COTE : Backed By Black Technology System

Ever since he learned to make simple bows and arrows, Kanda Shuichi hadn't been too interested in club activities. One summer evening after school, he went to the supermarket as usual to buy ingredients.

Although buying groceries every day was a bit of a hassle, he didn't like dealing with leftovers.

As he headed to the checkout, carrying his shopping basket, he had a whole chicken, a carton of eggs, and cooking essentials like green onions, ginger, and garlic.

"It looks like I'm also out of salt and vinegar."

After thinking for a moment, Kanda Shuichi went to the seasoning aisle, picked up the usual salt and vinegar, and put them in his basket.

Just as he was about to leave, he noticed the brown sugar next to the salt out of the corner of his eye.

Hmm…

After a brief hesitation, he put the brown sugar in his basket as well.

There's a certain feeling when you get to know someone new, where suddenly, it seems like you see them everywhere. Kanda Shuichi was experiencing that today because he bumped into Ichinose Honami from Class B in the lobby again. But this time, she didn't seem very happy.

"What a coincidence. Are you still not feeling well today?"

Ichinose managed a small smile at his words, though she looked even worse than yesterday.

"I'm better than yesterday. The warm water tip you gave me really helped—it's much better than drinking cold water."

"But you look even worse than yesterday."

Ichinose hesitated, then decided to speak.

"Actually, someone's planning to confess to me behind the dorm today."

A confession, huh. I see. Kanda Shuichi wasn't surprised.

"If you're not interested, just turn them down. You should be used to this kind of thing by now."

To be honest, even though Kanda Shuichi wasn't that close to Ichinose, he could easily see her charm after just two conversations. It shouldn't be surprising that people would like her and confess their feelings.

"Huh?! No, not at all, really, not at all! I've never been confessed to before."

"Huh? Were all your classmates in middle school blind?"

This made Ichinose even more confused. Why was he bringing up her middle school classmates?

"Are you really unaware of how cute you are? You also have a great figure and a really likable personality. Surely you must be at least a little aware of this?"

Kanda Shuichi was a bit doubtful. Don't people these days have at least a little bit of self-confidence?

A girl like Ichinose, with her looks and personality, not being aware of her own charm was rare, like a panda in the wild.

"Huh? Is that really how you see me, Kanda? You're not just being polite?"

Seeing Ichinose's flustered expression, Kanda Shuichi understood—she really didn't know how cute she was.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask your friends. Besides, most high schoolers these days care about appearances. No one's going to fall for someone unattractive in a short time."

Kanda Shuichi shrugged, speaking matter-of-factly. After all, he cared about looks too, which he thought was normal.

"But… the person confessing today is my good friend. I'm worried that if I turn them down, it might hurt our friendship."

"Well, Ichinose, would you say I'm your friend?"

Kanda Shuichi put down the shopping bag in his hand, facing Ichinose with a serious expression.

"Yes, of course."

If she had said no, Kanda Shuichi would have immediately turned around and left. Why would he bother talking this much if they weren't friends?

"Then, Ichinose, I think you're very cute. Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

Luckily, there was no one in the dorm lobby at the moment, or this would definitely become a huge topic of gossip by the next day.

"Why did you confess out of nowhere? I wasn't prepared for this!"

Ichinose was completely taken aback by Kanda Shuichi's sudden confession. What kind of situation was this? Had she really made that strong of an impression after just a few meetings?

"You just need to answer yes or no."

Clearly, Kanda Shuichi wasn't going to let her get away with brushing it off and was putting on the pressure.

"Sorry, Kanda, you're a good guy, but I'm not looking to date right now."

After hearing this, Kanda Shuichi's serious expression relaxed back to his usual calm demeanor.

"That's all there is to it. Just tell the other person what you think. If they keep bothering you even after that, then they're not worth being your friend, let alone a boyfriend."

"Actually, about that..."

Just as Ichinose was about to explain, the elevator arrived, and a girl stepped out.

When she saw Kanda Shuichi and Ichinose together, her expression shifted noticeably.

"Um, Ichinose… who's this?"

Seeing Ichinose chatting alone with a good-looking guy she didn't know, Chihiro immediately became wary.

Kanda Shuichi quickly understood the situation. So that's how it is. Looks like I was wrong before.

Ichinose, it seems your charm isn't just limited to guys; even girls are drawn to you. And you have no idea—how terrifying.

"He's Kanda from Class D. We just happened to run into each other on the way back."

But clearly, Chihiro wasn't buying it.

"So… is he Ichinose's boyfriend or something?"

"Sorry to disappoint, but no. This is…"

Chihiro's name was unfamiliar to him, so Kanda Shuichi turned toward Ichinose for an introduction.

Noticing his look, Ichinose Honami quickly explained.

"This is Shiranami Chihiro, a good friend of mine from Class B."

As expected, the lobby was suddenly filled with a hint of jealousy. How annoying!

"So, Shiranami, you don't need to look at me with that suspicious glare. Also, I admire your boldness. Good luck."

He gave Ichinose a playful wink, teasing her openly, then picked up the shopping bag he had set down earlier and headed for the elevator, humming a tune.

After resting a bit in his room, Kanda Shuichi was just about to start preparing the ingredients when there was a knock on his door.

Ah, it's Ichinose Honami. She just turned me down, but now she's coming straight to my room. Doesn't she think that's a bit forward?

But she doesn't seem like the type to act aggressively like Kamuro, so it's probably fine to let her in.

---

————— ----

You can read 10 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu