Classroom of the Elite: After the Intelligence Refresh, They All Want to Win Me Over!

Classroom of the Elite: After the Intelligence Refresh, They All Want to Win Me Over! Author: Asagiri Kaito

Synopsis

[Transmigration + Class D + Intelligence System]

Shimizu Akira unexpectedly transmigrated into the world of Classroom of the Elite, becoming an ordinary student in Class D.

[Ping! Daily Intelligence updated]

1: Kamuro Masumi of Class A will attempt to steal beer from a convenience store today.

2: Karuizawa Kei is looking for a "fake boyfriend" to serve as her shield.

3: If you need to take care of your physical needs, knock on Hoshinomiya Chie's door three times at exactly 2:00 a.m.

4: At 10:00 p.m. tonight, Kushida Kikyou will visit your dorm room under the pretext of "asking for help with a question," but in truth...

"Is this intel... really reliable?"

With the advantage of knowing things in advance, Shimizu Akira moved between the various factions:

He handed Horikita Suzune a crucial clue just when she needed it most.

He became Karuizawa Kei's ideal "fake boyfriend."

He enjoyed romantic battles of wits with Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Why is their intel getting more and more suspicious?"

Volume One

001 Today's Intel: Kushida Kikyou Is Two-Faced

"This is a priority seat..."

"I have absolutely no interest in contributing to society..."

Hearing two people start arguing over giving up a seat, Shimizu Akira, who was sitting by the exit, stood up and stepped aside. "Ma'am, please take this seat."

"Thank you, young man."

Shimizu Akira gave a slight nod, lightly steadying the elderly woman by the elbow before stepping over to a nearby pillar.

A delicate gardenia fragrance suddenly drifted closer.

When Shimizu Akira looked up, he met a pair of smiling eyes. The girl with light brown hair tilted her head slightly as the train swayed, her hair brushing across her shoulder.

Seeing that he had noticed her, the girl gave the faintest nod, a dimple flashing briefly at the corner of her lips.

"Thank you for helping out just now, classmate."

Shimizu Akira shook his head lightly. "It was nothing. Don't mention it."

"Thank you for doing your part for society. You really helped me out." The light-brown-haired girl smiled, her eyes curving. "My name is Kushida Kikyou. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Shimizu Akira." The boy gave a slight nod. "Hello, Kushida."

After their brief exchange, the train car fell quiet again.

Shimizu Akira's gaze lingered unconsciously on the girl's hair.

So her hair really is light brown!

Even on his second day in this world, he was still amazed by the colorful hair of the people around him.

Everyone had East Asian features, yet the passersby's hair was as vivid as a paint set knocked over, and it was almost impossible to find two people with the same color.

It was straight out of an anime.

But apart from that small oddity, everything here was so real it made his heart ache.

His chest rose and fell as he breathed, the sunlight warmed his skin, and even the breeze brushing his ear seemed to carry the breath of life.

After finishing another day of overtime, he had opened his eyes to find himself back in his sixteen-year-old body, in this unfamiliar world.

At the time, a mechanical voice had echoed in his mind: [Main Quest: Complete your studies at the Advanced Nurturing High School].

(I have to... graduate from the Advanced Nurturing High School?)

Along with it came an ability called the "Daily Intelligence System." Every morning at eight, the system would refresh with three brand-new pieces of intel.

Shimizu Akira had been a light-novel fan in his previous life, so he quickly understood that this was probably a cheat ability meant to help him graduate smoothly.

But why an intelligence system... instead of a study system? Or a genius system? he couldn't help muttering. "Is graduating from this high school difficult for reasons other than exams? What's so hard about graduating?"

Still, something was better than nothing.

Following the system's instructions, he lightly tapped his pinky three times. These were the three pieces of intel the system had given him after he transmigrated the day before.

The next moment, three lines of text shimmered into view on his retina in pale blue:

[Intel 1: On the opening day of Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, Kushida Kikyou and Kouenji Rokusuke will clash over giving up a seat for an elderly person on bus xxx]

[Intel 2: Kushida Kikyou is two-faced.]

[Intel 3: Kouenji Rokusuke's ability assessment is seriously inaccurate—because his unconventional behavior angered the interviewer, his otherwise outstanding intelligence and judgment were deliberately downgraded to C rank]

Shimizu Akira's gaze settled on the first piece of intel.

It was because of this intel that he had left half an hour early today, boarded at the first stop on the bus route, and chosen a window seat to quietly wait for confirmation that the system was real.

And now, everything had happened exactly as the intel had described.

A girl named Kushida Kikyou had actually started arguing over the seat with the student beside her, a boy named Kouenji Rokusuke.

Looks like he didn't need to doubt the system's reliability anymore.

But the second piece of intel left him confused.

Kushida Kikyou was two-faced? Did that mean everything about her was an act?

His gaze fell unconsciously on Kushida Kikyou.

Her light-brown hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, and her delicate features were perfectly balanced. Her figure was also close to flawless, especially her impressive curves.

And given that she had just been the one to ask someone else to give up a seat, this beautiful girl seemed like an angel.

Yet the system was telling him...

Could all the kindness and gentleness he saw before him be nothing but a carefully crafted disguise?

Shimizu Akira thought it over carefully, increasingly convinced that both of their behavior was strange.

