Classroom of the Mediocre Supremacist

"Yes, indeed. And the ruling clique of Class D already knows about Hoshino-kun's strength, so you can no longer just 'wash your hands of it and stay aloof.' So please take over Class D as soon as possible, and then let's have a good, proper fight!!"

"As if you've already taken over Class A, you sadistic, twisted, fake loli!!!"

"Isn't that just a matter of time? Besides, mere verbal attacks can't hurt me anymore."

"..."

Meanwhile, at the eight-person table of Class D.

"So the exam idea was Hoshino-kun's!"

Kushida Kikyo's "friend group" and Hirata all turned to look at the person in question.

It seemed she hadn't mentioned Hoshino-kun's involvement to her classmates.

"Well... because Hoshino-kun said he didn't want to stand out, he specifically asked me and Ichinose-san to keep it a secret."

Kushida Kikyo was cursing a storm in her heart, but her face still wore a considerate smile as she brushed it off.

"You see, Hoshino-kun doesn't usually like talking to people in class either. He's clearly a socially anxious tsundere, so I couldn't very well force him to accept everyone's gratitude."

Her explanation was reasonable, and the unsuspecting "friend group" bought it immediately.

But the "Empress Group" members didn't care about that.

"That guy... I thought he was keeping Karuizawa-san company, but instead he's here fooling around with other women."

Shinohara Satsuki bit fiercely into the freshly grilled meat in her hand, glaring at Hoshino En with blazing eyes.

Not only was he surrounded by girls on both sides, but there was also a pretty classmate helping him grill meat—he was completely disregarding Karuizawa-san!!

If Matsushita Chiaki hadn't held her back, she would have stormed over and started cursing the moment Hoshino En's group walked in.

"Actually, that petite girl was here first. Strictly speaking, Karuizawa-san is the third party."

Matsushita Chiaki explained to the uninformed Shinohara Satsuki. If they tried to pick a fight, they wouldn't have the upper hand, and it would only cause trouble for Karuizawa-san.

"But that silver-haired girl is definitely the latecomer, right? He'd rather bring a latecomer from another class than bring Karuizawa-san—isn't that too much!"

"Uh... maybe he invited Karuizawa-san too, and just happened to come with this girl since they were on the way?"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!!"

Sato Maya joined the fray.

"That guy is definitely cheating behind Karuizawa-san's back. Why else would he look so scared when he saw us?"

Hoshino En: Actually, it was because he saw A-Sho and Katsuragi. You guys, and Hirata and Kushida, don't even count.

"If he really hasn't betrayed Karuizawa-san, then I'll..."

Sato Maya looked at the things on the table and picked up her glass.

"I'll eat this glass!"

But just as she made her "vow," a familiar voice rang in their ears.

"You guys... are you having some kind of party?"

The three looked up and met the gaze of Karuizawa Kei, who was in her school uniform.

Ah, there she was.

The same thought echoed in all their minds.

The girl with the golden high ponytail glanced at their friend group, then at Hoshino En surrounded by girls on both sides, and finally decisively... chose to sit next to Kamuro Masumi and start grilling meat alongside her.

The three fell silent.

"Sato-san, how are you planning to eat that glass? Do you need me to grill it for you?"

Mori Nene, who was busy fighting with the meat on the grill, delivered the final blow to Sato Maya.

Sato Maya: "..."

"Oh my~ It seems Hoshino-kun has trained... educated her well. My Kamuro-san is still a step behind."

"Don't lump Karuizawa in with Kamuro. She's much smarter than Kamuro. Here, Karuizawa, eat this."

Hoshino En handed the grilled meat Kamuro had placed on his plate to the newly arrived Karuizawa Kei.

"Oh... arigatou~ Kamuro-san grills really well!"

"You... I get bossed around by Sakayanagi every day. Do something enough times, and you naturally get good at it."

"I see. Hoshino-kun doesn't really trouble me much. If anything, I'm always the one troubling him."

Is this guy showing off?

Watching Karuizawa Kei fret over "not being bossed around," Kamuro Masumi gave her a dead-fish stare.

