By the time the two of them returned from the mountaintop to the ridge, the sun had already begun to dip toward the horizon.
The way down was much easier than the climb up.
Aoyama still walked ahead, using the steel bar to push aside branches blocking their path, but his pace was far more relaxed than before.
Utaha followed behind him, her steps noticeably lighter as well.
The sweat on her body had already dried, and her school uniform had gone from completely soaked to only half-damp.
The fabric clinging to her skin was uncomfortable, especially around her back and chest, where the friction created a sticky, stuffy sensation.
” Aoyama-kun, I want to take a bath.”
Utaha suddenly spoke.
“The stream is just ahead.”
Aoyama stopped and glanced back at her.
Utaha lifted a hand and brushed aside the black hair stuck to the side of her neck, revealing the slender curve beneath.
A faint trace of dried sweat still remained on her skin.
“I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“What if a wild boar or a snake happens to pass by while I’m bathing?”
She tilted her head slightly, her voice carrying that familiar calm and casual tone of hers.
Aoyama fell silent for a few seconds.
He really had not considered that.
As evening approached, animals in the forest would become more active.
Streams were also important water sources for all kinds of creatures, so leaving Utaha alone by the water did carry a certain risk.
“I’ll guard the area nearby.
Be quick.
We need to finish before it gets dark.”
“Such a careful and considerate arrangement.”
Utaha’s lips curved slightly.
“Then I’ll have to trouble Aoyama-kun to serve as my temporary bodyguard.”
The two followed the stream for a while toward their shelter and eventually found a wider section of water.
The stream was about four meters across, crystal clear, and the deepest part only reached around waist height.
The current was gentle, and smooth pebbles covered the riverbed.
Dense bushes lined both sides, forming a natural barrier.
Only the upstream and downstream directions provided open paths.
“This place.”
Aoyama looked around before pointing toward a large tree upstream.
“I’ll stay over there.
If anything happens, call out and I’ll hear you.”
“Are you sure you won’t peek?”
Utaha crossed her arms in front of her chest and tilted her head as she looked at him.
Aoyama kept a straight face.
“No.”
“…That’s a rather hurtful thing to say.”
“If you notice anything unusual, put your clothes back on immediately and call me.”
“Safety comes first.”
After saying that, Aoyama turned around and walked upstream.
He sat down beside the large tree with his back facing the stream.
He took the steel bar from his backpack and placed it across his knees.
His eyes scanned the surrounding forest while his ears remained focused on the movements behind him.
The rustling sound of clothes being removed.
Then came the sound of someone entering the water.
Splash.
The quiet sound of water scattering was followed by a restrained hiss.
“…It’s cold.”
Utaha’s voice came from behind him, trembling slightly.
Aoyama did not turn around.
He simply stared at the shadows of the trees ahead.
The sound of the stream continued for around five or six minutes, mixed occasionally with soft sounds of discomfort.
He could imagine her scooping up the cold water with her hands and washing away the sweat and dirt covering her body.
Then the water stopped.
Silence followed.
Aoyama frowned slightly.
“Finished?”
“…Mm.”
Utaha’s voice sounded strange, carrying a hesitant pause.
“Finished.”
More than ten seconds later, Aoyama heard her footsteps on the shore, followed by the faint sound of fabric being shaken out.
“Aoyama-kun, you can turn around now.”
Aoyama turned.
Utaha stood on the smooth stones beside the stream, her school uniform already back on.
Her wet black hair hung over her shoulders, with droplets falling from the tips and leaving dark marks across her shirt.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the cold water, and her lips looked more vibrant than before.
She appeared much fresher, like a fruit washed clean by rain.
However, Aoyama noticed something unusual.
When she adjusted her skirt, her movements were strangely careful.
More specifically, her walking posture was slightly different from usual.
Her steps were smaller, almost deliberately restrained.
“What happened?”
“What happened?”
Utaha looked perfectly calm, even showing a hint of confusion as if she did not understand the question.
“Your walking looks a little strange.”
Her steps froze for a fraction of a second before quickly returning to normal.
With her usual flawless composure, she replied,
“The stream was too cold.
My legs just became a little stiff.”
“You should wash too, right?
I want to get back to the shelter before dark.”
Aoyama looked at her for two seconds but did not continue asking.
He walked past her toward the stream.
“Wait here.”
He turned his back to her.
“Don’t go far.”
“Mm-hm~”
Aoyama reached the stream and bent down to test the water temperature.
It was cold, but not as bad as he expected.
Since it was still summer, the stream had retained some of the day’s warmth even in the evening.
He quickly removed his shirt and pants, folded them neatly beside the shore, and stepped into the water barefoot.
Then he submerged himself completely, allowing the flowing stream to wash away the sweat and dust covering his body.
Aoyama washed quickly.
It only took him about three minutes before he climbed back out.
He put his clothes back on without hesitation and fastened the buttons.
When he turned around, he saw Utaha standing beside the large tree with her back toward him.
Her silhouette looked slightly stiff in the fading light.
Her hands were clasped in front of her, and her fingers unconsciously intertwined.
“I’m done.”
Utaha’s shoulders trembled slightly before she turned around.
