Hitori Gotoh.
A beautiful girl with obvious talent, severe social anxiety, and the survival instincts of a small animal surrounded by predators.
Currently, she was also Hikaru Fujiwara's friend.
Or at least, that was the category Hikaru had already placed her in.
Whether Hitori herself had the courage to accept such a terrifyingly high-level social title was another matter entirely.
Right now, she sat near the quiet window, holding her guitar with both hands. Hikaru sat a short distance away, eating the cheap snack he had bought from the cafeteria.
The two of them were not exactly having a normal conversation.
With Hitori, conversation seemed to work differently.
It was more like carefully approaching a frightened cat while pretending not to approach it.
Move too quickly, and she would panic.
Praise her too directly, and she would combust.
Ask too many questions, and her soul might attempt to leave her body.
So Hikaru simply listened.
Hitori's fingers moved over the strings.
At first, the sound was hesitant.
Soft.
Almost apologetic.
As if the guitar itself was asking permission to exist.
But after a few seconds, the melody became clearer. Her shoulders relaxed a little. Her breathing steadied. The nervous girl sitting in front of him did not disappear, but through music, something inside her became easier to see.
Talent.
Practice.
Loneliness.
Hope.
All of it was there.
When she stopped playing, silence settled between them.
Hikaru swallowed the last bite of his snack and nodded.
"That was really good."
Hitori immediately stiffened.
"R-Really good…?"
"Yes."
He smiled.
"Your fingers are steady, your timing is clean, and even though you look like you're about to apologize to the air, your playing has confidence."
Hitori stared at him.
Then slowly curled inward.
"Confidence…?"
"It's there."
"No, no, no…"
She shook her head rapidly.
"That can't be right. Confidence is a high-level social stat. I haven't unlocked that yet."
Hikaru blinked.
"That's a very system-like way of saying it."
"I-I mean, maybe my guitar has confidence. I'm just the gloomy accessory attached to it…"
"Then your guitar has excellent taste in gloomy accessories."
Hitori froze.
Her face turned red.
For a moment, she looked like she had received emotional damage and healing at the same time.
"T-Thank you…"
"You're welcome."
She lowered her head, hiding behind her pink hair.
Then, after a long silence, she glanced at Hikaru's hands.
"F-Fujiwara-kun…"
"Yes?"
"Do you… play guitar?"
"A little."
Hitori's eyes widened slightly.
"A little?"
"Very little."
"How little?"
Hikaru thought for a moment.
"I know a few chords, and I can keep rhythm if the song is simple and the universe is feeling merciful."
"That's…"
She looked at him with surprising seriousness.
"That's already something."
"Is it?"
Hitori nodded.
"Most people don't even start…"
Her voice became smaller.
"I think starting is already amazing."
Hikaru paused.
Coming from her, those words carried more weight than she probably realized.
A girl who was terrified of people, yet still carried a guitar to school.
A girl who hid in corners, yet still wanted someone to hear her music.
A girl who seemed ready to collapse from a compliment, but still kept playing.
Maybe Hitori Gotoh understood the difficulty of starting better than most people.
Hikaru smiled softly.
"Then I'll accept the compliment."
Hitori looked down at her guitar.
Then she suddenly held it out toward him.
"D-Do you want to try?"
Hikaru stared at the guitar.
Then at Hitori.
Then back at the guitar.
"You're letting me borrow it?"
The moment he said that, Hitori's face became pale, as if she had only now realized what she had done.
"I-I-I mean, only if you want! You don't have to! Actually, maybe this is too much! Maybe lending a guitar is considered too intimate! Is this a friendship speedrun? Am I skipping several social checkpoints? Should I have submitted a form first?"
Hikaru raised one hand gently.
"Gotoh-san."
"Yes?!"
"Breathe."
She inhaled sharply.
Then exhaled.
Her shoulders dropped a little.
Hikaru accepted the guitar carefully.
"Thank you. I'll be careful."
Hitori nodded so many times it almost looked dangerous.
Hikaru adjusted the guitar awkwardly.
The moment his fingers touched the strings, a strange feeling passed through him.
Not a notification.
Not a skill.
Just memory.
In his previous life, music had been one of the few things that made him feel alive.
He had never been amazing at it.
He had never had enough time to truly dedicate himself.
But he liked it.
And now, in this strange second life, he was holding a guitar again.
He placed his fingers on the fretboard.
A simple chord.
Then another.
The sound came out a little rough.
His rhythm was not clean.
