Ayanokoji X Himeno

7

- Do you need any help?

- Hm? I think that help would be more useful to yourself.

Himeno and I walked around the island and collected branches of brushwood for a fire. Ichinose asked us to gather as much combustible material as possible for a large bonfire, where we could roast a whole bunch of meat, as if we were at night gatherings in a summer camp. What a pity we don't have marshmallows with us.

In any case, Himeno had a lot of different dry branches in her hands, some of which didn't seem too light. I offered her my help, but she refused, arguing that I have much more in my hands. Well, I was only carrying twice as much brushwood, so it's not that much.

- Why are we doing this at all...

- I think it's because no one else wanted to do it.

In general, Himeno and I really had nothing to do, so Ichinose stuck to us, sending the two of us to gather dry twigs for a fire. I had already come to terms with this course of events, and Himeno still looked somewhat unhappy. I think it was because she was distracted from her evening nap.

By the way, it's really evening, and we're doing something as strange as picking branches. To be honest, we could have done without something like this, but for some reason all our classmates really wanted friendly gatherings around the campfire. We agreed to take up this case so that we would not be forced to participate in their joint activities.

To be honest, Himeno and I were quite comfortable together. You know, on the very first day at this school, I thought that if I couldn't find at least a few friends, then my whole school life and peaceful life would be doomed to eternal failures. Fortunately, I realized two things.

Firstly, you don't have to take several friends to make you feel comfortable in such a school society. Secondly, Himeno is my friend. She even mentioned it once in a conversation with someone else, after which I really felt like a real person.

Simply put, we were almost like two drops of water, but at the same time we were snowflakes, which is why we differed from each other. Although, it is worth saying that we still mostly communicate only with each other, because that is our comfort zone.

- As if we really wanted to carry firewood...

Himeno was almost hissing, indignant at what we were doing here. I would have liked to help her, but my hands were already almost completely occupied. I couldn't take over her branches now either.

By the way, for some reason it was getting darker and darker. It was evening, of course, but at this time of day in summer it was usually not so late that it was beginning to get dark. Simply put, these dark clouds hanging over us are rain clouds. Very interesting. I think we'd better go back to Class B camp.

- Himeno, I think it's time for us to go back.

- I see.

She nodded to me and sighed with some relief, dragging in her hands the previously fallen dry branches of trees that we will soon use to kindle a massive bonfire. Although did this bonfire make sense when the rain starts soon, which, apparently, will not pass quickly.

I had a desire to throw these branches on the ground in my hands and just go for a walk. But, unfortunately, I was my own worst enemy, so my own brain did not allow me to do something like that. Himeno, apparently, did not notice the weather change at all, so she did not stop her work, even having many complaints about the very essence of life.

*thunder*

- Huh??

- Hm.

Himeno and I noticed the thunder, which was heard from afar. Well, this meant that we had quite a little time before the rain and possible strengthening of the wind. It looked as if nature itself was urging us to get away from here.

- Is it raining?

- Yes.

A few drops of water had already fallen on my skin, so I confirmed my friend's idea without any doubt. She stared with her beautiful light purple eyes straight into the clouds above us. It seemed that Himeno wanted to destroy these clouds with her gaze.

But the rain only intensified, as if in this way responding to the displeased look of my friend. The branches in my hands were already partially soaked, so I let them go at once, dropping this now superfluous load to the ground. Seeing my actions, Himeno repeated after me.

- We shouldn't have done anything here at all.

Almost hissing this phrase, my friend headed towards our camp. After all, waiting out a downpour and a thunderstorm in an open area was not a good idea. And even the forest could not protect us from the rain with all the desire. There were only two options: either we go to our Class B and hide in tents, or we return to the cruise ship. The second option was a radical and extreme measure compared to the first.

- Himeno.

- Hm?

*shine*

Suddenly, a glitter full of bright white light flashed right over our heads. My eyes didn't even have time to recover before the sound of wood cracking reached my ears. My gaze immediately caught on a tree whose upper crown was on fire at the moment. In the next second, one of the branches of the tree broke away from the trunk and began to rapidly fall down.

- Huh?!

- Careful!

I abruptly stretched out my hand and grabbed Himeno by the waist. She didn't have time to say or do anything before I forced my body to move as fast as possible. My friend at that moment clung to me as if she could be blown away by the wind, but I didn't mind. Together with Himeno, I was able to quickly move away to the minimum safe distance from the place where the branch fell before this flaming thing could touch either of us.

- Ah??!!

- Are you okay?

I looked around and didn't notice anything unusual anymore. Only the rain was pouring down harder, because of which the fire on the tree was gradually extinguished, and our sports clothes were soaked with moisture.

- Yes...

Himeno nodded to me a little weakly and then I released her from my tight grip. Admittedly, she was quite light overall, and her waist and sides turned out to be very soft. It's really amazing. It seems that girls are really very gentle in every sense.

- Thanks.

Himeno nodded to me once more and stared at the tree branch that had almost collapsed right on her earlier. I wonder what she's thinking right now. For example, does she think that things could have happened differently? If so, then this is not such a useful train of thought at the moment. Right now, the two of us need to focus on the present.

- You're welcome.

Our clothes got wetter and wetter. My T-shirt was already completely sticking to my body, as was Himeno's sports jacket to her own body. Thanks to a similar climatic course on the part of nature, Himeno's chest has become more noticeable. Nature is really amazing.

- Maybe we should get back to camp as soon as possible.

- Yeah, I agree.

As a result, the two of us were in solidarity with each other regarding the fact that now it is better to retreat and give the winning place to the current weather. Yet all the way back we were accompanied by rain, lightning, thunderstorm and increased wind.

My only regret was that Himeno wasn't wearing a skirt right now that could have been lifted up by the wind. But in any case, such experiences can be left for another time.