This Really Is Classroom of the Elite's Set, Isn't It?

The idea originated from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

After all, the biggest reason he came here to enroll was the other person, but as time went on, Kitagawa Ryo also increasingly felt that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, sitting on the other side of the chessboard, was able to cast his gaze from the chessboard to a more distant place.

The opponent might have to stand up and take the initiative to end this game.

If Ayanokoji Kiyotaka does succeed, then he will naturally be unable to stay in ANHS, since this is never something he can completely control.

"I am truly grateful for these past three years. Thank you everyone."

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was lost in thought, Horikita Manabu on the stage finally finished his thank-you speech, politely bowed to the audience, and turned to leave, announcing that the Graduation Ceremony had entered the next stage.

However, it was really just a segment where various adults took turns speaking on stage. From the Acting Chairman, Tsukishiro, to the student guardians' representatives and government officials, the students in the audience were almost all drowsy and turned into automatic clapping machines. After enduring it for quite a while, the First Year and second-year students were finally allowed to leave.

The next event is Graduation Banquet, which is mainly attended by all graduates, all teachers, and the guardians of the graduates who attended the ceremony; it has nothing to do with them.

Because it was spring break, first- and second-year students who had finished their work could go back to their dorms without any problem. However, students who were involved in clubs or were close friends with third-year students were still waiting at the entrance, seemingly preparing to wait for the graduates to come out for a final farewell. Several of them were carrying bouquets of flowers.

"Didn't Suzune's parents come?"

Kitagawa Ryo spotted Horikita Suzune waiting nearby at a glance and walked over briskly, asking her a question.

"Yes, they're all quite busy, and my brother seemed to have told them during the tripartite talks that they didn't need to come to the Graduation Ceremony."

Horikita Suzune didn't have any bouquets or anything like that prepared, but she did wear the ring that Kitagawa Ryo had given her, which was quite unusual.

"So."

Having just exchanged a few casual words with Horikita Suzune, Kitagawa Ryo, with his Eagle Eye Vision, caught a glimpse of a detail near the back door of the Gymnasium:

"It seems Ayanokoji went in with Tsukishiro."

"Huh? Aren't current students not allowed to attend the Graduation Banquet?"

"So it was Tsukishiro who brought him in, after all, he's still the Acting Chairman of ANHS."

Kitagawa Ryo pursed his lips. At this crucial moment before his departure, Tsukishiro's actions suddenly became much more frequent. Besides this time, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's temporary absence from the End-of-Year Special Exam day before yesterday was probably also related to him.

"By the way, I remember the Graduation Banquet is a one-hour affair, right?"

"Yes, but according to past practice, it usually ends up taking about ninety minutes to an hour and a half."

"That should be enough for Tsukishiro to help Ayanokoji become familiar to some people. Actually, you know, the relationship between Ayanokoji and his father is quite absurd. It's basically not related to family at all, but in public, he still has to intentionally or unintentionally emphasize that the other party is his biological son and father. You have to admit, Ayanokoji's trick is like using magic to fight magic."

After making this sarcastic remark, Kitagawa Ryo made his own prediction:

"I have a feeling these two will probably end up with a happy ending, like a loving father and a filial son."

Will it affect the cooling effect?

"Maybe, but it won't have a big impact. Besides, this matter is still very far off, so Suzune doesn't need to think too much about it."

After offering this comforting remark, Kitagawa Ryo inquired with concern:

"How is Class B doing now?"

"It feels really strange that Liang would ask this question, since our class clearly lost to your class."

"No way, what do you mean 'your class' or 'our class'? Anyway, I think everyone here is a good classmate of mine, but what can I do? We're just facing off. I even sent Sudo and the others some comforting texts yesterday, okay?"

"It's a pity that not everyone shares Liang's thoughts."

At this point, Horikita Suzune herself sighed, her words revealing a hint of helplessness:

"It's fortunate that the final score was three to four. If we only look at our class's Class Points, we only lost fifty points. Plus, no students dropped out because of it, so the atmosphere was alright."

"Of course, it's also related to the fact that we don't have to get together anymore after the holiday. If we don't like each other, we should avoid meeting each other. After all, everyone is angry right now, and it's easy for us to have a conflict over emotions."

"That affair between Yukimura and Shinohara?"

"That was kind of a catalyst. Ryo knew all about the messy things between the boys and girls in the class. Just considering that, I actually hope that Sudo and Onodera can end up together. Maybe it can even liven up the atmosphere between the boys and girls and break the ice or something."

"That's true, but dating is ultimately about mutual consent. Suzune can't force them to date."

"Yes, just thinking about all the troublesome things makes me realize how many there are, including the Student Council."

"That's what it's like to be Leader. Besides, the difficulties that Suzune is facing now are all things that Horikita-senpai has experienced and overcome."

