Classroom of the Elite, Oh No, I've Become a Stand-in

Her pale golden hair drifted with the current, her arms sliced through the water with power, and her legs kicked lightly to create ripples, her waist moving with fluid grace. Her soaked swimsuit outlined a beautiful figure, yet it didn't hinder her effortless progress in the slightest.

"Shiraishi-san, were you actually good at swimming?"

"Oh my, you noticed?" Shiraishi Asuka stopped, raising a hand to cover her lips as she feigned surprise. "I actually underwent specialized training for swimming when I was a child."

"And yet you still came in last place; that doesn't seem right."

"Perhaps... I came here specifically to keep you company?" Shiraishi Asuka said with a playful tone.

"Love at first sight again?"

Mikage Touji stared at Shiraishi Asuka, who was looking at him with a gentle expression, and asked in disbelief.

"Mmhmm." Shiraishi Asuka let out a cute, nasally hum.

"Just who is that scumbag you knew, the one you've kept in your memory until now?"

"A heartless person."

"That's a relief..." Mikage Touji patted his chest. "People call me Mikage Touji, the man of loyalty and righteousness." As he spoke, he felt something was off and looked back at Shiraishi Asuka. "So, how exactly do I resemble him?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it, I just feel like you do..."

"Is this another woman's sixth sense?"

Mikage Touji was already beyond exhausted with this concept; if he didn't possess something similar himself, he would have kicked the very idea into a sewer.

"As for that, I'll tell you later."

At this moment, Morishita Ran happened to drift leisurely past the two of them face-up, glanced at Mikage Touji, and spat out a single sentence:

"48 seconds..."

Could this be tolerated?

If this can be endured, what cannot!

"Morishita Ran, draw your sword! We're wagering tonight's dinner on this!"

Once eyes have locked, the duel must begin!

"Bring it on! Let me show you the inherited power of the Pirate King's bloodline from the Morishita family!" Morishita Ran flipped her body over, brimming with fighting spirit.

"The Pirate King is a landlubber, you know that, right?!"

"Not that Pirate King, the 10th generation Pirate King! Known as Morishita D. Sig."

"...You really do come up with these stories one after another."

"Is that so... thank you for the compliment."

"I wasn't complimenting you!"

Chapter 20: Sakayanagi Arisu in Class D

The school dismissal time in Japan felt exceptionally early compared to his previous life, usually ending around three or four in the afternoon. The remaining students either participated in club activities, went to cram schools, or became members of the "go-home club" and returned to their respective houses.

With some time left before dinner, Mikage Touji, having successfully practiced the Quick Success Technique and crushed Morishita Ran under his palm, was wandering around the convenience store to kill time.

His current ability cultivation had already entered the right track.

During the day while wandering around school, he would use Detection from time to time. This skill consumed far less energy than Psychokinesis, and as long as he controlled the range, he could keep it active continuously.

At night, close to bedtime, he would use Psychokinesis to exhaust his mental energy in one go, then sleep until dawn, never carrying fatigue over to the next day.

For the remaining time, he planned to cultivate a hobby—cooking!

One week after enrollment, he felt his sense of taste was on the verge of being successfully remodeled. He didn't know if it was an illusion, but recently he had actually started to find the sticky, stringy natto in the school cafeteria acceptable... Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

Enameled cast iron pot...

Tagine pot...

Chinese cast iron wok...

Titanium alloy frying pan...

Mikage Touji stopped in his tracks and glanced at the price.

[Titanium alloy frying pan: 35600 pr]

"..."

Time to go, time to go. Better find someone reliable to consult with next time.

Leaving the kitchenware section, he entered the toiletries section where the supermarket sold shampoo and body wash.

In the corner, a shopping cart labeled "Free" was filled with various daily necessities, with a note stating "Maximum of three items per month."

Used to such things, Mikage Touji continued forward, his gaze stopping on a girl with silver hair, a petite figure, and a cane.