His fingers hesitated.
But it was not terrible.
Hitori watched with intense focus.
Too intense, actually.
It felt like being evaluated by a final boss of guitar anxiety.
Hikaru stopped after a short progression and gave an awkward smile.
"As advertised. A few chords. Little rhythm."
Hitori shook her head quickly.
"N-No. It was good."
"You don't have to be polite."
"I'm not being polite!"
She said that with surprising force.
Then immediately looked like she regretted raising her voice.
"I-I mean… your fingers know where to go. You just need practice. And rhythm. And smoother transitions. And maybe strumming control. And maybe…"
She stopped.
Her eyes widened.
"I'm sorry. I became a guitar goblin."
"A guitar goblin?"
"A creature that appears when someone discusses music and starts giving unsolicited advice…"
"That sounds useful."
"It's socially dangerous…"
Hikaru handed the guitar back to her.
"Then, Guitar Goblin Gotoh-san, could you teach me sometime?"
Hitori froze.
The question seemed to hit her harder than any praise.
"Teach…?"
"Yes. Only if you don't mind."
Her mouth opened.
Then closed.
Then opened again.
For several seconds, no words came out.
Hikaru waited patiently.
Finally, Hitori lowered her head.
"I…"
Her fingers tightened around the guitar.
"I've never taught anyone before."
"That's fine."
"I might be bad at it."
"That's fine too."
"I might panic and explain music theory through a handwritten will."
"That would be memorable."
"I might charge a friendship maintenance fee by accident."
"I'll refuse the subscription."
For a brief second, Hitori's lips twitched.
Almost a smile.
Then, very quietly, she said:
"I can try."
Hikaru's expression softened.
"That's more than enough."
Hitori looked at her guitar, then back at him.
"I'll teach you… a little."
"Thank you."
She nodded, red-faced and stiff, as if she had just signed an international peace treaty.
For someone like Hitori Gotoh, promising to teach another person was not small.
It was a huge step.
A terrifying step.
But she had taken it.
Unfortunately, lunch break was not generous.
The bell rang far too soon.
Hitori flinched as if reality itself had shouted at her.
"C-Class…"
"Yeah."
Hikaru stood up.
"Thanks for letting me play."
"T-Thank you for listening."
"And for agreeing to teach me."
Hitori looked away.
"I haven't taught you yet…"
"You agreed. That already counts."
Her face turned red again.
Hikaru smiled and waved lightly before heading back toward the classroom.
As he walked through the hallway, he felt strangely satisfied.
A guitar lesson.
A new friend.
A school life.
It was all very normal.
Almost suspiciously normal.
Naturally, the system chose that moment to remind him that his life was not normal at all.
Back in class, while the teacher continued a lesson Hikaru was only half-following, he quietly opened his status screen in his mind.
He looked at his numbers.
Then at his skills.
Then, inevitably, remembered Koneko Toujou.
Strength: 420.
Agility: 360.
Endurance: 390.
Dexterity: 280.
Hikaru's current physical stats were far higher than they had been when he arrived in this world.
But compared to her, the gap was still absurd.
Hikaru leaned slightly against his desk and whispered:
"System, I thought about something, and I don't understand."
[What?]
"How the hell am I supposed to reach Koneko?"
The screen appeared discreetly in front of him.
He kept his eyes on the blackboard, pretending to pay attention.
"I mean, I get good rewards, sure. But I don't have a direct way to gain physical stats quickly."
[The Host has training, daily tasks, rewards, and Limitless Potential.]
"Yes, and I appreciate all of that."
Hikaru glanced at the screen.
"But the distance is huge. Koneko had Strength 420, Agility 360, Endurance 390, and Dexterity 280. I'm nowhere near that."
He tapped his pencil lightly against his notebook.
"If I gain only five to eight points a day, this will take forever. Do you have any actual idea of what I should do?"
[Wait and see.]
Hikaru's eyebrow twitched.
"What kind of garbage answer is that?"
[Wait a little longer, impatient Host.]
"Oh, of course. My apologies. I forgot I was dealing with a mysterious floating fitness demon."
[The System is neither floating nor demonic.]
"You are floating in spirit."
[Incorrect.]
"And demonic in training philosophy."
[Debatable.]
Hikaru sighed.
"Fine. I'll wait."
A few seconds passed.
Then the screen flickered.
[Mission Generated.]
Hikaru froze.
"Already?"
The mission appeared.
---
[Mission: A Request for Help Disguised as Training!]
