７
“That earthquake yesterday was horrible, I’m most afraid of earthquakes.”
“But don’t airplanes shake all the time, and I can’t believe you can still be an airhostess in this condition.”
“It doesn’t matter if the airplane is shaking, because it feels like a roller coaster, like that free fall, that kind of thrill…”
“Boss… is pleasure… like this? You’re really strange.”
The four of us, Saori, Erika-san, and Suzume, were sitting on the beach, which wasn’t quite dry from the rain only yesterday, discussing it.
“Is it like this? I’d like to think…”
“Does it feel like hanging over while pulling a bar?”
Everyone laughed out loud at Suzume’s words.
Laughter echoed through the clear sky that hadn’t been there in a while.
But the clouds on the horizontal are gathering again, giving the impression that this good weather should not last long.
“It seems to be fine, nothing broken.”
Rika came over from the river on the factory side while talking.
“It’s just great, if the water truck breaks down the radio won’t work, I was wondering what to do if it was that way.”
Saori’s voice sounded much more reassuring.
“I got it unstuck, I finally got it unstuck! It’s just like I thought it would be!”
The professor darted out of the hut, shouting with both hands held high.
“When you say you unraveled it, do you mean those texts…”
“I finally understood, what was written there.”
The professor, who came running in a hurry, said so with a smile piled on his face.
“There is still a part of it that I can’t understand, but these texts are indeed the records left behind by the people who came to this island in the past. If we follow what is written here…”
The professor said as he looked us in the face.
“I have figured out what the sea current they were traveling on was all about. There is a current about ten kilometers north of this island, and if you follow that current…”
“Isn’t it just about time to get out of here!”
Hearing me ask this, the professor nodded his head greatly.
Whoa! Everyone let out a cheer.
“Listen to me, those who came to the island, it seems that they sailed here on dozens of boats of various sizes, and as for the sails and … paddles, although I’m not sure of the size, the shape should be the same as the shape of the canoes that we have made.”
The professor confirmed as he told the group the part he had discovered.
“And those ships came here with the current, and because they found an island on the way, they scattered, and Hassan and the others are the descendants of what they left behind.”
“I see, so there were those who came here before this island and after this island and those who came here before them their children and grandchildren Lo.”
“As expected of Rika, what a great understanding.”
“But isn’t there no way for us to go against the current? And there’s no way to know what those others are like, aren’t there no records?”
“That I have learned, that after they first land in full force, they then reside for a time, leaving a portion of their people behind before moving on to the next island, and then follow that pattern.”
“And how are they going to communicate?”
“With birds, though I don’t know which kind they use, but they raise training birds on the island and take them to the next island and then release them to come back, relying on these to carry messages to their companions, to tell them the news that they are safe.”
“So, like with a carrier pigeon.”
I, who had been silent and listening to the professor and Rika, was gradually listening to the discussion between them at this time.
“It’s not just that. According to the letters sent back by the people who reached the next island, it took them about a month to reach that island, and it was much bigger than this one…”
“That…”
“What you’re saying is that, in a nutshell, there is an island a month’s sea voyage from here, and there are people on that island…”
“Well, yes exactly! And some of them were in boats smaller than this canoe of ours!”
Saori and Suzume, who had been quietly listening to the discussion, let out cheers when they heard this and hugged each other tightly. Erika-san, on the other hand, hugged Rika and cried. I looked at the professor’s satisfied eyes and clasped my hands tightly to each other.
But the professor suddenly became serious in his expression, then lowered his voice and said to me, “Captain, I have something to say to you alone, come to the canoe for a moment later.”
After about thirty minutes or so, I snuck out to the canoe behind everyone’s back.
At some point, the air had been covered with black clouds, and the strong wind shook the trees.
This weather is nasty.
Looking at the already dark sea, on the opposite side of the wave, the big white wave was opening its mouth wide.
Can we sail in that canoe in the middle of these waves?
The canoe that seemed so dependable yesterday looks so small today.
“Captain.”
I turned around to see the professor standing behind me with a grim look on his face.
“Is something the matter? You said you had something to tell me…”
“I… you…”
Huh? What’s going on here? Is it possible that the Professor is… H-O-M-O! Is it possible that he’s been hiding his true nature until now? And then because it’s the last minute, he wants to make love to me in a confession… “Wait, wait, you’re being too abrupt.”
I am woefully unaware of these words.
“Hey, hey, don’t get it wrong.”
Originally, the professor’s expression was tense, but all of a sudden, when I did that, it eased up as well, but immediately returned to a serious expression.
“I just want to say to you that I truly identify with you as the captain of this team.”
“What?”
“According to that record, the period of activity of that mountain… that volcano in the west is once every five hundred years. Whenever it erupts is normal, and when it does, the whole of this island will be affected.”
“What!?”
For a moment I couldn’t believe what the professor was saying.
But hearing the professor say that made me remember.
Like the hot springs suddenly getting hot, and the earthquake yesterday, those should be the precursors of a volcanic eruption…” “Also, although this is just speculation on my part, the god of fire worshipped by Hassan and his Pararu people should have originally come from the fear of volcanoes.”
“But the Pararu and the Zinn, haven’t they been living well up until now, isn’t that strange. And there’s also that relic that’s fine… ah, I see, the location of that relic must be a safe place!”
“Eh, we haven’t seen the Zinn yet, but by the looks of it the Palaru should look like this.”
If that’s the case, then… it’s going to be a big problem, but if I can just escape to the ruins, I’ll be fine, right? I felt a little more at ease with that thought.
That’s when it started to rain heavily all around.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
“Yaaaaaahhhh~!”
There was a loud clap of thunder and Suzume let out a scream of fright.
Hugging Ululu tightly and not letting go.
Toward evening it rained harder, and the roof and walls of the hut made noise.
The sound of the waves sounded like the roar of a beast of prey as it intimidated its enemies. The sound of the wind blowing through the jungle is like the low roar of a beast.
These two behemoths clamped down on the hut and are now starting to gnaw away.
The hut rattled and wailed.
The wind blew in through all the cracks in the hut.
The atmosphere in the room was particularly horrifying under the illumination of the dramatically shaking oil lamp.
Everyone’s faces were also scrunched together with tension and terror.
“It was awesome, nothing like the scale of the previous storms.”
The professor’s voice sounded as if he had made up his mind about something.
“I don’t know if this cabin will be a problem.”
“Anyway, anyway… just hang on a little longer, it should, it should still hold up.”
Even Rika, who was usually calm, sounded like she was shaking at this point.
