Chapter 43
That was enough to make me take back every time I'd said life on a deserted island was bearable.
Of course, I was probably the only one who thought that way.
Just because crabs and wild boar were edible, and the shrimp had grown plump, didn't mean a modern person could adapt to this easily.
Without magic, I would've had a pretty hard time myself.
Nari swallowed as she gazed at the oil-slicked stone griddle, her lips cracked and dry.
Then, noticing me watching, she hurriedly looked away and spoke in a tiny voice.
"Hello, Mr. Kim Woojin. I'm Seo Nari, a flight attendant for Sehan Air."
"Yes, I know."
"I'm sorry to ask, but could I have some water?"
Water, huh…
I immediately held out a Water Pocket… then met the eyes of the VIP madam.
Don't you need any?
She'd been watching with her arms crossed, so I said something.
"……"
"……"
The madam's contest of wills didn't last long.
Three seconds.
In three seconds, she tossed aside the social hierarchy of her old life and spoke to me—the man she'd treated like a commoner—as if asking for a favor.
"I do."
Good.
I sent a Water Pocket over and showed them how to use it.
"What is this…?"
"Give it a try."
Even without an explanation, the water pouch floating in the air made it intuitive enough to figure out.
A little poke with a finger made a stream of water leak out from that spot.
"Ah!"
Nari immediately caught the water in her bottle. It was hard to watch her hands tremble.
Once she'd filled one bottle, she turned to the madam first, as if to take care of her.
"Here, have this, Ms. Lin Wei."
"……"
The madam took the bottle and drank.
Even at a time like this, Nari was putting someone else first….
"There's plenty. And… would you like some meat, too? You look famished."
"Ah…. I couldn't impose on you that much…"
She seemed to be refusing out of politeness, but her eyes were fixed on the grilling meat.
"Eeeh~~! No way! That's ours. Why should we share our meat with them?"
Luka immediately objected.
"There's plenty of meat, Luka."
"Still! Still! I don't want to. Oppa worked hard to catch that wild boar. Why give it to people we don't even know?"
Luka had a point, too.
It wasn't as if I meant to keep feeding these people indefinitely.
I could at least treat them to one meal today.
We had enough to do that now.
And if so, generosity was a virtue.
I didn't want to find these people dead and cold in the jungle.
That didn't mean I was going to go on some cringey lecture about how it was good to cultivate compassion or how helping others would come back to benefit me.
I hated that kind of thing to begin with.
I was doing it because I wanted to, and because I could.
How should I put that into words?
Ah, this is hard….
I'm no good at putting things into words, after all.
As I struggled, the Assistant Manager stepped in to help.
"Luka. Mr. Kim Woojin wants to welcome them as the host of our home."
"The host? Oppa wants to treat them?"
"Yes. If that's what Woojin decided, we should gladly share with them and enjoy the meal together."
"Why do we have to do that?"
"We can't tear into each other like animals just because we've been stranded. We're…"
The Assistant Manager spoke as if quietly swallowing the rest of her words.
"Human."
"That's hard for Luka to understand. But… yeah. If Big Sis and Oppa are okay with it, Luka's okay, too."
At times like this, Manager Han Jia silently flipped the meat so it wouldn't burn and piled up the cooked pieces.
Then, as if to settle everything, the Manager beamed and said,
"You must be hungry, our guests. Woojin says he'd like to treat you."
"Thank you. Thank you so much…"
Nari bowed her head over and over.
Two unexpected guests had joined us.
I took out a little more meat.
Nari took the chopsticks we'd given her and quietly picked up a piece. As she ate, she nodded again and again, looking moved.
"It's delicious. It really is…"
"Right? Madam, you should try some, too."
"……"
Ms. Lin Wei was still the same.
Even with meat sizzling right in front of her, she wouldn't let go of that stiff posture.
You had to admire her, in a way.
If Nari hadn't been here, would this woman really have starved to death without changing that pose…?
But once a piece of meat went into her mouth, the madam's chopsticks sped up ever so slightly—by about 1.3 times.
Pfft~
Even an upper-class madam couldn't help herself.
I chuckled to myself and picked up some meat, too.
At first, I tasted the salt. A rough, simple saltiness. Then the rich, wild flavor of the meat came surging in.
Oh… It's so much better than last time.
Could it be thanks to Preservation?!
The meat had an incredibly fresh, springy texture. Last time, I remember thinking that if we hadn't sliced it thin, it'd have been too tough to chew…
Today, the raw meat was in a completely different condition.
Could the same wild boar meat really taste this different?
The meat melted, blending with the fat.
