Another Like Me - Part II (CoTE x OC) || 𝕆ℕ ℍ𝕀𝔸𝕋𝕌𝕊

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟛𝟡 - ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥

Word Count : 1750 words

[ 16th May, Monday || Ayanokoji Kiyotaka POV ]

Horikita has been distant lately.

I decided not to poke my nose much into it. It's not worth my time anyways. She's like an open book - so easy to read. It's clear what's been bothering her, but she acts like it doesn't get to her.

"Ayanokoji-kun."

"Hmm?"

"Who are you partnering up with for the Partner Exam?"

"I wouldn't know," I replied. "I've got nothing going for me here. I don't have the grades to attract someone with a high academic ability."

"That's true. You're on the losing side here," Horikita replied, as though she was expecting my poor answer. "You would be better off trying to rope in someone above your calibre. But given your social standing, even that will be difficult."

Everything that Horikita was uttering was like venom on my skin. I wonder what's got her in such a mood.

"I'll try something," I said. "Maybe someone will be dumb enough to accept my invitation."

"That's your hope," Horikita said distastefully. "Or we could, as a class, try and collaborate with one of the junior classes so that the academically weaker students can pair up with the stronger ones. It'll help everyone."

"I don't think any class will be willing to do that."

"You seem to believe that an awful lot."

"Your statement wouldn't have had a problem if there were just four classes in play," I pointed out. "With the Special Class in the mix now, the dynamics change."

Horikita narrowed her eyes. "How so?"

"Everyone will try and pair up with students in the Special Class right?" I said. "In the end, everyone wants to do well. The Class Points reward is too low for classes to consider it over individual Private Points."

Horikita stared at me for a few seconds, before she turned to face the front of the class again. "I still think it is possible. Not everyone in Class C is smart. There are people like Ryuuen-kun and Manabe-san."

"The first years don't know that, do they?" I said, and Horikita flinched. "They think everyone in Class C is very smart. They wouldn't hesitate to send an invite as soon as they see that they're from the Special Class."

"But the OAA will clearly highlight everyone's academic ability," Horikita interjected. "Everyone's grades are basically for display. The First Years can judge that well, Ayanokoji-kun."

"That will not change anything," I said. "It is true that the OAA now makes it difficult to bluff about your abilities. But it doesn't change the fact that there are 7 students who are in a different class than everyone else. These 7 students are like the cream of the crop. It doesn't matter what the OAA says after a certain point. You can expect even the likes of Ryuuen and Manabe to get more than a few invites because of this sole reason."

Horikita was lost for words as she silently heard me speak. She nodded absentmindedly, and turned ahead with a distant thousand-yard stare.

"Your observations, logic...... they're so eerily similar to Takeyama-kun's," Horikita replied after a short pause. "It's like the two of you operate on the same wavelength."

"That's a foolish thought," I replied. "Takeyama and I are not alike in the slightest. There's a large social gap between the two of us that I cannot hope to bridge."