Houtarou Oreki Classroom of the Elite

This was the number he got on his first day of school when he visited Class D to sell information and met an incredibly cute girl named Kei as he was leaving.

She immediately hugged him, acting as if she already knew him.

The next day, noticing he was short on Points, she transferred her remaining 80,000 Points to him.

By then, she understood the school's rules and knew that being in Class D meant limited future Points. Yet she still gave him almost everything she had.

It was a genuine favor.

Houtarou returned 30,000 Points, leaving 50,000 unpaid. Her kindness seemed sincere and worth returning.

Since she was a Class D student with limited opportunities ahead, he decided to hold onto those 50,000 Points and eventually return double the amount.

This arrangement was somewhat self-serving, since Kei knew him one-sidedly. But it wasn't a scam — their connection must have formed because of the supernatural abilities he received as system rewards.

Thinking about this, he pressed one hand against the back of his head.

Houtarou Oreki, 18 years old, was an ordinary high school student until he came to Advanced Nurturing High School. There, he awakened a supernatural ability system that grants powers for completing tasks.

He has already obtained three supernatural abilities: Teleportation, Transparency, and Precognitive Dreams.

These Precognitive Dreams come three times per week at set times. In them, Kei appears — even in scenes from their future years.

This means they'll eventually date.

His classmate Arisu claims marriage is the grave of love. While Houtarou isn't entirely against dating in high school, his feelings remain complicated.

Still, knowing the future makes doing nothing feel awkward. So he accepted her kindness and now plans to repay it twofold.

This month, Class D's evaluation score is 0 Points, meaning they received no living allowance. As a Class D student, Kei faces the same situation — she's now running low on Points.

| Houtarou Oreki —Me|

| Is now a good time to talk? |

He messaged her.

Buzz Buzz—

His phone vibrated immediately — she was calling.

Hmm. That was quick.

Houtarou was startled by her forwardness. This was exactly why he struggled with girls.

[Hello... Houtarou, did you need something?]

Her pleasant voice came through the speaker. The faint echo suggested she was in a small space.

She was using his first name. While not forbidden, usually only his family called him that.

"I saw the Class Evaluation Scores for all four classes, and Class D got 0 Points." Houtarou said carefully.

[Mm-hmm, I saw that too. Your Class A is so strong, Houtarou, with 1,230 Points. Chabashira-sensei said those are the bonus Points you earned on top of the base 1,000 Points from your performance.]

[Since Class D got 0 Points, we don't get a living allowance this month. I only have about 6,000 Points left. Though I think Kushida-san has some Points…I could borrow from her. Are you in a hurry?]

In a hurry? What would he be in a hurry for? Wait — did she think he needed Points?

"That's not what I meant." He quickly interrupted.

Setting aside that Kikyō's Points had also come from him, while he was short on Points, he wasn't desperate enough to have girls borrowing for him.

"Check your phone now."

He quickly typed a message.

[?]

Kei paused for a moment, then let out a cute sound.

[Ho-Houtarou... Why did you transfer 200,000 Points to me?]

She exclaimed in surprise.

Indeed, Houtarou hadn't transferred 50,000 or 100,000, but 200,000.

"Thank you for the Points last time." He said, "I'm paying you back now."

[Eh? But I only gave you 50,000 Points!]

"Class D has no Points now, right? Your Points helped me a lot before, so now I want to return the favor." Houtarou said.

[I-I see...]

Kei seemed to pause, considering something, but quickly replied.

[I understand, I'll accept it.]

"Mm."

So this was what it felt like to be someone's patron... Houtarou had gained a new experience.

Thanks to that person who transferred 1 million Points to him, he too now understood what it meant to be a patron — and found he didn't mind it at all.

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Meanwhile, as lunch break was ending, students returned to their classrooms.

In Class A, everyone was accustomed to the three-way split between factions. Despite being one of the faction leaders, Houtarou remained passive, making it difficult for his supporters to locate him.

"Oreki isn't here—" S student said while searching for him.

With the start of the new month, tensions between the Arisu and Kōhei factions had intensified. This student had been repeatedly pressed to choose between them.

