Ayanokouji transfers from class - beginning of the third year - COTE

An Unexpected Event

Part One: An Unexpected Event

Speaker: Horikita Suzune

After the long yet somewhat short spring break, the day of the opening ceremony finally arrived. We moved from our familiar old classroom in the second year to a new class for the third year. At a glance, the desks and chairs seemed the same, but for some reason, the room felt different. The first thing waiting for us when we arrived in this new classroom was a message "displayed" on the blackboard.
[Please sit in the same seat you used last year and wait for further instructions.]

The students who arrived before me showed signs of joy and happiness, which was expected; we are now third-year students in Class A. We have clawed our way up from the bottom to the top over the past two years. I headed to the spot where I sat last year and sat down according to the instructions.

Later, the opening ceremony would take place in the gymnasium. After that, the homeroom teachers would spend the next couple of hours or so updating us on this year's schedule and other important details before our class later in the morning.

It seemed that the students were still a little distant since the spring break had just ended. Friends who had not seen each other during the break began to talk excitedly about all kinds of things, like what they had been doing over the holidays.

I was slowly flipping through some pages when I overheard a conversation next to me.

"It seems that Kei won't be coming today."

"What? Is she sick?"

"I don’t know; I tried calling her yesterday, but she didn’t answer her phone."

As my classmate, Maya Sato, was talking with Shinohara, the bell rang.

"Everyone is here, right?"

Our teacher, Chabashira-sensei, walked into the classroom just seconds after the bell rang. As the morning class began, she took her place behind the teaching podium with a very pale look on her face.

Her eyes were wide open while her lips trembled slightly. Her features were pale, and signs of worry were clear on her forehead, as if she bore the heavy burden of bad news she didn’t know how to deal with.

"Sensei, is there a special exam?"

Aiki asked the question before Chabashira-sensei had the chance to open her mouth. From his appearance, he likely spoke out of anxiety rather than as a joke. Chabashira-sensei understood this too, so she didn’t reprimand him for speaking candidly. In the past, every time a new special exam reared its head, most of our classmates felt consumed by worry and excitement. But now, special exams had become more like hurdles we had to overcome on our way to the top.

The mindset of the class began to change to face the future.

"I understand that you’re worried, but there is something you all need to know before I answer that."

Silence reigned in the classroom as if time had stopped. The only sounds were our quickening breaths and the quiet rustle of papers. Everyone exchanged expectant glances, a feeling of anxiety and fear filling the air. It was as if the space between us had grown heavier, laden with the anticipation of the heavy news that would break this eerie silence.

"I would like to inform you that the student Ayanokouji Kiyotaka has transferred to Class D."

"Huh!!"

I was startled by the unexpected words. Silence fell again, and my eyes slowly moved toward Ayanokouji’s seat, which was empty. I felt an immediate tightening in my face as I tried to process this information; chaos ensued in the classroom. Whispers rose to murmurs, and questions and astonishment echoed among the students. Some gasped audibly, while others exchanged stunned looks.

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka paid 20 million special points and transferred to Class D," Chabashira-sensei repeated the sentence. The teacher's tone was a mix of seriousness and calmness, but she couldn’t hide the weight in her voice. Her words were clear and direct, carrying a sense of responsibility and sorrow at the same time. She tried to maintain her composure and dignity.