Part three of 'Shipwrecked'.
3rd Person POV
Feeling the morning sun in his eyes and being awoken by the swooshing of the waves, Kaidou stirred awake and sat up. Rubbing his eyes, he turned to Kuboyasu who was staring at the sea with a distant look in his eyes. He groaned, his back sore from sleeping on the ground and asked with a bit of hope, "Any luck?"
Kuboyasu shook his head, his lips pressed into a thin line of disappointment. Kaidou stood up and dusted his clothes off, watching in disgust as Nendou snored with snot in his nose. 'Gross,' he thought.
That morning they all felt unusually optimistic since they now had a plan in motion, and breakfast was eaten enthusiastically since Mera had been on her best behavior. No food had gone missing overnight so they had enough for a few more days if used sparingly. The group continued to discuss plan for building the raft until noon. They grumbled as they racked their heads for a way to cut the thick trees down, when out of nowhere, some cutting tools were washed ashore.
"Long live the Teruhashi God!" They cheered, convincing themselves some divine being was helping them, and then turned to the brain of the group for further instructions.
"So what do we do, now (Y/N)?" Kaidou asked, finally normal for once. His words caught (Y/N) off guard and she jumped as everyone's eyes turned to her. Her body stiffened and she blinked, stunned that they were expecting her to order them on what to do. Kuboyasu noticed she was uncomfortable so he stepped forward and said, "Like we discussed earlier, cut down a dozen trees and chop off all the extra branches on them, then bring them back. Girls, get some vines for us, and try not to put yourselves in danger. Everyone, be careful in the forest! Let's do this!"
They all saluted to him, riled up by his commanding tone and started running into the forest to do as they were told. Nendou, Kuboyasu and Mera went into the forest to cut down trees since they were the strongest while Yumehara teamed up with Teruhashi to gather as many vines as they could.
As hours went by, a pile of logs and vines had formed on the sand near the campfire. By the time the sun had risen up to the center of the sky, everyone had gotten too tired to the point of needing rest. They all gathered up and (Y/N) distributed water bottles, which were a bit warm despite her wrapping them in a wet cloth to keep them cool. As they rested and rehydrated, (Y/N) and Yumehara walked toward the shaded palm tree where they were storing all the food they'd found.
Just as they were arriving, a rustling in the bushes caught their attention and they stepped back in fear of it being a wild animal. However, Mera dashed out of the bush on all fours, and they both released a gasp. She was running away with the food again!
"Mera, No!" (Y/N) yelled angrily, her voice loud and firm as she stomped her foot. The thief flinched and dropped the bags of food in her mouth, then was about to scurry away but (Y/N) reached forward and grabbed her arm.
"Stop! You're on time out!"
Mera lowered her head in shame after returning the food she was stealing. When (Y/N) and Yumehara dragged her back to the campsite, they tell the group about what had happened, and Kuboyasu face palms in disappointment. Kaidou groaned and was held back by Nendou before he could try to scold Mera.
"Mera, please, you're better than this! Just wait until we all eat, okay? We'll give you a bowl of food!" Teruhashi softly says as she pats Mera's head.
'Why are we treating her like a dog?' Yumehara thought to herself as she reached for a water bottle.
Everyone else decided they should eat before Mera ate everything, and so a quarter of the food was distributed equally, none being left aside for a starving Saiko who sat on a rock, sulking. Kuboyasu heaved a sigh at the pitiful sight and stood up, glancing toward the sun and saying, "It seems like we're halfway through the day, so let's start trying to build this thing."
They all nod and stand up, newly refreshed and ready to build the raft that would save their lives. They referenced (Y/N)'s drawn and written out directions on the sand for how it was supposed to look like, ignoring a grumpy Saiko. Kaidou went about gathering all the empty bottles while Nendou and Kuboyasu started aligning the logs evenly. Mera sat on time out for the rest of the afternoon and the rest of the girls started brainstorming a way to tie a secure knot around the logs. Kusuo helped Kaidou with the water bottles, now having a decisive plan in his head to get them back to Japan.
Tonight, he would offer to go on night duty, and when everyone else was asleep, he'd make a replica of the island they're on but place it near Japan so that Saiko's s search party could find them. Yes, he had used clairvoyance to locate where they were, and as of now, they were all the way across the ocean, and he would need the entire night to make a whole new island using the remaining plants and sand on their current island. He would take it from the other side of the island so as to not make it very noticeable. He internally sighed in relief, wanting to return to his normal lifestyle once more.
Nightfall comes and the team retreats in pride with what they've accomplished for the day. Just as the words 'night duty' leave Kuboyasu's mouth, Kusuo's hand flies up eagerly.
'Me! I'll do it!'
Of course, no one heard his internal monologue but everyone still got the message. A couple of them chuckle and think that it's because he's too excited to sleep, but Kuboyasu protests.
