All the Heroines are my Ex-girlfriends

Inside the Shinomiya household, it was nothing short of utter chaos.

The vast Shinomiya Group, built by Shinomiya Gan'an, might have ranked among the four great Zaibatsu—

Yet, at its core, it still lacked the true foundation of a legitimate noble family.

The education and training of its second generation were far from standard.

As a result, from an outsider's perspective, the Shinomiya family seemed mighty.

But anyone who took a closer look—

Would immediately realize just how rotten it was from within.

Everyone was eager to engage in fratricide, blood relatives cutting each other down.

In truth, even this alone was enough to highlight a major issue.

And that was—Shinomiya Gan'an's health was certainly not in good condition.

If he were still strong and well right now—

There would be no need for further discussion. If he could live for just another ten years...

The Shinomiya household would never have descended into such disorder.

Bringing Shinomiya Kaguya safely to Yukima Azuma's side—

Was essentially the same as stepping into the internal power struggle of the Shinomiya family.

When that time came, the two most powerful figures within the Shinomiya conglomerate—

Yukima Azuma would have to defeat them both, one after the other.

Perhaps the third-ranked individual could be used to their advantage to some extent.

But the difficulty would still be extremely high.

While contemplating these matters, Yukima Azuma's thoughts suddenly froze.

Wait a minute—something was off.

Thinking it over carefully, wasn't everything a little too coincidental?

Where exactly did that tsunami come from?

An undersea volcanic eruption? A sudden earthquake?

Why didn't the Shinomiya family receive any warnings?

Or perhaps—this tsunami was nothing more than a staged performance from the very beginning?

Yukima Azuma's gaze unconsciously fell upon Shinomiya Kaguya.

If there was human intervention behind this disaster—

Shinomiya Kaguya would undoubtedly be the greatest beneficiary.

First, she showed a slight hesitation, as if laying the groundwork.

Then, she used the tsunami to bring everything to a climax.

Rushing into danger to save him—it appeared to be a desperate gamble.

But in reality, the chances of success were incredibly high.

Could this have been the plan of the "Ice Princess Kaguya"?

With the capabilities of the Shinomiya family, this was entirely within their grasp.

Shinomiya Kaguya seemed to sense Yukima Azuma's gaze.

She suddenly turned her head and met his eyes.

Those brilliant, ruby-like red eyes—

No matter how long one looked, they were flawless.

All they did was captivate and mesmerize.

As their gazes met, a fleeting trace of shyness flashed across her eyes.

But immediately after, there was a profound sense of doubt.

Yukima Azuma quietly withdrew his gaze.

If this was truly an act, then Shinomiya Kaguya's acting skills had to be at least at a level nine.

He recalled the moment she had clung to the surfboard, rushing toward him in sheer panic.

Whether considered emotionally or rationally, the probability of that being an act was extremely low.

(Note: sounds impossible, could a tsunami really be artificially created right in the middle of a beach???)

...

Their clothes had dried.

Yukima Azuma took his down and put it back on.

Outside the cave, the rain had temporarily stopped.

He stood up and said:

"I'm going to gather some grass, dry it over the fire, and spread it on the ground. It won't be comfortable, but at least it'll be better than sleeping on rocks."

Hearing that, Shinomiya Kaguya immediately took out her clothes.

She quickly got dressed behind the surfboard and then said,

"I'll go too."

Shijo Maki saw this, reached out her hand slightly—

But in the end, she gave up.

With no one to hold the surfboard for her, her pride wouldn't allow it.

And so, Yukima Azuma and Shinomiya Kaguya stepped out of the cave, one ahead of the other.

The sea breeze swept through the forest outside the cave.

As they stepped on the ground, they could hear the soft squelching of wet mud.

"Should we dig a water reservoir?"

Shinomiya Kaguya lowered her gaze to the ground and asked.

"No need. Even if we boil rainwater, there's no guarantee it's clean, and we don't have the necessary tools."

"There are some coconut trees on the barren shore. For now, we can rely on coconut water to replenish fresh water."

"If the coconuts run out and we still haven't been rescued… then we'll just set the forest on fire."

Yukima Azuma voiced his thoughts.

This was likely the safest option.

Since this wasn't Japanese territory, setting fire to a deserted island would surely require compensation.

(note: I think even if this were Japan, this act of burning forests would be criminally liable and require compensation.)

But for the three of them, money was just a tool to be used at their discretion.

"You're really something." Shinomiya Kaguya looked up at the sky through the gaps in the foliage. "Truly reliable."

Through the misty sky, faint traces of the moon could barely be seen.

The moonlight struggled to pierce through the thick layers of clouds.

But not seeing the moon actually made Shinomiya Kaguya feel happier.

She didn't like the moon.

Even though her name, Kaguya, was deeply connected to it.

Hearing Shinomiya Kaguya's words of admiration—

Yukima Azuma's mind was suddenly filled with fragmented thoughts.

"So, Kaguya, what do you think caused this tsunami?"

In the end, he couldn't hold back from asking.

A prolonged silence was his answer.

Yukima Azuma turned his head and once again met those ruby-red eyes.

Only this time, there was a faint sadness hidden within them.

He was about to say something—

But Shinomiya Kaguya spoke first.

"Azuma-kun, you're suspecting that I orchestrated this tsunami."

"That this entire situation is just a play I wrote and performed myself, right?"

She pinpointed exactly what was on Yukima Azuma's mind.

Not just because Shinomiya Kaguya's intelligence far surpassed that of ordinary people.

But mainly because—when their gazes met just moments ago—

A sudden intuition had flashed through her mind.

"Ah, he must be doubting me."

Immediately after, a sharp pain spread from her chest.

It hurt so much that Shinomiya Kaguya had to question whether she had some kind of illness.

Otherwise, if it was merely heartache, how could it cause such an intense reaction?

At this moment, Shinomiya Kaguya lowered her eyes slightly.

"It's completely natural for you to suspect me. If I were in your place, I would suspect myself too."

As she spoke, she clenched her fists tightly.

Her nails dug deep into the flesh of her palm.

Her body trembled slightly with each rapid breath.

"But what's even sadder— is that I really am that kind of person."

"In the moment I rushed toward you, I truly did think about the benefits that a life-saving debt could bring me."

"If I had thought of this plan before coming to Hawaii, I might have actually carried it out."

"Shinomiya Kaguya… Shinomiya Kaguya is exactly that kind of person—someone who always puts a price on everyone."

Saying this, Shinomiya Kaguya looked like someone on the verge of drowning.

Her ragged breathing was almost terrifying.

She struggled to lift her head, her blood-red eyes clouded with mist.

"But listen—this tsunami really wasn't my doing."

"The moment I rushed toward you, all I truly felt was worry for your safety."

"You don't have to believe me. You're free to investigate me once we return."

"No matter what, I'll cooperate. But at the very least… at the very least, don't condemn me in your heart just yet, okay?"

Yukima Azuma looked at the Shinomiya Kaguya standing so close before him.

He was momentarily stunned.

Never had he imagined that someone as proud as Shinomiya Kaguya could say such words.

What kind of emotions—

Could make someone who always held their head high bow down like this?

Yukima Azuma hadn't lost his wits just because they were stranded on an island.

Of course, he understood Shinomiya Kaguya's feelings.

What he hadn't expected—

Was that her love had come so suddenly.

And so fiercely.

Like the sun rising over this dark, mist-covered island.

A radiant light tearing through all the clouds.