Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 186, Section 27: "Typhoon Day and the Isolated Island Syndrome"

A thick layer of cumulonimbus clouds hung over the island, and fine rain threads fell from between the clouds.

Back at the guesthouse, while the rain wasn't too heavy, Masumi put on a raincoat and, together with a few other girls, moved sandbags from the warehouse and piled them around the guesthouse to prevent heavy rain and seawater from flooding in.

The sound of rain pattering against my skin was annoying even through the thin waterproof fabric.

"What bad luck," Qian Ai complained. "We thought the typhoon would stop in the Philippines, but it changed its course."

Mami nodded and sighed, "Human life is so fragile in the face of nature."

"You two, stop chatting there." Kurokawa Mio frowned. "Hurry up and finish your typhoon preparations and go back to rest."

"well."

After a busy day, the six of them finally managed to build a "defense line" around the guesthouse, which made them feel more at ease in the face of the approaching typhoon.

◇

"Aww~ So warm."

Hot water from the showerhead washed over her naked body, and Asami squinted her eyes comfortably.

"As expected, after a battle, one should relax in a hot spring like a hunter."

"This isn't a hot spring, Mami-nee," Chiai retorted. "And what kind of enemy were you fighting?"

"A monster disguised as a typhoon."

"Are you Don Quixote?"

"No, I'm a cartoonist, not a supermarket cashier."

(Note: Besides Cervantes' novels, Don Quixote is also a retail tycoon in the island nation, with over 800 department stores worldwide.)
"Huh? Doesn't the book of excerpts that Asami-nee bought include Don Quixote?"

“Of course.” Mami couldn’t help but look puzzled. “You’re so strange, Chiai.”

"That's a book of excerpts, containing literary classics. Even if a department store is doing very well, you can't publish the founder's quotes in it, can you?"

"...I don't want to argue with Asami anymore."

Chiai sighed, feeling embarrassed, and washed herself before putting on a bathrobe.

"Then I'll go out first."

"Xiaoqian likes to be fast."

"Masumi-nii is still waiting outside. Asami-nee, hurry up and wash up. Masumi-nii just recovered from a cold. It would be bad if he caught it again."

"understood."

The guesthouse's bathroom couldn't accommodate many people at the same time, so everyone had to queue. Masumi insisted on not being the last one to shower, so the girls quickly took a shower to minimize the time.

"The bathroom has a new person."

Asami, wearing a snow-white bathrobe, gathered her long hair in front of one shoulder and tied it with a towel. Her fair skin was flushed with a faint cherry blossom color as she stretched out her palm towards him.

Masumi sighed, but still gave her a high five.

"I've already prepared the bathwater. There's no one behind you, so Masumi-kun can take a bath in peace." Mami smiled understandingly.

“Masumi-kun was working the hardest just now, he must be soaked through.”

"Oh, thank you."

Stepping into the bathroom, the colorful lingerie hanging indoors came into view. Masumi sighed quietly, letting the hot water from the showerhead wash over her.

The reason for the sigh was that I felt like I couldn't breathe.

Perhaps the air pressure was too low before the typhoon arrived. Masumi lowered her head, looking at the ripples in the puddles in the bathroom, and the events of the evening resurfaced in her mind.

The gloom that had been hanging over my heart grew even heavier.

For some reason, his heart was pounding, and he sighed again, feeling agitated. Looking at the full bathtub, he felt no interest in taking a bath and quickly rinsed himself off and got out.

Several girls were sitting on the sofa in the living room, with the TV on, broadcasting the latest news about Typhoon No. 5.

"Here's the weather forecast—"

"Super Typhoon No. 6, which formed near Guam, is currently located 250 kilometers southwest of Miyako Island after passing the waters east of Luzon Island in the Philippines. It is moving northward at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour and is rapidly approaching other areas. After that, it will continue to move northeastward and affect other areas."

"...The storm's central pressure is 950 hPa, making it the strongest typhoon this year. Miyako Island will experience strong winds and thunderstorms from tonight to tomorrow. Please take precautions against potential disasters..."

"Flights were also grounded due to the typhoon."

Rinne looked at the flight information displayed on her phone screen and said.

There are no direct flights from Miyako Island to Kobe; you need to transfer at Naha Airport within the prefecture.

"Now we're really stuck on this island."

Kurokawa Mio sat on the sofa in the living room, staring intently at the floor-to-ceiling window. The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the sound of the heavy rain could be clearly heard even from inside the house.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the once calm sea has now entered a high wave warning state, and all fishing boats that went out to work have returned to port.

“Island syndrome?” Asami blurted out.

"what is that?"

Hearing the voice behind her, Mami turned around and exclaimed in surprise, "Masumi-kun? You're fast too!"

"I took a shower and came out."

"Also, why did you say 'also'?"

