"It's nothing," Hikigaya sighed, his tone laced with resignation.
"Horikita was just worried about Ibuki showing up and came to ask me about it. I suggested she might as well go scout out Class C's base."
"…Really?"
"Of course it's true. Look, she's already gone off with Ayanokouji."
As Hikigaya spoke, he gestured towards the distance where Ibuki stood.
Horikita had indeed found Ayanokouji, and after a brief exchange of words, the two left together. Yamauchi, who was left behind, looked particularly pleased with himself as if he now had the perfect opportunity to curry favor with Ibuki.
Unfortunately for him, his hopes were dashed when Ibuki promptly shooed him away with an irritated expression.
Sigh, what an idiot. I've told him before not to try and mimic Hirata's tactics—it doesn't work unless you're handsome.
But then again, Ayanaokouji does seem unusually focused on Ibuki this time around.
When Hirata was trying to persuade everyone earlier, Ayanokouji kept attempting to strike up a conversation with her.
He's probably suspicious that she might be a spy too.
Still, seeing him take the initiative like this is surprising… Could it be that he's finally decided to stop being a passive observer?
And then there's the way he's been acting ever since we boarded the cruise ship—something about him seems off as if there's been some sort of change he's trying to keep hidden.
Even so, Hikigaya had no intention of making any hasty moves. After all, he wasn't particularly interested in getting involved with Class C's affairs. This was the perfect chance to observe Ayanokouji's actions and see what Ryuen might be planning.
Just as Hikigaya was lost in thought, Kushida chimed in with her usual sarcastic tone,
"Stop staring, they're long gone by now. If you care so much, why don't you just go after them?"
"I'm not worried about Horikita, it's Ayanokouji," Hikigaya replied, casting her an irritated glance. Why does she hate Horikita so much, and why won't she explain her reasons?
"Ayanokouji?" Kushida blinked in surprise before scowling.
"Don't try to fool me. What's so special about that gloomy guy? He's just a pathetic lapdog who follows Horikita around like a lovesick puppy."
From the outside, it certainly looked that way.
Even Sudou often questioned whether Ayanokouji had a crush on Horikita, and every time, Ayanokouji managed to deflect his suspicions with ease.
"…Anyway, just be careful," Hikigaya added, knowing that a few words wouldn't be enough to convince Kushida that Ayanokouji wasn't just another low-tier player. It was better to keep his mouth shut than to escalate the situation further.
Although Hikigaya couldn't help but wonder if, with Kushida's personality, she might one day—
"Hikigaya-kun, what are you and Kushida-san doing here?"
A voice interrupted his thoughts, and when he turned, he saw Matsushita standing there. She was holding a handful of wild fruits, likely collected with Karuizawa and the others. The quantity was small, though, suggesting they weren't entirely sure if the fruits were edible.
"Kudos to you, Matsushita-san," Kushida's expression changed instantly, her face lighting up with a warm smile as she approached.
"Did you gather all these yourself? That's amazing!" Kushida picked up one of the fruits and examined it closely. "This is called akebia. It's edible."
"Really? You know these, Kushida-san?" Matsushita responded with surprise.
"Yes! And they taste quite good too."
Kushida, who had reviewed survival information before the exam, naturally recognized the fruit. Her knowledge quickly attracted the attention of other students, who hurried over with their finds, eager for her advice.
Hikigaya saw this as his opportunity to quietly slip away. This situation was best left to Kushida; if she could outshine Horikita in this exam, it might keep her occupied and out of his hair for a while.
But just as he thought he had escaped, Matsushita reappeared.
"Hikigaya-kun, what were you and Kushida-san talking about just now?"
Matsushita asked nonchalantly, "Lately, it seems like you two are getting along quite well. Some of the girls in our class have been talking about it."
"...What are you talking about? Kushida-san gets along well with everyone, doesn't she?"
At first, Matsushita's comment startled Hikigaya, but he quickly regained his composure. He had always kept a low profile in class. Even though he occasionally talked to Kushida, it wasn't enough to draw attention—at least, he had thought so. Matsushita's curiosity must have been piqued by something she noticed earlier. No doubt she was fishing for information!
But Matsushita's puzzled expression threw him off. "Hikigaya-kun, you don't understand girls at all, do you? How Kushida-san looks at you differs from how she looks at the other boys."
—That's because I have dirt on her!
Hikigaya inwardly sighed. How could these girls be so oblivious to most things yet so sharp when it came to gossip? Their talent points were misplaced.
"Don't be ridiculous," Hikigaya replied, exasperated.
"If rumors like that spread, I'll have every guy in our grade coming after me. Besides, Kushida was asking about class stuff. It's not what you're imagining."
