COTE: The Best Version of Me

SS Horikita Suzune - Innocuous

(A/N: This SS is more like a complement to some things that were left out. She was a secondary character until now because she wasn't someone important until this point. Since she will receive a bigger spotlight in this arc, I will introduce her better into the story.

I have ideas for bringing more SS like this in the future as part of the main chapters. Now that the special exams and class competitions are starting, I'll have to work on each character's roles better. In addition to the SS, there will be a Bonus chapter soon that will be much more silly content.

The first major arc will start next chapter with my first special exam and the tests. I'll try to take things slowly and not spill too much information at once. Feel free to give me your feedback as you follow along, I read them all).

The morning breeze hit my face as I walked through the school's main entrance. An imposing building, worthy of the reputation for excellence that precedes it. I expected nothing less. The annoyingly irrelevant conversations on the bus finally gave way to an atmosphere charged with expectations and promises for me. The sounds of distant conversations were now drowned out by the seriousness of the moment. I wasn't here to make friends. I wasn't here to play games. I had a definite goal.

I'm finally here, Nii-san.

I was starting my first day at the school that was supposed to forge the elite of the future. For me, however, it was just another step towards reaching what had always been promised to me: the top.

My steps were measured and steady as I walked through the wide, clean hallways, my expression impassive. The anticipation surrounding each student seemed almost palpable in the air, but to me, it was all just formality. I knew where I belonged. I knew I stood above the rest. Most of the students I had seen so far had been nothing but uncertain looks and carefree smiles. Weak. Vulnerable. It was clear from the start what these students were and were not capable of. I had come this far, and I had no intention of stopping.

All this... all this path... I will finally reach him. I will finally follow in the footsteps of the person I have admired the most in my entire life. Just being in the same environment as him gives me enough strength to achieve superiority. I always wanted to be on his level, to walk in the same shadows he cast.

As soon as I arrived at the gym, I walked in and found my seat without any hesitation. The welcoming ceremony was about to begin, and although most of the students here were focused on the stage in front of them, a considerable portion weren't even paying attention, as if they didn't understand the importance of us being there. The murmur of the other students around me bothered me. Every step I took seemed to be interrupted by laughter, lively conversations, expectations uncommitted to the true seriousness that this school would demand. My eyes narrowed. A slight sigh escaped my lips, almost imperceptible, as I adjusted my posture.

What a waste of space.

If only half of these people understood the true meaning of being here...

I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair, watching the stage.

Then, something unexpected happened. A student walked up to the podium, drawing everyone's attention. It was a young man who had been standing next to the other people on the podium just watching us. He had brown hair and wore the same uniform as most of the boys. To be honest, he had what could be called a very handsome appearance and an astonishing presence. The murmurs died down as he walked to the center of the stage with a calm and composed demeanor.

Who is he? 

Even in front of a hundred and fifty people, he always seemed composed and never lost his composure. Calm, with his shoulders relaxed, as if the weight of the environment around him simply didn't affect him.