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

The words swirled on her tongue before she swallowed them back.

The fire crackled and popped.

Snow Mother leaned against the rock wall, half-opening her eyes as she watched her daughter's retreating figure.

The figure was slender and upright, with mud stains still on the school uniform shirt from the morning's fall, and the hem of the skirt was frayed.

But it was this small figure from behind that inexplicably made her feel at ease.

"Yukino..."

She remembered the morning when Yukino was very young, the first time she walked alone down the corridor to the classroom.

At that moment, she stood at the end of the corridor, watching her daughter's small figure disappear around the corner, and felt a faint worry in her heart that she might cry.

But Yukino didn't turn around. She walked all the way to the classroom door and then stopped, as if she sensed something, and turned around to look at her.

There was no fear in that glance, only a stubbornness in trying hard to appear adult.

"Exactly the same as now."

Snow Mother gently closed her eyes, a faint smile appearing at the corner of her mouth, a smile that was tired yet gentle.

Yukino heated up the medicine, carefully walked to her mother's side, and squatted down again.

She blew on it repeatedly until she was sure the temperature was right before bringing it to her mother's lips.

"Mother, open your mouth."

Snow Mother obediently opened her mouth, and the warm medicine slid down her throat, easing the tightness in her chest.

Yukino fed him little by little, her movements gentle and focused.

The firelight reflected on her profile, and the shadows of her eyelashes fell below her eyelids, making her look much older than her actual age.

After feeding her the medicine, Yukino wiped her mother's face and neck with a damp cloth and tucked her sweaty bangs behind her ears.

Snow Mother let out a very soft sigh as she felt the cool touch, and her breathing gradually became steady and long.

"With me here watching over you, Mother, you can sleep peacefully."

Yukino tidied up the remaining firewood, picked up a small red wild fruit from a large leaf beside her, and examined it in her palm.

The fruit is plump and round with a smooth skin.

She hesitated for a moment, then carefully took a bite.

"Screech!"

The sweet and sour juice exploded on her tongue, invigorating her.

She quickly took two more bites and finished the wild fruit in no time.

Then he picked up a second one, this time eating it more slowly, as if he wanted to savor this rare delicacy.

"Once Mother's fever breaks, she should try this too..."

As Yukino spoke, she carefully put away the remaining wild berries.

Then she sat by the fire, hugging her knees, her gaze fixed on the flickering flames.

The sounds of my mother's steady breathing and the occasional chirping of insects outside were all I could hear.

The night wind blew in through the cracks in the rock cave. Yukino shrank her shoulders, wrapped her school uniform jacket tighter, and moved closer to the fire.

"If it were Aoyama from the next class, he should be able to handle it well, right?"

The thought popped into her head for no reason, but she quickly shook her head, shaking the name out of her mind.

She stared at the flames, lost in thought, seemingly preoccupied with something.

Chapter 46: Mr. Aoyama, you don't seem to want to eat fish? [Image]

The campfire inside the shelter was still burning.

Izumi Sagiri was curled up on the straw mat, breathing evenly and slowly, her long, silvery-white hair cascading over her shoulders, fast asleep.

The big dog lay beside her, occasionally kicking its leg; it was probably gnawing on a bone in its sleep.

As Qingshan pushed aside the vines at the cave entrance and walked in, a gust of night breeze followed.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was leaning against the stone wall, unconsciously drawing circles in the embers with a thin twig in her hand.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up, her red pupils reflecting a faint light in the darkness: "You're back?"

"Ah."

Aoyama put down his dew-covered backpack and placed the fire axe, composite bow, and machete beside him.

His movements carried the slight fatigue of a long journey, but he did not appear disheveled.

Kasumigaoka Utaha stood up, the hem of her white shirt rising slightly with the movement, revealing a section of her waistline that was warmly illuminated by the firelight.

She took a few steps closer and looked him up and down: "Are you alright?"

"No." Aoyama took off his coat and draped it over the side of the straw mat. He glanced at Izumi Sagiri, who was curled up asleep in the corner, and confirmed that she was still fast asleep.

The big dog lay sprawled at her feet, its white fur rising and falling with its breath, fast asleep and completely unguarded.

Kasumigaoka Utaha followed his gaze and glanced at him, then lowered her voice and said, "Not long after you left, she packed up all the mushrooms and wild fruits you brought back, saying that she didn't want you to have to worry about them when you came back."

Aoyama didn't say anything, but his gaze lingered on Sagiri's sleeping face for a while longer.

Kasumigaoka Utaha turned and walked towards the fire, where several slices of fish wrapped in leaves lay, which she had cut during the day.

"Are you hungry? I'll grill the fish for you and heat up a bowl of soup, soon..." she said, bending down to get it. Her jeans tightened as she did so, outlining the round and full curve of her hips.

Aoyama watched her bent back, his gaze lingering on the curves of her full hips, and then he walked over.

They were very close, close enough that she could feel his warm breath.

She had just picked up the bag of leaves when she felt a tightness around her waist, and he lifted her up from behind.

Kasumigaoka Utaha paused for a moment, then narrowed her eyes slightly, a hint of amusement in her red pupils: "Aoyama-kun, you don't seem to want to eat fish?"

Aoyama did not deny it, and carried her as he turned and walked toward the shelter.

There was a simple smoked meat rack there, supported by a few pieces of wood, with a simple roof made of vines and leaves.

