Comic strip: Survival on a deserted island, surrounded by heroines

"I'm...sorry...I'm just so hungry..."

"I...I saw food...I..."

Her words were incoherent, and her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost a whisper.

Her fingers gripped the half-eaten meat tightly, and she trembled like a leaf in the wind.

Chapter 26: Is this... Izumi Sagiri?

Qingshan looked her over thoughtfully.

"This is... Izumi Sagiri?"

He had only seen this face a few times, but he did remember it.

She had long, silvery-white hair, light blue eyes, and delicate, porcelain-like features. She was petite and slender.

His neighbor in that apartment building was Izumi Sagiri, who spent all her time locking herself in her room drawing absurd illustrations.

He recognized her, but she obviously didn't recognize him.

After all, although the two lived next door, they met very few times, and each time they just passed each other by in a hurry.

Given that he was carrying a knife and exuded a murderous aura, it would be strange if the other party could recognize him in this state.

Aoyama was silent for a few seconds, then slowly lowered the machete, the tip pointing towards the ground.

His tone was much softer than before: "Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person."

"Eh?!"

Izumi Sagiri remained huddled in the corner, her aquamarine eyes filled with vigilance and fear, her body not relaxing even for a moment.

Aoyama took half a step forward, then she immediately shrank back, her head hitting the rock wall, and curled up even tighter.

"Your name is Izumi Sagiri, right?"

Qingshan crouched down to be at about the same height as her, and tried to keep his voice level, "I'm your neighbor, the one who lives next door...Qingshan."

Izumi Sagiri was clearly taken aback for a moment.

In those light blue pupils, the fear subsided slightly, replaced by a bewildered confusion.

She stared at Qingshan for a while, seemingly trying to recall something, but clearly couldn't make sense of it yet.

"...Qingshan?" Her voice hesitated. "...The older brother next door?..."

Aoyama slid his machete into the scabbard at his waist, spread his hands to indicate that he was not threatening him, and said, "You didn't go out much before, so we haven't met many times."

Izumi Sagiri's gaze softened slightly, but she remained wary.

She stared at him for several seconds, as if confirming that this person was indeed a vague impression from her memory.

Her gaze moved from his face to the sheathed knife on the ground, and then back again.

"...How did you...get here?" she asked cautiously.

"That's what I should be asking you." Aoyama looked at the dried meat in her hand, then at the wild grapes that had been eaten beside her. "When did you get here?"

Izumi Sagiri lowered her head, her fingers tightening around the jerky: "I...I don't know...about two days ago?"

"I accidentally ended up here... I don't know how I got here... I only remember..."

Her voice choked for a moment, and her shoulders trembled slightly.

Aoyama noticed that her eyes were starting to redden.

“My parents... passed away recently, and I'm all alone now.”

"And then...and then I got here..."

She spoke slowly and haltingly, as if each word required great effort to utter.

The small, thin body was curled up in the corner, its long, silvery-white hair covering most of its face, revealing only the moist light around the edge of its light blue pupils.

Qingshan looked at her and remained silent for a moment.

He didn't rush to ask more questions. He simply stood up, turned around, and walked to another secluded spot, where he took out a condom filled with water.

This is spring water that has been boiled, so it is naturally clean and hygienic.

"Drink some water first, your lips are all chapped."

Izumi Sagiri looked up at him, her light blue eyes still misty, but her fear had subsided considerably.

She hesitated for a moment, then carefully reached out and took it.

The movements were very gentle, as if afraid of breaking something.

She held the water bottle to her lips and drank it in small sips.

Qingshan waited until she had taken a few sips before speaking again: "Have you been staying in this cave for the past two days?"

Izumi Sagiri put down the coconut and nodded: "It's... safer here... There are strange noises outside... I don't dare to go far."

Although the stream was right next to her, she only dared to take a quick sip in the early morning.

A blush of guilt appeared on her face: "I'm sorry... I ate your food..."

"It's nothing," Qingshan waved his hand.

“Those were originally reserve grain, enough for two people to eat.”

He stood up, glanced at the cave entrance, and said, "You stay here and don't move. I'll go get someone to come in."

Izumi Sagiri blinked, as if she hadn't quite grasped the situation: "Picking up...someone?"

"There's someone else waiting outside." Aoyama didn't explain further and turned to leave the shelter.

Outside the cave entrance of the shelter.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was still crouching behind that crooked tree, her hand tightly gripping the fish crossbow.

When she saw Qingshan come out, she immediately stood up to greet him, scanning him up and down to make sure he was unharmed before she felt relieved.

"What's going on inside?"

Aoyama tucked the machete back into his waistband: "A girl, no threat."

Kasumigaoka Utaha raised an eyebrow: "A girl?"

"Well, I guess you could say we were neighbors before."

