COTE: A Man On A Mission || Love is War?

”What are you doing with students in my class?” That was Chabashira Sae, who put her body straight between Hachiman and her best friend/worst enemy Chie.

We can see that Ms. Hoshinomiya’s expression was barely perceptible as she looked up at the sky, as if she was being wronged and wanted to roll her eyes, but she could do nothing about it.

However, she finally put on a smiling face again.

It was surprising that such a complex expression could be completed in such a short time, even Hachiman was a little surprised.

Before, Ichinose told him that teacher in her class was a little silly at times, but very gentle and everyone liked her.

The only drawback is that she loves drinking.

It looks like a big, silly and cute kangaroo.

When Hachiman saw Chie when he entered school, he actually gave an evaluation in his mind, thinking she might be what Ichinose would look like when she grew up.

But after later observations, she felt that was what Kushida-chan would look like in the future.

’Now, her expression is indeed that of Kushida....Isn’t unpretentious attitude of Chabashira-Sensei, who is so protective of her belongings, always saying what’s on her mind exactly like Horikita Suzune?’

’They do this without considering the atmosphere or whether doing so will hurt other person’s feelings first. Sometimes I felt a little sorry for Kushida being treated like that by Horikita, and now, I also felt pity for this Hoshinomiya-sensei Although both were all very dissatisfied with Horikita and Chabashira-sensei, I am not surprised as to why it turned out like this....’

”Sae-chan is really too much!” Hoshinomiya Chie directly touched her eyes with one hand, as if she was about to cry, ”I just happened to see Hikigaya-kun walking alone and thought he was lonely, so I came over to talk to him. After all.....”

She suddenly emphasized, ”He is a student that Sae-chan values very much, isn’t he? He single-handedly brought class up from D and even successfully broke the school record. It makes people want him very much.......!”

This woman is poisonous.

Almost instantly, Hachiman and Chabashira became alert, ”The class was able to advance thanks to efforts of all students in Class D. It’s not just my credit!”

”~Hehe--” But Chie had already started pretending to smile foolishly, It seems that she is not prepared to continue her topic.

Hachiman noticed that she was always looking at Chabashira Sensei’s face, that is, she was paying attention to her expression.

’Chabashira-sensei’s expression was serious and alert. In other words... is that so? She was deliberately testing her. Ordinary class competition can no longer attract her attention. If she is unhappy with my teacher...who got demoted from Class A, and no longer interested. So, she couldn’t feel happy even after being promoted to Class A.....Then change to a point that can make Chabashira-Sensei feel bad. For example...what if an important student of her was taken away?.......’

That night, As expected, Hachiman received the message from Ichinose.

It seemed that Chie asked her about her opinion on class battle.

Of course, she also pointed out that 20 million points cannot only exempt from expulsion, but also allow one to be promoted to a higher class, so it might not be a bad idea to try to poach outstanding students from other classes.....

Obviously, this is no longer a hint but an explicit statement.

’........Hello, hello, hello. Is this what Kushida will look like when she grows up, are you so cruel?’

This made Kushida-chan, who was venting her emotions to Hikigaya-kun today, feel very upset.

Because he looked at her several times today. It made her wonder if there was something wrong with her.

xxxxxxx

In this way.

Although because of final exams, all students started to work hard.

”You are so leisurely!”

Since he had no need to participate in his class’s must-win event, Hachiman continued his normal student life as usual.

Attend classes as normal, and occasionally go to the library to borrow books.

Today, Ichinose came to help with the cleaning, so he had to leave the dormitory in order not to get in way.　　

’As a result, I went out to the library and saw Shiina Hiyori who couldn’t reach the book because she was not tall enough for umpteenth time....why don’t you just use the chair? It’s right fucking there!’

This wasn’t a chance encounter; it was that he would come to read sometimes, and she was always nearby.

If you want to contact each other, just go here.

After getting to know her, Hachiman discovered that Hiyori loved reading more than he had imagined.

She often carried a big schoolbag, but it did not contain textbooks, but various borrowed from the library.

[A Tale of Two Cities]

[The Count of Monte Cristo]]

[Resurrection]

After taking a quick look at her schoolbag today, Hachiman lost interest.

