The appearance of a Coordinator is truly outstanding.
Through genetic micro-adjustment, their facial features are optimized while maintaining their basic structure, and their skin and other features are meticulously processed for maximum human visual appeal within the limits of the modification.
Ever since the modification, every time Shin looked in the mirror at the handsome man—more handsome than Daniel Wu, more dashing than Nicholas Tse, and with a better physique than Eddie Peng—he couldn't help but praise his own damn charm.
This level of handsomeness wasn't just due to the Coordinator surgery. If his foundation hadn't been good, no amount of modification would have helped, right? So, it was also a testament to his own charm.
Furthermore, the Coordinator surgery
seemed to inhibit the body's excessive absorption of fat and reduce the craving for fatty foods, allowing him to maintain a perfect physique while keeping his energy up.
Genetic modification is truly powerful!
So, how could Shin, who was so strikingly handsome, hide his cursed charm among these high school students?
The answer was to do nothing, because there seemed to be quite a few high-quality students in this class.
Among the girls, Kotonoha next to him and the girl in front, apparently named Saki, were both classic black-haired beauties. In addition, there were quite a few girls in the class whose looks were above average.
Among the boys, the slender, pale-faced boy in the protagonist's seat in the second-to-last row and the slightly mischievous-looking blond boy hanging around him also had above-average looks.
Shin was handsome, that was a fact. But as long as he maintained a silent and reserved persona, avoided trouble, didn't stand out, didn't socialize much, and didn't join any clubs, he would quickly become invisible.
Even a cool, handsome guy like Rukawa Kaede is popular largely because he's good at basketball. No matter how good-looking someone is, without other points of attraction, people's attention won't last long.
Kotonoha next to him was doing this well.
Although she had elements like "beautiful girl," "long black hair," "large breasts," and "class representative," she kept her head down, rarely spoke, and acted like an invisible presence in class. After class, she only spoke quietly with Shin and did nothing else. This was precisely how she concealed herself.
Look at the groups of boys chatting away in the class. How many were paying attention to her? Of course, the blond guy and the pale-faced boy over there were, but the fact that they hadn't approached her was a testament to Kotonoha's strong self-hiding technique.
This girl has potential as an assassin.
After the self-introductions and some announcements, the homeroom teacher ended the class early, announcing that they would return in the afternoon for the opening ceremony.
"Where are we eating lunch?" Shin immediately asked the question he cared about most.
He had only eaten a boiled egg that morning and intended to buy something on the way, but since this girl was paying for lunch, he obviously wasn't going to spend his own money.
"I'll take Shin-kun to see the cafeteria first,"
Kotonoha neatly put her books back in her locker and spoke softly. "We have plenty of time before the afternoon opening ceremony. I can show you around the school."
Shin happily agreed and cheerfully followed the beautiful girl out. He didn't notice the pale-faced boy who had been watching Kotonoha, looking hesitant and lost.
"Makoto, you've been staring at the beautiful class representative since earlier. What, you've got a crush on her?"
The blond boy next to him laughed with a lecherous expression. "If you like her, just confess, or do you want your brother here to help you out?"
"Let's forget it. She has a boyfriend," Makoto Itou looked downcast and shook his head.
He had been on the same train that morning. In fact, he had seen the pervert harassing Kotonoha before Shin, but while he was still hesitating whether to intervene, Shin had already stepped in and extorted the guy.
Now he regretted it. He regretted it deeply. If he had just been brave enough to take the first step, maybe the girl would be his.
"What are you scared of? Having a boyfriend doesn't mean anything. If you like her, steal her. If you're afraid he'll beat you, I've got your back!"
The boy Taisuke Sawanaga patted his scrawny arm, full of confidence.
"That guy's introduction was so unconfident. He looks like a meek, weak 'herbivore' male. I'll bring a few of my boys to scare him, and I guarantee he'll back down."
"Don't, Taisuke!" Makoto Itou seemed scared and quickly stopped him. "We're not at Sakurano anymore. Mineoka's school rules are strict. You can't do whatever you want like before. You'll get expelled!"
"Relax, I'm just going to scare him," Taisuke said dismissively. "Nothing's going to happen. Don't worry, Makoto."
"Pathetic three-dimensional beings,"
Aki Tomoya, who had witnessed everything, curled his lip in disdain. As a proud resident of the two-dimensional world, he had no interest in the trivial romantic dramas of the three-dimensional world.
