COTE: Reaction

Chap 7: After the fight

During the 15 minute break, hardly anyone moved from their seats. No one had wanted to break the tense atmosphere in the theatre. Thus, the whole school had stayed this way until Bob broke the silence.

"Alright, time for the next video!" Bob said.

Everyone focused their eyes on the screen and waited for the next video.

Context: After the fight with Manabu

Slowly getting up, Horikita walked towards the entrance of the dorms.

"Hey... Are you really ok with how the study group went?"

Thinking that I wouldn't get another chance, I called out to her resolutely.

"Why are you asking that? I proposed the study group in the first place. It's not like you cared about it in the first place. Am I wrong?"

"I have a bad feeling. Or should I say, the other students seem to be planning something."

"I don't mind. I'm already used to it. Also, most of the students with red marks are with Hirata-kun. He's good at studying, gets along with people, and can teach other people well, unlike me. This time, they should be able to barely clear the borderline. However, I judged it to be a waste of time to help them out myself. Until graduation, they'll have to repeatedly try to not fail. It'd be really stupid to keep trying to cover for their failing marks every single time."

"Sudou and his group took some distance from Hirata. I don't think they'll participate in his study group."

"Huh? Why?" A girl from our class muttered.

"'Cause they were jealous of Hirata-kun, of course," Shinohara said.

Ike looked like he was about to rebut, but just leaned back on his chair and sighed.

"I can't imagine how childish we were back then," he said.

"You mean you're not jealous of Hirata-kun anymore?" Matsushita asked, a sly grin on her face.

"A-ah? O-of course not!" Ike spluttered, causing some people to laugh.

The exchange lifted the spirits of everyone, and made the atmosphere seem brighter, albeit slightly.

"That's what they decided to do; that has nothing to do with me. If they don't approach Hirata-kun, they'll just drop out soon enough. Of course, my goal is to get up to class A. However, that's for my own sake, and not for anyone else. I don't care what anyone else does. Rather, if cut down on people on this next midterm, only people who are necessary are left. It'll be easier to get to class A. A win-win situation."

"Fufufu, didn't you think of the drawbacks that could bring?" Sakayanagi laughed.

Horikita looked down, embarrassed.

I don't think she's wrong. In the first place, this crisis is bad for students who got red marks. However, I couldn't help but continue the conversation with Horikita, who was strangely talkative.

"Horikita, isn't that way of thinking incorrect?"

"Incorrect? Tell me which part is wrong. You're not trying to say that there is no future for a person who abandons their classmates, right?"

"Calm down. I know you well enough that you wouldn't understand what I'm saying."

"Then why? There's no merit in saving failures."

"Certainly there isn't much merit. However, it helps prevent demerits."

"... Demerits?"