Fated to Meet(COTE X Tomodachi Game)

Chapter 12: Two Genius's

All five of our group members would be sharing a room on the ship.
There are two bunk beds in the room, and one futon on the floor. Katagiri said he was fine sleeping on the floor.
I chose a bottom bunk, below Kushida. Horikita took the top bunk on the other bed, over Chiaki.

We all started to unpack in different areas, mostly silently. Horikita still seemed mad at Katigiri, and Kushida didn't seem to like the tense air.
Chiaki said she was going to check the other groups and classes, to gain more information.
I was planning on going with her, but I decided that I didn't want to leave Katagiri alone right now. He seemed to be a ticking time bomb.

Horikita finally pulled a game out of her bag and smacked it on the table in the middle of the room.
"I want us all to practice this game at night. I want everyone to practice until we know we at least have a chance of winning."
The game was shogi.

I had played it a little in the white room.
"I know how to play."
Kushida looked at the board and smiled.
"I think I can play shogi, I'm okay at it!"

Katagiri gave her a glance before looking back down to his futon.
"I can try."

Horikita glared at him.
"I want you to do more then just try. You need to learn, because this game is what's going to win us gambles."

Horikita was right in one sense, but if everything went well, Katagiri wouldn't even touch a single game for this entire exam.
Katagiri, ignored her.
—
We got another message on our phones before we were all about to leave the room. It was from the school.

For a game to take place, both groups must agree on the terms, and shake hands before the game starts.
You must gamble at least once a day, because you will need points for the next exam.

It seemed reasonable. They had forgotten to mention how a gamble would actually start.
Katagiri walked over to me as I was reading my phone.
"Do you want to eat?"

The ship had three restaurants. All three were pretty big as well.
"I'm fine with anything except the seafood one."
He nodded and we both started to head out.
It looked like Kushida and Horikita were going to follow us, but Chiaki busted through the door.

"Hu..hu..hu..."
She was out of breath.
Horikita walked over to her.
"What's wrong? Did your run here?"
Chiaki crawled over to Katagiri's futon, and laid on her back.

"I...talked to some people...and it turns out there are two genius's in Class B...and it's not Ichinose and Shiho. Apparently...they've just been hiding...kind of...trying not stand out.
I saw one of them play a practice game...a kid with red hair...and he won so easily against three people...even a class A student. I didn't get to see the other one..."

She talked between breathing.
Horikita looked surprised.
"Are they in the same group?"
Chiaki thought for a moment.
"I think they are..."

A group with two geniuses, huh?
"Where is he now?"

Chiaki took out her phone, she may have been looking at a picture.
"In the Cafe on the other side of the boat."
Kushida let out a sigh.
"So that's why your so out of breath, I though someone was chasing you."
Horikita pondered for a moment.
Katagiri ignored her, and put on his hoodie. He walked out of the room with out saying anything, and I followed.
"Are you two going to the Cafe?" Asked Horikita
I looked to Katagiri.

"We can if you want to."
—
We all sat in a corner in the Cafe. None of us bought anything because we wanted to save points.
It seemed that everyone in our group had actually saved their points though, which was surprising because everyone else in the class blew through them.

We all watched the game going on between the red haired kid, and a member of Class C.
The class c kid was struggling, and sweating profusely.
We watched as the red haired kid pulled the card that wasn't the joker, winning the game.
Chiaki's eyes widened.

"He hasn't lost a game yet. I'm good at reading people, but he's on another level..."
Horikita looked the same as Chiaki.
Kushida looked worried.

Katagiri didn't glance at the game, he scrolled on his phone.
Horikita looked over to him.
"Do you have a plan for this, commander?"
She jabbed at him, but to no effect.

He looked back at her with a glare.
"We won't be playing them once, and we won't ever have to. No need to worry."
He looked back down to his phone.
Chiaki looked over his shoulder.
"What do you mean by that?"

Katagiri looked back to the table.
The class C member slammed his cards on the table.
"I mean, Class B is playing right into our hands. This genius is no different."
He lost interest again, and peered back to his phone, ignoring Chiaki hovering over his shoulder.
Horikita looked to me.

"What does he mean by that?"
She shot me a glare so I scrunched up a bit.
"Who knows..."

I continued to watch the game that had just restarted. Horikita and Kushida continued to be in the dark.
—
In the end, we never actually talked to the kid.
We left after about an hour of being there, and he continued to beat members of Class C. The real gambling hadn't even started yet.
It seemed the other 'genius' was going to stay in the shadows for now.

In the Cafe, I thought I felt someone staring at us. But it was just a feeling, but I guess it could be someone observing, or the other genius from class b.

We all made our way back to the room.
When inside, Horikita started to set up Shogi.
Chiaki and Katagiri both got on their beds and laid down.
Kushida stood in the room torn on what to do.
I just sat at the end of Katagiri's futon.

"What are you people doing? We have to gamble tomorrow with this game. We need to practice."
She gestured for me to come over, but I sensed Katagiri had something to say.

"We won't be gambling tomorrow."
He didn't look at Horikita, he just stared at the ceiling.
"What?"
"I'm telling you no one in our group is going to gamble tomorrow."

He sat up and looked Horikita dead in the eye. But she didn't back down.
"What's stopping me from gambling, or Chiaki?"

She looked to me for support. But I looked away.
Katagiri grabbed my shoulder, and glared at Horikita.

"Horikita, if you gamble once tomorrow, I will sell you, for all your worth."
Her face changed, she now had a scared look.

I peeked over to Katagiri, and saw that his glare was no longer just scary. It was the glare of a murderer.
Chiaki just smiled on her bed, not helping Horikita.

Kushida looked like she wanted to speak, but Katagiri just sat back down to the bed.
The conversation was over.
Horikita didn't say or do anything, so I offered a hand, even though it would be worthless.

"I can try to play."
She leaned back up to the table, regaining her composure.
"O-okay."
She continued to set up the pieces, and looked over to Katagiri to see if he had an objection.
He seemed to be asleep.
—
After the game, which Horikita had won, she started to speak about Ichinose.
"I think we can set up some kind of partnership with class b. Inchinose and Shiho seem like sensible people. It may help us against class A, and in the future."
She began to rack her brain, thinking of a partnership, but Katagiri sat up in his bed.
"What, something wrong?"
He didn't look at her.
"I wouldn't set up a partnership with Ichinose or Shiho."

Horikita scrunched her eyebrows.
"Why? It makes complete sense to me, considering this exam and the future."

Katagiri chuckled a bit.

"Because at the end of this exam, they'll be so broken they might just drop out of the school for us, willingly."
—
Next chapter: Class C and Class B
A/N: