“Morning, Hayato!”
“Morning, Tobe!”
“Morning, Yumiko!”
“Yui!”
Cliques were everywhere in Japanese schools.
As soon as morning started, the classroom filled with students calling out to their own groups.
Ren sat at his desk in silence, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed out the window.
He didn’t say hello to anyone, and no one greeted him either.
After he transmigrated and got the original Ren’s memories, everything became clear.
The old Ren was a loner with no friends, and things were even worse—he’d been bullied and left out by everyone.
The pressure became too much for him, and he ended up taking his own life.
That’s how the current Ren ended up in his body.
‘Bullying, huh…’ He shook his head slightly.
In Japan, school bullying was almost a tradition.
It happened in nearly every school.
He wasn’t really antisocial, but he didn’t feel like making friends.
If this world was just a lighthearted anime, maybe he’d try for a romance.
But things were darker here.
Rather than get caught up in school drama, he’d rather focus on hunting evil spirits tonight.
“Class is starting!”
The warning bell rang, and Shizuka Hiratsuka walked into the classroom in her usual lab coat and sharp suit.
She was known at Sobu High for being strict, so the room went quiet right away.
At lunchtime, everyone broke off into their usual groups to eat.
“Yui, your lunch looks great!”
“Not at all, Yumiko!
Yours looks way fancier!”
“Oishii!”
Ren picked up the bread he’d bought earlier and left the room by himself.
No one paid attention to him since he didn’t have friends.
At best, someone might glance his way.
Since coming to this world, he’d spent his lunch breaks on the school rooftop.
The view was nice, and it was a quiet spot to eat and think.
“Hmm?”
But today was different—he wasn’t alone.
He spotted someone in a classic sailor uniform and dark pantyhose.
It was Utaha Kasumigaoka, a well-known beauty from the anime world and a bestselling light novel author with over half a million copies sold.
“Hmm?” Seeing Ren step onto the roof, Utaha frowned.
“Sorry to intrude,” Ren said casually.
He didn’t pay her much attention and went to his usual spot, sitting a short distance from her.
He apologized but didn’t leave.
Utaha’s eye twitched a little, but she stayed quiet.
After all, the rooftop didn’t belong to her.
A heavy silence hung between them.
Neither of them spoke.
Ren just ate his bread and looked out at the horizon.
Honestly, it was hard not to feel a little excited sitting next to a legendary anime waifu.
But with spiritual energy coming back and urban legends everywhere, his priorities had changed.
Right now, getting stronger was more important than chasing after girls.
Utaha didn’t stick around for long.
The moment she finished her lunch, she stood up and prepared to head back downstairs.
“Hmm?” After finishing his meal, Ren finally looked at her closely.
As soon as their eyes met, he frowned.
“Hey.
You!”
“…” Utaha stopped and looked back at him with a strange expression.
‘Is he trying to hit on me?’
“Here’s my business card.” Ren reached into his pocket and took out a small card he’d printed a few days earlier.
“A business card?” she thought.
If he didn’t look so serious, she would have just thought he was another campus creep.
She took the card and glanced at it.
“Ren?”
One side had his name and a phone number.
And the other side…
“Exorcism?”
Just that single word.
“That’s right.” Ren didn’t miss a beat.
Seeing her odd look, he nodded seriously.
“I dabble in physiognomy, or face reading.
The space between your brows is covered with dark energy, mixed with a clear shade of red.
That means you’re headed for a violent, bloody disaster soon.
If you need help with it, just call me.”
If he hadn’t gotten the Mystic Physiognomy skill from the system last night, he wouldn’t have noticed anything.
This world was truly dangerous.
Even famous anime heroines could end up dead in a gutter.
Face reading?
A bloody disaster?
Utaha didn’t say a word.
She just stared at him with cold, flat eyes.
Ren stared right back, completely unfazed.
“Hah…” Utaha let out a dry laugh.
“Your pick-up tactics are unique, I’ll give you that.”
Just as he thought, she assumed he was using some weird trick to hit on her.
To be fair, pretending to have a psychic vision was a new one, even for her.
She let the business card fall to the ground and walked out the rooftop door without looking back.
As the school’s top beauty and a successful author, Utaha was proud and had no time for guys trying to hit on her.
Ren stayed quiet.
He watched her walk away, his expression calm as he withdrew his gaze.
He wasn’t scamming her.
The face-reading technique was real.
And the bloody omen hanging over her head was very real.
‘Whatever.
I thought I could make a quick buck.’
He wasn’t interested in acting like a hero just to impress a pretty girl.
His bank account was low, and Utaha, as a published author, definitely had money.
Losing her as a client wasn’t a big deal.
He could always find someone else.
With his skills, making money wouldn’t be hard for long.
If things got really bad, he could always rob some local street thugs.
Watch out, delinquents.
There’s a new boss in town!!
After finishing the last bite of his bread, Ren headed back to class.
…
Japanese high schools had a relaxed approach to education, so classes usually ended by two or three in the afternoon.
As a proud member of the Going Home Club, Ren grabbed his bag as soon as the final bell rang and headed straight out the door.
If you weren’t racing for the exit at the end of the day, your priorities were definitely off.
It helps new readers find it.
And of course, your Power Stones help push the story forward.
Thanks for reading.