Reincarnation on a Deserted Island Chapter 4: The True Identity of the Woman Called the Angel of Peace

On the morning of the fourth day, the three of us were working together to prepare breakfast.
"Takeshi-san, thanks for your hard work gathering firewood."
"Oh, this is nothing, just a warm-up."
Takeshi had been soaked by the rain last night, but he was back to his energetic self by morning. I really think men have a lot of stamina.
"Eri-san, could you please start the fire?"
"Sure thing."
I created a flame in my palm and lit the firewood. Dividing the work among the three of us definitely increased our efficiency.
"We're starting to have some good teamwork."
"That's true. We had a lot happen yesterday, though..."
Yumi also smiled a little. Takeshi's body-washing strategy had paid off, and the odor problem had improved significantly.
Just then, we saw a human figure from the direction of the sea again.
"Is someone else coming?"
"It looks like a woman this time."
Unlike the previous three, this person swam toward the shore with a very calm stroke. It was an efficient, effortless swimming style.
"Good morning."
The person who climbed onto the sandy beach was a very elegant woman in her early twenties. She had her shoulder-length black hair neatly tied back, and even though she was wearing the same white cloth clothing, she somehow looked much more put-together than the others. She was modest, but if you looked closely, she had a great figure too.
"My name is Aya Yamada. Please call me Aya."
"I'm Eri."
"I'm Yumi."
"I'm Takeshi."
"Thank goodness, there were people here."
"Everyone, what kind of situation is this?"
Aya-san asked very politely.
"It seems like we're all in the same boat."
"Still, that makes four of us in the same situation. It's lively and wonderful."
"That's true. It's definitely better than being alone."
"I wonder if more people will increase."

"By the way..."
Aya-san looked around at our living environment.
"Everyone, you've got your lives so well-organized, I can hardly believe you just reincarnated."
"It's been a bit tough, though..."
"Tough?"
"Um..."
Aya-san spoke while choosing her words carefully.
"It seems like you all have different opinions... the atmosphere is a bit..."
Indeed, there was still a bit of tension between Takeshi and Yumi.
"Ah, that's true."
I gave a bitter smile.
"Since our values are different, we end up arguing sometimes."
"Is that so? But that's natural, isn't it?"
Aya-san smiled gently.
"You all have such wonderful personalities. I'm sure if you talk it out, you'll find a good solution."
"This person seems like a good person."
I felt relieved. If we had someone like Aya-san, our teamwork would likely improve.

"By the way, Aya-san, can you use magic?"
"Magic? How do you use it?"
As explained, Aya-san closed her eyes and tried to concentrate, but nothing happened.
"Huh? Nothing..."
"It's okay, it's okay. You'll be able to use it eventually."
Takeshi encouraged her.
"Maybe you'll be able to use it if you practice."
"That's true. Thank you."
Aya-san looked a little disappointed, but she immediately smiled.
"Even if I can't use magic, I'll do my best to be useful in other ways."
"By the way, what did you do before you reincarnated, Aya-san?"
"I worked in general administration. I don't have any special skills, but I might be good at coordinating and summarizing everyone's opinions."
"Oh, that's helpful."
Takeshi said.
"Eri-chan has been mediating between me and Yumi-chan, but it looks tough."
"It's not that bad."
I hurriedly denied it, but it's true that being the coordinator can be tiring.

"Well then, if I may."
Aya-san proposed.
"Do you have any plans for today?"
"Improving our living environment."
Yumi answered.
"We built a simple hut yesterday, but there's still room for improvement..."
"I want to build a bigger house."
Takeshi interrupted.
"A man should build a magnificent house, right?"
"But we should plan from the procurement of materials..."
"Forget the planning. Let's just do it."
It started again. Just as I was about to hold my head in my hands, Aya-san spoke up.
"I think all of your opinions are wonderful."
The three of us looked at each other.
"Why don't we proceed in stages? First, improve the hut to ensure safety, and then start construction on the big house."
"That way, everyone's opinions can be utilized."
I was impressed. Indeed, this way, no one is being denied.
"But isn't that inefficient? It would be faster to build a big house from the start, right?"
Takeshi raised a question.
"Efficiency is certainly important. But considering the risk of failure, a step-by-step approach might be safer."
Aya-san explained calmly.
"If we build a big house and fail, we'll lose the hut too. But if we improve the hut while we work, at worst, we'll still have a place to live."
Yumi's eyes lit up.
"From the perspective of risk management. That's a wonderful idea."
"Isn't that a bit passive?"
Takeshi still didn't seem convinced.
"Then, how about this?"
Aya-san made a new proposal.
"We'll keep the hut improvements to a minimum and start gathering materials for the big house at the same time. We'll proceed with both in parallel."
We looked at each other.
"Isn't that amazing? It includes everyone's opinions."
"Alright, let's try it."
Takeshi said.
"I'm good at gathering materials, after all."
"And I'll handle the safety checks."
Yumi agreed.
"I'll... help with both."
"Then, let's get started."
At Aya's suggestion, the four of us began our work.

But when we actually tried it, it wasn't that simple.
"Where should I carry these materials?"
Takeshi brought back some large lumber, but it wasn't clear if it was for the hut or the big house.
"For now, shall we make a shared material storage area?"
Aya-san proposed.
That was a good idea. But then, another problem arose.
"If we leave this lumber out in the rain, it might get moldy."
Yumi pointed out.
"We can think about that later."
Takeshi frowned.
"It'll be too late by then."
It looked like another argument was about to start.
"Now, now."
Aya stepped in.
"Both opinions are correct. How about a middle-ground proposal? We'll put up a simple roof to provide minimal rain protection. But we'll put off a perfect storage area for later."
I felt a little uncomfortable. Aya-san is certainly good at coordinating, but I feel like everything is going to end up half-baked.

