Fanfic / Classroom of the Elite: Liquid Inspiration

This was the start of the newest chapter in the life of Ayankouji Kiyotaka. The catalyst that freed me from the shackles that had bound me...A liquid inspiration.

Classroom of the Elite: Liquid Inspiration is a Point of Divergence re-telling of Classroom of the Elite sparked by a certain conversation between Masterpiece and Professor; written by StrongStyle777 on Wattpad.

One day, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka receives a surprising invitation from his father, Ayanokouji Atsuomi, to join him for a drink. It was unusual for Kiyotaka, who normally wouldn't be summoned by his father without a hidden agenda.

That's why even the emotionless Kiyotaka was surprised when his father began to open up about his own experiences with love and relationships.

For the emotionally distant "masterpiece," this conversation is a rare moment of connection with his father, and it sparked a curiosity within him to explore the world of human relationships, to be more specifically: romance and intimacy.

It was that spark that pushed Kiyotaka to demand something from his father:

"Father, teach me everything about human relationships."

This then begins a ripple that changes how Ayanokouji Kiyotaka would approach the world in the foreseeable future.

As of 1/13/2024, the fix undergoes a rewrite.

Note: All spoilers regarding the series are unmarked!!!

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Classroom of the Elite: Liquid Inspiration contains examples of the following Tropes:

