Classroom of the Elite, A Hypocritical Gray Life

"Where are we heading?"

"Did you not hear the broadcast at noon today?"

"...It seems that way. I didn't head straight back to the classroom after eating lunch today; I wandered around a bit, so I might have walked into an area the broadcast didn't reach. Could you tell me what it said?"

"Simply put, there's a club orientation being held in the First Gymnasium at five o'clock this afternoon."

"Club orientation..." I felt a flicker of interest upon hearing those words, but for the sake of appearances, I decided to decline. Getting dragged into some other incident would be a headache.

"You're not planning on going?" Ichinose asked again.

"I'll pass. I wasn't planning on joining any clubs anyway; I'd rather head straight back to the dormitory with that time."

"Raku doesn't have anything else to do, so it's better to go and learn a little. Teacher Hoshinomiya mentioned that those who perform exceptionally well in their clubs can receive extra points as a reward."

"The time has finally come! I'm definitely joining the soccer club!" Shibata Sou stood up from his seat, fired up, and then rushed toward the gymnasium with the others.

They certainly have energy.

"I don't have a particularly strong desire for money, and I have plans with Kanzaki."

"Hm? With Kanzaki?" Ichinose turned her head, shifting the focus of the conversation to the person sitting next to me.

"Yeah, Raku and I agreed to have dinner together tonight... but before that, I want to attend the club orientation."

"..."

"Then Raku should come along too. It's bound to be beneficial." Ichinose gave me a cheerful look before running off to leave with a group of girls.

"..."

Under the weight of various pressures, I was forced to follow Kanzaki to the First Gymnasium. I had assumed not many people would come to participate, but upon arriving, I found the crowd was even larger than I had imagined.

I don't understand the mindset of students who want to enrich their extracurricular lives. While I'm not a "conservationist" in the strict sense, I definitely avoid these kinds of self-inflicted troubles.

Kanzaki and I found seats toward the back of the gymnasium, waiting for the orientation to begin while reading the pamphlets handed out at the entrance.

"Hyperbaric oxygen chamber..." Kanzaki muttered in disbelief.

A hyperbaric oxygen chamber? I recall that being a piece of equipment used in modern medical fields. Does this school actually include clinical hospital experiments?

I flipped to the page Kanzaki was looking at, which was primarily an introduction to the track and field team. After reading the content carefully, I was surprised to find it was a simple piece of emergency medical equipment. What is this? Is this really just "simple processing" rather than on-site treatment?

There's absolutely no need for a hospital at this point!

I tried to suppress the shock I felt inside and kept flipping through the pages regarding the clubs. The images and descriptions in the pamphlet made us realize that this school truly has achievements in this area. The club facilities are far more abundant than those at schools of the same level, to the point where even professional-grade equipment would pale in comparison. It is no exaggeration to say that holding world-class competitions here would be a breeze.

"Are you thinking of joining a club, Kanzaki?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I originally had the thought of joining a club, but it doesn't seem like that's going to work out now."

"Is it because of the level of professionalism..."

"Exactly." Kanzaki nodded, looking somewhat incredulous. "You can tell just from this pamphlet. My reason for wanting to join a club was purely out of interest, but the clubs at this school don't seem very friendly to newcomers. There's a sort of 'keep out' vibe."

"Indeed. It feels like everyone is expected to strive toward a professional level in this field."

"Pretty much... Do you have any thoughts?"

"None at all. Even if there were a 'go-home club' or something leisurely, I wouldn't join. Compared to pointless labor, I prefer to live in peace, I suppose." Even I wasn't sure about that statement.

"It seems you don't have any experience participating in clubs."

"Aren't you the same?"

I had been holding onto the hope that you were the same kind of person as me, but it seems I was mistaken.

"Don't lump me in with you. I, for one, was in the track and field club during middle school, though I wasn't the captain... but I suppose exercise is something unrelated to you."

"I do the most basic level of exercise." Although I didn't know what aspect of me gave him that misconception, I tried my best to salvage my image.

"I feel like your 'most basic' doesn't even reach the level of an average person, given your personality."

"We've known each other for less than two days; how can you judge my daily habits based on my personality? If you could, please go easy on me—my heart has been wounded."

"I'm just stating the facts. You wear your habits on your face; it's hard for us not to notice." After saying that, Kanzaki gave me a mocking look.

