Classroom of the Elite: Alter - Self-Test

Vol. 1: Chapter 1.2 - The Point System

Whilst walking to our classroom, Kushida and I engaged in small talk. Being the expert between the two of us, of course, she's the one who spoke first.

"So, Ayanokouji-kun, do you know anyone from your junior high who's attending this school?" she asked.

This should be a pretty natural conversation, but it's a really bad topic for me. Because I did not attend junior high, I thought about making a fake backstory that I would stick with if these kinds of topics ever come up in a conversation. However, I immediately discarded that line of thinking because it was too risky. If I start this with a lie, I should be a hundred percent consistent, but that's simply impossible.

I don't know anyone apart from Kushida and myself. Should I name a random middle school, it'll be harder and harder to keep that lie up as time goes on, even with an elaborate backstory. With all this in mind, I just came up with a half-truth in order to solve all my problems.

"Unfortunately, no. I just came back from abroad, after all," I said, like a line from a script.

A half-truth indeed. The White Room was a facility located deep within the mountains. Even if it was somewhere in Japan, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it another country.

"Ehh, so does that mean I'm your first friend here in this school?" she asked with glittering eyes.

Safe... Things would've been more complicated if she asked me the name of the country.

"Probably. How about you?" I replied and asked.

"We're on the same boat! None of my junior high friends made it to this school, you see." Kushida clapped her hands once in excitement.

I expected her expression to turn melancholic in her last sentence, but that didn't seem to be the case.

"I see. Well then, I'm looking forward to getting along with you this year," I said.

"Same here!"

If I was a normal person, I would probably be head over heels towards Kushida already. Her whole schtick of acting really cute and friendly would break any man's emotional defense. I'd be lying if I say that my heart isn't racing at this moment. As expected of a social elite.

The two of us reached the classroom in no time. Like what I read from my research, time goes by a lot faster when you're talking with friends. Is this what they meant by it?

Well, I'd probably have this sentimental belief if I wasn't aware of how dopamine releases make your internal clock or subjective sense of time faster...

"Well then, I'd like to know some of my new classmates for now. I'll talk to you later, Ayanokouji-kun!" Kushida announced with vigor.

She's really going at it, huh? I want her to give me some of that enthusiasm and confidence, if possible...

I walked toward the seat that bore my nameplate. It was at the back of the room, near the window. A good place to sit, generally. Looking around, the classroom was approximately sixty percent full. During this free time, I should be working my butt off with making friends as soon as possible, but as expected, I just can't seem to find the right timing.

Right before I forced myself to stand in order to blend in with the crowd, a girl sat beside me.

Oh, I remember her. Back on the bus, she was sitting beside me from the opposite aisle while reading a book. The girl simply sat upright after placing her bag on her desk. She gave me the impression of a hard-to-approach honor student.

"Is there a problem?" she glanced, noticing my gaze.

Now that I got a good look at her face, she was certainly beautiful. If anyone tells me that she was a year or two older, I'd probably believe them. She gives off the vibe of a cool beauty.