Cote | Alternative Universe.

『Chapter 5 - A Shocking Discovery』

After completing my purchase with Chabashira-sensei, I went back to my seat.

"Just in case you didn't realize, it's best if you didn't let a single word reach the ears of outsiders. I hope you understand that much." And with that, I sat down. I was arguably the most hated person here.

My classmates were extremely quiet for the rest of the period, unlike their behaviors the day before. Of course, that didn't mean I did not receive any weird glances. That calmness of theirs lasted only for a couple of hours, and it quickly made its way into whispers about me. Though it was barely classified as one to begin with.

'Can you believe him?'

'He really thinks he is right.'

'Dude, he was looking down on us.'

Yeah, I heard everything.

With no cameras around, I quickly sent a message to a certain someone to notify them that I had won the duel. While it was true that I could do what I wanted in class, Kiryuuin could not. That's why her message was just after the end of class, simultaneously with the following announcement.

"At five PM Japan Standard Time today, we will be holding a student club fair in Gymnasium No. 1. Students interested in joining a club, please gather in Gymnasium No. 1. I repeat, at—" A girl with a sweet voice continued the announcement. The student council should be responsible for such events, which made it logical to conclude that the voice owner was probably Tachibana. When that thought crossed my mind, I secretly observed the Horikita of Class D. Although she didn't show it, I knew right then that Manabu was indeed a relative of hers.

Just when I wondered if I should go check or not, I received a text message asking me if we could go together. 'Club activities, huh?'

It went without saying, but I'd never joined a club before. I still did not understand the meaning behind such things. It was more effective to do things on your own, at least to a certain extent. Even though I plan to use Tea Ceremony as an excuse soon enough, I couldn't really comprehend the reason behind existence of such club. That's why I was a bit curious about it.

While my classmates were discussing their plans, I quickly sent a message back.

'Sorry, but I can't go with you.'

It instantly showed "read," however, Kiryuuin didn't send anything back. I guess she expected that somewhat. She probably figured that I could not risk hanging out with her in public—at least, not this early. Ultimately, I still lacked information about the other classes, and it was not the time for the school to know about me yet.

"Hey, are you girls interested?" My neighbor, Ichika Nakano, said to her sisters. It seemed like they preferred being called by their first names to avoid unnecessary confusions.

Even though I tried to ignore them, they were not exactly quiet. Most of the class already showed interest in their conversation. "I was thinking maybe we can check the Track and Field club. I want to see what kind of tools they have!" Exclaimed Yotsuba. She was very energetic when compared to the rest of her sisters, even though they were supposed to be quintuplets.

"Hmm... Sure, I don't mind. But we must eat after that. I am hungry," said Itsuki.

"Is food all you think about?"

"Hey, that wasn't very nice! Just so you know, I do think about other stuff, too!"

"Really? Like What?"

"Like....Ahh, like...." While she was struggling to name a few, the one who asked, Miko, had a winning smile. Even I had to admit that it was cute. As a result, they received a few laughs, most of them were from the girls. Uninterested in their game, I started picking up my bag to leave the classroom.