Chapter 95: I Didn't Mean to Eavesdrop, My Ears Had a Mind of Their Own
With Ryuen Kakeru gone, the island was noticeably quieter. Without such a troublemaker, the special exam became a test of endurance.
Whoever conserved the most points would win.
On the third day, little changed. Everyone was busy with their tasks. On this island, with enough food, the points saved could be substantial.
Hikigaya Hachiman wasn't idle either. Besides helping the class secure a stronghold every eight hours, he often used helping the class as an excuse to explore the island.
Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Koenji Rokusuke in a while. Normally, he wouldn't care, but on this island, where every moment felt stretched out, it seemed like an eternity.
It was time to check on Koenji Rokusuke and see if he'd gathered any information.
Hikigaya Hachiman teamed up with Horikita Suzune to explore. According to Koenji, no matter where you were, shouting his name would summon him.
Hikigaya Hachiman did just that.
"Koenji!"
Finding him on this island was near impossible, so it was better to let him come to them.
After shouting once, Hikigaya Hachiman didn't rush to call again. Instead, he sat down to wait for Koenji's response.
Seeing him sit, Horikita Suzune shot him an exasperated look before scanning their surroundings.
After some time, she returned to his side, saying helplessly, "I told you, there's no way that guy could hear you. This is ridiculous."
Hikigaya Hachiman frowned slightly, wondering if Koenji had tricked him. He didn't really believe shouting would summon Koenji, after all, the guy didn't have superhuman hearing. That was absurd.
But seeing how Koenji could swing through the forest like Tarzan, Hikigaya Hachiman thought it might not be impossible. Or perhaps it was a compromise born of desperation. The island was vast, searching for him would be futile.
At this rate, he might not find Koenji even by the exam's end.
A fruit fell from above, landing right on Hikigaya Hachiman's head. The single, conspicuous bite mark stood out starkly.
Both Hikigaya and Horikita instinctively looked up. There was Koenji Rokusuke, shirtless as always, lounging casually on a tree branch, holding a pile of fruit.
'As expected, this guy's practically a primate. Does he really have super hearing to catch that shout?'
Hikigaya kept the question to himself. Even now, he couldn't tell if this guy was human.
Koenji tossed down two more fruits, interrupting Hikigaya's thoughts.
"My time is precious. If there's nothing important, don't call me over."
Hikigaya picked up the fruits. It was clearly Koenji's way of shooing them off, eat and get lost.
Good grief, Hikigaya couldn't tell if they were partners or if he was Koenji's subordinate.
Koenji had kept his word, but his attitude still irked Horikita.
"You haven't done a single thing for the class's benefit." she snapped.
"I told you, what happens to you guys is none of my concern. I'm only responsible for gathering a bit of intel, within my job scope."
Koenji's attitude remained unchanged. Horikita was so frustrated she looked ready to climb the tree and yank him down. But aside from Koenji, anyone trying to reach that branch would probably get too scared to make it halfway.
So, Horikita just stood there, face red with anger, powerless to do anything.
Hikigaya, unhurried, asked, "Any discoveries?"
"About what?"
"Class A's current situation and their next plans."
"Their stronghold is in a cave, completely covered with clothes outside. No way I could get in. But I did overhear a little something outside the cave."
When mentioning the intel, Koenji's tone grew heavier, as if signaling its importance.
Hikigaya caught his intent but didn't directly ask what they were planning. Instead, he said tactfully, "So, they're not planning to play it safe and just hold points. Or rather, while holding points, they're planning something else."
Katsuragi Kohei's cautious nature wouldn't easily let go of a secured stronghold. The points gained every eight hours, though small, were valuable.
Koenji flashed an intrigued smile and nodded. "You want to know what it is, don't you?"
Hikigaya hadn't asked directly because he'd already seen through Koenji's game. Koenji wanted to trade valuable intel for more points. Hikigaya had tried to coax the information out indirectly, but unfortunately, Koenji was sharp too.
Hikigaya nodded, then shook his head. "Your intel's tempting, but it's not worth trading points for yet."
His words finally made Horikita catch on. Koenji was trying to milk more points from Hikigaya with his intel.
Already irritated, she grew even angrier. "You greedy jerk! Isn't ten thousand points enough?!"
"How can you say that, Horikita-girl? Points are like money, the more, the better."
"If this exam ends successfully, our class points will increase, and so will our monthly private points."
"You're missing the point. Class points will increase regardless, so don't try to tie me down with that."
Horikita couldn't reason with Koenji, or rather, couldn't communicate at all. Frustrated, she sat on a rock, glaring at him.
Koenji, however, leaned back with his hands behind his head, clearly enjoying himself.
"So, no deal this time?"
"Obviously."
