Chapter 209 Chabashira Sae: I've Finally Chosen a Girlfriend for Shimizu Akira!
Hearing those words, the weight in Karuizawa Kei's heart instantly vanished, and her tense shoulders relaxed involuntarily—calling it "a sigh of relief" would be an understatement; it felt more like her heart had finally found solid ground.
Having spent four months together, she had developed a decent understanding of Horikita Suzune's nature: this was a person who disliked empty words and certainly wouldn't invent lies just to appease someone. With her personality—where she only looked at the goal and disregarded the opinions of others—there was simply no reason for her to lie about "whether or not she wanted a boyfriend."
In other words, Horikita Suzune really didn't plan on getting a boyfriend?
Karuizawa Kei's thoughts were unexpectedly similar to Horikita's—she didn't actually have much desire for a boyfriend herself. The statement she had made to Chabashira Sae earlier was, at most, just a line that fit her "gyaru" persona.
In her view, didn't most girls want a boyfriend just for protection? So that if they were bullied, someone would stand up for them. But Shimizu Akira had already been doing those things for her. Since she already had someone to rely on, why would she bother taking the extra step to find a boyfriend?
Afterward, Karuizawa made up an excuse about "needing to see how the supply sorting was going" and turned back to her original spot. Aside from topics involving Shimizu Akira, she and Horikita Suzune really had nothing to talk about—their personalities and interests were too far apart for them to get along. One could even say that, except for when she spoke to Shimizu Akira with a slightly softened tone, Horikita carried an aura of "don't come near me" with everyone else in the class. Getting a conversation going was just too difficult.
Upon returning to her spot, Karuizawa heard Sato Maya, Matsushita Chiaki, and Mori Nene—the small group she usually hung out with—chatting in low voices. Naturally, the topic had fallen on a certain someone.
"Shimizu-kun is too amazing! I heard from Horikita-san that he noticed this island back on the cruise ship and planned to scout it thoroughly!"
"Yes, yes! But what I can't forget is that boxing match in June! I feel like I'll remember that image for the rest of my life!"
"Haha, don't keep saying 'rest of your life,' that's too exaggerated! It sounds so heavy."
The more Karuizawa listened, the tighter her brow furrowed. Why was even her own circle of friends discussing Shimizu Akira?
"Ahem—"
Seeing that the trio's enthusiasm hadn't dampened at all, that bit of awkwardness in Karuizawa's heart flared up again, and she couldn't help but cough loudly on purpose.
"Kei, you're back?" Matsushita Chiaki was the first to notice her, looking up and stopping the conversation.
"Yeah." Karuizawa nodded, her eyes sweeping over the three, implying she had heard their discussion.
"Ah? Kei, is your throat uncomfortable? Is it because you haven't had water in a while!" Sato Maya, being blunt and straightforward, didn't catch the subtext and instead asked with a face full of concern.
"...Yeah, a little." A black line metaphorically slid down Karuizawa's forehead. Her coughing was clearly a reminder that "I'm back, stop talking about that topic," yet it was misunderstood as her having a sore throat.
Fortunately, Mori Nene changed the subject, her tone laced with worry: "By the way, Kei, do you think we'll be targeted by Ryuen Kakeru's group from Class C over these seven days? After all, those guys went after Sudo-kun a few months ago."
Mentioning serious business, Karuizawa instantly stowed her awkward emotions and shook her head with conviction.
"It'll be fine. We have Shimizu Akira in our class; Ryuen's group definitely won't dare to act recklessly."
She spoke with absolute confidence. Shimizu's combat ability was top-tier in the school; dealing with Ryuen's thugs who only knew how to act tough was simply a different league. If it came to a physical confrontation, Class C would definitely lose.
As soon as the words left her mouth, she seemed to recall a key piece of information. Her eyes lit up as she added with a smile: "Besides, didn't that guy Ryuen already announce it? Class C plans to spend all their Special Exam Points and then have everyone withdraw to enjoy the cruise ship. They haven't even planned to take the survival task seriously, so they won't have the time to cause trouble. There's really nothing to worry about!"