“Damn it, if it’s broken…”
I swallowed in mid-sentence, unable to say anything like go get the house patched up at this point in time.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
“Yaaaaaahhhh!”
The soprano trio of Erika-sama, Saori, and Suzume rang out in the hut.
Dang! Pound!
It was as if something had been knocked against the outside of the hut by the wind, as if a board had been broken somewhere.
Hearing that voice, Rika suddenly raised her head.
“The factory!”
Rika yelled as she opened the door and rushed outside.
“Rika where are you going, it’s dangerous!”
“Come back here!”
From out of the darkness, a surprisingly large amount of rain and sea-smelling air all rushed into the hut at once.
I stood up and tried to follow Rika’s lead, but was pressed back by the wind.
I was about to put my foot down again and rush out, but–
Chopping… crunching… crunching..!
The pillar of the hut snapped open from the center with a loud noise.
Looking back, the boards of the walls cracked and it looked like the roof was gradually coming down.
“Captain! What to do!”
Saori called out to me in panic.
“Hurry up and run inside the jungle!”
I yelled at everyone.
The morning after the storm passed.
I stood on the beach looking around and couldn’t speak for a moment.
The huts where they lived, the huts where they stored, all became scattered on the coast.
The only thing that came to my mind was, oh my God! It’s the end of the world…
What took all of us more than a year to make was nothing more than a single night.
Probably that’s what everyone thinks, so they don’t say anything.
Huh, where’s the factory? I suddenly remembered.
So ran towards the factory on the beach.
The factory hut was pretty much askew, but because it was located inside the forest, the damage wasn’t nearly as bad as the one we stayed in.
There was a hate column broken from it.
But this is supposed to be a canoe…
Is it…
The canoe… The canoe is gone!
It was blown away by the storm!
From behind me came the sound of something hitting the ground.
When I turned around, it turned out to be the professor, who was on his knees staring blankly at the sky with both eyes.
“It’s over… we’re going to be on this island…”
“Professor don’t get discouraged so early, there’s still the radio ah.”
It wasn’t just to the professor, but to himself as well.
“I can’t…”
That’s when a voice came from inside the factory.
“Rika, are you okay.”
“┅It’s over. Although the waterwheel and the radio are fine… the power transmission device I spent half a year on…”
Large tears fell from Rika’s eyes as she walked out of the factory.
At first glance, it is true that the part of the waterwheel and the hut that is attached together is in tatters.
“Hahahahahaha… Now you won’t be able to go back to Japan! All our efforts from the beginning have been in vain!”
Erika-san, who came after the professor, shouted as if she was crazy.
Suzume cried out loudly as well.
“But… but if we start all over again…”
Saori’s eyes pooled with tears whispered, but spoke clearly.
“It’s no use, there’s going to be another storm anyway, it’ll be just as bad then.”
“No, like Saori said, if everyone makes an effort…”
I stopped abruptly in mid-sentence.
There is also a volcanic eruption… Although we don’t know when it will erupt, the eruption should be imminent.
But in this atmosphere, I just couldn’t say it.
No, I’m afraid that if I tell you about this, even my own strength will be all gone.
Nobody wanted to talk all day.
I looked up at the night sky with a headache, thinking over and over the events of the entire day.
Everyone was scattered around sitting on the beach, but not talking to each other.
The professor had been drinking since daybreak.
Erika-san, on the other hand, kept whining.
Suzume, on the other hand, couldn’t stop crying.
Even the calm and confident Rika sat there blankly.
It was only a one-night storm that took away everyone’s power.
But Saori was the only one who was different.
I thought of the way she was silently picking up and collecting things that had fallen in the neighborhood all by herself.
I remember Saori used to be a long distance runner.
I imagined a race I had never seen before, and how Saori, who was at the end of the pack with a bruise on her back but still gritting her teeth and dragging her feet to run, looked.
Damn, it’s just too much of a no-brainer!
It was like something was burning up in my head.
Let’s try it again. I’m going to tell Rika to fix that power transmission device again.
Go over and say it now.
I stood up and headed towards the factory where Rika was.
I stand in front of the plant and take one deep breath.
“Rika, are you in there?”
I opened the door to the hut, whose roof had sloped, and stepped inside.
In a darkened hut came the sound of a girl crying.
It didn’t take long for the eyes to grow accustomed to the darkness.
Rika was sitting alone in the inside corner holding her knees.
“Cheer up, that power plant will be fixed.”
I said as I took a seat next to Rika.
“Rika stop crying, all of us need you, any more you are our military advisor, guide of civilization, underground captain ah… ah, I’m wrong, hahaha.”
After I finished my effort, Rika burst into tears all of a sudden.
“I’m not that good… and I…”
“What’s wrong?”
“It was me… I dropped the canoe… the canoe… I…”
“Huh! No way.”
“Because the rope was tied to the hut… and then the hut was about to be broken, so I let go of the rope without even thinking about it…” After saying that, Rika cried out again.
Hearing that was indeed a big shock to me as well, but if I didn’t loosen the rope, the radio might get broken as well.
“You mustn’t think too much, there’s nothing to worry about. The way this is going, we’ll just have to bet it all on the radio, and, and I’m not going to say anything about this to anyone else.”
“Captain…”
Rika, who had been keeping her head down, finally raised her head and looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“So let’s try again…”
My head was encircled by Rika’s hands… Rika’s lips sealed my mouth, and she began to loosen the buttons of my clothes, one after the other.
No… I don’t mean that… Although the corners of my mind were thinking this, I felt that I could only follow my body’s feelings now.
Rika’s hand slowly drew circles on my chest.
My mind was gradually becoming blank, rationality had been driven out of me. Honestly, only the lower half of my body was still thinking right now.
I wrapped my hand around Rika’s back and then gently applied pressure.
Rika’s body looked so skinny and small, unlike any usual, as if it was going to break at the slightest fold.
“Ah, hoo…”
Rika exhaled in my ear.
This action caused the manly nature in me to transform, all at once, and startled even myself.
I frantically pinned Rika to the ground and then sucked on her lips.
Then he pushed his tongue into her mouth, exploring the mouth bit by bit.
“oooh uh uh… uh uh…”
Rika made a sound and twisted her body.
I moved my lips to my neck and then gradually to my open chest.
Soft and toned breasts.
I moved my lips over the pair of bulges, repeatedly, then sucked hard on the part that protruded like a pinky finger.
“Uh, ah… Kwang-il… Kwang-il!”
Rika’s body reacted greatly!
Seeing this reaction, I had a sudden surge of incredulity all at once.
