COTE | | Bound | | [Suzune x Kiyotaka]

Chapter 4 || Not So Subtle Announcement

"Ha ha ha." Everybody looked at him funny, including me.

"Kiyotaka... was that a laugh..?" I genuinely asked him, checking his temperature to see if he was ill or something.

"Perhaps it was, I found your accidental announcement quite amusing and it seemed to have slipped out of my mouth."

My lips curled into a smile to suppress the laughter that was about to breach from my mouth, evidently, it failed as I let out a laugh that bewildered the entire class including myself, "Ha ha ha." I tried mimicking his laugh only to make mine worse.

"Are you mocking me, Suzu?" He asked, using the nickname that he gave me in public, causing me to blush slightly and creating a collection of gasps to go around the room. The way the nickname rolled off his tongue happily made me feel butterflies in the pit of my stomach.

"Me? Mock you? I would never do such a despicable thing! Ha ha ha..." I began to laugh again at his amusing laugh. If anything, his laugh was cute and I just found him adorable in general. If my brother could ever read my mind, there's no doubt that he'd be ashamed of me right now. How have I fallen this far down to have feelings for someone?

"So...? You guys are dating...?" Karuizawa asked on behalf of the class, utterly confused at the interactions between Kiyotaka and I. I glanced at him and he gave me a small nod.

"Perhaps we are," I replied, but I noticed I couldn't help the blood from rising to my cheeks.

"Okay class, sit down..." Chabashira-Sensei appeared with good timing, saving me from the downfall of embarrassment.

After class, I looked at my timetable and noticed that we had exceedingly more physical education lessons in a week than we did before. What could be the reason for it?

"Have you noticed it too?" Mr. Ha Ha Ha said beside me, "The increase in physical education." He finished.

"Yes, I have. Could there possibly be another exam that we have to face?" I asked him, I didn't know the full extent of his intelligence, but I already gathered that he knew what was going to happen.

"There could be." As usual, he gave me a small response that I could get nothing out of because of his apathetic tone and face.

Since we had PE after lunch anyway, I figured that we would eventually find out why there were so many additional lessons.

|| BOUND ||

Kiyotaka's POV

There was undoubtedly going to be another special exam potentially about athletic abilities. Of course, seeing as I lack the information necessary, I don't particularly know the fine details of it, nonetheless, we'll be finding out soon enough.

Lunch came around and Suzu told me to stay put in my seat whilst she leaned into her bag. People, instead of leaving for the cafeteria, watched as everything unfolded. Since we had gotten more points and a living wage from the Island Exam, I was going to buy lunch from the cafeteria but surprisingly, whilst blushing, Suzu handed me a bento box.

"This is the reason I was late today..." She muttered, averting eye contact with me. After becoming my girlfriend, her personality has vastly changed. I seem to like it more than her old self who deemed she was superior to everyone else, not that she doesn't still think like that. I've noticed that she seems to try and make an effort to talk to those around her and become more assimilated into the class.

"This is for me?" I asked her and she nodded, "Not a food trap..?" I attempted to confirm but she immediately pulled her weapon 'THE COMPASS' out of her pocket, "I'm joking." I hastily said, grabbing the pair of chopsticks on top of the box and opening it.

If I had to describe it. I'd say heaven. Of course, I'm not a believer in religion, since it cannot be scientifically proven but tasting this meal could quite literally ascend me to heaven.

I took my first bite and my hand hit the table whilst my breathing increased as I chewed. If my body was capable of it, I think I'd cry for I haven't tasted such delicacies in my life. This was much better than the food from yesterday.

"Is it good?"

"Good? Good is an understatement. You shouldn't belittle yourself to the mere words of 'good' Suzune. This meal is heavenly. Thank you."

"When's it gonna be my turn to get a homemade lunch from a cute girl?!" Ike and Yamauchi shouted in synch whilst looking at me with jealousy in their eyes.

"Kiyopon~ it can't be that good, right? Lemme try some!" Haruka jumped for my food but I skilfully moved it away whilst eating.

"I'll have to decline you. This meal was made for me by my girlfriend and I intend to each the entirety of it." I adamantly stated, of course, that the relationship between Suzune and I hadn't been confirmed until now when I had just said it and I noticed the majority of the girls smirking and gossiping with one another while the boys gave me glares of jealousy. It was amusing, to say the least.

"Now we have two couples in the class~!"  Kei latched herself around Hirata, "Me and Yosuke-kun and Ayanokoji-kun and Horikita-chan!" She dragged Hirata over to us and with an overly bright smile she said, "Let's go on a double date!" Of course, I knew that she and Hirata weren't actually dating. She had initially been my choice to learn to love after the whole cruise ship fiasco but then Suzune gave me a bright opportunity so I took it.

"It's up to you Suzune," I said, and she started eating her own lunch whilst Kei stared at her excitedly.

"I don't see why we shouldn't." She agreed and Kei... hugged her? Quite enthusiastically and it was evident from Suzunes rigid body that she was uncomfortable however, though many missed it, I caught the small smile that appeared on her face.

Perhaps a nice friendship will form between the two, who knows?

| | BOUND | |

WORD COUNT : 1753