COTE: The Best Version of Me

Chapter 10 - Conflict of ideas / Start

Eiichiro POV

As soon as Kiyotaka left the room, the sound of the door closing was almost inaudible in the silence that hung over him. He walked as always, calm, with that impeccable posture that seemed to attract attention without any effort. He didn't even realize the impact he had on those around him. And of course, whether noticed or not, he always remained unshaken.

The room was quiet for a few seconds after he left. I guess everyone was still processing what they had just heard from the teacher.

Second Vice President?

I chuckled inwardly. Knowing his brilliant mind, he must have accepted to explore the limits of his position out of pure curiosity. Of course he knew it would be announced, and of course he left early. There was something about his manner that always attracted attention, as if he were a magnet that drew glances without even trying. That's typical.

The name "Ayanokoji Kiyotaka" came out of the school's speakers, a weight that silenced the environment for a brief second. And then the class quickly cheered up.

"Seriously? Vice President? Wow!" One of the girls sighed loudly, practically melting into her chair. Another, right next to her, was fanning her face with her notebook, as if the heat of the news was unbearable.

That was quite an overreaction, but I don't judge her.

"No surprise, right? He's perfect for the job," Satou-san said with a twinkle in her eye.

S-Satou-san... I think you're admiring him for other reasons.

I couldn't help but smile. Kiyotaka wasn't even here to see this, but I knew that if he was, he would probably just nod and respond with a polite smile, but I also knew that he would try to avoid any more crowding around him. He had this uncanny ability to completely ignore the effect he had on people.

I looked to my left, where Kushida, Mii-chan, and Inogashira were sitting, giggling excitedly among themselves. Kushida, being the social butterfly she always was, seemed to already be planning a little surprise for Kiyotaka before we started the exam. I heard her say to her friends, "This is going to be amazing, don't you think?"

It was almost impossible not to laugh at how predictable the reactions were. I'm sure Kiyotaka will just send a message to the group telling them to concentrate for tomorrow, canceling the entire celebration plan. 

But of course, not everyone was in the same celebratory spirit.

Across the room, Yamauchi was crossing his arms, his face flushed with frustration. "This is ridiculous. How did that guy get to be vice president? He doesn't even try!" His voice was loud enough for half the room to hear him, but no one else seemed to care.

Hondou, sharing the same deficient neuron, had to support his friend like a faithful squire. "Yeah, it's like... he doesn't even do anything. I bet they only gave him this because he's cute."

That's kinda gay, Hondou...

"Hondou?" Yamauchi exclaimed with an expression of disgust.

"F-Fuck, forget what I said."

"Relax man, just because you're hard doesn't mean you're gay!"

Dude, you're just getting yourself into trouble...

For some unbelievable reason, they spent a good few minutes discussing Hondou's sexuality, but it didn't take long for that topic to die down.

Miyamoto nodded in agreement as he always did, but it was obvious he was just repeating what he heard. "Yeah, he's just... I don't know, lucky, right?"