Surprisingly, I was halfway calm, as if I knew what to do depending on Rika’s reaction.
As if it wasn’t himself, and deftly moved over Rika’s body before starting to peel off the clothes he was wearing.
But the other half… was completely crazy. Crazy as I was, I burst towards the quietest place in one breath.
Finally found the place.
“ah… woo…”
Rika’s reaction became more intense, clenching her eyes shut hard, then biting her fingertips in an effort to suppress the sound she made.
I pulled off my jeans and slipped myself between her white pattered legs, then slowly pressed my body down.
There’s only so much you can do now, only towards that most peaceful of places.
“Awwwww!” Rika squirmed fiercely.
I was panting fiercely on one side as I began to sprint.
My instincts went toward orgasm.
“I’m sorry…”
Rika moved her lips over her chest.
I gently hugged her thin shoulders tightly in lieu of an answer.
But my mood was the opposite of my own attitude, it was just a mess.
It’s amazing how little I can recall what I just did. Was it something that happened in an instant, or did it happen over a long period of time, was it comfortable, or was it uncomfortable.
The matter of Saori swept through my mind, now that was a very serious act of betrayal.
And I calmly hugged Rika, which was a really big mistake.
I really am a bad person.
But that’s all I could do at that point, and that’s all I could console myself with.
Whew-, I’m just so egregious that I can’t help but hate myself and sigh. At this time, the door suddenly made a rattling sound.
Rika and I looked at each other for a moment, sensing the sound of the departing man’s footsteps as if it was déjà vu.
Is it possible that someone… Or is it Saori?
I don’t know what the truth of the matter is, but a shadow is always cast over my heart.
My mood hung in the air all night and I still can’t relax today.
Why did I do that kind of thing… and about that man… I ended up thinking about the same thing today as I did last night, staring out to sea.
“Captain!”
Saori shouted cheerfully while taking a seat beside me.
It’s great that it doesn’t seem to be Saori. But I can’t relax until I know what’s going on.
“Don’t be sad like this anymore, cheer up with everyone else.”
“Eh.”
“You see the sea is so calm, and there’s not a cloud in the sky.”
“Well, that’s just it.”
“Rika is also in high spirits today saying that she’s going to fix the factory.”
“Wow, that’s great.”
“So, together…”
“I know, just stop talking, okay!”
I surprised even myself by speaking in that tone of voice.
I look at Saori beside me, who lowers her head, her shoulders shaking slightly.
I really don’t know what to do about it.
She’d been holding back from crying, working quietly alone.
It’s outrageous that she was reprimanded for this appearance by me, the one who betrayed her… “Hey! Stupid captain.”
It was Rika’s voice.
“To make such a lovely girl cry is so bad, so unmanly, no tact in speech at all!”
Rika, who was standing aside, didn’t have an expression as angry as her tone.
“People are already planning to forget everything up to yesterday and work from today in a new mood.”
Rika smiled.
“In a new mood…”
“Rika… I…”
“Please, people are depending on you, Captain!”
Rika’s expression was like a clear sky with a few clouds floating in it, a very complicated one that was a bit enlightened but not too enlightened.
Seeing her like this, I can’t help but think to myself that this is probably the adult side of her.
At the thought of it, I suddenly felt that my mood had become like hers.
“I know! I’m sorry Saori, I’m really… sorry.”
I don’t think my sentence that I’m really sorry reached Saori.
But that’s all I can say for now, and that’s all I can do in the future as I try to love Saori with more dedication.
“Okay, cheers! Let’s all cheer together!”
I stood up and said so.
Saori also laughed while wiping her tears.
“Well, let’s start with the repairs, what’s that called power?”
“Communicate the device.”
“Right, let’s just get that device repaired first, and we’ll be sure to take a look at the wireless communication challenge next time!”
“The last time I did it it took half a year because I was working on it while taking care of other things, but now the components are there, and it’s just a matter of repairing the AC motor part…”
“How long will this probably take?”
“If everyone reduces their sleeping hours and does it together, ten days… well, a week or so.”
“Well, then let’s all stay up and work together!”
Everyone stood and looked at each other.
The professor’s ability to tell jokes at a time like this is defeating.
“Suzume stays up all night together too, and Ululu has to stay up all night together too oooh.”
Hahahahaha…
Happy laughter rang out.
The smiles on everyone’s faces hadn’t been seen in about three days, and it felt as if a long time had passed.
“Huh, where’s Erika-sama?”
I suddenly realized that Erika-san, who was among us, had disappeared.
“I haven’t seen it since morning.”
“Probably went to play in the water again, will be back in a while.”
“Well then, get to work!”
Rika said as she ran towards the factory.
“Work!”
“Stay up lo, stay up lo!”
Saori and Suzume ran up after her.
The professor and I, on the other hand, followed slowly.
“I’m so sorry, I’m the oldest, I should be the one to motivate everyone.”
“It’s okay, I’m the captain anyway.”
“Then remember not to tell anyone else about the volcano.”
“Eh, I know, but Professor…”
“What for?”
“You stink of booze.”
I laughed it out as I did so, and the professor laughed as if embarrassed.
“Eirina-sama hasn’t come back yet.”
Suzume said with sleepy disappointment, Suzume had only gotten up a few moments ago.
Twelve hours have passed on the watch.
We worked until just after the sun came up, then we went to take a nap and waited until 10:00 a.m. to start working again.
“Should we all set out to find her?”
“Saori I understand what you’re saying, but we’re in a time…”
Almost about to spill the beans about the volcano erupting, the professor stopped talking in a hurry.
“What time…”
“It’s okay, I mean I don’t know when the storm will come.”
“Suzume will be fine to go and see for herself.”
Just as Suzume was about to set off for the jungle, she suddenly stopped.
“Grandpa…”
Mr. Gennosuke Meguro, who was a private in the Japanese Army, is standing over there. We visit him sometimes, but this is the first time he has come to the camp.
“What are you doing now?”
“The last storm took out the waterwheel’s power conveyor.”
“I don’t understand, but you’re fixing something.”
“We’re fixing the radio la, we’re going to use the radio to get help, wait until they come old grandpa leave with them.”
After hearing Saori say that, the old grandfather shook his head.
“If my old man doesn’t go back, how else can an old fogey like me live in a Japan like the one I’m living in now.”
The old grandfather is now able to understand the current state of Japan, thanks to the professor’s tireless efforts to explain to him.
“I’m not here to discuss this with you today. That companion of yours, what’s her name, is the woman who is very noisy.”
“What’s wrong with Erika-san?”
“I saw her being taken by the Zinn over by the spring.”
