Teruhiko Yukimura

Name: Teruhiko Yukimura

Gender: Male

School ID Number: S01T004708

Birthday: July 11 (Cancer)

Affiliation: Year 1 Class D → Year 2 Class D, Advanced Nurturing High School

Self‑referential Pronoun: “Ore” (first-person “I” used by males in Japanese)

Voice Actor (CV): Tsubasa Gouda

Academic Ability: A (92)

Physical Ability: D (30)

Thinking / Improvisation: C (51)

Social Contribution: B− (63)

Overall Evaluation: C+ (58)

Teruhiko Yukimura is a high-achieving student in Classroom of the Elite who consistently ranks near the top of his grade academically.

Despite his brilliance in study, he is weak in sports, socially awkward, and starts off with few friends in school.

He initially judges others almost solely by their grades and looks down on classmates with poor academic results.

After the sports festival, where his athletic weakness drags the class down while others he despised shine, he changes his attitude and starts actively cooperating with his classmates.

He later becomes a core member of the “Ayanokōji Group,” functioning as a strategist and a brake on more reckless ideas.

His character arc revolves around learning to value qualities other than academic ability while still intensely aiming for Class A.

At his core, Teruhiko is serious, studious, and extremely proud of his academic talent.

He was raised on the belief that “a student’s duty is to study,” and he has followed that creed to an extreme.

Early on, he is blunt, critical, and openly dismissive of classmates who lack academic prowess, similar to Suzune Horikita’s initial attitude.

He cannot accept that someone with his grades was placed into Class D, and he strongly resents the school’s classification system.

He tends to evaluate people based almost entirely on test scores and study habits.

This narrow value system leads to poor communication skills, few friends, and a deep disconnect from more average or carefree classmates such as Ken Sudo and Kei Karuizawa.

After experiencing his own shortcomings at the sports festival, he recognizes that he himself can be the one dragging the class down.

Seeing Ken Sudo contribute greatly through physical ability, he realizes that academic talent is not the only valuable trait, and he stops looking down on his classmates.

From that point on, he becomes more cooperative and is strongly motivated to raise Class D to Class A.

He is still stubborn and rational to a fault, sometimes prioritizing class points over personal bonds, but he gradually learns to face the emotional consequences of those decisions.

Teruhiko is socially clumsy and out of touch with romance and “ordinary” teenage experiences.

When Haruka Hasebe teases Kiyotaka Ayanokōji about having lunch with Hiyori Shiina as a possible last‑minute Christmas romance, Teruhiko’s lack of romantic experience becomes obvious.

His personal ideal can be summed up in one of his key lines:

“Becoming a person who can do the obvious things as a matter of course is not easy. Never forget that.”

This reflects his belief in steady effort, discipline, and the difficulty of consistently doing what should be “normal.”

Teruhiko was raised in a single‑father household after his mother left him and his father.

He despises his mother, viewing her as cowardly and despicable for abandoning them.

His given name “Teruhiko” was chosen by his mother, which causes him to hate being called by that name.

Within the Ayanokōji Group, when everyone decides to address each other by given names, he requests that they call him “Keisei” instead—reading the same kanji with a different pronunciation to distance himself from his mother.

From childhood, he was taught that studying is the central duty of a student.

He obeyed this teaching to the letter, focusing exclusively on academics at the cost of friendships, club activities, and hobbies.

By the time he entered Advanced Nurturing High School, he had virtually no friends and no background in sports, clubs, or volunteer work.

This imbalance between high academic performance and almost nonexistent social development is a key reason he is believed to have been placed into Class D.

During lectures, Teruhiko is extremely serious, always taking classes and tests with full focus.

He consistently ranks at the top in written exams within Class D, often taking the number one spot in combined scores for the five core subjects.

At the same time, his social skills and sense for group dynamics are underdeveloped.

He is not good at reading people, tends to speak harshly, and often fails to consider how his words emotionally affect others.

He initially lacks respect for the homeroom framework and is dissatisfied that his talents have been “misplaced” in Class D.

Over time, however, he comes to accept the class structure, recognize Suzune Horikita as a leader, and align his personal goals with the class’s overall progress.

Academically, Teruhiko is one of the strongest students in the entire series.

Within his year, his score is extremely close to Arisu Sakayanagi, who considers herself a genius.

On the OAA scale, Arisu Sakayanagi’s academic ability is 93, while Teruhiko’s is 92.