"Well, Hikigaya-kun, you are dependable... If people take a closer look, someone's bound to notice," Matsushita said with a strangely complex expression.
"No, I neither want to rely on others nor have others rely on me."
"Heh, you just don't want to do any work, do you?"
"Exactly!"
Hikigaya's smug grin earned him a quiet, sarcastic remark from Matsushita—something along the lines of "That's nothing to be proud of,"—and a small sigh before she changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, this exam is tough. Surviving on a deserted island for a whole week is no joke."
"Yeah, it must be especially hard for the girls."
It wasn't just the girls who had it rough; Hikigaya also found it challenging to be crammed into a tent with a bunch of people. He could only hope no one snored.
"Especially when it comes to sleeping," Matsushita continued to complain. "Sure, we have tents, but the ground is so hard. We'll all wake up with sore backs and stiff necks."
"Definitely..."
Though summer's heat meant they didn't have to worry about catching colds, the lack of proper bedding was a real problem. Even if they could use points to exchange for better sleeping arrangements, the boys were too intent on saving, and the girls were too embarrassed to ask.
After a moment's thought, Hikigaya suggested, "Actually, I have an idea. I'm not sure if it'll work, though."
"What is it? Tell me!" Matsushita urged him.
"Plastic bags and absorbent paper from the portable toilets."
"...Huh?"
Seeing that Matsushita didn't understand, Hikigaya elaborated, "Chabashira-sensei said each group only gets one portable toilet, but the plastic bags and absorbent paper are unlimited. We can stuff the paper into the bags and make makeshift mattresses out of them."
There was more they could use. Mashima-sensei had mentioned that sanitary supplies for the girls were also unlimited. Using those might make an even softer mattress, but it seemed too wasteful, and Hikigaya worried that suggesting it might earn him odd looks from the girls. Better to keep that idea to himself.
"Right! That could work!"
Matsushita exclaimed excitedly.
"You are reliable, Hikigaya-kun! I'm going to tell Hirata-kun right now."
"Go ahead."
Hikigaya waved her off, watching as she dashed away.
Finally, I can relax—
"Hirata-kun, listen to this! Hikigaya-kun came up with a great idea!"
...Wait, what?
Hey, hey, Matsushita! Why did you have to mention my name?
Hikigaya's eyes widened as he reached out in vain to stop her, but it was too late. Matsushita had already relayed his suggestion, sparking an enthusiastic discussion among the students.
"So that's an option! How did I not think of that?"
"Hirata-kun, you should ask Chabashira-sensei about it!"
"So it was Hikigaya's idea, huh? No wonder."
A few students, who had overheard Koenji's earlier remarks, now looked at Hikigaya with admiration.
...Great. Now I just want to go home.
Feeling increasingly uncomfortable under the barrage of gazes, Hikigaya wished he could disappear. Just then, someone finally said something to lighten the mood.
"No big deal," Karuizawa scoffed. "Hirata-kun could have thought of that too."
—Yes! Thank you!
Hikigaya silently gave Karuizawa a thumbs-up. She was going all out to maintain her boyfriend's standing in the class, even though Hirata didn't care about such things. Still, it worked out well for Hikigaya, who preferred to stay out of the spotlight.
Quick! Keep going!
But to his dismay, when he looked at Karuizawa, she flinched and immediately fell silent.
...Seriously? She's still scared of me? It seemed Karuizawa was worried that Hikigaya might publicly snap at her again like last time.
What a useless girl.
As Hikigaya sighed, Hirata spoke up to smooth things over.
"Karuizawa-san, you shouldn't say that. When it comes to strategy, I have to admit, that Hikigaya-kun has me beat. He always thinks of solutions others overlook."
"Uh..." Hikigaya couldn't comprehend why his small suggestion was getting so much praise. Anyone could have come up with it, right?
This is all Matsushita's fault for stirring things up!
But she seemed completely oblivious to her role in the situation, instead giving Hikigaya a playful wink as if expecting him to praise her.
Whatever... Say what you want.
Exhausted and disinterested, Hikigaya decided to ignore everyone and retreated to a corner to zone out. He had once managed to space out for a record eight hours, and he had a feeling that this deserted island might just see him surpass that.
Before long, Hirata returned from Chabashira-sensei with approval for the idea. The staff brought over several large boxes filled with plastic bags and absorbent paper, and the students eagerly got to work making mattresses and pillows.
The resourcefulness extended further as they realized the plastic bags could also be useful for gathering wild fruit, and someone even suggested creating a simple fishing trap.
By the time they finished these tasks, it was already six in the evening—just about time for dinner. Conveniently, Horikita and Ayanokouji returned from scouting Class C, just in time to join them for the meal.