COTE | | Bound | | [Suzune x Kiyotaka]

Chapter 3 || Dealing with an insect

After the 'not a date', Suzune and I went back to the dorms hand in hand. This was quite the development for Suzune seeing as she went from truly loathing me at the beginning of our year to simply falling in love with me. It was an unexpected change however, it leads me to question one thing:

Can I change?

The me who was brought up in that dammed place in the world, who was pieced together like a puzzle to create a perfect picture, who was stripped away of a sense of feeling.

If Suzune can change from having the mentality of being superior - not that she still doesn't have it - to everyone and loathing the idea of me being a friend to her wanting to be in a relationship with me, could I not also change? Could I change my mentality? Could I just one day stop thinking of everyone as mere tools in the palm of my hand, and allow myself to have these true friends and live a comfortable life surrounded by people who genuinely view me as someone to care for?

Three years is simply not enough time. The limiting factor in my life is time. After ANHS, I will most likely be forced to return to my father as his prized possession. I needed a plan to destroy and utterly wreck him. I could just expose the White Room and all of its secrets to the world however, doing that would also put me at risk. Other government officials would want to make use of me and I am never the one being used.

I wonder... perhaps people will forget me when we leave, when I go back to the White Room. Would I just be a person who when my name is brought up people would say 'Yeah I think I had a kid named that at my school?' or just 'Who?'. Maybe my change is already beginning because... I want people to remember me.

"Kiyotaka-kun," A voice called out to me, knocking me from my trance.

"Yes, Suzu?" I responded, looking in her direction instead of the sky.

"Do you want people to know about this- us?" She asked, blushing slightly at the nickname as we walked to the dorms. Perhaps she knows that us being in a relationship can put a target on my head, after all, Ryuuen is already looking for X since he knows that Suzune is not the person behind the victory of class D in the island exam. However, for some strange reason, I wanted people to know.

"It's not something we need to hide, but we don't need to publicly announce the fact. Are you worried about me, Suzu? Are you worried that with me dating you, people will begin to narrow down who the true mastermind of class D is and Ryuuen, Sakayanagi and potentially even Ichinose will fight against me?" I looked ahead and up to the sky, slightly putting pressure on our hands intertwined, "You don't need to be worried, for I will finally make my move and come out of hiding." I announced to her, "You and I will stand at the top, you will be my Queen."

She must have interpreted the 'queen' statement wrong as she blushed a deep shade of red. She was my queen. The strongest piece of a chess board, one that could move in any direction. Though I have begun a relationship with her, my mentality remains the same, a singular day could not change my fundamentals.

| | BOUND | |

The next day arrived, Sunday, and I called someone to come over to my dorm. I prepared some small snacks and a drink as she would arrive sooner rather than later. Once I heard a knock at the door, I went and opened it, to be greeted by Kikyo Kushida.

"Hello~ Ayanokoji-kun!" She greeted happily with that displeasing façade of hers.

"Good morning, Kushida." I replied, locking the door as she entered, to which she noticed and suspiciously looked, "You can drop the act now." I said calmly, watching her face drop and the scowl that she wore that night appear again, "I know you were the traitor in the Zodiac Exam."