Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

As always, do read the author's notes at the end.

Chapter 3: Class 1-F.

The entrance ceremony of Soubu High was a prestigious event in which many bigshots participated. This year, the main guest was the Diet Representative of Chiba, an old gentleman named Yukinoshita Shigeru.

Not that I was interested in said bigshots but nonetheless we were forced to listen to their talks for about two hours. Back when I was the clan head, I used to conduct speeches that never used up more than five minutes to get the idea through so it was incredibly irritating to listen to such pointless drabble.

Once the ceremony was finished, it was time to find out which class I was supposed to go to. The board with the detailed class information was in the inner courtyard which was in the opposite end of the school building.

"Hikki, let's go together." I hadn't seen Yui when I arrived here but somehow she managed to find me in this crowd.

"Let's do that." I said as I gave her another headpat.

The walk to the board was not that long but I felt a lot of gazes on me for some reason. Given my current stature, there shouldn't be any reason for me to stand out especially since I was dressed in the same clothes as the rest of the student body.

I passed a sidelong glance at some of the offenders who quickly averted their gaze as soon as they met my eyes. I was more than sure that I wasn't unintentionally glaring at them but to see them back off nonetheless felt weird.

One if the first things I had to learn during my stay in Murim was to control my facial expressions. Due to my dead fish eyes that looked like it was glaring at someone all the time, I had been dragged into unnecessary fights with some people who took offence. It took me a while to understand what the exact problem was but after a lot of practice, I was able to perfectly master my facial expressions. Even now my face was completely calm.

Yui on the other hand didn't seem too bothered about the extra attention. Since she is a cute girl, I guess she must be used to receiving such attention which worries me.. Komachi is a cute girl and I don't want people gazing at her all the time.

"Did you find your name?" I asked the brown haired girl standing next to me who was busy checking the class list. I already found my name under 1-F. Yui wasn't in my class which was a little disappointing but nonetheless I didn't feel too bad.

"Here it is Hikki!" The excitable girl yelled. I looked over to where she was pointing and saw her name under 1-C.

"Too bad we aren't in the same class." She said, sounding dejected.

"Don't worry, maybe we can meet during lunch or something." I suggested.

"Really?! You don't mind?" She looked excited for some reason.

"Sure. Just send me a message when you have the time." I gave her one last headpat before we split up. I am addicted to doing this, sue me.

I soon found my assigned classroom which was hard to miss since there were a lot of freshmen nearby. Given the fact that 1-F was the last division of regular classes with the next 1-J being a special curriculum, the classroom was located at the end of the corridor of the first year classes.

I entered the class which was largely quiet except for a few kids in the middle who probably knew each other beforehand. I was pretty sure it would take a day or two before cliques start to form.

While I was yet to grasp everything about this world, one thing I found curious was the societal hierarchy. Unlike Murim where strength reigned supreme, the Earth ran completely based on connections. Those who were good-looking or rich tend to find things easier while the rest had to cope with what they got.

Anyways, the class quieted down when I entered but once they recognised that I was not a teacher, they went back to doing whatever they were doing up until then. Once again I felt a few lingering gazes on me.

I took a seat at the very back of the class next to the window. The boy who was already sitting there was more than kind enough to give up the seat when I asked him. Ten minutes passed by and almost every seat was filled.

"Nice to meet you." I greeted my neighbour, a girl with a silver hair that I recognised was natural at first glance. However, I didn't receive much response aside from a brief turn of the head and a glare. She perfectly fit the stereotype of a delinquent that I saw in many manga. I could also see that she had trained herself even if it was for a little bit.

Since she didn't want to be disturbed, I left her alone and focused on the kid who was sitting in front of me. He was a little different from your average highschooler with a bulky build that complimented his tall frame, taller than me as it stood. Although he was a bit too fat, I could see that he had good genetics.

"Uh could I help you? " Probably sensing my gaze, the boy turned around and asked. He looked a little nervous.

"Nothing. Thought I should introduce myself. The name's Hikigaya Hachiman. Nice to meet you." I extended a hand out.

"Nice to meet you as well." Although he stuttered a little, he did reciprocate the handshake. For some reason, I could see that he was extremely wary of me.

