I Want to Be Izumi Kotomi’s Dog

Arisu Sakayanagi leaned on her cane as she stood up. Seeing this, Yachiyo Kuhama initially wanted to tell her that she could remain seated, but realizing that Arisu likely didn't want any special treatment, she remained silent.

It took Arisu about half a minute to stand fully upright, a process that the students in Class 1-A were long accustomed to witnessing.

Once she stood straight, Arisu adjusted the wrinkles on her clothing caused by sitting, then slowly began to speak.

"Yachiyo-sensei, I'd like to talk about Izumi Kotomi."

"Hmm? Are you two close?" Yachiyo raised an eyebrow with interest.

Since it had been less than a month since the school year started, Yachiyo had memorized the names of all her students but hadn't had much time to learn more about their interpersonal relationships. She knew how crucial it was, especially for high school students, to have one or two friends who could positively influence them.

If they had such friends, they were lucky.

Arisu smiled softly and replied, "Quite well. She made a strong impression on me back then…"

Her voice trailed off as she realized she had said too much. Fortunately, the last two words were spoken so quietly that no one—neither the nearby students nor the teacher—seemed to hear them. She let out a quiet sigh of relief, her eyes flickering momentarily before she continued with a light chuckle.

"I believe anyone who took the exam in the A-class testing hall would remember her clearly."

With just that one sentence, Arisu seemed to conjure nightmares for many of the honor students in Class 1-A.

"It's more than just a strong impression… Whenever I hear or see the name 'Izumi Kotomi,' I'm overcome by the deepest sense of despair," one student confessed.

"Since the midterms ended, I haven't slept well for two days… I've been suffering from insomnia. Every time I close my eyes, I see her image—finishing the exam ahead of time, no matter how difficult the questions were. She's terrifying. Absolutely terrifying, like a devil!"

"I used to think I was a genius, that I had real talent. But no matter how hard I tried to catch up, she was always far ahead. Just as I was beginning to solve the problems, she was already handing in her exam and leaving the room. It's terrifying... Is she even human? Or is she some kind of demon?"

"She's an indescribable genius…"

"I want to be Izumi Kotomi's dog."

Wait, who the heck just said that last part? What a weirdo!

But it wasn't hard to see that Izumi Kotomi had left quite a psychological mark on many of the students in Class 1-A. Yachiyo, observing their reactions, suddenly felt some hesitation about her initial plan to bring Kotomi into Class 1-A.

Would that really be a good idea?

If Kotomi agreed to join Class 1-A, it would certainly please her as the homeroom teacher. After all, Kotomi had scored a remarkable 1,047 points, securing the top spot in the grade.

Yachiyo had also considered another angle.

Although Class 1-A had lost face by missing out on first place in this exam, if they could recruit Kotomi before the upcoming midterms, the chances of reclaiming the top spot would be much higher.

"If you can't beat them, recruit them."

That had always been the strategy for Class 1-A.

Initially, Yachiyo had thought this plan was highly feasible. She hadn't worried much about whether Kotomi would agree because she assumed no student would turn down an opportunity to join Class A.

Forget about the access to better educational resources—just the 100,000 yen monthly stipend would be enough to draw in hordes of eager students.

Given that the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A was personally inviting her, who could refuse?

Yachiyo was confident. She even believed that she wouldn't need to personally extend the invitation. Simply sending one of Class A's students to inform Kotomi would be enough for her to agree without hesitation.

Having settled on this plan, she had been preparing to act right after the first period ended by sending one of the honor students to relay the invitation to Kotomi.

But now, seeing how many of her top students reacted upon hearing Kotomi's name, Yachiyo began to waver.

She had expected her students to exhibit competitive spirit, eager to challenge someone of Kotomi's caliber. But instead, their reactions were more akin to reliving a traumatic experience.

Some even seemed to regard Kotomi not as a rival but as a source of terror, and one student had bizarrely declared that they wanted to be Kotomi's dog…

Just hearing her name evoked such a strong response. If she were to actually join Class 1-A, would the students here shut down completely?

Yachiyo sighed deeply. What a shame she had been unable to proctor the midterms that day due to other obligations. If she had been there, she would have closely observed Kotomi in action during the exam.

How had Kotomi managed to finish her test so early and leave such a lasting impression on this group of honor students—students who normally held themselves in such high regard?

Had Kotomi truly scared them into submission or inspired such admiration that some students now wanted to become her loyal followers?

These were some of Yachiyo's concerns. Would bringing Kotomi to Class A really be beneficial?

What if her presence demotivated the other students, causing the class average to plummet by the time of the midterms?

That would be disastrous.

If the class average dropped, it would mean that Class A had faltered in two consecutive major exams, and as the homeroom teacher, Yachiyo would undoubtedly be held accountable.

"Izumi Kotomi's strength is unquestionable. Her score of 1,047 far surpasses mine. Believe it, don't doubt it—she is the legitimate first place," Arisu continued calmly. "She stands above Class A, atop all the other honor students, as the number one in the entire grade. And… the number one in all of Tokyo!"

