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

Kato Megumi took two steps closer and looked down at the hare hanging in mid-air.

It was much larger than she had expected, with brownish-gray fur and strong, powerful hind legs that were still kicking vigorously.

Kato Keihei calmly said, "It is indeed quite large."

She had never seen such a big rabbit before.

Michiru noticed that the corners of Megumi's mouth curved upwards in a very small arc.

"Hui, you smiled!"

"no."

"You smiled! I saw it!"

"I'm just thinking about how to deal with it."

Kato Megumi had already squatted down and taken the stone knife from her waist.

Michiru covered her mouth, trying hard to suppress her laughter, but her eyes curved into crescent moons.

"Let's check out the second trap."

Kato Megumi stood up and walked toward the next trap.

"There's more, there's more! Let's go, let's go!"

Michiru hurried to catch up, completely forgetting that she still had an injury on her knee.

The second trap was set in a small clearing by the stream, with scattered bird claw marks and feathers around it.

Before they even got close, the two heard the flapping sound of wings.

"Wow!" Michiru's eyes widened.

A plump pheasant was hanging upside down on a bamboo pole with its claws caught in a rope, and it was desperately flapping its wings.

Its size was exaggerated; its round breast meat trembled as it struggled, and it looked to weigh at least ten kilograms.

"So fat!" Michi swallowed hard.

"Hui, this pheasant is so fat!"

"It will definitely smell amazing when baked!"

Kato Megumi stared at the struggling pheasant and remained silent for two seconds.

"It is indeed very fat."

"You said it's true, you must be overjoyed, right!"

"no."

Kato Megumi walked up to the pheasant, and with a swift and clean stroke of her knife, ended its struggle.

"I was just thinking about how to pluck the hair more easily."

Michiru stared at Kato Megumi's retreating figure and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Hui, you... you're clearly overjoyed, but you insist on pretending to be calm."

Kato Megumi turned her head, her black eyes calm as still water.

"I wasn't pretending."

Your ears are red.

"..."

Kato Megumi reached out and touched her ear, then turned away nonchalantly.

She still found out.

"Let's go to the third trap."

The third trap was behind a thicket of bushes at the edge of the bamboo grove, near a small patch of wild fruit.

The two pushed aside the bushes and saw an empty rope swaying gently in the breeze.

The grass on the ground was flattened, and there were a few crushed wild fruit pits scattered around, as well as a string of small footprints stretching into the distance.

"what..."

Michiru squatted down, looked at the trail of footprints, and sighed in disappointment.

"They ran away."

Kato Megumi crouched down and carefully examined the marks on the ground.

Her fingers gently parted the grass, revealing a broken vine.

"It must be a rodent, which is why the noose was bitten through."

"Pity!"

Michiru held the bamboo spear, her face full of resentment.

Kato Megumi calmly replied, "Two succeeded, one failed."

"A success rate of two-thirds has exceeded expectations."

Michiru looked at her and suddenly burst out laughing.

"Hui, do you know what you look like right now?"

"what?"

"Like an NPC who settles quests in a game!"

"Yes, that's the feeling!"

Kato Megumi tilted her head, seemingly giving the metaphor a serious thought.

"We'll pick some wild fruit along the way on our way back."

She didn't respond to Michiru's words, but her tone carried a hint of lightness that she herself didn't realize.

"Those sweet and sour fruits from yesterday would go well with meat."

"Great!"

Michiru raised her bamboo spear and cheered.

"We're having a big meal tonight!"

The two men carried their game and walked along the stream toward the camp.

Michiru held the tied pheasant in one hand and used a bamboo spear to clear away the vines blocking her path with the other, her mouth never stopping for a moment.

"Hui, you know what? I was so nervous just now!"

She gestured as she walked.

"My heart almost jumped out of my chest when I saw that rabbit being hung up!"

"It's that feeling, Masaka, that feeling of really catching him!"

"And then that pheasant!"

"My God, that pheasant is huge!"

"When it pounced, I was thinking, what if it broke free? But you solved it in a flash, that was so cool!"

"The stone knife is still very fast."

Kato Megumi walked ahead, carrying the rabbit on her shoulder, her pace unhurried.

"So you mean, if the stone knife isn't sharp, you can't solve the problem?"

Michiru caught up and tilted her head to look at her.

Kato Megumi thought for a moment.

"I can use a bamboo spear."

"Pfft, hahahahaha!"

Michiru laughed so hard she almost fell over.

"Hui, are you really... are you telling a lame joke?"

"No."

"But your serious expression just now was absolutely hilarious!"

Kato Megumi didn't reply, but Michiru clearly saw the corner of her mouth curve up again.

"On another note..."

Michiru switched the pheasant to her other hand, her tone suddenly becoming serious.

"Hui, did you really learn all this just by watching TV?"

"Ah."

"A lie!"

"I'm not lying to you."

Kato Megumi's gaze swept over the roadside bushes, and she casually picked a few ripe red berries and put them into her wicker basket.

“When Aoyama-kun watches it, I watch it too.”

"It's Aoyama-kun again!"

Michiru puffed out her cheeks.

"Just how many shows did that guy watch in front of you?"

Kato Megumi thought for a moment and said, "On weekends, he would spend the whole day in the living room, reading from morning till night."

"You're just going to stay with him all day?"

Sometimes I sit next to it and read a book.

Michiru approached suspiciously: "Megumi, tell me honestly, he didn't do anything to you, did he?"

“…”

Kato Megumi paused for a moment, her hand that was picking berries clearly stopping.

It probably meant, maybe, a kiss?

Then I helped him a little with my hands.

Thinking of those exciting scenes, Kato Megumi's face flushed involuntarily.

Michiru's eyes widened instantly, and she moved closer as if she had discovered a new continent, almost pressing her face against Kato Megumi's.

"Hui! You're blushing! You're actually blushing!"

"no."

Kato Megumi turned her head and quickened her pace, the berries in the wicker basket swaying gently with her movements.

"A lie!"

"Your ears and face are all red, you must have cat scum!"

Michiru chased after them, carrying the pheasant, her voice full of gossipy excitement.

"What exactly did Aoyama-kun do to you? Tell me, tell me!"

"Nothing was done."

"Then why are you blushing!"

Kato Megumi remained silent for two seconds, then continued walking.

"...from the sun."

“It’s afternoon now, and you’re walking in the shade.”

"How did that feel?"

Is it big?

"..."