[Description:]
The Host has recognized a delicate truth.
Pride alone will not help him survive.
Ambition alone will not close the gap.
The Host needs strength, and he needs it faster than ordinary effort would allow.
Since the Host is too prideful to call this a request for help, the System will disguise it as a mission.
You are welcome.
---
[Main Objective:]
Run 25 kilometers outside the distance required by Daily Tasks.
Complete 300 push-ups outside Daily Tasks.
Complete 300 squats outside Daily Tasks.
Complete 300 sit-ups outside Daily Tasks.
Complete 3 hours of focused study in an academic or quiet learning environment.
---
[Time Limit:]
3 days.
---
[Extra Objective:]
Run an additional 25 kilometers after completing the main running objective.
Complete an additional 300 total bodyweight repetitions of the Host's choice.
---
[Main Reward:]
450 Status Points.
---
[Extra Reward:]
???
---
Hikaru stared at the mission.
Then he very slowly placed his pencil down.
"Wonderful."
[The Host appears displeased.]
"No, no. I'm thrilled."
He smiled with the dead eyes of a man betrayed by fate.
"Now I'm stacking missions. Perfect. Exactly what I wanted most in my second life."
[Sarcasm detected.]
"Good. Your emotional intelligence is improving."
[The System is trying to help the Host.]
"By making me run a total of fifty kilometers?"
[Correct.]
"That is attempted murder wearing a tracksuit."
[The Host wants to close the gap with Koneko Toujou.]
"I want results, not a funeral."
[Results require effort.]
Hikaru rubbed his forehead.
The teacher's voice continued in the background, but Hikaru had temporarily left the academic world and entered the realm of despair.
[If the Host dislikes the mission, the System can remove all current missions.]
Hikaru froze.
The screen continued.
[Simply request cancellation.]
For a moment, Hikaru was tempted.
Very tempted.
A peaceful school life.
Music with Hitori.
Chats with Gojo and Marin.
Avoiding Issei's perverted recruitment attempts.
Maybe learning guitar.
Maybe eating cheap food and slowly collecting rewards.
That sounded nice.
Comfortable.
Safe.
But then he remembered Koneko walking through the school gate.
Small.
Quiet.
Overwhelming.
He remembered the numbers.
He remembered the warning.
Extremely High for the Host.
This world would not wait for him to be ready.
If Hikaru wanted peace, he first needed the strength to protect that peace.
He exhaled quietly.
"No."
[No?]
"Don't remove it."
His eyes sharpened.
"This is how I like it, System."
[The Host likes suffering?]
"I like progress."
[Progress often includes suffering.]
"Then keep throwing me to the wolves."
[The Host is currently not ready for wolves.]
"It's a metaphor."
[Metaphorical wolves acknowledged.]
"Good."
[The System will continue supporting the Host's efficient suffering.]
"That phrase is horrible."
[But accurate.]
Hikaru covered his mouth to hide a smile.
This system was annoying.
Pushy.
Sarcastic.
Cruel in the way only a training-support cheat could be.
But it understood him.
It knew what kind of motivation worked.
Not empty praise.
Not pity.
Not soft comfort.
A goal.
A reward.
A clear path.
And just enough provocation to make Hikaru refuse to back down.
By the time classes ended, Hikaru had already made his decision.
He would start immediately.
After all, the longer he delayed, the more painful the next three days would become.
When the final bell rang, Hikaru said quick goodbyes to his classmates.
Marin waved brightly.
"See you tomorrow, Fujiwara-kun!"
"See you."
Gojo nodded.
"Take care."
"You too, Gojo."
Issei appeared behind him with Matsuda and Motohama.
"Fujiwara! We're having a strategic meeting today."
Hikaru paused.
"What kind of strategy?"
"The kind that concerns the beauty of Kuoh Academy!"
Hikaru nodded solemnly.
"I wish you all a safe prison-free future."
Then he left before they could drag him into anything.
Outside the school, Hikaru loosened his shoulders and checked the mission screen again.
Twenty-five kilometers beyond daily tasks.
Three hundred of each exercise.
Three hours of study.
Extra objectives.
Three days.
"This is insane."
[The Host can complete it.]
"That is not the same as it being sane."
[Sanity is not listed as a mission requirement.]
"Of course it isn't."
He went home first, changed into training clothes, drank water, and stretched.
Then he began running.
At first, things went well.
His improved stats made running much easier than before.
His breathing was controlled.
