Chapter 4

At the Moment

Kazuki and Reiji kept walking through the darkening forest. The cold air wrapped around them, making Kazuki even more aware of how uncomfortable their leaf-made clothing was.

"I swear, if we don't find shelter soon, I'm going to dig a hole and bury myself," Kazuki grumbled, hugging his arms tightly to keep warm.

Reiji continued walking calmly, his sharp eyes scanning their surroundings. "Stop talking. We need to stay alert. I don't know what kind of creatures live here."

Kazuki huffed but kept following Reiji. The forest grew eerily silent, with only the sound of leaves rustling in the wind.

After a few more minutes of walking, Reiji suddenly stopped. Kazuki, caught off guard, almost bumped into him.

"Oi! Why'd you stop so suddenly?" Kazuki complained, but his voice trailed off as he followed Reiji's gaze.

In front of them, nestled between massive trees, was a cave hidden behind thick bushes. Its entrance was large enough for them to enter, and though the inside was dark, there were no immediate signs of danger.

"A cave..." Kazuki muttered, his eyes lighting up. "The perfect shelter!"

Reiji gave a small nod. "We need to check if anything's inside first."

Kazuki shivered at the thought of the worst-case scenario. "Don't tell me there's a bear or some kind of monster in there..."

"We don't have a choice. If there are no signs of danger, we can rest there for the night," Reiji said calmly.

Kazuki let out a long sigh before nodding. "Fine. But if there's anything scary inside, you go in first."

Reiji only scoffed and stepped closer to the cave, with Kazuki trailing behind cautiously.

Standing at the cave's entrance, they listened carefully. There were no growls or any suspicious sounds.

"I think it's empty..." Kazuki whispered.

Reiji picked up a dry twig from the ground and tossed it inside. Nothing happened.

"You go in first," Reiji said.

Kazuki glared at him. "Oi! I'm the weakest one here!"

Reiji shrugged. "You're also the fastest. If something jumps out, you can run away the quickest."

Kazuki let out a defeated sigh before cautiously stepping inside. The air inside was slightly warmer than outside, and after walking a few steps, he noticed something.

"There's no foul smell or scattered bones... That means no big predators live here," he said in relief.

Reiji followed him in, scanning the area warily. Once he was sure the cave was empty, he finally relaxed his posture.

"Alright, we can stay here for the night."

Kazuki immediately collapsed onto the ground with relief. "Finally! I can rest!"

Reiji sat down beside him, leaning against the cave wall. He glanced outside, where the sky was growing darker.

"We need to find a way to make a fire. If not, we'll freeze."

Kazuki frowned. "Can you make fire by rubbing two sticks together like in movies?"

Reiji gave him a blank stare. "If we have three hours, maybe."

Kazuki groaned and lay on his back, staring at the cave ceiling. "Haah... I still can't believe we ended up like this."

Reiji simply sighed and closed his eyes. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow, we need to figure out how to survive longer."

Kazuki shut his eyes as well, trying to ignore the discomfort of his leaf clothing.

Kazuki shifted restlessly in his spot.

The cold was becoming unbearable, making him curl his arms around himself. The leaf clothing they wore was clearly not enough to keep them warm.

Reiji, still leaning against the cave wall with his eyes closed, let out a long sigh before speaking. "We seriously need a fire. If not, we might freeze to death before morning."

Kazuki opened his eyes and sat up, shivering as he rubbed his arms. "Yeah, I agree. But the problem is... how do we make one?"

Reiji glanced outside the cave, assessing their surroundings. "I read that fire can be made by rubbing two dry sticks together. But it takes time and effort."

Kazuki grimaced, his face full of concern. "And if we fail, we might freeze to death. I don't want to die like this!"

Reiji sighed and stood up. "We're not going to die. Let's find dry wood and something that can be used as tinder."

Despite his reluctance, Kazuki also got up. "Fine... But if I catch a cold because of this, you're taking responsibility."

The two of them stepped out of the cave, shivering as the night wind hit their bodies. Quickly, they gathered small dry branches and a few dead leaves from around the area.

After a few minutes, they returned with their hands full of twigs and kindling.

"Alright, let's start." Reiji sat cross-legged, placing the wood in front of him. He took two sticks, stacking one over the other, and started rubbing them together with his palms.

Kazuki watched with anticipation. But after several minutes, there were no signs of sparks.

"Ugh, this is harder than I thought..." Reiji muttered, his forehead starting to sweat despite the cold.

Kazuki sighed. "Let me try."

He took over, copying Reiji's movements. Unfortunately, after a few minutes, his efforts were also fruitless.

"What are we doing wrong?" Kazuki groaned, frustration creeping onto his face.

Reiji rubbed his chin, thinking. "Maybe we need more pressure and speed..."

They tried again, this time with Reiji putting in even more effort. His hands moved faster, rubbing the wood with determination.

Kazuki watched tensely, hoping it would work this time.

A few moments later, thin wisps of smoke started rising from the wood!

"Oi! There's smoke!" Kazuki exclaimed, eyes shining.

Reiji increased his speed, and finally—

Srekk!

A tiny spark appeared! The dry leaves they had placed underneath started to smolder.

"YES! IT WORKED!" Kazuki nearly jumped in excitement.

Reiji quickly and carefully blew on the small ember, coaxing it into a flame. The fire slowly grew, casting a warm glow inside the cave.

Kazuki stretched his hands toward the fire, savoring the heat.

"Haa... Finally, we won't freeze to death," Kazuki murmured in relief.

Reiji sat cross-legged beside the fire, watching the small flames with a satisfied expression. "This is a good start. Tomorrow, we need to find food and a way to survive longer."

Kazuki nodded, exhaustion still evident on his face, but there was also a hint of pride. "Yeah... But for now, I just want to sleep in warmth..."

With the fire crackling beside them, they finally rested more comfortably. At least, for tonight, they were safe.