When Sakura Airi leaned close to Shiki Natsu's ear, cheeks flushed pink, and whispered sothing only he could hear — and Kamuro Masumi and Shiina Hiyori's faces went just as red in turn — Shiraishi Asuka, standing off to the side, felt it again with crystalline clarity: that invisible wall between herself and this little inner circle.
That wordless mutual understanding. That bashful, unspoken chemistry shared between them…
"So this is… what it looks like when a couple is perfectly in sync, huh?"
Shiraishi Asuka thought to herself, quietly marveling.
It wasn't as though she hadn't been prepared for this. Just a short while ago, Shiki Natsu had used his purification on her — a gentle wash of calm that had smoothed away the worst of her self-consciousness about being the odd one out.
But still…
When that lovers' atmosphere grew thick enough to almost take physical form — so dense you could practically reach out and touch it — even a plain "friend" standing in the midst of it couldn't escape the hollow ache of not quite belonging.
After listening to Sakura Airi's proposal, Shiki Natsu's face broke into a soft, indulgent smile. He nodded without a mont's hesitation.
"Alright. Let's do it."
He turned and walked to the pile of tools nearby — the sa axe, saw, and hamr he'd used not long ago to build those five little cabins — and picked them up.
"Hey, everyone."
He called out to the Class A students still milling about the Base Camp, his tone perfectly casual.
"I'm going to borrow these tools for a bit."
The announcent didn't raise so much as an eyebrow from the rest of Class A. As far as they were concerned, those tools were practically useless in anyone else's hands — it was only when Shiki Natsu was holding them that they beca genuinely productive.
Besides, Class A had no further need of them. And Natsu was their Leader, after all — borrowing a set of tools was hardly worth comnting on.
"No problem, Leader."
Hashimoto Masayoshi gave a nod of approval. The survival portion of this uninhabited island exam was basically handled. What remained was on the rest of them — and if they couldn't manage the small stuff left over, they'd be a disgrace to the Class A na.
Watching Shiki Natsu take the tools — and then thinking back to the synchronized blush that had just swept across those three beautiful girls' faces…
Sothing clicked in Shiraishi Asuka's usually sharp mind. Like a circuit finally completing, a little ding lit up in her head.
"Oh… so that's what this is about."
A flush crept unbidden across her fair, delicate face.
She'd never dated anyone herself, sure — but she wasn't completely oblivious to the ways of the world.
Shiki Natsu, picking up construction tools, walking off with three of his girlfriends in tow…
Could the hint be any more obvious?!
He was clearly planning to build a private little cabin — one just for himself and his girlfriends.
Class A's Base Camp already had a fully-equipped eight-person cabin, top-tier accommodations by any uninhabited island standard.
But…
If you gave Shiki Natsu the choice — would he rather squeeze into that cabin with seven other guys?
Or would he rather spend his nights with his three sweet, soft-spoken, lovely girlfriends, savoring every mont of their cozy little world-for-two… or rather, world-for-four?
The answer to that particular multiple-choice question was self-evident.
And naturally, not a single person in Class A said a word against it. If anything, they were quietly supportive — perfectly willing to look the other way.
After all, as long as Natsu wasn't breaking any school rules or costing the class points, what he did with his own ti was entirely his business.
And given everything Shiki Natsu had contributed to this class — the sheer scale of it — no one would bat an eye even if he sat out the rest of the exam entirely.
"Still, though…"
Shiraishi Asuka couldn't help muttering to herself.
"Shiki-san and the others… they're really this bold?"
"They're actually planning to… share a room on this uninhabited island? Boys and girls, together?"
"And with that many girls at once, no less?"
Sure, the school rulebook did have provisions against "impure relations between mbers of opposite sexes" — but in practice, those rules were aid at behavior that was genuinely out of line, the kind of thing that created real disciplinary issues. The sort of scenes that showed up in a certain variety of underground ani: supply closets behind the faculty office, the back of the girls' bathhouse, that sort of thing.
