Classroom of the Elite:SS Collection

Ichinose Honami SS

"Ah."

I stumbled and before I could fall Ayanokoji-kun's powerful yet gentle arms caught me.

"So-sorry! Ah, heheh? Why? My feet... They aren't obeying me..."

The moment I finally reached him, all the energy left my body. The exhaustion that had built up till now washed me over all at once.

I panicked.

His warmth was seeping through my heart. I wanted to escape his touch but my knees were trembling. Of course, they were. I had been running and running desperately to find him.

At that time because of my strong desire, I must have forgotten about all the pain and stress but when I finally found him the feeling of relief made me realize it.

I  tried but I couldn't even stand up.

"What's going on, Ichinose?"

That was when I remembered why I had tried to find him desperately in the first place.

"I-I have something I have to tell you, no matter what, Ayanokoji-kun!"

Slightly raising my head to look at him, I spoke.

"Something you have to tell me?"

"I had been troubled. I have always been troubled..........to protect my friends.........my classmates............"

He probably wasn't understanding what I was getting at.

"I, my watch broke, so I wanted to go back to the starting area to change it... And then, Acting Director Tsukishiro, and Shiba-sensei, those two, they were there...!

I was still gasping for air. 

I put all I could on my next words so he could hear them loud and clear.

"If you're safe on the last day, Ayanokouji-kun, you'll be called to area I2 and be buried!"

He looked as if he was thinking through this.

Even after hearing something as 'buried' he didn't panic. I think one of the reasons why I love him is because of this calm and composed nature of his. He is a really dependable man.

"Tsukishiro threatened you that if you told about this to me he would expel your classmates, didn't he?"

I was taken aback for a moment hearing how accurately he had guessed what Acting Director Tsukishiro had said.

I was surprised but I nodded. There was no way I could lie.

"If I told you this.......Acting Director Tsukishiro would make my classmates drop out. I know that. But, but .............. I can't just leave you be, Ayanokoji-kun!"

I knew that he would expel my classmates if I told him about what I had heard. But there was no way I could sit back and watch him get hurt. If he ever got expelled then what about the promise that was made back then in his room?

"You shouldn't have done this and instead chosen to protect your friends. I am your enemy, Ichinose."

That word, that obvious word, made my heart clench. 

Yes, we were from different classes and he was supposed to be an enemy but I have never thought of him as an enemy.

I strongly shook my head at his argument.

"It is not true! It can never be true! Ayanokoji-kun, Ayanokoji-kun..........IS NOT MY ENEMY!"

Saying that I clenched his shirt.