“What!!!”
Zion…
Although we know their names, we have never seen them.
Because Hassan never came close to that area after he had told us the location of their village, and they never came close to it.
“Consider this a thank you for the food you usually share with me.”
After saying that, Old Grandpa Meguro turned around and walked towards the jungle.
“Well, then we’ll just have to all go help now.”
So said the professor, and the girls nodded in agreement.
Yet I don’t think it’s a very good idea.
“I’ll just go alone, it’s not only a waste of time if we all go together, but in turn it’s too much of a wake-up call.”
Going alone is a little unnerving, but there’s no other way but this.
“It makes sense according to the captain, but…”
“I’ll go too for good!”
“Saori…”
“I shouldn’t be in the way if I go, and…”
Saori looked at my face with willful eyes.
“I see, then it’s fine for Saori and I to go, and I’ll leave the repairs to you all.”
I said it with authority like a captain.
“Then I’m counting on you.”
“Make sure to save Eirina-sama, ooh.”
“Don’t worry Suzume, we’ll get her back.”
“All things considered then.”
I take a look at Saori’s expression, then take a deep breath.
This time, I’m going to do it! I alone shouted so within myself.
８
“That one must be it.”
Saori pointed into the distance.
Unlike the Palaru, the Zinn’s village was on the plains houses lined up in a circle. The size is roughly the same, which makes the number of people about a hundred or so.
“Let’s get closer and see.”
We pressed on as we cautiously approached the village.
It took us two whole days to get here, and we don’t know when the volcano is going to erupt, so screw it, there’s no time.
When I think about it, I really want to go over there by running, but I can’t do something so dangerous right now.
We slowly approached the front and then hid behind a tree to spy on the village scene.
“What’s that one?”
We were really shocked because the sight in front of us was unbelievable.
I thought Erika-san must have been tied up, but I didn’t expect her to be sitting on a raised platform. And just like the last time Saori was in Pararu, her whole body was decorated with splendor.
“Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo, bring it to me.”
Eirina-san waved her hand, which was wearing several touches (I don’t know if it was or not), to the man by the high platform.
So two young men with gorgeous bird-feathered brown skin on their heads ascended to the altar and then respectfully handed over the small object in their hands.
I gripped the binoculars hastily.
Erika-san raised the small object in her hand to about eye level, then quickly began to move it, and then when she was finished, she split it in half and showed it to everyone.
Ooooooooohhhh! The village people immediately knelt down on the spot as they roared with joy. Erika-sama’s unique high-pitched laughter rang through the air.
“Ah, so it’s the Nine Linked Rings.”
I whispered to Saori.
“Huh? What the hell is going on?”
“That one should be something left behind by the Japanese army back in the day, and because she unraveled it so easily, she was honored that way, just as I was last time when I was considered by the Pararu as an evil spirit of the forest…”
Ms. Eirina proceeded to unravel another nine linked rings, and there was another roar of joy.
“How are we going to get her back?”
“Shouldn’t be a problem, we’re the Queen’s companions yeah.”
“What do you think of the Queen of the Pararu Clan’s Vulcan Ritual, and the Queen of the Nine Linked Rings of the Zinn Clan?”
“This is not the time for such jokes… eek!”
Saori suddenly let out a cry of surprise while at the same time I was stabbed in the back.
Looking back, a man holding a shield with many brightly colored patterns painted on it was standing behind him, the sharpened tip of his spear pointed right at us.
Seeing that man’s cold expression was really chilling, and his body broke out into a cold sweat.
We were forced by that spear to walk to the village.
I gripped Saori’s wrist tightly and followed the man’s instructions to walk inside the village.
We walked into the center of the square, led by the Nazeen men.
“Eirina-sama, what are you doing.”
We shouted at Erika-san.
Seeing Saori and I suddenly appear, Eirina-san was startled.
At that moment, a man who looked to be about Hassan’s age appeared before us in an imposing manner.
This man is probably the patriarch here. He glared at us with the whites of his eyes, and it seemed as if he wasn’t friendly at all.
“What kind of people are you?”
Osaka accent?
I froze.
I didn’t answer to that guy, I spoke to Erika-san.
“Eirina-sama, everyone is worried about you, come back with us.”
“Suzume’s sad too.”
“I’m not going back anymore, I’m going to live here as Queen of the Zinn.”
Erika-san laughed shrilly, what the hell, Erika-san.
“Right now everyone is working together to fix the radio, and this one might be in comms already.”
“That’s the way it is, everyone is staying up late trying to catch up on work.”
“What? The radio… anyway, it can’t be fixed anymore, so anyway, I’m not going back.”
Hearing my call, Erika-san’s heart seems to be shaken a little.
“As you heard, the Queen said not to go back.”
The patriarch with the Osaka accent spoke up.
“You mustn’t be joking. Erika-sama is going back with us…”
I was halfway through my sentence when the man from earlier stabbed me in the small of my back with a spear.
“You people, if you’re going to take the Queen away, there’s one thing you have to do.”
“What the hell are you doing?”
“You will duel with the warriors of the Zinn, and the man who wants something will fight.”
At that moment from among the villagers who were quietly listening to our argument, a man with a sturdy body stepped out.
Wow. I almost screamed, the guy’s arms were at least two times thicker than mine, and he had almost as much “sweaty grass” as a wrestler. And it was even more ornate than the guy who just stabbed me.
Underneath all that gorgeous feathered jewelry, a pair of malevolent eyeballs were staring at me in disbelief.
“Warrior Bakara!”
The patriarch raised a hand and spoke loudly like a wrestling announcer. I guess this guy is the first warrior of the Zinn clan.
“Hachikara! Hachakara! Eight carats!”
There was a tidal wave of cheering from the village people.
“You will stop, this is the Queen’s order, I forbid you to fight.”
“Even the Queen’s orders can’t stop the fight, it’s Zinn’s rule.”
Erika-sama’s shouts were quickly and easily dismissed.
“Bakara… Bakara… Bakara…”
The cheering of the village people gradually grew louder and louder.
“Decide quickly if you want to fight!”
“Captain don’t fight him! There must be a way to do it without fighting!”
Over the shouts of the village people, Saori said firmly and loudly.
But it seems to be useless, my insides whispered to myself. This guy will never let me go, but…
If you lose, you’ll probably die, right?
In an instant, all the things that have happened since I came here came to my mind. Suzume, the professor, Rika, Erika-san… and Saori.
“A man who doesn’t fight is just a loser, no power, and ‘there’ doesn’t work.”
Damn-, this guy even said something like that.
Being so provoked by this guy, I gradually surged with battle spirit. Clank! Orange sparks scattered.
I’m going on the Lo!
I calmly gripped the lance in my hand and jabbed it head-on at Bakara.
Bakara easily parted my attack, the gun coming towards my face. In that very instant, I dodged backward to avoid the attack.
Not bad, my kung fu is not bad at all. Just as I was thinking this in my mind, the lance in my hand was actually sent flying into the air by Bakara.
Ah, it’s true that the difference in strength is so much that it’s lame.
Then in an instant, Bakara brought the gun back around and knocked it down toward my shoulder so hard that I fell to the ground.
Ah, that hurts! This guy’s power is really something.
Hachikara’s gun stabbed straight toward me.
I rolled over and rolled over, but then I saw Hachikara pressing up.
“Goooooo!”
All at once, it pressed against my stomach, and my stomach felt like it was going to fly out of my body.
The gun was pressed hard against my neck, and Bakara’s eyes widened as he exerted every ounce of strength he had to press down from above.
I held the gun with both hands and resisted hard, but the gun still sank into my throat one step at a time.
My breathing was getting harder and harder, and there seemed to be just a little gap left deep in my throat.
The face was also congested with blood gradually becoming red.
The cheering of the villagers shouting for Bakara grew louder and louder. But in the midst of the cheering… Huh?
“Go Kouichi! Go Kouichi! Go Kouichi!”
I could hear Saori’s whispered cheering, but I was gradually going to lose consciousness.
Damn how can I lose to a guy like this, how can I die in a place like this.
“Hachikara! Hachakara! Eight carats!”
“Go Kouichi! Go Kouichi! Go Kouichi!”
The regular cheering became progressively quieter.
And in the distance it seemed as if the sound of a great drum was heard.
winter… winter… winter… winter… winter…
winter… winter… winter… winter… winter…
This big drum sounds like I’ve heard it somewhere before.
Kouichi! Kouichi!
winter… winter… winter… winter… winter…
The sound of the big drums circled around my skull as if they were drilled into my brain.
Then a ball of fire appeared in his brain and suddenly burst into flames all at once.
“Kouichi! Kouichi!”
I woke up when I heard Saori’s call, still tingling deep in my brain.
Saori tightened her grip on my hand hard, and the soft touch of her hand woke me up.
“Am I… still alive? Where is Bakara?”
Saori pointed to the side where Hachikara was collapsing with a nosebleed.
“You were so powerful just now. All of a sudden, you kicked the man in the middle of his… and then you grabbed his hair and gave him a head hammer to the nose.”
“I see… it’s the Fire God of Paralu…”
“What!?”
“It’s fine… I heard Saori’s call to me and then it surged with power, thank you so much.”
I slowly straightened up.
But what the hell is going on? Did Vulcan really help me? Or was that just a random hallucination?
I looked at Yakkara’s body that looked like black rock and couldn’t help but remember the hallucination I had just had again.
“This guy knocked down Hachikara, a true warrior, Kouichi…”
The patriarch said to himself alone, and then the villagers shouted my name.
“kwang-i… kwang-i… kwang-i…”
There was a momentary roar of joy, and I took advantage of the momentum by clenching my fist and raising it high into the air.
RON RON RON RON… The earth shook.
Woah… Erika-sama’s wail suddenly rang out.
The village people all slumped on the spot.
The shaking stopped after about ten seconds.
“I won, I should be able to take your queen.”
Over the noise of the villagers, I said to the village chief.
“There’s no way around it, it’s Zinn’s rule.”
“Eirina-sama let’s go!”
I said it out loud, but Erika-san didn’t say a word as if she was thinking about something.
“Ms. Erika! The only people who know about this are me and the professor… That is, that mountain might erupt, and if you stay here you’ll be in danger, the earthquake just now was a precursor to the eruption.”
That’s all I can say, and after hearing that from me, Eirina-san was speechless with surprise.
Of course, Saori is the same.
“Is that true?”
Even the patriarch, the only one among the Zinn who was fluent in Japanese, stared in surprise. It was no wonder though, this village was right at the foot of the volcano, and if it erupted, the place would turn to ashes in an instant.
“Warrior Kouichi, come here!”
Erika-san suddenly called out.
“What are you talking about, now stop playing your queen game!”
“Just come over here!”
Erika-san had a dignified look on her face, so I had to climb up to the high platform as she said.
Erika-san suddenly whispered with a demented smile.
“I’m really sorry. I saw that one, the one between the captain and Rika…”
“So it’s you, Erika-sama…”
“That’s why I’m a little upset, because I originally thought the captain was a good man, too.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Please don’t take offense, but it’s just that you have to go through that kind of thing to be called an adult.”
“What’s that! You’re so serious all of a sudden.”
“That’s the lord. I want to…”
You also want to… I looked at Erika-san’s face and laughed out in a small voice.
“Warrior Kouichi, please come here to collect your reward.”
Eirina-sama, who had suddenly returned to her queenly demeanor, took out a green stone about the size of her thumb after digging around in the pocket of her blouse for a while.
“Is this the… emerald you gave to Suzume!?”
“That’s right, and then I picked up two more, and now I’m giving them to you.”
“Is it really okay?”
“Just give this to the most important person to you, hehehe…”
Erika-san put on that smile again as usual and peeked at Saori.
I don’t think I’ll be able to shake myself even when I see that kind of smile from Erika-san now.
So we left the village of the Zinn and hurried back to camp. We had now been traveling continuously for a day and a half.
“I can’t believe Erika-sama would say something like that…”
“Well, basically Erika-san is a good person.”
I said so while remembering about the emerald.
Jade hasn’t given it to Saori yet.
The reason why Saori praised her was because Eirina-sama herself volunteered to lead the Zinn clan to refuge.
Eirina-sama is going to lead the Zinn to take refuge in the ruins I mentioned, because if the volcano ever erupts they’ll have no place to go.
And she wanted the matriarch to swear to never start a fight with the Palaru.
The yellow-eyed patriarch, who was the strongest warrior… was still a bit half-convinced after hearing what we said.
“I don’t think you’re going to want to continue being queen again, Eirina-sama.”
“Of course not, but those people…”
“What do you mean ‘but’?”
“Maybe it will be possible to live with them near the ruins. If, say, the radio isn’t fixed and the volcano erupts…”
RON RON RON RON… Another earthquake.
It didn’t shake very much, but it shook for a long time.
At that moment there was a loud noise behind us.
It sounded like a giant bowling ball bottle falling over.
Looking back, black smoke was rising from the top of the volcano.
