(As everyone knows, Advanced Nurturing is a university.)
(All characters in this book are adults.)
(New author, new book.)
(This book includes some original setting changes. Visit my profile to hop aboard.)
April.
A balmy breeze swept across Tokyo Bay, dispersing a trace of the lingering chill.
Kitagawa Kai lounged against a bench on the station platform, bored out of his mind.
As someone who had awakened memories of his previous life, he still found it all somewhat surreal.
A month ago, a set of memories from his previous life had appeared in his mind without warning.
In his last life, he had been scrolling through TikTok while walking. Just as he was about to save the latest Forged in Fire video, a Dayun Truck had sent him on his way.
After all, we were all doing our best to live~
His start in this life was not too bad: both parents were dead, leaving him all alone, but they had left behind a sizable inheritance, enough for him to kick back and enjoy life.
For the first few weeks, he had immersed himself in a life of "simple, unpretentious boredom," lazing his days away.
Only when he received his acceptance letter from Advanced Nurturing University did he realize this was the world of Classroom of the Elite.
He followed the crowd onto the bus bound for Advanced Nurturing.
Quite a few new students in matching red school uniforms were already seated inside, and an air of youthful vitality greeted him.
Kitagawa Kai glanced around and saw no characters he recognized.
There was no blond guy in the priority seat, just some random person.
Nor was there an expressionless guy silently observing everything.
This was not the bus with an old lady waiting for someone to give up their seat.
So everything seemed perfectly normal.
He just did not know which class he would be assigned to, and Kitagawa Kai was very curious.
Class A, the "private garden" that the young lady Sakayanagi Arisu tended as she pleased.
Class B, Ichinose Honami's warm, accepting "harem" (lol).
Class C, Ryuen Kakeru's violent organization.
Class D, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's personal "toolbox."
He found a seat toward the back, sat down, and closed his eyes.
[Ding!] [An eligible character has been detected near the host: Yamamura Miki.] [Affection System successfully activated!] [Character information unlocked!] [Distributing beginner pack...] [Distributing Character Strategy Support Pack...]
A cold notification sounded in his head without warning, but to Kitagawa Kai, it sounded heavenly.
How was a transmigrator supposed to get by without a system?
A simple, translucent interface appeared before his eyes: character information, Beautiful Girl Encyclopedia.
When his affection level reached 50, 70, and 90, he could claim system rewards.
[Personal information] [Name: Kitagawa Kai] [Stamina: 6 (above average)] [Intelligence: 6 (above average)] [Charm: 8 (eye-catching)] [Items: Universal Video Recorder] [Ability: Affinity (increases initial affection level; makes it easier to earn trust)]
So the beginner pack was a Universal Video Recorder? You little rascal, System.
In Classroom of the Elite, getting anywhere without a video recorder and voice recorder was practically impossible. Who knew when someone might pull something on him?
As for that starting Affinity...
Looks like a cheat ability for me.
[Beautiful Girl Encyclopedia] [Eligible character: Yamamura Miki] [Locked characters: Sakayanagi Arisu, Kamuro Masumi, Ichinose Honami...]
Why did this feel so much like Pokémon?
Where was Yamamura Miki? How had I missed her earlier?
Following the system's guidance, Kitagawa Kai slowly turned his head.
A girl with long blue-and-white hair sat quietly in the adjacent seat. She was tall, with delicate, cute features, but a faint melancholy hung between her brows.
She was looking down, absorbed in scrolling through her phone, as though none of the surrounding bustle had anything to do with her.
[Character information] [Name: Yamamura Miki] [Affection level: 20 (stranger)]
So it was Yamamura Miki, the invisible girl from Class A in the original story.
She was famous for her lack of presence.
No wonder she was sitting right beside Kitagawa Kai, yet he had completely failed to notice her, as though he had subconsciously overlooked her.
With that talent, she would be unbeatable as an assassin.
Kitagawa Kai made that silent quip, then put on a warm smile and greeted her. "Hi, I'm Kitagawa Kai."
"H-huh~ Me?"
Yamamura Miki visibly flinched at his voice and slowly turned toward Kitagawa Kai, looking a little incredulous. Her voice was as soft as a feather landing on water.
Kitagawa Kai softened his tone further, with a hint of genuine friendliness. "I saw you sitting here alone and wanted to get to know you. Make friends."
Was he trying to strike up a conversation?
Could someone really notice me?
Yamamura Miki's heart skipped a beat.
He looked clean-cut and handsome, unlike those popular guys who always seemed to have a strong agenda or an intimidating air.
"I-I'm Yamamura Miki." She instinctively lowered her head a little, a barely perceptible excitement in her voice. "N-nice to meet you..."
[Ding!] [Yamamura Miki's affection level +10. Current affection level: 30 (friend).]
Hearing the system notification, Kitagawa Kai's smile grew even more genuine. "Nice to meet you, Yamamura. So... does that make us friends?"
"Huh? I suppose it does~" Yamamura Miki gave another little cry of surprise.
Coming to Advanced Nurturing really was the right choice.
I was about to make a friend before classes had even started.
Yamamura Miki inwardly gave herself thumbs-up after thumbs-up.
"Great." With a cheerful smile, Kitagawa Kai began chatting with Yamamura Miki.
They talked about the joys of childhood.
They talked about the pain of their family backgrounds.
They talked about their dreams for the future.
For Yamamura Miki, who had few friends, this was her first time having such an extraordinary experience.
So I could have an animated conversation with someone, too?
After that, the bus traveled smoothly and arrived at the university.
"All right, we're here." Kitagawa Kai stood up and picked up his backpack.
Yamamura Miki hurried after him. Moving too quickly, she nearly fell while getting off the bus, but Kitagawa Kai swiftly reached out to steady her in one smooth, natural motion.
"Careful."
"Th-thank you!" Yamamura Miki's cheeks flushed bright red in an instant. Fortunately, she regained her footing in time to avoid embarrassing herself.
She kept her head down, not daring to look at Kitagawa Kai.
The feeling of being cared for was unfamiliar, yet warm.
"I wonder which class I'll get. It would be even better if I ended up in yours, Yamamura." Kitagawa looked straight at Yamamura, his voice full of anticipation.
Feeling his gaze, the girl nodded gently. "...Yes, I hope so too, Kitagawa-kun."
[Ding!] [Yamamura Miki's affection level +10. Current affection level: 40 (close friend).]
My name is Yamamura Miki. Ever since I was little, I had always been alone, ignored, with no presence at all.
Whether in kindergarten, elementary school, or middle school, I was like cotton drifting quietly through the sky.
I could not even develop my social skills. I did not even have the ability to make people dislike me, and I forced myself to believe that was my strength.
But I wanted other people's eyes to linger on me, too.
And now, today, it seemed I had made a friend, too?
"What a shame, Yamamura. We aren't in the same class."
"But that's okay. We can just exchange contact details later~"
"We can still chat together, just like we are now."
Standing in front of the electronic noticeboard, Kitagawa Kai pointed at the class assignment list on the screen, a trace of regret in his voice.
Yamamura Miki looked where he was pointing and found her name on the Class A list.
Kitagawa Kai's name, however, was on the Class B list, directly below Ichinose Honami's.
A slight sense of disappointment welled up inside her.
The first friend she had made here was being separated from her just like that.
Now I had to go to Class A... and keep being invisible.