After that, the two of them drank their fill of water.
Come to think of it, ever since being hurled into this other world, they had been holding back even their thirst. Anxious about how much was left in their waterskins, neither of them had voiced it, but their throats had been parched the entire time.
Finding an oasis in the middle of a desert must feel just like this.
Once his thirst was quenched, Eiji washed his face and dumped water over his head.
It felt incredible—like coming back to life. If Yuna had not been standing right beside him, he would have stripped buck-naked and dived straight into the riverbed.
"Must be nice..."
Seeing Eiji soaking wet, Yuna muttered with envy.
"Why don't you wash your hair too?"
"Well... my hair's long, you know?"
Yuna glanced at her hair and offered a troubled smile. She likely meant it would take too long to dry. Or perhaps she wanted actual shampoo to wash it with.
"I get it. In that case... take this!"
Cupping a bit of water in his hands, he splashed it at Yuna.
"Eek! Hey, what was that for?!"
Yuna immediately puffed out her cheeks.
Then, just as a mischievous smile crossed her face—
"Payback!"
She scooped up water with both hands and splashed him right back.
From there, the two of them dissolved into laughter and squeals, losing themselves in splashing around.
He never would have imagined that, at high school age, he'd be playing in the water with his childhood friend like this.
Before their clothes could get completely drenched, they pumped the brakes and called it quits.
Before long, Yuna spoke up hesitantly.
"Eiji-kun. Um... take off your uniform."
"Huh? Why?"
He had assumed she was joking, but the playful air from before had completely vanished from her expression. She looked dead serious.
"The back is still torn, right? And it's still covered in blood."
"The wound is already healed, so it's fine."
"All I healed was the injury on your back."
Now that she mentioned it, she was right.
Even now, the back of his uniform was as tattered as a vagrant's rags.
Looking back, Eiji looking like such a mess might have made it even easier for everyone to exile him.
With no other choice, he unbuttoned his shirt and slipped his arms out of the sleeves. The fabric on the back caught around his shoulder blades. The dried blood had caked to his skin, crumbling into powder and flaking off as he pulled the cloth away.
"Eep."
The moment he was bare-chested, Yuna let out a small shriek and turned her head away. Then, she stole a glance back at him. When their eyes met, she quickly looked away again. After repeating that little dance twice, she finally reached her hands out on the third try.
(If you're that embarrassed, you don't have to look...)
Being on the receiving end of that gaze made him just as restless.
Eiji sat down on the edge of the well, set the shirt in his lap, and turned the tear face-up.
"...Can you sew it?"
"I brought a sewing kit."
"On a school trip?"
"Yeah."
Yuna sat down next to him, set her bag on her lap, and unzipped it. Out came a cloth case small enough to rest in the palm of a hand. When she opened it, four spools of colored thread, three needles, and a small pair of scissors were neatly arranged inside.
"Why go out of your way to bring that?"
"Because it was listed on the itinerary packing guide."
"...I see."
It was the first time he had ever realized people actually existed who packed every single item listed in a trip itinerary.
(Wait, can't I just fix this myself?)
He pressed his finger to the tear in the shirt.
However, nothing happened. Presumably, it was because it was 'still something to wear'—it was 'still clothes.'
When Eiji handed over the shirt, Yuna spread it across her lap. Aligning both edges of the tear with her fingers, she began threading the needle through. Her hands moved without hesitation as she drew the thread taut. The stitches were spaced with immaculate precision right from the edge.
About halfway through, Yuna paused. She glanced sideways at Eiji's back beside her.
"...There isn't even a scar left."
"Because you healed it, right?"
"Well, yes, but... seeing it like this is a relief. It was a really bad injury, you know?"
She lowered the hand holding the needle to her lap. Then, turning squarely toward him—
"Thank you... for protecting me."
Yuna offered him a soft, radiant smile.
That smile was more beautiful and lovely than any he had ever seen from her before.
Without warning, his heart thudded against his ribs.
"...Yeah."
He managed to squeeze out only that single word. When confronted so directly, it was hard to know how to react.
Seeing Eiji like that, Yuna giggled softly and resumed her sewing.
A few minutes later, the tear in the shirt had vanished completely.
"I think the stitching should hold up. Now for the rest..."
Standing up, she began washing the shirt with the well water.
The dried blood, as expected, refused to come out easily. Since there was no bucket, she scooped water over it again and again, wringing the cloth out each time. After repeating the process about five times, the crimson stains had faded considerably.
"Just washing it with water only goes so far, I guess..."
"It's more than enough."
Taking the wrung-out shirt, Eiji rose from the edge of the well. He spread the garment over a flat stone nearby.
The sun had already climbed high into the sky. The stone was dry and warm to the touch. At this rate, the shirt would probably be dry by around noon.
Water was still rushing through the aqueduct. The sound echoing along the stone channels carried back steadily from the outskirts of the village.
(For now, I feel like we've bought ourselves a bit of life. But—)
He turned his gaze toward the village.
Houses with caved-in roofs. Missing walls. Broken wagon axles. Rusted hoe blades. Collapsed bridges.
Every single thing was broken. Truly, this was no place for humans to live.
However—the fact that it was broken meant it could be fixed.
"Alright, let's do something about a house next. I'd really prefer to sleep under a roof, after all."
"Huh? Is there a house like that here?"
"Nope. That's why we're going to build one."
"What?!"
Still clutching her bag, Yuna let out an astonished squeak and looked up at him.
Without answering, Eiji cast his gaze toward the doorway of the nearest house.
Under the bright light of the midday sun, the shallow shadows cast by the notches carved into the doorframe began to fade away.