By the time the two returned to the ridgeline from the summit, the sun had already begun its descent.
The descent was much easier than the climb.
Aoyama still led the way, clearing obstructing branches with his steel-reinforced walking stick, but his pace was markedly more relaxed than it had been on the way up.
Kasumigaoka Utaha followed behind him, her steps also significantly lighter.
Her sweat had already dried, and the school uniform’s fabric, once soaked, was now semi-dry.
The way it clung to her skin felt uncomfortable.
Especially where it pressed against her back and chest, the fabric rubbed against her skin with a sticky, stifling heat.
“Aoyama-kun, I want to take a bath,” she suddenly said.
“We’ll reach the stream soon,” Aoyama said, stopping and glancing back at her.
Kasumigaoka Utaha lifted a hand to brush away a strand of black hair clinging to the side of her neck, revealing the slender line of her neck, which was still marked with dried sweat.
“I have a question.” “What question?” “What if a wild boar or a snake happens to pass by while I’m bathing?” Kasumigaoka Utaha tilted her head, her tone tinged with her characteristic, nonchalant air.
Aoyama fell silent for a few seconds.
He truly hadn’t considered that point.
As dusk approached, animal activity in the forest would become more frequent, and the stream was a vital water source for various creatures.
Leaving Kasumigaoka Utaha alone by the water to bathe indeed posed a safety risk.
“I’ll stand guard on the perimeter.
Wash quickly; you need to be finished before dark.” “What a thoughtful and detailed arrangement,” Kasumigaoka Utaha said, her lips curving into a smile.
“In that case, I’ll have to trouble you, Aoyama-kun, to be my temporary bodyguard.” The two followed the stream, walking for a while toward the Stone Eaves Shelter, until they found a relatively wide section of the river.
The water’s surface was about four meters across, crystal clear, with the deepest parts reaching only waist-height.
The current was gentle, and the riverbed was paved with smooth pebbles.
Dense thickets of shrubs on both banks formed a natural barrier, with open paths only upstream and downstream.
“This is the spot.” Aoyama looked around and pointed to a large tree upstream.
“I’ll keep watch over there.
Just call out if anything happens, and I’ll hear you.” “Are you sure you won’t peek?” Kasumigaoka Utaha asked, her arms crossed over her chest as she tilted her head slightly to look at him.
Aoyama’s expression remained unchanged.
“I won’t.” “…What a hurtful thing to say.” “If you notice anything unusual, put your clothes on immediately and call me.” “Safety first.” With that, Aoyama turned and walked upstream, sitting down by the large tree with his back to the stream.
He took the steel rebar from his backpack and laid it across his knees.
His gaze swept over the dense forest, but his ears remained attuned to the sounds behind him.
The rustle of fabric.
Then, the sound of someone entering the water.
A splash, followed by a soft, stifled gasp.
“…So cold,” Kasumigaoka Utaha’s voice drifted over, trembling slightly.
Aoyama didn’t look back, keeping his eyes fixed on the interlacing shadows of the trees ahead.
The sound of water continued for about five or six minutes, the splashing mixed with occasional soft hums.
Aoyama could imagine her cupping the icy stream water in her hands, washing away the sweat from her body.
Then, the splashing stopped.
A moment of silence followed.
Aoyama frowned.
“Are you finished?” “…Mm.” Kasumigaoka Utaha’s voice sounded a bit strange, with a hesitant pause.
“I’m finished.” After another dozen or so seconds, Aoyama heard her walking on the riverbank, followed by the soft rustle of fabric being shaken out.
“Aoyama-kun, you can turn around now.” Aoyama turned.
Kasumigaoka Utaha stood on the pebbles by the stream, her school uniform back on.
Her damp black hair fell loose over her shoulders, water droplets dripping from the ends and soaking into her shirt in dark patches.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the cold water, and her lips looked more moist than before.
She appeared much more refreshed, like a piece of fruit washed by the rain.
But Aoyama noticed a detail.
When she lifted her skirt, her movements were a bit cautious.
More accurately, her gait was a little stiffer than usual, and she seemed to be deliberately taking smaller steps.
He asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?” “What’s wrong with what?” Kasumigaoka Utaha’s expression was calm, even carrying a hint of ‘What are you talking about?’ Aoyama said, “Your walk is a bit off.” Kasumigaoka Utaha’s steps faltered for a fraction of a second, but she quickly recovered.
“The stream is just too cold,” she said, her tone imperturbably calm.
“My legs are a bit stiff.” “You should wash up too, right?
I’d still like to make it back to the shelter before dark.” Aoyama watched her for a couple of seconds but didn’t press further.
He walked past her toward the stream.
“Wait here for me,” he said, his back to her.
“Don’t wander off.” “Mm-hmm~” Aoyama reached the stream, bent down, and tested the water temperature.
It was indeed cold, but better than he’d expected.
After all, summer streams still retained some of the day’s warmth in the evening.
He quickly stripped off his shirt and pants, folded them neatly on the bank, and stepped barefoot into the water.
He submerged himself, letting the flowing stream wash away the sweat and dust from his body.
Aoyama washed quickly, taking only about three minutes before climbing back onto the bank.
Then, he efficiently put his clothes back on and buttoned them up.
When he turned around, he saw Kasumigaoka Utaha standing by the large tree, her back to him.
Her silhouette appeared somewhat stiff in the twilight, her hands clasped in front of her, fingers unconsciously entwined.