She got fed by her "master," got help from her "master," and didn't even have to serve her "master"... Damn! Her treatment was way too good.

And just now, she'd actually felt a flicker of relief at the compliment—who the hell was supposed to comfort whom here!!

Watching Kamuro Masumi's expression shift from relief to despair, Sakayanagi Arisu had to admit Hoshino En was right.

Kamuro-san might outdo Karuizawa-san in academics and athletics, but she was too straightforward and too dumb. In a real game, she couldn't beat Karuizawa-san now.

If it weren't for Karuizawa deliberately showing a weakness just now, Kamuro would have been played for a fool without even realizing it.

"Alright, Hoshino-kun, now that everyone's here, isn't it time to get down to business?"

Setting down the half-finished sparkling water on the table, Sakayanagi Arisu picked up her cane again, her eyes curving into a smile as she looked at Hoshino En.

"I think Katsuragi-kun and Dragon Boy would also like to hear the main topic, wouldn't they?"

Hearing this, the Katsuragi Group and Ryuen Kakeru immediately perked up—the real highlight was yet to come.

Given Hoshino En's track record, they didn't dare take this matter lightly.

"Business? I think we should wait for Ichinose to get here first. Now that the class representatives from A, C, and D are all present, wouldn't it be unfair to leave her out?"

Hoshino En kept himself alert with the cold sparkling water; the afternoon's showdown with Sakayanagi had been too mentally draining.

"Also, you can hang up the call with Ichinose now. She should be here soon."

"...As expected, I can't hide anything from you."

Sakayanagi Arisu pulled her phone out of her pocket, the screen showing [In Call] with the recipient being none other than Ichinose Honami, whom she had targeted that afternoon. Judging by the call duration, Ichinose had been eavesdropping for quite a while.

Then, she hung up.

"But I argued with her so fiercely this afternoon—how did you figure out we were on a call?"

"When I was calming her down this afternoon, you were typing on your phone, and right after that, her phone happened to vibrate. Most of Class B was there at the time, and I don't think anyone else would have messaged her besides you."

"She's the class representative of Class B, after all, and a kind-hearted great angel. She's perfect for being your first 'friend'—someone who's never been to school or made friends before. So... you two must be pretty close, right?"

"I am quite interested in her."

First Semester of First Year:

Chapter 43: Author's Note on Going Paid

Going paid—I can't deny I'm a little excited.

The purpose of writing this book isn't to make money. If it were, I'd probably go to Tomato Novels instead—it's free there, readers can take a look without any cost, and I think this story would be decent in that environment.

It's mainly because I've been obsessed with Classroom of the Elite fanfics lately. I read two or three, but then couldn't find any more that suited my taste, so I decided to write one myself—and that's how this book came about. Dear readers, you can consider this my self-indulgence. The plot is all stuff I find satisfying to read. If it doesn't match your preferences, don't force yourself to eat this trash with me—I know my writing is garbage.

Now, about some issues with the story:

1. Why do the third-years have so many points?

That's my mistake. I started writing with pure enthusiasm and didn't think it through. I made some minor adjustments midway, but later felt that without this, the protagonist wouldn't be able to earn enough points early on to have the freedom to walk away anytime. So I stopped fixing it. Just assume the school's difficulty wasn't high enough before—they suffered in their first year, worked hard in their second, and ended up with these results in their third.

If you think the points are too high and that I'm writing nonsense, then consider it my fault. I accept the blame. Orz.

2. About the protagonist's character design.

I didn't think much about it at first—I just went with what felt satisfying to me. Chapter 1 didn't even explain the protagonist's background, at most matching the title "Self-Proclaimed Mediocrity" and "Self-Discipline." If you came from Qidian, you'd know the original title was "Classroom of the Elite: The Mediocre Man's Self-Disciplined Classroom" (the plot has caught up, and it's in the free chapters, so no need to look it up—plus, it seems to have been censored over there).

But later, I realized that wouldn't work—the protagonist's image was too invincible. So I added some flaws and family background in the library monologue, creating a clear disconnect between the two. I apologize again for that. Orz.

By the way, the protagonist's personality can be seen as an extreme case of "Di Hua" (acting dumb)—it doesn't mean he's super capable, like he's holding a script.

