"Uwah—what a strong smell of alcohol! Sensei, you reek of booze!"
As soon as the teacher walked into the classroom, the students temporarily gave up on greeting Asakusa Tōru and instead turned their attention to Hoshinomiya Chie.
Shiraha Chihiro, who was closest to her, made the same choice. But the moment she turned her head, a pungent smell assaulted her nose, making her instinctively pinch it and cry out.
"It's fine, it's fine. The smell will be gone by noon," Hoshinomiya Chie said casually, waving her hand.
They'd already gotten the impression yesterday that this teacher might be a bit unreliable, but seeing her today… she seemed even more so.
"Anyway, class is starting. Everyone, return to your seats," she said.
A student's duty is to study, and a student's daily routine is attending class.
That said, considering that today was the first official day of lessons, what Hoshinomiya taught was really just an explanation of learning policies.
Well, even if it were a proper lesson, it wouldn't make much difference to Asakusa Tōru anyway.
He'd already mastered the vast majority of the material long ago, so whether he listened or not didn't really matter.
Still, even if he wasn't listening, there was no reason for him not to stay in the classroom.
Attending or skipping class didn't have much impact on Asakusa Tōru. Even if he skipped freely, at worst it would only deduct a few dozen class points due to his individual effort.
But there was no need to do that.
Advanced Nurturing High School was fully closed off. Although its facilities were comprehensive, there really wasn't much to do even if you skipped class and went outside.
Besides, even if only marginally, class points were still linked to the monthly stipend—if he could avoid losing points, then he should.
More importantly, even though Class B's classmates were basically all little angels, being too reckless was an easy way to get targeted. It wouldn't be good if he ended up being treated as disposable fodder for expulsion in some future special exam.
…Later, I should find a chance to pass the information along.
That way, when Ryūen comes by and sees that Class B still doesn't know about the special exam, he won't just turn around and sell them second-hand intel to recoup his losses while I'm not around.
Handing over the information a day later could count as giving Ryūen a bit of return on those two million points.
With that thought settled, Asakusa Tōru stopped thinking about it and instead began reviewing last night's battles in the White Gym.
Amasawa Ichika's attacks had tendencies. Her opening move never changed, but her follow-ups constantly adjusted in response to his reactions. Even so, there were still discernible patterns overall.
Her attacks conveyed something.
If he could understand it, then beyond just improving his physical abilities, he might also achieve a breakthrough in practical combat technique.
That was probably part of the "course."
Lost in thought as he replayed last night's battle in his mind, the bell soon rang to signal the end of class.
"..."
Ichinose Honami had hesitated throughout the entire lesson, but finally made up her mind.
She had to talk to him. Only by taking the first step could there be a next step.
She couldn't remain stuck in place.
But just as she stood up, Hoshinomiya Chie—who had just announced the end of class—continued speaking.
"Oh, and Asakusa-kun, come with me to the office."
"I think it's necessary for us to have a proper talk."
And just like that, the courage Ichinose Honami had finally gathered was interrupted once again.
...
Elsewhere, Year 1, Class D.
Unlike Asakusa Tōru, who had enjoyed a stable night's sleep, Horikita Suzune hadn't slept well at all.
She'd already been unable to fall asleep for half the night, and after searching up what an impostor was, she'd become even more restless.
Did something like that really exist in this world? And was it actually in her class?
If it did exist, then who was the impostor?
With those thoughts in mind, the moment she arrived at class and took her seat, she couldn't help but start observing her classmates.
First was the boy sitting next to her—Ayanokōji Kiyotaka.
He didn't look particularly smart, had ridden the same bus as her on the first day, called himself an isolationist, and since enrollment had seemingly only spoken to her.
…Didn't really seem like an impostor.
Then there was Kushida Kikyo in the distance, chatting smoothly with everyone.
Her social skills were outstanding—she could get along with anyone. She'd also been on the same bus as Horikita on the first day, and had even proactively encouraged others to give up their seats for an elderly woman.
An impostor probably wouldn't have such strong interpersonal skills.
Next was Hirata Yōsuke, who vaguely felt like he was becoming the center of the class.
Even before the entrance ceremony yesterday, he'd already energized the class atmosphere, proactively opening the floor and having everyone introduce themselves. He was the same type as Kushida Kikyo.
Impostor suspicion eliminated.
As for the rest…
Sudō Ken—he looked like a delinquent. He couldn't control his emotions, was irritable, antisocial, and had rejected Hirata Yōsuke's suggestion of self-introductions yesterday, saying he hadn't come to this school to make friends.
If he was a delinquent, then he probably… wasn't an impostor?
But it also couldn't be ruled out that his refusal to interact was actually a way to conceal his identity as an impostor. Thinking carefully, a delinquent's violent and abrasive demeanor might even be advantageous for using force.
Suspicion reserved.
As for everyone else… to be honest, although Hirata had suggested self-introductions yesterday, she hadn't gone along with it. Upholding her belief that she didn't need unnecessary social interaction, she'd left after Sudō Ken left.
As a result, she hadn't heard the others' introductions at all.
Now that she thought about it, even if she didn't need social ties, simply listening and learning about the classmates she'd be spending the next three years with wouldn't have been a big deal.
…but she didn't regret it.
Even if she could do it over again, Horikita Suzune would make the same choice.
Besides, information gained through self-introductions wasn't necessarily accurate. People found it hard to evaluate themselves objectively, let alone convey accurate information to others.
That's right—at times like this, relying on herself was enough.
Horikita Suzune had confidence in her powers of observation.
"Ahh, I really want to date Kushida!"
"Cute and charming, gentle and big—and I mean big. If you buried your face in there, it'd definitely feel amazing!"
"Hey, hey, Kushida's mine. Don't go having weird thoughts, okay?"
When Horikita Suzune turned her head and swept her gaze across the group behind her, she clearly heard voices coming from a trio who had already formed a little clique at some point.
Unrestrained desire. Behavior that completely ignored others' disgusted looks. Rampant, unchecked fantasies.
Sudō Ken, Ike Kanji, and… Yamauchi Haruki?
…Would someone really be this blatantly vocal about their fantasies regarding a classmate?
Suspicion rose in Horikita Suzune's heart.
Among these three, there might be an impostor.