"Natsuki-kun... Do you keep your word?"
Tsubame asked softly, her pretty face flushed.
"Hmm?"
Natsuki was slightly startled, and quickly understood what Tsubame was talking about.
When he left in the morning, he had joked that if he wanted his daughter to drink milk, Tsubame would have to make a sacrifice. Tsubame had clearly taken it seriously.
"Of course I keep my word." Natsuki's expression became serious, and he raised his right hand, saying, "Tsubame knows how cute she is, right?"
"Eh?"
Tsubame looked up in confusion, not understanding why his thoughts had jumped so much.
Natsuki said softly:
"As one of the three great beauties of the academy, known as the 'Swan of the Third Year,' everyone in the school, including the teachers, likes Tsubame. If the person stranded on a deserted island with Tsubame wasn't me, but someone else, what do you think would happen?"
"Eh..."
Tsubame's face changed slightly, and she couldn't help but become nervous.
As a third year, she had many friends and had been exposed to a lot of knowledge. She wasn't a pure girl like Shoko, untainted by the world. She actually knew the wickedness of human nature very well.
If the boy stranded on the deserted island with them wasn't Natsuki, but some other fierce man... everyone would probably have been played with and violated already, right?
Tsubame shivered and quickly drove the terrifying fantasy out of her mind.
If humans were not bound by laws and morals, they would most likely expose their inherent evil.
"So Senpai can completely trust me." Natsuki pointed to himself, bragging, "Although I super like Senpai, I've always restrained myself. The previous kisses and hugs were also with Senpai's consent, right?"
Tsubame: "..."
I didn't agree to you!
You were clearly threatening and enticing me!
However... compared to that, Natsuki, although still very excessive, indeed didn't use violence to coerce others, and it wasn't to the point of being annoying.
"Tsubame just needs to actively kiss me for a while." Natsuki continued shamelessly, "It won't be long, just ten minutes, and I'll give you the milk."
"Ten, ten minutes?" Tsubame's beautiful eyes widened, her pretty face quickly flushed, "You still say it's not long?!"
They weren't even in a relationship, yet kissing someone for ten minutes was too promiscuous and indecent!
"No! No, no, no!" Tsubame shook her head like a rattle drum, her pretty face crimson, "Ten minutes is too long, how could I possibly agree to you!"
Natsuki spread his hands and said, "Then, seeing how much I like Tsubame-senpai, we can make it shorter, just nine minutes."
"Nine minutes is still too long!" Tsubame bit her silver teeth, her pretty face flushed, and she stammered, "At most, at most three minutes!"
"Three minutes is too short." Natsuki shook his head. "At least eight minutes."
Tsubame: "No way, five minutes at most!"
Natsuki smiled and said, "Very well, it's a deal."
Tsubame: "..."
Seeing the joyful smile on Natsuki's face, Tsubame immediately realized she had been tricked, and her cheeks puffed out involuntarily.
Too much!
Absolutely too much!
Natsuki-kun never intended for ten minutes from the start; he was just exaggerating on purpose to leave room for negotiation!
She was too foolish; she didn't realize at all... Five minutes definitely wasn't the bottom line!
"I changed my mind!" Tsubame puffed out her cheeks. "I'm going back!"
Natsuki grabbed Tsubame's wrist and pulled her into his embrace, lowering his voice as he said, "Senpai can leave, but please pay the penalty for breach of contract first."
"Eh?" Tsubame was startled. "What's that?"
"I extended an offer to Tsubame-senpai, and Tsubame-senpai just gave her promise. Based on the true intentions expressed by both parties, it means a contract has been formed." Natsuki said earnestly, "If Tsubame-senpai unilaterally tears up the contract, of course she has to pay the penalty for breach of contract. This is only natural."
"..."
Tsubame felt something was off, but it also sounded like that was indeed the case.
While she was hesitating, Natsuki continued to lower his voice and said, "Aoi-chan must still be waiting for Tsubame-senpai to go back, right?"
