“Jii…”
”… … …”
So absorbed were we in gathering materials with Shinhō that it ended up like this, with Shōko coming to fetch us out of worry.
It seemed she’d relied on Fenrir’s Mashihiro to locate us as quickly as possible.
With his sense of smell, picking out the scent of a comrade would be a walk in the park.
Since we spotted Mashihiro first, we managed to scrape together just enough time to straighten up our clothes, but…
From her flushed face, the sweat-slicked clothes, the wandering eyes, and the unnatural puddle of water forming near a tree, Shōko probably had it all figured out.
Riding Mashihiro’s back on the way back to base, Shōko said nothing.
On the contrary, Shinhō and I were uncharacteristically chatty, forcing conversation.
Then, once we returned to base and dismounted from Mashihiro, the full weight of Shōko’s withering glare hit us. “Sorry. The material gathering thing was a lie.”
“No, I think everyone’s already noticed it.”
“Huh…?”
Taken aback, Shinhō dropped his jaw open in astonishment.
“Try not to worry us so much, okay?”
Rarely, I saw Shouko looking genuinely angry, so I bowed my head obediently.
“Aah, I’m really sorry. I’ll be careful.”
”…Mm.”
Shouko seemed to forgive me with that.
Later, I would have to apologize to everyone else too.
“U-Um… Shouko-san? When you say everyone noticed, that is…”
“Well, Minorin is the only one whose morning routine was upended because of the event incident, right? Souji wouldn’t forget to make up for it.”
“B-But. The ones inside… they also… noticed?”
“Of course they did. Once they realized you were safe, they’d relax and think, ‘So that’s why she was being all clingy.’”
“Gh… N-No way… I’m, embarrassing…”
Fukaho covered her face with both hands.
I felt a bit of shame too, but not nearly as much as she did.
“Fukaho, are you okay…?”
“Eh? Ehh. I’ll accept it as punishment for worrying everyone. I’m sure I’ll get looks that say, ‘Typical class rep to be so lewd,’ but there’s nothing to be done about it.”
Fukaho’s eyes were glazed over.
“No, I don’t think there are any such mean-spirited people in our school.”
He seems to have turned negative from sheer embarrassment.
“That’s right, Minori-chan. Everyone knows Sou-suke is perverted, so no one blames you.”
“Well, ‘everyone’ might be an overstatement.”
After all, some of the people involved haven’t actually done that kind of thing.
Like Yume-kyou, who can erect barriers, or Gen-chu with his shapeshifting ability, or the energetic black gal Sotobu, or even the teaching assistant Teacher Luminas, who masters photothermal magic.
I had just a brief encounter with the omnipotent maid Roa.
“No way. With four girlfriends, it’s already impossible to hide anything.”
Mekako let out a mischievous laugh.
“Ghh…”
I had no retort.
As we exchanged those words, we passed through the entryway.
“Woah, it smells amazing.” It was the aroma of a sauce that whetted one’s appetite.
“Right?
Let’s hurry up.”
We crossed the hallway to the dining table.
“I’m sorry, everyone. I guess I caused you all to worry.”
“I will do my best to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Sou-suke and I bowed our heads to our companions.
“Hmm. From now on, bring one of the two spirit beasts with you. That way, we can feel safer even if you’re running late.”
“I figured the two of you would be fine, but I’m just glad you made it back safe and sound.”
«Welcome back. It’s a relief to know you’re safe.»
«Oh…! Please be careful, okay? Kudo-kun is the leader and Tetsubo-san is the party’s brains, right? You really shouldn’t be acting so recklessly.»
«I was relieved, honestly. I didn’t think Kudo made human mistakes. He’s been such a perfect leader on this island.»
«And what were you two doing anyway? Get specific.»
«D-Don’t, Runa. That sort of thing is… well, it’s private and…»
Chiiru, Shiine, Roa, Professor Luminus, Muikai, Shoube, and Genchuu all chimed in, voicing the same concern.
Excluding Mr. Luminous, who was scolding me in the capacity of an adult, most everyone seemed to feel more relief than anger; there were very few who appeared truly angry. “Yeah. I’ll be careful.”
I’d probably worry just as much if someone failed to show up at a promised time and place, so here I was, honestly reflecting on my mistake.
“Alright then. Shall we eat dinner?”
At Shiin’s words, everyone moved toward the dining table.
I felt like washing off the sweat, but I couldn’t keep everyone waiting any longer.
Chiya kindly cast “Purification” on me, so for now, I decided to just go ahead and eat my meal.
Tonight’s dinner menu was—unadon.
Reflecting the light from the overhead lamps, the unadon seemed to actually glow.
It came with liver sashimi and quick-pickled vegetables; the care Shion and Roa put into it was evident.
Everyone gathered around the table, said “itadakimasu,” and immediately started picking at their food.
The flesh had a fluffy, soft texture, and the flavor of the tare sauce was exquisite; chopsticks simply wouldn’t stop moving.
Everyone else reacted similarly. Even Yumegai, usually a poor eater, seemed to be eating more than usual.
The most dramatic reaction came from Professor Luminas, who was quietly shedding tears.
“It’s been so many years since I’ve eaten eel… Professor, I feel like I’ve been eating better food ever since we arrived on this desert island…”
It seemed everyone had decided not to dwell on the professor’s reaction.
I suppose adults have their own share of hardships.
“Still, as expected of Shion-chan. I’ve heard eel is difficult to handle. To think you could make it this delicious.”
Sen’ya said, full of admiration.
“Ahh, yeah, I feel like I’ve heard that too. Something about how many years of experience in skewering you need for it.”
“Three years for skewering, eight for splitting, a lifetime for grilling. Sure enough, Shiine and Roa are skilled in the kitchen.”
Fuka-hou filled in the gaps of my vague knowledge.
“Aha ha, it was mostly Roa-chan’s doing this time.”
“Please don’t say such things… Besides, I still believe we fall far short of a true professional in that field.”
The two were being modest… or rather, stating the facts, but food is good when it’s good.
Honestly, comparing home-cooked meals to a specialty restaurant seems like a mistake.
If it’s served on the table and tastes delicious, isn’t that enough?
Sensei was eating with tears in her eyes.
And so, we managed to have eel rice bowls on a desert island.
◇
That night.
After finishing our baths, we talked as a group about settling the deal with the remaining guys tomorrow before heading back to their rooms.
I had become lovers with the four I met early on at the desert island, and we’d even lost our virginities.
I wondered how today would go, thinking there hadn’t been any particular talk… when a knock sounded.
“Ah, yeah.”
Opening the door, I found—Loa the maid standing there. “I apologize for disturbing you so late.” “It’s Loa. What’s wrong?”
At my question, her cheeks flushed and she said, blushing bashfully:
“I’ve come to keep you company in bed.”
Even while resting, it seemed my points kept increasing continuously,
and before I knew it, I was approaching 70,000 points.
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