Konoe

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Konoe Hirakawa
Original Name	近卫
Alias(es)	Saburo (family nickname); “Pingping” (used by Hasebe Haruka) 11
Gender	Male
Affiliation	First-Year Class D; Student Council
Occupation/Role	Student; Student Council clerk; Class D tutor and information broker
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background / History

Konoe enters High-Spec School as a First-Year Class D student. He initially prefers being alone and gives an intentionally unremarkable self-introduction, though his observant nature quickly sets him apart from his classmates 1 2.

After questioning Chabashira about the school’s point system, he uses his Mind Palace to infer that the school-wide assessment has already begun. He shares his deductions with Ayanokoji and Hirata, then sells the information to Class B for 60,000 points after Class A rejects it 3 6 7 9.

His high score on Class D’s mini-test and his performance during the Student Council interview attract Horikita Manabu’s attention. Konoe is recruited into the Student Council, where he is valued for his comprehension, memory, and ability to process large quantities of information 17 21 25 28.

Appearance

Konoe is a pale, thin boy with delicate features that are frequently mistaken for feminine. His appearance and weak physical condition contrast with his academic ability.

• Very fair skin, described as bordering on unhealthy 1
• Childishly cute, feminine facial features
• Black hair 3
• Slim and sickly-looking build with limited stamina 4 10
• Often gives off a cold, difficult-to-approach aura despite being polite in conversation 1 5

Personality

Konoe begins school withdrawn, privacy-conscious, and primarily motivated by preserving or increasing his personal points. He dislikes being burdened with responsibility, often seeks a way to observe from the sidelines, and is willing to use information as a bargaining tool 6 19.

Despite this, he repeatedly becomes involved when classmates need help. He shares his assessment deductions with Hirata, tutors struggling students for the midterms, investigates Sudo’s case, and accepts Student Council work. He is capable of guilt and remorse when his actions hurt others, particularly Horikita 7 20 21 36 42.

Konoe can be calculating, evasive, and unexpectedly sharp-tongued. His confrontation with Horikita reveals a competitive streak, while his dealings with Chabashira, Kushida, and Class C show that he can manipulate circumstances when necessary 17 27 32 43. He nevertheless struggles under pressure and is physically vulnerable when situations turn confrontational 23.

Abilities & Skills

Mind Palace

Konoe’s Mind Palace allows him to reconstruct observations in exceptional detail and mentally test deductions against the information available to him.

• Perfectly recalls minute details, including text, colors, clothing, and locations 3
• Used it to deduce that the school’s assessment had begun before Chabashira confirmed it 3
• Can model possible outcomes and identify missing information before acting 9 42
• Reads and memorizes documents at an extremely high speed while using it 28
• Uses it to solve difficult academic problems, including the Student Council interview question 25
• Its effectiveness depends on having enough evidence; while solving mystery novels, he succeeds only about three times out of ten 12
• Causes severe mental and physical exhaustion when used extensively, including sweating, dizziness, and reduced stamina 3 4 12

Academic Ability & Tutoring

Konoe is one of Class D’s strongest academic students and becomes a central tutor during the midterm preparations.

• Achieved the only 100-point score on Class D’s mini-test 17
• Organizes and assists Class D study sessions after agreeing to help Horikita and Hirata 20 21
• Tutors students with weak subjects, including Hasebe, Mori, and others in Karuizawa’s group 21
• Earned Horikita Manabu’s recruitment partly through his academic performance and comprehension 21 25

Information Gathering & Negotiation

Konoe treats information as a resource, gathering, selling, and leveraging it to improve his position.

• Sold his early assessment deductions to Class B for 60,000 points 9
• Directed Kushida and Ayanokoji to obtain old and potential real exam papers from second-year students 27
• Negotiated directly with Chabashira for points rather than accepting her assurances at face value 19 32
• Used his Student Council identity and knowledge of shop records to obtain Class C surveillance footage from KTV manager Kashiwagi 43 44
• Identified that Ryuen had exaggerated an injury to worsen Sudo’s punishment after reviewing the footage 44

Chess

Konoe is a novice chess player who learns quickly but is decisively outmatched by Sakayanagi Arisu.

• Learns the basic rules during his first meeting with Sakayanagi 46
• Uses the Mind Palace to analyze possible piece movements during their second match 47
• Concedes after Sakayanagi uses castling, a rule she had not taught him 47
• Challenges her to a formal rematch with 200,000 points from each player at stake 47

Physical Condition

Konoe’s physical ability is notably poor, though he begins training to compensate for it.

