CH 2

Passing through the path adorned with white stones and seasonal flowers, I arrived at my house and immediately went into my room. Initially, it was a small one-room house, but from my third year of living on this island, it became possible to expand, so there were empty rooms available. Still, there were no furnitures inside the room, so it was best to lay him on my bed.

As I stood in front of the bed, the system window appeared before my eyes again.

[Stranded Stranger]

◇ Take ‘?’ home and care for him.

○ Remove all of ‘?’ clothes.

○ Lay ‘?’ on the bed.

○ Warm up the room.

I paused. Remove his clothes? All of them? …Including his underwear?

As I skimmed through the list, I couldn’t help but hesitate while feeling my face heat up. It would be inconvenient to lay him on the bed while he was still wet. But was it okay to undress a man I had just met today?

Amidst the embarrassment, shame, and the thought that it seemed morally wrong, I murmured while looking at the pale-faced man, “This is treatment. It’s purely a medical treatement with no ulterior motives.”

First, I gently laid the man on the floor. Before undressing him, I hurriedly ran to the fireplace and threw in some firewood and oil. I struck a match, and soon, the firewood began to burn, making the room warm and cozy.

“Ah, towels…”

While I was carrying him, water kept dripping, it made my clothes and carpet soaked. I grabbed a towel from the bottom drawer and quickly returned to the man.

Sitting down right next to him, I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself. With trembling hands, I reached out and unbuttoned the black top that seemed like a uniform or suit. As I unbuttoned the multiple golden buttons, I discovered a sturdy shirt underneath. The shirt was difficult to remove, so I had no choice but to tear it. That made me feel incredibly embarrassed since I had never seen a man’s chest other than my older brother’s.

This reminded me of the time when my brother spilled cola on his clothes. I immediately screamed in horror when he lifted up his shirt. Seeing the body of this mysterious man felt somewhat similar to that memory, and while the memories overlapped in my mind, I successfully removed the top completely.

“Sigh…”

I hadn’t broken a sweat even after swinging a pickaxe for a few hours, however, doing this made cold sweat trickle down my back. Now, I had to remove his pants, but it felt truly impossible for me to touch him in that way. First, I meticulously wiped the man’s upper body with the towel I had brought, and then I grabbed the blanket and carefully covered him with it. If his body wasn’t seen, I think somehow could manage it.

“I-I’m sorry. I have to undress you…”

Since he was unconscious, he wouldn’t hear me, but I felt so embarrassed that I had to do it. Apologizing continuously, I put my hand under the blanket. Carefully feeling around, I took another deep breath and lowered his pants and underwear together.

“Hmm.”

It wouldn’t have been as embarrassing if the stranded person was a woman. Dragging down the heavy, soaked clothes that were drenched in water, I then hugged the man tightly with the blanket and finally laid him on the bed. Sweat was dripping from my whole body.

I fanned myself with my hand and looked at the quest window again. One by one, the items on the list disappeared. The only remaining task was the one at the top: ‘Take care of him’.

So, all I had to do was watch over him until he regained consciousness?

When I first found him, he looked pale, as if he could die at any moment. But following the quest seemed to have some effect, as there was a faint hint of color returning to his lips. This island was truly fascinating.

As I looked down at the man, with wet clothes still in hand, I stepped outside. In the front yard, I immediately see the sturdy rope I hug between the trees like a clothesline, also a washing machine and a dryer next to it.

With a brief moment of hesitation, I tossed the clothes into the washing machine despite being unsure if they were suitable for a washing machine or not. They were soaked not just in water but seawater, so I had to wash it. After that, I entered the house and stood in front of the refrigerator.

Instead of taking out food, I looked around my surroundings again. It was truly an island prepared just for me. The description of a rustic environment filled with modern amenities was incredibly accurate. The washing machine, dryer, and even the refrigerator worked without electricity cords, even hot water came out fine in the bath. However, there was no air conditioner or heater. Nonetheless, summers were not hot at all except for occasional strong sunlight, and during cold winters, the fireplace kept everything warm without any issues.

In this cozy environment, what I liked the most was the medicine. During the six years of my hospitalization, I had to constantly take medication with names I could hardly remember. Perhaps because of that experience, I had developed a slight trauma when it came to swallowing pills. So, coming to this island, I mantained my health rigorously to avoid the need for medication. However, I discovered that the only available medicine on the island, called the ‘Elixir’ was as easy to swallow as juice.

Moreover, the purple liquid with a refreshing taste had excellent healing effects. It quickly revitalized me when I felt weak or drowsy, and it instantly healed wounds when applied. Additionally, it was very easy to obtain.

On this island, a full moon appeared every ten days. In summer, when the full moon rose, the lake at the end of the island would shimmer in golden light. There, I could catch ‘Firefly Fairies’. If I released the fireflies in a place with more than twenty blooming flowers, they would happily give various gifts such as ingredients, seeds, new recipes, fruits, gems, and more. Among the gifts, the most likely one to obtain was the ‘Fairy Honey’ which was an ingredient of the elixir. I had three storage boxes in the basement filled with Fairy Honey. It would be great if the elixir could also have an effect on that man.

With that thought in mind, I took out the elixir and water from the refrigerator and returned to my room. I brought a chair and sat next to the bed, using a handkerchief to put the elixir to the man’s lips. Sometimes, when the man groaned, I would tightly hold his hand.

