The entire afternoon had passed without Hikigaya catching a single fish or receiving any news from Hashimoto.
Naturally, it wasn't due to a lack of skill on his part.
No, it was more likely the foul atmosphere emanating from Class D that had scared off the fish in the river. That had to be the real reason.
Yes, that was it for sure.
At least he had discovered that Ibuki was the panty thief, so it hadn't been a completely wasted day.
By the time evening rolled around, the mood in the camp remained as stifling as a wake. The girls were convinced that the boys were the culprits, and the boys felt the girls were being unreasonable.
Neither side was willing to back down, so dinner ended with both groups glaring at each other across the metaphorical police line.
In such a tense atmosphere, Hikigaya decided to go for his usual post-dinner walk around the camp.
Poor Ayanokoji had had a rough day. Not only had he spent the entire afternoon helping out, but afterward, the girls complained that the tents weren't properly repositioned, still too close to the boys' area, forcing him to fix them again.
What on earth did that secret organization train him to be? It was downright pitiful.
Hikigaya, on the other hand, couldn't care less about what others said about him. But making him work?
That was a non-starter.
Yet Ayanokoji was on a whole different level. He took the insults in stride while still helping the girls.
Doesn't he have any pride?
Hikigaya found himself momentarily curious about this, but he decided to shelve the thought for now. He had noticed a faint, lingering gaze on him since earlier, though it wasn't directed at him but rather at Class D's campsite.
Probably someone from another class scouting us out, working hard even late into the night.
Since he wasn't the target, Hikigaya didn't bother investigating further. He deliberately distanced himself from the spot to avoid getting tangled up in whatever was going on.
"Hey, Hikigaya-kun."
After a few more steps, someone called his name softly. He turned to see Matsushita standing there.
…Wait, why was Matsushita here?
Class D was in a pretty bad state right now. Though it was unlikely the boys and girls would go three whole years without speaking to each other, things would eventually cool down after this exam ended. But for now, the situation was still very sensitive.
Just look at Ayanokoji's situation. The boys had already labeled him a traitor, and Horikita wasn't far behind in their disdain.
But those two were exceptions. Matsushita, on the other hand, wasn't the type to handle that kind of pressure.
"Were you out for a walk after dinner?" Matsushita asked.
"Yeah, I didn't have anything else to do."
"Mind if I join you?"
"...Suit yourself."
Hikigaya didn't have any reason to refuse, or rather, Matsushita's question wasn't a question at all. She naturally fell into step beside him, smiling warmly.
Well, there was no helping it. He'd have to find a way to satisfy her.
"Let's just do a loop around the camp," Hikigaya suggested, pointing behind her.
"You start walking that way, and I'll go the other way. We can meet up on the other side."
Given Matsushita's social connections, Hikigaya thought he had come up with the perfect solution. This way, she could enjoy the walk, and they wouldn't have to worry about being seen together.
But there was one thing that puzzled him...
Why did Matsushita suddenly look so stunned?
"What's wrong?" Hikigaya asked with concern. "Are you not feeling well? If you're not, you should go back and rest."
"...I just… suddenly understood something… No, never mind."
For some reason, Matsushita sighed deeply, cutting off her sentence halfway. Whatever it was she had realized, she wasn't going to share it.
However, if she wanted to drop it, that was fine by him.
Unfortunately, Hikigaya had underestimated her persistence.
"Hikigaya-kun, when I said I wanted to walk 'together,' I meant together."
She emphasized the word 'together,' as if he didn't understand Japanese.
"I know," Hikigaya nodded. "You walk around the camp, and I'll walk around the camp. That counts as walking together, doesn't it?"
No one ever said how close you had to be to walk together. If five centimeters worked, then why not fifty meters?
"Stop playing word games."
Matsushita sighed in exasperation, then suddenly grabbed Hikigaya's hand.
"When I said together, I meant close enough to hold hands. Got it?"
"...Before that, could you let go of my hand?"
Hikigaya was taken aback, unsure of what to do, so he averted his gaze.
But Matsushita surprised him with her determination: "I won't let go until you say you understand."
"No… Look, won't it be a problem if your friends see us?"
"It's fine," Matsushita replied with a carefree smile. "Karuizawa-san, Shinohara-san—they're all idiots. I'll just make something up if it comes to that."
"Hey, don't call your friends idiots with a smile on your face." Hikigaya couldn't help but retort.
It wasn't surprising, though. Matsushita and her group only pretended to be close. If you paid attention, you'd notice they called each other by their last names.
Matsushita had even complained to Hikigaya before about how obnoxious she found Shinohara, calling her an arrogant ugly girl, which spoke volumes about the depth of their so-called friendship.
It wasn't even as close as the Hayama group's bonds…
But no matter how bad their relationships were, they still managed to act friendly on the surface, which was somewhat admirable.
"Okay, okay, I get it. Now let go."
Hikigaya finally gave in, unable to withstand the embarrassment any longer.
"Hmph, got it."
Seeing Matsushita's triumphant smile... he couldn't help but think she was a bit sly.
The two continued walking side by side, though Hikigaya took a slightly longer route to avoid being seen with Matsushita.
As they walked, Matsushita suddenly said something out of the blue.
"By the way, Hikigaya-kun… I don't think I've thanked you yet."
Her tone was slightly awkward, not as straightforward as when she had grabbed his hand earlier.
"Thanked me? For what? I don't remember doing anything that would warrant your thanks."
"Honestly, I thought you'd say that."
Matsushita shook her head and smiled at him. "So this is just me wanting to say thank you. You don't have to accept it."
"...Seriously, I only messed with Shinohara because I couldn't stand her."
"Yeah, I believe you."
Even though Matsushita said she believed him, the cheerful expression on her face made Hikigaya feel utterly embarrassed from the depths of his soul.
What is even happening here?
Whether it was Horikita or Matsushita, why did they always come to their own conclusions without consulting him?
Hikigaya simply couldn't understand. Where had the trust between people gone?
Why wouldn't anyone just take his word for it?