Rey’s Journey in the Classroom of the Elite

Rey stood in place, his eyes focused on the situation unfolding around him. In front of the class, Yamauchi Haruki, with excessive confidence, spoke loudly. The longer he went on, the more obvious it became how ridiculous he sounded. With an arrogant tone, he spoke as though every word that came from his mouth was wisdom that everyone needed to hear. Occasionally, he glanced around, watching his friends' reactions, some of them looking slightly entertained. He even gave a brief nod to Kushida Kikyo, who smiled at him, making his heart race like a teenager experiencing his first crush. The fire of youthful excitement blazed inside him.

If Rey had commented on the situation, he might have said something sarcastic. 'A girl who smiles like that thinks everyone likes her. A delusion like that can't be taken seriously,' he thought indifferently.

However, Yamauchi was lost in the moment, believing his grandiose words had captured everyone's attention. Rey just shook his head, feeling a bit disappointed. 'Seriously? A school like this?' he thought. 'This kid doesn't know what's real.'

Then, it was Kushida Kikyo's turn, who stood confidently. "I'm Kushida Kikyo," she said with a bright smile that lit up the room. "I don't have any friends from middle school at this school, so I hope to make a lot of friends. I want to get to know all of you," she continued. Each word she spoke sounded sincere, though Rey could tell it was carefully calculated, as if she had planned this all in advance.

"I'll definitely stay in touch with all of you," she added, emphasizing her intention to make memories with many people, inviting them to hang out after school or on the weekends.

Yamauchi immediately interrupted with enthusiasm, "Kushida-san, I'm a good guy too!"

The class laughed, most of them entertained by the joke. Some of the girls responded jokingly, "Yamauchi, you're amazing!" But the lighthearted atmosphere quickly shifted.

Suddenly, a student with bright red hair kicked his desk, causing a commotion that drew everyone's attention. "I didn't come here to play friendship games," he said in a sneering tone. "I don't need to introduce myself. Let those who care about that do it."

His outburst was enough to silence the class. Rey was slightly surprised, but there was a stirring inside him. 'There are people like this here?' he thought, feeling a little excited. 'This could get interesting.'

A few other students looked awkward, unsure how to respond. However, Rey was intrigued by this boy's attitude. He was different from the others who just pretended to be polite and followed the social norms. His words were full of contempt, and when his eyes met Hirata's, Rey almost felt like a conflict was about to break out.

But what happened next was unexpected. Hirata, calmly and without getting emotional, apologized. "I understand if this kind of introduction isn't your style," he said softly, as if nothing unusual had happened. "I just thought it would be good if we could get to know each other. If that made you uncomfortable, I apologize."

That unexpected apology seemed to ease the tension. The boy with red hair, though still angry, seemed to calm down a little. Without saying much more, he turned and left the class, followed by a few other students.

Rey could only watch the situation unfold, feeling intrigued. 'This is interesting,' he thought. 'This school is full of surprises.'

After the introductions were over, the class moved to the gymnasium for the official opening ceremony. Rey, still feeling confused by everything, felt a little out of place among the crowd that was starting to get organized. He heard about the school's point system, the luxurious dorms, and the privileges granted to the students—things that sounded almost excessive. 'Is this a normal school, or is something strange going on here?' he thought once more.

Later, Rey went to the dormitory room assigned to him. As he checked the facilities inside, he was impressed. Everything, from electricity to gas, was provided for free. 'This school is too generous... or too suspicious,' he thought, feeling skeptical. 'They must be hiding something.'

Curious, Rey then went to the convenience store to buy some essentials. As he walked around the shelves filled with free items, he stopped for a moment. 'Wait, this isn't normal. Free stuff? They must be giving out a lot of goods every month,' he thought, while grabbing some important items. This was a way to save points, he knew that.

At that moment, a girl with long black hair and a cold expression approached him. "You think this school is strange too, right?" she asked, her sharp gaze assessing the items he had just taken. "I remember you, Rey, from our class—the one who can't remember people's names."

Rey smiled slightly. 'At least she remembers my name,' he thought, sensing something sharp about this girl. 'She must be pretty perceptive.'

"I'm Rey," he said politely, trying to keep the conversation light. "Nice to meet you."

The girl nodded. "I'm Horikita Suzune. You still haven't answered my question."

Rey glanced outside, hearing the commotion again. It was the red-haired boy again, now shouting in frustration. Rey raised an eyebrow. 'Looks like the excitement isn't over yet.'