Leaving Tsubame and Kaguya to take care of Juju, Natsuki continued to search for others.
"Yukino, Haruno, Hayasaka-san… I am a member of the rescue team, please respond if you hear me."
With a megaphone in hand and a fabricated 'rescue team' identity, most people who heard him would respond.
So it didn't take long for Natsuki to successfully find Yukino, Haruno, Hayasaka, Chika, as well as his 'daughter' and other random guests.
In fact, except for Kaguya, who was extremely vigilant and had been in the same room as Natsuki from the start, everyone else responded.
Unfortunately, there was still one person who hadn't responded from beginning to end…
Natsuki said with a serious expression:
"Shoko hasn't been found."
"Eh?"
Juju paused, and said softly, "The name sounds a bit familiar…"
"It's Komi from your neighboring class."
Natsuki looked at Juju and explained, "You've had your true memories blocked now, so you don't remember."
Juju had already heard Tsubame's retelling and explanation, but she was still incredulous and doubted:
"Um… you're not lying to us, are you?"
Chika couldn't help but retort:
"Although everything in front of us proves that Natsuki-kun isn't lying, it's still impossible to accept… One moment we were discussing where to go for the school trip, and the next we're trapped in a cruise ship overturned in the sea! I can't accept it! No matter how I think about it, I can't accept it!"
"Exactly."
Hayasaka frowned slightly, her gaze wary, "Perhaps it's some kind of large-scale reality show that spared no expense?"
Yukino, Haruno, and others who had been rescued also cast suspicious glances, only Kaguya remained silent.
Natsuki expressed great understanding towards the girls' doubts.
Because during the previous exploration, similar doubts had appeared many times.
The unique aspect of a person is not their body; everyone has two eyes and one mouth, with nothing special about them. The mark of a unique individual is actually memory and emotion.
If one cannot even trust their own memories, then there is nothing else in the world that can be trusted.
"No matter how much I explain, you won't fully believe it, and I don't have a way to make all of you fully regain your clarity right now."
Natsuki quickly said, "So feel free to question it and judge for yourselves."
After a pause, Natsuki continued:
"For now, let's all get moving and help find Shoko."
Juju hesitated and said:
"Didn't you search all the floors?"
"I forgot one thing."
Natsuki rubbed his brow, and said helplessly, "Shoko has a communication disorder, and now that her memories are blocked, the situation has reverted to how it was initially; even if she hears someone calling her name, she won't have the courage to respond."
Chika blinked and said:
"That sounds a bit like social anxiety."
"Social anxiety is fearing communication with people and wanting to isolate oneself, staying away from everyone."
Natsuki explained, "Communication disorder still desires friends and wants to interact with people; it's just a quiet personality, not daring to speak to people."
"I see."
Chika put her right hand on her hip and nodded, "So she's just shy and introverted."
No wonder you're at the bottom of the class in exams, your comprehension is terrible!
Tsubame softly inquired:
"Since Shoko can't respond, how do we find her?"
Natsuki had already thought of a plan and said:
"Shoko's mother is Shuuko, so just shout 'Aunt Shuuko is calling you home for dinner.' If she hears it, she can knock on the floor, walls, etc., anything that can make a thudding sound."
The girls: "…"
Tapping the floor or the wall naturally made very little noise, so everyone needed to help.
"Understood." Chika was the first to respond; although some of her memories were blocked, secretary Chika's helpful nature hadn't changed. She raised her pink fist and said, "Let's all work together to find Shoko!"
Regardless of how much they questioned the truthfulness of Natsuki's words, they hadn't suffered any harm, so the girls all chose to help.
A moment later.
"We've searched everywhere, and heard no movement."
"We didn't hear a response either."
"Natsuki-kun, could you have remembered incorrectly?"
"..."
Everyone gathered together again. No one had heard Shoko's response, not even a single thumping sound.
Natsuki frowned, growing anxious.
Shoko must have entered a room, but why was she not responding?
They had searched all floors...
At this moment, Kaguya suddenly spoke, her arms crossed over her chest, and she softly said:
"We haven't searched our current floor yet."
"Huh?"
Natsuki looked at Kaguya and instantly realized he had made a classic oversight.
Because he had found Kaguya and Tsubame, he assumed there was no one else on the floor he had arrived on. But with Shoko's communication disorder, even if she heard him call her name, she wouldn't be able to give an effective response.
Everyone quickly went to the hallway entrance and looked down.
The murky, cold accumulated water had not stopped, still rising. Unbeknownst to them, it had already reached a normal person's chest. Looking out, they could see various debris floating on the water's surface, a chaotic sight.
"You all wait for me up here." Natsuki didn't waste time. He decisively took off his shirt and jumped into the sea. "I'll go down and search."
Splash!
Natsuki leaped into the sea, his figure quickly disappearing into the darkness and currents.
Watching Natsuki's figure disappear into the darkness, the girls all fell silent.
After a brief silence, Haruno was the first to speak, softly breaking the quiet:
"Although it's still hard to believe, it seems we really have been caught up in an incredible supernatural event."
Juju hesitated:
"If our memories really are false, then there's nothing in the world we can trust, is there?"
