Tokyo in June was always swallowed by the gloomy atmosphere of the Plum Rain Season before anyone even noticed it arriving.
The sky outside the classroom windows looked as though someone had smeared layers of gray paint across it, oppressive and heavy enough to suffocate people.
Rainwater crawled slowly down the glass walls of Sobu High School’s teaching building, distorting the outside scenery into blurry patches of color.
Inside the classroom, the teacher’s lecture droned on like a hypnotic lullaby.
The repetitive thud of chalk against the blackboard mixed perfectly with the endless rainfall outside, creating the ideal soundtrack for an afternoon nap.
Seated in the second-to-last row beside the window, the spot commonly known in anime as the protagonist’s exclusive seat, a young man rested his chin against one hand while staring expressionlessly at the rainy scenery outside.
His appearance was neat but unremarkable.
Short black hair fell messily over his eyes, and those dark pupils resembled stagnant water without the slightest ripple of emotion.
Combined with the gloomy aura surrounding him, he radiated a natural “stay away from me” atmosphere.
Fujiwara Ai.
That was his current name.
As a transmigrator from China, he had already spent an entire week living in this bizarre Integrated Anime World.
“…Fujiwara-san?”
The teacher on the podium finally noticed his distraction and called out cautiously.
Fujiwara Ai slowly turned his head.
His hollow black eyes stared directly at the teacher without the slightest fluctuation.
He neither stood up nor apologized.
He simply tilted his head slightly as if asking, “Is there a problem?”
The classroom instantly fell silent for a moment.
The teacher felt his heart skip under that indifferent gaze and hurriedly waved his hand awkwardly.
“N-no, nothing.
Just pay attention to class.”
Fujiwara Ai quietly withdrew his gaze and continued staring out the rain-covered window.
How much longer do I have to maintain this damn cold protagonist persona…
Internally, he was roaring in frustration, but the muscles on his face remained completely unmoving, maintaining a perfect deadpan expression as if someone owed him five million yen.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to smile.
He simply couldn’t.
The thing that arrived alongside his transmigration, the mysterious [Romance Strategy System], had given him an incredibly irritating starter condition.
Because his soul and body had not yet fully synchronized with this world, excessive emotional fluctuations would trigger excruciating soul-tearing pain.
In short, if he wanted to avoid dying painfully, he had to act like an emotionless cool guy at all times.
“System.
Open panel.”
A translucent blue screen visible only to him instantly unfolded before his eyes.
[Host: Fujiwara Ai]
[Age: 18]
[Stamina: 8 (Average adult male: 10)]
[Evaluation: Weakling.
Suggested treatment: run two more laps.]
[Intelligence: 14 (Average human: 10)]
[Evaluation: Smart, but not especially useful.]
[Charm: 70 (Passerby Level)]
[Evaluation: Throw him into a crowd and nobody will notice.
As long as you stay silent, your existence becomes background scenery.]
[Skills: Acting (Mastery), Japanese (Mastery), Housekeeping (Beginner)]
[Current Task: None]
[Novice Gift Pack: Claimed]
[Passive Skill Obtained: Spiritual Vision Lv.1]
Looking at the glaring “Charm: 70” value, Fujiwara Ai felt a stomach ache coming on.
In this two-dimensional anime world overflowing with handsome protagonists and beautiful heroines, a charm value of seventy was basically a tragedy.
Although his facial features themselves were quite good, the original owner’s terrible sleeping habits had left his complexion dull, while constantly maintaining a cold expression made his eyes appear gloomy and lifeless.
Combined with his weak physique, he looked exactly like a depressing background character.
“Charm value…
this is basically the main stat for capturing heroines, isn’t it?”
Just as Fujiwara Ai was silently staring at the panel, the dismissal bell finally rang.
“Hey, hey, Miko!
Want to grab bubble tea later?
There’s a new shop near the station!”
A lively female voice suddenly sounded from the front row.
Fujiwara Ai’s ears twitched slightly.
The speaker was a cheerful orange-haired girl with an impressive figure, Yurikawa Hana.
Beside her sat a black-haired girl quietly packing her school bag.
Yotsuya Miko.
“S-sorry, Hana…
I’m not feeling too well today.
I want to go home early.”
Yotsuya Miko’s voice trembled slightly, sounding like she was trying desperately to suppress fear.
Fujiwara Ai lifted his eyes slightly.
Through the gaps between students, his gaze landed on Yotsuya Miko.
Her face was frighteningly pale.
Her eyes were red as though she had been holding back tears for a very long time.
She desperately shoved textbooks into her school bag with panicked movements, even knocking her eraser onto the floor.
And perched on her shoulder was something disgusting.
A bloated gray-skinned “uncle” with a twisted neck and cloudy eyes bulging from their sockets stared obsessively at Yotsuya Miko’s face while letting out a raspy whisper audible only at certain frequencies.
“C-can…
you…
see…
me…?”
Rotten saliva dripped from its mouth onto her school uniform collar.
Yotsuya Miko’s body had become completely stiff.
