Fated to Meet(COTE X Tomodachi Game)

Chapter 48: Burn her Braids

Yuuichi POV

Horikita's soup still lingered on my tongue — sharp with ginger, sharper with regret. I stared at the Sports Festival roster on my desk, the names blurring into weapons.

Hiyori Shiina – 200m sprint.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji – obstacle course.
Suzune Horikita – archery.

A knock. Two precise raps.

"It's open," I muttered without looking up.

Ayanokoji stepped in, a shadow carved from bone. His gaze flicked to the half-filled pot on my stove — remnants of a failed attempt at curry.

"You're wasting groceries," he said.

"Says the guy who bought Hiyori a ¥10,000 book last week."

His expression didn't change. "Class C's trust is worth ten times that."

I leaned back, chair creaking. "And your trust? What's that worth?"

The silence was dense. Like rot.

"Ryuuen's targeting the obstacle course," he said finally. "He's planning sabotage."

I smiled. "Perfect. Let him."

A flicker of something — irritation? concern? — crossed his face. "Hiyori's running the 200m adjacent to that zone."

"Ah." I spun a pencil between my fingers. "So it's about her now."

His gaze sharpened. "You could stop this."

"Why would I?"

He left without closing the door. Rain followed him in.

Ayanokoji POV

Hiyori's dorm smelled of paper and lavender. She knelt beside her bookshelf, arranging titles with surgical precision.

"Planning?" she asked, not looking up.

"For the festival." I hesitated. "...and other things."

She turned, holding up a chess piece—a knight. "For him?"

The him didn't need naming.

I took the knight from her fingers. Cool, heavy. Like truth. "Does it matter?"

"It does to me." She stepped closer.

Her breath was warm tea and honey. I could tell her — about Ryuuen's sabotage, Yuuichi's games, Arisu's deal. I could save her.

"Let's cook dinner," she said instead, touching my hand. "I'll teach you to cut onions."

The knife was foreign in my grip. Her fingers guided mine.

The onion made my eyes sting. Or maybe it was the lie.

Yuuichi POV

The storage shed smelled of rain and rust. My flashlight caught the glint of wire cutters, shattered hurdle bars, and lead-filled relay batons. Ryuuen's work. Child's play, really.

"Admiring my handiwork?"

Ryuuen's voice was a low growl behind me. His umbrella dripped in the doorway.

"It's crude." I kicked a sabotaged hurdle. "No artistry."

Ryuuen lunged, pinning me to the tool rack. Wrenches clattered to the floor.

"You think this is a game?" he spat.

I smiled, teeth flashing like a predator. "Isn't it?"

His fist trembled, but he didn't swing. Interesting.

"What do you want?" he finally muttered.

I reached into my pocket, unfolded a note, and pressed it into his palm. "Change the targets."

Ryuuen read it. His grin turned sharp. "You're a demon."

I tilted my head. "And you're disposable."

His grip tightened — then loosened. "I'll do it. But this isn't over."

"Nothing ever is."

As he stormed out, I texted Arisu: [Stage set. Your move.]

Horikita POV

I found Yuuichi standing alone under the shed's overhang. Rain blurred the world around him, but his smile remained sharp. Predatory.

"Who were you talking to?" I asked.

"Just making sure the competition stays... fair." He plucked an umbrella from the rack and handed it to me. "Walk me home?"

I hesitated. "...I saw Ryuuen leave. What did you—"

"Nothing important." His smile never faltered. "I'll explain later."

The lie rolled off his tongue smoother than silk. And I let him get away with it. Again.

(Yuuichi POV)

That night, I dreamt of Hiyori's braid catching fire — a bright, beautiful burn that turned her hair to ash in my hands. I woke up gasping.

And I smiled.