It’s just that even though decisive battle in Command Tower is about to begin, she is still reading these books so leisurely, which shows she is at ease.

As for Hiyori, she is not good at hiding things, and her behavior shows that Ryuen is more at ease, and can smell his victory.

Although Hiyori looks gentle, her expressiveness is much stronger than Horikita Suzune.

But she is a real bookworm.

On weekends, she will be here at six in the morning and go back at 9 p.m.

She has already read two books today and must be mentally exhausted.

Then let her divert her attention a little and relax.

”So, who is the traitor that Ryuen found now?” Hikigaya-kun asked suddenly.

”...An insider?” Hiyori put down the book Anna Karenina that she was reading.

Then she looked at him with clear eyes.

She knew that Hachiman was smart, but she also knew that Ryuen had not told her complete details.

”First of all, Commander of your class this time is not Ryuen, who won first place in vote and was exempted from expulsion once, but Kaneda.....Next, everyone can see that Ishizaki, Ibuki, Nishino and Komiya from your class are following students of Class A. Even though you didn’t do anything bad....”

”Hikigaya-kun, can you please stop talking?” Hiyori looked at him with her beautiful eyes.

”No, I feel pretty energised today. Among 10 projects submitted by your class, only one was a written test, and the rest were mostly sports skills....This is not a desperate move. You have to know there are many athletes in Class A. For example, Shibata and Kanzaki Ryuji. But you guys still did it, so I am sure that you have infiltrated Class A with your own pawns....You used spies to make all the contestants absent. This is in line with Ryuen’s way of doing stuff.”

”...” Hiyori closed her eyes. This is not acknowledged, but it can be said to be the default state, already knew boy was poison.

’Having Ibuki and others follow Class A in a high-profile manner would make Class A think, you are up to some despicable tricks, and then would be extremely wary of students in enemy class, while their vigilance against traitors in ownhone would drop to almost zero. This would make it easy for the traitors to act.....Put laxatives in contestants’ food or water to make them miss the contest. This way Class D can win without fighting. Even if students in Class A who were infected are still holding on, how can they compare with healthy students when they are in poor health? This will be a big victory for Ryuen. Therefore, all previous deployments were to make Ichinose and the others focus on them and eventually ignore the fact about a traitor in class....’

”...Why do you think we will make a move in this exam? You know, my class’s evaluation score is 0, so even if we lose, don’t have anything left to deduct, but admitting defeat can make Class A’s position more stable, who should also pay this part of the points. Then my class will gain a lot of money again. So, Hikigaya-kun, don’t you think it’s more cost-effective for my class to admit defeat?” To be honest, at this moment Hiyori actually wanted to hit this boy’s head, for making her life always so difficult!

”Probably not,” But Hachiman shook his head, that made Shiina Hiyori to pout her cheeks even big, and going green, she even had ideas to recommend dark one-sided unloved romance stories to him again, ”Because this semester is about to end, and once it’s over, next step is for new students to enter school. If your goal is just to deprive Ichinose’s class of points, then I will accept it. But if your ambition is to rob the freshmen, it is very different.....If your class evaluation score is 0, which is totally unconvincing to first-year students....But if plan is successful, you can get more than 200 points, and even living expenses of students in the class will also be guaranteed. At the same time, it can also boost morale of class, especially your head teacher, whose mentality is probably very explosive!”

”Hehe--” Hiyori smiled cutely, but it quickly turned very disgusted, because even she herself is participating in exams to get benefits not like a certain one, whose opinions Ryuen didn’t care enough to listen.

In fact, this is also problem that Ryuen is struggling with. ’Should I continue selling class points to Ichinose, or take action? The final choice was Damn everything, I will slit your throats. Let people go wild.....Selling points to Ichinose only gives me 200 points, which I can also get by taking power myself.....’

So why not move yourself?

”Hikigaya-kun, do you want something?” Hiyori’s smile was not cute any longer, in fact her petite fingers were twitching, and wanted to scratch his face.

”I want you to tell me name of this traitor,” Hachiman came straight to his point, as to why he visited her place.

If you want to make money, then go to Ryuen’s class, and if you like peace, then go to Ichinose’s class.

.....But now there is a teacher named Hoshinomiya Chie, Hachiman’s interest in Ichinose’s class has decreased a little.

