Classroom of the Elite, A Hypocritical Gray Life

"I have already regained my freedom, haven't I?"

How truly, truly a pity. I was so close to succeeding. So close to detaching myself from this world.

"Just consider this a prerequisite for the freedom you seek. As long as you stay in that place for three years, you can do whatever you want afterward. By then, I won't care about you anymore—to the point where I wouldn't even bury you if you died."

"That's excessive. This isn't some trick to fool a child, is it?"

Like how wearing two hats stunts your growth, or how you shouldn't open an umbrella indoors, or how you can't go out at 2:30 AM. Come to think of it, people encounter so many deceptions during childhood; it's truly terrifying.

"Of course not."

If he claims this was a joke three years from now, then I'll be sure to bring him along for a grand funeral.

"The reason?"

"What reason?"

"The reason for going to that place."

"To make you understand the true meaning of life."

"I already said something about that just now."

"That is because you still do not understand."

Ah, he refuted me in a single sentence. The point I spent over ten minutes painstakingly considering was just dismissed like that; it's truly heartbreaking.

"You fundamentally do not understand where the meaning of life lies. I recall you studied Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Don't you think you are currently in a state of constant or repeated 'peak experiences' regarding self-actualization, resulting in a sense of ordinariness?"

"...No, I should say it is a problem with the teaching method. This kind of inhumane education system should have been rejected from the start. But it is a bit too late to say such things now."

"I don't think there is anything wrong with the teaching method. On the contrary, it is more efficient this way. I have been wondering why this model hasn't been popularized."

"Do you think everyone is like you? Besides, this model can only be implemented if you have a certain foundation of official status. Otherwise, when you apply for a job, your academic credentials would get you eliminated from the start."

Ah, that is indeed true. This is a society that looks at credentials; it doesn't test your actual ability because there is no time to do such things. And I have no history of schooling, only a history of learning.

After saying this, the man fell into a brief silence, staring at the cold drink in his hand, wondering what he was thinking. I could read the micro-expressions on his face, but even so, I still didn't know where his thoughts were. It was strange, yet it felt mundane.

"...Tell me, do you feel pain?" After the rain had blurred the windowpanes for who knows how long, the man looked at me with that ridiculous gaze.

An inexplicable question.

"As long as a person is alive, they can feel pain."

"Your ability to answer a question with a non-sequitur is even more thorough than the rumors suggest." The man sighed, then changed the subject. "You probably have never felt what pain truly is."

"You must be joking. As long as one is human, one can feel the existence of pain. Furthermore, I am just an ordinary person. Also, please do not listen to external rumors so easily; your subjective assumptions like this make me very troubled."

No one can violate this. Even an ordinary person.

Hearing my statement, he gave me a mocking smile, which made me feel a little annoyed.

"Ordinary person, ordinary person again. I have always wanted to know what this 'ordinary' you speak of actually is. Is the ordinary person you describe someone who lacks both the wealthy life of the industrial bourgeoisie and the power of the ruling class? Or is it a god who can categorize all events as expected and view them as ordinary, while still maintaining a human body?"

I did not respond to this statement; in fact, I didn't know how to prove myself to him.

I had no intention of wasting energy on this meaningless matter.

"But you are right, you have probably experienced the feeling of pain... but that has likely become nothing more than an image."

"Those things exist quite well in my mind, you know."

"But you don't treat these things as your memories at all. They are just images. Even if they have passed the verification of memory, you only treat them as if they were a movie. You have not developed a real sense of your own existence."

"Not long ago, my suicide was stopped by you, which means I am living quite well right now."

I tossed the empty soda can into the trash bin, ignoring his linguistic games. This was not an essential element for me to learn, but I understood it nonetheless. However, he didn't seem to have any intention of continuing the discussion with me, instead continuing the previous topic.

"The reason people can feel pain is that their evil and their good are not pure enough. For you, who cannot feel pain, do you possess pure evil, or do you possess pure good?"

"Or perhaps you are not human at all."

In his understated words, I heard deep malice. He wanted to thoroughly probe my past; it was clear he had begun to harbor suspicions.

"That is really quite excessive of you to say. I have genuine human blood flowing through my veins. If you don't believe me, I can demonstrate it for you, though it will hurt."

"...Are you sure?"

"Hey, hey, you aren't actually going to do it, are you? It'll hurt." I quickly shifted my body to the side, wary of his movements.

A smile suddenly appeared on his serious face. "Of course I'm joking. How could you be a machine? During the month I spent monitoring you around the clock, I never saw you charge."

"A month of round-the-clock monitoring... how come you never mentioned that to me?"

"Do you think I would let you know?"

"..."

Fine, the truth is I don't care about these issues. There were indeed five water-drop cameras back then; it's a shame I thought he had some profound purpose and kept watching my own words and actions. It turns out it was just to verify the ridiculous conclusion that I wasn't human.

He set down his cola, slowly took a cigarette from the inner pocket of his suit, and placed it in his mouth. I have always been deeply confused by the fact that people working in offices always wear suits. In formal settings, you must wear a suit, even in the sweltering summer. It is a custom of etiquette formed who knows when, said to signify an employee's ambition. Yet, I cannot see that anywhere.

"Luomu, listen well. Although people live to die, it is precisely because of this that living is more meaningful. The meaning of life is to live, and living is to make you cry, to make you laugh, to make you feel pain and unease. To make you feel happiness and warmth."

"This is what you are missing."

Hearing such a reply, I couldn't quite grasp his meaning. Only when I came to my senses did I realize I was frowning deeply.

"Heh." A mocking smile appeared on his face as he looked at me with an expression that said, "You have no idea."

"It's all so fake, little Mu."

I don't like being called little Mu; it always feels like an insult. But this wasn't the time to discuss that.