"Then this intel sinks to the bottom of the sea. As for the task you gave me last time, I've done it. If there's nothing else, I'm off."
With that, Koenji vanished from sight in an instant. Despite holding a pile of fruit, not a single one fell. His core balance was astonishing to Hikigaya.
But even more astonishing was that in this school, points were everything. Without enough points, every step was a struggle.
Truly, it was impossible to move freely without them.
Hikigaya picked up the fruit and took a big bite.
Horikita stood while asking, "Any guesses about Class A's plans?"
Hikigaya shook his head. He recalled what Kamuro Masumi had told him, Class A wouldn't play it safe this exam and would definitely target him or Class D. But as for specifics, he had no clue.
"For now, we can't let our guard down until the exam's officially over. Class A might make their move tomorrow."
Horikita nodded in full agreement. This was a rare camping experience, but also a special exam. Letting their guard down could lead to the same fate as Ryuen.
Speaking of Ryuen, Horikita's tone suddenly grew excited. "The thing with Ryuen, that was you, wasn't it?"
Hikigaya didn't deny it, just nodded.
Horikita continued, "I knew it. Yesterday, you invited Ibuki Mio into our class, but today they withdrew from the exam, and Class C vanished like they evaporated. His scheme must've been completely wrecked by you."
Hikigaya nodded again. They'd find out sooner or later, hiding it was pointless.
Horikita gave a simple smile. "I didn't expect Ryuen's carefully planned exam to fall apart so easily at your hands. I'd love to see the look on his face."
"He's not a failure. I just got a bit lucky."
Hikigaya genuinely believed that. If he hadn't been sleepless last night, he wouldn't have coincidentally pulled Kushida back to Class D's side. If there was a traitor, Class D's leader, himself, would've been exposed instantly.
Horikita had heard him say things like this before, but this time, she felt he truly meant it.
She didn't even know what had happened between them. But since Hikigaya had dealt with the major threat of Ryuen, all was well.
Hikigaya sighed softly. "That guy Ryuen will come back. Class D needs to stay vigilant."
Horikita understood. Ryuen wasn't someone who'd give up after one loss, which was why Hikigaya respected him.
"Horikita, do you know Kushida Kikyo?"
Horikita was caught off guard by the question.
Know her? She was their classmate, wasn't she? Though Horikita had never liked her.
She didn't answer, just nodded.
Hikigaya continued, "You must've heard about her past. She was in your junior high."
Horikita nodded. She knew that much.
"It's said she single-handedly destroyed a class. That incident is still talked about."
Horikita racked her brain, then said with some disbelief, "So she was the one behind that."
"What do you think of her?"
"Too fake."
"And?"
"There's no 'and.' I don't like making friends, especially not with someone with such a fake face. It feels dangerous. But I don't care about her past, it's got nothing to do with me, and it won't in the future, as long as she serves the class well…"
Hikigaya cut her off with a shake of his head. "I hope you can be her friend."
"What? Are you serious?! How could I be friends with someone like that? If I had to pick a friend, it'd only be…"
Horikita stopped mid-sentence, lowering her head without another word.
Hikigaya didn't mind. Everyone has a past. Horikita might be prideful, but she surely had a friend she acknowledged once.
Even so…
"Maybe you think I'm asking too much, but if possible, I hope you can accept her, the real her."
"The road to Class A is long. To be an undefeated general, you need to eliminate all disadvantages. Kushida is a double-edged sword, you know that."
Horikita couldn't deny it. Despite what Kushida had done, Class D had gained connections through her. Her abilities weren't weak, academics, athletics, and even being a class pillar.
Horikita relented, nodding. "I'll try my best. But shouldn't you think about yourself? Your presence is pathetically low."
Hikigaya shot her a look. "That's a gift from the heavens, can't change it."
"Your dead-fish eyes are back."
"Also a gift from birth."
…
Without intel from Koenji, Hikigaya thought of another source within Class A.
If he could find Kamuro Masumi, he might get something. But on this vast island, finding someone with purpose was too difficult.
Not everyone was Koenji. Hikigaya was just an ordinary guy.
For a moment, he missed the days when Kamuro Masumi sneakily followed him, thinking he didn't notice.
It hadn't been that long, just half a summer break plus a few days on the island.
Of course, he hadn't missed her much during that half-summer. It was just these three days that made him nostalgic.
This definitely wasn't treating Kamuro Masumi as a tool, just a simple desire to see her for a simple purpose.
Hikigaya and Horikita wandered aimlessly through the forest. After days of getting used to it, they were no longer as nervous as on the first day. Now, they were quite adept.
At least walking wasn't an issue.
[In the Service Club…]
[Yukinoshita Yukino rested her chin in her hand, quietly analyzing the situation.]
["Looks like it's a stalemate now."]
