Segawa seemed depressed for the rest of the day. Torako felt sorry for her, but she did think that she should at least be allowed to kiss her own boyfriend.
"Hey, Saki... What happened?" Shigeno asked, nudging her friend when she noticed she wasn't eating.
"..." Segawa just stared at her bowl of stew. Her eyes were still a little raw from crying.
"..." Matsumoto, Shigeno, Kurusu-sensei and Torako were concerned.
"What's wrong, Segawa-san?" Kurusu-sensei asked.
"... I'm not hungry," Segawa said. She set her bowl down and walked away.
"She really should eat..." Kurusu-sensei said, worried.
"I'll go get her back," Shigeno said, and she got up and went after her.
"... Did something happen with Segawa-san?" Kurusu-sensei asked Yarai and Torako.
"I... I, uh, think she received a shock..." Torako said.
"A shock?" Matsumoto asked.
"... She wouldn't leave us alone, so I kissed Tora in front of her," Yarai said.
"Huh?" Kurusu-sensei said.
"Is that all? Saki's tougher than that..." Matsumoto said.
"I told her I didn't care if she was watching anymore," Yarai said.
"Oh..." Kurusu-sensei said. 'I see... She lost her ability to stop them...'
"I see..." Matsumoto said, holding her chin. She had come to the same conclusion as Kurusu-sensei. "That would probably do it..."
"We should finish eating so she can come back..." Torako said to Yarai. They only had a little left, so they finished their stew and left the others. They passed Segawa and Shigeno as they were coming back. Segawa kept her head bowed and ran past them.
"Hmm... It' might've been a little too effective..." Yarai said, watching her.
"I hope she's going to be all right..." Torako said.
"... Do you think I shouldn't have done it?" Yarai asked.
"Well... we needed to draw the line somewhere..." Torako said. "Maybe she'll give us a little privacy now..."
"Speaking of privacy..." Yarai said. He led her back to their shelter. He held the leaf flap aside so she could enter first then followed her in. "There's something I want to ask you," he said once they were both seated. He looked incredibly serious.
"What is it?" Torako asked, hoping something wasn't wrong.
"... Can I touch your chest?" Yarai asked.
"... Huh?" Torako said, taken aback. "W-Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"
"It's not 'all of a sudden'," Yarai said. "I've been wanting to ask you for a while now, but Segawa never left us alone, and I knew you wouldn't want me doing something like that while we were someplace anyone might have stumbled upon us. I'd at least like to do that much before they separate us..."
"... But... I don't think there's really anything to touch?" Torako said.
"That doesn't stop me from wanting to try," Yarai said.
"..." Torako thought about it and blushed. "A-All right..." she agreed. Yarai began unbuttoning her sweater. "W-Why are you taking off my sweater?"
"It's in the way," Yarai said. "Don't worry, I'm not asking you to take you shirt off." 'Yet...'
"Oh... okay..." Torako said, relieved.
"Is your bra wired?" Yarai asked.
"Huh?" Torako said, taken aback again. "N-No..."
"That should be fine then..." Yarai said.
'Fine for what...?' Torako wondered. Yarai moved her sweater off her shoulders and slid it down her arms until her chest was exposed. He held his large hands up in front of her and gently placed them on her chest. Torako's cheeks turned redder. For a moment they just sat there like that.
"S-See? There's nothing..." she started to say, when he began rubbing circles around her small breasts. "... W-What are you doing?"
"Massaging them," Yarai said.
"Massa—!?" Torako said, surprised. He cheeks turned redder. "W-Why!?"
"Studies show that massaging breasts can help prevent breast cancer, treat stress, and make them grow bigger," Yarai said.
'D-Do I even want to know how he knows that...?' Torako wondered. And he knew about all that other stuff that he had wanted to 'teach' her, too... How was he so knowledgable about such things? "I-I see... So you want a girlfriend with larger breasts...?" she asked, looking down.
"I want an excuse to keep touching you," Yarai said.
"Y-You don't really need one..." Torako said, turning bright red. As she got over her embarrassment, she noticed another sensation.
