COTE: The Best Version of Me

Chapter 26 - Spear and Shield

                                          𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖊𝖘𝖙 𝖁𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖔𝖋 𝕸𝖊

Katsuragi POV

I realized it too late.

My eyes, almost instinctively, drifted to the polished surface of the table. The diffuse reflection of the ceiling seemed to ripple slightly, as if my own image were unstable. My hands clenched into discreet fists. Not out of anger or frustration. It was out of a tension I couldn't quite put my finger on.

What am I expecting to hear from him? 

*Thud*

The subtle sound of chairs scraping against the wooden floor broke my trance. I blinked, bringing my awareness back to the present. The orange light that had previously bathed the council room was already beginning to dim.

"We're leaving now, Katsuragi-kun." Ichinose-san's voice sounded soft and clear. I looked up. She was standing, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. Beside her, Ayanokoji-kun was finishing straightening the collar of his uniform. 

His eyes, unfathomable and calm, met mine for a fraction of a second. He seemed lost in his own thoughts as he looked at me. I suppose it's because of what he said to me earlier.

"It's up to you to decide what to do with this, Katsuragi," he murmured as the two began to walk out of the council room.

As they walked, Ichinose-san's hand found his. Their fingers intertwined with a naturalness that surprised me for a moment. The warmth and care with which they treated each other seemed unbelievable to me. Even being leaders of different classes, they didn't seem to let that bother them.

"Yes, and thank you for your advice." I nodded slightly. I made an effort to keep my voice controlled, the deep tone forcing my own internal turmoil.

I watched their backs until they disappeared down the hallway, the sound of their footsteps slowly fading until silence completely filled the room. I released the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Slowly, I reached across the table and began to gather the budget forms and reports they had left behind. I aligned the edges of the sheets of paper with almost obsessive precision. I tapped the bottom of the stack against the wood.

"I can't think that way..."

I continued organizing the papers, trying to impose order on what was within my physical reach. But, while my fingers smoothed the creases of the documents, the truth weighed heavily on my shoulders. The structure of my leadership was crumbling, tested by monsters disguised as students. 

Sakayanagi Arisu

Ryuen Kakeru

Ichinose Honami

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka

If I didn't find an answer soon, I would be swallowed by them. 

My hands clenched into discreet fists on my knees. Not out of anger or frustration. But out of a bitter realization that I had, until now, been desperately trying to ignore.

I always believed that leadership was a shield, or rather, that I was that shield. A solid defense to lead and protect Class A from the storms that this college would inevitably unleash upon us. For me, stability and unity have always been the only logical path to lasting victory.

But that female voice kept hammering away at the cracks in this shield I try to maintain.

"Passivity is the first step towards stagnation."