The Bus to School

(As everyone knows, Advanced Nurturing is a university.)

(Everyone in this book is over 18.)

(This book contains a lot of original settings. Tomato has the rights to Classroom of the Elite, so I have to take similarity into account, which is why I've changed some things. If you can't accept that, please don't read it.)(Author, please, please take a look at this! Everyone is unique, and people are bound to have very different thoughts about certain things. So some of the ideas I have while writing might not match what you think when you read them. Could we try to understand each other? ૮₍ɵ̷﹏ɵ̷̥̥᷅₎ა)

(The author of this book is a new writer. If anything feels clumsy—the plot doesn't flow smoothly, or you have questions or ideas—please point it out in the comments. I'll read them.)

(The author doesn't accept deliberate nitpicking or insults. If you're one of those people, please look here: (︶︿︶)=凸. Or maybe you'd like to find out whether the author has a sharp tongue.)

(Since the protagonist spent time cooped up in the White Room, some characters' personalities will differ from the original. Please bear with me, and thank you for supporting this book.)

(The author humbly thanks you (シ_ _)シ)

(Brain storage)

(The main story starts below. Enjoy!)

On the bus to school, Uesugi Hara gazed out at the passing scenery, his thoughts gradually drifting away.

He couldn't tell whether choosing this school had been the right decision. The claim of a "100% graduation and employment rate" was obviously a lie, but he didn't have any other options.

His dire financial situation left him with seemingly only two choices besides this school: take out a loan to attend university or go straight to work in a factory. The prospect of having all his expenses covered was simply too tempting to pass up.

It had been three years since he'd escaped that place. When he'd first regained his freedom, he'd thought he was finally free to soar wherever he wished. Reality had promptly slapped him in the face: his family had gone bankrupt, and the "parents" who'd sent him there had long since been imprisoned. Apart from the small amount of travel money he'd received when he left, he had practically nothing.

Only then did he finally understand why he'd been targeted while he was inside, and how such a crude act of playing dumb had fooled everyone. His family must have already fallen from power back then, leaving him without the backing he'd once had.

He'd scraped his way through high school by working and studying at the same time. His grades should have paved the way to a bright future, but in the end, everything had come down to two words: no money. He couldn't even get a foot in the door of a university. Just as he was wondering whether to take out a loan, an invitation from Advanced Nurturing arrived, giving him a third option.

A windfall had fallen into his lap. Should he take it? Of course! Why wouldn't he?

He had nothing left anyway. What else could they possibly cheat him out of? His kidneys? This wasn't northern Myanmar.

And so Uesugi Hara had come. Right or wrong, he was already on his way.

Thankfully, the school had its own bus. Otherwise, he might really have had to make the trip on foot.

As he was thinking about it, an expressionless boy sat down beside him.

Huh? Mr. Stone Face?!

Uesugi Hara stared at him as if he'd seen a ghost. His voice was full of disbelief. "Ayanokoji? Weren't you supposed to still be 'locked up' in there?"

At the sound of his voice, Ayanokoji turned his head. A flicker of surprise passed through his usually placid eyes, but the moment he heard the word "locked up," his expression darkened. What did he mean, locked up?

"Uesugi. Long time no see." He suppressed his annoyance, his tone as calm as ever.

"Sure has been a while." Uesugi Hara hadn't noticed anything amiss and asked curiously, "When did you get out?"

"Not long ago."

"They let you out? Did that guy finally lose his mind?"

"Mm... Something unexpected happened." Ayanokoji glossed over it.

"Is that so?"

Uesugi Hara didn't hold anything against Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. Though Ayanokoji's father had once targeted him, he had no deep-seated grudge against Ayanokoji himself. They could maybe even be called friends?

The two began chatting on and off. Most of the time, Uesugi Hara complained about how miserable the past few years had been, while Ayanokoji listened quietly. His days inside had passed without a change, day after day, so he didn't have much to say.

Though their voices weren't particularly loud, they still disturbed the black-haired girl sitting nearby.

She frowned and glared at Uesugi Hara, but he was too busy complaining to Ayanokoji to notice her displeased gaze.

