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Chapter 1 - Vending Machine Vendetta and a New Game Plus

Haruto Tanaka was having a spectacularly average day, which, in hindsight, was probably the universe's way of lulling him into a false sense of security before drop-kicking him into the afterlife. The office was a symphony of keyboard clicks and lukewarm coffee, the kind of beige monotony that made you question if life was just a PowerPoint presentation stuck on repeat. Haruto, a 24-year-old salaryman with dreams no bigger than a Friday night ramen binge, was wrestling with a jammed vending machine in the break room. His prize? A can of iced coffee that had been taunting him for three minutes.

"Come on, you rusty piece of—" Haruto muttered, giving the machine a half-hearted kick. The thing wobbled, groaned, and then, with the kind of dramatic flair you'd expect from a B-movie villain, toppled forward. Time slowed as Haruto's brain registered the absurdity of his situation. Death by vending machine? Really? The last thing he saw was the machine's smug digital display blinking "Out of Service" before everything went black.

When Haruto opened his eyes, he wasn't in the break room, nor was he in a hospital bed or some ethereal waiting room with harp music. He was sprawled on a pristine lawn, the kind you'd see in a fancy school courtyard, surrounded by cherry blossoms and the chatter of teenagers in crisp uniforms. His head throbbed, his body felt weirdly… lighter, and his clothes—definitely not his usual discount-store button-up—were a stylish blazer and slacks combo that screamed "private school rich kid."

"What the actual—" Haruto sat up, blinking at the scene. A group of girls giggled nearby, their skirts swishing as they whispered about some dreamy guy named Ryuji. The name hit Haruto like a second vending machine. Ryuji? As in Ryuji freaking Aoyama, the protagonist of Hearts of the Academy? His heart did a somersault. That was the trashy harem novel he'd been reading on his phone during lunch breaks—a guilty pleasure filled with over-the-top romance, cliched drama, and a protagonist who could charm the socks off a cactus.

Before he could process further, a sharp, golden glow pulsed in his vision, like someone had cranked the brightness on his eyeballs. Words floated in front of him, crisp and glowing like a video game HUD:

Eye of Wealth Activated. Analyzing Optimal Path…

Option A: Approach the giggling girls and ask for directions to the main building. Outcome: 10% chance of social boost, 5% chance of minor embarrassment.

Option B: Stay seated and observe surroundings. Outcome: 80% chance of gathering critical information, 0% chance of immediate conflict.

Option C: Yell 'I'm not supposed to be here!' Outcome: 95% chance of being labeled a weirdo, 5% chance of attracting a curious bystander.

Haruto blinked. The words vanished, but the implications didn't. What is this, a life cheat code? He pinched his arm—ouch, definitely real—and chose Option B, because screaming like a lunatic seemed like a one-way ticket to the school counselor.

As he leaned back against a tree, pretending to be a chill guy enjoying the scenery, his mind raced. If this was Hearts of the Academy, he wasn't Ryuji, thank God. That guy's life was a minefield of jealous rivals and clingy heroines. But who was he? A quick pat-down revealed a student ID in his blazer pocket: Kairo Voss, Class 2-B. Haruto's stomach dropped. Kairo Voss was a nobody, a background character who showed up in maybe three scenes to deliver exposition or get tripped in the hallway for comic relief. The guy was so forgettable, the author hadn't even bothered to give him a proper backstory.

"Great," Haruto muttered. "Reincarnated as the human equivalent of a stage prop."

But the Eye of Wealth? That was new. Nothing in the novel mentioned a power like that. As he mulled it over, the golden HUD flickered again, this time highlighting a crumpled flyer on the grass nearby. Optimal Action: Pick up the flyer. Outcome: 70% chance of uncovering a profitable opportunity. Haruto shrugged and grabbed it. The flyer advertised a "Mystery Club Recruitment Drive" with a promise of "exclusive perks." It looked sketchy, like something a shady NPC would hand out, but the Eye was insistent, so he pocketed it.

The school bell rang, a melodic chime that sounded way too cheerful for 8 a.m. Haruto—now Kairo—stood, brushing off his pants. If he was stuck in this world, he'd make the most of it. No way was he going to be Ryuji's punching bag or fade into obscurity. The Eye of Wealth was his trump card, and he was ready to play it.