Sothing like "students helping each other build temporary shelter as part of island survival" — or "a few friends bunking together in a tent or cabin" — as long as no one made a scene or disturbed anyone else, the school tended to turn a blind eye.
And on top of that, this was an uninhabited island. Supervision was far looser here than back at school to begin with.
So as long as no one was putting on a rated-18 performance in public — who was really going to say anything?
"Do you need a hand? We could co along and help."
A few of the more enthusiastic Class A boys wandered over and offered.
Shiki Natsu just smiled and shook his head, politely declining.
"I'm fine."
He gave the axe a casual little swing, his voice brimming with confidence.
"It's just a small cabin. I can knock it out by myself in no ti."
No one pushed back on that.
They'd seen it with their own eyes — the terrifying efficiency of Shiki Natsu, who might as well have been a human excavator. Building a cabin from scratch was, for him, apparently about as taxing as snapping together building blocks.
As the group prepared to head out — Natsu leading the way with three girlfriends in tow — Shiraishi Asuka stayed rooted in place, a tangle of indecision knotting in her chest.
Her eyes fixed on Kamuro Masumi. While the others were still getting ready to leave, she slipped over quietly and lowered her voice.
"Um… Kamuro-san."
"Do you know… what Sakura-san whispered to Shiki-san just now?"
At the bluntness of that question, a flash of unmistakable shyness crossed Kamuro Masumi's pretty violet eyes.
She instinctively looked away, gave a small shake of her head, and replied with a slightly stiff air:
"I have no idea."
Her words said one thing. But her ears, tipped with a tell-tale rosy pink, and her eyes, drifting evasively — those said sothing else entirely.
She had definitely figured it out. She might have even quietly accepted it.
"Seems like I wasn't too far off with my guess, then."
Shiraishi Asuka reflected inwardly.
These people… they were genuinely bold, weren't they. At the very least… Asuka herself could never imagine doing sothing like this.
"You all really do get along extraordinarily well."
She looked at Kamuro Masumi and said it sincerely.
It wasn't just the relationship between each of them and Shiki Natsu — the bond between those three girls themselves seed almost implausibly harmonious.
Kamuro Masumi blinked faintly at that, then gave a small nod.
"Yeah… I suppose we do."
Was there any reason they wouldn't get along?
In their day-to-day interactions, there was indeed a kind of seamless, natural harmony between them.
Each of them more or less managed her own ti with Natsu, leaving the remaining ti open for the others — no friction, no stepping on each other's toes. They even occasionally covered for one another.
But…
This situation was clearly a little different from the usual routine.
Inside, Kamuro Masumi was genuinely uncertain.
"This ti… is it everyone together? Or do we take turns?"
She honestly didn't know.
Back at school, everyone lived in separate dormitories with their own fixed schedules — scheduling was easy.
But this was an uninhabited island.
And a week-long special exam slash vacation, no less.
Everyone was stuck on the sa island. They'd be running into each other at every turn.
Shiki Natsu was only one person — there was no splitting him into thirds, no way for him to be with all three of them simultaneously.
And besides…
If they were going to build a cabin, a cabin that size — surely it wouldn't only house two people?
If Natsu built it anything like the cabins back at the Class A Base Camp, it would be spacious and comfortable enough for eight people easily.
So then…
Were they all really going to move in together?
Just picturing it — herself, Shiina Hiyori, Sakura Airi, and Shiki Natsu, all four of them sharing a roof for the night…
Kamuro Masumi's cheeks went warm all over again, entirely against her will.
That kind of scenario… just imagining it was already both mortifying and, for so inexplicable reason… strangely sothing-to-look-forward-to?
While Kamuro Masumi was lost in her daydreams, Shiki Natsu had finished his preparations and turned to face the gathered beauties around him, soliciting opinions.
"So… where do you all think we should build it?"
"Since this is going to be our secret base, we can't just pick any old spot."
"Oh, I have an idea!"
As the one who had proposed the whole plan in the first place, Sakura Airi had already been thinking about this — in fact, she'd started scheming the mont Kamuro Masumi had ntioned Natsu building five cabins in record ti.
