Another Like Me - Part I (CoTE x OC) ✔

Chapter 03 - Class Test

The girls had gone on ahead, chattering about Clubs and other unrelated topics, while Hirata and I trudged along behind them.

"So, Takeyama-kun, did you decide to join any clubs after all?", Hirata asked.

"Mhm. Not really. None of the clubs appealed to me."

"Oh, that's too bad I guess. I applied to the Soccer Club. The senpais seemed to be very friendly as well."

I nodded, and we slipped into a comfortable silence. Hirata continued to walk forward, gazing at seemingly nothing in front of him.

"Hey, Hirata, can I ask you for a favor?"

Hirata seemed to be momentarily stunned at the fact that I had started the conversation, but nevertheless smiled and welcomed the suggestion.

"Sure! What's bothering you, Takeyama-kun?"

"You can call me Keisuke. No need to be so formal."

"Alright then. You can call me Yosuke then", Hirata said brightly.

After a few seconds of silence, I finally spoke.

"Did you notice anything off about the Point System?"

Hirata looked at me with worried eyes. My guess was correct. Hirata was a perceptive and intelligent individual. He would have definitely caught up on some mischief that was the so-called Point System. After thinking for a few moments, Hirata spoke up.

"I have indeed. It seems very unlikely that the school would be willing to spend so much money on each student. It worries me. I don't think many of our classmates have really understood that. They seem to think that they'd get 100,000 points irrespective of what they do. It scares me, maybe it isn't like that. It seems you've noticed it too, Keisuke."

"Yes. I seem to have come to a logical conclusion though."

Hirata's eyes widened at my comment. "You mean you've successfully figured out the Point System?"

"I have a theory, but I doubt it is wrong.". With that, I began to explain the Point System that I had thought up then. It seemed Hirata was extremely confused at one point, but after some explanation, it seemed he had caught up on what I was trying to convey.

"That does seem like a good possibility, Keisuke. But may I ask how you figured out this information?", Hirata asked me.

"It was a no-brainer, really. I think there were several hints left behind my Chabashira-sensei in her opening homeroom speech. Also, my discovery of the camera hidden in the back of class also seemed to serve the purpose."

Hirata was thinking really hard. I understood it would be hard on him. This could be a major turning point in our future lives at ANHS. If Hirata, as a class mediator and leader, is unable to resolve this issue rather comfortably, I'd say he's not suitable to lead Class 1-D.

"What do you recommend, Keisuke? Shouldn't we inform the class of your suspicions and try to help everyone save their points?"

"I don't really want to stand out. You'd be the best person to relay the information to the class. I don't want any more attention on myself than I already have."

"So you're asking me to take credit for figuring out the Point System? I cannot possible do that, when I know you were the one who painstakingly figured it out."

"It's no big deal. As I said, it was a no-brainer. It didn't take me much time."

Hirata continued to stare at me for a while, then turned his head and let out an exasperated sigh.