Classroom of the Elite 3rd Year Volume 1 - Prologue

Prologue: The End of Everyday Life



Suppressing a faint flutter of excitement, I arrived at school a bit earlier than usual.

Climbing the still-unfamiliar stairs, I eventually reached the floor where the third-year classrooms were located. Before long, I spotted the classroom marked with a polished "Class 3-A" nameplate.

I stopped, staring at the polished sign.

"We finally made it…"

It still didn’t feel real, but I knew that what was happening in front of me was not a dream.

From Class 1-D to Class 3-A.

There had been moments of joy and triumph, but also painful experiences that I must never forget.

The path we’d walked was anything but smooth.

Yamauchi-kun, Sakura-san, and Maezono-san.

Without their sacrifices, we would never have reached this point.

I couldn’t afford to forget that.

Looking back to the start of my first year, when I first entered this school, I’d had no clear goals.

I’d only come to this school to chase after my brother’s shadow.

Yet, no matter how much I tried, the distance between us never changed. He always rejected me coldly.

Even so, through my school life, I eventually learned his true feelings—

That simply chasing after my brother wasn’t enough. I needed to recognize my own potential.

I joined the student council and even gave a speech at the entrance ceremony.

I was now walking a path I’d never imagined for myself.

And I couldn’t overlook the profound role Ayanokouji-kun had played in this.

If we hadn't been in the same class, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

I would probably be even more immature, more clumsy, and even worse at building relationships with others.

Even though he sometimes acts in ways that are hard to understand, that might just be part of his charm.

In any case, from that day onward, I resolved to make graduating from Class A my true goal.

Not for my brother, nor solely for myself.

But to walk forward together with everyone in our class—with Ayanokouji-kun at the forefront.

This is what it means to be Class A.

A place no one could reach alone.

—I can’t let my guard down.

For now, we’ve only paved the way to the top.

I have just one year of school life left.

Ryuuen-kun’s class is right behind us.

And though there’s still some distance, we can’t underestimate Ichinose-san’s class or the former Sakayanagi-san’s class either.

From here on, they’ll likely try every means to overtake us.

Conversely, to shake them off completely, we’ll need to fight in ways they can’t possibly catch up to.

Sighing, I tore my gaze from the nameplate.

Enough celebration.

Time to steel myself anew.

With that resolve, I opened the classroom door.

Inside, the prearranged seating chart was projected onto the large screen that served as a blackboard.

"My seat is—"

Second column from the hallway side, fourth row from the front.

That would be my seat on this first day in Class 3-A.

And in the neighboring seat—first column, fourth row—was Ayanokouji-kun’s name.

"We’re sitting next to each other again… huh."

The seating arrangement had changed a lot, but two years ago, we were also seatmates.

Even though seats get reshuffled often, I didn’t dislike this coincidence.

Settling into my chair, I found something faintly amusing about this small repetition.

Maybe because I had arrived early, Ayanokouji-kun hadn’t appeared yet.

I was curious to see how he would react once he saw the seating chart.

Through the distant window,

I gazed at the scenery outside.

No matter if it was my first or second year, the view always looked a little different.

One year.

One more year, and my school life would end.

By then, I want to graduate from Class A—in this classroom, together with these companions.

I couldn’t let this remain a dream.

I must absolutely—no, I will absolutely—make this goal a reality.