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School may be on vacation, but the scheming never stops! Christmas draws near, and Karuizawa and Satou compete for Ayanokouji's affections while new student council president Nagumo makes his first sinister moves. Don't miss this bonus volume of short stories, covering the events of a winter break that will decide the balance of power in the upcoming third semester!

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 25, 2018

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988 people want to read

About the author

Syougo Kinugasa

64 books300 followers
Associated Names:
* Syougo Kinugasa / Shōgo Kinugasa (English)
* 衣笠彰梧 (Japanese)

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5 stars
814 (47%)
4 stars
597 (35%)
3 stars
233 (13%)
2 stars
36 (2%)
1 star
17 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
Profile Image for Mika (Hiatus).
589 reviews85 followers
February 5, 2025
I think it's funny that so far all the extra books are mainly about romance. Do Japanese people really care that much to have a date on holidays? Anyway, except that I was a bit more satisfied with this extra book, even more than the first one. It seems (for me at least) that the quality and relevance to the main story advances each time another extra book comes out. This one was the best so far, especially since it ended by pointing to a new issue that Ayanokouji will experience for the third semester. Also, I like how we get to know more and more characters but it doesn't get cluttered, as we get to know each one individually and in a pace that doesn't make it overwhelming (+ the coloured pictures at the start of each book help to get an idea on how each character looks like).

My favourite aspect for this short extra book was definitely about the new student council president, namely Nagumo Miyabi. I'm looking forward to him and his fight against Ayanokoji. + I liked how Sakayanagi was featured too, might have been short but I'm interested in what this girl has to offer in the future.

StoryGraph review
4 reviews
December 14, 2021
If you’ve been reading Light Novels for a fair bit, you might’ve realized there’s a certain stigma around .5 volumes.

They’re typically books considered for the hardcore fans, stories typically that don’t offer much to the plot but instead offer a fun look at the characters we’ve grown to love in a brief respite. And while there’s a certainly nothing wrong with that, I’d have a hard time selling these books to more casual readers.

Yet here comes Syougo Kinugasa with an ingenious idea.

Why not take those lighter hearted moments instead to build tension for the next arc? It’s such a basic idea but absolutely genius. Because it not only rewards readers who faithfully read every novel with meaningful development but it doesn’t heavily punishing the reader who decided to skip either.

So no there might not be any exams or large moves from the classes in this novel. But like watching a chess master deciding his next move. There’s something so fascinating about watching these major players in our story interacting with each other.

One moment Kiyotaka has to defend himself from an aggressive confrontation with Naguma. The next, he’s trying to read Sakayanagai’s next moves. You can’t help but be on the edge of your seat by the end wondering where the hints are going to take the story next.
4 reviews
October 8, 2021
Me gustó bastante el como avanzó la relación de Kei y de Kiyotaka, el como esta se dió cuenta de lo que sentía y lo admitió, también la introducción al siguiente arco u objetivo de la que será la siguiente Novela, al principio pensé que no valdría la pena leer los .5, pero con esto me doy cuenta que son entretenidos y para relajarse un poco más.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Barrett.
135 reviews
April 7, 2019
It'd be a lie if I say I'm not expecting the flower of love to bloom. The ship will sail! Kei for the win.

(Just kidding. A vulgar youthful romance is not suitable for our main character, since he is a god).
Profile Image for Kristin ✨.
1,424 reviews26 followers
February 4, 2024
3.5

After a two year break from this series I decided to jump back in. Was surprised how quick the adjustment was, I remember it all very vividly - which shows how strong the story has been up to now.