"Is that the limited key chain that they were giving out during the promotional event of The Tale Of Three Kingdoms?" I asked pointing towards a samurai shaped Keychain on his bag that was hanging out.

"You watch that anime?!" He asked, looking surprised.

" Yeah. Although it isn't historically accurate, the plot is excellent."

Let me explain. The tale of Three Kingdoms was an ongoing anime series that used the historical records of Ancient Japan and turned it into a story. One if the supporting characters was named after me and I found myself getting hooked on the plot. I had read enough history to recognise the inaccuracies but it was excellent nonetheless.

With the anime acting as an icebreaker, I found myself becoming fast friends with the kid who was to my amusement, a chuuni. His name was Zaimokuza Yoshiteru.

From the photos that Komachi had, past me was one as well so I could feel a spiritual connection between us. At least his delusions were based on a historical personality.

"My friend, I thought you were nothing more than one of those bishounen that preyed upon the weaknesses of loners. How wrong I was!"

Zaimokuza was getting more and more exaggerated in his speech, an act that drew attention from the rest of the class who looked at him with a mixture of disgust? Since I quite liked him, I sent a glare to the rest of the class who quickly averted their eyes and didn't dare to look back.

The kid, with his exaggerated speech pattern reminded me of Chen Fan, another kid I had the misfortune of meeting. He was Ruonxi's biggest admirer and tried everything in the book to win her over. Although Ruonxi rejected him over and over again, he kept chasing her until one day she said something to him that put an end to his pursuit. While I didn't know what she told him, the kid had been at my throat for the next few years until he got captured by the Sixteenth Princess of the Empire. They were happily married now with two kids and he was in charge of the training division of the clan.

Those were amusing times.

"What do you mean a Bishounen? I am not that handsome." I gave Zaimokuza a pat in the back as I said this.

"Ow!" I might have put a little bit of power into that pat. That was my bad.

"Quiet down." A middle aged woman who must have been our homeroom teacher, entered the classroom and said. She was wearing a grey OL suit.

"I'm sure you know that there's no class today so let's just get the self introduction part over with." The teacher sounded tired. "I'll go first. My name's Nakano Sachiko and I'll be serving as your homeroom teacher for the first year. Nice to meet you. " She said.

One by one, everyone in the class introduced themselves. The delinquent girl next to me was called Kawasaki Saki, I noted.

Once introductions were over, it was time to decide the various representatives of the class. Apparently each class had four positions open, a Class President, Vice-president, Disciplinary Committee rep and Library Committee rep.

The Class President also had to work alongside the Student Council so it was a lot of work. Work that no one in the class was willing to take up. I guess they were at that age when they prioritised fun over responsibilities. We were currently at a complete impasse.

"I know that it's a lot of work but we do need a representative. Will someone volunteer or do we need to draw lots? " Nakano-sensei asked.

Since no one decided to volunteer, we decided to draw lots and a guy named Saijou was elected the Class Rep.As for the other positions, a girl named Miura Yumiko volunteered as the Vice President. I forgot the name of the Library Committee member but the Disciplinary committee member was a guy named Tobe.

I could have taken up the position myself but since it involved a lot of work, i would not have much time to spend with Komachi which was a big no.

"Since we're done, all except the newly elected representatives can leave." Sensei said. " Remember, we have normal classes from tomorrow onwards so come prepared."

" Thank you Sensei." The class was dismissed and one by one, we left.

"Let's go together Hikki." As soon as I exited class, I came face to face with a smiling Yui.

"Oh? Did you guys not elect the class reps?"

" Actually, Hayama-kun volunteered to become the class president. His friends took the other positions. " She explained.

" While I don't know who Hayama is, I guess he must be nice if he volunteered himself."

" You don't know Hayama-kun, Hikki? I thought everyone knew him. He's the most popular guy in the school after all. "

" Most popular? Shouldn't he be a first year? "

" Yeah. But he looks like a Prince from some of the Western Movies. So even the third years know him."

" Well, I don't have many connections so I must have missed it. Let's just go home. "

A month passed since highschool started and I must say that it was relatively peaceful. By now the class had formed various groups and cliques with the two class reps being at the top of the food chain. Miura was the undisputed queen of the classroom with Saijou as the second in command. Their group was around ten strong and had the biggest voice during and after classes.

