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

It must be an experience that is both ridiculous and yet leaves no room for regret.

What I didn't expect was that the reception for this book seems to be getting better and better. I passed the initial trial with just over a thousand followers, and now I'm approaching seven thousand.

At first, it was pure joy; after all, more readers mean more subscriptions, which means money.

Then the pressure started to mount, because I know my own limitations. There are very few authors who can write a long-form story exceeding a million words without the plot falling apart, and Classroom of the Elite is a novel where reader retention drops significantly after the island arc concludes.

There will come a day—perhaps when I ruin a certain plot arc, perhaps when I write something that turns readers off, or perhaps when I pull some bizarre stunt—where I face that slow death of fewer readers and fewer subscriptions as the story progresses.

Having experienced the peak of my work, can I really persist until this novel reaches its end?

Then, last night, I had that dream about the seahorse and the octopus, and I was surprised to find that even I don't know if I can finish it.

So, I won't force anything regarding the initial subscription numbers; I will keep writing regardless of how many there are.

Finally, thank you to all the readers who have followed along until now. Those few readers who cast their recommendation votes every single day give me the motivation to keep going to the end.

Thank you!!!

PS: Tomorrow's update will be after eleven o'clock, probably 3 chapters, 8k words.

Chapter 46: Why Did I Run Into You Again?

Morishita Ran stood by the window, lost in thought. With one hand propping up her chin and the other swaying the book she had just been holding, she gazed out the window, wondering what she was thinking about.

Mikage Touji also looked out the window. The sun had mostly set, night was beginning to fall, and tiny specks of starlight were appearing in the sky.

"It's about time. We should go."

"Don't bother me, please just wait patiently." Morishita Ran ignored him, continuing to stare blankly.

"How long do I have to wait?"

"I don't know, but please keep waiting."

Mikage Touji, lost in thought, took out his phone and sent a message to Yamamura Miki to let her know his current location.

That girl had been missing since a moment ago, and Mikage Touji was a little worried; after all, she wasn't the type to disappear without a word.

However, there was one thing: given her faint presence, she shouldn't be running into any danger.

Holding the copy of Farewell, My Lovely he had just picked up, Mikage Touji found a nearby seat and began to flip through it.

Hmm... as always, it's hard-boiled and socially conscious.

After the torture of reading The Long Goodbye last time, Mikage Touji realized that mystery novels don't actually need to have a mystery, or rather, analyzing human nature is a form of mystery in itself.

A moment later, the sound of light footsteps approached, and Yamamura Miki reunited with the two of them.

She looked at Morishita Ran, who was quietly staring out the window, with some surprise, then glanced at Mikage Touji sitting next to her, and asked in a low voice:

"What's wrong with her?"

"Don't mind her. She's exploring the truths of the universe, collecting the afterglow of the Big Bang, and trying to receive the high-energy rays within it."

Morishita Ran didn't reply, but Mikage Touji felt that was exactly what she was thinking. The evidence was that compared to her slightly hunched posture a moment ago, her chest was now puffed out by about five centimeters.

"Speaking of which, where did you go just now?"

Mikage Touji looked up at Yamamura Miki. She had arrived shortly after he sent the message, so she must have been delayed by something else. And for something that could make Yamamura waste her time...

"About that..." Yamamura Miki leaned closer to Mikage Touji, reached up to tuck a strand of blue hair behind her ear, and spoke softly with flushed cheeks.

After listening, Mikage Touji's body jolted, and he said in disbelief:

"You mean you heard the Class D students talking as they passed by, keenly realized their study scope might be different from ours, and then you followed them and listened to their entire review session from the sidelines?"

"Be-because the only thing I'm actually good at... is my grades..." Yamamura Miki blushed, her fingers twisting together.

Mikage Touji grabbed her shoulders, ignoring her gasp, and said passionately:

"You have great potential. Learn to be an assassin from me, the future last of the Assassins!"

