COTE: Horikita Is My Childhood Sweetheart

Chapter 3 Be careful, don't get beaten by him

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Rin Matsuoka's eyes finally settled on the elder seat of the bus, where a particularly sturdy blonde man sat. His carefree posture, with legs crossed, made his muscles tense against the school uniform he wore.

'Narrator, I choose the golden retriever.'

[Unfortunately, the host has chosen incorrectly.]

Hearing the system's voice in his mind, Rin smacked his lips and muttered, "I didn't expect the golden retriever wasn't the one with the best physical fitness here."

"It's useless to have the physique of a gorilla."

Rin sat down with a look of disdain on his face.

Ryusuke Koenji, who was sitting on the elder seat with his legs crossed, suddenly clenched his hands. He felt infuriated by the fact that someone had just categorized him as a gorilla!

'So, narrator, who is the most physically fit person here?'

[It's the host.]

"Of course, I know it's me, but who else?"

[It was the boy Horikita Suzune made give up his seat earlier.]

?!

Rin glanced at Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, surprise flashing across his face as he began to study the boy's calm expression.

Unfortunately, the school uniform covered much of his body, so Rin couldn't see Ayanokouji's muscles. All he could discern was a slender, evenly proportioned build—not particularly strong looking.

'No way, the one with the best physical fitness isn't the sturdy golden-haired guy, but the well-proportioned brown-haired guy? He doesn't even look that strong,' Rin thought, stroking his chin.

Normally, people judge strength based on physique, but a small number of individuals are exceptions. You can't gauge their physical fitness by their appearance alone.

Just like Rin and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. Both had slender and evenly proportioned bodies that didn't seem particularly muscular. Yet in reality, they were incredibly strong and well-built, with low body fat and defined muscles hidden beneath their school uniforms.

Ayanokouji, who had been looking out the window, seemed to have sharp senses. Noticing Rin's gaze, he turned his head.

Rin smiled politely at Ayanokouji, who looked back at him.

Although Ayanokouji was confused, he returned the gesture with a polite smile of his own. However, since he had never really practiced smiling, his expression came off as stiff and unsettling—like the kind of forced smile you'd see in a horror movie, without any accompanying background music.

Rin felt uneasy seeing Ayanokouji's creepy smile. As soon as Ayanokouji turned away, Rin immediately leaned toward Horikita Suzune and whispered.

"Horikita, you might have a problem. The guy you forced to give up his seat seems pretty tough. Be careful, or you might get into trouble with him," Rin said with a solemn expression.

??

Horikita Suzune looked at Rin with confusion and doubt. His expression was so serious and sincere that it didn't seem like he was joking.

So, Horikita shifted her gaze toward Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.

"Matsuoka, are you sure you didn't see it wrong?"

"How could I be wrong?" Rin replied, slightly offended. "These eyes of mine have never been wrong about anyone!"

Horikita Suzune remained silent for a few seconds, and her sharp fox-like eyes revealed a hint of exasperation.

You've misread so many things!

Once upon a time, Horikita Suzune happened to hear a rumor—completely by accident, of course, she hadn't been prying on purpose!

The rumor went like this: a girl had written a love letter to Rin Matsuoka and slipped it into his shoe locker. But somehow, Rin had inexplicably mistaken the confession letter for a challenge. He showed up to the meeting spot with a baseball bat in hand and boldly declared, "So, you're the one who challenged me!" The poor girl was so terrified she burst into tears…

Now that Horikita Suzune thought back to that incident, she really wanted to ask Rin—how on earth could he have mistaken a girl's confession for a challenge?

Suppressing her curiosity, she asked instead with a slight quirk of her lips, "Matsuoka, do you mean that he's going to take revenge on me?"

Rin waved his hand dismissively. "No, no, I didn't mean that. It's just... his smile was kind of creepy. I'm just saying you should be careful."

"If it's just his smile, that's nothing. He looks pretty weak," Horikita Suzune replied confidently, having already sized up Ayanokouji Kiyotaka earlier.

However, after she finished speaking, she felt that what she said hadn't conveyed her meaning well enough, so she added for clarification, "He looks as weak as you."

"..." Rin twitched his lips. "As weak as me... Horikita, your eyesight must be pretty impressive."

In fact, Rin, who possessed advanced martial arts skills and exceptional physical conditioning, could easily take down twenty grown men if it came to it.

"Hmph."

Horikita Suzune, thinking she was merely stating a fact, snorted and said, "I've practiced karate. Even if we fought, I'm not afraid of him."

Horikita Suzune wasn't just excellent academically; she also had solid martial arts training. If it ever came down to a fight, neither Rin nor Ayanokouji would stand a chance against her.

Unfortunately, despite her talent in both literature and martial arts, Horikita Suzune had a notoriously difficult personality. She was a cold beauty who always went her own way, refused to socialize, rarely smiled, and exuded a frosty air of "don't talk to me," which kept most people at arm's length.

Furthermore, when Rin was in junior high, he had heard more than a few rumors about Horikita Suzune frequently clashing with her classmates—and even her teachers.

She was undeniably strong and skilled but also quite troublesome.

Yet, despite all this, Rin couldn't help but admire Horikita Suzune to some degree. After all, it took real guts to go head-to-head with a teacher.

The bus continued driving slowly down the road, gently rocking as it passed over speed bumps. Rin, who had dozed off in his seat, leaned sideways due to the motion, and his shoulder unintentionally came to rest on Horikita Suzune's.

Her delicate body immediately tensed up, and the book in her hands crumpled slightly under the pressure of her slender fingers.

For a brief moment, the world seemed to fall silent, and all Horikita Suzune could hear was the sound of her own gradually speeding heartbeat.

Though startled, she didn't push Rin away or scold him. Instead, she closed her slightly trembling eyes and took deep breaths, trying to calm her inexplicably racing heart.

With Rin sleeping so close, Horikita inhaled the faint scent that emanated from him as she breathed. It was a scent reminiscent of fresh grass after rainfall—soothing and refreshing.

But despite the comforting smell, Horikita Suzune felt anything but relaxed. A soft blush crept onto her normally composed face.

The deep breath she took just now made her feel... almost like a pervert.