His legs felt strong.
His body responded better.
But distance was distance.
After several kilometers, fatigue began to build.
The road seemed longer.
The air felt heavier.
His legs complained.
His laziness filed another formal protest.
[Host, maintain pace.]
"I know."
[The Host is slowing down.]
"I am appreciating the scenery."
[The Host is suffering.]
"I am appreciating the scenery while suffering."
[Efficient.]
As he ran through Kuoh Town, Hikaru noticed more of the city.
The quiet residential streets.
Small shops.
Students heading home.
A few couples walking together.
A familiar bakery in the distance.
Cake Shop Iori.
He almost stopped.
Cake was dangerous motivation.
[Host.]
"I know, I know. No cake until after training."
[Correct.]
"You are cruel."
[The Host requires discipline.]
"Discipline tastes worse than cake."
Still, he kept going.
By the time he completed the first long run portion, his body was drenched in sweat.
[Mission Progress Updated.]
[Main Objective Running Progress: 10 / 25 km.]
[Extra Running Progress: 0 / 25 km.]
[Repeated Physical Effort Recognized.]
[Agility increased by 1.]
[Endurance increased by 1.]
Hikaru leaned against a railing, breathing heavily.
"Good."
His voice was tired, but satisfied.
"Numbers."
[The Host is simple.]
"Progress should be simple."
After resting, he returned home and began the bodyweight exercises.
Push-ups.
Squats.
Sit-ups.
Not all at once.
That would have been stupid.
Even Hikaru had limits.
He divided them into sets.
Fifty.
Rest.
Another fifty.
Rest.
Then again.
His body burned.
Iron Virtue helped.
Limitless Potential made the effort feel meaningful.
But pain was still pain.
By the end of the first night, Hikaru had completed a large portion of the mission.
[Mission Progress Updated.]
[Push-ups: 120 / 300.]
[Squats: 120 / 300.]
[Sit-ups: 120 / 300.]
[Focused Study: 1 / 3 hours.]
[Extra Repetitions: 0 / 300.]
[Repeated Physical Effort Recognized.]
[Strength increased by 1.]
[Endurance increased by 1.]
[Born Student activated.]
[Intelligence growth slightly improved.]
[Intelligence increased by 1.]
Hikaru collapsed onto the floor beside his textbooks.
He had studied after training because Born Student made it worthwhile.
It was efficient.
Painfully efficient.
"I hate how productive I am becoming."
[The Host is doing well.]
"Compliment accepted."
[The Host should sleep.]
"Command accepted."
That night, Hikaru slept like someone who had been personally defeated by self-improvement.
The next three days passed in a blur of sweat, school, conversations, guitar, studying, and numbers.
Every morning, Hikaru completed his Daily Tasks.
Run 5 kilometers.
50 push-ups.
50 squats.
50 sit-ups.
Reward: 10,000 yen.
The difficulty did not increase during those three days, which Hikaru considered a rare act of mercy.
Every day, he attended school.
Born Student helped him absorb lessons faster.
His Intelligence slowly improved through study, and teachers began to notice that he paid attention more seriously than most students.
Gojo became easier to talk to.
Their conversations were quiet and comfortable. Crafts, school, clothes, handmade work, and eventually, Hikaru's vague interest in learning practical skills.
Marin, naturally, treated every conversation like friendship had already been officially declared by the universe.
She was bright, direct, and incredibly easy to get swept along by.
Issei and the other two continued their attempts to recruit Hikaru into their "noble cause."
Hikaru continued refusing with calm dignity.
By the second refusal, Matsuda called him "a man with dangerous self-control."
Hikaru accepted that as a compliment.
And during lunch breaks, Hikaru met Hitori.
Bocchi-chan.
At first, she still seemed half-convinced that he might disappear.
On the second day, she asked if he was "a recurring hallucination with good manners."
On the third, she finally managed to play in front of him without apologizing before the first chord.
That was progress.
Hikaru also practiced a little guitar with her.
Very little.
His fingers were clumsy.
His rhythm needed work.
But Hitori taught him carefully in her own strange way.
Sometimes she explained too much.
Sometimes she panicked halfway through a sentence.
Sometimes she looked like she wanted to hide inside her guitar case.
But she still taught him.
And Hikaru listened.
That mattered to both of them.
After school, the nightmare continued.
Running.
Push-ups.
Squats.
Sit-ups.
Extra repetitions.
Study.
Sleep.
Repeat.
The mission was brutal.
