When the door of the Yukihira Diner closed behind him, Lin Zhi let go of his suitcase and finally had a moment to check the flashing exclamation mark in the upper-right corner of his vision. With a flicker of thought, a translucent light screen unfolded before his eyes.
Having a system meant one thing—Lin Zhi was a transmigrator. That much was beyond doubt.
Lin Zhi, male, sixteen years old. Transmigrator.
Whatever life he had before this world had long faded away, buried under time's passing. Even he could barely remember who he used to be.
He did, however, possess the usual transmigrator's accessory—a system.
Unfortunately, this system wasn't exactly reliable. Lin Zhi wasn't sure where the god of transmigration had dug it up from—probably some defective model that never passed quality inspection. The system's tendency to malfunction had become a routine annoyance; most of the time, its presence was barely noticeable.
Still, it retained a few basic features, such as the ability to create information cards for people he met—something that helped him understand those around him better.
As the light screen opened, the first thing that caught his eye was an avatar—a girl's portrait. The girl was Gabriel.
But… why did she have a halo over her head?
Lin Zhi frowned in surprise, staring at the profile. For some reason, his heart skipped a beat, an uneasy feeling creeping up from deep inside.
[Name: Tenma Gabriel White]
[Occupation: Celestial Exchange Student]
[Race: Angel]
[Age: 16]
[Threat Level: S]
At first glance, the layout of Gabriel's profile looked no different from the others he'd seen before. But a few words burned in his vision like red flags.
Tenma Gabriel White—sure, the name checked out. Nothing strange there.
But Celestial Realm?Exchange student?
Wait, what? Since when did the tone of this story shift so suddenly?
Lin Zhi stared at the glowing text in silence, his expression growing increasingly complex.
An angel? Seriously?
He wasn't delusional enough to start pinching himself. He knew perfectly well this world was real—he could still distinguish between reality and dreams. True, he'd already encountered a few people with rather… unusual occupations, but this was on a whole other level.
He ruffled his hair in frustration, turning it into a messy nest. Weird professions he could handle. But cross-species existence? That was a first.
A celestial exchange student… was the world really this progressive now?
For a moment, the entryway fell silent.
After a long pause, Lin Zhi exhaled deeply.
"So what if she's an angel? Doesn't have anything to do with me. Better an angel next door than a demon, right?"
With that comforting thought, he let out another long breath, rolled up his sleeves, and got to work cleaning.
After all, what could be more honorable than honest labor?
…
By the time Lin Zhi finished tidying up, the sun was already dipping low, the western sky awash in golden-red clouds. The setting rays poured through the window, gilding the floor in warm light.
He straightened up, wiped the sweat from his brow, and checked the time on his phone—six o'clock sharp.
Yawning, he stretched lazily and looked around with satisfaction. Everything was finally in order. Packing away his cleaning tools, he grabbed his wallet and headed out the door.
A cool evening breeze greeted him, carrying the faint scent of cherry blossoms and a lingering chill. He shivered slightly—spring nights could still be cold.
Then his gaze drifted toward the neighboring apartment. For a moment, he hesitated, but eventually shook his head and dismissed whatever thought had crossed his mind.
Fate, however, had a sense of humor.
Just as he turned away, the door next to his opened. Out stepped the petite blonde girl with the single golden ahoge curling atop her head.
Their eyes met—both looked equally surprised.
"Good evening, Nohara-kun," Gabriel said with a bright, angelic smile. Her expression was pure, her voice light as wind.
An angel, huh… Lin Zhi thought, a strange feeling stirring inside him. She was undeniably cute, but he really didn't want too much involvement with supernatural beings. Unfortunately, that decision was no longer his to make.
Maybe he could move again. But… was that really necessary?
He forced a smile and greeted her calmly. Gabriel might look like a middle schooler—small and delicate—but she was adorable nonetheless.
He remembered a saying from his past life… what was it again?
Ah, right. Soft, gentle, and easy to knock over.
He coughed, shaking his head. What the hell was he thinking? She was an angel—an S-rank threat, no less!
Straightening up, he greeted her with all the righteousness he could muster.
"Tenma-san, are you heading out for dinner too?"
Given the timing, it was the only reasonable guess.
"You too, Nohara-kun?" Gabriel's eyes lit up with a hint of relief. She still wasn't familiar with the human world—having someone guide her would be perfect.
But how should she ask without sounding awkward? She hesitated, lost in thought.
Lin Zhi, oblivious to her inner struggle, spoke up again.
"Why don't we go together? I was just about to grab dinner myself."
The words left his mouth before he could stop them.
And immediately, regret followed.
Not because he thought it improper to invite a girl he'd just met, but because it went against his own resolution not to get involved with supernatural beings. Way to slap yourself in the face, Lin Zhi.
Maybe he just couldn't resist cute things.
Then again, didn't they say people who liked cute things were kind-hearted?
Yeah, he thought wryly, sure. Let's go with that.
Before he could take it back, Gabriel beamed.
"Okay!"
Her reply came so fast he didn't even have time to change his mind.
…
The streetlights flickered softly as they walked. The dim glow gave the road an eerie atmosphere, like a scene from a ghost movie.
Thankfully, nothing strange happened. Even if something supernatural did appear, the angel beside him wasn't exactly helpless.
The world was still peaceful—or so Lin Zhi had thought before meeting Gabriel. Now, though, he couldn't help but wonder: if angels existed, did that mean demons and dragons did too? Maybe even ghosts?
Wait—ghosts?!
A chill breeze brushed his neck, making him shiver. He glanced nervously at the girl beside him.
Angels could handle ghosts… right?
Feeling reassured, he casually asked, "So, Tenma-san, what do you want to eat?"
Gabriel's expression turned a little awkward. "I'll let you decide, Nohara-kun."
She'd studied some basic knowledge about the human world, but she didn't want to risk saying something that would expose her.
Lin Zhi didn't suspect anything. His eyes caught the glow of a lively little shop down the street, filled with cheerful chatter. His interest piqued.
"How about that place?" he asked, nodding toward it.
Gabriel followed his gaze and smiled brightly. "Sure!"
Her golden hair swayed as she nodded, shimmering in the lamplight.
The shop's lights shone warmly against the evening gloom, a beacon in the darkness. Lin Zhi looked up at the sign and read the name softly under his breath—
"Yukihira Diner?"
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