Chapter 119
Memories of That Summer②
“Uh… hmm.”
“Did you wake up?”
My little sister opened her eyes. She suddenly sat up and looked around.
“Taiyo-san…? W-where am I?”
“This is probably the beach on the east side of the island. It’s an undeveloped area.”
She looked a little confused. Even seeing her tilt her head like that—this girl with such a refined face—it was still cute.
Ugh… my body hurts.
I explained the situation to her. We had both been caught in a landslide and thrown over the cliff. We lost consciousness, but I woke up first and, worried about being alone in the forest, carried her along until we reached this open beach. The rain had stopped, and we finally arrived here.
“I see… thank you for saving me.”
“Well, I was caught up in it too… so maybe it’s not really saving you.”
“Taiyo-san, are you hurt? Your arms and legs are covered in scratches. I’m completely fine.”
“Guess it’s the difference in our daily habits. It’s not serious.”
I didn’t tell her I had protected her. I didn’t want to worry her, and I was satisfied that her beautiful, uninjured skin remained safe. The jacket I had draped over her while protecting her had been retrieved, and though my back and stomach throbbed painfully, wearing the jacket hid it from her.
“If we had medical supplies…”
“We washed it in the river over there, so it’s fine.”
She looked at my scratched limbs apologetically. I knew it wasn’t serious, so there was no problem.
The sun was visible, so it was probably between six and seven in the evening. There was, of course, no fire. Once it got completely dark, we’d be in trouble. The weather wasn’t great either. I could only pray it wouldn’t rain.
“All right!”
“Little sister?”
“I think Oniichan and Senior Kyudo are calling for help. Let’s do what we can.”
She began exploring the area.
“We don’t have any tools, so no fishing. Let’s look for edible plants.”
As expected of Seiya’s little sister—she was dependable in times like this.
Honestly, I was full of anxiety. Even though we had escaped the landslide, there were no people here. Seiya and the others had probably requested help. The sky was cloudy; it might start raining. Rescue from the mainland would take time—possibly two days in this situation.
Since it was summer, as long as we could avoid the rain, we’d be okay… but still.
We explored together, hoping to find food before nightfall. Eventually, we found bayberries growing high in a tree. They should be safe to eat… lucky.
Carefully, we climbed the tree and picked the berries. Wait… is that a cave over there?
“Taiyo-san! Once it gets dark, we won’t be able to get down!”
Right, that would be bad.
We climbed down and returned to the beach. The moonlight was our only source of illumination. We tried the bayberries we had collected.
“They’re sweet!”
“I’ve never had them before, but they’re good.”
They should be safe to eat raw. They might upset our stomachs, but we couldn’t dwell on that. We each had bottled drinks in our jackets, so we’d manage for now.
“Achoo!”
“You okay? You sneezed a few times earlier.”
“Maybe I got a bit cold. But I have my hoodie, so I’m fine.”
She zipped up her open hoodie. Damn… now I can’t see her swimsuit.
Still… being alone like this with her makes me nervous. We’ve never had a conversation like this, just the two of us. What should I say?
Time passed in silence.
“But I’m glad.”
“Huh?”
“If I were alone, I’d be scared, but with you, Taiyo-san, I feel safe.”
I was still uneasy… We could manage food, but this situation—unsure if help would come—was not something to take lightly. Night had fully fallen; the forest was completely dark. We couldn’t move safely at night.
She stood up and walked toward the sea. It was a full moon tonight.
“I’m a little excited.”
“Excited?”
“It’s a dangerous situation… but if we work together, we’ll definitely survive. That’s what I believe.”
She stepped into the shallow sea, kicking up water as she went. The moonlight shone straight across the horizon, and she walked as if dancing in it. She looked like a princess from the moon herself.
“Let’s do our best starting tomorrow!”
Her chestnut hair glistened in the moonlight, moistened by sea spray. She looked toward me with a gentle smile—so beautiful. Our eyes met, and I was captivated.
My hidden feelings almost slipped out.
“She’s beautiful…”
“Huh?”
Good—she didn’t hear me.
I must save this girl. I must protect her beautiful smile. My anxious heart blazed with resolve.
This wasn’t just about suppressed romantic feelings. I would save this girl, radiant as the full moon. I had to.
We lay down on the beach.
“T-this far… we shouldn’t go further.”
She drew a line in the sand, declaring it off-limits.
Well, since we were a boy and a girl, I didn’t protest. Even if I tried to attack her, she would probably fight back fiercely.
I laughed a little, but soon I fell asleep.
…However, things were about to take a turn for the worse.
