Another Like Me - Part I (CoTE x OC) ?

Chapter 26 - Another Like Me

"A Class A student? Perhaps from the Sakayanagi Faction?"

"That is the same conclusion I have drawn as well, yes. I can confirm it via Ichinose, though," Ayanokoji replied.

"There would not be any other reason. Class A in the Rabbit Group was purely following Class A's defensive strategy, the one that Katsuragi had set up. A violation of that would mean that the traitor does not support Katsuragi's decision, and his way of doing things. I believe this is the sole reason there was a traitor in the group. That leads me to another question. Did anyone from the other classes not think about making a phone call to confirm the ownership of the phone that the VIP possessed? An exchange in phones could be easily identified that way."

"I already had that planned out," Ayanokoji replied nonchalantly. "We exchanged our phones and I used Private Points from Chabashira-sensei to unlock my SIM, and exchange it with Karuizawa's phone. According to the Group, I was the traitor, even after Ichinose made a phone call on my phone."

"So you're telling me that you posed as the VIP, and exchanged phones with Yukimura, but he did not know that you had exchanged numbers as well?"

"You're a fast learner."

"It wasn't that hard to figure out. But that would mean that in the Rabbit Group, only you and Karuizawa-san knew about the fact that the numbers were exchanged as well? Barring Ichinose, who probably figured it out after the exam."

"Essentially. It was a simple plan-in-a-plan. Nothing else."

"You see how important Private Points are now, right? I'm assuming that unlocking the SIM on 2 phones would not have been cheap, considering that Chabashira-sensei was your dealer. I almost pity you."

"You make it sound like a drug deal."

"I didn't know you had a sense of humor, Ayanokoji," I chuckled.

"I didn't intend to make it funny," said Ayanokoji. "You seem to be well versed in the language that drug dealers use. From experience, perhaps?"

"You got me there."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Learn to take a joke, man."

"....."

"....."

"....."

"....."

"What do you think of Class A?" Ayanokoji suddenly asked me.

"They seem to all have very high individual abilities, but they absolutely lack cohesion. They won't get far with this sort of attitude. If I remember correctly, Class A has lost 200 Class Points in this Zodiac Exam, and that is probably the final blow that will push Katsuragi off the Class A throne."

"That reminds me, Class C performed exceptionally well in this exam," brooded Ayanokoji. "I got a detailed list of the results that each group got in the Exam from Hirata." Saying so, Ayanokoji took out his phone, and messaged me a picture. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I took a good look at it.

"Class C had correct traitor assessments in 4 Groups," Ayanokoji explained. "The Rat, Horse, Rooster and Pig. All traitors were from Class C in these groups. From what I saw in the members of these groups, none of them are great; all mediocre students who would probably find it hard to blend in well in these exams."

"Are you perhaps implying that Class C had found out some sort of trick to determine who is the VIP in each Group?"

Ayanokoji nodded, and I looked through the picture once again. He was indeed telling the truth. Class C had correct traitor assessments in 4 groups. There were only 2 groups where Outcome 4 was the result: the Rabbit Group (Ayanokoji's Group) and the Cow Group. In the Cow Group, the traitor was from Class C, which led to a penalty of 50 CP's for Class C.