COTE\OC Unpolished Diamond Year 2

Volume 6: Aftermath

Nagumo Miyabi's Monologue

Am I truly good?

Or was I just an unlucky king who never had a good opponent?

Two questions and thoughts that have bothered me for years now.

I have always been the best in both academics and sports. People naturally gathered around me to take advantage of my natural success.

I didn't blame them for that. It was natural for them to desire some success and try to get some from my person.

Popularity is a gift. Even if I could read people's intentions when they approach me, I could gain something by letting them enjoy my success.

It could be seen as a win-win situation. While they got to the top by relying on me, I could obtain anything from them due to my popularity.

Being at the top of the hierarchy was probably many people's dream...to be in my shoes and have my talent.

However, no one was able to understand my own pain.

No one could think about that feeling of discomfort and boredom I had.

For them, I was probably the perfect guy with no problems...sadly no one around me had the same bored gaze in their eyes. No one seemed to notice that boredom in my soul.

When I first met that senpai Horikita Manabu, I had never felt like that.

He was the rival I always wished to have, the friend I could look face to face and not look down at him. He was the student Council President, had an excellent reputation and was a model student. He always succeeded in everything. I was truly impressed by the person he was.

However...

No matter what I was trying or saying, he couldn't see it...the boredom in me.

He wasn't acknowledging me the same way I did with him.

Worst, he preferred having an interest in that cocky kouhai, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

What did I do wrong?

That's how those thoughts started filling my mind. Maybe I was not as good as I thought and was a simple unlucky king. After all, no one could see what I was seeing...understanding that boredom...

It's what I thought until I met him...

Fukazawa Yato.

Another kouhai a year below mine. Our first encounter immediately intrigued me.

After all, his gaze and the way he was looking at me. I still remember that day when I approached him, surrounded by all those people who rely on me and my success.

He wasn't looking like those people and neither like Horikita Manabu...

I immediately felt it...he immediately read through me and understood what bothered me for all those years.

What also confirmed my doubts was that Horikita Manabu treated him the same way he did with me.

I immediately knew we were similar, and he was able to see and sense my boredom.

Finally, someone I could call a rival, a friend, appeared in my long boring life.

Horikita Manabu was someone I wished to prove myself to, and Fukazawa Yato became someone I also wanted to prove myself as well, but not for the same reason.

That's why I tried to recruit him many times to the council so that I could spend more time with him. Once again, fate ended up making him a year younger than me. That's why I wanted to use any opportunity I could.