After the meal, we went back to gathering, snagging nuts, mushrooms, and rocks.

We also converted a fallen tree into an item, which yielded a massive amount of "Lumber." However, it seemed to be treated as a lower-tier, incompatible version of "Standard Wood."

You could make firewood or wooden tools out of it, but it couldn't be used as building material for huts.

Well, it's better to have it than not.

We could worry about culling items once we hit the Inventory capacity limit.

And so, we returned to that cliff face from earlier.

"For now, both dinner and tomorrow's breakfast are mushrooms."

"Yeah... I did get some mountain greens too, but... I can't make tempura yet..."

By the way, items in the Inventory don't age or decay. It’s a handy feature.

So, right now, we can eat freshly grilled mushrooms and fresh nuts whenever we want.

I tried to convert the ashes from our campfire into an item, but it failed.

I managed to get "Ash," so I guess you just can't itemize "Fire" itself.

More than an item, it’s a phenomenon—combustion.

"It can be used in a salad or slaw, I suppose, but you're still short on ingredients."

"I suppose there are some things you could eat raw," "Let's save it for dinner.

Nutrition is important."

"Yeah, let's do that."

We had teleported during the morning hours on this island, but it was already edging into late afternoon.

"Should we set up the shack?"

"Ah, let's give it a shot."

I placed the shack I’d generated using my 'Crafting' ability down at the base of the cliff.

In an instant, a perfectly crafted wooden structure appeared before us—hard to tell if it was a mountain cabin or a barn, but it was exactly in between.

I’d made sure to pick a spot that was relatively flat beforehand, so it didn’t seem tilted much at all.

It might not be a proper permanent shack, but the pop-up style is easier to transport since I can just stuff it back into my 'Inventory' when we move, so that’s how I do it.

Digging holes and building a foundation... that’s part of the process my 'Crafting' ability just doesn’t cover, and there’s no point in wasting energy on that, so what can you do.

The closest image would be temporary housing or modular units, I suppose.

"I always wanted a secret base like this."

Chi-ya was saying something like a child.

But I nodded emphatically.

"I get it... If I'd found a shack like this when I was a kid, I would've been hanging out there all the time."

I head inside immediately.

It's a space of about six tatami mats.

There is one window, just in case, but it's also made of wood. It has fusuma-style sliding doors, and naturally, no glass is installed.

Wait, actually, can't I make glass using my 'Craft' ability?

What was the material again... Sand and... lime? And the rest... well, never mind.

I'll ask Sana about it later.

"It's perfect for a secret base, but it's a bit tight for two people to live in."

"It's no problem. We eat outside, and since you have your 'Inventory,' we don't need shelves or wardrobes."

"Oh? If we don't need furniture, this size is plenty."

It's a relief that Sana is so positive.

"I don't need a bed either, but I probably want some futons?"

"Hmm, I agree with you, but with what I gathered today... all I could make was this much."

I place it down.

It's like a rush mat. Generated from the large amount of grass I had harvested.

It's a thin, tatami-like sheet made by weaving the grass together.

Technically, it has enough width and length for two people to sleep side-by-side...

"Oh, interesting."

Sana immediately lies down on it.

"Besides the futon, we'll need spare clothes, too. Cloth... thread... fiber... Is there any hemp or cotton on this island?"

I don't know much about plants, so I have absolutely no clue.

If only I had taken the things the protagonists in survival manga said a little more seriously.

"For now, we'll just have to huddle together to sleep. Seriously, what kind of development is this?"

Chiyu said that while lying down.

"Yeah, well, fair enough... But to keep from catching a cold, we really need to sort out the futon and clothes pretty quickly."

Just because Chiyu could heal them didn't mean they should actively seek out injury.

"What about furs?"

"Oh right, what about wool?"

"Cashmere, too."

At the name of a high-end material, I couldn't help but feel my childhood friend's eyes sparkle slightly.

"Do you think there are cashmere goats around?"

"Besides, we haven't even seen any animals."

"Yeah. It'd be nice to have the knowledge to estimate our location based on the flora and climate..."

"Dude, basically no high school student can do that kind of thing."

"That's true."

Even if the Mysterious Blackboard wanted to test the physical limits of high schoolers, it probably wouldn't teleport them to a place like this just to give them one wish.

It might be a test of what you choose to bring, and how you choose to survive with it.

"By the way... don't you want to try out the sleeping arrangements?"

"Ugh."

Chia was asleep, yet she finally noticed that I was just standing there like a fool.

If I had been decent, I could have easily said something like, "Let me test out the bed for you, too," but it wasn't in my nature to do that.

"N-no, I'm good now. I still have things to do."

"Is that so?"

My childhood friend nodded solemnly and sat up.

"Since the topic of animals came up earlier, I figured we should set up some animal repellent as a precaution."

"I see, I see."

"Right then, let's get started on that."

I moved to begin.

Chia stood up and leaned in close to my ear.

"Then, until nightfall, Sou-kun."

With only those words, Chia left the hut before me.

Watching her retreating back, I covered my face with my hand.

"Ah... this is going to be rough."

I recall that when we were around kindergarten age, we sometimes slept together, but that was a distant memory.