"This sentence structure sounds familiar... Liang used this trick to fool me before, but it doesn't work on me now."

"It would be a complete failure if it were to be applied again."

"Me?"

"Including me."

"Ryo's personality is really strange. Is it possible that there are people in the world who value changing the Fate of others even more than their own?"

"Because Suzune is special, but maybe I do have that kind of personality tendency myself."

Kitagawa Ryo chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Looking back now, the reason why Hotaru created such a life simulation game specifically for him might be because for the first ten years or so, his life was lived for his sister, and afterwards, only an empty shell of a relationship remained.

He was never perfect; rather, the secret to his one-life victory in Horikita Suzune's chapter was precisely what is meant by imperfection.

Remove the veil from Horikita Suzune's eyes, take down the shrine she worships, and let her know that no one in this world is truly perfect, that every word she speaks is golden advice, and that she must abide by and believe in it.

"Actually, after hearing what Ichika said yesterday, I couldn't sleep at night. On one hand, I was thinking about how much more Ryo was unaware of, and on the other hand, I felt that if it was all going to be like this, it would be better to keep it from me. As a result, I spent the whole night thinking about these things."

"So, does Suzune still want to know in the end?"

"... think."

Faced with Kitagawa Ryo's question, Horikita Suzune hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded:

"I want to know Arisu told Hiyori about Hiyori's death in front of her, and I also want to know what happened between Ryo, Megumi, and Honami. I want to know everything, everything."

"Yes, I understand what Suzune means. There will be such opportunities in the future, but it may take some time. And Suzune, don't be too nervous. Most of the stories are quite normal. You might even laugh when you see certain parts."

After keeping everyone in suspense for a moment, Kitagawa Ryo changed the subject again, casually chatting with Horikita Suzune about gossip between Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane. Soon it was time for the Graduation Banquet to end and for the third-year graduates to leave the Gymnasium.

Although a considerable number of students at the entrance were waiting for Horikita Manabu himself, upon seeing Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune standing side by side, Horikita Manabu made way for them and went to their side first.

Happy graduation, brother.

"Congratulations on your graduation, senior."

"I thought you'd call me 'brother' too, Kitagawa."

Having probably noticed the ring on Horikita Suzune's hand, Horikita Manabu made a rare joke, teasing Kitagawa Ryo in this way.

"Oh, that's true. But it's the last day anyway, so let's fulfill your wish, senior. Well then, I wish you a safe journey and a bright future."

Kitagawa Ryo also graciously addressed him more intimately, after all, this man was indeed his brother-in-law, and he had indeed received a lot of help from him over the past year.

"It's enough to hear that."

Horikita Manabu smiled and nodded, then turned his gaze back to his younger sister:

"Actually, I don't have much to say to Suzune. After all, your growth this year has exceeded my expectations. If you can maintain this momentum, you will be even more outstanding than I am today in two years."

After this rather frank praise and appreciation, Horikita Manabu waved goodbye to the two of them as a final farewell.

"Don't worry about me. Even if I don't graduate from Class A, I still meet the admission requirements for my desired university. I've successfully passed both the interview and the Written Exam."

Although he said that, Kitagawa Ryo could still sense the obvious reluctance in Horikita Manabu's tone. After all, as an older brother, he would definitely want to witness his younger sister's growth over the past three years.

A year is indeed too short a time.

Perhaps that's why Hotaru, who is two years younger than him, chose not to enroll in Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School next year. After all, a year of being together would result in a two-year gap in his life.

"I wish you all the best in your second and third years as well."

With Horikita Manabu's words, the First Year for Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune came to an end.

Second grade...

Kitagawa Ryo watched Horikita Manabu's departing figure. The other would be walking out of the gates of ANHS School tonight to officially graduate, but just one week later, a new batch of students would walk in through the same gate as First Year students.

Among them are old friends reunited after a long separation, as well as newcomers drifting with the tide; some are eager to make their mark, while others are lost and unsure of which path to take.

More importantly, several students have already been assigned factions and missions, and from the first day of enrollment, they will become the focus of his new round of confrontation with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

Some stories have just ended, while others are just beginning.

(First Year Chapter Complete)

Second Grade Section

Chapter 1: This really is the set of Classroom of the Elite Camp, isn't it?

It's that time of year again—the school gate of Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, constructed from natural rocks, will once again welcome another batch of new students awaiting enrollment.

Because the school is not located in Tokyo, and the new students come from all over the country, most of them have been invited by ANHS school to stay temporarily in nearby hotels in advance, taking into consideration travel arrangements. They will then take a bus to the school tomorrow, April 1st, the first day of school.

For some freshmen who had participated in the previous ANHS Cultural Festival last November, it was a case of familiarity after a second time. Many freshmen had also interacted with each other because of the last Cultural Festival. After exchanging information and discovering that they were classmates, they naturally became closer.

