Classroom of the Elite, A Hypocritical Gray Life

On the twenty-seventh, nearing the end of June, I found myself lost in a labyrinth of buildings, all because I had to deliver something a senior had entrusted to me to their teacher. It was only after experiencing that incident that I realized how completely ignorant I was of the layout of this Advanced Nurturing High School, which felt more like an artificial island.

For three months, I had kept myself confined to a fixed routine. I had once thought that being an energy-conservationist was merely a tooth of laziness among the seven deadly sins, but it turned out to be a force capable of eroding one's wisdom. Reflecting on my mistakes, I decided it was time to properly understand the school's basic structure.

I left Kanzaki and the others chatting happily in the classroom and wandered alone through the school's "courtyard." It was Natsuhi, and the weather was stifling; even at dusk, there wasn't a hint of a cool breeze, only thick, stagnant air.

Before long, my body was covered in a layer of sweat. I began to regret my foolish decision.

By the way, there is no such thing as a seasonal change for this school's uniform. In other words, there is only one type of clothing for both the sweltering heat of summer and the bitter cold of winter. Can you imagine what it feels like to wear clothes barely suited for winter during the summer?

It was like embracing the scorching sun—

It was fine inside the school buildings, but commuting was a living hell.

After scanning the surrounding buildings on the first floor, I hurried back to the air conditioning vent under the third school building.

Ah, I'm alive again.

As I savored the comfort the cold air brought to my body, I noticed the special building across the way. If I wanted to familiarize myself with every part of this campus, down to the details like surveillance cameras and the number of corners, I would have to visit every floor of every building. But if I really had to go that far, I would probably give up just looking at that building.

The special building housed special classrooms, home economics rooms, audiovisual rooms, and other facilities not frequently used. Therefore, there was basically no one around after classes ended, and unlike the other buildings, it didn't provide air conditioning.

The stifling heat there could make anyone who stayed too long lose their sense of consciousness.

"I'll just head back now..."

The moment I stepped out of the school building and caught a glimpse of the special building in my peripheral vision, I immediately abandoned my dull thoughts.

The probability of the scene before me was as slim as rolling ten dice and having them all land on six.

You see, although the special building wasn't built with one-way glass, it was coated glass. Coated glass has good one-way light transmission and reflects ultraviolet rays. Precisely because of its high reflectivity, the reflected light obscured the view of the transparent areas, making it very difficult to see what was happening inside.

Even so, in that situation, I saw someone committing an act of violence on the third floor. In the chaos, I spotted a stranger who looked very familiar.

It was Ishizaki from Class C, who often came to cause trouble for the students in our class.

1

"I heard that Raku was kidnapped by someone from Class D yesterday. What's going on?" Before I could even sit down in my seat early in the morning, Ichinose asked me impatiently.

Because of the tedious interview process for the student council, Ichinose hadn't been hired yet and was still running around exhausted from it yesterday.

However—

"'Kidnapped' is a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think? I went voluntarily."

"Was it because of the dispute between Class C and Class D?"

"Yeah, I just happened to show up at the end of that incident. Ayanokoji and the others followed the clues and found us."

"To think Raku was an eyewitness... You should have told us about this sooner. If people from Class C find out, Raku might not be able to avoid trouble."

"I don't think that kind of accident will happen..."

"How could it not? If Raku wants to save himself some trouble, there are some things you need to prepare for in advance. Next time you encounter a situation where you might get dragged into trouble, you must tell everyone, understand? Like when Teacher Hoshinomiya asked during the morning assembly, you should have brought it up then. If you keep dragging it out like this, Raku is going to reach the terminal stage of laziness."

"So I haven't reached the terminal stage of laziness yet..."

"Are you dissatisfied with that?"

"No, no, I know I was wrong..." Facing the imposing Ichinose, I had no way to parry. My life motto was being treated as a terminal illness, yet I couldn't defend it—this was probably the sadness of being powerless.

Also, Kanzaki, what's with the laughing on the side! Aren't we brothers who share weal and woe!