It was true that Kouenji Rokusuke had brazenly occupied two priority seats, while Kushida Kikyou had been insisting that he give one up.

As she spoke, she had skillfully stirred up the people around them, turning the pressure of public opinion into a weapon.

Would a truly kind person half-force a male classmate to give up his seat like that?

Shimizu Akira suddenly understood. If all of this was part of her scheme, then every odd thing about her behavior made sense.

But what was she after?

He suddenly noticed his classmates glancing over now and then, and the fleeting curve of the girl's lips.

(I see... She's deliberately cultivating an image to attract attention?)

The bus pulled into the stop, and the electronic announcement sounded right on cue:

"Advanced Nurturing High School stop. Advanced Nurturing High School stop."

"Ah, we're here already!" Kushida Kikyou was about to say something when her gaze suddenly caught sight of someone behind her. Her brows drew together almost imperceptibly—but only for an instant, so quickly that it could have been his imagination.

"Um..." She put on her signature bright smile again. "See you later, Shimizu. I hope we end up in the same class."

Before the words had fully left her mouth, the girl hopped lightly off the bus and disappeared into the crowd at the stop.

Shimizu Akira looked back thoughtfully.

The literary beauty who reminded him of Yukinoshita Yukino closed the hardcover book in her hands and rose gracefully.

Without looking to either side, she passed Shimizu Akira, her long black hair tracing a cool arc through the air. Carrying a faint, elegant scent of books, she walked straight off the bus.

Right after her, a light-brown-haired boy followed in silence. When his eyes met Shimizu Akira's, he remained expressionless, then disappeared through the bus door as well.

Shimizu Akira followed the crowd off the bus, slowly turning over the meaning of the third piece of intel in his mind.

(That must be Kouenji Rokusuke.)

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the blond boy ahead stretching his long frame. The way he carried himself as if no one else were there certainly invited resentment. But what caught Shimizu Akira's attention more was the secret behind the rating revealed by the intel.

"The interviewer was annoyed"... "deliberately lowered his rating"...

The words connected in his mind.

(Wait, does this school secretly rank its students by ability?)

002 Horikita Is Surprisingly Straightforward / And Special Services?

The Advanced Nurturing High School was a national, closed-campus high school in the heart of Tokyo.

It was equipped with the most advanced smart learning technology.

It had single-occupancy dorm rooms that students could only dream of.

And ever since its founding, it had maintained a 100% rate of graduates entering higher education or finding employment.

Yet ever since he had transmigrated into this world, Shimizu Akira had always harbored a faint suspicion about the school.

A 100% rate of graduates entering higher education or finding employment since its founding?

In Japan, the very best high schools had always taken pride in the number of students accepted to the University of Tokyo or the percentage going on to Waseda and Keio, not some vague "employment rate." That sounded more like the slogan of a vocational school.

"I have a feeling... graduating won't be that easy."

Shimizu Akira stood at the foot of the steps by the school gate, looking up at the two people facing off. The tense atmosphere made him stop in his tracks.

The striking literary beauty stood at the very top of the steps, her skirt fluttering in the breeze.

She looked down at the light-brown-haired boy below her, her delicate chin tilted slightly upward.

"You looked at me on the bus. What did you mean by that?"

"Sorry. I just thought... you probably had no intention of giving up your seat either, like me. You seemed like someone who avoids trouble."

"I had my own principles for refusing to give up my seat! That's completely different from you, who just hates getting involved in anything."

Shimizu Akira, standing off to the side, pretended not to hear and silently continued up the steps.

"You there, wait! You looked at me on the bus too. What did you mean by that?"

The literary beauty suddenly changed the subject and stared straight at Shimizu Akira.

He couldn't help freezing on the spot.

He had indeed glanced at her unconsciously when he got off.

Come on, wasn't it perfectly normal for your eyes to meet someone's now and then on a bus?!

"Were you condemning me with your eyes for not giving up my seat?" Horikita Suzune crossed her arms over her chest. "Listen, my decision not to give up my seat was carefully considered."

"Understood." Shimizu Akira's gaze reflected her figure like the surface of a still lake. "I respect your choice. I wasn't trying to offend you by looking at you. Your demeanor just reminded me of a literary girl."

Her stubborn brows and cool expression were exactly like Yukinoshita Yukino in his memories.

Shimizu Akira hadn't been thinking of condemning her for refusing to give up her seat at all.

Giving up a seat wasn't mandatory, after all. It was simply a good deed to do when you could.

She really was blunt, though. Who asked someone outright, "What are you staring at?" Was she an INTJ or something?

He chose his words carefully. "If you're not comfortable interacting with people, I can do my best to avoid making eye contact or starting pointless conversations with you in the future. Would that work for you, classmate?"

Horikita Suzune's eyelashes trembled slightly.

This boy... Instead of lecturing her about morals, he was seriously considering her feelings and had even offered a specific solution?

"That won't be necessary." Her crossed arms relaxed a little. "I just wanted to confirm your intentions. If you have something to say, say it directly."

Shimizu Akira stopped when he heard that. "I'm Shimizu Akira. May I ask your name, classmate?"

"Horikita Suzune." She gave her name almost reflexively, then frowned slightly at her own frankness.