She bit down hard on her lips while pretending not to notice anything, but the trembling of her fingers exposed her terror.
This was the effect of Fujiwara Ai’s novice reward skill.
[Spiritual Vision Lv.1]
Although he could only vaguely see spirits and hear fragmented sounds, it was already enough to deal massive psychological damage.
How pitiful, Miko-san…
Fujiwara Ai silently sympathized with her for a moment.
Right then, the system suddenly popped up a flashing red notification.
[Ding!
Random Task Triggered!]
[Task Name: Helping Hand in the Rain]
[Task Description: Yotsuya Miko is currently experiencing extreme fear.
Due to forgetting her umbrella, she is about to be followed home by a Malevolent Spirit.
Please assist the target without breaking character.]
[Task Reward: Charm +1 (Will subtly take effect within 48 hours), Random Life Skill Book x1]
The corner of Fujiwara Ai’s eye twitched slightly.
He could only force himself to deal with it.
At this moment, Yurikawa Hana had already left with other classmates, leaving Yotsuya Miko alone as she hurried toward the back door while lowering her head.
The Malevolent Spirit attached to her shoulder continued whispering relentlessly beside her face.
“Hey…
you can see me…
right…?”
Tears were already gathering in Yotsuya Miko’s eyes.
She tightly gripped her school bag strap as she prepared to leave the classroom.
Then suddenly—
“Please move.”
A cold, low, emotionless voice sounded beside her.
Yotsuya Miko jumped in fright and abruptly stopped walking before nervously looking up.
What entered her vision was Fujiwara Ai’s expressionless face.
The young man carried his school bag over one shoulder while holding a long black umbrella in his hand.
His dark eyes looked hollow and distant, as though he was staring not at her, but at the empty space behind her.
“Fu…
Fujiwara-san?”
Fujiwara Ai didn’t answer.
His gaze shifted slightly toward the spirit clinging to her shoulder.
Although his cold persona should theoretically pretend not to notice it, the moment [Spiritual Vision] activated, his eyes naturally focused on the creature.
The Malevolent Spirit suddenly froze.
It slowly turned its twisted neck and met Fujiwara Ai’s dark gaze directly.
Because of the abnormal soul fluctuations caused by his transmigration, the spirit instinctively felt overwhelming danger from him.
“Scram.”
Fujiwara Ai’s lips barely moved as he uttered a single quiet word.
Only the spirit heard it clearly.
The Malevolent Spirit stiffened before releasing a piercing shriek.
Like something burned by fire, it immediately leapt off Yotsuya Miko’s shoulder and disappeared into the hallway shadows.
Yotsuya Miko suddenly felt the freezing pressure around her disappear.
The terrifying sensation of being watched vanished instantly.
She blinked blankly in confusion.
Although she had no idea what just happened, the horrifying presence was definitely gone.
“Sorry.
I was blocking the way.”
Fujiwara Ai spoke indifferently before walking past her.
A faint scent of clean laundry detergent lingered behind him.
Yotsuya Miko remained frozen in place while watching his lonely back disappear down the hallway.
Just now…
was that really a coincidence?
Fujiwara Ai changed his shoes at the lockers and prepared to open his umbrella before stepping into the rain.
Then the system notification sounded again.
[Detected that the task has not been fully completed.]
“Tsk.”
Fujiwara Ai clicked his tongue internally.
Turning around, he saw Yotsuya Miko still standing beneath the entrance roof while staring anxiously at the heavy rain outside.
Although that Malevolent Spirit had fled, countless distorted black shadows still flickered vaguely within the rain curtain.
Fujiwara Ai sighed silently before turning back.
Seeing him return, Yotsuya Miko looked visibly nervous.
“Fu…
Fujiwara-san?”
Without saying anything, Fujiwara Ai extended the black umbrella toward her.
“Take it.”
Short.
Direct.
Concise.
Yotsuya Miko froze.
“Eh?
B-but if you give it to me…
what about you, Fujiwara-san?”
Fujiwara Ai simply placed the umbrella into her hands.
When their fingertips brushed lightly against each other, both of them subtly paused.
The girl’s skin felt cold and delicate.
His fingers were warm.
“You need it more than I do.”
His voice sounded especially clear amidst the rain, cold yet strangely reassuring.
“Ah…
wait…”
Yotsuya Miko subconsciously reached out, but Fujiwara Ai had already disappeared around the corner.
The umbrella handle still carried his warmth.
On this cold rainy evening, it became the only source of warmth in her hands.
Yotsuya Miko stood there blankly.
The disgusting sewer-like stench surrounding her seemed to weaken, while the distorted shadows lurking nearby appeared unwilling to approach the umbrella.
It was almost like…
a protective talisman.
Meanwhile, Fujiwara Ai returned to his apartment.
“System.
Settle the task.”
[Ding!
Task “Helping Hand in the Rain” completed!]
[Reward Issued: Charm +1, Random Life Skill Book x1]
A warm current slowly spread from his chest.
It wasn’t the exaggerated body reconstruction often described in novels, but rather a subtle nourishing sensation slowly flowing throughout his body.