Based on the known rankings, this makes him effectively second in the entire grade for pure academic performance.

Within Class D, he is a core asset in written exams and long‑term study strategies, on par with top talents like Rokusuke Koenji and Suzune Horikita in overall value for test‑based events.

He maintains his high level not through innate genius but through relentless self‑study and disciplined effort.

Teruhiko is not a natural prodigy like Arisu Sakayanagi or Rokusuke Koenji.

Instead, he is a pure workhorse scholar, constantly studying and reviewing, which enables him to hold on to top‑tier grades since entrance.

However, he is not particularly adept at strategic mind games or complex psychological tactics.

For instance, during the cruise ship special exam, he largely relies on Honami Ichinose’s lead when trying to identify the VIP, showing a tendency to depend on others for strategy.

Before the year‑end exam, he even attempts a risky negotiation with Kohei Katsuragi without Suzune Horikita’s approval, seeking information from Class A.

He later realizes that, if Katsuragi had chosen to deceive him with false data, his impulsive move could have plunged his own class into crisis, and he deeply regrets acting on his own.

Teruhiko’s physical abilities are some of the lowest among the male students in Class D.

His OAA physical rating is D (30), reflecting his lack of exercise and sports training.

He is a liability during physically oriented events like the sports festival and the mixed training camp.

Where Ken Sudo excels in athletic events and compensates for his academic weakness, Teruhiko functions almost as Sudo’s direct opposite: excellent at exams, poor on the field.

Because he prioritized studying above all else and neglected physical education, he has little stamina, speed, or athletic technique.

This disparity forces him to confront the value of non‑academic skills when he realizes he is the one holding the class back during competitions.

Entrance Period and Class Placement

At the start of his high school life, Teruhiko learns from Sae Chabashira that only Class A students are guaranteed paths to their desired universities or career positions.

Despite his top‑class academic skills, he finds himself sorted into Class D and is unable to hide his anger and confusion.

He suspects that the school is judging more than just test scores and feels it is unfair that a highly capable student like him is lumped in with what he sees as “problem students.”

This fuels his early disdain for many classmates, especially those with low grades.

Cruise Ship Special Exam

In Volume 4’s cruise ship special exam, Teruhiko is assigned to the same group as Kiyotaka Ayanokōji and Kei Karuizawa.

Together with Kiyotaka, he witnesses Shiho Manabe bullying Kei, an incident that Kiyotaka later uses strategically against other classes.

Teruhiko himself does not drive the psychological strategy, highlighting his lack of expertise in that area.

He instead fills the role of a smart but somewhat straightforward supporter, contributing through reasoning and observation.

Sports Festival and Change of Attitude

The sports festival heavily exposes Teruhiko’s athletic weakness.

His poor performance makes him a clear burden on his class.

At the same time, Ken Sudo—whom Teruhiko previously looked down on for his low academic level—plays a key role in improving Class D’s overall results through his physical prowess.

This reversal of roles strikes Teruhiko deeply.

Realizing that he has been underestimating people based on a single metric—grades—he stops belittling classmates with poor academics.

He decides to become someone who can properly value others’ strengths, whether academic or not, and he starts actively cooperating with Class D.

Paper Shuffle and Formation of the Ayanokōji Group

In Volume 6’s paper shuffle exam, Teruhiko teams up with Kiyotaka Ayanokōji to tutor Akito Miyake and Haruka Hasebe.

Their study sessions end with Airi Sakura joining in, leading to the formation of the five‑member Ayanokōji Group: Kiyotaka, Teruhiko, Akito, Haruka, and Airi.

Within this group, Teruhiko naturally falls into a strategist or “advisor” position.

He often acts as the rational voice who reins in Haruka’s impulsive or risky suggestions, making him the group’s “stopper.”

Because he hates the given name “Teruhiko” associated with his mother, he asks the group to call him “Keisei” when they agree to address each other by first names.

This small but important detail reveals his lingering resentment toward his mother and his wish to redefine his identity.

Mixed Training Camp

In Volume 8’s mixed training camp, Teruhiko ends up in the same group as Kiyotaka again.

He serves as the group leader and must deal with difficult members like Rokusuke Koenji and Daichi Ishizaki.

His low physical ability and lack of natural leadership charisma make the role challenging.

However, he still tries to manage everyone as responsibly as possible, relying heavily on Kiyotaka’s presence for stability and problem‑solving.

