The first lesson ended so quickly that I barely noticed it.
Or rather…
I slept through it.
At night, my body was still holding on out of sheer stubbornness.
But now, with the adrenaline from the fight completely gone, exhaustion hit all at once.
The bell rang.
Noise immediately filled the classroom.
Students started getting up, talking, and some headed out into the hallway.
I silently laid my head on the desk.
“Five minutes…”
“Just five minutes…”
…
— Hey, look…
— He’s asleep again.
— Seriously?
— It’s the first day…
— Maybe he’s sick?
— Or just shameless.
I heard fragments of conversations as if through water.
But I no longer had the strength to react.
A moment later, my consciousness finally slipped into sleep.
I woke up to the sound of the bell.
I jerked my head up.
A teacher was already standing in front of me.
— Kurosaki.
— Sorry.
I calmly stood up.
— It won’t happen again.
The teacher looked at me attentively for a few seconds.
Then just sighed tiredly.
— Sit down.
It seemed today’s nap during the ceremony had already spread throughout the entire school.
Great.
My reputation was getting better and better.
The second lesson turned out to be no easier.
I honestly tried to listen to the explanation.
I even opened my notebook.
Wrote down the date.
The topic title.
After that, I didn’t even notice how the pen froze in my hand.
Everything in front of my eyes began to blur.
“No…”
“Not now…”
…
The next thing I heard…
Was another bell.
“Are you kidding me…”
The second break passed almost the same way.
I fell asleep again.
This time, no one was even surprised.
My classmates only glanced in my direction.
But no one dared to approach.
“And that’s good.”
“The less people interact with me right now…”
“The lower the chance of accidentally changing something too early.”
Right now, it was more important for me to observe.
To remember.
And to wait for the right moment.
The third break.
This time, they didn’t let me sleep peacefully.
— Hey, Kurosaki-kun!
I slowly opened my eyes.
Kagami Mio was standing in front of my desk.
Her short hair was slightly tousled after class, and a lively smile played on her face, just like in the morning.
Hands on her hips.
Direct gaze.
Not afraid at all.
“Of course…”
“Mio was never afraid of anyone in the game either.”
— Hm?
— Why are you sleeping all the time?
The classroom suddenly became suspiciously quiet.
No one even turned in our direction.
But for some reason, absolutely everyone started listening.
— I didn’t sleep much.
— Are you sick?
— No.
— Then why?
— I was working.
Mio blinked.
— Working?
— Yeah.
— You… have a part-time job?
— Have to.
For a few seconds, she just stared at me.
Then scratched the back of her head.
— Damn…
— Then sorry for waking you up.
— It’s fine.
— You just looked like you were about to merge with the desk.
I couldn’t help but smile.
— It’s already half of me.
Mio laughed loudly.
— Ha! At least you have a sense of humor.
She was about to leave, but suddenly turned around again.
— By the way…
— Those rumors…
I calmly looked at her.
— About the fights.
— Is that true?
The entire class fell silent.
Even Haruto, sitting not far away, involuntarily raised his head.
I answered completely calmly.
— It’s true.
Mio wasn’t even surprised.
— Got it.
A small pause.
— But why?
— Three guys were beating up one.
I stepped in.
Silence.
So long that you could hear someone closing a window in the hallway.
Mio looked me straight in the eyes attentively.
As if checking whether I was lying or not.
Then she unexpectedly nodded.
— Understood.
And simply returned to her desk.
I followed her with my gaze.
“Strange.”
“In the game, she always tried to understand everything too.”
From the other end of the classroom, I heard a quiet voice.
— Did you hear that?
— So he didn’t just fight for no reason…
— Still scary though…
— But…
— He’s actually quite handsome…
— Shut up!
I quietly sighed.
“Looks like my first impression today isn’t going to change anytime soon.”
The cafeteria was still ahead.
The lunch break came unnoticed.
As soon as the bell rang, the class came alive again.
I calmly took a tray and settled at the farthest table by the window.
It was simpler that way.
For me…
And for everyone else.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the familiar group.
Sakurai-kun was already sitting at the table with Kagami-san and Amano-san.
A minute later, another girl joined them.
A tall, slender blonde with long light hair.
Sakamoto Rin.
— Hi everyone.
— Rin! — Mio was the first to respond. — Finally! Where have you been?
Rin smiled and set her tray down on the table.
— The teacher held me back. Asked me to help with documents.
— Ugh… too bad you got assigned to a different class again.
— Yeah… — Rin smiled weakly. — It would’ve been more fun to study together.
Haruto just scratched the back of his head guiltily.
— But we still meet up for lunch.
— That’s true.
I couldn’t help but smile.
“Just like in the game…”
Rin was about to sit down when her gaze suddenly stopped on me.
For a few seconds she just looked.
Then she seemed to decide something.
— I’ll be right back.
