A Simple Life in the Classroom of the Elite

I found myself inside the gymnasium, the room already buzzing with more than a hundred students, all gathered in clusters, talking and laughing. The atmosphere was a mix of excitement and nervous energy as people shuffled between booths, eyeing different clubs with interest.

After briefly scanning the pamphlet I'd been handed at the entrance—a small stack of information about each club's activities—my attention turned to the stage at the front. The student council secretary, a short girl with a clipboard, cleared her throat and began announcing the start of the club fair. One by one, club representatives came forward, each giving their rehearsed speeches with varying levels of enthusiasm.

I listened half-heartedly, my mind wandering. The thought that had been nagging at me since my conversation with Hirata and the girls resurfaced again.

'Should I join a club?'

Martial arts clubs were off the table. Whatever they had to offer, I'd already mastered. It sounded arrogant, but it was the truth. Besides, I doubted anyone there could be a challenge to me.

Art clubs? Not my thing either.

That left sports clubs. But as I started mentally crossing off soccer, basketball, and others, I found myself with little interest in anything.

Sighing to myself, I put the pamphlet away.

'I'll just sign up later if anything seems interesting.'

Just as I returned my focus to the fair, the last of the speeches seemed to be wrapping up. The gymnasium was slowly filling with voices again, the air buzzing as students began to move toward the sign-up tables.

I wandered around aimlessly, trying to avoid the growing crowd, when two familiar, cold faces caught my eye.

Ayanokoji and Horikita. Both were standing near the stage, their gazes fixated on the speakers.

'Should I join them?' I wondered. It wasn't like I had any reason not to, but I was sure Horikita would just start criticizing me for it.

I hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. 'Better than staying by myself.'

I started walking toward them, but as I neared, I noticed something strange. Horikita stood completely still, her eyes locked on the stage as if in a trance, while Ayanokoji tried, and failed, to get her attention.

'Yeah, that would've probably happened anyway.' I thought, chuckling quietly to myself.

Before I could reach them, though, I stopped in my tracks. The noise of the gymnasium started to fade. I glanced around, sensing the shift in the crowd's energy.

People's gazes turned toward the stage, and I followed their eyes.

A man stood there, wearing glasses and a cold, sharp expression. He was utterly still, his presence immediately commanding attention. He remained unbuging for a few good minutes, until the gym fell completely silent.

After a long moment, he spoke.

"I'm the student council president. My name is Horikita Manabu."

'Horikita?'

I blinked, recognizing the surname. Horikita Manabu. The president.

It made sense why Horikita was staring so intently. The resemblance between them was impossible to ignore.

"The student council is recruiting candidates for positions that will be vacated by the graduating third-year students. No special qualifications are required, but we do ask that those interested in applying not be involved in any other club activities. We do not typically accept students who are already committed elsewhere."

His voice was calm but authoritative. There was something about his presence that made it impossible to look away. I wasn't the only one feeling it, the entire gym was hanging on his every word.

'How does someone manage to silence an entire room with just their presence?' I wondered, feeling a strange sense of awe.

Horikita Manabu finished his speech and, without a word, stepped off the stage, leaving the gymnasium. The gym erupted back into conversation, but the lingering tension in the air from his presence remained.

I sighed, still in disbelief at what I'd just witnessed.

When the crowd noise settled down again, I turned back to see Horikita still frozen, seemingly lost in her thoughts. She didn't seem to notice the students around her, who began pushing against each other, trying to get through.

Without thinking, I stepped forward, noticing that she was about to be knocked over by the sudden jostling of students. I reached out, grabbing her arm and yanking her toward me to steady her.

She stumbled slightly, her foot catching on the floor, and ended up almost falling into me.

"You alright?" I asked, slightly concerned.

Horikita's eyes snapped to mine, and for a brief second, I thought I saw a flicker of surprise before she quickly scowled.

"This is sexual harassment, you know?" Her tone was as cold and sharp as ever.

I stared at her in confusion. "Huh? You were about to fall. I just helped you out."

She pushed away from me, stepping back with a glare. "Don't expect any gratitude."

"I never do." I muttered under my breath, my brow twitching.

'It's only the second day, and there's already another girl looking at me like I killed their parents after helping her.'

Trying to shake off the awkwardness, I glanced around. "So, where's Ayanokoji? He was with you earlier."