"Geez... So, who is this Ayanokoji that Raku mentioned just now?"

"A 'frenemy' from Class D whom I could call a decent acquaintance. Although he participated in the investigation as an eyewitness, this matter doesn't really have much to do with him."

"Does Raku have friends in other classes? Did you know each other before?"

"That's not possible. I'm the only one from my middle school who came to this school. The only reason I know him is because of that cursed elevator."

"Haha, who uses the word 'cursed' to thank someone for a meeting between friends?"

Because it wasn't a thank you at all; I was cursing it.

However, Ichinose seemed to be laughing quite happily, so I didn't expose the truth.

"So, can it be considered a fact that Raku was an eyewitness? Do you intend to testify?"

"No," I shook my head without hesitation. Under Ichinose's unsurprised gaze, I continued to explain, "Strictly speaking, I don't count as an eyewitness. I was just a passerby who happened to walk by at the end of the story. I have no idea about the cause or the process of the actual incident."

"That sounds mysterious."

"In reality, it's all just trouble. There's absolutely nothing mysterious about it."

"Does that mean Raku already knows the whole incident?"

"I never said that."

"But didn't that last sentence imply that Raku has already figured out all the mysteries of this matter?"

"This is a matter that even the school hasn't been able to solve yet. Do you really think an ordinary student like me could see through it?"

"Raku doesn't look ordinary at all. To be honest, I've never been able to figure you out."

"That sounds pretty cool... but I know very well that I'm easy to understand, so there's no need to compliment me. If my vanity gets the better of me, that would be a problem."

"Then tell me the details of that incident." Ichinose turned her whole body around, leaned over my desk, and looked at me with great interest.

She didn't even realize how cute she was being!

"...I'm just telling you what I heard from Class D. You'll have to judge the truth of it yourself, Ichinose."

I immediately organized the information I had gathered yesterday and relayed it to Ichinose.

"So, in the end, Sudo-kun refused the demand from the Class C students to quit the basketball club, and then a fight broke out?"

"That's at least what the students in Class D told me."

"I understand the situation, but the school's verdict..."

Well, if the facts were truly as Class D described, the school's final judgment was anything but fair. However, the disparity in injuries between the Class C members and Sudo was simply too vast. In a three-on-one situation, it's hard to imagine such a result coming from anything other than a one-sided assault.

"Let's go investigate."

"If you're joking, Ichinose, I don't find it funny."

"I'm not. I'm serious."

"..."

"It might be selfish of me, but I feel like Class C must be pulling strings behind the scenes. I know this is another class's business, but it would be a real shame if Sudo-kun, who is about to be selected as a regular player, lost his eligibility because of this."

"At the very least, we should uncover the truth of the matter and clear everyone's names."

"...Think whatever you want, Ichinose." Knowing that no matter how I tried to persuade her, she would still act on her own, I realized that my attempts to stop her were just a waste of energy from the start.

"Then it's settled. Let's go to the scene after school."

"Wait, that's not right. Why is it 'we'?"

"Isn't it? Raku-kun just agreed to it."

"I absolutely did not say I agreed."

"This works out perfectly. If we find any breakthrough evidence, we can contact Class D quickly."

"You have a way to contact Class D yourself, don't you, Ichinose?"

"It'll be more credible if it comes from you, Raku. After all, you're a witness."

What a flimsy excuse!

Chapter 23: The Pawn of the Wicked

The girl was hiding around the corner of the crime scene, peeking. In the hallway, filled with the sounds of intense combat and pained cries, I crept up behind her on light feet.

A dramatic scene, isn't it? I could almost imagine the two sides fighting to decide who would rescue this princess, only for the princess to be assassinated by me right as they decided. It's just a pity I didn't have a dagger or any sedatives on me.

The sounds of beating and muffled groans filled the deep corner of the entrance, creating a terrifying atmosphere that warned the timid to stay away.

I was just about to say something when I heard the sound of a shutter.

