Akira returned first with Saji, Yoshimoto, Mina, and Masanori.
They were doubtful about why they were building a camp so far away from where they were constructing the raft.
They argued that they had been sleeping there for several days and nothing dangerous had happened.
But once Akira told them to talk to Yarai about it, they stopped arguing.
Eventually, Kurusu, Towa, Kanako, and Rion returned carrying armfuls of palm-like leaves, smaller branches, and long vines.
Behind them, Itou, Ono, and Mikoshiba also returned from farther down the coast, carrying several heavier logs across their shoulders.
The sun was already getting lower, and the sea breeze felt colder than before.
Itou crouched beneath the rock overhang and studied the open side facing the ocean for a moment before pointing toward it.
“I think we should build the frame here first. This side’s going to catch most of the wind tonight.”
Ono dropped a thick piece of driftwood onto the ground with a tired groan.
“So basically, we’re building a giant wall.”
“Not exactly. We’ll use the tarp as a windbreak. We can wedge wooden stakes into the sand to hold the bottom in place, then secure the top against the rock with large stones. If the wind is too strong, we can use logs to reinforce it.”
“…You really know what you’re doing?” Saji asked.
“I’ve been doing camping and fishing since I was a kid,” Itou replied while testing one of the support poles.
“This stuff’s normal.”
“That’s unexpected. I always thought you were a dumbass,” Saji muttered.
“What did you say, you little shit?” Itou snapped, a vein appearing on his forehead.
“He’s right, though. It feels like you’re not even the Itou I know,” Ono snickered.
“I still can’t believe you never told us about this,” Mikoshiba said.
“Huh? Who would care about that back home? The only stick I used there was to whack someone’s head,” Itou said.
Yoshimoto, Mina, and Masanori flinched at what they heard.
Seeing that, Akira couldn’t help but say,
“Do you still want to keep bickering? What if Yarai comes back now and sees that nothing is done?”
This time, Itou, Mikoshiba, and Ono flinched.
They stopped bickering and immediately started working.
“You really know how to push them,” Saji whispered.
“Even you would work if I did the same to you,” Akira laughed.
“You’re not wrong,” Saji replied before joining them.
Under Itou’s direction, the boys positioned the thicker driftwood around the open side beneath the rock overhang.
They used the logs mainly as support points for the tarp rather than trying to build a complete wall.
Once the frame was ready, they stretched the tarp across the ocean-facing side.
The bottom edge was secured to wooden stakes driven into the sand, while the top edge was pulled tight beneath the rock overhang and held down with large stones.
The front of the shelter remained completely open, allowing them to enter and leave easily.
Nearby, Kurusu and Kanako sorted the palm-like leaves into bundles while Mina tied thinner branches together for bedding.
Rion carried additional vines back and forth beside them, while Masanori quietly hauled armfuls of smaller driftwood toward the shelter entrance.
Meanwhile, Akira had wandered toward the front of the shelter and arranged several stones into a rough fire pit.
He took the small branches Masanori had brought and placed them inside the pit.
He then picked up another piece of wood and shaved it into a flat shape.
After that, he selected a curved branch and tied a piece of cord around it.
Masanori watched him for a while, trying to figure out what he was doing.
“…What are you doing?”
Akira looked up confidently.
“I’m making fire.”
“Do you want me to borrow the lighter from Saji?”
“No. I want to try making it myself. It’s fun.”
“Oh… okay,” Masanori nodded.
“Akira-kun, this is absolutely not fun,” Mina replied from the side.
“Leave him be. He’s always like this,” Rion said, rolling her eyes.
“Yarai-kun said things like lighters are a finite resource. We should only use them when necessary,” Akira said.
“But using it once or twice isn’t a big deal. We’re not staying here forever,” Mina argued.
“But it’s good to be cautious.”
“He’s right,” Yoshimoto added.
“We should save the lighter for situations where making a fire normally isn’t practical.”
“Still, Akira-kun, you should use those stones Yarai-kun has. The ones that create sparks,” Rion said.
“Oh, those are with Yarai-kun. I forgot to ask him. Besides, I want to try this,” Akira replied.
“Do whatever you want.”
Rion sat a little closer, curious despite herself.
After remembering several survival programs he had watched before, Akira had somehow assembled what vaguely resembled a bow drill using a curved stick, cordage, a wooden spindle, and a flat fireboard.
At least, that was what he claimed it was.
Beside him sat a small pile of tinder he had prepared from dried tree fibers, shredded bark, dead grasses.
Saji walked over after noticing what Akira was doing and immediately laughed.
“…What the hell is that supposed to be?”
“A bow drill,” Akira answered proudly.
“No, seriously. What is that?”
Akira clicked his tongue.