Looking forward to continue the series this year.
Profile Image for autumn.
83 reviews2 followers
Read
May 9, 2020
wait stop i’m actually rooting for this relationship to bloom
Profile Image for gabrel.
13 reviews
February 4, 2024
"Eu sou um gênio manipulador
Se preciso eu viro o jogo a favor daquilo que quero
Eu faço que você faça tudo que eu mando
Sua chance de escapar da minha jogada é igual a zero"
25 reviews
June 2, 2024
I am in love with the .5 LN. You get so many new information about the characters and relationships between them!
Profile Image for Douglas Walters.
19 reviews
July 11, 2025
TL;DR Seven Seas Entertainment is trash. A revised edition for this volume should be produced considering the cut content, in the form of internal thoughts and narration, compared to the fan translation. Once again, they have distorted the author's intent under the guise of localisation, diminishing the characters and overall reading experience. They did this and worse with Mushoku Tensei too. Never forgive, never forget.

Sakayanagi threw her cane to the ground. It clattered on the floor.

vs.
Katsun!
Letting her cane ring out like that once, Sakayanagi began to revise her approach from a different angle.


Sakayanagi, although prideful, is not impulsive nor prone to anger. The official version mischaracterised her in this scene. Also, it is simply illogical for a disabled individual to throw away their cane in any situation. The proof they made this up is that before she walks away, none of the characters pick it back up for her. Why? Because she did not throw it away and merely tapped the ground with some force.

“President Nagumo, you’re totally nuts,” Karuizawa laughed, clearly trying to defuse the situation.

vs.
"President Nagumo, your face is quite scary---"
So that the situation does not progress any further, Karuizawa laughed and approached Nagumo.


In this scene, the colloquialism feels out of place. Not only is it ill-suited to a Japanese high school girl, but it misrepresents her demeanour. Karuizawa, in the fan translation, diffuses the tension by lightly commenting on Nagumo's intimidating appearance. It is a natural and believable interaction. In contrast, the official translation uses aggressive phrasing that is more likely to escalate the situation.

I had no idea whether Satou believed me. She probably thought I said that to console her. Truthfully, I might still disappoint her. I just didn’t feel the way about her that she clearly felt about me, so, in a sense, her concerns about my not having fun weren’t entirely off the mark. I had enjoyed hanging out, but I hadn’t enjoyed it in the way Satou hoped.

vs.
How much of this is conveyed to Satou, I honestly don't know. In all likelihood, she probably interpreted it as me saying this to console her.
Truthfully, there are many ways to follow up on this. In regards to Karuizawa's questions during the day too, I'm confident I could have answered in a better way. However, I intentionally chose not to do so.
"She's not a partner I need to go that far for."
It was because I had made that judgement.
In that sense, the 'Did you not find it fun?' question from Satou would not necessarily be wrong either. I did find it fun as far as playing around goes, but it is certain that it was not the way Satou had been hoping for. It'll only be troublesome even if she likes me any further than this, I made such a decision.


This is just one example amongst many where Ayanokouji's thoughts are removed in the official translation. I suspect it is because they wish to portray his character in a more sympathetic and morally ambiguous light. But in reality, he is unapologetically self-centred and manipulative with an apathetic and utilitarian mindset. This is demonstrated further:

“Maybe I’m just crazy, but I feel like you only view people as tools, don’t you, Kiyotaka?” she asked.
I’d used Karuizawa as a tool too many times to deny it. “I don’t view people like that because I choose to.”

vs.
"I've been thinking it might be like that vaguely but Kiyotaka only sees people as tools, right?"
"That's not my intention."
I answered with that but that could not possibly reach Karuizawa, who I've used many times over and over as a tool until now.


This is essentially the Swole Doge vs. Cheems meme in action. The official version has Ayanokouji offer a justification for the accusation, which is a loss of frame, while the more accurate translation has him casually deny it with an offhanded lie.

Whether it is to appeal to a broader audience or make him feel more politically correct, they have rewritten a character who is not meant to be relatable or palatable, only compelling.

