Confession

After Hoshino Kanade finished putting away the daily necessities she bought at the convenience store, she immediately threw herself onto the bed, reveling in its softness.

As expected of Tokyo Metropolitan High School of Cultivation, the quality of this bed is excellent.

Hoshino Kanade was finally experiencing a normal high school life, though this school wasn't exactly normal.

In my previous life, I was under pressure from childhood, forced to compete, competed my whole life, and was ultimately crushed by it.

To relieve stress, Hoshino Kanade stumbled upon the 2D world. Welcome to the Classroom of the Elite was a work she particularly loved, having read the anime, novel, and manga multiple times.

Unfortunately, by the time Hoshino Kanade died, the novel, even the one progressing the fastest, hadn't finished updating.

This life, I originally wanted to just get into a school with a high deviation value and start my new life.

Unexpectedly, she received an acceptance letter from Tokyo Metropolitan High School of Cultivation, a high school with the same name as the work from her previous life.

After some investigation, she found that the school's public description was indeed similar to the one in her previous life.

This made Hoshino Kanade a little excited. Even setting aside the sentimental value from her past life.

Accepting the admission was a great choice for Hoshino Kanade. Not only was tuition completely free, but the points earned after graduation could be exchanged for Japanese yen. Even if she couldn't reach Class A, she could still get into a good university through her own efforts.

Having experienced the soul-crushing exam-oriented education of her previous life, coupled with her natural talent this life, and her efforts in middle school for scholarships, Hoshino Kanade believed no one's academic ability surpassed hers. No one.

The only concern was the later stages, where it might directly turn into a classroom prioritizing martial prowess. If she could earn enough points within a school year and then transfer, that would be perfect.

That's what I thought at first, but Ayanokoji is a girl, and our relationship seems to be on good terms now. If I seize the opportunity, I can rely on Kina to protect me in the future.

Ayanokoji's emotional expression differed across the anime, manga, and novel, leading to variations in character portrayal, but the core persona remained unchanged: a belief in escapism, absolute rationality, and omnipotent strength.

However, I wonder what changes the female version of Ayanokoji will have.

The current goals are to win over Kina and earn points. With Kina, she'll have a sense of security, and with more points, she'll feel more at ease.

From today's interactions, Kina seems to lack boundaries. I suspect it's due to a lack of common sense.

She also hasn't interacted with others. Could she be socially anxious?

She keeps talking to me, is she trying to cultivate me into her tool?

Of course, it's also possible I'm overthinking it, and Kina simply wants to be friends with me.

For earning points at this stage, the best method is selling information. In the original work, Class A had 940 points, Class B had 650, Class C had 490, and Class D was not worth mentioning.

Judging by Class A's initial points, either Class A discovered the rules early on, or everyone in Class A was inherently of high quality.

Hoshino Kanade leaned towards the former. Each class was assigned some students with lower academic ability. Even if Class A had fewer underachievers, Class B wasn't far behind. But after a month, the point difference between the two classes was truly significant.

Stepping back, even if everyone in Class A was self-disciplined, it couldn't be ruled out that Sakayanagi discovered the rules.

When selling information, the other party might already know that information. Not only would the transaction fail, but she would also be branded with the crime of "betraying the class."

There's no guarantee that Class A is unaware, so there's no need to transact. Better safe than sorry.

Of course, if she were to approach Class A for a transaction now, less than half a day after school started, it might not be impossible.

It's just that explaining the source of her information would be difficult, and attributing it all to upperclassmen wouldn't be appropriate either.

I'll observe first and then make plans.

Class B is the best buyer, mainly because Ichinose is an archangel. Even without a contract, she probably wouldn't expose Hoshino Kanade. Of course, a contract would be a form of insurance.

Class C is also a good buyer, but being targeted by Ryuen would be troublesome. After a transaction, it would be like having leverage in Ryuen's hands, allowing him to threaten her at any time.

If a transaction is necessary, she'd have to tamper with the contract or find an intermediary, like Shiina Hiyori.

Class D goes without saying. She felt like she'd be working for free. It would be enough to contribute academically and ensure she wasn't expelled in the expulsion exam.

Transacting with other classes is equivalent to betraying Class D. If she were exposed.

Then Hoshino Kanade's contributions to Class D would be wiped clean.

Hoshino Kanade's high school life, and even her life in Class D, would end there.

Placing spies in Class D is necessary; the more information, the better.

Matsushita Chiaki is a good choice: capable, observant, steady yet seeking excitement.

Miss, you don't want your friends to know you've been hiding your strength, do you?

Just kidding. If I want to win over Matsushita, I won't use such methods. I'll think about it later; it's too early now.

Hoshino Kanade took out her terminal. The only contact listed was Ayanokoji Kina.

"Want to go eat together?"

Things being as they are, let's eat first.

1204, this was Ayanokoji Kina's dormitory.

After inspecting the dormitory, despite her limited common sense, Ayanokoji Kina was surprised by the school's luxurious environment.

The male and female dormitories were shared. The handbook stated, "Romantic relationships inconsistent with the status of a high school student are prohibited," which meant... relationships between students were supported?

That does seem to be the case.

The thought of this being her first time living independently, and that she would be completely cut off from the outside world until graduation, brought a rare smile to Ayanokoji Kina's lips.

Her lips, though still sharp, curved into a shallow arc, a faint, soft warmth emanating from between them, a stark contrast to her usual icy demeanor.

This was completely different from before.

In the past, her "smile" was merely a barely perceptible twitch at the corner of her mouth, something only Hoshino Kanade could catch.

But now, this genuine anticipation was finally clear for all to see.

This school was renowned for its high employment rate, and its teaching staff's benefits were unmatched by other institutions.

But Ayanokoji Kina didn't care about any of that. Friends from junior high, her parents, and even everyone outside were forbidden from contacting students at the school without permission.

This was what Kina valued most.

Kina had obtained freedom. She even muttered to herself, translating the word "freedom" into several languages.

"This is simply... amazing!"

From now on, she would keep a low profile and simply enjoy life.

She just needed to ensure minimal social interaction, enough to avoid being isolated.

However, Sou-kun was a strange person. He was very observant and seemed calm no matter what happened, completely unlike the other high school students she observed. He must be capable.

Although the Black Long Straight person in the next seat was also calm, their poker face never changed.

But Sou gave her a different feeling than Black Long Straight. Sou's feeling was like he had expected it all along? While Black Long Straight seemed more like they had high psychological resilience? Or was it simply because of the gender difference?

He remained unfazed by other matters, but his behavior when interacting with her was different.

He acted pure-hearted, but by carefully observing his expression, muscle changes, and many seemingly unconscious movements, she realized they were deliberate.

He was probably trying to act like a normal high school boy reacting to a girl?

Was he sharing the problems he discovered with her to simply confide in a friend, or was he trying to showcase his strengths to attract her attention?

Although Sou had some issues, they weren't major. After all, he was her only friend, so she should be tolerant.

If Sou wanted to take things further, it wouldn't be impossible. Romance could also be a part of enjoying a free life.

During today's self-introductions, he didn't want to make friends. If it weren't for her, Sou-kun would definitely have been isolated by the whole class. She really didn't know what to do with Sou (shrugs and shakes her head).

It was definitely not because she was afraid to initiate conversations and make friends herself.

"Hm?"

Her terminal lit up. It was an invitation from Sou to eat. It was mealtime.

Her thumb slid across the cold screen, the cursor blinking rapidly in the input box.

"Okay" (Read)