COTE: Horikita Is My Childhood Sweetheart

Chapter 169: We are a perfect match!

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She, Horikita Suzune, might be Rin's childhood friend, but she, Karuizawa Kei, was a gift from heaven!

She would win!

Karuizawa took the bag containing Rin's swimming trunks and towel from his hand and hugged his arm affectionately.

With a sweet smile on her face, she said, "Come on, Rin, I'll treat you to a honey lemon drink."

"Alright," Rin replied.

The two of them left together and bought two bottles of honey lemon drink from the self-service beverage vending machine on campus.

Afterward, they walked to a nearby pavilion and sat down on a bench.

Karuizawa boldly sat close to Rin. From this proximity, Rin could catch the faint, elegant fragrance she exuded, mingled with the fresh scent of water vapor lingering on her after her bath.

Breathing in the delicate scent of the girl beside him, sipping the sweet drink in his hand, and feeling the gentle breeze, Rin couldn't help but let out a satisfied sigh.

Karuizawa , sipping her honey lemon drink, tilted her head slightly to look at Rin. Noticing the relaxed expression on his face, she hesitated before speaking shyly yet expectantly.

"Rin, I've noticed that you really like drinks with honey in them. My hair color is the same as honey."

Rin turned to look at her. Her soft, honey-colored hair glimmered in the sunlight, radiating warmth and sweetness.

"So, Kei, what are you trying to say?" he asked.

"What I'm saying is that since Rin likes honey, and my hair is the color of honey, it means we're destined to be together!" Karuizawa said with blushing cheeks, her tone serious despite her playful nonsense.

Rin, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, reached out and gently pinched her smooth cheek. "Are you about to tell me next that we're such a perfect match, destined for each other, and that you want to be my girlfriend?"

"Yes!" Karuizawa nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling with hope and excitement.

"You wish," Rin said teasingly.

"Woo..." Karuizawa let out a disappointed whimper and lightly bumped her head against Rin's arm.

The bump was so gentle it felt more like a nudge, as if she was worried about hurting him.

Resting her head on Rin's arm, Karuizawa closed her eyes, inhaling the comforting scent of the boy she liked. Her heart filled with a sense of peace and warmth.

"I won't give up..." she whispered softly, her voice barely audible.

But Rin heard her clearly. Smiling faintly, he reached out and gently ruffled her soft, honey-colored hair.

The truth was, Rin liked honey drinks because they were rich in sugar. But being with Karuizawa gave him a similar sense of sweetness.

So why didn't he accept her confession and make her his girlfriend?

It was because Rin knew himself too well—he was a playboy. Even if he had a girlfriend, he wouldn't be able to keep a proper distance from other girls.

So, for now, he decided to keep things as they were.

If Karuizawa eventually realized his philandering nature and still chose to stay by his side...

Then, whatever happened, happened.

With only two minutes left before class started, Rin and Karuizawa, who was still clinging to his arm, returned to the D-Class classroom.

Rin glanced at the seats of Ike and Yamauchi. Both seats were empty. They'd probably skipped swimming class and gone back to the dormitory to play games or sleep.

"Tsk, I can't count on them to help maintain class points. I need to find a way to earn more personal points," Rin muttered to himself, clicking his tongue in irritation.

He felt strongly that in order to make students like Ike and Yamauchi follow the rules, Chabashira had to reveal the existence of class points.

As long as the students knew that their personal points were directly tied to class points, they'd be more likely to discipline themselves and stop breaking the rules.

Unless, of course, they didn't care about losing all personal points and were content eating the school's free but terrible vegetable meal.

When class began, Rin discovered that the situation in Class D was worse than he had expected.

Ike and Yamauchi weren't the only ones who had skipped class.

Ken Sudo, the rowdy "gorilla" who sat in the back row, and Hideo, the guy who had been caught trying to take pictures of girls during swimming class, had also skipped.

Four students from Class D were absent from the second and last class of the afternoon.

Rin worried that if the teacher didn't address this behavior, other students in Class D might think, Skipping class is fine—the teacher doesn't care, and start skipping too.

Actually, Rin thought there was some merit to this situation.

The students who skipped classes were probably those who didn't like studying in the first place.

If they stayed in the classroom, they'd only end up whispering to each other, disturbing those who actually wanted to learn.

In that sense, their absence made the classroom environment more conducive to learning.

By 3:20 in the afternoon, class was over, and it was time to head home. But just as students were packing up, the school's intercom system crackled to life.

[Attention, please.]

[First-year student Rin Matsuoka of Class D and second-year student Nagumo Miyabi of Class A, please report to the chairman's office by 3:40 p.m. for an important discussion.]

[Repeat.]

[First-year student Rin Matsuoka of Class D and second-year student Nagumo Miyabi of Class A, please report to the chairman's office by 3:40 p.m. for an important discussion.]

The announcement echoed through the school three times, ensuring all students and teachers heard it clearly.

Class A, Year 2

Nagumo sat in the second-year Class A classroom, his frown deepening as he listened to the announcement. A wave of unease washed over him.

"The other person going to the chairman's office is that annoying first-year…"

"Could that bastard have reported me to the chairman?"

His expression darkened as he thought about the possibility. It was the only explanation that made sense. Why else would the school summon both him and Rin to the chairman's office?

"Boss, do you think Matsuoka told someone about what happened before?" one of his loyal followers, whispered.

"I think so too. Damn it," Nagumo growled as he stood up irritably. "I'm heading to the chairman's office now."

"Boss, I'll come with you," Denai offered.

"Fine."

"We'll go too!" a few others chimed in.

Despite Nagumo's petty and rebellious nature, his abilities had earned him a loyal following among the students in Class A.

Class A, Year 1

"Matsuoka…" an elegant silver-haired girl, Arisu Sakayanagi, murmured to herself. "Isn't he that irritating guy who ate all my father's chess pieces to win a game?"

Arisu's curiosity was piqued. Why had Rin been summoned to the chairman's office?

She turned her gaze to a golden-haired boy seated nearby.