Classroom of the Elite, A Hypocritical Gray Life

"If that's the case, you won't reach any conclusions by observing me, since my situation is pretty much the same as yours." I pointed to our shopping baskets, which contained nearly identical items.

"But I'm just really curious about what others might buy. If this is causing you any trouble, I apologize." After saying this, Ichinose gave me a slight bow.

"It's not really a bother. If you want to watch, feel free, though I don't think I'll be buying anything else."

She gave me an apologetic smile.

The explanation she just gave made me raise my assessment of her "pushover" level by another notch. She clearly just wanted to see what I was buying, yet she was simultaneously offering suggestions whenever I hesitated. It was obvious she wasn't a very qualified observer.

Once I had a clear reason, I felt at ease browsing the other sections of the convenience store. That was when I found a very interesting wooden sign.

[Free Zone]

The items placed on this counter were arranged in a chaotic mess, lacking any sort of order; the scene looked like beggars abandoned on the side of the road during a rainstorm. However, beggars are usually discarded because the value they can provide is scarce, yet I saw no such trait in these items.

The expiration dates were perfectly fine, just like the other items on the shelves.

"Huh, what's this..."

My actions completely drew Ichinose's attention, and she followed me to inspect the miscellaneous items.

"There's actually free stuff?" Ichinose said in disbelief.

"Though it seems there are restrictions," I said, pointing to the sign nearby that read [Maximum of three items per month].

"There are restrictions? That's different from the free food in the cafeteria."

"The cafeteria has free food too?" Come to think of it, I hadn't even had time to eat lunch yet.

"Did Raku not go to the cafeteria for lunch?"

"Yeah, I didn't have the time." If I hadn't wasted so much time aimlessly pondering those questions, at least I wouldn't be hungry right now.

"There's a free set meal in the cafeteria called the [Mountain Vegetable Set Meal], which is just a combination of mountain vegetables. If you ate that every day, your nutrition probably wouldn't keep up. But unlike here, there's no limit on the free set meals."

"But why on earth would the school set up a [Free Zone] here? It's not like any student would run out of points."

"That's not necessarily true. If someone is a hedonist, they might just do it. Seeking pleasure without any regard for point expenditure—people like that exist to some extent," I countered.

"If that's the case, then the school is pampering the students a bit too much, isn't it?"

"Who knows." I shrugged. Because of the three-item limit, I didn't act rashly.

"But since it's all mountain vegetables, I doubt many people would actually eat that free set meal," I said to Ichinose as I walked toward the checkout.

"Actually, the free set meal is quite popular, or rather, it was the hottest item for lunch today?" she explained, sounding a bit uncertain.

"Oh?"

"Because everyone seemed quite curious, so they all ordered it to try."

"...Ichinose included?"

"Yes."

"How did it taste?"

"Very average. It felt like they didn't even add salt. If you ate it long-term, you might end up seeing through the vanity of the world... or maybe it just wasn't to my taste. In any case, I couldn't finish it."

"..."

Her curiosity is unexpectedly intense in some areas.

Chapter 6: Could it be that Raku-kun intends to do something to me?

"What are Raku-kun's plans for now?"

There were no classes scheduled by the school today, as the day was meant for us to familiarize ourselves with the layout of the entire facility. However, I didn't intend to act on that; the best way to hide from others is to include one's own concealment in the plan.

"I plan to head straight back to the dorms."

"And then?" Ichinose pressed.

"Probably recharge my batteries," I said uncertainly.

"Meaning you won't be coming out, right? Does Raku-kun not plan on eating lunch?"

"Well, the hunger isn't that intense, so I'll skip it."

"How can you do that? You have to eat properly, or your body will collapse," Ichinose said firmly. "Don't tell me you didn't even eat breakfast."

"It's precisely because I took breakfast seriously that I have the confidence to say that. Besides, look, I haven't exerted much energy, have I?" Whether it was taking the bus or attending the opening ceremony, neither could be called strenuous exercise. And why am I even explaining this to you?

"Eating is the process of taking in energy, isn't it? Isn't that a good thing for you?"

"No, energy intake and energy conservation are two completely different concepts, though I admit they have a certain connection."

"So, if you feel your body can still hold up, you might even skip dinner?"

"I never said that... besides, it's already past lunchtime, so I'd have to wait until dinner anyway."

I glanced at the clock inside the facility; it was already approaching three in the afternoon.

"There are plenty of snack shops around."

"Forget it, it's too much trouble."

"You find even that to be a bother... then, are you not going to buy any clothes either?"

"The school uniform is enough for me at this stage. As for casual clothes, I'll worry about that when I have time later."

"If you keep putting it off, Luomu, you'll never actually get around to buying them."

"I'll do it if it becomes necessary. Besides, it's not easy to move around while carrying things, is it?"

I stood at the end of the shopping street waiting for Ichinose's reply, though I didn't know why I was doing so. Could it be that I have a henpecked streak deep in my bones? Or did I just check a box for high-level female options?

"Hmm, I suppose that's the only way."

"I'm glad you understand. In that case, I'll be taking my leave."

"Mm, see you later then."

After ending the conversation, I walked quickly away from the shopping street and returned to my dormitory floor.

I pressed the elevator button and waited for it to descend from the eleventh floor, while simultaneously pulling out my terminal to log into the school's internal social network. I had hoped to find some evidence to support my guesses about the true nature of this school based on my conversation with Ichinose, but unfortunately, the feed was full of trivial content, as if it were being deliberately buried.

Well, in any case, this matter wasn't urgent; at the very least, I had a month.

"Oh, hello."

