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When he came to, Jack found himself standing at the front of a classroom.
"This is the new transfer student who'll be joining us starting today. Go ahead and introduce yourself."
Beside him stood a round, balding teacher. Below, rows of students watched curiously from their seats. Jack blinked, dazed.
Just a moment ago, he'd been on the street, pulling a little girl out of the way of an oncoming car. He remembered the screech of brakes, the blinding light—and then warmth, spreading all over him.
Next thing he knew, he was here.
A sea of unfamiliar faces stared up at him. For some reason, a stray thought crossed his mind:
Did I die?
Maybe this was heaven. He had saved a kid, after all. Wouldn't it make sense if he'd gone to heaven afterward?
"I was expecting angels, to be honest," he muttered, scanning the classroom.
Still reeling from the realization that he might actually be dead, his emotions tangled into a strange, numb mess.
The teacher blinked. A few students snickered.
"What's he even saying? Bro, did you just wake up or what?" someone called out.
Laughter rippled through the room.
That seemed to snap Jack out of his daze. He took a moment to think about his situation.
Okay. Consciousness intact. That's something. Whether this was reincarnation or the afterlife, he couldn't say. Hard to tell—it was his first time dying, after all.
Well, whatever.
He drew in a breath and gave the kind of polite smile he'd practiced hundreds of times before.
"My name's Jack. Nice to meet you all."
A bland, perfectly average self-introduction.
The students' interest evaporated instantly.
"Boring," someone muttered.
A few girls kept glancing at him—his looks were doing him favors—but most of the class already lost interest.
"Alright then, Jack, you can take that empty seat by the window in the back," the teacher said, pushing his glasses up. "Now, everyone, open your textbooks to page fifty-two…"
Jack walked to his seat, still wearing his polite smile. The moment he sat down, it faded, replaced by calm detachment.
He slid his bag into the desk drawer and went through his pockets—phone, student ID, two keys, and a few bills.
The money was odd. Different currency. The amount read 1,350, with fifty-denomination coins. Felt like yen or something. Not worth much.
He flipped his phone around, using the screen's reflection as a mirror. Same face as always—sharp, confident, annoyingly handsome.
Good. Still me.
Unlocking the phone, he saw a photo of himself riding a bike, grinning up at the camera.
He frowned.
Since when did he ever smile like that?
Two taps later, the wallpaper was gone.
The student ID said "Kuoh Academy, Year 2, Class A," with a home address. Two keys—so, one for the house, one for the bike lock. Simple enough.
Piecing it together, it looked like he hadn't just died—he'd woken up in another version of himself, in another world.
So reincarnation was real, huh.
Jack stared blankly for a few seconds, then sighed.
Could've been worse. At least he got a second chance.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed two girls watching him. He turned casually, only to freeze for half a heartbeat.
Both were stunning.
The one on the left had long crimson hair and cool, almost bewitching eyes—a beauty with an aura that pulled your gaze whether you wanted it or not.
Beside her sat another girl, this one with black hair tied into a high ponytail. Her smile was gentle, almost angelic. If the redhead was fire, she was sunlight—warm, soft, but just as captivating.
Different types, but both flawless.
Their eyes met briefly before Jack looked away.
Pretty girls, he thought absently, assuming they were just curious about the new transfer student.
He had no idea both Rias and Akeno had already noticed the strange, overwhelming power coiled within him—a power strong enough to make even demons uneasy.
A Sacred Gear. Without question.
They exchanged a brief glance, then turned away, pretending nothing had happened.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Jack even stopped by the school's security office to "check surveillance" for his "stolen" bike, which he conveniently found later. He went home—to this world's version of his home.
Unlocking the door, he was greeted by a messy living room.
His gaze went straight to the small household shrine against the wall. Two framed portraits sat there—his parents.
According to what he'd learned at school, they'd died in a truck accident.
Figures.
He sighed. "Damn trucks. Even here, they got my parents."
Expression flat, he wandered into his room. It was simple but tidy—aside from the overflowing trash bin full of crumpled tissues.
He raised an eyebrow. "Classy."
On the desk, a computer. Inside, a hidden folder with over a hundred "study materials." He clicked through a few.
"'Academy Suspension,' 'Widowed Lady,' 'Convenience Store Owner,' 'Guardian Force'…"
He stared at the screen for a long moment. Then snorted.
"Wow. So my other self was that kind of guy."
After a shower and a workout, he collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.
The day had been ordinary. A few classmates had tried to be friendly—some guys, some girls—but he'd brushed them off with polite smiles.
