Chapter 19: The Conviction of Kasumigaoka Utaha
It's smoked wild boar meat with the skin soaked in water.
That night, they divided the tasks of processing the boar meat and skin without saying a word.
They weren't arguing anymore, but they were still at odds.
Jun noticed that Yukino had been making another wooden bow without anyone knowing.
You're a foolish girl. What we're going to face next isn't a wild boar or some other animal, but savage humans. Do you really think you can release that arrow?
Jun was unsure of himself. He wondered if he could make the decision when the time came to face those savages. And Yukino?
Killing animals and killing people are very different.
Civilized people who have received moral education for more than ten years—how could they so easily summon the courage to kill another person?
Jun had tried to convince himself that the cannibalistic tribe—if it did exist—was not considered human.
But the effect was small. He could only gather his courage again when he looked at the hair clip in his hand.
People can kill others to get revenge, but taking a life without reason?
If someone could do that, they would no longer be considered human.
That night, Yukino went to bed earlier than usual without saying a word.
She sat quietly next to Jun in front of the campfire.
Jun wanted to tell her to go back inside the cave and sleep, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
They sat in silence before the fire.
After a long while...
"I'm sorry. I was a bit too harsh earlier when I said we should tie you up. I won't do that. Go to sleep."
Jun finally spoke up.
"I'll still go with you tomorrow!"
Yukino still refused to back down.
"Okay, then we'll go together. But we agree right now—you have to listen to me out there."
Jun was the first to give in.
"Okay."
Yukino's cold face started to look less serious, and she smiled gently again.
"When the time comes, I'll follow every command of Katō-kun."
_ _ _
The night went smoothly.
Jun quietly left the cave alone, carrying a bow and arrows.
Now that he only had one poisoned arrow left, his goal today was to scout the area where the cannibals might be hiding and to search for Ginko.
The sky was still dark.
A light mist still clung to the surface of the sea and river.
Jun carefully paddled the bamboo raft upstream, back to the place where they had found signs of the wild humans the night before.
After hiding the raft well, he chose a safer route and carefully started moving towards the presumed territory of the savage tribe.
_ _ _
"Katō-kun?"
Yukino woke up groggily, feeling the cold.
Then—
"Katō Jun!"
What a bunch of nonsense from that guy!
Last night, he said he wouldn't tie her up, but this morning...
She had just opened her eyes and was about to get up when she realized her hands and feet were tied up with rope made from tree roots. The rope was tied to a large stone.
She couldn't move at all.
She was even more furious because of the writing on the cave wall that Katō Jun had left.
"I'll return before sunset. I've made coconut water and boar heart soup. If you're awake, drink the soup while it's still warm."
Yukino only noticed the two wooden bowls next to her at that point. One was filled with coconut water, and the other was filled with a meat soup.
Each one had a straw made from a grass stalk.
"Katō Jun!"
Yukino tried to break free, but she couldn't.
No wonder he asked me to make so many ropes last night!
Now Yukino was really angry.
She felt like she could bite Jun to death if he were here.
"Don't worry. I've also left food for the wild cat outside, and I've reinforced the gate at the front of the cave..."
"Ka! tō! Jun!"
Is he comparing me to a wild cat?
Yukino screamed and looked embarrassed.
"Oh, right—if you shout too much, you might attract the attention of the man-eating spiders, so please calmly wait for my return. Oh, and while you were asleep, I secretly kissed your lips for a moment..."
"Ha ha, I'm just kidding. Your lips were too dry, so I decided not to. —Katō Jun."
"You pervert! He-n-tai! Big liar!"
After reading the message on the wall, Yukino turned red with rage.
After expressing her anger, Yukino started to calm down.
"If Katō-kun tied me up, then he must be sure he'll come back. Otherwise, he wouldn't have tied me up so securely."
When Yukino felt calm, she started paying attention to her lips.
She licked her lips.
"They really are... kind of dry..."
After drinking a little coconut water, her face turned red when she realized—
She had fallen for Jun's trap again.
It's so annoying!
I'm not going to do something silly like a hunger strike!
Yukino drank the coconut water quickly through the straw.
Then, half an hour later...
"Katō Jun!"
Damn it! I need to pee—now what?
[Yukinoshita Yukino – Affinity: Unknown]
_ _ _
"Ginko... wake up, Ginko-chan..."
When Ginko heard Utaha's voice, she opened her eyes slowly.
"Thank goodness... you're finally awake..."
Utaha was nervous. She held Ginko in her arms. Her eyes showed her fear as she watched the final cage—the one next to theirs—being dragged away by the savages.
There wasn't much time left.
They were next.
The whole area, surrounded by a fence, was completely quiet.
"Kasumigaoka-senpai, are we going to be next?"
Ginko had been running a fever for days.
Utaha had done everything she could to lower her body temperature, but Ginko's condition wasn't improving in this environment.
"Ugh, ugh..."
Her coughs were getting worse.
"Don't think that way! We'll definitely leave here!"
Utaha still believed they could survive.
After all, they were the ones placed deepest and "luckiest" inside the cage.
Even the "luckiest" people could survive, right?
Utaha clenched her fists tightly, trying to stop herself from feeling overwhelmed.
"I'll keep fighting to survive..."
Ginko's face was pale, and her body had grown thin.
But her eyes still had a lot of life in them.
"Yes, we will make it, no doubt about it!"
Utaha held Ginko tightly.
To Ginko, Utaha was hope and faith—and Utaha felt the same.
_________________________
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