Houtarou Oreki Classroom of the Elite

In the girls' dormitory at this moment.

A girl with short golden hair and a sweet face — whom everyone thought of as an angel — sat on her bed. She stared at her phone, seemingly questioning life itself.

This was Kikyō Kushida, frozen in thought though still online.

"Kushida-san, I'm done washing up, you can go next."

The bathroom door opened, and out walked an incredibly beautiful girl with straight pink hair.

Her beauty was exceptional — delicate, refined features, snow-white translucent skin, and a flawless face shape. She was undeniably among the top-tier beauties, absolutely adorable.

This was Airi, transformed from her usual self with unfashionable twin tails and glasses — her charm now magnified beyond measure.

Her past as a model explained her skill at managing emotions. In this state, she showed none of her usual withdrawn or timid nature.

Could she not easily outshine the perpetually cold-faced Suzune?

After all, boys prefer their goddess to show some warmth.

For Kikyō, Suzune's absence was a relief. That girl's presence made it hard to breathe.

This cruise vacation had its benefits — with Suzune away, she'd grown closer to Airi, learning about her modeling past and discovering the true beauty beneath.

Yet Airi's typical demeanor was like a timid hamster, making it easy to help her and build goodwill.

But Suzune had seemed unwell this morning. Why was she still out so late?

Kikyō had deliberately returned early to show concern, only to find Suzune absent.

She knew well enough that this loner wouldn't appreciate the gesture — it would just be another cold rejection.

Really annoying.

And now Houtarou was asking her for conversation topics with Suzune.

When had those two gotten so close? Were they dating?

How could Suzune just watch while she flirted with him? If they were dating, why such tolerance?

Kikyō couldn't make sense of it. Though perhaps it wasn't so bad if annoying people gravitated toward each other.

And Houtarou had the nerve to ask her for conversation topics with Suzune.

What did he think she was — some kind of convenient tool?

Still, letting these two irritating people gather and potentially gossip about her wasn't ideal.

So...

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Ding Ding!

Houtarou received a message from Kikyō.

This time it wasn't just a simple message — she had sent two untitled documents along with a note.

| Kikyō Kushida — Little Devil |

| If you find it awkward, just open the documents. I wrote them quickly, so use them wisely. |

Her message had an angelic tone.

But...

| Kikyō Kushida — Little Devil |

| But, Oreki-san, remember one thing. |

| People are trash. They're all garbage — no matter how bright their exterior, they only want to take from others. |

| Everyone is like this, disgustingly so. |

Ah. A glimpse into the little devil's mindset.

She maintained this sweet facade of wanting to befriend everyone, and she was good at it too. Her social prowess had helped her gather information from nearly half the first-years, all while calling them friends.

Yet these messages were far from angelic.

The luxury cruise ship had shrunk everyone's world, giving her new chances to approach previously distant classmates. But this only increased the pressure.

After being caught kicking the railing that one time, she couldn't risk another outburst. So instead, she vented her cynicism to him.

Though harsh, her words held some truth. Still, Houtarou knew one exception — Honami.

He was certain that her radiant exterior wasn't fake. She was a genuine angel.

Setting aside Kikyō's bitter words, he opened the document she sent.

| Try talking about future aspirations |

The future, huh.

Indeed. That topic could lead anywhere.

"Horikita-san." Houtarou looked at Suzune, "Do you have any plans for your future?"

"Plans? Right now I just want to quickly collect 20 million points. As for things that far ahead, I haven't thought about them." She said.

Oh. Houtarou gripped his phone.

Was it simply that she had no plans, or was she not being true to herself?

From what he could see, Suzune had lost herself in endlessly chasing her brilliant brother's shadow.

So for her, there wasn't really any true self.

As a fellow younger sibling, he understood the pressure of having an exceptional older sibling. He knew how they could serve as both an inspiration and an impossible standard to live up to.

But he had chosen not to chase after them. Partly because catching up seemed impossible, and partly because success might create an awkward dynamic with his siblings.

As adults, showing respect to older siblings was important — though that didn't mean completely giving up on personal achievement.

"I think Horikita-san will become a lawyer in ten years." He said.

"A lawyer?" Suzune seemed to start thinking seriously, "Why do you say that?"

"Just a feeling."

"..."

The conversation suddenly fell into an awkward silence.

This is why he wasn't good at dealing with girls. Kikyō, you're useless.

While thinking this, he noticed Suzune's cherry blossom-thin lips slowly open.

"A lawyer — that might be a good future plan. Lawyers need to study a lot, and studying is what I dislike least." She said, "So, I think becoming a lawyer might be good."

The conversation seemed like it could continue.

But... eh?

Houtarou was shocked enough to stand up.

Because — Suzune, do you realize what you're saying right now?

You're just elaborating on his idea, not your own thoughts. In other words, you have no sense of self.

He gripped his phone, wanting to message Manabu right now about his sister's situation.

But at this moment.

Ding Ding!

Just then, the phone rang.

Houtarou and Suzune both looked over — it was a message from Rokusuke on the chat app. While they were limited at school, things were more casual once they were outside.

The two boys had used their mobile data to download a messaging app capable of both text and video calls.

| Rokusuke Kōenji is requesting a video call, accept? |

Staring at his phone, Houtarou accepted the call.

The screen displayed a forest landscape with Rokusuke's face visible in one corner.

[The school is so boring.]

He opened with his usual criticism.

[I've reached the island. As I suspected, it's artificial, even though disappointingly simple. The dimensions are roughly 4000 by 4000 meters.]

[I've discovered that the island is divided into sections, with each area suitable for camping or living has a card reader installed. These devices appear designed to record card swipes.]

[I dismantled one and the batteries are freshly replaced.]

Rokusuke delivered his report.

The purpose was now clear to everyone. With these designated areas and newly maintained card readers, students were meant to locate and claim these spots by swiping their cards.

Knowing the readers' locations in advance would provide a significant advantage.

[Despite the darkness, the moonlight is sufficient. I've counted about 40 card readers worth claiming.]

He continued sharing his findings.

With forty readers and such elaborate preparation — an artificial island with specially installed devices — earning the full 600 points for this exam seemed possible.

As Rokusuke finished his intelligence briefing, he noticed the setting behind Houtarou and his companion. They were in a cabin, with a 1.8-meter wide bed visible in the background.

Nighttime. A boy and girl alone. Despite their school uniforms remaining properly in place, the situation was suggestive.

[Oh, you're in a room. Am I interrupting something?]

Coming from a wealthy family, Rokusuke had received an elite education.

Though his excessive pride led him to dismiss common folk as unworthy of conversation, his emotional intelligence remained sharp.

"Hm?" Suzune's confusion was evident.

Indeed — here was someone truly oblivious to social implications.

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