Chapter 447
Chapter 447
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 447
Chapter Title: Tales from the Deserted Island (2)
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The relief of having survived didn't last long. After the initial sense of relief came a flood of anxiety. Those who had woken up in an unknown place, swept away by the waves... for the first time in their lives, they began to worry about 'survival.' No traces of human civilization anywhere they looked. The survivors, inevitably thinking of the word 'deserted island,' couldn't help but feel depressed.
Right now, all they had was the clothes on their backs.
No food to eat immediately, no shelter to sleep in. And there was no way to escape from here either. Before them stretched the endless ocean, and behind them, a dense forest. It was a miracle they were all unharmed... but what if they ended up dying here? No one said it out loud, but they were all thinking the same thing. At that moment, they were gripped by the fear of 'death.'
"Th-they'll send a rescue team from the cruise ship, right?"
"...Yeah. They're probably looking for us."
"R-right? We'll be rescued soon?"
"Yeah... we'll be rescued. Yes, that's how it'll go."
Miyu, clinging desperately to a thread of hope despite knowing the odds were low, and Ushio, lying to reassure his girlfriend. The two of them, at least having someone to rely on, managed to hold their spirits together, however shakily.
But Reina, who had suddenly found herself alone from the morning, was different. She would never see her beloved husband's face again. Reina's shoulders shook as tears streamed down her face. Right now, she wasn't a teacher—she was just a fragile woman.
"Matsuo... sob... h-hic, M-Matsuo... what am I going to do... ugh, sob..."
"Rei-chan..."
"Teacher... sob, h-hic..."
The storm had passed, but the cruise ship was nowhere in sight. They say sorrow is contagious, and Miyu began to cry too. The hope she had desperately tried to hold onto was slowly being drowned out by the sobs. Missing, lost, despair, suicide... horrific words she didn't want to think of kept surfacing. As the two weeping women sank into despair, someone made a sound with their footsteps.
-Thud thud thud
It was Haito, the only one still in his right mind.
"M-Mukai! Where are you going?!"
"The forest."
"What? Suddenly?"
"Suddenly? Crying here isn't going to change anything."
Instead of succumbing to despair, Haito chose to adapt to the harsh reality before him. As he headed into the forest, Ushio found his courage. Just as Haito said, crying wouldn't change a thing. Grabbing Miyu and Reina's hands, Ushio followed behind Haito. Amid the terror of death, he felt the primal urge to survive.
===
Ushio would have moved eventually if I'd left him alone... but I didn't want to wait for that moment. If we're stuck on an island, we need to get moving fast—what's with the dawdling? Feeling impatient, I headed into the forest first, and Ushio followed, seemingly having a realization.
"Miyu, and Rei-chan! This might not even be a deserted island! If we go into the forest, we might find a road! And this isn't South America or Africa—it's the Mediterranean! Even if it is deserted, there won't be any real dangers. I can guarantee that!"
"Ushio-kun... Okay, I'll trust you."
"But... what if we move and miss the rescue team..."
"It's fine. That's why I made the SOS sign. When the rescue team comes, they'll follow our tracks into the forest. So no worries about crossing paths."
Oho, as expected of the protagonist. Ushio forcibly raised his energy to encourage the heroines. Buoyed by his hopeful voice, the two who had been crying stopped their tears. Like flowers on both hands, the heroines clung tightly to Ushio's sides. Relying on him, they looked around the depths of the forest.
"Ah, these are edible mushrooms!"
"Really?"
"Yeah! When I went camping with Matsuo... ugh..."
"I-is that so! Then we don't have to worry about starving!"
"...Yeah."
"Miyu! Rei-chan! Look at that—fruit too!"
"Wow, not just one or two?!"
Food was easy to find just by turning their heads a little. Having avoided the worst-case scenario, they raised their voices in joy. At least they wouldn't starve to death—that much was clear. And that sound of water... the nearby rush of a river. Miyu clapped her hands and called to Ushio upon realizing it. With food covered, now drinks were sorted too.
"Ahh, Ushio-kun! Water! I hear water!"
"It's true! This way!"
"W-wait, guys! Let's go together!"
Arriving at the riverbank, they spotted signs of human presence in the distance. Discovering what looked like log cabins, they rushed over and inspected the surroundings. Then, unable to laugh or cry, they stared at each other in stunned silence. An unfamiliar alphabet-like script. Reina identified it as Greek and translated the sign.
It read: 'Kier Uninhabited Island Development Halted.'
"Ahaha... it really is a deserted island..."
"B-but it even has a name! If we wait, the rescue team will definitely find us! And look—we even have shelter!"
"Just half-built log cabins without roofs?"
"Rei-chan! Better than nothing! At least we won't be sleeping on the ground!"
Not the outcome they'd hoped for, but enough to hold onto hope. Agreeing with Ushio, Reina finally let out a sigh of relief. The elevation was high enough to see the sea, too. Holding out here, they could definitely survive.
The three of them broke into smiles upon realizing this.
So... time to get started, right?
I raised my hand and used telekinesis. First, I planned to make a sweet home. Even as an Awakened, I couldn't sleep in these half-built shacks. With a gesture, the log cabins disassembled. Another motion, and a roof appeared on the least damaged one.
"Mukai-kun...?"
Everyone stared at me.
===
"Yeah? Oh, right—I'm actually a psychic."
"What?!"
"You know 'telekinesis'? That's the kind of powers I have."