There were a few other smaller cliques that comprised of students who didn't join the main clique.

Speaking of clique, I myself was part of one along with Zaimokuza who once i got to know him, was a good kid albeit a little over the top. His chuuni was a little overbearing at times but it made school life more fun. We also had gained a third member to our group.

"Good morning Kawasaki. How's Kei-chan?" While she might have been a little cold during our first few meetings, Kawasaki Saki was a good girl. I had prior experiences with cold girls since Ruonxi used to be one back when we just met each other. Behind the borderline delinquent looks and personality, Saki was a kid with a good heart.

She had four siblings with the youngest, Kawasaki Keika, being a literal angel. I could go on for hours and hours on why Kei-chan was the greatest blessing to humanity since Komachi but that would be beside the point.

"She's fine. Although she does want you to visit her more often." Kawasaki said.

"Great."

" How do you do my friends! Are you ready to face the inevitable reckoning that is to arrive today?(Test Results).

" Shut up dumbass before I shove my shoes up your ass." Saki and Zaimokuza had a peculiar relationship with her almost always losing her temper over his actions.

"As comrades that have faced the battlefield together, I beseech thee to be less violent with me." He replied, while hiding behind me.

"Whatever fatty. How's that Novel of yours coming along?" Zaimokuza apparently wanted to be a light novel author so we had offered him to be his first readers.

"It is almost finished my friends. I can only rely on your expert opinion to understand how I may improve."

" Is Hikigaya-kun here?! " An unsettled Nakano-sensei asked. Since it was time for homeroom to start, the class had settled down.

"Is there any problem Sensei?" I stood up and asked.

"Please come with me Hikigaya-kun. The principal has called for you." She explained. "Since I have to accompany Hikigaya-kun, Hiratsuka-sensei will take over homeroom for today." Sensei announced to the rest of the class.

"Oi Hachiman! Did you do anything?" Zaimokuza asked.

"No. At least not something that I'm aware of." I replied before walking to where Sensei stood and started following her out. I could hear faint murmuring behind me but I didn't bother paying attention to it.

Kawasaki POV.

Befriending one of the school's most popular figures was not something that Kawasaki Saki expected to do once she entered highschool. Now you couldn't blame her as she literally had zero friends in Junior high as everyone there never saw past her looks that resembled a delinquent.

So she fully expected to be a loner in highschool as well and that was alright. Until he barged in her life that is.

Hikigaya Hachiman as far as she knew, was a special case. When she heard rumours about how Soubu might have gotten a second Prince besides the obligatory Hayama Hayato, she expected a sunny guy that liked being the center of attention.

So when he tried to befriend her in the start of class, she didn't think too much. He will stop pestering her and start making other friends was what she thought. However what she didn't expect was the unrelenting enthusiasm in which he kept pestering her to be his friend.

As much as she liked to think that she had a strong will, she folded in front of his attempts in just under a week. But did she regret it? Of course she didn't.

As she got to know him better, one thing she came to understand was the fact that her new friend was the farthest from a normal highschool boy that one could imagine.

He was level headed at the worst of times and didn't care much about his reputation within school. This was evident by the fact that he had three friends in the entire school, herself, a girl called Yuigahama Yui and Zaimokuza Yoshiteru.

The last name in the list got this point across nicely.. Zaimokuza, despite being harmless was not the most popular kid on the block. In fact most people tended to dislike him due to his severe case of Chuunibyo. Yet Hachiman didn't care. He had no qualms about being seen with Zaimokuza in public and could always be seen discussing various anime and light novels.

His blatant disregard for the established hierarchy didn't go unpunished for Soubu's rumour mill was particularly vicious towards him. There were rumours flying around about how the 'Dark Prince of Soubu' was a Yakuza heir or how he was a delinquent that liked to beat up people, something Hachiman himself was blissfully unaware of. Since she had already been to his house once, she knew that he was the farthest thing from a Yakuza.

As the days passed by, she came to realise just how special her new friend was. He was extraordinarily intelligent and could give detailed lectures on any topic under the sun, something that paired up well with his near limitless hunger for reading books. He had no hesitation in helping her out whenever she came across a topic that stumped her and his explanations were easier than the ones given by the teachers.