"I'll eat you first." His voice was very low, almost whispering in her ear.

Kasumigaoka Utaha's breath hitched for a moment, her ears turning red, and her red pupils trembled slightly in the dim light.

She turned her head to look at him, a slow smile curving her lips: "Really... you walked such a long way, how come you still have this much energy to come back?"

"You'll soon find out whether you have the strength or not," Qingshan said, putting her down.

Kasumigaoka Utaha's feet sank into the soft earth, her white shirt slightly rolled up from being lifted up.

She reached down and pulled it down, but didn't actually tidy it up. She just looked up at the green hills standing in front of her.

"so what?"

"Qingshan, why did you carry me to the smoked meat rack in the middle of the night? Could it be that you want to..." She tilted her head slightly, her long, straight black hair falling on both sides of her collarbone. Moonlight leaked through the gap in the canopy, casting dappled light and shadow on her face.

She turned her head away halfway through her sentence, her ears already visibly red.

Aoyama's hand naturally rested on her waist.

Kasumigaoka Utaha's body trembled slightly, her hands resting on the rough wooden surface, and her eyelids lowered slightly.

"Things outside are more complicated than I imagined."

Qingshan stood behind her, getting closer, and told her about his experiences that day.

He lowered his voice slightly, as if afraid of waking the people in the shelter, “Several people told me that the area we are in is dangerous.”

"Most of those who traveled through time lived together in groups, calling relatively safe places 'safe zones'."

Kasumigaoka Utaha turned her head, her profile facing him, her red pupils reflecting the moonlight filtering through the gaps in the ceiling.

"Qingshan...hmm?"

"Now that you mention it, the area where we live..."

“That’s right, it’s probably the danger zone they were talking about.” Qingshan said, supporting her waist to help her steady her head.

"It's definitely not a peaceful place here."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's breathing quickened slightly. She lowered her head slightly, her black hair slipping down her shoulder to cover half her face. Her voice carried a forced calmness: "So... those chimpanzees really were that big?"

Aoyama's voice was low and a little hoarse: "He's about 1.5 meters tall, with very thick arms, and his fangs are longer than his fingers."

"However, they are still far inferior to dinosaurs."

"...That sounds dangerous," Kasumigaoka Utaha said softly, her hands gripping the wood, her fingers slightly clenched. "You're going to deal with those things all by yourself...aren't you afraid of getting hurt?"

“I’m not seriously injured,” Aoyama said, adjusting his position slightly. “There should be many more settlements on this island.”

"There are many gathering places?" Kasumigaoka Utaha lowered her head, a hint of curiosity flashing in her red eyes.

Aoyama spoke faster: "However, the nearest gathering place has already dispersed."

Kasumigaoka Utaha gave a soft "hmm," her breathing gradually becoming erratic.

She pressed her forehead against the rough wood, her voice muffled and strained, as if through a barrier: "So what about us? Should we stay here, or..."

Qingshan said, "I won't leave for now."

"It's relatively safe here. There's no shortage of food and water, and the surrounding threats have been mostly cleared."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's voice was low, with a hint of tension: "...That's good. I thought you were going to take us to some faraway place."

“I don’t have that plan for the time being, and…” Aoyama said, tightening his arms slightly.

"What?" She turned her head, her red pupils looking at him through her falling hair.

Aoyama paused for a moment, then said, "The road isn't safe, so let's wait until we find a better place."

Kasumigaoka Utaha paused for a moment, then smiled softly.

She naturally understood that Aoyama was worried about her relationship with Izumi Sagiri.

After all, modern people are not physically strong.

"Qingshan... It's really rare to hear such words from you."

"Huh? Am I that heartless?"

A slight smile played on her lips: "Yes, when you said I looked better in clothes than without, I thought you had some weird ideas in your head."

"Uh, that's the truth."

"..." Kasumigaoka Utaha choked for a moment, her ears turning even redder. "There's no need to say such things out loud."

As she spoke, she shifted her body slightly, gently bringing her voluptuous legs together a little.

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the ceiling, falling on the exposed lace-trimmed lingerie.

The leg line, tightly wrapped yet rounded, was faintly visible in the shadows.

She lowered her eyes, her voice softening slightly: "However... being able to be with Aoyama-kun is quite an achievement."

Qingshan didn't reply, but just looked at her quietly.

A moment later, Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly turned her head, her red pupils sparkling in the moonlight: "Aoyama-kun, how many of those who left the settlement do you think would survive?"

Aoyama thought for a moment: "The person who gave me the information said that there were a total of 67 people at the gathering place. After they dispersed, more than 20 went north, more than 10 went south, and the rest stayed where they were."

"What about those who stayed behind?"

"They're all gone."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's red pupils narrowed slightly, but quickly returned to their normal state.

She hummed in agreement, looking at her fingers pressed against the wood: "Then we really are bastards."

"The delicacies are gone, and the chaff is scattered everywhere!"

"The main reason is that this cave is in a good location. It's sheltered from the wind, dry, has a hidden entrance and exit, and there's a water source nearby," Qingshan said, leaning forward slightly.

Kasumigaoka Utaha chuckled softly: "Yes, this is a nice haven."

As she spoke, she slightly raised her toes, as if to adjust her center of gravity, and her fleshy legs stretched out smooth lines because of this movement.

The jeans hugged the calves, outlining a full yet not bulky curve.

"Aoyama-kun."