"..." It’s been about three days since I started living on this island, Nerina. Honestly, it’s pretty nice. She’s helped me with a lot of things, even getting me materials to make some clothes.

I also managed to make some cosmetic products from fruits and plants to help keep up my beauty! I’m so gorgeous, I couldn’t possibly neglect my appearance, even on this island!

As for food, she’s been getting it—mostly fruits and small animals she catches on the island. So, despite the suspicions I had about Nerina, she actually seems like a real friend.

"Hey Nerina, catch!!" Up in a tree, I throw a large fruit down to Nerina, who catches it gently before it hits the ground. I leap from the tree, using my threads to lower myself softly.

"See! Now I can use the threads to move around," I tell her, swinging a few inches above the ground, balancing on a single thread. Unfortunately, the outfit is a bit short, since the materials weren’t very good, so my swinging makes the skirt flip up.

And I’m not wearing any panties because I didn’t have the guts to try using animal fur for underwear. So I get embarrassed when Nerina stares intently up under my lifted skirt.

"..." I weakly step down from the thread, lowering my skirt in shame.

"You look beautiful, Evelyn. No need to be embarrassed. Your clothes are better than I expected. Your tailoring skills are excellent."

"Th-Thank you... a-and I managed to make this too!" I show her a small marionette in my hand. It moves with my hand and waves at Nerina.

"Your powers? Interesting. Evelyn, have you tried using magic like I explained?" She asks kindly, splitting the fruit open with her bare hands, showing off her incredible strength.

"Yes! And it worked. Thanks to that, I can do all sorts of interesting things with the threads now!!" I clap my hands together and pull them apart quickly as several connected threads appear. I point both hands at a tree and expand the threads, firing a "web" of cuts that slice through several trees.

"See!! I can attack with the threads! I also learned other tricks to move around with them, and even to dodge falling fruit from the trees," I announce my grand achievements proudly, which makes her smile.

"That’s great... but... Evelyn, while interesting, you’re not using them in the most efficient way."

"I’m not?"

"Soon it will be dusk, and a heavy rain will start. But before that, how about I show you an interesting use of a nymph’s Hikishin properties?" Nerina does the same as me after placing the fruit on the ground, clapping her palms together and pulling them apart, creating "threads" made of water.

"You contract multiple threads and expand them in one direction, right? But it’s more efficient to contract them and use the tension of the threads for a single shot. Like this." She slowly pulls her hands back, making the threads "stretch" as magic is emitted.

The water "threads" begin to tremble from the tension. Then Nerina turns toward the ocean and releases the tension all at once, also releasing a "web." But hers is gigantic and travels so fast I hear the sound barrier being broken as the sea churns and the water turns red from the sheer number of monsters shredded apart.

"W-Wow... I don’t think I can do that..." I stare at the giant scale of the "slash" she made; it easily stretches for several kilometers.

"Of course you can, Evelyn. You just need to practice using the tension of your threads so the attack doesn’t come back toward you."

"Nerina, thank you! Truly!!"

"You don’t need to thank me again, Evelyn, hahaha. You have talent. And even if your Blessing makes you incapable of being strong, there are many ways to use creativity so you can fight in your own way." She’s so kind.

She knows my Blessing makes me weak, so over the past few days, she’s gotten close to me and started teaching me how to use my powers offensively instead of needing to try and create a marionette to fight.

"...Something wrong?" She asks, handing me the split fruit. I take a piece to eat, but I feel embarrassed. It’s always embarrassing to see Nerina naked. She didn’t want me to make clothes for her, and even though she’s made of water, her figure is still quite... prominent.

"No... l-let’s go to the shelter..." As I say this, she lifts me up like I’m a child, settling me onto her shoulders, and starts walking. I finish eating the fruit and toss the rest on the ground.

"Nerina... in the past... was I very weak?"

"Yes, you didn’t use your powers very efficiently. But don’t worry about that. In this new beginning, I’ll help you become as powerful as possible."

"After all, there are still limits that your weak powers, unfortunately, cannot surpass."

"Hmm... c-can I bathe alone today? It’s kind of... embarrassing..." The past few days, she’s been the one bathing me, scrubbing my body and cleaning every corner completely. But although it’s pleasant, it’s really very embarrassing.

"Can you manage?"

"O-Of course I can!! I can... j-just stay nearby in case there’s a monster in the water... b-besides, I made lots of little marionettes and spread them all over the island!!" The island isn’t very big, so I’ve already mapped it completely.

"You’re always so careful. Don’t you think we could explore the island more together in person? Fufufu, unless you’re afraid that Nerina here might do something naughty to you."

"...I-I don’t know anything about that... but... Nerina, now that we’ve taken care of the basics over the past few days... if we’re friends, how did we meet? I’d like to know..."

"It was at sea, on a boat. You noticed me, and I noticed you. And then we became friends. Nymphs are rare, so I suppose in the end, we can have a sweet connection that others don’t."

’That makes sense... though the explanation is very vague...’ We reach the shelter. It’s a small structure made of threads, leaves, and rocks that I built with Nerina’s help. It’s basic, but it protects from the cold and the extreme sun. It’s situated between the forest and the beach, so the location is good too.

"Nerina, you never sleep. Don’t you feel tired?" Ever since I woke up on this island, she’s never stopped to rest or left my side.

