Stranded on a Deserted Island with the School’s Number One Beauty, So I’ll Give It My Best Shot.

The day had changed, and it was now the 9th day of our deserted island life. The time had come to build the raft, which was crucial for our escape.

“We brought a lot of stuff, didn’t we?” Iori remarked.

“Yeah, because going back to get anything we forgot would be a pain!” I replied.

After breakfast, we headed to the northern shore of the island. We brought various supplies with us, including the toolbox, plenty of water flasks, and the clothes from the skeletal remains of the two individuals. Surprisingly, we hadn’t worn the clothes from the deceased individuals until today.

By the way, today’s outfit was the loincloth. Unlike yesterday, it had dried completely in less than half a day.

“Now, let’s get started with the work,” I said

We began by gathering the necessary wood for the raft. We entered the northern forest and started using the saw to cut down suitable trees.

“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Iori remarked while watching me skillfully handle the saw.

“What’s strange?” I asked.

“I mean your sawing skills, Masato. There’s been a noticeable improvement since the beginning,” she said.

“That’s true. My cutting speed has definitely increased,” I replied.

“It’s just strange because using a saw seems pretty straightforward, right? You just put the blade against the wood and move it back and forth. It doesn’t seem like something that should require skill or technique, but there’s a clear difference in practice,” Iori mused.

“Now that you mention it, you’re right,” I agreed.

Thanks to the improved technique, not only had our cutting speed increased, but our fatigue levels had also decreased. Initially, cutting down a single tree left us exhausted, and our arms would be screaming in protest. But now, we could work continuously without much strain.

“When I grow up, I might consider a career in forestry. I’ll be Masato Ichinose, the Saw Craftsman!” I joked.

“Most people would probably use electric chainsaws by then. Would you still want to cut trees manually?” Iori asked.

“Alright, let’s forget about forestry!” I exclaimed.

“Haha,” Iori chuckled.

We finished cutting down the trees and preparing the logs. With three logs of similar size, we had gathered all the necessary materials for the raft.

“Now, it’s time to bind the logs with ropes,” I said as I looked at the logs laid out on the sandy beach.

“I’ve got the ropes ready!” Iori announced, presenting a rope made from braided vines. She had combined three vines using a braiding technique to enhance their strength.

“Let’s start binding them!” I said.

“What’s the best way to tie them together? How about a butterfly knot?” Iori asked.

“Wouldn’t a clove hitch be better?” I suggested.

“A clove hitch, you say?” Iori asked.

“It’s a knot that creates two loops. It’s easy to tie and untie, and it has decent strength,” I explained.

“Alright, let’s go with that! Show me how to tie it!” Iori requested.

“Okay,” I said.

We proceeded to tie a double clove hitch for added strength.

“Like this?” Iori asked.

“Yes, that looks good. You’re truly an honor student,” I complimented her.

“Don’t forget, I’m the top student in our class, you know!” Iori proudly replied.

“Oh? We’ve run out of rope already? Sorry, I guess we didn’t have enough,” I said.

“No problem. Let’s go gather more vines together,” Iori agreed.

As we ventured into the forest, each maintaining visibility but working at a distance from each other, Iori commented on the newfound peace in the forest.

“It’s surprisingly quiet here now that the lions are gone, huh?”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “It seems like those lions had quite the dominance over this place.”

The northern forest was now as peaceful as the southern forest. Small animals roamed freely, and there were no signs of conflict.

“I think it’s because the island isn’t all that big, and there aren’t that many dangerous animals here,” I added.

To our knowledge, the only truly dangerous areas on the island were the eastern parts. The forest was home to wolves, and there were hippos in the lake.

“Speaking of hippos, did you know they’re faster than you might think?” I asked.

“Really?” Iori responded in surprise.

“Yeah, they’re actually pretty darn fast.”

“Really!?” Iori exclaimed.

“Yeah, on land, they can reach speeds of nearly 40 kilometers per hour, and they’re even faster in the water,” I explained.

“They’re so fast! It’s hard to believe they seem so laid back in the zoo…”

“Yeah, and they’re pretty territorial and aggressive too,” I added.

“Thank goodness we didn’t encounter any of them in the lake,” Iori said.

“I agree.”

Our days on the island flashed before my eyes. The moment of our escape was getting closer.

