Chapter 135 Matsushita: I Want to Be Supported! Hachiman: No way, she's stealing my lines
At five in the evening, the entrance to the theater on the third floor of the ship was unnervingly quiet.
Hachiman pushed open the heavy wooden doors and walked in. Only a few emergency lights were on in the vast theater, casting mottled shadows on the red seats. The curtains on the stage were lowered, and the surroundings were silent, save for the faint hum of the ship's engines in the distance.
He glanced at the time on his phone—5:03 PM.
There was still an hour before the six o'clock performance. No one else had arrived yet; after all, while theater is elegant, everyone had been on this ship for nearly two weeks, and the novelty had worn off for most.
Hachiman walked to the third row and sat at the end, placing his phone on the adjacent seat and fixing his gaze on the stage. When he received the message from Karuizawa this afternoon, he was in the dormitory discussing exam strategies with Kanzaki and Ichinose.
First, the bait—"the VIPs follow a pattern"—had already been cast. Now, it was just a matter of waiting for Classes A and C to bite.
But Class B could still perform some other maneuvers.
Specifically, setting a trap in a group where a Class B VIP was located, inducing other classes to guess the wrong name for that group's VIP. This would result in the other class losing points while Class B gained them.
The candidate for this job had to be a student from Class D, and a member of one of the four groups—Cow, Sheep, Rat, or Snake—where the Class B VIPs were located. At the same time, they had to be credible, flexible, and skilled in acting.
Three people currently met these criteria: Sakura Airi, Shinohara Satsuki, and Matsushita Chiaki.
Hachiman considered it and first ruled out Sakura. Although she could likely complete the task, this "femme fatale" role shouldn't be assigned to her. Someone as pure and kind as Sakura shouldn't be exposed to things like "method acting."
So, he entrusted Karuizawa to choose between Shinohara Satsuki and Matsushita Chiaki.
In the afternoon, Karuizawa's reply was blunt:
[I've chosen. Matsushita Chiaki. She's smart enough and cautious enough; she should be able to handle your task.]
Looking at that message, Hachiman quickly ran through Matsushita's profile in his mind.
Orange hair, refined looks, good taste. In Class D's "gyaru" circle, she was the type who didn't say much but had a strong presence. Karuizawa's choice was likely well-considered.
And now, he was here for the meeting.
He had Karuizawa contact Matsushita to meet at the theater at five. It seemed he had arrived first.
Hachiman leaned back, his eyes still on the stage. The theater was so quiet he could hear his own breathing.
About five minutes later, the wooden door behind him let out a soft creak.
Hachiman turned his head and saw a girl walking in.
Her long orange hair was particularly striking in the dim light. Two exquisite clips were tucked into her hair—one pearl white, one pale gold—matching her overall aura perfectly. She wore a cream-colored knit cardigan over a light brown inner layer, a dark pleated skirt, and small ankle boots.
She looked polished and proper; her taste was indeed excellent.
Matsushita Chiaki.
As he watched her approach, Hachiman mentally recalled information about her.
In the original story, Matsushita Chiaki was born into a well-to-off, though not ultra-wealthy, family. Her parents doted on her, and she was high-achieving. She possessed enough strength—academics, brains, judgment—to enter Class A. However, during the entrance exam's interview and written portions, she deliberately hid her strength and performed medocrely.
In her own words, she was "playing the pig to eat the tiger."
The result was that she overplayed her hand and got sorted into Class D.
In the original timeline, she held a sliver of hope that Class D could rise to Class A, but after observing, she found that Hirata was too much of a saint and Horikita was too autocratic—neither was fit to lead.
Later, after accidentally overhearing a conversation between Ayanokouji and Tsukishiro, she realized that the unremarkable boy was the true mastermind, and she arrogantly felt she could stand on equal footing with him.
But that was the original plot.
Now...
Hachiman's gaze lingered on her face for a second.
Ayanokouji's reputation had been thoroughly trashed by Ryuen.
Honey traps, exploiting girls, video threats—any boy associated with those terms would face social death. With Matsushita's intelligent personality, she likely had zero interest in Ayanokouji now.
