COTE: A Gathering of Geniuses

Deserted Island Special Test Part 1 Class A

Class A Day 2

Sakayanagi Arisu sighed.

Boredom was the enemy of a genius. It did not help that she was quite bored with school life recently. It also did not help that everyone in her year had left for a cruise paid by the school.

Just what was she to do?

Contact with Masumi Kamuro or the rest of her entourage had gone silent. From what she expected, the special class exam had just begun. She didn't really have any expectations but for Katsuragi's plans to fail. If not, then those in her faction would make it so at least that he wouldn't succeed.

Class C was struggling as they did while Class B led by Ichinose Honami wasn't even worth worrying about. If they got too up their bridges, well, Arisu knew a few rumors that may shake the friendly girl.

Class D? They weren't worth considering yet.

For now, she was more concerned if any of her peers would step up to be even worth fighting.

Well, there was one.

Just the thought of him sent a phantom shudder through her heart. It was the first time she had felt this way about a boy, no, about a person. She hadn't felt so strongly about anyone besides perhaps her mother. In a way, he should've been honored.

Sakayanagi Arisu hated Kamukura Izuru.

He was the reason she was in her current predicament, lying on a bed in the school nurse's office. Even if it was a longshot that she'd be able to attend the cruise before, she certainly wasn't allowed after having a mini-heart attack.

Bedrest was a more common concern for her these days. Before arriving in ANHS, the doctors had considered her situation stable. Besides needing to walk with a cane, Arisu didn't suffer too much, simply needing a mix of medication from time to time.

That was why her recent episode had gotten her father worried. Arisu appreciated the concern, but she didn't have to enjoy spending her time in a hospital bed. She'd rather have been playing chess by herself at a café or even the school library.

Even if the nurse's office also had cool air conditioning, it still had the unmistakable pristine smell of a hospital which Arisu was not too fond of. She was able to at least get a private room, but it wasn't like there was anyone coming to visit. Father was busy and Arisu's class were gone.

Maybe a game of chess would do? She wanted to try out that new opening that had become popular in the last grandmaster event. As Arisu started to fix the pieces, there was a knock on the door.

Had Father come? It wasn't like anyone else was going to visit her.

"Come in."

"Excuse me." A male voice far younger than Arisu expected answered back. For a quick second, she checked if she was proper. They had told her she'd be doing some tests on her chest later, so she was in a thin hospital gown.

An unremarkable looking boy with dark hair walked in. He had dark hair and was wearing a blazer-less summer variant of the school uniform. The very fact she did not know his name meant that he was not someone worth keeping tabs on.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm Takamine Kiyomaro of Class 1-C. You're Sakayanagi Arisu, right?" The stranger introduced himself as one of Dragon Boy's classmates. That was a tad worrying considering she was in a hospital bed, the very image of vulnerability.

Although, the girl doubted Ryuuen would have the guts to instigate something like that. Only true heartless Vermin like Kamukura she could imagine would attack a bedridden patient.