COTE: Horikita Is My Childhood Sweetheart

Chapter 28: Horikita, how did you know?

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Because of the narration, Rin Matsuoka couldn't help but recall Chabashira Sae's mature figure and her legs in those shiny black stockings...

Now, Rin thought, mature older women are really great!

But Chabashira Sae is a bit... old.

Then again, what's wrong with being older? Older women are often more caring.

However, Rin felt that Chabashira Sae's temperament was very similar to Horikita Suzune's. For some reason, he always saw Horikita Suzune's shadow in Chabashira Sae.

As he continued walking, Rin didn't just see Suzune's shadow—he saw Suzune herself!

There she was, standing at the end of the path.

Horikita Suzune wasn't near the teachers' office; instead, she stood by the shoe-changing area in the school building.

Rin immediately thought there was no way she was waiting for him, so he decided to pretend he hadn't seen her and walked straight past.

"Stop," Horikita Suzune's cold voice rang out.

"..." Reluctantly, Rin turned to face her. "What's up? Oh, right, I haven't given you the points for giving up your seat yet."

"I already told you I don't want those personal points! Do you really think I'm standing here just to ask for them?" Horikita's gaze was unnervingly intense.

"Haha, I'm just kidding. I know you don't care about those 5,000 points at all," Rin chuckled nervously.

Horikita Suzune calmed herself, not wanting to be misunderstood by Rin.

"So, Horikita, you're waiting here for me. Are you planning to go with me to meet your brother?" Rin asked.

Horikita Suzune, who had just composed herself, shot him a glare. "Rin, could you please stop obsessing over my brother?"

"I'm more interested in knowing what Chabashira-sensei talked to you about."

She spoke casually, but there was a clear question in her tone. "So, what was it?"

Rin raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You waited here just to find out what Chabashira-sensei asked me? Since when did you get so curious, Horikita?"

As far as Rin knew, Horikita Suzune was as cold as ice, someone who didn't enjoy being involved with others. If it wasn't directly related to her, she usually didn't care.

And when Chabashira Sae came to him, it had been Rin's business, not hers.

Horikita didn't respond to Rin's question about her sudden curiosity. She just stared at him, silently.

Rin knew that whenever Horikita Suzune looked at him like that, it wasn't long before he would give in and do whatever she wanted.

Sure enough, Rin couldn't handle the pressure of her gaze. With a sigh, he said, "Alright, alright, don't look at me like that. You want to know, so I'll tell you."

"Mm-hmm."

"Let's head to the student cafeteria and talk on the way."

"Fine."

Rin and Horikita Suzune swapped their indoor shoes and began walking toward the student cafeteria.

Since the conversation and transaction between him and Chabashira Sae weren't a big deal, Rin didn't see the need to hide anything. He told Horikita everything about the discussion he had with Chabashira Sae.

When Rin mentioned that he got zero points in all subjects, Horikita Suzune's delicate eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Wait, Rin, you got zero points in all subjects!?"

"Yeah, what's the problem?"

This was a big problem!

"How could you get zero points in all subjects? I remember your academic performance was always good."

"What a coincidence! Chabashira-sensei asked me the same thing, and I said…"

Rin Matsuoka continued to recount his conversation with Chabashira Sae.

After listening to Rin's story in silence, Horikita Suzune glanced at him and said, "Matsuoka, you're quite bold. You even dare to deceive your homeroom teacher."

"What deception? How could I have deceived Chabashira-sensei? Horikita, don't slander me. I could sue you for defamation," Rin replied, rolling his eyes at her.

"You said you were seriously ill during the exam, which is why you got zero marks in all subjects, right?"

"That's right."

"But I remember you seemed very energetic during the exam."

"…How do you know that?" Rin asked, his tone subtly suspicious.

Horikita Suzune responded in a matter-of-fact manner, "You walk past my house every day. How could I not know?"

"Is that really the case? Why do I feel like you're crouching by the window, peeking at me every day?" Rin teased.

"Who would crouch for you?" Horikita Suzune retorted with a stern expression. "I study for half an hour every morning when I wake up, and my desk happens to be right next to the window. I can see the road you take to school!"

"…"

Rin looked at her strangely as she offered a long explanation to make it clear she wasn't deliberately watching him.

"Actually, Horikita, you don't have to explain so much…"

"Hmph!" Horikita Suzune snorted coldly.

"Hehe."

"Childish!"

"But you're always the first to snort," Rin quipped.

"…"

Horikita Suzune, unwilling to engage in their childish back-and-forth, decided to change the subject.

"The hidden information about personal points can't be bought even if we offer 200,000 personal points, so how do you plan to find out, Matsuoka?"

"Oh, if it can't be bought with personal points, then we won't use personal points to buy it. I don't think Chabashira-sensei is the only one who knows all the information about personal points."

Horikita Suzune quickly grasped his point and asked, "So, Matsuoka, are you planning to find other teachers or seniors?"

"No need for that. I can just go find Horikita-nii."

The other teachers and senior students were all strangers. If Rin approached them, they might not answer. But Horikita Manabu was different. He wasn't just anyone—he was an older brother from the same neighborhood.

"No! Rin, you can't bother my brother! Classes haven't even started yet today, but my brother must be busy with his own!" Horikita Suzune objected firmly.

"…Alright then. Since it's lunchtime now, I'll see if I can find some clueless-looking seniors in the student cafeteria and trick them into talking."

As he said this, Rin turned to Horikita Suzune, "So when we get to the cafeteria, Horikita, don't follow me."

"Why?" she asked reflexively.

And who's following you, anyway? I'm going to the cafeteria too!

"Because your expression and eyes are very intimidating. If you're with me, you might scare the seniors away," Rin answered earnestly.

Horikita Suzune's fox-like eyes narrowed sharply, and she shot Rin a fierce glare. Then, her slender legs wrapped in black stockings quickened their pace.

"Hey, why are you walking so fast?"

"Humph!"

Horikita Suzune didn't reply. She walked quickly ahead, leaving Rin with only a cold snort in response.