"What do you mean? What exactly are you calling fake?"

"Or perhaps 'incomplete' would be a more fitting term?" He shook his head as he spoke. "In any case, you'll understand eventually, after staying there for three years—or perhaps even less than that."

"...Although I don't understand, as long as I can complete your final commission, that should be enough, right?"

"You really are merciless."

I had no intention of engaging in a battle of riddles, so I asked directly.

"Where is the mission location?"

"Advanced Nurturing High School," he said with a smile.

"...Are you telling me to spend three years in a high school?"

There is absolutely no point in going to high school at this stage. Aside from making all sorts of fair-weather friends, I wouldn't learn anything else there. Is there something special about this place?

"It's different. That high school isn't what you imagine it to be." He extended his index finger and wagged it in front of my eyes. "Life inside is unlike any ordinary high school; it will be far more interesting than you think. Just make sure you don't get expelled before your three years are up."

"...Is it just a matter of not getting expelled?" With that question, I posed my final inquiry to him.

"No, that's certainly not enough. Merely avoiding expulsion is far from the goal I've set for you."

"What exactly do you want me to do? If the mission isn't explained in detail, it's hard for me to act."

"What I want to do is none of your concern. I will set the conditions for you, and you need only do as I say."

"That's far too troublesome. It would be better if you told me your objective, and I could simply achieve it. If you keep going like this, I can't guarantee that I'll succeed."

"If I told you the objective, you would absolutely fail. Besides, even if you did fail, wouldn't that be quite interesting? After all—"

"I've never actually seen what you look like when you fail."

"My failure is nothing out of the ordinary; everyone fails at times. Besides, you hold me in too high a regard. There are countless people just like me, and plenty who are far more capable."

"Haha, you're being far too humble. Tomorrow, I will provide you with the information for this mission, but you are only to use what I provide. You are not to investigate that school on your own."

"Your demands are truly harsh."

"I look forward to your performance."

"Then I wish you success with your commission. I won't see you out."

"What a rude little brat."

Chapter 2: Ichinose Honami

"Here, your bag." He tossed my checked messenger bag at me, took a cigarette from his suit pocket, lit it quietly, and blew a thick cloud of smoke right in my face.

"The school's official website specifically states that there will be a luggage inspection before enrollment. Since that's the case, why go through the trouble?" I took the bag, acting as if nothing had happened, and held it in my hand.

"It's only right. I don't fully trust you. I wouldn't be at ease if I hadn't checked it myself. Come to think of it, you didn't bring anything decent this time, did you?"

"Did I ever bring anything decent before?"

"You know the answer to that yourself."

"Can I leave now?" I didn't intend to entertain this probe; I just wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible.

"You can... wait, there's one thing I forgot to mention."

"What is it?"

"Didn't I mention the class assignments to you before? I received notification a short while ago that you've been transferred from Class D to Class B."

"...How long ago was that?"

"Hmm, let me think... probably shortly after the entrance exam."

"Is there some deeper meaning behind this?"

"No deep meaning. It's just that a new student was inserted at the last minute, that's all."

Is it really as he says? If so, why didn't he just enter Class B directly? That would imply that the class distribution is maintained by a certain balance.

"I have nothing else to add besides that." The man crushed his cigarette butt, threw it casually on the ground, and ground it out with his foot.

"You'll be fined for that." I delivered a harmless jab.

"I'll take care of it in a moment. Finally, I wish you a safe journey."

"You should say that to yourself. At the end of the day, you're the one who caused this trouble; I'm just the one carrying out the mission."

"How heartless. And here I went out of my way to see you off."

You just wanted to perform one last inspection on me.

Humans are creatures that act for a purpose; no matter how small the action, it is always laden with deeper meaning.

I ignored his final farewell and walked straight out of my residence.

Although the man did not allow me to investigate the school myself, he had still provided some exposition regarding the relevant aspects.

Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School

A national high school located in Tokyo, Japan, famous for being equipped with the latest facilities and boasting a near 100% rate of advancement to higher education or employment.

The system at this school is a little unique—no, it would be more accurate to say it is a system that ordinary schools could never implement.

[Remain at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School for three consecutive years until graduation.]

I have heard of boarding high schools, but most of them allow students to stay on campus from Monday to Friday and return home for the weekend. I had never considered a boarding system where you cannot contact the outside world for three years. Furthermore, except for special circumstances, all outside contact is prohibited, even with family members.

In short, I am to be completely cut off from the outside world like a prisoner, staying in that place for three years. I do not feel panicked about this; after all, I have spent more than three years in places like that before.

It is merely changing locations.

Additionally, this school only allows new students to bring items within the regulations.

Aside from some necessary stationery, a few unimportant books, and the set of school uniforms required by the school, there is nothing else in my backpack.

No bedding, no daily necessities, and so on; if the school provides all of these, that would be for the best.

I strolled to the bus stop. It was very early, the bus I needed to take had not yet arrived, and the surroundings were desolate. Even though it was spring, the streets lacked any sign of vitality.

There was no one in sight, but three surveillance cameras were installed in the corners.

The blind spot... should be at this point.

I feigned the boredom and annoyance typical of an ordinary person waiting for a bus, pacing back and forth between the blind spot and the surveillance zone, while taking out two items hidden under my tongue.

They were a micro-bug and a micro-camera.

Different from the "micro" items on the market, what I am referring to are truly micro in the literal sense; their size is not even that of a pinky finger—no, they don't even reach the size of a fingernail.

After wiping them clean, I stuck them under the metal zipper of my messenger bag. Although I do not think a school would require me to use these, it is better to be at least somewhat prepared.

Within this past year, that man has started to become suspicious of my identity, which led to my actions just now. However, he is merely suspicious; no matter what, he will never know the truth, because the people who know the truth...

"Sss-sss--"