Masumi dried her hair with the towel hanging around her neck.

"Ah, don't worry about such a small thing."

Asami composed herself and explained:

"An isolated island cut off from the outside world due to a typhoon, with one man and five women trapped in a villa on the island—isn't this the perfect starting point for a story?"

“Miyako Island is very large, so I don’t think we can completely cut off communication,” Masumi said calmly.

"And the situation you described sounds really bad."

Regardless of the genre of the story, it's the same.

"I'm just finding joy in hardship."

Mami sighed with a bored expression, then looked worriedly at the heavy rain outside the window.

"Are we alright staying here? Won't we get flooded?"

"Didn't the weather forecast say that it would deviate and not make a direct landfall on Miyako Island?"

Masumi stared absently at the television screen, responding to Mami's concerns.

"That's true, but the weather forecast said the typhoon wouldn't blow towards Okinawa."

Building trust is difficult, but destroying trust can be done in an instant.

Asami propped her chin up with her hand and squinted her eyes.

"The weather in Okinawa is really unpredictable. It's just like a gentle, intelligent, and curvaceous 25-year-old woman working at an aquarium."

"Wait a minute, isn't that description a bit too detailed?" Masumi complained.

"I just wanted to say that it would be easier to imagine if there was a prototype. I absolutely did not intend to take this opportunity to shift the topic to that Miss Rugu."

Asami spoke casually, but contrary to her calm tone, her beautiful coffee-colored eyes sparkled and blinked incessantly.

These words went beyond the tactic of "protesting too much"; they were practically a direct interrogation.

The other girls were also drawn in by the topic and moved closer.

"Tell me honestly what happened during the time you and Miss Rugu were alone together."

Asami spoke in a mock interrogator's manner, tapping her fingers on the coffee table, her neatly manicured nails gleaming.

"..."

Staring at the table for a long while, as if carefully selecting words, Masumi slowly opened her mouth:

"I feel I should apologize to you about this."

"Huh! Did something really happen between Masumi and Miss Ruko?!"

Kurokawa Mio's eyes immediately lost their light.

Asami crossed her arms and nodded slightly, a knowing look on her face.

"Sure enough, it's impossible that nothing happened when a lone man and woman rode a motorcycle together to a deserted beach in the dark, hiding behind rocks that could block their view."

"No way!? Masumi-nii actually..."

Qian Ai stared wide-eyed in disbelief, covering her mouth with her hands clasped together.

"Masumi... and I got intimate again?"

Haiyue tilted her head with a curious look.

Rinne remained silent, waiting quietly for him to continue.

"Listen to me first, and don't jump to conclusions," Masumi said, rubbing her forehead in exasperation.

"Although we went to a deserted beach, it was not far from the road, and cars would occasionally pass by. Moreover, it was all sand, with no rocks to block the view."

"Oh? So, something else happened—"

"Nothing happened!"

Masumi interrupted her before she could finish speaking.

"It was just a simple reunion after a long time, catching up on our recent situations, and asking a few questions I wanted to ask."

Asami wore a mischievous expression, as if she were watching a good show, but surprisingly only said "I see" before giving up. Rinne nodded calmly, "I thought so too. Masumi isn't the kind of guy who acts on instinct."

"That's right, I've always trusted Masumi."

Despite the heavy rain outside, a blue sky smiled upon Kurokawa Mio's face. The weather was truly unbelievable.

“That’s right, that’s right,” Qian’ai immediately agreed. “I think so too.”

“Hey, but Chia was just acting like the sky was falling.” Mami exposed her without any mercy.

"Sister Mami, you're so talkative." Chiai pouted, clearly annoyed.

"Also, wasn't the topic steered off course by Asami-nee?"

"It's because you all clearly wanted to ask, but you all hesitated and couldn't bring yourselves to ask."

"Then we'll have to let the interrogator, Lady Mami, start the conversation."

Mami shrugged dismissively, then turned her gaze to Masumi, tilting her head slightly and blinking in confusion.

"What kind of apology does Masumi-kun want to offer?"

"...It may be a bit late to say this now, but I would like to apologize for what happened at the aquarium."

Masumi said with a serious expression.

"When I heard the voice of my senior, Ru Gu, I was completely flustered and rushed out without thinking. I'm sorry for ignoring your feelings."

"And then there was the later decision to leave you at the aquarium."

After listening quietly to him finish speaking, Mami blinked in surprise.

"Oh, I see."

“There’s no need to apologize for this, Masumi-nii,” Chiai said, waving her hand. “I was just a little surprised at the time, I didn’t take it to heart.”

“Me too.” Kurokawa Mio nodded, her expression revealing her unease. “I’m more worried about Masumi than about that.”

"Is Masumi alright? She's looked so preoccupied ever since she came back," Rinne asked.

"Huh? Is it that obvious?"

