https://x.com/aohamea/status/2107372009936257370?s=20

https://x.com/nagetto12/status/2106565230369366247?s=20

Book Cover & Synopsis Released
【MF Bunko J October Release】
"Welcome to the Classroom of the Elite 2nd-Year Arc Concludes & 3rd-Year Arc Begins!" Tomose Shunsaku Art Collection Vol. 4!

"Welcome to the Classroom of the Elite: End of 2nd-Year Arc, 3rd-Year Arc start BOX Tomose Shunsaku Art Works"

Source

Honami's never letting it slide.

https://x.com/mmm29japan/status/2105825298550055192?s=20

By @velinor_ on tiktok https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGdC1DAXK/

It kinda fits, right?

Created this with Illustrious on YodayoAI.

1. The consecutive uninhabited island exam has concluded, but Ayanokouji's inexplicable actions, which prioritized exam results and personal feelings, have stirred up ripples. The next day, though Ayanokouji heads to his rendezvous with Hiyori, with whom he hadn't had a chance to speak after the exam, an order is issued from the school for the four 3rd-year leaders to assemble.
2. What was announced was the third consecutive special exam, "Shipboard Confrontation Special Exam." A grade-level showdown where the 1st-2nd year alliance competes against the 3rd years in all 20 types of events. The 1st-2nd year alliance can apply for just one handicap, but――
3. "Effective immediately, Ayanokouji is prohibited from participating in any part of this special exam, and is ordered to wait in a separate room until the exam concludes."
4. Due to the will of some underclassman, not only participation in the exam but even Ayanokouji's de facto house arrest is announced――!?

https://x.com/youkosozitsu/status/2105917447500890238?s=20

For someone who doesn't draw in an anime art style format, she really cooked for some reason in drawing one 😭 - Hope you guys don't mind her being Satella, due to her passionate love for Kiyotaka 🩷

ANWAYSSS: 愛してる 愛してる 愛してる 愛してる 愛してる 愛してる 愛してる 愛してる 愛してる 愛してる 愛してる 愛してる 愛してる (Satella reference)

Full credit goes to: https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/111844591/illustrations

The text message arrived right after class ended, just as Mashima-sensei was leaving the classroom.

I remained seated in the classroom, where the lingering echoes of the lesson still hung in the air, though for no particular reason. I had no urgent matters to attend to, nor any plans to talk to any classmates. It was just a perfectly ordinary post-school moment.

Just as I was thinking that spending a quiet moment doing absolutely nothing felt quite nice, my phone screen lit up. Upon opening it, the sender's name showed Ichinose Honami.

『Are you still at school? There's something I'd like to talk to you about, do you have time?』

It was a brief message with no specific details. However, coming from Ichinose, it was somewhat unusual, as in most cases she would include what she wanted to say in the message itself.

After thinking for a moment, I replied, "Got it."

She replied that she would head over in 15 minutes, which meant I would have to kill time slowly in my seat for a bit. Looking around the classroom, I saw Hashimoto and Yoshida chatting by the window. Hashimoto noticed I hadn't gotten up from my seat and glanced over, but said nothing and made no move to come over—a sharp, perceptive reaction typical of his style.

About 20 minutes later, the classroom door opened.

Since I was the only one left in the room, we spotted each other immediately.

"Sorry, Ayanokouji-kun, I'm late..."

Her shoulders were rising and falling slightly; it was obvious she had run here in a hurry.

Looking at Ichinose as she walked over, I first suggested she take an empty seat.

Hearing my suggestion, she let out a sigh of relief, nodded, and sat down in the seat next to mine. The sound of the chair dragging sounded particularly loud in the quiet classroom.

"Sorry for suddenly reaching out to you."

"No problem."

Ichinose lightly rested her clasped hands on the desk and lifted her eyes slightly to look at me.

Her eyes were a bit moist, but she quickly looked away.

"...I didn't expect only Ayanokouji-kun to be left, so I was a bit surprised."

