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

She could even clearly read a strange message in it: 'You're not getting away.'

"puff."

Kasumigaoka Utaha chuckled: "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Anyway, the monsters you raised will disappear on their own once your body recovers."

Yukino Yukinoshita paused for a moment, then asked, "What do you mean?"

“Hmm—it means exactly what it says.” Kasumigaoka Utaha drawled out the last syllable, her gaze drifting into the distance.

Aoyama, who rarely spoke, said at this moment, "Yukinoshita-kun, let's find your mother and check on the situation before deciding whether you should stay here for a while."

"...I never said I would stay for a period of time."

Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded: "If the condition is serious, the patient will probably need to rest and should not be allowed to travel immediately."

Yukino Yukinoshita fell silent.

She had to admit that the two men had a point.

If the mother's condition is really that serious, she will need to rest for at least a few days before she can continue her journey.

Right now, the only safe place in this forest is the shelter where Aoyama and Kasumigaoka are.

"...Are you really willing to accept us?"

Her voice was so soft it was almost like a mosquito's hum.

Qingshan stopped and glanced at her sideways.

"Of course."

"And with Yukinoshita sharing the burden, things should be much easier..." Kasumigaoka Utaha smiled, her smile carrying a hint of something indescribable.

Yukino Yukinoshita always felt that something was off.

Is Kasumigaoka Utaha still under pressure?

"Oops, sorry, I let it slip?" Kasumigaoka Utaha blinked as if she suddenly realized something.

"...What did you slip up about?"

"It's nothing."

Kasumigaoka Utaha turned around and continued walking forward, her steps still light and quick.

But Yukino Yukinoshita naturally noticed her unusual behavior.

"Kasumigaoka-kun, aren't you being a little too excited?"

Is it something to be happy about for myself and my mother to join a shelter?

You know, my mother is still sick, and I can't produce any more supplies for the shelter, can I?

"...That's really suspicious."

She was confused.

Noticing that the snow beneath the snow was moving, Aoyama thought she was afraid of falling.

He reassured him, "Relax, you won't fall."

"Okay... Aoyama-kun."

Yukino Yukinoshita's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.

She took a few deep breaths, trying to really relax.

My arms were no longer so tightly bound, and my body relaxed a bit, no longer like a stiff wooden board stuck to the back of the green hills.

Once she relaxed, she realized that the mountain's back was indeed very broad and warm.

His steps were steady, each step firm and solid, as if he wouldn't sway no matter how heavy the load was.

"Is this the sense of security that my mother talked about?"

This made her feel inexplicably at ease.

Kasumigaoka Utaha walked beside them, her gaze sweeping between the two, her smile deepening.

She didn't say anything more, but she had that 'I know everything' look on her face.

More than any teasing, it made Yukino Yukinoshita feel embarrassed.

"Take the left at that fork in the road ahead," Yukino Yukinoshita whispered, pointing the way.

Aoyama followed his instructions and turned onto the left path, which became narrower, with the bushes on both sides almost brushing against his shoulders.

He turned slightly to the side to avoid the branches scratching the person on his back.

"Watch your head," he whispered.

Yukino Yukinoshita paused for a moment before realizing that he was reminding her.

Because the tree branches drooped low, when he turned to the side, her head passed right under one of the branches.

If he hadn't reminded her, she (Noah) might have actually been scratched.

"....Um."

She responded softly, a strange feeling welling up inside her.

This person... is actually quite thoughtful.

Kasumigaoka Utaha followed behind, watching Aoyama's sideways movement. A barely perceptible soft light flashed in her red eyes, but it was quickly covered by a smile.

"Aoyama-kun is indeed very gentle with girls," she said with a sigh.

Aoyama calmly replied, "...It was just a side job."

Kasumigaoka Utaha raised an eyebrow. "But Yukinoshita-kun on your back isn't nervous anymore."

"Just now she looked like a little kitten with its fur standing on end."

"Kasumigaoka-kun, I'm not angry!" Yukino Yukinoshita's voice rose a few decibels.

"Okay, okay, no, no." Kasumigaoka Utaha raised her hands in surrender, but the smile in her eyes was impossible to hide.

Yukino buried her face in Aoyama's shoulder, finally making up her mind to temporarily give up any form of communication with this woman.

Even though she was one of her saviors...

Yukino Shinobu closed her eyes, feeling Aoyama's steady footsteps and warm back, and suddenly she felt...

"It doesn't seem... so bad."

just.

She opened one eye and stole a glance at Kasumigaoka Utaha beside her.

There's always a hint of 'scheming' in Kasumigaoka's smile.

This realization caused her body, which had just relaxed, to tense up again.

"What exactly is Kasumigaoka-kun trying to do...?"

