After spending our first night with Fukaho, I fell asleep again before I knew it.

As if it were only natural, we awoke in the bonus area.

The match started with the ten of us standing in the atrium of a shopping mall.

I had briefed the three new members—Professor Luminus, Shoube, and Genchu—in advance, but they still couldn't hide their shock.

"…Is this really…"

"Wait? It's just that same mall, but we haven't actually returned to it…?"

"It's kind of scary… It's bright and looks like it's open for business, but there's no one here…"

After waiting for the three of them to compose themselves, I briefly went over how things work in the bonus area again.

We can stay here for a duration equivalent to three hours of real time.

Each person gets 'one point.' You choose an item from those being sold within the mall and bring it back to the desert island.

After consulting with your teammates beforehand on what to pick, you must bring the chosen item back to the start point—the atrium—before time runs out.

Even after you've made your selection, you don't have to finish immediately; you can continue deliberating over your next choice or hunt for materials to see if they can be created using your 'Crafting ability.'

"I... I have something on my mind, sensei."

"What is it?"

"The items we selected and took with us aren't the same as those lined up in the actual mall, right?"

"――Ah."

I had completely forgotten about it.

To be honest, I hadn't even considered that this mall and the real-world mall were linked.

But was it truly impossible?

Seeking an answer, I turned my gaze to the monitor.

『The items arranged in the Bonus Area are provided by us and have no impact on reality.』

Seeing those words scroll across the screen, Sensei breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's a relief..."

With their concerns resolved, each of us set out to walk around the mall.

"But still, Mr. Tanbi Sensei. Are you really quite alright with this?"

"Yes indeed. After hearing Shouji-san's thoughts, I was moved. Let's gather textbooks and reference books for all subjects as soon as possible and make time to study. If it's mathematics, I can teach that too."

It seemed that math classes would be held soon enough.

And so, Fukaho and Lumina Sensei took one textbook each per subject.

"Atashi and Myaa want that shower over there."

"Yeah. It was super convenient. I never thought I'd be able to take a shower on a desert island."

With nine female members but only three portable showers, they had to take turns in groups of three.

If there were five units, it could be done in two rounds—five people and four—so she decided to bring one home as a new addition.

"I'll take the hair dryer with Luchi."

"Yes. It might be necessary since you could catch a cold if you leave your hair wet."

For the same reason as the shower, Shouko and Roa decided to bring two new hair dryers home.

"I'm getting rice.

I'll pick something tasty with a large quantity," Shion said, clenching both fists tightly.

Rice hadn't been chosen over wheat in the previous round, so even if it were added later, it might be quite a while away.

Given that rice was often desired at this point, she finally decided to bring it home.

With this, she had reached "7 points."

The remaining "3 points" became free-choice slots.

It meant I, Chiyu, and Mugai could choose whatever we needed.

"I've already decided. I'm going with Mino and Luminasun."

Chiyu seemed to want something from the bookstore.

Perhaps she'd pick out some manga.

I should have him let me read it later too.

"It might sound a bit much to say it every time, but I'm out. Pick the things Inugami wants."

A very characteristic answer from Yume-gai.

"Got it. Then, Yume-gai, could you come with me for a second? There's something I want, and I'd like to hear your opinion on it. Think of it as helping me out."

"……Fine."

I thought she wouldn't refuse if I framed it as an opportunity for her to repay the debt, and sure enough, it worked.

Everyone left the hall and headed toward their respective destinations.

Even though no one was around besides us, the escalators and elevators were still running, so getting to our destination wasn't much different from just moving through a normal mall.

"――This place is…"

As soon as we arrived, she let out a small sound.

We had reached a CD shop.

"I don't come here that often anymore since I can listen to almost everything on subscription services these days, but what about you, Yume-gai?"

"……Well, occasionally."

The automatic doors slid open, and we stepped inside the store.

Music played throughout the interior, while commercials and music videos aired on the monitors scattered around.

"I see. I'd like to listen to my favorite songs on that desert island too, but I don't have a smartphone or internet access."

"……Wait a minute."

Yume-gai stopped in her tracks.

"Hm?"

"That's... I didn't think you'd actually plan for this starting from the night of the seventh day, right?"

At her skeptical gaze, I shrugged.

"……You're sharp."

"Buy a laptop with a CD drive, then a tablet PC the very next day, and now we're at a CD shop today... What? Were you planning to load songs onto the tablet and hand it over to me?"

"You can listen to music on the laptop alone, sure, but that's also used for creating documents." "Well, yeah, something like that."

"..."

I didn't ask for that."

Mumei said with a complicated look on her face.

She wasn't trying to complain about a good deed, but her expression suggested she couldn't accept the favor either.

"That's... true, but..."

The maid, Loah, has the ability to know what people desire.

Mumei seemed to love music, and even on the desert island, it appeared she had wanted to listen to her favorite songs.

