Chapter 242 Is Matsushita Chiaki a "Love Brain"? / The Next Step is Fine Too
By the time they walked out of the room, the other three were still feeling a bit dazed.
To be precise, Matsushita Chiaki was relatively composed, but Karuizawa Kei and Sakura Airi were in a complete state of confusion, their faces still wearing unresolved bewilderment.
Shimizu Akira glanced at the time on his phone and saw it was nearly 7:00 PM. He opened the class group chat; some classmates had already organized the rules, and others had posted the names of the members from other classes they were paired with. He scrolled through a few more pages.
"Sigh, this is going to be tricky," Karuizawa Kei suddenly spoke up.
"Class C's Shiina Hiyori is actually in our group. Won't it be easy for someone like her to deduce something?"
During the previous deserted island exam, Shiina Hiyori had already demonstrated her deductive reasoning. This time, the special exam was focused on analysis, so it was inevitable that Karuizawa would feel a bit intimidated.
"Don't worry, we have Shimizu," Matsushita Chiaki said confidently. She turned to look at him. "Shimizu-kun will definitely lead Class D to victory again!"
"Sorry, I want to take it easy during this exam," Akira refused without a second thought.
"Eh? Why?" Matsushita's inquisitive nature immediately flared up.
Akira responded simply, "The deserted island was too exhausting. I want to rest for a bit."
"Mhm, Shimizu-kun really worked hard last time," Sakura Airi chimed in softly, her voice tender.
"Hunting, running all over the place... we barely saw him all day. He really should get some proper rest."
During that island exam, she hadn't even dared to speak much to him, fearing she would get in the way of his work.
"If you put it that way, I guess there's no helping it," Karuizawa thought for a moment and decisively chose to support him, no longer insisting he take the lead.
Akira nodded instinctively. It seemed his deskmate and his "manager" were quite considerate—especially Sakura Airi, who kept glancing at him with a worried expression. Just then, his phone suddenly rang.
"Go ahead and take your call, then go back and get some good rest," Karuizawa said, noticing him reach for his phone. She added, "By the way, make Ike do more work for you. I helped him out before, after all. If he dares to disobey you, I'll have a word with Shinohara Satsuki."
"Uh, it doesn't need to go that far, but thanks for the concern, Manager. I'll head out then. See you tomorrow, everyone," Akira nodded and turned to leave.
"G-goodbye, Shimizu-kun!" Sakura Airi only dared to wave softly with a red face once his back was turned.
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Matsushita's Doubts
Matsushita Chiaki stood there, watching Akira's figure slowly disappear up the stairs.
'Shimizu-kun really did work hard last time... could he actually be worn out? It makes sense! It wouldn't be good if he collapsed from exhaustion.'
A strange sense of worry bubbled up, but a second later, she shook her head to suppress the naive thought.
Wait, what was she thinking? How could someone with the stamina of a superhuman like him be "exhausted"?
When she had pressed him before about why he worked so hard on the island, he had said something like, "Because I received a reasonable reward, so I performed seriously."
'Could it be that because he hasn't received a 'reasonable reward' this time, he plans to slack off during the VIP exam?'
The clever Matsushita immediately grasped the key point. But then she thought about it—it wasn't a big deal if Akira relaxed a little this time. He had already done so much for the class.
While she hoped he would continue to lead them, she had no desire to be a "vampire" who only took without giving.
'If I can find a 'reasonable reward,' wouldn't he step up again?'
He had indeed said that as long as the reward was right, he didn't mind helping. But the question was: what exactly did Akira want?
Perhaps personal points? But for a high school boy his age, maybe he cared more about opportunities to interact with girls. Even if Akira looked calm and indifferent on the surface, he was still a boy at heart.
It was normal to be curious about girls, right?
As Matsushita was pondering, Sakura Airi suddenly spoke up in a small voice, rarely taking the initiative to offer an idea: "Shimizu-kun should be fine, right? The next group meeting will have many students from other classes. How about the three of us take the lead in talking so
Shimizu-kun doesn't have to speak as much? He's done enough for Class D; it's our turn to give him something back."
Since the three of them were roommates this time, Sakura wasn't as shy as she used to be.
"Hmm... sounds good!" Karuizawa immediately agreed. "There are so many girls from other classes in the Rabbit Group. It's probably inconvenient for Akira to talk to them anyway. I'll handle the chatting."
