As Zhang Liu pulled the bowstring, fine sawdust began to sprinkle from the base of the small wooden stick standing upright on a piece of dry wood.
This was just the start.
Gritting his teeth, Zhang Liu pressed the stick downward with force, yanking the bow of the fire-starting drill back and forth even harder.
Please, let this work!
His arms were growing numb, but a small hole had formed in the dry wood. The wood shavings near the hole turned brown, and faint wisps of green smoke began to rise. A smoky, woody scent filled the air.
"There's smoke!"
Anya, who had been watching, couldn't contain herself any longer. The smell of smoke drew her closer to inspect.
Qin Ruoshuang, who had been gently scrubbing the front of her T-shirt, paused her task and walked over as well.
Both girls bent down to observe the scene, though from different angles—Anya faced Zhang Liu, while Qin Ruoshuang stood behind him.
The sun blazed overhead. Even with his shirt off, Zhang Liu was drenched in sweat from the exertion. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, stinging his eyes as they slipped past his brows. He had to blink constantly to ease the burning sensation.
But that wasn't his main concern. His right arm was the real issue.
Though thick smoke was rising, his muscles were at their limit. The soreness in his arm had built up to an unbearable level.
With a heavy sigh, during the next push-and-pull motion, the bow slipped from his hands and fell silently onto the sand.
Zhang Liu propped himself up with one hand, gasping for air. His right forearm and upper arm felt stiff and numb, completely drained of strength.
"Huh?"
Anya, unaware of what had happened, gasped in surprise.
"Zhang Liu, keep going! It's almost hot enough!"
From her perspective, the wood at the base of the fire-starting point had turned black with sawdust, a clear sign of carbonization from the heat. It seemed like such a waste for him to stop now.
"His arms are too tired to keep drilling," Qin Ruoshuang said, quickly unscrewing a half-full bottle of mineral water and holding it to Zhang Liu's mouth to help him drink.
Gulp, gulp…
Zhang Liu didn't stand on ceremony. He grabbed the bottle with his still-functioning left hand and downed half of it.
Catching his breath, he gave a wry smile under the worried gazes of Anya and Qin Ruoshuang.
"My muscles are too sore from pulling for so long. I couldn't hold the bow anymore."
"But it's working," Qin Ruoshuang said, touching the pile of black sawdust with her fingertips before quickly pulling back. "It's really hot."
"Yeah, I picked this time on purpose," Zhang Liu said, glancing up at the sun, now directly overhead. "The temperature's at its peak, so the chances of starting a fire are highest."
Despite his words, he felt a pang of helplessness. His right arm was nearly useless now. While he could probably pick up light objects, continuing to drill for fire was out of the question for a while.
"Let's eat something first," Anya said, peeling a jaboticaba, removing the pit, and holding it out to Zhang Liu's mouth while glancing at the nearby sea.
"Thanks," he said, taking the fruit and popping it into his mouth.
The sweet flavor lifted his spirits slightly.
After chewing a few times, he added, "I'll head to the beach to gather more driftwood. Once my arm recovers, I'll try making fire again."
Though he said this, deep down, he knew today's attempt at starting a fire was likely doomed.
The temperature was at its highest, and his physical condition had been at its best, yet he hadn't succeeded.
As the day cooled and his arm only partially recovered, the odds of success seemed slim.
He walked to the shore and began collecting pieces of driftwood washed up by the waves, piling them in an open spot.
Occasionally, his gaze drifted to the vast, deep blue sea.
How he wished for a tiny black dot to appear on the horizon, slowly growing closer and turning into a rescue ship…
But after gathering a small pile of wood, Zhang Liu sighed, letting go of the fleeting fantasy.
He crouched down and began sorting the wood carefully.
Back at the cave entrance, after Zhang Liu left, Anya picked up the bow drill he'd dropped due to his weakened arm.
She tried mimicking his actions, setting the wooden stick in place and pulling the bow to make it spin.
Compared to the sharp crackling sound it made at first, the stick and the hole in the wood had begun to wear into each other.
Still, it took immense effort for Anya to keep it turning.
She couldn't even last half as long as Zhang Liu before she had to stop, panting heavily and admitting defeat.
"Have some water and rest," Qin Ruoshuang said, handing Anya a freshly cracked coconut.
She lowered her voice and added, "We probably won't get a fire going today. Don't show any disappointment later, or Zhang Liu will feel bad."
"I get it," Anya replied, nodding at Qin Ruoshuang's serious expression.
But then her eyes fell on Qin Ruoshuang's chest, and something seemed off, though she couldn't quite place it.
Frowning, Anya studied her closely.
As a woman, she hadn't paid much attention at first, but now she noticed the issue.
Her eyes widened, and she blurted out, "Where's your bra?"
Qin Ruoshuang's chest, though still prominent, had a slightly drooping look without the support of a bra.
The heat had soaked her white school uniform in sweat, making it slightly translucent and revealing faint outlines.
Awkwardly, Qin Ruoshuang crossed her right arm over her chest, covering the two faint red spots visible through her shirt.
"I took it off," she whispered. "Come with me."
"Huh?"
Anya blinked, confused, as Qin Ruoshuang climbed into the cave.
After a moment's hesitation, Anya followed and saw Qin Ruoshuang pull a sponge from under the foam mat they'd slept on the night before.
"I took the sponge out of it. Here, take one for yourself. I'll go with Zhang Liu to the beach later, so you can use this chance to clean up a bit," Qin Ruoshuang said, handing the sponge to a stunned Anya.
"Hide it quick—Zhang Liu will be back soon."
"Oh, but why not put your bra back on?" Anya asked, quickly tucking the sponge into her shirt pocket, still puzzled.
Couldn't she wear the bra again even without the sponge padding?
"It's a front-clasp bra with padding and hooks in the middle. Without the sponge, the hooks dig into my skin," Qin Ruoshuang explained, pulling the bra from under the foam mat to show Anya.
Her voice was tinged with frustration.
She'd tried wearing it anyway, but the constant pricking sensation, like needles stabbing her chest with every movement, had forced her to go without in front of Zhang Liu.
"Then wear mine!" Anya suggested, reaching out to touch the clasp on the bra's edge, eager to help.
But then she noticed Qin Ruoshuang's expression turn strange.