Take Masayoshi, the blond student, for example. Originally neutral among the three groups, he had recently abandoned Kōhei's smaller faction to officially join Arisu's side, apparently placing more trust in the little girl.

This decision earned him contempt from other faction members.

At the same time, Kōhei's supporters were celebrating.

"Congratulations, Katsuragi!" They cheered.

That morning after second period, Kōhei had reported to the Student Council.

Though he had bought his position, becoming an official Student Council member was invaluable for Class A. The Council wielded significant power and had access to crucial information before anyone else.

It was an undeniable advantage that brought prestige to their class.

Better still, he had secured the position of Student Council secretary — the same role where the current President Manabu Horikita had started his Council career.

While the chances were slim, this parallel gave them reason to hope.

The news lifted Class A students' spirits, except for those in Arisu's faction, who wore grim expressions.

Among them sat Masumi, the faction's second-in-command, maintaining her characteristic stern look.

"..."

Yet her demeanor wasn't from jealousy over Kōhei's success — she was simply performing her duties. As Arisu's designated information gatherer, she observed the class quietly, listening and watching to collect data.

She was curious about two topics being discussed in class.

First, Kōhei had paid 1 million Points to Houtarou, secured a Student Council position, and successfully reported for duty. While this benefited Class A overall, it had weakened the Arisu faction's influence.

Second, rumors spread this morning that someone had made Houtarou their kept man by transferring 1 million Points to him.

Strangely, with lunch break nearly over, Arisu hadn't asked her to investigate this second matter.

Wasn't she interested in Houtarou? Did she not care that he had become someone's kept man?

Or was she simply cold-hearted?

Regarding the written test on the 24th that Tomonari mentioned today, Masumi had taken supplementary lessons to improve her knowledge. Even if the class average reached 100 points, the passing score would only be 50.

She felt confident about scoring at least 60 points, so she wasn't worried.

However, the class dynamics suddenly shifted.

"Katsuragi, did you say the President invited me to the Student Council office after school?" Arisu asked from her desk, holding a book as Kōhei approached.

"Just got the message from the president." He nodded, "Though he wasn't planning to accept any first-years into the Student Council, given Class A's excellent performance, he made a special exception. He specifically offered you an accountant position."

"??"

The Arisu faction members immediately perked up.

Among them, Masayoshi, who had recently defected from Kōhei's faction to Arisu's, breathed a sigh of relief. This proved Arisu's capabilities — he hadn't chosen the wrong side after all.

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| Masumi Kamuro — Me |

| So, you don't have any new instructions? |

Masumi silently observed all this, then sent a message to Arisu.

| Arisu Sakayanagi — Little Girl |

| Instructions? Yes, I do. |

Arisu opened her small group — one that Masayoshi, her faction's lackey, had created and transferred ownership of to her.

She @-ed a faction member named Hayato Kitō.

Like Masumi, he wasn't particularly social but was quite perceptive. As one of the earliest to join her faction, he was a core member.

Arisu gave him the accountant position that Kōhei had just said the president offered her, instructing him to report to the Student Council after school.

| Arisu Sakayanagi — Little Girl |

| Are you satisfied now, Kamuro? But unfortunately, if you're interested in the accountant position, I still can't let you go. I have limited mobility and still need you. |

Oh. So she was being valued?

Arisu hadn't given her the accountant position because she needed her — which meant she ranked above Hayato.

Wait, no. Why was she competing for favor? She wasn't a pet.

"..."

| Masumi Kamuro — Me |

| No, I mean, don't you need me to follow Oreki today? |

| He received that message this morning. Isn't it possible he might meet with that woman who wants to keep him during lunch break? |

Masumi quickly clarified her real concern.

She didn't really care about the Student Council position — well, maybe a little, but she knew she wasn't qualified.

Besides, she had certain flaws that couldn't be mentioned. If the sharp-eyed Student Council President discovered them, she'd likely face expulsion.