As the leader of the girls in the class, and with her "host," Akira, nearby, Karuizawa felt she had nothing to fear.
"Kei, and Sakura-san... aren't you two pampering Shimizu-kun a bit too much?" Matsushita couldn't help but interject.
She admitted Akira had done a lot, but the idea that he would "find it difficult to talk to students from other classes" sounded almost laughable.
This was the man who had dominated the scene on the deserted island and dared to challenge Ryuen Kakeru.
Would he be afraid of chatting with girls?
Then again, she could tell Karuizawa genuinely cared for him.
"Shimizu-kun helped me back in June, and I still owe him so much. What I'm doing now is nothing compared to what he did for me," Sakura explained seriously.
"Cough, cough!" Karuizawa coughed twice, trying to find an excuse. "I'm the manager of the Boxing Club, and Akira is my member. It's only natural to look after him. Besides, he helped me save face in front of Ryuen last time. Just talking a bit is no big deal."
"..." Matsushita narrowed her eyes.
Fine, it was those past events again. Just how much had Akira done for everyone behind the scenes? At this rate, wouldn't everyone in Class D become unable to function without him?
Currently, more than half of the class's topics revolved around Akira. Since Sakura and Karuizawa were her roommates, she had spent the last two days listening to them praise his virtues.
Could it be that because she had heard so much, her own impression of him was becoming too positive? To the point where she was about to believe everything he said?
'No, no, no! My persona is the clear-headed, rational, 'do-as-little-work-as-possible' type!'
She, Matsushita Chiaki, had to emphasize it again—she was definitely not a "love brain"!
When Chabashira-sensei had called her out alone last time, she had caught a hint of the teacher trying to play matchmaker. When she had asked, "Is this Shimizu Akira's own idea?"
and was heartlessly shot down by that expressionless teacher, her heart hadn't wavered at all... okay, maybe just a little bit.
But that was in the past. The current Matsushita had only one goal: help the class earn points and climb to the top! Therefore, her first step was to ensure Akira exerted his true abilities in this special exam.
In other words, Matsushita already intended to fulfill her "deal" with him. But before that, she wanted to find out what he liked so the trade would be effective.
Thinking of this, she turned to her roommates and asked, "Kei, since Akira is your club member, what do you think he usually likes?"
As soon as she said this, not only did Karuizawa's brows furrow with a hint of vigilance, but even Sakura Airi gave her a puzzled look.
'Wait, why is Matsushita suddenly asking about Akira's preferences?'
The same thought popped into both of their minds: 'Could Matsushita Chiaki be falling for him?'
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On the other side, Akira looked at the caller ID on his phone with some surprise. The person calling was someone he hadn't heard from in a while: Student Council President Horikita Manabu.
After a brief thought, he pressed the answer button.
"Well done, Shimizu," came Manabu's steady voice, starting with unreserved praise. "As expected of you. I saw your performance during the deserted island exam with my own eyes."
"President? With your own eyes?" Akira was stunned. "You shouldn't have been on the island at the time, right?"
"Hm? Didn't your homeroom teacher tell you?" Manabu's tone held a trace of surprise before he explained, "The beach area is equipped with surveillance. Just like the students who withdrew from the exam, I could watch the recordings from the dorms. The broadcast started at 8:00 AM on the seventh day. So, I made a point to watch your performance."
"...I see."
A broadcast? So, the way he confronted Ryuen on the beach and pulled out the recording pen had been seen by others? Fortunately, he had performed well. On the flip side, the sight of Ryuen being publicly humiliated was now part of a permanent record—that must be embarrassing for him.
Then again, this school really was covered in surveillance. It was dangerous.
"Are you spending your summer break at the school, President?" Akira changed the subject.
"No," Manabu replied concisely. "I just finished my deserted island exam as well. However, unlike you, the third-years do not have a second special exam during the summer. We are currently vacationing on the ship."
"Oh?" Akira was surprised. It seemed the school really did have a deserted island exam every year.
"So, what was the result?" he asked.
"Third-year Class A won," Manabu answered as if it were a matter of fact. He paused. "By the way, the second-year results are out too. Second-year Class A had a total victory, and there was no significant conflict between the other classes."
"Nagumo Miyabi must have done something," Akira said without thinking.