"If you go back empty-handed like this, Aoi-chan will definitely be disappointed."
"Tsubame-senpai, you don't want Aoi-chan to be disappointed, do you?"
"..."
While Tsubame was conflicted and hesitant, Natsuki decisively moved in, capturing Tsubame's soft, rosy lips.
"Mmm..."
Tsubame's long eyelashes fluttered nervously, and she quickly closed her eyes.
She remembered what was wrong!
A contract made by taking advantage of someone could be revoked; she didn't have to pay a penalty for breach of contract!
However... they had already kissed.
For Aoi-chan's milk, hold on!
Tsubame was very resistant at first, unwilling to take the initiative, but after a short while, as her brain became lightheaded from lack of oxygen, she involuntarily stretched out her arms and wrapped them around Natsuki's neck.
It was clearly a malicious act of taking advantage of someone, but for some reason, she couldn't hate it at all.
The two embraced tightly outside the dark cave. Natsuki's heartbeat, the warmth of his skin, and his scent—Tsubame not only couldn't hate them, but in fact... she liked them all very much.
Five minutes later.
Natsuki kept his promise, took out the milk, and handed it to Tsubame.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Tsubame was breathing rapidly, her chest heaving. She quickly wiped the corner of her lips clean, glared at Natsuki in embarrassment, and turned to go back into the cave.
"Tsubame-senpai, wait a moment." Natsuki reached out and grabbed Tsubame's hand.
"You, what are you doing?"
Tsubame immediately became nervous, somewhat worried that Natsuki would lose control of his lewd desires and want to turn into a werewolf at this moment to devour her completely.
Kissing was barely acceptable, but being devoured completely was absolutely not!
"It's about the mushroom..."
Natsuki quickly explained about planting the mushroom.
"Eh?" Tsubame blinked, and quickly understood, "Natsuki-kun called me out just now to talk about this?"
Natsuki nodded and said, "That's right."
Tsubame immediately bit her lip, a look of annoyance appearing on her pretty face:
"Then, then you actually still..."
"Planting the mushroom is planting the mushroom, and milk is milk; the two cannot be confused." Natsuki reached out and stroked Tsubame's small head, then sighed regretfully, "After Tsubame awakens tomorrow morning, I won't be able to take advantage of her anymore."
Tsubame's pretty face tensed:
"It better be!"
"..."
Carefully hiding the milk, the two returned to the cave.
Tsubame had intended to call Aoi-chan out to drink the milk, as bringing the milk back into the cave was not suitable—in a team, it's not hardship that's feared, but inequality. Milk isn't water; if only Aoi-chan drank it, others might have opinions, and it would be hard to explain why she could get milk from Natsuki-kun.
"Aoi-chan, come out for a moment... Eh, eh, eh?!"
Looking at Aoi-chan sitting by the fire, holding a box of white liquid in her hands, Tsubame's eyes widened in disbelief.
What, what was that?
Why did Aoi-chan have milk in her hand?
"President, Tsubame-senpai, you're back." Chika waved and said, "Come quickly and drink milk. I just checked the backpack and found a lot of milk stored inside, exactly one bottle per person."
Tsubame: "..."
The ups and downs of life came so quickly that Tsubame felt completely out of sorts.
Chika was so rich and generous, giving everyone a bottle of milk with a wave of her hand, so what did her sacrifice just now count for?
Tsubame bit her lip tightly and turned to look at Natsuki.
"I swear, calling Tsubame-senpai out was only for planting the mushroom; I really didn't know Chika was going to give everyone milk." Natsuki decisively raised his right hand and swore, "If I deceive Tsubame, then may I never be able to kiss Tsubame again for the rest of my life."
"Hmph~"
Tsubame took a deep breath and subconsciously chose to trust him.
Drinking milk.
Eating crabs.
Roasting by the bonfire.
As the girls gradually awakened, the living standards of their island survival also began to rise.
