COTE : Is Talent Everything? (Rewrite)-Chapter 105 - 102: What Is Marriage?

The hectic special exams and such had finally settled down, and it was past 10 PM on a weekend that was about to end.

While lying in bed scrolling through my phone, I received a call. The number wasn't saved, but the 11 digits looked familiar.

"Hello?"

*"Sorry for calling so late at night, Hachiman-kun. Do you have a minute?"*

"It's fine. It's been a while, Chairman Sakayanagi."

The owner of this number was the chairman of this school's board—and also my benefactor.

*"No need to be so formal. It's hard to keep a conversation flowing like this."*

Even if he said that over the phone, Chairman Sakayanagi probably didn't call just for small talk.

*"I've caused you a lot of unnecessary worry, haven't I? But you don't have to be concerned anymore."*

"It's good to hear you're doing well."

*"You too, Hachiman-kun. I heard you earned a Protect Point in the last exam. It's reassuring to see you gaining more safety nets."*

So he'd already heard about the Unanimous Vote Exam.

As if signaling the end of the preamble, Chairman Sakayanagi continued.

*"Let's get to the point. You've probably heard that government officials and their families have been invited to the upcoming cultural festival as an unusual exception? Once the arrangements were made, even I couldn't stop it."*

If the invitations had already been sent out, retracting them would be difficult.

"You don't need to apologize for that. I'm sure the students are looking forward to it."

True, for me and Ayanokouji, there are risks involved, but it's still within the realm of a normal school event.

*"About that... There's something that hasn't been announced yet, but I wanted to tell you and Ayanokouji-kun first."*

"What is it?"

*"Along with the cultural festival, there's been a last-minute decision to invite some guests to the October sports festival as well."*

"Guests at the sports festival?"

I see. That's something I hadn't anticipated.

*"Since it's unprecedented, there were concerns about security if we suddenly allowed guests free rein at the cultural festival."*

So this is a test run—a way to prepare for the larger event.

*"I can't completely rule out the possibility that Ayanokouji-kun's father is involved in this. So, considering the potential danger to you, I'd like to assign a few watchers to keep an eye on you."*

"I appreciate the thought, but—"

*"You'd rather not have special treatment, right?"*

Cutting me off, I fell silent.

I understood what Chairman Sakayanagi was saying. If it were just a matter of skill, I could handle it, but there are threats I can't deal with on my own.

*"I know you well enough to expect this. But if you were to get expelled because of this, I'd regret it for the rest of my life."*

"Even if I agreed to your suggestion, having watchers around me would look unnatural."

*"I know. That's why I'm giving you another option—skipping the sports festival."*

"Skipping... it?"

That wasn't something I had considered.

*"For events like the sports festival and cultural festival, unavoidable absences due to illness are already accounted for."*

"Right. Even if it puts my class at a disadvantage, there's no forced expulsion or anything like that."

For smaller special exams, they could wait until all students were present, but for a school-wide event like the sports festival, that wouldn't be possible.

*"And if you stay in the dorm under the pretense of illness, I can openly station watchers I trust outside."*

It's a minimal measure, not outright favoritism, and I'm grateful for the consideration.

"Can I have some time to think about it?"

*"Of course, I'm not forcing you. The final decision is yours. But—"*

"I know. I'll seriously consider taking the absence option."*

*"Good. I'll need your answer at least a week before the sports festival. I'll need time to prepare."*

Considering personnel arrangements, that's the bare minimum.

As I was about to end the call, Chairman Sakayanagi stopped me.

*"One more thing... There's something I want to tell you—no, a request I have for you."*

"A request?"

Surprised by the unexpected extension of the call, I waited for him to continue.

*"First, let me explain the fundamental issue. The truth is, I've been working on creating a legal registry for you—under the name Hikigaya."*

"That's... surprising."

This was just my assumption, but my existence was likely concealed. I didn't even know who my birth parents were. With no obstacles, it's highly possible that the children in the White Room were kept hidden for convenience.

Yet Chairman Sakayanagi had been creating a legal identity for me as *Hikigaya Hachiman*. I had no idea what his goal was.

"Wasn't that risky? Why go that far?"

Even for one person, creating a legal identity while evading *that man's* attention couldn't have been easy.

*"I've been thinking... about your future after graduation."*

"What do you mean?"

*"About how to free you from the shackles of the White Room. Though, I admit, this was selfish of me—I didn't consider your feelings."*

True, Chairman Sakayanagi's actions completely disregarded my own will.

*"I thought that to leave you a path after graduation, you'd need a clear connection first."*

That "connection" wasn't abstract—it was something tangible.

Chairman Sakayanagi took a breath and made his proposal.

