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

The Japanese Literature teacher, whose head was bald in the center, paced the aisle with his hands behind his back, his leather shoes clicking against the floor as he held his textbook.

However, Mikage Touji was not concerned with that right now...

The month-long behavioral assessment period had ended, which meant that classroom discipline could be relaxed to a certain degree, and this provided an opportunity for a certain someone.

At this moment, Mikage Touji sat at his desk with a dark expression, having been under constant attack from eraser shavings launched from behind since the previous class.

Morishita Ran!

You actually dared to be the first to break the Mikage-Morishita Friendly Non-Aggression Pact; this is beyond arrogant, I must strike back with a heavy fist!

"A will... is something read only after the author has passed away, which creates a powerful impact on the reader." The Japanese Literature teacher walked past their desks.

However, there was a problem: Morishita Ran was seated behind Mikage Touji, so he could not simply turn around to launch a counterattack.

Morishita Ran occupied an absolutely advantageous position, capable of launching an offensive at any time; it was like holding the high ground on an ancient battlefield, or perhaps a natural chasm—easy to defend and difficult to attack!

Damn it, she's shorter than me, so why is she sitting behind me while I'm in front?!

"Thump~"

A faint sound resonated on Mikage Touji's head, and eraser shavings slid down his clothes and into the gap between his collar and neck, landing on his back.

I can't take this!

Mikage Touji decisively turned his head to seek help from his potential ally.

His ally was currently taking notes, her pale golden sideburns falling to cover half of her delicate profile, creating a beauty reminiscent of a face partially hidden behind a lute.

Shiraishi Asuka noticed the signal Mikage Touji sent, gently tucking her hair behind her ear and tilting her head, her eyes seemingly capable of speech.

Is something the matter?

Help me, Mother Shiraishi!

Very well...

You truly are a goddess! Shiro-Gate...

Having successfully gained an ally, Mikage Touji's combat power increased significantly, and the situation on the battlefield had shifted from defense to offense.

The enemy, Morishita Ran, was clearly no pushover; she had noticed their interaction, and her level of vigilance had visibly increased.

"I have never told anyone about this matter. Since I hid it even from you, it goes without saying that I kept it from my relatives, and even my wife was never told." At the far end of the classroom, the Japanese Literature teacher walked toward them.

Now was not a good time to start a war.

Both sides realized this simultaneously, and with a tacit understanding, they began to bolster their logistical production.

Shiraishi Asuka leaned slightly to the side, resting her chin on one hand to observe their movements, while her other hand tapped rhythmically against the desk with long, slender fingers.

Morishita Ran pretended to stare at her textbook, but her hands were busy tinkering with something under the desk; her face, which rarely showed any emotional fluctuation, served as her perfect cover.

Mikage Touji held his textbook upright to hide half his face, silently calculating the trajectory of the upcoming battle while preparing his secret weapon without drawing attention.

Everyone understood that the next time the Japanese Literature teacher passed by, it would be the signal for the battle to begin!

"This sentence encapsulates the loneliness he bore, his secretiveness, and his deepest 'regret'."

The Japanese Literature teacher's voice deepened as he walked past the aisle between the three of them with a calm expression.

The moment all three of them entered the teacher's blind spot!

Take this!

With lightning speed, Morishita Ran pulled a makeshift slingshot made of pens, tape, and rubber bands from her drawer, having also installed a "bottle cap" barrel to greatly increase her firing capacity.

With a whoosh, the eraser shavings flew toward Mikage Touji like scattered flower petals.

A cold glint flashed in Mikage Touji's eyes, and a sneer curled his lips; I knew you would try this.

He quickly grabbed his textbook and held it behind his head, using it as a shield to block the entire attack.

Then, he released the book and turned around, intending to counterattack!

Unexpectedly, within mere seconds, Morishita Ran had already reloaded, and another wave of "scattered petals" came flying.

Morishita Ran, masaka!

