Hoshino Kaito POV:
The beeping sound of the alarm clock waking me up. I groaned, squinting at the glowing numbers—6:30 AM.
Right. Today is my first real day living as Hoshino Kaito.
I forced myself out of bed, rubbing my eyes as I sat on the edge of the bed. The morning light filtered through my window, casting a warm glow over my desk and bookshelves. Everything felt eerily normal, like I had woken up for just another school day… except this isn't my world.
I took a deep breath. No use overthinking it now.
After getting dressed in my uniform, I made my way downstairs. My mom had already prepared breakfast—simple toast, eggs, and coffee. Reina was at the table, lazily stirring her cereal while scrolling on her phone.
"Mornin." I greeted as I grabbed my toast.
"Morning..." she replied, though she barely looked up from her phone.
Reina glanced up for half a second before smirking.
"Wow. You're up early. Who are you, and what have you done to my brother?"
I rolled my eyes. "Maybe I've decided to be a responsible student for once."
She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, now I know something's wrong. You hate mornings. Did aliens swap your brain overnight or what?"
I smirked. "Nah. Just figured I should start setting a good example for my hopeless little sister."
Reina gasped. "Wow. Someone thinks he's better than me all of a sudden. Just because you managed to wake up early?"
"What can I say? Being the superior sibling is a heavy burden."
"Superior? Since when?" Reina shrugged.
"Since the day you're adopted, probably."
"Hahh?!! You take that back!"
"Mom! Onii's bullying me again!" she called out, while fake sniffling.
My mom chuckled from the kitchen.
"Now, now, don't start a war in the morning, now eat before your food gets cold."
Reina huffed, shoving a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.
"One day, karma's gonna get you, and I'll be there to laugh."
"And one day, you'll admit I'm the better sibling."
She pointed her spoon at me.
"I'd rather eat dirt."
"Wouldn't that be the weirdest thing you've eaten?" I smirked.
She threw a cereal puff at me. But I dodged and grinned.
"Missed."
"Ugh, why are you like this?!" Her cheeks puffed
"Because teasing you is my duty as a big brother."
She groaned, going back to her phone while I finished my toast.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." I said, shoving a piece of toast in my mouth while Reina stuck her tongue out at me.
After quickly finishing breakfast, I grabbed my bag and stepped outside.
"I'm going out now!"
I heard my mom from inside.
"Take care! And don't be late again!"
"Okay!!!"
The fresh morning air hit my face, helping shake off the lingering drowsiness. It was time to head to Shirakawa Academy.
As I walked through the familiar yet unfamiliar streets, my thoughts raced. That small banter with Reina felt natural for some reason. But there's something more important today, I need to observe everything—how the students interacted, whether the heroines had started their story arcs, and if Ren was already beginning his protagonist journey.
But most importantly, I needed to find my own role in all of this.
The game had already started, and I'm not a player watching from the sidelines anymore.
I walked along the familiar streets leading to Shirakawa Academy, trying to shake off the morning grogginess. The school loomed in the distance, its elegant architecture standing tall against the clear sky. Students in neatly pressed uniforms passed by, chatting about homework, club activities, and weekend plans. It was a normal school morning—except for the fact that I still wasn't used to being part of this world.
As I neared the bike parking lot, a commotion caught my eye.
A girl was struggling to park her bicycle, her small frame barely managing to push it into place. Just as she seemed to get it steady, her foot slipped, and the bike wobbled. Before she could regain control, it tipped over—and like a perfectly executed disaster, the rest of the bikes followed falling one after another like dominoes.
Her panicked yelp snapped me into action. Without thinking, I rushed over to help.
"Whoa! Watch out!"
I called out, reaching for the nearest bicycle to stop the chain reaction. But by the time I managed to stabilize the mess, the girl had already crouched down, frantically trying to lift her own bike. I ran toward her.
"Are you okay?" I bend down to help her.
She looked up at me, and in that moment—my breath caught in my throat.