“It’s not like that. I’m just not ready for a relationship. It’s really me, not you,” I told her.
...
“This might sound kind of lame, but I’ve never had feelings for anyone yet. I’m not rejecting you, personally. I just haven’t really matured enough to handle romance,” I said.

vs.
"That's not the case. It's just, at this stage I can't go out with you. It's genuinely a problem with my own feelings."
...
"It may be a pathetic story but I've never even once seriously fallen in love with a member of the opposite sex yet. That is why, it's not a matter of dumping you or anything, it just means I haven't matured enough to be capable of romance yet."


The official version has Ayanokouji sound like a soy-infused Redditor roleplaying as someone emotionally mature by spouting those spine-tingling cringeworthy cliches. You are quite literally rejecting Satou personally, those empty platitudes do not change the fact. It feels sanitised and performative compared to the fan translation which has an authentic Ayanokouji who is detached and honest—it is damage control, nothing more or less.

It may seem like nitpicking, but the character’s unique voice is being lost here. The author chooses certain words and deliberately arranges sentences to express specific meanings and maintain distinct characterisations. In this case, it is Ayanokouji being modified, but Seven Seas Entertainment has made this error repeatedly with others including Ryuuen and Karuizawa.
Profile Image for Elisha  Reads For U .
24 reviews
December 14, 2025
Alright guys this volume is all about love and slice of life so buckle up!

This was the first time Ayanokōji truly felt and seen snow so that was kind of cute and sad. I love Christmas so i absolutely enjoyed seeing everyone celebrate. There was a double date which was awkward for me considering there was 3 girls pining for Ayanokōji during this time. Kei was low key a bad friend idc. And satous love was pretty shallow...I enjoyed the manabu/ryuen/ Ayanokōji scene. And overall everything was the aftermath of the craziness that happened the last volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for WiLL.
80 reviews
January 19, 2024
Hay que decir que, leyéndome este volumen una segunda vez, he llegado a apreciar mucho más al personaje de Satou; a la pobre chica sólo le gustaba otro chico sin saber que a su amiga también le gustaba. Hay que decir que me da un poco de pena que Kiyotaka rechazara su confesión, ya que, de la misma manera que Kei en volúmenes anteriores, la imagen que Satou proyectaba distaba mucho de ser la real.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bradley.
Author 9 books4,865 followers
October 12, 2025
Side-story, but I think it's pretty important to have the relationship-building stuff front and center in stories like this. Even if his relationships are very... cold. It's interesting, precisely because he IS rather a sociopath.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews is be interested in reading my SF (Very hard SF, mind you), I'm open to requests.

Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.

Arctunn.com
Profile Image for Iroha Miyumi.
122 reviews9 followers
June 27, 2021
屋上の事件の後で、軽井川惠は誰のことに特別感情を発生した。この謎感情は「恋」だ。そう、綾小路が惠の過去の呪いを解けるお陰で、彼女は彼に恋に落ちた。然し、この時期はクリスマスだ。この日は恋人同士は過ごす時間だ。ある意味で、新しい関係を成立することはおかしくない。その目的を狙う為に、綾小路のクラスメイト・佐藤麻耶は綾小路にデートを誘った。更に、彼女は惠の協力が欲しいので、当然に恋に落ちた乙女・惠は動揺した。そう、どんな選択は正しい?佐藤を協力するか、遅くない間に綾小路に告白するか。最後の決断は惠の気持ちの次第だ。

その共に、綾小路の新しい敵が登場した:新しい生徒会長・南雲雅だ。不思議に、彼は綾小路に深い興味があったので、彼に話したいって。けどどんな理由でも、彼は邪魔なら、綾小路が彼に排除する行動を取る。全ては「平和」な学校生活のために。

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

サイドストーリーだが、この本は重要点が幾つあるんだ。屋上の事件の片付きはどんな感じ?綾小路の関して、惠の本当の気持ちはどう?元会長・堀北の依頼は一体何だ?勿論、細いにこの小説は全てを答えた。

個人的に、惠の気持ちはとてもかわいいだ。自分を守る為に、彼女は傲慢態度が取った。ですので、僕にとって悪い印象を残った。けど、この本のお陰で、今の彼女の性格は凄く良いと思うになった。

興味があったら、是非読んでください!

