I Was Stranded on a Deserted Island with a Beautiful Classmate - Chapter 64

High school classes still haven’t resumed.

The incident on the deserted island has become a huge news story, covered daily on television.

The teacher in charge of our grade, Tachikawa, has been named the mastermind behind this, making headlines everywhere.

Online forums were ablaze with almost too much activity, especially with people sharing private information about Tachikawa and Kurashima. The internet can be a terrifying place.

This went on for nearly a month.

Has it already been a month since then?

I had lived on a deserted island with fifteen girls, although two of them I only interacted with briefly.

Since then, everyone has gone their separate ways.

The last ones I saw, Hikari and Luna Oda, are now missing. I don’t know why.

As it stands, the only people I can reach are Amane, Kitakami, Chitose, Riko, and Ooi. The others are either hospitalized, in isolation, or have withdrawn from contact…none of it is good news.

I moved to a nearby café and savored my coffee.

“…Delicious. It’s amazing that I can drink something this good so easily.”

“Yes, having something this sweet to drink…it’s a blessing, isn’t it?”

Amane happily enjoyed her Starlight Bucks triple chocolate frappuccino, looking blissfully content. Kitakami, beside me, looked on, her gaze fixed on me. Now that I think about it, Kitakami’s dressed in camo. So, she really is a survival game enthusiast.

“So, Kitakami, what did you want to talk about?”

“Yes, well, school won’t be back for a while due to the incident, so I’m pretty bored.”

“Oh?”

“That’s why I was thinking…maybe we could go treasure hunting?”

“––Huh?”

Hold on.

What did Kitakami just say!?

I was so incredulous that I couldn’t believe what Kitakami had just suggested.

“W-wait, Kitakami! We finally made it back to civilization, and you want to go back there!? Are you insane!?”

Even Amane, usually calm, snapped. It made sense—after all, why would anyone want to return to that hell after escaping it?

For me, just being able to spend time with Amane and Kitakami was more than enough.

“It’s okay. This time, we’ll go with proper equipment. Besides, there could still be people missing.”

“According to the government’s report, there were 194 survivors, with 33 dead and 66 missing…apparently.”

“There are still 66 people unaccounted for even a month later. Maybe they’re surviving on some other island.”

“That’s absurd. We managed on our island by scavenging whatever washed ashore, but who knows about other islands.”

I didn’t believe there were any survivors left on that island, nor did I feel any signs of them. And, supposedly, the coast guard and rescue teams had searched every corner.

There’s no place for us to get involved anymore.

“So, this treasure hunting idea?”

“Why not? We split whatever we find three ways and live rich.”

“Live rich, huh…”

I wasn’t feeling particularly enthusiastic about it.

There was a sense of dread about it. But I did need money.

With school on hold and jobs risky, given the news coverage, looking for treasure might actually be the better option.

“You’re not really into it, are you?”

Kitakami looked disappointed, putting on a rather obvious act. Something was up.

“Kitakami, what are you hiding?”

“Caught me, huh? Actually, I invited an acquaintance who’s a treasure hunter here today.”

““A t-treasure hunter!?””

Amane and I both shouted in surprise.

“Come on over,” Kitakami called out, and the person was already behind us. When did they get here!?

And that face—it was familiar.

“N-no way…Ooi!?”

“That’s right. Got a problem with that?”

“N-no, not really…”

She’s not really a treasure hunter.

But her casual outfit…she’s surprisingly cute in it. Short skirt and all—it’s that “dangerous” kind of fashion. Way unexpected.

“Really, Kitakami, stop with the jokes.”

“Apologies. I just wanted to lighten things up.”

“Oh, you…”

They seemed to be getting along pretty well.

Ooi sat beside me—so, what exactly is going on here?

“Kitakami, isn’t Hayasaka-kun confused? Could you explain in detail?”

Amane took it upon herself to interject for me.

“Yes, well, over the past month, Ooi has obtained various licenses, such as a scooter permit, a small special vehicle permit, a boating license, and a hazardous materials handling certification.”

“Seriously? That’s impressive, Ooi.”

Amane and I couldn’t help but clap. Ooi, clearly embarrassed, looked down. Too cute.

“So that means she can operate a boat.”

“…Wait a minute. You don’t mean—!”

“Yes, we’ll have Ooi handle the navigation to Treasure Island.”

This is madness!!

Even Ooi had a “Huh!? You’re joking!” kind of look on her face, staring at Kitakami. She hadn’t been told this!?

“Kitakami, where are we supposed to get a boat?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll borrow a fishing boat from a friend.”

“A f-fishing boat…”

Taking a fishing boat to Treasure Island…is madness.

“Ooi, how do you feel about this?”

“Well, Amane…I’m honestly against it.”

““Phew…””

Amane and I sighed in relief at Ooi’s words.

“But, wouldn’t it be nice to be rich? With enough money to live comfortably…we could help everyone.”

“Ooi, by ‘everyone,’ you mean?”

“Our friends…like Sasayama, Ootsuka, Nomo, Chitose, Momose, and Kotobuki. And myself, of course.”

“What do you mean?”

“This past month, I focused on getting those certifications to distract myself from what happened. But it didn’t work. Going to the hospital and seeing everyone…they’re just hollow, their spirits broken. Most of them can’t bounce back.”

So it was all for her friends. She was thinking of us that much.

“Let me think it over. It’s too early to decide.”

“True. So, Amane and I are in favor. Now it’s up to Hayasaka-kun and Amane.”

It’s a complicated issue.

Well…what to do.

We wrapped things up for today, and I decided to take this issue home to consider it further.