The breeze on the April morning was chilly.
Nagine Hoshimiya stood in front of the washroom mirror, dressed in her brand-new high school uniform, combing her hair.
Today marked the start of her life as a junior high school student.
Her slender, snow-white fingers gently brushed through her soft, raven-black hair as it slipped between them.
With hair as smooth as fine silk and her breathtaking facial features peeking out from beneath her neatly trimmed bangs, Nagine couldn’t help but be impressed.
“She really does deserve to be the female protagonist of Star Guidance 2,” Nagine muttered to herself. “She’s only 13, but her appearance is already stunning.”
She struck a pose in front of the washroom mirror, admiring the reflection of a cute, black-haired girl with a slender figure, her body beginning to show the soft curves of womanhood.
But Nagine wasn’t truly of this world. To her, this was just a game called Guidance from the Star, often referred to as Star Guidance—a campus fantasy galgame.
Inside, she was actually a male office worker in his early 20s who had a passion for playing crappy games. His interest? Crappy games. His specialty? Crappy games. He was a player who loved using wicked tactics to beat these kinds of games, often creating and sharing walkthrough videos for fun.
At that moment, she was dressed in a navy-blue blazer, a gray and deep blue plaid skirt, and a red ribbon tied at the collar of her white blouse. Her appearance was that of a cute and endearing bishoujo—a beautiful girl.
Reincarnated into the world of Star Guidance, she initially took on the role of the male protagonist in Star Guidance 1. With her knowledge and skills as a seasoned veteran of the game, she set out to save the world.
Even though this was a galgame world, she remained single, ultimately dying as a zero-to-seven wage slave, working 16-hour shifts to save the world.
But in the blink of an eye, she found herself reincarnated once again—this time into the sequel, Star Guidance 2.. Her days of being a wage slave were far from over!
This time, she became the new female protagonist, Nagine Hoshimiya (星宫凪音).
When she realized her situation, the despair over her inevitable return to a wage slave life far surpassed the sadness of saying goodbye to the little brother who had been with her for two lifetimes.
Reaԁ оո ΚαtReаԁiոgСαfe The Star Guidance series was notorious for being a set of terrible titles. The mechanics were bizarre and bore little resemblance to other games in the genre. The battles were punishingly difficult, the plotlines brutal, and the worldbuilding itself utterly confusing.
It was common for Star Guidance to be used as a “punishment game” in livestreams, with titles like “No Modifier Challenge” or “The Livestream Ends If I Can’t Clear This Stage.”
Even for a wicked RTA (Real-Time Attack) speedrunner like her, she had barely scraped through a solo run, dying partnerless in the New Game+ of her previous reincarnation.
Determined not to relive the miserable life of a protagonist doomed to wage slavery, Nagine made up her mind. This time, she was going to bet everything on her skills as a wicked player.
And so, she clutched onto the last lifeline she had…
“Nagine, Sou-kun is here to pick you up~”
Nagine’s mother called from outside the washroom.
Nagine opened the door and looked down the porch. Standing there was a teenager wearing the same uniform as hers.
It was Sou Tsukimi (月見奏).
He had short, pitch-black hair and pale yellow eyes. At first glance, Sou seemed like an unremarkable, ordinary teenager. But under the right light, his neat features hinted at a handsomeness that, with a bit of care, could easily transform him into an unbeatable heartthrob.
Nagine and Sou had been childhood sweethearts, knowing each other since kindergarten.
By the time most kids reached junior high, those with childhood friends of the opposite gender might begin to distance themselves due to the growing awareness of gender differences.
However, thanks to Nagine’s careful planning, Sou still maintained the habit of coming over every morning to walk with her to school.
“Good morning, Auntie. Good morning, Nagi-chan.”
Sou greeted them politely, though his slightly lowered head and his habit of looking at the ground highlighted his introverted nature.
Nagine, however, had prepared for this.
She was wearing black pantyhose over her straight, shapely legs.
Although for Nagine, this was only a compromise. She was not used to the feeling of chilliness on her lower body when wearing a short skirt.
But for young high school boys, it may have the destructive power to distort their proclivities, by turning them into a devout believer of the black pantyhose cult.
Rеαd оո KаtRеaԁinɡСαfе As expected, Sou’s gaze was drawn to the ground, but he couldn’t help but be captivated by her slender legs, elegantly wrapped in black silk.
His eyes followed the enticing curve upward—the short skirt, perfectly adjusted in length, the slender waist, and the subtly developing chest—finally resting on Nagine’s angelic face.
“Good morning, Sou-kun~”
When their eyes met, Nagine quickly adjusted her expression. Her pitch-black eyes sparkled with countless stars as she offered a loving smile, one capable of making anyone fall in love at first sight.
Playfully, Nagine watched as Sou was immediately flustered by the cute display she had prepared just for him. His hastily averted gaze and the flush creeping up his cheeks were proof of how effective her act was.
Star Guidance 2 is a game where players can choose freely between a male or female protagonist.
“Sou-kun, what do you think?” Nagine didn’t let the opportunity slip away and pressed on with a follow-up.
She gently lifted the hem of her specially tailored short skirt, designed to reveal as much of her thighs as possible without crossing the line into indecency. Her firm, slender legs, encased in sheer black stockings, were on full display as she twirled on the spot.
