Enrollment

Disclaimer: This novel is entirely fictional and has nothing to do with any real people or events. This is a completely new world, so please don't compare it to reality.

Author's note: All the characters here are over eighteen. Why are they only high school students at eighteen? You know how it is.

And just in case, I'll add another little buff.

This Advanced Nurturing School is six years older than a regular high school—twenty-four! That should put everyone at ease, right?

All right, places, everyone. The main story is about to begin.

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Action!

It was April. The sun shone brightly and a gentle breeze stirred the air as the entrance ceremony at Advanced Nurturing High School began in the lovely spring weather.

I sat quietly on a bus, my thoughts surging like the tide as I pondered the meaning of life.

I, Akasaka Ryunosuke, was a transmigrator, like a lonely shooting star streaking across the heavens of time and space before landing in this unfamiliar world.

However, I had neither a golden finger nor any cheat abilities. I was like a solitary boat adrift in a vast ocean, with no sense of direction.

When I first transmigrated into this world, I was bewildered and helpless, as though I had found myself in an endless, pitch-black maze.

Then one day, I received an acceptance letter. Like a ray of dawn in the darkness, it illuminated the road ahead.

When I saw the four prominent characters "Advanced Nurturing" on the letter, I suddenly understood. I had arrived in the world of Classroom of the Elite, a place full of challenges and opportunities.

After arriving in this world, I carefully investigated my identity like a detective.

My parents had separated, and my father had gambled away every last bit of the family's assets.

In the end, his creditors drove him off to faraway Africa to grow what seemed like an endless supply of potatoes, leaving me behind, lonely and helpless like an orphan.

Fortunately, the creditors weren't heartless. They knew I was about to attend Advanced Nurturing High School.

So they decided to leave me, a pauper, alone for the next three years, granting me a brief reprieve.

Now I had no choice but to start thinking about the unpredictable life that awaited me over the next three years of high school.

First of all, making money was a reality I had to face.

At this Advanced Nurturing School, points were like precious currency that could be exchanged for cash at the same rate.

However, to achieve that, I had to graduate as a member of Class A. That was a mountain I could hardly hope to climb.

My only advantage was that I had a pair of eyes that could see through time. Having read the original story, I knew exactly what was going to happen.

As long as my arrival didn't change the plot beyond recognition, I could use my foreknowledge to plan ahead and earn a massive number of points like a sage.

Just as my thoughts surged like a tide on the bus, an old man tottered aboard, trembling like a candle in the wind.

But every seat was taken. I looked around. The students and office workers all ignored the old man, and I couldn't help sighing.

I knew the old man's appearance was very likely a special test carefully arranged by the school.

If I gave up my seat, I might be able to get into my ideal class.

In the original story, Kushida Kikyo had once given up her seat, but she still hadn't managed to move up a class. Her flaws must have been too obvious.

If the old man hadn't been planted by the school, I'd gladly have given up my seat. But the situation was different now.

If I gave up my seat, it might affect my journey to whatever class awaited me.

Given that my original self used to skip school and go out to work odd jobs to repay his debts, and his grades were at the very bottom, there was a hundred percent chance I'd be assigned to Class D.

The original Class D may have started off with the first zero-point total in the school's history, but every student in it was a capable person. There was Ken Sudō, who had been recruited for his basketball skills, and Kogenji Rokusuke, whose physical prowess was practically unmatched.

Horikita Suzune, Horikita Manabu's younger sister, was a loner. Though she had plenty of flaws, there was no denying her exceptional talent.

If she had even half of Kushida Kikyo's social skills, she'd be no less capable than any leader in the other classes.

There was also Matsushita Chiaki, a low-spec version of Ayanokoji.

If I ended up in Class D and saved my Personal Points at the start, I could let Ayanokoji, the class's strategist, lead the way later on and coast to an easy victory.

However, I'd come to this school to earn a fortune in points and graduate as a member of Class A. Class D had Ayanokoji and a decent chance of moving up to Class A, but it could also become a burden when it came to earning points. Going solo would usually be better in that situation—provided you had the strength to stand on your own.

I'd also have to watch out for Ayanokoji, lest he treat me like a tool and manipulate me however he pleased... At the thought, Ryunosuke covered his face with one hand. That guy had no emotions. Once he'd used someone, he tossed them aside like trash. I had no intention of becoming his tool.