The light had already dimmed considerably, but the unnatural flush on her cheeks was still obvious.
“…Finished?”
Her voice was lower than usual.
Her gaze wandered, never meeting his directly.
“Yeah.
Let’s return to the shelter.”
“Okay.”
The two walked along the stream.
Aoyama led the way, while Utaha followed behind him, staying a little closer than she had during the day.
“…”
Actually, Utaha was facing a much more troublesome problem today.
Her underwear.
Only after finishing her bath did she realize the embarrassing situation she was in.
There were no spare clothes.
The uniform she was wearing had already been on her body for several days, and her underwear had not been changed since the day of the bus accident.
As a normal high school girl with ordinary hygiene standards, she simply could not bring herself to put back on underwear she had already worn for three or four days.
So after hesitating beside the stream for a long time, she finally made a difficult decision.
“Wash it properly…
then dry it during my night watch.”
In other words, she was going commando right now.
The feeling of emptiness beneath her skirt when the wind blew upward made her heartbeat inexplicably quicken.
Without that layer of cotton separating her from the outside world, everything felt far too sensitive.
What troubled her even more was what happened earlier that day.
Whenever she remembered that moment when Aoyama had grabbed her, the muscles in her hips would unconsciously tighten, as if recalling the warmth and pressure of his hand.
That brief sensation replayed itself in her mind again and again.
The slight pressure of his fingers sinking into softness…
“If Aoyama-kun found out that I’m not wearing anything right now…”
The thought alone caused her ears to turn bright red.
She lowered her head, letting her black hair cover most of her face.
Thankfully, the light was already dim enough that he probably could not see her expression.
“You’ve been walking with your head down.”
“Are you tired?”
Aoyama’s voice came from ahead.
“Mm…
a little.”
She answered vaguely, then felt that sounded too careless and added,
“After all, we climbed mountains all day.”
“Rest early when we get back.”
“We might have to go to the beach tomorrow to check that shipwreck.
It could be even more exhausting.”
“…Got it.”
The conversation ended there.
Aoyama did not speak again, and Utaha did not try to start another topic.
The two continued walking silently along the forest path as the sounds of insects gradually filled the evening air.
Utaha secretly raised her head and looked at Aoyama’s back.
The outline of his skin could faintly be seen beneath his shirt, still carrying the freshness left from washing in the stream.
She suddenly felt a little envious.
“Being a boy really is convenient.
After taking a bath, you just put on your clothes and leave.
You don’t have to spend half an hour worrying about whether you can wear your underwear again.”
But the thought was immediately pushed away.
“…What am I even thinking about?”
She muttered quietly.
“Hm?”
Aoyama looked back.
“Nothing.
Just talking to myself.”
“Oh.”
He turned around and continued walking.
Utaha looked at the back of his head and unconsciously smiled.
Despite possessing terrifying strength capable of throwing a steel bar with his bare hands and pinning a crocodile to death, his personality was still that of an ordinary boy.
When he needed to keep his distance, he did.
When silence was appropriate, he never forced unnecessary conversation.
That alone made her feel strangely reassured.
“Only…”
She lowered her head, feeling that empty sensation beneath her skirt again, and her cheeks heated up.
“We need to find some spare clothes tomorrow.”
By the time they returned to the stone overhang shelter, night had completely fallen.
Aoyama reignited the campfire.
The flames rose into the darkness, driving away the surrounding cold and dampness.
He placed the remaining crocodile meat on branches beside the fire to warm it and then returned to the stream to refill their three water containers.
Utaha sat beside the fire, letting down her wet hair and running her fingers through it as the heat slowly dried it.
The firelight reflected against her profile.
Her expression was much softer than during the day, and her crimson eyes appeared especially gentle beneath the dancing flames.
“Aoyama-kun.”
She suddenly spoke.
“Hm?”
“Can you swim?”
“I can, but I’m not that good.”
Aoyama sat across from her beside the fire, turning the heated meat in his hands.
“Why?”
“Nothing.”
Utaha turned her head slightly toward him, the flames flickering in her eyes.
“I was just thinking that it would be nice if there were some clean clothes on that ship.”
“…Clothes?”
“Yeah.”
She turned her gaze back to the fire and spoke casually.
“You can’t expect me to keep wearing this uniform until winter, can you?”
Aoyama thought about it and realized she was right.
He was also wearing a school uniform.
Although it could be washed, it was still their only set of clothes.
Sooner or later, it would become worn out and torn.
As for the school bus, under the heat of the day, it had probably already become a “hell” by now.
“Then we’ll go check.”
“Maybe there will be some on the ship.”
The corners of Utaha’s mouth lifted slightly.
She hugged her knees, resting her chin on her arms as she watched the flames crackle and felt the warmth spread through her body.
The skirt naturally gathered beside her legs as she sat, once again reminding her of that inconvenient fact.
But she did not mention it again.
She simply sat quietly beside the fire, occasionally stealing glances at the boy across from her who was focused on roasting meat, only to quickly look away again.
“Gu gu ga ga~~~”
The sounds of insects echoed from deep within the forest.
The warm glow of the campfire stretched their shadows long across the ground.
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