Morning sunlight slipped through the thin curtains of a small dorm room. I opened my eyes, head heavy, and froze for a moment. This white ceiling… it wasn't mine.
I sat up, scanning the room. A small desk stacked with high school textbooks, a neatly folded uniform on the chair, and a calendar showing April—the start of university.
Walking over to the mirror, I caught sight of my reflection and nearly stopped breathing. Messy hair, pale face, half-asleep eyes. It wasn't me.
It was Oreki Houtarou.
Before I could even process that, a transparent screen popped up in front of me.
[Ding! Welcome, Host!]
You are now connected to [System].
First Mission: Meet Chitanda Eru at the university gate.
Reward: +10 Stamina
Penalty if failed: 200% Drowsiness during your first lecture.
My mouth hung open. "…A system? Did I transmigrate? Into Oreki?"
The screen flickered again.
[System]: Relax, Host. If you fail, be ready to sleep through your very first class. Do you want to be labeled a slacker on day one?
I sighed. Is this a joke? My heart pounded faster. Whether dream or reality, this felt too real. If I was Oreki now, then so be it.
---
The university gate buzzed with freshmen—some searching for their classrooms, others busy taking pictures. I walked lazily, perfectly in character as Oreki.
And then I saw her.
Chitanda Eru. Her long black hair shimmered under the morning light, her eyes sparkled with curiosity, and her smile—pure as always.
The moment she spotted me, she waved enthusiastically.
"Houtarou-san!" she called out cheerfully. "We really ended up at the same university! I can't wait to see what student life is like!"
Before I could reply, the screen popped up again.
[Ding! New Sub-Mission Unlocked!]
→ Make Chitanda smile twice before noon.
Reward: +5 Charisma
Penalty: You will unconsciously blurt out 'I like you.'
I almost choked on air. "You've got to be kidding me…" I muttered.
[System]: Nope, dead serious. Come on, Host. That poker face of yours won't do. Smiling doesn't actually consume that much energy, you know?
Chitanda walked closer, her bright eyes fixed on me, her smile so sincere it was almost blinding.
And for the first time since waking up in this body, I thought: maybe… living as Oreki Houtarou wouldn't be so bad after all.