Chapter 208 Is Falling in Love Really Necessary?
"Shimizu! Where are you going!"
"Shimizu-kun?!"
"Shimizu?"
Just as Shimizu Akira lifted his foot to step out of the formation and toward the forest's shadows, three clear voices rang out behind him, stopping him in his tracks.
Shimizu turned back to find Hirata Yosuke, Karuizawa Kei, and Kushida Kikyo standing there. Their faces bore expressions of hesitation, and their gazes were fixed on him with confusion—clearly not understanding why he was suddenly abandoning the group.
'Wait! What is with these three?'
Shimizu wondered privately.
Just moments ago, they had been gathered around the supply manifest, discussing it heatedly. They were calculating how many instant meals to buy for lunch and brainstorming the most cost-effective way to allocate the Special Exam Points. Their focus had been so intense it seemed they couldn't even hear the wind. How was it that the moment he tried to leave, they couldn't even be bothered to discuss food anymore?
Even more surprising was the peripheral realization that the eyes of almost everyone in Class D had followed him. Their gazes were filled with concern, as if they were all curious about the reason for his sudden departure.
'Seriously? Are these people not hungry anymore?!'
Shimizu's lip twitched as he paused. With a hint of helplessness, he said, "I'm going for a walk. I saw some wild fruit and mushrooms on our way here that looked edible."
He didn't mention hunting. Given his nature, he wouldn't speak on something he wasn't 100% certain of, as he had never actually tried it before. However, he was completely confident in identifying edible plants. When he was flipping through survival books earlier, he had specifically memorized the "Common Edible Island Flora" pages multiple times. Finding edible fruit on this artificially arranged island would be no trouble at all.
Of course, he was just going out to pick fruit for his own stomach; he wasn't doing it to find food for the class.
"Eh?!" Hirata Yosuke was stunned at first, then instinctively took a half-step forward, his voice full of undisguised pleasant surprise.
"Shimizu-kun, do you mean... you can accurately identify which fruits are safe to eat?"
Hirata had just been wondering if anyone in the class knew about wilderness survival. Before he could even ask, Shimizu had proactively moved to find "free food." Furthermore, Horikita
Suzune had mentioned that Shimizu helped determine the location of the Base. It seemed Shimizu, like Horikita, had carefully studied the map and prepared before even landing on the island.
"That's wonderful!" Kushida Kikyo thought for a moment and then nodded with a bright smile, suggesting lightheartedly, "Then I'll go with Shimizu-kun? I want to take the opportunity to see what the other classes are up to and scout for information on which Bases they've occupied."
"Huh? Wouldn't it be too dangerous for one guy and one girl to act alone?" Standing nearby, Karuizawa Kei suddenly frowned and countered almost instinctively. "I think it's safer to move in groups. At least three people per group, right?"
"Sure! I've no objection!" Before Shimizu or Kushida could respond, Sudo Ken's voice boomed out, carrying a teasing tone.
"Work is easier when men and women are together! Shimizu is the 'strongest' in our class; he can definitely protect Kushida-san!"
"Right! Kushida-san is perfect for scouting! No one is better at dealing with people than her!" Ike Kanji chimed in immediately, not forgetting to give Shimizu a wink.
As the two of them played off each other, the rest of the class nodded in agreement. Kushida was gentle and could talk to anyone, while Shimizu's previous performance had already led everyone to assume he was "reliable." With the two of them moving together, no one felt there was anything to worry about. Thus, before Karuizawa could say anything else, Shimizu and Kushida walked side-by-side into the small woods.
Watching their retreating backs disappear into the shadows of the trees, Karuizawa Kei's expression turned sour.
As stated before—she did not want Shimizu to get a girlfriend!
Following that thought, she realized this wasn't the first time in recent months she had caught Shimizu and Kushida together. Since June, the frequency with which Kushida sought out Shimizu had noticeably increased. Sometimes it was to hand over notes, sometimes to talk about class affairs, but the eyes Kushida directed at Shimizu always hid a certain softness she couldn't quite name—it was completely different from her gentleness toward others.
Being a girl herself, Karuizawa saw this subtle difference clearly. Kushida's attitude toward Shimizu was definitely more than just that of a normal classmate.
Her thoughts drifted back to this morning when she, Sato Maya, Matsushita Chiaki, Mori Nene, and Kushida Kikyo were on the cruise ship deck. Seeing Shimizu's figure in the distance, she had instinctively wanted to go say hello. But as she started to move, she saw Shimizu standing with Horikita Suzune. He was holding his phone up to take photos of the distant island. There was a half-step of distance between them—not close, yet there was a tacit understanding that others couldn't penetrate. Even the speed of their speech was strangely synchronized.
Before she could figure out how to approach them, Kushida suddenly frowned slightly, her face darkening visibly. Without context, Kushida said, "The wind is too strong here, let's go to the other side," and pulled the others away.
Thinking back, could Kushida have been upset because she saw Shimizu and Horikita together?
And just now while they were lining up, she saw it clearly—Kushida hadn't been standing behind Shimizu at first. She had smiled and negotiated position swaps with students one by one until she had moved herself right behind him. Plus, the moment Shimizu tried to leave quietly, Kushida noticed immediately and offered to go...
The more Karuizawa thought about it, the more her heart twisted like a crumpled piece of paper. She kept an eye on Shimizu's movements because she needed his protection; she instinctively viewed him as a source of security. But what right did Kushida have to pay him so much attention? Even Hirata Yosuke seemed a bit off! Despite being a guy, he was always checking on Shimizu's situation. Just now, he was the first to ask where he was going. No matter how she thought about it, it felt abnormal.
