Teleportation skill.
We were searching for him with the others when he suddenly appeared before us, sending only me flying to a different location.
When I asked why he’d separated us from the girls… he said he wasn’t good around women.
And yeah, dealing with the opposite sex is tough.
Especially at our age.
Friends who are always cracking jokes suddenly go quiet when a girl is nearby.
I totally get how having the other gender around can mess with your head.
For me too, if we hadn’t ended up on this desert island, I probably wouldn’t have gotten close to any of them.
My relationship with Moyoko would have stayed platonic, and my progress with Chiga might have dragged on through university or well into the future.
“Still, that’s some crazy power. Can you fly other people along with you?”
Plus, the precision to aim exactly at the back of Micron while he’s flying is insane too.
Is it the ability adjusting itself, or is it just the skill level behind the teleportation?
“It’s not enough to save everyone on the island.”
“It’s not that grand.”
“Then my power isn’t much of a deal, either.”
“I get it. We both brought powerful abilities, right?”
Realizing that a contest of modesty would be a waste of time, I summed it up with a wry smile.
”…I haven’t expressed gratitude for that, have I? If my memory serves me right, Kuano was the first to mention the abilities.”
While it was Shouko’s credit for spreading the word to everyone, this might just be taken as her being modest.
“Then… you’re welcome.”
“Now, to the main point. Please stop tracking my scent.”
“Do you need any supplies?”
When I asked, the Senpuurin paused briefly in thought.
”…A trade? The only thing I can offer is information.”
“That’s what I want in exchange.”
“But having a woman wandering into our operational area is problematic.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Let me be clear: I’m not looking at you in a romantic way. My taste runs much older, if anything.”
Come to think of it, the Dharmachakra is quite rational.
Even in conditions like these, he keeps himself relatively well-groomed and has good circulation showing in his complexion.
The thought made me shudder—what if the Dharmachakra had found us while his mind was in a state of turmoil?
It could be called fortunate for our party that his preferences were outside of our age group.
But he has an older preference… Does he like college students or, say, career women?
No wait, Lumines-sensei is also in our class. If he considered someone like her a “woman”… does that mean his taste runs even older…?
“Then what about this? Suppose the information from the Dharmachakra contains the locations of the materials we need. I’ll be the only one to retrieve them.”
“If I teleport Takano, it will shorten the working time considerably… Not a bad proposal.”
“Let’s do that, then.”
As I felt relieved at the deal coming together, the Dharmachakra cast a suspicious gaze my way.
“Why do you insist so strongly on trading with me?”
Indeed, going out of my way to actively search for other students might seem unnatural.
“It’s because Sensei Luminas is worried about her students.”
There was no need to hide it, so I told him the truth.
At my answer, Tenpou-in nodded vigorously, as if satisfied with the explanation.
“I see, it’s for a woman, huh?”
“You’re not wrong, but that phrasing sounds like it could lead to misunderstandings.”
“It’s nothing to worry about. In the face of love, status and age are irrelevant.”
At his words, I couldn’t help but react.
“Huh? Judging by that way of putting it… could it be that Tenpou-in…”
Tenpou-in hesitated for a moment, looking uncertain, before turning to face me.
”…If we’re of the same kind, I’ll keep my mouth shut about it. Yes, I’m seeing Sensei Tensei from History.”
“Wait, really!”
But wasn’t she in her forties?
Some people just have such a thing for older women.
“Unless a woman is that composed, I can’t hold a proper conversation with her. It must be a hassle living with that many girls, being as wild as you are.”
“It’s noisy but fun.”
”…Well, everyone is different. Anyway, for the sake of reuniting with my lover, I will definitely return to Japan.”
I understood the rational reasons behind Tenpouren’s behavior.
It would be partly due to his mental fortitude, but there was likely another factor: he had no female romantic interests.
Ideally, I’d want to use Shiine’s “lie-detection ability” to confirm the truth, but here I decided to just trust her.
She didn’t look like she was lying.
“Well, take it easy.”
“Ah. We’ll meet every three days. When the sun is directly overhead, I will be at the designated spot. The designated spot is right here where we are standing now.” “Understood. That works fine.”
