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

Chapter 20 - Deserted Island Special Test, Finale

I boarded the ship, and was greeted by the haughty sight of Rokusuke Kouenji sitting back on a chair, his skin and hair completely smooth and glistening in the morning sun.

"Good morning, handsome-existence-kun," Kouenji said. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Kouenji, you sick bastard!" Ike shouted out. "Why did you retire!?"

"Calm down, little boy Ike," Kouenji said, as he laughed. "I retired because I was merely in poor health. I was resting. I had no other choice."

It was very clear that the only reason Kouenji retired was just to get himself tanned in the sun. While the rest of the boys ganged up and started shouting at Kouenji, Horikita appeared. She had retired from the Island Exam right on the last day, if I wasn't wrong. She looked pale, and everyone immediately noticed her presence, and gathered around her.

"S-Suzune, are you alright?" Sudo asked. He had finally called the ice queen by her first name itself. 

"I'm not too bad. I can't say I'm back in full health. Retiring was a big mistake on my part."

"Don't worry about it." Horikita had not said anything to Sudo, who had called her by her first name. That was unexpected.

"Also, Sudo-kun, don't go calling me around by my first name so casually. Understand?"

Or not. All Sudo could do was nod. "By the way, how did we even come first? I don't understand at all!" Karuizawa-san stated, and everyone in class nodded along with her.

"Before that, Karuizawa-san, isn't there something that must be told to Horikita-san?" Hirata gently reminded her.

"Um, yeah, right."

Karuizawa approached Horikita, who had closed her eyes. Horikita had lectured and reprimanded her before for selfishly using up Points, but she had retired, and had cost the Class 30 whole Points. Horikita braced herself for the abuse that was coming her way.

"I-I'm sorry."

Horikita stood there, surprised, unable to comprehend the reason behind the sorry. It was blunt, but a sincere apology.

"Ibuki-san stole my underwear. Ayanokoji-kun told us everything."

"Huh?"

"Horikita-san, when you suspected Ibuki-san of being a thief, you questioned her and that's the reason she ran away right? And that's also the reason you collapsed and fell sick.... " Horikita turned to incredulously look towards both me and Ayanokoji, her gaze flickering between the two of us.

"I heard about it from Hirata-kun first..... that you discovered the identities of the Leaders from Class A and C. That's why we have so many Points.... I-I'm sorry for everything, Horikita-san," saying so, Karuizawa returned back to her group of girls.

"W-Wait a minute.... you said I found out the class Leaders.... but I had already retired," Horikita pressed her case.

"You don't have to be so humble, Horikita-san. We won because your answers were absolutely correct." The test results made sense to everyone except her, it seems.

"Wait, Ayanokoji-kun, Takeyama-kun, what did you both do.... ?" Horikita called out for me and Ayanokoji, but being the center of attention of the class now, she was swarmed by classmates from all sides, congratulating her on the victory.

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(August 7; 9:43am; Ayanokoji, Kiyotaka POV)

"May I have a word with you?"

"I'm rather tired right now, Chabashira-sensei. Maybe another time."