ONCE you realize how good you are at something, you immediately think you're horrible once you compare your talent to other who are better than you. Instead of improving on said talent, all that pride comes crumbling down.
What a horrible lesson.
*Alarm rings*
"Man..."
I rubbed my eyes and turned to my desk which was my alarm clock.
5:49
'I'm awfully early today, am I?' I thought as I yawned.
Today was officially the second day of school. Well, er, technically first day of school since we didn't do actual lessons yesterday.
Speaking of which, I heard something related to a "lesson."
Eh, they say dreams have meanings, which is scientifically true as dreams are usually your sub-consciousness communicating with you. Sadly, I can't figure that out nor do I remember the details of said dream clearly.
"Yawn...I should use the time wisely I guess."
After waking up, I ate some breakfast and did some stretches before brushing my teeth.
"I really need some gym equipment, even if just a little..."
After finishing, I dressed up in my ANHS uniform and began walking out my dorm.
_____________________________________________________________________
The school day went by explanations over policies and rules, so we weren't really actually learning anything. Well technically we were learning the rules but even so, not academically.
I saw others not really paying attention, notably Sudou sleeping during class. If you wanted to be here to prove that you're not trash, isn't that what you're doing at this exact moment?
The teachers did absolutely nothing to counter this, which was expected as the school was testing the students of their behavior and what not.
Other than me observing and also paying attention to the policies and rules for possible loopholes and clarity, the atmosphere was rather relaxed.
It soon became lunchtime; I didn't pack a bento. Getting up from their seats, the students started to go out to eat lunch with their acquaintances. I then realize something detrimental.
I didn't make any friends outside of Ayanokouji and... maybe Horikita?
Horikita doesn't consider me a friend anyway.
Should I get along with the Idiot Trio? Nah.
Being friends with Sudou would be cool. Ike's alright if he's not a pervert.
Yamauchi's a loss cause.
There's also Matsushita, she's a good character and looks very beautiful. Other than the fandom calling her "Stalker-Chan", She's an above average character both mentally and in looks.
She also has her group, Nene Mori and the other one that I forgot. Was it Kokoro? Or was it someone else?
There's also the possibility of befriending Hirata. He's a good dude but his naive "Let's be friend and united" attitude throws me off, same with Ichinose. Again, I don't hate them, but their mindset is really flawed.
Kei? Well, by the fandom she's best girl. She an A tier girl for me but I prefer someone else. Kei and Ayanokouji go well together.
Haruka and Akito are ones that I do like to be friends with. Both are relaxed and overall, just nice to be with, even though I haven't interacted with them. Besides Haruka's relaxed personality, at first glance, she seems like a relaxed person not because of her facial expressions and body language. But because of her hair being blue. The color blue gives off a relaxed and chill vibe, which not only relates to the Color Theory, but also relates to Haruka's personality greatly.
The color red, however, contracts as a more evil, mad or fierce type. Which also correlates to Sudou's personality in the first few volumes as he has red hair. Even then, Sudou is and still can be, a hothead.
Black is just the definition of ice cold. Explains Horikita perfectly.
...Well there's the Karuizawa group. I'm friendly with them, not friends.
'Anyway, enough about colors, and friends. It's lunchtime and I've wasted 2 minutes already observing and analyzing-'
"Pitiful."
I recognize that voice.
I see Horikita facing Ayanokouji while saying those words to him.
"... What. What's pitiful?" Ayanokouji asks with a confused tone.
"'I want someone to invite me. I want to eat lunch with somebody.' Your thoughts are really obvious."
"You're also by yourself. Don't you feel the same way? Or do you plan on staying alone for the next three years?" Ayanokouji bombards with questions,
I decide to join in the conversation.
"Yeah. Doesn't it feel like you're an alien-like creature within a human civilization? Maybe even a ghost?"
"...In other words, he and I are saying do you like being alone?" Ayanokouji adds on
"Yes, I like being alone."
She replies at the same second, no... even maybe exact millisecond that Ayanokouji finishes talking.
"Instead of you two worrying about me, you two should go worry about yourselves." Horikita states
"While what you're saying is true. He might be worrying about you, but who says I am?" I retorted,
...