A shocking confession. Part of me wanted to tell him not to spout such nonsense... but a whole house had just been completed in an instant. He'd clearly heard their complaints and whipped up a roof in seconds. Their eyes widened at the unbelievable reality.
"Whoa! Mukai, you had powers like this?!"
"As you can see."
"Insane! What is that?! Summoning powers too?!"
"More precisely, inventory powers."
And now he 'summoned' a sun lounger(?). Inventory powers seemed to mean storing and pulling out items. That chair was definitely from the cruise deck. W-wait a sec... that means he stole it!
"Mukai-kun! That chair..."
I shouted in shock at my student's criminal act,
"Hup?!"
"Keep it quiet, okay?"
Mukai-kun handed me ice cream. My favorite yogurt flavor. He had plenty of food too. He was my student... but truly reliable. Stealing was wrong, but in this emergency... I'd let it slide.
"Mukai-kun... with powers like that, why..."
"Hm?"
"Did you get swept away with us?"
"Oh... they're mental power-based, so I can only use them when I have some leeway."
So psychics aren't invincible. A sharp question from Toyama-san. But Mukai-kun wasn't the type to ignore others' crises. He'd desperately protected me... His usual behavior had worried me, but he wasn't inherently bad. Then I'd guide him with education.
"Mukai-kun, thanks for this."
"Hah? I gave it to shut you up."
"Hehe."
I resolved to be Mukai-kun's true mentor.
"Thanks too, Mukai! I was worried about the roof, but you fixed it."
"Hah? What bullshit is that?"
"Haha, don't be shy. It's thanks to you."
"No, what bullshit? Who said you could use this house?"
"...Huh?"
"You think I'm handing my house over? Cut the crap and make your own."
B-but... right after I'd resolved, my student started causing trouble.
The house was already built—perfect for sharing—but Mukai-kun insisted on using it alone. Infuriated, Sinada-kun vented in disbelief. In times like these, we should help each other, he insisted loudly. But Mukai-kun disagreed.
"Help each other? Bullshit. You just want one-sided help. How are you gonna help me? Huh? What can you even do? Sorry, but I don't need your help."
"You don't know that! You might need it sometime. And... helping doesn't cost you anything. Isn't that what being human is? I'd do it!"
"Y-yeah, Mukai-kun. You're a good kid at heart. You protected me back then."
"Hah, ice cream confiscated."
"Eeeh?!"
D-did I say something wrong? With a gesture from Mukai-kun, the ice cream vanished. I'd thought it was true, but his face darkened. He glanced between me and Sinada-kun, sighing. His scary demeanor made me tremble, and in a low voice, he refuted me.
"I'm not heartless enough to let someone die."
"R-right? Mukai-kun is kind!"
"But I'm not dumb enough to volunteer for healthy people."
"Eh, r-really?"
He always flunked tests, so he seemed dumb... but my student was overestimating himself. Still, his explanation made me think maybe not. The island had abundant resources—no need for help, he said. It wasn't entirely wrong.
"Sinada, you're just lazy."
"Lazy?! It's not about that!"
"No, it is. Plenty of food, water to drink. Shelter from rain, leftover supplies. You can survive fine without me. But you don't want to—you want it easier. Am I wrong?"
"You made a house with a gesture. Couldn't you at least make one for us? It's not hard! Putting on a roof is work, you could get hurt. Construction takes time, you might catch a cold, or worse if untreated. That's what I'm worried about—I'm asking for that reason!"
And Sinada-kun's argument wasn't wrong either. I-I want a place with a roof too. It wouldn't be hard for Mukai-kun, so his stubbornness annoyed me. But I was too scared to snap like Sinada-kun.
"Yeah, not hard. But why should I? Demand free labor? Who do you think I am, a sucker? If you get sick, say so—I can help with that. But no deal on free houses."
"You're really... selfish..."
"Ushio-kun!"
W-whoa... They say fights are fun to watch after fires, and I'd been spectating my students' argument when Toyama-san suddenly jumped in. She stepped forward boldly in front of Mukai-kun. Stopping Sinada-kun, she... bowed 90 degrees to apologize to Mukai-kun. Totally unexpected.
"S-sorry! Asking for help was pushy. Ushio-kun, teacher, even me just standing there... we were all relying on your powers and acting spoiled. But expecting something for nothing is wrong. It's coercion."
"M-Miyu..."
"Sorry... sorry, Mukai-kun. Let me apologize for Ushio-kun."
"Miyu, what are you saying?!"
"No! Mukai-kun is right this time! Please, listen to me!"
"Miyu... tch."
Whoa... Toyama-san has some backbone. With his girlfriend saying that, Sinada-kun stepped back. Mukai-kun accepted her apology too. The debate resolved without major fallout. Sitting on the sun lounger, Mukai-kun... ah! That's mine! pulled out the ice cream and started licking it.
Mukai-kun really was a dumb kid.
"Um, Mukai-kun."
"Hm?"
"Can I ask one thing?"
"Sure. What?"
"Not wanting to help for free... means you would if there was compensation?"
"Yeah, something like that."
"Then, Mukai-kun. What would you want?"
"That's easy."
"What?"
"Women."
"Whaaat?!"
Sinada-kun shouted, Toyama-san grimaced in shock. And it reminded me of a few hours ago. When my wet chest... he'd stared right through it. W-what do I do, dear! My student Mukai-kun wasn't just any dumb kid. Licking ice cream while eyeing me... he was a top-tier pervert among the dumb ones.