Furthermore, Karuizawa had reported something previously—when Kushida was scouting candidates to teach Hachiman "experience with girls," Matsushita Chiaki was indeed on the list.
But Hachiman had passed on her with a single glance.
Based on his knowledge of the original work, this girl was just like him—someone who wanted to be "supported" by someone else.
Both were kings of slacking off.
So, if two people who both want to be taken care of get together, who supports whom?
That was why Hachiman had refused so decisively back then. Yet here he was, having asked her out, and even feeling a slight bit of tension about the meeting.
But the situation was different now. This was work.
"Hello."
Hachiman spoke first, standing up and nodding toward Matsushita.
Matsushita paused as she drew near, her eyes scanning his face. She tilted her head slightly, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips.
"Hello," she responded, her voice clear. "I received a message from Kei saying you had a task to give me."
Hachiman nodded and pointed to the seat next to him. "Have a seat."
Matsushita sat down gracefully, smoothing out her skirt before looking up at him. They were separated by one empty seat, maintaining a proper distance.
Hachiman was about to speak when he noticed Matsushita's gaze lingering on his face with a hint of... appraisal?
"What is it?" he asked.
Matsushita shook her head slightly. "Nothing, just a bit surprised."
"Surprised by what?"
"Surprised that you'd proactively look for me." Matsushita's tone was unexpectedly calm, yet carried a subtle hint of amusement.
"After all, Kei mentioned before that when Kushida-san was helping you find someone to teach you... well, experience in dealing with girls, my name was on the list. I assume she told
you, but there was never any follow-up. I've run into you twice on this ship, but you ignored me both times. I thought you weren't interested in me."
Hachiman: "..."
This girl was quite direct.
"That's a separate matter," he said, keeping a straight face. "Right now, it's about the exam."
"I know." Matsushita nodded, her gaze still fixed on him. "But since we're collaborating, I should at least see what my partner looks like, right?"
As she spoke, she unreservedly scanned Hachiman's face.
Short black hair, slightly messy, with a single cowlick sticking up. His features were actually quite delicate, with clean contours; his brow bone and the bridge of his nose were well-defined. But the most striking feature was his eyes—half-lidded, dark, vacant, and cold, looking like he was ready to fall asleep at any moment.
'Dead fish eyes.'
She silently labeled him in her mind.
Overall, Hachiman Hikigaya had a lean build; if he blended into a crowd, he would indeed be unremarkable.
But Matsushita Chiaki never judged people solely on appearance. She looked at the whole package.
The Hachiman before her might have dead fish eyes, but his facial structure wasn't bad. According to her experience, if he groomed himself a bit, changed to a sharper hairstyle—no, maybe he just needed a pair of glasses to hide those eyes...
A sudden image flashed through her mind. Hachiman Hikigaya wearing glasses.
Unexpectedly... he looked quite decent? He had the vibe of a super-elite.
"Seen enough?" Hachiman's voice pulled her back to reality. Since she was looking so openly, he wasn't about to offer "viewing services" for free.
Matsushita quickly retracted her gaze. She didn't look embarrassed at all; instead, she gave a broad smile.
"Seen enough. My conclusion is, you're a bit more pleasant to look at than I imagined."
Hachiman raised an eyebrow. "Then should I say... thank you?"
"You're welcome." Matsushita waved her hand, her expression turning serious. "Alright, let's get to business. Kei said you have a task for me. What is it specifically?"
Hachiman remained silent for two seconds. He felt this girl wasn't here for work, but rather for a blind date. However, since he was always direct, he said, "I need you to play the role of the VIP for your group."
Matsushita's eyebrows twitched. "Play the role?"
"Yes." Hachiman nodded. "During tonight's group discussion, you need to 'accidentally' show a flaw, leading the others in the group to believe you are the VIP."
Matsushita blinked and instantly grasped his intention.
"Bait?" she asked.
"Exactly." Hachiman nodded. "Make the Class A and C students in your group think you're the VIP, then trick them into guessing early. Of course, to make the act more convincing, I'll give you the phone of an actual VIP so you can 'accidentally' leak the information of the VIP email."
