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The next day, Akio showed up to school like usual.
Before class, he was hanging out with Ritsu Tainaka and Mio Akiyama, chatting about random stuff without the slightest concern for studying.
I mean, come on—he was basically a god now. Why the hell would he bother studying?
People studied so they could land a decent job someday, feed themselves, and get by in the world.
But Akio? He already had people taking care of him.
Meals? Taken care of by Erina Nakiri and Hisako.Daily expenses? Covered by Nanami Aoyama.
And soon enough, Akio was sure money would come pouring in.
So why study? What's the point?He'd already suffered through that grind in his last life—no way he was doing it again in this one.
Not happening.
So after arriving at school, Akio quickly got bored, slipped out of class unnoticed, and started wandering the halls.
Was anyone going to catch him cutting class?Not likely.
And honestly, wandering around the school turned out to be pretty interesting.
For example, he spotted Yurika Hanakawa, the girl he'd run into at the supermarket yesterday—turns out her class was right next to his.
Even more surprising, in another class he found Kato Megumi, a beautiful girl with such a faint presence she almost seemed invisible.
Wait a sec—wasn't she supposed to be at Toyonozaki Academy?
That really piqued his curiosity.
This world did have a Toyonozaki Academy, so why was the "background heroine" showing up here at Sakuragaoka Private Academy instead?
Another twist from this crossover world, maybe.
After all, Sakuragaoka was way more famous than Toyonozaki.
Which got him wondering—did that mean Utaha Kasumigaoka was here too? Maybe even Eriri in the art club?
Driven by curiosity, Akio made a round through the second-year wing.
But no luck—no sign of Utaha. Which meant the black-stocking senpai was probably still over at Toyonozaki.
As for the art club? No Eriri there either.
So… only Kato Megumi had somehow ended up here.
Did that mean the Saekano storyline was already falling apart?
Eh, whatever. It's a crossover world anyway—if things broke, they broke. Akio didn't really care.
Still… Kato Megumi. Maybe he should make her his follower too?
Standing outside her classroom window, he watched her quietly sitting at her desk, and started to wonder.
If she became his follower, what could she actually do for him?Make money? Pack him lunch? Or just stand around looking pretty—another collectible for the shelf?
Not that he was into collecting girls like trophies.
After mulling it over, Akio decided—nah, he'd just let Megumi herself figure that out.
So he pushed open the classroom door, walked right in, grabbed her hand, and pulled her out into the hallway before she could react.
No one noticed.No one thought it was strange.
Outside, Megumi stared at him in disbelief.
Sure, her presence was weak, but not that weak. If she talked to people, they noticed her. She just tended to fade into the background when she stayed quiet.
But what had just happened? That completely shattered her worldview.
A total stranger had strolled into class, taken her by the hand, and led her out—and not a single person in the room had noticed.
It was absurd. Unreal.
And what about him? Even if her presence was thin, what was his excuse? No one had noticed him walk in either.
"…Crazy, right?" Akio asked casually.
Megumi nodded. "This isn't just crazy—it's impossible. How did you even do that?"
"Just a little trick of mine," Akio said. "Want to learn?"
She instinctively shook her head. Her presence was faint enough already—if she learned this "trick," wouldn't she basically vanish completely?
No thanks.
But Akio continued, "It doesn't just weaken presence. It can also boost it—make you stand out, become the most dazzling person in the room. Interested now?"
Megumi's eyes lit up. That… she definitely wanted.
As a teenage girl, she longed to have normal interactions, to experience the vibrant high school life everyone else seemed to enjoy.
"Really?"
"Of course," Akio said smoothly. "But…"
Megumi leaned in. "But what?" She didn't want to miss this chance.
"As a god, I can give you power. If you become my follower, you'll be able to control your presence however you want—fade out or shine as brightly as you please."
He paused, then added, "But followers have to work for me too. Some cook my meals, some cover my expenses. So tell me, Kato Megumi—what can you do for me?"
He smiled faintly. "This is your test. Give me a satisfying answer, and I'll share my power. Fail, and the chance is gone."
Megumi froze. God? Test? What the hell was this?
Way too much to process.
She didn't even know how to respond. Her face stayed calm, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of panic.
She didn't want to let this chance slip away. She wanted to be normal.
Akio noticed, and took pity. "Fine, I'll give you three days. Think about it, and give me your answer this Friday."
Relief washed over her. Three days—that was manageable. She could come up with something by then.
"Alright then. See you in three days."
He waved casually and sent her back.
In the blink of an eye, Megumi was seated at her desk again, as if nothing had happened. For a moment she wondered if it had all been a hallucination.
But when she glanced out the window, she saw him. The boy who called himself a god.
Akio nodded at her, then strolled away, off to kill time wandering the school like a delinquent.
By lunch break, he returned to class to enjoy a delicious meal with Ritsu and Mio.
"Whoa, this smells amazing. Where'd you buy this delicious meal?" Ritsu asked, her eyes sparkling.
Before Akio could answer, a voice he recognized spoke up.
"Smells good, doesn't it?"
He turned his head and saw a well-endowed girl smiling at him.
"Good afternoon, Akio."
It was none other than Yurika Hanakawa, the same girl he'd run into yesterday.
And standing just behind her—was a black-haired, golden-eyed girl.
The unluckiest high schooler in history.
Miko Yotsuya.
"..."
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