Recap: On their way back from their vacation trip, Winter along with her classmates got into a plane crash. And suddenly waking up in an unknown island with wild animals that was supposed to be extinct. What in the world is even happening?

"Wait– are you actually being serious right now, Ning?" Winter still couldn't believe what her genius classmate was saying to them.

Ningning sighed, "I wish I was, but based on my data here... There's no doubt about it."

An unmapped island? We're on an island that wasn't supposed to be here yet we're on it. So, basically, we're screwed.

"The plane crashed and fell within 48 kilometers of this point," Ning explained as she pointed at her laptop screen as she traces along the arrows. "No matter how much I look for it, there's no sign of a tiny island.

Did she try zoomin– "I tried zooming in, Winter. None. There's not single island."

"But the fact that we're here..." I mean, it's gonna mean something if we're actually on an island.

Ningning saw her classmate's face and saw that Winter wasn't believing it. Oh how she wants to be wrong. It was evident how much in trouble they're in. How many times their lives was at stake, how close their were with death. With the found information, Ningning has taken upon herself to be prepared always. 

So Ning continues on, "It's not that I don't want to believe it, Winter. But the mere fact that we're here.. it's just not adding up."

Just what is Ning trying to say... It'll be all fine. Someone will come and rescue us soon... They got to.

"Winter, I'm a person who doesn't believe in uscientific stuff or anything like that..." Ning looks at the herd of wild animals at the opposite end of the river, drinking. Compared to the ostrich-bird that they've encountered earlier, they weren't trying to kill them and were just peacefully replenishing their thirst. "...This island, is a bit odd."

Winter noticed how Ning's voice got serious again as she asked another question, "Was this really just a plane crash?"

Huh? What does she mean by that? Does that mean our plane crash was deliberate? Why? Is this some kind of game? Like one of those show which they'd choose peoplet to compete and survive? Survival of the fittes-

"cruel.."

The two classmates looked back at the lady who apparently just stopped crying and mumbled something. They didn't hear it clearly so they waited for the lady to speak up again, "...it's unfair... it's so unfair.. why... this  kind of..."

"This is too much!! Today was my first flight!!" The lady suddenly burst out and were about to cry again.

Winter and Ning realized right there and then that the lady crying right now is gonna be a handful, mostly Ning thought of that. The flight attendant continued speaking as she cries in defeat, "I failed the employment examination 13 times! A-and finally..."

The lady wailed again, Winter approached her and tries to calm her down. "Waa... Why has this happened to me?"

"Um, I-It's not something to cry about..." What am I even saying? This is something to actually cry about it. But seeing how the lady crying, Winter reminds her as a lost child and some kid stole their candy. Winter couldn't bare to say any negative things at the moment. Will this lady be fine?

"Hey, what's your name?" Ning suddenly asked in a motonous tone. This made the lady looks at her and tries to calm down. Before the lady answers she wipes her tears away and sniffs, "My name is Aeri Uchinaga"

What a pretty name. "My name is Ning. And the person over there who stupidly yet bravely saved you is Winter."

Why is she suddenly introducing us? Hmm. Could it be that Ning is trying to help the lady calm down? Hmm. "Oh," The lady turned to Winter and sniffs, "...thank you.. for saving me." Winter could only give a thumbs up. How was she respond to that? It was the most obvious thing to do for Winter. Winter is always willing to help a hand in need.

Winter looks at the sky, "We should rest for for today... when it gets lighter, we'll look for other people."

"Anyone!!"

"Is anyone out there?!"

Winter, Ning, and the pretty flight attendant; Aeri, were now walking, searching for any survivors. It was now almost noon, they were walking since dawn and they couldn't find any single soul. They were getting tired more and more as each holler the only response is the jungle's nature habitants. Winter noticed how the other two weren't calling out that much as she is.

"Hey, you guys aren't spirited enough! Shout some more! We need to find more survivors." 

Ning huffed all tired, "...I'm a scientist. Do that physical strength stuff by yourself..."

This girl. "Yeah, that's right. We couldn't sleep much last night. Can we take a break?" Aeri added on.

Winter takes in at the sight of the two, compared to her, her two companions were in a rather in a poorer state. Ning was slightly limping, but thankfully the injury she got from the "ostrich-bird": which Winter now knows as "Diatryma", wasn't bad as it seems. No broken bones. While Aeri is still exhausted and distraught from the situation they're currently in, mostly from the crying. She did get hurt from that ugly bird yesterday...

"Geez, there's no choice I guess." Winter badly wanted to keep going but their well-being is more essential if they wanted to survive. They all settled down in-between a big rock and big tree. Winter immediately walked towards the big tree, "Um, Winter."

Winter looks at Aeri who was now sitting down on a rock that was suitable enough as bench,"Huh? Yeah? What's up Ms.?"

"You can call me Aeri... the thing you're doing right now. What is it for?"

Winter looks at her and the arrow symbol she carved on the big tree using a sharp rock she found. Oh, this. "This is called a "Square Search."

Aeri tilted her head as it was a new information for her. Winter continues on,"It's like a pointing map so that we won't get lost and not just mindlessly roaming around this jungle. So, I carved an arrow from where we started walking and the arrow shows where we're headed. This allows us to find our way back as we search further into the jungle. The pointing arrow is the direction of our movement." My dad and brother taught me this when I just young...Sigh, now I miss them. "It's effecient method of exploration. There's a chance that some people would fin the symbol and will able to follow and catch up with us."

"Gosh, that's actually amazing! You're very smart Winter!"

Saying I'm smart is a bit stretched out... "Ah, No, I mean... I learned it from my family." Winter really doesn't know how to respond to compliments.

"Oh, is that right?"

Ning butts in, "I'm actually surprised that you know that, Winter." Well, Winter is the type of person who strives to be not in a spotlight. As much as she can, she tries to be average. Just enough. It's not like we're close for you to know about it Ning.

"Winter." Ning calls out to Winter again, and Winter noticed the serious expression on her classmate once again. "A minute of your time?". This can't be good.

The two of them walked a bit away from the flight attendant, "Hey, Ning. Where are we going?" They were getting further away. "It's dangerous out here, and we left Aeri all by herself..."

"I don't want to hear anything about that lady." Ah, I remember now. Right... Ning. Despite being the genius that she is, they way she talks to other people... it left her with no friends. "She just cries if she's shouted at. It's annoying." Well, you're the only shouting at her. Will the three of us be alright?

"She's not that bad...Don't be too hard on her, she's still older than us you know." 

"She's only older by one year for you, and two years for me." Ning clicked her tongue seemingly annoyd to hersel that she got distracted from what was she was about to say to Winter."Tch, don't you think it's strange, Winter?"

Hm? "In six hours, we haven't found anyone."

"Six hours..." Winter knows. "But if we search a bit harder-"

"Hey, Winter..." Winter knows what was Ning trying to say, "Maybe everyone's already dead."

A heavy daunting feeling dropped down on Winter, hearing Ning actually say those words...it's not like she hadn't thought about it. But hearing someone actually saying it, it's like Winter got buried alive. She tried so hard not to think about, "I've seen crash incidents on the news. Plane crashes are rare, but...the death rates are always