Class C was a high-risk class, practically Ryuen Kakeru's backyard. Anyone who disobeyed him would be subjected to his violent rule, so I could skip that one.

Class B was like one big, friendly family. However, its leader, Ichinose Honami, was too kind, like a docile lamb. As a result, the class was full of talented people, but struggled to bring out their true potential.

If a skilled person could become Honami's right-hand and help her make plans, the class would be even more formidable. At a single command from Ichinose Honami, everyone could gather in an instant and unite into an unstoppable force.

Class B would become immensely powerful then. Its potential was sky-high, while its floor was bottomless. How far it rose depended entirely on the strength of its leader.

Class A started out on top, already standing at the summit. In the early stages, its two leaders caused deep divisions within the class. During a Special Exam, they even did the absurd thing of selling information to other classes.

In the middle and later stages, Sakayanagi Arisu was exceptionally capable, but her true goal wasn't to graduate as a member of Class A. She longed to face off against Ayanokoji in Class D.

Besides, being in Class A didn't matter much to her. After all, the entire school belonged to her father... She didn't care whether she graduated... She was a young lady born with a silver spoon in her mouth, simply playing in her father's own backyard.

At the thought, I furrowed my brow, my head throbbing. If I wanted to earn lots of points, I'd inevitably attract the attention of that "tiger." The moment she found "prey" that interested her, she'd sink her teeth into it and never let go.

However, if I wanted to earn lots of points, I'd have no way of avoiding that Mother Tyrant...

Just as my thoughts churned wildly like a storm, a voice like an oriole singing reached my ears.

"Don't you think you should give up your seat?"

At the familiar voice, I looked up as if jolted by electricity. Oh wow, the beautiful guy.

The person being admonished by the girl sat as firmly as a mountain in the priority seat. He was a blond young man, grinning broadly with his legs crossed, utterly at ease, as if he couldn't see anything wrong with hogging the priority seat.

"You over there, don't you see how uncomfortable the old lady looks?"

The short-haired, flaxen-haired girl in a school uniform was hoping the beautiful guy would give up the priority seat to the trembling old man.

The beautiful guy sitting in the priority seat spoke up.

"What a crazy question, Lady."

The blond boy grinned and crossed his legs again. Then he continued spouting specious nonsense.

"Why should I have to give up my seat to this old person? There's absolutely no reason."

"I don't understand. Even if it's a priority seat, there's no legal obligation to give it up. Whether to yield or not is up to the person who currently has the seat. Young people should give up their seats? Ha! What a nonsense idea."

After seeing this, I lost interest, because I knew what would happen next.

So I looked around and, sure enough, spotted a blank-faced guy. That must be Ayanokoji. Then I looked beside him and saw a beautiful girl with long, straight black hair. Her breathtaking looks and icy air had to mean she was Horikita Suzune. She really was beautiful...

I couldn't help staring at her a little too long—five whole seconds.

The girl seemed to notice my gaze. She looked up and glared at me, and I realized I'd been caught. I quickly looked away.

It wasn't my fault... In my previous life, I'd never seen a beautiful girl like this. Wasn't it perfectly normal for a guy to look at a beautiful girl for a little longer?

As I was thinking to myself, the conversation between Kōenji Rokuhito and Kikyo finally came to an end.

It ended with Kushida Kikyo's failure.

But the girl didn't seem ready to give up. Instead, she launched another appeal.

"Everyone, could I have your attention for a moment? Would anyone be willing to give this old lady their seat? Anyone at all, please."

I watched the girl indifferently. It wasn't because I was cold-blooded; I'd read the original story and knew she was a hypocrite,

Well, even if she was a hypocrite, what was wrong with that? At least she'd actually stepped in to help the old man. Whether she was a hypocrite didn't matter anymore. What mattered was the result...

While everyone on the bus remained unresponsive under the pressure, one girl couldn't stand it anymore and stood up to offer her seat.

"Please, sit down..."

"Thank you!" Kushida Kikyo said with a bright smile, expressing her gratitude to the girl who had given up her seat.

"You're welcome."