Yamamura Miki held her hands in front of her chest, at a loss, and a wisp of white steam seemed to rise from her face as she said dizzily, "I can't... I-I just happened to be there."

"No! You are incredible. You possess a heaven-sent talent. You are a fated assassin. That hairdresser who has amnesia and works a side job selling beef offal is no match for you!"

"But... I still like my current life."

"Is that so..."

Mikage Touji let go of Yamamura Miki, feeling a bit dejected. He stared at the pale incandescent light on the ceiling and muttered, "Could it be that the lineage of the Old Man of the Mountain is going to end in my hands?"

Yamamura Miki was already used to Mikage Touji's sudden bouts of insanity and silently stayed by his side, waiting for him to return to normal.

A moment later.

Mikage Touji rubbed his chin and muttered to himself, "So, does that mean Class D's current review is completely useless?"

There wouldn't be any issues with his own class's exam scope; the credibility of that sadistic, fake-serious teacher was still worth banking on.

The problem, then, lay with Class D's exam scope—specifically, the teacher for Mikage Touji's current Japanese History class, Chabashira Sae.

Great! I knew it, that woman didn't look like a good person from the start!

She's treating Class D like they're not even Japanese!

Is she slacking off? Trying to temper the class? Or just doing it for fun?

Compared to her, Mashima Tomoya could practically be voted the most outstanding teacher of the year at Kouiku.

If a few students actually end up expelled, putting aside everything else, the sheer drop in headcount would create a massive gap between Class D and the other classes. Is she just completely giving up on the game?

So, should I tell Horikita-imouto about this?

Mikage Touji rubbed the edge of his phone with his fingers.

Of course, getting something for free is impossible. Since this concerns the survival of Class D, it's got to be worth at least 500,000... 400,000... forget it, let's go with 200,000.

It's information that cost me nothing to get anyway; once I flip it, the three of us will have our food expenses covered for the next few months.

Before Mikage Touji could sort out his thoughts, an irritable voice echoed through the library.

"Shut up! What the hell are you talking about?"

Drama!

Mikage Touji quickly moved toward the railing on the second floor of the library.

"Let me see what's going on." Mikage Touji leaned over, slightly excited.

"This voice... it should be a student from Class D." Yamamura Miki, having been infected by his enthusiasm, followed close behind.

"A fight is about to break out," Morishita Ran, who arrived last, commented with confidence.

"Feeling better?"

Mikage Touji grabbed the railing and turned to look at Morishita Ran, who had recovered her composure.

"No, but Captain Dragonfly must appear wherever there is conflict."

"..." It seems she's back to full health.

Mikage Touji turned his gaze back to the floor below.

A few Class D students were gathered together to study. The only ones Mikage Touji recognized were Kushida Kikyou and Horikita Suzune. At this moment, Cha Cha was bravely stepping forward, trying to stop another male student he didn't recognize, while the remaining students stood frozen, looking at the two confronting each other in confusion.

A strong, red-haired boy was grabbing Horikita Suzune by the collar, making a move to strike.

But Horikita Suzune no longer showed the weakness she had the day Mikage Touji met her; she was practically overbearing. Without a hint of fear toward the red-haired boy's threat, she looked at him with a gaze of utter disdain.

"You really do love to run your mouth, don't you? Studying is completely useless for the future."

"Studying is useless for the future? That's an interesting claim. I'd really like to know what you're basing that on."

"Even if I don't solve these kinds of problems, I've never been troubled by it. There's no need to study at all. Instead of clinging to textbooks, it's more helpful for the future to aim for a career in professional basketball."

The red-haired boy roared in anger, and Horikita Suzune retorted coldly. They argued as if no one else were around, completely ignoring the fact that they were in a library, and Cha Cha couldn't pull them apart.

If Ichinose were here, she would definitely have stepped in to stop them, but Mikage Touji had no intention of helping at all. Instead, he was puzzled as to why they hadn't started fighting yet.

If they had, he could have sent another message to Horikita Manabu, taken Horikita-imouto to the infirmary, and squeezed him for another 500,000!