"Click, click—"

Only then did I notice she was clutching a digital camera. For a moment, I suspected that the girl before me was the mastermind behind this incident, but seeing her trembling frame, I realized it was just an unconscious reaction of a human body under the influence of fear.

"You've gone this far, do you really think you can walk away unscathed? Sudo!"

"Haha—cough..."

"It's amazing you can still laugh. Three of you couldn't even beat me, and you have the nerve to throw the first punch. You should gauge my strength better before making your next move. This is the only time; if you dare to provoke me again, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Without any strategy on either side, losing when you outnumber your opponent is truly a shameful thing. However, even winning isn't something to brag about. As long as you have the physical conditioning of a professional athlete... wait, having professional-level physical stats as a high schooler is actually pretty impressive, isn't it?

After thinking it over, I began to be shocked by his individual combat prowess, while simultaneously sneaking up behind the girl.

"Heh, you really are arrogant..."

"Arrogant? It's just because you guys are too weak. Now you're lying on the ground without even the courage to stand up and fight me again. You're truly cowardly. Remember to bring more people next time, otherwise, it might not be enough for me to beat up."

Listening to this dialogue, I couldn't help but think of the heated scenes where a hero faces a demon king. Well, no matter how many people there are, it's all in vain.

Just as I was reflecting on this, I heard footsteps—the footsteps of a victor.

Acute stress.

When an individual perceives a threat from a stressor through cognitive evaluation, it triggers psychological and physiological changes. Negative psychological reactions evoke excessive tension, simultaneously causing a decline in cognitive ability and a blurred sense of self-concept.

The girl was currently occupied by her emotions, rendering her unable to move. Standing a fist's distance away, behind her, I could almost feel her heart rate skyrocketing.

In this critical situation, I decided to use a bold action to help her regain physical awareness.

I slowly covered her mouth with my hand to prevent her from making a loud sound of surprise, while letting her know the current situation. My sudden movement would inevitably cause an explosive emotional reaction, but fortunately, she was the type who wouldn't dare to make a peep.

Then I quickly turned her body around, and she reacted by trying to struggle.

Getting this far was already a success.

I immediately made our eyes meet, while pressing my right index finger to my lips to signal her not to make a sound.

The sudden stimulation turned into tears that welled up in the corners of her eyes, her hands protectively clutched to her chest in confusion. This gave me a slight sense of guilt, as I have always been unable to refuse someone so cute, though it was only a little.

Then I calmly pointed to the stairs nearby and gave her a gentle push.

"We won't let you off the hook, Sudo."

"Spare me. Don't you guys get it yet? Everything you're doing is a waste of time. Honestly, I'm already tired enough after club activities."

"...I will make you regret this."

Finally, the girl understood what I meant and hurried toward the emergency exit. She didn't even manage to say a single word of thanks.

Perhaps she did say it, but I just didn't hear it...

"Aren't you embarrassed by the barking of a stray dog? You won't be able to beat me no matter how many times you try."

As the words fell, I shifted my gaze away from the girl's retreating back and turned to face him directly.

"...Who are you?"

"I heard a lot of noise coming from this direction, may I ask what happened?"

"Just a few idiots coming to cause me trouble, that's all."

"Um, there's blood on your fist..."

"Huh?" He raised his fist to take a casual look, then shook it off indifferently. "That has nothing to do with you, so don't go sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

With that, he shoved me aside with force.

The scent of blood was faint, yet there were no signs of wounds on his body.

"Hey, you, get over here." Just as I was about to keep watching, the leader lying at the corner called out to me. Judging by the voice, it was the one who had been shouting just a moment ago.

"Me?" I pointed at myself while walking toward them.

"That's right, you. I'm asking you, how long have you been standing there?"

"Did you get into a fight with him? Are you alright?"

While I offered my concern with caring words, I reached my hand out of my pocket, attempting to pull them up, but was unexpectedly slapped away.

"Are you in cahoots with that guy?" he shouted loudly, seemingly criticizing my character.

"I don't know him; I just happened to be passing by. So, what exactly happened here?"