After wandering along the coast with Kamuro for a while, Hikigaya found himself back at the place where they had first landed on the island—the same beach where Mashima-sensei had announced the special exam. Out at sea, a luxurious cruise ship was anchored, a constant reminder of the comfort awaiting those who had already checked out of the competition.
Hikigaya couldn't help but feel envious. Koenji, who had opted out early, was probably lounging in the ship's air-conditioned cabins along with most of the Class C students, enjoying a well-earned break.
Same people, different destinies, Hikigaya thought bitterly. I wish I could be up there, relaxing in a cool room.
As he stared longingly at the ship, Kamuro flicked her hair and turned to him.
"That Shiina you mentioned earlier—she's from Class C, right?"
"Yeah, why do you ask?"
"Just curious."
Without another word, Kamuro reached out and grabbed his arm, tugging him lightly.
"Stop staring. You won't get up there no matter how hard you try. It's about time we headed back to camp."
Hikigaya sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
As much as he hated to admit it, staying there wouldn't change anything. But the thought of spending another four days with his class didn't fill him with enthusiasm either.
Then, of course, there was the looming issue with Class A.
Despite the tension surrounding their situation, neither Hikigaya nor Kamuro mentioned it on the way back, sticking to light conversation. Hikigaya had initially thought that once he dealt with the Class A captain, Katsuragi, things would settle down. But Katsuragi had an annoying habit of stirring things up, which meant overtime for Hikigaya.
If it were just Katsuragi, Hikigaya wouldn't have cared. He had ways to handle him and the rest of the Katsuragi faction. But doing so would feel like pushing things too far.
Hikigaya might not care much for others' feelings, but Kamuro had been helpful—especially during Haruno's birthday celebration—and their relationship was on relatively good terms. He didn't want to burn bridges for no reason.
As they neared the D class camp, a few familiar faces appeared ahead.
"Welcome back, Hikigaya-kun," Kushida greeted him with her signature smile. Standing beside her were her two close friends, Wang Meiyu and Inogashira Kokoro, each holding bags stuffed with wild fruit.
Kushida's eyes flicked over to Kamuro. "Oh? Kamuro-san? I didn't expect to see you two together."
Kamuro gave a curt nod in response, casting a glance at Hikigaya. "Well, I'll be off then."
Kamuro's aloofness was as predictable as ever. She said her piece and left without lingering. Hikigaya wouldn't have minded following her, escaping the situation entirely, but that wasn't an option. Kushida's eyes stayed glued to him, and Wang Meiyu and Inogashira were looking on with curious expressions.
Curious?
Hikigaya realized something odd. After the incident earlier in the day, it made sense for Kushida to act normally around him, but the other girls should have been keeping their distance.
Class D's gender conflict had reached a boiling point, yet Wang Meiyu and Inogashira seemed unaffected.
Was it because of Kushida?
"Hikigaya-kun," Kushida suddenly clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture.
"We found a lot of wild fruit, but we want to gather more so we don't have to make multiple trips. Could you help us out?"
"Sure," he agreed, not seeing the harm. If the girls didn't care about lingering tension, he wasn't going to either.
While they busily picked fruit, Wang Meiyu spoke up quietly. "Hikigaya-kun?"
"Yeah?" Hikigaya was caught off guard. He had never spoken to Wang Meiyu or Inogashira directly before. They were known for their timid personalities, sticking close to Kushida and following her lead without question.
"Um… thank you," Wang Meiyu stammered.
"For what you said about Karuizawa-san earlier. We've all been a little afraid of her, so we didn't dare speak up."
Ah, so that's what this was about.
It became clear to Hikigaya that girls like Wang Meiyu and Inogashira, who were easily intimidated, would naturally be targets for Karuizawa. She likely roped them into her schemes without giving them a chance to refuse. Even Kushida had been forced to lend points, so it was no surprise the others suffered silently under Karuizawa's pressure.
"You don't need to thank me," Hikigaya said, shaking his head. "I was just irritated with those self-righteous girls."
The situation reminded him of something that had happened back in the fourth grade when he'd dealt with similar schoolyard politics. People like Karuizawa existed everywhere, and Hikigaya's hatred for them was almost instinctive.
"But still," Wang Meiyu insisted, "you're the only one who's spoken up for us. We appreciate it."
Both Wang Meiyu and Inogashira bowed their heads in gratitude and left.
Hikigaya found their sincerity refreshing. They were good kids, unlike certain others he could name.
Before he could reflect further, Kushida sidled up to him. "Hikigaya."
"What now, Kushida?" he muttered, sensing trouble.
"Don't play dumb," she hissed under her breath. "I don't care who you mess around with—Class A girls, Class C, whatever—but don't you dare lay a finger on Horikita or my friends. Got it?"
"Would you stop with the nonsense?"
Her threat didn't even warrant a response. The sheer absurdity of it was tiring. It almost sounded like she cared about Horikita more than just a friend. To someone who didn't know the dynamics, they might even think the two were close.
"Forget it," she waved it off. "But I have to admit, you did well this time. Shinohara's been throwing a fit all afternoon."
She poked his side, a grin plastered on her face. "And Karuizawa? She tried whining to Hirata about it, but he told her to shut up. I almost couldn't stop myself from laughing."
"Good for you," Hikigaya sighed, uninterested in her glee.
The island's pressures had gotten to Kushida, and she was now shamelessly gossiping despite the other girls being nearby.
"It's too bad I missed out on this morning's drama," Kushida continued, her tone shifting to irritation. "I had to go comfort that idiot."
"Idiot?"
"You know," she rolled her eyes, "Karuizawa. Crying over stolen underwear like it's the end of the world. Always acting so high and mighty, but the moment something happens, she falls apart."
Hikigaya suspected that Kushida was catching on to the cracks in Karuizawa's façade. She was right—the Karuizawa everyone knew would've raised hell after the theft, not cowered in a tent, weeping.
"Oh, by the way," Kushida leaned closer, her breath tickling Hikigaya's ear. "I've got a fun little secret."
"Do I even want to know?"
"Come on, don't be like that. This one's good." She smirked, drawing him in.
"From day one, we girls pooled our class points to buy pillows and cordless fans. It's been so cool at night." She beamed, clearly pleased with herself.
Hikigaya blinked. That's it?
Now it all made sense. No wonder the girls hadn't complained about the heat. Meanwhile, the boys had been packed into their tent like sardines, silently suffering.
These girls…
But Hikigaya wasn't surprised. Kushida had always been one to stir things up, whether subtly or overtly.
It seemed no one on this island would ever calm down.