COTE : Backed By Black Technology System-Chapter 177 - : Kanda Shuichi: I Got Kidnapped!

After school, Horikita Suzune immediately looked for Hirata and Sudou, though she decided to start with the main person involved.

She stood up and walked toward Sudou's seat.

Seeing the class "goddess" approaching, Sudou instantly tensed up.

"W-What's up, Suzu—Horikita?"

"I need to talk to you. Can you come with me for a minute?"

"Y-Yeah, sure!"

Horikita rarely spoke to Sudou so directly, so he couldn't help but feel a little hopeful.

Was she going to give him some personal encouragement?

That wouldn't be bad at all.

But his excitement quickly faded, and disappointment showed on his face.

The little heart racing in his chest crashed hard—because Horikita hadn't come to talk to him alone.

"Also, Hirata, can I bother you for a moment too?"

Horikita called out to Hirata, asking him to join her in the corner of the classroom.

"I need to talk about the relay lineup we just decided. For the final leg of the 1,200-meter relay, I want you to let me take the last spot."

Horikita's straightforward request left Sudou confused.

"But... isn't the last runner usually the fastest? Or are you saying you don't trust me to finish strong?"

The final leg of the relay can turn the whole race around, so people naturally assume the fastest runner should take that spot, even if there's no solid proof behind it.

"No, it's not that. I know how fast you are from practice. It's just..."

Horikita hesitated, her expression unsure.

"You just want to compete against your brother, right? What's there to be shy about?"

Before Horikita could finish, Kanda Shuichi appeared out of nowhere, bluntly revealing the real reason.

"I don't remember inviting you into this conversation."

"Does it matter? We're all classmates. And am I wrong?"

Kanda Shuichi didn't care about Horikita's annoyed glare.

"Wait, her brother...?"

"The student council president...?"

Sudou and Hirata finally caught on.

They knew Horikita Manabu was the student council president, but they'd never thought much about it.

After all, the last name Horikita wasn't exactly rare. Even at this school, there were definitely more than just Horikita Suzune and Horikita Manabu.

Plus, Horikita had never mentioned it before, so no one had any reason to connect the dots.

Maybe they even unconsciously thought it was impossible, considering one was in Class A and the other in Class D.

"But if you're siblings, how come you've never mentioned it, Horikita?"

Kushida Kikyo had somehow joined the conversation, clearly enjoying the situation. Her comment hit right where it hurt.

With her sharp eye for detail, Kushida easily noticed Horikita's awkward expression. It was obvious there was something off about their sibling relationship.

But bringing it up now? That was like rubbing salt into Horikita's wound.

To Horikita, Kushida's behavior was downright nasty. But to Kushida, it felt satisfying.

Gotcha, didn't I? Finally found your weak spot!

Kanda Shuichi didn't feel like stopping Kushida either. If anything, he was curious to hear more.

"Seems like they've had some issues and aren't on speaking terms right now. I guess Horikita's hoping the sports festival will be a chance to make peace."

Ayanokouji, what's with that explanation? Can't you just let us enjoy her flustered reaction a little longer?

But the thing is, Ayanokouji wasn't completely wrong, though he wasn't entirely right either.

From the outside, it really did look like they'd had a fight and were now ignoring each other.

The truth was more complicated.

Horikita Suzune wanted to reach out to her brother but didn't have the courage. She was afraid of disappointing him, and she didn't even have his contact info.

On the other hand, Horikita Manabu did have her number, but he didn't dare to contact her either. He was worried she'd keep trying to follow in his footsteps and end up heading down the wrong path.

So, Ayanokouji's guess wasn't entirely off, but it didn't capture the full story.

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Even Kanda Shuichi didn't know the whole truth. He just knew Manabu still cared about Suzune. Why he acted so cold on the surface was a mystery to him.

Sudou glanced at Ayanokouji.

"Dude, how do you know stuff even I don't? Are you trying to swoop in while I'm not looking?"

But when Sudou saw Horikita wasn't denying it, he figured Ayanokouji's guess had to be pretty close.

"Well, if it means that much to you, I guess I can step aside."

Sudou nodded, though he still thought he was the best choice for the last leg.

"If Sudou's okay with it, I don't mind either," Hirata added. "Besides, while it's common to give the final leg to the fastest runner, if Sudou starts strong and gets us ahead, it'll boost everyone's morale."