Arisu's words sent shockwaves through the classroom as she looked toward Yachiyo and asked:

"Yachiyo-sensei, am I correct? This midterm was a city-wide exam, and Kotomi's score ranked her as the top student in all of Tokyo."

Yachiyo pursed her lips before nodding, confirming this fact.

Indeed, the scope of this midterm extended to all high schools across Tokyo. The competition was not limited to Sobu High's first-year students but encompassed all of Tokyo's high schools.

Yachiyo had initially wanted to withhold this information for a bit longer, believing it wasn't the right time to reveal it. But since Arisu had already brought it up, she saw no reason to hide it any further.

Many of the honor students looked as if the life had drained from their faces, struggling to come to terms with this reality. Their competitive spirits were strong, and if the difference had only been a few dozen points—or even a hundred—they might still have been motivated to try harder.

But it was clear that the gap Kotomi had created in this exam was simply insurmountable.

Realizing this left them in despair.

Of course, there were also those who had already fallen under Kotomi's spell, worshipping her like a goddess. These students were more excited about Kotomi's achievement than they would have been if they had secured the top spot themselves.

"Kotomi-sama, you're a legend!"

"I had no idea the competition was across all of Tokyo! Now that I've seen my score… I guess I'm actually pretty good. At least I beat the other first-year students from other schools."

"I still want to be Izumi Kotomi's dog."

Arisu lightly cleared her throat, and the room immediately fell silent. As the class president, she commanded great respect and authority within Class A.

Once the room had quieted down, she continued: "Kotomi's skills are more than enough to place her in Class A. So, Yachiyo-sensei, will you extend an invitation to her? Of course, I'd be happy to go with you."

Yachiyo thought about it for a moment before replying:

"You make a valid point, but I must decline. At least for now, I don't think Kotomi is ready to become a student in Class 1-A."

Hearing Yachiyo Kuhama's words, Arisu narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, as if silently questioning the teacher. When she spoke again, her tone had noticeably cooled.

"Why? Could it be that you, Yachiyo-sensei, also think Class 1-A isn't worthy of Izumi Kotomi? How funny, because I was thinking the same thing~"

Arisu's voice was sweet as she said this, but there was a sharpness in her words, clearly directed at Yachiyo Kuhama, almost as if she was preparing to launch a verbal attack on the entire Class 1-A.

Yachiyo could obviously hear the hostility in Arisu's words and sighed helplessly before explaining, "Arisu, as the class president of 1-A, you must understand why I don't think Kotomi should join our class just yet. At least not right now."

"I do understand, but understanding doesn't mean agreeing, does it? I don't think I need to explain such a simple truth to a teacher who graduated from an Ivy League school, do I?"

Arisu's voice remained pleasant, yet her eyes gradually took on a sharpness as she continued, "The whole point of Class A is to gather the top elite students of the school. If we can't even handle a challenge like this, then Class A doesn't deserve such fragile students who fall apart after a single blow to their pride."

While Arisu's view was clear, Yachiyo didn't fully agree.

It was true that some honor students had weak mental resilience, but Yachiyo preferred balance. Her education emphasized the importance of balancing excellence and stability, and that's what she prioritized. Rather than focusing solely on producing the number-one student in the grade, Yachiyo believed that maintaining Class A's overall average was more important. Losing the top rank could be dismissed as an "off day," but if the average fell, it would be a serious problem for her as Class A's homeroom teacher.

She had no intention of losing her position just months after being appointed as the homeroom teacher for Class 1-A.

That was the reality of high school life. While students were fiercely competing for their futures, teachers were also engaged in intense competition for their annual bonuses. Everyone had their own pressures to bear.

Yachiyo wasn't just a teacher; she could see that Arisu was eager to bring Kotomi to Class 1-A. But why? Was Arisu's desire for Kotomi's transfer so strong that she would even consider leaving Class 1-A if Kotomi didn't join?

Yachiyo couldn't quite figure it out, though she suspected it had something to do with the close personal relationship between the two girls.

Feeling the standoff intensify, Yachiyo wondered how she, the teacher, had ended up feeling like the weaker party in this exchange with her student. Realizing that Arisu wouldn't back down without a clear resolution, Yachiyo finally relented and nodded.

"Alright, I understand. Arisu, let's go and speak to Kotomi together."

After all, Yachiyo knew very well how valuable it would be to have someone like Izumi Kotomi as one of her students.

Leaving the question of balance aside, from a long-term perspective, bringing Kotomi into Class 1-A was undoubtedly beneficial.

What teacher wouldn't want a star student like Izumi Kotomi?

Once the decision was made, Arisu returned to her seat, her smile deepening. She spent the rest of the lesson daydreaming about how Kotomi would soon be her classmate, completely tuning out the lesson. Not that it mattered to her academic performance, of course.

After class, Yachiyo and Arisu made their way to Shizuka Hiratsuka's office to discuss Kotomi's possible transfer. The consent of Kotomi's current homeroom teacher would be required for such a move.

Meanwhile, in Class 1-F, Kotomi, who was still sleeping on her desk, had no idea that an invitation from Class 1-A was about to come her way.

…

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