After all, the cruise ship was free to use from start to finish, and the facilities were incredibly luxurious: famous restaurants with star chefs, theaters for professional performances, and ballrooms for dancing. On the day they boarded, she had taken these three friends to experience a high-end SPA. The memory of the warm essential oils being massaged into her shoulders still felt wonderful.
In Karuizawa's view, the Class C crowd lacked the patience for competition. With a "comfortable nest" like the cruise ship waiting, they were likely already planning to lie flat on the boat. It wouldn't be surprising if they "reserved" the ship's facilities for themselves.
"I don't think so," Matsushita Chiaki said, her expression suddenly turning serious.
"I feel like that Ryuen Kakeru isn't that simple. It feels like he's plotting something in the shadows."
Seeing this, Karuizawa couldn't help but laugh and pat her arm, reassuring her lightheartedly: "Alright, alright, Chiaki, you're just overthinking! Nothing will happen, don't worry!"
In her eyes, Matsushita Chiaki was like a meticulous older sister who always thought one layer deeper than everyone else and worried about things others ignored.
Thinking back, when Karuizawa threw a small tantrum a few months ago and didn't want to "go to work" at the boxing club, it was Matsushita who patiently persuaded her to stay calm and reconsider.
Looking back, Chiaki was truly looking out for her, fearing she'd make a decision out of spite that she'd later regret. Among these friends, Matsushita Chiaki was probably the one closest to her. Karuizawa kept this sense of sisterly care in her heart.
"Oh, right!" Karuizawa suddenly remembered something and leaned in toward the three. "You guys were probably asked some weird questions by Chabashira-sensei, right?"
"Ah! Of course I was!" Sato Maya reacted first, her tone full of disbelief.
"The second question actually asked 'are you a virgin,' which was just too nonsensical! What teacher asks a student that?!"
"Um... yeah, I was asked that too." Mori Nene's cheeks turned slightly red.
"Me too..." Matsushita Chiaki nodded.
"When I was asked, I was so embarrassed, I didn't know how to answer."
'Just as I thought! In the eyes of normal people, Chabashira-sensei's questions are completely nonsensical!'
Karuizawa muttered to herself, feeling a sense of "I knew it" validation. Since even Maya and the others found it ridiculous, it proved the questions themselves were the problem. Thinking this, she felt that Horikita Suzune's earlier attitude of "it's only natural, nothing strange" was the truly abnormal one. To accept such private and irrational questions without batting an eye, even viewing them as a "task to cooperate with"—it was safe to say the girl was definitely a weirdo.
"So when you answered the third question, what did you say?" Karuizawa followed up, curiosity in her eyes.
"Me... I definitely wrote 'I want to find a boyfriend'!" Sato Maya was straightforward, sticking her tongue out playfully.
Mori Nene, her cheeks still flushed, said softly, "Um... yeah! I want one too."
Matsushita Chiaki paused for a moment before saying with a smile: "Actually, I want to experience a romance in high school. I feel like it would be a very special memory."
The three of them chatted away; though their tones carried a bit of teenage shyness, they all clearly expressed a desire for a boyfriend.
'Exactly!'
Normal girls definitely want to have a boyfriend! They are high school girls at this age, after all! Karuizawa felt even more certain that her previous judgment was correct—people like Horikita Suzune, who had zero interest in romance, were the minority.
Before she could continue the conversation, Matsushita Chiaki suddenly recalled something, her tone sounding puzzled: "By the way, Chabashira-sensei's fourth question was even weirder than the others. She actually asked what my requirements for a boyfriend were."
At this, the other three froze.
"Huh?! Wait, there was a fourth question?" Karuizawa reacted first. She had only been asked three questions and hadn't heard of a fourth.
"I... I wasn't asked a fourth question either," Mori Nene added, shaking her head.
