CHANGED - Classroom of the Elite

36

Timeline: Before the Class Poll – Hoshinomiya Chie:

Chie prided herself on being able to read people.

She took notice of their ticks, habits, slightest of movements. Currently, she was conversing with Tomonari-kun and Sae-chan. The two teachers were talking about their own classes and thinking about how they would fair in the upcoming exam.

"No way... Sae-chan, you're not day-dreaming that your class might climb the ranks all the way up to class A, are you??" Chie also prided herself on being ditzy, ridiculous, and just the cheerful Sensei around.

Sae-chan always saw right through her though. "No, even I'm not that foolish." It was how they became friends (rivals) all the way back in their own first years.

"Oh, phew! If you had said yes, I might've had to call the medics! For you and for my heart attack!"

"Don't be ridiculous."

Tomonari-kun huffed. "Are you two seriously still fussing over what happened back then? How many years need to pass before you two get it toge-"

"Tomonari-kun, don't be silly now." Said man twitched under her gaze. Sae-chan always said she had an 'off' feeling in her eyes. "The amount of time that's passed has nothing to do with it."

"She's right." Sae-chan agreed, looking equally irritated by the suggestion. She looked blank-faced and her eyebrows were slightly tilted downwards. "It's completely irrelevant."

Tomonari-kun tried to disagree, but one look from herself and Sae-chan had his mouth shut tight.

It made Chie wonder exactly how he had the guts to stand up to Tsukishiro-san, but trembled and shivered like a kicked puppy when facing two mere fellow colleagues.

"I see." He eventually spoke up again. "At any rate, I'm in no place to say anything here, but don't go bringing your personal feelings into these special exams, okay?"

"Of course not. That wouldn't be fair, right, Chie?" Sae-chan gave her the side-glance that all old friends give each other, a silent convo transpiring.

"Duuuh, Sae-chan! It would be really unfair to the students."

Sae-chan narrowed her eyes at the provocation. "Just refrain from doing anything careless, Chie. That's all I'm going to say." She then immediately walked down the hall and around the corner without sparing her another glance.

Sae-chan always gave into those cigarettes too easily, after that incident.

Tomonari-kun seemed to eye her warily. "You aren't actually going to bring your personal feelings into this, are you?"

Chie held back a scoff. "Don't go lumping me in with her, Tomonari-kun. I've already long gotten over my lingering attachments to my schooling days.

But unlike me, Sae-chan hasn't changed at all. She gets too obsessed over the little things, gets too hellbent on situations that her overthinking ends up pulling the rug out from under her.

She'll never be able to move past her days as a student roaming these very halls, not as long as she fantasizes over that good-for-nothing first love of hers."

Tomonari-kun looked like he wanted to disagree but had no rebuttal for her statement.

There was silence until the other teacher eventually said:

"You've got a terrible look on your face."

Chie gasped. "Eh?? Wait, really?" She whipped out her pocket mirror, winked at her reflection, before slipping it back into her handbag. "I really don't see it. In fact, I think I look super-duper cute today! Don't you think so?"