The girl replied indifferently, then stood up and grabbed one of the overhead hand straps.

Kushida Kikyo helped the trembling old man into the seat as carefully as if he were a fragile piece of porcelain. The old man beamed and nodded his thanks to Kikyo and the girl who had given up her seat.

Kushida Kikyo was clearly very happy.

Seeing that smile, I couldn't help wondering: was it an act, or did she mean it?

Then I curiously looked at the girl who had just given up her seat and was astonished to realize that I knew her.

She was a future member of Class A, Kamuro Masumi...

In an instant, I understood everything. So that was it... Was Kamuro Masumi using this opportunity to move up to Class A?

If there wasn't anything too wrong with a person, then they really could move up to Class A this way.

I turned to look at Kikyo again, but she couldn't do it. Her flaws were too great. Back in middle school, she had destroyed an entire class...

The girl seemed to notice me watching her, too. She turned to look my way and smiled. I didn't return the girl's smile. I turned away and closed my eyes to doze.

The girl looked surprised, apparently not expecting the boy to ignore her. A hint of danger glimmered in her smiling eyes,

I wasn't interested in what happened next, so I paid no more attention.

Before long, the bus reached its destination. I got off behind the high school students like a ghost.

Soon, I arrived at the classroom that belonged to me. I looked up, and sure enough, it was Class D.

Before long, Ryunosuke swept into the classroom like a gust of wind. The room was already full. Just as he'd expected, several little groups had gathered together like stars around the moon, chatting away.

Ryunosuke knew full well. Whether he came early or late, he'd have a hard time fitting in with them.

He'd already decided to go it alone, so let Ayanokoji worry about Class D.

He only wanted to make money. He didn't want to get mixed up in this mess.

He looked around, his gaze quickly homing in like radar on the seat with his nameplate.

Wow! Back row, by the window. The king's throne. Perfect!

Before long, Ryunosuke settled into his seat like a bird returning to its nest.

Right in front of him, Horikita Suzune's delicate face appeared before his eyes like a beautiful painting.

To be honest, Ryunosuke's heart had skipped a beat for a moment. She was a breathtaking beauty! Too bad she was as cold as ice and had a sharp tongue.

But I wouldn't be blinded by her beauty now. In my eyes, there was only glittering money...

To his right, Sakura Airi kept her head lowered like a startled fawn. Seeing the girl, Ryunosuke couldn't help thinking of the tragic fate she suffered in the original story. Maybe this was an opportunity he could take advantage of...

As I was lost in thought, my deskmate in front of me—Horikita Suzune—suddenly turned around and looked at me. I was a little confused.

The girl looked at me with an extremely icy gaze and asked,

"What did you mean by looking at me on the bus just now?"

My brain froze for a moment, but I quickly remembered what Horikita Suzune was talking about. I hurriedly explained, hoping to avoid being targeted by this troublesome girl.

"Sorry, you're just so cute and beautiful that I ended up staring at you for a little too long without realizing it..."

Horikita Suzune apparently hadn't expected such a blunt answer from me. Her cheeks flushed for an instant, but she immediately regained her composure and scolded me with an extremely hostile tone and glare.

"Are you a pervert? You looked at me with your filthy eyes on the bus. I admit that I'm cute and beautiful, and that I'm a pretty girl.

"But I don't want a lecher like you staring at me. It disgusts me. You stared at me for five seconds on the bus, didn't you? Go turn yourself in to the police immediately, you pervert."

Ryunosuke's mouth twitched. She was so aggressive. You thorn-covered rose. I'd only looked at you for five seconds... Did she really have to attack me so viciously, enough to drive someone into depression?

When I saw that the girl seemed ready to keep going, I hurriedly raised a hand to stop her.

She couldn't say any more. Everyone's attention was turning toward us. Although I didn't want anything to do with the people in this class, I didn't want anyone to mistake me for a pervert even more.

I took a deep breath, thought of what to say, then spoke softly to Horikita Suzune.

"I'm sorry. It was my fault. I shouldn't have stared at you for a full five seconds, and I definitely shouldn't have had any improper thoughts about you. So please forgive me. From now on, I promise I'll never look directly at you..."

Horikita Suzune didn't quite understand what Ryunosuke had said, but she got the general idea: he was apologizing to her.

