COTE: Honami Ichinose's Oneshots

Don't Forget Our Promise

Author's notes: Do you want the next chapter? Give me 60 votes for this chapter and there will be a new update next week.

Timeline: Y2V7 (Post-Cultural Festival)

Ayanokouji's POV

"It seems about to rain."  I, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, muttered in an indifferent manner.

When I left Keyaki Mall, I looked up at the dark sky above. I was on my way to the dormitory after a holiday. Unfortunately, I was careless because when I came to Keyaki Mall, it was still sunny. For that reason, I hadn't brought an umbrella with me today.

What should I do in this situation? I did not want to get soaked by this rain. Should I hurry running to the dormitory?

In the worst scenario, I could just stop by a convenience store and buy an umbrella. That said, I didn't want to waste my private points on unnecessary stuff as much as possible.

Thus, I took a deep breath and ran at my full speed. It would take about 5 minutes to reach the dormitory so I would be fine even if I got soaked a little in the process. However, the sky began to rain earlier than I calculated. As a result, I had to hide behind the foliage of a tree nearby.

"Uhm... Ayanokouji-kun!?" A weak voice called out to me from behind. Apparently, there was another victim of the sudden rain beside me. That person also took shelter behind the foliage.

As I turned back to see that person, I saw a pinked-haired girl, whose clothes were wet because of the rain. 

"Ichinose, huh?" 

"What a strange coincidence, Ayanokouji-kun." It was Honami Ichinose, the leader of the former 2nd year Class C. Her class had been demoted to D after their failure in the Cultural Festival.

After that was a long awkward silence between us. The rain gradually became heavy, betraying my faint hope that it would stop soon. I glanced at Ichinose, who was looking down without saying anything. 

If she was the usual Ichinose I knew of, she would start a friendly talk to me no matter what. However, after the uninhabited island exam, the distance between us had grown significantly. She had avoided seeing me at school as much as possible.

Precisely, I couldn't answer her confession properly. I had never rejected her feelings for me. Still, now was not the right time to be in a relationship with Ichinose. This trouble was a little complicated.

Ichinose probably just wanted me to leave her alone at the moment. I quietly closed my eyes.
Darkness dominated my sight and I could only hear the sound of rain echoing, except...

*Sneeze*

I heard a cute sneeze beside me. When I looked at my left side, Ichinose was trembling slightly. Considering she got here later than I was, her clothes must have been soaked by the rain.

Her wet clothes were sticking to her, taking away her body heat. I'd like to go away as soon as possible but I didn't think I would leave her alone in that state.

''Do you feel cold? You can use this if you like.'' 

I took off the hoodie I was wearing and handed it to Ichinose. As I handed it to her, she finally looked at my face directly for the first time after months. I noticed that her beautiful blue eyes were moist. She obviously was about to cry, too weak and vulnerable.

Author's notes: Honami will get offended if you stare at her badonkers for too long.

For the first time, her class fell to Class D - the bottom class. Ichinose knew that her class would fall sooner or later, but it seemed that the girl in question was deeply shocked.

Even so, her class was not a class that could simply be beaten. In fact, unity was their strongest weapon. Even if her class fell, they could improve and climb on again.

That being said, it was just a delusional dream. If things continue like this, they won't be able to compete with other classes. Unlike her optimistic classmates, as the leader of her class, Ichinose must be aware of the reality they were facing.

What I had to do to support her? It was my role to help her, and I had done something about it. Starting with Kanzaki and Himeno, changing the mindset of classmates around her. However, I did not intervene directly with their business or Ichinose's way of leading.

Unfortunately, I needed Ichinose to keep fighting for the next 4 months.

"It's okay, Ayanokouji-kun... I'm fine." She politely refused in a low voice.

"Don't lie to me. Now take it." I spoke in a forceful voice. Ichinose's face turned pale as she was frightened by my threatening attitude.

It seemed like she didn't have the courage to respond so I ignored her refusal and wrapped my hoodie around her.

"Sorry, I must have scared you but I just remembered something urgent to do."

"Wait, Ayanokouji-kun! Your hoodie..." Ignoring Ichinose's voice behind me, I ran into the heavy rain and disappeared from her sight.

"I need your help..."

Ichinose said to herself, feeling her own helplessness and lowered her head. Don't worry, Ichinose. You were not a weak girl. You were not the type of person to give up easily.

I stopped by a convenience store nearby and bought a marker, an umbrella, and a can of hot cocoa. I could buy two umbrellas but it was too late. My shirt had been wet by the rain and there was no point in using an umbrella.

After preparing the things I needed, I quickly returned to the place Ichinose and I had been a few minutes ago.

As expected, she was still standing there alone. What was she thinking about me? Did she despise and hate me, or I was an important person who she still wouldn't forget?

I didn't care, all that mattered to me now was preventing Ichinose's collapse.

"Ayanokouji-kun...?" I approached her, making her aware of my existence by the sound of footsteps.

Because of the rain, we couldn't see each other's faces clearly. I couldn't see her crying face nor she could see my expressionless face.

But that was fine, there was no need to say anything. I put down the umbrella and the can of cocoa in front of her and left.

"Please save me..."

Her weak voice sounded like a hopeless princess seeking her prince. 

Ichinose fell to the ground.

"What're you trying to tell me?" She wondered since I abandoned her without a word.

Ichinose was miserable. As the leader, you couldn't rely on your classmates or ask them for help... There, the can of cocoa caught her eye when she picked it up.

"Don't Forget Our Promise?" 

The message was left by using the marker I bought earlier.

There was only one thing that came to her mind with those 4 letters. The promise to meet again in my room during spring break.

"Yes, I'll keep moving forward!" Ichinose stood up on her feet again. She later put up the umbrella and started walking to the dormitory.

Standing under the heavy rain, I observed her from afar...

"Ichinose... the path you choose isn't an easy one. It's fine to cry when you're painful but don't stop."

"Even if it's just a slight ray of hope, never give up on it."

"Do your best for the next 4 months and by the end of our 2nd year, I definitely will save you."