I followed the sound and looked to the side.

A super cute girl was holding a large bag of items, possessing assets that rivaled Ichinose's.

Is my luck with women overflowing?

No, why am I focusing my attention on something like that?

"Ah, hello... is something the matter?"

"Nothing, I just happened to be heading back to the dorms too, so I thought I'd say hi." She smiled at me.

Ah, how enthusiastic, and full of charm! Are the female admission standards for this school just cute, gentle, energetic girls, or am I just purely lucky?

"I think I saw you with Ichinose earlier. Are you a student in Class B too?"

"Are you a friend of Ichinose's?"

"I wouldn't say that yet," she thought for a moment, then added, "We're just acquaintances, but I hope we can become friends. Of course, if it's alright with you, I'd like to get to know you too. My name is Kushida Kikyo, a student in Class D of the first year. Nice to meet you."

If I were being hit on like this on the street, I might have mistaken it for her liking me. However, it was a pity that I couldn't detect any desire on her part to have a deep conversation with me. At the same time, perhaps due to my overly cautious defenses, I felt a deep sense of malice hidden within her intentions.

I can say without exaggeration that she lacks the purity of Ichinose; her deep sense of affinity is merely a mask. I don't know exactly what she is hiding, but it seems that by making friends widely, she can turn that into a weapon for her own use.

Is it connections?

I pondered this while responding to her greeting.

"My name is Luomu, and like Ichinose, I am a student in Class B."

"Luomu..."

Kushida listened to the name and thought for a moment, but the next second, she looked up with a bright smile. "I'll remember your name."

"Which school did you graduate from, Luomu?"

Ah, ah, why are they all like this? Can't the topic of conversation with others move past middle school? Humans really are monotonous creatures.

And the truth is, I really don't know what the place where I studied in middle school was called.

With no other choice, I repeated the excuse I gave Ichinose, and even patted my chest to swear to her skeptical gaze.

"Although it's hard to believe, Luomu, you have no reason to lie to me, right?"

"That's how it is. Sorry, it is indeed a bit strange."

"Things like this are probably unavoidable to some extent. Come to think of it, I don't think I mentioned my middle school's name many times either. But I still remember it firmly."

Was that a jab at my poor memory? No, that's not it. It's just that those teachers never mentioned it at all.

"Can we exchange contact information?" Kushida suddenly clapped her hands and asked me, "My goal is to get along with every student in the grade. If you don't mind, could you help me out?"

"Ah... of course, if you're willing."

"Of course I'm willing! After all, if I can't even connect with my classmates, then connecting with the whole grade is just wishful thinking." Kushida smiled at me very brightly.

It seems she really has that intention.

Just like that, an angel-like figure was inexplicably added to my list...

At that moment, the elevator arrived at the third floor.

"See you next time, then."

"Ah, see you."

I stood at the elevator entrance and awkwardly said goodbye to her, not looking away until the double doors closed. The electronic display in front of the elevator revealed the interior space, and Kushida's figure disappeared once the elevator reached the ninth floor.

I stood dazed in front of the screen for a while, and after confirming that the elevator didn't move again, I returned to my room.

I tossed the shopping bag filled with daily necessities into the entryway, which could barely be called an entryway. However, after careful consideration, I organized the items and placed them in their proper spots.

Then, I lay down on the bed, exhausted.

That's right, just as I said. I didn't intend to explore the entire facility today; instead, I would conserve my energy and sleep on the soft mattress.

Prolonged sleep can be harmful to the human body. The longer one sleeps, the more it fosters the urge to continue sleeping, leading to a decrease in metabolism and causing fatigue and memory loss. At the same time, it can affect heart function and cause cardiac weakness.

Therefore, getting more sleep does not alleviate the feeling of fatigue; in fact, it can even have the opposite effect. I have experienced this deeply myself.

I didn't take it to heart. The afternoon sun was intense, and the light streaming in from outside the window was exceptionally vivid. I lay quietly on my bed, listening to the piercing chirps of spring insects, and slowly drifted into a light sleep.

I don't have a tendency toward self-harm; it's just that this is the most natural and reassuring way for me to feel the existence of my own self.

1

"Knock, knock, knock—"

After a burst of urgent knocking, I struggled to open my eyes. The immense weight of accumulated exhaustion settled into the left side of my brain, leaving me in a state of prolonged bewilderment as I faced the dark room. Fortunately, the persistent knocking let me know what I needed to do next.

Relying on the route etched in my memory, I fumbled for the doorknob.

I'm not bragging, but moving through the darkness is my greatest strength. My mobility and level of consciousness are always higher at night than during the day. As for twilight, it's hard to say; I generally feel quite muddled during that time.

"Who is it?" I opened the door in the dark just like that.

"Ichinose."

"...This is the boys' dormitory floor, you know."

"But there's no rule saying girls can't come here. I've read the handbook."

Don't you feel awkward at all? The current situation is like a girl suddenly barging into a boys' locker room. Although it's not quite that serious, it's still definitely not right.

"It's very easy for others to misunderstand this... never mind, what is it?" I muttered my concerns under my breath before straightening my face to address Ichinose.

"Just asking, Raku, do you know what time it is?"

The motion-sensor light in the hallway fell upon her, casting her silhouette into the dim shadows. The moon hid cautiously behind clouds as dark as black jade.

It's already night, I could tell that much from my dark room...

"If I recall correctly, there shouldn't be any scheduled activities for the evening." I sidestepped the question about the time, carefully recalling what the homeroom teacher said before leaving, and spoke up once I was certain.

However, this attempt to change the subject did not succeed.