COTE: YEAR 2 REACTION

Chapter 13: Kushida's Fate

The episode had just finished, and Kushida's life at this school was at an impasse. The radical reactions from our classmates were no understatement. Kushida leaving halfway through was probably a wise decision; otherwise, there was no telling what kind of figurative or literal strangulation she might have endured at the hands of her enraged classmates.

Right now, we from Class D are wandering around the school, trying to find her.

Why am I accompanying my classmates on this side quest, you might ask?

Well, the answer was disarmingly simple: I was bored.

This boredom had driven me to a curiosity about how this situation would resolve itself, especially regarding the direction Horikita would decide to take from here. If it were up to me, I would simply get rid of the dead weight that is Kushida Kikyo. Her presence has been a volatile element in our class, a ticking time bomb waiting to explode and cause irreparable damage.

As I walked with my classmates, my mind wandered to the potential outcomes of this event. The meagre class points that she takes with her could be recovered, albeit slowly. Two years was plenty of time to rebuild those points through consistent effort and strategic planning. However, the worst-case scenario loomed large in my thoughts: a broken and fractured class, where a comeback seemed like walking down an endless tunnel with no light in sight. The risks far outweighed the pros that Kushida could bring to the table.

Horikita, on the other hand, isn't as ruthless as me, or even some of the other class leaders. Her stubbornness and unyielding attitude were applaudable but showed a stark contrast to our approaches to problem-solving.

"Where the hell could she have gone?" Miyamoto cursed. "Hondou just messaged me saying she's not in her room. Damn it, those points we burned to get that spare room key are going to waste!"

Apparently buying a spare room key was a feature, not a bug.

Miyamoto wasn't the only one fuming. Shinohara paced back and forth, her phone perpetually glued to her ear, a string of unanswered voicemails adding to her growing anxiety.

"She's not in class either!" Maezono chimed in.

"I-I checked the rooftop as well!" Inogashira added.

"I couldn't find her in the toilets either!" Ishikura said.

Ike sighed and scuffed a pebble across the ground with his foot. "What's the point of all this anyway?"

"Kanji-kun?" Shinohara inquisitively asked.

He met her gaze with a thoughtful expression. "Look, we can't exactly corner her and demand answers. If she feels threatened, who knows what she might do with all the secrets she's hoarded..."

"I-I know that," she stammered. "But she betrayed our class! And she tried to get Horikita expelled! The least she could do is explain herself."

And Ayanokouji-kun. I gracefully filled in for her.

"I think it would be better to give her some space," he countered. "Let her cool down, and maybe then we can have a rational conversation."

"It's gonna happen either way. Might as well rip the bandaid off now."

"Maybe..." he conceded with a reluctant nod.

"Guys, take a chill pill! Bet Kikyo already resigned and ran back to her mom's basement."

"Nah, I do- wait Hashimoto-kun! Y-You're not even part of our class. What are you doing here!" Miyamoto demanded.

Hashimoto held up his hands in mock surrender. "Whoa there, no need to get your panties in a twist. Just trying to lend a helping hand, that's all. If you don't want my help, I can just leave." He shrugged nonchalantly. 'Truth be told,' he thought, a smirk playing on his lips, 'the princess over there did ask me to grab her some snacks. But this little intel-gathering mission is way too juicy to pass up. Besides, that loli's got a metabolism that could probably power a small city, despite her size. She'll hold on.'