Classroom of the Elite / Second Life

I was absolutely confused. How is it possible for a real person to be taken to a fictional world, especially one I know so well? I thought it was a dream, so I closed my eyes tightly, hoping to wake up in my bed. But nothing happened. I was still there, sitting, staring at Ayanokouji and Horikita in the distance.

I felt cold sweat running down my back. My heart was still racing, pounding in my chest. I bit my tongue to focus on the pain, hoping it would calm me down. But there was no way to do so. Every attempt only dragged me deeper into confusion. Everything felt unreal.

"I need to calm down," I told myself, though my thoughts remained a whirlwind. "There's no use in panicking."

I looked around, becoming aware of my body. I was wearing the same uniform as the others on public transport. At first glance, it seemed like I was in the same place, but I couldn't help but wonder if I was really here or if this was all an illusion.

I felt out of place, as if I were watching my life from the outside. A wave of despair struck me. What the hell was happening? I thought about my life before all of this. I remembered the feeling of being trapped in a cycle of betrayals and false promises. My "friends," the ones who were supposed to support me, had used me in the cruelest way.

Then, an accident. My body no longer existed in that world. But when darkness enveloped me, when death claimed me, something strange happened. Something pulled me back, and now I was here, in this world, in a body that wasn’t mine. A body I didn’t remember. Was this a second chance or an eternal punishment?

"This isn't happening. This can't be happening," I thought, struggling to keep my thoughts under control.

I had no memories of my family, no idea if I had loved ones or not. How could anyone understand such a drastic change in my personality? How could they accept a being so different, marked by the darkness of what I had lived through?

I started touching my face, my neck, my hands. Everything felt real. At first, I feared this was just an illusion, but it wasn’t. I could feel my skin, I could hear my breathing. My nervous system sent signals to my brain just as it always had. This was my body—there was no doubt about it. But… what about my previous life? And everything that had happened before this?

I focused on calming myself. I knew I couldn’t keep tormenting myself with these thoughts, even though every second in this new world was a constant reminder of what I had lost. The agony of my death was still vivid in my mind, the physical pain of the impact that destroyed me. I couldn’t avoid it. Sometimes, I felt phantom pain, as if the suffering from that accident was still etched into my nerves.

"I’ll have time to cry later," I told myself, trying to be rational. "First, I need to accept this, to think clearly."

Touching the pockets of my pants, I found a wallet. My fingers trembled slightly as I pulled it out. Inside, I found some yen. But what worried me the most at that moment was finding an ID—a clue to who I was in this world. My heart beat a little faster when I saw the name: Atsushi Minami.

A good name, I thought. But the photo… it looked nothing like me. At least, not in my previous version.

I put the wallet away and checked the bag on my shoulder. Nothing important. Just some pencils and books. No cellphone, which meant I had no way of knowing what year it was. This complicated things. How was I supposed to know the exact date? I had no idea if I was in the world of the novel or the anime. The difference was subtle, but something in the air made me doubt.

At that moment, I decided I couldn’t just sit there, lost in my thoughts. I had to find out the date, figure out what day it was. That was the only thing I could do.

I turned to the person next to me—a girl who seemed more interested in her phone than in the world around her.

"Hey, excuse me," I said in a calm voice, trying to sound natural. "Do you know what day it is today?"

The girl looked at me, surprised for a moment before answering, as if questioning my strange behavior.

"It’s Wednesday," she said, still a little confused.

"I meant the date," I clarified, trying to sound more confident. I didn’t know her, but I assumed she was just another student, someone ordinary.

"It’s April 1st," she replied, her tone carrying a hint of disbelief at my ignorance.

"Thanks," I said, forcing a smile. And I sank back into my thoughts, desperately searching for some sense in this new reality.

That’s what I thought—until a voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Don’t you think you should give up your seat?"

It was the office worker, arguing with Koenji, who, as always, didn’t seem to care at all about what was happening around him. The office worker insisted that he should give up his seat to an elderly woman who was standing, but Koenji, as expected, had no intention of moving.

"Why should I give my seat to an old woman?" Koenji replied with an arrogant smile. "There’s no reason why I should."

For some strange reason, I agreed with Koenji. His attitude was certainly narcissistic, but he was right. There was no rule forcing anyone to give up their seat, and I didn’t feel it was my responsibility to do the old woman a favor.

The argument continued, but I wasn’t even listening. I was lost in my thoughts, in the confusion of my situation. Then, without thinking, something changed. The conversation escalated, and suddenly, I heard a voice asking me to give up my seat.

It was Kushida. She looked at me with a smile, and without thinking too much, I stood up. It was an automatic action, almost as if I were following a pre-written script.

"Thank you!" Kushida said, approaching me. "By the way, my name is Kushida Kikyou. I really appreciate you giving your seat to the elderly woman."

"No problem," I replied with a forced smile. "I couldn’t stand seeing her standing."

It was a brief moment, but for some reason, I felt like it was a test—a test to make a good first impression. And that, though I wouldn’t admit it, was important.

"I’m Atsushi Minami," I introduced myself, looking for a connection, no matter how small.

"Nice to meet you, Minami-kun," she responded with a warmth I didn’t know how to interpret.

The bus stopped, and with it, the conversation faded as quickly as it had begun. As I stepped off the vehicle, I observed the entrance to the school: a stone gate, surrounded by a landscape that looked straight out of a movie. Reality hit me hard. This was the place where I would spend the next three years of my life. What would I do now? What was left of me here?

The first step I took on solid ground was a reminder that I was now part of this new life. And though all of this felt strange, I knew I couldn’t turn back.