COTE: Class D's Masked Guardian

Vol 1. Chapter 11 - Setting the Stage

Now that it was the third day of school, it was even more important to have all my classmates listen during classes. This is because, from now on, if people were to not do so, their grades would most likely be within the range of failing or barely passing, which would not be ideal. I'm sure that the deductions to our class points will become increasingly stricter, and there's also the fact that we can't have anyone fall behind in terms of academics. I mean, having a classmate be expelled from school because they failed a test is bound to be demoralising.

I can't afford to let the class lose our current momentum. Currently, everyone in Class D were in high spirits; they had been saved from the S-system for now, and that gave them a little room to relax. But right now, they were still following rules and acting like diligent students.

I'm sure that the class could face many demerits if a student from Class D was to be expelled. These demerits could be large, or small, but if the consequences of a failing grade were to ensue, the morale would drop, and some students may give up on behaving properly, making it a lot harder for me to drag these guys up to Class A.

Speaking of Class A, I have to try and build a relationship with Horikita Suzune.

Turning my head to the right towards my seatmate, I got a proper look at Horikita for the first time since the first day. In all honesty, she was beautiful. Her long black hair tied with a pink bow, her almost entrancing red eyes and well endowed body gave her an elegant appearance. It's a shame that her bitchy attitude drove people away from her.

"Ayanokouji-kun, why are you staring at me?" Horikita asked after noticing my gaze that was on her for the past five seconds.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to talk to you, that's all."

"You could've talked to me without staring at me for 5 seconds," she reproached, her voice surprisingly softer than during our previous conversations.

"I just didn't know how to approach the topic."

"Just get on with it."

While I wasn't taken aback by her impatience, I didn't exactly welcome her behaviour. She was incredibly prickly. "Alright, alright. First, since the teacher isn't here yet, can we take this outside? This conversation is something I would rather keep between you and me."

Despite looking sceptical with her right eyebrow raised and sideways glance, she still followed me out of the classroom.

"Hurry up, Ayanokouji-kun, Chabashira-sensei will be here soon," Horikita urged me to get on with it.

"Jeez... Well, Horikita. I would like to be friends with you."

"Absolutely not. I don't need friends," she snapped back almost instantly.

"You're so adamant on reaching Class A, yet you've been distancing yourself from your classmates for the past few days. Is that not counterproductive, Horikita?"

"How is that counterproductive? I don't need friends to reach Class A, I'll just do it by myself."

"But Horikita, were you the one to expose the S-system on the first day? Were you the one to make a deal with Chabashira-sensei? Do you really believe that you can make it to Class A all by yourself?" I barraged her with questions and looked her straight in the eyes. She soon became exasperated, and I continued on my assault. "You do realise that your stuck up attitude - rejecting everyone around you and your obvious superiority complex - will hinder your contribution to the class, maybe even making you a liability."

My words struck a chord deep within her, and a sudden look of realisation appeared on her face. She had finally found out, didn't she?

"Is... this what Chabashira-sensei meant when she said that my academic abilities had nothing to do with my placement in Class D?" she asked.