Since all four classes of the second year were under Nagumo's control, such a peaceful result was perfectly normal. Akira suddenly remembered the events of May: he had made Nagumo pay 10 million points for that high-priced exam paper. It seemed Nagumo had distributed the contents to the other second-year students in time. That was why his reign remained unshaken and he could easily manage the balance between classes.
"Nagumo Miyabi specifically called me to say he found an excellent 'prospect' among the first-years, referring to you," Manabu continued.
"He asked about our relationship, since you visited the Student Council last time. I told him you are a candidate I want to invite as the Student Council Vice President."
"Uh..." Akira's expression became complicated.
Wait, what was Nagumo planning? He must have watched the island recordings too.
The authority of student council members was greater than he had imagined. And what was with the President? Inviting him to be Vice President again? Isn't that just asking for Nagumo to get jealous?
Although he hadn't known Nagumo for long, it was obvious that Nagumo had very "special" feelings toward Horikita Manabu. Now that the President was praising Akira as a VP candidate, who knows what Nagumo would think.
Then again, Manabu was like his sister Suzune—he hated lying and didn't deign to do it. Faced with Nagumo's question, he likely just told the truth without hiding anything.
Manabu's voice came through again.
"Tell me about your specific strategy on the island. I'm curious to know when your plan began."
"It started on the second day." Akira thought about it and didn't hide anything, explaining his plans and operations on the island in detail.
"Good, very good. Suzune really can't compare to you."
"...Has Horikita already reported her performance to you?"
"Yes, she has," Manabu said dismissively.
"Enough about her. When you return for the second semester, I'd like to compete with you in sports."
With that, the call was abruptly disconnected.
"Even though his sister already reported, he still went out of his way to ask how my plan went..." Akira looked at his phone and twitched his mouth. He had a bad feeling. The President's expectations of him seemed to be more than just "a promising kouhai."
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On the first day of the special exam, Akira woke up early, changed into sportswear, and headed straight to the gym. As he stepped onto a treadmill to adjust the settings, footsteps sounded from the machine next to him.
Ryuen Kakeru stood there with his arms crossed, his expression as arrogant as ever. He stepped on and began a warm-up walk. "Yo. You come running every morning? Don't tell me you're secretly observing the ship's movements again, cooking up some ghost of a scheme?"
On the second day of the island exam, Akira had been running on the beach, and later he had used his "casual observations" to make a massive move. Ryuen suspected he was up to something again.
Akira didn't respond. He simply reached out and pressed the speed button, cranking up the pace.
Ryuen's face darkened at being ignored. His tone became sharper.
"Hey, don't think Class D is safe just because your points surpassed Class C! I've already come up with a plan to deal with you for this special exam."
The response was still silence. Akira didn't slow down; instead, he increased the speed by another level.
"Interesting. You want to race?" Ryuen sneered and adjusted his treadmill to the maximum speed, his steps quickening to keep up.
For the first five minutes, both remained unfazed, their breathing steady. By the fifteen-minute mark, Akira remained calm, his steps as steady as if he were nailed to the belt. Ryuen, however, was clearly starting to pant, sweat pouring down his face.
'This guy... his expression hasn't changed at all?'
Ryuen was competitive to the core. Even if he claimed to hate effort, he would grit his teeth and endure anything to win. He glanced at the timer on Akira's machine, calculating in his head: 'Fifteen minutes left. If I can last that long, I'll call it a draw.'
He forced himself to endure, his sportswear soaked through and clinging to his back. Just as he was about to reach his limit, Akira's treadmill suddenly stopped.
"Ha... ha... you're not... so much..." Ryuen wanted to mock him, but the words caught in his throat.
He watched as Akira walked straight to the barbell area, picked out the heaviest set, and began loading weights.
Ryuen cursed internally.
'Damn. I have to ask... is this guy's physical constitution some kind of monster level?'
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Akira didn't take Ryuen to heart. In his view, the more you spoke to that man, the more he would talk. It was better to just ignore him.
However, he did note Ryuen's mention of a "plan to deal with Class D." Could this be related to Ryuen meeting Kushida Kikyo today? Asking Ryuen wouldn't yield results; it might even give him an opening to counter-attack.
Fortunately, Akira had already arranged to meet Kushida at 9:30 PM. It would be safer to test the waters then.
Around 7:30 AM, Akira went to a bun shop for breakfast. Having not tasted the "bun and soy milk" combo in a while, he ordered three and was eating contentedly. His phone vibrated—a message from Horikita Suzune.