Mikage Touji stared in shock at the glimmer of triumph in Morishita Ran's eyes.

Kisama! Did you actually pre-load the eraser shavings into individual bottle caps so you could just swap them out one after another?

Mikage Touji let out a long sigh; since you are so heartless as to launch a saturation strike against me, don't blame me for being ruthless and using an energy weapon on you!

Let us destroy each other!

Mikage Touji decisively pulled out the energy refraction device (a mirror) he had borrowed from his ally, and the afternoon sunlight was instantly reflected onto Morishita Ran's face.

Eat my attack, Solar Beam!

"He could not share this burden with the person closest to him, the one who accompanied him through life. This truly speaks to how deep his sense of guilt was, and how painful it was to continue bearing that guilt." The Japanese Literature teacher's somber voice continued.

And this silent war had unfolded in the span of just over ten seconds.

However, both of them had forgotten one thing: once a war begins, it cannot be stopped by human will alone.

This was a battle of dignity, one that would not end until one side fell!

For a moment, a legendary battle between kinetic weapons and energy weapons unfolded in the bottom-left corner of the Class A classroom, even carving a notch into the Great Dao itself.

"Dong~ Dong~"

The bell signaling the end of the school day arrived right on cue.

In the bottom-left corner of Class A, two figures lay slumped against the same desk, one face-down and one face-up.

They were, for all intents and purposes, dead.

"Mikage Touji," Morishita Ran said, lying on the desk with her eyes closed, her long eyelashes damp, "let's call a temporary truce and re-sign the 'Morishita-Mikage Friendly Non-Aggression Treaty'."

"The intensity of this battle has already exceeded the limits of what we can endure."

Mikage Touji rested his head on Morishita Ran's desk, his eyes staring silently at a patch of white on the ceiling, eraser shavings falling from his body every now and then.

"You want to re-sign the 'Mikage-Morishita Friendly Non-Aggression Pact'? Fine, but first, pay the penalty fee for breaking the terms of the previous one."

"It's the 'Morishita-Mikage Friendly Non-Aggression Treaty'! One dinner."

"Fine, but the condition is that the treaty must explicitly state it is the 'Mikage-Morishita' Friendly Non-Aggression Pact."

"So, that's a no?"

"...Alright, both sides take a step back. The name stays as is, two dinners, and I get to choose the restaurant."

Morishita Ran kept her eyes closed and reached out a hand toward Mikage Touji, groping along the desktop until she found his head, then held her hand out flat.

"No going back to that Western restaurant from last time, it's a massive pain."

Mikage Touji reached up, groping until he grasped Morishita Ran's hand.

"Deal!"

On the thirty-first day of the Mikage-Morishita Calendar, with the third signing of the "Mikage-Morishita (Morishita-Mikage) Friendly Treaty," the world once again ushered in an era of peace...

Chapter 35: Wild Pigeon

After school, the sun began to sink into the horizon.

Golden rays painted the layers of rolling waves, carrying a long, deep "whoosh" as they surged from afar toward the coast of Advanced Nurturing, crashing heavily against the breakwater and transforming into scattered, silvery white foam that drifted away, laden with salty spray.

The clear, sharp cries of a few seagulls occasionally pierced the sound of the surf, weaving together with the rhythm of the waves.

In the southeast corner of Advanced Nurturing lay an undeveloped plot of land. Few students ever came here, so over time, it had become a gathering place for various animals.

Mikage Touji sat on a bench, holding the bread he hadn't finished earlier, and rubbed his fingers together, letting the crumbs fall like snowflakes onto the ground.

Nearby pigeons tucked in their wings, bobbing their heads rhythmically as they took quick, small steps toward Mikage Touji's feet, cautiously pecking at the breadcrumbs on the ground.

Mikage Touji sat motionless on the bench, his gaze burning as he stared at one particular Fat Pigeon.

Yes! He hadn't lied to Ichinose Honami; this pigeon really existed!

