Study Session

For the current first-years, the most important thing is the midterm exams in mid-May.

Saturday morning at nine, the library.

When Kitagawa Kai pushed open the door, he realized the study area was pretty crowded today.

The most conspicuous group was the Class B students occupying several long tables, organized and focused, their expressions serious and intent.

Ichinose Honami sat among them, her pink hair tied into a neat ponytail, leaning slightly to explain something to a nearby classmate.

In a corner, seven or eight Class D students sat scattered about. At first glance, they seemed to be studying, but a closer look—well, better not to look too closely.

Some pretended to study while actually scrolling on their phones, others took advantage of the library's peaceful atmosphere to nap soundly, and a few stared blankly, motionless, their minds wandering through the void.

Amid this loose atmosphere, Hirata Yosuke stood out sharply. His short brown hair was meticulously neat, and he was currently earnestly urging his classmates to study.

"Everyone, the midterms are next week. Spending a little more time now might earn you a few extra points. This is really important for Class D. Let's all work hard together, okay?"

The response was sparse.

Only two or three people glanced up at him; most kept their original state. After all, most of those who came here to study had decent grades anyway. The three who really needed tutoring hadn't shown up at all.

Kitagawa Kai slung his backpack—which looked like it held almost nothing—over one shoulder, exuding the lazy vibe of a weekend morning. He walked over to an empty seat next to Ichinose and sat down.

"Ichinose, good morning."

Ichinose Honami was looking down at her textbook. She raised her head at the sound, her blue eyes curving into a warm smile.

"Kitagawa-kun, good morning."

"By the way, last time you mentioned that the history section felt a bit off, didn't you?"

She paused, her gaze shifting to a quietly seated girl at the other end of the long table.

"Yuki is really good at history. If you don't mind, having her sort things out for you should help."

The girl called out, Himeno Yuki, was focused on her own textbook, her deep purple hair naturally flowing down on both sides. She wore a rare gray school uniform. Hearing her name, she looked up, revealing a world-weary face.

"Me? Tutoring Kitagawa-kun? Okay." Her voice was soft. When she heard Kitagawa Kai's name, she let out a small sigh of relief.

Compared to others in the class, Kitagawa Kai suited her tastes more.

"Sorry for the trouble, Himeno-san."

"No trouble." Himeno Yuki quickly replied, pulling out a thick notebook and placing it between them so they could both see.

"Good thing the library is so boring. I didn't expect there'd be a subject Kitagawa-kun isn't good at."

She said it naturally, without mockery, more like she'd discovered some rare phenomenon.

"As for me," Kitagawa Kai leaned back slightly in his chair, relaxed, "I'm just an average student with decent ability. Having a subject I can't handle is normal, right?"

"Then, where should we start?" Himeno Yuki asked, cutting straight to the point.

Kitagawa Kai casually pointed at a line in his own notebook—something he'd jotted down just now, a question about the divisions of Japanese history.

"Why does the Edo period come right after the Heian period?"

The moment he said it, Himeno Yuki wore an expression of disbelief.

Her hand holding the pen froze mid-air, her bright pink eyes now clearly filled with confusion and a kind of incomprehensible shock.

She looked at Kitagawa Kai, as if confirming whether he was joking, but his expression was calm and serious, not like he was kidding at all.

"Kitagawa-kun," Himeno Yuki said each word clearly, "That simple chronological order—1603 is naturally followed by 845, just like 729 is followed by 1804. It's perfectly logical. Why don't you understand?"

Kitagawa Kai fell silent. His hands unconsciously lifted, beginning to gesture aimlessly above the table between them.

"Himeno-san, shouldn't 1603 be followed by 1604? How could it be 845?"

Himeno Yuki opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for how to respond. Wasn't it as natural as breathing, a foundation running through all subjects since learning to read?

"Alright, I've asked a lot of people about this. They all say it's a normal historical phase reflux."

Kitagawa Kai answered his own question, his thoughts scattering, as if he didn't belong in this messed-up world.

He clearly remembered that the world he'd transmigrated into was Classroom of the Elite, not some Conan universe where timelines could stretch and shrink at will.

So why was the historical timeline here so chaotic? 1603 followed by 845?

And it was common sense?

A classic model?

Thankfully, the timeline after Showa 20 (1945) was perfectly normal. The eighteen years he'd lived through from childhood to now—the passage of time followed reason.

Yesterday was the day before today. Last year was the year before this year. Seasons rotated regularly. Age increased year by year.

If even that part were as twisted and reversed as ancient history, he'd probably go completely insane, or get taken in for chip research long ago.

Hmm?

The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became. He couldn't dwell on it anymore, or Shenhe would step in.

"Kitagawa-kun." Himeno Yuki's voice pulled him back from the edge of his churning thoughts. "Are you okay? Did I explain too fast?"

"It's nothing." Kitagawa Kai spoke, his voice steady. "I just suddenly realized that history is a lot more complicated than I imagined."

"Is... is that so? Should we continue? Or do you need to digest it first?"

"Continue."

At this point, it seemed there was basically no way to salvage any marks in history class.

Better to prepare early and go collect the midterm exam paper sponsorship gift pack from those kind upperclassmen.

Over the next two hours, Himeno Yuki avoided discussing historical chronology and focused on sorting through historical figures' deeds.

When the clock struck eleven, Yuki closed the last reference book.

"Roughly speaking, that covers the main figures and core events before the modern era—the key parts." She let out a soft sigh and looked at Kitagawa Kai. "For more detail, you might need specific topical materials, but for the midterm scope, this should cover seventy to eighty percent."

"That's enough, thanks." Kai nodded, closing his notebook filled with dense notes.

"You're welcome."

"Can I call you Yuki? I noticed the other classmates seem to call you that."

Himeno Yuki was slightly taken aback, her bright pink eyes blinking, as if she hadn't expected him to suddenly bring that up.

"Sure, it's just a name. But Kitagawa-kun, you say it so naturally."

"Nothing to it—just practice makes perfect..."

Kai's reply carried a lazy ease, the words barely leaving his lips.

"BANG!!!"

The heavy library door was kicked open from the outside!

Three men with fierce auras strode in one after another.

The students immersed in their books were collectively stunned.

The sound of pages turning came to an abrupt halt.