When Kotori entered the classroom, she immediately sensed that something was wrong.
Mari looked a bit pale sitting at her desk, and Chidori was glaring daggers at her back.
Kotori frowned as she walked up to her own desk, sitting down before asking Chidori why she seemed so angry.
"It was awful!" Chidori exclaimed. "Some of the fan club members were at the mall yesterday and they saw Mari kiss Hayama senpai!"
Kotori froze in shock. "Oh... really?"
"Yes! And I even asked her before if she liked him but she said no! Clearly she was lying, that two faced sneak!"
Kotori considered her next words carefully. While she didn't agree with how Chidori was acting, Chidori was still a friend. Not a close one, but still one nonetheless.
"You know I was there, at the mall, too. I saw what happened. It seemed like an accident. They were both leaning down to pick something up and her lips just accidentally touched his cheek."
Chidori didn't seem to know what to think of that, but it did seem as if a bit of her anger was dissipating. She spent a few moments deep in thought, before frowning once again. "But what if she really does like him? And really was just lying to me before?"
"Would it be bad if she did?"
"Of course it would! Hayama senpai belongs to all of us!"
Kotori was momentarily taken aback by how strongly she felt about it. "So you must really like him, right?"
Chidori smiled even as she blushed. "Yes. He's just perfect!"
"If you like him that much, then you must want him to be happy, right?"
Chidori nodded furiously. "Of course I do!"
"And what if he said he was happy with Suzuki-san?"
For a moment it seemed as if all the blood had drained from Chidori's face. She clearly had never actually considered the possibility that Sosuke would one day find someone to date. Kotori supposed it made sense. In the entire time Sosuke was at Kouketsu High he'd never one accepted anyone's confession, or confessed to anybody himself. It was clear most of his fan club members expected it would just continue that way forever. But Kotori knew things would be different this year, as the heroine, Mari was here, and if Sosuke was going to fall for anybody, it would be her.
"B-but!"
Kotori smiled at her gently. "Imagine you're him, for a moment. You really really like somebody, but other people keep getting in the way, they might even be harming the person you like. What do you do then?"
"I... I..."
"If somebody tried to stop you from liking Hayama senpai, wouldn't you be angry?"
Chidori made a little 'eep' sound. "Does... does Hayama senpai hate us? Does he hate me?"
"No, I don't think he hates you. But... I think if he was to one day show a real interest in somebody, and he knew that you were trying to get in the way, or were hurting them somehow... I think he might then."
She didn't know how finite the rules of this otome game world were. Everybody she met seemed like real, three dimensional people, but there were also some aspects that seemed exactly like it came straight out of the game. She was hoping though, that she would be able to get through to Chidori. She knew she was a good person deep down, despite the type of person she became when it came to Sosuke.
If Kotori could change the name the game gave her, surely she could change this too?
"What should I do then? Are you saying I shouldn't like Hayama senpai anymore?"
"Not at all. I'm just saying that you should maybe tone down the harsh treatment of anybody else who might like him. If you're allowed to like him, shouldn't other people be too?"
Chidori pondered on what Kotori said for a couple moments before she seemingly made a decision. She hardened her face and nodded, once, and then briskly walked over to where Mari was sitting.
Mari jerked in surprised at Chidori suddenly appearing in front of her, and seemed to be waiting for her to explode, but Chidori didn't do anything of the sort.
Kotori couldn't hear what they were saying from the back of the room, but whatever it was it seemed to take Mari by great surprise.
"So... what did you say to her?" Kotori asked when Chidori returned.
"I told her that if she wanted to like Hayama senpai I couldn't stop her."
Kotori beamed proudly at her.
"Do you... do you think that Hayama senpai really likes Suzuki-san?"
From what Kotori had seen, he did seem at least marginally interested in Mari, but perhaps not so much as to say he liked her yet. "I think... that you might have as much of a shot as she does."
Chidori burst out into nervous giggles. Kotori felt a bit bad about lying, but the truth was that Mari would have the highest chance of nabbing Sosuke. She just didn't want to break Chidori's spirits completely.
There was still time, anyway. As far as Kotori knew, Mari might not even end up going down Sosuke's route in the end, and he might be free for Chidori to try and win over.
Kotori was going to continue believing that despite them living in an otome game world, that nothing, not even the lives of the capture targets, was set in stone.