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

The air was quiet for a moment.

The sound of rain came from overhead, falling on the rocks and leaves, making a dense and crisp sound.

Aoyama was silent for a few seconds before speaking.

"Sagure, are you sure?"

Sage took a deep breath, raised her head, and met Aoyama's gaze.

"I'm sure..."

"I want to be Qingshan's wife!"

Her voice trembled slightly, but her eyes did not dodge.

Aoyama frowned slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but looking into her stubborn eyes, he finally sighed softly.

He reached out and touched her burning cheek gently, his touch carrying a helpless tenderness.

"I just can't do anything with you..."

Sawu's face flushed red from her cheeks to her neck at a speed visible to the naked eye.

But instead of dodging, she turned her head slightly, like a kitten being stroked, and rubbed her cheek against his palm.

"Whoosh—!"

The rain continued, though it had lessened slightly, but hadn't completely stopped.

The fire inside the cave was burning brightly, and the warm light cast the shadows of the two people on the rock wall behind them, making it impossible to distinguish one another.

I don't know how much time has passed.

Izumi Sagiri looked up at Aoyama, a hint of smugness on her lips.

"Brother Qingshan..."

"Ok?"

"Were you... startled just now?"

Looking into her mischievous, light blue eyes, Qingshan's lips twitched slightly: "A little bit, I guess."

Upon hearing this answer, Sagiri's smile deepened.

She finished the rest of the dried meat, then leaned back into Qingshan's arms and buried her face in the crook of his shoulder.

"Well... I'll do better next time."

Her voice was muffled, with a hint of weariness, but her determination was exceptionally clear.

The rain finally stopped.

...

Aoyama carefully packed away the last piece of dried clothing, folding it neatly and stuffing it into his backpack.

He looked down at Izumi Sagiri, who was fast asleep in his arms.

She curled up, her long, silvery-white hair spreading out between his arms, with a few strands falling down.

Her small face still had a blush of nascent red, but there was a faint smile on her lips, as if she were having a sweet dream.

"Get some rest."

Qingshan slowed his pace and walked outside.

The forest after the rain is filled with a fresh scent.

The birds in the woods began to sing again, and a few clear and melodious calls of unknown birds came from afar.

"Well..."

The person in her arms stirred slightly, their silvery-white eyelashes trembling.

Her hand unconsciously gripped Qingshan's collar, her fingertips tightening slightly, as if confirming something.

"Brother Qingshan..." The dreamlike voice was as soft as the wind brushing across the water.

Qingshan looked down at her.

Shawu kept her eyes closed, rubbing her face against his chest as if searching for a more comfortable spot, before calming down again.

"What did you dream about?" Aoyama shook his head, but the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

The path through the woods was a bit more difficult to walk than when we came.

The rain softened the soil and buried some low-lying vegetation, revealing the previously hidden road surface.

Qingshan walked slowly and steadily, each step landing firmly on solid ground to avoid disturbing the mist in her arms.

"What kind of snail is this?"

Qingshan stopped and glanced over.

On a large leaf, several grayish-brown snails with spiral patterns on their shells lay.

A slender, grayish-brown lizard was crawling on a piece of dead wood nearby.

"An extra meal tonight."

Qingshan muttered something to himself, then glanced further into the distance.

He crouched down and, with extremely light movements, reached out and scooped up the deadwood, catching the lizard before it could even react.

After killing it, Qingshan put it in the bag outside his backpack and picked four snails from the leaves of a bush.

While doing these movements, he held the gauze in his arms steadily, and the swaying of his body was so small that it was almost negligible.

"Hmm~"

"Brother Qingshan..."

The mist stirred again, this time furrowing its brow slightly, as if it were encountering something troubling in its dream.

Her fingers clenched tighter, pulling a wrinkle into Qingshan's clothes.

Her little nose twitched twice, as if she was smelling his scent.

"I ate it all..." she mumbled, her voice indistinct.

Aoyama looked down at her flushed cheeks, then his gaze fell on her slightly trembling eyelashes.

"Yes, yes, Sage is the best." Aoyama replied softly, as if coaxing a child.

