Elite Class

Students of the prestigious Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School are given remarkable freedom—if they can win, barter, or save enough points to work their way up the ranks!

As Ayanokouji and his classmates begin their second year at the Advanced Nurturing High School, they're greeted by a fresh gauntlet of exams and a fresh batch of rather unique first-year students. They'll have to get to know each other quickly, because the first special exam pairs the first-years with the second-years on a written test--with only the second-years facing expulsion if their team performs poorly! Worse yet? It seems one of the new first-years is also from the White Room. Can Ayanokouji avoid expulsion while sussing out the identity of this hidden foe?

As the second year draws to a close, the day of the final battle, the "End-of-Year Special Exam," arrives. Three representatives from each class—a vanguard, a center, and a general—will face off in a single-elimination tournament. To make things more difficult, the contents of the exam will remain secret until the day of, leaving the students scrambling for an edge up on the competition. And when Ryuuen and Sakayanagi face off, it's time to go hard or go home—because one of them will make it to their third year, and the other will be sent packing.

The "Social Group" training camp has been announced, and this year it's going to focus on social interaction between grades and hands-on educational activities with no expulsion penalties or effect on class points at all. Pretty cool, huh? Well, not really, because behind the scenes of this relaxed atmosphere, Horikita is planning a grudge match against Amasawa—and she's not the only one cooking up some trouble! With the end of the school year quickly approaching, every class is making their move to come out on top!

“Identity politics” is everywhere, polarizing discourse from the campaign trail to the classroom. But the “identity politics” so compulsively referenced bears little resemblance to the concept as first introduced by the radical Black feminist Combahee River Collective. While the Collective articulated a political viewpoint grounded in their own position as Black lesbians with the explicit aim of building solidarity across lines of difference, “identity politics” is now frequently weaponized as a means of closing ranks around ever-narrower conceptions of group interests.

Winter vacation is over, and there's no time to lose. The third semester kicks off with the announcement of the "Survival Elimination Special Exam," a battle between the four classes! They will face off against each other in various subjects to see who reigns supreme. But this isn't any ordinary exam: fail to snatch first place, and your class's points will be slashed! With the stakes this high, nobody can afford to hold back!

Class D has conquered the midterms, but their celebration is cut short when three Class C students falsely accuse Sudou of assaulting them! With their friend facing expulsion, and the class’s points on the line, Ayanokoji, Horikita, and Kikyou must team up to gather evidence to prove his innocence.

The final special exam of the semester is on the horizon: a cooperative written test where students answer problems in turn. Horikita's class is up against Sakayanagi's, and everyone rushes to prepare. As this goes on, Nagumo poses a question of his own--who will be the next student council president? The candidates are Horikita and Ichinose...or are they? Does Ichinose have other plans? December may be the end of the year, but the school's new state of chaos is only beginning.

Ayanokouji's relationship with Karuizawa deepens, while the aftershock of his perfect mathematics score ripples through the school. Horikita asks to join the student council, and is accepted by Nagumo. And summer vacation brings with it no rest, but another special exam--a reprise of the earlier deserted island test. Except this time, it'll be a battle royale with all three grade levels duking it out against each other!

Having survived their final exams, Ayanokoji and the others are looking forward to an idyllic school-sponsored summer vacation aboard a cruise ship. But nothing is ever quite as it seems with the Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, and the cruise turns out to be the cover for a series of special tests! What grueling new challenges await them out at sea?!

The second winter vacation at the Advanced Nurturing High School has arrived at last! But Ayanokouji's Christmas plans with Karuizawa fall through when she comes down with the flu, leaving him to spend the holidays alone... Or so he thinks, but the other classes' leaders won't stop blowing up his phone! Meanwhile Ayanokouji himself seems to have become the subject of gossip and speculation, as his classmates wonder: is he hiding something?

The special exam on an uninhabited island has begun! For two weeks, students will do their best to visit checkpoints and complete challenges to gain points with their groups. Well, except for Ayanokouji, who has opted to tackle this exam on his own... or has he? Nanase, a first-year student from Class D, breaks off from her own group and asks to tag along with him, but there doesn't seem to be anything in it for her. Just what is this under-classman's goal?

Throughout human history the art of warfare has evolved into many forms across numerous theatres, gradually becoming more sophisticated and strategised as the centuries have progressed. From the Spartans of ancient Greece with their code of valour fighting to the last man to the US Navy SEALs who operate using the latest technology of the 21st century. Across the vast array of military campaigns and battles one can see that the majority of organised armies have been comprised of enlisted men who would have their basic training.

It's school trip time! With a promise of no special exams, students assume it'll be a normal school outing. However, they find themselves split into groups that include students from all four classes, not just their own.

Tensions are high as the students of the Advanced Nurturing High School enter the second week of this special exam taking place on an uninhabited island. Students from all grades are getting ready to make their final moves, and so is Acting Principal Tsukishiro. Who will come out on top? And who will be packing their bags to leave the island--and the school?

It's time for the school's first-ever Cultural Festival! Some refuse to participate, but the rest of Ayanokouji's class secretly works to build the maid cafe of their dreams. Ryuuen realizes what they're up to and declares war, forcing a head-to-head battle to see which cafe is more profitable. But as this goes on...what business does Ayanokouji have with Kanzaki and President Nagumo?

Despite the school's tampering, Class C made it through the special exam without anyone being expelled. Now, they face the final event of their first year--the graduation ceremony. Horikita struggles to decide what to say to her brother before he leaves, while Ayanokouji puts in motion his plan to deal with Tsukishiro, seeking allies in the form of the other homeroom instructors. Meanwhile, his classmates' suspicions about him grow--including one girl who might be getting a little too fascinated by him.

As the second semester begins, two additional events are announced: the school's sports festival and its first-ever cultural festival! But before these two can kick off, an unexpected special exam will be held. The rules seem simple, but the questions might be heavier than anyone expects... Are the students truly ready to cast their final votes?

The grueling summer vacation special tests are finally at an end. As the clock ticks down on the last glorious days of summer, the students of the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School frantically try to squeeze in all the things they've left undone and unsaid. Get a glimpse into the secret lives of supporting characters and watch romantic confessions and poolside drama unfold in this volume of short stories that bridges crucial gaps between the end of first semester--and the start of the second.

The exam is over and the students' summer break has started aboard a luxury cruise ship! Unfortunately, it's not all fun in the sun. Ryuuen is on the hunt for the person that attacked Kinoshita and Komiya on the island, and for some reason, the entire third-year class seems to be watching Ayanokouji very, very closely... Can everyone enjoy their vacation despite the rough waters ahead?