• Has below-average stamina and struggles with physical exertion 4 23
• Was unable to break free when Kushida restrained him 23
• Learns basic swimming control through persistent practice during the swimming lesson 10
• Starts running and follows bodyweight-exercise videos after Sudo’s advice 30 33

Equipment / Items

• Student Terminal — Used for points, calls, messages, contact exchanges, and transactions.
• Student Council notebook computer — Issued for Student Council work and used to review financial records 37.
• Shop-accounting USB drive — Contains income and expenditure records for hundreds of school shops 37.
• Class C surveillance USB drive — Obtained from Kashiwagi during the Sudo investigation 43 44.

Relationships

• Ayanokoji Kiyotaka — Konoe’s earliest close friend and frequent collaborator. They exchange theories about the school, share information, and coordinate during the midterm and Sudo-related incidents 4 6 13 42.
• Horikita Suzune — A classmate with whom Konoe has a tense but functional partnership. He hurts her pride during an argument, later agrees to tutor classmates at her request, and promises support in future exams after she discovers his deal for exam papers 17 20 36.
• Kushida Kikyo — Initially a friendly contact and source of information. After Konoe discovers her hatred of Horikita, their relationship becomes coercive, volatile, and increasingly personal; he ultimately rejects her request to date him 23 39 50.
• Horikita Manabu — Student Council president and Konoe’s superior. Manabu recruits him for his comprehension and execution ability, but also tests him by asking whether he can frame another student for expulsion 21 25.
• Ichinose Honami — Class B representative who appreciates Konoe’s early information sale. She treats him warmly, praises his abilities, and later asks for his help during Chihiro’s confession 25 31 48.
• Hirata Yosuke — Class D’s conciliatory organizer. Konoe entrusts Hirata with his early assessment theory and later supports Hirata’s study sessions 7 20 21.
• Shiina Hiyori — A Class C student who bonds with Konoe over mystery novels. She recommends books to him and later provides public information about Class C’s usual KTV gathering place 12 43.
• Tachibana Akane — Student Council secretary. Their relationship begins with irritation over Konoe’s blunt remarks, but she later acknowledges his abilities and assists him with Student Council work 20 28 37.
• Sakayanagi Arisu — A strategic chess opponent who tests Konoe’s behavior and abilities through their games. Their rivalry culminates in Konoe proposing a 200,000-point rematch 46 47.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Class Point Assessment

Konoe is among the first Class D students to realize that the school’s point system is tied to evaluation. He investigates Chabashira’s wording, deduces that an assessment is already underway, and tries to protect himself by selling information rather than publicly leading the class 3 6 9.

When Class D receives only 11,000 personal points and falls to 110 Class Points, Konoe recognizes that his earlier refusal to fully act cost the class a major opportunity 16.

Midterm Preparation and Student Council Recruitment

Chabashira offers Konoe 100,000 points to ensure that every Class D student passes the midterms. He accepts, then becomes involved in tutoring and the effort to acquire exam papers 19 20 27.

His academic performance leads Horikita Manabu to recruit him into the Student Council. He formally proves his value by solving a difficult interview problem and rapidly memorizing a large document stack during his first assignment 21 25 28.

Sudo Incident Investigation

Unlike his earlier reluctance to intervene, Konoe decides to act when Sudo faces possible punishment. He investigates Class C’s KTV gathering, secures surveillance footage under the pretense of a Student Council inquiry, and discovers evidence that Ryuen’s side manipulated the severity of the incident 42 43 44.

Sakayanagi’s Chess Challenge

Sakayanagi invites Konoe to the Chess Club under the claim that she can resolve Class C’s incident. Konoe learns chess, recognizes that she has been testing his habits and decisions, and challenges her to a high-stakes formal match after losing their informal games 46 47.

Notable Quotes

“If I can watch from the sidelines, I’ll watch from the sidelines.” 19

“I have too few cards in my hand.” 42

Trivia

• Konoe gets carsick easily and selected a softer bus seat to conserve energy 2.
• He frequently eats sweets, including candy used while concentrating in his Mind Palace 9 41.
• Although he enjoys expensive cafeteria meals, he usually eats free meals to preserve points 40 47.
• He is an avid mystery reader and compares High-Spec School to a “Snow Mountain Villa” mystery setting 12.