COTE: Pawns

sae being annoying as always

"When it doesn't benefit me, I don't care."

———

As soon as I entered the faculty office, I ignored the teacher who was already in there and began to search the room. Stupidly, Sensei hadn't rigged the whole place with audio bugs but there was the camera in the corner so I climbed on a chair and turned it to face the wall. I had previously found out that these cameras weren't audio cameras which was a larger benefit towards me than anticipated.

A few moments later, Sensei walked in, "Good to see you're here already, would you like some tea?" She asked, not minding my answer and brewing two cups regardless.

"I don't particularly mind."

There was only one reason for her to be doing this, and that was to keep me here until I finished the drink. She needed time, time to attempt to do something to me. I slid my hand into my pocket and turned on the audio bug as a precaution.

She handed me the mug of tea and I took a small sip. If you wanted to keep me here at least make good tea, this is just so bitter and disgusting.

"Is there something you need Sensei?" I asked calmly, grabbing a packet of sugar and stirring it gently into my tea.

"I've found something interesting out," She said, reaching into her bag and pulling out several papers, "Do you have any explanation for this Ayanokoji-kun?" She asked. Without looking, I could already tell what it was. It was my entrance exam papers.

"A coincidence," I replied.

"Fifties in all subjects? I don't believe at all that it was just merely a coincidence." She retaliated.

"Are you implying something Sensei? Because, if you are, you're wrong. Even I was shocked myself when I received my results." I lied.

She squinted her eyes and placed them back in her bag, "Question 3 on the maths exam had a completion rate of 95% and you got it wrong whereas question 17 had a completion rate of 4% and you used an equation that even I don't understand. Can you continue to say that it was a coincidence?" She asked me.

"I was lucky."

"Why are you here Ayanokoji?" She dropped the honorifics, implying that she's getting a little more serious now.

"Because the school accepted me," I replied.

"Is your goal to reach Class A?" Why was this her question? Was it perhaps a goal she intended to reach?

"No, I don't mind which class I'm in." She visibly flinched at my response, "Do you want to reach Class A Sensei?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "It's a benefit to my job if my class graduates from class A." I took a step closer to her,

"Is that the only reason Sensei?" I leaned closer to her, pressuring her into giving me an answer.

"Y-yes it is." She stuttered.

"If that's all, I'll be going then. This tea is pessimal and does not quite fit my taste."

"W-Wait!" She exclaimed, blocking the door in a hurry, "I want to reach class A for my own desire, that's the reason." So something must have happened in her past that makes her like this, not my problem.

"Okay, and? I don't care about matters such as these. I want to live a peaceful life at this school and nothing, I mean nothing is going to stop me."

I forcibly moved her from the door, pushing her to the floor and as I was about to walk out she said, "I'll expel you."

And now, you have fallen right into my trap.

"Without any proof of anything that I've done, you can't expel me."

"Oh but I can, I can manipulate things in my favour and portray you as the villain Ayanokoji." She said, "This will destroy your peaceful life and get you expelled. So you might as well help get to Class A."

I pulled out a little black object and showed it to her, "Do you know what this is?" I asked, calmly, "It's an audio bug. You've just admitted to things that this school surely won't allow. If I showed this to the chairman, what do you think he'd say?"

She clenched her fists and muttered, "Shit."

"Surely you'd get fired, wouldn't you?" I stood above her and looked down at her, "You're pathetic." That is what I said before I walked out of the door.

As I wandered down the hallway, I saw my seatmate walking in the direction of the faculty office, potentially asking why she was placed in class D. We all know that reason.

And that was the highlight of this day, a failed threat.

———

Who do you prefer?

Ichinose Honami

Or

Hiyori Shiina