The Moonlight Is Truly Beautiful

You En would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted... he wasn't a saint. But given their current state, it wasn't the right time.

"Is this enough?"

Ibuki stood on her tiptoes and kissed him without hesitation. You En savored the lingering sensation of the girl's lips.

"This is already precious."

"You really are..."

Ibuki Mio's face flushed red. Compared to Ryuen... forget it, how could that guy even compare to You En? She was willing to truly "pledge allegiance" to You En, in whatever way, even if it meant losing the convictions she'd held all along. And You En wasn't the type to want her to lose herself—he was willing to accept her, and even if she made a fatal mistake, he would still trust her again.

She thought of something.

"Remember our promise?"

"Of course I do. 'When I'm truly stronger than you, I can date the dashing and adorable Ibuki Mio,'" You En could never forget his sure-win bet. Glancing at her chest, he chose his words carefully: "Now's not the time. For instance... you still need to develop a bit more."

Ibuki looked down, then back up, asking without jealousy, more out of curiosity to confirm her rival: "Is Horikita Suzune's that big? Or is it Kushida's?"

"C and D... you're at most an A?"

"What A?!"

Ibuki was a little indignant. "I hugged you for that long just now, didn't you feel it? I'm a C-cup, okay?"

You En extended his right hand. "Then let me confirm again?"

Ibuki stared at his fingertips—the blood had already clotted. A flash of pain and regret crossed her face. "Go to the infirmary quickly. We'll talk later."

"Oh."

You En walked up to her, crouching slightly. "Want me to carry you on my back?"

"I can walk on my own. Can you even manage?"

Under his influence, Ibuki gradually emerged from that guilt-ridden mood, a roguish yet spirited smile returning to her face. "Want me to carry you?"

You En was skeptical. "Can you even lift me? Don't drop me halfway."

"Hmph, you're at most sixty kilos. I can handle that short distance."

Ibuki spoke abruptly, feeling a bit dizzy, and steadied herself with a hand on her forehead.

"Look at yourself. Still putting up a front."

You En shook his head. Ibuki's injuries were far worse than his. Just the claw mark on her body was shocking enough—she'd taken that blocking a jaguar's attack for him, not to mention the unseen internal injuries. That was also why he didn't want to do that—their condition was simply too poor.

He stepped forward, hooked one arm under her thigh, slipped the other under her armpit, and lifted her into his arms.

"You like princess carries, so I'll indulge you a little, huh?"

"..."

Ibuki Mio's face turned bright red in an instant.

"You? W-wait until I'm better... I-I'll..."

You En walked forward. Strangely, the surrounding students didn't seem to notice their injuries, only watching their scene together with a hint of envy, murmuring among themselves.

"When you're better, you'll what?"

Ibuki couldn't muster any harsh words. She just buried her face against him and muttered softly:

"...Jerk."

And so, under everyone's gaze, You En made his way to the school infirmary.

Hoshinomiya Rie was already waiting for him. She smiled at him first, then noticed Ibuki in his arms, recognized her as a Class C student, and showed a slight hint of disappointment. She spoke, her tone flat:

"Put this student on that bed."

Hoshinomiya treated Ibuki with a completely professional attitude. After examining her, she said:

"I'll take care of it in a bit, then come to me every day to change the dressing. It'll take about four or five days to recover. During this time, try not to engage in strenuous activity—especially intimate acts between men and women—or the wound might split open again."

Ibuki felt the other party's handling was quite professional. The injury was actually pretty serious, but with just a simple initial treatment, she was already feeling much better.

"..."

But You En thought, was Hoshinomiya even seriously treating Ibuki at all?

Thinking back, Horikita Suzune had been the same last time—she hadn't put in full effort either. It was probably only because of Horikita Manabu that she'd bothered to exert herself a little.

"Hmph!"

Hoshinomiya, catching the obvious look on You En's face, explained a bit irritably:

"The treatment Old Man Edward provides you is just a basic package. I can't keep subsidizing it out of my own pocket every time, can I?"

You En nodded. But even though Hoshinomiya said that, when she actually treated him, she always added extra care.

Not only did the pain vanish and the bloodstains disappear, but even his broken right fingernail had grown back fully. It was ridiculous—she wasn't even pretending to hold back.

After the treatment, neither of their injuries was a major issue anymore.

Hoshinomiya Rie smiled cheerfully and ushered You En out, not even glancing at Ibuki.

Ibuki Mio, after this whole series of comparisons, looked up and sighed, "...How is it that even Teacher Hoshinomiya likes you??"

"I don't know either."

How was You En supposed to know what Hoshinomiya saw in him? Was it this face?

"I can tell what you're thinking just by looking at you—narcissist... Well, forget it,"

Ibuki reached out her hand. She liked this confident side of You En.

"You En, can you lend me some strength?"

You En extended his arm, letting her hold onto him.

"Of course, Lady Ibuki."

Ibuki leaned on You En, completely unconcerned with the stares of others.

This wasn't dependence—it was reliance. He was someone worth relying on, and she had to make sure that whether he needed it or not, he could always rely on her too.

At the same time, she had her own little agenda—staking her claim in front of all the other girls.

They arrived at the Survival Class classroom.

"Back?"

Edward didn't ask any questions. It was normal for a man to finish quickly the first time. He got straight to the point:

"Now that you've got the basics down—survival, gathering, hunting—the next important issue is improving your quality of life. The main thing is building a real shelter for yourself.

For this lesson, I've invited a friend to teach you. He's far more experienced than I am. Since time is limited, you'll only get a general overview."

You En nodded. A somewhat quiet foreign young man walked in through the door.

He didn't say a word, just grabbed some materials from behind a partition screen, then started demonstrating while explaining with as few words as possible.

It was all wilderness construction knowledge—from log shelters to dugouts, stone-walled shelters, to how to fire clay bricks, build a kiln, and construct a brick-and-tile house from scratch.

The quiet young man demonstrated quickly, since he was only showing the process; the finished products were already prepared in advance.

Beyond that, there were also miscellaneous topics like penning livestock, wild farming, and processing food for long-term preservation.

Ibuki only caught the first part; after that, she was completely lost.

You En found it just right. After one lesson, he had mentally recorded all the young man's processes and had a basic grasp of the fundamentals. But it was still just theory.

To master it, he'd have to practice himself.

After the lesson ended, Edward gave him a light hug and apologized again, "Kid, I'm sorry. The curriculum is tough, and it's remarkable that you've stuck with it. But what I want to say is—you're really excellent.

Don't be overly afraid, but don't be reckless either. Maintain reverence for all things. You're doing well now. Keep it up."

"Thank you, Teacher Edward."

You En could tell who truly cared for him and who didn't. Edward, in both his actions and his heart, wanted them to become better. He was a very qualified teacher.

As for why he taught this way, he probably had his own reasons.

"It's over?"

Ibuki snapped back to reality. She'd been staring blankly at You En when she couldn't follow the lesson, and before she knew it, the class had ended.

"Yeah. Want me to walk you back?"

You En asked.

"No need."

Ibuki had already troubled him too much. She couldn't be willful anymore. But if they didn't have elective classes together, their fixed time for meeting would be gone.

She clasped her hands together, fingertips pressing against each other. "That Sailor Course seems to have been suspended. If it reopens, will you sign up again?"

"Of course I will."

"Then I'll go with you."

Ibuki shook her head. "No... can you keep me company instead?"

"Of course."

You En bid farewell to Ibuki and returned to his room, only to find Horikita Suzune waiting by the door, holding what looked like a lunchbox.

"I heard you went to the infirmary again. You haven't eaten, have you? I saved a portion of bento for you."

"..."

You En didn't dare take it directly, not until he understood her true feelings.

"I'm not angry."

Horikita Suzune shook her head, as if cutting off some train of thought. "Who you want to associate with is your own business. I'm just looking out for my... friend."

"Thanks."

You En took it. "I'll enjoy it with gratitude."

"You kept me waiting over an hour. You'd better treat that food seriously."

Horikita Suzune said.

You En looked up. "I'll treasure it."

Horikita Suzune couldn't help asking, "Are you dating Ibuki?"

"Not yet."

"Not started, but planning to, right?"

You En tucked the bento against his chest. Should he lie?

...The bento was still warm. Beyond the insulation box, he could feel the lingering warmth of the girl's body heat.

He smiled. "You're right. I might date her in the future."

"I see. You didn't lie to me."

Horikita Suzune was silent for a moment, then parted her lips. "I'm glad. Actually, I..."

Forget it. She wasn't glad at all. How nice it would have been if he had lied—then she could have found a way to compete with that girl from Class C.

But You En hadn't.

"Thank you for the bento, Suzune."

"Ah, You En-kun."

Horikita Suzune smiled softly, her voice gentle: "You're welcome."

She returned to her room, closed the door, then suddenly turned to face the shut door.

She felt as if she had lost something, yet realized she had never possessed it in the first place.

Horikita Suzune changed into her white pajamas, walked to the window, and gazed at the crescent moon above.

Alone, she stared quietly, lips slightly parted, whispering something to no one in particular.

Downstairs, You En finished the bento she had made with such care.

He walked onto the balcony, looked up at the same moon, and together they said:

"The moon is beautiful, isn't it?"

(Volume 1—Countdown End)

(Next Volume—On the Deserted Island Begins)