“Yes.” Chiai nodded. “Even Asami-nee noticed.”

"I can't ignore what you just said."

Asami puffed out her cheeks as if she was being difficult, but then immediately turned her gaze to Masumi.

His long, slender eyelashes trembled slightly as the five girls stared intently at his face.

"I……"

A deafening rumble of thunder echoed from outside the guesthouse.

Accompanying this chilling sound was a sudden darkness.

"ah!"

Qian'ai couldn't help but scream in surprise.

"No way! The power's out?"

"It must be because of the thunder just now that the main fuse tripped."

Rinne calmly deduced the situation, while simultaneously turning on her phone's flashlight to quickly ensure a light source.

"I'll go turn on the main fuse switch."

Masumi turned on the flashlight, stood up from the sofa, and said.

Rinne: "I'll go with you."

Kurokawa Mio: "Me too."

"Count me in too!"

As Mami straightened her body, she raised her palms high.

"We don't need so many people, I can manage on my own."

"That means at least two people should stay and keep me company."

Feeling terrified, Qian'ai instinctively hugged Haiyue tightly beside her, while Haiyue calmly unlocked her phone.

The faint white light illuminated a tense face and an expressionless face.

"If you're scared, Chia can come along too."

"Eh? Yeah."

The childhood friend let go of Kaigetsu, like a cowardly character in a horror movie, following behind Masumi, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of his shirt.

"Everyone's going... so I'm going too..."

Just to turn on the main safety switch, you need to mobilize six people. Isn't that a bit too much trouble?
While thinking about this, Masumi shone her flashlight on the wall on the side of the entryway and turned on the main safety switch.

"Huh? There's no power. What's going on?" Mami asked, puzzled.

No matter how I switched the lights in the entryway and the living room, it didn't work.

Kurokawa Mio was browsing social media on her phone.

"The Twitter account says the accident was caused by a power line that fell down, and now the whole island is without power."

"This is terrible." Rinne frowned slightly.

"—Wait a minute, look!"

Qian'ai suddenly pointed her finger out the window, "There are trees flying!"

"Wow, really?"

Mami's eyes widened in surprise, and she instinctively took out her phone and snapped a picture.

"Isn't this situation a bit bad?"

Masumi nodded in deep agreement.

"This is much more terrifying than the typhoon that hit Kobe in July. I've heard that typhoons in Okinawa are much stronger than those in mainland China..."

(Note: Miyako Island is a major typhoon-prone area in the Ryukyu Islands, with typhoons reaching 40-50 m/s passing through it multiple times each year. In 1966, a wind speed of 85.3 m/s was recorded. In comparison, the extreme wind speed in Tokyo is 46.7 m/s.)
"but……"

Masumi stared blankly at the harsh night, the sound of the strong winds carrying an ominous aura.

The rain, falling at an angle, pounded violently against the walls and windows of the guesthouse. The sound and the pitch-black world made this enclosed holiday home seem like a demon's lair.

"I never expected it to be this incredible."

Although I called the guesthouse owner in the evening to inquire, I was assured that as long as I followed the instructions to take precautions against the typhoon, there would be no problem.

But witnessing all of this firsthand still leaves one feeling uneasy.

"Boom! Boom!"

Suddenly, a dull thud sounded from outside the door.

"W-what was that sound!" Qian Ai trembled with fear.

"It's probably the sound of trees hitting buildings," Masumi thought, not taking it to heart.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The sound of the impact continued.

The group became alert, remaining quiet and listening intently.

"It sounds like a knock on the door," Rinne said.

"No way? It's already this late."

Masumi glanced at the time on her phone; it was already 10 p.m. Who would come at this hour?

But that rhythmic sound did seem to confirm it.

"I'll go answer the door."

"No, Masumi-nii, it looks scary!" Chiai instinctively tried to dissuade him.

"Then let's all do it together."

"Oh... okay."

Chiai's body was paralyzed with fear, but she still mustered her courage and followed Masumi cautiously toward the entrance.

The wind and rain are fierce outside, but as long as we are all together, I feel a little more at ease.

Masumi pressed the handle and opened the door to the guesthouse.

The howling wind and icy rain blew into the room.

Several people simultaneously widened their pupils.

"...I am Senior Rugu?" "I am Miss Rugu?" "Sister Qian Sui?"

The girl who appeared before them took the six of them by surprise.

I stood at the entrance of the guesthouse, wearing a raincoat and soaked to the bone. The two large plastic bags I was carrying were also covered with raindrops, which fell into the puddles in front of the door and created ripples.

"Good evening, everyone."

She smiled gently, and for some reason, that smile gave off an incredible sense of peace.

"The typhoon on Miyako Island must be terrifying, right? I'm here to help everyone who's experiencing a storm for the first time get through this difficult time."

(End of this chapter)