The sunlight reflected off her soft and long, dark chestnut-colored hair, a few loose strands falling over her face. Her slightly teary eyes locked onto mine, wide with surprise. Time seemed to slow, and suddenly, nothing else existed except the two of us. My heart pounded in a way that had nothing to do with the rush of saving the bikes. It was as if something had clicked into place—something beyond logic or reason.
Is this love at first sight?
I never really believed in that kind of thing, but here, now, it was undeniable. My body felt warm, my hands frozen mid-motion as I realized I was still looking at her.
She blinked, and her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. Then, just as quickly as it had come, the spell was broken.
"I—uh, yeah, I'm fine!"
She stammered, looking away as she hurriedly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Thanks for the help! I… I didn't mean to cause such a mess."
I shook my head, trying to snap myself out of it.
"No worries. I think the bikes just really wanted to take a nap all at once."
She let out a soft giggle, and my heart did an involuntary flip. Oh, great. I was in trouble.
Together, we started fixing the mess, but my mind was somewhere else entirely. This girl… who is she? And why did I feel like my entire world had just shifted in an instant?
...
Huh... She seems familiar...
I looked at her name tag on her blazer.
Asakura Mio.
Wait, i remember her!
The realization hit me like a truck. Asakura Mio, she's Ayane best friend, one of the side characters in the game. She's always there to support Ayane, offering advice and encouragement, but she never had her own route. She wasn't a heroine—just a supporting character meant to fade into the background.
But right now, standing in front of me, she's totally different from the game.
Mio brushed some dust off her skirt, still looking flustered.
"Thanks again for the help, i wasn't expecting a full-on bicycle disaster this morning."
I chuckled, finishing up with the last fallen bike.
"Yeah, I don't think the parking lot expected it either. Are you okay though? No bruises or anything?"
She shook her head, a small smile forming.
"Nope, just my pride. And maybe my reputation as a competent person."
"I dunno, I think it was pretty impressive how you managed to take down an entire row of bicycles with just one move. Almost like a superpower." I smirked.
She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Oh no, you're going to spread rumors about me, aren't you?" Her voice was teasing.
"Well, depends. Do I get anything in return for keeping my mouth shut?"
She rolled her eyes but smiled.
"How about my eternal gratitude?"
"Hmm, tempting, but I was thinking more along the lines of... a free lunch."
"Dream on, Hoshino-kun."
I grinned. This back-and-forth felt easy—natural. But then, something clicked in my brain.
Wait.
She called me Hoshino-kun. She knows me.
"Hold on… How do you know my name?" I narrowed my eyes at her.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Mio gave me a confused look.
"Have we… met before?"
"we're classmates Hoshino-kun." She tilted her head.
I blinked.
"Wait, what?"
Mio stared at me like I just said the dumbest thing imaginable.
"You seriously forgot? We've been in the same class since the start of second year."
Oh crap. I had been so focused on the main story that I completely forgot Mio wasn't just some distant side character—she was literally my classmate.
"R-right! Of course! I was just… testing you!" I said quickly, trying to salvage what was left of my dignity.
"Uh-huh. Sure." She raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.
I cleared my throat.
"Anyway, we should probably head to class before we're late."
"Yeah, yeah. Let's go, Hoshino-kun." Mio sighed, shaking her head in amusement.
As we walked toward the school, I stole another glance at her. In the game, she was always the one stepping aside for Ayane, never pursuing her own happiness. But here, she was real—laughing, smiling, standing right beside me.
The school courtyard bustled with students moving toward their classes. Unfamiliar faces surrounded me, yet everything felt slightly different now that I was paying attention.
Mio walked beside me, occasionally greeting passing students. She seemed well-liked—no surprise there. In the game, she was always the reliable one, the type of person people naturally gravitated toward.
We finally arrived at our classroom, 2-B. The moment I stepped inside, a familiar voice called out.
"Yo, Kaito! Took you long enough!"
I turned to see Ren lounging at his desk, waving lazily. His usual carefree grin was in place, as if he hadn't a single worry in the world. He looked like he had just rolled out of bed, and yet somehow still managed to seem effortlessly cool.
Mio and I exchanged a glance before she gave me a small nod.
"See you later, Hoshino-kun."
"Yeah, see you." I replied.