"I’ve slept for a long time. I’m a nymph who spends years sleeping so that when I wake up, I stay awake for a long time. Last time I slept, I slept for several millennia."

"Are you worried about my health? How adorable." She sets me on the ground, and I feel my feet touch the comfortable threads that make up the floor around the house to keep the sand away.

"O-Okay, I’m... just a little... what if a dangerous monster appears and attacks you while you’re tired?"

"Hahahaha, that’s impossible. But I appreciate the concern, Evelyn. However, there are threats greater than any monster around these parts."

"Really? Like what!?"

"...Hehehe, secret. But you can rest assured. Monsters avoid trying to get too close to me. Generally, within an area of 200 to 500 meters, no monster will try to approach."

"Besides, that’s why I stay so close to you. I don’t want you taking any risks."

"Oh... thank you..." I enter the house, followed by her. Inside, it’s furnished with rustic wooden furniture, but it’s beautiful. I don’t know where I learned, but I knew how to make it by instinct. Maybe I worked with refinement in the past?

"Nerina, isn’t it boring living with me? I’m... not fun..." I step into the makeshift bathroom, and of course, she follows for the "bath" as well, since there are two places to bathe on this island. And in my bathroom, Nerina is the one who generates the water.

"Actually, no. It’s quite fun. Your reactions are adorable. Your charm when you do something new is sweet. And I like how you’re determined in some moments and shy in others."

"Although, you are pretty desperate for friendship, aren’t you? You don’t remember me, so theoretically, you’ve only known me for three days. And yet, you bring me into your bathroom with you."

"T-That’s not how it is! And if we really are friends, t-that’s not a problem... b-besides... you’ve helped me so much and asked for nothing... s-so I think I can trust you a little..."

"Of course, Evelyn. It’s great that you trust me. But be more attentive. What if I were someone with bad intentions? Your innocence about this is dangerous. Not everyone you see will want to be your friend."

"Th-Then why haven’t you done anything yet?" I’m so much weaker than her. And from the little I’ve seen of her powers, she could literally obliterate this entire island in one attack. So she certainly has the strength to overpower me.

"Because we’re friends. But it’s just an example. Someone evil could take advantage of you. But I understand that you trust me. We’re friends, and that’s natural."

"Now come, it’s time for your bath. Afterwards, we need to start getting things ready for dinner. And tonight, we can try practicing something new." When she says this, I look down.

’I’m restless...’ Something down there is uncomfortable for me... I wish I could touch myself, but the stupid Nerina doesn’t understand personal space and never goes away.

"Haa... a-all right..." I start taking off my clothes. It’s that short, brown dress made from the pelts of various small animals. It’s a good outfit, and I made sure to clean and refine every material to avoid contamination or anything like that, but still, it’s not as pretty as I’d like.

"Y-You can start." I sit on a wooden chair padded with threads. It’s soft, comfortable, and doesn’t get moldy. Nerina comes up behind me, generating water that falls over my head. My tail curls a little around my waist from the cold, and my wings flap weakly, splashing water on the floor.

"Nerina... we’re friends... but why do you do something like this? Is it normal for friends to give each other baths?"

"I don’t think so."

"...?" I look at her confused before she lathers my hair with some foamy material she generates. I close my eyes.

"It’s because we’re a very unique race. I haven’t had many experiences of friendship with other nymphs to say for sure. But if we love a friend, shouldn’t we do something to make them feel good?"

"You’re depressed, without memories, and confused. So I thought taking care of you like this would make you feel better about your new life!"

"...It’s... it’s nice, I guess..." I still haven’t remembered anything, and it’s discouraging. And when I think about the past, it’s so uncomfortable that I seriously wonder if I should try to remember or just forget and enjoy life.

Although the first two days were tense, the island is actually pretty. There’s plenty of food, and Nerina’s company isn’t bad. Besides, I’m apparently "immortal," so living a few years on this island until whatever hurt me goes away is a possibility.

But I don’t know... running away doesn’t feel right. But thinking too much about the past hurts me and leaves me confused.

"Gwaaah!!" Suddenly, she grabs my breasts, making me jump out of the chair, until I realize she was just soaping me.

’D-Damn it, I’m so sensitive...’

"S-Sorry, h-hahaha, I just... got nervous about something..." I sit back down, letting her continue soaping me. But now I’m rubbing my legs against each other in discomfort.

Splash.

She throws water over me, completely cleaning off the soap. Then she uses her powers to make the water droplets evaporate, drying me almost instantly. Then she uses the wooden and thread comb I built to brush my hair.

"N-Nerina, could you wash my clothes too? A-Also, if it’s going to rain, then... I guess we’ll be spending some time inside..."

"Of course I can. Just a moment. Let me finish your hair first."

"..."

"Nerina..."

"Yes?"

"Could you... well... how... how should I put it... maybe... just go sleep somewhere else? Not tonight, of course! Because you said it’s going to rain... but later, I could build you a house near this one..."

"Why? Isn’t one house enough?" Her innocent question catches me off guard. But the thing is, with her here, I won’t have the courage to seek that "relief" I want down there.

"...I just... thought privacy for us both would be good... forget it..." I think I can handle it. It’s not that bad.

"Alright! By the way, I have a present for you. I’ll give it to you as soon as we’re done here."