After eating and drinking their fill, it was time for rest and night watch, as usual.
In short, it was an uneventful night.
The next day.
When the faint morning light appeared outside the cave, Natsuki came to Tsubame and gently woke her up.
Unlike Chika, Tsubame was a light sleeper and quite alert; just a gentle pat was enough to quickly wake her up.
"Natsuki-kun...?"
Tsubame lowered her voice and cast a questioning gaze.
Natsuki said softly, "You can awaken now. Let's go outside and not disturb others."
Tsubame hesitated slightly, then nodded gently in agreement.
After all, during previous awakenings, Kaguya, Yukino, and Chika all left the cave; she wasn't the only one.
The two quietly walked out of the cave.
It was still the same spot as yesterday.
"Natsuki-kun, what exactly do I need to do?"
Tsubame held her skirt, maintaining a distance of two steps from Natsuki, and asked in a low voice.
"Tsubame-senpai can just come and sit down, so you don't fall later." Natsuki said softly, "Don't worry, Tsubame-senpai's awakening process will be very easy."
Because everyone's original sin does not easily fluctuate.
For example, Kaguya and Yukino, both of whom have lewd as their original sin; even if they plant the mushroom ten times, only once or twice will other original sin mushrooms grow.
And Tsubame's original sin mushroom was the same as usual.
The Sloth mushroom.
As long as she wasn't lying in a bathtub or at a fire scene, there was basically no danger; a moment of 'Salted Fish' lying down would satisfy the original sin.
In a sense, the original sin of sloth was the most worry-free.
The reason he called Tsubame out of the cave was because everyone else would wake up soon, and if Tsubame was the only one lying stiffly on the ground, it might scare his adopted daughter.
"Very easy?" Tsubame pursed her lips and asked curiously, "What kind of original sin mushroom attributes do Kaguya-san and the others have?"
"This is content that cannot be disclosed without payment." Natsuki said seriously, "If Tsubame-senpai wants to know, she must pay, and the cost far exceeds yesterday's five minutes, because once it's spoken, it could very likely lead to life-threatening danger."
"Then don't say it." Tsubame snorted lightly, clenching her fists, and assuming a posture of readiness, "Let's start quickly."
Natsuki nodded, raised his right hand, and snapped his fingers.
Snap.
A few seconds later.
An indescribable original sin of sloth instantly swept through Tsubame's entire body.
"Mmm..."
Tsubame's body instantly went limp; she couldn't even sit steadily and simply fell directly into Natsuki's arms.
So tired.
Her body was so tired.
Not just her body, but her soul too.
The 'Salted Fish' power of sloth swept through her body and soul. Tsubame even felt too lazy to think, with only one thought in her mind:
A 'Salted Fish' life was actually so joyful.
No need to think.
No need to strive.
No need to consider interpersonal relationships.
If only she could photosynthesize, then she wouldn't even need to eat, and could completely lie flat until the end of time...
Under the original sin of sloth, Tsubame at this moment became the laziest person in the world; even if flames truly reached her eyebrows, she wouldn't be willing to get up.
Natsuki immediately embraced Tsubame to prevent her from falling to the ground, and looked down at her, saying, "Tsubame-senpai, you've awakened, right?"
"..."
Tsubame didn't answer, only blinked slightly.
A true 'Salted Fish' girl was too lazy to even waste energy speaking.
"Just wake up." Natsuki patted Tsubame on the head. "Now you just need to lie down for a while, and you can return to normal. Speaking of which, I really want some salted fish mushroom too."
"..."
Tsubame still didn't respond. Besides her body's instinctive breathing fluctuations, she truly didn't want to say a single word.
Salted fish mushroom, super happy.
You just need to transform into a salted fish and lie down for a moment to successfully awaken. There's nothing more comfortable than that.
Tsubame's mind was blank as she stared blankly at the sky. Suddenly, she saw an insect fall from a tree above them, dropping straight onto her neck, then crawling inwards along her neck.
