"Aiko's voice turned sharp. 'What do you mean by another world?'
I held up my hands, placating. 'Hey, no need to get defensive. I'm just sharing my thoughts. Everything here feels off - the ecosystem, how we got here... it's all unusual.'
Mana countered, 'That doesn't necessarily mean we're not on Earth. It's just weird.'
I shrugged. 'I'm not claiming absolute truth. It's just my opinion, based on observing our situation. No scientific proof, no guarantees.'
Perhaps I'd spoken too soon. But would there ever be a good time? If the girls panicked and attracted the nearby tiger's attention, I doubted my survival knife would be enough.
'Let's retreat for now and discuss later,' I suggested, backing away while keeping a wary eye on the tiger.
The girls moved with me, forming a united front as we distanced ourselves from the predator."
"We successfully retreated, shaking off the chill. After leaving the cave, we settled beside a river I discovered. I cautioned, 'Drinking directly from the river risks waterborne illnesses. That's why I brought this bottle with a built-in purifier.'
I demonstrated, filling the bottle from my bag. 'Like this.' I took a sip to show it was safe. 'I have two spares, so help yourselves when needed.' I handed the extra bottles to Eri and kiara.
kiara teased, her bright demeanor contrasting with my gloomy nature, 'Ninja, you're scarily prepared! But wouldn't sharing this bottle be an indirect kiss? We're not that close, are we?' Her playful jibe hid a hint of discomfort.
I reassured, 'No worries, those bottles are unused. This is my first time breaking them out.'"
"'I don't know if we can return,' I admitted. 'My guess might be right, but I have no idea how to make it happen, and the chances are slim. Besides, the idea of being in a parallel world sounds absurd, even to me.'
Eri asked, 'Is there a way to confirm if we're in another world?'
I pondered for a moment. 'I won't know for certain, but if I can see beyond the forest, I might find clues. If there's a nearby settlement, we can ditch the survival lifestyle.'
Aiko's eyes lit up. 'Let's get out of here! I want to go home.'
I nodded. 'Me too, but we don't know which direction to go. Ideally, finding the sea would be a good start. But I have an alternative plan.'
Aiko tilted her head, intrigued. 'What do you mean?' The others echoed her curiosity.
'I know our phones have no signal, but the cameras still work. If we climb a tree, we can take photos of the surroundings and get a better view.'
Kiara raised an eyebrow. 'You think we can climb a tree?'
I smiled. 'I can handle tree climbing.'
Kiara grinned. 'You're a real sorcerer!'"
"Eri and Mana exchanged surprised glances. I continued, 'It's just a suggestion, but does anyone have a selfie stick and a smartphone? Mine's an old model, and I doubt it's compatible.'
The girls nodded, and I knew they had selfie sticks - a staple in their age group.
Mana offered, 'Use mine. It's the longest, and you can control the camera with the stick.' She rummaged through her bag, revealing a surprising number of textbooks. I thought to myself, She's more diligent than I am.
As Mana set up her smartphone on the selfie stick, she handed it to me. 'Do you know how to use this?'
I admitted, 'Not at all.' This was my first time holding a selfie stick. I examined the controller and thumb-operated buttons, feeling a bit awkward."
"Mana walked me through the selfie stick's features. 'This button takes photos, this switch toggles video recording, and the controller adjusts the camera angle.' Simple enough.
'I got it,' I said, testing the device on the spot. The intuitive interface put me at ease.
'I'll borrow this to take some photos,' I said, promising, 'I'll be careful. I know it's expensive.'
Marin nodded, and I secured the selfie stick in my back pocket using a cord from my bag, ensuring it wouldn't get lost during the climb.
Kiara marveled, 'Wow, you're climbing like a sorcerer!' Eri chimed in, 'You're like a monkey!'
Aiko added a comment, her voice barely audible, but her smirk suggested a joke. I didn't catch it, but the others' chuckles filled the air.
"As I climbed, I thought to myself, 'Aiko's handling this surprisingly well.' Women often prove more level-headed in crises.
Reaching the highest point I dared to climb, I muttered, 'There we go.' But the dense foliage obstructed my view.
Fortunately, Mana's selfie stick proved to be a game-changer. I secured myself with my left arm and legs, then extended the stick with my right hand, capturing photos and videos beyond the leafy canopy.
First, I snapped peripheral views, then switched to video mode to ensure I covered every angle. With this much footage, I should be able to glean some valuable information."
"Just as I was about to descend, disaster struck. 'Wait! Hey!' I exclaimed, but it was too late. A mischievous monkey snatched the selfie stick from my hand at lightning speed.
'Ukikiki!!!' the monkey cackled, taunting me as it leapt out of the tree.
'Hey, give that back!' I shouted, but the monkey merely laughed and fled.
I hastily alerted the girls, 'The monkey took the selfie stick! Get it back!'
Aiko's irritated voice responded, 'Socerer?! What's going on?!'
Kiara, however, found the situation amusing. 'Guess Sorcerer's can't outsmart monkeys, huh? Haha!'
I quickly descended, my focus on retrieving the stolen stick. As I reached the ground, I found the girls – and the thieving monkey. It had wrapped itself around Aiko, burying its face in her Breasts.
'Ukikiki!!' the monkey chirped, seemingly delighted with its new playground."
"I handed Aiko her selfie stick and smartphone, still perplexed. 'What just happened?'
Aiko beamed with pride. 'I have a special talent – I get along amazingly well with animals.'
I raised an eyebrow. 'That's impressive, but this guy warmed up to you awfully fast.'
Aiko chuckled. 'That's what makes it special."
Eri joined in, 'I'm stunned. I didn't think the monkey would listen to you like that!'
Mana breathed a sigh of relief. 'W-Well, at least it wasn't stolen.'
I shook my head, amused. 'Okay, let's focus. Time to review the footage.'"