Her silver-frost hair draped smoothly over her shoulders, flowing with a delicate luster under the fluorescent lights. Even while leaning on her cane, she possessed a quiet elegance.

She first steadily rested her cane against her side, then her slender yet bony hand gently supported the edge of the shelf, her entire body stretching upward like a swan extending its neck.

Her porcelain-white hand reached upward, bit by bit, bit by bi—

The girl's hand stopped in mid-air, and she turned her head to look at him, her delicate voice carrying a hint of composure. "Ara, watching a lady encounter difficulty and standing idly by is not something a gentleman should do, you know."

"I didn't think you needed any help." That overflowing sense of stubbornness was practically spilling out of her.

Mikage Touji shrugged, walked over, and helped her reach the toiletry item on the shelf.

Was it shampoo or face wash?

"If someone is willing to help, I naturally won't refuse." Taking the item, the young girl smiled and gave a slight bow to Mikage Touji. "Thank you for your assistance. I am Sakayanagi Arisu from Class D of the first year."

"Class A of the first year, Mikage Touji."

It was just a small, effortless favor, so Mikage Touji certainly didn't think it was worth such a formal expression of gratitude; the other party was likely just being polite.

"Then, I shall take my leave."

After stating his name, Mikage Touji turned and headed toward the exit of the convenience store.

Left behind, Sakayanagi Arisu watched Mikage Touji's retreating back, the corners of her mouth curling into a pleased arc.

Class A, huh...

Oden!

A Japanese dish famous overseas. Driven by curiosity about its authentic local taste, Mikage Touji bought a portion and waited in the outdoor seating area outside the convenience store.

Amidst the swirling white steam, the amber broth coated the trembling radish, and fat bloomed into translucent crystals on the beef tendon.

Following the local way of eating, he took a sip of the broth first to savor the umami of the ingredients.

After the first bite, Mikage Touji smacked his lips, his eyes squinting into slits.

It's sweet!

"If you don't mind, you could try this." A bottle of green tea was placed on the table and pushed toward Mikage Touji.

Sakayanagi Arisu walked over with her cane, sat down opposite Mikage Touji, lifted her hand to smooth her skirt, and sat with her legs together.

"Is there something else, Classmate Sakayanagi?" Mikage Touji asked, swallowing a chicken meatball.

"I wanted to get to know Classmate Mikage. To be honest, I haven't made any friends in Class D," Sakayanagi Arisu replied with a smile.

"Are the students in Class D hard to get along with? Classmate Sakayanagi is so cute, it shouldn't be difficult to make friends, right?" Mikage Touji poked at a meatball in his bowl and asked nonchalantly.

Mikage Touji's understanding of the situation in Class D was minimal. According to Hashimoto, Class D was currently a collection of small cliques doing their own thing, with no sense of unity whatsoever.

Plus, there was Kushida Kikyou, a friend of Mikage Touji's, who would chat with him online from time to time. But whenever the topic turned to Class D, she would just say, "Ahaha, everyone is such good friends," or "No way, everyone is a good person, I get along with everyone great, there are no conflicts at all."

"Not at all," Sakayanagi Arisu covered her lips and said with a hint of hidden meaning, "Everyone is very lovely."

"..." You're exactly the same as her.

"What about Classmate Mikage? Being here alone at this hour, do you prefer solitude?" Sakayanagi Arisu set her cane aside and placed her hands on her knees, which were wrapped in white stockings.

"Uh... that's not wrong, but I'm actually waiting for someone."

Mikage Touji picked a piece of beef tendon from his bowl and tossed it into his mouth, his eyes sweeping over Sakayanagi Arisu's impaired leg.

"Classmate Sakayanagi is truly impressive. Other schools might be fine, but at Advanced Nurturing, you have to live on your own for three years. I'm surprised you still chose to come here."

Judging by Sakayanagi Arisu's manners, her way of speaking, and her porcelain-like skin, she was definitely a young lady from a wealthy family. It was hard to imagine her family letting a girl with such limited mobility attend school by herself.

