COTE | | Bound | | [Suzune x Kiyotaka]

Chapter 10 || The Colour Red

(TBH I kinda don't wanna go down the path of special exams and stuff so I'll just skip the majority of the special exams and only highlight the important parts- FOCUSING ON ROMANCE!!!

Also - I'm actually tweaking. I can't find a SINGLE ayanokita book I HAVENT read. Pls give me good suggestions to read 🙏🙏🙏)

It was the final event for the sports festival, class D, thanks to me dealing with the traitor, was doing quite well as a whole. Unfortunately, Suzune tripped and fell (quite embarrassingly) and caused her to remain unable to participate in the relay race - hence why I was now the anchor of our team.

"Hello Manabu-Senpai." I greeted looking at him across the many people that were lined up, the majority looking at us in a questionable way.

"Hello, Kiyotaka." He said back. People had started running and our teammates were arriving shortly.

"Do you want to have a race?" I asked whilst stretching my limbs.

"And what would be the outcome?"

"Let's say... if you win, I'll do any one thing you want me to do, but if I win..." I paused briefly, almost creating more tension than there needed to be, "I become the Student Council's second vice president." I said. This would be one surefire way to gain influence across the whole school.

"I accept these terms, Kiyotaka." His teammate handed him the baton, confused as to why he wasn't running.

"Uh- Horikita-san?"

"You did well, you may rest." His gaze remained onto me as my teammate was nearing. Murmurs were drifting through the audience as he remained still.

"I warn you now Manabu. Run as fast as you can." I gave him a warning and as soon as I got handed the baton, I ran.

I had not run like this in time and it was truly a moment of freedom that I felt whilst running. A rush of adrenaline ran through me as I sprinted, matching is pace, in the last 20m, I ran faster than I did beforehand, Manabu falling shortly behind. I noticed that the person in front of me was about to fall so I moved to a different lane, running without looking back but the movement caused Manabu to catch up to me.

"Run Kiyo!" A voice called out to me. A voice that I recognised so well; so dearly. I had thought she would cheer for Manabu, but it seems I was wrong. With one final push - my legs moved even faster.

"The winner! Class 1-D!" After I hit the finish line, I collapsed onto the floor. I hadn't felt like this in a long time. It wasn't because of tiredness, it was because for the first time - I genuinely felt free. Like a bird soaring through an open sky.

A hand reached out to me and it belonged to Horikita Manabu. I grabbed it and he lifted me up, "Welcome to the Student Council, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka."

The whole school was in an uproar. The other classes in the upper years did not know who Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was. They did not know me. They did not think that anyone other than Nagumo Miyabi had the abilities to match the Student Council President let alone beat him.

"Ayanokoji Kiyotaka." I forgot about her for a split second. A grave mistake on my behalf.

"How do you do Suzune," I turned around to see her walking towards me with something in her hand... it was glinting in the sunlight meaning it could only be one thing.

The compass.

"I would prefer it if you did not injure me with my mortal enemy, Suzune." She sighed.