He had been coming here to feed the pigeons for the past few days because, when he activated Detection a while ago, he could vaguely sense the simple emotions of these animals.

For instance, the one eating the fastest at his feet was likely feeling a mix of joy and cunning.

The one wandering aimlessly and slowly beneath him was likely feeling relaxed and carefree.

The ones flapping their wings in the sky, circling at low altitudes, were feeling vigilant and curious.

But this Fat Pigeon was different. It had a pair of "wise" eyes, often tilting its head to look at Mikage Touji with one eye, its gaze somewhat dull and vacant.

Furthermore, the emotions it displayed were unusually complex.

Mikage Touji could actually vaguely discern what it meant by its cooing.

For example, right now, it was probably saying, "This human doesn't seem too bright..."

Mikage Touji's smile gradually faded.

The Fat Pigeon continued to coo, standing there with a Zen-like attitude, "Why did he stop smiling? Does he think it's not funny anymore..."

"..."

Hold it together. He had to find a way to tame this one-in-a-million King of Pigeons and then show it off to Morishita and Yamamura.

He had already thought of a name: Wild Pigeon.

Mikage Touji kept a straight face as he poured the breadcrumbs into his palm and held it out, making a "tsst-tsst" sound to try and lure it over.

He was rewarded with a view of a round, white, chubby backside.

"..."

Mikage Touji tightened his jaw and took a deep breath.

Stay calm, stay calm. Even in Pokémon, they said the rarer the creature, the harder it was to catch and the higher its value. How did the protagonists in Pokémon novels tame their Pokémon?

He forced a smile onto his face and asked kindly, "What kind of food do you like?"

The Fat Pigeon spread one wing, turned its head, and pecked at its body twice. "What kind of bird language is he speaking? Why do humans always talk to pigeons? Do they think pigeons can understand their language? Sigh... they must be idiots..."

"..."

Mikage Touji was considering whether to just use a Master Ball—a landing net—to scoop it up and take it home to train it slowly.

Finally.

Exhausted in both body and mind, Mikage Touji tried every method he could think of, but he failed to capture its attention; Fat Pigeon simply flapped its wings and flew away with a flutter.

Before leaving, it even made a point to thank this silly human for providing a buffet and stated that it would remember him.

Mikage Touji gritted his teeth and pinched his own thigh, barely managing to restrain himself from putting it in a chokehold and dragging it home right then and there.

Clapping his palms together to brush off the remaining breadcrumbs, Mikage Touji stood up indignantly and strode toward the school building.

It must be that his bond with it wasn't strong enough yet; he would feed it for a while longer, and once it acknowledged him as its master, he would settle the score for everything that had happened.

Otherwise, if he forced it now, what would he do if it couldn't undergo MAGA evolution later?

He would be taking a huge loss, wouldn't he?

That was a one-in-a-million—no, perhaps not even one in a hundred thousand—creature. He had been roaming Kouiku with his skills active for days, and that was the only one he had ever seen.

While muttering to himself, Mikage Touji shoved his hands into his pockets and marched angrily onto the school path.

Up ahead, a figure blocked his way.

Mikage Touji didn't pay it any mind and stepped to the side, but unexpectedly, the figure also stepped to the side, blocking his path once again.

"?"

It was a boy wearing glasses with a calm expression; he wasn't very tall, perhaps 1.7 meters, and his school uniform was worn neatly, giving him an air of meticulousness and severity.

Mikage Touji tentatively stretched out his long leg and sidestepped a large distance.

"..."

The figure adjusted his glasses, and because his legs were slightly shorter than Mikage Touji's, he took two steps to cover the distance.

"Who are you?"

After confirming that the person was looking for him, Mikage Touji, already half-furious from the pigeon, didn't have much patience.

"Nagumo was right; you truly are different." The man looked up, his sharp gaze fixed on Mikage Touji, his voice revealing composure and a hint of authority.

"I am the Student Council President, Horikita Manabu."