"When I was out gathering fruit earlier, I found a really nice spot…"
"The scenery is lovely, it's not too far from here, and it's… reasonably well-hidden."
"Then lead the way, Airi."
Shiki Natsu smiled and nodded.
Standing in place, watching the group chat easily among themselves as they prepared to leave, Shiraishi Asuka hesitated.
She had originally thought that dropping Hiyori off here was as far as she needed to go.
After all, they were going to build a "love nest" — a private, intimate project for couples. If she tagged along any further without picking up the hint…
Wouldn't that make her the most painfully obvious glowing third wheel imaginable?
But then again —
She had only just, monts ago, put on that breezy, unbothered front in front of Shiki Natsu. If she suddenly excused herself now to avoid any awkwardness, that would be its own brand of embarrassing.
It had happened barely ten or fifteen minutes ago, after all.
But if she went along…
"Haah…"
Shiraishi Asuka let out a quiet sigh in the privacy of her own heart.
The [One-Touch Clean] effect that Shiki Natsu had applied earlier was fading now.
That sense of awkwardness — the creeping awareness of being an outsider, of being the third wheel — ca rushing back in full force, leaving her caught between advancing and retreating.
Just as she stood there, paralyzed with indecision —
A refined voice, warm with a note of amusent, drifted over from nearby.
"My, my. That looks rather entertaining."
"Shiki-san — if you don't mind — would you like so help?"
Shiraishi Asuka turned toward the voice.
A petite silver-haired girl stood not far away, her presence commanding despite her small fra, her eyes dancing with sly good humor as she looked their way.
It was Sakayanagi Arisu — just returned from collecting wild fruit. Now that her health had more or less recovered to a reasonable level, she had begun taking part in these sorts of activities. Sothing that would have been unthinkable for her in the past.
But then… Sakayanagi Arisu did want to make an impression in front of Shiki Natsu. And she had her eye on sothing more long-term: permanent good health.
Shiki Natsu blinked at this unexpected arrival.
"Sakayanagi-san?"
He hadn't anticipated that she would volunteer to co along at a ti like this.
Of course, he wasn't naive enough to think Sakayanagi Arisu was simply here to do manual labor.
Her physical condition — while restored to a normal person's baseline — was still nothing remarkable. She wouldn't be much practical help with the heavy lifting.
At most, she'd be able to handle the lighter tasks.
Still…
Since Sakayanagi Arisu had extended the offer herself, Shiki Natsu had no reason to refuse.
"Of course."
He nodded with a smile.
"Many hands make light work — welco aboard, Sakayanagi-san."
Shiina Hiyori and the other two raised no objections to Sakayanagi joining them.
As far as they were concerned, Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A was very likely to beco one of Natsu's future "friends" as well.
And if she was already in the running — getting a head start by joining the group activity and learning how things worked? That seed perfectly reasonable.
But at that mont —
Rather than hurrying to follow Shiki Natsu, Sakayanagi Arisu turned around instead, fixing those cunning violet eyes of hers on Shiraishi Asuka, who was still hovering uncertainly at the edge of the group.
"My, my — Shiraishi-san, what are you doing just standing there?"
She tilted her head slightly, a playful smile curling at the corner of her lips, her voice light and inviting.
"Why not co along?"
"If it's just tagging along by myself… I have to say, it does rather feel like being a third wheel."
"Having soone to keep company would put a little more at ease, you know."
Shiraishi Asuka blinked at that.
She studied the beaming, calculating gaze of this deceptively shrewd young lady — and while she had no idea whatsoever what Sakayanagi Arisu was actually plotting behind that smile —
Those words had struck her right where she lived.
If she alone followed Shiki Natsu and the others, she'd be the painfully conspicuous, glowing third wheel.
But if Sakayanagi Arisu was there too…
Two people. Neither of them Natsu's girlfriend. Two outsiders, together.
Sohow, just like that, the feeling of being "surplus" dissolved considerably.
Surely being a third wheel with a companion was better than radiating awkward loneliness all by yourself?
