COTE : Backed By Black Technology System

Kanda Shuichi casually tossed the shopping bag into the kitchen sink, then sat down in his designated spot and looked at Horikita Suzune, who was already sitting on the bed.

"Speak up, what's this about?"

Though he asked, Kanda Shuichi had a rough idea. It had to be about the stay-at-school form.

But Chabashira-sensei probably wouldn't approve, after all, even though Horikita was like this, she could still be considered a useful asset. That woman, obsessed with Class A, wouldn't just let Horikita stay at school like this.

"I signed the stay-at-school form."

...

"Chabashira-sensei agreed?" Kanda Shuichi asked with a skeptical expression.

"She said I missed the chance to earn points for the class. I want to take it back, but she didn't agree." Horikita's face turned a bit gloomy.

Kanda Shuichi rubbed his forehead. This really wasn't funny.

"So? You want me to help you withdraw the stay-at-school form?"

Horikita Suzune silently nodded, looking at him with hopeful eyes.

Hey, you can't look at me like that, I can't do anything. Since the form has already been processed, there's no way to take it back. How do you not understand that?

Wait? If it was really going to be processed in person, why didn't they just have Horikita sign it in class but instead called her out?

Kanda Shuichi realized Chabashira-sensei might have been scolding Horikita Suzune while also giving her a choice.

"Tell me what happened after you left the class."

Horikita Suzune nodded and began telling him what had happened in the counseling room.

When Kanda Shuichi heard that Horikita Suzune hadn't gone to the teacher's office but had gone to the counseling room, he realized he had guessed correctly.

Sure enough, Horikita Suzune had been scolded. But a little scolding isn't a bad thing; this person is always so self-righteous, she needed a bit of a wake-up call.

"I see, now I understand." 

Kanda Shuichi nodded, showing that he got it. 

Horikita Suzune, on the other hand, looked at him. 

"So, what do you think? Is there a way?" 

"Of course there is, but what are you willing to offer in exchange for my help?" 

Kanda Shuichi wasn't about to agree to help Horikita Suzune so easily—that wasn't his style. 

"I-I still have some private points..." 

"There's no need for those. I don't need points for now." 

Are you kidding me? If Horikita Manabu finds out you're eating fancy mountain vegetable meals, he'll definitely investigate. If it's traced back to me wasting your points, I'd lose my peaceful campus life! 

So, Kanda Shuichi immediately rejected her offer to hand over some kind of "friendship fee." 

"Then what do you want? As long as it's something I can give!" 

"What do I want?" 

Kanda Shuichi glanced at Horikita Suzune's serious face, then his gaze shifted downward—first to her chest, then to her stomach, and then to the area under her skirt. Afterward, he scanned her thighs, wrapped in black stockings, her calves, and finally her feet. 

"Impossible! I'm not selling my body!" 

Damn it, I haven't even said anything yet! 

Do I really look that perverted? 

"Just cook me somthing for tonight. I've already bought the ingredients—what you make is up to you." 

"Just cooking dinner is enough for you to help me?" 

"That depends on how good it is." 

Kanda Shuichi smiled. 

Horikita stood up from the bed, took off her blazer, which was in the way, and tossed it onto the bed. Then she grabbed an apron hanging on Kanda Shuichi's wall and got to work. 

Her movements were very skilled. The moment she saw the ingredients in the shopping bag, she already had a plan in mind. 

Horikita Suzune: Chef Mode Unlocked! 

In just over half an hour, a bowl of pork belly rice was placed in front of Kanda Shuichi. 

The dish looked great in terms of color, plating, and aroma. 

"Please enjoy." 

Picking up his chopsticks, Kanda Shuichi put his hands together. 

"Itadakimasu." 

Although he wasn't used to saying it, he still paid attention to table manners when others were around. 

After taking a bite, Kanda Shuichi nodded slightly and then put down his chopsticks. 

"What's wrong?" 

Horikita Suzune frowned. She was confident in her cooking skills, and Kanda Shuichi didn't show any signs of disliking the taste. 

"Nothing, it's delicious." 

"Then why...?" 

Kanda Shuichi let out a sigh. 

"Did you ever think about the time? It's not even five o'clock. I usually eat dinner at the same time as most people, or even later—around seven. 

So, this bowl of rice is destined to go unfinished. Not finishing your food already counts as a failure, doesn't it?" 

"But you didn't say that..." 

Horikita tried to argue, but Kanda Shuichi cut her off. 

"I said it was dinner. Do you call this dinner? And for things you're unclear about, did you ask? You didn't think through my request at all. You just assumed the surface meaning without considering what I really wanted or asking any questions." 

Horikita Suzune clenched her fists, her face filled with frustration. If she weren't in a situation where she needed Kanda Shuichi's help, she might've exploded already. Even now, she was barely holding it in. 

"What's wrong? Not convinced?" 

Kanda Shuichi looked delighted at her expression. 

"Just like how Chabashira-sensei said we'd be going on a trip, you actually thought it was just a trip? Did you not consider unexpected situations?" 

"Judging things only by their surface—do you think you still have the right to be unconvinced? Where does your confidence come from?" 

Horikita Suzune lowered her head, biting her lip and clenching her fists. 

Oh, bullying someone so proud, especially a proud woman, is just too entertaining. 

"So, the leftovers are yours now. I don't like wasting food." 

"What? You want me to eat the food you've already touched?" 

Horikita Suzune immediately showed her displeasure. 

"Whether you eat it or not is your choice. Whether I help you or not is mine." 

Kanda Shuichi wasn't angry. He simply smiled as he looked at Horikita Suzune. 

Glaring at Kanda Shuichi's annoying face, Horikita Suzune gritted her teeth and made her decision. 

If she really didn't participate in the special exam during summer vacation, that would be humiliating—not just for her, but for her brother as well. 

She couldn't allow her brother to feel ashamed. 

With that thought, Horikita Suzune picked up the rice bowl that Kanda Shuichi had eaten from and, as if it were her enemy, angrily finished it off. 

Kanda Shuichi watched her finish the rice and felt overjoyed. 

This was so much fun—just too much fun. 

If Kushida saw this scene, considering her not-so-good relationship with Horikita, she'd probably enjoy it too. 

After finishing the food, Horikita Suzune slammed the bowl heavily on the table and glared fiercely at Kanda Shuichi. 

"Fine. I'll solve your problem. But don't forget—you owe me dinner later. Now, get out." 

"What time do you want dinner?" 

"Around 7. I'm not picky about the exact time." 

Hearing this, Horikita Suzune stood up, cleaned up the dishes, grabbed her bag, and left Kanda Shuichi's dorm. 

After she left, Kanda Shuichi confirmed things with Chabashira-sensei, and as expected, it was just as he had thought. 

If Chabashira-sensei truly didn't want Horikita to participate in the uninhabited island exam, she wouldn't have made that provoking comment. 

Nor would she have specifically taken Horikita Suzune to the counseling room to sign a stay-behind agreement. 

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