CHANGED - Classroom of the Elite

31

Suzune was walking to school that morning when Ichinose suddenly decided to tag along, bringing her bubbly attitude every step of the way.

She was going on about how she was so happy that no one got expelled and that she's nervous for the next exam and-

"I'm so much weaker than the other leaders." Ichinose said, shyly. Her face was red in shame.

"That's not true." She countered, a slight frown on her face. "If anything, you're better; you got the most praise votes out of the whole school year. Having different beliefs and ways of doing things doesn't make you weak- "

"Can you teach me?" Ichinose abruptly cut in. "Can you teach me how to be someone stronger? Teach me how to make strong plans that always work out? How am I supposed to protect my classmates if I can't even think straight?"

Suzune was quiet for a moment. She didn't exactly know how to respond to this, even less when it was coming from the one person who was set on friendship above all else.

"I'm not the best person to be asking for guidance." Suzune eventually decided on. "If anything, you'd be better off watching videos online for confidence building and problem-solving skills."

Ichinose slowly blinked before turning away, looking to the floor with an unreadable look on her face.

(Suzune instinctively gripped her bag tighter when seeing that look. For someone like Ichinose to have that face... unease built up in her stomach.)

Before anything else could be said, Suzune heard a distant yell of 'Suzuneee!!'. When she turned around, Kei tripped over her own feet and was headed straight for the concrete floor.

Quickly, Suzune caught her in her arms. There was complete silence for all of three seconds before Kei's face was aflame with red and Suzune was pushed off.

"Did you have to catch me like that?..." She heard Kei mutter under her breath. Though she didn't have time to ponder on it when Kei suddenly clutched her arm, a smile on her face. "I haven't seen you all too much lately, dude. Where've you been?"

"I was trying to scope out Sakayanagi's plan for the last exam, if you're so curious." She quipped back.

"Is that right?"

"Yep. What were you doing?"

"Oh, well," Kei twirled a finger in her hair, looking away. "Y'know, I was in Kushida's group for the exam, the one with half the class. Yamauchi really went ham on trying to berate Kiyo-" Kei stopped herself when her eyes darted to the third person with them. "-Ayanokoji-kun."

"I'll bet." Suzune then turned to Ichinose, who was awkwardly listening in on there banter. "How'd your class fair through the week before the exam? Any traitors?"

Ichinose's eyes went wide. "Horikita-san! How can you ask that out of the blue like it's normal?" She was referring to the traitor part, probably.

"Well, our class just ditched one, so..." Suzune said, looking over to Kei, who nodded along.

"... right." Ichinose replied, eyeing the two of them sceptically before continuing. "Let's see... Kanzaki-kun did look a little hesitant when I suggested that we save everyone."

"And why do you think that is?" Suzune asked.

"Well, to be honest... I think he's starting to find my way of thinking a hinderance."

Suzune blinked in realization. Things made a lot more sense now. "If you're only going to change your thinking for other people then stop right now."

Ichinose turned to her with huge eyes. "Huh?"