Chapter 29 – The answer to that question is no longer important.
"No matter what, Onii-chan... we'll always be together, forever."
Those words came back to Megumi as she watched her brother disappear into the thick forest and mist.
Since they were kids, they had only each other to rely on. They were just the two of them, surviving in a cold and cruel city.
Now, they were forced to survive on a strange, remote island.
But no matter how cruel fate was to them, as long as Megumi knew she and her brother were still together, she was not afraid.
When she and Yui were stranded on a different island, she didn't give up because she believed her brother was still alive and searching for her.
Every memory of their life together helped her stay strong.
_ _ _
"Kasumigaoka-senpai, let me help you change your bandage."
Megumi looked at Utaha's wrapped hand. It was already wet and dirty from the island's moisture in the air.
"Ah... it's okay, I can do it myself..."
Utaha looked flustered and quickly hid her left hand behind her back. The wound was covered well, but she knew—beneath the bandage, the injury was bad and strange.
At night, when she was alone, Utaha would often remove the bandage in secret. She would stare at the open wound and sigh, feeling disappointed.
Part of her was afraid. She was afraid that Jun would be disgusted and turn away once he saw the scar.
"Still, let me do it. I'm sure it still hurts, right?"
Yui had gone back to the cave to watch over Ginko, so now it was just the two of them in the small wooden hut.
"If that's true, I appreciate it."
Utaha finally agreed to let Megumi come closer.
"Kasumigaoka-senpai..."
Megumi got the first aid kit from the corner of the hut and sat in front of Shiwa.
"You can just call me Utaha. No need to be so formal..."
Maybe because of her relationship with Jun, Utaha wanted to be closer to Megumi.
"Okay... Utaha-senpai. Do you think the plane crash we went through was strange?"
Megumi started to carefully take the bandage off Utaha. Her fingers touched Utaha's skin.
"Hsss..."
When the bandage was removed, Utaha's injury was clearly visible. The skin had turned red and was drying, but some parts still looked raw and open.
"What do you mean by strange, Megumi-chan?"
Utaha tried to stay strong, but her eyes showed that she was in pain. She tried to pull her hand back instinctively, trying to hide the scar.
But Megumi held it with a soft but firm grip.
"Don't worry," she said quietly, her eyes focused on the road. "Onii-chan isn't the type to care about a scar on your hand. He's more interested in other parts of your body."
She looked at Utaha's pale thigh, which was showing because she was sitting.
"I'm pretty sure legs are part of his preferences, too..."
Megumi wasn't sure what kind of leg collection her brother had hidden under his bed.
"Really...?"
Utaha stopped fighting, letting the girl in front of her clean and bandage the wound.
Without realizing it, she brought her legs closer together.
Even though it hurt, she didn't feel the pain anymore after hearing what Megumi said earlier.
Instead, her mind was filled with memories of how close she and Jun had once been.
"By the way, do you remember anything about the day of the plane crash, Senpai?"
Megumi asked, looking at Utaha's hand.
"That day..."
Utaha shook her head slowly, trying to clear her mind and recall.
"I was sitting by the window. I saw the wing catch fire first... then..."
She stopped, staring blankly.
"Then what?"
Megumi asked, gently encouraging her.
"All I remember is flames covering everything. Then I woke up, trapped in a cage by those savages..."
Utaha bit her lip, looking upset.
Megumi nodded slowly.
"I also remember being in the middle of flames... then nothing."
"And... among the other passengers captured by those savages, aside from Senpai and Gin-chan... no one else survived?"
Utaha's face showed that she was nervous. She shook her head slightly.
"No one..."
Even though she always covered Ginko's eyes, she could never forget how those wild people treated human meat.
"Ugh...I feel sick..."
Utaha was hunched over, her body shaking a little.
"I'm sorry. I asked too much."
Megumi patted her back gently to calm her down.
"So... of all the people on this island, besides the savages... it's just us left alive..."
She started wrapping Utaha's hand in fresh bandages.
"And even though we're close to the wreckage, no rescue team has come, not even a passing ship... Done."
Megumi sighed, then put the first aid kit in order.
"What are you trying to say, Megumi-chan...?"
Utaha looked down at the new bandage. For some reason, Megumi's work felt more comfortable than before.
"We'll probably be stuck on this island for a long time."
Megumi looked out at the plane wreckage in the ocean. Her voice was calm, but her eyes showed she was serious.
"How long do you mean... ten years? Twenty?"
The sea breeze felt colder to Utaha.
"Maybe... for the rest of our lives."
Megumi closed the first aid kit and put it back on the bamboo shelf.
"For the rest of our lives?"
Utaha froze.
She had never thought about that.
"That's the situation we're in, Senpai. It's only a matter of time before Yukinoshita-san realizes it too..."
Megumi spoke gently as she stirred the small campfire with a stick.
The sky was covered with clouds, and the sun was barely visible.
Utaha quietly returned to sit by the fire.
She understood what Megumi meant, but understanding and accepting it were two very different things.
"Can I ask one thing? Megumi-chan and Jun... are you really blood siblings?"
After a long silence, Utaha finally asked.
"Does it matter?"
Megumi just smiled calmly.
Utaha realized that the answer didn't matter anymore when she saw the smile.
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