"Well… since Sakayanagi-san put it that way…"
Shiraishi Asuka thought it over, and in the end gave a small nod of agreent.
"Then I'll co along and help, too."
And so — what had begun as a group of four beca a party of six in an instant.
Following Sakura Airi's lead, they wove their way through a stretch of forest and arrived at the spot she'd described.
It was a flat, open clearing on the sheltered back slope of a small hill.
Dense trees surrounded it on all sides, forming a natural barrier — completely secluded.
The ground was level and dry, the sightlines were good, and through the gaps in the leaves, you could catch a glimpse of the distant sea.
It really was an ideal location for a secret base.
And just as Sakura Airi had said — it was roughly equidistant from the Base Camps of Class A, Class C, and even Class D. A central eting point.
As long as they woke up slightly early in the morning and headed back for roll call, they'd be well within ti.
"Not bad at all."
Shiki Natsu surveyed the clearing with a satisfied nod.
"This is the one."
"Good eye, Airi."
Sakura Airi, on the receiving end of the praise, broke into a beaming smile.
And then — construction began in earnest.
Shiki Natsu served as head architect and primary workhorse, handling all the heavy lifting: felling trees, laying the foundation, erecting the fra.
The beauties around him took on supporting roles.
Shiraishi Asuka and Sakayanagi Arisu — the two "auxiliaries" — had the self-awareness to claim the lightest available job: gathering the broad, sturdy leaves growing nearby to fashion into window covers.
As for Sakura Airi, Shiina Hiyori, and Kamuro Masumi — the three official girlfriends — they proved surprisingly formidable.
Not only did they help clear the site, they even took it upon themselves to haul logs.
"One, two, three — heave!"
The petite Shiina Hiyori and Sakura Airi worked in tandem, actually lifting a log that looked considerably heavier than either of them — their steps a little unsteady, but managing to carry it all the way to the designated spot without dropping it.
Kamuro Masumi was a different story entirely — her baseline physique was already above average, and she could hoist a log by herself without much trouble.
The sight left Shiraishi Asuka standing there with her jaw on the ground.
"No way…"
She stared at the thick, heavy logs. Then she stared at those delicate-looking, beautiful girls.
"How are they this strong?!"
Curiosity getting the better of her, Shiraishi Asuka walked over and tried to lift a similar log herself.
"Nngh…"
She strained with everything she had, face going red — the log barely twitched. She couldn't get it off the ground.
"It's so heavy!"
She let go with a frustrated exhale, chest heaving.
This was not sothing any ordinary high school girl could move. Surely?
Could it be that…
The longer you spent around Shiki Natsu, the stronger your body beca?
Not far away, Sakayanagi Arisu had naturally been watching this whole scene unfold. She had seen it clearly — and she was quite certain that Shiina Hiyori and the others shouldn't have been capable of that kind of strength. Hiyori especially — her physical stamina had always been on the weaker side.
So… Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze drifted back to Shiki Natsu.
Everything — all of it — connected back to him, one way or another.
This man, wrapped in so many mysteries…
It had to be one of Shiki Natsu's abilities.
Then suddenly, those violet eyes shifted — landing on Shiraishi Asuka.
Last ti, she had managed to pull the stubbornly prickly Horikita Suzune into the picture, and in doing so had earned herself a rather favorable reward from Shiki Natsu. Through that encounter, she had successfully closed the distance between them.
After all… Shiki Natsu had given her a massage. And a girl's body was not sothing just anyone was allowed to touch so casually.
So this ti around…
Sakayanagi Arisu had noticed the way Shiraishi Asuka had been orbiting a little close to Shiki Natsu earlier. This ti, she would use Shiraishi Asuka as a stepping stone to draw herself and Natsu a little closer together.
After all… Shiraishi Asuka was quite a charming girl. Shiki Natsu, of all people, surely wouldn't say no.
____
👻🔥Seek: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Danmachi: Summoning Ruri Gokou, And other Chuunibyou Brats
Let's hit these goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = 1 extra chapter for the public!
User Comments
0 comments from readers