At this moment, Hikigaya couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of awkwardness. The atmosphere was so stifling that he wanted to flee the scene immediately.
It was all Matsushita's fault for saying something so strange.
Don't think that just because you're a girl, those words you just said aren't absurd!
He wanted to scold her out loud, but there was no confidence behind the thought, so he let it slide. Either way, he had lost the will to continue walking with her.
Just as Hikigaya was about to suggest they head back to camp, Matsushita spoke up unexpectedly, "By the way, Hikigaya-kun, it seemed like Ibuki came to see you this afternoon. Was there something important?"
"Nothing. Just some idle chat," Hikigaya replied dismissively, not putting much thought into the answer.
"Oh..."
Hikigaya hadn't planned to elaborate, but seeing the subtle disappointment in Matsushita's nod made him reconsider. There wasn't any harm in sharing after all. Not that it meant anything personal—Matsushita had offered to help before, and they had a cooperative relationship. Sharing this information was simply part of that dynamic.
Who am I trying to explain this to? Hikigaya thought with mild exasperation, both at Matsushita and himself.
He then said, "Ibuki's guilty conscience was getting the better of her. She was trying to feel me out."
"Huh?"
Matsushita blinked in confusion, then her face brightened with a radiant smile. "So, you suspect Ibuki too, just like me? She did steal those panties, didn't she?"
"Probably. It's highly likely," Hikigaya nodded, confirming her suspicions.
She seemed unusually happy, most likely because they had finally zeroed in on the culprit. Honestly, anyone with half a brain would suspect Ibuki from the start.
The investigation should've begun with her.
Even if Ibuki wasn't the actual thief, the smartest course of action would be to consult Hirata, have him conduct a quiet investigation, and get to the truth that way. But, unfortunately, all of that had been derailed by Shinohara's incessant meddling. If it weren't for her jumping up and down, things wouldn't have escalated to this point.
"Hikigaya-kun, do you want to expose Ibuki now?" Matsushita asked with determination. "If we do, then everyone will stop being so paranoid. I'll help you with whatever you need."
"I don't care about this ridiculous mess. And besides, it's not just about the stolen panties anymore."
To be blunt, if Hikigaya wanted to, he could easily trick Ibuki into outing herself. It would take no effort. But he still had plans to use Ibuki to gauge Ayanokoji's next move. That was far more important.
In comparison, what happened with their class was trivial.
"I still think it's better to reveal the truth sooner rather than later," Matsushita persisted, her tone firm, as though there was something deeper driving her.
Noticing Hikigaya's confused expression, she hesitated briefly before continuing in a low voice, "Shinohara and her group have been bad-mouthing you behind your back. They're planning to post about what happened on the island in the school forum when we get back."
"I see."
Matsushita hadn't explicitly stated it, but Hikigaya caught the implication immediately. Shinohara's group was planning to pin the blame on him. That's why Matsushita was so eager to expose Ibuki—to shut down their scheme before it could take root.
Hmph... they're asking for it.
If he couldn't even handle something like this, Hikigaya mused, there was no point in trying to tackle bigger challenges.
He might as well drop out now.
However, he wasn't the type to act rashly just because of a single piece of gossip. For all he knew, Shinohara's group was just venting. Reacting too strongly would only make things worse.
"Thanks for telling me, Matsushita." Hikigaya offered her a small smile. "But you don't have to worry about me. People like that… wait a second, I think someone's coming."
He stopped abruptly, peering into the distant woods.
"Huh? There's someone there?"
Matsushita, not seeing anything, instinctively hid behind Hikigaya, spooked by his sudden alertness. A moment later, a figure emerged from the trees, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight.
It was Hashimoto, who Hikigaya had been waiting for all afternoon. Hashimoto quickly spotted him too.
"Yo, Hikigaya. Took me forever to find you. Didn't expect you to be out here having a romantic rendezvous again, huh?" Hashimoto grinned, launching into his usual nonsense.
"...Why did you wait until night to come looking for me?" Hikigaya shot him a glare, clearly unimpressed. "Thanks to you, I ended up wasting my entire afternoon."
Matsushita raised an eyebrow at that. She had seen Hikigaya fishing all afternoon—how was that a waste?
"Hey now, it wasn't on purpose! I rushed over as fast as I could. It's not like I could control the timing," Hashimoto protested dramatically, though it was clear he wasn't being serious.
At that point, Hashimoto's gaze briefly flicked to Matsushita. "Oh, sorry for the late introduction. I'm Hashimoto Masayoshi from Class A and a good friend of Hikigaya's. I'm here to discuss something important."
Hikigaya almost wished he could erase the "good friend" part from Hashimoto's introduction.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Matsushita Chiaki," she replied politely, though she could easily tell that Hashimoto wanted her to leave. She glanced at Hikigaya and nodded. "I'll head back now—"
"Hashimoto, you can say whatever it is here," Hikigaya interrupted before she could finish.
"...Oh?"
Both Matsushita and Hashimoto blinked in surprise at his sudden firmness.
This guy is beyond irritating, Hikigaya thought. He sighed. "Just get on with it. If anyone from my class sees us together, it'll be a problem."
"Alright, alright, no need to rush," Hashimoto chuckled and pulled out a folded sheet of paper from his pocket, handing it to Hikigaya.
"It's about tomorrow morning's schedule. I'm pretty sure Katsuragi won't be grouped with Yahiko. Instead, Yahiko will join two other members of Katsuragi's faction for a coastal patrol. They'll be responsible for the shoreline."
Thanks to Ryuen's contributions, Class A didn't need to worry about gathering supplies, which gave them the freedom to deploy an extra team to cover Katsuragi's movements.
A clever move, but ultimately pointless.
"The coastline, huh…"
Hikigaya's mind immediately drifted to the small hut beneath the cliff. According to Katsuragi's logic, it was an isolated spot, unlikely to be discovered by other classes, and could be repeatedly secured.
Most likely, Yahiko would try to occupy it tomorrow.
Well then... looks like I'll be setting another trap there.
His decision was made. He would lay a trap for Yahiko at the hut. As long as Katsuragi wasn't directly involved, the success rate would be high.
If things went smoothly, that spot could very well become Katsuragi's burying ground.
The thought of outwitting them in the same location for a second time amused Hikigaya to no end.
"I've marked the possible areas they might head to on this map. The rest is up to you," Hashimoto winked. "Well then, I'll leave you two to your date. Don't let me interrupt."
"Wait a second."
Hikigaya called out to him, though it wasn't to settle the score. "Those two who'll be with Yahiko—what are they like?"
"Heh, you don't have to worry about them. They're just like most of the arrogant idiots in Class A. Cocky, but ultimately foolish."
Despite being part of Class A himself, Hashimoto had no problem belittling his classmates, as if he were a detached observer.
It was clear that Hashimoto had figured out part of Hikigaya's plan. Unfortunately for him, he had only grasped half of it. Otherwise, Hikigaya might have been tempted to offer him some rare praise.
After Hashimoto left, Hikigaya glanced at Matsushita, who was now deep in thought, hand on her chin.
"Matsushita, I know you probably have a lot of questions," Hikigaya said, taking the initiative. "But those are all secondary. Ask me anything you want when the time is right."
"It's okay. You can tell me whenever it's convenient," she smiled lightly, not pressing the matter.
"I've got a job for you. Do you want to give it a try?" he asked.
"Of course," Matsushita agreed without hesitation. "I told you before, didn't I? I'll assist you in any way I can. It looks like this time, it's finally my turn to take action. Ah, wait a minute, I do have one question."
Unexpectedly, she hesitated again, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face.