But after spinning around, her thoughts landed back on Kushida. Karuizawa frowned, reaching a conventional conclusion:
'So, could Kushida Kikyo be in love with Shimizu Akira?'
Every clue fit! Proactively getting close, frequently finding topics to talk about, secretly tracking his movements... aren't these exactly what a girl does when she likes someone? Though Karuizawa had never been in a relationship, she was a famous "gyaru" in class, and female classmates often talked to her about their romantic troubles. Recently, she had even binge-watched romance dramas and shojo manga. Based on this "knowledge reserve," she judged that Kushida was definitely in love with Shimizu!
'But Kushida has so many friends and knows people in every grade. Why did she have to pick Shimizu!
Though... I guess it can't be helped. That's just how Shimizu Akira is.'
Karuizawa couldn't help but sigh. Ultimately, this all went back to the boxing match in June. After Shimizu KO'd his opponent, he had the handshake phase as the winner. It wasn't just Kushida; even Horikita Suzune was there.
She even remembered that when Horikita walked up to Shimizu to shake hands, she actually spread her fingers wide and proactively offered her palm. That moment was so unusual that even now, she remembered it with a hint of incredulous shock:
'What is with this person! A handshake isn't holding hands; is there a need to spread her hand that wide?
What exactly does she want to do to our Boxing Club member!'
The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. How was it that, without her noticing, more and more people were gathering around Shimizu?
Fortunately, for now, it seemed only Kushida and Horikita were interested in him. Even more relieving was that Shimizu didn't seem particularly close to either of them; there were no signs of dating. This was a blessing in disguise.
As Karuizawa was musing, she suddenly remembered something and instinctively glanced toward Horikita Suzune.
This look revealed something interesting: Horikita's face also showed a hint of inexplicable displeasure. Her gaze was locked onto the direction where Shimizu and Kushida had disappeared, her brow furrowed, and she had temporarily cast aside the class affairs she usually prioritized.
'As I thought! Just as I guessed, her mood is terrible too.'
Karuizawa decided to take the initiative and walk over. "Horikita-san! Good morning!"
Horikita glanced at her, gave a slight nod, and maintained her usual cold expression without any extra emotion.
'I really don't get how Shimizu Akira talks to her! He can actually stand being her seatmate for four months!'
Karuizawa complained internally. She felt Horikita was just too difficult to deal with—hiding her emotions inside while showing nothing on the surface, with even basic pleasantries feeling distant.
However, Karuizawa paused before deciding to throw out a topic to break the awkward silence. "Actually, I recently encountered Chabashira-sensei doing a survey. I wonder if you were asked any strange questions?"
She felt this was a good entry point. Since it concerned a teacher and class business, Horikita likely wouldn't refuse to respond.
"?? Nothing nonsensical." Horikita looked down and thought for a moment, her voice remaining calm.
"Since Chabashira-sensei said it was a routine survey for female students, as students, we should just cooperate. Perhaps it was a task assigned by the Student Council."
In her view, the questions the teacher asked weren't exactly routine—some were even a bit ridiculous—but since the homeroom teacher led it, it likely involved the Student Council. If it was an instruction from her brother, Horikita Manabu, she naturally had no reason not to cooperate.
"By the way, just to mention—when I answered the third question, I said 'I want to find a good boyfriend in high school'." Karuizawa said, intentionally drawing out her words.
"Since this school is closed off, I couldn't stand being alone for three years."
Having laid the groundwork, she finally threw out the question she really wanted to ask. "What about you, Horikita-san? How did you answer? Surely, as a high school girl, you'd want a boyfriend who is handsome, smart, and has plenty of points, right?"
She moved half a step closer, her eyes fixed on Horikita's face. She expected Horikita to either hesitate before answering or frown and say "that's none of your business," as Horikita usually disliked discussing private topics.
But to her surprise, Horikita answered without a half-second of hesitation: "...I don't plan on getting a boyfriend."
That clean and decisive attitude caused Karuizawa, who was waiting for a reaction, to blink in surprise. Her mental gears ground to a halt.
"Eh?! For real?!" Karuizawa blurted out instinctively, clearly not expecting such a straightforward answer.
"My primary goal has always been leading the class to Class A. Until that happens, I don't plan on dating anyone." Horikita met her surprised gaze, her tone remaining calm.
To her, romance was an insignificant matter compared to the more important goal waiting to be achieved—bringing Class D to Class A and proving herself with strength to two people: her brother, Horikita Manabu, whom she always wanted to surpass, and Shimizu Akira, who occasionally "mocked" her with his gaze or tone.
She hadn't forgotten the times she hit a wall and Shimizu would quietly point out her oversights. That indifferent look of his that said "I knew this would happen" always made her feel determined—she had to prove she could do things perfectly.
Besides, was falling in love really necessary?
In Horikita's view, so-called "romance" was just finding someone to rely on when things got tough or finding an object for "justifiable physical contact." But she could achieve these things by making a deal with Shimizu! As long as the deal was struck, Shimizu would naturally solve various troubles for her. In return, she was willing to hold hands with him, spend time alone, or chat—wasn't that "physical contact" and "reliance"?
Therefore, she saw no need to go out of her way to date.
Also, the handshake and hand-holding of that day had left too deep an impression on her. On the day of the boxing match, when Shimizu told her to reach out, she had lost her composure for a moment and foolishly spread her palm out, nearly making a scene.
Fortunately, there were many people around at the time, so no one should have noticed that unusual little movement of hers, right?
'No one should have seen my little movement!'
Horikita quickly suppressed that stray thought. The most important thing now was leading the class to Class A. These insignificant trifles weren't worth dwelling on.
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