“You use the bow to rotate the spindle rapidly against the fireboard. The friction creates heat and eventually produces a glowing ember.”
The spindle immediately slipped loose and rolled sideways across the sand.
“…Ah.”
Kanako flinched slightly while Kurusu laughed softly.
“It looks difficult.”
“It’s not difficult,” Akira argued while picking up the spindle.
“I just messed up once.”
“You’ve messed up three times already,” Rion replied.
“That’s still within acceptable limits.”
“There are acceptable limits for failure?” Mina asked flatly.
Akira ignored her and reset the spindle.
This time, the spindle rotated for several seconds before the cord suddenly slipped loose and snapped against his hand.
“…Ow!”
“You look like a caveman trying to light his first fire.”
“Shut up.”
Akira stubbornly picked the setup apart again and examined the pieces.
Yoshimoto had been watching quietly from nearby.
He finally crouched beside the fireboard.
“Your setup has several problems.”
Akira looked at him.
“Huh?”
“First, the spindle is too thick and too smooth. It needs enough surface contact with the fireboard to generate friction, but it also needs to rotate freely. Your spindle is making it harder to maintain a steady rotation.”
Yoshimoto pointed toward the fireboard.
“And this wood is too hard. The fireboard should be softer so the friction produces fine, hot wood dust that can collect in the notch and form an ember.”
Akira stared at the setup.
“…So thinner spindle, softer fireboard.”
“Not just that,” Yoshimoto continued.
“The spindle needs to stay vertical while you rotate it. If it wobbles, most of the pressure is wasted. The notch in the fireboard also needs to be shaped properly so the hot dust has somewhere to collect while still allowing air to reach it.”
Akira rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“…You really know a lot about this.”
“I’m just applying basic physics.”
Rion looked exhausted just watching him think this hard over a fire.
“He’s really going to keep doing this…”
“Honestly, now I want to see whether he succeeds,” Kurusu admitted with a small laugh while continuing to bundle leaves.
Nearby, construction on the shelter continued without stopping.
Itou secured another support beam into place while Mikoshiba tied vines around the upper frame.
Ono worked along the edge of the shelter, securing another layer of palm leaves where they could help block gaps and wind.
Outside, Akira eventually returned carrying a different branch before crouching beside the fire pit again.
This time, he carefully shaved the spindle thinner and rounded its end before wrapping the cord around it once more.
Yoshimoto also adjusted the fireboard and widened the notch slightly.
“Keep the spindle straight,” Yoshimoto instructed.
“And don’t press too hard. You need enough pressure to create friction without stopping the rotation.”
Akira nodded.
Then he began moving the bow back and forth.
This time, the motion looked noticeably smoother.
The spindle rotated rapidly against the softer fireboard while dark wood dust slowly gathered near the notch.
The others gradually started paying attention again while continuing their own work.
A thin trail of smoke appeared.
“…Wait,” Masanori muttered.
“It’s actually working,” Kanako said in surprise.
Akira carefully increased the speed while keeping the pressure steady.
More smoke rose upward.
The black dust gathering near the notch slowly began glowing faintly red.
Yoshimoto narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Don’t stop now.”
“I know.”
Sweat rolled down Akira’s face as the bow moved faster and faster.
Finally, a tiny ember formed within the charred dust.
Akira immediately grabbed the tinder bundle made from dried fibers and bark shavings and carefully transferred the ember into it.
Everyone nearby gradually quieted.
Akira lowered his head and gently blew into the tinder bundle.
Thin smoke curled upward through the fibers before the ember suddenly caught, and a small flame burst to life in his hands.
Rion blinked in surprise.
“…You actually did it.”
Kurusu clapped immediately afterward.
“Amazing!”
Kanako stared at the flame with wide eyes.
“He really made fire…”
Towa smiled softly while watching the growing flame.
“Looks like all that stubbornness finally paid off.”
Akira immediately grinned triumphantly.
“I told you guys.”
“You also failed a bunch of times first,” Rion reminded him.
“That part isn’t important.”
Yoshimoto quietly adjusted his glasses while watching the flame.
“The changes to the spindle and fireboard made the difference.”
“Right… you also helped,” Akira admitted.
“You ungrateful bastard!”
A vein visibly bulged on Yoshimoto’s forehead.
Akira carefully transferred the burning tinder into the stone fire pit before feeding smaller twigs and dry branches into the growing flames.
The fire crackled softly while the tarp windbreak facing the sea blocked the strong sea breeze, helping keep the flames burning.
Inside, they had spread layers of leaves and softer branches across the ground before placing the blankets over them.
The extra layers provided insulation and kept their bodies from resting directly against the cold, hard ground.
It was crude, but compared to sleeping out in the jungle, it already felt far safer.