Soon, the others would come here. If it were Mashiro, she’d probably memorize this location and return to it.
“By the way, Takano, what if the option ‘Teacher’ came up again in the future?”
Like that mysterious blackboard presenting a binary choice at the end of each day.
The chosen entity would be deployed onto the island.
The entities deployed varied: terrain, food, animals, monsters, teachers…
“Right, you’re asking what I’d do if Tenpouren presented a choice where ‘Lover’ was an option, huh? Hmm. Well, if it were me, I wouldn’t choose it. I don’t want to put someone I like through such hardship.”
Hearing my answer, Tenpouren fell silent for about ten seconds.
「……I see, that makes sense. But have you considered another angle? What if we deliberately choose this, so we can both enjoy the benefits of the desert island?”
Benefits, huh.
「……It’s true, though. Our lifespan increases each day, and depending on the points, we can gain further perks. If I’m confident enough to survive unscathed, it could work.」
The desert island offers perks simply for surviving.
If one has the strength to actively pursue those benefits, deliberately choosing it might be viable.
The drawback is that we don’t know how the other party feels about it.
「That’s the point. If she gets summoned to this island in the future, Kuno, I want you to provide aid.」
Senpai bowed her head desperately, making her request.
「Supplies or a base? That wouldn’t be an issue, though.」
「If that’s possible, feel free to use me personally however you see fit.」
A teleporter effectively becomes an ally.
This is a substantial reward.
From her perspective, the age gap with her lover is a serious issue.
Extending one’s lover’s lifespan is a significant benefit.
Of course, the teachers have their feelings too… but once it comes down to a two-choice decision, one of them is bound to be summoned.
Just as the student vote had brought Teacher Luminous.
”…Understood. In that case, I’ll persuade everyone to cast our team’s ten votes for her.”
“Thank you, Tamano.”
Tenpou offered his hand, so I shook it.
“It was nothing.”
“Not just about the deal. Thank you for not denying or laughing off my feelings for her.
A high school boy who has a thing for mature women…”
Honestly, there’d probably be people who’d laugh or recoil at that.
But I couldn’t bring myself to joke about it.
“It’s your freedom who you choose to like.”
”---!”
Tenpou tightened his grip during the handshake.
”…What’s wrong?”
“I can only conclude that we’re going to be best friends for life.”
“I-is that so?”
I didn’t really understand it, but I’d ended up with a lifelong friend.
”…Sorry, but I’m leaving now. I’ll take my reward next time.”
「Hmm? …Ah, Mashiro is closing in.»
Sand smoke was rising from a little further down the path.
At what speed are they moving?
“Although it was to speak with you this time, I acted unreasonably. I may not be forgiven, but please tell them that I have apologized.”
That’s right. I quickly realized the Tenpuurin had no ill intent toward me… but what about my companions?
Could they be coming here at full speed, worried about my safety?
Thinking about it like that, from my companions’ perspective, the Tenpuurin must be the arch-villain.
「Ah… I see. I’ll try to handle it smoothly when I speak with them.”
With a light nod, the Tenpuurin vanished like smoke in the next instant.
Just then, my companions arrived.
Mashiro, Mikuron, and Kuryu Kyoo came to an abrupt halt near me.
“Soul!”
As soon as Chizuru jumped off Mikuron, she ran out and threw herself into my arms.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
I caught Chiyu and immediately held her close in return.
It was different from the monster battle just now, where I knew I was safe but still caused worry.
Without even knowing if I was safe, it must have been terrifying beyond words for them.
“Sousuke!” “Sousuke-kun!” “Sousuke-san!” “Master!” “So-suke!”
After Chiyu, Shouko, Shiin, Fukhou, Loa, and Serina pounced on me, and I finally couldn’t take it and collapsed.
It felt less like being hugged and more like being crushed in a pile-up, but seeing everyone’s tears and relieved expressions left me speechless.
The Tensouin wasn’t a bad guy, and we even managed to establish a cooperative relationship, but…
Right now, calming them down is the priority over anything else.
Please rest assured that next time we’ll be back to our desert island life surrounded by girls.
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