COTE: Mysterious Siblings(DISCONTINUED)

Volume 3: Mentality Can Break

Wanted to post this yesterday but I had a checkup, so I couldn't finish the final few conversations and paragraphs.

Ayanokouji POV

It was around midday on day two. The leader had already retaken the spot and left the area to go claim new ones.

Of course, they had an entourage consisting of the Toma siblings, Matsushita and a few others. I ,on the other hand, was walking to the watering hole Toma-kun mentioned, alongside Horikita.

"You seem to be trying to follow my advice yesterday afternoon." I commented.

"We don't have much info on the others, so there is no reason for me to panic just yet. Once we get the necessary information, that's when I'll start thinking of a strategy." Horikita replied.

One would think she was doing fine, however, I've noticed that her body language has somewhat changed. She's been walking at a slightly slower pace, so slight that a normal person wouldn't be able to notice.

Then there was the fact that she's been holding up her arm. There was also the fact that I didn't see her at all when the announcement came yesterday to check out the "significant scenery". All these led me to the conclusion that she was sick in some way.

As for the Toma siblings, the only one that has changed was Toma Hisoka. He, for some reason, looks more anxious and tired than ever before. The way he was talking to me about the other classes was that of planning for an aggressive attack, which, from my perspective, isn't like him. It might regard his little sister in some way or other, but no matter what he was thinking, it had to be bad.

However, a defective trait can be fixed to turn that into something superior.

"Unrelated question, Horikita. What do you think of the Toma siblings?"

"What about them? They annoy me and I dislike them, they dislike me as well. What's to say other than that?"

Yeah that's what I thought she'd say. I guess she won't be able to help me with this. I'd have to face this problem alone.

It didn't take as long to arrive at the watering hole. In the forest near it, we could already hear the lively chatter of the Class B students.

"They look to be doing great." I commented.

"As expected of Class B." Horikita said.

While we were taking in their camp, someone called us out. When I looked, I saw that it was Ichinose approaching us.

"Hey guys! Did Toma-kun tell you about our camp?" She asked.

"Yes, we came to check things out, that's all." Horikita replied.

"Oh, on the topic of Toma-kun, how is he doing?"

"He's doing just fine from what I've seen. Is there a problem?"

"When I talked to him yesterday, he seemed tired, like really tired. I couldn't understand how he was that exhausted during the first day of the exam."

"How exactly did he look?" I inquired.

"Well his shoulders were slumped, he kept rubbing his eyes, and he wanted to have a splash of water on his face. I was pretty concerned about why he looked so exhausted."

"What? He was fine when he showed himself last night." Horikita said.

"Then he must've done something along the way. He left here still slumped and stuff."

Something that would make him look fine. His meditation came up in my mind. When Horikita got him mad, later that day he was meditating in his room. Though it would help with his conscious, it would only do so much for his body language. That is, if he didn't practice appearances for a long time.