COTE: The Game of Elites

Aiden descended the stage with a theatrical bow, holding the pose for a moment longer than necessary. His smirk widened as he straightened, one hand tipping the brim of his red cap in a casual salute to no one in particular. The murmurs of the crowd followed him like whispers carried on a breeze, equal parts bewilderment and reluctant amusement.

His steps were slow, deliberate, and oddly confident, as though he were strolling down a red carpet instead of retreating from a speech that could only be described as "memorable."

The whispers grew louder, the crowd struggling to make sense of what they'd just witnessed.

"Was that... a joke?" someone muttered from Class B.

"That guy doesn't take anything seriously," snapped a sharp voice in Class A, tinged with irritation.

"Maybe he's just trying to stand out," another voice chimed in, this one quieter but no less skeptical.

"Stand out? More like showing off," a girl from Class C added, her tone disapproving.

Aiden's eyes scanned the crowd with the kind of disinterest that was far too deliberate to be real. He caught snippets of conversation, but his smirk never wavered. Instead, he let his gaze wander lazily across the gym, as if he were more interested in the architecture than the hundreds of students staring at him.Aiden's eyes scanned the crowd with feigned indifference, though his mind cataloged every reaction. Just as he reached the edge of the stage, the chairman's smooth voice echoed once more.

By the time he reached the rows where Class D stood, the chairman's smooth voice cut through the room.

"Ahem... That was certainly a... unique speech," Chairman Sakayanagi said, his tone carefully neutral but laced with faint amusement. "I trust the rest of you will approach your time here with similar creativity. Now, I will hand things over to the student council president, Horikita Manabu."

The name made Aiden's steps falter slightly, though he quickly disguised it by glancing at his shoelace, as if checking it were tied. His sharp mind registered the name immediately, and his eyes flicked to the stage where a composed young man with glasses stepped forward.

'Horikita?' Aiden's brow quirked as his eyes drifted to Suzune in Class D. She stood with her usual stiff posture, her gaze locked on the stage.

'Brother, maybe? Cousin? Or a secret love child? This is getting spicy.' He filed the thought away, already crafting ways to tease her later.

As he reached the group of Class D students, Aiden's presence immediately drew attention. His classmates, unsure of how to approach him, exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of curiosity and confusion.

Reaching his classmates, Aiden was greeted immediately by Ken Sudo's booming voice. "Man, that was nuts!" Sudo clapped him on the back, the impact nearly sending Aiden stumbling. "You've got some serious guts, dude."

Aiden stumbled dramatically, clutching his side as if mortally wounded. "Sudo, buddy," he gasped, "if I don't make it through the day, promise me you'll tell my story. Just... leave out the part where you killed me."

Sudo barked a laugh, loud and unrestrained. "Man, you're crazy!"

"Crazy? No, no," Aiden replied, straightening and flashing a grin. "Crazy is talking to yourself in the mirror. Me? I'm just passionately misunderstood."

Nearby, Kikyo Kushida stepped forward, her warm smile lighting up her face. "That was such a fun speech, Takahashi-kun," she said brightly. "You seemed so confident up there! How do you do it?"

Aiden turned to her, tilting his head like a curious puppy. "Confidence? Oh no, Kushida-san, that wasn't confidence. That was pure survival instinct. I figured if I kept talking long enough, no one would notice how terrified I was." He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice just enough to sound conspiratorial. "Between you and me, though? The secret is pretending everyone's wearing socks with sandals. Instant power boost."

Kushida giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Socks with sandals? That's so random!"

"Random? Or genius?" Aiden shot back, winking.

Hirata Yosuke, standing nearby with his usual calm demeanor, chuckled politely. "It's definitely a unique approach," he said, his tone even. "I'm not sure I could pull that off."

Aiden clapped a hand on Hirata's shoulder, grinning. "Come on, Hirata-kun. With that wholesome face of yours? You could tell everyone the gym's on fire, and they'd thank you for the warm atmosphere."

Hirata laughed softly, shaking his head. "You're too much, Takahashi-kun."

From the edge of the group, Suzune Horikita's sharp voice cut through the banter. "That was reckless," she said flatly, her arms crossed. "You made us all look like fools."

Aiden turned to her, his smirk never wavering. "Ah, Horikita-san, your faith in me is truly humbling." He placed a hand over his heart and sighed dramatically. "But don't worry—if anyone asks, I'll tell them I'm just the court jester, and you're the real mastermind behind the chaos."

