COTE Alternative

Vol. 1: Chapter 7.2 - Gathering Of Leaders

"So? Do you have work for me to do or something? From what you said earlier, you wanted my help right now. So, spill it." Karuizawa spat. As expected she was quick to catch on to my intentions, partially since I had laid them out earlier. But still she was able to gather that information and form a conclusion. Quite a convenient skill I must say.

"Yeah I do have something for you to do. Well, a few actually. " She perked up as I said that. Her eyes focusing on what I was going to say.

"First of all that act that you're trying to do, I'd suggest dropping it. I know that you're trying to be on top of the class hierarchy, but there are other less troublesome methods."

Karuizawa furrowed her eyebrows and crossed her arms, mimicking the persona that she had wanted to show towards the school. However due to her trauma of getting bullied by the same type of people she was personifying, she couldn't do it effectively. All Karuizawa did was convey to the class that she was someone incredibly social and highly fashionable. This made her befriend a lot of the 'gyaryus' in the class quite easily, easing her way into the top of the clique as their sort of pack leader.

However since she couldn't replicate the attitude of her former bullies due to her trauma, any subtle changes that I want to apply to her personality will most likely get glossed over for most part.

Karuizawa took in a sharp breath and appeared to be thinking over my words. Pondering over another way to effectively not make her a target of bullying. It seems that she couldn't really think of anything from her perspective as she looked at me with expectant eyes.

"I'll do it if you can give me some better ideas." She bluntly stated. An expected response coming from someone like her. From Karuizawa's perspective, the only way to avoid getting bullied herself was to adopt her bullies' personality. It makes since from her view the ones who weren't bullied were those on top of the class, her bullies, and those that are neutral and don't want to have anything to do with it, the bystanders.

She couldn't become a bystander since she'll still have a chance in getting bullied so the only way was to act like a bully, to which she failed. Karuizawa most likely found another way, in the form of becoming someone like Kushida, though it will be too late as the class's impressions of her have been set. First impressions are important after all.

However what she doesn't realise is that she could still alter the class's view of her, specifically her friends'. Karuizawa's friends already have a view into her true self, someone kind and perhaps reliable at times. Though the rest of the class does not know this. Because of this, if Karuizawa were to suddenly alter her personality to make it resemble more of her true self, adding Karuizawa's friends' support, then the class will be none the wiser.

"I already have one in store. You don't want to be bullied, right? So don't act like one. As unbelievable as it sounds, those who climb their way to the top through such methods, will inevitably fall by those beneath them. What you'll portray to our classmates is someone kind amd reliable. Defend them, make them rely on you, be by their side. So that when the time comes, they'll do same as you did to them. That's a much better plan, isn't it?"

"I- Yeah you're right. That is so much better." I could almost see regret in Karuizawa's eyes at not seeing that solution to her problem.

I decided to stop and let her take in this information. Let her make her own conclusions and if she wants to go through with this. After all if she agrees and this method fails, the blame can be partly cast on her as she agreed to it.

"So you want me to act like their big sister, solving their problems with subsequent ease." Karuizawa said, her tone indicatimg that she wasn't completely serious, but this was her understanding.