(This chapter has been slightly revised. Please overlook any rough patches in the logic~)
Class 1-B.
"Pretty nice~"
Kitagawa Kai was quite satisfied with being assigned to Class B.
Class B was full of little angels with exceptionally high moral standards.
Kitagawa Kai really liked this system he had.
With its help, he could improve his abilities and even obtain some extraordinary, overpowered items.
Now, he needed to find a way to farm some affection levels.
After all, Classroom of the Elite, a battle-of-wits series on par with Zhongli's Faked Death, had far too many elements of physical violence.
It was jokingly called the vocational school battle royale, too.
People threw a punch as soon as they met you. Who could handle that?
While considering his next target, he hurried around a corner.
"Ugh~"
A muffled cry of pain accompanied a dull thud, followed by the faint sound of something hard hitting the floor.
Kitagawa Kai felt something small and soft bump into him, like a startled kitten.
He instinctively reached out to catch her, but his hand caught nothing.
She had already lost her balance.
Startled, he hurriedly looked down.
A girl had fallen onto the floor, with an exquisite silver cane lying beside her.
She braced one hand against the floor and held the other tightly over her forehead, her delicate brows slightly knitted in pain as she let out a faint moan.
Kitagawa Kai's heart clenched. He crouched down, his voice anxious and concerned. "Hey! Are you okay? I'm sorry, I was walking too fast!"
The girl slowly raised her head, her pitiful eyes still dazed.
[Ding!] [Detected a character available for romance near the host: Sakayanagi Arisu] [Character Strategy Support Pack: Master-Level Chess Skill] [Affection Level: 10 (person responsible)]
This little thing was Sakayanagi Arisu?
He had imagined countless scenarios for his first meeting with this princess of Class A.
He had never expected it to happen at a hallway corner, full of mishaps and awkwardness.
"Your forehead looks a little red from the bump. Let me take you to the school doctor."
Sakayanagi Arisu did not immediately agree.
She simply remained seated and replied in a slightly breathless voice:
"...No need, thank you. It was just a small accident. I'll be fine after a little rest."
Sakayanagi Arisu picked up her cane and slowly pushed herself up from the floor.
But just as she steadied herself, her silver cane suddenly slipped, and she toppled toward Kitagawa Kai.
Kitagawa Kai instinctively caught her, but one hand was not enough to stop her body from sinking farther. He could only support her back and the bends of her knees, lifting her entirely into his arms.
By the time Sakayanagi Arisu realized what had happened, she was already lying securely in Kitagawa Kai's arms.
"?"
She glanced down at her dangling feet, then looked at the boy right before her. "Please put me down."
[Sakayanagi Arisu's affection level -10. Current affection level: 0 (ill-mannered fellow)]
Kitagawa Kai did not immediately comply. The girl in his arms was still somewhat pale, and her breathing was faster than normal.
Congenital heart disease.
If he really injured her in a fall, he could be preparing for a funeral feast on the very first day of school.
"Are you sure you don't need to go to the infirmary? You don't look very well."
"I said, please put me down."
"Uh, you've already fallen twice..."
"..."
Sakayanagi Arisu stared at him.
Kitagawa Kai looked down at her as well.
The two stared at each other.
In the end, Sakayanagi looked away first.
"Class A. Sakayanagi Arisu. Take me to my classroom."
"All right, then. I'm Kitagawa Kai from Class B. Go, go, go! Off we go."
Sakayanagi Arisu said nothing more.
Although this boy's behavior was quite rude, his hands had not wandered at all since he picked her up, and his steps were surprisingly steady.
Most importantly, he smelled fresh and clean.
They soon reached Class A.
Holding Sakayanagi Arisu in both arms, Kitagawa Kai paused at the door for less than a second.
Bang-
He had no choice but to kick the classroom door open.
"Here I fucking come~"
The entire classroom fell silent.
Everyone's eyes turned in unison toward the uninvited visitor at the door.
And toward the little girl in his arms, her face pale and her forehead slightly red, who was glaring at him with a strange look.
Who was this guy?
Katsuragi Kohei abruptly stood up, his bald head gleaming.
"What happened here?"
"Aha, sorry. I didn't have any other way to open the door, so I had to do it in this rather rude fashion."
As he explained, he strode straight toward the only empty seat with Sakayanagi Arisu in his arms and gently set her down.
"I won't disturb you any longer. Keep studying, keep chatting."
"Goodbye, Little Princess Sakayanagi."
With that, he spun around in a dashing turn and took off at a speed comparable to an Olympic sprinter.
With a whoosh, he swiftly slipped out of the classroom under the stunned gazes of Class A, before any of them could react.
"!!!"
The whole of Class A sank into several seconds of deathly silence.
The first to break the silence were a few girls sitting closest to Sakayanagi.
"Are you okay?"
"You two are so close~"
"Are you dating?"
"..."
Facing these girls, Sakayanagi Arisu sat in her seat, her body as stiff as a block of ice.
She could feel her cheeks heating uncontrollably, going from pale to crimson, then burning hot.
"I'm fine."
Only now did she realize just how inappropriate it was to be carried into the classroom by a boy.
Kitagawa Kai.
This grudge.
I'll remember it.
[Ding!] [Sakayanagi Arisu's affection level +10] [Sakayanagi Arisu's affection level -10] [Sakayanagi Arisu's affection level +10]
Meanwhile, in Class B's classroom.
Kitagawa Kai dashed into his classroom.
"Oh my god... That was way too exciting..."
As he steadied his breathing, he mentally gave his performance full marks.
Kitagawa Kai's seat was in the back row.
The back row by the window, the king's homeland, the protagonist's exclusive seat.
Sitting beside him was a girl with long cherry-pink hair who radiated warmth like the sun.
She was turned sideways, chatting softly with the classmates around her, giving off the air of someone with a thriving social life.
Ichinose Honami.
Feibo.
A true little angel.
Even though they had only just met, Ichinose Honami had immediately hit it off with her classmates.
Ichinose Honami noticed the late-arriving boy seated beside her.
She took the initiative to greet him in a lively, friendly tone. "Hello! You're Kitagawa, right? I'm Ichinose Honami. I look forward to getting along with you!"
The girl secretly sized up her seatmate. He had a rather handsome face, neat black hair, well-defined features, and bright, sharp eyes, carrying a composure and confidence beyond his peers.
[Ding!] [Detected a character available for romance near the host: Ichinose Honami] [Character Strategy Support Pack: Stamina +1] [Affection Level: 30 (friend)]
(I won't pad the word count with the other ordinary characters. I'll add them later~)
Wait, seriously, dude?
Kitagawa Kai's eyebrows shot up, and he nearly failed to suppress the rising corners of his mouth.
How was he starting at an affection level of 30?!
Earlier, when he had met Yamamura Miki on the bus, he had gone from stranger to friend by painstakingly talking her affection level up from 20 to 40. It had taken an enormous effort.
And now, just a greeting from this little angel had sent her affection level straight to 30?
Was this the true value of a little angel?
This wasn't even a matter of starting lines anymore. She was waiting for him at the finish line in a Gundam!
A friendly greeting right off the bat, complete with 30 affection points and a passive buff granting a permanent +1 stamina.
"Hello, Ichinose!" His voice was several notches more excited than usual. "I'm Kitagawa Kai! I look forward to getting along with you!"