Chapter 102 Ryuen: State Your Conditions
Class D Camp.
When everyone learned that Horikita Suzune had withdrawn from the exam due to poor health, they were surprised, but no one complained. After all, during these few days of camping, everyone had witnessed Horikita Suzune's dedication as a leader, managing the team and handling various conflicts.
"By the way, has anyone seen where Manabe-chan went?"
Perhaps feeling that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's reputation was now stinking, Yamauchi Haruki suddenly felt like he had a chance.
"Don't even bother thinking about it. She was definitely scared away by a certain peeping pervert!" Shinohara Satsuki mocked him with a cynical tone.
"..."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka looked at the classmates before him, all of whom were casting looks of disdain in his direction. He thought to himself that his reputation had somehow plummeted to this extent without him even realizing it. However, as far as he was concerned, as long as he could achieve the final victory, that would be enough.
Now, the only variable was that man.
At that moment, Hikigaya, returning from the faculty area, encountered Kamuro Masumi, whom he hadn't seen for several days. Her clothes were covered in leaves and twigs, her hair was a mess, and her shoes were particularly worn down. It wasn't hard to imagine that she had walked across almost the entire island over the past few days.
"Kamuro-san, thanks for the hard work."
Several days ago, Hikigaya had commissioned her to find hidden places on the island where people could easily hide. There was no subordinate relationship between the two, so there was absolutely no need for her to go to such lengths to follow his orders.
"Hmph~ You're just like Sakayanagi, you love making things difficult for people!" Kamuro Masumi maintained her usual stiff expression. "However, I didn't fail the mission.
On the west side of the island, there is a hidden cave.
I found traces of human activity."
Wild men on a deserted island were impossible; it could only be a student from this school.
"To be able to find such a remote place, Kamuro-san is unexpectedly capable."
Hikigaya offered words of praise, then habitually reached out his hand to pat her head.
"W-What are you doing?!" Kamuro Masumi was startled.
"Nothing, I'm just helping you take this off."
Hikigaya removed a leaf from between her strands of hair.
"Don't just do such misleading things casually!" Kamuro Masumi glared at him crossly.
"Er, sorry..."
Hikigaya looked embarrassed, and in his heart, he began to reflect—had he been getting too ahead of himself lately? Touching a girl so casually that it caused her discomfort.
As expected, dreams and reality are different...
Seeing Hikigaya take a few steps back, Kamuro Masumi bit her lip and muttered in a small voice, "It's not like I hate you.
It was just a bit sudden... I'm not used to it..."
"Hmm? What did you just say?"
"Nothing! Baka!"
Kamuro Masumi stomped on his foot, then swung her side-ponytail and turned to walk away. Hikigaya noticed that the heel of her sneaker had fallen off, making her walk unevenly; she looked quite pathetic.
'When we get back, I'll get Kamuro-san a new pair of shoes.'
Afterward, following the clues provided by Kamuro Masumi, Hikigaya arrived at the west side of the island. Sure enough, amidst the thickets, he found a hidden cave. The vegetation here was lush and hadn't been artificially developed, so the school hadn't set it as a base. Under normal circumstances, no student from any class would come to a place like this. It was a perfect natural hiding spot!
Arriving before the cave, Hikigaya carefully observed the surroundings and found no footprints. However, the sandy soil nearby showed clear signs of having been disturbed.
Click~
A faint noise came from inside the cave, which Hikigaya keenly noticed. Since he had confirmed the other's presence, Hikigaya didn't intend to drag things out. He cupped his hands around his mouth to act as a megaphone: "Hey—Ryuen, come out."
No response. The cave was silent.
"Stop pretending, I've already found you, Ryuen."
Hikigaya continued shouting into the cave. Still no response.
Fine! He won't talk until he sees the coffin!
Hikigaya picked up several stones and threw them randomly into the cave.
Thud, thud~ Thwack!
The first two sounds were the crisp noise of stones hitting the wall, but the third was clearly the dull thud of hitting something organic.
"Are you clenching your teeth so you won't make a sound?"
Hikigaya picked up more stones and threw them toward the spot where the different sound had just originated.
Whoosh, whoosh~
Two stones flew out from the cave, and Hikigaya dodged them with ease.
"Yo!
Fighting back?"
The two of them threw stones at each other, but since the other person was in the cave with limited space to move, he took a few hits he couldn't dodge. Finally, he couldn't hold it in anymore!
"Stop it! You damn dead-fish eyes!!"
Ryuen Kakeru rushed out of the cave in a fit of rage, opening his arms to pounce on Hikigaya. Hikigaya had originally intended to use his hands to restrain the other's arms, but a sudden sour stench hit his nose, frightening him into jumping back to dodge.
Flop~
Ryuen Kakeru missed his mark; his footsteps were unsteady, and he fell face-first onto the ground.
"How did you end up in such a pathetic state?
I've seen tough guys, but I never thought someone could be this ruthless to themselves..." Hikigaya looked at the latter with a face full of sweat.
"Damn it!
You... just when did you find me?"
Ryuen Kakeru lay weakly on the ground, his haggard face filled with a look of unwillingness. "Is it Ibuki or Manabe? Did those two stupid women expose my tracks?"
"No, you're overthinking it...
It was a certain scout who wished to remain anonymous. It took five whole days and wearing out a pair of shoes to find your hiding place," Hikigaya explained.
"Five days...
You saw through my plan from the second day of the exam?"
Ryuen Kakeru was stunned at first, then became so angry he nearly spat blood.
"I wouldn't say I completely saw through it; I just felt that, given your personality, you wouldn't give up on this exam so easily.
I guessed you were hiding in some corner, plotting some scheme," Hikigaya said nonchalantly.
"To think it was based on..."
Ryuen Kakeru's mouth twitched violently. He seemingly hadn't expected that he would lose for such a nonsensical reason.
"Luck is just that unpredictable."
"Talk to me, dead-fish eyes! You didn't come here specifically to see me just to mock me with a few words, right?"
Once his existence was confirmed, all Hikigaya had to do was wait until the final day of the exam and write Ryuen Kakeru's name as the Class C leader. The fact that the other guy hadn't done so meant there was room to talk!
"Not bad, Ryuen. Even when pushed into a corner, you haven't stopped thinking." Hikigaya looked at him with a hint of admiration.
"Tch! Cut the crap and state your conditions!"
Ryuen Kakeru endured his nausea; he had already prepared himself to be severely fleeced.
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting