________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"No way."
Before Akio could even say anything, Ritsu Tainaka cut him off flatly."C'mon,Akio was obviously joking. Mio, how could you actually fall for that? You're way too easy to fool—what's gonna happen to you when I'm not around to watch your back?"
Akio had been all set to put on a cool act in front of the two girls, but Ritsu wasn't taking the bait at all.
Scowling, he grabbed a chicken wing with his chopsticks and shoved it into Ritsu's mouth."Just eat, you genius."
On reflex, Ritsu bit down—and instantly froze. A rush of flavor exploded in her mouth, something unlike anything she'd tasted before.
Sure, she'd eaten spicy chicken wings before. But not like this.The meat was tender, the heat balanced perfectly: spicy enough to excite her taste buds, numbing without going overboard. It filled every corner of her mouth with flavor, without burning her throat or making her tongue go dead.
In short:Delicious. Freaking delicious. Insanely delicious.
At that moment, Ritsu didn't care about bickering anymore—she went full food-goblin mode and started inhaling wings like there was no tomorrow.
Seeing this, Mio Akiyama gave Akio an apologetic glance. But when he gestured for her to try some too, she joined the feast without hesitation.
By the end of lunch, the three of them were greasy-lipped and satisfied.
Meanwhile, the rest of the class was suffering.Watching the trio devour their meal, everyone else suddenly lost all appetite for their own meals. Their plain lunches tasted like cardboard in comparison, leaving only tears of envy.
This was cruelty, plain and simple.
Some classmates glared at them bitterly before storming out. Staying in that classroom any longer felt dangerous—they might actually turn into bandits and snatch the food away.
Lunch break flew by, and the classroom soon settled back into routine.Classes wrapped up, and by three o'clock the school day was over.
In Japan, high schools usually let out pretty early. Only the seniors sometimes had lessons running until five, but Akio's year was done by three sharp. Which meant it was time for club activities.
Most students joined a club, spending their afternoons practicing or hanging out.Ritsu and Mio, of course, were in the Light Music Club. After a quick wave goodbye to Akio, they grabbed their instruments and dashed off.
As for Akio—or rather, his body's "previous owner"—he wasn't part of any club.Being an exchange student, the old Akio hadn't been keen on after-school activities. Besides, he had something else that ate up his free time.
In two words:Part-time work.
His family sent him a monthly allowance, but it was just enough to scrape by.If he wanted extras—like game consoles, CDs, phones, figures, manga, or a good pair of headphones—he had to earn it himself.
So he worked.
From memory, the old Akio had a job at a convenience store.
That was something Akio had never experienced—not even in his old world before transmigrating. Which made it all the more interesting to try.
After leaving school, he headed straight to the store. It didn't take long to get there: a twenty-four-hour convenience store, buzzing with fluorescent lights.
The clerk on shift spotted him the second he walked in."Perfect timing, Akio! The Coke shelf's empty—go restock it."
"Got it." Akio ducked into the storeroom, swapped into his uniform, hauled out a box of Coke, and got to work.
The job wasn't particularly tough—just stocking shelves, checking inventory, and manning the register. Before he knew it, it was already five o'clock.
The day-shift clerk clocked out, and the next worker came in.
A girl with a ponytail and a regional Japanese accent.
You know her. The part-timer warrior, Nanami Aoyama.
Technically, the real "part-time warrior" was Suzuha Amane from Steins;Gate, but Akio felt the title fit Nanami perfectly too. She worked crazy hard, juggling multiple jobs all for the sake of her dream.
If anyone deserved the nickname, it was her.
And honestly? Akio didn't mind the extra motivation. A hardworking, pretty girl like her was always nice to have around.Truth be told, he was a little smitten.
"Sorry, I'm late," Nanami said with a bright smile after swapping uniforms and greeting the outgoing clerk. She walked over to Akio, her cheerful energy lighting up the place.
"It's fine. Afternoon, Aoyama."
"Afternoon, Akio. You seem… different today, somehow." She tilted her head, studying him curiously.
"Different? How so?" he asked.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked him up and down. "Your vibe, maybe? You feel more… mature than before. Like you suddenly grew up overnight. Did something happen?"
Akio was a little surprised."Huh, I didn't think you'd notice. Yeah, I guess something did happen. But you know how it is—guys can grow up in just one night."
Nanami blinked, then slowly nodded. "I guess that makes sense." She seemed satisfied with that answer.
Of course, the truth was something she could never imagine: the soul inside Akio's body had been swapped out. A grown adult with years of work experience now occupied the shell of a high schooler. The look might still be young, but the aura was bound to change.
Mio and Ritsu had both vaguely sensed something too, but brushed it off as their imagination. After all, they were just kids themselves.
Nanami, though—she'd been through enough jobs and dealt with enough people to spot the difference instantly.That was the gap between a battle-hardened part-timer and an ordinary high schooler.
After that little moment, Nanami slipped smoothly into work mode, flashing her dazzling smile at every customer who came through the door.
Watching her, Akio couldn't help but sigh softly."Working life's tough."
Time ticked by, and soon it was supposed to be the end of Akio's shift.
Except—his replacement still hadn't shown up.Not even a shadow.
Don't tell me… that guy ditched work?
Akio's face darkened slightly. If there was one thing he hated, it was people who couldn't be bothered to show up on time.
Noticing his expression, Nanami leaned over."Akio, why don't you head home first? I'll wait here for him."
"..."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________