Classroom of the Elite, Keima Katsuragi's Love Brain Battle

Suzune Horikita used to be the cold and aloof type, didn't she...

She rarely spoke to anyone, and when she did greet others, it was nothing more than a slight nod.

Besides, didn't she get into an argument with Keima Katsuragi just yesterday?

Why today...

No, wait...

Yesterday evening, didn't Suzune Horikita go out to buy a game for Keima Katsuragi!

Oh, that's right, she had agreed to the condition of buying the game, so that was normal...

Suzune Horikita seems like the type who hates owing anyone anything.

But why would she take the initiative to greet Keima Katsuragi?

While Airi Sakura was caught in a brainstorm, Keima Katsuragi looked at Suzune Horikita, pointed at himself with a puzzled expression, and asked:

"Are you talking to me?"

"Are you an idiot?"

Volume 1: Chapter 48: Shiina Hiyori, Changing

In the corner of the classroom, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka tilted his head slightly, observing Suzune Horikita without drawing any attention.

Horikita, she's different today.

Her appearance, expression, and mannerisms are basically the same as usual, but the sense of distance she projects seems to have diminished significantly.

Did something happen last night?

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka keenly sensed the change in Suzune Horikita.

He was almost certain that Keima Katsuragi had done something.

To influence someone like Suzune Horikita in such a short amount of time.

Keima Katsuragi's methods could definitely be called masterful.

Not even in the White Room could anyone achieve such a feat.

"Our bet still stands, Katsuragi-kun."

Suzune Horikita said to Keima Katsuragi, her eyes projecting an incredibly resolute gaze.

"If I win, I will definitely discipline that slacker attitude of yours."

Keima Katsuragi, however, looked indifferent, answering while playing his game:

"Talk to me once you've actually won."

Since yesterday, his 'quest line' with Suzune Horikita had progressed to a certain extent.

[Name: Suzune Horikita]

[Affection: 21%]

Although the increase wasn't very high—after all, someone with Suzune Horikita's personality was destined to be a troublesome individual—going from a negative value to the current level was already decent progress.

The seeds he had planted earlier were gradually beginning to sprout.

Now, all that was left was to patiently water them bit by bit.

"You aren't planning on playing games during the second period, are you?"

"Of course. My agreement with Teacher Chabashira covers all classes."

Keima Katsuragi answered as if it were a matter of course.

This left Suzune Horikita somewhat shocked, and she even looked at the class schedule with a hint of self-doubt:

"Are you saying that you intend to play games during the swimming class, too?"

"I... I have nothing to say to that."

Suzune Horikita was actually quite curious about how Keima Katsuragi would manage to play games during a swimming lesson.

"I've already made preparations for the swimming class."

"Preparations?"

Just as Suzune Horikita was feeling puzzled, Keima Katsuragi pulled something out:

"This is a Handheld Waterproof Case."

"You are truly beyond saving."

Meanwhile, in the Class C classroom.

A long-haired boy was sitting in his seat in a slacker-like posture, with his legs propped directly up on the desk.

Beside him, several boys stood with immense respect, including one burly black student.

However, their faces were all marked with more or fewer scars.

Kakeru Ryuen had almost completely dominated his class within just a few days of the school year, becoming the absolute authority.

"The internal affairs of the class are basically settled, and the unstable factors have been dealt with—so it's time to turn our attention to the other classes."

Kakeru Ryuen spoke as if he were talking to the student beside him, or perhaps just muttering to himself. His gaze swept over the other students in the classroom; almost everyone kept their heads down, not daring to meet his eyes.

In Kakeru Ryuen's eyes, there was no one special in the class.

Except for one person.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, focusing his gaze on a silver-haired girl.

Hiyori Shiina.

Unlike the others who feared him, Hiyori Shiina always went about her own business.

Kakeru Ryuen had interacted with her before, and he was certain that Hiyori Shiina possessed intelligence and academic ability that no one else in the class had.

If Class C wanted to continue climbing higher, Hiyori Shiina's abilities would be indispensable.

Hiyori Shiina reads books in the classroom every morning, and no matter what happens around her, it never affects her. She really is a special one.