To make sure the class didn't question the change, Hirata had even come up with a solid reason for it.

Man, this guy's too good. I'm about to cry.

Of course, Kanda Shuichi wouldn't cry—he was just here to enjoy the drama.

"But how do you know for sure that your brother is running the last leg? What if he suddenly decides to run the first one instead? Wouldn't that be a huge loss for you? I think you should double-check just to be sure."

Yep, he was exactly the type of person who would say something annoying when everyone else was offering their support.

He knew perfectly well that Horikita didn't have her brother's contact info, yet he still said it on purpose. To Horikita, he was just someone who completely failed to read the room.

As expected, Horikita shot him a sharp glare, clearly annoyed by his words.

What?

Did you just glare at me?

I was actually thinking of helping you, but now you're giving me that look?

"If I can't reach my brother, then I guess I'll just have to accept my bad luck."

Kanda Shuichi had a point, but there was no way Horikita would actually try to ask her brother if he was running the last leg.

"Sigh, you're hopeless. You were willing to switch places with Sudou just to make this happen, but you can't even bother to check something this simple from the start?"

Kanda Shuichi shook his head, making it clear that he disapproved of her actions.

"That's right, Horikita. Since we all agreed to let you run the last leg, I really hope your wish to make up with your brother gets through to him."

Kushida's words were practically saying, *We already gave up our chance to win the relay for you, so hurry up and go confirm with your brother.*

Of course, she knew Horikita couldn't do that. Kanda Shuichi's comment earlier had already signaled that, which was why she was taking this opportunity to be as passive-aggressive as possible.

Thanks, Shuichi! You just gave me another chance to vent my frustration!

Horikita already knows I hate her, so I might as well go all out. What can she do about it? I'll just keep poking at her weak spot!

Sudou and Hirata nodded along with Kushida's words. On the surface, what she said seemed perfectly reasonable—only Horikita and Kanda Shuichi could really catch the underlying meaning.

As they continued pressing Horikita, Ayanokouji started noticing something odd.

He knew about the rocky relationship between Horikita and her brother. He had even witnessed what happened that night.

So, could it be that Horikita wasn't refusing to check her brother's race order—she just couldn't contact him at all?

"I... I don't have a way to reach my brother..."

With everyone staring at her, there was no way for Horikita to keep it a secret. After all, on the surface, it seemed like everyone was just trying to help her.

If she said she wanted to run the last leg to have a chance to reconnect with her brother, but didn't even check if he was actually running last before asking the class to let her take that spot, that was way too irresponsible.

Everyone had taken a risk, knowing it could cost them the relay, just to support her.

So, even Horikita had no choice but to respond honestly. And her honest response was... simply telling the truth.

For a moment, the atmosphere became awkwardly silent.

Just how bad was their fight that after more than half a year at the same school, they still didn't have each other's contact information?

"How about just going straight to the student council office and asking? He's the student council president, so finding him shouldn't be too hard."

Here we go again, Kanda Shuichi at it again!

Horikita knew he was doing it on purpose, but she had no reason to snap at him because, technically, his suggestion was valid.

But seriously, do you just enjoy watching me struggle?

It was bad enough that Kushida took every chance to get under her skin, but now Kanda too? Was he... helping her?

A mix of emotions surged in Horikita's heart. He could help her, but he couldn't help me? Aren't we supposed to be friends too?

He had her brother's contact info all along, yet he was purposely saying things to mess with her.

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she felt. She just glared at Kanda Shuichi in silence, her eyes filled with stubbornness.

Kanda Shuichi suddenly felt uneasy. Wait... what's going on?

"Kanda, we're friends, right?"

Huh?

Did Horikita Suzune just say that?

She had made it clear before that we weren't friends, just classmates. And now she suddenly wants to rope me in?

And she wants to be friends with me, Kanda Shuichi? Did she pay the friendship fee or what?

But I couldn't just say no. If I refused, how could I still claim to be the nicest guy in Class D?

"We're friends, right?"

Damn, you're really pushing me here, huh?

"Well, since you put it that way..."

"Then can you ask my brother about his relay race order?" Horikita kept her sharp gaze locked on Kanda Shuichi, refusing to let up.

Damn it, you owe me a favor, and now I'm the one doing you a favor?

This girl... she's actually learned how to use the situation to her advantage. That's some progress.

With no other choice, Kanda Shuichi had to give in. After all, he *was* the nicest guy in Class D.

