Classmate wa Isekai de Yuusha ni Natta kedo, Ore dake Gendai Nihon ni Okizari ni Narimashita - Chapter 1
Chapter 1: I Was Left Behind
"Yo."
"Hey, how'd your report card go?"
"The worst. My mom screamed at me like crazy."
"Hey, hey, did you see yesterday's stream?"
"I did, I did! That makeup was so cute!"
"Want to go check it out on the way home? My sister says they have it at the store she works at."
About fifteen minutes before homeroom started, the students of my class, 2-B, were chatting away about random nonsense, waiting for the teacher to arrive in a slightly excited mood.
Today was the last day of school before summer break.
Once we finished homeroom and the closing ceremony, summer vacation would officially begin.
Some students were probably dreading cram school for high school entrance exams, but for most, it was a time of pure fun.
Watching all this from the side, I—Iori Shu—was focused on my usual routine of grinding in a mobile game.
I had transferred to this school about two weeks ago and hadn’t really made any friends yet.
My classmates didn’t seem to know how to interact with me either. They didn’t ignore me, but there was an awkward distance between us.
(Well, once summer break starts, I’ll be free from this awkward atmosphere.)
Just as that thought crossed my mind—
"Ahh!"
"Ugh, damn it...!"
Suddenly, everyone in the classroom, including me, doubled over in pain.
Students who had been casually chatting moments ago collapsed to the floor, unable to stand.
Some tried to crawl toward the door to call for help, while others fumbled to grab their phones. But the headache, dizziness, and an overwhelming pressure pushing them down made any attempt futile.
Confused by the situation, I looked toward the blackboard.
A piece of chalk suddenly started moving on its own, drawing a human-like shadow.
Then, a voice—neither distinctly male nor female—began to speak in sync with the chalk’s movements.
"Apologies for the rough treatment. But if I hadn’t done this, you wouldn’t have listened, would you? So, bear with it."
Though it had no expression, the chalk-drawn figure seemed to sneer as it watched us writhe in pain.
"Now then, let's start with introductions. My name is Ashera. I am the guide who will lead you to another world."
Another world.
Hearing those words, some students looked excited, some confused, and others desperately searched for a way out of this mess.
But Ashera ignored all of them and continued.
"First, congratulations! The 25 of you in this classroom have been chosen as heroes to save the world!"
...Wait, 25?
That’s strange.
There shouldn’t be any absences today, so there should be 26 people in this classroom, including me...
"You all must have felt the headaches and dizziness, right? That was proof that you have gained skills and status. Without them, surviving in the world you're going to would be impossible."
Ashera then pulled out a seating chart of our class—copied from somewhere, apparently—and held it up for us to see.
"Everyone listed on this sheet will be transported to another world without exception. That world will be filled with dangers and vicious monsters, but overcome those trials and become true heroes. Now then, off you go!"
With that, the voice vanished, and the chalk-drawn figure on the blackboard faded away.
All that remained was us, now freed from the crushing pressure.
"Damn it! Why won’t the door open?!"
"No! I want to go home!"
The students rushed to the classroom door in a frenzy, but no matter how much they pushed or pulled, it wouldn’t budge.
Meanwhile, a massive glowing magic circle appeared on the ceiling and slowly descended, ready to consume us all.
I, however, was fixated on the seating chart Ashera had shown.
If I wasn’t mistaken, that was the one from right after the new semester’s class assignments. My name wasn’t on it, and the date on it said April.
That meant Ashera didn’t recognize me as part of the class.
If that’s the case… what happens to me?
As I pondered this, the magic circle continued its descent—
And then—
◇◇◇
"This is…?"
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in what appeared to be a hospital room.
I had no idea why I was lying here, but before I could think too much, a man in a white coat—presumably a doctor—came into view.
He pulled a penlight from his pocket and shined it into my eyes, checking something.
"Are you experiencing any dizziness or headaches?"
"Uh… no, I think I’m fine."
"That’s good to hear. But just to be safe, we’ll keep you here for two or three days for observation."
"Um… where exactly is this hospital?"
When I thought of “another world,” the typical medieval European setting from games and light novels came to mind.
But there was no guarantee Ashera’s world would be the same.
With that in mind, I decided to ask, and the doctor, perhaps sensing my unease, gave me a reassuring smile.
"This is ■■ Hospital. Your family is on their way, so don’t worry."
That hospital name… I recognized it.
It was the biggest hospital in town—the one I had actually visited before for a vaccine.
And he just said my family was coming.
Which meant… this was Japan?
"Alright, I’ll be heading back now. If anything happens, press the nurse call button."
"Understood."
The doctor turned to leave.
I still didn’t know why I had been brought to the hospital, but if this was Japan, then Ashera and everything I had experienced must have been a dream.
…Wait, hold on.
"Um, doctor… why exactly am I hospitalized?"
The moment I asked that, the doctor’s expression darkened.
…Huh?
Did I just ask something I shouldn’t have?
As unease crept over me, the doctor pulled out his phone and made a call.
Shortly after, a nurse entered the room, carrying a white paper bag, which she handed to him.
"...Personally, I’m against giving this to you. But if you really insist on knowing, be prepared before you look at it. Also, do not look up any information other than the news. If anything happens, stop immediately and press the nurse call button. Understood?"
"Uh... okay..."
With that warning, the doctor and the nurse finally leave the room.
...Why did he have to emphasize it that much?
With even more questions in my head, I hesitantly peek inside the paper bag.
"...This is my smartphone?"
From the way they were talking, I had a vague feeling it was something related to the internet.
But why would they try to keep this away from me?
(For now, I should check it out.)
With that thought, I enter my password and unlock the phone...
"Explosion Incident at ■■ Middle School"
"25 Students Missing"
"...What?"
The breaking news from a news app pops up in front of me, making me blurt out in shock.
There’s even a photo in the article showing my school building, torn apart as if something had gouged into it. The gravity of the situation is undeniable.
Having all this information dumped on me at once, I fall back onto the bed.
No, no, no... wait a second. Could it be?
"...Did it actually happen? The isekai transfer?"
I always thought stuff like that only happened in light novels and web fiction.
As I struggle to wrap my head around it, another question surfaces—why was I the only one who survived?
Well... I have a vague idea.
That guy had set his sights on my class long before I transferred in. That’s why I wasn’t caught up in the disaster.
"That was proof that skills and statuses have been granted to you."
Suddenly, Ashera’s words echo in my mind.
If I wasn’t transported—if I wasn’t even on his radar—then there’s no way I’d have any powers.
And yet, just maybe...
On a whim, I silently think the word "Status."
"...No way."
As if in response, something suddenly appears before me, making me freeze in place.
I thought I would have to live a normal life after narrowly avoiding a bizarre incident.
But then—
――――
Iori Shu – Lv1 – Human
HP: 150/150
MP: 50/50
SP: 0
STR: 5
VIT: 3
DEX: 3
AGI: 5
INT: 5
Skills: Appraisal, Universal Translation
――――
A floating display, like something straight out of a game, appears before my eyes.
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