• Adaptation Expansion: The fic fleshes out many characters from the canon series, especially ones who were The Ghost.
• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Due to a small change in the timeline that happens after the White Room is shut down for the year, plenty of characters get a change in their relationships.
  • The most incredulous case is Kiyotaka as a result of spending a good year learning and developing many friendships with a few characters before the canon events of the light novel; Matsuo Eiichirō, Nanase Tsubasa, Kanzaki Ryūji, Kōenji Rokusuke, Matsushita Chiaki, and Tsubaki Yuki.
    • Kiyotaka and Eiichirō never met, only hearing about one another through Matsuo. Here, they were personally introduced to each other by their fathers as well for Kiyotaka to develop good social skills and develop a close friendship during the year spent living together.
    • Kiyotaka's relationship with Tsubasa started as antagonistic due to the latter blaming him for Eiichirō's death until a decisive defeat on Tsubasa's end and a heartfelt conversation between them slowly changes that. Here, due to Eiichirō not dying and introducing her to Kiyotaka, they started as acquaintances that slowly blossom into friendship, with Tsubasa developing romantic affection for him.
    • Kiyotaka and Ryūji gained a certain form of commodity during the Christmas ball compared to their more neutral relationship in the light novels.
    • Kiyotaka and Rokusuke started as classmates with both being neutral toward each other due to their differences and Wild Card status. Here, they gain something of a commodity during the Christmas ball and become good friends during the academy.
    • Chiaki only started to gain an interest in Kiyotaka when he challenged Manabu in the Event Selection Exam, and from then on, would follow him around while trying to strike up an acquaintance with him. Here, Chiaki became interested in Kiyotaka during their first meeting at the Christmas ball and slowly gained romantic feelings for him as they hung out with each other afterward.
    • Yuki is the closest thing to a friend to Kiyotaka during their time in the White Room before she had to transfer out after showing no more improvement in the curriculum. When they meet again at the age of 14, Kiyotaka expresses no interest in rekindling their friendship and coldly rebuffs Yuki's attempt out of a belief that he'll only stifle her growth despite hearing her father stating that she would only listen to him due to the lingering trauma from her experience in the White Room. Here, thanks to his own Character Development, Kiyotaka chooses to remain by Yuki's side to help her heal and they gain a strong friendship with Yuki having deep romantic affections for him.
• Adaptational Angst Downgrade: Unlike the canon series, Matsuo and his son Eiichirō won't be Driven to Suicide by Atsuomi due to the Point of Divergence...maybe.
• Adaptational Attractiveness: In the canon series, Matsuo is The Ghost and is described to be elderly-looking due to him being nearly 60 years old. Here, an illustration of him in Vol. 0 Chapter 6 depicts him as a younger-looking man with rugged good looks befitting his military background.
• Adaptational Badass: In the light novels, Matsuo is described as being nearly 60 years of age, the implication that he looks like a feeble old man. In the fic, he's a former high-ranked military official involved with Atsuomi's shady dealings.
• Adaptational Curves: Unlike the canon series, where Matsuo is implied to be a feeble old man, the fic depicts him with a Heroic Build.
• Adaptational Early Appearance: Since the fic takes place during Volume 0 and a year before Volume 1 of the canon series, certain characters make their physical appearance much earlier than their canonical counterparts, such as Ayanokouji Atsuomi, Matsuo, Matsuo Eiichirō, Nanase Tsubasa, Kanzaki Ryūji, Kōenji Rokusuke, Matsushita Chiaki, and Tsubaki Yuki.
• Adaptational Job Change: Downplayed. Matsuo is still a butler to Kiyotaka in the fic, but he's also given a military background with involvement in Atsuomi's shady dealings.
• Adaptational Nice Guy:
  • Atsuomi gains a very slight one in the fic, where he went so far as to talk to Kiyotaka and explain his worldview, and even allowed his son to experience freedom, if only to better mold his son as his successor.
  • As a result of being able to experience the wider world, having a group of friends, and enjoying a full year of being a normal teenager before attending the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing School, Kiyotaka is notably kinder and less manipulative in his interactions with others.
  • In the canon light novels, Horikita Suzune was an Academic Alpha Bitch whose Establishing Character Moment is treating Kiyotaka like a stooge and often abuses him if he were to annoy her or doesn't hold up his end of the bargain. However, she does learns to become less cold and more cordial towards him. In the fic, she quickly comes to respect him upon seeing him being able to deduct the true nature of the S-system and present it to the class before the official reveal and being the only person in her life to truly encourage her to better herself compare to her parents and older brother. It also causes Suzune to slowly Took a Level in Kindness.
• Adaptational Sympathy: Downplayed. In the fic, Atsuomi reveals to Kiyotaka another reason why he's so ambitious in ruling Japan; trying to earn the love of an unnamed woman who's far above his station in life, only to fail and clung to his ambition to rule Japan further.
• Adaptational Villainy: Downplayed. In the canon light novels, Matsuo is described as a kind man who only worked for Atsuomi to support himself and his son financially, and was Unwitting Pawn regarding Kiyotaka's growth. In the fic, Matsuo has a much closer connection with Atsuomi and has his own share of skeletons in the closet due to being a high-ranking military official, though he's still very much a Nice Guy and a Noble Demon compared to Atsuomi.
• Alternate Universe Fic: The official summary on Wattpad describes the fic as this to the canon series.
• Age Lift:
  • Inverted. Kiyotaka described Matsuo to be a nearly 60-year-old man in the canon series. According to Word of God, he's aged down to 50 years old in the fic.
