A New Masterpiece (COTE x OC)

Chapter 46 - Indignity

"Karuizawa-san..." Hirata gently grasped at her wrist to hopefully reign her back in.

"Kushida-san, don't you think your too much of a goody-two-shoes?"

"I... um..." Kushida stammered back.

"I... um... What? Can you actually speak?"

"Karuizawa-san, that's enough. We have more pressing matters to discuss," Horikita tried cutting in.

"No, this is the most pressing matter right now. I bet you're making so much fun of me in your head, Kushida-san. Because you are so much smarter than me and don't struggle like I do on tests."

"T-that's not it at all," Kushida waved her hands to emphasize her statement.

And then a move no one could have predicted. Kei picked up her glass of grape juice and dumped it over Kushida. Soaking her blazer.

"Kei!"

"Karuizawa-san!"

Hirata and I instinctively got up from our seats and grabbed Kei's wrist, which was holding the glass.

"You should apologize to, Kushida right now," I said.

Kei blinked at me in bewilderment for a moment. "What? You really think I'm in the wrong here?"

"You are," Horikita replied. "Kushida-san has done nothing wrong, yet you overreacted."

"Karuizawa-san, you're in the wrong here," Yukimura added.

"What?! Just because she's the class angel adored by everyone, she gets special treatment?" Kei proclaimed.

"N-no, it's fine," Kushida tried to control the flames.

"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. You think I'm right, right?"

Huh? Why would she seek help from Kiyotaka at a time like this?

"You are completely in the wrong, Karuizawa."

"Kei, if you just apologize to, Kushida, I'm sure she'll accept, and we can put this matter behind us," I suggested.

Kei stood for a moment, not looking at anyone in particular but gazing around the room in thought. "I'm sorry."

"It's totally fine, Karuizawa-san," Kushida said.

"No, it's not. I overreacted... It must be from the stress of this final."

Hirata let out a sigh of relief at Kei's apology.

"Kushida-san, do you have an extra blazer?" Horikita asked.

"Oh, I don't. My first one got damaged, this is my only one."

"I could take your blazer to the dry cleaner," Kei randomly suggested.

"No, no. I'll do it, don't worry about it," Kushida replied.

"Please let me. I'd feel too guilty, it would help me to apologize better."

"Are you sure?"

"Please. Let me do this much," Kei pleaded to take Kushida's blazer in for dry cleaning.

Something bothered me about this entire sequence, though.

Kei wasn't the person to seek out conflict like this.

Yes, she did make trouble a lot of the time due to her delicate reputation in the class. But she only did so when she had allies with her or was in the majority.

She's smart enough to know this outbreak towards Kushida wouldn't do any favors for her.

So why?

And, also seeking out Kiyotaka for help?