Suzune crossed her arms and spoke to Ryunosuke in an extremely arrogant tone.

"Since you've apologized so sincerely, I won't make you turn yourself in to the police. I hope you don't speak to me again. I don't want anything to do with a pervert like you."

Ryunosuke's mouth twitched. I'd only looked at you for five seconds, so how did I become a pervert?

I silently ignored Horikita's final words and nodded.

When Horikita Suzune saw me nod, she stopped attacking me and turned back to her desk.

In the classroom, everyone saw that our argument had ended and lost interest, turning away.

I couldn't help thinking that people loved to gawk no matter what world they were in.

Sakura Airi braced both hands on her desk and buried her head in them, keeping one eye on Ryunosuke's side of the room.

He's such a strange person. I'd better avoid getting involved with someone like him...

Horikita Suzune was talking to a guy with an expressionless face.

The guy was like an emotionless robot. He replied politely, "My name is Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. Pleased to meet you!"

Horikita Suzune gave him an icy reply.

"Why introduce yourself all of a sudden?"

Just as the atmosphere grew awkward because of the ice queen's words, they fell silent for a while. The girl beside him, the ice queen, softly uttered someone's name:

"Horikita Suzune."

"Hm?"

I, standing nearby, butted in like an enthusiastic tour guide. "That's her name."

Before long, Ayanokoji responded to Horikita like a gentleman.

"Nice to meet you, Horikita."

Then, as if drawn by a magnet, their attention shifted to me. Seeing this, I introduced myself as well. "I'm Akasaka Ryunosuke. I look forward to getting along with you both over the next three years."

Ayanokoji replied to me expressionlessly, as if there were only ever one look on his face.

Horikita Suzune simply turned away without responding, like a proud peacock.

What a tsundere! I complained silently to myself. I did my best to keep those words from slipping out.

If I said something mocking about the girl, she might take revenge on me for the next three years, like an angry little lion.

"You seem to be thinking something very rude," Horikita Suzune said, turning to stare at me.

"That's just your imagination!"

Ryunosuke was somewhat speechless. Could she even tell when I was only making fun of her in my head? Could she stop being so perceptive about such a strange thing?...

Before long, we fell silent again.

I sighed. I should've known better than to butt in... Sorry, Ayanokoji.

Then, like a scanner, I carefully looked over the classroom and the students around me, unable to help feeling a rush of emotion.

The girls at this school were stunning. It was practically a gathering place for beautiful girls.

Karuizawa Kei and Sato Maya—one had a full-on gyaru style, and the other was sweet and cute.

The talented Matsushita Chiaki was hiding her abilities in silence like a skilled martial artist keeping a low profile, all to avoid trouble.

Kushida Kikyo was kind to everyone, like a white lotus in full bloom. However, only those who got to know her would discover that her heart was as black as ink.

Hasebe Haruka was beautiful, with the figure of a model, like a dazzling pearl. However, she had an intense dislike of boys, especially those leering at her with lecherous intentions. It had made her rather aloof.

There was no doubt she was an unparalleled beauty, particularly when it came to her ample chest. Perhaps it was even more impressive than Sakura's.

Then there was the legendary grinder, Wang Meiyu. Whether it was English, chemistry, math, or social studies, she ranked near the top of the class. You had to admire this fellow countrywoman. She had clearly inherited Great Huaxia's excellent genes—she really was the King of Kings of Grinding.

I remembered how my roommates had once tricked me into playing games with them instead of studying for an exam, while secretly getting up to grind away behind my back. I didn't wake up until the results came out. Damn it! Those bastards! I was the only fool who'd believed their bullshit.

In stark contrast to the girls' dazzling looks, the boys seemed rather scruffy, as if they'd crossed over from another world and had a completely different style from the girls here.

Looking at the lovely girls in my class, I couldn't help falling into thought. Once I'd earned enough points to pay off my debt, why not find a girlfriend at This School and have a sweet romance?

In my previous life, I seemed to have been a bona fide virgin. At the very least, I'd lose my virginity at This School.

Just as I came back to my senses, the school bell rang like a symphony, signaling the start of class. It seemed my life at Kōtō Ikusei Gakuen had officially begun, Ryunosuke thought.