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

Chapter 46 - Backroom Deal

Just as I had expected, the results came back the very next day, and so did the pairings for the upcoming Midterm test.

And it was evidently clear that my hypothesis was correct.

All the bottom-ranked students had been paired up along with the top honor students.

Yukimura, Horikita, Mii-chan, Hirata, Kouenji and I had scored a brilliant 100 in the short test. Kiyotaka had scored 76. It was still much higher than I had anticipated he would score, but it wasn't enough to be paired up with someone who would end up needing help.

I had been paired alongside Inogashira Kokoro.

Well, that much was expected. I would have had to be paired with one of the students who had scored a zero. Ike had been paired with Yukimura, Sudo had been paired with Horikita, and Yamauchi had been paired along with Mii-chan.

Kiyotaka had been paired with Maya Sato.

Interesting.

It reminded me of how Sato-san had been talking to Kiyotaka the last time I saw them.

I made a mental note to tease him the next time we met.

"Umm, T-Takeyama-kun, we've been p-paired together," Inogashira-san approached me meekly. "Let's do o-our best!"

I smiled at the confident girl. Even though Inogashira-san was not the brightest student in class, I had grown fond of her because she was always trying her hardest.

"Yes, Inogashira-san. I'll be relying on you."

"Y-y-yes!" she managed to stutter back, before she stumbled back to her desk.

Horikita approached me after the results had been declared.

"It seems you were right. It really is based on creating the most balanced pairs."

"When have I ever been wrong?"

Horikita looked at me like I was the most disgusting entity to roam the planet, but then changed her expression, and sighed.

"Even though I want to plainly refute your statement, you have evidence and claims to back it up," she replied. "So should we start off with the study groups? There's much to be done."

"Can you take charge of that? I'm kinda lazy right now."

"You're the most incorrigible person I've ever met," she muttered under her breath, and she left to talk to Yosuke about the study groups.

"Ne ne, Kei-chan, you were paired along with Kokoro-chan right?"

I turned my face to look at Chiaki Matsushita, who was staring daggers at my direction. I gulped.

"Who's Kokoro-chan?"

"What!? Kokoro-chan! Kokoro Inogashira!"

"Oh, so her first name is Kokoro, huh....."

"You're really mean, you know that? You're supposed to know everyone's name in the class, at least," she puffed out her chest.

Nevertheless, I could see a hint of a smirk form across her face.

Girls are scary.

________________________________________________________________________________

I walked over to the designated meeting spot.

"This is such a secluded area....."

I glanced at my mobile phone once again. The sender specifically had asked me to meet them behind the Special Building. Not even inside the building, behind the building.