  • Downplayed and inverted. Matsuo Eiichirō is a year younger than Kiyotaka in the fic. Averted in the remake as he's now the same age as Kiyotaka.
• Animal Motifs: Upon meeting Tsubasa for the first time, Kiyotaka likens to her as an adorable puppy. For added humor, she has a picture of a puppy as her profile pic, and her contact name in Kiyotaka's contacts is "puppy-chan".
• Ascended Extra:
  • Matsuo was merely The Ghost in the canon series with a Small Role, Big Impact concerning Kiyotaka's enrollment into the Advanced Nurturing High School. Here, he serves as a Recurring Extra.
  • Likewise, Matsuo's son Eiichirō is also given the spotlight early on by establishing him as Kiyotaka's Foil in terms of mannerisms.
  • Yuki is a relatively minor character in Kiyotaka's childhood. Here, she becomes one of his Love Interests and a regularly occurring main character.
• Best Friend: Over the year, Eiichirō becomes a close friend to Kiyotaka due to living in the same household and his extroverted and sociable personality bringing the latter out of his shell.
• Childhood Friend Romance: Although Kiyotaka claims that Yuki isn't his girlfriend, it's still played straight given their history in the White Room and later reconciliation.
• Corrupted Character Copy: According to one commenter, who agreed with Word of God, Atsuomi is one for Shirogane Miyuki if the latter were to continue striving for success at the expense of his kindness and morals in the attempt to win the love of a young woman completely out of his league...and ultimately failed to do so.
• Genius Sweettooth: Kiyotaka is a certified Broken Ace addicted to ice cream.
• I Can't Believe It's Not Heroin!: Once Kiyotaka got his first taste of ice cream, he would eat plenty of it to the point of addiction. Eiichirō even points out to Tsubasa that Kiyotaka would eat three whole tubs of ice cream.
• Missing Mom: Like in the canon series, Mika is not involved in Kiyotaka's life and he isn't bothered by the fact.
• Named by the Adaptation:
  • Matsuo is only known by his surname in the canon series. Here, his first name is Keiji.
  • In the canon series, Yuki had Only One Name due to White Room's policies, and her surname isn't revealed even after meeting up with Kiyotaka again. Here, she gains the last name of "Tsubaki".
• O.C. Stand-in:
  • Regarding Matsuo and his son, Eiichirō, it's justified given they're both The Ghost in the canon series.
    • Matsuo was simply described to be an elderly man who is a Friend to All Children and a Doting Parent to his only son. Furthermore, he was completely unaware of Atsuomi's darker dealings and an Unwitting Pawn regarding Kiyotaka's growth with his successful attempt of "freeing" the latter premeditated. In the fic, Matsuo Keiji is portrayed as a 50-year-old man with a high-ranking military background and has a much "closer" working relationship with Atsuomi, meaning that Matsuo is obviously knowledgeable of the White Room, and has plenty of "skeletons in the closet" compared to his canon counterpart.
    • What little is known of Matsuo Eiichirō is that he's The Dutiful Son Nice Guy who is very close to his single father, a Determinator by continuing to apply to high school despite Atsuomi sabotage before he eventually gave up, and a Platonic Life-Partners to Nanase Tsubasa. In the fic, he's portrayed as a complete foil to Kiyotaka in terms of personality and demeanor, something of a Big Man on Campus in middle school, and an avid fan of anime.
  • Yuki is a Childhood Friend of Kiyotaka during their time in the White Room, and their last meeting shows her a Broken Bird whose only capable of listening to Kiyotaka. Here, Tsubaki Yuki is portrayed as a Genki Girl as she and Kiyotaka rekindle their bond, with the intelligence and mental fortitude capable of standing by him along with a strong romantic obsession with him.
• Odd Friendship: Kiyotaka's friendship with any of his peers counts as this given his unique upbringing in the White Room.
  • Eiichirō is a complete Foil to Kiyotaka in terms of personality and temperament. Whereas the latter is introverted, calculated, and somewhat lacking in social cues, Eiichirō is extroverted, spontaneous, and very sociable in a friendly manner. In fact, their budding friendship regardless of their differences helps play a big role in Kiyotaka's growth and gradual kindness, which is something that both Atsuomi and Matsuo know and plan.
  • Rokusuke is intelligent and athletic, but a complete narcissist who is thoroughly convinced of his superiority. Whereas Kiyotaka is much more "humble" in the sense that he's aware of his own flaws and keeps his intentions hidden. Yet, despite Rokusuke's worldview confusing Kiyotaka (e.g. acknowledging that he never loses despite getting his ass handed to him by Kiyotaka in their boxing match), they get along rather well for the most part, with the latter admitting that Rokusuke does have good advice to give him from time to time.
• Original Flavour: Like most fan fics regarding Classroom of the Elite, the fic emulates the philosophical and psychological themes of the canon series quite well.
• Point of Divergence: What would happen if Atsuomi were to discuss the importance of human relationships over a beverage with his son?
• The First Cut Is the Deepest: Implied to be the case with Atsuomi of the unnamed woman he failed to win over in his past. Since then, the only thing he has left is his unrelenting ambition to climb the social ladder in Japanese politics, with his brief marriage to Mika and their son being part of that.
• The Unsmile: Played for Laughs. When getting ready for the Christmas ball, Kiyotaka tried to put on his best smile...only to be freaked out by his first attempt in the mirror.
• Took a Level in Cheerfulness:
  • Due to a Point of Divergence Kiyotaka is allowed to experience a whole year of personal freedom from his father. By the start of the canon timeline, he's capable of humor and having good social interactions.
  • As a result of meeting and bonding with a kinder Kiyotaka, witnessing his intelligence firsthand, and him slowly helping her and her older brother reconcile their previously close bond, Suzune starts to interact more with her classmates and gain a slightly happier outlook.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Once Kiyotaka tasted ice cream for the first time, it became his all-time favorite treat.

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