Classroom of the Elite: Monster Academy

Kushida I - When Joy Became Just a Memory

Interlude 1

Eight years ago. August, 2007

The weekend had finally arrived. After getting permission from my mom to play outside, I hurried to the door, slipped on my shoes and headed out. The sweet yet delicate aroma of bellflowers greeted me, and the rays of sunshine dappled my skin as they pierced through the foliage of the tall Zelkova tree in the street. It was already 9 in the morning, but the sun didn't hurt. Mom always warned me about the recent heat waves, but today didn't seem so bad. At least, not to me.

Continuing on my way to the park, I saw Yowako-obachan, an elderly woman who lived right next door. She stood at her doorstep, holding multiple bags filled with fresh vegetables and other assorted items. It seemed like she had just returned from her trip to the early market.

As I continued to watch her, I observed that she appears to be struggling to find her key from her purse. Her fingers, delicate with age, sifted through her purse with increasing intensity as she grew impatient with each passing second — her frenetic movements causing one of her bags to slowly tip. It didn't take long until the contents of the bag tumbled out to the ground. The sudden loss had unbalanced her, causing the other bags to escape her grasp — their contents spilling loudly onto the ground.

Seeing an opportunity, I dashed to help, swiftly picking items off the ground. I haphazardly stuffed everything into a bag, not caring for order and simply placed the first item I picked and then the next. It took a while, but with Obachan's help, we managed to gather all the fallen items. Once everything was settled, she leaned down, cupping my face with her frail, wrinkled hands and said:

"Such a helpful, and kind girl you are, Kushida-chan."

I offered my most genuine-looking smile, helped her get inside and then bid my farewell. She told me to come visit later as she will be cooking Kenchinjiru for dinner. She wanted to give me a serving as thanks... But honestly? I didn't want to go. Carrots and tofu weren't my thing.

The park was only a few more steps away, and as I neared, I could hear the distant sounds of laughter and play. I spotted my friends near the swings, their faces lighting up as they saw me. Keiko-chan was trying to reach the sky with her swing — pushing herself higher and higher, as Mira-chan watched. While Hiro-kun and Yuto-kun were engaged in a heated game of tag, dodging in and out of the slide and climbing structures.

"Kikyou-chan! Over here!" Keiko-chan called out, slowing her swing and jumping off with a soft thud onto the sand.

I made my way over, greeted by an enthusiastic chorus of "hello's" and "finally's". Hiro-kun, out of breath from all the running, exclaimed, "Took you long enough! We've started a new game. Want to join?"

Before I could respond, Yuto-kun piped in, "It's 'King of the Hill', but on the climbing structure. You in?"

The climbing structure that he was talking about was the park's centerpiece — a massive jungle gym, an intricate maze of bars, nets, and platforms; its once-gleaming metal bars, now weathered and worn from years of use. From a distance, the structure resembled an ancient metallic spider web, its many paths converging towards its highest point — a coveted spot that everyone dreamed of conquering.

Grinning, I replied. "Of course!"

"Alright, everyone, let's see who gets to the top first!" Yuto-kun exclaimed, his eyes fixed on the peak.

Without missing a beat, we all lunged towards the jungle gym. Hiro-kun attempted a swift climb using the rope net on the left, Mira-chan wasn't in a hurry and took the safest path, while Keiko-chan tried to maneuver her way through the monkey bars. Yuto-kun on the other hand took a direct approach, trying to scale the central bars which were the quickest yet the most challenging route. Each one of them utilized different strategies to reach the top.