"I don't understand the meaning. When I turned around, I saw an unfamiliar scenery, or rather, I was in the mountains. I had a bag on my shoulder. I had a silver leisure sheet with cushions wedged under my arm, and I was carrying a cooler box.

I took them out of the car trunk, and when I turned around to look for my sisters who should have been there, there was no one, and we were in the middle of the mountains. And when I looked back again, the car that was supposed to be there was also gone.

It was supposed to be a temporary parking lot for a fireworks display at some factory, but it was completely in the mountains. Is this a dream? If it's not a dream, then it must be dissociative something, and I was living with another personality, but now I'm back to my senses... That's not the case.

The luggage is still here. Did I want to go camping? A friend invited me to a mountain stream camping trip. I was forced by my overbearing sister to do the preparations for the fireworks display and carry the luggage, but I was somewhat attracted to the challenging outdoor activities.

It wasn't because I desperately wanted to go camping. Even after I refused, I had some lingering regrets, so I watched survival shows on the internet, but it was just escapism from my tyrannical sister. I didn't really want to go camping. I check my smartphone. No signal. There's no point in freezing up. Let's assume it's a dream.

So, what do I need to do? I recall the videos I've been watching for the past few days. First, secure fire. Second, secure water. Third, secure food. Fourth, secure a place to sleep. The order depends on the situation. The temperature isn't particularly hot or cold, and there doesn't seem to be any sign of rain at the moment. I listed the necessary items I saw in the videos, but I didn't really understand.

I'll explore the surroundings and try to find some water for now. I have water, tea, and cola in the cooler box. There are also four bento boxes. So I have some leeway. I think about whether I should head out and walk on the road or go to town. It's quite steep, and it's tough to walk with all the luggage, but I'm afraid I'll lose it if I leave it somewhere temporarily.

I want something like a fourth-dimensional pocket that doesn't weigh anything or take up space and doesn't pass the time. I tried to put a lid on my thoughts by thinking it's a dream, but anxiety creeps in. I want an unwavering mind. I reach the river. Alright, water is okay. But I don't have the courage to drink it directly. I reach the sea. Alright, let's catch some fish.

But I don't have any fishing equipment. ...Hmm, this is a problem. I thought I was in the mountains, but well, I am in the mountains, but it feels more like an island. I walk along the coast. There are no coconut trees, but I could catch fish on the rocky shores and there are shells that look like turtle hands...

Oh wait, turtle hands are actually crustaceans, right? It was the end of summer, but it seems cooler than that. The sun is strong, but either the temperature of the sea is low or the sea breeze is cool.

The water is not transparent like in the southern seas, and there is a wide expanse of dark sea. It's quite cold by the riverside during the night fireworks display, so I brought an ultra-down jacket, but it's not that cold here, and

it's actually comfortable. As I walk along the coastline, I encounter a sheer cliff face blocking my path. I can see several islands in the distance. This place feels very much like an island too.

Well, I haven't gone all the way around, so maybe it's still connected to the mainland... but it doesn't seem so. By the way, there are driftwood, but nothing else. Are there still places where plastic waste doesn't reach these days?

I take a break and eat my bento, then start walking back the way I came. I have to prepare to spend the night soon. The steep slope of the road leading to the river and the sea is tough, but the first location is somewhat open with large rocks.

Let's choose that place. Maybe I can return to the same spot from there. I search my bag to see if there's anything that can be used to start a fire. I don't smoke, so there's no lighter. I use a cutter to shave off both sides of a cedar-like branch and make a fire-cutting board.

I groan and rub the branch on a suitable stick to make a concave shape, then put dead leaves underneath and keep rubbing. Just keep rubbing. It's not my first time reserving a spot for a fireworks display, and since it's a car, I've brought various things.

Maybe it was lucky that I ended up carrying something other than alcohol. Besides the silver one, I have a thin leisure sheet, a small hammer for driving stakes into the ground to secure the sheet, a cutter for cutting boxes and bags, and a folding saw for dealing with the leftover bamboo on the embankment where we reserved our spot.

It would have been dangerous to use a hatchet in a crowded place, so I went with a saw, but I really want a hatchet or an axe. I wish the cutter was a knife. The fire starts successfully. It took quite some time, and my palms hurt, and my arms are trembling.

I don't want to do this again, so I'll make sure the fire doesn't go out. I need strength and magical abilities that can do anything right now, or rather, a magical item like a four-dimensional pocket. ...I'm managing to move somehow, but my thinking ability seems to be stagnant. It's perfect for escaping from reality, I guess.

In addition to easily burnable firewood, I bring dry fallen trees and attach them to the bonfire. They're thick, so they don't burn easily, but they should start smoldering eventually. If that happens, even if the bonfire goes out, the fire will be preserved.

Probably. With a large rock at my back, I watch the bonfire. Maybe I should make a windbreak? In the faint light approaching sunset, I gather stones and stack them around the bonfire. When it gets dark and I can't move around anymore, I rest and arrange my sleeping area.

I remove small stones to make the ground flat. I lay down an aluminum leisure mat, put on the ultra-down jacket, and roll over. I wonder how long the branches from the bonfire will last.

