Tamae-sensei and Kaito's footsteps walked down the second-floor hallway. The sound of indoor shoes echoed softly, competing with the chatter of students filling the classrooms as the bell rang. Along the way, several students who passed by paused, turning their heads in surprise, and even a few whispered softly with expressions of curiosity.
It was no wonder. Kaito's appearance was hard to ignore.
His silver-white hair reflected the morning sun, gleaming like silver threads under the sky. His eyes, clear blue like an icy lake in spring, swept around calmly yet hypnotically. His face was clean, almost like a painting. If not for his school uniform, people might mistake him for a model from a foreign magazine or a character from a fantasy game.
Tamae-sensei glanced back several times and giggled awkwardly when she noticed the passing students immediately stop talking, staring at Kaito like a creature from another world.
"U-uh... don't worry too much, okay?" she muttered as she knocked on the door of class 2-4. "The kids in this class are quite... uh, energetic."
…
Grade 2-4
The classroom door opened, and an excited figure entered the room. Tamae-sensei immediately entered the classroom.
At one of the desks, a man with black hair standing upright like a hedgehog, Tonomachi Hiroto, stood up dramatically and exclaimed, "Ah! It's Tama-chan!"
Tamae-sensei greeted them cheerfully, "Good morning, everyone!" with a warm smile. "I'm Tamae Okamine, and I'll be your homeroom teacher this year."
The class erupted in applause. Her cheerful demeanor and approachable appearance made her instantly likable.
Despite her young appearance, she was actually 29 years old, just a year shy of her 30s, and according to the anime, she was eager to find a husband.
"Okay, before that, we have a new transfer student!"
The class immediately erupted in excitement. In the corner of the room, at one of the desks usually occupied by anime MCs, a blue-haired young man was watching intently.
Yes, that person was Itsuka Shido.
"Who is this transfer student? It seems there were no rumors of a transfer student," Shido muttered softly. He was also curious about this transfer student.
The class immediately fell silent.
Several students who had been slumped in their chairs immediately sat up straight. The female students widened their eyes. Even the most indifferent students lowered their phones and stared toward the door.
"This is... the new student who will be joining our class starting today. Would you please introduce yourself, Kaito-kun!"
Kaito stepped forward calmly. His footsteps were clearly audible in the suddenly silent room. He stood in front of the blackboard and bowed politely.
"My name is Arashi Kaito. I just moved to this city last week. I'm pleased to be part of this class. Please guide me."
His voice was soft and calm, yet deep enough to make some of the female students' hearts beat faster. Reactions erupted like an unstoppable explosion.
His hair was silvery white, glistening in the sunlight streaming through the window. His clear, gentle blue eyes, like a clear morning sky, swept calmly across the classroom. He stood straight in front of the blackboard, his posture perfect and his face almost too handsome for real life.
For a moment, time seemed to slow down.
Some of the boys gulped, while the girls… many immediately looked down, their faces flushed or stared unblinking.
"H-Huh!? His hair is white?!"
"His eyes are so blue… like crystals!"
"He looks like an anime character… but real!"
"I'm sitting next to him!! I'll claim it first!!"
"Huh—!?" Shido flinched slightly, not because of his appearance, but… for some reason, he felt something strange. The young man's aura felt different—not threatening, but… as if he didn't belong to the same world.
"Okay!" Tamae-sensei said, though her smile was a little nervous due to the crowded atmosphere. "Kaito-kun, you can sit in the empty seat… right in front of Itsuka Shido, okay?"
Shido's eyes widened.
"Eh... Seriously?"
Kaito glanced at him, and for a moment, their eyes met. Deep sky blue met a calm, questioning brown.
"Yes, Sensei," Kaito replied curtly.
He walked slowly to his seat and sat down quietly. His posture was straight, his movements polite, almost aristocratic.
Shido watched him from behind, feeling something... odd. Not in a negative way. But more like: He wasn't ordinary.
And little did he know, that day would be the beginning of something much bigger. A change no one could have imagined, not even Shido, who would soon be confronted with the world of Spirits.
Kaito sat down in his seat and turned his head
He turned back with a friendly smile and said, "Hello, my name is Arashi Kaito, you can call me Kaito."
"Hello, Kaito, nice to meet you. My name is Itsuka Shido, you can call me Shido," Shido replied politely.
"Oh... okay, Shido. I hope we can be good friends," Kaito said with a mischievous smile.
"Uh... okay?" Shido was a little confused by Kaito's very friendly and slightly mischievous nature.
Break Time
Time passed, and soon, it was lunchtime. Shido packed his things, preparing to go and meet Kotori as planned.
But before that, Shido chatted briefly with Kaito. Kaito, on the other hand, was seen leaning back in his chair, eating a lollipop.
Suddenly, a cold, mechanical voice rang in Kaito's mind.
[Ding! A random mission has been released]
[Mission: Interact with the main character for the first time
Status: Uncompleted
Rewards: Cold Heart (A), 1x Rare Ticket, 1000 XP, 1000 PS]
"Hey, Kaito, aren't you eating lunch?" Shido asked Kaito, noticing that Kaito was very relaxed, as if nothing in the world was bothering him, even though Kaito was focused on the mission given by the system.
"Oh, Shido, I'm not that hungry. I want to buy some sweets after school," Kaito replied with a casual smile and twirled a lollipop in his hand.
Remembering that Kaito didn't know where the cake shop was in this town, he asked Shido, "Hey, Shido, do you know where the cake shop is in this town?"
"A cake shop? I think it's at the intersection not far from our school," Shido replied after a moment of remembering the cake shop Akito was referring to. Shido couldn't help but ask Kaito, "Do you like sweets, Kaito?"
"Yes, I like sweets, especially kikufuku. It's my favorite," Kaito replied with a wide smile, captivating the girls in class, their faces turning red like boiled crabs.
"It seems your charm is very strong, Kaito," Shido said after seeing the girls' reactions.
"I don't know, maybe it's because I'm too handsome," Akito replied narcissistically, shrugging and smiling mischievously.
Yes, his charm had already reached S-grade, so it was natural.
While he was thinking, the system's voice suddenly rang in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, mission completed.]
[Mission: Interact with the main character
Status: Completed
Rewards: Cold Heart (A), 1x Rare Ticket, 1000 XP, 1000 PS]
[All rewards will be stored in your inventory]
[Cold Heart (A)
A skill from the Solo Max Newbie manhwa that allows the user to remain calm and ignore human emotions in stressful situations. This skill makes the user unaffected by emotional pressure, allowing for rational and quick decision-making even in the most difficult situations.]
Kaito looked at the description of the skill he had just acquired and nodded in satisfaction. This skill would be very helpful in carrying out his plans later.
[Does the host want to install the Cold Heart (A) skill?]
[Yes/No]
"Will it hurt the system?" Kaito asked the system in his mind.
[Ding! Don't worry, the installation host won't feel any pain.]
Hearing this, Kaito felt relieved and immediately chose "Yes."
[Yes]
After that, Kaito felt his mind clearer and he could think more rationally. He could activate and deactivate this skill at will.
While Kaito was talking to the system, Shido called out to him, seeing him in a daze.
"Hey, Kaito, are you okay?" Shido asked, suddenly dazed.
"It's okay, I was just thinking about something," Kaito replied casually and naturally, making people think he was thinking about something important.