Matsushita was silent for a few seconds, then nodded slowly. She then shook her head. "You certainly trust me a lot."
She looked at him with a trace of complex emotion in her eyes.
Because Hachiman giving her a phone meant the owner of that phone was the actual VIP. It could be a Class B VIP or a Class D VIP. Either way, it was a heavy responsibility.
If it were a Class B VIP's phone, then the identity of a Class B VIP could be confirmed through it, which was a high risk for Class B. If it were a Class D VIP's phone, it meant that Class D student was very close to him; if exposed, it would be a disaster for that person as well.
He had to trust her completely to dare give her a phone for a deception.
"If you use someone, don't doubt them; if you doubt someone, don't use them," Hachiman said.
"Since Karuizawa recommended you, it means you're trustworthy.
Furthermore, you're smart. I can see that. Also, the fact that you could guess why Karuizawa asked you here means you've already figured out many things," Hachiman added.
This made Matsushita pause. She had indeed guessed.
From the moment Karuizawa messaged her, she had been wondering—why her? Why not Sato, Shinohara, or anyone else?
Because she was smart enough, cautious enough, and... low-profile enough. And she had indeed deduced a few things.
For example, the person Ayanokouji really wanted to target was Karuizawa.
For example, the information Ryuen leaked on the deck this morning likely had Hikigaya's shadow behind it.
For example, the person behind Karuizawa wasn't Kushida or Horikita, but the boy sitting in front of her.
"You certainly know me well." Matsushita let out a light laugh. "Then I won't hide anything either."
She paused, her tone becoming serious.
"I figured out the Ayanokouji matter. He wanted to target Kei by using Manabe and the others. But don't worry, I won't say a word. Since Kei pulled me into this circle, I'll follow the rules."
Hachiman looked at her with a hint of admiration.
This girl was truly "on the path." Not only was she smart, but she also knew how to assess the situation. She knew what to say, what not to say, what to do, and what not to do. Her shrewdness even surpassed Karuizawa's.
"Very well." Hachiman nodded. "Back to the task. For tonight's discussion, you need to achieve a few things. First, it can't be too deliberate. The flaw must be natural, making it seem like an accidental discovery rather than a performance. Second, you can't just show it once. There must be two or three layers of setup, making people think you're truly trying to hide it but aren't doing it well enough. In other words, you need to fully display your acting skills. Third, and most importantly—you must not let anyone get concrete evidence."
Matsushita listened intently, nodding occasionally.
"Understood," she said. "Let them guess, but don't let them confirm. Keep them hanging, let them fill in the blanks themselves. That's the only way to make the fake seem real."
"Correct." Hachiman nodded.
Matsushita thought for a moment and then asked curiously, "If someone in the group actually guesses early, how should I react?"
"Do nothing," Hachiman said. "Once they guess, the group exam is over. You just need to wait for the results."
Matsushita nodded and didn't pry further. The two fell silent for a few seconds.
Then Matsushita suddenly let out a soft sigh, her gaze landing on the stage. The dim yellow light fell on her face, outlining her profile in a soft, refined way.
She said, almost like a whisper, "To be honest, when I first enrolled and learned the truth about the school, I was pretty devastated. I had a clear plan—get into a good university, find a good job, live a stable life. Then I got sorted into Class D, and all my plans were thrown into disarray."
She paused and continued, "Later, I made peace with it. Class D is Class D; at least I can still study normally. As long as I maintain my academic ability, I can still get into university after high school graduation. So I have to maintain my scores."
Hachiman listened without interrupting.
"So now I just want to finish these three years peacefully, get into a decent university, and then..." She stopped suddenly.
Hachiman looked at her. "Then what?"
A slight smile played on Matsushita's lips, but she didn't answer. She just looked at him. Her eyes were beautiful, but Hachiman felt he could see something familiar within them.
Sigh...
What she didn't say was definitely—after getting into a good university, find someone who can support her.
This girl was indeed the same type of person as him.
"Actually, there's another way," he spoke.
