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

Fortunately, the other party had no evidence. When it came down to it, it was just a guess; there was no way she would go around spreading this everywhere.

But...

Kushida Kikyou looked back with a rather complex expression in the direction where Mikage Touji had disappeared.

Could it be that there were other students in this school who wore masks just like her?

After-School Tutoring

In Japan, due to the "relaxed education" policy promoted in public schools, the curriculum was relatively light and school ended early, making it difficult for students to handle entrance exams based solely on what they learned on campus.

Something known as "tutoring" or "cram schools" thus came into being.

According to a survey by the Ministry of Education, the proportion of students attending tutoring sessions exceeded fifty percent among elementary schoolers alone!

And in the academic-supremacy Class A, a legendary figure had emerged who began attending after-school tutoring sessions just one week into the semester.

"So, for a high school student, attending tutoring is not a shameful thing. On the contrary, it proves that the student has ambition. Do you understand, Morishita Ran?"

Inside the classroom, Mikage Touji sat backward on his chair, reading aloud the answers he had searched for on his phone, earnestly lecturing Morishita Ran on the benefits of tutoring.

Morishita Ran nodded in deep agreement. "I see. If one cannot handle the exams, one must go to tutoring. I have learned something new today."

"..."

Mikage Touji said frantically, "In short, I am going into seclusion for the next few days. You should go find Yamamura to play with for now. Call me if anything comes up. That is all."

A humiliated Mikage Touji grabbed his school bag and turned to the other side, where Shiraishi Asuka had already packed her things, her hands resting quietly on her knees, having waited for him for quite some time.

"Let's go, Shiraishi-san."

"No way~"

Shiraishi Asuka's snow-white palms were mostly tucked into her sleeves, with only a small portion of her fingers exposed, as she shook them gently at Mikage Touji. "We have to wait a little longer. Another student will be joining us for tutoring."

Another student? Tutoring together?

"Don't tell me..."

Mikage Touji's eyes gradually lit up. "Is there someone in the class just like me?!"

"I'm sorry for being like you!" A slightly aggressive voice cut into their conversation.

A purple-haired girl, also carrying a messenger bag, wearing a half-ponytail with two hair clips, appeared beside them.

"What was your score in Japanese Literature?" The expectant voice carried a hint of trembling.

"Huh? Nine points. What, is nine points strange? Aren't you also a nine?" Kamuro Masumi looked as if her fur had been ruffled, her expression full of impatience.

"It's nothing."

Mikage Touji suppressed his excitement, his heart filled with mixed emotions, and a thousand words finally condensed into one sentence: "Good brother!"

"Are you mocking me?" Kamuro Masumi unconsciously lowered the arms she had been crossing over her chest.

"No, good brother..."

"Tch!" Kamuro Masumi clicked her tongue in annoyance. "The people in class were right; you really are a weirdo."

Mikage Touji was speechless, then said with emotion, "Yes, I am a weirdo. Although I don't know your name, it doesn't matter. After teaming up with me today, you will automatically become a member of the Class A weirdos."

Shocked by Mikage Touji's behavior, Kamuro Masumi silently took two steps back, unconsciously assuming a defensive stance.

"Who wants to team up with you?!"

"Aren't we a team? Going to tutoring together is a rare form of friendship in one's student life."

"There is no such friendship, and I don't acknowledge it!"

"Alright, alright."

Shiraishi Asuka smiled as she stood up and stepped between them, separating the two. "According to the original plan, let's head to the library."

"I'll state this in advance: I have no interest in graduating from Class A. You don't need to use something like that to order me around. I will act according to my own will."

Kamuro Masumi glared at Mikage Touji with extreme annoyance. After dropping those words, she strode away on her long legs, leaving on her own.

Another maverick girl. The girls of Class A truly lived up to the reputation of independent women of the new era.

"Then, let's go too."

Shiraishi Asuka waved gently at Morishita Ran, who was still sitting in her seat, a smile appearing in her eyes. "See you tomorrow, Morishita-san."

"Goodbye."

Morishita Ran stood with her back to the two of them, resting her chin on one hand, as if captivated by the drifting clouds outside the window.

"Let's go, Morishita," Mikage Touji said softly.

"Please leave quickly, Mikage Touji, who scored nine points!"

"I'll meet up with you guys for dinner later. Where are you planning to go?"

"Conveyor belt sushi."

"Save a seat for me."

"Understood."

"I'm currently preparing to tame a pigeon that can do backflips; I'll take you to see it in a few days."

"Liar..." Morishita Ran muttered.

"You pick the time."

"Saturday at four in the afternoon."

"Alright."

The library at Advanced Nurturing was well-stocked and naturally occupied a vast area, so Mikage Touji and the others found seats with ease.

After putting down his bag, Mikage Touji scanned his surroundings and spotted Ichinose Honami, who was waving at him with a bright smile.

Returning the smile, Mikage Touji did a rough count of the Class B students around her; there were over a dozen he could recognize.

One could only say that the initiative of Class B was truly high, and their level of unity was more than a step above Class A.

?? 　? 　 ?　?? 　 ????　? 　??? 　 ???　 ??　 ????

Continuing to observe the area, it seemed that people from Class C and Class D hadn't appeared here yet; had they not organized themselves yet?