"Looks like there won't be a fight."

After observing for a while, Mikage Touji concluded with disappointment. It seemed the 500,000 was gone; he'd have to see if he could still squeeze out 200,000.

"So... are we still watching?" Yamamura Miki asked, twisting the hem of her skirt.

Mikage Touji looked at Morishita Ran: "Are we leaving? Or are we staying here to watch the stars?"

Morishita Ran looked back at Mikage Touji: "I'm thirsty."

"My treat, alright?"

"Fine."

The three of them packed their things and walked out of the library together.

On the way, passing a vending machine, Mikage Touji paid out of his own pocket to buy them drinks.

Dusk fell, and the streetlights along the campus path flickered on. A few tiny insects danced around the bulbs. The three of them sat side-by-side on a bench under a streetlight, gazing in unison at the rolling fire-colored clouds in the distance. They all took a sip of their drinks at the same time and let out a satisfied sigh.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps from small leather shoes came from the roadside. Kushida Kikyou walked past them in a rush, clutching her small bag, her head down and her face dark. She didn't even notice Mikage Touji sitting right there.

Mikage Touji watched Kushida Kikyou's retreating back and said, "That was a Kick-Rail, right?"

Morishita Ran let go of the straw she had been biting flat and said with certainty: "That was definitely a Kick-Rail!"

Yamamura Miki held her hot milk, taking a sip like a little squirrel: "The railing is so pitiful."

The three of them fell into silence once again.

Mikage Touji let out a long sigh, struggling to keep a straight face: "How is it that we run into her every time? At this rate, I'm afraid she'll explode on her own before our leverage even takes effect."

"What are you doing?"

On the school path, the three of them were walking toward the ramen shop when Morishita Ran leaned her head in, curiously watching Mikage Touji, who was looking down and fiddling with his phone.

"To make sure that video doesn't go to waste, I've decided to find an anonymous account to give her a heads-up; her vigilance is far too low."

Mikage Touji paused for a moment and added a supplement.

"It's not what you were thinking last time; that would be a criminal act."

Morishita Ran turned her head away and continued to trot forward with small steps: "Suit yourself."

Seeing that Morishita Ran had no objections, Mikage Touji lowered his head to continue his operations. At this moment, Cha Cha was probably still Kick-Rail; at the very least, she wouldn't accept his friend request until she had finished venting.

As for whether Cha Cha would realize that the person messaging her was actually Mikage Touji, who might know her true colors, he wasn't particularly worried.

First, Cha Cha hadn't even noticed Mikage Touji watching her nearby just now.

Second, if someone sent a message right after she finished kicking the rail, a normal person's first reaction would be that someone was nearby, but since Mikage Touji was at the ramen shop at that time, he could easily bluff his way out if Cha Cha suspected him.

Third, Cha Cha was actually somewhat easy to deceive; after the acting showdown at the cafe last time, Mikage Touji had come to understand this deeply.

After creating a new account, Mikage Touji picked a random name, opened the account of Kushida Kikyou, and sent a request.

After finishing all this, Mikage Touji caught up with the other two.

It was the same ramen shop as before; the interior decor had nothing special to offer. A row of high stools was lined up in front of the counter, where the chef worked behind the scenes, allowing customers to observe the process of boiling noodles and adding toppings up close.

As he sat down, Mikage Touji felt a vibration in his pocket; Kushida Kikyou had accepted his friend request.

[Everyone Is Good Friends: Hello there! (Smiling and waving)]

As expected of you, Cha Cha, a standard opening move.

[Jiji Fu Jiji: Hello, this is the Advanced Nurturing Autonomous Committee. We recently received a complaint that your Kick-Rail behavior violates the community public security management laws, creates excessive noise, seriously disturbs the rest of others, and endangers the safety of the railing. Please correct this as soon as possible.]

The blank chat screen remained silent for a long time before a message finally arrived, fashionably late.