Chapter 220 Chabashira Sae: Making Dumplings Just for This Bit of Vinegar!
'Hm?'
What did she mean? What was Matsushita Chiaki trying to say?
Shimizu Akira was momentarily stunned, unable to immediately grasp the deeper meaning behind her words. But before he could think it through, Matsushita, clutching her water bottles, hurried away. Her retreating figure looked somewhat rushed.
Shimizu never liked the feeling of "solving riddles." He glanced down at his watch—it was just past 8:30 AM. Since half an hour had already passed, a little more time wouldn't hurt. He decided to find Chabashira Sae and ask for clarification to avoid leaving an annoying question lingering in his mind.
With that thought, he walked toward Chabashira Sae's tent.
Coincidentally, just as he reached the entrance, Chabashira emerged. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and she immediately spoke: "Shimizu-kun, perfect timing. I have something important to tell you."
Chabashira went straight to the point without any preamble: "Do you remember the survey from last time regarding the private dating lives of male students?"
Shimizu was taken aback. After a brief reflection, he nodded. "I remember." It was back in June. The teacher had suddenly dropped several incredibly abrupt questions, making a lasting impression that was hard to forget.
"Actually, you probably realized that the core of those so-called 'dating privacy' questions was asking everyone about their expectations and requirements for a girlfriend," Chabashira continued, her tone becoming slightly more serious.
"Uh, yeah, that's right."
Those questions were as direct as they could be; how could he not have noticed?
"As for the school, we didn't just conduct a survey on you alone—everyone in the class filled out a similar questionnaire."
"Eh...!" On the surface, Shimizu remained unmoved, but internally, he was struggling to hold back a retort: 'Are you sure it was "the school"?! Wasn't it just you who wanted to ask?!' But then again, she had actually asked the whole class? All forty people?
Sometimes Chabashira was quite like Horikita Suzune—taking a simple matter and framing it with such gravity that it ended up being "unintentionally hilarious."
Without waiting for him to overthink, Chabashira dropped the real bombshell: "When I was organizing the results, I found that your answers and Matsushita-san's had a very high overlap. For example, neither of you currently has a partner, both have a desire to try dating, and even your requirements for a partner's personality and appearance match exceptionally well."
She took half a step forward and proposed directly: "I think Matsushita Chiaki is very suitable for you. Why don't you consider going on a date with her? Just like you did with Ichinose Honami from Class B—simply going out for a walk and chatting would be quite nice."
'Wait! All that build-up... was just for this bit of vinegar?'
Shimizu stood frozen for several seconds before the core meaning of Chabashira's words finally sank in—she was blatantly playing matchmaker for him and Matsushita, suggesting they go on a date!
Actually, he had known she had this inclination. Back in June, he had obtained intelligence regarding this. But nearly two months had passed, and he thought she had given up on the idea.
He hadn't expected her to bring it up today, catching him completely off guard.
Now he finally understood why Matsushita had asked if the teacher had said anything—clearly, she had been given a similar "talk." No wonder she looked so hesitant and awkward earlier.
This teacher was truly persistent. Two months had passed, and she still hadn't given up on matchmaking. She even skipped the fluff and suggested "going out alone for a walk." He wondered if she was being pressured by something recently or if she truly viewed this as a top priority.
However, when she specifically mentioned Ichinose Honami, a realization dawned on Shimizu: 'Could this be because of what Hoshinomiya Chie said yesterday?'
He had only gone out on one date with Ichinose and absolutely nothing had happened, yet it had made Chabashira this anxious. It seemed the teacher wasn't just interested in his love life; she was afraid he was getting too close to Class B and might actually consider transferring. Thus, she was using the "suitability of Matsushita Chiaki" as a reason to tether him to Class D.
Was he angry? Not really. After all, Chabashira was putting in quite a lot of effort to introduce him to a suitable girl. Even if the motive was mixed with the desire to keep him in Class D, there was no real harm to him.
If anything, he felt "speechless." He even felt that Chabashira was making things hard for herself by going in such a massive circle. From the survey in June until now, she had navigated countless turns just to create a reason for him and Matsushita to interact.
Counting it up, this was already the third month. Based on her words, the "class-wide" survey was likely tailored specifically for him—just to find a "high overlap" justification to push him and Matsushita together.
There were plenty of girls in the class; why did Chabashira fixate on Matsushita Chiaki? What did she see in her?
In terms of aura, Matsushita's composed and gentle vibe suggested she was raised in a well-to-do family—likely a wealthy one, which was quite obvious.
Her looks were undeniable—clear eyes and a soft, approachable charm when she smiled. She was the type to stand out. As for personality, he had initially thought she was a steady, considerate "big sister" type, until their conversation earlier revealed a slight streak of persistence in "interrogating" people and a hobby of following them.
But aside from those quirks, she was mild-tempered, didn't seem high-maintenance, and knew how to hide her brilliance. Overall, she was very likable. It made sense why Chabashira thought they were a match. A girl like that was hard to find, not just in Class D, but in any class.
Shimizu rubbed his temples, his sense of helplessness deepening. He could almost imagine Chabashira comparing his answers one by one with the girls in class, her eyes lighting up when she hit Matsushita's, noting the shared "single" status, and waiting for the right moment to present the "evidence." Had she been waiting two months for this?
He composed himself and decided to be honest: "I do think Matsushita-san is a good person. But right now, my mind is focused on how to earn more points for Class D during this exam. I promised you I'd get over 250 points, so I need to focus on that for these seven days. This other matter isn't urgent, right?"
After all, who goes on a date during a high-stakes exam? It didn't fit his rhythm.
Hearing this, the urgency on Chabashira's face faded, replaced by a softer expression: "That's fine. Matsushita-san likely won't mind. Besides, I've seen what happened on the first day—getting Koenji Rokusuke to stay on the island and sign in on time was your doing, wasn't it? Based on your performance on the first day alone, I've decided to reward you with 300,000 Private Points."
Although she hadn't followed the students every step of the way yesterday, Hirata had given her a detailed report during sign-in—everything from Shimizu leading the hunt and the BBQ to the unified procurement of supplies. But what surprised her most was Koenji's attitude.
Koenji, who usually had zero patience for group activities, hadn't come to her to withdraw. Chabashira concluded immediately that Shimizu was the reason. Shimizu had once called her over to report Koenji's rule-breaking; later, she personally informed Koenji of a 200,000 Private Point reward—essentially, Koenji owed Shimizu a favor.
Shimizu hadn't reported Koenji just to keep him in the class; more importantly, he wanted to bait her into revealing the truth about the Class D rankings. But so what? That was exactly why Shimizu was brilliant—it was a classic "two birds with one stone." He earned a favor from Koenji and achieved his own goal. Seeing a seed planted in the first month bear such critical fruit in the fourth month, Chabashira's appreciation for Shimizu's foresight grew.
For his performance on the first day alone, she felt 300,000 points was a bargain.
"Uh... alright then. If Matsushita-san has no objections, I have no problem." What else could Shimizu say? She had already put a 300,000-point reward on the table.
That said, Chabashira had been exceptionally generous to him lately, a "special treatment" that caught him by surprise. However, such matters ultimately depend on two people's willingness. Chabashira, on the other hand, was dead certain Matsushita was okay with it, looking at Shimizu with a conviction that suggested she had total faith in his "charm."
Shimizu himself was baffled—he had no idea where her confidence came from. Counting the conversation just now, he and Matsushita had only spoken three times in four months. They hadn't even exchanged a single text; they were barely acquaintances. Furthermore, Matsushita seemed weirdly keen on him becoming the Class Rep. He could already predict that even if they met tomorrow, she would probably spend the whole time trying to persuade him to take the job. It was a headache just thinking about it.
Once the conversation with Chabashira ended and he stepped into the depths of the forest, leaving the noise of the Class D camp behind, the tension he'd felt all morning finally eased. Between the beach run and the check-in, a lot had happened, and the exam schedule was too tight to dwell on things.
He stopped, looked at the dense woods for a moment, and decided to swing by the Class B camp first. Time to collect his reward!
Fortunately, he had spent significant time studying the island map before disembarking, so he remembered the key landmarks clearly. In less than thirty minutes, he found the "Shattered Great Tree" marked on the map. The tree, snapped at its waist, was unmistakable, and there were clear footprints on the ground nearby.
Shimizu followed the footprints, cutting through the thicket to the southwest until the Class B camp finally came into view. The sight was a stark contrast to Class D: there were no orderly tents. Instead, numerous hammocks were secured between tree trunks with ropes, looking exceptionally casual and free.
Just then, two boys at the camp entrance noticed the stranger and stepped forward cautiously. However, once they recognized Shimizu, their tension vanished, replaced by familiar smiles.
"Oh, it's Shimizu-kun!" one boy started, his voice full of gratitude.
"Thanks so much for yesterday! Those wild games let the whole class enjoy a great BBQ feast!"
The other boy nodded in agreement and pointed toward the back of the camp: "Ichinose-san from our class has been waiting to see you. She said to bring you straight to her if you showed up. She's right inside!"
For the people of Class B, they had Shimizu to thank for a proper meal on the island. Combined with his existing fame, they had long since dropped their guard against him, speaking with genuine warmth.
Hearing that "Ichinose Honami was waiting for him," Shimizu wasn't too surprised—Kanzaki Ryuji had mentioned it yesterday. He nodded slightly to the two Class B boys, his tone calm: "I appreciate it. I'll go see her now."
As he followed them deeper into the camp, Shimizu discreetly took in Class B's setup. The hammocks were placed under trees with thick foliage to block the midday sun and night dew, showing careful planning. In the center of the camp was a square earthen stove with firewood stacked neatly like a small mountain. A few girls were gathered around a smooth stone slab, nimbly processing wild fruit picked that morning.
Looking toward the river, several boys were fishing. The plastic bags for the fish were quite empty—it seemed Class B had also realized the school-provided bags could be used limitlessly. The atmosphere in Class B was excellent; from gathering and fire-starting to fishing, everyone had clear roles, demonstrating a seamless, well-ordered cooperation.
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