The charred aroma of grilled meat, and the deep, meaty flavor unique to wild boar.
Delicious. I want to eat this with rice!
"Mmm. So yummy."
Luka smiled happily, patting her cheek.
"It's really delicious. I think it's even better than last time. Don't you, Woojin?"
The Assistant Manager said with a smile.
"Yeah. I think so, too."
The savory flavor from the seared surface clung to my tongue, while the meat inside resisted a little before giving way.
It wasn't completely tender, and the more I chewed, the more flavor came out. It had just the right heft to fill us up right now.
Next up was the cave shrimp, cooked to a bright red.
Manager Han Jia held the head and tail, gave them a slight twist, and plump flesh popped out through the slit along its back.
"Say aaah~~, Mr. Woojin."
She's going to feed me? Our Manager?!
"Aaah. Nom nom."
"Hehe."
Munch, munch. It's delicious…!!
The Manager sometimes treats me like a little kid.
"Nari, don't be shy. Go ahead and eat."
After letting her feed me, I felt a little embarrassed and brought up Nari.
"Ah, yes. Ah. Ah, it's hot…"
Nari fumbled as she hurried to grab a shrimp, so I twisted the shell open for her.
She popped the plump flesh into her mouth and smiled happily, too.
"It's delicious…. Thank you."
"There's plenty, so take your time. You too, Madam."
"……Hmph."
Looks like she's back in character. She must've gotten a little strength back.
"Thank you."
Lin Wei said it in passing, so quietly I might not have heard if I hadn't been listening carefully.
"…And for the water back then, too."
"Don't mention it."
The shrimp had an unbelievably thick, springy layer of meat inside.
This wasn't ordinary shrimp.
A sweet aroma rose with the hot steam, and the flesh bounced against my teeth as soon as I bit into it.
If wild boar was the sort of meat that resisted your teeth, shrimp pushed back against them.
The two kinds of meat had completely different textures and flavors, and together they made the meal that much more varied.
The inside was moist…
And the shrimp's natural sweetness came through incredibly strongly.
That was proof the salt had been applied just right.
Everyone was so busy eating that all we could hear were their breaths.
Luka focused on gobbling down the shrimp, piling the empty shells beside her.
The meat on the stone griddle vanished in an instant, then the empty space filled again just as quickly.
Sizzle!
One more batch.
And another!
After enjoying our feast on the island, night had fallen before we knew it.
"We'll be heading back now. Thank you so much for today."
"Do you have somewhere to go back to?"
"Ah…."
At my question, Nari was at a loss for words.
They probably didn't have a hideout they could return to in the middle of the night like this.
"Well, we did leave our things piled up on the beach…"
Hmm….
"Why don't you stay the night? It's late."
"You've already done so much for us. Are you sure…?"
"All right. I'll stay."
"Ah, Ms. Lin Wei?!"
Lin Wei crossed her arms and stared up at me.
"You seem to have plenty of food, so I'll stay here for a while."
Whoa, she's just going to mooch off us outright!?
The way she acted like she was entitled to be treated made me laugh incredulously.
"That won't do, Madam."
"Why? Do you need money?"
It was like our first meeting all over again….
"I don't need money. I'm only treating you as guests for tonight."
You really are so high-minded… On this deserted island, you're definitely the one standing higher. I'll admit it.
(You really are so high-minded… On this deserted island, you're definitely the one standing higher. I'll admit it.)
"Is that so?"
"I'll tell you one thing."
Lin Wei came closer and whispered to me. Her eyes were fixed on me as if I were her enemy.
I don't like being rejected.(I don't like being rejected.)
I bet you don't~
You've probably spent your life surrounded by people who agreed with everything you said and eating nothing but fancy food.
It wasn't as if I resented the fact that she'd been upper-class back in the outside world.
The problem was her attitude hadn't changed even after coming to a deserted island.
Who wouldn't get tired of her if she came at people like this every time?
But… well, Nari was the one who concerned me.
"You can shower over there. I showed you how to use the water, right?"
"A shower??"
Nari asked in a loud voice. Her eyes went wide with surprise.
"You mean a shower in the stream?"
"No. We have water. You'll see when you get there."
"???"
Our guests would be staying until tomorrow.
If I was going to welcome them, I might as well go all the way.
Sending them back into the jungle this late would defeat the purpose of letting them stay.
Both Nari and Madam Lin Wei looked thoroughly satisfied after trying a soapy shower.
"I want to buy this place. I'll pay a fortune for it."
"It's not for sale."
"Haaah, even being able to dry my hair with wind is wonderful♡"
Nari had tried using a Wind Pocket as a hair dryer, and she shivered with happiness.
