Mission: Reincarnation into COTE

Vol. 1: Chapter 2.1 - Meeting Familiar Faces

As the novel stated, the opening ceremony did not really have anything interesting that I could have pointed out. It had your usual talk on how welcome the school was about our stay and how they wanted us to grow to become the next generation that would make Japan successful.

Cliché, I guess.

However, I used this opening ceremony to check faces that would be important throughout the school year. After all, it would be important for me to memorize their faces properly if I ever interact with them. This was a real world after all, and not anime or manga. Although they weren't big, there were stark differences between each character's animated faces and their real ones. It would be unprecedented if I cannot recognize other students when I meet them in the future.

Behind the school principal who was still making a speech, I could see the student council in the back. Right at the center was Horikita Manabu. His eyes were dashing around, probably to familiarize himself with the new Year 1s. After all, it was his duty as a Student Council President to know everyone in the school. Around him was a strong and powerful aura. As a student who had competed in the harsh environment that was Central Tokyo, I could recognize that type of aura from any students that had the dedication and talent to achieve something. I knew that he would not be an easy foe to come by if we were ever in a dispute.

That was the main difference between Ayanokoji and me. I was a talented student, there was no doubt about that. Even among the top students in Japan, I had bested most of them to solidify my place in the top percentage academically. Not only that but I was also on my middle school track team and constantly worked out to not lose my physique. To get into a top university, you needed something that could back your academical feats, which is why I chose a sporting field that I was proficient at from a young age.

However, Ayanokoji was a different beast. He was a martial art master, defeating trained adults from a young age. He had also broken the national record for various sporting fields, from track to swimming. He had also completed the high school curriculum from a young age and was already mastering different academical fields within higher education. While this was all impressive, if his skillset were only limited up until here, I would understand.

Mental strategizing. Psychological thinking. Emotional manipulation. These are things that he possessed that I had nearly none of. If you think about it, most of the student body should not have this either. With the exception of this particular school, most high schools in Japan focus on sending their students to universities. Most universities only grade students based on their academical and physical skills. As a result, these things are almost unnecessary throughout your high school years.

This was the reason why right now, the students who I wanted to avoid the most were Ryūen and Sakayanagi. Although I was sure I could beat Ryūen academically and maybe even physically, there was almost no chance of me winning when we get into a strategizing battle. If he targets me... I shuddered, thinking about what could happen. I would need to think of counter strategies fast before he swallows me.

It was the same for Sakayanagi. She had a dominance over me in both academics and strategizing. While I knew she wouldn't target my class in particular, at least for now since we were Class D, the moment she starts to realize we are threats, it will be over for me.

There was one thing I possessed that gave me an edge over them though: future information. I had read the COTE novel series to its entirety, and as a result, I knew all the information about the special exams that would occur in the future. Therefore, I could plan things out even earlier than them, provided that the content of the exams do not change. While my memory wasn't perfect and I could not remember every single event with point blank accuracy, I did remember enough.