READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 34
I died.
I was certain of it this time.
But to my surprise, I wasn’t dead.
“Where is this…?”
My consciousness was rapidly returning. I saw a sterile-looking ceiling above me.
“Are you awake, Masato-kun?”
A voice came from my left.
I turned my head, and there was Iori, lying on a clean medical bed. She was facing upward and had an IV line in her left arm.
I had one too, but mine was in my right hand.
“Iori…?”
“It seems you woke up earlier than I expected! I thought you’d be asleep for a few more hours!”
Iori chuckled.
“Where is this? A hospital?”
I glanced around. It didn’t quite look like a hospital room. There were no nurse call buttons or anything like that. The bed and IV setup seemed out of place.
…My guess was accurate.
“We’re on a ship.”
“A ship?”
“A Japan Coast Guard ship. We were rescued.”
I remembered now. Right before losing consciousness, I saw a large ship. That ship must have been a Japan Coast Guard patrol vessel.
“Why did the Coast Guard…?”
“Thanks to your phone call.”
“A phone call…? You mean the one where we were screaming ‘help’?”
“Exactly,” Iori smiled.
“The Coast Guard explained that when you made that call, our location was automatically detected through GPS. That’s how they were able to come to our rescue.”
“I see.”
“However, it seems they planned to rescue us much sooner.”
“What do you mean? should they just watch us until we were about to die?”
Iori burst into laughter. “Of course not!”
“It was actually quite challenging for them to find us. They said your phone’s GPS stopped working because it fell into the sea, so they had a hard time pinpointing our location.”
“I see.”
“And the weather didn’t help. Normally, they’d send a helicopter, but due to the storm, they had to use a ship, which delayed their arrival.”
“I understand.”
“So now, we’re on our way back to the mainland. Once we arrive, they’ll transport us to a hospital.”
I let out a sigh, “It’s ironic. Our well-intentioned actions backfired.”
“You mean swimming?”
“Yes. In retrospect, it would have been better to just float around quietly.”
“But that’s hindsight,” Iori insisted.
“When you lost your phone, there was no way to know that the Coast Guard would automatically locate us when the call connected.”
“True, but… I can’t help but feel frustrated. If I had known that they would pinpoint our location as soon as the call connected, I could have made better decisions.”
“You’re quite the responsible guy!”
Iori chuckled and shook her head, amused.
At that moment, we heard the sound of a door opening.
“Oh! Looks like someone’s awake!”
A man I didn’t recognize approached us. He was an adult, a member of the Japan Coast Guard.
“I’m the one who rescued you! It’s good to see you awake!”
“Thank you very much,” I replied.
The man grinned. He initially looked young, but upon closer inspection, he seemed to be in his mid-thirties.
“Hey, everyone! Masato-kun’s awake!”
“Already awake?”
“What incredible mental strength!”
“Is swimming your strong suit?”
“More importantly, were you living on a deserted island?”
“That’s amazing!”
I forced a wry smile.
“Even if you say that all at once…”
Then, the man who had rescued us spoke up again.
“Masato-kun, you did great. Your efforts were not in vain. Now, leave the rest to us, and take your time to rest.”
His words filled me with an overwhelming sense of relief.
“Thank you so much!”
I couldn’t help but feel immense gratitude and happiness, and tears welled up in my eyes.
**A few days later**
After that, the Japan Coast Guard patrol ship safely arrived at the mainland. We were transferred to an ambulance and taken to the hospital.
In the hospital, we underwent thorough examinations, and we were told we would need to stay for another week.
Iori and I were given a room for two, though it was originally a four-person room. There was no chance of new patients occupying the vacant beds.
And there was a reason for that.
“Look, Masato-kun! It’s another story we can add to our collection!”
“Well, well, do Japanese media always get so excited about the same story?”
“Oh, come on, you’re just pretending to be annoyed! You secretly love it!”
“Hehe, can you tell?”