"..."

Wow, are people this terrifying nowadays? Their cognitive abilities are way too advanced.

Just as I was about to retort to Kanzaki, a female voice came from the side of the stage, echoing through the gymnasium via the speakers.

"Attention, first-year students, please settle down. We will now begin the club orientation. I am Tachibana, the secretary of the student council, and I will be serving as the moderator for this orientation. Please treat me well."

It's starting.

Once the moderator, Tachibana, finished her greeting, the club representatives lined up on the gymnasium stage. The representatives were a diverse bunch, ranging from a senior in a judo uniform who looked incredibly strong to a senior wearing a beautiful kimono.

"Can boys join the dance club?"

"Of course they can, though I don't think many boys would choose to dance right now. Modern society has basically decided that dance is an activity for women to display artistic beauty, so men might not feel very comfortable with it, in every sense of the word..." After I said that, Kanzaki's gaze followed the senior wearing a dance-like outfit.

"Are you really wanting to join the dance club to watch the senior's dance moves?"

"Please don't think of me as that sleazy; I was just purely curious."

I had seen a few male dancers before, but on that massive stage, I didn't spot a single male member.

"Of course I know that. Your way of thinking would never reach that level anyway."

"...If you don't mind, I would like you to retract that last statement."

Kanzaki ignored me, while on stage, a female student in a dance costume began the club introduction.

"My name is Kiryu Manabe, and I am the leader of the dance club. We have won the national championship many times, so please do not worry about the quality of our technical instruction. Of course, we prefer dancing joyfully with everyone rather than constant, grueling training. We welcome beginners, so please, by all means, join our club."

A very hollow speech. I suspect the following introductions will be just as superficial. Welcoming beginners is likely just a ploy to collect club fees, only to let them realize their own inadequacies and then kick them out in a logical, orderly fashion.

Human hearts are truly sinister.

I listened with boredom as the upperclassmen repeated their club activity times and locations, along with their charming pitches. Aside from the calligraphy and tea ceremony clubs, which forced me to feign a modicum of interest, there was nothing particularly noteworthy.

As more clubs were introduced, the surrounding environment began to grow increasingly noisy.

It was becoming difficult to hear the club introductions.

"Aren't there any teachers here to manage this? If things go on like this, we won't be able to hear anything," Kanzaki muttered in my ear, prompting me to re-examine the scene.

The entire gymnasium had descended into a frenzy of activity, with students chatting wantonly about various clubs. Yet, the teachers acting as supervisors made no move to intervene, and the club representatives on stage continued their explanations as if nothing were amiss.

"How lax," Kanzaki complained.

"They've probably already left. After all, neither of us has any intention of joining a club."

"Let's see it through to the end. We don't have any homework to finish today anyway."

"Fine."

Slowly, the people on stage began to leave one by one, until only one person remained. A man. He hadn't spoken a word from the very beginning; he had just been quietly watching all of us the entire time, and even now, he remained the same.

The man was over 170 centimeters tall, with clean, black hair atop a slender frame. Through his sharp, well-defined eyes, one could glimpse a gaze full of intellect.

He stood before the microphone, surveying us with a composed posture. This behavior seemed to be mistaken for nervousness, leading some to make strange remarks. We didn't catch the specifics, but the tone of mockery was heavy.

Yet, even so, that upperclassman remained unmoved; he simply stood there quietly. Suddenly, an invisible aura spread, causing the boisterous laughter to wither away. A sense of unease and tension began to ripple through the crowd, making people feel uncomfortable.

Just like that, the entire hall fell into a silence that lasted for over thirty seconds.

"I am Horikita Manabu, the student council president." The man's authoritative voice slowly carried across the entire gymnasium.

"We are recruiting candidates from the first-year students. There are no special requirements for candidates, but if anyone is considering becoming a candidate for the student council, please refrain from joining other clubs. In principle, those who wish to join the student council and other clubs simultaneously will not be accepted."

Is this for the sake of fairness?

"Our student council refuses to accept those who hold naive notions. Such people will only leave a stain on our school."

With extremely concise language, President Horikita completely extinguished any notion that joining the student council was a game, then turned and walked away gracefully without accepting any questions.

The entire hall remained under the shock he had brought.

"He's truly imposing," Kanzaki couldn't help but sigh.

"He is the student council president, after all. His position is somewhat special."

