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

Chapter 49 - Study Groups

Ever since the results had been announced, several study groups had been formed by the class, with the top honor students leading most of them.

And with me being an honor student, I had to lead a study group as well, which currently consisted of Maya Sato, Chiaki Matsushita, Kei Karuizawa and Ruri Ichihashi. I moved off Inogashira-san to Hirata's group, because she had most of her closer friends there. Even the environment in which you study makes a huge difference to your grades.

Also, Kiyotaka wanted me to take over Karuizawa-san and her partner Ichihashi-san's studying, because he doesn't want her to somehow get expelled because of this exam.

Which also made me his relentless source of teasing.

I've been trying to get under his skin for forever now, but he doesn't even budge. I eventually started getting annoyed myself. It's fun to tease someone only if they look like they're not liking it. Kiyotaka doesn't even have a reaction. I've been shipping him with Karuizawa-san and Sato-san for like forever now, and he remains as stoic as those Russian voodoo dolls.

Also, it was a bit strange how hard Chiaki struggled with me to be put into my study group. For some reason, Kei Karuizawa had been against me this whole time, and had been supporting Chiaki in her endeavor to join my group. I eventually had to let the 2 of them in, but I still don't know what got over them.

Kiyotaka had been put into the study group consisting of Yukimura, Hasebe and Miyake. Ike had initially been a part of the group, since he was paired with Yukimura, but he backed out at the end because he 'didn't like the group'.

Now I don't know what that's supposed to mean. Miyake and Yukimura are pretty peaceful people, and Hasebe-san had been voted to have the biggest assets in class. I have no idea why someone like Ike would give up this opportunity, but he sauntered over to Kushida's group instead.

Get a load of this simp.

Either way, it didn't really matter. As long as Ike and Yamauchi were at least studying, I didn't really care which group they went to. Moreover, they'd actually more likely be studying with Kushida if not anyone else in the class. It was a win-win situation.

I didn't worry about Sudo anymore, because Horikita was the one who was taking care of him. As long as Horikita was around, I believe Sudo would continue to improve upon his weak points and try as hard as possible. Apparently love does that to you.

I don't know what that feels like.

"Yo Kei-chan, what are you zoning out for?"

I felt a light tap on my head, and I turned to see Chiaki and Ichihashi staring at me curiously.

"Maybe you shouldn't call me 'Kei-chan' here," I said in a bored voice.

"Huh!? Why!?" The way Chiaki responded would be comparable to how horror movie protagonists continue to move into the haunted house, and then are surprised when they actually find the ghost.

"No, I meant that Karuizawa-san's first name is Kei as well," I cleared the misunderstanding. "It would become confusing."

"Oh, that's right!" Karuizawa woke up from her slumber. "I completely forgot!" 

"Oh..... oh. Right," Chiaki said uncertainly, like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Now that everyone's here, can we start?" I asked. Everyone nodded vigorously, and I pulled out a bunch of textbooks from my bag, and everyone else did the same as well.

Sato-san was sitting to my right, while Chiaki was sitting to my left. We were on a round table, and Karuizawa and Ichihashi were opposite to me.

I felt a slight nudge from my right, and I looked over at Sato-san.