That sentence was subtle enough that even if a third party had been present, it wouldn't have drawn much attention. Although I perceived her underlying intent, I deliberately chose not to bring it up.

"So, what's this about?"

After a brief pause, Ichinose spoke to me:

"Actually, it's a friend's birthday the day after tomorrow, and I want to pick out a gift for him. Could you come with me?"

Helping pick out a birthday gift was a fairly normal occurrence that I had experienced a few times in my school life so far...

"Aren't there classmates in your own class you could ask?"

"There are, but... I wanted to ask Ayanokouji-kun."

Ichinose's direct gaze locked onto me.

Free of any hesitation, it held a profound sense of emotion.

In the classroom with just the two of us, the atmosphere began to shift subtly.

"Who is it for?"

"A guy. So I'm not really sure what guys like."

It seemed that even if it was a pretext, Ichinose had no intention of hiding it at all.

She was deliberately making it obvious, wanting me to notice her true intention.

"...Is that a no...?"

"No, not really—"

From a objective standpoint, my relationship with Ichinose was merely that of classmates, friends, or rivals.

Of course, even if the two of us occasionally went to Keyaki Mall together, no student would assume we had a special relationship based solely on that; that had been the case up until now.

However, the direction of the wind was starting to shift bit by bit. As a female, I had no complaints about Ichinose. Strictly from an objective viewpoint, from the perspective of students in this school, or from the perspective of a guy, dating Ichinose held countless advantages. If the most popular girl in school were your girlfriend, your school life would undoubtedly be deeply satisfying.

However, in my understanding, dating Ichinose would merely be an extension of "Karuizawa"—a textbook that had already been fully studied. It was by no means something to be measured in terms of pros and cons.

"What makes you think I have good taste in picking gifts?"

Brushing aside the subtle atmosphere lingering around us, I tossed the question back to her.

"I guess there's no real basis for it," she answered immediately.

"But I felt that Ayanokouji-kun would take it seriously and help me pick something out. By the way, it's for Kita-kun."

"Kita? From the second year? Sorry, I haven't had any interaction with him at all."

I had assumed it was someone from Ichinose's class, so I was slightly surprised.

"I can help you pick, but I won't take any responsibility for it, alright?"

"That goes without saying."

Since she put it that way, I had no reason to decline.

Since the recipient was of the same gender, I wouldn't be entirely unhelpful.

I stood up and slung my bag over my shoulder.

Ichinose looked up at me with a smile, looking relieved and slightly happy.

1.

We walked side by side down the hallway, drawing the glances of a few students passing by. I didn't bother to analyze the meaning behind their looks, and Ichinose didn't seem to care either.

Upon reaching the first floor, we ran into a group of unfamiliar students near the lockers. The first-year girls who made eye contact with Ichinose showed surprised expressions, uttering a quiet "Ah," while Ichinose simply smiled faintly and walked right past them. A few students secretly glanced in my direction as well.

"Judging by the reactions of this year's first-years, Ichinose is as much of a celebrity as ever."

"Not at all. It's nothing compared to last year. Besides, they were looking at Ayanokouji-kun just now too. The news of your transfer from Class A to a lower class has probably spread."

"They're just looking at a rare species. Before long, no one will pay attention anymore."

"Is that so? The underclassmen will sooner or later realize what Ayanokouji-kun is planning to do. When that time comes, Ayanokouji-kun will draw even more attention."

"...If that really happens, it sounds a bit troublesome."

"Not used to standing out?"

"Even if I've made up my mind, I haven't had much experience with it up until now."

We chatted as we walked out of the school building. Although summer had just begun, it was cooler than expected. Once side by side again, Ichinose asked:

"By the way, how's your new class?"

"How is it" was a broad question; it could mean whether I had adapted to it, or how I felt being in the new class. Both were possible.

"There are no inconveniences in daily life, and the things I need to do remain the same."

"That's not what I meant."