Even the teachers took note of this fact since he was that one person in class that answered every question that came his way with minimal effort. She had even seen some teachers talk to him as a equal rather than a student which begged the question on why he didn't join the International class which was for "Superior students."

Her respect for Hachiman only increased once she met Hayama Hayato, the school's second Prince. As limited in human interaction as she was, even Kawasaki could tell that Hayama was a fake. His smile, actions and words were all fake. Now if she was a normal hormonal teenage girl like most of Soubu's populace, she might have not looked past the handsome visage but luckily she was not one.

Meeting Hayama only made her more thankful for having Hachiman as a friend since she could say with complete guarantee that her friend was as he appeared to be. He carried himself with authority that not even Hayama with his princely aura could replicate.

Once the initial wave of hostility against Hachiman settled, his behaviour started attracting more attention from others. She could say that he was more popular among second and third year girls than Hayama was and given that he was only in Soubu for a month, that was an accomplishment.

So when a frantic looking Nakano-sensei took her friend away just before test results were to be announced, she had one or two guesses on what was going on.

Nakano Sachiko POV.

Becoming a teacher at a prestigious private academy was a dream come true for 29 year old Nakano Sachiko. She had two kids and her husband's pay wouldn't have been enough to take care of both their future. So when she got accepted into Soubu High with it's higher than average pay, she nearly jumped with joy.

It had only been an year since she started as a teacher but for her, it was a fine experience. The pay was great, her colleagues were all professionals and there were no problem children that needed taking care of. Since Soubu was completely merit based, there wasn't any worry that a delinquent would get in. This was one of the reasons why she agreed on becoming a homeroom teacher in the first place but she was starting to regret it and it was all due to one student.

Hikigaya Hachiman.

To be fair, most of the problems Hikigaya-kun caused had nothing to do with him personally. She had interacted with the kid enough to know that he was practically harmless. However, the problems came in the form of rumours which turned him into a delinquent and even a Yakuza at some point.

Since Soubu currently had the daughter of the diet representative as a student, these rumours ended up being heard by the wrong persons. Some of the more influential members of the parent body were particularly vocal about knowing the truth and so the school launched a detailed investigation about Hikigaya-kun's background only to find nothing.

The Hikigaya parents were upstanding members of society. Their respective workplaces were more than willing to testify for this and there was no evidence of any connection between them and any illegal institutions.

Since everyone was satisfied with the results, they stopped prying further and the rumours also died down afterwards. Of course, Hikigaya himself was completely unaware of everything that happened.

As a teacher, she was curious on what kind of a kid could spark such rumours so she started interacting more with the kid only to realise that he was someone that was completely beyond her ability to teach.

While she didn't like to boast, Sachiko had a PhD in Japanese History yet for some inexplicable reason, the kid knew more about history than her. He had complete knowledge of his entire highschool syllabus and even more and could argue on even footing with literally anyone on the faculty.

In fact, Hikigaya was one of the most beloved students for the faculty simply because he knew more than the teachers yet never acted like he was superior. He was humble yet never a pushover, making him an excellent conversation partner. And for those teachers who had no one to talk about their respective fields, he was a godsend.

However, the current problem also stemmed from his knowledge. It was a tradition at Soubu High to have an exam for the first years at the end of the first month that comprised primarily of questions from University level. It was used as reality check for the kids so that they would work harder. It was so tough that 90% of the student body failed and the 10 percent that did pass did so barely.

The eldest daughter of the Yukinoshita household, Haruno Yukinoshita was the highest scorer in the history of the school with a 60 percent average on all subjects. Her younger sister Yukino Yukinoshita, who was currently a first year student came close with 59 percent but what Hikigaya did was outrageous.

He scored a whopping 98 percent average across all five subjects with perfect scores in Literature and Social Studies. The strange thing was that not a single teacher of his including herself raised any doubt regarding the involvement of any unfair practises. This unprecedented event had caught the attention of the School Principal who wished to meet with Hikigaya-kun himself which was where she was taking him.

8-man POV.

"So Sensei, why do I need to meet the principal all of a sudden?" I asked the teacher who was looking a little unsettled. I quite liked Nakano-sensei. Although she was younger than me spiritually, she was well versed in her study field which was history. I learned a lot of obscure facts from her that I missed in the library.

