Chapter 31: Leopard
Clack, clack...
After putting the last piece of wood on the pile, Kato Megumi clapped her hands clean and stood up from the log she had been sitting on.
"Kasumigaoka-senpai, it looks like we're running low on firewood. Do you want to go gather some more?"
Megumi spoke as she stretched her slender body, then turned to look at Utaha, who still seemed lost in thought.
"Ah... oh... yeah..."
Utaha hadn't fully returned from her long daydream after their earlier conversation.
If we really end up stuck on this island forever, who will Jun choose?
Utaha felt worried about the future because it could change a lot.
"Be careful on the path..."
Megumi grabbed Utaha's arm to stop her from falling after Utaha almost tripped over a dry branch.
"Sorry, I... thank you..."
Utaha was finally able to think about reality again.
Thanks to Megumi's help, Utaha regained her balance and avoided falling.
"Kasumigaoka-senpai, don't worry. This might just be my guess, but maybe the rescue team will come tomorrow. Who knows..."
Megumi let go of Utaha's arm.
Utaha seemed uncomfortable, but Megumi looked calm like normal.
"No..."
Utaha didn't know what exactly she was complaining about.
Strangely, at that moment, she realized that she didn't actually want the rescue team to come.
She really wanted to go home, but she felt uneasy. She was worried about returning to society and losing to Megumi in love.
She might not have been better than Ginko, even.
If they stayed stranded on the island longer, maybe her chances would be better.
"No? What do you mean?"
Megumi asked, sounding curious.
"You know a lot about Jun-kun. You even know about his... preferences."
Deep down, Utaha felt she had one advantage: this girl probably didn't know that her brother, Jun, wrote novels about "Imperial Uncles."
| Note: "Imperial Uncle Theme" refers to something secretive or embarrassing. Jun once wrote a story about a "Huang Shu" (Imperial Uncle). A Huang Shu is typically a fictional character in royal settings. The character is often adult-themed or melodramatic. The content might not be suitable for all audiences, depending on the story you're reading |
"Because I'm his sister, of course I know. I've known about you too, Kasumi Utako-sensei..."
Megumi had been investigating her brother's online friend for a long time, unlike Jun, who is slow to pick up on hints.
She had always known that Jun was the author of the Imperial Uncle novels.
She only pretended not to know because Jun didn't want her to.
Oh, and Jun's best-selling novel was about little sisters.
Megumi had quietly read it and secretly kept it under her pillow.
Until they got stuck on the island, it had been her bedtime must-read.
In fact, reading that book made her realize something about herself.
She started growing out her hair, wore white or black socks more often in front of her brother, and silently compared the girls around Jun to herself.
"You knew everything?"
Utaha finally lost all psychological advantage. Now she understood what Ginko meant when she called this "sibling relationship terrifying."
"Yeah. He's my brother, so I know everything about him."
As she spoke, Megumi had already gathered several dry branches.
The driftwood that washed up on the shore was very useful for fuel.
"Then... you won't get jealous later?"
Utaha brought the conversation back to the topic they had been discussing earlier.
"I will get jealous..."
Megumi replied, looking at the red mark on Utaha's neck.
Since being on this island, Jun had clearly become much more confident.
He had never been so bold.
Megumi puffed up her cheeks.
"But now, since the only guy on this island is my brother and the rest are girls... whether I'm jealous or not, things like this will probably keep happening..."
The future Megumi imagined was much different than what Utaha could picture.
"..."
Utaha lowered her head without saying anything. Facing this girl, she really felt like she couldn't win.
She continued picking up dry twigs from the ground without saying anything.
_ _ _
The relationship between Jun and Yukinoshita felt cold and stiff, unlike the open honesty between Megumi and Utaha.
"Yukino, we're taking the same route back, so be careful. Don't walk too fast."
Yukino seemed angry again, so Jun just watched her without saying anything.
"I'll be careful..."
Yukino's voice sounded cold and distant, and Jun struggled to smile.
"Ah!"
Then, a loud scream rang out, and Yukino disappeared.
Jun ran over right away.
"Hey! Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine..."
The grass, which was about waist-high, had hidden the uneven ground. Yukino fell into a shallow pit.
Luckily, the ground and grass were soft, so she wasn't hurt.
But she looked really bad.
Her body was covered in mud and wet leaves.
Jun almost laughed out loud.
The girl's face looked strange, with pale skin, dark smudges, and bits of leaf.
"Can you stand up?"
Jun helped the fallen Yukino.
"Mm..."
Yukino was a little embarrassed, but she took his big hand. Then...
"Ugh..."
Oh no... it looked like her foot was twisted.
"M—my ankle..."
"Sprained?"
Jun didn't expect her to be hurt. He immediately knelt and lifted her from the hole with both arms.
"It's no big deal..."
But Yukino's face had turned bright red.
"You look like a calico cat."
Jun couldn't stop laughing.
"Don't laugh!"
Yukino quickly wiped her face, which was covered in dirt.
"Blegh!"
She had dirt and leaves in her mouth.
"Hahaha!"
Seeing her in such a mess, Jun laughed even harder.
"Don't laugh!"
Even after Yukino cleaned her face, she felt embarrassed because Jun kept laughing.
"Put me down..."
