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

“…Hmm~” Kasumigaoka Utaha’s eyelashes trembled, and she barely opened her eyes a crack. Her red pupils were somewhat unfocused, as if they were covered with a layer of mist.

"I feel... a little unwell."

"I caught a cold last night."

Aoyama touched the back of her shirt, which was already soaked with sweat.

He thought for a moment, then reached out and took the soaking wet coat off her.

"Hmm~"

When the wind blew in from outside the stone eaves, she shivered again.

Aoyama quickly made a judgment.

In this kind of weather, if a person with a high fever continues to stay in a drafty place, their condition will only get worse.

The straw mat itself cannot keep you warm; the only way is to increase the body's heat source.

Qingshan did not hesitate.

He sat down, helped Kasumigaoka Utaha up, and then let her lean against him.

Her back was pressed against Qingshan's chest, and the back of her head rested on his shoulder.

"Aoyama-kun, you..." Kasumigaoka Utaha stirred groggily, as if she wanted to say something.

"Don't move, keep your body temperature."

Aoyama draped his school uniform jacket over her shoulders to block the cold wind blowing in from the edge of the stone eaves, and freed one hand to pull the hem of his soaked shirt out from her waistband so that the moisture could dissipate faster.

"Aoyama-kun... I'm feeling unwell..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's body stiffened for less than a second before she went limp.

She nestled closer to the green hills, like a cat that had found a warm place, her forehead pressed against his collarbone and her nose against the side of his neck.

Her breathing was rapid and hot, each breath carrying heat exceeding normal body temperature, spraying onto Qingshan's skin.

“Aoyama-kun…” Her voice was muffled and indistinct.

"Ok?"

"You feel so warm..."

As she spoke, she wrapped her arms around Qingshan's waist tightly.

The force was much greater than usual, like a drowning person grabbing onto a piece of driftwood, with ten fingers gripping his waist.

Is that so?

Aoyama lowered his head and glanced at the black head buried in his chest.

Her long hair was scattered messily over him, the ends of which carried a musty smell of sweat.

Kasumigaoka Utaha's back was pressed tightly against his chest, and he could clearly feel her rapid heartbeat, pounding against his chest through two thin layers of clothing.

"Still using so much force even when it's burned like this." Aoyama shook his head helplessly and reached out to add a few more pieces of firewood to the fire.

The flames rose higher again, their orange-red light reflecting off the two of them and dispelling some of the dampness.

Just as he reached for the firewood, his gaze inadvertently swept over Kasumigaoka Utaha's curled-up fingers.

Her hand had been clutching something, but it loosened when she hugged him tightly. A wad of white cloth slipped from her palm and fell onto the straw mat beside her.

"What is this?"

Pick up the green hills.

He looked at the white women's underwear in his hand with surprise.

The thin cotton fabric had some wrinkles at the edges, clearly indicating that it had been washed and wrung out. It still felt a little damp to the touch, but it was almost dry.

The fabric was completely clean and undecorated.

"..."

Aoyama remained silent for a second.

He looked at the white cloth in his hand, then looked down at Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was clinging to him tightly and burning hot.

Her skirt had rolled up a bit because of her curled-up posture, revealing her fair thighs.

When the wind blew in from below, the skirt fabric swayed gently along the curve of her legs.

"so it is."

No wonder she walked so strangely after taking a shower yesterday, no wonder she kept her head down and didn't dare to look him in the eye.

Wearing no bra all night, plus getting soaked in sweat and chilled, it's no wonder I caught a cold.

"What's more, there's this awful weather."

Thinking of this, Aoyama expressionlessly folded the underwear in half and put it aside for the time being.

He didn't say anything, nor could he say anything at a time like this.

Aoyama took out the thermos, unscrewed the lid, and placed it on the edge of the fire to let the water inside slowly heat up.

The flames licked the metal cup, and after about five or six minutes, steam began to rise from the water inside.

Aoyama took the cup down and tested its temperature.

"The temperature is about the same."

Then he picked up the white underwear again and spread it out.

Although the fabric is thin, it has good water absorption and a moderate thickness.

He folded the underwear several times to make a long roll, then carefully poured hot water from the thermos onto it, letting the fabric absorb the moisture.

A simple hot compress headband is complete.

Aoyama gently unrolled the ironed cloth and lightly placed it on Kasumigaoka Utaha's forehead.

The hot water seeped through the fabric, radiating warmth. He carefully pressed down the corners of the fabric, ensuring the entire 'towel' was pressed against her forehead and temples.

