COTE: Horikita Is My Childhood Sweetheart

Chapter 35: Kushida Kikyo: What a coincidence

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Rin Matsuoka had already memorized the entire school map from the school guide. Now, based on the map in his memory, he walked toward the office building where Sakayanagi Narumori was most likely to be.

At this time, Kushida Kikyo and a group of Class D students walked out from another path. With a sweet smile, as innocent as an angel, she caught a glimpse of Rin Matsuoka's figure.

"Isn't that Rin Matsuoka?!"

Kushida Kikyo was momentarily stunned. Her eyes shifted slightly, and she clasped her hands together, speaking in an apologetic tone.

"Everyone, I just realized I left my student ID at the coffee shop we were at. I'll go get it real quick. You guys can head back to the dormitory without me."

When it came to excuses for leaving the group, Kushida Kikyo was a natural, coming up with them instantly. You could tell right away that this girl was exceptionally good at deceiving people.

"Kikyo-chan, why are you so careless? Let me go with you," one of the girls said enthusiastically.

"No, no, no, I wouldn't want to trouble you with my own forgetfulness! I'll be back soon!"

With those words, Kushida Kikyo quickly parted ways with the Class D students.

After having lunch in the student cafeteria and sitting in the café for a while, Kushida Kikyo, who possessed A+ communication skills, had successfully become familiar with this group of Class D students, even managing to exchange mutual follows on social media with them.

Now that Kushida Kikyo had seen Rin Matsuoka, she naturally didn't plan to waste more time on this group of people she had already gotten to know.

Once she was certain the group couldn't see her anymore, Kushida Kikyo changed direction and began sprinting toward Rin Matsuoka's path.

Rin was walking leisurely, while Kushida was running at full speed.

With their contrasting paces, Kushida quickly caught up and made sure to appear at the intersection just ahead of Rin.

"Ah, isn't that… Matsuoka-san? I… didn't expect to see you here. What a… what a coincidence."

Out of breath from running at full speed, Kushida's cheeks were flushed with a charming blush. Her lips parted slightly as she exhaled warm breaths. Not being particularly athletic, she had exerted herself significantly to catch up.

In addition, the movement of her chest rising and falling exaggeratedly with her breathing lent her whole body a certain charm that was both alluring and seductive, something more pronounced than one might expect for her age.

Rin subtly glanced at the panting Kushida. "You're Kushida-san, right?"

Kushida first observed Rin's expression, noticing that he didn't show any signs of disgust or resistance, leading her to believe that he was unaware of her dark history from junior high school.

"Yes! Yes, I'm Kushida Kikyo," she responded enthusiastically.

"I'm happy that you remembered my name, Matsuoka-san."

"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Rin asked calmly.

"Well," Kushida Kikyo flashed Rin a brilliant smile, "I want to become friends with everyone in the class as soon as possible, so I'm asking everyone for their Line contact one by one."

"I happened to see you while wandering around here, so I rushed over to find you."

[This is a lie.]

[As the saying goes – all the chance encounters you don't know about are usually the result of someone's careful planning.]

[So, this encounter wasn't accidental—it was Kushida Kikyo's plan all along.]

Rin subtly studied the busty girl standing in front of him.

'So, does this mean… she's interested in me?'

[No, she's plotting against you.]

Huh??

Kushida Kikyo, who was standing in front of Rin, wasn't interested in him at all. Instead, she had some kind of scheme in mind.

Rin calmly observed her. Despite the radiant smile on her face, her eyes gave away something else entirely—wariness and unease.

What was she wary of?

What was she worried about?

Still smiling, Kushida Kikyo pulled out her phone and said, "I want to be friends with everyone. So, could we exchange Line accounts, Matsuoka-san, and follow each other?"

"Sure," Rin answered readily.

Even though Rin didn't yet know what Kushida Kikyo's purpose was, he didn't mind exchanging Line contacts with her.

In addition to Chabashira Sae, Asahina, and Shiina Hiyori, Rin Matsuoka now added Kushida Kikyo's Line contact.

"Kushida-san, I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now."

"Where are you going, Matsuoka-san? I'd love to chat with you. If we're heading in the same direction, we could go together!" Kushida Kikyo said, enthusiastic and proactive.

Kushida Kikyo had already made up her mind: no matter where Rin said he was going, she would reply with, "What a coincidence, I was heading there too," and accompany him.

"I'm going to the chairman's office."

"What a coincidence… huh?"

Kushida Kikyo, who had been smiling brightly, suddenly stopped.

Is this guy serious?

There were so many places to go at this school, and he had to choose the chairman's office?

Kushida Kikyo really wanted to say, 'I was planning to go there too,' but that was the chairman's office, so how could she say that?!

Rin smiled as he watched Kushida's frozen expression. "Kushida-san, did you just say 'What a coincidence?'"

"I… I meant that the place I was going just happens to be near the building where the chairman's office is located!"

Kushida Kikyo came up with this excuse in a flash.

"Is that so? Then we are on the same path. Let's go together."

"Hmm~"

The fact that she was able to walk smoothly alongside Rin Matsuoka made Kushida Kikyo praise herself in her heart.

"As expected of me, I'm really smart."

Walking beside Rin, Kushida Kikyo glanced up at him.

The early afternoon sunlight in April was especially bright. Rin's handsome face was glowing with a jade-like luster under the sunlight.

As she gazed at him, Kushida Kikyo found herself momentarily entranced.

"When I was in junior high, those girls wouldn't stop talking about how good-looking Rin Matsuoka was… I thought they were exaggerating, but now I see they weren't lying."

Suppressing the strange thoughts in her heart, Kushida Kikyo smiled and said, "Actually, when we were on the bus, Matsuoka-san, I wanted to say hi to you, but unfortunately, the seat next to you was already taken."

"Yeah."

"Oh~" Kushida Kikyo asked in a curious tone, "The person sitting next to you was Horikita-san, right? Matsuoka-san, are you and Horikita-san in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship?"

Rin answered without hesitation and with certainty, "Of course not."

"Kushida-san, how did you come up with the idea that Horikita and I are boyfriend and girlfriend?"