It was precisely because of this that, on the evening of March 31st, before the start of the semester, many groups of students had already left the hotel one after another. Some were simply going for a walk and chatting, while others wanted to see what ANHS, where they would be spending the next three years, looked like.

Of course, a very small number of students harbored more complex thoughts.

At least Tsubaki Sakurako felt that her older sister was definitely on this side.

Unlike the last time she came here for the Cultural Festival, even though she had finally waited for the start of school that the other person had been looking forward to for a year, Tsubaki Sakurako couldn't see any joy of fulfillment on Yuki's face. The atmosphere was a bit low, and could even be described as gloomy.

If Tsubaki Sakurako were to try to trace back in time to find the reason, then her older sister's change should have started on Valentine's Day, February 14th. She didn't know what kind of shock she experienced outside, but it seemed to have become the fuse that led to a bad incident at the last moment before graduating from junior high school.

Then, due to the sudden drop in reputation, when the official admission notice from ANHS arrived, I was assigned to Class 1-D.

As someone who had been to ANHS and knew some of its internal information, Tsubaki Sakurako was well aware that the four classes were ranked according to their overall evaluation.

Although my sister lacks any academic credentials due to her experience in the White Room and subsequent long-term psychological treatment, and carries various psychological disorders and illnesses identified by several authoritative psychology experts, and is suspected of being overly obsessed with love, ultimately leading to a very negative incident...

But assigning them to Class D is going too far.

The main problem is that she's still in Class B, so now the two of them are in different classes.

Seemingly noticing her younger sister's slightly resentful look, Xue also turned her head and glanced at her:

"If Sakurako is sleepy, she can go back to the hotel to sleep."

"No, I'm not sleepy."

After muttering this denial in a low voice, Tsubaki Sakurako jogged after him again.

"But I really don't understand why you're out so late. Do you think the other person can climb over the wall? Besides, we can meet tomorrow."

"I just came out to check on the other students."

Xue slowed her pace slightly and gestured towards a few other groups of students a little further away:

"Look, that's Takahashi Osamu from Class 1-B, the same class as you, Sakurako. He was the one who started building his social circle at the hotel today."

"What's wrong?"

"I just thought he might be on Ayanokouji's Ayanokoji."

Perhaps it's because she's a year older, or perhaps it's for some other deeper reason, but Tsubaki Sakurako often feels that her older sister, whom she had lost and then found again, always exudes a very mature aura.

"Those who get information in advance will always want to take advantage of this information gap to the greatest extent to gain benefits and a first-mover advantage. Among the freshmen who will be enrolling tomorrow, those who know the most inside information about ANHS are naturally the selected students like us."

"This sounds like we're about to be sucked into the Digital World."

"... In short, I just want to take advantage of this opening to get a preliminary assessment of my opponent."

"Oh, that's good too. By the way, my favorite is Gatomon, the one that evolves into Angewomon. Speaking of which, have you seen that show, sis? Now that I think about it, there seems to be some pseudo-incestuous content in it."

Seeing that her younger sister was clearly trying to make her laugh with a joke, Xue couldn't maintain her previous poker face any longer and sighed:

"Alright, alright, I'm not that unhappy. The only thing that caused the incident was that I was assigned to Class D in the safest way possible."

"Tch -- you only wanted to be assigned to Class D because of that person, just like why you were unhappy when you came back on Valentine's Day. A little internet browsing would have told you what happened at Tokyo Tower that night."

As she spoke, Tsubaki Sakurako tucked her hands back into her sleeves, looking at her older sister who bore a striking resemblance to her, but quickly lowered her eyes and looked away.

"I don't think my sister is much better off now than she was in the hospital. My parents and I are different; it's not like we think she's okay just because she can walk out of the hospital and talk to people and go to school normally."

To be honest, she initially thought that Kitagawa Ryo had resolved the other's inner conflict, but as time went on, especially after the last Cultural Festival, Tsubaki Sakurako increasingly felt that it was not healing or healing at all, but rather that it was using something else to distract her sister, simply transforming one obsession into another, deeper obsession.

She felt this was wrong.

However, she knew perfectly well that she couldn't change it, even though she was the other person's biological sister by blood, their relationship was far from being that close.

More precisely, Tsubaki Sakurako didn't feel that she held enough weight in Yuki's heart, even though she had always placed her older sister in a very important position because of Yuki's childhood experiences.

After all, considering the background that a father who was close to Ayanokoji Atsuomi insisted on sending a daughter to the White Room, Yuki could be said to have borne such a childhood for her, which is one of the key reasons why Tsubaki Sakurako holds this attitude.

"I feel great now, and I'll be even better in the future."