The girl kept glaring like that for several breaths, until her eyes began to sting. Just as she was about to blink and give them a moment's rest, Uesugi Hara finally noticed.

He saw someone staring straight at him and froze for a moment, thinking he might know her. He studied the girl's face, but she didn't ring a bell at all. So he returned her look with an unapologetic "What're you looking at?" glare.

Horikita Suzune clearly hadn't expected him to react that way. A flicker of displeasure crossed her eyes, and then she glared back even more stubbornly, refusing to yield an inch.

And so the two of them began a staring contest, neither willing to back down.

In the end, Horikita Suzune was the first to lose. Her eyes were simply too sore to keep going.

Uesugi Hara saw her eyes reddening, as though she were about to cry, and couldn't help asking, "Are you all right?"

To the girl, however, the question sounded like a taunt. She blinked quickly to ease the irritation, then stuck out her chin and glared back, her defiance undiminished.

Seeing that she was still determined to keep it up, Uesugi Hara snorted. "What a pain. You can tell she was spoiled rotten at home. If she were with me, she'd get a few good smacks upside the head every day."

Then he couldn't be bothered with her anymore. He turned back and continued telling Ayanokoji about everything that had happened to him over the years.

Ayanokoji was already used to Uesugi Hara acting like this, so he wasn't surprised. The guy hadn't changed at all over the years.

But... was that glare from behind them a little too intense?

Ayanokoji silently wailed to himself, Why are you glaring at me? Go glare at him!

When Horikita Suzune realized no one was paying attention to her, she quietly withdrew her gaze. She memorized the two boys' faces, thinking she'd get even when she had the time.

"Could someone give an old lady a seat?"

A clear female voice suddenly rang through the bus, interrupting Uesugi Hara's complaints. He looked up toward the aisle. The speaker was a girl with short, light-brown hair, carefully supporting an elderly woman with white hair. She looked rather anxious.

Well, what a familiar face. Uesugi Hara raised his eyebrows.

Seeing the silence in the bus and no one getting up, he turned to Ayanokoji and said, "We'll talk later." Then he called out, "Kushida, there's a seat here."

At the sound of her name, Kushida Kikyo's smile stiffened, as if someone had suddenly doused her with cold water. She turned toward the voice and met a pair of eyes that seemed to be smiling and not smiling at once. Uesugi Hara was lazily getting to his feet and waving her over to his seat.

"What are you waiting for?" Uesugi Hara lifted his chin toward her, his tone casual. "Bring the old lady over."

The stiffness vanished from Kushida Kikyo's face in an instant. Soon, she was wearing her trademark warm, friendly smile again, though a complicated look flickered in her eyes. "Oh, thank you!" she replied softly, hurrying to help the old woman over. Her steps were a little quicker than before, as though she wanted to put an end to this unexpected encounter as soon as possible.

The old woman sat down unsteadily and thanked him repeatedly. Uesugi Hara waved her thanks away, but his gaze stayed on Kushida. He hadn't expected to run into his "angel" of a classmate from high school here.

"I didn't expect to run into you here, Uesugi." Kushida Kikyo stood beside the seat with a polite smile, her tone carrying a hint of curiosity. "Are you coming to Advanced Nurturing too?"

"Why else would I be here?" Uesugi Hara raised an eyebrow. "Sightseeing?"

Kushida Kikyo was thrown off by his reply, but her smile didn't falter. If anything, it grew sweeter. "That's true. This is Advanced Nurturing, after all. Who would come here just to sightsee?"

"Come to think of it, your grades were great in high school, Uesugi. It's no surprise you got in here. But I'm a little surprised. With your scores, you could've gotten into Tokyo University with room to spare, couldn't you?"

Her words hit a sore spot. Uesugi Hara tugged at the corner of his mouth, his tone a little self-deprecating. "Why would I go to Tokyo University when this place is better? No tuition, plus a 100% graduation and employment rate."

Kushida's smile faded a little, as if she hadn't expected him to be so blunt. She opened her mouth to say something, but just then, an announcement came over the bus speakers, stating that they were about to arrive at the gates of Advanced Nurturing University.