"Ugh——!!"
Tsubame's beautiful eyes instantly widened, and her body trembled slightly.
The Sloth mushroom only turns people into salted fish; it doesn't seal off one's five senses.
Rather, when one becomes a salted fish and can't move, the feeling of an insect crawling on one's body becomes even stronger, making one so uncomfortable that they question life itself.
But at this moment, she was a salted fish, her entire body in a state of paralysis. She couldn't even lift her arms, let alone catch an insect.
"Tsubame, what's wrong?"
Natsuki was doing his morning warm-up nearby. After noticing Tsubame's abnormality, he quickly walked over.
"Bug, bug…"
Tsubame used all her strength to barely open her mouth and speak.
"Bug… A bug fell on Tsubame?" Natsuki quickly understood. "Where is the bug?"
"It's, it's…"
"Forget it, Tsubame, you'd better not speak." Natsuki reached out to stop her. "I'll ask, and you answer. Is the bug on top or below? If it's on top, blink your left eye. If it's below, blink your right eye."
Tsubame blinked her left eye.
"Should I help Tsubame catch the bug?" Natsuki asked again. "If Tsubame agrees, just blink your eyes."
Tsubame blinked her eyes again.
"Leave it to me."
Natsuki quickly accepted the task. He sat down beside Tsubame, gently pulled her onto his lap, and then began to catch the bug.
"It seems the Sloth mushroom also has its downsides. You can't even catch bugs yourself… If there was a fire right now, Tsubame wouldn't even be willing to run, would she?"
Natsuki complained while extending his right hand, probing under Tsubame's shirt hem.
So smooth.
The sensation of smooth, delicate skin instantly returned from his fingertips.
Even after several days of sea bathing and without any skincare products, her skin could still be so smooth and delicate. You all must have 'I think therefore I am' powers!
Facing Natsuki's exploration, Tsubame's body merely trembled slightly, and then there was no further movement.
No way.
In her salted fish state, she needed help just to turn over, let alone jump up and hit someone with her tail.
"Don't panic, Tsubame." Natsuki said seriously. "I'll catch that bug as quickly as possible… So, is the bug in front or behind?"
"Blink your left eye for front, blink your right eye for back."
Tsubame hesitated for two seconds, then blinked her left eye.
"Received."
Natsuki had a serious expression. His right hand began to probe along the edge of Tsubame's shirt, the area shrinking continuously. He figured he could catch the bug very soon.
However, he didn't find the bug. Instead, a distinct, delicate sensation was the first to feedback from his fingertips.
"This is… Tsubame's ab line."
This Tsubame had practiced dance since childhood, winning numerous awards. Now, she was also the president of the new Gymnastics Club. It could be said that she hadn't skipped a single day of training. She was the only girl with an ab line.
No wonder girls like boys' abs. Natsuki stated that he also really liked girls' ab lines; they felt quite comfortable.
Without lingering too long, Natsuki continued to climb upwards. Catching the bug was more important now.
A moment later.
Natsuki quickly crossed the plains and, at the end of the plains, was blocked by the girl's grandeur.
"No bug found." Natsuki said seriously. "It seems the bug is still higher up, Tsubame. Do you want me to continue helping?"
"..."
"Not speaking means you've agreed."
Tsubame: "…I can't speak at all right now!"
However, at a time like this, she could only ask Natsuki-kun for help. The feeling of the bug crawling around was too awful; she didn't want to endure it for even a second.
Natsuki continued his climb, appreciating the beauty of the famous mountains and rivers, experiencing the joy of traversing the vastness like a mud ball.
Soon after, his fingertips finally touched where the bug was.
"Got you."
Natsuki acted decisively, directly pinching the bug.
"Ugh…"
Tsubame's body trembled slightly, and a look of vexation appeared on her pretty face.
Natsuki pulled out his hand. On his fingertips was an insect similar to a ladybug, but it was a size larger and pink in color. Its touch was not hard, but rather soft with elasticity… In short, it was quite strange.
