COTE: The Game of Elites

The mall buzzed with energy, a blend of chatter, laughter, and the hum of air-conditioning. Bright storefronts lined the hallways, each vying for attention with colorful displays and tempting scents wafting from food stalls. Aiden Takahashi and Ichinose Honami strolled through the lively space, the faint glow of sunlight streaming through the skylights above them.

"Okay, serious question," Aiden said, gesturing dramatically toward a nearby bubble tea stand. "How do people pick between all those flavors? Taro, matcha, brown sugar—there's too much power in one menu."

Ichinose laughed, her light, melodic voice blending with the mall's background noise. "It's not that hard, Takahashi-kun. You just pick the one that speaks to you."

"'Speaks to you,' huh?" Aiden echoed, tapping his chin as if pondering life's great mysteries. He glanced at Ichinose with a playful grin. "What does your bubble tea voice sound like? Something sweet and angelic, I bet. 'Oh, Ichinose-chan, pick me~!'"

Ichinose covered her mouth as she giggled, her cheeks faintly pink. "Don't be ridiculous. It's not like the tea actually talks to me."

"Sure, sure," Aiden teased, his grin widening. "Next time, I'll catch you having a heartfelt conversation with a cup of taro milk tea. 'No, taro-kun, you're the only one for me!'"

Ichinose tried to stifle her laughter but couldn't hold it in, shaking her head at his antics. "You're so ridiculous, Takahashi-kun."

"Ridiculously charming," Aiden quipped, winking.

As they approached the supermarket entrance, a sudden crash and raised voices shattered the lighthearted moment. Aiden's grin faltered slightly, his sharp eyes narrowing as he turned toward the commotion.

Near the store's entrance, Aiden spotted Sudou—my classmate and self-proclaimed bouncer—standing face-to-face with three older boys. He had his fists clenched, his entire posture radiating aggression. A toppled noodle cup lay at his feet, its broth and noodles splattered like a casualty of war.

"'First-year punk,' huh? You tryin' to make fun of me, huh?!"

Sudo's temper was a loaded gun with a hair-trigger. If I had to bet, he seemed like the type to threaten anyone—or anything—that crossed him, Aiden mused

"You're awfully mouthy, considering we're second-year students. We already put our bags here, see?"

Plop. The second-years dropped their bags onto the ground with exaggerated flair, their smug laughter grating on my nerves.

"See, our stuff's here. Now, beat it," one of them said. "You got a lot of guts, asshole."

Sudou didn't move. He looked ready to explode, completely unfazed by the numbers disadvantage. Fists were going to fly any second now.

"Huh?" Aiden muttered, realizing Ichinose had already started moving toward the group. Her expression was a mix of determination and concern, and without thinking, I found myself following her.

"Oh, wow, scary. What class are you in? Wait, never mind. I think I know. You're in Class D, aren't you?"

The mention of Class D made my eyes narrow, though I kept my posture casual.

"Yeah, so what?" Sudou snapped.

The upperclassmen students exchanged glances and burst into laughter. "You hear that? He's in Class D! I knew it! It was a dead giveaway!" "Huh? What's that supposed to mean? Hey!"

Dead Giveaway? What about Sudou screams 'Class D'? Is it the uniform? His temper? Or maybe there's something else at play here—something these guys know that we don't.

As Sudou barked at them, the boys grinned and stepped backwards.

"Aw, you poor things. Since you're 'defective,' we'll let you off the hook, just for today. Let's get going, guys."

Defective? The word grated against me, and Aiden's thoughts raced.

Just because our class points are low, they think they can label us defective? Are they so full of themselves, or is there a reason behind this? Normally, class performance varies, right? Even in middle school, we saw different levels of achievement in sports festivals and exams. So, why this blanket judgment? Maybe class points here work like social status. The top classes look down on the middle ones, and the middle ones look down on the bottom. But does the school encourage this behavior?

"Hey, don't run away! Hey!" Sudou shouted.

"Yeah, yeah, keep on yapping. You guys'll be in hell soon enough anyway."