“…It’s, um, quite appropriate,” Sou stammered, trying to keep his composure. However, his gaze, which kept flicking back and forth, betrayed how much he liked what he saw.
“Is that all you have to say?” Nagine pouted, leaning her face closer to his.
“N-Nagi-chan? You’re too close!” He replied in a panic. “It’s… cute. Really cute!”
Seeing her face so close in the morning was really bad for Sou’s heart. He whispered it to himself in a voice no one else could hear.
In the world of Star Guidance 2, which had now become her reality, both the male and female protagonists existed simultaneously.
“Thank you, Sou-kun is also very handsome~” Nagine’s soft voice playfully teased as she stepped back, flashing him another brilliant smile.
If this world needs a hero to save it, she thought, I’ll gladly give that role to someone else. The male protagonist of Star Guidance 2—Sou Tsukimi.
“Ara, I don’t mind you two flirting this early in the morning, but there’s a freshman entrance ceremony today! It wouldn’t be good to be late,” Nagine’s mother chimed in from behind them with a smile.
“M-Mom, don’t say such weird things to Sou-kun…” Nagine’s control over her expression was so precise, she could make her cheeks flush just the right shade of pink. Within moments, she effortlessly transformed into the perfect picture of a shy, innocent girl.
“Sou-kun, our Nagine here can be quite a handful sometimes. If she ever makes you uncomfortable, just let me know,” her mother added teasingly.
“Mom, honestly! Sou-kun, let’s go!” Nagine interjected, deliberately taking Sou’s hand gently, her fingers wrapping softly around his.
Read oո KаtRеαԁіոɡСаfе “Na-Nagi-chan, w-wait a minute…” The unexpected touch sent him into a fluster, his hands and feet fumbling awkwardly.
“Yes? What’s the matter?” Nagine asked, glancing back at him from a carefully calculated angle, her soft, fluttering hair brushing lightly against him.
The subtle fragrance of the “#1 shampoo most popular among teenage boys,” which she had deliberately chosen, wafted into the air, accurately and effectively tugging at the heartstrings of the pure-hearted Sou.
Despite this, Nagine maintained an air of natural, innocent curiosity, pretending not to notice Sou’s quickened heartbeat in response to her small, carefully orchestrated gestures.
“We… we’re already junior high school students. We shouldn’t hold hands anymore…” Sou said hesitantly, a conflicted look on his face.
It was clear that his teenage desires and rational thoughts were locked in a fierce struggle.
“But didn’t we always hold hands like this on our way to school before?” Nagine asked, a doubtful expression on her cute face as she tilted her head slightly.
Her black hair slowly flowed down from her shoulders, accentuating the bare, snow-white skin of her neck.
If this were a fighting game, you could practically see Sou’s HP dropping rapidly.
“That was something we did when we were kids! We’ve grown up now… Physical contact between a boy and a girl is a little… you know…” Sou made a last-ditch effort with last shred of sanity left in him.
Well, well, don’t resist anymore. Just give in to your inner desires and indulge in a little extra skin contact with your lovely childhood sweetheart. How does that sound, hmm~?
Nagine, seizing the moment, adjusted her facial expression and tear glands to project a sullen and uneasy look. She carefully modulated her voice to sound trembling.
“…Sou-kun, do you think the same as my mom? Do you think I’m annoying?”
She positioned herself below him on the stairs, looking up with tearful eyes, her black hair cascading around her shoulders.
(TL: Due to early puberty, Nagine is taller than Sou for now.)
It was as if you could hear a loud “K.O.” as Sou’s was utterly defeated.
“No, it’s not like that. I’ve never thought Nagi-chan was annoying…” Sou hurriedly reassured her, snapping back to his senses.
“Then… this hand…”
“I- I get it. We’ll hold hands, okay?” Sou acquiesced, trying to appear resigned, but his flushed face and the firm grip on her hand already betrayed how much he was enjoying the contact.
Hehehe~ Inwardly, Nagine wore a wicked smile, as if celebrating her victory. The words “Mission Accomplished” echoed triumphantly in her mind.
Rеaⅾ оո ΚаtRеαdіոɡСafe Rejection? Out of the question.
Having lived two lifetimes as a man, she knew that no guy could resist a beautiful girl who was right in his strike zone!
With her super beautiful appearance and the male-specific advantages that came with understanding a man’s preferences, Nagine had completely wrapped this pure, upright teenager around her finger.
“Hehe, I love Sou-kun’s hand ~”
“Love!? …Please don’t say anything misleading.”
“Misleading? What does that mean?”
“…It’s nothing. All right, let’s go. We’re going to be late.”
Sou muttered under his breath, “Your innocence is really a headache. You’re so cute that you will definitely attract those ill-intentioned boys…”
Right? A super cute girl who’s completely unaware of the danger from the opposite sex… how could anyone not worry?
Out of Sou’s sight, the corner of Nagine’s mouth curled up into a sly smile.
This was the ultimate strategy she had chosen as a wicked player.
Her goal? To live a life free from the shackles of the term “wage slave.”
Since childhood, she had accompanied the protagonist, subtly guiding him and gradually shaping him into the hero who would one day save the world.
The Reverse Hikaru Genji Strategy?
Not quite.
The strength of this world’s protagonist comes from his conviction and resentment towards the world.
Thus, her ultimate plan was to one day die in front of him, leaving him with a lifetime of regret for not being able to save her—A wicked girl indeed~