Horikita seemed to have trouble hiding her disdain as she pointed a few feet away, where Ayanokoji was currently talking with other classmates. "He's over there." She said, her tone flat, as if I were an idiot for not noticing.

"Oh," I chuckled, feeling embarrassed. Somehow, I had clearly missed him. "I didn't even see him."

"Surprising, isn't it?" Horikita commented. "He's actually talking to them." She gestured toward the group of Sudo, Yamauchi, and Ike, who were already exchanging phone numbers with him. "But I suppose it makes sense. If there's anyone who'd interact with him, it'd be them."

I shrugged. "I don't think they seem that bad."

"Of course you don't." She muttered, turning away. "You're nearly just as naïve as he is."

"Where are you going?" I asked curiously.

"None of your business." She shot back without looking at me.

"True, but after what happened earlier, I can't help but worry a little." I wasn't sure why I added that, but it felt right at the time.

"Again, none of your business." Her sharp eyes bore into mine, a clear warning. She spun on her heel, disappearing into the crowd without another word.

I stared after her, still unsure what had just happened.

Just then, a voice called out to me.

"Hey, Ryuto! Wanna join the boys' group chat?"

…

After briefly talking with the guys, I slipped away when their conversation started veering into questionable territory.

'Now's a good time to check out the upperclassmen's buildings.'

Most seniors were likely busy with the club fair, making this the perfect chance to look around without drawing too much attention.

As I walked through the mostly empty corridors, a few students gave me strange looks, but no one stopped me.

'Either there's no rule against being here…or they think I look too scary to question.'

I explored room after room, searching for anything out of the ordinary.

Then, I noticed something strange.

Inside Class 3-D, all the desks were neatly arranged in place, nothing out of the ordinary, if several desks wouldn't have been missing, that is.

But when I checked the other classes…I began to find a pattern.

Each classroom had fewer desks missing the further up the classes I went, from Class D to Class A.

Before I could process what that meant, a voice cut through the silence.

"What are you doing here?"

I turned to see an older student watching me warily, now realizing a school bag was still on one of the desks.

'Just my luck…'

"You're not from our year, are you?" He narrowed his eyes. "I'd remember someone like you."

Thinking fast, I kept my expression neutral. "I'm from Class D…second year."

His wariness deepened. "Second year? Did Nagumo send you?" He scoffed. "Tch. After being beneath Horikita-san for so long, is he starting to get sloppy?"

"Leave. You won't find anything against Horikita-san here." He jabbed a finger toward the door, his frown deepening.

'Nagumo? Who the hell is that?'

Not knowing what we were talking about, I played along, keeping my tone indifferent.

"Relax. I'm not here to dig through desks. If you think Nagumo sent me, then you clearly don't know him very well."

The third-year wasn't convinced. "Then why are you here?" He challenged, arms crossed.

'Good question. Too bad I don't have a real answer.'

Instead, I kept my tone casual. "Look, I don't care what Horikita-senpai is up to. I just needed to check something for myself. If you wanna report me, go ahead—I'm not stopping you." I shrugged, making it seem like I had nothing to hide.

His eyes narrowed further. "No need for secrecy, then. What exactly are you here for?"

"You're asking me?" I tilted my head slightly. "Shouldn't you already know?"

His frown deepened. He began thinking too much.

'Yeah, don't do that. I don't even know what I'm talking about.'

I casually glanced around the classroom, acting like I was taking in the scenery, subtly diverting his attention.

"You guys must be feeling proud, having your class full." I sighed, keeping my tone neutral.

"That's thanks to Horikita-san. Unlike Nagumo, he actually cares about the class." He sneered, but then something shifted in his expression—a glint of amusement.

"Speaking of, last I heard, Class 2-D had what, ten dropouts? All because you all tremble at the mere sight of Nagumo." He let out a low chuckle.

I stayed silent, watching him carefully.

"Don't you think it's about time you stood up for yourselves?" He leaned forward slightly. "You've got two years ahead of you. With some careful planning, you might actually narrow the gap between your class and Nagumo's. Otherwise…" His smirk widened. "At this rate, it looks like by the time you reach your third year, only his class will remain."

'Is he trying to rile me up?'

Unlike most students I'd met so far, this guy didn't act like a normal highschooler. There was something deliberate in his words, as if he wanted to push me toward a specific conclusion.

