COTE: The Quiet One Can Be Dangerous

Vol. 6 Chp. 4: X

Everyone present began praying that this would be over soon.

"However, this noisy espionage will end here."

I slammed the podium with my palm and silenced the room's chaos. The scene sank into silence.

"First of all, I will try to ask honestly. The student who betrayed me raised your hand."

I'm slightly glad none raised their hands because they would look like a dumbass.

Some averted their eyes, others feigned ignorance, while the rest looked around to see whether anyone would come forward.

"Kukuku. You're making this entertaining," I said, "If you come forward, I'll forgive you."

"What are you saying? Are you tolerating traitors?"

"Ibuki... shut up. Your mouth is giving me a headache. Keep disturbing my fun, or I'll kill you," I could feel my anger rising.

"I've been trying not to make a big deal. Others may think I'm lying, but it's true. To put it simply, I've been slacking off."

Bam!

Bam!

I struck the podium twice, "Maybe that's a bad thing. After all, there is a traitor."

Bam!

I struck the podium as the timid students began to shake.

"All this means is that I'll have to play some games. It's nothing. It's not a big deal. It's a silly game where we find a spy trying to remain hidden. For most students present, this should be meaningless, so there's nothing to fear. It shouldn't take long; it'll take less than 30 minutes."

The atmosphere was filled with fear while I stayed calm.

"First, everyone, unlock your phone and place it on your desk. I'll check it myself. Are there any idiots who don't have their phones with them? If you don't, speak up immediately. That person is the culprit."

I flicked my head, signaling to Ishizaki to collect the phones. Everyone seemed to comply as they placed their phones on their desk.

It took a few minutes for Ishizaki to collect the phones and put labels on the back.

"Let's begin the investigation," a violent grin painted my voice.

"Are we checking the call histories?"

I scoffed, "Are you an idiot? Someone was trying to hide their identity. It would be incriminating if they were to call. Look at the email and the text messages. Even if it's a conversation with someone, look at all of it. We can't rule out the possibility they're interacting with each other under an alternative name."

"W-Wait a minute! There are lots of private messages on my phone, though!" Shouted one girl.

"Nishino. You don't want me to look at your phone?"

"Of course! Even if it's you, Ryuuen-kun, It's unacceptable!"

"Are you joking, Nishino? You gave your phone to Ryuuen-kun on the cruise ship. Why are you so concerned now?"

"This, this is different from that time! All he did then was do a confirmation check of my email from the school!"

During Nishino's appeal, I remained indifferent as I wasn't surprised. Previously, during the particular exam on the cruise ship, I had collected all the phones in Class C and verified their contents. However, as Nishino had complained, nothing personal was inspected then. It was just a confirmation of the messages received from the school. Although this was a similar event, the situations were different. If private messages were to be checked, information such as one's likes, dislikes, and other sensitive information would inevitably be exposed. Such information is usually something that people prefer to keep hidden from others.