I came, I saw, I lost! (Classroom of the Elite Fanfiction)

『』『』『』『』『』

『I don't want to graduate. 』

Kumagawa Misogi walked through the city aimlessly, his hands stuffed into his pockets, his expression as empty as his future. He had finally graduated from Hakoniwa Academy, yet he had no idea where life would take him next.

Going to college was out of the question—he had failed every single university entrance exam he took. Not that it was surprising. For someone born under an unlucky star, this was just another part of the routine.

『Seriously, what do they expect, throwing someone like me into the real world? 』

Despite somehow having what could be considered a fulfilling high school life, he was now left in an unfamiliar position: a future with no direction. It was almost cruel. Was this what it felt like to be in one of those slice-of-life anime? The ones where characters just stare dramatically into the sunset, contemplating their lives with some melancholic piano track playing in the background?

He sighed.

『Anshin'in-san is also gone… how cruel. 』

If it weren't for Medaka, Zenkichi, and the rest, his time in high school wouldn't have been as fun as it was. But even so, Ajimu Najimi—or rather, Anshin'in-san—was gone

Kumagawa wasn't the sentimental type, but something about it still felt lonely.

…Oh well.

『Now that I think about it, what's going to happen in today's Weekly Jump? 』

Forgetting about his situation entirely, Kumagawa perked up and immediately changed course. His priorities were clear.

After all, worrying about the future wouldn't make him any less of a loser.

— 10 minutes later —

『There should be a convenience store nearby if I remember correctly… Ah! There it is.』

He wandered down the street until he found a familiar convenience store, stepping inside without hesitation. The moment he entered, he beelined straight for the magazine section, his previous concerns about life all but erased from his mind.

Like a little kid, Kumagawa excitedly flipped through the latest issue of Jump, skimming through its pages with genuine enthusiasm.

And then, he stopped.

『Another Isekai? 』

Recently, the isekai genre had taken over the industry like a plague. It was like every author suddenly woke up one day, saw a truck, and thought, "Yeah, let's make this a plot device."

It wasn't that he hated isekai or anything, but… wasn't it getting a little too repetitive?

『Man, authors these days have no imagination. If they're going to rehash ideas, at least make it a school romance with naked aprons… or the classic over-the-top Shounen Jump kind of story.』

A sigh escaped his lips as he shook his head in disappointment.

And then—

"Then how about you get isekai'd instead?"

A familiar voice whispered directly into his ear.

His body froze.

『…Huh? Anshin'in-san?』

Before he could turn around, the floor beneath him vanished.

Kumagawa had about half a second to process the fact that he was now plummeting into a dark, endless void before the world around him shifted once again.

In an instant, the black abyss disappeared, replaced by an empty room—cold, sterile, and devoid of anything but himself.

He landed on solid ground with a soft thud, blinking as he took in his new surroundings.

『Hmmm… Is this one of those scenarios where I've been summoned into another world to defeat the Demon King? 』

Kumagawa placed a hand on his chin, tilting his head in thought. That voice earlier… it was definitely Anshin'in-san.

A melancholic smile flickered across his face before his usual smile took its place.

『Well then… what should I be doing here? 』

As if responding to his question, two letters suddenly materialized in front of him—floating in the empty air.

One was black.

The other was white.

Kumagawa didn't even need to think about it. He already knew which one was from a certain troublesome someone.

『Hmmm… which one should I read first? 』

With a shrug, he reached for the black one. The moment his fingers brushed against it, the envelope unfolded itself like a blooming flower, revealing a single sheet of paper covered in neat, cursive handwriting.

"To my ever-unfortunate junior, Kumagawa Misogi."

『Oh? How formal. That's new.』

"Congratulations on your graduation! You've finally made it out of high school! Isn't that wonderful? I know how much you loved your high school life—so much that you'd rather fail all your exams than leave. How very you. Well, don't worry! As a parting gift, I've made sure you won't have to worry about the uncertainties of adulthood! That's right, I've arranged for you to attend another high school!

『Wait, what? 』

Kumagawa reread the sentence twice. Then again. Nope. It still said the same thing.

Are you dissapointed? This isn't one of those cliché fantasy stories where you defeat the Demon King and save the princess, Kumagawa-kun.

『Huh. I didn't even say that out loud. 』

He continued reading.