Of course, Kanda Shuichi wasn't about to let himself get completely used either. You think I'll just help you for nothing? That would be embarrassing.

"But Horikita, you don't expect me to help you for free, do you? This isn't for the class—it's just for you, Horikita Suzune."

Even between brothers, things should be settled fairly. Sure, this was easy for Kanda Shuichi, but for Horikita Suzune, it was impossible. She should know she needed to offer something in return.

Neither Ayanokouji nor Hirata said a word. Helping someone unconditionally was what family did, not friends.

"You want to call me by my name too?"

Sudou's face immediately showed envy. For a moment, he even thought about volunteering to go ask the student council president for information himself.

But Kanda Shuichi's reaction was—QNMD! Are you joking with me now?

"Kikyo, let's go."

"Wait!"

Horikita Suzune quickly called out just as Kanda Shuichi was about to turn away. At the same time, Sudou secretly let out a sigh of relief.

Good thing Kanda isn't interested in Horikita. Otherwise, I'd be in trouble.

Sudou had a short temper, but he wasn't clueless. He just wasn't good at studying—he wasn't actually dumb.

"What do you want me to do for you to agree to help me?"

Hearing Horikita's words, Kanda Shuichi instinctively glanced at Kushida. This was a great chance—was she not going to say something?

Damn it!

Like hell I'm going to make things harder for Horikita right now!

Kushida kept a bright smile on her face, but inside, she was cursing.

Damn it, why couldn't that wretched Horikita have fallen into my hands instead?

Now Kanda Shuichi was stuck in a dilemma. He couldn't make the condition too harsh, or it would hurt his image. But he also couldn't make it too easy, or Horikita would get off too lightly.

What's something that would make Horikita uncomfortable but wouldn't seem too unreasonable? For a moment, Kanda Shuichi was at a loss.

Forget it, I'll let you off easy this time.

"Cook me dinner for a week. I'll pick the dishes."

"No problem."

Horikita Suzune agreed right away, afraid that Kanda Shuichi would change his mind. She had already done something similar before going to the deserted island, so it wasn't a big deal.

Sudou once again looked envious. Getting to eat a meal personally cooked by Horikita—so jealous!

Hirata also sighed in relief, glad that Kanda Shuichi hadn't made things too difficult for Horikita and risked disrupting the class dynamic.

After Horikita agreed, Kanda Shuichi took out his phone and sent a message to Horikita Manabu.

Horikita Manabu, who had just finished discussing the sports festival and was on his way to the student council room, took out his phone and saw an unread message.

[President, you're the final runner for the 1200-meter relay, right?]

He wasn't sure why Kanda was asking, but since they were all on the red team, it didn't really matter. It was a recommended event, so switching runners wouldn't be difficult anyway.

[Yeah.]

Kanda Shuichi showed Horikita Suzune the reply, and she finally relaxed.

"Then it's settled. Horikita will be the last runner for the 1200-meter relay." Hirata made the final decision and updated the entry list.

After Horikita left, Sudou immediately moved closer to Kanda Shuichi.

"Hmm? What's up, Sudou?"

Seeing Sudou looking like he wanted to say something but kept hesitating, Kanda Shuichi felt a bit curious.

"Actually... actually... I also want to try Horikita's cooking."

After some hesitation, Sudou finally said what was on his mind.

Oh? Kanda Shuichi started thinking. If that's the case, then maybe there's an interesting idea here.

Hmm, thanks, Sudou. Your suggestion just gave me some inspiration! I just hope Horikita won't blame you when she finds out.

With that in mind, before school was over, Kanda Shuichi clapped his hands to get the class's attention.

"Hey, everyone, I have something to announce."

The students, who were getting ready to leave, exchanged confused looks but stopped talking.

"So, here's the thing. Horikita has decided to personally cook a dish for the top five students in this exam. You can even pick whatever you want to eat!"

"Wha—?"

Horikita, who was standing nearby, froze on the spot. What did you just say?

Not just her—the whole class went silent for a moment. Was this some kind of new prank?

Just as Horikita was about to protest, she saw Kanda Shuichi looking at her.

"Isn't that right, Horikita?"

Kanda Shuichi smiled at her, and her first instinct was to refuse. Cooking for Kanda Shuichi was one thing—he had a history of getting her to do things. But cooking for random classmates? No way.

