COTE: Horikita Is My Childhood Sweetheart

Chapter 97 They look very close

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Katsuragi Kouhei observed the group closely and reached a conclusion: Ichinose Honami clearly had a liking for this boy.

He judged this by her positioning. To her left was Rin, and to her right, Chihiro, but Ichinose stood closer to Rin Matsuoka, leaning slightly in his direction instead of towards her same-sex friend.

This subconscious choice of where to stand revealed that Ichinose preferred Rin's company over Chihiro's.

With a composed expression, Kouhei nodded briefly to Rin and the others before walking away without further delay.

"Honami-chan, that boy seemed really serious," Chihiro whispered to Ichinose.

"Yes, he did. I wonder what class he's in."

"If I recall correctly, he's in Class A of the first year. I saw him among the Class A students at the podium during the entrance ceremony yesterday," Rin remarked.

"A first-year from Class A," Ichinose said thoughtfully.

Akane Tachibana glanced up from Kouhei's application. "Yes, his name is Katsuragi Kouhei, and he's definitely a first-year in Class A."

She looked at Rin with some surprise. "I didn't expect that after being called up to the podium by Chairman Sakayanagi, you would still be observant enough to notice people below."

"Well, I am pretty observant," Rin responded with a smile, and Akane nodded in agreement.

If he wasn't observant, how else could he have dealt with someone like Nagumo, who had attempted to pick a fight, only to end up with a fractured arm?

"You're here to apply to the Student Council, right? Here, fill this out," Akane said, setting Kouhei's application aside and handing two blank forms to Rin and Ichinose.

"Senior, didn't I already mention that I have no intention of joining the Student Council?" Rin replied, sounding a bit exasperated.

"But wouldn't it be great to join?" Akane asked, undeterred.

"And what exactly is so great about joining the Student Council?" Rin countered.

"Well, for one, joining means you get to help other students solve their problems," Akane replied earnestly.

"And what's in that for me?" Rin asked back.

"All the major school events are arranged by the Student Council members."

Rin looked at her, unimpressed. "Still not seeing what's in it for me."

Akane persisted, "Oh, you don't understand! Handling so many tasks and responsibilities can really hone your skills. Many students wouldn't even think about these opportunities to build real-world abilities."

"That's true," Rin said with a nod. "But maybe I should let someone else have this chance for invaluable training. I'm sure they'll be grateful when they realize I chose to let them have it."

Akane, Ichinose, and the others were all silenced by Rin's response.

Akane gritted her teeth quietly. This junior—her president's "neighbor"—was certainly a tough one to convince!

Rin's way with words could make anyone pause. No wonder he'd managed to handle someone like Nagumo, who was difficult to sway.

Though Akane misunderstood a bit; someone as stubborn as Nagumo couldn't be dealt with by words alone. Only a strong fist could truly convince him.

Ichinose Honami began carefully filling out her application form. With nothing better to do, Rin picked up a blank form himself and started skimming through it with curiosity.

At that moment, Denai arrived, and upon seeing Rin, his expression changed.

"You're actually here! Hand back that application form!" he said, sounding both shocked and annoyed. He reached out, attempting to snatch the form right out of Rin's hands.

Rin Matsuoka was quick and agile, dodging Denai's outstretched hand with a backhand move.

Tachibana Akane and Ichinose Honami were both stunned by this sudden exchange, their faces showing a mixture of confusion and surprise.

Akane quickly gathered her composure, rising to her feet and saying sternly, "Denai, what are you trying to do, attacking a freshman like this? Are you planning to violate school rules?"

The moment the phrase "violating school rules" was mentioned, Denai's discontent and resentment toward Rin instantly faded, replaced with a clear and calm look as his anger dissolved.

"I…"

Under Akane's intense gaze, Denai fumbled to explain himself, while Rin suddenly clutched his chest, beginning a dramatic performance.

"I'm shaken by this vicious senior—I think I'm having a heart attack. I'll have to go report this to the teachers and tell them about his violent behavior."

"Matsuoka, are you okay?" Ichinose Honami quickly dropped her pen, stepping forward to support Rin's arm.

At that moment, Ichinose's soft figure leaned close, her light, refreshing scent filling the air around Rin.

Looking at Ichinose's anxious expression, Rin felt a small pang of guilt.

'I wouldn't have acted if I'd known I'd scare this kind-hearted girl.'

Meanwhile, Denai looked equally rattled. He could clearly recall how this guy had once managed to extort over 1.3 million personal points through "class points" and "Nagumo's recordings." Just how much did this guy intend to extort from him now?

Akane observed Rin, who was clutching his chest, with a trace of suspicion. Why did it feel like he was… pretending?

In reality, only the pure and kind-hearted Ichinose Honami thought Rin was genuinely unwell, while Akane and the others suspected he was putting on a show.

Still clutching his chest, Rin pointed at Denai and said dimly, "Apologize, or I'll go find a teacher."

Denai's face twitched as he forced down his anger. "Fine," he muttered, "Sorry, if I spoke a bit too loudly."

"That's fine. I'm a magnanimous person and forgive you." Rin put his hand down, his expression returning to normal.

"…"

Ichinose Honami was momentarily stunned by Rin's sudden recovery, but then realization dawned. She instantly understood that Rin had just been pretending.

Her expression turned indignant, her face bright with a hint of anger. "Matsuoka-san, do you know that scaring others like that is dangerous?"

Rin gave a light cough and said, "I wasn't trying to scare anyone. I was just genuinely alarmed by this senior's fierce expression."

"Honami-chan! Honami-chan!" Shiranami Chihiro exclaimed urgently. "Your hands! Let go of his arm quickly!"

"Huh?"

Ichinose Honami looked down in surprise, only now realizing she was still holding onto Rin's arm, her soft form pressed closely against his shoulder.

Her face immediately flushed with embarrassment, and she hurriedly let go of Rin's arm, taking two steps back to create some distance.

The warmth and light fragrance that lingered around her presence vanished, and Rin felt a hint of regret.

Ichinose's blue eyes now held a shy glimmer. She lowered her head, feeling at a loss, and quietly picked up her pen to continue filling out the application form.