Thwack.
Natsuki casually tossed away the bug from Tsubame's body.
"Tsubame, I didn't let you down. The bug has been caught." Natsuki looked down at Tsubame and quickly noticed that Tsubame's expression was off. He asked, confused, "Does Tsubame still have a bug on her?"
"If there's a bug, blink your left eye. If there's no bug, blink your right eye."
Tsubame blinked her right eye.
"No bug?" Natsuki quickly thought of a possibility and slightly raised his eyebrows. "Could it be that you were bitten by a bug?"
Tsubame blinked her left eye, indicating affirmation.
"She really was bitten by a bug." Natsuki frowned. "Most of the bugs in the shipwreck version are poisonous. Yukino was also bitten by a poisonous bug before; it was quite dangerous… No, I need to help Tsubame check her body."
Natsuki finished speaking and decisively began to unbutton Tsubame's shirt.
"Wait, wait a moment…"
Tsubame's pretty face flushed red. She wanted to refuse, but unfortunately, in her salted fish state, she couldn't even speak the words.
A moment later.
"The situation is very serious." Natsuki said with a solemn expression, not averting his gaze, as if he were a doctor with no gender in his eyes. "There's already bleeding. Tsubame, do you feel any numbness?"
Tsubame: "..."
"Since you're not speaking, then that means you do." Natsuki lowered his voice and said, "Although there are antidotes, it's best to use them as little as possible. We'll also be on this Island for quite some time… So, I've decided to wash out the poisoned blood."
"Eh? Eh? Eh?"
Tsubame's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.
Suck, suck it out… What is Natsuki-kun talking about!
That's clearly a misleading act from movies!
"Tsubame, if you're scared, just close your eyes." Natsuki said seriously. "I'll help you examine your body."
I'm not scared at all!
Aside from some pain, the wound isn't numb at all!
I'm more scared of you right now!
Unfortunately, the Sin of Sloth had not yet dissipated. Tsubame, let alone refusing, didn't even have the strength to speak. She could only be like a salted fish, allowing Natsuki to do as he pleased.
Natsuki patiently coaxed her:
"As long as you close your eyes, you can pretend nothing happened."
Something already happened, how can I pretend it didn't!
Tsubame wanted to bite him, but she couldn't.
At this moment, the only part of her body that could still move seemed to be her eyes.
Left with no choice.
Tsubame could only let her eyelashes tremble slightly and close her eyes in a panic.
Anyway, she was a salted fish now and couldn't resist, so she could only accept it…
"Very good." Looking at Tsubame, who obediently closed her eyes, Natsuki couldn't help but smile. "The physical examination officially begins now."
"..."
A moment later.
Tsubame's physical examination finally came to an end.
Natsuki raised his head, wiped the corner of his mouth, and then exhaled lightly:
"Don't worry, Tsubame, there are no more problems."
Tsubame kept her eyes tightly shut, completely turning into a salted fish ostrich. As long as she didn't open her eyes, she could pretend nothing had happened. However, Tsubame's crimson face and rapid breathing proved that she hadn't truly managed to deceive herself.
"The Sin time should be running out." Natsuki asked again, "Tsubame, do you want me to help you put on your clothes?"
"..."
Tsubame kept her eyes tightly shut, continuing to play ostrich.
Natsuki smiled and said:
"Since you're not speaking, I'll take it as Tsubame agreeing."
And then… Tsubame regretted it.
Liar!
Big liar!
What about helping her put on clothes?
What he said and what he did were completely different things!
After another moment, the Sin of Sloth finally dissipated completely. Tsubame finally regained control of her body, quickly sat up, both shy and angry, and bit Natsuki's wrist.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch." Natsuki pleaded, "Tsubame, please be merciful."
"Pfft!"
Tsubame lightly spat, and angrily shouted, "Natsuki-kun, commit seppuku!"