I met his gaze with a glare, not responding.

He held my stare for a moment before gazing toward the door. "You should leave now."

Clicking my tongue, I turned to walk past him. "Whatever. I've seen enough anyway."

Without another glance, I exited the classroom and quickly made my way out of the third-year building.

'I should've joined the acting club.'

The thought made me chuckle, but the senior's words lingered.

"Class D, huh…?"

…

As I neared the second-year teaching building, I let my thoughts settle, piecing together what I had just learned.

'First, there's some kind of rivalry between the President and this Nagumo guy. Not particularly relevant to me, but still, useful information. If Nagumo has the third years and even his own peers on edge, he isn't someone to take lightly.'

'Second, there are dropouts. A lot of them. And from the way that senior spoke, it didn't seem voluntary. That meant there were situations where students could be forced to leave.'

And lastly, class rankings.

'Dropouts seemed to be tied to these rankings. If the hierarchy went from Class D at the bottom to Class A at the top, it meant social standing in this school wasn't just symbolic—it had consequences.'

These were only conjectures for now.

But that's why I was heading to the second-years.

If their dropout numbers matched the pattern of the third-years, and if I could confirm whether Nagumo was in Class A, then my theories would only gain more weight.

After checking all of the classes, it was exactly as I hoped—or well, didn't hope.

Class D had more than ten dropouts, the number continuing to lower as I reached higher classes, until Class A, who only had two dropouts.

'These guys are having it much harder than the third years…' I frowned at the thought. 'They tremble at the mere sight of Nagumo…just what the hell is going on with the second years?'

I walked, deep in thought, when a sharp voice stopped me just as I was about to turn a corner.

"Don't waste my time with your incompetence. I'm too busy with the student council to listen to you whine about getting extorted by a first-year." An irritated senior snapped, his footsteps drawing closer.

"W-wait! It's because he knew about class rankings! That's what threw us off!" Another voice protested, with two others murmuring in agreement.

My brows furrowed. Those voices were familiar. 'The guys from the store… are they talking about me?'

The first senior came to a halt.

"Is that so? Or are you just lying to cover up your own stupidity?" He asked, his tone cold.

"It's the truth! We swear!" The trio insisted.

The upperclassman didn't respond right away.

'I should leave before they see me.' Deciding it was best to avoid unnecessary trouble, I took a step back. But just as I turned, something–or rather, someone–collided with me.

"Aah!" A soft voice yelped as she stumbled back, landing on the floor.

Looking down, I saw a girl with brown hair and a sunflower hairpin rubbing her arm.

"I'm sorry. You okay?" I asked, offering a hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied, accepting my help as she stood.

Before I could say anything else, hurried footsteps approached.

"Nazuna!" A tall senior with blond hair rushed past me to her side.

"What happened? I heard your voice." He asked, his gaze scanning her for injuries.

"Nothing. I was just curious about him, and we accidentally bumped into each other." She answered, stealing a glance at me.

'Did she do that on purpose?' The timing seemed too perfect to be a coincidence.

"Hm?" The blond finally took notice of me, his eyes narrowing. "Who are you?"

Before I could answer, the three seniors from the store arrived, their faces lighting up in recognition.

"He's the guy we were talking about, Nagumo-san!" Their leader blurted out, pointing at me.

'Nagumo…?' My eyes flicked to the blond. 'So this is him.'

Nagumo studied me with mild curiosity. "So, you're the first-year who exploited their points?"

"Exploited points?" Nazuna echoed, looking between us in confusion. No one bothered to explain.

'How do I keep getting dragged into these situations?' I let out a quiet sigh, keeping my expression neutral. 'If Nagumo is as bad as they say, I need to be careful.'

"You bastard! Those store cameras have no audio! You better give our points back—" One of the seniors started, but Nagumo silenced him with a sharp glare.

"Nobody would be dumb enough to just hand the points back." He muttered, exasperated.

Then, his gaze returned to me, his expression unreadable. "These three say you gathered some pretty important information on your first day here." He smiled, but there was something off about it.

"You might be mistaken." I said smoothly. "I'm not a first-year."

"Cut the crap! We know you're from Class D!" The senior barked.

I nodded. "That's right. Class D…third year."