One of the key points in surviving Murim was information. In fact, information gathering was one of the few things standing between becoming an influential figure there and being a dead body on a random battlefield. Since Murim was such a diverse world, there were techniques all around that defied the common sense. So even if you were strong, it was no exaggeration to say that there might exist a technique somewhere out there that might kill you.

One of such techniques was called the Reality Slash developed by a barbarian an up North that ignored all defence of the opponent but consumed half the user's qi in return. So if two equally strong martial artists were to fight a person who used said technique, one with the knowledge about the technique and other without, then the one with the knowledge would probably end up surviving while the other would wind up being monster chow.

Of course, luck was a factor here as well but the point is that information is vital. One if my first lesson for Ruonxi when I took the mantle of her teacher after her previous teacher had been killed in the war was this simple little fact that seemed to escape most martial spirits. In fact aside from me who had the knowledge of well over a few million different techniques and their weaknesses, Ruonxi was the second best in Murim in this front.

Now why am I telling you all this? Well, one thing I came to realise about modern Earth was that it was a treasure trove of knowledge. The Earth was much more advanced technologically as compared to Murim that it had a lot of interesting concepts. Once I had finished with my syllabus for highschool, I wanted more information about various concepts.

Luckily, there was the internet and our neighborhood library was not so bad either. So in the first month of my highschool, I had caught up on a lot of information. Now this might be impossible for a normal person to do, for someone like me who could learn things a thousand times faster than a normal person, that obe month might as well have been a hundred years.

However, there were limitations to this as well. Just because I knew how something works theoretically doesn't mean I can create it. I knew how a gun worked but I have no idea how to build one.

"He'll explain it himself, Hikigaya." Sensei replied.

Anyhow, we reached the Principal's office which was located in a completely different block from our classroom.

"So you're the famous Hikigaya-kun huh. Please take a seat." The Principal was an older gentleman who. looked like he was in his sixties with a head full of grey hair. He was wearing a black suit.

"Thank you Sensei. Now could I ask you what all of this is about?" I asked politely.

" Well Hikigaya-kun, you remember the tests that you guys took last week right? "

" Yes. "

" Well, did you know that the questions that were asked were from University level question papers?"

" I guessed yes. Those questions did seem a little too tough for highschool students. Is this an enquiry on whether I cheated or not? If so I can assure you that I'm willing to take another exam under supervision. " I said calmly. Last thing I wanted was to get accused of cheating.

"Oh you don't have to worry about that Hikigaya-kun. Your teachers were more than willing to testify for you. What I wanted was to ask you another question. Would you like to join the First Year International Class instead of staying in the regular program?" The Principal asked.

" I would like to refuse." I replied.

" Might I ask why?"

" Well, the things they teach in the International Class is something that I already know. It doesn't make any sense to join them with how strict their classroom rules are. But thanks for the offer anyways Sensei." I said.

" You know, the students of the International Class gets priority when applying for top universities outside Japan."

" That won't be a problem Sensei. I am aiming to become a teacher in a normal school and for that I don't need to go abroad."

" If you say so. You can leave now Hikigaya-kun. I can see that you have a bright future ahead of you. But before that, I would like to know if it is alright for the school to not publicize your results? Nothing would be more demoralising for the first years than to know how outclassed they are." He asked.

" Sure Sensei. I don't have any problem with that." While I was not aware of my results yet. I was more than sure that it was well above 90 percent.

" Thank you for understanding Hikigaya-kun and goodbye. Nakano-sensei will give you your results."

So I said goodbye to the old principal.

"So what happened?" Kawasaki asked as soon as I entered class. There were faint murmuring going around as soon as I entered but I didn't bother paying attention to it.

"Nothing, they just needed to ask me something."

"Was I about whether you were a Yakuza or not?"

"Huh?"

"Sorry, that was a strange thing to ask."

So the rest of the day passed by quickly until we were informed that the test results were posted. Apparently it was quite difficult so not many people in the class were optimistic about it including my two friends.

"Hikki!" As soon as I exited class along with Saki and Zaimokuza, I was greeted with an enthusiastic Yui. "Let's go together." She said.

"How mature of you to ignore us like air Yuigahama-san." Saki said.