3. Confusing character perspectives.

This book isn't fixed on the protagonist's perspective; it occasionally switches to others, and I mix "I" and "he." That's because my previous book (also my first) was a "watching" style story with character interactions, involving Honkai Impact 3rd, Star Rail, and some Fate—lots of characters, over 1.5 million words—so I haven't been able to break the habit yet.

4. Slow pacing.

That's my fault. Sorry, Orz. But I can't fix it—it takes time to learn, and I don't have time lately.

If I wanted to speed things up, I could finish the story in two or three chapters. So if I run out of time later (since I'm graduating and need to prepare for internships, graduation projects, and thesis), and I have to cut it short, I'll explain the general plot before I go (though I hope it doesn't come to that).

Finally, thank you to [Uchiha Psychopath] for your support, following me from Qidian to Hedgehog Cat. You've kept my passion and motivation alive—I'm truly grateful!!

Tomorrow's update will be delayed. I'll wait until things stabilize, probably around noon.

First Semester of First Year:

Chapter 44: Chapter 041: Information Revealed in the Small Exam Questions

Soon, Ichinose Honami arrived at this corner.

"You guys... are you having some kind of party?"

Seeing the surreal scene before her, she couldn't help but ask.

The "class cores" of Classes A, C, and D each occupied a table, while Hoshino En's table gathered the "brains" of all three classes.

"Hoshino-kun, did I do something to upset you, that you'd team up with Ryuen-kun, Katsuragi-kun, and Hirata-kun to isolate our Class B?"

She looked at Hoshino En with a sorrowful expression, as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

In response, all Hoshino En could do was frantically wave his hands and clear up the misunderstanding.

"No, no! Isn't your Class B having a separate celebration party? I couldn't very well drag them over to mooch off your class's food and drinks!"

"Also, the other three tables showing up is really just a coincidence. Who knew these people would all suddenly want to eat barbecue today, and all end up at the same barbecue place, and by chance all crowd into the same corner... I really didn't mean to isolate your class."

"Anyway, sit down first. Let's talk business."

He guided Ichinose Honami to sit beside Karuizawa Kei.

Katsuragi Group and Ryuen Kakeru: "..."

After all that dawdling, we're finally getting to the main topic.

This guy really takes his sweet time doing things. I just ate not long ago... and now I'm hungry again.

"Excuse me, waiter—could we order more—" ×

Both of those tables were full of guys who'd already finished their meals. As for Class D's table, since not many of them knew how to grill and most were girls, there was still plenty left.

"Oh my~ It seems our [audience] nom nom... can't wait any longer."

Snatching a piece of meat that Karuizawa Kei had just grilled from Hoshino En's chopsticks, Sakayanagi Arisu took another sip of her sparkling water and egged him on.

"Hoshino-kun, go on, tell us—what was your real purpose for waiting for me in the library today?"

Her actions naturally drew a warning look from Ichinose Honami, but because of what happened in the afternoon, she didn't dare say anything now.

"Let me ask Qi first—you all had exams this week, right? I mean those [end-of-month quizzes that only serve as future reference and won't show up on your report cards]."

Even though his meat had been stolen, he was still getting fed by Karuizawa Kei, and had the leisure to ask her and Shiina Hiyori, who was busy grilling, a question.

"Our Class C just took it today. Four questions per subject, twenty questions total."

Shiina Hiyori was the first to answer.

"The first few questions were fine, even a bit too easy. But the last three, especially that math one, were really hard."

Then Ichinose Honami chimed in.

"Our Class B took it today too. Same question types and quantity as what this classmate said."

So that exam today wasn't something that nasty teacher set up alone—it was a school-wide test for all grades.

"Hmm... I see. That confirms it."

Since the scores wouldn't show up on report cards, this exam had no real meaning—too many overly simple questions, not even worth testing the students' academic ability—yet the school still held it. That meant [making the students experience this exam] was the purpose of the test itself.

"Sakayanagi, by the way, did your Class A take it today too?"

Hoshino En looked at Sakayanagi Arisu. However, she said nothing, only smiled.