(Edited: 14 Sept 2024)
A ray of sunshine bathed Kawano City, infusing the small, outlying city with a warm glow. The cherry blossoms, still lingering at the start of April, floated gently in the air.
As Nagine and Sou walked to school, Sou occasionally caught sight of cherry blossom petals drifting down from above. Yet, despite the enchanting pink petals, the girl beside him drew far more attention from passersby.
“Hey, that girl over there is so cute, isn’t she?”
“Isn’t that our Starlight High School uniform? Could she be a new student?”
“A pure and beautiful junior. Could this be my chance at romance?”
As Nagine and Sou approached the school, more students in uniform joined the scene, their gazes and hushed whispers focused on Nagine, making Sou feel increasingly uncomfortable.
Nagine’s figure, standing out among her peers and surrounded by floating petals, resembled a masterpiece created by a master artist—radiating an allure that captivated everyone. In stark contrast, Sou’s presence beside her seemed mundane, like a smudge on an otherwise perfect canvas.
He often found himself mired in self-doubt, feeling as though he was merely an insignificant detail overshadowed by Nagine’s brilliance. This recurring feeling of inadequacy weighed heavily on him, and his grip on Nagine’s hand involuntarily loosened.
Nagine seemed to sense the change in Sou’s demeanor. She turned to him with a curious expression, and her gentle smile followed.
“Sou-kun, there’s a petal stuck on you,” she said, not waiting for a response.
She moved closer, the distance between them shrinking until it felt as though they might embrace right then and there on the street. At this age, Nagine had grown faster than Sou, making him a full head shorter than her.
Their faces were so close that Sou’s flushed cheeks nearly touched Nagine’s neck as she leaned in.
At that moment, the flawless skin that filled his view, the sweet floral scent that filled his senses, and the soft touch against his neckline overwhelmed him. Sou’s self-doubt and feelings of inferiority were swept away in an instant.
The person standing beside this girl is you, not the ones gossiping from the sidelines!
Rеαⅾ οո КαtRеаԁіոɡСafе He felt as though the devil’s voice was reassuring him, driving away his insecurities.
“Alright, it’s off now,” Nagine said with a smile as she removed the cherry blossom petal from his head. The pink petal, pinched between her fingers, formed a perfect heart shape.
“It’s heart-shaped. It’s beautiful…”
“W-wait, yes! If we don’t hurry, we’re going to be late!”
Sou hurriedly pulled Nagine towards the school, trying to distract himself from the fluttering in his heart. Every time he glanced at Nagine’s smile, he felt his heartbeat quicken, and he struggled to maintain his composure.
He worried that if Nagine noticed his intense feelings, it might ruin their close relationship. The thought of being hated by her and losing her from his life was almost unbearable.
Nagine, however, was keenly aware of his turmoil, though she remained outwardly composed.
“It seems that the plan is going smoothly,” she thought to herself, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth.
Since kindergarten, she had been by his side, and now that they were at an age where romantic feelings could blossom, it was crucial for her to make sure no one else would interfere with their relationship.
Today, she had put aside her dignity and the self-esteem of her past life as a man, dressing impeccably from start to finish. Every action had been meticulously planned and rehearsed, each response considered to ensure Sou’s heart would be fully hers before he encountered the other heroines from the game.
Despite being a crappy galgame, Star Guidance 2 would still present Sou with alluring heroines. Nagine was determined to solidify her place in his heart before those other characters could. Her dedication to this plan was as intense as any wicked strategy she had devised in her previous life, ensuring that she would capture Sou’s affection and prevent any competition.
“Therefore, I must first add insurance to my ambitious retirement plan.”
Everything has been very smooth so far, and she was living up to her reputation as a wicked player…
“Master, aren’t you having too much fun?”
“I-I’m not! I’m not! Don’t be ridiculous!”
After Nagine and Sou checked their classroom assignments on the class designation board, they headed to the gymnasium for the freshman ceremony. Seizing the opportunity to be alone, Nagine temporarily parted ways with Sou and made her way to the rooftop of the school building.
Rеаԁ on KаtReαⅾіոgСafе The rooftop was spacious and covered in pitch-black solar panels, a common sight in Kawano City where eco-friendly greenery is promoted. As a result, the roof was not open to students.
Apart from the solar panels, the rooftop featured only four slightly rusted mesh fences and a single pure white pigeon.
This pigeon, with its seemingly harmless appearance, was not what it seemed. No, it was actually a disguise. The true identity of this pigeon was a summoned beast—a divine entity bound by contract from Nagine’s previous life. It was Garuda (迦楼羅), an imaginary monster with the authority of the storm.