But Hikaru's body adapted.
Not easily.
Not painlessly.
But quickly.
Limitless Potential made every effort more valuable.
Iron Virtue made repetition easier to endure.
Born Student rewarded academic effort.
And the system kept recognizing additional progress.
By the end of the third day, Hikaru stood in his apartment, breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his chin.
His final set was complete.
His final run was done.
His study hours were finished.
His body felt like it had been forged, beaten, and then asked to attend school in a neat uniform.
But the screen in front of him made it all worth it.
[Mission Completed.]
[A Request for Help Disguised as Training!]
[Main Objectives completed.]
[Extra Objectives completed.]
[Reward received: 450 Status Points.]
[Extra Reward prepared.]
[Would the Host like to open the Extra Reward?]
Hikaru stared at the screen.
He was exhausted.
Completely exhausted.
But his eyes were alive.
Before answering, he checked his accumulated money.
The past few days had not made him rich, but they had helped.
Daily Tasks had given him 10,000 yen each day.
Three days, plus the previous day's reward and the money from spontaneous actions, had brought his current total to a far more comforting number.
[Current Available Funds: 55,000 yen.]
Hikaru nodded.
"Still poor."
[Less poor.]
"That is progress."
Then he looked at his status.
During the three days, his repeated efforts had also increased his attributes naturally.
Not dramatically compared to status points.
But enough to matter.
[Status Updated.]
---
[Status]
Name: Hikaru Fujiwara
Age: 17
Race: Human
Condition: Exhausted / Healthy
HP: 760/760
SP: 776/776
Strength: 80
Agility: 77
Endurance: 79
Dexterity: 72
Intelligence: 25
Magic Power: 50
Charm: 21
Available Points: 450
---
[Skills]
[Limitless Potential]
Rank: Unique
Type: Passive
Description: Removes the Host's natural growth limit and makes it easier to increase status values and acquire skills through repeated effort.
---
[Iron Virtue]
Rank: Rare
Type: Passive
Description: Increases resistance to fatigue, improves training endurance, and reduces the mental burden of repetitive effort.
---
[Appraisal]
Rank: Special
Type: Support
Description: Allows the Host to obtain basic information about people, creatures, objects, and unknown materials through observation.
---
[Born Student]
Rank: Rare
Type: Passive
Description: Makes studying easier, improves learning efficiency, and supports Intelligence growth in academic environments.
---
Hikaru looked at the 450 available points.
Then he exhaled.
"Alright."
The gap with Koneko was still large.
But now, he could close a serious part of it.
He remembered the mission's target.
Strength: 420.
Agility: 360.
Endurance: 390.
Dexterity: 280.
His current numbers were still far below those.
So he distributed the points with one purpose.
Physical growth.
Survival.
Closing the gap.
"System."
[Yes, Host?]
"Distribute the points like this."
[Awaiting allocation.]
"Strength, plus 120."
[Confirmed.]
"Agility, plus 110."
[Confirmed.]
"Endurance, plus 120."
[Confirmed.]
"Dexterity, plus 80."
[Confirmed.]
"Magic Power, plus 20."
[Confirmed.]
[450 Status Points consumed.]
[Status Updated.]
---
[Status]
Name: Hikaru Fujiwara
Age: 17
Race: Human
Condition: Exhausted / Rapidly Adapting
HP: 1,960/1,960
SP: 1,976/1,976
Strength: 200
Agility: 187
Endurance: 199
Dexterity: 152
Intelligence: 25
Magic Power: 70
Charm: 21
Available Points: 0
---
Hikaru clenched his fists.
This time, the difference was much clearer.
His body felt heavy for a moment.
Then light.
Then strange.
Power flowed through his limbs in a way he was not used to. His muscles did not simply feel stronger; they felt more responsive, more alive, as if his body had become a tool he still needed to learn how to control.
He slowly raised his hand.
Closed it.
Opened it.
Then smiled.
"I'm still below Koneko."
[Correct.]
"But now it doesn't look impossible."
[Also correct.]
Hikaru looked at the mission window again.
The main reward had been used.
His body had changed.
His progress was undeniable.
And one thing remained.
[Extra Reward prepared.]
[Would the Host like to open the Extra Reward?]
Hikaru stared at it.
Then smiled.
"Of course."
The screen flickered.
[Opening Extra Reward...]
And just before the reward appeared, Hikaru's exhausted but excited eyes reflected the blue light of the system.
Whatever came next…
It was probably going to change everything again.