tree like a tourist with no stake in the matter, his fingers swiftly sliding across his phone screen.

He was recording.

Recording everyone's words and actions, every expression, every weakness.

To him, this was a large-scale experiment in human nature, and these people were all white mice in his laboratory dish.

"Alright, alright, everyone, stop arguing."

Kushida Kikyo stepped forward again, wearing that harmless angelic face of hers.

"We're all classmates. Things are difficult right now, so we should be helping each other."

She tried to separate Yamauchi from the girls, her voice sickeningly sweet.

But this time, no one bought it.

"Help each other? Kushida, that's easy for you to say! My points didn't just fall from the sky!"

A girl named Shinohara Satsuki snapped back directly, her face full of irritation.

"Yeah! You're always saying nice things. Why don't you take out your own points and let everyone use them?"

Another girl chimed in.

For an instant, Kushida Kikyo's smile visibly stiffened.

The corner of Natsume Yu's mouth rose slightly.

There it was.

The disguise was beginning to crack.

She looked at Shinohara Satsuki and the classmates who had taken the lead in causing trouble. Her smile remained in place, but the perfunctory disdain and disgust in her eyes had grown so intense they were practically spilling over.

She thought she had hidden it well, but to a professional "hunter" like Natsume Yu, she was as obvious as a firefly in the dark.

Natsume Yu stood up, stretched lazily, and slowly headed toward the woods on the other side.

"Kushida, could you come over here for a moment?"

He called back casually.

"I think I saw some edible wild fruit over here, but I'm not sure. You know more than I do, so could you take a look?"

It was a reason she could not refuse.

Kushida Kikyo had been worrying about how to get out of the argument, so she immediately seized the opportunity to leave the center of the dispute.

"Okay, Natsume, I'll be right there!"

She replied sweetly and quickly followed him, tossing the mess behind her to someone else.

Natsume Yu led her through the woods at an unhurried pace.

His route looked casual, but it precisely curved toward a stream not far away.

He knew that several girls, including Shinohara Satsuki, who had just clashed with Kushida, often came here together to wash up.

Sure enough.

Before they got close, they heard several girls speaking in hushed voices.

"...I'm seriously sick of her. Does she not get tired of playing the saint all day?"

It was Shinohara Satsuki's voice, filled with contempt.

"Exactly. Does she think she's some kind of angel? Like everyone has to revolve around her? Hah."

"Look at how happily she smiles at those boys. Who knows how she curses them as pathetic simps in her head."

Malicious speculation and cruel gossip, like poison-coated needles, clearly entered Kushida Kikyo's ears.

Natsume Yu stopped walking and pretended to identify a plant.

From the corner of his eye, he watched Kushida Kikyo beside him.

The instant she heard those words, her body went completely rigid.

The sweet professional smile on her face seemed to lose all support at once, shattering piece by piece.

What replaced it was a bone-chilling coldness and viciousness.

Her eyes stared fixedly in the direction of the voices. That gaze no longer belonged to an angel, but to a demon crawling out of hell.

Hatred, resentment, murderous intent.

Every negative emotion intertwined across her beautiful face, forming a twisted yet breathtaking sight.

Natsume Yu silently raised his phone.

He zoomed in and focused the camera.

"Click."

He had set the shutter sound to silent. Only he knew that this moment of the demon revealing itself had been permanently sealed in the digital world.

This was the first piece of dirt he had collected, and the most crucial one.

"Natsume?"

Kushida Kikyo seemed to sense something and abruptly turned around.

Her expression had already returned to its usual sweetness, though her face was somewhat pale.

"What's wrong?"

Natsume Yu lowered his phone and innocently pointed at a patch of weeds.

"Nothing. Looks like I was mistaken. This isn't edible."

His act was flawless.

Kushida Kikyo looked at him suspiciously for a few moments. Finding no flaw, she could only force out a smile.

"I see... Then let's go back."

She did not want to remain there for another second.

Natsume Yu nodded and followed behind her. As he watched her slightly panicked retreating figure, the amusement in his eyes deepened.

The seed had already been planted.

Next, all it needed was a little stimulation to take root and sprout.

After returning to camp, Natsume Yu found Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who was observing the crowd from a corner.

"Good work."

Natsume Yu handed him a bottle of water.

