Part-1 Ch-05 Ep-03

 I had braced myself thinking it was a large animal, but what appeared instead was my childhood friend wearing a ghastly expression.

“Are you injured?”

Maki, who had pushed through the grass to reach us, said that as her very first words.

On her back was a huge backpack that looked meant for serious mountain climbing; in her right hand she held an outdoor machete, and in her left hand a rope.

I could imagine she had used the machete to slice through tall grass and branches, but wasn’t she just a little too thoroughly equipped?

I was honestly a bit taken aback by how fully prepared she was.

Though realistically, it was extremely helpful.

“...Could it be that you’re hurt somewhere? Does anything hurt?”

Since neither of us responded and simply stared at her in a daze, she began looking concerned.

That wasn’t it; both of us had just been struck silent by the shock of her appearance.

“I-I’m fine. I got some cuts and bruises from the branches and rocks, but they’re nothing more than scratches.”

“I see... I’m relieved there are no serious injuries... Ah, Asahina-kun, are you hurt too?”

“Just some scratches as well. The rest is thanks to Nagase protecting me.”

His words made me recall our exchange from earlier, and the absurdity of it suddenly hit me; Asahina-kun and I exchanged a look and burst into laughter.

Even though Maki’s arrival didn’t mean we were completely safe yet, the relief made all the tension drain from our shoulders.

“...........................I see. Both of you, come here for a moment so I can treat you properly.”

There was no time to ask what that long pause meant; Maki pulled a first-aid kit from her backpack and quickly dressed our wounds with practiced hands.

As expected from someone who had been treating my frequent childhood injuries, she was completely accustomed to basic first aid.

“By the way, I’m surprised the teachers let you come searching alone.”

“I didn’t get permission. I asked the kids in our group to go call a teacher and cover for me a little.”

““Huh?””

From what Maki told us, this is what happened.

After Asahina-kun and I slid down the mountain slope, Maki instructed the others in our group to go get a teacher. At the same time, she told them to report that “Nagase, Ichinose, and Asahina all slipped and fell,” and then she followed down afterward on her own.

Just what is this decisiveness Maki always shows in emergencies?

She is supposed to be the heroine, yet she didn’t get lost and the event didn’t trigger properly; was the game’s corrective force working in its own way to create a bond with Asahina-kun?

While I groaned and got lost in that thought, Maki pointed with her thumb over her shoulder toward the bushes and said, “Well then, it’s about time we head back.”

“I took a detour coming down, so it took some time, but I found a route with a relatively gentle slope that seems safe. I cleared the grass on the way so visibility is decent, and I tied ropes in several places; if we follow them while collecting the ropes, we can get back.”

Her words were so overwhelmingly reliable that both Asahina-kun and I were left speechless.

Isn’t this heroine just a little too competent?

She held out a hand right in front of me with a soft “here,” and I tilted my head, confused. “Eh?”

“If I let go, I don’t know where you’ll wander off to next. We’re holding hands.”

“Eh, me too?”

“...Ah, sorry. Asahina-kun, it would help if you could keep an eye on your own steps.”

I’m already fully occupied with this one, her tone seemed to imply. Asahina-kun replied, “Got it,” with a laugh, amused for some reason.

I glanced at him sideways and tried a weak protest: “B-but I’ll be fine now, really?” but I couldn’t win against my childhood friend’s silent pressure.

The hand she took was gripped so tightly it almost hurt.

When I wondered aloud if it would make walking difficult, she casually replied, “I could carry you in my arms if you prefer?” so I shut my mouth.

Given Maki’s current strength stat, she could probably do exactly that.

“I’ll walk behind you two. That way, if someone trips again, I’ll notice.”

Hearing that from Asahina-kun made me think he really is a kind person.

“Thank you,” Maki finally smiled as well, and the atmosphere eased.

“Come on, let’s really head back this time. It’s probably already turned into a big scene.”

The three of us exchanged looks and followed the path Maki had made.

After that, we encountered the teachers who had come to rescue us halfway down and were safely escorted back.

It seemed they had followed the ropes Maki tied to the trees to make their way down.

“You were supposed to have slid straight down, so how did you end up taking such a roundabout path...? And the ropes too...?”

They raised questions, but when Maki said, “We just happened to find ropes someone had set up earlier and followed them on a gamble to climb back up,” everyone somehow believed it.

It was quite, actually pretty, honestly very, a strained excuse, I think, but these were the words of a girl who normally enjoyed the teachers’ deep trust. Question marks filled the air, but everyone accepted it.

Or perhaps it was the game’s signature correction that overlooks inconsistencies related to events.

Asahina-kun also kept the details quiet for our sake.

“We’re like accomplices now, huh?”

He looked strangely pleased about it, and since it felt like a kind of bond had formed because of this, maybe it was all fine in the end.

And so, the incident was resolved.

Or so I would like to say, but for the rest of the field trip, Maki refused to leave my side more than ever, which left me a bit bewildered.