There are no chosen heroes here, no sacred prophecies, and certainly no conveniently placed love interests waiting to swoon over you. This is my final gift to you, Kumagawa-kun. A new school, a new life, and—just for fun—a new world. I hope you appreciate the effort I went through to set this up for you! Oh, and one more thing—you don't have your abilities here. 'All Fiction'? Gone. 'Book Maker'? Gone. You're as powerless as a regular protagonist in a new shounen jump series! Why? Just ask the author.

You'll be attending a place called Advanced Nurturing High School. It's a prestigious academy where students are given the illusion of meritocracy while secretly being placed according to a hidden system! Sounds fun, doesn't it? It's just like those battle-of-wits manga you enjoy so much! Maybe you'll find yourself playing mind games with some genius protagonist. Or maybe you'll just fail spectacularly. Either way, it'll be entertaining, right? Don't worry, I've already taken care of everything, you just need to enroll.

Oh, one last thing. This is important, so pay attention, okay? You absolutely, under no circumstances, can be expelled. You must graduate from this school in three years if you ever want to return to your world. Why? Just because.

But that's just a minor detail. Anyway, have fun!"

With love,

Anshin'in-san.

P.S. If you're looking for some good manga recommendations, check the second page of this letter. I made a list. But knowing you, you'll probably just flip straight to the parts with naked aprons.

The letter suddenly burst into a shower of golden sparkles, disappearing as though it had never existed.

Kumagawa stared at the empty space where the letter had been, his expression unreadable. Then, after a brief silence—

『Pfft…』

A quiet chuckle slipped from his lips.

"Ahhh, seriously. Even after disappearing, you're still messing with me, Anshin'in-san."

He stretched his arms above his head, letting out a sigh that was neither disappointed nor particularly excited. It was just Kumagawa being Kumagawa.

『So basically, I've been thrown into a new high school in a new world, completely powerless, and if I don't graduate, I'll be stuck here forever? Sounds about right.』

His eyes flicked toward the other letter. He reach out his hand, grabbing and opening it like a regular letter.

The paper inside was blank.

『So, what? Is this supposed to be a metaphor? A deep, philosophical message about how my future is unwritten? Hmmm? 』

Kumagawa flipped the paper over.

『Ah. 』

t wasn't some deep, philosophical message after all.

He had just been looking at it upside down.

——————

Dear Kumagawa Misogi,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as a candidate for enrollment at Advanced Nurturing High School. Based on your submitted information and qualifications, you have been granted the opportunity to join our prestigious institution, which fosters academic excellence and personal growth.

——————

Kumagawa stared at the letter for a long moment. Then, his shoulders slumped as he let out a small sigh.

『Is this what she meant by taking care of everything? 』

He wasn't sure what he was expecting. Maybe a grander setup, some impossible challenge that would crush him before he even had the chance to try. But no, it was just a regular, boring school enrollment letter.

He folded the paper and stuffed it into his pocket. Three days until the interview. That gave him enough time to do absolutely nothing productive.

His eyes wandered to his surroundings. For the first time, he actually took in the world around him. It wasn't that different from where he came from. The buildings looked modern, the sky was still sky-colored, and the people… well, they were still people.

For someone like him, this level of normalcy felt almost weird.

Considering the kind of Abnormals, Minuses, and Not-Equals he was surrounded with at Hakoniwa Academy, after all, wasn't exactly a normal school. You could lose a hundred times, die a few more, and still make it to graduation as long as you played along with whatever nonsense was going on. So he wasn't sure what to expect at his new school.

Would it be full of normal, everyday students? The kind that studied, took exams, and worried about things like club activities and relationships?

『Three years, huh? 』

He had to graduate—not just attend, but actually make it to the finish line without getting expelled.

That meant no getting into fights. No breaking school rules. No turning the entire student body against him just by existing.

『Hmmm…』

Kumagawa tapped a finger against his chin, deep in thought.

『…Nope. Sounds impossible.』

Even if he did nothing, trouble always had a way of finding him. And even if he somehow avoided trouble, his luck would make sure something went wrong anyway.

Still, a rule was a rule.

『Oh well, I guess I should at least show up to the interview. Not like I have anything better to do.』

And if things went wrong—which, knowing his luck, they absolutely would—well, at least it wouldn't be boring.

『END』