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

SS.5 - The Greater Good (Shiina Hiyori)

I stared at the Question Paper in front of me.

"What is this....."

I looked around the class. Everyone was staring hard at the question paper, eyes wide and half of them biting their pencils.

Ryuuen-kun was staring at the paper like he wanted to eat it up.

No one knew what was going on.

Ryuuen-kun had said that we would, for sure, get either of the 2 Question Papers that he had forwarded on the class group a few days back.

But this was completely different.

This was neither the first question paper, nor was this the second question paper.

This was the question paper that Keisuke-kun had provided me with yesterday night, via personal messages.

So of course, I knew all the answers on this paper.

But why?

Why did he provide me with the answers to Class D's question paper?

He really was right.

He had told me clearly, "Study these question papers, Hiyori. Don't listen to Ryuuen." And he had forwarded me a bundle of question papers along with their answer keys.

Why did he take such a big risk?

Why did he send these question papers to me, knowing fully well that I could have showed these papers to Ryuuen-kun and the entire Class C?

And when I realized the reason, a joyous, warm feeling clasped my chest.

It's because Keisuke-kun trusts me.

He trusted me, his friend, to keep this between us, even though we're from different classes.

It was proof that he did not want us to break our friendship, even though we're from different classes, with different ideologies.

He trusted me to the degree where he was willing to show me Class D's question paper, with no strings attached.

If I hadn't studied his questions and answers last night, I wouldn't have been able to answer a few of the questions. After all, the paper was quite advanced.

But somewhere else, in another corner of my heart, I felt guilty.

I felt guilty that I did not show these question papers to Class C. This could have been the difference between victory and defeat.

Keisuke-kun purposely gave me a very hard choice to make.

Whether he wanted me to preserve our friendship, or whether he wanted me to deceive him and lead Class C to victory.

But deep down, I know I did the right thing.

He had told me that I was too 'pure' to be bossed around by fanatics like Ryuuen-kun. He wanted me to get a good grade in the Exam.

He said that it was the only thing he could do to in return for destroying Class C.

Even though I'm a part of Class C, it did not hurt me in the least.

I was so happy; happy that Keisuke-kun did something for me. After all, I don't want to betray my class.

But more than that, I don't want to betray my friends.

Keisuke-kun did not betray me. Even though he attacked Class C with full force, he did his best to keep me out of it.

And I want to do the same.

It was the right decision. And I know it.

It was the right decision to not tell Class C about this paper. Because if I did, I would lose my best friend.

I slowly smiled to myself, and proceeded to solve the question paper.

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