"Um, Aya-san."
I said hesitantly.
"Is a middle-ground proposal always the best? Sometimes, isn't it better to just decide on one or the other?"
Aya thought for a moment.
"That's true... indeed, a middle-ground proposal isn't always the right answer."
"Then what should we do?"
Takeshi asked.
"Hmm... shall we discuss it and decide together?"
"Another middle-ground proposal?"
Takeshi said, looking a bit irritated.
"It seems like we always end up with an ambiguous conclusion."
Aya's face clouded over a little.
"Um, Aya-san."
Yumi said gently.
"It's okay if you don't force yourself to coordinate. Let us hear your opinion too."
"My opinion..."
Aya looked a little surprised.
"But I'm the coordinator..."
"The coordinator is also a member."
"That's right. You're a member of the team, just like us."
Takeshi also said.
Aya thought for a moment and then said something unexpected.
"Actually... I try so hard to coordinate that I don't have my own opinions."
We listened quietly.
"I spend all my time listening to everyone's opinions and thinking of middle-ground proposals, and sometimes I don't know what I really think."
"It was like that at work before I reincarnated, too. I was always the coordinator, the one in charge of summarizing meetings, but I never stated my own thoughts..."
Aya-san's voice sounded a little lonely.
"That's why I wanted to be able to state my own opinions a little more."

"Then, let us hear your opinion this time."
I said.
"Not as a coordinator, but as a member."
"It's okay. We all have our flaws, too."
Yumi also encouraged her.
"There's no such thing as a perfect person, anyway."
Takeshi also nodded.
Aya thought for a moment and then said surprisingly clearly.
"I think we should properly improve the hut first, and then build the big house."
We were surprised. That Aya-san would state such a clear opinion.
"The reason?"
"Because the risk if we fail is too great. If we lose our place to live, it's a matter of life and death."
"But I also understand Takeshi-san's point about efficiency. So, we'll finish the hut improvements quickly and start construction on the big house as soon as possible."
This was the most concrete and realistic proposal yet.
"That's a very good idea."
"Indeed, it would be bad to lose our place to live."
Takeshi also seemed convinced.
"I agree too. It's safer to proceed in stages."
Yumi also nodded.
"Then, it's decided on Aya-san's proposal."
When I said that, Aya looked a little embarrassed.
"Stating my own opinion is kind of embarrassing."
"But it was a very good idea."
While preparing lunch, I thought about the relationship between the four of us.
Aya is certainly good at coordinating, but that's not all. She also has her own opinions. She's just not good at expressing them.

"I still can't use magic, but is there any trick to it?"
Aya-san asked.
"Hmm, maybe concentrating?"
"Putting emotion into it is also important."
Yumi added.
"For me, it's motivation. Like, fighting spirit, the feeling that I'm definitely going to use it."
Takeshi also said.
Aya tried it, but still nothing happened.
"It's difficult..."
"It's okay. Even if you can't use magic, Aya-san has coordination skills. That's a very valuable skill."
I encouraged her.
Indeed, when there are four of us, all sorts of opinions come up. Summarizing them is truly difficult.
After lunch, we decided to try practicing magic together.
"Why don't we all try it together?"
Aya proposed.
"By combining Eri-san's fire, Yumi-san's healing, and Takeshi-san's enhancement, maybe we can create some new magic."
"That sounds interesting."
"Let's do it."
The four of us held hands and tried using our respective magic at the same time.
"One, two..."
I used fire, Yumi-san used healing, Takeshi-san used enhancement, and Aya, who couldn't use magic, played the role of connecting everyone.
The result was...
"Waaaaah!"
It was a huge explosion.
All four of us were covered in mud, and our clothes and hair were a mess.
"Magic is dangerous after all..."
"But it was fun."
Aya laughed.
"Doing things together with everyone is nice."
Indeed, we failed, but doing something together as a group of four was fun.

In the evening, we decided to take turns washing our bodies in the river.
"What should we do?"
"Women first?"
"But the men are tired too..."
Just as it was about to become an argument, Aya-san proposed.
"Why don't we decide by drawing lots?"
"Drawing lots?"
"It's fair, and no one can complain."
That was a good idea.
As a result, the order was Takeshi-san, Yumi-san, me, and Aya-san.
"Um..."
Aya said shyly.
"Even in the river, we should probably make sure we can't see each other, right?"
"Of course."
Yumi answered immediately.
"Let's stay 100 meters apart."
I added.
Indeed, even though it's a river, it's embarrassing for men and women to wash their bodies together. Especially with someone as stylish as Aya-san around, I'm even more self-conscious.
"Distance is definitely important."
At night, the four of us reviewed the day.
"I'm glad Aya-san came."
Yumi said.
"Having a coordinator makes discussions go smoothly."
"But it was also good to hear Aya-san's opinion."
I added.
"Stating your own thoughts takes courage, but it's important."
"Thank you."
Aya looked happy.
"Let's do our best together tomorrow, too."
It's tough with four people, but it's kind of fun.
Each of us has our own personality and our own flaws, but if we compensate for each other, I feel like we can do anything.
"Good night."
"Good night."

The four of us's life on the deserted island is more complicated than I imagined, but it was more fun than I imagined.