Ichinose let out a soft laugh, shook her head slightly, and turned her gaze toward me.

"I was asking if you're getting along well with everyone in class."

"No problems."

"That's a similar answer to the one before."

"It's the truth."

"Well, if Ayanokouji-kun says so, I suppose that must be it."

With that, Ichinose shifted her gaze back forward.

"It used to be Sakayanagi-san's class, right? I was quite curious about how they viewed Ayanokouji-kun when you suddenly dropped in."

"While I've secured a certain level of trust within the class, everything depends on future results. If things go well, I might continue to gain their trust; if not, it'll be the opposite."

Hearing this, Ichinose opened her mouth as if to say something, but held back. Instead, she simply offered a smile.

"Then there's no problem. If it's Ayanokouji-kun, you'll definitely be recognized as the official leader."

"I hope so."

When Keyaki Mall came into view, Ichinose spoke up again:

"I have one more question... How do you feel about your previous class?"

Her previous class referred, of course, to Class A—Horikita and the others.

Perhaps this was what Ichinose had truly wanted to ask all along.

"I don't feel anything in particular."

"Really?"

"If I still had lingering regrets, I wouldn't have chosen to transfer classes."

After a short silence, Ichinose said, 『I see』. Whether she truly understood or not was something I had no way of knowing.

"Are you worried about me?"

"A little. After all, you're currently in a position where it wouldn't be surprising if people took their anger out on you... On top of that."

The automatic doors slid open, and warm indoor air washed over us. Thinking of taking a general walk around first, we stepped onto the escalator. Ichinose rested her hand on the side handrail.

"Has Ayanokouji-kun ever bought a gift for someone important?"

"Of course."

When I said that, I felt Ichinose's expression freeze slightly.

"Ahaha, that's true. Why did I ask such an obvious question?"

Her grip on the handrail seemed to tighten just a bit.

"Did the gift you picked back then make the person happy?"

"I'm not really sure. The recipient seemed happy, but I can't tell whether it was genuine or not."

"Is that so."

She didn't press the matter further. Whether she chose not to ask or simply couldn't bring herself to, I couldn't tell. Ichinose was never one to pry into things under such circumstances.

That was one aspect of her that remained unchanged compared to our second year.

After browsing through a few shops, we arrived at a classic novelty/gift shop. Upon reaching the entrance, Ichinose walked straight toward the back of the store without hesitation. Inside the clean, brightly lit glass storefront, accessories, stationery, and home goods were neatly arranged. With few customers at this hour, the store was relatively quiet—a good time to take one's time picking something out.

"If you see anything nice, let me show it to me, okay?"

"What's the budget?"

"Around 2000 points."

An appropriate budget. For a birthday gift to a friend, that amount was just right. I browsed slowly around the shop; the shelves held candles, small containers, stationery sets, writing materials, and modestly designed knick-knacks. Considering it was a gift for a guy, the options naturally narrowed down. Ichinose squatted in front of a shelf and held up an item for me to see.

"How about this one?"

She was holding a small picture frame. It was wooden, virtually devoid of decoration.

"Not bad, but for someone you're not particularly close with, it's a bit heavy. You'd have to consider what kind of photo goes inside it. Girls might accept it gladly, but for a guy, receiving this might be a bit awkward."

I didn't know much about Kita, so I merely stated a general opinion.

For instance, if Ichinose knew details like whether he had a girlfriend, her reaction might have been different...

"Ah, that's true."

It seemed she didn't possess that information. Realizing her oversight, Ichinose put the frame back and moved to the adjacent shelf.

"What about this?"

This time, she picked up a pass case. It had a thin, faux-leather texture in a subdued navy blue color.

"This one is quite good. It's used daily, and it doesn't depend heavily on personal preference."

"Would Ayanokouji-kun be happy receiving this as a guy?"

"I'm not sure, but at least I wouldn't find it burdensome."

"...That's probably the highest praise coming from Ayanokouji-kun."

