Cote | Alternative Universe.

『Chapter 3 - Bargaining』

“We are going on a date, don’t interrupt us.”

For a brief moment, I was frozen in place, and so was everyone else, too. No one believed what they just heard, while the red eyed girl seemed like she was having her most wonderful time. I truly wanted her to stop making things worse for me, she was making it harder to make friends. I didn’t want the guys in my class to classify me as an enemy on the very first day. I released a very heavy sigh that went unnoticed by most of the students.

Eventually, we left the classroom—of course, she forced me to. I couldn’t shake off the feeling of being dragged into a situation I didn’t fully understand. The girl next to me, whose name I didn’t know yet, with her red eyes and fully white hair, seemed to revel in the chaos she left behind.

“Why did you say we’re going on a date?” I asked as we walked through the corridor.

She grinned mischievously. “Well, it’s more interesting that way, don’t you think? Adds a bit of flair to our little outing.”

I couldn’t argue with that using any kind of logic that I learned, and the intrigue surrounding her motives only deepened. Was I overthinking? Probably yes.

“What’s your name, by the way?”

She chuckled. “Seems a bit to late to ask, don’t you think so?”

“Yes. Totally. Now, the name is?” I had to admit, I should have asked that question first.

“I’m Kiryuuin Fuuka, Class 2-B.”

“Nice to meet you, Kiryuuin-senpai. I am—”

“I know who you are, and more importantly, call me Fuuka.”

Upon seeing that I wasn’t going to, she insisted further. “Say it.” I sighed internally. Surrendering to my fate, I did as she asked me.

“Alright. Are you happy now, my dear Fuuka?” I tried to imitate her a bit in order to upset her, but for some reason, though, it had the opposite effect—she smiled even more.

I couldn’t understand, why did people give such meanings to meaningless words? Maybe I will never know. But I hoped, that one day, I will know; and I will understand.

“I certainly am, my dear Kiyotaka.”

We continued walking after we exited the school building, and she led me to a part of the campus I hadn’t explored yet. It was a quiet courtyard with a fountain at its center. The sunlight filtered through the surrounding trees, creating a serene atmosphere.

“This is a nice spot, isn’t it?” Fuuka commented as she took a seat on the edge of the fountain. I observed the surroundings for a moment before joining her. There are no cameras nearby.

She leaned back, looking up at the sky. “So, Kiyotaka, what do you know about this school so far?”

“I know more than I am supposed to.” Seeing that she will be a valuable ally, I decided to stop playing around. She already had her doubts about me because I checked the order of classes and the number of expelled students on her year.

“By the way, why were you in your class? You said it yourself, didn’t you? That there were no courses today for your grade.” I was slightly curious about the reason. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find an appropriate answer using my deductions.

“Oh, that. I was waiting for someone. It wasn’t important to keep me from fellowing you, though.” I did not think that a classroom was a good place to meet someone, nor that it was a good time, too.

“I have another question. Why did you look for me in Class 1-A? You even left my class for last. You didn’t think I was a Class D student?”

“So you do know about that, too, huh?” She said, catching the meaning behind my words. “Yeah, honestly, I was slightly confused. I never thought it was possible. No, that was wrong; I never considered the possibility. You being in Class D means that no one is qualified for higher classes—even me.”