"Where are you? I have things to ask you."
Akira sent her the location of the shop. Before long, Suzune walked in and sat beside him. She ordered half a steamer of buns and a bowl of porridge before getting straight to the point.
"There should be three VIPs in each class for this exam, but I haven't figured out the pattern yet. Do you know it?"
"I don't," Akira swallowed a bite of his bun. "We have to wait until after 8:00 AM today when the three VIPs of Class D are confirmed before we can analyze the pattern. What do you take me for? Even if my reasoning is okay, I can't see the future."
"It seems your luck isn't great this time; you didn't get this information in advance," Suzune glanced at him.
"Uh..." Akira realized that because he had used information advantages several times before, she assumed he had an "inside track" again.
But why was her tone so sharp today? Her expression seemed strained, unlike her usual calm self.
Akira asked tentatively, "Did the President call you yesterday too?"
Suzune's expression darkened visibly. "It wasn't a call. After he called you, he only sent me a message."
"Ah, so no phone call..." Akira understood. "So, what did your brother say?"
"He praised your performance and told me to learn more from you," Suzune's voice dropped.
"Uh... okay." Akira got it.
No wonder she looked upset. Her brother called an outsider first and only texted his own sister afterward. Any sibling would feel bad, and given how much Suzune respected her brother, it must have stung.
"Give me your hand," Suzune said after a pause.
"?" Akira instinctively reached out. Before he could react, her hand gently took his.
"Huh? What's this..." Akira blinked, totally confused by the sudden hand-holding.
"My tone was a bit sharp just now. This matter actually has nothing to do with you," Suzune turned her head away to avoid his gaze, her voice softening. It was clearly an apology.
"I wasn't angry. I didn't mind at all," Akira said, even more confused. "But why are we holding hands to apologize?"
Is this some new common sense?
"Hm? Don't you like holding hands?" Suzune asked back, as if it were obvious.
"Uh..." Akira was momentarily speechless.
"Looking at your expression... do you want to take the 'next step' instead?"
"I won't deny that."
"You really are straightforward. Are all men like this? Even holding hands isn't enough to satisfy you."
"Holding hands... even elementary schoolers don't do that anymore!" Akira argued, intentionally bringing up the past.
"By the way, after the Boxing Club match when you asked for a high-five, don't think I didn't notice—you actually wanted to hold hands then, didn't you? Horikita-san, is it you who wants to hold hands, or me?"
"You saw wrong!" Suzune's cheeks flushed red, and she quickly pulled her hand back. This man... he actually remembered the boxing club incident!
Then again, it was true that even elementary schoolers did more than hold hands; she had seen kids on TV kissing each other's cheeks. Holding hands was a bit too innocent, and they were high schoolers!
Steeling herself, she added, "If you want to take the next step, it's fine... but we need to choose a more private place."
"Oh?"
"Don't misunderstand! I told you last time—as long as you help me close the gap with my brother and assist me in the special exams, I will fulfill most of your requests. Now that my brother clearly values you, this is an opportunity."
"Meaning, you want me to say some good things about you to him?"
"Yes."
"But your brother isn't exactly the type to just listen to what others say, is he?" Akira was skeptical.
"He will listen to you," Suzune said with total confidence.
"Uh... why do you believe in me more than I believe in myself?"
He didn't say more and simply took out his phone to send a text to Manabu.
"Okay, you were right. He agreed."
"So fast?" Suzune leaned in, surprised. Her eyes fell on Akira's screen.
It was a very short exchange: Akira: President, how about giving your sister a call once in a while? Manabu: Fine.
Suzune went silent. Akira sent one sentence, and her brother agreed without even asking why. In her brother's heart, the weight of Akira and herself was clearly different. She admitted Akira was much more capable than her, but... 'Brother, aren't you being a bit too obvious? It's making your sister feel a bit complicated.'
"Don't look so gloomy," Akira said, seeing her face. "How about this: once summer break is over, I'll try to invite the President and Tachibana-senpai out. If it works, the four of us can have dinner together."
"Deal." Hearing this, Suzune's expression finally softened.
Having dinner with her brother and Tachibana-Senpai was something she had looked forward to for a long time. She hadn't eaten with him in over three years. Given Akira's standing with her brother, it was almost a sure thing. The gloom vanished, and her expression became much gentler.
'This girl is as easy to handle as ever.' Akira shook his head inwardly and didn't say anything more.
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