COTE: The Unfamiliar Familiar World

Chapter 8: That's What Friends Are For

What's wrong with spending time with me, Suzune? I thought we were friends?

Then again, i should be complaining. Today, like yesterday, I had seen Suzune standing right in front of my door once again. At the very least, she was much more later, letting me sleep soundly till 7:30 am. But it still bothered me that she's going to my room still. Day 3 in and I might have to tell her that she could just wait for me at the lobby. Like any other normal friend would.

It's still awkward to refer Suzune by her first name, even though I might have to get used to it already... Everytime I did, I remember her just stabbing my arm with the compass. The phantom pains it causes me just makes me not want to call her by her first name. But her insistence to keep doing so might become troublesome in the end, thus I relented. 

Watching the three banter, it's nice that Suzune was getting friendly with Sudou and Miyake. It's also a good development that the two of them seems to accept Suzune as their friend as well. If my perception of her being this universe's Airi would entail a difficulty of her making friends with the other classmates. 

"Oy Ayanokouji!" Suddenly, Miyamoto had called out to me and beckoned me to come over. I glanced over towards Sudou and Miyake, who shrugged. Seeing that they had no idea about what's going on, I then sighed out as I then stood up and made my way towards the group who was gaining more and more participants in discussion.

As I got there, I realize they were speaking hushed tone.

"Im betting on Airi-chan"

"My bet's on Hasebe-san!"

"Heck my bet's going to be Kushida"

"Onodera's my bet-"

"What about Mori?"

"Airi-sama for the win!"

"What are you guys doing?" I asked, unaware of the situation at hand. As I did so, I noticed some girls were glancing over towards me worriedly. I took note that Airi's smile was strained, Karuizawa's gaze was rather calculating, as if gauging if what I was about to do was what she suspects. Seeing her gaze, it's as if I was betraying her expectations of me. Azuma, Mori, and Nishimura, had a nervous gaze upon their looks.

I don't really understand how my appearance to this group shifted their gaze to this particular situation from disgust to worry. The only one who wasn't looking at me worriedly was Suzune. Kushida on another hand, glared at me like she just scraped me off her shoe...

"We're making bets, dude" Hondou remarked as he pointed his pen at some girls. "Name a girl, place the points, then we'll add you to the pool" He said with a grin.

"Alright" I remarked as i pulled out my phone "I'll go for Onodera and possibly Horikita" 

I was then met with odd gazes from the guys in this group, a shocked look from Suzune, a pained look from Airi, a glare from Hasebe who was once talking to Airi nearby, and a disappointed look from the other girls.

"Why Horikita?" Hondou asked me with genuine confusion. "She's a 76 possibly"

"Eh? What does that number have to do with swimming?"

"Eh?"

It seems the entire classroom went silent.

Wait.... I just remembered what was supposed to be bet upon this day...

Ah...

Suddenly arms wrapped around my arms as I was pulled away from the group. The guys at that group gasped and glared at me. Why was this?

Airi and Hasebe seems to had pulled me away from them.

"Alright you pigs!" She said with a disgusted glare. "This boy's off limits!!"