Horikita stares a death-looking glance at me. If I continue looking at her eyes, I might eat my arm...
"Now, who says you're worrying about me? I did, please get out of my sight." Horikita defeated me.
"Ah..."
"Well...next time, Shinjiro."
Besides the whole...conversation, or so verbal harassment I just got. I really need friends, even allies. It could get useful afterwards. Going outside to the movies, having nice conversations in the cafe, shopping, sigh.
A minute didn't even pass, yet half the class became empty and quiet. The people who are left either want to go but are alone just like me and Ayanokouji, are sleeping and not paying attention, or like being alone like Horikita.
"I was thinking of going to eat, does anyone want to come with me?"
Hirata, the parent, has come to pick us kids such as me and Ayanokouji up. I have done much learning today father; it is time for me to go.
I stand up from my seat as Ayanokouji slowly raises his hand.
Hirata, I'm going with you!
Hirata, let me become a great person like you!
Hirata-
"I'm going too~!"
"Me too me too!"
The others, basically girls, have already showed appreciation to Hirata and began walking towards him.
Ayanokouji sees this and slowly puts his hand back down.
"Ah..." I let out a small noise that seemed to be audible to Ayanokouji.
"You too, huh? Same...same indeed..." Ayanokouji says,
"Our chances, have been crushed...." I added on,
I wanted to be friends with him, but the girls already took him because of Hirata being an ikemen.
Man...
"How sad." Horikita does a derisive laugh.
"Don't try to guess what other people are thinking." Ayanokouji says,
Another derisive laugh and a disdainful look came from Horikita. me and Ayanokouji just looked at her.
"Is there anything else?" Horikita asks
We shook my head and reverted our attention back to Hirata and his crowd of fans.
Feeling a bit lonely from the lack of other boys, Hirata looked around the room.
Just as I was thinking about sitting down, Hirata looks towards me and Ayanokouji.
Yes! He finally noticed us! Fin... ally...
Wait, is this the part where-
Ah, we don't have a chance, I forgot.
"Uh, Shinji───"
"Nene~ let's go already!"
Hirata tried to call out my name, which didn't work so he did Ayanokouji's.
"Umm, Ayanoko───"
"Hirata-kun, hurry up!"
The girls took a hold of Hirata's arms without noticing us at all.
Hirata got stolen from the girls.
Since I was still standing, I stretched my arms to the sides as Ayanokouji does the same thing with his outstretched arm, for presumably, the same reason.
"Well then."
Sending us both one last look of pity, Horikita left the classroom.
"Well, that was useless." Ayanokouji states,
"Agreed, want to...eat together?" I added on. Everyone that I wanted to go with, already left.
"Uh- Yeah, sure I guess."
I guess he was a little perplexed by my sudden invitation.
We both stood up and began walking towards the door.
"What do you want to eat?" I asked him.
"I don't really, anything is fine, really." He answers,
"Hm... I was thinking of a premade bento from the convenience store or buying something from the cafeteria. Either one fine with you?"
He nods.
"Yeah, anything is fine. I'm just hungry."
"Yosh, got it."
After 2 seconds after walking out of the classroom door, someone called out to us.
"Um, Ayanokouji-kun, right?"
On our way towards the cafeteria, I was suddenly stopped by a beautiful girl. She's Kushida, one of our classmates.
My heart went Doki Doki Literature Club!
You know what happens after PTSD with that game? You feel distant and somewhat scared.
Kushida is the perfect example of Doki Doki Literature Club. Cute and kawaii on the outside, dark in the inside.
Which is exactly why I need to get away from her-
"And you're Shinjiro-kun, right? The one with brown-ish hair and red eyes?" She asks,
Mission failed.
I nodded to her and turned to her direction. Ayanokouji does the same.
"I'm Kushida in the same class. Will you two remember my name?"
"Uh, I guess so...."
"Er- sure, I guess I can. What do you need from me?"
"Actually... I would like to ask you both something."
Here we go again.
It's a short question, but Ayanokouji-kun, Shinjiro-kun, by any chance, are you both on good terms with Horikita-san?"
