"My name is Yosuke Hirata. Back in middle school, everyone called me Yosuke, so I'd like you all to call me by my first name. I'm interested in all kinds of sports.
I especially like soccer, and I plan to play it at this school too. I look forward to getting along with you."
Hirata, the one who'd taken the initiative, gave a flawless introduction as smoothly as flowing water.
He had some impressive guts. A student who excelled at sports had just shown off his strong suit, and pairing his sunny face with soccer would only make his popularity soar.
The girls beside Hirata had sparkling eyes that had practically turned into hearts.
This guy seemed like he belonged at the center of the class. He'd probably lead everyone until graduation. He was the perfect choice for class representative.
"If you don't mind, I'd like everyone to introduce themselves one by one, starting from the front... Is that okay?"
Hirata asked for everyone's opinion in the most natural way, but given the atmosphere, there wasn't really any room to refuse. Anyone who did would probably end up ostracized.
The girl at the front looked a little unsure, but she steeled herself and stood up. Her body was trembling, and she seemed extremely nervous.
"I... I'm... Kokoro... Inogashira."
The girl was so nervous that her mind went blank. Maybe she'd started introducing herself before she'd figured out what to say; her face had begun to turn pale. It was rare for someone to show their feelings so honestly. Take Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, sitting behind her, for example. He was completely expressionless.
"You can do it!"
"It's okay, you don't have to be nervous."
Encouraging voices rose from the students around her. Most of them were friendly, but a few girls couldn't help giggling softly. She stood there without moving.
"Take your time. Don't be nervous."
The one who stepped in was an angel named Kikyo Kushida. Her gentle words seemed capable of cleansing a person's heart.
At first glance, her words seemed no different from the other girls' "You can do it!" and "It's okay," but they also meant that Inogashira didn't have to force herself to fit in. Perhaps that was the art of choosing one's words.
The girl seemed to calm down at Kushida's words. She worked to steady her breathing and composed herself.
"My name is Kokoro Inogashira. Um, my hobby is sewing, and I'm especially good at knitting... I look forward to getting along with you."
After she'd steadied herself, she seemed able to say what she wanted to. Thanks to Kushida stepping in, the girl had managed to get through the crisis and say what she'd wanted to say.
Taking that as a lesson, he should hurry up and prepare a perfect introduction, just like Hirata's.
"Okay, I'm next."
A lively girl stood up. It was the angel Kushida, who'd helped Inogashira out earlier. If only she had just this adorable side to her. Unfortunately, she was a being in whom a devil and an angel coexisted.
Perhaps she'd sensed Ju Ji's thoughts. She suddenly turned around and glared fiercely at him. Maybe it was because there were other people around, but she didn't let her vicious side show completely, which made her seem quite cute.
He had to admit, a woman's intuition was frightening. Could it be that she hadn't been hypnotized by me? I'll have to test it when I get back.
"My name is Kikyo Kushida. Not many of my middle school friends came to this school with me, so I hope I can learn everyone's faces and names quickly and become friends with you all."
Most people stopped their introductions there, but Kushida continued.
"My first goal is to get along well with everyone here. Once we've all finished introducing ourselves, please be sure to exchange contact information with me."
With a personality like hers, she'd surely fit in with everyone in no time. She was so cute, too. I wish I could do that well myself, Ju Ji couldn't help thinking.
"Also, I'd like to have lots of fun with all kinds of people after school or on holidays and make lots of memories, so don't hesitate to ask me out. That's a little long, but that's the end of my introduction."
It was hard to describe her as merely good at socializing. She'd be popular with both boys and girls. Still, he felt like she'd emphasized one particular word, as if she meant something by it. Maybe he was imagining things.
That said, now wasn't the time to comment on other people's introductions. He needed to hurry up and figure out what to say.
"Then, next..."
Perhaps to keep things moving, Hirata turned his gaze to the next student, but that student glared fiercely at him.
He was a boy with bright red hair, the very picture of a delinquent. Though Ju Ji, with his dyed blond hair, wasn't exactly in a position to judge.
"You think we're little kids or something? There's no need for introductions. Anyone who wants to do it can do it themselves."
The red-haired boy glared at Hirata as though he might start a fight at any moment.
He seemed familiar, but Ju Ji couldn't remember who he was. He had a good memory for events, but wasn't good at remembering people. The only people from Classroom of the Elite he could remember were Ayanokoji, the teacher, Kushida, and Horikita Suzune. To be honest, the rest had slipped his mind.
"I can't force you, but I don't think there's anything wrong with getting along with the class. Still, if I've made you uncomfortable, I'm sorry."
Seeing Hirata bow his head, the girls in the class began glaring at the red-haired boy. Hirata was extremely popular now, after all.
"It's just an introduction. It's not a big deal."
"Yeah, exactly!"
"Shut up! I didn't come here to play some friendship game."
The red-haired boy stood up and walked out of the classroom. Several other students followed him. Perhaps they didn't think there was any point in getting along with their classmates, or maybe they just found introductions bothersome.
Whatever the reason, they'd given up a perfect chance to make friends... probably.
Horikita glanced slightly in Ju Ji's direction, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she didn't speak. She also seemed about to get up.
"Horikita, stay. This will surely be a good experience for us."
"I don't need you to tell me that, Shinomiya. I was thinking the same thing."
At Ju Ji's urging, Horikita stopped moving. It seemed she'd stayed because of what he'd said.
Don't misunderstand. She was just looking for a reason to stay. Ju Ji could tell. How? Horikita Suzune's affection level hadn't changed at all.
Hirata looked a little down as he watched the students leave.
"This isn't their fault. I'm the one who insisted on everyone introducing themselves."