"Hmm..." Kasumigaoka Utaha frowned, seemingly feeling the warmth on her forehead, and struggled to open her eyelids a crack.

Her vision blurred for a while before it focused, and she saw Qingshan's face so close to hers.

His chin was less than ten centimeters above her forehead, his jawline was sharp and clean, his wispy hair partially obscured his brow bone, and his dark eyes reflected the flickering firelight.

Then her gaze moved downwards.

She saw what Qingshan was holding in his hand...that thing.

The white fabric, with its familiar shape, was the one she had gritted her teeth last night, washed and scrubbed it with cold water, wrung it out desperately, and brought back hidden in her palm.

"..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's pupils suddenly contracted.

Even in her feverish, delirious state, she instantly recognized what it was.

Her cheeks were already flushed from the heat, and now the flush spread from her ears to the base of her neck, even tinging her collarbone with pink.

"Aoyama-kun... um..." Her voice was incredibly hoarse, carrying a sense of being on the verge of collapse.

"What...is that you holding in your hand?"

Chapter 9: So you'd rather suffer like this?

Qingshan looked down at her.

At this moment, her expression betrayed everything.

Shame and panic flickered in her red pupils, her eyelashes trembled violently, and her lips opened and closed slightly, as if she was organizing her thoughts but had no idea how to begin.

"towel."

Aoyama answered without changing his expression, then pressed the folded cloth roll back into the hot water to soak it, then wrung it until it was half dry, and applied it back to her forehead.

"Applying heat can help reduce fever."

“Ugh…” Kasumigaoka Utaha opened her mouth, letting out a muffled sob, as if she wanted to refute but couldn’t find any reason to.

In terms of function and practical use, it is now just a towel.

The thought of its original purpose filled her with boundless shame, making her feel as if she were being burned alive.

"Mine is...it is..."

She tried hard to make herself clear, but the fever made her thoughts as sticky as paste, and she swallowed back half of what she was about to say.

"You...you don't know that's...?"

Aoyama said calmly, "I know."

"But you have a high fever, and I don't have time to find a clean cloth to put on your forehead."

"It's clean, and it's the right thickness, with excellent water absorption and heat retention."

"In addition, you need to bring your body temperature down now."

"So don't worry about what this is for now, just close your eyes and rest."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips trembled slightly.

She wanted to retort, saying, 'Don't you think it's weird to use a woman's underwear as a towel?'

But the warm and comfortable touch on her forehead prevented her brain from functioning properly.

The warmth seeped through the fabric and into her skin, relieving the swelling and cracking sensation caused by her headache. She did feel a sense of comfort.

"Hmm~"

Moreover, her gaze involuntarily drifted downwards.

Aoyama's arm was around her shoulder, pulling her into his embrace.

The chest she was pressing against was solid, and her body heat radiated through her shirt, bringing a reassuring warmth.

"...Okay." She finally gave a vague reply, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

Then she buried her face back in the green hills, her ears turning bright red as if they were about to bleed.

She tried to ignore the hot compress towel made from her own underwear on her forehead, and to ignore the emptiness beneath her... the feeling of being completely naked.

Also, ignore the fact that she was clinging to him tightly in this state.

"Aoyama-kun... please don't laugh at me," she said sullenly.

"I wasn't laughing at you."

Aoyama did not laugh; his expression remained calm, his gaze fixed on the rain curtain outside the stone eaves.

“But you used that to make a towel…” Kasumigaoka Utaha’s voice was barely audible, “Don’t you find that strange?”

I don't think so.

"Now that you are a patient, everything you have is a tool."

"....Thank you."

The two remained quiet for a while, the fire crackling and occasionally sparks flying out, flickering in the ashes.

The rain outside showed no signs of letting up; on the contrary, it was pouring down harder and harder. The water curtain hung down from the edge of the stone eaves, almost turning the entire shelter into a semi-enclosed cave.

"Whoo~"

Kasumigaoka Utaha's breathing gradually calmed down, but her body temperature remained high.

Her body, nestled against Qingshan's chest, felt like a hot, warm stone. Sweat poured from her neck and back, soaking the front of Qingshan's shirt.

Aoyama could feel Kasumigaoka Utaha's soft, curvaceous body pressed tightly against him through two layers of fabric.

Her body temperature was so high and hot that even those ambiguous feelings took on a heart-pounding heat.

"Hey..."

Aoyama wasn't entirely oblivious.

An 18-year-old normal male is holding a female of the same age with a curvaceous figure in his arms. She is only wearing a shirt and a school uniform skirt, and nothing else.

So how could you not feel anything?