She walked toward her seat while I made my way to mine, right beside Ren.
"You and Asakura-san, huh?" Ren nudged my shoulder.
"Didn't know you two were close."
"We're not. She just needed help, so I helped."
"Uh-huh, sure." Ren smirked but didn't push further.
"Anyway, ready for another exciting day of pretending to pay attention in class?"
"Oh, absolutely." I answered, dropping into my seat.
As I settled in, I noticed Sakuragi Ayane walking into the classroom. She barely spared me a glance before heading straight for Ren, as expected.
"Ren, morning! You left me behind at the gate, you know?" she said with a slight pout, arms crossed.
"Did I? Sorry about that, Ayane." Ren replied smoothly.
"You know me—easily distracted."
I leaned back in my chair, watching their exchange. In the game, I wasn't someone Ayane particularly acknowledged beyond being Ren's buddy. That seemed to still be the case here.
Ayane's gaze briefly flickered toward me, but it was indifferent—polite, but nothing more. It was like I was just part of the background in her world, someone she knew only because of Ren.
And honestly? That was fine by me.
The bell rang, signaling the start of class. As the teacher walked in, I exhaled, preparing myself for the long day ahead.
Day one of my new life had officially begun.
Our homeroom teacher, Hinata-sensei, stepped up to the podium, adjusting her glasses as she set down a stack of papers. She was young for a teacher, probably in her late twenties, and had a reputation for being strict but fair.
"Alright, class. Before we begin, I have an announcement." she said, glancing over the room.
"There won't be a formal lesson today."
The class sudden burst of cheers fill the room.
"However, I need four students to help bring some supplies from the faculty office."
Silence...
No one raised their hand. A few students looked away, pretending to be interested in their desks. Hinata-sensei sighed, already expecting this reaction.
"Come on, guys. It's just carrying boxes, not a life-or-death mission."
Still, no response.
Hinata-sensei sighed again, shaking her head.
"Fine. I'll ask one more time before I start picking random students."
Someone finally raise hand.
It was our class representative Ayane.
Ah, Right! This is it. I recognized this event from the game. If Ren also volunteered, there would be a small cutscene where he saved Ayane from nearly getting buried under a pile of unstable boxes. It was a classic romance moment—one that nudged their relationship forward.
"Hey, why don't you go help her out?" I smirked while nudging him.
Ren groaned, leaning back in his chair.
"Pass. Someone else can do it."
"Oh, come on. Ayane's already going. You wouldn't want to leave her to struggle all by herself, would you?" I grinned wider.
"I'll pass."
"Oh, really?" I raised my hand before he could react.
"Sensei! Ren volunteered!"
"Oi! What the hell, Kaito?!" Ren snapped at me.
Hinata-sensei clapped her hands together.
"Great! That's two. We need two more."
"I'm gonna kill you." Ren shot a deadly glare at me.
"You can try that after class~" I whispered back while grinning.
"Since Kaito seems so enthusiastic about volunteering others." Hinata-sensei smirked slightly,
"he'll be the third helper."
"Huh? Wait—" The grin immediately fell from my face.
"No complaining. One more volunteer, and we're good."
"Betrayed... by my own teacher..." I sighed, slumping in my seat.
"Yeah? Now you know how I feel." Ren crossed his arms.
Before I could fully process my fate, another voice spoke up.
"I'll do it." Mio said, raising her hand.
I turned to look at her, surprised. She met my gaze and smiled.
"You did help me earlier, Hoshino-kun. I guess I should return the favor."
"ah- un. Thanks Asakura-san." My heart skipped a bit.
Hinata-sensei, satisfied with the turnout, clapped her hands.
"Alright then. Hoshino, Fujimura, Sakuragi, and Asakura—you four, meet me outside the classroom in five minutes. The rest of you, stay here and review yesterday's material."
As the class let out a collective groan, I exhaled, after a while I finally stand up and stretch my body. So much for taking it easy.
Mio glanced at me, a small smile playing on her lips.
"This should be fun."
I wasn't sure fun was the right word, but I had a feeling this was going to be more eventful than I expected.