At Saitama Prefecture University, students arrived in groups or alone, entering the campus under the watchful eyes of the security guard at the main gate.
Akira, dressed and carrying his bag, walked onto the campus with a sense of novelty, looking left and right, familiarizing himself with the scenes from his memory.
It was truly a strange thing to attend university in Japan.
After all, he had just come of age, and his already adult body made him feel a little less fresh.
Arriving at the shoe lockers, Akira found his locker, crouched down to open it, and was about to change into his indoor shoes.
Just then, a cheerful girl's voice came from nearby.
"Gojo-kun! Ohayo!"
There was a sound of stumbling, and a handsome boy crashed into him sideways.
Akira reacted quickly, extending his arms agilely to embrace the boy who was about to fall, then stood up.
The boy, his face flushed, turned his head and bowed, saying, "Sumimasen! I bumped into you, it's all my fault for being careless!"
Then he looked up at Akira, who was looking at the boy bowing to him.
"Gojo Wakana?" Akira asked.
"Hai, sumimasen!" Gojo Wakana bowed again, his previously flushed face slowly receding.
"Akira-kun isn't angry, is he?" Gojo Wakana worried in his heart.
"It's fine, no need to apologize." Akira then turned his head to look at the girl who had greeted Gojo Wakana.
She was dressed in a JK uniform, with light blonde hair that had pink gradients at the ends, styled in an ear-length, side-parted cut.
Her pink-colored contacts held a hint of innocent cuteness, and her face showed a surprised expression.
It was none other than the female lead of the manga—Kitagawa Marin.
The university version of Kitagawa was clearly more lively and adorable than her original counterpart.
"Akira-kun, I'm really sorry, it's all my fault for startling Gojo-kun." Kitagawa Marin also bowed to Akira.
"It's really nothing!" Akira waved his hand dismissively, then crouched down again to change into his indoor shoes.
Kitagawa Marin had already left, leaving only an apologetic Gojo Wakana.
"Let's go to the classroom together!" Akira said.
"Hai!" Gojo Wakana replied.
Akira felt a slight stir in his heart; seeing Kitagawa Marin and Gojo Wakana's interaction just now, the two of them were probably already very familiar.
He had expected to feel a flutter in his heart upon seeing Kitagawa Marin.
After all, in his previous life, when he watched and read the series, he had called her his "wife" more than once.
Now that he was in the two-dimensional world, he should be even more excited.
However, when he saw the two of them, the only feeling in his heart was two words: complete satisfaction.
It was that feeling of warmth and hope, of complete satisfaction; watching them talk just now, he even felt like smiling like an aunt.
Akira was a little surprised by this thought but quickly understood his emotions.
After all, he was a pure-love youth; he couldn't do anything like a cuckold.
If this world had no Gojo Wakana, only Kitagawa Marin, then he would definitely want to pursue Kitagawa Marin.
But this world was so peaceful, and the two of them already had mutual good feelings, so Akira's only thought was to wish them well.
After all, everyone unconsciously protects beautiful things, and Akira was no exception.
"Gojo, are you and Kitagawa-san very close? I hear all the students are spreading rumors about you two." Akira asked.
Gojo Wakana shyly rubbed his neck, "Ah, we're just classmates."
Akira nodded, not pressing further. As a fan of the series, he knew Gojo Wakana's personality and didn't mind his unconfident words.
After all, the reclusive Gojo Wakana had become a university student, an adult capable of taking on life's responsibilities.
"Gojo, let's be friends." Akira turned his head and asked.
"Huh?" Gojo Wakana turned his head, looking at Akira with a surprised expression.
"Is there a problem?" Akira said without changing his expression.
"Of course not!" Gojo Wakana replied, "Akira-kun is different today than before."
Akira understood what he meant. In his memories, he used to be invisible in class—good at academics but quiet and with few friends.
"Because I realized my shortcomings, shouldn't I actively change?" Akira turned his head to look at Gojo Wakana.
"Even if you have certain flaws, only by believing in yourself and actively changing can you do better, right?"
Gojo Wakana nodded. Although he had been deceiving his grandfather before, now he also had friends.
He had changed a lot too.
---
At 5:30 PM, Akira did not participate in any club activities and went straight home with his schoolbag.
Although it was already May, the evening breeze was still a bit chilly. Akira walked while reading a textbook, and a piece of information appeared in his mind.
[Reading Lv4: 55/100]
[Mastery: You can experience various fantastic things from books.]
After a day of studying, Akira discovered the benefits that the experience system brought him.
When his Reading skill upgraded from Lv3 "Beginner" to Lv4 "Mastery," he found that his memory for knowledge in books had significantly increased.
Although it didn't reach the level of photographic memory, Akira felt that even if he didn't review, this knowledge could remain clearly in his mind for over a month!
This kind of boost was incredibly powerful for Akira!
Akira checked his skill panel.
[Cooking Lv3: 9/100]
[Reading Lv4: 55/100]
[Socializing Lv1: 85/100]
[Photography Lv1: 55/100]
[Writing Lv2: 42/100]
...
Clearly, his levels in Reading and Cooking were higher than his other skills.
For Akira, the logical course of action now was to first max out the experience for the skills he was good at, and then use the system's benefits to improve his other skills.
The highest-level skill, Reading, clearly didn't require much attention from Akira; this skill would gain experience whenever he studied and read.
So, the second skill to focus on was Cooking.
Maxing out this skill's experience would not only benefit him but also be advantageous when he eventually had a girlfriend.
Who doesn't like a boy who can cook delicious meals?
Akira agreed with this sentiment based on his own thoughts.
Akira slowly walked home, not taking the train. Although the journey was a bit longer, it allowed him to observe the hiring status of nearby shops.
He planned to find a job as a kitchen assistant in a restaurant, preferably a small one, so that his work wouldn't be too specialized, and he could do a bit of everything, helping his experience level up faster.
Thinking this, Akira walked about halfway home when he noticed a recruitment notice posted at a family restaurant by the roadside.
It seemed the notice had been up for a while, possibly due to the low pay.
Akira walked up to the storefront. The signboard outside listed today's meal promotions.
He pushed the door open, and the proprietress standing at the counter turned her head and greeted, "Welcome!"
"Hello, I'm here to apply for a job."