After the incident on the rooftop, Kei Karuigawa develops special feelings for a certain someone. This mysterious emotion is known as "love." Indeed, thanks to Ayanokoji solving the problem of Kei's cursed past, she falls in love with him. However, this time of the season is Christmas. On this day, it is the time where lovers spend time together. In another meaning, it wouldn't be strange for new relationships to become official here. To accomplish just that, Ayanokoji's classmate, Mayu Satou invites him on a date. Furthermore, Mayu wants Kei's cooperation for that, so naturally, the newly love-stricken maiden, Kei, is very rattled. Indeed, what is the correct choice here? Work with Satou or confess to Ayanokoji before it's too late? In the end, the last decision all depends on Kei's feelings.

At that same time, Ayanokoji's new enemy has appeared: the new Student Council President, Miyabi. Nagumo. Mysteriously, because he's developed a deep interest in Ayanokoji, he wants to talk to him. But whatever the reason may be, Ayanokoji will take action to remove him if he gets in his way—all for the sake of his "peaceful" school life.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

This is a side story, but this book has a number of important points to it. What happened in the aftermath of the rooftop incident? What are Kei's real feelings concerning Ayanokoji? What exactly is the former Student Council President's request? Of course, this novel answers all of it in detail.

Personally, I find Kei's feelings to be really cute. To protect herself, she takes on a prideful attitude, so she left a bad impression on me. However, thanks to this book, I now think that her personality is great.

If you have any interest, please read it!
Profile Image for Emily Grace.
Author 1 book5 followers
June 3, 2023
Kei and Ayanokouji are adorable. I love their relationship dynamic and they're growing closer too. I especially love how Ayanokouji said he hoped him and Kei could eventually become friends and then he said "maybe even something more". Hmmm....foreshadowing? I sure hope so!

I find it hilarious how Ayanokouji got stuck with Ibuki again. Like that time he got stuck with her in the elevator (Volume 4.5), he got stuck with her yet again at the movies cause they had some technical issues going on lol. I'm surprised they didn't add this comedic bit in the anime...seems like a missed opportunity to me.

I felt so much tension while reading the part where Nagumo appeared out of nowhere and confronted Ayanokouji. Especially when Ayanokouji kept noting how Nagumo wouldn't let go of his arm. I just know Ayanokouji would've done something in retaliation if it was just him and Nagumo. I wish they would've added that part in the anime too, but they didn't. Another missed opportunity...

Another thing I like is how Ayanokouji admires Hirata. He knows he can rely on Hirata, especially when he was getting grilled by Kei when he was on that double date of theirs with Satou. I'm curious to see what happens once Kei decides to end her fake relationship with Hirata.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Mithun Sarker.
358 reviews2 followers
June 24, 2024
Classroom of the Elite Vol. 7.5
By Syougo Kinugasa

Another break is here, and the story of Ayanokoji continues. Enjoyed reading this volume way more than the 4.5 volume. This one has so much better to offer.

The chapter with Ibuki was hilarious. She's badass, and honestly the both short stories from volume 4.5 and 7.5 were super enjoyable. The fight should've been adapted to the anime, honestly.

Satou's such a good character. The date or "coincidental double date" was funny. The socially deprived Ayanokoji struggling to keep up a conversation, and Kei constantly alternating between trying to ship them both and trying to make Ayanokoji look bad to Satou so that they won't date. And yet, Satou didn't go off rail. Not gonna lie, the ending was or should I say the "climax" was a bit sad as I really liked Satou's character.

The "relationship" between Kei and Ayanokoji is developing greatly. Their interactions make the volume more engaging. Kei's subtle hits throughout the volume are certainly noticeable. The Ayanokoji bs Nagumo story is progressing. The next volume gonna be exciting, or at least I hope so.