“It’s finally starting to explode!”
“Will Eirina-sama and the others have a problem?”
“Eh, no lava has flowed out yet, it’s not too late if we start to run away now, we have to be quick too!”
Rumble! Another eruption of sound.
Saori and I pushed forward as if we had heard the gunshot of a race.
When they return to the camp, they see the professor and Rika collapsed on the beach.
We rushed over to take a look before the two men slowly got up.
“What’s wrong with you guys?”
“We’re fine, we’ve just barely slept since you guys left.”
“The volcano has finally erupted…”
“Eh, I saw that too, and I also heard about the volcano from the professor’s side just now, and since he said that it’s still safe here, I’m desperately trying to sustain my writings.”
“Where’s Erika-sama?”
Suzume, who had appeared beside us at some point, spoke up and asked.
So I told Suzume briefly about what happened to us in the Zinn village, and about Eirina-sama’s intention to take the Zinn people to the ruins to take refuge, but of course I didn’t say anything about the emerald.
“So that’s how it is, Erika-sama, it really seems like her style.”
“Then in that case, it won’t be long before we see her again.”
Suzume smiled after hearing that and said as she hugged Ururu and stroked its head.
“How are the repairs going?”
“Well, after everyone’s tireless efforts… it’s finally fixed.”
“The AC motor is ready to go now, all that’s left is to get the antenna adjusted.”
Great… I was worried about this until I came back here.
“Rika, what’s the minimum number of people needed to operate the radio?”
“In addition to me, there will be one more person outside the hut who will be responsible for adjusting the antenna…”
“I understand, then it’s up to the professor and Saori to lead Suzume towards the ruins immediately.”
Everyone was taken aback to hear me say that.
“What do you mean? Does that mean you’re planning on the two of you staying here?”
“I’m not leaving, and I’m staying here.”
“Suzume is staying here with everyone else too!”
I looked at everyone’s faces and then said in a strong tone after taking a hard breath.
“Listen to me, all of you! I don’t know when the volcano will start to officially erupt, so it’s better for you to go to the ruins first when it’s safe to do so…”
Saori kept looking into my eyes, and while I understood how she felt, I was feeling the same pain deep inside myself.
“If we go to the ruins, we can at least pick up a small life!”
…at least, actually, I would hate to explain the current situation in that way.
But I believe that the professor and Rika should have thought of these places as well. If it’s better to say that someone can make it clear here very clearly, I’m sure of it.
“Please, Professor, Saori and Suzume are in your hands.”
“Eh, I see, that’s all, I’m sorry I couldn’t hear for myself when the communication was successful.”
“I… understand. Isn’t that right, Suzume.”
“Eh, I’ll go to the ruins as well well, Ururu we can meet Eirina-sama.”
I nodded vigorously, then slowly looked at everyone’s faces.
“I don’t know when the earthquake will come, it’s time to start on our side!”
Rika said very hard.
“It’s just like this, straight through, and then there’s a little bit of north…”
I listened to Rika’s instructions from the hut and adjusted the antenna’s wire orientation.
It had been almost three hours since the professor had left, and the volcano had been making the same horrible noise all the time.
“That’s it, that’s the spot, OK!” and I used a nail to secure the wire in that spot.
“Help! S-O-S! Is there anyone! Please answer if you hear me okay. This is the radio from the victims.S-O-S! Help!”
I walked into the hut, then stood behind Rika.
“How’s it going?” Rika shook her head.
“All in all, it’s just going to have to be indomitable and try a few more times. Help, S-O-S!”
Rika repeated the same distress message over the radio at regular intervals.
“Please… please someone must receive these messages…”
I clenched the fists of both hands tightly, and my palms kept sweating.
The battered antique radio was the only line that held us to our home country of Japan, but it just felt so unreliable.
Touch! The door behind him made a sound.
“Saori… you?” After hearing my words, Rika also turned back.
“You… did come back after all.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Saori rushed towards my chest.
“I’m sorry… I still can’t… I just feel like I’ll never see you again…”
“I know, just stop crying. It’s okay, let’s work together then!”
I comforted the crying Saori while hugging her hard and tight.
I’m going to hold out until the end, and that’s for Saori’s sake.
“Hey, are you done? I’m still here. Just a little bit of moderation.”
Rika said jokingly.
“I’m sorry…” I said while hugging Saori’s back tightly.
The dreaded ground whining whine became louder again.
“Everyone should have reached the ruins by now.”
I sat down outside the hut, leaning against Saori’s side while talking.
Today is the third day of daylight since the professors left. Within that time, there had been several small earthquakes and the volcano continued to emit black smoke, but it still hadn’t officially erupted yet.
Saori dozed off while sitting. It’s no wonder, even though we asked Rika to teach us the method of communication and then the three of us took turns testing it, it’s really hard to sleep peacefully at times like this.
But if you don’t get some sleep, your body simply won’t hold up.
I also reluctantly closed my eyes to rest, if only for a moment.
The sound of the waterwheel turning, and the sound of the wooden gears operating above the power conveyor, went on and on.
“Captain! Get up! Captain!” Hearing Saori’s call, I opened my eyes.
“Captain, look at the river, the river is boiling hot!”
As soon as I heard Saori say that, I hurriedly looked in the direction of the river.
What’s going on here! The river is actually smoking.
Hot springs! It must be the same as the hot springs we used to use before, where hot spring water after being boiled by the geothermal heat gushed out from all over the place.
Rumble Rumble Rumble! The volcano let out a loud shriek like never before.
“Yaaaahhhh!”
“It’s starting!” Rika, who darted out from the middle of the hut, said anxiously to me.
Indeed, the volcano was spewing out a huge amount of black smoke that had never been seen before, and the shaking of the ground was becoming progressively more intense along with the earth’s roar.
“Rika, I don’t know when a large earthquake will occur, so it’s better to go to the ruins now…”
“No! This is the only method left for our last possibility of returning to Japan, we must try until the last minute.” Seeing Rika’s face filled with a determined expression, I had nothing to say.
“I know, it’ll have to do. I can’t see the volcano very well from here, so I’ll go to the beach.”
“I’m going too!” So Saori and I headed towards the beach.
Standing on the coast you can see part of the volcano, which has indeed begun to erupt.
In addition to spewing smoke as before, the volcano also spat out red lumps of fire in all directions.
Orange colored lava slowly flowed down the mountain as if the volcano was making faces at us. The smoke and ash from the eruption painted the sky gray.
“It’s better to hurry to the ruins now, if we go around the mouth of the river, those already boiling rivers should still be passable.” Saori said in a determined voice.
