"You're right, I'm just a burden."
Her tears fell endlessly as she sank into deep despair. By then, Kogan had already continued walking.
She looked toward the approaching apes, their features now clearly visible—reddish-brown fur, massive fangs, and enormous arms dragging along the ground like a plow, tearing through everything in their path.
"My journey is over."
Despite her rapid breathing, racing heartbeat, and trembling body on the verge of collapse, she began to accept reality.
This was her fate, her luck—she had done well to make it this far.
"Heeeee heeeee!"
The ape groom let out an eerie laugh, his excitement evident as he reached out to grab his bride.
Hinako swallowed hard, bitterness rising in her throat at the sound of his voice. But just before his massive, hairy hand could reach her, she felt two strong arms lift her from the ground.
"You!! …"
Hinako was stunned to see Kogan carrying her. Something felt off—just for a moment, she had the unsettling thought that he might be offering her as a token of friendship to the apes.
But before she could say another word, the giant ape let out a furious roar, followed by his companions, who unleashed threatening cries toward Kogan.
Kogan smirked lightly, then dashed forward a little before leaping 10 meters into the air. He jumped again—this time 30 meters—then finally soared 100 meters.
The apes stopped running, stunned. In mere moments, he had widened the distance between them in a terrifying way.
After five or six more leaps, he vanished from their sight and disappeared into the dense forest.
Kogan finally stopped jumping, setting Hinako down on the ground as he tried to catch his breath.
Those jumps hadn't been easy—he had been sure he could manage two at most, but the rest had pushed him beyond his limits.
Still, he had also wanted to test his capabilities in preparation for the future.
"I... didn't... ask... you... to save me," Hinako was panting heavily.
The speed and height of the jumps had been overwhelming—she had been holding her breath the entire time.
"You can go back to them. Just step out for a bit and wave at them—I'm sure they'll come running to get you in no time."
He walked toward the heart of the forest, putting as much distance as possible between himself and that tree.
Her face turned red as she pressed her lips together and pointed at him with her index finger.
"If we're going to stay together, you need to put on some clothes."
Talking to him earlier had already made her nervous and distracted. She had tried to look him in the eyes, but her gaze kept slipping downward involuntarily. It made her feel like some kind of pervert, which was completely unlike her.
Kogan suddenly stopped.
Once again, she felt a sense of danger from him. Every time he did something, it made her uneasy.
"That's right. Give me some clothes."
"Where am I supposed to get them from? I don't have anything!" She was surprised that he wasn't angry.
"Then give me a piece of your clothing."
"What?" She took a step back in shock, clutching her shirt.
"It's either me or you. If you don't want to see me naked, then you have to be naked. And if you don't want to be naked, then you'll have to see me like this."
He said that and kept walking.
Hinako sighed. There was no way she could walk around without clothes, so all she had to do was keep her eyes up—and that was that.
"I'll make some clothes, no need to worry," Kogan added.
"Do whatever you want."
Hinako spoke coldly, but inside, she was smiling. In this short time, she had begun to get a feel for his personality.
'I feel guilty for judging him so negatively earlier.'
'If I had gone with him from the start, I wouldn't be in this state.'
'I thought Julian was a refined person, but he turned out to be just trash. And I thought Kogan was suspicious and trash, yet he's actually kind despite his cold attitude.'
'I guess I'm really bad at judging people.'
***
'My legs are broken...'
'If only I could jump again to scout the area.'
Kogan's steps grew heavy—his earlier leaps had nearly shattered his legs.
"The scent here is really pleasant. It seems like these trees are the source."
Kogan inhaled deeply, and the fragrance filled him with a strange sense of euphoria.
"The more I smell this scent, the more it feels like this place is mocking me. If I hadn't been here before, I'd think these fruits were the most delicious thing ever."
Hinako didn't notice any change—it was the same 'fake' fragrance filling the air.
Kogan's attention was drawn to trees bearing black fruits, some as large as watermelons.
"I wouldn't recommend trying that. The awful taste will linger in your mouth for hours."
Kogan reached out and grabbed one of a suitable size. Its skin wasn't hard but rather fleshy— even if dropped to the ground, it wouldn't get damaged.
To open it, you'd need something sharp, or if you were strong enough, you could split it open with your fingers, like an apricot.
Strength was certainly not something Kogan lacked. He pressed his thumb against the skin until it tore open, revealing a red, honey-like core that released an indescribably refreshing aroma.
He brought the fruit's opening to his mouth and began swallowing the juice without wasting a single drop.
"I told you, everything here is fake," Hinako continued, warning him. She didn't want him to be shocked by its awful taste.
Walking behind him, she couldn't see his face at that moment.
His eyes were closed as he drank the honey-like nectar, resembling a man returning home after a long, exhausting day—only to be greeted by a bottle of wine, ready to share a deep kiss.
After a few moments, he stopped drinking and turned his hand toward Hinako without looking back.
"What?" Hinako was confused by his action, "Do you want me to taste it?"
She glanced at the fruit in his hand and immediately remembered its overwhelmingly awful taste.
She didn't want to go through that again—it had only just faded from her mouth. But since it was offered by her savior and the slayer of monsters, she couldn't refuse.
'Am I going to drink from the same spot he did?!'
She held the fruit and stared at the only opening, her mind racing. This was basically an indirect kiss—didn't that make her a pervert?
After a brief hesitation, she clenched her teeth and took a sip.
"Delicious."
Her pupils widened in shock.
The incredible taste stunned her—she had been bracing for something awful, but instead, it was amazing.
"So, this is a real fruit. Back then, we couldn't open it, which is why we never realized it."
Kogan reached out again—to grab an apple.
"The apples are fake. We tasted them before, and they were terrible," she reminded him once more.
He ignored her, taking one bite, then another, then a third—until he finished the whole thing and tossed the core aside.
"He's not affected? Are there real trees among the fake ones?" Hinako couldn't understand what was happening.
She quickly reached for the same tree and plucked an apple.
Bite.
"Pfff ! It's terrible!"
She spat out the bite she had taken and was about to throw the apple away.
"Stop."
Kogan walked over and took the apple from her hand.
'An indirect kiss again!'
"It's delicious!" Kogan raised his eyebrows in confusion.
'How is this possible?'
He grabbed another apple from the same tree and took a bite.
'It's delicious.'
"Taste this," he said, handing Hinako the apple he had just bitten into.
'Another kiss… This is too much,' she thought as she took a hesitant bite.
"It's really good!"
"I see," Kogan sighed and continued walking.
"What does this mean? Why is each fruit different from the other?" Hinako also found it strange.
"I don't know," Kogan shook his head.
"This means we can survive here without needing to go back to that place."
"We just need to find water now."
Hinako kept talking as she walked behind him.
Kogan ignored her, lost in thought. 'Why is everything she picks bad while I… wait…'
He reached out again and plucked an orange. "Here, try this."
Hinako took the orange and peeled it. She wasn't worried about the taste anymore—if Kogan gave it to her, it was surely delicious.
"Pfff ! It's just as bad as the first time I tasted it!"
'This is really strange,' Kogan sighed.
"I got it! That means the fruits are the fake ones, not the trees. A single tree might have both!" Hinako snapped her fingers, feeling a sense of satisfaction from solving the mystery.
'Everything here is real.' Kogan eyes gleamed in the darkness