Yukino Yukinoshita secretly observes Kasumigaoka Utaha's profile.

Those crimson eyes were gazing into the distance, a faint smile playing on their lips.

She suddenly remembered the other person's earlier comment about 'letting slip'.

"Raising monsters? Using Aoyama-kun?"

These words, put together, don't seem to refer to anything serious.

Yukino's heart inexplicably quickened.

She wanted to ask clearly, but was afraid of getting an even more unspeakable answer, so she hid her doubts, along with her burning cheeks, back into the crook of Qingshan's shoulder.

Chapter 50: Aoyama-kun, you're definitely peeping at Yukinoshita-san, aren't you? [Image]

Sunlight streamed through the thin clouds and into the forest.

Aoyama carried Yukino on his back and walked ahead, with Kasumigaoka Utaha following beside him. The three of them followed the path Yukino remembered.

The bushes grew denser and denser, and the decaying leaves underfoot rustled softly as you stepped on them.

"It's just ahead."

"Turn left at that big moss-covered rock, and walk about fifty meters further." Yukino's voice came from behind Aoyama, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.

Qingshan immediately turned around, his steps still steady.

After walking for about two minutes, he pushed aside a clump of waist-high plants and a cave entrance, half-hidden by vines, appeared before him.

The entrance to the hole was small, and the drooping vines and withered branches disguised it very well.

It's easy to miss if you're not looking for it intentionally.

“We’re here…this is it!” Yukino said, her fingers unconsciously clenching Aoyama’s shirt collar.

Qingshan crouched down in front of the cave entrance and carefully put her down.

Yukino's foot wobbled as she touched the ground, but she steadied herself by holding onto Aoyama's arm. Then she quickly pushed aside the vines and slipped into the cave.

"Mother! Mother—!"

The cave was dimly lit, with only a few beams of light leaking through the cracks to illuminate parts of the space.

Snow Mother leaned against the rock wall, half-lying down, her coat slipped to her side, and the collar of her shirt was slightly open, revealing her noticeably thin collarbone and astonishingly high breasts.

Her face was pale, her lips were dry and cracked, and although her breathing was more steady than yesterday, it still carried a heart-wrenching heaviness.

Her once meticulous makeup was now completely gone, replaced by a tired, bluish-gray look.

Several strands of black hair clung to his forehead and neck, clearly soaked with cold sweat.

"Yukino...is that you back..." Upon hearing the voice, Yukino's mother slowly opened her eyes, her gaze unfocused for a moment before refocusing.

Her voice was extremely weak, and each word seemed to be squeezed out of her throat with all her might.

But the moment she saw her daughter, the tension in her eyes visibly eased.

Yukino reached out and touched her forehead, then picked up the large leaf-shaped container from the side, but unfortunately, there was hardly any water left inside.

“Mother... I met my classmates on the way. They had... food and water.”

Snow Mother turned her head slightly and noticed that there were two people standing at the entrance of the cave.

Her gaze fell on Aoyama and Kasumigaoka Utaha, slowed down as if she were ill, but still maintained a certain instinctive alertness.

"...Who are these two?" Xue's mother's voice was softer than before, and her brows furrowed slightly, as if she was trying to identify something.

Kasumigaoka Shiwa stood at the cave entrance, her hands hanging naturally at her sides, and gave Yuki-no-Mother a perfectly timed smile: "Hello, Madam, my name is Kasumigaoka Shiwa, a student from the next class."

"This is Qingshan."

"We just happened to run into Yukinoshita-kun nearby. After hearing about your situation, Aoyama-kun was very worried, so we came over together."

Her voice was gentle and polite, completely devoid of the teasing and pranks she had just made on the road, as if she were a completely different person.

Those red pupils gazed calmly at Snow Mother, neither overly enthusiastic nor distant.

"I'm very worried?" Aoyama was taken aback.

Qingshan shook his head, not paying attention to these details.

His gaze swept across the entire cavern.

The space was small, with dry grass and leaves covering the ground. In the corner, there were ashes from a burnt-out fire, and on the leaves next to it were a few wild fruit pits and a dried mushroom.

The surrounding rock walls were rough, with several dark marks left by water seepage. Although the ground had been simply cleaned, traces of dampness were still visible.

“This place isn’t suitable for resting; it’s too damp.” Qingshan squatted down and touched the wall with his hand.

Yukino looked up at him, her light blue eyes showing a hint of surprise and nervousness: "Aoyama-kun, you mean...?"

Aoyama walked over to her and squatted down. He took out a thermos and two pieces of dried meat from his backpack and handed them to Yukino.

"Don't rush."

"Let the lady have some water and food first."

"When a person is weak, having sufficient Qi and blood is more effective than any medicine."

Yukino paused for a moment, her gaze falling on the thermos.

She used to drink water from this.