That's why she was so reluctant to join the Student Council.

| Arisu Sakayanagi — Little Girl |

| Following him? No need. Isn't Oreki's whereabouts obvious? |

Arisu's reply came swiftly.

| Arisu Sakayanagi — Little Girl |

| Our Class Evaluation Scores came out early, and Katsuragi reported after second period. |

| The Student Council President must have known our class's results early. If he wanted to reward our excellent performance, he would have done so when Katsuragi reported. |

| So, Katsuragi announcing the accountant position now happened during lunch break. |

| What do you think happened during this time? |

The little T-Rex princess typed calmly.

"..." Masumi pondered.

So you're saying Houtarou is the one who got it?

Eh! He acted without her knowledge again?

While Masumi was considering this, Arisu sent another message.

| Arisu Sakayanagi — Little Girl |

| Oreki going to the Student Council suggests he's seeking information about whoever is keeping him. Since he needs to learn their identity, he clearly doesn't know who it is. |

| It could be anyone — an upperclassman, male or female, even the Student Council President or a faculty member. After all, he attracted considerable attention during the work permit incident, so many people at school must have noticed him. |

| If it's someone from the administration willing to pay such a huge sum upfront, the task they want must be quite troublesome. |

| For Oreki, this is likely just a nuisance. |

"..." Masumi frowned.

So this isn't a sugar arrangement — he's being targeted by someone problematic?

That explains why Houtarou hasn't returned yet.

'I see,' Masumi nodded.

She glanced at Houtarou's empty desk.

He still hadn't come back.

⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟

Indeed.

He hasn't returned.

After contacting Kei, he received a message from Suzune.

| Suzune Horikita — Lone Girl |

| Oreki, I can't hold out against Chabashira-sensei, requesting backup. |

??

Seeing this plea for help, Houtarou was taken aback.

Really, Suzune? You couldn't even last 10 minutes?

Unfortunately, that was exactly what happened — she didn't even make it 10 minutes.

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Ten minutes ago.

Suzune and Houtarou went their separate ways — he to the Student Council, while she followed Sae's instructions to the top floor of the school building.

Students rarely ventured to this area. Yet over the past month, Sae had frequently been spotted walking up there after class.

Some students had reported finding an ashtray on the roof filled with ladies' cigarette butts.

Ladies' cigarette butts... So this was where she came to smoke.

It made sense. As Class D's homeroom teacher, she must be troubled by their terrible performance.

Despite learning the school rules on day one, Class D students had completely given up on self-control. They regularly lost Points for misbehavior, even in classrooms with surveillance cameras.

Any teacher would find this frustrating.

But to Suzune, there was something peculiar about Sae. Yes, peculiar indeed.

The school evaluated new students through monthly exams. While teachers weren't supposed to share certain information, Sae's teaching methods were... lacking.

Her classes were poor quality, as if she'd given up entirely. She never kept students after class or assigned homework.

She maintained a completely passive attitude.

Yet according to Houtarou, Sae was a formidable person with strong convictions. Perhaps she still clung to her unfulfilled goal — elevating Class D to Class A.

But if she was so dedicated, why act so detached?

If she showed even a hint more seriousness or strictness, her students would think twice about misbehaving.

This first month had been Class D's golden opportunity to rise. Yet neither the students nor their homeroom teacher had seized it.

Suzune couldn't make sense of it.

What she did understand was that she was walking her own path — gathering 20 million Points would be enough.

With a thud, Suzune pushed open the half-closed door and stepped onto the school building's roof.

There she saw Sae's silhouette, a ladies' cigarette held delicately in her slender left hand.

Sae Chabashira was a beautiful woman with a tall, graceful figure.

Suzune had already prepared her refusal. If Sae asked her to lead Class D, she would respond with a simple "It's hopeless, I'm sorry, but I must decline".

"?"

Sae heard the footsteps and knew Suzune had arrived.

She spoke first.

"Your brother is the Student Council President, Manabu Horikita, right? Don't deny it — I just need to know if this information reaching other classes might put him at risk."

Sae's direct question instantly shattered Suzune's mental defenses.

And so, in less than 10 minutes, Houtarou received her desperate message.

| Suzune Horikita — Me |

| Oreki, I can't hold out against Chabashira-sensei, requesting backup. |

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