Stranded on a Deserted Island with the School's Number One Beauty, So I'll Give It My Best Shot. - Chapter 35

We left the hospital and took a taxi back home. We were looking forward to a heartfelt reunion with our parents and shedding tears of joy.

Or at least, that’s what we expected.

Reality turned out to be quite different.

Instead of heading home after leaving the hospital, we were taken to the police station in a patrol car. There, we found ourselves in an interrogation room, just like you see in dramas.

There were no emotional reunions with our parents or tears of joy.

“Your parents have given their consent for this, so don’t worry,” said Detective Sasayama, who was sitting across from me. He was the one conducting the questioning, and there were several other detectives present in the room as well.

“Um, so, what did we do?” I asked.

I used the word “we,” but it was just me in the room. I assumed Iori was going through a similar situation in the adjacent interrogation room.

“Don’t be so nervous. You’re not under suspicion of anything,” Sasayama replied, his tone much more casual now. It seemed like he had adopted a more relaxed demeanor.

“But then, what is this about…?” I inquired.

“We’re interested in the smartphone you used to make the distress call,” Sasayama explained.

“Wait, the smartphone?”

“That’s right. The smartphone belongs to a member of a yakuza group,” Sasayama continued.

“But yakuza can’t have smartphone contracts, right? They use other people’s names. However, the actual users are members of the yakuza,” he clarified.

He explained it carefully, and it seemed like he wanted to ensure I understood.

“Ah, so you’re saying yakuza can’t have smartphone contracts?” I questioned.

“That’s correct. Now, we need to know how you obtained that smartphone,” Sasayama stated.

I was greatly relieved by this line of questioning. No matter how this played out, it seemed unlikely that we would be arrested.

“Sure, I can tell you!” I responded.

I felt tense but decided to share the truth.

I explained everything about finding the smartphone on the beach, the plane crash, and the location where we discovered the body.

Sasayama and the other detectives eagerly took notes, as if they had just received valuable information.

“Thank you, Ichinose-kun! Your information is very helpful,” Sasayama said, expressing his gratitude.

The interrogation ended without any issues, and I was finally released.

Several days passed, and things got complicated.

Media outlets besieged our home, and I received an overwhelming number of messages from classmates I wasn’t particularly close to during my middle school and high school years.

However, public attention is fickle. Within a week of being discharged from the hospital, we were no longer featured in the news. The media stopped coming, and the barrage of messages ceased.

What remained was the summer vacation.

Due to the circumstances, I was excused from doing any homework, which was a relief. But on the flip side, there was something that bothered me.

I had no way of contacting Iori. We didn’t exchange phone numbers, and we weren’t connected on any chat apps. Moreover, I didn’t have contact information for any of my high school classmates. I wasn’t active on social media either.

As a result, I couldn’t communicate with Iori for the entire duration of summer vacation, which was over a month.

This period of not being able to talk to her weighed heavily on me, more so than the time we spent on the deserted island.

The uncertainty continued through summer vacation.

As summer vacation came to an end, school began.

“Ichinose is here!”

“I saw you on TV, Ichinose!”

“You swam across the sea carrying Nikaido, right?”

“The story about surviving on a deserted island is unbelievable! You’re amazing!”

As I entered the classroom in the morning, my classmates immediately surrounded me. Half of them were classmates I barely knew. Still, being the center of attention was a bit embarrassing.

“Well, you know, people tend to find strength in desperate situations,” I replied.

“Wow, that’s cool!” they exclaimed.

We exchanged some casual words, and I scanned the classroom.

(There she is!)

I spotted Iori. She was surrounded by an even larger crowd of classmates than I was. It seemed that those who couldn’t encircle her were now surrounding me.

“Oh!” Iori noticed me and stood up.

She pushed through the crowd and made her way closer.

“Good morning, Masato-kun!” It was the same greeting Iori had used when we were on the deserted island.

