COTE: Popularity System

[The requirements for producing a personal spin-off animation are as follows]

[1. Must not severely conflict with the main work's worldview and already occurred plot]

[2. The number of animation episodes must be at least 12 and at most 24]

[3. The personal spin-off must be completed before the Sports Festival begins]

Looking at the requirements given in the system panel, Takada Hikaru felt that the restrictions were fewer than he had imagined.

He had thought that the content of the spin-off could only be about his story in Advanced Nurturing High School. Unexpectedly, it only required not conflicting with the worldview. There were no clear requirements even for which period of the plot to write about.

'Can I write about future plot?' Takada Hikaru asked the system.

[...]

The system seemed to not have expected Takada Hikaru to ask such a question. After a moment of silence, it gave an answer.

[New restriction rule]

[4. The personal spin-off cannot write about the host's future experiences in Advanced Nurturing High School (regardless of whether those experiences occur)]

Seeing the system's requirement, Takada Hikaru quickly understood its meaning.

It meant that his future in Advanced Nurturing High School could not be written about, as it might cause conflicts with the main story's plot. But if he were to write about the plot after Advanced Nurturing High School, then that should be fine.

Takada Hikaru consulted the system with his idea, and the answer he received was as he thought: there was no problem.

After all, the name of this anime is Classroom of the Elite. By the time he leaves this school, the anime will certainly have concluded.

'The system requires the plot to be completed before the Sports Festival, so there's no rush right now.'

Takada Hikaru felt that he should draw inspiration from web novels, light novels, anime, films, and other works. He would then create something grand, striving to become a popular character like Misaka Mikoto.

Just then, the screen in front of Takada Hikaru changed.

[Why are the Sakayanagi Faction's people so shameless? It was clearly their betrayal of the class that led to Katsuragi's failure. How do they act like they're the victims?]

[They're just acting. Katsuragi still doesn't know he was stabbed in the back by the Sakayanagi Faction. If they didn't act convincingly, wouldn't the Sakayanagi Faction's betrayal of the class be exposed?]

Takada Hikaru looked at the animation, it turned out to be telling the story of Class B.

In this exam, Katsuragi Kōhei not only failed to help the class achieve a comeback but also incurred debt, forcing the students in his class to pay points to Ryūen Kakeru every month, and was now being questioned by students from another faction.

For the audience, who had a god's-eye view, they naturally knew that it was the Sakayanagi Faction who had betrayed Katsuragi Kōhei. But for Katsuragi Kōhei, who was in the story, he had no way of knowing how he was exposed.

Perhaps he suspected betrayal within the class. But he couldn't produce any evidence and could only silently endure the Sakayanagi Faction's questioning.

'After Class B's plot, it should be Class C's turn. And then... maybe it's my turn?'

Takada Hikaru felt that his scene of enjoying coffee alone deserved a close-up from the animation team, so he began to prepare.

After the animation finished Class B's plot, it began to play Class C's story, once again emphasizing that Ryūen Kakeru had obtained a contract from Class B that would give him 800,000 points monthly.

At the end of the animation, the camera focused on Takada Hikaru in a cafe.

He slowly picked up the teacup, not rushing to drink, but instead looked at his reflection in the white liquid and said with some disappointment, "Is the White Room's greatest masterpiece only at this level after all? It seems... there's no need to continue tasting it."

Takada Hikaru ultimately did not drink the milk in the teacup, but placed it back on the table.

White Room.

The greatest masterpiece.

Whenever the plot progressed even slightly, Takada Hikaru would introduce new concepts to the audience that were closely related to the storyline.

When first entering the school, he indicated that there were hidden rules.

Before the midterm exam, he explained that there were methods to get high scores without effort.

After the midterm exam, in a conversation with Horikita Manabu, he even mentioned the "Special Exams."

Now, upon hearing Takada Hikaru say "the highest masterpiece of the White Room," the audience's reaction was unsurprised, they felt no astonishment.

As Takada Hikaru finished these words, the content of the animation changed accordingly, and the scene shifted to a place filled with white everywhere. Clearly, this was the so-called White Room.

Inside the White Room, many children were receiving guidance and training. But as time passed, the number of children in the White Room dwindled until only one remained. And that person was none other than the young Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

The greatest masterpiece of the White Room was clearly referring to him.

[Ayanokoji's background is truly not simple.]

[It looks like an organization for training secret agents.]

[Doesn't that make Ayanokoji the king of secret agents?]

[A special forces king comes to campus to bully the weak, I feel like I've seen this plot somewhere before.]

The audience was enthusiastically discussing the plot.

Meanwhile, Takada Hikaru noticed his terminal on the table buzzing. It turned out someone had sent him a message.