However, the inspiration provided by three-dimensional encounters was another matter.
He needed to talk to Eriri and the senpai. He had already written the proposal for the beautiful encounter project. Although it was only three lines long, it was the result of his passion!
He would succeed. He would create a perfect GALGAME!
Holding this thought, the determined Aki Tomoya prepared to leave the classroom, but as he passed Shin's desk, he accidentally knocked over the three printed novels Shin had brought.
Aki Tomoya bent down to pick them up and inadvertently glanced at the titles. He couldn't tear his eyes away.
...
"Grilled meat set, no grilled meat."
Shin mentally calculated the price of the set ordered by the slender-faced boy in front of him and immediately approved.
The grilled meat set without grilled meat cost only 200 yen, plus complimentary miso soup and pickles. For the same price as a bowl of white rice, he got two extra dishes.
This kid is good at saving money. This school is full of hidden talents.
When it was Shin's turn, he stepped forward.
"A large pork cutlet bowl, two fried shrimp, one fried squid, one fried chicken, and an extra miso soup."
Shin ordered the most expensive items on the cafeteria menu without hesitation.
Are you kidding? What was the point of saving money now? He finally had a chance to exploit a convenient source of free food; why would he save money?
And, if he was being honest, he wasn't freeloading. He helped her gain 1 million yen in compensation. His meal expenses were negligible compared to that.
But then, he thought of himself—a proud System holder, a man who nearly blew up a Yonko three days ago—now reduced to eating a woman's food. He felt a profound sense of melancholy.
"One serving of udon noodles, please."
Kotonoha ordered a normal meal. When she paid with her card, Shin sensed the cafeteria lady's disdainful look.
Pfft! What do you know?Is this freeloading? This is legal tax evasion!
"Isn't that Uesugi-kun?"
As Kotonoha and Shin carried their trays to find a seat, they saw the boy who ordered the reduced grilled meat set looking for a seat.
"He's still a loner..."
"Do you know him?"
"Yes, he was a classmate in my old class. He's a very smart boy, but his family situation seems difficult, and he's a bit introverted," Kotonoha hesitated.
"Well, let's not ruin his chance at romance then."
Shin shrugged. The boy named Uesugi had already sat down opposite a red-haired girl, and they seemed to be chatting happily.
Hmm? Red hair? Shin suddenly realized that there were many students with strange hair colors in the cafeteria, and they didn't look dyed.
Isn't this an Asian school? Why are there so many blondes and redheads? Are Anglo-Saxons and Scots collectively genetically invading?Wait, there's no race with blue hair, is there?
Kotonoha blinked her eyes, then suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled, quietly finishing her lunch.
There was still a long time before the afternoon classes, so Kotonoha led Shin on a tour.
From the school buildings to the track field, to the club activity area, to the student dormitories, and finally to the chain-link fence separating Sakurano and Mineoka.
Standing by the fence, they could look down the slope and see the Sakurano students playing soccer on the field below. Oh wait, now they were all Mineoka students.
Due to the merger last year, Mineoka's campus had nearly doubled in size. After merging into a super campus, they quickly spent a considerable sum hiring an efficient and reliable construction team from foreign to quickly build some shared buildings.
But it was impossible to build a school in just a few holidays. So they simply opened up the entire campus, connecting the two schools, keeping some students at Sakurano, and transferring some to Mineoka to appease those complaining about social stratification.
"Compared to this side, I feel that side looks more like the Japanese high school I imagined," Shin said, sipping his boxed strawberry milk and watching the students playing soccer and fighting below.
Mineoka was quite different from his imagined Japanese high school. In fact, the students in this school felt more like the students from his own high school back in native.
They weren't overly intense, but there weren't any students dressed like typical Japanese high school delinquents. It was, after all, the second-best high school in the country. In places with a strong academic atmosphere, there was less of the usual high school "drama."
The messy things shown in typical coming-of-age movies and anime were only experienced by a minority of students. Most people's youth was filled with studying.
"What kind of Japanese high school did Shin-kun imagine?" Kotonoha blinked her big eyes, asking curiously.
"Girls wearing mini-skirts and sailor uniforms, boys who like to fight, always hanging out on the rooftop, and seniors acting like jerks. And people who like to run."
"I admit I'm influenced by movies, but stereotypes exist everywhere," Shin shrugged.
Kotonoha giggled softly. After eating lunch, the girl seemed less reserved around Shin.
