COTE: Self-Preservation

Y2V1: The Difficult First-Years

Sudo looked at me with a pleading expression.

"You really think I'll be able to help?"

Horikita softly nodded, "I trust that you'd make good support. Out of the people who are currently working independently, you're the one that's the most helpful."

At first, it sounds like a compliment, but by the 'people working independently', she meant Koenji.

And to be seen as more helpful than Koenji is a bar that even a child could jump over.

"Very kind words. I'll help you out," I agreed.

Horikita's eyes widened slightly at my easy approval, "You're being awfully cooperative, not that I'm unsatisfied about it."

"That so, huh? Let's chalk it up to curiosity of how you're going to get through this exam."

"Are you testing me?"

"Not really, a closer loo--"

I was cut off by the several buzzes in the room. Every student checked their phone like robots and found a message from Ichinose Honami in the global chat the school had provided for us.

"Oh, I completely forgot that was a thing," Sudo remarked.

"That's because only people with permission from the school are allowed to use it. Do you remember that bug a few months ago when it was open for everyone?" I asked him.

"Oh, yeah! When some dude began to spam random shit and every phone got blasted with messages for an hour. Holy crap was that loud, what happened to that dude?"

I shrugged. I had no idea what happened to him, but I assume he got caught fairly easily.

Horikita glanced at both of us sharply, "Stop talking about annoying pests and let's get to the matter at hand."

Sudo straightened up immediately and shut his mouth. Just how cruel was Horikita when she tutored him? He's like a brainwashed soldier.

Ignoring that, I glanced at Ichinose's message.

[I have been given permission to host a meet-and-greet for the first and second-year students in the gym today from 4:00 to 5:00 PM. If you can spare the time, please feel free to join!]

Interesting.

"That's pretty good, ain't it, Suzune?" Sudo stated with a thin grin.

Horikita nodded hesitantly, "I suppose. It's easier to get in contact with the first-years now since they'll all be in one spot."

"Why do you sound wary then?" I asked.

Horikita glanced at me with narrow eyes, "It's because the mixer she's setting up is probably going to help her out much more than the rest of us. I imagine there aren't a small number of first-years that are going to get bought off, so Ichinose's made a start at forming a good first impression. Our class doesn't have the option of buying out students either, so we should've been going the same route."

So that's where her mind went.

I nodded, "Good point. We'll be playing second-fiddle. Ichinose's results are better, she's more sociable and she initiated the mixer itself."

"I suppose we'll be fine, though. Let's head over," Horikita concluded without hesitation.

I tilted my head in confusion, "That was a quick change."

"Worrying won't do us any good, will it?"

With that, we headed to the mixer Ichinose had set up.

I wonder how the White Room student was going.