[Hint: Increased Charm will gradually optimize the host’s skin condition and micro-expression management within 48 hours.
Please wait patiently.]
Fujiwara Ai stared into the bathroom mirror.
There was no dramatic transformation.
He merely looked slightly cleaner than before.
“So it’s not some instant facelift cheat.”
He laughed self-deprecatingly before activating the Random Skill Book.
[Congratulations!
You have acquired: God-Tier Cooking (Home Cooking)]
[Source: Food Wars World]
[Description: Although your dishes cannot cause clothes to explode, every meal you cook will possess irresistible warmth capable of conquering people’s hearts through their stomachs.]
Fujiwara Ai casually tested the skill by making scrambled eggs with scallions using ingredients left inside the refrigerator.
The result was surprisingly delicious.
Far better than convenience store food.
The next morning, Fujiwara Ai woke up feeling slightly lighter than usual.
Standing before the mirror again, he carefully examined himself.
There were still no dramatic changes.
However, his complexion had improved slightly, his dark circles had faded somewhat, and his eyes looked less lifeless than before.
Yesterday he had resembled a gloomy background character.
Today he looked more like a relatively clean gloomy background character.
[Charm: 71]
The changes were subtle enough that nobody would notice without careful observation.
“Not bad.
At least I didn’t become some pretty-boy sissy.”
After changing into Sobu High School’s black stand-collar uniform, Fujiwara Ai headed to school.
Entering Class 2-F, everything seemed perfectly normal.
Nobody paid special attention to him.
After all, a Charm value of seventy-one wasn’t enough to suddenly turn him into a popular protagonist.
However, when he passed Yotsuya Miko’s desk, the girl suddenly stood up nervously.
“U-um…
Fujiwara-san!”
Yotsuya Miko looked far healthier today.
Blushing slightly, she nervously held out the black umbrella with both hands.
“Th-this…
thank you very much for yesterday!”
Fujiwara Ai stopped walking and quietly looked at her.
Yotsuya Miko’s heart skipped a beat.
For some reason, Fujiwara-san today seemed…
slightly more attractive than yesterday.
And when standing close to him, the faint clean scent from his clothes gave her an inexplicable sense of safety.
“Mhm.”
Fujiwara Ai accepted the umbrella calmly.
Their fingertips brushed together again.
Yotsuya Miko immediately retracted her hand as though shocked, her ears turning red.
Then suddenly—
[Ding!
Emergency Side Task Triggered!]
[Task Name: Invisible Prank]
[Task Description: An Earthbound Spirit is preparing to trip Yotsuya Miko in the aisle.]
Fujiwara Ai narrowed his eyes slightly.
Within his vision, a tiny upper-body ghost lay stretched across the floor with its long tongue extended directly into Yotsuya Miko’s walking path.
Completely unaware, Yotsuya Miko prepared to sit down.
“Ah!”
She stumbled suddenly and lost her balance toward the nearby desk corner.
At the critical moment, a hand reached out.
Fujiwara Ai stepped forward instantly.
His left arm wrapped securely around Yotsuya Miko’s waist while his right hand braced against the desk.
“Thump.”
The girl’s soft body crashed directly into his chest.
Time seemed to freeze.
Yotsuya Miko slowly opened her eyes and saw the clean white collar of his shirt and the sharp line of his collarbone directly before her face.
They were absurdly close.
Close enough for her to smell his cool and comforting scent clearly.
The warmth of the hand supporting her waist felt unbelievably hot.
Fujiwara Ai looked down calmly at the girl in his arms.
Although his expression remained indifferent, his hold on her was firm and steady.
Meanwhile, the Earthbound Spirit let out a shrill scream before instantly dissipating under the strange suppression surrounding Fujiwara Ai.
“Be careful.”
His calm voice sounded above her head.
The slight airflow brushing past her ear made her entire body tremble.
Yotsuya Miko’s mind completely blanked.
This was…
Fujiwara-san’s embrace?
There was no fear.
No freezing cold.
Instead, it was warm enough to make her almost want to stay there forever.
“S-sorry!”
Realizing their position, Yotsuya Miko’s face instantly turned crimson.
She hurriedly escaped his embrace before burying her face against her desk like an ostrich.
Fujiwara Ai calmly withdrew his hand.
Yet the unbelievably soft feeling of her waist still lingered faintly at his fingertips.
Ignoring the jealous stares from surrounding male classmates, he casually returned to his own seat.
[Ding!
Task completed!]
[Yotsuya Miko Affection +10]
[Current Affection: 25 (Slightly Dependent Acquaintance)]
[Reward: Charm +1]
[Effect will fully manifest tomorrow morning.]
Fujiwara Ai rested his chin on one hand while staring out the window again.
Outwardly, he remained calm and steady.
Internally, however, he was screaming in embarrassment.
Can we please have fewer socially suicidal scenes like this in the future?!
My poker face is seriously about to crack!
Meanwhile, in the front row, Yotsuya Miko secretly raised her head slightly and peeked at the young man by the window.
Her heartbeat still refused to calm down.