Classroom of the Elite, A Hypocritical Gray Life Chapter 8

"It's already eight o'clock in the evening, you know."

"Yeah, it really is quite late."

"But Raku, you haven't eaten yet, have you?"

"..."

Ah, why must she be so persistent about this? It's not like a person is going to die just because they skipped a couple of meals.

"I brought some food back from the shopping street. Want to eat together?" Ichinose smiled, bringing her hands out from behind her back to show me. Although I couldn't clearly see what was inside the plastic packaging, the portion looked quite generous.

"How did you know... ah, I told you myself, didn't I."

"That's right." Ichinose tilted her head with a grin, flashing me an incredibly cute smile.

"Aren't you going to invite me in to sit for a while? You haven't even turned on the room lights; don't tell me you just woke up."

"Yeah, you woke me up." I pulled the door wider, flipped the light switch, and ushered her inside. As expected, Ichinose walked right in without a hint of hesitation—a trait of hers I genuinely admire.

"Don't you have any sense of caution?" I said, closing the door.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Ichinose asked, turning back with a puzzled look.

"Aren't you afraid I might do something out of line to you? We were complete strangers not long ago, after all."

"I don't think so. Raku doesn't seem like that kind of person."

"If you had even a little bit of caution toward me, I might actually be happier."

"Are you saying you intend to do something to me, Raku-kun?" In the blink of an eye, Ichinose leaned in close. I could faintly feel the warmth of her breath and a subtle, lingering fragrance.

Too close.

"You'd be better off not trusting me so much. For all you know, I really might do something like that."

I turned away from her encroaching figure and reached for the electric kettle.

"Sorry, I haven't had a chance to buy tea or coffee yet, so the only drink I have is plain cold water. Would you like some?"

Regardless of anything else, I wanted to take a sip of water to calm myself down.

"I bought drinks." Ichinose held up the bag in her hand. "Didn't you see, Raku?"

As she said this, she gave me a triumphant smile.

So she's completely certain that I wouldn't dare lay a hand on her...

Thinking this, I let out a sigh.

"As for eating, if I get hungry, I'll go get food myself eventually. There's no need to go out of your way to bring it over."

"If you did that, you'd just be starving until dawn."

"That would be fine, too."

"That won't do. Skipping dinner for a long time makes you prone to stomach issues, and you won't get enough nutrition." As she spoke, Ichinose took two bowls from the kitchen and sat down at the small sofa. I followed suit and sat down as well.

"Is this... tonkotsu ramen?"

"Yep, tonkotsu ramen from Ganso Nagahamaya. I heard it tastes amazing; I've been wanting to try it for a long time."

"Then, I'll dig in." After getting everything ready, Ichinose couldn't wait to start eating, a look of pure happiness on her face.

In contrast, I couldn't bring myself to touch the bowl.

"By the way, do you know Kushida Kikyo?" I suddenly remembered the energetic girl who had struck up a conversation with me at the elevator.

"You mean Kushida from Class D in the first year? I met her during lunch today. She's a very enthusiastic person."

"I see..."

"Is something wrong with her?"

"Nothing, it's just that she saw me with you and started talking to me. I originally thought you two had known each other for a long time."

"Not at all, we only met after entering this school. Mmm, this is so good."

Well, if I were eating it at the shop, it might have tasted even better.

Watching her satisfied expression, I slowly picked up the wooden chopsticks placed to the side.

"I'll dig in."

Chapter 7: The Obvious Blind Spot

At the very least, according to my values, as long as the bell for class hasn't rung, it is the students' own time. How one chooses to allocate that undefined time should be decided by one's own will.

That is why I never follow the teachers' mandatory orders to arrive early for morning study sessions.

Well, I have deep respect for this excuse for oversleeping. Without a doubt, this was the pillar of support that kept me at the dormitory elevator even as I neared the start of class.

I watched the numbers on the electronic display change from 1 and slowly climb to 4.

"...To think there would be a student as late as I am?"

I had waited in my room for over forty minutes specifically to avoid the hassle of waiting for the elevator, yet it seems someone else had the same idea. Fortunately, they were only one floor above me, and a boy at that.

I stepped into the open elevator and glanced at the boy beside me. He had parted brown hair and golden eyes with a hint of purple luster. From his overall demeanor, I could sense a strong sense of detachment.

To run into each other in the dormitory elevator at such a critical moment—this must be what people call fate. So, what should I do now? It would probably be best to say hello and get to know each other.

But would doing that make him think I'm a bit strange? It shouldn't be strange; after all, when Kushida Kikyo greeted me, it felt quite natural, and I didn't have any unnecessary thoughts...

Since I've decided to greet him, what form should it take? Should I be enthusiastic, or cool and detached? I remember when Kushida greeted me, she said, "Hey, hello." So, could I also make a cute expression and greet him like that?

However, the elevator ride to the third floor was far too short to support my wild imagination. He walked past me with a brisk pace, as if he didn't want to be associated with me, so I followed his lead and widened the distance between us.

In the end, I didn't do anything at all. I sighed dejectedly at his retreating back.

It was the second day of school. Since it was the first day of actual classes, most of the time was spent explaining study policies and the like.

The teachers were all very friendly and cheerful, especially our homeroom teacher. If not for her mature appearance, I would have definitely thought she was a high school student from our own grade. Even when they noticed students zoning out or playing with their phones under their desks, they didn't offer any reminders.

Thinking about it this way, it seems like whether or not you listen in class is a personal choice, but is this really the system of a school meant for college preparation?

