I Was Stranded on a Deserted Island with a Beautiful Classmate - Chapter 82

After parting from Chitose, I went over to check on Kitakami.

“How are you feeling, Kitakami?”

“I’ll survive. This isn’t enough to kill me,” she replied with her usual cool expression.

Whether she was putting on a brave face or not, this was just how she was. Her shoulder was bleeding, though. Amane had bandaged it, but it still looked very painful. I hoped that she wouldn’t catch an infection, especially in a cave like this.

“Did you get the wound stitched up?”

“Yes, thanks to Amane’s medical skills.”

“Wow, I didn’t know Amane was so skilled.”

“She originally wanted to become a nurse. Her skills are impressive.”

“Amane? Even though she’s a current idol?”

“Apparently, she was scouted for the idol world through family connections.”

I was surprised. She’d never mentioned that to me. Maybe she didn’t want me to think it was all because of her family. So if she hadn’t been scouted, she would be aiming to become a nurse.

From what Kitakami said, it seemed she had studied a lot. But once the idol opportunity came, she worked hard on singing and dancing. Now she’s a well-known member of Winter Daphne.

Right now, her activities were suspended because of the island incident. There were even rumors online that she might fade out completely.

“Well, I guess Kitakami’s wound will heal well under her care.”

“It’s fortunate I packed some medical supplies, just in case.”

“Where on earth did you even get morphine? That stuff isn’t normally available.”

“I borrowed it from Marcus’s belongings a while back.”

So that’s how it was. Finally, it all made sense to me.

By now, it was past noon. Quite some time had passed. My stomach growled, but we had to conserve food. This cave had nothing edible, so we had to make do with what we had.

“At least we have water. All right, let’s make some coffee.”

“Sounds good; I’ll help! Let’s make enough for everyone.”

“Then, could you get the instant coffee ready?”

“Got it!”

Meanwhile, I prepared to boil water. I pulled out a camping gas stove from my backpack. It was a high-quality, expensive piece from Snowpark. It was worth the cost—a simple, stylish product that turned into a stove with just a gas canister. Back in the day, we would make fires, but in a place like this, there was no wood to gather.

Compared to our shipwreck days, we were well-equipped now. We could finally make use of these convenient items.

I poured water into cups, then I ignited the stove with the click of a button. The convenience was amazing.

“Oh, that gas stove is so cool!” Kaede, who had just come back from a bath, sat down next to me. She smelled faintly of body soap.

“It’s great, isn’t it? It’s compact and lightweight, so it’s easy to carry.”

“It’s a nice stove. Making coffee?”

“Yeah, Chitose got cups ready for everyone, and they’re even titanium mugs.”

“Titanium mugs?”

I showed her our titanium mugs from Snowpark. They were a bit pricey, but lightweight and sturdy. Single-wall models, so they could handle direct flames.

When I explained this, Kaede seemed impressed. “Wow, that’s amazing!”

“Some solo campers heat them up directly to create custom colors.”

“Hayasaka, you really know a lot.”

“So do you, Kaede! You and Kitakami are both airsoft enthusiasts, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but Kitakami is in a league of her own.”

Kitakami was asleep again. It seemed the medicine was working. Her sleeping face was truly adorable.

I wished I’d secretly taken a picture.

“Kitakami is practically a soldier.”

“Well, her father is in the military. She even trains overseas sometimes and practices shooting real guns. She showed me some videos.”

She must have been raised to be a soldier from a young age. Otherwise, she wouldn’t know how to handle guns like that. She probably knows way more about military stuff than I do.

Honestly, she’d be a natural fit for the U.S. military.

Our coffee was ready. The first cup was done.

“Here, Kaede. Be careful, it’s hot.”

“Thanks, Hayasaka.”

I went on to make a second cup. As I repeated the process, Amane and the others returned from their bath. They’d taken their time.

“Sorry for the wait!”

“Hey, we made coffee. We’ll just have to settle for this as lunch.”

“Oh, it smells wonderful.”

“Just instant coffee, though.”

“No, it feels like such a luxury. Last time, even drinking tea was a struggle.”

“You’re right.”

We laughed, and I continued serving coffee to everyone. After finishing my rounds, I savored my own cup.

I let it cool and then took a slow sip. Mmm. Even though it was instant, it had a rich, deep flavor, almost like premium beans.

After a leisurely break, we prepared to search for an escape route. Kitakami was down for now, resting, so we couldn’t wake her.

“I’ll take Amane and Kaede with me.”

“What! I’m left behind?”

“Please understand, Chitose. You’re very capable, so I want you to protect everyone here.”

“Ugh…all right. It’s Hayasaka’s order, so I’ll follow it.”

That was a relief. Leaving the treasure room in her care, my team set out to explore the area once more.

“Let’s do our best, Hayasaka,” Amane said.

“Yeah. And Kaede, I’m counting on you too.”

“You got it! I’ll get ready.”

Once that was decided, we set off.