I Reincarnated As Yamauchi in COTE

As I was processing the content of the notice, someone called out to me from behind.

"Yamauchi Haruki senpa."

I turned around to witness a girl, a little shorter than me, withlong blonde hair.

She must be a first year, considering the fact that I have seen her face somewhere before.

"Yes? ", I responded, unsure of how to react.

" Good morning, senpai. Myself Rika Hoshino from class 1B."

She paused for a moment to continue with a firm voice.

"If it's alright, would you like to pair up with me for this special exam?"

It took me a while to understand what she said.

I mean, why would a first year want to pair up with a second year having D in academic ability.

Here, I am assuming that she has already seen my grades in the OAA app as she knows my name.

Unless you have a hidden motive, you wouldn't normally want to do that.

Moreover, she said she is from class 1 B, which means she must be academically good, at the very least.

It feels like a trap, but the fact that it's too obvious is scary in and of itself.

I mean, anyone in my situation would suspect something fishy going on after hearing such a deal.

Is that why Sakayanagi gave that piece of info to me?

Even if that's the case, I still can't figure out what's the connection with me.

So, what should I do?

As the first year girl who introduced herself as Rika Hoshino, was waiting for my reply, I started listing out my probable answers and the risk factors involved.

The most obvious option is to refuse, because this deal is really suspicious.

But, if I refuse her here and now, I would be losing a chance to discover what exactly is going on.

Then, should I accept?

That would be too risky, because once the partners are decided, they can't revert it unless and until one of them falls really sick or gets expelled.

Putting her on hold seems to be a viable option too.

I glanced at her figure of calm composure, yet a subtle sense of unsettling eeriness noticeable.

Her gesture and body language suggested as if she already knew my answer.

Hence, I decided to go with the most natural option.

Counter questioning.

"Rika Hoshino from class 1B. So, you want to pair up with me?", I asked as if to confirm.

" Yes, if that's okay with you.", she replied without hesitation.

"I don't think I need to ask, but you are aware of the OAA application and it's grading system, right? "

"Of course.", she answered, no change in her tone of voice whatsoever.

" Then, have you checked my profile in that app?", I asked as a final confirmation.

".....

She paused briefly, her eyes unwavering, as she continued.

" Yes, I have.", she repliedreplied, her tone composed. "I am fully aware of your academic grades, senpai."

"If that's the case, then shouldn't you explain your reason for offering to partner up with me? "

I asked the most basic questions that would come to one's mind being offered like this.

Her personality seemed a bit unpredictable, but from what I could observe, there was one thing for sure.

She was here to evaluate me.

Even now, she has those prying eyes like she is analyzing my response and formulating my character.

It's true that if it was Yamauchi himself, he would have immediately agreed.

If my guess is true then, this girl is definitely related to the strange occurrings of first year.

As I was thinking along such lines, she continues her response.

"The reason why I decided to pair up with Yamauchi senpai is because..."

***

Later that day during lunch break, I went to the cafeteria and ordered a standard meal.

It was crowded like usual.

Most of the students were first and second years though.

The third years have university exams and job hunting coming up in a few months, so it's fairly understandable.

Fortunately I was able to find an empty seat at the corner.

As I was savoring the taste of the meal I had ordered, someone else took a seat opposite to me, which was empty.

"Horikita," I acknowledged, my tone neutral as I briefly glanced at her before returning to my meal.

"You don't seem surprised to see me," she replied, her voice as composed as ever.

"Why would I be? You don't do things without a reason," I said, taking another bite of my food. "So, what brings you here?"

She placed her tray on the table and sat down, folding her arms as she fixed her sharp gaze on me. "I heard an interesting rumor this morning. A first-year student approached you with an offer to pair up for the special exam. Is that true?"

I didn't bother asking how she knew. Horikita always had a way of staying informed, and in this school, news spread fast—especially when it involved something unusual.

"It's true," I admitted. "Rika Hoshino from Class 1B asked to partner with me."

Horikita's eyes narrowed slightly. "And what did you say?"

"I agreed to pair up with her. " I said, my tone calm.

"Eh? Are you sure about that?", she asked surprised by my response.

" Yes. You don't need to worry about it.", I assured her, "So, what do you need? "

"... Can't I talk to you without needing something? ", she asked in skepticism.

" I didn't mean it like that. Anyway, what's the problem? "

"Yanauchi-kun, I need your help. "

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A/N :

Comment down your thoughts please.

Next chapter - The Uncertainty.

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