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

She was quite careful when she lifted her skirt.

To be precise, her walking posture was slightly more awkward than usual, and her steps seemed to be deliberately smaller.

He asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"What? What's wrong?" Kasumigaoka Utaha's expression was calm, even with a hint of confusion as to 'what are you talking about?'

Qingshan said, "Your walking posture is not quite right."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's steps froze for a fraction of a second, but she quickly returned to normal.

She said in that impeccably calm tone, "The stream was too cold, my legs were just a little stiff."

"You need to shower too, right? I want to get back to the shelter before dark."

Aoyama looked at her for two seconds and didn't ask any further questions.

He walked past her and headed towards the stream.

"Wait here for me a while," he said with his back to her. "Don't go far."

"Hmm~"

Qingshan walked to the stream and bent down to test the water temperature.

It was indeed cool, but better than I expected, since the stream still retained some of the daytime heat in the evening.

He quickly took off his shirt and trousers, folded them neatly on the shore, and then stepped barefoot into the water.

He submerged himself in the water, letting the flowing stream wash away the sweat and dust from his body.

Qingshan washed quickly, and was back on shore in about three minutes.

Then he quickly put on his clothes and buttoned them up.

When he turned around, he saw Kasumigaoka Utaha standing next to the big tree, with her back to him.

Her back looked a little stiff in the twilight, her hands clasped in front of her, her fingertips unconsciously interlocking.

Aoyama said, "I'm all better now."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's shoulders trembled slightly, and then she turned around.

The light in the twilight had dimmed considerably, but the unnatural flush on her cheeks was still clearly visible.

"...Finished washing?" Her voice was low, her gaze shifting, never looking directly at Qingshan.

"Okay, let's go back to the shelter."

"it is good."

The two walked along the stream.

Aoyama walked in front, with Kasumigaoka Utaha following behind, a little closer than during the day.

“…”

Actually, she is facing a more difficult problem today.

Underwear.

After she finished showering, she realized that she was facing an extremely embarrassing predicament.

There were no spare clothes available.

I've been wearing the same outfit for several days now, and I haven't changed my underwear since the day of the school bus accident.

As a high school girl with normal physiological needs and a strong sense of cleanliness, she simply couldn't bring herself to put back on the underwear she had already worn for three or four days.

So she hesitated for a long time by the stream before finally making a difficult decision.

"Wash the underwear clean...and dry it while I keep watch."

In other words, she is currently going braless.

“…”

When the wind blew up from under her skirt, the airy feeling made her heart beat faster for no apparent reason.

Without that cotton barrier, everything becomes...too sensitive.

What alarmed her even more was the violent grab she received during the day.

Whenever she thought about it, her gluteal muscles would unconsciously tighten, as if reliving the warmth and strength of that hand.

That feeling keeps replaying in my mind.

The fingertips sank slightly into the soft pressure...

"If Aoyama-kun knew I'm not wearing anything right now..."

Thinking of this, Kasumigaoka Utaha's ears turned slightly red.

She lowered her head, her black hair falling down to cover most of her face. Fortunately, the light was dim enough that the other person shouldn't be able to see her expression.

"You've been walking with your head down the whole time."

Are you tired?

The sound of green hills came from ahead.

"Um... a little." She mumbled a reply, then felt it was too perfunctory, and added, "After all, I've been climbing mountains all day."

"Get some rest when you get back."

"We might have to go to the beach to see the shipwreck again tomorrow, which might be even more tiring."

"....knew."

The conversation has now ended.

Aoyama didn't say anything more, and Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't try to start a conversation either.

The two walked silently along the forest path, as the chirping of insects gradually rose in the twilight.

Kasumigaoka Utaha secretly raised her head and looked at Aoyama's back as he walked ahead.

The outline of her skin, which had just been washed by the stream, could be vaguely seen under her shirt.

She suddenly felt a little envious: "It's so convenient for guys. They can just shower, get dressed, and go. They don't have to agonize over whether or not to wear underwear."