And now that it's senior year of high school, finding myself sharing a hut with her at night...

In an ordinary high school life, such a rapid closing of the distance would likely have been impossible.

Given this situation, is it really wrong to feel happy?

Caught in the tug-of-war between the desire for night to come and the wish that it not yet arrive, I stepped out of the hut as well.

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After eating, we got back to foraging and collected nuts, mushrooms, and rocks.

In addition, when I itemized a fallen tree, I got a large amount of "wood," but it seemed to be treated as a lower-tier version of "normal wood."

I could make firewood and wooden tools, but it couldn't be used as material for a house.

Well, it's better to have it than not.

I'll think about selecting items when I see the limit of my Inventory space.

And so, we returned to the cliff below.

"Anyway, we'll have mushrooms for dinner and breakfast tomorrow."

"Yeah. I did get some wild vegetables, but... I still can't make tempura..."

By the way, the Inventory doesn't change with the passage of time, which is convenient.

So, right now, we can eat freshly grilled mushrooms and fresh nuts anytime.

When I tried to itemize the embers of the fire, it didn't work.

I was able to get "ashes," so it seems that "fire" can't be itemized.

It's more about combustion, isn't it? ###

"I could make a salad with it, but I still don't have enough ingredients." ###

"I heard that some of them can be eaten raw." "Let's eat them for dinner. Nutrition is important." "Okay." ###

We had transferred to this island in the morning, but it was already getting close to evening. "Should we set up the cabin now?" "Yeah, let's try." ###

I used my "Crafting Ability" to generate a cabin and placed it at the bottom of the cliff. ###

Instantly, a wooden cabin, somewhere between a mountain cabin and a shed, appeared before us.

I chose a relatively flat area beforehand, so it doesn't seem to be tilted too much.

It might not be a proper cabin, but it's easier to move around if it can be set up with just a single click, and it can be stored in the 'Inventory' that way.

Digging holes and building foundations... those are things that can't be done with 'Crafting Abilities', and it wouldn't make sense to put effort into them, so there's nothing to be done about it.

It's more like a temporary shelter.

"This is exactly the kind of secret hideout I wanted."

Sen'yuu said something childish, but I nodded in agreement.

「I get it... If I had found this shack when I was a kid, I would have spent all my time here.」 I immediately enter the shack. The space is about six tatami mats in size.

There is a window, but it's also made of wood. It's a sliding door, and naturally, there's no glass.

Wait, can't I make glass with my crafting ability?

What was the material again... sand and... lime? Well, I'll ask Senyuu later.

「It's perfect for a secret hideout, but it's a bit cramped for two people to live in.」

「No problem. We'll eat outside, and since Sou has an Inventory, we don't need shelves or a wardrobe.」

「Got it. Without furniture, this much is enough.」 Senyuu is optimistic, which is helpful.

「We don't need a bed, but I think we do need a futon?」

「Hmm, I agree, but with what I collected today... I could only make this much.」 I set it up.

It's like a mat. I made it from a large amount of grass.

It's a thin mat made by weaving grass.

It's wide and tall enough for two people to sleep side by side... 「Hmm.」 Senyuu immediately lies down.

「I also need clothes, right? Cloth... thread... fiber...? Hemp or cotton? Are there any of those on this island?」

I know nothing about plants, so I have no idea.

If only I had read survival manga more seriously.

「Well, we’ll just have to huddle together and sleep for now. This is such a helpless situation.」

Chiyu said this while lying down.

「Yeah, I guess so... But we should try to get blankets and clothes as soon as possible to avoid catching a cold.」

Just because she can heal us doesn’t mean we should take damage willingly. 「What about using animal hides?」 「Like wool?」 「Cashmere?」

Her eyes seemed to shine at the thought of high-quality materials. 「Are there cashmere goats here?」

「I haven’t even seen any animals.」

「Yeah. I wish I had the knowledge to identify plants and climates to guess where we are...」

「Sousuke, there aren’t many high school students who can do that.」 「Of course.」

If the mysterious blackboard wanted to test the students’ abilities, it wouldn’t give us something and send us here.

Maybe what's being tested is what to choose when picking one thing to take along and how to survive with that choice.

"By the way... don't you want to try out the sleeping arrangements, Sō?" "Uh"

She finally notices that I'm standing there while she's sleeping.

If I were a human, I might have said something like, "I'll try it out too," but I couldn't bring myself to do that.

"I-I'm good for now. I still have things to do." "Okay."

The childhood friend nods and gets up.

"Since we were talking about animals earlier, I thought I'd make some kind of animal repellent." "Hmm." "I'll set it up right away." I start to move.

She stands up and brings her lips close to my ear. "Then, see you at night, Sō."

Saying that, she leaves the hut first.

I cover my face with my hand, staring at her back. "Ah... this is bad."

When we were in kindergarten, we used to sleep together, but that's a distant memory.

To think that we'd end up sleeping together in the hut in high school...

If I were living a normal high school life, I probably wouldn't have been able to get this close to her.

Is it wrong to feel happy in a situation like this?

As I struggled between wanting it to be night already and hoping it wouldn't, I stepped outside the cabin.

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