Yukino furrowed her delicate brows and softly said:
"Perhaps everything is a fabricated lie... In any case, let's stay vigilant and not easily believe everything he says."
The girls' attitudes were quite consistent.
They found it difficult to agree with every word Natsuki said, yet also found it difficult to deny all the evidence before their eyes. They felt exceptionally lost, and now that Natsuki had left, they were even more at a loss.
"What if? What if Natsuki-kun is telling the truth?" Tsubame gently bit her lip. "If we really are trapped in a capsized cruise ship, can we... survive?"
"..."
The air fell silent once more.
No one answered the question.
Because they didn't know how to answer. If the truth was indeed so, only despair lay before them.
But in Kaguya's eyes, there was inexplicably still a glimmer of 'hope'.
Having witnessed Natsuki's superpower and after drinking the night potion, Kaguya inexplicably felt that Natsuki could definitely lead everyone to escape the cruise ship.
At the same time.
Natsuki stood in the cold, murky, chest-deep accumulated water, wading forward while shouting through a megaphone:
"Shoko, Aunt Shuuko is calling you home for dinner!"
"If you hear me, please respond."
"Knock on anything around you that you can, and tell me your location."
"..."
Every few steps, Natsuki would shout, making sure Shoko wouldn't miss it.
Seeing that the entire corridor was about to be searched without any response, Natsuki couldn't help but grow anxious again, suspecting that Shoko might not be on this floor, but on another. The reason she wasn't responding could be that she was accidentally knocked out, and so on.
Thump thump thump...
At this moment, a faint knocking sound suddenly reached Natsuki's ears.
"Huh?!"
Natsuki's spirits immediately lifted. He quickly followed the sound to a room door: "Shoko, are you in there? If you are, keep knocking."
Thump thump thump...
The timid knocking sound resumed.
"I finally found you."
Natsuki finally breathed a sigh of relief, then couldn't help but want to complain.
The room Shoko was in was actually next door to the room he and Kaguya were in. They were only separated by one door, yet they had kept missing each other.
That's why communication disorders really need to be treated promptly, otherwise, if you encounter danger one day, even a rescue team won't be able to save you!
"Shoko, move away from the door." Natsuki distorted the doorknob, found it wouldn't open, and decisively commanded, "I'm coming in."
Counting to thirty seconds in his mind, Natsuki decisively punched, violently smashing open the door lock with one blow.
Pushing the door open.
Natsuki's gaze quickly swept the room and immediately spotted a black-haired girl leaning against the wall in the corner, shivering from being submerged in water for too long. Who else could it be but Shoko?
"I found you." Natsuki swam directly over to Shoko. "You heard me calling your name with the megaphone earlier, didn't you?"
The the timid girl lowered her head, nervous and uneasy, offering no response.
With her memories blocked, she had no recollection of Natsuki in her mind. Facing a stranger, she naturally dared not utter a single word.
Natsuki applied a little force to his hand, pulling Shoko into his embrace. He sternly said:
"I've been looking for you for so long, shouldn't there be some compensation?"
"Com-compensation?"
Komi looked up blankly.
"My act of saving you is considered a brave act. In criminal law, a brave act falls under a special form of unauthorized management, and the beneficiary should provide compensation." Natsuki looked at Shoko, explaining the law in a serious tone, "So, whether morally or legally, you should compensate me."
Faced with Natsuki's demand for compensation, Komi stammered, unable to utter a single word. Her eyes darted around nervously, wanting to search for her wallet, but naturally, she couldn't find it.
"Since you're not speaking, I'll take that as your default. I'll take the compensation myself."
As Natsuki spoke, he lowered his head and directly leaned in for a kiss.
Komi stared blankly at the ground until Natsuki kissed her on the cheek, then she reacted, immediately struggling and resisting, trying to break free.
"Don't move." Natsuki's face hardened, and he said menacingly, "If you move again, it won't just be a simple kiss."
"..."
Upon hearing these words, Komi's body stiffened and she immediately became still, though her eyes quickly welled up with a misty blur, clearly frightened.
"And don't cry." Natsuki said sternly, "If you dare to cry, I'll keep kissing you."
"W-Wahhh..."
Komi quickly bit her lip, swallowing her tears with a wronged expression.
"Let's go, we'll talk outside first."
Natsuki held Shoko in his arms and walked directly out.
"W-wait a minute..." Komi's voice was anxious, her pretty face pale. She was clearly very afraid of Natsuki, yet she mustered the courage to speak, though her voice was still very faint, "Where is Mom?"
"Don't worry, Aunt Shuuko isn't here, there's no danger. I just wanted you to respond to me earlier." Natsuki said gently, "Let's go out first, then I'll let the others explain to you."
"..."
A mere Shoko couldn't affect Natsuki's speed of movement at all.
Before long, Natsuki held Shoko and swam back to the staircase.
"They're back, they're back."
"I see Natsuki-kun!"
"Natsuki-kun is holding a girl!"
"..."
Seeing Natsuki's figure appear, the girls all breathed a sigh of relief.
There is a 'leader effect' in human groups. In a dangerous environment, people instinctively rely on the person who stands out. So, whether they wanted to admit it or not, Natsuki had already become their backbone at this moment.