[Compared to Yukinoshita, Hikigaya was far calmer. "Isn't that fine? Just end it simply and rise to Class C. That's probably the best reward for Class D."]
[Yukinoshita nodded. "For now, this guaranteed reward isn't bad. No need to take risks."]
[Yuihama Yui, however, held a small spark of hope. "Hikki, it's a rare chance. Shouldn't you close the gap with the upper classes more? Why settle so quickly?"]
[Hikigaya shot Yuihama a look. "It's easy for you to say, watching this video. If you were in this camp, you'd probably starve on day one."]
[Yuihama retorted indignantly, "No way, no way! And you're not much better, Hikki. If it was an individual exam, you wouldn't last long either."]
[Hikigaya couldn't argue but muttered, "If the school let us survive alone on a desert island, it wouldn't be a school anymore."]
[Isshiki Iroha: "You're pretty lucky, senpai. No cannibals."]
[Isshiki Iroha said something terrifying in an utterly calm tone.]
[Hikigaya retorted weakly, "As if that would happen. If it did, the school would only find our bones."]
[Isshiki flashed a devilish smile, teasing further. "Oh, senpai, you didn't even make good use of this setting."]
[Hikigaya shot her another look. It was a trap, if he answered, everyone would scorn him. So he played dumb.]
[This Isshiki was terrifying. Have underclassmen evolved into demons now?]
[Hayama Hayato: "By the way, you're not stirring trouble with Class A, but what if they come for you? What then?"]
[Hikigaya started pondering. If Class A targeted them, they'd have no choice but to react passively.]
[Miura Yumiko, usually unsupportive of Hikigaya, spoke up unexpectedly. "Hayama, no need to worry about him. He's smart, worrying is pointless. And even if you do, the video's Hikigaya can't feel it. Just watch as a bystander."]
[Good grief, Miura Yumiko nailed it. Worrying about the video's him was useless. Better to see what he would do.]
[Besides, maybe Class A was just bluffing, with no real action planned.]
[If the exam ended this quietly, it wouldn't be a bad thing.]
[With that thought, Hikigaya found himself swayed by Miura's words.]
Walking through the forest, there were too many things to watch out for: the green snakes lurking in the grass, the tiny bugs up in the trees, or even students from other classes secretly trailing you.
Of course, the first two were common, but the last one was rare.
No matter which class, A, B, C, or D, keeping up with their own tasks on this deserted island was already a demanding job.
"Hikigaya, are your feet tangled in vines or something? Why are you walking so slowly?"
Horikita Suzune had always felt unsuited for outdoor activities, but looking at the boy behind her, she realized that being "suited" or not depended on who you were comparing yourself to.
Hikigaya Hachiman, of course, was struggling to keep pace, trudging forward under Horikita Suzune's scolding.
"Do you think everyone's like you? You should consider people with less stamina."
Once upon a time, Horikita had said those same words herself. She never imagined there'd come a day when someone else would say them to her.
Consider others? She had never really done that.
Horikita had always disregarded the weak, pressing forward relentlessly. But this time, she extended her hand.
"I'll lead you. With a klutz like you, walking like this will just waste most of our time on the road."
Hikigaya didn't refuse. In fact, he did need help. He took Horikita's hand and quipped, "Actually, even if we walk fast, we'll still waste most of our time on the road."
"Idiot, keep running your mouth, and I'll leave you here."
Hikigaya muttered under his breath, "Since when is telling the truth a crime…"
Horikita ignored his muttering, gripping his hand and continuing forward.
Truth be told, this strange feeling was a first for Horikita.
She had always moved too fast in the past, often forgetting those behind her.
But this time was different, completely different.
Hikigaya Hachiman was stronger than her in some ways, yet weaker in others. This sense of mutual support was something Horikita Suzune was experiencing for the first time.
She knew she often relied on Hikigaya's help, but this time, the roles were reversed, she was helping him.
Honestly, it felt pretty good.
The warmth from his hand traveled up her arm and into her heart. Horikita kept walking forward, unaware that a faint blush had crept onto her cheeks.
The two pressed on in silence, their task the same as yesterday's: they had to find firewood for burning before sunset.
Time was running out, especially since Hikigaya had slept through the entire morning, leaving them to set out only in the afternoon.
As they walked, a familiar voice came from beyond the trees.
"Hashimoto, what exactly are you trying to do?!"
Kamuro Masumi's expression seemed furious as she stood in front of Hashimoto Masayoshi, as if interrogating him.
Hikigaya and Horikita were both drawn to the sudden voice. They exchanged a glance and began approaching the two from Class A.
Hashimoto, wearing his usual sly grin, said in a breezy tone, "Kamuro, you're from Class A. Stop thinking about that guy. I really don't get it, one after another, you and the princess both insist on helping an outsider…"
(End of this chapter)