Horikita-san, your goal of reaching Class A looks like it's a long way off.

"Then, let's officially begin."

Inside the library, Shiraishi Asuka spoke in a relaxed tone as she took two test papers out of her bag and handed them to the two of them.

"Since I don't know your actual proficiency levels and the pop quiz only had a few questions, try doing this paper today. Try your best not to look up other materials, and then I'll determine your weak points based on the incorrect answers to provide targeted reinforcement."

"As expected of Shiraishi-san, you've got a system," Mikage Touji praised as he took the paper.

"Thank you for the compliment." Shiraishi Asuka raised a hand to cover the corner of her mouth.

"I'll leave the ones I can't do blank," Kamuro Masumi said concisely.

"Hehe~ that's the best way to do it."

Mikage Touji tilted his head to look at Kamuro Masumi, who was sitting two seats away from him without saying a word; he felt that this girl's nerves were a bit frayed.

"I'm not sure how long this tutoring will take, but the goal is for you to be able to get a seventy. That way, even if the difficulty of the test is suddenly increased, you should still be able to get over a fifty."

Mm-hmm... very thoughtful, as expected of Mother Shiraishi.

"I have the past Japanese Literature papers from last year. This is the final test; once you pass it with a seventy, the tutoring is over."

So that's it. Using last year's past papers as a benchmark—since only a year has passed, the difficulty shouldn't vary too much. As long as they pass last year's, they'll definitely pass this year's. What a perfect plan.

Mikage Touji nodded to himself as he listened from the side.

Wait!

Something didn't seem right.

A flash of realization struck Mikage Touji right in the forehead!

He mechanically tilted his head up with a clack, his mouth twitching as he looked at Shiraishi Asuka, who was tidying her bag in a leisurely manner, and asked tentatively.

"Shiraishi-san, where did you get those past papers?"

"You mean these?" Shiraishi Asuka showed the papers to Mikage Touji and said with a smile, "I got them from a senior I know. When they heard I was preparing for tutoring, they gave them to me."

"..."

In an instant, Mikage Touji's mind went through a shocking process from the Big Bang to planetary evolution and finally the birth of life.

At this moment, he had only one thought in his heart.

It seems your senior and my senior are not the same...

After a long silence, Mikage Touji finally decided to tell her the truth.

"Um, Shiraishi-san..." Mikage Touji leaned in quietly, filled with resentment.

"Yes?"

Shiraishi Asuka looked at the approaching Mikage Touji with a calm expression, though her crystal earrings had already turned a shade of pink at some point.

"Actually..."

"Eh?" Shiraishi Asuka covered her lips in surprise, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly as she said in disbelief, "Is that so?"

"Yes." Mikage Touji nodded, suppressing his grief.

"Then... how did Mikage-kun know about that?" Shiraishi Asuka stared at him with a playful smile.

"Well, about that..." Mikage Touji stammered.

"Can we start now?" Kamuro Masumi suddenly asked, sounding impatient.

"Ahaha, of course we can..."

Mikage Touji gave Shiraishi Asuka a look, signaling that they would talk later.

Shiraishi Asuka nodded gently.

The two who had received the papers lowered their heads and began to answer the questions. Shiraishi Asuka, having nothing to do, didn't leave; instead, she picked a novel from the bookshelf and sat down beside Mikage Touji to read it quietly.

Looking at those slender fingers, the focused expression, and the familiar scent...

The bright sunlight outside the window gradually turned a dim yellow; Kamuro Masumi finished the test first, handed in her paper, and picked up her bag to leave.

Her purple half-ponytail swayed wantonly in the air, leaving behind a few wisps of faint fragrance.

"Is she always like this?" Mikage Touji asked, watching Kamuro Masumi's retreating back.

"She's considered a maverick even within the class. In fact, if Katsuragi hadn't requested her via a messaging app, she wouldn't have planned to come at all. However, her physical fitness is excellent; she's second to none among the girls in our class."

"Then perhaps she's actually a person with a sharp tongue but a soft heart."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because even though she claimed she didn't care about graduating from Class A, and she certainly looked impatient just now, she was still summoned by a single text from Katsuragi. Plus, she didn't seem used to the library environment, yet she still finished the test before leaving."

"Indeed—"

Shiraishi Asuka's words trailed off, her gaze locking onto a woman's notebook left on the table.

"She's unexpectedly a bit careless. I'll give it back to her in class tomorrow," Mikage Touji remarked.

"I don't think that will work..."

A smile appeared on the corner of Shiraishi Asuka's mouth as she moved the notebook aside, revealing a room key card pressed underneath.

It had to be Kamuro Masumi's room key; if this went missing, it would take a significant amount of time to get a replacement, even if she went immediately.

"That's a bit troublesome, but I'll send her a message, and Shiraishi-san can return it to her on your way back to the dorms."

"I have plans to go shopping with Ryoko tonight," Shiraishi Asuka said, blinking as she politely declined.

"Then I guess I'll have to go," Mikage Touji decided quickly. "It won't take much time to catch up to her before she gets too far."

A quiet girl like Shiraishi Asuka probably didn't have great stamina, and given how Kamuro Masumi had been striding away with those long legs, she might not have been able to catch up anyway.

Immediately, Mikage Touji grabbed the key card and ran toward the library exit.

"Good luck."