Nazuna stifled a laugh, while the three seniors hesitated, uncertainty flickering in their eyes.

'No wonder I tricked them so easily. These guys are idiots.'

Sighing, I shifted my attention back to Nagumo. His face seemingly amused.

After a moment, he extended his hand. "I just realized I never introduced myself. Nagumo Miyabi, student council vice president." He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

I shook his hand after a brief pause. "Sakayanagi Ryuto. Just a simple student."

'And apparently, your underlying.'

"Simple, huh?" Nagumo chuckled, his grip tightening slightly.

'Is he testing my strength?' Not wanting to disappoint, I applied some pressure of my own.

After a few seconds, Nagumo released my hand with a barely perceptible grimace.

"Anyway—" He cleared his throat. "What's a first-year doing here?" He smirked, eyes glinting with amusement.

"Exploring. Getting familiar with the environment." I immediately replied, unable to come up with a better excuse.

"Exploring the upperclassmen's buildings?" Nagumo raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"Curiosity, I guess. Wanted to see how the seniors were." I said with a casual shrug.

"In the middle of the club fair? When most of us are preoccupied?" Nagumo's tone remained light, but the way he pressed on made it clear he wasn't convinced.

"Since you're a first-year, you wouldn't know." He continued, his gaze flicking toward a nearby classroom. "But I don't like anyone other than second-years wandering these halls, especially if they act like they own the place."

'Did he already figure out what I was doing?' My brows furrowed slightly at the thought.

"Of course, I hope you don't take it the wrong way." Nagumo smiled, the shift in his expression almost too smooth. "I'm simply looking out for my classmates."

"The Class A students?" I asked.

He let out a light laugh. "No, I'm talking about every second-year. They're all important to me, after all." He clapped a hand over one of the seniors' shoulders, the guy stiffening slightly but forcing himself to remain still.

"I see. I'm sorry, then. I wasn't trying to cause any trouble." I said, hoping to put an end to this exchange.

"It's alright. But sometimes, trouble finds you, whether you want it to or not." His chuckle was light, but the tension was clear.

"Well then, I won't keep you. I have student council matters to attend to." He turned, his footsteps unhurried as he walked away.

Before leaving completely, he glanced back. "You seem like a capable guy, but if you ever run into a problem, you can come to me. As Vice President, I'll do my best to help."

With that, he disappeared down the hall, the seniors following closely behind, throwing me hateful glances, but none of them dared to say a word.

I shifted my gaze to the brown-haired girl. She gave me a small, apologetic smile before trailing after them.

'That was…something.' I sighed, starting to understand why so many students were wary of Nagumo.

'It's strange. He gives off a friendly vibe, but at the same time, it feels like he's completely in control of everything.'

I mulled over the exchange, and as brief as it was, I knew—I lost.

And for some reason, that left a bitter taste in my mouth.

…

The sky had begun to darken by the time I stepped into my apartment, a plastic bag of prepackaged meals swinging in my hand.

'To think I have to pay thousands of points daily…' I glanced reluctantly at the bag as I placed it on the counter.

With a sigh, I began eating, but the pain of already losing a thousand points was too great.

"Three meals, that would be around three thousand points daily, with…ninety thousand monthly!"

I nearly shot out of my chair as the realization hit. "That's insane!"

"No wonder the upperclassmen look so miserable. If the school doesn't give us another hundred thousand next month, I'll be on my way to starving."

I slumped back into my seat, staring at the meal in front of me. Buying ingredients and cooking would be way cheaper, but there was one problem—I didn't know how. I could do the basics, sure, but nothing close to making daily meals.

"…Guess I'll have to learn."

Fortunately, there was a communal kitchen in the dorms. That settled it. If I wanted to stretch my points, I'd have to get serious about cooking.

Feeling slightly better about my financial future, I finished my meal and stood up, turning my attention to another issue—what I had learned these past two days.

A few minutes later, I stepped back, studying the web of papers and strings I had arranged on my wall. It looked like something out of a detective drama, but it helped organize my thoughts.

I crossed my arms, scanning the notes.

Expulsions. Points distribution. Class quality. Everything seemed to connect back to one thing—the class rankings.

"But how do they actually work?" I muttered. "What decides who moves up or down?"

The answer wasn't here yet. But the thirst for it burned stronger than ever.