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

"...So cute."

She watched the three little pheasants stumble and run around on the grass, their light blue eyes filled with a soft light.

Qingshan stood beside her, looking down at her intently.

So cute

Izumi Sagiri's profile was fair and rosy in the morning light, her eyelashes casting a small fan-shaped shadow on her cheeks, and her slightly parted mouth, which looked soft and tender from her concentration.

"You're cute too."

Qingshan couldn't help but blurt out a comment.

Izumi Sagiri froze.

She slowly turned her head, the silhouette of the green mountains reflected in her light blue pupils, and her fair face began to turn red at a visible speed.

".....Huh?!"

I said you're cute.

Qingshan repeated it without changing his expression, then turned around and went to get a piece of wood.

As long as you're not embarrassed, it's others who are embarrassed.

Izumi Sagiri maintained the posture of turning her head to look at him, as if the pause button had been pressed.

Her long, silvery-white hair was lifted by the breeze, obscuring half of her burning cheeks.

After a full five seconds, she turned back stiffly, like a robot.

"It probably wasn't a confession of love..."

"...Ugh—!"

She let out a very small whimper, like a small animal, her cheeks already flushed red.

Aoyama was unaware, while Izumi Sagiri began to let her imagination run wild.

He walked around the fence, checking every joint and the sturdiness of the ties.

The branches were firmly planted, and the stakes were driven deep; given the current size of those pheasants, it was completely impossible for them to fly away.

"There are basically no problems."

At this moment, three little pheasants are pecking at small insects in the soil.

Occasionally, it will let out a cheerful cry.

"Chirp chirp chirp..."

"Looks like she's adapting well."

Aoyama patted the dirt off his hands and straightened up.

The golden sunlight had fully risen, streaming through the gaps in the tree canopy and illuminating the ground with a bright and warm glow.

In the distance, unknown birds were calling out.

Qingshan stood still and looked around at his surroundings.

The environment around the shelter is actually quite nice. It is backed by a mountain wall, with a relatively open space in front and a stream next to it with plenty of water.

The trees provided just the right amount of shade, neither too direct nor too indirect.

"Unfortunately, the forest is still too damp."

He muttered something to himself, looking down at the dew-soaked soil at his feet and then at the drooping tree canopy above his head.

The humidity in the forest is always high, with a damp smell from morning till night.

He himself didn't care. This special ability to adapt to the environment allowed him to easily adapt to harsh environments in various climates.

"There are also more mosquitoes."

With his four women by his side, he has been bitten several times over the past few days, leaving several red spots on his body.

He couldn't find any mosquito-repellent plants either, which was not good news for him.

"If there are clean, flowing streams near the sea, then we might consider moving to another location."

"A wider view and better air circulation will make it much more comfortable to live in."

Aoyama stroked his chin, his gaze following the stream that stretched out from the shelter.

The stream wasn't very large, but the water was clear, meandering down the terrain and disappearing into the depths of the distant woods.

He didn't know where the stream eventually led, but if he went downstream...

Maybe we can find a location near the sea.

"The seaside is windy, the humidity is much lower than in the forest, and the view is wide open."

Aoyama silently considered, "If I could build a base near the sea with clean, flowing water..."

"...It's much more comfortable than being in a forest with an unstable climate."

He could build the cabin on a slightly higher spot and then reinforce it thoroughly.

It can avoid the tides and withstand strong winds and rainstorms, while still allowing you to see the sea.

In the morning, you can see the sunrise when you open the window, and fall asleep to the sound of the waves at night. It's so much better than this stuffy and humid cave.

This can be described as achieving multiple benefits in one fell swoop.

"Moreover, there are abundant coastal resources."

"Fish, shellfish, seaweed... and sea salt."

The more Qingshan thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, and his gaze fell on the babbling brook.

"Let's walk downstream along the stream later and see where it leads."

"Sagiri, you're gone."

He withdrew his gaze, called out to Izumi Sagiri, who was looking down and seemingly lost in thought, and then walked toward the shelter.

"Yes..."

Gazing at the towering green mountains ahead, Izumi Sagiri walked along, lost in thought.

...

The shelter was quiet, with only the sound of burning firewood and the occasional dripping of oil from roasting meat.