Aoyama said, “I’m done.” Kasumigaoka Utaha’s shoulders trembled slightly as she turned around.
The twilight had dimmed significantly, yet the unnatural flush on her cheeks remained clearly visible.
“…You’re done?” she asked, her voice low, her gaze drifting and never meeting Aoyama’s.
“Yeah.
Let’s head back to the shelter.” “Okay.” They walked along the stream.
Aoyama led the way, and Utaha followed slightly closer than she had during the day.
“…” In truth, she was facing a much more pressing problem.
Her underwear.
Only after washing up had she realized the dire predicament she was in.
She had no spare clothes.
She had been wearing the same outfit for several days, and her undergarments hadn’t been changed since the school bus accident.
As a high school girl with normal physiological needs and a psychological aversion to dirt, she simply couldn’t bring herself to put the same underwear back on after wearing it for three or four days.
So, after hesitating for a long time by the stream, she had made a difficult decision.
Wash the underwear…
and dry it over the fire during my watch.
In other words, she was now going commando.
“…” When the wind wafted up under her skirt, the empty sensation made her heart race inexplicably.
Without that layer of cotton as a barrier, everything felt…
too sensitive.
What made her even more flustered was the memory of that rough grab from earlier that day.
Whenever she thought about it, her gluteal muscles tightened instinctively, as if reliving the warmth and pressure of that palm.
The sensation of that moment replayed endlessly in her mind.
The slight indentation of fingertips into soft flesh…
If Aoyama-kun knew I wasn’t wearing anything right now…
At the thought, the tips of Utaha’s ears flushed a deep crimson.
She lowered her head, her black hair falling to cover most of her face.
She was grateful that the light was dim enough that he probably couldn’t see her expression.
“You’ve been walking with your head down.” “Are you tired?” Aoyama’s voice came from ahead.
“Um…
a little,” she murmured vaguely.
Then, feeling her reply was too curt, she added, “After all, we’ve been hiking all day.” “Get some rest early when we get back.” “Tomorrow we might have to go to the beach to see that shipwreck.
It’ll probably be even more tiring.” “…I know.” The conversation ended there.
Aoyama didn’t speak again, and Kasumigaoka Utaha didn’t try to start a new topic.
The two walked in silence along the forest path, while the chirping of insects gradually filled the dusk air.
Utaha secretly looked up, watching Aoyama’s back as he walked ahead of her.
Beneath his shirt, she could vaguely see the contours of his skin, still glistening from the stream that had washed over it earlier.
Being a guy is so convenient, she suddenly thought with a hint of envy.
They can just get dressed after washing up and go.
They don’t have to agonize over whether to wear underwear or not.
But she immediately crushed the thought the moment it surfaced.
“…What on earth am I thinking?” she muttered softly.
“Hmm?” Aoyama turned back.
“It’s nothing, just talking to myself.” “Oh.” He turned back and kept walking.
Utaha stared at the back of his head, a small smile unconsciously tugging at her lips.
Despite possessing the terrifying strength to nail a crocodile with rebar thrown by hand, his personality remained that of a normal teenage boy.
He kept his distance when appropriate, and never wasted words when silence was best.
This quality always gave her a sense of security.
“It’s just…” She lowered her head, feeling the empty sensation beneath her skirt again, and her cheeks flushed hot once more.
“I’ll have to figure out a way to get a change of clothes tomorrow,” she murmured softly.
By the time they returned to the Stone Eaves Shelter, darkness had completely fallen.
Aoyama relit the bonfire, its flames rising against the dark and dispelling the surrounding chill and dampness.
He skewered the remaining crocodile meat on branches and set them to roast over the fire, then went to the stream to refill the three water containers.
Kasumigaoka Utaha sat by the fire, unbinding her damp long hair and combing through it with her fingertips, letting the heat slowly dry the strands.
The firelight reflected on her profile, and her expression was much softer than it had been during the day.
Her crimson pupils appeared exceptionally gentle in the dancing flames.
“Aoyama-kun,” she suddenly spoke.
“Hmm?” “Can you swim?” “Yes, but I’m not a very strong swimmer.” Aoyama sat down opposite the fire, turning the roasted meat in his hand.
“Why?” “No reason.” Kasumigaoka Utaha turned her head to look at him, the firelight dancing in her eyes.
“I was just thinking…
it would be nice if there were clean clothes on that boat.” “…Clothes?” “Yes.” She turned her gaze back to the fire, her tone casual.
“You can’t expect me to wear this school uniform into the winter, can you?” Aoyama thought it over and decided she had a point.
He was also wearing his school uniform.
Although it could be washed, it was his only set, and it would eventually wear out and tear.
As for the school bus, in the sweltering daytime heat, it had probably turned into a “hellscape” by now, hadn’t it?
“Then let’s go take a look.” “There might be some on the boat.” The corner of Kasumigaoka Utaha’s mouth curved slightly.
She curled her knees up, resting her chin on her arms as she watched the flames crackle and dance, feeling the warmth envelop her entire body.
The hem of her skirt naturally bunched up at her side in her seated position, and the empty sensation once again reminded her of that fact.
But she didn’t say anything more.
She simply sat quietly by the fire, occasionally stealing a glance at the boy opposite her who was focused on roasting the meat, then quickly averting her gaze.
Chirp, chirp, chirp— The sound of insects echoed from deep within the dense forest, and the warm glow of the bonfire stretched their shadows long across the ground.