Suzune's eyes narrowed, but Aiden was already turning away, his focus shifting back to the group. "Relax, everyone," he said, spreading his arms wide. "It's the first day. Nobody's going to remember this by next week. Probably. Besides..." He paused, his grin turning mischievous. "If nothing else, I've made it easier for the rest of you to shine. You're welcome."

A ripple of laughter and chuckles spread through the group, easing the tension that had been hanging in the air.

Laughter rippled through the group, lightening the atmosphere even more. Aiden soaked it in, his smirk unwavering. Let them laugh, let them relax. The less they suspected what he was capable of, the easier it would be to navigate this place.

The assembly ended, and the students began dispersing into the open hallways and outdoor areas, filling the air with the chatter of introductions and excitement. Aiden stood near the back of Class D's formation, leaning against the wall as the crowd started to break apart.

"Yo, Takahashi!" Ken Sudo's voice boomed again, accompanied by his trademark heavy-handed backslap. "You sticking around? We should grab lunch or something."

Aiden's smirk widened as he feigned a dramatic stumble, holding onto the wall for support. "Sudo, my dear friend," he gasped, clutching his side, "I think you've mistaken me for a punching bag. I might not survive long enough to eat."

Sudo barked a laugh, completely missing the glint of mischief in Aiden's eyes. "Come on, man. You're tougher than that!"

"Oh, no doubt," Aiden replied, straightening and brushing imaginary dust off his sleeve. "But alas, I must decline. I have... important matters to attend to." He paused, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Very secret, very urgent. The fate of humanity may hang in the balance."

Nearby, Kikyo Kushida leaned into the conversation, her bright smile as disarming as ever. "What kind of important matters, Takahashi-kun?" she asked sweetly. "Surely they can wait. You could join us for a little while!"

Aiden tilted his head, pretending to consider her words seriously. "Hmm. Kushida-san, while I appreciate the invite, I'm afraid I have to protect you all from the burden of my company. You see, I have a habit of making people laugh so hard they forget to eat. It's a dangerous power."

Kushida giggled, her cheeks flushing faintly. "You're so silly, Takahashi-kun."

"Only on days that end in 'Y,'" Aiden quipped.

Before anyone could call after him, Aiden turned to Hirata Yosuke, who stood nearby with his usual calm demeanor. "Hirata-kun," he said in a mock-serious tone, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You're the chosen one now. Protect them. Lead them. Be the beacon of hope Class D needs."

Hirata blinked, caught off guard. "Uh... sure, Takahashi-kun?"

"Good man," Aiden said with a grin, giving him a thumbs-up before sliding past him and into the dispersing crowd.

It was all too easy to dodge the lingering eyes and curious comments. As he moved, Aiden made a point of weaving through groups with a smile and a wave, offering quick, flippant comments to anyone who tried to stop him.

"Where are you going, Takahashi-kun?" one student called out.

"Off to fight dragons, obviously," he replied, not even breaking stride.

"Takahashi, join us!" another shouted.

"Rain check!" he tossed back with a lazy grin. "I promise I'll make it up to you in the next life."

He zigzagged his way toward the edge of the crowd, his movements casual yet precise, ensuring no one could latch onto him for too long.

Once he'd put enough distance between himself and the crowd, Aiden veered off toward a quiet corner of the campus. The vending machines sat nestled under the shade of a towering tree, their soft hum blending into the background noise of chirping birds and distant chatter. The area was blissfully empty—exactly what he'd been looking for.

His sharp eyes scanned the rows of drinks, but the instant they landed on the familiar red and white label of a Coke can, a grin spread across his face. Sliding a coin into the slot, Aiden leaned in and murmured to himself, "Ah, Coke-chan, my dear. It's been too long. Fear not—I've come to rescue you."

The machine whirred, and the can clunked into the retrieval slot. Aiden crouched, reaching into the vending machine's exit compartment with exaggerated reverence. "Don't worry," he added in a mock-dramatic whisper. "I'll never let you go again. Together, we'll conquer the world—or at least this campus."

Just as he was about to pull the can out, a soft, melodic laugh broke the quiet.

Author's Note:

Ahh… sorry for the delay, everyone! You know how it is—New Year rolls in, and suddenly it's chaos. Friends' parties, office parties, and just when I thought I could catch a break, the universe decided to hand me a New Year's gift… in the form of an increased workload. Oh, and entrance test results. Because why not pile on the stress, right? 😅

Thanks for being patient with me while I juggled all of that! I hope the wait was worth it—let's dive back into the chaos of Aiden's world!