Class Vote Exam

In Volume 10’s class vote exam, Teruhiko proposes that the five members of the Ayanokōji Group vote for one another and unify their criticism votes toward a single target.

He attempts to create a small block of organized votes to protect his friends and influence the outcome.

When he learns that Haruki Yamauchi has been scheming to betray Kiyotaka, both he and Haruka strongly condemn Yamauchi.

Teruhiko pushes for consolidating their critical votes, revealing his willingness to move decisively once he judges someone to be a threat to the group.

Year‑End Exam and Negotiations with Katsuragi

In Volume 11’s year‑end exam, Class D faces Class A.

Teruhiko tries to squeeze information out of Kohei Katsuragi, whose relationship with Arisu Sakayanagi has soured due to the earlier class vote.

Acting on his own without Suzune Horikita’s approval, he approaches Katsuragi with a proposal, hoping to gain a tactical edge.

Although his gamble happens to work this time, he later realizes how dangerous his unilateral move was and fears he could have been fed false intel that would sabotage his class.

This moment underscores his growth: he has the initiative and drive to act, but he also learns to reflect deeply on the consequences of reckless decisions.

Shock at Kiyotaka’s True Ability

At the end of the second‑year Volume 1, a special mathematics test contains several university‑level questions.

Kiyotaka Ayanokōji is revealed to be the only student in the grade to score a perfect 100.

This revelation shakes Teruhiko profoundly.

He had considered himself among the very best academically, yet Kiyotaka’s hidden ability is clearly several steps beyond his own.

Trust, Jealousy, and Reconciliation

In Volume 2 of the second‑year arc, Suzune Horikita explains that Kiyotaka had been intentionally hiding his true strength.

Teruhiko can intellectually understand Kiyotaka’s reasoning but emotionally cannot accept it so easily.

His self‑worth is rooted in academic excellence.

Realizing that Kiyotaka not only surpasses him academically by a large margin but also has been hiding this fact all along deeply wounds his pride and sense of trust.

He even briefly considers leaving the Ayanokōji Group because he feels betrayed.

However, he also recognizes that Kiyotaka has consistently contributed to the class and that attacking him for hiding his ability would be irrational and unfair.

In the end, Teruhiko chooses to forgive him and reconcile, balancing his wounded pride with his rational judgment and appreciation for Kiyotaka’s efforts.

This reconciliation signals a more mature stage in his growth, where he can accept his own limitations while still respecting others.

Unanimous Special Exam and Conflicts of Values

In Volume 5 of the second‑year arc, the unanimous special exam imposes extremely heavy penalties on the class depending on their choices.

Teruhiko remains intensely focused on the ultimate goal of reaching Class A throughout the exam.

When Kikyo Kushida maneuvering leads to Suzune Horikita becoming the target for expulsion, Teruhiko expresses an opinion that the class may not be able to prioritize a single person over the class’s advancement.

Class points and advancement to Class A, from his perspective, cannot be easily sacrificed.

Later, when Airi Sakura and Haruka Hasebe are suggested as potential sacrifices instead of Kikyo, Teruhiko ends up siding with Kiyotaka and Suzune.

He effectively chooses class gains over protecting every individual, revealing a pragmatic, sometimes cold side to his personality.

He is deeply aware that these decisions are harsh and morally heavy.

This internal conflict—between his ambition and his friendships—makes him a very human, flawed but relatable character.

Fallout and Guilt After Sakura’s Withdrawal

After the unanimous exam, Airi Sakura ends up leaving the school.

Teruhiko has aligned himself with Kiyotaka in supporting decisions that indirectly lead to her withdrawal.

As a result, he becomes estranged from Haruka Hasebe and Akito Miyake for some time.

He senses that the Ayanokōji Group is essentially collapsing under the weight of the exam’s outcome and their divided priorities.

He carries a substantial sense of guilt for choosing class advancement over Airi’s future.

Until after the cultural festival in Volume 7, he lives with the heavy awareness that he sacrificed a friend for what he believed was the rational choice.

Eventually, he and Haruka manage to reconcile, though the scars of the incident linger.

This reconciliation closes one painful chapter for him, showing that he is willing to face his mistakes and seek forgiveness rather than escape from them.

Kiyotaka Ayanokōji

For Teruhiko, Kiyotaka is his closest male friend and the person he relies on most during complicated situations like the mixed training camp.