Itou stepped back and crossed his arms after inspecting the shelter one final time.
“…Yeah. This should hold.”
Mikoshiba immediately dropped onto one of the bedding piles.
“…Way better than hard ground.”
Meanwhile, farther down the coastline, Yarai and Mariya carefully moved along the base of the cliffs while the tide rolled across the rocks below.
The rocky shoreline became narrower the farther they travelled, forcing them to move carefully between wet stone and jagged cliff walls.
He crouched down and examined them before picking up several of the larger leaves.
Without saying much, he began folding and weaving the leaves together.
After a few minutes, he finished two rough bags made entirely from the large leaves.
The leaves were tightly woven together, making it sturdy enough to carry small amounts of thinhs.
Yarai handed a smaller one to Mariya.
“You can carry the lighter things.”
“You say that like I’m useless.”
“You brought a laptop onto slippery rocks.”
“…Fair enough.”
They kept walking farther along the cliffs, carefully searching the shoreline for anything they could identify as edible.
Before long, Yarai stopped near a dark rock partially submerged beneath the tide.
He crouched down over several large shellfish attached to the rocks.
Mariya adjusted his glasses and looked closer.
“…These….”
Yarai carefully examined their shells.
“They look similar to modern mussels.”
Mariya pulled out his encyclopedia and flipped through the relevant section.
After comparing the shape and shell structure, he nodded.
“The general characteristics match. These are extinct species, although I can’t identify the exact one from this alone.”
Yarai nodded.
“They should be safe if they’re properly cooked.”
He used the hatchet carefully to pry several loose from the rocks before placing them into the woven bundle.
Not far away, several large crab-like creatures moved between the tide pools.
The creatures were considerably larger than modern crabs, with heavy shells and unusually long front limbs that helped them move across the uneven rocks.
One of them grabbed a shellfish and crushed it between its claws.
As Yarai stepped closer, the creatures immediately retreated sideways between the rocks, but one larger crab stayed behind.
Yarai stopped just outside its reach and waited for it to move.
When the crab lunged forward, he quickly stepped to the side and brought the hatchet down behind its head, killing it instantly.
The creature went limp.
Yarai crouched down and carefully checked that it was no longer moving before grabbing it by the legs.
Mariya stared at it.
“…That thing is horrifying.”
After a while, the shoreline widened as the cliffs began curving away from the water.
Further ahead, they spotted a group of trees growing along the beach.
As they approached, they saw large, round fruits scattered across the sand beneath them.
Mariya stopped walking.
“…No way. Coconut.”
Yarai immediately crouched beside one of them.
“That makes it even stranger. Coconuts are modern fruits. The palm-like trees we saw earlier are much older species, but just a short distance away, we found a fruit that evolved millions of years later.”
“To be honest, seeing everything so far, this didn’t even feel that strange to me,” Mariya said with a shrug.
Yarai stood up while holding one of the coconuts.
“This island is becoming harder to understand with every discovery. Let’s forget about it. For now, these could be a useful source of water and electrolytes.”
Mariya nodded and began collecting them as well.
They continued exploring the area.
Yarai occasionally stopped to examine plants and marine life, using his knowledge to determine what they might be.
Whenever he wasn’t confident about something, Mariya checked his encyclopedia to confirm the identification before they decided whether it was safe to take.
As the light began to fade, they decided to head back.
By the time the two of them returned, it was already dark, with the burning fire illuminating the area around the shelter.
Akira immediately looked up when he noticed the massive crab.
“…Whoa. What the hell is that?”
“Dinner,” Yarai answered simply.
Akira stared at the crab.
“…That thing looks strong enough to eat us instead.”
Kanako looked both fascinated and terrified at the same time.
“Is it alive?…”
“No,” Yarai replied calmly.
“It’s dead.”
Saji immediately stood up.
“You actually found all that?”
Mariya placed the large mussels beside the fire.
“We found these attached to the rocks along the shore. They’re primitive mussels, just much larger.”
Kurusu looked relieved after seeing the amount of food they had brought back.
“It looks like we’ll be having a feast.”
As Yarai placed the remaining food beside the fire, Akira noticed the coconuts.
“…Wait, are those coconuts?”
Mariya nodded.
“Saji, did you know about them?” Akira asked.
“What do you think we’ve been drinking and eating here?” Saji replied.
“Oh…”
“Also, the dry fibers you’ve been using came from them. We also burn them at night to keep the mosquitoes away,” Masanari added.
Akira picked one up and examined it.
“I guess we got lucky.”
“Yeah,” Saji replied.
“At least we don’t have to worry about water for now.”
Yarai looked toward the ocean before turning back toward the shelter.
“Let’s start preparing dinner.”