COTE: The Best Version of Me

Chapter 25 - The faces of leadership

                                           𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖊𝖘𝖙 𝖁𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖔𝖋 𝕸𝖊

Eiichiro POV

Unexpected. 

I can't think of anything better to describe it than... unexpected.

The sound of the door sliding closed behind Kiyotaka echoed softly through the classroom. A simple sound... but at that moment, it seemed louder than it should have been. The silence that hung over the classroom right after the door closed was unlike any other. Not the usual silence during recess, where the sound of chairs scraping and trivial conversations drowned out the monotony of classes. 

No.

It was a dense, charged silence, as if everyone there was trying to process the scene that had just happened before us. Honestly, not even I could hide the slight curiosity that was probably written all over my face. 

It was as if that small action had drawn the entire room's attention with it. I found myself observing, out of pure reflex, the almost choreographed reactions of my classmates.

So Ichinose-san took the initiative, huh?

It was funny how the atmosphere in a classroom could sometimes change in a matter of seconds. 

Just a moment before, the muffled sound of conversation, suppressed laughter, and the clink of open bento lids filled the space. But all it took was a seemingly innocent invitation for the air to become thicker, almost palpable. I couldn't help but watch it all unfold as if I were watching a carefully rehearsed show, even though I knew nothing about it had been planned.

Since when? What else happened between them that I didn't notice?

Because it wasn't just an invitation to lunch. No, it was deeper. I've seen people invite people to eat with them. But what she did... was somehow different. Almost too intimate. As if there was already something established between them. As if this was just another chapter in a story they had been writing, far from everyone's eyes.

And he accepted it like that... so comfortably... that told me more than any words. 

They started dating.

It was the inevitable conclusion. The way she smiled at him. The way their steps aligned when they left together. And the most revealing detail, it was as if this was normal for them. I felt the corners of my lips stretch a little. 

Well, if that's true... that's the biggest news this school has received recently.

Because if there was one thing no one could deny, it was the power those two carried. They were both incredibly popular in their own right, and now they seemed to be together.

Two centers of gravity that, on their own, already attracted attention. Now together...? They are not just a couple. They are a force. A symbol. A fusion of two pillars of influence, intelligence and charisma. It is the kind of union that does not go unnoticed, even by those who try to feign indifference. With them together, everything changes. Because if it was already impossible to ignore them apart... now it will be inevitable to notice every step they take.

"Hahaha..."

I found myself smiling to myself, with my chin resting on my hand. 

So Kiyotaka finally found someone he can be himself with. No... maybe someone who inspires him to be better.