Sato Maya frowned: "Yeah, I only had three too! Why were you asked an extra one, Chiaki?"
'Something is wrong! Very wrong!'
Karuizawa's heart skipped a beat. Things were heading further off the rails—why was there a fourth question? She, Maya, and Nene only had three; why was Chiaki singled out for an extra one?
'Wait?! This is too strange! Are the three of us really that much worse than Matsushita Chiaki?!'
Pushing down her inner confusion, she quickly pressed: "So how did you answer?"
Matsushita Chiaki thought back for a moment before slowly saying: "I said at the time that I thought a second or third-year senpai would be more suitable. But Chabashira-sensei countered me, saying it's hard to see upperclassmen after they graduate, so it's better to choose someone in the same grade so we have more time together. I thought about it later and felt she had a point—actually, as long as he meets a few of my small criteria, a boy in the same grade seems fine, as long as our personalities match."
A senpai? Karuizawa wondered. Generally, people thought older boys were more mature, stable, and better at accommodating a girl's personality. Or maybe it was because they had more points!
But then, she inexplicably thought of Shimizu Akira—even though he was in the same grade, he always gave off a feeling of being more reliable than an senpai. She wondered how many points he had... maybe a hundred or two hundred thousand? He certainly made a lot during that boxing match.
Before she could ask Matsushita what those "specific criteria" were, a familiar voice cut in: "Matsushita-san, come over here for a moment. I have something to tell you."
It was their homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae.
She walked straight toward them, her gaze locking precisely onto Matsushita Chiaki.
Karuizawa instinctively spoke up: "Chabashira-sensei, do you need Chiaki for something?"
But Chabashira acted as if she hadn't heard her.
Her gaze swept past Karuizawa without stopping; even Sato Maya was treated like background scenery. It wasn't until her eyes passed over Mori Nene that she paused for a second, a trace of imperceptible regret flickering in her eyes, as if she were mourning a lost opportunity.
This hot-and-cold, clearly biased attitude caused a strange feeling to rise in Karuizawa's heart.
'The teacher came specifically for Chiaki? Then what did those looks toward me, Maya, and Nene mean? It felt like she was looking at us with disdain!'
Truth be told, Karuizawa had never had a good impression of Chabashira Sae. Since the start of the semester, this teacher had exuded contempt for Class D. Unless it was a class meeting or her own subject, she almost never stepped into the classroom. Even if a student asked a question, she always maintained a cold face, looking as if the entire class owed her two million personal points and she had zero patience left. Who could like a homeroom teacher like that!
She stared at Chabashira and a thought popped into her head: Horikita Suzune and this teacher are actually quite similar.
The same long black hair, great figures, and an aura of cold beauty (one mature, one young). Even their core sense of detachment was identical.
But what bothered her most was that these two only changed their attitudes when facing Shimizu Akira—as if that "do not approach" persona was just a mask. She still remembered the first day of school, during the entrance ceremony, Chabashira had specifically moved Shimizu to the most prominent spot in the front row. And just now, when Hoshinomiya Chie from Class B came to find him, Chabashira had proactively intervened, and her tone when speaking to Shimizu was significantly more patient than usual.
'Do all you scowling, poker-faced women happen to like Shimizu Akira's type?'
Karuizawa couldn't help but roll her eyes. She didn't even know where to start with her complaints—if it weren't for the fact that Chabashira and Horikita had different last names, she'd suspect they were secret sisters, given how similar their attitudes were.
Before she could take that ridiculous thought any further, she heard Matsushita Chiaki's puzzled voice: "Chabashira-sensei, may I ask why you're looking for me?"
"For you, this is a good thing. In my view, you are excellent in all aspects and are the only 'qualified' person in our class." Chabashira Sae didn't explicitly state what it was, instead keeping it mysteriously vague. Having said that, she turned toward the other end of the clearing, signaling for Matsushita to follow.
Matsushita Chiaki was full of questions, but she could only suppress her curiosity and quickly follow the teacher away.
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