"I'm back."
Natsuki held Shoko and walked along the overturned staircase back to the ship's deck that had not yet been submerged by water.
"Eh? It's really Komi?"
After clearly seeing the girl in Natsuki's arms, Juju's eyes widened in surprise.
"Juju, take care of Shoko." Natsuki put Shoko down and let out a soft breath. "Explain the current situation to Shoko."
"I understand."
Juju nodded quickly. At this moment, she had quietly come to believe what Natsuki had said.
"Natsuki-kun, wipe yourself off." Chika handed him a towel, concerned, "Be careful not to catch a cold."
"No need." Natsuki waved his hand and said, "Now that everyone has been found, we still need to find a way to leave this ship... A cruise ship capsized in the sea, the real exit should be below. I'll dive down and take a look."
Hearing this, Chika couldn't help but worry and suggested:
"That sounds dangerous. How about we break a window and go out through it?"
Natsuki: "..."
As expected of a physics idiot, one sentence exposed your identity as an uneducated academic slacker!
"No!"
"Too dangerous!"
Any girl with a bit of physics common sense immediately raised objections.
The entire ship was currently maintaining a fragile balance. Once a window was broken, seawater would inevitably rush in through it, and the air would be quickly squeezed out through the window's opening. The result would be that there would be no safe place left.
The current situation was like a car accidentally falling into the water. If you don't break the windows, the car can float for a while. If you break the windows, the car will instantly be filled with seawater, and the water pressure at the opening would be so strong that an ordinary person would have no chance of getting out; they would be swept away as soon as they got close.
But going into the sea to find an exit... the danger factor was equally extremely high.
Humans have limits.
An ordinary person's ability to hold their breath is only a few short minutes, but no one knew how deep the cruise ship had sunk, or how long it would take to find an exit. Even if an exit was found, whether they could swim to the surface of the sea was still unknown.
"Don't worry, I have a way."
Natsuki raised his hand and wiped his face; a black mask appeared out of thin air.
"Eh eh eh?" Chika widened her eyes, "Natsuki-kun can do magic?"
"It's not magic." Natsuki took off the mask and explained helplessly, "This is an underwater breathing mask, one of the items produced by the game. Wearing it allows you to breathe freely underwater... Does anyone want to try it out?"
As a player, he naturally never missed the daily Blind Box. Skills were rare, but there were many miscellaneous items.
This underwater breathing mask was a Blind Box item he had opened before. Its effect was simple: it allowed free breathing underwater. Since he had opened it, he had never used it, but he didn't expect it to come in handy today.
It's a pity there was only one of these, otherwise, he wouldn't even need to scout; he could just swim out directly.
"I want to try it!"
Chika enthusiastically raised her right hand.
"Here." Natsuki handed over the mask. "Just put it on. It will automatically fit your face. Don't be nervous."
"Mhm, mhm."
Chika put on the mask, dipped her face into the water, and soon exclaimed in surprise:
"Natsuki-kun didn't lie. The mask really allows you to breathe underwater! This mask is so wonderful!"
Natsuki looked at the other girls and said:
"Hurry up. Anyone who wants to try it can give it a go."
Haruno smiled:
"Natsuki-kun, I want to try it."
Hayasaka followed suit:
"A mask that lets you breathe underwater? I want to try it too."
Some wanted to try, others were unwilling to experience it. For example, Shoko, after being forcibly kissed by Natsuki earlier, was now hiding behind Juju, not even daring to make eye contact. Kaguya also had no intention of trying it.
The mask's effectiveness was verified.
"Wait for me to come back."
Natsuki put on the underwater breathing mask, jumped into the water with a splash, and his figure quickly disappeared.
The seawater was cold and murky, and the visibility in the submerged passage was extremely low, showing no signs of falsehood. For ordinary people, this would naturally cause immense psychological pressure, but Natsuki didn't care in the slightest.
He navigated underwater with the breathing mask, and it wasn't long before he found the exit. After pushing open a door, his vision suddenly cleared.
Natsuki silently turned around and looked back, finally seeing a huge cruise ship capsized in the water, quietly suspended.
"Tsk~"
Natsuki blew a bubble, circled the ship once, and quickly found a lifeboat. He immediately cut the rope, hugged the inflatable raft, and floated upwards, simultaneously calculating the distance in his mind.
Fortunately, the cruise ship wasn't submerged very deep, only about three or four meters. Natsuki quickly surfaced. The surface of the water was pitch black, clearly still nighttime, and the outline of a small island was faintly visible in the distance.
Releasing the inflatable raft, Natsuki re-entered the sea, diving into the sunken cruise ship.
At the same time.
The girls were anxiously waiting in the overturned cabin.
"It's been a while. Why isn't Natsuki-kun back yet?"
"Perhaps the ship sank very deep."
"He… he won't not come back, will he?"
"Impossible." Kaguya gently shook her head. For some reason, she had an inexplicable trust in her heart. "He will definitely come back."
Splash.
No sooner had she spoken than Natsuki surfaced from the water, removed his mask, and stepped out:
"No big deal, I'm back."