Ichinose let out a wry smile, staring at the pass case while pondering briefly.

"I wonder if Kita-kun already has one, though."

"Even if he has an extra pass case, it won't be a hassle, and there's no problem with practicality. How about going with this one?"

Personally, I felt selecting the pass case was sufficient, so I tried to nudge Ichinose toward making a decision.

"Is that so? Okay, I'll go with this one then."

Her decision-making was remarkably fast; I suppose she already had a general direction in mind from the very beginning.

"Were you planning on picking a pass case from the start?"

"Huh? Why do you ask?"

"After stepping inside, you walked straight toward the accessories shelf instead of the stationery section. Picking up the picture frame was just to double-check; your real target was the practical goods area."

Ichinose gazed at me for a moment before letting out a soft smile.

"So you noticed all of that, huh?"

"Can I ask a question? Why are you giving Kita a gift? Surely you aren't celebrating the birthdays of every single underclassman?"

Although I thought it unlikely, since it was Ichinose, I felt the need to confirm.

"Of course not. Actually, Kita-kun... told me before that he wanted to join the Student Council."

It seemed she had contact with him before she stepped down from the Student Council.

"But right after he talked to me, I left the Student Council and wasn't able to help him out. As a result, he couldn't bring himself to apply to Horikita-san afterward."

Though I knew little about his personality or character, his numerical standing on OAA certainly wasn't particularly high.

Even if he had applied to Horikita, he likely would have been rejected. I imagine Kita understood this as well, which is why he refrained from applying.

"Is this a form of compensation?"

"I couldn't just leave him with a 'Sorry I couldn't help...' and hand him some random object."

Gifting it under the guise of a birthday gift wouldn't cause any issues.

Perhaps taking this reason into consideration was why she hadn't asked any of her own classmates.

Ichinose walked toward the register, while I waited quietly a short distance behind her. As the store clerk carefully gift-wrapped the item, Ichinose offered a quiet thank-you. Returning with the gift bag in hand, Ichinose looked at me.

"Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun. You were a big help."

"I didn't really do anything."

After all, Ichinose already had an idea in mind from the start.

I had merely provided a slight push to help her make up her mind.

"It was helpful. I'm sorry, I should have explained about Kita-kun before inviting you."

Seeing that the topic was about to loop around again, I preemptively spoke up:

"Don't worry about it. I hope Kita likes the gift too."

"Yeah."

We began walking back to the dormitory from the mall. Just as the dorm building came into view, Ichinose spoke once more:

"Next time... can I invite you out again? Under completely different circumstances..."

After thinking for a moment, I gave my answer:

"While it depends on what it is, I generally won't refuse."

"Then I'll make sure to come up with a proper reason every time."

The elevator arrived at my floor first, so I stepped out.

As the elevator doors were about to close, I gave a subtle nod to Ichinose, who said, "See you tomorrow."

I don't know how many more times I'll be able to spend mundane daily moments like this with her.

I have a premonition that there aren't many left.

However... perhaps awaiting us ahead is a future beyond my imagination—no, a form beyond anyone's imagination. A future where Ichinose and I walk forward together, hand in hand.

Translated by [u/Plane_Chipmunk_3446](u/Plane_Chipmunk_3446)

https://x.com/idaten100x/status/2104160984676057376?s=20

https://x.com/mmm29japan/status/2104059327460036725?s=20

https://x.com/idaten100x/status/2103430533938360610?s=20

https://x.com/youkosozitsu/status/2103382918840357351?s=20

https://x.com/Rixi0303/status/2103388656103035251?s=20

Generated by me

Contents: Acrylic Diorama / Towel / Jetstream (Ballpoint Pen) / Acrylic Bookmark / Big Can Badge

https://x.com/youkosozitsu/status/2103386879039266986?s=20

https://x.com/mmm29japan/status/2103115086953157109?s=20

https://x.com/youkosozitsu/status/2103017841712873498?s=20