Because the contract was deeply tied to her soul, Garuda had been reincarnated alongside Nagine when she was reborn as Nagine Hoshimiya in this lifetime.
Star Guidance 2 is a fantasy-style story set in the modern era, where special ability users battle imaginary monsters to save the world. Among them, imaginary monsters like Garuda once serve as her blue-collar coworker in this grand quest.
“Could it be that you’re actually enjoying your life as a super pretty girl?”
“Teacher! I’m just trying to meet the work targets you set for me. How dare you accuse my innocence?!”
She covered her face with her hands, trying to hide her now burning cheeks.
The pitch-black eyes that peeked between her fingers had lost their sparkle. They had become the dead, weary eyes of someone who was all too familiar with the drudgery of wage slavery.
The reincarnated Nagine was resolute: she no longer wished to be a wage slave destined to save the world.
As Nagine’s subordinate, Garuda too seemed indifferent to the life of a wage slave. Thus, the two of them quickly connected, and together with other summoned beasts, they crafted an ambitious plan to escape such a fate, with Garuda guiding Nagine through each step.
The essence of this plan was to fall in love.
As a great wizard who had been single for two lifetimes, Nagine turned to Garuda, who had lived for thousands of years and had overseen countless romantic entanglements. Garuda became the strategist for Nagine’s grand scheme.
(TL: Referring to a meme that said one could transform into a wizard by keeping their virginity after the age of 30)
“Although I asked Master to pay attention to the length of the dress and make sure it had some visual appeal… but aren’t these translucent black pantyhose a bit much?”
“But, but I saw other beautiful girls wearing them too…”
“If I may ask, who exactly are you referring to?”
Rеαԁ оո KatReαⅾіոɡСafе “The heroines in galgames…”
Garuda slapped his face with his wing.
“…….Could it be that you’re enjoying the attention from the boys?”
“!!! ”
“……Master, did you actually fall for a thirteen-year-old? ”
“Guh! Kill, kill me! ”
“……”
Though Garuda’s appearance was that of a harmless pigeon, the coldness in his beady eyes was enough to make the normally bold Nagine freeze.
“It’s not like that. I don’t know why I’m feeling this way when my charm was acknowledged by others, but I’ve been trying very hard to suppress it…….”
Nagine knelt, her voice trembling as her eyes dart around nervously.
While girls often delight in being recognized for their charm, deep inside, her male side was protesting against these feelings.
These conflicting emotions eventually morphed into an uneasy pleasure, as if something had been awakened deep within her…
“Enough of this. Let’s not delve into your newfound hobbies. We need to focus on the next steps.”
“Guh, kill me!”
Nagine deeply understood that becoming a girl and living as one wasn’t the scariest part. What was truly frightening was having a friend who knew her true identity.
“Today is a critical juncture in the plan. At this stage in junior high, Sou-kun will not only start to encounter supernatural beings but will also begin his multiple fated encounters with the heroines…”
“Multiple? Fated? Heroines? Harem?” Garuda couldn’t help but make a sarcastic remark.
Reaⅾ oո ΚаtRеαⅾіոgСafе
Indeed, protagonists in galgames often maintain ambiguous relationships with multiple heroines before committing to any route.
But this posed a critical issue in Nagine’s plan. To ensure that Sou’s love remains focused solely on her, and to make him regret her death for the rest of his life, she needed to address this problem.
Ignoring the harem and dying without taking action would mean that other heroines might come to comfort him, which wouldn’t be painful enough.
So, the next step in Nagine’s lifelong plan for regret is to—
Incarnate as Sou’s ideal lover in the hearts of all heroines, making it difficult for them to view Sou as a potential partner.
In the original game, the heroines are all good-hearted and won’t intervene if they see the protagonist is in love with someone else.
But in real life, there are no guarantees.
If I increase my importance and value in the eyes of these heroines, I can ensure that Sou, who I’ve taken a fancy to, won’t be snatched away by them.
“Simply put, you want to be a good bestie with all the heroines?” Garuda asked, looking suspicious.
“Master, although you appear as a beautiful girl, you’re still a man inside, right? Is there really a way to be friends with so many vibrant and beautiful girls?”
Garuda added, “If you want to be a bestie, you need to genuinely have a young girl’s heart.”
“That’s why I need your help, Teacher!”
“Actually, transitioning to a female mindset might be the quickest and most effective way…”
“Hmph, do you think an apex man like me would ever fall as a woman?”
“…Are there any apex men who wear black pantyhose and skirts?”