"Does it feel good?" Yarai asked.
"Y-Yes..." she said, turning red again. Yarai smiled slyly.
"I'll keep doing it, then."
Meanwhile, Segawa had no clue what they were up to and was starting to feel better. She ate her stew without complaint.
"Are you all right now, Segawa-san?" Kurusu-sensei asked.
"... I guess so..." Segawa said. The others exchanged concerned looks while she ate quietly and slowly. When Segawa had finished, they returned to their shelter. Segawa entered first and saw Yarai and Torako were sat facing each other. They were gazing lovingly at each other, and he was stroking her pink cheek. It was only a fleeting glance, because they stopped and looked toward the door when she entered, but it was seared into Segawa's mind. She gritted her teeth and threw herself down on her bed with her back to them, determined not to cry. Then it occurred to her that Torako's sweater had been off, which was unusual. 'No, no! Don't think about it!' she told herself. She couldn't take it if Yarai had put his hand up Torako's shirt or something like that.
'It's a good thing they took their time, and she didn't see what we were up to only a few minutes before they arrived...' Torako thought, watching Segawa's tense back with pity. 'If just seeing us kiss made her that miserable...' Although, she would miserable, too, if she had seen Yarai do that with someone else...
—∞—
"It's finished..." Akira said as they all stared at the first completed cabin in the light of the setting sun. About thirteen weeks had passed since they had started its construction, and it was finally ready.
"I guess we'll be moving in today..." Kurusu-sensei said to the girls in her group.
"I guess we'll be rooming together again," Shigeno said to Mami.
"I guess so," Mami said, smiling.
"..." Yarai looked down at Torako. It seemed like only a short while had passed since he got Segawa to back off, and he and Torako had gained as much privacy as they could when sharing with four other people. Now they were going to lose that again. She was going into the cabin with the others, and he, Akira, Suzuki, Mariya, and Miina were going to share a shelter from that point on, so they could clear away the other shelters that would no longer be used.
"..." Torako looked up at her boyfriend and smiled reassuringly. She was sure they'd find ways to be together. Yarai smiled back. He wasn't going to let a thing like this get in their way.
"How come they get to share with Miina-chan!?" Heero was muttering, staring hard with Duo and Quatre at the backs of Yarai and the other guys.
"Yeah, you would think they'd put the two Miinas together!" Quatre said.
"..." Yarai wondered if they new Miina was actually a boy. It seemed not. Well, they would probably find out when the second cabin was finished, and Miina moved in with them as a guy.
"All right! Let's move in!" Oomori said. "Does anyone need any help with that?" Kurusu-sensei looked at her group.
"I think we're all good," Kurusu-sensei said.
"Yeah, none of us have that many possessions, so..." Rion said.
"I guess that's true," Oomori said. All the new inhabitants of the first cabin went to their shelters one last time to get their things packed up and bring them to their new home. They all got settled in. Raised bed frames stuffed with leaves had been put inside, and there were some shelves on the walls, but space had been left so they could add more furniture in later if they wanted. Getting the cabins up seemed to be a much bigger priority that furnishing them.
"This is nice," Rion said, looking around. "We have enough windows for good ventilation, and they have shutters, so we can keep perverts like Suzuki from peeking in..."
"If he did, he'd regret it!" Miyauchi said.
"Big time," Tokiwa agreed.
"Yeah, you two are part of the vigilante corps, after all," Shingeno said. "It'd be an instant arrest."
"We've decided the punishment for enemies against women is 'death'," Tokiwa said.
"Death?" Rion said.
"Or something very close to it," Miyauchi said.
"I'm also glad that there's a real door that we can lock..." Mami said.
"Did you foresee some trouble?" Rei asked.
"No, but... Suzuki-san..." Mami said.
"He really is a problem child, isn't he?" Oomori said.
"I don't know what Kashiwagi-san sees in him..." the vice president said.
"I think she'd be better off without him," Yuki said.
"Well, it's obvious that Kashiwagi-san loves him, for some reason..." Matsumoto said.
"Don't you think maybe you're being a little unkind... Though I agree that he's a problem child..." Kurusu-sensei said.
