COTE: The Quiet One Can Be Dangerous

Vol. 7 Chp. 3: Confronted

'...': Writing
'...': Sign language
"...": Text to speech

It was a day just before our winter vacation when a massive typhoon hit Class D. The incident occurred right after Chabashira-sensei announced the end of the class session. When the classroom doors opened, students from Class C, including Ryuuen, entered our classroom. The sudden visit left our class in chaos, but Chabashira-sensei didn't seem to mind and left the room without intervening. While it's not unusual for students from another class to visit, it was strange that Ryuuen and his classmates appeared after monitoring our class secretly. 

They had been searching for something and finally decided to confront us. Horikita, who was about to leave, paused and observed Ryuuen and his classmates, Ishizaki, Yamada Albert, Komiya, and Kondou. With so many fighters gathered in the class, the tension was palpable.

"What the hell? This is Class D," Sudou said.

His tendency to pick fights may have played a role in the situation, but it could also be a defensive reaction to avoid being manipulated again. However, the most important thing is that he needs to protect Horikita, and those feelings may have taken priority. Upon seeing Sudou approach Ryuuen, Hirata quickly intervened to prevent potential conflict.

"Do you have some business with our class, Ryuuen-kun?"

"Is there a reason why I shouldn't drop by a colleague's class? It's something that happens in every school, right? I'm going to a class that's not yours to visit a friend. Why are you all so afraid?".

His first words sounded provocation, but Hirata calmly replied to that high-pressure attitude.

"Normally speaking, yes. But don't you think the circumstances in this school are somewhat different? At the very least, you've never visited Class D before," Hirata tried to smooth things over by treating this as an emergency at most.

"We've just been estranged until now. I thought now's as good a time to act more aggressively," he placed a hand on the desk of a nearby girl and grinned, showing off his white teeth.

"You guys sure did well during the Paper Shuffle exam. Thanks to that, Class C lost. The outcome hasn't been decided yet, but you guys will become Class C starting from the third semester. Quite impressive."

"Heh. That means you're an incompetent ape of a boss, right? Fall to Class D."

Hirata panickedly restrained Sudou when he took a potshot from the side.

"We put in the effort to make steady progress."

"Effort, huh? Sudou, who seems completely unfamiliar with the concept, still seems to be around, so that's puzzling. I thought he'd be the first to drop out."

"So you've finally remembered my name?"

They met eyes and glared at one another. Several classmates about to head back also froze up at this situation.

"Could you tell us what you're after?"

From Hirata's perspective, he wants to figure this out quickly, so he'd like to avoid continuously catching up at Ryuuen's pace. However, it's better to assume he's deliberately acting that way.

"I'm giving you Class D guys a thorough warning right now."

"Warning? What do you mean?"

"I have no intention of explaining it to someone who doesn't get it. Or are you merely pretending not to understand?"

At first glance, Ryuuen's words may have seemed directed at Hirata, but that was not the case. Ryuuen was barely looking at Hirata and was instead scanning the entire classroom. This leaves the possibility that the words could have been intended for someone else, such as Keisei, myself, or even Akito.