Classroom of the Elite Fanfiction: The Snow Queen's 1st Year

V1 Epilogue

“Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.”
- Direct quotation of Line 2, Section III titled “Attack by Stratagem” from Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’, translated by Lionel Giles.

After receiving the message from Manabe’s friend Yabu Nanami containing the contact number that I asked her for, I immediately went to call the number.

After ringing for a few seconds, the call went through.

“Hello, who is this?” a monotonic voice sounded from the phone’s earpiece speaker.

“Good evening, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka-san. I believe we have met before.” I answered his question vaguely as Ayanokoji replied.

“I don't really know who you are, though?” He adamantly replied.

“I really do believe that we're not enemies, and I am not someone sent by ‘that man’ so you can drop your worries.” As I said that to him in a straightforward manner, he remained quiet for a few moments before asking me a question.

“Where and when do you want us to meet, Nakaizumi-san?” He asked, in which I replied.

“Where we first met, Ayanokoji-kun. Meet me in an hour, just before the curfew.” I said with a smile as he replied.

“I'll be there.” He said as he ended the call.

“Everything has diverted. Time to reconnect it back to its proper pace.” I said to myself as I readied myself and went out of my room just before the meetup time.

——————————————————

As I went to our meeting, I could already see the brown-haired boy waiting for me with his iconic stoic and monotonous facial expressions.

“My apologies for arriving later than you.” I said to Ayanokoji which he nodded as he then asked me straight to the point.

“Nakaizumi-san, how much do you know about my existence inside that place?” He asked.

“A lot, but as to how I got the information regarding that place, I'm afraid I can't mention more.” I answered earnestly as I then added.

“Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, the Masterpiece of the White Room. You wanted to lose against someone of your caliber, didn't you?” I asked him a question about Ayanokoji’s wish so far.

This made him quite surprised since I know that this is something that he wants to know deep down.

“What's more, I also know how much of a monster you are, Ayanokoji. But a monster like you wants a peaceful life too, doesn't it?” I added as his face slightly twitched with the bombardment of his self-centered goals of hiding his abilities in order for him to make friends and even experience love, the things that he wants inside his mind, being unveiled by someone else.

“Nakaizumi-san, what's your merit in doing all of this? To protect me, a person who does not need protection whatsoever.” Ayanokoji asked as I turned my back onto him before rotating my head in order to see him.

“Merit? There may be one, Ayanokoji-kun. But aren't you quite suspicious about why I know all of this?” I asked, to which Ayanokoji replied.

“Naturally. How do you know about that man’s operations?” Ayanokoji agreed as he asked a question.

“That man’s operation can't be hidden forever, no matter how long. Obviously, cracks will form, especially as to when the White Room has halted its operations for a year.” I said to him in a cryptic way as I added.

“But they're coming for you, Ayanokoji-kun. I know that they will try to test you and to expel you. First, through the school board. If not, then they will send someone affiliated to them and infiltrate this school to try on expelling you through other means.

There are reasons why I'm saying all of these to you, but I cannot disclose it other than the fact that you have to trust me on this, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka-kun.” I said to him with a determined tone.

After thinking for a few moments, he said this to me.

“You must have something that you need me to do, I assume? You're not the type of person who would utilize threats this sloppily.” He asked as I chuckled for a short bit before holding it back as I told him.

“Yes, that's right! It's a simple need though.” I answered with joy as I added.

“I want to be your friend, Kiyotaka-kun. Do you want to become my friend?” I turned my body to face him as I asked that question with an endearing smile and my hands on my back.

I wanted to be friends with Kiyotaka for so long. Ever since I had transmigrated back to my original body after spending an entire lifetime to a modern world quite similar to mine where ANHS and this world only existed in a completed series of light novels.

And from the elements of the story appearing with what I've remembered of my own world, I have accepted the fact that my character was of a no-name character with the surname of Nakaizumi.

A background character to his story. I am but a no-name character.

But I know that I am actually real, and even felt the pain a normal person can feel so I knew that what I was experiencing after being hospitalized couldn't be a dream, so I know that I can change things up from thereon out.

This is why I started studying everything that needs to be studied willingly.

To live a life that's full of experimental tests of my own to test out this information, so I learned multiple forms of martial arts throughout the years of my life.

Because I knew from my intuition that once I have left that world, my life will go back to the time I got hospitalized due to a head injury which was intentionally made by a classmate bully of mine.

That I will exist again in this world.

As someone who has seen the ending, there is only one thing that I want to happen.

With how the members of society strive constantly to achieve its equality towards getting what it wants, the concept of freedom will always be in conflict with that kind of equality, and thus to obtain such equality, freedom will be its payment.

And I'm afraid that I cannot stop this inevitable for Kiyotaka, but I have made such divergence to this timeline already so I know that I can make changes that fit my bill.

“Friends? I would be glad to be friends with Nakaizumi-san. But what's the merit of you being my friend?” Kiyotaka asked warily.

“Shirayuki. Call me Shirayuki and I'll call you Kiyotaka-kun” I said with a smile as if an elder ordered him. He sighed in exasperation as he repeated.

“Shirayuki, what's the merit for me?” Kiyotaka asked again.

“To protect your freedom, of course! And to do that, we will have to unite Class D and challenge my class for yours to become Class A.

To prove your father wrong.” I said to a now-confused Kiyotaka joyfully with a smile on my face.

If there's one wish that I want to see from the person in front of me, that would be his smile.

I want Kiyotaka-kun to smile, even if it means exchanging my freedom for it.