“It’s written all over your face!”
Our survival story as high school students who had spent over a week on a deserted island was being covered extensively on television. Iori’s striking looks only added to the buzz.
The hospital was in chaos due to the media frenzy. Reporters tried to sneak in and interview us, and other patients even attempted to get closer for a glimpse.
As a result, police officers were now stationed outside our room. It was necessary to protect our privacy and safety.
“Every time I see news about us, I can’t help but feel strange,” I remarked.
“Are you going to say your usual line again?” she teased.
“Usual line?”
“About how our faces are exposed while underage criminals get their faces blurred!”
I chuckled. “Well, that’s one way to put it.”
“But, you know, it’s not just that. This time, it’s different,” I said.
“How so?”
“What bothered me was that everyone else was safe.”
The earthquake at sea that had led to our drifting to the deserted island had tossed over ten students into the water. But only Iori and I had ended up drifting in the ocean. The rest of the students had safely returned to the boat.
“So, you’re saying you wished something happened to others?”
“No, it’s not that. I’m glad everyone else is safe. But I couldn’t help but wonder why it had to be us who nearly died. It’s like saying, ‘God, you unfair bastard!'” I explained.
Iori burst into laughter. “Ahahaha!”
“Do you find that funny?”
“Well, I get it,” she said. “But I saw it differently.”
“How?”
“I felt like we were the lucky ones, getting this unique experience. I was like, ‘Thank you, God!'”
“You’re surprisingly positive, even after almost dying,” I said.
“But we didn’t die, right? And we didn’t suffer major injuries. So, all that’s left is happiness! The experience from being stranded on a deserted island to our rescue—ordinary people would never get to taste something like this. Plus, I got to become friends with you!”
“That’s true,” I agreed.
“So, I think I’m lucky. Luckier than others, considering everything we’ve been through!” Iori exclaimed.
“Well, I guess it’s better to see it your way than being negative and complaining,” I said.
“What’s with the ‘better’ part? Hey, what’s with that?” Iori playfully protested.
“Hahaha.”
The fact that we had no serious injuries meant that we could enjoy our time in the hospital.
A few more days passed, and we reached our discharge date. We had finished the final medical check-ups, and we were now free to go.
We returned to our room from the doctor’s office, where we had changed from hospital gowns into our washed school uniforms.
“Masato-kun, what do you plan to do when you get home?” Iori asked.
“I’ll probably talk to my parents first. I haven’t even heard their voices yet.”
Due to media coverage and ongoing examinations, we had been restricted from visitors. Moreover, there were no communication devices in our room, so we hadn’t been able to make any calls.
“Aren’t they waiting for you in the hospital lobby?” Iori asked.
“Oh, right. I should talk to them before going home.”
“That’s the spirit!”
As we chatted and headed toward the elevator, a middle-aged man with a stern expression approached us.
“Are you Masato Ichinose and Iori Nikaido?”
“That’s right, but who are you?” I asked.
“I’m Detective Sasayama.”
The man showed us his police badge, which had an area of investigation written on it. I couldn’t read it before he quickly closed it.
“Detective…?” We exchanged uneasy glances. Inside, we were filled with anxiety.
“Sorry for bothering you when you’re already tired, but would it be possible to have a conversation with you at the police station?”
“Is this… what they call an interrogation?” I asked.
“Interrogation?” he repeated.
“Sorry, I misspoke. I meant to say ‘interview,'” I corrected myself.
“Yes, it’s what they call a voluntary interview,” Detective Sasayama replied. However, his demeanor felt anything but voluntary—it seemed more like a polite formality.
He continued, “I understand if you’re tired, but we would appreciate your cooperation.”
“We’ll go,” Iori said with determination.
I nodded in agreement, realizing that it was something we needed to do.
As we followed Detective Sasayama, I couldn’t help but think, (Just when I thought we were finally safe, what now?) … and the same sentiment was written on Iori’s face.