"Who's a problem child?" Kashiwagi asked, just joining them.
Outside the cabin, inside a shelter, Suzki sneezed.
"Achoo!" he said, almost hitting Akira with his snot. The boys were all moving into Akira's shelter, which was the biggest. And also because Akira, Mariya, and Miina already lived there.
"Ugh! Gross!" Akira said.
"You're not getting a cold, are you?" Mariya asked.
"No, that was a one-off," Suzuki said. "It's probably because some hot chicks are talking about me."
"If they are, I'm sure it's nothing good," Miina said.
"What was that!?" Suzuki said.
"Don't fight. Our shelter's too cramped for that," Yarai said.
'That's because you're huge...' Suzuki thought.
"Yeah, Yarai's right. We should try to get along," Akira said. "We're going to be in here together for at least another thirteen weeks or so."
"The only thing more depressing than sharing a limited space with four other guys... Is sharing a limited space with thirteen or fourteen other guys..." Suzuki said dismally.
"It can't be helped..." Akira said. "We have to do whatever makes the women feel safe."
"Why!?" Suzuki asked.
"Because we're not scum," Mariya said. Suzuki had no reply for that.
"Good one, Glasses," Miina said, smirking. "Well, I'm going to see Miina."
"You're with her a lot, aren't you?" Suzuki teased.
"Someone has to sit with her. She's stuck in her bed most of the time. Oji-san only lets her move around a little bit every day to keep her muscles from atrophying," Miina said. Mutou had said it would probably be another month before she healed completely.
"Yeah, it's good you're helping him look after her," Akira said.
"Kirino-san helps, too," Miina said. "Oji-san is training her to be a nurse."
"That's great," Akira said. "Come on, it's our turn to help with dinner," he reminded Mariya, Miina, and Suzuki.
Are we going to keep the same groups for cooking and other duties, even though we've been split up?" Suzuki asked.
"I don't see why not," Akira said. "Everyone's already used to doing things that way."
"..." Yarai stayed behind for a moment and took a handkerchief out of his pocket. It was smaller than his own and had a pattern of cute stylized tiger faces with paw prints, the word 'roar', pink hearts, and pale green leaves on a pale pink background. It belonged to Torako. They had exchanged handkerchiefs so they'd still have a piece of each other nearby. He put it away to keep it safe, and so it wouldn't absorb the smell of sweaty boys.
In the first cabin, Torako smiled as she looked at his handkerchief.
"What are you grinning about?" Rion asked. "Is that Yarai's?"
"Ah, yeah... We traded," Torako said.
"That's nice," Rion said. She wondered if she should do the same thing with Akira. But that would mean she'd have to ask him for it, and they weren't a couple, officially.
"Yeah, that's sweet," Kashiwagi said as Torako carefully placed Yarai's handkerchief under her makeshift pillow. "I wonder if Ryouichi-kun will do that with me?"
"..." Segawa watched, feeling jealous.
"Don't steal it, Saki," Shigeno said.
"I wasn't planning to!" Segawa huffed, throwing her hair over her shoulder.
"Well, we have to go help prepare dinner," Oomori said. "See you later!" She, Rion, and Yuki left.
"We should probably go, too," Rei said. "Get the fires started."
"That's true," Kurusu-sensei said. "Let's go, girls."
Yarai emerged from his new shelter and walked over to the area where everyone ate together. He saw Torako and Kurusu-sensei already working on getting a fire started with Segawa, Matsumoto, and Shigeno. He headed over to them, but as he walked he overheard some unwelcome comments from some of the other boys.
"Hey, is it me, or is Fukui's chest a little bit bigger?"
"Yeah, you can actually tell something's there now, even with that sweater."
"Doesn't it seem like Fukui's becoming more 'womanly'?"
"You're right... She has sort of a quietly sexy air about her."
"I wonder if it's because she and Yarai have done it?"
"Yeah, I bet they totally did!"
Yarai stopped walking and looked at the group who was talking. He narrowed his eyes at them. When they noticed his glare, they all stopped talking and gulped nervously.