"Thanks Kusuo, but you already did it a few days ago. I think you deserve some re-"
"How about I do it?" (Y/N) stepped forward, raising her hand as a volunteer. Kuboyasu looked even more conflicted at the idea of having her scout the island at night all by herself.
"Are you sure? I mean, I trust you better than Nendou but-"
"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?" Nendou pipes up, angrily crossing his arms as if offended. Kuboyasu sighs and agrees defeatedly, "Nevermind. (Y/N), you can do it."
They all agreed (Y/N) was better suited than Nendou and head toward their leaf beds...well, everyone except an annoyed Kusuo. He turns to (Y/N), but he doesn't need to say anything for her to understand. She raises her hand up in front of his face and shakes her head.
"You've already done it once, Kusuo. Go rest, you can trust that nothing will escape my eyes."
He sighs. She thinks he's eager to get off this island, which he is, but that's not the reason he wants to stay up and it's not like he can just admit his plans to her! (Y/N) sends him away to sleep, and he obliges reluctantly, now anxious since his plans were ruined. As he lays and pretends to sleep, he decides to wait for everyone else to fall asleep, and then whack (Y/N) with the memory banana to knock her unconscious. He'd just make her think they switched places in the middle of the night or something. So he laid in his leaf-like sleeping bag, irritated as he listened to Nendou's snores and the girls' giggles as they hid under the leaves and whispered to each other.
'Soon,' he thought, 'Soon things will be back to normal.'
---
It was later at night, perhaps midnight based on how the moon shone above their heads, when (Y/N) was walking along the beach on night duty, looking out for any sounds or glimpses of boats, when she heard quiet and soft steps behind a large rock. As she neared the boulder, she stumbled upon Saiko attempting to catch a crab. Her eyes widened and she stood still, staring with concern as Saiko crouched down and stared at a small crab. He was clearly crazed with hunger! He was starting to feel his stomach tighten in starvation, and was muttering stuff to convince himself it was alright to eat the little thing.
"A crab....crab is luxurious...is it not?? Poor people...it's fancy for them isn't it? Haha...."
(Y/N)'s heart dropped at his words. The rich narcissistic teen was chasing a tiny crab for food? What had the world come to? The crab skittered away as it sensed his presence and began to climb up a steep rock, the desperate man following it hurriedly.
He followed the crab up a rather high cliff, slowly inching his way forward, and was close to catching the crab until he heard something crunch. It was (Y/N)'s shoe stepping on a seashell as she stepped forward to stop Saiko from going any further. She froze as Saiko's panicked face turned toward her, turning into a scowl as he realizes it was just her and not a deadly animal.
He straightened up and smoothed his shirt, clearing his throat as he prepared to be unbearably narcissistic. "What are you looking at, pleb?! I don't need your company, so leave."
(Y/N) stared at him with pity in her eyes and then she took the plastic wrapped bread out of her sweater's pocket and offered it to him just like Kuboyasu did a few days ago.
"Are you hungry? I have f-"
"Don't bother offering me your measly food, peasant. I don't eat poor people food." Saiko interrupted her, his voice faltering as he reminisced the feeling of being well fed. (Y/N) went silent, her face faltering for a second, a hint of anger and annoyance on her face.
"At least have a small bi-"
"Save me your pity and go wander somewhere else, pleb!"
An irk mark appeared on (Y/N)'s forehead. Will he ever let her complete a sentence? She quietly grumbled and then took a deep breath as she pushed her emotions down and stepped forward. Saiko took a step back in mockery as he crossed his arms and turned his head away, sticking his nose up proudly. (Y/N)'s brows furrowed as he turned and walked toward the edge of the platform they stood on, which continued to get higher every step he took.
It was evident that years of splashing water eroded a mountain or a small hill until it formed into the small cliff they stood on. She anxiously followed him as he sat on the edge of the cliff, dangling his feet. At that moment, hungry and cold, Saiko thought that it would've been better if he he just fell into the ocean and died a proud man.
"Saiko, get away from the edge, it's dangerous."
Saiko turned and glared, yelling, "Who do you think you are to order me?! I am superior to you in every aspect! I order you to leave, peasant!"
(Y/N) took a deep breath to control her temper and furrowed her brows. "If your pride is getting in the way of your survival, it's best if you throw it away now. That stubbornness will only risk your life."
Saiko rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Say what you want, pleb, I'm not eating your dirty food."
Her lungs swelled with air as she inhaled, her face tensing up at his insult. "Listen, Metori Saiko," (Y/N) held the bread up like it was a sword.
"I don't care if you're the son of the richest man in the world, that's due to someone else's success, not yours! It gives you no reason to be looking down on the rest of us! You've never experienced the feeling of hunger until today, so let it sink in. Carve this memory into your head, remember what it really feels like to be starved from hunger." She paused to take a deep breath. "Perhaps the tiniest bit of sympathy will sneak into your heart, but you have to be willing to view other's perspectives before jumping to conclusions, or calling out insults based on someone's wealth."