Matsushita looked at him, and there seemed to be a faint glimmer of anticipation in her eyes.
But Hachiman said directly, "Save up 20 million points and transfer to another class. Of course, as long as you can demonstrate enough strength, there will be people willing to pay that sum for you."
"Oh—" Matsushita elongated her tone slightly, sounding a bit disappointed.
However, her eyes widened slightly as she instantly understood his meaning. She thought of her classmate, Horikita Suzune.
Although she didn't have much contact with Horikita, she felt Horikita was a stubborn person with terrible social skills—which was why she appeared in Class D charging points to tell people the truth about the school.
Yet afterward, during the island exam, things went very smoothly. Although she later learned from Kei that Horikita had aligned with Hikigaya-kun of Class B.
But...
Why would someone as stubborn as Horikita cooperate with Hikigaya so quickly, even using Class D as a weapon to obtain points?
And now, the answer was clear.
Horikita Suzune's goal was simple—transferring classes.
Indeed, Class D was terrible; anyone in it would want to escape. But the only reason that could make someone as headstrong as Horikita work this hard was one thing—Hikigaya Hachiman wanted her to transfer over. So she wanted to transfer.
"So..." Matsushita's voice carried a hint of realization, "Horikita-san is saving points to transfer to Class B? And you're willing to accept her? If she demonstrates enough strength and is useful to Class B, then... you're actually willing to subsidize part of the cost?"
Hachiman didn't deny it.
Matsushita fell silent. Her mind worked rapidly as she pondered why Hikigaya Hachiman had said this to her as well.
Wait.
Could this be a hint?
A hint that if she could demonstrate enough strength, if she could let Class B see her value, then when she saved enough for 20 million points, Class B would also be willing to accept her. If she performed exceptionally well, Class B might even provide some point support, allowing her to transfer faster.
As for how much support, that would depend on her strength.
20 million points was an astronomical figure for a student, but if she acted as a class representative, or if—as Horikita said—points were distributed "according to work," or if they profited from exams as a class unit, then there was a chance to collect it. At that stage, getting an investment from another class would make the goal much more achievable.
"I understand." She looked up, meeting Hachiman's gaze.
Hachiman looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
But Matsushita didn't speak immediately; she remained thoughtfully silent for a few seconds.
"You didn't look for me just for tonight's task, did you?" she said suddenly.
Hachiman paused slightly. Matsushita's gaze fell on his face with a hint of insight.
"If it was just for a bait mission, you could have had Kei relay the instructions directly. There would be no need to see me personally. You coming yourself means you wanted to see what kind of person I am, to confirm a few things."
She paused and continued.
"And you just mentioned Horikita-san wanting to transfer classes—that should have been a secret between you two, yet you were willing to tell me. This means you are considering what comes next."
Hachiman looked at her, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. This girl's level of perceptiveness was even higher than he had imagined.
"Go on," he said.
Encouraged, Matsushita's tone became more certain.
"What will happen to Class D after Horikita-san leaves? Hirata is too much of a saint; he can't suppress that crowd. Ayanokouji... his reputation is trashed now, and with his style of doing things, if he really takes control of Class D, he'll only lead the class into a ditch."
She paused, looking directly at Hachiman.
"You need someone to take her place after she leaves. Not as her 'partner' status, but to take over her role as the 'opposition' within Class D."
Hachiman's eyebrows twitched slightly, though he remained impassive. "Opposition?"
"Exactly." Matsushita nodded. "Ayanokouji wants to rise through the classes and control Class D. While his unscrupulous methods are dishonorable, they do have a chance of succeeding. But his rise wouldn't be a good thing for Class B. Therefore, someone is needed to provide checks and balances. While Horikita is there, she is a natural opposition—she has her own thoughts, her own bottom line, and won't let Ayanokouji manipulate her. And because she wants to gather points, she has to lead Class D in exams. This will inevitably disrupt Ayanokouji's path to rising.
But if Horikita leaves, no one in Class D will be able to stand up to him. Then, he can do whatever he wants and sacrifice whoever he wants. Although you can influence Class D through Kei, Kei's personality..."
