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

“…”

Just as the atmosphere became delicate, Kasumigaoka Utaha walked out of the cave entrance.

Her long black hair was loose, with water still dripping from the ends, and a few wet strands clung to her fair neck.

The bright sunlight fell on her freshly washed face, and water droplets slid down her jawline, past her slender collarbone, and into the depths of her collar.

Today she changed into a loose white shirt, casually tucking the hem into black shorts, revealing a pair of straight, slender, and perfectly proportioned legs.

Those two red pupils, like two clear gemstones, carried the freshness and languor of someone who had just washed up.

"It smells so good." She walked over to the fire and squatted down naturally, glancing at the thick soup bubbling in the pot. "Aoyama-kun, your cooking is getting better and better."

As she spoke, she turned her head to look at Izumi Sagiri, who was squatting beside her.

Izumi Sagiri was holding the bowl high, the rim of which almost completely covered her face, revealing only a pair of light blue eyes as she cautiously glanced in the direction of Kasumigaoka Utaha.

"...Sagiri?"

"Why is your face so red? Are you feeling cold?" Kasumigaoka Utaha raised an eyebrow and reached out to touch her forehead.

"No...no!"

When Izumi Sagiri was touched by her hand, she almost spilled the soup in her hand.

She quickly steadied the bowl and stammered, "I just woke up and I'm a little hot...yes! Hot!"

"hot?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha tilted her head, a hint of a smile flashing in her red eyes.

"So you were lying after all?"

"The expression on his face was so obvious."

Kasumigaoka Utaha said calmly, "Wasn't it quite cool last night? The wind was so strong in the woods..."

Izumi Sagiri's hand jerked violently, and the spoon clattered against the rim of the bowl.

"Won't I be... discovered?" Izumi Sagiri became uneasy.

Kasumigaoka Utaha seemed oblivious to her reaction, slowly stood up, took a bowl of hot soup from Aoyama's hand, and then sat down beside him.

She picked up the bowl, blew on it to cool it down, took a sip, and squinted her eyes contentedly.

"Mmm...delicious."

"Aoyama-kun, what seasoning did you put in?"

Aoyama replied, "The wild onions and some kind of root I picked yesterday taste a bit like ginger."

"It should be able to dispel the cold."

He sipped his soup, his movements steady and casual.

"Able to hunt, knowledgeable about herbs and wild vegetables, Aoyama-kun is truly the perfect choice for a comfortable life~" Kasumigaoka Utaha smiled, took another sip, and then turned her head to look at the silver-white figure who wished she could bury her head in the bowl.

Her red pupils gleamed slightly. "Could it be... that Sagiri really discovered something?"

"Saya, aren't you going to drink it? It won't taste good when it gets cold."

"...I'm drinking!"

Izumi Sagiri then slowly brought the bowl to her lips and took a small sip.

The delicious flavor of the broth spread across her tongue, and the warm liquid slid down her throat into her stomach, warming her whole body.

She couldn't help but take another sip, then a second, then a third.

"It smells so good!" she said to herself, but her eyes lit up.

Kasumigaoka Utaha watched her, who was clearly shy to death but was still conquered by the food, and her eyes flickered slightly.

She turned her head back, her gaze casually sweeping over Aoyama, her voice carrying a lazy teasing tone: "Aoyama-kun, how did you sleep last night?"

Qingshan finished the soup in his bowl, put it down, wiped his mouth, and said, "It's alright."

Kasumigaoka Utaha tilted her head to look at him, the flickering firelight reflected in her red pupils. "I didn't sleep very well, maybe it was because of the hot spring?"

Her tone was light and casual, as if she were just mentioning it casually.

But Izumi Sagiri's ears suddenly perked up, and the spoon in her hand hovered over the edge of the bowl, motionless.

"The hot spring...last night..."

Moonlight, tree trunks, trembling long legs in black stockings...

Strange and bizarre images began to appear uncontrollably in her mind.

Her cheeks were so hot that she wondered if her face was already cooked.

Kasumigaoka Utaha turned to look at her, chuckled, and deliberately dragged out her words: "Sagiri, would you like to go to a hot spring? You can ask Aoyama-kun to take you next time."

"No...no need!"

After saying that, Izumi Sagiri lowered her head and continued drinking her soup, but her ears were already so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

What she clearly saw was... Brother Aoyama soaking in the hot spring.

Could it be that I misread it?

She didn't voice this question.

"However... it's best to go during the day, there are more mosquitoes at night," Kasumigaoka Utaha added, her tone completely serious.

"...Sister Shiyu, please stop talking." Izumi Sagiri's voice was muffled, with a hint of pleading.

Kasumigaoka Utaha chuckled and stopped teasing her.

She gracefully picked up a piece of bear meat, roasted to a perfect crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, took a bite, and chewed slowly, her expression one of complete satisfaction, as if she had just enjoyed a top-notch meal.

Aoyama glanced helplessly at Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Izumi Sagiri's face was completely unable to hide anything, which probably made Kasumigaoka Utaha discover something.

He put down the bowl, stood up, and stretched his shoulders, his joints making a soft 'crackling' sound.

