The Charm of Ichinose

Though he still had plenty of questions, the bus had already stopped, so he had no choice but to get off.

Then, as soon as he stepped off, he was met with another shock.

He had thought his knowledge of this world would be enough to let him navigate it with ease, but now it seemed things were far more complicated than he'd imagined.

He clearly remembered that, in the original work, Kouiku's entrance was a massive gate made of natural rock.

But now, standing before him was a cold iron gate.

The sight of it chilled his heart, too.

He began to wonder whether he'd really transmigrated into Classroom of the Elite.

Even those two from just now had never revealed their identities; he'd only assumed their names based on his own preconceptions.

He really was in the right place, wasn't he?

Standing before the school, he found himself frozen, studying the gate.

Unlike an ordinary school's welcoming, open entrance, this gate was shut tight, as if testing the resolve of anyone who tried to enter.

It consisted of two heavy black iron doors. There were no signs or plaques on them, yet they still gave off a distinctive charm.

A subtle light seemed to ripple across their surface, like electricity coursing over the metal, though it wasn't quite electric light. It seemed more like some subtler, more advanced form of energy.

As he drew closer, he could even feel a slight vibration, as if the gate itself were alive and had a will of its own.

Towering stone pillars stood on either side of the gate. Symbols he'd never seen before were carved into them, seemingly forming a protective aura around the entrance.

Itozawa couldn't help reaching out to touch the symbols. A warm, gentle force met his fingertips, filling him with a sense of inexplicable reassurance.

He noticed several jewels of different colors embedded in the top of the gate, gleaming strangely in the sunlight.

Itozawa's hand rested on the iron gate, and his doubts and unease deepened. Where had he ended up? Was this still Classroom of the Elite?

He stood there, raging inwardly, when Kouenji Rokusuke appeared in his field of vision.

Kouenji saw Itozawa standing frozen and scoffed, as if disdainful of his hesitation.

He reached out, pushed open the iron gate, and walked inside without looking back, exuding confidence—almost arrogance.

Itozawa quickly made up his mind and followed Kouenji inside, hoping to get some information from him.

His instincts told him that Kouenji had to know what was going on, or at least understood the school's secrets better than he did.

Kouenji seemed to see through Itozawa's intentions. He spoke haughtily, his voice tinged with provocation. "Boy, are you really going to follow me? I already know which class I'm in. Can you be sure you're in the same class as me?"

Itozawa opened his mouth, still intending to speak. He wanted to ask about the school and use the answers to confirm whether he'd really transmigrated into the world of Classroom of the Elite.

But Kouenji could see that he hadn't given up. He cut him off coldly. "The teachers in each class will explain what you want to know. So stop following me."

Itozawa knew Kouenji wouldn't give him any more information, so he had no choice but to give up following him.

He turned toward the notice board. It should have the information he needed.

Itozawa reached the notice board and saw a dense crowd packed in front of it.

He deftly weaved through the crowd, looking for any opening he could use. After a tremendous effort, he finally forced his way inside amid the surrounding complaints.

Once he'd squeezed up to the notice board, he looked up and carefully scanned the class lists.

He had to start with Class A, of course.

He scanned the list twice, but unfortunately, his name wasn't there.

So he had no choice but to keep looking.

When he found that he'd been assigned to Class B, he felt a little dissatisfied, but at least he could breathe a sigh of relief.

At least he hadn't been put in Class D.

Otherwise, he had no idea how he'd manage to keep a level head around that bunch in Class D.

Class B might lack people with a knack for strategic battles, but at least they were united.

As long as he could keep leading them to victory, they'd be reliable teammates.

He took another careful look at the other names on the notice board and felt reassured. The class placements of the well-known characters from the original work were the same as in the original.

In that case, perhaps the bus schedule had simply changed unexpectedly.

As for Kouenji, it wasn't strange that someone of his standing would know what was going on.

Itozawa did his best to calm down, convincing himself it was just a minor mishap.

Just as he was preparing to leave the crowd, he spotted a blonde girl who seemed to be heading out as well.

For some reason, Itozawa sensed a powerful warmth and approachability about her.

So, as if in a trance, he followed her, hoping to figure out where that warmth came from.

The girl didn't notice she was being followed. Instead, she went straight over to a brown-haired girl.

The brown-haired girl had been left outside the crowd and looked anxious. She clearly wanted to squeeze in and check the notice board, but couldn't get through the crush—and didn't dare speak up.

"Hello. It looks like you really want to check the information on the notice board. Would you like me to help?"

The brown-haired girl turned around and saw Ichinose's warm smile. Some of her nervousness eased.

"Ah, yes. I want to check which class I'm in, but there are so many people, and I..."

The blonde girl nodded in understanding, her voice full of encouragement.

"That's all right. Let's try together. Everyone, would you mind letting us through? We just want to check which class we're in."

The crowd had been jostling impatiently, but when they heard her polite, gentle request, their attitude suddenly changed.

People began making way on their own, opening a path for Ichinose and Shirakami Chihiro.

Shirakami Chihiro stared at the scene in surprise and said softly to Ichinose, "Thank you. I thought no one would pay attention to me."

The blonde girl smiled gently and led Shirakami Chihiro toward the notice board. "Of course they would. Everyone's very friendly. By the way, I don't know your name yet."

"Ah, I... I'm Shirakami Chihiro. It's nice to meet you!" Shirakami Chihiro hurriedly introduced herself.

"Hello, Shirakami. I'm Ichinose Honami." Ichinose held out her hand in a friendly gesture, and the two briefly shook hands.

Itozawa quietly watched the whole exchange from the side, inwardly amazed.

He hadn't expected her to be Ichinose, the leader of Class B.

Only then did he remember that, when the book first introduced her, she really had been a blonde girl. She didn't dye her hair until after July.

In that case, Itozawa felt even more at ease.

Even this little detail had been accounted for, so this definitely had to be the world of Classroom of the Elite.

But...

He frowned as he looked at Ichinose's back.

When Ichinose had asked everyone to let them through, the people around her had changed their attitudes so dramatically.

Even he had felt an involuntary urge to go along with her.

"Is Ichinose really that charming?"