Even now, he was making excuses for them. Hirata really was a good person. Ju Ji didn't think he could ever be that magnanimous.
Some students had left the classroom rather than take part in the introductions, while the students who remained continued. Going along with the majority was a common occurrence.
"I'm Kanji Ike. I like girls and hate handsome guys. I'm always looking for a girlfriend, so please talk to me. Naturally, I'm hoping for a cute girl or a beauty."
It was hard to tell whether he was joking or being serious. As expected, his introduction earned him the displeasure of quite a few girls and made him seem pretty frivolous.
"Wow, Ike, you're so cool!"
"Really? I think I'm pretty great too."
Their exchange was practically a comedy sketch, making the girls burst into laughter. It was a pretty good bit of entertainment. Even Ju Ji wondered whether he should try something like that himself.
"What? You're all genuinely cute! I really am looking for a girlfriend."
Kanji Ike didn't seem to realize he was being teased, but at least his overconfidence didn't make him a bad person.
Next was the culprit who'd taken the priority seat on the bus and made Ju Ji stand the whole way. Though he'd eventually given up the seat himself, he still felt a little resentful toward the guy.
At that moment, the boy was looking in the mirror and examining his slightly long bangs, casually styling them with a comb. His behavior brought one word to mind: "narcissist."
"Um, could you introduce yourself?"
"Very well."
He briefly wore a smile like a young nobleman's. Rather than standing up like the other students, he began his introduction in a haughty pose.
[My name is Rokusuke Koenji, the only son of the Koenji Conglomerate, and a man who will one day shoulder the future of Japanese society. I look forward to getting along with you ladies.]
He seemed to have introduced himself, but in reality, he'd only introduced himself to the girls.
The Koenji Conglomerate was every bit as prominent in society as the Shinomiya Group. So that was why he had such good reason to be arrogant.
But the girls didn't look at him with sparkling eyes. Instead, they looked at him like he was a weirdo. Well, he was a weirdo.
Koenji's introduction wasn't over, but Ju Ji no longer had the leisure to pay attention to what came next, because he was up as soon as Koenji finished.
And he still hadn't decided what to say. He'd thought of several introductions, but none of them seemed quite right. While he was hesitating, Koenji's introduction ended.
"Next is Shinomiya, right?"
"The one who asked Teacher Chabashira a question?"
"Shinomiya... Could he have some connection to the Shinomiya Group?"
"He seems pretty handsome."
Unlike the others, Ju Ji had already become the subject of discussion among his classmates for various reasons before he'd even started his introduction. That was a good sign. It meant that once he gave a proper introduction, he'd be able to make friends with ease. So there was no need to take risks. He just had to play it safe...
"Shinomiya, could you introduce yourself?"
Seeing that Ju Ji hadn't responded for a long time, Hirata felt a little troubled. He thought he might have run into another difficult person like Koenji.
"Ah... Oh, sorry. My name is Shinomiya Ju Fan. By the way, I have absolutely no connection to the Shinomiya Group, and I'm not interested in ordinary humans. If any of you are aliens, people from the future, visitors from another world, or espers, come find me! That's all."
He must have been too nervous. The moment he stood up, his mind went blank, and his lips began moving on their own. By the time he realized what was happening, his introduction was already over.
"You're kidding. Is he a chuunibyo?"
"He's kind of cute."
"Probably best not to get involved with him."
It's over. I was so nervous that I accidentally quoted the brigade leader. Now everyone's going to think Ju Ji is a chuunibyo. So much for my dream of giving a perfect introduction and making friends.
He couldn't help looking toward Kushida, and their eyes met. She was looking at him like he was an idiot. Don't look at me like that, hey!
"Um, well... I'm Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. Um... there isn't anything I'm especially good at, but I'll do my best to get along with everyone. I look forward to it."
After finishing his introduction, Ayanokoji hurriedly sat down. Now there was one more person clutching his head in frustration.
"Horikita Suzune. That's all!"
Horikita's introduction was still extremely brief. Did that even count as an introduction? She'd just given them her name.
"Um, Horikita, could you at least tell us something you like to do?"
Perhaps because the atmosphere had grown a little stiff, Kushida couldn't help stepping in to smooth things over.
"I like reading. Unlike those two idiots in front of me, I have no intention of getting along with you."
So cool. She was really cool. But with an attitude like that, she wouldn't make any friends, Horikita. And when she said "those two idiots," did she mean to include me?
"She's so cool."
"If someone like her could be my girlfriend, I'd be happy."
It turned out that Horikita was still popular, even like this. Her looks were enough to have that kind of effect. Some people really did have strange tastes.
"Please get along with us, Horikita. You want to get along with everyone too, don't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have stayed. Let's all do our best together."
At last, with Hirata smoothing things over, the introduction session—which had taken so many twists and turns—finally came to an end.
"Shinomiya, as you said, that introduction session was quite interesting."
Horikita must have been mocking him with that last remark. It was obvious she was. But it seemed something had changed: Horikita's affection level had reached 30. In a sense, that counted as progress... probably.
Unfortunately, aside from Kushida, Horikita, and Ayanokoji, he hadn't gotten anyone else's contact information.
Although it was a strict school, the entrance ceremony was no different from those at ordinary schools.
After listening to the speech by the distinguished guest, it ended without a hitch. It wasn't exactly terribly dull; all in all, it was tedious and boring, enough to put anyone to sleep.
After the opening ceremony, most of the students returned to their dorms, while the rest split into groups. Some went to cafés, while a few brave souls went to karaoke. In the blink of an eye, they'd all disappeared.
"Um, Shinomiya, could you stay with me for a little while?"
Before you continue