Before she could object, Kanda Shuichi leaned in and whispered,

"You owe me a week's worth of meals. Whatever you cook, I get to choose. I'm just giving away some of that privilege. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

The message was clear—if you refuse, don't expect me to help you in the future.

Horikita clenched her fists tightly before finally giving in. "Fine."

Kanda Shuichi nodded, then suddenly acted like he just remembered something. "Oh yeah, Horikita's family runs a restaurant, so she's really good at cooking. You guys don't have to worry!"

"Yes! Kanda, you're the best!"

Sudou was the first to cheer. He had just mentioned his wish to Kanda Shuichi, and now it was actually happening!

Kanda! You're such a good guy!

With Sudou's excitement, other students in the class also joined in.

Even though Horikita usually had a cold personality, there was no denying that she was a top-tier beauty.

Long black hair was the ideal look for many students, and it was usually hard to even talk to Horikita. But now, if they performed well, they could actually get a homemade meal from her!

Getting a dish cooked by a beautiful girl was more than enough motivation for high school boys. So, of course, they cheered without hesitation.

At this point, Horikita had no choice but to go along with it. She couldn't just kill everyone's enthusiasm, so she reluctantly agreed.

After school, Kanda Shuichi was on his way to the supermarket when he was suddenly stopped by Horikita, who was fuming with anger.

"What exactly do you want?"

"Before asking me that, why don't you think about what you did first?" Kanda Shuichi shot back.

"Isn't it because you sided with Kushida to make fun of me?"

Oh wow, you're actually defending yourself now. That's some progress.

But do you really have no idea why I helped Kushida instead of you? Don't you think you can handle everything on your own? If that's the path you've chosen, then don't come crying to me, idiot.

"Anyway, it's already done, and look, everyone seems happy, right? They got to eat food made by a cute girl. Just look at Sudou."

Kanda Shuichi changed the subject because, honestly, Horikita did seem a bit pitiful just now, and it was starting to make him feel guilty.

"And as for why I helped Kushida and not you, I hope you take some time to think about that."

With that, Kanda Shuichi patted Horikita on the shoulder and walked away, leaving her standing there with a frown, completely lost.

The reason was simple—he just wanted her to realize that some things can't be done alone.

Most of the time, two people working together are stronger than one. If she didn't learn to unite with others when necessary, thinking she could single-handedly push Class D up to Class A was nothing but a delusion.

Not long after Kanda Shuichi returned to his dorm, someone knocked on the door.

It wasn't a familiar visitor but someone he had formed a contract with—Karuizawa Kei.

Ever since Kanda Shuichi gave her that warning last time, she still acted confident, but she had stopped shoving people around like before.

Because of that, her reputation hadn't suffered—if anything, it had improved. Her standing in her small group seemed to have risen as well.

Hmm, looks like I did another good deed.

"Kanda-kun, I feel so useless."

As soon as Karuizawa walked in, she had a self-pitying expression on her face.

"Huh? What happened?"

From Kanda Shuichi's impression, Karuizawa was supposed to be a lively girl. So why was it that every time he saw her, she seemed so down?

"I forgot to memorize the class event lineup."

Karuizawa plopped down on the floor, leaning on the small table in the middle of the room, looking completely defeated.

She was supposed to memorize it so she could send it to Ryuuen. But Kanda Shuichi had told her earlier not to take pictures, since that could be noticed by the wrong people.

"I see. I'll write it down for you later."

Kanda Shuichi figured he should be a little more considerate of Karuizawa. After all, she was cute—and more importantly, she listened.

When he told her to tone down her arrogance, she actually did.

"So... do you think I'm useless, Kanda-kun?"

Where did that come from?

Kanda Shuichi was a bit surprised, but when he saw the hint of fear in her eyes, he understood.

"Don't worry, I won't abandon you."

Kanda Shuichi's words made Karuizawa freeze for a moment. I haven't even said anything yet...

Seeing Karuizawa looking a little uneasy, Kanda Shuichi added, "If you don't have any plans later, want to grab dinner together?"

"Eh? Can I?"

"Of course." Kanda Shuichi smiled, tossing the carrot in his hand into the air and catching it again. "How about curry?"

Even though Karuizawa looked like a flashy girl, she was surprisingly insecure.

"Mm-hmm! Back on the deserted island, I thought your cooking was really good." Karuizawa nodded eagerly, her eyes filled with anticipation.

That was a look he had never seen on Kushida or Kamuro.

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