Another Like Me - Part I (CoTE x OC) ✔

Chapter 26 - Another Like Me

"What if we lose out on a chance to reach Class A by a margin of 50 Points or lesser?" he asked. Was he trying to test me?

"I don't think that would be my fault," I said. "The school year has just started. There are still 2 years left in this school. There will be more than enough Special Exams to gain Class Points. In fact, the current rankings are nothing more than eyewash; it can change easily. I would not be surprised if we get a completely unexpected chart by the end of the First Year itself."

"But I'm still surprised you chose Private Points over Class Points," he interjected. "You were the VIP; you had complete control over the situation in the Group. You could have led the result to either Outcome 2 or 4. The 50 Class Points that we might have achieved would have eventually payed out into Private Points."

"I'm more inclined towards a high risk, high reward situation," I stated. "You tell me — 1,000,000 Private Points at once, or 500,000 Private Points and a long waiting time for the rest of the cash to show up? I would choose the former. If you think that the second option is better, then I believe we think on different wavelengths."

"Of course. It would be unnatural to think of the same thing, after all," he said. "It destroys the entire purpose of diversity. We think differently, so we achieve things in different ways. Nothing wrong with that."

The conversation lulled a bit, and the 2 of us stared out into the ocean.

"Why did you call me here?" he finally asked.

"Nothing grand. I wanted to know what you did in the Rabbit Group to achieve Outcome 4."

"I did not do anything. I just swapped phones with Yukimura, Sotomura and Karuizawa, and we managed to fool the rest of the Group. Everyone had at first promised to not turn traitor, but looks like someone from Class A did turn into one after all."

"Karuizawa-san was the VIP, right? So you were able to convince her to help you in your plan?" I asked.

"She helped only under the notion that she would get a lot of Private Points out of it. Everyone thinks that Horikita was the one who came up with the plan after all, so they did not mind listening to me. Was it wrong?"

"No, nothing like that. It just seemed a bit off to me that someone with a headstrong attitude like Karuizawa-san would willingly listen to you just by taking Horikita's name. I did not know Horikita had already begun to accumulate such authority over the class, more so with the girls."

"But it looks like it is working," Ayanokoji responded. "After the Deserted Island Test, everyone seems to trust Horikita. It's inevitable."

"I see."

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"Are you sure you didn't convince Karuizawa-san some other way?"

"I don't see where this question is coming from."

"I'm still a bit skeptical of the fact that she willingly listened to you just because you mentioned Horikita. Not even a bit of resistance?" I pressed further.

"I did not say that. There was resistance, but she ultimately understood that this was for the Class. She agreed afterwards," Ayanokoji replied.

I decided to not push the topic any further. However, certain suspicions continued to brew within me. I would have to quell myself later.

"Speaking of which, who was the traitor in the Rabbit Group?" I asked.

"Takuro Morishige, Class A."