"It's none of your business... but she isn't that kind of girl," Yarai said. "Besides, I promised Kokonoe-sensei we wouldn't have sex until she's eighteen." he walked off, and they stared after him for a moment, then looked at each other.
"He's planning to wait that long?"
"Damn... Fukui must have something really special..."
"I'm starting to regret ignoring her this whole time..."
When Yarai reached his group, he put his arm around Torako.
"Something wrong?" she asked, sensing he was upset about something.
"... Nothing. Just feeling a little possessive," Yarai said.
"Oh, wow," Matsumoto said quietly to Shigeno.
"He came right out and said it...!" Shigeno said quietly to her.
"Well, can you be possessive later? We're working here," Segawa said shortly.
"..." Kurusu-sensei noticed the way some of the other boys were looking at Torako. 'Ah, so that's it... others are starting to notice her charm, too...'
—∞—
"That was a good supper!" Shigeno said as they left the 'dining area'. She started heading in the direction their old shelter used to be in.
"That's the wrong way, Makiko. We're this way," Matsumoto reminded her, pointing toward the cabin.
"Hm? Kouichi-kun, aren't you that way?" Torako asked, pointing in the direction of his new shelter.
"I'll walk you there," Yarai said, still heading toward the cabin with them. Oomori, Rion, Yuki, and Rei joined them along the way. There was already a light on in the cabin when they reached it. They could see the glow through the open window. The vice-president or one of the others must have beat them there. As the others went inside, Yarai held Torako back.
"Tora, I want to give you something..." Yarai said.
"What?" Torako asked curiously. He leaned down and kissed her.
"Goodnight," Yarai told her.
"Goodnight," Torako said, blushing. Yarai caressed her cheek then left. Torako smiled and went inside the cabin.
"We saw that!" Segawa said as soon as Torako opened the door. She was frowning, but the others were smiling.
"Kyaa! You two are so cute!" Rion and Yuki said.
"Way to go!" Rei said. Myauchi did a wolf whistle. Tokiwa gave Torako a quiet thumbs up.
"Yarai-kun couldn't leave without a proper goodnight, huh?" Oomori said, smiling.
"Who knew Yarai was that smooth..." the vice president said.
"That's nothing. Earlier, he came up, put his arm around her, and causally said 'Nothing... Just feeling a little possessive,' when Fukui asked him if something was wrong," Shigeno said.
"Yeah, they're always doing stuff like that," Matsumoto said.
"You two are really close, huh?" Mami said to Torako.
"Why didn't Ryouichi-kun kiss me goodnight like that?" Kashiwagi said, pouting. "I'll make him do it tomorrow!"
—∞—
"Hey, did you really kiss Fukui goodnight in front of the girls' cabin?" Suzuki asked Yarai the next day as they were carrying a log with a group of other people into camp.
"Yeah," Yarai said, not that it was any of his business.
"What'd you go and do that for!?" Suzuki said, annoyed. "Now Sanae expects me to do the same thing with her..."
"So?" Yarai said.
"I don't see the problem," Akira said, entering the conversation. "She is your girlfriend, right?"
"Enh. We have fun together, but I'm not really that into her..." Suzuki admitted.
"Huh?" Akira said, frowning. He was pretty sure he and Kashiwagi had done it at least once. At least, he happened to catch a glimpse of them getting naked together.
"I mean, have you seen her lips?" Suzuki said. "They're huge!"
"So what? She's always taking care of you and doing stuff for you," Akira said, starting to feel sorry for Kashiwagi.
"Of course she does stuff for me. I'm awesome!" Suzuki said.
"You think too much of yourself..." Akira said, wondering if he should tell Kashiwagi that she deserved better.
"Anyway, you picked her up for breakfast today, too, didn't you?" Ryouchi said to Yarai.
"Your point?" Yarai said.
"Quit raising the bar!" Suzuki said. "You're making me look bad."
"I'm not going to stop kissing my girlfriend just so you can get off the hook with yours," Yarai said.
"That's easy for you to say. But I guess I wouldn't mind kissing Fukui... Her face is cute, her lips are normal, and they look really soft..." Suzuki said.
