Another Like Me - Part II (CoTE x OC)

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟙𝟟 - ℂ𝕠𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟

( Kikyo Kushida POV )
( Two Days Before The Exam )

I checked myself out in the mirror.

Looking pretty good, I guess. Guess that winter shopping I did was worth it.

I swiped my keys off the table, turned off the lights and closed the door to my room behind me. I started walking towards The Pallet, the official café of discussion and hangouts in campus.

Quite strange, really. A month or so back, I would never have thought of going to a class meeting without having underlying intentions in my mind.

But today, I feel quite relieved.

I don't feel the stress I normally feel. I don't feel that burning hatred, or the burden of secrets that I usually feel.

I'm changing.

I'm becoming a better person, and maybe that's for the best.

I should be focusing on my present more than my past. I know it's something I should have realized much earlier, but now that I have, I want to make the best use of it.

I found myself at The Pallet quite fast, and I immediately spotted the usual congregation of Class C — Hirata, Horikita, Ayanokoji, Chiaki and Karuizawa.

On normal days, my blood would have boiled out of my brain on seeing Horibitch. But today, I was oddly able to keep myself in control.

Even though I resent her, I think if she doesn't care about me, I don't need to care about her either.

Ayanokoji was busy looking through his phone. It looked like he was chatting with someone, as he was typing pretty quickly.

I ignored him for the time being.

"Hey guys!" I chirped out in a sweet voice, and I bounced over to the group in my bubbly personality. "Sorry I'm late!"

"Don't worry Kushida-san, you're not late. We haven't even started yet," Hirata said warmly. "So everyone's here, right? I think we can start, Horikita-san?"

"Yes, we shouldn't delay it anymore," Horikita replied indifferently. "Let me get straight to the point. This new Deduction Exam. Does anyone have any questions regarding its rules and regulations?"

No one uttered a word. It seemed that everyone had a fair idea of how the Exam worked.

We just needed to find a strategy to go along with it.

"That's great," Horikita approved. "We should try and brainstorm some ideas for the Exam now. I understand that Matsushita-san was of the opinion that the best plan is to have no plan, but I feel that might be detrimental to the overall stability of our class during the Exam. It could very well spiral out of control."

"I pitched the idea only because I think this is the plan with zero room for cheaters," Chiaki remarked. "Think about it. If everyone goes into the Exam with no plan, then it's each person for himself, right? Even though it increases internal competition, it will no doubt also reduce confusion. And I don't think I need to elaborate on how confused our class has been since Kei-chan left."

A valid point. Horikita-san was listening to Chiaki intently, and digesting her every word. She was trying to come up with valid loopholes in Chiaki's plan, but maybe she was having a hard time.

"Umm, can I pitch in? Isn't it hard if we don't have a plan?" Bitch-zawa looked up from her phone for the first time. "What if someone ends up transferring to Class S? I mean, I know we can't exactly prevent it, but this plan makes it so easy to leave the class, and you can't even complain. I feel like without a plan, we might be dashing our hope of overcoming this as a team."