Be in hell?, Aiden thought

The words hung in the air, cool and deliberate, their impact sharp as a dagger. The way they said it—calm, composed, as if it were a matter of fact—sent an unexpected ripple of unease through me.

Hell? What the hell does that even mean? My mind churned, piecing through their words and demeanor. Was it a threat? A warning? Or something else entirely?

Before Aiden could dive deeper into my thoughts, he noticed Sudou's fists trembling at his sides, his temper barely contained. This was about to spiral fast.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I called out, my voice cutting through the tension like a knife through butter. "Did I stumble into a reality TV drama? What's this episode called—'Battle of the Noodle Cups'?"

All heads turned toward me. The second-years stiffened, their smug grins fading into wary confusion. Even Sudou blinked, caught off guard by my sudden arrival.

"Who's this guy?" one of the second-years muttered, his tone unsure.

Aiden tilted his head, feigning offense. "What? No recognition? That hurts. I thought my legend had already spread across campus."

The tension between Sudou and the second-years shifted slightly, their focus now divided. Ichinose seized the opportunity, stepping forward with a calm but firm demeanor.

"We really don't need to fight," she said gently, her voice carrying a soothing quality. "This is a public area. Why don't we all take a step back and talk it out?"

"Talk it out?" one of the second-years scoffed, though his tone was less confident. "There's nothing to talk about. Class D knows its place."

 "What's all this about Class D? Sounds spicy. Care to share?" Aiden asked, his eyes flashing with amusement

The second-years exchanged glances, their confidence faltering under Aiden's relentless charm.

"What's it to you?" one of them asked, though his voice lacked the earlier bravado.

"Well, I'm a first-year too," Aiden said, his tone light and conversational. "And you've got me curious. Are you saying Class D gets some kind of VIP treatment? Free noodle cups for life, maybe? Because if that's the case, sign me up."

The playful jab drew a few chuckles from the bystanders who had gathered to watch the scene unfold. Aiden's easygoing demeanor was infectious, and even the second-years seemed to relax slightly, their tension easing.

"VIP treatment? Hah!" one of them snorted. "Class D's the dumping ground. You'll see soon enough."

Aiden raised an eyebrow, his grin turning conspiratorial. "Dumping ground, huh? Sounds like a story there. Come on, spill. I promise I won't tell anyone—except maybe my therapist."

Ichinose, standing nearby, hid a small smile behind her hand. Aiden's effortless charm and humor were disarming even her, and she wasn't even the target.

"Oh, come on," Aiden said, his tone playful but insistent. "You've got us hooked now. At least give us a spoiler. Is it something exciting? Dangerous? Do we need to stock up on popcorn?"

Ichinose added her voice, her tone gentle but curious. "It really would help if you told us. We're new here, and we'd appreciate any advice."

The second-years exchanged uneasy glances. One of them scratched his neck, clearly debating whether to say more.

"Let's just go," the tallest of the group muttered, turning away. "They'll figure it out soon enough."

"Aw, don't be like that," Aiden called after them, his voice dripping with mock disappointment. "Leaving us on a cliffhanger? That's just cruel."

As the upperclassmen disappeared around the corner, Sudou spun on Aiden, his frustration bubbling over like an over-shaken soda.

"What the hell was that, Takahashi? I didn't need your help! I could've handled them myself!"

Aiden raised his hands in mock surrender, his grin as unflappable as ever. "Whoa, easy there, Hulk. I wasn't helping you—I was saving them. Do you know how much their medical bills would've cost after you 'playfully' flattened them?"

He tapped his own shoulder with exaggerated delicacy, wincing theatrically. "I still remember the last time you gave me one of those 'friendly' back pats. I'm pretty sure my chiropractor is now planning an early retirement thanks to you. Or at least a yacht."

Ichinose couldn't help but stifle a giggle at Aiden's antics, though she quickly masked it with a polite cough.

Sudou's glare wavered as his scowl deepened. "You're not funny, Takahashi."

"Oh, come on, Sudou. Don't be like that," Aiden replied, his tone playfully cajoling. "I even left you the moral high ground. You looked tough, they backed down—it's a win for everyone. Plus, your noodles survived. That's gotta count for something."

