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

She stood up, stretched, and her loose white shirt accentuated the curves of her figure.

The green hills remained silent, naturally capturing this scene.

“I’ll go check on the meat on the smoking rack to see if it’s gotten wet from the rain,” she said, walking to the simple shed next to the shelter.

Although the smoked meat rack was covered, the power of the storm far exceeded her expectations.

Rainwater slanted in from the side, and several hanging strips of meat were already damp with moisture, their surfaces glistening slightly.

Kasumigaoka Utaha frowned, reached out and touched one of the meat strips, her fingertips covered in a fine layer of water droplets.

"It's getting a bit damp." She turned and called out towards the shelter, "Aoyama-kun, should we bring this meat in first?"

Aoyama put down the firewood he was holding, stood up, walked over to her, glanced at it, and then looked over the smoked meat: "Bring it in and hang it over the fire to roast, otherwise it will spoil easily."

Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded and reached out to untie the vines hanging from the meat strips.

The vines were tied very tightly. She tried to untie them but couldn't. She tightened the vines even more, and a red mark appeared on her fingertips.

"I'll do it..."

Aoyama walked over, reached behind her, and easily untied the knot over her shoulder.

His body was very close, so close that Kasumigaoka Utaha could feel his heartbeat.

She paused for a moment, turned her head, and looked at him with her red pupils slightly angled.

"Qingshan-kun, you were actually standing behind me on purpose, weren't you?"

After saying that, Kasumigaoka Utaha glanced at the shelter, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't get confirmation from Izumi Sagiri.

After all, Izumi Sagiri could come out at any time.

In this situation, if Aoyama-kun wanted to... wouldn't that be too stimulating?

Aoyama handed her the strip of meat he had cut off, his tone completely calm: "You're overthinking it."

"Really..." Kasumigaoka Utaha took the meat strip and slapped his hand. "Then why are you standing so close?"

She naturally noticed something was wrong. "Aoyama-kun says that, but his body language is quite different..."

Qingshan glanced at her, but didn't reply. He turned around and untied a piece of meat.

Kasumigaoka Utaha stood there, holding the meat, watching his back as he bent over to untie the knot, a hint of unfathomable amusement in her eyes.

She looked down at the strip of meat in her hand, then looked up again, her voice lowered as if talking to herself: "We were like that last night... how come I'm back to being a wooden doll today?"

"As expected, Aoyama-kun is indeed a philanderer..."

She took the meat strips back to the shelter, placed them on a simple rack, and hung them above the fire.

Rain pattered against the vines at the cave entrance, the crackling sound mingling with the wind, enveloping the entire shelter like an isolated island.

Izumi Sagiri had already taken the big dog into her arms and sat back down on the edge of the straw mat. The two of them curled up together, watching the smoked meat above the fire gradually dry in the heat.

She spoke softly, "Sister Shiyu, this meat... should be fine, right?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha squatted down by the fire and reached out to poke at the embers: "Don't worry, Aoyama-kun said it'll be fine once it's dried out."

Izumi Sagiri nodded, then lowered her head and gently combed the fur on the big dog's back with her fingers.

The big dog squinted comfortably, making gurgling sounds in its throat, and kicked its short legs twice in the air, as if it were running in a dream.

Qingshan gathered all the meat strips inside, built a larger frame with sticks by the fire, then walked back to the cave entrance, squatted down, and checked the water flow on the ground.

The rainwater had carved a clear ditch on the ground, flowing away from a lower rock crevice on the other side.

"It's alright, drainage is fine."

He stood up, stomped on the soft soil around the hole, then walked back to the fire, sat down, picked up the firewood he had chopped in half, and continued working.

The shelter was quiet for a while, with only the sounds of rain, wind, and burning firewood intertwined.

Kasumigaoka Utaha stared thoughtfully at Aoyama's deliberately concealed posture.

"Qingshan-kun... actually managed to suppress his desires?"

She thought about it and then denied it.

Rather than suppressing it, it's more like covering up the embarrassing high price.

Meanwhile, Izumi Sagiri also discovered Aoyama's strange appearance.

She asked worriedly, "Brother Qingshan, why do you look so unwell?"

Aoyama said, "It's nothing, I'm just feeling a little unwell."

"Brother Qingshan, please don't catch a cold..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha sat across from the campfire, her chin resting on her hands, her gaze shifting back and forth between the green mountains and the misty haze.

She was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke: "Aoyama-kun."

"What?"

"Tell me the truth, when you came back last night, were you worried about us?"

Aoyama paused for a moment while whittling firewood, then continued: "You're overthinking it."

"Really?" Kasumigaoka Utaha tilted her head to look at him, her red pupils reflecting the flickering firelight.

"Then why did you glance at Sawu first when you came in, then at the big dog, and finally at me?"

Aoyama looked up at her, expressionless: "Because the big dog is more conspicuous than you."

"..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips twitched slightly. "Aoyama-kun, you really are..."

She felt that sometimes, it was as if her mouth was blocked by the other person, and some harsh words that had once slipped out were completely restricted.

"I never expected Brother Aoyama to say something like that..."

Izumi Sagiri covered her mouth and chuckled beside her, her shoulders shaking. Even the big dog looked up at her, puzzled, before lowering its head to continue dozing.

