Uninhabited island.

The island I was on was indeed an uninhabited island.

Of course, I hadn't done much exploring after waking up.

Even so, I could tell this place was an uninhabited island.

“…Ken? What is this place?”

“What the heck! Where am I! I could have sworn I fell asleep in the dormitory!”

“The sea? Is this a dream?”

“What the! Why am I wearing a swimsuit?”

I wasn’t the only one who had awakened on this island.

Emily, who discovered me and approached with a puzzled expression, and others started to wake up behind her.

They were students from my class.

But not the whole class.

Among the class members, it was the female students who woke up with me on the island.

“Hmm? There’s something strange appearing in front of my eyes. Hey, do you guys see anything like that?”

“Oh, Enzo!”

And alongside me, one of the two male students present.

Enzo Lothirix.

He stood up calmly from the sand, gazing into the air before addressing our classmates.

‘So, it's not just me seeing this.’

[ Survive for one week. ]

The others were muttering while looking at the air, wondering if they could see the familiar message window that I saw.

“A week?”

“What is this, an illusion magic?”

“To survive? Who did this! Who brought us here?”

The reason I could tell this was an uninhabited island was because of this message window.

As I opened my eyes, I found myself on a beach with crashing waves.

And there were my classmates who woke up with me.

This was an event that happened in the game when you used the Monkey Stele, an item that raises the affection levels of target characters.

'So, one of us must have used it.'

When the Monkey Stele is used, the people you want to increase affection with arrive on this island together.

And the affection levels rise as you survive on this island.

In the original game, you would move to the island with the strategy character alone.

But now, a lot more people have been transported to the island.

'No matter how I think about it, it must be that guy.'

I looked at Enzo, who was smiling nonchalantly as he soothed the girls.

'He’s been causing trouble since the beginning of the first year...'

He was a character who, driven by jealousy towards Adrian, tried to trap him but ended up being expelled instead.

The culprit had to be that guy if circumstances involved him.

“Hey, why don’t we move under those trees for some shade? The sun is blazing.”

“Oh, right! My skin already feels like it’s getting burnt.”

Amidst the chaos, his lead moved everyone into the shade of the nearby forest.

Even in this situation, showing such composure made it clear he was behind this.

“Enzo, you’re so reliable.”

“Oh, I just wanted you all to calm down, that’s all.”

Seeing this as an opportunity, he eagerly tried to impress the girls.

Honestly, it was hard to endure watching that scene. Mainly due to the sense of discomfort it gave me.

“Ugh…”

It seemed Emily felt the same way. She, too, grimaced while walking near me.

"...What's wrong?”

I glanced at Emily’s face and met her eyes. She then relaxed her frown and quietly asked me back.

“Aren’t you going to the shade, Emily?”

“Yeah, the sun is scorching hot.”

Currently, the only ones who didn't follow Enzo to the shade under the trees were Emily and me.

“That spot over there seems spacious. Come on, let's go.”

Emily naturally took hold of my arm. Then, she led us toward a different broad patch of shade, separate from where Enzo and the other female students had gathered.

“Emily! What about coming over here instead of staying there?”

Seeing that Emily didn’t join their group, Enzo called out to her loudly. In response, Emily clicked her tongue, ensuring only I could hear it.

“No thanks, it’s perfectly fine here for me.”

She replied coldly to him. Even from afar, I could see Enzo’s expression stiffen.

'...Could it be that Enzo is interested in Emily?'

Now that I think about it, perhaps the reason he didn’t get along with Adrian was because Adrian was close to Emily.

He oddly interacted with Emily, the main character.

“Oh, I want to head that way too!”

“Me too, me too!”

“Doesn’t that spot look spacious?”

As Emily and I took shelter in a different shade, the female students from Enzo’s side started flocking over to our spot.

This left Enzo standing awkwardly alone in the other shade.

"Hey, wait a minute! It's getting crowded because you guys came over!"

"What's the big deal, Emily~ It's nice and comforting to be together."

"Ken~ I'm scared~"

"Wow, Ken, your muscles are amazing…"

"I know! You practice swordsmanship with a senior every morning, don't you?"

Meanwhile, this side had become quite noisy.

The hot uninhabited island felt even warmer with more people gathering around.

'That side seems to be lively in its own way too.'

Enzo was glaring at me with burning eyes.

Aha, I think I roughly understand how the situation is unfolding.

My current situation is similar to Adrian in the first semester of the first year.

Since my appearance changed, I've started getting a lot of attention from the female students, which made Enzo jealous.

He used the Monkey Stele to draw the girls' attention to himself.

He must have recklessly bought it from the dark shop to grant his wish.

'Honestly, I'd be glad if he just took all their attention since it's a bother for me.'

I need to assess the situation and make a plan to survive for a week, but it's hard to concentrate with the girls constantly talking to me.

And before I knew it, Enzo had joined us in this shade as well.

'I can see right through these simple tricks.'

Is it the unavoidable simplicity of an extra character's setup?

...Ah, I’m an extra too.

In a way, complaining about being a supporting character might be like spitting while lying down.

'Anyway, let's get moving.'

"Hey, while everyone is resting, I think I'll take a walk around the forest for a bit."

I said, raising my hand as I looked at the noisy girls and Enzo.

Upon hearing that, Enzo's face brightened.

"Ah, then please do! Take your time!"

He really is a simple guy.

He probably summoned this event to win the girls' favor and tarnish my reputation. Yet, as the female students continue to flock around, he must have hoped I’d just leave.

Thanks to that, I could leave without much interrogation.

"Th-Then I'll come with you!"

As I got up, Emily who was next to me held onto me and followed along.

'I didn't expect her to come along.'