Ayanokoji accepted it and nodded expressionlessly.

"Kushida has done an excellent job, hasn't she?" Natsume Yu remarked lightly. "She's like the glue holding our class together."

Ayanokoji listened in silence.

"But," Natsume Yu changed direction, "if you use too much glue, sometimes it just makes a complete mess of things. Don't you think?"

"What do you want me to do?" Ayanokoji asked directly.

He knew Natsume Yu never laid groundwork without a reason.

"Nothing," Natsume Yu smiled. "I just think she may be under too much pressure. If another little problem came up in the class and kept her a little busier, maybe she'd realize that there are some things she can't handle alone."

Understanding flashed through Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's eyes.

He understood.

Natsume Yu intended to put even more pressure on Kushida Kikyo's perfect mask.

"I understand."

He did not ask further questions and turned to leave.

When it came to Natsume Yu's instructions, all he needed to do was carry them out.

That afternoon, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was responsible for distributing the day's food.

Without changing expression, he announced, "Sorry, but due to an error in the count, today's food supplies are lower than expected. Everyone's portion will need to be reduced by one-third."

The moment those words were spoken, Class D, already on edge, instantly erupted.

"What?!"

"You've got to be kidding! We weren't even getting enough to eat, and now you're cutting the portions?"

"Did someone steal food?"

Complaints and accusations rose one after another.

The conflict had been ignited once more.

Kushida Kikyo had no choice but to step forward again, exhausting herself trying to calm everyone down, explain the situation, and mediate disputes.

The smile on her face became increasingly forced, and an almost imperceptible fatigue and hoarseness entered her voice.

From afar, Natsume Yu watched coldly as she struggled desperately amid the crowd, then nodded in satisfaction.

Very good.

The pressure was piling up layer by layer.

He wanted to see how much longer this demon disguised as an angel could hold out.

As his gaze shifted, Natsume Yu saw Sakura Airi curled up at the very edge of the camp.

The girl looked awful. Her lips were pale, and she had no energy at all.

Naturally. With her personality, there was no way she could get anything decent to eat in this environment.

Natsume Yu thought for a moment, then took a small sealed packet of instant porridge from his backpack.

He had prepared it long ago in case of emergencies.

He walked over to Sakura Airi.

Sensing someone approaching, the girl looked up like a startled deer, her eyes filled with timidity and unease.

"Here."

Natsume Yu held the packet of porridge out to her, his tone flat and unreadable.

"You don't look well. Eat this."

Sakura Airi froze. She stared blankly at the food, then at Natsume Yu, not knowing what to do.

"Wh... why... are you giving this to me?" she asked softly, her voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.

"There's no reason."

Natsume Yu stuffed the porridge into her arms, leaving her no chance to refuse.

"Eat it."

With that, he turned and left. There was no further conversation and no false concern.

What he wanted was not gratitude, but dependence.

He wanted her to develop the absolute awareness that only he could help her, that only he could give her special care.

Sakura Airi held the packet of porridge, still warm, and watched Natsume Yu's retreating back as her eyes slowly reddened.

On this cold, selfish island, it was the first kindness she had felt—and the only kindness.

She lowered her head and hugged the packet tightly, as though she were embracing the entire world.

In her heart, Natsume Yu had already become her only shelter.

By evening, the sky gradually darkened.

Natsume Yu took a pair of binoculars and climbed onto a high rock to observe the surrounding area.

Soon, several unwelcome guests appeared in his field of view.

A few students wearing Class C uniforms were sneaking around the outskirts of Class D's camp.

Natsume Yu recognized the leader.

They were several of Ryuen Kakeru's lackeys.

They did not approach, merely scouting from afar.

After a while, one of them took advantage of Class D's inattention, rushed over, snatched a piece of clothing that Class D had left outside to dry, and ran away.

Typical Ryuen-style harassment.

It was minor, but extremely provocative.

Once the people in Class D discovered it, they immediately began to stir.

"It's Class C!"

"They stole our stuff!"

Horikita Suzune's face turned livid, and she immediately stepped forward.

"We can't let this go! We have to strike back!"

She tried to rally everyone, but only a few responded.

Most people believed it was better to avoid trouble and only wanted to protect their own little patch of ground.

