COTE : I Just Want To Drop Out

Ren Ishikawa's journey to Advanced Nurturing High School began with a bus ride to its secluded campus.

The school, built on an artificial island just off the coast, was said to span an area comparable to a small town. With its isolation emphasized by only two sea bridges connecting it to the mainland, the campus was self-contained. It boasted not just dormitories, lecture halls, and gymnasiums, but also amenities like cinemas, cafes, karaoke bars, and even a full-scale shopping mall. The students were expected to live there for three years, cut off from the outside world.

Yet, something felt off about the bus ride.

The next stop was the final destination—the school itself. So why were there so many "civilians" on board? They couldn't all be school staff, could they? Some of them looked far too old to still be working, their wrinkled faces suggesting they had long retired.

An elderly woman boarded at the next stop, leaning heavily on her cane.

Ren's instincts immediately kicked in.

Something's wrong here, he thought.

As if on cue, a poised office lady standing near the front of the bus raised her voice. "Would someone mind giving up their seat for the elderly?" she asked, loud enough for the entire bus to hear.

The reaction was predictable.

Some passengers turned to the windows, feigning deep interest in the passing scenery. Others busied themselves with their phones, as if they hadn't heard a thing. A handful fidgeted awkwardly, glancing at the elderly woman and then at their fellow passengers, silently pleading for someone—anyone—to take responsibility.

Ren smirked. It was painfully obvious.

This is a test.

The initiator of the test was obviously the weird, high school he was about to attend, which was said to like " social simulations " ."Perfect," Ren murmured under his breath.

Here was his first opportunity to make an impression—a demonstration of his character for the school's ever-watchful eyes.

Rising to his feet with theatrical timing, Ren didn't bother hiding the satisfaction on his face. Around him, those plagued by guilt exhaled in relief.

But then, another boy stood up.

The boy's posture wavered as he noticed Ren already giving up his seat. A forced smile spread across his face, as if to say, Oh, you beat me to it. How generous of you. He promptly sat back down, pretending his hesitation had been intentional.

Coward, Ren thought, amused by the boy's smugness. It was the classic move of someone trying to appear virtuous without actually making a sacrifice.

Ren returned the boy's expression with a warm, disarming smile. It suited his sunny, approachable persona perfectly.

Several girls on the bus blushed, their imaginations running wild. So noble… so selfless… they thought.

But their admiration was short-lived.

Instead of offering his own seat, Ren casually walked over to the boy who had just sat back down. Without a word, he grabbed the boy by the collar and yanked him to his feet.

The bus fell silent.

Before anyone could react, Ren gestured for the elderly woman to take the vacated seat. "Please, ma'am," he said with a polite bow, guiding her gently into the spot.

Then, without sparing the boy a second glance, Ren sauntered back to his own seat as if nothing had happened.

The boy finally found his voice. "Hey! What the hell was that for?"

Ren turned, feigning confusion. "Huh? Oh, I thought you wanted to give up your seat. I mean, you stood up earlier, didn't you? Were you just pretending?" He paused, his expression turning thoughtful. "Or… were you trying to sneak a peek at the office lady sitting in front of you?"

The boy's face turned as red as a traffic light. His eyes darted nervously to the woman seated ahead of him. Sure enough, she wore a sharp blazer, her blouse just barely hinting at her neckline.

The office lady, catching Ren's insinuation, crossed her arms over her chest. "What are you staring at?" she snapped.

"N-no! It's not like that!" the boy stammered, waving his hands defensively. "I was just trying to—"

"Ah, I see. So you did want to give up your seat," Ren interrupted with a grin. "Glad we cleared that up. Everyone's happy now, right?"

As Ren turned back to face the front, his gaze flicked briefly to the surveillance camera mounted above the aisle. With a subtle smirk, he raised both index fingers and traced the shape of the number "8" in the air.

Flawless execution.

The bus finally arrived at its destination: the gates of Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School.

Stepping off the bus, Ren adjusted his bag and headed toward his assigned classroom .

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Class D, First Year.

When Ren stepped into the classroom, it was already buzzing with energy.

A blond, muscular boy sat at his desk, meticulously sharpening his nails with a narcissistic expression. Nearby, a pair of loud-mouthed students were cracking crude jokes, their laughter echoing across the room. A cheerful girl with a kind demeanor greeted everyone warmly, while an icy beauty, radiating an unapproachable aura, immersed herself in her studies. In contrast, a quiet, inconspicuous student sat in the corner, observing the class with unsettling detachment.

Ren's eyes briefly scanned the seating chart before he made his way to the iconic last-row seat by the window. As he approached, he noticed it was already occupied.

"Classmate," Ren said, his tone calm but firm, "are you sure this is your seat?"

The boy sitting there, who had a pair of lifeless, dead fish eyes, glanced up, momentarily puzzled.

"Did I sit in the wrong spot?" the boy asked, rising from his seat. "Wait, let me check."

The boy walked over to the seating chart, leaving the seat vacant. Without hesitation, Ren slid into it, as if it were always meant to be his.

Ren surveyed his classmates. Several groups were chatting noisily, their conversations completely disregarding the girl seated nearby. He couldn't help but notice that the class had an unusually high concentration of attractive students.

Some of the girls were strikingly beautiful, representing every archetype imaginable:

The graceful, untouchable beauty.

The lively, fashionable socialite.

The petite, timid "small animal" type.

The sweet, angelic figure.

The sheer variety was exhausting to consider. Ren sighed, leaning back in his seat with a yawn, and promptly dozed off.

Before long—

Knock, knock.

Ren opened his eyes to see the boy with the lifeless gaze standing in front of him, knocking on the desk.

"This is my seat," the boy said flatly.

Ren looked back at him lazily. "Oh? And?"

Despite having glanced at the seating chart earlier, Ren hadn't actually checked for his own seat. He had simply picked the one that appealed to him most.

There were two reasons for this:

First, he genuinely liked this spot—it had the best view and the most privacy.

Second, he was curious to see how his classmates would react.

Deliberately taking someone else's seat might seem petty, but Ren had his reasons. He wanted to establish himself as an outsider from the start, cutting off potential connections and isolating himself from the rest of the class. If a situation ever arose where his expulsion was on the line, this approach would ensure that no one would lift a finger to help him. On the contrary, they'd likely be eager to see him fail.

But there was another, more specific reason he had chosen this boy, Ayanokoji, as his target.

Ren's instincts whispered that this unassuming student wasn't as ordinary as he appeared. There was a quiet intensity about him, like a coiled viper lying in wait. It reminded Ren of the time he encountered a giant snake in the Amazon—cold, calculating, and undeniably dangerous.

Something about Ayanokoji didn't belong in this classroom. In fact, Ren wondered if this boy belonged in any ordinary setting at all.

And so, Ren had made his decision. If this boy truly was a threat, then Ren was willing to push the limits—to test the waters and, if necessary, take them both down in the process.

If the other party is really a dangerous person, Ren Ishikawa can " die together " with him without any psychological burden .

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