People were people. School, society, same thing. Just different sets of masks.
You couldn't be too distant, or you'd be alienated. But you couldn't get too close, either.
So he'd perfected the art of polite detachment—friendly enough to blend in, distant enough to stay untouched.
He could've gone on like that forever.
Until, two days later… he suddenly got a girlfriend.
More accurately, a girl he didn't even know confessed to him out of nowhere.
Her name was Yuma Amano. Cute, sweet, the kind of innocent-looking JK girl that would make any boy's heart skip.
They met at sunset on a bridge. She stood there, blushing, fidgeting with her skirt, gathering every ounce of courage she had.
"M-my name is Yuma Amano. I saw you at the school gate yesterday, and ever since then, I… I've liked you. C-could we… maybe go out?"
Jack stared.
Seriously?
What the hell…?
Was this some cosmic reward for saving that kid? Did the heavens send him an angel as a girlfriend?
He almost laughed.
But the more he listened, the more skeptical he became.
Love at first sight? Sure. And I'm the tooth fairy.
He smiled kindly, but inside, his thoughts were razor-sharp and cold.
There was no way a girl like her would just fall for a random guy like him. Not without a reason.
If she was approaching him, she wanted something.
And really—what did he even have now? No family, just an empty house and the compensation money from his parents' accident. Maybe forty million yen in total.
So what was she after? His money? His body?
If it was the latter, she could've just said so—he'd happily cooperate.
For now, he decided to play along and see what she was up to.
He smiled like he'd just won the lottery and said yes.
And just like that, they became a couple.
"Then, tomorrow's our day off," Yuma said brightly. "Let's go shopping together, okay?"
Her big, watery eyes shone with excitement.
Jack smiled back, gentle and warm. "Sure. Tomorrow. Don't be late."
"Mm!" she chirped, grinning ear to ear.
"Be careful on your way home," he added, ruffling her hair lightly.
Her cheeks flushed pink. She waved goodbye, looking back every few steps as she walked away.
Jack stood there, smiling—until she was gone. Then his face went blank.
He replayed everything in his head but couldn't find a single obvious clue.
Fine. He'd figure it out later.
Let's see what you're really after, little miss sunshine.
He turned and walked off.
High above, a petite girl with short white hair appeared, watching him leave. She pulled out her phone.
"President Rias, just as you predicted—the Fallen Angel's moving in."
"Good work, Koneko," came Rias's voice from the other end. "You can come back."
Koneko hung up, frowning faintly. Something about Jack unsettled her.
He didn't seem human.
The next morning, Jack got up early, got dressed, and headed for the door. Then he paused, turned back, and slipped a fruit knife into his pocket.
Maybe overkill for a high school date—but come on. A random girl confesses out of nowhere? Suspicious didn't even begin to cover it.
Probably some scam, or a bullying setup.
He wasn't paranoid. Just careful.
And if, by some miracle, Yuma really was just a pure-hearted girl who wanted a wholesome romance…
Well, he'd make it up to her later.
He pedaled to the meeting spot. From afar, he saw Yuma waiting, radiant in the morning light.
"Sorry, Yuma, I'm late," he said with an apologetic smile.
On purpose, of course.
"It's fine! I just got here too," she said cheerfully, looping her arm through his. "Let's go!"
He chuckled softly. "Sure."
They spent the day shopping, laughing, taking photo booth pictures. He bought her a hairband, and they stopped for dessert. From the outside, they looked like any other young couple in love.
By evening, they were walking through a quiet park.
Yuma stopped by the fountain, turning to face him.
"Jack," she said, smiling sweetly. "Can I ask you for one thing? As a memory of our first date?"
"Of course," he said lightly, hand slipping into his pocket.
Her smile sharpened, twisted.
"Then…" she said softly, her tone darkening. "Would you please die for me?"
His smile froze. Then vanished.
"…What did you just say?"
Her sweet face contorted into something cruel, unnatural.
"I said—" she stepped closer, voice dropping to a purr, "—can you die for me?"
The air seemed to warp around her.
Her clothes dissolved into light, replaced by black silk and leather that clung to her pale skin. From her back, two vast black wings unfurled, feathers glinting like obsidian knives.
She raised her hand. Energy flared, forming a spear of pure lightning that crackled in her grip.
Jack could only stare.
His brain refused to catch up.
A Fallen Angel? For real?
He gripped the fruit knife in his pocket, eyes wide.
You've got to be kidding me…
"So much for an ordinary high school girl!"
"..."
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