I Was Stranded on a Deserted Island with a Beautiful Classmate - Chapter 57

Last night’s storm had brought in a lot of debris.

There might be some treasure hidden in there. Maybe I’ll sort through it later.

As I climbed over the rocks, I saw a cliff.

This island has many cliffs. A split cliff had become a natural cave.

“So that’s where it was.”

“But it’s too far to walk to…I’ll need a lifeboat or a raft.”

“A cave…right?” Kitakami said, sounding intrigued.

“You don’t think Yaegashi and the others could’ve been washed ashore there, do you?”
“If they were, rescuing them would be tough.”

As I stood there pondering what to do, Sasayama offered a suggestion.

“Hey, Hayasaka-kun. How about shouting? Maybe someone will respond.”

“A response…That’s it! You’re brilliant, Sasayama-san!”

“Huh?”

I had completely forgotten, but I had a transceiver that connected me with Chitose. How could I have forgotten that?

With this, I should be able to find out where Chitose is.

I pulled the transceiver from my back pocket and switched it on.

“This should do it…!”

“I see, a transceiver, huh?” Kitakami remarked.

“Yeah, Kitakami-san. The battery’s still good, and if Chitose is within range, we should be able to communicate.”

“Will the signal reach?”

The communication range of the transceiver depends on the model, but it’s usually about three to five kilometers. Based on my estimate, this island is about the size of Enoshima Island in Kanagawa Prefecture.

If that’s the case, it should work.

I switched on the transceiver and tried transmitting.

“This is Hayasaka. Chitose, can you hear me?”

‘………’

I tried contacting her, but only static came through. Was the connection too poor?

Just as I was about to give up—

‘…san? Tha…suka…’

“Chitose!? That’s you, right? Hey, where are you now!?”

‘…tsu…su!…sa…’

No good. I couldn’t hear her at all, and the static was terrible. That means she must be in an area with a lot of obstructions.

The transceiver signal weakens in places with many structures or inside tunnels.

So, could she be inside that cave?

“Hey, Chitose! Chitose! Respond!”

I kept calling out, but…finally, the transceiver’s battery died.

The display went blank with a soft pop.…It’s over.

“D-did the battery just die?”

“Yeah, it’s dead.”

I don’t have any spare batteries. Maybe if I search the ship, I’ll find some.
But either way, the signal was too bad. We couldn’t even have a proper conversation like that.

“Where could Chitose-chan and the others be?”

Sasayama looked worried, too.

Hmm, that cave seems suspicious, but I have no proof. It could be somewhere else…This is tricky.

“A cave, huh…”

“Hm? Kitakami-san, do you have an idea?”

“I do. Tetsu-kun, aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Forgetting something?”

“Captain Kidd’s map. It pointed to the forest, but maybe the treasure is actually deep inside a cave. Remember what Tachikawa said?”

Now that she mentioned it, Tachikawa, our grade coordinator, had been investigating an underground lake. He thought the treasure was hidden there, but it turned out he was wrong.

If it’s another cave, though…

“So, the place marked on the map might be a cave?”

“Exactly. It might be worth checking out.”

I took out Captain Kidd’s map again. I had already decoded it before, and the mark was clearly in the forest. But it was in uncharted territory.

There was a high chance of dangerous animals, so I had avoided it…but now might be the time to enter.

“Got it. But just the three of us?”

“We could at least go take a look. We’ve got weapons, too.”

We had two handguns we’d acquired through previous battles. We were low on ammo, but it should be enough to handle wild animals.

“Alright. Sasayama-san, are you okay with this?”

“Sure, but wait—there’s a treasure map? Is it real?”

“I’m almost certain it’s real. If we find the treasure, we could become millionaires.”

“Millionaires!? So, if we find it and bring it back, we’ll be filthy rich?”

“That’s assuming there’s gold and jewels. Well, Tachikawa went to such devilish lengths to find it, so maybe the treasure really does exist.”

Personally, I had my doubts.

But the map looked undeniably ancient, and it matched the island’s geography. Besides, it was valuable enough to be auctioned overseas, so it had to be real.

If that’s the case, there’s a slim but real chance the treasure exists. And if we find it, I could become rich and…popular with girls!?

Just thinking about it filled me with excitement.

“Tetsu-kun, if we find the treasure, let’s become rich and live together.”

“K-Kitakami-san!?”

That came out of nowhere.

But it wouldn’t be so bad.

I’d instantly become a winner in life.

Discovering an undiscovered treasure would make international news. I could become famous, too.

“Hey, Kitakami-san, that’s unfair! But I’m plain and unattractive…I’ll just settle for being Hayasaka-kun’s mistress.”

“M-mistress!?”

What was Sasayama talking about!?

And plain? She’s just a bit simple and unpolished, but that’s what makes her charming. She’s bound to become a stunning woman in the future.

Both of them clung to my arms.

Even though it made walking difficult, I felt on top of the world as we headed into the forest, guided by the map.

***

We had been walking in the forest for about ten minutes.

It was still dark and eerie. It wouldn’t be surprising if a witch appeared at any moment.

As we pushed through the branches, a small hill came into view.

“Oh? It’s sloping up.”

Kitakami, who was walking ahead, stepped onto the hill.

“Ah!?”

She slipped and fell toward me.

I caught her, but the momentum knocked me backward, causing me to push Sasayama down.

“Whoa—Ahhh!!”

Sasayama tumbled down the steep slope and disappeared into the forest.

No way!?

“…S-Sasayama-san!! …No good. Kitakami-san, are you okay?”

“Ow…It hurts…”

Kitakami, who usually kept a composed expression, was wincing in pain. It was rare to see her like this, but at least she was human after all.

“Are you hurt, Kitakami-san?”
“I-I’m fine. But…uh!”

“What?”

“Well…Tetsu-kun, your hand is on my chest…”

“Huh…? Now that you mention it, something soft in my right hand…!?”

I quickly pulled my hand away at lightning speed.

What have I done?

“We’re all alone now.”
“We need to rescue Sasayama-san.”

“Yes, but…can we stay like this, just for a moment?”

“What…?”

Kitakami turned toward me and boldly embraced me. Since she was wearing a bikini, there was a lot of skin contact. This is…way too stimulating.

“I like you…I like you, Tetsu-kun.”

“K-Kitakami-san. I…”

“Say it. I want to hear how you really feel, Tetsu-kun.”

Her eyes were filled with an unspoken threat, like ‘Say it, or else…’

“I-I like you too, Kitakami-san. You’ve helped me out a lot.”

“I’m glad. If you had hated me, I might’ve ended up with more scars on my arms and legs.”

“Please don’t hurt yourself!”

That would make her more of a mental case than a yandere, but Kitakami seemed to be a hybrid of both.

“I’m kidding.”

“A joke, huh…”

“So…can I kiss you?”

“What!? W-wait, I’m not ready—”

Before I could finish, Kitakami kissed me. She kissed me!

I had completely let my guard down.

And it wasn’t just any kiss. It was filled with deep emotion.

My breath, my heart, my body temperature—it was all heating up.

I wanted to touch her skin even more.

I slowly reached out to touch Kitakami’s body—

Rumble rumble rumble…!!

The hill began to collapse.

And we got caught in it too—waaahhh!!