cote react to

part 13

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here." Annoyed, Ayanokoji interrupted them.

"Sorry dude!"

Sorry. For being quiet for so long."

"It's nothing you have to apologize for. We don't have to talk about it. However, I think that now we have the type of relationship where we can talk about things. If you're suffering or if you feel lost, you can talk to me. You should consult Horikita and Kushida, too."

Behind me, Ichinose purposefully flopped over in an exaggerated manner.

"Are you okay, Ichinose-san?" Hiyori asked.

"Don't worry about her, Shiina-san. Ichinose here is quite dramatic." Amikura and Yume giggled.

"Hey! What do you mean dramatic?" Ichinose pouted.

"Who knows?"

"Hey, that's Ayanokoji-kun's line."

"Since when was that my line?" Ayanokoji asked confused.

"Just now." Both girls answered.

"So, you're telling her 'You can talk to me.' I wonder what you mean?"

I had no answer for that.

"Okay. I understand," Sakura murmured.

"Ah, I'll help out too." Though Ichinose didn't know her too well, she still smiled at Sakura.

"Too bright!"

"Ahh! My eyes are burning!"

"Precious! So precious!"

"Oh, my Ichinose-chan... Can you marry me?"

"Ichinose-san is just so nice and pretty."

"Her future boyfriend is so lucky."

Ichinose just smiled and scratched her cheek awkwardly.

"Our Honami-chan is so popular!" Shibata teased her.

"I'm Ichinose, from Class B. It's nice to meet you, Sakura-san."

Sakura looked a little hesitant, but shook Ichinose's outstretched hand.

"By the way, didn't you want to tell me something in the special building a little while ago?" I asked, thinking back to my conversation with Ichinose.

"Ah yeah, that's right. There was something important I wanted to talk to you about."

"Were you about to confess?" Yume asked.

"Huh? No! I was about to tell him something about Sudo-kun's case that's all." Ichinose said.

"And she said it was serious, so no funny business." Kanzaki said.

"But confessing is not a funny business though...?"

"You know what I mean."

"Actually, I don't."

Ichinose took a moment to catch her breath, and then adopted a serious look.

"I probably shouldn't be saying this right now, but...there was someone pulling the strings behind this whole Sudou incident."

"Pulling the strings?"

Because Ichinose looked so deadly serious, I didn't think this was just a hunch of hers.

"To tell the truth, there was a dispute between Class B and Class C students before. That time, though, the school didn't get involved. Someone named Ryuuen-kun masterminded that one."