CHANGED - Classroom of the Elite

39

Sudo suddenly ran off, hand over his nose and screaming "I'll be back in a minute!!!" like a madman who's been let out of prison for the first time in seventy-five years.

Suzune should probably confront him about the fact that she doesn't seem him that way; is she putting it off because she kind of cares about his feelings and is worried that she'll hurt them because she's gotten soft?

Maybe.

"Hey, uhm... are you Horikita-senpai, by any chance?"

Suzune felt herself freeze. She's never heard this voice before, but she doesn't need to think twice about who it is. Realizing that she had eyes on her, she turned her head around to find exactly the person she was dreading.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" She had to force her hand from reaching towards the pocketknife in her blazer.

Hirata stepped over, probably to berate her on her 'rudeness' to the kouhais, but she could really care less right now.

Because she quite literally is meeting someone who's probably looking for her dead body.

"I'm uh- I'm Yagami Takuya from class 1-B." He fiddled with his hands, a nervous edge to his smile (that wasn't even real in the first place, give her a break.)

"Horikita Suzune, class 2-D. Have you come here looking for partnership?" Suzune got right down to the point. The less behaviour ticks she shows this guy the better.

"Initially, yes. You see, my class has been struggling a little as well, but we got some help from... Ichinose-senpai, I believe her name was? She mentioned you were someone worthy of being partnered with."

Suzune really can't blame her for this, she knows, as the girl is safer not knowing about what she's just set up.

"That's dandy and all, but the question here is," She took a step closer to him, daring to stare right into his eyes. "Are you someone worthy of being partnered with?"

"Horikita-san!" Hirata finally had enough came up to her side with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Yagami-kun. I'm Hirata Yosuke, it's nice to meet you."

"Ah, no, it's totally fine! She just faced off Hosen-kun after all; I get it!" He gave a cheery smile in return. "Pleasure to meet you as well, Hirata-senpai."

Hirata nodded. "Did you say your class was struggling? Our class is having trouble finding partners as well."

Yagami nodded back. "I came up here looking for Horikita-senpai, as we have similar OAA ratings. But I don't mind partnering up with anyone close to hers, either!"

'Yeah, you aren't sly, kid.'

Hirata smiled. "That's wonderful." He and Yagami kept exchanging words of niceness, and Suzune took the opportunity to escape.

She ducked over to where Ayanokoji was leaning up against the wall. He definitely noticed that split second where her instincts went haywire. She went on her phone, clicked open her notes app, and typed something.

Ayanokoji looked over her shoulder when she nudged him out of sight. Out the corner of her eye, Suzune noticed his eyes slightly widening.

Yagami Takuya never attended my middle school.

---

Later that same day: Library meeting

"So, are we gonna be partners or not? Because I've got places to be and shit to do." Suzune mentioned, leaning into her arms on the wooden table that the two first years had prepared.