COTE: The Quiet One Can Be Dangerous

Vol. 9 Chp. 5: Confronting The Rumors

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

A few days went by quickly. Ichinose, known for being controversial, had been absent from school for several days. However, she returned on February 24th, a day before the end-of-year exam.

Ichinose: I think I'm ready to confront the rumors.

Ichinose sent me a message saying she would return to school soon. However, her presence would only be significant for Class B.

In contrast, the end-of-year exam on the 25th was crucial for Class C.

It was lunchtime as I made my way toward Class B. As soon as I arrived, many people were already gathering there.

"What am I doing here, you ask? Why, I've come to rescue everybody in Class B, you know?"

Sakayanagi was with Kamuro and Hashimoto, but Kitou and the rest of Class A were absent. It is possible that they chose to come with a smaller group to avoid any potential problems that could arise if they went with a larger one.

"I wonder what you mean by that, Sakayanagi-san."

Ichinose spoke up from deeper within the classroom, surrounded by several classmates.

"Wait, Ichinose. You don't need to get involved with this."

"Yeah! Don't do this, Honami-chan!"

"To start things out, congratulations on your recovery. I wanted to reach out to you earlier, but I've been quite busy studying for the exam. Nevertheless, I'm quite happy for you. You're just in time for the end-of-year exam tomorrow."

"Yes. Thank you."

Two people talked from a distance. Every student in Class B looked at Arisu with hostility. Although it was lunch break, every student from Class B was present, indicating that the entire class had come together to protect Ichinose. 

Arisu was unfazed by the unity of her opponents and seemed to enjoy being in enemy territory. She had predicted Ichinose's actions and knew that Ichinose would not use the campus cafeteria or other facilities during lunch due to the ongoing rumors surrounding her.

"You said you were here to 'rescue' us, Sakayanagi?" Kanzaki asked.

"Correct."

Responding to Kanzaki's question, Arisu nodded and showed a bright smile.

"Does that mean... you admit to spreading the rumors?"

"If you came here to apologize, I guess I kind of get what you mean by 'rescue,'" Kanzaki mumbled.

"I'm not the one who spread the rumors."

"If that's the case, what are you getting at?"

"In the past, rumors were saying that Ichinose-san was maintaining a large sum of points, remember? At the time, the school announced that there was no foul play going on, so those rumors subsided almost immediately."

Kanzaki was about to respond when Ichinose touched his shoulder, giving him a gentle smile, "It's okay; I can take care of this."

Kanzaki seemed hesitant, but he nodded and backed down.

"Yes, I'm playing the role of a bank and carrying the responsibility for Class B. Is there a problem with it?" Ichinose asked.

Kanzaki and others seemed surprised by this change in Ichinose, but they didn't say anything. Arisu continued to smile.

"So, it's true. You're playing the role of a bank... I think that may be a hazardous situation for all of you."

As she spoke, Sakayanagi directed her gaze toward Ichinose, who was intently staring back at her.