Cote: Elite in Action

An Absurdly Serious Challenge

"Ah, how relaxing..." I couldn't help but murmur as I lay back on the wooden bench in the public bath, enjoying the steam and heat that filled the room. The hot water ran over my body, soothing my tense muscles after a long day. It could have been even more pleasant if it weren't for the conversation floating in the air, breaking the tranquility. The voices echoed off the tiles, accompanied by the sound of water and showers cascading down.

"Alright, who's the leader now?!" Sudo, with his usual energetic tone, threw the question at Ayanokouji, who wasn't far from me. It seemed Ayanokouji had intentions of leaving, but clearly, they wouldn't let him escape that easily.

"I don't know..." he replied, dodging the question with his typical indifferent air.

What leader were they talking about? Well, here's the context: right now, a good number of first-year students from all classes were gathered in this bath. But what surprised me wasn't the number of students but rather the topic of conversation that had emerged: the size of their privates. Yes, you heard that right. I didn't find much sense in that discussion, but as I watched the others, it was clear that this peculiar debate was stirring insecurities and egos alike. It seemed that, somehow, these guys felt the need to compare themselves to each other to measure their worth or prove their manhood, though, honestly, I still didn't fully grasp the logic behind it.

"The leader is Kaneda!" Ike, a student from Class C, shouted from the other end of the bath.

"Huh?! Seriously? That can't be!" Sudo exclaimed, completely surprised. I couldn't blame him; considering Kaneda's appearance, it was hard to imagine him standing out in anything that wasn't strictly academic. And besides... why the hell was he still wearing glasses in a bath? So weird...

As the jokes continued, one by one, the guys started comparing themselves, choosing the "leader" based on their... dimensions. The spectators grew more and more excited, cheering and commenting as if it were a serious competition. Even Katsuragi, known for his reserved and formal nature, ended up joining the group. Although he clearly did so due to peer pressure, it was curious to see how these guys, who normally competed in the classroom, were now uniting in this strange but seemingly important "test of manhood." It was as if, for a moment, they set aside their animosity and rivalries to forge collective empathy.

Humans really are strange.

"No way... No one beats him!" Sudo dropped to his knees, defeated, with a mix of disbelief and awe on his face. Apparently, he had been bested by Albert, the silent and hulking guy from Class D, famous for being Ryuuen's right-hand man. Albert, with his imposing physique and foreign origin—perhaps African—was a contender many considered difficult to surpass. In the past, Shibata had hinted that men from those regions were, let's say, "well endowed," and now that assumption seemed to be confirmed.

The bath echoed with murmurs and laughter as the other boys accepted Albert as the new undisputed leader... until someone unexpected appeared.

"Well, well... Seems like there's a very interesting competition here, right?" Koenji's voice, always full of self-confidence and extravagance, resonated throughout the bath. He walked in with the pose of a Roman emperor, his golden mane perfectly groomed and a smile radiating superiority. The atmosphere changed immediately. Everyone knew that when Koenji was around, things became... unpredictable.

"What do you say, Koenji? Want to join too?" Ike asked, half-joking but with real curiosity.

Koenji laughed, his laughter echoing in the steam of the bath like the rumble of thunder. "My dear friend, there's no need for me to join this competition, because you already know..." He paused dramatically, posing as if he were the center of attention. "...the throne is already mine by right."