However, given the current state where I owe her a debt, she wouldn't seek it out on her own.

So, I thought that if I selected items useful for the entire party first and then bought the CD as a final step, maybe she'd go along with it.

It felt forced to pick multiple items just to listen to music, but perhaps she'd accept it if it was just a CD.

"Takano, why are you doing stuff like this? I already owe you enough, and while I'll properly handle my own work..."

It seemed Mumei didn't understand why I was doing something like this.

"No, I just want to use my 'Craft Ability' to make what my companions need as much as possible, but I can't do that for CDs. But if you leave it be, you probably wouldn't even choose it in the bonus area. So I thought of a way to let you choose it naturally."

"...So because we're teammates, you help me out with various things?"

"Sounds about right, I guess. Since we've got some time to spend together for a while, I just want us to get along."

"..."

Yume-kyou probably didn't want to create any more obligations or debts.

But as far as I'm concerned, when there's an opportunity to get what I want, I don't want my companions to go out of their way to hold back.

There's no telling how long our life on this desert island will last.

I've already taken a game console back with me, and everyone's daily lives are gradually becoming more comfortable.

I just wanted Yume-kyou to do the same for us.

That said, I wasn't about to force the issue.

"Ah, well, I won't push it, of course. If you say you don't need anything, then I'll just use my own taste to pick out two items. But just a heads-up: starting tomorrow, there's going to be anime songs blasting at full volume in the living room. Try to deal with it."

To make sure she knew she was under no obligation to accept, I made an effort to sound as bright and casual as possible.

"...... Haaah. Anime songs are all well and good, but wouldn't it be better to have a few different genres? Wouldn't the rest of us appreciate that more?"

Yume-kyou let out a sigh before starting to walk around the store.

"...... Haha, fair enough. What are your recommendations, Yume-kyou?"

“I had this idea, like, buy books as complete sets. Same goes for music; I think it’s better to buy albums.”

“Yeah, makes sense. You get more bang for your buck when there’s a lot on one disc.”

If it’s an anime, there are albums released that include all the opening and ending themes.

“…Is it okay if I pick one and Kuno picks one?” “Ah, yeah, let’s do that.”

“Got it….

Hey, Kuno.”

“What’s up?”

“…Thanks.”

Yumei kept facing forward as she said this in a small voice.

I couldn’t see her face, but I could see her ears from behind were red, so she must have been flustered.

“You’re welcome.”

Relieved that he had managed to accept my suggestion, I continued browsing the store with Yumei.

Thanks to everyone,

We were able to win the "Gold Award" at the Adult Novelist Big Prize!!!

It will be published as a book, so if you could support it alongside the WEB version, that would be great!!!!!!

A Request to Our Readers

If reading this work brings you even the slightest bit of

“That was fun!”

“I want to know what happens next!” or “Write more!!!!!”, please add a bookmark.

・And use the 'Support the author with points' section at the bottom of the page

☆☆☆☆☆If you rate it five stars (★★★★★) and show your support,

it will be a great encouragement for future updates!!

Please do!!

After falling asleep again without realizing it after our first night with the Deep Method,

we naturally woke up in the bonus area.

We started in the shopping mall's hall with ten people standing there.

I had already explained everything to the new members, Lumina, Zoubu, and Genju, beforehand, but they still couldn't hide their surprise. "…Really, something like this…"

"Hey? Isn't this the mall, but we didn't come back?"

"It's kind of scary… It's bright and looks like it's open for business, but there's no one here…"

After waiting for them to calm down, I explained again how we should act in the bonus area.

We can stay here for three hours in real time.

Each person can choose one item from the mall to bring back to the desert island.

We need to bring the items we've chosen, which we had discussed beforehand with our teammates, back to the starting hall by the end of the time limit.

Even after choosing an item, we don't immediately end the game; we can spend time considering our next choice or searching for materials to craft our own items.

"Um, I have a question, sir."

「The items we picked up aren't actually from the mall, right?」 「――Ah」 I had completely forgotten about that.

Actually, I hadn't even considered that the mall might be linked to the real one. But, is that even possible?

I looked at the monitor to find an answer.

'The items placed in the bonus area are ours, and they have no effect on the real world.'

Seeing those words, the teacher let out a sigh of relief. "That's good..."

With that concern resolved, we each set off to explore the mall.

「Still, Mr. Tanbi. Are you sure about this?」

「Yes. After hearing Ms. Shi's idea, I was impressed. Let's gather all the textbooks and reference books early on and create study time. If it's math, I can teach it too.」

It looks like math lessons will be happening soon.

So, Shinpo and Lumina are collecting textbooks one subject at a time.

「Me and Mia are getting that shower.」

「Yeah. It was really convenient. I didn't think we'd be able to shower on a desert island.」

With nine female members but only three portable showers, it would take three rounds of three people each.

If there were five showers, it would only take two rounds of five and four people, so I decided to bring back five.

