Island Landing

Shiina Hiyori gently let go of Hoshino Kanade's hand. The touch of his palm lingered on her fingertips, still carrying a faint chill.

Up ahead, a teacher shouted through a megaphone, "Class C, get ready to disembark!"

A faint commotion stirred at the end of the line. Shiina rose onto her toes and looked toward the end of the pier, her silver-gray hair fluttering in the sea breeze.

"It's our class's turn." She spoke softly, her violet eyes turning to Hoshino Kanade and Kiyona.

She stepped back half a pace and folded her hands in front of her. Her tone was as earnest as if she were discussing a mystery novel in the library. "Well... I'll go ahead."

After a brief pause, her gaze lingered for an instant on their clasped hands. A faint smile touched her lips. "Be sure to remember our promise, okay? We're going to 'vacation' together later."

"Yeah. See you on the island." Hoshino Kanade nodded, the faint chill in his left palm not yet fully faded.

Shiina Hiyori gave Kiyona one last knowing smile, then turned and joined the stream of Class C students.

Her slender figure receded through the scorching air, eventually disappearing around the pier's corner.

Hoshino Kanade watched Shiina disappear into the Class C line. Just as he turned away, he felt Kiyona gently squeeze his right hand with her fingertips.

He glanced over. Kiyona was gazing in the direction Shiina had gone, the sea breeze stirring the loose strands of hair across her forehead.

"She's looking forward to it." Kiyona's voice was as clear and cool as ever, betraying little emotion. But her fingers, intertwined with his, slipped more snugly between his, tighter than before.

A smile tugged at Hoshino Kanade's lips. He gently rubbed the back of her cool hand with his thumb. "Yeah. It's a first."

He paused, his gaze settling on the slight flush at the tips of her ears and the fine beads of sweat at her temple. His voice was low and steady. "What about you?"

Kiyona didn't answer right away.

At some point, her free left hand had taken a small, individually sealed pack of wet wipes from the side pocket of her regulation backpack.

She had packed them before departure as a permitted item, claiming they were "cleaning essentials."

"Give me your hand." She tore open the wrapper and pulled out a wipe, cool with the scent of menthol, then naturally pressed it against Hoshino Kanade's sweat-damp left hand.

The cool, soothing touch spread from his knuckles to his wrist, driving away the sticky summer heat.

Hoshino Kanade let her wipe his hand, watching her lowered lashes.

"Did you bring these especially for me?" he asked softly, his gaze intent.

Kiyona didn't stop, carefully cleaning the sweat from between his fingers. Her voice was mild. "I was worried you'd get heatstroke." Her reason was simple and direct.

The smile in Hoshino Kanade's eyes deepened. "Thanks for looking out for me, 'Survival Expert.'"

He gently took hold of the wrist holding the wipe, rubbing his thumb over the delicate skin there and feeling its warmth.

Kiyona looked up, her cool gaze meeting his.

Hoshino Kanade said nothing more. He simply took the wipe from her and gently dabbed the sweat at her temples and on her cheeks.

Kiyona froze for a moment, her body instinctively trying to pull back, but Hoshino Kanade held her wrist firmly, leaving no room for argument.

"Don't move," he said, his voice low and steady, carrying an unmistakable firmness, though his touch was exceedingly gentle.

His fingertips brushed her warm cheek, bringing a cool sensation.

The refreshing feel of the menthol spread with his tender movements.

The tips of Kiyona's ears seemed to turn even redder. She turned her face away, her long lashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyes, but she didn't pull free again, letting him wipe her face carefully.

"...You're such a fussbudget," she murmured. There wasn't much reproach in her voice; it sounded more like a nearly inaudible sigh.

Moisture from the evaporating wipe, carrying the scent of mint, lingered between them, as if screening out the noisy heatwave around them and the occasional complaints—like Kanji Ike's wails.

At last, the teacher up ahead called, "Class D, begin island landing and inspection!" The long line finally began to inch forward.

As Hoshino Kanade's shoes touched the scorching sand, heat immediately seeped through the soles.

He instinctively looked back, his gaze sweeping over the blue sea surface.

The enormous white cruise ship was anchored in a bay not far away.

At that moment, the cool, steady presence of Kiyona in his palm, along with the mint-scented care she had just shown him, quietly dispelled the heat around them.

Though this was his first exam of this kind, what surged in Hoshino Kanade's heart now wasn't merely the excitement of rational calculation.

He curled his fingers around hers, holding her hand tighter, and gently brushed his thumb over its back.

"Let's go." His voice was steady as he looked toward the depths of the dense forest, its lush branches mottled with shadow and light. It seemed to conceal unknown challenges, as well as secret moments meant just for them.

"The vacation has begun." He turned his head toward Kiyona, his eyes filled with calm certainty.

Kiyona met his gaze. Her cool face still showed little expression, but the fingers of the hand he held curled slightly, nestling deeper into his palm and silently returning his sentiment.