"No." I answered.
"We're not particularly close. Just acquaintances. Did she do something?" Ayanokouji shoots a question.
"Oh, I see. Weren't you two getting along on the first day of school though? I was asking everyone one by one for their contact info, but... Horikita refused to tell me."
"Ah, I see what you mean. No, she just enjoys destroying our dignity as fellow human beings, not her enjoying being with us." I answered.
"Hmm, I see. Well in that case..."
Kushida looks at Ayanokouji's direction.
"On the day of the entrance ceremony, weren't you talking to Horikita in front of the school?"
Oh. I kind of forgot that Kushida notices that on in the beginning. Well, I didn't forget, more like I didn't care about that information.
"Um, no not really. It's more so that she got mad for me accidentally looking at her on the bus towards here." Ayanokouji answers yet again.
"Oh! I see, I see, well. What kind of personality does Horikita-san have? Is she the type to only speak her mind to her close friends?"
"Unfortunately, she doesn't have any close friends, or friends in general. Why do you want to know about Horikita?"
Kushida backs up a bit so she can see both me and Ayanokouji.
"During the self-introductions, Horikita-san walked out of the room, right? It looked like she didn't talk to anybody, so I was worried about her."
'Yeah..."worried" about her.'
"I'm sure me and Shinjiro understand, but I only met her yesterday, so I can't really help."
"Fuun... so that's how it was. I thought you three were friends before coming to high school. Sorry for asking you a weird question out of the blue!"
'Friends before coming to high school, eh? I see why you asked this question out of the blue.'
"No, it's fine. Why do you know our names though?" Ayanokouji asks
"What!? didn't you introduce yourself?! I made sure to memorize everyone's names!" Kushida answers.
I whispered to Ayanokouji.
"I'm surprised she remembered our names." I said,
"Yeah, I feel strangely glad hearing that." He whispered back,
"Once again, let's get along well, Ayanokouji-kun and Shinjiro-kun!"
"Ah...right..." I said,
"Uh, yeah sure. let's get along well. It's nice to meet you too..." Ayanokouji adds on,
After Kushida leaves and we just looking at her...
rear.
We both try to convert away from us looking at her.
"Uh...so where do you want to eat again?"
"Er- as I said, anywhere really."
"Oh, I see. uh..."
I didn't want to go to the convenience store and then go back to the main building again.
"Hey, if it's fine by you, you want to go eat in the cafeteria?"
"Er...."
"Sure, there's a lot of people there. But I don't think people will see us as loners if we sit together. They'll think of us as friends, right?"
I made a good point, but Ayanokouji makes a better point.
"True, but wouldn't they just see us as 2 loners who became friends because of us being loners? Thus, still being loners in this school?"
...
"Man, you have a better point than me...."
"I guess, I'm just that good." Ayanokouji says as he puts his hands on his hips.
...
"Don't do that again."
"Huh?"
"Please, don't do that again. I sound like Horikita, the Queen of Ice Kingdom here but, that was extremely cursed to look at."
"W-was it...that bad?"
"Yes" I gave a single yet powerful answer.
I think.
"Oh, I see..."
Although I can't see it on his face, I figure that he's sad due to the "tone" of his voice, his choice of words and his body language.
Too bad all of this is superficial.
"Well let's at least go to the cafeteria, I'm hungry." He speaks
"Yeah agreed." I agreed as we begin walking towards the cafeteria.
_____________________________________________________________________
Hello! Author-san here!
This chapter's short since Chapter 2 of COTE volume 1 in general is short. It'll probably be at least 3000 or 4000 words for this chapter. So, expect part 1, 2 and 3 to be short.
That's really all I have to say. I think I'm doing, somewhat decent, with the characterization. Since Ayanokouji is a bit goofy in volume 1 and 2. Although this stops around Volume 3.
I still think I'm painfully mediocre with the characterization so please forgive me.
That's all I have to say! Chapter 2.1 and possibly 2.2 and 2.3 will be release today!
I forgort best girl
Edit: Fixed some grammar mistakes
Edit: Janaury 15th, 2024
Word Count: 2146 Words