“We have enough vines now. Let’s head back and resume our work,” I suggested.

“Alright!”

◇

After that, we continued shuttling between the sea and the forest, progressing with the construction of our raft. The hands of our internal clocks moved swiftly, and the sun continued its journey from east to west.

And then…

“It’s finished!”

“We did it!”

“We’ve done quite a nice job, don’t you think?” I asked.

“More than nice, it looks fantastic!” Iori replied enthusiastically.

We both admired our raft. Despite our lack of experience, we had put considerable effort into its construction.

One of our favorite features was the deck. We had run wooden planks over the logs and secured them with nails. This would prevent the logs from coming apart even if the ropes holding them together broke. Additionally, we improved the seating comfort by planing and smoothing the wooden planks.

“We’ve also managed to create some shade,” I mentioned.

We had attached thick branches from both ends of the raft towards the center, securing them with ropes to form a framework. Over this, we draped pieces of cloth we had taken from the skeletal remains, creating a simple but effective roof.

Speaking of which, Iori asked, “By the way, do we need a sail?”

“No, I intentionally decided not to include one,” I explained. “Sails are beneficial when you have a tailwind to push you forward, but they can be problematic when dealing with headwinds that could push us back.”

“I see,” Iori nodded in agreement.

“To sail a ship against the wind, you need knowledge and sailing skills, but unfortunately, even someone called ‘Well-informed Masato’ like me doesn’t know about that,” I mentioned.

“Well-informed Iori-chan, as I’m called, doesn’t know either!” Iori added.

“…I’ve never heard of you being called ‘Well-informed Iori chan’ before,” I said with surprise.

“I can’t hear you!” Iori playfully responded.

We laughed together, looking towards the crimson-colored sky.

–

After celebrating the completion of the raft, we returned home. Pushing the cart with some effort, we arrived back after the sun had set.

“Masato-kun, are you sure it was a good idea to leave the raft by the seaside?” Iori asked, her back turned towards me.

I wiped her back with a wet cloth and replied, “I think it was the right choice.”

“I can’t say it was the best choice, but we didn’t really have any other options. If it were like a game where weight isn’t an issue, I’d bring the raft back, but it’s quite heavy,” I replied.

The raft was larger and heavier than the cart, making it challenging to transport all the way back to our home. That’s why we decided to assemble it by the seaside.

“Yeah, if a storm like the one before comes tonight, it would be a disaster,” Iori remarked.

“In that case, we’ll sadly have to rebuild it,” I replied.

After finishing wiping her neck and back, I moved on to her buttocks. At this point, any thoughts of arousal had disappeared entirely.

Instead, a ridiculous idea crossed my mind: “If I were to bite into this fresh butt, things could get interesting.” It was a foolish thought, and I realized just how much I had adapted to our situation.

With a sigh, Iori said, “Alright, it’s your turn now, Masato.”

I turned around and Iori began to wipe my back.

“Tomorrow’s the big day,” she said.

“Feeling nervous?” I asked.

“Well, a little. But I’ll be fine because you’re with me!” she replied.

After finishing with my back, Iori grabbed my shoulders and smoothly turned me around to face her.

“Hmm? Your butt is still—” Before I could finish my sentence, my lips were sealed shut. Iori had kissed me.

“Hehe,” she giggled.

Iori blushed shyly, her cheeks turning pink.

I was left speechless, unable to form words.

She fidgeted nervously, trying to say something. Normally, I would have asked, “What’s wrong?” but this time, I remained silent, waiting for her to speak.

“This kiss is, um, just a way to thank you, so there won’t be any regrets if things don’t go well. It’s not like, you know, anything else,” Iori stammered.

“So, it’s a thank-you kiss?” I asked, seeking clarification.

Iori blushed even more and nodded, her face bright red.

Iori’s blush deepened as she tried to explain herself.

“Thank you for protecting me on this island. You’ve protected me so much, taught me so many things, and brought us this far. That’s what I mean! It’s just a thank you!”

“A thank you?” I repeated.

“Yes! A thank you! So don’t worry about it!” Iori said and then disappeared into the house, saying, “Goodnight!”

“A thank you, huh…” I mused, running my right index finger over my lips where her touch still lingered.

“I can’t afford to fail now,” I thought, looking up at the starry sky that resembled a planetarium.

Tomorrow, we would finally leave the island.