COTE: The Game of Elites

The supermarket was bustling but not crowded, its clean, brightly lit aisles exuding the clinical precision of the school's design. Everything a student might need—or hadn't realized they needed—was arranged in pristine, colorful rows: snacks, toiletries, school supplies, and bottled drinks. The air carried a faint, artificial citrus scent, no doubt piped in to enhance the shopping experience.

Ichinose wandered ahead, her steps light but purposeful, her bright blue eyes scanning the shelves with interest. Aiden followed a step behind, his hands buried in his pockets, his gaze flickering from one display to the next with lazy curiosity.

"Look at this place," Aiden said, picking up a bottle of sparkling water and inspecting it. "Even the water bottles look fancier here. Are we supposed to feel classy while staying hydrated?"

Ichinose giggled softly, glancing over her shoulder. "I think they just want us to have options, Takahashi-kun. But you're right—it's a little overwhelming."

Aiden smirked, returning the bottle to the shelf and casually falling into step beside her. He watched as she paused in front of a section lined with neatly packaged stationery, her hand brushing over a set of pastel-colored sticky notes. She hesitated for a moment before picking one up and inspecting it.

"You've got your serious shopping face on, Ichinose-san," Aiden teased, leaning slightly to get a look at the packaging. "Careful, or you'll start a bidding war over those sticky notes."

Ichinose laughed, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes this time. "I just like things to be organized," she said lightly, setting the notes back on the shelf.

They moved through the store in companionable silence, their eyes scanning the shelves. Aiden's pace was unhurried, his sharp gaze wandering more out of habit than need. Ichinose, on the other hand, focused with quiet efficiency, occasionally picking up an item and inspecting it before placing it neatly into her basket.

Toward the end of the aisle, Aiden slowed. His gaze settled on a clearance bin near the corner of the store, his usual easy grin fading as something else—thoughtful, perhaps curious—took its place. He stopped, hands slipping into his pockets, and stood staring at it without a word.

Ichinose noticed his change in demeanor almost immediately. She stepped closer, her expression soft but curious. "What's up, Takahashi-kun?" she asked gently, tilting her head to follow his gaze.

Aiden didn't respond right away, and her attention shifted to the bin. She crouched slightly to inspect it, brushing her fingers over the label. "Free items?" she murmured, her voice laced with a hint of disbelief.

The bin held a mishmash of necessities—plain toothbrushes, soap bars, bandages—all clearly labeled "Free. Limit three items per month."

Ichinose's brows furrowed slightly, her fingers lingering on a toothbrush as she picked it up. "That's strange. Everything else in the store costs points, so why are these free?"

Aiden crouched beside her, his expression thoughtful but calm. "Maybe it's for students who ran out of points," he said, his tone lighter than the weight of the words.

Ichinose's frown deepened, her mind already piecing things together. "Ran out of points? But the school gave us 100,000 points to start with. That's enough for almost anything you'd need, right?" She glanced at him, her eyes sharp with understanding. "Unless…"

Aiden straightened slightly, nodding once. "Unless we're not getting 100,000 points every month like they said."

Ichinose's grip on the toothbrush tightened, her lips pressing together in a thin line. "That would mean the school lied to us. Or at least left something out."

Curiosity piqued, she crouched slightly and picked up one of the items. It was a plain toothbrush, still in its packaging, sitting among other daily necessities like bandages and soap. The bin was labeled clearly:

"Free. Limit three items per month."

Ichinose's brows furrowed slightly, her fingers brushing the label as she examined it. "That's… odd," she murmured, her tone thoughtful. "Why would the school give these away? Everything else here costs points."

"It may be an emergency aid for students that ran out of points", MC added thoughtfully

Ichinose's brows furrowed as she turned the toothbrush over in her hands. "Run out? But we get 100,000 points a month. That's enough to live like royalty." She hesitated, her voice dropping. "Unless… we don't actually get 100,000 points every month."

Ichinose's stomach twisted slightly as she set the toothbrush back in the bin. "So… the faculty lied to us?"

Aiden nodded toward a secluded corner of the store, away from the main flow of students. "Come on. Let's stand over there."

Ichinose followed without hesitation, her curiosity piqued. They moved to an area lined with dusty cans and obscure cooking ingredients, a place no one seemed interested in. From their vantage point, they could still see the clearance bin.

Aiden leaned against a shelf, pulling out his phone. "Here." He offered her one of his earbuds with a casual gesture.

"What's this for?" she asked, accepting the earbud but looking at him quizzically.

Instead of answering, Aiden tapped his phone's screen. A voice began to play in her ear—calm, measured, and instantly familiar.

"Chabashira-sensei?" Ichinose's voice was tinged with surprise. "You recorded her?"

Aiden's grin widened. "Relax. It's not like I bugged her office. This was during the orientation speech."

Ichinose frowned, clearly disapproving. "That's still—"

"You'll thank me in a second," Aiden interrupted smoothly. "Just listen."

The recording played clearly:

"Points will be automatically transferred on the first of each month. As of now, each of you should have received 100,000 points. By the way, each point is equivalent to one yen. Any questions?"

The recording ended, and Ichinose's eyes widened slightly. She mulled over the words for a moment before straightening.

"They never actually said we'd get 100,000 points every month," she murmured, almost to herself. "We all just… assumed it because of how it was presented."

Aiden leaned back against the shelf, his posture relaxed as he watched her connect the dots.

"I knew something felt off," Ichinose continued, her voice tinged with relief. "It's a good thing my class decided to save points from the start. We've been careful, just in case. But still…"

She turned to Aiden, her bright eyes now laced with curiosity. "How many points do you got, Takahashi-kun?"

Aiden's smirk deepened, his tone playful. "So you figured it out too, huh?"