“Why is the God of Fire angry?”
I looked at the overwhelming volcano with a sense of awe as well as respect.
But now it’s my enemy, the enemy that’s going to swallow us up and eat us. As I contemplated this, my pep, which had just been suppressed by the volcano, was revitalized and rallied.
“Captain, please pull yourself together! Anyway we can’t leave now without an early start.”
Saori said to me briefly and with a hint of reprimand.
“I see, let’s leave after we talk to Rika as well.”
I answered while looking at the hill of the ruins.
“Ah, the jungle… the jungle is smoking.”
“Huh, what the hell is going on? I can’t see it very well.”
I guess Saori, who is shorter than me in height, can’t see it. We come down from the shore and look out over the jungle again.
White smoke rose everywhere in the jungle, covering the entire jungle.
“The jungle is already burning.”
“Then the relics…”
“I don’t think there’s any way to get to the ruins through the jungle, it’ll be smoked… before it’s engulfed in fire.”
If even the jungle on this side of the coast is spread by fire, then there’s no place for us.
So if there’s rain before then, no! If there’s a storm, like the one that destroyed our shelter last time…
Indeed, the sky was shrouded in clouds, but they didn’t look at all like clouds that would rain.
“Capt! Saori!”
We turned back towards the sound and Rika was running over waving her hands hard.
“It’s through! It’s through!”
“Is the radio already connected?”
“It was the U.S. Seventh Fleet… that connected, just moments before the radio broke down!”
Rika huffed while breathing heavily.
“Great! So, when will they probably get here!?”
“I don’t know, but they said they’d be coming for us soon.”
It’s so frustrating to hear that.
“Rika, look at that… the jungle has caught fire, there’s no way for us to get to the ruins now!”
“The fire will surely spread here, if only help could arrive in time before then…”
Rika looked at the jungle after hearing what we said, then her face had a dumbfounded expression for a moment before she smiled.
“If there’s no way to get there… then we’ll have to wait here.”
After speaking easily, he sat down in place.
Looking at her like this, it’s so true that she’s Rika. But it doesn’t look like she’s given up.
But there’s nothing I can do about it now.
So Saori and I followed Rika and sat down on the sand.
“Today is the fifth of December… exactly one year and four months.”
I said as I looked at my watch.
“It was just right, but the time didn’t pass that precisely.”
“But we experienced a lot of fun and really had a great time.”
Saori said that while looking at me.
So we started talking about what had happened since we came to this island. We had been to various places, we had done many things, we had met many people… and everything seemed so interesting.
“I remember when I first drifted to this coast, and it was a really sad time to cry.”
“What, the captain can actually cry?”
“Um, guess how I got my spirit back, I was remembering a short song, heh heh heh heh…”
“So it’s a short song… I’m a polytechnic.”
The two thought about it for a while before Saori suddenly looked at my face.
“I know, isn’t it that song from the East Sea…”
“The standard answer, I thought it was ‘The South China Sea…’ I was such an idiot, it was so funny, and then I recovered like this.”
Hahahahaha… three people laughed exaggeratedly.
We don’t really notice the erupting sounds around us anymore, and the ground chirping.
But still, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking that the rescue wasn’t sure when it would come.
“So that’s what it was like… I really didn’t know what I was thinking at that time…”
“Ah! Fire!”
Saori suddenly called out.
As it turned out, the jungle in front of them had burned, and the white smoke coming out of it was heading this way.
The sound of burning wood, which hadn’t been a concern a moment ago, became so clear to hear.
“Captain! What now!”
“I don’t know what to do… what the hell are those 7th Fleet guys dawdling about!”
I was in a quandary as I climbed down the coast.
I don’t know if it’s going to be that way, but it’s as if my body now feels like it’s already burning up!
“I don’t want to die yet…”
Saori muttered in an aside.
That’s right. I don’t want to die either, because you and I have made a deal.
I thought this while looking at Saori’s side.
You must live! Must live to go back to Japan with everyone.
Just as my insides were screaming so much, I suddenly remembered.
The same way I did when I first drifted to this beach, screaming at the ocean.
And then at that time, I was watching the beach for a while–
“Ah, yes!!!”
“What’s wrong?”
“That rubber boat, yeah! How come we never thought of it.”
“That’s true, we’ve also used that to go to the north side of the ruins… ah, but we can’t cross the east side of the cliff with the big waves below.”
“No, how do we know until we try it. And there’s no other way to do it now but to sit on that!
”
I remembered that the rubber boats were supposed to be placed next to the factory, and I looked at the burning jungle with my side-eye while I did so, then ran towards the factory.
We are drifting through the waves in a rubber dinghy.
It’s finally coming to an end… Is this the so-called “THE END”, or should I say “DEAD END”?
I inexplicably felt a wave of loss of power throughout my body and stared blankly at the island that was billowing white smoke.
Sailing in a rubber boat, we started out, desperately paddling to get around the side of the island, but the big waves below the cliffs to the east were anything but crossable, and then instead rode the currents that were going in a big circle, and it wasn’t long before we were far away from the island.
Originally, when I was on the island, it would have taken me days to walk from one end to the other, but now it didn’t seem like such a long distance from the rubber boat.
I look at Rika, who is resting on the side of the rubber boat, making snoring sounds. She should be tired too, it’s gotten to the point where even the competitive Rika is finally giving in.
“I’m sorry…” I apologized for the fact that the last decision I made as captain was a big failure.
“It doesn’t matter, stay on the coast eventually the fire will extend there anyway.”
Saori, who was sitting next to me, said in a voice that sounded as if she was lost.
I glanced at Saori and remembered again what I had otherwise forgotten.
Right, that one needs to be given to her quickly.
“Saori, this is for you, if we do make it back to Tokyo, this should be able to be used to make a necklace or something.”
“Ah, this is Suzaku’s…”
“This is a reward given to me by Queen Eirina, she said she had two of them and wanted me to give them to the people who mattered most to me…”
“Thank you… Kouichi.”
Saori smiled faintly while looking at the green stones, but there were tears in her eyes.
So I couldn’t help but hug Saori tightly.
Then he lifted her slightly pointed chin and folded his lips over it, so soft.
Although she had been living on that island, Saori’s lips were as soft as if she had just been born.
“Shakti… I like you…”
I finally said it, and even though I’ve been wanting to say it for a long time, and I’m saving it for when I get back to Japan, I was able to say it without fear.
And it’s nice to be together forever like it is now, even though it’s this location. It’s still an incredible feeling of peace right now.
But in a short time, we must face a battle with the fear of death.