The rain is still falling.

The fire inside the shelter was burning brightly, and its warmth dispelled the dampness that was seeping in from the cave entrance.

The three men and one dragon sat around the fire, each doing their own thing.

Aoyama was whittling firewood, while Izumi Sagiri and Kasumigaoka Utaha were preparing ingredients, exchanging a few words here and there.

At that moment, Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly asked, "By the way, Sago, didn't you say you wanted to soak in a hot spring?"

Izumi Sagiri paused for a moment, then her cheeks flushed slightly: "I...I didn't...who would want to do that kind of thing!"

At this moment, her heart was pounding like a deer.

Sister Shiyu, you always say things that make people feel embarrassed.

Kasumigaoka Utaha, puzzled, replied with a hint of genuine confusion, "Okay, sure~"

She had doubts before, but now she was certain that Sagiri knew.

The thought of Izumi Sagiri witnessing that touching scene...

Kasumigaoka Utaha thought to herself, "Why... do I not feel much shame, only excitement and pleasure?"

She wondered if she had awakened some strange attribute.

"Huh?!?!" Izumi Sagiri's eyes widened in surprise.

Although Sister Shiyu said she didn't mind... how could she share something like that?

After listening for a while, Qingshan's lips twitched. You'd better be talking about soaking in a hot spring.

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at her shocked expression and couldn't help but chuckle: "I really want to see Sagiri get serious, it would be so cute, wouldn't it?"

"I....."

Izumi Sagiri's cheeks flushed even more, and she lowered her head, pretending to groom the large dog's fur, but the tips of her ears were so red they looked like they were about to bleed...

The rain gradually subsided, turning from a downpour into a moderate drizzle, and the wind also calmed down considerably.

Aoyama looked up at the direction of the cave entrance, then stood up and walked to the edge of the cave entrance, bending down to check the condition of the drainage ditch.

The water on the ground has converged into several small streams, which are flowing downhill along the terrain.

"The rain has lessened," he said, a hint of relief in his voice.

Kasumigaoka Utaha also stood up and walked to his side, standing side by side with him at the cave entrance, looking at the forest outside that was glistening after being washed by the rain.

Many leaves had been knocked down, and the ground was covered with a layer of wet fallen leaves and broken branches. The air was filled with the unique scent of soil and vegetation after being soaked by the rain.

"After the wind stopped, the air became clearer." Kasumigaoka Utaha tilted her head slightly, smelling the post-rain scent.

Aoyama looked at her and said, "You seem to be in a good mood?"

She turned her head, her red eyes reflecting moisture: "It's alright. Although it's raining heavily, being together in the shelter actually feels..."

She paused for a moment, then said softly, "It gives me a sense of peace."

Qingshan didn't speak, shifting his gaze from her face to the rain-washed forest outside the cave.

"Indeed."

Kasumigaoka Utaha stared intently at the towering peak, and thinking of Aoyama's patient demeanor, she couldn't help but smile slightly.

"When the rain stops, I'll take you somewhere."

She paused for a moment, then turned around: "Where?"

Qingshan coughed and said in a serious tone, "It's an orchard that we discovered yesterday."

"Although it's not fully ripe yet, it should be ready to eat in a few days."

Izumi Sagiri poked half her body out from the straw mat, her eyes sparkling. "What kind of fruit is that? Can I go with you, Aoyama-nii?"

Aoyama said, "Cough... I'll take you next time, next time."

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at the serious-looking Aoyama-kun, her gaze carrying a hint of thoughtful gentleness.

She didn't speak, but the slight curve of her lips betrayed her emotions.

"Aoyama-kun, as expected..."

.....

Meanwhile, deep in another woodland.

Inside the cave, the fire burned with difficulty, the flames much smaller than before, occasionally emitting a weak crackling sound, as if telling of the fuel shortage.

Yukino Yukinoshita squatted in front of the fire, carefully poking at the last few pieces of charcoal with a thin twig.

Her school uniform shirt had dried, but it was still wrinkled, with two buttons undone at the collar, revealing a slender collarbone.

A few strands of black hair clung to her forehead, soaked from running out in the rain to gather firewood.

"Mother, it's still raining..."

She turned her head and glanced at Snow Mother, who was leaning against the rock wall.

Xuemu's complexion was a little better than yesterday; the flush had faded considerably, but her face was still somewhat pale.

She half-opened her eyes, her gaze somewhat unfocused as she looked towards the fire. Hearing Yukino's voice, she moved her head slightly.

"...Mmm." Her voice was still weak, but much clearer than yesterday. 3.1

Yukino carefully arranged the pieces of charcoal, then picked up a handful of wet branches she had just gathered and placed them next to the fire to dry.

She squatted there, her movements much more practiced.

But the faint bluish circles under her eyes indicated that she hadn't rested well these past few days.

She carefully added the last few branches to the fire, and the flames flickered before slowly regaining some life.

"We're running out of food."

She didn't say it aloud, but silently calculated it in her mind.

There are two mushrooms left, and only four wild fruits left from yesterday's picking.

With the fire almost going out, she felt a little breathless.

Yukino's mother's voice came from behind: "Yukino, these mushrooms are edible too."

Yukino turned to look at her, somewhat uncertain: "Are you sure Mother isn't poisoned?"