'Does her realize he's saying that out loud...?' Akira wondered. 'To say that directly to her boyfriend's face is...'
"Suzuki..." Yarai said in a steely voice, glancing back over his should to hit him with a spine-chilling glare. "Are you asking me to hurt you?"
"... N... No..." Suzuki said in a small voice, terrified. 'Damn it! I forgot, he's the one guy I wouldn't want to cross...!'
'Good, Yarai's threat seems to have been effective...' Akira thought.
—∞—
They all worked hard collecting building materials for the second cabin. When it came time for the lunch break, Yarai and Torako found each other.
"Come here," Yarai said, leading her off to sit in a spot that was away from the others but still left them within view of each other.
"We're not sitting with the others?" Torako asked.
"We can sit with them for breakfast and dinner," Yarai said. "I want to be with you right now." Torako nodded in understanding, feeling happy. They sat down together and started to eat, but a pair of boys was roughhousing, and one of them bumped into Torako, making her drop not just the piece of fruit she was eating, but her chopsticks are well. They hit the dirt.
"Oh, sorry, Fukui-chan!" one of the boys said as they quickly made themselves scarce.
"..." Torako stared at her dirty chopsticks. Everyone had exactly one pair. There were no spares. "I guess I'd better go clean them off..." she said, picking them up.
"Your food will get cold. Here," Yarai said, picking up another piece of fruit from her bowl with his chopsticks and holding it near her mouth for her to eat.
"..." Torako stared at his chopsticks for a moment, then looked up at Yarai, who was staring at her expectantly. Torako opened her mouth and ate the piece of fruit, blushing a little bit as she did so.
'Now he's feeding her!?' Segawa thought as she watched, almost breaking her own chopsticks when her grip tightened on them.
"Is it just me, or have those two become more open about showing affection for each other in public?" Matsumoto said.
"I think you mean shameless...!" Segawa said.
"Well, they don't have as many opportunities for privacy anymore... and I think Yarai-kun also wants to make it obvious to the other boys that she's taken..." Kurusu-sensei said.
"That's probably true... I overheard some guys talking about how she was starting to seem more attractive..." Shigeno said.
"Huh!?" Segawa said with disbelief written all over her face.
"I think that's true... She's really pretty when she smiles, and she's been smiling more ever since she and Yarai started dating," Matsumoto said.
"That's probably it," Shigeno agreed.
"She's not that pretty..." Segawa said sourly.
"You're prettier when you smile, too, Saki," Matsumoto said. "You should try smiling more."
"And just what is there to smile about!?" Segawa snapped. She had hoped Yarai and Torako being separated by the cabin would make their relationship fizzle out, but it seemed that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.
"..." Rion watched Torako eat from Yarai's chopsticks and looked at Akira. "Oops!" she said, pretending to fumble and drop her own chopsticks. "Akira-kun, my chopsticks are dirty. Can you let me use yours?"
"Huh?" Akira said, looking up but I..." He trailed off when he caught sight of Yarai and Torako, too. He blushed a little bit, looking at Rion. "I-I guess it can't be helped... We'll have to share mine. Here," he said, holding out a bit of fruit for her to eat with his chopsticks.
"..." Kashiwagi watched both Yarai with Torako and Akira with Rion. "Oops!" she said, dropping her chopsticks. "Ryouichi-kun~ Can you share your chopsticks with me?"
"Huh?" Suzuki said, looking up. "What do you mean, 'share'?" Then he saw the others. 'Th-Those bastards...!?' he thought, watching Yarai and Akira. 'I told Yarai to quit raising the bar, and that damn Sengoku is sharing indirect kisses with Akagami!!'
"Come on, Ryouichi-kun~" Kashiwagi said, doing her best to look cute.
"Why don't you just go wash them off?" Ryouichi said, unmoved.
"..." Kashiwagi gazed coolly at him for a moment before picking up her chopsticks and walking off to wash them.
"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Yamato asked Suzuki. "She seemed kind of angry..."
"It's fine, it's fine!" Suzuki said dismissively.