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

Kasumigaoka Utaha paused in her hand movements for a moment: "Yeah, classmate."

Why are you suddenly asking this?

"I'm just a little curious, what kind of person is Aoyama-nii at school?" Izumi Sagiri's gaze fell on the water.

Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't answer immediately. She straightened up and shook the water droplets off her hands, as if she was recalling something.

"Well... I looked pretty ordinary when I was in school."

She tilted her head and thought for a while, "She doesn't talk much, and she doesn't raise her hand to answer questions in class much, but she's good in PE class, and she runs quite fast."

"That's it?"

Izumi Sagiri's eyes widened. How could Aoyama-nii, who was so handsome, be so ordinary?

That's settled.

Kasumigaoka Utaha raised an eyebrow. "But you know what? It's these seemingly ordinary people who make people pay more attention to them."

Confused, Izumi Sagiri blinked her light blue eyes: "Why?"

"Because the ordinary itself is not ordinary."

"You possess superhuman strength, yet you can act as if nothing's wrong at school... Don't you think it's amazing that you can control your desires?"

So, Brother Aoyama already had great power before?

Izumi Sagiri opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she just muttered softly, "Aoyama-nii is really amazing..."

White mushroom flakes floated and swirled on the boiling soup, quickly becoming tinged with a thin layer of savory liquid.

Kasumigaoka Utaha picked up a spoon and stirred it, making the soup even more fragrant.

"By the way, Sage, does your school offer home economics classes?"

Izumi Sagiri nodded: "Yes... there is."

"However, I'm not very good at working with others, so I often just watch from the sidelines..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha smiled: "About the same as me."

“Our school’s home economics class requires students to work in pairs, and Aoyama-kun and I were assigned to the same pair.”

Izumi Sagiri's eyes lit up slightly: "Is the food cooked by Brother Aoyama delicious?"

"That guy, he looks so serious when he cooks, his chopping is clean and efficient, and the seasoning is just right. He's practically the perfect boyfriend!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha said, her tone carrying a meaningful laziness, "But every time he finishes cooking, he eats the food right away, not giving anyone else a chance to taste it."

"Eh—?"

“I was supposed to be his partner, but I didn’t even get a single bite to try.”

Izumi Sagiri chuckled, but quickly covered her mouth with her hand, her shoulders shaking.

Kasumigaoka Utaha glanced at her, a slight smile playing on her lips: "So now you know, right? Aoyama-kun is incredibly obsessed with what he's already eating."

"In this environment, it has become the greatest advantage for survival."

"After all, in this world, only those who dare to eat anything can survive to the end."

As she spoke, she picked up the fish that was wrapped in leaves next to her.

That's the one Qingshan brought back yesterday. It's about the length of an adult's forearm, with a slender body, and it's already been carefully cleaned.

Kasumigaoka Utaha placed the fish on a clean leaf and used a knife to cut open the flesh on both sides of the fish's belly, revealing the fine white texture of the fish meat inside.

“This (dabf) fish is very fresh.” She pressed the fish flesh with her finger; it was very elastic. “Let’s grill it when Aoyama-kun comes back.”

Izumi Sagiri squatted down beside her, watching curiously as she handled the fish: "Shiha-neechan, you seem quite skilled at it?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha used a knife to cut the fish into even, thick slices, and said casually, "I occasionally cook at home, but most of the time I order takeout."

"Speaking of which, Aoyama-kun often brings a different lunchbox to school each time. He seems to put a lot of thought into it..."

"But when asked if he did it himself, he wouldn't say."

Izumi Sagiri tilted her head and thought for a moment, then whispered a guess: "Maybe... it was Aoyama-nii who made it himself?"

"That's what I think too."

Kasumigaoka Utaha arranged the sliced ​​fish and sprinkled a little salt on it.

She carefully flipped the fish fillet over, ensuring the salt was evenly distributed on each piece of fish.

After doing all this, she stood up and stretched.

The loose white shirt rode up slightly with the movement, revealing a flat and firm midriff. The hem of the shorts was pulled up a bit, and the fleshy thighs gleamed warmly in the firelight.

Izumi Sagiri's gaze inadvertently fell on those legs, and her mind immediately and uncontrollably conjured up an image of Kasumigaoka Utaha being completely covered in pubic hair.

"Sister Shiyu...you're not pregnant, are you?" Her cheeks instantly turned as hot as if she could fry an egg on them.

Kasumigaoka Utaha sensitively noticed her unusual behavior, turned her head to look at her with a hint of inquiry: "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing. I was just thinking about things from school!" Izumi Sagiri lowered her head, pretending to be seriously observing the firewood in the fire.

"Really?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha walked over, squatted down beside her, and reached out to pinch her earlobe.

The cool touch of her fingertips caused Izumi Sagiri to flinch as if she'd been electrocuted when they touched her burning hot earlobe.

"It's really hot." Kasumigaoka Utaha raised an eyebrow.

“Ooh~!” A layer of mist appeared in Izumi Sagiri’s eyes.

Kasumigaoka Utaha hadn't expected her to be so sensitive, so she immediately withdrew her hand and didn't press the matter further.