Class 2-B was a chaotic blend of anime tropes: the studious girl with glasses, the jock tossing a basketball, and a gaggle of girls fawning over a photo of Ryuji on their phones. Kairo slipped into a seat near the back, trying to blend in while his brain screamed, This is too real! The teacher droned on about quadratic equations, but Kairo's attention was on the girl two seats over, scribbling furiously in a notebook.

That was Mia Sato, the "loser heroine" of Hearts of the Academy. In the novel, she was the shy, bookish girl who confessed to Ryuji in chapter 10, only to be gently rejected because she wasn't "main heroine material." Fans on forums called her the underdog, but the author had sidelined her after that. Kairo felt a pang of sympathy. Mia's glasses slipped down her nose as she chewed her pencil, muttering about a formula. She wasn't drop-dead gorgeous like the main heroines, but there was something… real about her. Her messy ponytail and ink-stained fingers screamed "I'm trying my best," and Kairo respected the hustle.

The Eye flickered. Optimal Action: Offer to help Mia with her math homework. Outcome: 60% chance of building rapport, 20% chance of unlocking a hidden talent. Kairo hesitated. He wasn't exactly a math genius in his past life, but the Eye hadn't steered him wrong yet. He leaned over, keeping his voice low.

"Hey, Sato, need a hand with that problem? I'm kinda okay at math."

Mia flinched, her pencil skidding across the page. "Oh! Uh, Voss, right? I… I'm fine, thanks." Her cheeks turned pink, and she pushed her glasses up, avoiding eye contact.

Kairo grinned. "Come on, you're murdering that pencil. Let's tackle it together." He slid his chair closer, ignoring the curious glances from classmates. The Eye's HUD highlighted a specific equation in her notebook, practically screaming, This is the one! With a confidence he didn't entirely feel, Kairo walked her through it, half-guessing but somehow nailing the explanation. Mia's eyes widened, and she scribbled down the solution, a small smile breaking through.

"Thanks, Voss. That… actually made sense." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and Kairo's heart did a little flip. Okay, Eye of Wealth, you're officially my wingman.

Lunchtime brought Kairo to the cafeteria, where the Eye went into overdrive. It flagged a table in the corner where a girl with a wild mane of red hair was arguing with a vending machine—ironic, given his cause of death. The HUD labeled her: Lena Aoyama, Ryuji's younger sister. In the novel, Lena was the bratty comic relief, always causing trouble and getting bailed out by her perfect big brother. But the Eye had other ideas. Optimal Action: Intervene in Lena's vending machine dispute. Outcome: 75% chance of gaining an ally, 10% chance of minor injury.

Kairo sighed. Not again with the vending machines. But he strolled over, hands in his pockets. "Need a hero, Aoyama?"

Lena spun around, her green eyes blazing. "This stupid thing ate my coins! And no, I don't need Ryuji's help, so don't even start." She assumed he was one of her brother's fanboys, clearly.

"Not Ryuji. Just me, Kairo." He tapped the machine lightly, and the Eye highlighted a specific spot. Hit here. He gave it a precise smack, and a soda can clunked into the tray. Lena's jaw dropped.

"How'd you—whatever, thanks." She grabbed the can, then squinted at him. "You're weird, Voss. I like it." She smirked and sauntered off, leaving Kairo with a mix of pride and mild terror. Ryuji's sister? Really, Eye?

By the end of the day, Kairo was exhausted but buzzing with possibility. The Eye had guided him through small victories: joining the Mystery Club (which turned out to be a front for a bizarrely lucrative trading card ring), dodging a hallway prank meant for him in the original novel, and even charming the art club president, a quirky girl named Yuna who read tarot cards and smelled faintly of paint. Each choice felt like a step toward rewriting his fate.

As he walked home under a sunset that looked too perfect to be real, the Eye flashed one last message: Current Wealth Score: +15% life satisfaction, +10% social capital, +5% financial potential. Kairo grinned. He wasn't just surviving this harem novel—he was gaming it. And with Mia, Lena, and maybe even Yuna in his orbit, the sidelines were starting to feel like the main stage.

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