The coconut crabs, fortuitously obtained, were properly cleaned and boiled in a large pot.
The claws were so large that they had to be separated from the body to fit in the pot.
I decided to reserve the extra one for Vice President Shinji and Minami.
Though it seed unnecessary to season crabs, I sprinkled so salt just in case.
After placing the pot on the fire, I finally relaxed a bit.
While I focused on cooking, the President, sitting in the shelter, gazed at the sunset over the horizon and muttered.
“…I wonder when Shinji and Minami will return.”
“Yeah, they’re both running late.”
Saying so, I sat next to the President.
“It’ll take so ti to cook; let’s chat.”
“Shall we?”
Pleased with my suggestion, the President smiled slightly and looked at .
Her smiling face, against the backdrop of the sunset, was beautiful.
So much so that I montarily forgot what to say.
To hide my montary lapse, I turned my head and asked.
“Is this your first ti having such an experience, President? Are you uncomfortable?”
She slowly shook her head.
“Not really. It’s rather enjoyable. As you said, Yu-seong, it’s a first-ti experience for . When else would I co to a deserted island?”
I was a bit worried, but thankfully she seed fine with it.
Being positive in such a situation might actually be better.
Especially considering we were relatively well-equipped for being stranded on a deserted island.
“That’s good to hear. I was worried you might be uncomfortable.”
“I didn’t grow up as sheltered as you might think!”
After saying that in a burst of anger, the President, sensing the awkward atmosphere, fell silent.
With that atmosphere, it was hard to start another conversation.
So, we just sat staring into the flas of the fire, passing ti.
There wasn’t much else to do, but ti passed rather pleasantly like this.
I guess this is why people enjoy staring into a fire.
After a while, the President suddenly spoke up.
“Speaking of which, Yu-seong, do you rember the day we first t?”
“The first day we t?”
I tried to recall the mory.
I first t the President in the second sester of our first year.
I was reading Jump in class when she suddenly ca and demanded I beco the secretary, leaving a strong impression.
When I ntioned that, the President smiled wryly and said,
“Would you believe if I said that wasn’t actually the first ti we t?”
“Really? We t before that?”
“Yes. To be precise, it was in the first sester of our second year, before I beca the Student Council President.”
The President began reminiscing about the day we first t.
That day, I had sneaked out of the mansion under the pretense of wanting to experience commoner life.
Unlike now, I, plain and ordinary back then, was curiously interested in the lives of commoners.
While wandering alone in Shibuya, I was approached by so unsavory-looking n.
That’s when you, passing by, rescued .
“You said, ‘Hey, I don’t know what’s going on, but she clearly doesn’t like it.’”
You were a busybody and ddler, both then and now.
You knocked down those troublemakers in an instant and saved .
Afterward, though you found it botherso, you kindly helped with my desire to experience commoner life.
It was then that I started to take an interest in you.
“So that happened.”
I responded calmly but was internally flustered.
‘I t the President during my first sester of the first year?’
Honestly, I couldn’t rember at all.
If I had t a beauty like the President, I would definitely have rembered it.
Anyway, not wanting to interrupt the President lost in her mories, I quietly listened to her story.
Bubble! Bubble!
“Ah, it’s overflowing.”
I quickly stood up and opened the lid of the pot on the fire.
The red-cooked shell of the coconut crab greeted .
I turned around and said,
“President, it seems like it’s about ti to eat.”
Then the President, who had been recounting her story, stood up, leaning on her knees.
“Is it already that ti?”
“We’ve been talking for quite so ti.”
I used tongs to remove the coconut crab and placed it on a tray.
Even just the body was almost as big as my forearm.
Upon cracking the red shell, the green innards were the first thing visible.
The innards of crustaceans were savory and delicious, so nothing was wasted.
I made a long cut in the shell from the body to the tail.
Then, I removed only the edible flesh and placed it on a plate.
The President, who had been absorbed in conversation, swallowed hard at the sight of the crabat, apparently hungry.
“M-may I eat?”
“Of course.”
I replied and handed her a fork.
Upon tasting the white and red crabat, the President’s eyes widened, and she shivered.
“…It’s delicious.”
“Is it different from the usual crabat?”
“At first, I thought it would taste similar to lobster, but it’s actually more like king crab. The more I chew, the sweeter it gets. It’s good enough to eat without any sauce.”
Hearing the President’s impressions, I also cut the crab at into bite-sized pieces and ate it with a fork.
“……”
It literally lts in the mouth.
It felt like I could eat this endlessly.
Sharing the sa thought, the President, who made eye contact with , said with an embarrassed expression,
“Can I have more?”
I offered the whole platter of coconut crab to the President.
By the ti we finished eating the coconut crab, the sun had completely set.
I wanted to cook ran with the remaining crab legs, but since this wasn’t Korea and there was none on board, I stir-fried rice with the innards instead.
After eating one crab so economically, I put the boiled coconut crab ant for the two, who hadn’t returned yet, into the yacht’s refrigerator.
Later, after returning to the beach, I checked the ti on my watch and asked,
“President, it’s almost 9 o’clock; how about you get so sleep?”
“What? Already? I don’t think it’s ti to sleep yet.”
“Unlike when we’re at the mansion, there’s really nothing to do even if we stay awake.”
In such cases, it was better to go to sleep early and wake up late.
Moreover, I had lit incense to repel bugs, so the inside of the tent was quite comfortable.
Although the sleeping conditions were uncomfortable, it was enough to fall asleep.
“Even if I sleep inside, what will you do, Yu-seong?”
“I can go without sleep for a day. And just in case, soone needs to stand guard.”
“Don’t do that; you must be tired. You can take a nap. We can share the blanket.”
The President said this while lifting the blanket that was draped over her shoulders.
It must have been an unconscious action, but honestly, I was a bit startled.
Because I was also a man.
After a brief silence, I asked,
“Do I not look like a man to you, President?”
Then the President tilted her head and said,
“You do look like a man.”
“No, I didn’t an that…”
I was about to argue with the President’s words, but then I realized the conversation was taking a strange turn and closed my mouth.
Feeling the weird atmosphere, the President was about to ask, “Why is that?” but then quickly excused herself, perhaps realizing her mistake.
“Yu-seong, I didn’t an it that way…”
Then she suddenly stopped.
“No, it’s not like that. I’ll stop lying to myself now.”
The President stood up straight and looked at seriously, saying,
“Yu-seong, I see you as a man.”
“…What do you an by that?”
“It’s exactly as I say. When I first t Yu-seong, it started as a small interest. But spending ti together in the Student Council and observing you, I’ve co to know many good things about you that others don’t.”
Her eyes, looking directly at , reflected my image like clear glass beads.
“At first, I thought about suppressing these feelings. As you know, I’m the daughter of a prestigious family, while you, Yu-seong, are not an ordinary Japanese, but a Zainichi Korean, born to Korean parents. My family would surely oppose this if they knew, getting angry. But I don’t want to lie anymore. Not about my feelings, nor about my heart which is drawn to you.”
The President lifted her right arm, hidden under the blanket, and stroked my face as she asked,
“Yu-seong, I ask you for the first and last ti. Please answer seriously.”
“…Yes.”
Then, the President looked straight at and said clearly,
“May I cherish you?”
Reviews
All reviews (0)