It reminded me of when my mother took care of me when I had a high fever. Of course, back then, my mother used water on the handkerchief, but I had a comforting memory of her being by my side when I opened my eyes a few times.

I continued to watch the man by his side. I kept adding firewood to the fireplace, wiping the sweat off his forehead with a damp towel, and putting the elixir to his lips. Before I knew it, it had become completely dark outside.

Whether it was the effect of this care or not, the man’s face had regained its natural color. Before long, he opened his eyes. His trembling eyelids lifted, revealing golden eyes. They were so beautiful that I was momentarily stunned.

His eyes, a mixture of deep and light colors, were still unfocused, and his dazed expression indicated that he was not fully conscious yet. Then, the man’s lips moved slightly.

“Water…”

Water? Did he just ask for water? It was a voice softer than a dying candlelight, but my senses were sharp enough to hear it clearly.

I quickly brought a spoon, gently poured some water onto it, then let it trickle into his lips. I also intermittently gave him the elixir, and fortunately, he received it well and drank it. Like a baby bird, he emptied both the bottle of elixir and the bottle of water, then closed his eyes again. Soon, I heard his labored breathing.

“…Hmm?”

I was taken aback, still holding the empty spoon. What? Why did he fall asleep? One bottle of the elixir should have brought him back to his senses… was it possible that it means his physical condition was so poor? Or maybe, perhaps the elixir only works on me? I hadn’t tried it on anyone else before.

I didn’t know which one it was, but it was a clear fact that his complexion had improved compared to before taking the medicine. I slowly got up, thinking that if there was a problem, the system window would let me know.

As I relieved some of my concerns, I began to feel a slight hunger. I placed a towel on the man’s forehead and tidied up the empty bottles and items before leaving the room.

As I thought about what to make for dinner, I remembered that I had originally planned to have sashimi today. However, thinking that I caught a person instead of a fish, it still felt absurd, but I had no regrets or complaints. I was just happy and excited to see another person. It would be great if that man could recover quickly.

I rummaged through the neatly organized refrigerator and took out the fist-sized rice ball I made a long time ago. It was really from a while ago, made in the autumn of last year. However, when I took it out of the refrigerator, the freshly cooked rice turned into a warm dish, as if it had been freshly made. That was also one of the amazing things about this island. And of course, it wasn’t spoiled either.

“What did they put inside?”

I placed the bowl on the table and took a big bite. The savory rice, sprinkled with seaweed flakes, accompanied by perfectly grilled eel, satisfied my taste buds. The spicy-sweet seasoning reminded me of the delightful flavor combination I often created and enjoyed it.

The rice and the eel were both warm and delicious, so I quickly devoured three of them with delight. They were literally fist-sized, so after eating all three, my stomach was soon full.

I rinsed my mouth with water, quickly went to the bathroom to freshen up, checked on the man’s condition, and hurriedly went outside.

I went to the fishing spot where I had left my belongings, faster than when I carried the man here earlier. Although there was no one who would steal them, sometimes the fairies played pranks and hid things in strange places.

After that, I brought the animals that were released outside back into the cage and moved the freshly washed clothes to the dryer. After diligently completing my tasks, I returned to the room seeing the man still unconscious. I felt both relieved and disappointed.

With a sigh, I went down to the basement. The last room expansion to the house were filled with boxes, with no room to spare. Inside were various materials and items I had collected and made over time, so I searched through them and took out things that could help with recovery. Phoenix feather fabric, healing drops, and a dream fairy’s joyful gem .

With those items in hand, I covered the man’s body with the fabric and placed the drops and gem near his bedside. I tidied up his disheveled hair and sat back down on the chair.

Today, I planned to stay by the man’s side throughout the night. Of course, I might doze off in the early morning, but having someone by his side when he woke up, even if he had been suffering, would bring a sense of relief and joy. I had experienced that myself.

I really hope he wakes up soon. I tightly gripped his cold hand with my arm inside the blanket. While I was gazing at the man for a while, my eyelids gradually grew heavy. Due to my habit of going to bed early and waking up early, sleepiness would came in as midnight approached.

‘I’m sleepy…’

I dozed off for a moment and then abruptly woke up, releasing the hand I was holding. I desperately tried to open my eyes repeatedly. But eventually, I moved and lay down on the bed.

Just a moment, let me close my eyes for a bit.

However, not long after I closed my eyes, I felt someone shaking me. Startled, I quickly sat up, barely supporting my upper body with my elbows. The man, with a pale face, was looking at me.

Once, twice. Blinking dumbfoundedly, I almost forgot that he was a patient and was about to scream. But before I could say anything, the man opened his mouth first.

“…Why did you save me?”

I felt a chilling, almost terrifying gaze as I heard his voice, which was low and sunken. Another system window appeared in front of me as my lips, which had slightly parted, timidly closed.

[Stranded Stranger → Stranded Stranger Who Wants to Die]

◆ Let’s take ‘?’ home and take care of him. (Achieved)

◇ Although ‘?’ regained consciousness, for some reason, he wants to die. Let’s show him how enjoyable and happy life can be, as if there is no reason to live.

Success: Give ‘?’ a sense of meaning in life.

Failure: ‘?’ dies.