— Huh? — Mio was surprised.
Without answering, Rin took her tray and headed straight toward me.
The entire cafeteria seemed to fall quiet.
“Unexpected.”
She stopped opposite me.
— May I?
I silently nodded.
Rin carefully sat down across from me and, leaning slightly forward, whispered almost inaudibly:
— Thank you.
I looked at her questioningly.
— For helping me.
She smiled faintly.
— My name is Sakamoto Rin.
— Kurosaki Ren.
She quietly laughed.
— I already know that.
For a few seconds she was silent.
Then suddenly spoke in English:
— I saw your fight. Honestly… it was terrifying. But that bastard deserved every second of it. We found his drugs and everything he had planned… I don’t even want to imagine what could have happened to me if you hadn’t stepped in.
She spoke faster and faster.
Completely forgetting she was in a Japanese school.
At some point, Rin suddenly froze.
Her eyes widened.
— Oh…
Rin looked away in embarrassment.
— Sorry… I switched to English again without noticing.
I just smiled slightly and replied in perfect English:
— I’m just glad I could help. Besides, your father and grandfather were very generous. The money they gave me helped me out a lot.
Rin froze again.
This time completely.
— You…
— You speak without any accent…
— Almost like a native speaker…
I shrugged.
— I practiced a lot.
She stared at me silently for a few more seconds.
Then quietly laughed.
— Thank you…
— Really, thank you.
Her smile was sincere.
But…
I noticed something else.
When I accidentally moved my hand slightly from the table…
She flinched almost imperceptibly.
Just a little.
But it was enough.
“Got it…”
“She’s still scared.”
And I couldn’t blame her for that.
If an ordinary person had seen that fight…
Their reaction would probably have been the same.
She quickly pulled herself together.
— If you ever need help…
She hesitated for a second.
— Or… anything at all…
— Just say the word.
I nodded.
— Thank you.
— I think I don’t need anything right now.
Rin smiled again.
— Then… see you around, Kurosaki-kun.
She stood up and quickly returned to her table.
She hadn’t even sat down yet when Mio immediately leaned over the table.
— Rin!
— What was that just now?!
— You just met Kurosaki-kun!
— How do you know each other?
Haruto also looked at her with curiosity.
Even Yuki quietly raised her gaze from her tray.
Rin glanced in my direction for a second.
Then calmly replied:
— He once helped me a lot.
— I just wanted to thank him.
— That’s all.
— Seriously?
— Yeah.
She smiled but didn’t go into details.
I saw Mio suspiciously shift her gaze between Rin and me for a few more seconds.
Haruto looked more surprised.
Yuki, on the other hand…
Seemed a little relieved.
It looked like if a person she had known for over a year was calmly talking to me…
Maybe…
I wasn’t as dangerous as the rumors said.
I silently continued eating.
“Funny…”
“The first plot change happened in a completely different place than I expected.”
“And now…”
“At least one of the heroines trusts me.”
“Although…”
I couldn’t help but smirk.
“After what she saw yesterday in the ring…”
“Trust is probably too strong a word.”
“More like…”
“She’s grateful to me…”
“And a little scared of me.”
“And, perhaps…”
“That’s completely normal.”
The fourth break came almost unnoticed.
I closed my notebook and looked toward the group by the window.
Just as expected…
Sakurai-kun, Kagami-san, Amano-san, and Sakamoto-san were together again.
They were talking about something cheerfully.
Rin laughed from time to time.
Mio was gesturing the most actively.
“Now or never.”
I stood up from my desk.
The moment I took a few steps…
Conversations in the classroom began to gradually die down.
Everyone was watching again.
“These curious people…”
Approaching their table, I stopped next to Rin.
— Sakamoto-san.
She looked up.
— Kurosaki-kun?
— Can I borrow you for literally a couple of minutes?
She blinked in surprise.
— Of course.
Mio immediately smiled mischievously.
— Ooooh?
— What’s this about?
Rin just shrugged and followed me out into the hallway.
When the classroom door closed, she looked at me questioningly.
— Did something happen?
— No.
I took out my phone.
— I wanted to ask for your help.
— Me?
— Yes.
She looked even more surprised.
— I heard you run a blog?
Rin nodded.
— Yes…
— Then you definitely understand how important the first push is for a new account.
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
— A new account?
— I’m planning to relaunch my social media.
In the future, I want to stream, run a blog, and create content seriously.
But starting from zero takes too long.
So I need a good start.
Rin looked at me for a few seconds.
Then quietly laughed.
— So you want to use my audience?
— Exactly.
— Honestly, without any unnecessary romance.
She laughed even louder.
— Kurosaki-kun, you’re very direct.
— It’s simpler that way.
— So, what are you suggesting?
— A short challenge.
I showed her the phone screen.
— The format is simple: “Japanese schoolgirl from America vs the new guy — who knows English better.”
