COTE Year 2 Reimagined

Volume 3:Part 6

She nodded her head as aggressively as ever and started looking for a good spot to set up camp.

I walked up to the person I wanted to meet, and she immediately noticed me.

"How nice of you to come visit me, Ayanokoji-kun. Did you miss my company, perhaps?"

"Why would I ever miss you, Arisu?"

"That's quite rude of you. I can't believe you'd speak to me in such a tone."

My tone was the same as it always was. She chuckled at her own remarks and turned towards me.

"Whatever do you need Ayanokoji-kun? I can see it all over your face."

"Nothing. Not yet anyway. I just want to ask you a question."

"A question?"

"Are you bored?"

"Yes. Quite bored, in fact."

"Then I have an opponent for you. I suspect you'll have more fun towards the end of this exam."

I told her about my suspicions and what I needed her to do. She readily accepted for her own entertainment. I thought of buying a radio in case I needed to contact her later, but they were quite expensive, so I passed.

I saw Mashima sensei and decided to approach him and see if he had anything to report.

"Ayanokoji. Tsukishiro is definitely planning something. For some reason he has an extra bought on the island. Please take care."

He passed the important details and moved away so he doesn't attract attention. I had to watch out for Tsukishiro.

I made my way over to the Nanase, and she looked somewhat excited. She walked me over to a spot she found. It was a good place to camp, and she seemed to be quite proud of herself.

"Good job, Nanase."

I patted her head, and she was satisfied.

We set up our tents and decided to relax for a while. It wasn't nighttime yet, but our tasks and areas were all over. However my plans of relaxation all ended when someone walked towards our campsite.

It was Matsushita.

Kei and Satou were following her, and they all spotted me quickly.

"Ayanokoji-kun? What are you doing here?"

"I'm camping. What else would I be doing?"

Matsushita knocked her head and smiled, realising her how silly her question was.

"Ayanokoji-kun! It's so nice to meet you here. I really didn't expect that."

Satou seemed excited, but Kei had her attention elsewhere.

"Wow, Ayanokoji, are you spending the night with this beautiful underclassmen?"

She purposefully skipped out on using the honorifics. How harsh.

"Hello. My name is Nanase Tsubasa. I'm Ayanokoji-senpai's travelling companion."

She bowed to them and then showed them a warm smile.

Kei was glaring at me while Satou and Matsushita were still confused at Nanase's excessive formality.

"Is it okay if we camp with you Ayanokoji-kun?"

Matsushita asked in an innocent manner, but I could tell she had an ulterior motive. Maybe deducing how many points I have?

"Sure."

Satou and Matsushita both gave me a smile while Kei angrily started setting up their tents.

When they were done setting up, we started a fire, and all sat around it. It was quite uncomfortable with not a single guy around. I just sat down and listened to them speak without getting involved too much. I suppose this is how Nanase must have felt when we met Sudo and Ike.

"So Ayanokoji-kun, how is the exam going? I mean, you're alone, right? Do you have enough points."

"Nope. I'm definitely getting expelled. This school was nice while it lasted, I suppose."

Matsushita was baffled by my response. Satou looked worried, but Kei was holding back a laugh. I suppose she caught on.

"But you confidently said you'll go it alone??"

"It was a mistake. If you'll excuse me, I'll go cry in the woods."

Matsushita couldn't even respond. My replies were completely illogical. When facing someone like her who understood how humans operate, you could either beat them at their own game or simply play an entirely different game.

I walked off into the woods and rested my back on a tree. The person I was waiting for finally made it.

"Why did you call me here, Kiyotaka?"

"I don't remember calling you."

"You did! You did the thing with your eyes, you know!"

"Did I?"

"Shut up."

She sat down next to me and huffed.

"How are you doing? Is your group performing well?"

"Better than I expected, actually. I've been doing good myself, too. I managed to score highly on some written tests, so thank you."

She blushed and looked the other way. I didn't expect Kei to get expelled. After analysing the rules, I came to the conclusion that her group could pull this off. They might even score in the top 25%

"What about you, Mr I made a mistake?"

She laughed, probably remembering the look on Matsushita's face.

"I'm doing fine. Nanase has been keeping me company."

"I noticed! Mind explaining yourself?"

"She's cute."

I decided to tease her.

"Huhhh??!"

She didn't expect that response.

"Do you disagree?"

"No! But you're not supposed to think so!"

"Why not?"

"Because! I'm your girlfriend!"

"Fake girlfriend actually"

"You're such a jerk!"

She punched my arm. It hurt.

"I was joking. I'm letting Nanase tag along so I can observe her."

"You know that makes it worse, right? You sound like a pervert."

I suppose she wasn't wrong. My wording was misleading.

"She's one of the people who tried to expel me. I want to observe her and see if she's a threat."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll try."

She got up in my face and looked me in the eye.

"Try? That's not good enough. I'm worried, you know."

I leaned forward and kissed her lips for just a second.

"Trust me."

Kei screamed, and her face was completely red. She didn't expect this at all.

"Karuizawa-san, are you okay?"

Satou heard her scream and called out to her. Kei avoided looking me in the eye and ran away.

"I'm fine, Satou-san. I just fell!"

This was a new experience for me. It was my first kiss. I understood how others could view this as an enjoyable action. But I didn't feel it. However, I understood one thing. The reason I didn't feel anything was due to how unnatural it all was. I planned everything in advance and knew exactly what to expect. But how can I do it naturally? I didn't have an answer. I hope I can find one before I leave this school.