Aoyama bent down to pick up the backpack he had put on the ground, and hung up the composite bow and longsword again. "Come in with me, don't scare her."

"?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha followed him into the shelter, her gaze sweeping over the interior before settling on the silver-haired girl curled up in a corner.

She looked her up and down.

She had a slender figure, an almost shapeless body, a youthful face, and timid, light blue eyes.

Kasumigaoka Utaha turned her head, glanced at Aoyama, and then said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft: "Lolita complex."

Aoyama coughed: "...She's my neighbor."

"Hmm, neighbor?" Kasumigaoka Utaha's tone carried a meaningful undertone.

Izumi Sagiri felt extremely uncomfortable under her gaze, shrinking even smaller and almost dropping the water storage sleeve in her hand.

Her face flushed red, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at Kasumigaoka Utaha, only staring at the small patch of ground in front of her feet.

Seeing her like this, Kasumigaoka Utaha stopped teasing her.

He simply walked over, sat down on a relatively clean rock nearby, and placed the fish crossbow on his lap.

She tilted her head, her tone softening slightly: "Hello, little sister, my name is Kasumigaoka Utaha."

"What's your name?"

“...Izumi Sagiri…” The voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.

“Izumi Sagiri”.

Kasumigaoka Utaha repeated the name, then looked at Aoyama, her eyes conveying a clear meaning.

"Your neighbor, tell me what happened?"

Aoyama put down his backpack and, while organizing his belongings, briefly explained the information he had learned in the apartment building.

This is a girl from next door. Her parents have passed away, and she rarely goes out. She makes a living by drawing illustrations. Although the two live close by, they see each other very few times.

"so it is...."

After hearing this, Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at Izumi Sagiri with an added layer of inexplicable maternal affection.

She paused for a few seconds, then stood up, rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a clean handkerchief and a small bottle of mineral water that she had salvaged from the shipwreck the day before, and handed them to her.

"Wipe your face, it's covered in mud."

Izumi Sagiri paused for a moment, then timidly accepted the handkerchief and bottle. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say thank you, but the sound stuck in her throat.

She lowered her head, dipped a handkerchief in water, and gently wiped her cheeks. After the mud was wiped away, her exposed skin was almost transparently white.

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at her like this, then glanced at Aoyama.

That look seemed to say, "You better really aren't a lolicon."

Pretending not to see, Aoyama squatted down to inspect the remaining supplies in the shelter.

Nearly half of the wild grapes were eaten, and three or four crocodile jerky pieces were also missing, but the losses weren't too great.

He rummaged through the food he had salvaged from the shipwreck in his backpack, neatly arranging the compressed biscuits and canned goods.

"Take a break first."

He stood up, looked at the sky, and said, "Let's roast that rabbit later. There'll be enough meat for the three of us."

When Izumi Sagiri heard the word 'rabbit,' her eyes lit up slightly, but then dimmed again. She asked softly, "Can...can I really stay?"

Aoyama turned and glanced at her: "Otherwise what? How many days can you live by yourself?"

Izumi Sagiri was speechless at his words. She opened her mouth but couldn't say anything in response, so she could only give a soft "hmm".

Her hand unconsciously tightened around the bottle of mineral water, but the fear deep in her eyes had mostly dissipated, replaced by a cautious, almost fearful hope that might vanish at any moment.

Kasumigaoka Utaha stood by, watching everything unfold.

She walked over and squatted down beside Aoyama, lowering her voice to say, "Aoyama-kun, you don't have feelings for her too, do you?"

Aoyama, with an upright expression, said seriously, "Absolutely impossible!"

"most..."

Clearly, in that kind of matter, Aoyama's words had little persuasive power over her.

After all, only Qingshan knows how much he indulges in pleasure.

Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips curled up slightly, and her voice lowered even further, "But I have to remind you, the way your neighbor looks at you has changed from fear to dependence."

"It's only been a few minutes?"

Qingshan remained unfazed: "Perhaps it's due to a lack of security."

Do you feel safe?

She thought of herself.

Yes, people lack a sense of security in this kind of environment.

And Aoyama-kun happens to have it.

Kasumigaoka Utaha walked up to Izumi Sagiri, bent down slightly, and gave her a smile much gentler than before: "Izumi-chan, please stay here."

Taken aback by her sudden kindness, Izumi Sagiri hurriedly nodded, "Thank...thank you..."

"Just call me Shiyu."

Kasumigaoka Utaha straightened up, her gaze lingering on her youthful face for a moment before turning to Aoyama. "I'll leave the task of dealing with the rabbit to you, Aoyama-kun."

“I’d like to have a chat with Izumi-nee.”

"no problem."

Aoyama picked up the rabbit hanging on the side of his backpack and walked towards the entrance of the sanctuary.