Will they be enough until morning? I'm tired and have no appetite. Since my lower body is cold, I get up and put on a vinyl leisure sheet to cover myself while sleeping. It seems that I need a windbreak not only for the bonfire but also for my sleeping area."

"Let's do it tomorrow. I really want to take a bath..."

I wake up to the noisy chirping of birds. I'm still somewhere in the mountains, not having woken up from a dream or anything like that. The fire is dying out, and the part of the log I placed on it and the thicker firewood have turned into orange charcoal.

I hurriedly put dried grass on the charcoal and blow on it to send some wind, and the fire comes back to life. I'm relieved that I managed to ignite the twigs. I'll have to gather more dried wood.

I open a water bottle and eat my bento. Unlike water or tea, the bento will spoil if I leave it, so I'll eat the leftovers without worrying. Today, I only brought a saw and some drinks, unlike yesterday.

I think to myself that it would have been better to bring an axe, as I continue to clear the path by using my hands and feet to sweep away small branches and tough grass. I want a sharp tool that can cut anything. After struggling to climb the steep slope, I reach the top where rocks are exposed, and my field of vision opens up.

I can see the sea in all directions from the top. It's definitely an island.

I can see several islands around, but I can't see any land that continues indefinitely. Even if I manage to get a boat, it feels like I won't be able to escape or know where to go. I stand dumbfounded near the summit as time passes. I cried because I didn't know what to do. I spent the whole day without a sense of reality, but I've reached my limit.

Why am I going through this? I was only forced to come here by my sister. I ended up here at a fireworks festival I didn't even want to attend, and I couldn't even see the fireworks in the end.

Even if I cry, there's no response. Only the wind blows. Even if I shout at the top of my lungs, nothing comes back.

Tired of screaming, I descend the slope. I shouldn't forget to pick up dry branches on the way back.

Why am I picking up branches? Oh, right, it's to keep the fire going. Thinking is too much of a hassle, and if I think too much, I feel like my spirit will break.

I should just focus on keeping the fire alive. If I clear the surrounding branches, someone might notice the smoke. Yes, let's do that.

Since it's going to be a long haul, I decide to prepare my living environment. I cut down the surrounding trees to create a usable space. Except during cooking and at night, I'll place dry grass or cedar leaves on the fire, so the white smoke will be visible among the treetops and can be seen from a distance. Probably.

I cut down several trees about the size of my arm. Fortunately, the thicker trees are a bit further away. I make stakes and drive them into the ground where I want to build a wall, then make holes and pull them out. I place two thicker trees, about my height, side by side in each hole. Two sets of these at four locations.

I stack similarly sized trees between the lined-up posts, trying to create a wall. I'm a bit worried about its strength along the way, so I add more posts.

That's it for today. I eat my bento.

I have one bento left. What should I do about meals from tomorrow onwards? It's impossible for me to hunt animals or cook. Fish seems like a realistic option, right? Maybe I can lure them by placing stones in a V shape in the shallow part of the river?

I'll also

need traps like baskets. I've gathered some reeds, but I'll need plenty of thin branches too. I should prepare myself mentally that I won't be able to eat and rely on the calories from cola for a while.

I do some work by the light of the bonfire for a while and then go to sleep. Why has it come to this...?

The next day, I wake up to the chirping of birds at dawn and start taking action. First, I go to the river and choose a shallow area to stack stones. The entrance is wide, and as I swim further, it narrows down to a dead-end. I wonder if it would be easier to put a basket in the narrow exit?

I go upstream. The water will eventually run out, so while I still have the energy, I want to find the water source. The water downstream was clean, but I feel more reassured when it comes from a spring. This river is wider than a stream but still shallow and narrow enough to walk across. Of course, some places may be deeper.

I occasionally catch glimpses of fish, so if I can catch them properly, I'll have something to eat.

The direction becomes a bit more open, and I can see the high rocks I climbed yesterday, so I can roughly navigate using that as a reference. I have a compass on my smartphone, but a landmark is quicker.

Along the way, I find a small waterfall and a deep pool where I can swim. It's surrounded by greenery and looks beautiful, but it's too cold, so I didn't enter. As a way to escape reality, I take a break and enjoy the view for a while. The sound of flowing water, the chirping of birds, the rustling of treetops, and the sound of insects at night.

If only it was guaranteed that I could go back home.

The water source is bubbling out from clean sand that has been washed by the water. I scoop some up and take a sip. It's cold, tasteless water. I think it's safe since it's being filtered, but I don't want to get stomachache, so I only drink a little at first. Boiling it would be best, but I don't have a pot.

Fortunately, the water source is close to the temporary shelter. Anyway, on a relatively small island like this, the water source or a place where fish can be caught will always be nearby.

I leave the gathered plant vines and now focus on gathering firewood. There are many dried fallen trees on the upper part of the island, but the lower part is a bit damp, probably due to its proximity to the river. I'll check what the opposite side is like later.

But for now, I need to establish a base and secure food. There are edible plants like Plantain and Dandelion growing in sunny places, and there are also seaweeds. But when it comes to protein, fish is the best choice, right?