*"Hachiman-kun... Would you seriously consider marrying Arisu?"*

For a moment, my thoughts froze at the unexpected suggestion. But undeterred, Chairman Sakayanagi continued.

*"Well, there are other options. Adoption, for example. But personally, I think the best path is an engagement with Arisu."*

I see. So that's the "connection" he meant.

The "connection" Chairman Sakayanagi referred to was a public, legally recognized bond—one that would allow me to be seen as part of his family. If I were his son-in-law, even in name, it would open up possibilities for me after graduation.

*"Of course, the chances of this working are slim. But even so, it could drastically expand your options."*

I understood the reasoning, but... marriage to Arisu? That was way too sudden.

"Let me ask this instead—are you really okay with this? Considering my background, wouldn't it just burden Arisu?"

*"Ahaha, that girl's stubborn. I'm sure she'd choose to stand by your side without hesitation."*

"But suddenly bringing up marriage is..."

*"You don't have to decide now. Take your time. But don't worry—I can handle all the arrangements for your life after marriage."*

"This is moving way too fast."

*"Do you have a problem with my daughter?"*

"That's not it, but..."

*"I'm joking. It's not my decision to make. You still have time, so discuss it with Arisu and decide for yourself."*

Marriage—a topic far removed from the minds of high school students. I'd thought this call was just about strategies for the sports festival, so Chairman Sakayanagi's proposal caught me off guard.

This must be what they call "parental approval," but what really matters is how the people involved feel. There's no guarantee that Chairman Sakayanagi and Arisu's wishes align.

"Marriage, huh? What I thought was a joke might actually become reality."

...Maybe I should talk to Arisu about this.

........

The next day, I left the dorm a little earlier than usual and ran into Ayanokouji in the elevator.

After exchanging brief greetings, I decided to bring up the Unanimous Vote Exam.

"I heard. You pushed for Sakura's expulsion in the last exam."

"Word got around?"

"No, I looked into it myself."

Ayanokouji nodded as if that made sense.

I didn't know the details of what happened in Horikita's class, but all I knew was that Ayanokouji had been the driving force behind Sakura's expulsion.

"You expelled Okabe too, right? And you got a Protect Point. I'm jealous."

"The Protect Point was just luck. But I'll make good use of it."

We exchanged results without digging deeper. That's how our conversations usually went—short and to the point.

"Hey, Ayanokouji, I wanted to ask you something."

"What?"

"What do you think about marriage?"

"...Huh?"

His dumbfounded reaction told me the question was completely unexpected.

"Hypothetically speaking. After graduation, if you had the chance, would you want to get married?"

Still looking confused, Ayanokouji thought for a few seconds.

"I've never really thought about it... but I guess it depends on the person?"

"That's way too textbook."

"How am I supposed to know what answer you're looking for? What's this about, anyway?"

His face made it clear he had no idea what I was getting at. As the elevator doors opened, I followed him out.

"Chairman Sakayanagi seriously proposed that I consider getting engaged to Arisu."

"Ah, I see."

"That was fast."

"Well, my gut says it's the kind of thing that could happen to you."

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

"Wouldn't it be fine if you could get married? Sakayanagi's objectively top-tier in looks and ability. You two seem compatible too."

"Compatible, huh?"

"Compatibility matters, right? She understands your situation, so why not just go for it? I'm sure she'd be happy to accept."

"...You're not just saying whatever comes to mind because it doesn't affect you, are you?"

"It doesn't affect me, so yeah."

Fair enough. If I were in his position, I'd probably say the same. Maybe I asked the wrong person.

The real question was whether Arisu would even agree to this. I'm not exactly skilled in romance, but I'm not completely oblivious either. I'm aware that she holds some level of affection for me.

It might sound self-absorbed, but... I witnessed *something* before coming to this school that made me certain of her feelings. Arisu probably doesn't realize it, though. I'll probably take this to my grave—for her dignity's sake.

"If you do get married, invite me to the wedding. I'm curious about wedding cakes."

"Hold on, marriage is off the table unless Arisu agrees."

"Then it's just a formality. At least I'll get to see a wedding cake."

"Were you even listening?"

......

When I woke up, I immediately called Masumi-san.

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"Masumi-san, Masumi-san!"

"What...? I was still sleeping..."

"I don't know why, but... I have this incredibly good feeling."

"Huh?"

"I've never felt like this before. How should I put it? It's like... the greatest happiness of my life is about to come. Like something's going to happen that'll define my future."

"What are you even talking about?! I'm going back to sleep!"

"And for some reason, I really want to be close to Hachiman-kun. What's happening to me?"

"How should I know?!"

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