Lady Yukinoshita, Yukino, and Izumi Sagiri remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

As Qingshan turned over the dinosaur meat, in this delicate atmosphere, he spoke after a while:

Why aren't any of you saying anything?

None of the three responded immediately.

After a few seconds of silence, Lady Yukinoshita put down her cup and looked at Aoyama gently: "Aoyama-kun... do you need any help?"

"Not needed for the time being."

After thinking about it, Aoyama roughly understood where the problem lay.

He flipped the grilled meat without turning around, his voice calm, "Did I... disturb you last night?"

When Aoyama said those words, the temperature in the shelter seemed to rise subtly by a few degrees.

Izumi Sagiri's face flushed red, all the way down to her neck.

She suddenly lowered her head, her long silver-white hair slipping down her shoulders and obscuring her bright red ears.

"No...no!"

"I...I was sleeping so soundly! I...don't know anything!"

Izumi Sagiri's blatant attempt to cover up her misunderstanding only intensified the ambiguity in the air.

A hint of panic appeared on Yukino's usually cool and aloof face.

She raised her eyes, her dark pupils calmly sweeping over the green mountains, then over Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was still curled up asleep in her fur.

Then her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing.

Lady Yukinoshita smiled gently and straightened the hem of her dress on her lap: "Aoyama-kun, last night... we did hear some noise from Kasumigaoka-san's side."

Her tone was gentle, carrying a composure and tolerance unique to adult women.

"However...no one seems to blame you."

She looked up at the green hills, her gaze filled with a reassuring gentleness: "You hunt, patrol, and protect us every day... you're under a lot of pressure, we understand."

"...There's nothing shameful about needing to vent."

Aoyama paused for a moment while turning the meat over.

No one has criticized this?

He glanced at Lady Yukinoshita, who sat there, her skin so white it was almost translucent, and because she was close to the fire, her cheeks had a blush.

She was so sensible; her every move exuded an innate intellectual and mature aura.

Qingshan quickly and silently shifted his gaze back to the barbecue.

Yukino's voice drifted from the corner, carrying her usual calm and clear tone: "Aoyama-kun, it's normal to feel pressured..."

She paused for a moment, as if choosing her words carefully, her voice lower than usual: "...Kasumigaoka-san really worked hard last night...but we understand."

What do you mean by "understand"?

Do you understand why she's having such a hard time?

The moment Yukino finished speaking, she realized the ambiguity of her words.

Her ears turned red instantly, but her expression remained aloof, as if to say, "What I said is perfectly fine."

My fingers just unconsciously tightened their grip a little.

"If it were my past self, I would definitely have mocked Aoyama-kun in the most despicable way..."

She knew very well that Qingshan hadn't done anything wrong in this situation.

The fault lies with myself; I can't alleviate the pressure on Qingshan.

Just as Yukino Yukinoshita was trying to make amends for Aoyama.

Izumi Sagiri looked up, her light blue pupils glistening.

She glanced at Yukino, then at Aoyama, and added softly, "Aoyama-nii... if you're under a lot of pressure, you can come to me... I'll try my best to help..."

"???"

"???"

Aoyama's astonishment, Lady Yukinoshita's surprise, and Yukinoshita's shock—three gazes converged on Izumi Sagiri.

Izumi Sagiri... Is she really that brave?

Faced with the gazes of the three, Izumi Sagiri was stunned for a moment, then her whole body straightened up as if she had been burned:

"No...it's not what I meant by helping!"

"I mean...hunting! fetching water! chopping wood! cooking! I can do all of that...!"

She became more and more anxious as she spoke, and the more anxious she became, the more she stuttered, until finally her voice turned into a sobbing choked sob.

Aoyama looked at her and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

"understood."

He picked up a piece of roasted dinosaur meat and handed it to her: "Eat something first, don't think too much."

Izumi Sagiri stared blankly at the grilled meat handed to her, then followed the wooden stick with the meat on it to Aoyama's hand, and then to his smiling eyes.

Her face flushed red again, much to her dismay.

But she still reached out and took the grilled meat, took a small bite, and whispered, "...Thank you, Brother Qingshan."

For some reason, Yukino breathed a sigh of relief.

It was probably Izumi Sagiri's blunt words that completely shattered her usual composure.

"..."