But she nipped the idea in the bud as soon as it came to mind.

"...What am I thinking?" she muttered to herself.

"Hmm?" Aoyama turned around.

"It's nothing, just talking to myself."

"Oh."

He turned back and continued walking.

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at the back of his head, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved slightly.

Despite possessing the terrifying strength to kill a crocodile with a steel bar by throwing it with his bare hands, his personality remains that of a normal boy.

Keep your distance when necessary, and never waste words when silence is required.

This made her feel at ease.

"only..."

She lowered her head, feeling the emptiness beneath her skirt, and her cheeks flushed again.

She whispered, "I need to figure out how to get a change of clothes tomorrow."

By the time we returned to the Stone Shelter, it was completely dark.

Qingshan relit the campfire, and the flames rose in the darkness, dispelling the chill and dampness of the surroundings.

He stuck the remaining crocodile meat onto tree branches and placed them by the fire to heat it up, then went to the stream and refilled three water containers.

Kasumigaoka Utaha sat by the fire, loosened her wet long hair, and ran her fingers through it, letting the heat slowly dry it.

The firelight reflected on her profile, making her expression much gentler than during the day, and her red pupils appeared especially warm in the leaping flames.

“Aoyama-kun,” she suddenly spoke.

"Ok?"

Can you swim?

"Yes, but I'm not a very good swimmer." Qingshan sat down across the fire, turning over a piece of hot meat in his hands. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Kasumigaoka Utaha turned her head to look at him, the firelight dancing in her eyes.

"I was just thinking, if only there were clean clothes on that ship."

"....clothing?"

"Hmm." She turned her gaze back to the fire, her tone casual. "You can't expect me to wear this school uniform all winter, can you?"

Qingshan thought about it and felt that what she said made a lot of sense.

He's wearing a school uniform now, and although it can be washed, it's the only one he owns, so it'll wear out and tear sooner or later.

As for the school bus area, it must have become a 'hell' by now, given the sweltering heat during the day.

"Then go have a look."

"Maybe there are some on the ship."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips curled up slightly.

She curled up her knees, rested her chin on her arms, watched the flames crackle and dance, and felt the warmth envelop her entire body.

As she sat, the hem of her skirt naturally folded around her legs, the loose, airy feel a reminder of that fact once again.

But she didn't say anything more.

She simply sat quietly by the fire, occasionally stealing a glance at the boy across from her who was focused on grilling meat, before quickly looking away.

"Coo coo coo~~~"

The chirping of insects came from deep within the dense forest, and the warm light of the campfire cast long shadows of the two men.

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Chapter 8: What is that... in your hand?

"Whoosh—!"

The green hills were awakened by the sound of rain.

The sound was incredibly loud, like countless hands pounding on rocks at the same time.

He opened his eyes and saw that the area outside the shelter had turned into a gray curtain of water.

The wind, carrying moisture, rushed into the edges of the stone eaves, and the rain was so dense that even trees ten meters away could not be seen clearly.

The fire has gone out.

The ashes were soaked by the rain that splashed in, leaving only a few wisps of smoke swirling weakly in the damp air.

Qingshan frowned, quickly sat up, and started gathering firewood to start a fire again.

The lighter took two tries to produce a flame in the damp air. He carefully piled dry twigs on top of it to protect the flame from going out.

"...It's so cold."

The voice of Kasumigaoka Utaha came from behind, extremely hoarse, with an unusual nasal tone.

Qingshan turned around and glanced back.

She huddled on the straw mat, curled up in a ball, her school uniform jacket wrapped around her body, but she was still shivering slightly.

Her face was flushed with an unhealthy redness, and a fine layer of sweat beaded on her forehead, while her lips were even paler than yesterday.

"What's going on?"

Qingshan quickly put down the firewood he was holding and went over to squat down next to her.

He reached out and touched her forehead; it was surprisingly hot.

"You have a fever."