Horikita Suzune was furious, yet helpless.

For the first time, she felt how powerless her theories and pride were in the face of reality.

By chance, she noticed Ayanokoji Kiyotaka standing nearby, calm in a way that seemed abnormal.

As if possessed, she walked over to him.

"Hey, you." She spoke in a commanding tone. "You must have a solution, right?"

Ayanokoji glanced at her, then discreetly looked toward Natsume Yu's position atop the rock.

He spoke steadily. "Retaliating now would be the most unwise choice. Their goal is to provoke us and test our response."

Horikita Suzune frowned deeply.

"So we're just supposed to put up with it? Let them make a joke out of Class D?"

Her pride would not allow her to cower like a turtle.

"Impulsiveness won't solve anything." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's tone did not fluctuate in the slightest. "It'll only expose our weaknesses and play right into their hands."

His gaze was as calm as a pool of deep water.

"What matters most right now is preserving our strength and figuring out their true objective. Not wasting precious stamina and points over a piece of clothing."

Horikita Suzune bit her lip, her chest heaving violently.

Though she was extremely unwilling to accept it, she knew Ayanokoji was right.

With Class D in such disarray, charging in recklessly would only result in them being beaten senseless by Class C.

For the first time, she realized with such clarity just how insignificant her own strength was.

"I understand."

She forced the words out through clenched teeth, then turned and walked away, her back carrying a trace of desolation.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka watched her, then raised his head and looked toward the rocks.

Natsume Yu's plan was advancing steadily.

Even Horikita, that stubborn chess piece, was beginning to loosen.

The night was deep, and the sea breeze carried a chill.

Most of the students in the camp had already drifted into sleep. Only the bonfire still crackled softly.

Like a ghost, Natsume Yu silently moved through the sleeping crowd.

He arrived outside Sakura Airi's tent.

That small tent stood alone at the very edge of the camp, utterly out of place with its surroundings.

He bent down and picked up a broad leaf.

Then he reached out and gently, rhythmically tapped the tent canvas with the edge of the leaf.

Rustle... rustle rustle...

The sound was faint, yet especially clear in the silent night.

Inside the tent, the previously steady breathing abruptly stopped.

Then came a faint rustling.

Sakura Airi had been startled awake.

Curled up inside her sleeping bag, she did not even dare breathe loudly, her body trembling slightly with fear.

What was that?

A wild animal?

Or... something else?

Natsume Yu stopped moving and hid in the shadows, watching with interest.

After quite a while, the tent zipper was cautiously pulled open, leaving only a narrow slit.

A frightened eye peered out through the gap.

Outside, there was nothing but swaying tree shadows and the faint glow of the bonfire.

Sakura Airi blinked in confusion and waited a little longer. Only after confirming there was no danger did she let out a breath and zip the tent shut again.

In the darkness, Natsume Yu smiled soundlessly.

That feeling—of toying with another person's fear and curiosity in the palm of his hand.

What an interesting toy.

He did not continue "teasing" Sakura. Instead, he turned and headed deeper down the beach.

He had more important matters to attend to.

Sure enough.

Beside a reef far from the camp, he saw a familiar figure.

It was Kushida Kikyo.

She stood there alone, facing the pitch-black sea, her shadow stretched long beneath the moonlight.

There was none of her sweet, lovable daytime appearance left.

Under the cold moonlight, her face looked somewhat twisted.

"Bitch..."

She cursed under her breath, her voice filled with resentment and unwillingness.

"That idiot Shinohara... and those gossiping bitches... they're all trash!"

Her hands clenched tightly into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.

"Why... why do I have to greet garbage like you with a smile!"

"You all deserve to die! Every last one of you deserves to die!"

The anger she had suppressed all day finally erupted completely.

Her pretty face twisted with extreme rage, making her look like a vengeful demon crawling out of hell.

In the shadows not far away.

Natsume Yu held up his phone, the screen's light reflecting off his expressionless face.

Through the lens, Kushida Kikyo's true nature was recorded with perfect clarity.

Every hideous expression and every vicious curse became evidence for the court.

The recording ended.

The red dot on the phone screen vanished.

Natsume Yu saved the video, a cold curve lifting at the corner of his mouth.

"The first drop of ink has already stained it."