"You shouldn't sleep in those dirty clothes. I'll lend you something to change into."
With the Manager's kindness added to the mix, Nari and the madam were so fresh and clean that they hardly looked like the disheveled people they'd been before.
Wow. They look like completely different people after washing up.
"For sleeping, you can just spread out the bedding here…"
On the platform.
With five people, it might be a little cramped….
Well, compared to an old military training barracks, it shouldn't be too uncomfortable.
The problem was me.
Just thinking about sleeping among all these women, surrounded by their lovely scent, already had me…
"Mmm. Luka's bed space got smaller."
Luka was already pouting because her sleeping space had gotten cramped. Haha.
"Just put up with it for one night. There's nowhere else to lie down."
"Mhm."
Once the madam decided to be shameless, she was something else.
She wrapped herself in nothing but a bath towel, sat cross-legged on the platform, and casually started drying her hair.
Grrrgh.
I didn't want to admit it, but her figure and her face were both no joke.
She must be about the same age as Manager Han Jia───
I'd heard she wasn't even married.
Maybe she had a boyfriend. Or maybe there was a fifty-fifty chance she didn't?
I wondered if anyone could put up with that personality of hers.
If the madam herself didn't want a man, she probably wouldn't be dating anyone.
As I thought about it, the night grew deeper around us.
"Tonight's night watch will be…"
"I'll take first watch."
I raised my hand, having already called dibs on first watch.
"Ms. Seoyun. Could I take a night watch shift?"
Just then, Nari, who'd been listening to our conversation, volunteered for the watch.
"I've eaten, and I'm wide awake. If you let me, I'll do a good job."
Hmm. Nari seemed reliable. I thought we could trust her with it.
Seoyun looked at me and nodded.
"Then Nari can take first watch. Woojin, you can just go to sleep."
"Thank you, Nari."
And next?
Everyone's eyes naturally turned toward Lin Wei, but she kept her arms crossed as if to say, 'What? Decide amongst yourselves. It has nothing to do with me.'
Haha. This Madam really was something. I had to give her credit for staying the same even on a deserted island.
Seoyun sighed, looking a little annoyed by the madam's uncooperative attitude.
"All right, then. We need someone we can trust to take the watch so we can sleep soundly."
Seoyun openly took a jab at Lin Wei.
The social hierarchy from the outside world didn't work on her anymore, either.
"We'll follow the usual order for the rest. Luka, take the last shift, please."
"Mhm! Luka will wake everyone up in the morning. You can all count on me."
Tonight's watch schedule was set.
Eight hours total, with two hours per shift.
When it was time to sleep and darkness swallowed everything, I realized that the fence we'd built that morning hadn't been a waste of effort after all.
Even a little fence was better than nothing.
It gave us a different kind of peace of mind.
The sharp stakes the Assistant Manager had mentioned seemed dangerous, so I hadn't made them…
And the noise alarm would go off if an animal approached, so we'd at least taken some basic precautions.
"Hello, Woojin. What should I do while I'm on watch?"
Nari asked me, holding a small notepad.
"Keep an eye on the embers, and wake me if it seems like a wild animal is coming."
"Understood. Sleep well!"
"Okay."
I lay down on the platform and decided to practice sensing things primarily with detection magic, rather than relying on my five senses.
The point was to improve my accuracy with long-range magic even when my vision was limited.
Sight, smell, and touch were certainly important, but at night, sensing the flow of mana was more accurate than any of them.
To avoid mistaking things… I shut out my five senses.
I felt the mana flowing through the air.
I already had the knack for resting my awareness on that flow and making out shapes.
Once I got used to acting on the information this sense gave me, I wouldn't make the same mistake as before.
"Hmm…."
Good.
Just as I finished a little sensory practice and was about to sleep, I picked up the outline of a big ass nearby.
Huh?
I hadn't meant to pick up something this lewd with detection magic.
Such a thick, big, sexy ass.
Without realizing it, I used the flow of mana to feel my way over that ass, almost like I was molesting it, and made out its shape.
Whoa. That ass is fucking huge. And it's naked, too?
Is it Luka?
If she was sleeping half-naked, it had to be Luka. I wrapped my arms around that big ass out of habit and pulled it tight against me.
I rubbed my familiar butt against my hard cock. Ah~~ That feels good.
Twitch!
The ass twitched as if startled.
I could tell from the outline picked up by detection magic that it was bigger than Luka's.
These hips? Wait, is this the Manager's size?
The Manager was sleeping on the other side, so whose ass was this?
In the dark of night, with my vision limited, the massive ass in my arms belonged to Madam Lin Wei.