How can such a fine mist be an asset?

Under such a fierce attack, it would probably only last one round before being defeated.

Thinking of this, Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

She sat down again, picked up a branch and poked at the fire. "The soup should be almost ready. Let's have a bowl to warm ourselves up."

Izumi Sagiri felt as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly picked up her bowl and moved closer to the pot.

Kasumigaoka Utaha served her a bowl of soup. The soup was clear and bright, with white mushroom slices and emerald green scallion segments floating on it, and it smelled delicious.

Izumi Sagiri carefully blew on the steam, took a sip, and felt the warmth spread from her stomach to her limbs.

"Sister Shiyu's cooking is really good~" she praised softly, her light blue eyes sparkling.

Kasumigaoka Utaha also served herself a bowl, elegantly picked it up and took a sip, then closed her eyes contentedly.

"They're really good. Aoyama-kun's judgment is reliable. These mushrooms taste much better than I expected."

She doesn't think she has any special skills; it's mostly due to the ingredients themselves.

The two sat by the fire, holding bowls and drinking hot soup, the warmth enveloping their bodies.

By the fire in the corner, the big dog finished gnawing on a bone, rolled over contentedly, revealing its white belly, and made a soft purring sound.

Izumi Sagiri glanced at the big dog, then at Kasumigaoka Utaha, and suddenly felt a sense of peace and contentment in this moment.

She spoke softly, "Sister Shiyu."

"Ok?"

"When do you think... Brother Qingshan will be back?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha took a sip of soup from her bowl, her gaze fixed on the cave entrance, her eyes calm and gentle.

"He should be back tonight."

"Ah."

Izumi Sagiri followed her gaze to the cave entrance. Her long, silvery-white hair fell over her shoulders, and the flickering firelight reflected in her light-blue pupils, making her appear softer than usual.

...

Meanwhile, deep in another woodland far from the shelter, in a cave.

Yukino Yukinoshita knelt beside the straw mat, gently wiping the sweat from her mother's forehead with a damp cloth.

The large, leaf-folded container sat to the side, still containing a small amount of herbal medicine—the fever-reducing liquid she had fed her mother during the day.

But by now, the water in the container had cooled completely, and a thin layer of mist condensed on the icy surface.

Snow Mother's breathing was heavier than in the morning, each inhale carrying a distinct dragging sensation, as if something was stuck deep in her throat.

Her cheeks were flushed an unnatural red, and her skin felt burning hot to the touch.

"Mother?" Yukino whispered, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly.

There was no response.

Snow Mother's eyelashes trembled slightly, but her eyes remained tightly closed.

Her brows furrowed slightly, as if she were enduring some kind of pain even in her dreams. Occasionally, she would let out a very soft groan from her throat, short and suppressed.

Yukino bit her lower lip, wrung out the wet cloth strip in her hand, folded it into a neat strip, and gently placed it on her mother's forehead.

The cool touch made Snow Mother move her head slightly, and the breathing in her throat seemed to ease for a moment.

"...Mother, don't be afraid."

Yukino's voice was very soft, as if she were speaking to her mother, or perhaps to herself.

She lowered her head, her gaze fixed on her mother's pale face.

She gently held her mother's hand, but it was now soft and powerless, curled up in her palm, as if she had lost all her strength.

Yukino lowered her head and pressed her forehead against her mother's hand.

The burning heat from her skin made her eyes sting.

Sure enough, the condition worsened again.

“Mother, I have remembered all the herbs you taught me, and I found a lot of them today.”

"We also picked mushrooms and some wild berries today, so we won't go hungry..."

"Mother..."

Snow Mother's fingers suddenly twitched slightly.

Yukino suddenly looked up: "Mother?"

Snow Mother's eyelids twitched a few times before she slowly opened them.

Those eyes were still veiled in a thin mist, but they were a little more awake than in the early morning.

She turned her head, her gaze somewhat unfocused as it fell on Yukino's face, her lips slightly parted.

"Yukino..."

"Yes, I'm here." Yukino squeezed her mother's hand and leaned closer to ask, "Mother, would you like some water?"

Snow Mother shook her head, her movements extremely light, as if she had almost no strength left to even turn her neck.

She looked at Yukino, her gaze lingering on her daughter's face for a long time.

That young face showed weariness and stubbornness, his hair was disheveled, and his school uniform was covered in mud and grass clippings.

It makes one feel incredibly sorry for them.

"I've dragged you down..."

Yukino paused for a moment, then blinked hard, forcing back the tears that were about to spill.

"Mother, don't speak yet. I'll go reheat the herbs and give you some more to drink."

She released her mother's hand and stood up.

Her legs were a little numb, so she steadied herself by holding onto the rock face and walked to the fire.

The fire was almost out, with only a few dark red embers still radiating warmth.

The dry branches and grass she had gathered that morning were almost burned, so she had to use them sparingly.

Yukino crouched down, carefully picked up a few thin pieces of firewood and added them to the fire. She bent down and blew on them, and the sparks rose again, the orange-red flames dancing merrily.

The warmth spread again.

"Mother..."