He admires Kiyotaka’s calmness and results, even if he cannot fully grasp his true nature.

When Kiyotaka’s real academic power is revealed, Teruhiko struggles with jealousy and a sense of betrayal.

Despite these feelings, he never truly denies or condemns Kiyotaka; he ultimately chooses to understand him and remain by his side.

Even when Kiyotaka operates with secrets and long‑term schemes, Teruhiko respects the results and the benefits brought to the class.

Their relationship evolves from classmate and tutor partner to a complex mix of admiration, rivalry, and trust.

Akito Miyake

Akito Miyake is one of Teruhiko’s closest friends in Class D and part of the original Ayanokōji Group.

Teruhiko initially connects with him by teaching him and Haruka during their study group for exams.

Although their personalities differ—Akito being more relaxed and down‑to‑earth—the shared experience of studying and surviving tests builds a quiet but solid bond.

However, Airi’s withdrawal and the unanimous exam strain the relationships within the group, including Teruhiko’s with Akito.

Haruka Hasebe

Haruka Hasebe is another core member of the Ayanokōji Group.

She is more spontaneous and emotional compared to Teruhiko’s rational and conservative nature.

Teruhiko often serves as her “stopper,” pushing back on her wilder or riskier suggestions.

They start off with a friendly dynamic, with Haruka teasing him and him responding in a somewhat stiff but genuine way.

After Airi’s withdrawal, however, Haruka cannot accept that Teruhiko sided with Kiyotaka in effectively sacrificing a friend.

The two grow distant up through the cultural festival.

Teruhiko feels strong guilt toward her, knowing that his decisions helped break the group.

Eventually, they manage to reconcile, showing that both have matured enough to face the past and move forward.

Airi Sakura

Airi Sakura joins the group as a somewhat shy, late addition who is warmly accepted by both Teruhiko and Akito.

Teruhiko treats her kindly, guiding her academically alongside the others.

During the unanimous special exam in the second year, Airi becomes one of the major candidates to be sacrificed in place of Kikyo Kushida.

Teruhiko, fixated on the class’s advancement and overwhelmed by the severe penalties, ends up supporting the choice that leads to Airi leaving the school.

This decision haunts him deeply afterward.

Even though he can rationalize it as necessary for Class D’s future, emotionally he feels that he has betrayed a friend who trusted him.

Suzune Horikita

Suzune Horikita is a classmate with whom Teruhiko shares high academic standards and an initially icy personality.

At first, he does not feel comfortable with her as the de facto leader of Class D, partly due to her cold way of speaking and harsh judgment.

Over time, however, he recognizes Suzune’s growth, leadership, and dedication to the class.

He gradually shifts from skepticism to trust.

By the time of the unanimous special exam, Teruhiko is willing to propose that the class give Suzune a protection point to shield her from expulsion.

This shows that he now recognizes her as a vital leader and is prepared to defend her.

Ken Sudo

Ken Sudo and Teruhiko are natural opposites: one is a physical powerhouse with low academic ability, the other is an academic elite with low athletics.

Initially, Teruhiko looks down on Sudo for his poor grades and rough behavior.

The sports festival dramatically changes this dynamic.

Witnessing Sudo’s huge positive impact on the class pushes Teruhiko to respect strengths outside of academics.

They do not become close friends in the same sense as the Ayanokōji Group, but Teruhiko stops belittling Sudo and acknowledges his value.

This recognition is one of the key turning points in Teruhiko’s character evolution.

Other Classmates and Teachers

Teruhiko’s relationship with Sae Chabashira starts from a place of frustration, as she is the one explaining the harsh reality of the class system.

He initially sees her as the bearer of bad news more than a supportive teacher.

With Kohei Katsuragi, he has a tentative alliance during the year‑end exam negotiations.

Katsuragi’s willingness to cooperate saves Teruhiko’s reckless move from backfiring and helps teach him a lesson about trust and risk.

He is also repeatedly involved with Kei Karuizawa through group assignments and incidents he witnesses alongside Kiyotaka.

Though not especially close to her personally, he gradually comes to understand the complicated social side of the class through such events.

In general, Teruhiko’s journey across the series is one of moving from isolation and intellectual arrogance toward cooperation, empathy, and more balanced judgment.

He remains fiercely ambitious and academically driven, but he steadily learns that “doing the obvious things” includes respecting others, facing guilt, and taking responsibility for his choices.