Seijirou stepped out of the large, silent house, his shoulders heavy and his steps sluggish, his face carrying a hollow look that betrayed how little sleep he had managed.
His mind was still burdened by the storm of revelations from the night before, but he forced himself to walk on autopilot, not trusting himself to linger on those thoughts.
Suzune was already waiting outside the gate, her usual bright expression faltering the moment she saw him.
She tilted her head slightly, ponytail swaying, and frowned. "Whoa, Seiji, you look like shit. Did you fight a hundred guys last night or something?"
He didn't answer. He didn't even try to muster one of his usual smirks or snide remarks.
Instead, he sighed quietly, shaking his head as though dismissing the very thought of explaining.
The weight of what he'd learned still sat like lead in his chest, but since there was nothing he could do about gods, demons, or outer horrors for now, he had no choice but to shove it aside.
Survival had to start small. Step by step.
And the first step was power. Real power. He remembered vaguely, back when he played the game, that the concept of Qi had been introduced much later in the story.
He had learned it through an old monk in some half-forgotten temple, though the details of the location escaped him now.
It had been a hidden mechanic, something the protagonist could miss entirely. If he was stuck in this world, he would need it.
He glanced at Suzune, who was still staring at him curiously.
"Let's just get going," he muttered.
She studied him for a moment, then let out a small laugh, brushing off the gloom in his tone.
"Fine, fine. Mr. Grumpy this morning. I'll forgive you since you're handsome" She nudged him lightly with her elbow, a teasing grin tugging at her lips.
They walked side by side, the street slowly filling with other students in uniform making their way to school.
The morning sun was bright, the breeze mild, and Suzune's chatter felt almost too normal against the storm still raging in Seijirou's head.
Halfway through the walk, Suzune tilted her head toward him. "Hey, did you even eat breakfast? You look pale. Actually, scratch that, you look like you didn't even touch dinner last night."
He shook his head silently, and the moment he did, he realized it was true—he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon.
He'd been too distracted, spiraling about gods, novels, and the world being fundamentally doomed.
Suzune stopped, then sighed like she had expected this answer all along.
"Figures. You really are hopeless, you know that?" She reached into her bag and pulled out a neatly wrapped grilled cheese sandwich, warm enough that a faint scent of butter and toasted bread wafted through the air.
She pressed it into his hand with a little shove. "Here. I made an extra this morning. Honestly, I knew you'd skip breakfast again."
Seijirou blinked at her, then took the sandwich. He didn't usually bother thanking people for little things like this, but today, after everything, the gesture hit him differently.
"...Thanks," he said simply, his voice quieter than usual.
Suzune grinned, eyes sparkling as she walked a little ahead, hands behind her back. "No problem, Seiji. You'd starve if I left it up to you anyway. You'd probably just smoke until lunch and call it a diet."
Seijirou took a bite of the sandwich as they walked, the warmth of the melted cheese and toasted bread grounding him.
It wasn't much, but it was enough to remind him that, despite the chaos waiting in the shadows, right now there were still small things worth holding on to.
Seijirou and Suzune arrived at the school gate just as the morning crowd was starting to settle in.
The chatter of students, the clatter of shoes against the tiled floors, and the occasional laugh or shout filled the air.
They didn't bother picking up Renji and the others. They were always late anyways, and are probably still sleeping.
Suzune stretched her arms behind her back, yawning.
"Well, this is where I head off. Different class, different crowd. Try not to scare your classmates too much today, Seiji," she teased, flashing him a playful grin before peeling away toward her classroom.
Seijirou watched her go, then sighed and turned toward his own wing of the building. Class 1-A.
The moment he pushed open the sliding door and stepped inside, the room buzzed with conversations, little cliques huddled around desks, trading jokes and homework answers.
But the instant someone noticed him, the atmosphere froze like ice spreading over water.
One by one, voices tapered off, and all eyes turned toward him with that familiar mix of fear, awe, and anxiety.
Unbothered, Seijirou walked straight to his seat in the back, dropped his bag onto the desk, and sat down.
Without acknowledging anyone, he pulled out his phone and unlocked it, his thumb immediately tapping into the new game he had downloaded just earlier this morning.
"Destiny: Great Order."
A gacha game. A shameless knock-off of the popular series he remembered wasting time on in his past life.
But he didn't care. The interface was nearly identical, the flashy animations and character summons giving him the same little dopamine hit he had once enjoyed.
And now, in this world, he had money. Real money. His parents sent him a generous allowance every month, and since he lived alone, he had no shortage of cash to burn.
So what if he wanted to whale on a gacha game? No one could stop him.
He smiled faintly as he rolled, watched the flashy animations spin, and cursed under his breath when another three-star popped out.
He was midway through a battle, earbuds half in, when the classroom door slid open again.
Tachibana Rei stepped in, her pink hair catching the light, her bright golden eyes sharp even in their natural nervousness.
Behind her was Tadano Taro, her childhood friend, looking as plain and forgettable as ever with his dark hair and slouched posture.
Most of the class expected Rei to walk straight to her seat like she always did.
She was popular, friendly, the type of girl who usually avoided trouble. But instead, she paused at the entrance, her gaze scanning the room until it landed on him.
Kageyama Seijirou.
A ripple of shock spread through the class as Rei straightened her back, drew in a deep breath as if bracing herself, and walked toward the back row.
Toward him.
Her footsteps echoed too loud in the sudden silence, every student pretending not to stare but utterly failing.
Even Tadano froze at the door, blinking in confusion as his childhood friend went somewhere she had no business going.
Seijirou, completely immersed in his game, didn't notice until a shadow fell across his desk.
Slowly, he lifted his eyes from his phone, brow slightly furrowed, and found Rei standing there, her hands clasped in front of her skirt.
She looked nervous, lips pressed together before she finally spoke.
Her voice wavered at first, but she forced the words out. "K… Kageyama-kun. Um… could I… talk to you for a bit? Outside?"
The classroom collectively held its breath. Murmurs rippled like waves, quickly silenced when Rei darted her eyes around, cheeks reddening.
Seijirou blinked, studying her expression. She wasn't just being polite, she was tense, like she'd been building up courage for this moment.
He leaned back in his chair, slipping his phone into his pocket, his expression unreadable.
"Outside, huh?" he muttered, his tone casual but carrying enough weight to make her flinch slightly. "What, you planning to confess or something?"
His lips curled into the faintest smirk, but his eyes stayed sharp, watching her reaction closely.
Rei shook her head quickly, her voice rising a pitch. "N-no! It's not like that! I just… I just wanted to talk to you about something. It won't take long, I promise."
The class held their breath again, whispers barely restrained. Even Taro took a step forward, his brows knitting in worry.
"Rei… what are you doing…?" he muttered under his breath, but she didn't turn to him.
All her attention was on Seijirou.
He drummed his fingers against the desk slowly, deliberately stretching out the silence before finally standing up.
His tall frame and casual menace made the tension in the room spike even higher.
"Fine," he said at last, sliding his hands into his pockets. His tone was nonchalant, but his eyes flickered with curiosity. "Let's hear it."
And with that, he walked toward the door, not bothering to wait for her, as if daring her to follow.
Rei bit her lip, then hurried after him, her face pale but determined.