I Was Stranded on a Deserted Island with a Beautiful Classmate - Chapter 14

Some time passed since then—I was watching Kitakami prepare dinner.

“I think the wild boar meat’s freshness has dropped quite a bit. Maybe we should smoke it.”

“But how do you smoke it?”

“Well, we need about ten pieces of wire or sturdy branches…and some boards. Iron would be ideal, but wooden ones are fine. We’ll make a DIY smoker.”

“You can make it with just that?”

“But before that, we need to prepare the meat. It’ll take some time. Since we don’t have salt, we’ll soak the meat in seawater to absorb the salt, then rinse it in clean water to remove the excess salt. After that, we’ll dry the meat.

“Once it’s dried, we’ll put it in the smoker and smoke it. Finally, we’ll let it age, and then we’ll have jerky.”

This is some survival knowledge I’ve picked up along the way. I’m glad I remembered it.

When I finished explaining, Kitakami looked surprised.

“Hayasaka-kun, you know a lot! I didn’t even know that!”

“Well, we still need materials to make the smoker.”

“In that case, I’ll make it! It’ll have to be wooden, though.”

“That’s good enough.”

I was grateful to have a knife. It would take some time, but if it’s Kitakami, she could definitely do it.

I taught Kitakami how to assemble the smoker.

“I understand. I’ll try to make it as soon as possible.”

“I’m counting on you. For dinner, it looks like we’re having wild boar and mountain berries. We also have some snake meat, but…”

“I’m definitely passing on that. You should be the one to eat it, Hayasaka-kun.”

“You dislike it that much?”

“It’s not about likes or dislikes…but I still refuse.”

Kitakami was firmly rejecting it. I couldn’t force her, so it looked like I’d have to eat the snake myself.

It would be my first time eating a snake…I didn’t want to cook it, but it would be a good experience.

Apparently, humanity will face a food crisis in the near future. They say we’ll have to rely on eating insects when that happens.

Right now, I’m in the early stages of that. But I’d rather avoid bugs for now.

Professional adventurers eat grasshoppers, larvae…even spiders and centipedes like it’s nothing.

I can only respect them.

* * *

We all gathered around the campfire, enjoying the roasted wild boar meat. It was still juicy and pretty good.

“By the way, how do you preserve the meat? There’s no fridge, right?”

Amane asked curiously. The only ones who could answer were me or Kitakami.

Kitakami spoke up.

“Of course, if we left it as is, it would spoil. So, we cut it into appropriate sizes, wrap it in a blue tarp, and soak it in running water.”

“Running water…Do we have a river?”

“No, it’s the sea. It’s a bit of a distance from here, but there’s a coastline to the north. We use rope from a disassembled net to hang the meat in the water. That helps it last a bit longer.”

“Wow, that’s amazing, Kitakami-san.”

I had thought Amane saw Kitakami as a rival, but this was unexpected. If they got along well, it would make things easier for me.

Time passed peacefully.

After we finished eating, most of us lay down in bed. Everyone must have been exhausted.

As for me, I was thinking about whether I could make a radio. Could I build one from scrap materials?

“What are you doing, Hayasaka-kun?”

“Amane…Aren’t you tired? Shouldn’t you sleep?”

“No, I’m fine. Can I sit next to you?”

“I don’t mind. I’m just staring at the campfire, trying to brainstorm with my limited brainpower.”

“What are you thinking about? …Wait, don’t tell me it’s something dirty?”

“No way. I’m thinking about a radio.”

“A radio?”

“Since we don’t have phone lines or internet, I thought maybe a radio could work.”

“But we don’t have any batteries.”

“During the war, they used radios that didn’t need batteries. They were called ‘trench radios,’ and you could make one with a cutter blade and a pencil.”

“Really? Just with that?”

You’d also need a ceramic earphone and copper wire. If I could get my hands on a germanium diode, it wouldn’t be a trench radio anymore; it would become a germanium radio.

“And that’s the gist of it.”

“Wow…that’s not something most people would know. Hayasaka-kun, you’re really full of knowledge. I never get bored being with you.”

For some reason, she took my hand, and I flinched. …W-What? She’s so close.

“Amane…”

“You know, my heart is racing right now.”

She squeezed my hand, and it felt incredibly nice. Her fingers were so thin.

“Is it okay for an idol to hold hands with a guy like me?”

“You’re not just some random guy. And I hold hands with people all the time at fan events.”

Well, that’s true. I ended up agreeing without thinking.

“Do you sing?”

“Of course, I sing original songs, and I also dance.”

“Really? I’d love to hear you sing.”

“I’m too shy, so maybe next time.”

Amane then leaned her head on me. She was unusually close tonight. I wondered what was going on with her.

“I guess…But there’s still no sign of rescue.”

“There are a lot of islands. Maybe it’s hard to find us.”

“It’s probably taking time.”

“Honestly, even if they don’t find us, I think I’d be okay with it.”

“Huh…”

“As long as Hayasaka-kun is here…I’ll be fine.”

“W-What do you mean by that…”

When I asked, Amane blushed. She looked away toward the night sky, trying to hide her embarrassment.

“I never imagined I’d end up stranded on an island and doing survival stuff.”

“Same here. I used to just sit through boring classes and go through the motions every day.”

“But…”

Our words overlapped. Our eyes met, and time seemed to stop.

The gentle night breeze brushed against our cheeks.

My heart was pounding. I felt tension and heat rising from deep within me, like magma.

“Hayasaka-kun, I used to feel nothing but despair, but now I see there’s hope right in front of me.”

Her tears glistened in the moonlight. Amane gently closed her eyes, and for a moment, I thought she was going to kiss me—but instead, she wanted an embrace.

I wrapped my arms around her slender body, comforting her. She must have been scared all this time.

Being stranded on this strange island, separated from her family and friends…Of course, she couldn’t stay calm.

“Don’t worry, Amane. Someone will come to rescue us one day. Until then, I’ll protect you.”

“…Yeah. I believe in you.”

“I believe in you too, Amane.”

“That makes me happy. I’ve never been able to trust any guys before.”

“Why’s that? As an idol, I’d think you’d be popular.”

“Because I’m an idol, it’s complicated.”

That makes sense. Being a popular idol must come with its share of troubles, especially when it comes to relationships.

“Right now, I’m the only guy on this island…Oh, but there’s Kurashima, right? I wonder if he’s still hiding somewhere.”

“Yeah, but I hope he doesn’t act violently since we’re all classmates.”

Amane is so kind. But that guy snatched a lifeboat and ran off when the ship capsized. He’s bad news.

If he tries anything, I’ll protect Amane—no, I’ll protect everyone.

“Got it. By the way, Amane…are you okay staying like this?”

“…Oh! W-We’ve been hugging this whole time…Ugh…”

Amane, who had already been blushing, turned even redder.

Feeling embarrassed, she quickly let go of me and spun around.

She covered her face with both hands and ran toward the cave.

Too cute!