Sudou huffed, crossing his arms and muttering, "I didn't need the help…" But the tension in his posture had eased slightly, his clenched fists now resting at his sides.

Ichinose stepped forward, her voice calm and gentle. "Sudou-kun, Takahashi-kun's right. Things could've gotten out of hand. It's better this way, don't you think?"

Sudou glanced at her, his expression softening just a fraction under her earnest gaze. After a moment, he let out a grudging sigh. "Fine. Whatever. But next time, I don't need anyone stepping in, okay?"

Aiden clapped him on the back—lightly this time—and grinned. "Next time, I'll just bring popcorn and cheer you on from the sidelines. Deal?"

Sudou rolled his eyes but didn't argue further.

Ichinose turned to Aiden with a small smile. "You're good at this, Takahashi-kun."

Aiden tilted his head, his grin turning mischievous. "What can I say? I have a gift for calming people down. Or riling them up. Depends on the day."

Ichinose laughed softly, her earlier worry melting away. "Well, either way, I'm glad you stepped in."

"Anything for you, angel," Aiden quipped, winking playfully. The teasing earned a faint blush from Ichinose, who quickly turned her gaze away, a small smile tugging at her lips.

The moment broke as Sudou stomped past them, his hands shoved into his pockets. He didn't bother to glance back at the mess he'd left behind, let alone clean it up.

"Honestly…" Ichinose's voice drew his attention back. She had crouched down beside the mess, pulling a few tissues from her bag. Without hesitation, she began to clean up the spillage, her delicate movements steady and precise.

Seriously? Spilled ramen? Aiden thought, groaning internally. We're not exactly curing cancer here. Still… can't let her do it alone.

Reluctantly, Aiden crouched beside her, picking up soggy noodles with an exaggerated grimace. "I'm too good for this," he muttered under his breath, careful not to let her hear.

As his hands moved mechanically, he noticed a third set of hands join in. His sharp eyes flicked up instinctively.

What the—?

There he was. The guy with the perpetual "I don't give a fuck" vibe: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. His deadpan face stared blankly at the mess, his motions calm and precise as he picked up the remnants of Sudou's tantrum.

"Ayanokouji-kun?" Aiden said, tilting his head slightly, his voice carrying a faint note of incredulity.

"Takahashi-kun," Ayanokouji replied, his voice as flat as ever.

Ichinose looked up, brushing a strand of strawberry-blonde hair from her face. "Hello, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm Honami Ichinose, from Class B. Are you in Takahashi-kun's class? Class D?"

"Yes," he replied simply, without elaboration.

Aiden raised an eyebrow. A conversationalist, as always.

They crouched in silence for a moment, the absurdity of the situation creeping into Aiden's mind. Are we seriously doing this? Having a meet-and-greet over spilled ramen?

The second-years' earlier taunts replayed in his head. The way their demeanor shifted the moment they realized Sudou was from Class D… it grated on him. He couldn't put his finger on why, but it gnawed at the edges of his thoughts, tugging insistently.

Ichinose broke the silence. "There. That's the last of it." She stood and brushed her hands off, smiling warmly at the two boys.

"Thanks, Ayanokouji-kun," she said sincerely. "That was kind of you to help."

"Not a problem," Ayanokouji replied, his tone completely devoid of emotion. He walked away without another word, leaving the two staring after him.

Aiden rose to his feet, slipping his hands into his pockets. He tipped his cap slightly, a wry grin playing on his lips. "Well, that was… enlightening."

Ichinose turned to him, her head tilting in mild confusion.

"Anyway," Aiden said, clapping his hands together. "Let's get back to our grand expedition. To the supermarket, for snacks and glory!"

Ichinose chuckled, falling into step beside him.

After a moment, she glanced at him, her lips quirking in amusement. "You know, Takahashi-kun, you keep switching what you call me. Angel. Ichinose-san. Honami-san. How do you even keep track?"

Aiden grinned, his eyes gleaming with playful mischief. "Simple. I don't."

Ichinose rolled her eyes, but her laughter bubbled up, light and genuine. The two continued toward the store, their earlier concerns momentarily set aside.