"Thank you all for your hard work; the orientation is now concluded. We will now begin accepting club applications. Additionally, since applications will be accepted until the end of April, students who wish to apply later should take their application forms directly to the club they wish to join. That is all."

After the student council president left, the secretary, Tachibana, began to take control of the situation again, slowly and methodically planning the exit route.

"Do you plan on looking around more?"

"No need. A simple understanding is enough. I don't have the stomach for such high-intensity 'hobbies'."

"Then let's go get something to eat."

"Let's go."

Just like that, I had managed to make a second person in this school whom I could call a 'friend'.

Chapter 9: You're Beyond Saving

Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School

Although it is a high school, graduates can enter the workforce directly, bypassing the value associated with a university degree. At the same time, it boasts a 99.9% success rate for employment in desired fields, and the entire facility utilizes the most advanced technological means.

It is a school like this that possesses a system that is extremely unique and filled with freedom.

Although there are bridges and ties to the school like the student council—a mass organization of the students themselves—the need for class officers has not been clearly established. In other words, special terms like 'class monitor' or 'sports representative' generally do not exist among the students. Instead, they are replaced by a single, outstanding leader.

However, due to the demands of our class, the existence of a leader was almost zero, or at least impossible until Ichinose failed. This was caused by the class environment. Although we eventually held an election for class officers, the identity of 'class monitor' could not be equated to the existence of a leader. It was merely a symbol of unity.

The reason for electing class officers was that it would facilitate mutual help among classmates. This proposal was put forward by Ichinose during a class meeting, and everyone agreed to the continuation of order. The result was no surprise: Ichinose was elected class monitor by everyone, and Kanzaki Ryuji, with whom I have a relatively close relationship, inexplicably became the vice-monitor.

This was likely due to his intellectual gaze.

Throughout the entire nomination process, I remained in a state of trepidation, fearing that I would be mentioned by someone at any moment. Although there were idle positions like the health committee member or the life committee member, I still did not want to get involved in any of these.

If one does not take on some responsibility, it might appear glaring, but this responsibility did not include class committees. If one accepts a position, one will inevitably be labeled accordingly, creating an unforgettable impression. For someone who dwells in the shadows, such things should be avoided at all costs.

During the nomination period, I noticed Ichinose glancing at me repeatedly, but I pretended not to see her, focusing entirely on resting my chin on the desk.

"Do you need me to nominate you for a position?"

"Sorry. If I offended you, I apologize."

"...Your apology is truly cheap, and blunt. Then again, I suppose someone like you wouldn't seriously engage in such contributory activities."

"Hey, this kind of thing should count as teamwork ability. In that regard, I am a C, one grade higher than your D+."

"Neither of our team collaboration skills are worth praising, you know."

"True, they're undoubtedly bottom-tier."

"Still, I'm curious why your evaluation is one grade higher than mine. No matter how I look at it, you seem like someone completely detached from the rest of the class."

"That's too harsh. 'Detached'? Can't I even get a rating like 'underachiever'? Show me a little respect, at least."

"Sorry, that's probably the limit of the respect I can offer you."

"How humble..."

While the election for the sports representative was underway, Kanzaki and I were chatting idly. Because Ichinose was up front presiding over the meeting and everyone else was caught up in heated discussions, we were able to talk without any restraint.

"But really, do you have nothing going on with Ichinose?"

"You can see for yourself, can't you? We're just sitting in front of and behind each other."

"But it feels like your conversations are incredibly intimate. Even right now. Her gaze keeps drifting toward you; it seems like she really wants you to take on a role."

"Hmm, does it?" I feigned ignorance and glanced toward the podium, but Ichinose wasn't looking at me at that moment. "Doesn't look like it."

"It seems your standing in my estimation is about to drop another level."

"...For what reason?"

"You don't even have the most basic observational skills."

"...But we really don't have any relationship. If I had to say, I suppose I might be the first student in this school to have met Ichinose."

"Sure, sure. I wasn't thinking in that direction. I just thought you two knew each other from before."

"If we weren't in the same class, there's no way I could have had any connection with Ichinose, right?"

"The probability is low, but it's not impossible that Ichinose might have approached you first."

What is that supposed to mean? Not me, but Ichinose would be the one to approach? Now that I think about it, when we first met, it was indeed Ichinose who spoke first...