A new situation has emerged.

How could a traitor appear in a class like Ichinose’s, which is full of saintly people and is willing to spend 20 million points to protect their classmates?

This is surprising.

”...Ryuen-kun asked him to meet on the second floor of library at 4:30. He will probably come,” Hiyori couldn’t hide it any longer, because Ryuen has already said that if 20 million is collected, Hikigaya can be bought.

Like Ryuen, she doesn’t want to be an enemy of Hachiman. So began the brisk sellout.

”...”

’Does it mean he’s a male? I thought the spy inIchinose’s class was a girl, but it seems I was wrong.....’

xxxxxxx

Half past four.

Hachiman checked his watch. ’Isn’t it almost time?.....’

He pretended to leave the library after borrowing books, and then he happened to meet a boy.

”Hikigaya--” was greeted by the other party first.

Hachiman was most likely prepared to just meet a new random face whom he didn’t even notice before.

”• •”

....Kanzaki Ryuji.

From Class A, Grade 1.

He is Ichinose’s Staff officer who takes out her daily trash, and handles all the low-wages secretary work of typing notes.

It seems that Ryuen’s psychological skills have also improved. At the same time, Hachiman probably knows why the other party became a traitor.

It seems that he is not the only one who wants Ichinose’s class to go dark by end of the seme----

”I don’t know you, and you don’t know me....We have never seen each other, isn’t that right, Kanzaki?”

”• ? •” Kanzaki-kun was lost now.

xxxxxxx

Time came to 27th.

The Commander’s exam officially begins.

One day before exam, commanding officer of each class submitted five projects, totaling ten projects.

And today, seven items randomly selected by computer are being played on big screen in school.

”It’s almost time for commanding officers of each class to gather in the multimedia classroom.” On day of the exam, Chabashira Sae said as she stood at the podium.

As if to be fair, school began using computers to randomly select events at 8 o’clock, and it took an hour to prepare for each competition venue, so students were ordered to stay in the classroom and wait.

Now Commander needs to be present.

This means that Hachiman has to leave classroom first.

Chabashira, his teacher, did not go to multimedia classroom, so now there are Mr. Mashima from Class B, Sakagami who got demoted and used to living in Class D, and Ms. Hoshinomiya, who is quite agitated in the multimedia classroom.

These were teachers, and as for the Commander, Hachiman only saw Ichinose.

”Ya-ho!” She waved hello over here.

”It seems Sakayanagi hasn’t arrived yet.....” Hachiman didn’t greet her back, like he should have.

”.....” Ichinose who got ignored, and feeling already a little bad regarding exam results.

”Sorry, I seem to have slept a little late.....” Just as he said this, small and slender figure of Arisu Sakayanagi with a cane appeared at door of the multimedia classroom.

Judging from her stiff state, she looked like she had just woken up.

”...”

Obviously, it was related to final exam of first grade and whether her class could return to A as a perfect ending, but she was still as relaxed as if she had just woken up.

That’s quite a bit of room.

Even Hikigaya-kun has to admire this kind of mentality.

”....” Ichinose who is under a lot of pressure from everybody.

”Because it’s a little colder than usual today, I just couldn’t get up....Owah!”

Cute Snore! Snore!

Hachiman also noticed that Sakayanagi had a dark red scarf around her neck today.

He was very familiar with this style of scarf. ’I didn’t expect Sakayanagi to choose this one too, now it seems that not only Horikita likes this style, but item is also very popular.....’

Hikigaya-kun thought back to when he went out with Kushida last week and was criticized by her for being too straight-minded and that he needed to change his attitude towards people.

’For example, if you are on a date, even if you have been waiting for a while, you should not say ”why are you so slow, I have been waiting for a long time”, but you should use the gentlemanly statement, ”I just arrived too.” So when dealing with Sakayanagi’s situation, isn’t it already time to learn from it?’

”I just woke up too.” Hachiman also responded politely.

’You are kidding me!’ × 2

However, at this time, head teacher of Class D, who came over with a chair, happened to hear these words, so he immediately complained in his heart.

”....Yeah, I couldn’t sleep at night.”

”Well, there are also people like Ichinose-san....fufu!”

xxxxxx

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