She took another step forward, standing less than three feet away from Saiko. "Your money doesn't define you. If you choose to buy friendship instead of earning it, there's a chance it'll disappear with time. There's only so much money can do."
Saiko scowled and swung his arm. "Peasant, there's nothing money can't buy!"
(Y/N) stepped back to dodge and then stepped forward again, stretching her arm out. "If money is everything, where's your rescue team? The thousands of people that you claim would come looking for you? What'll happen if there's no more money?" At her words, Saiko's pride was hit and he went silent. She hadn't said it harshly, but the damage it had on him was evident in his hurt face. It was as if Saiko was in denial. There were people looking for him...right? Perhaps that whole time, he was trying to deceive himself to cope with the truth.
He raised his head and made eye contact. He slapped her outstretched hand, nearly knocking the bread off her hands. He would have succeeded if (Y/N) hadn't already been expecting him to do that. She held her ground and tried to push the bread into his hands, but he stepped back and she missed. Her foot twisted in a clumsy manner, not expecting him to be so agile, but she caught herself just before tripping.
Normally, she would've been rational and would've given up by then. But maybe it was his unbothered expression at how she almost fell. Or the fact he smiled smugly at the fact she was begging him to eat. This was a tricky game they were playing, and both of them failed to realize that their lives were at risk.
(Y/N) kept insisting that he eat, and Saiko kept refusing like a stubborn mule. She tried handing it to him but he always dodged and moved away. She started pushing him, and in reply he started pushing her. Both had never met someone as arrogant and stubborn as each other, and in a moment of realization, Kusuo crossed (Y/N)'s mind as she gave one last attempt to shove the bread in Saiko's hands.
'How has Saiko even survived this long without eating?'
They both reached the height of frustration, so as she pushed the bread toward him, crumpling the bag with her fingertips, the bag crackled under her clenched fists. Saiko grew impatient, now provoked to push her away violently.
He slapped her arm with more strength, and she stepped back in surprise. The waves crashed against the cliff, eliciting a low pitched thunder that pounded in their ears as if it were a storm. Before she knew it, (Y/N)'s foot met a rock, and she began falling backward.
And then, with the force of gravity, the young girl was thrown backward, enveloped by the moonlight as her face contorted into horror. Saiko attempted to grab her, but she slipped through his fingers and disappeared from sight as she fell, down into the depths of the ocean.
-
The sand crunched and squished under Kusuo's weight as he tiptoed away, the fire dead and everyone else fast asleep. Mera and Nendou's snores were never ending, and he sighed. Kuboyasu grumbled in his sleep and Kaidou rolled over, as if unconsciously trying to get away from Nendou who slept next to him.
He pulled his shoes on and walked into the forest, now on the hunt for (Y/N). It was dark and the tree blocked any moonlight from reaching the ground, but he didn't need light to see. He simply activated his night vision and continued forward. His hand clenched around the strange looking banana boomerang. He had never used the memory banana on (Y/N), so he felt a bit guilty for having to use it now. But if she strangely happened to remember, he hoped she'd understand his motives for doing so.
He turned his head left and right, surveying the forest for trees and bushes to use in the new island. Most of them weren't native to Japan, but he'd leave that up to the scientists to figure out. For now, he stepped out of the forest and onto the beach, where waves of water slid onto the sand and then back into the ocean, only to return again. He calmly walked along the shore, knowing that eventually he'd run into (Y/N) as she did night duty. He didn't see any signs of her, and since the island was rather large, he figured he'd have to use clairvoyance to find her. Crossing his eyes, he scanned the island rapidly, eventually stopping at a cliff.
'Huh?'
What he saw made his heart drop, which had never happened before because normally he'd have nothing to fear. But this, this was different. Saiko and (Y/N) were shoving each other atop a cliff, tossing a bag of bread back and forth.
What the hell was going on? He stood still, bewildered at the sight. It was strange to see (Y/N) angry, and the two fighting was not something he could have ever imagined happening. Just before he uncrossed his eyes, he saw Saiko stepping closer to the edge of the cliff, (Y/N) following him unknowingly. Kusuo cursed under his breath and dashed into the forest. He'd have to cut across the forest to reach them in time, for they were all the way across the island.
He kept his clairvoyance on as he ran across the forest, twigs and weeds crushing under his weight as he ran like never before. He was halfway there as his clairvoyance showed him Saiko slapping (Y/N)'s arm so hard she stepped back in surprise. What came next made him sprint, not caring to heal the scratches on his face caused by low branches and thorns.
'Shit!'
To be continued...
Anyone else dreading July 5th? I had no confidence in my AP tests :,)
FYI, I personally built that cliff for the sake of plot development :) Also, this is the first chapter that reached 3k words! Did you all like the unexpected developments~? I've been planning this since the START and I am so happy to share it with you all. Coming soon, Part Four of Shipwrecked!
-Kuruma