She was still in Jun's arms.
"Which foot hurts?"
Jun gently placed her under a big tree and leaned her against its trunk.
"The... right one..."
Yukino pointed to her right ankle.
"How bad is it?"
When Jun lifted her pant leg slightly, he saw her pained expression.
"It's pretty bad..."
Actually, it hurt a lot.
Jun could tell she was pretending to be tough. He rolled up her pants higher and took off her little shoe.
"..."
Yukino's face blushed even more.
The warmth of Jun's hand on her ankle felt like it was spreading straight to her chest.
"It's already swollen... you shouldn't walk back."
Jun gently stroked the swollen area, which now showed a large bump.
"I..."
Yukino looked at her pale ankle, which Jun was holding, and felt something strange in her heart.
"Does it hurt here?"
Jun pressed gently below her ankle.
"N—not really..."
Yukino's body was getting warmer.
"Then it's just a regular sprain. It's not broken or fractured. It'll heal in a few days."
While they were talking, Jun took out a bamboo flask of water from his backpack and poured cool water over the swelling.
"Feeling better?"
Jun gently massaged the ankle again.
"Mm..."
Yukino's face was red and her voice was quiet.
"You always get mad at me for no reason. At least take better care of yourself..."
Jun breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the injury wasn't too serious.
"I... I'm not mad..."
Yukino quickly pulled her foot away from Jun's hands.
"Yeah, yeah, you're not mad."
Jun took off his backpack and bow, then crouched down with his back to her.
"Hop on."
"I..."
She wanted to say that she could walk with a stick, but the pain told her otherwise.
"Thank you..."
Yukino, blushing, climbed onto Jun's back.
"So heavy..."
Jun pretended to be having a hard time.
"You..."
"You did that on purpose!"
Yukino realized he was teasing her.
She hit his back with her tiny fists.
"Sorry, sorry... don't hit me. I lied. Yukino's super light..."
Jun laughed and lifted her thighs, which were wrapped around his waist.
It's so light, even lighter than Utaha.
"Hmph..."
Hearing the apology, Yukino didn't say anything more. She just hugged Jun's neck tightly.
When she looked at the bite mark on Jun's neck, she felt a little better.
"Are you still hurt?"
Yukino suddenly asked softly.
Jun looked confused at first, but as he followed her gaze, he understood instantly.
"It still hurts... it hurts so much. I still wake up in the middle of the night because of the pain..."
Jun looked upset.
"That's really bad..."
Yukino didn't realize he was joking. She felt bad for biting so hard.
"Ugh..."
Jun suddenly shivered. He felt something wet and ticklish on his neck.
"Are you still in pain?"
Yukino quickly pulled her tongue back, her face blushing.
"N—not anymore..."
Jun was shocked. This cold girl... could she also be sweet?
Licked by a pretty girl...
Jun felt his energy come back right away. His steps felt much lighter.
"Hehehe..."
"Don't laugh! You idiot..."
Yukino hid her face in Jun's warm back.
"What is it?"
Yukino noticed something strange when Jun suddenly stopped walking.
"Don't make a sound. We need to climb a tree."
Jun warned softly, then climbed the nearest tree with Yukino still on his back.
I got too excited earlier and relaxed too much.
"W—what is it?"
Yukino asked quietly, looking around.
"It's about fifty meters ahead to the left. It looks like the creature we saw last time while hunting boars..."
Jun climbed quickly and carefully.
"A leopard!"
Yukino finally understood. A large beast was lurking in the distance.
It looked like a leopard, but its body was almost the same size as a lion or tiger.
"Yukino, don't go downstairs!"
Jun took the bow and arrow from her back.
"Where are you going!?"
Yukino panicked as Jun got ready to jump. She pulled at his shirt.
"I'm going to try scaring it off..."
After making sure Yukino stayed up safely, Jun climbed down slowly with his bow in hand.
His eyes focused on the leopard that was slowly moving closer.
Jun knew that the predator was just watching.
Big cats often judge their opponents based on their posture. For example, a standing human might look more intimidating than they really are.
But this animal was not to be underestimated.
It was huge, agile, and could easily climb trees.
Jun had already made an arrow notched. He carried an iron knife at his hip.
Hiding in a tree wouldn't work forever—they would eventually find them and eat them.
That's why Jun came down to confront and drive it away.
He checked the time with his mechanical watch. His infinite stamina buff was still going strong, with about thirty minutes left.
Grrrr...
The leopard kept making a low, threatening sound and slowly moved closer to Jun.
Yukino, watching from above, gripped the tree tightly, her hands shaking.
"Get back up! "Let's fight it from the tree!"
Her voice shook, and she seemed to be about to cry.
But Jun just gave her a calm gesture, telling her not to worry.
Honestly, the leopard's roar really did sound like a giant house cat.
Jun's hands, which had been shaking, now stopped shaking.
He thought, "Just a big wild cat..."
He had an arrow with a sharp tip ready to shoot. The arrow hit the leopard right in the head.
As if it sensed danger, the beast stopped about twenty meters ahead.
The man and the leopard looked at each other, not saying a word.
Jun trusted his archery skills, but he knew this creature could react incredibly quickly.
If he misses, it could be fatal.
Jun was sweating from the cold.
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