She stopped there for a moment.
"Kei is good at execution, but not at confrontation. She can't face Ayanokouji head-on."
Hachiman was silent for a few seconds.
Then he nodded slightly. "Your analysis is very accurate."
A small smile played on Matsushita's lips, but it quickly faded.
"So, you want me to be this 'opposition.' To continue restraining Ayanokouji after Horikita leaves, so he doesn't gain total control over Class D."
Hachiman looked at her, his expression turning serious. While the Matsushita in the original work claimed she could stand on equal footing with Ayanokouji (which was generally considered a joke), she currently didn't seem quite so unworthy of the claim.
"Can you do it?" Hachiman gazed into her eyes.
But Matsushita didn't answer immediately. She lowered her head, seemingly deep in thought. After quite a while, she looked up, meeting his gaze.
"To be honest, I don't know." Her voice was candid.
"I've observed Ayanokouji for a while. He's dangerous, much more dangerous than he appears on the surface. If I faced him head-on, I likely wouldn't be his match." She paused and
continued, "But if it's just 'restraining' him—not letting him do as he pleases, not letting him easily sacrifice classmates—I can try that."
Hachiman looked at her and said nothing. Matsushita met his gaze, her tone gradually becoming firmer.
"I originally just wanted to graduate peacefully and not get involved in these things. But if it really comes to that, if Horikita leaves and no one steps up..."
She took a soft breath. "I'll try."
Hachiman nodded. "Then it's a deal."
He stood up, and Matsushita followed suit, smoothing her skirt. But she looked at Hachiman, suddenly remembering something. "By the way, since I'm already on your side, do I need to pay more attention to Horikita-san? I've actually noticed that Ayanokouji pays quite a bit of attention to her—it's not just 'classmate-next-door' attention."
Oh?
Hachiman paused. He turned his head and looked at Matsushita. This girl really was perceptive.
"Yes," he said. "During dangerous expulsion exams, Ayanokouji will definitely attack Horikita. He wants to move up, but Horikita is his biggest obstacle."
Matsushita's brow furrowed slightly. "Expulsion exam?"
"Nothing is certain yet," Hachiman said. "But just in case. If you notice Ayanokouji making any moves against Horikita, tell me immediately."
Matsushita nodded. "Understood."
She paused, then suddenly pulled her phone from her pocket, opened a QR code, and held it out to Hachiman.
"Since you're developing me as a hidden agent, we should at least add each other as friends, right?"
Hachiman looked at the QR code, slightly taken aback. This girl was quite proactive. But he said nothing and pulled out his phone to scan the code.
With a ping, the friend request was successful.
Matsushita withdrew her phone, looked down at the screen, and a small smile curved her lips.
"Hikigaya Hachiman." She whispered his name, then looked up and smiled at him.
It was a beautiful smile, her eyes crinkling—a bit playful, with an indescribable quality.
Hachiman looked at her and suddenly felt... something wasn't right with this girl. Why was she so proactive?
"I'll be going now." Matsushita put away her phone and waved at him. "There's a group discussion tonight; I need to go back and prepare."
"Mmh." Hachiman nodded. "You can go directly to Horikita to get the phone. Just tell her, and she'll know. I've already spoken to her."
"Okay." Matsushita turned toward the door. Halfway there, she stopped and looked back. "By the way, Hikigaya-kun."
Hachiman looked at her.
"You said earlier that saving 20 million points allows one to transfer to Class B." Her gaze landed on his face, her tone carrying a faint hint of amusement. "What if I don't want to transfer classes? What if I just want to find someone who can support me—does Class B accept those?"
Hachiman: "..."
Before he could answer, Matsushita let out a light laugh and pushed the door open to leave.
The door closed slowly behind her, leaving Hachiman alone in the empty theater. He looked at the door and remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he let out a soft sigh.
He had confirmed it: Matsushita Chiaki was the same type of person as him. To achieve her goals, she wanted to show her worth.
She wanted to prove her strength to a "sponsor."
However.
'Sister, I'm the one who wants to be supported, not the one going out to work.'
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