Uesugi Hara looked out the window. A grand school gate gradually came into view, with orderly rows of classroom buildings and a wide expanse of greenery beyond it. It really did look like a paradise.

Uesugi Hara glanced back at Ayanokoji. When he saw him nod, he prepared to leave.

As Uesugi Hara turned to go, Kushida called after him. "Uesugi!"

He looked back at her, a questioning look in his eyes.

Kushida Kikyo once again wore her flawless smile. "Since we'll be classmates from now on, we might even end up in the same class. I look forward to getting along with you!"

"We'll see." Uesugi Hara replied coolly, then turned and followed the crowd toward the bus door.

(The number of readers following this story has exceeded the author's expectations, so I'd like to clarify a few things here. Please read this before you start!!!

First, let's talk about the protagonist's character.

He came from the White House, was born with rich emotions, is a genius, is handsome, and has no money.

No money: This is the most basic premise of the story, so please don't get hung up on it. I'm begging you. I started writing this for my own enjoyment, but I didn't expect so many people to read it. That means the original premise may seem a little weak now, but there's nothing I can do about it. One more thing: please check the review I posted in the book's review section. Thank you for understanding.

Coming from the White House: The protagonist is bound to have certain flaws because of his upbringing, even if they don't normally show. At Advanced Nurturing, he isn't oppressed by the White House, and he doesn't have to struggle to make ends meet or aim for Class A. His true nature can finally come out, so he'll seem more outgoing.

Genius: To stay in the White House, the protagonist played the part of a genius for more than ten years. Now that he's out, and no longer has to worry about making ends meet, of course he'll do whatever makes him happy. Some readers may think he's a little silly in certain places, but that doesn't mean he isn't putting it on. Not overthinking things lets him enjoy more in life.

The story also casually mentions a few examples of the protagonist's genius. For example: 1. When he played chess with Sakayanagi, he gave up a rook at the start (if you don't know chess, think of it as giving up a chariot in Chinese chess. Normally, trading a chariot for a horse and a cannon would put you at a disadvantage), yet he still won—and kept winning. 2. He could deduce important information from what he learned from Kushida, and he would verify it to make sure he could benefit from it. 3. Rock-paper-scissors, and how it relates to personality. 4. He asked a homeroom teacher to broker a deal, partly to hide his own involvement and partly because he didn't know how many Points to sell for. He figured out by observing that the homeroom teacher would help her class to some extent, and that her interests were tied to her class (in the original, Hoshinomiya told Ichinose this outright). So he had the Class A homeroom teacher negotiate with the Class C homeroom teacher, securing the greatest benefit. All of this shows his intelligence.

There really isn't much to write about in the early part of the story. Ayanokoji doesn't have many standout moments in the original early on, and mostly comes across as a brooding pervert... So there shouldn't be a problem with me making my protagonist a goofball, right?

Handsome: He's handsome. (One word is enough; use your imagination.)

(He was classmates with Kushida Kikyo.)

Second, let's talk about some changes to the setting.

1. Household goods are free at the convenience store in the original.

Maybe I changed this because I've experienced having to fight old ladies for free supermarket eggs. It doesn't affect the plot, so don't worry too much about it.

2. The Terminal

It combines a phone, student ID, and other things for convenience.

3. Whether the Terminal connects to the outside world.

My setting is that students can view some things from outside the school while on campus, but they can't reveal information related to the school or individuals. This was inspired by a few real-world things. The school is the control center, and the students are the users. Anything students post has to be checked by the control center before it can be sent out, so the school is comfortable letting them use it. (So, for the incident involving Airi and the store clerk, I went with my own setting.)

4. The school's nutritious meal plan.

Advanced Nurturing deliberately makes the food taste bad. Food from outside can't be deliberately made unpleasant if it's meant to satisfy customers.

5. The White House setting has been changed to accommodate the university setting and the characters' ages.

6. The club recruitment schedule is based on real universities, where it takes place after midterms.

7. To be added if I spot any problems later.

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