Kakeru Ryuen saw Hiyori Shiina reach into her bag and concluded that she would soon pull out a novel.

Before long, Hiyori Shiina's hand emerged from her bag.

However, what she held in her hand left Kakeru Ryuen dumbfounded, nearly causing him to lose his balance.

Hiyori Shiina had pulled out a handheld gaming console.

"Huh?"

Before the second period, at the school swimming pool.

The students of Class D had all changed into the swimsuits provided by the school and arrived at the poolside.

The boys wore standard swimming trunks, while the girls wore relatively conservative one-piece swimsuits.

Even so, the form-fitting fabric still managed to outline their curves.

Most of the girls were chatting and laughing, looking forward to the upcoming swimming lesson.

In their experience, typical high schools didn't have swimming lessons, let alone such a spacious indoor pool.

However, among them, one girl didn't seem particularly interested; she stood in a corner with a blank expression, her arms crossed over her chest.

She possessed a stunning figure, no less impressive than Airi Sakura's. Beneath her long cyan hair was an exquisite face, with a tear mole under her left eye that further enhanced her beauty. However, her golden eyes seemed to cast a look of disdain toward a few boys not far away.

Haruka Hasebe.

Because of her sweet appearance, she had been remembered by many classmates shortly after school started.

She was aware that she was a beauty, but she hated the way boys looked at her. Furthermore, her personality was rather aloof, and she had no friends even now, as if she were drifting outside the class circle.

If one had to say, there was indeed one boy in the class she didn't dislike.

Keima Katsuragi.

Being a great beauty, Haruka Hasebe easily attracted the attention of the opposite sex, but she was sensitive by nature and felt that the way other boys looked at her always carried ulterior motives, which made her uncomfortable.

Just like right now.

But she didn't feel that way at all about the gaze of Keima Katsuragi—

Or rather, from the start of the school year until now, it seemed as if Keima Katsuragi had never looked at her even once.

He had poured his heart and soul entirely into his games.

He's a weirdo, but just like me, he's the type who drifts outside the class.

Haruka Hasebe made this judgment in her heart.

Not long after the school year began, the class had already split into several small cliques, and like Keima Katsuragi, Haruka Hasebe didn't belong to any of them.

They were, in a sense, the same kind of person.

Today was their first swimming lesson.

"Hasebe-san! Are you not feeling well?"

Just then, Elsie walked up to Haruka Hasebe and asked curiously.

She had noticed that Haruka Hasebe had been standing alone the whole time, looking a bit unhappy, so she asked out of concern.

"No, it's nothing, Katsuragi-san."

Haruka Hasebe responded with polite courtesy.

Volume One: Chapter 49: A New Character Appears? Haruka Hasebe

Haruka Hasebe cast her gaze toward Elsie.

In her eyes, Elsie was the complete opposite of Keima Katsuragi.

Elsie had become friends with quite a few classmates, mostly girls, and her personality was friendly and generous.

In a sense, Elsie was somewhat similar to Kikyo Kushida.

However, Haruka Hasebe didn't know why, but if she had to choose between the two, she felt she might prefer to be friends with someone like Elsie.

Perhaps it was because Elsie felt more natural?

"Are you really okay? You've seemed a bit out of it this whole time."

"I'm fine, I was just thinking about the upcoming exams."

Haruka Hasebe made up an excuse on the spot.

"After all, I'm quite lopsided when it comes to subjects, so I'm a little worried about the tests."

Haruka Hasebe wasn't lying about that; her science grades were good, but conversely, her liberal arts grades were terrible.

Sae Chabashira had said that for the upcoming official exams, even failing a single subject would result in expulsion.

Although the probability wasn't that high, the risk did indeed exist.

"Is that so! Then I happen to have a solution!"

Elsie suddenly patted Haruka Hasebe on the shoulder with excitement.

"What is it?"

"Big Brother is hosting a study session! Do you want to join?"

"A study session?"

Haruka Hasebe hadn't heard anything about that at all.

But thinking about it carefully, it seemed like Kikyo Kushida and Keima Katsuragi had left together yesterday.

Now that she mentioned it, Sakura had followed along too.

However...

What was Sakura's full name again?