"Oh I didn't see you there. Good afternoon Kawasaki-san."

For some reason, Saki and Yui didn't get along very well which was surprising since Yui was a cinnamon bun. But since their fights never really got heated up, I didn't feel the need to intervene.

" Let's go then. " I said as I walked forward and the two girls soon followed me.

" To ignore this one as if he never existed. Is this what they call neglect play? Wait for me my friends. " Zaimokuza ran after us.

" So Yui, did you find your name?" I asked the resident airhead who had yet to find her name. Kawasaki had gotten 35th position out of the 180 freshmen yet she had failed not to talk about Zaimokuza who stood at a miserable 168th position.

"Here it is! " Yui exclaimed and we saw her name in the list at 147 meaning she beat Zaimokuza.

Only twenty students had passed, twenty one if you included me and the second Highest score went to a girl Called Yukinoshita Yukino. My name was understandably not on the list but Yukinoshita's name was correctly marked as 2nd. That was nice from the part of school.

The third place went to that Hayama kid which sparked some outrage because he was the only one outside the international class that passed or something along the line.

"Did they miss your name Hikki?" Should we ask the teachers? " Yui asked.

" Bah! Who cares! Not like they'll put this result in our report card. " I said." Now let's go get a cake to celebrate Kawasaki getting 35th." I pulled the three as I walked away.

3rd person POV. (Random).

Class 1-J

If one were to describe the atmosphere at class 1-J, then they would have compared it to a graveyard. The members of this class was supposed to be the best in the entire province so their self esteem must have taken a hit. This was something Yagami Soujirou was aware of. This year marked his tenth year as a teacher for the international class so he knew how these kids were feeling.

"Don't let today's results get into your head kids. This was nothing more than a simple practical joke. But I hope you'll take this as a reason to study harder." He explained to the students.

" Sensei! Why was Hayama Hayato-kun not made a part of our class?" Kitagawa Asuka, the daughter of the Kitagawa house which was one of the leading construction companies in Chiba, asked.

"Hayama-kun, rejected the offer due to some personal reasons." The teacher replied.

"Sensei! Why was Yukinoshita-san's name shown as the second rank? Was it a printing mistake?" Asuka asked the much important question. Everyone in the class was aware of the one-sided competition between Asuka and Yukino whose families were in similar business.

"Well, I'm not allowed to say too much but I'll remind you that there are monsters out there in the world. And Yukinoshita-san's ranking is accurate. "

" So you mean that someone else got first place? " A random kid in the class asked.

" I will not say any more than this. Study well kids and the class is dismissed for today. " The teacher said as he exited the classroom.

That's that then. Before we go any further, I would like to say that the exam style mentioned here is something that I personally had to go through and I'm not aware of being practiced on any other part of the world. It is little more than a practical joke that serves as a welcome for freshmen in our college and leaves no impact on anyone. In case you're curious, I failed miserably with like 6 points out of 100.

Now, I would like to thank you all for your support. The last chapter generated nearly 70 reviews which is pretty much the highest I ever got in my entire career in this site by a country mile. I hope you'll continue with the support. Let's aim for 200 reviews or something.

Next, I would like to address a small thing, the Hikigaya Hachiman I'm going with is exceedingly arrogant in nature given hiw strong he is but he doesn't take it out on others. So there will be other instances where he shows how awesome he is.

Thirdly, this story will follow the format of this chapter throughout for the most part. That is the meat of the chapter will have 8-man POV with other characters showing how his actions affect the world at large.

Now for the poll results. The second round is closed and the results are in. Current standings are

1. Harem: 28 votes.

2. Ruonxi: 24 votes.

3. Miura: 16 votes.

4. Kawasaki: 9 votes.

4. Hiratsuka: 9 votes.

5. Yuimama: 5 votes.

6. Haruno: 4 votes.

6. Ebina: 4 votes.

7. No ship: 3 votes.

7. Yukimama: 3 votes.

8. Shiromeguri: 2 votes.

8. Yukino: 2 votes.

8. Yuigahama: 2 votes.

At least Kawasaki is in the list. I'll take solace in that. In case you didn't know, you can vote multiple times. Polling closes in 2 chapters.

That's about it and I'll probably see you again soon.

stay safe.