Whether it was because she heard those words or not, Sha Wu's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and a faint smile appeared on her lips again.

She buried her face in his chest, shrinking even smaller, like a kitten that had finally found its nest.

There's so much stuff after it rains.

Qingshan stopped in his tracks; he had seen a snake.

About two fingers thick, with dark scales that gleamed matte in the sunlight after the rain.

"Since we're already here..."

Qingshan stood still, his entire gaze fixed on the snake's movement.

His right hand slowly reached towards his waist, where a sharpened thin wooden stick was held.

The stick was precisely thrust into the snake's vital spot, and the snake lost consciousness before it could even struggle.

"I'll deal with you later."

Qingshan put the snake, lizard, and snail together and then tied the bag tightly.

He lowered his head and glanced at Sawu, who was still sleeping soundly in his arms.

"You're still pushing yourself too hard. You're exhausted."

Sawu's lips twitched slightly, as if she had tasted something in a dream.

Qingshan walks slowly, avoiding tree roots and rocks in advance.

Make sure the person in your arms won't be jolted.

The sunshine was getting better and better, and the rain clouds had completely dispersed, revealing a whole expanse of azure sky.

...

The afternoon sun shone on the bay, and the sea breeze was a little weaker than in the morning.

From afar, the smoke from the wooden house could be seen rising from the green hills.

Snow Mother was bending over to check the soup in the pot by the stove. Her pert, full buttocks were outlined in a soft silhouette by the sunlight.

"I'm back."

"Welcome back, Aoyama-kun."

Hearing footsteps, Xue Mu raised her head, her gaze falling on Qingshan, and then on the little one curled up in his arms.

He was fast asleep, enveloped in a misty haze.

It rained on the way, and she was tired. "Qingshan took a few steps closer and lowered his voice.

Xuemu's gaze lingered on Shawu's flushed cheeks for a moment before shifting away, a gentle smile playing on her lips, without asking any further questions.

She reached out and picked up a dry cloth, handing it to her: "Wipe your sweat off, you've been walking for so long."

Aoyama took it and wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead.

He gently placed the gauze on the cleaned bear-hair bed and then covered her with a clean coat.

Shawu rolled over, her fingers unconsciously gripping the edge of her coat. She mumbled something indistinctly, her voice too soft to be heard.

"Welcome back, Qingshan students."

A lazy voice came from the side.

Kasumigaoka Utaha leaned against the pillar of the wooden house, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the green mountains and the misty mountains.

"We were supposed to be drawing a map... Aoyama-kun, what... what did you do to Sago?"

She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, her tone carrying a unique sarcasm.

She tilted her head, her long black hair slipping down her shoulder, a half-smile playing on her lips.

Without batting an eye, Aoyama said, "She got caught in the rain, and I was worried she'd catch a cold, so I carried her for a while."

"Oh...I see."

Kasumigaoka Utaha repeated it, emphasizing each word with great meaning.

She took two steps forward and stopped beside Qingshan, her gaze falling on the lapel of his clothes.

She reached out and lightly traced the wrinkle with her fingertips.

"Then what's the deal with this fold?"

"She was holding it while she was asleep."

"Holding it so tightly?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha raised an eyebrow and looked up at him. "Aoyama-kun, you smell a little different."

Qingshan said, "It smells like rainwater."

"The smell of rainwater?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha leaned forward slightly, getting a little closer, and her nostrils twitched slightly.

"I feel like...someone else's..."

Aoyama understood her lip movements perfectly, and his lips twitched slightly.

Kasumigaoka Utaha straightened up, her smile unchanged.

She glanced at Shawu, who was sleeping soundly on the straw mat, her gaze lingering on Shawu's reddened ears for a moment, and then clicked her tongue meaningfully.

“Sage is such a well-behaved child when she’s asleep.”

As she spoke, she turned and walked toward the stove, her tone carrying an enigmatic smile.

"But...the clothes are all crumpled up like this, looks like that jerk punished me severely~"

Qingshan stood there, watching her retreating figure, and shook his head helplessly.