In an extremely relaxed and humorous atmosphere, I reached the lunch break. Students left their seats one by one, pairing up with people they had only met yesterday. I had originally wanted to strike up a conversation with Ichinose, but she was quickly whisked away by someone else. I could only watch the scene from behind with envious eyes.

"Are you and Ichinose close?" Just as I was planning to head to the cafeteria according to my original plan, Kanzaki, who sat next to me, spoke up.

"No, not particularly close... Is there a problem?"

"It's nothing. I just wanted an answer, since you two seemed quite intimate yesterday."

"Ah, that must be a misunderstanding. I only met Ichinose on the bus. As for being intimate, I think she's like that with everyone."

"Now that you mention it, that does seem to be the case."

"I'm heading to the cafeteria now. Want to go together?" I followed the flow of the conversation and extended an invitation. I had thought I could join a group directly, but it was clear I had taken things too simply.

"I'm sorry, I have some private business to attend to. But I should be free in the evening."

"Private business? Then I guess we'll have to have dinner together instead," I said with regret.

I embarked on my journey alone, bought the most expensive set meal at the cafeteria, and began searching for a suitable prey. Calling him prey might be a bit terrifying; perhaps "upperclassman" would be better, even though the tray in my hands was indeed bait for hunting.

"Senior, could I bother you for a moment?" I asked, carrying my tray toward an upperclassman who was eating a [Mountain Vegetable Set Meal].

"What do you want?" The man immediately looked up, staring at me with vigilance.

What is this? He's just like a fish about to take the hook.

"I'm a first-year student who just enrolled this year, so there are some things I'd like to consult with you about. If you don't mind, please accept this [Deluxe Set Meal]." I handed over the tray, with every indication that I hadn't done anything strange to the food. "It can't be very pleasant to eat a [Mountain Vegetable Set Meal] every day, right?"

Even after I said that, he still maintained a defensive posture toward me.

"Of course, I won't just rely on a set meal to extract information; I will pay additional points." I added the condition, and as expected, the upperclassman showed a look of hesitation.

I silently waited for him to process the result. After a long silence, he sighed.

"You must be a student from Class A."

"Why would you come to that conclusion, Senior?"

Success. I slowly sat down in the seat opposite him.

"Because only a freshman from Class A would likely notice this matter at such an early stage."

"Do you mean to say that the division into Class A, B, C, and D is based on ability?"

"...Thirty thousand points." He thought for a moment before giving me that answer, which I rejected without hesitation.

"Ten thousand points at most. You should know that we will find out about this sooner or later, within a month at most, right?"

"...As expected of a student from Class A." The upperclassman laughed at himself. "Alright then, I will answer based on the value of ten thousand. But you have to transfer half the points to me first as a deposit."

"That's fine, but I don't want to buy false information."

"Of course, I wouldn't make a mistake over such a small matter."

Following his request, I transferred five thousand points to his account as a deposit to put his mind at ease.

"Then, let me ask an off-topic question first. Are you a student from Class D in the third year?"

"...Yes." He nodded. "How did you know that?"

"It's just a simple deduction. Even looking at the color tone of your uniform, one should be able to tell. But that's not the point. The point is—"

"Could you please lead me to meet the leader of your class? I assume there is someone like a leader, right?"

"What do you mean?" He frowned in confusion. "I can resolve your doubts; there's no need to specifically find the leader for this. If it's a matter of trust, I can even sign a written agreement with you."

How desperate he is.

"No, you've misunderstood me, Senior. I still want you to answer my questions. I'm looking to discuss other matters with your leader, so this is just a request."

"I can help you introduce them, but..."

"I have my own reasons. I want to make an exciting deal with you seniors."

"An exciting... deal?"

"Yes. So, could you please speak to your leader right now?"

"Right now?"

"If possible." I nodded.

"I'll ask."

After waiting for a while, he shifted his gaze away from the phone screen he had been operating.

"He agreed. He's free for the rest of the lunch break, so when do you want to meet?"

"Take me over there once the senior has finished his meal."

"Alright... do you have any other questions to ask?"

"I've already asked everything I could think of for the moment. From here on out, I'll need to base my questions on the specific details you provide."

"You say you're done asking?" The senior frowned, looking puzzled.

"Yes, that's right."

"But you haven't really asked anything, have you?"

"Weren't those questions already answered during my conversation with the senior?"

When I finished that sentence, he froze for a moment, then wore an expression of astonishment.

The aspects I had been considering previously were focused on where the school could force us to spend our points, yet I hadn't expected them to restrict us at the very source.

This was a blind spot I discovered from my conversation with Ichinose yesterday, because in Teacher Hoshinomiya's words, she had never mentioned that we would be given 100,000 points every month; she only said that points would be deposited monthly.

A new month had already begun, which meant a new round of points had been distributed. Yet even so, a third-year senior was still eating the free set meal provided by the school. What did that mean?

If one were to call it frugality, it would be far too terrifying. Eating free set meals day after day, sacrificing one's physical health for the sake of points. Of course, even so, it reflected the importance of the points.

In order to uncover the true nature of this school, I followed the senior, whose class was mired in a quagmire, to meet their leader—Yoshii Yuzo.

Chapter 8: Your 'Most Basic' Doesn't Even Reach the Level of an Ordinary Person, Does It?

"We should get going, Raku." Ichinose turned around, tapping on my wooden desk as she said excitedly.

After the afternoon school bell rang, the atmosphere and energy of the entire class suddenly became restless, as if everyone were collectively heading off to participate in some group activity. It wasn't just their actions; the content of Ichinose's words also highlighted my own 'incompatibility.' The second day of school was basically a time for teachers and students to get to know each other, and I didn't recall there being any other arrangements for the afternoon.