8.5/10
Profile Image for kii.
278 reviews
January 3, 2022
4 out of 5 stars

NGL, I’m lowkey warming up to Kei but I do believe she still deserves better than Kiyotaka. But love is blind so you do you, Kei, I guess.

Anyway, the novel focused more on Kei and Kiyotaka’s relationship (not necessarily romantic, but it can be interpreted as such, too) and laid some groundwork for the next arc. Kiyotaka met up with Manabu and even interacted with Nagumo and other Class leaders like Sakayanagi and Ryuuen. This is certainly to build tension for the next installment.

On to the next!
Profile Image for Casey.
677 reviews11 followers
February 27, 2022
What a treat. We really get to see some characters backgrounds and learn more about what's going on in this one. Definitely finishes up the most recent story arc. While it could have stood on it's own with volume 7, this one gives some more insight and was well worth the read.

I hate to say it but I might just give CotE a break for a bit to catch up on some other things and to let 10 and maybe 11 come out so I can do all my waiting at once.
Profile Image for lauti.
56 reviews4 followers
July 30, 2022
Este volumen en general fue muy lindo <3 tan solo pasaron 3 días en todo un libro completo, fue hermoso ver lo que pensaba cada uno y las cosas que ocurrieron, como lo de la doble cita.
Karaizawa esta flechadísima por Ayano y siento que él puede llegar a sentir algo por ella, aunque el cómo comenzó su relación me parece un poco turbio sndns pero las últimas páginas me parecieron tiernas. Así que no sé qué pensar sobre ellos dos.

pd: hirata tkm, sos mi crush ahre
Profile Image for jarne.
59 reviews1 follower
March 18, 2024
Cute little volume. It felt shorter than the previous ones, but the scenes for the next volume seem to have been set. Karuizawa is developing her Stockholm syndrome. Kind of? Ayanokoji is cold again. I do hope he doesn't hurt her in the future. It's also funny that he keeps running into and gets stuck with Ibuki every .5 volume.
Profile Image for Viszed (II).
34 reviews2 followers
May 7, 2024
Este volumen es una extensión del volumen anterior, detalla escenas del volumen pasado, dandonos la perspectiva de otros personajes, asi como podemos ver las consecuencias del enfrentamiento de Kiyotaka vs Ryuen en la azotea.

Aqui también podemos ver como fue el proceso de enamoramiento de Kei hacia Kiyotaka, el momento preciso en el que acepta que esta enamora.

Un buen volumen extra.
Profile Image for Andreea Kulinyak.
4 reviews
March 23, 2021
Very noice

Bro this book was really good. Even though it only covered three days, I love the fact that they finally introduced romance into the series. Looking forward to the next volume!
Profile Image for alicia.
3 reviews
June 18, 2021
i cant stop smiling omg. i just finished this volume and i genuinely enjoyed the development between karuizawa and ayanokoji like i’m excited to see their partnership (whether that means stronger friendship or a romance for our mc!!) a pleasant surprise for sure.
Profile Image for Da.
219 reviews12 followers
April 7, 2025
Okay I'm rooting for Karuizawa now. Go get your man, gurl!!

And Ryueen. I think it's too much to ask for him just keep being class C leader and befriended class D, huh?

It's sad how Ayanokouji always wanted a normal life, though. I'm getting even more attached to these characters help!
8 reviews
February 28, 2022
I lost interest in this series for a while when I stopped learning Japanese after 9 months of intense study, but reading it in the English translation has really been great and I'm definitely going to continue this series and most likely finish it. Forgot how much I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Luke.
80 reviews
January 30, 2023
This is not a simple side story, unlike 4.5 (which can technically be skipped... I still don't recommend it,) 7.5 is important to the plot. After reading my favorite volume, it's good to see the quality continue.
Profile Image for Megane Shiroe.
19 reviews
March 5, 2024
It's a nice ride with the angle more focusing on romance and comedy then the actual tone this series has. But even with that certain points are too intense and certain revelations give you goosebumps.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews

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