Chapter 25 – Pretending to be stupid
The illness that had affected Utaha and Ginko was starting to get better.
The herbal medicine Megumi brought back was very effective.
Now, the two girls were fast asleep inside the cave, while the rest sat in a circle around the campfire, waiting for night to fall.
"The cave only fits two people. The three of you can sleep in the wooden hut tonight..."
Jun spoke while poking the firewood with a stick, his eyes wandering toward Yukino and the others.
"What about you?"
Yukino's cold gaze showed that she was unhappy.
She didn't like that Jun made a decision without talking to her first.
"I'll watch tonight."
Just remembering the cannibals and the giant bear they'd encountered before was enough to make Jun feel unsafe again.
He couldn't sleep peacefully until the problem with the "cannibal humans" and the wild beasts was resolved.
Also, the temporary hut was small.
Even three people would feel cramped inside.
"In that case, let Jun-kun keep watch. You go sleep inside with him."
Yukino showed that she was no longer angry about being tied up the other day by gently tugging at the corner of Jun's shirt.
The "Jun-kun" she mentioned was the stray cat.
For some reason, when Yukino called the cat "Jun-kun" with that serious expression, Jun felt deeply conflicted.
After the last hut collapse, a cat tied to a post almost got crushed to death. Luckily, it only got a leg injury from being pinned by some wood.
Yukino had wrapped the wound carefully and even made a small splint for it.
Now, whenever Yukino passed by, the cat would rub against her legs. It was affectionate, not the way it had been before.
"But..."
Jun still didn't believe that a lazy cat could stand guard at night like a watchdog.
Especially not a limping cat...
"Onii-chan, we're not close to where you said the cannibals were. There's no need to watch."
Megumi pointed at the map her brother had drawn earlier and showed where they were.
"Besides, if we're going to keep watch, we should take turns. One person alone would be too tired and not do a good job."
Megumi used a logical, scientific approach to disprove her brother's idea.
"Okay, I'll keep watch. We should take turns doing it."
Yui was already very tired. Her eyelids felt heavy and wanted to close.
"Let the three of us take turns watching."
Yukino looked at Yui, who was sleeping against Megumi.
It would be too risky to ask Yui to stay up for night duty.
"OK, I'll work the first shift. You two sleep first. I'll wake you when it's time to switch."
Jun wasn't tired.
"No, I'll go first, then Yukinoshita-san, and you last, Onii-chan."
Megumi pointed to the mechanical watch they had with them.
The time between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. was 12 hours. Each person would work four hours in three-hour shifts.
"Yukinoshita-san, are you okay with that order?"
Since the second shift was the hardest, Megumi wanted to make sure Yukino didn't mind.
"No problem. Let's do it that way."
Yukino didn't disagree.
"No, I'll take the second shift. Yukino can take the last one..."
Jun hadn't even finished his sentence when Yukino interrupted him.
"No need, Katō-kun."
Her eyes showed that she was telling the truth.
"Okay then... Megumi..."
"I don't mind either. Now go sleep with Yukinoshita-san, Onii-chan."
Megumi gently patted the dust and leaves off her brother's shirt, then pushed him into the A-frame hut they had built from branches.
Jun finally lay down inside, having no other choice.
Next to him, Yui was already fast asleep like a baby.
How could she sleep so easily?
Soon after, Yukino joined them. She didn't say a word. She just crawled into the corner and turned her back on Jun.
Inside the hut, they lay side by side: Jun Katō, Yui Yuigahama, and Yukino Yukinoshita.
Jun had wanted to talk to Yukino more, but he just smiled sadly and closed his eyes.
It seemed like the incident of tying her up hadn't really been forgiven.
Jun was confused because even though they were awkward with each other, Yukino liked him more.
It was really hard to understand girls.
Jun made himself fall asleep.
_ _ _
"I can't believe Ni-san ended up stuck on this island with Yukinoshita-san from Class A... and it seems like they're already pretty close..."
Megumi sat thinking, putting more wood on the fire.
She remembered the interaction between her brother and Yukino earlier, especially when Yukino tugged on Jun's shirt.
This kind of gesture usually came from a place of trust, even if the person didn't realize it.
Megumi also noticed something strange about her brother's behavior.
"It looks like he's starting to trust Yukinoshita-san as well..."
Even after being stranded on an uninhabited island, her brother still had that "romantic luck aura."
For the first time, Megumi noticed that her brother was looking at a girl for a longer time than usual.
Crack.
The firewood crackled in the flames.
Suddenly, Megumi felt a little uneasy.
Snap.
She broke a dry twig without thinking.
_ _ _
Ugh...
The orange fire still glowed gently.
The sea breeze was blocked by the large rocks around them.
Megumi was starting to feel a little tired, but then she saw someone coming from the direction of the hut.
"Yukinoshita-san, it's still a bit early..."
Megumi reminded her that the shift change wasn't supposed to happen yet.
"It's almost time... besides, I couldn't sleep anyway."
Yukino walked closer to the fire and looked at the mechanical watch that was ticking.
She had come an hour early.
"Katō..."
Yukino paused for a moment.
"Would it be okay if I called you Megumi?"
With two people named Katō, she thought it would be better to make their names different so people wouldn't get confused.
"Of course."
Megumi stretched a little, showing off a figure that could easily rival Yui Yuigahama or Utaha Kasumigaoka.
"But... Yukinoshita-san, can you really call my brother 'Jun' in front of him?"
Megumi's question slowly slipped into Yukino's heart.
"What are you talking about?"
Just thinking about calling Jun by his first name made Yukino blush.
Even so, despite being flustered by Megumi's seemingly innocent but clearly loaded question, Yukino chose to act like she didn't know anything.
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