"Shin-kun is right, actually. But those short skirts are usually altered by the students themselves. Boys who like to fight usually don't get into Mineoka. Many people went to the rooftop for lunch in my middle school, but the keys to Mineoka's rooftop aren't easily available. As for the seniors, well, they are definitely difficult to get along with."
"What was the school Shin-kun attended like?"
"My school?" Shin's gaze drifted, reminiscing with emotion. "The schedule was very tight, and the classes were numerous. It was exhausting from morning to night. But we always found time during breaks to sunbathe in the hallway with good friends, then go back to the classroom to do more tests. Some boarding students would climb the wall to stay out all night at internet cafes, and for a while, we even had morning drills and running."
"Life was tough, but honestly, it was fulfilling. That kind of military-style management wasn't easy, though. If I had the chance, I definitely wouldn't want to go through it again."
People who romanticize the past mostly just want to return to their youth, to a point where they could change their life's path. But if you really made them repeat high school, how many would accept that boring, unchanging routine?
"Wow, that's strict," Kotonoha slightly widened her eyes, then said softly, "Maybe that's why Shin-kun can be so assertive."
"Assertive?" Shin looked at Kotonoha in surprise, shaking his head with a smile. "My situation is different, Katsura-san. Strict high school management doesn't necessarily produce strong individuals; it mostly produces people who avoid getting involved in things. And my situation... is different."
"How is it different?" Kotonoha stepped closer, her beautiful eyes fixed on Shin, sounding aggressive, almost pleading.
"Shin-kun, how did you make your heart so strong? Please guide me!"
Shin looked at the suddenly assertive Kotonoha and immediately understood her intentions.
A girl who was too scared to ask for help when harassed by a pervert on a train likely yearned for a different version of herself—stronger, more outgoing, and more vibrant.
"I can't teach you, Katsura-san." Shin leaned back against the fence, speaking frankly. "I don't know your situation, but I can't teach you how to make your heart stronger."
"Please guide me!" Kotonoha pleaded sincerely.
"...A goal that is difficult to achieve but must be realized, a fear far more terrible than all the hardships of life, and... a perspective that transcends the thing you fear."
Shin narrowed his eyes, speaking in a way that was hard to understand.
Like most protagonists who receive a System, Shin's transformation was unimaginably fast and drastic.
He was just a powerless university student, yet in the blink of an eye, he could become a decisive person capable of killing. Having experienced it firsthand, it didn't seem strange.
When you have faced death, or when you have something living in your mind that can kill you at any moment, what is left in this world to fear besides death itself?
When your perspective expands to a civilization far beyond human comprehension, why would you still revere ordinary mortals?
When you realize that your home and your dreams are like bubbles in a fleeting dream, yet you still have the opportunity to touch them, why wouldn't you strive for them?
Shin didn't arrogantly believe he was chosen because he was special, but he also didn't underestimate himself. With the blessing of a System that transcended the mundane, he was no longer one of the masses.
Some things, once you have them, you have them. Once you possess a 'soft stone,' you are already special. Luck, wisdom, talent—what is the difference between these human-defined concepts and the 'soft stone' you possess?
Shin's mindset was indeed changing, but the speed of the change was perhaps influenced by the extreme calmness temporarily imparted by the Bondrewd suit, or perhaps it was just the indifference of someone who felt their situation couldn't get any worse.
"Katsura-san, I don't know your past, but if you want to change yourself, you first need to ask yourself why you aren't strong," Shin turned to Kotonoha, who had instinctively lowered her head, and said plainly.
"You lack confidence, even though you have many things to be proud of. You are afraid to take the first step to make friends, even though your qualities could easily lead to success.
"Your hesitation is due to fear. Your introversion is due to your environment and your behavior of rarely socializing. These aren't unique, and they aren't difficult to change. The only question is—do you dare to take the first step?"
Shin stepped closer, near Kotonoha's face, and whispered in her ear.
"Give it a try. It won't kill you. The world is much easier than you think. You are the outstanding one in this world, the unique Kotonoha Katsura, not a doll that can be abandoned or ignored by anyone.
"You are excellent, and you deserve something even better."
Kotonoha's earlobes turned slightly red. Her angelic face trembled. Her lips moved slightly. As if mustering all her courage, she raised her head, closed her eyes, and said,
"Then... Shin-kun, will you be my friend?"
"I'd be honored." Shin smiled in response.
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