“Ah, y-yeah, good morning!” I replied with a smile, nodding my head slightly.

“Haha, I completely forgot to exchange contact information!” Iori said, ignoring the curious gazes of those around us.

“Haha, yeah,” I replied, feeling the intense scrutiny from our classmates. The difference in experience between Iori, who was used to being the center of attention, and me, who was not, was palpable.

“So, Iori and Ichinose-kun, you guys didn’t stay in touch during summer vacation?” one of the girls surrounding Iori asked.

“Exactly! Give us your contact info, Ichinose-kun!” another girl chimed in.

“Sure, sure,” I replied, taking out my trembling phone and exchanging contact information with Iori.

(Oh no…! This is a problem even before the confession. I’m not being very manly. I’m just a pathetic introvert.)

I cursed my own inadequacy.

During the following days, I desperately wanted to find a way to be alone with Iori. However, the others didn’t make it easy. During breaks, a circle of classmates would inevitably form around Iori, making it impossible for us to have a private conversation, let alone be alone together.

(This is bad… I need to do something! Otherwise, Iori might start disliking me!)

I was getting increasingly anxious.

Then, at that moment, Iori looked directly at me from within the crowd. Our eyes met, and she gave me a sweet smile.

In response, I could only nod and bow my head slightly. Immediately after, she was swallowed up by the surrounding classmates.

(Oh no! I have to do something, but what?)

My heart felt like it was about to burst.

Lunchtime finally arrived.

(Alright, I’ll ask her to have lunch with me! This is my chance to make things right!)

I stood up.

“Ior—”

“Iori! Want to have lunch together?” I asked.

But the girls’ voices drowned out my own, and Iori agreed to have lunch with them.

“One more thing, Ichinose! Let’s eat together!” one of the guys called out.

“Tell us more about your time on the deserted island!”

Some of my male classmates were inviting me as well. But the truth was, compared to them, I was the one who felt like a background character. They were extroverts, while I was introverted.

“Uh, yeah, sure,” I replied, resigned to eating with these outgoing classmates. It seemed like the only option.

Just as I was settling in to join them, something unexpected happened.

“Squee! It’s Kashima-kun!”

“So cool! Kashima-sama!”

A high-pitched voice echoed from the hallway. It was Kashima, the third-year basketball team ace and a handsome guy. His intention was clear: he wanted to talk to Iori.

“Ichinose, mind if I talk to Nikaido alone for a bit?” Kashima said casually.

It was what I wanted to say but couldn’t bring myself to.

Kashima had confessed to Iori before and was turned down. Yet, here he was, confidently inviting Iori in front of everyone. It was a clear display of dominance.

“Looks like Nikaido-san is okay with it this time, right?” one of my classmates commented.

“Kashima-senpai is not only good-looking but also from a prestigious family, right?”

“Plus, his basketball skills are pro-level. It’s unfair, really.”

My classmates were whispering words of envy. They were so awed by Kashima’s perfect image that they didn’t even feel jealous anymore.

“Kashima-senpai…” Iori stood up.

All eyes were on her as she got up.

And in that moment…

“Iori!!!!!!!!!!”

I couldn’t help but shout.

I couldn’t stand by any longer. Before I knew it, I was on my feet.

“What’s going on?”

“What’s wrong?”

“What’s happening, Ichinose?”

Everyone was surprised and turned to look at me.

“Masato-kun, what’s wrong?” Iori asked.

The gazes that were previously on Iori shifted to me. I was blushing, overwhelmed by a rush of emotions.

But still, now that I had started, I couldn’t stop.

“Iori! I love you more than anything! Will you be my girlfriend and stay by my side?”. In the midst of the crowd, I made my first-ever confession.
My words echoed through the classroom, and the entire world seemed to hold its breath, waiting for her response.

–
Next chapter is up on ko-fi for all supporters~

In one of the previous chapters I might have let others call masato by his first name even when they’re strangers, I’m sorry about that.