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

Chapter 55 - Tail

"Woah, I'm like, totally falling for Takeyama-kun," Haruka said while laughing. "He's got the looks, the brains and the strength. Not gonna lie, he's the perfect choice for leader."

I had to agree with Haruka on that point.

Keisuke's main skill was not that he was smart.

It was his charisma that pulled the class along.

Ever since Keisuke had taken over control of class proceedings, there hasn't been a single uprising in class against any decision that he has taken. In other words, he has complete command over class affairs. There is not an ounce of disrespect directed against him, unlike the case in Ryuuen's class. Even the outcasts like Kouenji did not mind Keisuke's intervention.

Granted, Keisuke tries his best not to involve Kouenji, but given that Kouenji himself does not have any resentment against Keisuke, and that he goes along with his orders, it is well proven.

"I really wonder how he does it," Akito murmured. "There's so many things happening behind the scenes, it's kinda weird that he tries not to rake the class into them....."

"I think Takeyama-kun does it for us," Airi said shyly. "He tries not to put his classmates in any trouble."

"But maybe it would do him good to know that we're on his side," Akito said decisively. "He doesn't have to shoulder the burden of doing everything alone. He can count on his classmates for that."

"He doesn't really talk to that many people, though," Haruka said sadly. "Even though everyone in class admires him, he's not the type to actively go out and make friends. The only people he talks to are Chiaki-chan, Horikita-san and Hirata-kun."

"Doesn't he spend quite a bit of time with Kiyotaka as well?" Keisei suddenly asked, and his vision darted at my direction. "You agree, don't you, Kiyotaka?"

It seems Keisei had noticed my rather close relationship with Takeyama. Well, it didn't come as much of a surprise to me either. Ever since we had discovered that we were from the same background, all hostility and enmity between us vanished.

"We're a bit close," I said slowly. "I think it's easy to talk to him."

"Easy to talk to him....." Keisei murmured. "Say, Kiyotaka. Do you, by chance, know Takeyama-kun from before?"

Keisei eyed me suspiciously.

"I do," I admitted. "We were in the same middle school, even though we didn't really talk much back then. Both of us were a bit of a loner."

"Haw? Kiyopon went to the same middle school as Takeyama-kun?" Haruka wondered. "That's news to me."

"Well, it won't be normal for any of us to know about it anyways," Akito came to my defense. "Hey, Haruka. You said you were gonna buy us some coffee, right?"

"Oh, right! I completely forgot!" Haruka immediately grabbed our empty cups and rushed to the counter. I internally thanked Akito for the save.

"Say, Keisei. What's the plan now?" Akito asked a rather serious question. "We all know how some blokes from Class D are tailing us, right?"

It indeed was true. Akito had breached a major topic. In the past few days, ever since the announcement of the results of the Paper Shuffle, several students from Class D had been tailing students from Class C. Akito had mentioned that Komiya and Kondo were the ones who always watched him whenever he was in the archery club.

"I think it's because they're now wary of us," Keisei said. "They're trying to pressurize us by constantly monitoring our movements. Typical Ryuuen strategy. Now that we've been promoted to Class C, things are gonna get pretty dicey."