The others refused to leave due to the scorching heat and intense sunlight. However, Emily was the only one who decided to come with me.

'We aren't on the best terms right now.'

She no longer remembers the memories we've shared. Therefore, the only memories she has of me are from when she used to bully me.

"You could just rest, you know."

"What are you talking about? Who knows what dangers there might be! I'll help too."

Her nagging reminded me of when we traveled to the Tower. Just like back then, Emily often scolded me whenever I tried to do something risky, always focusing on safety as the party's healer.

'She may not have those memories, but it seems the feelings remain.'

It's similar to what happened with Raphne. The memories are gone, yet the emotions from that time linger. Maybe that's why, despite only having memories of tormenting me, she still acts friendly toward me. It's a bit awkward, though.

"Firewood?"

"Yeah, we're told to survive for a week. It’ll get cold at night."

"Will it be cold when it's this hot?"

"On this kind of island, the temperature swings are extreme. It gets quite cold at night. And we'll need a light source too."

I was looking for enough firewood to last us through just tonight.

But not just any tree; it had to be a bizarre tree with blue sap.

"...It feels like it might be dangerous to burn this color."

"So, is that why you're picking it?"

There is a reason.

After gathering the firewood to my target amount, I returned to the group.

'I really miss having a Subspace Pocket.'

Normally, I would have stored the firewood in the Subspace Pocket, avoiding the need to carry it by hand.

Currently, we're in swimwear.

So, no Subspace Pocket with us.

"...Why, why are you looking at me like that."

"Oh, I'm, I'm sorry."

Suddenly realizing we were in swimwear, I looked over at Emily.

She wore a white bikini.

Naturally, much of Emily's body was exposed due to the minimal fabric.

I couldn't help but glance at her well-proportioned figure.

'There really isn't a good place to rest my eyes.'

My face felt slightly warm with embarrassment.

I hadn't noticed under her usual school uniform, but Emily's figure was indeed impressive, fitting for a main character.

She could easily be a swimsuit model, with no extra fat and curves in all the right places.

"As there's nothing we can do, I won't get angry if you look... a bit."

While we carried the firewood, Emily coyly said.

"...What?"

I was so surprised by her words that I kept walking with a dumbfounded expression.

Thunk.

Her shoulder bumped into mine.

It felt strangely like we were walking quite close to each other.

Is Emily deliberately walking closer to me?

"By the way."

Amidst the awkward silence as we walked, Emily was the first to speak up.

"I heard Mary confessed to you."

“How, how do you know that?!”

I nearly dropped the firewood in shock at her unexpected comment.

More importantly, how does she know about that?!

"I heard it directly from Mary."

"You two are close, huh…"

"Pfft, doesn’t it seem odd? Even I find calling Mary my friend a bit awkward."

It seemed the two had gotten closer somehow.

Just a few days ago, whenever the topic of the exams came up, they would glare at each other.

Come to think of it, recently they seemed to greet and chat with each other when they came to class.

"...So, what are you going to do?"

"What, about what?"

"About the confession, obviously. Your response."

“……”

She seemed genuinely curious about that part.

Or maybe she just brought it up because there wasn't much else to talk about.

Girls do like to have conversations like this.

"...I’m not sure."

I turned my head slightly and answered softly.

I really wasn’t sure.

That’s how I feel right now.

'Because I have feelings for Raphne...'

Raphne had confessed to me as well.

Though it had become a thing of the past due to events changing, Raphne still remembers, and that fact hasn’t changed.

I heard that Raphne liked me long before Mary confessed to me recently.

I thought Raphne was the only woman in the world who would like me.

Of course, even if that wasn't the case, Raphne is still special to me.

...But that doesn't mean the feelings I have for Mary aren't special either.

So recently, I’ve been confused.

I really don’t know what to do.

"Then let me change the question, how many people are you planning to marry?"

"...What?"

"Marriage, I mean. Not that dating means you have to be with everyone you see... Do you have a number in mind?"

"No, it's not that."

Marriage.

How many people am I going to marry?

I couldn't follow this train of thought at all; it clashed completely with my common sense.

I pondered if there was some hidden meaning to her words.

"Though it's uncommon, there are some men who are married to several women."

Emily's blushing response made me realize there was no hidden meaning; she was speaking literally.

‘Is this a world where polygamy is okay?’

Given the fantasy setting, it's not too strange, but I hadn't considered it at all.

"Well, of course you'd be called a scoundrel for marrying multiple people... But if your partner is okay with it, I think it’s fine."

It seems she has a more relaxed view, almost like an older generation's perspective on marriage.

So being called a scoundrel is where it ends.

What a happy world.

"So, Ken, how many?"

I felt Emily’s eyes glancing at me.

"I've never thought about it like that. I always assumed just one."

"R-right? That's usually the case..."

After that, we walked through the forest quietly again.

Somehow, the atmosphere felt more awkward than before we talked.

Then once more,

Emily spoke softly.

"...Still, just think about it."

"Marriage?"

"Yes. You never know."

━Da-da-da-da.

Emily quickly moved ahead of me, turned around, and faced me with a bashful expression.

"You never know if several women will appear, swearing they'd rather die than not live with you."

When I looked at her blankly, Emily gave a playful smile and then hurriedly turned around and ran ahead.

We were almost at the edge of the forest, so she immediately joined the others and began greeting them.

'...Marriage.'

So having more than one is possible.

'...But isn’t that kind of wrong?'

It feels really morally questionable from a modern standpoint.

However, Raphne and Mary were smiling.

Then I imagined one of them looking tearful.

'Do I have to live like a jerk?'

Suddenly, my gaze shifted.

Towards Emily, who was smiling and chatting with friends.

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