When I think about it, I’d even go so far as to say that it might even come easier if I just died right now.
“Since you’ve already practiced, when we return to Japan, the promise, it’s meaningless, so now please make another pact with me.”
A catchy smile appeared on Saori’s face in her arms.
Saori, who was desperately trying to act cheerful, looked even more lovable to me.
“The next appointment… um… but then, it’s better to make an appointment like this.”
“Anything.”
“Are you serious, aren’t we already like this now… then my engagement is the next step well.”
“Sex!?” Saori lowered her head a bit in embarrassment, and I seemed to be getting a bit carried away.
“But… it’s better this way, I’ll make a deal with you.”
Oops!
“You guys are really… impure heterosexual interactions oooh… ahahahaha.”
Rika smiled and looked at the two of us with tenderness in her eyes.
“So you woke up?”
“Thank you guys, for letting me actually see such a touching scene in a place like this.”
“That sounds like Erika-sama to you.”
The group laughed out loud with joy.
“Huh, is that one? Could it be?”
What had been nothing more than a point on the horizontal line came closer toward it all at once.
As the spinning propeller drew a swirl on the water, I saw from the back of the tempered glass the men and women inside, who had been our family for a year and four months.
“Hey! Hey!”
I took off my dirty top and swung hard.
final chapter
Under the warm April sun, I leaned against the wall next to the Shibuya sidewalk and leisurely watched the crowds walking down the street.
It’s been almost five months since I returned home.
When I first came back, it really made me feel very uncomfortable when I saw so many people as well as the dirty air, but it seems that lately I’ve been paralyzed by the lack of feeling for these things.
“Did I come too early.”
Looking at his watch, it was now ten minutes before the appointment with Saori.
But come to think of it, I haven’t seen Saori in I don’t know how long. Yeah, since I’ve been back, today’s the first time I’ve met her in private.
Because, ever since I came back, I was frantically chased by the media every day, and my daily schedule was even more packed, and this life lasted for about two months before things gradually got better.
On the surface they flattered me as a hero, but in fact they were simply looking at me as if I were a rare beast.
They were like, “A strange animal has been discovered on an uninhabited island in the South!” (I’ve actually been on a program with a name like that three times, though.) .
However, the number of media outlets that are still interested in me can be said to be completely gone now.
And because of that, I was able to go back to high school and continue to finish my education (although I repeated two years).
I used to have a dispensable attitude towards school, but now I’m trying to settle down, pick up my textbooks again, and make serious plans for where I want to go in the future.
Upon returning home, everyone is in a completely different situation as well.
Professor he returned home and became more involved in studying the world of civilization than ever before. He said he was approached to come out and run for the Senate, but he politely declined the offer.
Suzume was taken by her father to live with them in Sweden, and of course, Ululu went with her.
Rika has also returned to college, and is currently spending her spare time writing a novel called “Uninhabited Island and Present Society” (tentative title), which, as the title suggests, is an account of our personal experiences on the island.
As for Eirina, she had quit her job at the airline. Not long ago ran off to protest with a reporter from a newspaper who wrote an article called (Miraculously Survived Flight Attendant, I Heard She Used to Make a Porno). But somehow, the two of them turned out to be married later.
And finally, Saori.
Saori, like me, started her sophomore year of high school all over again. She says she wants to run marathons instead, and she wants to represent her country in the Olympics in the future.
But, Saori, she’s not too slow.
“Excuse me, are you called Nakata…”
As I was heading towards the station, constantly looking for traces of Saori, a woman’s voice suddenly came from behind me.
I looked back, and standing behind me was Erika…
No! It’s Miki Arita.
“It’s really you.”
She puckered her lips and smiled.
“See, I wasn’t mistaken.”
Standing beside her, laughing playfully, was none other than that Shuji Takasaki.
Wow, so they’re still dating.
I couldn’t help but be amazed at how much more suave they looked in their outfits than they had been in high school.
“Sign it for me, and write ‘For dear Miki Ishida’ on it too oooh, so I can get it in front of everyone to dazzle them.”
“Wow, that’s a good idea. Nakata, just sign it for us since we used to be good friends.”
When I saw this cheeky ghostly look on both of them, I suddenly felt more and more fired up inside.
I picked up the red leather notebook that Miki Arita was holding.
Then I tossed it backward without hesitation.
“What do you mean by that!”
Shuji Takasaki asked me nonchalantly.
That’s when I felt a really amazing feeling.
I used to be scared to death whenever he got angry.
But he was nothing compared to Kara, the Zinn, now.
Now that face of his looked to me like nothing more than a clumsy golden-haired wild monkey.
But if he was a monkey, it would be a little embarrassing for Ululu. Thinking about it, feeling more and more amused.
“What are you laughing at, you want me to beat you up don’t you!”
He said as he grabbed my shirt.
This guy, even his cursing skills are no different than before.
As I thought about it, I grabbed his wrist and then…
Bump!
I hit the bridge of his nose hard with my forehead.
This is certainly not by Paralu, the god of fire, but by my own power.
Shuji Takasaki immediately fell to his knees in front of me, struggling with his nose in pain.
Just at this time ~.
“Kouichi. I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m so late… ah, what happened?”
Saori asked as she walked up to me.
Arita Miki, who was standing aside, didn’t bother with the nosebleeding Takasaki Shuuji, and instead kept looking at me.
“It’s nothing, just ignore them, let’s go.”
“Eh.”
So I left there without looking back. After a while, Saori tenderly wrapped her arms around me.
“You remember… that agreement we made.”
Feeling surprised, I turned my head to look at Saori.
She wore a sweater that reeked of springtime, and a collar of green stones dangled from her chest.
“I’ve already told my family today that I’m going to spend the night at my classmate’s house ooh.”
Saori whispered quietly in my ear.
Wow!
She’s so bold!
I thought so while being surprised by her remark.
Living on the island has enhanced my knowledge.
And I’ve become much stronger than I was before.
I also gained a lot of experience necessary to become an adult.
And…
I have at the same time been given one of the most precious things.
I stopped and looked at Saori.
That’s when something suddenly occurred to me.
“Saori, wait for me here for a moment ooh.”
After gently pushing Saori’s hand away, I walked back towards the path I just came from.
Walking near the place just now.
I saw that the red notebook I had thrown away was falling in a dry gutter between the sidewalk and the road.
I picked it up and patted it down, swabbing the surface.
I walked over to Miki Ishida, who had turned pale with fear when she saw me return, handed her the notebook and said, “I think you two… really need to go to an uninhabited island to get some training.”
[End of text]