"I'll take the hair dryer with Roachie."

"Yes. If your hair stays wet, you might catch a cold, so it might be necessary."

For the same reason as the showers, Shouko and Roa decided to bring back two hair dryers.

"I'll take the rice. I'll choose something tasty and with a lot of it." Shi-on clenched both fists tightly.

Rice was not chosen over wheat, so it might be a long time before it's added.

Since there were many times when rice was desired, I finally decided to bring it back. And at this point, it's "7 points."

The remaining "3 points" became a free choice.

It means that I, Senyuu, and Muu can choose what we need.

"I've already decided. I'm going with Minochan and Lumasun."

Senyuu's desired items seem to be at the bookstore. Will she choose manga? I'll read it later too.

「Every time I say this, it feels weird, but I’m out. Choose something for Kouno.」 A dreamy response.

「Got it. Dream, come with me for a bit. I have something I want, and I want your opinion on it. Think of it as helping me out.」 「…Sure.」

I figured she wouldn’t turn me down if it was a chance to repay me, and it worked.

We left the hall and headed to our destinations.

The escalators and elevators were still working, so we could move around the mall without any issues. 「――This place…」

When we arrived, she let out a small sound. We had come to a CD shop.

「I don’t come here much anymore since I can listen to music on my phone, but what about you, Dream?」 「…………Sometimes.」

The automatic doors opened, and we stepped inside.

Music was playing inside, and commercials and music videos were playing on monitors throughout the store.

「I see. Even on a desert island, I want to listen to my favorite songs, but I don’t have a phone or internet.」 「…Wait.」 Dream stopped. 「What?」

「I mean, did you start preparing for this since the night of the seventh day?」

I shrugged at her suspicious look. 「…Sharp.」

「You bought a laptop with a CD drive, then the next day a tablet PC, and today a CD shop... What? You wanted to put some songs on the tablet and give them to me?」

I could listen to music on the laptop alone, but that was something Deep Law used to create materials. 「Well, that's pretty much it.」 「...I didn't ask for it.」 Dream World made a complicated face. She didn't seem to want to accept it, but didn't want to be rude either.

I didn't want to complain about her good intentions, but she had that kind of look on her face. 「That's true, but...」

Lora the maid has the ability to understand what people want.

Dream World seemed to like music and wanted to listen to her favorite songs even on the desert island.

However, in her current situation where she owed me a favor, she probably wouldn't ask for it herself.

So, I thought if I could gather items that would be useful to the whole party and end up buying the CDs, she might accept it.

Even if she had some resistance to buying multiple items just to listen to music, maybe she would accept just the CDs.

「Why are you doing all this, Kouya? You've already done enough for us, and you're doing your own work properly...」

It seemed Dream World didn't understand why I was doing all this.

「No, I just want to make things my friends want as much as possible with my 'Crafting Ability,' but I can't make CDs. But Dream World would probably hesitate to choose them in the bonus area, right? So I thought I'd try to make it seem natural for her to choose them.」

「...So, you're doing this because you're friends and you do all sorts of things for them?」

「That's probably the case. Since we're going to spend some time together, I want us to get along.」 「……」

From the Dream World's perspective, it probably doesn't want to owe us any more than it already does.

But I don't want my friends to have to endure discomfort in a situation where they can get something they want.

We don't know how long we'll be stranded on this island.

I brought a game back with me, and everyone's lives are gradually becoming a little richer.

I just hope the Dream World will treat us the same way.

But I don't want to force it either.

「Well, I won't force you. If you don't want it, I'll just pick two cards on my own. Alright, starting tomorrow, there'll be loud anime music blaring in the living room, so please bear with it.」

To make it seem like I'm okay with a refusal, I try to sound cheerful.

「…………Yeah. Anime music is nice, but wouldn't it be better if there were a few different genres so everyone could enjoy it?」

The Dream World sighs and starts walking around the store.

「……Haha, yeah. What do you recommend, Dream World?」

「...You know how I suggested buying books in a complete set? I think you should buy music albums, too.」

「Yeah, it's cheaper if you get a lot of songs.」

Anime releases albums that include all the opening and ending themes.

「...So, can I pick one and you pick one?」 「Sure.」 「Okay... Hey, Kouno.」 「What?」 「...Thanks.」

Mukai said it quietly, looking forward.

I couldn't see her face, but her ears were red, so she must be blushing. 「You're welcome.」

I was relieved that she accepted my offer and we started browsing the store together. Thanks to everyone,

I won the Adult Novel Grand Prize!!!!!

The book will be published, so please support both the web and the book version!!!!!

-------A Request to Readers------- If you read this and thought

"Awesome! I want more! Write more!!!!" please do the following:

・Add it to your bookmarks

Please change the ☆☆☆☆☆ button to ★★★★★ to show your support!

This will be a great encouragement for future updates!!!! Please!!!!