"Actually, my father didn't want me to attend this school either. But then I suddenly discovered that someone I knew was also going to attend, so I begged my father to let me come." There was a hint of joy in Sakayanagi Arisu's voice.

"Then Classmate Sakayanagi must be getting along very well with that person now, right?" Mikage Touji asked casually.

"No!"

Sakayanagi Arisu's smile turned cold as she said flatly, "I was stood up."

"Ah, this..." Mikage Touji, who had just been praising the greatness of friendship, choked instantly.

"Didn't that classmate tell you he wasn't coming to Kouiku?"

"He didn't," Sakayanagi Arisu said, looking somewhat annoyed. "In fact, I only found out he wasn't coming when his father visited our home."

"Then, are you going to drop out, Classmate Sakayanagi? I'm sure the school would understand your situation." After all, if the goal for coming to the school was gone, there was no reason to stay.

"I don't have any plans to do that for now. After all, the students in my class are so interesting; I intend to learn more about them."

Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes were smiling and her tone was gentle, but for some reason, Mikage Touji felt a chill run down his spine.

"What about your Class A, Classmate Mikage? Are there any interesting students?" Sakayanagi Arisu's purple eyes shimmered with a faint light.

"Students with ability?" Mikage Touji squeezed some yellow mustard onto his skewer and tried to recall his classmates. "Hmm... Classmate Katsuragi in our class is quite good."

"Is that so? May I ask what kind of person he is?" Sakayanagi Arisu pressed further.

Mikage Touji gave her a thumbs-up and flashed his white teeth. "An honest, reliable, and responsible bald guy!"

"..."

"Heh... is that so..."

Mikage Touji felt that her enthusiasm for making friends had been dampened quite a bit.

Just then, three boys carrying shopping bags walked out from the main entrance of the supermarket in the distance, chatting idly as they walked.

"Ah, Kushida-chan is so cute. I've already decided on the names for our future children last night."

"Get lost, Kushida-chan is mine."

"No way, Kushida-chan is way out of your league. You guys won't be able to catch up, just give it up."

"Phew... I guess you're right. Kushida-chan is cute and all, but there's absolutely no hope. Damn it, I really want a girlfriend!"

"Me too, I'm definitely going to become popular!"

"Hey, listen to this, but don't tell anyone else. Actually, Sakura from our class confessed to me a few days ago, but I'm just not interested in ditsy girls like that."

"You actually rejected her! But speaking of confessions... do you think Sakayanagi-chan might have a thing for me?"

"Really, Ike? You guy, I'm so jealous."

"Sorry, that's not happening. Sakayanagi-chan is cute, but I still prefer someone with a big chest like Kushida-chan. Plus, if I ever married Sakayanagi-chan and that kind of thing didn't work out, it would be too painful. Besides, don't you think Sakayanagi-chan is a bit too chuunibyou? Like those characters in a galgame."

"I guess you're right..."

"Kushida-chan is more my type. What about you, Ken?"

"I do want to be popular with girls, but that's for later. Right now, I'm focusing all my energy on basketball."

"Seriously, you don't understand the beauty of youth at all. Fine, I'll lend you my secret collection."

"Lend it to me too."

"Sure, why not? We're best friends, after all."

"Hahahaha."

As the three of them walked away with their hearty laughter, only two people were left sitting in the corner in dead silence.

Mikage Touji gulped down his food and cautiously glanced at Sakayanagi Arisu, who was sitting stiffly in her seat. He felt it was best not to provoke this girl right now.

Besides, she didn't seem to be in the best of health. If she collapsed here, he wouldn't be able to explain himself.

Under the parasol, her porcelain-white face beneath her silver hair remained frozen in a smile. Unfortunately, the chest that had been flat just moments ago was now heaving violently, completely betraying her true feelings.

After a moment of hesitation, Mikage Touji slowly slid the bottle of green tea back across the table, testing the waters.