Rin blinked.
Then a lively interest appeared in her eyes.
— Oh…
— This could work.
— It will work.
— Your audience knows you lived in America.
— They’ll expect you to win easily.
I shrugged.
— And then I’ll answer without an accent.
Rin was silent for a few seconds.
Then she smiled.
— You’ve already thought this through.
— Yes.
— Not bad.
— So, are you in?
She tilted her head slightly.
— After what you did for me…
— This isn’t even help.
— It’s a small thing.
We went out into the hallway by the window where there was enough light.
Rin took out her phone.
— Better to film on mine.
— If I post it first, the algorithm will pick it up faster.
— Perfect.
I stood next to her.
Rin turned on the front camera, framed both of us, and immediately changed.
Her smile became brighter.
Her voice — more lively.
True blogger mode.
— Hi everyone! Today I have an unexpected challenge!
She turned the camera slightly toward me.
— This is Kurosaki-kun, a new student at our school. And we’re going to test who handles an English blitz better!
I calmly nodded at the camera.
— Hello.
Rin smiled wider.
— Ready?
— Always.
— First question!
She quickly switched to English.
— What would you say if you were completely lost in New York?
— I’d ask for directions first. Then I’d pretend I knew where I was going so I wouldn’t look like a tourist.
Rin burst out laughing.
— Okay, good answer. Next! How do you order coffee when you’re exhausted?
— Large. Black. No sugar. And please don’t ask me any emotional questions before I drink it.
— That’s too real!
She laughed genuinely this time.
Then suddenly sped up.
— Last one! Translate: “Я не ожидала, что ты настолько хорошо говоришь по-английски.”
I answered immediately.
— I didn’t expect you to speak English this well.
Rin froze for a second.
Then raised her eyebrows.
— …Okay. I lose.
I smirked.
— Good game.
She stopped the recording and immediately rewatched the clip.
— This…
— This could actually go viral.
— Especially the coffee moment.
— So, shall we post it?
— Yes.
She quickly opened the app, added a caption, and tagged my new account.
“Unexpected English challenge with our new transfer student. I didn’t see that coming.”
Her finger hovered over the publish button.
— Ready?
— Ready.
She pressed it.
Done.
The first video was out.
Not from zero.
But straight from her account.
With her audience.
With her trust.
And with my link in the tags.
“Excellent.”
“The first push is done.”
Rin put away her phone but didn’t leave right away.
For a few seconds, an awkward silence hung between us.
Then she spoke more quietly:
— Kurosaki-kun…
— Yes?
She looked away slightly.
— I saw the recording of your fight.
I looked at her silently.
— Did your father show you?
— No.
— My grandfather.
She smiled weakly, but the smile quickly disappeared.
— Honestly…
— It was scary.
She gripped her phone tightly.
— I understand that guy deserved punishment.
— They found drugs on him after that.
— And messages.
— A plan.
Rin paused for a second.
— I’m even scared to imagine what he wanted to do to me.
Her voice became very quiet.
— So I’m truly grateful to you.
— But…
She carefully raised her eyes.
— When I watched the recording…
— It seemed to me that you could kill a person and not even flinch.
I calmly exhaled.
— I understand.
— In your place, I would be scared too.
Rin looked at me in surprise.
— You’re not angry?
— For what?
— For the fact that I…
— Am scared of you.
I smiled slightly.
— Sakamoto-san, you saw me breaking a person’s bones in an underground ring.
— It would be strange if you felt calm right after that.
She was silent for a few seconds.
Then quietly laughed.
— You really are strange, Kurosaki-kun.
— I’ve already been told that today.
— Probably will be told again.
Rin returned to the classroom while I stayed to set up my account and algorithms.
Mio was the first to break.
— Well?!
— What were you two doing?!
Rin sat down at her desk and raised her phone.
— We recorded a challenge for my account.
— Kurosaki-kun unexpectedly speaks English really well.
— What?!
Haruto blinked in surprise too.
— Really?
Yuki cautiously looked at Rin.
Rin just smiled.
— The video is already posted.
— You’ll see for yourselves.
The class immediately buzzed.
Someone reached for their phone.
Someone started searching for Rin’s account.
Someone was already whispering:
— He speaks English?
— With Sakamoto?
— Seriously?
At that moment, I entered the classroom under intense gazes.
I calmly sat down at my desk.
“Perfect.”
“Now they’ll be discussing not only the fight rumors.”
“The first piece of content is out.”
“The first bridge to the audience is built.”
“And the first heroine…”
I involuntarily looked at Rin.
She was talking to Mio, but for a second our eyes met.
There was still caution in her eyes.
But now there was something else next to it.
Respect.
“Not trust yet.”
“It’s too early.”
“But it’s no longer just fear.”
“For the first day — that’s more than enough.”