I Was Stranded on a Deserted Island with a Beautiful Classmate - Chapter 42

The conversation had ended.

From what I heard, there was very little we could do right now.

So, I decided we should focus on self-defense for now.

Let’s sleep for today. Thinking about this any longer would just tire out my brain. Any more and I’d probably start seeing smoke.

——The next day.

I stayed up all night on lookout duty. I hardly slept. Strangely enough, I didn’t feel sleepy at all. In fact, I felt energized.

Did I become some kind of superhuman?

No, I’ve always been more of a night owl. I used to play games until late at night. I was used to it.

“Well then, I guess I’ll head to the sea for a bit.”

Kitakami had fallen asleep completely, showing her cute, defenseless sleeping face.

The other guy was out cold as well. Probably passed out.

I swapped lookout duty with Ooi.

They had their homemade weapons and I handed them a gun, too.

“All I have to do is pull the trigger, right?”

“Be careful, though. It has a crazy recoil. Make sure you hold it with both hands, or you might break an arm.”

“No way, seriously!?”

“Yeah, a Desert Eagle has that much power. It’s got insane destructive force.”

“Wow, scary…”

Ooi held the heavy gun nervously. I made sure to teach her how to use the safety, so there shouldn’t be any accidents.

“Stay safe. I’ll be looking for any more castaways and some useful items.”

“Got it. If anything happens, contact me on the radio.”

“Will do.”

It was the radio we got from Chitose earlier. The battery was still working, so we could use it.

After waving goodbye, I headed for the sea with Amane and Chitose.

“Last night was rough, huh?”

“Yeah, Amane. I didn’t expect mercenaries armed with guns to show up…Though, I kind of guessed it from that recording.”

The situation was tense, but attacking would be reckless. The information we got from that man made that clear.

“…What are we going to do now?”

Chitose looked at me with anxious eyes.

“For now, we’ll just keep living on this island. According to the mercenary, it’ll take a while to find Tachikawa’s treasure.”

“It’ll take a while?”

“Yeah, apparently there’s a ‘massive underground cave’ on this island. Like a labyrinth. If you go down there, you might never come back.”

“How can anyone find treasure in a place like that!?”

“When you think of pirates, you think of treasure maps, right? The mercenary said Tachikawa bought one for a huge amount at an overseas auction. It went for about one billion yen in Japanese currency.”

“One billion!?”

Amane and Chitose were both shocked.

It seems the map that was sold at an overseas auction was believed to be Captain Kidd’s treasure map. There’s no proof that it’s the real deal, but carbon dating showed it was about 350 years old.

If that’s true, it’s very close to being real. I can’t believe Tachikawa bought something like that. And that he’s actually carrying out such a terrifying plan.

“Anyway, Tachikawa is apparently deep underground searching for the treasure. He’s got some serious equipment down there. If we get too close, he’ll probably fight back…it’s too risky.”

That’s why I thought we should focus on self-defense. We need to be ready for when Tachikawa shows up.

“Yeah, that sounds like the best idea. We’ve got to focus on surviving on this island and figuring out how to escape.”

“That’s right, Amane. Our main goal isn’t to defeat Tachikawa. Our priority is survival and adapting to life on this island. Let’s focus on staying alive.”

“Yeah, that’s what’s really important.”

Exactly. Fighting isn’t everything.

We just need to get the word out about Tachikawa’s crimes back on the mainland. There are other ways to fight.

We made it through the forest and reached the sea.

“Look around for any castaways or items that might be useful. I’ll be fishing while I search.”

“Got it!”

Both of them responded obediently.

Alright, I’ll use the fishing rod that Kitakami made. It was made from a sturdy branch with some twine from a dismantled net tied to it. The hook was made from a safety pin.

The bait was some worms I found in the forest.

I was impressed by Kitakami’s handiwork. She’s definitely not an ordinary person. She must’ve had special training or something. Maybe she’s from another world. No doubt, she’s a cheat-level girl.

I went to the shore and cast the line out.

I wonder if I’ll actually catch anything with this.

Luckily, the waves were calm.

I could probably catch something quicker if I dove in with a spear, but I’m not a great swimmer. Besides, peacefully fishing in the morning like this is a nice change of pace.

Yeah, this is what I wanted—to relax and fish like this.

Surrounded by cute girls, too.

The summer sun, the summer breeze, the summer sea.

The crystal-clear water.

Just standing here is soothing…Oh, wait. I think I’ve got something.

I pulled the rod, reeling it in. It seemed pretty big.

With a strong tug, I brought it up…Oh, wow!

It’s a Japanese flying squid!

It’s famous for being used in dried squid snacks.

You can eat it grilled or as tempura. This is a big catch!

“Hayasaka-kun, did you catch something?”

“Yeah, Amane. I caught a squid.”

“Wait, a squid? Wow, you really did. It’s my first time seeing a real one. So, this is what it looks like…”

It was Amane’s first time seeing a live squid, and she was excited, poking it with her finger.

“We can grill it and eat it.”

“Sounds good! Grilled squid. That’s gotta be delicious.”

“I’ll catch enough for everyone.”

“I can’t wait! Hayasaka-kun, you’re amazing at fishing too!? You’re seriously impressive!”

“It’s just basic survival stuff…pretty much anyone in Japan can do this. There are a lot of people into sea fishing, and most of them take the fish home, clean them, and eat them. It saves a lot on food costs.”

That said, there are some initial costs for the fishing gear, and you’ve got to get used to putting bait on the hook. Usually, it’s worms or something squirmy like that.

There are other options, like shrimp or sabiki rigs, though.

But you still have to clean the fish before eating, like removing the scales and guts, which takes some getting used to.

“Hmm, I don’t think I could handle that.”

“Yeah, my family lives a self-sufficient lifestyle. We grow a lot of our food, like potatoes, carrots, daikon…even oranges.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. I respect that.”

“That’s why I’m good at survival stuff.”

“Really? I want to know more about you, Hayasaka-kun.”

“Sure. Let’s talk while we fish. I want to learn more about you too, Amane.”

Sorry, Chitose, but I’m going to enjoy some sweet time with Amane.