Chapter 52: Back to School AgainAuthor: Geraint
(MC's POV)
Waking up, I saw the same ceiling above me. Turning toward the clock, I realized I had taken a nap for a few hours. I sat up, trying to process the weird dream I'd just had. Looking at the Infinity Stones in my hand, they were still glowing faintly before the light slowly dimmed and disappeared. I was confused—why did the stones show me that dream? It felt too real.
At first, I thought it was a vision of the future… but the Deku in that dream was a boy. In my timeline, Deku-chan is a girl. That event will never happen here if the main protagonist is female.
"Don't tell me…"
Thinking back, before I passed out and fell asleep, I was wondering why the main protagonist of this world was a girl. Then I suddenly got drowsy. My conclusion? The stones gave me an answer. That dream was an alternate reality—one where Deku was a boy and turned villain… and fought against me.
But here, Deku-chan is a girl. So that terrible future is unlikely to happen.
I just avoided a future where I would've had to kill Deku to save the country.
Still, I can't let my guard down. Just because Deku is a girl doesn't mean the chance of her turning into a villain is zero. I have to guide her onto the right path—to help her become a true hero. It's up to me to protect her dream.
Anyone who tries to turn her into a villain will suffer a fate worse than hell.
"Hehehe…" I laughed darkly.
No Star Wars-like tragedy is happening on my watch.
Looking at the time, I realized I'd slept for hours already. With a sigh, I went back to my workshop to continue my work.
The next day...
Standing in front of the school with my bag slung over my shoulder.
"Finally!"
After five weeks of being absent—ever since the first day—I'm finally back. Between meeting Rumi and dealing with the Hero Public Safety Commission, so much has happened this past month. I came in early today, hoping to sneak in without drawing attention. It's kind of embarrassing to return to class after being gone so long.
I entered the campus and made my way to my classroom. Peeking inside, I found it empty. Quietly, I slipped in and took my seat near the window at the back—the so-called "Protagonist Seat."
I moved the curtain aside and opened the window to feel the fresh morning breeze.
I yawned, still feeling sleepy after working overnight yesterday. I finally finished assembling the feet of Roboco's body. Next up: the head. That's going to take a lot of trial and error.
Leaning my arm on the desk, I rested my head. Unable to resist the drowsiness, I closed my eyes to nap while waiting for class to start.
(3rd Person POV)
Students began arriving, quietly ignoring the sleeping boy they assumed was a delinquent.
The classroom door opened, and an invisible girl in uniform walked in. She sighed and headed to her seat—until she noticed the pink-haired boy next to her.
"Huh? Ichika-kun?"
Surprised, she placed her bag down and rushed over. A wave of happiness washed over her. She had waited and longed to see him again.
"Class is going to start soon, Ichika-kun!"
He didn't wake up, still sleeping soundly. Curious, she looked at his right hand and slowly reached out to touch it—
Peeeeew!
Her invisibility got nullified, and her real appearance was revealed to the entire class.
The boys blinked in surprise.
"Eh?""Who's that girl? She's cute.""I don't remember a cute girl like her in our class…"
Some of the girls started seething as the boys became instantly smitten. One girl pointed accusingly.
"Who are you?! You might be in the wrong class!"
Toru smiled and raised a peace sign.
"What are you talking about, Hana-chan? It's me, Toru!"
"Ehh?! Toru? That's what you look like when you're not invisible?"
"Yup! Hehehe…"
"No way!""Really?""Wow! You're actually so cute!"
Classmates began crowding around her, chatting excitedly.
"I never thought you looked so cute! You should've told us earlier!""Yeah, same here!""Well, surprise!"
Toru was clearly having fun with her friends. She looked so lively—perhaps because she had finally seen Ichika again after so long.
Meanwhile, the boys were now glaring daggers at Ichika. Why? Because the cute girl—Toru—was still holding his hand.
In one morning, Ichika became the most hated guy in class… without even knowing it. Meanwhile, Toru became everyone's favorite.
A week later...
Midterm exams were held.
Thanks to some, let's say, minor manipulation, Ichika was able to take the exams despite his extended absence. Using his connections, he had someone issue a medical certificate claiming he was severely ill and needed a month to recover. The school accepted it and let him take the exams.
A few days later, the results were posted—and once again, Ichika shocked everyone.
Midterm Exam Results
Rank | Name | Score
Yagi Ichika – 500
Tanaka Izumi – 479
Ketsuno Ana – 468
Hasegawa Shiori – 461
Atama Okashi – 460
Millie Parfait – 458
Anne Lee Rice – 456
Students crowded around the bulletin board, grumbling about the difficulty of the exams and how they wanted to complain to the teachers.
But what amazed them most—Ichika still scored perfectly. Despite his absence. Some even called this his lowest score yet.
Behind the crowd, Ichika passed by with Toru, who stopped to look at the results.
"Amazing, Ichika-kun! You're at the top again!"
"I got my lowest score this time," he sighed. "There wasn't a single hole in the test questions. It's really frustrating."
"You're aiming beyond perfect, huh?" Toru giggled.
Ichika looked exasperated. "Forget my score—what about yours, Toru?"
"Let's see…"
Toru eagerly scanned the list, starting from the top—because she believed in herself, especially after Ichika personally tutored her.
"Found it!" she cheered, pointing at her name.
25. Hagakure Toru – 43526. Kobayashi Inaka – 434
She had made it into the top 25!
"Thank you, Ichika-kun!"
Overjoyed, she jumped on him from behind, hugging him tightly. Ichika was surprised, especially when he felt something very soft press against his back.
He blinked, remembering they were the same age… and realized her physical development was also impressive.
"We're just getting started," he said. "Final exams are still ahead."
"Right! Hehehe…"
The two walked back to their classroom together.
(To be continued.)
A/N: I'll fix my mistakes later.