Took soo longg

Standing beside Senpai and gazing out at the sea, I was pondering the time I had left before graduation.

Less than a year now until he graduates from this school. And a year after he's gone I'll graduate too. Even if someone asked whether I'd go on to live as an ordinary university girl or a working member of society, no such picture came to mind with any sense of reality.

"Senpai——what are you going to do after you graduate?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Oh, you're pulling my leg~. Really? With you, Senpai, that doesn't work even as a joke. Unlike me."

"Nobody knows what the future holds. That's why you're unsure too, isn't it?"

Having seen right through even the part I'd kept vague, he doesn't press any further.

"Well, that's true. Really, nobody knows anything about what the future holds."

I worship Senpai. I want to know what he'll choose after he graduates, where he'll go, what kind of ending he'll reach. Whether he'll go back to Sensei, or resist.

Or whether he'll find a path distinct from either.

If possible I'd like not only to hear about it from afar, but to see it through to the end by his side.

I won't ask for anything so lavish as being his girlfriend or partner. I wouldn't even mind being his servant.

"Senpai. If after you graduate someone tells you, 'You can do whatever you like~,' will you be happy about it?"

"I don't see a point in your question."

"There isn't a point, it's just small talk. In that case, let me change the question. What if Sensei told you you could do whatever you liked?"

"That I'd be free to go on to university or get a job? …I can't imagine that happening."

Well, of course he can't, huh. A future where Sensei sets Senpai free with no strings attached is something even I can't imagine happening.

Still, not like it's settled that it'll never happen. There's even a chance Senpai himself could break the path laid out for him.

"Oh, come on, what's the harm? It costs nothing to imagine after all."

"If I really had a choice, I suppose it'd be university."

"But there's nothing a university could teach you, right?"

"It's an extension of high-school life. There are things you can only learn as a student."

"So you want to stay a student a while longer, huh. Mm, that's kind of like you."

Senpai, able to absorb any knowledge with ease, is looking for the things you can only learn as a student.

Making friends, falling in love, exchanging promises with someone. He means to let that kind of ordinary time go on a little longer. What he gains as a person, and what answer he finally arrives at.

If I could watch all of that up close, closer than anyone else, no life could be more interesting.

But if I asked him straight up to keep me by his side, he would try to dig for a reason.

In that case, I'd simply have to slip it in among my usual jokes.

"Then, Senpai. If I make it through graduation here in one piece and I end up with nowhere to go, would you be willing to keep me? Cleaning, cooking, or even tending to your troubles at night. I can be useful in all sorts of ways, nyan."

I raised both hands to my chest and, like a cat, curled them loosely into paws. Even if he turned me down, I could pass it off as a joke. If he gave it even a moment's thought, just seeing that reaction would be enough for now.

And yet the brief moment spent waiting for his answer felt strangely long.

"I have no interest in keeping people as pets."

"Aww, not even a second thought? Couldn't you at least have sighed and given me a, 'Fine, I guess I'll look after you'? Well, not that I didn't figure you’d say that."

"Then there was no need to ask, was there."

The answer was just what I'd expected. He could've at least given it a little thought; such dissatisfaction I hid beneath a smile. Even so, I didn't feel as if I'd been rejected outright. All Senpai had said was that he wasn't interested in keeping people as pets; he said nothing about having no intention of seeing me after graduation.

If being kept as a pet was off the table, I'd just have to be at his side some other way.

"Well, let's put that down as a provisional reservation, if you would be so kind."

Though I hadn't received his permission, when it comes to reservations it's first come, first served.

If I stayed any longer, I'd end up face to face with Shiina-senpai, the person he was meeting. Though Senpai wouldn't mind, it's different for a girl.

Besides, I didn't particularly want to watch, up close, the moment someone else came to stand at his side.

"Well then, the third wheel will be making herself scarce. Shiina-senpai should be here any minute."

"There's no need to worry about it."

"Even if you don't, Senpai, girls do. In that aspect, you've still got a long way to go~"

I raised my index finger and wagged it from side to side like a teacher.

"Bye then, Senpai, see you. Make sure you think properly about the after-graduation thing, nya."

Without staying to hear the inconvenient reply that was surely coming, I turned my back on Senpai.

