Classes S and E (COTE Fanfic)

Prologue (Rewrite)

Ayanokouji POV

My name is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, and to anyone else, I probably seem like a perfectly average high school student. Today, I'm on my way to my new school, Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School—or ANHS for short. It’s considered the most prestigious school in Japan, boasting a 100% employment rate and guaranteed college admission for all graduates. On paper, it sounds like an absolute paradise, but the whole "100% success rate" seems... off. There's no way all 480 students manage to achieve such perfection, right? But then again, nothing’s impossible.

I sat in the second row of the bus, immersed in The Final Problem by Arthur Conan Doyle, savoring the quiet atmosphere. The occasional hum of conversation and the rumbling engine of the bus created a peaceful background for my reading. That peace, however, didn’t last.

"Excuse me, sir, could you please give up your seat for this poor elderly lady?" a woman's voice interrupted, loud enough to catch the attention of everyone nearby.

I glanced up from my book. A woman, probably in her late 30s and dressed sharply in a business suit, was standing next to a silver-haired elderly lady, her hand resting lightly on the woman's arm. The bus was packed, and there were no available seats left, not even in the priority seating section. The blonde-haired boy sitting there, wearing the same ANHS uniform as me, didn’t seem to care at all. Judging by his posture—legs casually crossed and arms resting on his lap—he was the type who thought the world revolved around him. Arrogant, self-centered, and probably from a wealthy family. The kind of person who believes they’re untouchable.

"Now, why would I do that?" the blonde boy replied with a smirk, his tone dripping with entitlement. "There’s no reason for me to give up my seat."

As I suspected, this wouldn’t end well. I would have liked to continue reading, but the situation was quickly escalating. The woman looked like she was about to argue when, as if an angel flew down from heaven, stepped in to resolve the situation.

"Excuse me, ma’am, I’ll give up my seat," a calm voice behind me said.

I turned to see a boy with messy black hair, wearing a gentle smile as he stood up. He, too, wore the ANHS uniform. He gestured politely for the elderly lady to take his seat, a warm kindness in his expression.

"Oh, thank you so much, young man," the businesswoman sighed with relief. "It’s refreshing to see there are still young people who respect their elders."

The elderly woman gave a grateful nod before sitting down, easing herself into the seat. Meanwhile, the blonde boy didn’t even acknowledge the exchange. His cold gaze was already back on the scenery outside the window, as if nothing had happened.

As the black-haired boy returned to the back of the bus, a girl in the same uniform—her hair tied neatly in a ponytail—walked over to talk to him. Their voices drifted into the background, and I refocused my attention elsewhere.

Sitting a few seats across from me was a girl who caught my eye. Long, silky black hair framed her pale face, and her sharp, gradient red eyes were locked onto the book in her lap—Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky A classic. Her posture was poised, her expression cold and unreadable. Everything about her screamed intelligence, but there was also a harshness to her that made it hard to look away. She suddenly glanced up, meeting my gaze with a frigid glare before returning to her book. I quickly averted my eyes. Not exactly the warmest reception.

I took another brief look around the bus, mentally cataloging the faces, the subtle shifts in body language, and the whispered conversations. You can learn a lot from a person by observing them long enough. That blonde boy from earlier—his refusal to give up the seat wasn’t just arrogance. It was calculated. He wanted to make a point, though, what kind of point, I wasn’t sure yet.

After a while, the bus finally came to a stop at the school gates. I stepped off, my eyes immediately drawn to the massive entrance ahead of me—ANHS, my newfound "freedom."

As I took a few steps forward, a voice suddenly called out from behind me.

"Hey, you."

I turned to see the same girl from the bus—the one with the icy glare. She stood there, arms crossed, her unreadable eyes fixed on me. Well, that didn’t take long. I hadn’t even stepped through the gates, and someone had already approached me. Maybe I wouldn’t be a total failure at making connections after all.

"You were staring at me. Why?" she asked, her voice direct, almost accusatory. I guess my hopes of a positive social start were a bit premature.

"Sorry," I replied calmly, keeping my tone neutral. "I was just curious about what you were reading. I didn’t mean to stare."

She huffed, flipping her hair back slightly. "It’s none of your business what I’m reading, is it?"

"Fair enough," I said. "Once again, I apologize."

She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing me for a moment before nodding slightly. "Fine. Apology accepted. But next time, don’t ogle girls like that. You might get branded as a creep."

With that parting remark, she walked away, leaving me standing there. Not exactly the worst interaction, but not the best either. I’d have to be more careful next time—though she didn’t seem too offended in the end.

I resumed my walk toward the school gates. But as I stepped forward, a nagging feeling tugged at the back of my mind, like eyes were watching me. I turned slightly, scanning the crowd, but there were too many people, too many moving faces. Still, the sensation lingered, almost like a shadow following my every step.

I sighed inwardly. Hopefully, he hadn’t already sent someone to keep an eye on me. That would make things unnecessarily complicated.

Hello everyone. I haven't updated this story in months because of some personal issues and I forgot about it, but I have returned. Now, I'll be rewriting this story, adding more details and changing some stuff so all chapters already uploaded are not canon. I hope you enjoyed and please stick around. Please give any feedback or criticism to me would be appreciated.