I'm going out today.

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked up at him: "Where are we going?"

Qingshan walked to the cave wall, took down the composite bow and quiver hanging there, and then bent down to pick up the fire axe and machete from the ground.

He slung his backpack over his shoulder, deftly fastened his belt, and checked his equipment.

"Go check out that human settlement, the location marked on the map, it's about half a day's walk from here."

Kasumigaoka Utaha raised an eyebrow slightly: "Aoyama-kun, isn't that human settlement in chaos?"

"Maybe, but we can't just believe what those few people say."

Aoyama hung the axe at his waist and checked the number of arrows in his quiver. "Let's take advantage of the good weather and go see what's going on over there."

Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't speak, her red pupils lingering on his face for a few seconds.

Then she lowered her head and continued drinking the remaining soup in her bowl, her tone casual yet serious: "Isn't this too risky?"

She put down the bowl, stood up, walked to Qingshan, looked him up and down, and reached out to straighten his clothes: "After all, the map there was added later, and we don't know if it's accurate."

Qingshan glanced down at her and said, "You know my strength."

Kasumigaoka Utaha paused on his shoulder for a moment, then took a half step back, crossed her arms over her chest, and tilted her head slightly to examine him.

This pose allowed the neckline of her white shirt to open slightly, outlining her full, voluptuous breasts and slender waist.

She knew better than anyone else.

"You stay here. There are crossbows, signal guns, and a few knives in the shelter. You should be safe."

He paused, then turned his head to look at Izumi Sagiri, who was squatting by the fire: "Sagiri, do you know how to use a flare gun?"

Izumi Sagiri looked up, a hint of surprise in her light blue eyes, and then nodded vigorously:

"....Can!"

"Ah."

Aoyama nodded. "If anything goes wrong, fire the flare gun and I'll get back as fast as I can."

He turned his gaze to the large dog lying at his feet gnawing on a bone. "Also, keep an eye on this thing, don't let it get lost."

Since the big dog is still small, it poses no threat to Kasumigaoka Utaha and her companion, who are armed.

So he wasn't going to bring this burden, Tyrannosaurus Rex, along.

The big dog seemed to sense that someone had mentioned it. It stopped talking, raised its head, and stared blankly at Qingshan with its round, black eyes.

"Chirp?"

Qingshan ignored it, adjusted the backpack straps, and took two steps toward the cave entrance.

He paused at the cave entrance and turned around.

"By the way, Shiyu."

Kasumigaoka Utaha was bending over to clear the dishes when she heard the sound and straightened up: "Hmm?"

"Ugh, that hot spring last night..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha paused for a moment, then continued clearing the dishes as if nothing had happened, but the corners of her mouth curved up slightly: "What, still want to soak?"

"Wait for me to come back." After saying that, Qingshan turned around and walked out of the cave.

His figure quickly disappeared into the bushes and the depths of the sunlit forest path.

The shelter was quiet for a few seconds.

Izumi Sagiri held the bowl, her gaze still fixed on the direction of the cave entrance.

The big dog ran to her feet with the bone in its mouth, squatted down, and continued to gnaw on it.

.....

Deep in the forest, Qingshan steadily moved forward along the route marked on the map.

Sunlight streamed through the layers of tree canopy, casting dappled patterns of light on the forest floor.

The air was filled with the smell of damp earth and decaying plants, and occasionally an unknown bird would call out overhead.

As he walked, he kept an eye on the bushes and tree roots on both sides.

With the ability to see in all directions, one can capture the situation from all sides at the same time with almost no need to turn their head.

A green lizard was sunbathing on a tree branch to the left, several grasshoppers were hopping around in the grass to the right, and there was a string of fresh hoof prints on the ground about fifty meters ahead.

Qingshan stopped and squatted down to examine the hoof prints.

It is slightly round in shape, about the size of an adult's palm, with neat edges, and looks like it was left by some kind of large deer.

"They should still be nearby."

He stood up, took a deep breath, and continued walking.

After walking for a while, he suddenly noticed that the trunk of a fallen tree ahead was covered with white fungi. The caps were about the size of a fingernail, and they were clustered together in layers, like a miniature forest.

"mushroom?"

Qingshan approached, squatted down, and examined them closely. The caps of the mushrooms were smooth, pure white, and slightly curled at the edges.

He picked a flower, held it under his nose, and smelled it; it had a faint grassy fragrance.

"It doesn't look poisonous."

Although he didn't know much about fungi, he still had some basic knowledge.

Mushrooms that are too brightly colored are usually poisonous, while this pure white, ordinary-looking fungus is most likely edible.

So he picked about twenty flowers, wrapped them in clean leaves, and stuffed them into his backpack.

"I can make a mushroom soup when we get back."

He continued onward.

After walking for about half an hour, he emerged from a dense forest, and the view suddenly opened up before him.

Ahead lay a vast expanse of wetlands, with fine duckweed floating on the water's surface, reeds swaying gently in the morning breeze, and the air carrying the earthy scent of mud.

Qingshan slowed his pace, his gaze sweeping over the edge of Wet 203.