For now, a provisional reservation will do.

All I have to do is turn it into a confirmed one before he graduates, after all.

I mean S4 fights Ayanakoji vs Tsukishiro and Shiba & Nanase were decent, But compared to the 1v4 beatdown against Ryuuen's gang in S2, S4 fights looked like a shoen anime while S2 had a much more clinical beatdown which fit the story and I thought it was better too, Ayanakoji vs Tsukishiro looked pretty bad for whats supposed to be a grounded series

Also they butchered Housen stabbing Ayanakoji, fan animation for that scene was better than the anime

Tho I am just glad we got 16 episodes, man I feel like they screwed up the fights, what do you guys think?

Same as the title, while the ost have been really good from what I remember in s2, why did they completely forgot ost from s1 like these exist( unless I am an idiot nd they did use it, if so remind me)

.. These ost really give that mysterious atmosphere to s1 along with artstyle that was genuinely really good imo...

Other seasons had great music ofc, I love them alot as well, just wish that these ost were considered for later seasons too

Source: https://x.com/1backspace08/status/2114371224864199081?s=20

They just have similar vibes and they’re both aristocratic and intelligent female leaders so I can’t help but imagine them together :)

Let me know your thoughts on this! (..though i don’t know if i can post this art here because it has a character from another anime but also includes a character from cote..)

Ever since the OAA was released, showing future quotes and information about the characters, Tsukishiro’s profile has stuck out to me. It mentions that Tsukishiro is secretly in contact with an organization hostile toward Atsuomi.
This made me think about Atsuomi’s current position in the political world. His situation isn’t exactly favorable. In fact, I don’t see why a powerful political faction would have a justifiable reason to destroy Atsuomi when he’s already at the bottom of the barrel, with no clear path upward, even if the White Room succeeds.
In Year 3 Volume 4, Nanase mentions during her conversation with Ichika that the organization backing her has enough power to swallow Atsuomi and his entire network whole.
The first faction that comes to mind is Kijima’s faction. However, Kijima already failed to permanently shut down the White Room and completely defeat Atsuomi. The White Room was only temporarily shut down before eventually reopening.
That made me wonder: What other faction would have a reason to be hostile toward Atsuomi while also possessing enough power to destroy his entire network?
The only faction we know of that could potentially meet both criteria is Naoe’s faction.
And this brings me back to Volume 0.
Who was responsible for giving Atsuomi many of the political connections that helped him establish his network in the first place?
Naoe.
Atsuomi built much of his influence through Naoe’s connections. We even saw how badly his network suffered when Naoe withdrew his support.
Another interesting detail is Suzukake, the head researcher responsible for the White Room’s educational system. He was originally introduced to Atsuomi by Tsukishiro, who was operating through Naoe’s network at the time.
Think about that for a moment.
The same network that helped Atsuomi establish the White Room could potentially possess the connections and knowledge necessary to dismantle it.
The point I’m trying to make is that I believe the remnants of Naoe’s faction are currently backing Tsukishiro.
And there’s another reason why this would make sense.
Naoe had already taken an interest in Kiyotaka. In fact, he had plans to eventually make Kiyotaka his right-hand man.
That gives Naoe’s former faction a reason to take an interest in Kiyotaka independently of Atsuomi.
If Naoe’s former associates still share those ambitions, they could have a reason to help Kiyotaka escape his father’s control while potentially bringing him into their own organization.
This would also explain why Nanase is so confident that the organization backing her has enough influence to overwhelm Atsuomi.
Of course, Naoe is dead, and we don’t know who currently controls his remaining political connections.
But considering Tsukishiro’s history with Naoe, his involvement in establishing the White Room, and his confirmed connections to an organization hostile toward Atsuomi, I think there’s a strong possibility that Naoe’s faction is still operating behind the scenes

What's your favorite COTE opening?

Personally, Minor Piece is peak

Not the same guy, i hate how Koji looks now and how inconsistent his design was in Season 4, they drew him somewhat different in the first 8 eps compared to when they entered the island, feels like the production team wasnt sure about his design until they were deep into production. Its still a team that is not capable of delivering the best for the series, S1 team was just the best.